My Two Princes

So, What Do We Do With Our Saturdays Now?

2011-11-26T19:05:00.001-05:00

Remember how busy all of our weekends were during soccer and Fall Baseball season? It was insane!!! Well, I think we had one free weekend after Fall Baseball was over. And then, Miles' swim meets started. These things are LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNGGGGGGG. Imagine 5 hours of organized chaos, uncomfortably warm temperatures, horrible acoustics, and you've got the whole experience. But what you need to keep in mind is that we are there for 5 hours or so and Miles is usually a participant in 4 races, each one lasting all of 30 seconds.

But we love those 2 minutes! Those races are exciting, exhilarating, and awesome! Not surprisingly, Miles has been winning his individual races. His relay team sometimes wins, and sometimes doesn't. But that's okay. It's about time Miles learns how to lose gracefully. It's also good for Miles' fans to learn how accept 2nd place sometimes. :)

The jury is still out on the swim team. Miles definitely is not passionate about swimming like he is about baseball. In fact, some days, I have to drag him to practice. I can often be heard saying, "You don't have to go to practice all the time. We can skip it." But he goes because he is a team player. He doesn't smile a lot during practice or during meets. During the first meet, I sat and agonizingly watched him sit silent for 5 hours, not muttering a word to any of his teammates. That was heartbreaking. The next meet, he brought his DS and instantly became Mr. Popular. His lack of passion was really making me sad and starting to make me worry. I even considered letting him quit and simply losing out on the fortune we had already paid to sign him up. But, then I saw him smile at the end of one race. And then I saw his eyes light up when he recapped the races for us. And then I saw his proud little smirk when he had to stand up, not once, but twice during a practice when all of winners were announced. So, while we may not have passion yet, we do have intrigue, and maybe a bit of infatuation. Any and all of you are welcome to attend any and all of Miles' meets, but for those of you who can't, I hope these pictures and videos will give you a taste....

The videos aren't great, because they make it look like Miles is only racing one other child, but in reality, he was racing 6 or 7 other kids. Pretty cool!

Academic Update

2011-11-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

    Oh, there is just too much to tell. I know I haven't updated you on June, July, August, and September yet. There are Mema visits to cover, new baby cousins to talk about, and a visit from Aunt Amy. But, I can barely keep up with the day-to-day, much less go backwards in time!
   This week, the boys had a full week of school (finally), but the days were half-days due to conferences. Landon loved the abbreviated schedule and is going to be for a rude awakening tomorrow morning when he has to go in for a full 6 hours. But we will deal with that later.
    At the beginning of the week, Miles got his report card. I guess 2nd grade is the year kids really start to understand what a report card is all about. Miles, being Miles, was a little disappointed in his report card. I, being me, was also a little shocked. Not that his report card was bad at all. It just wasn't stellar. But I hid my disappointment and instead, focused on the good. Miles, however, could not get past the "less-than-stellar". He wanted to know how he could improve. So, I was honest with him and told him that he needed to participate more. He claimed that it was scary to answer questions in class because "What if he was wrong?" Landon, my clever Landon, told his brother, "I talk all the time in school Even if I'm wrong, the teacher always says that something was good." He's very smart, that Landon. As he gave his older brother advice, Miles looked at Landon with awe. To him, answering questions in class and participating shows such bravery! Miles promised he would work on talking more.
    On Wednesday, I went to the boys' school to meet with their teachers and find out how they are really doing in school. First I met with Landon's teacher. Boy, she's got him pegged! She started off by saying that he is a doll; that he charms everyone that enters the room. She put my fears to rest when she assured me that no matter how he is when he leaves me, he always starts the day with a smile.    She, of course, claimed that Landon loves to participate in class. She said that sometimes she forgets that he is only 5 because some of his answers are so profound! She says that sometimes he comes up with ideas that she hadn't even thought of. She says that Landon really keeps her on her toes because his brain is always on and he has constant questions. I asked if the questions were annoying, but she promises that they are learning opportunities for everyone. I told her that he likes to be in control and begged her not to let him be bossy, but she swears that he id never bossy. I find that hard to believe. She says that the class looks up to him and that they all run to sit next to him during circle time, and whatever center he chooses at center time is always the most popular. He may be a future politician...or a teacher. Landon's teacher says that during free time, Landon often mimics whatever lesson the class had done that morning. He gathers a group of students and re-enacts the morning's lesson. She said it is amazing to watch a 5-year-old have such control over a group of rowdy Kindergartners. She honestly said that sometimes he gets through to them better than she can! Really? This is the same child that cries every morning? Maybe school wouldn't be so long and tiring if he would sit back and relax once in a while. Stop asking profound questions. Stop teaching the class. Stop trying to come up with solutions to make the class run smoother. Just be a kid, Landon!
     Next, I went to talk to Miles' teacher. She, too, had my son pegged perfectly. She said we weren't even going to discuss academics at all because there are no issues there at all. Instead, she wanted to talk about Miles' self-esteem and confidence. She said that he goal, at the end of each day, is to make eye contact with Miles at least 3 times, and to see him smile 5 times. She knows that he is confident in Math, so she often calls on him to give answers during that time. She also suspects that he likes to "show-off" just a little bit, but that he likes it be discreet, so she is teaching him about negative numbers and often showcases his skills. She knows Show-and-Tell is a stressful time for Miles, so when he claims that he has nothing to share, she drags it out of him. She knows that he loves to talk about baseball and swim team, so she usually will ask him about his latest sports event. She also explained that a few kids in the class are working on a special enrichment project. I knew this and I assumed the project was simply to challenge the kids in reading and to start giving them practice researching a topic.  While that is true, Miles' teacher informed me that the oral presentation piece of the project was designed with Miles in mind. She knows that Show and Tell is uncomfortable for Miles because he has to talk about himself, and to him, nothing about himself is interesting or important. :( But, he still needs to practice speaking in front of the class.   It is her belief that speaking about a National Monument (with notes and a lot of research backing him up) will be easier for Miles. I love that she is reflecting upon Miles' personality that much and designing projects around his strengths. It makes me feel very confident about where he spends his days.

One side note to this story. After our discussion about participating more in class, I encouraged Miles to try to practice this skill in CCD. The class is smaller, and I am the teacher, so the intimidation factor is reduced. So, on Tuesday, I encouraged Miles to start reciting the "Act of Contrition" . All of the students are supposed to be working on memorizing this long prayer, but I have a feeling Miles is the only one doing so. Like I said, I encouraged him to recite what he knew so far. I assured him that I would help him and that no one would laugh at him. Just the opposite; I told him that his classmates would be impressed by his skills. So Miles, started. He stated perfectly, " My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my fart." Then he paused. Then he said heart. But then he paused again. And we were in a room full of 7-year-olds, so they all cracked up. Except Miles. His face got beet-red and he started crying. It broke my heart. Why? If this had happened at home, it would have been hysterical to Miles. But it happened in CCD, so it was "the worst thing in the whole world". Ugh. Two steps forward, 1000 steps back. Now, if Landon had been in the classroom, he would have whipped those kids into shape and made sure that no one laughed at his big brother, but alas, Landon was off doing his own thing. But Miles survived and now, he can even laugh about it. Or at least, talk about it and not cry. Think he'll try again next class?

Welcome to Our Family

2011-11-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

In late August, our lives were transformed. Little Baby Cecilia entered the world and took our breath away. I expected myself to turn to mush when I met my brand new niece, but I was not prepared for just how in love Miles and Landon would fall. They were lucky enough to meet Ceci when she was less than 1 day old and they both just stared at her in awe. Miles, overcome with emotions, cried. He's so sensitive, that one! Just when he regained his composure, he lost it again when I told him it was time to leave. Tears were shed all the way home, as he proclaimed, "But I miss her." Sadly, I knew just how he felt. We have tried to visit Ceci often, but the ride to her house is long and filled with highway driving. Plus, school and work and sports gets in the way. But we try. And each time we see her, it always ends the same. Tears and questions..."When will we see her again?" Like I said, I know exactly how Miles and Landon feel. While I may not cry and beg to see her again, I sure do wish I could see Ceci every single day.

Baseball----Out!

2011-11-06T11:26:00.001-05:00

I can now officially say that this crazy season of Fall Baseball is over. After the snowy game we had on Saturday and the subsequent cancelled game on Sunday, we were told that the baseball commissioner was going to do everything in his power to hold make-up games at a later date. Not so anymore. We just got the word that it is too cold and the season is over. Hallelujah! It was a riveting season, but I am exhausted! But I did want to share this photo with you. Look how excited Miles is as he ran off the field, thinking his team won the last game in the snow. That sort of excitement that Miles exhibits every time he plays baseball is why we endured all of practices, games, and cold. Haphazard dinners, running back and forth to fields, and endless piles of laundry are a pain in the neck, but how can I neglect my son of something he so obviously loves?
But enough about Miles........

Let's hear it for Landon, who is becoming a spectacular little boy, himself! Three cheers for Landon for going to Full Day Kindergarten every single day. He usually starts his day in tears, but comes home all smiles. Full day Kindergarten is a lot for Landon, but he is mastering it. When I think of my little five-year-old, having to sit still all day long, having limited snacks, having no Mommy there, and having to be quiet for an entire day, I just want to cry. But Landon is doing it! And he is making friends and learning too! Sometime, when I wasn't looking, Landon has learned how to read, write, and compute math problems. He is simply amazing!

Landon is also a great supporter of his big brother. Landon is dragged to baseball practices and games at least 3 times a week. Sometimes, it's late. Sometimes, it's early. Sometimes, it's raining. Sometimes, it's snowing. Sometimes it's scorching hot. Sometimes, Landon simply does not want to go. But he does and he makes the best of it. Whether he is kicking a soccer ball around, playing in a dirt pile, spending his money at the snack bar, or just hanging with the other siblings, he's there, supporting Miles. He may not always follow the entire game, but whenever he hears cheering, he runs up to find out whether or not it was his big brother that had the awesome hit or made the great play. And afterwards, in the car ride home, Landon asks questions and looks at Miles, wide-eyed, as Miles tells him all about the game.

But Miles is not the only athlete in this house. Once again, sometime when I wasn't looking, Landon developed into an amazing soccer player! Last year, he was timid on the field and didn't always want to play. This year, he is dominating the field! He averages about 10 goals per game, but my favorite thing to watch is when he runs and slides in front of the other team's goal, attempting to stop a goal. His enthusiasm is a pleasure to watch and the fact that he is a leader for his team makes me very, very proud. And the cold never bothers him. That's right. It's November and we still have one more soccer game!

Lately, Landon has been asking to take gymnastics lessons. I am ashamed to admit that I have been ignoring his requests. I keep putting it off, hoping he will forget about this idea. And he doesn't ask a lot. He doesn't whine about it or nag me. But he does mention it frequently, so I know it is still on his mind. It's not that I am opposed to gymnastics. I am just opposed to spending more money. (Did I mention Miles started swim team this year and it is costing us an arm and a leg?) I am also not loving the idea of having one more place to be. Did I mention that swim team practices 2 nights a week and meets on Saturdays can last all day long? And then you add Miles' CCD to that, his homework, and my crazy work schedule? Well, it's a lot!

But, then I got to thinking. It's not Landon's fault that Miles is so busy. It's not his fault that we spend sooooooo much money on Miles' sports. Landon accepts all of the craziness sports brings and rarely complains. He goes to all of these practices. He eats on the run. He sits on bleachers for hours on end. He just does this with a smile on his face. So you know what? He deserves to go to gymnastics! So today, I did it. I signed him up and starting next Wednesday, my little Landon will have to muster up enough energy to flip, tumble, and balance. I am so excited! I haven't told him yet, but I will let that be his surprise next week. Landon is a good little boy and there is no way I am going to let him get lost in the shadows of his equally spectacular big brother.

Halloween....But not Really

2011-11-06T09:43:00.001-05:00

     Well, this was certainly a Halloween to remember. Halloween fell on a Monday this year and for weeks, Miles has been stressing about that. He simply does not think it is fair to have Halloween on a school night. He suggested that "they" move Halloween to the Saturday before. He strengthened his argument by reminding me that "they" change the date for Easter so it is always on a Sunday and Thanksgiving so it is always on a Thursday. I'm pretty sure if Miles knew who to contact to make such changes, he would've written a letter.
      But, alas, all of his worries were for naught. We didn't have to come early on Halloween night? Why? Because it turned out not to be a school night after all... Huh?
     It all started last Saturday.   At noon, it started snowing. On October 29th.   And I mean heavy snow!!! It was all pretty exciting at first. By 4:00 pm, we had lost power. We had been warned of this. Leaves were still on the trees, so that makes snow on top of leaves pretty heavy. And heavy tree limbs lead to broken, falling limbs. Just think of the lullaby... But, I never take weather threat seriously. I don't know why, I just don't. At 4, I moved closer to the sunlight and continued writing my grocery list. By 4:30, I thought it might be a good idea to get the candles and flash lights out. By 4:31, I put on an extra sweatshirt and pair of socks. By 4:35, I was still cold, so we vacated to a friend's house. They, too, had no power, but at least they had a fireplace! By 10:00, we were tired, so we headed home. We slept in sweatpants and sweatshirts, and hoped for the best.   By 1:30 am, we awoke to lights going on, DVDs starting up, the refrigerator humming, and the Keurig Machine gurgling. (oh yeah, did I mention I was just about to enjoy a cup of Pumpkin Spice with my grocery-list-making when the power went out?) Aside from blinking clocks with incorrect times, we were good to go. Or so I thought....
     The next morning, I realized we had no cable, phone, or internet. I was totally disconnected! It was awful! But, somehow we managed and everything came back by that evening. I would never complain about my lack of cable and all things associated with it because, as I write this, there are still people in my town that have no power. They are on DAY 8 of no power!
      Sunday night, a phone call came through....and what a phone call it was! No school tomorrow, ON HALLOWEEN! My boys were excited! Even I thought it was pretty cool to have my boys home with me on Halloween. I planned all sorts of fun activities to make the day special. We made cookies, played games, and oh yeah, went trick-or-treating. But before we headed out to go trick-or-treating, we got another wonderful phone call! No school the next day, THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN!!!! We could stay out as late as we wanted! The boys were ecstatic! I was....tired.
     But, I pushed through it. We had a great time trick-or-treating with friends, stayed for more fun afterwards, and still I planned fun activities for my boys. I also instituted the "eat all the candy you want today, but it's gone tomorrow" rule. (Somewhere, I read that is better than letting kids eat candy for weeks on end in small increments).

Long story short, the boys ended up having a week off from school. After 9 days together, numerous playdates, a few sleepovers, many field trips, lots of money spent, and way too much DS playing, I am happy to say that Miles and Landon (and the rest of our town) are going back to school tomorrow. How will Landon deal with school now, after a week's vacation? I'm not too sure, but after this past week, I can handle anything!!!!
And P.S., remember the issue I had with Landon wearing a Power Ranger costume to school? My worries were a non-issue. We just got the official email that the Halloween parade has been cancelled....See how sometimes, things just work out the way I wanted them to?

Baseball 10/22/11

2011-10-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

It was a monumental day. The Rookie League decided to play this game like it was a Single A game. There would only be 3 outs per inning. No more of this "letting everybody get at bat each inning". Even more importantly, the score was being kept. This was big. The kids were excited. The parents were primed for a real game. And Miles steps up to the plate. First pitch of the game and here's what happened.....

Pretty spectacular, right? Every little boy remembers their very first triple. Now watch the video again and make sure to take note of my favorite parts:

1. Listen for the opposing coach as he tells his players to back up because he knows Miles is a "big hitter". That's right. My boy is famous!

2. Watch #15 on the other team. Dad, you may remember Maxwell. His reaction is priceless. He's acting all bored because he doesn't think he's going to see any action in this play. Until Kirk screams "Triple!" Then Maxwell gets his butt in gear.

3. Watch Miles' smile once he makes it to third base. I may not have taught him much about baseball, but I did teach him to smile to his fans after he does something swell.

Who's Right?

2011-10-20T13:27:00.001-04:00

I am teaching a Child Development course for my Adult Education students. Well, I am "supposed" to be the expert on the subject since I am, after all, the teacher. Today, though, one of my students ( 53-year-old man) challenged me. It made me kind of mad, so I have to vent.

We were discussing the importance of reflecting on rules and the need to change and adapt. I gave the example of my children and their wardrobes. Before school (BS), Miles and Landon wore what I told them to wear. They always looked polished and put-together in their corduroys, sweaters, and loafers. They were gorgeous-looking! And then Miles entered preschool and noticed that some kids had these cool shirts that had "pictures" on them. Yes, unbelievable as it may sound, I was able to keep these "picture shirts" out of our house for 4 1/2 years! Not that there is anything wrong with picture shirts; I just have an aversion to them. But school ruined all of that for me. Miles discovered how cool it could be to wear Super Mario, Power Rangers, skeletons, etc. I compromised. I bought him some shirts with baseballs, basketballs, and footballs on them. And of course, I had to buy Landon some too. Then, Aunt Amy bought them some shirts with pirates and skeletons on them. Mema was always good for buying Monster Truck or Disney shirts. It started to get out of control. I started to panic when someone gave Miles a hand-me-down Power Ranger shirt. New rules were needed asap! So, I decided that once a week, Miles could pick his outfit. The other 2 days, I would remain in control. And any "ugly" shirts (i.e. Power Rangers, Transformers, etc) were only for home. It worked at the time.

Then, Kindergarten started. Miles is no dummy. He knew that he had to go to school 5 days a week, and 1 day of picture shirts was not going to cut it anymore. So, we compromised. He could choose his clothes on gym days. The other days, I was still able to pick out his clothes for him. Ugly shirts were still never allowed in school or school. And I promised him I would get rid of the "handsome" shoes; he was allowed to wear sneakers everyday. I wasn't thrilled when he wore sneakers and khakis, but these rules worked at the time.

In first grade, we stuck to the gym days rule. But I also promised to stop buying sweaters. I also promised that the boys only had to wear sweaters on holidays. Now, not only were power ranger shirts not allowed in school, Power Ranger costumes were not allowed in school. It worked at the time.

And then......Landon started Kindergarten. Within the first month of school, Landon had figured out the Halloween rule was fake. He flat-out asked his teacher if Power Ranger costumes were allowed and she said yes! Uh oh. Mommy is losing some control. Okay, I can deal with that. It's only one day, right? But then Landon started having a hard time leaving me each morning. So, when he started to ask if he could wear "comfy" pants, how could I say no? If the buttons on his jeans and corduroys really stress him out and give him anxiety about the bathroom, then how can I argue with that? And then he started to ask if he could wear picture shirts every day. He gave no reason other than picture shirts make him happy at school. When Landon puts away the white socks I have put out and replaces them with bright yellow Sponge Bob socks because they feel better on his toes, I say nothing.

