A scheduled day that worked

So, Michael gets up, showers and is in the kitchen for coffee by 6:45. I get up at 6:30 to make the coffee, let out and feed my animals, and wake up. He leaves for work, I shower. Audrey gets up to get ready to baby sit at 9. Madd gets up to feed and let out dog across the street (Bella). Bella comes home with her! Audrey leaves. I run to post office to send summer care packages – Yay! Done! They should be delivered in a limo with the money it cost. Madd is in the shower. She drops me off at work at 10 and runs to exchange something she bought yesterday. She runs through my store to get credit card to get gas to go to DC to sit nephew Nate. I am still working. So is Michael. She brings card back. (points!!!) She goes home, lets Bella back into her own home and leaves for DC. Audrey comes home, lets out Bella again, then comes to get me. (She scores a sushi snack while there.) We get home, Michael gets home, Maddie gets home after an hour 1/2 commute. Animals fed again. Uncle Sam gets here! Maddie gives swim lesson, Audrey fills out painful forms for school with Michael, Audrey leaves to see friends, Maddie showers and is off to Jason Aldeen (sp?) concert. Complicated leftovers for dinner, but no time table, so yay! Just off the phone from a well-deserved chat with Ganne and off to get lovely Bella again…..ahhhh, summer    🙂

hi…

well, i haven’t been here in a while, and have just laughed so much reading and remembering what has gone on before. We are so past all of that little girl stuff and on to the big. One graduating and one in the middle of high – school. Completely different from where they started. But not really. Still, completely different from each other. That’s a good thing. It would be dull if we were all the same.

 

We had a graduation party for Audrey this past weekend, and I was overwhelmed at the moms and dads from all of our  families who were there. Neighborhood moms, best friend moms, moms who were my mom, ganne moms, auntymoms…they were all there.

Now Audrey is off to the beach for two weeks, Maddie is out for the evening, and i am reading and writing and loving that my mom is here and lvoing this too….

 

4/11/00

Just found this..

 

Maddie loses BA. (lovey frog)

I find him in microwave.

Maddie loses BA again.

Maddie hits me and screams at me to find him.

I do. About 30 minutes later under a cradle.Meanwhile, Audrey is teasing Maizey with Bubber (Audrey’s BA). I tthreaten to take Bubber away if she teases again. 

She does. I do.

Now Aud is hitting and screaming about getting Bubber back.

Maizy hears something and starts barking as if her life is in jeopardy – (it is, in my opinion).

I lock myself in the bathroom because Stace called. Her house sounds like mine. We plan to talk later.

I take them all outside for 30 minutes. We go to the store. Mean children, but good shopping.We go to Old Navy. I buy T’s for me. Things are looking up.

We get home. Dog pees in her crate. Audrey is screaming because I am not waiting for her. She is 5 Ft. behind me. Maddie comes out, and lets out the cat. Maizy won’t go poddy because the cat is out. Audrey and Maddie are crying because the cat is out and won’t come back. Pee is cleaned up though.

Lunch. (whew)

Talking to Nana. She thinks she is going to die in the hospital. (She doesn’t. She dies at home.)

Audrey is hiding behind her “kitchen” screaming “SHIT”  and looking to make sure I heard. I did. Soap.

Maddie wants Tiddley Winks, so we get them. The dog eats them.

Audrey is screaming to get out of her room. The Bubber threat is reiterated.

Maddie is slamming her door. 

Audrey is upset that the bear Maddie is putting to sleep in the door-slamming room hasn’t finished it’s lunch.

The cat is back. The dog is barking

Maddie’s door knob fell off and nobody can get to the bear.

We got out in back to hide Easter eggs. Audrey hides them first, then tells us where to find them.

Maddie and I hide them, the dog moves them. Maddie won’t let Aud have the basket, and all of the eggs are broken.

It is time to go to the Dr. for Maddie’s tonsils. We can’t find BA again. The cat is out again. MADDIE! 

Maddie is fine at doctor’s.

