6 Years, Flown By

Dear Jacob,

You are 6. Happy Birthday, my sweet love.

You've been shaking with excitement over this day for a good six months. I hope being 6 years old is as fantastically awesome as you think it should be.

At this very moment, you've been playing the Wii w/your E. And you've just finished lecturing your little brother on the difference between his toys and yours. And I'm far too amused to mention the fact that Luke is just a month old & has no idea what you're talking about. 

I am so proud of you. And so proud to be your mommy. You are so smart and so funny. Every single day you surprise me with what you've learned or what you're learning. You are so much smarter and capable than you think you are! You're slightly bad about hiding behind the "It's too hard!" or "It's too scary for me!".... and a common phrase around our house is, "You can do hard things."

Sweet Boy, yes.

You can do hard things.
You are about to head off into a new adventure... without your mommy.
Kindergarten.
Good Grief.
It's hard for me to believe that you are anywhere near old enough for Kindergarten. And... I'm very sure that I'll be saying the same thing when you graduate high school... go to college... get married.... 

I'm seeing, more and more, how fleeting my years with you are. Specifically, my years as your "mommy." I know that, soon, you'll stop calling me that... at least out loud. Soon, it will be "Mom" or "Mama." I hope it's "Mama"... I like that far better. But, more than that... I hope that, deep in your heart, you will still think of me as your "mommy."


Sweetheart,

You are my first born. You've been my buddy and my wingman through all our adventures & I can't imagine a moment without you. I have a hard time remembering life without you. I love you, Kiddo. Always remember that you are loved... loved far more fiercely and fully than you'll ever really grasp... at least until you have a child of your own. Know that you are God's idea and that He loves you more than anyone.
(and that's saying something.)

If I could drill anything into your sweet head and heart right now, it would be this...
You can do hard things.
and...
Follow hard after Jesus.

I promise you it's the best advise I can give you.

love,
Mommy


(as I was writing this post, you came into my room and wanted a chip... and this was the show I was treated to. You're welcome for catching for all time.)

A Little Different This Year

My Grandmother was born on Christmas Eve. On my mother's side of the family, we celebrate Christmas (presents, etc) on Christmas Eve. And, as long as I can remember, we've set aside a little time on that night to celebrate the birth of our matriarch. It's never been a huge whoopla- but it's always happened.

This year was different.

We all packed up and invaded the nursing home.

This past fall, Grandmother went to live, full time, at a local nursing home. We've all known that it was coming. It was just a matter of when. My Grandmother suffers from diabetes... and dementia. I hate dementia. It's a foul, wicked disease that robs the person of themselves. And robs their loved ones of this person they love.

We started to realize that bringing Grandmother home from the nursing home, even for one evening, was not going to happen. She had adapted to her new home. She was settled and safe there. It would have disrupted and disturbed her to leave. (I won't lie. That took me a while to wrestle with...) So we had to shuffle our plans around and make a different set of priorities our focus. 

As we sat in the nursing home cafeteria, I think all the adults had that moment when we realized that a huge chapter of our lives had closed. Forever.
And that we are moving ever to quickly to the moment when another chapter closes.
It was painfully obvious to everyone that this was not one of Grandmother's "good days"... not by a long shot. The next day, she didn't remember the invasion of family even being there.

We did cake. And a few presents. And pictures.

We're a picture taking family.
And we took pictures that day.
Pictures of the whole family that was gathered there. Pictures of Grandmother with her children. With her grandchildren. And with her great-grandchildren.

And we imprinted the memory of another year with her.

Grandmother Winnie with 8 of her 9 great-grandchildren.

I hope she's still here in June to meet the 9th.

With her 3 granddaughters.

And with almost all her family.

Not everyone could make it.

Christmas was different this year. There's no getting around that. Life goes on and things evolve. And, that's okay. 

I know Christmas 2014 will be radically different from 2013. Which was different from 2012. And that's all good. We'll look back at year before and remember the good and great with joy. Hopefully, we'll retain a little less of the bad. 

But, yes.

It was a little different this year.

5

Be still my heart.

My baby boy is 5 today. 

Happy Birthday to my funny, sweet, smart, handsome little boy.

You make my life better every single day. 

I love you!

His birthday dinner

Well, we went to Buca di Beppo for Jacob's birthday dinner. He's my little pasta eater- so it was a no brainer. This child can eat triple his weight in pasta. Any pasta.
(though, I do admit he has a certain fondness for spaghetti and meatballs at Buca and *my* own red sauce and rigatoni)

And, we always have good food & a good time at Buca di Beppo. 

I do think that it was a hit.
We branched out a wee bit from the traditional 'red sauced' pastas.
Chicken Carbonara
and
Penne San Remo
....
Yum.

