Category: Family

Making our way

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The kids woke up at the break of dawn again Sunday morning.  Jon and I heard them in Maria’s room talking quietly, probably about superheros or barbies.  Jon got out of bed first and shut the door behind him to allow me to continue dozing.  That is true love. 

When I finally dragged my tired butt out of bed 20 minutes later, I found Maria on my Ipad playing Pet Shop (her favorite game now) and Alana and Mario fighting it out on Wii Table Tennis.  They would take turns rubbing a win in the other’s face and then when the other rubbed it in his or her face, they would cry about it.  They are competitive as heck together – something Maria is not.  Maria wants everyone to win and every time she starts a game, she prefaces it by saying “Let’s just play for fun.”  To the contrary, Mario prefaces it with “I am gonna whoop you up!”  However, he wants a fair fight – he doesn’t just want to whoop you up without a good fight.  So, when I could not figure out how to shoot in basketball Wii, he stopped the game to tutor me so that I could give him a run for his money.  He continued to whoop on me a bit but then I stole the ball from him.  He gave me a look of amazement.  He wanted to congratulate me but he also wanted to win.  So he just shook his head and kept playing. 

Meanwhile, Maria just kept playing Pet Shop.  She bought two new kittens and some pups and a fish.  She arranged them all and proudly showed them off to us.  Then, when she decided to play Wii, and lost badly to Mario, she got angry.  “I hate these games!”  Mario looked at her kindly and explained “Maria, you have to practice a lot to get good. I practice a lot.”  She shook her head at him in disgust.

The girls and I headed to Washington Courthouse to meet up with my Cincy girls for brunch.  We ate at Bob Evans – my new favorite restaurant because of their breakfast food.  I could eat their eggs and hash browns with onions and bacon and multi-grain pancakes everyday.  I choose the multi-grain pancakes because it makes me feel like I am being healthy but after I eat three of them with syrup, I don’t feel too healthy.  In fact, I have learned to make sure to wear sweats when I head to Bob Evans so that I am not uncomfortable after my meal.  Maria takes after her mom – she got chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. Alana did, too, but only ate half of her food.  Maria and I swooped in like vultures and finished it off.  Maria hugged on Grace through  the meal.  Kathy is so good about letting Maria hold her and walk her.  Maria loves it.  She has got the babysitter gene in her body – something I never had.  My girlfriends and I talked for a bit over breakfast but between Gracie grabbing our attention and the quick service, I felt like we didn’t get to talk for too long.  I must still be spoiled from Italy. 

The girls and I headed to the outlet mall after our meal and tried to find clothes for my Cancun trip with Jon next week.  Just shoot me.  Is there any store in that outlet mall that has a mirror that flatters?  Maria and Alana just kept saying “You are having a baby!”  Nothing like that comment to stroke your ego.  I was ready to buy a mumu and call it a day.  I did score some pretty jewelry but no hot dresses.  I should just stick with Target.

Mom and Mario

When Maria and I got home, we found out Mario was spending the night with Jon’s mom and dad.  He loves spending the night with them because he is spoiled like crazy and he gets out of school.  He cracks them up as much as he cracks us up, too.  Patty took him to the store and they looked through the toy aisle.  He wanted a toy and Patty told him it was too much money.  His response: “Grandma, you need to get a job and earn some money!”  Patty bought him some boots, and he is charged because he can “track animals” now.  I miss my boy like a mad woman.  It is nice to have him visit Patty and Joe – the break with just Maria means a lot to her and us – but after a day or two, I miss his contagious smile and his wild antics and his bear hugs.  I let Maria sleep on the couch while i watched the rest of the movie “The Way” starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez (my old 80’s crush) as father and son (just like real life).  It is a tender film about a father who loses his son while the son is on a pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago.  The father decides to take the pilgrimage on his behalf and meets up with a few quirky pilgrims who he befriends by the end.  It is a wonderful tale of understanding and opening up and taking a leap.  And it put Maria to sleep in ten minutes. 

