My wise friend, Melynda, who inspired me to start blogging said that another reason for a blog is to allow the people closest to you to know as much about the mundane details of your life as the people at the office! It is true, how easily, we overlook the small little things in our weekly, monthly, or even annual "update conversations". As such, when I don't have any new "kid stories", I will do my best to provide a window into the upcoming events in our family.
Kayleigh is playing soccer again. Each Saturday morning, we load up the car with snacks, drinks, soccer gear, an folding chairs and head towards the field. It is a really great program - all for fun and learning without all the crazy competition. There are no formal practices. They have 10 Kindergarten girls on a team and they spend about 30 minutes doing some ball handling drills and about 45 minutes "playing" against another team. Picture a full size soccer field divided into 10 "mini-fields"...each team has two parent volunteer coaches who, so far, have been quite terrific with the girls...CJ calls it "swarm ball" because they all just chase the ball around like a big swarm of bees. Kayleigh is really quite good (genetic predisposition to the sport). Many people don't know that soccer was CJ's first sport and he played at the college level too until his college soccer coach told him he had to choose between soccer and volleyball. We all know how that one worked out. Anyway, CJ was a record-holding goalie in high school (some of the records still stand) so imagine how amused we were when Kayleigh said she wanted to be a goalie (we've never told her about CJ)...the coaches really like her to play offense because she is really fast and likes to play the whole time. So, typically, she'll kick the ball towards the goal and then run back to defend her own goal - a one girl team! =)
Aidan is quite terrific at the games...his January birthday means he misses the cutoff to play by two weeks, so he is SO ready!! He has been a champ though - sits on the sidelines (bribed with snacks and juice!) and cheers so loudly for his sister - SO CUTE! He can go to soccer camp this summer and will play in the Fall - he is super excited!
I am "walking" at my 6th year graduation this Saturday. Since many people don't know, a "6th year" is another 33 credits beyond my Master's. It is basically between a Master's and a PhD. I got it in Educational Leadership and Administration (basically means I can be a school principal some day - SCARY HUH????). It was a cohort model meaning the whole program was with the same 25 people. We all got very close and so everyone is walking on Saturday together. At my Master's graduation, I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with K, so this one should be a bit more comfortable at least. I will confess that I feel waaaaayyyy to old to be going through the literal pomp and circumstance. I picked up my cap & gown yesterday, amongst all of the undergrads and felt, well, REAAAALLLYYY OLD! I just found myself wanting to scream, "You have NO IDEA how big the world is!!!" and "Put some clothes on!!" or "Have some respect for yourself and stop acting like a drunk idiot!" - SEE, told you - OLD!!! Thankfully, the graduation on Saturday is just for grad students, so I won't feel like such a geriatric!
CJ & the kids have less than a month of school left and I'm done a few days after that. The three of them have had a truly awesome year at Ridgefield Academy. CJ has loved being there and the admin is relying heavily on him for all sorts of things, particularly anything to do with heavy lifting or reaching things on high shelves! In all seriousness, he has taken on a leadership role in the new technology initiative at the school and has been helping to maintain their network (I had no idea he knew that much about computers!!). Aidan & Kayleigh have thrived and we are looking forward to many more years at RA. My move from high school to middle school has been a dramatic change that I am slowly adjusting to. It has given me a lot more time back in the evenings with the family which has been terrific, but I do a lot of things about working with high school kids...
All 4 of us are eager for our amazing summer vacation! We leave on 6/18 for a week in Colorado. CJ's godbrother is getting married and then we will enjoy a week together out there with the whole family. We then fly straight to St. Croix for a month!! We will visit my dad and brother in Vieques. I can't wait to see my 2 nieces , Jazlyn & Jayda and spoil them rotten!!
We have just finished our first Junior Olympic Volleyball season and it went exceptionally well. We ha 60 girls involved with the program and our oldest team came in 3rd in a Bid to the National Championships - an amazing feat for a first year Club. It is a RIDICULOUS amount of work, but has been very rewarding in many ways. We will run a week of camp when we return from vacation and then Club will begin again in the Winter.
I think that's about it for now...we hope you are all healthy & happy and enjoying beautiful weather!! We love you and hope to see each of you soon!!!XOXOX
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Where do they get this stuff??
