Makes my heart melt

HT has had a wretched day today. I suppose it must be because I'm the really mean Mom who asked him to clean his room. He bit JR on the neck earlier in the day (apparently I'm raising a vampire) and has thrown more than one all out tantrum. It's a little ridiculous at the age of 7, but he'll have plenty of time to think about that as he will be without TV the rest of the week and without his DS until school starts. Later in the day though, I was in the attic looking for some things, and he came in and asked if I needed help. I said I was about finished, but thanked him for offering and said to him, "You're a good boy." He replied to me, "You're a good mom." Oh, moments like that almost make all the ugly stuff disappear!

My little environmentalists

On Monday while we were running around like crazy people, we stopped to drop a dish off at my grandmother's house. She lives in a beautiful retirement community. She has lived there almost nine years, and I'll forever be thankful that she and Grandpa made the decision to move there when they did...it helped a great deal during Grandpa's final days and continues to be a wonderful source of socialization for Grandma. I also love visiting because it was built in the 1990's, and I knew the family that owned the farm before it became a retirement community. I have wonderful memories of climbing the trees and running through the fields, rolling down the hill out of the barn, and so many other wonderful childhood things. Anyway, Grandma had mentioned before that the tree in her front yard had been removed. Apparently the ash borer has done some damage, and the community is on a mission to stay on top of it. We were able to see them take out another tree, and JC exclaimed, "But they are taking down Mother Nature!" HT chimed in with "They are removing the birds' nesting spots, and owls' nesting spots, and squirrels' climbing spots!" I explained that the trees were sick and in order to save other trees they needed to be taken down. I thought it was so cute and sweet though, how much the kids cared!

Meet the teachers

Last night was Open House for the kids' schools. I remember being a kid and Open House always happened mid to late September, and it was an opportunity for the parents, and any community member, to venture into the schools and see what was being learned. Now though, it's become more of a "meet the teacher" night. JC is especially relieved to have met her teachers, and I think she's going to have a good year. I know that it helps that the teachers know me and I them, and that we can all communicate. HT is so excited about his teacher, but she did tell us last night that her doctors are wanting to induce her Monday so she would miss the first day. She would much prefer to be induced Tuesday night after the first day, but it will all work out...the sub she is going to have is wonderful and she already knows HT as well. JR did a very nice job of introducing himself to his teachers, and of course they all seemed nice. I'm hoping to get an opportunity to chat with them more throughout the year...I strongly believe in communication!

I know several additional people have signed up to be subs this year, but I'm not going to worry about how much I work. I'm hopeful I can work at least as much as last year, but I can't control it so we'll just have to go with the flow. There are plenty of things I can be doing around here if I'm not working! I think we are all really looking forward to the school year!

First football game

Saturday brought us to our first football game for JR. We love the fact that they play at the high school field which is just up the hill behind the schools. It was especially handy because the game started nearly an hour late, but we had friends who were able to text us and keep us posted. I'm VERY grateful we didn't have to spend an extra hour sitting out in the sun! Our team won 32-0, and JR was able to get in on three series in the second half. I thought he did just fine, and most importantly, he had FUN. Not sure how the next seven or so weeks are going to work out, but I'm glad that it's off to a good start and glad that he's finally having fun!

Hurricane Irene

We are all anxiously watching the weather forecast following the path of Hurricane Irene. For one thing, I know people who live in VA Beach, and I've never before really known anyone who was in the path of a hurricane before. And of course it's concerning to see that it's going to go up the east coast and hit the major metropolitan areas of either (or both!) Philadelphia or New York City. My heart is breaking though, as I watch the coverage directly from the Outer Banks of NC. I've seen coverage from Duck, which is our favorite place to stay when we are there. I've just learned they have issued mandatory evacuations for Dare County, and it just makes me sad. It's also a little eerie as I remember six years ago at almost exactly this time when everyone was following the impending arrival of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. I certainly pray that there is no where near the magnitude of destruction and devastation. The kids are also in tune with this particular hurricane since it is hitting our favorite vacation spot, and it's fresh since we were just there two months ago. They also have vivid memories of the remnants of Hurricane Ike that hit us almost three years ago and literally shut down the entire area (including schools!) for days, and in some places for over a week. Sending many prayers for the safety of everyone affected by this latest storm!

