Jacob started Kindergarten. By far, this has been the busiest month. Immediately after school started, we began the soccer season. So our schedule for the last month has been:
Monday - Sets the tone for the week! We usually catch up around the house from the weekend, and Jacob tends to have more homework on Mondays. Its not due until later in the week, but I am trying to teach him how not to procrastinate. His father and I are pro's, so we will see how it works out.
Tuesday - Andrew has soccer practice at 6:00. This means I aim to have dinner close to ready by 5:00....and we don't get home from school pickup until 3:30. This means it is a crazy busy 90 minutes. Not to mention the little chores we have the boys do (empty dishwasher, carry clothes upstairs to their room, pick up toys). Then the battle of actually getting soccer clothes on. It's nuts!
Wednesday - I have declared this Craft Day in the house. I know I'm ready for a break from actual work by this time, so the boys have to to be ready for a break. I've only been doing it a couple of weeks, but it is going very well! It forces me to stop and have fun with the kids rather than carry on the usual barking orders at them. I look forward to craft day!
Thursday - Jacob has soccer practice at 6:30. This only gives me about 30 extra minutes than our Tuesday schedule, but it feels like a lot more. There is still a rush, but it's not quite so dramatic.
Friday - Pizza and Movie Night. We ALL look forward to Fridays! Really...who doesn't?! We've watched The Lorax, The Wizard of Oz, and I don't remember the others.
Saturday - Soccer Games. We are finally to the part of the schedule where we don't have to leave the fields between games. That should make things a little easier.
Sunday - Grocery Store, Football (yay!), and sometimes a soccer game. I think we are almost finished with those.
So from Monday through Sunday, it feels like we are flying non-stop. Holy Cow! I don't know how people do it and have kids in multiple activities. I enjoy it, but it is a different kind of enjoyment. lol!
Part Time Gig - I swear I am working harder now than I was when I worked full time. ha! It's more of a mental challenge for sure. I have reached a point where I stay later in the office than I'm supposed to. The good hour to do work at home is just not a good payoff for me. I don't really get to get into doing anything. There is a part of me considering changing my schedule to working until 2:00, but then I wonder if I would push it back again. And...I have a sweet deal! I'm not really sure I want to give that up yet either.
And I've had to learn how to discipline the kids. I really hate it. I mean, I don't think everyone enjoys it. It is definitely a necessary evil. I have more success in getting the kids to do what I want when I hold them to the rules. But I hate having to stop to do it. Awful - I know. Usually Brian swoops in to save me when I get into trouble or start to lose it with them. Well, he's not here for 3-4 hours...and then I hear myself freaking about 3-4 hours. How much of a wuss am I?! It is a learning experience, so I try to not dwell on that. I'm better today than I was a month ago - that is a fact!
Alright...time for bed. I just wanted to post about the craziness of life!
First Day of Kindergarten
The first day was mostly a success! Jacob did not want me to cook a fancy breakfast, so that was kind of a relief. I mean, I wanted to, but I knew I was cutting it close on time. I made his lunch just as he requested: PBJ, Grapes, Apples, Crackers, and a Monkey Bar. And then he had Fruitables in his Batman cup.
I checked his backpack to make sure he had everything he needed - this included an eraser and his water bottle. We took all of the other supplies to school on Meet the Teacher night.
Here is the Back to School picture:
So then came pickup time. First, I was totally pinching myself on the way to the school. Am I really on my way to a school to pick up my child?! I have vivid memories of my mom picking me up from elementary school...and now I'm doing the same thing for my own kids. It's like I am almost in denial I even have children of my own. ha!
I arrived at the school a few minutes before 3 which was perfect timing! Not too shabby for the first day of school. I walked up to the little courtyard and found Jacob and his teacher. I immediately smelled dog poop. Not too surprising because some people brought the dog for pickup. I spoke to his teacher for a little bit. I asked how his day was, and she said it was great. She said that he has a few kids that he will need to learn to talk over, but he is comfortable asking her for anything he needs. She felt confident that he would eventually be comfortable enough to speak up to participate in class. I got the feeling that he participates, but he is very quiet and soft spoken. Typical Jacob.
As Jacob and I walked to the car, I still smelled the dog poo. I was sure one of us had stepped in some. I checked our shoes when we got to the car, and no poo. I smelled it the entire way to pick up Andrew. Back up to the morning: I immediately smelled poo or vomit in the kids' room this morning when I went upstairs to wake them up. So on the way to Andrew's school, I was seriously considering that I might have eaten something to give me a very funky body odor in the last few days.
We walk into Andrew's school, and the smell just follows me. We have to walk through a couple of classrooms to get to Andrew's, so I stopped one of the teachers to ask her. I am clearly very comfortable with her. I said, "I have a random for you. Do I smell like dog sh*?" We were standing between rooms, the kids walked through the door that she was holding open, and she said, "No, but it smells like dog poo in here." When we were finally loaded in our car, I figured out the mystery smell - have you figured it out yet?! It was Jacob. He had poo on his leg.
Jacob was wonderful to potty train, and he takes care of all of his business by himself. So I'm still thinking it is dog poo that he got into on the playground; that kind that mysteriously gets off of shoes but not skin; the kind that doesn't exist.
To shorten this long story, I figured out the mystery when Jacob was on his second shower. He had an upset tummy this afternoon and had two accidents. One was at school and the other was at home when he says he couldn't make it to the potty fast enough. My heart breaks for him a little. First, he thought he was in trouble for it and would hardly talk to me at all. Second, he was probably nervous today and didn't know how to express himself. Third, he felt embarrassed that it happened. Poor guy!
So to get ready for tomorrow, we packed an extra set of clothes and some plastic bags in the event of an accident at school. His highlights from school were the two trips to the playground and his binder. He seems pumped that he carries all of his work in a binder and not a folder. There is also a planner in the binder, which I think is cool! He has a smiley face for today. I think I'm supposed to initial it, but I'm really not sure. He also said that he made a new friend named Steven, and he seemed extra excited when I told him he had an uncle named Steven.
All in all, it was a good day for Jacob! The boys seemed to enjoy coming home early. And I kicked ass while I was home alone for an hour and a half. I left work late today, so I ran out of time.
And then a quick Andrew story. I asked him how his day was today, and he said, "It was BAD! I had to sit in my chair two times today," Sitting in the chair is a timeout. I asked why, and this is the story I got: Ms. Acloud (McCloud) told me to sit on a different letter and I wanted to sit on my old letter." The kid knows what he wants and if there is any change, he wants it on his terms. Here is a funny pic I found of him while I was uploading Jacob's pictures from this morning.
I checked his backpack to make sure he had everything he needed - this included an eraser and his water bottle. We took all of the other supplies to school on Meet the Teacher night.
Here is the Back to School picture:
So then came pickup time. First, I was totally pinching myself on the way to the school. Am I really on my way to a school to pick up my child?! I have vivid memories of my mom picking me up from elementary school...and now I'm doing the same thing for my own kids. It's like I am almost in denial I even have children of my own. ha!
I arrived at the school a few minutes before 3 which was perfect timing! Not too shabby for the first day of school. I walked up to the little courtyard and found Jacob and his teacher. I immediately smelled dog poop. Not too surprising because some people brought the dog for pickup. I spoke to his teacher for a little bit. I asked how his day was, and she said it was great. She said that he has a few kids that he will need to learn to talk over, but he is comfortable asking her for anything he needs. She felt confident that he would eventually be comfortable enough to speak up to participate in class. I got the feeling that he participates, but he is very quiet and soft spoken. Typical Jacob.
As Jacob and I walked to the car, I still smelled the dog poo. I was sure one of us had stepped in some. I checked our shoes when we got to the car, and no poo. I smelled it the entire way to pick up Andrew. Back up to the morning: I immediately smelled poo or vomit in the kids' room this morning when I went upstairs to wake them up. So on the way to Andrew's school, I was seriously considering that I might have eaten something to give me a very funky body odor in the last few days.
We walk into Andrew's school, and the smell just follows me. We have to walk through a couple of classrooms to get to Andrew's, so I stopped one of the teachers to ask her. I am clearly very comfortable with her. I said, "I have a random for you. Do I smell like dog sh*?" We were standing between rooms, the kids walked through the door that she was holding open, and she said, "No, but it smells like dog poo in here." When we were finally loaded in our car, I figured out the mystery smell - have you figured it out yet?! It was Jacob. He had poo on his leg.
Jacob was wonderful to potty train, and he takes care of all of his business by himself. So I'm still thinking it is dog poo that he got into on the playground; that kind that mysteriously gets off of shoes but not skin; the kind that doesn't exist.
