Remember (5 minute prompt)

Remember 3/8/14

Remember to buy milk and eggs.

 Remember to clean the tub.

 Remember to pick up the kids from school because it is -25 degrees out today.

 Remember to scrape the sidewalks.

 Remember to vacuum the couch and wash the covers because they are starting to look like kids live on them. 

Remember to read with Spencer, do multiplication with Hailey, numbers with Brooke, baby books with William. 

Remember to hug them X number of times a day.

 Remember to have some down time so you will want to hug them X number of times a day. 

Remember to teach them to make their beds and the right way to brush their teeth.

 Remember to teach them how to clean and fold clothes and make a sandwich. 

Remember to teach them that Heavenly Father loves them.

 Remember to take care of Blake too and that he is a person as well.

 Remember to take care of myself!

 Remember to slow down. 

Remember to hurry up because you will be late. 

Remember to say nice things and keep the bad ones out.

 Remember to clean out the car. 

Remember, remember, and remember.

 I used to write down all the stuff I needed to do so I wouldn’t forget it.  But the list was quite intimidating and honestly made me feel like a real failure.  Because in the middle of all the things I didn’t do, I had forgotten to remember the things I did do.

 I hugged when someone was hurt. 

I snuggled at naptime.

I tickled tummies.

 I had a quiet talk.

 I DID make my bed.

 I did the laundry.

 I paid the bills.

 I wrote this down.

 And because I wrote this down, I can come back to it and remember that I did do something. I can remember that today my awesome grandma neighbor wanted Brooke to come play at her house with her grandsons.  And she went even though I know she will be exhausted and overplayed after a day with friends. I remembered that I had a chance to write this down because I had some quiet.  And now I am off to get William up because too long of a nap makes for an all nighter.  I sure remember that one.

Broken (5 minute prompt)

Broken 3/8/14

I have seen many broken things.  Broken people, broken cars, broken dolls, broken pictures, broken toys.  But I have never considered myself attached to many objects.  I didn’t mind if they broke, because, well, as a mom, you can’t mind if something breaks.  Accidents happens and kids can sometimes cause the accidents.  Love the person, not the item.  I have about four things I care about: my jewelry box (broken by my daughter), my diamond earrings from Blake (been lost and refound three times), my entertainment center I spent days refinishing (Spencer broke the door of it the other day) and my snow globe I got from Blake for Christmas one year (broken by me, sigh).  The snow globe played a haunting melody by Beethoven. I can still hear it in my mind and enjoyed the twirling and dancing by the girls. I loved the Spencer would play it and lay in my bed.  There was a silver angel inside and sparkly silver dust.  On the outside it said “God couldn’t be everywhere so he created mothers.”  I loved it when he gave it to me and I still love it.  I was pulling some books off a high shelf one night and something came crashing down.  Once I realized it was the snow globe, I cried.  I couldn’t believe that I had placed it up high to keep it away from the kids one day and now it was broken.  I still find small pebbles of glass from it.  It really fell hard.  I learned a lesson about putting things up.  Though I am happy I am the one that broke it, so I would have nobody to blame but myself, I’m not happy that it didn’t get enough use.  I am not happy that it didn’t have more dances and more chances to share its beautiful music.  I partially squandered the music box because I was afraid of it breaking.  Lesson learned: items are for enjoyment, not for hiding.  I won’t make that mistake again.

After (5 minute prompt)

After 3/4/14

The sun rises. Breakfast, dressed, hugs and kisses. Older kids out the door.

Brooke and William and I are on our own.  I am the entertainment for the day.

Exercise, clean up, shower.  Read books, run errands or go to music class or the library.

We keep busy. Then lunch and quiet time and naps. If Brooke naps, she is much happier.

She usually doesn’t nap.

Then a project or we bake or we clean.

Older kids come home.  Chaos ensues.  “Drop your school stuff in the right place. Put away your boots.”

Snacks and homework.  Reading lego books and sounding out words.

Attempt to make dinner while helping with homework, holding William and refereeing fights.

Wish for spring or summer so the kids can play outside.

Blake comes home and rescues me.

Eat dinner and try to teach manners.  Talk about our best part of the day.

Clean up. Showers. Reading. Sometimes tv show.

Bedtime routine. Teeth, potty, book, chatting. 

The day is full of chaos and sometimes quiet moments.  Fighting and laughing and arguing and hitting.

My role is to be their mom. To be their everything. To be their safe place. Their crying shoulder.

After they are asleep and it is quiet and still, I peek in on them.

William in the opposite end of the bed we put him in because he was chatting with Spencer.

Bum in air.

Spencer sprawled out, half uncovered. Peaceful boy face.

Hailey wrapped in her cheetah blanket. Wrapped like a butterfly in a cocoon.

Brooke on her back. The quietest she is during the day.  Gripping her stuffed and overloved frog.

After the crazy day comes the remembering of what my position is.

After the storm comes the peace and knowing that I can do this again tomorrow.

