Letters For Lucas

Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son

Sunday Fun Day

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I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack and Sons of the Desert had to be one of the most over played country cross over songs of 2000.

I listened to it again the other day and it struck me differently than it ever had. I don’t think I have heard since becoming a mother and it really is a perfect wish list for a child and the life they have.

I Hope You Dance
Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they’re worth taking
Lovin’ might be a mistake but it’s worth making

Don’t let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance
I hope you dance
(Dance)
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
(Dance)
Where those years have gone
(Dance)

What more could a mother ask for?

The best is yet to be.

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No Complaints Here

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Instead of flipping stuff off today, which I enjoy doing oh so much, I thought I would switch gears a little.

Okay, a lot!

On Monday, I blogged about being On My Own for the week while my husband is away on business. We are on Day 4/7 and so far so good. We have gone though a mega-size package of Boogie Wipes, countless boxes of Kleenex and OJ and watched too much television, but we are hanging tough!

On Tuesday, my friend posted this video (Soldiers Surprising Their Loved Ones: PART ONE) on her Facebook page and I haven’t been able to shake it from my mind ever since. As I watched it, tears rolled down my face because it put being apart and the challenges of doing it on my own into a whole new perspective.

The men and women that are serve our country deserve our thanks and our respect, but the family that they leave at home deserve that and a whole lot more in my mind, especially the children. They are so young and don’t understand the concept of war or death. They know Daddy’s hugs and the way he smells and he makes them feel protected.

Just look at these faces when they see their loved one return home. Safely. After months of asking “when’s Daddy coming home?” and wondering “is he okay?” and “when will I see him again?”; it’s pure joy, utter disbelief, delight and love.


I have NOTHING to complain about!

Happy Friday, everyone. Have a glorious weekend!

The best is yet to be.

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Grease Is The Word

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For my seventh birthday, I asked for and got(!) my very own record player!!

It was sweet.

My father painstakingly went over how to handle a record and place in on the turntable and how to gently set the needle on the vinyl without scratching it.

I was in heaven. I finally had my own a stereo system in MY room all set up on cement blocks and lumbar yard wood, which even today I think would look very cool.

My first record was the Grease soundtrack.

I played those records (it was a double set, remember?) to DEATH. I knew every word to every song and made up dances based on the one single time I had seen the movie in the theater. I was just like every other little girl in 1979.

Only, I had a mother with very bad eyesight.

Remember the album cover? How could you not, it’s iconic! Dreamy greaser Danny, the original good girl good bad Sandy and a pencil.
I remember it as if it happened yesterday…

My mother came into my bedroom, probably without knocking and caught me shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom-ing to We Go Together and saw the pencil, jumped to conclusions and then started yelling at me about writing on the album cover and not taking care of the things she and my dad had given me, etc., etc. Once she calmed down we had a good laugh. Well, my dad and I did.

C’mon mom, there are worse things I could do, but deface my precious LP? Never!

The best is yet to be.

I don’t know if it’s allowed, but this is my second post this week for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop – Prompt #4: The craziest reason I ever got in trouble as a child.

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Stay Blue

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But my deepest and most secret love belongs to the fair-haired and the blue-eyed, the bright children of life, the happy, the charming and the ordinary. – Thomas Mann

All my life I have been complimented on my eye color. Strangers have asked me more than once if my eyes were real. As opposed to what, I’m not sure. They must have thought I was wearing colored contacts. My eyes are blue. Sometimes they are unbelievably blue depending on the color of the sky, my disposition or what I am wearing. I have only met two other people with eyes as blue as mine… my father and my son.

This is one of my favorite photos of me and my dad.


This is one of my favorite photos of Lucas.

I am so grateful that the three of us share this trait.

According to a Boston Globe articlewritten in 2006, blue eyes have become increasingly rare among American children, with only one out of every six or 16.6%, which is 49.8 million out of 300 million (22.4% of white Americans) of the total United States population having blue eyes.

Of course, I realize that Lucas’ eye color can still change at any time. My mother used to say that she was blond haired and blue-eyed until she was five and then magically, mysteriously she turned into a brown-eyed brunette.

Something tells that he’s going to stay blue.

The best is yet to be.

