Final Thoughts Month of October: Blog 5- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Happy Halloween My Sweet Pea!

For us, we don’t need just one day to scare people… just the thought of us coming through any door recently makes people groan.  Now I am not normally a dramatic person (nor do I prefer to produce excitement or draw attention to myself) but that’s what my life with you and Will has become.  And since it’s only temporary, I’m ok with that.

Final Thought:  Of late, we bring chaos.  Wherever we go.  No matter what time of day.

I find myself apologizing a lot (mostly on Will’s behalf).  Or before I accept an invite with my clan to go anywhere, I preface with “We are very crazy right now so if you want to reconsider your offer, I understand.” 

Here are current examples (and yes Ellie, I will put most of the blame on Wreck-it-Will.  More specifically the chaos is worse if the ratio of kids isn’t equal to the number of adults present):

1.     We can destroy any home in 5 minutes flat.  Mimi’s house before we come over is so perfectly clean.  After we leave (even if it’s a quick 10 minute stop), her home looks like a bomb went off in the living area but the effects of the blast are felt in every room.  In all corners.

2.     We went to a play date recently.  Will was playing with the books on the bookshelf as you and your friend were looking at dress-up clothes.  Before I knew it, Will found a porcelain piggy bank and pulled it down shattering it into many pieces and scattering coins everywhere. 

3.     We went to the grocery store to buy cupcakes a few days ago (decorated with blue and white icing) for a birthday party.  By the time I got you both out of the cart and in your car seats, I realized that the bakery box had tumbled over upside down.  I was about to cry except that a student I taught several years ago was working there.  He was wheeling the shopping carts back into the store when he saw what happened and offered to get me a new batch of cupcakes with no extra charge.

4.     Our craziness at church is enough to make anyone’s head spin (your trips to the bathroom, Will’s screaming and attempts to escape the pew are insanity).  Two weeks ago, I thought I had done a good job cleaning up (the Cheerios, milk, toys, wipes) after ourselves (while juggling Will in my hands) but it wasn’t until I was driving out of the parking lot that I spotted the very kind man seated behind us carrying out Will’s empty applesauce packet.

5.     At the local pumpkin farm last week, you hopped out of the car ready to do the corn maze with your Dad but it was then that you realized you didn’t wear your shoes.  I didn’t ask you the very obvious question, “How do you get in a car and forget those?”  

6.     We didn’t have cable for a good portion of August.  Will ripped out the cable cord, and Digital TV had a two-week wait list to send someone out to help us.  He also busted out our screen door onto the deck.  Apparently he wanted to be outside badly enough that he head-butted his way through. 

7.     As a way to appease you and Will in the grocery store, I feed you snacks.  I will not be giving Will yogurt pouches anymore.  He’s figured out if he whips them around, they splatter on everything (kind of like paint).

8.     When Will is done eating, he throws his food.  Chocolate milk and marinara sauce is hardest to scrub off the wall.  Even though food isn’t allowed in my living room, I find noodles and crumbs always.  I finally figured out they were coming from the folds of Will’s chubby legs.  When he stands up and straightens out, all the hidden food gets dislodged.  Needless to say on the rare occasions we go out to eat with Will, I tip well.  Very well.

9.     Meeting friends at the park used to mean that I could chat with the other moms.  Not anymore.  I’m now chasing after Will to make sure he doesn’t eat acorns (I’m pretty sure he thinks they are grapes) or goes headfirst down the slide.

Thankfully, with all of the confusion and commotion we create, there are so many kind and patient people to help.

I love you Ellie.

Mom

Final Thoughts Month of October: Blog 4- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Hi Ellie!

I have to say that as a grandparent, seeing you and Will when excitement takes over your whole beings brings your Poppy and me the greatest joy.  At one year old Will is still at the “ooooo, ooooo, ooooo” stage where as you, who are now 41/2 years old, can share your excitement with oodles of words!

