From the yearly archives:

2009

Postcards from Florida

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Best Mom Ever

Stay up way too late playing on the computer so you are nearly comatose when your youngest arises at five o’clock in the morning.

After preparing breakfast and putting on a show, doze off for ten minutes to pathetically attempt to make up for lost sleep.

Out of the corner of your mind, hear children, squealing and giggling. Outside. Where it has just snowed 22 inches.

Realize that it is in fact your children, who last you knew were wearing PJ’s and cannot put on their boots and snowsuits independently.

Peek out the window just in time to see them realize their idea of sneaking out in the snow was, indeed, a very poor one.

Rather than darting to retrieve them, saunter slowly, grateful that this is one lesson that just taught itself.

The end.

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Though I try very hard not to judge my husband’s fathering*, sometimes it can be damn near impossible. I do realize, of course, that I’m not a perfect parent. Hardly. I’m just more perfect, most of the time. For example, I would never have thought mowing the lawn in flip flops while wearing my second child in the Baby Bjorn was good judgment. But I never would have mowed the lawn at all, in all fairness. But, I digress.

My middle child has become a bit of a biter lately. Not like a “walk up to random people on the street and bite them” kind of way, but in a “my sister just hit me and she’s stronger than I am so I’ll just bite her” way. I think it’s resourceful, while Jeff finds it worrisome.

A few nights ago, after repeated biting reports from his sister, Jeff called Ben downstairs. Benjamin, he began, this biting thing is very serious. Unacceptable. We do not bite. Do you understand? Ben nodded solemnly.

{Enter the part where I admit judgment}

If you keep biting, Jeff continued, I will have no choice but to take you to the dentist and have him pull out all of your teeth. Am I making myself clear?

{Thud.}

Even after my jaw dropped and I threatened him with blogging this asinine move, my husband stood firm. I bet your readers would take my side, he even said. I respectfully disagreed. No way would you all think that his ridiculous empty threat was wise. It was ludicrous, right?

Right??

(*For the record, I adore my husband and think he is an excellent father. And I would have said this even if he didn’t request it.)

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A few weeks ago, I preformed a much overdue make-up cleanse. I chucked anything I couldn’t remember purchasing, including some pretty questionable compacts dating back to my wedding and various free samples that never worked for me anyway. My makeup drawer was a clean slate and I excitedly I trotted off to Sephora to have some overpriced girly fun. And, oh, how fun it was.

Back home, I lined up my new lipsticks, powders and eye shadows neatly on my vanity and admired my collection. I washed all of my brushes and eagerly awaited an occasion that would allow me to dive into my new goodies. I may even have worn midnight blue eyeliner to preschool drop-off one morning. You, know, just to test it out. It was almost enough to just look at them, all lined up all shiny and new. I so enjoy being a girl.

Apparently, someone else does, too.

Last night, I discovered all of my new pencils sharpened to the core, with tiny scrapings littering the floor. My new tubes of lipstick had been used to paint the mirrors and globs of black mascara adorned our white towels. Fingerprints imprinted my powder and an entire tube of lotion was clogging the drain. And, somehow, an entire bottle of glossing spray was emptied, though I’m still not sure how and where. It serves me right for enjoying the peace and quiet at 8PM. I should have known something was up.

And then I spotted something else, peeking out from under the bath mat:

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The site of poor butchered Barbie brought me back to the many days when I did the same playing in my mother’s makeup and chopping of my doll’s hair.  It also made me eternally grateful that Lily chose the doll’s hair rather than her own for this rite of passage. Thank goodness for small favors.

So, today, I’m back to Sephora to restock my supply. I do plan on moving my new makeup to a spot that cannot be reached by six year old fingers, at least the good stuff. Along with the scissors, of course.

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