it gets better

If you haven't yet read the post prior to this, you must. The comments are funny too. My friend Stephanie, who was adjoined my hip for the better part of elementary-7th grade (and still to this day a dear, dear friend) just might remember some of this. I know she remembered some stuff b/c she told me so in my last post. So here is a continuation....

Last night after I posted, the phone rang again. My kids were in bed, but as fast as Ryan could bolt out of his room, he took the call. It was the girl that he asked out. She called to tell him that she didn't say no...she said maybe. Ryan, "Okay bye." !?!?!?

This morning, long before I am up, I hear the shower going. Oh jeez....Ryan! He informed me that he is now going to shower daily. That's fine by me. Most active ten year old boys need that anyway. As I am drying my hair, I saw him looking in my jewelry. He walked away. I blew it off. A minute later, Kate came and started digging through it. I asked what they were doing. She said she needed a box. I asked why. She told me she couldn't tell me.

Ryan came in and said, "Kate said I need a box to give (girl) something."

Me: "What are you giving her?"

Ryan slowly opened his hand to show me some earrings to giver. They were Kate's. They were used. She didn't want them. Oh my goodness.

I finished drying my hair, and I instantly had a flashback to fifth grade. I too received a gift of used earrings taken from a sister from a boyfriend. It was the biggest turn off (not that fifth graders get "turned on")>

I called Ryan to my room and did the Sophia from the Golden Girls: "Picture it....1987...I got used earrings Ryan, and that's no gift." He agreed, and I thought it was over. But of course, it wasn't. (Steph do you remember this? E.B was the boy)

As I went downstairs to eat breakfast, I saw them making something. Kate had a fake "medal" necklace (like Olympians get), but you can put things in the medal part. Ryan wrote the girl's name on a piece of paper and put it in the medal.

Finally I said, "Ryan I'm sorry, but I need to save you from embarrassment. This is a little ridiculous. You told her you liked her. She said maybe. Wait for her to come to you. Don't give her anything." Even Thad interjected. Ryan got our point, and went to school with nothing.

The funny thing was that Kate--his mortal enemy--was his little advisor.

I will keep you posted!

drama

I have been preoccupied with a sick Brady all week. My mom radar was up since last Thursday. Things just weren't quite right. By Saturday evening, he had a high fever. While Thad was whooping it up with his old friends from hockey, I was whooping it up with Brady. As in he was screaming, and I was 'dancing' around the house trying to console him.
Okay, there is a point to this...just bear with me. So fast forward to the rest of the week: double ear infectiom Sunday, miserable Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Finally today he is better.
I don't have just one child. So as I am worrying/consoling Mr. I am in pain/can't sleep/scream boy, I have my other son decide, after ten years of shutting me out no less, to include me in his fourth grade world.
Last night I helped him craft a "will you go out with me" letter to a girl that he has previously "gone out with." I asked him, "What does this mean when you are a fouth grader?" My only frame of reference was when I had a 'boyfriend' in 4th grade, another Ryan, and we rarely talked. I did call his house a few times, but he hung up on me. Ryan's answer was, "Well you text one another, but since I am the ONLY kid I know other than the kids in the culdesac without a cell phone, we can't do that." Of course in my mind I am thinking, "THANK GOD YOU CAN'T TEXT THIS GIRL!" But, I played it cool.
We worked on a note, he showed me some other girls that he has asked out, and that was it. Then he showed me a girl who he called bisexual (really? whatever) because she kisses boys and maybe tried to kiss a girl. I asked him where he heard about that, because while I am open, that one hasn't come up. "Oh we saw it when we watched Dodgeball last weekend at a party." Okayyyyy.
He had the "will you go with me" note nicely folded along with a picture of a bird(?) for her near his backpack. Tonight he told me she said no. I breathed a sigh of relief and told him that baseball starts Monday. I said, "You have more important things to worry about other than girls. You are too young. But, Ryan, I want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything. Thank you for coming to me."
A bit later, the phone rang....I saw the caller id. I recognized it as the bff of the girl he 'asked out.' To make a long story short, prospective girl might dump her currect bf, 'go out' (how ridiculous!) with Ryan, and the world will be a better place.

Isn't it odd that I go from stressing about my baby who was been sick to stressing about my baby who is writing love notes and discussing the sexual preferences (yet not) to fourth graders? Dear Lord....

Ryan has been sportless for a month. I can assure you that during season he doesn't have this kind of time to write notes. Thank god for baseball.

what we don't know

I am going to title this post, "The things that we don't take into consideration or ever expect to deal with when pondering parenthood."

