This Full House Archive

Tag: parenting

Hope Has Another Birthday

Happy 8th Birthday, Hopey [formerly known as Mini-me] 'cause nobody RAWKS a Band-Aid like you do, baby girl!

You grazed your elbow, bumping into the kitchen wall and skinned the side of your foot running out of your shoes, proving to your grandparents, once more, that you, my littlest one, are growing up to be more like your mother, every day.

"Please, be careful."

You always get SO excited about your birthday. So do your sisters and brother. Remember last year? When you grew tired of waiting for mommy and took upon yourself to send out your own birthday party invitations.

"Hi, I'm calling to RSVP for Hopey's brithday party tomorrow!"

[sound of crickets chirping]

Good thing you remembered to include our phone number, right?

My, how you've grown since your last birthday!

Remember how fun your "real" party was, though — your sisters and brother worked really hard to include all of your favorite party games, like a pillow case relay and an eating contest using your favorite donuts (powdered sugar) and Holly's face painting skillz are totally wicked, right?

This year?

Well, mama and papa haven't been feeling so great. So, we've been spending a lot of our weekends visiting with them. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to do, well, everything else. You are my youngest and old enough to know that sometimes things just don't work out quite like we would like them to, no matter how hard we try to plan them.

"It's okay, Mommy, I can always have my friends come over on summer vacation, or something."

It's always something, isn't it?

"Did you get Hopey a birthday present, yet?"

[sound of crickets chirping]

Late last night, I took your oldest sisters out, alone, to shop for bathing suits.

"Just…pick…one…already!"

You know how hard it is to shop with them, right?

"The store is closing in 15 minutes!"

Aaaand, I still had to get you a present.

"What do you mean, you don't have any more Camp Rock!?!?"

Actually, they didn't have any dolls left and I know how much you LOVE Joe Jonas — even though he didn't answer any of your fan letters — but, mommy waited until the last minute (AGAIN!) and, well, sometimes stuff like this just doesn't seem fair, does it?

"SPECTACULAR!"

Did you ever notice how loud some teenagers can get — especially, in Target — annoying, right?

"No, look, Hopey loves Nikko!"

Who?

"Nevermind, just trust me, okay Mom?!?"

I mean, you ALL do share the same bedroom and your sisters seem to know you way better…than I do!

"Good night, Mommy."

We didn't get home until almost 10:00 o'clock and, well, I know, you should have been in bed (and asleep) as most almost 8-year-olds would be, probably, already.

"It's okay, if you're too tired to do my birthday clues."

I hid them right before daddy and I went to bed [yes, I make my kids hunt for their birthday presents] only because you have this way of making mommy forget what hurts and I think maybe you learned that from watching your sisters and brother.

Sorry, I should have vlogged your reaction for Holly to see, when she gets home from school later, but mommy didn't have her coffee yet and wasn't quite quick enough!

I mean, judging by this, "SPECATUCULAR!?!?" look on your face, they really do seem to know what they' are doing, right?

I mean, Heather got you this super cool, Super Girl cape on her 7th grade class trip to Great Adventure, last week. Awesome, right?

Aaaand, Glen did give you Tech Decks thinking that you'd probably enjoy having a set of your own, instead of, you know, playing with his….ALL THE TIME!

Still, the best part is when I took this picture of you hugging your dad, since we don't seem to have many of those, I'm not quite sure why, but daddy didn't even yell at me for taking his picture…oh, wait…yeah, now I remember.

You know how we ALL get so busy and sometimes forget to show it — wow, look how you've grown since last year — but, I hope you realize how very much we love you, right?

Nobody RAWKS a pink satin super suit like you do, baby girl!

Because, there is only one Hope and life just wouldn't be the same without you — have a super Happy Birthday, sweetie — we love you, Hopey!!!

© 2009 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

June 16, 2009
Around the Clotheslines and Through the Drainage Pipes to Grandmother’s House We’d Go

Like a lot of (ahem) kids our age, my brother and I grew up watching Sesame Street. Except, in the summer – when we would disappear, soon after breakfast and stay gone, until lunch, or when one of us noticed that…UH-OH!…when the heck did those street lights come on?

Then, we ALL hauled ass home in order to avoid a beating.

Yeah, I know. There were a lot of us latch key kids, back then. It was a different time. Still. I'm raising my kids pretty much the same way (with a lot less beatings, of course) on the other hand, I can also understand how some folks (like me) would find it difficult to let go of their own childhood and allow their kids the chance to fail, let alone, take risks.

Personally, I draw the line at drainage pipes.

Still. My parents, my in-laws and even my brother think that I do way too much WITH my kids, but my bro gets a pass, because he doesn't have any…kids, I mean.

But, did you ever try telling a kid that:

"Sorry, mommy can't come and help your class re-create the Tower of Pisa, using macaroni as a composition to maximize the use of texture, rather than color, okay sweetie?"

Aaaand then get a phone call from her teacher, because no one else signed up and she knows that, you know, you happen to work from home.

What's the right answer?

So, yeah, maybe parenting is sort of like trying to re-create the Tower of Pisa, in macaroni, it's all about balance. Nuh-uh, more like a juggling act. Because, you know, the ball has got to drop, sooner or later?

"Who's the leader?"

"Glen's the biggest one, he's the leader!"

