6 a.m. with Junior

Those of you on facebook with me will already be familiar with the content of this post. About 6 months ago, I started posting some of the funny conversations Junior would have with me in the wee (wee wee) hours of the morning. He is my only early riser and for awhile did not like being the only one downstairs. So, he would climb in on my side of the bed and cuddle and chatter his awesome brand of stream of consciousness. I would struggle to stay coherent and decode his thought process so I could answer intelligently. I don't know if I pulled it off. Someday he might write a post entitled "6 a.m. answers from Mom." Eventually, he figured out how to work the remote control, so he doesn't come hang out as much as he used to. I am glad I recorded some of these conversations when I did and wish I had them all.

These are my "6 a.m. conversations with Junior" status updates from Facebook dating back to February. They were too precious not to record here and too good not to share...

February 22
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Sooo, Mom. I have been thinking about taking us all on a cruise..."

February 23
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, I think I am going to gather some wood and build myself a science lab in the backyard...You won't be able to come in though. You're not a scientist."

February 25
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, I really wish that I had freckles...and braces...and glasses!"

March 8
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, I think I am going to check myself out of school today. I have a really loose tooth on the bottom and I am really sure that I won't be able to focus." (For the record, he decided he would be able to focus after all when he remembered that it was library day...)

March 14
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
...upon finding out that he was wrong and his neighbor friend was right regarding the name of Bubba's preschool, he asked "can't we just switch Bubba to a new school so I can be right?" (yes, he was completely serious and completely ticked about being wrong.)

March 15th
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
(excitedly) "Mom!!!! Did you know that Harry Potter was a book before it was a movie?"

March 19
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, when I am a little older, I am going to invent a microwave that has a microphone attached to it, so when you cook food and open the door, I can make you think the food is talking to you."

April 5th
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, I feel like I am going to throw up and can I wear my swimsuit today?"

April 6
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"I'm going to make a day and call it hamburger day. I think maybe on June 23rd. Can you go put it on the calendar in the kitchen? And also say that I invented it."

April 29
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
J: 'Mom, you know the souls in our bodies that keep us alive?"
Me: "Yes"
J: "I'm going to try to get some souls and put them into some of my toys so they can be alive."
Me: "Where will you find them and how do you put them in?"
J: "I will probably find them in a graveyard or something and then shock them in somehow."

Some boys want to be firemen when they grow up. My son wants to be a God. :-)

August 19
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
"Mom, can I go and invent a recipe in the kitchen and use the microwave to cook it?" (I stayed conscious long enough to remind him not to use anything metal.) When I got up, he had written down his recipe for me to add to my book: Peanut butter, sugar, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup and milk. Cook for 8 minutes.

August 18
10:00 a.m.:
J: "Mom!!! I was putting my pants on and I kicked myself in the eyeball."
(I snort in laughter)
J: (offended) "How is that funny??!"
Me: "How is that NOT funny?"

Noon…
Bubba: What is that smell? (I burned something)
J: It’s just mom cooking, Bubba. Remember how we are used to this smell?”

September 4
6 a.m. conversation with Junior
J: (who is a little obsessed about the idea of us potty training sis) "Mom, maybe Sis could ask for one of those little toilets that play music when you go for Christmas."
Me: "I don't really like the idea of cleaning one of those out all the time, but we'll see."
J: *sigh* "well...I suppose I could just install a real little toilet for her."

September 8th
6 a.m. conversation with Junior:
J: "Mom, can you help me put this t-shirt on this pillow? I tried putting underwear on it already and it didn't fit."
Me: "whaaa?"
J: (fed up) "Oh, never mind"
Me: "K"

This was me 26 years ago...

Junior started second grade today (with definite opinions about what he would wear. The days when I could pick out his school clothes are long gone.) This is a wierd mom milestone for me because although I have snapshot memories of kindergarten and first grade, second grade is the first year that I have detailed memories of. It is strange to look at how little I still feel he his and remember how grown up I felt then. It is the first year that I can relate on some level to what is going on in his head because I remember being that age myself. I remember discovering boys and who I had crushes on. I remember thinking the dumbest things were hilarious. I remember having one foot firmly in a world of my imagination and the other in a reality of really wanting to feel grown up. And at the end of the day, it really doesn't feel that far away. I know that in another blink of the eye, Junior will be sending HIS second grader off to school and remembering how he spent the summer before practicing his running ("because this is my year to kiss the girl I like and I have to chase her really fast, mom")and worrying about whether he would like his teacher and the fact that he doesn't know multiplication (despite everyone's reassurances that he doesn't need to go into second grade knowing it.)

