School begins

The first day of school for Bailey came and went. It was nearly as uneventful as any regular day of school last year, which I welcomed with open arms. :) She immediately found her seat, greeted a few of her friends from last year, and began working on her morning work. Her teacher, Mrs. B, is super sweet and super tough, both very good things for our talkative and sometimes attention-deprived (haha) daughter.

Much like any normal day of school last year, we also had homework. Mrs. B wastes no time. And, as much as I would love to complain because it is SO much work, I would never breathe a negative word about it. Bailey really enjoys homework and learning... and she didn't really miss a beat in getting back into our after school routine. I was happy to hear that Bailey had Mrs. B when we found out it was her, because she is supposedly an awesome teacher. I also heard that she might be one of the toughest at our school... and tough really means work. If tough and homework equals Bailey excelling in school, well, I am happy to sit and work with her through homework from the very first day. :) I have a feeling Bailey is going to grow exponentially this year.


In other school news, Bailey is enjoying meeting new friends (of course) and was over the moon excited about her classroom having a new student today, who she has claimed as her "newest friend." I translate that into "Mom, I am going to show this girl how to do everything at our new school and introduce her to every person I know." Having moved from school to school more times that I would want to count, I am so happy to know that my daughter is the little girl who is running to make her feel welcome.


Bailey also is all about the clothes this year. I don't mind that too much, since I love to get her dressed up, but she is a little bit more obsessed than I expected. She doesn't want to wear anything that she has worn before. Fortunately, I convinced her that she really can't do that, otherwise, she's going to run out of clothes soon. I held my breath in fear that she was going to suggest that we just go buy more. Luckily, she laughed sheepishly and said something to the effect of how silly she was being for thinking that way. Shew. A close one for sure. lol.


Six school days in and we are feeling good (aside from a sniffle and cough here and there after the first two days - eek).


One child down...


... and the other to go. Tomorrow will be Jake's Open House at his new school (which he thought I said Haunted House and kind of freaked out a little - haha). We are very eager to see what he thinks. I am sure that he's going to be nervous and I'm quite honestly dreading next week because of it. I'm sure he will do great, but I know that he's going to have that sweet little nervous face when I get ready to leave. He's going to wring his hands and force a smile after he hugs and kisses me about 5 times. Then, I'm going to get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, give him my best forced smile, tell him how much fun he's going to have, and then pray as I walk out the door that he doesn't shed a tear. This will happen for the entire first week, but I'm very hopeful that after that it will go away. Hoping and praying. So, if you are feeling prayerful and want to whisper a quick one for us for next week, I'd really appreciate it!


Pics of Jake's first day, coming soon. :)

Running amuck...

Ten descriptions of the past few days.

Whirlwind

Fun

Exciting

Fun

Tiring

FUN

Busy

FUN

Emotional

FUN

Yes. We have had fun. We have been going full speed. We have been enjoying life and living it to the extreme. Life is full... that's not even close to being the right description. 

As I blogged on Thursday, I had seven kids at our house for a sleepover. The kids did wonderfully. All seven of them were great (well, except a few times when Bailey ignored me and forgot to listen). They had so much fun. I think I enjoyed it as much as them. They were so cute. And, I was a little emotional... maybe because I knew that the babies weren't babies anymore. Or maybe because I knew that this was just the beginning of a lot of long nights of shrieking girls and wild boys. I think a lot of it was because I was reminded of my own childhood and I realized that so many things in life have come full circle. I'm now the mom who is giving the rules and letting them get broken for a sleepover. I'm not the little girl pushing the limits anymore, but am dealing with my little girl who is. :) Brad and I sat on the couch for a few minutes while they all played and talked about how nice it was that we knew they were making some of the best memories ever. The funny thing is, I'm not sure if they will remember it as fondly as I will. I hope and pray that we have many more nights like this in our future... that the kids will always love to hang out at our house. 

Some photo highlights for your viewing pleasure: 

On Friday, I braved the pool with all 7 kids. Sorry... no photos. :) I am sure you understand why. Haha. They were excellent and we had a great time. Actually... I do have one. :) 

That evening (yes, we are crazy for packing any more into that two-day period), we celebrated at the house with Dawn and Brandon, who recently sold their home and will be moving away. I say celebrated because I know that they are happy about this opportunity. However, I would be lying if I said that I felt anything like celebrating this move. I have mentioned it before that I moved around a lot as a kid. That means that I'm used to saying good-bye to people that I love and care about. It usually isn't that tough for me... not because I'm a cold-hearted bitch, but because I know that change is inevitable in life. Yet... I am not looking forward to them leaving. I mean, I totally support my friends in their move and I am so happy that it has worked out for them. BUT... I am so going to miss our evenings on the back deck, our impromptu get-togethers, and simply knowing that if I need someone to help me with anything, they are just down the road. Our friendship will not end, I know, but I know it will change some, too. And, that just makes me a little bit sad. Dawn, Brandon, and the boys are a big part of our lives... and we all consider them a part of our little Lexington family. It is so rare to meet a woman that you just love to death and then have her husband and your husband get along well... and the kids enjoy each other, too. We love you guys all so much... and hope that we all do what we say and visit each other a lot. :) 

On Saturday morning, we got up and the kids went to tennis lessons. Then, we straightened up the house, packed a couple of bags and headed to eastern Kentucky. We spent the evening with Brad's mom and her boyfriend. It was a nice relaxing evening. We were all exhausted when we left to go to my parents' house that night. 

