I don’t know if you all have seen this or not but just watch it. Brings it all home for a lot of us. Why water matters. Why people, regardless of where they live, matter. Why Christmas is just 7 months away and there are already people gearing up for the next Water for Christmas season. Why we need you and everyone else to “get” this. Because it’s not about us, it’s about them. And they are so worth it.

Today Trysten and Tariku were playing with some figurines while I was coloring with Dailah. I hear “gunshots” during their game and just kind of watch them. All of a sudden Trysten yells,

YOU JUST SPANKED ME IN THE NUTS!

Which is hilarious for a girl like me but I felt I owed it to my future self to nip this one in the bud, so to speak. Not knowing how he would even talk about spanking (we’re not a spanking family) or nuts (we typically refer to them in their real term “testicles” or “testies” sometimes a mishap happens and it’s “tesi” which is slightly offensive to me but, I digress). Trysten goes on to explain that nuts were what squirrels ate, obviously. Why didn’t I think of that? I offered that perhaps we just shouldn’t talk about spanking things and leave the nuts to the squirrels.

After baseball practice Trysten was feeling like some catch with daddy. I tagged along for the fun of it. Both Zach and I were athletes, I even played softball for a time so the last week or so I have been interjecting with my own words of wisdom. Typically he looked at Zach with his big doe eyes all lovey and looked at me with as close to an eye roll as I allow.

When it came time to practice hitting off the tee, I just said, “Remember, keep your eye on the ball the whole time.” (See, mom, I was listening too!) He turns to me and says, “I know mom, it’s not how hard you swing but how well you swing.” I was impressed! I ask, “Who told you that? Your dad?” “No mom, you did.”

I’m so good I don’t even remember how brilliant I am sometimes.

It’s pretty easy loving this kid.

for the lack of pictures is because the camera is getting fixed. Nothing big, warranty will cover it, but it was a sad day handing it over nonetheless. (Note: The camera I use is actually property of Camp’s so it disappears during camp season to its rightful owner).

I know you guys are just here for the pictures so here’s one before Dailah got her stitches out.

We have our old camera as well but it is dying a slow, painful death. I have money saved for a new one since my old new one broke (my parents and sister were generous people) so will be looking into a new camera.

Any recommendations? I know you bloggers love cameras, if you love yours or have heard of good ones, leave a comment or shoot me an email. Always open to suggestions! Oh, but it must be digital and must not take a large learning curve, it also must take pictures of my “good angle” only, whatever that is).

That’s how I would describe today. We didn’t do much at all, but got some time outside and the whole day was spent as a family, my kind of day. We are quickly approaching summer camp season and thus less daddy time so getting to spend an entire day with him felt like Christmas!

In other news, we are enjoying our cable. The day it was getting installed I picked Trysten up from school and told him the news. His reaction was hilarious.

Trysten: Now we can be a real family!

Hotflawedmama: What do you mean a real family? What do real families do that we don’t?

Trysten: Well every family I know, the kids wake up early and turn on cartoons and the adults sleep later.

That is just funny to me. And, sounds like something I’d be interested in. Between that, and the other fun things he’s brought home from school. Small and incomplete list below:

–Talk to the hand (though he doesn’t quite know how/when to say that)
–What in the heck?
–Butthead
–You’re stupid (though those last two he’s never actually said to anyone, he just told me someone said something mean to him and that’s what it was).
–Mom you can’t beat up that kid (to be fair, he said that AFTER I asked him who called him stupid and then TRIED to say under my breath, “I’m going to hit that kid.”)

There are many more. My kids are all at hilarious wording phases. Dailah because she’s just learning the english language. So she seems to say “penis” a lot but it’s rarely exactly what she wants to say. Tariku because he also is learning the english language. Trysten because he is learning the somewhat adult version of the language.

Good stuff this parenting.

Do you guys know on the news sometimes how they do the “Around the World in 60 seconds.” bit? Well here’s my version..

AROUND THE KLIPSCHS IN (SLIGHTLY MORE THAN) 60 SECONDS!!!!!!!

–Trysten had his first baseball practice yesterday. Before practice he told me he was a little excited and a little nervous. He didn’t know if he could hit it that hard. Thought it was pretty cute. Came home to find out his jersey number was 15. This was both Zach and my numbers throughout our lives in sports. Could it be fate? Seriously.

–Taught Tariku how to tell a joke. The best joke, really. The one about tickets to the gun show. After he tells it he throws his hands in the air and says, “hey yo”. Kind of makes me pee my pants a little bit every time.

–We broke down and bought cable for our television. We recently paid off a few bills and found just enough spare change in the couch to work it out. They come today. Zach woke up early to break in the new horses out at camp (so he says) but I happen to think he couldn’t sleep with all the excitement and promise of watching the Cubs play in our own home.

–Dailah bumped her head again IN THE SAME FLIPPIN’ SPOT. It got a nice goose egg and probably ruined her chances at those little kid beauty pageants. Lucky for her we had no intention of entering her in one but since she keeps hitting her head we are thinking of outfitting her with a snazzy helmet, which I’m sure is second best to beauty pageants.

I’m sure there is more but it finally stopped raining outside and the kids’ giggles are beckoning me to join them. Hope your day is tops!

To my Abe. Our “baby”. He turns 1 today. Hard to believe this guy is only 1-years-old.

He is a full head taller than me when we dance. He is 36″ at his shoulders. He is lovable and hilarious. He is also quite a little speedster when an animal crosses his path. Most of the time he seems like a wise soul (very Abe of him) but once in awhile he’ll get his puppy streak and it looks simply hilarious on a 200lb dog.

Love him. Look how much he’s grown!

