House for Sale

The for sale sign beckoned you to look

at this family home 

obviously cared for over the years.

Curb appeal was good,

you'd never guess why the sign was put up.

Treading respectfully in rooms, 

with evidence of stored up memories, 

one could not help but notice 

a long time ago cupboards were painted fresh

cute family mottoes were hung on walls

with photos of happy times.

But on this day the signs of this family life

to a certain observer

somehow faded into a new reality,

seeing what was left untouched.

Maybe it was more of a feeling,

a sense of  emptiness and neglect

as tough the spirit had given up.

The heart of the home was gone.

The house might be for sale and be redeemed

but the broken up family

what will their future hold?

How does one decide the "better" 

when the "worse" has come about?

The question touched a spot way deep within

from a memory of long ago.

The years will go by,

the children may grab the memories 

or maybe they won't.

Life will have its twists and turns with

new opportunities and new resolutions, but
the question that lingers wonders about the price
 that was paid to sell this home.

Things Being Told at Mimi's

~ "These waffles are yummier than at our house!"

(not sure . . . Safeway brand with cinnamon, as opposed to brand without cinnamon?) ~

~ "Mimi, your car sounds like a race car when it starts!" (obviously because it's not a van . . . 

not because it took precious minutes to settle in) ~

~ Expressions while playing a game . . ."Yes!!" and "That's not fair!!" ~

~ "That's not what I was talking about!" ( when he's misunderstood) ~

~ "That's not how my mom does it!" ~

~ "We should trade houses!" ~

~ "Is this pants on backwards?" ~

~ "Mimi! Bees don't make honey! They poop it out!" ~

~ "Mimi, why do you call dinner supper?"~

~ "Koey,"scolded Natalie, "you should not go into other people's fridges! It's not polite!" ~

Me: "Why are you the only one crying (trying to fall asleep) when you are the oldest?"
Nat: "Because, the boys just don't get it!"

A Different Monday

I got up, with the intention of sneaking downstairs and having my coffee and breakfast 

before the kids would wake

when, in the hallway, I noticed a light on in one of the bedrooms.

 I opened the door and this was my surprise morning greeting. 

All three were quietly looking at books!

Who trained them, I wonder?

"We are waiting for you to make us breakfast." they told me. . . .

and so down we all went to fix pancakes. . . 

which they thought was unusual on a school day.

I know that part of the way things go or don't go this week

will depend on how organized this Mimi is. . .

but the fun part is that they can laugh with me

when I use the excuse that I'm not used to being a mom anymore.

Flashback on Flash Floods

Our first experience of a yard flood

was on our maiden trip to Indonesia (2005).

Tehya is making sure her skirt is not getting wet.

On another trip (2009)

we joined them in the flood.

And this one came in my Inbox last week.

Just a picture of how the years goes by.

Julene knew it would tug at my heart
in the way it did hers.

My Name

Koen: (with pen and paper in hand) Mimi how do you write your name?

Me: M like Mom . . . (he writes) . . . i with a dot (he writes) . . . M like Mom or McDonald's (a little light in his eyes) and another i with a dot (we do not worry about upper and lower case and I love how pre-schoolers do dots)

Koen: that's how? That's your whole name? (happy boy)

Maybe the moment was special because I never get that kind of reaction with my name. 

My grandson thinks my name is easy!

And the first picture . . .
in case it was not as obvious as he thought it was . . .
that's me!

Koen's Day

Third children sometimes miss out on early one on one time.

They just kind of come along with the package when their siblings come over.

I know . . . amongst cousins . . . the third name is often not even mentioned

Natalie asked me recently when Tehya and Paeton are coming to visit . . .

obviously that included Makenna.

Now that the older ones are at school . . .

it is easier to have Koen come over on his own

and it's like he is a different person all by himself . . .

not having to stake out his territory

or fight for the tool that obviously has his name on it.

He's all boy when it comes to play . . .

and when I asked him if he wanted to help me make pizza buns

he was all in as well!

 "I like how the dough is so fluffy " he said before even touching it . . .

 "and I like how it smells!"

Mine went into the big oven

and his into the small oven.

He was a happy boy.

I like to think that one day . . . when he's all grown up,

maybe backpacking in Europe . . . 

he will smell bread rising and baking . . . somewhere . . .

and he will remember a moment like this.