The Bug and The Bear

SNOW!

2016-01-29T14:18:00.001-06:00

A week ago today, we had 8 inches of snow! That is A LOT for us and it was tons of fun!

We missed three days of school, but less than the county that we used to be in - and they told us way in advance. It was great to have extra time to plan and know that we would be looking for childcare or working from home. In fact, we used the extra time to plan a play date and the kids had a blast. Tyler had two friends over and Katie had one and then went to another friend's house in the afternoon. They loved playing in the last bit of snow with their friends, and having playdates that they never got/get to have (and always wanted to) because they have two working parents. It was really fun, but now I have had my snow fix and am ready to get on with Spring!

It's crazy, though, that I already have to turn my thoughts to summer plans (and we don't even know what we are going to do with them for Spring Break)! The most popular camps are already filling up (or full) and others will soon - so I'm trying to map out when they will go to camp, when they will visit my parents, when we will go on a beach vacation, and when someone may be available to "nanny." Yep, this year we have decided to hire a "nanny" in hopes that they can be on the swim team (practices are over at 9:30 am which doesn't work with our work schedules and they can't get to camps that late or go to meets on Mondays without someone else watching them), play at the pool, and just have a more traditional summer hanging out with neighborhood friends and inevitably getting "bored" and having to find ways to entertain themselves! So, even though we have four months until school is out - my brain is already on summer!

There are so many camp options! We are doing a couple of weeks with friends - and they will love going in knowing some other kids for a change. But, much to their chagrin we will probably also send them to the "cheaper" camp option a couple of weeks too because I know they will meet people and have fun and $200 per week per kid is a little less daunting than some of these other camp prices. We were gung ho about sending Tyler to a special camp at Vanderbilt - and had a whole lot of hoops to jump through to get the info we needed to verify he is eligible - and then found out that the camp is $585 for the week (just for him) and ends at 3:00 - that is not ideal in any way! So, even though he does qualify he won't be going to that camp! They are going to get to do some pretty fun stuff, though. They are going to a camp that offers acting, movie production, songwriting, photography, making a band, and stomp dancing, another that is all about good old fashioned fun like playing in creeks, archery, and horseback riding, and another that will include sports, paintball, and arts and crafts and that's all in addition to getting to visit with grandparents, aunts and cousins, go to the beach with us (they still like that for now), and play at the pool - should be a fun summer. Hopefully, I will post sometime before then, though, with updates about Spring Break, baseball and soccer season, and the second half of 2nd grade!

First Titans Game!

2015-12-28T14:17:00.001-06:00

The Titans are terrible this year which means that tickets are cheap (in this case four free with a parking pass). When we saw that the weather would be unseasonably warm we thought it would be a great time to take both kids to their first game together (Tyler has been to a half once, but Katie had never been to a game). We lost, bad, but had a good time!

Christmas!

2015-12-28T14:11:00.000-06:00

We've had a fantastic Christmas! We had family in town the weekend before Christmas and truly enjoyed hanging out with everyone and hosting the crew at our house for the first time ever. The kids, especially, had a blast with their cousins and played hard the entire weekend.

Christmas Eve was spent at So So's house with Lance's family and we enjoyed great company and a wonderful meal. The kids were already spoiled with awesome gifts before Santa even arrived, including these super cool Star Wars jackets their Uncle gave them!

Christmas morning the kids awoke at a relatively normal time (7:30) and discovered that Santa had visited. They were excited!

Katie loves music and has commandeered my iPad to listen to Taylor Swift and Blake Shelton on repeat too many times, so she was excited to get her own kindle (and I was too)!

They were also super excited about their shared gift - a WiiU. Tyler asked Santa to fix his old wii and Santa decided that he might just enjoy a new system (and the new games that can be played on it) even more.

This year the kids also bought gifts for each other. Katie was super excited to give Tyler the bean bag chair she picked out and he was grateful that she gave him what he calls his "gaming chair." His gift to her (a Blake Shelton autographed pillow case) has yet to arrive but he told her about it and she can't wait to get it. Marley is opposed to any hugging in the house :)!

The kids also got electric scooters for Christmas. Katie was anxious to ride while it had to charge for 12 hours and then the wet roads had to dry - but her first time on got a little scared and wasn't so sure that she wanted to try again - it went a little faster than she (or I) anticipated. In true Katie fashion, though, she kept trying and was soon making me nervous backing up as far as she could in the driveway to have a longer ride and then eventually riding circles around the driveway and forgoing the grass in lieu of brakes that I kinda liked for safety reasons ;)!

Tyler is still Mr. Cautious - but he did try it! He turned the throttle right before he got to the grass every time so he didn't really get the full experience, but he says he will try again today - I'm just glad that he is giving it a go since Katie will need a partner to ride with once she gets comfortable with it!

Katie was pretty insistent that her extra soft, extra big pillow she got from Santa was her favorite gift, but now that she is figuring out the scooter she isn't so sure!

Updates!

2015-12-02T17:14:00.002-06:00

Well, I've been negligent again. I missed a couple of important posts!

We had a great Fall sports season. Katie finally found a team with more than 4 other players - and they did great! She is such a good little player that it was upsetting when her team dissolved, so we were very glad that she found a group that she enjoys playing with and that can give her the fundamentals practice that she wasn't getting when they had no coach. Playing games with no subs in 90 degree heat was brutal, too - so she had a lot more fun when she could catch her breath! Tyler's baseball team was awesome, too. They were undefeated throughout the entire season, and Tyler learned a ton. He really enjoyed actually playing "real" baseball, and he improved every game. They were the champions and Tyler got three game balls throughout the season!

This year's Halloween was our first in the new house. We had exactly 1 trick or treater visit the house. But K & T went around the neighborhood with a group of friends and had a blast. It was rainy all day, but cleared up just in time for us to load up on candy!

You can't really see Tyler - but he is there, holding the light saber!

It's kind of hard to believe that the school year is halfway over! We got 2nd grade pictures back - and I think they turned out well for a change!

Thanksgiving was fantastic, too. We had Lance's family to the house on Thanksgiving day and then traveled to see my family over the weekend. It was truly great to see everyone and to enjoy delicious meals. Unfortunately, Katie picked up some bug over the holiday and went to school Monday, but hasn't been back this week. Crossing fingers that the fever is gone in the morning, but she is wilting right now so it may be a no go, again. Apparently a lengthy fever virus is going around - boo!

The kids and their cousin

Basketball season for both kids starts this weekend, along with holiday parties and preparations galore - so I can't promise consistent posts, but I'll try!

Yuck, again...

2015-10-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

We had an awesome short trip to the beach. The weather was pretty perfect - sunny and mild every day. Getting in to the water was a little less appealing since it was colder than ideal, but it was doable. Katie "adopted" her float/dog "Sandy" early in the trip and we couldn't keep her out of the water! Very few waves and not much current meant easy water play - and there were actually lots of kids there so they all had a ball making up games to play every day from morning until late in the day.

We had lots of good food, of course, and got to spend time together - which seems pretty rare right now since the kids are always playing with friends when home and not doing homework or sleeping! It is always fun to re-connect and to see the kids enjoying being with each other and us!

The "yuck" kind of started while we were at the beach. We got an email from Tyler's teacher advising us to check heads for lice. We did and didn't see anything - but apparently the sand and sunscreen hid them because once we got home I checked them again before leaving for school Tuesday morning and sure enough, Katie was infested. I kept her home and treated her hair while washing everything in the house and after two hours I thought they were gone. She went to work with me (and was a big helper when I needed to fill-in for a teacher break in the baby classroom) and then we went to get Tyler. He was scratching his head constantly and I feared that I either missed them or he had acquired them at school. I did a quick check of both of them and promptly went to the store to get three more kits (those things are pricey, but I decided I needed to do it too). The second treatment for Katie and first for Tyler was much easier but there were still a few nits - so gross. A friend of Katie's whose mom I suggested check her daughter also had it and they called the "lice doctor." She highly recommended them - but $175 an hour (!) wasn't worth it to me after having already spent multiple hours on my own. If we can't get rid of them, though, I may change my tune. She did send me their aftercare protocol and we will give that a go since it is at home stuff - olive oil overnight!

