Coffee filters, Cookies, and Cascade

        Over and over I  repeat these three items in my head, Coffee filters, cookies, and Cascade..these are items ( in order of importance, mind you) that are to be added to my grocery list on the fridge as soon I hit the kitchen-my forgetter works quite well, thus the repeating.  I am in the middle of sorting my box of  5 thousand "single socks searching for sole mates"  and I'm proudly multi tasking, making the Walmart list in my head :)  I walk into the kitchen to finally jot down my items, pull lunch out of the oven, Pigs-in-a-blanket (Oh yea-I'm a health nut) and set out the chips and dip,and  pour the apple juice as I get bombarded with, "Mom, what's a barfunkle?'.."MOM, If I promise to try and remember to feed it can I have a "Giddy' pig?"..and "What part of the dead pig are we eating here,mom?"    I answer them all with a quick, "I have NO IDEA! "  I smile  and giggled on the inside, for this is a typical (never a dull moment) lunchtime on a Summer day at our house.
         I have admitted before that I tend to ramble so I will warn you now, the rambling is about to start but I do have a point I intend to eventually get to!     SO, I send the kiddos back out to play outside where daddy is mowing and I put in yet another load of laundry.   Work, work, work today, because tomorrow is a family fun day..Hooray!   I stopped and added "call about swimming lessons" to my never ending TO DO List, I uploaded recent pics to my computer ( and didn't even say a word to Dawson about his 95,yes 95 pictures in his little afternoon photo session- 17 pics of Wyatt eating string cheese, 23 of himself and a some other random shots including a few photos of photos in the yearbook) I chose NOT to sweat the small stuff and laughed it off........ since I am being honest and giving you a full view of a typical day, I logged on Facebook for a few :/   These
 little details are  important to my story to help explain  a bit how simple  our  everyday activities- normally NOTHING to brag or BLOG about, but  this is life...this is what is happening from one event,vacation or holiday to another, so this is relevent.   I LOVE it, my simple life that is,( well, not the whole sorting socks and laundry thing) but you know what I'm sayin' and I want to remember all of these little moments of  what life was like with my little people , I want to soak it all in, get it in pictures and videos and blogs- I want to REMEMBER-not only for when this momma birds nest is empty but because at any given moment it could be gone!  This has been on my mind for over a week now since the Joplin disaster actually affected people I know and love-but yesterday it stirred me enough to write this.
             I was sorting through my huge boxes of  pictures and scrapbook items  recently and  I got very nostalgic- it triggered me to find some  of these people I had forgotten about- my favorite social networks have allowed me to find many :)   I found old  pics and letters and notes and ONE drawing.  It was a fancy car of some sort, very good artistic qualities, not just a doodle paper, and it was TO: me and FROM:  a student at the first school where I worked when I was quite young.  The artist was nearly thirteen, a sweet, kind of quiet kid.  He had taken notice of the fact that  a very unhappy stage of my life had passed and now  my main focus was on me again- ( basically I had lossed angry, stress weight and was taking care of myself and he noticed)  his hormones raging I suppose, he quietly said one day,"I didn't used to think you were pretty, but I do NOW" (nothing like a kids honesty) and he went on to say  "In about 5 years I will be 18 and if you are not married, I will marry you!"  I replied, "I tell you what, you come and find me buddy !"  He gave me this picture of a car he had drawn"to remember me" he said..it was all very sweet and that was the end of that.
          Just a couple years ago I was back in town and went through a drive thru of a great little hamburger place I love and looked inside as I waited and there was this little boy, all grown up into a handsome young man, "I should go in and say hello" I thought..but I didn't.  I was in a hurry.  Yesterday, along with a few other people on my list, I did a  fb search for him, then a google....  to make a long story not any longer, I found him, an obituary.....he had been gone a year now, a terrible tragedy that made the news about a year ago.  I read the online comments on his obituary from his mom, his dad, his sister, his brother...I could FEEL the ache the mom spoke of, and when she went on to say how she missed her little boy so and as I thought of my own babies my faced streamed with tears...she mentioned that he had felt troubled and unloved but his memorial service proved otherwise.
          My head has been a mess since this finding, I had to get it out and  sorted.   This blog stuff has turned out to be quite therapeutic.   Yesterday, a tough day to several friends of mine attended a funeral of a dear friend who died too young as well, sadly it seems to be such a good reminder to  make time for the people that matter, show them u care, make each breath count , record the memories of the special times and the everyday life... I 'm sure that momma wishes she could REMEMBER more of the little moments of her little boy getting ready for school,  laughing with his siblings, the dinner time conversations..she has no more chances, but you do,so go on enjoy your ordinary days for these are the days of your life :)

                                           One of  Dawson's photos of photos...sheesh..lol!

                                               Proof of my (nearly)  5 thousand single socks :(

                                                A great little reminder  I keep in my living room.

                                  My sweet little boy..... Pic number 89,  a face I want to remember:)