McMommy is McSad!

You are probably asking yourself why I am showing you my dishwasher, and dishes. How odd. What a strange blog. Indeed! There is a method to my madness though. Isn't there always? In my perception at least, I like to believe there is. A few weeks ago I had a thought that stopped me dead in the middle of my dish-doing tracks. Vance is almost 4 1/2. Why am I letting him still have sippy cups? The girls had moved on to straw cups between 3 and 4! Here he is months into his 4th year of life and still utterly attached to a plastic cup with a plug. I pondered this for a moment trying to decide what to do. Should I toss them out for recycling right this minute? No...that would surely induce crying beyond what I would want to deal with. Should I just let him keep them? No...he is much too old! I finally settled on option 3. Sit the little guy down and break the news. My kids do really well with preperation, and this situation needs a tender touch and time. He will be exactly 4 1/2 on January 1st, so that is the day I picked. The day we bid the sippies fairwell! Despite my gentle breaking of the news it still was not recieved well. There where tears, and an emphatic NO! He is getting used to the idea though. Now, how many more loads of dishes will my dishwasher be able to do once this takes place? Hmmm, it will be interesting to find out!

Ignore the hideous wall paper in my cabinets. There is more to this story. Since Vance is moving on to straw cups it makes sense that the girls move on to...gasp...regular cups! Cups that, if provoked, will spill their entire contents all over everything and everyone in their way. The cups I dread. Much more so now that we have carpet. I sat the girls down for their gentle yet firm talk last night. Alorah thought it was cool, Faith bawled. How will she ever drink her milk without a straw? Well, my dear love, the same way you learned to drink from breast to sippy to straw. She doesn't like change much, and this is going to be a big one for her (Jess, any OT suggestions?). She can drink out of a regular cup, she has many times, she just doesn't like it. So, if the trend keeps my kitchen should be free of plastic in 2 1/2 years! I cannot stand to drink out of plastic, I am quite adament about glass. With 3 kids in 4 years plastic saved my sanity, but sooner then later we will bid it all fairwell. My how time flies.

Now, surely I've lost my noggin! Why am I posting a pic of a 4 year olds bed? Well, you see, this also will make sense. Along with all the changes of late another chapter of toddlerhood past has come and gone. Vance declared this last weekend that he was all done with his bedrails. The bedrails that brought me much needed peace about him sleeping in his own bed. That kept his very precious noggin safe night after night. Why, mommy, 4 year olds do not need such things! He also wants to sell all of his little people toys to buy big boy batman toys. sigh. Time keeps clicking by and more and more I find myself trying to thread my fingers through its slippery strands and hold on for dear life. In 2009 my children will be 5, 7, and 9 and next fall all 3 of them will be in school. They will all have lives apart from me. Part of me is oh so relieved, and part of me is unbearably sad. We are trading little people for batman, plastic for glass, and bedrails for trust that said precious noggin will not hit the floor.

And then...and then my sweet little boy stuff his humonsterous feet into the tinker toy container, making me roll with laughter. And these are the moments that I treasure. For who, besides a 4 year old, would ever think to do such a thing? Surely not I, or you, and even my girls did not do that! The pride that it worked, and the quick action to move on to the next adventure. Tis the magic of childhood.

Then there is Toby. This precious pup that has made her way into our family so sweetly. She is the very best dog I've ever met. I'm not a huge fan of dogs in general, but I have to say that this dog is awesome. She sleeps in my bed every night. She curls up at my feet while I read. She keeps me company in my sad hours that no one else is privy to. She is beautiful, her eyes are almost gold and they match her shiny coat. Her disposition is refreshing. I'm so glad we got her. She is ours and we are hers and it is, by all acounts, a perfect match!

This past Saturday, my day with the kids, the girls kept busy for hours upon hours making masks, coloring, and doing word-finds. Not one single solitary disagreement. It was, fantastic! When they get along so well and play in their own world together it brings me more joy then I could ever express. I am so glad they are so close in age. For every moment that was hard and seemed impossible when they where small, and many where and did, the rewards they reap now make me the happiest mom on earth. They are each others best friends. They make up games and do arts and crafts and eat and play together. They are so intertwined and neither will ever remember life without the other. They are complete and utter opposites. Faith is introverted and quiet, Alorah is outgoing and loud! Faith loves to make things with her hands, Alorah makes up fantasy worlds with her littlest pet shop pets, barbies, and ponies. When they meld it is a perfect blend. I am so blessed by them. They have what I did not...and my heart runneth over with joy for them because I wanted so much to give that to them. The gift of siblinghood. I pray they remain this close, always.

Vance also has a huge affection for hotwheels. He takes over the living room, daily. We have traded trains for cars, and it is a blast. zoom zoom, toot toot, honk honk. Just like time. It goes and goes and goes. Girl toys, I understand. Boy world is a whole new experience. So, I play. Because what other choice do I have? The housework can wait, it will never end. Just because I get it done an hour sooner does not make me more successful for the day. Right now is all we have. So, right now, we play.


Chapters stop and others start and we find fulfillment with both. It goes by much too fast. One day they will be grown and gone but their childhood will remain fresh, hopefully for all of us...

Plumb
In My Arms
(lyrics)

your baby blues
so full of wonder
your curley cues
your contageous smile
and as i watch
you start to grow up
all I can do is hold you tight

knowing clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

story books are full of fairy tales
of kings and queens and the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
you'll someday see the truth from lies

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms

Castles, they might crumble
dreams may not come true
but you are never all alone
'cause I will always
always love you

when the clouds will rage and
storms will race in
but you will be safe in my arms
rains will pour down
waves will crash all around
but you will be safe in my arms
in my arms