Despite that unwelcome start to the week I'm surprisingly still feeling pretty relaxed and content , probably thanks to the vacay. This weekend we are supposed to have a baseball tournament for Tyler (but it is also supposed to rain), two football games, two birthday parties, basketball evaluations, and probably other things I am forgetting, so we are back full-force busy! We did get Halloween costumes while at the beach. They are definitely not creative this year - they are Darth Vader and Princess Leia - but they are very excited. We will see how they handle the big hills in the new neighborhood - and I am anxious to find out how many visitors we will have!

Busy, Busy

2015-10-08T14:25:00.002-05:00

It has been a very busy week around here! We have had our final soccer practice of the season, two baseball games at 7:00 at night, parent/teacher conferences and physicals for both kids already, and we still have two jam-packed days left and then have friends coming in town this weekend (yay!). I actually like all the activities - even if it stresses me out that my house is a disaster because we just haven't had time to tackle cleaning. Tyler's games are super fun this year as the boys are starting to learn how to really play baseball. Tyler got two really great hits last night, and scored a run! His team is really good, and probably a little too intense for their age, but it has been good for him since he is really enjoying playing this year, and gaining confidence. Katie continues to amaze me at soccer. She is playing "up" to be with kids in her grade, but that means that a lot of the other girls are 8 years old and some are even in third grade. If she plays according to her age, though, she is with mostly first graders who are six years old. So, she is the youngest and smallest, but she is feisty and fast and is often the MVP on the field. Watching her is really fun because she is super competitive, and has a lot of natural talent and is really in her element when she's playing. Her new team (her other one dissolved thank goodness) - is great. They are going to try to stay together in the next seasons (which is what the other teams do and why she has had trouble finding a team) and that's exciting because it is an awesome group of girls.

At our parent/teacher conferences Katie's teacher referenced how much energy she has and how she always seems to be on the go. That has been mentioned to us by quite a few people, but I don't really notice because that is just Katie, and had never put two and two together that it likely explains why soccer is such a good outlet for her! It was great to talk to their teachers since we still have some lingering doubt that we did the right thing by not having them repeat 1st grade at the new school. Both teachers referenced how young they are, but said they are both doing great socially and academically. Katie's teacher said she is a class leader and mentioned that she definitely does not lack confidence (haha). She still needs to work on her handwriting (just rushes through it and is illegible a lot of the time), but scored above average in math and reading and is doing really well.

We were anxious to hear how Tyler is doing because he has always been the one that has a little more trouble making friends and fitting in, and he is not the "model student" that Katie tries to be. His teacher said that he draws a little too much, but acknowledged that it is likely because he is bored and that she is okay with it if he stops when she asks him to. Tyler scored 99% in his assessments (highest possible), and they asked to let him participate in gifted testing. We had been having concerns that he may have ADD/ADHD, and the teacher said that she thinks it is more likely related to not being challenged in class, so we agreed to the testing. We probably won't do much different regardless of what the testing shows since he is already being pulled out for math and reading once a week to work with the gifted counselor, but it may be good to know if it help explains his "behavior" issues (talking too much, not staying on task) for other teachers down the road. He really enjoys the time he spends in small group with the advanced coach so I don't think it would hurt to have some enhanced learning opportunities, but I also think he needs to learn to adapt to his classroom and peers. He has already surpassed what I know in math (especially math that is taught the common core way, which confuses me endlessly), and when he is asked to do math worksheets he just seems to know the answers and writes it down without all of the steps they want to see. Maybe with these advanced classes he will have an opportunity to challenge himself with math, but also realize that while in his regular class he has to show all of the steps and do what the teacher is asking everyone else to do - hopefully!

They also got a good report for their annual check-up. They each got flu shots, but were happy to hear that no other shots have to be given until they are 10. Tyler is exactly an inch taller than Katie, and two pounds heavier. Tyler is in about the 20th percentile for height and weight and little Katie is 5th percentile for weight and 10th for height. They are both growing well, though and are on track. Tyler gained 4 pounds and 3 inches in the last year - which explains why his pants are too short, but not why the waists on all the pants that are the right length are still way too big! They both had great vision and hearing, too and we had the doctor look at a couple of moles that have popped up on Tyler and he said all looks good - so that's good news! Hopefully we avoid the pediatrician's office this winter (which seems to be fast approaching), and everyone stays healthy.

Umm, maybe not...

2015-09-28T11:28:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house I was super excited about it being in the neighborhood and school zone that we wanted, with a gorgeous view to be enjoyed in the outdoor living space that we longed for, with no stairs to climb (if I don't want) every day, and yes, room for the kids to play now and when they are older (basement). I do love that the kids are able to have neighborhood friends over, and play until it gets dark in our yard and those of their friends. I was way too idealistic, though, about what that playtime would look like! I envisioned basketball games and legos, video games and putting contests (and that happens), but did not realize that I would also be thrust into the role of "mean mom" with other people's kids!

Two weekends ago we had a stray cat hanging around. Lance is very allergic, and did not want anyone encouraging the cat to stay, mostly because Marley hates cats and is too old to protect herself, but also because Lance isn't a big fan either. One of Tyler's friends has a younger sister who sometimes plays with Katie. She was over at the house and repeatedly picked up the cat. I told her, also repeatedly, not to pick up the cat and eventually told her that she would have to go home if she wouldn't listen. Well, about ten minutes later the two boys come running into the house acting as if they are looking for something. I stop them and ask what they are searching for and they sheepishly tell me that they thing the "cat got in the house." I yell down to the girls thinking they are in the basement and out walks the little sister from Katie's bedroom (where she is without Katie) with the cat in her arms. Lance and I immediately begin to yell to her to go back in and close the door because Marley saw the cat right at that moment. Marley runs up to her, the little girl drops the cat who immediately starts clawing at Marley and running. Lance manages to grab Marley - I grab the cat and take it outside, and firmly tell the little girl that the cat is not allowed in the house and that she is not to pick it up again.

We had a few other nuisances - silly string and something goopy all over the basement carpet and outside, spilled drinks and ants, chalk paint created from water that was all over our front walkway, stairs and anything that anyone touched (doors, windows, furniture), and more doors slammed than you would think possible. So, this weekend, I told my kids ahead of time that nobody would be allowed upstairs but that everyone was welcome to play outside and downstairs. We had, at one point, seven children (four boys and three girls), running around like banshees with me reminding some to go downstairs, and others not to lock the girls in the closet or swing golf clubs and baseball bats at people's heads. It was complete chaos, and when the little girl of cat debacle fame came out of the upstairs bathroom right as I walked back in from having to yell at someone and threw down her used toilet paper in my kitchen, complained of being hungry and then inexplicably started crying because she fell in the garage and was hurt (I don't doubt that she fell, but it wasn't just then) - I had to send her home. I asked her brother to take her to his mom, and he came back to get her shoes and said he wasn't allowed to stay without his sister. Then their mom invited the kids over for chocolate chip cookies but I wouldn't let them go because they had friends at our house that they couldn't leave who weren't invited and everyone was grumpy so it became time for everyone to leave. I probably over-reacted, but I was definitely at my wits end!

It's a shame that the Sunday chaos has clouded what was otherwise an awesome neighborhood friends weekend. Friday night they were back and forth between a neighbors house having dance parties, and playing basketball and golf and soccer and tennis, and went to bed exhausted after a fun and active evening. Saturday a friend was camping in their backyard and invited the kids over for hot dogs and marshmallow roasting, and they played in the tent some and then headed home when it started raining in earnest. It was fun, and the kids really love having the independence to play without being watched, and to go between houses and run around and just be kids. I love it, too, but I don't love being a rules enforcer and feeling like kids are destroying my house at every turn. Hopefully we can find a good balance - they learn to understand that they need to stay downstairs (not much to ruin down there) or outside, my kids learn what pushes my buttons (being wild and out of control, mostly) and can tell their friends when they are crossing the line - and maybe I will get up the nerve to tell my neighbor that I just don't think her little girl (she is 5) is quite ready for neighborhood playtime :)!

