So we all have those people in our lives that see us for who we are right? The people that know how awful we can be, how judgmental, how petty, how unforgiving, how just downright rude we can be.....and they still love us despite all the nastiness that can sometimes inhabit these bodies of ours. I am lucky to have quite a few people like this. They love on me even when I am unlovable.
But then there are other people...........
These people seem to have blinders on. It's as if they don't see the ugly and just see the beauty of who we are. I talked to one of these people last night........amazingly enough, it's my mother-in-law. I gave her the book "Kisses From Katie" for Christmas because I want EVERYONE to read it. Plus Sharon has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and I knew she would love it. So I was talking to her last night and she said that she was reading the book and, indeed, she loves it. She said she just keeps reading and the whole time she was thinking about me. That I am just like Katie, that I would be doing the things that she is doing.
Huh.
Katie has 13 kids. I have 3.
Katie is single. I have a loving, wonderful husband who is SO SUPPORTIVE and takes over whenever I feel like quitting.
Katie lives in Uganda. I live in Canton, Ohio. Just use your imagination to think of all the differences that entails.
Katie runs an organization that feeds children, sends them to school, provides medical care and numerous other things to the people of Uganda. I occasionally run the sweeper.
You get my drift............there are some MAJOR differences.
But what I love is that in my searchings of late I have asked God that people see Him through me. Not that I do great and amazing things, necessarily, but that He is shown through me. That people know His love, through the love that I am able to give. And while Katie's heart and walk and journey seem so much further along than mine I am bolstered by Sharon's words. I feel as if God spoke through her to reassure me that I am on the right path. And thank God for people who see past the ugliness, that don't even recognize it and are able to speak into your heart.
Oh and the other great thing about my mother-in-law? She is watching the kids, BY HERSELF, for three days and two nights while Joe and I go off on a little getaway. This is something we do every year in February. It is something that I look forward to all year. One year? Nico was 2 months old, Fia not yet 2 years old and they went to stay with Grandma Goats for three days, 2 nights during a snowstorm. Joe and I had the whole house to ourselves and were able to SLEEP for hours......it was amazing. That's right I left my kid for 3 days when he was 2 months old.........it was GLORIOUS :)
Now I am feeling REALLY different from Katie................I am going to go love on my kids now.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Looking Up
I walk into church and it's hard not to be amazed by the awesome Christians I see. I marvel at their goodness. I marvel at their beauty. I marvel at their devotion to something outside of themselves, outside of the comfortable and normal and expected.
It's a little intimidating at times.
I find myself wondering at their backgrounds. Surely, I think they must have been raised in homes where scripture was studied every night, where prayer was as easy and natural as breathing. They must have lived and breathed Jesus from the moment they were born. I imagine lovely lives where they moved, walked in a cloud of love and goodness and kindness all the days of their lovely lives. It's easy to think this of people who do and say amazing thing, who live amazing lives.
Yet again and again and again I am proven wrong.
Again and again and again God shows me that He takes what is broken, what is unlovely, what is seemingly useless and ugly and says I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. That the loveliness comes from God and not from our own efforts. That those people who are living amazing lives come from dark and ugly places and that it is only through GOD that their lives are made lovely. That every time THEY tried to do something amazing or something good or tried to make things right that they failed because they were trying to do it ALONE.
Life cannot be lived ALONE.
With God comes light. With God comes life. With God comes love. With God comes FULLNESS. Let us live our lives not looking to each other, not looking to ourselves for loveliness. But let's look UP to God, to see all the beauty and goodness and love that life has to offer. Let us look UP to find acceptance and awareness. Let us look UP so that we all may live amazing lives within the FULLNESS of God.
I want to be one of those people that cause others to look UP. You know what I am talking about? When you see someone standing and pointing and looking up at the sky? Your natural reaction is to go over and look too, to wonder what are they looking at. I want others to walk over to my life and think what the heck is she looking up and in looking up with me say.......ahhhh, now I see, now I get it. I see God. I want them to see God. I want them to experience the wonder and beauty that comes from seeing the living God.
