A FOURocious 4th Birthday Celebration

There’s no secret that my everyday life typically finds me just trying to keep my head above water. It’s something I’ve warmed to; that consistent overwhelming feeling. PTA meetings? I get there, but 15 minutes late. Play dates? Sure, if I can fumble around at awkward small talk for an hour! Homework? Yeah, me & the 3rd grader can trade evil eyes over basic arithmetic until bed time, sign me up! 

But somehow, when it comes to birthdays, my inner Awkward zooms right up to Adequate and I become the world’s most okay-est Pinterest mom! It’s truly a feat, this transition I make. And this past weekend was no different as we celebrated another Brown family birthday. My littlest slice of sunshine, picture of perkiness, and example of excitement turned from a tiresome toddler into a phenomenal preschooler (I figure if I say it often enough, it'll have to end up true).

I decided to honor the occasion with a prehistoric fete fit for our FOUR-ocious 4 year old. See what I did there? It’s clever, admit it.

Conversations with Grandma: Sep 18

My mom is in town and walked in during dinner.

Me:...and you’ll eat it because I made it!
Granny: I know y’all aren’t out here making mommy fuss. Not after she worked hard to cook for you all, that’s not nice. *makes a plate* Look at this, this is good food. You babies better eat so you can be big & strong!
*sits down*
Ashton: Wait, grandma didn’t get any carrots!

Ashton Explains It All: Sep 18

In the middle of doing the 8 year old’s hair:

Ashton: Do you know the F word?
Me: Depends what F word you mean.
A: *stage whisper* The bad word, fuck 😳
Me: I’m familiar. You know you’re not supposed to say that, right?

Celebrating Grandparents in a Very Grand Way

Americans love a good made-up holiday. If you think of one thing you like, and even a few you don’t, chances are there’s a holiday honoring it.  Don’t believe me? I checked and a few of them even surprised me: there’s Science Fiction Day, Wear Pajamas to Work Day, World Kissing Day, Jelly Bean Day on April 22^nd, and even a National Wine Day (or Friday, as I call it at my house). Long story short, we know how to pick a celebration. Thankfully, one of our more beloved (albeit lesser known) holidays is right around the corner and there’s no time like now to get ready! National Grandparents Day 2018 is scheduled for Sunday, September 9^th.

This is America

There’s not very much that surprises me. I’m not what you would call naïve, nor am I the most optimistic person you’ll interact with. My deadpan delivery is something new friends have to get used to because my dry humor is often an acquired taste. So unless I’m in a particularly entertaining & animated mood, you have to work hard to shock me. I’m always ready with a comeback, which I’ve learned is both a gift and a curse.

When the 6 year old and his sister got off the bus on Tuesday I figured he’d had a less than stellar day as his face was longer than usual and he lacked his natural pep. I offered my standard, “How was your day?” and continued walking ahead of them.

“[A friend] said something hurtful,” he responded.

“Oh yeah,” I questioned still not turning, I waited for his explanation that perhaps she’d declined to call Black Panther the best movie ever made or had challenged his artistic prowess (both MAJOR offenses in Roman’s book).

“She said she didn’t want to be my friend because I’m black,” he said.

I stopped, “Oh.”

“So I told her she hurt my feelings. But she didn’t say anything else.”

Conversations with Kids: Aug 18

Coversations with Kids: Back to School 18

Me: Okay, now everybody look angry. It’ll be a funny Day 2 picture. 😃
Ashton: But aren’t your funny Day 1 pictures the reason we missed the bus yesterday?
Me: And isn’t your existence the reason I have stretch marks? 😐
Ashton: What?
Me: My point is, we’ve both done things to one another. Let’s move on...get outside 😒

#WhyYouBringinUpOldStuff

Conversations with Kids: Jun 18

A Very Mommy Father's Day

“What are you going to wear on our date?”

He asked that no less than 5 times on Saturday. He knew that daddy would be the taking the girls to a Father’s Day dance at the church because I’d explained that would leave him hanging with me. I expected him to be disappointed or feel left out but he was characteristically upbeat about it. 

An (Un)Review of Marvel's Black Panther and a DIY Black Panther Birthday on a Budget

I didn’t think I would feel as emotional as I did taking my son to see Black Panther.

Sure, he’d been obsessing about it for months. Ever since we’d heard the script was in development, he’d focused on this protagonist more than any other. Roman has a knack for art, and for the past few months he’d devoted his most involved works to various homages of Black Panther. But I still thought it was something of a phase. He’d get over it.

School Daze

*insert obligatory piece about how kids shouldn’t die at school - vol 18* 

My husband sent me pictures of his time at the kids’ elementary school Donuts for Dad event yesterday. My husband, though, is a pretty mediocre picture taker. I didn’t expect much and so I smiled but didn’t inspect them too closely when he sent them to me. They were run of the mill cute. 

This shot, though, was sent to me by my kindergartener’s teacher. It’s good, really good I think - not just because of the subjects - but because you feel something when you see this. I feel my 5 year olds arms around me when I see this. Roman hugs us like this consistently. Physical touch is his love language. We usually have to tell him to let go...tell him to hurry up...politely shoo him away a bit, because he lingers. 

Petty Betty: Mama's Still Got It

Standing Out

My kids had a family themed event at their school this week. We make it a point to attend most of the festivities the school facilitates so as to foster a sense of community for our children in the place where they spend so much time.

On this night there was a full house , with no shortage of children and adults idly milling about while awaiting further instruction. There was a friendly vibe though as the kids & I walked amongst people we saw regularly. I like our school and quite a few of the families in it. It’s more diverse than many of the schools in our area with a small enough population to allow everyone to make friends easily if they try.

Before long, I bumped into a woman I speak to regularly but, to be honest, don’t know intimately. We engaged in a bit of small talk when my kindergartener - who’d been threading his way between my legs - interrupted her. “I like your buttons,” he said marveling at her jacket & purse, “what’s that one say?”

Petty Betty: Fit or Die

Good Moms Be Like

Petty Betty: Morning Mothering

Laundry Finds Vol. 1

Petty Betty: Target Tales

Kids in the Community

The first of the year has come and gone and many of us are still in holiday hangover mode and feeling drained of both energy & money, or is that just me?. We’re getting used to how the house looks without all that fun & festive décor and getting back into the swing of things with work and after-school schedules. It’s a tiring way to start off the new year.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash