The last day of quiet

Today is Robert's last day of school.  Andrew has to go in for a work day tomorrow, and of course Catherine and Thomas still have tomorrow and ALL of next week.  I even have to work tomorrow morning.  So today is the last day that I am at home alone.  I'm torn between being so productive in the quiet by getting so much done, or sticking in a movie and taking a nap!  That isn't really my nature though, so I guess I'm compromising by spending a little time on the computer before I get some things accomplished.  Robert really had a fabulous school year and I'm very grateful for that.  This year really went the fastest yet, and while I didn't have terribly many days at home, I'm very grateful for the opportunities I had to earn some extra money!

Almost hate that it's bedtime

I am listening to Catherine and Thomas laugh and have a blast upstairs.  Andrew and Robert are playing a game, and we won't be going to away games until school is out here.  It's often 9:30 or 10 (or even 11:30!) before they get home from their games and the younger two need to function the next day!  These two are having so much fun, and I'm having so much fun listening to them that I almost hate to end it and put them to bed.  As I know so very well, these days won't last forever, and someday it will be so quiet here.  I know I seem to be lamenting the passage of time more these days, and I suspect it's because this year is a milestone birthday for me...and I'm not overly excited about it!  I was in COLLEGE for heaven's sake when my mother turned this age so I just simply can't believe that it's happening to me!  Anyway, what I'm really trying to do is to cherish time, not lament the passage of it...and oh those giggles from upstairs are just priceless!  However, bedtime=rested children, and it also means quiet time for me.  I guess it's a win-win!

Nearing the end

We are getting oh so close to the end of the school year.  In fact, Robert's last day is tomorrow.  He's had a very successful school year.  Last night he was recognized for his outstanding work in Band.  Considering he began a year later than everyone, we are very impressed.  His director told Andrew that could be "one of the big ones" in band if he continues to work really hard.  We are currently debating lessons over the summer.  We certainly recognize the value, but we also recognize the cost, if you know what I mean!

All-in-all, I'd say it was a pretty successful year for the kiddos.  I'm always so excited about the end of the school year, but of course it's another reminder of how very quickly time passes.  I'll never again have a third grader.  I remember when I was so so sad that Thomas was finishing preschool...four years ago but in so many ways it feels like last week.  My kids are even starting to "get" how quickly time goes...and hopefully we are all remembering to cherish it!

Memorial Day tradition

Yesterday was the continuation of one of my favorite Memorial Day traditions.  For as long as I can remember...going back to when my age was in the single digits (yes, that LONG AGO)...my mother's family has gathered on Sunday mornings for a family cemetery tour.  We always meet in my hometown and caravan/car pool to two cemeteries where my ancestors are buried, including my great-great grandmother after whom I'm named.  Following that we travel to a local restaurant and have brunch together.  This restaurant is a favorite in our family, and many families meals have been eaten there.  We always joke that it isn't a real outing there until someone spills something (yesterday was no exception)!  I remember as a child it was always fun to hang out with my cousins and we usually swapped who was riding in what vehicle so that we had even more time to hang out together.  There were years of graduations or weddings on the weekend where we might have to switch things around a bit as to timing, and there were years, especially when most of us grandchildren were teenagers or in our 20's, where there might only be a handful of us attending.  Yesterday though, twenty one members of my family gathered together.  My cousin Philip and I have always been the ones who almost always attended, and we shared many laughs reminiscing about crazy experiences on past trips.  For the first time ever, all nine of my grandmother's great grandchildren were together, spanning in age from 10 months to Robert at 13.  We put most of the kids at their own table, and I loved watching the kids have so much fun with their cousins.  It brought back such great memories, and I'm so grateful that my kids have an opportunity to know their cousins as well.  I'm so grateful that everyone lives close enough to share these experiences, and I'm so grateful that my family values the tradition!

Happy, happy, happy Friday

I used "happy" three times...one for each day of our long three day weekend!  It feels like this has been a long time coming!  I am so excited about having a long weekend, and of course Memorial Day feels like the unofficial beginning of summer.  We still have nine school days remaining, but even that feels like a huge accomplishment since we've reached single digits!  Life has been crazy busy lately, there has been way too much stress and drama, but right now I feel like I could fly!  I hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful weekend!

Sparring medal

We've been working on getting Catherine and Thomas back into karate.  We've been slackers about it during the school year, but selfishly it was difficult when karate night was often the only evening of the week that we might have together to just hang out at home and be together as a family.  Karate is year round though, so with school and other activities winding down, we decided last week to at least get those two back into it.  I think Robert would like to go as well, but between baseball and being VERY grounded, it's not happening.  Anyway, the younger two started back last week and went again this evening.  When we picked them up, Thomas very happily announced that his sister had won a sparring medal in the competition they had held that evening.  Andrew and I always knew that karate would be a good fit for her!  We are very proud, and the part that made me even happier was how excited Thomas was for his big sister.  It touched my heart!

Sometimes I just want to run away

It's true folks...sometimes I just want to load up the family, and run away.  My patience for stupidity and ignorance has just run out.  Between bombings and weather tragedies nationally, and bullying and lack of parenting and common sense locally, I'm just feeling D.O.N.E.  I understand that my life is incredibly blessed and things are going along just fine.  However, my children have had some things happen to them because of parents who aren't parenting and people who are lacking common sense.  I've always told my children that life isn't always fair, and that sometimes you just have to accept that.  It's always been one of my goals as a parent...to teach my children to cope with disappointment when life throws a curve or even when something unfair happens...because it will happen that way at some point in life.  However, it's beginning to feel as if I am the ONLY parent teaching my children this.  I'm beginning to feel that because I have chosen to teach them this life lesson instead of throwing a parental hissy fit that it's now viewed as just easier to give my children the short end of the stick instead of anyone else because we don't rock the boat.  I'm getting tired of it and I'm ready to set out on a tsunami of a wave!

