Busy Bee's

My beautiful Maya...

Let's talk dear!

I adore every little thing about you.

Your pouty irresistible eyes, your full luscious lips. your porcelain doll-like skin, your round protruding belly, and your great busy spirit.

Let me tell you the chaos that can follow a tiny two year old body in one small day.

I came home from work yesterday to find you had dumped an entire box of cereal all over the kitchen and living room.  

It. Was. Everywhere.  

I looked, laughed, and attended to the necessities, like dressing messy bodies and combing tangled hair.

We decided to swim early on, in order to keep me on my toes, and you and your siblings happy.  We swam...and when we were done, you decided that the swim diaper had to go.

Well, you decide that every diaper must go lately!!!

You took it off, walked around naked, and before I could catch you, you squatted on the kitchen floor and dribbled....well, peed!  You  quickly escaped my grasp...laughing all the while.

It was then time for your nap...and you decided to climb outta your crib repeatedly...

Instead of battling a fight I was destined to fail, you took your place beside me on the couch!  I didn't bother to replace my wet suit with dry clothes, because I replaced your wet suit with dry clothes (and Liddy's...and Connor's....and Aiden's!)...and I just didn't care about mine!!!

You showed me how you're gaining life skills from me...and by life skills, we are talking about using cell phones for taking pictures!

 When you walked away, I tried to do a little of this...

Umm...you wouldn't have it.

No sooner did I close my eyes, and I heard your whimper...your cry...and then your scream!

 So I got up...lined you and your sibling in front of me...hugged you, kissed you, and told you of the marvelous children you all are!!!

You were thinking of greater things....escaping the pack, food, toys, drinks...everything but lining up with the pack!

More spills came from your tender hands...

Soda, chips, popcorn, cereal.

At days end you had to give me the big BANG; you dropped my only liquid glass measure cup and it shattered everywhere.  I quickly gathered you and your siblings out of the kitchen in my bare feet.

Unfortunately, your tiny toes didn't escape the glass...you were cut, and bleeding, and crying. 

I hugged you, stoped the bleeding, and you escaped....again!

This time, you ran to the bathroom, and your diaper came off; I found poop all over your tiny feet and legs.  At 6pm, after 30 hours without sleep, all I could do was RUN as fast as I could to clean your tiny body off...and save my floors!

When you were finally in a sweet slumber, I noticed, my dear, that somehow you also placed a large amount of liquid soap in the cats food and water...leaving their bowl full after a long day.  They didn't eat, sweet Maya, but they are still alive to dodge your grasp tomorrow!  All is well!

I know that one day, you and Lydia will be much more self sufficient, and readily able to control your instinct to devour every object you find!  These boys are good examples to you...they love you so much!

But today...

And tomorrow...

And every day, of every week, of every month, this year...and forever,

I will treasure your tired eyes as they cry in your fatigued fragile body.

As you open the door for your big sister to let her guard down, and cry too...

And when you and your sister get hurt, feel sad, or just need some extra time with Mommy, my arms will always be here to love you!  Sometimes, Mommy's embrace is the only thing that'll calm a weary heart. 

The scratches on your body and heart may scar...

But those scars will teach you.

Use them wisely, and they will help you love deeper than you ever thought you could. 

But until you push me away, I will kiss you every night...in attempt to turn those frowns into smiles....

And those tears of sorrow to tears of joy! 

You keep me busy, Maya Ruth!  I wouldn't have it any other way!

Who holds the magic???

Okay...

Listen...

I'm getting tired of the monotonous mundane life...

Day in...

Day out...

So, I was thinking, and this is where my thoughts led me.

Wouldn't it be great to start a circus act?  Where we could dance and run and play all day long?  Where life was elevated above the mundane, and the main issue at hand was how happy we made each other feel?

So, my plan started as a simple thought...

Became a dream...

And by golly gosh, we are circus BOUND!!!

Nothing but smiles for this ride.

Okay, if we fall off of the trapeze, there will be a net to assist in our recovery, and there are guaranteed tears when the fall is made.  But guess what???
Someone is always hanging on those bars, ready to throw us back and forth in pure bliss!!!

From lion tamers, to jugglers...

From trapeze artists (that'd be me flying through the air with my invisible wings!!!)...to magicians...

And then there's the ringmaster, clowns, and tightrope walkers... 

Positions are still available!

There are conditions:

1. When someone gets hurt, you pick them up

2. When someone is sad, you try to make them smile

3. When someone is in the line of danger, you protect them

4. You try your hardest in every act to be your best

5. You heal when you find yourself injured

and

6. You have pure simple FUN!!!

I've found the best little partner...I call her Mini Me!

