TLs for the kids

When I got married, my in-laws introduced me to the concept of a "TL."  It stands for trade-last, meaning that if you heard something good about someone, you could go up to that person and say, "I have a TL for you." Then the other person would need to say something nice about you, and then you would "trade" them for the good thing you heard about them.  For me, it was an odd concept, but I was eager to fit in, so I played along.

It never really "took hold" with my own kids, but I've heard it so often, that it frequently pops into my head on certain occasions.....like the other day, when when my brother-in-law emailed me to say that I should be proud of the birthday card Ross sent to his Grandmom. Apparently he picked something with a very good sentiment, wrote some very touching things, and mailed it so that she received it on time (that's the key part, right?), all without being reminded by me.  Wow...as a mother....that's pretty great to hear.

Then, I was shopping in Costco this week and I got a FB message from my friend Eric that simply said, "You got a good kid." 

Like a Rolodex, my mind was scrolling through the whereabouts of my kids, so I could figure out "which kid" he was talking about.  Immediately I thought, "Ah ha!  Patrick must have arrived in Istanbul."  :-)  I then checked FB News Feed and saw that Christy had posted Patrick's arrival and that he was already bonding with their son Austin. Then, I read Patrick's message to me about how he bought some hostess presents for Eric and Christy, (without my prompting I might add), and again I thought, "wow...this is so great to hear!"

While not especially a "TL", writing this reminds me of the phone call I had with Christina recently, where she was telling me how she got up on time, took a train to Providence, taxi to the airport, and flew to Oregon (to see her Manila peeps for Thanksgiving), all the while successfully registering online for her next semester's classes. She just seemed so organized, grown up, and confident.  She had a plan (that seemed pretty good to me) and called me after she executed it.  Again....that's pretty great to hear!

Over the many years of parenting, I have wondered if any of my "parental instructions" would ever take hold. It seemed like the tunnel was so long, and the light very, very dim.  However, with the events of the past week, I can clearly see that they have, each kid manifesting my instructions with their own personal interpretations.

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, I am especially thankful for my kids.  I think of all the struggles I've had over the years, and the challenges we've faced, and I'm just so happy to be in this new chapter of our relationship. They do a wonderful job of showering me with their love and support, and I'm so appreciative of that, every day.

Hey R, P, & C:  I just wanted you to know this....and,by the way, no trade is required. :-)

Big Vegetables for Singles?

I wish I had taken a picture of the big cabbage I bought at the grocery store the other day.  I needed 1/2 C for a recipe, and I walked away with the only cabbage left:  4lbs and built like a bowling ball (come to think of it, that's probably why it was the only cabbage left!).  Then I started taking a look around the store, and ALL the vegetables seemed gi-normous!  Over in the baking potatoes section, well...you could feel a family of 4 with just one potato.  The tomatoes? Same story.  Lettuce anyone?  Let's buy it by the box.  Carrots?  well, we only sell those by the 2lb bag.

And so I'm thinking, this vegetable size is great for a family but what about the single people?  How am I ever going to find portions appropriate for one person?

There's a certain adjustment period when you transition away from buying groceries for a family of 5, to 4 to 3 to 2 and then finally 1.  I remember after the boys left for school, my helper in Manila,  finally had to tell me, "Ma'am, please stop buying all these groceries.  You and Christina simply don't need them."  And, just when I got used to 2 people, now I'm down to 1.

At least the holidays will postpone the adjustment process for awhile.  I mean, you always have to make extra food at the holidays, right? And then the kids will be with me, so I really don't have to think about single portion size until they go back to school, and that's not until 2013.....sounds pretty good to me.

But one thing I do know...we're going to be having cabbage for Thanksgiving!

Top 10 Home Leave Differences

Gosh it's been a long time since I've blogged.   I could go back and wax poetic on my time in Manila and blah, blah, blah, but I'm more in a frame of mind to move forward, so here's a top 10 list of how this home leave is different from previous ones....

10. It's just me and Oscar.

9.  There's no crazy running around to see everyone I know stateside.

8.  There's no crazy shopping for all the "essentials" we need for the year to come. 

7.  I'm going to estate sales and becoming an "American Picker".

6.  I'm hanging out with my dad and hearing stories that end with, "Well I measured, and from my house to your yard, the site on my rifle says it's 215 ft."

5. I could sleep all day, if I didn't have my EER to finish.

4. I'm communicating with my kids via technology.

3. I'm cooking.

2. I'm test driving cars.

1. It's freakin' cold when you take home leave in a non-summer month!!!!