And, again, HUGE HUGS to Jason and Suzi Lantz who always cause me to look up at our wondrous God.
It's a little intimidating at times.
I find myself wondering at their backgrounds. Surely, I think they must have been raised in homes where scripture was studied every night, where prayer was as easy and natural as breathing. They must have lived and breathed Jesus from the moment they were born. I imagine lovely lives where they moved, walked in a cloud of love and goodness and kindness all the days of their lovely lives. It's easy to think this of people who do and say amazing thing, who live amazing lives.
Yet again and again and again I am proven wrong.
Again and again and again God shows me that He takes what is broken, what is unlovely, what is seemingly useless and ugly and says I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. That the loveliness comes from God and not from our own efforts. That those people who are living amazing lives come from dark and ugly places and that it is only through GOD that their lives are made lovely. That every time THEY tried to do something amazing or something good or tried to make things right that they failed because they were trying to do it ALONE.
Life cannot be lived ALONE.
With God comes light. With God comes life. With God comes love. With God comes FULLNESS. Let us live our lives not looking to each other, not looking to ourselves for loveliness. But let's look UP to God, to see all the beauty and goodness and love that life has to offer. Let us look UP to find acceptance and awareness. Let us look UP so that we all may live amazing lives within the FULLNESS of God.
I want to be one of those people that cause others to look UP. You know what I am talking about? When you see someone standing and pointing and looking up at the sky? Your natural reaction is to go over and look too, to wonder what are they looking at. I want others to walk over to my life and think what the heck is she looking up and in looking up with me say.......ahhhh, now I see, now I get it. I see God. I want them to see God. I want them to experience the wonder and beauty that comes from seeing the living God.
And, again, HUGE HUGS to Jason and Suzi Lantz who always cause me to look up at our wondrous God.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Even Barf Can Be a Blessing.......
This morning at 6:15 I heard Fia coughing, so I went to investigate. I found Fia standing at the side of our bed, throwing up into a sheet Joe had cupped in his hands while lying in bed. Poor man. What a rude awakening. It was day 2 of Fia having to be at home, no school for our girl yet again.
But what a blessing it turned out to be! We had such a fun morning building our town. It was Nico's idea to begin with but then everyone offered up their opinions and ideas. Fia was able to direct us from her position on the couch - Fia absolutely LOVES when she is sick to lay on the couch with a blanket and a tray table of goodies next to her. She had a crate of crayons, construction paper, scissors and some glue. She got right to work. Nico helped to build and had many ideas of his own. Francesca built her own house and set up people. Welcome to Codispoti Town Village! (Name courtesy of Nico)
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| All of Francesca's people walking through the river. They look like they are on a pilgrimage - some wise men, Mary, a zebra, a dog, the shepherd boy and, of course, a smurf. |
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| Francesca's "house" - really she just wanted a bed. She dragged out her bee pillow and Dora sheet and constructed herself a fine little house. |
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| Fia working on a building front with a pot in front of her.........just in case. |
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| The entrance to the zoo |
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| On overview of Codispoti Town Village |
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| Nico playing at the "pier". Oooh and note the raindrops and sun overhead - totally Fia's idea. It add much to our town village. There is snow on the other side of town. Francesca chose the sunny side of town :) |
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| The bridge and river were Fia's ideas. The ponds were Nico's ideas. |
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| At one point Francesca just couldn't handle all the creativity and had to sequester herself in the booth area to work on her own things. |
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| Fia feeling better :) Couldn't stand to be left on the couch |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Love Affair Continues............
Yesterday Fia brought home a paper from the writing portion of her kindergarten day. On the front was "I am a little black bat" written about 5 times in various ways. On the back, after they were finished with their work, they were to write sentences they made up. I glanced at these and told Fia to come over. She had written "I love Treyton." as one of her sentences. I wanted to ask her about this. She giggled and said she and Treyton were giving Mrs. B a hard time. I have no idea what this meant but she didn't seem to be harboring passionate feelings for Treyton so I let it go. Then I asked her what the last sentence was....
