Remember Today 5.31.09

{remember} wanting to check out a local flea market but settling for all you can eat chicken, pasta, and salad instead, with of course a stop at the gift shop for penny candy (that's more like quarter candy) for the boys and me.

The funny things they say

Camden came home from his baseball game this morning talking about Alex's mom from his team. I tried to clarify who he was talking about with, "Do you mean Mrs. ___?" He looked straight at me and said, "No, Mrs. Zander. Alex Zander's mom." Ha, ha, ha!

There's a first time for everything

It was supposed to be a romantic weekend at the Cape, well not so much a weekend, but one night filled up with a wedding, but that's all we needed. It was, afterall, the first time we had ever left the boys overnight, EVER. The only time I had been away from them was to give birth to their brothers. So we packed up the suitcase, left a short list of details like bus drop-offs and medicine doses, gave the boys extra long hugs (before the older two had gone off to school that morning) and set out on our drive to the afternoon wedding ceremony an hour away. I was the usual anxious mother--nervous about leaving her children--but never actually putting any thought or words into what I was afraid would possibly happen. It was only on night afterall.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, and the details of the reception breathtaking. We ended the night early with the intention of attending the "after party" and headed back to our hotel room to change. It was only then that we realized that each of our phones had a message from an hour before from Perry's sister. I hesitantly returned the call that said "call me back when you get this message," more worried that I had woken her up when she picked up the phone, than anything else. "No, I'm awake. I'm actually at the hospital with Camden." My stomach immediately dropped straight to my toes and she proceeded to tell me that he hit his head playing ball and needed 3 to 4 stitches. Stitches!? We had never been to the ER with any of the boys, the oldest of whom is nearly 8. They had never so much as needed anything more than an antibiotic, lots of fluids and cuddles from me to treat their ailments. And here we are on our first night away, nearly 2 hours and over 100 miles away, and my little boy was in the ER to get stitches. I held myself together until I hung up the phone and then I burst into tears, sobbing heaving sobs into the hands that covered my face. "My baby is in the hospital getting stitches and I'm not even there with him." We have to go, we have to pack, check out and go. I have to be with him. I knew I woudn't make it to the hospital in time. I knew that by the time we got home he would most likely be snuggled in his bed fast asleep. But I had to see him, to hold him, to make sure he was ok. We did, and I drove those 100 plus miles home in the dark fog at 1:00 am, unsure of exactly how to go, struggling to reverse the directions in my mind from those printed on the invitation card (the ones I had made BTW), flipping the interior lights on and off so I could read them and double check the route numbers and direction. By the grace of God, and a true miracle we made it home. And there was Camden sound asleep in his bed with a gauze bandage taped to his forehead and his Gameboy still on in his hand. I kissed him, and whispered how much I love him in his ear, and how sorry I was for not being with him. I curled up in bed next to him and wrapped him in my arms hoping that my love was reaching him in his dreams. And I slept the worst sleep of my life.

The next morning Camden awoke at 10:50 am, and when he saw me in the hallway outside his bedroom he smiled and said, "Mom, what are you doing home? You're not supposed to be home now." He's always thinking of others. "Honey," I replied, I had to see you. I had to make sure you were ok." And he said with a smirky hint of disgust filled with love and a roll of his eyes, "I'm fine, Mom, totally fine. I didn't feel a thing. The stitches didn't even hurt. It was like nothing I've ever felt before."

It was like nothing I've ever felt before either, Little Man. And I hope I never have to feel it again.

Remember Today 5.30.09

{remember} sleeping most of the day away with Maddox (who apparently caught Logan's stomach bug from nearly two weeks ago), grateful for this extra long (like four hours) nap to sleep off the nightmare of last night.

Remember Today 5.28.09

{remember} the follies of scrapbooking night: quiet, reserved Maryann blurting out "Whoops, I just sewed it to my pants" That would be the brownie patch for her daughter's vest!

Remember Today 5.26.09

{remember} perfetto, fertig, termine, acadabo, terminado, finito--ahhh, the feeling of done!

And now I have more time for this:

Camden's new favorite game (he likes to be banker).

Remember Today 5.25.09

{remember} the final day of assembly and being grateful that Perry has the day off so I can work

Remember Today 5.24.09

{remember} our 11th wedding anniversary filled with a day of relaxing, setting up the swimming pool for the summer, eating popsicles, watching Maddox shoot hoops with Perry in the driveway, and a gorgeous sunny day: a taste of summer.

Remember Today 5.22.09

{remember} feeling grateful that Logan is finally feeling better. Five days is way too long to have a stomach bug, and way too long to be stuck in the house.

Remember Today 5.21.09

{remember} the lure of the irrigation system is just too big, even if it is only 9:00 in the morning

even if you are home sick with a stomach bug.

Remember Today 5.20.09

{remember} a surprise visitor sneaking into our open garage door. She was easily redirected to the grass where she could make her way back to her home in the pond. We wonder if she had just come from laying eggs across the street. We're lucky to have so much nature surrounding our home.

