Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
This morning, I didn't wake to roosters who really cockle-doodle-doo all day long (except for about 5 hours in the middle of the night). I didn't hear the goats ramming their horns up against the house trying to get me to feed them. I didn't have Banks, my huge puppy, begging me to let him romp with other critters he might find out there. Nope. I awoke to solitude. I found two teenage boys still snoozing after a ten hour drive yesterday, suitcases filled with mounds of laundry from our adventures, and Banks nestled on my bed with my covers carefully positioned the way he arranged them. And I missed it. I missed those loud roosters, crazy goats, beautiful horses and cows, countless chickens, and those kittens and cats that kept multiplying each day. The boys, Banks, and I joined my Oldest on "her" farm that she's been "babysitting" just south of Franklin, TN. When we arrived, at night fall, it felt like we were in the middle-of-nowhere-only-pastures-world with fluctuating wi fi, no TV's, and farm animal sounds everywhere. As the week continued, we fell into the daily farm life routine: wake up to roosters and goats, walk and play on the farm, enjoy long dinners together, sit around the table and chat....no disruptions, just togetherness. We learned that many of our friends had transitioned to this country living style since we exited TN. I can see why. Not only did our friends make the change, celebrities have too: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill live down the road (the Oldest sees Tim when he gets his mail and waves!), Keith Urban & Nicole, Carrie Underwood & that hockey guy she married, the Judds, and now Justin Timberlake (he just announced he bought 126 acres). There's a sense of longing to be in a place that quiets your soul and that allows you to just be. So, yes...I did find the roosters and goats borderline annoying those first days, but that's part of farm life and I think Green Acres just might be the place for me. (Creds to the Oldest for the horse at sunset pic she snapped while fetching the mail last night)
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Ok, I confess. We arrived home from the big family beach trip today. I retrieved my puppy from his doggie hotel and crawled to a spot on our comfy sofa. I'm exhausted from a week of vacation. How does that happen? I thought vacations were meant for relaxation and renewal! I think many can relate to this. There's huge anticipation for an upcoming trip: loads of laundry and packing, purchasing the extras, planning meals and outings, figuring out who will be taking care of the dog, turtles, plants, mail, trash, etc. Then, it's time to hit the road. For us, we road trip in the Tank, sitting side by side in neat rows. Blankets and pillows for the ones who wish to sleep or need protection from the crazy kid who is controlling the a/c (I promise that I think I've seen icicles in our car!). A/C always wins, those who oppose bundle up in their blankets and leave a peep hole for breathing. Then, there's the kid who is like the Music Police-he flips stations whenever there is a commercial or any kind of chatter, selecting tunes that fit only the tastes of the Music Police. Beware if you're the one smacking chewing gum...you might have the wrath of the Oldest's glare. And there's one kid who has a gigantic sneeze. That's always a bit earth-shattering and a bit surprising. I remember one trip in which the giant sneeze occurred and one child innocently said, "It's raining!" Ugh. This past week as we headed to the Outer Banks, we came to a stand still and ended up turning off the car. We couldn't get out because we were in the swamp section with traffic signs warning drivers: "Beware of black bears next 15 miles". Oh, great. We sat there...a...long...time. That's when the Blonde started into sharing all the Camp Cheerio songs she's learned as a staffer. Fine. There were at least a hundred chants, songs, etc. We all quickly grew tired of hearing about the bushy brown squirrel and how he wiggled his big bushy brown tail. Then the Oldest showed KazKid how to upload an app, 5-0 Radio. It reminds me of the days when my parents would pull out their CB radio to get the police reports. We listen, decipher the codes, and determine what is going on up ahead to cause us to sit in this gigantic traffic jam. That got kind of boring so the Oldest suggests we switch and listen to police reports in another city...like Chicago. Amazing stuff happening over there in Chicago. We listen intently. I decide to not to move to Chicago any time soon. The traffic begins to move. Windows go back up. A/C is cranked again. Blankets and barricades buffer the arctic blasts. We drive until we almost drop off the barrier islands and stop. We're ready to "officially" begin the big family beach vacation. Actually, our vacation started when we drove out of our neighborhood. Vacations aren't simply about the destination or the entertainment. The key to making the greatest vacation ever is simple: making memories. So, no matter if we have to pack like we're going off to Alaska as we head to the beach or if it takes double the time to reach our destination, it's about making memories that last forever and simply enjoying each other in creating them. I thank God for green arrows on traffic lights. Most summer mornings, I wake to numerous alarms beginning at 5:15. My sports-driven son in the adjacent bedroom taps for more snooze time and there's a pause until his cell chimes again. At some point, I feel a cold wet nose nudging me and squint to find Banks resting his chin beside my face, giving me pitiful glances