Saturday Morning In the Motherhood

Like I have told many of you, I feel as if I was born an old woman.

I have always enjoyed sitting alone with a good book or my knitting needles, in the early morning.

As a little girl, before taking up reading or knitting, I used to ride my motorcycle out into the field while the grass was still wet with dew, to be alone.

My Papal used to laugh at how long I would go out on the motorcycle or driving in the little toyota (once he taught me how to use a stick shift).  Speaking of the stick shift, he MADE me learn to use the stick shift before ever letting me get behind the wheel of an automatic. I had to be able to start on a gravelly hill WITHOUT turning any gravel. 

 I was too young to drive on the roads so I drove around the shop or through the cow pasture.  That's what you do in the country for entertainment, you drive, with the windows down, the music blaring, and the cows trying desperately to get out of your way. 

I once, in middle school, invited  the whole Volleyball team to camp out with me in the barn loft.  Only one girl showed up. I guess they didn't find sleeping in a loft very fun? 

Joni and I got up the middle of the night and drove the toyota through the field, pretending we were cruising the town. 

My uncle snuck over to the barn once we were asleep (it was in the middle of the field) and scared the living day lights out us.  

As a mother of two children, two years apart, it is pretty hard to be alone. 

Recently, Roger and I snuck away to my Aunt and Uncles hunting cabin.

When I say that it is in the middle of nowhere Kentucky, I do so mean that it is in the middle of NOWHERE kentucky.

The only running water is the creek.

Electricity?  Nope.

You actually have to cross a creek to get there.

You know that old saying, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise"

Yep!

We woke up the next morning to rain beating down on the tin roof.  It was glorious until I remembered that we had to cross a creek to get back to civilization. 

It was a WONDERFUL get away that I hope to experience again some time soon! 

Thank you Peggy and Carson.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to go to that extreme all of the time to be alone.

   I have learned to lock doors though.  That sure does help keep the kids out of the bathroom while I am showering, however, it doesn't keep them from yelling and banging on the door.

This morning I woke up with giddy excitment about watching 20/20 on Hulu.com.  Yes, I am a total 20/20 junky.  LOVE IT!!   I guess I get that from my Mawmaw?  If you happen to be at her house on a friday evening, I bet my bottom dollar she will be sitting on her couch, in her curlers, night gown and sipping some coffee..... watching 20/20.  Other than that she doesn't watch much TV.  With a farm, a business, rental houses, 7 children and 18 grandchildren, the woman is always on the go. 

When I emerged from the shower on this lovely Saturday morning, I noticed that the kids were playing REALLY well together in the living room.  I will say this about my children, they sure do know how to use their imaginations.  They were playing something that involved under the sea rescue.  Anna was a mermaid, Paul was her captain husband.   I took this wonderful little opportunity to grab the computer and hide away in my room to watch 20/20.  There was suppose to be an EXCLUSIVE interview with John Edward's mistress, Rielle Hunter.  Who knows why I am even interested in hearing her story, but I am.  It's like a REAL LIFE soap opera full of drama.   

I don't want my kids watching it with me, for obvious reasons. Heck, I don't even allow them to watch Good Morning America with me.  Is it wrong of me to not want them knowing about the Sandusky trial or  the Travion Martin case or all the other evil in the world?  They're little kids.  I want them to enjoy the world through little kid eyes.

It does worry me a little bit, just a little bit, that Anna keeps asking me to walk her down to the court house in the early morning, she wants to see "someone get arrested!"  She was REALLY disappointed that she didn't see someone in handcuffs when I took her to the court house with me when I went to change the address on my license. She stood in the middle of the front hall asking VERY loudly "where are the bad guys?" 

Yes.  I was mortified. 

Where does she get this stuff?

If she grows up to be a police officer I will NOT be surprised. 

I was all snuggled up on my bed, the computer in my lap, my knitting needles an arms length away, pulling 20/20 up on Hulu.com, when my door flung open.  In marched Paul and Anna, "whatcha doing?"

I closed the computer and sighed.

I went to the kitchen, poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed the fingernail clippers, nail polish remover, nail polish, and headed to the back door.  The kids followed, as well as the dog.  I sat my coffee down beside the door, as I had too much stuff in my hands to turn the knob.  When I did manage to open the door, the dog bolted out through the small crack, spilling my coffee all over the carpet.  

"SHIT!  well, Damn it!"

"MOM, those are bad words."

Mental note to self to repent.  

I got to work attempting to get coffee out of the carpet.

"there, all cleaned up!!  Well, sort of."

Attempt number two to get out the back door resulted in Anna spilling HER drink.  

It was ORANGE powerade. 

I am happy to announce that this saturday morning in the motherHOOD has been redeemed by me being able to sip coffee on the back porch while rereading Anne Lamott's book, Grace Eventually.  I first read it almost 5 years ago when I was in the hospital on bed rest.  I have grown a LOT since then, as a mother, a wife, a person and a soul, so rereading a book that was a small part of that transitional period in my life has been eye opening to me.  It gives me a chance to reflect and look forward to life.

The kids are currently playing in the backyard.  I have set up a little wonderland for them!  The camping tent is up, their kiddy pool in full, the swing set in cleaned off and a massive amount of outside toys have been pulled out of the garage.   I love hearing their adventures in the background as I sit here on the deck typing in the lounge chair.   

This afternoon Roger's flight comes in about 8:30pm.  I figured I would go to Louisville early so I can fit in a zoo trip before swinging by the airport to pick him up.