Mother's Day

I remember a story I read years and years ago about a young woman, recently married who found a magazine article that said couples should schedule regular talks to discuss, truthfully and candidly, the habits or mannerisms they find annoying in each other. The theory was that if the partners knew of such annoyances, they could correct them before resentful feelings developed. The idea made sense to her, and her husband who loved her dearly hesitated, but agreed. At their first discussion, she went through her list of his annoying habits and mannerisms, the only one of which she can still remember being the way he ate his grapefruit. He peeled and ate it like an orange! Who does that??? After she was finished with her list she told him it was his turn. He looked at her with loving kindness and said, “Well, to tell the truth, I can’t think of anything I don’t like about you, Honey.” She was flabbergasted and ashamed of her own nitpicking. She learned  marriage could be sweeter when she didn’t focus on her husband’s faults. This experience made her aware early in her marriage that husbands and wives need to keep in perspective, and usually ignore, the small differences in their habits and personalities.

We all come from different backgrounds. My husband and I happen to also come from different countries, cultures, languages, and religious backgrounds. This has not made our marriage or raising our child difficult because we recognize that our differences are just that--differences, not faults, and we love each other.

I am grateful every single day for the loving support Patrice and I give one another in our family. We are good parents. Not perfect, but the perfect parents for our child. I am grateful every single day for the one person I love most on this earth to be by my side, not judging, not criticizing, but loving and supporting me, as we raise our boy.

Motherhood isn't just a monumental responsibility, it is an enormous portion of my identity and again, I am grateful every day for the approval and support of the only person whose opinion really matters to me. He makes me a good mom, and we have a happy, healthy, bright, kind, good, loving, friendly, clever, funny, and otherwise perfect for US child to validate our efforts.

 

 

I'm so happy, blessed, and thankful for the two boys who made me a Mama.

April 12, 2014

Spring Garage Purge

The Daddy and I went through our bins in the garage last night. We do that every once in a while, like every 5 years or so. I was digging through some memories and I found the envelope which held the massage gift certificate with the phone number and club where Patrice would be if I decided to ditch my other friends and meet him to listen to his Brazilian friend's band on the night he first asked me out on a date, 13 years ago.

I told him I probably would not, I was going out with friends. Doing what, he asked. Oh, dinner and a movie probably, I said. Come afterwards. My friend plays until 2:00 a.m., he said. Okay, but probably not. I said. Here's my number and the name of the place, just in case. Okay, I said. Just in case. But probably not.

I didn't go, but I held on to that envelope. Just in case.

April 28, 2014

Daddy's Day Off
Patrice always needs a break. He always needs a vacation. He wonders why he's always worn out and tired. It's because this is the kind of thing he does on his day off:

At least he had help.

Nicco climbed in, on, and around the shelves. He made plans to eat and sleep there. He called it his own high rise, with a basement, first floor and second floor. I told him he could sleep out there to get ready to visit Japan. I think the shelving units built by the Papa are roughly the same size as the typical apartments in Tokyo.

April 28, 2014

Face of Boe

This lunchbox note, courtesy of my dear friend who wants me to finish strong, (the end of the school year is near!) was 100% Nicco approved. I made him laugh. Success. Four more weeks to go.

April 27, 2014

Nicco's Big Ride
The plan was for the boys to get the helmet on Thursday, then take a short ride on Friday, then a longer ride on Saturday, then go for the Big Ride with friends on Sunday morning. Thursday and Friday worked out as planned but Saturday was windy and rainy. I had to put my foot down. No riding the bike with the small boy on the back on wet roads. Wet roads = no motorcycle for Nicco. No. N-O. So we just stayed home and enjoyed a family game night indoors.


Sunday was the big day. The boys packed the bike, got all their proper gear, and headed out to the little airport café for breakfast and plane watching. After breakfast, the plan was to ride through the cactus forest of Saguaro National Park (or before breakfast...anyway, the cactus forest was part of the plan.)

They went and took my heart with them, leaving me to wallow in anxiety. They finally called from about 50 miles away to check in. All was well. Nicco said his butt hurt, but he was having fun.

When they came home, Nicco still loved the motorcycle. The daddy said he could see him "flying" in his mirrors. As much as it makes me a nervous wreck, I'm really glad they have this thing to do together. But still. I'm a nervous wreck. 

April, 24, 2014

My Nightmare...

The other day Patrice said to me, "I've been pondering taking Nicco for a bike ride." Meaning a bike ride, not a bicycle ride. My stomach turned, my heart skipped a beat, my throat and jaw automatically clenched, but I managed to say, "I trust you." I made him promise to take him on short rides around the neighborhood to practice. He promised.

They went to buy a helmet and on their way home, Patrice called and told me to step outside. The boys pulled up, in the Jeep, the small one wearing his helmet. He loves it. LOVES. it.

The next day was swim practice and I gathered my courage and sent a message to the Daddy, that if he wanted to meet us at the pool on his bike, I would bring proper clothes and the helmet for him to drive the boy home. I figured that way I could follow and protect my precious from crazy people on the road. He met us at the pool. Nicco put his arms out to the side like he was flying, he leaned back to watch the sky go by. He looked so small behind his big Daddy, I wanted to cry.

