Wonderful, worthwhile inconveniences

This week while my daughter was visiting me for the evening, she found something on the internet that made her chuckle.  As she was reading me excerpts of what she found, I was taken back to when my 5 children were babies.  What she was reading was a list of things that mothers of babies and toddlers have to look forward to when their children are a little older. I am finding, to a certain extent, they apply to me once again.  I thought as she was reading them, I can add to that list, both from memory AND from my current circumstances.  I have the wonderful pleasure of babysitting for my 2 year old and 2 month old grandbabies....and I love it!  But it has reminded me of those long ago days...all those wonderful, worthwhile inconveniences  So, here's the list I came up with. 

Things a new mother (or babysitting gramma) have to look forward to:

1. Sleeping all night (OK, my grandchildren go home at night so this doesn't really apply to me)
2. Taking a shower when you need want to instead of when you can fit it in.
3. Using the bathroom in private.....with the door closed.
4. Drinking a full cup of coffee-----hot!
5. Eating your dinner off your own plate instead of finishing what your child doesn't finish off theirs
6. Watching something on TV other than Veggie Tales (I have to say though, my husband and I get a kick out of them)
7. Speaking in full sentences
8. Wearing a hairstyle that doesn't involve a headband or 'messy bun" (Goes along with #2)
9. When your wardrobe consists fo something other than t-shirts and yoga pants.
   
10. Completing a telephone call
11. Smelling like eau de perfume instead of eau de spit-up
12. Standing in the grocery line without swaying, rocking or bouncing
13. Not having to hurdle child gates
14. Doing things with both hands......at the same time
15. Having copies of home decorating magazines on your coffee table instead of Winnie the Pooh
16. Having a song stuck in your head other than "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere...."
17. Walking out to your car like a human being instead of a pack mule (Diaper bag, purse, car seat, baby,etc)
18. When the attributes of the contents of a diaper are not the major topic of conversation
19. When grocery shopping becomes a chore once again instead of 'mommy's day out'
20. When you can once again use your snow shovel for the white stuff instead of shoveling toys.

Does any of this sound familiar to you new moms (or 'old' grand-moms) ?
Of course you also have lots of hugs and kisses and "I love you's" to look forward to.  Believe me....those will make up for all the little inconveniences !

I'll risk repeating myself and say how much I LOVE being able to spend time with my grandchildren....ALL of them.  What a blessing it is to get to watch them learn and grow.  One thing that struck me as I was writing this, was how fortunate we are to have modern technology, so we can email, instant message, skype, etc.  It is so much easier to keep in touch with them even though they aren't close by.
I'd love to hear what things you come up with to add to the list.

I'm linked up here:

 http://www.servingjoyfully.com/category/thriving-thursday/

 

http://www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/

 

   

I remember when......

I know 56 isn't THAT old, even though my creaking joints sometime contradict that  thought.  I was reading an article on the internet recently that spoke of things our children or grandchildren will never know or see.  That got me thinking about all the changes I've encountered over these 56 years. See if these sound familiar to you or, if you're a youngster (say 30 or younger), ask your parents.

I remember:
- when you had to get up and walk to the TV and turn a knob to change the channel or volume

-when you couldn't walk all over talking on your phone because you were tethered to the phone by a spiraled stretchy cord

-standing under the eaves  during a summer rain, no clorinated water and we didn't die from it

-when you could trick-or-treat in a group of kids and walk all over town (with out parents)  with only the fear of a teenager jumping out from behind a bush and scaring you or getting egged

-the smell of burning leaves in the fall

-watching my mom paste her green stamps in her booklet so she could take it to the store and get free stuff

-when 55 mph was fast

-when Sunday was a day for church and family

-sitting next to a record player and listening to 45's

-having play clothes, school clothes and church clothes, and you only wore them for that purpose

-helping my mom wash the clothes in a wringer washer

-when 6 pm was dinner time, without fail, and everyone sat at the table unless you were sick

-when there were only 3 TV stations and sometimes they didn't come in very well so your Dad had to climb up on the roof and turn the antenae

-when TV's first were colorized and the old lady up the street couldn't get over how beautiful the colors on Bonanza looked

-one of the cars my parents owned that had a push button transmission. I think it might have been a Dash Rambler

-wearing 2 sweaters, 2 pair of socks and 2 pair of pants and tights, under a winter coat just to play in the snow.  It took longer to suit-up than to actually play, and heaven help you if you had to go the the bathroom!

-mopping a floor with a string mop and bucket of soapy water

-when lighting the Christmas tree was a big deal because you could only leave the lights on for a short while before they got too hot.

-when telephone numbers began with letters

- when milk came in glass bottles, or in a can from the farm

-when you had to peddle your sewing machine

- when , if your parents said 'no' they meant 'no', and you didn't argue

-Clark photo lab - where you sent your camera film to be developed

-buying candy and bubble gum for a penny

-when you washed cleaning rags to use again, and again, and again

-when women wore hats to church

-when saying "because I said so" wasn't a crime

-when bicycles didn't have gears

-when spanx was what you got when you disobeyed your parents

-when you could watch TV and not see people in their underwear or using fowl language

-when dishwashers were called 'Mom' (ok, that's one thing I don't miss at all!  I think I've mentioned in another post how much I LOVE my dishwasher)

Phew, my 56 year old brain is tired. Now it's your turn.  What do you remember that your children or grandchildren will never know? I'd love to hear !!