Happy Mother's Day

The kids and I were loading up in the Tahoe recently to go somewhere, and I decided I needed to grab a movie to keep them entertained.  I especially like to do this when I'm by myself.  It's like a security blanket.  What if we have a flat tire and we are stuck on the side of the road...what if I just need a few minutes of peace and quiet?  A movie helps sometimes.  Anyway, the thought of picking out a movie that an almost 8 year old boy and 4 year old girl will agree on is almost impossible these days.

I grabbed a good one and we were on our way.  My choice for the drive was...E.T.  You just can't beat it.  It's movie perfection.

The kids cannot use the headphones in the Tahoe anymore.  I am afraid we have misplaced or broken or lost them on the side of the road.  I have no time to investigate it really.  So, that means I get to listen to movies while I drive.  (Ordering new headphones is on my infinite To Do list.  It has one of the lowest priorities and may never get crossed off.)

But, I really do not mind listening to a movie like E.T.  It's a win, win situation.  It's amazing how wonderful a movie is that you can only listen to.  Believe me, I've never laughed so hard at Finding Nemo till I listened to it with my kids on that long trip with just the three of us to Florida last year.  It cracked me up.  Ellen really rocks.

I enjoy listening to the music too.  How many of you relate John Mayer's Say What you Need to Say to The Karate Kid (the one with Will Smith's adorable kid)?  Yep, it's part of the movie, and on a side note, if you ask Jonah who sings this John Mayer song, he will say "oh, someone from China."

Back to E.T. though...my reaction to E.T. this time around was slightly different than the others.  It took me back to a place I haven't been in a very long time.

There's a beautiful scene, it's my favorite part of the movie.  Mary (the Mom played by Dee Wallace) is reading a story to Gertie (Drew Barrymore) at bedtime.  I wasn't sure exactly what the story was (which is what prompted a conversation with one of my closest friends, my twin Heather, that helped me to remember). She reminded me that it was the classic, Peter Pan.  Oh yes.  Oh yes.  The fairies!

This is the excerpt from the Peter Pan story.  Tinker Bell just drank poison to keep Peter from drinking it.

His head almost filled the fourth wall of her little room as he knelt near her in distress. Every moment her light was growing fainter; and he knew that if it went out she would be no more. She liked his tears so much that she put out her beautiful finger and let them run over it.

Her voice was so low that at first he could not make out what she said. Then he made it out. She was saying that she thought she could get well again if children believed in fairies.

Peter flung out his arms. There were no children there, and it was night time; but he addressed all who might be dreaming of the Neverland, and who were therefore nearer to him than you think: boys and girls in their nighties, and naked papooses in their baskets hung from trees.

"Do you believe?" he cried.

Tink sat up in bed almost briskly to listen to her fate.

She fancied she heard answers in the affirmative, and then again she wasn't sure.

"What do you think?" she asked Peter.

"If you believe," he shouted to them, "clap your hands; don't let Tink die."

Many clapped.

Goodness, it still gives me chills.  I had no idea the original Peter Pan story was so beautifully written.

Anyway, the way Gertie says she believes in the fairies out loud and claps when Mary reads it to her...it makes me cry every time I see it.  Even listening to it driving down the road in the Tahoe.

All this had me thinking more about Mary.  She is sort of nuts in the movie.  She's single...her husband recently left her and is with some chick in Mexico.  She's a working Mom of three beautiful kids who decided to adopt an alien.  She's totally got her hands full ha?  She yells at them at times, she is so incredibly scattered and trying to keep things together.  But, she makes time to stock the fridge.  She dressed up for Halloween.  She is thrilled at the sight of her three children dressed up together and worries about them when they don't return when they should.  She reads the most beautiful stories to them at night, in such a beautiful way, it is like they are transformed and part of it.  It's really incredible.

I've thought about this some and sort of surprised at myself for not realizing why I'm so drawn to this movie and especially that moment.  Who else listens to this and cries?  What wrong with me?

And goodness, it hit me.  At first, I thought it was because Gertie reminded me of my daughter, Jesse, but that's not it at all.  It's so obvious to me now.

Gertie reminds me of me.  I remember what it feels like to be held like that.  I remember what it feels like to be loved like that.





I believe I was around Gertie's age when my father passed away.  My Mom moved my brother and I to a small town for a new job.  She was a mess really.  She was now this single, widowed woman with two kids and a full time job in a small town trying to survive.  She was crazy at times...yelling at us to pick up our things and to be good.  I remember all the stress for sure.

But, I remember moments like this more.  She didn't read Peter Pan to me, but she certainly took us to see E.T.  Somehow in her special way, she made me feel this loved.  She made me feel safe.  She gave me so many dreams.  She made me believe.

"I believe!  I believe!  I do!  I do!"

A mother's love is just...well, it's like no other.  I just love Mary in E.T.  She's not perfect, but there is no doubt the incredible love she has for her children.  It just reminded me that no matter what the situation, a mother loves her babies.  Even when times are tough, she loves her babies...even if they adopt an alien.

