UNDERDOG!!!!!!
Last night, my son had a playoff game for baseball.
According to the gossip on the field, my understanding was that out of 8 teams, 4 made the playoffs. I am thankful to anyone who could make sense of this crazy season. There were so many missed games due to the rain. So, of the 4 teams, our team was in 4th place, we were set to play against the 1st place team.
I had sat through two games where we had played against this team and they had clobbered us. One score I remember was 18-3.
When planning the week ahead, I will admit, I assumed that we would be done with baseball last night.
I've never been more excited to be wrong.
I dropped my son off at the field, went with my daughter to grab a coffee and returned in time for when the game started. As I was getting my chair, my daughter's blanket and her backpack stuffed with everything imaginable to keep her busy during the game, I heard some cheering from the field.
I was happy to hear that our team had scored a run. Soon enough we settled in and our team was up another run.
Some other parents started to arrive and were wondering if we were losing by much. They were as happy as I was to hear that we were winning!
All of the boys played well. On a personal note, my son, who has been average all year, managed to make two phenomenal plays. One being an outfield catch and another outfield catch followed by a throw to first for an awesome double play.
It's so fun to see him have some moments of pride. He may not be the most talented kid out there, but he shows up and has a good attitude and I think(being his mom , I am completely biased) he deserves some moments of glory.
I can't wait to see what happens in the championship game this week. No matter what , these boys have really come together and I am so proud of what they've accomplished.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Why Do They Call It Softball?
So last night we made our second trip to the emergency room with our daughter.
Our first was about a year ago when her finger was slammed in her brother's bedroom door.
Last night, my daughter had her last softball game to be followed by an awards ceremony. My son was at another field in town with his own baseball game.
We had decided that since this season has been so scattered with the rain, my husband and I would both attend our daughter's event since my son still has baseball for awhile.
My parents came to join in the fun and I had the video camera ready to go.
She was really having an amazing game, a couple of nice hits and she was able to play 1st base (her favorite). She was so happy we were all there to see it.
Then sadly, a throw came to first base and we all thought she may have actually caught it, but soon realized she got hit.
I saw her coaches go running, I turned to my husband and said, "Go." This is because he is faster than me and I needed someone there fast.
As she walked across the field, her face just began to swell, then I saw dark blue almost immediately. I really thought we'd throw some ice on it and she'd be back out there, but the more I looked at it, the more concerned I was getting, it was so huge!
I told my husband I was ready to panic and take her somewhere and that he needed to talk me down. Another parent showed concern at how fast it was swelling and my husband looked at me and said, "Go, I'll pack up the stuff and meet you there."
I am a little ashamed to say that it took my mother saying, " We'll go to J's game and meet you at home later" for me to even remember I had a son! I was panicking like no body's business.
I was a storm of emotion on the inside, but held it together until I hit a particularly long red light, where I did a little bargaining for my daughter's health.
When we arrived at the emergency room, it occurred to me I had never been there before by myself and I wasn't quite sure what to do with my car. I am very thankful for the valet attendant who took care of it all, for a $5.00 charge of course, but it was so worth it as I fumbled with locks and windows and general confusion.
Everyone at the emergency room was amazing. The hospital closest to us is a teaching hospital and I am always a little nervous, but both doctors we dealt with were spot on.
The concern was of course, a broken cheek bone. Nothing about her injury indicated that was the case, but the only way to be sure was to do a CT scan, and that brought up a whole host of other worries, like radiating my child's developing brain and such.
We decided, as the kindly Dr. Murphy assured us this is exactly what he would do with his own grandchild, to wait and see if it got worse before we proceeded with the scan.
We finally arrived home, where I was so touched by receiving a call from her coach, a teammate's mom (whose daughter threw the ball and is my daughter's friend and was very upset about it. I felt awful, I hadn't even realized who threw it and I assured her that my daughter was fine, and it was of course, and accident, they were sweet enough to grab my daughter's trophy and are headed over this afternoon so they can see her) and the commissioner of the softball league.
In all of this, the thing she is most delighted about is that she was supposed to get her palette expander put in tomorrow morning, but we are postponing that until she is cleared by the doctor and healed up. Love that she found the silver (literally!) lining.
Our first was about a year ago when her finger was slammed in her brother's bedroom door.
Last night, my daughter had her last softball game to be followed by an awards ceremony. My son was at another field in town with his own baseball game.
We had decided that since this season has been so scattered with the rain, my husband and I would both attend our daughter's event since my son still has baseball for awhile.
My parents came to join in the fun and I had the video camera ready to go.
She was really having an amazing game, a couple of nice hits and she was able to play 1st base (her favorite). She was so happy we were all there to see it.
Then sadly, a throw came to first base and we all thought she may have actually caught it, but soon realized she got hit.
I saw her coaches go running, I turned to my husband and said, "Go." This is because he is faster than me and I needed someone there fast.
As she walked across the field, her face just began to swell, then I saw dark blue almost immediately. I really thought we'd throw some ice on it and she'd be back out there, but the more I looked at it, the more concerned I was getting, it was so huge!
I told my husband I was ready to panic and take her somewhere and that he needed to talk me down. Another parent showed concern at how fast it was swelling and my husband looked at me and said, "Go, I'll pack up the stuff and meet you there."
I am a little ashamed to say that it took my mother saying, " We'll go to J's game and meet you at home later" for me to even remember I had a son! I was panicking like no body's business.
I was a storm of emotion on the inside, but held it together until I hit a particularly long red light, where I did a little bargaining for my daughter's health.
When we arrived at the emergency room, it occurred to me I had never been there before by myself and I wasn't quite sure what to do with my car. I am very thankful for the valet attendant who took care of it all, for a $5.00 charge of course, but it was so worth it as I fumbled with locks and windows and general confusion.
Everyone at the emergency room was amazing. The hospital closest to us is a teaching hospital and I am always a little nervous, but both doctors we dealt with were spot on.
The concern was of course, a broken cheek bone. Nothing about her injury indicated that was the case, but the only way to be sure was to do a CT scan, and that brought up a whole host of other worries, like radiating my child's developing brain and such.
We decided, as the kindly Dr. Murphy assured us this is exactly what he would do with his own grandchild, to wait and see if it got worse before we proceeded with the scan.
We finally arrived home, where I was so touched by receiving a call from her coach, a teammate's mom (whose daughter threw the ball and is my daughter's friend and was very upset about it. I felt awful, I hadn't even realized who threw it and I assured her that my daughter was fine, and it was of course, and accident, they were sweet enough to grab my daughter's trophy and are headed over this afternoon so they can see her) and the commissioner of the softball league.
In all of this, the thing she is most delighted about is that she was supposed to get her palette expander put in tomorrow morning, but we are postponing that until she is cleared by the doctor and healed up. Love that she found the silver (literally!) lining.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Almost There!
We are in the home stretch.
Things are winding down.
It's funny, that in the thick of it all, I cannot wait for this time. Now that it's here, I already miss it. You can't win with me, that should be obvious.
Last week, my son had his end of the year band concert. I am always amazed at the musical talent the students in our school have. My son plays the drums. I love seeing all the different types of drums that they get to play. I love when he plays the snare drum though. Something about that rat-a-tat-tat, love it.
This year, he played the triangle during one of the numbers. At first, I though there would be a couple of dings here and there, but during "The Pink Panther Theme Song" and "The Simpsons" he was going to town! It was really cool, I was quite amazed. I know he works hard practicing all year and it's nice to get to see it all come together.
My daughter also had her dance recital over the weekend. I love watching her dance. She performed in three numbers, tap, ballet and hip-hop. My parents were able to come to the recital this year and my mom cried while my daughter danced her ballet number. She really looks so sweet and happy up on stage.
When we were getting ready before the show, I announced it was time to do her hair and make-up and get dressed. She squealed, "Oh yes, it's my time to shine!" I can't help but think this stems from years of being dragged to all her brother's events and finally feeling proud that she has her own things for us to attend now.
For her hip-hop number, there was a part where all the kids gather in a semi-circle and each kid, or a couple of kids, get to do a trick. My daughter really, really, really wanted to do "the worm". She was so excited when her teacher said she could. I kid you not, I teared up. I am just amazed at her confidence and ability, she really rocked the worm.
After everyone comes out and takes their bow, there are a few awards handed out. There are some trophies for outstanding achievements. There are some class awards for classes that work well together and work hard. There are also honorable mention medals for students as well.
I saw my daughter's teacher get up and award a trophy to one of the older girls for ballet and then she went to hand out a medal for ballet. I literally gasped when I heard my daughter's name called. I was so so proud of her and I could tell by her beaming adorable fade that she was quite proud of herself as well. It's not something we will soon forget.
So now we have a softball closing day and ceremony and soon enough, baseball season will be ending and we can enjoy the long. lazy days of summer. I will miss you crazy spring, but I will see you again, sooner that I think.
Things are winding down.
It's funny, that in the thick of it all, I cannot wait for this time. Now that it's here, I already miss it. You can't win with me, that should be obvious.
Last week, my son had his end of the year band concert. I am always amazed at the musical talent the students in our school have. My son plays the drums. I love seeing all the different types of drums that they get to play. I love when he plays the snare drum though. Something about that rat-a-tat-tat, love it.
