So here is a latte that I wrote 4 years ago almost to the day. Mason is now in 5th grade and in the home stretch of his elementary school days. It was Mary Jane's first grade performance tonight.Tonight was the 8th holiday performance we've watched since I wrote the latte below, and my dad was there with us once again. So here is my recycled latte for the evening...
27 - I guess it's a number that means different things at different times. It's a number that I thought of last week as I was watching Mason's 1st grade holiday performance. Each of the 6 classes performed a musical number in costume. Mason's class was sheep and shepherds. They've been practicing for weeks, it was very cute and a little crazy. I realize that this is only Mason's second year in elementary school. Charlotte will start next fall, and Mary Jane 2 years after that. We have lots of these to watch and enjoy.
That's where 27 comes in, I was sitting next to a man who, for basically all of the 80's and 90's had 4 children who spent a total of 27 years in elementary school. My dad, who has sat through 27 combined years of his children's performances, now watches his grandson perform at the same school my brother and sisters and I attended. I'm guessing that it all starts to become a blur of costumes, songs, learning lines, and I'm sure a few tears along the way. I don't think I could find a picture of any of my elementary school performances if I tried, and that's ok. I don't need to see them on Facebook now, I have enough memories to keep me going.
So here it is, I've found that if you try to watch a performance, as many do, through the lens of a camera, you might miss out. Take some pictures before, buy the DVD of the show if the school offers that very nice feature, and just sit back and enjoy the moment. That's really what lattes are all about, enjoy. And dad, the next one is on me.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
A 40 year old latte
This is it, my last day in my thirties. Tomorrow I start my forties, yikes! I know they say that 40 is the new 30 , but I feel way too old for 30 and I have earned these wrinkles, stretch marks, and 10 extra pounds. I'm not unhappy with where I am in life or with my age.
Given the events of the last few weeks, things are turning out much differently than I thought they would as I turn 40. I'm not sure what direction my life will take professionally over the course of the next few months. Some things that I have ruled out as possible career choices: 1. Interior decorator - if you have been inside my house, you'll understand why; 2. Any type of professional athlete - again, self explanatory; 3. Dog trainer - refer back to my post containing the list of all of the things my dog has eaten and this will make sense.
I've learned alot in my 40 years and forgotten alot, too. My kids teach me new things almost daily. I've also made lots of mistakes. Those, too, have been good teachers. I try to live without regrets because they really don't help with anything, but, like most people, I have a few. Short hair in the 7th grade - huge mistake. So was spending the day with a boy instead of with my high school girlfriends at a Christmas party in 12th grade. Luckily, I can still claim those high school girlfriends as good friends, and I even saw many of them last weekend. And, back to my crazy dog, I definitely regret not putting him in a crate every moment that I wasn't watching him for the last year.
So tomorrow I will be 40. I might treat myself to an extra latte for the occasion. I already redeemed my free birthday latte that I get for being a Starbucks rewards member. I will feel loved by all of the wishes from my kids who have been working on surprises all week. I will also be a little sad because when my boss died 3 weeks ago, the only thing he had on his calendar for this week was a reminder about my birthday.
In lieu of a big party, my sweet husband and I are going to finally get out of town in a couple of weeks for a kid-free weekend. My marriage is one of my greatest accomplishments of my first 40 years (potty training has also served me well for most of my life, thanks mom). I had to actually make myself a cup of coffee this afternoon so that I could stay awake for a night out with a few girlfriends. When I got home, I told Mason that I was saying my final goodnight of my 30s to him, and that one day he would remember this moment and realize that I was not so old - he will probably be 39 himself at that time.
So there it is, the next 40 will have many more lattes than the first 40. After the month I've had, I will go ahead and wish myself a happy birthday.
Given the events of the last few weeks, things are turning out much differently than I thought they would as I turn 40. I'm not sure what direction my life will take professionally over the course of the next few months. Some things that I have ruled out as possible career choices: 1. Interior decorator - if you have been inside my house, you'll understand why; 2. Any type of professional athlete - again, self explanatory; 3. Dog trainer - refer back to my post containing the list of all of the things my dog has eaten and this will make sense.
I've learned alot in my 40 years and forgotten alot, too. My kids teach me new things almost daily. I've also made lots of mistakes. Those, too, have been good teachers. I try to live without regrets because they really don't help with anything, but, like most people, I have a few. Short hair in the 7th grade - huge mistake. So was spending the day with a boy instead of with my high school girlfriends at a Christmas party in 12th grade. Luckily, I can still claim those high school girlfriends as good friends, and I even saw many of them last weekend. And, back to my crazy dog, I definitely regret not putting him in a crate every moment that I wasn't watching him for the last year.