On Sunday... we were all geared up and ready to go to the wonderful, incredible, amazing Camden Park. Now, if you don't know Camden Park, well... you just don't know what you are missing. :) It's a little bit rundown. It's a little bit old school. But it's the same old Camden Park that I remember when I was just a little girl. There's still the Hot Cat. There's still the log ride. There's still the Big Dipper. We all had a great time. The boys acted like big babies... getting sick over the spinning rides. I have to admit that age has done the same thing to me, but I could suck it up. Colt and Brad were just big wimps.... as these photos show. :) 

The kids had a blast. Bailey loved the Big Dipper. She will try anything at least once... although she assured me that the haunted house would not be visited a second time. Jake, on the other hand, is typical Jake... he had to warm up to the bigger rides and still refused to ride the Spider, despite his love for it in years past. Corndogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, and icees... oh, how I do love the carnival food. :) 

On Monday, we crashed. I mean, the kids and I did. We spent nearly the entire day inside. I didn't get up until almost 9. I did, however, clean up the house, did some laundry, and then actually made time to go for a run. Thank God... I finally got over the hump of never wanting to run again... and I ran 3 miles. The bug is back... I think. :) 


What does the rest of the week hold? Hmmm... it's too early to tell. But, I have to say... I love this summer. 

Just Call Me Snow White...

... because tonight, I will have seven little dwarfs at the house. :)


That's right. Tonight is the first official Ooten sleepover night. Bailey is having three little girls over and Jake is having two little boys over for their first sleepover/slumber party. Hmm... what do YOU think will happen? I am guessing lots of sugar... lots of "I had it firsts" and "The boys won't leave us alone" and "NO boys allowed (followed by slammed door)" and "The boys aren't letting us be the princesses." :) It's going to be so much fun! :) Actually, I'm super-pumped. I know they are going to have so much fun. If only my camera was working. I guess the camera phone will have to do.


Seven kids.


Let's hope that I don't need a prince to revive me after this one. Although, I can imagine that sleep will be much needed this weekend!


Here's a good reason NOT to tell your kids that it is sleepover night. I've had these two little dwarfs on my heels all afternoon, asking, "When do they get here..." over and over. As you can see... they are excited. :)

Better Late than Never...

It's better late than never. I have yet to post my photo of Jake on his first day of preschool. It was taken with my phone and I ran across it tonight when I was taking this photo of my pumpkin pie (yes, fall IS here, finally). :) 

And, it was delicious, I have to say. I will have to run extra this week to make sure I don't add 10 pounds, since I plan on eating almost all of it by myself. I'm a quarter of the way there already. :) 

But, I digress. 

Back to Jake... 

He was so excited on his first day of preschool. Then, there were days of tears. He misses his mommy... and he doesn't like nap time. But, he does love lunch time and finds it fascinating that we always have his favorite foods in his lunch box. He also really seems to enjoy the other kids and telling me about how they get in trouble for not sharing. I wonder how much of that is because he isn't sharing, but I've not heard any reports... yet. And, now, the morning drop-off is getting easier. We have a routine about it now. We get ready, we get his breakfast (a morning pop tart and OJ to go, I know it isn't healthy, but that's what he loves and I'm not going to start off the morning with that battle), we drop off Bailey, and we make our way across town to his school. We listen to Three Doors Down's Kryptonite as many times as we can before we get there. We don't discuss much of anything, because we like to have our peace and quiet (if that's what you call the blaring radio and Jake's singing "yaaaaaaaahhhhhhh."). And when we get there, he is happy to get out of the car and go in. Well, most of the time. This morning, he wasn't so happy about going in. And he gave me the most pitiful pouty, puckered-up face ever. I literally had to turn my back and not look at him for a second because I knew he'd be able to see how much it hurt to see him so sad. I put on my best smile and gave him a little tickle, promised a fun day that would go by quickly, and a lot of fun with Spiderman and Batman when we got home. He sucked it up and fought back the tears. I was dreading actually leaving him. But, when we got in the room, we put his things away and he pulled his own chair up beside his friend at the computer. I snuck away unnoticed. 

What is most significant to me about all of this is not that drop-offs are getting easier, but that I see my little baby becoming more independent. He isn't as insecure as he was the first few days. He gets his backpack and lunchbox everyday when I pick him up. He pulls his own chair up to the computer. He cleans up his train set before his morning work begins. He's doing all the things that preschoolers do, without argument (which is really what I was worried about - he's a lot like his daddy, always finding a way to get out of things!). And, the most exciting development... he draws and colors every day when we get home. Before, I had to beg Jake to color or draw. He would beg me to hold my hand over his so that the drawing would be perfect. He would cry and claim he couldn't do it. He would flat out refuse to try. It was a struggle. Now, he is trying. And, he's getting better, too. He drew a Spiderman (of course) today that actually had a head and body. Now, it's a blob of red and blue, but as he drew, I could see the form of a person. Bailey and I celebrated every stroke and every color, telling him how wonderful it is that he is drawing. All good things... very good things. 

And, the reason for this post... this is my little boy on his first day of preschool two weeks ago. Of course, he had to wear his Superman shirt. My little superhero... just seeing his smile melts my heart. :)

Football... Nope. Futbol.

I think I mentioned that Jake is playing football. Oops. I wish that was right. It's actually soccer that he's playing. But, c'mon, guys. He's only three. As much as we might love to, we can't tape his pants and pads on and I'm pretty sure that they don't make shoulder pads in a size 2T. :)


Until then (hopefully), we have Jake in a sport that he really seems to love - soccer. 