Boonshoft Museum

This afternoon I took our kids to the Boonshoft Museum, which is our local children's museum. We've had a membership there for years and it's well worth the money! We had taken JC and HT about a month ago while JR was at scout camp, but it was unbelievably crowded. Many schools have started and I wanted, in particular, to be able to return to Mindbender Mansion, an exhibit on loan from OMSI. This week is the last week it's going to be at Boonshoft. I was pleased that although the museum was somewhat crowded when we got there, it was mostly preschoolers who weren't going to be interested in what we wanted to see. We spent well over an hour trying to solve the puzzles and riddles, and I'm pleased that we actually were able to solve many! We also visited the remodeled zoo that is part of the museum, and the kids got to touch several starfish and other creatures in the tidal pool. The last area we hit was kind of a "play area" where there are slides and climbing nets, but also many other hands on activities that are completely science based. It was interesting to watch JR who had no interest in the slides or "just" playing. He was really enjoying the science experiments and activities that he was able to do. It's partly his age, I know, but it's also very much his personality. He loves science and trying to figure out how and why things do what they do! We could easily have stayed another hour and done some other activities there, but JR needed to get back for football practice. We had a fun afternoon!

Darn it

A few minutes ago, HT walked into the room and in an irritated tone said, "Darn it!" This "expletive" is fairly new for him. I asked him what was wrong and he replied, "one of my Pokemons fainted." This is on his DS game. He seems to be really into it! I was further amused when he announced, "I have a confused Pokemon." When it comes to those things, he has a confused mother as well...I just don't get it!

On our own

My husband is back in school...today is his third day. Things seem to have gone well for him and he seems ready to be back in the school mode. We, of course, still have 13 days, almost two full weeks, until school begins. And you know what? I'm loving it! I love having the kids home with me all day. I'm really going to miss them when school begins. I so enjoy getting to hear their laughter all day (although I could do without the squabbling, obviously) and I'm enjoying just getting to hang out with them. Days like these I almost think I could homeschool them...almost. I know that the "joy" of it all would wear off, and I also know I'm not the most patient person. I'm pretty sure it would ultimately not be a good thing. And I also know that my kids LOVE school, and I'm grateful that they do. Many school districts are already back at it, and yesterday when we were running errands we saw some school buses out and about. My kids didn't understand, and I reminded them that some schools, like where Dad is, are already back at school. I felt a little badly for the kids. I think they kind of feel like they are missing out and still have soooo long to wait until it's their turn. As much as I'm going to miss them, school starting is going to be a good thing!

In training

We've begun our back-to-school wake up time training. We start with 8:30 (today) and work our way until we are comfortable getting up at 7:30 (I'm not sure comfortable is the right word there!). It was more difficult this morning than I thought it would be, but I did take a Benadryl last night so I'm blaming it on that. Two of the kids were already awake at 8:30 this morning, but HT (of course!) had to be awakened. He was okay with it, so I guess we are off to a decent start.

My husband had to go back to school today. He'll have students tomorrow, today is just a work day. I am very much missing him today. I told him last night that I feel very melancholy about this summer coming to an end, more so than I've felt most years. I think it's because our summer felt so crazy...we didn't really have any just "hang out" days. It seemed as though we always had something to do. I'm hoping we can still get in some board games over the next two weeks. I think it also has to do with the ages of my kids. JC is going to hit double digits in the next couple of months, and this time next year I'll almost have a teenager. I just don't feel ready for them to be growing up. Time has gone way too fast! But ready or not, growing up they are!

Family reunion fun

Yesterday we all had a blast at our family reunion. Unfortunately, many of my cousins were unable to attend, but it was so great to see the ones that did. One of my cousins and his family have just moved back to the area from MA and they were able to join us this year. His daughters are 7-1/2 and 5, and HT was so excited there was someone there his age. Another cousin was there with his daughters who are 18 days younger than JR and the other being exactly one year younger than JC (yep, they share the same birthday). The kids spent almost the entire day in the pool, and we all had a great time hanging out and visiting and catching up. I am so grateful that we have so much family so close!

