Amy the Mom

Our favorite children's books

Today's post idea brought to you by the lovely Alice Bradley whose blog, Finslippy, is an example of everything that is right with the world.

    Obviously, my kids are way past the picture book phase.  Annelise is already past the Twilight series and laughing at David Sedaris.  Alex has read everything written by Jonathan Tropper, and Mario...well I'm influencing his reading choices, he recently enjoyed Tuesdays With Morrie. 

Whenever someone I know has a baby, I like to give them a children's book or two as a present.  Books really are the gifts that keep on giving.  A well crafted tome will be read over and over, first when the parent reads it to a child, again as the child begins to exercise his own reading skills. 

 
Alex's very favorite book, the one he could recite word for word by the time he was two, was The Escape of Marvin the Ape by Mark and Caralyn Buehner.  The Buehners authored several books, and what makes their creations even more special is the hidden animals in each color plate.  Half the fun of "Marvin" is finding all the creatures hidden in the illustrations.  The zippy dialogue that expands little minds was my favorite part.  Alex loved one line in particular and walked around the house quoting it, "The sea spray was exhilarating."  Look for other titles from the Buehners both individually and together. 

 
Any and every one of Mercer Mayer's "Little Critter" books.  Look for Little Critter's friends mouse, grasshopper and spider, in the illustrations.  Alex also loved the PC game when he was a little older.

 
 

Any book by Janell Cannon .  As much as I loved Verdi and Stellaluna, I almost dreaded reading them at night.  They're a little longer than most children's books and when the twins were babies, I could barely stay awake to finish the story.  I think Mario's love of mangoes started after I brought some home when the children wanted to eat Stellaluna's favorite fruit. 

 
In the Night Kitchen by the incomparable Maurice Sendak.  If the wear and tear on a book is any indication of how well loved it is, then this one must have been the kids' favorite, because it was wrecked by the time the twins entered kindergarten. 

 
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel was one of the first books I ever read, and I couldn't wait to share it with my children.  First published in 1939, it's certainly a little dated mechanically, but Virginia Lee Burton's message is timeless.  At 44 pages, this is another tough one to finish at bedtime for parents struggling to stay awake. 

 

Thirteen

Dear Mario and Annelise,

On December 17th, you officially became teenagers.  As usual, this post is tardy.  Having a birthday that falls smack dab in the middle of the holiday season virtually insures that your celebration will be either overlooked or muted.  My apologies for delivering you a full month early.  Let the record show-your original due date was in fact, January 11th-so in a sense, I'm actually right on time with this post!

I'm always amazed when  a parent of several children tells me that they have a favorite child.  I can't comprehend such blatant and cruel favoritism.  I love all three of you in such different ways, how could I claim to love one of you more than the other?  Alex is my oldest, I identify with him because I am a firstborn.  He and I had two and a half years together before you twins came into our world.  Annelise, you are my only daughter, my salvation in a household of men and biologically the child I identify with the most.  Mario, you are my baby.  To be sure, only by two minutes, but you are my baby.  You and I are most alike in temperament and in our culinary tastes.  So, never fear children, I could never choose one of you to be my favorite.  I love each of you so completely and so uniquely that I could never make that choice.

You started junior high this year.  I would love to report that it was a smooth transition, but we all know it's been a little rough.  Hopefully, you'll hit your stride after Christmas break and all will be well.  You both look the part of teenagers now, that's for sure.  Each of you has sprouted up several inches in the last few months.  Annelise, your body is showing girlish curves now and you've taken a greater interest in fashion and makeup.  Mario, your growth spurt resulted in a slimming effect and I'm startled whenever I look at the lean young man with peach fuzz on his face.  I don't know what happened to those two little critters who let me dress them in coordinating outfits and spoke to each other in a language foreign to everyone but each other.

You know one of the things I love the most about you two?  Your fabulous sense of humor.  I love how you guys can't wait to tell me about a funny new episode of Spongebob and how you're rediscovering one of my favorite sitcoms from the 90's, Wings.  Sitting on the couch and laughing withyou guys is one of the greatest feelings in the world.   Conversely, getting the two of you to pose for a photo without mugging for the camera continues to be a challenge. 

