The World of Water

I hope to be flushed out of this today.

Just thought you should know.

I'm spending the day at one of my favorite places.  Waterworld.  With a group of students from church.  And Pickle.  There will be splashing, sunshine, laughing, thrills, floating, walking, racing, and silliness.  And maybe some relaxing.  And being flushed out of a giant blue and yellow toilet bowl with my 14 year old daughter. 100% fun!

Except for the parading my 40-something body around in a swimsuit with a bunch of skinny teenaged girls part.  I always forget about that until too late...stink.

Ohwell.  Everyone knows that people look tanner and thinner through chlorinated eyes.

Right?

Nothing much. What about you?

For a brief week or two, things have slowed down.  No guests, no major plans.  Last weekend we....wait, what did we do??  Oh yeah, nothing!  Not as in--we're bored, but as in--we slowed waaaay down.  We had no plans and we made no plans either.  Had plenty of time to clean.  Didn't.  Bought groceries and cooked.  And otherwise, just did what we wanted to.  It felt weird.  It shouldn't have, but it did.  Hmmm.

In the midst of all the laid-back-ness, today is a special day.  The littlest member of our family (for a few more days til his sister arrives) is FOUR today.  Happy Birthday to my fast-running, dimple-sporting, never-stopping, silly-goose, rocket-loving nephew Caleb!  I love you sweet boy!

In other news, in just thirty days, I am going to be a shred of my former self.  Just thought I'd give you due warning.  That is, as long as I stick with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD workout.  I can't believe that 20 minutes of anything would be hard.  But, um, I'm old.  And out of shape.  But I've done 5 days so far!  And it's so easy now! It's still hard.

I am hoping that the slower pace will allow me some reading time...cause a book I've been wanting to read finally became available at the library this week!  Last night I checked out The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I must admit I don't know what it's about, but have had enough people tell me it's one of their favorites and that they couldn't put it down.  Plus, come on, it has the cutest cover ever!  (Nevermind about not judging a book by it's cover--I totally am this time.)  I'll let you know what I think about the inside...

So, this week I'll be shredding and reading (among other things) while waiting for my niece to arrive .  If all goes as planned, I'll be back next week with pictures of her cuteness!  Today is my day off, so if the weather holds out we are hoping for an afternoon at the pool!

Catching up with the Company Girls today...

saying yes

A long time ago--a parenting tip caught my attention.  It was "say yes as much as possible".  It's so easy for me to say no--and have the "yes" be the exception.  No is often less trouble.  No often takes less energy.  I don't have to think hard with No.  I can easily overuse No.  But, I want my NOs to count for something.  I want them to be taken seriously.  I want them to be NO, not, "I don't feel like thinking about it right now", or "that would take extra effort that I don't feel like exerting".  Now, I know, KNOW, that there are times as parents that we absolutely must use no for those reasons.  We are in charge, and we have to look out for our own needs too.

But what about saying yes?  Why not yes?

Well, yesterday, Pickle called my cell while I was at work.  I was in a meeting.  Mondays are one meeting after another--I'm a chain-meeter on Mondays.   During my last meeting of the day a coworker walked in with my phone and said it had been ringing off the hook with my home number...I looked at it, and in the past half hour Pickle had called 13 times!  And I have a song for her ringtone...my poor coworkers!  I quickly texted her to see if everything was OK.  She called again.  I excused myself and answered, wondering what the emergency was.  She said,

"Can my friend sleep over tonight?"  

Seriously??  That was the emergency???

Pickle wanted this sleepover with a friend who she hadn't seen all summer.  It turns out they figured out that due to upcoming vacation plans and sports this gal was not going to be available any other night before school started.  Just last night.

I admit I was a little ticked at the unwarranted urgency of her calls, told her I'd talk to her when I got home and returned to my meeting.

On the way home I thought of so many reasons to say no.  No, I was tired.  No, I had to return to work early in the morning.  No, we don't plan sleepovers the same day--I need some advance warning.  No, calling umpteen times was a bit obnoxious.  No.  No. No.

And then it echoed in my head.  Why not yes?  (stink)

So I said yes.  It didn't end up being much trouble at all, and I made my girl very happy.  And that is what I'm unwrapping today with Emily at Chatting at the Sky--the gift of yes.

ohmy.

pickle and her daddy

Pickle.  She's 14.  She's heading into high school.  She's beautiful (I'm not biased).  She has had two junior-high-versions-of-boyfriends.  All facts.  I know these things.  AND I know how things work...

And then yesterday.  Church service was several minutes from beginning.  Pickle sat in one of the rows towards the front with Bubba, holding a seat for me.  My hubby was in the sound booth and was wiring me up to give the announcements that morning.  All normal-type stuff.

I casually glance over at Pickle.  She is turned around in her seat talking to someone.  A boy.  I didn't recognize the back of his head...so I casually wander up there and see that it is a young man from youth group that I don't know well yet.  He is a few years older than Pickle and has apparently come over to talk to her specifically.  As they chat, up walks another young man I know a bit better--one year older than her, and a friend of hers.  He explains that he hasn't talked to her in so long!  How is she?  I note he has crossed the room to see her.

I walk back to the rear of the room and observe.  My baby girl.  Talking.  Laughing.  Smiling her killer smile.  At two boys who came to her.  Deep breath, mama.  I remind myself it's developmentally normal.  I'm glad she is learning to relate more easily to boys as friends.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And it really hit me.  She is NO LITTLE GIRL ANYMORE! She's a young woman.  Wait!  Pause!  I want more time!

And then she posts this picture of herself on facebook after messing around with her hair.

Ohmy.  I better buckle in.