Life.Learning.Doodles… are Heck Awesome!
Last week I shared here that how excited I was to be the newest contributor at TeachCow.com as the writer of their Parent Zone page (still super excited). As I started to design the visuals for that page I knew I wanted something fun, family oriented and catch my audiences eye…ah heck…I wanted it super silly fun. Continue reading “September Silly Wacky Foto Fun”
My daughters never cease to crack me up. Their perspective of life…even the littlest moments, the ones that seem so routine, the so everyday can leave us in giggles. So when I asked my daughters to put away some laundry, empty a laundry basket and bring it downstairs for me I couldn’t have imagined the on the floor belly holding giggles it left me in and a life lesson I felt compelled to share…one big sister to another!
…see more #SuperFunDoodles here
Mommy Disclaimer….All the words and the ideas are completely Francine’s. I only helped with the typing, formatting, spelling and with Photoshopping the pictures. By writing her stories Francine hopes that other “kids” will learn to cook up ideas just like her!
She left it in a spot she knew I’d look as soon as I got home.
It stared back at me and a smile took over my face. I quickly opened it and saw the hand written note. I knew exactly who it was from. I was instantly warmed by her thoughtfulness and the lovely surprise after a long work week. I clutched and embraced it in delight as I was filled with happiness.
I yelled to Francine upstairs,”FRRRRAAANNNNCIIIIINNNNNNEEEEE”
“Yes momma!” I love when she calls me momma…. makes my heart melt
“Come here peanut!”
“In a second I’m putting my cupcakes in the oven!”
Thump…thump…thump…at the bottom of the stairs our eyes meet and we were lit up by each other’s smiles.
” I saw that note,” I say grabbing her hand and pulling her in to squeeze her close and kiss her cheek
“Uh huh.”
“Thank you! It was sooooo sweet!” I say this time embracing her cheek to cheek and adding another kiss.
“You’re welcome momma,” she answers with a straight face
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she answers.
“Francine what is it?”
“Nothing……” she answers again.
This time with a fake smile. She looks at me. This time hers shouting do you get it momma. Do you know what I need? I paused and stared at her searching her eyes for the answer. The card she wrote flashed in my head.
“You really miss momma don’t you! Has it been hard on you, daddy taking you to practice this season and mom taking Olivia to swimming? We don’t get much time together these days do we?!”
“No!” she bursts confirming my words.
“Mom will be home all weekend! We can spend tons of time together.”
Saturday afternoon came around and my 7 week old nephew was coming over to spend a couple hours with us while my sister and her husband went to a surprise party. Olivia complained of a sore throat and stomach ache. I texted my sister and told her it was probably best if we came to her being that Olivia was not feeling good. With the ok from my sister I spoke with my husband explaining what happen the night before with Francine and the note.
“Francinnnnnneeeeeee!!!!!!!!”
“Yes momma?!”
“Do you want to come help take care of Callan tonight, just you and me. ”
“Suuuuure!!”
That night at my sisters it was all about her… and a lot about my nephew too… she picked her favorite dinner, we all snuggled and watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (one of her favorite movies) and High School Musical (another favorite) were the movies of choice. We snacked on popcorn and played Monopoly. She smiled and giggled and we laughed together in between moments of being a smidge jealous of the time had to spend on my nephew and her buying up all her favorite avenues and street and collected her rent.
At the end of the night as my nephew tried to see if he could out last both of us, Francine laid on the couch snuggling up with me as I fed him. I smiled and gazed into my nephews eyes and took moments to rub Fracine’s back as her eyes opened and closed fighting off sleep. Just as I thought she had finally surrendered to the sand man I looked down to see her staring at me. She looked up and just stared at me and smiled.
“What?!” I giggled as I stared back at her.
“You’re really good at that momma,” answered sweetly.
I smiled at her kissing her forehead her and tucking her in again as my heart melted.
“Thank you sweetie. I try,” and I kissed her good night one more time.
The text pinged in on my phone (actually it we do wee wo so…yes yes… R2D2… Stop laughing…I know…I can’t help it)
TEXT: Can Francine come over for a playdate on Friday?
Francine had been dear friends with this little girl in kindergarten. The change in grades and then into different classrooms for 1st grade had made it tough for the friendship to continue to blossom.
I knew didn’t even need to ask Francine (my 6 year old), though. I knew she would 100%, without hesitation want to go over to her friends house.
MY REPLY: Of course!!! She would love to see her!
As soon as my finger hit the send key my heart sank.
What about Olivia (my 7 year old)?
I would be at work and she didn’t have a play date of her own. She isn’t going to like this! Telling Francine that she has a play date and then telling Olivia…sorry sweetie you don’t have a play date was NOT going to be fun!
Wait!
I thought for a moment. Olivia has her wonderful, long time, we only get to see on days off, since they go to different schools but are like kindred spirits friend…
Nahhhhhh
Sighhhhhh.
Wait… Maybe…just maybe….nahhhh.
Grrrr…
What was I going to do?!!
Maybe I could.
Nahhhhh I couldn’t.
Could I??!!!…
I just got done telling Olivia that it is rude to invite yourself over to other peoples houses.
Sigghhhhhhhh
How am I going to do this without being rude??
So I took a deep breath and just said it like it was. I texted Olivia’s friend’s mother and told her about Francine’s play date. I explained the situation and how Olivia didn’t have one. Then I told her I knew what I was doing was very forward of me but I asked her please could she have Olivia over on Friday. Then I apologized profusely for my forwardness and told her over and over again that I would make it up to her the next time there was a day off. I knew I would owe her BIG!
In a couple of hours my phone rang (YES! it was not a normal ringer…the popcorn song from the Muppets Movie….shut up!).
“Hello….”
It was Olivia’s friends mother. Without hesitation, without concern for me to repay this favor, without any thought but that this is what friends do she said yes. My heart lit up. Olivia would be giddy to have a play date with her friend and my world of motherhood with two daughters would remain peaceful and drama free. Most of all I was deeply moved by the selfless, each word that told me not to worry about it and overwhelmed me with her unconditional kind act she did without hesitation for me.
It is an act of kindness I will never forget.
It is an act of kindness I will seek to pay forward to other mothers.
It is a feeling I want other mothers to know and feel…that we are in this together. That we are here for each other. That sometimes we just meet people that are willing to without hesitate an unselfish act of kindness.
It is an act that I will be certain to share with someone else!
