covert cookie deal

March 13, 2015Leave a comment

We have almost delivered all of Maria’s Girl Scout cookies – thank god. What a task it was this year with the ridiculously cold temperatures. Ri and I were relegated to packing the boxes of cookies in my car and delivering them rather than walking them door to door. Bethany was a savior and worked with Ri for two hours sorting boxes for each house.

By the time I got home in the evening it was dark outside. We loaded up a couple of boxes, threw on a scarf and hat and gloves, and made our way over to the next street for our deliveries. No one was outside due to the cold weather. It was a pitch black winter night. The street looked ominous without any people walking and with the street lights out. I pulled up in the driveway of the first house and Ri jumped out with two boxes of Thin Mints.

“How much do they owe you”, I asked her.

“$8!”

She scurried up to the door and knocked. A tall man opened the door and invited her in while he got his money to pay her. She slipped out into the night minutes later and rushed to my car. She handed me the money.

I couldn’t help but feel that we had just completed a covert drug deal. Not that I have any experience with such an operation but I have seen them on tv and at the movies. I told Ri how I felt and she looked at me in horror.

“Mom! Seriously?!”

But my girl doesn’t miss a beat. As we pulled in the driveway of the next house, I jostled the cookie boxes trying to find a Samoas and a Do Si Do.

“Hurry up, Mom, I gotta get the deal done.” God, I love her.

She’s all that

February 8, 2015February 8, 20151 Comment

Yea, she’s all that.

Funny as all get out. She can have me laughing on even my most horrible of days.

Smart as a whip. She knows how things work, where things are, and what are the answers (and if she doesn’t, she can surely play it up like she does).

Perceptive as a CIA agent. She picks up on a conversation and quickly assesses what is happening. She easily deciphers when folks are being sarcastic versus sincere and can hold her own with those sarcastic souls (exhibit 1, Aunt Laura)!

Empathetic as no nine year old I’ve met. She senses when folks are hurting and knows how to console them. Whether it’s opening a door for an older individual or helping feed the homeless, she’s all in.

Fashionable as a runway model. She puts together combinations I’ve never dreamed of mixing and pulls it off magnificently (exhibit 2 above).

Generous as can be. She will give away her money, her toys, her food to anyone she sees in need … and not expect anything in return.

Protective as a mama lion. She will not tolerate anyone messin’ with her brood (exhibit 3, she was ready to call my boss the night I came home so upset about work).

Loud as summer thunder. She exercises those vocal chords extremely well. If you are sitting next to her, put the plugs in those ears. But it’s all in the name of pure joy and excitement.

Adventurous as a toddler. Give her an activity that scares 80% of humankind and she’s on it.

Thoughtful as an unsuspected gift on your doorstep. She loves to see people smile and is always thinking of ways to put one on faces (exhibit 4, sending “I love you” letters in the mail to family members).

Yea, this girl is all that – and I’m so glad I get to witness “all that” every single day.

Grateful for you, Ri.

xoxoxo
Mom

Christmas 2014

January 24, 2015Leave a comment

The kids get two weeks off for Christmas break every year. Every year I find myself frantically calling my dad and stepmom or Jon’s mom or our sitter to see if they can take the kids certain days. You’d think I would learn with each year and plan a bit in advance but it is a lesson I will never learn. Probably because I get away with it every year – finding family and friends to watch the kids on the days Jon and I have to work. The year it doesn’t work out and I can’t attend the boss’s meeting is the year that will make me change my ways.

The kids counted down the days prior to their two-week break with increasing joy until finally on the Friday of the last day of school, Mario exclaimed “no more school after today!” I guess two weeks feels like a lifetime to a kid. We had our usual holiday trek to Cincinnati on Christmas Eve. We hit mom’s house first and madly opened presents. The kids always want to dig in as soon as we open the door and mom obliges.

Susie hosted Christmas Eve at her house for the first time since I was little, and it was really enjoyable. She had gingerbread houses for the kids to decorate (Mario was way too cool to decorate his for more than a minute), and a movie for them to watch (never got to that but good thought).