This year, he played the triangle during one of the numbers. At first, I though there would be a couple of dings here and there, but during "The Pink Panther Theme Song" and "The Simpsons" he was going to town! It was really cool, I was quite amazed. I know he works hard practicing all year and it's nice to get to see it all come together.
My daughter also had her dance recital over the weekend. I love watching her dance. She performed in three numbers, tap, ballet and hip-hop. My parents were able to come to the recital this year and my mom cried while my daughter danced her ballet number. She really looks so sweet and happy up on stage.
When we were getting ready before the show, I announced it was time to do her hair and make-up and get dressed. She squealed, "Oh yes, it's my time to shine!" I can't help but think this stems from years of being dragged to all her brother's events and finally feeling proud that she has her own things for us to attend now.
For her hip-hop number, there was a part where all the kids gather in a semi-circle and each kid, or a couple of kids, get to do a trick. My daughter really, really, really wanted to do "the worm". She was so excited when her teacher said she could. I kid you not, I teared up. I am just amazed at her confidence and ability, she really rocked the worm.
After everyone comes out and takes their bow, there are a few awards handed out. There are some trophies for outstanding achievements. There are some class awards for classes that work well together and work hard. There are also honorable mention medals for students as well.
I saw my daughter's teacher get up and award a trophy to one of the older girls for ballet and then she went to hand out a medal for ballet. I literally gasped when I heard my daughter's name called. I was so so proud of her and I could tell by her beaming adorable fade that she was quite proud of herself as well. It's not something we will soon forget.
So now we have a softball closing day and ceremony and soon enough, baseball season will be ending and we can enjoy the long. lazy days of summer. I will miss you crazy spring, but I will see you again, sooner that I think.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pantry Raid
We have no food in the house.
Except for we have a ton of food in the house.
I am in a dinner slump. I think it's because we've been so busy, I have been making things that are quick and easy and portable.
I cleaned and organized my front closet today . I keep extra food in there, stuff that maybe there was a good deal on, but I can't fit in my cabinets. I have 3 shelves and they're full. The cabinet I keep food in isn't full, but it's certainly not empty.
Yet, my family keeps asking when I'm going grocery shopping.
I have decided. I'm not.
I will go out and buy produce and other fresh items that we need, but other than that I am challenging my family to eat what we have.
Really, I'm challenging myself. I'm the one who is going to be googling what I can make with tomato soup and kidney beans. Kidney bean tomato soup for everyone! I have a feeling that this is going to go over like a lead balloon.
There's a reason I bought this food and I don't want to be wasteful and I'm not a doomsday prepper or an extreme coupon-er. I just want all this stuff out of here and we can make a fresh start.
My daughter will really be the one to fight it the most. She likes what she likes when she likes it, oh yes, sometimes she only likes things on certain days. I think I will adopt my father-in-law's rule to get me through this. "This is what's for dinner, if you don't like it, make yourself a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed." I may be more lenient on the "go to bed" part.
My son will pretty much eat whatever we put in front of him. He's really going to be helpful in the coming weeks.
So what do you think? Will we make it? How long before I'm sick of my own challenge?
All this being said, we are ordering Thai food tonight. My parents are coming over and we're all headed out to my son's band concert. I hope the memories of the delicious food thaid (get it, tide) me over until I'm free to shop again.
Except for we have a ton of food in the house.
I am in a dinner slump. I think it's because we've been so busy, I have been making things that are quick and easy and portable.
I cleaned and organized my front closet today . I keep extra food in there, stuff that maybe there was a good deal on, but I can't fit in my cabinets. I have 3 shelves and they're full. The cabinet I keep food in isn't full, but it's certainly not empty.
Yet, my family keeps asking when I'm going grocery shopping.
I have decided. I'm not.
I will go out and buy produce and other fresh items that we need, but other than that I am challenging my family to eat what we have.
Really, I'm challenging myself. I'm the one who is going to be googling what I can make with tomato soup and kidney beans. Kidney bean tomato soup for everyone! I have a feeling that this is going to go over like a lead balloon.
There's a reason I bought this food and I don't want to be wasteful and I'm not a doomsday prepper or an extreme coupon-er. I just want all this stuff out of here and we can make a fresh start.
My daughter will really be the one to fight it the most. She likes what she likes when she likes it, oh yes, sometimes she only likes things on certain days. I think I will adopt my father-in-law's rule to get me through this. "This is what's for dinner, if you don't like it, make yourself a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed." I may be more lenient on the "go to bed" part.
My son will pretty much eat whatever we put in front of him. He's really going to be helpful in the coming weeks.
So what do you think? Will we make it? How long before I'm sick of my own challenge?
All this being said, we are ordering Thai food tonight. My parents are coming over and we're all headed out to my son's band concert. I hope the memories of the delicious food thaid (get it, tide) me over until I'm free to shop again.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
1,000 Words
I am exhausted. My daughter had her dress rehearsal for dance followed by a rush across town for her softball game.
In between activities, I was thinking how I love how well-rounded she is and how it's all going so fast.
Since I'm too tired to be clever, here's some pictures from when her brother was away and we had some time just with her. Supposedly, they're worth a thousand words...
In between activities, I was thinking how I love how well-rounded she is and how it's all going so fast.
Since I'm too tired to be clever, here's some pictures from when her brother was away and we had some time just with her. Supposedly, they're worth a thousand words...
Monday, June 4, 2012
Oh-ee-yeah.. Oh-ee-yoh...
I am spiraling out of control.
I am in a complete tailspin and not the fun kind where Baloo the Bear and friends help me out of a crazy jam.
I know this is a crazy time of year, I spend most Sundays getting my ducks in a row and making sure I am prepared for the week ahead.
Then I get an email that changes my entire schedule.
I would love to say that I calmly take a deep breath and think, "OK, challenge, I accept you and we're going to get through this together."
That is not the case. I immediately deem the change impossible. It's as if someone has pulled the rug out from underneath me. My mind can't even accept the change, it's like my entire body rejects the new information.
I know this seems like a dramatic reaction, but I can't help it! As much as I try to be laid back and relaxed about life, I just don't handle this aspect very well at all.
I literally say out loud to myself, "OK Jenn, let's not freak out." This is usually after I've already freaked out. So, not so helpful.
Unfortunately, anyone who comes across me in panic mode is subjected to me attempting trying to wrap my head around how I have to rearrange everything. It's not a pretty sight. There's shock and denial, guilt, anger, bargaining, depression, wait, this is starting to sound like the stages of grief. I guess it kind of is. I am grieving over the loss of my beautifully planned week.
A lot of my aggravation comes from disappointment. For instance, this week, I thought that we were all going to be able to watch my daughter's last softball game. This season has been saturated (literally) with cancellations due to weather. Between that and every one's busy schedule, I think all 4 of us have been to 2 of her games. To clarify, I've been at all of them, but it's been near impossible for all four of us to be there together.
Unfortunately, her brother's baseball season has suffered as well, so now there is a make-up game scheduled for the same time as her last game. So that means once again, we have to divide and conquer. I know this isn't life altering, but it is disappointing, we like to root each other on.
I have managed to rework the schedule, all my ducks are lined up....however, I think I'll check my email just in case.
I am in a complete tailspin and not the fun kind where Baloo the Bear and friends help me out of a crazy jam.
I know this is a crazy time of year, I spend most Sundays getting my ducks in a row and making sure I am prepared for the week ahead.
Then I get an email that changes my entire schedule.
I would love to say that I calmly take a deep breath and think, "OK, challenge, I accept you and we're going to get through this together."
That is not the case. I immediately deem the change impossible. It's as if someone has pulled the rug out from underneath me. My mind can't even accept the change, it's like my entire body rejects the new information.
I know this seems like a dramatic reaction, but I can't help it! As much as I try to be laid back and relaxed about life, I just don't handle this aspect very well at all.
I literally say out loud to myself, "OK Jenn, let's not freak out." This is usually after I've already freaked out. So, not so helpful.
Unfortunately, anyone who comes across me in panic mode is subjected to me attempting trying to wrap my head around how I have to rearrange everything. It's not a pretty sight. There's shock and denial, guilt, anger, bargaining, depression, wait, this is starting to sound like the stages of grief. I guess it kind of is. I am grieving over the loss of my beautifully planned week.
A lot of my aggravation comes from disappointment. For instance, this week, I thought that we were all going to be able to watch my daughter's last softball game. This season has been saturated (literally) with cancellations due to weather. Between that and every one's busy schedule, I think all 4 of us have been to 2 of her games. To clarify, I've been at all of them, but it's been near impossible for all four of us to be there together.
Unfortunately, her brother's baseball season has suffered as well, so now there is a make-up game scheduled for the same time as her last game. So that means once again, we have to divide and conquer. I know this isn't life altering, but it is disappointing, we like to root each other on.
I have managed to rework the schedule, all my ducks are lined up....however, I think I'll check my email just in case.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Smotherhood
So last week was a big deal.
A big deal for me.
My son took his first trip without us, and according to my anxiety levels, this was a very big deal.
Just when I think I've got this parenting thing down, my parents inform me that for my son's 13th birthday , they would like to plan a trip with him. On every level, this is a wonderful, generous and amazing idea. So why does it feel like someone is ripping my heart out?
