Dreaming What Ifs...

Interviewing the Caboose....boogers and all

*the Caboose at Easter time.

Karmyn:   So, Mr. Caboose, you are going to be four years old in a couple of weeks.  How do you feel about that?

Caboose:  *giggles* and then gets that gleam in his eye and yells "Booger!"

Karmyn:  Four years ago you were inside my tummy. 

Caboose:  Where were Jammin' and Buttercup?

Karmyn:  They were waiting for you to come out.  Can you believe you were inside my tummy?  How do you think you got in there?

Caboose:  *thinks really hard about this question* I was a tiny baby crawling down the street and I was inside a ball.  You saw that ball and thought 'that would be a good snack' and so you grabbed the ball and ate it.  That's how I got inside your tummy.

Karmyn:  *trying not to laugh* that might explain it.  So, what do you want for your birthday?

Caboose:  *shrugs shoulders* A DS Game like Jammin'

Karmyn:  Well, we'll think about that.  So, what is your favorite birthday cake?

Caboose:  *giggles*  Boogers!

Karmyn:  Caboose!  I need to know what your favorite birthay cake is so I can make it.

Caboose:  Batman cake.

Karmyn:  What is your favorite ice cream?

Caboose:  Boogers!

Karmyn:  You want booger ice cream?

Caboose:  No, Rainbow sherbert.

Karmyn:  That's what I thought.  What is your favorite thing to do?

Caboose:  Boogers!

Karmyn:  I think this interview is over.

Caboose:  Ask me again what my favorite thing to do is.

Karmyn:  What's your favorite thing to do?

Caboose:  *laughing hard* Boogers!

And that, my friends, is life with an almost four year old.

 

 

The Fan

Last weekend we shopped the local Home and Bath Store to purchase a few decorative pillows.  I marched directly back to the pillow section while my family meandered through the store, checking out all the nifty gadgets we might possibly need or want.

A while later, clutching my pillows, I found my family trying out the various massage chairs.  We managed to avoid buying any of the candies and Angry Bird Gummies perfectly displayed at the counter.  

When I brought the pillows home, it was decided we needed a 3rd one for balance.  So, I told the Caboose we were giong to run errands today which included going back to the Home and Bath Store.

"Oh, yeah!"  He smiled.  "Can I get a fan?"

I thought this was an odd request and told him I'd think about it.  (which in Karmyn-land means most likely not)

We walked into the store and I found my third pillow.  Headed to the check-out, the Caboose asked again, "Mommy, pweeeeze can I have a fan?"

"What are you going to do with a fan?"  I asked.

"Pway with it and sleep with it."  He said.  His little face was all in earnest.  I tried to imagine why my son had this sudden desire for a fan.  

When I told him, "No, the fans are too expensive", his little face dropped and tears started to fall.  "Pweeze mommy, pweeze."

So, I walked over to the Air Mover section and surveyed the fans, trying to find the attraction.  Why would this boy want a fan so badly.

"Which fan did you want?"  I asked.

"Not dese fans."  he turned and raced across the store with me in hot pursuit, trying to imagine what fan could possibly be so desired.

And then suddenly it all was clear.... we brought one home.

 

The Slyly Nosy Neighbor

Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched, the ultimate nosy neighbor

 

I rarely talk to my neighbors, except the lonely old guy across the street.  He and Dave and friends and are always discussing the boat, fishing, and random trivia. 

Usually, my neighbors and I are all passing ships in the day, waving at each other from car windows, or yelling 'Hello" as we weed the flower beds.

My friendly neighbor up the street has grandkids the same age as my children  and sometimes borrows outdoor toys from me when hers are coming for a visit.  When we do stop and chat they can become quite lengthy.  However,  I didn't realize how slyly intrusive she was until the other day.

When she found out we were moving, she was sad and then proceeded to tell me this:

"I have a friend who helps people who are losing their homes due to the whole banking scheme.  So, if you know anyone who might be losing their house and needs help, let me know.  I can give you his number."  Then she looked at me expectantly.  I said I didn't know anyone.  So, she continued on, telling me about another friend who needed help.  This man worked with the banks and reduced their mortgage payments and even got someone their house for free because of a bank error.  She looked at me expectantly again. 

