I know that when I look back on these years I will remember things with fondness and happyness.  Right now I am just tired!

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

We had a great time. I don’t want to rub it in, but  I highly encourage a trip to Kauai Island if you like amazing scenery that ranges from thick, jungle-like forest to white sandy beaches. Throw in a canyon that is often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and whales and you have to call it paradise.

We stayed on the one island, Kauai, as Hubby and I like to get to know a place rather than hop around (why we don’t like to cruise) and we are rather independent with our site seeing.  We like to find hole in the wall places and get the local flavor.  We loved the relaxed, slow moving style of the Island. The people were very friendly, the food was great.

I will be sharing a few things in the future about our trip and you will get tired of the pictures I am sure, but for now I just wanted to get a blog post up letting you all know that we are home safe and sound and had a wonderful time.

A public thank you to my mother in law for bringing food for the kids and helping my mom out. Also to my mother for moving in and taking on the role as nurse, chauffeur, laundress and house maid.  It’s lovely to have people to fall back on!

Oh yeah.  The one reason I came up with for Hawaii being not fun is that you cannot play License Plate Bingo. That is the only thing I can come up with.  Yes, it is just that amazing!

Oh sure, you won’t be waking up to nurse every two hours forever and there will be weeks, maybe months without being disturbed from your slumber.  But they will still awaken you for good reasons sometimes and for annoying ones at other times.  The most annoying reason lately was when Elle hit her sore toe on a box. .. In her bed. I suggested to her to not sleep with a giant box on her bed and that would take care of the problem (Thanks Dad for making your box robot so wonderful that she will not get rid of it!)

Last week I realized that I had been woke up by a sick child ELEVEN nights in a row.  I don’t have babies, toddlers or pre-schoolers. My kids are 7, 9, 12 and 12.   We had a run of illness that just now seems to be coming to an end. Hopefully. I would love to sleep through the night again.

Sorry if I have burst anyone’s dreams of a sleeping feature.

And also, as I shared with Firemom the other day, the whining gets worse around age seven.  Wish I could say it isn’t so.

Photo Credit

While cuddling in my chair (with my laptop, the dog and a kid), the kid whispers, “Please come back from vacation because I need you.  Promise me you’ll stay away from sharks.”

I need you too baby.  I don’t plan on getting up close and personal with any sharks either.

I love blow drying the girls’  hair though.  I always ask to dry it and love combing through the golden brown straight hair, scrunching up the dark brown curls or lately, straightening those dark brown curls.  It is a great time of pampering and showing love through the power of touch.  The girls tend to say  no though. They hate me playing with their hair, or so it seems.  When I am allowed to dry their hair I am so happy and could stand there forever brushing, combing and just being with my girl.

The other day I was at my mom’s house. She put some color over these strange gray hairs that keep appearing along my scalp.  After I had rinsed my hair, mom said “Let me blow dry your hair.”  My first reaction was to say no, I wasn’t going to bother with it. Then her look of Please put me in my place.

She is my mom. She gets enjoyment from me. Gray haired, thirty-six year old me gives her happiness, just as my girls make me so happy when I can pamper them a bit. Wow. What a lovely, humbling thought.

What makes this even sweeter is that my mom was able to raise her arms to handle a blow dryer. Just a few months ago, her illness made it impossible to hold up a dryer for even a few minutes at a time.  She is doing so much better now.  I am so blessed to have my mom as I am reaching the age where others around me are losing parents. A scary, horrifying thing that I cannot even think about.

So yes mom, you may blow dry my hair anytime you wish. And if my kids are reading this, which I know isn’t likely to happen, please know that it is so much more than blow drying your hair.

Photo Credit

I was happy to see some diversity among the main characters, but disappointed that the activity sheets and  valentines all were centered around the white kids.  Dear movie makers, please remember that not all main characters have to be white!

