Mother Nature Says

I often feel like a juggler on a unicycle. Our lives are always on the go and we love it. After school on Mondays we go to the gym. Then, when we get home,  I have about fifteen to twenty minutes to get dinner on the table, before checking binders and doing homework. On Tuesdays we run home, right after school for tacos. Taco Tuesday, Baby Girl’s favorite dinner of the week. They take about five minutes to put together because I put the meat, vegetables and seasonings into my insta pot that morning. Then, we have about twenty-five minutes to eat before my ten year old, twice exceptional (autistic and gifted) son has his trombone lesson. Right after that my eight year old, ADHD math whiz, has his violin lesson. When that is over my seven, going on seventeen, year old girl and I go with the boys to our scout meetings. Where she is a Tiger cub, my middle is a Bear cub, my oldest is a Webelo Scout and I just started serving as the Cub master, along with den master for Tiger cubs and Webelos. Yes, folks I have what is rightfully described as a helium hand. It is a lot of fun working with younger children teaching them new things and bringing them new experiences. Their faces light up with each accomplishment and they laugh at all the silly jokes and puns you can dish out. Wednesdays are one of our busiest days. It starts off with Baby Girl and my guitar lessons. We are learning together so that I can practice with her. Since I already know how to play the violin, the B string on the guitar is extremely perplexing. Right afterwards we rush to her Taekwondo lesson. She is a bit late, but loves the Wednesday instructors and insists on going. Following her lesson is the boys' Taekwondo. Then we have an hour for a sandwich supper before my Taekwondo lesson. At home each night, we review homework and folders for field trips and fundraisers for school. Thursdays. Baby Girl's bestie takes Taekwondo, so she has to go to that. While her brothers and I run home to feed our three dogs, three cats and two sugar gliders. Then, I gather the three of them up and we have a chicken salad supper in the car before the three of them have practice with their dance team. Finally Fridays, we take it a bit easy. After I catch up on grading, I take the boys to their Taekwondo. We then all go home to have a stew, chili or other insta pot meal, that I started that morning, before heading back for Baby Girl's Taekwondo.

We love to train, compete and perform. It took an act of the Heavens to get us to take a TIME OUT. Mother Nature decided that Alabama needed a break last Tuesday night. She froze the state with her frosty glare from Huntsville through south of Montgomery. Only the southernmost tip of the state escaped the icy suspension of time. Even my husband, who works out of town seven to ten day shifts at a time, was iced in the house. The main highway, 65, was shut down from just south of Birmingham to Huntsville. His work site and the way there were closed. The schools were closed but prepared. They sent home a "just in case” packet and I was able to post work for my high schoolers online. After that was done, we took some time together.

We finally had a moment to make the Ninja bread cookie kit I bought a month ago. Time felt as frozen as the ground. Minutes seemed to last hours as I rolled out the dough squishing it along with my rolling pin. Then, each child plopped their Ninja cookie cutter on the dough, pushed down and wiggled to remove their Ninjas, in sitting stances, performing jump sidekicks and round kicks from sparring stances. While they were cooking and cooling we pulled out the board games. My oldest had armies of orcs, elves, riders of Rohan, eagles, cave trolls and dark riders amassing, colluding and battling in his Lord of the Rings version of Risk. My other two swelled and roared with laughter, as they made the odd combinations of weird granny panties and fuzzy dog farts in Apples to Apples. The daylight hours that usually flew by took a pause with my children's laughter and smiles. When time came to frost our Ninjas, my oldest and youngest created double decker frosting creations. The quintessential middle child fabricated pink bug eyed Ninjas that spooked Baby Girl into squealing and hiding behind me.

My children helped make lunch and dinner. They pulled out the cook books and turned through the pages, to finally choose, to make hot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  A warm compliment to a freezing day. They helped fill the pots and scoop the Ramen. Then set the table. Baby girl had to lay out the napkins first then the silverware on top. 

For dinner we roasted turkey breasts. The children helped chop the vegetables, mashed potatoes and set the table. Once more placing the napkins and silverware just so next to the plates. We sat around the table, together and gave thanks for the time together and the food we shared. Then, we talked and laughed about the goings on of the day. 

Though we love all the things we do and I feel like a combination of Wonder Woman and Rosie Riveter, for being able to get the kids everywhere, run the cub scout meets successfully, feed my children. get all their homework, practicing, fundraisers and gifted projects completed, while maintaining honor roll and taking care of the house and our fur babies, it was nice for time to slow down so we could take a breath and enjoy each other. I am grateful to Mother Nature, for reminding me that children are only young for a season and that we need to take time to laugh together.