Springtime Mornings ~ The Campers

Last night I met with three of my friends to plan our upcoming camping trip. Four middle-aged women with a camper and a boat, going into the wilderness for a three-day weekend. "Wilderness" made be stretching it a bit, but when you leave home for more than 24 hours and don't plan on bringing your curling iron, you're allowed to embellish a smidge. Makes it sound more like an adventure than what it will likely turn into...72 hours of sitting in the air-conditioned camper, eating junk food and laughing. Oh and we might fish a little.

          

So get ready wilderness! Here we come!

The Graduate: Old Reliable

I'm a terrible mother.

Well, okay, that may be overstating it just a bit but I haven't been the mother that I thought I was going to be when we started our family back in 1990.

I'm just saying, as my children get closer and closer to adulthood, my lack of mommy skills has become more and more obvious.

Interrogation-room-bright-light-shining-into-the-face obvious.

Things like...

In elementary school, the girls knew all the words to 'Sir Duke' by Stevie Wonder because I played 'Songs in the Key of Life' every morning on the way to school. Then one of them wanted to sing it for the end-of-year talent show. And I let her.

When 'Apollo 13' came out I really wanted to see it, but the girls wanted to see 'Babe' instead so I told them Tom Hanks was a Muppet.

C'mon, have you seen his hair?

One late night, while grazing in the pantry, I came across the box of Little Debbie cakes one of girls was supposed to take for snack the following day and ate half the box.

Okay three-fourths of the box.

Anyway, since it was late and I didn't want to go out to the store, the next day I sent the big box of raisins that had been in the pantry forever.

I know, I know...awful parenting.

But the girls weren't the only victims of my mothering mayhem. Nope, the Graduate got his fair share too. And now as we get closer to his graduation, another one of my parenting plunders has come to light.

The boy has no baby pictures.

Now just to set the scene, he is our youngest child and when he was born, he was the third baby we were blessed with in 4 years. 3 babies in 4 years. And my mother lived 8 hours away.

So taking pictures was not a priority for me. Making sure everyone was dressed by noon was a priority. And knowing all the words to 'Sir Duke'. But pictures, notsomuch.

He did have pictures taken in the hospital and I think there were a few the first week or two when we had help taking care of everyone. But after that, the Funsaver didn't get clicked a whole lot. The next time there was a picture taken of the Graduate, he was five months old, sitting in his bouncy seat on the kitchen table, next to his sister's birthday cake. And the cake was in the center of the picture.

I know, I know...awful parenting.

But now the lack of pictures has become very apparent. Why now? Well, with graduation comes pictures for the slide show at church, pictures for the Senior Breakfast, pictures for the yearbook, pictures for the newspaper, pictures, pictures, pictures.

And all we seem to have is Old Reliable.

Old Reliable is the go-to picture we have been using the last few weeks. It's a really cute picture but tonight as the Graduate was filling out his biography sheet for the church slide show, he said, "We aren't going to use that picture again, are we?"

And all I knew to say was, "Well we could use that picture from your sister's birthday party!"

I know, I know...

 but Old Reliable is really cute...

Springtime Mornings ~ A Beautiful May Wedding

This evening we're attending a wedding, and it's the first one we've been to since our oldest daughter got married in January. (You can read all about that wonderful, magical, never-want-to-see-the-inside-of-another-bridal-store time right here at The Mother of the Bride Chronicles )

And I have to tell you, it's a lot more fun going as a guest. A lot more.

Last night, as the guest, I slept pretty well, didn't have to get up to go the bathroom, and got almost 8 hours of sleep.As the mother of the bride, the night before the wedding I got about 47 minutes of sleep and I think I slept in the same clothes I wore to the rehearsal dinner.

This morning, as the guest, I woke up, had a cup of coffee, took my time getting ready for work. On the morning of the wedding, as the mother, I bolted straight up in bed, panic-stricken and thought, "I forgot to by pink M&Ms for the sweet table!"

At lunchtime today, as the guest, I went into town and bought a new skirt to wear to the wedding. As the mother of the bride, at lunchtime the day of the wedding I was laying on the floor of the bride's room, trying to squeeze into my girdle.

Right now, about 4 hours from the wedding, I'm relaxed, sitting in a recliner, and writing this post. About 4 hours before our daughter's wedding, I was breathing into a paper bag.

Yep, I'd have to say, being the guest of the mother of the bride is a whole lot more fun.

The Graduate: The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow

Tonight was the opening night on the graduate's last play in high school. One more milestone to pass as he comes down the final stretch.

From Schroeder to Snow White's father, The King, to Mr. Zuckerman to Huckleberry Finn...the graduate has played a lot of interesting characters. And tonight in his final role in the play "Annie", he took the stage as Drake, the butler. And as Lt. Ward. And as Man #3 during the New York street scene.

At least he didn't get cast as Sandy.