When your baby boy becomes a big boy

I love being the mother of boys. I hear it from people with girls who say..."it must be tough" or "oh how can you deal with all that energy?"

I guess I don't know any better, I suppose.

But I love when they are tough and sweet at the same time. I love when I get flowers from outside in my own yard and the root is dangling on the bottom with dirt dust covering his chubby fingers. I love when I get pictures of Spider man with hearts and smiley faces on them.
You can see that my almost 5 year old is clinging on to being a mamma's boy and being a big boy. He can fall off his bike and not cry but when he sees blood he knows that it is OK to cry like a baby. I love when I drop him off at school and he runs back for one more kiss. I know in a few years that will seem like a life time away. I love that he still wants his teddy bear to sleep with but when it comes to changing in the morning for school, he wants his cool pants with the shirt that makes him look taller. I love my boys!

What I don't enjoy is when I walk into the bathroom and it smells like a bar bathroom and the floor is wet from pee and I have to break out the bleach and mop and wash the floor in the middle of the afternoon!

As a mother of boys, another thing I was not prepared for was driving in silence and looking in the rear view mirror and noticing that he is looking at something like a science project and then he belts out....hey mom, want to see my scab?! Here is a piece, you can hold it if you want to? YUCK! Then I had to explain what a scab is...double yuck!

I love that he thinks I make the best pancakes in the world! Especially since I put rainbow sprinkles on them ( i think he thinks they are candy)
What I don't love is that he is growing up right in front of me and there is nothing I can do to stop it. What I am grateful for is the amazing memories from his babyhood and I look forward to many, many, many more years to create more.

I am also grateful for the gift from God. My baby son that is only 9 months old. I am so happy that I have another little man that I can do all this stuff over again with.
At night I look forward to rocking him in my arms and he drifts off to sleep, and he is still clinging on to me. And I smile at his chubby cheeks and soft hair and his breathing. He relaxes me and I just stay in the rocking chair and just stare at him.

My boys are the best thing I did in my life, my greatest accomplishment....for that I am grateful!

Stamp it, send it and be done with it!

With another "Hallmark" holiday done with, I gotta ask........

When you send a card for an event, do you have to call on the day?

Let me clarify.......

Mothers Day. I am a mother so don't get me wrong when someone wants to send me a card or take me to dinner to celebrate the stretch marks, hemorrhoids and sleepless nights...I am all for it but I guess I want to know if I am obligated to make 500 zillion phone calls on the day to make the mothers in my life smile, even though I mailed a card? This goes for birthdays, anniversarys, holidays and so forth!

I guess it could be guilt making me pose this question. But I really think I need some clarification.

Last night after I got the children to bed, laundry in the dryer, dishes done and lunch made and packed in the Spider Man lunch bag, I decided to sit for a second and watch a minute of TV. 8:30 pm and I am ready for bed, and clear the mind!!!

Oh no, my mother has other plans! The phone rings...she had little kids at one time...did she forget how the slightest ring could startle a 9 month old?!?!?!?!?
anyway....
not a hello, not a how was your day...not a how are the kids...it was...(note the capital letters...this should explain the volume she spoke in) " WELL, DID YOU FORGET TO CALL ME? I AM SO SHOCKED THAT YOU OF ALL PEOPLE DID NOT CALL TO WISH ME A HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

After the initial shock of being screamed at and put in the category of my crappy sister (long story) I had to remember who was on the other line. I wanted to yell and say ok so what the heck do you want?!?! But instead I lied and said I tried to call and no one answered. Well, caller id was not a good alibi so I blamed technology and said her phone log was wrong.

So, was I obligated to call even though I sent a card? It is not like I was sitting on the couch eating bon-bons!! I was cutting the grass, emptying boxes, teach my baby to walk and making snacks! (great mothers day!!)

So what I say is....

Stamp it, send it and be done with it!!!!!!