Sick girl calling her grandma

Maria was sick today.  She woke not feeling right but we forced her off to school, if only because we had to work, but got the call at 10 am that she was not doing well at school.  I picked her up and brought her home.  I rubbed her back while she watched Toy Story 3.  I made her soup.  I laid with her.  When she got a second wind, I tickled her and laughed with her.  We made “nests” out of the covers on our bed and slept in them.  We stared out the window at the tree cutters.  We cuddled.  Not a bad day at all.  Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and she is trying with all of her might to get better so she can hit her class party.  Mario could care less.  He begged to stay with Patty and Joe.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

No snow but lotsa ice cream!

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We woke up this morning dejected.  The supposed 4 inches of snow that should have blanketed our lawn turned out to be a dusting of white powder atop our green grass.  The kids looked out the window and sighed.  But although Old Man Winter failed to appear through snow, he did appear through frigid temperatures. 

-1 degrees with wind chill. 

No run for me this morning.  Instead, I hit the 8 am yoga class downtown with the hopes that everyone else slept in under their covers.  Not so lucky.  It was packed with women in their yoga attire and freshly painted toenails and perky little ponytails.  How awful and judgmental am I?  Jon always gets on me when I start describing people like this.  And he’s right.  The reason why they annoy me so much is because I secretly want a pair of yoga pants instead of my ten-year old adidas capris, and I secretly want bright candy red nail polish on my nasty, beat-down toes.  So, I’m jealous – I admit it.  Class was ok – I got spoiled with my very first instructor who whooped me up and made me feel like I had run a marathon after her class.  Everyone else pales in comparison (as Jon says to me “they teach like normal people, Mary!”).

Maggie came over at 11 am to watch the kids while Jon and I hit the Container Store to order a custom designed closet.  Whoo-hoo!  I would post a picture of our closet to let you see the disaster it is but it would be way too embarrassing (and that is from someone who is rarely embarrassed).  The store personnel were great – very friendly and efficient.  Our designer worked a layout for us and within 45 minutes, we had purchased the materials and installation for our bedroom closet.  Awesome.  When we got home, Ms. Maggie had bathed out children – a feat we had not accomplished in two days.  She even got Mario to wash his hair (a feat I have not accomplished in a week) and Maria to let her brush her hair.  Maria’s hair looks gorgeous when you actually brush it (imagine that).  We have Maggie sitting for us this Summer and we cannot wait – she is going to have these kids whooped into shape so quickly that Jon and I are going to be put to shame.  We have no problem with shame. 

Maria’s friend Gwen came over at 2 pm.  I was skeptical as to whether we should keep Alana over when Gwen came but these are 6-year-old girls – there couldn’t be too much drama, heh?!  Actually, they played well together without any drama; a few spats here and there but no drama.  They trashed the basement by having a “paper party” (consisting of throwing paper all over the place); demolished Maria’s room by spreading barbies and clothes all over; and trashed the kitchen by making crafts.  I had gotten them interested in Wii Just Dance but I noticed Gwen sitting on the chair looking bored and a little sad.  I asked her if she liked to dance and she shook her head “no.”  So, we moved onto a different activity – crafts.  

Maria with her TP doll

Gwen told me she loved to draw and so it was an easy choice.  Maria and Alana went with it, too.  We made toilet paper dolls (I did not make that craft up – I found the idea on the internet!).  The girls also tried to one up each other by drawing on themselves with magic marker.  Alana drew on her hand, Gwen on her finger, Maria … on her neck.  Yes, a giant butterfly with different colors across her neck.  She cried when I told her that dad would be so upset and told me with big tears rolling down her face: “I was just trying to be funny.”  That is her thing – she likes to make people laugh by going to the very edge – or over sometimes.  I love her for that trait but also worry about it.  We need to temper it a bit.  We got most of the butterfly off and Maria moved onto stickers. 

