…I went on a date with a young man. One I’d met while we both worked at Sheplers, after I’d asked him to “clean my boots.” (Read the full story here.) He was charming, and funny, and handsome, and I fell head over western heel. Yesterday, that same young man had his attention on another girl at Sheplers. At 41 inches tall and 38 pounds, she consumes his whole heart. As he helped her buy her first pair of “real” boots, I couldn’t help but stare in wonder. Never in my wildest dreams did I see this in my future when I was 18 and flirting with a cute coworker. Never did I imagine that we’d be back here together, our little family of four. He stole my heart, and now she’s stolen …
I do many, many things wrong as a mother. I lose my temper. I don’t always stick to consistent routines. I try to balance working from home with entertaining my kids, and it doesn’t always work. But I do three things consistently right. I make sure my girls eat a variety of healthy home-cooked foods. I pray openly and often in front of and with them. And I read and read and read whichever books they desire. So for all I do wrong, I can cling to these three things I do right.
“I apologize, but this just has to be said. “you suck!” can you tell I’m super jealous?!”
This was the comment from a dear friend on a Facebook status I posted this morning. Granted, my original status was a little Pollyannish, “Brr! Cuddling under a blanket and movies are on our agenda. Really loving my job today! ;-)”
You see, I feel like I’ve been complaining quite a bit lately about this SAHM gig. A preschooler who escapes from her carseat and sinks her teeth into your forearm while you’re driving down the road will do that to you. (This was after her cowgirl boots were chucked at my head.) It was a bad day. But they’re not all bad days. Like today, for example. I felt like I needed to share some of the good moments …
When a neighbor gave us a couple of feral kittens, I didn’t have high expectations that they would stick around long. We fed them, let them lounge on our patio furniture, and waited to see if they would “adopt” us. It’s a good think they’re patient. We’ll let you judge from the pictures below whether or not it has worked out. 🙂
She has named this one “Pony.” He’s a very patient kitty.
It’s a good thing these kittens are laid back.
Playing “firefighter” trying to rescue kitty from the tree.
Even Morgan is a fan of the kittens. (They’re not big fans of her.)
We’re working on the term “gentle” with the toddler. Good thing Mena (kitty) is patient.
Big sister couldn’t wait to meet little sister, and just loved blowing raspberries on mommy’s big belly. (Photo courtesy clgphotography.net)
I have a 3 and 1 year old. I get little sleep every night. My house is usually in complete chaos, overrun by toys, clothes, and more toys. Silence is a thing of the past, a treasure I savor whenever I get a few glorious minutes. But there are moments, crazy-in-the-head moments, when I long to be pregnant again. Is it the cute newborn pics my friends keep posting to Facebook? No. Those kids are cute but not that cute. Is it the pretty preggo belly shots my friends are taking? No. They look cute with a swollen frame, but I didn’t look that cute preggers. Is it the love I feel for my two …
These were THE jeans. The unstoppable ones. The ones I swore I would wear again one day.
4…6…29…
The numbers boggled my mind.
Pencil skirts…low-rise ripped jeans…designer labels…
These styles seem like such a distant memory.
Piece by piece, I pulled items out of the blue plastic tub. Stale and wrinkled, they didn’t provide the fond memories I thought they would. Didn’t make me long for the days when I wore them with flair. I was thin. Very thin. But I didn’t know it at the time. I was insecure. I pinched every jiggle, willing it away. I worked out for hours, desperate to tone, trim, firm. I tried to catch every mirror I could, desperate to like what I saw. Most of the time, though, I didn’t.
Out of curiosity, I pulled one of the shirts over my head. “Medium. …