I'm Still Around...despite swine flu!

Despite the infrequency of my posts, I am still around. I'm hibernating, only venturing out for charity events and Starbucks runs. I'm off to bedazzle a mask for an event tomorrow night...you know the stuffy people in this world probably have swine flu! ick....

p.s. i love the pic of the pigs..very crafty. the hubby told me they looked a little risque??? pigs can love one another, too!

A Month at a Glance

I always love how certain calenders and agenda books call themselves "a month at a glance". This somewhat describes my life at this time. Yet, I feel as if you glance you will miss us. I feel like we are going 100 miles a minute. Or how about feeling like you are on the tumble cycle of a dryer? Conversations take place and you are left wondering what exactly you divulged. Maybe you had an important trip and you were so focused on preparing for the experience that you forget to "attend".

Weeks ago I took the boys to Florida to visit my sister. Sis Margaret stayed with my other sister while Trav stayed at work. We wanted the boys to have a trip alone with mommy. Any alone time or undivided attention always seems to be squelched by the presence of their little sister. I think she believes I only gave birth to her and we just picked out the two boys at the city pound. (They do make good mutts!) The amusement began once we arrived in Detroit to get on the plane. You can always count on The Perry's to bring the drama. It began with the good intentions of The Hubby who sent us on a Dora The Explorer search. Say it with me...."tram, fountain, freaky tunnel". The instructions were given and the boys asked why Daddy always sent us on scavenger hunts looking at things he deems cool. Cool to a thirty some year old doesn't always qualify as cool to a five and eight year old! As we went down the escalator, CEP's shoe lace got caught. Tumble, bumble we went. A nice old man behind us quickly bent down and yanked CEP's shoe right off his foot as we watched the shoelaces being devoured by the escalator step. This led to the boys being honored as "honorary flight captains" in the pomp and circumstance of sitting in the cockpit, hats on, buttons and alarms being pushed. By the time we got in Orlando at 1:30 in the am, we were exhausted. Six o'clock in the morning came early as we headed out for Animal Kingdom. When I say the park was crowded...I mean filled to capacity. I felt as if I was being eaten alive by mommy bloggers who had their park binders out with fast pass schedules to keep(You all know who you are and I fully love and support your dedication to amusement parks)! I don't necessarily care for roller coasters, but did them in support of the boys who showed no fear of these enormous thrill rides. I survived Everest and the Dinosaur ride with the hood of my sweatshirt pulled over my head and my eyes glued shut. You could always pick me out of the "on ride" pics...I was the one who was cowardly melting into my five year olds lap!
The next day we went to The Kennedy Space Center, which I truly enjoyed. I highly recommend it if you are ever in the Orlando area. JWP and I got to experience the in flight simulator which was very cool, regardless that I felt very lightheaded afterwards. CEP missed the height requirement by two inches. We came up with a plan for him to discretely stand on his tiptoes only for him to call us out to the "measuring nazi man" when he was denied entry. Gotta love honesty. We then met astronaut, Jim Mcbride who we waited for, in hopes he might be "cute"(at least Cam and I hoped). He showed up 45 minutes late and although he couldn't have been any nicer, he was old and had a bad comb-over. I was nervous that CEP would say something to him about his hair as he stood staring at the wisps that missed the hairspray placement. The whole experience left me wanting to learn more about space and sad all at once. What a remarkable wonder of nature God gave us, yet children seldom set their aspirations to become astronauts and walk on the moon. It made me realize just how much our children are missing if we don't expose them to things like the planets and other sciences instead of sports and their over payed and over exposed players......i rant, I know.
The next day we had a full day at the Magic Kingdom. It included the thrilling ride that they call, "trying not to lose your children in the crowd." I also don't like experiencing the "smelly" experience of lines of bodies crowded together like cattle. I touched body parts of complete strangers and had my parts touched too as we stood in lines. Susann was nice enough to go on the teacups with the boys. While fun was had during the ride, CEP losing his lunch afterwards in a trash bag that also was my poncho, was not fun. I experienced Space Mountain fully covered with my sweatshirt and ears plugged. The boys rode in the first two seats and loved it. That was a "I love you both very much, but I will NEVER ride that ride again" ride. I left the most "magical place on Earth" confident that I didn't need to spread my ashes there when I pass. They took my breath away(literally, along with my lunch), left me broke($12 for Mickey ears that they will never wear), and thankful I will never have to dance around in pantaloons with a parasol singing songs from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I still keep Dollywood close to my heart...nothing can beat the personal tour of the tour bus and being helped my park employees who so lovingly look like they could be your grandma or grandpa!

The best part of our trip was the last night before we woke to catch a plane to NY and then home(don't ask why we had to go to NY and I had to drag two boys though JFK full of rude people looking for a gate that didn't exist due to the fact that Delta just bought NW...can you tell I was angry?)The boys climbed up in bed with me as we pinky promised to have another "mommy & boys" trip again very soon. They both snuggled up to me(something Sis Margaret won't allow) and kissed my cheek. In that moment I realized that despite all the stress of packing, traveling, line standing, Disney product consumption overload and sunburns, we had made a memory. Hopefully my "month at a glance" calendar will include a place for many more trips for us to share together. Thanks Aunt Cam for a fantastic time...in the words of CEP, "why do these things always happen to me!"

Rockin' The Abaya

I may be slightly biased..but I think she rocked her abaya! Saudi Arabia will never be the same. I just hope she hasn't been made a princess when she returns there in three weeks!

This week was a good week. I had created so much anxiety like I usually do when The Hubby leaves for a trip. I panic as I try and figure out just how I can take care of my own three kids by myself. Do all mothers feel this from time to time? I gave birth to them, clothe them, feed them, etc. Putting all anxieties aside, I jumped in...and what a great week we had. Don't get me wrong, life with a soon to be three year old who so closely resembles my stubborn self, can never be peaceful.

"Breathe", I would tell myself. "No need to rush"...."let her explore". I was amazed that when I did give more of my true self as a mother, she responded. The moments were fleeting. You would not recognize me as the same mom who had a full body press on her toddler in the Target parking lot trying to get her in her carseat. You would not recognize me as the same mother who screamed at the top of her lungs as she stepped on the Star Wars battleship on the instep of her foot.

They froze....so did I. Actually, I was a little dizzy from exhaling such a scream.

I felt better...

The night ended with Sis Margaret helping me make veggie barley soup as the sun tried to peek from behind storm clouds. The Hubby returns this evening and then the boys and I are off to a sunnier place on Monday. So much for having all five of us under the same roof for long.

While the moments that I get with each of the kids alone are few, I must say that I believe CEP and JWP understand the ultimate love a mother can have for her child. With Easter approaching, I took time to once again tell them the story of the death, resurrection and accension of Jesus. I looked in their eyes as I told them of how they put a crown of thorns on his head and drove nails in his hands. Their eyes began to tear up...they understood the ultimate love Christ has for them.

I don't think I could or have ever been more proud as a mother. Forget awards at school or at the end of a sports season, my heart poured out for them at that moment.

They understood why Jesus died....for us...for our sins...for us to be saved. They also realized how overwhelming beyond words it must have been for Mary to have watched her son be persecuted and killed. I did my job as a parent...my job is not done, but I praise God that he allowed us to have that moment. A moment that I will never forget..one that I have replayed in my mind over and over again this week.

With the celebration of our risen Lord,
there's a renewed sense of praise and gratefulness
for the many ways He blesses our lives!
Hosanna!!