The things that are important

2015-09-23T11:51:00.002-05:00

We are at the point in the school year where we need more time in each day! I still haven't gotten the kids to do thank you cards from their birthday party - I am ashamed, but we will get them out soon (minus the personalized thank you for the gift received since Tyler puked on the list). I feel like my brain is constantly running through things we need to do, places we need to be, and arrangements that need to be made (sitters, school lunch payments, etc.), and seemingly every day it is bedtime for the kiddos before I know it (and sometimes before I have even gotten around to preparing dinner or demanding that the kids take baths).

Yesterday, though, I was reminded repeatedly to take a moment to appreciate our fun and love-filled busy lives. I met Lance for lunch and we talked about it being exactly one year from when Ray-Ray had the stroke. Tyler and Lance have both been crying and sad, but we try to tell the kids and remember ourselves, to be grateful for the time we had and for each day that we have with all of our family now. Then, I was rushing around at work trying to leave a bit early so I could pick up the kids and get them home and fed before Tyler's baseball game (started at 7:00 - was supposed to be there at 6:30) and was mentally congratulating myself on actually making good time and being on the ball for a change, when a pretty bad accident happened right in front of me. A car from the other two lanes of traffic shot across four lanes and t-boned the car in front of me going the other direction. It was determined later that the car that caused the accident clipped the bumper of another vehicle turning into the gas station which catapulted him across - but from my viewpoint (and the other witnesses and driver who was hit) it looked like he slammed on the gas and lost control! I got out of my car and ran to the driver who was hit (an off-duty fireman stopped to help the guy in the other vehicle who was very seriously injured), and then called 911 and was asked by the fireman to relay information about the condition of the man in the car that hit the driver in front of me. The driver of the car that was hit was shaken up and had some cuts and scrapes (and his glasses flew off into the middle of the road which I just happened to find) - but did not have serious injuries and climbed out of his passenger seat on his own accord. I was blocked in by emergency vehicles and thought I needed to stay as a witness to the accident (although the police officer didn't ask any questions of me), so I was suddenly in an unexpected time crunch. The schedule delay, though, was definitely put into perspective when I recognized that a difference in just a few seconds could have meant I was the one hit (there was no time to react and the driver in front of me could have done nothing to avoid the accident), or I could have walked up to a much more serious situation with the other driver (I do think the driver who was injured will be okay - he just definitely needed an ambulance ASAP). It impressed upon me that bad things can happen in seconds, and you never know when your life will change drastically.

So, instead of being stressed about being late (which we were), or that the kids had not eaten anything (unless pop-tarts and icees after the game count) - we enjoyed a beautiful evening at the ball park - watching Tyler learn to play and love baseball, spending time as a family, and yes, being grateful that we all have each other.

Game Ball!

2015-09-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

Tyler's first baseball game of this season happened this weekend. He was excited to get out there and play (and to learn that they get icees after games in this league too). He struggled a bit in the first game. This is his first year playing machine pitch and it takes some getting used to! Not to mention that this is also the first year they are playing "real" baseball - with strikes and outs and learning to throw the ball where it needs to be rather than just to first base. Before, all of the boys got to bat and run the bases. Now, you get five machine pitches (but three strikes) and aren't guaranteed to get on base. So, in the first game he didn't get a hit in his two at-bats. He was discouraged (although he did like that he fouled one over the backstop), but I tried to let him know that if he kept working at it he would get it. Well, in the second game he did seem to "get it" more, and did great! He had two really good hits, caught a ball for an out and threw another for an out at home - and generally just seemed to be beginning to understand (and enjoy) the game. The coach gives one player a game ball after each game and Tyler earned it for the second game! He was ecstatic!!!

We have a little drama with the kids - but we always knew it was coming and hopefully are prepared to handle it in a way that is positive for both of them. Tyler received letters in his school folder yesterday addressed to us (and they were stapled and he didn't open them - I had to praise him for that since it is not like him not to be nosy/curious) that said he was being invited to participate in advanced reading and math classes. He asked why he had to do it and we explained that it was a good thing - that they would give him some fun and challenging math and reading activities to work on (instead of him having seemingly constant time to doodle - which he likes, I know). Katie overheard the conversation and asked us why she didn't get to do it, too. That is a tough one to explain to two kids that are used to sharing everything, doing all of the same things, and being equally praised. Katie is a great student and is very bright and she is an awesome athlete (something she hasn't realized yet - but that will almost certainly become apparent as they get older), but she doesn't need or want extra academic challenges. Tyler is not as good of a student when looking at classroom behavior and staying on task, but his brain really does seem to work differently than a lot of other children, and he truly enjoys learning new math concepts and problem solving, and deciphering puzzles and reading books that are well above grade level.

I think this time devoted to different types of work will be great for him - just like I think it would be miserable for Katie. She deals with school work and does what the teacher asks, but really just looks forward to recess, lunch and any other time she can be social and silly. She is still upset, though, that she feels like Tyler is getting to do something she doesn't and she said "Tyler is smarter than me and everyone knows it." We explained to her that they are both very smart, that we are proud of both of them for trying hard and giving everything their best effort, that everyone is different (teachers included), and that all things are not going to be the same as they get older (we used the example of eagle feathers that they receive for good behavior or answering questions in the classroom that can then be used to "purchase" things from the school store - Katie had more than 80 and bought something yesterday while Tyler only had 40 or so and didn't have enough to buy what he really wants). I foresee this situation arising for many years to come - when one of them makes a team and the other doesn't, when one is invited to something that the other is not, etc., etc. We will deal with it as best we can, and hope that we can ensure that both kids are confident and and proud of their unique talents and strengths, and maybe we can even convince them to be proud of each other, too!

Bad Parent

2015-09-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

My children like school (so far)! They are bright, and eager to learn and do well in class and on tests and assessments, and with reading and math, and with projects, etc., etc. Each evening I check K & T's folders to see what has been sent home,and check to see if there is anything I need to sign or stay on them to get completed. If I notice that they have gotten anything incorrect on graded work I sit down with them and make sure they understand it (or get Lance to if it is math since new math is too much for me). I sit with Katie and try to get her to work on her handwriting and remember when words need to be capitalized. We make math flash cards, and I give spelling tests. We really do make school and learning a priority. It just isn't always the top priority.

I received an email this morning from Tyler's teacher that today was the third time Tyler didn't finish his homework. I reminded her that last Wednesday he received a "homework pass" because it was his birthday, but she's basically correct. One Thursday when it seemed we had a million things to do at work and outside of work and when we were scrambling to get home, get everyone fed and get to baseball practice at 7:00 - I let it slide. Then, last night, I did it again. Granted, I didn't realize last night that what he didn't do actually was his daily homework ( it was just a worksheet torn from a Common Core Curriculum book that said Monday and Tuesday on it and I thought the teacher was just showing what they would have worked on Monday if they had been in school and what they had done that day), but it wouldn't have hurt to do it anyway, just in case.

Last night, instead of doing what I now know was homework, we watched Katie, who was dressed from head to toe in gifts she received for her birthday, dance around being the "purple Princess Fairy." We saw some good US Open tennis on TV (the kids thought it was funny that sisters - Serena and Venus Williams - were playing against each other instead of playing doubles), and had an interesting discussion with Tyler. He asked Lance how much he makes when he sells a house (he has really been trying to get a handle on what things cost, what you need to make to pay bills, etc.). Tyler has a good grasp of math concepts so Lance explained percentages and had Tyler working out the commission if he sold a $100,000 house and got 3% but had to give 20% of that to his boss and set some aside for taxes (then we had to explain taxes). Working it all out in his head (without paper), and before I was able to get the answer - Tyler figured it out! That led to Katie wanting to get in on the "prove what math you know" action - and a pretty nerdy (but worthwhile, I think) family discussion ensued. By the time I realized that it was getting late we had just enough time for their required 30 minutes of nightly reading (has to be in their reading log and both kids are very particular about writing exactly how many minutes and pages of what books they have read), and it didn't even cross my mind to have Tyler complete the worksheet.

