Wordless Wednesday - Humor Happy Hour - Grown & Flown

 

When your adult child has an epiphany...

YouTube Video

Wordless Wednesday - The Comedy Gauntlet - College Kids

 This is what it looks like when you enter a comedy battle for the first time...a fun experience

YouTube Video: The Comedy Gauntlet

I was one of 16 competitors. I did not win, but had fun trying.

Muffins with Mom – Sharpen Your Math Skills – 3 Ways to Survive Parenting a Young Adult

  

My math skills are rusty. I know addition, subtraction, and multiplication, but there’s a situation that has me boggled. Perhaps you can help me. If there are two people at my house, why are there nine pair of shoes scattered near the front door, and none are mine?

There was one pizza box and two drinking glasses on the kitchen table. This led me to the conclusion that at some point two sons visited me in the middle of the night. When I awoke there was only one son present. I let him sleep a while longer so I could enjoy the quiet of the early morning.

The sound of my tea kettle and the smell of bacon, must have awakened my sleeping prince charming. I say this dripping with sarcasm. He came to life as he entered my quiet space, “Are you making breakfast?”

“Yes, and what time did you get home last night? Did you take Granny where she needed to go? How long did you stay? Who else went with you?”

“Ma, catch your breath. You missed your calling. You shouldn’t be in recreation; you should be in investigation or interrogation.”

“Investigation, interrogation, and perspiration, are some of the skills, knowledge and abilities required for the job of parenting.”

My son gave his typical rolling of the eyes, and heavy sighing; then moved on to prepare for breakfast.

How do you survive parenting young adults? You beat them at their own game. Here are 3 survival tactics:

1.      Promise to spoil their children rotten, then send them home.

2.      Give them the same blessing your parents gave you – may your children be just like you.

3.      Handle the craziness with humor.

You can sharpen your math skills when parenting a young adult. Here’s how:

1.      Subtract knee jerk, negative responses.

2.      Add positive comments.

3.      Multiply the amount of times you express your love and support.

 

What are your tips for parenting a young adult?

Muffins with Mom – A K.I.S.S. for the Holiday

One egg, water, add to gingerbread mix. Betty Crocker made it easy to bake gingerbread with my sons as part of our Holiday tradition. The end result was warm, moist cake, with a dollop of cool whip, and an engaging conversation with my sons. My tip for the Holiday is to seal it with a K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Silly).

As part of our Holiday tradition, we put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. It’s looking at the Christmas lights that motivate me. When my sons were younger they would help decorate the tree, adding beads, bulbs, and ornaments they made at school.

Although my sons are grown now, the tradition still continues, it just looks a little different. I’ve learned to keep it simple. I asked my older son to help me drag the Christmas tree box from the basement. This also meant hauling out the tote containing all the ornaments (ribbons, bulbs, beads, bells).

“Why do you have so much stuff,” my son asked.

“Accumulation. At least it’s organized.”

It didn’t take long to assemble the pre-lit tree, but it was days before I returned to add ornaments. It was then that I enlisted the assistance of my younger son to help decorate the tree. He is known as the negotiation of the family.

“I’ll help if I can have flavored candy canes, and gingerbread,” said son two.

“You can do it for the bonding and family togetherness, and I’ll consider the gingerbread.”

Well, I did make the gingerbread, and the Christmas tree is decorated with the ornaments and candy canes. I spend a little time each day sitting in stillness (reading, or writing) and admiring the colorful lights.

As you prepare for the Holiday season choose to do something simple that brings you joy. Little things can provide bug joy.

What tips do you have for keeping the Holiday season simple?

Muffins with Mom – Journaling can be fun – The best kept secret no one ever told you

 

The crazy thing about having a hobby is…after you do it so long, it can feel like work. I like to journal. For me writing or journaling is more than a hobby. I love a decorative journal with a cover that has patterned designs, pages with a splash of color and sometimes, inspirational quotes.

One cool night as I sat nestled under the covers, watching a Hallmark movie, my son tapped on my bedroom door. I’m sure I looked like the grandma in Little Red Riding Hood, with my bonnet on and eyeglasses. My son had a grin on his face the size of a hula hoop. He said, “Ma, I have something for you.”

