Lost in Translation

"When I get to Super Daycare's house, I'm going to tell her I love her," Holy Terror says as I help him tie his shoes.

I smile. Super Daycare was the little boys daycare lady for a long time and they still go every so often to visit and love it.

"Then, I'm going to tell her she's beautiful," he adds.

"Aren't you just a regular Don Juan," I say with a laugh.

Holy Terror looks quizzically at me. "What's a Don Juan?"

"Don Juan's are boys who say pretty things to girls to make them feel good about themselves," I reply, tapping his shoe. Intrigued, he smiles and I continue. "So, are you a Don Juan?"

"Yes," he answers. Parkour Boy comes in. "I'm a Don Juan."

"What's a Don Juan?" Parkour asks while looking for his jacket.

"A boy who does pretty things to girls."

Parkours halts and looks at me, shocked.

....uh, yeah. That knowledge didn't transfer quite right.

Sound From the Frig

Parkour Boy and I knelt in front of the the refrigerator. Drama Queen stood right behind us, gnawing her lower lip. The clock ticked loudly from the front room. Hazae meowed inquisitively from the counter.

"Shhh!!!" we all urged in unison, not looking away from the frig.

We stared. We listened. We waited.

Girgle, girgle, glup.

"See?!" Parkour Boy exclaimed looking at me in grossed-out confusion.

Drama Queen squealed and jumped lightly foot-to-foot. "Oh, my God! What is that?!"

The cat meowed loudly.

"...I have no idea," and here's where it's obvious I'm a mommy dominated by very boyish boys, "I hope it's not a mouse with diarrhea."

A Saturday

• Stumble out to the front room...fighting sleep to reach the much needed caffeine and to fix breakfast for kids (two of which have been up since before the sun)
• Getting 5 human beings ready to run errands and arguing with two of them who don't want to go
• Drop off gun and sunglasses to Dad at work because he forgot them
• Grocery store with 4 kids and a two page list...fully confirming the need to those apple strudels I picked up at the entrance as I try to catch all the "stuff" the little boys tried to sneak in throughout the store (which included two kids books, toothpaste, chips, and oddly enough hand sanitizer)
• Home and unloading of suburban full of groceries while arguing with the teenagers to move faster than one bag every 5 minutes and to stop Super Wy from twirling with his open drink on the lawn AND Holy Terror from attacking people with the loose branch he found
• Drama Queen's friend over for science fair preparations where they had to "test" the experiment in the backyard patio, thereby spewing globbing baking soda and vinegar all over the glass top where it dried to a nice hard cement texture
• Nap time for little boys and Mommy's only 30 minutes of quiet
• House cleaning a.k.a General duty by Mommy for kids to pick up their things strewn all over the house
• Backyard BBQ preparations for Hubby and his fishing buddies to cook up recent victories and share fishing stories
• Fighting the hose away from Holy Terror when he was spraying Daddy's friends
• Catching Holy Terror as he ran through the house unwinding blue and red party streamers he found in hall closet
• Collapsing into bed and leaving Hubby and friends outside laughing and talking, daughter and her friend (who was only supposed to stay for 3 hours but ended up spending the night) giggling in the front room, and my son who was pissed because he had to let the girls alone and go draw in his room, and two boys who were passed out in their beds from a full day's toddler work

Just another Saturday at the Norris house.

Movie Night

With our work schedules, Hubby and I haven't had the opportunity to do something all as a family in a while. So when my work was hosting an outdoor showing of Star Trek we plucked at the chance. Camping chairs, check. Blankets, check. Jackets, check. Keeping it a mystery surprise for kids, check (until I slipped up twenty minutes before leaving).


We parked, unloaded - which is an ordeal in and of itself with 4 kids to wrangle - then walked into the courtyard where the screen, popcorn, and candy were waiting.

The older kids are comfortable with my work from all the employee family stuff it used put on, but for the little boys this was a true adventure. They ran around the courtyard, chatted it up with my coworkers, and tried to escape and explore while waiting for dark to set in.

In a funny way with the outdoor setting, blankets, and screen it reminded me of the drive-in.

I used to love the drive-in. The summer nights, dusty lot, funky speakers, and large screen. My sister, brother and I would crawl onto the roof and lay out under a blanket on a sleeping bag. As the middle child, I was obligated to the middle position. It was the rare occasion when that was okay because it meant I was also the popcorn holder and never had to fight for the blanket.

Most of the time I'd end up watching the people in the adjacent cars. Wondering who they were, if they were enjoying the show, what they were talking about. I miss those drive-in's.

Looking down at the kids, all laying down under the blanket giggling and whispering I was glad we'd taken the time to go. It's not the full drive-in sibling experience from my childhood, but was a little touch of memory they could share and remember when they grow up.

There was something I never got to experience that I wish I had...seeing a cool helicopter at the end of the evening.

Monster's Under the Bed

I spot Super Wy peeking from the hallway. His cute curly hair mussed up on his head, his blue eyes pensively watching me.

"It's time for bed, Sweetie."

"My room dark and not nice," he says very quietly.

"Not nice, huh? Why is it not nice?"

He points and gestures in an almost politician style and makes his case. "It really dark, with monsters under the bed...and in the closet. They no afraid of the tv. Holy Terror is sleepin'..."

He darts a look back towards his room, then to Drama Queen's door. I can almost see the light blub spark above his head.

"Drama Queen's room is very nice. Monster don't go there. And her bed comfy. And she loves me." He looks at me with that Hubby smile he inherited, his eyes twinkling just like his dad's. "She not sleepin'."

I laugh. I know I can't resist him. He knows I can't resist him. "Okay...go lay with your sister. Love you, Honey."

He tossin' in his infamous cupid smile and then heads towards Drama Queen's room. "Kay. Luv you."

Mommy's Day

What a great day!

Mother's Day was so awesome and my husband and kids were so great. They do Mother's Day so wonderful. Breakfast in the morning, spoiling all day long, and pizza and movies in the evening.

As Moms, we don't expect reward for taking care of our kids and making the best life possible for them. The joy and need comes naturally to us...like breathing, walking, and talking. It's what we're suppose to do...and doing it completes us as a person.

But it is nice when your family shows appreciation for the work involved in being a Mommy. When they show what you mean to them. As the kids grow up, it becomes harder to define what part we play in their lives anymore. That visual slice becomes smaller and smaller. So when the teenagers give those extra hugs, kisses, laughter, and smiles on Mommy's Day to show that I still am an important part in their hearts, it means a lot.

And the little boys were so excited, this was the first year they fully participated in the festivities. They loved it so much they didn't want it to end.

Super Wy laid in my lap after nap, playing with my hand and said, "I wish everyday was Mommy's Day."

...to me, everyday IS Mommy's Day and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dinosaur Keeper

Super Wy comes running in from the backyard.

"Mom, Mom, where are my shoes?!" He asks bouncing up and down on his toes. "I got to work."

"What are you going to do, Honey?" I ask absently while reading over my daughter's chosen high school electives for next year.

His face goes very serious and he points like a instructor. "I'm picking up dinosaur poo."

I try very hard not to scrunch my face is disgust. Before I can follow up on that little jewel he continues.

"I need ta' pick up Dinosaur poo and find dinosaur eggs."

From the kitchen my oldest son's head pops out, a big guilty grin on his face. I remember it is his turn to pick up the dog droppings from the backyard.

"Moooommmmm...where's my shoes?!"

Now, my dilemma: Do I let my littlest enjoy the "adventure" or do I admonish my eldest for trickery?

"They're in the closest. Have fun."

...Why dash his hopes?