Some of Us & Me

Me & Benny

Benny

Ricky

Matt's D&D dice

Six Great Men In My Life

Pop and Baby Danny 11-2012

There are six great men in my life. These men have taught me many things. Things that are good, bad, funny, necessary and even heartbreaking, but all very worthwhile and important to the woman I am this day.

I'm only including the men that are alive. While I could include my Grandfathers and a Step-Dad, I'm not writing about them today. Today is for the living.

Me & Pop - 1970

Starting with Pop. My Pop is in the photo above. He's holding my nephew, Daniel - Danny to me and forever.  This was taken yesterday, 11.3.2012.  Pop taught me how a woman should be treated. He taught me this by not only treating me the way a woman should be treated, but by treating me the way a woman should not be treated.  He didn't do anything immoral with me - don't go there! LOL YIKES!! I'm a total Daddy's Girl, but he was young and made plenty of mistakes with parenting. I love him all the same. Pop and I have a crazy telepathic bond. I kid-you-not. Pop just knows when I need him and I never fail to call, just when he is thinking of or needing my shoulder.  I'm a smart cookie and I don't sugar coat, I know he's a rascal of all kinds, but he's my Pop.  When I have cooking questions, depending on what I'm making, I'll give him a call.  If I need someone in my corner, I call Dad. If I'm crying and heartbroken about my mother, his first wife, I call him. He is the only other person on earth (besides my Auntie) that knows her like I do. Actually, I don't think my Auntie knows her the same way Pop and I know her, but she knows LOTS. Anyway! My Pop - the first man I ever fell in love with - the only way a Daddy's Girl can fall. He'd sing me to sleep and give me butterfly kisses. When I had a nightmare, I'd go to Dad. He became Pop when he stayed with us for a while - we needed a different title for him, for the boys. Pop it is!

Matt. My hubby. He taught me that just because we argue - doesn't mean that someone has to LEAVE. That's what I learned from my parents I guess.... every time they argued, Mom would leave.  Matt taught me to stay.  You hear the phrase, "Real men don't leave."  Well, yeah, okay, but what about women? Strong women know when to stay, when to leave and when to get her "Black-Chick Swag" on and take off her earrings!! LOL "Don't make me take off my earrings!"  Matt treats me like a lady. Matt treats me with love. Matt is AWESOME!!! He loves me in my Love Language (acts of service). That means he takes out the scary, smelly garbage when it's dark and scary outside.  That means he will help me with things when I'm too tired or hurting. Take a bullet for Matt? Drink poison for him? Wash his dirty underwear? YOU BET!!!

Me & Mario - 2009

Mario. My little brother. Mario taught me all about nature vs. nurture. Mario and I, at most, have had approximately 10 months of our lives in which we have lived together.  We are so alike! It's a crazy and creepy kind of thing! I mean, I don't mind people knowing that I'm alot like my brother, but I bet he isn't so crazy about people thinking he's like a girl - even if it is his sister! LOL When Dad had Mario with Claudia. I didn't want to be with my mother, I wanted to be with Dad and my little brother. It broke my mother's heart. At the time, I'd drink poison for him. Now, I'd just SLAP it out of his hands and say, "What the FUCK are you doing!?!?!! That's POISONED for crap sake!!! Don't drink that!!" LOLOL

Rick, Mario, Benny - 2009

My sons, Rick and Ben. I knew that I would love my children, but I did not know that I would fall in love with my children. I never knew that I could love another being as much as I love my sons. I love my brother alot - and I would have taken a bullet for him. Then I had children. Before my sons were born I didn't know I could love someone even MORE than I loved Mario. Then along came Rick and Ben. I didn't know I was capable of that much love!!!  I'd take a bullet for my boys. I used to say I'd take a bullet for Mario, but now that I'm a mom, I'd just shove Mario out of the way and duck myself. LOL My boys though - I'd lay my life down for them.

Mario and Baby Danny - 2012

Then! Along comes Baby Danny. I have yet to hold him physically in my arms. It's all virtual. I'm all about Auntie tears and tons of love. How can I love one tiny little man so much without holding him in my arms??!!! Baby Danny is teaching me all about loving someone that really isn't mine, but is related. Baby Danny made me love my Sister-in-Law more than I ever dreamed I could love her. I mean, if Mario loves her, that's enough for me - I love her too. Unconditionally. It's just that now she has expanded my family. Family is everything to me. She has given me a gift - the gift of being an Auntie. I ADORE my Aunties! I never thought I'd be an Auntie. I was my parents only child until I was 13 years old.  I'm a big sister and I love Mario with everything a sister who lives 1500 miles away can give.  Now he has made me an Auntie!!

I didn't know, growing up, that I could love with such ferocity.  I didn't know I could love so unconditionally.  I didn't know I could love.  I was loved growing up. I am a loving person and always have been. I've worn my heart on my sleeve my entire life, but these six great men have stretched my heart in ways I never knew existed.

Thank you guys - I love you.

ABC - More Time

bloomingtonbirth.org

It isn't that I wish I had more time, but if I could ever have time back again, I would wish for the time when I was trying to breastfeed my sons. I didn't try long enough. I didn't have any support. The hospital pushed for formulas. I wasn't educated enough to know better.  

However, now I know better and if there is one thing that I could do over again, it would be for breastfeeding my children.

ABC - Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This is my son, Ben's favorite recipe for pumpkin pie. Simple, quick and delish! Just click on the link. The highlight might not show too well - click on the words "recipe for pumpkin pie" and you will go to the link.

