Recipe for Girl Fun

Invite a few friends over for the afternoon.

Go to Old Navy and purchase some flip flops.

Cut up strips of fabric to tie on your new flip flops.

This may take a while, so snack on pizza and grape koolaid.

Chat about all things girl:

Clothes

School

Jewelry

Music

Hairstyles

Vacations

Siblings

Disney Channel Movies

Cute Boys

(Threaten to tackle your friend if she tells the others who you like.)

(Hear your mother gasp from the next room.)

Giggle and giggle and giggle.

Try on your new flip flops and admire your handiwork.

Model them for your brother and his buddy.

Thank your friends for coming.

Clean up, treat yourself to an ice cream cone and start planning your next recipe for girl fun.

A Boy, A Baby and a Lollipop

Once upon a time, a nice boy with blue eyes and freckles went to the candy store. He had saved his money and had waited several weeks for this day to come. Today he would choose a well earned and much anticipated treat.

The little boy was excited as he looked over the rows and barrels of candy. He looked at the ropes of braided licorice, he looked at the bags of brightly colored bubble gum. After careful review, he selected a large rainbow lollipop.

It's not every day that you get to slowly devour a sweet of this magnitude.

These types of delicacies are rare.

His plan was to take his time, lick by lick, and make the sugary pleasure last for days.

The boy found a shady spot to privately begin his journey toward a new cavity.

SUDDENLY, he was spotted!

A small child with silly hair and two teeth immediately recognized what that swirl of colors on a stick was.

MMMM MMMM she said with a smile.

OH NO he gasped as he quickly tried to conceal himself from her view.

She peered around the side of the stroller, her eyes big, her mouth watering.

MMMM MMMM she squealed.

Just ONE lick he sighed.

MMMM MMMM MMMM she replied.

OK but this is all you get, he resolved.

MMMMMMMMMM she pleaded.

So, the boy began taking turns. A taste for him, a taste for her.

But, this was not good enough for the small child. She wanted to hold the sucker and have it all to herself.

NO! This is my lollipop said the boy firmly.

Tears filled the small child's eyes, her bottom lip turned downward in sadness.

The boy looked at her silly hair and her two teeth and his heart began to melt.

Without a spoken word, he gave the little girl his much anticipated, well earned lollipop.

Then he gently kissed her forehead and rubbed her silly hair.

The little girl looked at the boy with grateful acceptance of such a treasured gift.

Although she could not speak, the love in her eyes was thank you enough.

Lessons In Cleaning

A couple of months ago Lincoln and I were sitting at the kitchen table having an after school snack together.

"Mom, what do you do all day while Rach and me are at school?"

"What do you think I do all day Linc?" I responded in my most non-defensive tone.
"Oh probably watch tv and stuff like that."

Hmmm I said to myself as I bit my tongue.

Right then and there it was quite clear to me that I have not done a good job of making my children work. Oh, they do regular jobs like make their beds and put their laundry away but I do 95% of the dirty work around here. They really have no idea what it takes to keep a house clean and in order.

I grew up with a mom who taught us how to clean. Since my sister Amy and I were the oldest, the bulk of the chores were ours.

Cleaning the kitchen entailed much more than doing the dishes and wiping down the table. We also cleaned the stove, scrubbed the sink with Ajax, swept the floor and then wiped down the floor with a warm cloth.

We took turns every other night, we didn't even try to get out of it. It was just something we did. Our house had a warm and friendly feeling and we were comfortable in bringing friends home anytime.

I realize now how valuable those lessons were.

So when school got out, I called an important family meeting. I told everyone to come prepared with notepads and pencils.

I rolled out the summer cleaning schedule.

I like to call it the NOW I KNOW WHAT MOM DOES ALL DAY PLAN.

Chores have increased substantially to say the least.

We are officially two weeks in and it is going great.

There have been moments of annoyance when a friend calls to play and I have to give a little shoulder shrug / eyebrow raise and ask "Are your chores done?".

There have also been moments of guilt that I am making them work too hard. I am careful to balance work with allowing them to play nearly every afternoon.

So far they haven't complained and I am very complimentary of their work.

I praise Linc's ability to fold towels like the American Flag (thanks cub scouts).

I confide in him the fact that women go crazy for a man who knows how to vacuum well.

Perhaps the best part is that there have been fewer drips since Lincoln has been in charge of daily bathroom duty.

I tell Rachel that she can clean and organize a fridge better than I can. She has an eye for detail and a good ability to do a job thoroughly.