He did so much better last week than I expected him to. He and the other players, including our little buddy, Joseph, did a really good job. It was a lot of fun to watch them. Be prepared... I'm sure there will be more funny stories, photos, and maybe, if I can ever get organized enough, a video or two. :) 


To treat you to the view, here are some photos of little man (and some of Joseph) playing ball. 

Boy Time

On Saturday, my boys went to the UK football together. Just Brad and Jake. 


There are times that I think men have no clue how much what they do impacts their kids. I know that Brad doesn't seem to realize how important it is for him to do these things with Jake. I know that he knows that this means a lot to Jake, because it means a lot to him. But, he doesn't acknowledge that it's a big deal. He chooses to treat things as "no big deal." Part of that is because there isn't much in life that Brad considers "a big deal." And, like his father, Jake doesn't seem to be overly-excited about much either. They have that same personality... sometimes emotional about things you don't expect them to be emotional about, but typically not emotional about much. Of course, Bailey and I don't get that at all, but we are the complete opposite. There's not much in the world that we don't make a big deal about. lol. We can't help it any more than they can. 


For me, seeing Brad and Jake heading to the ballgame together was priceless. Maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing in my mind... a relationship that I can see for them in the future. The "my dad is my hero" type of attitude that I can see emerging from Jake at some given point (much sooner than later). You know, the kind of admiration where he goes to school and tells his buddies, "my dad is so strong, he could beat up your dad." Don't you remember those conversations from the little boys you knew? OK... maybe that only happened with my brothers because my dad was a former boxer. If that's the case, then maybe you all think I'm crazy. lol. Oh well, what's new?! I don't encourage him to think that his dad would beat up anyone else's dad, though. :) 


Anyway, I remember watching my dad and my middle brother establish this really cool relationship (Colt did, too, but Cory's is more memorable to me because it was something new for me to understand... by the time Colt came around, I expected it). Cory was probably about 5 before I really remember seeing it happen. There was this connection that they had... and I am so excited about that for Jake and Brad. Right now, Jake is mommy's little baby. He loves being my little baby. He even tells me he isn't a big boy because he is my little baby. And I am taking it while I can get it. I know it will only be a couple of years before he will think it's not cool for me to kiss him in public. He will want daddy to take him to school. He will want daddy to help him on the ballfield (oh, scratch that, he already does, thus the kicking in the outfield). 


I can feel it shifting, especially on days like Saturday, where they do something like this together. You can see it in Jake's little eyes when he looks at Brad. He's already the coolest guy in the world. And, while Jake is still mommy's little baby and he wants to come home to his mommy to snuggle him to sleep, he is already ready to jump in the truck and go with his dad at any given opportunity. You can see it every time he brings me a toy that is broken and declares, "Daddy will fix it." It doesn't matter if I could actually fix it (which I normally can't because by the time they are broken to Jake, they are really destroyed). He wants his daddy to do it. No one else. It's in the adorable way that he wants to pee standing up or in the grass when daddy is around, but decides against that when it is just the two of us. You can see it when he looks at his shirt or shorts and says, "I wook wike daddy" or "This is just wike daddy's shirt." It is there every time he jumps on the trampoline and tells me he can flip like daddy (he does somersaults as opposed to the full out series of flips that his dad does). And, it is in the sprint that he makes for the door when his dad gets home and he starts begging him, "Go jumping wif me?" It's all there... just on the cusp of turning him from my baby to daddy's little man. And, while I would love to keep him my little baby for years and years, I love it that he's  idolizing him so much. There's just nothing sweeter to me than a little boy who loves his daddy so much. It just melts my heart. :) 

Status: Updated

I feel the need to blog. I want to write. I want to tell you all about everything. But, in all honesty, I feel like a broken record. 


We've been busy. 


We are tired. 


I have run (a lot). 


The kids are growing like crazy and doing every activity imaginable.


My husband rocks. 


I love my friends. 


I love my family. 


I am healthy.


I am blessed.

The end. :) 


Just kidding. Although, it does kind of feel that way sometimes. I guess a lot of times when I sit down to write, I think about all that we are doing and I write from that perspective. So, sometimes, I feel like my posts end up feeling like status updates (really long ones) instead of emotional posts. There's not anything wrong with these status updates, but sometimes I even get bored writing them, so I feel like someone out there just HAS to be bored reading it. lol. 


However, I am going to keep posting. :)


In thinking about where we left off, Jake did better at preschool on Thursday. He didn't cry when I left him, because he was busy playing with a train set. However, he assured me later that he did cry to Mrs. M once I was gone. :) He wants me to feel like crap... I am certain. 


Friday was wonderful for him... he spent the entire day in his pajamas, playing with his toys. I cleaned the house and we picked up Bailey from school. Then, Joseph and Paul came over while Rebecca and I ran. And, I ran 5 miles (nothing in comparison to Rebecca's 10 miles). It was the farthest I have run, so I was pretty excited. And exhausted. 


