Just One Thing Missing

Another fun weekend has flown by.  Knowing Matt was headed north to go ice fishing, I had all of these wonderful plans of movies and sledding with the girls and house projects to get caught up on… only to find myself hibernating from the bitter cold this weekend. 

Friday night we switched our traditional “Pizza and Movie Night” to “Happy Meals and Movie Night”.  The movie: “Alpha and Omega”.  This was the worse movie ever.  The story is about how an Alpha wolf is not supposed to mate with an Omega wolf!  Seriously?  At one point, the Alpha male was supposed to “howl” with the Alpha female (yes its a metaphor) and she never quite joins in.  He collapses and says “Was it as good for you as it was for me?”  I’m sure that was the creator’s attempt to include adult humor, but I for one, did NOT find it funny.  Thank God my kids did not understand, nor repeat it (yet). 

Saturday’s temps remained below zero, so we skipped the sledding idea and did what girls do best…. Went shopping!  Both girls had gift cards from Christmas that they had yet to spend – thank you uncle Steve.  Madalyn was prepared to spend hers on a new swimsuit and a pair of gigantic slippers.  I agreed to buy both girls a swimsuit and put the slippers back.  Savannah ended up buying a Pucci Pup and a Fur Real Duckling.  Madalyn chose a Mobigo by VTech.  I had only heard about this Mobigo earlier the same day from another preschooler mom who claims this little video gaming system has taught her 2 ½ year old to spell.  I knew instantly Madalyn would love it since she has begged to play Savannah’s Leapfrog Leapster (another awesome product) since Christmas.  The girls thought they were really grown up putting their items on the belt at the checkout lane and then handing the cashier a “credit card” and taking their bag of loot.

So our weekend was mostly play and very little work, but one thing was missing all weekend: Daddy.  I’ve been married long enough to know not to take my spouse for granted.  So I often think about how lucky we are that he keeps the fire stoked for us always takes the garbage out, that he motivates the rest of us to play silly games, etc.  But I thought about it even more as I looked out the window at the –6 degrees weather and knew that I was on my own.  If I wanted a warm fire, I would need trek my rearend out to shed for the wood.  And dinner wasn’t going to cook itself.  And the kids needed to be bathed.  And… what’s that… ah yes the sound of screaming girls fighting over something again.  Yes, I missed my partner in crime... but I wasn't the only one.

But First I'll be a Mother

During a recent visit to my Aunt Kyle’s house, I read a poem on her bathroom wall that couldn’t be more fitting for our family and for me.  Ironically, I found out my mother gave it to her.

PLEASE EXCUSE THIS HOUSE

Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere.

 For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges on the doors;
I should apologize I guess
For toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children

And we played and laughed and read,
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to

Choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife...
But first I'll be a mother.

Our days in the Phillips household are always busy ones.  With both of us working and the extracurricular activities of the kids, our time available to catch up on laundry, clean the house, mow the yard and plow the driveway is always limited. 

Above is a typical night of multi-tasking, with one kid in the bathtub, one on the potty, and washing dishes from dinner while Matt was out shoveling snow.  Apparently our sink does not have an automatic shut-off valve when it’s full.  It overflowed, resulting in momentary chaos.

So, as we continue to race against time, we also try to find that healthy balance of work outside of the home and work inside the home, and essential time with the kids.

The Circle of Life

This week my thoughts have belonged to my late Grandma Edna Rae.  She would have been 89 years old this past Tuesday January 11^th.  Today is the 6-year anniversary of her death.  And although my kids never got to meet her, I keep an old black and white photo of her framed in the dining room. 

My Grandma was a true southern woman.  She held steadfast to her beliefs and she was very involved in her church.  The memories I have of my Grandma include huge meals full of southern style casseroles and salty hams.  And that little candy dish that I could always count on being full of good treats.  She always dressed snazzy and even into her elderly years, her makeup and hair always had to be perfect.

I wish she’d had the chance to meet my children.  I think she would’ve enjoyed them.  So this is the circle of life.  And what a short one it is.  As a result, I’m eternally grateful for the time that my children get to spend with each of their grandparents.  Each one contributing something different and unique that helps to form my children into the little people they are today and the adults that they will become some day.  And I’m sure that somewhere within me is a little piece of my Grandma that is being passed on to my kids as well.  If nothing else, the green bean casserole definitely is!

To blog or not to blog.... that is the question

I struggled with the decision of whether or not to venture into this unfamiliar territory of blogging.  Intimidated by other bloggers creative writing abilities and advanced photography skills and my fear of website security, I’ve avoided it up until now.  Don’t get me wrong, I know nothing is “secure” on the internet, but I do like having the option of keeping my site “private” and choosing who can see it.  And who has the time for all of this blogging any way?  Facebook is so easy as I can just post my updates directly from my phone while waiting for the kids in gymnastics or riding as a passenger in a car.  However, with the help of my beloved sister, I’m going to give this a try.  So if you choose to follow, don’t have high expectations of a blog full of creative posts and perfect pictures.  This will just be a glimpse inside the lives of this little family of four.