My son whipped a book from behind his back and dangled it in the air like a carrot. The words spilled from his mouth in a sing-song tone, “It’s a new journal.”

A gift from a son to his mother

I smiled with glee at my gift. The title of the journal was “Your’ Mother’s Story – Mom I want to know everything about you.” How sweet. I began flipping through the pages. Each page had a question for the reader to answer. There were questions such as what was the first car you wanted and why? What does your yearbook say about you?

After my son left me with the sweet gift, I stomped into his room, “Now you want the answers to these questions? You could have just listened years ago when I tried to share information. This is not journaling. This is writing a novel.”

“Well, you can do a little each day.”

My peaceful, therapeutic process of journal writing had the potential of becoming a chore. I refused to let that happen.

The best kept secret to making journal writing fun is…enjoy the process. Look at your time with your journal as a peaceful moment, a time to relax and reflect. Set a time to writ that best fits your day. It could be in the morning to start your day, mid-day to take a break, or an evening wind-down. You choose.

I’m having fun with the journal my son gave me. I’ve found ways to inject humor and also reflect on some of my childhood memories.

Don’t let your hobby feel like work, whether it’s journal writing or something different, enjoy the process.

What tips do you have for making journal writing fun?

 

Muffins with Mom – Family Traditions

 

Cousins - A birthday celebration

What family traditions are unique to your family? My brother likes to go out to dinner every year for his birthday, and Father’s Day…to the same restaurant. We also end up at that same restaurant for Mother’s Day, because my mom enjoys that place too.

We enter the restaurant, and my brother is greeted warmly like the 1980’s sitcom Cheers. The waitress says, “Hey Norm.” Immediately a line from the Cheers theme song pops in my head – Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.

At our family gatherings we have four generations represented, from toddlers to menopausal and post-menopausal relatives. The best part of traditions with our family is sharing stories and laughs. I’ve come to learn that the saying, Out of the mouths of babes, is not restricted to the young.

My twenty-five-year-old asked, “Ma, why did you only have two kids, why not three? We wanted a sister.”

“Well, you’re not getting a sister at this point. You can have as many kids as you want. After you finish paying those college loans, and helping me around the house, tell me how many kids YOU want to have.”

Our afternoon was filled with laughter and promises to get together more often, not just for birthdays and holidays. A friend told me that her family gets together monthly for a game night. The location rotates among family members.

The best part about family traditions is creating memories and leaving a legacy for the next generation. While at the grocery store with my son last week, a pumpkin carving kit sitting on a shelf caught his eye. He said, “Remember when we used to carve pumpkins? It was so messy.”

My son was right, pumpkin carving at our house, was a mess, but it’s a memory that stayed with him. Perhaps when he has kids pumpkin carving will be a neat experience.

What advice would you share about family traditions?

 

Muffins with Mom – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – Travel Plans Gone Haywire

“Ma, wake up, our flight was changed to 6:30am,” my son shouted into my dark bedroom. My hand lazily reached for the cell phone on my nightstand. A squeeze of the button on the side of the phone and a blinding light revelated that it was 3:35am. Meditation did not make it onto my morning routine that day.

My son roughly secured our luggage in the trunk of the car, and I hopped in the driver’s seat. Porch lights were still on, but the moon was beginning to fade away. My son’s stayed awake most of the night in their man cave. Their rationale was to have fun, then sleep on the plane. Isn’t there a saying about the best laid plans?

We arrived at the airport with just enough time to park in the most expensive long-term parking garage. It would have cost us precious minutes to drive to the lot for which I had a coupon. So, we settled on the $26/day lot, pulled into a space, and dashed to the nearest kiosk to retrieve our boarding pass. And that was our first roadblock.

Our boarding passes would not print. My sons and I were directed to a line where we stood with others who were having problems. The attendant asked to see confirmation of our flight. My son opened an email on his phone. The attendant leaned in to read the details, and said, “This flight has been cancelled.”

Little did I know that my sons and I were entering an experience like the classis 1980’s movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. We moved aside so the next person waiting anxiously in line could have their problem solved. We sat down…for the next two hours trying to find a flight to our destination. It was Friday morning and we needed to be at a wedding the next day.

