{Ahh..the little things}

I've got a new post up over at Midwest Parents today...

Love & ((hugs)) to all of my friends reading this.  May you have a BLESSED safe happy day today :) 

-------------------------

And you don't read my post there, you have to at least go HERE for some WONDERFUL auctions in honor of  "Nie Nie"

for grandma

Here is a quick Zander update (with pictures for Grandma)...

This morning he woke to a VERY swollen lip

And then we were off to the Dr for him to get his cast put on.  He had decided ahead of time that he wanted BROWN.  I was not too keen on the idea, but it is not my cast, right?  So, then he sees BLACK and gets excited until the nurse (thankfully) tells him it will be much too hot, and he finally chooses BLUE to match his little friend Anson that also has a broken wrist & blue cast.  (A little side note, the two of them will be in the same preschool class starting next week, matching blue casts and all).

 

Here at home with his stash of treats from my friend Holly  :)

And his attempt at a smile because I told him that he just looks plain miserable in all of these pictures, which he of course reminded me IT HURTS to smile (sorry, Buddy!)

He is doing great, playing just fine and has not complained a bit.  The Dr said he was a perfect patient, he just sat there perfectly, and I reminded him that after stitches - this was NOTHING!

seriously?

Yes, this is my little Zander Boo...in the ER (again).

Today he decided to climb the fence and jump over the top.  He missed the landing, and fell on his face. At first, my was concern was him needing stitches again, as his nose & lip were bleeding very badly and he had a huge gash under his lip.  It was not until 15-20 minutes later that he realized how badly his wrist hurt too.

So, we go to the ER to have his lip and wrist checked.  Turns out his lip will be fine in 24-48 hours (it will heal itself, and already has began to close up), but the x-ray showed a small fracture called a buckle fracture in his wrist.

Today they put him in a half cast and sling, and tomorrow we see an orthopedic surgeon where he will (most likely) be casted for about 3 weeks.  And to think I was complaining about 10 days of stitches not too long ago.  Silly me...

life with {just} two

I can remember (when the bigger kids were small) thinking how strange things would be when they went off to school.  I thought I would miss their cute little faces SO much.  I thought that it would be hard for them to adjust to being gone all day, and I thought it would be hard for me too. 

Things have been MUCH different than I ever dreamed.

I guess that somewhere along the lines ( I am thinking about 21 mths ago ) things became a little overwhelming for me.  Life became a battle to keep my head above water, just trying  to keep everyone taken care off was tough.  And my house?  Well, something has to give, and usually it was that. 

Fast forward to now. 

Now each morning I send my two big kids off to school, and life becomes much more "manageable" around here.  There is a calm that I have not felt for a very long time.  There is not the crazy yelling Mom we saw in the last few months, there is quiet time, and time for me to pick the house up every day (GASP!), and time for reading books, and time for me to do things for ME, and play dough time, and I am feeling happy more often than I am feeling like screaming "Helllllllllppp  Meeeeeee" to any person passing by. 

Two feels great  :)

-----------------------------

Ava playing with the city we built this morning....

And Zander taking a break from annoying Ava playing to watch some tv...

love it

I LOVE this new song, and I LOVE that he sings Christian music & LOVE LOVE that he came from American Idol  :)    Have you heard "Empty Me" by Chris Sligh?  No?  You must go to his myspace page and check it out.

Here are the lyrics too...

I've had just enough of the spotlight when it burns bright
To see how it gets in the blood.
And I've tasted my share of the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.

I've seen just enough of the quick buys of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.

Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you, compared to you.
Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you. So, I surrender all!

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you.
Empty me.

---------------------

I also love (for the moment, at least) that I am in a house with just two children.  It is fun watching the two of them find ways to spend their time without the distractions (if that is a good word?) of the two older ones.  They've been pretty good so far, but Zander has been a little bossy, and that is just because Ava listens to him  :)  Right now they are playing play-dough, which makes for a good half hour (maybe more) that I can count on them keeping busy.  I think I am going to list some of my books on Amazon so that I can justify buying myself a new book...

it is that time again

It seems that I should be ready for this, but considering I've not slept well for the last two nights, I am guessing that I must be a little anxious.  During my crazy days with all four of my kids, I feel like I am MORE than ready for the older two to go back to school, but right now, during a quiet morning with my thoughts...I am just not sure.

Tomorrow is a big day.  Ellie is going to be a FIRST grader, and Kaden will be in THIRD.  They will both be at the same school now (this will happen every couple of years) and though I am thrilled for that (can you say ONE drop off and at the SAME TIME???) I am just not able to believe that it is time for her to go to school all day already.  But looking back, Kaden was SO ready to go, and she is too, I know she is.  But I also see that last year I was emotional about sending them back as well.  Maybe because it is an obvious milestone, a growth chart of sorts, and it shows me that they just keep growing up and up, and it is happening right before my eyes, and much too quickly.

