Standing Ovation

Some Mornings after getting all the kids out the door to their various school day things. I enter the quiet house-- wondering if there will be standing ovation for my performance. Then I notice, a child's breakfast dish still on the counter.
Today, I thought, "Maybe someday she'll actually eat breakfast, brush her teeth-- put her dish away, ALL by herself... and then I will miss her, today, it's a warped kind of 'hello mommy'."
Morning routines have always had their challenges but this one little piece of helpful advice has changed my AM completely.
With my boys the morning routine consists of constant reminders to wear clean clothes-- not the ones that they throw on the floor yesterday or any other day before. Clean socks with their shoes, which I have logged away in the recesses of my brain supplanting Anatomy and Physiology knowledge with shoes in the front room under the babies blanket knowledge. Jeans and T-shirts: practically everything matches (even as I am writing this I have images of a sweet ten year old who insists that his favorite camo pants match his favorite green striped shirt: two favorites obviously match and their both green-- I have heard this logic a number of times in favor of the same out fit.) The hardest part of the morning is getting the boys to brush their teeth.
With my girls .... I had no idea so many things didn't match jeans. It has been Drama I, Drama II and then a High Drama at our house all over what to wear or "What Not to Wear?" Then a friend of mine, Laura (an expert on fashion and reasonable teenage girls) gave me the idea of having all the outfits for the week on hangers. Now, its part of our Saturday jobs-- we sit down after bringing the laundry from the laundry room to put away-- and with the lovely hangers, Grandma Bebe bought, with clips on them, we pick out pants or skirt, shirts and or undershirts, belts, and socks, tights or leggings. We talk about which shoes are the best pick, [its winter so luckily most everything go with pink pock-a-dot and cheetah print rain boots] With a weekly reminder that Wednesday is P.E.
Jessica (my niece at college) was here this weekend and helped the girls pick out their outfits. She even convinced one of them if the pants, which are favorites, weren't too dirty and she hung them up after she took them off that she could wear them twice in the same week and NObody would know-- and she wouldn't have to wait for them to come through the laundry. Since it was coming from Jessica, who is the coolest person on the planet, this advice was taken as a magic remedy, instead of how to decrease the amount of laundry that has to be done, her Mother, every day.
But this morning, it was like heaven as the girls happily put on their Wednesday outfit. And showed them to me. No screaming that this isn't going to work for day, or nothing matches, or where are my favorites. Just "How does this look" and I got to "Oh" and "Ah" over the brilliant color palette. The way that shirt shows off her personality. The socks that match the days of the week. And a pat on the back for the hair tie that sets off the outfit perfectly.
Standing ovation, Please!

Band Geeks

Every Morning- Monday thru Friday. In the dark of the morning before the sun comes up, I watch in amazement as twelve, thirteen, and fourteen year olds pile out of parents cars, walk huddled up in thier jackets into the back of the Junior High building some with instruments in hand others unpacking thiers from the band lockers. Voluntarily they come. To do what-- make music. They don't get graded for it. They don't get credit for it... and yet they come. As part of an elete group. They are dedicated to playing; nobody even takes roll. They play Jazz. Some people wonder at the thought of teenagers learning and playing Jazz, but they are hungry for it. It pushes them to new levels, It invited creativity. They laugh at themselves a bit, in the morning before most people their age are even stirring from their beds. And they play: insink out of sink, funk, disharmonies, and then which is the magic of music it becomes beautiful. And so, they lug thier cases home, to practice more, so they can come back again tomorrow and be a part of this wonder of the ages. Twelve, thirteen and fourteen year olds with rumpled hair and unbrushed teeth and smiles.
My own son said, "Thank you for taking me to band every morning. "
"Thanks mom." As he pushes me in the shoulder and gets out of the car into the cold dismal winter morning. He smiles as he cross infront of the car. I am abit tempted to honk the horn and make him jump... but its 6:59 in the morning and even I can't stand the thought of interrupting someones sleep. And so, I wave and tell him to "Take Luck" He responds as if prompted "If you have any care for it." Then his is gone into the world of Junior High with the one bright spot being that he is surrounded by good music and people just like him for a brief moment, Band Geeks.

Summer Rules

1. Tuesday- Thursday- Saturday

Mandatory Complete BODY Wash

With Soap and Shampoo, conditioner optional

Question: Does Shampoo count as a soap if you slather your head then your body in it?
Answer: It does smell like coconut, which is better then you were before. Ok for every day but Sunday (which includes Saturday Night).

Addendum: If you are younger than your mother, your mother can add "SHOWER" as a personal responsibiltiy for any day (in addition to the above suggestions).
* manditory for completion before firends come over.

2. Clothes

You may wear your same shirt and pants all day long and yes, even to bed, if you so desire (although you all own pajamas) But come morning mandatory change of clothing which includes new pants and shirt, underwear etc.

Amendment-- if by chance you own two of the same shirt/ pants your may not wear them in consecutive days, so that it appears as though you are wearing the same outfit you wore yesterday and to bed.

Question: If we run through the sprinklers (Added by a Brother) or go swimming, in our clothes could we wear them again-- Theoritically they got washed, they got dried, and you didn't even have to fold them.

Answer: Do they still smell like... you after playing all day, sleeping in them and then swimming in them? Then the answer is NO! you may not count that as another wearing opportunity.

Addendum: On good principle, you may not take off your clothes that have been worn all day and night, but them in the dirty clothes basket, skip a day and then wear them again-- That is Cheating!

3. Homeless

At least one other day besides Sunday you must NOT appear to be Homeless. The day is at your general discretion.

