Want to join in? Just click the button and link up to Memory Monday at Retired, Not Tired!
This week's prompt is: My Children.
Once upon a time (beginning in the mid 1980s) there were 4 Perfect Princesses...
Yeah, I know. This one was soooooo predictable. What can I say?
Pride. There are four things I take great pride in. Well, not things, but people--the lovelies.
It's just too easy. They give me such cause to be proud of them. And not just because of the usual things- their intelligence (which borders on genius, of course), their talents (which abound), their creativity (what box?), and so on.
It's the little things about them like...
Are the four lovely princesses truly perfect? No.
And those imperfections? Well, those make me just as proud as the other parts. I am amazed at how the lovelies recognize those things about themselves that need work. Their imperfections set them apart. They make the lovelies work harder. They keep the lovelies on their toes. They teach lessons that the lovelies might otherwise not have learned.
Am I a proud mom? Darn right.
Does it embarrass the lovely princesses? Darn right.
But do they ever have to question whether their mother is proud of them? No.
I'm so grateful that I was given these four blessings to love and admire. Even though they're not living in the nest any longer because they're all grown up, I still listen to them and find new things to be proud of every day.
Daughters. They're just the BEST!
And so, here they are, in chronological order:
Breezy:Daughter number one, the one who has been with me the longest, is brilliant to the point of genius. She is an avid believer in our Constitution and talented beyond compare in the areas of writing (poetry and short stories); music- cello and guitar (self taught on the latter,); paintings- her paintings are stunning. She is THE comic relief in the family, never failing to regale us with tales of hilarity or causing raucous laughter merely while conversing. Breezy is outgoing, generous, loving, loyal, passionate, compassionate... She is protective of her sisters to the point of...well, just don't mess with her sisters. She plays the role of mother hen quite well. If something happens to me, I know she will step right in the mother role no matter how old they all are. She's the one who was often called acid tongue at the ripe old age of...two. She's been questioning authority without fear since the age of---three. She will argue a point to death even after winning a debate because she had "one more point to make." She has, through the years, entertained us all with getting things stuck on her fingers and falling after tripping over---nothing but air. When she played basketball, she would politely hand the ball to the defensive player trying to take it away from her. Breezy does everything her way in her own time which is frustrating because her way is far from the 'normal' way and her own time is lengthy at best. BUT, when all is said and done, it is far better than anything any of us could do. Breezy thinks outside the box because she's not aware that a box exists. She will give anyone the shirt off her back expecting nothing at all in return. She loves tradition and change is something she is not a fan of AT ALL. The year I wanted to start making prime rib for Christmas dinner instead of turkey nearly pushed her off the edge. And she was only ten. Now, she is facing the big 3-0 in eleven days and that bothers only me because, how in the world do I have a kid who is 30 years old????
Deanie: She’s been a delight and blessing for almost 28 years now. And the time really did fly by. Yes, she was born on April Fool's day, but she's nobody's fool. Deanie is my ‘keep the peace’ child. She does not like anyone to be upset or angry and sheabsolutely insists on truly appreciates status quo in the family. She is our ‘prissy missy’ who would dig in the dirt, while dressed in her cutest outfits, pull worms apart and then promptly wash her hands before turning around and doing it again. Her birthstone is diamond and she loves them- the bigger and more sparkly they are the better though she is, at the same time, just as happy with the simplest things. She has a voice that truly makes the angels in Heaven’s choir jealous (No joke! When she was auditioning for high school chorus I was standing outside the door and heard the most beautiful voice. When I peeked in to see who it was-- it was Deanie!) and is a dancer extraordinaire (seriously she even turned down schools after high school because, in her words, “Mom, being a dancer is just like being an athlete. If you get injured, your career is over and then, without a college degree, what are you going to do?” Point taken but she truly was poetry in motion.) Deanie loves life and would have majored in partying social life had they offered it in college. She never meets a stranger and everyone just loves her. She is sweet, kind, loyal, respectful, responsible, and diligent. She can talk anyone, and I mean anyone, under the table and the same can be said of her about shopping. She is a fashionista. She is a true southern belle and yet able to take down a chauvinist male with the flick of a wrist. She will go out of her way to surprise or encourage or uplift a friend. She enjoys big city living without forgetting her small town southern charm. She loves traveling and organization and sports and meeting new people and she is devoted to her friends and family.