When do funny kids become boring adults?? Clearly, this DOES happen. There are many more funny kids than there are funny adults. So, where do you think the great little person personality goes when it turns into a boring, uninteresting big person?
The stuff that comes out of my kids' mouths astonishes me. I suppose I should count myself fortunate that through either sheer luck, coincidence, or maybe some decent parenting, my kids' humor is still pretty clean.
Still, their sense of humor amazes me. I don't even think they know they are funny, which, in turn, makes them twice as funny. Half the time, it isn't so much what they are saying as much as it is that they are saying it at all which makes it so funny. Allow me to explain...
One of my favorite "Aidan stories" happened a few months ago...it was 5:30 am on a Monday morning. Anyone who knows me, knows I can't tie my shoes at that hour, let alone be an effective parent. Yet, I persist to try - even at that hour. We had had a typical "birthday party from hell weekend" - 4 in one weekend. This weekend yielded hundreds of miles on my car (which just kills me these days as I watch my gas gauge go down!), and FOUR GOODIE BAGS filled with pounds of sugar - quite literally. So, picture it - there I am - 5:30 am - attempting to find my face enough to put makeup on. Down the stairs runs my beautiful little boy who DID NOT inherit my love of sleeping. I try not to punish him for my inability to be awake at this hour. He prods me about having candy. "Can I have this?", "How about this?", "This would be yummy." I muster all the patience within me and continue to tell him, "Maybe after dinner." He finally looks at me and dejectedly says, "Ya know Mom, I don't think you're funny and no one else thinks you're funny either!" I find myself kneeling next to him saying, "Aidan, everyone thinks I'm funny!!!" As if I am having an out of body experience, I suddenly have a birds-eye view of this scene and am consumed with the overwhelming feeling that I should "get a grip!!"
Last week, CJ and I were talking on the cell phone. Aidan was with CJ. We lost reception and CJ was saying, "hello? hello? (can you hear me now??)" to which my precocious son replied, "maybe she hung up. Maybe she just didn't want to hear it anymore!" I'm starting to think my son knows things that I don't....
Kayleigh is a delight unto herself and is embodying the pre-pre-teen movement! I keep saying, "She's 5!!!!! WHAT are we doing talking about this??? A few days ago, she brought me a spiral-bound notebook the other day to show me a picture she had drawn. I started to gently flip through the pages in the book. She screams, "NNNoooooooooooo!" and snatches the book from my hands. "That's MY DIARY mom and it is PRIVATE!" WHAT? I think. WHAT? How did we get here so fast? Don't I have at least 7 more years before things are PRIVATE? I crack a smile and hand the book to her - ever so curious about what a 5 year old considers "private", but determined to model my respect for her so-called "privacy". Minutes later, she has clearly forgotten this exchange, because she is eager to whisper her secret diary entry to me. She flips to the now famous page and I read about a boy. This is the boy that she has been close to for a year - and the feelings are mutual, on and off. She writes, "_____ and I are best friends. We used to be in love. I don't know if we still are. Do you?" WHAT??? WHAT??? Who is this old soul in my 5 year old's body and why do I feel like I am having an asthma attack?? HEE HEE
This is not the first note about this boy. I have an entire legal pad of love letters she wrote to him - most said, "I don't want to lose you"...the week before she shared with me that he used to love her, but now he loved _____. She told me that this girl was "younger". YOUNGER?? THAN WHAT?? You're 5. You're FIVE!!!!! Where does she get this and how did we get here? I don't know whether to laugh or cry, so I laugh. It is moments like these that I am smacked with the fact that it doesn't just seem like time flies, it TRULY does fly. Soon, the boy from the legal pad notes will be the boy standing on my doorstep, asking to see my dear daughter. Laugh or cry?? Maybe both... I am convinced it won't be long before she says something that causes CJ to fall to the floor and not get up for awhile...
In the meantime, we breath, and laugh, and breath some more and savor the 5 year-old "romance" that is a manifestation of my daughter's beautiful heart . It is funny, though. I have come to the realization that my kids are funnier than most boring adults - thank God for laughter....