And the magicians are working relentlessly on their illusions!  They can do things you have never seen before!!  'Tis true, the magic is in their tiny little hands!

They cease their training on occasion to feed their minds and bodies, but this act is dead serious!  They are training night and day.  At times, I have to tell them to get their rest so they can perform at their optimum state!

And then, once the wigs and dresses come off, at the end of the day...there is mandatory cuddle time so that we remember why we are in this circus after all....

Now why is that?

To make each other happy...

To smile...

To dream, and hope, and love...

And it all started there with the grand figure of its creation....

Mother Dear!

 Get ready for the ride of your life!

My Children in Plain Site!

My children bring out the best (and the worst) in me.

Rather than rant, I'll show you what I mean!!!

CONNOR

AIDEN

SHANE

LYDIA

MAYA

They make me smile....and cry!

They make me giggle....and yell!

They make me beautiful....and so very sleep deprived, knotty hair, baggy eyed ugly!

They give me faith...their upbringing scares me silly!

They cause me to love deeper than I ever have before in a simple grin, hug, uh-oh, touch, and kiss!

They belong to me...and I belong to them!

My Ancestry...My Posterity

I woke to this beautiful gal, snuggling close to me this morning.  I saw myself in her as she begged to be within touching distance of my entire body. As I stayed perfectly still, in the most uncomfortable position, only to allow her dainty fatigued body drift slowly back to sleep, I admired her pretty nose, the curve of her eyes, her precious soft pink lips, and her blonde hair swept perfectly to the right of her pale doll skin.

I saw myself.

I saw my daughter.

I stroked her face gently, she sighed a bit, and I laid there for a good 30 minutes, still, calm, enjoying each moment of her beautiful little body, holding a beautiful BIG spirit.

It was 5:30am, and she obviously needed to sleep longer, but my body ached, so I retired to the couch, for some room, more than anything else.  She noticed my distance in another 15 minutes, grabbed a bag of chips and joined me under the covers on the couch.  She chomped away on BBQ potato chips, my favorite growing up, and said, "Get your rest Mommy" in a sweet gentle tone.  When my eyes later opened and my arms wrapped around her, her first response was, "Did you rest well?"

Oh how I love Miss Lydia!

So, as I got ready for church, I went with a 1920's style dress, some high heels that made me so very tall (which I love) and curly classic hair.  Most people thought Steve got a new girl!  I was told the look was very fitting for me, that I was totally unrecognizable, I was gorgeous...and on and on!  I laughed so hard when they thought Steve brought another woman to church. 

But I dressed that style, thinking of my generations past.  I added the beautiful crystals I inherited when my Great Grandma Maymie passed away.  So to my turned up nose, eyes curved like my Lydia's, pink lips and pale doll skin (or so my husband says), I defined myself with the crystals.

Thank you Maymie for being with me today from another dimension which I would love to have even one glimpse of, and thank you Lydia for showing me that in you I and my ancestry live on. 

The women in my family are solid rocks...

Great Grandma Maymie (Jesus loves me...you said so!)

My Nonna (I'm built just like you...and desire to be just like you!)

Mother Dear (My Gardener)

Princess Sara (My NEEDED other half...I've determined we will pass together to that next dimension)

Compassionate Sunny (My rescue in times of pain, my beauty diva partner)

Faithful Santana (My opptomistic turn to)

And then there's me...Crystal...a pioneer.  I as reminded of that today.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

I woke yesterday morning to the sweetest and most peaceful moment.  Aiden had already placed his wet sheets into the washer, wiped off his bed, taken a shower, and was about to place the kittens near me as I slept.  He did...and Tigger curled up next to me, Bonita curled up next to Tigger, and Aiden strived to curl up to all of us.  When the kittens feel asleep, he left me to cuddle with them, knowing the happiness it brings me.

I could've stayed there for hours, and I was tempted to after the long hard week I had, but my thoughts were interrupted by my sister's text wondering what our plans were for the day.

I had a very hard week, and I know I have been specifically and harshly mocked for the expression of my trials on my blog...though not even a small bit of them have been expressed publicly, but I am honest.  In being honest, I try to be uplifting as well...and mysterious, so people don't know the true nature of the trial.  Only if you KNOW me, do you KNOW our trials...and those people are few and far between, unless information is sadly leaked and trust spilt.

This week was hard, leaving me for days with tears, puffy eyes that I tried to ease with warm wash clothes and rice packs, headaches that were not cured by medication, only the ceasing of crying, and emotions that left me without appetite or desire to work my tail off...which I do daily!!!  The feeling is familiar...and one I would never wish to revisit again.

 This past Monday night, I walked into my patients room.  The mother of the patient said, "Crystal"

"Yes, what can I do for you?" was my reply.

