In Memory

If you're looking for the funny, witty, latest-drama-at-the-middle-school post, come back tomorrow; I will be back on my game then. Today is a solomn day in my life, and try as I might, I can never escape it. It has been around every bend and corner all day long and I have tried my best to bury my head under the covers and pretend today is not January 30th. I loathe January 30th. But yes it is January 30th and yes, I have done everything in my power to stay busy today so the hours will pass quickly and it will be January 31st. And I will have survived the 37th anniversary.

On January 30, 1971, my mom died. I was four years old. (Almost 5, but four nonetheless).

This has been a year of growth for me, and as a testament to that, I am not focusing on the negative or the harshness of growing up without my mother. Last year, maybe. Year before that, definitely. But this year, I have even embraced the winter as I never have before. All last night and today, I have been thinking about what has changed in the past 37 years. Stop for a minute (assuming you are still reading...) and think about all we have today that is not 37 years old.

1. Microwaves
2. Cell Phones
3. Cruise Control
4. Standard A/C in cars
5. Cordless Phones
6. Computers (and all that entails!)
7. Cable TV
8. Video Games
9. Decorative Flags for the front porch
10.Dishwashers
11.Coffee Makers and instant coffee
12.CD/DVRs
13.Electric garage door openers
14.American Idol
15.Pay-at-the-pump gas stations
16.Self-service gas stations (the attendants actually put it in your car and cleaned your windshield and checked your oil while the gas was going in your car!)
17.Answering Machines
18.Hospital visiting hours all day long even for kids under the age of 12
19.Nurses wearing scrubs instead of sterile white
20.Private hospital rooms
21.Girls on a sports team
22.Guys teaching in the classroom
23.water and ice in the door
24.Remote Control TVs (or cars or airplanes)
25.Air Conditioning in campers
26.DQ Brazier in my hometown - it was only a walk-up DQ that closed in the winter
27.Glider Rockers
28.Electronic door locks
29.Electronic windows
30.Rear window defrost
31.Garbage disposals

And the list could go on and on and on. The things we we use on a daily basis that wasn't around when Mom was alive. And it will be interesting to look back in 37 more years and see what has changed!

That's What I Get for Thinking

Anyone who lives in the metro Atlanta area and has tried to register kids for various and sundry sporting events can totally relate to this blog. More than one fine, moral, upstanding citizen in the community has been known to loose their religion over trying to get Precious Cherub into sports... camp out for days ahead of time to get Precious Cherub into said sport. Youngest Child has decided she would like to attend 4-H camp this summer. She liked taking 4-H in her class, enjoyed the projects they did, she's an out-doors-y type person, so I encouraged this new challenge.

Nevermind the fact that 4-H camp just so happens to coincide with the week Oldest Child will be at church camp. That means, for all intent and purposes, I will be kid-free for one complete week, 5 whole days and 5 whole nights, totally guilt free because they are off having fun, not pawned off on some friend/relative so I could have a break. Because, you see, dear internets, the happiness of my children is my first priority. yeah, right!

So anyway, for a culminating project, she had to make a poster and give a 3-minute speech about her poster. She chose to do her presentation on making friendship bracelet. Because she has made approximately a million friendship bracelets before, I thought this was a great idea. Little did I know she would win first place in her class. No drama, hardly worth a post.

So tonight all the first place winners had a larger scale competition...like half the county fifth and sixth graders competed in various categories. We put little pressure on Youngest Child; we try to find her talent and nurture that. She wanted to do it, so we supported her. Keep in mind that I had about two or 58 other things planned on the agenda tonight because I didn't think this would take up the whole night. When we drove by the school and saw the completely full parking lot, I knew I was in for a long evening.

But, because her teacher assured me that those competing in the fair tonight could register first for camp, I was all over it...I'd hate for camp to be full before I had the chance to register her and my lovely, quiet week of bliss...'scuse me, I meant to say "my week of missing my children terribly"... would be ruined. So the first form they handed us was the pre-registration form for camp. SCORE! We could have left at that very moment and I would have considered it a successful encounter.