Am I doing the right thing? Am I doing the wrong thing? I don't know. My student claims that once I start changing the rules, I give too much power and control to my kids and it is all over from there. My feeling is that clothes are such a small issue in the big picture and if wearing a soccer shirt and comfy pants makes Landon feel even 1 % less anxiety and sadness, then screw it! He can wear his comfy clothes every single day! We may have a new wardrobe in this house (blue striped athletic pants, some corny picture shirt, and loud socks every day), but we are on Day 4 of a no-crying record, so I say I am the expert and I know what I am doing! And right now, it works for us. But, Power Ranger shirts are still only permitted on weekends!

For Pop

2011-10-16T15:03:00.001-04:00

This weekend was filled with great baseball and soccer games. I emailed Pop some good footage, but one video was too big to attach to an email. I couldn't fathom NOT sending it to Pop because I know it makes him proud to see Miles so ready at the plate. So here it is......

More later....

Moving On Up

2011-10-13T08:49:00.000-04:00

In June, school ended for Miles and Landon. Landon had a beautiful graduation. Mommy was very proud of Landon as he held the "Holy Infant" banner and stood front and center in front of the entire graduating class. Landon looked utterly uncomfortable as he and his classmates sang songs for the audience. He looked as uncomfortable, self-conscious and ill-at-ease as possible when he had to walk onto the altar and accept his diploma from the priest. But...he did it and made his family proud. After celebrating for a bit with his classmates and sharing a few treats, Landon hugged his teachers goodbye and bid adieu to preschool forever. He couldn't wait to start Kindergarten (and was, in fact, a bit disappointed that it didn't start the very next day). To say Landon didn't love preschool is an understatement. At times, Landon hated preschool. At other times, he tolerated it. Basically, he was ready to move on.

Much to his chagrin, Miles did not have a graduation from first grade, but his class did put on a very nice Reading performance for us. Miles and his classmates each read an original story and then shared some snacks with us. Miles had a great year and I know he and I will both miss his classmates and his wonderful teacher. He made some good friends, learned a lot, and developed into quite an independent young man. I believe that Miles finally came into his own in first grade. He learned to laugh a little bit more. He learned to be assertive. And he learned to speak up! Quite honestly, he was very sad to have first grade end. No one told him that kids are supposed to jump for joy on the last day of school. My sensitive little boy dragged his feet and even shed a few tears. I promised him second grade would be just as fun, but Miles couldn't possibly imagine anything topping or even coming close to the fun he had in first grade.

Fast forward a few weeks. Miles and Landon had the shortest summer ever, but in that time, we managed to squeeze in tons of fun and made it "the best summer ever!" We reconnected with some old friends. stayed close to some new, and spent almost every day at out beach. So much fun! The boys have so much fun there, and truth be told, so do I. The beach friendships we all have are very special to us all .

Much too soon, summer was over and it was time to go back to school. The fact that Miles and Landon both got who I consider to be the best teachers in the school helped soften the blow for us all. This school year was monumental. Not only would Landon be starting a new school, riding the bus, and leaving Mommy to an empty house, this was the first year Kindergarten would be FULL-DAY in our town. I hated this idea and was filled with trepidation, but I hid this all from Landon and acted psyched about this. And for the first 3 weeks of school, he was psyched too! He ran onto the bus every morning with a smile, and hopped off of it, 8 hours later, with the same bright smile. After 3 weeks, I thought we were in the clear, so I let my breath out and started to relax and even began to enjoy my time alone. But, then, because we all know how Landon loves to throw curve balls and keep me on my toes, after 3 blissful weeks, his love of school waned. Actually, that is the wrong word because it implies that this was a gradual thing. It was not. One day, he loved school, the next day, he cried and cried. It was so sad. Landon's tears are the saddest tears ever because he tries so hard to hold them back. He refuses to make eye contact because he knows that will make it worse for everyone. He does not want to cry, but he does. And this has been going on for 3 weeks straight now. It is heartbreaking and exhausting, but it is our reality. Every morning, the tears come. But they last just long enough for mommy to suffer and feel guilty all day long. Once he is in school, Landon is fine, has a ball, and is quite social. SO I'm not that worried.

Not to be out shined by his brother, Miles also threw me for a loop on the first day of school. While I was expecting tears from Landon and no worries from my experienced Miles, the reverse happened. After initial excitement in the morning, the anticipation got to be too much, and Miles became a nervous wreck at the bus stop. Luckily, a hug from Mommy and a slight fall from a scooter was just enough to let him cry, get it all out, and move on. By the time he got on the bus, Miles was a happy boy. And, fingers crossed, he still is. He loves his classroom, his teacher, and his classmates. His teacher is amazing and is doing some great things with them already. Miles eagerly goes to school each day. Thank goodness, because I don't think I could handle two sad boys each morning.

We'll get through this, just like we get through everything else. And while I may not be able to fix this for Landon, the daily lunchbox notes he "requests" (demands) each day seem to be doing the trick. It gives him something to look forward to all morning and once he reads it and the promises I make, it gives him something to look forward to all afternoon too. Whether I am promising him a special snack, or telling him that I hid a treat in his room, or telling him that we will go to a special place, each day I have to give him something good to read about. It's exhausting. It's time-consuming, and at times, downright expensive. But if it means Landon won't be completely devastated at school each day, I will persevere. One day at a time. That's what I tell Landon and that's what I tell myself.

What a Game!

2011-10-09T16:32:00.007-04:00

Bear with me. I know I promised to catch you up on the past few months of our lives, but it's baseball season and I have to keep Pop up-to-date on Miles' games. After 3 cancelled games in

a row, and many nasty emails from parents, our league decided to hold a make-up game for the kids on this holiday weekend. We were thrilled! As much of a time commitment Fall Ball is, we really do miss it when we don't get to see Miles play. So, this game came with a great deal of anticipation. Miles has quickly become "THE" big-hitter of his team. At practice on Wednesday, all of his teammates cheered whenever Miles got up to bat and held their breath as he swung at the pitches. Miles did not disappoint his audience. All of (well okay, most of) his hits were phenomenal. The other boys cheered with delight as their teammate totally impressed them with his skills and muscles.

But something happened between Wednesday and Saturday. At the game, every time Miles got up to bat, his teammates sat up straighter, eager to see what he would do. Our coaches gave each other knowing looks, ready to show the other coaches their stuff. Even the other coaches told their players to back up because Miles was a "big hitter". Yep, we were all ready for some big hits. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. Miles swung like a champ each time. And he made contact. And he made it to base each time. He even managed to get one double (which happens maybe one a game in this league). Miles did very well. But he didn't have any of those money shots. What was going on? Was he tired? Were his muscles sore? Was he getting sick? Was he having performance anxiety? As Kirk and I watched, we were both afraid to question it. After all, our son was doing great! Who were we to ask why he wasn't doing as fabulous as he had done in the past? We were thrilled that Mema, Uncle Jay, Aunt Alicia, Uncle Richard, Aunt Sandy, and Drea were there to watch Miles, but I'd be lying if I said we weren't a tad disappointed that they didn't get to see one of Miles' amazing hits. Neither one of us said anything to each other, but I know Kirk and I were both wondering what the heck had happened.....

And at the end of the game, we got our answer. The coaches came up to us and told us that they think Miles' bat is broken. They explained the physics of it, the sound (or lack of a "ping") that tipped them off. When I stilled looked at them dubiously, one coach simply said, "His hits were not "Miles-quality" hits today. You had to see that." Okay, okay, okay. We've got our answer.

Later that night, as we pondered spending more money on our athlete (we have been spending tons on this child lately), we reviewed the tapes. We watched every one of Miles' hits. We watched them again. We watched them in slow motion. We listened for the "pings". We analyzed. We analyzed again. Yep, his bat was definitely broken.

So, I could bore you with videos of Miles' "ping-less" hits, but I'd rather show you what Miles loves about the game of baseball. When he first started playing baseball, the big thing was to slide. Kids slid at every base, no matter what. The coaches taught them how to slide. The kids practiced sliding at home. It was cute to watch the kids slide for no apparent reason. But now, there sometimes are genuine reasons to slide and nothing makes me happier than seeing Miles perform this act. He has perfected it and it still makes him so darn happy!

The last video gives you a taste of the lackluster hits. Luckily, Miles handled it very well. He had to be disappointed, but he looked at the positive. He was just happy he never got out!

This story has a very happy ending to it. Aunt Sara and Aunt Amy stepped up and offered to buy Miles his new bat now as an early birthday present. This morning, Daddy, Miles, and Mema went to the store and picked one out. And by Wednesday, Miles' teammates will have their superstar back.

In case anyone besides Pop is wondering, I can try to provide a quick recap of the game. Miles was up to bat 6 times. (He was first in the batting order). He had 5 singles and 1 double. Fielding wise, he didn't see much action at 3rd base, Right field, Shortstop, or CenterField. But the last 2 innings, when he "pitched" and played 1st base, he was awesome. His inning at 1st base was literally a 1,2,3 inning. The first batter hit it, Miles scooped it up and ran to first. The second batter hit it right to the pitcher who tossed it to Miles, who was waiting at 1st. And the third batter hit it to 3rd, the ball was thrown to Miles, and the inning was over.

Do I sound like I'm bragging? I may be, but I am one proud Mama!

Oh, Hello Again

2011-09-27T11:27:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, after a much-needed "break", I am back. Now that both of my children are in school full-time, I should theoretically have plenty of time to blog and fill you in on our comings and goings. I say "theoretically", because so far, I have not found any extra spare time. In fact, I find myself busier than ever! But more on that later....

I chose to highlight this picture as my "Triumphant Return" photo because it illustrates the essence of what has changed since I last blogged. Back in April, I was a stress case. Miles was a sad, angry boy. This picture shows a happy Miles and his less-stressed Mommy. As many of you may know, Miles went through a trying time last year. In reality, the whole family suffered from his sadness. But, after months of struggles, conscious effort, constant reassurances, a few tweaks in parental attitudes, and a vast amount of support, it appears that we may have turned a corner. Miles seems to be much happier and has less anxiety, and therefore, our family is more cohesive and content. I am not saying all of Miles' problems have gone away or that he is the perfect child. We are a long way from there, and I don't even think the "perfect child" exists, but all I am saying is that, as a family, we are in a better place. Again, we have a lot to catch up on, so I will go into more detail later, but for now, just know that my eldest prince is doing much better. You may notice two other things in this photo that are noteworthy. One, I am holding a glass of wine. Yes, I have started drinking. Not heavily, but man, sometimes a glass of wine really takes the edge off! Two, Miles now sports a buzz cut. Do I love it? No. Do I miss his gorgeous, stylish hair? Yes! But, this haircut is very symbolic because it shows me relinquishing a little bit of control. (which is related to the drinking which is related to the less-stressed Mommy).

So, what have we been doing for the past 5 months? Let's see....

In April, we went to Florida and visited not only Geeg and Pop, but also Mema, and Kirk's sister and her family. Between meeting awesome cousins, going to Disney World, and visiting our favorite beach, this was an awesome family vacation, with an emphasis on "family".

Miles played baseball and Landon played T-Ball. Both boys rocked the field! Miles really understood the rules this year and was constantly commended for always knowing where the play was. Our proudest moments were when he earned the "game ball" after not only the first game of the season, but also the last. He was the only player to earn 2 game balls. He also caught a few pop flies and I know that because each time he did, the family got to go to Friendly's. Miles wore his uniform proudly, respected the game, and lived up to his baseball nickname, "Mean-Face Miles" whenever he got up to bat and perfected his stance.

Landon looked adorable in his uniform, but started off slowly with T-Ball. In fact, I wasn't even sure he would finish the season. He didn't know the coaches. He knew no one on his team. Worse than that, they all came from the same class, so they were all buddies. And Landon did not understand all of the complexities of T-Ball. But Landon did not let us down. He made friends with his teammates. He charmed his coaches. And he mastered the game. By the end of the season, rather than hedging away from the ball, Landon was fighting his teammates for more field time.

Baseball and T-Ball were our lives in May. Geeg and Pop returned just in time. Pop reveled in watching his grandsons play. Pop was the quiet man in the stands, watching every game and practice, not saying much, but always intently watching. But, when one of his grandsons made a great play (or even just a pretty good one), then this quiet man made some noise! And Geeg - well, they said it would never happen, but we made a sports fan out of her! She may not have understood every play, but she sure knew when her grandsons did something good (or even just pretty good). My favorite memory from this time was at one of Miles games. After Miles made all 3 outs in his inning at 1st base, Geeg jumped up and down, hugged me, and said, "Thank you for all of this." She truly loved watching her grandsons.

And folks, my time is up. It is time to go fulfill more of my duties. Just because my children are gone all day, does not mean that my responsibilities have lessened! Consider yourself up-to-date through May. I'll fill you in on the rest later. And that's a promise!

Opening Day - Miles

2011-04-30T13:27:00.001-04:00

If his teammates would only quicken their pace, maybe Miles could make some outs at first! Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts, we have success!

Miles had some awesome hits too!

LanMan's Opening Day

2011-04-30T13:07:00.001-04:00

Pondering....

2011-04-29T15:43:00.004-04:00

With the threat of full-day kindergarten looming in our near future, I can't help but think about re-entering the workforce. I check the websites and have even half-heartedly applied to some jobs. But really, I just need to figure out if I do, in fact, want to go back. I need to figure out if my family (and I) can survive me going back to work full-time. Because as we all know, teaching is not a 9-5 job, especially in the first year. So, my mind is constantly thinking. I have quite the pros and cons list created. On the pros are the obvious: money, benefits, knowledge for my brain which seems to be shrinking daily. The cons are pretty obvious too: stress, having to wear panty hose again, and more juggling for my family. I tell Kirk that the negatives outweigh the positives by a landslide, but in reality, it's pretty even. All of the crappy negative things are countered by some totally awesome perks. So I'm at a standstill. Or I was....until today. Today I realized that if I go back to work full-time, there will be no more chasing trains and getting to see it not once, not twice, but three times. And there will be no more stopping the car, pulling over, and waiting anxiously for said train to show up so that we can watch the entire train cross the trestle. And there will be no more getting to see Landon's face light up and act as if I just made all of his dreams come true. All of a sudden, those paychecks and benefits don't seem so important anymore.

I Can Beat That, Amy

2011-03-15T21:05:00.003-04:00

Recently, one of my favorite bloggers wrote that there was nothing better than finding a 20-dollar-bill in your pockets. While that is arguably awesome, I can do better. Tonight, Miles, Landon, and I cuddled up in my bed and read one of our favorite books, "Time For Bed". This is the book that I read aloud to Miles every single night from the first night he came home from the hospital until the day (4 years later), when he discovered dinosaur, trucks, and planets and decided that he wanted to read books about that. So, basically, this was a very important book in our lives.
Every once in a while, one of the boys will pick the book out from their plethora of books and I happily read it to them. But tonight, we all read it together. We took turns: I read a page, Miles read a page, and then Landon read a page, etc. It was magical!!! Finding $20 would be pretty cool, but hearing your children read your favorite book back to you is priceless.

Just Checking..Is Anyone Out There?

2011-03-13T14:09:00.002-04:00

My Swan Song??

2011-01-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Is it possible that I have nothing left to say? That I have no new pictures to share? No, the truth is I have a million more stories in my head and a million more pictures to upload, but I have simply run out of gas. I am feeling quite overwhelmed and have been for quite some time. My life has gotten out of control. So one of my New Year's resolutions is to simplify my life. That, and the fact that Miles totally lost his mind when all of our family left today, has made me come up with a new idea. Here's my thoughts. One of the main reasons Miles gets so upset when Geeg, Pop, and Aunt Amy leave after the holidays is that for a week/month, he (and Landon) get very used to the idea of someone always being available to play with them. Or read to them. Or sing with them. They get quite spoiled during the month of December. Now, I know I will never be able to be available to them 24/7 or even as much as they would like, but I could make some effort to play with Miles and Landon more. So, I will start to cut some things out of my life. Blog being number 1. But......then I had an idea. Miles very much wants to stay in contact with his family. And he loves the computer. And I love him to practice his writing. And he got a new camera for Christmas. And, we both need to spend more quality time together. So.....voila! Miles has started his very own blog. We are going to attempt to update it once a week. It will all be his words. His thoughts. His pictures. To be honest, his blog will probably only be of interest to his family, but anyone can feel free to read up on his thoughts.

So, it's been fun. Thanks for keeping up with us. Thanks for letting me write. Thanks for giving me an audience. And now I pass the torch...

www.milesyjames.blogspot.com

Introducing......

2010-12-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

Landon has always been a pretty swell little boy. He is smart, charming, cunning, and lovable. One would think he couldn't be any better. But, he is now! Introducing.....the new and improved Landon!!!!!!

To some of you, the change might be unnoticeable. But for me, it is huge. It is monumental! I'll give you a few hints. Look at the above picture and then spot the difference between that and the following pictures: Did you figure it out? Of course you did! After 5 1/2 long years, Landon has finally stopped sucking his thumb!!!! And yes, I realize he is not even 5 yet, but we have ultrasound pictures that prove he was sucking inutero! I really thought this day would never come. His thumb sucking habit went from adorable, to practical (at times like church), to sanity-saving (when it caused him to stop talking for brief stints), to absolutely driving me nuts!!! And every 6 months, when dentist appointments loom, I get a little more crazy and insistent about this habit. I thought I had tried everything!!!!!!! But this year, I enlisted some help. Early in December, I asked our elf, Delf, to help me with this challenge. Apparently, Delf is just as worried about Landon's teeth as I am. He wrote Landon a note, letting him now that he and the other elves have been busy building tons of DS. Unfortunately, Delf told Landon that he was not allowed to make Landon one yet because Santa was worried that a wet thumb would short-circuit the DS. That's all it took, folks. I read that note to Landon and he stopped sucking his thumb immediately!!!! Cold-turkey! And he's not even looking back. I wish I could say the same for myself.

And sometimes when I catch him sleeping, without his thumb in his mouth or when he talks to me nonstop on our car rides, I start to actually miss this little habit. Then I slap myself and thank God (and Delf) that we successfully kicked this habit!

Party Time!!!

2010-12-07T17:56:00.000-05:00

We did it! Miles' party went off without a hitch and fun was had by all! Well that's not exactly true. There was one small hitch and one person who may or may not have had fun. But more on that later... Okay, I'll give you one hint.

We got to the sports complex around 4:30. Immediately, two women took over completely. They grabbed my supplies and went at it. It was very disconcerting for me!!!! But kind of nice too. And then at 4:50, boys slowly started trickling in. Between the boys, the siblings, and the parents, we packed the house! And as the crowd got bigger, so did Miles' smile. He was in all his glory.
The boys immediately started playing in the bouncie house and the inflatable obstacle course. That's where the trouble began with you-know-who, but more on that later. After we tired the kids out with all that bouncing, it was time to start the soccer game. All of the kids sat down to put their shoes back on. That is no small feat! Get it? (Feet?) Then, Miles and Stephen had to choose teams. Miles, for some reason, chose his little brother first. Awwwwww! Landon refused to play on his team. Or any team. But, like I said, more on that later.