To shorten this long story, I figured out the mystery when Jacob was on his second shower. He had an upset tummy this afternoon and had two accidents. One was at school and the other was at home when he says he couldn't make it to the potty fast enough. My heart breaks for him a little. First, he thought he was in trouble for it and would hardly talk to me at all. Second, he was probably nervous today and didn't know how to express himself. Third, he felt embarrassed that it happened. Poor guy!
So to get ready for tomorrow, we packed an extra set of clothes and some plastic bags in the event of an accident at school. His highlights from school were the two trips to the playground and his binder. He seems pumped that he carries all of his work in a binder and not a folder. There is also a planner in the binder, which I think is cool! He has a smiley face for today. I think I'm supposed to initial it, but I'm really not sure. He also said that he made a new friend named Steven, and he seemed extra excited when I told him he had an uncle named Steven.
All in all, it was a good day for Jacob! The boys seemed to enjoy coming home early. And I kicked ass while I was home alone for an hour and a half. I left work late today, so I ran out of time.
And then a quick Andrew story. I asked him how his day was today, and he said, "It was BAD! I had to sit in my chair two times today," Sitting in the chair is a timeout. I asked why, and this is the story I got: Ms. Acloud (McCloud) told me to sit on a different letter and I wanted to sit on my old letter." The kid knows what he wants and if there is any change, he wants it on his terms. Here is a funny pic I found of him while I was uploading Jacob's pictures from this morning.
Jacob Starts Kindergarten
Tomorrow is the day that I've been dreading for about 18 months. I couldn't even talk about Jacob starting Kindergarten until January when we were finally in the same year. I don't know what it is about this kid getting older, but I have the hardest time with it.
Anyway, a part of me is really excited for him! I mean, he's starting his real school life, and he gets to make new friends. What is not exciting about all of that?! We met his teacher on Thursday night. She seems really sweet, and she has a student teacher for a couple of months. Jacob can remember the student teacher's name, but not the main teacher's. It is probably no coincidence that the student teacher is young and super cute. ha!
I decided after Meet the Teacher that I was not going to participate in the drop off tomorrow morning. Brian had suggested it probably a week before, and I totally blew him off. However, I agree with him that I will probably upset Jacob more than help him along. The biggest part of me is sad that he is starting Kindergarten. He is so excited to start his new school that I don't want him to be sad in any way. Not to mention the mad house that will be waiting at the school since it is the first day. I've met his teacher, and she had a scavenger hunt for the kids to do to get familiar with the classroom. Then, as a family, we walked the rest of the school, or what will be Jacob's world. We saw the music room, art room, gym, and cafeteria. Then we went out to the playground for a bit. Andrew was feeling right at home, too! ha! So I feel like I experienced the moment in some sense. And if I end up regretting this decision, I'll do it differently when Andrew starts.
We read a book tonight that Emily gave us - The Kissing Hand. She said she gave it to me and Jacob. So we sat down before bed tonight, as a family, and I began reading the book. Thank goodness Brian was sitting there because he had to pick up the story in two spots so that I could cry it out a little. lol!
I am excited for the little things in the morning. 1. I want to make breakfast. It may be the cinnamon rolls in the fridge, but I really don't want him to have a lame breakfast bar on his first day. 2. Making his lunch. I cannot wait! And he is excited to help me, too. I want to leave a note for him, so I should probably write that tonight. 3. The obligatory first day picture. I love that my parents have all of ours! I'm very excited to do his and Andrew's when that time comes.
I think it is going to be a fantastic day in his world! And I think once I get to work, it will be in my world, too.
Anyway, a part of me is really excited for him! I mean, he's starting his real school life, and he gets to make new friends. What is not exciting about all of that?! We met his teacher on Thursday night. She seems really sweet, and she has a student teacher for a couple of months. Jacob can remember the student teacher's name, but not the main teacher's. It is probably no coincidence that the student teacher is young and super cute. ha!
I decided after Meet the Teacher that I was not going to participate in the drop off tomorrow morning. Brian had suggested it probably a week before, and I totally blew him off. However, I agree with him that I will probably upset Jacob more than help him along. The biggest part of me is sad that he is starting Kindergarten. He is so excited to start his new school that I don't want him to be sad in any way. Not to mention the mad house that will be waiting at the school since it is the first day. I've met his teacher, and she had a scavenger hunt for the kids to do to get familiar with the classroom. Then, as a family, we walked the rest of the school, or what will be Jacob's world. We saw the music room, art room, gym, and cafeteria. Then we went out to the playground for a bit. Andrew was feeling right at home, too! ha! So I feel like I experienced the moment in some sense. And if I end up regretting this decision, I'll do it differently when Andrew starts.
We read a book tonight that Emily gave us - The Kissing Hand. She said she gave it to me and Jacob. So we sat down before bed tonight, as a family, and I began reading the book. Thank goodness Brian was sitting there because he had to pick up the story in two spots so that I could cry it out a little. lol!
I am excited for the little things in the morning. 1. I want to make breakfast. It may be the cinnamon rolls in the fridge, but I really don't want him to have a lame breakfast bar on his first day. 2. Making his lunch. I cannot wait! And he is excited to help me, too. I want to leave a note for him, so I should probably write that tonight. 3. The obligatory first day picture. I love that my parents have all of ours! I'm very excited to do his and Andrew's when that time comes.
I think it is going to be a fantastic day in his world! And I think once I get to work, it will be in my world, too.
More Catch Up
I've actually been super busy since we got back from California. I post most of life's goings-on on Facebook because its so easy. However, there is one thing I haven't posted much about at all. That would be my new awesome part-time gig at work!
I told Steve that I wanted to go part-time so that when Jacob is done at school, he can come home instead of going to daycare for a couple of hours. Another motivator is that the family business is kind of in limbo right now - we have too many people in our office and the owners are having some difficulty coming to a good solution to the problem and for them to start easing out of the day-to-day workings of Astro. I totally understand that, too....it's a lot to figure out! So I'm kind of seizing the opportunity. I can stay involved with the business, which is a business I love dearly! I hope I make my grandfather proud each day I'm working up there. He is my inspiration - no doubt! But I can also do more for my family, too! Brian is ecstatic! If you know him, you know he doesn't get too excited about too many things. And I feel like I'm living the dream now - I get to go to work and have something that is only my world; and then I get to do crafty things and productive things around our home.
Training has been interesting. I've been the only person in our office for almost three years. We had another assistant in the office while I was out for my surgery last year; that lasted about 3 months. So I have a specific way I do things. I have tried to simplify that process for training purposes, but there are so many unusual things that can pop up during the process. It is maddening! I seriously wanted to hit myself while I was thinking about all of those things and thinking about teaching someone all of that crap! lol! It has all worked out pretty nicely, though. The new girl is responsible for answering the phones in the afternoons (her schedule is 12-4:30; mine is 7:30-12:30), and pushing through all of the daily paperwork and data entry. It keeps her busy the entire time she is there, and it used to eat my entire day because of all of the other office things that need attention at any given time. She came on board right before the California trip - literally two days. ha! Poor girl, but she was a great sport through it all!
I looked up one day and realized I had some vacation days I needed to use. So I took 5 days over two weeks in July. That was awesome, too! I got several things done around the house, and I played a little, too. I mean, they were vacation days. But in doing that, we did not get the real feel of the logistics of the office until my new schedule went live three weeks ago. And I feel like it is all working out really well!
For my first week, I was really excited and gung-ho about getting some stuff done. I had a few habits to break first. One, don't go home and take a little snooze. It's hard to wake up and get moving from that. Second, actually make a plan and a list of things to accomplish. And three, communicate the plan to Brian. Now, Brian has been wonderful through all of this! But, rightly so, he expects the house to be in better shape overall and for the workings of the house to be more smooth. I get it! But it has literally taken me 3 weeks to give that to him. I usually start Mondays wtih a bang! I'm ready to get everything done on my list, and I'm full of energy until I finally just fall over. But then I'm kind of over it the rest of the week. My second week, I spent that "over it" time doing crafts for the boys' room. They are completely into superheroes right now, and I have lots of cute ideas that I want to do before they are over superheroes. They probably don't even care that much about what I've done, but I'm having a blast doing it! Last week I finally worked on what Brian wanted and has wanted for a while - clean out the garage. I've been putting it off because its been a hot summer. Things have cooled off, and I wanted to start getting the boys a little earlier from school. The problem is that I would get side-tracked doing something, then try to squeeze in something else, and I got them home only an hour earlier.
