Today is a confessional of sorts. I don't usually take to the internets to air my laundry but today is the day. I am putting it out there and I don't care who sees it. I am comfortable with myself and in the areas I'm not awful. I do worry a little about the fallout of this admission. I think it can only get better if I say what I need to say.

I am a bad driver. I am. I wanted to write about the day that I was on autopilot and backed right into Sean's car that was parked right behind me. Then I opted to stay silent. Then I thought I'd write about it again, the second time I did it. Or the times I have forgotten to put the car in gear and forgotten the emergency brake and it has rolled into the street. Or the times to mirror has folded up when the basketball hoop kisses it.

Today is a new day though. Today we left to go to the library, we piled in the mv and backed up. Right into the trash cans. I think the trash man put them directly behind me on purpose. I stopped running them over pretty quick and moved forward and got out to wheel them up to the house. Good thing I am spry because the car kept rolling forward because I think I forgot to take it out of drive. Ah well, tomorrow will be the new day.

They say things left in the dark continue to grow but exposed to the light, I hear it gets better. Although I think this being in the light will now just make more people able to see my minivan coming and take cover.

Just cuz they are cute...

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear the greatest mother-in-law that I am so lucky to also be friends with
Happy Birthday to you


I really am lucky, my mother-in-law is kind, generous, funny, smart and a great listener. I am so grateful to have in-laws that I would pick as friends.

We love you Grandma Connie!

OK I know I have shown this pic before...but not with this story.

Last night I was laying Parker down and we were talking about her day, I didn't see her much for it was a busy one. I was asking her what she wanted to do today. She doesn't have friends over to play much because, actually I don't think she has any friends. Sure she has us and our friends and her brothers and their friends but that's kind of it. Which is one of the 1852 why she is super excited to start school Wednesday.

So here goes.

Me: So Park what should we do tomorrow? (In the sweet rocking chair last minutes of the day)

Parker: Momma, Can I have a friend over? (Very sweetly)

Me: Sure! Who do you want to have? (Excited because of above reasons)

Parker: Well I saw my best buddy today.

Me: OK do you want to have her over? Who is it? (Having no idea who she is talking about)

Parker: Brad. Call him please.

I love this face...I wonder how much I could love it before my heart explodes.

This is the power of my amazing husband...

Today is my mom's birthday! We don't get to see her today, not til next weekend, so bummer. She is the same grandma that my daughter asks to call everyday and whimpers and cries not understanding some people have jobs and can't talk about butterfly wings and strawberries and wearing dresses all day.

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My mom is my kids grandma, she has worked hard to make memories for my kids, to treat them to things and teach them about things of which I have no idea. She is doing things Grandmas are supposed to do, and she is great at it.

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Happy birthday Mom, we love you!

Ready or not world here I come! I make my actressing debut today!

I can't believe that I am actually doing this but more so that I am actually nervous. I have never been in any kind of acting thing except at the Art Center at The College of Wooster when I was a child and couldn't object, as a little old lady that knitted and rocked in her rocker and said, "Woe is me". I have a tendency to get overcome by nerves and my body kind of revolts. IE fainting three times in two weddings, that's right, twice in one, throwing up the first day of 7th grade, in homeroom. Kids are cool by 7th grade. Needless to say I woke up with (and went to bed with and for the last week have had) some anxiety.

I do feel like there is one person who is sort of already looking out for me though, preemptive calming my fears. Sarah, the make-up gal, told me dirty hair styles better than clean hair. She was talking right to my heart, even if her hair creation will be splattered on the pavement when I realize the camera is on.

Ode to a sweet face

She is just cute, she can't help it...

We had such a good weekend. It came on the heels of a crazy busy week so I think that made it so much more great. It was just a weekend full of friends and being together and laughing and talking about nothing and talking about everything.

