The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: 9 is Fine

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

9 is fine.

It's a privilege to be "the banker"
 when playing a board game.
You have to be a trusted player.
You can't sneak some money for yourself when no one is looking.
You have to really know your addition and subtraction.
So, Roger and I have held the esteemed spot of banker
whenever we've played a game together as a family.

Until last night.
Griffin was ready, I could tell.
So we entrusted our rainbow of cash to him
while we played out favorite game
The Inventors,
(which I scored at the flea market for 5 bucks)

Griffin was thrilled and he did a great job.
He had such pride in handing out the money.

I am truly enjoying Griffin as a 9-year-old.
 This summer, I've been asking him
to help me out by doing a few things
that I would normally do.

I made a promise to myself, long ago
that I would never leave my kiddos
alone in the car while I ran into a store.
I'll admit that it's a helicopter parent move
but one that I hold firm to.

This is a challenge in the summer.
Taking both of my kid in a store
for a few short minutes just seems tedious.

So, the other day we needed to pick up
Subway sandwiches for a picnic at the pool.
We were in a hurry, so I pulled
into the parking spot in front of the Subway,
gave Griffin some money,
told him our order,
and sent him inside to do the job.

He took in a deep breath as
he exited the car, saying the order
under his breath.
I watched him through the window.

After he had the sandwiches in hand,
he came barrelling out of the store
with his arms in the air in victory.
His face was flushed
and as he got in the car he let out a loud
"Woo hoo! I did it"

He got a little rush from
his new found independence.

He shouted
"That felt good! I was scared but I did it!"

So innocent.
So eager to take on more responsibility.

He then very seriously said,
"Hey, maybe I could park the car
for you when we get to the pool!"

Yes, I dare say that 9 is fine.

The Stay at Home Chronicles :: Raising a Writer

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Raising a writer.

Griffin approached me the other day with some news.

"I want to write a novel." he told me.

 He had an inspired idea and knows exactly what it will be about.

"It's a Sci fi/ Fantasy book and will be about a digital apocalypse 

where geeky computer kids save the world with data. 

When I'm done I want to query agents." 

Seems like someone has been

watching his mama very closely.

The boy has dedication.

Just this morning before school,

he very seriously told me

that he needed to write before he could eat breakfast.

An idea had come to him in his sleep.

I just love the sight of his bedhead hair

glowing in the light of the computer screen.

The best part is that he comes to me to brainstorm.

We've been talking quite a bit about story structure and plot.

I just love watching my little writer bloom

and will forever treasure these

moments when we connect over words and ideas.

I can't wait to read his novel when it's complete.

 

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: Monster Patrol

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Monster Patrol.

Lately, when the weather has been nice,

 the boys have been grabbing their

"weapons box" from the playroom

and heading outside to play monster patrol.

They spread out in the yard

to hunt for monsters, dragons, zombies,

or any other ne'er-do-wells

who may be lurking in the woods.

 

Mostly they just stomp

around the yard and accuse various trees

of wrong doing.

Sometimes they assign different calls

to let each other know where they are on the property

or if they need help taking a bad guy down.

 They take their patrolling very seriously

and will play this in the yard for hours.

Mostly they just hit things.

I will never get tired 

of watching these boys use

their imaginations.

I feel much safer

knowing our Monster Patrol

has surveyed our land.

Thoughts on Motherhood :: The Sweet Spot

{image found here}

         A shift has slowly happened in our home. The crib has long since been dismantled and I haven't changed a diaper in years. All of the tiny onesies and baby socks have been boxed up and passed along to new mamas for a while now. For a bit, I mourned the exit of the baby years in my life and I think it was important for me to linger in that place.

        Now, Griffin is 9 and Koen is almost 5. My home is bustling with Beyblade battles and Pokemon games. Bedtime is smooth, everyone is begrudgingly trying the vegetables on their plate, the kids can play outside in the yard together while I curl up with a good book and keep an eye on them through the window. If the children bicker, I sit them down at the dining room table and tell them to work it out. Then I walk away. After a few minutes of tears and negotiating, they make up and run off and play.

      I have time for myself while they are at school. I attend a Bible study, I do my household chores (the laundry is still winning btw), I joined a writer's group and writing is a part of my daily life. The Mister and I still have Friday night dates. We laugh together. I'm not too tired from chasing around a baby and actually want to snuggle on the couch with him because I'm not exhausted.