Tyler told his teacher that he didn't have time to do his homework. That is obviously untrue, but I totally see how a 7 year old, with a parent who undervalues "busy work" and thinks family time and being active is very important, could think that. He could have done it in aftercare, but to him that is when he gets to play basketball, and build things with legos and blocks with friends that aren't in his class - not homework time (and since they have PE only twice a week - I like him getting to play some, too). He could have done it instead of going to his tennis lesson (for obvious reasons I think it is great to have a sport you enjoy, though). He could have done it while eating dinner, or taking a bath, or instead of a bath, I guess (but probably not such a good idea since he did go to tennis and play basketball). He could have done it instead of the required 30 minutes of reading he did from 8:30 - 9:00 (30 minutes after we would really like for them to be in bed anyway). And he definitely could have done it instead of the 30 minutes we spent after dinner sitting on the porch doing "nothing."

The point is, that he definitely could have gotten it done - there would just have to be a trade-off. Tyler and I are now both in trouble with his teacher. I do understand that it is important to fulfill your responsibilities and that kids learn to be more disciplined and accountable when they have to complete homework. I know that I have to be the one to tell him that homework is not optional. I have to be the one to tell him that we would love for him to sit and talk with us, or that yes, we will accept his challenge of a game of HORSE, but only AFTER his homework is done. So, instead of explaining to the teacher that we typically don't get home until 6:00, that yes we do play soccer and baseball and that we actually think those activities are as valuable as a busy work homework sheet, that I generally like for my kids to bathe and eat regularly and that those two things do take time each evening, that the amount of sleep they get now results in their current "good behavior" and that she definitely does not want to see tired Tyler, and that I honestly don't think it is a big deal that my 7 year old isn't spending an hour a night concentrating on school (especially since every piece of work sent home has doodles and drawings on the back as if class time is not being maximized), I will just vent here :)! I will definitely work on being a better parent, too. I will make Tyler re-prioritize homework (Katie does not have homework). I will assure the teacher that we will make every attempt to turn in work daily. And I will try to make sure that, despite the kids having two working parents and probably more activities than they should, they don't feel like they don't have time to do their homework, play outside, AND enjoy family time for as long as they will indulge us!

Birthday Celebration

2015-09-08T14:15:00.002-05:00

Well - the birthday party was this weekend and the kids had a blast! The adults were mostly just hot - but I was glad for no rain. They set the inflatable up in the morning and with the exception of when we made them go with us to Publix to pick up the cake and ice, and last minute party supplies - the kids played all morning and then during the party and then some after! We definitely got as much use out of the slide and bouncer as we could! The slide was on a slight downhill and it was pretty serious! The kids were flying down it and I was afraid the whole time that someone was going to get hurt (a girl did fly off the end after the party and I put a stop to the kids going down at that point - figure we had pushed our luck to the limit)! Lance and I tried it out, as well, and once was enough for me. I almost ended up on the grass, too! It really was fun, though, and the kids said it was the "best party ever" so I'm glad we finally relented and let them have a big blow-out. There were about 25 kids in attendance which made it pretty chaotic, but really fun!

A few pics!

Notice how perilously close to the edge she is and then that she doesn't land until the corner (often with a face plant)!

Katie looks "thrilled" - I think there was some kind of debate over who got the cake toppers!

Because we are insane, we let the celebration continue on Monday! A client of Lance's gave us four tickets to Holiday World. We had never been and had heard that it was fun - and since we love water parks we wanted to go when it was still open. That meant Monday after the party was the only day we could do it - so, exhausted and worn out after our big day on Sunday (and with some things still not put away from the party - but oh, well) we drove to Santa Claus, Indiana to spend the day at Holiday World. It was awesome! They have great water slides and play areas and we didn't even get to do everything in the water part. We definitely didn't hit all of the areas of the amusement park side either (they have Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and 4th of July sections) - but we did some rides, too! We were all worn out with aching legs (the park is surprisingly hilly, and we had been running around all day on Sunday) so we left at about 4:30. We all wanted to do more, but the walk to the car confirmed that we left when we needed to! It was a great day and we will definitely go back. My phone (aka camera) died almost immediately so I didn't get many pictures (couldn't have anyway when we were in the water park - where we spent most of our time), but it was so kitschy (in a really fun way) that I wished I could get more! The whole time it reminded me of Wally World on National Lampoons Vacation and they even played "Holiday Road" a few times while we were there - it was great!

Happy Birthday, Kiddos!

2015-09-04T16:00:00.004-05:00

Well, as hard as it is to believe - the kiddos are 7 years old!

They had to spend the day of their actual birthday at school and didn't seem to enjoy that too much! They took treats, and were sang to on the bus, but I guess they didn't think there was enough "celebration." That night, though, we went to one of their favorite restaurants - the Japanese steakhouse - and had a great birthday dinner. We lucked out and got a great hibachi chef who was really engaging, and the highlight (for Tyler, at least) was the birthday song accompanied by the gong and then our family picture posted on the wall!

Tyler jumped the gun - he was anxious to blow out his candle and get into the cake (or as he says - "cheesecake, one of my favorite kinds of cake").

Katie didn't want to mess up the chocolate writing!

They both caught shrimp being thrown at them!

Their birthday party is this weekend and it should be fun and definitely celebratory! They didn't get to invite all of their new classmates (we thought that would be a bit awkward since we are new to the school and didn't necessarily want a bunch of strangers hanging out at the house), but we did invite friends from sports teams, and playing at the pool, and that they know through friends of ours, and in-town family that they really want to be there - so I think there will be enough people to give it a true party atmosphere even if the entire class (as is mandated if one is invited) isn't there. I think they will look back and feel like 7 is special even though, so far, I think they have their doubts. That is mostly our fault - a while back we gave them the choice of a party or presents from us, but not both (we offered a smaller get together and presents, or a big party and no gifts). They chose the party and we stuck to the no presents thing (I know, most people are saying we are really mean - but the parties are expensive and they don't need a thing toy-wise), but hopefully having fun with their friends and family on Sunday will be worth the wait!

Catch-up!

2015-08-28T11:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, time sure did get away from me! I don't think it is possible to cover all that we've been up to for the last five months - but I'll try to hit the highlights. The kids finished first grade - Katie earned the math award and we were really proud because by the end of the year she was "getting it" when she was struggling a bit early on. Tyler was a reading machine and got an award for most books read (and luckily they had to take a quiz on the books to get points to prove they were actually comprehending the stories). The end of the year was bittersweet since it was our last time at that school, but we have great memories from Kindergarten and First Grade! One of the funniest is of Tyler's attempt to cut his own hair.

This was the before picture - and as you can tell I was not very happy with him when I made the discovery.

This was after and the shortest haircut he has ever gotten! I drove him immediately to the barber!!!

We settled in to the new house and are still loving it! We really like that the kids have lots of room to play, and we have great outdoor space to hang out and grill. The kids have kind of migrated back into the same room at bedtime, but occasionally they will seek out their own space for a bit. We are fine with letting them share, for now, and for them to have an opportunity to talk about their day at the end of the day since they are getting used to a new school, new friends, new routines, new everything!

It was a busy summer, and fun-filled, at least for the kiddos with the exception of Katie's first big injury. Tyler accidentally swatted her in the nose at a tennis lesson, but luckily they were able to use glue instead of stitches and we had our pediatrician do it rather than having to go the hospital. You can barely see it in this pic - but it is at the bridge of her nose and will leave a scar. She has lots of oh so cute freckles for it to blend into, though!

I actually had a surgery, too (hysterectomy - that now at 12 weeks out seems like the best decision ever) right as summer began. My awesome mom came to help me recover and take care of the kids. They went home with her, and then to visit my dad for a couple of weeks and had a great time in Florida. When they came back I was more on the road to recovery and got to spend a few weeks as a Stay at Home Mom (never been able to do that before)! We went to the pool, had picnics at the park, they got to take tennis and golf lessons in the middle of the day, and a lot of the time we just played at the house like in the summers that I remember from my childhood!

I wasn't able to get in the water until August, but I still had fun watching these two make friends and swim while I got to read and play Candy Crush :)!

They both did a mini golf camp and are excited to be learning to play!

I let them play in the sprinkler behind our house not realizing that it is a very, very powerful stream of water. It didn't last long - but we set up our own slip n slide that was pretty fun too!

My sister and family came to visit In July and we discovered another perk of the new house - an awesome fireworks show put on by a neighbor that can be seen from our deck. It rained on 4th of July, but the boys still shot a few fireworks of our own (the neighbors waited until the day after to do their show) and the cousins had a great time together, as usual!