So far it is a win / win situation. Hopefully we are on a track that will continue all summer.

My goal: when fall rolls around, Linc will be eager to go back to school so that he can have a little time off.

For the Love of Golf

How does Lincoln spell heaven?

G-O-L-F.

Lincoln and Mark love the game. When Lincoln was three, Mark used his entire Father's Day allowance to buy Linc his first set of clubs.

Almost every Saturday morning in the the summertime, you can find those two at the golf course. They spend hours there hitting, chipping and putting. If Lincoln is extra lucky, they play nine holes. It is tradition that they stop for cherry slurpees on the way home.

"It's bonding time" Mark reminds me.
"I have to get good Mom because all CEO's golf" Lincoln chimes in.

"Think of it as an investment in his future" Mark says with a wink.

Hmmm Rachel and I say to each other as we watch them pack up their clubs.

Thanks to some very generous and thoughtful friends, Lincoln and Mark were able to spend yesterday at the golf course at Thanksgiving Point. They were guests at the Sorenson Champions Challenge. Golfers from our neck of the woods realize what a big deal this is.

The anticipation of this event was similar to Christmas. Lincoln was on a literal countdown of hours to the big day.

"Well, this time in sixteen hours we'll be watching the pro's."

"In about 720 minutes Dad and me will be down at Thanksgiving Point."
"Eleven hours before the tee-off."

They attended a Johnny Miller Golf Clinic in the morning where he was awed and amazed by professionals. They cheered for those in the tournament. It was practically like watching the Masters according to Linc.

They were even invited to lunch at the clubhouse where they had a real deal golf simulator. "A video game you literally play in" is the way Lincoln described it.

Linc got autographs from Annika Sorenstam, Jack Nicklaus and Johhny Miller. He even got to follow Jazzman Deron Williams for a few holes. After all that, they were able to play nine holes.

Lincoln thought he had won the jackpot about three times.

The reports since he got home have been frequent and detailed. This was clearly one of those rare and unique experiences that stay with a kid.

Thank you to friends who made this memory possible. In about twenty five years when Lincoln is retired from the MLB and is the CEO of his own sporting goods company, this will be one of his favorite childhood memories.

Lessons in Losing

Baseball season is winding down and what a season is has been!

Lincoln played on the LA Dodgers, he was the littlest, youngest kid on the team. It's hard being the runt, but he played with a lot of heart.

The teams were very competitive. Besides the Yankees, who have only lost a couple of games in the past seven years, the Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals and Dodgers were all in a tight race for second and third place.

Every game was big. After all, winning is the goal.

.....Or is it?

Last week we had a nail biter with the Red Sox. Mark and I were in the scorers box running the board so we had a perfect view. Coming in to the last inning, the score was all tied up. We only needed one run to win the game.

Mark warned me as he glanced at the batting order. "Linc could come up with a chance to win the game." That comment was enough to make my stomach tie itself in a tightly contorted knot.

Sure enough, Lincoln got up with bases loaded and two outs.

The following is video of a moment we won't soon forget:

In the extra innings, the Red Sox rallied to beat us.

Lincoln sobbed. "That's every kid's dream." "I let my team down." My heart ached as tears trickled down his freckled nose and cheeks.

WHY? I said to myself. Why just this once didn't Lincoln get to be the hero and save the day?

Imagine how the scene could have looked:

The smallest, most unlikely kid hits the winning run to catapult his team into second place!

That seventh grade teammate who likes to tease Lincoln until he cries would have to eat all those unkind words.

Mark and I could have made an announcement over the loud speaker "That was our boy!"

WHY? I asked over and over. Then a stillness penetrated my thumping heart as these words entered my mind: There are valuable lessons in losing.

Losing teaches humility. There is a difference between conceit and a healthy self respect. When you have a good dose of losing, it prepares you for when that unique and special win comes along.

Losing with grace and dignity teaches you how to be a gracious winner who behaves modestly and maturely.

Determination. The grit and tenacity to pick yourself up and come back stronger. The will to work harder and believe that adversity has made you better.

Losing teaches compassion and empathy. You find yourself rooting for the underdog and sticking up for the little guy.

Losing has a way of molding and shaping character that winning lacks.

Don't get me wrong, losing is TOUGH.

It's hard, it hurts. There are tears sometimes, but it is a necessary part of life.

I have a feeling that the day will come when Lincoln will have another chance.