Teachers revealed

We learned today who the kids will have for teachers next year. After HT had such a miserable experience in first grade, I was really concerned about next year. There are seven second grade classes, and one teacher that I knew would be a bad match for HT. I'm happy to report that not only did he not get assigned to her, he got the teacher we really wanted for him. I'm so excited for him...he had this teacher for kindergarten and I just know that second grade is going to be a great year for him! For JR, I don't really know his teachers. Our friends know some of them and have been pleased in the past, but I don't know any of them. We aren't exactly sure how sixth grade is going to work since it's now part of the intermediate school instead of being in the middle school. For JC, I'm just not sure what to think about her teachers. I have some concerns that there could be some personality clashes, but the good news is that I know the teachers and feel that I can communicate with them. I'm feeling relieved, and I'm looking forward to the kids having a great year!

Finally done painting

After what feels like forever, we are finally finished painting our bedroom. We began moving small things out Saturday evening, and then Sunday we went at it...dismantling our bed and moving a great deal of the big stuff out to paint our bedroom. As it s the case with an old house, many things took significantly longer, or a complication developed that required a "fix" and it wasn't until 9:00 last night...five full days of painting...that we are finally done. I was absolutely exhausted. The good news is that I love the way it looks...it was worth it!

Football update

JR had his tooth looked at by the orthodontist yesterday. The doctor said it was still possible for JR to lose his tooth...there is no way to know or assess the level of trauma the tooth experienced. He also said it may not happen for a month, a year, or even three years. He said nothing could have been done if he'd been able to see him sooner, the damage was already done. He fixed the wire and did say that the braces probably did keep the tooth from being knocked completely out on contact. We've done all that can be done for now.

JR is not in love with playing football. He does not enjoy being hit and has had his share of being "planted". He's enjoying learning the game, but has no real desire to get out there and execute what he's learning. I think he might enjoy watching the games more, but I do feel badly that he isn't having more fun. He was not pleased when my husband told him yesterday that he'll probably feel pain most of the season...something is always bruised or sore. Not what he wanted to hear!

Random (meaningless) thoughts

Several thoughts floated through my head to post about when I couldn't sleep last night...

1) Our Cincinnati Reds have not had the season we had all hoped they would. They are still enjoyable to watch, but they don't seem to be playoff bound. It's disappointing. I'm not okay with a play off appearance once every 15 years.

2) The Milwaukee Brewers seem to be the destined team in the NL Central this year, and I can live with that. The important thing is that it is not Tony LaRussa and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers have Jerry Hairston, Jr. on their team, one of my favorite active players, and he threw out a guy at home last night. They even turned a triple play in their game...everything seems to be going their way!

3) Also in the world of baseball, Jim Thome his both his 599th and 600th home runs last night. I had absolutely no idea that he had hit that many. I found myself thinking that he wasn't someone I had ever considered a major power hitter, and yet here he was accomplishing something that only seven only men had been able to do. I also learned that he was the oldest to do it at age 40. The key to his success? Longevity.

4) One last sports thought...it really looks like the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be bad this year. Not mediocre, but really, really, really bad. As Pittsburgh Steelers fans, we are delighted.

5) We are painting our bedroom this week. The walls are done, now we only have the trim and cleaning/putting the room back together. We've been sleeping on our mattress in the living room for two nights, and I suspect there is still one more "bedless" night in our future. I'm exhausted, but it'll be worth it when it's done.

6) The timing of painting is awesome, because we've had our a/c off for an entire week! It's been absolutely gorgeous around here. Our daytime highs have been in the upper 70's and lower 80's, with very low humidity. Our nighttime lows have been even better in the 50's...perfect sleeping weather!

This is our last week home with all five of us together...hope everyone is having a great week!

