Doin' a "secial" job

Oh, how I love that boy of mine!!! Jamy is awesome, but this time I am talking about the littlest man in my life. Watching him go to preschool has been so much fun. He LOVES school and much to my surprise, has had zero problems with me leaving him there. He takes his teacher's hand, waves bye and heads up the steps without hardly even looking back.

Weston is so many things. He can be wild and crazy. Sometimes he is more than just a little ornery. Under it all though, there is a sweetness and sensitive little man that makes me so proud. He holds Skylar's hand to help her down the stairs. He has carried a little caterpillar around for about 24 hours now. He says it needs him because it can't find its mommy and daddy. Never mind, the reason it can't get home is because he put it in a bug house. Doesn't matter, Weston just knows he needs to take care of it. He hugs me constantly and puts my face in his little hands so he can look at me. He thinks Daddy hung the moon. Since Weston has started school I have really come to appreciate what a sensitive guy he really is.

His new question/comment for me is, "Look, Mommy, I did a secial job!" or "Mommy, did I do a secial job?" He is so proud that he is doing a "secial" job. We have a bulletin board in the kitchen where we display the kid's school papers. Every time he walks by and sees his stuff from school he has to remind us that he did a "secial" job. Hearing that sweet little voice full of pride for the job he has done makes my day.

Hug your kids tight today and remind them how "secial" they are to you. And yes, Weston, you did a "secial" job.

Finally,

I was finally able to get Weston's preschool video up. Here you go!



I wish each and every one of you could see his little face when it is time to go to school. Then when I pick him up he lights up again. Weston reminds me everyday how important the little things in life really are and how much joy you can find just by being open to the world around you. He has this smile that can fix anything that is wrong.

I hope you enjoy watching him go to school!

New video!

Here is a quick video I put together a few days ago of Skylar.




Weston had an awesome first day of preschool. I have some great video and pictures to share but for some reason my computer isn't uploading those. I will work on it again at naptime today so check back later or tomorrow and hopefully you can see him.

He did a great job! He pretty much ran the whole way to school. He hesitated for a moment at the top of the stairs where he could see the classroom. It was almost like he realized the reality of school. Just took him a minute though and he ran right on in and got busy.

So now I have two school kids. It is a strange feeling. Yesterday for a couple of hours it was just Skylar and me. It has been about three years since I just had one baby to take care of. She seemed to love it!

Okay, off to play a game. Have a great day!

Another baby out of the nest

In just a few hours, I will push another little hatchling out of the nest. There should really be some rule about not having to have two major milestones with two of your children in the same week.

Yup, Weston starts preschool at 10:30 am today. How can it be time already? It seems like it was just a few minutes ago that Kathy, our midwife, said, "You have a son!" At that moment, I remember feeling something I had never felt before. I guess it is that special love that a mother has for her son. Daughters are amazing in their own way. Sons tug at a Mommy's heart. He is my little man and I am not sure either of us is ready for preschool. In just a few hours we will be though. I will strap his adorable little backpack on his back, take some pictures and send him off to school.

Part of my brain is frantically trying to figure out some way to keep him from growing up so fast. The other part of my brain knows and believes that letting go and giving them some Independence is the best gift a parent can give. I am pretty sure at any momont the two halves of my brain could collide and the universe will explode.

So if the ground beneath your feet shakes at little at 10:30 and the sky turns black for a moment, don't be frightened. It will just be my brain wrapping itself around the idea that another of my babies is really no longer a baby.

Hang on tight!!!

What did he say????

Okay, we just watched Michael Phelps make history. Eight gold medals!!!!! Amazing!

Now I need someone to correct me here and tell me that he didn't just say what I think he said on the medals stand. Did anyone else catch this or am I completely wrong? It looked to me that right before the national anthem began his teammate asked him if he was going to sing. I swear I thought he said, "No, I don't even know half the words."

Please tell me that we have done better than this with the athletes who are representing us to the world. It means so much to be an American and I would hope that those that represent us at least know the song that binds us together as a people.

I am hoping I am wrong. If you saw it and understood what he said, enlighten me please. Right now, his Olympic feat is tainted for me.

For those of you Americans out there who do not know these lyrics.....LEARN THEM!!!


The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814



Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

More Kindergarten

Here is a little movie I made of the first couple of days of school.




Abby was pretty wore out after her first couple of days. She really had a good time though. She did tell us she had to put her head on her desk "just once" for talking. Can you imagine?????? :) She packed her own lunch (PB&J), laid out her clothes and got herself all ready for school both days! Her homework on Friday was to read a litle book to us. Guess what, she did it!!!!! I know they practiced it at school but, holy cow, what a trip hearing her read is!!! She has some old friends and some new friends in her class. Apparently, there are a few new boys, but Abby told me they aren't as "cool" as Logan! Logan is her boyfriend of about two years now. I guess his position in her world is safe for now. My hope is that the excitment for school you see in the video stays with her throughout school. I bet her teacher hopes she tones it down a bit though!!!!

