Barefoot but NOT Pregnant

Our 25th highschool class reunion is tonight...atleast the invitation said 25th.....maybe it was a typo, because I know I haven't been out of highschool that long.  I remember my own parents' 25th class reunion, and they were ancient at the time.

 I  was considering dress for tonight and realized that I have worn maternity garb to the previous two reunions, because I was pregnant with my 2nd child at our 10 year reunion and with our 4th child at our 20th.  Would be fun to wear a maternity dress tonight just to observe the reactions of our old classmates!

Our first three children were all born within 4.5 years, but there is eight years between child #3 and Coleman, our 4th.  He was a great, big, wonderful surprise to all of us, the operative word being SURPRISE.  As we prepared to announce his arrival to our older three children at the dinner table five years ago,  we told them we had a surprise for them.  Our eight-year old immediately and hopefully verbalized, "I know....we're getting a dog!"  Scott, my husband, said, "No, not a dog...."  My then 12-year old daughter said, "I know....you're going to have a baby!  I've been praying that you would." (She smiled an enormous, knowing smile and didn't seem all that surprised!)  At that, our 10-year old son pushed his chair back from the table with both hands, grabbed his head on either side, and placed his elbows on his knees , lowering his head.  "Mom,"  he said, "you can't be.  How do you know?"  I quickly told him that I had been to the doctor, and that he had told me that I WAS pregnant.  My son immediately said, "Yeah, but did he know how OLD you are?"  Ten minutes later the eight year old  asked in disheartened fashion, "So we're not getting a dog?".

I could now write a memoir  (Coleman's only four , and I definately have enough material to fill it) entitled "Confessions of a Mother of Four", solely about all the ways I have already failed him.  He told his preschool teachers a few months ago when the children were discussing their favorite television shows that his were "Man Vs. Wild" and "Deadliest Warrior".  This revelation had followed other children sharing their love for "Thomas the Train" and "Bob the Builder".  Ooops!

At the top of the list of failures would be that I have never taken Coleman to a photo studio, much to the dismay of some family members, who strangely have never volunteered to take him to a studio themselves.  It's just such fun to put a child in an uncomfortable outfit he doesn't like to begin with, to wait in a large room at Olan Mills with other stressed out parents who are trying to keep little darling's shirt tucked in and face clean, only to finally get called back to the "studio" where you jump around like a bumbling idiot while a 19-year old stranger with the personality of a rock who's never had kids tries to get yours to smile.  What joy!  I can't imagine why no one's volunteering.

Each of my other children has a 4-year old portrait hanging prominently in our hallway.  Since Coleman turns 5 in September, my older children have been periodically reminding me that I have an important task at hand so that Coleman doesn't feel "left out". ( They are all three quite skilled at reminding me of the important mothering tasks that I am forgetting when it comes to their youngest sibiling.)  This responsibility of mine is further exaggerated due to a beautiful portrait of the oldest three children painted by a dear friend who surprised me with this gift before Cole was a twinkle in his daddy's eye.  Because it is displayed conspicuously on our mantle, we've all worried that it might make Cole feel like the family add-on.  Since it isn't possible to somehow crop him into the family painting,  I knew I had to do something about this 4-year old portrait, but would rather shop for school supplies at Walmart on the eve of the first day than suit up for the Olan Mills expedition.

My solution:
1- Let Coleman wear what he wanted - jeans, a tank top, and no shoes, of course, because he is my child
2- Give him some of his own favorite toys - his Cowboy horse and lassoing rope
3- Run across the front yard together a few minutes after supper
4- Take a picture with the simple one-step camera we recently purchased at Best Buy
5- Return to our comfortable air-conditioned home five minutes later

Enlargement at Costco - $1.49
Used frame at Goodwill - $2.98

Chocolate brown spray paint - free (already at home)

Cole's smile and my sanity to spare - PRICELESS!

 Sierra's 4-year old portrait cost us $200.00.  Despite "Man vs. Wild," "Deadliest Warriors," and the fact that none of Coleman's preschool pals are allowed to come over to play anymore, maybe I have learned something!