ABC - Best Photo I've Taken

Ten Things That Make Me A Happy Momma

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Raising a Modern Day Knight - Pondering #6

Your son's desires are written on his heart. When was the last time you listened to his dreams for the future? Have you helped him set the goals he'd like to make for himself? Have you encouraged him to pursue his interests? What specific things have you done to focus him in the areas which he's naturally gifted?

I know that Rick has always been musically inclined. However, I think he is alot like me - once it's "conquered" he's ready to move on.  None-the-less, we've helped him with his instruments - violin, drums and guitar, practices and exposed him to musical venues and opportunities.

Rick also likes planes. He wants' to be a pilot. So, we've introduced him to pilots we know, the EAA, the Young Eagles Program, Dodge Co. Airport had a seminar and Matt took him. We have helped him with some initial planning to save up for flight lessons and a basic timeline of how things should/could turn out for him with regards to money and schooling.

Baking is another thing that Rick enjoys - I taught him all I know, get him what he needs and let him have at it.  He's pretty dang good with the breads.

Benjamin has always had a vivid imagination and at first we thought it was more artistic, but it turned out to be creative writing. So he's writing his novel.  To encourage this we bought him a netbook for his birthday, helped him earn money towards a full sized laptop, focused his education on English and writing and found all sorts of different authors to read for exposure to different writing styles.  The biggest thing I found for Ben was NaNoWriMo This site of forums and young authors has helped to expand his horizons tenfold!

Ben is more introverted than his extroverted older brother, so finding things for Ben was a challenge. However, we found, early on, that Ben is also very musically talented.  Once this was realized we showed him different instruments, got a few lessons in him, introduced him to all of my musically inclined family & friends. His biggest achievement was being a part of a Worship team at an area church we briefly attended. That led to playing (very seldom, but playing none-the-less) at a local Christian coffee shop, in front of STRANGERS!!  He does extremely well.  He was even able to get his bass guitar autographed by a Christian band, The Afters.  This autumn I will be organizing a youth band with practices out of our basement on Saturday mornings. The goal being to play at the Vineyard (above mentioned coffee shop).

One of my final goals for the boys is to play several songs at their joint graduation party next year! I'm so excited!

Raising a Modern Day Knight Pondering #4

#4 - What do you love to do with your son?

I love to do practically everything with my sons!

I don't mind doing chores when they are with me. I love to go hiking with them. Bowling is great. Eating together is wonderful.

Life is just that much better with my sons in it!!

When they were the same height!

2010

Raising a Modern Day Knight - Pondering #3

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. " - Jim Valvano

#3 - Does your son know that you believe in him? How does he know it? What words or actions have you shared that communicates it?

Yes, Rick knows that I believe in him, so does Benny.  How do they know that?  Well, I asked them and we decided that just the fact that we are having this discussion shows that they are aware of my faith in them and that we are communicating about it! LOL

Such a bundle of men I have! Honestly, I say things to them. Things like, "I know you can do this."  or "You'll do great!" or "You always say you don't want to, but then you do and you love it!" That one always "gets" 'em! ahahaha

What They Messed Up The First Time....

In response to the First Born (Rick) saying that he had it 'going-on' in the looks department; Second Son (Ben) said, "What they messed up the first time, they perfected the second time."

Gotta love that Brotherly Love!!!

Funny Puke In The Night...

Benny posts on facebook: Went to bed sick. Had a high fever and my stomach felt terrible. And of course the major head ache had to join in fun. But I'm better now

My Reply: yeah...he's all better now.....

he's up all at the wee hours and then in the morning he's all perky and I'm half dead. Matt was up all night, can't breathe. I get him all settled and breathing - then he's snoring, but at least he's sleeping.

Then back to Ben - puke warning.

Wake up Rick - screaming... "RICK!!!! You gotta puke bucket??!!!!" He's all dead to the world, but at the mere mention of puke, Rick is WIDE AWAKE!!! "Huh?!!!! NO!!, No bucket Mom!!! Sorry" and he collapses back onto the bed, again, dead to the world shortly thereafter.

I'm FLYIN' no... ZOOMING down the stairs looking for an empty ice cream bucket. They are all full of fricken christmas candy. I finally find one with pecans in it!!! YAY!!! DUMP go the pecans onto the counter! I scared the hell outta the cat, tripped over the damn living room table, scared the rats, go flyin' upstairs to give Ben the bucket.

Get back to Benny and he's laying down again like he's SLEEPING!!! I ain't having any of that!! WAKE UP!! Are you gonna puke??!!! No, not right now.... FINE!! here's your bucket honey. Put his hair in a pony so he doesn't puke in his hair and tell him: Call me if you need me.

Slept with one eye open, both ears full of SNORING and one foot on the floor.

He wakes up all kinda happy and perky and Matt and Rick are laughing at me....... I kinda wanted to smack the patients this morning!!!

Grandbabies

The conversation between Ben and I, went this way:

"I'll have to clean out that bottom medicine drawer before my little ones are here."

"What little ones do you mean, Mom?"

"Whatever little grandbabies you give me!"

"Geez, Mom, I'm not even 16 yet!"

"I know, I'm just anxious for them!"

"I just got over girls having germs."

"I know! That's why I'm so hopeful!"

"That's too much of a jump!!! OMG!!!"

Tiny Sweetness...

Baby Professor Reginald

"Reggie"