Above: On the top, Jacob giving his approval.
Bottom left: The birthday boy and his Mom-Mom (his grandmother)
Bottom right: Me and 'Mamer' (aka: *my* grandmother Winnie)


I've said it before. I'll say it again. This boy is an Olympic champ at pasta eating. Is that a competitive game? It should be. And I've got the Gold Medal winner right here.



And why, yes! We did have them come out and sing 'Happy Birthday', Buca style to the young lad. I didn't get a video of that.... but I did get pictures of him enjoying his tasty chocolate cake.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Birthday Grandpa

me and my grandpa, Norman Pentino- 91 years old today

30

Well.

Huh.

So.

I had a birthday here not all that long ago. I am, officially, in my 30's. I haven't decided what I think of this turn of events. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be 30. I mean that. If nothing else, it means that I have managed to not do anything so stupid as to get myself killed. (and with the headlines I read on the news, that's a little bigger of a deal than it was a few years ago...)

No... at present I have been waxing poetic in my mind over turning 30. I suppose its this time of year. It's what happens when one turns a decade age. It's what happens when skinny jeans turn my boot cut jeans into 'mom jeans'....

Its the circle of life, Simba.

I turn 30 as a single mom.
I turn 30 as a woman finishing her UNDER-grad.
I turn 30 as a woman living with her kiddo... and her parents.

le sigh

It happens.

Yes. It. Happens.

But.

I turn 30 as a woman who is finishing her undergrad & is making plans to get her Masters.

I turn 30 with a plan to buy my own home... hey, its a plan. I'm thrilled with a plan.

I turn 30 & I have a son that I adore. And I get to raise him around his grandparents & great-grandmother for a couple of years. And they adore him.

I turn 30 with a church that loves on me & my kiddo.

I turn 30 with friends who make me laugh even on days when I don't want to laugh. On days when I would rather marinate in my anger or self-pity.

I turn 30 with a family who NEVER ceases to amaze me with their ability to love me. And, after 30 years... that's kinda, sorta something.

I turn 30 as the mother of a little boy who... makes my every day.

I turn 30 as the Daughter of a King.


Turning 30 is looking better with every stroke of the key.

Let's See Here

Happy 4th of July all you Americans out there! ..... yes, I know that every single one of you is getting that message a day late. My bad.

It's been crazy busy around here. I swear at the beginning of every. single. month that the new month is not going to be as busy as the last & I totally lie to myself each and every time. It's such a drag. You'd think I'd have learned this about myself by now, but no. Le sigh. And this month is a particular whip, 2 birthdays to plan and my parents anniversary. Wowza. One of my best girlfriend's is turning 30 on 7/11 and we are going to sing her out of her 20's the night before at a karaoke joint. Fun huh? :-)

And then Jacob's 2nd birthday is at the end of the month. He's going to be 2. By golly heavens. Where did my baby go? ::sniffle:: ::sniffle:: Ok, I'm alright. His party is going to be a Thomas the Train themed party because my child has a crazy love for those trains, that dear sweet little boy.

So, factor in that mess, 4th of July, school (quaking in fear.....), oh and another birthday! Yowza, I have to buy a card for my younger cousin, L, her birthday on the 13th .... oh and another waaay little cousin at the back end of the month! The list just keeps going, Peeps! ..... and I know I'm forgetting something. I just know it. Drat.

I did that Friday. All day long. I KNEW that I was forgetting to do something. It was driving me ninny, I tell you! I finally remembered along about 5:35pm............. that I supposed to call Laura G. and let her know whether I was going to the Frisco RoughRiders Game with her and the Sisters or not. And did I mention that I was supposed to do this... oh, about NOON or so?! Sheesh.

The 4th of July Weekend was crazy busy, as I said before I went on that long ramble. My parents and I (and the little Dude) met up with my Aunt C and Uncle B at Red Robin, home of GREATEST ONION RINGS KNOWN TO MAN, not that I have a strong opinion on that subject at all, for dinner on Saturday night...... of course this was after the 2 hour dash through SAMS and Central Market and the sudden down pour that darn near required a lift from Noah and his paddle boat to get home.

After dinner we dropped my father at the house and my mother and I made our merry way to Addison, hoping to catch some of the KaboomTown fireworks...... and I must now share with you a story on my child. The boy did not like the pretty lights in the sky. Mind you, we were so far back you couldn't hear the noise at all- it was just the lights exploding in the sky that put a twist in the child's pampers.

We got out of the car (to get a better look) and the boy started to try and climb up my shoulders and behind my back- he reminded me of a freaked out cat. Mom and I finally gave up after a few minutes and Mom said, "Let's just go back to the car." People, I am telling you, no sooner had the words crossed the threshold of her lips than Jacob flipped around to face the fireworks, waved and said, "Bye-Bye, See you." and was VERY happy to be carried to the car. I laughed my tail off.

Sometimes he makes me laugh without even trying. And I love that.

Anywhoo. Enough rambling for now. See yall on the flip side.
Peace Out.