They decided on The Grand Canyon. Once plans came together, the three of them would be landing in Las Vegas, driving to The Hoover Dam, and then off to The Grand Canyon. They would then head back to Vegas, go to The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop ( from Pawn Stars on TV, my son loves that show) and see The Blue Man Group. Amazing trip, I was jealous!
I took my son aside at the beginning of the week and told him that no matter how I was acting emotionally, I was freaking the f*&% out thrilled for him. I knew he would be safe and have the trip of a lifetime. I told him that even though I knew it would be fine, it was still the first time and it was a milestone I had to go through. I assured him that there would be many other milestones I would be freaking out about, so by the time he gets married he'll be immune to it.
To make things a little more complicated, my husband was away for work. I originally thought that I wouldn't have been as emotional if he had been home, but I think we all know that's not the case. I actually think I was a little stronger, if he had been here, he would have been strong and I would have been completely free to fall apart.
I also didn't want him to see me upset when he was leaving. I was actually really proud of how I was handling myself when my dad came to pick him up, I didn't count on my sweet sentimental daughter sending me over the edge.
She had been so sweet to him all week. She was so excited for him. Then as he was about to get in the car with my dad, she says, "Goodbye J, I'll always remember how much I love you."
It was sincere and sweet, but had this "final" vibe around it that tapped into the deepest darkest fears I had been stuffing down all week. I felt the lump in my throat, tears welling up...this was going to get ugly.
I think she knew. I don't know how, at 7, you could know, but I think even she knew that it sounded sad and final. She turned around, eyes big and filling with tears the second I picked her up she broke down.
We hastily waved goodbye to my dad and son and I took her in to comfort her. She cried for such a long time. I guess the good thing was, I knew exactly how she felt. I didn't have to reassure her too much , I just had to let her cry it out until all the anxiety went away.
It also put me in the position of being the strong one. Imagine that.
Now that he's home and I've heard how amazing the trip was, it seems like a lifetime ago that I was all worked up about this. I knew I could do it, but I still had to get through it. Hmmm, that sounds a little Suess-y, but you get what I mean.
A big deal for me.
My son took his first trip without us, and according to my anxiety levels, this was a very big deal.
Just when I think I've got this parenting thing down, my parents inform me that for my son's 13th birthday , they would like to plan a trip with him. On every level, this is a wonderful, generous and amazing idea. So why does it feel like someone is ripping my heart out?
They decided on The Grand Canyon. Once plans came together, the three of them would be landing in Las Vegas, driving to The Hoover Dam, and then off to The Grand Canyon. They would then head back to Vegas, go to The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop ( from Pawn Stars on TV, my son loves that show) and see The Blue Man Group. Amazing trip, I was jealous!
I took my son aside at the beginning of the week and told him that no matter how I was acting emotionally, I was
To make things a little more complicated, my husband was away for work. I originally thought that I wouldn't have been as emotional if he had been home, but I think we all know that's not the case. I actually think I was a little stronger, if he had been here, he would have been strong and I would have been completely free to fall apart.
I also didn't want him to see me upset when he was leaving. I was actually really proud of how I was handling myself when my dad came to pick him up, I didn't count on my sweet sentimental daughter sending me over the edge.
She had been so sweet to him all week. She was so excited for him. Then as he was about to get in the car with my dad, she says, "Goodbye J, I'll always remember how much I love you."
It was sincere and sweet, but had this "final" vibe around it that tapped into the deepest darkest fears I had been stuffing down all week. I felt the lump in my throat, tears welling up...this was going to get ugly.
I think she knew. I don't know how, at 7, you could know, but I think even she knew that it sounded sad and final. She turned around, eyes big and filling with tears the second I picked her up she broke down.
We hastily waved goodbye to my dad and son and I took her in to comfort her. She cried for such a long time. I guess the good thing was, I knew exactly how she felt. I didn't have to reassure her too much , I just had to let her cry it out until all the anxiety went away.
It also put me in the position of being the strong one. Imagine that.
Now that he's home and I've heard how amazing the trip was, it seems like a lifetime ago that I was all worked up about this. I knew I could do it, but I still had to get through it. Hmmm, that sounds a little Suess-y, but you get what I mean.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Minivan Confessions
There are many reasons why I did not want a minivan.
Then I sat in one , drove one, and fell in love. The 3rd seat folds into the floor people! I don't care if it looks uncool, I can pack ANYTHING in there. I can give anyone rides to places. Also, I'm 38, a mom of 2 and I really don't give a crap if my car is cool or not.
When we first got Ol' Blue, my daughter sat in the second row, which was nice enough to have built in car seats, and my son always headed for the third row. When he was in the third row, he was in his own world. It's really hard to hear back there, and vice versa, its hard for me to hear him from the front.
I kind of missed him a little, but since he's turned 13 and is allowed to sit in the front seat, I've been spending a little more time with him. When he gets home from school, I usually ask the normal questions, "How was your day?", " Did anything fun and exciting happen today?" For some reason, I have not found the greatest time to ask these questions. I have tried right after school , when everything is fresh in his mind, or later in the day when he's had some time to relax a little. I get the standard, "good" or "nothing". Ah well.
However, since the front seat ban was lifted, I have noticed that he just offers up information all on his own. It's great, I'm not pulling it out of him, he's just telling me the highlights or low lights of his day. We've had some great conversations, sometimes it's about school issues, sometimes its about Star Wars. I love them all.
My daughter has also been taking advantage of minivan confession time. When it's just her and I and it's quiet, she'll let me know her concerns and fears. It's really an amazing thing because my daughter seems so sure of herself and confident, I was really taken aback when I realized that she actually has a lot of anxiety.
She has recently shared with me that she stresses out about each and every paper that she does in school. She is so worried that she might get something wrong. I was shocked. We are so laid back about grades (she's in first grade!) and as far as I knew , we weren't putting any pressure on her to be the best or perfect.
I asked her if she felt pressure from us and she said "no." I asked her why she felt so nervous about getting something wrong, told her that mistakes are how we learn, and reassured her that we are always proud of her as long as she's learning, it's not about the grade, it's about learning.
Her reply, "Mom, you should know by now, I like to do things and I like to be good at them."
Busted! I do know this about her, but for some reason I had only applied it to physical things, like dance, riding a bike, softball, etc. It hadn't occurred to me that she was like this about everything. See? She even wants to be good at parenting herself.
Though I think that this work ethic will serve her well in life, I hate that at 7 she's putting so much pressure on herself. She appears so happy and carefree all the time, as a mom, it hurts to think she's struggling and anxious on the inside.
I think our minivan chats help her. I almost want to take a "Hey Baby, school is groovy, who cares about grades?" attitude with her. (When reading that quote, you should probably use Shaggy's voice from Scooby-Doo, it helps), but I know it's just going to take time until she's comfortable and confident. I almost can't wait until she maybe gets a bad grade on something and learns it's not the end of the world, is that wrong?
I know someday, I will say goodbye to the minivan, but I will always cherish all the wonderful wonderful talks I have had with my kids in there and I will never regret becoming a suburban stereotype.
Then I sat in one , drove one, and fell in love. The 3rd seat folds into the floor people! I don't care if it looks uncool, I can pack ANYTHING in there. I can give anyone rides to places. Also, I'm 38, a mom of 2 and I really don't give a crap if my car is cool or not.
When we first got Ol' Blue, my daughter sat in the second row, which was nice enough to have built in car seats, and my son always headed for the third row. When he was in the third row, he was in his own world. It's really hard to hear back there, and vice versa, its hard for me to hear him from the front.
I kind of missed him a little, but since he's turned 13 and is allowed to sit in the front seat, I've been spending a little more time with him. When he gets home from school, I usually ask the normal questions, "How was your day?", " Did anything fun and exciting happen today?" For some reason, I have not found the greatest time to ask these questions. I have tried right after school , when everything is fresh in his mind, or later in the day when he's had some time to relax a little. I get the standard, "good" or "nothing". Ah well.
However, since the front seat ban was lifted, I have noticed that he just offers up information all on his own. It's great, I'm not pulling it out of him, he's just telling me the highlights or low lights of his day. We've had some great conversations, sometimes it's about school issues, sometimes its about Star Wars. I love them all.
My daughter has also been taking advantage of minivan confession time. When it's just her and I and it's quiet, she'll let me know her concerns and fears. It's really an amazing thing because my daughter seems so sure of herself and confident, I was really taken aback when I realized that she actually has a lot of anxiety.
She has recently shared with me that she stresses out about each and every paper that she does in school. She is so worried that she might get something wrong. I was shocked. We are so laid back about grades (she's in first grade!) and as far as I knew , we weren't putting any pressure on her to be the best or perfect.
I asked her if she felt pressure from us and she said "no." I asked her why she felt so nervous about getting something wrong, told her that mistakes are how we learn, and reassured her that we are always proud of her as long as she's learning, it's not about the grade, it's about learning.
Her reply, "Mom, you should know by now, I like to do things and I like to be good at them."
Busted! I do know this about her, but for some reason I had only applied it to physical things, like dance, riding a bike, softball, etc. It hadn't occurred to me that she was like this about everything. See? She even wants to be good at parenting herself.
