Memories from the last couple of days....

I think I've jotted down three or four things my kids have done on a piece of paper down in the kitchen. Of course at this point I can't find it so I am trying to remember what they are.

Wednesday night, I was making dinner while talking with Aaron. The kids were in the back playing. Mid-sentence, Aaron says to me, "Look at your son". I look out the window and there he stands with his shorts & underwear around his ankles...peeing. He also had no shirt on so you could see his little butt and everything. He looked so proud and I have to say, I felt a little proud. He did the same thing yesterday while we were swimming in the little pool. He had to pee so bad, but he was SOAKING wet. So off to the edge of the woods he went.

Oh and before we headed outside yesterday we had to get some work done. We had lunch, we cleaned the living room, and cleaned their room. Max kept asking me, "Can we go out now?" I told him as soon as everything was cleaned up. We made it down to the living room and he says to me, "Momma, I'm starvin'".
"Starving? You just ate." I say back.
Then my son bends his knees, holds out his arms palms up like he does, rolls his eyes, and responds, "I'm starvin' to go outside". Pardon??? Where did he learn that???

Last night at dinner, Molly almost made me cry. I actually think a few tears came to my eyes.
We always start dinner with our "God is Good" prayer. Then we have a second prayer that begins, Dear Jesus, thank you for this day, thank you for this food and then we go around the table saying what we are thankful for. Max usually says he is thankful for something that we did that day. He said, "Thank you Jesus for Spiderman and the new baby". Then Molly says, "Thank you Jesus for the pawk (park)." Then she looks at me with her head tilted and resting on her praying hands and says, "Momma, what you thankful for? You thankful for your family?" Big knot in my throat immediately...my baby girl...you are growing up so quickly.

Then last night before bed Molly got a hold of the music box part of the baby's crib mobile. She cranked it up and said "Aww...for the baby?" And she walked straight over and put it on my tummy so that the baby could hear it.

Then the two of them ruined any sweet thoughts I had of them over those past 24 hours b/c of the complete tantrums they threw while being put to bed. That's a whole other post though and one that I can't write about not b/c it's morning and I can't do ANYTHING on the computer when they are around. I can't believe that I just got all of that down this morning.

Signing off for now to go and start my day as a mom.....

and life goes on part two...

The thoughts in my head yesterday and what I wrote didn't really match up. I think I was so tired last night I wrote off on my bunny trails...

Isn't it strange how when someone passes life just charges on? It seems as if there should be a moment where everything stops and everyone take notice and say a little prayer for the loved ones of the person. But there isn't...life just goes on. I remember when Aaron's grandfather died and I heard the message. I just stood in the kitchen that Easter Sunday wondering what to do next. Do I call Aaron at work? Do I wait for him to get home? Do I call his dad back? Everything seemed to get quiet and peaceful for a moment, but then the kids darted into the kitchen. Life goes on.

When I was listening to the message from my grandma Monday..."Honey, Pop waited until I got there and then he passed away"....Tears immediately fell from my face. I felt horrible inside. Again, everything got quiet and peaceful for a half of a moment and then the kids ran around me in circles. Maybe they noticed the tears, maybe they didn't. Life goes on.

The last several phone conversations I had with my grandfather all ended with him saying, "love those kids, do everything you want to do with them, enjoy them, give them kisses, and you can even kiss that husband of yours too". He was such a good man. Shouldn't everyone and everything stop to take notice that the world has lost such a man?

He was such wonderful man. He loved bright socks, sweets, cookies, wood-working, cars, (he could tell me every car he had ever owned, color, & year). He cried at television shows, movies, and commercials...I am certainly my grandpa's grand-daughter. "Stick it your ear" he used to say. He would sit with us and play the organ. We would sit in his basement watching him do his thing with all of his tools. And the things he made with those tools. The kids have endless cars, blocks, and trucks from him. Molly has her red "Molly's Rig" from her great-grandpa and her baby cradle. The one Christmas I remember most was the one where me and my sisters got our dollhouse from Grandpa. From the shingles to the little toilet...we spent endless hours playing with that. Every summer when we would stay we would go bowling and putt putt. I remember him judging our coloring contests as kids and remind us always to outline and stay within those lines. I will always remember how the kids (our kids) looked at him when he talked ...and how when he told a story and imitated one of us girls his voice would get really high. And his laugh...I'll always remember his laugh.