For the next 40 minutes, the boys played their hearts out. That's all boys want to do. they want to run, kick, and slide. And they did!

Much too soon, the game was over and it was time to eat. We went into the party room where everything was set up for pizza and cupcakes. Not exactly the way I would have set things up, but I relinquished control. Feeding 22 ravenous boys is not an easy task, but our 2 party gals did an excellent job keeping up with their demands.

And then it was over. Goodie bags were handed out, thank yous were exchanged and presents were bagged up. It was time to go home. Originally, Miles had planned on saving all of his present-opening until his real Birthday, but the temptation of a huge garbage bag filled with gifts was simply too much. He tore into them as soon as we got home. And he got some very, very nice things. He's a prince, that Miles James. And on Friday, he was treated like one. We love you Miles!

Oh Christmas Tree....

2010-12-03T07:45:00.000-05:00

December is a magical sort of month in this household! You can feel the excitement in the air. It's very difficult NOT to get caught up in the joy and excitement and anticipation. On the day after Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas tree. And note the whole family is helping this year. This is one of Miles and Landon's favorite activities of the year. They love to unwrap all of the ornaments, sort them, reminisce about them, etc. SO do I. This year as I looked at all of them, I wondered aloud, "How did I have the time and energy to do all of that?" There are numerous ornaments that the kids and I made together, there aer several that contain pictures from each year. And then there are the "cookie" ones we made and painted. Not only did we keep 20 or so that now adorn our tree, but I reminded the kids of how we drove to our 30 friends' houses and hung them on their doorsteps. How much fun was that!!!??? Now, with all of the hustle and bustle, we don't have time for that, but it sure makes me appreciate the days when we did. It's a good memory for me and I hope for the boys too.

As we put the finishing touches on the tree, I also pulled out 2 of the 3 Advent Calendars we have. I filled them with candy and other treats. Miles and Landon love to wake up each morning and eat their candy. Chocolate at 6 am? In December, heck yeah!

But the best part of December is when our Elf on the Shelf, Delf comes back to our house. He truly is one of Miles' and Landon's best friends. The boys get so excited to see him each year. It is magical. The way Miles and Landon talk to him, look at him, and believe in him makes me so happy. I hope that never goes away. I know it will though, so I cherish these moments. Every morning, Miles and Landon wake up and run to find Delf. A few days ago, Landon started drawing pictures for Delf. Delf loved them and so returned the favor by drawing pictures himself. That made Landon draw more and eventually Miles caught on too. SO now on top of all of "Delf's" other responsibilities, he (SHE) has to draw pictures late at night. But like I said, it's magical and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

This morning, Miles and Landon "Skyped" with Santa Claus. I honestly thought my smart, logical Miles would doubt this whole thing this year, but he did not. It's the coolest thing. Santa talked to Miles and Landon, showed them pictures that he has (which shows he's been watching Miles and Landon all year long), reminded Miles to stop throwing those silly tantrums and assured the boys that he knows what they want most for Christmas. It's a very cool website, but I really thought Miles would catch on...or at least have some questions. I mean, this child questions me on everything and nothing usually gets by him. But Christmas is different. Christmas is magical. Miles and Landon want to believe and they do believe and it is the most wonderful thing on earth. Every year, when Christmas is over and Delf leaves us, Miles gets very sad. He cries and begs Delf to stay. I assure him that it's okay because we know Santa will send Delf back to us next year. But, honestly, each year, I hold my breath and hope that the real Delf will return. Obviously, the stuffed elf will be with us forever, but I am hoping the spirit of Delf lasts just as long. Because he is pretty darn special to all of us.

A Thanksgiving Tale

2010-11-28T19:29:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a young boy. We'll call him Miles. Miles was having a great school year in first grade, but sometimes, he became a little jealous of his younger brother. You see, this younger brother got to stay home with Mommy every day. This younger brother (let's call him Landon) also had a charming personality and could get laughs just by walking into a room. One day, Miles came home to find that Landon and Mommy had spent all day working on centerpieces for Thanksgiving. This upset Miles. But Mommy had a plan . (Let's call her Super Mommy!) Very quickly, Super Mommy said, "Miles, why don't we find some jokes for you on the computer? Then you can perform them for everyone at Thanksgiving!" Miles loves this idea because it played up his strengths of reading and coloring. And, for once, he would be the one getting all the laughs.

For weeks, Miles colored these pictures that went along with the jokes. He practiced reading them. He fretted over them. He even came up with a few original jokes. In time, he stopped fretting and actually began to get excited about his performance. On the even of Thanksgiving, Miles put his jokes in a special folder and packed them in the car. The next morning, Miles asked Super Mommy at least 20 times if she was sure that the jokes were safe in the car.

The big moment was here. After a delicious feast, Miles went into Aunt Sara's bedroom to rest. The poor child had a sore throat. We let him rest for awhile and then asked him if he wanted to go through with his jokes. Being the professional and trooper that he is, he rose to the occasion. As Mommy prayed for a good performance, she also begged the audience to laugh no matter what. And to laugh hard!

Miles climbed up onto his chair and read his first joke. Here's what happened:

Miles looked momentarily stunned, checked the answer on his cue cards and then smiled and went with it. Here's what happened after he told his second joke:

What the heck, people???????? Can you let this little guy have the spotlight for one moment, please? Not only did Miles' great aunts and grandma steal the spotlight away from him, they also taught Landon that it was okay to do so:

Super Mommy quickly clamped her hand over Landon's mouth, but it was too late. Landon ruined yet another one of Miles' jokes. And then cried in hysterics for the rest of the performance because he didn't understand what he had done wrong. In his defense, he saw other people doing it and no one shut their mouths! What a disaster!
After 3 ruined jokes, this is what happens to a kid:
Thank goodness Dottie was there. She is John's mother and obviously does not share the same insensitivity gene that my family does. She was super-attentive to Miles and let him have his 15 minutes of fame. Not only was she attentive, she also laughed in hysterics on cue. It really wasn't so difficult! Just ask Dottie!

Don't worry and don't fret. Miles still had more jokes to tell. He knocked a few of them out of the park - especially the ones he wrote himself. Unfortunately, we don't have any of those on tape. You'll just have to take my word for it. Or stick around to see if any Christmas jokes are coming our way... Dottie won't be there though, but neither will one of the joke-destroyers. Hopefully, other family members will review joke etiquette before the festivities begin.

Friends.....and Lots of 'Em!

2010-11-26T20:24:00.001-05:00

There was a time, not too long ago, when I was worried that Miles would never come out of his shell and make friends. I thought he would be attached to my hip forever. I used to beg people to let me drop Miles off at playgroups (where all the other moms stayed) just so Miles would have some experience being away from me. He cried and cried, but I would leave for 20 minutes and come back. He was not a social guy. I started to accept that.....and then something happened and I'm not so worried anymore.

How can I be worried when this child gets more mail than me? Every week, he is being invited to one Birthday party or another. Our answering machine is filled with moms calling, requesting playdates. I am even getting requests via my email. It's a weird thing to see your little, timid caterpillar transform into a beautiful, social butterfly. (Get it?) It is amazing to me to watch Miles at play with his friends. He is not loud or bossy, but he is definitely a leader. Parties don't start until Miles gets there. And nothing makes me smile more than when we arrive somewhere and I hear a chorus of voices exclaim, "MILES!" It's pretty darn cool.

To me, it was a struggle to get Miles where he is today. To him, it was seamless. He does not remember being shy at all. The other day, I happened to mention to him that he could have gone to Kindergarten when he was 4. Besides being incredulous that he could have actually been in second grade right now, he couldn't understand why I didn't send him. As I explained how painfully shy he was as a 4-year-old, he just laughed. He still thinks I was pulling his leg. I'm glad his early issues didn't scar him for life.

Yes, having friends is great......until it comes time for a Birthday Party. This year, I'm not sure why, we are throwing Miles a party at a "place". A pretty expensive place. We invited people. I assumed half wouldn't come. I counted on the fact that many wouldn't. I was wrong. Like I said, Miles is Mr. Popularity. Everyone, but 2 boys are coming. And if not for travel, I'm sure they would be there. One is going to NYC and one is going to Disney World. Each time the phone rings and someone else RSVPs, Miles' smiles gets bigger as visions of this extravaganza dance in his head. Kirk and I just kind of laugh a nervous laugh. Luckily, the place provides two party planners to run the show. All we have to do is provide the pizza and cake (and juice boxes, and plates, and goody bags, etc)

It's going to be something....this Sports party on December 3rd. 22 friends and a very special Birthday Boy. Is this absurd and over-the-top and unnecessary? Maybe, but you only turn 7 once!

Wish We Were There

2010-11-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

These are pictures from our family "vacation" in August. I was browsing through the pictures on my computer and came across these. They are making me very wistful. This summer just went by way too quickly. I long do the summer days, when the only place we had to rush to was the beach, and that was just to ensure that we got the best parking spot!!! Never again, will I take our summers for granted. One day it was June, the last day of school, and in a blink of an eye, it was the first day of school for all of us.

Our lives have become complete chaos. Between Miles' full day schedule, my new work schedule where I doubled my workload and am now teaching at night and in the mornings, Landon's school schedule, my babysitting schedule, CCD, play dates, sports, meetings, etc....It just gets crazy!!!!!! We are trying to make it all work and everyone is sacrificing, but we will get through this. I've been very lucky to spend the last 7 years at home with my kids. Someday they will appreciate it. But for now, they are just running alongside of me, trying to keep up.

Every once in a while, I think of something we can drop to lighten the load a little bit, but it never works. This Fall, I decided not to sign up for Family Learning Night, which is something we used to do once a month. It doesn't sound like much of a commitment, but they always seem to fall on the worst possible weeks. So, I didn't sign us up for it this year. But last month, out of the blue, Miles asked me about it. I told him that we just didn't seem to have time for it this year. He looked at me solemnly and said, "But shouldn't we try to make time for family time?" I called the next day and signed us up. I also decided to cut back on play dates this year. We don't have time, and frankly, we don't have room for more friends in our lives! But, now that Landon is having such a tough time, one of the things his teachers suggests is play dates with classmates. So, I've called some parents and I am trying to squeeze that in too!!!! I tried to get rid of one of m y classes that I teach at night. I am still not sure what happened, but I was guilted into keeping it. Something about me being the only qualified person. Why is that my problem???? At least soccer is over. That frees up our weekends a bit and relieves me of my "coach's wife" duties.

Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. I am just overwhelmed sometimes. And of course I feel like my kids are overwhelmed, which makes me feel guilty. And as we enter this season of holidays and birthdays and endless parties, I can already feel my to-do list getting longer and longer. But it's all for the kids. And it's all fun. And, really, I am blessed to be this busy. It means....well, I don't know what it means. I guess that my life is filled with people that I want to help. That I am a willing and able person. That my kids are learning how to live fulfilling lives? That I am my mother's daughter. I read a quote recently that sums up my life. "If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart!" Isn't that perfect? From now on, whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, I will repeat that mantra and all will be good!

Vacation

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

What to say about Halloween 2010? On Saturday, after soccer, Aunt Sara came back to the house to carve pumpkins with us. I drew a lot of flak that morning because I did NOT participate in the pumpkin carving. I should not have to justify this, but I will. First of all, I have never participated in this tradition. I am dangerous with a knife! Secondly, Landon did not participate in it either. He gagged every time he saw the “guts”. Thirdly, I was supportive! It was not as if I was in the other room, painting my toenails. I sat at the table with everyone and wrote a grocery list while cheering my family on. And lastly, I get to experience almost every milestone and tradition and everyday fun with Miles and Landon. Sometimes, I like to sit back and let Daddy and Aunt Sara share some of the fun.
Okay, I’m done with that rant. Back to Halloween. Halloween was a crazy day. My boys were all amped up! Finally after a quick nap, we woke them up to dress them in their costumes. We headed to the few relatives that were actually home for Halloween this year! Then we headed to our friends’ house for a Halloween Party. After a wonderful hayride around the neighborhood, the daddies and kids went trick-or-treating. Good times! The kids came back with heavy bags, filled with candy.
On Tuesday, the kids had no school, so we went to visit the Tooth Fairy, who gave Miles and Landon $14 each in exchange for their candy. Score! We went right to GameStop and the boys bought new (used) games for Wii. SO much better than candy! And that, folks, was our Halloween! And don’t worry, we saved just enough candy to help us survive until next Halloween.

He Did It!

2010-10-31T15:21:00.001-04:00

This cute little Lion wore his costume in the school parade! If you had asked me 2 days ago if I thought he would, I would've bet my house against it. Landon is one stubborn child and he was dead set against it. Still not sure why. We talked about it all week, and by mid-week, I gave up. I stopped trying to convince him, bribe him, beg him, reason with him, etc. I simply told him that it was fine if he chose not to wear it. Then, on Friday, the day of the party, Landon cried all morning. All I did was repeat that he did not have to wear the costume. We got to school he cried. I told him that he did not have to wear the costume. He begged me to take the costume home with me. I told his teachers not to push the issue. I told them that I was 99% sure Landon would NOT wear his costume. Mrs. K told me to leave the costume in her office. And then she gave me a little wink. I left, hearing Landon still crying in the distance.
When I came back to school, an hour later, it was a different place. First and foremost, I didn't hear Landon crying. As I took my place in the audience, Mrs. K took me aside. All she said was, "He's wearing his costume". And then she winked again. I found my seat and looked for Landon. He gave me a huge smile and a big wave. What the heck happened in the last hour at this school?
For the next 20 minutes, Landon animatedly sang songs with the rest of his class. He smiled, he laughed, he paid attention, and gosh darn it, he wore his costume the entire time! Then, he sat down with his friends for a Halloween feast. So what was all the fuss over his costume about? I don't think I will ever know. Only Mrs. K, with her secretive winks, knows. And that is why she, and not I, is the teacher!

Landon with his new friend, Ryan.

Landon, with his old friend, James.

Field Trip!

2010-10-26T20:23:00.001-04:00

Monday, October 18, 2010 will forever be ingrained in Landon's mind as a very, very important day. This was the day of his first field trip. More importantly (in Landon's eyes), it was the first time he rode on a school bus. Even more importantly, it was the first time Landon rode in a vehicle without sitting in a car seat or booster. Wait~! It gets even better. On Monday, October 18, 2010, Mr. Landon rode in a bus WITHOUT A SEAT BELT!!!!! He and his whole class went to a local farm. They went on a hayride. They pretended to milk a cow. They went through a corn maze. They saw piglets. They saw cows. They saw goats. The picked pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. Yet all Landon could talk about was the fact that he rode on a school bus without a seat belt.

Anyway, Landon had a great time. He liked the farm. He liked the pumpkins. But he LOVED the bus ride! He sat with his good friend Max on the way there and MY good friend, Emily, on the way home. (She's where I got all my info, by the way.) According to Emily, Landon was a perfect bus mate. He behaved and he entertained. See? He's all set for Kindergarten. And believe me, after that taste of the school transportation, he can not wait!

By the way, in case I haven't updated you....after a slow, tearful adjustment period, Landon is now loving school. It will come to no surprise to anyone that Landon is "bossing" his teachers around. Some may say that he's charming them; some may say he's dictating. He has already invited all of the kids and his teachers over for a playdate. Being the master that he is, he is attempting to change their holiday rituals this Halloween. He is questioning the whole Halloween Parade idea and has requested of his teachers that they skip costumes this year. He tells me that he doesn't have to wear a costume. I said, "We'll have to ask Mrs. K. about that." He said, "I already did. I don't HAVE to!" Oh boy. That'll be some parade. Here's Landon....and he's Landon. Luckily, we have a few corny, glow-in-the-dark Halloween t-shirts that he can wear. I am preparing myself for a battle that I will try my hardest not to engage in. Stay tuned....

Run for Joe

2010-10-17T19:33:00.005-04:00

Another big day in our household. Today, Miles ran his first "big people race". Technically, it was more of a charity run to commemorate a fallen soldier, but Miles ran it like a race. I asked him 2 days ago if he wanted to run 1 mile with me and he jumped at the chance. As we drove to the race, I reminded Miles that we probably wouldn't win. He looked at me like I was crazy and explained, "I KNOW that! There' going to be lots of big people running! I don't want to win and I don't want to be last." Good strategy.

Unfortunately, all strategies fell apart soon after that. Because this was just a charity run, it wasn't very organized. At all. So we lined up with the pack and started running. About 2 minutes in, I realized that we with the wrong pack. We were now a part of the 5k race. Unfortunately, Miles figured it out as soon as I did. You should have heard the panic in his voice, as he asked, "Mommy, are we running 3 miles?" I just told him we'd figure it out, but for now, he should just do the best that he can. I also assured him that we could walk whenever he needed to. But my boy is a trooper. He ran up the hills. He ran down the hills. He huffed and puffed. He held my hand. And we ran. People passed us and yelled encouraging things to Miles, who by now was bent over and flailing his arms about. I would say me made it about a miles and a half before I found a way out. We took a little short cut and made our own finish. Lucky for us, the finish line was as disorganized and lacking of fanfare as the starting line. No one really saw us finish and no one really cared. But we did it! Miles was very proud of himself. He knows that he didn't run the entire run. And he knows that we cheated a little bit, but as we were walking back to the car, he exclaimed, "I am impressive." My thoughts exactly.

Fall Festivities

2010-10-16T19:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning, Miles asked Kirk what we were doing this weekend. When Kirk said, "Just soccer", Miles said, "Good!" Kirk took that as a sign that we've been doing too much lately. (Lately? We've been doing too much for 7 years!) Anyway, when I talked to Miles, I figured out the real reason he was psyched to be only doing soccer. Every Monday, he has to write about one thing he did over the weekend. Every weekend, we do so many fun things, that he never has a chance to write about soccer because everything always trumps soccer. So, this weekend, we tried our best to keep our activities to a minimum. Besides being good for Miles' writing, it is also good for mine because it allows me to time to catch you up.
Last weekend (or maybe the week before), we went to the apple orchard with Miles' oldest friend, Emily, and her sister Chelsey. The relationship between Emily and Miles never ceases to amaze me. First of all, we rarely get to see her. Secondly, she's a girl. Yet, when the two of them do get to play, Miles couldn't be happier. He constantly asks to spend time with her and he this Fall, he made a special request that we invite Emily and her family to the apple orchard. Because of our scrapbooks and because of his little memory, Miles knows that we have picked apples with Emily every year, since he was 9 months old. He loves looking through the pictures and hearing stories about the special bond he and Emily share.

And that's not to say Landon and Chelsey don't share a special bond too. They are good friends. They went to school together last year. They've been to story hour together. And now Chelsey (and her mom) babysit Landon every Wednesday morning so that I can listen to Miles and his classmates read. The point is, when the four of these kids get together, fun is had by all!

