Small Things

On gifts and Mothers-In-Law

Yesterday we found a large yellow envelope in the mail from my mother-in-law. As we headed back into the house, I pondered, hmm. it's no one's birthday, Valentine's Day is long past, too early for St. Patrick's Day, wonder what it's for?

Turns out it was for me! Inside was a thin wrapped package, and a three page note from my mother-in-law, or MIL, explaining that she was in Epcot Center for her birthday, and saw something in a French gift shop that kept making her think of me. Six years ago, my husband and I went to France to celebrate our wedding anniversay. (Well, that's why I went to France, Jamie was already there on a port visit with the carrier USS Enterprise. Handy rendezvous.) While there, I bought a pile of tea towels in little Provencal gift shops, because they were pretty, and I love linens, and everyone can use a handy tea towel, right? I kept a few, and gave out several as gifts, including one to my MIL.

So that is what she sent me from the French gift shop. Her note said that it reminded her of my trip to France, a very special occassion, and she hoped it would bring back those memories for me, too. In fact, I had bought several of the very towel she sent me, kept one for myself, and it has since been either scorched or bleached or ripped or whatever else happens eventually to kitchen towels.So what a nice surprise, to get such a thoughtful little gift out of the blue. From my MIL!

 In my 11 married years, I have learned that I am extaordinarily blessed to have such a good relationship with the mother of my husband. Not that there haven't been rough areas along the way. We have both gotten much better at choosing gifts for each other over the years. I chuckle at my clueless-ness when I think of the crystal candy dish I gave her for Christmas the year before my wedding. She is not the candy dish type.

It was fun watching my sister-in-law, who joined the family 5 years after me, learn through trial and error. The Christmas before her wedding, I watched our MIL open gifts from Lisa. First, a large pillar candle. Uh oh, I thought. Lisa must not have heard her talk about how dangerous candles are, and how my MIL's friends almost burned their house down when they left candles burning on the mantle while they went out to the hot tub and the oil painting caught on fire. She'll learn, I thought. Then my MIL opened the other part of the gift--assorted colorful holiday socks. We have a winner! That's exactly a gift my MIL can appreciate! I realized my future sister-in-law was learning faster than I thought.

We've gotten better at choosing gifts for each other, I suppose because we've gotten to know each other much better. And we've known each other for 18 years. So the tea towel out of the blue says a lot to me. Which means it's a perfect gift, n'est ce pas?

Top 5 Mom Injuries

Moms often come across warnings of common dangers to our children, but rarely do we see statistics on what kinds of injuries mothers commonly suffer. Now, I am not researching official records of reported injuries, my list is purely anecdotal.

1. Failing to fully clear a babygate and crashing down face first, possibly spraining a wrist. I was never really into sports, so I haven't much experience with being thrown to the ground, tackled, or otherwise finding myself prostrate and in pain. But at least twice I have tripped mid-gate-hurdling and crashed down, so violently that I lay there a good minute getting over the pain and gathering strength to get up again. Unfortunately, there are no teammates to take a knee while waiting to see if I'm ok, no spectators to clap politely when I do finally walk away from it. Then again, I am usually glad no one sees me do stuff like this.

2. Being bitten shockingly hard while clearing a choking hazard from your toddler's mouth. You know the feeling, those tiny little new baby teeth chomping down on your knuckle so tightly you can't help crying out. Sometimes it's even difficult to open the baby's jaw, and when you finally do you gaze in pain at the very deep impressions left on your finger, while the baby's smiles at her little game. Makes me marvel at how resiliant fingers are.

3. Burns from the oven. This has got to be a common one. It may not be ideal. but sometimes you've got to put things in or take things out of the oven while keeping a toddler away with one foot. So you only halfway open the oven door to slide in the baking sheet at an angle, brushing your hand or wrist againt the oven roof, or rack, or door. Ouch.

4. Mystery bruises. Ever step out of the shower and notice bruises on your hip or shin or arm that you don't remember getting? My husband thinks I'm crazy when I say I don't know where they came from, but moms are often so busy rushing, hauling, carrying, and thinking of what to make for dinner at the same time we don't even notice getting injured.

5. Repetitive back strain. This must, by far, be the most universal and endemic kind of injury mothers suffer. It starts during pregnancy, when your abs are stretched and spread til they are useless, and continues through various stresses and posture contortions, like lying on only your left side for 4 months, carrying laundry with a 1 year old on your hip, or nursing a baby while working on the computer.

So, moms, any of these strike a chord with you? Have I forgotten some other common injuries? We moms forget our injuries easily, seems we are always focused on our kids injuries. It may be a pain to be a mom sometimes, but when you've got a preschooler to sympathetically kiss you boo-boos and make it better, there's nothing sweeter.

A few thoughts on Disneyland

We spent two days at Disneyland over Valentine's weekend, and the whole family had a great time. We've never been there before, though my husband and I have been to Disney World's Magic Kingdom several times. Disneyland is indeed a little smaller, but that was just fine with me, we walked enough miles as it was. In fact, at the end of each day, our feet hurt so badly we bribed the kids with marshmallow Peeps to rub them. Is that terrible? I think my feet are just feeling back to normal today, three days later.

I had no idea that the castle in Disneyland, the original castle, was so different! It's Sleeping Beauty's castle, and it is much smaller than Cinderella's, but so very pretty. Pink, with a greenish roof. It definitely looks like the castle in the movie.