So tomorrow I will be 40. I might treat myself to an extra latte for the occasion. I already redeemed my free birthday latte that I get for being a Starbucks rewards member. I will feel loved by all of the wishes from my kids who have been working on surprises all week. I will also be a little sad because when my boss died 3 weeks ago, the only thing he had on his calendar for this week was a reminder about my birthday.
In lieu of a big party, my sweet husband and I are going to finally get out of town in a couple of weeks for a kid-free weekend. My marriage is one of my greatest accomplishments of my first 40 years (potty training has also served me well for most of my life, thanks mom). I had to actually make myself a cup of coffee this afternoon so that I could stay awake for a night out with a few girlfriends. When I got home, I told Mason that I was saying my final goodnight of my 30s to him, and that one day he would remember this moment and realize that I was not so old - he will probably be 39 himself at that time.
So there it is, the next 40 will have many more lattes than the first 40. After the month I've had, I will go ahead and wish myself a happy birthday.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
A Goodbye Latte
So I don't actually write down that many entries anymore, but I compose them in my head all the time. For the last month I've been thinking about writing a goodbye latte. We have good friends, the parents of some of Mason's good friends, who moved to California last month. I'm excited for them and their new adventure, but it was sad to see them go. So that's a goodbye that is no fun, but we've already planned a holiday trip out west.
Another latte that I've started to work on in my head is my big 4-0 latte, less than a month away now. In my list of great things about my life, I was all set to include my great job with the most understanding, flexible, and fun boss anyone could ask for. Seriously, I once sent him as email that I would be late because my pedicure appointment took longer than I thought. He laughed at me, and said that in 40 years he had never heard that excuse.
But then everything changed, I showed up for work and the alarm was still set which should have been a red flag. I never got to say a goodbye that he heard. A whole community of his friends, family, and coworkers are trying to figure out how to say goodbye and how to live without the joy and wisdom that this man brought to all he met. He lived a very full life in his 72 years, but he wasn't done. Now I'm trying to hold it all together both personally and professionally. I burst into tears last Friday when the cashier at Whole Foods asked if I was having a good day. Tomorrow I will return to the task of calling work associates to give them the sad and shocking news. So this is a goodbye latte to a great man who made fun of my latte habit. It's a goodbye I wasn't ready to say.
Give a big hug to your loved ones, call an old friend you've been too busy to meet for lunch. Plan a trip to see friends who moved across the country. You could even simply meet a friend for a latte.
Another latte that I've started to work on in my head is my big 4-0 latte, less than a month away now. In my list of great things about my life, I was all set to include my great job with the most understanding, flexible, and fun boss anyone could ask for. Seriously, I once sent him as email that I would be late because my pedicure appointment took longer than I thought. He laughed at me, and said that in 40 years he had never heard that excuse.
But then everything changed, I showed up for work and the alarm was still set which should have been a red flag. I never got to say a goodbye that he heard. A whole community of his friends, family, and coworkers are trying to figure out how to say goodbye and how to live without the joy and wisdom that this man brought to all he met. He lived a very full life in his 72 years, but he wasn't done. Now I'm trying to hold it all together both personally and professionally. I burst into tears last Friday when the cashier at Whole Foods asked if I was having a good day. Tomorrow I will return to the task of calling work associates to give them the sad and shocking news. So this is a goodbye latte to a great man who made fun of my latte habit. It's a goodbye I wasn't ready to say.
Give a big hug to your loved ones, call an old friend you've been too busy to meet for lunch. Plan a trip to see friends who moved across the country. You could even simply meet a friend for a latte.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
A Shameful Latte
Recently, my sister in law sent me a link to a website, http://dog-shaming.com/. It is hilarious! What's really funny about it is that any one of the pictures could be of my dog, Jack. He is a one year old boxer/german shepherd mix. He weighs upwards of 60 pounds, and he has had a very busy year in my house. In case you haven't seen the website, it shows things like a sweet looking dog surrounded by what's left of a nice sofa or a puppy next to a note that says "I just ate an entire lobster dinner."
Here's the thing, though, I realize that all of the photos should have an owner-shaming photo with them. Someone actually left a destructive dog alone with valuables. I know because I've done it, many, many times. I'm not sure why I think he won't get anything off the counter, table, couch, etc. Just this afternoon, after I started composing this latte in my head, Jack took a library book off of the dining room table and had a snack on the corners. Mary Jane was not happy, and I'm going to have to talk to the school librarian in the morning.