So, back to apple picking. We went. We picked apples. We ate apples. We paid for apples. And then Kirk, Miles, Landon, Emily, and Chelsey ran around the fields and played until the closing of the apple orchard. And then we went home, I baked apple crisp, and Kirk and I pigged out. The end.

He is So Darn Cute

2010-10-03T20:43:00.001-04:00

It's almost 9 pm (my bedtime) on Sunday night. I'm really tired. But I realize that I haven't written a blog in awhile. And it was on my to-do list for the week. So.....I write. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say. We've been having a lot of fun lately, doing all sorts of Fall activities, but I haven't had the chance to upload my pictures yet.
So, I went back to a video from last month; one that makes me chuckle. One that I recorded because I never want to forget this little thing about my baby, Landon.

You see, Landon drives me nuts. He never stops talking. He loves to argue. The word "yes" is not a part of his vocabulary. He doesn't know how to play by himself. He is addicted to TV. He eats no vegetables. The list goes on and on.

But.....he is so darn cute and loveable. He is a sweetheart and he is charming. I love that about him. I love how he always tries to keep up with Miles and his buddies. I love that he invited his preschool teachers to a playdate at our house. I love that when he plays house with his friends, he requests to be the baby named "Dolphin" or "Skateboard". But what I love best about Landon, what can make my heart melt even when he is driving me nuts is how he climbs into his bed at naptime and at bedtime. He loves to sleep and when I announce that it is bedtime, he climbs up into that bed like he's climbing Mount Everest. And I never ever want to forget that image. It may sound silly, and maybe it is, but it makes me happy. And once a day, sometimes twice a day, it makes me not so nuts.

Someday, Landon's short little legs will grown and getting into bed won't be such an endeavor. But for now, I'm going to appreciate his legs and everything else about that crazy little boy.

Author's note: A wise man alerted me to possible problems with my blog videos. Please let me know if you can't view the video here. It works on my end. If you all can't see it, then this blog was pretty pointless.

Ride 'em Cowboys!

2010-09-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we had a very exciting experience! We got to ride horses! This all started because Landon has been fascinated by a few horses that we see on our walks. He asks me constantly if we can go up close to see these horses. Because I don't know the horses' owners, I said that might be difficult. We kept hoping that maybe one day, the owners would be outside while we were walking so that we could ask them to see the horses. But alas, that hasn't happened. So we went to Plan B. We called Grandpa.

Grandpa was thrilled to share his horses with us. He was thrilled that Landon showed such an interest in horses. So, yesterday, after soccer and after an impromptu tour of Daddy's hometown, we finally got to meet Grandpa's horses. These horses were big! I think we were all a bit freaked out, but mostly Landon. At one point, he ran out of the ring and hid behind the locked gate. He watched as Miles, our friend Colin, and Daddy all took turns petting the horses. Then Grandpa asked if anyone wanted to ride the horse. I chuckled because I really didn't think he was serious. He was. Then I chuckled because I doubted any of my family members would be brave enough to take him up on his offer. Then I chuckled a nervous chuckle when Miles said he wanted to. Oh my. Seeing my little baby up there on that HIGH horse was scary! But Miles loved it. After Miles, Colin took a turn, and finally Daddy. Landon watched wistfully from outside the gate. Once Grandpa tied up the other horse, we convinced Landon to come back in. I could tell he wanted to ride the horse, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and got up on that horse. After I took a few laps, Landon felt brave enough to join me. And once he was on, he didn't want to get off!

Eventually, Landon even rode all by himself. We all conquered our fears! Except for feeding the horses. Grandpa scared us all when he warned us to hide our thumbs when feeding the horse a carrot, so all of chose to let him do the feeding. After everyone had 3 or 4 turns, we finally left. Unhappily. Miles and Landon did not want to leave those horses! It really was a huge treat for our family! I am hoping that Grandpa invites us back soon!

I think he will. Because I think he had just as much fun as we did!

Grocery + Guilt = $$$$$$

2010-09-15T06:14:00.003-04:00

I have a new Life Lesson for you all. You know how "they" always say never to grocery shop on an empty stomach? Well, never, ever, EVER grocery shop after dropping a screaming, crying, pleading child off at Nursery School. Oh yes, Monday was one of those days.

As you know, Landon's first day of school wasn't great. But his second day was! He ran into the classroom, quickly hugged me, and started playing. I thought we were in the clear! But on our third day, as soon as we walked into the classroom, Landon looked lost. He tried to hold it together and I tried to get out of there as soon as possible. But, alas, I was not fast enough. He clung to me. He begged me to stay. He begged me to take him home to take a nap. Uh oh. I tried to console him as best I could. I hugged him, I bribed him, I tried to reason with him, I hugged him some more. Finally, after 20 minutes of getting nowhere, I looked at the teachers and said, "I don't know what to do." They said, "just leave" and they swooped in to take my crying baby. It was awful! The teachers promised Landon that I would wave when I got to my car. So that meant I had exactly 30 steps to pull it together and fake a smile and a wave to my baby. I pulled it off.

Then, I did what I always do when I'm sad or stressed. I went grocery shopping. That passed the time. Landon was on my mind the entire time and I worried non-stop, but at least I didn't cry in the aisles. But, when I got home to put my groceries away, I realized just how guilty I had been feeling. I had only brought $40 cash and I'm usually pretty good about sticking to my budget, so imagine my surprise when the register read $78! Amongst my groceries, I found candy corn, candy pumpkins, chocolate milk, oatmeal pies, hershey syrup, Little Debbie brownies, Little Debbie Nutty Bars, a ridiculous amount of Yo Crunch Yogurt (that's the one with candy in it), and last but not least, Landon's favorite treat - Gatorade. That is just plain ridiculous! But I'm telling you, a guilt-ridden, stressed, anxious, sad Mommy in a big empty grocery store is a dangerous situation. It was bound to happen.

2 1/2 hours later, when I went to pick up Landon, his teachers told me that he stopped crying as soon as I got in my car. Not sure if that is really the truth or if they just told me that. But whatever the case, we got in the car and I introduced my new plan to Landon - pure bribery. I gave Landon one candy pumpkin. He begged for more. I told him that I had an entire bag hidden in the car. I would leave them there and it would be our little secret (i.e. Miles would never know.) I told him that every day he didn't cry at school he would get a pumpkin. Landon loved the idea at the time.

Will it work? I have no idea? Is it my proudest moment? Not so much? But sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do. Wish us luck this afternoon.

Landon Starts Preschool

2010-09-08T21:08:00.002-04:00

Beware, friends, family, and fans of Landon. This is going to be a tough one to read. But it all turned out alright in the end. Today was Landon's first day of preschool. He has been anticipating this day all summer long. He's been excited. Up until this morning, he couldn't wait to go! But, as soon as we got in the car at 12:20 this afternoon, he changed his tune. (He tends to do that a lot and I should be used to it by now, but I'm not.) In an instant, Landon went from my excited, "I can do anything" tough guy, into this fingernail biting nervous child (see above). Oh boy. After a lot of reasoning, pleading, and (I'll admit it, flat-out lying), I left the classroom. Landon did not cry, but he did beg me to stay. After I left, I made Kirk check on him. Kirk's cautious, "Well, he's not crying, but he doesn't look good" didn't do much to make me feel at ease. After a few minutes, with no teacher running out to get me, we left. Apparently, he was playing.

2 hours later, we returned. I asked Mrs. Cooper how Landon did and she told me that he did begin to tear up, but as soon as he did, he hid in the closet. Dear Lord! Could you tear at my heartstrings anymore? That image will be etched in my mind forever. Seriously. Just try to picture that. My little Landon all alone in a closet, crying his eyes out with not a friend (or a mommy) in sight. It makes perfect sense and it fits Landon to a tee. He is ultra-sensitive, yet he is too macho to want anyone to see that side of him. We waited outside the classroom and as Mrs. Kwas released Landon, she too told us that Landon had a bit of a hard time, but she said he snapped out of it all by himself. As she called to Landon, I prepared myself for the worst. I expected to see a red-faced, puffy-eyed, sad, angry Landon. Instead, he jumped out the door, gave me a hug, and cheerfully announced, "I cried!"

From my brave little boy, I garnered this information. He did, in fact, hide in the closet when he was crying, but he came out when he felt ready. I asked him how the teachers got him to come out and he looked at me and told me matter-of-factly, "When it was time to clean up, I just came out." Alrighty then. He had 2 stickers on his shirt, so I asked him what they were all about. One was for being good and the other was for being the leader. He was very proud of this job, as he had to lead all of the boys into the bathroom. Landon did not choose to use the bathroom, but he did wash his hands. He had pretzels and apple juice for snack and Mrs. Kwas needed to go to the deep sea to get more Goldfish. Not sure he got the joke there, but he thinks it's cool that his teacher is willing to go to the ocean to get him snacks. He also told me that he needs to bring in something special on Fridays for Show and Tell. I then asked him my standard question that I still ask Miles every day. "Did you raise your hand to talk to the teacher at all?" Landon said, "Yes, I told Mrs. Kwas I wanted to do Show and Tell." I am a realist, so I highly doubt that Landon was as proactive as that. What probably occurred in actuality was that Mrs. Kwas asked the kids who wanted to bring things in for Show and Tell, and Landon raised his hand. But, whatever the case, I treated it like a huge milestone!
So, the day started off well, with a very excited Landon and a very proud big brother. It got a little sketchy and then downright sad, but Landon is excited to go back to school on Friday, so all's well that ends well. But.....I am a realist, so I am expecting another meltdown later this week. Or maybe just another visit to the closet. Only time will tell.
Enjoy some pictures from the day:

Geeg and Pop haven't left for Florida yet, so they didn't miss Landon's big day! Props to Pop for making it an even more special day by taking the boys to Friendly 's to celebrate while Mommy worked and Geeg and Daddy performed at a military service.

Landon didn't actually have to go to school until after lunch, but Miles requested that we take some pictures with him before he had to get on the bus. Props to Miles for being a concerned and proud brother. I asked him to decorate a sign for Landon and on his own, he wrote a special note to his little brother. "I hop you haev a good day at scoowl. Leuv Miles" He also gave Landon a special hug as soon as he woke up and remembered to look over his shoulder and tell Landon to have a good day at school before he got on his school bus. He's a good boy. He's a great brother.

He really was ready. He was proud. He was excited. He wanted to do this.

Parker and Colin are our newest babysitting friends. They got to see Landon off on his first day of school. In fact, that could have been part of the problem.

This was a hard, hard day for Mommy and Landon. But we did it! And we'll do it again. 3 times a week! I love you, Landon! I am proud of you! And man, did I miss you!

First Grade

2010-08-31T20:46:00.002-04:00

Look at my little First Grader! How adorable is he? Yesterday was Miles' first day of first grade and I do believe his day was successful. I also believe that this is going to be an incredible year! Let me start off by saying that it was extremely difficult to send my baby to first grade; a lot harder than I thought! I didn't really think much of it. I mean, he had gone to Kindergarten all year, he had conquered the bus, so I didn't think this would be that hard. But last Friday, when we went to Open House to meet his teacher and see his classroom, it hit me. Hard! As I looked around the classroom, I realized that he would be spending the entire day in this room. When I spoke to his teacher, I saw her as the lady who would be spending more time with my child than me each day. That is not an easy thing to write, much less accept!
But....we couldn't have asked for a better teacher. It is a woman I have known for half my life. My mom loves her and trusts her. When we saw her at Open House, she immediately gave Miles a hug. He might not have expected that, but he liked it. I think she and Miles are going to be a perfect match. From what I know, it seems like she will tease Miles, just a little, and make him break out of his shell a little bit. And she will challenge him. So I am excited to see their relationship grow. Already, he came home and reported that he raised his hand twice yesterday and answered questions. That might be more than he ever talked in Kindergarten! Not really, but still, I am impressed with his strong start! The confidence he is exhibiting is wonderful to see!

For some reason, Miles knew this was a big day. Bigger than the usual "First Day of School". I still don't know why it was so momentous. Is it because he is no longer one of the "little guys" at school? Is it because he will be in school all day long? Or is it because Geeg spent years and years and years educating and changing the lives of hundreds of 6-year-olds, and finally, her grandson would be experiencing what all of those kids did? I think that's what it was. And obviously, Miles didn't grasp the coolness of that, but he knew something was pretty special about starting first grade.
The day before first grade, Miles made a few requests. He went to a "Back-to-School" Party and asked that Landon and I create a sign for him while he was gone. He told us where to hang it once he fell asleep that night. He also requested a cake. Geeg and Pop made it even more special by offering Chinese food. Daddy came home from work with a handmade card. Miles received it and gave Kirk the most heartfelt, appreciative hug I have ever seen him give. I also have never seen Kirk so touched in my entire life. Wat a buildup!
On the big day, Miles woke up, saw his sign, and excitedly yelled, "Today is a very important day!" Yes it was, buddy! He hung around all morning, making sure I had packed his lunch and snack. At 8:00, we got dressed, took some pictures, and waited for the bus. While waiting and snapping pictures, I had a different child outside. He smiled all morning. He talked animatedly all morning. He didn't even bite his fingernails....all morning! He couldn't wait to get on that bus!

And when he saw Bus #7, my big, brave, confident first grader proudly walked to it, said hi to his new driver, said hello to the hundreds of kids screaming his name, and sat down. (Well, to me, it seemed like hundreds!)

I will miss my baby every single day that he is away, but I know he is ready. Just the fact that he was so excited to go shows me just how ready he is. Good Job Stinky Winky! You're the best!

Another First

2010-08-22T14:11:00.000-04:00

From the day he turned 4, Landon has been looking forward to something very special - his first sleepover at Aunt Sara's. Since January, my youngest son has asked me about 300 times when he would be able to sleep over at Aunt Sara's house. Because she lives semi-far away and she has a crazy work schedule, we didn't want to stress her out. But, last week, when Aunt Amy was visiting, she made good on her promise. She offered to take Landon on his very first sleepover. Luckily, Landon was gracious enough to let Miles come along on his special night. Aunt Sara asked Landon if he would like to come to her house. For the next 24 hours, Landon

thought about and talked about nothing else! First, the boys and Aunt Sara made a list of things to pack. Then, they packed. Then they unpacked and checked to make sure they had packed correctly. Then they talked about packing. Then they packed again. It was a long 24 hours. Poor Landon was super excited!

Finally, it was time to go. Someone questioned me as to whether or not Landon would freak out when it was actually time to go. I didn't think we had anything to worry about. I was right. Look how happy my boys are to be leaving me for the night. Less than 24 hours after they left, Miles and Landon were back. I heard stories of football games, a taste-testing game, smores, Wii, and more, but alas....I have no pictures. But the smiles on everybody's faces were enough to let me know that Miles, Landon, Aunt Sara, and Aunt Amy had a great time.

I've said it before, but it deserves to be said again. Miles and Landon are very lucky to have some very cool aunts in their lives.

Lake Quassy

2010-08-16T08:41:00.000-04:00

It's day 5 of Aunt Amy's visit with us and we're already dreading her departure. She (and Aunt Sara) has put extra effort in and has made this a very fun week. Besides playing with Miles and Landon and giving them her undivided attention, she even took us to Lake Quassy last week. This trip to an amusement park was a first for Landon. Miles came here once before with Aunt Sara, but he claims not to remember. The boys were very excited to be at this park and didn't know where to begin. They also couldn't believe that the bracelet on their arms entitled them to unlimited rides. I can't tell you how many times Landon checked and double-checked with me that he, in fact, could go on as many rides as he wanted. We started at the beginning and the boys wanted to stop at each and every ride.
Some rides were a little lame. But Miles and Landon yawned through them and rode them all.

Some were a little crazy. Those are the ones Miles skipped. Aunt Amy courageously rode with Landon. We enjoyed watching her face go from excitement to fear to nausea. Landon looked thrilled every second and got off the rides, claiming how "awesome" they all were!

The "Frog Hopper" was a family favorite. Miles loved it because it brought you high in the sky so that he could see the entire park. Landon loved it when it dropped suddenly. And, once again, I loved watching Aunt Amy.

It was a great day. We love spending time with Aunt Amy. She is so much fun. Miles and Landon were on their best behavior. I think they knew what a huge treat this was. The only possible meltdown came when we entered the waterpark area of the park. Landon was too short to go down the big slide, so he had to stay behind with me while we watched Miles. He wasn't too happy. But, without his cohort, Miles was a little skittish. The height, the speed, and the massive crowd go to be too much and Miles decided to skip the slide. No big deal at all. There was plenty more fun to be had.

I'm not sure if this video will work or not, but this was one of the last rides we went on....and also the highlight of the trip. It was called "The Big Flush", so really is there anything left to say? It could have been the lamest ride in the world, but my kids would have loved it based on its name alone. But, it turns out it was a pretty cool ride. Amy rode with the boys on a raft through a tunnel. Everyone got soaked. It was a hit!

In fact, the whole day was a hit! I can honestly say Miles, Landon, and I have not had that much fun in a long time!! We are so lucky to have Aunt Amy here to spend time with us and spoil us all. We hope she's having fun too. She's definitely getting a little taste of my life. After spending tons of money on my boys and spending all day walking in the hot sun and riding crazy, scary rides, we got in the car and Miles and Landon immediately asked, "What are we doing when we get home?"

Race 2010

2010-08-05T08:51:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was a big weekend; one we look forward to all year long. It was the Fair Days in our town, which meant it was also the big Kids' Race! We always love going to the fair, but this year, after being stuck inside for 14 days with random viruses, we were all desperate to go!!! After Miles was sick for 6 days, Landon got it too. He was still sick on the day of the race, but all day, he spoke about the race. I reminded him that last year, he signed up for the race, only to chicken out at the last minute. I also reminded him that he hadn't eaten in 2 or 3 days. I also pointed out that he had a fever of 104. But, when 5:00 came and he was still insistent on going, I loaded him up with some Motrin and we headed downtown. My plan was to let him throw a few balls at the dunking booth, watch Miles run his race, and go home.

Well, we all know how my plans tend to work out. Landon wanted to run this race. So I let him. Was it the best parental decision? Possibly not, but I do the best that I can.

The races were fantastically wonderful! Landon's age group went first. I figured he would hang back, timidly. Not so! My sick little boy ran out first. He was at the head of the pack!! Then I lost sight of him. When the kids started running back, I saw two kids ahead of Landon. But then, these amateur runners tripped! (First day with their new feet, apparently). Anyway, Landon came upon the fallen soldiers and didn't know what to do. Because he looked confused and about to cry (AND NOT BECAUSE I CAN BE A BIT COMPETITIVE), I encouraged (by screaming) Landon to keep going. He did. He ran that race and just about won. He actually came in 3rd, but for some reason, my video makes it look like he won! That made him feel better because he was so down on himself for not winning. Wonder where he gets that from?

Next it was Miles' turn. He did well. He ran his heart out and came in a respectable 4th. But, as he will quickly point out, he was definitely the first 6-year-old to cross the finish line. All of the other kids were "way older".