Saturday, we had our first soccer practice for Jake and Joseph's team. They were great. Brad and Paul are the coaches, and in comparison to the spring, all four of the boys were much more prepared. :) The kids really did well (all of them). Jake whispered to me after it was over, "Can we please play again?" Apparently, he loves it. And, then it was off to tailgate for the day. The kids had a great time hanging out with some other kids where we tailgated. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and relaxed. It was a beautiful day and the kids really enjoyed it as much as we did. When the game was about to start, we packed everything up. Bailey and I headed home, and Brad and Jake headed to the ballgame. Now, I am going to do an emotional post about this one... :) It means so much to have that male bonding time. And, I can totally tell you what a sap I am when I see a dad with his little boy going to a football game. :) More about that in a bit. :) 


And, then there was Sunday. Late on Saturday night, I decided that I was going to get up and run the 10K with Rebecca, despite my aversion and nervousness. It's 6.2 miles. I ran 5 on Friday. Surely, I could run 6.2, even if I had to walk a little. Well... Sunday morning, I decided not to. My legs had hurt all night long and I wasn't feeling up to it. I did, however, go and run that morning and was able to run 4 miles. I was reassured that I made the right choice by not going. My legs were too tired and I totally would not have been able to push through and run 6.2. So, that was the early part of Sunday. 


We spent the day at home, relaxing, doing laundry, and playing in the yard, until that evening. Bailey and Jake had a t-ball game, so we were off to the ballpark, again. :) They did well. Bailey played first base. I don't really understand what the coach was thinking. She can't really catch that well. At all. She ducked twice when the ball was thrown to her. lol. Fortunately, it only lasted an inning. Brad really tried to help her and she really tried to listen. She's just not ready for first base. lol. Jake did well hitting and running, but the outfield was another story. For example, I have cleat mark bruises on my shins from picking him up off the ground a few times and him kicking me. Needless to say, he sat in the dugout in "timeout" a couple of times. It was a very long ballgame.I was ready to kill my son by the end of the game. We are on the countdown now. I know that sounds terrible, but we only have 4 more games. Fall ball has not been nearly as fun as spring. It has been great for Jake, in that he has had an opportunity to learn without being in a competitive environment. It has been good for Bailey, because she's had opportunities to play in the in-field a lot. By the same token though, had we practiced more, I think she would have learned more. And, I have to think that if they gave her one position to focus on instead of moving her to each position on the field, she would learn how to play that one position well. Oh well...  Brad and I are both ready to get back to the spring season, where we have regular practices and games that actually keep score. But before that, we are ready for a break from t-ball. :) 


And, that catches you up on our lives. :) 


Status: Updated. 

Little man goes to school. :(

This week has been... a huge cycle of fun, hectic, stressful, exciting, and 100 different various adjectives. :) And, it's only Wednesday night. 


Shew... what will it be like when I blog this weekend?! 


The week started out great with a fun girls' night with Rebecca, Dawn, and Cilla. How I love these girls. I can't even begin to tell you right here, mainly because I have a whole other post that I've been working on about them since Monday night. Obviously, time has been a little bit of an issue. Otherwise, that post would precede this one. But, well, I don't always do things that make sense, even if it drives me crazy not to have things in chronological order. Oh, I know you guys know that I like things to be in order... haven't you noticed how all of my posts start out where we left off last? :) 


Or do they? What was my last post? Oh... yep... it does start off where I left off. And we accuse Brad for being responsible for Jake's OCD behaviors. 


Anyway, back to this week... 


We had a great Monday night, closing down Pazzo's downtown. Yep, we are party animals (don't tell anyone that Pazzo's closes at 10 p.m., ok?!). It was great. It was even more fabulous that when I arrived home, my babies were bathed and in bed. I was certain that I would come home to an overturned house and two children, unbathed, running around hopped up on orange juice and popcorn. They weren't. And I love my husband for that. Sometimes... most of the time... it really is the little things that make me love him. 


I was originally supposed to start my new job on Tuesday, but because of my background check coming back with that felony.... just kidding. Because my background check didn't come back in time, I had to postpone it until Wednesday (today). After much contemplation, we decided we'd go ahead and take Jake to his first day of preschool on Tuesday and I could spend the day eating bon-bons on the couch. However, instead of my bon-bon eating party (I don't even like bon-bons... where the hell did that phrase originate?), I ended up cleaning up from the night before, because, while my hubby is a wonderful man and got the kids in the bath and the bed, he is not a saint. The house was a mess. :) But no one really cares what I did (except me). I was really, really happy to get to run 4 miles, the most I have ever run without dying. Yes, I had to get something in about running... it was killing me not to blog it, but I'm trying to refrain from making this my running blog, since Bailey asked me one day if I was working on my blog about running. That kid kills me. :) 


So, I'm totally having issues with ADD tonight... I forgot about the boiled eggs I was cooking and boiled them for over an hour. :)  FOCUS.... what were we talking about? Oh yes... Jake and his first day of preschool. (Funny, this is how all of my conversations with my mom and/or Cilla go). 


OK... so he was psyched... pumped... couldn't wait to go. He got up at like 6:15, even though he wouldn't really need to be up until 7. He was just so excited. I was thrilled. My little man was going to do fine. Well... it wasn't horrible. Yep... it was horrible. He did so good the whole way there, but when we go there, he was so nervous. He kept biting his little nails and clinging to me. He was excited to be there, but he didn't want me to leave. He kept whispering to me, "Mommy, just stay. I'll miss you." Talk about fighting back some serious tears. So, I gave him a pep talk, even though he's so insightful with people and their emotions that I'm quite certain it made things worse. I showed him toys and activities and paint and everything he loves (except superheroes, since they aren't there). His teacher talked to him and tried to get him to sit with her at the table and color a scarecrow. Yep... he wasn't interested. I am just glad he didn't tell her to do something very bad with the scarecrow, because he totally wanted to. I could tell he did. I choked back the tears, gave him a hug, and a huge smile and rushed out the door while he sat there with the saddest face I've ever seen, held to the chair by his teacher's arm. It was horrible. HORRIBLE. Like, I totally want to cry just thinking about it. 


