Ode To A Working Mom

Mommy is so busy,

she can't find time to blog.

She is working, working, working,

and her head is in a fog.

She realizes, as the days fly by,

she hasn't written many posts.

And then she stops to remind herself,

of the thing that matters most.

Mommy takes a minute,

to cut herself a break,

For loving her wonderful child,

is something she could never fake.

Basket-Head Jackson

Behold...he is not trying to scare you...he is just...

BASKET-HEAD JACKSON!

On Children

On Children

 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

I read this poem recently after an acupuncture treatment and the words were so meaningful...so meaningful that I just sat and re-read...stunned.  It is so easy to let your own mindset take over, or someone-else's for that matter.  Hence, how another parent wants me to react when my kid takes the train from their kids hand at the train table at Barnes and Noble, and then tells their kid to come and play on the other side away from him....  This puts it all in perspective.  I can guide and model good and loving behavior, but I can not and will not CONTROL my child.  I can remove him from a situation if necessary and/or take a break with him if need be, but not scream and yell at him and force him to apologize.  It just isn't in me anymore....and when the last little bits of it seep out....that feeling of "need to control" I am ashamed and I re-evaluate.  I realize that re-evaluation may be a life long process and some days it comes easier than others, but when I look into my child's eyes I am doing the best that I can to be the best mom I can be.    He seems happy enough anyway...

Big Boy Bed

For quite a long time (I won't say how long) Frank and I have been tossing around the idea that we should take the front off of Jack's crib and convert into the next step, ie, toddler bed.  Maybe it was because of this... or maybe it was because, as all things seem to happen in our house, it was just time. 

There was limited adjustment to his "big boy bed" (which we still all refer to as his crib..and probably will until he is 15).  There was only minimal crying when he saw Daddy take the front away and when he realized that the fun of climbing was no more (at least in and out - he climbs up on the side to turn the light on and off now...he won't be stopped!)  At nap time we followed our normal routine (reading 26780870989873408 books) and...

He was OUT!  And, he loves his new crib bed!

 Sleep tight little guy...and stop growing up so fast!

End of Summer, A New Beginning

The last day of summer vacation is a hard reality.   Tomorrow brings uncertainty, unknown... I will remind myself to look at it as a new adventure.  I am saddened that I will not be returning to direct the middle school choir this year, but I am excited (and nervous) to direct the high school choral program.  Big changes, big responsibility....  I am drawing on the positive and I know it will be a good year.

Just as so many changes are occurring, I take comfort in the familiar.  Jackson will be returning to Bebe's, to see old friends and, as he said "eat yummy lunches, like Arthur Loops".  (His favorite organic spaghetti O's).  I will enjoy seeing and having coffee (or my dreaded green tea - blah) with amazing co-workers each morning (THANK GOD that's not changing yet)!

Although I am not ready for summer to end, I look forward to a new school year.  New possibilities, new students, new challenges, new adventure.  As we all take a few weeks to adjust, I must remind myself of the amazing family, job and life that I have!


Goodbye Summer....

The Wonderful World Of Disney

Maybe I should say, the wonderfully expensive world of Disney?  Aside from the money that you get suckered out of, they do make you feel like you are in the "most magical place on earth".  I guess it's called that for a reason.  I forgot just how magical it is, and is it hundreds of times better when you experience it through your child's eyes.  Maybe it is because Jackson is just shy of two-and-a-half and gets excited about things like puddles, but he was in pure amazement and bliss pretty much everywhere we went. 

 Happy x 109783847826387462983471937

We were very lucky really to not wait in many long lines.  The longest that we waited was only about 20 minutes to see Mickey and Minnie, by which Jackson was completely star-stuck.

Same deal with Pluto...

 

 One of my very favorite things about this trip was the amount of relax time we allowed ourselves.  Time to lay by the pool and just 'hang out' was so necessary!  This one little kid I know became extremely brave in the water with the help of a beloved Disney yellow life jacket.  Too bad we couldn't just 'forget' to turn that in at the end of our stay...

 Professor Swims-A-Lot

In case you are wondering, those glasses belong to Disney World's own Mr. Potato Head complete with Mickey ears, glasses, ice cream bars....you name it.  (yes we were suckered into buying it....one of only two souvenirs that Jack acquired I am happy to say though)

 

 I love how they are both squinting with the same eye...

We loved our trip to Disney so much that we decided we should go back at least every two years....I guess I'll let you know in two years how that one turns out! 

Here are some of my favorite random snapshots...

 Diapers in Disney on the splash pad

 Jack swore up and down that was a real giraffe 

(and a real dinosaur was going to eat him at the t-rex restaurant too) 

 A special shout-out to our Disney tour guide Jaime!  We love you!!

The Yummiest Mickey Waffle...that sat in my stomach like a rock for 5 days

 kid in a candy store

 

More diapers in Disney!

Our trip was magical, so magical in fact that we missed the earth quake that shook the New Jersey and Hurricane Irene completely bypassed Orlando.  No delayed or cancelled flights....no craters in our front yard...success!

Magic

Summer Hiatus

I wish I could say that I have actually taken a hiatus and (ha ha) relaxed, but actually NO..sadly the hiatus was only for this blog!  I have been SO busy that I am ready to revel in this next week of nothingness!  Between three AMAZING summer camp shows, play dates, appointments, photo sessions, this summer has flown by.  No, actually more like, took off like a runaway train and didn't stop... 

In two weeks we head to Disney World for Jackson's first meeting with Mickey and Co.  Needless to say, it was really something that I would never in a million years imagine myself doing, taking a two-year-old to Disney World that is, but the stars aligned and we jumped on the opportunity.  We are all really excited to get away and enjoy some family time in the happiest place on earth.  (I'll let you know how that one goes). 

And, now just a few pictures of my favorite little guy loving life in the summer!