Mom

Last week, before our trip to Florida, Jack made an important announcement in my car.  Arden, he, and I were on our way to shop for our vacation, I think.  Out of the blue he says matter of factly, “Mommy, can I call you Mom?  I want to call you Mom now.  And I want to call Daddy, Dad.  Is that ok?”

I’m thinking, WTF, my almost 17 year old still calls me Mommy, why the need for my 7 year old {baby}to change?  

Regardless of my opinion, I obliged. The next week was SO WEIRD! We were vacationing with another family who has four kids.  They call their mother, “Mom” as well.  Every time I heard Jack say Mom I wouldn’t answer.  I kept thinking it was a Spafford kid.  Slowly, as the week went on, I got to a point where I realized I was supposed to answer.

Now it’s been more than a week and ten thousand “Mom!”s later, and I still can’t get over it.  And he says it with such confidence, which makes it so funny to hear it come out of his mouth.  “Dad” is just as strange.  Brian and I exchange a look among ourselves when we hear this crazy foreign talk.  

We will slowly.  Very slowly.  Get used to “Mom” and “Dad.”

I Can’t Even

Random conversation between Arden and me.  🤣 We love to banter!

We are measuring the size of our hands against each other.  Hers is almost as big as mine.
A: My fingers are almost as long as yours, but your fingers are fatter.”
Me: “I’m so sad that you’re getting so big!  And that you’re almost ten!!!”
A: rolls her eyes, “Ughh, I’m only ten, not like I’m Halle’s age and going to college soon.”
Me: “Yes but you’ll be leaving before you know it.  You’re going to live right by me when you’re older, right?  See me everyday?”
Arden: “I don’t know.  Maybe.”
Me: “What do you mean “Maybe?”  I try to bribe her, “You can come over everyday and I’ll make you dinner.  And I’ll watch your kids.  I’ll just give them back when they start crying.”
A: “I guess, maybe, but I want to live in the country.  And I’m going to stay in a Texas forever.”
Me: “Why Texas?”
A: “Because I love Texas and it’s not populated like places like California.”
Me: “Ok, but you’re going to take care of me when I’m old right? “
A: “Nah I’m gonna put you in a nursing home.”
Me: “No I want you to take care of me when I’m old and can’t remember to wipe my butt anymore.  You’ll wipe my butt, right?”
A: “Ewww,  that’s gross! You have two other kids, ask them to do it. I’ll pay for your groceries.”


Feeling the love.

Bear #2

Just like Arden has her Sweet Blankie, Jack has Bear.  Well on “Nextdoor” a lady was getting rid of a stuffed bear her son received as a gift.  It was the exact same bear!!!! I had to get it because we’ve looked for replacements and never found the exact one.  You can see the difference in Jack’s old bear and new one.  His old bear has had neck surgery, been re-stuffed, has had his eye glued back on, and as you can tell, is dinghy and matted.  He is well loved!  Jack was so excited to get another one.  Halle asked which one he was taking to college and he said both. 🐻 🐻 He says they are brothers.  Arden was a little jealous and wanted the new fluffy bear for herself.  

Sweet Blankie Post #2

Tonight, out of the blue, Arden said she was ready to get rid of her “Sweet Blankie.”

Arden’s most prized possession her entire life (almost 10 years) has been her beloved “Sweet Blankie.” She has had it since she was born.  The backing has been redone, the insides have been re-stuffed, it has been stitched, liquid-stitched, and  washed at least a THOUSAND times.  But yet again, it’s falling apart, this time beyond repair.  I was in total shock when she said it was time for it to go.  I expected her to take that thing to college!  She said it was so messed up now and she was too big for it anyway. So I’m like, “okaaaaaay, if that’s what you really want to do.” I felt like a piece of my heart would be thrown away with that blanket, but if she had her big girl britches on then I could put mine on too.  Halle and Jack couldn’t deal, though. They both shouted, “Nooooo! You can’t get rid of “Sweet Blankie!” So I suggested she cut a rose from it, to keep and remember forever.  That’s what she did; she cut off a keepsake rose.  She then went to the trash, and threw the blanket away.  I was dying inside!  I felt her grow up just a little bit more and felt so sad. 

A few minutes later she was all teary-eyed.  I told her, “How about you NOT throw it away, but put it in the attic?” Before I can even finish my statement Jack is running to the trash to retrieve “Sweet Blankie” for her. (He’s got a bear he is attached to so I think he was feeling a bit anxious about the idea of one day giving up Bear.  He’s already made the claim he’s sleeping with it even after he’s married.)

Blanket is taken from the trash and I put it in the attic.  A few hours go by and Arden is fine.  However, a few minutes ago Jack runs in to tell me that Arden is upset and crying.  She’s wanting her blanket.  She just isn’t ready to let go. 

I went to her room and had a long chat with her, and I told her she could sleep with “Sweet Blankie” until she’s 90 years old if she wants; it’s up to her.  So up to the attic I go (again) to get the blanket.  Now she has smiles and my heart is full.  The blanket is atrocious, but my baby girl is still my baby.

Original blog post about this blanket, from 2012

http://hargravehomies.blogspot.com/2012/09/sweet-blankie.html?m=1

Work from Phone Dad

It turns out that blogging from my phone is not an option after all.  The program has glitches, so this post has been in limbo for a while. Oh well.....

Brian changed jobs back in June.  He now works for a construction company called Empower.  Empower works directly with Chick-fil-a, handling building maintenance for many stores across the nation.  Brian's territory has been North Carolina.  He travels to NC every two weeks, but when he is at home, he gets to work from his phone!  That means that we get to take advantage of him not being tied to an office, and do things during the week together.  Here are a few of the things that we've had a chance to do now that he is home more:

When we are being extra good, we get up, drop off the kids, hit the gym, and then hit Smoothie King. (This has happened only twice)

Brian joined the watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program at Jack and Arden’s school.   It’s a program designed to put more male role models in the school and to enhance security. Here Brian is helping with the Halloween festival at Metzler.

We get to sneak away while the kids are in school to the movie theater. We can catch a new movie at a Friday matinee.

Jack wants us to eat lunch with him every single day!  We settle for once a week

Blog test

So my family has been begging me to start blogging again. The hard part is I no longer have a computer because I just work from my phone. The last time I checked, Blogger had an awful blogging app. So now that it’s been a few months I am trying it out again to see if I like it and if I can do it from my phone. It looks like I can now insert photos directly from my photo library on my iPhone. I can also use voice to text which is making this so much easier! Yay!

OK I have added pictures of what Melvin did. Melvin is our elf-on-th-shelf who comes at the beginning of December. Last night he decided to paint Brian’s toenails. He wrote a note for the kids, telling them to go check out their dad’s feet. Brian was not happy at all that Melvin did that to him in the middle of the night!

New Year's Eve 2017

I'm not going to write anything about New Year's Eve basically because, um, I don't remember much of it.  But here's a photo dump!