Remembering Columbine

On the anniversary of the Columbine shootings, I just received a phone call from my children's school that a parent brought a gun into the high school. The high school is right next door to our elementary school here. A lockdown ensued as a result of the incident.

The parent was arrested and put in custody, but I was left with anger and grief still the same. I remember to this day watching Columbine unfold before me when the twins were only a year and a half. I worried and grieved along with those parents even though hundreds of miles separated. It still felt as if it was in my own backyard because I was a parent too.

Today, I am left feeling the same fear and bewilderment that I imagine they felt then. I am left with the same anger and asking myself now, as I did then, why do our children still have to be put in these bizarre predicaments?

What has gone so wrong with our society that some have little, to no regard for the safety and well being of individuals under the age of 18? It seems that no matter how many laws we put on the books, it makes them no safer than they were the day that Columbine happened. And how is that it was a 61 year old parent that brought the gun into our local school just to "test out the security". What was she thinking? She's a parent herself!

I sit here wondering what my children may be feeling because I cannot be with them at this moment. They are completely removed from my arms of protection that I have so diligently wrapped around them since the day they were born, and I cannot do a effing thing about it!

It is these moments that make me a more paranoid parent. It is these moments that make me so damn mad that my own children cannot have the life of freedom that I experienced when I was their age. It is this moment that I cry again for those who lost their lives, or had their lives irrevocably altered at Columbine.

No Shirt, No Shoes, No BRA - No Service

In the spirit of noticing unique people while out dining at a restaurant, I thought I might add to the list of the strange, weird, and bizarre seen in public. May I say that the title of this blog pretty much says it all. The fact that my family had to laugh hysterical all through our dinner of BBQ, beans, and macaroni and cheese without choking is another matter.

All tact went out the window this evening.

All I can say is that there are still individuals left in the world that neither possess a mirror or any strain of common sense. The fact that my cat has more common sense in his dead toenail says enough about this woman.

My kids loved her as they haven't seen anything quite so revealing or left them with such uncontrollable giggles - ever! I think my three year old summed it up pretty well when she said:

"Mom, she sure has big ta-ta's and she needs to strap em in!"

I know the quality is not as well as it should be, and iPhone needs to seriously work on this, but her shirt was as thin as rice paper and if fully shown, would be consider quite pornographic.

Another classic moment brought to you by the Redneck Rivera.

From Paradise With Love

I awoke to paradise this morning. No, I did not win the lottery yesterday and sneak down to Aruba overnight, which in itself is paradise, but just a different kind. Nope, never left my house, but still the same, it was paradise.

My alarm was blaring at 6:45 to tell my old tired butt to climb out of bed and get my even more tired kids ready for another day in the public school system. But this morning, I awoke to something completely different. I was greeted with.....

Breakfast!

I stumbled into the hallway smelling the sweet aroma of just made coffee. I took a look back and saw that my husband was still sound asleep, and snoring in the ear of our three year old who looked as peaceful as a new flower in the morning dew sleeping beside her dad.

I ventured further toward the kitchen, forgetting about awakening the crew, only to find my 11 year old twins busily running back and forth in the kitchen. The varied smells began to enter my eager nostrils as I looked closer and could see them flipping, frying, and scrambling away. There before me also laid a complete set table for six. It was complete with salt, pepper, pure maple syrup, and homemade blackberry syrup (I taught them well didn't I!).

The two of them had conspired to get up before the rest and make breakfast this morning. Was it my birthday? Was this some kind of holiday that I had forgotten about through all my daily busy work? No..... it was just a plain and simple Friday morning that the twins had turned into paradise.

I was speechless and in awe at their art of graceful dancing from one counter top to the stove, to the refrigerator, and back. They finally noticed me standing there with my mouth sitting on the floor and chirped a fine "Morning Mom - we made breakfast!", Julian said, giving me a quick glance as he poured the eggs into the frying pan and Nadia carefully placed blueberry pancakes upon a platter.

All I could manage was a stupid "Wow!". You think after seeing all of this upon my arising that I could have mustered something a bit more stupendous than "wow". I guess I was impressed beyond what words could actually describe at this moment.

I ran to wake Toni as I could see that their culinary stupefaction would soon be set upon the table for all to feast upon. But before I could go, Julian decided to inform me of his art of making scrambled eggs:

"Mom, you must add at least one tablespoon of butter to the pan prior to scrambling eggs. It makes them taste much better, plus it helps keep them from sticking complete to the pan. Plus, you never turn the heat too high because it is about time... not temperature.", he says in his matter-of-fact way.

Who the hell did I wake up to this morning?
Am I dreaming?
Is Food Network filming me with a hidden camera for some reality show?

So I say another stupid thing: "Have you been listening to Martha Stewart?", as I bend over smelling the sweet aroma of fresh made sausage and eggs.

Then he says it. I can't believe he freaking says it: "No mom, I just listened and watched you."

The tears well up in my eyes as I lean over to kiss them both upon their foreheads and for a brief moment I remember how little they once were, but how they have grown.

Then Nadia looks up at me and starts to guide me to the table while saying, "You sit down, we'll get Toni and dad up."

I'm in paradise, I know it. Because it has all happened and I remember every bit of it before even one drop of coffee has touched my lips.

And with that being said, Julian suddenly whips a cup of coffee before me as I sit.

God bless these children - and God bless me for having them!