In defense of my tardy post, this was the first Christmas in years where I was able to spend a lot of quality time with you guys.  The holidays fell conveniently on days that allowed me to spread out my remaining vacation time and be with you almost entirely during the season.  I loved it and it was a real benefit to recharge my mental battery.  I went back to work last week and came out swinging. 

I keep waiting for the teenage years to turn ugly, or at least for you to decide that you would much rather be with your friends than your boring old mom and step-dad.  Luckily for us, that hasn't happened yet.  My fondest wish is that you will never tire of me, and will value our time together as much as I do.  You're still generous with hugs and kisses, in spite of your advancing adolescence and I'll never refuse that physical affection. 

I know I'm lucky when other people remark on how well behaved you are, and how clever your sense of humor is.  We lunched with a woman from work recently, and I laughed when she volunteered to babysit for you if I ever needed the favor.  Fortunately, we're well past that stage and you've both expressed an interest in providing that service yourselves.  Perhaps you can start with the new little boy/girl twins across the street!   Always when I see our neighbors, little Alex and Sophie, I wish that I remembered much more of your infancy and toddlerhood.   This is the burden of mothers of multiples, we suffer vast memory lapses as a result of chronic sleep deprivation, constant over-stimulation and utter exhaustion.  Some moments, of course, are best forgotten though.

 

 

Good times. {{{shudder}}}

But there are other days that I hold close in my heart, and when I allow myself to think past the cases of Huggies and Similac, I long for one more chance to kiss those fat little cheeks and thighs of yesteryear.  I love you, Twins. 

 

 

 

 

Six years ago today

I'm trying to organize my electronic data, and I found a CD backup from an old hard drive.  Talk about your trips down memory lane.  I was getting a little sniffly looking at old photos and wondered where all the time has gone.

 

My sweet little angels.  I love you three more every day.  I'm relieved when I see your smiles in this picture...it was such a difficult time for me, and I always wonder if I was a good mom back then.  Certainly, I must have done a few things right. 

15

Dear Alex,

I remember the first time you read to me, and I realized you could REALLY read and comprehend what is was you were reciting.  You were barely five years old.  We were in the car, the twins were in the backseat and we were in dreadful rush hour traffic.  I had a copy of The Giving Tree in the car, and you opened it up and said, "Mommy, do you want me to read you a book?" 

"Sure, Pumpkin.  I'd love that."

And you read that book, cover to cover.  I had forgotten how sad that book is.  I wiped away tear after tear as I listened to you read that book and I realized what it really meant.   

Even though I love the young man you're turning into, I can't help but long for that sweet voiced little boy.  I don't know how the years have slipped away so quickly, but it doesn't seem like it was 15 years ago today that I first gazed upon you.  If I was a braver mom, I would be taking you to get your learner's permit today.  I'm not ready for that yet.  I look at the giant hunks of steel that your stepdad and I drive and I think, "no way can my baby be ready to move those machines."  But then I look at a smaller car, and I think, "no way would I let my baby drive something so small and vulnerable."   Give me some time to wrap my brain around the thought of you driving a real car on real roads with the rest of us adults. 

I remember you at age four with impossibly big brown eyes and luxurious lashes.  The one who referred to Cartoon Network as "Cartoon Edward".  This was during the Thomas the Tank Engine obsession of 1997, when your entire world revolved around Thomas and his friends, Edward among them.  That phase was quickly followed by the Star Wars phase, much to the delight of your dad and I.  We both loved the first three installments of that saga, although I'm still trying to pretend that George Lucas never made the final three.  The Star Wars phase lasted a good long time, but has been eclipsed in dedication to the World of Warcraft phase.  I can't feign interest or comprehension in this game, and I wish you felt that way too. 

About a month ago, I realized you are taller than me by a couple inches.  This is sad.  Very sad.  You are now taller than your older stepbrother, too.  And your feet?  Obviously you get your Sasquatch feet from me.  You are shaving now, more sadness.  With your new haircut, you look much older.  Still, I'm amazed and thrilled that even at 15 you still hug me in the morning and when I come home from work.  I hope that you never stop wanting to hug your crazy mom.  After witnessing our nighttime ritual, one of our friends commented recently that she couldn't believe you willingly hugged me and told me you loved me before going to bed at night.  I won't take that for granted anymore. 

