Viral

Below is a "viral video" I hope my bear cubs never see. I think I aged a year watching it (while thinking about how Brother Bear would find this soooooo fun). Gulp.

Honesty

Monday was the first day of school (first grade) for Brother Bear. So last week, many of the other First Grade Mama Bears decided it would be a good idea to get back in the swing of things by doing a few practice runs of getting to school at 7:50 a.m. Thus, Thursday and Friday of last week, we planned early morning play dates at the school.

Now might be a good time to mention one of my favorite things of summer is we don't have to be anywhere at 7:50 a.m.

I prepped Brother Bear and he was beyond excited. Thrilled. Because, well, the last 5 days of summer were....challenging around our house. I told him I would wake him at 6:45 a.m. Thursday morning and we would go through our whole routine (sans the uniform) and be at school at 7:50 a.m. for a play date.

So, Thursday morning, I'm awakened from my deep slumber at 7:20 a.m. by Papa Bear saying, "I have to go to work now..." Turns out, Brother Bear had woken up on his own, dressed, and eaten breakfast with Papa Bear. All while I was hibernating and ignoring my very annoying alarm clock. Needless to say, I had egg on my face and we did not make the play date.

Thursday evening over dinner Brother Bear and I discussed how on Friday we were really going to do a "dry run". We were going to do all of our morning routine and get to school no later than 7:50 a.m. Because, this was our last day to test and see if we could do it. Plus, there would be friends.

Brother Bear's response to me?

"Sure, Mama Bear! Well, assuming that you wake up of course!"

I could do with a little less honesty around here sometimes...

Two..

Two years ago today, I was enjoying my very quiet morning. Papa Bear was on a long run, and Brother Bear was still sleeping. I watched the sun rise, relaxed a little, and made out my very long list of to-dos for the day.

And - in an instant - my list of to-dos changed to one thing: bring Sugar Bear into the world!!

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Two years ago today, you gave me a wonderful surprise.

Two years ago today, I fell in love again.

In that short span of time, you've taught me much...

My "lists" and to-dos aren't important. They can wait.

The joy of life with a newborn.

Sibling love is a beautiful thing.

How to be more relaxed this time.

I love that every sentence you say end with an exclamation point.

I love your passion...well, mostly.

I love your sparkly eyes and the way you work a crowd.

You are my sunshine, Sugar Bear.

For a while, I wasn't sure you would grace our lives.

Oh, how blessed I am that you did!

Love,

Mama Bear

Survival Techniques

We got a last minute call tonight that Papa Bear would be working late. I decided that I didn't want to "cook" a full dinner for the cubs. So I pulled a rabbit out of the hat:

The Babysitter Dinner.

Oh, don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about! You have a grand date night planned, and the last thing you want to do is stand over the stove all dressed up for the evening. So instead, you whip up something really easy and call it "dinner". And you always have it on hand - just in case.

Mine is: hot dogs, pasta, and grapes (or insert other seasonal fruit we have on hand at the time). No judging Cyber Bears. I used to put together a really healthy impressive meal for the babysitter but then I had an epiphany: She doesn't care. Rather freeing, I must say. And since we have a babysitter about every - oh - 6 months or so, my cubs aren't too nutritionally deprived. Because every other night, I feed them all organic, free range, nutritionist approved, gourmet meals.

Ahem.

So, what's your go-to Babysitter Dinner?

Don't tell me you don't have one.

I know better.

Excuse me?

It's the dead heat of summer. This Mama Bear is hot, tired, out of fun ideas, and, did I mention hot? So, at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon, I decided to load the cubs up and take them to the grocery store. "It's an adventure!" "There'll be cookies!" (yes, I AM that Mama Bear!)

Since I use coupons and bargain shop (not to mention I'm trying to drive the behemoth kiddie grocery cart) it takes a while to get through all the aisles. The cubs are relatively well behaved during the shopping experience. Then it came time for checkout. As it is impossible for me to be in two places at one time, checkout becomes a little more tricky. I'm trying to pay, answer the checker's coupon questions, and keep an eye on the cubs. Not an easy task.

Apparently, the natives got a little more restless than the bagger would prefer. I thought - given the circumstances - they'd done pretty well.

So, the bagger helps me to the car and starts unloading the groceries. I get the cubs buckled in and then go to the back of the van to help her unload the rest of the groceries.

And then she said, "You need to teach them how to behave."

OH. YES. SHE. DID.

Cyberbears, it took EVERY FIBER OF MY FURRY BODY to keep myself from becoming tomorrow's headlines.

What I wanted to say? "Hey lady, I don't tell you how to bag my groceries, how 'bout you do the same with me?"

What I actually said? "Thank you very much. I think I have it from here."

I'm outta grace for the day. She literally did me in. Not a drop left. It's 5:56, Papa Bear gets home at 6:00 p.m. and I'm hiding from the cubs until then.

When does school start?

Pasta. It's what's for dinner!

Beating the heat and keeping a six year old bear cub busy require a lot of creativity! This summer, during Sugar Bear's nap time, Brother Bear and I have been experimenting with cooking. Surprisingly enough, most of the recipes he selects require sugar. And butter. And chocolate. Not so good for our waistlines around here...

Now that he is getting more "experienced" in the kitchen, I thought it would be fun to let him make dinner for the family. And, since it feels like the surface of the sun these days, I thought pasta salad would be a great way to start. (Thank you, Highlights Magazine for the recipe!).

Yes, I gave him a knife. Scariest part of the whole experience!

Mama Bear definitely supervised this part!

Vegetables! Oh my!

Stir well.

And, voila! Dinner is served

(with fresh cantaloupe plucked from our garden as a side!)

It would have been even better if either of the cubs had actually eaten the salad he created. Sigh. Oh well!

(Oh, and for those of you concerned, it was NOT topless dinner night at the Four Bears Den! Brother Bear was recently out of the pool, thus, the shirtless attire.)