1. I didn't realize that my children would require only the most expensive shoes from Stride Rite. They carry "Wide" shoes. Each of my babies has needed these. Olivia and Kate still do too. A normal stop in there is about $50.
2. That dental care is so expensive. Each trip is around $120/kid. Then they need sealants, teeth pulled, fillings, and orthodontic care.
3. That my children would have different food tastes. There isn't one meal that I can think of that each child loves. Inevitably this means that on any given night at least one child complains.
4. I never thought about dealing with peer issues. Never once when touching my bulging baby belly did I picture little Ryan, Kate, or Olivia have their feelings hurt, talked to inappropriately, or their egos crushed. I also didn't think about them doing it to others.
5. I didn't expect the fact that if I just loved them to death, they would treat me well back. HA! That was pretty idiotic huh?
6. I certainly didn't factor in that not only would my kids need expensive shoes, but also several types of shoes. There are your basic tennis shoes, sandals, shoes that are casual, dress shoes for winter (black), brown dress shoes, dress shoes for summer (more white), and shoes that the will want to wear all the time that don't fall into any category.
7. I didn't count on going through so many pairs of sock in a given year. Enough said.
8. I didn't anticpate the stress of having my kids have a growth spurt in the spring, need to pants, and then realize that pants aren't sold right now. That one drives me crazy.
9. I never envisioned having my kids use (ruin) my lipstick, drop my powder, and use make up brushes in bad ways.
10. I figured they would use crayons and markers for coloring on PAPER.
11. I certainly didn't expect them to fart or belch outloud in public, pick their nose where everyone could see them, or be dirty when I wanted them clean.
12. I didn't think that so early on they would ask why my butt was so big or (my favorite) if I was pregnant again because my tummy was sticking out.
13. I didn't think that I would count "Bedtime" as the most dreaded time of day.
14. I didn't think I could sit and watch some of the ridiculous shows that my kids watch and actually enjoy them.
15. I certainly never expected to live vicariously through them.
16. I never thought of the times when I would have to hold down my sweet screaming child who was receiving the dreaded kindergarten shots. (Me. Today. Olivia)


I could go on, but it's bathtime. In no way do I not have a list to make that is way longer reflecting the good. But sometimes the horror stories are a release for me. Consider this my "releasing phase."

blogging

I have to tell you that I am in a blogging rut. It was all I could do just to blog about my weekend. I am tired of loading up pictures, fighting with putting them in the correct order, and coming up with summaries to stories.
I talk all.day.long. By the end of the day, I am not too psyched up to talk or blog. Maybe it would be easier to vent-blog rather than update-blog. Do you ever feel this way?

I think I will vent blog....

I get so irritated that my kids see the laundry basket, yet dump their clothes right in front of it on the floor.
My child has been grounded for four days (and now maybe five), because he has not learned to shut his mouth at the appropriate time. Eye rolling, "whatever," and just plain arguing are so sickening some days.
My lovely daughter (who is seven) is such a diva some days. "Mom why didn't you wake me up earlier? Why can't I wear shorts outside? Ugh you are so mean. You don't need to know. Whatever. OLIVIA GO AWAY! Then I'll call Grandpa. He always gives me what I want. (she's right)" I could go on and on. What I want to say isn't appropriate to type. You can guess I am sure. Oh, and she is obsessed with the word boobs. She stuffs her shirt with plastic Easter eggs, asks when I will buy her a bra, and she thinks she is going on 18. It drives me crazy!
I hate how I feel ready for bed all day and then I can't fall asleep.
I can't wait to take Olivia to her Kindergarten check up tomorrow. I love holding down children when they need shots. Thad (as usual) can't come. Lovely.
I wish I could tone up my body more. This would take more self control and the time to exercise more.
While I am at it, I would love a live in chef, house cleaner, and nanny.

There, that's more like it. That was a better blog.

Easter weekend

.
Why can't I get these pictures in order?? This is on Easter at the park

Ryan with a nice haircut AND his new braces!

Brady at the park swinging with Ryan

A snapshot documenting that my kids were quiet for all of five minutes in the car.

What we do to stay sane....

After a rather disastrous car ride--can we say fighting, bickering, whining, and crabbiness?--we arrived at Aunt Stacy's house. The kids were so giddy to see one another. Brady stepped right into her house and went straight for....you guessed it...her kitchen cabinets! That boy had more fun playing with her pots and pans than anything else. He loved Stacy. Hearing him say her name repeatedly was soooooo sweet. So he was one happy camper. Ryan was in heaven because Shane has a PS3. The girls, as always, played so well together.

Unfortunately Thad was not feeling well. He had complained for a few days of not feeling well. The morning we were set to leave he was feeling worse. I kept telling him to stay home, but he insisted on going. By the time we got to Prior Lake, poor Thad was miserable. Picture six screaming and lauging kids running around. With all that noise, he slept right through it on the couch. I don't think he said but five words all evening.
Then came bedtime...yeah not so fun. Eighteen months is a tough age. By the time Brady went to sleep, Olivia had a meltdown. Twenty minutes and a few choice words later, Thad announced that we weren't staying a second night. I couldn't blame him. Who wants to be sick anywhere other than home?
We woke up bright and early Saturday ready to go...but Thad could hardly talk to swallow. So the adults and kids headed to the MOA. That place should stand for "Moms Overly Annoyed." The kids were too impatient and were only happy when they got to do what they wanted. Typical I know, but no less frustrating. The girls finally got to see the American Girl doll store...

We left shortly after that. Thad started feeling better. I am convinced that he was dealing with being slightly sick and maybe a big old dose of allergies to their pets. Why else would he have felt better so soon after we left?

Sunday we went to church....oh that was fun. We will leave it at that. We laid low all day, hit the park, and went to my parents' for supper along with Thad's mom. **I need to interject here that my mother in law is a saint. The woman does not lose her cool. It amazes me.**

We ate another fabulous Grandma Jeanne meal, hid some eggs, and visited....

Here is a picture of Brady and Hope playing with kitchen utencils.

That was our holiday weekend in a nutshell. No matter how wild and crazy things get, I am quite aware of how lucky we are to have such amazing relatives who are also great friends. My sister in law is great. I am bummed that we didn't get as much of our own quality time, but we will try it again soon....okay maybe not super soon, but soon as in a few months. Olivia says she is having her birthday party at Aunt Stacy's so maybe we will be back in a month! Oh wait, I am going to LAS VEGAS that weekend with my mom and sister. Thad can take the kids there. Alone. Yeah right.