Ever had one of these kinds of days? Well, I'm having it and, by God, it's never going to end! Sometimes I envy the life of a dog because even if they have bad breath (and, holy crap, my dog has got bad breath!) or they pee on the floor or they chew your favorite shoe, all they have to do is put their little heads on their paws and quietly sit by you. Yeah, that kind of loyalty is why I envy dogs. I cherish being a human and all the beauty that it contains but I envy dogs, I tell ya'! So, yep, this picture sums it up and I just wish someone would scratch behind my ears or rub my belly and tell me it's all going to be ok!
I really hate the media, you know? I'm tired of the arguments between Jon and Kate (FYI Jon, grow a pair and be a man), I'm sick of the love affair with Michael Jackson now that he's dead (you remember him, the one who allowed little kids to sleep in bed with him?), I'm over the obsession with anything David Letterman and his insipid behavior (I guess it's ok to cheat on a loved one as long as you haven't exchanged wedding vows - screw the fact that you have been dating for like 20 years!), and, for the love of God, this stupid Swine flu coverage has gotten on my last nerve! I totally get the reason for reporting about the H1N1 (hate, hate, hate that some moron decided to call it the Swine flu) and also for reporting on what one can do to both prevent it and treat it. But, must it always be tinged with the "Holy crap! The sky is falling" mentality?
Two years ago, I got the flu and I gotta say, that I really wanted to die! My head hurt more than anything, I was covered in a layer of sweat induced by 104 temps, I couldn't lift my head long enough to make sure the kids were up and ready for school, and so on! It wasn't too much after Bill died that I contracted the stupid flu and, as much as it scarred my kids, I might have mentioned to them to say their goodbyes to dear old mom because I'm ready to meet Jesus! I know! Don't say it!
So, fast forward a year or so and we've got the Swine flu! Briege has been at home since Wednesday with a severe cough and a temperature. Half of the people tell me it's just the seasonal "crud" but the other half tell me that it's the Swine flu and that I should take her to get tested for it. Well, the test costs roughly 400 dollars when all is said and done and most insurance doesn't cover it. Do I have to take her to the doctor for them to tell me to keep her hydrated and keep administering Motrin? Duh!
I just would like to dial back the hype and the scare tactics that get ratings. Again, I understand the need for information but we are overdosing on information of all sorts and I've had it! Many times I get made fun of for not having cable television and people mock my rabbit ear antennae but I, for one, do not miss the 24 hour coverage of Obama (both pro and con), the behind the scenes goings on of , and the hours upon hours of scary news stories of a H1N1 flu pandemic in this country. For all that is good and wholesome in this world, I am taking a stand and I am going to control the amount of drama and panic that enters my little house on Holiday Drive!
So there!
The last and final submission of the O'Brien kids is Keagan. My youngest, born on Halloween, has provided me the most activity in my life as Mommy. He is an amazing young man that is able to, in a 5 minute span, make me the most frustrated and the most entertained! I am constantly amazed at his ability to creatively make a situation fit to his liking rather than having to adjust his own perception. This trait will serve him well as he gets older but right now I would just like him to conform, dang it!! But, I have come to love this little stinker for everything that he brings to my life.
What I love most about Keagan is that he just exists as though the sun rose this morning for him and for him alone! He has, in his mind, an idea of how things should be run and when it is altered he is thrown and attempts to bring the rest of us around to his way of thinking. Now, don't get me wrong, I love his independent spirit and his huge heart! I do! He is just so different from his other siblings and just when I thought that I had the "manual" memorized, along came Keagan.
I look forward to every day to see what new things Keagan has learned and will teach me. He is well loved in school (he's got a big fan base of 8th graders!) and he is always careful to see that everyone gets a fair deal each and every day. God most definitely has a sense of humor in that He sent me this little bundle of energy as my final gift in the world of motherhood. Thank God for his little dimple as it has saved Keagan on a few occasions but, mostly, thank God for Keagan!
There are many days that I wonder what it is that I did to deserve an amazing child like Briege. Don't get me wrong, my boys are great and I totally can relate to most of what goes through their minds (well, maybe not totally but somewhat) But, how on earth did I get blessed with Briege? I have been sitting here for over 10 minutes trying to come up with the perfect words to describe this little punk. And...punk just isn't the right word for her!