I really try to keep this blog happy and upbeat...life generally is that way in our household and that's how I want my children to remember their childhoods.  Some days are just tougher than others, and there are always going to be tough people out there, even if I run away somewhere!  Today was just one of those days, especially with the tragedy in Oklahoma this week, where I just wanted to keep my family home today, hug all of them so tightly and not let go, and lock out the outside world.

The nice thing about life is that every day is a new day, and every hour is a new hour.  It's still fairly early in the morning, and I still have the opportunity to make today a great day.  As a friend of mine always says, it's time to put on my big girl panties and just deal!

Grumpy

This house is full of the grumpies this morning.  We are all just beyond exhausted.  I get it...it's that time of year.  I worked all week in a special ed classroom.  It was even more draining than normal.  The kids are rough, and the circumstances were even rougher given staff shortages this week and things that needed to be accomplished before the end of the year.  I also had to work at our agency last evening and then when I got home I just couldn't sleep.  We had early commitments this morning with Robert's scouts and Thomas also has a school activity.  This afternoon is supposed to be a baseball game, but it's raining right now so we'll just see.  Even if they do play, I might just keep Catherine and Thomas at home so they aren't out in the misty rain and they can just veg.  Like I said, everyone here is grumpy and they are no exception.

Robert has eight days of school left, Andrew has nine (teacher work day) and kids and I have fourteen.  I'm only scheduled two more days between now and the end of the year and I don't expect to have too many more pop up.  I sincerely looking forward to some down time (although three days after school ends Thomas and Andrew have scout day camp for a week) and I'm really looking forward to our family being able to just hang out sometimes.  With all of the kids' activities this summer, it's going to be almost as crazy as the school year, but I know there will be some domino games or family movie nights. I can't believe Robert is going to be graduating from high school in just five years...where has the time gone????

Life

Life is moving right along here.  We are all pretty tired, and every year I seem to forget how exhausting May is.  sometimes I wonder if it's just because we are all so full of anticipation for the end of the school year, bu then when I really look at our calendar I realize it's because things are just insanely busy.  On top of regular life, everything wants to "wrap up" the year with some sort of recognition ceremony/gathering.  It's all just so crazy, but on the upside, after 16 more school days we will all be on summer break!

Another rainout

Robert is playing select baseball this year, and is again coached by Andrew (asst.) and Bob, our good friend.  He is really enjoying it, although I'm not in love with the select mindset which is that life is all baseball, all the time.  So far, they have played four games since the season started four weeks ago.  I've lost tract of the number of rainouts, but all three games within the last week have been a wash.  The downside is that they are going to be required by the select league to make these up which makes life very difficult to plan, but to me, the upside is that generally, most of them will be after school is out which is much better for our family.

With the exception of Robert, the rest of us were actually hoping for a rainout this evening.  The kids are looking forward to hanging out as a family and watching some Cosby Show or other form of fun entertainment.  Down time is coveted in this house!  Even Robert acknowledges the rainout is a good thing because he has to be at his school (a 45 minute drive) at 6AM for band contest.  Needless to say, it will be good that he can get to bed early this evening!

Time flies by

Life is definitely full speed ahead here!  After today, Catherine and Thomas have 19 days of school left, Robert has 13, and because Andrew has a work day after the students he has 14.  Home stretch!  I've been working A LOT, and because of that when a last minute call came this morning, I declined.  I try to never decline, and certainly I never do it just because I don't want to go in, but I needed today at home.  I'm already scheduled three days next week, and while I'm so grateful for the money, I woke up so happy and refreshed knowing that I had today off and I just had to go with that.

The one downside of course, is that I don't get paid for not going in!  Andrew and I have really tried hard to be frugal with the budget, and we have decided to take an ocean vacation this year.  We weren't going to take any kind of a major trip, but Andrew's parents mentioned at Easter that they would like to do something again.  We studied the finances and while it means stinginess in other areas, we decided that in five years Robert will be graduating and these days will be over.  Futhermore, both of Andrew's parents are in their late 70's, and how many more opportunities will there be to spend a week at the ocean with them.  I was able to find an ocean front condo for a really good price and we snapped it up.  It's at the end of the summer, which makes it tough only because we are all excited, but I certainly don't want to wish away the summer!

Moving to a new month

To be totally honest with you, I don't remember the last time I was so pleased to see a month end and a new month begin.  April was just not the best month we've ever had.  It started very promising with our very fun spring break trip, but the rest of the month pretty much stunk it up.  But now May has arrived, and I'm completely optimistic that things have settled down enough and it's going to be a good month!

Regardless of anything else, by the end of May, Andrew and Robert will be finished with school.  Robert has had such a fabulous year...we couldn't be happier with how things have gone!  He's scheduling for next year and we are just thrilled with everything.  The rest of us go until June 7.

Things are ridiculously crazy busy between now and the rest of the year, and no matter how much I might want, I'm really not sure how much time I'll have to blog.  However, know that this time I fully expect we'll be having fun and I no longer feel the weight of the world sitting on my chest!