Goodnight Mom

This is a poem that I saw in Parenting Magazine. It really made me smile, so I thought I would post it here, for your reading pleasure.

Goodnight Mom

(with apologies to Margaret Wise Brown)

In the messy green family room

There was a telemarketer ringing the telephone

And a crying toddler because his brother just popped his red balloon

And a picture of-

The cow jumping over the moon (which someone colored on with permanent marker)

And there was a missing teddy bear,

And a girl with gum in her hair

And one to be scolded

And laundry to be folded

And a very hungry spouse

And something stinky in the house (that no one else seemed to smell)

And a comb and a brush

And a colicky baby who just won't shush

And a frazzled mommy screaming #*%#@

Goodnight messy room

Goodnight scribbled-on moon

Goodnight cow getting out while she can

Goodnight telemarketers and the popped balloon

Goodnight long-gone teddy bear

Goodnight cereal bar smeared all over the dining room chair

Goodnight spitup

And Goodnight leaky sippy cup

Goodnight much-too-little house and

Goodnight grumpy spouse

Goodnight comb and goodnight brush

And goodnight to a certain 4-year-old who just needs to hush right now I mean it

Goodnight Elmo

Goodnight toys we'll pick up tomorrow,

or the next day

Hello chardonnay and TiVo-

"me" time finally

-by Sarah Jio

Native American Names

Last week, Princess and I were talking about names and I told her that if she was Native American, her name would describe her or tell something about what she likes to do. I told her that if she was Native American, her name would probably be Draws with Markers. She thought that was really funny, but later that night when I was telling Drummer Boy about it, he came up with a more appropriate name for her: Doesn't Sit Still.

This morning, I told Princess that her new Native American name is Doesn't Sit Still. We then proceeded to come up with Native American names for our whole family. Princess wanted to name Pumpkin "Stinky Diapers". But in the end, it was a toss up between "Snacks Alot" and "Screams Loudly". Princess named me "Cooks Ice Cream" and Dummer Boy's name is "Walks Around". I'm not sure why she wanted Walks Around for him. We'll have to think about that and come up with something better, like "Watches College Football" or "Plays with Doesn't Sit Still".

She Wants Me??

From the beginning of Princess's little life, she has been a daddy's girl through and through. One of my favorite stories to tell about her is the time she just came right out and told me so. It was last fall I think. We were driving home in the late afternoon and she asked if daddy was home yet. I told her that he'd be home in about an hour. She pouted. In response to her pout, I said, "you love your daddy don't you?" And she said, "Yeah, I love him more than I love you." I naturally acted shocked and hurt, and so she asked, "That's okay mommy, isn't it?" "Yes, it is okay, " I said, "because I know that you love me." And she responds, "I do love you mommy, but I love daddy more." I love this story so much because at that time I knew that she had always felt that way, and she was just now able to verbalize it. It probably would hurt my feelings if my #2 hadn't been a momma's girl, but truthfully, I am just thankful that she has such a great relationship with her daddy.

Lately though, she has been asking for me sometimes. Especially at bedtime. Daddy has always been the one to read to her and put her to bed, but in the last month or so, she has asked me to put her to bed. And tonight on the way home, she wanted me to sit next to her in the car. In the midst of all the struggles we have had in our parenting lately, these little tiny requests of my presence give me hope. They make my heart smile. I often feel like 90% of my interaction with her is disciplining and training, but these little moments remind me that she also needs nurturing, gentleness, physical touch and love. One day she won't need all that training anymore and I hope that I will have taken advantage of these moments with her enough, that she will still ask for me sometimes when she wants someone to talk to, or needs some advice, or just longs for physical closeness with someone who loves her. When Princess requests me instead of her daddy, it makes me think I must be doing something right. But it is also an opportunity for me to do something right, to take advantage of her request and make the most of it. To love her with my time, my words, my touch, my smile. And maybe when I do that, she will ask for me once more. 

Big Feet

As is our family custom, we took our beginning-of-the-season trip to the Stride Rite Outlet to get the girls one good pair of shoes for the fall. At the beginning of the summer, we bought them new shoes sized 6 for Pumpkin and 10 for Princess. I knew that their feet had grown over the summer, and I knew that they had both grown considerably taller, but I was still shocked when the Stride Rite lady measured them at a 7 1/2 and 11!!! I don't know why I was so shocked, but I was. I just can't believe how fast they are growing. My little girls are getting so big, with big feet too! Of course, then our pediatrician told me on Monday that Princess is on track to be only 5'3" when she is done growing. So I guess her growing feet don't mean much in the long run. Only time will tell.