"I love misaf."
Anyone figure it out?
Fia says, "Oh, that's I love myself."
Guess I was worried about the wrong sentence.
All those posts I wrote about my heart, this child being my heart and how worried I was about her going off to school because she was my least confident and least certain child? Scratch 'em. Some kids go to school to learn how to read and write......Fia learns to love herself. Here's a picture I snapped last night after bath. I asked Fia to look at the camera........she said she'd rather look in the mirror. No joke. And, yes, Maria, Rick and all the rest of you.......I can hear you laughing........
Finally she agreed to look at the camera, she was thinking she looked very cute.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Running Away
I was looking up flights to Johannesburg last night. Seriously. I was thinking that Joe and I should go on a missions trip. Or maybe the family could go for a year, Joe could take a year's leave of absence, we could somehow find someone to rent out our house to and take care of it for a year, we could use our savings to live off of while in Africa. I had seen on Pfunanane's website where they are looking for teachers looking to serve for at least a year. Also, they said they host missions trips there. (Don't worry mom.......keep reading.......) Does anyone ever feel this way? Do you feel that pull to make an obvious, noticeable difference?
I know I have been over this before but there are children dying, people starving. There is not enough water, not enough food, not enough ways for people to earn a living, the schools are too expensive for families to afford, there are real, hard problems. How can I live in a place where my pantry is filled to overflowing, where Sofia is going to a great school with a fabulous teacher for FREE, where I can walk into any room and turn up the heat, turn on the water, find any comfort I could imagine. How is it possible to have so much? Is it right to have this much? Is it ok?
I don't know.
We try to give, to live a generous life. I don't know if it's enough.
And, then on the other hand, I don't know how to fight my way upstream - to not care that my children won't have the lastest and greatest everything because there is a greater need. To not care that someday they may be affected by our choices. I care sometimes when our choices dictate that they don't have everything their friends may have. I look at our house and know that we could go bigger, go better but that would limit us in more important places. How can I say it's more important for Fia to have her own room or Nico to have a bigger room when our money ensures that Noemi, Sebastian and Alberto get to eat and go to school. What about the goats, the chickens, the seeds - really, our "needs" seem idiotic in comparison. How can I say, nah, we need a bit more square footage? (Right now is where my mom is going to go to bat for giving our children EVERYTHING that we can - and I have to say when I am a grandma I am sure I will notice my feelings change..... :)
And this is why sometimes I think about running away. Sometimes I think a place where we are rich in material things and are able to give and give and give in a real and obvious way would be easier than being in a place where there is too much. Or just to be in a place where everyone is a have not instead of being in a place where there is a constant battle to have MORE. Where every day it is a choice not to be wasteful, not to give in to the thinking that what we have defines us. Where on every street, on every corner there are stores and billboards and signs crying out YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH, HAPPY ENOUGH, YOU ARE NOT FULFILLED UNLESS YOU BUY THIS, HAVE THIS and sometimes it's hard not to believe it. There is so much that I want - I want new jeans, I want to get my hair cut every two months, I would love to go out to eat once a week, I would love to have new carpet in the entryway, I would love to go to a really expensive, luxurious cabin for a weekend in February, I want to not be careful with money, I want to buy food that is quick and easy to cook when we have company, I want to splurge on my parents, I want to fly out to see my brother and sister-in-law, I want all of that. I want. I want. I want.
But I want something more...........I want to see God's Kingdom here on earth. I want to love on people. I want everyone to be fed spiritually and physically. I want children to live. I want parents to be able to work hard and work honestly so that they can care for their children. I want bellies to be full, minds to be stimulated, thirst to be quenched. I want that more.
