William Quoted

I'm stealing from my friend, Andrea, on this one.  Occasionally she posts on recent quotes from her husband or son and I find the whole thing incredibly hilarious.  So here's some snippets from my William from the past week or two.  Some of them have back stories to them but hopefully you'll understand the hilarity of it without the full context.  And if we're Facebook friends please forgive me if you've already heard this one before.
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W: Mommy, what does beautiful mean?

Me: What do you think it means?

W: I think it means pretty.

Me: You would be right!

W: OK.  Well, Mommy, I think you're very...clever.

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W: My preschool teacher's name is Mrs. Rogers?

Me: Yep!

W: Is that Mister Roger's little sister?

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W: [Pointing to his glass of water] Mommy, watch out!  I don't want you to spill my beer.

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Me: [Pointing to a picture of little girl in a fairy costume] Do you know what this little girl is dressed up as?

W:  Umm...A GODMOTHER!

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W:  Mommy what does "get sauced" mean? (Overheard from a joke on Ellen.)

Me: Umm...let's see...it means to have a lot of fun.

W:  Oh.  Daddy gets sauced all the time!

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Preschool teacher: Did your daddy bring you to school this morning?

W: Yeah!  In his CRAPPY car!

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W: Maybe when I die and I turn into Jesus then you can drink my blood too!

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W: [To his preschool teacher] You can just call me "Nash."

Pay It Forward Friday

For whatever reason I'm not feeling all that inspired by kindness right now.  It was a long busy week of school, appointments and laundry.  Oh the laundry I did this week!  You would not believe.  So, to be honest, I forgot today was even Friday but now that I did remember, it's forced me to reflect and how much kindness really was shed upon me.

1.  My delightful neighbor across the street called in the middle of the week to see if William wanted to come over and play with her son for a little while.  It was so very generous of her because she has twice the number of kids as I do.  Maybe that's what happens when you have that many kids.  The chaos just can't go any higher and you figure, heck, what's one more?  So William trotted across the street for a bit and it gave me just the time I needed to complete my weekly cleaning routine without interruptions.

2.  My mom came over last week with bags full of new fall clothes for the kids.  This was an enormous act of kindness.  Lucy's hands and feet have felt like ice as of late because the temps dropped from 90 to 60 literally overnight and that's when I suddenly realized she didn't fit into a single article of warm clothing that I had left over from early spring.  Strangers kept tapping her on the shoulder wondering when the flood's a comin'.

And it wasn't so much the money aspect of it all, although that part is obviously incredibly gracious as well, but more the time it takes to get into the car and drive over to the mall and pick out and purchase everything.  So my mom did it for me and she even stayed the night to watch the kids so Brian and I could have a night out.  As I write, both the kids are cozied up in their new jammies having their naps.

3.  Last minute entry goes to my friend, Eric, who I'm pretty sure is my only male reader save for hubby.  (Eric, I didn't know where I should link you up. Hope this one is OK with you.)  To see what he did you've got to go check out my wall on Facebook.  Don't be offended if you own/drive a minivan.  Amy, you know I still love you!

OK, your turn!

For the Love of College

I'm not sure if it's a certain smell in the air or a particular angle of the sun's rays but somehow I just know.  It's September and it's back to school.

I'm not talking about the kiddies.  I'm talking about college.

Our home is just a few blocks radius within three rather large-ish and highly-respected universities.  One of which Brian and I both hold degrees from.

During this time of the year I've been known to drive a few streets out of my way just so that I might watch the students walk through the crosswalk in front of my car on their way to class.  I watch them with their Northface backpacks, trendy leggings, tight tank tops, neglected facial hair and sideways baseball caps.

I open my sunroof, roll down my windows and turn on the local Top 40 station in hopes they'll think I'm still cool.  But with two kids in the backseat who am I really kidding?  The only thing I have going for me is that I'm not driving a minivan.  I tell myself that my midsize SUV is still cool even though the first thing I scoped out when purchasing it was the location of the LATCH anchors.

And then there's the matter of my age.  This year's college freshman were born in 1991 and 1992.  When I was ten-years-old. WHAT?!  How is that possible?  A CIT.  Cougar-in-training.  That's what Brian calls me.