After crafts, we had to get out of the house for a bit.  Not so much for the kids but for me.  I know I have ADD – the folks should have diagnosed me years ago but then I would have been on drugs for way too long so I am glad they didn’t.  And it could be worse – I could sit on the couch all day watching Ellen.  We headed to Graeter’s playland for some running around and some ice cream (a tad hypocritical).  If I could eat Graeter’s for every meal, I would be one happy camper.  I love their chocolate chocolate chip.  I love their peanut butter chip.  I guess I simply love anything chip.  The girls loved the see-saw until some other kids moved in and bothered them.  They moved on to the slide and the tree house.  Some boys began teasing Mario on the slide, and Maria took care of them.  She protected that boy like a vicious guard dog making sure that they stayed away from him.  I was even scared.  After playing, we enjoyed some yummy ice cream.  Alana got strawberry (ugh!), Mario got 2 dips of chocolate chip (and left some for me god love him) and Maria and Gwen split a chocolate banana split.  They went to town on that thing.  I think Gwen has Maria’s appetite so the two of them together ate that split in record time.  Alana hadn’t even made a dent in her cone.  On the way home, the girls looked out the back window and talked to drivers behind us saying things like “Come on slow poke, catch up!” or “That woman looks old and look at that man…”  They giggled the entire way home.  It reminded me of me and my girlfriend, Beth when we would take road trips as young girls.  The innocence and slapstick and giddiness.

We ended the night with pjs and toothbrushing and helicoptering (until Alana bumped her head on the bed headboard).  Oh, and some ice cream sandwiches just to make sure we got our fill of milk and sugar for the day.

Dogs and Hamsters and a Super Bowl, Oh My

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This past weekend was one of those weekends where you wake up Monday morning feeling you totally took advantage of the weekend’s purpose – to relax, be silly, watch football, and eat chips while vegging in your pjs.

On Friday, Jon and I took Mario to the hockey game. Maria had to make the executive decision on whether to go to Kids Night Out at school or to the game with us. It was a brutal decision because she had her girlfriend asking if she was coming to Kids Night Out but she had her dad going to the hockey game. She LOVES hanging with her dad lately, especially when it’s dad and mom and Mario (she is the pack dog). But, ultimately a brief description of the hockey game (watching boys skate on ice and try to hit a puck in a goal) led her to choose Kids Night Out with popcorn, grape juice, friends and a movie. The pack dog strays when there is food and entertainment….

Mario loved the hockey game. He ate his favorite food – a hot dog – and watched the players skate along the ice and hit each other up against the wall.  Jon and I thought he might enjoy that activity more than he did since he is all into fighting.  Rather, he enjoyed hanging on the railing and talking to the older boys behind us in the box.  He also enjoyed the cheerleaders…. We left the game during the third quarter and picked up Maria.  It seems that every time I see her at school, she is even older and more independent.  She reminds me of me when I was in fourth and fifth grade (probably like when I was in first grade, too, but I can’t remember that time at all!) hanging out with my girl posse.  When I picked her up, she was laughing with her three girlfriends and they were falling all over each other.  Too cute. 

On Saturday, we headed to Hamilton Parker to find tile for our bathroom.  The kids ran around checking out the showroom showers and the kids’ room while Jon and I talked to the sales guy.  Maria explained where everything was in the showroom since she had come to the store with me back in September.  “Buddy, the kids’ room is over here and it has a tv.”  Mario’s response: “Will the tv have Godzilla?”  Maria’s reply: “We’ll see buddy and if it doesn’t, we”ll find something else for you.”  The way she calls him “buddy” makes our hearts melt.  After Hamilton Parker, we headed to BW-3’s for some wings and nachos.  Nothin’ like a healthy lunch.  We waddled out to the front of the restaurant and the kids begged to play a game.  They put a dollar in a chicken and egg machine and each of them got a plastic egg.  Maria scored a tattoo and Mario scored a little orange plastic cone that had the words “Back away slowly.”  I read it to Mario and he laughed “I know, mom and dad, I am going to put this in my room and when you walk in, you will have to walk back slowly.” 

We headed to the pet store in the late afternoon to torture ourselves by holding sweet little precious pups that needed a home.  Maria always picks the most docile puppies that love to be held.  She sits in the little room with them caressing and talking to them.  Mario hangs out at the hamster bin trying to put the hamsters on the exercise wheel or in the tire.  They run from him like he is death.  Mario does not have quite the touch with the pups like Maria does.  He likes to put them on the ground and watch them run around and play.  If they don’t move much, he picks another.  I can usually handle about 45 minutes in that store because it is such a madhouse of people but I made it an hour on Saturday.  When we left, Maria begged to go on Sunday. 

