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May 16, 2003
5.16.03: My first “tea & crumpet” party...
Last Friday afternoon, the preschool had a “tea & crumpet” party for the moms to celebrate Mother’s Day. That week, I knew the kids were busy making handcrafted presents for us. To be honest, I was really looking forward to it. The party started at 4 o’clock. When I arrived, most of the moms were already seated. The small tables were set for 4, 2 kids and 2 moms at each table. Rachel was so excited to see me walk in. She smiled and took my hand, walked me to our table and introduced me, “this is MY mommy!” We had our pictures taken. I sat down and there was a placemat made out of pink construction paper. It had Rachel’s hand prints on it with a loving poem and it was laminated as a keepsake. There were names at each place setting. Mine said “Rachel’s mommy.” It had a picture of Rachel on it. The kids made us paper corsages with their own handprints. They were all different colors and had pins glued on the back of them to attach to our clothing. There were fresh flowers in the center of each table. They spent all week making ceramic tea mugs (really large soup-type mugs like you see on the show Friends). The kids painted them in class. They were sent out for glazing and firing. Rachel was so proud of the mug she made. It was really something. I could feel her joy just by looking in her eyes. She chose a hot-pink (fuchsia) color of paint and I love the detail of the brush strokes. I just love it. When your child makes you something or brings you a stray dandelion from the yard, it just tugs at your heart. At least it tugs at mine. We had tea and crumpets which the kids made themselves (scary!). They were little pastries with raisins and much love added. Another lesson to me that day was the importance of taking time out to attend special events and programs with your children. I felt sorry for some of the kids whose moms could not attend. It tore at my heart to watch those kids sitting beside an empty seat. A few of them kept glancing toward the door each time it opened, with hopeful anxious eyes. I felt their disappointment. It made me realize how important it is for the parents to make the time to participate and attend these important events.
sewing classes…
Saturday, Rachel & I returned books to the library and picked out a new stack to read. We went to the new Super Wal-Mart which just opened on 529. We got all of our normal crap for the house, like toiletries, paper products, and then we headed over to their sewing department. We found a basic pattern for Barbie clothes called Sewing Patterns for Dummies (Simplicity 5755). We looked at some of the sewing machines and notions. Another lady gave me some pointers which I found helpful. Speaking of sewing, I found a class which starts in June. I am more interested in taking it now that I’ve talked to the instructor. Her last name is Barber, and I wonder if that is an omen, since one of my buddies shares that last name and happens to be great with a needle. I don’t want to take a class where everyone is forced to make the same thing like an apron or an ugly skirt which I will never wear. I told the teacher I was more interested in sewing more basic things like a set of placemats, some throw pillows, maybe some drapes, and, of course, Barbie clothes. She said we were free to sew anything we wanted to sew, that we should come with questions and patterns and our sewing machines and be prepared to have fun. I still have visions of Mrs. Bloom (my high school home ec. teacher) with her old lady blue hair and bun. She also gave me some great tips on where to find a good sewing machine and even recommended a dealer located a few miles from my home.
Mother’s Day 2003…
Mother’s Day was a perfect day. Breaking from tradition (grin), we did not go to the zoo. I got to sleep in until 9:30. Jerry woke up early, as usual, and made breakfast. Then the kids came downstairs to join him. He made pancakes & bacon & English muffins. There was an arrangement of white roses (my favorite) on the kitchen table and Rachel yelled “Happy birthday mommy!” (grin). There were cards from all three of them with a balloon and a pan of “Happy Mother’s Day brownies. The kids were anxious for me to read their cards, but more anxious to get their hands on that balloon. Rachel let it loose in the foyer entrance and it went all the way up to the second story ceiling. Mitch just stood and pointed “balloon” and Jerry spent most of the morning running upstairs to bring it back down. It was a muggy day. Jerry set up the pool and then mowed the front yard while I played with the kids in the pool. I pulled them in the wagon through our neighborhood, until we were too tired to play. The kids had lunch and (bonus) they both took naps at the same time. That is monumental, has never happened in this lifetime, and probably never will happen again. Thus, I must be sarcastic about it. Later, Jerry showered and dressed, and he took Rachel out for a ride on her bike. She’s getting better and better at pedaling and then she just gets lazy and loses interest. Mitch and I played with his matchbox cars. I was lying on the sofa and he lined up the cars on my legs, tummy, and arms. I’d move some of them around, and he’d look at me and then put them back where he wanted them. I’d move them around again, and he’d start laughing at me, and then move them back. Jerry & Rachel went for groceries and take-out food. We had a nice casual dinner at home (as I requested). We watched the season finale of Survivor.
