Disappearing Act

(Mama opens conversation)
"Hey, Ian, Emma... it's gettin' late."

(Teens collectively sigh)
"Uh-huh."

(Mother speaks)
"So...um...yeah, time to be making preparations for bed?"

(Unison monotone vocal response indicating lack of enthusiasm for above named task)
"Hmmmm."

(Clock moves forward one, two, three... 10 minutes.
Teens remain glued to computer screens and keyboards.)

(Mom ups the ante)
"So, here's what I am thinking. Anyone still down here in 5 minutes is cleaning the kitchen before bed."

(Room immediately clears. Parent quiet time commences)

No applause, please. Just throw money.

Looking for Someone?

You'll find me here today.

Come on over and play.

Apply Within

As I am writing this I am staring straight on at my eldest son, who, perched in front of me, hand outstretched in hopes of some money sliding across his palm, is wearing a t-shirt with a single sentence written across the chest.

I didn't do it.

Kind of the perfect sentiment for this kid, I'd say. It may fall just short of Do I have to? if you were actually looking for the mantra most repeated.

I am suddenly thinking I should take up t-shirt writing and design. And start a screen printing business.

I could start simply with just the most oft spoken phrases around this house. Things like:

'We gotta get us a cool car!' (Andrew)
'Okay, okay, hang on a sec.' (Emma)
'Is this a paid job?' (Ian)
'I'll be there directly' (Don)
and 'Seriously, dude, where are your pants?' (that's me)

I'm thinking there just might be something to this.
Feedback for market research now being accepted in the comments section.

***************************

Sunshine on display at the photo blog.

Come on over, bask in it.

Tell me you stopped by.

Thinking of the Cherry Tree

I am barely holding it together myself.

She has walked into my office, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her nose is crimson and her cheeks flushed with emotion. She flops into the chair beside my desk and waits until I hang up the telephone. I turn to her in query and the emotion breaks loose. Her thin shoulders heaving, the echo of sniffles resounding, I beckon for her to join me in my swivel chair and I pull this lanky 11 1/2 year old onto my lap. We sway from side to side as I gently coax answers from my overwrought pre-teen girl. Her words, choked through belly wracked sobs, lay out the tale from start to finish.

It's not an emergency--just a moment.

A moment with her teacher applying too much pressure and her peers too little understanding.

It is not the first moment like this in her life and it will not be the last.

It is as if suddenly being a middle schooler takes on a fully new meaning for her. Now it's not only about having a hallway locker, a new teacher for each subject, and a steady load of homework; it is about growing up.
And coming to terms.
And learning to cope.
More than anything, it's about learning to roll.

With my arms wrapped around her neck and my lips pressed against her ear, I whisper my encouragement.

I tell her that I believe in her.
I tell her she is strong and capable.
I tell her that I love her.

I wish I could tell her that growing up is going to be a breeze.

But I can't lie.

That's My Girl

Wordless Wednesday

Plain Speaking

My sister in law has a hand-crafted wooden sign hanging in her kitchen. It says,

"If Mama ain't happy,

Ain't nobody happy."

I have giggled over that sentiment for years. And now I believe I have found its Dutch equal.

While reading books with 4-year old Andrew an afternoon or two ago, we zipped through our standard repertoire; and then he stepped back to the book shelf for more choices. When he returned, he thrust a book into my lap. It was one I hadn't seen before: Richard Scarry; Eertse Woordjes (First Words). So we snuggled up together on the couch to share it. I read to him the Dutch vocabulary on each page as we watched Little Bunny's day unfold from morning wake up (wakker worden) to night time tuck in (lekker slaap). With each flipped page in the book, Andrew repeated word after word, until we reached the page about breakfast.

He couldn't repeat because I hadn't said a word.
I was laughing too hard.
There on the page before me was printed my new maxim.

The illustration shows Mama Bunny serving Baby Bunny breakfast and above her head the words read:

"Wat Mama maakt,

Dat smaakt."

Literal translation makes that something like: What Mama makes, is delicious.

Or as translated MY WAY: 'You are gonna eat what I give you. No complaints. No groans. No whining!'
Better and clearly the point, right?
It's my new catch-all catch-phrase for all kinds of things around here.
And as soon as I learn to tole paint, I am going to put it on a sign and hang it in my kitchen.