My girls are passed the pre-school age, but I know a lot of moms with young ones and there are many families with special needs older kids who could learn from this easy, calm cartoon.  I plan on passing these along, but I am keeping the PB&J popcorn they sent us to chomp on while watching the movies ;)  Please see my Facebook page for print out activities and Valentines!  There is also an Little Angels app for the kids to play.

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above DVDs to preview as well as some gourmet popcorn from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. No further compensation was received.)

Nine years ago Hubby surprised me with a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean.   When I say surprised, I mean total shocker. We hadn’t talked about it or anything, I just opened up my Valentines card and there it was.  Lovely man, I know.

Nine years ago I only had one little one. Meg was about three.  I was still perfect mom. You know what I mean, I did it all right and I could tell anyone how to raise a perfect kid.  Meg was a dream child in so many ways and I attributed it to me. Hubby too. But Me.

I was a wreck about leaving her. I was sure we would die on the plane and not be around to enjoy watching her grow up. I was positive that a week with her grandmas would spoil my perfect child.  So I did what every perfect mom would do and I created a pamphlet, yes a pamphlet, for the grandmas.  The title of the pamphlet was: How to Raise A Meg.  Really, that is what I called it.

The trip came and went, all was well.  Apparently my perfect child at one point jumped up on the counter and called my father in law a “lily-livered-codfish”. I, of course, thought that she was a genius for reciting  Peter Pan (a personal favorite) but my father in law wasn’t impressed!  She did fine and was not spoiled forever, we lived to see her again and the pamphlet was forgotten.

Until last night.  Going through old pictures, by mom showed it to me at our Super Bowl get together.  Oh my gracious. How embarrassed was  I?  Reading this pamphlet was eye-opening. I must have been an obnoxious bitch of a mom at that time.  I am able to laugh at myself, but it was enlightening to see how condescending I was back then.  At least I hope it was back then.

We are leaving for Hawaii on Sunday.  When I say we I mean, Hubby and I. That lovely man did it again and surprised me on my birthday last year.   The kids are staying  home   mostly with my mom.  My mom in law and my sister-in-law on deck to help out as needed.  I’ve called in a few favors to help with the picking up and dropping off that is needed with school age kids.  There will be no pamphlets this time around as I do not have the time to make four of them, nor is there room on a piece of paper to explain all the craziness in my head that is parenting.  I do have a schedule made out, a menu planned, general rules for the girls and the necessary permissions for my mom, dad and mom in law to take care of the kids.

So the good news is that I am no longer, neurotic mom.  Or maybe it’s not that I’m no longer neurotic, it’s just that I don’t have time or energy to be. Hmmm.

Rule #1  Never look them directly in the eye when you know they are grumpy/psychotic.  The glare from them can freeze you on contact.

Rule #2  When you are aware of said grumpiness, say as little as possible. Don’t try to fix it or make a suggestion. When needed to inform them of something important, make it very informal and indirect (while not looking at them)  for example:  “Lunch box is on the table.” Is much better than “Sweetie, I put your lunch box on the table by your backpack. Please don’t forget it.”  That last statement may just make them leave their lunch box on purpose.

Rule #3 When later that day your twelve-year-old is happy, humming and the sweet child you remember DO NOT ASK THEM WHAT WAS WRONG EARLIER!  They will revert back to grumpy. Just be happy that they are happy and get some hugs in while you can!

Rule #4  The rules change day by day and sometimes hour by hour. Do your best and remember that someday they will enjoy your company, help and support.  At least I have been told this. I hope they just weren’t saying it to give me hope…..

Artwork credit

Tis the season of sickness,

fa la la la la, la la la la

Tylenol and Ibuphrophen

Gotta stock up a la la la

Kleenex, Vicks Vapor and Vomit

La la la la la Fa la la la

Snotty  noses, swollen glands

Don’t forget the throw up pans

Fa la la la la la Fa la la la

(Please forgive my sleep-starved brains!)