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A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

May 6, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day

I don’t normally like to go on too much about all the cute things my kids say because everyone’s kids (or grandkids or nieces and nephews) are equally adorable and say equally adorable things. But since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I’m going to indulge myself. And please feel free to share your cute kid stories, too. I’m all ears!

Andrew
When Andrew was four, he got “goo” from Aunt Karna and Uncle John for Christmas. The next day I was in the shower when Andrew yelled, “Mom! Lexie has a wattle!” He’d stuck the goo in her hair. Tim managed to get it out but Andrew said, “I never knew goo would get me in so much trouble.”

One day I used the expression “it’s not the end of the world.” Andrew (four) nodded and said, “Yes, the end of the world is when a comet hits the earth.”

Andrew (four) said, “God is talking to me in my heart.” I said, “Oh? What’s He saying?” Andrew replied, “He’s snoring.”

Lexie
Andrew (five) and Lexie (three) were putting on a puppet show. Andrew (Miss Piggy) said, “I’m the star of the show.” Not to be outdone, Lexie (Kermit) said, “I’m the moon of the show.”

My parents were visiting and Lexie (four) wanted to watch a movie. “Don’t you think you should ask your mom?” Grandpa said. Lexie left the room, came back, and said, “She’s busy talking, but I think she meant ‘yes’.”

When Lexie was four I asked what her husband would be like. “Oh, like yours,” she said. “What’s he like?” I said. “A helper,” she replied.

Will
When batteries flew out of a pack he was opening, seven-year-old Will said, “What a surprising and unwelcome canoodle.”

Will and Lexie were playing several years ago and I asked Will who Lexie was. “She’s the mommy,” he said. “Who are you?” I asked. “I’m the sweetums.”

One day I came home to find that Will had dropped a jar of mayo, sending the contents flying everywhere. “What happened?” I asked. Will replied, “I said ‘This is too heavy.’ And then I dropped it.”

Lily
The kids made English muffin pizzas one night for dinner and Lily (six) said, “This whole dinner is way gooder than the other dinners.”

I was spraying Pam on a pan near Lily the other day. “Be careful!” she cried. “If you spray me with that, I’ll come off things too easily!”

A few years ago after Tim helped them dye some very fancy Easter eggs Lily said, “Daddy’s the best guy I know.”

Kids really do say the darnedest things. By the way, I’m trying to get better at recording these little moments. (New Mamas: write things down!) I actually own a five-year diary, but I never seem to remember to write in it. My grandma has kept a diary for about 50 years. It’s a treasure trove of memories and I love it when she calls me to say “On this day in [X] you were [getting married, having a baby, in St. Paul’s Cathedral with me and your mother, etc.].” Although I suspect the real reason she keeps it is so she can win arguments with Grandpa. It’s hard to argue when The Diary says that you did in fact have dinner with the Smiths, and not the Andersons, on April 14.

I subbed a lot at school this past week, so I’m looking forward to getting caught up a little around the house this weekend. I get to spend Mother’s Day with my wonderful mother and my grandmother, whom I haven’t seen all winter because she escapes to Phoenix. Can’t wait to see her! Do you have anything fun planned? I hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy Mother’s Day, whether you’re a mother or just love yours. And if you’re missing your mother this year, I hope your heart is lifted with warm and loving memories.

Most all other beautiful things in life come in twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds—plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins—but only one mother in all the wide world.

Filed Under: Holidays Shannon 1 Comment

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Comments

  1. Diane (aka. mom, grammy) says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    I feel like I just received a Mother’s Day gift. I loved today’s blog and reading, some for the first time, the kids remarks. It’s so much fun to see the world through children’s eyes, especially when you’re related to them! Thank you for sharing…

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! My name is Shannon Taylor and I’m a mom of four, originally from Minnesota and now living in Maryland. I "published" my first newsletter when I was nine, and since then, I’ve written and edited for magazines, websites, and textbooks. I started this blog when my kids were small to reflect on life, share ideas, and preserve memories. Now that my children are grown, I continue to use this space to document meaningful moments and practical ideas.

If you're in the mood for a bit of Christmas cheer, you might enjoy THE ADVENT BOX, available wherever books are sold. You can click on the cover below to learn more.

Instagram

Dear America...

5 1
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18084812023930902
Dear America...

I grew up in Minnesota. My mom was the Social Justice Chair at our Lutheran church, so it was normal to see her rush out at all hours to deliver food, diapers, and other aid to people in need. When St. Paul began welcoming Hmong refugees, my parents were among the first to help. For my Vietnam-vet dad, I`ve always believed it was an opportunity to atone for the sins our country committed in Vietnam. I remember two families in particular because they made wonderful food as a gift for my graduation party. Another time, a Somali woman and her daughter showed up at our church looking for community. So my mom invited them to Thanksgiving dinner.

That was the world I lived in and why adopting a child seemed like a natural extension of motherhood for me. I had faith that my child would be safe in my community. And my country.

Which brings me to the reason I`m writing this post. There are a lot of conversations right now about speaking up. I`m not sure anyone "owes" my family an explanation of their political beliefs. But we sure trust and appreciate those who speak out against a government that profiles people of color. And who are equally alarmed and ashamed that Mr. Thao, a U.S. citizen like my daughter, was pulled out of his shower after ICE agents broke his door down.

It’s painful to know that the neighbor who gave our daughter a delightful picture book when we brought her home is supporting a party that is encouraging its agents to ask, “Where do the Asians live?” It`s painful to be a guest in the home of someone who assumes my family is as white as hers and confidently tells me how glad she is that God is working through Trump to "clean up" our country and get rid of all these "dangerous criminals.”

I have so much admiration for people who speak up when they don`t have to. I mean, I`m on board this ship whether I like it or not because we`re an Asian-American family. To all of you out there fighting the good fight: I see you and I thank you.

