Is It Really Worth It???

Kearsdad is on a mission. He has decided that it is time for us (translate that ME) to stop picking up after the children who live in our house. He says that they are old enough to do for themselves and he intends to see that they do so. Not that I disagree. He is right. And I greatly appreciate his concern for me and for the proper development of our children. Tonight, he made me put something down that I was picking up and called the appropriate child to the room to do it instead.

But this mission has a price. After dinner, he decided that the children should help with the dishes. (Now, they do help set the table, they even help me cook sometimes, but he is ready to take it up a notch.) So, he called them back from wherever it is they disappear to after mealtime. (I think there is a cavern somewhere under the floor of their rooms where they disappear to whenever they should be doing something else. Kearsdad says he thinks "they just go hide under the crap on their floor") Anyway....he called them back and informed them that they would be rinsing the plates and cups, etc. and loading them into the dishwasher. Initially, this announcement was met with arguing over who would do the rinsing...both girls wanted the honor. They decided to split the task. After Kat did her two plates, she disappeared back to the cavern, leaving Banana to finish.

Banana diligently rinsed two plates and loudly loaded them into the dishwasher. Thankfully, nothing cracked or broke. Then she did the glasses. Then she was so excited about her newfound skill, that she decided to do the Corningware dish that the peas were in. She got a kick out of pouring the leftover peas into the disposal. But that's where it got messy. Mid-rinse, she decided to switch to another dish. She proceded to sling the dish--half full of water--to the counter, losing all the water on the way. She was now standing in a puddle. My pants were soaked from the knee down.

Was it worth a few rinsed dishes? I now had a floor to clean, and a pair of pants, plus 4 dish towels to add to the huge pile of laundry. Junebug is right. Their AIN'T no laundry fairy! But yes, it was worth it. Banana had such a happy attitude about helping. I am not under any delusions. I know that attitude probably won't last. But she had done so well up to that point.

It's kind of like teaching them to feed themselves. You end up with mashed sweet potatoes in the hair and nose and ears and on the clothes and floor. But they have to learn to do it. You just can't go around feeding a 10 year old. So you deal with the mess, enjoy it as much as you can, and get over the orange stains on the cute tee shirts. Kearsdad helped Banana clean up the floor, and I changed pants. They probably needed to be washed anyway. And all the dishes made it into the dishwasher in one piece.

Robins Eggs and Peeps

Spring brings out an interesting part of my personality. I don't normally eat candy. I really don't care much for chocolate (yes, I know that is weird). Halloween was never a big deal for me because I didn't eat most of the stuff I collected. Christmas candy is usually not very tempting...don't really care much for peppermint or candy canes. Even Valentine's Day is no biggie. In the past Kearsdad has bought me truffles from Godiva. But usually I tell him I'd rather have something else...dinner out, maybe some flowers or something. But definitely no big heart shaped box of chocolate. Nope.

But then spring rolls around and a metamorphosis takes place. Suddenly the stores are full of brightly colored sugary treats. Maybe it's because they are so pretty. Some are so cute. Those malted milk Robins Eggs! Yes, I realize they contain chocolate, but I love them anyway! And Peeps!!!! Chicks and bunnies in every pastel color imaginable! Traditional yellow chicks are my favorite. I know they all taste exactly alike, but I just prefer the yellow chicks.

Peeps are an oddity. People generally either love them or hate them. There are even instructions available for Peep abuse involving microwaves. I will confess, I have microwaved a Peep with Kat and Banana, at their request. It was interesting, but I felt so bad for the Peep. If nothing else it was a waste of an otherwise perfectly good Peep. And even more disturbing, we "roasted" one on the firepit last year. That was a little disappointing. It didn't blow up and melt like the microwave one. The outside sugar burned, but held it's shape for a really long time. And roasted ones don't taste yummy like roasted marshmallows...the sugar tastes icky.

Anyway, I am excited about all this easter candy. Not good at all for my diet. I guess I'll have to grab a handful of Robins Eggs and go for an extra long walk.

Passages

These days I find myself saying all those things that I used to be annoyed by. Things like, "Enjoy them, they grow up before you know it." I used to get so annoyed at people who said that. Not because I didn't enjoy my girls, but because of the implication that I didn't. "Of course I enjoy them, you dimwit! Why do you feel the need to tell me that?" Now I say it to people all the time. Why? Because now it is becoming a reality to me.

It seems like only a little while ago that we were experiencing our list of firsts...first loose tooth (lost it in a blueberry muffin-made JMatt so mad that she lost hers first), first sleepover, first time to big chuch (I still have that big blue button she wore on her dress). Suddenly, it has all flown by. I can think over all the stuff we've done in the intervening years, and it's all a blur. At the same time, bits and pieces stand out, frozen in time, clear as if they happened yesterday. Part of me wants to grab out at those pieces and hang onto them for dear life. Part of me wants to go back and do it again...then again, maybe not.

These days, I find myself with a new list. My list of lasts. Last GA glider day yesterday (of course the first one was last year!) Last children's day. Last children's choir (now Kingdom's Kids) performances. Actually, the list of lasts is almost as old as the list of firsts. Who can forget the last night in diapers, or the last bottle. It seems life is just a list of firsts and lasts, with lots of love and memories in between.

As sad as some of the lasts make me, I have to admit that I look forward to the ever growing lists of firsts. This new era of life that we are entering is exciting to me. Babies were precious and sweet. Toddlers were as cute as they could be. Preschoolers were happy and everything was so bright and exciting. These recent years have been, and still are, fun. I wouldn't trade any of those times. I'll admit, these preteen years aren't always a bed of roses. But I really enjoy those moments when my little girls are real people. When we can have intellegent conversations (yes, every once in a while we have one of those!). I love the fact that they know they can confide in me. I enjoy shopping with them, watching movies or American Idol with them, just hanging out with them. I am looking forward to adding to our lists of firsts. They are coming quickly!

Here Goes

So, I have finally caved to the pressure. After months of trying to mooch off the blogs of others, using their personal pages to express myself, I have at long last fallen victim to peer pressure. I don't know how this will go. No promises. I may post this one time, and never again, or I may become addicted and post so much that everyone is sick of me. Should that happen, I am sure my sweet husband will force me to end my blogging. Hopefully, I will fall somewhere in between. And hopefully, someone will find my musings interesting.