Kindergarten pictures!

What a crazy kindergarten day! Abby is tucked into bed now but I think is floating about 5 feet above her mattress. She had a great day and LOVESSS school! Ask my Grandma if you don't believe me. Abby called her this afternoon to tell her about school and I bet Grammy's ears are still smokin'!

I am just going to post some pictures tonight. It has been a long day so will type more about it tomorrow. I will also post more pictures then.

For now, enjoy these.....

We have lift-off!!!!

This morning at 7:45, Miss Abby blasted her way into kindergarten. She was so excited I didn't know if she would be able to contain herself. We have a back-to-school night tonight at her classroom so I will take some more pictures then and post them.

Pat me on the back.......I didn't even cry. I didn't even tear up!!! It was so much fun watching her and watching how excited she was that there was just no room for tears. The whole family escorted her into school where we dropped her off at the gym for the morning activities the principal does with them. She sat right down,gave us kisses and was ready for us to go. I had to take her meds to the school nurse so when I came back I was able to walk her to her classroom. She found her seat and never looked back at me. About 10 of her good friends from preschool are in her class so she was right at home.

So her journey has begun. I am excited to see where this stage of her life will take her.

Check again later today for pictures!!!!

T-minus1 day!!!

The day is almost here. It is almost time to push my first little hatchling out of the nest and see how she flies. Kindergarten starts tomorrow. We went to the parent meeting last night. My first experience as the mom sitting in those way tiny kindergarten chairs with my daughter's name written on a cut-out apple right in front of me, like she is actually old enough to be going to school. Over the last five years occasionally I have thought about her starting school. I am finding as the day gets closer that the idea of kindergarten is way different than the reality.

The idea of kindergarten is happy little children playing together in games where everyone gets along, graham crackers and milk, crayons, paints, tasting the glue, and rainbows everywhere. The reality of kindergarten is the first place that someone other than me will be spending more time with my child than I am. Other people will start influencing her values and beliefs. Public schools are where kids can be mean, guns sometimes show up on the playground, and the milk is usually warm. Taking off to the park for the morning because it is only 80 degrees in August is now a happy memory.

I know all over the U.S. moms, both working and stay-at-home, are facing the same milestone. Our babies aren't babies anymore. It really is time that they step out of the nest, spread their wings and start out on the adventure.

A child's school years have such a profound effect on who that child becomes. Think about your own life and your own experience in school. I bet that a big part of who you are today is based upon the experiences you had during school. Maybe that is what is so hard about letting the babies head off to school. For the first time, they have to experience the world outside our safe little home and learn how to live in that world where not everyone will think they are the smartest, funniest, most amazing person on the planet.

I am so excited for Abby as she starts her schooling. She is going to learn so many new things. She will make new friends, maybe ones who will stay with her for her whole life if she is lucky. She is going to have experiences, both good and bad that will change and shape the way she sees the world and the people in it.

My wish for her is that the idea of school and the reality of school are actually one and the same. I wish for her to have rainbows, crayons, graham crackers and milk even if it is warm. I hope she not only meets amazing people, but also a few mean kids. She needs to learn that sometimes people are mean and how you react to them says so much about you. I hope she discovers a love of learning that will last her whole lifetime. I also hope that as she ventures out into the world she always remembers how much she is loved at home. This is the place where we will always think she is one of the three smartest, funniest, most amazing people on the planet. We will always be here standing behind her, trying to not get in her way but always watching to make sure she is okay.

So, the million dollar question.....have I cried? I have friends who have been crying about this day at least a couple of times a day for the last month. Not me though, I am a rock!!! No tears here. Okay, at least not until last night. Something happened sitting in that tiny little chair last night listening to Abby's new teacher briefing us on Operation Shove-Your-Kid-Into-the-World. I was doing okay until she started talking about how she will be sending home books and the kids are supposed to READ them to us!!!! What, Abby reading??????!!!!! How in the world can that happen? Isn't that my job? For five years, I am the one who reads the stories around here. We pick out a book, curl up together and go on all kinds of adventures together as we read book after book. I guess when her teacher started talking about reading, I realized that it won't be long and my baby won't even need me to read to her anymore. Matter of fact, she can use her reading skills to escape from me if she wants, like I used to do when I was a kid. Anyway, right there in the middle of all of the parents I started tearing up. Of course, I looked around and six other moms were doing their best not to let loose a geyser of tears.

Jamy and I went out to dinner after the meeting. As we were sitting there talking when he looked at me in that certain way he has and, dang, if the tears did almost start coming again. I gently reminded him not to laugh too hard at me. His day is coming. One day in the not so distant future our little girl is going to show up with some motorcycle-riding, tattoo-wearing, purple-haired, pile of raging teenage boy hormones and we will see which parent starts crying then!!!

Wish me luck as we go spend our last day of summer together and prepare ourselves for the start of the next chapter in Abby's life.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I get to do it all over again next Tuesday when Weston starts preschool? Kleenex, anyone?