What is you mom's secret home base?
Her room.
What is something she tells you about yourself as a baby?
That I knew all of my animal sounds when I was 10 months old and use to make all the other moms think their kid was dumb.
My mom's eyes are:
Hazel
Her shoe size is:
6 1/2
Her height:
Is 5'8
Favorite song:
Blue Eyed Lady
What does you mom do during the day?
First: she drops my PM brother off at school, Next: she drops off my baby brother at my grandmas house. Then: She goes to Yoga. Finally: she picks up my bother and all of us.
Why do you love your mom?
Because she is nice.
I love my mom because she helps me:
When I dress horrible.
I know my mom is smart because:
She got a degree in English.
Thank you mom for:
Being here for me when I need you.
- Arlo's fourth grade "Mom Exposure" outline answers
Aside from couple oversights regarding my shoe size, height, and eye color, I'd say Arlo did a pretty fair job of sizing me up as a mother. I am there for him when he needs me, and I do help guide him in some of his "off" wardrobe choices, and although I can't be sure of where the song title "Blue Eyed Lady" stems, it sure sounds close enough to a Dylan original to count so major bonus points on that one. I only wish my days revolved around me dropping kids off and going to yoga though. Never mind the grind of a regular week, seems my Wednesday morning routine is what's come to define me. Breakfast, drop off, yoga, pick up.
As for the 10 month old dumb kid remark. I'm guessing that is rooted in my tales of him being a miraculously advanced baby who could speak fluently by the time he was one. Who walked at ten months, and could ride a bike like a pro before his third birthday. Countless milestones that came much earlier than anticipated which in turn caused some mother's I knew to fret the advances of their own children at similar ages. The old monster of comparison. As I've written about before, but on the opposite end with Leon's early delays.
I was also given a hand drawn card from Rex and a pink heart riddled painting by Leon thanking me for buying him such "neat toys." Funny because I rarely ever ever do. Yet sweet to think the ones he does receive mean something special.
My Sunday consisted of an early morning flea market jaunt with my best friend. And by early morning, I'm talking just before the sun peaks where we were among the first in line and able to roam with ease, free of the normal pressures to return home before the baby wakes from his morning nap, devour shrimp quesadillas and a tall can on a shady covered log in back of a vintage shoe booth. Where I bought myself something small that I went specifically looking for (always nice) and kicked myself for passing up an original BAND tee shirt and one gorgeously hand carved 1970's jewelry box. Then returned to find our backyard in full construction mode as the boys dedicated the entirety of the afternoon to building a playhouse out back - which might seem an unlikely gift for a mother to request, but only if you don't stop to consider what it's like to live with four boys on a street crammed with 5 other boys who are here daily and storm the quarters of your home like clockwork every afternoon upon school dismissal, leaving you constantly seeking out new ways to initiate more outdoor activities. This one we've got going, as cool as it's turing out, will hopefully help seal the deal. Summer is just around the corner so I'm counting on this little wood hideaway to spare me some of my frail sanity through the 8 week season that they're out of school and here all, day, long. As of now it's more than halfway done, with future plans for the addition of a telescope for back yard star gazing, a small loft, pully lift, and zip line. It's going to be great fun. With plenty of room to house a dozen boys, including the sweet one who took this series of photos per his own kind offering. Thanks Jamal!
Hope you all had a lovely day too.
Xo
J
Labels: holiday