Remember Today 5.19.09

{remember} Camden learning how to tie his shoes today.

Remember Today 5.18.09

{remember} realizing just because it's May, it doesn't mean the kids will be healthy. Logan runs straight to the bathroom from the bus after school, and on a day that he had a birthday party--poor guy.

Remember Today 5.17.09

{remember} feeling the need to find the balance between my current roles: mommy (time with the kiddos), housekeeper (yeah, it's a thankless job, but someone's got to do it), business person (meeting deadlines and completing projects).

Remember Today 5.16.09

{remember} a fabulous day at my first ever CKC--learning, shopping, meeting, soaking in the inspiration (and missing my boys like crazy--the best part of going away is coming home again).

Remember Today 5.15.09

{remember} how wonderful it is when your children's friendships create your own friendships.

Use #256 for a table

Tilt it on its end and play wall ball on a rainy day:

Remember Today 5.14.09

{remember} how Maddox loves *Underdogs* and *Whipper-Snappers* on the swings.

Remember Today 5.13.09

{remember} how lucky that Maddox will have the same fond memories of walking to a shop with his Grandpa to buy a treat (in his case Dunkin Donuts for milk and donuts) that I have (for me and my Gramps it was a candy from the AM-PM).

Remember Today 5.11.09

{remember} how totally funny Maddox is with his joke telling: "Why did the mouse buy a house? So he could eat the roof off!"; and that maybe I'm the only one who appreciates his humor: Logan's response: Your jokes aren't even funny. You're so obnoxious.

Remember Today 5.10.09

{remember} the best Mother's Day yet:

waking up to this:

receiving all this:

getting time to create this:

There is no better thing than the expression on a child's face when they hand you their paper-lunch-sack-wrapped handmade gift on Mother's Day!

Remember Today 5.9.09

{remember} a little impromptu jam session with the neighbors on Rock Band--made me laugh out loud. And Logan comforting Maddox after Maddox crawled into bed with him during a thunderstorm tonight.

Look what I got today!!

A few days ago I received an email from Patti Digh letting me know that she had chosen my quote of inspiration {"When nothing is sure, everything is possible"~Margaret Drabble} to carry with her on her half-marathon run (I am so in awe of people who can run). You can read more about it on this post and the post where she put my name as the winner. I know I am being a complete dork here, so bear with me!

So this arrived in my mailbox today, actually it was on the counter when I returned home from eating ice cream with Maddox on the grass in the parking lot of the baseball fields following Logan's ball game today (I couldn't let all that color-drenched sherbert-y stuff drip all over the car, could I!)

a cute little doodle on the envie :)

this postcard with a handwritten note on the back:

and this t-shirt that I immediately put on, posed in the mirror, and snapped a self-portrait. Whoops, wasn't thinking about the text reading backwards.

So in case your backwards reading is a little rusty, here is a head-on shot:

Is that fantastic or what?! I love the words, the colors, the fonts, everything. I will probably be wearing this once a week (I'd wear it more often, but don't want people to start whispering about me). The top photo is what's printed on the upper back of the shirt.

Do check out Patti's blog. It's filled with wonderful photographs, beautiful poetry, and heartfelt thoughts.

Remember Today 5.8.09

{remember} the boys ditching movie night halfway through to go outside and play with the neighbors--aahh, summertime.

Is there anything better. . .

than a brand spankin' new box of Crayola watercolor paints?

when they look like this, I figured it was time to buy some new ones.

our little Rembrandt is liking them very much. I'm trying to teach him to rinse his brush between colors, so we'll see how long these pretty paints can stay this way. His new strategy is to use all of one color: the turquoise is already gone.

Remember Today 5.7.09

{remember} a morning of crafting with the boys creating these gifts for their teachers. I wish I wasn't such a last minute person.

Remember Today 5.6.09

{remember} Camden making this for me:

This boy melts me (and no, I didn't dye my hair pink!)

Remember Today 5.5.09

{remember} new kicks for Spring

Remember Today 5.4.09

{remember} loving our Monday routine at the Y: swimming and the Naz for Maddox while I get to just sit back and watch (and get a little bit of work done).

Rememebr Today 5.3.09

{remember} ending another crazy weekend day (church, baseball, baseball, and a birthday party) with a relaxing dinner at my aunt's surrounded by family we hardly ever see--so nice to all be together.

Remember Today 5.2.09

{remember} dancing the day away with my parents, brother, sisters, aunts, cousins (note how I didn't say my husband!) at my cousin's wedding--so much fun.

Remember Today 5.1.09

{remember} working out with my new personal trainer, Alex at 11:00 tonight. I didn't hit the lottery to afford a personal trainer, and I'm not having an affair. I picked up Gold's Gym Cardio Workout for Wii tonight and will be jabbing and hooking my way to a new fit self (I hope).