We've been doing some Summer cleaning around the house this weekend and the majority of the overhaul has been Brooklyn's room. I've went through clothes, toys and trash. I've taken 3 bags and a box of belongings and put them in the "To Go" bin. It's been two days now and we just finished. Brooklyn has had to have constant redirecting through the process because as all mom's know, cleaning old toy boxes just reminds the little ones of the toys long forgotten in the bottom of the box and suddenly they are now new. I think Brooklyn spent a good chunk playing but she was more help then the last time we did this. At the end of it she told Scott, "I cleaned my WHOLE room and mommy swept." The hours I put into that room, the deep down cleaning with bleach, the trash I took out and she only noticed the sweeping!?? Oh, well, as mothers do we ever feel like our children really notice our hard work until they become mothers of their own? I know I didn't.
This week I have stumbled upon two blogs from people that were a HUGE part of my life. Still are but time and distance has come and now I am catching up through blogspot! So a quick back story for those who don't know it. Shirley Miller was my second mother and still to this day has an influence on me, the person I am, the mother I am and crosses my mind at least daily. The two blogs I came across were Shirleys daughter's blog and Shirley's sisters. Now, this of course has caused me to think of Shirley even more lately. When cleaning Brooklyn's room I came across the doll that Shirley had last given me before her death. It's wrapped up in a scarf that went to a big sun hat Melissa and I bought for Shirley. I gave this doll to Brooklyn to sit on her bookshelf after I told her the significance and because she loved the doll so much. We have a family photo of Shirley sitting on our fireplace and Brooklyn knows about her but now, THANKS TO THE INTERNET, I can share a little bit about the people that were so close to me when I grew up and it can connect the dots for her a bit.
Anyway, I tell you all of that to say that Shirley had 4 children of her very own and my two brothers and I basically lived with her and her family during our childhood. That is 7 children! Not to mention the other children she would babysit at times. I don't know how she did it. Shirley continued to be that second mom to me until she couldn't any longer. We weren't bad children by any means but we did normal children things and somehow she kept her sanity. I remember my mother would come and ask us to come home and a lot of the time we would want to stay at Shirley's. I look back and wonder why Shirley wasn't pushing us out the door!!! My ONE child has a messy room and I'm exhausted!!!!!! Not that I didn't see the hard work that was put into raising me, but today is just a reminder of it all.
Well, that is my walk down memory lane for today! Now I must do laundy, clean my own room and the rest of the house!! :) Here are a few photos of B during her breaks! She's a bit confused by a bee in the second one.
2 comments:
Amber,
Your post brought tears to my eyes. It's so good to hear you express your appreciation and love for my dear sis. I miss her soooooooo much! Do you remember that big gray car she use to drive? When she would come to moms kids would roll out of every door. lol Being there for you and your brothers was very important to her. You guys were more than just a babysitting job. Where are your brothers and your mom now?
Sue Graber
Amber,
I tried to comment on this earlier so if you get two from me, sorry. Anyway, I read your post and needless to say I cried. Thank you so much for your kind words. I never knew that mom had given you that and I didn't know that you had a picture of her in your house. That is so cool. Anyway, tell your mom I said hi and I think of her often.
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