17 years. Wow.

The doorbell just rang, and look what was at my front door!

They are beautiful! - and my office smells so good!

Tomorrow is our anniversary. 17 years, and Mike is across the country playing with big airplanes.

:)

Well it has happened. A moment that has crippled me with fear in the past, but usually I can pass it off to daddy.

Unfortunately he is not here right now and I must deal with it.

I usually consider myself a somewhat smart person too. Sure, I forget basic words like:

"What is that green thing in the front yard? The thing with leaves? Birds live in it?"

Um........ what's that called? I can't remember the word for it.

A tree. Remember that because I'll probably forget a word as simple as that again. Maybe it's the heat. Who knows.

I blame it on mommy brain. Too many things in my mind.

My head is like a computer. If I get a new tidbit that must be remembered (say something very important like Hanna Montana's real name is Miley Cyrus.) then some other older bit of information must go in the little garbage can in the corner to be deleted - to make room.

More than likely deleting older, more important information I should probably remember like my pin number on my debit card. Crap, what is it again??

So what am I so afraid of?

4th grade math. Oy. Megan finds me and asks me to help her with a question on her homework.

It is REALLY bad when the 4th grade workbook stumps you. Even worse when you go back to read the chapter to try and figure it out and you are still staring blankly at the question. Well, at least megan figured it out on her own, which is good. Now she just needs to teach ME. I really hate fractions. Hate. Them.

making the world a better place - one day at a time.

Trevor. He’s such a funky little thing. He’s my rule boy. If he gets in trouble, he punishes himself more than a parent ever could. Someday he’s going to grow up to be a hall monitor.

We’ve had the talk about smoking and drugs, and he promises me he’s never going to do that bad stuff. We’ve been places where he’ll see somebody smoking outside of a restaurant and he’ll say with such a serious tone, “Oh mommy. That person is going to die. Cigarettes are so bad for you.” (Which in a way is funny because I have seen some people actually squish their cigarettes out when they hear him say this.) embarrassing yes, but we’ve also had the talk about pointing and talking to loud too. If he’s going to listen to one of my talks, I’m glad it’s the one about him not doing those bad things. ;)

So today I stop by McDonalds to get a soda. He’s in the front seat (the airbag turned off – for safety reasons of course!) and he says to me:

“Mommy, you shouldn’t drink and drive. That is what made Lindsay Lohan get in a lot of trouble.”

I should mention he’s loved her since the Parent Trap, so it isn’t like he’s surfing TMZ to find out the latest, but when her name has come up on the news he has to know what is going on!

yay rain!

Thanks to hurricane Dean we are finally getting some relief from summer. Today is overcast and awesome. As long as you don't go outside and realize how much humidity there is, but I can't complain. At least when your driveway isn't a mirage your mind thinks it is cooler.

Last night I woke up with a HUGE flash of light. Seriously, the light was so bright it woke me up before the loud thunder that followed it. I mean, it sounded like the lightning hit the top of my house.

It was funny though, because as I'm sitting there in the dark with my heart racing the dog jumps up on the bed, and I hear little feet running down the hallway. Out of three different rooms, all three kids came running into our room at the same time. Poor little scared people.

It was just a huge dogpile of kids - and Piper.

homework helper.

Trevor and Piper doing homework. I keep thinking that someday I'm going to think it is funny how small they both were.

Life, and guess who is 7!

I think that it is just becoming my motto that: Life, is crazy.

Life around our house lately has been especially crazy. Not in a good or bad way, but there are a lot of big changes going on right now.

Training has started for Mike and his new career, which means a lot of adjustments for everybody. I've gotten comfortable over the years, and you forget when starting at a new job that you are also starting at the bottom of the totem pole again. The first year is going to mean spending a lot of time apart. Birthdays, Christmas....That's an adjustment. A biggie.

Lots of other things going on as well. Life ebbs and flows, and right now we're just gearing up for a crazy ride for awhile. - It all comes back though.

We also had a big day on Saturday! Trevor turned SEVEN! He had two parties this year. One with his friends at Fiddlesticks. It's one of the curses of having a summer birthday. You are limited to where you can have a party, but it also made it to where the place was totally empty. There was only one other party going on, so the kids pretty much had the games and rides to themselves. But dang, it was HOT.

Then after a few hours there we had the family birthday party at our house. It was fun, and Trevor had a great day.

Mike and I were exhausted by the time it was all over and ready for bed. I kept trying to spend little moments during the day remembering what was going on 7 years ago when Trevor was born. Then I realized that giving birth was a million times easier than little kid birthday parties. At least when you are in the hospital you get an epidural, good drugs and somebody else taking care of you. Not you running around frantic making sure everybody has a piece of cake and that nobody has run off!