On Sunday, I skipped yoga because Maria and Mario begged me to stay home.  We ate cereal and read books.  Maria and I went on a stroller ride to the store to get pencils for her class project – a timeline of her life – all 6 years.  We headed out to Dirty Franks for lunch (yeah, two for two on the healthy lunch front for the weekend!).  When we returned, the kids and I took a bike ride to the library to grab some movies and new books.  Maria and I watched Mario ahead of us – his little legs pushing the clunky wheels of his tricycle.  He wants so badly to lead the group but usually Maria cannot help but bolt ahead because she is on a two-wheeler bike and can’t easily slow down without falling off.  But I held onto her on this bike ride so Mario could take the lead and he was one proud puppy.  When an older lady passed him, he stopped and said hello to her.  When we stopped at the library, he said “Mom, an old lady said hi to me and I said hi to her back.  I stopped my bike and everything. Are you proud of me?”

We headed to Kroger’s before the Super Bowl and Maria and I stocked up on chips and dip.  Maria was grabbing all sorts of dips and chips for our party arguing that “it is the Super Bowl – we had to have a real party!”  When we got home, we turned on the Super Bowl and watched all of the commercials.  We all sat on the couch together – Mario on Jon’s arm playing Leapster, Maria in between Jon and me.  She loved it.  She kept saying “I love cuddling with my mom and dad and brother.”  We have got to start up family movie nights.  Maria fell asleep with 30 seconds left of the Super Bowl.  Mario remained wide awake playing his Leapster Ben Ten game.  I dragged him upstairs with me to hit the sack, and we were both out cold in three minutes flat.

I Am Because We Are

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I took my time getting out of bed this morning.  Jon lovingly rolled out of bed at 7:10 am to take the kids downstairs.  They have reverted back to their old wake-up time – 6:30 am.  Brutal on a Saturday morning.  Especially when nursing a head cold.

Maria headed back upstairs after heading down with the boys.  She cuddled her body against mine and rubbed my hair trying to get the tangles out (an act she loves because I inevitably say “Ouch!” and she retorts “That’s how I feel when you brush my hair!”).  She begged me not to go on my Saturday morning run complaining that I never spend Saturday mornings with her.  I explained to her that I spend all of Saturday day and night with her outside of my run, but that didn’t matter one bit in her mind.  When she knew she would not get me to skip my run, she begged me to at least get up and carry her piggyback downstairs.  I asked her to give me 15 minutes.  She counted down 15 minutes on the clock and when that 15 minutes expired, she sang “Cock-a-doodle-do!”  She is a nutball.

As I got dressed and looked outside at the bleak morning, I resolved I would do a short run – 5 miles – and call it a day.  My head hurt from my cold, my nose was runny and stuffy and my eyes felt droopy.  Jon always asks why I would choose to go outside and exercise when I felt like that but to me, it helps.  Opens up those sinuses, right?!  On my first leg of the run, I felt heavy in the legs and I thought I may take the mileage down to 3.  But something happened as I jogged down my second hill and saw a group of runners – male and female – running up the hill.  They looked my way, smiled, waved, and yelled “Good day, heh?”  I returned the morning hello and felt energized.  After another mile, I jogged by a woman walking her dog who I see often on my morning runs.  Her dog yapped and she shrugged her shoulders at me saying “I wish he’d know you by now and not bother you with that barking. Do a mile for me!”  I waved and continued. 

M&M posing at the tile shop they went to with Jon and me later in the day.

I made it to my turn-off. I could choose to take a left and head up the hill to the gym or head straight towards downtown.  Seeing others energized me and I continued toward downtown.  When I passed a bus stop, the two older men sitting on the bench commented  “Lookin’ good hunny.  Keep that body moving.  Uh-huh.”  I nodded at them appreciating their subtle encouragement. I continued through downtown into Short North and up King Avenue.  I ran over the bridge and caught a glimpse of Mario’s favorite bird (heron) standing tall on a rock in the water.  I thought of Maria and Mario and my full day ahead with them.  I smiled.  I thought of Jon and a full week with him this week due to his lack of travel.  I smiled.  I looked at the road ahead and the run I was soon set to accomplish.  I smiled. 

An old African Proverb suddenly entered my head: “I am because we are.”  My sis had sent me this proverb in a card a while back.  I thought back to the warm people I had seen on my run, my family, my friends, the pre-historic heron, and how fitting the proverb was for my Saturday morning run.  I repeated it over and over as I ran home to spend the day with Jon and M&M.