    Dare I say that we are happy? Happy to be at a point where the children are getting bigger and we can go to the movie theatre together without a child screaming the whole time. We all actually sit and enjoy watching the movie. It's like a miracle. Both of the children know how to swim so if we go to the pool, I'm not freaking out worrying that one of them will drown. We all splash and play. It's like a dream. If the kids wake up early on the weekend, they stay in their room and play or read together until we drag ourselves out of bed a bit later.

   I know that we will go through phases as a family. Changes and stresses will come our way but right now, at this very moment-we've hit the sweet spot and I want to always remember this special time. When both of the boys are still so innocent. When they still crawl up into my lap and ask me to read them a story. Even my big 9-year-old still likes a good cuddle. He's like this huge puppy that doesn't know how big he is. He's marching toward being a Tween and so I am treasuring his little boy-ness. 

  I am letting the present settle into my heart. There may not be more babies for our family but I'm actually happy to feel complete. Our hard work of raising babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers has paid off and now it's time to sit back for a moment and appreciate the children they've become.

    

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: Griffin's Grooming Kit

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Griffin's Grooming Kit

My mom recently bought Griffin

his very first grooming kit

and it's been a huge deal over here.

Each morning, Griffin takes a moment to

spray on his Batman Citrus Scented Body Spray.

I had to teach him to spray it and walk through it

because he was applying about 20 sprays in one sitting.

We had a little talk about there being a fine line

between smelling fresh and smelling stinky from over-application.

 He's also very proud of his Citrus Scented Hair Gel.

Before school, he puts a glob of gel in his hand

and smacks it onto the front of his hair.

He then grabs his Batman comb and 

runs it through the gel, creating one smoothed down

and crusty spot on his head.

He refuses to use our trusty "No tears baby shampoo"

and has to wash his hair with his citrus scented shampoo.

It's so cute to see his little hair product

lined up in the shower next to mine.

My little guy is growing up, just a bit.

I know I'll always treasure the memory

of my almost 9-year-old boy's first grooming kit.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: Paper Airplanes

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Making paper airplanes.

Oh the fun that is to be had when

 Daddy starts folding paper into airplanes. 

The kids beg him to do this

almost all of the time.

They each get soooo excited to have a paper plane in hand.

I love that in this fast paced world 

of video games, iPhones, and technology

that my boys still find pleasure in the simple things in life.

They run outside and toss their planes around for hours.

I literally have to call them in when it gets too dark

outside to even see their flight path.

I will always treasure the memory

of my little ones throwing planes in the front yard.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles :: Glitter Bombs

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Glitter everywhere.

 Koen created this lovely glitter blob recently

and I made the mistake of allowing him

to play with a tube of glitter without supervision.

Now I'm finding glitter in the strangest places.

Like in my shoes...

 

on my toothbrush...

scattered on our fireplace hearth.

 My favorite was when I discovered

that he tossed glitter onto a huge spider web on the front porch.

It was a glorious site to behold.

I'd be mad about it

but my house looks fabulous.

Other places that I found glitter but aren't shown:

my pillow

a sandwich

our remote control

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : The sound of a magic marker drawing.

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

The sound of a magic marker drawing.

Since becoming a mom, 
 I have gained the uncanny ability to
hear a magic marker drawing from anywhere in the house.

I could be way back in the laundry room
and I swear that I'll hear 
a lid being popped off
and the drawing begin.

I always pray that it's drawing on paper.

 

 Most of the time, I rush across the house
to discover that the kids
are indeed drawing on paper as they should.

But every once in a while,
I 'll catch them in the act
of abusing their magic marker privileges
and scribbling on themselves.

It's both infuriating and adorable.  
 I scold them to high heaven
when I catch them doing it.

  

I secretly love to see them
covered head to toe with 
the bright brilliant marks on their little bodies.

They must feel so creative and free.
I often send Koen to school
with faint drawings left on him
because I couldn't scrub it off completely.

His teacher always laughs a bit when she sees it.

I know that I will look back
on these moments
when I dart across the house
to put a stop to the magic marker shenanigans
 with a smile.

I love our crazy little life together.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : Book Orders

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

The Excitement of Book Orders

One of the best parts of being a kid

is coming home from school

with Scholastic book orders.

Griffin just loves sitting down

and looking for books

that he wants to order. 

He actually sits in one place

for an extended amount of time

and gets completely engrossed

in the search.

He circles the books that he wants

and then we sit together

and talk about all the books

and then he narrows down 

his decision.    

He feels so big when

he gets to be the one to fill out the order form.  

I get a kick out of sitting down

after he goes to bed and 

scanning the pages for all the books 

that he took the time to circle.

