While we seek out a new horse, our daughter had the opportunity to show a green pony in an A rated show. She got Champion. Before the contest, she told me “Mom, guess what number I got ?”. We were both surprised to see the number ONE. We wondered if it was significant !! It was.
I recently came across the poem below in a book I was reading . . . and immediately started to cry. Then I dried my tears and typed the poem into a Word document and printed it out for all the young mothers I know, with instructions to keep it handy for a day that will surely come in the future.
If you have small children, this will be you one day. Motherhood is not for sissies. It’s tough. It’s demanding. The hours are long, the stress level is high, the pay is non-existant except for the perks described below. But it’s the best job I ever had. Still have.
But it’s still the best job I ever had. So grab some tissues, read the poem, and see if it resonates with you like it did with me. And Don’t forget to kiss your kids today. Wet oatmeal or no.
WET OATMEAL KISSES
The baby is teething. The children are fighting.
Your husband just called and said, “Eat dinner without me.”
One of these days you’ll explode and shout to the kids,
“Why don’t you grow up and act your age?”
And they will.
Or, “You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do.
And don’t slam the door!”
And they don’t.
You’ll straighten their bedrooms all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf hangers in the closet, animals caged. You’ll yell, “Now I want it to stay this way!”
And it will.
You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn’t had
all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing
and you’ll say, “Now THIS is a meal for company.”
And you will eat it alone.
You’ll yell, “I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming. Do you hear me?”
And no one will answer.
No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more dandelion bouquets. No more iron-on patches. No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots, or rubber bands for ponytails. Imagine. A lipstick with a point.
No babysitter for New Year’s Eve, washing clothes only once a week,
no PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree.
No carpools, blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money.
No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks.
No more wet oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy.
No more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean.
Only a voice asking: “Why don’t you grow up?”
And the silence echoes: “I did.”
I am sailing up the river watching the boat off our starboard when this little thing of a sailboat comes whipping around the sailboat’s bow. Then it comes towards us and I am yelling “hey, who has the right of way?” Three fellows are having fun with this America’s Cup Design radio controlled boat. I need one of those ! Little maintenance ! So, this was one of the favorites I snapped.
I love looking at lines and boat hardware. I loved the contract between the white and the black and the shadow play on the water. This was at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT. I was getting worried about using my L Glass while sailing on this trip. I had a bunch of teen on board and wondered if the longer lense might hit a lifeline or the deck or a kayak ! My Canon 70-200 survived. I seemed to use two lenses for the three days — a 17-50 and then the 70-200. I have three batteries that I can charge on board. We rafted up so I didn’t have to worry about getting my gear wet in a dinghy.
On extended trips we will hit Fog. I now take my lenses and wrap them or the entire base in plastic. Our point and shoot goes into a ziplock bag because we found moisture to be problematic. I have had the camera just quit on me. I have my Lowepro strapped on my back on dinghy runs to the beach. I have to watch out for the sand that can get inside. I also sport a waterproof sailing backpack that I can use when the weather deteriorates. My husband loves his small Pelican Boxes to keep some of his stuff very secure in these waterproof but expensive containers.
With busy teens on board, I have to make sure that my gear is stowed properly but is accessible. I typically have it in the cockpit table or inside the navigation table. The balance of my gear is stored forward in a pullman in its Lowepro. Our boat loves 25 knots and we can put a good heel on her. Hitting a bad wake can do more damage and so it is so important to store things properly and down as low as possible in the cabin.
Baldwin Yacht Club – Commissioning 2011.
Great time at Mystic Seaport for our Club’s 65th Commissioning. Baldwin Yacht Club was established in 1946 in Old Saybrook, CT. Eventually they decided they did not want to have a clubhouse. They were active cruisers ! No sitting around on the docks on Friday nights. So, they hit the harbors instead.
I belong to a very active yacht club on the Connecticut Coast. The Baldwin Yacht Club was formed in 1946 after the war. It started along the banks of the Connecticut River where they had a club house. Most of the members sported powerboats and some canoes. Over the years the membership turned to sailboats and they abandoned the idea of having club house. Members now travel from port to port enjoying the sailing, motoring, racing and friendly conversations. I love the Dyer Dhow Racing in May. A family oriented group, there are pinata parties, pirate nights, DJs, pancake breakfasts, hor deurve parties on overturned dinghies, dinghy parades through harbors, point to point racing and formal plated dinners.
Our family has been raised on the water learning how to tie bowlines while at restaurant tables. We have learned to be self sufficient but also have learned how to reach out for help in emergencies. We have experienced the wonder of the wind, waves and water and are very grateful. Click here for more information on the Baldwin Yacht Club
These photos were shot with my Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lense. I do worry about it getting WET !