But, when I went to pick him up, as predicted, he was thrilled. He'd had a great day and was so impressed by lunch. Little does he realize that the reason he had all of his favorites for lunch is because I pack it for him. He still has yet to realize that... even though he picked his lunchbox out and he carries it in every morning. He still just seems so impressed by the "red soup" (Spaghetti O's), the eggs, strawberries and grapes. I can't help but find that hilarious. The only real story he told us was that one of his friends wouldn't share and he was put in the timeout chair. He is apparently really bad... at least that's what Jake says. :) 


So, this morning rolls around. I'm wondering how he is going to react... because we all know Jake is NOT a morning person. He is just like me. I was praying he'd wake up on his own. Fat chance. I had to wake him up. I spent nearly 5 minutes chasing him around the house as he screamed and cried and screamed some more, "I NOT GOING TO PWESKOOL. I NOT WIKE IT. I STAY HOME AND WATCH BATMAN." Of course, I was trying to be understanding and remind him about how wonderful his day would be. He was not going to be convinced. After trying to dress him (and being completely unsuccessful at it), I told him I was going to work and taking Bailey to school and he could stay home alone. Bailey and I made our way downstairs. About 2 seconds later, he was letting me dress him, but was still yelling that he wasn't going. Whatever. 


Poor Bailey... she was trying so hard to help. She kept telling him, "Jake, preschool is so fun. You have toys to play with and everything. Kindergarten doesn't have toys, so you should be really happy to go." It was really funny to hear her repeat to him all of the things that I have said to her over the years. Adorable, but kind of odd. :) 


We made it out of the house (and for those of you wondering, Brad left to go out of town on Tuesday, conveniently, for work). :) We dropped Bailey off at school and then headed to preschool. Jake was pissed every time I mentioned it. Finally, I decided to leave him alone and see if it helped. I turned on his favorite song, "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down (anyone have any idea why that might be his favorite song?). He said, "Is this the Suterman song (that's how he says Superman)?" I told him it was. And then, I got really creative. I told him all about how Spiderman, Batman, Superman, and Ironman went to school. How they all just LOVED school. And I pulled it all out with, "If you want to grow up and be a superhero, you are going to have to go to school like they did." He sat there for a minute, taking it all in. He looked at me and said, "I just so sweepy mom." I laughed and told him I was, too. Then, he said, "Hang on a minute." I looked back in the rearview (yes, while driving) to see him closing his eyes like he's asleep. He sat there for a second. Then, he said, "OK... I'm all weady (ready)." I thought I would crack up. So, off we went into the school. He did great and was so excited. And then, he got nervous when I got ready to leave. I reminded him about his superhero friends and how they love school. He smiled at me and agreed. He did so good... until the last goodbye. And I basically just walked out after our last hug because I just knew he was about to cry. His teacher said he had a tough time for a few minutes, but calmed down pretty quickly. Still... why does this have to be so hard?! 


When I picked him up, he was doing great. He said he had a great day. But at bedtime tonight, he told me, "I stay at home wif you, Mommy. I miss you at nap time." Seriously... the kid freaking breaks my heart. 


Roller coaster? :) Yes. Oh... and we had McDonald's for dinner, too. It was all part of the bribing process we went through this morning. I guarantee he's negotiating for it tomorrow morning. lol. 


And, so I am exhausted and ready for bed... but I have to boil more eggs before I go, because I'm "pretty" sure that boiling them for over an hour doesn't leave them tasting all that great. :) 


Please hurry home, babe. You get to take him next Tuesday and experience the torture. lol. :) 


Or at least, you get to help me hold him down while I try to dress him and then force him to go. :) 

My other love

The fall weather is in the air. There's a fresh cloud of moisture on the windshield and the air is just chilly enough to feel like fall. It is almost here. I've blogged before about the fall. I love it. I love all the seasons really, but there's something special about the fall. I love the feeling of the air, the smell of the moisture, the beautiful colors of the trees when they change... all of it.


But none of that compares to the feeling I get when I walk up to a stadium full of people and see a football team on the field. The ACDC blaring over the loud speakers, the smell of popcorn, team colors on little boys that dream to be on that field, and big bows and cheerleading outfits on baby girls who will grow up and stand on that sideline... it all just thrills me. I can feel it deep down... and my adrenaline just rushes and I can't help but smile. I just love football. It's happiness for me.


If only Bailey were a boy... :)


I drove past a field of kids practicing the other day. I wished with everything in me that we were there instead of the t-ball field. Not that I don't love t-ball... I'm just passionate about football. I pray that Jake loves it like us... because I really NEED him to play. lol. Not really... I'm not the parent that will push him to do it even if he doesn't want to, but I really have to admit that I want him to want to. I really want him to want to. :)  I can't help it... I just love football.


But, until Jake is ready, if he ever decides to be (hopefully when he's young, but we'll settle for eventually), we will go support UK and watch our fill of ball on TV (Go Mountaineers). I'll pick my fantasy football team and watch players I've never heard of before, hoping they'll score or not score so that I can come out a winner at the end of the weekend. I hope I can get back home to see my brother's stepsons play at some point this fall. It's so much fun to see a little kid learning what to do on the field. It's just so much fun...


