sunrise, sunset

Seven years ago tomorrow, I cried. The ugly cry. In bed. At night. And couldn't sleep.

Because eight years ago on Sunday, I gave birth to my baby girl.

Seven years ago on Sunday, that baby girl was turning one. And I couldn't handle it. The year had flown SO quickly. Like a snap. And my teeny tiny baby wasn't a teeny tiny baby anymore. And never would be again. I could FEEL the time slipping away.

And here we sit, on the cusp of the day marking eight years since her birth. And I'm doing the ugly cry. Because I can still FEEL the time slipping away. Like less than a snap.

How can it be?

I wish I could slow things down a little bit. I want to enjoy this more before it's too late. Next week she'll be graduating high school. Next month, walking down the aisle.

bless you

....in which I share too much....

I remember when the big trampolines came into popularity. We were at my cousins house for a graduation. The kids were all jumping around having a blast. At the end of the day when most of the guests had gone home, only family remained. My mom and aunts must have been feeling the relief of a party completed, because a few of them hopped on the trampoline. Only to quickly hop right back off. They all laughed at themselves...saying that jumping on a trampoline is not for any woman that had ever given birth.

I remember looking at my sister, puzzled. They discretely explained that once you have children, you can't hold your bladder. We laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Crazy old ladies almost wetting their pants! Then they gave us a look. A look that said, "Just you wait, my dears. Just you wait."

I can assure you that I am not laughing any more.

I warned my sister about this medical marvel. This old lady disease. It was after she had her first baby. I said, "Be careful if you ever have to sneeze." She laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

A few weeks later, she called me one morning. She was no longer laughing at me, but with me. We laughed together. But not too hard. Because, laughing is just as dangerous as sneezing.

rocket science

I got to see some gals from back home last weekend. It was a blast. So much fun to catch up. Good food. Fun times.

I had to drive a little to get myself to brunch. On the way, I passed many a field. Many. A. Field.

And I started thinking.

I don't think I've ranted on this topic here before. It's not necessarily a passion of mine....or a call I feel towards social activism. Perhaps a call to common sense? To The Greater Good. To Thinking About Thy Neighbor.

Where am I going with this?

Good question.

I live in the lovely state of Minnesota. We have this thing here called No Net Loss. It's about wetland protection to put it completely plainly. Which is the only way I know how to put it. What it means is: if a big company, say Wal Mart, builds a gigantic store on land that had been protected or labeled as "Wetland", then they must pay for someone else or for themselves to put an equal amount of qualifying land that had not been previously categorized as "Wetland" into "Wetland." Which makes sense, right? Yes.

It's all well and good. Wetland is good. Good for wildlife. Good for everyone.

I have no problem with No Net Loss.

I have a problem with drain tiles. (Stay with me, this eventually ties together....sort of....)

Miles and miles and miles and miles of drain tiles.

I'm sure you've seen it.

This time of year, or any time of year when the ground isn't frozen or planted, you can drive yourself into the country and see farmers laying black plastic tubing into their fields. It keeps things dry helping to dispel standing water. Which is fantastic for farmers. Fantastic!

BUT!

Do you know what happens with water that once filtered into the ground slowly, that now quickly and efficiently funnels out of a field? It goes somewhere else. Like to the rivers and ditches and lakes and any other place that does not have drain tile.

All over my wonderful state we are experiencing record Springtime flooding. Where is all this water coming from the people wonder....hmmmm?

It's such a mystery.

Perhaps we could have something called No Net Gain? Maybe for every mile of drain tile placed in the ground a few gallons of worth of water withholding could be built? A lake? A diversion? Something?

Am I the only one who gets her undies in a bundle over problems that have seemingly simple solutions? I know we aren't the only place in the world with this problem. And don't get me started about the chemicals that have been ushered by drain tiles into the aquifers and rivers and lakes and streams and oceans.

very 16

That's how I feel.

I know that I'm older....thirty-one for a few more weeks. My body looks thirty-one. Physically, I feel thirty something. Mentally, I feel about sixteen.

Every now and again my reality smacks me in the face. I look over and see the boy I started dating sixteen years ago. And think, "I am married to you! And we have three children!"

I see the people I went to high school with on facebook. They're all thirty-something now, too. How is this possible? Who is allowing this?

When do the grown ups show up?

Calvin

Last night right before baths, I was leading my wayward five year old down the hall. He turned his head just as I moved my hand and I inadvertently poked him in the eye.

He flinched.

I said, "I'm sorry, buddy. I hope I didn't gouge out your eyeball."

A hopeful look crossed his face as he raised his hand to check, followed by disappointment once he discovered everything was as it should be.

I was reminded of a cartoon strip I read many years ago. Calvin and Hobbes. I told my boy about it. After baths, he sat on my lap as I read to him from the book excerpts we found on Amazon.

They had him at:

Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson: Available here.

Happy Easter!

Easter is my favorite holiday. It is The Holiday. I love Christmas, and celebrating the birth of our Savior, but without Easter, without death on a cross and Resurrection in a tomb there would be no Reason to celebrate.

We choose to celebrate the big holidays with our focus on Jesus. Our kids know about Santa and the Easter Bunny. They know the story of Saint Nicholas. They know that some people like to pretend that Santa is real, but they know that he is not. They also know not to ruin the game for others. We still stuff our stockings at Christmas time, and pretend. And the knowing doesn't ruin the fun.

We "do" Easter in the same way. They know that there isn't really an Easter Bunny. But we wake up to candy on Easter Sunday. When there weren't any Mr. Goodbars to be found amongst the Krackels this morning, they said, "maybe the Easter Bunny ate them all," with a wink at Daddy.

In a little while, we'll go to our Easter service at church and then come home to eat our ham.

If you ask my kids why we celebrate today they know The Reason.

They sometimes sing a little song...one of my favorites:

Good news! Jesus was born.
Good news! He died upon the cross.
Good news! He rose again.
Good news! He's coming back soon!