Obviously, she's been thinking about us moving and wondering why....

Flashback to a few years ago.  It was a warm day and she came over to chat while I was weeding.   She asked how everyone was doing.  I told her we were all good.

"How is Dave?"  She had a funny look on her face.

"Oh, he's fine....just busy."  I said.  "He's been traveling to the Seattle area for work so has been gone quite a bit."  He'd been gone "quite a bit" for over six months.

She sighed in relief, "Oh, good.  I noticed he was missing and was so worried about your marriage.  I thought he might be out of the house."

Obviously, she had been watching us.....

Flashback to eight years ago when we first moved into the neighborhood.

She and I were having a chat about ourselves and she wanted to know if I was a Stay-at-home mom.  When I told her "yes", she looked straight at me and said, 'You know, our local Community College has a great program for continuing education.  They have child-care and are flexible for moms with little kids."

I was flabbergasted at the time and was still reeling from my decision to stay at home.  Sometime later, I left slip to her that I had a Double Bachelors of Science and had chosen to leave my career to stay home with my kids. 

but now I know -

Obviously, she was curious about my situation....

In another month or so we will have moved and left these neighbors behind.  I wonder who will buy this house and become the next family watched.

 

Thank Goodness I Married a Handy Man.

In June of 2006, I purchased a new washer and dryer and thought I'd live happily ever after...

Six years later the washer started making a horrible grinding noise.  Dollar signs flashed before my eyes as I thought about the price of a new one and/or the repairman's bill.

"It sounds like the bearings went out."  My husband surmised.  He sat down at the computer and looked on-line.   "Typically, a front-loading washer lasts between five and seven years." 

"What?!?"  I screamed in dispair.  "I don't want to buy a new washer every seven years."

He agreed and searched a few more websites.  "Hmmm, we have three options."

1 - Buy a new washer - $$$$

2 - Call the Repairman to replace the bearings - $$$$

3 - Do it yourself - $

So, Dave ordered the parts (~$100), and pulled the washer apart.

It was a little shocking to see my wash machine strewn across the living room.

I refrained from asking, "Do you know what you are doing?"

I held my breath when Dave lost one of the bolts.

I bit my lips when Dave couldn't remember how to replace the door gasket.

I ran for a band-aid when a finger was sliced on sharp metal.

I dried up water left behind on the tarp.

And then it was the moment I had been waiting for.

I shouted for joy when the washer ran through it's cycle, quietly and perfect.

Sometimes, the man does good.

 

I've always wanted to say this:

May the 4th Be With You

 

Forwards and Backwards - It's the same age

*Jammin' holding one of our new chicks.

Eleven years ago I was sitting in the hospital bed watching the pitocin slowly drip into the IV tube...waiting and wondering when the contractions would hit.

And when the pain came, I puked.  What an embarrassing start to bringing forth this boy into the world.

He was ten days overdue.  The doctor asked me if I wanted to wait over the weekend and then start induction on Monday.  Considering I hadn't even started to "ripen", I told her, "No way - get this kid out of me."

After 90 minutes of pushing, he entered the world, quietly.  The nurses quickly worked on him to start his breathing.  He cried a bit, and then just looked at the world with wonder in his eyes.

That's how Jammin's lived his life so far; Always running a little late, a bit on the quiet side, but that brain is working overtime.

His fingers dance lightly over the piano keys, math equations solve easy, and Pokemon watch out for his traps.  He's not a typical boy, running roughshod across life.  He has a gentle soul; prefering music over sports, playing chess over wrestling, and petting the cat over the dog.    

And yet, sometimes he transforms before my eyes.  I watch him climb to the top of the Maple tree.  My heart stops beating and I start to call out.  Then, I bite my tongue and remind myself: This is what adolescent boys do for fun.

He is eleven.  He is on the cusp of transforming into a teen.  I will enjoy what little left of childhood I have with him.

Happy Birthday, Jammin'.  May the next 11 years be a joy!