I hope he finds good friends. I hope he likes his teacher. I hope that he is challenged and can find satisfaction and confidence in overcoming something hard. I hope that he will be able to grasp on some level what a great kid he is and how valuable to the world. I hope that as this first little bird of mine hops a little further from the nest that he likes what he finds. I hope he has a great year.

***By the way, for the record/sake of posterity, he chose strawberry ice cream (with no chunks) a bacon and egg sandwich, bacon and diet coke for his first day of school/choose anything you want to eat breakfast.

This explains...

...all the little toe prints I keep having to scrub off of the doorjams all over the house...

It's not a party unless I spend three days cooking AND accidentally dye the fence blue...

I have a few recipe websites that I love and a few months ago, I came across these little guys (root beer float cupcakes.) I thought 'those would be fun for Bubba's birthday party.' After too many evenings with my mind wandering rather than focusing on work, the idea snowballed into 'how about I have a party with a soda pop theme where EVERYTHING is made with soda products.' So, that is exactly what I did. It's times like this that I wish I knew how to take extra fancy pictures with my extra fancy camera because I was so happy with how it all turned out. But, I was lucky to get these because Britny remembered to take a few, in between helping me referee a million children and sous cheffing, before the other guests showed up.


For the last three summers, my family has rented one of these jumpers (with water) for a collective summer birthday party. Bek's little N has a birthday near Bubba's and they were going to come out and join us for the party, but were unable to come at the last minute, and they were missed. No one can jump with as much energy as her Cubby and Bek is ten times the cook I am. The company we rented the bounce house from is awesome and they let you keep it for the entire day. My boys and the neighbors were almost worn out by the time the party rolled around.


The Menu: (in case you are curious how many soda based recipes you can use in one meal)

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Root Beer Pulled Chicken
Coca Cola BBQ Wings
Sprite Biscuits
Cherry Coke Jello Salad (thanks to Phread...)
Greek Pasta Salad (normal recipe I'm afraid)
Watermelon/Cucumber Mint Salad (ditto)
Root Beer Float Cupcakes
Coca Cola Cake (which my old roommate used to make all the time! Yum.)
Root Beer Bundt Cake
Orange Crush Cupcakes
Despite how it might sound, the soda factor/taste wasn't all that prevalent in any of these recipes, but they all fit the theme (remember my obsession with themes? Good.)



I made homemade root beer and it turned out surprisingly good (as long as you were expecting the homemade taste and not the super carbonated store taste.) I remembered the root beer of all my childhood ward parties being darker but this is how mine turned out. It tasted right, but looked more like cream soda. The biggest hit was the dry ice. I may get some more soon just to play in it. Junior is also lobbying for that activity.


A few of the guests. We had a great turnout and it was awesome to see some folks we haven't visited with in awhile. Thanks to everyone who made it.


Birdie and the twins taking a break long enough to eat. About the time everyone was settling down to their food, the skies opened up with thunder and lightning and we had to temporarily deflate the bouncy house while 40+ people took refuge inside my little house to wait it out. Fortunately it didn't last long, but it did soak the blue streamers that a friend had decorated the entire fence with. Did you know that wet streamers will bleed dye all over everything and IT DOESN'T WASH OFF!!? Me neither. I was able to return the fence to normal with a bottle of bleach, but that was a lot of fence (even more fun because it blew over to the other side as well. It was a very effective way to get to know my new neighbor, who was very understanding.) **No worries landlord's daughter-in-law!! The fence is no longer blue :-)


Bubba opening his presents and generously letting Sis help. For the record, this picture was taken moments after Sis handed me a cup with about ten potato bugs in it that she had collected. Grandpa W was the most pleased with her :-)


Party Favors: bottles of soda and bottle cap candies.


