Category: Mothering

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Cole Mothering Ryan School

Where Has the Time Gone?

Last week, I dropped off Ryan’s kindergarten registration packet at the school he will be attending.  It seemed surreal that in five months, my baby boy will be in kindergarten.  When did he get that big?  Where has the time gone? 

I was talking to one of my friends, Melissa, whose son will also be starting kindergarten in August, and we were discussing how fast the time is going- much more so now, than even when they were babies.  We were kidding that pretty soon our sons will be graduating from high school.  I said then we will be look back and asking, didn’t it just seem like they were starting kindergarten?

Thinking about Ryan growing older, used to make me very sad.  I wanted to keep him little forever.  Sometimes I still do.  There is nothing in the world that compares to cuddling your sweet, innocent, baby, and holding that life in your arms close to you- knowing that your baby is completely, and purely yours.  I had so many moments like that with both Ryan and Cole, that I never wanted to end.  I would still be holding them close to me if I could.  Those baby days seem so long ago, and yet the memories of them are never distant in my mind.  There is a saying regarding children, ‘the days are long, but the years are short,’  which I find very accurate. 

I can’t keep my children babies forever, and they will start kindergarten, middle school, high school, college- and life, despite my wanting to still be sitting with them in a glider, holding them close, and rocking them to sleep.  But as I see the little boy that Ryan has grown into, I can’t help but be happy he isn’t a baby anymore.  Both boys are full of life, laughter, and energy- so much energy.  They are growing into the people they are to become. 

At night, Ryan hugs me goodnight, and doesn’t let go, even when I start to pull away, and  Cole asks me to hold his hand, as he falls asleep.   Despite the oldest boy starting kindergarten in a few short months, my heart fills with so much love for them, and I know that I still have my babies- the only thing that has changed is their size, and that is just as it should be.

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Cole Family & Friends Household Mothering Ryan

Don’t Mess with Hamburger Helper

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I will admit it- I LOVE Hamburger Helper.  My mom used to make it a few times a month, when we were growing up, and somewhere along the way, it has joined the ranks with homemade macaroni & cheese, lasagna, and chicken enchiladas as a comfort food for me. 

This is pretty ironic, since all the other comfort foods I make are from scratch.  I suppose at times, everybody craves a processed, sodium, preservative enriched food. One time I posted on Twitter I was making Hamburger Helper for dinner, and one person told me that is THE meal her husband requests every year for his birthday.  The flavor he always wanted?  Beef Pasta!

The ONLY flavor of Hamburger Helper that I have ever eaten and probably ever will, is the Beef Pasta.  That was the only flavor my mom ever served, so Hamburger Helper to me, means Beef Pasta (but when we were growing up, it was called Beef Noodle).  With green beans.  Plus, I add a little Worcheister sauce to it as it cooks.  And I always use milk instead of water, to mix up the special seasoning packet.  It ends up much thicker that way.  On a cold winter night, it is hard to find anything that tastes as good as Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper cooked this way.

Because it is a comfort food, I don’t eat it very often.  Maybe three times over the winter.  I hate that it is processed, but it tastes so good.  Ryan and Cole are picky eaters.  I have no idea where they get that from (me).  But, even they like and will eat good old Hamburger Helper.  They will even eat some green beans with it.  Maybe Hamburger Helper is a taste that is acquired genetically.

Because it is not the healthiest food to eat, the other day I was in the store and spotted Annie’s Homegrown Organic Cheeseburger Macaroni.  The boys’ favorite food ever is Annie’s Mac & Cheese, and I don’t feel quite as guilty giving it to them, since it is all natural and doesn’t have the additives and preservatives in it. This looked great!  It was Hamburger Helper, with no guilt.  I bought a package and decided to make it that night.

The boys always ask what is for dinner, and I told them we were going to have Hamburger Helper with cheese- like mac & cheese.  They got that look- where they know you are trying to pull something over on them, but don’t know what it is yet.  I made green beans too. 

I was convinced the boys would dig right in, and I would feel good they had a healthy dinner.  As soon as Ryan and Cole  the food critics saw me bring their plates to the table, they faces turned down.  They looked at their plates and at healthy organic version of Hamburger Helper that I might add, costs almost double what the original version of Hamburger Helper does, as they turned up their noses.