So here it is for all to see. Take this as a warning if you are thinking of getting a puppy. House breaking is easy, chewing habits are not. And puppies get big, really quickly. Here is a list of things that our puppy has destroyed, it is not a complete list because some things are just too hard to put in writing:
My Dog and Owner Shaming List
Here's the thing, though, I realize that all of the photos should have an owner-shaming photo with them. Someone actually left a destructive dog alone with valuables. I know because I've done it, many, many times. I'm not sure why I think he won't get anything off the counter, table, couch, etc. Just this afternoon, after I started composing this latte in my head, Jack took a library book off of the dining room table and had a snack on the corners. Mary Jane was not happy, and I'm going to have to talk to the school librarian in the morning.
So here it is for all to see. Take this as a warning if you are thinking of getting a puppy. House breaking is easy, chewing habits are not. And puppies get big, really quickly. Here is a list of things that our puppy has destroyed, it is not a complete list because some things are just too hard to put in writing:
My Dog and Owner Shaming List
- A full wedge of brie cheese
- One pair of really nice Chaco flip flops (I replaced them today after 6 weeks in a cheap pair)
- Part of our couch
- Most of the screen from our porch
- Mason's teddy bear's eyes (that led to a not fun trip of button shopping for replacements)
- Too many of Mary Jane's shoes to count
- Socks - we know this because of what we've seen in our backyard
- Many, many tupperware containers
- A babysitter's cell phone (surprisingly, she came back!)
As I'm writing this, I'm watching him try to get a cord out from under the TV stand. I keep thinking he will calm down soon or our grumpy 6 year old dog will whip him into shape. Still, he curls up next to me when I'm going to sleep and I'm pretty sure he's the most effective security system we will ever have.
Beware of puppies, babies are lots of work, but they ease into it. Puppies will chew anything they can from day one, and "free" puppies might end up costing close to $1000 within the first year - at least if you go to the humane society, the puppy will come with a set of vaccinations. Still, we are a household of dog people and the house would seem empty without them.
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Decade of Lattes
10 years ago I was still in my twenties (barely), I was still close to being a newlywed (married less than 2 years), I did not yet have a fancy coffee habit, and 10 years ago today I became a mom. Like all parents I guess, my life now has 2 distinct parts - before kids and after. Ten years is an entire lifetime to my son, but to me it has been a blink of an eye, a blur of milestones, birthdays, love and war with sisters, and, more recently, taking a backseat as friends become more important than mommy.
In another 10 years all of my kids will be driving (yikes!), and 2 will probably be in college. I might be ordering more than one latte when we take a family trip to Starbucks, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Right now I'll just take a moment to reflect on the last 10 years. It hasn't always been pretty, and nothing, not even the many baby classes I dragged my husband to at the hospital really prepared me for most of it.
I've learned something new every day about myself and my kids during 10 years of parenthood. It's not going to get any easier, but there is never a dull moment and I look forward to another decade of lattes.
In another 10 years all of my kids will be driving (yikes!), and 2 will probably be in college. I might be ordering more than one latte when we take a family trip to Starbucks, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Right now I'll just take a moment to reflect on the last 10 years. It hasn't always been pretty, and nothing, not even the many baby classes I dragged my husband to at the hospital really prepared me for most of it.
I've learned something new every day about myself and my kids during 10 years of parenthood. It's not going to get any easier, but there is never a dull moment and I look forward to another decade of lattes.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
A Celebration Latte
Rob and I have now celebrated 23 birthdays with and for our 3 kids, #24 will come in July. At least half of those celebrations have been in the form of parties in our house and yard. Once again, we have survived another May Madness - Mary Jane's party was last Friday night and Charlotte's was on Saturday. The birthday girls loved every minute. 6 year olds ran screaming around the front yard in their pajamas for Mary Jane's "almost a slumber party" and Charlotte and her friends had a great time rock climbing at an indoor climbing gym followed by pizza and cake at a restaurant that apparently was the meeting spot for every soccer team in the Greater Atlanta area. Like I said, we survived.
I will admit that the first couple of parties for the kids were really my parties. Mason's first birthday party started just in time for him to look at his cake and then go to bed. The celebratory cookout lasted well into the evening. Now, I am just a party planner - I send out the Evite and provide the food, often a chick-fil-a platter. This year Mary Jane asked me to bake her cake - it wasn't as good as a cake from Publix, but it had sprinkles so no one seemed to notice the taste. Charlotte originally wanted a slumber party, but I just couldn't get my head around the idea of 8 girls spending the night.
I have found that the key to survival of kid parties is not to start planning too soon. Friendships, themes, favorite toys can change in an instant. Also, I'm not very good at planning ahead - my kids have learned to accept that fact. Paying teenagers to come over and paint nails works 2 years in a row for very girly little girls, and I refuse to hand out goody bags. Mary Jane's friends each got a new book and Charlotte gave out $5 gift cards to Barnes & Nobel as party favors. As much as the parties stress me out, I will be sad when the kids give them up. Until then, I'll keep trying to come up with new ideas that involve old decorations. Maybe I'll even plan a party for myself, I've got a big birthday coming up in October.