Sparkle

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Maria forgot to bring her book home tonight from school so I made her read a book here at the house for 15 minutes.  You’d think I would have told her she was never leaving the house again.  After she stopped whining, we chose the Sparkle Like a Flower Fairy book that she bought from Half Price Books this weekend.  We agreed I would read a page and then she would read a page.  The book has a paper necklace, crown, bracelet and wand scattered throughout the pages for little girls to wear while they read. 

Maria is reading so well lately, and I love to listen to her. She and I got through most of the book before Mario started complaining of feeling bad (poor guy just can’t kick this sickness).  I asked if I could take her picture real quick with all of her “jewelry” on and she agreed.  After the picture, she said: “Mom, I think you should put that picture on your blog and say ‘Maria and I read Sparkle Like a Flower Fairy tonight.  Fairies sparkle in the sky.  Maria put on all of the jewelry in the book.  Little did I know we had a fairy right here in our house.'”  I gasped when she finished, especially at the last sentence because it sounded so much like something I would say. 

I hugged her tight and told her how proud I was of her.  She reciprocated the big hug and relied with a smile “Mommy.”

A Sunday

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Highlights of our Sunday:

Wrestling with dad.

Eating bagels and cream cheese with Grandma Lolo at the counter of the Marx’s Bagel Shop and meeting the Bagelman in person!

Visiting Grandma Menkedick at her nursing home; reciting the ABC’s and telling a story to her (Mario); playing the Partly Cloudy movie for her and talking about school (Maria); just being near her and listening (me). 

Playing dress up at Grandma Lolo’s complete with a bright red pair of shoes and red sash (Maria).

Flexing chest muscles in Grandma Lolo’s kid friendly mirror and play fighting with himself (Mario). 

Seeing sweet Gracie-poo’s face beam when Maria and Mario walked in Aunt Julie’s front door and hearing her baby voice ask “Maria, do you want to play with me in the basement?”

Listening to Maria, Mario and Grace play mom, sister and brother, and watching Maria help Gracie go potty (she is getting to be such a big girl!).

Laughing with Liz and Aunt Julie and reminiscing about Grandma Heile.

Seeing Laura and listening to her explain to Maria that she must remember the names of nail polish colors on the nail polish bottle if she chooses to wear polish.  Maria did not know the name of the polish she was wearing; Laura told her that she was wearing Black on Black on her nails.  Laura explained that nail polish colors always had fun names.  Maria asked her what the name would be of the color of Laura’s scarf if it were polish.  Laura asked Maria what she would name it.  “Blueberry,” she responded.  Then Maria asked for Laura’s response.  “Blue lagoon” I believe she said.  Maria was intrigued.  The magic in those moments.

Eating Larosa’s pizza.

Driving home under the deep black sky and looking back to see my two precious, inspiring babes deep in sleep, heads limp, mouths open, breathing heavy.

Half Day Fridays

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Standing tall at school

Maria had a half day of school today due to teacher/parent conferences.  What a pain.  I guess I should be glad that the teacher did not require one for Maria, which means she has “no issues” to discuss with us.  I am quite sure we won’t be so lucky with Mario. 

I had to take the day off of work because of Maria’s 11:25 early dismissal.  By the time I took her to school and Mario to daycare, I would have only had an hour at work.  Monday morning will not be fun.  I had told Maria that she could go to a friend’s house after school but she begged to be with me.  I told her that I had a YMCA Board meeting at noon and she would have to go.  She was all for it because she remembers the food buffet at the last meeting! When I picked her up, she hopped in the car and asked if we could get Mario.  I had not considered it because having Maria and Mario at the Board meeting would be a recipe for disaster.  But Maria pleaded on behalf of her brother, and I caved.  When we walked into Mario’s room at 11:40, his eyes widened and he asked coyly “Do I get to go home with you?”  When Maria yelled “Yeah” Mario gave her a big ol’ hug. 

We walked into the Board meeting after ground rules were laid out to the kids (Maria knows them already but Mario, not so much).  I had the IPad, the IPhone, coloring books and crayons.  I knew if I had the IPad for Mario then we would be ok.  An hour playing with that device is like a piece of heaven to him.  When we walked in the door, we smelled the chili and cornbread.  Maria yanked at my shirt and whispered “Look, Mom, they have chili and bread!”  Mario just kept begging for the IPad.  We situated ourselves at the back table.  Maria brought us all waters and napkins.  Our little waitress. 

