Change

Have you ever done something, like write a poem/short story or maybe start a blog page (guilty), then time passes and you find or look at your production again? I started this blog a year ago, posted a couple of entries and then didn't return until a few days ago. WOW. In one short little year, my tastes have changed dramatically! The colors I went with originally, the posts I had entered, the topics-soooo not me now. Yet, I didn't realize exactly when it was that I changed. I guess we all do that to some degree, look back and see some changing on our part.
I hope, overall, that my changes have been for the better. You know, the whole older and wiser thing.
My oldest child, he turned 18 a few months ago. Of course, all us moms get a little sappy when we look back on time at how quickly it passed. I'm lucky he is home for at least 1 more year, but it makes me want to fill up my time with my kids with nothing but good memories today. To squeeze every last beautiful moment out of the time I still have with them. Forget about the mountains of laundry. Forget about the fancy meal for dinner. Forget about all the extra activites to cart them to & from. Just sit down, give them a hug, and say "You're the greatest kid in the world. I love you"..You won't regret it years from now. Remember, change happens right before our very eyes without even noticing it until we look up one day and see it is different. Remember, it's not reality TV...just real life.

Helpful boys

I was wondering what to write for my first post. My mind trickled with a few ideas. Must be impressive. Something inspiring. Something to show the world a picture of who I am and give a slice, a bite so to speak, of the life I lead. PowerRanger is 6 or so hours away with a school function. He is an officer in FFA and is on the annual convention trip. Airhead (I still can't believe this is the nickname she wants! LOL) is at the school working out. The other 4 were quietly tucked away in the living room watching television. Quietly, dear readers, is the key word here. Quietly, that is, until BlkHornet (9 yr old son) interrupts the ideas dancing in my head. "Is there another desk in the shed?", he inquires. I look up from the computer screen. "What? You have a desk that is just fine." "No, it's broken. I need a new desk. Is there an extra one in the shed I can have?" (Of course...I keep a stockpile of extra desks hiding everywhere in our home and shed. Not.) Jay replies,"No. There are no extra desks in the shed." BlkHornet walks off.
I get back to my brainstorming. Write a few sentences. In walks SimShady (11 yr old son)"BlkHornet needs a new desk. Are you sure there isn't an extra one in the shed. The one he has is broken." By this time BlkHornet is also back inmy bedroom confirming the need of a new desk. I decide maybe I should go investigate this 'broken desk'. As I walk to the bedroom that the 2 boys share, I ask the typical Mom questions..You know, the ones like"sooooo, were you boys climbing on the desk for something? How did it just break? It was fine earlier today."
I open their door. Wow. All I can say is Wow. "What are you guys doing in here?" The room was a disaster. Complete disaster. It had been cleaned earlier today so I was more than a little shocked. As my Mom would have said 'Looks like a tornado went through here.' I took a look at BlkHornet's desk. Yup. Broken. Innocently enough, they SWORE the desk had already been broken before they decided to rearrange the bedroom. The bottom bunk bed, moved. The dressers, moved. The plastic toy chest, moved. And the desks, moved. Undoubtedly, the desk somehow just fell apart while moving it.
With the outside temperature looming at 104 degrees all day long, I had opted for them to stay indoors for the majority of it allowing the computers and television as companions to minimize the boredom. A constant battle had emerged between the two with loud arguing over there laptops,games, and preferred shows. They seemed to have amused themselves by running throughout the house nonstop for the past 8 hours making TONS of noises with no relief for my ears and nerves. At last, I had them to calm down and watch a show, thinking my little darlings had obediently retreated to the bedroom. HA! They were unable to be quiet all day BUT, let the 2 loudest children I have decide to rearrange an entire bedroom by themselves unbeknownst to me and they are as quiet as mice on Christmas morning!
So, I go pick up Airhead, giving me a little bit of time to think on this situation. Upon my arrival, they are still fixing their mess, but I am informed by BlkHornet of what they have accomplished thus far. Excitedly he tells me," I think it's a good thing the desk is messed up now. We moved all the stuff off of it. Now we have a book pile, a game pile and a money pile." "That's Cool," I chuckled.
So, what did I do? How to handle a messy room totally unrecognizable with a broken desk, but with such good intentioned sweet little boys. They are so proud of their accomplishments. In their eyes, they had done something big, something helpful. Ahhh, little boys. I thought for a second. Then, I knew. "You guys need to go ask Jay if he can fix it." ;-)

Little Piles

I have a confession to make. I am a piler. You know, one of those people that finds her things better if they are situated in little piles throughout my home. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not a messy person. All my piles are lined up in neat little rows, occasionally covering part of my bedroom floor or part of the kitchen counter. To the untrained eye, one might think I am disorganized