When you were just a little baby, I only knew the words to two lullabies-"You Are My Sunshine" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  The former was the first lullaby I sang to you and the latter (while not a lullaby in any sense of the word) was the only tune I could belt out that would calm you down when you were strapped into your carseat, held hostage in Atlanta traffic.  I don't get emotional during the seventh inning stretch, but whenever I hear "You Are My Sunshine" I get a lump in my throat, remembering the sweet smell of your baby skin-a mixture of milk and Johnson's Baby Wash.  Mmmm. 

I know we started to butt heads a little over schoolwork the last year.  Trust me, this is nothing compared to how your grandma and I butted heads.  I will take our head butting any day of the week over the strife your grandma and I went through.  Please remember-I'm 40 years old.  I want only the best for you, and am frustrated when I see you squandering your enormous potential.   

This month you started your first job.  I am so impressed that you took this initiative on yourself.  You and your younger brother have some pretty lofty financial goals, so now you are going into business for yourselves with a lawn mowing service.  Bravo!  I think Mario might have you beat in the motivation department, but I know the two of you will do well.  My advice to you today is to always maintain a strong work ethic.  I think it will make you stand out among some of your less motivated peers and you'll be rewarded for ambition and persistence.  Even though I am saddened by the unavoidable truth of you growing up, I am still excited to see what the future holds for you and what kind of man you'll become. 

I love you, Alex. 

Mom    

Future Bloggers of America

I did not have the kids for Mother's Day.  Their father had not spent an entire weekend with them in a while, and in all honesty I consider it to be little more than a Hallmark Holiday.  Besides, there is nothing I hate more than eating at a restaurant on Mother's Day (or Valentine's Day for that matter) and the alternative of me cooking a grand meal just wasn't part of my want list.  Before the kids left, they wished me a Happy Mother's Day, and Annelise slipped a scroll of paper into my hand.  It was beribboned with some leftover Christmas fabric.  To read the entire document, click on the the picture and it will display full size.  I thought I'd transcribe it, but I didn't want anything lost in translation. 

My favorite part is where she refers to me as a "total clean freak".  For those of you who know me personally-stop laughing!  Compared to my little packrat, I guess I am. 

I hope you all had the Mother's Day you wanted.

Get these kids outta here

Dear Becky,

Ummm, isn't it your turn to host the next LAN party?

Thaaaaaanks,

amy

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Our family only Easter celebration fell flat.  Steve and Alex both have the hacking virus going around, Somehow the twins, Drew and I have avoided it.  Even Steve's mom has been stricken, so our plans for a formal meal were scrapped in favor of a more casual buffet.

The grating sound of snow plows kept waking me up last night and a light snow fell until morning.  Rather than continue my bitching and moaning about the weather, I announced to the twins at breakfast that we were going sledding after lunch, and taking the dogs with us.  The temperature was 31-perfect for sliding.   I was hesitant to take Clark, because he's packed on a bunch of weight over the winter.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's running about a buck and a quarter right now.  I figured he wouldn't push himself though, and I thought it would do him some good to be active for once.

So I loaded Mario, Annelise, Clark and Nori into the Sequoia and we went down the road to the Blue Cross headquarters.  In the summer it's a soccer field, in the winter it's a sledding hill and dog run. 

Unfortunately, these were the only shots I got before my batteries died.  We had a great time together, sliding down the hill and trudging back up to do it all over again.  We threw dozens of snowballs for the dogs to chase.  Clark held his own, but soon enough he tuckered out and just rooted around in the snow, digging up grass to chew on.  Just before we left I looked skyward and spotted a bald eagle headed our way.  I pointed it out to the twins and soon, they spotted five more.  Two adults with the easily recognizable plumage and four youngsters that hadn't begun to sport the white head and tail.  It was one of those perfect moments.  While I cursed myself for not bringing my camera case with extra batteries, I remembered something my friend Louise told me under similar circumstances years ago. "It's a picture you'll keep in your heart forever."   

