Immortal Powers

Occasionally as a family we slow down together and gather around the kitchen table to hang out.

On this particular day, the girls started playing the guessing game. Child #2 asked Child #3 what number she was thinking about. Then Child #1 sat down and asked to play. All three were taking turns trying to guess the number of what the other was thinking. In between the my usual household chores, I was enjoying their peaceful play. 

After a round, they all asked me to play. Of course, I couldn't pass up this challenge so I sat down for a turn. It was Child #1's turn and I had to guess her number. The parameters to select a number was 1 to 20.

Child #1 takes a second to think of her number and then says, "Okay, guess my number."


"13"

Child #1 says with a shocked look on her face, "that's right."

Child #3 says jumping in her seat, "It's my turn. It's my turn."

Taking a moment to think of her number, I wait patiently. "I've got my number. Go ahead."

"18"

Child #3's mouth drops open with disbelief.

With a sly smile, Child #2 says, "you won't be able to guess my number."

"9"

The look on Child #2's face shows me that I've guessed her number. All at once, they start to ask me how I do that.

I quietly stand up, shrug my shoulders, and say, "Mothers know everything."

Their disbelief makes me so happy they still believe I have super human powers. The day they all realize I am a mere mortal will be a sad day. Though I know and accept that day, I will relish in their innocence for as long as I can.

"13" is Child #1's favorite number and her birthday number.
"18" is Child #3's birthday number.
"9" is Child #2's favorite number and soccer jersey number.

Favorite Movie Lines

"Shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

"You have a baby...in a bar."

"You can't handle the truth!"

Big bear. Big bear. Big bear!

"I had no idea you could milk a cat."
"Oh yeah, you can milk anything with nipples."
"I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?"

This is ridiculous. It's crazy. I feel like I'm babysitting, except I'm not getting paid. 

Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues. 

What's your favorite movie line?

Gainfully Employeed Again...

After my three year hiatus, I am back in. It's like riding a bike. Everything comes flowing back and my multiple hats have adjusted again. Granted it's only been two days, but everything is going smoothly so far. Saying bye to my leisurely managed time wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Changes can be challenging, but fun if approached in the right mind set. In addition, the Handyman is assisting in my transition by helping with the kids and preparing dinner before I get home.

I have to say it is ten times easier to get ready in the morning with my kids now than it was three years ago. Aside from helping Child# 1 with brushing her hair and getting her shirt over her broken arm, my kids are all sufficiently independent in preparing themselves for school. What a relief. 

On a positive note, with my sabbatical, I was able to check off many items on my bucket list. Turning the page to my story, I'll be able to continue my bucket list through my additional funding. Unfortunately, my bucket list tends to be never ending, pushing the boundaries as far as I can leads me to new adventures. Life is what you make it, make it an adventure.

Enjoy your day!   

Funny Stage

Our little Freckles is becoming one strange puppy. While walking her the other day, I didn't actually notice she picked up a small piece of trash. Most animals would be chewing on that piece of trash. Nope not this dog. She stops in the middle of the walk and starts digging a hole in the snow and then drops the piece of trash in her shallow hole. This would be the time I actually noticed the piece of trash came from her mouth. I was a little shocked and laughed at her attempt to clean up the neighborhood.

Basically, the puppy picks up everything with her mouth like a crawling baby testing her grabbing skills (not a stage I ever want to go back to). Another quirky issue, she loves evergreen trees along with gnawing on all sticks.

                                                           Can you find the puppy?

                           There she is in the fire pit where we put our tree from Christmas.

Enjoy the cuteness!

Wisconsin Drama

Wisconsin is an unusual state. Though, I'm not an indigenous cheese head, my children are born and raised Wisconsin stock, therefore I'm once removed. Over the years, I've come to appreciate the opportunities Wisconsin has to offer for me and my family (this is true as long as they continue to let me escape once a year otherwise I might feel like a trapped wild animal and start foaming at the mouth, but that would never happen). It's not a state that the faint of heart can endure day in and day out. Let's take the weather for instance. Wisconsin weather is so unpredictable, occasionally, we get rain, ice, snow, and sun all in one day. The famous saying here is "If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes, it will change."

