I Interrupt This Blog-Out For An Important Message...

It has been over two months since my last post. I didn't even post (yet!) about my son's first day of Kindergarten. I have been 'alphabetizing my sock drawer'. I refer to that when I have so much stuff to do (i.e., clutter and stuff to organize) and sadly, put off life to do it. I coined it that twelve years ago when we were first married and living in Charlotte (a 14-month venture). My husband was out of town and I was thrilled to have time alone to continue the organization of our new home. But our flippin' friends had a little get-together and wanted me to come. NO!!! I need to stay home and organize (I have a never-ending problem with this). But I went out of obligation and of course, had a great time.

I talked to the female part of said friends while there and told her my plight. She understood and said she's the same way (uh, if you're reading this and know who you are - you by now know you aren't close to the extent I am!) and she said jokingly that when she has free time, she'll need to "alphabetize her sock drawer". I don't think she realized that I mean it almost literally.

Anywho ... I have lots of posts to write - but my so VERY scattered brain affords (allows?) me little time to write them. Don't give up on me - (I think I'm really saying that to myself!) - and hopefully I'll make myself put down my 'socks' again soon. In fact, here's my challenge to myself ... PUT DOWN THE SOCKS WITHIN A WEEK! To you 3 people reading this: check back soon! :)

Stop. Listen.

I am so lucky to be Joey's Mommy. My sweet, sensitive, funny, smart, red-haired boy ... my heart smiles every time I look at his little face. And most every time, my face smiles too!

For months now, I have been blessed with a little boy who sings, "I just LOVE my Mommy soooooooo muuuuuch," to me while he does a little dance. And he tells me, "You're the most beautifulest Mommy ... the most beautifulest woman ever!" I gush. My heart SWELLS and flutters. Who could ask for more?

Well, I could - and do - ask him ... to (ahem) shut up. No, not in those words! But bless their hearts; children ... they just don't know when to stop sometimes. And, well ... I have things to do! And things to tell him to do! And I sometimes just want to finish a thought in my head without interruption even if it is a song about his undying love for me!

But most the time - and I do mean MOST the time - I let him continue, and I give him my attention. We go back and forth with who loves who more ("I love you more than the size of all the planets, Mommy!" "Well, I love you more than all the planets and their moons, Joey!"), and he bursts into his love song. With so much around me calling for my attention ... laundry, dishes, this, that, other ... I'm so glad I make myself stop. I stop to "be here now" and listen to his little voice, saying words that are the most beautifulest music to my ears.

Taking After His Mommy - But Please, Not So Fast

I was just sending an email when I heard Joey, now 6, turn on his music. He is playing Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. I guess you would classify the song as hard rock, possibly verging on heavy metal, although I'm not sure if that term is used anymore. He is making squealing guitar sounds with his voice, along with the music. It made me think back to when I was 6 years old, when my favorite music to listen to (over and over!) was every song on the album, Welcome to my Nightmare by Alice Cooper.

Back in 1975, this was considered HARD CORE - and I LOVED it. I knew all the words to all the songs. I didn't listen to much kiddie music, nor did I see many kiddie movies. In fact, I remember one day my Mom reading the paper and saying, "Guess what movie is coming out, Bean!" I replied in a put-out tone, "I know ... Cinderella." No. It was Alice Cooper's "Welcome to my Nightmare" movie! I was so excited. After the movie, my Mom and brother took me to Waterbeds-N-Stuff to pick out my very own Alice Cooper t-shirt. It was the image from the album cover on an orange shirt. I wore it all the time. I even had a crush on the man.

However, while I don't discourage my son from listening to the adult music he now fancies, I am not necessarily encouraging it. While I think it is cute and funny - this boy who just turned 6 displaying what we would think is more teen-like behavior with music - I don't want the behavior to go any further than that. He's my baby, and kids are growing up way too fast these days. I still encourage silly kiddie songs and practically beg him to let me take him to kiddie movies (he isn't much of a movie-theatre fan). Sometimes, when he's laughing at the words 'poop' or 'burps' or 'farts' I think, "Ugh! I can't wait until he's grows out of this phase!" But then I stop myself. That is normal for a 5 to 6 year old. I need and want to embrace each phase and age of his life and accept it. Keep up with the 'poopy' talk right now, Joey ... those teenage years will be here soon enough.