Tomorrow real life sets in. Jacob starts Kindergarten, and my carefree afternoons will end around 2:45 when I leave to get Jacob. And, if I've learned anything about having two kids, is that they are much easier to handle when they are together. So that means after I get Jacob, I'll head out to get Andrew. Let's see how much I can get done from now on. :)
I told Steve that I wanted to go part-time so that when Jacob is done at school, he can come home instead of going to daycare for a couple of hours. Another motivator is that the family business is kind of in limbo right now - we have too many people in our office and the owners are having some difficulty coming to a good solution to the problem and for them to start easing out of the day-to-day workings of Astro. I totally understand that, too....it's a lot to figure out! So I'm kind of seizing the opportunity. I can stay involved with the business, which is a business I love dearly! I hope I make my grandfather proud each day I'm working up there. He is my inspiration - no doubt! But I can also do more for my family, too! Brian is ecstatic! If you know him, you know he doesn't get too excited about too many things. And I feel like I'm living the dream now - I get to go to work and have something that is only my world; and then I get to do crafty things and productive things around our home.
Training has been interesting. I've been the only person in our office for almost three years. We had another assistant in the office while I was out for my surgery last year; that lasted about 3 months. So I have a specific way I do things. I have tried to simplify that process for training purposes, but there are so many unusual things that can pop up during the process. It is maddening! I seriously wanted to hit myself while I was thinking about all of those things and thinking about teaching someone all of that crap! lol! It has all worked out pretty nicely, though. The new girl is responsible for answering the phones in the afternoons (her schedule is 12-4:30; mine is 7:30-12:30), and pushing through all of the daily paperwork and data entry. It keeps her busy the entire time she is there, and it used to eat my entire day because of all of the other office things that need attention at any given time. She came on board right before the California trip - literally two days. ha! Poor girl, but she was a great sport through it all!
I looked up one day and realized I had some vacation days I needed to use. So I took 5 days over two weeks in July. That was awesome, too! I got several things done around the house, and I played a little, too. I mean, they were vacation days. But in doing that, we did not get the real feel of the logistics of the office until my new schedule went live three weeks ago. And I feel like it is all working out really well!
For my first week, I was really excited and gung-ho about getting some stuff done. I had a few habits to break first. One, don't go home and take a little snooze. It's hard to wake up and get moving from that. Second, actually make a plan and a list of things to accomplish. And three, communicate the plan to Brian. Now, Brian has been wonderful through all of this! But, rightly so, he expects the house to be in better shape overall and for the workings of the house to be more smooth. I get it! But it has literally taken me 3 weeks to give that to him. I usually start Mondays wtih a bang! I'm ready to get everything done on my list, and I'm full of energy until I finally just fall over. But then I'm kind of over it the rest of the week. My second week, I spent that "over it" time doing crafts for the boys' room. They are completely into superheroes right now, and I have lots of cute ideas that I want to do before they are over superheroes. They probably don't even care that much about what I've done, but I'm having a blast doing it! Last week I finally worked on what Brian wanted and has wanted for a while - clean out the garage. I've been putting it off because its been a hot summer. Things have cooled off, and I wanted to start getting the boys a little earlier from school. The problem is that I would get side-tracked doing something, then try to squeeze in something else, and I got them home only an hour earlier.
Tomorrow real life sets in. Jacob starts Kindergarten, and my carefree afternoons will end around 2:45 when I leave to get Jacob. And, if I've learned anything about having two kids, is that they are much easier to handle when they are together. So that means after I get Jacob, I'll head out to get Andrew. Let's see how much I can get done from now on. :)
Last California Post
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| Aunt Sarah with the boys at breakfast |
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| The boys running around the castle acting like bad guys |
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| Silly smiles by one of the pools |
That afternoon, we took the boys for their first trip to the beach! It was funny because we had to pay for parking in a close lot (a whopping $1). There were trees planted in the parking lot, and of course sand was all around them. The boys immediately started playing in the sand.....as if that was the beach! Cracked me up!
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| The Beach!! |
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| Check out our sand castle! |
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| Stomp to destroy the sand castle! |
That night, my parents watched the boys so that Brian and I could squeeze in a date night. We went to this cute little restaurant for dinner. It was just nice to get away from the kids for an hour or so before the final day of travel.
Again, the boys were near perfect on the planes going back to Texas. It helped a lot to have 4 extra hands on the way back to help with them (my parents took the same flights back with us). I took off work the day after we returned, and Brian and the boys returned to their normal routines. Thank goodness! ha! It was so nice to have that one day to recoup.....alone.
The trip was so much better than I could have imagined! Before we left, I was beginning to think we were crazy for taking the kids. In hindsight, I'm so happy we did. They are such good boys and they were SO easy going the entire trip! We had one meltdown per day....total. It was just an amazing trip all around. :)
California Continued....
Day 2: We started off the day by going to a donut shop that was made to be a big deal. I don't remember the name of it now or even why there was so much hype about it. I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so a donut is just okay for me. The boys were pumped, though! Unfortunately, Jacob got sad about something while we were in the donut shop. I think he told Brian he wanted one kind of donut, then he changed his mind, but he didn't relay the message before Brian ordered. In those situations, Jacob just stops talking and he starts kicking and pouting. The kicking isn't hard, but its definitely an expression of frustration. Neither Brian nor myself have much patience for it. Anyway, Jacob and Brian ended up spending our donut time in the car. Brian told Jacob that if he calmed down, they could go back inside. The kid just carried on. And we had a potty break in the mix, too. Crappy start to the day. The good news is that it was the only meltdown of the day!
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| The big kids played at the park, too! |
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| Brian and his Mini-Me |
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| Mom and Brian |
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| The best men of my life! |
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| The boys under the wedding arch. |
Jaime and Chris, her husband, were totally beaming! I don't know that I've ever seen a groom's face as lit up as Chris'. Jaime walked down the aisle to a rock version of the wedding march. Everything about her wedding was like that - it's not something that you're expecting, but it totally fits and makes sense for Jaime.
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| This picture says it all! The band let Chris sing a line of a song to Jaime and then he jumped off of the stage. |
The food was AMAZING! The drinks were AMAZING! The entertainment was AMAZING! To kick things off, she and my uncle Art did the obligatory father daughter dance. Jaime is a sap like myself. So when the song Butterfly Kisses started playing, I thought to myself, what the hell is she on?! Then, Art went up to the DJ and gave him some money.....and the Party Rock Anthem began playing. They had this whole thing choreographed. So fun! My next observation is that all music was dance and party music. No slow songs. This worked out for me because my family bailed pretty early. Jacob and I did get in a few good dances. Jaime had a Van Halen cover band play her wedding....apparently Chris is a huge Van Halen fan! That was probably the best money spent on the whole wedding in my opinion. The members of the band were so nice and they were extremely talented! Between sets, we did a Girls Flash Mob. I had too much to drink by that point, so I don't really know how I did. It was so fun! I've always wanted to do a flash mob....you know, since they became popular. ha!
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| I love this picture! Matthew, Andrew, and Jacob playing with slugs....while dressed in their suits. |
After the wedding, those of us left standing met in the bar at the hotel. I only lasted a few minutes before I had to have Derek escort me to my room. I was sure I was going to be sick, so I just crashed in bed with my dress on. When I woke up the next morning, the boys asked if we were going to another wedding. Yeah....funny, but not my best Mom moment.
California (as sung by Phantom Planet)
We got back in town on Tuesday from a 4 day trip to California for my cousin Jaime's wedding. This trip had a ton crammed into it, and the boys got to come, too!! They were SO good, I still cannot get over it. How did we get so lucky to have such wonderful boys?! Oh yeah, cause we are badasses. jk!
(Novel to begin........NOW)
Day 1: Wake up at 3:00 a.m. Texas time after going to sleep around midnight (Brian and me anyway). We woke the boys up around 3:30 I guess. We were loaded and out of the house by 4:00 a.m. Noteworthy because no one was crying, and we actually left on time. We are never on time as a family. Ever. We got to the airport around 4:30, did the security thing, grabbed some breakfast (although I'm convinced that airport food employees are instructed to go slow....even though people are probably in a hurry to make sure they don't miss their flights). Our flight was at 6:00 a.m. and left on time. The boys did GREAT! I was totally impressed that they were so good on the first flight and was sure it was a fluke. Next, we had a 3.5 hr layover in Phoenix. It was 6:30 a.m. there by the time we got off of the plane. I was ready for lunch, but all that was to be found in the airport was more breakfast food. Actually, that's not true. I wanted a burger, and we couldn't find any. The boys had pizza, and Brian and I had Burger King hashbrowns. lol! I was SO tired that I had to try to catch some zzz's. So I went to our gate with all of the bags, and Brian "ran the boys" in a terminal without much traffic and lots of moving sidwalks. I actually did fall asleep and felt refreshed by my power nap.