But really it's all about nostalgia.  Remembering a time when decisions were so much simpler but seemed as if my whole life depended on it.  I didn't worry about my daughter having skull surgery or if my son would go to private or public schools.  And that's just the major stuff.

The minor stuff seems just as harrowing.  What's for dinner tonight?  Back then I only wondered if I should go to the Caf or "cook" some Ramen.  I didn't despise emptying the dishwasher.  I just ate cereal out of the same cup (yes, I said cup) all week.  My biggest expense of the weekend was $5 for a plastic cup.  And I'd have to line up a babysitting job to pay for it.  Now my job is to babysit 24/7 and I get paid nada.  The beer is definitely better on this side though, I'll give you that.

But all the while I'm reminiscing about it, acting like I want to be back there, those college years are the same as having a wedding.  It was the best experience of my life but I never want to do it again.

Deep down I know I'm "cooler" now than I was back then.  I have gobs more confidence. I don't have anyone in particular I'm trying to impress.  No more dating.  I've got my man and no matter what drama may unfold during the day, we're still going to fall into the same bed at the end of the night.

The biggest piece of homework I have hanging over my head is to post on this here blog.

Sometimes I am two months behind the latest music craze but you know what?  That music's pretty filthy anyway.  So I'll take my Jason Mraz and Jamie Cullum and Jack Johnson and G. Love and you can have your Ke$ha and Eminem.

My clothes consist of a five day rotation.  Pretty much.  Because I've got better things to spend my money on.

Like this totally awesome house.  And my totally awesome midsize SUV.  And books that I want to read.  And the good kind of cereal to be eaten in one of many bowls of my choosing.  And my very own washer and dryer.  And not only beer but cocktails!  Cocktails with the good vodka.  And a bed with a boxspring and a mattress.

And, what am I forgetting?

Oh yeah.

And money to be spent on 529 accounts so that my kids can someday have that same crazy, awful, awesome, scary, exhilarating college experience as I did.

Pay It Forward Friday

At the end of the school year last year I won a photography prize basket through the Early Childhood class I attend with the kids.  All the items in the basket were donated and I bought a few $1 raffle tickets to drop in the drawing.  One of the items in the basket was photography session with a local photographer who also happens to be a dad involved in the Early Childhood class.

When Lucy started to get more stable on her walking feet I contacted Michael and we arranged to meet a couple weeks ago on the beautiful St. Kate's campus just a few blocks from our house.  Michael was wonderful!  He was so easy-going and stressfree.  Probably because he was a parent to small children himself.

He didn't try desperately to force the kids into getting the perfect shot.  He didn't care that Lucy needed to hold her Jellycat bunny for half the shoot or that William insisted on carrying around a large stick as his sword while he performed muscle poses for the camera.  These little details are part of who my kids are and I love that he was able to capture that.

When the session was over, he edited the photos and this week he delivered the CD of the pictures to me to use at my own discretion.  None of that having to buy prints through the photographer business which is SO annoying and SO overpriced.

All of this was free to me so that he could donate his time to a worthy cause -- keeping our Early Childhood classroom doors open while the district's budget is being cut left and right.

But the real kicker is that all the while Michael was snapping happy shots of our little family he was grieving inside.  That very week he had lost his 7-year-old niece after week's battle with a rare strain of meningitis.  If you live in the Twin Cities you probably saw this story all over the news.

I kept asking Michael if he wanted to reschedule and that he should take his time getting the photos back to us but he told me working a little bit here and there was helping him get through.  Although it was the first time I'd ever met him I can already tell that Michael is an extraordinary man.  So here's my tiny act of giving back to him.  If you live in the Twin Cities area and are looking for a great family photographer, please consider Michael Murray Photography.

And if you're interested in seeing the photos he took of our family check out my Facebook page.  If we're not Facebook friends -- why not?  There's a link over there on my sidebar for us to get friended.  Is that a word now?  Facebook's so powerful is turned a noun into a verb!

OK, your turn!  What good happened to you this week or what good did you do to someone else?