One son positioned himself on a row of seats and went to sleep, sitting up, with his head back and mouth open. The other son was on the phone with the credit card company trying to determine what happened. We had a round-trip ticket but  decided to purchase a one-way ticket on the first flight and airline we could get.

Finally, we found a flight leaving in four hours. The catch was that we would have a five-hour layover, then fly one hour, rent a car, and drive three hours to our final destination. We got our car out of long-term parking, went home to rest, and wrap our mind around the next phase of our adventure.

Our round-trip consisted of three airports, two rental cars, and very nice hotel accommodations. This was our version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but it was worth it to attend a beautiful wedding.

The beautiful bride and groom

Have you ever had travel plans go haywire? 

Feel Good Friday – Cherish Your Parenting Moments

Sitting in a bedroom that used to belong to my adult son, I looked up and noticed two strands of six-inch braided nylon rope taped to the wall. A ton of fond memories flooded to my mind. The cotton rope was from the year my sons high school basketball team won the State Championship.

My first thought was, why is this basketball net remnant still on my wall? Then I realized why…it was a fond memory for him too. It was a time of excitement, exhilaration, friendships, and fun. I remember sitting on the hard bleachers, gripping my Black and Red plastic pom pom, and shout, “defense, defense.”

Fast forward eight years and hear the words, “cherish every moment, they grow up fast.” This realization was evident when my former employee and friend (Angie) sent me a picture of my son coaching her son. I smiled from the inside out and said, “wow, they grow up fast.”

When Angie started working with me she was a Senior in college and my son was the current age  of her son. This gives me the feeling of a Lion King moment with the circle of life…a warm fuzzy. Little did we know that the two Ms. Angie’s lives would reconnect in this way. My son is known as Coach Don to the kids he leads through basketball drills and skills.

If your children are all grown up, like mine, it’s not too late to create new memories. Go for a walk, laugh together or simply sit and enjoy each other’s company.

Whether you’re a parent, an aunt or someone else who has touched a child’s life, know that your presence matters to that child (youth or adult). Your influence can make a difference.

I still have the single Black and Red pom pom, which was my companion at every basketball game. It is tucked in the back of a closet, but the memories are still in my heart.

Share one of your fond parenting memories. Along with that, go out and create e new memory. 

Wellness Wednesday – National Smile Month

The month of May is celebrated as National Smile Month. This day was established by the Oral Health Foundation to raise awareness of important health issues. And it serves as an opportunity to flash your bright smile after a dental cleaning (just my opinion).

During my last dental cleaning, the hygienist asked how my adult sons were doing. She reminisced about the times my younger son would visit for his cleaning. He was about three or four years old at the time she recalled. “He would hop in the chair, no apprehensions, and after a short while he was asleep.”

A few years older, my son was still relaxed enough to fall asleep. The dentist and hygienist liked the antics of my son, but I was the one who got in trouble for his smile. I was told, “Mom, you have to brush his teeth for him when he doesn’t do it.” I don’t think they understood my struggle. I tried to brush his teeth; I got a few of them brushed before he twisted and turned.

Fast forward fifteen years or so I’ve still said a time or two, “Did you make your dental appointment?”

His response was, “Ma, I’ve got it from here.”

That’s when I realized, this phase of my parenting was done. The condition of my son’s smile was now in his hands.

What will you do to observe National Smile Month? Dental Health.org has ideas for celebrating. If you have grandchildren or know of young children, one idea that sounds fun is to write a letter to the tooth fairy.

For adults who want to show support, take a smiling selfie, and post it to social media. There is a “Smiliey” background that Dental Health would like you to use. If you’re interested in more details about National Smile Month, click here.

Keep your smile healthy and brighten someone’s day by flashing your smile at them. 

Muffins with Mom - The Road Trip - Advice from a backseat driver

 

“Get on I-94 West for 10 miles, merge to the left lane, take the ramp, go South…” I attempted to lower the volume on my car GPS, but in reality it was my adult son spewing out directions to me from the backseat.

“Ma, why do you have a printed MapQuest? Just put the location in your phone.”

I could feel my sons contorted face looking at the back of my head. Glancing in the rearview mirror was confirmation of his antics.