The important thing is that Miles had fun running his race. So much fun, in fact, that he started planing for his next race immediately. When he found out his cousin, Julianne was running a 5K the next morning, Miles asked if he could run that one too. I explained that he might need to do some training for that one, but we had an entire year to work up to it!

Round Two

2010-07-29T10:52:00.002-04:00

Good news: Miles is feeling much better. Bad news: Landon is not. About 2 hours after Miles' temperature finally broke, Landon informed all of us that his forehead hurt. This was in the middle of his "Half-Birthday Celebration". Soon after, he was hit with a fever of 104.8.

I'm going to try to give you a picture of my life right now. First of all, let me say that last week, when Miles was sick, I had it easy. Miles is an ideal patient. He is perfectly content to watch TV all day, take a few naps, and drink some fluids. He prefers not to talk and couldn't care less if Landon and I were around. Landon, to his credit, is also an excellent patient's brother. He was perfectly content to swim in the pool with Pop, watch TV with Miles, or run errands with me. Not once did he complain that we hadn't been anywhere in days. Not once did he mention that fact that I was giving Miles ice cream and popsicles before dinner (or whenever he wanted it). That was last week.

And this is this week: Landon, though adorably pathetic, is an awful patient! I have never seen him so sick. At this point, I think the headache it bothering him the most. It hurts to stand, it hurts to look, it hurts to watch TV, it hurts to suck his thumb. It also hurts to walk and eat, so I have been carrying this child everywhere and feeding him popsicles and pretzels. I'm not sure if this is really necessary, but he is so darn cute when he asks. As a patient, Landon also doesn't like to sleep at night. Even the heavy-duty medicine that knocks his brother out, won't knock Landon out. So we've been spending a lot of time together.

Which brings me to my next point. Miles is the absolute worst "patient's brother"! Have you ever seen jealousy? Oh my goodness!!! He is acting out in every possible way. He is resentful that we can't leave the house. He is resentful that he has to be quiet because noise makes his brother throw up. He is resentful that Landon gets to stay up past 8:00. But mostly, he is resentful that I am spending so much time with his brother. I have tried to include Miles, but he absolutely refuses to sit still and watch TV. First of all, he wants to be right in between Landon and I. Do you now how much fin it is too cuddle with two boys in the middle of a heatwave when once child is running a fever of 104? Not so pleasant. But to make it even worse, Miles jumps around, pretends he's a power ranger, plays the air guitar, etc...all while we're just trying to watch TV and catch up on some sleep. And when I do happen to fall asleep, I am woken up to Miles whispering fiercely in my ear, "Why do you love Landon more than me?"

So, last week was rough. This week....well, it might be impossible. Miles' sickness lasted 6 days. We are on day 3. I'll let you know if we make it.

Alternatives.....

2010-07-24T13:07:00.000-04:00

I was determined to show the kids new things this summer. It seems like every year, we spend our entire summer at the lake. So, this year, we tried a few new things. We went to movies. We went to a spray park. We went to the mall. (And for those of you who know me well, this was HUGE!!!) All of these field trips were great, but the truth is, nothing holds a candle to our beach.
My children love the beach. I love the beach. It has everything we need. It has sand, water, food, and friends....but I'm over it. I don't know what is wrong with me this year. For the past month, we went every single day because the boys had swim lessons. But now we've had a week's break from the beach and the thought of going back is not a pleasant one. The thought of packing up all the food and gear, the thought of the brutal sun, the thought of the messy sand in my car. These thoughts were enough to keep us away from the beach all last week. Instead, I convinced the boys to swim in our pool and invite friends there. I told myself that we all just needed a break and then we would be ready to go back this week. That was the plan.
But we all know how plans work out. On Thursday, Miles woke up with a headache. He spent the morning in the pool with friends of ours, but by noon, he couldn't hang anymore. He slept the rest of the day away. Unbeknownst to him, several friends came in and out that day. Thursday night, he developed a high fever and Friday morning, the sore throat emerged. And today, his poor stomach is a mess. And the fever just won't quit. My poor baby has been listless and food less for days! He will eat fruit snacks and that's it. He is drinking plenty, though.
Why is it that when a child gets sick in the summer, we automatically point fingers at our beloved lake? Our children certainly get sick in the winter too (though come to think of it, we had a very sick-free winter) But anyway, now I am rethinking our original plan. Once Miles finally emerges from this sickness, will we really risk it and head back to the beach?
I'm trying to analyze things and figure out where this is coming from. I have heard of many kids getting sick over the past 2 weeks. Some had a sore throat. Some had a fever. Some had stomach issues. We have all 3! But, my point is, not all of these kids have been to the beach. But.....they all HAVE been to one church camp or another. Hmmmmm.....maybe we should stop blaming everything on our lake and start looking into these camps. Do we really know what goes on there? We have another church camp schedules in August? Should I call them up right now and cancel? Just kidding. I will never know why Miles is sick and even if I could figure it out, would I stop him from doing the things he loves? Probably not.

She's One of a Kind!

2010-07-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

This morning, after a fun-filled week, we had to say goodbye to Mema. She arrived Tuesday and I was a little worried about how my kids would react. They can be very shy, and we haven't seen Mema since Christmas 2008. But, Miles and Landon know who family is and they warmed up to Mema right away. I was going to say that they recognized her right away, but that wouldn't be accurate, considering Landon told her right away that her hair was shorter and she "looked like a boy". Miles, my kinder son, waited until that evening to point out that Mema is "squishy."

Anyway, our week was filled with laughter as Mema is quite a character and she gets quite a kick out of her CT grandsons. Miles and Landon vied for her attention all week long, but I don't think Mema minded one bit. Because Mema's visit was very last-minute, we already had tons of plans and couldn't do anything extra special. Instead, Me ma lived a typical week with us and I bet she is exhausted!! Miles was in camp every morning last week and after camp, we all rushed to the lake for swim lessons. Mema helped me babysit a few days here and there when we had extra kids. She came to the special mass Miles participated in. She ran errands with us. She came to story hour with us. She came to the grocery store with us. When we had the occasional downtime, she adapted to that too. Basically, we just told Mema when she had to be ready to leave the house each morning, and she was ready, smile on her face, ready to face whatever adventure we had in store for her. The highlights of the week were ice cream at Friendly's, a trip to Wal-mart, and Mini-golf. I think Mema spent some quality time in the pool, alternating between watching the boys show off and relaxing all by herself. Coloring was a favorite activity this week too. Do we know how to show our house guests good time or what?

To my knowledge, Mema only witnessed one minor meltdown and a few hundred negotiations from Landon. Mema met some of our friends here and saw many of the places we frequent, so I hope this gives her a better picture of our lives. And hopefully, now that she has experienced the craziness that is my life, she will never once think that I am screening her phone calls or avoiding her emails when she doesn't hear from me for days on end.

As Mema left this morning, I was once again left wondering how it would go. I thought for sure, we would see tears from Mema or a meltdown from at least one of my children. But surprisingly, everyone kept it together as Mema and all of her goofiness left. After waving to Mema and Daddy, we came inside. Landon pulled on Miles' shirt and Miles burst into tears. It took me about 2 seconds to realize that these tears were not about the shirt being pulled. I took Miles into my lap and asked him if he was really crying because Mema had left. He nodded and cried more. For about an hour, those tears kept flowing. Miles couldn't talk, he couldn't stop talking, and he couldn't get off my lap. This child needed some major cuddling! Eventually, we were able to talk he articulated that he was going to miss Mema and that he wished she could visit more. He then explained that it hurt "right here" and I had to explain to him that that hurt was coming right from his heart. I'll even admit that he had me crying too. (Landon, by the way, was trying to provide some comic relief and was quite distressed to find it not working.) I explained that this type of crying (as opposed to whiny, bratty crying) was really the sign of a very genuine, nice, loving boy. I have been proud of my children before, but this was pretty special.

And Mema, I hope you know that there are good intentions behind the retelling of this story. I went back and forth, not wanting to make you feel guilty or sadness. But, then I realized that you would understand that this just illustrates how much you are loved in CT. And though Kirk,
Landon, Pop, and Geeg may not have cried buckets, they will miss you too! We love you Mema!

Kindergarten....Out!

2010-07-11T20:23:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of Miles and his Kindergarten teacher on the last day of school. Miles was thrilled to be attending his last day of school, but I'm pretty sure Mrs. W was devastated. How could she not be? Miles was an exemplary student: quiet, conscientious, and polite. Or so I'm told.

Miles didn't exactly love Kindergarten, but he didn't hate it either. He didn't quite understand why there was so much learning time and so little play time. He also didn't understand why he had to go to music class each week and why his teacher wanted him to sing. He quite enjoyed the bus ride, even though I heard tales of bullying, beat downs, and bad words. Miles and I both looked forward to Thursdays, which was our designated Parent-Pick-Up days. Miles' favorite things about Kindergarten was Art. I thought he'd like P.E. best, but according to Miles' they "never played REAL sports". Next year, Miles is looking forward to recess and eating lunch, but he's very concerned about what he will do if celery is served to him. He's excited about daily homework and meeting new friends. I'm excited about him being a little challenged. Academically speaking, Kindergarten was a breeze. I'm looking forward to him learning and growing more. Am I excited about him being gone for the entire day? Absolutely not! Especially on the days when I will have to go to work almost as soon as he gets off the bus. But, we'll figure out how to deal with that when the time comes closer.

The last week of school, Kindergarten caused us some major anguish. Miles came off the bus with "the look". "The look" is one that says "Mom, I am unhappy. Mom, I want to cry. Mom, fix this NOW!" I asked him what was wrong and all he could muster, before he burst into tears was, "Look in my backpack". I looked and saw a reminder notice from the school library. According to the memo, we had a library book M.I.A. I looked it over and immediately saw the mistake. Miles' substitute teacher must have glanced at the paper quickly and put it in Miles' folder, when in actuality, it belonged to a little boy in the class whose last name is "Miles". I explained to Miles what had happened and he said "I know that, but when she gave it to me, I felt like I really wanted to cry!" I asked him why he hadn't just told the teacher about her error, and Miles said that he couldn't even talk (because he was so upset). He told me that he just brought it home so that I could fix it. Crisis resolved....or was it? As soon as I had Miles calmed down and eating lunch, I heard him gasp. "Oh no Mommy! How will Jason's mom know that they still have a library book?" I told Miles that we would send the note back to school and his teacher would give it to the correct student. Because it was a Friday, that was not good enough for Miles. He could not bear the thought of Jason's mom spending the entire weekend not knowing that they had a delinquent library book in their possession. I can not even begin to tell you the anxiety all over Miles' face. I went to our class directory. Jason's phone number was not listed. Neither was his email address. What to do? What any mother of an overly-anxious child would do. I lied. I picked up the phone, pretended to dial, "talked" to the dial tone, threw in a few smiles and fake laughs, hung up, and told Miles that we were all set. Crisis resolved? Not quite. We were good until Monday morning. I informed Miles that I had written a note on the library memo and that he should give it to his teacher. The worry and anxiety resurfaced. "What do I say?" "Will Mrs. W know that it's not mine?" "Will anyone think that I didn't return a library book?" Finally, I told Miles he didn't have to say a word. "Just hand your teacher this note and the whole situation will be resolved." And then I sent him on the bus, a bundle of nerves. That poor kid!!! I don't care what his report card says next year. My goal for him is to gain some confidence! Why isn't that evaluated on report cards? Take out music class and add some self-esteem workshops!

On to the Next Sport......

2010-07-02T07:38:00.002-04:00

Now that soccer and baseball are over, you'd think that it was time to take a break. Nope! Not for us. Immediately after our spring sports ended, our summer sport began. And that means swimming lessons everyday at the lake. Everyday....and all day! I sort of screwed up on this one and I'm paying for it now. You see, originally, I signed both boys up for lessons at similar times. Miles is Level 4 and Landon in Level 1. But, once I got Landon in our pool and saw what he could do and saw that he really has no fear of the water, I decided to bump him up to Level 2 even though he never technically passed Level 1. The problem is, by the time I decided to switch him, all of the classes were full, except one at 3:20. So, now Miles has lessons at 1:45 and Landon has his at 3:20. Not the best schedule, but what can you do? And this late lesson also means the end of naps for Landon. Boo hoo!
Miles continues to prosper in lessons. He keeps up with the bigger kids and even impresses many of them. More than once, I have heard one of them ask, incredulously, "How old are you????????" This year, we have made huge jumps already. Jumps that I'm not sure I am too happy about. The first day at the beach, I said to a friend, "I'm pretty sure this is the year Miles is going to want to swim to the dock." Sure enough, 5 minutes later, a sheepish Miles came to me and asked, "Mommy, do you think I can swim to the dock?" We set strict rules and I allowed him to go. I stood at the shore and watched him, holding my breath. It's a long way out there!!!! He made it. I breathed again. The next week, he asked again and I allowed it. This time, I watched him jump off the dock. The next week, he jumped off the diving board, into the arms of a friend of mine. And yesterday, he asked again to swim out to the dock. I watched him swim confidently out there and then climb the ladder to the diving board and jump off without a care in the world....with no one out there to catch him. He did it a few times, and then swam back to shore. Simple as that.
Landon is doing well with his lessons. Level 2 is the right place for him. It's a little above him, but challenge is good. I look over and see kids crying in level 1, as they play Ring-Around-the-Rosie and I know I made the right decision. Landon is floating on his back, practicing his strokes, and even swimming underwater. I was very pleased. And then yesterday happened. We went to the swimming lesson and Landon decided he had to use the bathroom. No problem. I told the instructor that we would be right back. And we were. But by the time we got back, the other 3 children were already in the lake. As Landon happily ran into the lake, the instructor shouted, "Everybody splash Landon!" I swear it was like we were all in slow motion. Before I could scream "NOOOOOOOOOO", everyone started splashing Landon. It was 4 against 1. He fought back for a little bit, but then just felt overwhelmed and was reduced to tears. It was heartbreaking to see. And all of a sudden, my confident little swimmer hates swimming lessons. I felt bad for the instructor too. She felt horrible. Landon is a tough one to figure out and few have. He is a fun-loving guy. He is a tough guy too. He loves to laugh and he loves to fight, but as soon as he feels overpowered, he is ultra-sensitive!!!! And when he cries due to embarassment or fear, it is the worst!! He totally breaks down.

Luckily, it is a 3-day weekend. I am hoping that by the time we return to the lake on Tuesday, "SplashGate" will have been forgotten and Landon will dive right in. We shall see...

Team Real.....and Landon Donovan

2010-06-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of talk about baseball lately in our household, but that's not to say that soccer doesn't still rule in our house!! It's just unfortunate that Mommy (and this Blogger) can not be in two place at once. Every Saturday morning, while Miles and his fellow Angels played ball, Landon and his teammates learned the ins and outs of soccer. Kirk was Landon's coach and consequently, HAD to be with the team, which left me at the baseball field. Week after week after week. But, on the last day of soccer, I was lucky enough to get to watch Landon in action. His skills improved tremendously since the first practice! I was impressed! All of the kids were kicking, blocking, and heading towards the correct goal!! But what impressed me the most was how much fun Landon was having on the field! I purposely put him on a team where he knew no one and from the looks of it, he made plenty of friends. I have always said that Miles was a leader on the soccer field because of the way he rallied the team together and made sure that they were focused and following the rules. But, Landon is a leader of a whole different kind. As soon as enthusiasm waned, Landon pumped his team up again. Whenever there was a lull in the action, Landon made a joke. It was truly entertaining to watch.

I'm not sure what the other kids thought of Landon and his antics, but I saw what he was doing and loved every second of it!

I will admit that we gave a little bit too much attention to baseball this year. Poor Landon might have felt a bit neglected this season. But, when the World Cup action started, I tried to bond with Landon and show him my interest in his sport. I mentioned Landon Donovan and something extraordinary he had done. I showed him pictures and videos on the internet. I really played up the fact that he and Landon share a name. It went way over my Landon's head. He wanted to know what color team Landon Donovan was on and if he had ever played him before. Not yet, Landon but maybe some day...

Wiffle Ball Party

2010-06-25T07:21:00.000-04:00

Now, this was a fun day! Last year, we had a lot of impromptu family wiffle ball games in the backyard. They were fun, but Miles wanted more. He wanted it to be bigger, with more players. So, we invited lots of family members over and had a blast last summer. Again we had fun, but Miles wanted more. Right around April, he started to ask me about another wiffle ball game, but this time with friends. It would be a great idea for a Birthday party, but since he was born in December, that wouldn't work. I tried to justify throwing a party for him for no reason at all. It didn't seem right. But then, I just threw my hands up in the air. Who cares? Adults throw parties all the time, for no reason at all!

So, became the "End of School Wiffle Bash"! We sent out an evite to friends from school, friends from baseball, and friends from Preschool. RSVPs came immediately. Unfortunately, people were responding for their entire families! Because Miles really wanted an all-boy party all about baseball and only baseball and because a huge party was not in our budget, I had to make embarrassing phone calls and send awkward emails, clarifying that this party was for boys only. Ugh. The things we do for our children!

Nothing ever goes as planned either. On the day of the party, the weathermen promised downpours. But not until later in the afternoon. Well, the party was scheduled for 3:00, so that wasn't good. I called all of the parents and asked if we could move the party up to 1:00. Everyone agreed! All day, dark clouds loomed. Also, all day, Landon loomed. His behavior is always iffy, but with a group of older boys (At nap time), I wasn't sure what we would get. Luckily, a friend of ours offered to take Landon home with her so that he could play with her younger son while Christopher (big brother) attended the wiffle ball party. Sounded like a plan. Meanwhile, the clouds are getting darker and darker. But all they did was threaten..until 1:10. As soon as all the boys had arrived, it started to sprinkle. Also at this time, Landon changed his mind and decided he wanted to stay and play ball too. Neither the rain nor a little brother could ruin our game! Boys are tough! They played through the rain! The included Landon in the teams. We set up teams and played a very fun game of wiffle ball. Landon even impressed all of the big kids with the first home run of the game, by hitting the ball into the pool. He was thrilled! Miles was thrilled. I wasn't sure how he would handle Landon getting all the glory, but he actually looked proud. Every time I looked at him, he had a huge smile on his face. Miles has been dreaming of this game for months. I like when I make dreams come true.

By the way, every time I looked at Landon, Kirk and Pop, they too, were smiling from ear to ear. Must be a male thing.

After Game 1, we broke for lunch and a little sprinkler action. These boys are die hard fans of baseball though. The sprinkler lasted all of 5 minutes and then the kids were begging to play another game of wiffleball. This time, the teams weren't so fair - kids vs adults. The best part
was watching Mom and I try to figure out how to throw the game. It was hard to squelch the competitive nature in myself and the honest nature in Geeg. But we did it. The kids ended up winning and fun was had by all! No injuries, no tears, and no messes in my house! And lots of smiling faces - tired and dirty faces, but smiling just the same.