Persons with a home would have all these things done on the same day at least for a moment at the same time:

Hair combed, teeth brushed, face washed and clean clothes on.

Addendum: At breakfast Mom may announce that today is not a Homeless Looking day. Complaints will cost you a minimum of 25 cents or an extra job (if you are out of money).

Summer is About...(dot, dot, dot-- it's important)

Summer is about,
Otter Pop Wrappers
on the floor--
And discovering that no matter how many times you sweep in a day,
There will still be wet little pigs that walk across the floor
and drop off their grass clipping hitch-hikers
And even though the floor was just mopped
those are dirty toe smudges
tip- toeing across the floor.
If that child had wings they would have flown through the house,
with their Muddy feet never leaving a trace
But as conscientious as a child
raised up on Ballerina point to keep the impact at a minimum

Summer is about,
Otter Pop Wrappers
In the bed,
where a cross child lift the chamotion of friends, foe, and family
to snuggle into mom's side of the bed
to take a break, slurping on the end of a plastic wrapper
with festive colored sugar water
which some how rights wrongs and heals ouwies.
There are only a few bright drops on the coverlet
yes, a bit leftover on the pillow.

Summer is about,
Otter Pop Wrappers,
A whole collection of them
Lined up expertly in the hidden recesses of the couch
It might be the only thing holding the couch together
Three friends play rock band,
Four girls make a princess castle
that looks a lot like a bandits hide out,
subsequently, being attacked by a rival band
with many screams of delight and horror
from all sides
Two girls riding side saddle,
no, wild west style-- with a somersault dismount
with otter pops dangling from their lips
as the arms of the couch whine with effort.
Giddy Up!
One Dad watching the channels buzz by,
No, those were the Snickers wrappers not the Otter Pops

Summer Is About,
Otter Pop Wrappers
A green smile from lack of oral hygiene
A purple smile because there were only six left
A red smile because it's a favorite
A Blue smile in the family photo OP
A pink smile, in answer from the brilliant child who know how to hide the signs of an Otter Pop addiction
Sticky, Sweet that is impossible to wipe off your hands
It's the smell of supper delight, covered in Otter Pop
It's a kiss, Thanks Mom, with a side of Otter Pop
It's the Hug that leaves a little behind, on your shirt that No One told you
It's bright eyes and smiles in all the colors of the (Otter Pop) Rainbow.

Achew

Lindsey came home, amazed that he hadn't sneezed the entire six day trip in the mountains with the scouts, and he walked through the door. And Achew. "Bless You"
"My Dad's allergic to Giraffes."
Which ironically is true-- Giraffes of all things.
How does one find out they're allergic to wild animals?
We were at the zoo, and we were all thrilled to see the baby giraffe only days old, it was so cute, except for the incessent sneezing that was kind of upsetting the baby and us. We looked around and there to our astonishment was Lindsey: He could hardly breath for sneezing, his nose was running, his eyes were swollen. He was a total wreck! And was in a hazard of killing him self by excessive sneezing.
My own thoughts at her comment were-- And do you usually house a giraffe, not usually with our limited ceilings, but the sneezing could be cause by the carpet.
He is also violantly allergic to cats which is another reason to avoid the zoo. There is a tiger house; which although the tigers are hundreds of pounds not cute little fluffy, they still have exactly the same kind of 'cat dander'. So a very smartallic Doctor advised against becoming a lion tamer. That is exactly what we need to be when we grow up. Large Cat veternarians, Performers, or Zoo Keepers.
But the icing on the comments-- days later-- at a friends house, this same wide eyed beauty, held a book in her hand and stated, "I'm not even allergic to dinasaurs."
And Aren't we Glad!

Birthday Dream

In signiture jeans and t-shirt, her jacket came off the moment we walked in to the store with the painos lined up like chairs for giants. I felt small-- Kelly's stature grew. She held my hand and walked confidently past the monster instruments and their gleaming black and white keys.
In the back of the music store there is a desk, and a man smiling as we walked towards him.
"Can I help you?" he directed his question to Kelly.
She looked up at me with her big green eyes, then in a smaller than usual voice she replied, "It's my birthday, and Id like to get a violin."
"Have you ever played before?"
"No, but I'm going to learn."
He smiled a very knowing smile. "Wait right here, I'll bring some out to see how they fit."
He brought back a very delicate violin, and placed it in the crook of her neck and wrapped her hand around the scroll. He took it out of her hands and tried another. Her long thin arms stretched out and a giggle escaped her lips. "This feels better."
"Yes, there isn't too much bend in your elbow and its not too much to big either, yes, I think this is the one."
Then he handed her a tighted bow.
A slight moment of hesitation. Then gingerly she placed it soundlessly against the string.
A look at the man. "Go a head," he almost whispered as though on sacred ground.
She ran the bow across the string.
A single note, no scretched, no wobbles.
confident and focused
"A melody (of one note) pure and sweet like heralding angels sing."
And then the most beautiful sight:
She glowed.
Her eyes sparkled and a smile radiated from her whole body.
It was the Man's turn to chuckle.
I walked out of the store, hold desperately to the hand of a girl that was simply floating next to me with her large instrument case banging unnoticed against her leg.

Early Morning Conversation

Mom, I miss Daddy.
Honey, Dad is at work, we all miss him when he's at work.
pause--
but my heart is broken-- and it really hurts.
Let me hold you and tell you how much Daddy and Mommy love you.
Jesus mends hearts. He fixes them with love. I'm going to pray.

It is privilledge to be the mother of someone so noble and full of faith.