growth (the good kind)

I'm going to do this post like I've been staying caught up all along.  Like everybody knows everything about anything that's been a happenin' here the last while...  And if I refer to the awesome family reunion with a wink, you'll already know how awesome it was and wink back.  And if I sigh about Girls' Camp, you'll sigh with me.

So we're all up to speed then, right?

OK then.

Latest in the news is that Suzie is joining the ranks of the potty-trained.  Yes, she's been 3 for 8 months, but it was me who finally wised up and shoved Suzie into kid-hood.  The little attempts over the last year were half-heartedly given and half-heartedly received.  But there was nothing half-hearted about the way I danced and yelped and cheered around the house when hearing that delightful little tinkling.  Suzie is more enthusiastic about the sticker chart on the door than she is about the toilet.  That's not such a surprise really.  ...Stickers have animals and toilets smell.

"Mom?  Please hold my princess dress.  Mom?  Underwear goes on my bum?  That's silly.  Mommy?  I want 3 stickers.  Suzie get's 3 stickers now.  DOGGY STICKER!  LOOK MOM! DOGGY STICKER!!!!"

Now, I plan on flaunting this.  I have a kid that will be potty trained before starting school.  Before.  YEARS before.  And get this- I'm about down to just one child in a diaper.  ONE.  I haven't been down to one since the day before Brenda was born.  ...Brenda is almost nine.  NINE PEOPLE!  I'm seriously moving up in the world.  Perhaps a new hair-do is in order?  Is it time to start wearing saucy shoes or feathery hats?

Speaking of moving up in the world, I am proud to announce that I have successfully gardened a tomato plant.  ...Plant.  No tomatoes but the plant is still alive.  I did that.  Me.  Last year the poor plant didn't last 2 weeks.  And next year, with fingers crossed I will get the 2013 tomato plant to produce.  Yes I will and do you know why?

Because getting a few green leaves to cough up a tomato can't be harder than potty training.  It can't, right?

I might just be able to do anything.

my iphone can explain...

EPIC 2012

taking notes

My parenting style with Garret is SPOIL THIS KID ROTTEN 'CAUSE HE'S JUST SO DANG SWEET.  I'm the mommy and this is my decree- If Garret wants it, he gets it.  No pants while you leap across the backyard?  Sure.  You'd rather eat your meal huddled behind the couch?  Sounds good.  Is this the 48th sock you've abused and abandoned today?  You got it buddy.  

Part of this thinking comes from the fact that I'm very aware that I could abuse this kid and probably get away with it.  I could treat him terribly and feel confident he'd forgive me in an instant.  In fact, I don't believe Garret's little soul is even capable of hate, malice or grudges.   I've never tested this theory, but I know my boy pretty good.  There's a subtle wisdom like he knows he's here to help me learn and he's got buckets of patience for the duration. 

So with the belief that this kid is far more perfect than I can hope to be, I want to make him as comfortable as possible while I try to catch up.

“The plain fact is that the world does not need more successful people, but it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as our culture has defined it.” – David Orr

an UNTOUCHED photo of me in a swimsuit. seriously.

 What!  Costco has no fitting rooms!

I'm trying to be less critical about my figure.

And while this picture was sweetly taken by Monica simply so that I could see how "hot" I looked, I was tempted to scoff and snort at my less-than-perfect-heavier-than-earlier-years body.  But while the devil on one shoulder invited his buddies over because well, these shoulders can accommodate, the little angel on the other shoulder kindly told me that I'm an ungrateful, blessed creature.

I'm thankful for a healthy, strong body. 

.

..

...

And I'm thankful that Costco took this suit back because I found an even better one elsewhere.  

You know how kids are...

Who was I talking to the other day, about being a kid and obsessed with nintendo?

Well, thanks to that conversation I got a chuckle during my last run.

I was again thinking about nintendo and the wild fascination us kids felt for Mario and his fire-spitting powers.  I can still sing the theme music and actually prefer the looming tune played when you braved the lava-filled lower layers.  Oh and remember the sound when you'd go down the pipes?  WAW, waw, waw... 

Oh boy we could play for hours.

I couldn't help but smile when I remember my babysitting adventures with Steph and Stace.

I was never the best babysitter and didn't get many of the jobs around town and totally didn't care.  Kids are kinda annoying but you may pay me to keep them alive.  Don't expect any perks.  But when I began watching Steph and Stace, who were more buddies than rugrats, babysitting became tolerable.  Even fun!  We played the piano, sang loudly (and awesomely), made up stupid jokes that made us pee our pants, ruined meals in the microwave, make-overs GALORE and even performed skits with dramatic deaths and romantic twists...

You shoulda been there.  We had a blast.

One memory in particular I will always love.

Steph and Stace had a nintendo in the basement.  Me, being the cool babysitter and a few years older, appeared so talented as I conquered all the "hard" levels...  We would sit on their white, fur rug and take turns while the others huddled and cheered.

One day we were firm and focused.  -determined to get beyond the current level when something small and black dropped onto my shorts.

I jumped.  Steph jumped.  Stace jumped.

Everybody screamed.

A carpenter ant had just fallen from the ceiling.  Seriously.

We giggled and shrugged and returned to the game.

Another drop.

Then another...

It was one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced.  Every, maybe 8-15 seconds, these huge ants were falling to the floor.  Seriously!

Now, you'd think that we'd call someone.  Let someone know that something really strange was happening that might just be a real problem but no.

You see, that Mario music was humming softly from the tv and you know how kids are with their nintendos...

Miss you Steph and Stace.

love, your big, fabulous sis.