We Loaded Up the Truck...

Every Memorial Day, my family goes to my parents’ lake house. It’s always a fun-filled, relaxing time when we eat great food, watch moves, cruise on the lake, and just spend time together.

This year promised to be different with Alexander.

I decided to head down to Lake Martin early with my mom and dad and spend a week, baby in tow. Sounded great…have some help with the baby, a change of scenery, and, most importantly, people EAGER to change diapers. And it was great.

But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, when going anywhere with a baby for even a couple of hours, you have to take a lot of stuff. Multiply that stuff times 7 and you have how much I had to take. The following is a list of just some of the items I packed…just for him!!!

1 pack and play
2 pairs pajamas
1 ExerSaucer
1 bottle of baby detergent
1 Play Gym
1 pack of diapers
1 baby bath tub
8 bottles
1 stroller
1 extra large can of formula
2 sleep sacks
20 jars baby food
2 pack and play sheets
6 bibs
1 CD player
10 burp cloths
4 CDs
10 toys
15 outfits
2 towels
3 sleeping gowns
2 types of organic/non-toxic cleaner for toys
6 body suits
1 bottle lotion
1 swimsuit
2 boxes of wipes

You should have seen the back of Dad’s truck after we got everything packed and covered with a bright blue tarp…we literally looked like Jed Clampett and the family moving to Beverly (Hills, that is). We told my mother that since she was “Granny” she should just sit on top. My dad rolled his eyes when he saw it all sitting in my living room, waiting for him to load…but we really did use everything I took…and, I ended up doing 4 loads of laundry!

We had a lot of fun over the week…and Alexander got lots of attention. And, now, the piles of stuff that stood so organized and orderly in my living room just a week ago, are scattered around my dining room, waiting for me to put them away.

Can I please go back to the lake????

Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. I won’t say I’ve always appreciated my mom the way I should…there were the typical dark days of teenage-dom when I believed she knew absolutely nothing…but in the past few years, I have come to respect and admire her.

But it wasn’t until I became a mom that I could truly say I appreciated her. I can honestly say that she was the finest example of motherhood and that she is who I model myself after. Here is why:

She was never too busy for us. She could always make time to read or play. I never remember her ever saying that she had something more important to do.

She played with us. She, my brother, and I would play for hours doing things like playing kickball in the yard and taking walks.

She encouraged imagination. My mom could give us a comb covered with wax paper and suddenly, we were in a parade. Or she could throw a quilt over some chairs and we had a fort.

She was silly with us. My mom could stand on her head, or make up funny songs, or read a book with lots of different voices.

She was proud of us. Both she and my dad were our biggest fans

She disciplined us. There were times when she wasn’t so proud of us and she encouraged us to do better.

She never degraded our dreams. She never told us that there was something that we couldn’t do.

She loved us to bits and we knew it, but she never let us disrespect her.

She, and my dad, gave us roots and a great family.

But, when the time came, she let us go.

I hope when Alexander is all grown up, he can look back and say the same things about me.