Milk, Mowers, and Mamas

With the start of this week I needed a jump start. I went to a coffee shop with a co-worker, and this my dear friends, was the best move I could have ever made. For as I made my way through the line inside, the barista was making her way towards me to fill up the cream. She trips or something and theeeeerrrreeee goooooeeessss the cream alllllllll ovvvver my work slacks. Oh her face was priceless, eyes were wide, face turning red, cringing a little all in slow motion. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry miss. Here let me get you a towel." She comes over and starts dabbing the lower part of my pant leg. "It's really no big deal. No problem. See usually when I leave the house in the morning I've had at least one kid barf, pee, or wipe boogers and snot on me and this was just milk, right out of fridge, homogenized and everything-- WAY more safe than any bodily fluids that my kids produce. So really this is a step up for me." I smile. Really. I ended up getting a free coffee. Do you think it would be overtly obvious if I fling myself in front of her the next time I'm there and see if I can get another one? Ha.

I am a home owner now. This brings an entirely new set never-crossed-my-mind-before things that I now need to cross my mind. I noticed the grass in the front yard was getting REALLY long. Interesting. I mean we've been here since September. What did I think would happen? It would cut itself? On a little side note, I do try to make the effort to be a good neighbor. We took that leaning tree down, we don't throw raging parties, or have little yappy dogs. However, there was that one time right after we moved in when hubby wanted to "scare" the raccoon and ended up shooting it square between the eyes and killing it on the front lawn. Nothing says HOWDY NEIGHBOR like a nice dead coon. Or when Bitty escapes (naked) out the slider and through our back yard, the next neighbor's yard and then one more yard over before I can catch her. Back to the story... I got a lawn mower!!!! A Husquavarna. Hubby said it's good cause that's who his chain saw was made by. Whatever. As long as it cuts the grass I'm not picky. 1st: totally a work out just to get that sucker started. I must have made a spectacle out there trying to get it right. I think it's not so much about the power of the pull to start the engine, but the approach. 2nd: the yard looks so pretty!!! 3rd: when I was putting the mower away in the garage I realized that it was very dumb to mow the lawn in my flip flops. Fast forward one hour and I ran my foot over with the vacuum. Warning heeded.

I drive my kids to school every day and every day we are rushing to get teeth brushed, clothes on, breakfast in the mouth, backpacks in the car, homework signed, hair braided, and if they get matching socks on-- that's a luxury. When we get to the school more often than not, the bell is ringing so I am practically pushing the kids out the door of the car and telling them to run so they don't get a tardy. Bad mom. Every day I pass another mom who walks her kids to school. She walks slow and with a cane. She doesn't just stand on her side of the road and holler at the them to dash through traffic and run up the hill so they don't get a tardy. She walks them every day ACROSS the street and then waits and watches them walk up the hill to the school. The kids get to the top and turn around and wave, and then she waves and knows they are safe. I don't even know how to sum up my feelings. I guess it's that she makes the effort. It's more than getting the kids to school. She's loving her kids in the process. I think she's my hero.