No looking back

So you want to prepare them for school. Make them feel comfortable with new routine, the new classroom, the new teacher, new friends..... Hey, but they can at least look back! Austin is the Power Ranger back pack kid and Hunter is the head directly on top of Austin's. He has a Darth Vader back pack that is not really visible because of the unusually large cranium his brother carries on his shoulders.

Those kids were ready. Hunter was a little skeptical. A litte on the stressed side. Wanted to eat an eggo in the car (yes on top of the breakfast he had in the house), and really I think just wanted a different prop for the pictures other than back pack and lunch box. A smile would have been nice, but he would not give one up, no matter how many eggos I bribed him with.

As always, Austin had a lot of smiles in him. He was so psyched about school. The teacher had a sign in front of the classroom letting parents know that she would have the kids line up and that no parents should come in the class, that the good-bye's should be outside to make the transition smoother. Well, Austin WOWed the other parents when he read the sign completely to us, only fumbling on the word parents. Hey, I was WOWed too.

Yup, this is the biggest before school smile I could get out of Hunter.

Most of the morning he looked more like this. Can you say stress-ville! He asked me to sit in the car in the parking lot all day to wait for him to finish school. I explained I would be back to get him, and be very early to make sure he didn't have to wait.

This is what I found on his face when I came to pick him up. Much better. He was happy the day was not too long (3 hours and 20 minutes). Just enough time for Mmommy to cry, Daddy to hug her, blink and pick the kids up.

Yup, he enjoyed the day. At least he said so. Ofcourse, Austin 1st greeted me with big smiles and nothing but happy comments. A bit later in the day when I asked about their day for the 100th time, Austin finally fessed up. The dialogue went something like this.

"Guys, tell me more about school. Did you make new friends? Did you like your teacher? Did you have a good time?"

(Austin)

"Well, mom..... It was the worst day of our lives."

(mom)

"Really? Now why is that?"

(Austin)

"Well.... I have to raise my hand to talk, and wait for my turn to talk, and stay quiet when we are working.... Mom, (pause) I can't breathe when my mouth is closed."

Yup, just like his Mama. Can't stop talking. It's like breath and air to me. Austin got that from me.

Now that a week has gone by, to them it's like they've always been there. They have new buddies, new playground wounds, fun art work for the fridge and BIG smiles when I pick them up.

Yes, they survived the 1st week, but I barely did. I'm a miserable mess. Not just because my babies are now school boys. Not just because I had to send the 2 away at the same time. Not just because I won't ever repeat one of my children's 1st day of Kindergarten. Not just because I am a working mom. Nope. Honestly, I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it is the whole package. A demanding job. Both babies now in school. Too much to do, not enough time. Working crazy obscene hours to be able to play a more active role in my kids' lives. Messy house and not enough time to find a good house keeper. I don't know, I'm just a pathetic mess. Blubbering here and there for no reason. Choking up each time I pick up my kids. It's not PMS, wrong time for that. I just don't know. I think about all the other kids I will never have, when really all I wanted are 2.

I can barely handle Mike being gone for a day's work without wanting to cry. I call him like 10 times a day with nothing new to say. He's been a doll. Just chatting with me even though he was in a major project crunch. When he's driving to the supply house or a hardware store, he calls and talks to me on the drive. He calls me on the drive home, or when they take their lunch break. He tells me non-stop he appreciates all I do. He leaves at 4:30 in the morning and gets home after 5 at night, and still jumps up to do the after dinner dishes. He makes me laugh when I'm crying. You couldn't ask for a more supportive man. Thanks, Mike, for seeing me through this time.

I guess I need to adopt the kids' attitude. Face it all head on and not look back. Go in stressed and worried, but go at it, none the less. Hey, I just may come out smiling.

Major League T-Ball

As Pre-School was coming to an end, and summer was beginning, I thought long and hard on what kind of activities the boys should commit to in order to keep them active. Medical experts say a child should have at least 1 hour a day of excertise and/or activities to reduce the risk of childhood obesity. What's the perfect summer time sport for a 5 year old? T-Ball was the 1st thing that came to mind. Running bases, running to catch the ball, or tag an oponent out. Hand eye coordination, team work.