The stuff that comes out of my kids' mouths astonishes me. I suppose I should count myself fortunate that through either sheer luck, coincidence, or maybe some decent parenting, my kids' humor is still pretty clean.
Still, their sense of humor amazes me. I don't even think they know they are funny, which, in turn, makes them twice as funny. Half the time, it isn't so much what they are saying as much as it is that they are saying it at all which makes it so funny. Allow me to explain...
One of my favorite "Aidan stories" happened a few months ago...it was 5:30 am on a Monday morning. Anyone who knows me, knows I can't tie my shoes at that hour, let alone be an effective parent. Yet, I persist to try - even at that hour. We had had a typical "birthday party from hell weekend" - 4 in one weekend. This weekend yielded hundreds of miles on my car (which just kills me these days as I watch my gas gauge go down!), and FOUR GOODIE BAGS filled with pounds of sugar - quite literally. So, picture it - there I am - 5:30 am - attempting to find my face enough to put makeup on. Down the stairs runs my beautiful little boy who DID NOT inherit my love of sleeping. I try not to punish him for my inability to be awake at this hour. He prods me about having candy. "Can I have this?", "How about this?", "This would be yummy." I muster all the patience within me and continue to tell him, "Maybe after dinner." He finally looks at me and dejectedly says, "Ya know Mom, I don't think you're funny and no one else thinks you're funny either!" I find myself kneeling next to him saying, "Aidan, everyone thinks I'm funny!!!" As if I am having an out of body experience, I suddenly have a birds-eye view of this scene and am consumed with the overwhelming feeling that I should "get a grip!!"
Last week, CJ and I were talking on the cell phone. Aidan was with CJ. We lost reception and CJ was saying, "hello? hello? (can you hear me now??)" to which my precocious son replied, "maybe she hung up. Maybe she just didn't want to hear it anymore!" I'm starting to think my son knows things that I don't....
Kayleigh is a delight unto herself and is embodying the pre-pre-teen movement! I keep saying, "She's 5!!!!! WHAT are we doing talking about this??? A few days ago, she brought me a spiral-bound notebook the other day to show me a picture she had drawn. I started to gently flip through the pages in the book. She screams, "NNNoooooooooooo!" and snatches the book from my hands. "That's MY DIARY mom and it is PRIVATE!" WHAT? I think. WHAT? How did we get here so fast? Don't I have at least 7 more years before things are PRIVATE? I crack a smile and hand the book to her - ever so curious about what a 5 year old considers "private", but determined to model my respect for her so-called "privacy". Minutes later, she has clearly forgotten this exchange, because she is eager to whisper her secret diary entry to me. She flips to the now famous page and I read about a boy. This is the boy that she has been close to for a year - and the feelings are mutual, on and off. She writes, "_____ and I are best friends. We used to be in love. I don't know if we still are. Do you?" WHAT??? WHAT??? Who is this old soul in my 5 year old's body and why do I feel like I am having an asthma attack?? HEE HEE
This is not the first note about this boy. I have an entire legal pad of love letters she wrote to him - most said, "I don't want to lose you"...the week before she shared with me that he used to love her, but now he loved _____. She told me that this girl was "younger". YOUNGER?? THAN WHAT?? You're 5. You're FIVE!!!!! Where does she get this and how did we get here? I don't know whether to laugh or cry, so I laugh. It is moments like these that I am smacked with the fact that it doesn't just seem like time flies, it TRULY does fly. Soon, the boy from the legal pad notes will be the boy standing on my doorstep, asking to see my dear daughter. Laugh or cry?? Maybe both... I am convinced it won't be long before she says something that causes CJ to fall to the floor and not get up for awhile...
In the meantime, we breath, and laugh, and breath some more and savor the 5 year-old "romance" that is a manifestation of my daughter's beautiful heart . It is funny, though. I have come to the realization that my kids are funnier than most boring adults - thank God for laughter....
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day
I received an email this morning from one of my oldest friends telling me she had decided to start a blog. I know a lot of people with blogs and it was never really anything I considered doing since it fell into the "where would I find time for that?" category. She said that one of the reasons she had decided to start was that all the daily wonders of motherhood were going unrecorded - now that was something I could relate to! Maybe this was something I should consider...so, here I am - starting a blog....who would have thought? Today seemed like a good day - without further ado...