That wraps up Day 1 of California. It was a great start to a great vacation!
(Novel to begin........NOW)
Day 1: Wake up at 3:00 a.m. Texas time after going to sleep around midnight (Brian and me anyway). We woke the boys up around 3:30 I guess. We were loaded and out of the house by 4:00 a.m. Noteworthy because no one was crying, and we actually left on time. We are never on time as a family. Ever. We got to the airport around 4:30, did the security thing, grabbed some breakfast (although I'm convinced that airport food employees are instructed to go slow....even though people are probably in a hurry to make sure they don't miss their flights). Our flight was at 6:00 a.m. and left on time. The boys did GREAT! I was totally impressed that they were so good on the first flight and was sure it was a fluke. Next, we had a 3.5 hr layover in Phoenix. It was 6:30 a.m. there by the time we got off of the plane. I was ready for lunch, but all that was to be found in the airport was more breakfast food. Actually, that's not true. I wanted a burger, and we couldn't find any. The boys had pizza, and Brian and I had Burger King hashbrowns. lol! I was SO tired that I had to try to catch some zzz's. So I went to our gate with all of the bags, and Brian "ran the boys" in a terminal without much traffic and lots of moving sidwalks. I actually did fall asleep and felt refreshed by my power nap.
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| Andrew on our first flight. Happy boy! |
The second plane sat about 50 people. The flight attendant was hilarious, but she wasn't really trying to be. First, the lady never cracked a smile the entire trip. I am fascinated by people like that because a smile is so damn easy! It is a friendly gesture, and it makes other people usually feel good. I just don't get it, but I understand not everyone can handle being Ms. Smiley. But a flight attendant?! Crazy. Second, she was trying SO hard to talk in that flight attendant voice. Everything was very sing-songy. She had a couple of stumbles which made me giggle only because she was trying so hard. Then she had a couple of funny ways of saying things. The only one I can remember right now was "all personal items should be stowed away under the seat in front of you. Should you find your legs folded beneath you like a pretzel, your bag should probably be moved to the overhead compartment." She did the drinks, and had the same line for every freaking passenger: "Anything to drink?" Then if they didn't just tell her what they wanted, she snapped, "Which would you like?" When she was finished bringing the beverages, she sat at the front of the plane in front of the door to the cockpit. If I could've done it slyly, I would have taken a picture. She just stared at the floor, didn't talk to anyone, didn't look at anyone, and never smiled or showed any expression. I found this completely hysterical in my delirious state. I felt a little bad for her, but damn...she chose to be a flight attendant. We landed at the small county airport, and we got to get off of the plane on the ramp on the tarmac. Pretty cool!!
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| Jacob in Phoenix. He wanted to wear his headphones so that he could be a pilot, too! |
Then we had our first and only real adventure of the trip. It all happened at the rental car place which was located in the 2 Gate airport that we flew into in San Luis Obispo. Brian was completely exhausted by the time we made it to SLO, so he asked me to go with the girl to get the rental car and the car seats for the boys. So off we go, and she was friendly. I was making small talk because I guess I like it. lol! We get the car; get the car seats; and pull back to the loading lane at the airport. At this point, I turned off the van, picked up my purse, had the key in my hand, got out of the van, and hit the lock button. Then the girl told me that she would get my husband because you're not supposed leave cars unattended in that lane. (Thoughts and actions from that moment) No biggie. I'll just get the van ready to be loaded. Let me put my purse in the passenger seat, the key in the cup holder, and open up the back. (close the driver door). Walk to the back to open the back door, locked. Walk back to the driver door. Shit! Locked. Oh! I'm at the rental car place. Surely they have a spare key! Yeah..no such luck. First, the girl gave me attitude when I told her like I was a dumbass. And I just thought, bitch, I've been at this traveling thing for about 11 hrs now...yup, I messed up. Second, a guy with another rental car company tried to break into the car with a coathanger. It's just funny! Third, the girl comes back out to make sure there was no way to get into the van. As she walks around the back, she is explaining that she has to send someone to the main office (which was closed on Saturday) to pickup the spare key. She says, "so annoying!" in her outside voice as she's walking around. (Side note, in the hour and a half that followed, she played on her computer and talked on her cell phone - NO other customers came to her for a rental car - I guess we were interrupting the plans for Budget rental car as we just SAT in the waiting area). So yeah, it took an hour and a half for a guy to get the spare key - and he came back with a speeding ticket. I didn't ask anyone to break the law! He was quite upset, though, and I felt bad for like a minute. I was ready to get my hands on that burger!
We met up with the fam once we dropped everything off in our hotel room. They had just gone down to the pool. So we put on our swimsuits (the boys and I), and then we got into the pool....and froze our little tooshies off! I think it was 75-ish outside and there was a breeze in the air. Holy cow! It was so cold getting out of that pool. We all realized that it would be our only free night together in SLO. So we all got ready and had a big Paxton dinner together - just our little Paxton clan. I love those dinners! A band started playing after we were finished eating, and Jacob asked me to dance with him. How sweet! He wanted to practice for the wedding. He saw another couple dancing around the dance floor, and he was determined for us to dance the same way. It's just too cute!
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| Aunt Sarah and Jacob getting low low low. (All of the pictures of Jacob and me were blurry) |
We went back up to the hotel room after that, and Brian and I got the kids ready for bed. Jaime had planned a get together in the bar so that all of us out-of-towners could mingle for a bit. I went down just to say hi to Jaime and her husband-to-be, and I ended up staying out way too late and had way too much to drink. ha! Actually, Steve and I were drinking together. We work together everyday, and we never drink together anymore. So fun!
That wraps up Day 1 of California. It was a great start to a great vacation!
Pre-K Graduation
Jacob had his Pre-K Graduation about two weeks ago. It was such a nice ceremony that I felt better about the money I pay to the school. No lie. He looked so handsome in his cap and gown! We have known most of these kids since they were in the infant room with Jacob, so it kinda felt like I was watching a bunch of "my" kids graduate.
The ceremony began with the kids singing two songs. Then they came out into the aisles at the church, and they did the Cha Cha dance song. You know, the one where the guy says the next moves and you're supposed to do it. Anyway, it was WAY cute! I had no idea Jacob knew that dance. Then the kids went to the back to wait for their little diplomas. The director spoke a little about the school, teachers, and the classes of kids. Then they showed a slideshow of pictures of all of the kids from the time they were babies until now. There were some dry eyes in the audience, but most were a little wet. :)
Then the big presentation of diplomas began. They called each child's name, and then they announced what he/she wanted to be when they grew up. Jacob said that he wanted to be a police officer and that he would take bad guys to federal prison if they shoot a mail man. The winner of the night, though, was given by this little boy named Nathaniel. Jacob has literally known Nathaniel all of his daycare life. Nathaniel is a few months older than Jacob, so they weren't always in the same classes. The neat thing about Nathaniel's family is that he was adopted, and his parents adopted his biological brother about two years later when he was born!! I love that! Anyway, Nathaniel said that he wanted to get married three times and that he would leave his kids and girlfriend to go to his job as a zookeeper. That's pretty impressive for a 5 yr old! I love the married 3 times.....hysterical!
We are so proud of Jacob! Every one of his teachers has raved about what a wonderful student he is. We thought they were just being nice at first, but its true. He has only had 2 timeouts EVER in the 5 years that he's been in school. And those have been in the last six months. I'm not gonna lie, it makes me nervous for the teenage years. But I am SO proud of him! I can't wait to see what the rest of his school years have in store for him.
We are so proud of Jacob! Every one of his teachers has raved about what a wonderful student he is. We thought they were just being nice at first, but its true. He has only had 2 timeouts EVER in the 5 years that he's been in school. And those have been in the last six months. I'm not gonna lie, it makes me nervous for the teenage years. But I am SO proud of him! I can't wait to see what the rest of his school years have in store for him.
Jacob is 5!
This is the day every single year that my heart breaks a little and I'm so completely proud of my son at the same time. I cannot figure out why I have such a hard time with it, but for Jacob's birthday, I'm on the verge of tears for about 2 whole days. I am seriously tearing up now. I try to stay busy and make his birthday so wonderful, and so far it has kept me distracted enough to keep me from getting too caught up in my emotions.
As I'm writing this at 9:00 p.m. on his birthday, I'm remembering (some incorrectly I'm sure) the total rush of emotions that we had been processing for almost 2 hours now exactly 5 years ago. My water broke at 7:00 p.m., and we were at the hospital around 9:00 p.m.; we live literally 15 minutes away from the hospital, but Brian had to clean up and take a shower before we left. We were told in birthing class that we had a little bit of time, and I had not had any contractions leading up to my water breaking that day. I had been having some false labor for about 2 weeks, but nothing too major. Anyway, it was a completely lazy Sunday for Brian, and I had spent the entire day shopping by myself. I specifically remember a time, probably 5:30-6:00, thinking that I was thankful I had not gone into labor while I was out all day by myself. It was by far the best day of the second half of my pregnancy! I had not felt that good in a very long time! So I wore myself out, and Jacob decided he had to get the eff outta there. haha!
Anyway, our Jacob is so amazing! SO amazing that it has me a little nervous for teenage years.
Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet, wonderful, amazing Jacob!
As I'm writing this at 9:00 p.m. on his birthday, I'm remembering (some incorrectly I'm sure) the total rush of emotions that we had been processing for almost 2 hours now exactly 5 years ago. My water broke at 7:00 p.m., and we were at the hospital around 9:00 p.m.; we live literally 15 minutes away from the hospital, but Brian had to clean up and take a shower before we left. We were told in birthing class that we had a little bit of time, and I had not had any contractions leading up to my water breaking that day. I had been having some false labor for about 2 weeks, but nothing too major. Anyway, it was a completely lazy Sunday for Brian, and I had spent the entire day shopping by myself. I specifically remember a time, probably 5:30-6:00, thinking that I was thankful I had not gone into labor while I was out all day by myself. It was by far the best day of the second half of my pregnancy! I had not felt that good in a very long time! So I wore myself out, and Jacob decided he had to get the eff outta there. haha!
Anyway, our Jacob is so amazing! SO amazing that it has me a little nervous for teenage years.
- He has literally had 2 timeouts his entire time in school....we are coming up on 4.5 yrs. He is a total rule-follower. At home, he pushes a little bit on rare occasions, but for the most part, he follows the rules and tries to give directions to Andrew to help us. He totally takes on a grown up role for that; we try not to let him take it that far, but I'm sure it happens a lot when we're not around.
- Jacob can read simple stories! He has his favorite books around the house, and he'll read those to us. He has memorized most of those stories, but that's part of reading, too, I think. And now I hear him reading random things around the house and while we are in the car. It's awesome! To me, that is cooler than crawling, talking, or walking.
- Jacob can do simple math word problems. I love this, but I'm a math girl.
- Jacob is at the age where you can actually explain stuff to him and he really gets it. I don't have any real examples, but we are at the age where you can talk to him like he's a real person...all the time.
- Jacob's favorite things right now are Lego City Policemen. We are officially a Lego house after the party yesterday. He loves to build and pretend various scenarios with them.
- Jacob is the best big brother! He plays with Andrew so much, and Andrew can be so annoying sometimes. Jacob takes care of Andrew and helps him a lot. It's really amazing! I'm sure it won't last forever, but I'm thankful every single day that my kids actually like to play with each other.
- I don't have updated stats. We'll get those next Monday at his 5 yr checkup.
- Jacob rarely gets sick. And when he is sick, there are two distinct symptoms we've noticed lately. One is that he is incredibly grumpy in the days leading up to his actually being knocked on his butt with an illness. And two, usually an illness will show itself by making Jacob throw up. And once he does that, he's like a new kid. I took him into the doctor late last year (I cannot remember why), and he ended up having an ear infection. The nurse said his ear was "bulging," yet he never had fever, a change in appetite, or a change in his sleeping habits. As his mom, I feel this is incredibly unfair. How am I supposed to help him if he won't tell me/show me that something is wrong. He's a tough kid!
- Jacob is finally finding his aggressive side! In his soccer game two weeks ago, he scored 3 goals. And in his game last week, he scored 2 goals. He's come a long way in a very short time with that! We have to give him a pep talk before each game to tell him that it is okay to steal the ball from the other team. baby steps...
- Jacob is such a sweet boy, and he approaches things in life with a logical point of view...much like Brian. This isn't a bad thing, but its comletely different from the way I approach things. So it is an adjustment for me to try to think in those terms so that I can prepare him for something or just talk to him.
- Lastly, Jacob has become very curious about church and God and Jesus. I'm not opposed to this either! I just don't know anything about it since I didn't grow up going to church. So I think I'll be taking the dive soon to take him to church. Brian and I talked over the weekend, and we think he would do fine with it all. We've told him how he's going to go to a new school and make new friends in August for Kindergarten. He is so excited! So I'm pretty sure he would do fine in the Sunday school setting at church and even with the service. Stay tuned...
Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet, wonderful, amazing Jacob!
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| The day started with Jacob opening up his presents. |
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| Then the boys opened the masks from Matthew Andrew as The Hulk |
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| Jacob as Captain America |
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| My boys at Medieval Times |
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| Go Red and Yellow Knight! Jacob wanted a flag and shield. Andrew opted not to have any. |
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| Andrew with a blue mustache after our lunch time treats, cupcakes! |
3 and 5 Year Birthday Parties
Like last year, we decided to throw one big birthday party for the boys. They wanted it at the bounce house place, and you really can't beat the price when it's a two-for-one party. We invited 11 of Andrew's friends, 13 of Jacob's friends, and invited 5 other family members and friend's kids. Almost everyone showed up. Look at all those kids!
We have become somewhat close with the families at our school because we all have kids around Jacob and Andrew's ages. The families are so nice! I didn't see much of my kids inside the bounce house room because I was chatting it up with the moms. I walked around with little Abby for a while, and that really raised some eyebrows: "I know I haven't seen you in a while, but I don't think it's been THAT long. Where did the baby come from?"
I reused Marlene's 60th birthday cake that my mom had at Easter. I think it all worked out alright. The original plan was to re-ice the entire thing. Then I got anxious that I would royally mess it up and have no cake at all, so I made the most with what I had.
After the party, I had invited the family to come over to our house. One reason is because the bounce house place, while fun, is a bit crazy. And if you don't have kids, it's not that fun if you're just sitting around and waiting for the cake and presents part. Second, I had decided that we were not going to open gifts at the party. We did that last year, and we were completely crunched for time. It was complete chaos. So I made queso, a veggie dip thing, and had beer and wine at the house. Jacob liked this setup so much that he is already asking if we can have his birthday party at the house next year. Actually, as I just put him to bed, he asked if we could have a birthday party at the house for him next weekend. I had to break it to him gently that we are not celebrating Mommy's, Andrew's, or his birthday until next April (March for me, but it was too late to get into those details).
I feel so blessed for my kids that they have made such wonderful friends in their short little lives.
We have become somewhat close with the families at our school because we all have kids around Jacob and Andrew's ages. The families are so nice! I didn't see much of my kids inside the bounce house room because I was chatting it up with the moms. I walked around with little Abby for a while, and that really raised some eyebrows: "I know I haven't seen you in a while, but I don't think it's been THAT long. Where did the baby come from?"
I reused Marlene's 60th birthday cake that my mom had at Easter. I think it all worked out alright. The original plan was to re-ice the entire thing. Then I got anxious that I would royally mess it up and have no cake at all, so I made the most with what I had.  |
| Smiling while everyone sings Happy Birthday. |
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| Blowing out the candles |
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| Can it be my birthday, too?! |
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| Cousins! Matthew, Jacob, Andrew |
I feel so blessed for my kids that they have made such wonderful friends in their short little lives.
Easter & Andrew's Birthday
We survived Andrew's birthday and the Easter Egg Hunt falling on the same day! It was a great day! My little boy had so much fun, the weather was perfect, and we all had a really good time.
Brian made a big deal on Friday night about how when he woke up on Saturday, he would be 3. He woke up around 3:30 Saturday morning, and he came to find me (I had crashed in the living room watching tv). I asked him right away, "Are you three?" He said, "No. I'm still 2. It's not morning yet."
So when we knew for sure it was morning, I started making a big deal about his birthday. I bought each boy two small toys - Lego City Police crap ($30 for each kid...not too bad!) - so I asked him if he wanted to open his presents. Here's the thing with Andrew - he LOVES attention but only on his terms. So he started kind of fussing and saying, "I don't want to open presents." I just left him alone for a while, and then he found them and became very interested. I got him a Police Motorcycle and an Ambulance. The ambulance is complete with two paramedics, a stretcher, and a little boy who has fallen off of his bike (bike included with a street corner that has a trash can, fire hydrant, and stop light). It's pretty cool! So I built the two little toys for Andrew, and he and Jacob got busy playing police and ambulance.
