Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday Alex and I took my mother shopping. The sun was shining and we had no one asking us, "Are we done yet?" It was quite fun, and of course we laughed a lot.

I really believe that many of us eventually reach a point when we realize, "Yes, I really am my mother." Sure, there have been signs for years. By the age of two, Alex was often correcting people by saying, "Well, actually..." Where'd she come up with that? It was amusing. Then there was the occasional, "What do you think? I'm stupid?" remark from my hubby when I pedantically educated him on something he already knew.

Well, let me relate a little story that took place yesterday that puts it in perspective. But first a little background.

My mother is very intelligent and extremely well-read. Despite my degree in literature and MBA, she often outwits me with her vast knowledge. And I'm very, very careful not to bring up anything in history which will put that certain expression on her face that says, "My God. How can you not know that?"

So, back to my story...

As we traversed to Omaha, I was providing mother details of Alex's field trip to the Religious Museum of Art in Logan, Iowa. (BTW, it is quite a treat if you have never visited.) She asked if the museum only contained Christian artifacts. I responded,

"Mostly. But a few other religions were represented - there were some interesting Jewish artifacts."

So, my mother, the educator, explained, "Well, you know that Christianity and Judaism are based from the same source."

Okay. Maybe I'm not familiar with all the details of Watergate or the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1970's. But common mother...I didn't fail Sunday School 101. However, instead of defending my knowledge, I decided to play along....

"Really? I didn't realize that."

From my peripheral vision, I see my mother's head turn toward me. She grows quiet. I know she is starting to wonder "how clueless can my daughter really be?"

Then she laughs. She knew that I had gotten her this time. That's one of the things I love most about her. Her ability to laugh at herself...I'm pretty good at that too. Hopefully, that trait gets passed on to my kids.

Cat Whisperer Update

I’m a little worried about Shrek. It’s been two days and no sign. Have I told you that he lets me pet him now? He rubs his neck against me and I scratch his ears. Sure, I get hissed at every now and then, but we’re making progress...well, we were until he ran away. I’ll keep you posted.

Skye was trying to play it cool with me for awhile...I think a little jealousy was setting in, but how can you tell for sure with a cat? Anyhoo, he buckled under my charm and soon he was purring in my arms with a good cheek-scratching. Do you suppose Skye had anything to do with Shrek's sudden absence? Somehow I doubt it. Before Sky was neutered, we raised him as a female...so now he shows qualities of a metro-sexual.

Enough kitty talk...

For you hamster fans, Flash is good. Getting fatter.

And Molly is still alive. God bless the loyal mutt. She's gonna live forever.

The Elements of Telling a Tale

My daughter often accuses me of exaggerating the truth to create a more interesting story. I disagree - she and I just perceive things a bit differently. However, I must relate recent events so perhaps we can put an end to accusations.

So yesterday Alex and I decide to take a walk on the first fine fall day in six hundred years. (Okay, that was an exaggeration.) We are trudging up suicide hill when all of the sudden a blood-curling scream echos throughout Shelby County. The scream is coming from none other than Alex. And yes, it's another snake sighting. We run, opposite direction from our house. When we get a safe enough distance away from the creature (that I never did see), we stop to strategize. How are we going to get back?

There is no other choice. We make a run for it, back the way we came, and take our chances that the snake won't get us. My advice to Alex..."keep looking up and run fast."

Luckily we make it home, safely. Then she describes the snake that I never saw.

"It was HUGE. It had a great big diamond shape head and it was about this long with two yellow stripes!" She holds her arms out wide, indicating a two foot snake. Apparently, I almost stepped on the slimy bugger and didn't even know it.

As luck has it, my hubby's combine breaks down and we are forced to fetch him. This will give us a chance to take a look at the reptile if it's still there. Alex comes with to provide the exact coordinates.

We edge closer to the alleged location, safely in the Equinox. Then she points it out, "There it is. That's it!"

Apparently, I squashed the monster with my gigantic foot. But I still can't see it well. I back up and sidewind near that black spot on the road. Yep. It's a snake. I probably did it unknowlingly because it's about as wide as a pencil. It's hard to judge the length because it's all coiled up.

Talk about exaggeration...I was expecting some sort of serpent-monster that could've eaten both Alex and me in one bite. Well, I can hardly blame Alex. Perhaps she gets her story-telling abilities honestly.

Halloween Post Mortem

Apparently I've been on a blog holiday! Or, just maybe I've been too busy??? Never! Just been trying to live in the moment and enjoy my family a bit...since Doug's been prohibited from dancing in the fields, he usually keeps my head in the game, or in other words, off the computer. So, real quickly before I make my kids take a walk with me...