I was blessed with finding out that I was pregnant with Briege on Valentine's day. I pretty much hate Valentine's day with all of its superficial meaning but it changed on that day for me. I wasn't quite sure that I was ready for another child but, what the heck! And, out she came - all 10 pounds of her! She was the most perfect baby ever - perfectly round head, slight reddish tint to her hair, and the most adorable blue eyes ever! With this came colic but it didn't last long and she blossomed (gosh, I hate that word but it fits for Briege) into this kind, sweet, caring, sensitive, talented, smart, faithful young lady.
I can always count on Briege for just about anything. I have never had to spank her or give her a time out - EVER. If there is a time for disciplinary action because of a rare "slip-up" she has already decided what her punishment should be. I, then, never have the heart to follow through with the punishment because it came so selflessly for her. I wish that I could more eloquently describe how much I love this little ray of sunshine!
When her daddy died, my little Briege was so confused and just wanted, in some way, to see him one more time. Not for her own sake but because she wasn't quite sure if she gave him enough hugs to remember in Heaven. She feels things very deeply so the loss of Bill hurt her amazing heart more than the others. What is beautiful about Briege is that she just feels what she feels and believes in the amazing love of God in helping her get through each and every day - even if it's filled with all of these stinky boys! I, truly, am humbled to be Briege's mom!
I thought it would be nice to write about each of my kids - separately, not as one giant glob of children. Today, I start with my baby, my oldest, my clone, my Murphy! He truly is my Heaven-sent gift from God! When I was pregnant back in 1990, it was God's plan that that baby was supposed to be a gift for another family and God rewarded my obedience and my sacrifice with a precious gift, on my birthday, of Murphy.
He is quickly growing up to be a strong and confident young man. I am proud of the way that he makes friends with all sorts of different boys (and some girls) He doesn't limit himself to only befriending those kids that have similar interests. He is friends with kids that play sports and those that don't; he doesn't care about the color of their skin or the size of their houses; he doesn't care whether they are funny or more quiet. What I love about Murphy is the size of his heart. He would rather hang out with someone that likes a good giggle than someone who chooses to pick on someone to get a giggle. He is sensitive to the girls and doesn't mind including them in his activities. He may very well be on the verge of "liking" them and I'm not willing to see it yet but I still admire that he isn't afraid to be seen talking or playing with them. It could be that he's being raised by a single mother and I've stressed the point that it doesn't matter about the differences only about the size of the heart in the person. I may not have said that in so many words but he's seen that example at home.
I cannot believe that he is 5'5"! He is to the beginning of my shoulder and I firmly believe that he will be as tall as me by 8th grade! How does this happen? I know that it is such a cliche for parents to say that it's gone by so fast but it has! Although, there are days that I don't feel like the day will EVER end, it does and before I know it, Murphy is five.feet.five.inches! Repeat FIVE.FEET.FIVE.INCHES! This doesn't make me feel old, it just makes me excited to see what is coming around the corner.
I love my Murphy! He's the one of my children that is most like me! We like the same things - ND football, the Yankees, taco salads, being the first to put our seat belts on (it's all about the race, people!), a good joke, having people think we're funny, and so much more. I worry, sometimes, the effect it will have on Murphy by not having a father around but then he does something or says something that erases that fear. He is a great kid and I am privileged and blessed to call myself "Murphy's Mom!"
You know, I have always felt a little disdain for Charlie Brown because, seriously, how could one person be duped that often by the same trick? How does he not know that Lucy is going to pull the football away at the last second? Why does he continue to fall for it? Does he, somehow, enjoy the pain or does he want Lucy to feel guilty for hurting him? Perhaps my disdain stems from the fact that I relate to Charlie Brown in many ways. My own blindness has caused me to fall for the same football trick over and over again! I simply refuse to believe that people can hurt me until (wait for it) I get hurt and then I am terribly confused and, well, hurt. So, here I am, going through another "Charlie Brown Football Moment" and wondering how it is that I ended up on my arse and how it is that I fell for it again! And with that, I leave you with this:
PS. Please have some compassion for Charlie Brown as he hopes against hope that this time it will be different. There are a lot of us out there like him and we just wish that the Lucys of the world would hold the damn football!