Judging by my son's face, you can tell that, you know, he's so NOT used to being a leader and is more like a I'll just dip my toe in the water and watch to see which one of you guys floats, or not, sort of guy.

Still. It's supposed to be Fun Day, right? Except, we called it "field day" and I don't ever remember playing this game. Then again, they don't give out medals anymore…either. It's all about team work, right? Except, if you're the
first guy in line and can see the ship starting to sink.

But, this was not one of those days and, well, it was just nice to see the kid smile and NOT be so self-conscious…all the time…like, his mother. Congratulations, my son, way to win one for Team Thompson!

"Can you sign me out of school, early?"

As a matter of fact…NO!

"Mommy's got some work to do."

Like, convince an almost-8-year-old that paying the $5 so she could slap a tutu on her head, go to school on "Juvenile Arthritis Costume Day" and dress like a flower was NOT a bad idea, at all.

Then again, she IS braver than ALL of us put together (shuddup, Bro!) can you tell?

© 2009 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

June 10, 2009
Hump Day Diddy Dumbs: Tripping Down Memory Lane, One Kid at a Time!

Mommy, Heather and Tonsil (whose funny little fuzzy hat is pictured above) the stuffed dog we gave to Heather at the hospital, right before she had her tonsils removed, 3 years ago.

Little did I know that, 3 years later, my 13 year-old would be facing yet ANOTHER surgery and thank goodness for warm fuzzy little friends, like Tonsil!

My husband, Garth [not his real name] downloaded some pictures (like the one of Heather and me, above) from his cell phone the other day and, after copying the pictures onto my laptop, I was surprised to see that some of them date back as far as 2005!

I mean, not only is he STILL walking around with the same old cell phone — while, I am almost done beating the heck outta my third — but, he's totally getting off on the fact that I do NOT remember a lot of these pictures, or have long forgotten to blog about them!

Bad mom, good dad wins! So, once again, I seemed to have tripped on the way to winning the Mom of the Year Award. Aaaand, only now decided to blog about stuff I probalby should have, before (you're welcome) just because I can, damnit!

Warning: Gratuitous pictures of children ahead for no other purpose than to make this mom feel a little better about being, you know, me.

In other words, OH LORD, Mommy's tripping again!

(more…)

June 3, 2009
Motherhood Should Come With a Set of Ear Plugs, Right?

YES, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY and I'd wear a dress, if only someone would tell me where the hell the rest of my body went, 'cause I seemed to have misplaced it, along with my reading glasses DAMNIT!

Holy crap, but I can't believe it's Wednesday…already? I mean, wasn't it just Friday and weren't we all just thrilled about celebrating another 3-day weekend?

[shakes head and blows bangs out of eyes]

Except, those of us with sick kids at home…I mean…I guess my husband, Garth [not his real name] and I should be really happy we didn't have any plans for Memorial Day, right?

In fact, my 7-year-old was home yesterday (it WAS Tuesday, right?) and was kind enough to share the creeping crud with her mother (that would be me) because, here at This Full House of creeping crud and all things crusty, it's how we roll.

[yawn]

Aaaaand, I can't believe that tomorrow is my birthday (never mind, which one) or, that I have absolutely NOTHING planned.

Why?

Frankly, it's been one hell-of-a-year (for you too, huh?) and I'm hoping to feel at least a little better (okay, A LOT) and get-together with my twin brother (you know, SSG Kat, right?) this coming weekend.

[cough]

Barring any latent attacks of the creeping crud, regardless that I'm celebrating yet ANOTHER anniversary, of my 29th birthday, or the fact that I do NOT look as old as I feel, right?

Lalalalalala, I can't hear you!

In the meantime, I've got a post up over at New Jersey Moms Blog on how I've lost my mind and plan to take over the world. No, not really. Just don't make any solid plans, for the next few days, okay?

Mind my mommy brain on the way out!

© 2009 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

May 27, 2009
Silly Mom, Of Course You Can Trick a Rabbit!

I know, I know, Easter's been over for like, what, weeks now, right? Except, of course, if you're Orthodox. Then, it's only been a couple of days.

Still.

It's the same thing, every year. My husband Garth (not his real name) shakes down the Easter Bunny and makes gosh-darned sure that our kids find plenty of chocolate eggs, jelly beans and enough gooey marshmallow treats in their baskets to make any dentist, or orthodontist salivate their way to the bank.

My job? Remind the big dumb bunny that…HELLO!…2 out of 4 kids have already been recommended for braces…but, did he listen?

Of course not, which is why the Easter candy STILL sits on top of my fridge…taunting me…every day.

Pssst...

What?

Look at me.

No.

C'mon, looooook…at…me.

NO!

It's been weeks, you know?

Has it?

Eat me.

Excuse me?

EAT ME!

You're being ridiculous, so just stop it, already.

C'mon, just one teeny, weeny, little nibble?

No, thank you.

If you do, then I…I…I won't bother you, anymore.

Really?

Really.

Promise?

Promise.

Okay, just a teeny, weeny, little nibble.

[heavy sigh]

Then, my husband went to work. Then end.

Whuh-the-whuh?

Silly rabbit, did you REALLY think I was talking to you?!?!?!?

[GULP!]

What? Like, you never gave in for goodness sake. Anyway, tomorrow IS Garth's (not his real name) birthday and we've got family coming over and, well, you know.

[yawns]

Bon Appetit, my love!

© 2009 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

April 24, 2009