I wondered if I’d feel at all saddened by having it at Susie’s since I had spent my life going to Grandma Heile’s house for Christmas Eve. But I didn’t because all that mattered was that I had my Heile posse with me for the evening. Ri joined right in the crowd as she always has since she was little. She fits right in with her 20 something cousins.

Mario, on the other hand, is a bit more intolerant of the noise and chaos and constant hugging! Emily came up to hug him and he pushed her away. I took him upstairs to tell him that was rude, and he looked me in the eye and cried “doesn’t she know that I don’t like to be hugged?” Spoken just like his father. I calmed him down and we went back downstairs only to have Cy accidentally hit him in the tongue and mouth with his head as they were playing horsey. Back upstairs he stomped – angry and hurt. Then, he suffered a third incident 30 minutes later when Robert picked him up by his feet and dropped him on his head. Lovely. Poor kid couldn’t catch a break. But then he scored a Nerf gun from Aunt Jane and all was good.

Ri helped me play the white elephant game this year. We took home the horrible clown that everyone hates to get each year. Actually, we didn’t even win it – Cy’s girlfriend did – but she was so scared of it that Maria took it from her to be nice. Ri could play those games all night long with her cousins; she loves it.

We left Susie’s around 7:30, which was nice. We arrived home at a reasonable hour versus the 10:30 or 11 pm times in years’ past. The kids knocked off soon after we left (Ri first as always and then Mario shortly thereafter).

We did not arrive home to luminaries up and down the street, which was a bit disappointing. Our street has always had about a 90% turnout rate on luminaries and it is magical to turn the corner and see the soft glow of lights lining the entire street. But it was raining softly when we arrived home, and the lights would have gotten burnt out upon lighting. Patty had wrapped some of the kids’ gifts for me while we were gone, which was such a blessing. I came home to nothing to do (in years’ past, I ran around frantically wrapping and getting things under the tree). Jon and I went straight to bed knowing the two goofs would be up at the crack of dawn.

They woke up at 6:30 am and we heard them outside of our door whispering and excited. They lasted until about 6:50 am (we had asked for 7 am) before busting open the door and yelling “Come on! Let’s open presents!” Jon and I rose from the bed, hair in every direction, and got pulled down the stairs by each kid. It took approximately two minutes for the kids to open all 7 of their presents. Seriously. Next year we are going to have to take more time. It was 7:05 am and Christmas was over. But they were both happy campers. Ri got her phone she wanted and Mario got his Nintendo. They immediately unwrapped those items and started playing with them. Jon and I got each other comforters without having any idea we were both getting each other one. Two peas in a pod.

Meg, Dad, Sarah, Jorge and Elena arrived around 9 am for our second round of fun. Ms. Elena’s first Christmas! We ate yummy quiche made by Meg-pie and cinnamon rolls and then skyped with Uncle Jack and Sofia. It was great seeing the dude-man on Christmas day; he never ceases to make me belly laugh. He seems to be enjoying the Nordic life sporting a sweet wool sweater during our talk. Elena let Ri and I hold her while we opened presents. She loved the mega-blinged out baby walker we bought her with all sorts of sounds and lights on it. As we sat around together watching Elena, I was reminded of all the years that Jon and I would head to Meg and Dad’s house for Christmas morning. Jack and Sarah were in grade school and high school, and just as excited as Ri and Mario about present opening. We’d get a call at the apartment at 7 am telling us to head over.

We hung out until around 12:30 and then they left to head back to the farm.

Bring in round three!

Patty and Patrick and crew and Chris and Connie and Frances came over around 1:00 to spend the rest of the day with us. The kids loved hanging out together all day long. Chris told his jokes like he used to when Jon and I were dating. Patrick and Jon talked about all the things they got into when Patty took them to work with her. It was a good reminiscing session; their stories never cease to impress me. Boys. We opened gifts after dinner. Patrick and Carrie gave me the best gift I have ever gotten. A shirt box full of chocolates. There were probably 100 of the chocolate squares overfilling the box. Pure heaven!

We missed Joe’s presence. Patty teared up a few times thinking about him. Mario also talked about how much he missed him. And Ri cried at school before break because she was working on a tribute to Joe and sadness overcame her. There is no doubt he felt the love soaring up to him this holiday.