Actually, the directions ARE programmed in my phone, the MapQuest is my back-up plan.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have one of those old Tom Tom systems.”

“It’s in the glove compartment, I couldn’t get it to work.”

Our overnight bags were secure in the trunk of the car and bags of snacks rode inside of the car like passengers. We settled into our ride, windows slightly open, letting in the damp morning air.

My mom was riding shotgun, in the passenger seat, but didn’t want to be in charge of the directions. She nibbled on the breakfast sandwich she grabbed at a restaurant drive-thru before we hit the road.

Both my sons popped their wireless earbuds in and slid into a comfortable recline. Well, as comfortable as one can be in a car when your knees are almost jabbing into the seat in front of you.

I listened to an audio book recording of one of my favorite authors. Not more than five minutes passed when I heard my son announce, “Ma, we just passed our exit.”

“I thought you were my GPS. That’s why I printed a MapQuest.”

“No Ma, we’re not using that MapQuest. We’d have to search the steps to see where we are. If we miss a step or there’s construction, we’d have to turn around, go home, and start over.”

His sarcasm wasn’t lost on me. “I stopped using paper checks…one technology change at a time is all I can handle.”

 After four hours in the car, we arrived at our destination, an all-star basketball game that my son was playing in. After the days excitement was complete, we headed to our hotel where the only directions needed were, “which way is the swimming pool?”

What has been your experience on a road trip?

 

 

 

Fun Friday – National Humor Month -Read the Small Print

 

Where do you find humor? It’s not a mystery, extensive research is not needed, it’s often right in front of us. For me, it’s family…and other life situations.

Tupac Shakur was a popular rap artist in the 1990’s. One of my sons was born the same year that Tupac died, yet both of my sons talk about Tupac’s music as though they were around at the time of his fame. My older son surprised his brother by visiting him at college, with a birthday gift in hand. It was a small gesture, but one he knew his brother would appreciate. Maybe.

My older son entered his brothers’ apartment with a broad grin across his face and holding the gift behind his back. “I got you something.” He whipped out a rolled-up poster that had a quote along the side. “This is you Bro, read the quote.”

“…by the words of His mouth…okay, that’s nice.”

“It’s a Tupac poster.”

My younger son began unrolling the poster, “Um, I don’t think this is a Tupac poster.” Stars and constellations danced on the poster as my son read the entire  quote to his brother.

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and the stars, by the word of His mouth” – Psalm 33:6

As my son recanted this story to me over the phone I said, “Did you get Tupac confused with Jesus?”

I told my son about an old spiritual song parishioners used to sing at my grandfathers’ church. The lyrics were, take the Lord along with you everywhere you go; You’re gonna’ need Him, everywhere you go.

The poster error was one way of telling my sons they needed a little more Jesus and a little less Tupac. I still had one lingering question for my son, “How did you think you had a Tupac poster?”

The answer was simple, “I just grabbed the wrong one, the posters were all next to each other.”

Read the small print and know what you’re getting. It’s not always bad, just know what you’re getting.

Have you ever misread a label?

And because it’s National Humor Month, check out my YouTube video on other life situations that I’ve found humorous.

Muffins with Mom – When the student becomes the teacher

A teachable moment

 

I stood behind them in quiet observation. My son  leaned over near his vehicle’s tire,  explaining to his dad, how he realized the tire needed attention. Their voices were muffled, but the gestures and body movements played like a silent movie as I looked on.

Have you ever wondered whether you child has listened to the lessons you tried to teach them? As my children grew through the stages of learning and developing, there were times when they made me question my sanity (that’s when I leaned on faith). Today when I watch them silently, and listen to the things they say, I know they have learned many lessons.

If I’m being completely honest, there are many times I learn lessons from my sons. There are days when I’m excited to learn something new, then there are days when I fight change. For instance, I don’t like upgrading my cell phone. My son said, “A new phone has so many features that you can use for your blog and writing.”

“That’s okay, I’m just getting comfortable with the features on the phone I’ve had for two years.”

My son finally convinced me to get a new phone, one that was outside of my technology skillset. “I’ll help you get it set up,” he said. And he did.

It was the middle of the night (10pm) as he to coach me through various features of the phone. “Do you want to set up face recognition for unlocking your phone?”