Though I think that this work ethic will serve her well in life, I hate that at 7 she's putting so much pressure on herself. She appears so happy and carefree all the time, as a mom, it hurts to think she's struggling and anxious on the inside.
I think our minivan chats help her. I almost want to take a "Hey Baby, school is groovy, who cares about grades?" attitude with her. (When reading that quote, you should probably use Shaggy's voice from Scooby-Doo, it helps), but I know it's just going to take time until she's comfortable and confident. I almost can't wait until she maybe gets a bad grade on something and learns it's not the end of the world, is that wrong?
I know someday, I will say goodbye to the minivan, but I will always cherish all the wonderful wonderful talks I have had with my kids in there and I will never regret becoming a suburban stereotype.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Apologies
So sorry I didn't write more this week. It was an overwhelming week for me.
I am happy to say I survived it and will definitely be writing about it next week after a much needed long weekend with my family.
I hope you all have a wonderful kick off to summer weekend!!
I am happy to say I survived it and will definitely be writing about it next week after a much needed long weekend with my family.
I hope you all have a wonderful kick off to summer weekend!!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Tears Of A Clown
I have a weakness for comedians.
I am attracted to funny, I always have been. Making me laugh is the way to my heart.
Most of my celebrity crushes are on funny men.
As most "True Hollywood" stories go, comedians tend to be a little messed up. You know, they use the humor as a way to cope with their problems, which leads to success and trouble.
So, since I am a happily married woman, and I have no plans on becoming a celebrity stalker, I tend to worry about these funny men.
I love Alec Baldwin, I hate some of the things he's done, like the infamous phone call he made to his daughter, but I have such a weakness for him. There's a scene in "It's Complicated" where he makes the saddest face, it makes me cry every time. I feel like in that moment he's not acting, he's definitely reflecting on something. It's the dumbest thing really, but I'm a worrier, its what I do.
This past Saturday, "Saturday Night Live" aired its season finale. At the end, they did a little musical goodbye number to say goodbye to Kristen Wiig. I was so distracted by Jason Sudeikis throughout the entire thing. He looked devastated. I know there are rumors that he won't be returning next year. so I thought he may have been emotional at first. As the number went on he faded further and further to the back and just looked miserable.
The thing is, it's two days later and I'm still worried about him. Nothing short of him releasing a statement saying, "Got emotional the other night, everything's great though." will ease my mind. We had just recently watched an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" that featured him and his family history. It was so sweet to watch him interact with his dad on the show. I think that's why it keeps making me think of him.
I will admit to actually "Googling" about this and I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who noticed (despite what my hubby thought lol.) A lot of people saw the same thing and I was so glad I wasn't alone. This person broke it all down and even had theories. It's just comforting to know I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind today. I swear I'm not a crazy stalker. Really, I'm not.
I am attracted to funny, I always have been. Making me laugh is the way to my heart.
Most of my celebrity crushes are on funny men.
As most "True Hollywood" stories go, comedians tend to be a little messed up. You know, they use the humor as a way to cope with their problems, which leads to success and trouble.
So, since I am a happily married woman, and I have no plans on becoming a celebrity stalker, I tend to worry about these funny men.
I love Alec Baldwin, I hate some of the things he's done, like the infamous phone call he made to his daughter, but I have such a weakness for him. There's a scene in "It's Complicated" where he makes the saddest face, it makes me cry every time. I feel like in that moment he's not acting, he's definitely reflecting on something. It's the dumbest thing really, but I'm a worrier, its what I do.
This past Saturday, "Saturday Night Live" aired its season finale. At the end, they did a little musical goodbye number to say goodbye to Kristen Wiig. I was so distracted by Jason Sudeikis throughout the entire thing. He looked devastated. I know there are rumors that he won't be returning next year. so I thought he may have been emotional at first. As the number went on he faded further and further to the back and just looked miserable.
The thing is, it's two days later and I'm still worried about him. Nothing short of him releasing a statement saying, "Got emotional the other night, everything's great though." will ease my mind. We had just recently watched an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" that featured him and his family history. It was so sweet to watch him interact with his dad on the show. I think that's why it keeps making me think of him.
I will admit to actually "Googling" about this and I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who noticed (despite what my hubby thought lol.) A lot of people saw the same thing and I was so glad I wasn't alone. This person broke it all down and even had theories. It's just comforting to know I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind today. I swear I'm not a crazy stalker. Really, I'm not.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
That's Not My Name
Some days I am not sure why I bothered to name my children.
In our family we use nicknames. A lot.
We made a list last night and my daughter wins. We realized that she has about 20 nicknames that we use for her, depending on the situation.
Most of the nicknames have nothing at all to do with her name. We most commonly refer to her as Lulu. From Lulu, there are many variations. There is Lew, Lewis, Lewbert Q. Jones, Lou Bamboo and Lewis Bamboo-iss.
When she is particularly clumsy, she is Mary-Katherine Gallagher. When she gets out of the tub, she puts her hair in a towel wrap and calls herself Tiny Punjab.( I assure you , this is purely innocent and named after a character from Annie, a movie we love) Her brother calls her Mavis-Bavis when she's being difficult and Little Mommy when she's being ..well, a little mommy.
My son's nicknames are mostly name related. for those of you who know him, we add "attack" and "a-roni and cheese" to his name. I also call him Doodle, which I think he's starting to feel like he's outgrown.
When I was pregnant, we called my son Yolkie, we called my daughter Wormie. We all have code names too. Most of the names are from old movies. My husband is Chappy Sinclair, I am Fanny Skeffington, my son is Boots Malone and my daughter is Sassafrass Jones.
It's so funny to me that we use these names all the time, it's just normal for us. Sometimes when we're out and about, a nickname slips out and it's so funny to see people react. I once I called my daughter Lewie at a soccer game and people assumed her name was Louise. After telling them her real name, I got that look, its just to hard to explain.
There's an ice cream place in town called "Swirls and Scoops" and my husband and daughter always joke that it's called "Scoops and Poops" which has now somehow become the name of their detective team with my husband taking the name Scoops and leaving my daughter to be Poops. They think it's hilarious.
I come from a family of nicknamers. My dad hasn't called my mom by her real name in years, we used to call my sister "Bean" and even my dog had nicknames. My husband used to make up nicknames for himself (which is where I think my daughter gets it, they are so alike!) I've heard stories of him telling his family that they were to call him "Sonny" from now on after watching a Burt Reynolds movie and I believe he also gave himself the name Kid Celsius.
I hope my kids will continue to love their nicknames and I am keeping the list we made so that someday I can look back and see what a bunch of goofballs we were.
In our family we use nicknames. A lot.
We made a list last night and my daughter wins. We realized that she has about 20 nicknames that we use for her, depending on the situation.
Most of the nicknames have nothing at all to do with her name. We most commonly refer to her as Lulu. From Lulu, there are many variations. There is Lew, Lewis, Lewbert Q. Jones, Lou Bamboo and Lewis Bamboo-iss.
When she is particularly clumsy, she is Mary-Katherine Gallagher. When she gets out of the tub, she puts her hair in a towel wrap and calls herself Tiny Punjab.( I assure you , this is purely innocent and named after a character from Annie, a movie we love) Her brother calls her Mavis-Bavis when she's being difficult and Little Mommy when she's being ..well, a little mommy.
My son's nicknames are mostly name related. for those of you who know him, we add "attack" and "a-roni and cheese" to his name. I also call him Doodle, which I think he's starting to feel like he's outgrown.
When I was pregnant, we called my son Yolkie, we called my daughter Wormie. We all have code names too. Most of the names are from old movies. My husband is Chappy Sinclair, I am Fanny Skeffington, my son is Boots Malone and my daughter is Sassafrass Jones.
It's so funny to me that we use these names all the time, it's just normal for us. Sometimes when we're out and about, a nickname slips out and it's so funny to see people react. I once I called my daughter Lewie at a soccer game and people assumed her name was Louise. After telling them her real name, I got that look, its just to hard to explain.
There's an ice cream place in town called "Swirls and Scoops" and my husband and daughter always joke that it's called "Scoops and Poops" which has now somehow become the name of their detective team with my husband taking the name Scoops and leaving my daughter to be Poops. They think it's hilarious.
I come from a family of nicknamers. My dad hasn't called my mom by her real name in years, we used to call my sister "Bean" and even my dog had nicknames. My husband used to make up nicknames for himself (which is where I think my daughter gets it, they are so alike!) I've heard stories of him telling his family that they were to call him "Sonny" from now on after watching a Burt Reynolds movie and I believe he also gave himself the name Kid Celsius.
I hope my kids will continue to love their nicknames and I am keeping the list we made so that someday I can look back and see what a bunch of goofballs we were.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Cool It Now
Ugh.
I completely lost my cool yesterday.
I hate when that happens.
My son made a mistake yesterday. A big one. He opened the door when he was home alone. He knew who was on the other side, however, this is a huge no-no.
On the other side was "Eddie Haskell". I really don't want to get into all the details on this kid, but lets just say, we have tried, VERY HARD, to cut all ties with him.
So, my son opened the door, while he was home alone , to someone we have avoided like the plague and basically made it so that I would have to get involved with this kid again.
I freaked out.