Final Thought:  With every waking day there is usually a memorable experience of some sort!

On this day Ellie, that memorable experience would have to be the moments leading up to seeing the play Hairspray, the moments during the play Hairspray, and the conversation that came after the play Hairspray.  You actually started asking on Thursday if we were going to the Play on Friday.  Then on Friday you asked if we were going to see it on Saturday.  And on Saturday you were quite happy when the answer to your question, “Is it tomorrow?” was a “Yes!”  But when we got to Sunday morning, a new question arose which was, “How long until we leave for the play?”  And you asked it every hour on the hour until we were finally ready to leave! 

Now going back to Thursday- your Mommy, you and myself had a what-should-we wear conversation.  Your Mommy and I thought it would be so much fun to get really dressed up in dresses and boots and jewelry where you thought it would be much better if we wore comfy clothes… you know… those go-to fleece pants and crock shoes!  And no matter how hard we tried to entice you in wearing a dress, it just wasn’t going to happen! 

Back to Sunday- So now we have parked the car in a lot near the theater, walked inside and realized that we still had plenty of time before the show started.  Figuring that you would want a snack, we asked you if we should all get in line for some popcorn and chocolate milk from the snack bar.  You answered with a strong NO but it was not because you weren’t hungry but rather because you were so afraid the show would start before you even got to find your seat.  So in we went to find our 1^st row center seats right in front of the orchestra.  

El, you were over the moon excited, and that sure did make your Mommy and me smile!  During the play it was fun to sneak a peak at you now and then and see that you were singing along to some of the songs (I guess watching the movie more than a dozen times paid off!).  And during the last song finale, a blast of shimmering streamers sailed into the audience.  El, you were able to snatch up a royal blue one and held on to it so tightly… it was kind of like your very own personal autograph from the show (it’s now pinned to your bulletin board in your bedroom)!  After a standing ovation, you were quick to say that your absolute favorite songs were Good Morning Baltimore and You Can’t Stop the Beat (heck, I’m 57 years old and I can’t even remember people’s names let alone multiple word song titles!!  Actually if asked, I probably would have massacred the titles of those songs too!).  Once outside and back in the car, you continued to chat about the performance.  Ellie, you said your favorite part of the play was when they showed the underwear hanging from the clothesline.  The big panties sure did have you giggling!  You also stated that you preferred Tracy’s finale dress in the movie (the black and white one) to the dress she wore in the play (the hot pink sparkly one).  Apparently, you prefer darker colors El, at least that is what we are surmising because you made sure to reference that you prefer the new Panera Eatery over the old Panera Eatery for the same reason!  The best though was when we left the theater.  You were so happy Ellie-bean and you asked if we could go to another play soon.  My answer to that Ellie is, “Absolutely!”  I myself have always enjoyed the theater, whether it is professional or local talent, and to watch you at 4 ½ years old enjoying the theater just as much is truly an added perk for me!

I love you Miss Future Theater Patron!

Mimi

Final Thoughts Month of October: Blog 3- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Dear Ellie,

Final Thought: Always tell the truth, no matter how embarrassing!

We were at the park playing with friends during the afternoon of Uncle Ryan’s birthday celebration.  It was a chilly day so you wore a sweatshirt there but within five minutes of you running around, you got hot and shed it on a nearby bench.  We said good-bye to our friends and left to go home to pick up your Dad so we could all go to Uncle Ryan’s as a family.  On our way out of the driveway, you remembered your favorite sweatshirt that we left at the park so we made a quick detour back there.  As your Dad waited in the car with you and Will, I ran to the bench, grabbed it along with the two others that I thought belonged to our friends who we had the play date with.  We called their mom on the way to Uncle Ryan’s to say that we had their shirts.  The mom was a bit confused saying she didn’t remember packing their sweatshirts but definitely could have.  We went on to have a wonderful dinner that evening celebrating Uncle Ryan’s birthday.  

