A Moment Away from the Zoo

Please pardon me while I diverge from the normal Zoo nonsense. I have found myself thinking deeper than usual Zoo related thoughts today and really wanted to share. We will return to the normal level of insanity sooner than I would like, I am sure.

If you have not been by The Bowl today, take a moment and pop over. And that is not the traffic directing ploy it looks like - it really is relevant. Earlier today I let a vent go about our gas situation and then an apologetic letter to Karma for my outburst. Now I have had vacuuming and two loads of laundry to ponder the gas situation more and have a whole new perspective.

Every time we have gotten in the van for the past two days I have muttered under my breath, "God give me enough to get there and back." Maybe not your most faithful prayer and certainly not something I expected anyone to pay attention to. But then we got the call from the Lion today and went to the station that had gas. As we pulled up, Tuck piped up from the back seat, "Hey Mom! God heard you! He gave us gas!!" Eye opening in and of itself wouldn't you say!

As we sat there waiting our turn I peeked in the side view mirror to see how the line was going. Several cars back there was an older body damaged car that looked like it might need an extra push to get to the pump. I looked past it quickly without really noting. Then it was our turn and I busied myself with swiping my card and hitting all the right buttons and putting the nozzle in my tank. It was my full intention to fill up and top off my tank. The Tie was not going to have another opportunity to stick it to me any time soon!

Then I saw that car again. This time though I saw the people in the car. It was a family with two car seats. The mother let a small smile pass her face every time her hubby pulled into the next place in line. The father kept looking over at her and giving her reassuring smiles which faded as soon as she looked away. The anxiety was so incredibly clear as they got one car closer. Would there be enough? Would they be the last car to get a tank?

I stopped the pump. I knew I only had about half a tank but I just could not put any more in my van. Where do I go everyday? To pick Mo up from school and bring her home. That's it - three miles round trip. Where did that father go every day in that car that was already on its last leg? What if the seven gallons I didn't put in my van gave him a chance to take one extra shift? What would that mean to his family? Would it make a difference?

I did not know those answers. I had no idea if I was going to make any difference. But I knew how I felt when The Tie took more than I thought he needed. It just wasn't in me to do that to a family that seemed to be in need. I knew I was going to have to explain to Lion why I only had half a tank. I knew he was going to say I was foolish but then he would look as his children and give me a hug and that smile that admits I was right - just not out loud.

I didn't give Tuck a lecture about taking just what you need on the way home. I didn't even mention the God statement again. As I watched him smiling and looking out the window on the way home I thanked God for giving me gas and a heart to share it.

Mom Tip #48

Boys are completely different from girls.

Yeah I know. That is a “Well, Duh!!” moment but I have to explain myself because there are people out there who have not had the pleasure of having both genders in their family. Me, for example. I only have a sister. So I was not prepared for anything that came with raising a boy or living with a boy’s – shall we call them, quirks?

Boys could really care less about the potty. I think we have covered this in great length but it bears repeating. Munch has to “go potty” every time someone sets foot in the direction of the bathroom. Granted, she is not really doing anything when she is in there, but it counts, right? Not The Boy! He could care less. Tuck, go potty. “But I don’t wanna! (screaming, wailing gnashing of teeth)” And then he pees his pants while he is in mid-fit. What is that?

Boys have no concept of fashion and are not in any rush to get one. As long as they have pants and a shirt, all is right in the world. Shoes are optional. Colors are inconsequential. Socks only exist if you already sacrificed a few toes to the weather. He came out of his room is red shorts with blue pinstripes down the side and a lime green shirt with yellow and white surfboards which was of course backwards. His sandals were on the wrong feet and when I asked him to fix his clothes or at least change his shorts into something that might match a little I got, “But I like it like this.” There is no point in arguing.

Boys speak their own language. Tuck had a friend here the other day and they were out on the porch playing while I cleaned the kitchen. They were speaking to one another like they understood but I am at a loss for what they were saying. There were a lot of sound effects (fire engines, horns honking, back up alarms) and a language that I would be hard pressed to find a dictionary for. But they understood each other and played so nicely that I forgot where they were for a few minutes.

I will probably never win the potty fight. That will be something he just makes his mind up about one day. The fashion might have a fighting chance when girls enter the picture. But I do have a shot at the language barrier. I think they were teaching Munch a little the other day. I may actually have a translator in the works. I’ll let you know when she is preparing her dictionary.

You May Send Chocolate & Gift Cards

Or you can just refer to me as "Queenie!" That works too. I am Queen of the Dorks! That's right folks! My senior yearbook picture took the honors over at the Inn! Many thanks to those of you who heeded my pleas and voted. This is an honor I'll treasure for quite a while!

Feeding Time at the Zoo!

Well, here it is. Time to feed the exhibits and you are out of ideas. I thought maybe I would give it a good old college try and share some ideas with you on a weekly basis. We'll call it Feeding Time at the Zoo.

This week's menu:
Monday: Dump a Can Veggie Soup
Tuesday: Clear the Cabinet Shepherds Pie
Wednesday: Pass the Pasta Chicken Alfredo
Thursday: Freezer Diving Au Jus Sandwiches
Friday: Forgive me Family Baked Chicken

Here's the recipe for Dump a Can Veggie Soup (featured at The Bowl for Wordless Wednesday) but if any of the others peaked your interest let me know and I'll share those too!

Dump-a-Can Veggie Soup
1 lb + stew meat cut up into bites
1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes (lightly drained)
2 cans each corn, green beans, diced potatoes (lightly drained)
2 whole carrots chopped
¼ white onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cans beef broth
Dump in a stew pot and let it go for a few hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You don't want to let her down do you?

So I'm up for "Embrace your Inner Dork" (after being monkey stomped in the Dotties last week) and I really feel that I can take this one!! So here's what you need to do. Pop over to the Inn and tell Kadi that you think #'s 10, 12 and 15 are the biggest dork you've ever seen! Yup! It's me in all three. I wish I could say "You've come a long way baby!"



Mo even did a cheer for me! You wouldn't want to let the poor tyke down would you? So go!! Quickly! Voting ends tomorrow night! Fly little ones! Fly!!

Wordless Wednesday!

And you thought I was the only one who went Pirate last week!

Mom Tip #47

Your children got a mission and they chose to accept it.

To undo everything you have done with in seconds of completing it.

It started with the dishwasher. I was unloading and putting everything away. Munch was pulling all the Tupperware out of the cabinet behind me.

Then it was the living room. I put toys in the cabinet; she took all the pillows off the furniture. I put the pillows back; she took all the blankets off the fireplace. I folded and put the blankets back; she took all the toys out of the cabinet.

Moving on to the bedrooms, beds were unmade while shoes were put away. Stuffed animals were put in the laundry basket while beds we remade. Shoes went for a walk around the house while stuffed animals were sorted back out and put on their respective beds.

And speaking of the laundry basket! No need to sort while she’s around. The dirty stuff will end up in the dryer. The clean stuff will end up on the floor and the wet stuff will end up under the comforter on my bed. ::sigh:: I sorted it all out, got a load going and trudged to my room to fold. She insists on being on the bed while I am in the room. This was the perfect timing to unfold each pile, knock as much as possible on the floor, and smile and laugh the whole time.

I gave up. How can she undo vacuuming? So I started only to have the vacuum go dead in my hand. She had unplugged me. Not once but three times. I would plug it in, walk back to the vacuum, start it up and maybe get two passes in before it went dead.

Remember how I said that there were some days when you just were not going to get anything done? Today is one of those.