Cat vs. Mom

I round the corner towards our street. Up ahead, before the last turn is a cat lying in the road. His black fur darkened by the shade, making his white booties all the more brighter. I slow down to a crawl.

With a flick of his long tail, he props his head up and gives me a cursory glance before lying back down to continue enjoying the shade.

I scoot up a little more, then stop. He flicks his tail again and licks his paw without lifting his head off the shaded pavement.

'The little sh--.'

I take a deep breath and - after a fractional thought of kitty murder - swerve my car around, creeping by. He looks up as I pass and...I know there was a smile on that little boobs face! A big one, accented by his long whiskers.

So Good to Be Home

Three Days away from home, and every day I kept thinking about what the kids were doing. I wondered if they were eating all their meals, having fun, and going to bed on time.

Daytime at the conference wasn't too bad, but the evening was when it really hit. Walking through Chinatown and knowing what each kid would flip about, and wishing they were there so they could. Eating at an old 50s diner and knowing what the kids would order.

And worse, not being able to give them a kiss and hug good night. Hearing about their day over the phone is just not the same. I missed the gestures and expressions that go with the stories.

But, now I'm home and it feels good. It's pretty cool to walk in and know immediately you're part of something. My little crew hugged and talked, and tried to catch me up on everything I missed.

Man, I love my little Norris crew.

#1 Dad

You know how I can tell he's a great dad? From the first look at his first child in the hospital, Ash has fretted over every move he's made as a dad. Ashley's greatest gift to his children is time. He always sets aside time to answer their questions. And not just a 1 or 2 word blanket answer either. He gets down to their eye level and answer the question, then tells them the how and why of the answer.

He shows the kids through example how to be a great man, parent, brother, and overall family member. He teaches my boys to respect woman as equals, and teaches all our kids to give priority to family first, to help neighors like family, and help strangers like neighbors.

What's so special about him is that none of it's a burden. He takes the responsibility as a gift and even though he has stressful days, he cherishes each of his children for their uniqueness. He blesses the children with stability, love, and nurturing that goes above and beyond.

Happy father's day, honey! We all love you!

My Guys

It's hard to imagine our household without the overpowering energy of males. Even as babies, boys seem to exude adventure, risk, and dirt...with a lot of grass stains thrown in. I walk up our path and can hear the growling, whooping, and hollering coming out the window. I step through the door and into an arena. For the first 15 minutes I am the main attraction as they clobber me both physically and verbally.

"MOM!!!! Yeah!!"

Run, jump and hook onto either my waist or neck pending if I've had a chance to crouch down in time to catch them.

"Parkour Boy threw me in the pool!"

"We made a fort in the hallway!"

Wild giggles and jostling for front talking position.

"Holy Terror tore up my drawing!"

"Super Wy's stupid!"

"The little boys ruined my room!"

Slight pushing with sneers and smash-talking.

"I put cheese on the dog and he ran around trying to get it!"

"Dinosaurs invaded the back yard!"

It's these moments I love coming home, it reminds me I'm still an integral part of their lives. I'm not forgotten throughout the day and they are excited to catch me up on what I missed.

As a mom to boys, I'm lucky that I was never a girlie-girl. I've learned not to baby them too much and make sure they feel proud of themselves as much as possible. I've also learned the art of the airplane twirls, verbal throw-downs, karate/kung fu/wild kicks maneuvers, and most of all...hugs without the friends looking.

My life is dominated by them. I was meant for boys. Hubby, Parkour Boy, and my 2 little red-headed amigos Holy Terror and Super Wy.

My guys!

Surprise vs. Dinner

"Mommy and Daddy have a surprise for you guys after dinner," I say.

The little boys do their little celebratory wiggle dance in the kitchen. Super Wy hollers, "I love surprises!"

He looks at me expectantly. "Where's my surprise."

"After dinner, Baby Doll."

He does his disgusting face with an extra little pout. "I hate dinner...I no want dinner."

"Okay, you don't have to eat," I shrug and start for the front room. "Of course, that means no surprise either. I guess you can wait until after tomorrow's dinner."

He eyes his new foe, the plate. "Noooo...I want to eat. I hungry."

And the Winner is...

A month ago, Parkour Boy threw down a challenge. Who could draw the best and most original comic hero.

Hubby and I accepted. Drama Queen accepted until she withdrew a couple weeks later...I think due to procrastination.

So, last night was the showing and final decision. Parkour, as the challenger got to choose who showed first, and of course he picked himself (cocky little butt).

