Dear Mom,
You are the best. You take care of me. You feed me, and most importantly you love me. You even give me toilet paper when I need it. I love you a lot. You've always been there for me. Thank you mom!
Love, TylerHappy Mother's Day!
Showing posts with label Mother's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mother's Day. Show all posts
Happy Mother's Day!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
This post should have been up yesterday but my flowers died and Tyler was stung by a bee. But I should back up a bit. I have a relationship with a new PR company. They offered to send me fresh flowers, my favorite Gerber daisies, to use in a post about Mother's Day. I've been wracking my brain trying to tie flowers and what being a mom means to me together in a way that didn't sound trite or cliched. The events of yesterday afternoon spoke for themselves and kind of wrote the story for me.
I'm not crafty so the thought of arranging the flowers myself, especially into something picture worthy that wouldn't embarrass the sponsor was a little scary. I love having fresh flowers but I generally leave the arranging to the pros. I've never made a topiary out of anything, let alone flowers. But, I try to be open to new experiences. There's always something to learn and the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with mastering a new skill is so, so sweet.
I kept my flowers in a vase with the protective straws on the stems until I was ready to start my post. If you're not familiar with Gerber daisies the flower heads are really heavy. The stems can get limp and droopy long before the bloom is gone and the heads hang like they lost the Little League title by one run and it looks so sad.
So, I kept the plastic straws on the stems to support the heads so that my arrangement would look fresh. But, when I took the straws off to start creating my topiary the stems had mildewed and collapsed but I couldn't see that through the green straw. I was crushed. I thought I was being careful and doing the right thing. But sometimes, decisions we make that seem right at the time don't turn out the way we planned.
I had to take a moment to regroup and come up with a Plan B on the fly. I decided I had to get new flowers so that I could honor my commitment. After I picked him up from school, Tyler and I went to a wholesaler near us and I bought two bunches of beautiful orange Gerbers and white mini Carnations. When we got home I started snipping and bunching, hoping the topiary would turn out at least sphere-like. And it didn't, so I tried again. And again. And again.
It took me more than hour to put the arrangement together. Mostly because I'm anal but also to prove to myself that I could do it. Putting together a flower arrangement isn't on par with cooking a five course gourmet meal for eight but I really, really wanted it to turn out well. Having the topiary on my kitchen table would be a visual reminder that I do manage to get the all encompassing "it" right, at least some of the time.
As I was finishing up and trying to find good light for pictures, Tyler, who was outside playing tether ball, started to cry. Then he started to scream. He ran inside holding his hand and his eyes were huge. "It hurts! It hurts! Ow, ow, owwwww!" I tried to get him to show me where he was hurt but he ran from me, to the bathroom, back to me and to the bathroom again in a complete panic. I've never seen him like that before. "It hurts worser now! Ow, OWWWWW!"
I thought he might have gotten a bad splinter from the wooden base of his tether ball set but he wouldn't let me get a good look. Phil brought the tweezers and antibiotic into the bathroom, but Tyler had already stuck his hand under the faucet. What I saw could have been a splinter, but judging by the pain he was in, the redness and swelling, it had to be a sting. It was his first, and Phil is allergic to stings so we kept a close eye on him for awhile, just in case.
Seeing Tyler like that, hurt and terrified, scared me a little. He's my heart and soul. Keeping him safe is my job. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we won't always be able to keep our kids out of harm's way. But, we can do our best to kiss it and make it all better, and hope that it actually will.
For me, being a mom has changed me in so many ways. It's been a journey to say the least. I've had to step out of my comfort zone into unfamiliar territory many times, making decisions as I go and hoping they are the right ones and trying not to beat myself up too badly when it turns out I was wrong.
I've had to learn how to handle the energy of a fearless, curious little boy. I've tapped into patience levels I didn't know I had. I've had to think on my feet and change directions many times. I've had to admit when I didn't know the answers.
I've come to realize I need external validation more than I'd like to admit, especially now that I'm a stay at home mom. I understand now that deep, fierce need to protect that is only words until you have a child of your own. Being a mom is hard at times. But it's so worth it. And when my little flower smiles and tells me I'm the best mommy in the world, I know that all my time, effort and patience are working and I'm getting "it" right.
I'm not crafty so the thought of arranging the flowers myself, especially into something picture worthy that wouldn't embarrass the sponsor was a little scary. I love having fresh flowers but I generally leave the arranging to the pros. I've never made a topiary out of anything, let alone flowers. But, I try to be open to new experiences. There's always something to learn and the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with mastering a new skill is so, so sweet.
