Hello friends, long time, no post. It's been a crazy month - traveling to NM for Cross Country Nationals, a re-org at work (resulting in more work for me, a new boss, and no more compensation), the Sandy Hook shootings, and the holidays - well, it's been a seriously emotionally draining month for me. It's hard for me to put words on a page when I get in a funk like this. My life is good. I have nothing to complain about, especially not at a time when so many are mourning the loss of their sweet children. It's doesn't seem appropriate to talk about how national tragedies affect me - even though it affects us all, it doesn't come close to how it affects those directly impacted.
And you certainly don't need another post about how lucky and grateful I am - I've written plenty of those, and I still feel lucky and grateful. So, it's hard to write.
I'll finish recapping NM and the holidays another time, instead I'll leave you with the latest funny from the kids.
Gavin was at my office yesterday morning. We've replaced paper coffee cups with re-usable mugs, and there are red mugs in the break room for guests. Employees have green mugs that we are responsible for keeping track of. I gave Gav a mug of hot chocolate, and as we were standing around with our coffee mugs, chatting with my (former) boss, Gavin said:
"I feel like a real businessperson with this mug!"
Sam woke up Christmas morning with a story on his mind. As soon as he woke up he said:
"Mom, you know about the Angels that have to guard the garden?? There was a sneaky snake that poisoned the apple. And they weren't supposed to eat it, but Eve gave it to Adam, and he ate it - and that's how they got in trouble with God! And now the Angels have to watch over the garden."
I posted this on FB tagging his teacher, who was so proud that he pays attention at "Jesus time"!
Sitting on the couch, right next to me, playing on his new Kindle Fire:
"Mom, I just feel alone right now. I feel really, really alone."
Heartbroken to hear this, I prod him on how he could possibly feel alone when I was right next to him. He felt alone that I wasn't playing his game with him!
Telling me about his day yesterday:
"Mom, it was a bad day for the Avengers today. There were so many bad guys, and not many good guys at school today!"
He and his buddies play Avengers all the time at school. They all are a character and from the stories I hear, these are very elaborate games that they come up with. Hopefully good will prevail.
"Avengers - assemble!!"
Sam frequently uses the excuse that he is afraid of monsters, when he doesn't want to go into his room alone to get something once it's dark out. The other day, I asked Gavin to help him out.
In true Gavin fashion, he didn't, but instead offered up this gem to his little brother:
"Monsters are just a FRAUD, Sam! They are NOT real!"
Funny story. And family, don't repeat these things to the kids. I think they find it weird that the universe knows all about the funny things they say at home.
Last week, the cat (Meatball, a rescue from the shelter we got when Gavin was about 2 1/2, already named) went outside when Grandma Betsy left for the evening. No big deal, he enjoys his time outside and stays close to the house, meowing at the door when he's ready to come in.
Before the boys settled down to bed I asked them to check the front door to see if he was ready to come in. He wasn't there so they checked the back door.
Gavin: "Mommy, I hear a weird sound"
I brushed it off as nothing and told them to come inside and that Meatball would show up when he was ready. Gavin started crying and said "No, Mom, I think it's Meatball....he's making a weird sound."
I stepped outside, and sure enough I heard a low growl coming from under the deck. Even though I'd never heard him make such a sound, I was pretty sure it was our cat. Imagining a rabid raccoon or some other sort of infected animal, I quickly got the kids inside and called Chad up to handle the situation.
He went outside and saw what he thought was a cat take off, spooked, for our hill and the "naughty tree" - a tree covered in thorns that in hindsight we probably should have had removed when we built the house. Oh well. As it was pitch black out, he came in to get a flashlight.
Once out there with the flashlight he realized Meatball was still under the deck. After about 5 minutes, he ventured out and came inside. I told the boys to give him some space as Chad checked him over to make sure he hadn't gotten into a brawl with the other cat (animal?). He was fine and flopped down on the carpet.
Gavin went rushing over to him, and with all the drama of your favorite daytime soap exclaimed:
Meatball! Are you ok? Do you recognize us? Do you know who I am Meatball?
As if Meatball had just woken up from a 2 year coma or something. It was HILARIOUS!
What's not hilarious, on the other hand, is that it looks like my desire to get rid of the cat will not materialize any time soon. Gavin was a crying, concerned mess until Chad brought him in. He flipping LOVES that cat. (sigh)
This weekend we were driving out to Gavin's soccer game and we passed by a section of Grimes along the highway that had some undeveloped land.
"Mom....look! It looks like they are growing Oreo's on that field!"
The ground was black from dirt that had been tilled....or whatever you do to push all the grass under and make the ground just dirt. On top of the dirt was a thin blanket of snow. It looked exactly like a field growing Oreo's!