I am sad that characters don't really walk around anymore. The most popular characters, like Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbelle, and the Princesses, have their own attractions to meet them and take a picture. I suppose because they would be mobbed otherwise.

We did stumble across Mary Poppins and Burt, and waited in a brief line to meet them and take a picture. Mary Poppins had a wonderful conversation with my Mary, about being a big sister, and playing games, all very nanny-ish topics. She was lovely. (Practically perfect in every way?)

But to meet the princesses, we had to get in line for the Princess Faire. A line that took well over an hour. To briefly say hello and take pictures with 4 princesses. When we finally got in, Ariel was not there, and she is Mary's favorite, the one she wanted to meet the most. When we were halfway through, 4 new princesses came in to relieve the previous 4, and Ariel took over the first spot from Snow White. Mary was so excited, she stopped halfway between Belle and Jasmine to turn around, but a park employee in royal robes stopped us and said we could not go backwards, we could not go ten steps back so Mary could give Ariel a hug. I can only imagine the withered faces my husband and I turned on the "cast member" after waiting 80 minutes for our daughter to have a chance to meet her Princesses. Poor Mary. Ariel heard Mary begging to go see her, and waved to Mary and blew her a kiss. So nice, that mermaid.

I can't help but wonder why, if Disney insists on marketing the Princesses so heavily as to whip up a frenzy among girls age 3 to 12, ok, maybe 34, they can't create more than one Princess attraction. Then you could pick your favorite, and the line would be cut down a bit. Pixie Hollow, the local for Tinkerbelle, had a good 45 minute wait. You know, as I type this all now, I wonder, who would wait in those lines? I can't imagine my husband agreeing to that. Yet, wait we did. Because when you are there, and your child knows Tinkerbelle is just on the other side of those giant tulips, you can't tell her no.

We also did lots and lots of rides, and got to see the newly renovated Small World ride, which Katy loved. Almost as much as the neon zany Pooh ride. Jimmy's favorites were the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, of course.

We still have one day left on our 3 day passes, and plan to return to check out Disney's California Adventure. I'll be sure to bring more Peeps.

Valentine's Day=More Candy

So we made it through Valentine's week. At school, anyway. I've learned that when it comes to holidays, moms have to plan and provide for the school celebration, as well as the family celebration. Not sure how I feel about that. Not that I have anything against celebrating holidays at school. It just seems to me the demands are a little more than necessary.

Jimmy goes to half-day kindergarten, and has a relatively small class of just 15 kids. But on half days, they are combined with the morning class, as they were for the Valentine party. Jimmy had to make 40 valentines. And leave the 'To' field empty because they wouldn't have time to search through names to hand them out. And, since when did Valentines all come with candy? When I was a kid, we just handed out the little cards. And writing names on them was an opportunity to practice writing our friends names. Jimmy and I stuffed 40 Valentine bags with candy, and it took way too long for him to write 'ny friend' in the 'To' field.

Then Jimmy came home with a bag of candy and Valentines to rival Halloween and the Easterbunny. I guess there's noting wrong with that, as long as I ration the candy. My problem is , how exciting will the small offering of candy I usually give at Valentine's seem in the face in all that party candy? I guess I'll have to change what I've done in the past. I just don't want one more 'holiday' that has the kids expecting a toy every year. Please spare me the 'Valentine Wishlist.'

If you were hoping to have your ashes scattered from the top of the Matterhorn . . .

Disney is having some nice deals for active duty military and their families right now. At Disneyworld, servicemembers get a free 5-day park hopper pass, and can buy up to 5 more for something like $99. Here in California, Disneyland is offering a 3 day park hopper free, with 5 more 3-day park hoppers available for the price of a 1 day pass.

So I have been looking into Disneyland. We've never been, but we can drive there in a few hours, and I think the kids are a good age for their first trip to Disney. I was checking out the website today, looking for info about ride restrictions, so I can figure out what my preschooler can go on, and on which rides I can hold a toddler. I read the park restrictions, as well, which listed items that are not allowed into the park.

Some highlights:

• Of course no weapons, including nunchucks and brass knuckles
• No bicycles, unicycles, or pogo sticks
• No trailers that require towing by a wheelchair or stroller
• No helmets, hockey sticks, or bows and arrows
• No stinkbombs
• No handcuffs, box cutters, or duct tape
• No cremated remains

I don't know which disappoints me more--no pogo sticks, or no stinkbombs. Come ON, Disney, we're supposed to have FUN!

Cuz you can't leave a baby home alone (. . . can you?)

Driving Jimmy to school takes 8 minutes. He goes to afternoon kindergarten, and the baby sometimes really needs a nap about 45 minutes before I have to take Jimmy to school. I can't put her down earlier, because that's when I'm taking Mary to preschool, and I can put her down when I get back, but then I have to wake her to go pick up Mary. There are only 1 hour windows for her to sleep in between drop-offs and pick-ups.

Unless I left her sleeping in her crib for the 8 minutes it takes to drop off Jimmy. It's so tempting. I won't ever do it, I know it's probably a bad idea, I'm sure I could even be arrested. Even though I know the risk is so ridiculously trivial. You might even say, with the number of car accidents that happen within two miles of home, she's actually safer at home in her crib.

Still. It's so darn tempting. She could get a full hour more more of sleep if I didn't wake her. Sigh.