Sniglets From This Year's Thanksgiving

I have a few mental snapshots from yesterday (which went well, all in all):

- My brother & husband playing board games - very cool!
- My daughter taunting my son & nephew into playing tag
- My mom painting my daughter's toe and fingernails
- My mother-in-law, who does not drive, giving me the responsibility of buying gifts for my kids plus my nephew, wrapping them, & making sure they know the gifts are from HER.
- My husband absolutely BUTCHERING the turkey (it was still good)
- Mei-Mei (the hamster) rolling around in her ball (it's so cute)
- My son's Thanksgiving prayer - he has the true spirit of thanksfullness & sees the good in all
- Everyone leaving happy & at a decent hour
- My children, who gave me no trouble in going to bed, sleeping

I'm thankful for a good Thanksgiving.

Becoming What You Could Never Have Predicted

I used to be a card-carrying feminist. I even went down to Washington D.C. once as part of a Pro-Choice rally. I went on cruises by myself. I didn't even like children. Then, at the stroke of midnight (aka before I turned 40 & after 9 years of marriage to a man who wanted "just one kid"), I left it up to God and hubby's swimmers hit pay dirt. It took 3 pregnancy tests before I believed I was and then, throughout the pregnancy, I kept asking people, "This is a good thing, right?"

What's causing me to reminisce? There I was yesterday...volunteering for my son's school's PTA...sitting at sign-in table...knitting a scarf for my husband. How utterly domestic. And the weird thing? I was happy.

Tomorrow I go in to Child #2's preschool to help out with the Thanksgiving Feast. And I'm looking forward to it. It's funny how you become things you could have never foreseen.

A Dash Of Truth While She's Watching Dora

I've got 5 minutes before Dora finds whatever the blazes she's looking for. I like the following poem by Kahil Gibran about kids. I think it's true.

Your Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons & daughters of life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,
and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
for they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinte, and
bends you with might that the arrows may go swift & far.

Lend your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness.



Phooey! Dora solved the mystery. Gotta go!

Deer Me!

My town is famous locally for being full of deer. Everyone sees them, except me. On the rare occasion when I do see them, I get very excited. I think they're very cool: graceful, beautiful, quiet, wild. My kids are especially annoyed when we're driving & I see one. I will actually turn the car around & go back, quite a ways, to park & watch them. I know they poop on my lawn & eat my flowers, but I can't help but appreciate them.

Anyway, I'm going for a walk today while the wee folk are in school when I hit a patch of woods. I decide to see where the woods will take me & come upon 2 HERDS of deer!

I know, I know. It's silly to get so wigged out. But life is in the little things.

She's Loose

So that deal was that if the 3-year old slept in her crib for 3 days without getting out, I'd take down the railings & convert the crib into a "big girl bed." She waited until this morning before getting out of her crib, going downstairs, & letting the hamster out of its cage (we had moved the hamster from the den, which is cold, to the living room which is warmer). The hamster, of course, bit her because who wants to be woken up with a big hand scooping you up from your nice, warm nest? I'd have bitten the kid, too.

Anyway, since she waited until morning, the railing comes off. Granted, she will have a toddler gate on her door just to slow her down. Hubby is scared. We already don't get nearly enough sleep because the boy has some sleeping issues. And I just moved the hamster into a room near the master bedroom, so DH is worried that the sound of the hamster on the wheel will keep him up. Yeah, honey. The hamster's the one we should worry about. Argh........

Children Are Rentals

No, not monetarily, but we don't keep them forever. Eventually, as intensely painful as it is, they're supposed to go off on their own. I was thinking this the other day as Child #1 told me he wants to go to Penn State like his dad did. Granted, he's only 8. Then he told me that to save money, he'll go to a local college and transfer later. I think we both felt better about that.

As for Child #2, hubby is telling me he wants her to go to military nursery school - now. Will not occur, dear.

What I Want For My Birthday

Ok, so my birthday is coming up (one somewhere between 45 and 50 if you must know). Hubby is asking what I would like. Usually my answer is "cash" or "jewelry." Last year I asked for "sleep" which DH deemed "too expensive." I certainly don't need any more unnecessary appliances (my fault for asking, not his for giving). Know what I really want?

- Laundry that does itself

- A house that cleans itself

- A chauffeur (instead of BEING the chauffer)

- The body of a 20 year old

- London Tipton's wardrobe

- The ability to wash down all the Wendy's food I like without worrying about a coronary or killing the living room couch cushions with my butt

- The Jonas Brothers' money

- My own bathroom with an industrial-grade lock on the door

And my #1 desire: to live long enough & be healthy enough to see my children grow up.