Indian Jamboree

It's Sunday morning and I can hear Emma and Cole downstairs. Cole spent the night last night and now Emma is reading to him. She is really reading to him. This amazes me. I am so proud of her. They are having a blast and I can hear their laughter coming up from downstairs.
Last night I was reading 'Little House on the Prairie' to both of them. We were all cuddled up in bed and they had just finished a long fit of the giggles. I was trying to calm them down, but it wasn't easy. I found myself having to remember not to raise my voice and just be patient. After all, it wasn't a school night. And I am trying to be "flexible".
Finally, they stopped and I started reading a chapter called "Indian Jamboree." Laura Ingalls was describing hearing the Indians make funny noises from their throats, so I tried to interject my version of how this would sound. "Hi ya! Hi ya!" I started. Both of the kids stopped and stared at me and then immediately burst out laughing and Emma said "No, that's not in the book, Mama!". Cole just shook his head and kept laughing. I don't know why, but I started laughing myself. I laughed so hard and I couldn't stop. Tears came out of my eyes. All three of us were laughing hysterically, and it felt so good to just laugh with them. (I am laughing now just thinking about it.) I hugged Emma since she was the closest to me, and Cole said "You love Emma, Mama Suzi?" "Yes, Cole. I do. I love Emma, and I love you, too!". He looked at me and blushed.
I love that we have this relationship. Our blended family. Cole is Albert and Jen's little one, but Coley is such a part of my life, and the lives of Sebastian and Emma. We don't use the word "step" when referring to him, because that is not really what he is. He's not a step brother, or step son. There is no step about it. We are just all one big family. Cole is a wonderful two year old and we all share in the joy of raising a toddler, a five year old, and an eleven year old, who all make us laugh.
It is so healing to laugh. I like to laugh every single day, but sometimes I forget how important this is.
I wonder what will be my Indian Jamboree moment today?

honey my love

Thanks for tuning into Suzi Shelton's webcast. Choose a partner as she sings Honey My Love with Rich Hinman and special guest dancer, Emma Rose Mitri!

Sometimes I forget

Today I woke up to snow falling down again.  It's beautiful, but I remembered that I am taking Emma into the city today to see the butterflies at the Natural History Museum, and I thought about how it will be a pretty slushy trip.  Especially because Emma likes to step in snow.  And slush.  
I went upstairs to get my cup of coffee and to sit on the couch and "be still" for a minute and was careful to be extra quiet because Sebastian's room is next to the family room. I suddenly remembered that he is not here.  He is on vacation with Albert until Thursday.  It is amazing, but Sebastian has had two homes since he was three years old and still sometimes I forget.  It's not that it makes me sad, because I know that he is happy in both homes, but it's just a weird longing that I still feel when he is gone, and I imagine that I will feel this forever.  I am sure having two homes is not easy for him, but it is all that he knows.  I feel so badly for him when he forgets things in one home or the other because it seems to cause him a lot of frustration, but that seems to be the worst of it.  I hope that when he grows up that he doesn't remember that frustration as much as he remembers that both of his parents (and now his two sets of step-parents) love him so much and wanted to make sure the he could have two happy homes instead of one that had a lot of tension.  I hope.  Not all families have such good relationships with their "ex's", but we do, and I really appreciate that.  I hope that Sebastian appreciates it, too. 
"I love you, honey, and I miss you a lot.  I can't wait until you get back.  Have a nice vacation with Daddy, Jen and Cole, and when you get back, Emma and I will tell you all about the butterflies..."

Valentine song

Happy Valentine's Day....

Can we talk? Lesson on flexibility...

I always have a plan.  I don't like when things get in the way of my plan.  One of the things that I have been trying to work on lately is flexibility.  Being able to actually "go with the flow" without getting frustrated in order to be a better ME. 

Time is always a big one.  I like to be on time for just about everything, and am constantly trying to get things done according to the clock.  Since I have become a mother, I realize that my kids are two of my biggest challenges to this.  They work on a different time clock. One that doesn't often fit into my master plan. 

Here is an example.  My five year old daughter Emma Rose has found that her favorite time to share with me is at bedtime.   I am sure that this is the case in many homes as it is the perfect stall tactic.  It begins when she starts the upward climb into her loft bed.  "So, can we talk?" she asks hopefully.   I look up at her in her loft, glance at the clock, and take a breath.  I start to feel my pulse quicken at the fact that it is already later than I would have liked for her to be heading up to bed, but I am trying to be flexible, so I say...  "Ok, we can talk for about five minutes." "How about ten?"she asks.  "We'll see... just get up there! I am coming up and it is getting very late!"

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I ask after we have completed the straightening of the covers ritual.  "Well, today Gassin hit me on my finger and it hurt a lot and he didn't even say he was sorry!" and so it begins.  This is what I have been waiting for since I picked her up from school.   I have to really remind myself not to "wrap this up" quickly, just because it is late and I am super tired.  I take another breath and we talk back and forth and then before we know it, it really IS late and I am starting to get irritated that she is up so late and I make her promise me that she won't give me a hard time in the morning.  "I promise" she says as I kiss her forehead. 

I compliment myself on not getting too bent out of shape that it got to be so late.  After all, I am so lucky to have these moments in my life with my kids.  What could be more important?

So my new plan is to allow time for these "unexpected" sharing moments.  To plan to be more flexible.  Especially for the moments that are initiated by my kids. Why? Because I don't want to miss out on them just because I don't have the time. 

I am very curious as to how other parents deal with this.  How do other parents deal with  being flexible?

sebastian's review of lightning thief movie

Sebastian's Corner

I wanted to post this video as a proud parent to my eleven year old son, Sebastian.  He is an avid reader and since the movie is coming out soon, he wanted to share his thoughts on "The Lightning Thief".  I would love to hear what your kids think of this...

Sebastian's thoughts on The Lightning Thief