And for right now........God doesn't want me to run away. This is the life that He has called me to, a life where there aren't empty bellies but maybe there are empty hearts. I see it so much. I see a lot of pain amidst all the abundance and all the things that the world says should make us happy. I see broken families. I see people searching. I see people overindulging, constantly looking for satisfaction and coming up empty. Do you see it too? There are people all around that need His love. I want so badly to love them. I want to love families. God is pushing me. He is calling me to open my heart, my life and my family to others. I have burrowed for awhile now. I have been afraid for a bit - afraid to come out from behind my own family, my own children. But He is calling, calling us to step out on faith. He is calling us to live together, love together and serve together.
I am waiting a bit impatiently to see what He has in store for us......................hopefully, I won't hop on a plane to Johannesburg while I am in the waiting :)
Will you pray for us? Will you pray that I won't get sidetracked or make excuses? Thanks for reading my rants. Love you all.
I know I have been over this before but there are children dying, people starving. There is not enough water, not enough food, not enough ways for people to earn a living, the schools are too expensive for families to afford, there are real, hard problems. How can I live in a place where my pantry is filled to overflowing, where Sofia is going to a great school with a fabulous teacher for FREE, where I can walk into any room and turn up the heat, turn on the water, find any comfort I could imagine. How is it possible to have so much? Is it right to have this much? Is it ok?
I don't know.
We try to give, to live a generous life. I don't know if it's enough.
And, then on the other hand, I don't know how to fight my way upstream - to not care that my children won't have the lastest and greatest everything because there is a greater need. To not care that someday they may be affected by our choices. I care sometimes when our choices dictate that they don't have everything their friends may have. I look at our house and know that we could go bigger, go better but that would limit us in more important places. How can I say it's more important for Fia to have her own room or Nico to have a bigger room when our money ensures that Noemi, Sebastian and Alberto get to eat and go to school. What about the goats, the chickens, the seeds - really, our "needs" seem idiotic in comparison. How can I say, nah, we need a bit more square footage? (Right now is where my mom is going to go to bat for giving our children EVERYTHING that we can - and I have to say when I am a grandma I am sure I will notice my feelings change..... :)
And this is why sometimes I think about running away. Sometimes I think a place where we are rich in material things and are able to give and give and give in a real and obvious way would be easier than being in a place where there is too much. Or just to be in a place where everyone is a have not instead of being in a place where there is a constant battle to have MORE. Where every day it is a choice not to be wasteful, not to give in to the thinking that what we have defines us. Where on every street, on every corner there are stores and billboards and signs crying out YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH, HAPPY ENOUGH, YOU ARE NOT FULFILLED UNLESS YOU BUY THIS, HAVE THIS and sometimes it's hard not to believe it. There is so much that I want - I want new jeans, I want to get my hair cut every two months, I would love to go out to eat once a week, I would love to have new carpet in the entryway, I would love to go to a really expensive, luxurious cabin for a weekend in February, I want to not be careful with money, I want to buy food that is quick and easy to cook when we have company, I want to splurge on my parents, I want to fly out to see my brother and sister-in-law, I want all of that. I want. I want. I want.
But I want something more...........I want to see God's Kingdom here on earth. I want to love on people. I want everyone to be fed spiritually and physically. I want children to live. I want parents to be able to work hard and work honestly so that they can care for their children. I want bellies to be full, minds to be stimulated, thirst to be quenched. I want that more.
And for right now........God doesn't want me to run away. This is the life that He has called me to, a life where there aren't empty bellies but maybe there are empty hearts. I see it so much. I see a lot of pain amidst all the abundance and all the things that the world says should make us happy. I see broken families. I see people searching. I see people overindulging, constantly looking for satisfaction and coming up empty. Do you see it too? There are people all around that need His love. I want so badly to love them. I want to love families. God is pushing me. He is calling me to open my heart, my life and my family to others. I have burrowed for awhile now. I have been afraid for a bit - afraid to come out from behind my own family, my own children. But He is calling, calling us to step out on faith. He is calling us to live together, love together and serve together.