DoodleBug: The youngest lovely. She told me she would stay little and live with me forever. She lied. Well, she's still little- coming in at 5'5", she's the shortest lovely. But she did grow up. Though she does live with me right now. Two out of three... DoodleBug is the only one of our girls to give herself the proverbial kid hair cut. Her sister, Breezy, was watching her (and by watching her I mean watching television) and then next thing they heard was, "I DON'T LIKE IT!!!" Poor DoodleBug was not happy with her new 'do'. I took her to the kids' salon and she got a really cute little bob. DoodleBug HATED outgrowing things that she loved to wear. Like the Christmas dress that matched her Molly doll (from American Girl)- she wore that thing three years in a row. The first year it was a tiny bit big for her. The second year it was close to a perfect fit but bordered on a smidge small. The third year? Well, she wore it anyway. And then there were those shoes...they were just a pair of Keds' tennis shoes. She loved those things. I thought it was odd that she hadn't needed new shoes in so long. She was scrunching up her toes so she could keep wearing them. She adored, and I mean ADORED, her kindergarten teacher. Maybe worshiped is a better word. DoodleBug has wanted to be a kindergarten teacher since that time and she is now a certified early childhood teacher. Some teachers just make all the difference. By third grade she was reading Dickens by herself and, by the time she reached high school, she had already read everything on the honors English reading list for freshman and sophomore years. Avid reader? To say the least. DoodleBug still loves to dress up for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. If she's not in a costume, she's in a sweatshirt made by Mimi (my mother) to fit the holiday. She LOVES elderly folks. There were tea parties with Mama Lil (my grandmother) and Chinese Checkers with Great Mama (her dad's grandmother). There were 4 birthday years in a row that she held her parties at a retirement community. DoodleBug loves baseball and ultimate frisbee. And she is fierce on the field. At 5'5" you would think she would be cautious. Nope. That child is not scared of anything. She has an extreme sense of sarcasm and when she's mad it's best that you leave her alone. She was a band geek in high school all four years and is, to this day, proud of that--and wouldn't mind me telling y'all that each of her four years our band took FIRST PLACE at state. Bright does not even begin to describe her intellect and, beyond intellect, she possesses wisdom. She is intensely loyal to her friends and family. And she's all about ladybugs. Once she decides to commit to something, DoodleBug gives at least 110%, regardless. She is passionate about civil rights and will fight to the death for what she believes is right. She is not intimidated by authority figures and will speak out against wrongs/injustices and speak up for what is good/fair/just. She does NOT back down. She is the baby of the family and she loves her sisters in a BIG way. She desperately missed each and every sister as they left for college and other towns/states to live. At the same time, she does enjoy living here without sharing a room. :)
Yes, I'm aware that that was WAY TOO MUCH to read but I did stop myself. Not that it appears that way. Ha!
But t
Thanks for stopping by anyway! And I hope y'all are reveling in the throngs of friends and family this Christmas week!
BTW, lovely hostess of this marvelous meme, I can click on 'Comments' on your blog but it takes me right back to your blog and nowhere to comment. So- I enjoyed reading about your children! And that's a crazy tale of the black hair vs blonde and being a girl or boy! So funny!
Yeah, I know. This one was soooooo predictable. What can I say?
Pride. There are four things I take great pride in. Well, not things, but people--the lovelies.
It's just too easy. They give me such cause to be proud of them. And not just because of the usual things- their intelligence (which borders on genius, of course), their talents (which abound), their creativity (what box?), and so on.
It's the little things about them like...
- their individuality- my dad's mother always told me to let each lovely be who they are and never compare them with one another. This was great advice- each of the lovelies has her own, individual personality/quirks/etc. that make them the princesses they are.
- their willingness to be there- each of the lovelies is always ready, willing and able to lend a helping hand in their own, individual way. If their way isn't called for, they're also willing to volunteer their sisters. Or their mom.
- their support and encouragement of one another. There's no jealousy among the princesses. They are happy for one another during successes and they commiserate then lift and encourage during the down times.
- their compassion for the under dog. This is a blessing and a curse. I know because this one, they get from me.
- their ability to love unconditionally. It's amazing but true. They probably did not get this one from me. And, by probably did not, I mean they didn't.
- their ability to find the humor in life. They can find that chuckle, that ray of sunshine, that glimmer of hope in nearly everything and everyone.
- their continuous thirst for knowledge. Not a single one of them has ever stopped learning whether in the classroom or in life.
- their work ethic. They get this from my side- and it goes WAY back. Not a single one of them is afraid of working hard or hard work. And they always give at least 110%.