I wrote this post for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop – Prompt #3: The most unbelievable blue eyes you’ve ever seen.

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You Know You’re A Mom When-sDaze

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You know you’re a mom when…

  • You use your “baby talk” out in public among adults. Whoopsy!
  • Just when you think your home is sufficiently baby proofed, your toddler finds something totally obscure to get in to and/or possibly destroy.
  • No matter how Norman Rockwell you envision an outing or meal at a restaurant going, your child always has an entirely different agenda.
  • There is nothing quite like the sound of silence. All hail, NAPS!!
  • You’d do anything to prevent your tot from getting your cold, but to stop kissing and hugging them is definitely out of the question! Bring on the baby Tylenol and Boogie Wipes.

Thank you, Arizona Mama at Our Daze in the Desert for this creating this terrific meme. If you feel like nodding along to lists by other moms just like you, check it out and join along in the fun.

The best is yet to be.

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A Labor Of Love – Tasty Tuesdays 1

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I have said it before, if it weren’t for my husband, I’d starve.

I collect recipes, but I don’t cook. I don’t even know how to properly cut an onion. I have NEVER been comfortable in the kitchen and truly admire anyone who is. Anyone that can whip up something amazing from odds and ends on hand is my hero.

Half a dozen times a year, I make dinner and last night was one of those rare occasions. If you told me on Sunday that I would be participating in Alicia’s (A Beautiful Mess) Tasty Tuesdays, I would have told you you were nuts, but never say never, right? Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.
Why I choose yesterday to tackle lasagna, one of the hottest days of summer we have had so far and a day in which I woke up feeling really crappy, is beyond me, but Lucas cooperated at the grocery store and graciously took a two hours nap so that I could busy myself in the kitchen.
My mother made a terrific lasagna that I could never replicate, even with the recipe staring me in the face, so I’ve been on the hunt for one equally good, but mine… not to mention a little healthier. I have made this dish twice before, but knew I was really on to something when my mother-in-law asked me for the recipe. She is a phenomenal cook so I took that as a huge compliment. I think this was my best effort.

Lucas even enjoyed several bites.
By the way, the leftovers are great, the clean up, not so much.
Turkey Lasagna with Spinach
From MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients – Serves 6

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound fresh ground turkey
  • 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 (9-ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles (ONE OF THE BEST INVENTIONS EVER!!)
  • 15 ounces low-fat ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 pounds fresh spinach, washed, but not dried
  • 1 pound low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes. Add plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper; let simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and egg; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  4. Place damp spinach in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Ladle 1/4 of the turkey mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; spread to cover. Add a pasta sheet, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, and another 1/4 of the turkey mixture. Repeat process two more times; top with remaining sheet of pasta. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over top. Line a piece of aluminum foil with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray. Cover lasagna with prepared aluminum foil, parchment-side down, and transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
  6. Let stand about 5 minutes before cutting; serve.

The best is yet to be.

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On My Own

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My husband travels for work a lot. He takes at least 14 business trips per year, most of them only lasting two to three days. Tomorrow is leaving for a whole week.

Usually I have my sister or mother-in-law come visit so that they can help me out, but this time, I’m going to do it all alone. I know what you’re thinking… I’m crazy, right? You’re probably right.

I do have 10 hours of nanny help each week as it is, but beyond that I have some fun things planned for Lucas and me to do, so we (I) should be okay. Of course, I did wake up this morning with a sore throat and now my head feels like it’s going to explode, I’m so stuffed up, but I’ll be okay. I’ll let you know how I’m holding up in a couple of days.

Back to my husband traveling… every time he goes away, he mails Lucas a postcard from wherever in the world he may be. It’s better than having him buy some awful overpriced trinket at the airport and so much more thoughtful. When the postcards arrive (usually after Todd has returned home), I read them to Lucas and them promptly display them on the memo board in Lucas’ bedroom. The notes are sweet, mean a lot to me and I know someday will mean a lot to Lucas too, or will he just be bitter that his dad traveled so much when he was an infant?

At 14 months, Lucas doesn’t seem to really notice when daddy is away for an extended period of time, but he does look around for him and starts asking for him around 5:30 each evening and gets very excited whenever he sees his picture pop up on my phone, when Todd calls me.

