Growing Up

Somehow, dealing with the emotional ups and downs of a tween makes me feel so much more grown up than giving birth to the babies ever did. I have now arrived at the age in parenting where my children will remember how I was.

Just Wow

“In the morning I'm like a snake in the spring: I need to lie out on a warm rock and let the sun sink into me before I can start wiggling around and get on with the day.”
― Katherine Hannigan, Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World

It's funny how Katherine Hannigan's book brought me back to this blog. My oldest daughter climbed into bed with me this morning, the first day of spring break, talking about Ida B. from a book her teacher is reading to the class. She was saying that some people are like birds that flit around right away when they wake up in the morning and others are like snakes and they need to wiggle around a bit and relax before they start their day. I perked right up like a bird (very unlike my snakelike self that had previously been stretching out relaxing) and was like: "Ida B. !?" I have thought of that book from time to time over the last several years, but now it's back and it brought me here. I started this blog with my favorite quote from that book in, gulp, 2008. Where has the time gone? Holy smokes. Anyhow, I may even need to edit that original entry to make it a little less, well, personal.

We've had our 4th (and last) baby since I last posted and she's almost 3. I can feel myself moving toward the decade of activities from the decade of diapers. I feared that I would long for another baby when that chapter ended for me, but I find that I'm really ready for the next phase. I am trying to soak in all of the adorable cuteness of an almost three year old, though, because I know from experience how soon the mixed up expressions, imaginary friends, high-pitched voice, and cuddly, chubby arms that squeeze "Mama" tight for a sticky hug will morph into full-grown kid that never needs to be carried.

And I'm back here. No one really knows about this blog right now. It's like my own place. Many of my friends on Facebook tell me I should have a blog. I should write everything down. My kids are funny, my stories are funny. Well, I have read the old posts and they're not so funny. Not so silly. And that's fine. I'm not sure that I have anything beyond a one liner now and then, but we'll see. Right now, this is for me.

So, what's on my mind today are snakes and birds. My daughter and I are snakes (according to Ida B.) and I spent the day yesterday thinking about birds. My younger son is VERY into birds. Most notably, owls, but any bird will do. We spent the morning listening to bird calls online, took a walk, tried to identify the birds we heard, then returned home to listen to the online calls again. My son is in preschool and his favorite book is his bird guide. A regular, grown-up bird book that he has me read to him as if it were a storybook. He's convinced there's a Great Horned Owl outside his bedroom window in the mornings. I'm convinced he's dreaming it. He asked it we could plant a cactus because he'd really like an elf owl. I explained that cacti and elf owls don't really thrive in the northeastern states. Anyhow, we did make a mean peanut butter and birdseed feeder yesterday. And I'm looking for activities to feed his interest.

So, yesterday was for the birds. Today I'm a snake. And, maybe, tomorrow I'll be back.