As you saw in my previous post on ice fishing, we were out on the ice two weekends ago. Well last weekend the weather decided to warm up to a balmy 40* to 45*. You all know that the freezing point is 32* so you can only imagine how the ice looked, black and dangerous. Since the lake wasn't frozen completely, the ice wasn't strong enough to endure the warmer temperatures. This is what happens when you don't get your shanty off the ice in time.

 Last week, we watched the little camper slowly slip lower and lower through the ice. Mother Nature must've felt sorry for this poor soul because the temperature dropped yesterday to a high of 7*. Lucky for us, today it's a crisp -6*, windchill -21*. The camper is now stuck in limbo. On the other hand, the DNR (The Department of No Results) is going to be on the owner faster than a cougar chasing it's prey. A fine will follow and the problem of removing it from the lake. This is Wisconsin drama first hand.

In Wisconsin, you have to be ready for anything. These temperatures are supposed to continue all week, but I wanted to show the open water again. I risked frost bite (not kidding, it's that cold outside) in the two minutes it took me to take these pictures. My hands were so frozen and red I was a little nervous until they warmed up.In the sake of risking my skin health for this blog, I was able to capture some pretty cool pictures. Check them out.

It was like the hot springs in Yellowstone except minus the cold weather. Though I bet Yellowstone is pretty cool in the winter too. The water is warmer than the air producing steam. Very mystical. I love taking photos of cool things. Enjoy! My favorite is the last one.

 

Quasi Narcissistic Guru

I love oxymoron's. Oooh that might explain too much. Back to being serious...

The key to life, obviously my opinion (oh yeah, this whole blog is about my opinion-very narcissistic of myself), is finding serenity. I have to chuckle because this topic always takes me back to the movie "City Slickers" when Billy Crystal is obsessed with finding the one thing (imagine him holding up his leather gloved index finger). Okay now back on track...

Serenity, for me, is finding the calm within. I'm not a holier than thou, meditating guru freak (I don't have anything against meditating or anything along those lines, again only my opinion), eat only wheat grass to cleanse the body type of person, but I believe I've found that one serenity moment for myself. It doesn't happen very often. In actuality, there have been years between moments, but today I actually experienced one.

It's always been when I'm hiking. I find my self surrounded by trees and nothing else. Even if it is cold out, the trees comfort me with warmth. The quiet sets in, but suddenly there is a gust of wind. Nothing you can feel, just hear. The wind sways the trees above, sounding like music, swirling in a noticeable pattern. Every gust is a musical note, drawing my attention upward, basking in the calmness that stills my body. My eyes slowly close to the quietness that supports me, the wind creates a vacuum, sucking away the craziness of life, and restoring the peace in my soul. Even if it's only just for one second, the calmness allows an awareness of my spirit to guide me to a simple happiness deep within.   

Okay go ahead and shake it off.

This is my story and I'm sticking to it. Maybe if everyone found their inner peace, we would be much more happy as a collective whole.

Go out and find your inner peace. Searching for it, could be fun.

Woohoo! Schools In!

First day of school starts tomorrow. My children are ready and so am I. They will be all in one school, same schedule, same times. Yeah!

Three Fish

I love when I'm right. Then again, who doesn't love when they are right.

My children have grown used to doing special things with me and their dad. Unfortunately, they don't always appreciate these things. My hubby and I have resorted to cliches like 'you always want what you can't have' or 'the grass is always greener on the other side' because want more of everything.

So the one thing I absolutely love is swimming and I take the kids to an open swim at our gym on the weekends hoping they will love swimming as much as I do (they are getting there). For the last three weeks, I stopped taking them. I didn't mention it and I never brought it up.