“Sure, why not” I said.

“Take off your glasses and follow the directions.”

I did as my son instructed, I removed my glasses, and stared at my reflection in the phone…and screamed with my eyes. My hair bonnet was perched on my head, the collar of my warm fleece housecoat was prevalent, and there appeared to be dark circles under my eyes. I moved my head up, down, and side to side as the arrows on the phone directed me.

My son fiddled with his phone as he waited for me to complete the task he had given to me. I interrupted his focus. “Um, I don’t think this facial recognition is going to recognize me tomorrow.”

As I learn to do different things with technology, my son learns to be patient. As you age remember, you’re never too old to learn something new; And it’s okay that the student becomes the teacher.

What is one thing that you have learned recently?

Muffins with Mom – Sharpen Your Math Skills – 3 Ways to Survive Parenting a Young Adult

 

A family moment - sometimes you just have to go with the flow

An aunt and her nephews

My math skills are rusty. I know addition, subtraction, and multiplication, but there’s a situation that has me boggled. Perhaps you can help me. If there are two people at my house, why are there nine pair of shoes scattered near the front door, and none are mine?

There was one pizza box and two drinking glasses on the kitchen table. This led me to the conclusion that at some point two sons visited me in the middle of the night. When I awoke there was only one son present. I let him sleep a while longer so I could enjoy the quiet of the early morning.

The sound of my tea kettle and the smell of bacon, must have awakened my sleeping prince charming. I say this dripping with sarcasm. He came to life as he entered my quiet space, “Are you making breakfast?”

“Yes, and what time did you get home last night? Did you take Granny where she needed to go? How long did you stay? Who else went with you?”

“Ma, catch your breath. You missed your calling. You shouldn’t be in recreation; you should be in investigation or interrogation.”

“Investigation, interrogation, and perspiration, are some of the skills, knowledge and abilities required for the job of parenting.”

My son gave his typical rolling of the eyes, and heavy sighing; then moved on to prepare for breakfast.

How do you survive parenting young adults? You beat them at their own game. Here are 3 survival tactics:

1.      Promise to spoil their children rotten, then send them home.

2.      Give them the same blessing your parents gave you – may your children be just like you.

3.      Handle the craziness with humor.

You can sharpen your math skills when parenting a young adult. Here’s how:

1.      Subtract knee jerk, negative responses.

2.      Add positive comments.

3.      Multiply the amount of times you express your love and support.

 

What are your tips for parenting a young adult?

Fun Friday – The lighter side of parenting – A first birthday party

 

While doing a little spring cleaning, which turned into summer cleaning, I stumbled upon old photos of one of my sons. All the memories of his first birthday party came tumbling back, I wanted to cry…because I was stressed that day. We both were.

The invites were sent out, the cake was ordered, all we needed to do was how up at the location and have fun. Ha! Before we could arrive at the fun part, I had to wrap my son in a bear hug to comb his hair. Tears streamed down his face like a rain shower as I pulled on his tangled mound.

It took several wrestle holds to get my son dressed. “Put your leg in,” I said as I guided his little leg into his corduroy pants. He was not providing an assistance at all. Was I expecting too much?

We were getting closer to the hour of fun. We lived a couple of hours from family, so the party was planned closer to them. I packed my over night bag and crammed, bottles, formula, and diapers into my sons’ bag. A December birthday meant pulling on bulky coats and stuffing our feet into boots.

Finally, I strapped my son in his car seat, and pulled his coat back off, so he wouldn’t get too hot during the ride. It was like a parenting Olympics – Next up is Angela, in lane one of the marathon called getting through the toddler years.

Sunshine warmed the car, hints of snow cover the trees along the highway. My son dropped his head and drifted off to sleep, and I listened to a book on tape. We were in our happy place and 60 miles closer to our fun spot.

Upon arrival at our destination, part two of the parenting Olympics began – unloading everything from the car. However, this time we had help. Joining Team Verges was my mom, my best friend and whomever else was standing around. We got settled in and ready to greet guests.

More toddlers arrived in their parents’ arms. Bigger kids came, carrying the diaper bags that belonged to their sibling toddler. We had party hats, streamers, noise makers, and of course cake. It was soon time for everyone’s favorite part of the party – singing happy birthday. Everyone except my son, was happy.

