Pink Giraffe Musing

Motherhood. It is truly a gift. An exhausting, tiring, thankless gift. A gift that brightens my everyday. A gift that for many years I thought I wasn't interested in. And, one I am thankful that in the end that I was. One that I can call the best decision of my life. I love my kids. I hate to be away from them, even when they make me crazy. I have only spent a handful of nights away from them in their lives and I like it that way. I miss them while they are at school, or sleeping over at friend's house. My house doesn't seem right until they are here. My heart is glad when I see them in the school carpool line every day. They may come home and fight, but I am still thankful for every minute that I get to spend with them. Crazy, isn't it. Yet, I think I am not alone in these feelings. My love for them far outweighs and exceeds and sassy, crazy, crabby, mean spirited things they do. That is not to say they are bad kids, they aren't. While they can be all those things;...

I have never been strong. As a kid I was always skinny. And, admittedly a picky eater -- I hated cheese of all kinds, condiments, especially mayo. If I had a nickel for every time my Grandma said to me, "You eat like a bird", well you know, I'd be rich. Imagine my glee when I learned in science one day that a bird eats twice it's weight each day! I could barely wait for the next family dinner, the inevitable comment, and my reply. I can still see it in my mind. My grandparents, great Aunt Betty, parents, sister.....all assembled and someone had to say it...."Beth, you eat like a bird". Oh, it was a glorious moment! In high school, I had to lift weights so that I could propel the ball from the serving line over the net in volleyball. In basketball, my coach made me use a weighed ball to do passing drills to help me build up muscle. I am not sure it ever worked. I remained thin -- skinny. I remember some boys in high school telling me my arms looked like a p...