I was blessed to have been his grand-daughter.

And life goes on...

The past few days have been filled with a whirlwind of feelings. Sunday was such a beautiful day, hot, but beautiful. The time spent with my family was priceless. Yesterday, I spent A LOT of time on the phone. My sister, my grandma, my sister-in-law, lunch, a trip to the post office, playdough time, my sister, my other sister, couldn't get the carpet in the living room vaccuumed quite enough so I just kept doing it over and over. Thru all of that vaccuuming I missed the phone call from my grandma.

"Pop has passed away". He waited until my grandma arrived and held his hand and then he died. Almost 60 years of marriage....How do you pick up the pieces after that. I just keep thinking of what my grandpa was thinking in the quiet moments and what went thru my grandma's mind when she walked thru the door last night?

She told me to be ready to go to the hospital b/c her great-grandpa was going to send her. She was just waiting for him to get there.

Well, this morning I woke up at 4 with contractions and at 5 decided to get my lazy bones out of bed and get some laundry & dishes done...oh and pack a bag for myself and newborn! We got to the hospital about 9 a.m. and after having contractions every 3-5 minutes for what seemed like forever I only dialated another cm. and I was starving and figured I could do what I was doing there at home. So here I sit. Waiting patiently...well trying!

Apparently, she likes spending time with her great-grandpa!

No time for worry....

We spent the morning getting the kids room cleaned up, some laundry done, the crib put up, and lunch finally eaten by 2:15 p.m. Max didn't change out of his p.j.s until we left for the falls. It was a great morning and the rest of the day followed suit. The falls was the perfect place for me to go with my family to avoid worrying about the open house today and wondering non-stop if our house will ever sell. I know that it's happening everywhere...I just want someone...anyone to give an offer so we can snatch it up and say "yes...take it" no matter what the offer.

The kids found the "cave" and the little spring. We spent a lot of time out on the sand and throwing rocks. I'm convinced that they would stand and throw rocks until the millions of rocks were in the bottom of the river. It's one of their favorite pasttimes. I found myself sitting on a nearby log just staring at my children. "How many more years will this be one of their favorite things to do?" "Will they bring their boyfriends/girlfriend here like their dad did with me Up North?" "Will they love it just as much as me and their dad?" Time is going to fly by.

I also found myself starting at Aaron as he was skipping rocks across the water with Max. I told him I didn't know that he knew how to skip rocks so well...then I felt awful b/c we must have spent at least an hour skipping rocks the first time he took me up north 8 years ago. Way before marriage & children & and all of the responsibilities we find ourselves with now. When will be skipping rocks again without the children? Will I be sad that the kids aren't there? As much as I long for alone time with Aaron I know that it's truly just around the bend. The kids really will be off with their friends...special friends...different school activities.

I loved sitting on that log....asking myself all of these questions...guessing what my kids will be like when they are older. I didn't catch myself thinking about the house in Michigan once. I was left to think about how blessed I am to have my husband and my children...

The kindness in people...

Some of the women from Aaron's work threw us a baby shower tonight. The kindness of people down here still amazes us. The word nice is so overused and I'm not a big fan of the word, but they are SO INCREDIBLY NICE & KIND. Everyone has been great to me and the kids. I know Aaron is their boss, but they are genuine and they type of ladies you feel like you've known your whole life.
Our new little girl (still unnamed) got lots of cute stuff...sweet little outfits...and the onesies....I forgot how small they are. We got 7 packages of diapers. Yes, seven. I'm pretty sure I won't have to buy diapers for quite some time....love it. I'm getting more and more excited. I keep thinking that maybe I'll wake up in the middle of the night with contractions and have another little daughter by tomorrow. A huge pregnant girl can hope can't she?
Of course, my camera spent the entire shower in the car so I'll post a few pics when I get them e-mailed from those who actually brought a camera.
Good night for now....