The kids did a great job throughout the meeting.  Mario played with the IPad the entire time as I knew he would.  Maria drew me a picture but then went for my phone.  When Mario had to go to the bathroom, she took him back to the bathroom for me remembering exactly how to get there.  The meeting was inspirational – I love these types of meetings where we talk about the Y’s mission, how we help the community, what the Y means to people in need.  It’s nice to talk with other board members for a bit rather than fly in and out of the meeting every month.  Everyone got a kick out of M&M playing away on their electronics; they all remember their kids drawing or reading a paper book.  Ahh, those were the good ol’ days. 

M&M did a nice job saying goodbye to folks and giving the Executive Director a hug and a thank you for letting them attend.  After the Y, we headed to Pier Imports.  I could tell the sales ladies were a little worried when Mario walked in since he was flailing everywhere. I cannot believe that we made it out of there with nothing broken!  Between Mario picking up vases the size of him and Maria trying to carry glass pigs over to me, it is a miracle.  I was in such a deep shopping trance, that we almost forgot to pick up Alana from school.  We pulled up just in time and we all headed home for popcorn and Ben 10. 

After Ben 10, Mario played some Wii while the girls ran upstairs to play by themselves.  The boy is a Wii fanatic.  After he played a couple of games, he asked me to come into the room.  He came over to me and said “Mom, thank you for picking me up before nap today.”  Those are the moments I know I have done something right.  Warms my heart.  A while later, I got so excited when the kids approached me and asked if we could walk to the park.  Is my love for walking and the outdoors finally hitting them!  It does seem that when Alana is over they tend to ask that more.  She is a good influence.  We walked to the park and to the library.  Maria and Alana want to walk by themselves.  A group of ten-year old boys were walking across the street and I could hear them behind me giggling.  We are in trouble. 

We ended the night with dinner at Wendy’s and a little Justin Bieber.  Can life get any better?!

Setting off the emotions… or not…

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The Maria face when she gets her feelings hurt

 

Poor Maria – she has her mom’s emotional curse.  I remember when I was eight years old and I accidentally spilled milk at my grandma’s table.  She looked at me with a frown and disappointingly said “Oh, Mary Grace.”  That was enough to send me over the edge and I cried in her bedroom for 15 minutes until she came in to tell me it was alright and she still loved me. 

Tonight, Maria stuck her tongue out at Jon at the dinner table.  She did it playfully but Jon and I are trying to teach her that even if done in a playful manner, it is still not appropriate.  Jon firmly counseled her on not sticking her tongue out at him or others.  As soon as he finished, I could see her eyes begin to water and her fine little mouth begin to quiver.  Jon and I looked at each other knowing that she was starting to cry.  But tonight, instead of crying, she closed off completely.  She just stopped talking to either of us.  I asked her questions about her day to try to provoke her to talk but she informed me that she did not wish to talk during dinner.  Jon and I gave each other the “oh, my” looks and continued to eat and engage with Mario.  After I tried to talk to her a few more times, and we could tell that she was wanting to come out of her muteness, Jon finally asked her to tell him what was wrong.  She wanted to tell me first because she and I have a pact that she can tell me anything and I will always listen (she remembered that the other night when she wanted to tell me about getting mad at a friend at school; she tugged at my shirt in the living room and said “remember how you told me I could tell you anything, well…” – I love that she is taking me up on it). 

Jon told her she could talk to him, too, and so she laid it out to him.  “You made me sad, dad.”  He couldn’t stand hearing that from her and took her close to him to give her a big hug.  “You can’t stick your tongue out but that does not mean I don’t love you, Maria.”  He tickled her sides, and they laughed together.  I was proud that she told him her feelings and looked him in the eye.  A good sign.  She can’t stand to be angry at Jon or I for too long.  She is like a pack dog – she needs the pack to be together and if they are not, she fixes it pretty quickly. 

The Mario face when gets his feelings hurt

Mario, on the other hand, would have ignored us for all of dinner and cared less that Jon scolded him.  He can hold a grudge for a while.  He is more like a stray dog, independent of any pack, ready to take on the world by himself.  If Jon and I want to support him, great.  If not, he will go at it on his own….  Even though he certainly depends on us when it comes to wanting to play on our Ipads or Iphones.  At those times, he can play the sweet, adoring, darling role real well.