My precious two-and-a-half year old looked at me with his blue eyes and asked,

“What the heck is this?” 

I didn’t even know he knew the word ‘heck.’

My other precious son, had to get his two-cents in, so he just made the comment,

“Gross.”

I was the organic Hamburger Helper cheerleader. I told them to give it a try- they might like it.  I even sang the old commercial song about Hamburger Helper:

“Hamburger Helper Helped her Hamburger, Make a Great Meal!“ (click on the link to hear the song.)

The boys were not amused.  And it wasn’t even because of my singing.  They ignored my cheerleading, and asked if they could have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I told them they had to eat some of their Hamburger Helper.

“But Mommy, this isn’t Hamburger Helper.”  Ryan told me.

“Not Hamburger Helper- this is YUCKY!” Cole added.

They had a point- it didn’t look like our beloved Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper. 

“This isn’t even mac & cheese.” Ryan told me upon further inspection, poking the hamburger around on his plate.

“This is YUCKY!”  Cole added, holding up a piece of hamburger.

I was not defeated yet. I sat down and told the boys this was a very good dinner and I was going to eat my plate of Hamburger Helper.  I took my first bite, and it wasn’t bad- but it wasn’t Hamburger Helper.  Ryan and Cole watched me eat a few more bites, and then Ryan tried a bite.  He looked like he was eating a cross between some dirt and some mud.  After he took a huge drink of milk he told Cole, “It’s not too bad Cole.”   Cole’s response was, “YUCKY!”

I had Cole eat a few bites, which was not fun, and the boys ate their green beans.  Then they were done.  As I was clearing the plates away, I overheard Ryan tell Cole “to watch mom at the store, and make sure she never buys that yucky food again.” I think the food critics have evolved now into food spies- they are going to cut me off at the pass. 

Since we don’t eat regular Hamburger Helper very often, I will just stick to the original processed version.  The boys like it, I like it, and they won’t have to hear me sing a commercial jingle from the 80’s.  Some things shouldn’t be changed, and Hamburger Helper is one of them. 

Now it is your turn- do you like Hamburger Helper? Do your kids like it? Which flavor is your favorite?  Let me know I am not the only Hamburger Helper lover out there.  🙂

Categories
Cole Mothering Parenting Ryan

Pee and Stomach Bump

Have you ever been around a male- it doesn’t matter who- your husband, your brother, your dad, your friend, as they spend their down time watching something that seems so silly-that you just don’t get, like The Three Stooges?  As they sit there laughing uncontrollably,  with beer running down their face, (or drool)  do you look at this male, and wonder 1. why is this so funny,  and 2. when did this start? 

Being the mother of two boys, I have the answers to these questions.  If you are a mother of more than one boy, thanks for checking in today, but you can skip this post, because you know.  If you only have one boy, or have girls, keep reading- this post is for you.

Boys- they feed off of each other.  When there was only one boy, and he yelled out “pee” there wasn’t anyone else around to echo “pee.”  I don’t think Ryan even ever uttered the word “pee” outside of restroom before Cole was born.  If he did, he certainly wasn’t laughing about it.   When another boy is added to the mix, (like Cole), he yells, “pee,” then Ryan bursts into hysterics, and also shouts out “pee.”  It is a verbal tennis match between the two:

Cole: Pee

Ryan: Pee

Cole (louder): PEE!

Ryan (even louder): PEE!

(Pause, but not long enough for Mom’s ears to stop ringing)

Ryan (laughing):  We said pee pee.

Cole (louder): PEE PEE

Ryan (even louder): PEE PEE!!!!

Cole (pulling down his pants and his diaper, and yelling ever LOUDER):  PEE PEE!!!!!!!

Ryan (about to go pee pee in his pants because he is laughing so hard): You have a pee face.

Cole: You have a PEE face.

Ryan: You have a super PEE face.

Cole: You are pee pee head.

Ryan: (shrieking and laughing) Pee pee head! 

And it goes on and on. Just like Curly, Larry, and Moe poke, hit, and make dumb noises over and over.  You can’t fight it- it just is.  I don’t understand what is so funny about pee and pee pee, but evidently it is hilarious to boys- just like the Three Stooges are to men.  I don’t know why, but I understand that nothing I can do or don’t do will change this.  It is just a part of the boys growing up, and finding certain things funny. 

