The Puddles

Part 1

“Mommy, if you clean my room, you can take me on a mommy/daughter date.”

“Ainsley, shouldn’t you clean your own room so that you can earn the right to go on a mommy/daughter date? And not the other way around.”

“No, I said it right. You should consider cleaning my room so that you can go on a date with me.”

We had this conversation in Walmart and the sweet lady next to us in the aisle was laughing so hard and trying to hide it behind her hand.

Part 2

“Ainsley, is your room clean?”

“Yes. Ben and Madie cleaned it.”

“What!  Why did they clean your room and not you?”

“We were playing hospital and they had to clean my room while I was sick in the hospital with cancer,” Ainsley states simply.

“Mom.  We wanted to clean her room!” says Ben.

I don’t know how she did it.  I don’t know how she convinced them to clean her room, but yet again, she managed to have someone else clean her room.

Ainsley, Ben, and I are playing “good and bad” in the playroom and Ben says . . . 

“Mom, I just videotaped you on my iphone.  Now I’m uploading it to YouTube . . . You already have ten thousand hits.  Everyone loves an angry mom video!”

Five minutes later . . . 

“Mom, the police are at the door.  They saw the video and they are coming to arrest you for craziness!”

Seriously.  This was never part of my play routine growing up . . . videoing with phones, uploading, YouTube, instant access, “hits”, etc. . . .  We played cops and robbers, boats and sharks, orphanage, rescue, house, doctor’s office.  Now the kids play the same thing, but they have their own twist on the game.  It is amazing our world is changing.  I can’t wait to hear the stories about what my grandchildren will say when they are playing.

The kids are all home. Everyone is tucked in. Dinner was interesting because we all had to take turns telling about our week.  I am so glad that everyone had a good time, but I am glad that the week is over and we can get back to the boring part of our lives!  Then it will finally feel normal again.

Chris and I heard Peter Mayer sing at the UCC in the Woodlands.  It was a wonderful concert. After listening to him sing his “Jama Day” song, we have been inspired ever since to enjoy our own Jama Day.  The song is great!

Ainsley and I were singing it around the house this morning!

There was a tent (Ainsley said it was her “house”) in my office.  Fully stocked with food and entertainment.   Then she decided to put on her cowboy outfit and play.

Then we decided to have an adventure.  She and I, while dressed in our pajamas, went through the drive through and got dinner.  She thought it was the best thing ever! And I am not allowed to tell Ben or Madie.  I let it slip to Daddy and she made him swear not to tell too. 

My diversion techniques are doing some good. Ainsley thinks these few days are the best ever and I’ve only thought about the rest of the family a few times!

Tomorrow Ainsley and I have our official “date” for her birthday!

Ainsley declared this morning that today should be “Jamma Day.”  And so, we are still in our pajamas. I just popped some popcorn and she is settled in the living room to watch a movie.  Right before we started the movie it started to rain outside. Ainsley is on the couch shouting, “It finally happened! It’s raining! It’s raining!”  We have had so little rain around here that any rain is an awesome rain and should be celebrated.  So she and I ran into the backyard and played in the rain . . . until the first thunder and then she didn’t want to be “in the rain” anymore!  So we stood under the porch and watched it for a little while. Don’t worry, mom! Eventhough we were still in our pajamas while we danced in the rain, we were in the backyard so no one could see us!

I texted Chris this morning to see how the kids were doing at camp and all I got back was “Perfect.”  Geez. A little more info please.  But then again, I know that the little info is for my own good.

So back to “Jamma Day” . . . and more fun!!!

Why have a slumber party with the littlest girl of course!!!  After getting Ben and Madie tucked away at camp and relinquishing all of my parental control to the camp counselors (which require a phone call to my mother for therapy), Ainsley and I are home and in need of a diversion. So Ainsley suggested a slumber party and she wants to go to bed at the same time not just her bedtime.

She is here in my office in her pajamas (a.k.a. a bathing suit with a scarf wrapped around her neck.  Very 40’s movie starlet dress.) and she is ready for bed.  Time for the diversion to begin.

and I’m still not going to bed for another hour.  Seriously!!  How does this happen?  Well, I’ll tell you . . .

I forgot about my fourth child and I over planned for the one day my husband was home.

So I’m still doing laundry so that Chris will have clean clothes this week. (I’m sure everyone will appreciate that.)  I tried to do too much today.  The day started good. Chris took me to see the new Harry Potter movie.  Very cool!  I loved it and cried through a majority of the movie.  I just finished rereading the final book so there were no surprises, but I still cried.   I got to see it with 400+ other people in the theatre.  I’ve never had that experience before.  I’ve never gone to see a Harry Potter movie on it’s opening weekend. It was so much fun to hear the collective laughs, the gasps for Snape, the cheers for Mcgonagall, and the final applause for the end with many in the crowd shouting “Mischief managed!”  Really fun!  I didn’t think that I would get to see it for several more weeks, but Chris surprised me this morning with a babysitter.  So I guess I can sacrifice a little sleep tonight in order to see the movie this morning.

But I also tried to clean house, go to the store for a birthday present for Ainsley, and do some work for a few hours. To top it off we had a crab boil to attend tonight at a neighbor’s house (delicious!).  It was a great day.  Except that it is midnight!!  and I’m still packing someone’s luggage.  Well at least Madie and Ben are organized and ready for next week.  My maps are printed off.  The medicine bags are ready to go. My prayers have been said and the babies have all been hugged before their big journey this week.  I’m ready . . . or at least I will be when this last load of laundry gets done.

Chris and I have been married for fifteen years this week. It has been a good fifteen years.  For most of those fifteen years, Chris has been at camp with the kids during our anniversary.  For many wives this would make them sad, but for me it is part of what makes our marriage wonderful.  I don’t need a day to remind me how lucky I am to have Chris as my partner in life.  He makes me feel special every day. But just to remind me that he is unpredictable, he sent me fifteen roses. One for every year we have been married.  Romantic and thoughtful.  He really is wonderful. I am a lucky woman!