Music + Mitch = Dancing…
Mitch loves music. And he loves to dance. The two go hand in hand. He knows how to turn on the stereo, knows which knob to turn for volume. The music starts and he will start bouncing in place. Then he starts to clap. Soon his shoulders start moving and hips are swaying. Next, the spinning begins. He will spin until he falls down on the floor, disoriented. He has a lot of energy. He enjoys being chased. He will give me a look, and then I’ll say, “I’m gonna get you!” and off he goes. I chase him through the living room, into the kitchen through the hallway and around to the living room again. It’s one big circle, and it takes a while for him to tire of this game. Sometimes he will chase me, and I will hide behind one of the pillars and then jump out and tickle him. He giggles and laughs. Sometimes he gives up and runs to the sofa, burying his head in the pillow, knowing I will find him and tickle him and kiss his ears. Mitch’s favorite toys are his Thomas cars (Diesel seems to be his favorite); his toy broom; his crayons; his bike. He loves playing in the pool and the tub. He doesn’t mind being sprayed with the hose or having a bucket of water poured over his head by his sister. He likes his new sandals and is getting really good at running in them. We expected him to fall and skin his knees, but he seems very comfortable in them. He likes to disappear with Rachel in her room and they play together for close to an hour. I frequently check on them, and sometimes they are fine and innocently playing. Other times every drawer is pulled out with all the clothing strewn around the room. Of course, it’s always Mitchell’s fault. Mitch is not attached to any particular toy. He is right-handed, and he comforts himself with his thumb at night or when he is nervous. We put a Mickey the Mouse stuffed toy in his bed, and he calls him “mouse.” This is funny to us, as Rachel and most kids we know call him Mick or Mickey. But to Mitch, he is “mouse.” We make it a point to keep the doors to the bathrooms and pantry closed. Mitch will raid the pantry, given a chance, and he never misses an opportunity to slip into the bathroom unnoticed. He will stand on the stool and reach for the water faucet or dip his hands into the toilet (cringe). Rachel knows that Mitch is not allowed in the bathroom with her but, being my daughter, she is a rebel at heart and naturally mischievous. The other day, I was unloading the dishwasher. It was very quiet and I realized the kids were not in sight. I could tell by the light under the door that they had snuck into the powder room. I asked, “what are you doing in there?” “Nothing” was the answer. I opened the door to find Mitch wearing only his t-shirt, with his pants down to his feet and his diaper was off. He had his thumb in his mouth, as if to say “don’t look at me,” and I asked Rachel what she was doing. She explained that Mitch had to go potty and she was “helping” him get started. (grin) I ushered them out of there and reminded them both that they are not to be in the bathroom without my permission. I checked the mirror, I swear I could feel more gray hair that moment.