I want to find out who it is that I have to talk to, but I really believe that birthdays should be spent with the parents both getting massages and eating chocolate. You know, for the time spent carrying this child, and taking care of them year after year! ;) It's not a bad idea.

I'm lucky to have this kid though. He's awesome.
























Happy birthday T!

We're all in this together.....

There is a scent about the air tonight. The scent of teen spirit and bubble gum.

Come on all mothers of tweenage girls and younger, today is a national holiday. High School Musical 2.

I wonder if any of the teachers in classrooms across the country had the attention of girls today. I know it was all I heard about yesterday and today.

The big event is here. Or was here, it is over now and I have a living room that looks like a battlefield.

And the best thing?!?!?

A brand new Hanna Montana was on afterwards!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

*****

I also heard from a friend of mine who was shipping her daughter off to another friend's HSM2 party, that her boys were feeling left out. So they made up their own party to play air hockey and mock the dancers in the movie. I would have liked to have been at THAT party! I bet it was a riot!

Hello from the surface of the sun!

OH MY GOSH.

It is HOT.

<-- this is the parking lot at Target today. Haha!

I am ready for this crappy weather to be over. Sorry Beth, I know exactly who I sound like, but I feel like I'm about to rip my hair out in madness.

There are a couple of little things that are giving me hope right now.

The other day I found an adorable spider votive candle holder. It is on our kitchen counter and I love that it reminds me that if we survive the summer, Halloween and Fall are getting close.

My mother in law gave me a cute pillow with pumpkins on it today too. It's living on my couch. Sing with me now...It's beginning to look a lot like Halloweeeeeen!

I was going to put these things in the orange storage boxes in my holiday storage, but I don't have the heart. Add to that, I'm too lazy and did I mention that it is too dang HOT?!? I think this means I have officially started decorating for Halloween. - and willing Fall to get here. Quick.

sick day

<--- My little man who is almost SEVEN!

Today is the first official sick day for Megan. We didn't even make it through a full week of school yet. Dang.

At least she isn't the first one in her class to miss a day of school.

***

This week has been fun since Trevor is counting down the days until his birthday. I remember getting SO excited when mine was coming up! I'd love to have that excitement that kids get. Why do birthdays loose some of their excitement when you become an adult? It could be that my parents don't wake me up singing to me, and handing me boxes that I KNEW were the shape of model horses. Those were good days!

Mike and I will be singing, but I'm sure it will look more like a Pokemon birthday for this guy.

first week of school

Thank you mystery blogger! ;)

I remember thinking I'd have so much time once the kids started school. So far everyday has been FULL. Granted, I'm able to get more accomplished in a day than if I had company with me, but I'm trying to get caught up after an entire summer's worth of stuff. The big day to relax or sneak in a nap is close. I can just tell.

Today also marks a week in school, since they started last Wednesday. You wouldn't know it considering how well they've all fallen back into schedule and everything. Megan and Trevor both love their teachers, and any anxiety about not having best friends in their classes is over. I know they are both going to have an incredible year this year!

Matthew has done really well in kindergarten. He loves his teacher, and I love seeing the work he's been bringing home with him! It is so cute! I love helping him with his homework too.

He did have a rough day yesterday though. The night before we had a storm, and I guess a tree branch was low enough for a group of little boys to go over and try to hang from it. Matthew was standing on the ground and a boy pulled the branch down on Matthew. It gave him a huge gash on his neck and chest. He was so bandaged up when I picked him up from school.

I also noticed after getting him home that he had scratch marks on his head. On his temple on one side, and the other side from his ear down his neck. They were going a different direction than the tree gash. Obviously they weren't from the tree. Oddly enough there were about four on each side, and about finger width apart. Hmmm.

After calling the school, the teacher said she didn't know about the other scratches. I believe the tree story since the teacher on the playground saw that one happen, but Matthew told me that a boy scratched him after that too. He looks like he got in a fight with a cat.

I was really sad to think that somebody was mean to him already. But sadly enough, a part of me was so relieved to know that MY kid isn't the bully! I asked him what he did after the boy scratched him, and he said he went to play with somebody else. This kid was apparently mad at him for not going down the slide fast enough.

Did he tell the teacher? No, but he knows to now.

Did he fight the kid back? No, which he would have clobbered his brother if Trevor did it to him.

So I know somewhere in there he knows that he can't do that sort of thing at school. He holds his own if he has to, but I'm relieved to see that he knows the difference.

He has two really good friends so far. It is so cute hearing him talk about them.

He looks so big now. I know he likes feeling big like his brother and sister since he gets to go to school too.

Mystery Guest Blogger - Have It Your Way

Do you ever have one of those days, when all is said and done, that you just breathe a sigh of contentment knowing that you've been blessed with new knowledge? A knowledge that is so powerful that you just feel smug for having it?