But she wanted to do her presentation, so we stayed. Now, keep in mind that her poster and presentation have been lying in the floor of my classroom since she brought it to me after the classroom competition about 3 weeks ago, so you can imagine how much she practiced. Refer to the above paragraph about not pressuring Youngest Child. But she and about 12 students presented in her category and then we all went back into the cafeteria for the results.

Now remember all we wanted out of the evening was the free pass to camp registration. Imagine our surprise (Youngest Child's included) when they called her name and announced she had won third place! In the craft division. You go, Youngest Child.

And as a reward for winning third place (and getting the free pass...) we now get to compete AGAIN with a LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE at the regional competition at Rock Eagle in February...oh, be still my beating heart!

Winter Wonderland

I know now why I live in the south. No snow. And when it does snow, the whole city stops to watch in amazement the small while flakes falling from the sky. Growing up in West Virginia, I have had my fair share of sled rides and snow days. Living in Georgia, we haven't been out of school for a school day for three years.

Had today been a school day as opposed to a Saturday, that would have changed. Oldest Child and Youngest Child have been outside since 1:30 playing. It would be a little different if there were actually, hmmm, snow on the ground...but it's melting as soon as it hits the ground. So basically, I am up for the Mother of the Year award because I am letting my children playing outside in the cold and mud. Guess I'd better clear a place on my mantle for the trophy...and then get the girls inside to warm up so I can send them out again!

Drama (and a Gift)

Guess Dear Hubby and I really need to coordinate our calendars more closely...oopsie! I stayed late at school today trying to get ahead ('scuse me, I mean catch up...). I even looked at the clock at one point and decided I wouldn't go to the basketball game to watch Oldest Child dance because her daddy was there and I could go home and keep crossing items off the "to do" list since I was, after all, on a roll. So I get in the car (at 5:45) and call DH:

Me: "Hey, DH, what's going on?"
DH: "Just working."
Me: "What do you mean, just working?"
DH: "Just what I said."
Me: "You mean you're not at the school watching the basketball game?!" (Notice the exclamation point which means panic is starting to to take over...)
DH: "No, remember, I told you I was working over on Friday."
Me: "No, I don't remember that conversation. If I had remembered that conversation, I would have left school at a normal time, gone to the basketball game and watched Oldest Child. But I thought since you were there, I would stay at school and get ahead."
DH: "No, remember I told you I was working over on Friday." (Men are quite the conversationalists, aren't they?!)
Me: "I guess I'm going to the school instead of going home. Glad I called you to check in."

But it turned out to be a really good game. It was the really mean team from football season, and it was the closest game our team has had all year. It has not been uncommon for me to want the opponents to score in double digits, for crying out loud! But the opposing mean team actually had the lead back and forth. Very exciting, I tell you! But in the end, our coach put in two really tall players who normally don't play together - either one plays or the other plays while #1 rests. And we scored the go ahead basket with 2.6 seconds left.

So then, Youngest Child wanted to go home with a friend. And who am I to stand in the way of what Youngest Child wants to do?? So OC and I came home, stopped and picked up Chinese on the way home (have I mentioned DH is working over tonight?!) Talked with The Dude for a little while, then read my People magazine. I live for Fridays when my People magazine arrives in the mail (except when you live in my town and the Christmas season is busy and the postman is busy getting Christmas cards and Christmas bills delivered and 3 of my last 4 People magazines fail to arrive at their destination...another post for another day...Why I Could Never be a Postal Carrier). The Dude even has a fire built in the fireplace when I get home. So I start eating and reading, and the next thing I know, my house is quiet.

Now living at my house and it gets quiet, you'd better go look and see what's wrong. Upon further examination, The Dude is asleep in his room; Oldest Child is asleep in her room; Youngest Child called and asked to spend the night with Friend; DH is still at work. Even the dogs are asleep on the couch right now. I'm lovin life right now...me, the remote, a fire in the fireplace, and an entire night to devote to reading/writing blogs. Yes, there is a God and He does love me!