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What a nice day!

Finally….a Saturday when I could actually take it off and breathe and plan some family time…

So, this morning I was up early and took the Drama Queen for some labs, then breakfast, joined by B-boo.

This was followed by a soccer game with a little beauty who we got to see score a goal!

Next came shopping with the Drama Queen and the Princess. And a $13 dress! Score!

Drama Dress

 

After, I went to drop off the Roni for a slumber party. His friend was finishing up testing for his purple belt, so we got to watch him (and another friend’s son) receive their belts, visit with some great friends, and then head home to help the DQ get dressed up.

Next, I went to drop off the Smart One (who wouldn’t let me take a pic) and the Drama Queen off at a wedding. (Apparently, SOMEONE was having fun with my phone in the backseat….)

Goofie Girls

 

From there, the Princess and I headed off to a dinner date and then shopping for tomorrow’s food fest! We’re now relaxed with a movie, trying not to fall asleep.

It felt so good to just take the day and go with it. I can’t wait to spend the day with family again tomorrow at our oldest son’s new home!

 

5 months, 29 days…

So yesterday morning I was getting ready for work. I get up early (fivish) in order to get showered and stuff before the girls come in. We basically have two bathrooms and a bunch of people to get out of the house by 6:45 am. This means the two older girls are always in my bathroom as we get ready together, while the other three kids alternate getting ready in the other bathroom or in front of my vanity around the corner as long as the Drama Queen isn’t sitting on it.

The conversation often goes like this:

“Pick a side.”

“Excuse me.”

“Can I use the comb?”

“Are you done with the straightener?”

“Do you see my glasses?”

It’s crowded and often times someone is irritated. I’ve dreamed of a big bathroom with a beautiful vanity, the proper lighting, a salon type area for all of our hair appliances, etc….

But yesterday morning, as once again we were trying not to trip over chords or burn each other and pick a side…

I looked up into the mirror and glanced next to me…

And thought…

“I am so going to miss these mornings. I only have 5 months and 29 days left of these mornings. And then…she’s gone.”

This morning, I was back to being able to emotionally handle my coffee and making her a hot apple cider with whipped cream and caramel without being resorted to tears.

As someone once told me, “She’s a hot mess.”

Yup, these next few months are gonna be tougher than I thought.

5 months and 28 days until she’s married.

In case you didn’t know…..

It seems like yesterday all she was interested in was her Simba and her blankie.

It seems like yesterday we were planning her sweet sixteen.

It seems like yesterday we were taking her senior photos.

It seems like just yesterday, she fell in love….and got engaged…

And today….today was a day a mother wonders about for years. The day that plays through a mother’s mind as her baby grows up…the day when her daughter goes in search of that perfect dress…the one that will be worn on that perfect day…to marry the man of her dreams. I thought it might be an emotional day, and I wanted everything to be just as she dreamed it would be. We had fun looking through dresses the night before and picking the ones she liked. We had even more fun walking thru the bridal store looking through so many dresses in hopes of finding the one.

I mean, we’ve all seen, “Say Yes, to the Dress,” right?

And then, we had a little moment in the dressing room. I am sure she didn’t think  anything of it, but I thought everything of it. Silly, but true.

And then I was instructed to sit. That’s all the help I was allowed to offer. After all, I am the Mother of the Bride.

And I’ve only been the Mother of the Groom. Which was amazing….and I love my sweet new daughter. And I remember seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress, not too long before the ceremony was supposed to start. She was stunning…all dressed up and ready to marry my son. She probably didn’t think to much of it, but I did. A Bride, ready to meet her Groom.

So, Mother of the Bride is new to me. And as I sat there waiting, she took my breath away when she walked out in the first dress.

And she continued to take my breath away as she tried on the dresses that just might be that one.

And then, I knew. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew.

And that’s all that mattered.

And then, it was like we were little girls, sworn to secrecy….secretly planning the big moment when she would walk out and take everyone’s breath away. Especially, her groom.

That moment when she rang the bell and said yes to her dress. Where I became choked up with emotion and the tears trickled down.

My baby is getting married.

And…

No, we’re not sharing.

No, you can’t just get a peek.

No, not even a glimpse.

