Summer Round 2

So we are hoping that the nasty weather is gone and in that, we drug the pool out of the garage....the one bought on clearance last year at the end of the season...and blew the sucker up. My cousins's daughter informed me that I had a lot of air in me to get that pool blown up. I neglected to inform her that to most people I am in fact full of hot air.....she is only three I am sure she will figure me out soon enough, but I digress, So it was nice and warm outside and since we had not planned for a pool party and my cousin and her children live some 120 miles away it was not possible to run home and grab swim wear, so we compromised,and I am not about the photos in any sort of public forum...I am not crazy, so you will simply have to take my word for it that there is some serious blackmail available on all 4 of them.

Day Out With Thomas!!

What is a boy to do when his best friend comes to town....why head up for a visit. Nathan was so excited that he got to ride with Thomas the Tank Engine. I think we may have made his year. He LOved the whole adventure. Greg and I took Nathan for an afternoon up to Heber to ride with his friend Thomas. Despite the fact it is the Thursday of Memorial Day Weekend, it was rainy and pretty darn cold. (We left Alex home with my girlfriend Jannda....big thanks to her!) But Nathan did not care at all, he had a great afternoon meeting Sir Toppam Hat (sp???) and having his picture taken with both him and Thomas. But of course the best of all was getting to ride on the train pulled by Thomas himself. Nathan choose to ride in the tanish-orange cars, because he said that they must be Annie and Clarribel (Thomas' coaches, for those not in the know). We enjoyed our ride, purchased a new Thomas shirt and slippers (no more sore toes from the too small pair we had) and a story book full of all the original Thomas stories. And lest we forget the huge Thomas mylar ballon that 9 days later is STILL floating around my house! All in all a wonderful afternoon.....and a little boys dreams made real.

Summer...for a minute

So we finally got some sun for a minute. And since we had sun we had to get out in it. We threw the kids in the car and headed up to Vivian Park and the little 12 and under fishing pond and had a ball. Our friends Jared and Katie and thier little girl Alyssa met us up there and we had lunch, caught a few fish and let the kids run wild. It was so nice and, of course, over too soon. I am proud to say I out fished them all and caught two nasty slimy fish which my sweet hubby de-hooked and threw back for me so I didn't have to touch them. Good Hubby. Yucky Fish.

For all the Mom's out there

Mothers

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with OscarMayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey,Mommy's here.'

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapersin their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars.

And that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?'they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in thegrocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight, Moon' twice anightfor a year. And then read it again. 'Just one more time.'

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tietheir shoe laces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though theyknow their own offspring are at home -- or even away atcollege ~or have their own families.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE oncethey got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, whocan't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleedwhen their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat infront of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion?Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a buttonon a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for thevery first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they aresafe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughtsare for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes andsleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.
Single mothers and married mothers.
Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us...
Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and neverstop being a mom..

'Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall.'

May Day

So today is May 1st, at least according to my calendar. Because when I woke up this morning and looked out my window, I did not see sunshine and flowers blooming. I saw SNOW!!! Now don't get me wrong, I love winter! Love it, but I am done. I am tired of having a three year old jumping up and down in my house, I am tired of trying to figure out what to dress my baby in...will she be too hot, too cold?.....and I am sick to death of trying to figure out if I am every going to be able to plant a garden. Please oh Weather fairy bring me some nice balmy 70* days.
ANd just so you know when summer does get her and it is 100*+ I will be crying about that too.