Ahhh....how lucky am I to be able to see life through the eye's of a child....
Gavinism, out of the blue
"Mommy, I know why you love me"
"Why?"
"Because even when I'm mad you love me"
heartmelt
You know your couponing and deal buying is out of control when...
Gavin - "Mom, can I have these Combo's?" (I never buy junk like that unless it's practically free, and then I toss it in the pantry unannounced for him to find for a treat)
Me - "Yes, Gavin, you can have some."
"Did you get them at Target?"
"yes"
"were they on sale?"
"yes"
"NICE!"
Me - "Sam, come here and lay down, we need to change your diaper"
Sam - "no, dude!"
Gavin (while reading to me the other night): Mom, I'm going to try that sentence again, but this time I am going to read it fluidly.
I guess I never realized how many goofy nicknames I have for Sam. I hope I don't do this in public, because I must sound like a real dork! At any rate, last weekend from his car seat I hear Sam saying:
Hi Punkie-Pie, Hi Monkey-Moo
I finally figured out he was saying Hi to the pet names I have for him - and that I must use way more often than I thought! So when I repeated them back to him he got a HUGE grin on his face that I figured out what he was saying.
And now we hear on a daily basis
Hi Punkie-Pie, love you Punkie-Pie, thank you Monkey-Moo all with his cute Samson smirk that he wears when he knows he's being extra smart and cute
The last couple months, Gavin has been very spontaneous with the "I love you's". Now that Sam is a full fledged talker, he is not to be outdone in the sweetness department by his older brother. He will routinely stop what he's doing, come over to me for a kiss and "i love you mommy" and go back to whatever it is he is doing.
And then there is the round of I Love You's. This is what we hear in our house lately:
S: "i love you dada"
C: "love you Sam"
S: "i love you mommy"
B: 'love you Sam"
S: "i love you bubba"
G: "love you bubba"
G: "i love you mommy!"
B: "i love you Gavin"
G: "i love you daddy!"
C: "love you Gavin"
and this continues, and continues. Not that we mind :)
In the car the other day, it was just Gavin and Sam back and forth with the "i love you mommy" for like 5 minutes. Ah, so good to be loved!
A couple weeks ago, I was driving Gavin out to the Walnut Ridge recreation center in Johnston for his half mile fun run. Which he did GREAT in by the way! Under 4 1/2 minutes for a half mile, and he beat a lot of kids older than him (it was a K - 5 event).
On the way, along Beaver Drive by Camp Dodge there is a cemetary. Gavin told me he wanted to go there one day.
Why do you want to go to the cemetary?
To see my stone
What stone honey?
My stone - doesn't everybody have a stone? I want to see my stone
And then I realized what he was talking about.
Honey, you don't have a stone in the cemetary. Most people don't have stones until they die. Sometimes people get them earlier if they know where they want to be buried. But you don't have one.
Oh, well can we go look at other people's stones?
Man, these conversations sure get harder! I have to say I got pretty somber after that one. I couldn't imagine that one day, Gavin will have a stone. Hopefully, not for a very long time after I do. But still, what a reminder that our time, everyone's time, is limited.
And you know what the most amazing thing is about having a 6 yr old that is full of wonder and innocence and not afraid to ask about whatever is on his mind? He quite often jolts me out of my busy, pre-occupied world and reminds what is truly important, just when I need it most.
Gavin is always thinking. Sometimes in the conversations that we have I just have to wonder how long he's been noodling on an idea. This weekend in the car we had a conversation that just totally cracked me up.
"I look like you and Daddy. We all look the same."
Uh-huh
"And Sam looks like Meatball"
What?
"I'm really serious - they have the same face. I look like Mommy and Daddy, and Sam looks like the cat."
So you think Sam looks like .... Meatball?
"YES! They have the same face!"
We have this Just Dance game for the Wii. The graphics are horrible, but the concept is great. Pick a song, follow the moves, get points for accuracy and effort. I have to hold the remote in the opposite hand so that Gavin has a chance at winning.
Last night, Gavin and I danced off for 40 minutes! Not only is it fun, it's great exercise. After half an hour, Gavin was obviously tired (he had swimming lessons again, I will save his big accomplishment for a later post!). I told him we could stop and wind down.
And then Gavin said:
"But I know you love to dance, Mommy"
Sweet boy kept going, despite being sweaty and exhausted, because he knew it made me happy. This boy has the biggest heart I know.
See? They're not always monsters!
The other day I was sitting on the couch with the boys commenting on how did I get so lucky to have two great boys?
To which Gavin responded:
Mommy, you are the very best Mom ever!!
Recent conversations:
Sam likes to hit and pull hair. Gavin said "we didn't know Sam was going to be such a bully, right? maybe we should get a different baby."