Today was that day.

Out and about. It's been something close to 30 minutes since food has passed my lips. A hunger pang. A craving. Uncontrollable urging. Must have BK onion rings...with ZESTY© sauce. Regular onion rings 375 calories - check. ZESTY© sauce 150 calories per package - check. It's okay, a Diet Coke© balances everything out, right?

Well half way through the yummy onion rings, the Diet Coke© runs out. Time for a refill. Like many of you, I have a difficult time planning my meals at Burger King. The myriad of choices, the flavor combinations and overall texture just leave me intimidated. I've always felt like Larry the Cable Guy dining at The Savoy every time I set foot in BK...that is...until today...

Thanks to a very brave person. Guillermo, Brenda, Ryan H. or whoever it was. You know who you are. We all know that you're in hiding now for committing such treason. God speed my friend. Thanks for putting the secret/sacred dining & soft drink DaVinci code for all to see. Like a vision of the Virgin Mother, it burned my eyes and is a sight I shall never forget. For now, I know what drink to have with my Burger King order. Thank you.

I promise to share this knowledge with everyone, no matter what the cost. You have served man kind and it will not be forgotten.

To everyone reading this: You now have the keys to the kingdom. Use them wisely and never forget the price that was paid to get it to you...$3.81 including sales tax.

Ugh! Make it stop!

I need to know if this happens to anybody else, because honestly it drives me insane.

I do it without thinking, but twice a day, am and pm, I look at the clock at exactly 8:08 and 9:11.

You would think it's because my body is trained to look at a certain time if I got up at the same time or stuck to a rigid schedule. But I don't.

If I get up at 6:00 in the morning, or 8:00, I still glance at the clock at exactly 8:08.

Then I'll go about my morning and sure enough, when I check to see what time it is - 9:11.

This happens again at night. Every single day. It drives me insane.

First day of school: part 1

I promise the cheese factor will be way down this time. I'm feeling much better! We all made it through the FIRST day!

Mike took Megan and Trevor to their school, and I took Matthew to his school. Only because of it being the first day and there was a ton of stuff to carry and I wanted to make sure that Matthew had somebody with him before he starts just getting dropped off. It actually will work out perfectly in the morning. We drop Matthew off at his school with an earlier start time, then drive back to drop off the other two kids before their school starts.

Megan was up and dressed at 6:30. Shortly followed by Matthew. Trevor probably would have slept another couple of hours if we let him. He was excited, just not enough to lose sleep over.

After picking Megan and Trevor up from school they both have said this is going to be the best year ever! They were so happy to be back.

OK, so do you want to ask me what the last movie was that I saw in the theater? You know how that is always a question on blog tag. Go ahead... ask me!

The Bourne Ultimatum.

Yes. Mike and I went straight to the mall after dropping off the kids. I know, I cried, and then didn't waste a minute huh?

I loved the other two movies from this series, and when I saw the commercial for it I said, "I HAVE to see that!" I'm so glad I have even been able to see all three in a theater! Let me tell you, I had such a hard time walking after this movie because it is SO intense. I didn't realize that I had been sitting all bunched up and stiff the entire time until it was over. It's definitely a good flick.

Then we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. SO everybody had a great day. Tomorrow I am definitely staying home and getting my house clean. That is something that I just gave up on a couple of weeks before school started. I maintained it, but it's time for a deep clean.

I'm actually pretty excited about that. As sick as that sounds.

Below is Matthew's first day of school story.

first day of school: part 2

I took Matthew to school. It was so weird being in a place that my other two kids went to kindergarten at! He showed me where his classroom was, and then he found his desk. He knew where he was sitting from the night before when he went to meet the teacher.

He sat right down and was watching as the rest of the kids came filing in. A lot of parents stayed for the first 15 minutes, taking pictures and just watching. I got a few pictures of Matthew and then ducked off to the side for a few minutes. The teacher told them to pick up the pencils on their desks and start drawing a picture of themselves.

A few minutes later I decided I was going to go. I went back up to tell Matthew goodbye and he looked up at me kind of surprised and said, "What are you still doing here?" Well I guess I don't have to worry about any separation anxiety then do I?

I left. I admit that I got a little teary eyed when I was in the parking lot. It is SO wierd to leave one of your kids knowing that they are a few miles away from your house.

But we did it. Matthew had a great day at school and told me that he loves his teacher and that recess is his favorite part. :)

OK, so why am I the one freaking out? Is this normal?? Sorry, it's a long one.

Have I looked forward to this day with the anticipation that a lot of moms wait years for?

Not really.

Am I dreading it?

Not really.

Is it possible to not know how you feel about something that doesn’t seem like a big event, but someday you’ll look back on it as if it was?!?!?

