Backyard Brothel

Spring has brought warm temperatures and Tom and I have enjoyed sleeping with our bedroom windows cracked. While we have found the cool breeze most EXCELLENT to sleep in ….we have had to learn to cope with the “sounds” of the woods. Our yard backs up to the woods and a pond – so the sounds of nature are abundant. We have had coyotes come howling through the woods. 

The pond is full of frisky frogs – who mate from sunset until around midnight….every night. The sound is deafening.  It has actually wakened Bryce in the middle of the night. He stumbled in our room, rubbing his eyes, and said, “I don’t like those frogs”.

We have learned to ignore it and it has actually become like white noise to us. Last night was different.

Around 1 am - we woke up to SCREECHING cats. Have you ever heard cats mate? It isn't quiet and it ain’t pretty sounding. 

I tried to ignore it and finally snapped. I stuck my face up to the window screen and yelled, “SHUUUUUT UUUUUUP!!!!!!”-------

Tom  said, “That’s not going to stop them Sarah, they’re mating. They don’t care.”

I took that as a challenge and said, “I am going to shut them up once and for all!”

I stormed out of our room, into the kitchen pantry and grabbed a 5 pound bag of potatoes.

Tom quickly jumped out of bed to follow me. I threw open the door and went out on the deck, where the screeching continued. With that, I took the first potato and chucked it into the woods, towards the sound.

Tom giggled and said, “Give me one!”

The screeching immediately stopped. I am sure it put a damper on the “mood”. Nothing like “hooking up” and having potatoes hurled at you out of nowhere.

There we stood, under the moon, throwing potatoes into the darkness – laughing.

We climbed back into bed – chuckling at what idiot’s the neighbors must think we are. Their windows were open too, after all.

It’s times like these. This is what makes “the years”, magical.

So thankful for our backyard brothel.

 

St. Paddy’s Day Magic

There is nothing better than being a mother on a Holiday --- even if it’s a seemingly insignificant Holiday, like St. Patrick’s Day.

There is such joy to be found in turning an ordinary day into something magical for your babies. 

Today I attended  the kid’s school for their annual Walk-a-thon fundraiser. The weather was perfect- a little overcast with a cool, steady breeze.  I loved watching the kids walk/run to the music being played over the loud speaker. My favorite part was cheering all of the kids on. “You can do it!”, “Great running!”, “Look at you go!!!” ….and the occasional pick-me-up speech to the kids who stopped in to tell me they couldn’t go any further. Those kids didn’t care that I wasn’t THEIR mother…all that mattered was that I was A mother. They knew that where a mom is to be found – so is comfort, encouragement, shoelace assistance, and a hug. 

Karah started out strong with great running – but by the end, blisters had formed from choosing the “wrong” pair of shoes to wear. She totaled 6 laps (1 1/2 miles). She was so proud.

I took her out for lunch immediately after. It was fun to skip out of school – get GOOD food – and just talk and laugh. One of my best friends, Anne, walked into the restaurant we were in. She didn’t see us.

I said, “I am gonna go pinch her butt and scare her!” Karah started chanting, “Not appropriate! Not appropriate!” Upon questioning her – she told me that we weren’t in an “appropriate place for me to pinch someone’s butt”.

I said, “There are going to be times when you have to keep me in line.”

She quickly answered, “Yeah…there are gonna be LOTS of those times…cuz you know you!”

We laughed and laughed. She is a smart, little girl. Witty, too.

After lunch it was Bradley’s turn for the  Walk-a-thon.  It was fun to see him from across the track – blowing me kisses and waving. When our eyes met, his walk instantly turned into a sprint. He struggled to pull up his jeans, every few steps, as they fell from his little hips. He had a few wipeouts, but picked himself up and continued on in his dream of beating his sister’s record of 6 laps. Each time he would get to my section of the track, he would run over – give me loves – and forge ahead while looking back at me over his shoulder. I melted. His hard work paid off and he ended up making 7 laps around the track!

After school, the kids made a Leprechaun trap. They offered him “Free Gold” – providing an entrance for him to walk through.

What the little Leprechaun didn’t know – was it was a DROP OFF….and he would be trapped under the table. Bryce double checked the trick loot.

The kids were extremely deliberate with their plan. The T’s were crossed….the I’s were dotted. That leprechaun was NOT getting away tonight!

St. Patty’s Dinner:

Leprechaun chicken wraps with green (blech) gravy.( This was as good as I could do. I am not a mom who can stomach green food coloring in eggs, potatoes, and everything else in the fridge. I compromised with the gravy. Baby steps.)

Shamrock trees and Gold Coins (Broccoli and yellow squash)

Leprechaun Yak (Pistachio Marshmallow Salad)

Leprechaun Water (Green Hawaiian Punch)

After dinner, the kids went downstairs to check the trap –and came up screaming that the tricky Leprechaun had gotten away….right after he turned our furniture upside down! The place had been ransacked!

He left them a taunting note….

In exchange for the gold coins he snatched, he left each of the kids a gift and some golden candy.

They thought it was a fair trade…though they are already planning their next trap for 2012.

It was the perfect day. Laundry didn’t get done…the To-DO list didn’t get any shorter…but it was time WELL spent…with the little ones who matter most.

I spent the remainder of the night …..

Breaking the rules.

Being their mother is all that I hoped it would be.

Lenny

I have a pet name for Tommy T.

It’s “Lenny”.

You may have read the book,  Of Mice and Men, or perhaps you have seen the movie and you are familiar with “Lenny”.

If not, allow me to introduce you to him.

Lenny is a big guy – with a mild mental disability. He loves to pet soft things --- which is why he carries a dead mouse around in his pocket.

He begged to his friend, “Let me pet the Rabbits, George!” ….and when his wish was granted…he pet them so hard that he snapped their little necks.

As it turns out – Tom has “Lenny moments” from time to time.

Today was one of them.

Last night we had watched on television about the fires in OKC  and in our area…and heard about the burn bans.

Today, Karah and I were gone all day at a Humanitarian Service activity at church.  Tom was left with the boys.

We came home to this:

Who decides to burn their Bermuda during a burn ban? My sweet Lenny.

His exact quote….”You should have seen it, honey! It spread like wildfire! It was tearing through the yard. You could hear it!”

“I would imagine.”, I answered.

He continued, proudly,  “I made sure the boys didn’t see me do it because I knew how scared they would be, but all the other neighborhood kids were watching.”

“You burnt the yard during a BURN BAN?”, I sweetly asked.

“I remembered something about the burn ban – thought maybe I shouldn’t be doing this  but the fire had already started”, he replied.

I love Tommy T …more than anything in the world…but hoping and praying that his Lenny gene skips a generation – for everyone’s sake.