Of lil men and necklaces

Let’s talk about the “most awesome necklace” that was ever made. It started with a piece of yarn sometime the first week of school. Then several beads later, a knot and voila! The yarn is green and the beads are multicolored. It hangs just perfectly on the chest and magically goes with just about every outfit. It looks cool and makes an identity statement. This necklace has not left my son’s neck for the past month! I’m talking about not even at shower time. I gave up after initial protests that yarn dries very quickly, which it does- so there was no argument. I also sought of have an attachment to this necklace, because I made someone reach in high places literally for this necklace. The story goes..we were at the grocery store happily shopping in the fruit section. Or I should rephrase that I was happily shopping away while lil man was keeping himself busy with the necklace that he had made at school the day before. We don’t do too many crafts so he was particularly attached to this piece of work. He was tossing the necklace up and catching it-which is apparently what 7 year-olds do with just about everything..clothes, cups, your favorite mug, the remote which now has tape on it…. But I digress. I had bumped into a parent from his class and was chatting away when he tugged at me saying that his necklace was stuck.

He pointed up and sure enough, way up high-we are talking grocery store ceilings high-dangled a green piece of yarn with some beads on it. My response was that we can make another one if it didn’t fall down soon. This necklace does not have any metal anything so the fact that it was attached to the ceiling was puzzling. I venture to guess that it was probably hanging onto some spider webs or a spider itself. Needless to say that necklace was just dangling and had no intentions of getting back down.
My lil man looked at me “I worked really hard on that necklace..” with that mommy-do-something look. I headed to the customer service desk and let them know I had an unusual request, we had a necklace stuck on the ceiling above the bananas-I mean that’s pretty common right? I tried to explain that it was my son’s necklace, not sure if that made it better or worse because if it was mine, I would look crazy but then it would be worth the effort, but again a boy necklace?…well you get my drift. The look on the customer service rep let me know that it was probably not the craziest request she had had. She just called in for someone with a ladder to show up at the counter. This guy was gracious, we just pointed him in the right direction and right over the bananas he rescued our dear necklace.

I am happy that lil man has been wearing the necklace after that daring rescue but I think it has run its course. Now I can see that the beads have been chewed on so they are not as smooth and it’s just plain beginning to concern me that he may NEVER take this thing off. I have offered to replace the yarn or beads but he is fine with his creation as is. Oh what’s a mother to do? Buy him a replacement? Bribe him with a toy? Maybe I’ll just let him be. He is getting his fall pictures taken at school, and he has no intentions of taking it off. I think it will make for good conversation when he is 17 about the time he had a yarn necklace..that is if he is not planning on keeping it that long! I have to think about the consequences should anything happen to this dear necklace, gosh he might need mommy therapy to cope! Let’s just hope it makes a gracious, unremarkable exit off his neck and into the memorabilia box. Long live the necklace-until Christmas at most!

The power of motherhood….beyond the basics

Being a mother is fantastic, most days that is and I really love it. But I have realized that it has given me a certain edge that I wouldn’t otherwise have in my field. See I look younger than I really am so I’m conscious of people not taking me seriously and I try to dress mature. Now that I have a new job, I have to schmooze, be nice, come to work on time (sigh), not leave early, basically build my trustworthiness all over again. Most of my co-workers are women and majority are older than I am. I have been here for a week today and I have bonded over my son on four separate occasions. First with my supervisor who has a 10 year-old daughter, the assistant to the director let me know that I could adjust my schedule if I needed it for my son’s school and finally two of my co-workers who have boys about the same age as my son. Believe it or not this morning we bonded over the joys of having boys and they happily accepted me in their ‘club’ because I can relate. Who knew? The untold perks of motherhood.

Let the mind wander

My random thoughts for this week..

My uncle died, my cousin texted, “Dad is dead”….I can’t imagine what it takes to write that. I feel sad and I'm in denial. I mostly feel bad for my cousins-they are now orphans twice...they were adopted.

My parents take on a lot of burdens for the whole family and this worries me.

I think I’m going to like my new job very much. I love working with documents.

I plan on going home in Dec. Thank you Jesus!

There’s a pregnant teenager in my neighborhood. She is on baby #2; she has no bed, no clothes for her kids. It has made me think on another level. It has given my school and future work meaning.

You can’t be friends with everyone; I have learnt that in the last few years. You will be disappointed by many, be true to yourself, it’s the only thing that will count, don’t get swept up by the friendship current.

I have friends whom I barely see or talk to, but when we get to talk even if it’s once or twice a year; we laugh or cry like the time never passed. Even if I didn’t speak to them for 2 years, I know they would have my back instantly. I have ‘friends’ whom I laugh with regularly, I don’t think they are willing to cry with me. I need to do something about that.

I’m juggling a lot lately, new job, school, soccer mom, regular mom, fiancé, I’m overwhelmed.

I don’t like it that our society is so fragmented. I have to make time for church friends, co-workers, parents at school, my son’s soccer team friends, single friends, married friends, school friends, African friends all in 24 hours!

I don’t understand why we all just can’t get along. I once heard on radio the story of this guy who invites 50 people to his house for dinner on Sundays, anyone can come so long as they rsvp, it’s somewhere in Europe and I plan on looking him up if I’m ever that way. I wish I could do a Sunday dinner for even half that number for people to just let loose…without worrying about time, race, just enjoying the company of each other.

With that said, Criminal Minds is my all time favorite show so I know they are many crazy people. Did I say how much I looove some Shemar Moore? Fall premier did not disappoint.

"Jesu witu niwe watuonire,hindi iria tuorete agicoka agituonereria njira ya muoyo-ini". One of the songs we sang in elementary school. I don’t know why it’s been in my head. It means Jesus found us when we were lost and showed us the way to eternal life.

Without God, my life would be meaningless.

I have lived long enough to know that money is the root cause of very many evils. It takes some serious discernment, wisdom and Godliness to use money wisely when you have it in plenty. It seems to me the more money people make, the greedier they get, the less generous they get and the more arrogant and selfish they become. It’s just paper! The saddest part is that it disappears and if happiness and money go hand in hand for you, woe unto you!

I really enjoy my community health classes. If we addressed racism, we would significantly improve health outcomes.

I love my family so much and the greatest dilemma of my life is that I don’t get to spend much time with them. I have seriously been re-thinking my role in the diaspora and if it is worth it. At the moment, I’m arguing that it is because of my career prospects but with my son growing up without extended family,so not worth it…sigh.