Ryan has a new brother – 2:24pm. 

We found BA.

Cat got out again. – MOM!!!!!

Skip dinner – I think they ate.

Skip another outside – they fought.

Bathtime – Maddie decided to undress herself and peed on the floor. 

Audrey gets out of bed for the third time to ask me “If I stay in bed, will you give me money in the morning?”

End.

One letter from…

One letter from Mad from camp. Addressed to NARD. Stamp on the wrong side. No return. It got here. I will assume it is for Audrey.

please mom…..

“Can you email my movement teacher and let her know that a mouse got in my locker and chewed holes in my movement clothes? I will bring them to her to show her. ”

I apologized for her, and then for myself. I really didn’t know what else to say. I mean, she can’t really participate in movement with no clothes.

Oh, wait. How well do you know my child?

tapping the night away

I laughed last night. Audrey was working on her music for school. She has sound-blocking headphones.

Maddie has discovered, through “Thoroughly Modern Millie” that tap is fun. She loved “Anything Goes” when we went to NY. Somehow, she has managed to learn the 20-min tap sequence that is the showcase of the production.

She wants to show me what she can do, and it is impressive.

Audrey wants to sing to me, and it is impressive.

Audrey can hear and feel Maddie tapping.

Thank God that I can open the windows and share the talent with the masses!

Do you think they have sound-blockers for feet?

p.s. my mon is tapping too! I know you know!

lvoe.

I do not get it.

I am not supposed to get it. I am a good Mom. I am a funny Mom. I know how to embarrass them without making them cringe. ( Well, they should know by now; the cringe is what makes it funny.)

Long weekend with one beauty for a volleyball tourn. and the whole car laughs. Long look in the rear view mirror. Love her.  We know. She and I are funny. Texts with the other beauty. Long and short. But we get it. We miss each other.

Home maybe for an hour.

How can you possibly speak to each other in that manner? You did not learn that from me. I have taught you to be kind and polite with the entire world. That world includes your sister.

The fact that I really cannot fix it makes me sad. The two of you will be in the same room one day – maybe tomorrow – and you will laugh and sing and maybe apologize…..and you will get it.

Let me know if you get it.

Ozark pudding

After a long day yesterday at dress rehearsal for the upcoming middle-school musical, and an endless day of volleyball: 12 hours easily, twisted ankle, and a loss in the first round of the semi-finals, we are on our way home.

“Mom, I really don’t want a steak sandwich for dinner. I don’t know what I want…”

“Well, we have leftover real mac n’ cheese, always quesadillas, soup, ummm let me think. OH. I know. We have chicken nuggets and some real root beer!”

Eyes light up. It’s a done deal. Not to mention eeeaaasssyyy. 

“Hey Mom? I know it’s late, but do we have anything for dessert?”

“Ummm. Chocolate covered frozen bananas.” (Typing that makes me ill)

“Do we have an apple?”

“Always.”

“Would you make me Ozark pudding?”

“It will take me half an hour?”

“Mom. You are the best.”

Thank you Mom, Nana, Aunt Linda, and Bess Truman.

Ozark Pudding: 

Beat one egg well. Add 3/4 c. sugar, beating till light and creamy. Sift 3 heaping T flour, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. Add to egg mixture. Fold in 1 chopped apple. Nuts if you want. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Pour into greased small corningware. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Top with little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 

should have been a weather mom

1/13/2000

We thought it would rain in the morning. (Don’t schedule by the weather man.) Let’s make cookies since the glass cookie jar is empty. Empty glass cookie jars are sad. Don’t buy them.

Ok. Wow. It’s sunny! Change those plans! Let’s go to the park!

You both wanted to take ALL of your guys: BA, Bubber, Samantha, Clara, etc. Mean old mom said nope. Those extras will get lost or dirty or both. We are going to play….just us!

“Can we ride our tricycles?” Awwww. You were so cute going around the block last night, so SURE, let’s take the tricycles.