After I put you and Will to bed, I hopped on online to check my Facebook account and that’s where I saw it.  A status posted in our community’s moms group (which I might add, all of our friends are on) read:

Did someone take two fleece sweatshirts from the lower part of Holmes Foster park around 5:30 this evening? We had gone up to the bathroom at the upper park, and by the time we came back down the sweatshirts were gone. We were told by a mom that a lady drove up in a gray car, and got the two plus another sweatshirt that were on the bench and drove off. I am hoping she meant to take only one, but accidentally grabbed all three. If any one of you accidentally took them, please let me know, I can come pick them up. The shirts have my kids' names on them.

I gasped and thought, “Ohmygosh… I am a thief!  I could just see my name in the papers now… Clothing Criminal Pilfers Shirts Practically Right off Children’s Backs!”  I quickly responded to the post clumsily explaining how I made the mistake and we figured out a time for me to drop the sweatshirts off at the owner’s home.  All was resolved within 24 hours. 

And needless to say, many of our mom friends at preschool saw the post.  We have all had a good laugh about it.

Seriously Ellie, this mom stuff can be crazy sometimes! 

I love you sweet girl!

Mom (aka the Clothing Criminal)

Final Thoughts Month of October: Blog 2- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Hi Ellie!

You, Miss Chatterbox, are hilarious at times.  Why just the other day while we were out shopping, out of the blue you decided to share some interesting information with me.  Now your Mommy will probably not be happy that I am revealing it in this blog but the story is just too funny not to share!  After all… it came from you!

Final Thought:  “Secrets” never stay ‘secrets’.

Ellie, I never quite know when or what will trigger a thought of yours that you feel needs to be revealed, but I do know that they usually make me giggle.  Let me give you a few examples… A few days ago when you and I were shopping in Target I pushed the cart that you were sitting in down the gift-wrapping and ribbon aisle.  The conversation that we were heavily engaged in had to come to an abrupt halt as you had some pertinent information that you felt needed to be stated immediately.

This is how it went.

Ellie:  “Wait Mimi… I have to tell you something.”

Mimi:  “Oh?”

Ellie:  “My Mommy says that I am not suppose to give away her secrets.”

Mimi:   “Hmmmm.  That’s interesting.  What secret does your Mommy have?”

Ellie:  “Well, she told me that I couldn’t tell.”

(Now Ellie, I know Kimberly pretty much inside out so I knew she would never share something ‘too deep’ with you.  So whatever the secret was, I was pretty confident that it had to be something silly that she had done.)  And I was right. 

I’ll continue.

Mimi:  “Oh Ellie, whatever her secret is I bet it is really funny.”

Ellie:  “It is Mimi.  See these strings?”  This is where you point to all the rolls of gift ribbons.

Mimi:  “Yeah.  What about them?”

Ellie:  “Wellllll…. Mommy ran it over with the vacuum cleaner.”

Mimi:  “Ooooooooooooo… that’s not good.”

Ellie:  “Yeah.  Actually the vacuum cleaner sucked up the whole balloon that it was attached to… and the stick it was tied to too!”

Mimi stifling a giggle: “Did she break the vacuum cleaner?”

Ellie:  “I don’t know.  But I do know the stick was broken.   I’m just not supposed to tell her secret.”

Mimi:  “Don’t worry El.  It is safe with me!” :)

Here is another example Ellie (a very short but interesting choice of words story).  And it is one that I think when you become a teenager you will have wished that I kept it a secret.  It may be embarrassing down the road some, but right now it is just an endearing quirky Ellie story!

You and I were driving back to your house.  At one point you commented that you had the ‘sniffies’.  But instead of sniffing in (inhaling through the nose) you were exhaling through the nose, which got your mind to thinking.

Ellie:  “Mimi?”

Mimi:  “Yes Ellie.  What’s up?”

Ellie:  “Why do we have nose boogers and ear boogers and eye boogers?”

