Super Man

"Mama..." he said sheepishly, flashing the dimples.  "I need to ask a favor.  Will you write a speech for me.  For tomorrow?"
"Absolutely..." I replied without batting an eyelash. "NOT.  But I will sit beside you while YOU write it."
So he settled in with his notebook and the list of speech types he had to choose from.
Toast
Eulogy
Award Acceptance Speech
Tribute
After I explained what each one was, he decided to write a Tribute speech about his dad.
Once I got him started, the paper filled up fast.  He talked about how his dad never meets a stranger, how he is always willing to help push someone's car out of a snowy ditch or use his truck and his back to help someone move.  He talked about how faithful he has been to his family, his friends, and his teams. He talked about how his manly size and large voice hide a teddy bear heart.
My own heart swelled with pride as I saw my hubby through his son's eyes.
The teacher had said these could be made-up speeches.  So Parker could have chosen to tribute anyone from Superman to LeBron James.  So it meant something to me that, while his friends were eulogizing each other's tragic accidents with tricycles and badgers,  he chose to write seriously about our own SuperMan.
Wait...does that make me Lois Lane?
Either way, I am glad these guys let me be their sidekick.

Tai chi and me

Hubby and I were snowed in for a week. Alone. 

In a blissfully quiet house.

After reading stacks of books, drinking gallons of coffee, and watching an entire discontinued tv series on Netflix, we decided we better relax and de-stress by learning the ancient martial art called Tai Chi. I pulled up a free video on youtube and master Pee Wee (name has been changed to protect the innocent) led us in a warm up.

Three days later, we had mastered the warm up and were ready for the first pose called Parting the Wild Horse's Mane. Can I just say, this stuff is harder than it looks... Master Pee Wee talked us through it sllooowly and showed us the steps several times. We had to keep rewinding and trying it again until i was afraid my imaginary horse was getting a bald spot. But perseverance pays off and we finally moved on to White Crane Separates Wings. In the beginning, mine looked more like Chicken With Head Cut Off, but with Pee Wee's patient coaching hubby and I were soon "moving like water." 

And then the kids came home.

Thinking they would be impressed at their parents new ninja skills, I said, "hey, wanna see some Tai Chi?"

We made it to the second warm up move before Hillary let a giggle escape and whipped out her phone.

"Put that away!" I commanded as I rotated my elbows in a big circle which caused my hands to slide across my chest in a way that made me look like I was doing a breast self-exam. 

"I won't post it" she promised. "I just wanna show ONE person."

The little techie wasn't fooling me. I may be old but I just read an article about how images posted online are out in the cloud forever.

"Put it away." 

"Ok, ok.." She said, lowering it and pretending the camera lens wasn't still pointed at me.

I considered showing her the Mother Wrap Fingers Around Daughter Skinny Neck pose, but I was taught never to use my powers for evil.

She finally went to take a shower and Hubby and I continued. 

It is very hard to clear your mind when you can hear guffaws coming from the closed bathroom door.

Breathe in. Step forward. Lift arms. Separate hands.

And I finished with my favorite pose... "Lady Relaxes Into Happy Weekend."

Drinking with Darth Vader

My kids are grown-up.

I think.

I mean, the signs are all there.  Hillary's friends are starting to get married and have kids.  Parker has visited colleges.  They both have voter registration cards.

During our Christmas Family Shopping Day, I stood back and watched as my son walked into a real jewelry store to pick up a ring he had bought for his girlfriend (No, it's not an engagement ring, just a promise ring).  His sister accompanied him so she could check out the display.  (she takes every opportunity to send pics of rings to her boyfriend- and yes, it WILL be an engagement ring...) I chuckled as I watched the saleslady bring out the ring and assume Parker and Hillary were the happy couple.  They laughed and set her straight.  And I thought, "Am I really here?  In this stage of life where my children are in a jewelry store looking at rings and they look like they BELONG there?"

Then we went to Target, and Hillary got all excited to find wine glasses in the dollar bin.  And I thought, "Yep, it's official.  Grown-up."

And then, as we rounded the toy aisle, she gasped.  "Oh. My. Gosh." 

It was a giant Darth Vader doll.  Two feet tall and complete with mask and everything.  

"I have to have this!" she said.  (The explanation as to why would fill a whole other blog post.)

And then there's Parker.  The boy who used to cry for mama when he had to spend the night at his grandparents' house.  The boy who has spent this year's entire 18 day Christmas break at his grandparents' house and can go for days without so much as a text to mama.  (And before you start to think "oh, how sweet that he loves his grandparents so much" I should tell you that his girlfriend lives in the same town as them.)

But just as I began to despair that he was grown up I got a text from him.

"hey mama.  i'm not having the best morning.." He went on to detail the reasons why and then he continued..

"...and THIS happened..."

I laughed.  I couldn't help it.  This heavy denim comforter has been with Parker since he was about 5.  We tease him all the time about his "blankie" because he takes it anywhere he has to stay overnight.  It's way too big and heavy for my washing machine, so we have to send it off to the dry cleaner periodically.  Parker endures the sleepless nights until it returns.  I have warned him it is getting threadbare and suggested maybe we should start looking for a replacement.  But he doesn't want to talk about it.  

And now it has a 3 corner tear.  

Luckily, my mom is an awesome seamstress and will probably find a way to patch or stitch it.  

Gosh, I love these Grown Up Children.  I love that they embrace responsibility with one hand while holding on to the things that keep them young in the other.  They remind me that its ok to be both.  

So when the bills are stacking up and I'm counting the years to retirement, Darth Vader and I will sit wrapped in our "blankie" and figure it all out over a glass of wine.