Toys R Us – Yoda

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We woke today to slushy streets but thankfully, not a lot of ice.  I was able to manage a run (although my calves are sore from flexing them in order to avoid slipping in the slush), which makes all the difference in my day.  Everything gleamed throughout the neighborhood due to the fresh white snow on the ground.  My footsteps made the first marks of the day. 

Mario in his jeep

When I got home, the kids were outside with Jon shoveling the sidewalk.  Jon knows how to put them to work and they love it.  My stomach twisted up a bit when I drove up and saw them outside.  A good twist – a feeling of warmth and gratitude in having such a wonderful hubby and kids.  I like when that feeling creeps up on me.  The kids and I went inside and began our Saturday cleaning, which is still like pulling teeth.  Once we get the music started and begin picking up, the whining wears off but until then it was as if we told them they had to go work in the mines. 

We started with Mario’s room because Mario had a little accident in the middle of the night.  He came into our bedroom around 5 am to get his sleeping bag. I thought he had just woken up and wanted to use it but I should not have been so naive.  He must have changed out of his pants and dried himself off because the towel was in the middle of the hall and his pants were by the steps.  At least he didn’t call on Jon or me to do that for him like he used to a year ago. 

Maria being driven by her chauffeur in her Escalade

After cleaning, I made them work on their workbooks for 15 minutes.  Mario loves showing me how he can trace his letters; Maria loves trying to get an “A+” on each workbook page.  After they finished that task, we headed off to Toys R Us. I still have a $25 gift card that Maria got for her birthday about 2 years ago (it’s probably worth about $!0 now) and I told her she could get something little in honor of a great report card.  Mario earned himself a small toy, too, for helping to clean his room and finishing his ABCs (should I have dinged him for peeing in his bed!). 

When we first walked in Toys R Us, the kids’ mouths dropped at the massive amount of toys and games and movies and candy throughout the store.  At first, I thought about how amazing it must be to walk through the store as a kid – every toy you can imagine floating around the aisles for you to view.  I soon changed that thought and decided that Toys R Us is hell for kids because of all of the toys floating around and their desire to have every single one of them.  Maria went from wanting a Leapster game to a Barbie to a stuffed dog to a penguin to a ….  Mario was surprisingly not as crazed about the toys.  He planted himself in the toy cars aisle testing out the jeeps and four wheelers.  He also eyed the skateboards.   

Katy Perry in the making?

You tend to tune out the crying in Toys R Us because it is so prevalent.  Kids begging their parents for toys and upon hearing “no”, falling on the ground in pure distress.  Maria and Mario did not go there, thank goodness, because they know better.  Maria is well aware that she has a lot of “things” and if I tell her “no” on one more “thing” she typically takes it in stride and moves on.  That being said, after going through a lot of “no’s” with me, Maria found a Barbie “head” – one of those decapitated creatures with long blond hair that kids can braid and comb.  The thing was marked down 70% from Christmas so it was a steal.  I cracked up that she chose this toy as she absolutely detests to brush her own hair or get it brushed by anyone else.  She also detests anyone braiding her hair.  Maybe this toy will help her move towards that direction for once in her life. 

Mario got a set of army guys – those little green, plastic figures.  It came with a tank and truck, too.  All for $5.  Love that deal.  We also looked for Yoda.  I have loved Yoda for years and had an awesome little plastic figurine back in college (why wasn’t I more careful with stuff back then?).  I got another one as Fitness Director at the YMCA but lost him in one of my moves from Cincy to Columbus to Cincy to Columbus.  They had every Star Wars figurine except Yoda at Toys R Us.  I was so mad.  Sweet Maria who always takes care of me told me this story: “Mom, when I was at Target one day, a man asked someone where Yoga was in the toy aisle and that person said “Who’s Yoga?” Can you believe that someone doesn’t know who Yoda is?!”  She always tries to get me in a better mood.  And if there was a Yoda in the store, I am quite sure she would have bought it for me with her toy money. 

