Did you ever have one of those days?

Most of the time when you hear someone say, "did you ever have one of those days?" it connotes a sense of defeat or frustration with the way the day went. Well not here. I like to think of myself as a mostly positive person but usually my days with work half the day, commitments and deadlines and my two boys all the other hours of the day leave a lot of room for uh ohs, oopsies and mishaps. So in this instance when I ask, "did you ever have one of those days?" I am referring to a day when the planets aligned, everyone was calm and all things were right in my world.

It was a Monday and the kids woke up on time and happy while John slept. The cat got fed, lunches were made and Jake had time for, vitamins, drink and an egg. There was no wasting time getting ready and no whining. After dropping both kids to school I got to work on time without feeling rushed. I had time to run a quick errand between jobs, then it was home for lunch. After checking emails, I left in a flash to get the boys. Jake had a great day, made a request for me to stop at D&D for a snack and when I told him "no" there was no retort. We picked up Evan and he too was in a great mood. And most of the time the boys are in great moods, it's just the afternoon rush of homework and activities can often takeover and make them and me a little nutso. But on this particular day I found a perfect balance keeping Evan busy at the playroom table with coloring and then a floor puzzle while I helped Jake with homework. They even came into the house and washed up without me having to tell them. I had time to make them a healthy juice and celery and ranch snack (usually it is a battle since Evan is a chip monster) and they both accepted without objection. Whew. This all may not seem like a big hurdle to some but most moms, of boys especially, know how difficult getting one to focus on homework while the other is entertained can be. Everything got done, they had time to play and then I started dinner with only a half an hour to spare before Tae Kwon Do. That can also be problematic some days as the little one needs help getting his outfit on and belt tied and they both tend to procrastinate getting ready until the last minute no matter how many pleas I make. However on this day I had their outfits laid out on their beds and they were on it like champs. I had everything ready to go and we were out the door. John and I made the trade off, him taking Evan home when his session was done and I waited for Jake who was done an hour later. Jake got out on time and was a perfect gentleman, even holding the door for me.

Dinner was a hit, according to John, and the bedtime bath routine went off with no problems, the kids even had a little visit from nana and papa. Snacks were had, teeth were brushed and books were read and both boys were in bed in semi -lit rooms by 8:15. A switch was made at some point around 8:30 and the two were snuggled up together in Evan's bed. I could only stop a minute and stare at their precious faces as they slept so peacefully. My heart was happy just looking at them. They have that power over me to make my heart smile, no matter what kind of day I've had, but what a great day this was. Did you ever have one of those days?

Breaking Hearts

Valentine's Day is creeping up and my heart's all a flutter. Since having my boys, I am always thinking of ways to make V-day special for them, not just my hubby. In the past I 've taken them on "dates," given them stuffed animals or little dollar toys and almost always make them special goodies to eat, with red and pink icing or sprinkles of course.
So this year I kicked it off with signing up my oldest, Jake, and I for the "Sweetheart Dance" at his school. This is the dance where fathers and their daughters and moms and their sons get gussied up and purchase a corsage, get a photo taken and dance the night away to the stylings of a dj, taking breaks for refreshments, pizza and dessert. This is the dance I couldn't get into last year because I was too late signing up and Jake seemed a little bummed about it. Therefore this year I made it my priority to sign up with a check the very next day the flyer came home in the backpack.

I was talking about this event for weeks and I even made sure Jake had a brand new collared shirt while I picked out a pretty red shirt for the occasion. Now the morning of the event, I had a little hint that maybe Jake wasn't as excited as I, when he exclaimed, "Mom, please don't wear the red lipstick..it's embarrassing." Ouch, that didn't feel good, but I would certainly oblige.