I love that he has a love for reading.

I love that it's such an even in our home

to pour over the book order

and imagine all the possibilities of each story.

The hopeful little circles that he draws

will forever be a memory

of his childhood for me.

The Day that I Kicked the Kids Outside

{Taken through the window after I kicked them out}

Yesterday was one of those days.

Where from the moment

the boys opened their eyes for the day

to the moment that they shut them to got to bed,

they were pretty much clobbering each other.

Did I mention that it's Spring Break?

That's right, those little buggers are home all day

and had made it their personal mission to drive me bonkers.

By late afternoon, they were bouncing off the walls.

I've never been one of those moms

that just pushed the kids out the door to play without me.
My kids typically need adult supervision.

For one, we have 2 acres of sprawling wood

and a curious 3 year old could very easily 

wander off and find trouble.

Also, he's been a bit of a loose cannon

(an adorable loose cannon)

but can find shenanigans in 2 seconds flat.

Griffin supports and often

amplifies all sorts of shenanigans.

Which is a nice way of saying that he's a trouble maker as well.

Well, the house was a mess yesterday

and they were running around like hooligans

so I just opened the back door and scooted

their cute little bottoms outside

with instructions to stay on the back deck

where I could see them through the window.

"Without you?" Griffin asked, almost in shock.

"Yup, get on out there." I said while closing the back door.

They're both getting a bit older
and have shown more self control lately.
I knew that it was time to
set them lose...
from a short distance.

At first they were shocked 

and sat together like despondent children

but they soon scampered off and had

an epic Nerf gun battle

while I vacuumed the living room.

Then I loaded the dishwasher,

all the while keeping watch over the boys

through the kitchen window.

They played outside for half an hour 

and then begged to come in.

I said no. I told them to go play.

So they did.

For another half hour

while I put my feet up and read a book.

I should have kicked them out a long time ago.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : Playing in the Mud

My days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily

and I need to stop and relish in them.

One day, my boys will be out living life

and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document

the simple moments that pass between us.

I'm calling this little collection of memories...

Playing in the mud.

After a rainy day, when the sun finally comes out,

I know a little boy that can't resist playing in the mud.

There's no stopping him once he sees it.

He just can't keep himself from digging his hands in the goop.

I say, why stop him? 

So into the mud he goes.

He loves all the squishing, 

throwing, smearing, exploring.
He could do it for hours on end.

            

 How could a mama not let him

get out there and get dirty?

Clothes can be washed 

and so can grubby little fingers.

I just strip him down to his skivvies

on the front porch 

when he's done

and toss him into a warm soapy bath

in the middle of the afternoon.

Somehow the whole thing feels very indulgent.

I know that we'll both look

back on these dirty afternoons of exploring fondly.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : When You're a 7 Year Old Boy

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...

I want to always remember Griffin
and the age of 7.
Honestly, it's been my favorite age so far.

There is so much growing
and new found independence
when you're a 7 year old boy.

Everything is an adventure....

Like how the backyard is
so easily transformed into a baseball stadium.

Watching the boys go to bat in the back
is like a right of passage.
I get choked up thinking
about the generations of fathers and sons
that have smacked baseballs together throughout time.

When you are a 7 year old boy
you can easily be a part of an
elite sword yielding samurai team
that stops the bad guys in two seconds flat.

Somehow, running down a hill
is a thrilling and serious adventure still.

Perhaps the most exciting part of
being that 7 year old boy
is that you learn how to read.

I love that he can often be found
laying around with a good book.
His mind is traveling to far away places
and I am so happy
to watch as he travels there in his imagination.

Yet still, nothing is as awesome
as a hug from daddy.

I treasure the fact
that he still loves hugs.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : When You're a Two Year Old Scamp

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.

Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...

I want to forever remember Koen as he is at the age of two.
His third birthday is fast approaching
and I can sense him changing everyday.

So many amazing things happen
when you're a two year old scamp of a kid,
such as...

any corner of the house can be cozy
with a big pillow,
fuzzy blanket,
a lovie,
and a pacifier.

(He doesn't know it yet, but the pacifier is being confiscated when he turns three.)

When you are two
your cheeks are always rosy
and your face almost always has
gunk on it.

You can destroy a room
in about twenty seconds flat.

Nothing could ever be as thrilling
as a peek into daddy's toolbox,
it's like a magical porthole of awesomeness.

Except maybe a bubble gun!

Yeah, things are pretty great
when you're a two year old scamp!