I'm Spoiled...

I woke up yesterday morning with both anticipation and hesitation. I began my day like everyday, waking up at 5:45 to walk for an hour. I left the house, crossed the street, walked down the sidewalk about 100 feet, and then the rain began. It got heavier and heavier, enough for me to turn around and go back home. At 7:00 I got the boys up and got them ready. Adam was at school by 8:15. Then Matt and I took some pictures (see earlier post) of his first day. I took Matt to school, ran errands while he was there, and then picked him up at 11:30. Between 11:30 and 1:30, I had a bunch to do. I fixed lunch for Matt, Robert and I. Robert got his bag packed. He left for Manhattan "the little apple" Kansas on a work trip and will be gone 'til Sunday. Matt and I then picked Adam up at 1:30 to drive down to Liberal (70 miles south) for an appt. with his OCD doctor. I initially thought the day was going to be a bit hectic, but amazingly everything went smoothly. After the appt. we played at a park and got ice cream before driving back to Garden City. While cruising along, I started thinking that I'm spoiled being a stay-at-home mom. There are tons of things I get to do that working moms don't. When I took Matt to school, all (and I mean all) of the other children just ran right into the room and didn't worry a bit about where their moms were. Matt was only one that was nervous to be there. This same thing happened when Adam started preschool. And I think it's because all the other moms work and the other kids have been in daycare. I'm thankful that I don't have a job and that I could stay as long as needed with Matt yesterday. And that I can pick him up everyday and not the babysitter. I am thankful, too, that I can use the entire afternoon to take my son to the doctor and not have to worry about using my vacation/sick time. I love living across the street from Adam's school and being able to stand on my front porch and watch him play at recess. Or have the time to walk him to school and then take extra time walking home so Matt can jump at all the low-hanging tree branches to try to get leaves. These are all things I wouldn't be able to do if I had to work and not stay home with my boys. Granted, staying at home has not always been a picnic. There's definitely been sacrifices we've had to make--like cutting our income in half when Adam was born and not being able to buy a house until we'd been married for over 10 years. There have been many days when I've felt isolated and lonely but the blessings of staying home have definitely outweighed the sacrifices.

Matt's 1st Day of Preschool

Matthew had his first day of preschool yesterday. To say he was not thrilled about it, is a HUGE understatement. He is such a momma's boy that he had no interest in going anywhere without me. For the past month he has told me repeatedly that he doesn't want to go to preschool and that he won't have fun and that he'll just stand in the corner and not doing anything. Too bad his tactics didn't work. The following pictures accurately represent my attempts at getting a "first day of school" photo. His actions say it all. "Arrggghh, I don't want my picture taken."

"You can't make me."

"See, I told you. You still can't make me."

"Fine. You can see part of my face."

Ahh. Victory! A small grin.

I took Matt into his class and stayed around for 10-15 minutes. He was not happy when I told him I was leaving and would be back later. I left and spent the next two hours wondering if he really was standing in the corner, ignoring everyone. When I picked him up he was smiling. As we walked to the car, he said, "Mom, I was wrong about something. I was wrong that I wasn't going to have fun." (Me)-"Did you have fun?" (Matt)-"Yeah, can I come again tomorrow? And next time, don't stay a long time when you bring me, just a short time." Ahhhh, victory! He's excited about school now and is bummed that he only gets to go three days a week. His teacher, Ms. Janine, really is wonderful. She has such a warm and friendly personality. Adam told Matt, "she just loves the kids."

Weekly Tidbits & Musings

We're getting back into the routine of a school schedule. This was the first full week of school for Adam. He's doing really well, and like any normal kid, tells me he doesn't want to go to school every morning when I wake him up. On Monday he came home and was really excited because he made a new friend, Cole. And, that "it only took four days" of school before he had a new friend. He said last year it took him a lot longer. Cole is the only student in Adam's class that is new to the school. So, I'm happy and proud that Adam is being friendly to the "new kid".

Sometimes I think Adam has an adult brain in a kid body. Every so often I catch glimpses of what he's going to be like all grown up. Monday night while getting ready for bed, he told me he had to make a "to do" list for the next day. I asked him where he got that idea and why would he need to do that. He responded by telling me he had to do it so he wouldn't forget what he needed/wanted to do. So, I let him write his list. He listed six things to do, including, going to school, watching TV, playing with Matthew, and watching more TV. Beside each item he drew a square so he could check it off as he completed it. Is this really organized or really anal?