technology…
I just finished watching Rachel’s dance class (online). She really enjoys the classes so much. They are held on Friday mornings at her preschool. At first, there were only 2 girls in the class (Rachel and one other girl). I was surprised and a little disappointed, because I thought surely all the little girls would want to dance. I remember taking ballet, tap & baton when I was young. It was so much fun. After a month, the class has grown to 8 little girls. I can’t help but giggle while I watch them all lined up in a neat row of 8 standing on the balance beam, sitting in a circle on the floor stretching out their legs and arms, and of course raising their arms in unison to the music. Rachel’s Grandma Orma also looks forward to watching her each Friday morning. I love being able to see Rachel while she is at school—from eating her snacks & meals in the cafeteria, to dancing in the gymnasium, to her classroom activities. The cameras give me a sense of relief, a check-and-balance system. Technology continues to amaze me. Jerry & I were two holdouts. We never wanted or needed cell phones. We didn’t get cell phones until December 1999, shortly after Rachel was born and I was set to return to work. We felt we needed the sense of security that a cell phone could/would provide, especially since I spent so much time on the road. We still have the very old-fashioned answering machine of Jerry’s bachelorhood. It has a cassette tape inside it, no fancy voice mail for us. What I love is the internet. Oh yes I do. Beyond banking and email and eBay and shopping, I love how the internet has provided us with convenience. Three years ago, we were on vacation in Michigan over the 4th of July. We had just sold my townhouse two days before leaving. We had to place many phone calls from Michigan to Texas during that week of vacation. It took an entire week to move the cash proceeds from the buyer, to the title company and into our account. Today, we can move our money around with the push of a button online. I love not having to stand in line at the bank to deposit money into the kids’ accounts. Saturday night, I ordered some sewing books online from Amazon.com. I had almost forgotten about it until 3 days later on Tuesday evening when I opened the front door. There was a box with my books inside. The books were greatly discounted, I did not have to pay sales tax, did not have to pay postage, and they were delivered to my front door. No driving to the mall, finding a bookstore with the exact books I wanted, etc. Oh, the convenience! I’m sure when the kids read this some day they will laugh at the things I am raving about, as they will probably be outdated and dinosaur-ish. I can’t wait to see what happens in another 20 years.
favorite colors…
How did I end up with kids who so strongly favor a particular color? Rachel’s love of pink is just a part of her personality. Mitch really, really, really likes yellow. We just started a Matchbox car collection for him. He has some sports cars, a dump truck, and a handful of the emergency vehicles like a helicopter, fire truck, police car. His favorites are the yellow school bus and yellow sports car. He fell asleep clutching one the other night. I wore my mother’s charm necklace twice this week. There are two charms. One is green (peridot) for Rachel (born August) and the other is pink for Mitch (born in October). Rachel knows that she is the green one, but this week she insisted that she had to be the PINK one, that Mitch was the green one. "Mitch isn't pink, I want to be the pink one!" Oh, the arguments to come.
Happy Meals & toys…
McDonald's latest Happy Meal toy is the Bratz doll series. There are 4 of them, though I had never seen them before. Chloe, Sasha, Jade & Yasmin. We don’t go to McDonald’s often enough to know what the “hot” toy is for the week. And we have never managed to get the entire collection of *whatever the hot toy happens to be*. A good example is the Beauty & the Beast collection. We got most of the main characters (Belle, Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts & Chip). But, we never got Cogsworth. Rachel is still bitter about it. Every time we pass those trusty yellow arches, she reminds me that we don't have Cogsworth. Two weeks ago, when she was sick, Jerry took her to McDonald's and she got one of the Bratz dolls (Chloe). Last weekend, Rachel & I stopped at McDonald’s and we each got a Happy Meal. We got Sasha & Jade. We only needed the final one: Yasmin. Every day we pass by the Golden Arches at least twice on the way to and from school. The big yellow M just reminds us of what we still don’t have. Rachel will see it and ask for a happy meal, she wants her missing Yasmin. A few minutes ago, Jerry called and (I'm sure you can tell where this is leading), but you would have thought we won the lottery! No kidding! He was on his cell phone calling from the McDonald's on 290 saying, "guess where I am? Guess what I have?" He got a Yasmin Bratz doll at McDonalds. Oh, the things you do for your kids! Rachel will be elated!
Weekend plans…
We have a busy day planned for tomorrow. There is an open house carnival at the preschool. It starts at noon. At the same time is the homeowner’s BBQ at the pool & clubhouse. Cole’s birthday party is at 4 p.m. I am planning to take Rachel to the carnival so she can play with Avery. Avery’s mom & dad invited us to join them for dinner after the carnival, but we have to go to Cole’s party across town. I hope we can reschedule dinner to Sunday or we will just do it next weekend. Summer is a great time, there are so many fun things to do.
Warmly,
Megan
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