Watching Tyler drive....

So, off we went yesterday to the Secretary of State to get Tyler's permit. An hour later, we walked out with permit in hand. He looked so happy. True joy was on his face. Loved it. I asked him if he wanted to drive and he smiled so big and said yes. He did a great job too, I was proud of him. A little jerky, but hey, he did great. It was his first time driving the mini-van.

As a jaded teenager, finding a true smile can be challenging. That was a true smile. It made me happy to make him happy.

Isn't that what we try to do every day? Make our kids happy, but balance it with not spoiling them. If we spoil them, the true smiles are not so true and not so much. They don't need everything they want to be happy. If we gave them everything they want, I think that leads to a great deal of unhappiness, because they are never satisfied. So balance is the answer. It is like walking a tight rope, but I think it is worth it in the end.

So what today, can you do to bring a smile to your child's face? Bake some cookies? Go to the pool? Have a sleepover? Small things that make a difference. Share what you are doing today, I really want to know.

God bless you and yours.

Driver's Permit

Today is the day. My baby, my Tyty, my T-bone, gets his permit. If I can clearly, in my head, see his first steps, then how did we get to here?? I have to hurry in this blog, so we can go and he can drive home. Oh my gosh, I may vomit. When does this whole parenting thing get easier? Oh yeah, I remember, never.

So, I don't have to add him to our insurance for his permit, but when he gets his license, my insurance will probably double. Yikes. He is going to have to get a job. At least in the summer and weekends in the school year. I did, I was snack bar girl at Roller World. Not a great job, but, hey, it paid the bills.

I guess I am okay with Tyler driving. He did take driver's training and has driven 20 hours there with an instructor. The instructor had a set of brakes on his side of the car though, and I do not. I may just shut my eyes and hope for the best. He is a good kid, doesn't panic, should be all right.

If by any chance, you hear some story on the news tonight about a mom in Michigan, who panicked and took the wheel from her newly permitted son and caused a twenty car pile-up, film at eleven, please just ignore the fact that it is me. Pray for me.

Off into the abyss.

God bless you and yours.

Mommy, Can I shave my legs???????

Okay, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Now that I have gotten that out of my system........My baby girl, age eleven, going into sixth grade, wants to shave her legs. She is not all that hairy, and the hair on her legs is blonde. That being said, I think it about the right time. At first, when your little girl asks this question, you see her in diapers again. You see her taking her first steps. You see her at age three with the little page boy haircut. You see her cutting her own bangs at that same age, right down to the scalp. She is my little girl. My only girl. My baby angel.

Now, I have to take stock in the entire situation. Most girls her age have either already started shaving their legs, or will some time in sixth grade. I have asked all the girls in our youth group, every mom I know and reflected on my own past. My mother was a teacher at the school I attended K-8. She was also my math and english teacher grades 5-8. This experience scarred me for life. And no, I am not kidding. Add to the equation that it was Catholic school and the pieces all fall neatly into place. All I wanted to do was fit it. All most of the kids there wanted to do was torture my middle school psyche. So I have some clue as to what it is like to be the odd girl out. It sucks beyond measure. There are no other words for it.

So, tomorrow, on my morning off, I will go buy my little girl a razor ( I have a coupon), and on Wednesday, when I have the whole day off and can repair my emotional spirit, I will sit on our bathroom counter in my bathing suit, and she in hers, and I will teach my child how to shave her legs. I will not do what my mother did and just hand me a Daisy pink razor of death and send me off to the showers. I will show her how to be careful around the knees and the outside of your ankle (I still bear the scars of countless scrapings there). I will teach her with soap, not shaving cream. There is always soap in the shower, rarely have I seen shaving cream. She will learn that once you start, you have to keep up this little habit the rest of your life or until your ninth month of pregnancy. Then you just go hairy and don't care.

Anyone out there know what I am talking about? Share the love and pass the bandaids.

God bless you and yours.

Yeah, it's Friday....

So today has so much going on. I do love a Friday. Mostly because I don't work Saturdays and it is the one day I have to sleep in and enjoy myself. So really, I love Saturday, but I digress. Today, I don't have to work until 6:30 tonight. Today, my son comes home from his missions trip. Today, I will work on my new book a little more. Yeah me.