You know how you remember so many things about when your children are babies, and people older than you always tell you how quickly it goes by and to hang on to every memory that you have while they are young because before you know it, it will be just that?. A memory?

While you are living it, you can’t imagine that much time going by. You almost hope for the next milestone because you think it will make it easier because you are so worn out and exhausted from having a newborn, or a two year old. Or BOTH.

Plus you just can’t help but get excited when somebody learns to crawl, walk or start kindergarten. You almost wish time away wanting the next big step.

It was hard to imagine at the time of changing diapers, Blue’s Clues, highchairs and sippy cups that it would come to an end.

It honestly has come to an end for awhile here, since my youngest is now 4, almost 5. I guess I never really thought about it because he was still home with me.

Now tomorrow I’m going to be sending all three back to school.

That’s where I’m feeling numb about this. I mean, I enjoyed the baby years, the toddler years, and being the mom of little kids. I tried to hang on to every moment. No wonder I like scrapbooking, huh? I would document a nice moment of everybody playing with a toy together right up there with a birthday. The everyday things are really the things that I want to remember.

So I think that is why I’m having a hard time realizing that tonight is the closing of a chapter. I’m not the mom of little tiny ones anymore. A new chapter is starting, and I am almost terrified of it!! I think because I know how quickly those first 8 years of always having company with me on a trip to the store, or at home went. It scares me to think of how fast the next 8 years might go by!

I’m not even sure of what I’m afraid of. I’m excited about seeing my kids grow and the new things we get to do together since they are all getting bigger and more independent. I mean I finally made it out of the terrible twos, which went into the terrible threes and still hung around long enough to say we had a little bit of the terrible fours! - I made it! I can almost hear Barry Manilow singing Looks Like We Made It!

We’re ALL tall enough to go on rides together at amusement parks, and everybody is big enough to order their own food when we go out to eat. It’s nice. And I LOVE that all of my kids can get themselves in the car and buckled up on their own.

So tell me, why am I feeling like this tonight?? I think I’m just as nervous as those kids who keep sneaking out of their beds, way past bedtime because they can’t sleep!

Ack! It will be interesting to see how we are all doing this time tomorrow night!

shiny happy teeth

Look at those super clean teeth. Today was dental day. All three kids went to the dentist to have their teeth cleaned. - and also to find out that each one has one cavity. Yuck.

I was really amazed at how well all three did. The place we go to is so cool. It has a train theme, so of course it is heaven for Matthew. They have a huge wall size 3D engine that comes out of one of the walls, looking like it is coming out of a tunnel. It is really cool. Plus they have train tables to play with, and the lobby has a train that goes around the ceiling, through tunnels into other rooms. It really is cool.

I snuck the pictures while we were waiting for them to finish up on Trevor.

I feel kind of guilty though. I do make the kids brush their teeth morning and night, and bug them about flossing. Ugh, and I could hear each dentist 'reminding' the kids how important it is. Which translates into "mommy needs to make sure she is watching and/or helping when you brush your teeth to make sure you do a good job."

it is getting closer!

The countdown is ON! Less than a week before a new school year. Today was a big day for Matthew. He had to go to the doctor to complete his shots, so he is all up to date. (Sad thing for a third child, not being as current as the first child always is! Do'h!) Mike met his teacher when he dropped off some paperwork and said that she is super nice. I just have a hard time picturing Matthew sitting at a desk, doing kindergarten stuff. I know he's ready though! I remember feeling that way with the other two also, so I know he'll be just fine. They just look so little when you send them off to kindergarten.

Megan and Trevor got their teacher assignments today. First of all, I think the way the school does this is nuts. It has been so stressful for so many kids to have to wait this long into the summer to find out. Starting a new school year is stressful enough, but this seemed to compound the anxiety level for a lot of kids.

Trevor was pretty happy with his teacher. She is the same one that Megan had in 2nd grade, and she is incredible. He will have a great year for sure. The sad thing is, all of his other friends from last year are in his class except for his absolute best friend. A little girl. They were inseparable last year.

Megan had a tougher time. Her best friends are in another class. She knows a couple of the girls in her class this year, so she'll be ok. She'll be able to see the other girls at lunch and at recess, but you know when you are that age and you have all of the 'dynamics' of different cliques and things to contend with. Man, I'd never want to go through all that again.

Now the biggest thing on her mind is what to wear the first day of school. Apparently it is make it or break it time.

Clothes for everybody, done. Bags and backpacks, done. Now I just need to go get the last of the stuff on the supply lists.

4 more days! The thing is, I'm not looking forward to getting rid of them. We've actually had a great summer with hardly any "I'm bored" proclamations. We've been super busy and going places. I am just looking forward to starting a schedule again, and I know they are ready to see friends. I'm going to miss having them around. I swear, once they start kindergarten the times seems to go by so much faster. I'm not going to blink.