I kept my flowers in a vase with the protective straws on the stems until I was ready to start my post. If you're not familiar with Gerber daisies the flower heads are really heavy. The stems can get limp and droopy long before the bloom is gone and the heads hang like they lost the Little League title by one run and it looks so sad.
So, I kept the plastic straws on the stems to support the heads so that my arrangement would look fresh. But, when I took the straws off to start creating my topiary the stems had mildewed and collapsed but I couldn't see that through the green straw. I was crushed. I thought I was being careful and doing the right thing. But sometimes, decisions we make that seem right at the time don't turn out the way we planned.
I had to take a moment to regroup and come up with a Plan B on the fly. I decided I had to get new flowers so that I could honor my commitment. After I picked him up from school, Tyler and I went to a wholesaler near us and I bought two bunches of beautiful orange Gerbers and white mini Carnations. When we got home I started snipping and bunching, hoping the topiary would turn out at least sphere-like. And it didn't, so I tried again. And again. And again.
It took me more than hour to put the arrangement together. Mostly because I'm anal but also to prove to myself that I could do it. Putting together a flower arrangement isn't on par with cooking a five course gourmet meal for eight but I really, really wanted it to turn out well. Having the topiary on my kitchen table would be a visual reminder that I do manage to get the all encompassing "it" right, at least some of the time.
As I was finishing up and trying to find good light for pictures, Tyler, who was outside playing tether ball, started to cry. Then he started to scream. He ran inside holding his hand and his eyes were huge. "It hurts! It hurts! Ow, ow, owwwww!" I tried to get him to show me where he was hurt but he ran from me, to the bathroom, back to me and to the bathroom again in a complete panic. I've never seen him like that before. "It hurts worser now! Ow, OWWWWW!"I thought he might have gotten a bad splinter from the wooden base of his tether ball set but he wouldn't let me get a good look. Phil brought the tweezers and antibiotic into the bathroom, but Tyler had already stuck his hand under the faucet. What I saw could have been a splinter, but judging by the pain he was in, the redness and swelling, it had to be a sting. It was his first, and Phil is allergic to stings so we kept a close eye on him for awhile, just in case.
Seeing Tyler like that, hurt and terrified, scared me a little. He's my heart and soul. Keeping him safe is my job. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we won't always be able to keep our kids out of harm's way. But, we can do our best to kiss it and make it all better, and hope that it actually will.
For me, being a mom has changed me in so many ways. It's been a journey to say the least. I've had to step out of my comfort zone into unfamiliar territory many times, making decisions as I go and hoping they are the right ones and trying not to beat myself up too badly when it turns out I was wrong.
I've had to learn how to handle the energy of a fearless, curious little boy. I've tapped into patience levels I didn't know I had. I've had to think on my feet and change directions many times. I've had to admit when I didn't know the answers.
I've come to realize I need external validation more than I'd like to admit, especially now that I'm a stay at home mom. I understand now that deep, fierce need to protect that is only words until you have a child of your own. Being a mom is hard at times. But it's so worth it. And when my little flower smiles and tells me I'm the best mommy in the world, I know that all my time, effort and patience are working and I'm getting "it" right.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I got the Snaptotes backpack Friday and it's so cute! I used the photo Aaryn took of Tyler* at Cheri's pool last summer. It's one of my favorite pictures of him and one I knew would look great on the bag.
I love it! I'm glad I chose the black and white picture over the color. It looks good with the black bag. I like the extra pockets and the pen holders. I'm always digging for my pens and often give up and use lipliner. The attachment to hold keys is a nice touch.
It holds more than I thought it would. I normally use huge bags because I carry the world in my purse. This one fits enough for a developing country. I have room for all the essentials and a little to spare. 
Now that I have it, I can't give it up. I was going to give it to my mom, but it's just too cute. I can't give one to her with out giving one to the other three Grandma's as well. In the interest of family harmony and to prevent them from not speaking to me, I'm going to consider it a Mother's Day gift to myself!
*Use code DRAMA15 for 15% off your Snaptotes order. Last day to order in time for Mother's Day is April 30th *
Thank you to Snaptotes for letting me show off my baby this way!