The girls went home with Patty on Christmas night like they have in past years. They look so forward to that time with her. She took them to play volleyball at the Y the next morning and all of her friends enjoyed their humor. Mario and Gio spent the night at Gio’s house one night and our house the next. They played video games and laughed about farts and butts and all things that make boys chuckle. I am so happy that they still enjoy one another and get to spend time together. Patty is a machine with them. She takes them to the Y, to the arcade, to the movies, to McDonald’s. She plays with them at the condo. Her energy really needs to be bottled up and sold; we’d make millions.

We ended the holidays with a visit from Bill and Jean and Kerry and Kevin and kids. Meg and Dad and Sarah joined in the afternoon fun. We made it easy and ordered City Barbecue and Bill made his awesome chocolate desserts. Maria and Mario do not get to see Ben and Annaliese that often but they still find ways to connect. Ben and Mario connect over the iPad; Maria and Annaliese connect over her American Girl doll and barbies. I remember when Kerry and I were young and both possessing much different interests but we’d get together two times a year and catch up. There was a connection between us even with the months apart and our different pursuits. I am a strong believer in staying close to your roots. I am quite sure that Grandma Menkedick was smiling down on us all day.

After that crew left on the Sunday before New Year’s, we had the house to ourselves. What to do without the commotion, present-opening, running around, and chaos?

Put on the pj’s, eat some of Bill’s chocolate cake, and read Vela.

Bring it on palette expander

January 21, 2015Leave a comment

This girl got a palette expander inserted into her mouth yesterday. The above picture was her happy face prior to the insertion. She asked a ton of questions of the dental assistant like what tools they’d use, would her tongue get in the way, when would she get her braces….. The assistant was great about answering all of them. Ri seemed relaxed and unconcerned about the procedure. She has expressed some worry the night before; she had heard from friends that it hurt. But she seemed calm and collected with me as she sat in the chair playing with her molds.
She showed me what her cross bite looked like and how the palette would help correct it. She knew more than Jon or I did.
The assistant took out her spacers and noticed two were missing. She became worried that the palette expander would not fit her because the space had not opened up between her teeth. Ri looked dejected.
“You mean I may not get my expander today?”
The assistant told her she’d give it a try and low and behold, with a little pushing and prying, they fit. The palette expander on the top covers most of the roof of her tiny mouth. The bottom is just a wire behind her teeth. The assistant told her that she’d have to take it out in order to put glue on it to keep it firm in her mouth. Ri pleaded “will you put it back in today?”
She was relieved to hear the assistant say yes.
And so the glue was spread on the expander and re-inserted in her mouth. She didn’t cry or flinch or scream once (meanwhile there was one little girl wailing in the next room – poor thing). Here are the after shots.

My machine. She is unbelievable. Here I was fretting about having to cancel meetings in the afternoon because I thought she’d be hurting and beg to stay home but I should have known that would not be the case. I should have known that she’d crank it out like she always does with everything. She is my trooper-girl.
She sounds hilarious when she talks because she’s not used to the expander yet. She sounds like a two year old. But does she care? Not at all. She laughs it off and after trying to pronounce a word correctly for the tenth time, finally does. She pats herself on the back and smiles at me. Then tries another.
I adore this girl.

Spanish sweetness

January 21, 2015Leave a comment

Mario walked in last night from basketball hyped up with his buddy, Owen. They were talking about a dream Owen had where he found peoples’ butts and made a hill of butts. They were laughing hysterically about this dream while they were wrestling around on the kitchen floor. Boys.
After Owen left, Mario sat down at the table to play Minecraft.
“You have to eat dinner, buddy,” I told him as I popped in a lasagna dinner. The oven died yesterday so all we have is the microwave (which is usually our go to appliance anyway but it never fails that the one night I’m gonna use the oven, it dies).
“I’m not hungry mom. I just wanna play.”
“You gotta eat.”
“No.”
I move over to where he’s sitting and tickle him. I tell him he needs more flesh on those bones of his. He laughs.
I place the lasagna in front of him and he eats it slowly. His eyes are directed at the computer. I tell him to turn it off and eat. He huffs and sighs and eventually turns it off. He’s mad. He sits in silence and eats. When he’s finished he looks at me and says curtly “there, now can I play?”
“You can be nicer about it”, I tell him. He comes over and gives me a hug and says sorry. As crazy and pissy as this boy is at times, he has got a huge heart. I remove his folder from his bookbag as he plays his game and find this gem.

