LABOR Day Weekend

So, Labor Day Weekend....really what is it that we are supposed to be celebrating? And how is it that 3 day weekends never end up being quite as relaxing as they sound. We have the horrible habit of trying to squeeze too much in too little amount of time. In all actually this Labor Day weekend wasn't too bad in that sense, I suppose. That is considering the possibilities of what could have been planned.

My wonderful younger sister, Aunt "Guya", as she is called by Big Boy (and I'm sure Boopy will follow suit) came to visit and extend a welcome helping hand to Mama Vaughn while Papa Vaughn is still gone for training. In proper fashion we began the weekend with LABOR. Saturday found me shooting wedding pictures all day out of town in 100+ heat outside and wearing black while Guya herding Big Boy and Boopy on an adventure getting lost going to the park and getting her exercise chasing them all about the house. A fruitful and busy day. One that would make any labor camp dictator proud.

Sunday the temptation to relax was a bit easier to try to indulge in so spending a day at the mall sounded like a surefire way to stay clear of the LABORS that could and would tempt us at home. However, what I somehow always forget and what Guya quickly learned, is that taking two small children to the mall for pleasure is actually an act of LABOR. It's LABOR so intense that it comes at you like a gale wind, knocking you flat on your back while you try to catch your breath and wonder what happened and how in the world did you end up on the wet dew damp ground soaked in mud with leaves and gum stuck all in your hair. Okay, so maybe we didn't end up with mud, leaves and gum stuck forever on our bodies but I'm sure we were a health risk ridden with germs that come from hanging out in the mall play area too long and getting to know all too well the filth found on mall bathroom floors.

While the mall play area is a great place for kids to get a lot of pent up energy out, it also acts as a charging force energizing them into highly active none stop wind up toys. To make matters worse, we first fueled them up with lunch, let them play and then attempted to actually take them shopping and patiently wait on us while we tried on clothes. I'm sure we made the few people daring enough to come anywhere near the changing room we chose, chuckle and think happy thoughts to themselves that they were NOT shopping with a little boy and toddler in tow. After kids spilling water as they fought over a water bottle, wiped baby wipes all over the mirrors, and we bare kept from peeing our pants after laughing too much, we spilled out of the tiny changing area, bought our few purchases and made our way through the remainder of the mall. We ventured in to say "hi" to Mickey Mouse at the Disney store, bribed Big Boy with the thought of a Hungry Bear cookie in order to leave, danced at the entrance of Abercrombie and Fitch, watched pennies roll in the big circular fundraiser money pit and introduced Guya to the joy of potty stops while potty training.

Ah, the fun of taking two small kids into the bathroom with you and encouraging a reluctant stubborn child to utilize the wonderful creation that is the toilet. A fear of germs is no longer an issue. It's now a matter of limiting the times the toilet is touched, bare feet walk on the ground (since apparently you have to take off your entire bottom half of clothing to pee), walls are rubbed up against, toilet paper is dragged across the floor, all while hoping everyone makes it out without getting wet. After lengthy discussions of being a "Big Boy" and going pee pee, inviting Guya in to join us, flushing the toilet nearly 100 times, getting everyone else to go pee-pee, Big Boy finally took his turn. I'd like to think I won him over with how great it is to be Big, but I'm sure it was once again the bribery of a cookie that made him cave and give in to the toilet.

Our laborious Sunday was nicely finished off with at home with a few wine coolers, couple alcoholic ciders and Guya threatening not to have kids for another 12 years so that she can ship them off to me since I'll have teenagers and toddlers will be a breeze. Little does she know that at 12 years old, I'm shipping Big Boy and Boopy to her to deal with.

As for Monday, the day that should once again be a day of rest from Labor, was far from restful. While Guya did do an awesome thing and let me sleep in until 9 am (truly wonderful!), we later attempted to tackle as many household chores as possible before Guya was to fly out in the evening. With a little too much help from our short two legged friends my bathroom was scrubbed, clothes were hung and put away, floors were swept, dishes were cleaned and a sense of accomplishment was finally ours.