As I put Miles to bed that night, I asked him if he had had fun at his party. He said he had, but Miles being Miles....he had to ask for more. "It was fun, but what I really meant was that I wanted to have a big game with family and friends!" Will this child ever be happy? We'll see what we can do, Miles. He;s not a total spoiled brat though. He did say thank you. Twice. And that's all I ask.

Pool's Open!

2010-06-19T13:06:00.001-04:00

This year, we couldn't wait for Geeg and Pop to come home. They teased us with a quick visit for Sara's wedding, but then in early May, they headed back to Florida. We counted down the days until they returned. For obvious reasons, we love having them around. But, let's be honest. The major reason Miles and Landon wanted their Geeg and Pop to come home in late May was because no one can open the pool, but Pop!
You never know what you're going to see when Pop uncovers our pool, but this year we were pleasantly surprised by a very clean, very clear pool! The cleanliness of the pool on top of some gorgeous, hot and sunny days, led me to okay a dip in the pool two days after Pop opened it. I may be mistaken, but I think Landon may have been the first person in the pool this year. I know for sure Miles was the first person to go underwater. And if you're wondering, yes, everything in this house IS a competition. For the last few days in May, Miles and Landon swam in the pool almost every day. I even ventured in, as soon as the water temperature hit 80 degrees. Our days tended to revolve around the pool. Miles would go to school, we would jump in the pool, go on some outing, go in the pool, go inside for rest time, go in the pool, wait for daddy to come home, go in the pool, eat dinner, go in the pool. But just as the family was getting used to this, temperatures dropped and the wind picked up. There was no way I was getting near that water! Miles and Landon still insisted, but many days I still said no. On the rare occasions that I did agree, they were in and out of that cold water in minutes! We were back to finding other ways to entertain ourselves.
I think we're back on track though. We have 4 days of sunny skies ahead of us, so the pool should warm up quickly. Let the lessons commence! I am giving Landon swimming lessons so that he doesn't drown and Miles lessons in tricks so that he can impress his friends. My goal is to keep them in that pool for as long as possible each day. The pool is my best friend. It tires my children out, entertains them for hours, and makes no mess!!!!!!!!!!! It's a dream come true!

As a side note, Happy Birthday Pop! We love you! I would have dedicated an entire post to you and everything we love about you, but I am so behind on my blogs and have to catch people up! Plus, everyone already knows you're the man!

M----O----M----!-----!----!

2010-06-13T20:51:00.001-04:00

After months and months of a wiggly tooth, Miles finally lost his upper right tooth. He looks ridiculously cute! It's been over 2 weeks and I still can't look at him without chuckling. I'm not sure how I will handle the huge bucktooth that I'm sure is on its way, but I am preparing myself. In a side note, Miles' best friend, Colin, also lost the same tooth on the same day. It makes for a cute photo opportunity.

But today's blog isn't about Miles' missing tooth or the large gap in his smile. It's about the circle of life, annoying hiccups, and my uncanny ability to annoy my family at church.

So, this afternoon, as the boys and I got into the car to drive to church, I mentioned that I had a case of the hiccups. As I noisily drove to church, Miles became increasingly anxious. First, he was convinced that my hiccups were not genuine. He thought that I was just being a prankster and making those noises for the heck of it. As we drove into the parking lot, he begged me to stop. I told him I couldn't help it, so he begged me to stop talking and opening my mouth, and basically breathing. I told him I'd do my best. As we found a seat, he questioned me about the rules at church pertaining to hiccups. Were they allowed? Would the priest get mad?

As we sat in church, waiting for mass to start, I let out a few quiet hiccups. Each time, Miles looked up at me, looked around to see who had heard his embarrassing mother, and then looked back at me, with an expression that said, "Please knock it off!" This whole experience started to remind me of a similar day many years ago when I also had the hiccups during church. But that time, it was my sister Amy who was throwing me looks that could kill. It was also Amy who was demanding that I stop making noise and who wouldn't believe that I simply had no control over my hiccups. I'm not sure who was redder through - Amy or Miles. I started chuckling, remembering that day so many years ago. I also remember getting quite a kick out of causing my sister anguish. This time was different. I don't like to cause anguish for my son. But, unfortunately I was. As I chuckled, thinking about Amy, a huge hiccup escaped. Landon thought it was hysterical. Miles...not so much. He whispered frantically in my ear, "PLEASE STOP OPENING YOUR MOUTH...OR IF YOU HAVE TO HICCUP, GO OUTSIDE UNTIL YOU'RE DONE!" I was about to laugh, but then I looked at him and he just looked so pitiful. He looked up at me, with his puppy dog eyes and he didn't need to say a word. His eyes pleaded with me to stop. His red face begged me to stop. His tense shoulders implored me to stop. And that's all I needed. Much to Miles' happiness and Landon's disappointment, I let no more hiccups escape from my mouth.

So there it was. Today marked a very important day in Miles' life - the first time I embarrassed him. I thought I've embarrassed Miles before. I've certainly made some attempts -the cheering and dancing at baseball games, the excessive kisses at the bus stop. But those incidents didn't hold a candle to the hiccups. Someday, he'll laugh about all of this, but not yet. It's too soon. Hmm.....I wonder if Amy's over it yet.

Kindergarten Hoedown

2010-06-08T07:17:00.002-04:00

All month, Miles has been coming home from school, whispering songs and practicing movements. But when I ask him about it, he clams up and tells me I'll have to wait and see. So, for the whole month on May, my anticipation mounted. Finally, last week, the big day arrived. It was the Kindergarten Hoedown! After we sent Miles off to school, Pop, Geeg, Landon, and I got ready for the big show. Even Daddy stayed home from work so that he could attend the show. We gathered out video camera and digital camera, and headed off. I thought we were doing well, leaving the house 20 minutes early.
Boy, was I wrong! When we arrived at school, the cafeteria was already packed! We managed to grab a few seats in the back, but that didn't bode well for pictures. Instead of focusing on getting good pictures, I left that to the overzealous parents with the million dollar cameras. The ones who arrived at the school hours early. The ones who were willing to climb over people to get the perfect shot. Me, I just enjoyed the show.
The songs were pretty hokey and the dance movements were so-so, but I still enjoyed the show tremendously. And you know why? Because Miles smiled the whole time and actually looked like he was enjoying himself up there. What a change from last year, when he looked miserable every time his preschool class put on a show. This time, Miles looked ridiculous in his duck hat, but he didn't look like he wanted to crawl under the rug. Ahhh...I love to see growth in my child. Geeg, Pop, Daddy, Drew's Mom, and even Miles' teacher commented afterwards about Miles and his smile. (Kind of sad that he's known for NOT smiling...) So, we were all celebrating....

But not for too long. Yesterday, we were discussing a 2nd grade class that put on a performance of "The Little Red Hen". Geeg mentioned that that particular teacher always has her class do that show. Right away, Miles proclaimed, "Well, then I hope I don't get that teacher!" Great! Something new for my poor anxious son to worry about for the next 2 years!!!

Heaven is.....

2010-05-27T20:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Miles and I got to share a car ride. This is a rare occurrence. Landon always seems to be around. And when Landon is around, he tends to dominate the conversation. So, I truly enjoyed this particular car ride. We talked about a lot. Some of it was mundane. Some of it was personal. And some of it was just very sweet.
Important to this story is the fact that lately, Miles' mind has been absorbed by death and Heaven. He's a little bit confused as to how people are buried and covered in dirt, yet then they are in the sky with God. Since death and cemeteries are sort of morbid, I tend to focus more on the Heaven part of things. Not that that's easy to explain. Miles wants details and specifics about Heaven, but I can't provide them. I tell him what I think Heaven is like and I reassure him that it is a very good place to be.
I am vague and I try to answer his questions the best I can. Yesterday, one of the things I told him was that Heaven has all of the good things and none of the bad. My logical, analytical son questioned me. "Well, how can that be? Because some things that I think are good, Landon thinks are bad....Like cheese. I love cheese! But Landon doesn't. So is that in Heaven?" So, I changed my story a little bit and explained that when in Heaven, people "hang out" in the places where all of their favorite things are. But I also reassured Miles that he would still be able to see all of the people he loved. Just because he and his brother do not share a love of cheese does not mean that they will not share eternal life together. Anyway, Miles needed further explanation so I said, "Since you like baseball so much, you would be able to play baseball all day with other people who love baseball and you would never have to stop until you wanted to. And when you wanted ice cream, you could just have it. There are no rules in Heaven. You just do whatever you want." He thought about that and then doubted me. "You're going to be in Heaven right? So there WILL be rules." Such a stickler for details.
I moved away from that topic and tried to explain that I thought Heaven would be different for everyone, but also the same. Heavy stuff, right?
Miles was pensive for a while. He must have been imagining what his Heaven would be like. And then he described it to me. So sweetly, so innocently, so seriously, he said, "Well, I think Pop and I will have the same Heaven because we both like the same favorite things: Baseball, the beach, and Connect 4." I smiled and said that he was very right. And then he clarified. "So you mean that when I'm in Heaven, Pop and I can like go to the beach every day and play baseball, but when we get tired we can sit and play Connect 4? But we can also see other people too, just not the whole time? But I WILL be with Pop the whole time because we like the same stuff?" I told him that he was absolutely correct. "That sounds good," Miles said. I couldn't agree more.

Check out my Superstar!!!

2010-05-22T12:33:00.002-04:00

Really?

2010-05-21T06:45:00.000-04:00

Now that the weather has warmed up, Landon and I like to go on walks during the morning hours when Miles is at school. Well, not exactly. I like to go on walks. Landon tolerates the walks. I've learned that the walks are much more pleasant if I do a few things. 1)Bring back-up. For some reason, my shy son Landon doesn't talk much if I have a friend walking alongside me. Usually, he prefers to fall asleep rather than join the conversation. Even if our walk is at 9 in the morning. 2) Bring a snack. Preferably 2. Maybe even 3. This probably need not be said, but Landon prefers the non-healthy snacks. Even if our walk is at 9 in the morning. And 3) Tell a story. For a while, I tried to kill two birds with one stone and we would bring library books on our walks. Landon would hold the books and turn pages, while I read and steered the stroller. That was all fine and good...until Landon (a.k.a. "The Boss") decided it was too tiresome to hold the books and turn the pages. Hey Landon, have you ever tried to push an extra 50 pounds up a hill, while reading books, and trying to avoid the oncoming traffic? Just wondering.

So anyway, once the library books got to be too demanding on poor Landon, he requested that I start telling him stories. So that's what we do now. I make up stories. But only if I don't have a friend with me. That would just be weird.
It started out with me reciting stories that I could remember. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Little Red Riding Hood". Well, Landon couldn't stand the suspense. He wanted to have a little say in these stories. So after asking me to tell a story, he would then request certain subjects, themes, or characters. (Ask my dad about the infamous "Jimmy BoomBatz and Shakkaboota" story.) So, now that's what we do. He dictates ideas and I spin them into fun and exciting stories.
These stories tend to be very disjointed because Landon can't stop interrupting me. He has constant questions or ideas. Truly, he likes to lead the direction of the story. Many-a-time, I have led the story down one path only to have Landon ask me to "start over different". With all of this direction and all of these ideas, ,you'd think Landon would be a Master Story Teller, yet when I ask him to tell me a story, he's clams up. So, the storytelling is left to me. Yesterday, Landon requested a story about a dog named Bowser. This dog Bowser lived with a Mommy, a Daddy, a brother Miles, a Geeg, a Pop, and a brother Jacob. You didn't see that one coming, did you? Originally, I had named the other brother Landon, but then the real Landon requested that he be "Bowser" and Jacob be the brother. Okay. So the story continued. Bowser was not a usual dog. Besides loving pizza, ice cream, and fruit snacks, this dog could fly, could be invisible, and could talk. Bowser also went to school, played soccer, and played Wii. Landon loved this story! He was completely captivated. Now, keep in mind he was making up more than half of this story. Yet as I told him, his eyes grew wider and wider, and he kept asking "Really?" "Really?" Now also keep in mind that Landon was really Bowser. Even I was getting confused at this point. But in Landon's mind, he had transformed into this dog that adopted all his favorite things and attributes. It was getting a little to science-fiction for me, but like I said Landon ate it up! The story continued on, with Landon providing all the details. Usually I like to infuse a moral lesson into my stories, but this one was so wacky, the moral was hard to find. I just let Landon throw out as many crazy details as he wanted and I did what I could. He was laughing. He was in suspense. He was so sad when the story ended. But, our walk was over and when the walk is over, the story ends.
Landon was very quiet as I loaded the stroller into the car. He was very quiet as he buckled himself into the car. He was quiet as we started to drive away. It wasn't until we were halfway home when he finally piped up, "Mommy, did that really happen?"
That's what I love about kids. Landon basically made up a story about his family and their dog (who just happened to be himself). He then dreamed up crazy things that this dog(himself) could do. But then he got so confused, he had to check with me to see if it had really happened. Maybe we'll have to tone down the stories next time.

Kent Falls

2010-05-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

We had a busy Spring Break this year, preparing for Aunt Sara's big wedding, so we couldn't go away. But we didn't let that bring us down. We simply enjoyed what we had right in our back yard! Miles and Landon had fun all week, playing with Geeg and Pop, having playdates, and spending some downtime with Mom and Dad. Everyday is always "Go! Go! Go!" for us, so it was nice to not have to be at school, at work, at the library, etc. And I believe our family ate a record number 6 days in a row together!!!
I think Monday (the first day of the vacation) was a highlight for the boys. We packed a lunch, packed some outdoor toys, and headed to a park a few towns over. We were going to meet a bunch of people there. As we packed the car, I felt a gust of the wind. Brrr!!!! It was so cold, I called up the people we were meeting, just to make sure we were still doing this. We were. So on we went. Once there, I froze my butt off while Miles and Landon ran, played sports, ate, laughed, and just goofed around with a few of their favorite friends. At one point, one mom took some kids up to the waterfalls. Some of the kids came back with wet socks, shoes, and pants. Luckily, my boys didn't. They did, however, ask me if they were allowed to get wet. Considering the frigid temperatures, I said no. I know, I know. Mean old Mommy! Miles and Landon accepted my response, thankfully, without a fit.

After 5 hours, we were all ready to call it a day. On the way home, right before they drifted off to sleep, the boys asked me if we could go back there someday. When I said yes, they pushed me a little further. "Can we go in the waterfall next time?" I said yes, so why not push it a little bit more? "Can we go tomorrow?" I told the boys that we would look at the weather. That was good enough for them, so they allowed themselves to sleep.
On Wednesday, it was a gorgeous day, and Kirk was home early, so we went back to this cool place. It was quite different than 2 days ago. The first time we went (with the frigid temperatures), we had the whole park to ourselves. This time, it was crowded!!! Still fun, though. The family hiked to the top of the waterfall, played some sports, Miles learned how to catch and throw a football like our boy, Tony Romo, and of course, we enjoyed some snacks. I also allowed the boys (meaning Miles, Landon, and Kirk) to jump the rocks in the waterfall. Without friends to egg them on, this wasn't as fun as they had originally thought so this activity was short-lived. But at least, Miles and Landon had a taste of the fun. It was a picture-perfect day. I loved spending the afternoon with my family, exploring and enjoying nature. I think we have found a new favorite place to "vacation" and it's right in our backyard!!!!

Baseball Fever

2010-05-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, blog posts are easy to write. Sometimes, they are not. I've run into the problem before that we have done nothing of interest and that makes it hard to write. There have been times when the boys are making me miserable...and so then it's hard to write too. Sometimes, we're just too busy to write. But this week, I am confronted with a new problem. This past weekend, the family experienced such an amazing day that I don't know how to put it into words. It was incredible. It was fun. It was breath-taking. It was phenomenal. It was something we had been waiting for for a long time. It was worth the wait. It was Miles' first Little League Game. And it was awesome!

There has been a lot of anticipation for this baseball game. For weeks, we've been prepping with formal practices with the team, informal practices in the backyard. Mommy was in charge of making sure Miles had all pieces of the uniform. Oh yes, we've been eagerly awaiting May 1st for a long time. I thought it had been weeks. Maybe even months. But, on the way to the first game, Daddy reminded all of us that we've actually been looking forward to this day for much longer. You see, the baseball fields are on the way to our old house. When we lived there, we drove by the fields several times a day. Daddy reminded me and told the story to Miles and Landon that whenever we drove by the fields on Saturday mornings in Spring and saw all of the kids playing, we would look back at Miles in his carseat and say, "Someday, Baby Miles, we'll be watching you play on these same fields." And now, 6 years later, that day had arrived. 6 years is a long time. but I have a feeling Pop has been waiting for even longer than that. Besides one pathetic year when I tried to play softball, Pop has had no one to cheer for in Little League. So, he was pretty excited. In fact, I'm not sure who was more excited - Pop or Miles. I'll call it a draw. Speaking of Pop, we told Miles another little tidbit from his childhood. Miles stared at me in disbelief as I explained to him that when he was in my tummy, Pop would throw a ball to me every single time I saw him, just to push the whole baseball thing. Miles had a smirk on his face, not wanting to believe that, but when I told him what Pop did after he was born, Miles flat out called me a liar! He refused to believe that when he was just a little, teensy, weensy baby, his Pop used to throw balls at him. Not hard; just enough so that his grandson would never ever be afraid of the ball. Call him crazy. But you know what? There's a method to his madness. Miles is not at all afraid of balls coming at him.

So anyway...back to the game. It was all fun and games. The mood was good. We were stoked. Until Miles got up to bat. Then I got nervous. Really nervous. And I could tell Miles was nervous too. But his coach joked around with him a bit and started pitching to him. I think he swung once and missed. And then he swung, made contact, and the ball actually went somewhere! Miles ran to first! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! Miles' personal cheering section went wild!! I let out huge sigh of relief. We had done it!!! The end result was that Miles eventually scored a run...and he did it with pizazz! My boy slid into home plate with such gusto!! What made it even better was that there was no ball being thrown to home plate. There was no need to slide. But Miles wanted to slide....and so he did. When the Angels were in the outfield, Miles almost made an incredible catch!!! It came right to him. It was high. It was fast. As millions (or tens) of fans held their breath, Miles reached his glove out and the ball landed in his glove....and ten dropped out. But still, it was incredible!!! Coach gave him props and his personal cheering section hooted and hollered. Honestly, I don't know if we could have handled it had he caught that. That might have been too much.

Second time up at bat, Miles had another great hit that eventually brought him sliding into home plate again. Wow, Miles, wow.

I can't even sum up how proud I was of Miles that day. As Kirk best summed it up, "You're always proud of you own kids, but today was the first time when I saw Miles and said very proudly, 'Yep, that's my kid!!'" And I'm sure Pop was saying, "Yep, that's my grandson and I taught him everything he knows about baseball."