Last "free" week of summer

This is our last totally "free" week of summer. Next week my husband is back at school, and although the kids don't begin for two full weeks later! we will be in training with bedtimes and wake up times. For instance, HT is still asleep and it's 9:30...not very conducive to school beginning at 8:50. We'll still be able to have fun during those two weeks with games and hopefully some outings, but we'll be doing more clock watching in the same time. We don't have anything major planned for this week but I'm sure we'll have some fun along the way!

My least favorite month

August is, and almost always has been, my least favorite month. For one thing, it's generally the hottest month of the year, and hot is my least favorite temperature. At the same time, it's usually the month that school begins, and regardless of being a child or parent, that means the end to our carefree summer days. August has also brought much sadness to my life. In 1992 I was getting ready to leave for college, and I was having some personal and health issues. In 1994 Uncle Bill died and in 1995 Uncle Jack died. In 1996 my father was diagnosed with the lung disease that has robbed him of so many of his abilities. While my heart aches for my father that he's had to deal with this for 15 years, I'm also full of admiration for the way he's handled the challenges. The year of 2004 was one of the worst. Within a two week period of August, my father was admitted to the hospital with shingles (dangerous in a healthy person, extremely dangerous in his condition), I developed poison ivy so badly my eyes swelled shut, my grandfather passed away, and my wonderful husband was in a head-on collision (where I'm so thankful the only real damage done was the car being totaled). Eighteen years ago brought the August sadness of 1993. I was sitting at home trying to get my classes scheduled the way I wanted for my sophomore year of school when the phone rang. It was my best friend calling with the news that another of our close friends had just been diagnosed with leukemia and was at the hospital. I remember calling my mom, in tears, to let her know that I was leaving and heading to the hospital. I'll always be grateful for what my mother did next...she let me know that there was no way two distraught teenagers were driving into the city during a Friday rush hour and she left work immediately to drive us down. In my teenage years my small little hometown had lost nine teenagers to various car accidents and my anxiety level regarding life was a little high. I spent that last week before I left for college sitting at the hospital every day and providing what little comfort I could. I remember leaving for college and feeling so guilty that my life was going on fairly normally while my friend fought for his life in the hospital bed. On the upside, my friend survived and is thriving today, although he lives on the west coast and I don't get to see him nearly as often as I would like. Yesterday however, is a reminder that August can also be full of many wonderful blessings. In October I wrote about the nephew of a good friend from college. Yesterday I received a new email, stating that his latest scans showed no cancer. He still faces treatments to make sure absolutely everything is gone, but I'm so excited for their family! Life is so full of ups and downs, and some have bigger hills than others, and some of those big hills are caused by bigger valleys. But I also know that to appreciate, truly appreciate the "ups", we have to live through the "downs"...and I'm so grateful for the strength to get through them all.

Strangely quiet

At 10:00 AM, it is strangely quiet around here. First of all, all three children slept until just about 15 minutes ago. That NEVER happens, especially with JC. I was beginning to wonder if she was sick! Even now that all three of them are up and moving, it's still very quiet here. I'm just not sure how to deal with it...but I'm not complaining!

First football injury

It's official, JR is a football player...and had his first mishap. Ironically, it happened during horseplay before practice even began. They were playing jackpot where someone throws the ball up and any number of kids run to it and try to catch it, thus becoming the one that gets to throw the ball next. I don't get the fun in it, but I'm not a pre-teen male. Anyway, it was during this that JR took a blow to the mouth, and his tooth moved and part of the bracket on his braces broke. My husband told him to sit out of practice last night until the damage could be better assessed. We've spoken to our orthodontist this morning who said that as long as he isn't in any pain, there is no urgency to getting him in because it sounds as though it's pretty minor. They'll get him in Monday afternoon so he won't miss any more practice time (there is no practice tonight). He was extremely emotional about it last night, but after a good night of sleeping, he seems to be handling it much better today. And so it begins!

Football scrimmage

Last evening JR had his first football scrimmage. Because of our trips and him missing some practices, his first day in pads had only been Tuesday. He was very emotional yesterday, and finally I sat him down and talked about it. He was in A LOT of pain from being hit. He admitted that football isn't what he had expected it to be. At that point he wasn't having a lot of fun and he felt very anxious about the scrimmage last night. We decided together that he would go alone with his dad to the scrimmage so that his "cheering section" didn't make him more nervous. I'm happy to report however, that when he arrived home he'd had a great evening. His first game is still over two weeks away, and he'll have plenty more time to practice before then!