"No, Crystal, I was just thinking of your name, and what it means.  It is just that, a crystal; a beautiful formation created from a strong and pure foundation.  But, in order for that formation to create that crystal, the elements of the earth have to come together in the most perfect order from that foundation in order to create a beautiful crystal.  That's what you are Crystal, you have been given a very special name!"

I was left in awe...in shock...and tears filled my eyes.

My mother desired to name me Elizabeth, but my father was chosen to name me since my mother named Sara...our princess!  My father's favorite singer was Crystal Gale...and for the longest time I couldn't disassociate that from me.  Over the years, the separation occurred and I know that I am truly meant to be Crystal.

Aiden and Connor were playing the other day (7&9), and a war was reaching it's highest level of acuity based on their running and ducking amongst the rocky grounds (our stone landscaped yard).  The forces must have been many, because as Aiden was in desperate attempt to fight his hardest, he yelled, "I'm holding up my Crystal Shield!"

"WHAT?" I shouted in shock.

"It's my Crystal Shield Mom, see how pretty it is.  It protects me!"

I was then led to tell them of who I am, Crystal, Crystal Shield...they thought it was amazing!  And yes, I do protect them!

That little story of hope on Monday night has carried me through some of the week.  I know my Father and truest family and friends regard me unique, beautiful, and of great worth.  So after a week of placing warm wash clothes on poofy eyes, rice packs on my head, and taking medicines to ease a headache that only the ceasing of crying can ease, I decided to follow through with my plans to take my sister out to lunch.

This is her, a beautiful gal...in so many ways.  Her name is Sunny.  She is a true and beautiful member of the church who has told me all week long to not trust in the opinions of those who do not know me, but KNOW who I am!  She's had a really hard week too!

We went to the mall and found the greatest deals on Perfumed body lotions... and we only bought a few before we headed to a favorite sub spot.  Our day was ending way too short when i dropped her off only to head back into town for my son's appointment.  I told her husband, "You know I could keep your wife out all day long if it wasn't for my son's appointment!"

She called me moments later to say that her husband left to run his own errands and she was home alone, so I made a quick U-turn to have her with me all day long!

We ended up at Connor's 9 year well visit appointment, and she took over her youngest, Christian (1 year) and my crazy hyperactive son Aiden with my wandering little Maya in the waiting room while Lydia and Connor came with me into the exam room.  

Lydia insisted that she do everything her brother did...and the nurse was very patient...doing all things for her as she had done for Connor.  It came time for Connor to pee in a cup (because of some concerns I have had regarding him...and Maya's link to kidney/urinary problems we already face in our family).  He was so compliant and calm...then Lydia decided she needed to pee... and Connor said, "I'll just wait in the exam room!"

When Lydia was done, I decided I needed to "pee", and Lydia said, "I'll just wait in the exam room!" with her lispy 3 year old voice!

I walked into the exam room with the doctor already there, sitting at the computer, and I told her, "Well, you know Connor had to pee in a cup, so naturally Lydia had to pee, and then lo and behold, I decided I had to as well!"  She looked at me, taken by surprise with my bluntness and started cracking up.  She quickly complimented my hair, we joked some more, and then she said, "You guys, your Mom's hair is making her so spunky and funny, I just love it!!!  And you're so cute and stylish!"

Connor was found to be in the 85th percentile for height at 55.5 inches...only 6.5 away from me (and he grew 6 inches this past year alone!) and in the 50th percentile for weight at 68 pounds...more than half my current weight. I love him so much!  He clung to me when he had to receive lab work to rule out kidney and endocrine problems, and then he clung tighter afterwards as I cheered him on as the best son ever.  When we walked out to the waiting room, the doctor took a quick peek at Sunny, surprised to see that she was my sister (Sunny sends her kids there too!).  We laughed and the doctor joked about how Sunny can't round up the kids...Aiden was hanging over the front desk, Maya was wandering everywhere in the office, and Christian was in his mother's arms screaming!  Oh joy, I thought, my sister had to babysit for me!

When we left I found a great deal on 6 inch heels from Target...love my HIGH heels, though I only buy them on clearance!  It takes me from 5'2" to 5'8"...that's awesome! 

Only after we had been to Target did we realize that the boys...who had been with Antonio (Sunny's husband) all day at the movies, hadn't had a drink...not even water!  We played into it by telling them to just wait until after Target...oh the times we will laugh at when all is said and done!

We then went back to the mall and bought a ton of the clearance lotions and lip glosses...

We made 5 trips total...

With each trip one of us hopped out of the car to buy more items that we instantly feel in love with the moment we tried it!  Hey...we don't buy full price...ever!  And now we are well stocked!

Sometimes girls really do just wanna have fun...

we did...

and I think we deserved it!