Be Still My Heart

Baby Girl is getting her first taste of being away from Mom. If you consider twice a month going to class in the same school where your Mom is teaching P.E. away. It turns out this is starting to get hard for her. I have never had this problem with either of my other kids, no separation anxiety, nothing. So, this is all new to me.

The other day I was coming in from recess duty as Baby Girl was going out with her class. One look at me and she fell apart. It was not an obnoxious cry, it was a genuine cry of her wanting to be with me. I have seen other children do this with their parents and I would silently judge, "come on, just pry them off your leg and get on with it!" I would yell in my head. In the moment it happened to me I realized that it is not that easy, at least for me it wasn't. I put on a brave front and gave her a quick squeeze and kiss then gave her to her teacher. I really did have to fight back tears as I did this. I knew this was what was best for her, but it still hurt. There is something about knowing that you are the only comfort this little being you love so much wants, and for their own good you can't give it to them.

So I did what any Mom would do, I pretended it didn't bother me than quickly ran to the nearest window to spy on her and make sure she was O.K. When I got to the window I saw Baby girl and Buster Brown in conversation on the playground. It brought me so much happiness to know that even thought Baby Girl is not his favorite person, when push came to shove he loved her and didn't want to see her upset.

That is when it happened, he leaned over and gave her a hug then invited her to play with his friends on the playground. I don't know many other parenting moments that have brought me so much joy. That is a memory that I hope I will always have with me to bring out when I am having a ruff day.

An Actual Coversation From My Car

Lady Jane asks, "Mom, what is a sexual organ?"
To which Buster brown replies, "a saxophone."
There is silence, which says to me that this answer has satisfied her and so I leave it at that.

Look at what a great mom I am!

The other day when I had just laid baby girl down for her nap. I hurried to the shower to take advantage of my free moment. While I had been unable to take a shower the day before I found this shower to be particularly relaxing and I was relishing every moment of the hot water.

That is when Buster Brown peeked his head in as he usually does. "Mom, is it OK if I make a sword?" He asked in his sweetest little boy voice. "Of course, sweet heart." I replied still feeling the effects of the soothing shower. I knew that we had just read a story yesterday about Franklin the turtle making a sword from cardboard and my boy found that particularly amazing.

I continued to let the hot water wash over me and was particularly pleased with my parenting skills at the moment. I was able to have some free time and my little man was entertaining himself not with the TV but with a craft.

When I got out of the shower I was a little shocked when Buster revealed his craft. Apparently he had gone to the best place to get craft materials in our house, the recycle bin. His sword was made of empty beer cans and a wrapping paper roll. My dreams of becoming Mom of the year quickly faded. While I let him play with it for a while we did make him disassemble it on trash day.

The Pinch Heard 'round the World

OK, every family has a dirty little secret, some little bad habit that goes on behind closed doors. Some may burp at the table, some may fart at will, others like to walk around in their underwear. What is ours you ask? We pinch each others buns. Dad pinches Mom's, Mom pinches Son's, everyone pinches Baby Girl's and Baby Girl pinches Dad. Well, you get the idea.

Yesterday our Dirty little secret was exposed. Buster Brown pinched one of his classmate's buns. As a Mom this is when I know a bad habit has gone too far. I just kept thinking of his poor kindergarten classmate who may not be used to bun pinching and doesn't know that in the eyes of Buster Brown this means I like you and you are officially my buddy.

The teacher told me what had happened and I wanted to blurt out, "I don't know where he learned that! Probably his father." But I kept my mouth shut and shoved my pinchers in my pockets.

So, last night at dinner we made a conscience decision to lay our pinchers to rest. There will be no more red buns in our home.