Mommy-Cam

As our children leave the nest, there are more and more little details we miss out on in their lives. I've always thought there should be a World Wide Mommy-Cam (wwm.cam) to be able to check on the little ones.  Yes, I know that sounds like 1984 and Big Mother is watching you. But I often think I'd love to see the special moments that are far from my eyes now.

Enter: friends with cameras. This candid shot was taken at a friend's daughter's wedding that I was unable to attend. In the background there is a shot of my daughter waiting for her turn at the buffet table. (Click picture to enlarge the starry eyes.) And looking adoringly at her husband standing next to her. *Sigh.* Does this mother's heart good.

Every time I talk to my daughter on the phone (long distance to Missouri which is two states too far away), I always ask her, "Are you still madly in love with J?" "Yes, Mom," she always says sweetly. (Except the one time I forgot to ask and I received a text minutes later: "And I'm still madly in love with J.")

I welcome your pictures of my children. Unless they involve  shots of Young Son in Costa Rica being bit by those pesky monkeys. And I quote from his comment left on this post : 

mom - the monkeys cannot break the skin. thank god. otherwise i would have been in big trouble when i was showing him to a tour about an hour ago and he went for my neck. "tarzan" has a strange way of showing affection... at least he hasn't wet on me yet.

Welcome Home

Do you know what these piles on the floor of our new guestroom/formerly daughter's room mean? THEY MEAN THAT THE DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND ARE HOME FOR A VISIT. (Please back away from the 'caps lock' button or someone will guess the level of excitement in this post.)

Both sets of New Son-in-law's grandparent's live a stone's throw from our house. (Which is a LOT closer then the Young Couple's home two states from here.) They have come to see NS-i-L's grandfather who is battling cancer, and to see D for the first time since his most recent diagnosis. But even with not great news from both sides of the family, we are having a sweet visit. Eating bar-b-que and laughing. Talking and reminiscing. Sharing hugs and smiles and tears. Because that is what families do best.

Please continue to pray for Dave and Charlie. And for more precious visits.

Digital Memories

I may have mentioned on this blog a time or twenty that I have four precious friends who have walked this road of life with me since high school. We went to different colleges for the most part, but we stayed close through careers, marriages, and babies. (And we did it the old fashioned way, before the invention of new-fangled cell phones and email. Walking barefoot through the snow uphill... Oops...sorry, that's another story. I mean blog.)


In the past year and a half, we begun attending some pretty special occasions as our now-adult children are getting married. We always try to get a shot of the five of us at these weddings as evidenced here and here. Three of our combined 17 children married off in just two weddings!


In May, we intended to attend P's oldest daughter's wedding. Plane tickets were purchased, dresses were decided on, and we looked forward to celebrating together once more. Until an emergency arose that left one husband hospitalized and the trip was cancelled.


Plans were made to be sure the picture of all five friends was still shot at the reception. Even if only two friends actually attended. A minor detail, apparently.

Thanks to my oldest daughter for helping make sure the tradition continued. Over the years, our kids have made a lot of fun about the noise their moms make when we are all together. And for our love for all things Barry Manilow. (Oh, sorry. That was just me.)

And thanks to all our children for the happy times we know are ahead through the remaining 13-weddings-to-be.

Who's next? Anybody? Bueller? Anybody?

Of Rainforests, Monkeys and Dreams

I thought I had this "Adult Children Leaving the Nest" thing down. One by one by four, they tripped off to their separate cities and states and a good time was had by all.

Until Young Son left for Costa Rica for his Study Abroad program. You may have noticed, that is a separate country.

I try not to be that hovering parent. He is a senior in college (and loving it so much, apparently, this is his fifth year) and will turn 22 whilst on this journey. The only advice I gave was, "Don't leave things until the last minute. Don't blame others if you didn't do the research to find out the rules and things don't turn out the way you think they should."

Because, my son has been a lawyer in training since he could talk. He always has a perfectly sensible (to him) explanation why things should go the way he thinks they should. Regardless of the rules. (My favorite case was at age seven when we were taking a break from Halloween. "All I want to do is dress up like Fred Flintstone, carry a big club and get free candy! What is not Jesus-y about that?" Well. Can't argue with that reasoning. This was a case he won hands down. Without using that big club.)

But then there are the arguments against established rules like cost of vaccinations to foreign countries, no airplane carry-ons containing large amounts of name brand health and beauty aids not sold in Costa Rica, and having to pay for the privilege to be a volunteer at a rainforest sanctuary. Not saying if those are real examples or not, but let's all agree those are non-negotiable, and will not evoke mom's sympathy if you are feeling mistreated by The Man. Or in this case, El Mano. (High school Spanish, you are so good to me.)

So, Young Son and his Young Girlfriend left for Study Abroad on June 1. They are to spend June helping out at this rainforest sanctuary: http://www.rainsongsanctuary.com/ in Montezuma (as in the "Revenge" that we are all aware of. DON'T DRINK THE WATER, Young Son!) Then they will spend July in classes in San Jose to fulfill that pesky college foreign language requirement.

Thankfully, pre-trip research filled him in on the cost of international cell phone calls. And of the proximity of Internet Cafes. We get regular emails informing us of the beauty of Costa Rica. The cheapness of the delicious food. The monkeys that bite. Now, there's one factoid that could have been edited for Mom's consumption. Because I'm fairly sure that no foreign vaccination, regardless of cost, inoculates against germs found in monkey spit. (My relatively ancient mind remembers the words "Ebola virus", for example. But I digress.)

So, the cautious Mom in me is praying like I have never prayed before for Young Son and Young Girlfriend. Teenage shenanigans? Nothing compared to international travel. But the proud Mom in me? So in awe of the brave and adventurous spirit within these young hearts.

Hope you are having the time of your life, Young Son. But avoid having bananas on your person. Those monkeys needed to be avoided at all cost so you can continue on to more wonderful adventures.

Archie and Edith Chairs

While my husband was in the hospital last week, I asked my sister and brother-in-law to rearrange our family room. I didn't care where the rest of the furniture went, but I wanted D's lift chair and the recliner side by side so we can talk, be close and hold hands whenever we want to. The rest of the furniture is pushed here and there in spaces it is not meant to occupy.

And smack dab in the middle of the room are our two chairs. They don't match each other or the rest of the room, but they make a perfect island of retreat. Visitors will have to pull in chairs from other rooms.

Feels like an oasis of calm and peace in our world that seems to be tilting these days.

Overcoming

One of my favorite things in life is hearing from former students.

Today I got a card from Syd (and his loyal sidekick/younger brother Ben and parents.)

This is what he wrote (in perfect cursive):

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on the earth you will have so many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Wow. There is a verse to hang onto during our initiation period to my husband's newest prognosis.

Thanks, Syd, for words of life. No longer my second grader, but now in Middle School. You continue to be The Man.

Turn out the lights, the party's over...

Yesterday was the last day of school. (And a good time was had by all!) Today was the day teachers boxed up their rooms for summer. I remember last August it took me about 2 weeks to set up my room. Here is the classroom that greeted my students for the 2008-2009 school year.

And then, it takes just a few hours to break it down, box it up and lock the door. Here are the after pictures...but they'll be the before pictures in just a few months! Have a great summer, O'Brien's Bumblebees. I know you will be more than ready for second grade when August 24 rolls around.