When we arrived in Red Oak for the big egg hunt, I wanted to check the surprise slideshow for Marlene. I had exchanged a few photos the night before, and I made the end a little longer for a definite beginning and end when the DVD looped. It was just about to start over again during our preview when we heard two voices in the garage - Marlene and Bruce. She didn't see anything because she was distratcted by the funny posters we had hanging in the garage. Phew! That was close! Around 11:00, or maybe 11:30, she and I had our first drink. I had not eaten anything, so I felt the effects immediately. And then I maintained it all day. It's been a really long time since I've done that.
My kids were so excited about the egg hunt! They had been scheming for a couple of days about how many eggs they were going to get and how they were going to get the big chocolate bunny and share with the other one. This year they went out in different age groups. They did pretty awesome, too! I went with Jacob. That kid can run fast! He ended up with 19, and Andrew ended up with 16. I was pretty proud of them! The rest of the day was filled with the band, playing on the dirt piles, and sneaking in a movie for quiet time.
I took the day off on Monday to take the boys to a couple of appointments and have a fun day with them for their birthdays.
First stop, Andrew's 3 year check up. I had prepared him the night before for everything the doctor would look at and do and for the dreaded shots. He handled the explanation very well! He used to start to cry when the nurse would call us back. Now, with my little pep talks, he walks in there like a little man! His stats:
Height: 36-3/4" Weight: 32.4 lbs.
And, bonus treat for Mommy - No Shots! Huge relief! he's always felt crummy after getting shots, so I thought it might ruin Fun Day.
Next stop, Snack at Whataburger. We squeezed this in so that I could have breakfast and we had to wait for the haircut place to open. Third stop, Haircuts. They always do so well! They danced to the music while waiting for the other, and Andrew was especially excited about the lollipop after the haircut.
Fourth Stop, Dentist. Again, I have to give them pep talks to make sure they know what is coming. This is where I was super proud! Both boys sat for cleanings and Jacob got x-rays. Side Note: I felt like x-rays were a bit overkill, but I have horrible teeth and I'm convinced my children are doomed. The news story the next morning about how dental x-rays are linked to a specific brain tumor really made me feel like I'm a crazy mom. We were finished with all 4 stops by 11:00 a.m. I was SO tired!
Then we got into the car and I started asking them what they want to do for the rest of the day. Chuck E. Cheese made the list, and I was totally okay with that. I didn't think it would be as crazy as a weekend, and I was right! They ended up spending most of their time in this little tunnel playground thing. I could hear them chasing other children in there and, of course, they were making siren noises at these poor kids.
The next request from the boys: Free Play. Jacob kept talking about Free Play. I suggested the Museum and the Zoo, and Jacob insisted on Free Play (Andrew, of course, kept saying "I don't want to go to the zoo...I don't want to go to the Museum). So I asked Jacob what Free Play was. This was his answer, "Free Play is where we can play with whatever toys we want to at home." Did I mention I took the day off for this?! Really?! He just wants to spend the day at home playing with whatever toys he wants to. Well, it's their fun day, so that's what we'll do. I fell asleep as soon as we got home. Andrew cuddled with me during the second half of the nap. Then I ran to the store and took the boys out for dinner that night.
It was such a full day, but so much fun! It made me appreciate the little people they are becoming even more. They are really good, sweet boys, but what else do you expect their mother to think of them?! lol!
Brian made a big deal on Friday night about how when he woke up on Saturday, he would be 3. He woke up around 3:30 Saturday morning, and he came to find me (I had crashed in the living room watching tv). I asked him right away, "Are you three?" He said, "No. I'm still 2. It's not morning yet."
So when we knew for sure it was morning, I started making a big deal about his birthday. I bought each boy two small toys - Lego City Police crap ($30 for each kid...not too bad!) - so I asked him if he wanted to open his presents. Here's the thing with Andrew - he LOVES attention but only on his terms. So he started kind of fussing and saying, "I don't want to open presents." I just left him alone for a while, and then he found them and became very interested. I got him a Police Motorcycle and an Ambulance. The ambulance is complete with two paramedics, a stretcher, and a little boy who has fallen off of his bike (bike included with a street corner that has a trash can, fire hydrant, and stop light). It's pretty cool! So I built the two little toys for Andrew, and he and Jacob got busy playing police and ambulance.
When we arrived in Red Oak for the big egg hunt, I wanted to check the surprise slideshow for Marlene. I had exchanged a few photos the night before, and I made the end a little longer for a definite beginning and end when the DVD looped. It was just about to start over again during our preview when we heard two voices in the garage - Marlene and Bruce. She didn't see anything because she was distratcted by the funny posters we had hanging in the garage. Phew! That was close! Around 11:00, or maybe 11:30, she and I had our first drink. I had not eaten anything, so I felt the effects immediately. And then I maintained it all day. It's been a really long time since I've done that.
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| Jacob Hunts Eggs |
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| Andrew Hunts Eggs |
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| Brooke, Seth, and Jacob Wait to Hunt Eggs |
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| Pouty Jacob - this kid doesn't need a nap at all! |
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| Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Andrew and Marlene. Andrew loved it! Look at his little face! |
I took the day off on Monday to take the boys to a couple of appointments and have a fun day with them for their birthdays.
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| Andrew hams it up for the camera. |
Height: 36-3/4" Weight: 32.4 lbs.
And, bonus treat for Mommy - No Shots! Huge relief! he's always felt crummy after getting shots, so I thought it might ruin Fun Day.
Next stop, Snack at Whataburger. We squeezed this in so that I could have breakfast and we had to wait for the haircut place to open. Third stop, Haircuts. They always do so well! They danced to the music while waiting for the other, and Andrew was especially excited about the lollipop after the haircut.
Fourth Stop, Dentist. Again, I have to give them pep talks to make sure they know what is coming. This is where I was super proud! Both boys sat for cleanings and Jacob got x-rays. Side Note: I felt like x-rays were a bit overkill, but I have horrible teeth and I'm convinced my children are doomed. The news story the next morning about how dental x-rays are linked to a specific brain tumor really made me feel like I'm a crazy mom. We were finished with all 4 stops by 11:00 a.m. I was SO tired!
Then we got into the car and I started asking them what they want to do for the rest of the day. Chuck E. Cheese made the list, and I was totally okay with that. I didn't think it would be as crazy as a weekend, and I was right! They ended up spending most of their time in this little tunnel playground thing. I could hear them chasing other children in there and, of course, they were making siren noises at these poor kids.
The next request from the boys: Free Play. Jacob kept talking about Free Play. I suggested the Museum and the Zoo, and Jacob insisted on Free Play (Andrew, of course, kept saying "I don't want to go to the zoo...I don't want to go to the Museum). So I asked Jacob what Free Play was. This was his answer, "Free Play is where we can play with whatever toys we want to at home." Did I mention I took the day off for this?! Really?! He just wants to spend the day at home playing with whatever toys he wants to. Well, it's their fun day, so that's what we'll do. I fell asleep as soon as we got home. Andrew cuddled with me during the second half of the nap. Then I ran to the store and took the boys out for dinner that night.
It was such a full day, but so much fun! It made me appreciate the little people they are becoming even more. They are really good, sweet boys, but what else do you expect their mother to think of them?! lol!
Happy Birthday Andrew!
I cannot believe that Andrew is 3! Where has the time gone? You know, I say that, but I think I've enjoyed Andrew more than I did Jacob at the age of 2. Andrew was a baby during that time, so it kind of makes sense...or at least makes me feel less guilty.
Anyway, Andrew keeps us all on our toes around the house. He always has a smile on his face unless he is throwing a fit. Even then he can't keep the act up. He's just a naturally happy kid! He enjoys being the funny one. It's like he knows he is cute, and if he can make people laugh, too, then he really can have/do anything he wants. It's scary how much he gets that.
Andrew knows his colors very well! His teacher also tells me that he is the first to name the month and day of the week every single day in class. He participates in class, but sometimes he does not like the art assignment. He seems to have a hard time with sudden transitions, too. We've noticed that if we set a timer and give him a few minutes warning that we are going to do something different, he tends to handle that better. Otherwise we end up with a major meltdown. And let me tell you, this kid is dramatic. We are comletely into the full body throw downs when things don't go his way. It's a fun age!
Andrew LOVES to eat! He is not picky at all, and I love it! He really likes chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, chips and salsa (def my boy), and bread. Loves his carbs!
Andrew also plays well with his brother and plays well by himself. He really is a pretty laid back kid. He's more high strung than Jacob, but all in all, he's laid back. He likes to talk you through it all. Jacob will beg for you to play with him, but Andrew just wants you to know what he's up to. He has always used his voice more than Jacob. I used to know he was about to fall asleep when he would start to sing with me at bed time. He was SO little when he started doing that.
