Where a Dad Can Be a Kid!

Yesterday my husband and I along with our two kids, my sister and her daughter and my brother, his wife and their son all had lunch at Chuck E. Cheese's! The thrill of that is usually reserved for the children, but I have to say my husband usually has the most fun around venues of that sort. He's been that way for as long as I've known him. When we were in Vegas, he loved to hit all the arcade/carnival rooms in the casinos. His goal was to win as many cheesy stuffed animals as he could by playing those impossible carnival games. The odd thing: he was actually very good. I got a pair of huge fuzzy dice, some alien looking thing, a bunny rabbit and several others that are still around here somewhere. I don't have the heart to throw them out after he worked so hard for them! And the fun doesn't stop there! There's a little icecream truck that makes its way through our neighborhood daily during the summer. My children are usually napping and my husband is normally at work when it comes through. But one day my children were playing in the family room when I heard its musical chimes. I walked in the room and said, "Guess what I hear? Its the icecream truck!" I expected some reaction from the kids, but what I got was my husband jumping up with the exclamation of "SWEET!" and dashing out the door before my kids really had a chance to absorb what was going on. (Of course he came back in with treats for all.) Yes when people ask me how many children I have, I can honestly say, "3, Kaliese is 3, Braedyn is 1 and husband is 34 going on 7." Our trips to amusement parks, Chuck E. Cheese's, etc are as much for my husband as they are for the kids, but it really gets the kids more excited and we all have a better time for it.

Treasure of the day: Watching my husband with the children at Chuck E. Cheese's today, put a smile on my face. He had his picture sketched with our youngest, Braedyn. And he took our daughter on her first waverunner, and the best thing was I didn't have to worry about her drowning! I am made aware everyday just how wonderful he is. I am blessed to have a husband who takes time, not to just play with the kids, but to make everyday an adventure for them.

The "post-it" parent....someday

We all strive to create bonds with our children. Whether its by spending good quality time with them, sharing stories, bringing out the characteristics we have in common, or simply giving them a good solid foundation of family. We create these bonds to give our children a sense of security and love in a parent/child relationship, a relationship that hopefully represents a place of permanent belonging for them long after they leave childhood. The funny thing about bonding...it doesn't just bond our kids to us, but us to our kids. That's what kind of scares me a little. Someday my children will not be children anymore. They will reach a point where they will be trying to loosen that bond a little just as much as I will be trying to tighten it. So that's where my theory of the "post-it" bond comes in. Those little sticky notes with an odd chemical make-up that allows it to bond with whatever you want it to stick to, but when the time is right it peels aways gently, without ripping either the paper or the object to which it was attached. So, I guess that may be the kind of bond I try to create with my children. I want them to be independent and confident, even though the thought of them being even a day older sends a wave of panic through me. Of course this only applies to the outer layer of the bonds I have to my children. There is a bond that is the superglue to our relationship that will never let go, no matter how far apart we are or how old they are. That's the tricky part, knowing that the superglue is always there should make removing the post-it a little easier. But that day is, for now, safely tucked away in the distant future!

Treasure for the day: My 3 year old daughter and I love to go to the movies. Our local cinema has the free movie summer program where we can go to a special movie at 10am for free. This morning it was Madagascar! She loves getting her own popcorn and lemonade, carrying her booster chair to her seat and watching in awe at the giant characters in front of her. What I love is hearing her laugh, watching her face, the way she makes a big deal of sharing her popcorn with me by putting pieces in my mouth throughout the movie and finally her consistent gratitude as we walk out "Thanks for taking me to the movie mom, I love Madagascar." She does that everytime. Sure its a cheap date, but hopefully it will always remain one of our "post-it" activities!

Treasure hunting 101

As a wife and mom of 2, my everyday blah jobs of laundry, pb&js, bathtime, etc. can seem much less mundane by a constant quest for treasure. Sure sometimes it comes in finding a couple of dollars in my husband's pants pocket before they are thrown into the wash, or in finding that long lost remote in one of the toy baskets. But I'm speaking more of the hidden and unexpected finds that make the days a little more exciting. They come in many different forms, venues and genres covering the wide scope of the goings on of my days. First, of course, they come in my children. That unexpected hug from my 3 year old telling me she loves me. Watching my one year old take his first steps. Not hearing any noises from them in a while, only to find that they are sitting in the playroom quiety playing blocks together. Other times it comes from my hobbies of photography, scrapbooking and yard sales. Capturing the perfect picture or finding a much sought after army footlocker for $2 for my son's WWII room. And most importantly, finding little treasures even about myself. That I really could make one more pb&j without pulling my hair out, or that I am worthy of a few minutes of quiet time without feeling guilty. All of these little treasures are preserved when I can through pictures, journals and scrapbooks, but the others are just to take with me to experience, learn from, cherish and hold as a mom always does.