Me all dressed up, my fashion designer, and the popsicle eater

After Toys R Us, I got a welcome trip to Stauf’s to eat a black russian bagel and diet coke.  I read about Newt Gingrich’s win in South Carolina (UNbelievable!!) and felt sick to my stomach so I had to switch over to reading labor and employment articles (numb my mind).  When I got home, Maria begged me to help her braid her new doll’s head of hair.  That turned in to her begging to “dress me up”, which she has begged to do for weeks, and I have declined for weeks.  It was 6:30, cold, and I knew I would not be heading out again.  So what the hay.  Within a half an hour, I had eyeliner on my eyebrows, lipstick all over the lower half of my face, blush smeared on my cheeks, and nail polish on the top halves of my fingers.  Worse than that, she dressed me in my old orange dress that is tight and short with a pair of gray high heels.  She made me throw a white skirt under the dress since it was so short (this is Maria’s signature look – a skirt under a dress).  I just don’t understand how she can look at a well-made up woman and comment on how pretty she is but then lather me with crazy make-up and think I look good?!  She proudly took me downstairs and introduced me to the boys.  Mario’s response: “Will you marry me?”  He is going to be attracted to some winners (Jon’s response was “ugh” – much more appropriate).

It’s now close to 9:30 and Jon and I look forward to a half hour alone before we both can’t keep our eyes open and fall fast asleep with the hopes of no little ones crawling into our bed.

Broken windows and dreams

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We survived the holiday weekend.  Maria’s cousin, Alana stayed with us from Saturday through Monday morning.  I love having her over because the girls get along so well.  They go up to Ri’s room and play barbies or listen to Justin Bieber or play Pet Shop in the basement.  I can actually read a little bit of a book or clean the house without having Maria at my heels asking me to play.  Alleluia.  And I love that they are so close.  I wish I would have been as close to my cousin when I was little.  They are good for each other, too.  Maria shows Alana how to be more daring and Alana shows Maria how to play something for more than three minutes.

Mario stayed at Grandma Ionno’s house on Saturday night until Sunday.  He loves himself some Grandma and Grandpa time because he is all by himself and spoiled to death.  He gets to wrestle, show-off, watch tv, and lay around in his pjs.  Not a bad life.  He did want to come home on Sunday night, however, because he knew Alana would be there.  Jon explained to him that the girls may want alone time and Mario chirped back “Alana will want to play with me because she tells me all the time how cute I am.” Oh, ok…. We gotta watch that head of his.

When he walked in, the girls showered him with hugs and love (no wonder his head is big).  They all went upstairs and played “Big Time Rush”. This game consists of Maria and Alana being themselves and Mario being one of the BTR singers.  He played James when we saw him.  He walked by us with his nose in the air as Maria and Alana fawned over him.  It seemed to come natural to him – scary.

I walked up to Stauf’s to do some reading around 5 pm.  Jon watched the kids.  I got a call around 5:45 from Jon.  “Get home now” he stated firmly.  “Mario punched his window out.” My mind leapt to blood everywhere, glass shattered all over.  Luckily, his had suffered a couple of cuts with no glass in them and the glass mostly landed on the roof.  Jon had already subjected him to the wall when I arrived home.  He held a tissue on his hand.  He looked like a mean mama-jamba.  He looked like a prize-fighter.  Jon and I are in for it.  I made him put alcohol on it so that he felt the sting – until that time, he really didn’t see any negative consequences to his behavior.  After I stung him with the alcohol, he cried and shouted “I don’t want to do that again!”  When Jon asked him why he would want to punch his window, this was his response: “I wanted to get on the news.” Oh, are we truly in trouble.

Mario showing his wounds

After that chaos, the kids fell asleep in Maria’s room; Maria and Alana in the bed and Mario on the floor in his sleeping bag and band-aid. 

On Monday, we all talked about what an incredible figure Martin Luther King was and is in our society.  Both girls knew what he stood for and what he fought against.  I told Maria how we walked across the Broad Street bridge when she was one year old in order to honor him.  She couldn’t remember.  Mario knew that MLK “had a dream.” I told him how I remember going to his classroom when he was two and seeing his picture on the bulletin board.  The teachers had taught the kids about MLK’s famous “I have a dream” speech.  They then had the kids tell them what they dreamed of.  The words underneath Mario’s picture were “I dream of ‘popsicles’!” 

Thanks for giving us dreams, Martin Luther King, Jr.