*Yep, that's his real name. We're going to be in a magazine, there's no use trying to hide it anymore!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
My mom is really hard to shop for. Gift cards and things for the house are definite no-no's. Now that my brother is out of the house, her disposable income has gone up enough that when she wants something, she buys it. Like me, she has pretty expensive taste. Like me, she likes purses and shoes, however we have very different tastes. Night and day different. So, trying to come up with a gift she actually wants or needs can be a bit... difficult (but I don't mind! in case she's reading)
But, I know that she will never, ever turn down a chance to show off her Grandbaby. I've given her plenty of framed pictures of Drama Kid, sometimes in duplicate so she can have one at home and one in her office. Now I have an opportunity to give her a gift of something she likes (purses) and combine it with something personal (photos) that I know will be a hit.
I've seen women with photo handbags and assumed they were from a specialty boutique store. When the people from Snaptotes found me, I thought, "Duh! Of course something like that would be available online!" I ordered this bag last week.
I decided to go with the backpack even though I really like the bucket style too. The backpack can also be worn as a shoulder bag so versatility won by a hair. I like having my hands free, especially now that I take my camera with me everywhere.
It would be a stretch to say the ordering process took me 10 minutes. The photo I chose loaded quickly, I only needed to use the editing tools to shift the image a little and it was done. You can upload several images and switch them out which was helpful when I was trying to decide between a color photo and a black and white.
I would have liked to see an overhead shot of the interior of the bags and wish they offered a camera bag, similar to the messenger style but with pockets for lenses.
I got a shipping confirmation that the backpack is on it's way. I'll post again so you can see what it looks like. If you have hard to shop for people on your gift list, definitely take a look at the Snaptotes site. They gave me a special discount code for you, DRAMA10, for 10% off your purchase! The last day to order for Mother's Day is April 30th so you've got plenty of time to snap a few photos or search your archives for baby pictures.
But, I know that she will never, ever turn down a chance to show off her Grandbaby. I've given her plenty of framed pictures of Drama Kid, sometimes in duplicate so she can have one at home and one in her office. Now I have an opportunity to give her a gift of something she likes (purses) and combine it with something personal (photos) that I know will be a hit.
I've seen women with photo handbags and assumed they were from a specialty boutique store. When the people from Snaptotes found me, I thought, "Duh! Of course something like that would be available online!" I ordered this bag last week.
I decided to go with the backpack even though I really like the bucket style too. The backpack can also be worn as a shoulder bag so versatility won by a hair. I like having my hands free, especially now that I take my camera with me everywhere. It would be a stretch to say the ordering process took me 10 minutes. The photo I chose loaded quickly, I only needed to use the editing tools to shift the image a little and it was done. You can upload several images and switch them out which was helpful when I was trying to decide between a color photo and a black and white.
I would have liked to see an overhead shot of the interior of the bags and wish they offered a camera bag, similar to the messenger style but with pockets for lenses.
I got a shipping confirmation that the backpack is on it's way. I'll post again so you can see what it looks like. If you have hard to shop for people on your gift list, definitely take a look at the Snaptotes site. They gave me a special discount code for you, DRAMA10, for 10% off your purchase! The last day to order for Mother's Day is April 30th so you've got plenty of time to snap a few photos or search your archives for baby pictures.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thanks to all the great people I've met in blogland. You're a wonderful bunch of ladies. You make me laugh (Steph), you make me cry (Beth) and I learn something from you all.
Enjoy your the rest of your day!
5/12
Here's a few photos of my handmade gifts. And I'm cribbing from matteroffactmommy. Photos of us up for a limited time only. Get 'em while they're hot!
One of the cards made in kindergarten
The outside of another
And the inside
Mushrooms are the exact opposite of my favorite food! And my shoe size and weight are the same?
This is the "favorite foods" cookbook the class put together. All the kids' recipes are similar; 10 pounds of this, 12 cups of that mixed together and cooked for 8 minutes at 100 degrees.
Hope everyone enjoyed their day!
*Pictures removed, too bad so sad*
Enjoy your the rest of your day!
5/12
Here's a few photos of my handmade gifts. And I'm cribbing from matteroffactmommy. Photos of us up for a limited time only. Get 'em while they're hot!
One of the cards made in kindergarten
The outside of another
And the inside
Mushrooms are the exact opposite of my favorite food! And my shoe size and weight are the same?This is the "favorite foods" cookbook the class put together. All the kids' recipes are similar; 10 pounds of this, 12 cups of that mixed together and cooked for 8 minutes at 100 degrees.
Hope everyone enjoyed their day!
*Pictures removed, too bad so sad*
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