Hindsight...

If there was one word my husband would have tattooed across my forehead (backwards so I could read it when I'm brushing my teeth morning and night), that word would be R-E-L-A-X.

I was reflecting on this fact this afternoon as I was running errands with my 22 month old in tow. I had Muse blaring at decibles that the Parents Advisory Council would frown upon, not to mention the questionable content of the lyrics. But as I glanced back at my cherub, his feet tapping and hands clapping with a HUGE grin on his face (baby likes Muse!) I flashed back to when my oldest was the same age. We listened to A LOT of Mozart, because the experts said it would make him smart (it worked by the way...the downside is he is now smarter than me!). If I was tired of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I'd settle for the classical radio station. When that was a snooze...classical guitar. It was a stretch, just coming in under my stringent standards. I didn't want to corrupt the kid. My-oh-my. If I could travel through time and have a chat with that anal first time mom...

I think I'm coming along with the whole letting go thing. I can't magically wave a wand over the world and make it perfect for my kids, but maybe if they see me moving more comfortably through life, they will too!

We are "vacationing" in Arizona right now. Vacationing is in quotes because I'm on my own with the three kids. More accurately I should say, they are vacationing and I am just trying to keep up. My vacation will come the day after we get back and they are in school. Ahhhh...

So the other day we were driving back from the Arizona Museum of Natural History. My oldest, out of the relative quiet of the back seat asks, "Mom, where are the terrorists in Arizona?" My brother and I exchanged a questioning look.
"Terrorists? Honey...there are no terrorists in Arizona."
"Ya-huh! That billboard back there said, 'Terrorist Information.'" My brother and I started to laugh. We had just driven past the Gilbert City municipal buildings. I responded, "No honey, not terrorist...it's tourist information." I tried to explain the difference between the two words, just to erase that worried wrinkle in his brow.

One carries a camera and is victim of over priced cotten candy at a baseball game (12 bucks) ...the other carries an oozie.

and OUT like a lion...

Add "snow" to your list of four letter words, the really naughty ones that would have gotten your mouth washed out with soap as a kid. We've had snow for nearly four days in a row...and I would like to point out that, theoretically...it's SPRING. Hello! So far the only evidence of Spring is the part of our fence that is now in the neighbor's yard. Around here, it ain't Spring until gale force winds blow and we make a call to our insurance agent. I thought this latest destruction might be a good omen, the wind ushering in warmer temperatures and a reprieve for the neighbor's daffodils. No go.

Today I woke up to snow,again. I'm so glad the door to my room was closed because I used some blue language to express my appreciation to Mother Nature for the April Fool's joke. By noon the snow had passed...along with the urge to pick up car pool in my thermal underwear and take hot chocolate intravenously.

Oh, and another bonus to the unseasonally cold temperatures...

I would have posted much, much earlier but the weather messes with the internet connection, taking me back to 1995 when "online" refered to an alternate method of drying laundry.

Warmer days are ahead...warmer days are ahead...say it with me now...