I do not like to yell. I yelled.
I do not like to threaten. I threatened. (Not physical harm, things like "no video games ever again" and "grounded for life")
When I was finally able to get over my anger, I was able to explain to my son that my anger came from fear. Granted Eddie Haskell is not a threat to my son, but what if it wasn't him.
His reply was that he looked out the windows on the side of the door and knew who it was. I came at him with, "What if it had been anyone else? What was your plan? You have totally given yourself away by peeking out the window, what would you have done if someone had been there asking if your mom was home!!" This was all said in some sort of high pitched voice that was almost unrecognizable.
Regarding the Eddie Haskell situation, I made my son make an awkward and uncomfortable phone call, he actually thanked me for making him do it. I think he learned something about sticking up for himself and handling an uneasy situation. He told me that he was happy he did it and even though it was hard, it wasn't as bad as he thought.
I was so proud of him and yet still so disappointed about the whole "opening the door" incident.
After venting to my husband, we decided that making the phone call took care of the situation, but we could not let the door opening go. He is not allowed to stay home alone anymore until he earns our trust again. This means he'll have to tag along to his sister's dance classes, can't stay back when I need to pop over to the grocery store, and yes, he may even have to accompany me to the ...gasp! ...craft store.
I really think a week or so of this will drive the point home. He really does feel bad.
So do I. I really wish when something like this happens, I was able to calm myself and have a rational discussion, but when something seems unsafe and scares me, I react. I'm human, I guess it's ok.
I called a good friend about the incident and she actually congratulated me (she knows my history of not yelling). She told me that sometimes our kids need to know how serious something is.
My son is totally fine with everything , we had a nice follow-up discussion about everything today. He seems to be handling it all and hopefully I'll be able to do the same.
I completely lost my cool yesterday.
I hate when that happens.
My son made a mistake yesterday. A big one. He opened the door when he was home alone. He knew who was on the other side, however, this is a huge no-no.
On the other side was "Eddie Haskell". I really don't want to get into all the details on this kid, but lets just say, we have tried, VERY HARD, to cut all ties with him.
So, my son opened the door, while he was home alone , to someone we have avoided like the plague and basically made it so that I would have to get involved with this kid again.
I freaked out.
I do not like to yell. I yelled.
I do not like to threaten. I threatened. (Not physical harm, things like "no video games ever again" and "grounded for life")
When I was finally able to get over my anger, I was able to explain to my son that my anger came from fear. Granted Eddie Haskell is not a threat to my son, but what if it wasn't him.
His reply was that he looked out the windows on the side of the door and knew who it was. I came at him with, "What if it had been anyone else? What was your plan? You have totally given yourself away by peeking out the window, what would you have done if someone had been there asking if your mom was home!!" This was all said in some sort of high pitched voice that was almost unrecognizable.
Regarding the Eddie Haskell situation, I made my son make an awkward and uncomfortable phone call, he actually thanked me for making him do it. I think he learned something about sticking up for himself and handling an uneasy situation. He told me that he was happy he did it and even though it was hard, it wasn't as bad as he thought.
I was so proud of him and yet still so disappointed about the whole "opening the door" incident.
After venting to my husband, we decided that making the phone call took care of the situation, but we could not let the door opening go. He is not allowed to stay home alone anymore until he earns our trust again. This means he'll have to tag along to his sister's dance classes, can't stay back when I need to pop over to the grocery store, and yes, he may even have to accompany me to the ...gasp! ...craft store.
I really think a week or so of this will drive the point home. He really does feel bad.
So do I. I really wish when something like this happens, I was able to calm myself and have a rational discussion, but when something seems unsafe and scares me, I react. I'm human, I guess it's ok.
I called a good friend about the incident and she actually congratulated me (she knows my history of not yelling). She told me that sometimes our kids need to know how serious something is.
My son is totally fine with everything , we had a nice follow-up discussion about everything today. He seems to be handling it all and hopefully I'll be able to do the same.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Mother Of A Day
This Mother's day may have been my favorite.
After a hectic week, I think we all needed a fantastic day.
We got one.
I woke up, we had a nice morning, coffee, breakfast and a few gifts.
The kids got me some new fancy flip-flops and Just Dance 3 for the PS3. I guess when they all went shopping together, the kids were certain that I would love the game. My husband wasn't so sure and kept the receipt handy just in case. I was thrilled. Some of the songs are hilarious and so much fun to dance to. We spent some time dancing to a few of our favorites and then I was told to go and get ready.
We all jumped in the car and we were off...to Maine!
I guess the kids didn't know where we were going either, so it was super exciting when they realized where we were.
We did a little shopping, then had a yummy lunch at Bob's Clam Hut. I have been going there since I was a little girl, but I never got anything "seafood" there until I was an adult. It's such a tradition for us to go there, I love that we are sharing that with our kids.
Then, we drove up to the beach. It's so nice to be up there on a nice day before the parking meters are running and everything is busy and crowded. We set up near a small river area and my kids ran around like lunatics.
My husband had brought a kite and a frisbee and we had lots of fun and laughs attempting to be good at both. It was so breezy that if you didn't catch the frisbee, it would roll and roll in all sorts of crazy directions and circles. It was so funny watching the kids chase after it. ( Yes, the kids..the parents knew to conserve their energy)
After we had enough sun and sand we headed back towards the outlets. I'm not much of a shopper, but I did manage to get a couple of things. The kids were so good the whole time. I didn't want to push my luck, so we decided that it was probably time to head home.
We were still content from our lunch, but knew we'd be getting hungry. My husband suggested ice cream for dinner. The kids and I may have actually applauded the idea. We sat and had our ice cream, my husband went and grabbed a couple of coffees for he and I and we all commented that even though it had just been a handful of hours and a small distance from home, it felt like we had just taken a vacation
It was exactly what we all needed. I will remember it always.
Perfection.
After a hectic week, I think we all needed a fantastic day.
We got one.
I woke up, we had a nice morning, coffee, breakfast and a few gifts.
The kids got me some new fancy flip-flops and Just Dance 3 for the PS3. I guess when they all went shopping together, the kids were certain that I would love the game. My husband wasn't so sure and kept the receipt handy just in case. I was thrilled. Some of the songs are hilarious and so much fun to dance to. We spent some time dancing to a few of our favorites and then I was told to go and get ready.
We all jumped in the car and we were off...to Maine!
I guess the kids didn't know where we were going either, so it was super exciting when they realized where we were.
We did a little shopping, then had a yummy lunch at Bob's Clam Hut. I have been going there since I was a little girl, but I never got anything "seafood" there until I was an adult. It's such a tradition for us to go there, I love that we are sharing that with our kids.
Then, we drove up to the beach. It's so nice to be up there on a nice day before the parking meters are running and everything is busy and crowded. We set up near a small river area and my kids ran around like lunatics.
My husband had brought a kite and a frisbee and we had lots of fun and laughs attempting to be good at both. It was so breezy that if you didn't catch the frisbee, it would roll and roll in all sorts of crazy directions and circles. It was so funny watching the kids chase after it. ( Yes, the kids..the parents knew to conserve their energy)
After we had enough sun and sand we headed back towards the outlets. I'm not much of a shopper, but I did manage to get a couple of things. The kids were so good the whole time. I didn't want to push my luck, so we decided that it was probably time to head home.
We were still content from our lunch, but knew we'd be getting hungry. My husband suggested ice cream for dinner. The kids and I may have actually applauded the idea. We sat and had our ice cream, my husband went and grabbed a couple of coffees for he and I and we all commented that even though it had just been a handful of hours and a small distance from home, it felt like we had just taken a vacation
It was exactly what we all needed. I will remember it always.
Perfection.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thai Me Up
No, this isn't about 50 Shades of Grey, tsk tsk...such a dirty mind you have.
I am not always adventurous when it comes to food. It's not because I'm afraid I won't like it, I'm okay with that. I am more afraid of not knowing what to order.
The last time I went to a Thai restaurant, I was 18 years old, in San Francisco with my 2 cousins. I was not an adventurous eater, I hated anything spicy, so I'm pretty sure I had steamed chicken wrapped in banana leaves. It wasn't a great endorsement to ever go back.
Today my husband was back from his work trip and decided to take me out to lunch. He didn't tell me where we were going. We pulled in to the parking lot and in the tradition of "keeping it real" on here, I will admit to this embarrassing conversation.
Me- "Wait , what? No! I don't know what to get here! This is the worst idea ever!"
Him- "We'll figure it out..don't worry" ( I worry)
Me- "No, I meant someday, as in I need some time to Google this and ask around, I'm not ready!"
Him- "We will figure this out together, it will be fine"
Even as I'm panicking, I realize I'm acting like a lunatic. I was the one who said a few weeks ago that I wanted to try Thai food. He's the one doing exactly what I asked for. This is like Haley's comet! I should shut my mouth. Now.
My fear is based from that feeling that people have been eating this for awhile now and living out in the burbs with kids , I am not always exposed to different cuisine. I assume that all the cool people know what to get , so I think that when I get into the restaurant it will just be a bunch of words that mean nothing to me.
Of course, this menu had descriptions on it. I worried for nothing. I think I was safe in my choices, but I loved everything that I had. I even tasted some of my husband's soup which sounded disgusting, but was very tasty. I am looking forward to exploring the menu ( I took like 3 menus home, so I can study them, I'm not completely cured) and I really am thankful to my husband for a great idea.
I am willing to hear suggestions on foods to try....anyone? anyone??
I am not always adventurous when it comes to food. It's not because I'm afraid I won't like it, I'm okay with that. I am more afraid of not knowing what to order.
The last time I went to a Thai restaurant, I was 18 years old, in San Francisco with my 2 cousins. I was not an adventurous eater, I hated anything spicy, so I'm pretty sure I had steamed chicken wrapped in banana leaves. It wasn't a great endorsement to ever go back.
Today my husband was back from his work trip and decided to take me out to lunch. He didn't tell me where we were going. We pulled in to the parking lot and in the tradition of "keeping it real" on here, I will admit to this embarrassing conversation.
Me- "Wait , what? No! I don't know what to get here! This is the worst idea ever!"
Him- "We'll figure it out..don't worry" ( I worry)
Me- "No, I meant someday, as in I need some time to Google this and ask around, I'm not ready!"
Him- "We will figure this out together, it will be fine"
Even as I'm panicking, I realize I'm acting like a lunatic. I was the one who said a few weeks ago that I wanted to try Thai food. He's the one doing exactly what I asked for. This is like Haley's comet! I should shut my mouth. Now.
My fear is based from that feeling that people have been eating this for awhile now and living out in the burbs with kids , I am not always exposed to different cuisine. I assume that all the cool people know what to get , so I think that when I get into the restaurant it will just be a bunch of words that mean nothing to me.
Of course, this menu had descriptions on it. I worried for nothing. I think I was safe in my choices, but I loved everything that I had. I even tasted some of my husband's soup which sounded disgusting, but was very tasty. I am looking forward to exploring the menu ( I took like 3 menus home, so I can study them, I'm not completely cured) and I really am thankful to my husband for a great idea.
I am willing to hear suggestions on foods to try....anyone? anyone??
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Did That Just Happen?
10pm- Have trouble falling asleep because traveling husbands give me insomnia. Well my traveling husband anyway, I actually sleep pretty well when other husbands are traveling.
11pm- fall asleep...ahhhhh
4am- "What the heck is that noise? Oh my daughter coughing, still coughing....cough cough coughing"
4:30am- Listen to daughter ask lots of questions, reply with vague mumbling and non-committal answers like "sure, maybe the moon would be a good vacation"
5:00am- Turn on Phinneas and Ferb and thank the TV people for inventing cable and 24 hour cartoons.
5:30am- Realize that we've both fallen asleep, turn TV off.
6:35am- Hit "dismiss" on my cell phone alarm instead of "snooze". I just needed 10 more minutes.
7:01am- Wake up in a panic. MCAS is today! My son needs a good breakfast! I am a terrible mother! Oh wait, he's up. He's showered, he's...eating. Aww man, and after I almost killed him last night. Redemption.
7:15am- Daughter comes downstairs, lays on the loveseat, covers up and tells me she is laying downstairs because she doesn't trust I will wake her up for school. (Rightfully so, I would have let her sleep in, still, she shouldn't know that at 7 years old!)
7:45- Daughter seems great, get ready for school.
8:30- Send off my little ray of sunshine, prepare for my Dad's visit, run some errands and mentally ready myself for what I think will be a 4:30pm meltdown from my daughter.
1:00pm- After a lovely lunch with my dad, I check voice mail, making sure I didn't miss a call from the school nurse. So far, so good.
1:30pm- Receive a call from the school nurse, my child is exhausted. My dad and I are on our way.
2:00pm- She falls asleep.
3:00pm- She wakes up, ummm...no no no...not enough sleep. Me no like.
4:00pm- LOTS of crying, whining, and a tummy ache of epic proportions. I start thinking appendicitis, hernia...but my gut is saying, "this kid needs to GO". I ask in a million different ways, but she refuses to admit that THAT is the problem.
4:30pm- MELTDOWN!! Wohooo!! I win! I'm right!
4:45pm- Dad, son and son's friend leave for a baseball game. So thankful dad is there to help out. Love my village. Prepare myself for missing dance class and softball practice with daughter, oh I mean Princess Grumpypants.
4:46pm-5:20pm- I will spare you the details and she'll kill me for this one day, but let's just say after seeing my daughter unable to actually sit down, we headed up to the bathroom. We read, we joked, there was some hard work ahead of her, but when all was said and done (and man oh man was there screaming and crying), success. Again, mom knew best, but I guess she was embarrassed to say anything in front of my dad. Sweet, but oh man, poor girl. Amazingly enough, she was herself again!
5:21pm- "Mom, I really want to try and go to dance class, the recital is coming up..and then can we go to the game?(her brother's)"
5:22pm- Run around like a mad woman because as you remember I was staying in.
Rush off to dance, drive a few towns over, arrive at son's game....just in time to miss him playing in it. Freeze a little while daughter runs off to the playground and has the time of her life.
HOW WAS YOUR DAY? :)
11pm- fall asleep...ahhhhh
4am- "What the heck is that noise? Oh my daughter coughing, still coughing....cough cough coughing"
4:30am- Listen to daughter ask lots of questions, reply with vague mumbling and non-committal answers like "sure, maybe the moon would be a good vacation"
5:00am- Turn on Phinneas and Ferb and thank the TV people for inventing cable and 24 hour cartoons.
5:30am- Realize that we've both fallen asleep, turn TV off.
6:35am- Hit "dismiss" on my cell phone alarm instead of "snooze". I just needed 10 more minutes.
7:01am- Wake up in a panic. MCAS is today! My son needs a good breakfast! I am a terrible mother! Oh wait, he's up. He's showered, he's...eating. Aww man, and after I almost killed him last night. Redemption.
7:15am- Daughter comes downstairs, lays on the loveseat, covers up and tells me she is laying downstairs because she doesn't trust I will wake her up for school. (Rightfully so, I would have let her sleep in, still, she shouldn't know that at 7 years old!)
7:45- Daughter seems great, get ready for school.
8:30- Send off my little ray of sunshine, prepare for my Dad's visit, run some errands and mentally ready myself for what I think will be a 4:30pm meltdown from my daughter.
1:00pm- After a lovely lunch with my dad, I check voice mail, making sure I didn't miss a call from the school nurse. So far, so good.
1:30pm- Receive a call from the school nurse, my child is exhausted. My dad and I are on our way.
2:00pm- She falls asleep.
3:00pm- She wakes up, ummm...no no no...not enough sleep. Me no like.
4:00pm- LOTS of crying, whining, and a tummy ache of epic proportions. I start thinking appendicitis, hernia...but my gut is saying, "this kid needs to GO". I ask in a million different ways, but she refuses to admit that THAT is the problem.
4:30pm- MELTDOWN!! Wohooo!! I win! I'm right!
4:45pm- Dad, son and son's friend leave for a baseball game. So thankful dad is there to help out. Love my village. Prepare myself for missing dance class and softball practice with daughter, oh I mean Princess Grumpypants.
4:46pm-5:20pm- I will spare you the details and she'll kill me for this one day, but let's just say after seeing my daughter unable to actually sit down, we headed up to the bathroom. We read, we joked, there was some hard work ahead of her, but when all was said and done (and man oh man was there screaming and crying), success. Again, mom knew best, but I guess she was embarrassed to say anything in front of my dad. Sweet, but oh man, poor girl. Amazingly enough, she was herself again!
5:21pm- "Mom, I really want to try and go to dance class, the recital is coming up..and then can we go to the game?(her brother's)"
5:22pm- Run around like a mad woman because as you remember I was staying in.
Rush off to dance, drive a few towns over, arrive at son's game....just in time to miss him playing in it. Freeze a little while daughter runs off to the playground and has the time of her life.
HOW WAS YOUR DAY? :)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Teenage Dream
I have finally released my kung-fu death grip on my son and his academic career.
I have replaced it with a similar death grip on everything else in his life.
He's 13, there are things that are important, they're just not important to him.
I don't want to completely dump on him, but it was me and my sister growing up, I didn't live with a 13 year old boy, this is all very new to me.
So , to back up a little. I decided this year that my son would be mostly responsible for his academics. I really felt that we were insane last year trying to adjust to life in the middle school. There were days it was downright ugly.
This year he would have to show us what he could do, and for the most part he's done great. I cannot believe how different this year feels. We are, as always, there when he needs help and there to encourage him. If I notice his grade is slipping, we talk about it and he has always gotten back on track. This was necessary for us. I so badly want him to do better than I did with school, but I can't do it for him.
Now, in regards to everything else. He is in such a teenage fog lately. I'm calling it that because I've never seen it before. He's the kid who gets up every morning and takes a shower before school. He empties the dishwasher every afternoon when he gets home without being asked. I don't know if it's because he's programmed himself to do these things that he's so good at them, I think it's great either way.
That's about it though. In recent times, he has managed to have me wash lots of clothes he hasn't even worn (as in, I took this shirt off my shelf and 3 others fell, so when mom told me to clean my room, I just threw them all in the laundry). I couldn't tell you what my kids wore every day last week, but I did start to realize that there were way more clothes in there than humanly possible. Sadly, once something goes in the boy's laundry basket, you must wash it, trust me.