I do not know Spanish but I have a hunch as to the translation and I smile wide. Mario glances over and smiles at me.
“Can I read it to you?”
I tell him I’d love for him to do that.
“My mom is athletic and caring. My mom is funny.”
Really? Can I love this kid anymore? These little gems bring more joy than any material possession ever could. This is refrigerator worthy, for sure.

Dog washin’

January 20, 2015Leave a comment

There are certain activities that the kids and I engage in only when Jon is away. Because if we engaged in the antics we did, he’d lose it. And with good reason. I tend to say “yes” way too much.
So when the kiddos asked if they could give Rocco a bath on Sunday, my default “yes” came out even though we don’t have a workable tub so the kids would have to use our shower. It was easy to say yes, however, because the entire downstairs smelled like wet dog. I could wash his blanket every day and it would still reek. And since I don’t wash it every day, and it’s been snowing or raining, and Rocco’s fur is matted from all of it, it’s doubly as gross. I called them when I was five minutes away and they were ready for me when I got home. I had signs on the steps and hallway saying “Dog Wash” with an arrow pointing towards the bedroom. I approached the bathroom and saw shampoos and conditioners strewn out along the floor and sink. Towels everywhere. And Ri and Mario standing in their swimsuits ready for Rocco. I couldn’t believe he stood in the shower with them calm as can be. And they went to town on him!

After a full on bath, they brushed him. He just stood there like a trooper. Best dog of the year.

They made a video as they washed him so they could try to sell their services to more dog owners. Ri was going to charge $2 a wash but Mario demanded $5. They posted the video on Facebook with the hopes of new customers. None yet. Probably best, dad is home soon.

Why I’m in shape

January 18, 2015Leave a comment

Even though I run and lift weights and do yoga, that is not what keeps me in shape. These three keep me in shape.

The pup goes nuts in the house if I don’t take him on at least two runs a day. This is a sign that the run was long enough.

As for Ri and Mario, they require a different energy. They are not so much into running outdoors as they are into indoor play. It is this type of play that is ten times more tiring than my Rocco runs.
Our first game was an obstacle course created by Ri. We had to toss a football ten times. If it dropped before you hit ten passes you had to start again. Then you had to hold a sticky pad and throw a ball to one another ten times without dropping it. After you did that, you had to connect the sticky pad with your teammate’s sticky pad and jump on separate chairs. Then you jump off the chairs and climb under the table together and then run into the family room to find the hidden potato. There were three different teams: Maria and I; Mario and I; and Mario and Ri. The person not playing kept time. It took Ri 15 minutes to explain the rules to us. After playing that game several times, we moved onto a board game, Life. Life has changed since I was little. I don’t remember “Action” cards. Each time you land on a blank space you pick up an Action card. This takes the game from a sitting game to a moving game because the Action cards require you to “show off your dance moves” or “walk the catwalk.” Seriously, what happened to spinning the wheel and moving your car?

After an hour of Life, we moved onto body jumping. Yea. You lie down on your stomach on the bed. Then you get covered with blankets and pillows. Then someone jumps on top of you. What fun!

Finally, we ended the night of “games” with a tickling bout. Basically, Ri and I tickling Mario who loves the torture. Oh, and a piggy back ride for each kid to their respective rooms to get in their pjs. No gym could offer a class as good.

Winter activity

January 16, 2015Leave a comment

What to do on a Winter evening when it’s too cold to play outside? The default activity is play on the computer or watch tv. However, mama was home alone with them last night and changed the mood from passive to active. That’s right.
First mode of business: complete two math worksheets. Get the brain engaged.