I am waiting a bit impatiently to see what He has in store for us......................hopefully, I won't hop on a plane to Johannesburg while I am in the waiting :)
Will you pray for us? Will you pray that I won't get sidetracked or make excuses? Thanks for reading my rants. Love you all.
Monday, January 2, 2012
In The Quiet of the Morning
I love mornings - dark, quiet mornings spent with my cup of hot coffee, dim lighting in the living room, my Bible and my journal. I would like this picture to be the picture of all my mornings.....but it's not. It's one of my resolves, my resolutions you might say to be in bed by 10:00 and ASLEEP every night this new year so that I can wake before everyone else and have this time. It makes me a better person to have this time - it's peaceful and wonderful and refreshing.
However.....
It is during this time that inevitably something else creeps in, something not from God. It's something that breaks my heart, rips me up inside and ultimately keep me from doing His work. It's doubt. It's worry. It's guilt. During these quiet moments at the beginning of the day sometimes I hear thoughts of inadequacy. I hear that I am not a good enough mother - why didn't I spend more time with my children yesterday? Why did I snap at this one or that one? Why didn't I get off the couch and play more? Why am I so tired? Am I not good enough? I hear that I am not a good wife. Why didn't I listen more? Why didn't I snap less? Why wasn't I the one to take over with the kids and give my husband a break? Why didn't I give more of myself, my time to the one I love so much?
I hate these thoughts.
What I hate even more are the times when I BELIEVE these thoughts and they keep me from doing the things I am meant to be doing, the things that God is calling me to do. There are times when I worship my children, my relationship with them more than God. And it looks good, huh? Who can fault a mother for saying that she puts her children first? How wonderful is she? But she's not. I am not. I cannot allow my children to be the reason for everything in my life. I cannot allow them to sidetrack my in the guise of being a better mother. And sometimes they do - through no fault of their own, what child doesn't want mommy all the time, all the attention, all the love. I start to think I can't do things, I can't be away from them because who will love on them, who will care for them, who will protect them if I am not there, being their everything?
Oh what a dangerous path that is..............to teach my little ones full reliance on mommy and not the Father who loves them even more. And what a dangerous path for me.........for someday if I do my job well they will be gone and if I shape my life entire around these three precious beings what is in place when they leave? My marriage - will that survive 20+ years of being ignored in the name of being a good parent? How about my relationship with God - will that survive 20+ years of being put on the back burner while I was busy being my children's everything for every waking moment?
It's a hard balance. Luckily, I have a husband and a group of wonderful people that God has placed in my life that quiet these voices, these voices not from God. I get daily confirmation from a God who loves me and people who love me that, though a work in progress, I am on the right path. Every once in a while I need correction and for that I am grateful if not always pleased with. There are a few, a select few, that have the courage to tell me when I am wrong, when I need a little push back to the path. It's crazy to have that. It's hard to hear, it's probably hard to be that person. But these are the ones that I come back to again and again when I need advice, when I need to hear from Him through others. They are not my daily friends but my forever friends. Their voices drown out the lies that are sometimes placed in my thoughts. They love and they love unconditionally. They see me for who I am and rejoice in who God created me to be, not the persona I WANT people to see but the actual me.
I hope in this new year I can drown out these voices even more solidly. That I can replace it with His voice, His words. I pray that my life can be a testament to His love. I pray that my actions and my words reflect a life built on Him, His everlasting word and love. And to all you who help me drown out those voices, thank you. You have no idea how much of an impact your encouragement makes. Thank you. Love you all.
However.....