Around the house (some pre and some post stitches)…

Here is a link to a woman on the news. Her group is Project Hopeful and she is just one awesome lady!

Here is a link to Julie’s article. Great rebuttal to another woman’s article that is referenced in Julie’s. Confusing enough?

Enjoy!

is my mom, Connie. (Sorry about the picture of Doozie’s food, it was just the most recent picture of my mom). Isn’t she gorgeous?

Today is mother’s day and I can’t help but think of this lady on this day. Sure, this day is loved by Hallmark and such, but I also happen to love this day. It’s a day I can remember to thank the moms and grandmas in my life, but I typically get ridiculously spoiled so I also enjoy that.

Back to my mom. Here are some reasons why I love her and why she is deserving of a whole day just for her:

–She is uber supportive of her kids. Even if she completely, whole heartedly disagrees, she supports us. Which is tough to do, I’m sure. She’s been known to travel great distances just to see us for a few minutes. She’ll make across the state treks (with my dad in tow) to watch soccer games and various other activities throughout her 29 years of motherhood.

–She is a HARD worker. Say what you want about this woman but she knows the value of an hour. She and my dad once went to my sister’s house for a weekend, knowing she had to work the whole time, and painted her whole house. Mom hates painting. But knew Kara wanted it done and wanted to help her.

–Every year on mother’s day she gets me plants. But she doesn’t just get them in their little plastic glory but she plants them in beautiful arrangements too. Yesterday I woke up thinking the dogs were getting into something on the porch at 6:30 am but instead it was just mom and dad, filling my mom’s day planters full of the brightest hues of flowers. They had snuck out of Dailah’s room while she still slept to get it done before they had to leave.

–She has a loud, wonderful laugh. One of those you kind of can’t help but join in on.

–People say I look like her. I truly hope I look as good as she does when I grow up.

–We share a birthday (June 5). Story has it that she tried to hold me in, not wanting me to have share my birthday with her. I value that day so much more because I share it with her. In fact, I often would hope I, too would become a mother on that day so it would be 3 generations.

–Mom believes in family. She will do ANYTHING to keep her family, extended and all, together. She tries to the point of exhaustion, even when it might not be reciprocated. This confused Zach when we first got together but it’s certainly something I’ve learned from her. See this post as a reminder.

There are 400 other things I could write about her that explain why she’s tops but it turns out I need to go mother my 3 right now. Suffice it to say, she is a great mom. You should all meet her and find out for yourselves.

Happy mother’s day also to my mom-in-law who is by far the best mom a woman could marry into and to my grandma (the one who was getting her nails done while drinking a mimosa). Grandma is my mom’s mom so we could probably ascertain from the above details that she is tops as well.

I love you ladies. Thank you for loving me, guiding me, being an example for me and for setting a pretty high standard for mother’s all around!

And thank you, of course, to the woman who gave my Tariku life. His other mommy. The one who I think about more than I care to admit. The one I imagine in his eyes and his laugh. The reason for his super sweet personality and love for all things big and small. This woman, I owe so much. I cannot wait to meet her on those streets lined with gold. To her I also owe much strength and gratitude.

To all you moms both in the literal sense and to those women who bleed and cry and blog for the children you will one day hold. You have given me more strength than you can possibly imagine by being the epitome of strength; showing how amazing you’ll be as mothers because of the way you fight for your children. Happy mothers day to you too!

Much love today,
Tesi

Last night started like every other Thursday night. With us at the Y. Kids in childwatch, Zach playing raquetball and me teaching 2 of my classes. I finished up teaching, got the kids then we went to watch Zach finish up. He went to the locker room to grab his stuff and we headed to the front door.

“Walking feet”, I say to my three turning a corner at the Y. The boys slowed but I hear a little girl’s feet still moving rapidly. I turn to tell her to slow down and she trips and falls face first into an end table.

I drop everything, seeing how hard she hit it.

In the 2 seconds it takes me to get to her there is blood EVERYWHERE and she’s screaming her little head off.

I grab her and cuddle her, the boys get a panicked look so I look at them and say, “Go get your sister some help.”

Trysten runs as fast as he can to the front desk (I can see the desk from where I am) and says,

“My sister needs help! Page my dad!”

I got all teary just seeing him jump into action.

By the time Zach came out of the locker room the lifeguard staff had come out with gloves, bandages and HAZMAT bags and a laundry guy came out with paper towels. Seeing the wound, I knew we’d have to go get stitches.

So off we went to the ER. I took a picture, wanting to document it (slightly ridiculous, I know) and I showed it to her. Zach thought it unwise but she turned out to be just like her mom and wanted to see it. Here it is:

She was pretty quiet so I was a bit nervous about a concussion. So after much discussion with the PA about NOT needing a plastic surgeon to take a look at her (dude’s dig scars, right?) they put some numbing stuff on her and we waited. Zach took the boys to Leslie’s house and grabbed some McDonald’s.

After a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake she perked up to her normal Doozie self.

Once it came time for the stitches they had to wrap her arms down tight with a blanket and then covered everything but one eye with sterile towels. She did so well the first 2 deep stitches and then the first 5 outside stitches. Didn’t cry, just watched us with her one eye. Then the last stitch she was just done and starting crying a bit.

The doctors said she did the best they’ve seen, which obviously they tell every parent, but I’m choosing to believe them. And alas, the final product.

In the end, she did so much better than I did. It is painful watching your children go through it. I’ve never wanted to switch places with someone so badly (except for maybe when Tariku broke his arm). I’m not sure how my heart can take a lifetime worth of this stuff!

And seriously, how is it that the princess is the first one with stitches in our family?