Summer Do

I took Paige over this morning to get her "summer do". Her hair is so fine and has some natural wave, so it always looks like it needs to be brushed. I think this short cut is going to be easy to take care of and always look nice.

She was a little upset at first. But Annie curled it and put some sparkle spray in it, so all is good. On the way over, Paige kept telling me she wanted "sprinkles" and I wasn't sure what she was talking about. She meant sparkles. How cute is that?

Mother's Day

I received this email from 3 different people and think it's very "profound". Hope everyone had a very good Mother's Day.

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here".

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football ,
hockey or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.


This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that t takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us.

Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray..

"Home is what catches you when you fall. - and we all fall."

Name Tags and Garage Sales....Literally

I haven't posted in a while because it's been pretty quiet around here.

The kids are all doing well.

It's getting very close to the end of the school year so the boys are excited. Cameron starts baseball practice this afternoon. And Kyle works all the time at the Pizza Ranch.

Paige is ready for Pre-School. We went to Round-Up last month and ever since then she asks to go to school...EVERYDAY! I think she's a little excited.

She said the funniest thing at Pre-School Round-up. When we got there the teacher asked her if she wanted a name tag. Paige told her, "no thank you, I already have a name".

She takes everything so literally, when I asked her if she wanted to go to a garage sale with me, she told me I didn't need to go because we already have a garage.

There were city-wide sales in Pocahontas this weekend. I found Paige alot of clothes for this summer and some for fall. I'm still pretty excited about taking her school shopping this fall. I say that now, but I'm sure I won't be quite as ready for her first day of school.

Alyse and Ella also came home for the garage sales. Paige and I offered to keep Ella on Saturday morning since I did all my bargain shopping on Friday night. Paige really enjoyed having Ella over. That is, until Ella had a dirty diaper and when she threw up. Paige did "help" with the diaper changing. She got the diaper and wipes out of the diaper bag and then went to stand in the hallway until the diaper was changed.

Paige and Ella