Tonight is their open house, and we get to see the classrooms and meet the teachers.  I remember with Kaden making sure that he knew where to go from the front doors in the morning, and I remember my shock when after school, the kids just all ran out from the building.  The only supervision was the crosswalk guards, not the teachers bringing them out to the car as I was used to in pre-school & kindergarten.  This was BIG stuff, and these were big kids. 

And now I have two of them. 

Kaden is already asking to walk & ride his bike to school.  Doesn't he know that I am not ready for this?  I am still sending a child to FIRST grade (and another to preschool in a few more weeks!!).  I am still a Mommy to LITTLE kids, not kids who are old enough to walk by themselves to school.  I've told him to wait a few weeks, and see how things go.  We only live a few blocks from school, but I do not think Ellie would feel safe walking home yet, so I am thinking I may walk over there a few nice days to let him get his way, while still feeling that I am the one in control.  We'll see.

---------------------------------

In other big kid news....Ellie had her ears pierced yesterday :)

And last week, she attended cheer camp where the girls learned a few cheers and will get to perform after half time at our first home high school football game (which is a huge program in our small town). 

It was SO cute seeing these little girls out there cheering...

true love

There is something that runs deep through me, and the older I get, the more I realize how much it means to me. 

I have a deep love for all things school related.  I am only finding out now that it does not even have to be ME going to school, LOL!   I love getting all of the new supplies (even for the kids), I love the excitement of new schedules, and the thought of meeting new people. 

It is no wonder I wanted to become a teacher.

Each year when the kids go back to school, I start to wish I was too.  Last night at Zander's Open House, I saw the preschool teachers talking about their daily routine, the field trips, the show & tell, and I can't help but feel a little tug in my heart - wishing that I was that teacher.

There have been times in the last few years that I have told myself (and others) that I am not sure I want to return to teaching.  There are times when I have felt overwhelmed by taking care of my kids each day, and could not imagine getting back into a classroom of 18+ little ones again.  But then, I remember the good things, the fun times, the sweet innocence, the excitement of a new year (and then the excitement of the end of the year too) and I wonder WHEN I will be ready to go back to school instead of IF I will teach again.

precious

it is scanned in, so the quality is not the best, but I flippin' LOVE this picture...

hopefully I'll be back later tonight - life (aka kids/soccer/open house) has my head spinning right now 

worn out

"he must be worn out"

direct quote from Kaden as we pulled away from the ice cream place this afternoon. He was talking about the boy that took out order, then changed it again & again as the kids minds changed.

 I laughed my head off, I think.

Of course, after I laughed,  I had to get smart about it.  "What about me? Don't  you think I get worn out every single day?  I always take orders, then someone changes their mind, then someone else does, then somebody needs comething else..."

He did not think I was funny, but I did.  I continued to laugh at his comment all the way home. 

That poor, poor boy.  He had to take our order, one time today.  He had to get us all ice cream that we PAID him to get us.  He must be worn out...

*waving*

Hi, it's been awile (or at least it feels like it).

Today I am also over at Midwest Parents today, talking about a new found love of mine - homegrown fruits & veggies.  Come check it out!

------------------------------

Today I took the kids to the park for a picnic lunch and a little time to play with friends.  It is so nice to have a break in the heat, the breeze was blowing, and the cooler temps are a nice change.

I was able to get away yesterday with my best friend Holly for the afternoon, and it was WONDERFUL.  We stopped for sushi on our way to the Greene, then spent the day shopping and finished off the day with a late lunch on the patio of one of our favorite places to eat, BD's Mongolian Grill.  YUMM...

Harry spent the day with the kids, and Kaden was finally able to try out the skate park he had been waiting (not so patiently) to try.  He also took the kids to WalMart first so that Kaden could get the necessary gear for skating (helmet, elbow & knee pads).  They proved to be a good buy, as Kaden told me he wiped out a few times, and even hit his head once. ...ugh!  I am hoping that this skateboarding thing does not become his love.  Have you ever watched the pros skate?  Have you seen the pro wreck?  YIKES!  I guess the older kids at the park were impressed by him too, it seems he is really good at it.  I'll let you know where this goes...

----------------------------

If you saw yesterday's post before it was fixed, I am not sure what happened?  Typepad froze my explorer twice last night, so I could not finish my post, or fix the strange html stuff that was going on.