That's My Kind of Salad

While enjoying his after school snack of Vanilla Wafers, Samuel sat and studied the box.  After a few minutes examining the picture and recipe for banana pudding on the side, he exclaimed: "Mom! You can make a salad out of it!"  Yes, my son, you can.

My Chair

Over six years ago, my mother in law graciously offered to purchase a chair for me to use as a nursing chair once her first grandchild arrived. We spent the better part of weekend scouring Ft. Worth furniture and baby stores looking for just the right chair that would look nice, feel comfy and provide the right amount of arm support for its intended purpose.  I wanted something that looked like it came out of a Pottery Barn Kids catalogue and Aaron wanted something that he could fit into.  (Surprisingly enough, most rockers are not built with 6 ft.+ fathers in mind.)  Eventually, we found it.  It was blue, over stuffed and remarkably comfortable.  It arrived a couple months before Samuel did and has been with us ever since.  What makes it so great, though, isn't that it can make a Sunday football nap perfection or the fact that it can hold as many kids as we pile into it. Its great because it has been a silent witness to the many days and nights spent nursing babies, holding wounded toddlers, and reading with sleepy preschoolers.  Its been the backdrop for every birthday, Mother's or Father's Day and "welcome baby!" picture and, for the last couple of seasons, has been Aaron's official 24 viewing spot. 
Eventually, it will be replaced for something that matches with the other furniture or is in better shape, but, for now, its mine and I love it. 

 Aaron reading to Samuel his first day home.

At Least They Were Sharing....

Manners are very important in our house. The importance of "please"and "thank you" are reiterated constantly to those among the children who can speak, so when I heard the following conversation between the oldest two, I quickly went to positively affirm their outstanding choices....
           S: "Can I have some, please?"
           M: "Yep."
           S: "Thank you, Micah."
           M: "'Come. ("You're welcome" for those of you who do not speak two year old.)"
What I didn't realize until I rounded the corner, was that the conversation about a baggie full of Golden Grahams was playing out in the bathroom, while, how shall put this delicately, Samuel was "using the facilities."  I wasn't sure if I should praise their "table manners" or point out that eating while using the bathroom was perhaps not the cleanest option.  I opted for both, although I don't think it came across very seriously as I was giggling the whole time.  Oh well, at least they were using their manners and sharing.

We Read (or write) to Know We are Not Alone

I've thought about starting a blog for some time, but felt like the world really didn't need one more blog, especially one without a singular purpose. I'm not fighting a deadly illness, undertaking a monumental task, or even taking a once in a lifetime vacation. In fact, there is very little about my life that is unique or unusual. I'm just living life. Sometimes that, however, is what makes reading some one's story (or blog) interesting.  Just knowing that someone else is doing, or has done (or will do) what you are doing at this particular stage of life makes the day go that much better because you know you aren't doing it alone.  So in the end, I went for it. After all, I'm just needy enough to want the world to know my thoughts and just narcissistic enough to think the world needs to know them! This, then, is my life as a Mom Of Boys.