Leaving No Stone Unturned

One of my driving forces is that when something needs to happen, I exhaust the possibilities with research beyond what it would normally take. After all, I have to accomplish this thing. I don't do one thing and wait, I do a number of things and keep going until I unearth the answer or achieve the goal.

Simple Example: when we were moving back to the Minneapolis area a few months ago and looking for a rental home, I did the usual Craigslist and online searches. Then I emailed friends I knew were connected to real estate. I even went on Face Book. Guess what? It was the FB post that landed us our home.

When both my kids were little, I asked them each the following question: You are on an important journey that takes you on a long path through a forrest. As you walk along, suddenly you come upon a HUGE boulder as big as our house! It is blocking the path. What do you do? The answer I prayed not to hear was something like "sit down and wait for help" or "turn around". Thankfully, both of my kids indicated different tactics they would take to get past the boulder and continue on the journey.

Okay you might be saying, that is nice story but what about in real life? Would they still get past that boulder? I am happy to report a resounding yes.

Just the other day my second born had his real life "boulder" experience at school. He was taking his fourth high school lab science class and didn't think he would need it for graduation and wanted to drop it as it was an elective. He went to the counselor who did not know if all of the other three counted as lab science. He went to the current teacher who didn't know, either. He emailed the university he wants to apply to and asked them. Knowing he was not going to get an answer right away, we sought out the teacher of the prior science class in question who told him it indeed counted. There was not another thing he could have done to cover all his bases. After a few days he was able to drop the course - he only had to wait a little while. But he could rest during his waiting knowing that he had done as much as he could to unearth the answer he needed. He was prepared to continue the class if need be, but was thrilled he did not have to.

I didn't know anything about the details until he got home from school that day. All I knew was that he was going to try and drop the class if he had all the necessary credits. He took over and got the answers - he didn't just walk up to one person and stop there. My respect for him has soared!

The other day I got the confirmation that he has that even-keeled determination and critical thinking to handle situations even when the facts say otherwise. He does not need to be told how to think things through by another entity. He will not be blindly lead or swallow everything up front as if it is a truth.

Hallelujah I've got two of these!!!

I Didn't Know It Would Be The Last Time

A collection of thoughts from a mother in the throes of realizing that when her youngest goes to boot camp before his senior year in high school, a whole new phase has already begun. 17 years went by far too fast.

My Son, I didn't know it would be the last time that:

-  We'd go to Starbucks and review homework while homeschooling (and you'd be more interested in the light shorting out than a history lesson)

-  You'd beg me for a second ride on the toy airplane ride mounted outside Wal Mart that wiggles for 3 minutes when you put two quarters in the slot

-  The lobster tank in the grocery meat department would fascinate you (and I'd have to pry you away)

-  You would call me Mommie

-  You slipped your hand in mine as we walked through a parking lot

-  Getting tucked in was part of your night time routine

-  You climbed on my lap and held on to the bend of my elbow for comfort

-  We bartered about the number of  items you could pick out while grocery shopping with me

-  You would play with your Legos and Bionicles

-  We couldn't leave Target without a visit to the Toy Department

- You would would be mesmerized by an outdoor fountain and stomp around through the spray

- I had to make you take a shower

- I would find a bouncy ball, small car and a rock in your pants pocket

- You would ask for yet another stretchy rubbery animal

- You would find my stapler and pound away on Post-It notes until it jammed or ran out

- You would have to sit in the back seat

- I would walk you through the parking lot and tell you to watch for cars

- You would be eager to take something apart (#gasgrill)

- Climbing a tree was your day's mission

- We had a thoughtful discussion about what you would bring for Show & Tell (I loved that you told a joke one time in first grade - "Mom, it's show and tell!!")

- The Scooby Do pillow would be on your bed

- You would ask if someone could "come over and play"


As you are learning this summer - it's the small things that make precious memories from home. These are some of the moments etched on my heart. I am so excited for what comes next and all the "firsts" just waiting for you. And for me. You've had about 100 in the past 7 weeks, and I love that the first time you got comedian Steven Wright's humor was in 7th grade!

Catching a Wild Squirrel

Ever tried to catch a squirrel? I did when I was in third grade. We were at Nana’s house and found an old bird cage in the attic. Now, what could be better than making a trail of nuts leading to the door of the cage? Watching from the front steps, we waited for a squirrel to fall for our trap. It didn’t take long for one to pounce its way – peanut by peanut – to the cage door. After each swallow, she would jerk her head up and look left and right. Satisfied that nothing was going to get her, she continued her way right into that rusty white bird cage.

None of us expected the door to slam shut the way it did. I guess it was the weight of a squirrel occupying a cage meant for a tender bird. BAM! Our squirrel was suddenly in prison – and she didn't know what had happened or what to do. She began to screech, jump and throw herself against the curved walls of that cage. We were terrified and screamed for Nana.

As we clung to each other from the safety of the door to the house, Nana calmly walked up to the cage, said something soothing to the squirrel and lifted the hatch door. Our experimental pet bolted out as if shot by a cannon.

Those moments where the terrified squirrel screamed and thrashed inside the attic bird cage have remained etched in my mind to this day.

What does this have to do with parenting? It reminds me of the day I tried to teach my kindergartner how to swallow a pill.

The medicine she needed for her ear infection only came in a pill that had to be swallowed. We had been working on the chew-able ones but never the swallowing kind. I got her pill ready along with a small glass of water and set them on the kitchen counter, then called her over to me. Casually, I explained that because her ear infection was so bad, the medicine that the doctor wanted her to take for it came in a special pill for her to swallow. Mommie would show her how it’s done and she could go right back to coloring.

No sooner had I delivered what I believed to be one of my more successful intros than she turned into that caged squirrel at Nana’s house. Only this time she was banging into the kitchen cabinets and writhing on the floor howling with anticipatory fear. No amount of coaxing could get her to stand up, much less lift her chin from the place on her chest where she had embedded it.
I am not exaggerating when I say that it took me 90 minutes of gentle talking, soothing sentence-prayers and patience while sitting on the kitchen floor near her to calm her. Finally, she was able to “de-squirrel” herself and listen again. She took a deep breath and we stood up. I told her what to do and she bravely followed each step. One small gulp and the pill had entered her system, ready to do its work.

“Well that’s easy!!!” my accomplished girl proudly declared. After a congratulatory hug, she was off to finish coloring, but we both knew a significant step had been reached on her journey toward growing up.'

That girl is now a young wife with more to celebrate than swallowing a small pill, but I treasure each and every detail that leads up to the gifted woman and friend she has become.