Ryan and Cole also have a new game.  They call it Stomach Bump.  I am sure grown men do this same game drunk, in -20 degree weather when their football team scores a touchdown.  Stomach Bump is played by both boys lifting or taking off their shirts.  Then the stick out their stomachs as far as they can- showing their milk guts.  Then they step back from each other, like they are getting ready to dual. They run as fast as they can into each other, bumping their stomachs together (hence the clever name of their game). 

I expect tears everytime they do this, but even though they are both knocked down, they laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and get up to go do it again.  The other night, they tried to add a twist- Bath Time Stomach Bump.  Ryan stood up in the tub on one end, and Cole on the other end.  The milk guts started coming out, and mom stopped that game, before it began.  That is why parents are advised to stay in the bathroom when the kids are in the tub.  Because boys just come up with these creative games.  

I have yet to see two girls playing Stomach Bump, or the other varieties the boys have come up with like Butt Bump, Elbow Bump, and Head Crash.  (you don’t even want to know.)  But as their mom, even though I don’t get it.  They do.  They are having a blast.  They are doing something that they both find outrageously funny.  They are playing with each other and bonding over Super Butt Bump.  Most importantly, they are becoming friends. 

I suspect one day Ryan and Cole will grow up and they will like The Three Stooges- probably love The Three Stooges, and have beer running down their faces as they watch.  Their girlfriends or wives will shake their heads, and wonder what could possibly be so funny, and won’t understand it.   But after wtaching my boys at this age,  I know exactly why they do- it will go back all the way to now- to pee and Stomach Bump.

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Household Me Mothering

My Blackberry and I

I admit it.  I am not an electronics or gadget junkie.  I had no idea what the big fuss was when the iPhone was released.  I thought it was ridiculous anyone would spend that much money on a phone and wait in line overnight and camp out for one. 

In Colorado, where I live, people used to only camp out for Denver Broncos play-off tickets, or something equally as important- like Colorado Rockies World Series Tickets, or Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup tickets.  I can understand that- after all, cheering on your favorite sports team when they have made it to the big game- it can be a once in a life time event.

I have failed to see what is so exciting about the next big ‘must have’ electronic device that motivates people to spend all night laying on the sidewalk in a sleeping bag in front of Best Buy.  Whether it is the latest phone, Mp3 player, computer, HDTV, or video game system.  It is just a thing. 

A little less than a month ago, I wrote that it was finally time for me to replace my almost two-year old cell phone, which was absolutely ancient in electronic years.  I had decided to get a Blackberry Pearl.  One of the reasons I liked the Blackberry was because it was not an iPhone. My boss has an iPhone, and I have used hers before.  I don’t like how sensitive the touch screen is.  Every time I thought I was touching what I wanted, I had touched something else instead.  I realized I need buttons I could push, and the Blackberry Pearl has buttons- yay! 

I knew there were other features that I would like, but the main reason I decided on the Blackberry was because of the buttons.  How high tech is that?  My friend, Amy, told me to watch out- I was getting a ‘CrackBerry.’  I laughed and thought that was funny, but I would never become that dependant on a phone- it is just a thing. 

Not even a month later, I am not laughing.  While I haven’t officially signed up at CrackBerry.com, I find every day I am becoming more and more dependent on my Blackberry.  I love it.  Never mind I can make phone calls.  It has a calendar in it. I no longer have to wait until I get home to write on the wall calendar an appointment- better yet, I don’t have to try to remember to write it down.  I just pull out the Blackberry and  presto- the appointment is in the calendar.  It even sends me a reminder just to make sure I really remember it.  My mommy brain doesn’t even do that. 

It has a note pad.  Now I don’t have to carry around 10 different pieces of paper with me (a.k.a. my memory), with the grocery list, the Target list, the Costco list,  the errands I need to do, or the tasks I need to complete.  I can start a new note for each one, and when I need it, I push a few buttons (love those buttons) and presto- my memory is at my fingertips.

I no longer have to be at the computer in the house to check e-mail.  I can receive and send e-mail from the phone.  I can respond to the important ones right away, like the one I received from my boss this week. I was out and about and it would have taken me hours to get back to her.  Instead I was able to respond moments after she sent the e-mail.  I was able to respond quickly to some e-mails regarding my blog too.  I can keep up with my family and friends via the cool Facebook application. 