I have realized that I have sold relationships short. I just thought I/my fam could exist as the Murphys with some friends on the side. Over the last few years I have found that there is something so huge to being with people who know you and that you know and you still all like each other anyway, your whole fam knows their whole fam, they can give you the business if you need it. There have always been pockets of people in my life that are the good ones but moving back to the Cincinnati has taken me some time to get there with people. I sometimes think in our parts the assumption is that we are in relationships with people and they are all good, healthy relationships that don't require a lot of work. It took us a long time to find a batch of people that felt good and easy.

Blah blah blah, I just love these ones...

Cincinnati looks good on them.

The Murphy household had a rousing game of 20 questions last night. Cooper doesn't quite understand it yet or has it way figured out.

Sean: OK, I am thinking of an animal.

Cooper Question 1: What is it?
Cooper Question 2: Does it have 18 tails?

I could not be more excited for today. 'Tis the start of a busy weekend, 4 baseball games - which only seems right as it is Lou Gehrigs birthday today, some family coming to town and a blind date Sunday night. I think Cupid is in the air and I enjoy helping him. I may have a problem with thinking about fixing people up but this one is going to be good, I'll let you know how it goes.

There will be some celebrating...many moons ago on this day the Statue of Liberty was delivered to the USofA. Of course its Fathers Day in a few as well. I dare you to find a better father, a more fun dad, a better encourager to his kids, a harder worker, a funnier, a more patient, kinder dad than this one.

He also happens to be having a bday today. I think this is the first birthday of his in the entire time I've known him that he isn't at a camp of some sort on this day. And I love, love, love it. But today its work and games instead. I think I may pretend its raining, pretend games get rained out and pretend he and I get to hang out. We will try but how can we pretend that the real reason of our joy is not that he shares his day with the one and only Miss Paula Abdul.

The cutest girl in the history of girls has a birthday today. It is her Golden Birthday, she is turning 3 on the 3rd. So far this morning, she has asked for birthday cereal with birthday milk, her birthday clothes, some birthday juice and asked for the birthday sun so she can play outside. I like to refer most of my emotions to Kelly Clarkson lyrics. My life would suck without her.

Don't forget to reserve your tickets for the hottest show in town. June 7th, 5 funny boys will be funny at Riley's in Springdale. You can pick the 5 pm or the 7 pm show and pay $15 for either. That's for dinner and everything. Hit up 771-3361 and tell them your coming. I think they are slated to be funny about Lake Erie. And there will be back bends.

How can I sum up a darn near perfect weekend? Let's just say I think I have cornered the market on friends. Mine are dynamite. Until I can come up with more than that, here is my new fave pic..."Summer Life for Littles".

I went to IKEA today for a quick second but got there before it was officially open. The greeter lady told me that the restaurant was open and that I could head up there until the showrooms open. So Parker and walk the 4.7 miles to the restaurant and arrive 3 minutes before the guy guarding the steps gets out of the way.

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I decided a cuppa joe sounded good while we waited. So I tell the little gal what I'd like and she pointed and sort of looked to where the cups were kept. I waited a sec and then another sec and another sec and when I realized she was done talking/pointing to me, I asked how much the cup of coffee was. Do you know? Guess. It was free. It wasn't that good but it was still free. Did you know that? So I tell the girl to get out of town and she said no but that everyday from 9:30 - 11:00 am the coffee is free. And that one of the employee benefits is they always get free coffee and that was why she was so wired. Then she told me that, "yep Sunday through Saturday we have free coffee so...pretty much every day." I do not claim rocket scientry but...

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I love Swedish stuff as much as the next girl, well mostly the fish but add the gratis kaffe to the list.

I think I fall into the average persons category of affection for Rachael Ray. I am not really pro her or anti her but I don't change the channel if she comes on. I have even made some of her things including Steak Pinwheels that I think are one of Sean's favorites. I think they're gross.

I am all for her 30 minute meals and saving time and her usage of the french dressing. But recently I felt a little insulted for the whole populous of non-pro cookers whilst watching her show. She was making some egg scrambled something and told me that in order to save time, "give the yolks, which are the yellow parts of the eggs, a little prick with your fork to break them."