Are the four lovely princesses truly perfect? No.
And those imperfections? Well, those make me just as proud as the other parts. I am amazed at how the lovelies recognize those things about themselves that need work. Their imperfections set them apart. They make the lovelies work harder. They keep the lovelies on their toes. They teach lessons that the lovelies might otherwise not have learned.
Am I a proud mom? Darn right.
Does it embarrass the lovely princesses? Darn right.
But do they ever have to question whether their mother is proud of them? No.
I'm so grateful that I was given these four blessings to love and admire. Even though they're not living in the nest any longer because they're all grown up, I still listen to them and find new things to be proud of every day.
Daughters. They're just the BEST!
And so, here they are, in chronological order:
Breezy:Daughter number one, the one who has been with me the longest, is brilliant to the point of genius. She is an avid believer in our Constitution and talented beyond compare in the areas of writing (poetry and short stories); music- cello and guitar (self taught on the latter,); paintings- her paintings are stunning. She is THE comic relief in the family, never failing to regale us with tales of hilarity or causing raucous laughter merely while conversing. Breezy is outgoing, generous, loving, loyal, passionate, compassionate... She is protective of her sisters to the point of...well, just don't mess with her sisters. She plays the role of mother hen quite well. If something happens to me, I know she will step right in the mother role no matter how old they all are. She's the one who was often called acid tongue at the ripe old age of...two. She's been questioning authority without fear since the age of---three. She will argue a point to death even after winning a debate because she had "one more point to make." She has, through the years, entertained us all with getting things stuck on her fingers and falling after tripping over---nothing but air. When she played basketball, she would politely hand the ball to the defensive player trying to take it away from her. Breezy does everything her way in her own time which is frustrating because her way is far from the 'normal' way and her own time is lengthy at best. BUT, when all is said and done, it is far better than anything any of us could do. Breezy thinks outside the box because she's not aware that a box exists. She will give anyone the shirt off her back expecting nothing at all in return. She loves tradition and change is something she is not a fan of AT ALL. The year I wanted to start making prime rib for Christmas dinner instead of turkey nearly pushed her off the edge. And she was only ten. Now, she is facing the big 3-0 in eleven days and that bothers only me because, how in the world do I have a kid who is 30 years old????
Deanie: She’s been a delight and blessing for almost 28 years now. And the time really did fly by. Yes, she was born on April Fool's day, but she's nobody's fool. Deanie is my ‘keep the peace’ child. She does not like anyone to be upset or angry and she
Birdie: This is daughter number three and she has always, and I'm talking FROM BIRTH, been my easiest, most laid back, go-with-the-flow kid. She's my all American girl. If she could live out of doors 24/7 and be surrounded by dogs and books, she would be happy. She likes to think of herself as a regular Joe. Ordinary. But I know, and not just because I’m her mother, there’s nothing ordinary about Birdie. Birdie is my athlete. She played soccer for 8 years and loved every minute of it. Until high school when she disagreed with and refused to participate in the politics that are a part of soccer in our area and quit playing altogether. It was at this time that she discovered athletic training and became a student trainer all through high school, majored in it in college and then left us to get a master's degree in athletic training in TEXAS. But that’s ok. She’s back now working as an athletic trainer in our area. Besides, the fact that she refuses to participate in the crap that goes on behind the scenes to play the behind the scenes game is one of the things I admire most about Birdie. This kid is always on the up-and-up. Birdie has a contagious laugh. She has what you might call a wry sense of humor. She loves old black and white movies and music that spans decades from the 1940s to the present day. She loves traveling and sports (especially soccer and football). She is loyal beyond belief to her sisters and has had the same best friend since the age of three. Birdie is independent and has better financial savvy than anyone I've ever known. She loves decorating for holidays and celebrations and is the best gift giver of us all. Her gifts are thoughtful and perfect for each receiver. And, if you’re really lucky, it’s something she made. Halloween is her favorite holiday and orange is her favorite color. She was a pumpkin for Halloween 4 years in a row. And wouldn't let Mimi make her a bigger costume. THAT was interesting. As she got older, all of her birthday party themes were Halloween related. Birdie has the patience of a saint and is creative in multiple ways. Birdie pays attention to detail. While she was in Texas, Birdie taught herself to quilt. She is strong willed and independent. She is my quiet child. The one who NEVER rocks the boat. She lives and loves purely and simply. She gets her feelings hurt but only a couple of us know because she doesn't put herself out there when it comes to feelings. You really have to know her to know this side of her. When she was little and rode roller coasters (which she has always loved- they are never too twisty/fast/high for Birdie), her expression was the same as if she was just sitting there reading a book. Birdie is a lot like my granddaddy especially in her practical jokes and that 'gotcha' giggle that is just like his. And the fact that they were both people of few spoken words. She is never jealous or possessive. She never ceases to amaze us.
