Blog Interrupted.

Simply too many things going on that this is taking a back seat, but I hope to get caught up Thursday or this next weekend. More to come, soon!

Meet the Alligators

Team Meeting
Ready Position
Getting Warmed Up
Harper swiping the cones.
And wearing the cones.
Stealing makes her thirsty.

Red Light Green Light.
The team! They are as fierce as they look.

Davis, my big helper.
Until he tipped her over that is.
Go Alligators!

Home.

I finally took a trip away from the kids. First time leaving Harper and it was hard. More about the trip later, trying to get ready for a school party on Thursday now. But, when I picked Carson up at school he had made me a card that said "Moom", his first time writing "Mom". So cute. He was so happy to see it was me picking him up but then he said "what did you get me". Really?! Spoiled!!! Then I get Davis at school and I say hey buddy I missed you so much and he said "that is what I heard". Nice. As for Harper, she has been clung to me like a spider monkey saying "mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy" non-stop....thank goodness for naps and bedtime! Safe to say, she missed me. For real.

Carson Stories...

I think I am going to have to start a blog just for Carson. He is full of stories every day. He told his teacher that his Mom was out of town for 10 days and she was getting married. Hmm.....you can imagine what kind of gossip that started! Then on the way home from school he starts talking about Great Grandpa and asked me if when he got to heaven if he could open his eyes. I said yes, he said can he walk, yes I said, can he talk, can he hear, can he put on his clothes, yes I said. Well then, what toys did he get to take with him then?

Meet the Blue Sharks

Davis had two games this weekend, I missed Saturday because of the garage sale, but he did great on Sunday. It is so nice to see him engaged in the game.

Carson is playing too, his team is the Alligators. I have not made it to practice yet b/c of a tired Harper, but I think he has enjoyed his one on one time with his Dad. I hope to go Wednesday to see a practice before his first game next week. I will sadly miss another one of Davis' games this coming weekend though. I guess you can't be everywhere...

Garage Sale...

Whoever said this was a two person wagon was seriously mistaken.

PS, the wagon (not mine) did not sell...still available and in perfect condition!

So I had one. It is over. I took a nap and slept last night and it felt amazing. I could still be sleeping but Keith is at work and the kids are up and I guess it is my job to watch them.

The sale was a success, my garage and house are a wreck. Hope to gain some control today with all of that.

Harper is still not a happy girl. I know I have to wait longer but I dread leaving her on Thursday, especially this sad.

Hulk is in da house.

Found a pair at a consignment sale for $4.99, so far I would say they are a good purchase...except for the fact that Harper now likes to hit things with them...creating a tough girl over here.

On a break.

I think I am "on a break" with my camera and the blog. It has been nice to not carry it around, and I have not missed it. The blog...not enough time to think or do it for a bit. Between getting ready for a garage sale this weekend and leaving for Denver next Thursday for D's bridal extravaganza...showers, birthdays and bachelorette parties! I sure hope this punched in the gut feeling goes away when I am gone b/c right now I am dreading leaving the kids...especially the princess. And I sure hope that they go easy on Keith and the in-laws....they can be so good sometimes...but it is the other times (the more frequent times) that worry me! Eek!

Video worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ORcOzVpW24&feature=player_embedded

People seem better. And, he lost another one.

So far yesterday was a better day. I didn't feel like puking and Harper didn't seem unhappy about her ears. Hopefully we are turning a corner...now to press on with getting ready for a garage sale. I hate these things, why do I do it?

Yesterday the boys got to have a special day with JeniChuck and they took them to Deanna Rose and to Steak and Shake for lunch. Davis lost a tooth in the process. Number 6! He is gonna be toothless here soon...fingers crossed that they do grow back in!

Last night we went BBQed with neighbors (thank you Rychman's) and got to see the Presley's who were in town for a whopping 36 hours. It was a nice relaxing evening...so much more relaxing than the last BBQ of 100 people at our house :-) It made me sad again that Harper and Payton will not grow up together....really Renee, did you have to go and move so far away....Keith is now talking about going to visit, yet he knows how crazy I get riding in the car for too long...not sure what to make of that. But, we miss you guys!

Tonight we are going to another BBQ with the Clements and all the boys want to know is if the "Hulk hands" will be there. I think that Carson really wants a pair of those. I am going to try to bribe him with selling other toys for the chance to make enough money to buy some. Those and a flashlight seem to make him really happy.

Well, better get back to garage sale sorting....and maybe even (insert Terri's shock here) pricing things beforehand!

Better?

Harper had a better night and seems happier today. That is good news. I however have felt icky since Tuesday and wonder if this is going away--not "sick" but pounding headache and feel sick all over since then...ready for that to end. Kind of like feeling pregnant--but NO I AM NOT--want to be sure no one is thinking CRAZY out there. Ready to feel good again...soon...all of us. Maybe it is just lack of sleep catching up with me.

My princess is 17 months old today.

I need to take her picture, but the girl is miserable. Over a week of being miserable in fact. I think it is time to make her daddy schedule the "tube" appointment, I can't watch her be in pain anymore. Heartbreaking to see her so sad.

Edited to add: Picture added taken later in September when the infection was gone and the princess was happier. So far no ear infections have returned!

I did not write this...but it is funny.

Misconception Number 1: Moms miss their kids when they go back to school
Seriously. I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”.

Misconception Number 2: Moms like to go school shopping.
Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Target for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new sharpened pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic. If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil.

Misconception Number 3: Moms like back to school night.
Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now?

Misconception Number 4: Moms like school paperwork.
How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson.

Misconception Number 5: Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.
What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?

PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book.

Misconception Number 6: Moms like helping you with your homework.
What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjuction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “everyday math” to me. I already passed school so I don’t have to do math everyday.

Misconception Number 7: Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.
I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines.

Misconception Number 8: Moms love after school activities.
I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your ass around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though, I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time.

Misconception Number 9: Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus
Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast , chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.”

Misconception Number 10: Moms cry on your first day of school
We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.”

Room Mom.

Yes, I did it again. I said I wouldn't, but I did. I loved our Kindie class and parents last year so much that I thought how fun it could be again...but I am not so sure. 1st grade...not as fun I don't think. We had our parent meeting tonight to plan parties and I tell you what some of these people were not fun. I am going to assume they were all tired or something, but it seems like they were not into having these class parties for the kids...I just kept thinking, we "get to" do this. GET TO people, there are so many people who don't get to do this with their kids for a whole host of reasons...and it was like pulling teeth. The same group of people will do all the parties, which is fine--they will be great and we will work great together, but I just wonder what is it that has the rest of the crew so down or out of it or uninterested? Or maybe I just had such great Kindie parents last year that this is the norm and I had a little bit of a "not the norm" group before. Fingers crossed...this had better get funner.