It is during this time that inevitably something else creeps in, something not from God. It's something that breaks my heart, rips me up inside and ultimately keep me from doing His work. It's doubt. It's worry. It's guilt. During these quiet moments at the beginning of the day sometimes I hear thoughts of inadequacy. I hear that I am not a good enough mother - why didn't I spend more time with my children yesterday? Why did I snap at this one or that one? Why didn't I get off the couch and play more? Why am I so tired? Am I not good enough? I hear that I am not a good wife. Why didn't I listen more? Why didn't I snap less? Why wasn't I the one to take over with the kids and give my husband a break? Why didn't I give more of myself, my time to the one I love so much?
I hate these thoughts.
What I hate even more are the times when I BELIEVE these thoughts and they keep me from doing the things I am meant to be doing, the things that God is calling me to do. There are times when I worship my children, my relationship with them more than God. And it looks good, huh? Who can fault a mother for saying that she puts her children first? How wonderful is she? But she's not. I am not. I cannot allow my children to be the reason for everything in my life. I cannot allow them to sidetrack my in the guise of being a better mother. And sometimes they do - through no fault of their own, what child doesn't want mommy all the time, all the attention, all the love. I start to think I can't do things, I can't be away from them because who will love on them, who will care for them, who will protect them if I am not there, being their everything?
Oh what a dangerous path that is..............to teach my little ones full reliance on mommy and not the Father who loves them even more. And what a dangerous path for me.........for someday if I do my job well they will be gone and if I shape my life entire around these three precious beings what is in place when they leave? My marriage - will that survive 20+ years of being ignored in the name of being a good parent? How about my relationship with God - will that survive 20+ years of being put on the back burner while I was busy being my children's everything for every waking moment?
It's a hard balance. Luckily, I have a husband and a group of wonderful people that God has placed in my life that quiet these voices, these voices not from God. I get daily confirmation from a God who loves me and people who love me that, though a work in progress, I am on the right path. Every once in a while I need correction and for that I am grateful if not always pleased with. There are a few, a select few, that have the courage to tell me when I am wrong, when I need a little push back to the path. It's crazy to have that. It's hard to hear, it's probably hard to be that person. But these are the ones that I come back to again and again when I need advice, when I need to hear from Him through others. They are not my daily friends but my forever friends. Their voices drown out the lies that are sometimes placed in my thoughts. They love and they love unconditionally. They see me for who I am and rejoice in who God created me to be, not the persona I WANT people to see but the actual me.
I hope in this new year I can drown out these voices even more solidly. That I can replace it with His voice, His words. I pray that my life can be a testament to His love. I pray that my actions and my words reflect a life built on Him, His everlasting word and love. And to all you who help me drown out those voices, thank you. You have no idea how much of an impact your encouragement makes. Thank you. Love you all.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Cool Cousin Vince
There are three Vinces that I know of in the Codispoti family - Joe's grandfather, brother and cousin. Cousin Vince is, of course, the cousin and this is always the way that I have heard people refer to him. I have had to add the cool because he's now in his late 20's, living in LA, working on different tv shows and movies and what not. He travels to all sorts of places, he looks cool and he is actually quite nice. I like him.
We were all over at Rick's house (another Codispoti sibling) and got to talking about what constitutes "old". Alexandria (yet another Codispoti sibling) had MANY, MANY thoughts on this subject and to sum it all up you are pretty much ALL old (she's 10). Then Cousin Vince chimed in with if you can't stay up to midnight on New Year's Eve than you are old.........
Hmmmm.....
The gauntlet was thrown.
(Did I mention Cousin Vince doesn't have children?)
So this past weekend, on New Year's Eve, we were down in Columbus with 5 of Joe's siblings, their significant others and his mom (this would include my children also). I was determined. The others? Not so much, I don't think they cared if they were referred to as old or not. Unfortunately for Maria, Steve, Vince and Colleen their beds were the "party area". It got to be 11:30 and at that point you might as well stay up..........MY thinking, apparently NOT everyone else's thinking. But we made it - the six of us - to midnight (the others were happily sleeping through the midnight celebration in their more private sleeping quarters. I believe I heard Colleen mutter something about having to rethink this next year.
So, there, I am not old.
But I am tired. Exhausted, in fact.
