Raspberry Days

Raspberries are one of my favorite berries. I love the way they taste and even the little seedy things they have don't bother me much. They aren't cheap to buy at the store so I don't buy them as often as I would a bunch of grapes but I do buy them regularly. This afternoon as I was washing the new bunch of berries we had just bought my oldest son Z. came in and popped some in his mouth. He just went "ummm, I love these". So I asked him if he remembered the first time he ate raspberries. Naturally he couldn't so I told him.

We were living overseas in Finland and didn't have a car. We relied on walking, public transportation and our bikes for getting from one place to another. Z. was only two at the time so he had a chair on the back of my bike that he rode in. Since it was summer at the time I was taking Z. out to the beach to play in the sand.

It was about a three mile ride through forested areas on a bike path. I kept noticing these bushes that people would be at with buckets, but never stopped to see what they were picking until that day. So that afternoon on the way home we finally stopped to see what was growing. It was raspberries and they were everywhere. So we started to pick some. My son just ate as many as he could straight from the bushes and so did I. They were delicious. We picked a few and put them into a bucket and rode on home. Z. just held the bucket of berries in his hands while I rode and ate some more. That was the first of many trips we took to go out raspberry picking.

To this day it is one of my favorite memories I have of being in Finland. Things just moved at a slower pace for us in Finland and we actually took the time to enjoy things. If we would have had a car I never would have noticed the bushes and found the raspberries. So as I eat my raspberries today, I am also remembering the raspberries I ate before which just makes them taste that much better.

Dirty Jobs

Have you ever watched the show Dirty Jobs on Discovery channel? It's one that my husband and I will watch on occasion usually with me completely grossed out about something or another. My husband meanwhile is fascinated by this type of programming.

Apparently my oldest son is alot like my husband. He has discovered the nastiness of Dirty Jobs and is only to thrilled to come and tell me all about what cool new things they can do with manure. Something to do with the testorone coursing through his veins I guess.

This morning he has gone back and forth between watching Dirty Jobs and Myth Busters. (Another of hubby's favorites) Only this time he was excited because they were going to be doing something with a chicken and a cannon. Huh? What was that? When I finally asked him to please go enlighten his brain and read something, my oldest son replies. "C'mom mom this manure stuff is educational and I always wanted to learn about canons and chickens. What would you rather me do watch cartoons, play gameboy or watch educational tv." Yeah right, nice try, whatever. I know it's all about the manure isn't it.

Maybe I can educate him some more with some hands on experience and send him out to the backyard to do manure control out there.

Time to Recover

Well after our very busy weekend here I am trying to recover. The laundry is piled up and the house is a mess. Baby A, is not feeling well and is on medicine so hopefully she will be doing better soon. Grandmama and Pappy left this morning so all the kids are bored and missing them already.

I have yet to tell them that we are supposed to be meeting an old dear friend from high school tomorrow. I haven't seen her in over a year and we have both had babies since then. There is always a big bunch of us that meet up when she comes into town and since we all have children we tend to meet in child friendly places. We have decided to brave the tubes of death at Chuck E Cheese since most of the kids are big enough to enjoy them without needing mom right next to them. Hopefully they will be on their best behaviour and let us mom's catch up with each other.

Where did nine years go?

Nine years ago you entered my life. To my unknowledgable eyes, you appeared beautiful and perfect. You soon proved me to be right. One of my most vivid memories of you as a baby is of you nursing and me just holding your small baby hand and wondering what you would be like at different ages.

You smiled early on and you haven't stopped yet. You are always so affectionate and loving and even though it' no longer cool, you still are. I remember holding those small tiny hands as you slept and now when I look at them, they are already scarred up and constantly throwing a ball of some sort. You have never been a quiet child, I always knew that as long as I could hear you, everything was fine. Your still not a quiet child but the noise has now changed. Some days I really miss all those crazy car chases across the rug with your toy cars. Now when your driving cars around it is usually a game that your playing with your friends.

I remember when we lived in Finland how I would hold your hand as we crossed the street to walk to the grocery store, and how you would help me carry our bag of groceries home. You were such a good little helper. I don't have to hold your hand anymore when we cross the street but sometimes you grab it just because and it always makes me catch my breath and smile. I remember the first time you rode a bike and the first day you took off your training wheels, I was so proud of you.

I also remember the first time you cried because someone had said something mean to you. It broke my heart probably more than it did yours. And to this day I still hold a grudge against that child for being mean to my baby. Mainly because that was when you realized that I couldn't protect you from everything all the time.

I am so proud of the boy you have become, so sweet and honest and caring. You were my first child and yet you never showed any resentment or jealousy of the other children that would follow you. Instead you just ask when we are going to have another baby for you to hold. I look at you now and some of my question has been answered. I know what you have been like at the different ages these past nine years and I have enjoyed every moment of them. I still look at you today and wonder how your going to change as you get older. I know I will enjoy each of those moments with you especially since time seems to be moving so fast.

Happy Birthday son and thank you for blessing my life in ways that I never imagined nine years ago.

I love you, Mom.