I think the love of fridays goes back to school and the wonderfulness of weekends. Even if you had homework, you could put it off for two days. No classes, no stuff, just the weekend with friends and fun. Love it. If you are in Arizona, and it is close to summer, that means a trip to the lake or tubing down the Salt River. Fun, fun, fun. The lakes here in Michigan are huge, they actually have waves. I have no idea how anyone can have fun water skiing on these lakes, the chop is immense. In Arizona, you can actually see the other side of the lake, and most of the lakes are surrounded by mountains, love it.

Tubing the Salt river in Arizona is something everyone should do at least once. Just wear your tennis shoes, or really, your river shoes. Once you have worn some shoes to tube, those are your tubing shoes. You cannot really get the funk out, and you will need lace up shoes that won't fall off. You should start your tubing at the dam and go to the bridge. It will take three to four hours, which is a nice ride. If someone says "Butts up" that means it is rocky and to get your butt up or it will get bruised. No matter how much you get dared, do NOT jump off the water tower. Once you go up, there is only one way down and that is to jump. And if the sheriff sees you, he will ticket you. It is very, very far up there.

What fun weekend things did you do in high school? Any traditions out there? Share the love.

God bless you and yours.

No sleep

Okay, if I start to ramble, I have had almost no sleep. My dear hubby is out of town on business and I could not sleep for the life of me last night. Up until midnight and just tossing and turning all night. It is so weird.

Whenever Scott is out of town, I do not sleep well. This is odd because it is not as if we are these huge snuggle bunnies. He gives off so much heat, I need my own side of the bed or I sweat like a pig. I do have to hold his hand or touch him in some way to fall asleep. But I truly like my side of the bed. Sleep is sacred. And now I have to go to work and attempt to make frappacinos with no sleep. Should be interesting.

Ever since the twins started sleeping through the night, I love sleep. I need it. I try to sleep 8-10 hours a night. Today is going to be very, very, hard. I inherited insomnia from my mother, so I do take a sleep aid, even that did not work last night.

Any of you out there know what I am talking about? Can you sleep without your hubby there? Do you sleep better when he is not there? Share the love.

God bless you and yours.

A video hello from Tyler

Okay, so I was excited to open my email today and see a video hello from Tyler. He is on his mission trip. He is not even seven hours away. It was a sweet message, just a hello, things are going great, and I love you. I cried like a baby. He hasn't even been gone a week and will be home Friday and I am a mess with one little video hello.

It made me wonder about all those mothers during WWII or Vietnam, who waited anxiously for any kind of word from their boys. What strength and faith they must have had. Weeks could go by and they would not hear from their child, then, a letter with familiar writing. How their hearts must have soared at just that little piece of paper. How does a mother write back and tell her son to be brave in horrible circumstances? What words can give comfort from so many miles away? Mothers sent cookies and goodies and little things from home. Receiving these things must have been awesome. My dad smoked when he was in Korea. I remember him vividly, years later, thanking my grandmother for all the care packages with cigarettes and cookies and such. Small things from home mean so much.

So who is out of your sight today and how much do you miss them? Send a letter, a fax, an email, but let them know you love them. Reach out and touch someone today.

God bless you and yours.

I am missing a child

So weird, Tyler on his mission trip. I keep expecting him to walk through the door. Also, there is not as much laundry. Very odd.

I always remember being at the park and one of my kids had a sleepover and was not there. You have a moment of panic when you are counting heads and one is missing. You start to run around look for your missing child, only to remember that they are somewhere else, perfectly safe. Is there any worse feeling that not finding your child?

So I will share how I lost one of my kids. Nothing is more terrifying. I only had Tyler and a friend and I met halfway at a park to visit. I was not familiar with the park and the kids went off to play. Michelle and I were talking and suddenly, I look up, and no Tyler. You know those scenes in the movies where they pan the whole park and the music swells and there is no child. That was me on that day. Michelle tells me not to panic, but I do. I look to the parking lot to make sure he is not being stuffed into a trunk. I start running around and yelling his name. I ask other people if they have seen him. Suddenly, he pops out of one of those covered slides. He had been hanging out in the shade and wondered what all the fuss was about. The whole process took about two minutes, but I will never forget it.

Have you ever lost a child? Will you admit it?

I know Tyler is not being kidnapped this week, he is doing God's work. That being said, I miss my kid. Love him too. And I sit here hoping he is missing me, just a little bit.

God bless you and yours.