That night Evan, my baby, was to have a boys night with his daddy. Meanwhile while I was getting ready, Jake came into my room not looking particularly thrilled. I, however, was on cloud nine. The whole idea of taking my little man to a dance made my heart happy and it was like we were pals for a moment. But that moment was fleeting. Once I walked into the kitchen and saw Evan with tear-filled eyes asking me not to leave, my heart was sad. I was probably a little more devastated than I am letting on, however that was just preparation for what was about to happen next... After I calmed Evan down a little and promised to hurry back, Jake and I walked out of the room and he said, "let's just get this over with." Someone may as well have shot me at that moment.

Let's just get this over with? Really Jake? So now I am realizing that I am breaking one child's heart only to go out on the town with the other one who doesn't even really want to go. My heart was doubly broken in a matter of two minutes. Of course my hubby John kept reiterating that Jake is only seven and he doesn't realize the meaning behind what he is saying... blah, blah, blah, blooey... yeah I get it but it still hurts. Jake realized his faux pas after a few moments and apologized. Again, it still hurts because I know his heart is not in it.

SO now I disappointingly escorted my reluctant sweetheart to the dance where we waited on a line. I promised him that we didn't have to stay long but something amazing happened when we got there. Jake spotted some friends and all is well in his world. Mine is still crushed. I tried to fake my hurt and I plastered a perma-smile on my face while taking pictures of him having a ball, getting on stage and dancing to "Greased Lightning" with his buds wishing he would want to dance to at least one song with me. Closing in on the two-hour long dance he finally does the conga line with me. Beggars can't be choosy. I am just thrilled he let me into his world and sat with me to eat pizza and cake. By the end I just wanted to get home to Evan whom I knew would be waiting.

When Jake and I arrived home, Evan was giggling and having a blast with his dad in the playroom and I was happy for them. I was also happy that whatever little pain I had caused him was long gone. Unfortunately my heart was still smarting. After all it was a double blow. Sure, Evan got passed it and I did with Jake to some extent... but what it meant still bothers me. It meant that Jake is growing up a bit and doesn't always want mom around. Mom is not his only girl anymore, nor does he need me for everything. He is becoming a little independent and I guess I should be a little excited for him. As for me if this is a sign of things to come, I think I will stock up on the chocolate and get the tissues handy cause my heart's gonna get broken a lot.

Copycats

Jake and Evan are doing this thing lately where they copy what everyone is saying. They do it to each other, to me, grandparents, even their daddy. When they do it to each other, it's cute for a moment but it gets annoying to me pretty quickly. I know that this is just another form of expression but I do try to quell it when I think it has gone on long enough. It usually loses its appeal with them after a few rounds anyway. However I realize there must be more to it because it appears in other forms. Maybe it's the curious side of children or just their ages but copying or mimicking seems to be running rampant... and it's not always annoying. In fact, I am seeing it is an interesting way to learn.
For example, I have Jake dusting his furniture in his room. It is a way for him to earn points and money when we go to Disney and it teaches him responsibility. I have him do it on the days that I clean so he can feel like he is pitching in too. Well my requests for him to clean aren't always welcome and that was the case this weekend. After some complaining, and me explaining why he needs to do it, he did it. Then along comes Evan with his own agenda why he shouldn't have to clean his room. I guess it wasn't my day. So before I could even start my sermon to him, the boy I call Jake who just a few minutes prior was pitching his own fit, turned into a grown man all of a sudden, spewing out to Evan all of the reasons I had just given him on why it must be done. Jake turned into me for a moment. And sometimes he turns into his daddy too. This happens often lately and it is quite comical. So maybe he does get it. I'm thinking the initial protests are just to wear me down.
I guess the funniest copycat move came today in Target. I am a little bit of a germ-o-phobe. I love hats but hesitate to try them on in stores because of lice and other gross things that I may not want on my head. So when I pick up a hat I swipe it with my hand, blow in it and shake it out. So I did that today after Evan and I saw the cutest hats in the boys section on clearance for $2 each. Of course I did my hat maneuver before letting Evan try his on. Then I turned to look at something else. When I turned back I saw Jake copying the same move before he tried on his hat.
Who says they aren't paying attention? Being a copycat can sometimes be a good thing! I just hope they copy the important stuff along the way.