Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

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I am home alone with two sick kids (viral: dry heaves, sore throat, general weariness) and one who is well and full of energy, as well as a dog who is in the latter health category. Paul was at an all day seminar yesterday and will be today and tomorrow too.

We start school Monday and I had hoped to do some fun things to round out our summer vacation, but we can’t go any where and we shouldn’t have any one over…an all day movie festival with occasional swimming breaks could be fun…

I am getting to the eye clawing stage of horror from all the dog hair and am terribly tempted to clear out my kitchen, scrub down the counters and cupboards, Swiffer the floor yet again and then wash it on my hands and knees, which would not be fun for the kids and would certainly tempt my inner bitch to come screaming out…

Whoa Girl, steady.

“Did you know I was not celebrated for 59 years?” Eden just asked.

“Is that right?”

“Yip,” she said, “that’s correct.”

Excuse me while I go start celebrating.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2007/08/672/

To what I’ve been up

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This is the new bed I added this season to try and take advantage of one of the spots in our yard that gets the most sun. This is what it looked like a couple of weeks ago.

This is what it looks like now. In the background you might be able to see a tee pee I constructed out of tree limbs. I did it last year too and grew green beans up it for a little fort for Beanie. I assembled this and carefully strung the twine all around it. It was a hot day and it took a little time but when I was finished I was happy it was done. I went off to do something else and came back to find that Eden had cut almost every one. I can’t remember her indignant rationale. Last week we planted the bean seeds and they are starting to pop up which is very exciting. The twine still needs to be restrung.

Nice shoulder. The little bed in the middle has broccoli, a few strawberries and cucumbers.

This is all flowers: cosmos, cleome and that straggling thing I can’t remember what it is. There are three other sections. One is tomatoes and basil, another is a zucchini bordered by small Lavender plants and the third is just flowers, some we are trying to grow from seed. I really gave Eden a lose hand there and so far nothing is coming up. I might need to go behind and help a little gardener out.

Mysteries of the Universe

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“Mama, why did God make my bottom so gushy?” Eden asked.

I thought for a moment, trying to fathom the mind of God.

“Well, if it wasn’t so gushy, it probably wouldn’t be as comfortable to sit on, would it?” I said.

“Thass a good idea.” She said.

Any other armchair theologians want to weigh in?

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Our Mother’s Day ritual is that I stay in bed while Paul gets up with the kids and helps them get together their cards and presents then they all descend upon me with effusive love and, sometimes, coffee. Usually I fake sleep so that can have the pleasure of waking me, but this year my slumber was genuine. I was crashed. They barged in shouting “Happy Mother’s Day!” and all handed me their cards as they clambered onto the bed. I hugged each one and announced I would be going from youngest to oldest. Eden’s card was a yellow piece of construction paper on which a piece of blue construction paper, folded in half, had been rakishly glued at an angle. On the blue paper Eden had drawn something that, when I first saw it, could have been a heart, possibly a barn with a silo, but was actually a “rainbow chick”. Now that I know, I can only see a bird.

Inside it was filled with Paul’s hand writing. Clearly there had been some dictation.

Dear Mom,

I love you ’cause you’re you Mommy, I love anyway, anything, anyway and anything. Mommy, you’re beautiful and pretty. And you can call Daddy a angel, but he doesn’t go in the sky. I love you anywhy! Case. Nice. Pretty. Mommy, you are the one and the kind. A little more stuff. Happy Mother’s Day, Eden efghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz


Does it get any better than that? We have compliments on my personal beauty, declarations of unconditional love, fantastic rhyming, most of the alphabet…what else is there?

Coffee, there was coffee.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2007/05/724/

FYI

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The kids and I have been outside almost all day. I have been mowing and gardening. The big kids have been going in and out doing work and then taking frequent breaks outside. I was weeding in a large garden bed when Eden came up to talk.

“Bees sure do love honey,” she announced.

“They certainly do.” I agreed.

“First there’s the pollen then there’s the honey. Did you know the Store People steal the honey from the bees?”

“No I didn’t.” I realized later that this was a lie but I’d never heard it framed so violently.

“Yeah, they take it and put it in bear packages,” she said gravely.

“Oh my!” I said. I have found this to be a safe response in any kid conversation as it conveys concern and interest but is noncommital.

“Yes.” She said and walked away.

I just thought I should let you know that any bottle of honey in your possession is stolen goods.