A mother's love lives on forever too.  I know I still feel mine to this day.



Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite Mothers.  I love you all!

The Strawberry Shortcake Diary

I took all of the pictures in this post last weekend.  I was just loving the amazing January sky on Saturday and Sunday.  It was crazy warm and beautiful in January?  I'll take it!  How much can you say about that in a blog post though?



That's nice to talk about and all, but this sweet child right here found something of mine last weekend that I have to tell you about.



We have been rearranging the unfinished room in the basement.  We were attempting to fit more stuff in there.  Along the way, I opened one of the many tubs that was labeled "Heather's Childhood."  What was inside made my heart melt.  I had so many things, like the Garfield I slept with every single night of my youth, the tin can holding my Strawberry Shortcake Miniature collection (that to this day still smell like sweet berries), and my Astronaut Barbie.  I mean, didn't all young girls have the Astronaut Barbie?  I mean, come on.  She rocked.



But Jesse's eyes were drawn to this small little book sort of sticking out from under the stack.  She pulled it out, and I couldn't believe I still had it. It wasn't just a book folks, it was my childhood diary.  It was my Strawberry Shortcake childhood diary.



Luckily, we did not need a key to look inside.  It looked like I had lost it back in the day and had to cut the thing open at some point.  Or perhaps my brother did?  I shouldn't blame him like that with no proof.  Bad sister.  Anyway.



It was 1983.  I was 10 years old.  10 years old.  I was 10 years old, and I had a diary.  I didn't write in it that much, but what I did write was so fun to read.



All of my writing was in cursive.  Cursive.  Will they teach my kids cursive in school?  Anyway, I am so easily distracted.  It was just an observation.



Most of my writing was just silliness.  I wrote about boys.  I wrote about friends.  I wrote about my family.  I wrote if I got to watch the soaps that day.  I actually wrote about a school project I was proud of.  Nerd.



I was 10, and I watched the soaps.  I fought with my brother.  I noted when my Mom was in a bad mood, and then I would come back at the end of the day to clear it up and say her mood had changed.   The world just ended if I wasn't allowed to go to the Show on Friday night.  And goodness gracious if the cute boy didn't ask me to sit with him at the Show.  I would be completely devistated.

If you didn't grow up with me, the Show was actually my small town movie theater.  Our parents actually dropped us off at this age and picked us up when the movies were over.  We hoped a cute guy would ask us to "sit" with them.  We ate Watermelon Jolly Ranchers there.  We giggled.  We didn't actually watch many movies.  There was a tall, mean man that monitored the theater isles.  When he walked by, you were on your best behavior or else!

Life in a small town...thrilling it was.

Ok, back to 2012.  I am 38 years old, and I have a 7 year old son and an almost 4 year old daughter.  I will never drop either of them off at a movie theater on a Friday night unattended.  I will, however, attempt to find them Watermelon Jolly Ranchers.  Now that I have thought about them, I have to have them.  They need to be the square kind in the little packet (similar to Life Savers).  Do they make them this way anymore?



No, really, back to 2012.

On Sunday, we went to our favorite park again.  First thing I noticed was...when did her hair get so long?  This happened over night.



This "bench" was a real life Lincoln Log.  Super Cool.  My kids have Lincoln Logs.  I had Lincoln Logs as a child.  Honestly, we all liked Legos better.  It's just the truth, but at least they understood what this was.

I can't believe that is Luke.  He's so big.  And that ear.  That sweet ear.  It will always be a little bit tilted, and I love it.



Now for my monkeys in action.



This tree was so high off the ground.  I had to zoom in like crazy.



And Jonah was swinging with no fear.



Ha, just kidding.  It was just a low, funky limb.  It was still really fun to swing on.  I'm totally too protective to let them hang from a high limb...or go to the movies alone...like ever.

It was a great day to be out.  I love that we take the time to do this now.

But back to the diary...

I've learned something from my diary discovery.  I will buy my kids diaries for absolute sure.  I want the old fashioned kind with a little key.  I want them to write whatever they want and store it in a secret place.  And I totally want them to laugh out loud reading it with their kids when they are 38.

Because (Jesse in particular), I'm pretty sure that when you read how upset you were that Alex was not at the movies on a certain Friday night, and you sat with your friend Barry instead, who you actually didn't like but did just because he asked and Alex wasn't there for goodness sakes, and your friends Blake and Jimbo went back and told Alex and how very upset that made you...that you, my sweet daughter, will start rolling on the floor when your little girl says, "Who is Jimbo?"  You will laugh so hard you cry.  You will try to remember him and wish him well and wonder why in the world people quit naming their kids Jimbo.  Your daughter will stare at you in mass confusion and you will tell her she is free to write on the pages that you didn't.

Wait a minute...I just said my children wouldn't be allowed to go to the movies alone.  Oh well, they will not have this story, but I am sure, whatever story they have will be pretty funny.

Thank you Mom for buying me that diary.  Thank you so much!  I know you can hear me.



And in the words of my childhood Strawberry Shortcake, "Life is Delicious!"  Isn't it?