Heros, Legos and Laurel

       15  years of having and raising children has lended itself to the inevitable sifting through toy boxes and making decisions.  Do we box it up and take it to Goodwill, or keep it around a while as it may be worth a fortune someday on ebay.  There are things I have gotten rid of worth a little more than what I paid, some worth nothing and other things I forgot we had in the first place. And sometimes you have to consider whether or not something will ever be played with again before you get rid of it.

A decision that I have never really struggled with was Legos. Yes, Lego's. Every size, shape, color but all feel the same when stepped on with your bare feet in the middle of the night. In a world full of Beanie Boos, Littlest Pet Shops, Barbies and other girlie toys, Legos tend to take a back seat and often end up in the toy box with random misfits, broken crayons and whatever came home from the treasure box last year in preschool soon only to end up at Goodwill.

However, things turned around this year when Laurel got a new girlie Lego set for Christmas. One which she guards every little piece with her life and the whole world stops if of them is missing.  A few additions were made and Legos are now her new passion even if she is only 7. Before I was aware this growing interest with her, I went about my usual business of cleaning and bookkeeping and would often not allow my self to be interrupted should one of her pieces go missing. It wasn't until I noticed how much fun she was having and how she would invite me to play along when I realized how serious she was. Suddenly nothing else mattered. Even during my prayer time, I accepted her tiny Lego ice cream cone she offered me. At this point not only did I want to play along, but wanted to support her cause. I looked through every toy box, laundry basket, and storage bin for any old Legos I could find that dodged the charitable donation visits. We celebrated the victory every time one was found.

Up until 7 years ago, I had never cleaned all the bathrooms, folded all the clothes, cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed all in a single day. I knew something was different that day. Marathon cleaning and a plate of individual nachos with jalapenos on each of them would send me to the hospital on that once-a-year snowy Georgia January night. Today, Laurel celebrates her 7th birthday. When I asked her what she wanted for a present, she told me she wanted a new pair of shoes.


                                                                                           


                                                                       For Laurel

Backyards, Potato Chips and the Men's Room

 It's now January after Christmas vacation and as I return to the music studio, I am often asked the question: "How was your holiday break?"  My answer is usually something similar to "Just fine," "Great, just great." or "Very nice. Thank you so much for asking." However, 17 days straight with five girls home from school made for some highlights.

I forget that having all the kids home for an extended period of time means that adjustments need to be made and boundaries have to be set. Some of which are not set into place until after something has happened. On Christmas, Santa surprised the younger girls with a new swing set, which dad worked hard during his vacation time putting together with many trips to Home Depot in between. When it was finally constructed, it stood in all it's marvel in the backyard as his young daughters gazed in wonder and awe and I was thrilled that I was finally able to mop the kitchen floor in peace with no one in the kitchen.  However, there were a few things I was unprepared for. As the house was quiet and the floor and furniture draped with dirty socks and dishes, I thought if I looked out the window into the backyard, I would see somewhat of a paradise similar to that of the Brady Bunch. Instead, I saw 3 young girls who were so excited to swing and play in the sand that they neglected to put on their shoes, socks and jackets for the cool December air as well as not changing out of their pajamas all in view of the neighbors should they be on their back patios. We also weren't prepared for one final trip to Home Depot when we learned that high school kids also like to swing.

Since the months fly quickly after summer vacation, I also forget one other important thing: They all have to eat. Since I am usually not in the habit of making lunch for 5 kids while they are at school,  I am very fortunate that I have two older daughters where at least one of them can help in this area. The one who does not help is the one on the couch with the bag of chips. I asked her if she had had lunch or if that was her lunch. I didn't exactly get a reply. In any event, lunch itself is not a problem. It's the time in between. Grocery shopping probably makes up for one of our biggest expenses next to our mortgage so I try to match coupons with sale items. I was fortunate enough to have a  good week where I bought about $150 worth of groceries for about $60. My stock pile included 10 packages of juice boxes, 10 frozen dinners, 4 bags of fish sticks, 4 packages of Chex Mix, popcorn, and Ritz crackers and in addition, a very large gift basket given to me by one of my students. After one week, all we had left was fish sticks.

And for the grand finale, on the last Saturday before school would start again, all of us got into the car and went out to dinner to Texas Roadhouse. It was about as rowdy as expected. There were fights over crayons, crawls under the table from one side to the other back and forth and I almost spilled my water. However, there are certain memories that generate from times like these that stand out more than others. Baby number 4 has been known for jumping into swimming pools with her clothes on, silencing a school cafeteria over her stolen applesauce and exploring on her own at the Smithsonian Institute when she was 5. I didn't hear the news until after we had loaded the car that Laurel Anne and visited the men's room at the restaurant. No! Not Laurel Anne. She would never do a thing like that! But she did. The girls ate nothing.

So in addition to expressing how joyful my Christmas break was, I can also include that I was eaten out of house and home, drained of my bank funds and surrounded by dirty socks. Which really is the case year round just more pronounced during this time. But now that it's over, and having had a baby at age 42, we will not officially be empty nesters until the year 2029, I can't help but notice how strangely quiet it is here today.