TSW?T: Apparently It's Alligator Week Around Here

They Said What? Tuesday:  Volume 12

My 3-year-old daughter...

"Mom, can I have some of your alligator juice?"
...she asked me this as we were sitting out on the dock at a cottage, as I was drinking what, you ask?  Yup, you guessed it...Gatorade.

M:  "I love you, my brother."
P:   "Wait...was she thinking about that in the bathroom?"
...her first words upon returning to the lunch table from the bathroom.  And her brother's response.  Priceless.  And yes, she does call him "my brother" from time to time.  Don't know where she picked that up, but it always makes me smile.

My 5-year-old son...

"Mom, does getting stung by a bee feel just like getting your head chomped off by an alligator?!"
...well, son, having never had my head chomped off by an alligator I am unable to accurately answer that question.  However, in my opinion, I think the alligator thing would be worse than the bee thing.  I will also say they are called "stings" for a reason.  Ouch.

P:  "Can we see God?"
Me:  "No, we can't see him like we would see another person.  But he is always with us and we can talk to him whenever we want."
P:  "Oh.  He must blend in really, really good!"
...these questions just keep getting tougher and tougher!  I need an answer key, please.

"Which game do you want, sweetie?"
...what I overheard him saying to his sister as he was helping her play a game on the computer.  Every now and then, he'll call her 'honey' or 'sweetie,' no doubt because I do.  I always wish I could freeze time for just that moment when I'm lucky enough to hear it.  

No matter what they say, You Are a Good Mom.

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More

How I Love Vacation

Ahhhh....

So this is what I've been looking at the past 10 days.  Needless to say, it beat out my computer. 

Every.  Single.  Day.  

Ok, I shouldn't say that.  My poor computer never even had a shot, as I left it back home.  Because I knew it would be up against that all week.  And ice cream.  And camp fires.  And reading real live books.  

And most of all, my family.  

Many family traditions were carried on, including camp fires on the beach at night, listening to my husband, his brother and his dad have "jam sessions" at the campground, and trips into town for ice cream.  Lots and lots and lots of ice cream.  

New ones were made, like my own children zipping around the campground on their bikes and playing on the beach with their headlamps well past sunset. 

Today was a day of settling back into reality, as we packed up the campsite, drove back home, and spent most of the afternoon unpacking, doing laundry, and then doing more laundry. 

(Remember when you were a kid and you just went on vacation?  And then you just came home from vacation?  I had no idea the lengths that were went to leading up to and coming home from such adventures...)

So all that to say it was an amazing week and a half spent with amazing people, including my brother-in-laws who now live out of state, watching amazing memories be made.  It's been awhile since I've had any new posts here, but I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things now that we're back home.  

Although if I miss a post here or there, you can just assume I'm still buried under a pile of camping laundry somewhere...

When you take a break from your normal routine, You Are a Good Mom.  

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More

TSW?T: Mr. Rooster and Grand Valley

They Said What? Tuesday:  Volume 11

My 3-year-old daughter...

"Don't give up, Mom.  You can do it!"
...her encouragement to me while playing Cootie.  Alas, I finished with ONLY my Cootie body, not even a head, while both my kids totally waxed me.

My now 5-year-old son...
"Look!  It's the Grand Valley!"
...while watching fireworks on the 4th of July.  In some circles, this may also be known as the "grand finale," but apparently not in ours.

"When I grow up, I wanna be a Daddy so I can help take care of kids."
...while my husband was helping my daughter get ready for bed.  Per my husband's request, I am not typing the sentence that came directly after that.  Unless enough of you are curious enough and comment about it on this post.  Then I may just have to let it slip...

"It's a whirling pool!"
...while stirring the water in his sand bucket with his water blaster.  Personally, I kinda like whirling pool better than the traditional "whirl pool" it sounds somehow much more fun.

"Mom, my skin is getting tan.  It's tan just like yours!"
...maybe the sweetest thing he's ever said to me.  Or anyone has ever said to me.  Those of you who know me can stop laughing right now.  Those of you who don't me, you should know the only thing close to a "tan" I get is when my millions of freckles decide to join sides.  

"My hair is sticking up.  I look like a rooster!"
...upon looking at himself in the mirror and seeing his cowlick before church on Sunday.  He proceeded to tell the greeter at church to call him "Mr. Rooster."  

No matter what they say, You Are a Good Mom.

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More

"Parent"dox: When a Place is More than a "Place"

Sunday Night "Parent"dox #16:  When a Place is More than a "Place"

Have you ever been to a Place that became more than just a "place" to you?  