The rental company wasn't able to get back to us by the end of the evening, so they left it overnight. The kids were up bright and early to get a little more jumping in.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

Copy Cats

Yesterday, as Britny and I had our usual late morning catch up chat, she mentioned that her three year old daughter had spent the morning copying her by pretending to be on the phone. I was just in the middle of laughing and saying that Sis does it all the time too, when the dame in question walked past me with her hand up to her ear (like a phone) casually chattering in her own special language. As I watched, she flopped into the chair I had just been in (still 'talking on the phone') crossed her legs, glanced up at me and put her hand up in the silent 'wait' sign I give the kids when I don't want to be interrupted. I laughed at her dead-on mimicry of me and ruefully considered that when she is a teenager that I can't manage to get off the phone, I can only blame myself :-) For the rest of the morning, she insisted on doing everything I was doing. I vacuumed and she pulled her little toy version out and copied me step for step. When I used the hose, she did too. When I stopped to pick something up, she did too. Ditto for the sweeping and floor steaming. Silly dance steps? She nailed it on the first try. I watched her kiss her dollies and pretend to change their diapers and tuck them in the way I do to her every night. She was a chirpy, affectionate, determined shadow at my heels for hours.

It both amused and scared me that she watches me so closely even when it isn't as obvious like today. Because I watch her watching me, I know that my logical future conclusion when she makes a bad decision will be that I did something wrong in my parenting, even though in general I don't believe that we have quite that much power. However, it does remind me that now is the time to show my kids my good choices because they are so eager to do as I do. If I show them that I exercise and eat right and tell the truth and get to church on time and clean up my messes and know how to apologize while they are still little copycats, there is every hope that some of that stuff will stick when that darn free agency really kicks in.
Of course, this also means I need to curb things like my temper and my chronic tardiness and going over the speed limit, my occasional nail biting and my massive caffeine intake, etc. etc.

It is both intimidating and also an honor to be able to parent these three little people. To answer their questions and fix their owies and teach them right from wrong (even if the process is certain to remove years from my life in the end.)

I love being a mom. I don't love being tired. I don't love being a constant referee. I don't love the countless sleepless nights up with sick kids or wide awake babies. I don't anticipate that I will always love dealing with teenagers or last minute science projects and girl drama. And I REALLY don't love doing all of this as a parent with no daily backup or way to recharge. But I do love my kids and I love serving them. I love the love notes and the cuddles and watching them learn something new or gain confidence. I love watching them befriend and watch out for each other, even after being mortal enemies the day before. I love tucking them in and then coming back to check on them after they are asleep and sprawled out in positions that only kids can be comfortable in.

I may have many regrets about the demise of my marriage and especially the way my life has to be now, but I don't regret for a second anything that led to my little buddies. They are my heart and center and I love them, probably more than they will ever know.

But I really hope they have never yet observed me eating the cake directly from the pan without bothering with something as proper as a plate...

Born Cool

Bubba,

From the day you were arrived and your head of full, dark hair naturally waved into the cutest faux-hawk, we determined that you were just born cool. Now that you are 5, you still have cool naturally cornered and I think you always will.

You have been a delightful child to mother. You are sweet and spunky and imaginative and one of my favorite things to do is listen to you play whatever character you are being at the moment. This year you have gone from Hurcules to Peter Pan to Captain Hook to Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader to the Karate Kid to Michael Jackson to Spiderman to your current fave; The Green Lantern. You love to tease your brother and sister but generally just to get them to notice you. In a moment, you will switch from a pesky brother to their BFF if they encourage it. You idolize your big brother and can make Sis laugh like no one else in the family can. She runs to you for comfort and loves as much as me these days.

You are my sweetheart cuddler and not a day goes by without several hugs and spontaneous "I love you's" from you. You have grown a lot this year and have learned to conquer many of your fears. Last week you walked through the dark front room and ran to find me in excitement. "I went into the dark and nothing happened" you said, and I was as proud as I have ever been because you have come so far.

Your questions and statements amuse me, your progress heartens me, your enthusiasm and love for your family comforts me and your hugs sustain me. I adore being your mom and I adore you.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

Why the trampoline is already worth every penny...

Because Sis's hair stands straight up the minute she steps on it and I never get tired of laughing at it. The boys invite her to join them in jumping just to see it do that.


Because they are nicer to each other when they play on it than in any other activity.


Because I get to listen to them laugh and play together through the open kitchen door every evening and it reminds me of how much I love my little ones still being little.