Monday, May 10, 2010

Best Quotes from My Mother's Day Cards/I Love My Mom Because Cards From School

"I love u more than my horse collection."

"She is 5'3" but most of it is her heart"

"She loves to go to Walmart to buy hoodies"

"I want u to stay with me all my life."

"Thank you so much for loving me as one of your own" from my son's girlfriend, Cass

Sunday, May 9, 2010

3 Things for Mother's Day

Three things I learned from my mom:

1. Be a good homemaker.

Mom had a saying, "Keep your dishes done and your beds made and everyone will think you're a good housekeeper." There's definitely some truth in that. If your kitchen is clean, and your bedroom tidy, the rest of the house can be a disaster, but it doesn't look as bad somehow.

My mom was an exceptional housekeeper. We always had a picture-perfect, well organized, tidy home, but mom was more than a housekeeper, she was truly a homemaker. From delicious food, to wonderful holidays, she made our house a warm, comforting, fun place to be.

2. Value friendships.

My mom kept in touch with all her friends, from newly found friends to childhood and high school chums, she always made phone calls, sent cards, and took time to visit her friends.

She and her best friend from childhood kept up a monthly family dinner night for as long as I can remember. They would take turns as to who's house we would go to, but once a month I could count on us having dinner with Pattie Anne and her family.

3. Enjoy your children.

Mom truly enjoyed being with us. From regaling us with stories of our babyhood, to cheering and supporting us through each awkward stage of growing up, she was our rock, and she let us know that we were her greatest gifts.

Now for three things I've learned from my kids:

1. Lighten up and be goofy.

Don't worry so much of what people are thinking, just have fun!

2. Don't make assumptions about genetics or gender.

Everyone's unique and full of surprises! That little boy wasn't a handfull, but that little girl sure was! And just because two people look very much alike, their personalities will each develop differently.

3. Always put people before things.

Nothing (no thing) can replace time spent together.

Which brings me to my all time favorite mommy-baby poem:

Rock A Bye by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my babies, and babies don't keep!

Even though my babies aren't babies anymore, this poem still reminds me to treasure the time I have with them, and that other things can wait. I wouldn't be a mother without them, and that's the greatest gift I've ever been given!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

This Was My Week...

...as a special education aide.

We have an autistic boy in our classroom who's mom was frustrated because it was torture to give him a haircut. She and the boy's dad would usually get the clippers out and while one would physically restrain him, the other would shave his head. It was traumatic for everyone involved, but taking him to a barber didn't work either for the same reasons.

My teacher knows that I used to cut hair, so she asked if I would be willing to attempt cutting this young boy's hair. We figured we could get in a snip here and there during school, and if it took a week, so be it.

Well, Monday was the day, and I began by showing the boy my scissors and combing his hair a bit. He complained a little, but I was actually able to get a few snips in. Then we took him to the computer and while he was watching his favorite little video, I began cutting. If he fussed, we would pause the video, If he was quiet and let me cut, he could watch it. I got the whole right side of his hair done this way.

After lunch the other aide (aka my partner in crime), suggested we take him to play in the sink and see if that would work. He loves making faces in the mirror, so this seemed like a good idea. It turned out to be a success, and I was able to finish his hair. Our teacher called his dad, and told him about the hair cut, and when she got off the phone she said, "You just made that man's day!" Which in turn made my day as well!

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We have another little boy who was a tiny preemie, and one of the things we have to work with him on is his muscle tightness. He walks on his tip toes because he's just strung so tightly. Our teacher has asked me to sit with him and "stretch him" during morning circle, so he's my little buddy now. I sit behind him and we go through our stretches each morning. He has taken to fiddling with the digital watch on my wrist, and the other day he managed to put it on military time AND set the alarm to go off every hour! I couldn't even figure out how to fix it, but it made me laugh. What a little stinker!

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At snack time on Thursday the boys were enjoying peanut butter on graham crackers, and one little guy had got it all over his nose. Another little boy comes up to me and says real quiet, "His 'smell' is dirty." I thought that was just so cute! These little kids just really charm me.