Maybe it was the beauty of the Place itself.  Maybe it was the way you felt when you were in that Place.  Maybe it was the people that filled that Place.  Maybe it was the memories made in that Place.

Whatever the reason, the Place somehow transformed and became more than just a "place" for you.

So Many places, So Few Places
There are literally millions upon millions of places in the world.  

Houses.  Parks.  Streets.  Hiking Trails.  Swing sets.  Restaurants.  Malls.  Beaches.  High School Gymnasiums.  Campgrounds.  Apartments.  Hospitals.  Churches.  Backyards.  Benches.  Treehouses.  Coffee shops.  Libraries.  

There are, however, very few of these places that become Places.  The beauty of Places is they are completely unknown, unseen by the common passerby.  It is hidden in plain sight.  A Place is known only to the person who holds that Place dear; only to the person who has experienced, lived, and breathed that place in such a way that it became a Place to them.  To only them and them alone.  

For me, I've been lucky enough to have just returned from one my Places.  (Oh yes, you can have more than one Place...)  It is a Place I've visited countless times.  It has become a Place to me because of it's beauty, because of the way it makes me feel when I am there, because of the people that have filled it, and most of all, because of the memories that have been made there.

It is the beach cottage my Mom has rented for the past 11 years.  At first glance, it is nothing special, nothing fancy.  It is probably close to 100 years old.  The walls and floors are pretty bare; the furniture is no doubt older than I am.  No one else would know what a treasure it is, that it has become a part of me and I a part of it, in a way I can't really explain.    

It has become my Place.

It has become my Place simply by being there, year after year.  As I think back over the days and nights spent there, I realize that this Place has somehow found a way to capture so many of the important events from the past 11 years of my life.  It has seen me through most of the milestones of my adult life.  

Same Place,  A Million Different Memories
I remember the first year out there, when I went with my Mom that first day of her week there and we looked around to try to figure out how to get into the place.  And then wandered around inside checking out the kitchen and the porch and the bedrooms, not knowing what was around each corner or behind each door.  

I remember a year when I went out and stayed for as many days or nights as I felt like, pretty much making up my mind as I went each day.  I would stay up late, sleep in until noon, and eat whatever I wanted, whenever it sounded good, including ice cream for dinner or breakfast at our favorite local breakfast spot at 1:00pm.

I remember a year when I would schedule the days I would head to the cottage around the days my boyfriend had to work or could come out to visit.  I would try to convince him to head out to the beach as soon as he was done with work, or stay an extra night, even if it meant he had to leave at 5:00am the next morning.  (Yes, that same "boyfriend" later became my fiance, then my husband, then the father of my children...and is still putting up with me all these years later!)

I remember the year I spent many hours on the porch with papers and sticky notes and notecards spread everywhere, as I put the finishing touches on things that needed to be finished for my wedding, which was only a month away.  I searched through family-owned shops downtown for the perfect stationary to write thank you notes to my bridesmaids and spent an afternoon shopping for clothes for myself and my husband-to-be for our honeymoon.

I remember a time when I planned my days at the cottage based on my graduate class schedule.  I would finish a class, drive out to the beach, then spend the afternoon reading and highlighting books for class under a beach umbrella.  I'd squeeze out as many minutes as I could there with family and friends, sometimes even driving back to class still wearing my bathing suit with a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt thrown over it.

I remember the only year out of all 11 years that I didn't stay a single night at the cottage.  I walked up and down the boardwalk and the beach, and saw my sister come to my defense as we waited over an hour to be sat at a restaurant.  I was expecting the arrival of my first child literally any day...as I was past my due date...and my son decided to come the Tuesday of the week that my Mom was at her cottage that year.  We now celebrate his birthday each year we're out there.

I remember the year we made a very unplanned, middle-of-the-night trip to the ER with my 2-year-old son and his 6-week-old old sister in tow.  My mom came to the rescue, as my husband wasn't there because he was working.  I was scared and unsure, especially in a town and a hospital not my own, but we were taken such good care of that I knew we were in good hands.  I will forever appreciate everyone who helped make everything OK that night.

I remember the first year we decided to stay for an entire week, because it was easier to pack up everything we needed for a family of 4, including 2 small children, and just stay put, than to come and go a few nights here and there.  [Although this year, for the first time in 5 years, this Mom didn't have to pack diapers or baby food.  And we still stayed for the entire week.  Two words for you:  Ah.  Mazing.]

I remember my children playing on the porch swing, walking the pier, eating ice cream, serving "food" through the porch window, staying up way too late, laughing until it made me laugh out loud with their friends and cousins, putting together puzzles, swimming until their teeth chattered and yet still refusing they were cold, digging in the sand.  They have come to love the cottage just as much as I have.  