As I've posted before, I love finding a bargain and paying as little for something as possible. This week I spent $40 for $100 worth of groceries. It takes a little planning and strategizing, but anyone can do it. Here are a couple of my latest finds. If you shop at a grocery store that has a store card (the kind you scan to get the sale prices), there are websites that can link electronic coupons straight to your card. AND, you can use paper coupons as well. EX: $1.00 paper coupon for cereal + $1.00 electronic coupon = $2.00 off. This week I got boxes of fruit snacks for $.50 each and Hamburger Helper (good food storage item) for $.10 each. The websites for the electronic coupons are: http://www.shortcuts.com/, http://www.pgesaver.com/, and http://www.softcoin.com/. Right now I've got about 100 coupons on my card. I would bet between the three sites, there are at least 150 coupons.

With Adam back in school and Matt starting preschool next week. And the fact, that they're growing up and will both be in school full-time next year, makes me feel like I'm in "limbo-land". I remember feeling MANY times when they were babies and toddlers, how nice it would be when they were in school and I could do "this, this, and this." But now that they're going to school, "this, this and this" just doesn't seem as important or worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like I have to find something to do just to fill the time. I know there are things I can do to postpone this phase, like keep Matt home from preschool, but that simply delays it. There's nothing that will avoid it. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I think to myself, "Hallelujah, I've got the house to myself". Or grocery shopping by myself is definitely a huge bonus. But, there are times, too, when it just feels downright lonely.

Hallelujah!!--

Our "summer car saga" is finally over! It has been one "car drama" after another for the past three months. In May (before school got out), our beloved Honda died (boo-hoo). So, we were down to one car-a bit of a hassle but nothing we couldn't handle. Then, in June, the boys and I were in a car accident. So, then our "one car" was down to half-a-car. It took another month before we could even get the van into the body shop for repairs. Thankfully, the owner of the body shop lent us a car (for free) while they were fixing the van, otherwise we would have been down to zero cars.We were initially told it would take one week to fix the van, however, it took three. We finally got it back yesterday (after school started back up again). A couple of weeks ago, we finally found another car to buy, to get us back up to two cars (once the van was fixed). We bought a 2002 Mazda Protege with only 53,000 miles on it. That's only 7-8K miles/year. We got a really good deal. Hopefully, there will be no more "car drama" for the next five years.

1st Day of School

Yesterday was Adam's first day of school. He had a great day! The night before, we went to see his classroom and meet his teacher. Her name is Mrs. Crook. This is her 33rd year of teaching. She is really friendly and personable. He knows all of the kids in his class. So, we think he'll have a great year. Adam just thrives in school--the schedule, the busyness of it, and the constant learning--everything he loves.

Last Day of Summer Vacay!!!

Today is the last day of summer vacation for Adam. School begins tomorrow! A couple of weeks ago I asked him if he was excited for school. He told me, "No, it's really going to cut into my time." That cracks me up; he sounds like an adult. On Saturday he received a postcard from his new teacher, Mrs. Crook. Since then, he's been getting excited. Especially since it's the teacher he wanted. (She lets them run 5 laps at recess; the other teacher only lets them run 3.) Last night we had a Back-to-School FHE. I showed them pictures of me when I was starting 1st grade and preschool and read to them from my baby book what I liked about both of those school years. Robert then gave them each a father's blessing, which they were both really excited about. This morning I told them we can do whatever they want today. They've decided they want some extra TV time, to play games, go to the playground, and to go to lunch. This evening we'll go to Adam's school to meet his teacher and see his classroom. And then tomorrow it's rise-n-shine for school at 8:20am.

Miami Pics--swimming

I finally figured out how to download our photos onto the boys' computer (our laptop is still busted). Since we were down in Miami for two weeks, or as Matt likes to say, "16 days", we have a lot of pictures. The day we took our camera to the beach, there was a ton of seaweed. There must have been a storm during the night out at sea and the tide brought it in. The boys loved it! They had a lot of fun with it. With the seaweed comes lots of little fish. Adam and I caught one in his bucket. It was fun. He and Matt played and stared at that fish all morning.