Feeling so refreshed

Last night, I had one of the best night of sleep I've had in months. For one thing, I had been up very early and hadn't slept well the night before. Secondly, I did take two TylenolPM to help the sleep process along and to deal with some aches. And it was also in the 50's last night. We had the windows open and fans going, and actually felt chilly in the middle of the night. All of it added up to a great night of sleeping!

Up way too early

It is way too early in the morning right now...much earlier than I would prefer it to be. But, we are helping out a friend with babysitting today, and because of job schedules there is a 6:30 drop off arranged. It's an hour earlier than I even get up for school, but it's one day and I'm happy to help.

It's also a beautiful morning to be up this early. For the first time in almost a month last night, we were able to turn off the a/c and open up the windows. This week we are probably going to have days where we don't even hit 80. It's absolutely gorgeous outside!

Dinner dilemma

We just aren't sure what to do about dinner around here. JR has football every evening from 6 - 7:30. Let's face it, could it be more inconvenient? I don't like to make a full meal unless everyone is home and going to be eating. That just isn't going to happen for the next 2-1/2 months. Right now, we are able to wait until football is over and just eat a very, very late dinner. This is not an option once school starts though. We'll either need to eat before and my husband will have to eat after, or both he and JR can eat after and I'll feed the other two earlier. Either way, we can't all be living on cereal and corn dogs, which are my "go to" meals when I don't cook. I'm hoping to do some meal preps on Sunday so that I can freeze some things that can be pulled out during the week, and that can also be reheated for whomever is eating the second shift. We'll see how it goes!

Home, home, home

We are done with our summer traveling. We love being able to have all summer to take so many trips, but inevitably it always seems as though they occur so close together! In the last six weeks, I've spent 16 nights away from home, which really goes against my nature. We are very, very blessed to be able to do this though, and I know that we are making great memories for our kids.

We had a wonderful, wonderful visit with our friends. We did so much sightseeing, and most importantly, just got to hang out and visit. I love catching up and I'm just amazed how quickly time passes!

Fun with Friends

We made it to our destination and are having a wonderful visit with our friends. They couldn't believe how much the kids have grown in two years, and we loved sharing so many stories with them. Today we have some sightseeing planned, and mostly just another day of catching up. The kids got to swim last evening, and hopefully they'll be able to do that again sometime today. We are so blessed to be able to do these things!

Hitting the road

We are about to hit the road again! This time we are off to visit some friends we haven't seen in two years. They live clear across the country, but we are meeting somewhere in the middle. The kids are so excited! This is our last trip of the summer, and then we really get to focus on getting ready for school. It's been a wonderful summer, and it's gone so quickly!

Can it be?

Can it really be August already? I feel like I had so many good intentions for wonderfully fun things to do this summer with the kids, and I feel like I've failed in accomplishing most of them. Part of it is the kids' ages, and part of it is life getting in the way. And of course part of it is my own lack of motivation. Three weeks from today my husband will be back at school, although the kids and I have five more weeks home together. I'm sure we can still make many wonderful memories this summer!

Our weekend away

We all had a fabulous weekend away. Bright and early Thursday morning we were on the road to deliver the kids to our in-laws. They were definitely ready for them, as they practically pushed us out the door so they could take the kids on their first adventure. Thursday evening we had dinner out and sat around with another couple to play some board games. Friday we were up and off to the Longaberger homestead, one of my favorite places! Two more couples arrived Friday evening and we had such a great evening! Saturday the guys were out riding bikes and golfing while the ladies went to a movie, then the evening was dinner out and ice cream stops before some hit the pool and others played more games. In the meantime, my kids were having fun at an aviary, the Smurfs movie, an outdoor church festival, an indoor playground, and lots and lots of fun food. I'm very grateful to my in-laws who can allow us a weekend away by taking care of the kids. We are currently working on laundry and getting caught up before we hit the road again on another fun adventure later in the week!