There is a camera and a video recorder on the phone.  The other night Ryan was doing something cute, and instead of lugging out the video camcorder, I just hit the button for the video recorder and recorded him dancing.  There is a password safe, that keeps all my passwords in one place.  There’s an address book, voice dialing, speaker phone, Mapquest, the weather report, a multimedia player, and more features I haven’t even gotten around to learning yet. 

I can’t believe all the things this phone does.  Now I understand why people will camp out for an electronic thing– it makes life easier.  Instead of having a big, thick, day-timer that I have to lug around or relying on the calendar hanging on my kitchen wall, everything I need to run my life and stay on top of our schedules, fits in the palm of my hand. 

While I doubt I will ever be one of those people camping out for electronics, I do understand it now.  It is great when there is a gadget that can make our hectic lives run a bit smoother, and if you want to be one of the first people who has the latest gadget, more power to you.  I think I’ll save my camping out for the mountains, or maybe just maybe, Broncos play-off tickets in the near future.  🙂

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Cole Household Mothering Parenting Ryan Shopping

To Complain, or not to Complain- That is the Question

I love Target.  I love shopping there, and could spend hours wandering down every aisle.  I usually have the boys with me though, and they are good for about half an hour, and then they are just done.  So I have shopping at Target down to a science. I know how much time I can spend lingering around, and how much time I need to actually shop.

Today after I picked up Ryan from school, we went to Target.  We had some more errands to run, so this was going to be a short trip.  Right on cue, about 20 minutes later, we were done, and the boys were getting restless.  There had to be 50 people waiting in the check-out lines and there were three lanes open. 

I used to work in  a grocery store.  I understand sometimes you just don’t have enough people to open more registers, and crowds come at odd times.  So I got into the ‘shortest’ of the longest lines, lane number 18, and waited.  And waited, and waited.  Fortunately we had the super deluxe cart, so the boys were having fun climbing on and off of it.  Fifteen minutes later,  when there was only two people ahead of me, I hear the cashier calling- “Ma’am, Ma’am,” and waving at me.

I don’t think of myself as a “ma’am,” so it took me a second to realize she was almost yelling at me.  I made eye contact with her and she informed me that she was closed.  She pointed to her light and it was off. 

I politely told her that I had gotten in her line before she turned the light off, and she informed me, rather loudly  (okay she yelled) and very rudely, “No you weren’t.”  Now I felt like she was implying that I have nothing better to do than to sneak into closed check-out lanes at Target, waste time standing there, and then lie about it- just for kicks.

I was contemplating my next move, when the mom in front of me, also with two boys, using their cart as a jungle gym, looked at the cashier and said nicely, but firmly, “Actually, she was.  I saw her get in line, and your light was most definitely on.” 

I told the mom, “Thank you, for confirming that for me,” and the cashier then said, “Oh, well- okay then, I guess you can stay in line.

She guesses I can stay in her line for the privilege of spending money at Target?   I so wanted to say something to her, but Ryan and Cole’s eyes were wide as saucers watching me.  Even though I had been ‘allowed’ to stay in the cashier’s line, there was no way I was going to- I was too mad.

So with my boys watching, I smiled again at the mom ahead of me, and nodded at her.  The cashier was still watching me, and I noticed they had opened another lane way down at the opposite end of the store (this was Super Target), so I told the cashier, “Actually, I am going to go to the line at the other end of the store- it seems to be moving faster.” 

I walked as fast as I could- I was so mad!  There was only one person in front of me, and he had one item.  When the new cashier asked me how  I was, I was honest. I told him I was upset, because I had just waited fifteen minutes in line, and then was told the line was closed, even though the light had been on.  I told him the cashier was very rude.  He apologized many times and told me he was actually her supervisor- he said customers should not be treated like that. 

I don’t complain at stores.  If I can’t find something, or they are out of stock, when they ask me if I found everything OK, I say yes.  I hope the cashier won’t get in trouble, but I felt like this was horrible customer service, and they needed to know customers were being treated like this.  I’m glad I spoke up this time.   

What about you?  Do you complain at stores when you receive bad customer service, or do you just let it go?