Litter bugs! Adam found some trash in the seaweed.

This is Matt's handiwork. Robert and I at the beach.

Robert and Adam playing in the water. It looks like Adam is squinting because salt water got in his eyes.

This is the resort we stay at every time. Ahhh-right on the beach!

The boys really enjoyed swimming in the pool. The water was so warm--just like a bath. The day I took these photos, it was so humid that my lenses kept fogging up.

Both Adam and Matt love to swim. By the end of the two weeks, Matt was swimming without his swim belt. They did great.

Matt and Grandma Chichi played with the boogie boards a lot. He would stand on it and then flip backwards. Lots of good laughs!

Here comes Baywatch!

Miami Pics--the waters of Miami

We took Adam and Matt out to the Everglades. Adam had been out there when he was 1 y/o but didn't remember a thing. This time we knew they would enjoy it.
Robert, Adam and Matt with an alligator. Matt wasn't too sure about this. Earlier, the "crazy croc" wrestler had put a baby alligator on the boys' heads.

One of the alligators we saw on the airboat tour. It swam right up along side the boat.

Robert and his GQ pose. This wasn't intentional--it just worked out this way. The boat had stopped to allow us to look around the sawgrass and look for gators.

Heidi, Adam and Matt finishing the airboat ride.

We took the boys down to Bayside. It is in downtown Miami. It is an open-air shopping area and also, where all the boats dock for tours and cruises. Adam and Matt couldn't believe how big the cruise ships were. One summer, while in college, Robert worked at a store at Bayside. He got to show the boys. It's called "Art by God" and has all sorts of natural, earth stuff--fossils, rocks, even dinosaur bones. Needless to say, it's very expensive.

Here's the boats. Pass the causeway (bridge) is a cruise ship (it's a bit hard to see).

Miami Pics--Wannado City & Children's Museum

We took the boys to Wannado City. It is an indoor themepark where the kids can role play almost any type of job imaginable, including working at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. We had been there before and were hoping that Matt would enjoy it since he's 4 now. That didn't really happen. Most of the activities the kids go off with the leader, and Matt didn't like being away from us. However, Adam had a great time. Adam at the circus tent.

Adam is pretending to work at a Coca-Cola bottling plant. He picked Sprite to fill up his bottles.
There was a small carnival inside. Matt, however, didn't like going on the carousel without me.


Next stop--the Miami Children's Museum. We went on a free Friday, so it was packed with kids.
Adam following in his Grandpa's footsteps.

Tough-guy Adam and Grandma Chichi. Vrrooom-vrrooom!

Adam tried his hand at rock-climbing.

Adam and Matt inside the grocery store, busy picking Florida oranges.

Miami Pics--Seaquarium and Zoo

These first five pictures are from the Miami Seaquarium. It was a lot of fun, with different exhibits and shows. As you can see, everyone was really hot and sweaty, and Matt was not too happy about it.
Catch of the Day!

Big Daddy the Sea Lion

Dolphins

The favorite show of all--the killer whale! Adam and Matt LOVED this.



Now, on to the Miami Zoo.

Awesome Adam and Mopey Matt (common poses for both of them)

There was a spray park in the zoo. The boys had so much fun. We forgot to bring their swimsuits, but, oh well. They loved getting soaked and afterwards, the wet clothes kept them a bit cooler.

In Memoriam

On Thursday evening, Robert's cousin Maria Julia "Maju" passed away. She had been fighting leukemia for the past 4-5 years. She was born and raised in Bolivia but moved to Miami as a young adult. When we were down there, we got to visit her a number of times. We are very grateful we got to see her since she passed away only five days after we got home. Robert and Maju were quite close. She was 5-6 years older than him. While he was in high school and college, he would spend a good portion of his summers staying with her in Miami. When her daughter was a baby, Robert and his mom spent the summer months taking care of her so Maju didn't have to get a babysitter. I first met Maju in May 2000. Rob and I had just graduated from college and we wanted to celebrate, so we took a trip to Miami. We stayed with Maju. She was the first relative of Robert's that I had met. She loved photography and always requested pictures of Adam and Matt to put up in her apartment. As this photo depicts, she was ALWAYS smiling and cheerful. That's how we'll always remember her.