Andrew is my little miracle child in my mind. I really thought I had lost him right after I found out I was pregnant. I mean, I was very surprised to find out I hadn't. Then his birth was a little more difficult, and of course more dramatic than Jacob's. And I had a little bit of a hard time in the hospital in the days following his birth. But you know, he and I are so close! He actually seems to care (or puts on a great act) when I tell him I'm disappointed in his behavior or when he is in trouble for something. For Brian, he just stares him down.
Andrew loves to use his imagination! I honestly believe we could get by in the house with minimal toys. He and Jacob are constantly creating different scenarios. These days, they revolve around police officers, firemen, and ambulances.
He also really enjoys his books! The other night he was reading to me in his own little way. He was pointing to the pictures and telling me what was going on. It was so fun!
I'll post pictures after tomorrow's Egg Hunt. Happy Birthday to my sweet Andrew!
Anyway, Andrew keeps us all on our toes around the house. He always has a smile on his face unless he is throwing a fit. Even then he can't keep the act up. He's just a naturally happy kid! He enjoys being the funny one. It's like he knows he is cute, and if he can make people laugh, too, then he really can have/do anything he wants. It's scary how much he gets that.
Andrew knows his colors very well! His teacher also tells me that he is the first to name the month and day of the week every single day in class. He participates in class, but sometimes he does not like the art assignment. He seems to have a hard time with sudden transitions, too. We've noticed that if we set a timer and give him a few minutes warning that we are going to do something different, he tends to handle that better. Otherwise we end up with a major meltdown. And let me tell you, this kid is dramatic. We are comletely into the full body throw downs when things don't go his way. It's a fun age!
Andrew LOVES to eat! He is not picky at all, and I love it! He really likes chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, chips and salsa (def my boy), and bread. Loves his carbs!
Andrew also plays well with his brother and plays well by himself. He really is a pretty laid back kid. He's more high strung than Jacob, but all in all, he's laid back. He likes to talk you through it all. Jacob will beg for you to play with him, but Andrew just wants you to know what he's up to. He has always used his voice more than Jacob. I used to know he was about to fall asleep when he would start to sing with me at bed time. He was SO little when he started doing that.
Andrew is my little miracle child in my mind. I really thought I had lost him right after I found out I was pregnant. I mean, I was very surprised to find out I hadn't. Then his birth was a little more difficult, and of course more dramatic than Jacob's. And I had a little bit of a hard time in the hospital in the days following his birth. But you know, he and I are so close! He actually seems to care (or puts on a great act) when I tell him I'm disappointed in his behavior or when he is in trouble for something. For Brian, he just stares him down.
Andrew loves to use his imagination! I honestly believe we could get by in the house with minimal toys. He and Jacob are constantly creating different scenarios. These days, they revolve around police officers, firemen, and ambulances.
He also really enjoys his books! The other night he was reading to me in his own little way. He was pointing to the pictures and telling me what was going on. It was so fun!
I'll post pictures after tomorrow's Egg Hunt. Happy Birthday to my sweet Andrew!
Daddy's Weekend with Kids
If any of you follow my facebook, you've seen about 50 pathetic "I'm sick" posts since Friday. I hate being sick! I don't really know anyone who actually enjoys it. :)
So Brian has been in charge all weekend. He's so great with the boys! I would literally be pulling my hair out by now, but he's still pretty calm and collected. I have no idea how he does it. (ACM random comment: Carrie Underwood is HOT! She can sing and she is so beautiful! The girl needs to learn how to dance, but the little hip shakes are enough for now. Blake Shelton: talented, but kind of a dufus. Reba: hilarious! I love her, too!)
So after my nap today, I went out into the kitchen to get snack. Andrew was walking down the stairs singing a little song: "I'm going downstairs. I'm going downstairs." So he starts asking me about what I'm making, and then I heard Jacob crying upstairs. This conversation took place:
Me: Why is Jacob crying?
A: Because I pushed him
Me: You pushed Jacob?
A: Yes
Me: Why did you push Jacob?
A: Because he did this to me (while stomping his foot on the ground)
Jacob came downstairs in a few minutes and Brian and I got the full story. The boys were supposed to be cleaning up the play room. Jacob said that Andrew wanted him to clean the playroom all by himself (does this sound familiar SARAH HICKS?!). So we gathered that Andrew was playing instead of cleaning. Jacob asked Andrew to clean up twice, and after he did not follow instructions, Jacob got angry with Andrew and stomped on him. In retaliation, Andrew pushed Jacob and came downstairs....apparently unaffected by what had just happened....because he was singing happily on his way down. While we were talking to the boys (at the base of our stairs), Jacob first lied about stomping on Andrew. When he finally came clean, he got a lecture about lying. So, of course, the natural thing for Jacob to do is cry. I can relate, though. I remember when disappointing my dad was the worst thing in the world. So it really made me sad to see him so upset. So then it was Andrew's turn. Brian called him to come down a few steps to sit at eye level. Andrew was just laying on the landing, and he took it like a man. He got up, walked down those few steps, and just sat and kept constant eye contact with Brian. This kid doesn't care about anything! I don't get it.
We are still trying to figure out this love and logic thing, too. Jacob totally gets it. We have two gates to get into our kitchen, and I heard him ask Andrew, "which gate do you want me to open for you?" They have been given a lot of small choices so that they feel more in control...but really we are still in control. And we hear Jacob mimmick these tricks all the time. Anyway, Andrew seems older than 3 to us. It's probably because he is always shadowing Jacob. But at the end of the day, he is still a 3 yr old. So we are having a hard time using the new tools that we've learned about effectively. We think we have overlooked the age gap between the boys.
(ACM random comments: Chris Young - meh. Zac Brown - great! The Band Perry - awesome! Keith Urban - love him! I think I'd like to attend this some time. Vegas, live country concert - what's not to love?! Yay! Dallas' own Eli Young Band!)
Also, boys' birthdays are coming up. We decided that we would only get the boys one gift from us. We are having a party with their friends in two weeks, and they are going to get tons of crap. I am so torn on what to get them! ugh! Any suggestions of things that are fun but maybe not real toys would be great! :) Thanks team!
So Brian has been in charge all weekend. He's so great with the boys! I would literally be pulling my hair out by now, but he's still pretty calm and collected. I have no idea how he does it. (ACM random comment: Carrie Underwood is HOT! She can sing and she is so beautiful! The girl needs to learn how to dance, but the little hip shakes are enough for now. Blake Shelton: talented, but kind of a dufus. Reba: hilarious! I love her, too!)
So after my nap today, I went out into the kitchen to get snack. Andrew was walking down the stairs singing a little song: "I'm going downstairs. I'm going downstairs." So he starts asking me about what I'm making, and then I heard Jacob crying upstairs. This conversation took place:
Me: Why is Jacob crying?
A: Because I pushed him
Me: You pushed Jacob?
A: Yes
Me: Why did you push Jacob?
A: Because he did this to me (while stomping his foot on the ground)
Jacob came downstairs in a few minutes and Brian and I got the full story. The boys were supposed to be cleaning up the play room. Jacob said that Andrew wanted him to clean the playroom all by himself (does this sound familiar SARAH HICKS?!). So we gathered that Andrew was playing instead of cleaning. Jacob asked Andrew to clean up twice, and after he did not follow instructions, Jacob got angry with Andrew and stomped on him. In retaliation, Andrew pushed Jacob and came downstairs....apparently unaffected by what had just happened....because he was singing happily on his way down. While we were talking to the boys (at the base of our stairs), Jacob first lied about stomping on Andrew. When he finally came clean, he got a lecture about lying. So, of course, the natural thing for Jacob to do is cry. I can relate, though. I remember when disappointing my dad was the worst thing in the world. So it really made me sad to see him so upset. So then it was Andrew's turn. Brian called him to come down a few steps to sit at eye level. Andrew was just laying on the landing, and he took it like a man. He got up, walked down those few steps, and just sat and kept constant eye contact with Brian. This kid doesn't care about anything! I don't get it.
We are still trying to figure out this love and logic thing, too. Jacob totally gets it. We have two gates to get into our kitchen, and I heard him ask Andrew, "which gate do you want me to open for you?" They have been given a lot of small choices so that they feel more in control...but really we are still in control. And we hear Jacob mimmick these tricks all the time. Anyway, Andrew seems older than 3 to us. It's probably because he is always shadowing Jacob. But at the end of the day, he is still a 3 yr old. So we are having a hard time using the new tools that we've learned about effectively. We think we have overlooked the age gap between the boys.
(ACM random comments: Chris Young - meh. Zac Brown - great! The Band Perry - awesome! Keith Urban - love him! I think I'd like to attend this some time. Vegas, live country concert - what's not to love?! Yay! Dallas' own Eli Young Band!)
