"Boys are found everywhere—on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair
and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."
Author: Alan Beck


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

If only things were that simple

This may just be the busiest and most stressful week of my life.School is winding down for the boys, making them a bit nutty.  And the rainy days we've received this month have created a huge outbreak of cabin fever, making me a bit nutty.

Finals for me.

Preschool graduations and end of year wrap-ups for the boys.

Computer trouble.

Laundry overflow.

Neglected housework.

Sleepless nights and draining days.

Each night, I find myself running on empty.  However, I do my best to have a bedside chat with each boy as they make their way to dreamland.  We talk about school, upcoming plans for the weekend, and dreams for the future.  There's always at least one boy who tries to con me into receiving one last cup of chocolate milk, or one more cookie. Everyone has a light they prefer, and the little ones need extra reassurance that zombies aren't for real. 

My goal is to make the rounds before someone falls asleep.

Imagine my sadness when I come across a bed with a sleeping boy.  Will they remember that I didn't tuck them in?  Will they hold it against me and pay me back with naughty behavior for days to come? 

They always do.

So the other night when I approached a particular bed with a slumbering boy, guilt began to swallow me whole.

Until I climbed his ladder to cover him up and saw this-

Rubber rain boots might be the one thing that could make everyone on earth smile.  They're bright and colorful, they're squeaky, and no matter how old they are (or how many brothers wore them before you), they never lose that infectious rubbery smell. 

And who'd have thought that they would also help you sleep at night?  This boy wears them every night, and sleeps like an angel, so he must be on to something spectacular.

There's only one way to find out.

This girl's saving her pennies for her own pair of rubber rain boot therapy.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Do You See What I See?

Some days are rough.  I'm on the go from sunup to sundown, without even a moment to to stop and think...or a second to sit.

Scratch that, I lied.  All days are rough.

There are days that are better than others, and times where I'm not sure whether or not I'll make it until my husband walks through the door.  It's part of motherhood, and I accept and love the task.

But it's not the coffee my husband brings me each morning, the bits of chocolate I am able to sneak every now and then, or the nightly glass of wine that fuels my tired self.

It's my staircase sprinkled with cowboy boots,
the toilet paper roll that prefers to lie on the floor,
the alligator who graciously greets me at the top of the stairs,
the crocodile who sleeps in my bed,
the creative way my boys recycle old pickle jars,
the candy wrappers that do their best to cover up for the culprit who consumed them,
the little gifts I'm given when it's not even a holiday,
and my walls checkered with the most brilliant artwork known to man.
(Lady Liberty.  Isn't she lovely?)

This is MY fuel.  The little glimpses that catch my eye throughout the day and remind me to pause, smile, and laugh.

These unexpected treasures that appear on a daily basis are the reasons why motherhood isn't as hard as it sometimes may seem.

What's YOUR fuel?

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mother's Day

Mom and me 1975

Every year is better than the last.  This year was no exception.  I had the BEST mother's day a girl could ask for.

The boys brought me coffee in bed and began by telling me they wouldn't fight, and that they'd listen the first time I asked them to do something.  If you're jealous, you should be, because they did not fight all day long, and the most I had to ask someone to do something was only 6 times, which is far less than the normal average around here.

They went on to tell me that the day was my day, and that they would happily do whatever activity I chose. Then they began to chime in with clarifications-

"Like if you want to go to the skate park, mom, we'll go with you.....even if we don't wanna."

"Yeah, mom....and if you want to eat at Casa Bonita for lunch, we can take you there!"

Aren't they sweet?

Much to their dismay, all I really wanted to do was spend time doing things around the house that had been neglected, and to work on getting the coop ready for the hens.  Their eyes glared at me like daggers after I shared my intentions with them.  If we had taken a vote, I'm pretty sure that at least 4 out of 5 boys would have opted to revoke my mother's day flowers.  Lucky for me, we don't allow voting on mother's day.  It's my way or the highway.

We had a wonderful time together.  We worked in the backyard and took breaks in between for water fights with friends, popsicles in the shade, and backyard baseball games.  We ordered pizza for dinner and the boys treated me like a queen all the way until bedtime.  I'm already looking forward to next year when I get to be in charge all over again.

Being mom to 5 wonderful boys is something I will never take for granted.  I love their little quirks. I love that they refer to 'Sunny Delight' as church juice.  I love that they call themselves (the band of brothers) The Battybooboo's.  I love that they are loving, caring, respectful, polite and well-mannered 8 out of 10 times we go into public.  I love that they come to my side of the bed when they have a bad dream.  I love that they're still young enough to believe that mommies know everything.  I love when they tell me I'm pretty. I love playing Lego's with them.  I love reading stories to them and watching them sleep.  I think it's cute when they color on the walls (or their faces) with permanent markers.  I laugh when they throw little fits (but I try hard not to let them see me).  I let them stay in their PJ's whenever we're home.  I think they're the cutest, smartest, nicest, and most silly boys on the planet.  I cherish every moment we spend together and look forward to whatever adventure they have in store for me each and every day.

If you ask me, I'll tell you.  I'm the luckiest mom in the world.