The chorus of friends and family screamed, I mean, sang happy. My son began crying. I’m not sure whether he didn’t like our voices or we just startled the poop out of him. We rushed through our version of happy birthday, I helped him blow out the candle, then gave him one of the toy trucks from his birthday cake.

First birthday party was a success…I think. People had fun, it just wasn’t the guest of honor and his parents.

We survived the toddler years, the school-aged years, and we’re now growing into adulthood. As he grows, I grow. I wouldn’t trade anything for my journey.

Go through an old photo album and see what fond memories you stir up. Remember…Laughter Helps, in any situation.

 

 

Muffins with Mom – Creative ways to parent young adults

 

What is your parenting style? How do you get your message across in a manner that your child will understand? As my children have grown into young adulthood, our methods of getting our point across have changed. They tend to use sarcasm, and I give it right back to them.

My sons have learned many life skills; they cook, clean, and do laundry. However, I may need to give them an aptitude test to determine whether they are beginners, intermediate, or proficient. Let me show you what I mean.

Laundry

My son is very capable of washing his own clothes. He sorts, selects the load size and water temperature. It’s when he adds the laundry detergent that things go haywire. I prepared to lift the heavy liquid detergent container to wash my load of clothes. I almost snatched my arm off because the container was so light.

My son yelled from a different room, “Ma, can you put my clothes in the dryer?”

“Sure. Can you use less than a gallon of laundry detergent n your next load?”

Cooking

My son loves breakfast foods and has mastered pancakes with crispy edges, cooked on the griddle, which is our family signature. Ask him to prepare a dinner and sighs of exasperation flow from his mouth, “Oookay. Let’s make tacos, you cook the meant and I’ll do the rest.”

Translation – I cook most of the meal and he’s does the easy things, like taking the shredded cheese from the fridge.

After three years of college, countless roommates, and calls home asking, “how long do you cook…(fill in the blank)?” My son found success. He snapped a picture of one of his successful meals and texted it to me. The message read, “I bet you wish you were here.”

I smiled at his accomplishment, but texted, “No, I wish you were here, to cut the grass for me.”

Once our sarcasm was reigned in, I complimented my son on the presentation of his dish. I’m no chef, and neither is he, but I like my food to look appetizing on the plate.

Cleaning

When there is cleaning to be done, my sons are never short on excuses. Some of the excuses have included:

“I have to run an errand; I’ll do it as soon as I get back.”

“Can I do it after I finish my homework?” (What do you say to that one?).

My sons are pretty clever when it comes to providing snappy responses. I wouldn’t want to disappoint them so I have a few canned responses for questions they may ask me like, “What’s for dinner?”

“I’m not hungry, I ate yesterday, or “I’m fasting today.”

I’ve found three things helpful when parenting young adults:

1.      Allow them to express themselves – you already know this, but our children have their own opinions.

2.      Listen more than you talk – I have learned to listen without forming an opinion. My sons are more willing to share when I listen before giving my opinion. Realistically, they don’t tell me everything, but they share a few things.

3.      Schedule time to do fun things together – this doesn’t have to be anything big but should be something that your family finds fun. If you want a suggestion – it’s summertime, get outside, go to a beach, a lake, play cornhole, or host a barbecue.

Although my family playfully uses sarcasm, they know this is not meant to be offensive. As you parent your young adult, do it with love, and create lasting memories. How is your parenting style working?

 

Fun Friday – The Scavenger Hunt

 

As I opened and closed cabinet doors and drawers, in search of an item that would not reveal itself, I was reminded of this blog post. This post is a repeat from about a year ago, but it's relatable to my most recent experience.

Hide-and-seek is a childhood game that delivered continuous laughter and jovial times for me and continued through to my children. I believe this type game begins in stages. As babies it begins as Peek-a-boo, later it becomes hide-and-seek, as kids age out of that, we call it a Scavenger Hunt.

My kids, who are no longer kids, have taken the Scavenger Hunt to the next level. They turned the tables, flipped the scrip, and just threw me into a scavenger hunt that I didn’t want to play. A tag on the blouse I was wearing, was scratching my neck. I walked to the drawer where I keep my good scissors. You know, the ones that are only used for certain things.

