This is NOT the year of Lauren - I'm not even gonna say it!

In 2013 I don't want new clothes, or fancy jewelry, or even shoes!

Hard to believe, right?  I'm serious.

Here's what I want in 2013:

I want TJ to tackle his challenges with determination and drive.  I want him to struggle, for within struggle is growth.  I want him to laugh more.  He has the greatest laugh.  And I want him to feel proud of who he is.

I want Peter to challenge himself every day, to not give up, and continue to grow into the sweet sensitive young man he already is.  I want him to not hurt so much, and feel things so strongly, that it stops him from taking chances.  I want him to continue being goofy - his smiles are like magic.  And I want him to know that TJ is no more his responsibility than he is TJ's responsibility.

I want Sean to continue to find the humor amongst the daily stresses, and to do more things for himself for fun.  I want him to ski more.  I want him to feel spoiled, and to know that he is the greatest husband and father there is.

As for me, I just want to not fall down as much and get hurt.  That's deep, when you think of it, except that I mean that literally.  I really took some knocks this past year.  My ankle still acts up.

So no, this is not going to be the year of Lauren.  This is just going to be a year.  And I hope that for my family, and for yours, that it is one filled with love and laughter and snapshots of memories that last forever.

And if a new pair of shoes is, indeed, in my future, then so be it. 

My Sensitive Sniffer

My hearing sucks.  My sense of smell, on the other hand, is superb.  Which is perfect, really, because in college I always used to say "Smell you later!", so it's very appropriate.

When our boys were babies, however, it wasn't that superb.  I could smell their stinky little butts from a mile away.  Which usually meant that I was the one to change them.

Also, once when we were in the woods of Maine, I smelled a forest fire that was happening in Canada.  True story.  Freaked me out.

These days, I'm smelling more than I should be smelling.  For example, when we are making coffee, it has started to smell like skunk to me.  And only me.  Not the best smell, and I have no idea when it started, but there you go.  Also, there are parts of my house that smell like a small animal has died, and I can't find the source of the smell no matter how hard I look.  I am the only one who smells it.  Which I suppose is a good thing for everyone else.

Just something I'm noticing lately.  That, and my hands are really dry.

Merry Hurl-mas!

I am spending the holidays holding puke buckets for my poor boys. That kind of sums up 2012 quite nicely.

Here's to a great 2013! Lots of love and laughs, and a lot less hurling!

Xo from Lauren

Joyeux Noel!

One Christmas when Susan and I were little, like 5 and 7, Nanny came from Long Island to our house for the holiday.  Nanny was something.  No muss, no fuss.  What you see is what you get.  I write more about her here. 

Anyway, it was Christmas morning and Susan and I were jumping up and down, screaming and yelling with joy that Santa had eaten our cookies that we had left out for him.

Nanny, who we had clearly woken up, asked why we were so excited.

"Nanny, Santa ate our cookies we left him!  Isn't that great?"

Nanny gasps, covers her mouth and says,

"They were for Santa?!"

:)

We were inconsolable for a good 1/2 hour.

And a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

A Very 70s Lauren

Hormones-O-Rama

My sweet boy.

TJ is my 12 year old with autism.  He has been going through a lot of changes lately.  First, he started using deodorant (triumphantly, might I add) which you can read about here.  Then yesterday he got a ginormous zit.  Not to get too graphic but Sean, dreamboat that he is, aided with the ceremonious first zit popping.  That's all I'm going to tell you about that.

Just now TJ and Peter finished watching a Simpson's episode where Bart leads an uprising against a bully.  At the end I said "TV off, screen time is over!"  TJ started to walk upstairs and said, quietly, "I've learned something about bullying, Mom.  Don't fight back and tell the principal."  Then his little mouth turned into a frown and he turned and went upstairs.

Well my stomach lurched as I went upstairs after him.  In my head I'm already half way to Mama-Bear mode ready to rip the arms off of the kid that bullied my sweet boy.  And that's half way Mama Bear!  Imagine me at full force!!!  Anyway, I sat down next to him on the bed and said, "Do you want to talk about anything?  You look like you wanted to cry."  BOOM - tears-o-rama.  Waterfalls.  He leaned into my shoulder as I asked if he felt bullied.

"No Mom, no one bullies me.  I'm just different.  I feel different.  I think I react to things differently."

"We all react to things our own way, buddy.  Everyone is different.  There is no right or wrong way to feel, sweetie.  Did anyone tell you that you are different than everyone else?"

"No.  I just in my heart feel jumbled."

How cute is that?

I asked, "Do you feel kind of all over the place?"

"Yes, Mom.  What is that?"

"I think it's hormones, buddy.  This happens when you turn into a teenager.  Sometimes you just feel sad and you don't know why."

"Can I have my iPad to draw Mom?"

"Um...no, no iPad, but I'll bring you some new white paper.  How does that sound?"

Then he started talking about Power Ranger MegaZords.

HOLY HORMONES.  WE ARE SCREWED.  RUN AWAY AND SAVE YOURSELVES - I'LL THROW MYSELF ON THE GRENADE!!!  FLEE!!!  GO GO GO!!!!!

On a different note, our fish Pee Wee that literally disappeared from our fish tank a month ago suddenly re-appeared out of the volcano.  The volcano that we had previously lifted, searched, removed, checked.....you get the idea.  Pee Wee is back.  We have no idea what happened.  Except that I think this proves my earlier theory that the fish tank volcano is a portal to another world.  But we may never know the truth.

Thanks a lot, kid

This morning getting ready for our day....

Peter: "Hey Mom, do you know Madonna?"

Me: "Not personally but I know who you're talking about."

Peter: "Did you know she's an author?"

Me: "I think I did know that. She writes children's books, right?"

Peter: "Right."

Me: "Did you know that she's a Mom, too? She has 3 kids."

Peter's jaw drops as if I just told him that our raggedy carpeting is spun from pure gold.

Peter: "You mean she's a famous singer, an author, AND a Mom?!?!"

Me: "Yup."

Peter: "Wow! "

Pause....then...

Peter: "You're just a Mom."


Haha! True!

But I'm pretty sure that I'm a better Mom than Madonna. So suck on that, Madonna!

xo

There is no way to laugh today, as my heart breaks for those Connecticut families suffering unimaginable losses.

I'm hugging my children, and wishing I was with my sister and her family today to hug my nieces and nephews. 

Life is fleeting. 

Reserve judgement for others, as you don't know what is happening in their lives behind the scenes.

Put aside your troubles with friends and family in your lives to come to some sort of mutual respect and understanding.  It takes too much negative energy to hold on to anger and resentment.

Smile at a stranger.  They may need it.

Please show each other love and kindness.