to your mother

THOUGHTS ABOUT BEING A MOTHER AND LOVING A MOTHER...FROM A MOTHER OF TWO.







Thursday, April 4, 2013

Easter at the Loyd's

Easter Eve was spent at Mom and Dad's this year.  Julie insisted on bringing her own selection of toys from home.  I said that was fine, as long as she could independently carry whatever she brought.
 
 
 
This girl doesn't play around. 
Dress by Mom circa 2004; sash by me using binding ribbon from Great Grandma Loyd (E. Jean)
 
 
Julie loooooves to see Grandma Loyd and usually greets her with a big hug.


 
 
 
 
And kisses.




And giggles.


Mike got busy playing inside with the kids while Paul and I tossed Easter eggs about the front lawn.


Can you spy the lady trying to see what we were up to?







Here's a closer look through the pane of glass.  Note Paul's reflection, kinda cool.





When I said "tossed Easter eggs about the front lawn" I wasn't kidding.
 
 
It was a bright, sunny day (squinting) in Chambersburg, the kids were ready to hunt.









Julie enjoyed showing her spoils to Mom, even gave her a pink flowered one saying "You can have my favorite".




Joe excitedly reported his hunting adventures to Dad...not sure if Dad had his hearing aids on, but he certainly nodded appropriately.




And then it was on to the cracking, to reveal the luscious booty inside.

Note: Paul wanted a trillion eggs out on the front lawn, a gazillion to the goo-gooplex power, so when Mom saw them she would see a carpet of eggs. Hence the gargantuan amount of eggs each kid has.  Never fear...some were empty and the others held 4 M&Ms or other such small candies.  Some small Easter decorations where thrown in as well.  No child died from an overdose of sugar, just the adults suffered the ramifications of the impulsive, wild, monkey-like behaviors that sugar has upon my children.





 Mom prophesizes about the monkey-like behavior before the first bit of candy is ingested. 
Alas, she is non-verbal so she just keeps it to herself.
 
 
 
 
Paul documents the cracking episode, some points were actually quite funny...perhaps we will provide a showing at a later date.
 
 
 
 
Ever since Joseph spotted the juice-o-matic in Mom's pantry, he has been badgering  politely asking me to use it.  Finally today was the day.

 Homemade peach ice cream from the back of Mom's freezer, some lactose-free skim milk, a few blends and rumbles and voila!
Peach smoothie, created on the fly, to satisfy this boy...of course then he wanted to find MORE stuff to put it, but I am learning about limitations and he is learning about disappointment...it can go hand in hand, ya know.
 
 
 
 
 
I love coming across the kids quietly playing together...it is becoming more frequent.

Frequent as it is, the episode frequently ends in yelling, sweeping of toys away from the other, overall disgruntledness...forget it, it's just ugly.



 some Easter baskets
 
 
some singing and love and squishy things
 
 
 
 
 Dad's Command Center: you want to know the weather outside the window or in China, he's your man
 
 
 
Some fun on the deck...




which gave Paul, Mom and I some quiet time to chat around the table.  Out of nowhere, Mom picks up a small blue 3lb weight from the table in front of her and begins to pump iron.
 
 
 
 This woman does not play around. There is no rest.  No Pain = No Gain. Forever Mom will be pushing herself to do what she needs to do. Me? I should heed her example, perhaps get off this duff of mine and do what my body needs me to do. Mom? She's a fighter.



Joe, sweet thing, may take too much after his mama.  Here is Joe:

 You may think he is slouched down, mindlessly watch a show.  Nope. Nada.  That boy is playing Wii Fit.  Specifically he is running in a race.  He figured out that instead of placing the Wii remote into his pocket so it could sense his body's natural up and down rhythm of running, you can slouch in Dad's Barcalounger and shake the remote up and down, reaching the same result as running.  Note:  This episode was at the end of the day.  This boy was rancidly tired due to major activity and had suffered the tremendous low that comes after ingesting too much sugar about 3 hours previous.

When children slouch on the couch to participate in an activity in which they are normally told to "QUIT-IT" because they are TOO active, we tend to leave during the calm eye of the storm.

Julie carried her load out to the van...



while Joe gave out his hugs and high-fives.


Julie scrambled back in for her kisses.




"And one on da nose!" was her last words.
 
She sure does love this mama's mama.