The remainder of the summer was spent at camps. The kids practiced a lot at the pool before camp started and were so proud to pass their swim test! It was a BIG deal, because passing the swim test not only means that you don't have to wear a life jacket, but it also gives you access to the pool waterslides!

There was no camp available the week school started, and it didn't start until Friday so we took a short beach vacation. The water was rougher than I ever remember it being (when there aren't storms and bad weather), but we didn't have much rain and it was good to have some beach time and good food before the craziness of a new school year began!

School is now pretty much in full swing. The kids like their new school (Tyler says he misses the old one, but this one is okay too), they are riding the bus for the first time ever and think that is awesome (I do too, since it picks up right in front of the house), and they seem to be settling in pretty well - making friends, and remembering the school routine!

First Day! You can tell that Katie was nervous, but she did fine and has proclaimed every day to be a 10 out of 10. They both like that they can wear whatever they want this year!

I like most things about the school - the aftercare program is much better, they have smaller classes and fewer students so everyone gets to know each other a bit more (their old school had 8 2nd grade classrooms and the new one has 4), they are taking things like typing class, and have computer lab time daily which I think is a good addition, and so far they haven't implemented some of the crazy things we experienced last year like intervention/enrichment that meant Tyler was sitting in his classroom doing nothing for an hour every day, or giving obscene amounts of homework that has to be finished in addition to 30 minutes of reading daily. It's still early, though, and I would not be surprised in the least if things change soon. I'm really hoping, though, that homework stays at the manageable level it is at now. This week Katie learned to ride her bike without training wheels and Tyler and Lance played catch and basketball and putted on the green for hours, and both kids played outside every day when we got home. None of that was possible last year because they had hours of homework to do on days that we didn't have activities. It helps that the weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week - a touch of Fall almost! Unfortunately, the nice temperature and sunshine doesn't really change my opinion on what I hate about the new school - it is impossible to get to from my work! It takes me an hour or more every day to get the kids in the afternoons! We have had to miss tennis lessons, were 30 minutes late to the first soccer practice (that starts at 5:00 - which is a bad time anyway), and the kids have even been the last ones to be picked up - all because if I don't manage to leave work before 4:30 I am not able to get there until 5:30 or after! Hopefully I will figure out a better way or get a new job ;)!

Soccer practices and games have started for Katie, and baseball games (already doing practices) will soon begin for Tyler. He is in a new league (machine pitch - real rules) this year that is closer to our house and their new school and he is loving it! He has already learned more than two years combined in only two practices, but is is much more intense! Practice doesn't start until 7:00 in the evening and ends at 8:30 and then they have a second practice, also for an hour and a half, on Sunday evening. He likes it, though, and the times actually work better than trying to get somewhere during rush hour - it just seems so late! It probably seems late, however, because it is hard to believe that my "babies" are going to be 7 years old.... next week! We are having a birthday party at the house for them this year, and they get to choose where we eat on their actual birthday so the kids are super excited for birthday time to finally be here (they are also tired of being the only 6 year olds in their class), but first we have to get through a crazy busy weekend that I think may be an indication of what all of the weekends to come will look like! Sports, and birthday parties, and sleepovers, and get-togethers that require babysitters - but it is so much fun, for all of us! I will try to do a better job of posting from now on!

"Spring Break"

2015-03-25T11:51:00.005-05:00

The kiddos are officially on Spring Break this week, but we had our grand adventure last week. Our family and my sister's family all went to Disney and had a blast! This was the best trip so far for us in terms of the kids age and height. They were able to ride most everything (and loved the ones that can be quite scary - Tower of Terror, Mission Space, Expedition Everest and Tyler's favorite Space Mountain), and had no problem making it all day and then staying up until fireworks in the evening. School was supposed to be out Wednesday - Friday and we were originally going to miss only two days, but snow changed those plans and we were out the whole week. Oh well, it was worth it - we have so much fun at the parks, hanging with my sister and her husband, and the kids absolutely love time with their cousins!

The weather was awesome (especially considering that this weekend is supposed to be below freezing here at home again), and we spent lots of time at waterparks and in the pool at the rental house.

The parks were super crowded (worse than we have ever seen them) so we didn't get to do much other than fast pass stuff (and didn't make it on the new Mine Train because of the perpetual 90 minute wait) - but our days worked out pretty great - we did all of our fast pass rides and short wait rides in between in the mornings, went home for a little in the afternoons (when we weren't at the waterparks) and then back to parks for fireworks and light shows and a stroll around the countries in Epcot in the evenings. We had some good food, and we were exhausted (time change on top of different time zone, the nature of Disney, staying up way too late) - but I am so glad that we opted for a repeat visit this year!

Enjoyed seeing all the characters made out of flowers.

Saw the new Frozen show and loved it!

Rode Mission Space, and Space Mountain multiple times!

Enjoyed the waterparks, especially Tyler's favorite - the zip line!

The worst part of the whole trip was the drive home, since we always get stuck in Atlanta for hours and this time was no different. We made it though, and had lots of work to do the Sunday after we got back since our old house closed on Monday (woohoo)! We finished moving out and cleaning right as the new owners were pulling up and now we just have to get our house re-organized with all of the new junk we brought over, and we will start to feel settled. Soccer games and baseball practice are on the agenda for this weekend, and every weekend through June really. Unfortunately, we found out that Tyler's soccer and baseball games conflict every weekend in April and May and he will likely choose baseball - but we will try to work it out so he can do both. This is obviously the last year for that - he will have to pick his favorite next year. Katie is begging to start tennis lessons again and they both want to learn to play golf. I love all of the interest in sports - we just need more hours in the day! Katie, fortunately, has not seemed to notice that we cancelled her gymnastics class - and is really looking forward to her first soccer game this weekend - so I think it will all work out!

All Moved In!

2015-03-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

Well, moving day was last week and even though we don't have everything over from the new house (it doesn't close until the end of the month), we are officially living in the new one. My dad and uncle came up to help (huge thank you to both of them) and the moving seemed endless, but it was worth it. The new house is wonderful - we are loving it already! On Saturday we had a few people over for a little impromptu birthday party in lieu of the dinner we originally had planned (the kids were with So-So - big thank you for that, too), and then on Sunday we enjoyed decent weather for a change and played basketball, a little golf, and Katie drove her toy jeep around the driveway for hours. It is fabulous to have the space for the kids to play outside without me having to be out there to guard the road. The view is better snow-covered, but much more fun as grass!

We also used moving as an opportunity to get the kids into separate bedrooms. Katie was a big help putting her new bed together and was proud to sleep in her own big girl room. She wants her own space (and has for a while), but when it comes to bedtime she wants to have Tyler to talk to. They have been talking across the hall a bit right before they go to sleep, but it isn't as bad as I expected - knock on wood!

Tyler has had a little trouble adjusting (he slept on the floor in Katie's room two nights ago), but they are getting better sleep and getting used to it! He is happy to have all of his switch and go dinos in his room now, though, and he has become a little reader and likes that he can settle in and read a little bit in the evenings without Katie bothering him. They are actually sleeping too well lately, but that is probably a result of the time change. They have been difficult to wake up the last couple of days which doesn't help since we are further away from school than we were before (not much, though) and we don't exactly know where everything is kept yet (backpacks, snacks, shoes, etc.). We will get used to it, probably on Friday when we leave for Spring Break and they won't have school again for two weeks and a day! All of the snow and ice messed with the days they officially have off, but our plans could not be changed so we are heading out anyway!

We are about the get even busier (I did not think that was possible - the last month has been insane). Soccer has started for both kids (actually missing their first games for Disney), and baseball practice has started for Tyler, plus my tennis season starts in a week (playing on Sundays only this year and hoping to get to play at least a few times even though Lance has to work and I will need to figure out something for the kiddos), and work ramps up as usual for both of us in the Spring. This stuff is fun busy, though, and I am very glad to have the packing and moving, utilities, bills, address change, what did we forget busyness almost over with. Fingers crossed that the old house closes as hoped at the end of the month so we aren't adding to the tasks having to put our house back on the market!

School's Out!