Miles has games every Saturday morning and if you're around, I invite you to come and see one of his games. It was the best 2 hours I have spent in a long time!! Miles is a natural and he looks like he is having so much fun on the field. He is focused, he is determined, but he is happy! And so are we.

A Fun Saturday Night

2010-04-28T10:41:00.001-04:00

This was a happy memory. One that my kids might forget, so I must blog about it so they will be able to read about it someday. One night, Kirk went away for the weekend, so the boys begged me to let them make a tent in the living room. Easy enough. So, as soon as Daddy left at 3 pm, we started building our tent. We grabbed sheets, chairs, and clothespins and came up with the above. While Miles and I constructed the outside, Landon conjured up all of the pillows and blankets from the entire house and made the inside nice and cozy.
By 3:30, our tent was complete. So we started our "packing". I took care of the food, while Miles and Landon grabbed all of their favorite toys, books, and "pets". By 3:45, we were inside our tent. We ate hot dogs and s'mores. We read books. We played "pets". Really, we did what we do everyday, but we did it inside a tent, which made it so much more fun!!! By 7:00, I was tired, so I suggested a movie. The boys weren't down with the idea of a movie while camping. But I convinced them that if we watched a nature movie, it would be like we were just looking at the world around our campsite. So we put in "Planet Earth". And we watched animals hunt and kill other animals. We watched whales eat seals and seals eat penguins. It was disturbing. Miles was a little freaked out. Landon almost lost his dinner. But, yet, we were riveted! The boys refused to let me turn it off. Finally, the episode was over and we switched to a less-camping-appropriate, but more kid-friendly "Phinneas and Ferb". By 8:00, Miles was sleeping beside me. By 8:15, Landon was already inquiring as to when he could sleep in his own bed. By 8:30, both boys were asleep in their beds and the tent was disassembled and put away. By 9:00, I was fast asleep in my own bed too.

Now that's what I call a fun camping trip! If I had known how easy and short-lived that would have been, I would have agreed to go "camping" a long time ago!!

When Daddy got home the next day, Miles and Landon couldn't wait to tell him all about his camping trip. They were so excited! I got the feeling Kirk felt like he had missed out on something big. Apparently, this was a big deal for my kids. Hot dogs, s'mores, a tent, and some graphic nature shows. Don't worry Kirk. Next time we go camping, you can come along for the ride!

Love is in the Air

2010-04-25T06:41:00.005-04:00

It's 6 am. My throat hurts from singing/screaming. My legs hurt from dancing. My cheeks hurt from laughing. All signs of a fantabulous wedding! For those of you who don't know, my sister Sara married the love of her life last night. Now we have a new Uncle John in our lives. After months of preparation and anticipation, the wedding went off without a hitch. The ceremony was beautiful. Short, sweet, and to the point. Miles successfully walked the path with Aunt Amy, awkwardly smiling the whole way. And Landon took some of the attention off of Uncle John by....well, by being Landon. He squatted. He sucked his thumb. He stuck his finger up his nose. He tossed rocks. He asked when dinner was. It sounds bad, but he really did do Uncle John a favor. He's not a fan of being the center of attention. Luckily, Landon is.

After John and Sara sealed their union with a kiss, we moved into the dancing room. Miles and Landon were happy because all of their "kid cousins" were there. They were also happy because I promised them no vegetables and unlimited water all night long. Woo hoo! Live it up boys! Kirk was happy because the music was pumping all ready, and oh yeah, can someone say "Open Bar"? And me? Well, I do love the dancing music, but what really thrilled me was having everyone I love in one room. I just love my family! And I loved seeing Sara so happy. And Amy too. (Did I mention she brought her new beau to the wedding? Did I mention that I love him too?) And my parents. And my kids. And my cousins. And my Aunts and Uncles. I was even lucky enough to have some near and dear friends there! It is just a truly wonderful thing to be dancing in the arms of my husband and to look out and see all of the people who I love having so much fun. I just love my family!

It truly was a spectacular night. Gorgeous weather. You could not ask for a nice day in April. Great company. Superb music! Awesome time! I fell in love with Kirk at a wedding and every wedding we go to, I just fall deeper. He knows how to have fun! And apparently, so do my sons. They held up so well!! If they weren't climbing rocks, they were on the dance floor, grooving. If they weren't playing hide and seek, they were shaking their groove thing. They had a blast until they finally pooped out at 11:00. Not bad for my little guys. I was so happy that they had fun and were able to enjoy themselves.....because that meant Mommy and Daddy were able to too.

So, congratulations Sara and John. We love you both!!!

An Early Beach Day

2010-04-23T09:40:00.001-04:00

It's only April, but we've been having some strange weather in CT. Two weeks ago, it was so hot that we even went to the beach!!! I was planning on letting Miles and Landon play in the sand, but it was so hot that they decided they needed to go into the water. Brrrr!!!! It was one of those crazy days where we had 100 things to do. Besides school for Miles, I also had to teach his CCD class. We had errands to run, and I had school to teach that night. So when a friend first asked us to go to the beach, I regretfully said no. But, as we sat in CCD and I felt the summer-like weather, I changed my mind. Who cared that I had a load of clothes hanging on the line? Who cared that dinner had yet to be prepared? Who cared that on beds in the house had sheets on them because all of the sheets were also hanging on the clothesline? Who cared that my lesson plans for the night weren't entirely done? Perhaps I should have cared, but the warm weather was making me a bit loopy. As soon as CCD was over, we dropped a child off, ran home, changed into our bathing suits, grabbed towels and toys, and headed to the beach. It was late, so the majority of the crowd had left, but luckily, our friends were still there.
All of the kids had a fabulous time, running on the docks, jumping in the water, and frolicking in the sand. It was definitely worth it to go.
Was our dinner gourmet that night? No, but chicken nuggets are a family favorite. Was I upholding my Teacher of the Year reputation? No, but it's good to teach my students that everyone, even Teachers of the Year have off days. Were our clothes a bit wrinkly? Absolutely, but they were also extra fresh smelling. At 5:30, I ran home, dealt with a bit of the chaos around the house, passed the torch to Kirk, and went to school. It was a crazy day, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. And the lucky thing is.....in less than 2 months, the boys and I will get to do it every single day, without the hassle of Kindergarten, CCD, errands, and work!!! Woo hoo! I can hardly wait!

Ta Da!

2010-04-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

After a long two weeks of waiting, and an entire weekend of back-breaking work, we are proud to present to you....our swing set!!!!!! Last Friday afternoon, a humongous 18-wheeler truck pulled up to our house. Since I was babysitting, I dragged all 4 kids outside to watch the excitement. We watched as the truck driver tried to skillfully maneuver that huge truck into the driveway. Then we watch him settle for parking it in the road. We all stood in the driveway and waited. I thought the kids' eyes were going to pop out of their heads when the driver asked me to come inside the truck to check out the merchandise. Imagine their eyes when I stood on the thing-a-ma-bobber at the end of the truck that lifted me up into the truck. I walked to the end of the truck and saw our 3 measly boxes. Yep, what I saw looked good. But, was this it? I was stressing that maybe we had been had and the kids were definitely disappointed when they saw the boxes. I think they thought the swing set would arrive fully assembled. Wouldn't that be nice? That night, when Kirk got home, I quickly said, "The swing set stuff is in the back...but I'm not sure we've got everything we need." Then, I took the kids and ran! We'd let Daddy deal with this project. After all, we had baseball practice to attend. As we drove home 2 hours later, I worried about what state we would find Kirk in when we got home. I also worried about the disappointment Miles and Landon would soon experience, because the whole way home, they asked me, "Do you think Daddy finished?"

Luckily, when we got home, I was pleasantly surprised. Daddy was not in a foul mood at all. He seemed to think this was a good swing set and that the manufacturer had indeed sent us everything we needed. He also quickly informed Miles and Landon that he needed their help the next day, so Miles and Landon were almost happy that the project wasn't completed (or even close to it).

Saturday morning, Kirk woke up early and started working right away. I had originally told the boys that they would have to wait until after soccer to help Daddy, but by 8:00, I couldn't hold them back any longer. They were able to check everything out. At 9, we all took a break and headed to soccer. When we got home 2 hours later, Daddy's friend Eric came to help out. I helped out by keeping the boys far away from the swing set. Besides, we had Birthday parties to attend. Aunt Sara helped us out by taking Landon for the afternoon. They had wedding errands to run and ice cream to eat. Sunday morning, after a late night out with friends, Kirk woke up early again and headed outside. I allowed the boys to go outside, but promised them that I'd be calling them in soon for church. Just as we weer leaving for church, I saw that Daddy had a new helper. Our neighbor's grandson, Hunter, was helping Kirk out. See, a swing set brings out the best in people! Sunday was filled with visits to friends and an extra long mass, but by the time we came home for lunch, the swing set was almost complete! It was complete enough that the kids could play on it. And they did. And Hunter did too. That made Kirk happy that a 12-year-old wanted to play on this thing. I think Kirk thought we would have it for a year and then the kids would be sick of it.
I can't promise him that the kids will still be playing on it when they're 12, but today's Wednesday, and they still run out to play on it. We've also gotten good use out of the little attached picnic table. I think we're on day 4 of outside dining. The hassle of carrying food down a flight of stairs and to the end of our yard is totally worth leaving the crumbs outside! Hmmm...maybe I will make these kids play on the swingset until they're 12...or 25!

Team Real!

2010-04-11T14:14:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a big day in Landon's life. Yesterday was a HUGE day in Landon's life. Yesterday, Landon began his soccer career. Yesterday, my baby entered the wild, crazy, exciting life of sports. And it was a good day. Landon has been signed up for soccer for months. His (hand-me-down) cleats had been cleaned, checked, and tried on weeks ago. Santa took care of getting him a new soccer ball. And last week, we made sure to locate Miles' old shin guards and soccer socks. We were all set. But you just never know.....I've learned not to expect too much. I've learned that sometimes a big build up can lead to a big disappointment.
But things were looking good. Saturday morning, Landon woke up, got dressed in record time and was ready to go. He ate a healthy breakfast, drank extra OJ, and eagerly packed his bag. One child was ready to go! But then there's Miles, who was just beginning to see the light. "What am I supposed to do while Landon plays?" "For a whole hour?" "And I can't play?" "Why can't we just stay home?"
Ahhhh.....trying to explain to Miles that Landon has been watching him swim, play, perform, create, paint, etc for 4 years! I reminded him that just the night before, Landon and I spent 2 1/2 hours in the freezing cold, watching him practice baseball. And now the tables are turning. One child was very happy about this turn of events. One was not. It was pretty funny to witness, actually. Miles was not being bratty. He just genuinely did not understand how or why he was supposed to sit in the sidelines while we paid attention to Landon. It was a completely foreign idea to him.
When we got to the field, luckily, Miles found some other displaced older siblings to play with. This gave Kirk and I time to focus on our number one star for the day. And being Coach K, Kirk also had 8 other stars to focus on. Practice began. Landon was right in there. He was a good listener and an active participant. Yeah Landon!

Landon doesn't know anyone on the team, but that didn't stop him. He was shy (I don't think I've ever seen him this quiet) and a little bit timid, but he got the job done! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of him. But nothing can even come close to the amount of pride he's feeling, himself. He wore his bright orange soccer shirt all day long. He told anyone and everyone about his soccer goal. And his ....ahem....3 goals!

Miles didn't disappoint either. At 10:30, he ran over to me, from the playground. I immediately thought someone had hurt his feelings because that's usually the only time he stops playing. I kept asking him what was wrong and he finally told me. I saw that Landon's games were starting, so I came over to watch. Awww!!!!!!

So, it was a good day for Coach K. 9 novice soccer players and no injuries or tears! It was a great day for Miles, who once again proved what an awesome big brother he can be. It was a fabulous day for Landon, who fulfilled one of his dreams today. He always, always wants to be just like Miles, and today he got one step closer. And it was a pretty good day for Mommy too. Without me, those 9 soccer stars (and their patient, understanding older siblings) wouldn't have had a snack! And let's be honest. Wanting to be like Miles was the main reason Landon wanted to play soccer, but snack was a close second!
Here's Goal number 3 for our boy, Landon!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2010-04-06T07:52:00.000-04:00

As soon as Landon realized what Miles was up to, he of course, had to follow in the footsteps of his big brother. Wednesday morning, Alvin and I sat down to create his book so that he could take it to his school. I love how Landon tried so hard to remember what Miles' book said. I also love how much time and effort Landon put into one of his pictures. Then, he sort of tired out. We did send Landon into school with his book, but I don't think he even told anyone about it. That's okay. He was still very proud of himself. As was I. I don't think he's going to make anyone teary-eyes with his book, but it's only a first edition!

I want to make a swingset with Daddy.

Daddy is good at working.

We will play with the swingset when it is done.

Another Proud Mommy Moment

2010-04-05T17:11:00.000-04:00

At parent-teacher conferences a few weeks ago, Miles' teacher said that the only thing he needed to work on was his assertiveness. So, we've been working on being less timid and shy in school. (and egg hunts, but that's another story). So, imagine my delight when the following went down.....
At dinner one night last week, Miles asked me why his class didn't have Show and Tell. I explained that there probably just wasn't enough time in Kindergarten for Show and Tell. I then told him that I'm sure his teacher wouldn't mind if a student brought in something very special one day. Or if someone had something very important to share with the class, I assumed his teacher would let the child speak. I asked Miles if anyone ever did that. He said that if a student wrote a book, he/she was allowed to share it with the class. Since Miles detests writing and because he detests speaking in front of a large group even more, I moved on. "That's neat," was all I said. He continued. "The only people who ever do that are girls like Annabelle and Sarah. They're not shy at all. Ever." "Yup," I said.
"It would be very brave of me if I wrote a book and then shared it with the class." "Sure would," I said. I held my breath.
"Can I do that, Mommy?"
"Absolutely!!!!" So even though I had to be at work in 30 minutes.....even though I was still in my sweats and ponytail....even though there were dishes to be washed, Miles and I sat down and wrote his book. He wrote the words that night before I went to work. I promised him that I would be home in the morning so that we could color the pictures.
The next morning, Miles jumped out of bed, ready to illustrate. We practiced reading his story. He's learning about exclamation points, so he even practiced intonation and expression! As he got on the bus that morning, I gave him an extra big hug and reminded him that he could do this!!!! I also reminded him that he had to tell his teacher that he had a book to share. She really can't read minds. As the bus drove by, I gave him the "thumbs up". But, in my heart, I knew he wouldn't read it. He can barely talk to his teacher! Much less ask her if he could read a book in front of the class!
When he got off the bus that afternoon, I expected to see his little smirk. You know, the one that says, "I couldn't do it, but I hope you still love me anyway!" But instead, he had a huge confident smile on his face and a self-assertive swagger to match. I looked at him questioningly. And all he did was nod. I screamed! I grabbed him and swung him around! My baby boy did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know who was prouder. Miles or his mommy. Or Geeg. She was pretty thrilled when Miles called her to tell her about it. Unfortunately, he couldn't read it to her because his teacher still has the book. Not sure what's that's all about....but luckily, I am always two steps ahead of everyone else. I am so grateful that I had the forethought to take pictures before I sent Miles off to school with his masterpiece....
So, ladies and gentlemen, I present....."The Swingset"....(even though it looks like it's about the sunset, it is, in fact, about our new swingset) Translation: The Swingset

One day Mommy said that I'm getting

a swingset!

Daddy will build it. I will help.

The swingset is rainbowish.

Okay, the ending may be lacking a little something, but I'm still one proud Momma! We'll work on concluding sentences next time.....

My Babies

2010-03-31T12:34:00.002-04:00

This morning, Miles, Landon, and I took a trip down memory lane. If you get a second, go back and watch the videos from the follwing blog posts:
January 12, 2008
January 19, 2008
February 28, 2008

Miles and Landon got quite a kick out of themselves. I did too. I forgot how cute they were. Don't get me wrong, they are precious to me now, but man, babies are cute!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, check them out. You won't regret it.

Happy Easter

2010-03-31T12:10:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we will be making the trek to New Hampshire to spend Easter with Aunt Sandy, Uncle Richard and other family members. Uncle Richard and Aunt Sandy host a beautiful egg hunt every year, and I should have been content with that. But not me! I was shopping in Stop and Shop one day, saw the advertisement for an egg hunt in the store, and signed my boys right up! That weekend, at 7:15 on Saturday morning, I was really rethinking my idea, but what could I do? I had already registered Miles and Landon and I hate not to fulfill an obligation. So, to Stop and Shop we went.

Long story short, neither one of my boys found one of the prizes. Unfortunately, most of the kids and the guy running the show put a lot of focus on these prizes. So instead of just having fun gathering plastic eggs in the grocery store, Miles was pretty disappointed. Landon was thrilled, especially when I told him that he could eat as many Hershey Kisses as he wanted. They also had cookies for breakfast at the store, so I don't know what Miles was complaining about!

I don't know where Miles came from. He is soooooooooo competitive!!!! And he hates to lose! So weird that he is my child! I tried to be understanding and empathetic. I explained that not all of the big kids were following the rules. Some of them were going into the little kids' section. I also explained that he was the youngest in the "big kids" group. Then I tried to explain that it was still really cool to find eggs and get all of the candy! Then, I couldn't help myself. Parent-teacher conferences were still fresh in my head. Miles' teacher had said that she would like to see Miles act less timidly and more assertively in class. So.....I brought that up. Maybe I shouldn't have. The look Kirk gave me implied that maybe I shouldn't have. I just explained to Miles that maybe if he had lined up in front and acted more assertively, maybe he would have found a prize. As soon as I saw the look of self-doubt and disappointment cross over Miles' face, I changed tactics again and reverted back to the "How cool is all of this candy!!" routine.

Anyway, Miles got over it pretty quickly. It was a hard lesson to learn, but he learned it and we moved on. Hopefully, this sad day won't dampen his spirits on Easter morning. I hear the Easter Bunny has some awesome surprises in store for Miles and Landon! (Though, I also have this inkling that one of my children will have a fit on Easter morning because the baskets are not exactly the same.) This is the first year the Easter Bunny really differentiated. We'll see how this goes. Imagine acting spoiled and ungrateful on a holiday!!! Again, where do these children come from?

A New Playground

2010-03-27T16:03:00.000-04:00

The week of St. Patrick's Day was unseasonably warm. We took full advantage of the beautiful weather. We tossed aside our winter coats and headed to the park every afternoon, as soon as Miles got home from school. Our town built a new playground in February and Miles and Landon have been very very eager to try it out! Luckily, the playground did not disappoint.
The first sign that this was going to be a cool new hangout was the sheer amount of cars in the parking lot. Everybody was at the park! There were kids for Miles to play with, there were kids for Landon to play with, and there were Mommies for Mommy to talk to. The highlights of the new park are the tall spiderweb thing that the boys love to climb to the top of. Miles, Landon, and apparently all kids love the merry-go-round. I get sick just looking at the thing, but I can't peel Miles and Landon off of it. And it's always a mob scene over there; all the kids crowd on it. Anyone who grew up with me remember that spinning bug at our local park? I shudder at the thought of it. In all honesty, not only does it make me nauseous, but it scares the crap out of me. Originally, I feared for my children's safety as they rode the ride, going faster and faster. But now, after visiting the park a few times, I've realized the real danger comes to those pushing the merry-go-round. (a job all of the kids covet) The pusher pushes and runs, but inevitably falls. It looks like the child is going to get sucked into the vortex and get squashed, but so far....that's all been in my imagination. I took physics, but that doesn't mean I learned anything. Maybe the laws of physics prove that what I am imagining is impossible, but in a mother's mind, anything is possible.