Halloween officially makes me sad as my kids want no part of me...until they come crashing down at 11:00 P.M. from a sugar high and decide it's okay to crawl into my lap. (I'LL TAKE IT!!!) Seeing little Catherine and Mikey in their puffy kitty and dragon costumes made me ache for the days when your babies had absolutely no say in what they wore...then I noticed how their mothers get so little rest and maybe I'm okay with my aging children .How tired Amy and Susie must be all the time! I should've counted how many times I heard "Mommy!"

On a completely different note...

Parent-teacher conferences always make me reflect on my silly perfectionistic worldview.

"Yes, her kindness to others makes me almost as proud of her good grades." Almost? Almost as proud? What kind of monster am I? Her kindness makes me MORE proud than any of her good grades. Really.

Or,

"So, what does he need to do to get into accelerated math?" I didn't actually say this about my 2nd grader, but I thought it. He's borderline. And yes, I'm proud he's doing so well that he was considered for accelerated math. Even though he didn't make it...

Okay, the fresh air is a calling... moral of this week's events? Don't forget to enjoy your kids. Don't forget to be proud of them. Don't forget to show them your love. And don't be afraid to let them grow up.

Mom Sutras and Love

I just finished reading Deepak Chopra's PATH TO LOVE: SPIRITUAL STRATEGIES FOR HEALING. It was a pretty amazing book, to say the least. In one section, Deepak shares many of his personal sutras (or inspirations) such as:

"The mind judges what is good or bad. Love brings only good."

Or, one of my favorites...

"Dreams come true when they are held quietly in the heart."

Deepak encourages everyone to keep a notebook and write any sutra that comes to you in any given moment. So, since last night, I've been waiting for moments of inspiration to appear so I can share my sutras with the world. So far...

"There is truly a difference in having my hair professionally-colored, as opposed to using Sun-In."
"I need to wash my living room pillow cases more often. They look pretty without food stains."
"I'm not sure if I'm ever going to lose those five pounds."
"Headaches make me sad."
"Sunshine makes me happy."

Pretty deep stuff. Just for fun, I decided to ask my kids to tell me a few of their own sutras.

Alex: "The other night, I had a sutra! It was a song that I'm working on..." Unfortunately that's all she could tell me. It was too personal to share since it was about a crush.

Cole: "What? I don't have a song!" So, I explain in more detail the definition of sutras. He stopped me in mid-sentence. "Never had one. Never will." Of course, he was in the middle of a heated DS battle.

So maybe they're a little young. Maybe I'm a little young. Ooh! Gotta go. Outrageous Pumpkins showing on the Food Network. Maybe some sutras will come to me.

The Mother of Mothers

Perhaps I shot myself in the foot last weekend when I gloated over my happiness...now my house is filled with fever, coughs and chills.

Sick kids. Every mother's worry. Every working mother's nightmare. Next to letting my kids defend themselves against snakes, this is another area where my maternal instinct undergoes extreme conflict.

I have to go to work. But my kids are sick. But I need to get to work. But my kids are sick. But still, there's work.

Come on! Where are my priorities?

Thank God that I live near my mother who almost always will re-arrange her schedule to pinch-hit for me. She came over this morning so I could get a little caught up. (Never mind that she is now behind.) That's motherly love...perhaps I should take a few lessons from my own role model.

If there is one piece of advice I have for all young mothers out there...don't let anyone make you feel guilty about missing work for sick kids. I was lucky enough to have a mother around to help me out. But there are plenty of mothers who were made or are made to feel guilty about missing work for sick children. While I have trouble heeding my own advice, because I truly worry way too much about pleasing others, it's a ridiculous notion to put work over a sick child. Work will always be there. And, well, you know who won't. (Unless your me and are still calling your mom at the age of 40...)

The moral of the story...in ten or twenty years, who will remember if you missed work because of a sick kid?

Probably not your co-workers. But I bet your child will.

Oh Happy Days

Despite the lack of sunshine in Southwest Iowa and the fact that my hubby can't get his beans harvested, I am happy. Why you ask?

1-Saw Where the Wild Things Are last night. It was beautiful, a bit heart-wrenching and it made me cry. I love those movies.
2-Received a letter stating I had won "Honorable Mention" in Writer's Digest 78th Annual Writing Competition! And my story (Diamonds in the Woods) will be published with the group of winners and honorable mentions. I'm pretty darn excited about that one. I posted on my other blog a few months ago. Here's the link.
3-The Hawkeyes are undefeated! Certainly, we Hawkeye fans know that we must tread lightly, thus the glass might break.
4-Shrek (you know, the ugly feral cat whose tongue doesn't fit in his mouth?) allowed me to scratch his mangy ears this morning. That seals it. I am the cat whisperer. What do you suppose that say about my personality? I'd prefer to be known as a dog whisperer, but we are what we are.
5-Lastly, and of course, not anywhere close to least...my family and friends are the beautiful and loving.

TTFN