Someday, it may become their Place, too.  

Or maybe they'll find a Place all their own.

Either way, my wish for them is simply that they have at least one place that becomes a Place for them, for reasons that are entirely their own.

I wonder how many more years of memories will accumulate in this Place.  I try to forecast what other life events will be tied to this place.  I think about the friends and family that will continue to be linked to this Place, as they are part of the reason it is so much more than just a "place" now, too

I am thankful this Place has welcomed me and stayed with me for so long.  I know now, it will never, ever leave me.

Your Place
Where is your Place?  Have you found it?  Are you still seeking it?

Maybe it's a place you visit everyday, or maybe it's a place you can never go back to again.  Is it a place you love to be by yourself and enjoy solitude, or a place filled with the beautifully chaotic soundtrack that is lots of family and friends?  Maybe it is a place that holds memories or stories or music or love.  Maybe it is a place that holds possibility or opportunity.  Is it a place from a certain period in your life or a time in your life you felt truly alive?  Maybe it is a place that causes to you to think, to reflect, to dream.  Maybe it is a place that just feels like it's a part of you; that it's always been a part of you, no matter what else has changed.  

If you're willing to share, I'd love to hear about your Place...

Whether you are able to travel there in person or simply through precious memories; whether it is a Place all your own or a Place shared with many; whether you have been there countless times or are still seeking it...You Are a Good Mom when you are in a Good Place.

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!!

Read More

A Messy, Fun Fourth

How was my 4th of July, you ask?  This photograph, ladies and gentlemen, will answer that question:  

Filled with messes, and therefore, filled with fun!

If you read my 4th of July post, you recognize this shirt, only then it was in a much cleaner state.  I took the picture above earlier today just before throwing my daughter's shirt in the washing machine.  

The picture doesn't quite do the real thing justice.  

It was completely covered in who-knows-what from top to bottom.  I tried to figure out what a couple of the stains were but gave up after retracing her steps from the day.

Some of the places she may have acquired her 4th of July stains included...

• A breakfast of drippy yogurt and juicy blueberries and raspberries
• Half-frozen Popsicles and endless sticky candy that she gathered at the parade
• Sunscreen we slathered on her as she watched her cousins play in a 3-on-3 tournament
• BBQ meatballs or chip dip she snacked on before jumping in her aunt and uncle's pool
• Baked beans she scarfed down or the ketchup and mustard she licked off her hot dog at dinner
• Any of the 4 brownies she ate for dessert
• The Capri Sun she sipped on doing sparklers and watching fireworks before she finally collapsed in bed around 11:00pm

A day filled with food, family and fun...and lots of reasons to be messy!  

When "Clean" Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be

I remember a time when I was a relatively new mom and I tried to keep my son "clean."  His clothes.  His hands.  His car seat.  And then I realized that I could spend every waking minute of every day trying to keep him clean, and I would be doing just that: trying.  Getting him clean was one thing.  Keeping him clean for more than 7 minutes was an entirely different thing.  

It would never ever happen.  Ever.  

It was then I figured out that I could spend my time trying to achieve the impossible, and drive myself completely crazy and miss out on enjoying all the fun moments that come with the mess, all the while preventing my son from actually having any real kid fun or just simply being a kid.  Or I could not worry so much about the mess and instead focus on the fun that usually came during the creation of the mess.

This has become the mantra around our house:  "If you're messy, it means you're having fun."  

This is for me as much as it is for my kids.  It always makes them laugh when we say it, and when I hear their giggles, it helps put the mess in perspective for me.  So far, every mess we've encountered has been able to be cleaned up.  Sometimes it takes a little elbow grease or a few more cycles through the washing machine, but in the long run, the fun had making the mess was well worth it.

This shirt and our 4th of July fun yesterday were no exception.  

I know there will come a day when my daughter has a fun-filled 4th of July, and the only way I'll have any proof of it will be through the stories she tells me and the memories I have of the day.  There will be no messes left behind on her 4th of July shirt.  

I fear that day will come all too soon, so for now, I'll take a shirt covered with food, sunscreen and whatever else she got into, and treasure it for just a few extra minutes before I throw it in the washing machine.  For the second time.

Don't worry.  Messy kids are usually happy kids, and that means You Are a Good Mom.  

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More

A Very Independent 4th of July

Dear T-shirt Designer at Crazy 8,

I don't know exactly when or how, but obviously you have met my daughter.  Or observed my daughter.  Or heard my daughter telling me she can do basically everything "by myself!" across a crowded store somewhere.  That is the only way you would have known to design this T-shirt just for her.  