Mission accomplished.
Second: help make dinner. And then get out the hot sauce to alert the taste buds. The second task was actually Mario’s idea. Ever since he tried hot sauce on an oyster cracker at Skyline, he’s been fascinated with the condiment and wants to put it on everything.

Mission accomplished.
Third: create a game that requires the kids to burn some energy. This one was all Ri. She came up with the Repeat game where you had to repeat the exact slide that someone performed in their socks across the kitchen floor. When that went down in flames due to a conflict as to whether Ri performed a full 360 degree turn like Mario did, she made up another game. It was pretty simple. I hold a dining room chair and they run towards it. First one to the chair wins.

Mission accomplished.

Remember your roots

January 13, 2015Leave a comment

Remember your roots.

Michael Keaton’s speech reminded us of that phrase as he talked about his dad working two jobs and his mom raising seven kids in a farmhouse.

His speech naturally made me think of my grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Heile raising eight kids and loads of grandkids in that Hunt Road house. Grandma outside mowing the lawn; Grandpa working in the factory. Grandma Menkedick raising two sons all by herself after her husband died shortly after my dad was born. They ate lots of veggies from my Grandma’s aunt’s garden since she got them for free. I still remember my Grandma taking the strawberry jelly packets from Perkins after we went out to breakfast. She stored them at her house so she didn’t have to buy jelly at the store. Jon just shakes his head every time we go to breakfast because I follow right in her footsteps (we have a pantry full of grape and strawberry jellies).

My aunts worked at Perkins Pancake house in order to earn money to pay for college, cars, apartments. Little was handed to them. I followed in their footsteps as well beginning my Perkins career as a senior in high school and staying with it through college.

My dad worked hard as a manager of a grocery store after I was born. Both he and my mom had me earlier than they may have been ready for but they did what they needed to provide for me. My mom took care of me and finished school. My stepmom worked and cared for my sister and brother. They all made it work even if their careers or situations weren’t exactly as they had imagined. I see now, as a 43 year old wife and mother of two, what a struggle it can be. But I never saw that as a 7 year old and my kids hopefully don’t see it either.

My roots, my kin molded me into a self-reliant, bold and gracious individual. There are few days that pass me by where I’m not reflecting on one or more of the family members who shaped me, and singing their praises for lifting me into the wonderful life I live today.

I willingly wrap my arms around those roots of mine, and wrap them around me tight.

Never grow up

January 9, 2015Leave a comment

I got to stay home with the kids until 11 am yesterday because they got another day off of school due to the frigid cold. We made our typical Sunday morning breakfast on a Thursday morning – awesome! Mario really wanted to make his own egg since he’s seen Ri making them for the last few weeks. He decided that he wanted to make one for Ri. He made it sunny side up, which is the easiest way to make a cooked egg, thank goodness, because I know Mario would have been so pissed if the egg didn’t turn out right.
He placed the egg on a plate when he finished cooking it and handed it to Ri.
“Taste it, Ri.”
She took a bite and swooned over him.
“You are the best cook ever! This egg is awesome. I want you to cook for me always!”
Leave it to Ri to gush over him – she does this so well. And Mario soaks it up like a sponge. He has to hear praise after he does something for someone or else he becomes extremely disappointed (something we need to continue to work on with him so that he’s not relying on that feedback anytime he does anything!).
Next I let him make pancakes for all of us. He was in heaven. He loves doing things by himself. After he made his first batch, he brought one to Ri. She was busy making a smoothie video, and he kept poking her to eat his pancake. She finally turned to him as he pled to her to eat. She grabbed the pancake and squeezed his cheek and chirped “don’t you ever grow up little man. You are so cute!” She is a hoot.
He made another ten pancakes (please, just one more batch mom?), waited to hear me swoon over my pancake, and then closed up shop.
We cleaned up the kitchen and then Ri read her MLK book while Mario drew comics. Can I just say that’s pure heaven? Having both kids off the computer, and actually enjoying a book and drawing?! It lasted a total of 15 minutes but hey, I’ll take it.
These two are my most favorite little people ever and – taking off what Ri said to Mario yesterday morning – I wish they’d never grow up….

"MOM!"

Adventures in the Life of a Working Mama

Tag: Love