Also, boys' birthdays are coming up. We decided that we would only get the boys one gift from us. We are having a party with their friends in two weeks, and they are going to get tons of crap. I am so torn on what to get them! ugh! Any suggestions of things that are fun but maybe not real toys would be great! :) Thanks team!
Spring Soccer
So we signed Jacob up for Spring Soccer because he really loves playing. We knew before we signed up that this would probably be our last season with the YMCA. They have made that decision easier than we could have ever expected.
It all started right before the first practice. We did not find out who the coach was or when the practices were until two days before the first practice. That's just annoying.
The coach called to let us know the information, and two things really stuck out to us - he sounded pretty young, and he sounded like he was reading a script. Okay...that just makes the first practice interesting.
Brian came home after the first practice and said that the coach was 12. I thought he was being too critical of the coach; maybe they would let a high schooler coach, and that's fine with me.
Oh no! The coach is literally 12 years old! W.T.F?! Game day was completely nuts. He was unaware of the rules - like no goalie, no score keeping, and that he gets to be on the field to help lead his team. At the end of the team, he gathered everyone together and paid each kid a compliment - except Jacob. Jacob is not the best soccer player, but at least he runs the field. He's not aggressive, so he doesn't get much action with the ball. That was just the icing on the cake though.
So yesterday I emailed the coordinator of youth sports to express some concerns and to try to get to the bottom as to how a 12 yr old can be the head coach. I was thinking, and maybe hoping a little, that they would be surprised by this. I was very polite in my email because I didn't want to cause a problem or create a big deal about it. I received a response pretty quickly. The coordinator had forwarded my email to the executive director of our YMCA. Here are the highlights:
In other news, we have two more birthdays coming up in the house. Andrew's is April 7, and Jacob's is April 15. The boys spent last weekend at my parents' house (Happy Birthday to me!), and my mom was asking them about what they wanted for their birthdays. I think I could get Jacob a shirt that just said "POLICE" on it, and he'd love it. The kid lives and breathes taking people to prison and being a police officer. And now he's into legos, too - let me tell you, I am pumped - not. So many pieces!
Andrew is in a funny phase. He is kind of into police because Jacob is; he pretends to have super powers because Jacob does; and he is really into firemen right now. Apparently he told my mom that he wanted a Spiderman costume for his birthday. So she asked me if we had one, and I told her yes - it was his Halloween costume last year. I decided to ask Andrew about it last night at bed time. It went something like this:
Me: Did you tell Grandma Rose what you wanted for your birthday?
A: Yes.
Me: What did you tell her?
A: I told her I wanted a Spiderman costume so that I will have two!
Me: You want to have a second Spiderman costume?!
A: Yes! (very excited!)
Then I asked why he wants two; the concept of why is lost on him right now. So instead he explained that he had to really sound out Spi-Der-Man to Grandma Rose because she didn't understand what he was asking for. :)
It all started right before the first practice. We did not find out who the coach was or when the practices were until two days before the first practice. That's just annoying.
The coach called to let us know the information, and two things really stuck out to us - he sounded pretty young, and he sounded like he was reading a script. Okay...that just makes the first practice interesting.
Brian came home after the first practice and said that the coach was 12. I thought he was being too critical of the coach; maybe they would let a high schooler coach, and that's fine with me.
Oh no! The coach is literally 12 years old! W.T.F?! Game day was completely nuts. He was unaware of the rules - like no goalie, no score keeping, and that he gets to be on the field to help lead his team. At the end of the team, he gathered everyone together and paid each kid a compliment - except Jacob. Jacob is not the best soccer player, but at least he runs the field. He's not aggressive, so he doesn't get much action with the ball. That was just the icing on the cake though.
So yesterday I emailed the coordinator of youth sports to express some concerns and to try to get to the bottom as to how a 12 yr old can be the head coach. I was thinking, and maybe hoping a little, that they would be surprised by this. I was very polite in my email because I didn't want to cause a problem or create a big deal about it. I received a response pretty quickly. The coordinator had forwarded my email to the executive director of our YMCA. Here are the highlights:
- She is the mother of a kid on our team
- The coach has completed the soccer program at the Y.
- And how excited were they when someone 12 yrs old expressed interest in becoming a head coach!
Andrew is in a funny phase. He is kind of into police because Jacob is; he pretends to have super powers because Jacob does; and he is really into firemen right now. Apparently he told my mom that he wanted a Spiderman costume for his birthday. So she asked me if we had one, and I told her yes - it was his Halloween costume last year. I decided to ask Andrew about it last night at bed time. It went something like this:
Me: Did you tell Grandma Rose what you wanted for your birthday?
A: Yes.
Me: What did you tell her?
A: I told her I wanted a Spiderman costume so that I will have two!
Me: You want to have a second Spiderman costume?!
A: Yes! (very excited!)
Then I asked why he wants two; the concept of why is lost on him right now. So instead he explained that he had to really sound out Spi-Der-Man to Grandma Rose because she didn't understand what he was asking for. :)
Andrew's February Doctor Visit
Andrew has always been my sickly boy. He just has a harder time staying well than Jacob. Such is life I guess.
Over the weekend, he had a loose cough and a horrible runny nose. I also noticed a posting that strep throat was in his room at school. So this morning when he started complaining that his neck hurt, I went into panic mode.
Back up to the events of the morning. He woke up feeling fine. He ate a little breakfast and then played for a little bit with Jacob. Then it was time to get dressed. We have been trying to teach him that it is okay to get up and go pee in the night. And when he goes 4 or 5 days I think without peeing in his pullup, then he can sleep in underwear. So he wakes up every morning and says that his pullup is dry; most times it is not. This morning Brian was throwing his wet pullup in the trash, and Andrew was upset that it was wet I guess. And then all of a sudden his neck started hurting.
Brian thought he was faking just because he didn't want to get ready for school. I thought he was really in pain. He would not let go of me, and just kept complaining about it. So I stayed home.
Andrew HATES the doctor's office. He starts to cry when they call his name to go back to a room. Last time he went....January.....2012....we saw a different nurse. I tried to prepare him by telling him what she was going to do (look in his ears and mouth and listen to his breathing). He did pretty well with that last time. So this time I made our appointment with the same nurse and told him what was about to happen again. We practiced breathing for that part of the exam, and man, he did SO well with it all! No meltdowns at all! So she checks him out, and then she leaves our room for a little bit. This is where Funny Andrew made his appearance. He told me, "Mommy, we need our two little pieces of paper (prescriptions). And we need our two yellow sheets (review sheets summarizing the visit). And I need to get candy!" He remembered all of that from the last visit! Kind of impressive since I left those parts out of my pep talk (but I remembered them a month ago).
He's also funny because he's walking in his best Rain Man pose - head cocked to one side. lol!
So now we are home, resting. He's watching Backyardigans, and I'm blogging. :) I'm gonna lay down now and try to snooze a bit.
Over the weekend, he had a loose cough and a horrible runny nose. I also noticed a posting that strep throat was in his room at school. So this morning when he started complaining that his neck hurt, I went into panic mode.
Back up to the events of the morning. He woke up feeling fine. He ate a little breakfast and then played for a little bit with Jacob. Then it was time to get dressed. We have been trying to teach him that it is okay to get up and go pee in the night. And when he goes 4 or 5 days I think without peeing in his pullup, then he can sleep in underwear. So he wakes up every morning and says that his pullup is dry; most times it is not. This morning Brian was throwing his wet pullup in the trash, and Andrew was upset that it was wet I guess. And then all of a sudden his neck started hurting.
Brian thought he was faking just because he didn't want to get ready for school. I thought he was really in pain. He would not let go of me, and just kept complaining about it. So I stayed home.
Andrew HATES the doctor's office. He starts to cry when they call his name to go back to a room. Last time he went....January.....2012....we saw a different nurse. I tried to prepare him by telling him what she was going to do (look in his ears and mouth and listen to his breathing). He did pretty well with that last time. So this time I made our appointment with the same nurse and told him what was about to happen again. We practiced breathing for that part of the exam, and man, he did SO well with it all! No meltdowns at all! So she checks him out, and then she leaves our room for a little bit. This is where Funny Andrew made his appearance. He told me, "Mommy, we need our two little pieces of paper (prescriptions). And we need our two yellow sheets (review sheets summarizing the visit). And I need to get candy!" He remembered all of that from the last visit! Kind of impressive since I left those parts out of my pep talk (but I remembered them a month ago).
He's also funny because he's walking in his best Rain Man pose - head cocked to one side. lol!
So now we are home, resting. He's watching Backyardigans, and I'm blogging. :) I'm gonna lay down now and try to snooze a bit.
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