If I ask him to put something away, I never know where it will end up, resulting in me finding my mail up in my bathroom, hand towels in my coat closet and brand new shirts (still in the Target bag) on their way to the trash. He recently wore his dress belt to baseball practice because he couldn't find his baseball belt, I mean, I could go on and on.
None of this is horrible and I know he'll snap out of it someday. He doesn't really get to play video games during the week and the same goes for TV, so I often wonder what is so distracting? What goes on in that head of his? Most likely he's daydreaming about video games and TV.
I saw this quote and thought it was perfect.
I have replaced it with a similar death grip on everything else in his life.
He's 13, there are things that are important, they're just not important to him.
I don't want to completely dump on him, but it was me and my sister growing up, I didn't live with a 13 year old boy, this is all very new to me.
So , to back up a little. I decided this year that my son would be mostly responsible for his academics. I really felt that we were insane last year trying to adjust to life in the middle school. There were days it was downright ugly.
This year he would have to show us what he could do, and for the most part he's done great. I cannot believe how different this year feels. We are, as always, there when he needs help and there to encourage him. If I notice his grade is slipping, we talk about it and he has always gotten back on track. This was necessary for us. I so badly want him to do better than I did with school, but I can't do it for him.
Now, in regards to everything else. He is in such a teenage fog lately. I'm calling it that because I've never seen it before. He's the kid who gets up every morning and takes a shower before school. He empties the dishwasher every afternoon when he gets home without being asked. I don't know if it's because he's programmed himself to do these things that he's so good at them, I think it's great either way.
That's about it though. In recent times, he has managed to have me wash lots of clothes he hasn't even worn (as in, I took this shirt off my shelf and 3 others fell, so when mom told me to clean my room, I just threw them all in the laundry). I couldn't tell you what my kids wore every day last week, but I did start to realize that there were way more clothes in there than humanly possible. Sadly, once something goes in the boy's laundry basket, you must wash it, trust me.
If I ask him to put something away, I never know where it will end up, resulting in me finding my mail up in my bathroom, hand towels in my coat closet and brand new shirts (still in the Target bag) on their way to the trash. He recently wore his dress belt to baseball practice because he couldn't find his baseball belt, I mean, I could go on and on.
None of this is horrible and I know he'll snap out of it someday. He doesn't really get to play video games during the week and the same goes for TV, so I often wonder what is so distracting? What goes on in that head of his? Most likely he's daydreaming about video games and TV.
I saw this quote and thought it was perfect.
"The average teenager still has all the faults his parents outgrew. " ~Author Unknown
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Hit Me Baby One More Time
I got the fever, baby fever, and the only prescription is more babies!
I wasn't sure how I was going to write about this because it is a subject I could not be more wishy-washy about. Please bear with me as you navigate my crazy thoughts.
Since I was a young girl I have said I was going to have 3 kids.
I made my husband promise me we would have 2 1/2 kids by the time we were 30.
I was also going to live in a mansion and drive a Jeep and run my own musical college because there had to be people like me who can only memorize things when they are set to music.
So real life comes along. I had my son when I was 24 and his arrival terrified me into putting off trying for our second. Then when we felt ready, who could have known it would take us over 2 years. As the story goes, when we stopped trying, I got pregnant.
My kids are 6 years apart. I felt like if we were going to have another, it should be sooner rather than later. My husband was done.
As strong and rational as he is , he is a complete worrywart when it comes to me and babies. I can't say I blame him. He saw what our son went through in the NICU, he saw what I went through after our daughter was born and I ended up with an infection from my c-section.
I tried to say that I went through these things and I was still willing to try again, but he was really firm in being done.
For a few years, I maybe might have wished for a "happy accident", but then I realized we had to make a decision. I didn't want to resent him for not fulfilling a dream of mine, and I also wanted him to really hear why I wanted another.
The conversations were insane. I went from demanding one more kid to thinking how lucky, how truly lucky we were to have 2 healthy kids and that I was being selfish to want another. We weighed how much we love babies against how it was kind of nice that our kids were in the "put on your coats and go" stage. No strollers, diaper bags, pack and plays to worry about.
I have been home with the kids for a few years now, and I know some of my panic is that I will have to get back out to the real world someday. I just think the one thing I'm good at and have a passion for is being a mom, and even though the job never ends, it doesn't require me being home 24/7.
So, we made the decision that we were done and most days I am fine with it. In my heart of hearts I am okay with it.
When I hold a baby though, all bets are off. Even when we stayed with my sister after each of her boys were born, in the throws of newborn madness, I missed it. My husband looked at me like"aren't you glad we're done with that?" and I'm not, I really loved it. I did not love being pregnant, but newborn babies...ahhh, that's the stuff.
I got to spend the day with my 3 month old nephew yesterday and it was great. I am starting to realize that I will have babies in my life and I will love them and care for them and delight in all the new things they do. I did think it was funny that my nephew took a 2 hour nap and I pretty much watched him sleep the whole time. I would have never done that with mine. That would have been my chance to sleep, clean, get stuff done. I am starting to see the benefits of spending time with babies instead of having my own.
However, should an adorable baby find its way to my doorstep like in the movies, it's mine!!
I wasn't sure how I was going to write about this because it is a subject I could not be more wishy-washy about. Please bear with me as you navigate my crazy thoughts.
Since I was a young girl I have said I was going to have 3 kids.
I made my husband promise me we would have 2 1/2 kids by the time we were 30.
I was also going to live in a mansion and drive a Jeep and run my own musical college because there had to be people like me who can only memorize things when they are set to music.
So real life comes along. I had my son when I was 24 and his arrival terrified me into putting off trying for our second. Then when we felt ready, who could have known it would take us over 2 years. As the story goes, when we stopped trying, I got pregnant.
My kids are 6 years apart. I felt like if we were going to have another, it should be sooner rather than later. My husband was done.
As strong and rational as he is , he is a complete worrywart when it comes to me and babies. I can't say I blame him. He saw what our son went through in the NICU, he saw what I went through after our daughter was born and I ended up with an infection from my c-section.
I tried to say that I went through these things and I was still willing to try again, but he was really firm in being done.
For a few years, I maybe might have wished for a "happy accident", but then I realized we had to make a decision. I didn't want to resent him for not fulfilling a dream of mine, and I also wanted him to really hear why I wanted another.
The conversations were insane. I went from demanding one more kid to thinking how lucky, how truly lucky we were to have 2 healthy kids and that I was being selfish to want another. We weighed how much we love babies against how it was kind of nice that our kids were in the "put on your coats and go" stage. No strollers, diaper bags, pack and plays to worry about.
I have been home with the kids for a few years now, and I know some of my panic is that I will have to get back out to the real world someday. I just think the one thing I'm good at and have a passion for is being a mom, and even though the job never ends, it doesn't require me being home 24/7.
So, we made the decision that we were done and most days I am fine with it. In my heart of hearts I am okay with it.
When I hold a baby though, all bets are off. Even when we stayed with my sister after each of her boys were born, in the throws of newborn madness, I missed it. My husband looked at me like"aren't you glad we're done with that?" and I'm not, I really loved it. I did not love being pregnant, but newborn babies...ahhh, that's the stuff.
I got to spend the day with my 3 month old nephew yesterday and it was great. I am starting to realize that I will have babies in my life and I will love them and care for them and delight in all the new things they do. I did think it was funny that my nephew took a 2 hour nap and I pretty much watched him sleep the whole time. I would have never done that with mine. That would have been my chance to sleep, clean, get stuff done. I am starting to see the benefits of spending time with babies instead of having my own.
However, should an adorable baby find its way to my doorstep like in the movies, it's mine!!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Random Thoughts
- Did you hear about the mom that was accused of taking her daughter tanning? I am not saying she did it, but she has to see how people may jump to the conclusion that it could be true. Also...can tanning salons agree to carry some sort of color wheel where they stop allowing you to tan? I think "Catcher's Mitt Brown" should be the cut-off.
- I really love watching the Jeopardy Teen Tournament. I can actually answer almost half of the questions. And yes, when the category is German Cities, I will yell out "What is Berlin?" for every answer.
-I watched Terms of Endearment today. While I folded laundry. In the rain. That movie rocks me to my core every time I watch it. In fact, I get so upset while watching it that I KNOW I shouldn't watch it. I am a glutton for punishment. I learned with a little IMDB research that the little boy who plays Teddy (The younger son who cries when Debra Winger has to talk to them, the bowl cut) is named Huckleberry Fox in real life. How is he not still famous?
- I have been obsessed with trying to find a way to keep my thick humidity hating hair under control. I have finally gotten around to trying Moroccan argan oil. So far so good. I'm hoping it's the kind of thing that the more I use it the better my hair is, but it already looks so much better, I'm happy. I'm hoping to avoid having my hair in a ponytail for the entire summer.
- Who out there is reading 50 Shades of Grey? Holy freaking moly.
- I think I have dinner amnesia. There are some weeks I have something new and wonderful every night of the week and then weeks like this where I cannot even think of what to do with a chicken breast. Thank god for the internet.