My First Blog.....

I decided that it was time to chronicle the crazy things my kids do, have a chance to practice my writing and keep in touch better with family and friends through cyberspace. So...here we go with my first blog post.

Random acts of Kindness can make your day!

Although I'd like to think I noticed random acts of kindness before Charles left, I think being a temporary single mom has made me notice my surroundings more. Not that it's that different than simply going on an outing alone with my kids while Dad is elsewhere in town but I think it's just that I'm more on guard knowing that Charles isn't somewhere nearby in the same store or within close driving distance to help.

That being said, Tuesday, I stopped at Sam's Club after picking up the kids from daycare, stressing to them that if they had good listening ears we would get a "yum" (a stop at McDonald's) afterwards. While struggling with the constant musical seats the kids like to play in the shopping cart (Boopy in the basket, Big Boy in the front seat then Boopy in the front and Big Boy in the back, then alternating who gets to walk and who gets to help push the cart, repeat...) you can understand the frustration for having to make a stop for only 1 or 2 items. What once was a quick 10 minute shopping stop has now been stretched out to at the minimum 20 to 30 minutes depending on how cooperative the kids are and how often I have to put on my mean mama face. Tuesday's stop turned out to be more "mean mama" rather than "what great kids you are, let's get a reward!".

So, after chasing my lanky, fast, laughing 3 1/2 year old all around the freezer section all while toting a spirited, screaming 15 month old sideways under my arm while she clings to the cart handle thinking she's big enough to push it herself, I put on my "mean mama" face. Big Boy promptly received a time out, unfortunately though it was near the milk so this only increased our issues because he now was begging for a drink. After a few tortuous minutes, I quickly set Boopy down, picked up Big Boy, threw him crying into the back of the cart, scooped Boopy back up before she had a chance to escape and promptly began my journey to the checkout. It's amazing how many people don't want to make eye contact with you as you pass by with screaming children. The few that do give you that "oh, I sooo understand and I feel for you" look.

Finally at the checkout I switched Big Boy to the front seat since he asked nicely through his still falling tears. With Boopy still sideways under my left arm, I attempted to pick up the large square box of Big Boy's pull-ups. Thankfully, here's where the first act of random kindness came in to play. A wonderful lady in front of me, with children of her own and not even appearing to speak English very well, immediately grabbed the box I was struggling with and loaded it up on the counter. A simple smile, nod of her head and a my thank you and my evening was already looking up. We made it through the checkout, got Boopy to happily sit back in the cart and we were on our way to the car.

Unloading the cart is always a juggling act. Do you unload the kids first and chance them sitting in the car too long or do you unload your purchases and chance the kids attempting an escape from the cart? Based on Big Boy's lack of listening ears and Boopy's apparent thirst for independence, this trip loading the kids first was definitely the way to go. After I lectured Big Boy to stay seated, I proceeded to load Boopy into the car. Of course, I couldn't do this the easy way and put her in her car seat on the right side of the car where she sits. Instead I had to climb in the left side over Big Boy's seat. The parking lot at Sam's has never been the best. The designer was obviously a small person driving a small car and oblivious to the fact that most valley drivers drive large SUVS or vans leaving very little room to open vehicle doors. That being said, my parking job hadn't been the best and a large SUV had parked so close to my right side of the car there was no hope of loading Boopy in that way. After climbing backwards out of the car, I retrieved Big Boy from the cart and directed him to climb into his booster seat. I unloaded the two items into the car, contemplated ditching the cart or being "good" and returning it to it's proper cart return spot, when I was approached by a wonderful woman who insisted on grabbing my cart to return with her own. Ah, what a relief it was to have kind people willing to actually do simple random acts of kindness! Even better was the calm it put on my mood as I was ready to gripe about the SUV parked next to me until I realized that the woman helping me was the driver.

All in all a usual, outing for Big Boy, Boopy and Mama Vaughn.