Maybe I haven't completely failed

Where does she get this stuff?

I was headed toward the elementary school to get the twins after crossing guard duty.  Annelise called me on the cell phone.

"Uh..Mom?"

"I'm almost there Puss."

"Okay, but that's not why I'm calling."

"What's up?"

"My ribs hurt."

"Your ribs?  Well, I'll be there in two minutes, let's talk about it when I get there."

Really, it was closer to ten minutes, but I knew this wasn't any kind of medical emergency.

When the twins got into the car I asked how their day was.  We chatted and after a couple minutes, Annelise piped up, "I just wish I knew why my ribs hurt."

"You probably just pulled a muscle.  There's nothing wrong with you."

"That's exactly what they said about poor Wilma Rudolph."

"Wilma Rudpolph?  What happened to Wilma Rudpolph?"   

"Polio."

"Trust me.  You do not have polio.  You are however, a huge goofball."

Where do I point the finger of blame?

While I was standing in the kitchen making dinner last night, Mario and Drew came downstairs and told me "something weird was happening with the computers".  Ever since the Great Hard Drive Crash of Ought Seven, I become alarmed when I hear news like that.

"What do you mean 'something weird'?" 

"When we put the Spiderman 3 DVD in the computers, a porn video starts playing."

Silently searching my memory banks.  Do Steve and I own any porn?  Nooo, we don't own any porn.  Spiderman 3?  Which one is Spiderman 3?  Is that the newest one?  Did I buy Spiderman 3?  What the hell does Spiderman 3 have to do with porn?  I saw that movie, there was no porn in that movie-was there?  No, no porn-we saw it at the IMAX-I would remember IMAX porn for sure.  I'm surprised no one has thought of that yet. 

"What do you mean it plays porn?"  DO we own any porn that we carelessly left laying around, with a Spiderman 3 label affixed to it, masking the real title?  No, I'm sure we don't own any porn.  Why am I thinking we do?  God, I really do have guilt about everything, don't I? 

Drew sat down at Steve's laptop in the kitchen and showed me the Spiderman 3 DVD.  He inserted it into the DVD tray.  Normal movie graphics at first, and then....well, I'm not going to type the name of the website that popped up...but it flashed a domain name,  then a movie title that rhymed with "Raisin Calls Kick Malls" then went right to a scene that involved an Asian woman and someone's family jewels, and she was demonstrating how much she liked to run her tongue over the...uh...jewelry.  For what it's worth-it was very good quality, not at all grainy-although it was in black and white.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off!"  I slammed the laptop shut. "What the hell was THAT?" 

The boys laughed at my obvious embarrassment.  Drew revealed that this was a different porn movie than the one that displayed on the computer upstairs-but they were both Asian. 

"That's not funny!  How did this happen?  Did I buy this DVD?  Where did it come from?  How long have we had it?"

Mario began answering my shotgunned questions,"You bought it at Sam's Club so we could watch it in the truck on the way to Ohio.  Remember?  We got it right before Thanksgiving." 

"Sam's Club?  SAM'S CLUB?  What the HELL?  It doesn't do that if you watch it on the normal DVD player does it?  You didn't show this to your COUSINS did you?"  Please, please don't tell me my sweet, innocent little nieces and nephew saw this smut.  Wait, my innocent little twelve year old just saw it.  Shit!

Mario removed the offending disc and put it into the standard DVD player attached to the TV.  Normal Spiderman movie, no Asian porn.  "It never did this before, but we never watched it on the computer before, either."

Drew suggested, "We should sue Sam's Club!  Or maybe Sony!  We should sue them for damaging Mario!"

Mario responds, "I'm not damaged.  It didn't really bother me."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Okay, seriously-has anyone ever heard of this?  What.in.the.hell?  I'm not interested in suing anyone, but for the love of God, this was not a pleasant surprise.  I can't imagine what a younger child would think.  Could a computer virus do this?  Could it be a pirated version?  I really don't have the fortitude to walk into Sam's Club and announce to the minimum wage earners there that my DVD has porn on it.  Should I call a manager though?  What would my readers do?

And to think I hated that movie before this.