Tonight

His sister is on a play date this evening and his dad is home with a strained back. I decided we'd go out to eat. Just the two of us. A date. The three-year old and me.

He was reluctant at first, when I called it a date. He said, "But I don't want to marry you." Not sure where he was going with that one, I assured him (with a very bruised ego, he used to always want to marry his mama...what happened?!) that we would not be getting married.

We went to our favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant, Bobo China, for crab rangoons, soup, and lo mein.

I cherish those moment when I get a little 1:1 time with my kids. Their personalities shine without the push/pull sibling communication going on.

There was no rush, we lingered and chatted.

My eyes wandered across the restaurant to a booth where another mother and son sat. He was about 14 and was passionately telling her a story about his day. How a teacher had wronged him in full detail.

My mind flashed forward 10 years. I wonder how my little guy will look. Sound. Will he tell me stories about his day? Will he still join me for crab rangoons after a long day?

I've said it before that it is my goal that he not be a jackass. Above all, I think keeping up with those dates and those talks will help him grow into the kind of young man I hope he will be.

I looked in the rear view mirror on the way home and thanked God for my son. For our relationship. It is those connections that make everything else worth it. To quote one of my favorite movies, my cup runneth over.

and over and over again...

Just Drink Water

Coach used to tell us that pop dehydrated the muscles. He preferred if we didn't drink it at all. I drank clear soda in high school, but nothing caffeinated.

This article makes me want to recommit to a no soda policy. Seriously.
What Soft Drinks are Doing to your Body

I don't drink a ton of soda, but have been known to buy a can of Coke on a particularly sluggish afternoon. I also tend to order a Dr. Pepper when we have fast food.

How hard is it to order water? Or even iced tea? Apparently pretty tough because my default is SODA.

I gave up the diet stuff when I was pregnant with #2, convinced that aspartame is evil. I still pretty much think so.

What I love now is a real cola. Pepsi or Coke. Mmmmmmm.

If something so simple as cutting out pop can help with my brain, muscles, and bone? Count me in.

I know the article isn't rocket science. It isn't really all that new of information, just a reminder.

It's time to give up pop or Coke or soda or whatever you call it!

So what about you? Can you give up the good stuff?

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Our Pumpkins

Why did I think that by saying "No messes." that the three-year old would know to put a FINGER into the finger paints? B did much better, so I guess six is the magic age for understanding that concept. Although his blue pumpkin turned out just fine too.

While I cut up our jack-o-lantern, the kids painted theirs.

B likes to help scrape out the insides. Little man says "That smell makes me SICK" so he opted out of the pumpkin guts scraping activity.

As the kids get older, it's the little traditions that feel so right. That bind us as a family. We are approaching some of my favorite times of the year. And what means so much to me is that word. Family.

I've been feeling so crumby for well over two weeks now and I can still say with complete sincerity that I am blessed. So thankful for my family.

Image courtesy of http://www.brothersoft.com/

Something fun!

Our local paper - the Omaha World Herald - is launching a new site for Omaha moms. It's going to be up and running by the end of the year, possibly as early as Thanksgiving, and it's called Momaha. Cool name, huh?!

An editor from the World Herald, Veronica Stickney, found me here and we started emailing about the site. I'm joining the blogging moms team. I have no idea yet what that may end up looking like, but am excited about the possibilities.

So you can find it here and if you are interested in applying to join the team, you can find more information here. I think it's really exciting because the information will be so specific to our local needs and will reflect our particular Nebraska flavor that I am so particularly fond of. Bland to many, yes, but what can I say, I am a Nebraska girl and always will be.

So check out momaha.com. You know you want to.


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On the Phone

Have you ever talked mean to the sweet computer-voice lady at the mortgage company?

Maybe called her a mean name?

Then pressed zero and zero and zero, desperately trying to talk to a REAL person?

Yeah. Me too.

Probably best not to handle these things in a feverish flu haze.

Maybe I'll write her a nice apology note while I wait to talk to that REAL person!

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Creepy In a Good Way

We interrupt this fever and cough to share with you some fun Halloween reading. Beck has been writing this great Halloween series that twists popular children's tales. When Max & Ruby came on this evening, I am still creeped out!

Check it out!


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