2015-02-22T18:38:00.001-06:00

Well, we had quite the ice storm here this week and school has been out the entire time (and even cancelled Monday, too). Since the weather was genuinely too bad to get to work most of that time (I went Friday, and probably could have Thursday, but I am a wimp and freaked out when I slipped in the neighborhood) - we actually had real snow days. Usually, schools are closed but work is still on and there isn't as much play time. This time we got to go sledding three different days, played lots of games, watched some movies, ate crockpot meals (and thankfully had power), and got to sleep in a little bit. Tyler is dreading going back to school and thanked us for hanging out with him all week - he thinks it was a week designed just for his fun!

Sledding the first day was pretty good, the second day was way too icy, and the third and fourth days were perfect. We broke out the radio flyers the 3rd and 4th days after way too close of a call with Katie on ice day. She had bailed out like she was supposed to a few other times down the hill, and decided that it hurt and then refused to fall to stop when she went down another time straight toward a creek filled with debris. She literally went through the only area of the creek that was clear, caught air, and finally slowed down on the other side.

This is her, "I conquered the creek" pose!

Tyler was a little daredevil, but after a couple of ice scrapes he was also thrilled to discover that you could steer the radio flyers!

They both loved it, but like all of us - didn't relish toting the sled back up the hill after a couple of times down!

Our basketball games were cancelled this weekend, and we only have one weekend to go. Good thing, though, because I am feeling pretty overwhelmed. We close on the house and move a week from tomorrow (eek). The buyers are supposed to close at the end of March and that means lots to do in the meantime (inspections, appraisals, getting everything out). Not to mention Spring Break (Disney!) is right around the corner, soccer starts early March and baseball in late March, plus I keep thinking about new things I need to do once we move (school, address, billing stuff). So much that I am not really sad to see basketball season end since I am glad to have one less responsibility. It has been a fun season (better than expected) with my girls, and a learning experience (mostly about how intense coaches can be even when kids are only 6) for Tyler's team - but Katie scored six points in the last game and Tyler seems to be having fun, so all in all a good experience!

Contract!

2015-01-31T21:59:00.001-06:00

Well, we have a contract on our house! It isn't the best situation to be in since the buyers have a house to sell, but they offered full-price so if it works out it will be worth it. We were at the point where we were going to have to buy the other one first anyway, or lose it, so if the buyer's end up not being able to close we will put the house back on (repainted and after we move out) in the Spring and hopefully have a bigger buyer pool. Of course we had an agent call the day after we got the house under contract and said her buyers wanted to make an offer and that they could close quick and had nothing to sell. We had been in communication with her before, though, and she knew an offer was imminent and wasn't willing to move quicker so I think it was more of a case of "want what you can't have." Fingers crossed that the buyers house sells and we get to enjoy this view at our new house (with our house sold) sooner than later!

The kids are excited about the new place, they love the basketball goal and the play areas, but they are sad at the prospect of changing schools. We will definitely leave them at their current school for the remainder of the school year, but not sure what we are going to do next year. On one hand I love their current school and they do too, and we know the teachers and administration and rules and school culture, and it really is a good school. On the other hand, the new school will be the kids that they also go to middle school with and who live nearby, it is supposed to be a great school too, and junior high starts in 6th grade in the new district and 5th in the current so they will have to go to that elementary eventually at some point and I think that it might be easier on the kids to not be the 5th grade new kids. We will likely switch them for next year, and hope that they meet some other kids their age at the pool this year that can help them adjust.

Basketball season has been an experience so far. It is very hard to coach your own child, I think, but I definitely have a great group of parents and kids (which helps, tremendously) and we are having fun and actually winning some games! Tyler's team is a different story. They are being outplayed every game, and his coach is trying desperately to win and thus doesn't give the boys equal playing time. I think it is important, at this age, to encourage all players to learn the game and fundamentals and to have fun. You have no clue, I don't think, at this age who has talent and who is going to be a "good" basketball player. Unfortunately, Tyler's coach doesn't see it that way and he has identified his good players and his bad and makes it obvious at game time. We will stick with this team this season since Tyler doesn't seem to notice or care, but we will definitely request NOT to have this same coach next year. I think early coaches and early teachers are similar. Your first teachers inspire you to love school, to be confident in your academic abilities, and really shape what kind of student you will be. Similarly, first coaches teach you why and how to love the game, try to identify strengths and work on weaknesses, and encourage lifelong talents and interests. I wish Tyler's coach would recognize the influence that he has, and I try to remember that when I am working with my team. Don't get me wrong, I am NEVER coaching again, but all in all it hasn't been as bad as expected!
A pic of my two basketball players. I can't take them of Katie when I am coaching, and keep forgetting my phone when with Tyler - so this is actually pre-game (8:00 game for Tyler this morning - way too early on a Saturday)!

8....0

2015-01-21T10:00:00.001-06:00

Well, our house has now been on the market for 8 days and we have had 8 showings - 0 offers :(. We have limited time to sell due to the seller of the house we have under contract requiring that we close on that house by March 2nd or lose the contract. Looking like we are not going to move after all. It makes me sad, because I really like that house and it does seem perfect for what we want and how we want to raise the kiddos, but I truly do like our house and neighborhood and school (even if it seems that we are the only ones) so I have to keep telling myself that everything will work out as it should. The feedback on the house has been brutal. Yesterday, when I came home, the towel on the oven had been trapped in the door making it obvious that someone had opened the oven. I didn't think anything of it until Lance talked to the agent later and was told that he thought it looked like we didn't really want to sell the house. When Lance asked for specifics the agent said things like - the inside of the oven is dirty, there is a garden hose under the deck, and there were men's clothes in the closet of the room that looked like it was for a little girl. REALLY, really?!? Some of the other feedback we have taken to heart and some there is nothing we can do about it - lookers/potential buyers have said the floorplan is too open AND others said not open enough, one wanted a master bedroom downstairs and another wanted a bigger yard, one said that it was too "Pottery Barn," and another said we should remove personal pictures (we did that one). The most common feedback has been buyers desire to be in a bigger neighborhood with more amenities (we love our neighborhood and there really are lots of kids, the school park in walking distance, and is really convenient without feeling like you are in a big neighborhood - but we don't have a pool and park and walking trails like the others on the market). The fact is that besides the things we cannot change, I find it hard to believe that even if the oven had been clean, or if all trace of children living in the home had been removed - that would have made this the house for any of these buyers. We know that if we were able to move out and "stage" the house it would sell better, but that isn't really an option. We could definitely paint to freshen things up a bit - but guaranteed that the first feedback after painting would be negative about the paint colors or fumes - ha! Fingers crossed that someone comes along soon that understands that a family does live here, can overlook the toys arranged on the shelves or stashed in closets, wants to be in our neighborhood and likes the house, and knows that this isn't HGTV!

Basketball season has started for both kids! I will try to get pictures this weekend. We are having fun, but we definitely aren't the best two teams. I have seen improvement just in the last two games, though, with my girls and I think it will be a great season!

So Much Fun!

2014-12-29T22:58:00.001-06:00

We had an awesome holiday spending time together on a farm for our Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family. We played "Dirty Santa," sat by the outdoor fire, and went to an amazing lights show at Callaway Gardens (ALL of us)! Leaving time came too soon, but we did manage to get a family picture and we even got one of our little family (which is really hard to get these days).

Before Christmas we found time to make gingerbread houses with So So and the Nashville cousin!

Christmas day was wonderful. Present opening time was really fun this year since the kids could read the boxes to know what was in it and really be excited that Santa "remembered." They loved their gifts, but also really enjoyed the days off of school (and us working) to play with toys new and old (Lance's grandfather made blocks for his children and eventually Lance and his brothers to play with and they were passed down to the kids this year and they played with them nonstop)! We had a blast at So So's on Christmas Eve and with more of Lance's family on Christmas Day. Despite suffering a real loss this year and really missing Ray Ray, this holiday was certainly one to be remembered - so fun and not even done! This week we go to Gatlinburg (and our first visit to Dollywood) to spend some time with my Dad and family. Should be even more fun times!

Our other big, exciting happening in December was Tyler's loose tooth finally falling out. Since then he has lost another and has yet another loose one, but that top one held on for a while and it was pretty big news when he could finally wait for a visit from the Tooth Fairy!