For those of you with small children and spouses that travel, how are you teaching your child(ren) to stay connected to the parent that is away? Phone calls? Skype? iChat? I feel like it’s only a matter of time before this becomes a potential problem. I appreciate your insight and any advice you can offer.

I’m off to find some NyQuil.

The best is yet to be.

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Aquarium Of The Pacific

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Last week, Lucas and I visited the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for the first time with my friends Colleen and Wendi, their two little boys and my sister.

It was not my best mommy day.

I was on day four of Lucas’ dad being away and my patience was shot and nerves were fried. It was hot and very crowded and Lucas refused to eat and proceeded to scream his way through lunch. All he wanted to do was run around and be free of the stroller. Who can blame him, right?

Lucas loved being up close and personal with the sting rays and friendly sharks, but a 13 month old doesn’t quite understand the command “gentle, two fingers only”.

The water-squirting playground was a huge hit with all the boys, but next time, I’ll bring a towel and a change of clothes. For both of us!

It’s a beautiful aquarium and home to over 11,000 ocean animals and I highly recommend it if you are traveling to southern California.

The sea otter exhibit was our favorite. It was a lot of fun and dare I say, soothing to watch the silly energetic otters swim back and forth in their habitat.

The best is yet to be.

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I Don’t Like Coffee

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I don’t like coffee.

There, I’ve said it.

Sacrilegious in some circles, I realize, especially those of the mom-kind.

(crickets chirp)

How many readers have I lost?

Well, if you’re still with me and I sincerely hope you are, I know I’m in the minority on this. People LIVE for coffee it seems and can’t even function without a cup of joe first thing in the morning. I’ve known people that drink it all day long. Blech!

I have tried coffee, lattes, cappuccinos and espressos several times throughout my life, but just never acquired a taste for it. I don’t like coffee anything… ice cream, chocolate covered coffee beans, etc. My parents didn’t drink coffee either, so maybe not growing up with it has something to do with it.

I do enjoy the smell of coffee and I like it being a part of my morning. My husband ADORES coffee and we have the mugs, coffee grinder, filters, coffee maker, bags of roasted decaf, I don’t know what in our freezer and an enormous espresso maker on our kitchen counter to prove it.

SO, what gets me going in the morning you ask? A crisp, delicious, effervescent diet Coke. Just describing it makes me smile from ear to ear.

Diet Coke is my “go juice”. I typically two a day, but one is all it takes to make my world right.

The best is yet to be.

This post was written for the word game, Word Up, Yo! hosted by the self proclaimed Nerd Mafia: Natalie (Mommy of a Monster), Kristin (Taming Insanity) and Liz (a belle, a bean and a chicago dog).

If you like words too, play along!
This week’s word is effervescent.

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FRIDAY FLIP OFFS #7

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Ah, Friday… my favorite day of the week! Time to rid myself of all of the little annoyances I have been experiencing since last Friday. In no particular order, they are:

#1 Hangovers can FLIP the hell right OFF! Oh my goodness I must be getting old, but yesterday’s hangover was a doozy! My head hurt, my body ached and I couldn’t quench my thirst to save my life. My husband and I had a little too much fun celebrating our three year anniversary on Wednesday night. NOTE TO SELF: Bars on bikes will get you every time.

#2 Okay, all you pet owners… PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOGS, please!!! I walk through my neighborhood almost every day of the week and it’s like avoiding landmines out there. Maneuvering around poop is hard enough but 90% of the time I also have a stroller with me. FLIP OFF!!

#3 I don’t think I’ve participated in a Friday Flip Offs without bitching around traffic, so in keeping up with that tradition… I spend a lot of time in the car and on the 5 Freeway and I don’t mind driving all that much, but I HATE sitting in traffic, especially unnecessary traffic which 9 times out of 10 involves Looky-Lous. Aggghhh… FLIP OFF! Move along people, there is nothing to see. For the love of God, just drive!

#4 Last but not least, I’m repeating myself by flipping off the ever UNpopular most detested household chore: l a u n d r y. I hate it!! Flip Off! Go Away! Scram.

Whew, I feel better. Do you? Thank you to Kludgy Mom for developing this awesomest meme. Gigi, you rock!!

Happy weekend, everyone!

The best is yet to be.

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