- My friend M had a spare hour today and came over for coffee. It was lovely. It's amazing how much we can fit into a short amount of time. It was a nice break in my day. I love that we were still talking as she walked out to her car because she had an appointment to get to. I've known her for 8 years and I don't think we'll ever run out of things to say.
-
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
My Village
My husband has started traveling for work. At first I was so excited for him, he's a bit of a homebody, and it's very good for him to get out and travel. My plan is to accompany him sometime. Hahahahaha. I'm laughing because we have to kids at home that are in sports and other activities and he travels during the week and yeah, it's probably never going to happen.
He started traveling last year, but it was just a few trips here and there. It has really picked up lately. Of course. It couldn't have picked up in the winter when we didn't have as many activities going on. It has to be now. Our kids are playing baseball and softball, plus my daughter takes dance and my son takes guitar lessons.
None of this is a big deal except that the schedule gods have decided that all activities should be on the same night, at the same time. This is great however, I have come to realize that I cannot actually be in two places at once.
So, I am rallying my village. I am always grateful when my son is on a team with a kid whose parents I know and trust. Some of us are in the same boat with schedules, so it's really great when we can help each other out. We also all have 13 year old boys who aren't so great with details so it's nice that we have each other to work that stuff out.
My parents live about 45 minutes away, but are more than happy to come down for the day and help me out. My in-laws live in town, they are happy to help, but my father in law also travels a lot and my mother in law doesn't like to drive at night. Still, when they can help, the always do.
When I realize there's a scheduling conflict, I can literally feel my anxiety start to rise. I thought it was the stress of figuring out how to get everyone where they need to be, but I really think it stems from sincerely wanting to be there to watch each of my kids. Also, the control freak inside of me thinks nothing bad can happen if I'm there.
I have learned to take a deep breath, think of a couple possible solutions, and cross my fingers. These things usually have a way of working out.
I couldn't do it without the help of friends and family and I am very thankful for them all.
He started traveling last year, but it was just a few trips here and there. It has really picked up lately. Of course. It couldn't have picked up in the winter when we didn't have as many activities going on. It has to be now. Our kids are playing baseball and softball, plus my daughter takes dance and my son takes guitar lessons.
None of this is a big deal except that the schedule gods have decided that all activities should be on the same night, at the same time. This is great however, I have come to realize that I cannot actually be in two places at once.
So, I am rallying my village. I am always grateful when my son is on a team with a kid whose parents I know and trust. Some of us are in the same boat with schedules, so it's really great when we can help each other out. We also all have 13 year old boys who aren't so great with details so it's nice that we have each other to work that stuff out.
My parents live about 45 minutes away, but are more than happy to come down for the day and help me out. My in-laws live in town, they are happy to help, but my father in law also travels a lot and my mother in law doesn't like to drive at night. Still, when they can help, the always do.
When I realize there's a scheduling conflict, I can literally feel my anxiety start to rise. I thought it was the stress of figuring out how to get everyone where they need to be, but I really think it stems from sincerely wanting to be there to watch each of my kids. Also, the control freak inside of me thinks nothing bad can happen if I'm there.
I have learned to take a deep breath, think of a couple possible solutions, and cross my fingers. These things usually have a way of working out.
I couldn't do it without the help of friends and family and I am very thankful for them all.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Where Did I Put That Bubble?
I never know what my kids really hear when I tell them things that I think are important.
Recently, "Dateline" has had a series on called "My Kid Would Never Do That". I saw a brief description of one on "The Today Show" and I set the DVR to record the series.
So far, there have been three of these, and we've seen two. My husband and I are now dealing with LOTS of questions.
The first one was about stranger danger and this is the one that caught my eye. They showed controlled experiments with hidden cameras. The parents were watching the whole time. The producers lured kids with an ice cream truck and the driver offering a tour of the truck and free ice cream. It was absolutely terrifying how many kids got in the truck and took ice cream.
I thought it was important for all of us to watch this together, so that as situations occur in our lives, we would have these examples to reference and my kids will have a clear picture of what we're talking about.
I will admit , I kind of wanted to scare them. I want them to know that it's completely okay to walk away from a stranger, to not worry about hurting their feelings, that's for me and their dad to sort out.
What I didn't expect was for my daughter to be traumatized. Some of the series is a little old for her, in my opinion, but then "they" (man, would I love to meet "they" someday) say, "It's never too early" to talk to your kids about these things.
My son is sensible, but I also think he can be innocent and naive. He's a helpful kid and doesn't want to be rude, so I do worry that he'd be the kid helping to look for a "lost puppy" or walking up to a car to give directions. I think the show was a real eye opener for him and helped to give him tools to be safe and smart.
My daughter however, cried , every time a kid got in the ice cream truck, or gave their name and address to an actor pretending to be a photographer with a casting agency, she was devastated. I kept reminding her that these kids were safe, but she's a smarty, she knows that these kids wouldn't have been safe in real life and she was so worried for them.
The last one we watched was on whether teens would get into a car with someone who may be under the influence. Sadly, most kids did. Again, safe, controlled experiments, and absolutely heartbreaking for their parents (and me) to watch. This seemed like a great way to start some dialogue with my son about drinking and driving, texting and driving, and making good decisions about who get in a car with.
It seemed like every parent on there said, "We've talked about this, he/she knows they're not allowed to use their phone when they drive." Sadly, most kids did.
Again, I thought this may be a little old for my daughter to grasp, but she really wanted to be included in this. (She HATES being left out of anything if the reason is that she's too little..a whole other blog entry entirely) Once again, hysterical crying. The thought of someone being a passenger in a car where someone else who was impaired was driving terrified her. She kept saying, "It wasn't their choice!"
We tried to explain that it was their choice and that if they knew the person driving wasn't okay to drive, they should not get in the car and that her dad and I are a phone call away should she ever be in that position.
We've been fielding a lot of questions about these things lately, a lot of "what-if" scenarios. It's hard. It's so freaking hard. At times I am overwhelmed by it all, but I want so badly for my kids to be as safe as they can. I don't expect them to live in a bubble, I know that's not realistic. (Though it would make a lovely Mother's Day gift) I'm happy this show has given us a way to talk about it all , I am especially happy that the next one we'll watch is about cheating.
Don't get me wrong, cheating is bad, but I need a break from the thought of my kids being in physical danger or disappearing from my life. I think they might need a little break too.
Recently, "Dateline" has had a series on called "My Kid Would Never Do That". I saw a brief description of one on "The Today Show" and I set the DVR to record the series.
So far, there have been three of these, and we've seen two. My husband and I are now dealing with LOTS of questions.
The first one was about stranger danger and this is the one that caught my eye. They showed controlled experiments with hidden cameras. The parents were watching the whole time. The producers lured kids with an ice cream truck and the driver offering a tour of the truck and free ice cream. It was absolutely terrifying how many kids got in the truck and took ice cream.
I thought it was important for all of us to watch this together, so that as situations occur in our lives, we would have these examples to reference and my kids will have a clear picture of what we're talking about.
I will admit , I kind of wanted to scare them. I want them to know that it's completely okay to walk away from a stranger, to not worry about hurting their feelings, that's for me and their dad to sort out.
What I didn't expect was for my daughter to be traumatized. Some of the series is a little old for her, in my opinion, but then "they" (man, would I love to meet "they" someday) say, "It's never too early" to talk to your kids about these things.
My son is sensible, but I also think he can be innocent and naive. He's a helpful kid and doesn't want to be rude, so I do worry that he'd be the kid helping to look for a "lost puppy" or walking up to a car to give directions. I think the show was a real eye opener for him and helped to give him tools to be safe and smart.
My daughter however, cried , every time a kid got in the ice cream truck, or gave their name and address to an actor pretending to be a photographer with a casting agency, she was devastated. I kept reminding her that these kids were safe, but she's a smarty, she knows that these kids wouldn't have been safe in real life and she was so worried for them.
The last one we watched was on whether teens would get into a car with someone who may be under the influence. Sadly, most kids did. Again, safe, controlled experiments, and absolutely heartbreaking for their parents (and me) to watch. This seemed like a great way to start some dialogue with my son about drinking and driving, texting and driving, and making good decisions about who get in a car with.
It seemed like every parent on there said, "We've talked about this, he/she knows they're not allowed to use their phone when they drive." Sadly, most kids did.
Again, I thought this may be a little old for my daughter to grasp, but she really wanted to be included in this. (She HATES being left out of anything if the reason is that she's too little..a whole other blog entry entirely) Once again, hysterical crying. The thought of someone being a passenger in a car where someone else who was impaired was driving terrified her. She kept saying, "It wasn't their choice!"
We tried to explain that it was their choice and that if they knew the person driving wasn't okay to drive, they should not get in the car and that her dad and I are a phone call away should she ever be in that position.
We've been fielding a lot of questions about these things lately, a lot of "what-if" scenarios. It's hard. It's so freaking hard. At times I am overwhelmed by it all, but I want so badly for my kids to be as safe as they can. I don't expect them to live in a bubble, I know that's not realistic. (Though it would make a lovely Mother's Day gift) I'm happy this show has given us a way to talk about it all , I am especially happy that the next one we'll watch is about cheating.
Don't get me wrong, cheating is bad, but I need a break from the thought of my kids being in physical danger or disappearing from my life. I think they might need a little break too.
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