I finally get one Dad!

This past weekend we took 4 of the 6 kids to Worlds of Fun...a theme park here in the Kansas City area that offers thrills for a family with all ages of kids. We had the extraordinary opportunity Saturday night to watch our 4 1/2 year old ride his first "big kid" ride. As he drug us from ride to ride, only to be heartbroken when he was ONE INCH too short to ride with the big kids, the look on his face was well worth the $150.00 it cost in admission. He is now the expert on the octopus, which he will tell you "gets stuck" at the top. The look on his face, and that belly laugh, had all of us cracking up.

One thing that really struck me as I watched my four babies ride the Finnish fling (the barrel ride that spins so that centrifugal force literally sticks you to the wall...only to have the floor fall out from beneath you) is that I remember my dad standing at the top of the barrel, watching me...laughing. It brought tears to my eyes, realizing that I thought I was the one having all the fun all those years ago. Standing there now as the parent, I realize exactly what my dad meant every time he said he had as much fun watching me as I had riding. I felt a new and different connection with my dad Saturday night. Not one of little girl/daddy. But one of parent to parent. Not all of my dads euphemisms have become clear to me yet, but I find that sometimes daily, I "get" a new one. My dad and I had a really great relationship. I hurt him terribly when I was 12, and he forgave me for it. One thing my dad never did was say "I told you so". I owe so much to him, and even though he is gone, I feel a renewed connection to him. I love you daddy.

Wildflowers and Romance In Full Bloom

I think I have finally come down off the high of the weekend. I spent an absolutely fabulous weekend with the hubby on a motorcycle trip where we planned nothing. We only knew when we were leaving and when we needed to be home. We ended up touring the bottom part of Missouri including the Ozark mountains, before we headed into Arkansas.

Being on a motorcycle is about the most intimate thing a couple can do together with their clothes on. It is just the two of you, one wrapped around the other, without the ability to turn your head away and look out the window. My hubby and I use this time to talk about all the things we dont have time to talk about Monday through Friday with six kids beckoning from every room of the house. The closeness we share while on a bike trip is amazing. It helps too that we dont have six sidecars with the kids tagging along.

We managed to find the prettiest, curviest roads in Missouri that were chock full of wildflowers. I love wildflowers, and so this was never-ending eye candy for me. We hiked two miles down a country lane that we didnt want to take the bike on, only to get to a pasture atop a hill that was home to a large portion of hubby's family graves. This little cemetery was delightful. Way back away from any sign of civilization (except the millions of cowpies we dodged to get there) nestled on top of the most gorgeous hill in Missouri, lies a small family cemetery. Hubby's grandparents and several aunts and uncles are buried here, and hubby hadn't been here since he was 7.

We ate at fun little hole in the wall, mom and pop shops that had great food...cheap. We stopped for ice cream cones at the local drug stores on the "square" that still had working soda fountains. On Saturday night we splurged and stayed at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. This hotel is said to be haunted by numerous ghosts of residents of the past. We trekked that entire place several times, and somehow managed to miss them. But the ambience was the perfect end to a perfectly wonderful three days...complete with creaky floors, dark blustery thunderstorms, and an ancient claw-footed bath tub that managed to spray water EVERYWHERE including on the 15 foot ceilings.

The ride home Sunday was miserable, for two reasons. First, we knew we were headed out of "vacation land" back to reality, and second we were in full sun, and HOT! Now, it is enjoyable to ride, dont get me wrong, but in full sun for 6 hours sucks! Needless to say, we are sunburnt and sore by the time we get home on Sunday night. Would we do it again??? ABSOLUTELY! One thing going away for the weekend does is gives us time to reconnect, the other thing it gives us is the ability to concentrate on each other, and us. I would recommend to anyone, head out on a bike. If you dont have one, rent one! You dont have to be a "biker" to enjoy hitting the road on a motorcycle with the person you love most in the world! Ride on!

Whew...the Weekend is Over!

How sad is it that I am glad the weekend is over? This weekend we had all six kids at home, and my mother-in-law, all weekend. Now, my MIL is actually pretty cool, very unobtrusive, and enjoys being with the kids. We took her to see Wall E with the kids on Saturday, and even though this movie is a complete political stance, (watch it yourself and you will see) it was very enjoyable. My exhausted husband decided to go once he got off work, he figured the movie theatre was a nice dark, cool place to catch a nap. But even HE couldn't resist Wall E. My four year old proudly proclaimed as we were leaving that "we have GOT to get that movie at Wal-Mart".

Sunday was a bbq in my honor...although the cooking and cleaning honor was all mine too. Go figure...six kids and I get ALL the honors. I am well and truly blessed...hurrumph.

When family comes knocking, do we have to open the door? Is it ever ok, or I guess guilt-free, to just say "nope, sorry, not today"??

There are two days this week that I AM looking forward to. The first being tomorrow...only coincedence that it is my birthday, and I get the best gift of all...I get to see a long time friend that I havent seen in 5 years, and meet her kids. And Friday. The hubby and I are jumping on our motorcycle, and heading south. No kids, no kids, and no KIDS!! Just the bike, some gorgeous scenery in Arkansas, and dare I say it? Nope...you can guess the third aspect by the fact that there will be no KIDS. I'll leave it there.

I'm not a virgin anymore!!

Well, finally I think I may have caught up to the 20th century. I would never go so far as to say that I have made it to the 21st...that would be silly. I still drive a vehicle from the '90s, still talk like a teenager of the '80s, and now thanks to ???fashion??? I dress like a girl from the '70s...do I digrsess??? Hmmm.

Today I am enjoying the last day of watching two little boys. These two boys aren't "bad" kids, they just aren't MY kids, and it IS summer after all...and I tend to be happier in the summer...and let's face it....LAZY!! All I want to do is truck around the corner to my mom's house and jump in her pool. I am spoiled...I am married to a wonderful man that likes for me to be home with our brood...hmm..maybe I should reread that last sentence and REALLY think about what I just said...oh well...I get to be at home with our kids, and that includes a lot of video game playing, and tons of swimming. I have the rest of the summer to enjoy, then I am rejoining the work force. THAT is something I am looking forward to. I have been a homebody for far too long now. My oldest child Z is almost 16, and I have been at home pretty much since he was born. My youngest child J2 (as I have two names beginning with J) is just now 4 1/2. He is venturing off to preschool in the fall, and mommy is OUTTA HERE!!!

I look forward to meeting people here, and being met by people...maybe finding old friends, and definitely making new ones. For now, make a splash!!