It Doesn't Happen This Way EVERY Month, But It's That Time Again...

Since Monday - it is now Friday evening - I personally have eaten, in addition to my regular diet, the following: more than one and a half large containers of Turkey Hill Raspberry Chocolate Chunk ice cream, one and a half jars of hot fudge sauce, six regular-sized Reese's cups, various handfuls of dark chocolate chips, various spoonfuls of peanut butter, half a box of Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal (in one sitting), 3/4 bag of French Onion flavored Sun Chips, one and a half 2 oz-sized jars of green olives, and ... that's just what I can remember.

Sweet Somethings

In March 2006, when Joey was 3, I decided that at bedtime I would tell Joey what he did that day that I appreciated. Each night I'd tell him, and he always told me what he appreciated that I did also. Here's a sampling from 2 years ago (because that is when I was writing them down):
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Mommy: "Joey, I appreciated that you went in to go potty right away when we came up to get ready for bed."
Joey: "I'm happy 'for that' you played with me today."
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Joey: "You read me stories."

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Joey: "You washed my blanket."

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Joey: "You took my plate into the kitchen for me.
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Mommy: "When I said it was time to leave the park, you came right away."

Joey: "You buckled my seat belt."
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Mommy: "I liked that you noticed I had cleaned up your room and that you made a point to tell me and to thank me."

Joey: "I liked that you made me pick up the purple grass." (He had strewn Easter grass all over the house)

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Mommy: "I liked the way you crawled on the carpet on your hands and knees with your muddy feet up in the air (without me even knowing they were muddy) when you came in the house, so to not get mud on the floor." (How did he know to do that??)

Joey: "I liked that you put a sign with my name on my bed."

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Mommy: "I liked the way you got right back up and tried again when you fell on your roller skates today."

Joey: "I liked the way you gave me hugs today."
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Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way of what really matters. We have dropped this routine and picked it back up again several times in the last 25 months - having just picked it up again recently. It feels so good to know about little things you did or said that didn't go unnoticed - and on the flip side, it feels even better to express appreciation for someone. Especially when they are things that might normally be left unsaid. Sometimes I have to rack my brain to think of something to tell him I appreciated, and other days I say 2 or 3 different things. On those days when I have to really think hard of something to come up with - either due to a bad day or a rushed, non-connecting day - I feel so good to have made myself realize something I appreciated in him ... to bring myself back to what really matters.

It's our sunshine at night.

My Heart Overflowing

Last Thursday was my birthday. My mother-in-law sent me a birthday email, featuring part of an old email I had sent my husband months ago; he must have forwarded it to her:
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On November 14, 2007 you wrote:

…is such a boy – full of wonder and imagination. He is running around the back yard, pretending something that requires him to pick up mulch, dig like a dog, put his foot in the pool of sand/water, fling sand in the grass (I put a stop to that), and sing the Snow/Heat Miser songs. And in the middle of it all, he yelled to me, “Mommy!!” “Yes, Buggy?” “I LOVE YOU!!” That was after we each did the ‘splendid’ sign.

My heart is full.

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And that's what this motherhood thing is all about.

Beginning This Blog

And so, I begin.

I want a place to share little snippets and stories about Joey, my five year old little boy, with family. My BF, Momofali, started a blog nearly a year ago and is awesome (for any Momo fans who may happen to end up seeing this, I'm "Bean"). I never really had the desire or time to put the effort into what it would take for me to write clever and funny blogs like Momo does. Yet, one day it hit me that I could easily share things about Joey (and whatever else strikes me) in a blog!! My family (and friends?) can check it for Joey updates, and I'll have a journal!

I have been called Pickle for as long as I can remember. I loved pickles, and since my first name rhymes with "dill", my family and their friends started calling me "Jill Pickle". After a while my Dad would say, when I was still really little, "One sing, two sing, three sing, Pickle sing!" I don't know what the 'sing' is; I never thought to ask! I guess it is kind of a baby-talk type way of saying 'thing'. And still today, part of my family calls me Picklesing or Pickle at times ... even my husband and Joey call me Pickle sometimes! So I'm Pickle; read what I 'sing' about.