Honest to goodness how long does it take to scramble an egg? How much can it possible save you to break the yellow part which I now know is called the yolk, before you scramble it? Well I'll tell you...14 seconds for the non pricked yolk and 11 for the pricked yolk. Three seconds I'll never get back.

She could use egg beaters and be amazed.

I miss this face...

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He went home with Grandma today and I do not like it. He has been gone for 13.5 hours with many more to go. I don't even like it when he is gone at school for the day.

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I asked him what I was going to do when he goes to college and he answered, "What am I going to do when I go to college?" Music to a mommas ears. As he was leaving Sean told him to write home everyday while he is gone and he said, "Sure, OK dad, I will." (He and his father share the same love language of sarcasm.) Then he whispered to me, "No I won't, he doesn't need me to but I'll call you everyday."

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Sniff, sniff.

Tomorrow is it. The Q City Players are in action again so I'll see you there or I'll see you another time.

But for real, come, it will be fun.

Birthday number 4 for Cooper Murphy!  What a day it will be.  We are starting off with breakfast of his choice, one chocolate pop tart and one brown sugar and cinnamon pop tart, looks oddly like what'd he'd eat every day.  Then to school with cake that looks like ice cream and a button that says birthday boy.  We will scooch on over to the McDonalds with his two best buddies, his sister and his fave aunts.  Then the icing on his birthday cake is his first baseball practice this afternoon!  I think his head may explode.

He has informed me of three things...

#1 He is choosing to skip today because that's what 4 year olds do.

#2 I was instructed to call him Birthday Boy, not Cooper, Coop, Cooper Thomas, Cooper Bear or anything that would come out that doesn't sound like Birthday Boy.

#3 He is excited for his surprise party.  This is the party he has planned and been planning on for weeks and when I tell him it won't be a surprise if he already knows about it, he tells me that it will since he won't know the exact moment when we yell surprise.  Touche Birthday Boy.

 

What were you doing 10 years ago today?  

I love you SMM. 

We have funny kids. Actually that's not true, I don't think most kids are really that funny. At least not yet. We have silly kids that every once in a while say something that is funny but most often they say goofy stuff or repeat stuff they hear us say or say something a little wouldn't normally say. Mostly its not hilarious knock knock jokes and crazy dancing, i.e. Nonetheless, I laugh a lot.

Last night it was because of Griffin. We were saying our good nights and learning Judy Moody really can predict the future. Cooper was ready for bed so he hopped into his bed and I hear him, "Mom. I think something is wrong." Despite what I just said, I think you'd be surprised at his dead-panability.

I walked in to see his knees under his chin and him telling me he doesn't fit in his bed. There is no shortage of giggling behind me and I pull the covers back to see Griffin has short-sheeted Coopers bed.

I was then warned, "Watch out mom, April Fools Day is coming."

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, we made it! It is an amazing day today! Spring is officially here and I don't have time to waste. According to me, weather will now officially be warmer, more colorful, more full of life and no more cold because it is Spring! Happy 2nd best day of the year next to the first day of summer!

How Rock Stars eat breakfast...

I went to UK. Much to the dismay of my pals there, I am not much of a college basketball fan. I absolutely was while I was a student there. (Those who know me will laugh at the use of the word "student" there.) I was part of the Student Athletic Committee and have the t-shirt to prove it. I was there during the Jamal Mashburn, Rick Pitino, Jeff Brassow, Richie Farmer, Christian Laettner stomping-the-chest stage and it is ridiculous that I remember those names and many more, Chris Harrison, Gimel Martinez, Andre Riddick, Henry Thomas, Dale Brown, Travis Ford, Tony Delk. In any case, this is the time of year that I watch the 3 basketball games a year that I watch and sillily try to pick who I think will win the whole thing. So if you want to join the hijinx, come on.


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3 Days...