I think he will get to have his moment of glory.

I picture him hitting a walk off home run, his teammates hoisting him up on their shoulders, the game winning ball carefully displayed in his room.

Yes, that will be a great day and the lessons in losing he has learned along the way will make that moment all the more sweet.

Samantha Sunshine

Today we are celebrating eight months of Samantha Sunshine. Here is what we know about her so far:

She can wave hello and goodbye.

She can say mama and dada.

She loves ice cream. Yesterday when Mark was enjoying a carmel sundae at Leatherby's, Sami kept saying "Dada mmmm Dada mmmm" (translation = more, more)

She likes older men.

She is learning how to crawl.

She can play peek a boo.

She likes sitting in her highchair and snacking on a biter biscut.

She refuses to nap when the twins are home.

If no one is free to play with her, she can cook up a fake cough until we all come running.

We freely admit that we are suckers and she has us completely trained.

We are in love with her silly hair and her chubby legs.

We adore and admire her two teeth.

We can't stop kissing her.

We call her Samantha Sunshine because that is what she is.

Thanks Ms. Lundwall

Well 4th grade is coming to a close. Tomorrow the bell will ring for the final time on the best year of school the twins have had so far.

I could not let this year end without acknowledging their teacher, Ms. Lundwall.

She is a perfect blend of humor and kindness, mixed with high expectations and encouragement.

We have loved every teacher the twins have had from preschool on up. They have all been wonderful. But, there is something extra special about Ms. Lundwall.

You know when your kids frequently talk about their teacher, they are connecting:

"Ms. Lundwall is trying out for a part at Hale Theatre and to be a contestant on Deal or No Deal, she says that you never lose as long as you try your best."

"Ms. Lundwall thinks our class can be famous authors when we grow up."

"Ms. Lundwall has lived in Chile and Texas."

"Ms. Lundwall can do a back handspring."

"Ms. Lundwall is a good listener and problem solver."

"Ms. Lundwall is funny."

"Ms. Lundwall is a pianist."

"Ms. Lundwall is someone who I want to be like."

Mark and I have been amazed. The twins have become writers. Their stories are descriptive and thoughtful. They have enjoyed literature circles (kind of like book club for 4th graders) and reader's theatre. I have never seen them so excited about science and math.

She does a great job of building self esteem and helping them believe that they can do anything.
She even came to one of Linc's baseball games last week.

Ms. Lundwall is a treasure and I am so thankful for her influence and guidance in the lives of my twins.

She deserves so much more than a grateful and humble, "Thanks Ms. Lundwall'

But from the bottom of my heart.....
Thanks Ms. Lundwall.

Not Sew Easy

Today is a day of procrastination and dread.
Today I will feel shame, guilt and frustration.
Today I will be reminded that I am not the homemaker I aspire to be.

Today I must alter three dance costumes for Rachel.

That sounds like an easy task to most moms. After all, it is only a few tacks and tucks.
For me, it is difficult.

I don't know why sewing is so intimidating to me. I am a pretty confidant person most of the time. I can usually figure out how to do things when I put my mind to it.

Case in point: I wanted our family room painted. No small feat considering it is two stories high.

I tried the tallest ladder I could find, not tall enough.

I tried the tallest ladder I could find on top of the kitchen table, NOT a good idea.

Mark was in Boston on a business trip so he was no help.

Hmmm I said to myself, there must be a way to get this job done.

An idea popped into my head......

I went to Home Depot, rented their little truck, rented a bunch of scaffolding, came home, figured out how to set it up (it's like a giant version of tinker toys) and started painting. It took me four solid days, but I did it.

A girl with those kinds of credentials should be able to sew on an occasional button or cub scout patch right? WRONG.

I've tried. My buttons look terrible and they are only valid for a one time use. The patches come lose almost immediately even with glue on the back.

It is not completely my fault. I have enablers in my life. Grandma is an ace seamstress but she is in Africa.

Roni has been Grandma's replacement. She has graciously mended holes, replaced buttons and sewn patches.

When Mark needs something done, he doesn't even ask me, he just hangs it on the door to take to Roni.

It's embarrassing. It's not right. My pioneer ancestors would be ashamed.

So, I am attempting to alter these costumes myself.

"Are you sure you can do it, Mom?" was Rachel's response

"You better just send them to Roni", Mark advised.

I'm not offended by their lack of faith.
I am determined by it.

Wish me luck, I have a feeling I'll need it.