We will patiently wait with hope that we will be soon enough watching Jake on the football field, spending our time teaching him about options, bootleg passes, blitzes, and end-arounds. And, most likely how to avoid getting hit or at least how to take a hit by some really big kids since he's really small. :) Tough or not... a big kid on top of him isn't exactly what I'm excited about seeing. :)

A Proud Mama...

We had a t-ball game tonight. Jake was all about it. Well, all about it for Jake. He was ready to play, which also meant that he wanted to run in circles in the outfield and wanted me to race him to the fence in the outfield and all  that. He did really well... he hit the ball really well, but forgot to run. He made it to first on all three at-bats (after some prodding to get to first), though, so we were really proud. And, he made it all the way around the bases to home two of the three times. So, we were definitely calling it a success. Our whole goal for fall ball has been to get him hitting the ball and understanding how to run the bases. Fielding will come as he gets a little older and more used to the concept... offense is what he needs the most right now. :) He did get the ball in the outfield once though! After attempting the throw with his left hand, he decided to pick it up where it fell and actually throw it in. He got it into the infield, which worked for us! 

Bailey also did great. She played 2nd and 3rd base and did well paying attention. Oh, no worries, there was no shortage of twirling, but she did really well. She is learning so much about fielding, which she loves. She is so funny about it, because she still loves to talk to the players on the other team and she still does her little dancing moves when she's out there. So, I asked her tonight if she liked playing infield and she said, "I love it... it's not as boring as the outfield." :) 

I was just proud of them both. They are having fun and figuring it all out, which makes it more fun for us. And, us bragging on them like crazy is just making them love playing more. lol. 

Fall Ball Game One...

I started writing one blog post and ended up not really wanting to, so I am now writing a totally different one. So, I'm tired. :) That's good news for those of you who get sick of my rambling. :) 


I feel like I'm far behind on my blogging. It happens quickly when you are busy! I haven't written because we have been going full force all weekend and now I have even more things to write about... a good thing, I think. :) 


Our first t-ball game for the fall season was on Sunday. I was really wondering how Jake and Bailey would both do. I was worried about Jake for obvious reasons... he's three... and a young three at that. He is stubborn and moody and you just never know what you are going to get with Jake. He's just Jake. There's no explanation and no way we will ever be able to force him to do anything... so we just have to let him be himself and hope for the best. :) You can imagine my concern when he declared on Saturday evening that he wasn't going to play in his t-ball game because he didn't want to get hot. He also has been known to hold the bat practically limp at the plate and barely swing at the ball, despite the fact that he's actually very capable of hitting the ball and hitting it well. It doesn't seem to matter what we do, he's going to do this on his terms. It's quite funny, except that it's not going to be funny when he gets older and won't change. But, what do you do? I don't know yet... but I'll let you know if and when I figure that out. 


I was also worried about how Bailey would do in the game, because they are putting her in the in-field some. She's never played the in-field in a game situation. I wasn't even sure if she would know what to do with the ball when she got it. 


So, Sunday was interesting, but very good. Brad had to physically restrain Jake in the outfield a few times (but no more than the other parents of three- and four-year olds). Jake complained, don't get me wrong. He acted like he was going to roast out there (and it was really hot). But, he stayed on the field, thanks to his daddy. He also hit the ball really well. He didn't run to first base at all, even with us all yelling for him to, so he got out twice. But, he hit the ball on the first try each time and hit it almost to third base on his second at-bat. We have to make him understand to run... so that's our new goal now that he's actually swinging. :) 


Bailey did great. She made her fair share of mistakes, like throwing the ball to home instead of first base. However, she had never played pitcher before, so I was pretty happy with how she did. She went after the ball when she was supposed to and really seemed to enjoy having a chance to actually get some action. Maybe she just needed to be on a team where she was forced to step up and play. She also got two really nice hits. 


I was really proud of them and so happy that they had fun with it. Bailey really seemed to enjoy it a lot. Jake enjoyed portions of it, but he's still not sure about it all. I think he's coming around though. It's tough for him to be in structured situations, so I'm really happy with how he's doing. And, of course, the reason I was wanting to write about this anyway... pictures. :) 

Month of Waiting = Over

I am ready to celebrate. I feel alive. I am not waiting on things right now (at least not entirely). I am just happy. Content. Not waiting... impatiently on much. :)


And, even better, I just ate wonderful asian zing wings and potato wedges for lunch. I actually don't feel hungry for at least the first time in a month. And... I'm not sick. At all. I feel great. 


I'm not perfectly over the surgery. I'm still having some trouble with my side, but the doctor told me today that it is probably just a little inflammation on my diaphragm (for those of you who don't know anatomy - that's the band of muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen). It just hurts when I take a deep breath. But, with some ibuprofen, I'm OK. It should heal quickly. 


The doctor gave me some other great news... I can run again! I didn't expect it to come for a couple more weeks, but he says I'm good to go. I can't lift anything heavy for a while longer, but running is fine. He also told me that my gallbladder pathology revealed that my gallbladder was diseased, which means that once I get over these little humps, I should be fine. It feels so good to hear that! 