 |
| I'm not sure what was going on in this one. They loved Santa...LOL |
DoodleBug: The youngest lovely. She told me she would stay little and live with me forever. She lied. Well, she's still little- coming in at 5'5", she's the shortest lovely. But she did grow up. Though she does live with me right now. Two out of three... DoodleBug is the only one of our girls to give herself the proverbial kid hair cut. Her sister, Breezy, was watching her (and by watching her I mean watching television) and then next thing they heard was, "I DON'T LIKE IT!!!" Poor DoodleBug was not happy with her new 'do'. I took her to the kids' salon and she got a really cute little bob. DoodleBug HATED outgrowing things that she loved to wear. Like the Christmas dress that matched her Molly doll (from American Girl)- she wore that thing three years in a row. The first year it was a tiny bit big for her. The second year it was close to a perfect fit but bordered on a smidge small. The third year? Well, she wore it anyway. And then there were those shoes...they were just a pair of Keds' tennis shoes. She loved those things. I thought it was odd that she hadn't needed new shoes in so long. She was scrunching up her toes so she could keep wearing them. She adored, and I mean ADORED, her kindergarten teacher. Maybe worshiped is a better word. DoodleBug has wanted to be a kindergarten teacher since that time and she is now a certified early childhood teacher. Some teachers just make all the difference. By third grade she was reading Dickens by herself and, by the time she reached high school, she had already read everything on the honors English reading list for freshman and sophomore years. Avid reader? To say the least. DoodleBug still loves to dress up for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. If she's not in a costume, she's in a sweatshirt made by Mimi (my mother) to fit the holiday. She LOVES elderly folks. There were tea parties with Mama Lil (my grandmother) and Chinese Checkers with Great Mama (her dad's grandmother). There were 4 birthday years in a row that she held her parties at a retirement community. DoodleBug loves baseball and ultimate frisbee. And she is fierce on the field. At 5'5" you would think she would be cautious. Nope. That child is not scared of anything. She has an extreme sense of sarcasm and when she's mad it's best that you leave her alone. She was a band geek in high school all four years and is, to this day, proud of that--and wouldn't mind me telling y'all that each of her four years our band took FIRST PLACE at state. Bright does not even begin to describe her intellect and, beyond intellect, she possesses wisdom. She is intensely loyal to her friends and family. And she's all about ladybugs. Once she decides to commit to something, DoodleBug gives at least 110%, regardless. She is passionate about civil rights and will fight to the death for what she believes is right. She is not intimidated by authority figures and will speak out against wrongs/injustices and speak up for what is good/fair/just. She does NOT back down. She is the baby of the family and she loves her sisters in a BIG way. She desperately missed each and every sister as they left for college and other towns/states to live. At the same time, she does enjoy living here without sharing a room. :)
Yes, I'm aware that that was WAY TOO MUCH to read but I did stop myself. Not that it appears that way. Ha!
But t
Thanks for stopping by anyway! And I hope y'all are reveling in the throngs of friends and family this Christmas week!
BTW, lovely hostess of this marvelous meme, I can click on 'Comments' on your blog but it takes me right back to your blog and nowhere to comment. So- I enjoyed reading about your children! And that's a crazy tale of the black hair vs blonde and being a girl or boy! So funny!
Love you - love your girls! Have a wonderful holiday with the family.
ReplyDeleteLove you too! You do the same!
DeleteThey sound like people I would like to know.
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy them! They are all Disney fans too. LOL Merry Christmas!
DeleteI so enjoyed learning more about your lovelies! I think it all points to you being a pretty awesome mom! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think it's just that I got blessed with great kids. :)
DeleteA wonderful tribute to the lovelies! How could we not love them?
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think they're fantastic! :)
DeleteI have three daughters but five girls I consider my youngest sister as my baby girl and my niece Kelli is my sweetheart, between them we have my precious first born, my darling daughter and my special girl and I love each one as much but differently at the same time
ReplyDeleteI know just what you mean. :) Have a wonderful holiday season!
Delete