This weekend they begged me to take them so I agreed to. Not once did I hear a complaint from any of them, not even Child #2 (the biggest complainer). They even were able to make at least one lap without my help. It might be only doggy paddling, but I want them to become stronger before I worry about technique. Including the youngest who is only four years old. I am so proud of my little fish.

Go Pack Go!

Yeah, it's a good thing you (Packers) won tonight, I don't let my kids stay up this late for nothing.

So take that Bret Favre! Look where your stupidity got you. Hah!

Both Sides

Now that I've been on both sides of the spectrum, working mom and stay at home mom, I've learned a lot about myself. Basically what everyone asks themselves at one time or another. What do I want out of life?

What I wanted in my twenties is definitely different than my thirties. It reminds me of the movie City Slickers when Billy Crystal is trying to find the meaning of life.

For me, it turns out that time is the most valuable possession. There's no fluctuation in time. It is set and there is no outside influence to change it. Twenty four hours, seven days a week that's all you get. No politician, no government, no one person can change this. Or at least won't change it in the near future.

When I was working, time was nothing but a battle for me. I was always racing the clock to see how much I could pack into a twenty four hour day. Kind of like a robot always trying to optimize and become more efficient. Never realizing what I was missing out on. Never cherishing the small things, always moving onto the next task. Looking back at it now, my objective for working was so I wouldn't loose my identity of who I was. But that was my identity in my twenties. My identity in my thirties changed. 

Realizing that if I hadn't gotten laid off, I would still be working and wouldn't have had the chance to reflect on things makes this all a blessing in disguise. Everything happens for a reason. And to continue with the cliches, always stop to smell the roses. Funny how time can give you clarity too.

I'm not trying to paint a perfect picture because there is no perfect picture (sorry to burst your bubble). If you know me, you know there are still arguments, yelling and screaming going on over disagreements, but I am extremely lucky and thankful to have the love of my life and three beautiful, healthy children surrounding me. So far, this is the happiest time of my life. And I mean the true happiness, the deep down, great feeling in your chest, surrounding your whole being happiness. I hope everyone gets to experience this one time or another.

Girly-Girls vs Tomboys

I love it, but I don't get it.

The girls choose to wear dresses, tights and all the girly-girl stuff for Child #1's winter school concert. And I let them pick out their dresses and tights even if they don't match (I completely support individualism. Child#3 wore a spring tank top light green flower dress with a long sleeve pink and white poodle shirt and brown tights, black shoes).

All three act sophisticated and mature during the concert. Child #2 is extremely excited for next year when she will be able to get up on the stage and sing.

Then we get home from school and I take a few minutes to talk with James before I start dinner. Meanwhile Child #1 and Child #2 decide that it would be fun to run from the back of the hallway to the kitchen and slide on their knees (still dressed in dresses and tights). Each one is trying to see how far they can slide. Next they get the great idea to fold a blanket, run and slide on the blanket across the kitchen floor (I have to say it does look fun).

I know you were expecting someone to get hurt, so was I. No one got hurt.

So I can relate to the crazy act (it really looked fun), but the girly-girl stuff is a little foreign to me(at least when I was a kid, my mom always had to fight to get braids and dresses on me). Maybe you can be both a girly-girl and a tomboy. As a kid I always thought you couldn't be both, but that could be because I grew up with two brothers.

I guess the girls will be more well rounded than I was. They can dress girly, but can have fun when they want to. Only time will tell.

I am really enjoying this.

Catch 22

Well, Child #2 and #3 are extremely happy to stay home, but Child #1 is extremely mad. She has claimed it is not fair she has to go to school and her sisters get to stay home. She feels completely jipped. Depending on how long it takes me to find a job, she might be jipped for a little while.

It is definitely nice to be able to get dinner ready at a decent time and to enjoy it. And not to have a pile of laundry always waiting for me to fold. It has been fun spending more time with the girls and playing mommy. These are special times I will enjoy and embrace forever.

Everything happens for a reason...