And, more good news... Jake's Early Start evaluation was today. Basically, to qualify for the program his score had to be 75 or lower. He scored a 76. They would have let him come into the program two days a week for two hours, but the speech therapist and I talked about it for a long time. He has made so much progress in the last month. It seems like since Bailey has gone to school and he has had some significant one-on-one time with us and his grandparents while I was out sick last week, he has improved so much. So, I kind of expected him to do better at this evaluation than he did at the last one. And, I was right. The therapist gave me a bunch of information and activities to help work with him at home. She recommended that we work with him over the next four weeks at home and see if he improves. She gave us specific things to focus on and if he isn't progressing, we can re-evaluate and put him into the program at any time in the near future. 


This is a great relief to me. I feel like I was right to get him some assistance, but I am also not sitting here worrying that he's going to have to struggle to catch up and be where he needs to be. It's a good place to be... to feel like we caught it early enough to make an easy adjustment, but we aren't having to make a huge lifestyle change for him either. 


So, yes... I'm ready to celebrate. The month of waiting for results and of me being entirely impatient... is OVER. :) I have one more doctor's appointment to go to for a physical. This one will be to re-evaluate everything without my gallbladder and see if I am still showing signs of Sjogren's Syndrome. If I am, then I'll have to go down that road. But, I'm not worrying about it. And, I'm not feeling impatient about it. It's there, in the back of my mind, but I am so prepared for it that I'm just feeling good. If I have that, or something similar, I can deal with it. I can live with it. It just leaves me with a loose end... but not one that is controlling my life like this stupid gallbladder seems to have done. :) 


Finally... I feel like a normal person again. I'm celebrating... :) 

Overscheduled... No way. :)

Overscheduled. 


That's what we are going to be in about .5 days. :) 


That's what happens when you have a family full of joiners. People who love everything and want to try or do everything. People who refuse to say no when there is just the slightest chance that they can "make it work." That would be us. The family of joiners. I am now going to change the blog to reflect... This is now "Life with the Joiners." 


I refuse to complain about this whatsoever at all, because I am totally and utterly excited about most of the things we sign up for. I say most because I don't really get excited about Brad getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to go play basketball. I don't care that he does it, I just don't get excited about it. Most of the time, I don't even notice, unless (like this morning) he forgets to reset the alarm clock so that I'm up on time. 


Anyway... 


It is all beginning. My calendar is jam packed with schedules for school meetings, days off, pay days, Brad's softball schedule, Jake's soccer schedule, Bailey and Jake's fall t-ball schedule, Bailey's ballet schedule, and, of course, my favorite item of all... doctor's appointments. :) Add the UK Football schedule and the slew of birthdays that happen in our family in the fall, as well as a fall wedding we have to travel to... and we'll just plan to see you guys when we retire. :)


Yesterday was our first t-ball practice for Fall Ball. Jake's first t-ball practice ever. I can't even tell you how cute the kids on this team are. They are all young and primarily a team full of kids that haven't played before or much. The youngest is 3 (Jake and another little boy named Jake and another little one, too). The oldest is a girl who is 7 and has never played. Her name is Bailey, too. We have like 14 kids and like 6 names. :) Anyway... I honestly think that our Bailey is one of the most experienced kids on the team and she's never played the in-field. Correction. She's played the in-field. Once. And got hit by the ball because she was busy digging in the dirt. It's going to be a great fall season (insert sarcasm here?)! I actually have to say that I was quite impressed with Bailey. She paid complete attention the entire time and hit the ball remarkably well. She knew to hold the ball up when she got it to stop the forward progress. We just have to get her "trained" to go after the ball instead of just waiting for it to come to her. Progress... baby steps. Jake, on the other hand, was hilarious. When he batted, he acted like he could barely swing the bat (which is just not the case). Then, when he finally did hit the ball (barely), we told him to run. So, he ran and got the ball. :) The coaches actually had to run with him on the bases. After that, he wanted Gatorade and to sit down. He said his head was just too hot. I thought I'd crack up. He's going to do fine. He and the other 3-year olds were so adorable and did very well considering they are just so little. It's going to be a ton of fun.


And, then there was today. Bailey's first ballet class... a class that she will have every Monday for an hour for the next, oh, I don't know, year or so. She LOVED it. I mean totally LOVED it. I have never seen her so mesmerized and attentive. She listened the entire time and had so much fun. She was not bad, either. Not great, but considering that she'd never done it before, I thought she did remarkably well. She had a blast... and I felt a little guilty for holding off on putting her in ballet for so long. I really didn't expect her to love it so much. I was wrong. Sorry, kiddo... when and if you ever read this stuff later in life, know that I didn't hold off on ballet for selfish reasons... I really didn't expect this reaction. :) 


Because of ballet, today was, and I quote, "the very best day of her life." If only I had known that this would be the catalyst for the best day of her life... :) She actually was being so dramatic about it because, well she was a ballerina in a leotard with a bun and ballet slippers, and because she had come home with a sign-up sheet for Girl Scouts. Although I am quite certain that she has absolutely no idea what she will do with Girl Scouts, she was so excited to become a Girl Scout. She was so excited that she told our neighbor, who I think hates our kids and us completely because we don't love listening to their dogs bark and because they don't love listening to our kids squeal. :)  She made sure to tell him that his dog had been in our yard before and that they bark a lot. :) Good going, Bailey. If they didn't hate us, they do now. Brad made a good point though... we don't want to hear your dogs... so now you can avoid coming outside because you don't want to talk to our kids. lol. :) That's a horrible way to be, isn't it? They are probably perfectly good people.