And So It Begins

Today I joined the ranks of hundreds of thousands of other parents getting up earlier than normal.  Making a complete breakfast.  Brushing teeth and hair.  Getting dressed.  Checking backpacks.  Heading out the door and walking down the sidewalk to...school.

Today begins the first day of probably twenty plus more years to come where the first Tuesday after Labor Day isn't just another Tuesday.  Preschool.  Kindergarten.  Third Grade.  Junior High.  High School.

Today begins the first day of many tuition checks due.  School supplies lists checked off.  New shoes, shirts and pants.  A fresh haircut.

But this morning, as he stood by the front door with a thousand ants in his pants, I wasn't thinking about any of that.

This picture crossed my mind.

William, four days old, holding mama's hand.

Those long, lonely nights in the NICU seemed like an eternity.  Everyone told me he would be fine.  He would get better.  And he did!  I just never thought I'd take a second to blink and then be taking this picture.

So stinkin' cute.

Curtain Call: Summer 2010

This morning we woke up to cloudy skies and temperatures in the 50s.  While everyone on Facebook seemed to be rejoicing the arrival of Fall and a break in the heat and humidity I found myself crying out, "Wait! Not yet!"

We had to dig to the bottom of our drawers for the warm pajamas.  Just a few days ago I ran out of clean tank tops having sweated through all of mine.

Last night I pulled my down comforter up tight against my chin and my toes searched for the warmth of Brian's legs.  Just a few days ago I couldn't kick my covers off fast enough and I cursed the heat radiating off of Brian's body if he got but a few inches of me.

Today I'm cooking a big batch of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup in the slow cooker.  Just a few days ago I couldn't keep my water glass full.

Today I'm sitting on the porch in front of my computer with the windows closed and the floor heater turned on low.  Just a few days ago I was wondering if the ceiling fan could go any faster.

It's funny how our Midwest seasons can change so fast.  I know we still have some 70 and 80-degree weather ahead of us.  Maybe even a 90 if can get an Indian Summer.  Fall in Minnesota is gorgeous and can last deep into October and sometimes even November.

But the consistency is gone.  I know it.  Being able to wake up and throw on shorts and a tank top without looking at the forecast is no more.  Wondering if I might blow up the pool or turn on the sprinkler is probably not something I'll think about until next June.

I was away from blogging much of this week really trying to soak up every last second of summer. I leave you with these. The final scenes of Summer 2010. It really was a good one.

Harriet Island on the Mississippi with our friends.

A bicycle built for six.

Twirling.

Popsicles for dinner.

And ice cream sandwiches too.

A plop in the pool to wash it all off.

A sumersault.

And a daredevil move.

All by herself.

State Fair fried goodness.

The Miracle of Birth Barn: By far, a favorite.

Smiles all around.

Pay It Forward Friday

This week, while at Target with both kids, I was loading up the back of our car when a woman approached me.  She was African-American and seemed to be in her 40s.  She appeared normal and carried only a small black purse.

She began to tell me how she had contacted Mary Jo Copeland's place and was able to reserve herself a spot but all she needed was bus fare to get herself from the St. Paul Target to downtown Minneapolis.  She asked if I might have some bus fare for her.

I told her I rarely carry cash, which is true but came out sounding like an easy lie.

"Hold on," I said, "Let me see if I can at least find some change for you."

"That would help," she replied, "thank you."

In my car's ashtray and in my wallet I managed to scrounge up a little over a dollar.  Maybe two.

She thanked me and proceeded on asking another Target customer for money.

But as I got in my car and started to leave I wondered if I had done the right thing.

I know that some times these types of requests are really only a cover for feeding into the person's poverty.  But I also know that as God's servant we should always assume the best in other's intentions.

One way to deal with this predicament is to give them exactly what they've asked for.  For example, Brian has told me that whenever he's approached by a beggar asking for money for coffee or food he just invites them in to Starbucks or the nearest restaurant.  He'll buy them a large coffee or a big breakfast and then be on his way.

Giving this woman a ride to downtown Minneapolis would have taken me all of ten minutes.  But I was alone with my two kids.  But she was a woman with very little possessions.

Do you think it would have been OK if I would have offered her a ride?  What would you have done?