Thanksgiving Day was a very good day.  My little family of four spent our time smelling delicious food cooking in the kitchen, enjoying each other during a little craft time, and snuggled on the sofa watching movies.  I ended the day by meeting one of my friends for our annual Black Friday shopping trip.  We were entering what I felt was going to be the best holiday season we had spent together as a family.

The next day, things started to fall apart.

As I’ve mentioned, my grandfather called me the next night to let me know that my grandmother had passed away.  She had been incredibly ill, so it was expected but surprisingly hard for me.  Minutes before we laid her to rest, I looked at her and thought that as difficult as this was, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it’s been like for all of my friends who have had to bury their parents, and God forbid, their children.

Two weeks later, my family confronted that fear head on as one of my cousins died in a tragic accident while he was on a much anticipated vacation out of the country.  I hadn’t actually seen him since we were kids since our family is so spread out, but here my family was burying a 30-year old son who had lost his life in a way that no one could have ever seen coming.

…

Read More »

My two year old daughter, Emma, has really been enjoying the chalkboard easel that I added to the playroom.  I’ve been really excited to watch her draw on it, since she is so much more into arts and crafts than her brother ever was.

I think her favorite part is the erasing, though.  I guess it gives a little one a lot of power to draw a picture with chalk and then immediately wipe it off.  She actually uses toilet paper to wipe it off, which is one of those things that makes me shudder but it’s not a battle I’ve chosen to fight with her.

Chalk apparently doesn’t wipe off of a chalkboard very well with toilet paper alone.  It works better when it’s wet.  For months, I thought she was using her step stool to get it wet in the sink.  Then one day, I turned the corner to see her with her elbow deep in the toilet.

“Emma!” I screamed.  “Stop!  What are you doing?”

“Wet for chalk, Mama,” Emma replied quite matter-of-factly.

So Emma now has her very own eraser.  She’s been instructed that it (or anything else) is never to be dunked into the toilet for cleaning purposes…words I never thought I’d have to say.

What have you had to say to your kids (or your husband) that you never thought you’d have to say?

Update:  Upon reading this post this morning, my mother sent me an email.  She said, “I just laughed so hard when I read this.  I remember you washing your doll’s clothes in the toilet one time!  The apple does not fall far from the tree.”  Yet again, this is all payback, isn’t it?  🙂