I was awakened on this Mother's Day by the person who made me a mom - my almost 6 (going on 16) year-old, Kayleigh. "Mommy!", she whispered about 3 inches from my nose. "Mommy!", louder, but still a whisper. "MOMMY!" - persistent. She was desperate to kick off the Mother's Day festivities that she had been planning for a week. I opened one eye in time to see my fabulous husband ushering the kids downstairs so I could sleep a bit. I roll over to look at the clock - 6:03 am - ARE YOU KIDDING?? They don't wake up this early on Christmas!!! The kids have been secretly planning the details of this day and have done all they could to keep it secret. All week it was, " I can't tell you what we're doing, but let's just say, you won't be eating dinner at home!" The kids planned each detail and my darling hisband just did what he was told...they even planned the breakfast menu! Where do they come up with this???
I crawl out of bed and wander downstairs to find them intently coloring my card. The kids look at me with a combination of excitement that I am awake and the party can start and disappointment that I have "caught" them with the card. I don't make it off the stairs before I am swallowed up in a rush of hugs and kisses and screams, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!"
They excitedly bring me all of the lovely handmade gifts that they have lovingly created at school. Aidan proudly shows me the card and magnet he made and Kayleigh brings me the little plant she had grown and a little book all about "Kayleigh & Mom"....these are the cool moments that make being a mom so worthwhile... having saved what she considers the "best for last", she brings me "Mom coupons". The coupons inform me that, upon my request, K will "carry my Stop & Shop bags", "mack her bed (yes, "mack"), help me coke (cook), and my personal favorite, "give me a big hug."
The day progresses with lots of time on the deck, a perfect sunny day, overlooking the lake. CJ and I actually got to enjoy coffee together as the kids enjoyed a game inside. I came in to find them hitting beach balls at eachother. I asked a silly question - "Are you being safe?". You know what they say about asking silly questions......K looked at me and slyly replied, "Safe enough." I was reminded 100 times today why I am so lucky to be a mom- they smiled at least that many times and that's all it takes.
I was awakened on this Mother's Day by the person who made me a mom - my almost 6 (going on 16) year-old, Kayleigh. "Mommy!", she whispered about 3 inches from my nose. "Mommy!", louder, but still a whisper. "MOMMY!" - persistent. She was desperate to kick off the Mother's Day festivities that she had been planning for a week. I opened one eye in time to see my fabulous husband ushering the kids downstairs so I could sleep a bit. I roll over to look at the clock - 6:03 am - ARE YOU KIDDING?? They don't wake up this early on Christmas!!! The kids have been secretly planning the details of this day and have done all they could to keep it secret. All week it was, " I can't tell you what we're doing, but let's just say, you won't be eating dinner at home!" The kids planned each detail and my darling hisband just did what he was told...they even planned the breakfast menu! Where do they come up with this???
I crawl out of bed and wander downstairs to find them intently coloring my card. The kids look at me with a combination of excitement that I am awake and the party can start and disappointment that I have "caught" them with the card. I don't make it off the stairs before I am swallowed up in a rush of hugs and kisses and screams, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!"
They excitedly bring me all of the lovely handmade gifts that they have lovingly created at school. Aidan proudly shows me the card and magnet he made and Kayleigh brings me the little plant she had grown and a little book all about "Kayleigh & Mom"....these are the cool moments that make being a mom so worthwhile... having saved what she considers the "best for last", she brings me "Mom coupons". The coupons inform me that, upon my request, K will "carry my Stop & Shop bags", "mack her bed (yes, "mack"), help me coke (cook), and my personal favorite, "give me a big hug."
The day progresses with lots of time on the deck, a perfect sunny day, overlooking the lake. CJ and I actually got to enjoy coffee together as the kids enjoyed a game inside. I came in to find them hitting beach balls at eachother. I asked a silly question - "Are you being safe?". You know what they say about asking silly questions......K looked at me and slyly replied, "Safe enough." I was reminded 100 times today why I am so lucky to be a mom- they smiled at least that many times and that's all it takes.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)