We are waiting for them to finally go to sleep (yes, it IS almost 11:00 - hopefully we can get back on a schedule once school starts - even though we do make them go to bed at a reasonable hour, unfortunately can't make them go to sleep) so we can make sure the Tooth Fairy visits again tonight.

We decided against letting Katie join the gymnastics "pre-team" she was invited to - just too much commitment at this point. Basketball starts soon and soccer will follow right behind that and we will see if she has any interest in anything other than gymnastics before we let it take up so much of our time and attention. Competitive gymnastics can be very expensive and time consuming and we aren't opposed to it eventually if it is what she loves, but for now we think she should be exposed to other things in case she likes them more. They both really loved the basketball camps they did over break and we would love to have a basketball goal at our house for them to play on - which was just one teeny, tiny reason we also made an offer on a house today - eek! We were really nervous earlier in the day just after the offer was submitted but since we haven't heard back at all (it is for sale by owner before going on the market) we are thinking it isn't good news. He had multiple people interested in the house and even though it is a great house for us and the first one to prompt us to make an offer since buying this one 7 years ago, we know that if it doesn't work out we are fine right where we are, too! We really do like our house and neighborhood, but there were so many pluses in favor of this one for what we want and where we would like to be when the kids get older, that we had to give it a go. If it doesn't work out I will probably be very glad that we don't have to keep the house in shape to show with two royal mess-makers, not to mention the hassle of packing and moving, and new school districts, etc., etc....

Christmas!

2014-12-17T11:17:00.001-06:00

Well, it has been a while for an update but for good reason - we have been busy, busy, busy! We had a great Thanksgiving - traveled to Alabama to see my family, and spent Thanksgiving Day with Lance's family. After our Thanksgiving meal the kids spent time with their Uncle Matthew and So So playing charades and going on a scavenger hunt with a candy prize orchestrated by Matt that they thought was just "awesome!"

We also went to see The Rockettes with So So in early December. It was a fantastic show and the kids had a blast!

The Rockettes show was on the same day as our annual visit with Santa as part of the Mandy Johnson Photography event. I thought their outfits were cute, although white kind of washes them out so the pictures weren't as good as in other years - but I still love them! Katie always gets so shy and want say a word to Santa, and Tyler always starts telling Santa he wants all of these random things that he has never mentioned before! It is a fun way to do the Santa visit!

After that the kids both came down with a sickness, but it hit Tyler worst of all. He missed three days of school and had scary high temperatures along with an ear infection, but they both seem to be on the mend just in time for our Christmas celebration with my family this upcoming weekend. Should be fun, even if the weather is being uncooperative (raining and cold - but no snow).

We are on the countdown to Christmas Eve around our house - the kids are so excited! We (meaning mostly Tyler) are also anxiously awaiting the loss of Tyler's first front tooth. It is very, very loose and I thought it would fall out when he was playing with it incessantly while home sick - we'll have to see if it will be missing in our family picture to be taken this weekend!

Overscheduled?

2014-11-20T10:30:00.001-06:00

We are definitely in activity overload right now! Katie was moved up another level in gymnastics and after talking to a former gymnast/friend that was watching the girls in class yesterday - she said to be prepared for them to ask Katie to join the pre-team which means practice two nights a week at minimum. We are going to see how basketball, and then soccer goes to see which she likes better. She is so competitive though (I wonder where she gets that), that I bet this achievement level thing will motivate her to want to stick with gymnastics even if it isn't her favorite. She was as proud as a peacock yesterday when the coaches told me in front of the whole class that she needed to move up. She likes gymnastics, but she is so active and physical that I really think a sport with more constant movement and activity will be better for her. It will be her call, though, and she really did have fun at her basketball clinic last week (even if she did do a few round-offs before practicing lay-ups), and games are sure to be even more exciting for her (she really liked the competition of soccer games).

In the meantime, it seems like everything is happening NOW and I just can't get my little brain around it all. Work is so busy for me that I feel like I am going in a million directions. Basketball season starts for both of them next week, sign ups are happening for soccer and baseball and Tyler has chosen baseball, but really wants to play soccer too, which means Katie thinks she should be allowed to play softball AND soccer (we are debating since they do overlap and will likely be a scheduling nightmare and the Spring is when Lance and I actually get to play our sports too). Summer camp sign ups are also happening in December and we haven't decided if we are going to let them do an overnight camp this year, if we are going to do day camp like last year, if we are going to try to do sports camps instead, etc. I hate having to decide now, but if we don't - we don't get in!

It also looks like I am going to be a basketball coach for a team of six and seven year old girls. It has been so long since I have done much of anything with a basketball that I am kind of nervous, but they needed a coach for Katie's team and our neighbor is the league coordinator and I couldn't say no. Lance is going to help, but he will primarily be watching Tyler during Katie's (our) games and getting Tyler to his games and practices if they conflict. I ended up running some of Tyler's soccer practices last year and it wasn't too bad, but I don't like being responsible for teaching fundamentals! Since none of the other parents on the team stepped up when they put out a call for help, though, I don't think they get to complain too much! The kids went to a basketball clinic last weekend, and are going to another this weekend and I will for sure be watching the drills they do more closely this week! I am sure all will be fine, but Katie actually listening to me as her coach may be another story - ha!

I know that it isn't imperative that they do all of these activities, especially when we have all we can handle with school work for the two of them each week, but Lance and I both really loved sports and it seems like they do too, and I think it is good for them to be active and involved in something other than homework and television watching! I recognize, though, that the most daunting thing of it all, besides trying to schedule and get to everything, is the staggering expense. If all of these things were more affordable the decision would be easy - we would absolutely find a way to get them to activities they enjoy and send them to camps that will teach life and outdoor skills that they can't get anywhere else. But, if Katie actually does want to really concentrate on gymnastics we will be looking at astronomical costs that I just don't know are feasible, compounded by life stuff that seems to crop up at the worst times. My broken seatbelt (that is in the back seat and used by the kids so has to be fixed ASAP) and windshield in my car, rotting back door on the house that had to be fixed, a growth and cold spurt that meant all new clothes and shoes for both kiddos, etc., etc., makes it hard to commit to extracurricular activities and especially ridiculously expensive summer camps so far in advance.

Maybe I am just chafing at the notion that all of these organizations won't allow me to procrastinate, though :). Just like I had good intentions to buy Christmas presents well in advance to defray December expenses (and now have exactly 0 gifts), and intended to buy winter school clothes in a size up when they were on sale and never did it, I am sure that if they didn't have deadlines so far in advance I would be even more frantic and stressed when I actually got around to planning out the rest of the school year and summer. I must admit that it will be kind of a relief to know in January what the Spring and Summer holds, for the most part, in terms of activities and childcare for the kids. It will likely give extra motivation to both of us at work, too - knowing that our commissions and paychecks are already committed :)!

Fun Fall!

2014-10-31T12:53:00.002-05:00

We have had a lot going on these last few weeks. I am crazy busy at work, and the kids school schedule has been pretty wild too - which is a probably a good thing since it helps distract everyone from sadness about Ray Ray.

The Hound Dog run was a really fun day. The kids ran a mile with us cheering them on, and then we spent the evening at a carnival/festival at the school, which they loved. They really like for us to come to school events these days because they want us to meet their friends, and in the case of Katie - want to introduce me to the parents of her friends to try to coerce us into sleepovers and play dates (she had me talk to the mom of one of her friends last night at their music performance to convince me that it is time for a slumber party). I am actually okay with a sleepover/slumber party in theory - but will not allow Katie to do it until she can stay in bed and not yell down to us for hours after bedtime - she knows that, too, but hasn't been able to accomplish it yet!

Anyway, here are some pics of my little runners! They have been working hard to be able to run a mile and did so good!!!

And at the Festival. Most of the Festival was outside and featured bounce houses, arts and crafts areas, and games and seemingly EVERY SINGLE KID was wearing the exact same shirt, in the dark - chaos!