At soccer practice, the kids were taking a drink break. The little boy next to us said "I am SO good at soccer!". The look on Gavin's face was absolutely priceless, completely quizzical and flabbergasted. After the kid ran back out to the field he looked at me, still utterly confused and said "No, he's not". I about died as the dad was sitting right there, fortunately he cracked up laughing. It was funny because Gavin did not mean it in a mean-spirited way at all, just matter of fact.
Ah, that boy!
Once again, Gavin wins. We were talking about middle names, so I told him how Mom and Dad met in high school in English class and we really liked the book "The Great Gatsby", and that's how he got his middle name.
Gavin: Did all the people in high school have kids?
Mom: No, people in high school didn't have kids, and neither did Mom and Dad - you weren't born yet.
Gavin: Oh - then where was I?
Mom: (stumped)
So cute - the night of Sam's birthday, Gavin looked at him and said "That little one year old!" It was too cute.Gavin has been asking some interesting questions lately. It's amazing all the thoughts swirling around his brain."Why are there mosquitos in the summer?" (I can't say we had a good answer)The next day in the car"Why is there an outside?" "well honey, there wouldn't be an outside unless we built buildings to be inside. It would all be outside" "But why is it there? And what if there wasn't any sky or grass?" My brain hurts at this point and then..."Female mosquitos don't bite. Only male mosquitos bite" (Impressed by the use of female/male vs girl/boy as well as mosquito instead of bug. And no idea if this factoid is true) "Sure honey, uh huh" "I'm really serious Mom. The bug guy that came to our class told us that."The bug guy that came in, like, October! It's so fun to see all the things that he is learning. Last week he picked out a library book on lightning. I don't think I knew a single thing I read in that book, so it was all new to me as well - and I couldn't believe a 5 yr old would sit through a book about electrons and positive and negative energy. That brain of his is just churning all the time.Sam update: He slept most of the afternoon with some brief awake periods - during which he just wanted to snuggle or sit on my lap and play. But this evening he seemed to turn a corner and was the cheesiest, happiest Sam I've seen in a while. He even ate some noodles and bread. We bought some probiotics to hopefully counteract the effects of the antibiotic and some hypoallergenic formula to give him some nutrition in case it takes awhile to get his appetite back. And the coughing fits are fewer too! So glad that he is on the mend already.
Last Friday I dropped Gavin off at school like I do most mornings. It was Friday, I was running late (again) - not late for work late, but not-getting-there-early-therefore-not-leaving-early late. You know.Gavin was great getting ready to go - some mornings are better than others, and this was a great one. I signed him in, gave him a couple hugs and kisses, said "Have a good day buddy" and turned to leave.I glanced back and he was standing there with the sweetest smile on his face. And very softly he said "And you have a good day too."And that's when it popped. My heart, spilling love and joy all over my body. I'm a seriously lucky mommy.
Gavin and I have been talking a bit about Colorado and skiing there. Friday morning we had this discussion:Gavin: Mom, in the summer, do they color there?Mom: Where?Gavin: In Colorado, do they color?Mom: What? (we always have these discussions in the car, so I usually get confused, not able to give him my full attention)Gavin: You know, in the summer, do they color.....since it's ColoradoMom: Why yes, I think they doI think it was so funny (and smart) that he assumed they color there because of the name, but even smarter that he asked if they do it in the summer...it's hard to know all the connections his little brain is firing at the time, but I am guessing that he thought through the fact that it snows there in winter, and people ski there in the winter, so they must just color in the summer.
Weird - I typed this up and posted this morning and the text disappeared!Gavin: Next year I'm going to be 6, then 7, 8, 9, 10....Mom: What am I going to do when you go away to college?Gavin: whimpers I'm going to miss you when I'm at collegeBoys wrestling on floorGavin: Mom, it's your turn to wrestle!Mom: Not right nowGavin: Oh yeah....girls can't wrestle cuz they might break a nail....right?After school where they were watching "Night at the Museam 2"Mom: How did you like your movie?Gavin: It's ok, 1 was really exciting, but 2 was pretty boring to watch.Gavin continues to crack me up with the things he says, and the big boy things that come out his mouth.
"Salmon" - his new nickname for Sam"Samurai" - my nickname for Sam, but it's cuter coming from him"That's SO boring" - whenever we suggest that he do/watch/play something he doesn't like"Mom, I'm allergic to chicken patties" - the first thing he said when I picked him up one day. He's now "allergic" to anything he doesn't want to eat."You're a genius!" - I hear this in response to a variety of thingsDrumroll please....this was the best thing my tired Monday morning ears could hear today. I had packed Gavin a lunch for his field trip today. As I handed him his lunch he said."Thank you Mommy. I love you. You're the best - and a genius!"And I have been walking around in a puddle of heartmelt all day = )
