Mucho Gusto

When it's been too long since I've had my kids' attention all to myself, I call them in from the various rooms where they are watching separate tv shows and bribe them with food.

Tonight, it was Mexican.

We got all our favorite things. 

We didn't even need to see a menu.

We laughed a lot.

Everything was perfect.

They didn't even seem to care that I was wearing a Halloween t-shirt in July like a totally middle-aged mother.

And the waitress brought me Coke, even though the menu said they only had Pepsi.

We only had an hour.

But it was so worth it.

My kids bring me mucho gusto (much pleasure)!

Queen of Hearts

Hillary's reign is over.  After a year of parades and appearances, it came down to one final week.  She flitted through a flurry of activities with this year's contestants... emcee'd the children's beauty contest...

 which included doing the hokey pokey on stage in high heels...

and waved goodbye to her subjects in the parade as she threw candy to the kids.

She hosted the talent portion of this year's contest, looking beautiful and sounding professional as she introduced each new contestant and made encouraging remarks as they left the stage.  Then she gave the Finale a boost by belting Babs' "Don't Rain on My Parade".  

 I can't tell you how many people came up to me and made comments about how "wonderful" and "talented" she is and how she's "the best they've seen".  And I agree.  She was a Queen who made her Subjects proud.  But as a member of her inner court, I can tell you that she has more than outer beauty.    

The crowd watched as Hillary made her glamorous Final Walk and then crowned the new Queen.

But no one else saw what happened backstage afterward...

My thoughtful girl had purchased a sturdy but pretty box for the new Queen's crown and sash and had placed a letter inside giving her tips to make her duties easier and a list of things to expect.  She also included her phone number and offered her help anytime the new Queen needed something.  No one had done anything like this for us and we had stumbled our way through the State Fair finding things out as we went. It was sweet and thoughtful and so like my Hillary.

And later, when it was just her and I, Hillary said, "I'm so glad she won.  She's not the type who would do anything to embarrass the Fair Committee like being at a party with underage drinking and stuff."  I hadn't even considered that.  To me, this was just a Beauty Pageant...a way for girls to dress up and have fun.  But Hillary had taken it seriously, with a maturity that made me proud.  She consciously served her community all year, attending events and representing her county with grace and dignity.  She recognized that she was a role model.  And she used her power for good.

But I am not surprised.  Because Hillary has lived her life like this for a long time now.  She has known from early on she was a child of the King and she acts accordingly.  And others notice.

Just yesterday at church, a man sitting in front of me turned around to say, "I just want to tell you what a good job you've done with your kids.  Especially your daughter.  She seems like she's got her head on straight."  I just smiled and told him God had blessed us and it had nothing to do with me.  

But I wanted to say it has nothing to do with her head and everything to do with her heart.

Her reign may be over, but she remains the Queen of our heart.

Foreign

I have foreign toothpaste in my bathroom.

No, I didn't order it from the internet.  It was carried here in the suitcase of Hillary's best Swiss friend who is staying with us for a few weeks.  Swiss Miss is sweet and funny and beautiful.  And she is amazed at how many fat people ride around in motorized wheelchairs in America.
Hillary took her on a road trip to Chicago last week.  And despite the fears of some "mother hens" in the family, the girls made it without being mugged or murdered.  I was proud of the way Hillary took initiative and tried to plan ahead.  And of the way she went for it even as little fears nibbled at her toes.  (And I am thankful to Tony and Peter for hosting the girls and for all their advice!)

I share my heart and my home with my children.  And in return, they broaden my world.  I came home from bible study the other night to find my driveway full of unfamiliar cars.  And my basement full of friends.  Hillary and Swiss Miss were there along with a boy who had a pierced lip and a shy smile.  Parker and his friend, Hunter were downloading music from itunes, but stopped long enough to greet me with an exuberant hug that left my toes dangling inches from the floor for a few seconds.  There was music and laughter and German accented talking.  There was life in my family room.

I love that these two amazing people totally mess with my world.  I love that they live life with open arms.  I love that I find strange toothpaste in my bathroom, strange cars in my driveway, and strange music in my playlist.  This is my life and I love it.
Anything else would just seem...foreign.

Oh Baby!

It was another weekend of travel.  But this time it was my turn for Family Fellowship. My brother and his wife are having a baby!  The first one in the family since MY baby was born 15 years ago.

My brother and my "baby"

So we all descended on Mom and Dad's house and partied like pros.

There was much laughing and eating and hugging.  Doors were fanned...mosquitos were swatted...dogs were petted.  And games were played.  Parker and I were a team, and between his head full of "useless knowledge" and my ability to spell words correctly and backwards, we pretty much dominated at Cranium.

As the weekend came to an end, my mom commented on how she enjoyed watching me and my siblings get along and have fun together.  And I know just what she means.  There is just something about watching the ones you love, love each other that fills you up and puts a smile on your face.  And since the four of us live states away from each other, we don't take our time together for granted.  Petty annoyances are swatted to the side like pesky mosquitoes and we focus on the happiness of a few precious and rare hours together.

It's good to know that some things change...and some things never do.

As Parker drove me home (all 4 hours) he talked about the weekend and how much fun he had.  And seeing it through his eyes, I enjoyed it all over again.

Happy 4th of July!

We spent the holiday weekend with family.
Much family.

Between a wedding and a family reunion we managed to see both sides of Hubby's extended family.  We balanced mingling with huge clusters of newly met family members in color-coded t-shirts with small intimate gatherings in grandma's apartment living room.  And sprinkled in and all around were the trappings of summer and celebration.

(I'm lovin Great-Aunt Joanne's sparkly purple polish!)


Hillary had to stay home and work (I think I could copy and paste this sentence into every blog I write lately), but Parker got to sit and listen to all the shared stories about the people he loves in a past he can only imagine.  He told me this is one of his favorite things to do.  And I have to admit...it's mine too.  Our stories are the strings that tie us together into a Family.  And connect the past...

to the future.




Of course we topped it all off with some fireworks!

 

Happy 4th of July!