Sunday, August 29, 2010

Adventure of the college kind

Courtney has moved to her college campus and is not living here in this house with us. So very weird. I am having a hard time believing the noise level could go down so much just minus one child (and a quiet child at that). Oh wait, she is not a child. She is an adult. My baby is an adult. So hard to believe. She can do everything for herself and does not need me anymore. One could say I have been successful in raising one and just have 3 to go.

Instead of asking me if I feel successful in raising an adult, everyone keeps asking me how I am doing. Well, I am fine.
Maybe it would be hard if she was an only child.
Maybe it would be hard if the two littlest Bennett's weren't so....active.
Maybe it would be hard if she was far away.
Maybe it would be hard if I wasn't so confident in her.

She is an incredible young woman. She has a great head on her shoulders. She loves the Lord and knows she belongs to Him.

She also has a healthy fear of her mother. I am not a mean mother, I am just a mother like mine. My mom was great. She just hinged on crazy, you never knew what she would do or where she would show up. (I can't believe I am saying this, but I strive to be like her.) A great mom with just a little touch of crazy. You never know what I will really do or where I will show up. (It will keep her honest and always looking over her shoulder for me.LOL)

But in all honesty, she is and always will be my baby. They all will. Of course I miss her, but I am so excited for this part of her life. I want her to enjoy every minute.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nail polish

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you knew something was terribly wrong. You just couldn't put your finger on it? I had that happen today when my darling 3 year old kept looking at me in such a strange way. She kept walking by with this weird look on her face.

Then I saw her foot. Her foot that she had tried to wipe off the spilled paint or something and her foot was stained. My heart sank. I said, "Haley, what is that? What did you get on your foot? Did you spill it anywhere in Mommy's house?" By the way, that is too many questions to throw at a scared 3 year old that knows she is in BIG trouble. So she asks the most important question.
"Mommy, are you mad at me?"
At this point I am not sure if I am mad. I am not sure if this is paint..then it hits me square between the eyes. She was in Matty's bathroom that is that awful purply black nail polish. I start pacing. Then I start looking all over the house.
"Where were you with the nail polish? What room were you in?" I am sure I looked like a madwoman.

Then I saw it! In the very middle of Haley's bedroom floor. A circle a little bigger than a golf ball of purply black nail polish. I had forgotten that I was on the phone with my friend. She started searching the Internet and told me to try Windex. So, between Windex, Nail polish remover and Scrubbing bubbles and lots of minutes scrubbing on my hands and knees, I have decided everyone gets to live today. (Even my Boy who was telling me his opinion and squirting more cleaners and just talking non stop.)

On days like today I think will I ever be able to have anything that isn't food, paint, or something stained? How many cleaning products does one family need? Usually, I end up thanking God for all these very messy kids. Kids that get into everything. Kids that say, Mommy are you mad at me? After all there are carpet stores all over town or I could pick up a throw rug at Walmart. What is a little stain. We live here. They will grow up someday (at least that is what I have heard).
So, I told Haley, "No, I am not mad at you because you showed me the spill."
Then I searched the house high and low for any nail polish and put it under lock and key. Life really is too short to worry about spilled nail polish.