Oh, for the Love of Children

Oh, the things we will do, er, eat for the love of our children. Tonight, my seven year old daughter was in the kitchen and she said she was making a surprise for me. When she brought me a plate, it had a taco that I knew she worked very hard on and made sure it was "perfect". She eagerly watched as I picked up the taco and took a bite as she waited for my response. When I said, "Yummy! This is the best taco ever!" she was so proud and pleased with herself that it made me happy. She had the biggest grin on her face and waited to make sure I ate every last bite.

The taco that I lovingly ate contained: one taco shell; one refried bean; a piece of shredded cheese; and the rest of the shell filled with sour cream. Ever taken a big old spoonful of sour cream and eaten it? No? Me neither. But, it was so cute how she wanted to do something for me and she tried to make something she thought would make me happy, how could I turn that down? Obviously, I couldn't, and if she makes another one tomorrow, I will eat it just to see her cute little face with that great, big smile!

You just haven't lived until you have eaten an entire taco filled with sour cream. I will never forget how happy she was to make me happy and there is not a better feeling in the world. Oh, what we do for the love of our children!
(c)2007 Cindy Breninger. All Rights Reserved.

War Against the Gnats

For some reason, this time every year, let's just call it the pumpkin rotting season, we seem to be infested with gnats. The gnats appear out of nowhere and invade our pumpkins. Once they leave the pumpkins, for some unknown reason, they make their way to our bathroom. We have never had a pumpkin, or food, or anything of interest to them in there, and I have never been able to figure out why they migrate to the bathroom, but they do. Every year the kids and I vow to fight off the gnats and kill them, and this year is no different. This is war, people!

One trick my son uses is, he waits until they are on the wall and then rolls over them with a lint roller, he has also left glue on a piece of paper hoping they would land there, and placed a cup of hot chocolate on the counter, again, hoping they would want a drink and then get stuck; we have tried everything, or so I thought.

My son stayed home sick today and was in the bathroom for a very long while. I knocked and asked if he was OK and he said yes. When he finally came out, he was smiling, and went back to sit on the couch. He had a big old grin and I asked if everything was OK. He said yes. He looked at me and said, "Mom, we are smarter this year and we are going to win the war against the gnats!" And that was all he would say. This made me a bit concerned.

I went into the bathroom and taped to the mirror, was an empty Junior Mints box that had a piece of chocolate taped to the inside, tape was all over the inside and outside of the box, with the sticky side out. What the? Why is there a sticky, chocolaty Junior Mints box taped to the bathroom mirror? SON!

I asked my son why that was on the mirror and he said, "Mom, when the gnats walk around on the mirror, they will see the chocolate and want to go inside. Once they are inside, they will get stuck and then no more gnats!" He said it with a bit of an evil laugh. I imagined an evil scientist rubbing his hands together after thinking of a brilliant idea, or world domination. He might be taking this a little too seriously. Humm. Worry about that later, must get gnats first.

I hope his little trap works as I hate the gnats. They freak me out as I don't want to walk with my mouth open for fear they will fly in my mouth, I don't want to breathe and again, have one in my mouth, or have one get stuck to my teeth or something. Ewwww. I hope the pumpkin rotting season ends quickly and takes its gnats with it. Yuck!

First update: My son just reported that he caught one gnat in the trap! Man your stations everyone, this year we will be victorious! The bathroom will be ours again!

Second update: My have now enlisted the kid next door. They are armed with two dustbusters, a lint roller and a roll of tape. Don't mess with us, boy, we are taking over!
(c)2007 Cindy Breninger. All Rights Reserved.

Enjoy Your Kids Now, As Someday They Won't Be Around To...

Sometimes it is so easy to forget what's important. Sometimes it just takes a small reminder that we should stop, take a break, and enjoy life; even if it is just for a minute or two, or ten. Tonight, for example, I was sitting at my computer doing whatever it was I needed to do on my computer that seemed to be ever so important, when my seven and nine year kids turned up the stereo and started running around the living room laughing like crazy. They asked me if I wanted to come play with them and I said I was too busy...Oh, sooooo wrong, I thought, as I closed my eyes while slapping my hand to my forehead. My computer work will still be here in ten minutes, I thought, and my kids will be ten minutes older--ten minutes I will never get back with them.

I sat here for another minute and realized that what I was missing was important, not the computer work, but playing with my kids. I know, some day, sooner than I will be ready for, they will be gone and on their own and I will be sitting here wishing they could be here asking me to dance around the living room.

We ended up getting out our disco ball, cranking up the music, and dancing around like a bunch of crazy old fools, all the while laughing our heads off! I know that my computer isn't going anywhere, but someday my kids will, so I had better enjoy the heck out of them now, while they still want me to!
(c)2007 Cindy Breninger. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, October 20, 2007 Oy. The raincoat, the umbrella and the shower.

I was doing some research on the computer when I saw my nine year old son quietly put on a raincoat, pick up an umbrella, and head into the bathroom. I went back to my research when I heard the shower running. It was the middle of the afternoon, which seemed an odd time for my son to be taking a shower. Actually, anytime he would voluntarily take a shower without being asked, would be odd.
I opened the bathroom door and there was my son, he was happy as could be. He was standing in the shower, fully clothed, raincoat on, and umbrella open. The water was pouring down on the umbrella as he was splashing around and having a ball.
I quickly put an end to his having a ball, but I couldn't help but smile. Only a kid would think to do what he did. He was just having a good time and wasn't thinking about the water he was wasting, the clothes he was getting soaked, or anything for that matter. You know, he just didn't care. All he cared about was that he was having a good time.
He didn't get in too much trouble, but I did give him a lecture about wasting water, which I sure he has already forgotten. But, it did give me a good laugh and that's not such a bad thing. That's what makes life a little better, the little things. Kids are goofy and I wouldn't have it any other way.
(c)2007 Cindy Breninger. All Rights Reserved.