I am a sucker for holiday wear for my kids, no matter the holiday, and 4th of July is no exception.    I love checking out all the cute, fun 4th of July shirts, shorts and dresses that come out every year.  Nothing is off limits.  Department stores, kids clothing stores, and yes, even while grocery shopping, I have been known to take a detour to the seasonal section just to see what red, white and blue clothing they may have recently unveiled.  

But I have to say, when I came across this one, I knew there was no more window shopping to be done.  This was it.  This was the one.  This completely sums up my very independent daughter.  

So, T-shirt Designer at Crazy 8, thank you for designing a 4th of July shirt just for my kid.  If you've got a minute, I'd love to put in a word for a Christmas design for my son...

Greatly appreciated,
Me

Maybe She's Not the Only One...
When I found this shirt, there were only 2 left in the stack.  I actually had to have the clerk at the store I was at call another store and put a shirt on hold there in my daughter's size.  This got me to thinking there must be other Moms and Dads and Grandmas and Grandpas who thought the exact same thing I did when I saw this shirt:  "I know a very independent young lady who needs this shirt."

And for that, I am very thankful.  

I am very thankful to live in a country where both my son and my daughter can be very independent.  Where they can speak their minds.  Where they will be able to pursue whatever dreams they have.  Where they will have great opportunities.  

I am very thankful for the men and women who have served this country; the men and women who have defended this country; the men and women who have sacrificed for this country, so my children can enjoy the freedoms they do today, and have the chance to be very independent.

I am very thankful for all of those who have come before me and taken a risk to be very independent.  Those who have fought for what was right and what was fair and what was just, even though it may have meant putting themselves in extreme danger or simply going against the "norm" at that time.

I am very thankful to celebrate all that makes this country great with my family and friends today.  

Especially with my very independent little girl and her big brother.

Whether your day was filled with fireworks or parades or swimming or a cookout or baseball games or maybe just some well-deserved relaxation time, You Are a Good Mom.  

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More

TSW?T: Feeling the Love

They Said What? Tuesday:  Volume 10

Does this still count as a They Said What? Tuesday if I intended to finish it and post it on a Tuesday, but now it is Wednesday?  I sure hope so.  I would hate to rip a hole in the time-space-blog continuum or something.  

I really did mean to get this finished and posted on Tuesday, but I only just got back home about 2 hours ago, and those 2 hours have been full of unpacking the van and starting on the mountain of laundry and trying to figure out which items got shoved in which bags in an effort to just get everything packed up and back home.

Why you ask?  Vacation!  What better answer could there be?  

This is also the answer to the question "Why have you not posted any new blog entries in two weeks?"  Nothing exciting like "I was selected to represent the U.S. on an elite team of underground spies and had to adopt a new identity" or anything.  Just vacation.  

So for those of you who have been wondering, fear not.  I am indeed alive and well, and did indeed survive vacation to blog again.  Surviving the mountain of laundry?  That has yet to be determined.  

My 3-year-old daughter...
"I like you, Mom.  Mom, I love you.  I love you so much I make you happy in your heart."
...what she said to me as she was waking up one morning at the cottage after crawling in bed with me at some point in the night.  I cannot think of a better way to wake up than to that exact sentiment.

My now 5-year-old son...
"I love my sister."
...while they were both laying on the floor playing Mr. Potato Head.  Completely unprompted. Completely out of the blue.  

"Jesus loves kids even more than the grown ups love kids.  Like grown ups love kids to the moon and back 11 times and Jesus loves kids to the moon and back 60 hundred ninety times."
...that is definitely a precise measurement right there.  I think it may also an alternate verse from "Jesus Loves Me" 

Me...
As much as I hate to admit it, yes, I do have my own quote for this week, which occurred earlier today.

"Where's Morgan?"
...said in a somewhat panicked voice as I looked around to make sure she wasn't trying to run across the street or away from our group.  It took me a good 10-15 seconds to realize she was, indeed, sitting on my shoulders and I was holding her legs with my hands.  

There you have it, folks.  That pretty much sums up my "mom brain" after almost two weeks of vacation at the beach, along with throwing two birthday parties and attending and celebrating my husband's graduation with his Master's degree.  

Life is busy.  Life is good.  I can't imagine it any other way.  

No matter what they say, You Are a Good Mom.

*******************************************************************************************************

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by and check out the "You're a Good Mom" page on Facebook.  "Like" it and any new blog posts will be delivered right to your news feed!  Thanks!

Read More