Googley Schmoogley

Lillian Diane Holen

AKA: Lilly, Lil, Lillers, Lillian D, Sweet Pea, Sweet Peadle, Peadle Deedle, Googey, Googley, Googley Bear, Googley Schmoogley, Googs, Googs Schmoogs.

Ever since I had kids, I worked a 4-day week. So, for the past 10 years, I have always had a child at home with me.

After Cameron went to kindergarten almost 4 years ago, I discovered the wonders of having just one child in my care, something not experienced since Alex was born (Alex and Cameron are 19 months apart....). I tried hard to enjoy those days with just one child, and as of this week, they are officially over. The boys will be home now each Monday until school starts, and once school starts, the Googley Bear will be in school too. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy having the boys home, and I know I will definitely get more accomplished because they will be home.

But it is the end of an era for me. The end of "special days" as Cameron called them, the year he was home with me when Alex was in kindergarten (Lilly was just a baby then, so Cameron got a lot of individual attention, too).

Last Monday, I made sure to play with her...we played a board game, Polly Pockets, and we did mani-pedis. We watched the "Sound of Musnic" (as she calls it), and I tried really hard to make it just a little more special than our regular special days.

The last picture I posted I snapped about five minutes before the boys came home from school...marking the end of this era for me.

It's bittersweet.

Back in the Saddle

WHEW!

It has been such a busy past few weeks/months, and now, since all of the activity has died down, I can begin to get back on track.

I am a person who likes to have a lot of things going on, it keeps me on my toes. But, quite honestly, I think I was a bit over-stretched during the past few months with all kinds of different things. I have been stressed out, over-busy, and a bit unfocused. I am SO looking forward to the next few weeks, since there isn't much going on, the weather is beautiful, and of course, there is my birthday (!!) which will be here before I know it.

A brief summary of what has been happening:

March--Dance begins--practice every Saturday morning. I then, usually, had things to do after dance practice, so generally, I didn't get home until later in the afternoon.

Not to mention, Ed being gone all the time for taxes.

Also, I helped arrange the food for the Boni Ball this year again, so lots of e-mails and phone calls to get ready for this.

May 1--Dance recital. This went so well this year, but that is a full day of activity. Lots of running around to pick up last-minute items.

May 2--Shower for Eva (Rick's wife) in Minnetonka

May 3--Work at home, Cameron home sick with stomach flu, I only had about 4 hours of sleep

May 4--just a normal day at work, Cameron still sick, but Ed stayed home with him

May 5--Workshop in Minneapolis--drove to and from

May 6--Workshop in Minneapolis--drove to and from. When I got home, I needed to pick up my dress from the seamstress who altered it.

May 7--Set up for Boni Ball (9-12), then to the cities for the wedding.

May 8--Wedding!!!!

May 9--Took the kids to the MOA for the morning, then finally home

May 10--Work from home, get a million loads of laundry done and try to get a grip on the housework around here.

May 11-present: Nothing too new going on, still trying to get my head on straight.

So, now, I am feeling like my head is almost on straight. I have the housework under control, almost have all of my paperwork at work under control. NOW, I can begin to move forward!!

Mothers' Day 2010

Mother's day is always a very special day for me. I get spoiled all day long! I am able to reflect on the impact my own mother has had on my life, and feel like part of "the club" of moms who get just one day each year to be honored for all that we do.

Here is my favorite picture of me and Lilly this weekend at Rick's wedding. And how fitting to get such a great mother-daughter picture just in time for Mothers' Day!

So, for as much as I would like to honor myself this Mothers' Day, I can't help but honor some very special moms.

Through my work, I encounter so many special moms. These moms, the moms to the kids who I have had the opportunity to be a part of their very special lives, these moms are some of the most remarkable ladies I have ever met.

This is a group to which I know I do not belong...there are things that these moms have had to deal with that I may never understand. But, I do recognize how special, how strong, and how fabulous these women are.

I found this passage on a site of a family who has a child with special needs, and from what I can see, this really does say it all for these ladies...

Why moms of kids with special needs are, well, special...

1. Because we never thought that "doing it all" would mean doing this much, but we do do it all--and then some.

2. Because we discovered patience that we never knew we had.

3. Because we are willing to do something 10 times, 100 times, or 1,000 times if that's what it takes for our kids to learn something new.

4. Because we have heard doctors tell us the worst, and we've refused to believe them. Take THAT, naysaying doctors of the world.

5. Because we have bad days, breakdowns, and bawl-fests, and then we pick ourselves up and keep right on going.

6. Because we gracefully handle the stares, the comments, and the rude remarks (well, mostly gracefully).

7. Because we manage to get ourselves together and out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, we even make sweatpants look good!

8. Because we are strong. Man, are we strong! Who knew we could be this strong?!

9. Because we aren't just moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, and women who work. We are moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, researchers, nurses, coaches, and cheerleaders. Whew!

10. Because we work overtime every single day.

11. Because we also worry overtime, but we work it through. Or we eat chocolate, or Pirate's Booty, or gourmet cheese (which aren't reimbursable by insurance as mental-health necessities, but should be).

12. Because we are more selfless than other moms. Our kids need us more.

13. Because we give our kids with special needs endless love, and we still have so much love left for our other kids, our husbands, our families. And, our hairstylists, of course.

14. Because we inspire one another in this crazy blogosphere every single day.

15. Because we understand our kids better than anyone else--even if they can't talk; even if they can't gesture; even if they can't look us in the eye. We know. We just know.

16. Because we never stop pushing for our kids.

17. Because we never stop hoping for them, either.

18. Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they're suddenly not OK, but we deal. Somehow, we always deal--even when it seems as though our heads or our hearts might explode.

19. Because when we look at our kids, we just see great kids--not kids with cerebral palsy/autism/down syndrome/developmental delays/whatever.

To all moms...Happy Mothers' Day!!!!!!!!