Mimi trying to wrap her head around that one:  “Well, ones from a nasal drip, ones from wax build up and the other one is just yucky gunk.”

Ellie:  “So why do we have it?”

Mimi:  “That’s a really good question.  I think we should You-Tube it.  Your Mommy says that’s a good way to find out answers to tough questions!”

Ellie:  “Ok.  I was just wondering.”

And I was just wondering too Ellie where in heaven’s name do you come up with your descriptive words!

And now I will give you one more story that actually taught me a lesson.  The other night when you slept over we played the Twenty Questions Game while lying in bed.  It was my turn and here is how it unfolded.

Mimi:  “Here is your first clue Ellie.  You will find this thing in the ocean.”

Ellie:  “Is it a fish?”

Mimi:  “Not really, but kind of.”

Mimi:  “It has a really big head.”

Ellie:  “Is it an Angel fish?”

Mimi: “No.”

Mimi:  “It has suction cups.”

Ellie:   “What are those?”

Mimi:  “Things that stick to stuff.”

Ellie:  “Wellllllll… I don’t know.”

Mimi:  “Alright, her is another clue.  It has 8 arms.”

Ellie in a somewhat exasperated tone:  “Mimi… I have no idea what that creature could be.  So what the %#&& (hell) is it anyway?”

Mimi almost falling out of bed after that comment:  “Oh Ellie, you should not say that word because it is not a nice one.  Even in an ordinary sentence, it is a useless word that should not be used.”

Ellie:  “Ok.”

Mimi:  “Alright, let’s continue.  I will give you one more clue.  It starts with the letter O.”

Ellie:  “An octopus?”

Mimi:  “Yes!  And you couldn’t get that from any of my other clues?  Goodnight silly Ellie-bellie.  I love you!”

Ellie giggling: “Night Mimi.  I love you too.”

And the reason I am telling you the second story El, is because I may possibly be the culprit from whom you have heard the inappropriate word that you so effectively and appropriately used in voicing your frustration.  Would I like to keep that one a secret???  Yes!  Will I??? No!  It is usually the elders that teach the younger ones right from wrong.  But in this case Ellie, you (the younger one) taught me (the elder) to think before speaking.   Words have power and our choice of words can impact a statement.  I shall leave you with a quote from author Jennifer Hubbard; “Nothing Stays Secret Forever” Nor should it El, nor should it! 

I love you Little Miss Tell-All! 

Mimi

Final Thoughts Month of October: Blog 1- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Dear Ellie,

Halloween is around the corner but you’ve never needed an excuse to play dress up or wear daily costumes. 

When you arrived home this afternoon from shopping with Mimi, you couldn’t wait to show off your new gymnastics leotard, which came with a matching scrunchie.  You ran through the door exclaiming, “Look at how cool this is!  It’s just like the ones that the Tanner girls on Full House wear!”  I couldn’t help but chuckle as you have no idea how old those episodes of Full House are (we DVR them from Nick at Nite and let you watch one in the morning and one before bed as you love this show more than any other).  As you continued on about the scrunchie, you asked, “Do you know what this is?!”  I wanted to say, “Of course I know what it is.  I lived through the 80’s!  They held back my permed hair (and I had a thousand of them).”  But instead, I simply nodded as you excitedly told me more about them.  But because you are very picky about your hair, that scrunchie only made it on your wrist as a bracelet.  And I feel like that defines your fashion.

And speaking of your hair, I need to mention that you went to church last week wearing a long white blonde wig.  You had asked your Mimi to find you something to make your hair long (but since you have a love hate relationship with your hair, we keep it short).  The wig seemed to fix all of your problems. 

Ellie, as I repeatedly say, I love your sense of style and independence.  You don’t notice if people stare at you or maybe you simply don’t care (which I actually hope is the case). 

For Halloween this year, you want to be Olaf, the snowman from Frozen.  I love that you would rather be him than the princesses.  You think outside of the box.  I hope you keep that trait!

I love you Ellie!

Mom