Laugh Box

"Mom did you know you have a box in you that's called you laugh box?" asks my 6-year old son.
"Well no, I didn't. What does it do?" I ask.
"It holds all your giggles until they are ready to come out", he answers.
"Oh yeah and where is it?" I ask even more curiously.
"It's in your tummy", he cracks up, "I learned that on Sponge Bob!"

Hey! Guess what? Life is NOT Fair.

Who has taught our children to exclaim "that's not fair" when they do not get what they want. Who? I need to know, so I can have a word or two with them. Because I personally have not promised my kids that anything in their lives would ever be fair. I have never led them to believe, and foolishly so, that all things in life would be equal. I have tried to teach them to be kind and just. But I certainly did not promise fair in return. Yet I am constantly bombarded by the phrase.

I as a parent am so sick of hearing this phrase screamed, cried, or whispered by a disgruntled or even hysterical child. I want to yell back....Hey! Life isn't fair, so just you get used to it.

FAIR: Definition: free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge.

There is no such thing as fair, I truly believe this. There is only kindness and maybe the act of trying to be fair, but there is no real FAIR. We should strike that word from all of humanity. No one would suffer from the lack of it because it doesn't really exist. I dare someone to tell me different.

In the end I don't want my kids to strive for fairness, that is a fairytale. I want them to be better people by treating others with respect. I want them to know understand equality means. I want them to be aware that around them exists all kinds of things are are very, very unfair.... and then maybe try and do something about it.

45% of the Time

My daughter and I were doing a little soul searching together last night. I asked her if she would remember her childhood as a happy one...she thought for a moment, hesitant to answer, "I guess so, but you and daddy fight a lot." What! We fight a lot? I mean occasionally we have words but fight a lot...I had to do some serious thinking about this one. I guess truth be told we do raise our voices on occasion, especially when things get hectic and no one is listening.

I then asked her if she thought I was a good Mom? She told me like 45% of the the time. Hold on a minute 45%, you have got to be kidding me. I make Halloween Costumes, I let you have lots of friends over, I provide her with lots of great reading material. What more could a girl possibly want?!! After much negotiation I got her up to 75%, okay I could deal with that, I am only human after all.

Tonight her and her brother got into a real rockem sockem. He ended up with a tennis ball to the eye and I am sure a nice shiner for school tomorrow. When I sent her to her room explaining that she was older and 3 times his size and could seriously hurt him, she turned to me with a blank expression on her face and said "45%... Mom."

So I guess to be a good Mom I have to give her everything she wants and let every mistake go unnoticed. As she was going much later to check up on her brother I stopped her in the hall and said "that is okay honey, I love you 100% of the time and that is what matters most." She smiled...I think I maybe back up to 75%! Hurray!

xo,
Sher

Happy Spring!

Gosh it seems like it has taken forever to get here. The winter has been so long, but here we are, finally in spring. I cannot think of anything wistful or funny to say, I just feel grateful for surviving the cold, dark days of winter. They seem to have gone on forever.

It is such a glorious feeling to leave the office at the end of the day and see the sun. Spontaneous games of wiffle ball are starting to break out in our yard...a sure sign of more fun times to come!

Yeah...spring is good. Have a happy one!

xo,
Sher

"Mom, do you know what a woody is?"

This last night from 6 year old son. My husband and I look at each other, fear in our eyes. He proceeds, "It's when a man....(pause)...when a wife...(pause)... when her husband...(pause)... dies...then shes a woody!"

Followed by a long, huge sigh of relief, we say in unison "No honey, that is a widow"

Now there's one for the baby book.

Have a great day!

xo
S.

Perfectly Amazing and True!

It is amazing how little you have to say when you are relatively happy. The new job is going really well, my Dad seems to be back on the right track and feeling better and I have a little niece on the way! Exciting stuff. Life is good, I am going to enjoy it right now.

Just what I always wanted! Christmas 2007

This Christmas has to go down in my book as one of the best ever. Our house seemed almost enchanted...yeah.... I said enchanted. The kids were delightful, funny, gracious with of course a few small helpings of cheekiness thrown too!

As Christmas day grew closer Evan kept adding new items to his Santa list. I tried my best to explain to him that Santa's workshop was closed and the elves were now in lock and load sled mode. I almost started to panick when he told me early on the 24th what he really wanted the most was an electric guitar so he could have a band with his best friend Ari.

I told him not to worry, if Santa couldn't get to it I would buy him one for his birthday (ha! July 31st). I didn't need to worry one tiny bit...because everything he opened on Christmas day was "just what he always wanted!" Hearing his exclaimations was one of the best gifts I will ever receive. His almost 11 year old sister was just as happy with her gifts as well, just not as verbal as he was.

I wish there could be 20 more Christmas like this years but I know it won't happen. So I will put it down on paper and watch the videos over and over. I need to remind myself to enjoy these years, days, moments...in the end they are always too short.

Merry Christmas

xo,
Sher