Happy St Patrick's Day

And a quick SPD note.  Griffin set a trap to catch a leprechaun last night.  The trap contained Sean's ring because it was shiny and would catch the leps attention.  This morning, the ring was gone!!!!  The leprechaun took the ring, left a note telling Griffin something about how leprechauns are too fast and can't be caught this year but maybe next year.  He left some quarters and some clover plants for the kids.  Griffin about had a heart attack and couldn't believe he missed the leprechaun.  He was also was very nervous about the missing ring so he called his daddy and can you believe that when Sean got to work, his ring was sitting on his desk with a note and a St Patrick's Day cookie!  Grif took the note to school and is sure that the noise he heard overnight was a door opening and a leprechaun tiptoeing through our house.  

Then he tried to convince me he should be able to stay home from school and celebrate being Irish.

Tis the birthday of my friend, my homey, my peeps, my girl, my Debber.

Sigh.  I just love you.

Sometimes I really think certain people in certain jobs should find themselves a different job in a different field so they don't have to trudge through the everydayness of life and be mad and jerkish to people. Every person is not created to do any job they want.

For instance...

Last night I took all the littles and we went to a place where quiet is the norm, books abound and you don't have to pay for them, lots of glasses...I may or may not agree that this is the library, I don't know what kind of connections Lady 1 has. Griffin has a project to do on a famous American and he chose Neil Armstrong (Grif also thinks he can get Neil to accompany him to class the day of his presentation since Neil lives so close). So I figured he could do some research the old fashioned way instead of only on the Internet. This is the establishment that we go to at least once a week for 2 year old story time with Miss Cheryl who is wonderful and not to be confused with anyone in this story.

I will agree we probably overstayed our welcome and my kids were not behaving. I had three kids that wanted four different types of 'material' this 'place' offers. Two thirds of my people were doing puzzles at a table 4 feet away from me in the kids area (offering this type of area would lead one to believe there is some level of kid tolerance) and the third was looking for things on Neil. Griffin and I asked Lady 2 to help us find an audio recording of the first moon landing. Lady 2, "Oh sure, this is so great when kids your age use [this place] for school projects. I'd be happy to help you." At this point Cooper and Parker get a little surly and come looking for us in the aisle 13 feet away yet still in the kids area.

Enter Lady 1. "Children." (marker that she doesn't deal with them often - people don't really say that very often anymore) "Children, where is your mother?"

Then I hear the pitter patter of little feet and more like non pitter pattering of non little feet coming to find me.

Of course I tell them they are acting like maniacs and they need to sit down with the puzzles and (let's just call them books for the sake of ease) 'books'.

Lady 2 "Yes, ma'am, if they are 7 or under they need to be with you, by your side, at all times."

Me "OK thank you. We are trying to gather our 'books' and we'll be done. We are having a hard time finding some things that the computer says are on the 'shelves'.

Lady 2 "Ah well, that's because kids (pause and nod at my two) pull them and return them to the wrong places."

WOWZER. I was honestly left speechless which is probably good, we were already making a scene. I think there are times when speechlessness has saved me. I of course think of the best, wittiest, albeit scathing and sarcastic retorts the minute I am removed from a situation.

I really just wanted to ask her if she saw the kids playing tag or the girl doing cartwheels in the aisle or if she got forced into the family business and wished she could have been a dancer or if she accidentally signed up for the wrong classes at Baxter U. But I didn't, aloud.

And why is spellcheck back today?

Ever feel like life is passing you by? I remember when Griffin was a few months old I vowed to not wish away his babiness by saying, "I can't wait until he walks" or "It will be so much easier when he talks". I want to enjoy every step of the way with my kids and my husband and my life. I also remember a couple of years later after a raucous New Years Eve of trying to stay awake until Dick Clark proclaimed the new year that I would under no circumstances for that calendar year say, "Wow, I can't believe it is _____ already!" Time is going to pass whether I like its speed or not so those were wasted words for me. Eventually I quit thinking about the flying of time so much once I quit talking about it with every check out person at the WalMarts.

Time does go quickly and I don't think there is an antidote to that. I do think for me it has been the awareness of it. And I think there is something to be said for numbering our days and having heart changes because someone a whole lot smarter than me decided the amount of time I would get to spin on this planet (The third from the sun, see last Tuesday) so I figure I better enjoy it while I can.