I will admit that the first couple of parties for the kids were really my parties. Mason's first birthday party started just in time for him to look at his cake and then go to bed. The celebratory cookout lasted well into the evening. Now, I am just a party planner - I send out the Evite and provide the food, often a chick-fil-a platter. This year Mary Jane asked me to bake her cake - it wasn't as good as a cake from Publix, but it had sprinkles so no one seemed to notice the taste. Charlotte originally wanted a slumber party, but I just couldn't get my head around the idea of 8 girls spending the night.
I have found that the key to survival of kid parties is not to start planning too soon. Friendships, themes, favorite toys can change in an instant. Also, I'm not very good at planning ahead - my kids have learned to accept that fact. Paying teenagers to come over and paint nails works 2 years in a row for very girly little girls, and I refuse to hand out goody bags. Mary Jane's friends each got a new book and Charlotte gave out $5 gift cards to Barnes & Nobel as party favors. As much as the parties stress me out, I will be sad when the kids give them up. Until then, I'll keep trying to come up with new ideas that involve old decorations. Maybe I'll even plan a party for myself, I've got a big birthday coming up in October.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
A Latte of Stuff
42. That's the number of coats, jackets, and vests I counted in our hall closet this morning. I added 4 more this afternoon. All for our family of 5. And we live in Atlanta, it doesn't get that cold here. This is just an example of the amount of stuff we have around here.
In the last several months, we have come close to finishing our basement renovation/completion. The result is that we all moved to new rooms with new closets. That means that I got to empty the contents of every closet and storage space in this house. The capacity of children to squirrel away little items is amazing. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of happy meal prizes, game pieces, legos, lite brite pieces, pokemon cards, stuffed animals, barbies, and more legos - just to name a few. I have consigned things, given them away, packed them away, and filled many trash bags. And yet, we still have over 42 things hanging in the hall closet.
Here's my latte of stuff - wait. I know it's easy to buy that one small item or let small kids bring home a random freebie from a store. Don't even get me started on the goody bags from birthday parties. But just wait before you say yes to that small purchase. The items that seem so insignificant will soon fill entire drawers or storage bins. Save yourself the sorting hassle, tell your kids that they actually will be able to live without one more Bakugan, My Little Pony, or whatever the toy of the moment is. Instead save your money for a venti soy chai, or whatever latte you prefer.
In the last several months, we have come close to finishing our basement renovation/completion. The result is that we all moved to new rooms with new closets. That means that I got to empty the contents of every closet and storage space in this house. The capacity of children to squirrel away little items is amazing. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of happy meal prizes, game pieces, legos, lite brite pieces, pokemon cards, stuffed animals, barbies, and more legos - just to name a few. I have consigned things, given them away, packed them away, and filled many trash bags. And yet, we still have over 42 things hanging in the hall closet.
Here's my latte of stuff - wait. I know it's easy to buy that one small item or let small kids bring home a random freebie from a store. Don't even get me started on the goody bags from birthday parties. But just wait before you say yes to that small purchase. The items that seem so insignificant will soon fill entire drawers or storage bins. Save yourself the sorting hassle, tell your kids that they actually will be able to live without one more Bakugan, My Little Pony, or whatever the toy of the moment is. Instead save your money for a venti soy chai, or whatever latte you prefer.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
An Easter Latte
I really want the picture, you know the one, kids all groomed in beautiful new clothes for church on Easter Sunday, Mom and Dad who don't look exhausted or frazzled. I know it sounds superficial, it's a picture that I've seen many times today on Facebook. But that is just not the reality of Easter for my crew. For one thing, our puppy ate Charlotte's new Easter sandals about 5 minutes after I got them out of the box, and Mason can't stand to wear anything with a collar. I also find that church with my whole family on Easter turns out to be a long and crowded event with kids who had too much sugar before 9:00 in the morning thanks to the Easter Bunny.
The perfect Easter picture didn't happen today, but that is alright. Instead of getting everyone fixed up for church, Rob and I walked to an outdoor 7:15 service at our church while the kids woke up to check out their Easter baskets with Grandma and Grandpa. They waited till we got home to hunt for eggs in the yard. We went out for breakfast and then had a family trip to the park on an amazingly beautiful day. We then spent the rest of the day at home, kids played with friends while Rob & I did a few more house projects (a latte of stuff is coming soon).
Next year I'll try again for the picture. We now know not to leave new sandasl unattended. But if it doesn't happen that will be ok. I feel pretty good about the quality of Easter we had at our crazy house, and today, I didn't even have a latte. Happy Easter.
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