Did I mention before that Cousin Vince didn't have children? Because maybe when you don't have children 12:00 isn't late. But when you are in Columbus (an area, a house, really, where my children are NOTORIOUS for not sleeping) and your 2 year old keeps waking up in the middle of the night after you have only been asleep for an hour or so you start to feel oh so old and tired and cranky and start to wish you went to bed at a decent hour. Francesca was having issues with "monsters" and the "dark" and wanted "the beautiful light on" (I not sure if this is more a commentary of the beauty of Uncle Anthony and Aunt Kayla's lamps or the condition of our own at home). At 6:00 we got her off her air mattress because all 5 of us were sleeping in one room and we were hoping to keep at least 2 people asleep. We tried to get her to sleep in our bed - no go. Finally we turned on a movie on the portable dvd player. Fia got up and decided to join the fun.
It was SO not fun.
But you know what?
My husband rocks.
He took both girls into the small closet that was in the room and watched Curious George with them as I got a bit more sleep. I have NO IDEA how they all fit in there or how my dear husband managed to drive home. Well, actually, that I do know........he would rather drive on very little sleep than EVER, EVER let me take the wheel. IT MAKES HIM VERY TENSE when I drive.
So Cool Cousin Vince..............you might be right. I might be old.
And, again, girls...............choose wisely, choose a man such as this. One who stays with you through the night, takes care of you in the morning and does so without you ever asking.
We were all over at Rick's house (another Codispoti sibling) and got to talking about what constitutes "old". Alexandria (yet another Codispoti sibling) had MANY, MANY thoughts on this subject and to sum it all up you are pretty much ALL old (she's 10). Then Cousin Vince chimed in with if you can't stay up to midnight on New Year's Eve than you are old.........
Hmmmm.....
The gauntlet was thrown.
(Did I mention Cousin Vince doesn't have children?)
So this past weekend, on New Year's Eve, we were down in Columbus with 5 of Joe's siblings, their significant others and his mom (this would include my children also). I was determined. The others? Not so much, I don't think they cared if they were referred to as old or not. Unfortunately for Maria, Steve, Vince and Colleen their beds were the "party area". It got to be 11:30 and at that point you might as well stay up..........MY thinking, apparently NOT everyone else's thinking. But we made it - the six of us - to midnight (the others were happily sleeping through the midnight celebration in their more private sleeping quarters. I believe I heard Colleen mutter something about having to rethink this next year.
So, there, I am not old.
But I am tired. Exhausted, in fact.
Did I mention before that Cousin Vince didn't have children? Because maybe when you don't have children 12:00 isn't late. But when you are in Columbus (an area, a house, really, where my children are NOTORIOUS for not sleeping) and your 2 year old keeps waking up in the middle of the night after you have only been asleep for an hour or so you start to feel oh so old and tired and cranky and start to wish you went to bed at a decent hour. Francesca was having issues with "monsters" and the "dark" and wanted "the beautiful light on" (I not sure if this is more a commentary of the beauty of Uncle Anthony and Aunt Kayla's lamps or the condition of our own at home). At 6:00 we got her off her air mattress because all 5 of us were sleeping in one room and we were hoping to keep at least 2 people asleep. We tried to get her to sleep in our bed - no go. Finally we turned on a movie on the portable dvd player. Fia got up and decided to join the fun.
It was SO not fun.
But you know what?
My husband rocks.
He took both girls into the small closet that was in the room and watched Curious George with them as I got a bit more sleep. I have NO IDEA how they all fit in there or how my dear husband managed to drive home. Well, actually, that I do know........he would rather drive on very little sleep than EVER, EVER let me take the wheel. IT MAKES HIM VERY TENSE when I drive.
So Cool Cousin Vince..............you might be right. I might be old.
And, again, girls...............choose wisely, choose a man such as this. One who stays with you through the night, takes care of you in the morning and does so without you ever asking.
Happy New Year Everyone!
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