We were fine until we got across form the park. Audrey is 1/2 block ahead because Maddie can’t really pedal yet. Oh, wait. Audrey’s handlebars come apart. The bolt is there, but it won’t thread back in. I, of course, am not prepared with the necessary wrench. Probably have  a pocket flashlight though. Bite me. We aren’t going back; we have already seen mecapark.

We just need to cross the street – me carrying two tricycles now. One is in 9 pieces and one just doesn’t want to be ridden. You are both screaming while crossing the street, thinking that because you can’t physically hold my hand, you will most certainly be doomed to flat-Stanley status.

There is not a car to be seen.

We get to the park and we play. For 5 minutes.

Audrey has to go to the bathroom. The big eyes. The “I waited too long.” We run to the little house, and it is padlocked. “Hey, Aud? Will you pee by the tree?”

“Nope”. Neither would I, by the way.

Ok. Do we walk all the way back? Audrey wouldn’t have made it home. She would be wet.

Winner of the day. “It’s ok Mommy, I just want to play!”  Obviously not bothering you and too late now, I guess. Let’s play!

We aim for the sandbox, but Maddie wants to “walk the wall,” and I am happy to help her keep her balance. She poops her pants. She doesn’t want to go home. Audrey doesn’t want to go home.

Mommy doesn’t want to go home because she has to carry the tricycles and all of the shit. Oh, but we really have to go home. It’s all uphill.

Audrey pedaled (read Mommy pushed) on Maddie’s tricycle. Maddie toddled/waddled…mostly. Mommy carried lots of combos of Maddies and tricycles.  I asked Audrey to “Please keep pedaling sweeheart. We are almost there.”

“Stop talking and listen to me. Just pretend for once!” Nice from a 3-year old.

I promise you both that we would get home, get cleaned up, get the tricycles fixed and play out in the yard.

Maddie breaks down and cannot/will not go another chapped step; right at the last corner. We try to and do remedy that.

There is a dead squirrel in the front yard. Tons of tears.

Home.

And….it finally begins to rain.

We’re all doomed.

EARLY 2000 –

We went to the library – the three of us. We hadn’t been in a while.  Maddie and I were on the couch reading something she had chosen from the ‘hard pages’.

Audrey asked “Do you remember  ‘Mommy Turned Into A Monster’ (MTIAM) when we were here last time?”  (You can laugh here. It really is the title of a book.)

“Yes, I do, and we will ask the librarian when she gets back,” I answered.

“I can ask by myself,” Audrey said.

“Well the (children’s) librarian isn’t here right now.”

“I’ll ask another one.”

Off she goes and stands in line for the “check-out” librarian. She told them she was looking for MTIAM. Picture a 3-year old looking way, way up, and the lady looking way, way down.

“Well, young lady, let me get you someone to help you….This young lady would like to find MTIAM.”

The new librarian took her to the computer and looked it up, and Audrey followed her around until they did find it.

So grown up already…

Later the same day while going in for a nap, Bubber was missing.

“But I never got a chance to say goodbye”.

I tried to explain that Bubber wasn’t gone, we just couldn’t find him.

“But I never got a chance to say goodbye,” she insisted.

I promised that he was not gone, and that I would look for him while you took your nap.

“But what if he is doomed?” she cried.

I tried to explain that Bubber could not be doomed and not to worry. Mommy would find him. (omg, would you please take a nap…) Just like the librarian found MTIAM – remember?

I found him. Yay mom.

OK. REAL TIME. 2012.

Maddie is just back yesterday afternoon from a weekend retreat for confirmation and exhausted. She wants to lie down and take a nap before dinner. She can’t find Ba.

“Just lie down and sleep, and i will find him.”

“I can’t sleep without him. Where could he be?”

“Did you look in your laundry from the weekend?”

“Yeeeessssss.”

“Would you like me to look again?”

“yes.”

He was there. He was not doomed.

Audrey told me with a pat on the arm that I am a good mom.

Yay mom.