No scissors in sight. As I age I sometimes suffer from CRS (Can’t Remember Stuff). I stood there thinking, did I move those scissors. I rifled through another drawer with one hand as I held the scratchy tag away from my neck with the other hand. Then it dawned on me that my son had entered my room in the middle of the night and asked where the scissors were located.

Scavenger hunt number one was under way. Storage bin lids were lifted, kitchen drawers opened, and bedrooms searched. Those Fiskars scissors with the Orange handles would not appear. I waved my white flag of surrender and gave up. It was at that moment that my son quietly entered the room and said, “found the scissors…um, they were in my room.”

Game over…for the moment. Until…

The next morning my day began with a round of peek-a-boo. As my alarm chimed I opened one eye then closed it and repeated with the other eye. It was another few minutes before the rest of my body joined the game. An arm then a leg exposed itself for it’s hiding place beneath the covers. Finally, my feet made contact with the floor.

I shuffled my way to the bathroom in the dark room. It was a path I took every morning, so it was basically like sleep walking. Everything was in its place. Everything except the toothpaste. My hand felt around for the toothpaste in the drawer it should be in. The only things my hand brushed across were dental floss, bobby pins, and a variety of hair clips. If I were at a baby shower I could have won a prize for the most random items in one spot.

Once again I was on the prowl for an item that one of my dear offspring had relocated. The game quickly ended this time. I knew exactly where to find my toothpaste. It was in my sons’ bathroom, in plain sight, with the cap off. I stormed from their bathroom with my toothpaste and hid it. Let them plot out a course and go on a scavenger hunt next time…but they won’t. They’ll just yell, “Ma where is the toothpaste?”

What things have you had to hunt for around your house?

Fun Friday – Tales from Parenthood

 

Have you ever struggled to get your child to brush his teeth?

Have you ever heard the saying, there’s never a dull moment? I’ve found this to be true in the world of parenting. I asked a few friends about their episodes and here’s the result:

Singing to baby

My friend Mary reflected on a time when she sang to her children. “I never was a good singer,” she told me. “I tried singing lullaby’s, and they started crying.”

 

Teeth Brushing is important

During a doctor’s visit when my son was younger, the doctor asked, “How often do you brush your teeth?”

He tilted his head and look sheepishly at me and said, “Sometimes.”

The doctor tilted her head and turned to me, “Mom, you have to brush for him, if he won’t do it.”

I smiled, or rather I smirked, and didn’t say what I really wanted to say. I tried brushing his teeth, I even tried scare tactics by telling him his teeth would fall out. His response was, “I’ll grow new ones.”

Now that my son is college age…not much has changed. The dental office consistently calls me and says, “It’s time to schedule your son’s appointment.”

My response is the same every time, “I’ll let him know.” Then I texted him a gentle reminder, “MAKE YOUR DENTAL APPOINTMENT.”

In a different parenting episode, I shared with my mom that I was running late for work because I was putting on make up and brushing my teeth.

My mom suggested, “Maybe you could just brush SOME of your teeth.”

 

There is never a dull moment during parenthood. Share one of your humorous episodes in parenting.

 

Muffins with Mom – The Motivation, Inspiration and Perspiration of Parenting

 

The call came at the end of my workday, my sons picture flashed on the screen of my cell phone. I answered quickly as I was packing up to head home. His voice had a joyful tone as he said, “Guess what Ma? I’ve got good news.”

“Save me from guessing, and just tell me your news.”

“I’m graduating May…”

I dropped the phone and started jumping and shouting. My moves were a combination of praise dancing, jumping rope, and playing hopscotch. I bounced from my back office, past a conference room, a copy machine, and another office; To say I was excited would be an understatement.

Perspiration was forming on my forehead, inspiration was in my heart, and I knew that motivation was driving my son to see light at the end of the tunnel. After several years in college and spending time at three different colleges, he now had a graduation date. I didn’t learn of the date right away because I dropped the phone in excitement.

When a child achieves a milestone accomplishment it is a proud parenting moment. Although every achievement is worth celebrating, the big ones bring an abundance of joy for parent and child. A flood of memories poured out. There was the time my son played Wide Receiver on a little league football team and scored his first touchdown.

