Message for Daddy

YES WE DO!

{When I asked Matthew how to spell "we" before he could answer Will piped up, "W"--for a split second as I turned to him I thought "my kids is a genius."  Then he continued, "W-i-i."  Ha ha, that IS funny, Will.}  

Sick Day

This is how we spent most of yesterday afternoon--cuddling feverish boy #3 while periodically scrubbing the carpet from vomiting boy #2.

Will was following me down the stairs right after eating when he said, "Mom, those nuggets didn't make my tummy feel good."  He took about three more steps on his own and then his dinner preceded him down the rest of them.  And it gets better.  He had blueberries.  Blueberries!  Let me tell you, they are no easier on carpet the second time around.

But other than the throw up it wasn't a bad day.  I had nothing to do.  The house was clean.  The grocery shopping done.  The clothes washed (though not folded--still sitting on the counter).  Sick days are much easier when there is nothing pressing to accomplish.  

And so we sat.  We sat and we cuddled.  We wrapped up.  And drank the pedialyte Ben so graciously brought us. 

Today is more of the same.  But I don't mind a few cuddly boys.  We'll sit some more.  We'll watch some movies.  We'll read some books.  And we'll drink some more pedialyte.  

And we'll use this as a reason to put off folding that laundry one-more-day.

He Has A Dream

{While driving in the car with Matthew}

"I think I'm going to be President."

Yeah

"Yeah, or maybe my wife will be.  And then I'll get to play with my kids every day"

I'm glad he has such a positive outlook toward motherhood.

"You know what I'm going to be.  A fireman.  A fireman gets 30 days off after one day.  30 DAYS!  So I'll have more days off than my kids."

-back to being president--my kid speaks in a very 'stream of consiousness,' Faulknerish way.  I like to think it's because he's brilliant.  Small, but brilliant.

"Cause it would be fun, to rule the world.  But then my wife will have to do it the next day when I'm on my fireman job."

"I would give the greatest speech."

Oh yeah?  What would you say?

"If you don't have any money, go to the bank and buy some with $1.  If you have $1 I think they will give you $1000.

So kudos to President Obama, but my kids fairly forward thinking too.  You see he's very open to a women president.  And one step more he would even like to see a "couples" president/s.  Gives each person a little break now and then.  Plus, my boy has a smokin' stimulus package.

My Birthday Boy

Race you to the top of the morning

Come and sit on my shoulders and ride

Run and hide, I'll come and find you

Climb hills to remind you

I love you, my boy at my side

--The Secret Garden, Broadway production

Good for What Ails Me

This always picks me up from a impossibly cold and early morning.  

Stroopwaffeln

They are beautiful.  Thin Dutch wafer cookies that have been split in half and filled with a delicate layer of gooey caramel stuff.  They will rescue anybody's day.  Add a warm mug of cider and your kids will suddenly look like they are sporting halos and growing wings.  A "turn-my-morning-around" must.  

I first fell in love with these when my hubby brought some back from a business trip to Amsterdam.  So let's all make a pact that should anyone find themselves in the country of wooden shoes and wind mills, said person will buy costco amounts of these cookies to bring them back for the rest of us.  

However, if you don't happen to be going abroad any time soon, nor know anyone who is, you can wish very hard for a brilliant Aunt Mary who will somehow produce under the Christmas tree for you a lovely blue and white tin.  A tin that even your children will recognize as the bearer of the adored cookie.  And Aunt Mary's status as the best harbinger of European goodies will continue to be legendary.

Thanks Aunt Mary!

While we weren't sleeping

We've been up for 40 minutes or so.  (It's only 7:15 a.m.)  It's really not so bad.  

I suppose I could run shovel the driveway--except it's -9 outside (not joking, it really is -9).

I could start breakfast, 

pack Matthew's bag,

grab his snack, 

get ready for the bus,

all those normal morning things.

Except.

It's not a normal morning.

There is NO school today.

So, WHY?

Why do you have to wake up earlier than you ever do on a NO SCHOOL morning?

It just doesn't make sense.

I am thinking it's going to be a pajama day.

Paradox

I HATE LAS VEGAS

I hate the bombardment of slot machines as soon as I place a foot off the plane.

The sidewalks along the strip, paved with discarded pamphlets advertising things I can't, let alone want to, even imagine.

I hate the endless all-you-can-eat buffets.

The encouragement of gluttony at every level imaginable.

I hate the pretense of culture, masking over the conniving smoky innards of the casinos with a facade of classic Van Gogh paintings.

I even hate the landscape--just another slight-of-hand trick--you think you're surrounded by mountains only to find out they are just a bunch of brown dirt, with not a green thing growing on them.

BUT

I love hearing the captain announce "We will now begin our descent into Las Vegas."

I love the blast of hot air welcoming us off the jet-way.

I love driving past all the excitement on the strip.

I love stopping at In-N-Out after we pick up a car.

I love hitting the freeway and leaving it all behind me.

And I especially love saying goodbye dirt mountains on our way to the gorge.

I LOVE LAS VEGAS

Because I know if I've made it to Las Vegas

I'm only 2 hours away

from familiar

from safety

from home.

Until next time Vegas