Mommystang

I really do like my car - a lot (which is sort of ironic because it was the purchase of this particular car, not only unbeknownst to me but against my express wishes, that was the proverbial straw that broke the marital back).

Anyhoo.

For varying - actually, one (financial) reason, this is the car the twins and I ended up with. Luckily the twins were just reaching the stage for booster seats about that time, because no way no how could two carseats fit in the backseat (maybe if you stacked them but I'm pretty sure that's against regulations).

Before this became the mommystang (dubbed so by a former coworker), when I had an Expedition to cart the twins around in, this car was immaculate. I washed it almost every weekend, kept leather wipes in the back pockets of the seats and even gave up my morning commute coffee for fear of spills.

(You may be wondering why I was driving a car I had expressly forbidden to be bought: 1 - no returns, 2 - the actual buyer could not drive a manual at the time of purchase, then once he learned, decided he didn't like it b/c it was too much work, 3 - its a hoot and a half to drop the top and drive this baby and, if I was going to have to pay for it, someone was going to drive it.)

Not so immaculate nowadays.

Since I vetoed eating in the backseat, the number of french fries and amount of spilled milk under the booster seats has decreased substantially but with the joining of a soccer team, commencement of dance classes and the abundance of school papers which must be hauled around to show Grandma and Aunt Jennifer, the car is a pom-pom carrying, soccer field burr covered, paper strewn mess.

And then there's the sand in the seats...and the carpets...and the trunk...


My car's there on the right, and there's Mina covering herself in sand for the ride home.

Actually, we all like our car, the mommystang. It's an unusual car to have as a family car...but then, we're sort of an unusual family.

Mommy Time

Saturday I thought I deserved some Mommy time. So, once each twin was seemingly preoccuied elsewhere, I grabbed my sketch pad, openned a new package of sketch pencils and set my bottom down on the deck in front of what struck me as a wonderful still life representation of my home life.


Two growing things, a shiny car part and a bottle of wine with a purple label. I suppose to be strictly accurate I would need something representing the five additional four-legged creatures which share our home...but, as it is, I'll call this "Our life, the Two-Legged Version"

Anyway.

Mina followed me back outside, insistent on watering the plants. So, down went the pad and pencil on the deck table while I got her set up with hose and admonitions not to flood anything. When I returned to my pad and pencil, no pencil. The wind had blown the pencil...somewhere.

Back into the house for the remaining new pencil from the pack.

This time my in and out caught Ben's attention, and he offered to help me sketch (a painting of his was chosen as a Houston Rodeo Art representative for his school, so he's the 'official' house artist). I helped him find his pad and pencil instead, and out back we went (again). He and I got positioned in front of my selected still life, and I, finally, drew my first line. At which point he decided he wanted to draw the play set instead, and needed my help in moving the lawn bench so he could comfortably see and sketch the playset. Down went the pad and pencil on the deck, and up I got to encourage and support my child in his artist tendencies.

By this time Mina had successfully watered the garden, my herb bed and a substantial portion of the deck, so I had to be careful where I set the pad and pencil. After I got Ben situated and rolled up the hose with Mina, I returned to my place on the deck to find I had not been quite careful enough about placement of my tools, as my pencil had apparently rolled between the deck slats and fallen under the deck. And by now the short people were hungry so I carried my pad back into the house, mentally searching for another sketch pencil.

Later I snuck back out to get a picture so I could lock myself in a room to recreate the 'scene' sans interruptions, and yesterday Chris found one of my pencils while out playing kickball with his son. So, I'm on my way.


I have to admit, I enjoyed watching Mina water the plants and Ben sketch his playset. This to me is one of the more enjoyable aspects of being a parent, the ambiguity regarding obstacle and opportunity...At first I was frustrated by the interruptions, then I began to enjoy the interruptions...In the end, a little more Mommy than Time.

Another good day.

Mommy Day

In our household, most days are Mommy Days...as in "Mommy, he/she....!", "Mommy, I don't want to...!" and "Mommy, Mommy, MOMMY!"

Luckily for their well-being and my sanity (or vice versa), most days also include "Mommy, may I...", "Thank you, Mommy, " and, ever effective in gaining clemency, "Mommy, I love you."

On Mother's Day, the twins lovingly gave me the following (created with help from their Uncle Michael, Aunt Jennifer and Grandma):

In recognition of my status as Resident Mother, Chris gave me the following (researched, measured and created all by his lonesome, as the twins considered their efforts on the above gifts sufficient...and playing with Chris' son M preferable):

Due to technical difficulties, my own gifts to my mother and sister remain on the computer on which they were created, in spite of my asking each twin, at different attempts, to stick fingers into my printer for paper extraction. Something they are absolutely forbidden to do...unless their mommy requests it (likely a bad precedent to set, but one I chose to ignore...and didn't work anyway).

We made cookies instead, to sweeten their day...and get the twins and Camille totally revved up for their time with Uncle Michael/Daddy, who graciously offered to stay with all three while Grandma and the mommies escaped for a movie (Beauty Academy of Kabul).

Overall, a(nother) good Mommy Day.

The good life

Driving back from dinner with significant other (SO) Chris and his birthday boy son, we opted to put down the convertible top, blast the Shrek 2 soundtrack on the player and enjoy the wind whipping around us.

This is it, our life. And life is good.