Here (5 minute prompt)

Here 3/3/14

Be Here.  Be here with the blue and green eyes.

Be here with the brown, black, blond and red hair.

Be here for the tickle fights, the messy faces, the bubble baths.

Be here for the books read: trucks, Fancy Nancy, chapter books, sight words.

Be here for the addition, multiplication, fractions, science projects.

Be here for the whispered feelings, the kisses, the hugs, the sad and happy tears.

Be here for the tag, races, snowmen, slides and swinging.

Be here for the bike rides, the training wheels, scooters and walks to school.

Be here for the Disney movies, the dinosaur shows, the silly reruns of America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Be here for the car races, the littlest pet shops, the barbies and the blocks.

Be here for the tantrums, the sickness, the cuddles and teething.

Be here for the potty training and the diaper blowouts and the projectile vomit.

Be here for the little ones like you have been for the older ones.

Be here though you are tired of the blocks and trains because it is new to the little ones.

Be here because it might not be an exciting day to day, but the day to day adds up to the lifetime.

Be here because if you miss the boat on today, you can’t make up for it tomorrow.

Be here because tomorrow will come and be gone before you know it and today can’t repeat itself.

No matter how you might want it to.

 



Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Here is the story:

 

I have had this amazing cream cheese banana bread recipe for years. It came from a college recipe book. I have shared it with friends and family. I have made it for Christmas treats, birthday gifts, special surprises.  They are even awesome as muffins.  They take no time and the batter is delicious (just ask my two year old!)  I have had it on my blog for awhile but I thought it needed to be shared more because it really is that amazing.  Creamy and simple and crunchy topping and healthy;)  So, I sent it to my virtual "friend" Mel at Mel's Kitchen Café.  I have loved this blog for years!  We make a lot of her recipes through the week and Mel's is the first place I stop for recipes.  She has no fail and easy, family friendly, KID friendly recipes!  The skillet macaroni and cheese is by far the best.  So, imagine my surprise to see it posted on her blog today!  I was pretty thrilled to see so many people could have access to it now.  It really is the best.  So, if you want a little modified recipe of my cream cheese banana bread, then check out her site.  And all her other great recipes.  She is a true gem.

Jump (5 minute prompt)

Jump 3/1/14

“Jump” made me think of the song by The Pointer Sisters.  Old school fun and from my childhood.  Reminds me of an exercising song and suddenly I need to bust out my leg warmers, headband and leotard.  When I found out my bishop, Ken Craig, also had an affinity for the song and wasn’t ashamed, I was inspired.  If a man with 8 children can proudly blast “Jump” on his ipod, then no shame should be had anywhere.  Then I thought of “Jump, Jump” by Kris Kros, a boy group from my junior high years.  The song was everywhere.  We listened on the school bus, at dances, on our tapes in our boom boxes.  Best dance and backwards overalls.  Brings back all sorts of feelings of fun, misfit, unsure and becoming feelings that come along with the teenage years.  Then I thought of songs that have been in my life.  My first favorite song I remember was “King of Pain” by The Police. I even remember singing it when I was young in my dad’s huge white ’78 Chevy.  When I hear it today, I remember all the words and tell my kids that this was my first favorite song.  Then “With or Without You” by U2, then “Swallowed in the Sea” by Coldplay, then “Claire de lune” by Debussy (10 years prior to Twilight “creating” the song).  And then “What a Wonderful World”, which I heard on an after school show and fell in love with the smooth sound and beautiful message.  Then, when I met Blake and he said that was his favorite song as well and I knew that it was meant to be.  Music forms us.  It can hurt, heal, excite us to all measures.  These songs bring back my memories and I am immersed in them, a feeling that cannot be duplicated.

Friend (5 minute prompt)

Friend 3/1/14

When I read this word I thought of a lot of ideas. Blake being my best friend, friends I love, qualities I want in a friend or in myself but I went back to an instance that just happened the other day and it stuck with me.

It was a regular night.  After school chores and work were completed.  Dinner had been made, devoured and put away.  We were hanging out watching some show I can’t even remember.  I was sitting next to Hailey, she was on my left side.  I just looked over at her and her long red, stringy hair after a long day of work and play and I saw a friend.  I saw a friend I had made over many years of work and fun.  I saw the baby she had been and the toddler and the small child, but when I looked at her now, I saw an older child.  A more mature person and the thought of her made me smile.  She looked at me with her sweet look and said “What?”  And I said, “We have become friends.” And she smiled and linked her skinny little arm through mine.  And my heart was just so full.  I couldn’t believe that these four kids, who have been my friends and enemies at times, had now become my lifeline.  They were people I was excited to see during the day.  People who had become examples to me.  They are each other’s best friends.  They tell it how it is.  They have fun together and they fight and they allow me to be part of their circle.  I am never “not cool enough” yet.  I am the center of their games at times.  I am so blessed to be part of their friendship.  And I never realized the friends we would become.  And I hear it gets even better.  And worse.  But bring it on.  If this is what I have to look forward to, I can’t wait.