To that end, I`m going to put resources I trust in the comments. Please share yours, too. Or DM me if you prefer.

18 14
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18179362702374619
I grew up in Minnesota. My mom was the Social Justice Chair at our Lutheran church, so it was normal to see her rush out at all hours to deliver food, diapers, and other aid to people in need. When St. Paul began welcoming Hmong refugees, my parents were among the first to help. For my Vietnam-vet dad, I've always believed it was an opportunity to atone for the sins our country committed in Vietnam. I remember two families in particular because they made wonderful food as a gift for my graduation party. Another time, a Somali woman and her daughter showed up at our church looking for community. So my mom invited them to Thanksgiving dinner.

That was the world I lived in and why adopting a child seemed like a natural extension of motherhood for me. I had faith that my child would be safe in my community. And my country.

Which brings me to the reason I'm writing this post. There are a lot of conversations right now about speaking up. I'm not sure anyone "owes" my family an explanation of their political beliefs. But we sure trust and appreciate those who speak out against a government that profiles people of color. And who are equally alarmed and ashamed that Mr. Thao, a U.S. citizen like my daughter, was pulled out of his shower after ICE agents broke his door down.

It’s painful to know that the neighbor who gave our daughter a delightful picture book when we brought her home is supporting a party that is encouraging its agents to ask, “Where do the Asians live?” It's painful to be a guest in the home of someone who assumes my family is as white as hers and confidently tells me how glad she is that God is working through Trump to "clean up" our country and get rid of all these "dangerous criminals.”

I have so much admiration for people who speak up when they don't have to. I mean, I'm on board this ship whether I like it or not because we're an Asian-American family. To all of you out there fighting the good fight: I see you and I thank you. 

To that end, I'm going to put resources I trust in the comments. Please share yours, too. Or DM me if you prefer.

Had a great time at my first student band showcase! Thank you to Stages Music Arts; Brett, our awesome instructor; and my band mates for making it such a fun night.

I was so surprised and thrilled to look out in the audience and see two of my wonderful friends from our Special Olympics International days (back in the `90s!). And thank you to Tim and our girls for being there and being such a great audience. Will had class, but I hear there`s another showcase in April. Rock on! ❤️😂

29 14
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18079265525197806
Had a great time at my first student band showcase! Thank you to Stages Music Arts; Brett, our awesome instructor; and my band mates for making it such a fun night. 

I was so surprised and thrilled to look out in the audience and see two of my wonderful friends from our Special Olympics International days (back in the '90s!). And thank you to Tim and our girls for being there and being such a great audience. Will had class, but I hear there's another showcase in April. Rock on! ❤️😂

Who wants to talk books?! These are the books I received this Christmas:

1: FRANNY AND ZOOEY by J. D. Salinger. I love Holden Caulfield in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, so I don`t know how I’ve managed to go this long without reading this book!
2: MERRY by Susan Breen. From the cover copy: "Fans of family stories, classic literature, Christmas novels, and holiday season magic will adore MERRY." Also, it`s set in London and features a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens. (We have a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens`s great-great grandson, Gerald Dickens, from the one-man show he performed at the Saint Paul Hotel years ago. ❤️)
3: THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager. "Deliciously Gothic" and "jaw-dropping twists" sounds good to me.
4. 6:40 TO MONTREAL by Eva Jurczyk. This has an Agatha Christie vibe: locked-room, which is always fun, and the protagonist is a writer named Agatha who`s on her way to a writing retreat on a train with beautiful views when disaster strikes.
5. THE SNOW LIES DEEP by Paula Munier. Dogs, snow, and mystery is right up my alley.
6. STORY by Robert McKee from Andrew. I love the study of writing (English lit textbook editor and all), so I`m excited about diving into the definitive book on screenplays. Andrew and I have started a wonderful collaboration on our writing projects, so I hope this will help me understand the nuances of screenwriting—and maybe help me write my own for THE ADVENT BOX!

How about you? Did you get any books for Christmas? Please share!

P.S. My aunt Joan made these beautiful bookmarks for everyone. They arrived with a huge bag of homemade caramels. It doesn`t get any better than that! ❤️

10 4
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18054157025347750
Who wants to talk books?! These are the books I received this Christmas:

1: FRANNY AND ZOOEY by J. D. Salinger. I love Holden Caulfield in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, so I don't know how I’ve managed to go this long without reading this  book! 
2: MERRY by Susan Breen. From the cover copy: "Fans of family stories, classic literature, Christmas novels, and holiday season magic will adore MERRY." Also, it's set in London and features a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens. (We have a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL signed by Dickens's great-great grandson, Gerald Dickens, from the one-man show he performed at the Saint Paul Hotel years ago. ❤️)
3: THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager. "Deliciously Gothic" and "jaw-dropping twists" sounds good to me. 
4. 6:40 TO MONTREAL by Eva Jurczyk. This has an Agatha Christie vibe: locked-room, which is always fun, and the protagonist is a writer named Agatha who's on her way to a writing retreat on a train with beautiful views when disaster strikes.
5. THE SNOW LIES DEEP by Paula Munier. Dogs, snow, and mystery is right up my alley.
6. STORY by Robert McKee from Andrew. I love the study of writing (English lit textbook editor and all), so I'm excited about diving into the definitive book on screenplays. Andrew and I have started a wonderful collaboration on our writing projects, so I hope this will help me understand the nuances of screenwriting—and maybe help me write my own for THE ADVENT BOX!

How about you? Did you get any books for Christmas? Please share!

P.S. My aunt Joan made these beautiful bookmarks for everyone. They arrived with a huge bag of homemade caramels. It doesn't get any better than that! ❤️
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