I ate two pieces of Texas chocolate sheet cake for breakfast.  Texas chocolate sheet cake is going to be the death of me.  Then I drank a latte with two shots of espresso.  Espresso keeps me on my feet; it clears my brain; it starts my day; it fuels my existence.  This is all that I have eaten today.  I am a Health Nut!!

But I feel GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGreat!  And this is why.

I received this little memo from Scout.  She is my affectionate one.  “Sweetness personified,” we like to say.  I love, love notes.  I’ve saved all the love notes I have received, and I cherish all of them–especially the ones with misspelled words.  I also love the drawing in which the girls draw their Mommi.  This is a colorful one.  Check out my eye-brows.  As a Mommi, some days are like this drawing–bright, colorful, happy, and with perfectly arched eye brows.

This Miro-esque drawing is also by my Eloise.  Mommi-hood can be like this drawing.  Kind of dark and scribbly, and with action happening everywhere.  Check out my running feet and quizzical eye-brows.  My hair looks like this some days also.  But see the bright backdrop?  Yep, despite the craziness here at My Whit’s End or in Mommi-hood in general, there is a bright backdrop.  Look for it today.

This drawing of me shows an “Oh Boy! Day”.  School is going full force.  Learning is happening. Creativity is flowing, and this is what it sounds like.  The microwave is beeping to let me know the butter is melted.  Little Man is dumping out the bathroom drawers, tasting the potatoes, banging pan lids together, and throwing objects down the stair with squeals of delight. The phone is ringing.  Piano practicing is happening.  There is knocking on the back door by a neighbor boy who has a half day, and wants to play.  Questions are being asked.  The microwave beeps again to remind me that I haven’t taken the melted butter out.   Answers are being given.  The oven just beeped to let me know that it is pre-heated and ready to receive the banana bread.  There is knocking on the back door by the neighbor girls who want my girls to come out and play.  A science project is on the curriculum for today–it involves baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring.  There is more knocking on the back door by the neighboring girls who want to know if my girls have finished their school work.  The smoke detector goes off because the pie filling that overflowed yesterday in the oven is on fire.  The sound scares Little Man.  All the kiddos stop their school work to comfort him.  He doesn’t want comfort; he wants lunch.  There is knocking at the back door again.  I prepare my yelling only to see the Schwan Man.  The phone rings again.  It is an “Oh Boy! Day,” but see those bubbles?  Those are creativity and learning bubbles.  It may be crazy, but learning is happening–it better be, because most school days are like this.

You just gotta love the next picture of me.  I’ve gotta love it and laugh, or I will cry.  Check out my figure!  Yep, that pretty much is me.

This is a long Mommi with her hands on her hips.  I love the loopy arms and happy face.  We have some loopy days around here.  Hopefully I will greet them with a smile.  Hope you can smile about your loopy days, also–especially those loooooooooooong, loopy days.

Here’s a solid-looking Mommi.  She’s got both feet solidly on the ground.  She’s wearing her sensible shoes.  She can see clearly with her glasses on.  The small eye is compensated by a large lens, and the large eye appropriately has a smaller lens.  Her vision is focused.  There isn’t even a hint of a waist (or waste for that matter.)  Her figure is square and so is her approach on life.   Even her hair is straight.  This Mama is in control.  She’s handl’n things.   Oh the things kids see.  The things my kids see in me.

This happy Mama is dancing.  She’s got her party dress on and is MOve’n.  Her dress may be long-sleeved and down to her ankles, but if you look closely, it is a bit sheer.  This is a happy, crazy, Mama.  Hope you have some days like this to break up the monotony.  Hope you occasionally dance around the kitchen.

In this photo you will see something above the Mama’s head.  What do you think it is?  Go ahead; make a guess.  (See you again at the bottom of the picture, but don’t forget to guess.)

So what was your guess?  A sack of flour?  A basket filled with goodies?  A hat?  A heavy burden?  A heavy load to carry around? Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  and Nope!

That circle, oh best beloved, is a halo.  And you have one over your head too–just for trying to be a mommi.  Keep on.

Hope you smiled,

–the Mommi

P.S.  This drawing is of a jump rope and it being included because Eloise said, “Put this in your bwog.”  And without even a please or a thank you, this Mama obeyed.  Not one of my “solid, in control” days.

jum, jum.

That is what Eloise says when exiting a room.  I think it is Eloise for “tootle-loo!” and” good-bye”, and “have a great day.”

so. . .jum, jum.