and moans in hopes to see me rise from my horizontal position. It works. Minutes later, my son is in the driver's seat and I'm sitting weary-eyed and slightly terrified in the passenger seat heading to football conditioning. (Whoever invented this let's-start-"conditioning"-in-May-although-we-don't-really-practice-until-August-schedule is really crazy and ruined my dream world of waking up leisurely, sipping my coffee while listening to birds chirp in a beautiful symphony.) I realize there are no brakes on my side but I press hard on the floor to help the car stop. I struggle to be the calm, cool, and chill mom, but it's too early and my son is learning how to drive. He navigates the neighborhood roads well but our neighborhood is surrounded by four and five lane roads in every direction. It's one of those clench-the-sides-of-the-seat moments as he steers and pushes through the early morning traffic. As he maneuvers the car to the left lane (it feels more like a sharp 90 degree shift), I remind him to look back and to check those mirrors (always a good idea!). More clinging to the seat moments. Lots of quick prayers with a sense of urgency all parents of teen drivers understand. Then, we approach a major intersection, braking and hic-cupping a bit as we get to the light. And this is when I get excited. We wait for the green arrow to signal us to make our turn. It's now my favorite signal since only our lane will be making that left turn. It's clear. It's definitive. No yellow-proceed?-or-do-I-completely-stop?-hesitations and no green-turn-when-you-think-it's-clear.-and-gun-it!-occasions. I breathe and release my imaginary brake. I realize that I like green arrows in life too. They're really my absolute favorite. Green arrows give you the freedom to move forward and you know it's all clear and easy. Those life decisions with green arrows make me downright giddy. But the bad news is there aren't always green arrows. Sometimes, I get red lights. Those would be total dead ends. I can't make them turn green no matter how hard I try. Life has those too. They can be frustrating but at least they provide clarity and a time to stop and reflect-important to do. The worst might be the yellow light. It's so ambiguous. That's where I can feel "stuck" in life. I try to move forward but don't know if I should go for it or just sit back and wait. There are more traffic signs: U-turn. Ugh! I hate in life when I have to do one of those. Or those round-a-bouts. They can be great as long as everyone works together for the same purpose; if not, round-a-bouts lead to confusion and much frustration, going nowhere fast. So now, at these intersections with my son or in life, I no longer clench the sides of my seat, and I can lift my foot off my pretend brake, I wait patiently for the green arrow. Even if I have to wait a bit, it's worth the wait. From Proverbs 3:5... Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. ~The Message I know what it's like to be that gorilla that people gawk at and point to when visiting the zoo.... Just the other day, I headed to Target to buy a toothbrush (one of my sons who will remain unidentified confessed that he had lost his somewhere..er...a few days ago; I'll save that joy-of-raising-boys-blog for another day). I had just finished my time at the gym and thought I'd run in, grab a toothbrush and get home. All was good until I looked up from paying. I saw two pairs of eyes staring at me. It was that deer-in-the-headlights look. I wave and hear them: "Mom, Mom, that's my teacher!" Well, not really their teacher. It's just a universal rule: If I teach in their school, I'm their teacher even if those mini-humans have never entered my room. It's like this for all teachers, especially in those lower grades. "Celebrity" sightings as it's been labeled-the littles all excited finding a teacher somewhere outside of the school building (yes, we do exist out of school!) It also works in reverse. On Halloween, the doorbell rang. One of my students dressed in his cute Batman costume was waiting for his treats. When I approached the door, a deer-in-the-headlights stare. He screamed, "Aaaaaa...it's my teacher!" and took off running into the dark night. Funny, I scared him and I wasn't even wearing a costume =) A couple of days ago, I spotted one of my former students in Omega Sports. His back was to me but I knew it was my So Very Energetic student. Everyone in my school knows this student, on. He was jumping up and down...just like he did in my classroom. Thump, thump, thump. [ I flashback to the time he was jumping up in my classroom. I "get" boys with loads of energy so I escort him out to the hallway to get all his wiggles out. I encouraged So Very Energetic student to do jumping jacks and left the door ajar. I went back to my lesson and easily shift to my teaching zone. Much, much later, the door opened and in popped So Very Energetic's sweaty head (gasping): "Ms. Flowers, I got to 175 jumping jacks. How many more?" Yikes! I had completely forgotten he was out there! Recovery-mode kicked in. I smiled and replied like a well seasoned teacher, "If you think you can handle it back in here, I'd love for you to join us". My students grin at me calling my bluff-they know me too well!] Back to the sporting goods store, my former student eventually bounces a 180 and lands right smack in front of me. He gives me a giant smile and we catch up. My head bobs up and down as we chat in sync with his bouncing. Teacher sightings. Always special no matter if the students just stare, run away, or simply bounce. |
AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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