For My Mom

Mother's Day is approaching, and for days the girls have been sharing hushed secrets while leaving a trail of craft supplies in their wake.  Although not wanting to get sucked into the commercialism of this day, I don't mind getting a little recognition.

At the same time, the door opens to a little self doubting.  "Am I a good mother?  Do I sometimes make bad decisions?  What can I do better?"  And then I wonder, "If it's so much work with two kids, how did my Mother ever do it with four?!"

Mom, as you know, sometimes things can be a little rough.  And, clearly, we never outgrow the need for our mother's advice.  So, Mom, here are a few questions for you:

Does it really matter if the kids sleep in their clothes once in awhile?

Does it really matter if the kids sometimes have a piece of candy with breakfast?

Why do kids always wait until 9:00 p.m. to tell you they need to take brownies to school the next day?

At what age are kids supposed to be able to sit quietly through church?

Would it be really rude of me to put my feet on the music teacher's coffee table during Cassie's violin lesson?

How am I supposed to react when I find a dirty sock in the pantry?  (I know what you're thinking, Mom.  But, in our house the pantry and the laundry room are on different floors.)

Is it okay if I occasionally seek parenting advice from the "Junie B. Jones" books?  (I'm serious here.  Lacey presents some amazingly new challenges.)

How many times a day can I say, "Why don't you go look that up on the Internet?" before the kids begin to realize that maybe Mommy's not really busy, maybe she's just not that bright?

How many times a day is it okay for me to say, "Go ask Daddy?"

Am I a bad mother if I fall asleep while reading a bedtime story?

Do you think it's really strange that I sometimes fold laundry just to keep myself awake?

Finally, is it normal for me to daydream about going grocery shopping alone?

Thanks, Mom!!

Happy 11th, Cassie!

So, Cassie, today you are turning 11.  You have long been anticipating this day because you believe turning 11 on the 11th has some special significance.  But, I have to tell you that every day with you holds special significance for me. 

I adore your sense of style.  You have an incredible ability to draw and paint.  You are a gifted storyteller and writer.  I am enchanted with the graceful dancer that you are becoming.  I admire your musical accomplishments.  And, I am in awe of your Tae kwon do skills. 

I love that you see beauty in the mundane.  I love when Lacey looks at you, her eyes brimming with admiration and says, "Wow, Cassie!"   I love that you are not afraid to be different.  Most of all, I love your sense of fairness and your desire to make the world a better place. 

Happy 11th Birthday!

 

More New Pets

Last weekend we visited the USA Science & Engineering festival in Washington, D.C.  The event lasted for two days and featured over 3,000 booths, a book fair and a career pavilion.  This was the second such national festival and our second visit.  We thought that the girls would enjoy it even more this year, since Lacey has acquired much more English.  We spent a couple hours watching robotic vehicles; experimenting with magnets; learning about our senses; solving math problems; and using software to design cities.  Our legs were tired, the crowd was becoming unmanageable and we were really hungry.  And then we saw them, in an obscure booth near the far end of the exhibits.  It was as though some invisible force was at work, beckoning the girls.  Worms!!  I don't know how the girls spotted them.  Perhaps they were tired of looking at electronic and mechanical things and yearned to see something alive.  But, suddenly, we just weren't going to survive without worms.

This fascinating exhibit showed how a few worms can consume kitchen scraps, thus eliminating trash and helping the environment.  These same few worms can also create "organic soil conditioner;" and provide "natural fertilizer."  Frankly, I'm not sophisticated enough to know the difference between soil conditioner and fertilizer.

 Les was an easy sell.  For a few dollars, he bought the plans to build a composter and took note of how to order worms by mail.

I wasn't so convinced and risked ruining lunch with talk of worms.  

"Ohh!  They're so cute, Mom" pressed Cassie.  "And, just think, we could be so GREEN!!"

Well. . . we had raised worms when I was a kid.   They lived in a styrofoam cooler in the basement and ate coffee grounds.  When we wanted to go fishing we got an empty soup can and plucked out a few worms. I didn't remember any particular benefit to the environment.  But, I did have to admit that I didn't recall any of them escaping.  Then, I shared a vague recollection of Uncle Dave raising worms in his garage.  Strangely, I couldn't recall any disasters associated with his endeavor either.    

So, I agreed to the worms.   Hey, they shouldn't be as much work as a dog.

The worms

Unpacking the worms