Imagine Hubby and I's big "gulp" when he unveiled this:



Dad was up next, and I must say, he put a lot of effort into it:



Okay, okay. I was last to show and really not wanting to. I used to draw (still do sometimes) but am more into nature/scene sketches. I'm horrible at forms....all right, I know. I've stalled enough. Here's mine:

It was a fun little family competition and we enjoyed a good laugh and also admiration for Parkour Boys talent.

...Oh, who won? Well, who do you think of course...the young "whipper snapper".

The Calm Moments

The first summer night, a lukewarm breeze cooling the hot air of the day. The sky watered down by city lights, allowing only the brightest and biggest stars to twinkle down. The scents of grass and pool water mix with those of the garden and concrete.

Hubby sits on a patio chair and I relax on the back stoop. With his legs crossed in that way I've only seen Norris men do, he's got his cigarette propped on his lips and is looking out at the dark. He glances over and grins, his dark green eyes sparkling even in the darkness. I smile back and nod, then look back out at the sky.

Not too much talking, just enjoying the calm moment of our house. Those moments are a rarity and reminds me that Hubby and I are more than just parents. More than just providers.

We're a couple, partners in life even when the dogs grow old and pass on. Even when the kids grow up and move on to their own life. It's nice to know that even when we have nothing much to say, we can feel completely connected.

Uh...Huh?

Super Wy comes in with his new toy cow and makes a squirt sound. "Cow making milk."

"Yeah? What are these?" Daddy asks, pointing at the cow's utters.

"His weenies. That's where the milk comes from," Super Wy says, very proud of himself.

Daddy and I try very hard not to laugh as Daddy goes on to explain. "No, no, Buddy. These are the mommy cow's breasts. They are called utters. That's where milk comes from...only mommy cows."

"Yeah," Super Wy says as if that's what he was saying all along.

"So...Where does the milk come from?" Daddy asks.

"Cow boobies." He makes squirting sounds.

Drama Queen Did It!

Drama Queen did it! She promoted from 8th grade. Next fall she'll be a high schooler. Through laughter, tears, chaos, and yes...drama, my girl made it through three years of middle school.

She looked beautiful on promotion day in a flower dress, high heels, and curly strawberry-blonde hair. Taking pictures in the yard that morning, I tried to hold on to the last moments of her still being my young girl, knowing it was fruitless. The years go by so fast and as we took those pictures together and I had to look up just slightly at her...it hit me that even though she's not my young girl anymore...she's still my baby.

The dimples when she laughs and smiles still tell me of the wonderful happiness she brings us. The pinched brow when she's aggravated tells us the emotional connection we will always have. And the ease of which she cuddles and hugs tell us of the parent/daughter love we have for each other.

So now my daughter, always known for her high energy, independent spirit, and non-filtered opinions is heading to high school. I'm secretly looking forward to the first call from the principals office because Drama Queen's laying out her 4 year vision for the school.

She really is an awesome force to encounter, but the truest friend, student and daughter you'll ever meet.

Graduation Celebration

I remember when we first met. Nerves were on hyper drive as Hubby and I pulled up to his parents house. Their house, as usual during holidays, was totally decked out. His mother loves decorating; just think Martha Stewart x's 100. (Not kidding, at least 1 decorated tree in every room with a different theme...including bedrooms.)

No, it wasn't the first meeting with his parents (we'd already done that)...it was his little niece, Chelsea.

I walked in and saw the cutest 3 year old decked out in a beautiful Christmas dress and her pretty dark hair curling down her back. I fell in love. It wasn't until later that I realized it was the feeling of becoming an Auntie for the first time.

Now - so many years later - it was a sweet but sad moment yesterday evening, I watched her walk the stage to graduate high school. In my mind she's still that pretty little girl with the dimpled smile and bubbly giggle.

The greatest Auntie moment was when during the reception, she introduced me to her friends. It's always a kick to hear, "This is my Aunt Amber."

*Heart sigh*

Congrat's my wonderful Chelsea! You deserve it and Uncle and I can't wait to see the woman you become.

(In Photo: Hubby, Chelsea, Sister-in-Law Barbara)

Okay, I'm going to go cry again...but don't worry, they're happy tears.

Pop Goes the Kernal

Holy Terror watches the microwave from the counter as I toss in the popcorn bag and hit start.

The timer counts down. At about 25 seconds...Pop. Pop. Pop.

His eyes light up and we do the "popcorn dance". He pauses halfway through. "How does a popcorn grow?"

I put my thumb and forefinger together, the gap a kernal size. "The microwave starts and the kernal gets warm."

I lean closer, his eyes fixate on my fingers. "Then hot."

I lean closer still. "Then hotter."

I gather a breath. "And then....POP!" His body jerks as if shocked and he giggles.

I shrug and hold back my laughter. "Then it blows up into a piece of popcorn."

"Mooommmm!"

...heee hee hee...