Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 4 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.
Buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:
Here’s who you’ll be hearing from in my house:
- Me, Mama O.
- Daddy O.
- Big Sister, age 11
- Little Brother, age 9
Since I have been writing these blog posts since 2014, I have my own Fly Post Page. Check it out if you want to hear more craziness from my house.
What’s that Smell?
Daddy O. (holding his Kindle Fire up to his nose): Can you smell this? Doesn’t it (the case) smell like a mix of B.O. and cat?
Me: Ugh. Yes. Can I un-smell that?
Dinnertime Woes
I’m the main person making dinner on a daily basis. Often, I call everyone when it’s ready, and they ignore me.
One night, I said to Daddy O., who came down from his bedroom / office, “It’s dinnertime. I’ve called the kids, and they are ignoring me again.”
Daddy O. replied, “That’s fine. We’ll eat alone and the kids can eat together and talk about farts all they want.”
Maybe we’ll let that happen one night! The kids ended up joining us eventually.
On another night, my family had a condiment conundrum.
Little Brother: Where’s the ranch dressing?
Me, Big Sister: We don’t know.
A few minutes later, Daddy O.: Where’s the ranch dressing?
Little Brother: I couldn’t find it.
Daddy O.: Oh, I found it. It was on the bottom shelf.
Me: That’s why they call it “Hidden” Valley Ranch.
I am hilarious.
Pets: Stars of the Pandemic
I told my sister that pets are the stars of the pandemic. Her beautiful German Shepherd is loving all of the walks and hikes that they’ve been taking. She has two trail horses that she and I rode on a recent warm, November day. What a gift!
The same goes in our home – our cat has been extra snuggly, and we added a furry ferret friend to our family in May. Her name is Blaze, and she provides daily cuteness and entertainment.
A neighborhood kid recently met her when our kids took her outside in her carrier. She described Blaze as, “the cutest kitten ever.”
She has lots of nicknames: cat snake, weasel worm, fur fur, little furry (our cat is big furry), Fluffernut, Astrofluff, Squish, Blazey, Blazey Baby. She’s been a funny addition to our family, though she does get into trouble: squeezing into small spaces or scratching the carpet up in our basement.
If she could talk, here’s what she might be saying in these moments:
A New Decade
I turned 40 this month, and I gave Daddy O. these instructions on how I wanted to celebrate on my birthday:
Chocolate, no chores, no dishes, good food, booze
He and Little Brother made me pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Later he made me a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup.
Me at lunchtime: Thank you, dear. I could get used to this! Can you do this again tomorrow?
Daddy O.: No deal!
You can’t blame a girl for trying, right?!
It was a lovely day – I feel blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends who contacted me with birthday wishes. Here’s a photo collage of my day, complete with the card that Little Brother made:
Big Sister saw the construction code and said, “Well, I guess my life hasn’t started yet.”
My reply: Oh no, sweetie. That’s just something that old people say to one another!
A side note: Little Brother created artwork at school, and Daddy O. ordered me a coffee mug with his artwork on one side, and I love Mom on the other side. He was so proud of creating this gift for me. It was super sweet.
Perspective on Covid-19
“I’m glad that I didn’t have to help you learn virtually,” my mom has told me numerous times. Other women who are empty nesters have said this to me too.
“Oh, it isn’t so bad,” I have said. Overall, my kids are doing pretty well, but it IS hard. I wrote about it in COVID-19 is Tough on Moms.
Earlier this year, this is what Big Sister said about COVID-19:
Little Brother said it so well, “Covid is going to make the rest of my life seem awesome!”
Yes, yes it is!
I hope you are finding some bright spots in your days too.
go mama o. 
So great to catch up with you, it’s been way too long.
Many smiles and laughs here. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, I love how you spent your day. And that mug made from your son’s art work is amazing, but the “that sucked” really does sum up this whole past year.
Thanks, Karen! It has been way too long!
Nice to see you back here. Please STAY. A month ago, I was in the dining room and a ferret jumped up and looked at me through the window. WHERE did he come from? Was he yours? And by the way, you could have left the B O and cat part out — I’m visual with a keen sense of smell.