In high school, as my son ran down the football field, or scored points from the free throw line in basketball, I cheered. I enjoyed yelling from the stands as much as he enjoyed the adrenaline of running with a ball. His perspiration came from tense moments in the game, and so did mine.

Each time my son experienced a setback, I attempted to say a word to motivate him to keep pushing forward. We journeyed through little league, AAU sports, a high school basketball championship, and finally college. On days when I felt like I didn’t have the energy to motivate or encourage, I handed off the baton.

Running in the game of life sometimes felt like being on track relay team. Four runners are positioned around the track, one begins running then hands the baton to the next person to take over. Sometimes a runner would fall behind, causing the last runner to push harder to the finish line. Those moments when I felt exhausted and depleted, I handed off the baton.

Motivation, inspiration, and perspiration are a part of my parenting journey in some way. You may have other words to describe the journey. No matter what descriptive words you use, know that you have made an impact in your child’s life. It’s alright to feel tired and unmotivated at times, rest, take a breather, and get back in the game. You matter.

Fun Friday – When menopause rears its’ head anything can happen

 

Photo Credit: ADDitude Magazine

Menopause is like Michigan weather, it’s hot, cold, rainy, snowy, all in a matter of minutes. It’s hormone changes. What works best for me at home is to keep the house cool. My living room and dining room blend together and there is a lot of open space. My son likes to fill this space with friends playing video games.

In the midst of the pandemic, visits from friends are limited, and hand sanitation required at the front door, but I digress. Anyway, I arrived home late from work one evening and my son had a buddy over playing video games. I noticed right away the each of them sat in a different area of the room, wrapped in a fleece blanket.

A laugh bubbled in my throat, but I was able to contain it. “Are you guys cold? You could have turned the heat up a little.”

“I know how you complain about the heat, Ms. Menopause, so I didn’t touch it,” said my son.

“I know you’re used to it, but you could have turned it up for Karl.” I turned the thermostat up a few notches.

I’ve come to the realization that there are two zones in my home – Menopause and Millennials. I set the heat to 69 degrees, and the millennials walk around in winter coats, or in this instance, blankets.

As soon as I hung up my coat and sat down in my bedroom, I regretted that decision. My body began to heat up from the inside, out and  broke out in a sweat. I took deep breaths and relaxed, the feeling would pass soon. In the meantime, I texted Karl’s mom and explained what was going on. I also told her, “I guess I’m freezing your son over here.”

Her response was, “he should be used to it. I keep my heat low too.”

I fled my bedroom, quickly navigated the stairs, and dropped the thermostat three degrees. I glanced in the direction of my son and Karl and said, “Sorry guys, I’m melting. I can bring you another blanket. Oh...Karl, your mama said you’ll be okay.”

If you or someone you know is fighting menopause, tell them to keep fighting; laugh in its face, but get help if needed.

 

 

Muffins with Mom – A Parenting Role Reversal

 

A mother son moment

Have you ever held a conversation with your child, only for them to tell you later that they forgot what you said? Well, it still happens when they’re young adults.

I told my gatekeepers (my sons) that I would not be home right after work because I had a hair appointment. Somehow they must have forgotten that. Two hours past the end of my workday, I sat blissfully underneath the hair dryer reading a book. My cell phone buzzed.

The text message read, “Ma, where are u?”

I quickly responded so I could get back to reading my book. Five seconds after I hit send, my phone rang. It was my other son calling. I tilted my head outside of the hair dryer (I didn’t want to stop the dryer) and pressed the phone against my ear.

“Ma, where are you?”

“I’m at the hair salon. Are you and your brother in the same house?”

“Oh, I was about to put out an Amber Alert.”

“I may be a little too old for an Amber Alert, but thanks for wanting to send out an emergency response team. Please text your brother. Better yet, go into the other room and tell your brother I’m fine.”

My son told me that he’d forgotten that I had a hair appointment. He realized that I should have been home by a certain time. In that moment, a role reversal occurred. Both my sons experienced what a parent goes through when their child is not where he should be.

What is an example of a time you experienced a role reversal with your child?