Anyway... now, we are signing up for Girl Scouts. Just add another thing to the calendar, we'll squeeze it in. :) Yep... scheduling conflicts are already happening. Tomorrow is the first Girl Scout info meeting and a t-ball practice and church softball game all at the same time. :) What? You think I can't make this work? Shew... piece of cake. But, I probably should say goodbye for now. Who knows when I'll have time to breathe again, much less blog. Thank God I got my surgery over with LAST week. I couldn't have fit it in otherwise. :) 


I'm only kidding. You know I can't resist getting on here... this blogging stuff is totally addictive. 


And, yes, I know... you all want pictures... I am working on it. Tomorrow? :) I'll try to fit it in.

Growing... More of my favorites...

I'm feeling better. Still not 100%, but I'm feeling much better. I miss having energy, but I know it won't be long... it's incredible how much better I feel in comparison to Monday. 


Before I go further, I want to say that I hated it that we weren't able to come to Allie's party, Kristyn! I hope she had a great one! We're hoping to get out to church tomorrow, so maybe we'll see you there! 


OK... now on to a new subject (finally!). 


I have always wanted to mark the kids' growth chart on my wall, but it's always been something that I've procrastinated. I don't know why, but it's just one of those things that I haven't taken the time to do. I decided today would be that day. I got out the baby books and the growth chart information on the kids and decided to mark the wall between their two bedrooms. It's incredible to see how they've grown. They thought it was pretty cool to see, too. 


Seeing it... actually, physically, seeing it has made me kind of sad. Not really depressed or anything like that, but sad to see how fast it has gone by. Bailey is almost 4 feet tall. Jake is a little over 3 feet tall (which really isn't that big of a change - we remembered that he was like 32 inches when he was a year old). 


Looking through all the baby book stuff also made it tough. I showed the kids their ultrasound pictures and photos of me pregnant. I felt pangs of guilt about all the things I had written about Bailey in her book and the lacking information that I had written in Jake's. I know I'm missing a ton of stuff that I kept from his birth... it's somewhere in this house. I just was slightly busier when he came around, what with two kids in diapers and all, as well as a high-maintenance job. :) It doesn't make me feel any better though. I know there are things that I've forgotten about when he was a baby that I won't get back. And, that just makes me feel guilty and sad. But, then again... there is this blog. :) At least I'm tracking things here, right? 


Anyway, it was incredible to look at how our lives have grown, evolved, and changed. It was fun to remember all the little cute things the kids did (and the funny things we did trying to figure it all out). And it made me want to do one of those posts about the kids. You know, the one that says... here are a bunch of things I don't want to forget... 


Here goes.

• Jake loves to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... especially before bedtime... and he always, always holds his hand up in a diamond when that part comes. 
• Bailey loves milkshake day. On Sunday, Brad always fixes her a milkshake. Jake isn't into ice cream... he loves popsicles though... and he says it in a way that sounds like bicycles. 
• My kids could eat popcorn every day of their lives... and sometimes they do. 
• They both want to be cuddled at night. Every night. It will go by way too fast and I'll be wishing they weren't too cool to snuggle up to me. 
• Bailey loves to pose for photos... she actually was taking pictures with her toy camera the other day and told me to smile. When I just stood there and smiled, she told me to cock my head to the side and smile. :) 
• Jake is dying to go to preschool. We are going to have to give in... he can't wait to go. I love to see how excited he gets when he's telling me about it. 
• Jake thinks to make a snoring noise, he must stick both fingers in his nose and blow. Disgusting, but hilarious. 
• Bailey's teacher sent home a note that says she is a great student. She works very hard and really has fun at school. She has befriended a child who is from the Ukraine and speaks no English. The teacher says that she doesn't think they actually communicate with words, but they sure love to giggle together. I love my daughter's incredible ability to make everyone (and I mean everyone) feel special. She could fail every subject and I swear that this one trait will make her more successful than just about anything else. :)
• Jake is now standing up when he pees. And, yes, the toilet is now not as clean. But, he's so proud. He wants us to watch him all the time. :) And, he wanted to make sure that his friend Joseph sees him stand up the next time he comes over. 
• The kids have decided to start using love when they fight. Yes, you read that right. Now, when they make each other mad, they yell at each other, "I don't love you anymore." Both of them do it. It's awful. In contrast, they also tell each other that they love each other quite often.
• We went to meet my parents at Morehead the other day. I told Bailey that we were going to meet them and she said, "In Hilton Head?" She grinned, knowing that wasn't right. I said, "I wish." She said, "Me, too. Can't we go back?" I love it that she loves the beach just like us. 
• They are great swimmers. Jake can swim about 25-30 feet without help. He won't go under the water, but he can tread water forever. Bailey can swim about half the length of the pool without assistance... and she is a pro at going off the diving board. She's still figuring out how to dive, but she's getting it.
• They have been begging for a baby or a dog for months. They will probably be begging for a lot longer on both. :) Their mamaw got them a cat to keep at her house. She let them name it. They  named it Shaggy. Their plan is to get a dog (specifically a Great Dane) and name it Scooby. :) But first they really want a baby brother or sister (depending on which child you ask). They think they can go to the hospital and buy it to bring home. Fat chance, kiddos. 
• They can't stand it when Brad and I kiss or hug. They have to be a part. And, they love to jump in our bed in the morning and beat Brad up. I love it. :) They know better than bother me early in the morning... they say I'm mean. And they are right. lol