3 weeks before T-Ball starts, Austin breaks his arm and is banned from contact sports. No running for the risk of falling. We have him participate, as long as he doesn't run. Did I really have to worry? Just look at some of the exciting shots of a game mid-season. The little girl is the coaches daughter.

Where's Austin in those pictures, you ask? Probably trying to climb a tree. Or sitting where he can keep a close eye on the game going on in the next field. Or trying to figure out which cooler holds the after game snack for our team. Look at that smile. It's all about the snack.

One game left and we're done. T-Ball, not the game to keep the kids active through the summer. I'm thinking next summer I'll sign them up for bowling.

When one picture says it all.

One day you hear from some mean old bag that you are not the kind of girl any man would ever want to marry. (before I ever did anything of that nature, mind you.) Another day you hear that you will never be successful in life and probably be homeless. Another day your doctor tells you that you will never have kids naturally.

Here's one that says stick it where the sun don't shine! I have a good job, I have a wonderful husband, I have a beautiful home, and I have 2 healthy beautiful boys that I gave birth to.

Never mind the bad scan job. I suck at the whole photomerge thing. This is my favorite picture! My kids running around my home in the middle of winter. There were days where I thought I would never find true happiness. Now I can't recall a time that I was not happy. Every time I look at this picture, I just melt. It says everything to me. Winter time at my house, dead grass, no leaves on the trees, grey skies, broken light... Paradise!

A weekend in the life of me

It's in the 80's so I can think straight, once again. Austin got his cast off on Thursday. Now comes the task of keeping a 5 year old from running, skating, biking, scooteringing, fighting, wrestling, jumping...... Yeah right! Especially the fighting and wrestling stuff. the doctor said no falling or wrestling or contact sports for 2 weeks. We've barely survived 2 days so far. The kid is board and picks fights with his brother. Hunter is done to the point he'll just fight now. Kind of embarassing in the middle of t-ball.

Oh, yes, T-Ball. Austin shouldn't be playing, but the way these kids and their team play I figured it was safe. Every hit is a bunt. At one point our 2nd baseman was lying down with her hat covering her face so she could "nap", Hunter was crouched down looking for worms or bugs, Austin was watching the other game in the field next to us, another little boy was in line with the opposite team waiting for his turn to bat, one was throwing spare balls in the air, and one was trying to play, the other 3 just didn't show. Let me tell you, come snack time, they are all focused.

Mike has been working a thousand hours a week and is so far away. He's way over by Danville and has been staying there Tuesday and Thursday nights. I guess I'm in training for hunting season which is right around the corner. Anyway, he had to work today, so he stayed Thursday and Friday night. Lucky me, I was able to get friends to agree for over night sitting at their house and I went to Danville to meet Mike.

We went out for some Italian. big mistake, we were both stuffed and so garlicy that kissing and making out was like sucking on a garlic clove. So romantic. We did get to catch up on some talking without kids interuppting, and watch TV without having it as loud as it gets. I even got to sleep by 10pm. Mike was up and out of there by 6 and I was out of there by 7 to get home, get the kids and take them to T-Ball by 9:30. Not quite the romantic getaway. I'm not dissapointed though, just feeling a little old.

One good thing was that on the long drive I got to listen to my iPod, whatever I wanted to listen to and actually hear it! That was a bonus. Peacefull, pleasant, sometimes rockin'. Then I get to Pat and Jen's and I can hear the kids arguing through the open window. Back to reality, but it made me smile anyway.

Have to say, the fighting drives me crazy, but hearing those kids not be afraid to have input and speak up for themselves makes me proud. I was always encouraged to speak my mind and that kids are people too. I'm glad my boys have that. Now if they would learn to express the happy stuff as much as the what is bothering them stuff, that would be the cherry on top.

thinking about scrapping. Since Mike is working and the kids are bushed from the oh so tiring and athletic exercise of T-Ball... I'm going to finish cleaning the house and get a little work done so tonight I can scrap. Let's see if that really happens, but's it's my goal for the today.