When he got off we asked him how he felt, how the helmet felt, how his little body felt on that big bike. Good, good, and good. Was it fun? "It was AWESOME!!!" So you liked it, I said. "Are you kidding? I didn't like it, I LOVED it!" and, "You have NO idea, mom. No idea."

Um, yes. Yes I do.



April 22,2014

It never gets old, this Arizona sky. Ever.

April 21, 2014

Exterminator-inator

Even though my ideas are running out, I managed to pull off a good one today!

April 20, 2014

Happy Easter, Peeps!

It's a sunflower, see.

Staying up past my bedtime to make sure the Bunny came was totally worth it when Nicco came into our room Easter morn saying, "You HAVE to come see what the Bunny did! It is SO cute!" But before we went out to see what cute thing the Bunny did, my sweet sweet child secretly hid Easter cards for me and his papa. (P.S. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for the lovely Easter gifts!)

"Yor the most beautiful thing I'v ever seen"
"I wanted to relate it to a flower," he explained.
I love him. And, I don't grade love notes.

It's a play on words. Bun bun = bon-bon, see.
Mr. N. He's so cute and clever, I could just eat him up.
I love him to bits.

 



The Bunny even remembered our friends who would be coming over later.
Such a good bunny.

Chocolate covered strawberry field. Yummy.

The friends came over after our lovely Easter church services. The choral arrangements were spectacular, for real. My friend Heidi, a self-proclaimed music nerd, was the director. She totally validated her music nerd cred today. Brilliant.

Nicco walked on water, "literally," for two steps. He was amazed at himself.

The babies, staring at some imagined terror in the water.

A pretty little finch of some kind popped in for a visit.

Nicco saved the candy egg hunt for his friends. He's such a good and generous and kind boy. In case you missed it, I love him to pieces.

I wish I remember what secret he whispered to his daddy here. He's awful cute.

I had all those Peeps from the sunflower, so I thought Peeps s'mores would be a great idea!

I was right about the great idea, just not about the s'mores. Bonfire of the Peeps. Burn 'em!

It was a beautiful day, from start to end. The daddy made a truly magnificent rack of lamb feast, the company was delightful, and everyone enjoyed the pool, the patio, and the fire.

I love my people. They're my favorite.

April 19, 2014

Easter Party
We planned an Easter Egg Hunt for the young children in our church, games and lunch for the older children and the young at heart. Lots of people came, played, hunted, ate, and chatted. And the sun even parted the clouds for our party. It was a good time.

Nicco chose to climb a tree instead of playing the games after the egg hunt, except for when he saw me having fun with someone else's kid tossing water balloons. He moved from the tree to the slide.

He slid backwards for two hours and said he "had a blast." Good. I'm glad. Since I had to be there till the bitter end to make sure the park was clean for the next party. When it all wrapped up, we went home to our freshly blooming jasmine. So delicate and pretty and fragrant. And it makes my allergies completely go nuts.

Nicco colored his eggs for the bunny. The brightest eggs you ever did see! Sometimes I wonder if he might be getting too old for this, but his claims of fun suggest that he's not quite done yet. I'll keep it up as long as the magic of imaginary holiday critters lives. Because I love my boy. And I love seeing his eyes light up. And I love how he so thoroughly loves all celebrations. He's my magic.

April 18, 2014

The Daddy just told The Kid, "I'm going to cook you the best fish you ever had in your life."

The Kid said, "You know what that is doing to me?"

Then he (The Kid) stuck his tongue out, pointed inside his mouth and said, "Thith ith thaliva."

April 17,2014

Quote of the Day

 "I wasn't yelling at you, I was talking to you in a high voice. And now I'm licking salt."

April 17, 2014

Doctor Moo

My Doctor Who lunchbox note ideas might be wearing a bit thin.

April 15, 2014

Blood Moon
The Daddy tried to stay up till midnight with me to watch the apocalypse. I mean eclipse, but he works too hard and was too tired. There was a giant, bright, full moon lighting up the world when he gave up and hit the sack. Just an hour later, I noticed it was getting dark.

The moon and sky were changing so rapidly, it was amazing! I've never seen a celestial event like this before and I wanted to share it with my boys. I went in and tapped Nicco on the shoulder and he just snored away. Ditto his Daddy. I went back to my moon gazing. When it was full on red, I determined to go ahead and wake the men in my house. When I woke Nicco, I remembered the time when my parents woke me up to see the Northern Lights which were visible as far south as Colorado. When they knocked on my door and told me to "get out here!" I thought I was in trouble for staying up late reading by flashlight under the covers.

Nicco came out groggily, looked at the moon for a few minutes, said "cool," and went back to bed. I couldn't wake the daddy. He missed out. I took pictures for him.

I'm lucky to have a friend with a better lens than me. She shared her pictures...

Spectacular. I'm so glad I stayed up. And I'm so glad I woke my boy!