Last weekend we decided to enjoy the weather and took the kids camping. It wasn't too cold, no rain (good thing since the piece that holds our rain guard on the tent has gone missing), and a beautiful spot about an hour and half away on Center Hill lake. We had a blast roasting hot dogs, making smores, telling ghost stories (more of the haunted hamburger who variety - courtesy of Tyler - rather than super scary), and just spending time together without any distractions. I would love to go camping more often, but rarely is it the perfect combination of not too hot and not too cold! I swear they wear things other than that Hound Dog Run shirt - it just so happened that we left from school on a Friday when they are allowed to wear the shirt to school instead of uniforms!

Tonight is Halloween. The weather looks pretty nasty - cold, windy, rainy - but not as bad as last year when we had storms! The kids already enjoyed a neighborhood Fall party and the opportunity to wear their costumes. They wore them again last night at the music performance (don't have any great pictures because they were on opposite sides of the stage and I hesitate to put up pictures with so many kids other than mine), and tonight will be the main event! Tyler selected the "cool guy" that he wanted to be a while back and talked Katie into matching as a Pink Lady. They are really having fun with it, even saying they are glad they aren't something that everyone else is but I know Katie kind of wishes she could have something sparkly or princess-like (or from Frozen) similar to most of her friends. I bet, though, that they will both be glad for the warmth of their costumes tonight!

Our neighbor did a great job face painting. It was so fun for the kids to be able to play and not have to wait in line for their turn and then get to pick anything they wanted!

Fall Break!

2014-10-15T18:39:00.001-05:00

We had an amazing trip to the beach for Fall Break. Perfect weather, fun family time chillaxing on the beach, great food, and attended a beautiful wedding to end a much needed vacation.

While the vacation was awesome, the actual drive home was harrowing, with tornado warnings, torrential downpours, and really strong winds - and bad weather continued throughout the night cancelling the baseball game that was scheduled for the next day. The baseball cancellation meant that Tyler got to go to his first Boy Scout meeting of the year. He liked it, but surprisingly said he wished his game hadn't been cancelled - he is really enjoying playing! The game is rescheduled for Thursday and the last game of the year is Saturday. It will be a long wait until Spring season, but I am sure we will appreciate a little schedule freedom in the upcoming months.

Life was in full swing the minute we got back. My work is ramping up, it's time (way past time actually) to get serious about school and all of this reading and homework that is expected of us, and it is Hound Dog run, Spirit week at school, so lots of festivities! The kids had a field trip today, and the run and family night is later this week. Poor Tyler has had a horrible ear ache since we got back and we took him in to the doctor today so hopefully he will be on the mend soon. He was kind of grumpy at the wedding and end of the trip, which I now suspect was because of the ear pain. He didn't even complain until we asked him why he didn't eat his banana (he is practically a monkey and would normally eat a whole bunch of bananas if we let him) and he said it hurt to chew. Fall is hard on him with a new round of allergies, and swimming for a week doesn't help. The weather sure is turning Fall-like, though - which I love. The kids, for a change, chose Halloween costumes that wont be too hot or too cold regardless of the weather (they are a Pink Lady and T-Bird from Grease), but I always like when Halloween is a little cooler! It may be Halloween until I find time to post again, but I'll try to check-in and update sooner!

Sad Days

2014-10-05T21:04:00.000-05:00

I was considering stopping writing this blog, since the main fan of news of the kids was their grandfather. He sadly and unexpectedly passed away last week and we are all devastated. As I was reading back through some of the posts, though, I realized that this is a place of lots of good memories of time spent with Ray Ray, and just as I appreciate that now - there may come a time in the future that I will look for words and memories and thoughts from these years too. So, I will skip over the last couple of weeks that I will likely never forgot for how sad and shocked and heartbroken we all have been and jump right in to the last couple of days!

This weekend we went with So-So to see Frozen, Disney on Ice. Fabulous show, and even more fun than watching the kids try to recreate the theatrics once we got home - backyard version, which was pretty hilarious. I can't explain the fanatical love of the movie by every child I know, but I do admit that it is a pretty good movie and was fun to watch on ice. It is a very different experience nowadays than when we went to ice shows and circuses and performances when they were younger. Back then they were probably more in awe, but now they truly get what is going on and can enjoy all aspects of the performance. Big thank you to So So for braving ridiculous traffic and it being super cold inside of the arena, to treat us to a fantastic afternoon.

This morning, as I was trying to get my and the kids schedules straight in my mind for the next month - lots going on with the end of baseball (which Tyler still absolutely loves) season, school activities, holidays, school breaks, etc. - I realized that we will not have an opportunity to go to any of the Fall festivals or pumpkin patches any weekends before Halloween. Fall activities like that are some of my favorite things and I really love that Nashville has so many fun things to do once Autumn arrives, and I didn't want to miss out this year! So, today, we made a trek out to Lucky Ladd Farms. It is about an hour away, but the farm we usually go to was visited by the kids on a school field trip just a week ago, so we wanted to check out somewhere new. It was awesome! Lots to do, perfect weather, and definitely worth the drive. The friendliest animals ever in the petting zoo, good ole fashioned farm activities like tire swings, playing in the corn, hay rides, and sack slides, topped off with candy apples and fresh squeezed lemonade - made for a great day!

6 Year Olds!

2014-09-17T23:04:00.002-05:00

Yikes - it's been a while! School stuff, hours (literally - I can't wait until reading the directions isn't as laborious) of homework, baseball and gymnastics, and Boy Scouts and Book Fairs thrown in, make it difficult to keep up! The kids seemingly had a great birthday. They got lots of fun presents (so sorry that we have not sent thank you notes yet - harder than you would think to find the time to do them), and had a really good time at Dave and Buster's and playing at the pool on the last day (Labor Day) that it was open.

Tyler was obsessed with Switch and Go dinosaurs before this birthday (and still loves them), but this is definitely the year of Pokemon for him. He spent all of his birthday money on Pokemon cards, and reads his Pokemon books (one gifted to him by my sister and one purchased at the book fair) nightly. I am actually good with him having the books since I hope it encourages reading (my philosophy is that the topic doesn't matter as much as the inclination to read for fun), but the cards are crazy. He memorizes each card and all of the characteristics and loves to talk about his Pokemon cards and what he can trade them for and what they can do, and why he won't trade that particular one (beware)! Katie is reminding me daily what it was like to be a little girl. I feel like she is hitting these stages sooner than me, but it is all definitely familiar. She loves her password journal that writes in invisible ink, she struggles with deep down really enjoying outdoor, active toys more than dolls and "girl" things, and she is a big fan of bling, and sparkles and anything fashion oriented. She is the girliest tomboy ever and kind of stuck between the two right now. Only time will tell which way she will go - I hope she doesn't have to choose!

The kids are looking like such big kids to me these days! What's crazy is that they actually ARE big kids. First grade is no joke! We've realized that the kids are both doing really great learning to read and as importantly, to be good students in the classroom. Unfortunately, I have also recognized that Katie has picked up my complete ineptness with math (Lance is going to try to help her "get" it because I am not getting through) and that Tyler really has a very hard time sitting still and concentrating to do his work to the best of his ability. We both want to try to avoid the likely ADHD diagnosis and subsequent medication recommendations likely to come for him, though - so we are hoping that we can keep him active enough (even at the expense of doing homework perfectly) to offset the time he spends regimented in the classroom. I spoke with his teacher and she had a conversation with him, and since then things have seemed a lot better. Fingers crossed that he is back on track with liking school. He still definitely struggles with friends and fitting in (or rather has a harder time than Katie - my only comparison), but he doesn't seem to dread going to school each day anymore - great news!

Hard to believe but Fall Break is almost here! We are going to the beach for a couple of days instead of paying exorbitant daily childcare fees for the week, and I am really looking forward to a break, even if it does seem very close to the start of school! The weekend before we leave should be really fun, too. Tyler has a baseball game (he seems to really enjoy baseball - much more than soccer) and he does great at practice (he is more distracted at games but likes those the best for the icee he gets as snack afterwards), and then they will both go to Disney on Ice - Frozen. That is still their favorite movie, and I think they are the perfect age to really appreciate the show. We need to fit in Boy Scouts Jamboree that weekend, too - probably Sunday and then will leave mid-week for the break. Hopefully I can find more time to update in the weeks ahead. Especially since we are entering Fall in Nashville, my absolute favorite season here! I just love all of the Festivals, and the weather, and football, and most of all getting to spend some really fun time with the kids.