For a bride only has that one moment, when it’s all about her, about her wishes, her dreams; that moment when her father will first see her as he prepares to take her to meet her groom. And that moment when her groom will see all she has planned and prepared for him, on their wedding day.

In case you didn’t know….that’s what we did today.

Blessed to be Me

Sometimes life just sucks. Especially in a pity party. My husband and I often joke about me being the ultimate optimist and he being the pessimist. Same thing with my bestest friend; I see the good, she sees the bad. We balance each other though.

This month so far has been more suck then not. But as I sit here this morning, I find myself looking back at this week that started off just terrible, and ended on terrible…and feel blessed at the not sucking parts.

We received terrible family news; yet it is amazing how my family will pull it together and be there for one another.

One day this week I managed to make it home before 8 pm. And I was pooped on three times by a stupid bird. And the mulberry tree attacked me. But I got to enjoy some beautiful weather, a child that wouldn’t stop talking, and an insistent dog that couldn’t understand my sole purpose outside was not to rub her head. I also had great zucchini grilled by my sweet husband.

I had an interesting fiasco that turned into a night of adventure after work, searching for a missing phone! It was past ten by the time we found it and got home…but I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time! And I have a deep abiding appreciation for a son who is patient and smart and knows how to get things done…and the “Twin” who will do anything for us without complaining, even if it means running around a school and ending up in the street to find the phone that went missing! I have an even deeper appreciation for a daughter who just hangs in there with her mom and other mom while we take her on yet another adventure that involves her watching out for us!

Friday was the suckiest of them all. I cannot express how wonderful it is to have my children at my workplace to cheer me up when I need it most during the day. And for a patient husband who puts up with my sometimes very long hours and never ever complains.

My week ended on a decent note. I got to see an old friend unexpectedly. I spent an eternity with my bestie setting up her new phone since she killed the old one. And watched a pretty good movie with the Drama Queen.

And today….well, it’s the beginning of a  week of break…one I actually intend to take! Because, my dear friends, Easter is coming! And Easter is my favorite time of the year!

It’s an April Fools Kind of Thing!

Throughout the years we’ve enjoyed playing pranks. My best ever was sewing my husbands underwear shut with tiny little stitches so he couldn’t tell! That was way back when Bboo was just a baby! As a matter of fact..it was her first April Fools!

And apparently, I’ve taught-her-well!

I manage a local charter school. One of my many job duties includes making sure we are staffed. When teachers call in sick, I arrange a sub for them thru a local sub service. If support staff is sick…we just do as best as we can to cover the shortages. Because we are a small charter school, missing anyone is tough. Missing several is …well…really tough.

Emails and text messages started coming in last night and continued early this morning. In the meantime, I only got a couple of hours of sleep because I was up half the night with a sick kid. And…I managed to get the flu myself. 🙁

By 5:30 am, I had seven people out. By the time I got to work at 6:50 am, I was up to ten people. And no subs. I was sick, I was grouchy, I was calling the sub service like crazy. I was appreciating Bboo who volunteered to make my lunch and buy me a coffee from Starbucks.

I thought perhaps someone was playing an evil April Fools Prank on me, but how could that be when a separate business was involved? Besides, other admin were just as worried as I was!

Finally, I sent  out  an email telling all staff I was quitting from the stress and this better be a bad joke.

No response.

And then, my Bboo smiled at me and said, “April Fool’s Mom. I love You!”

I wasn’t sure whether I should believer her or not…what about the subs?

Alas, my evil genius daughter had hacked my phone, (updated to correct: she did NOT hack my phone…she got the number from a fellow, now untrusted, co-worker) called the DM of our Sub Service and was in cahoots with her on this April Fool’s Day! She had arranged with her to call corporate and given them the names of the teachers who would be “calling in sick” and told them not to call for a sub.

The, “Are you the manager?” question rang back in my head. I thought it was weird that they had asked me that.

When the DM finally called me back, she was dying laughing. She applauded my extraordinary parenting skills in raising such a daughter who was willing to go to such lengths to pull off a prank on her mother. (She also now owes me a sushi lunch!)

She’s way ahead of me and my little pranks of taping poppers to the door that would explode when people opened them. She’s way past sewing underwear shut.

If I were you….I’d be very careful next April Fool’sDay if you are her friend…co-worker…family member.

And you all thought we were normal…..