All of this re-occurred to me after seeing Parker making her own peanut butter sandwich last night. Sigh. She is fast grower upper.

Seriously, what happened to the spell check? Because I don't even know if re-occurred is officially a word.

Part II

Griffin: Parker! Don't come in here, I'm getting dressed!

Parker retreats.

Griffin: That pesky varmint.

These two.

Sometimes I just like to sit and listen to my kids playing and most of the time it makes my heart warm, sometimes I can ward off a fight or catch them doing something good. Today it just made me laugh.

Griffin and Parker were working on a project, a poster for his bedroom. He got up to eat some cereal and Parker stayed near the markers.

Griffin: Parker come over here and sit with me. (I think it is so sweet that he wants her near him.)

Parker: (Blank Stare)

Griffin: Parker come over here and leave the poster alone. I don't trust you. It's your shifty eyes.

 

When I was little I wanted to be an astronomer.  I was pretty into constellations and the moons and the planets.  I remember telling my grandma I didn't really want to be an astronaut unless NASA changed their little outfits to purple.  That was my one condition, you can not have my 10 year old shoebox planetarium expertise unless I get to wear a puffy purple suit.  This all came back to mind as Griffin was studying for his Space Unit test.  It was apparently funny to him that planets that were planets when I was his age aren't planets anymore confirming in his mind the t-rexian age of his mother. 

I am sure all of our parents had dreams of what they wanted us to be.  Of course I have thought about my kids when they grow up wondering what they will be but more than that I think about their personalities and what would fit well with that.  Although there aren't a whole lot of jobs for irrational, fit throwing, screaming people so I have to think futuristically.  (Insert your choice of celebrity references here.)

Cooper told me he wants to be a graffer which translated into English means a photographer.  "Either that or someone that washes off fire, like a fireman or maybe a farmer or something" said he.  So I thought what the heck, I won't be a squelcher of dreams, I'll let him have a shot.  Hopefully his passion will turn into talent at some point, maybe when he stops holding the camera facing himself.  Here are a couple of the 47 pics of the floor, his belly and my ear.

Tomorrow to the dairy farm.  

And where did spellcheck go?

The BEST part of being a mommy to girl...



OK, maybe not THE best but def one of the best.

Typically we don't do much celebrating of the cupidic holiday. This year the Murphy girls got a pretty sweet valentine from our #1 valentine fella. And he's funny too.

Happy Birthday

Never in the history of ever has there been a greater aunt, friend, supporter, laugher-with-er, confidante.  Today is the birthday of my aunt, actually Sean's aunt but I claim her.  She is the best _______ there ever was and I adore her, my husband adores her, my kids adore her, my friends adore her.  Everyone who has ever had an interaction with her is crazy about her.  She is the best. 

I can hear the rally cry in my head, "Weather people unite! We finally got one right!" We awoke to whiteness everywhere and it is my one time a year to say it really is pretty. As I was shoveling this morning, the snow plow went by, blasted me and the newly shoveled drive with dirtsnow. When he came back the other direction he mouthed, "Sorry." I don't think he was. I feel like we should be working together but he seems to be anti-clean-Murphy-driveway. In any case, I won't complain because this guy and his newly learned meteorological facts is home all day. So all day long I get to hear,

"Weather travels in a cycle yes it does.
Weather travels in a cycle yes it does.
It goes up as evaporation, it forms clouds as condensation, it comes does as precipitation
yes it does."
(Sung to the tune of "She'll be coming round the mountain")

Just in case anyone is interested...Hellboy 2 got nominated for an Oscar.


I think we have our winner.

What a morning

This has been some blog hiatus. I get revved up and think I will start posting again and it lasts about 3 days so just go with my inconsistency and love me anyways.

I can up from the laundry room to find this...

Wow...I'm just not sure what to say

The capetowel was added when Cooper told her she should try to fly.