Not to add any more worries to my already stressful trips to the dangerous playground, we chose to go on St. Patrick's Day. It was a beautiful day an we had nothing to do, so we headed there. At first, since it was early, we weer there with only a handful of other people. Easy. All I had to do was keep an eye on the child-sucking vortex of the merry-go-round. As the afternoon carried on (Did I mention that we were there for 4 hours?), more and more children trickled in. And, being St. Patrick's Day, 99% of the children were wearing green. Any mother knows that before you let kids loose anywhere, you take note of what color they are wearing. Well, when EVERYONE is wearing green, this trick doesn't work so well. Long story short, it was very stressful, trying to keep an eye on Miles and Landon. And then the elementary school (where the playground is) was dismissed, so 100 children descended upon the park. And then, the daycare across the street brought over 50 bigger kids....all wearing green. And then we went home. We'd had enough fun for the day.

Good thing we left. Rumor has it, not 10 minutes after we left, a child mysteriously disappeared from the playground. He was dressed in green. I am blaming the vortex.

Sports Craze!

2010-03-24T05:17:00.007-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, it was a rainy day and Miles had early dismissal, so we made the most of our day and headed to a new sports center in town. I signed both of the boys up for free Soccer and Baseball classes. 2 hours of organized sports on a rainy Tuesday morning? Why not?
As we drove to the sports center, both of the boys were psyched! Miles loves to show off his skills so he was mostly concerned about who else would be there. Landon just couldn't believe that he was going to be able to play with Miles and the "big kids". When we got there, we knew nobody, but that didn't stop Miles or Landon. They ran out there and followed the directions from the coach. They ran. They kicked. They shot goals.

In my defense, Landon does have other shoes that actually do fit, but he likes to wear these because he can put them on all by himself. Note to self: Hide those shoes before the soccer season begins! This was Landon's first experience with organized sports and he did well! He kept up with everybody and didn't even blink when his shoe flew off. He didn't even want me to help him put it back on. A few times, Landon looked a little clueless, but when that happened, he just searched the field, found his big brother, and followed his lead.

Miles, of course, dominated the field. And he had fun doing it!
Baseball was next, with a new group of kids. A very small group of kids. After practicing throwing, they started batting practice. Landon did well, but Miles had trouble with that darn tee! He's not used to hitting off of a tee. He'd much rather have Daddy or Pop pitch to him! I could tell he was getting frustrated, but he hung in there! He was also agitated because they were only allowed to run to first base. For my little speed demon, this was tough!
As we left the sports center, the owners offered the boys big bowls of ice cream. They also offered me the price list for future classes. As soon as we got in the car, Miles and Landon asked me when we could go back there! They loved it. Fortunately, the soccer and baseball seasons start next week, so we will be busy enough. Sure, they don't offer ice cream, but sometimes, sacrifices must be made.

P.S. This picture is not Miles and Landon, but I just thought it was cute. It shows off how good Miles is with most little kids. He really was a leader on the field today, helping the little ones out.

What a Big Boy!!!!!!!!

2010-03-18T21:06:00.001-04:00

Look at my handsome, well-adjusted, proud, big boy, Landon! Doesn't he look big? Doesn't he look proud? Doesn't he look well-adjusted? He should. This picture was taken on Wednesday, his first day of school. He started going to the High School Child Development program. (Remember, Miles went in the Spring of 2007). If you don't remember what that experience was all about, I encourage you to read the archived blogs. What a trying time that was! For Miles and me both!
Anyway, back to Landon. As soon as he turned 4 in January, he started asking me about school. I had been seriously considering not sending him at all, but once he started asking about it, I realized I couldn't deprive him. If he wanted the socialization and the practice, I'll let him have it! I dutifully signed him up to go to school 3 times a week next year, but for now, I decided the High School program would be just perfect for Landon. Basically, there is a Child Development Class at the high school. All year, the students learn about children, their learning styles, etc. They also work on creating lesson plans. Then, in the Spring, they bring in real live kids! Landon's age group will go every Wednesday for the next few weeks from 9:30-11. During that time, the high schoolers take turns teaching lessons while the other classmates help the 3 and 4-year-olds. It's a great program and I want to support it! So I send my children. I also love this program because it allows each child to get a lot of one-on-one attention. Since one of my biggest fears is having my children get lost in the shuffle, I love that Landon has 3 high-schoolers assigned to him. Apparently, they are showering him with attention. I am also very excited to know that Landon's friends, James and Chelsey will be in school with him. It's always easier to do new things with friends!So Landon has been extremely excited to go to his preschool program. We bought supplies. We brought down his backpack from the attic. Every day in March, he asked me how many more days until school started. I was very excited, but also wary. If I recall, Miles was excited about school too....until we drove into the parking lot. And then he cried for the next 8 weeks. I was optimistic though and Landon did not let me down. He jumped into the car (we also drove his friend Chelsey and her mom). We got to the school and since Landon is very familiar with "Mommy's school", he charged towards the door. We headed to his classroom and as I was being introduced to his first teacher, he walked right in and made himself at home. (And just for the record.....he allowed me to introduce him as "Landon". We've dropped the chipmunk thing at school.) I tried to explain to the teacher that he was Landon, but sometimes preferred to be called Alvin, Simon, or Theodore. As this 17-year-old looked at me oddly, Landon fiercely whispered into my ear, "Remember Mom, at school I am not a chipmunk."
So, after a quick hug and a kiss goodbye, I was out of there and Landon was happily settled into his new classroom. What a difference between this time and the last time I dropped a child off at this program. Last time, I had Landon with me and I cried, worried, and fretted the whole time. The hour and a half seemed like eternity. This time, however, I was alone, and the hour and a half flew by! I don''t think I worried once. I knew Landon was fine. I also knew he was having a blast!
When it was time to pick up the kids, all of the parents waited in the hall. Mr. Landon was the first one "released". He had a huge smile on his face as he strutted right over to me. He immediately told me that he "really really liked school at the high school." I asked him tons on questions, but that is all I got. But that is okay, because what I got was all positive! His second set of teachers came over to introduce themselves and as they interacted with Landon, I could tell that he had already worked his magic. These girls were hooked! Landon charmed them right away. They love him. As we left the school, I continued my barrage of questions, but Landon still remained elusive. He was too focused on when he got to come back. He asked me several times how many days he had to wait before he could come back. As I buckled him into his seat, he exclaimed, "I can't wait for Wednesday so I can go back to school!"
We went home and I let Landon decompress a little bit. He was way over-stimulated. To make matters worse, the leprechaun had visited our house while we were away and he had left messes and treats all over the house! While Landon searched for treasures, I managed to squeeze some more information out of him. This is what I got:
-He had goldfish and apple juice for snack.
- Victoria (his teacher) kept asking for hugs so he gave them to her.
-He also shared a goldfish with Victoria.
-Someone else's teacher made him a picture.
-They read the "caterpillar book"
-Emma did not like school because she took off her shoes and socks and kept yelling
-He painted with marbles, but didn't get to bring his project home.
Hey, that's way more than I ever get from Miles. It's also more than I get from Kirk some days. So I was happy. I was pretty much on Cloud Nine all day. The day couldn't have gone better. But my day got really good once Miles came home from school. He walked in the door and Landon was still fired up about the leprechaun. While Landon tried to tell Miles about the green man, Miles stopped him. "Landon, first tell me how your first day at school was." Landon replied, "Good" and then Miles said, "I was thinking about you all day and hoping that you were having fun at your new school."
Who says my kids aren't adjusted? I think we just proved that we're alright!

The Saga Continues

2010-03-16T08:53:00.000-04:00

Okay, now the chipmunk thing has sunk to new levels. All along, this has been a cute, funny
little quirk. Until today. This morning, I have Landon asking me how he can become a real chipmunk. I tried to blow him off by telling him my standard answer, "Magic". When that didn't work, I told him that only God could make him become a real chipmunk. I then went on to explain that God wanted him to be Landon and that's why He made him a cute little, adorable boy. A human boy.
I thought that would put an end to the questions, but all it did was make Landon beg me all morning to ask God to turn him into a chipmunk. He's been praying all morning. He's asking me to pray.
He is so sincere in his request. He looks so sad about the whole thing. Quite simply, he is done being a boy and truly, truly wants to BE Alvin the Chipmunk. He has is all figured out. He wants to be in the second Alvin movie, not the first. Except he doesn't want to spin around fast in the cup! He wants to live his normal life, only in the body of a chipmunk. And he won't give up. Anyone who knows Landon knows that when he gets his mind set on something, he will not drop it until he gets his way. I can't figure this one out. He sincerely believes that he will become a chipmunk as long as he believes in magic and prays to God. I don't know about this magic thing, but I'm pretty sure God has more important things on his plate. I know I can't even express how sad this is, but all morning, he has been asking me what we can do to make his dream come true, basically. It's quite sad. He looks at me with his big eyes, imploring. "Please can I be a real chipmunk? Please?"
One thing is for sure...they DON'T write about these things in parenting books. Maybe it's time someone writes a truly useful book, giving answers to all of the difficult parenting issues. I don't need to know what to do if my child refuses to sleep in his own bed. I don't care if a kid uses a bottle until he's 12! But somebody tell me what to do when my child is so obsessed with an animated, talking, trouble-making chipmunk that he's begging God (and David Blaine) to turn him into his idol!

Am I Doing Something Wrong?

2010-03-15T14:13:00.001-04:00

I have one child who still insists on being called Alvin, Simon, or Theodore. My other child has stopped crying about school, but has developed some strange (and slightly irritating) quirks.

As we all know, Miles can be a little insecure. He never wants to stand out or differ from the crowd. So, I go with it. I let him wear ugly Transformer t-shirts. I let him wear sneakers to school every single day. We have moved all of his comfy sweatpants up to the attic because "they are not cool!" (Sorry Pop) I do all that I can to make fitting in and feeling at ease as easy as possible. But I am NOT Wonder Woman! As much as I wish I had superpowers, I CANNOT predict what the kids at Miles' school will pack for snack each day. Before, I would just pack up a surprise for Miles. One day, it might be Cheez-its. The next day, it could be strawberries. Sometimes, it's cheese AND strawberries. And on really crazy days, I'll pack a healthy snack and some fruit snacks too. This used to be okay. It used to be fun for Miles to open up his lunch box and snack time and discover what I had packed. Apparently, the suspense is not fun anymore. Now, Miles requests every morning that I pack him what Josh's mom is packing him. Or what Annabelle's mommy is packing in her lunchbox. I ask you, "What am I supposed to do with that?" Over and over, I explain that I have no way of knowing what these people on the other side of town are packing. I ask Miles if his friends are bringing something special that he would like me to buy. "No," he explains, "they always bring different things." Of course they do! So every day, I just guess and see how it goes. Today, I must have done something right! I packed string cheese and goldfish. As soon as Miles hopped off the bus, he said, "Mommy, guess what? Josh wants me to bring the same snack again tomorrow!" I was thrilled that I had finally done something right, but then my mind went to a dark place. I pictured Josh threatening poor Miles on the bus, or God forbid, in an alley! I just had to ask...."Miles, Josh isn't taking your snack from you, is he?" Miles looked at me like I was crazy (Which I'm beginning to think I am) and said, "No, but he had the same snack and we always want to be the same!" Okay, so maybe it's not the best lesson in individuality, but at least my kid's not getting beat up over his cheese stick!

And Then There's Landon

2010-03-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

Unlike his brother, Landon has absolutely no worries. He doesn't let anything bring him down! He is still holding firm to his new identity....sort of. He's not always Alvin, but he is always a chipmunk. He is still using his squeaky voice, he still refuses to answer to the name "Landon" and he hates it when anyone refers to him as a kid or a boy. He is a chipmunk!!!! He is starting to get annoyed that people can't get that straight. I have had to explain to him numerous times that everyone has known Landon to be "Landon" for 4 years, so this change will take some time to accept. I'm getting used to his new names, but it still makes me cringe every time I have to call him "Alvin", "Simon", or "Theodore" in a public place. Luckily, many of my friends and Alvin's friends are starting to remember and truly think of Landon as Alvin. Is this how nicknames start? Please, oh please, don't let Landon forever be known as Alvin!!!!!

Since this is Landon's first obsession, I'm feeding into it a bit. Last week, it was Alvin's turn to use his Blockbuster giftcard. Although Miles and I begged him to rent "Super Mario Brothers", "Alvin" held firm and rented an "Alvin and the Chipmunks" singing and dancing game. So, for the past 5 days, we have been hearing the sweet squeaks of the chipmunks. It's a cute game, but the thrill "Alvin" gets from playing it is just the icing on the cake. He really is obsessed with these chipmunks!

Sunday night, we really surprised the boys ( I mean the chipmunk and his brother). You see, even though "Alvin" is obsessed, he's actually never even seen the latest chipmunk movie. We thought "The Squeakel" was long-gone from movie theaters, but lo and behold, it was at a small theater. So, Sunday night, after church, we headed over there. It was a gamble. We were taking them out on a Sunday night, after a weekend full of fun activities. They hadn't napped. It was a school night. It didn't even start until 7. We wouldn't get home until at least 9. All things pointed to "NO!", but it was the chipmunks!!! How could we pass this up?
When we got to the theater, Miles was excited, but Alvin was beyond excited. He couldn't sit still. Not only was this his first time in a movie theater, but in a few minutes, his idols would be on the big screen! As soon as the movie started, Alvin sat straight up and just soaked it all in. His eyes were huge! His posture was perfect! He laughed when he was supposed to. He gasped when he was supposed to. And of course, since this is Landon (Alvin) we're talking about here, he talked the entire time. He had to make sure that Miles, Mommy, and Daddy saw everything that he had. He pointed out everything he liked....which was a lot. And then.....the movie was over. I looked over at Alvin, expectantly, looking for his reaction to the movie. And......Alvin burst into tears. These were genuinely sad alligator tears! He wasn't being bratty or whiny. He was sincerely crying because he did not want the movie to end. Have you ever read a really good book and been so disappointed when it ended? Or have you ever been so into a movie that you wished it could go on and on? That's what Alvin was experiencing. He was so into this movie, so completely engrossed by it, that he was absolutely devastated when it ended. He begged me to start it over again. He begged me to let him live at the movie theater with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. He begged me to make his chipmunk friends come back. He was truly upset. It was awful to watch. Miles explained to him that we could just borrow the movie from the library. Then I had to explain to both boys that the movie would not be out on DVD until March 30th...and our chances of getting it at the library were next to nothing. This is it folks. We have made it 6 years without ever purchasing a movie, but I don't think we'll be able to pass on this one, I don't know how we ever got Alvin to calm down and fall asleep that night. He was truly distraught.
The next day, he was a real treat! Not only was he still begging me to take him back to his chipmunk friends, but now we were working on little sleep. Oh boy! Poor Alvin could barely function. I would distract him just enough to start playing, and then out of the blue, he would just start crying again, insisting that he needed to see Simon and Theodore again.
We have been playing along with Alvin and allowing this to go on. What's the harm, really? All along, Alvin has guaranteed that when he started school, he would be Landon at school and Alvin at home. I can live with that. But.....Alvin starts school next week. And last night, we happened to run into his teacher. I introduced Landon to the teacher and she said to him, "I remember when you were just a little baby! Look how big you're getting Landon!" To which Landon replied, "I am not a boy. I am a chipmunk. And my name is Landon." Oh boy! This is the same teacher that had Miles when he cried every single morning I dropped him off at the high school. This is the same teacher that Miles probably said two words to total. Now, she's meeting Alvin. Good luck to her!

If you notice, Alvin's voice is a little scratchy. I believe he has permanently damaged his vocal chords. All of the squeaking can not be good for his voice.

Help

2010-03-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

This picture is funny, right? Well, then, why is it making me sad? If you're expecting a funny, charming post today, you've come to the wrong place. Today, I am sad and frustrated and at my wits end with that child on the right. The reason this picture makes me sad is because it shows Miles being goofy and funny. That is a side that he rarely shows anyone and I can't figure out why!

To the outside world, Miles appears sullen, bored, and painfully shy. And to be honest, it breaks my heart. Sometimes when people try to make smalltalk with him, Miles looks like he would rather crawl into a hole than answer that person. When someone he has known all of his life greets him, sometimes Miles can barely even look into their eyes. This saddens me because Miles really is a happy boy. He is charming. He is funny. And he is nice. He is just very very shy and as hard as that is on me, it must be ten times harder on Miles. I hate to think of him as having stress at this young age, but I can already see it. I feel it when he squeezes my hand as we approach someone who might talk to him. I see it when his face gets red when someone asks him a question. I hear it when he tells me he doesn't want to go to school because as he claims, "no one likes me". When I do go into Miles' classroom, I don't see any evidence of kids not liking him. But what I do see is a sullen little boy who is afraid to talk and more importantly, afraid to join in when kids get a little goofy.

Is this my fault? Was I too strict? He is such a rule-follower. And I never thought that was a bad thing, but when it is preventing him from feeling comfortable at school, maybe it is. I am very hard on myself and some people might call me anal. But I never wanted to push that on my kids.

This morning was a very bad morning. Lately, they all tend to be since Miles dislikes school so much, but today was the worst. Last night, Miles told me that in honor of Dr. Seuss' Birthday, it was "Silly Sock" day at school. He said that the teacher said they could wear silly socks or just mismatched socks. Since all Miles has are white socks, I went to the store and bought a pair of red and a pair of blue socks. This morning, I showed them to Miles. He immediately looked like he wanted to crawl into that hole. I asked him what was the matter and he said he didn't want to wear 2 different socks. I then brought out numerous silly socks that we have around the house. I even brought out his soccer socks. He looked miserable. He cried and said, "I just don't want to be silly at school." I told him that was absolutely fine; that he didn't have to wear silly or mismatched socks at all. But then he cried even more. "But we HAVE to. My teacher said so." So the poor kid was stressed to the point of tears because he didn't want to look ridiculous, but he didn't want to disappoint his teacher or not do what he was "supposed" to do. It took Landon and I an hour of convincing him that no one could even tell if he was wearing two different socks. He tried on several different pairs of shoes. Then, he practiced sitting on the bus. "Could we see his socks?" He practiced sitting at his table. "Could we see his socks?" He practiced sitting criss-cross on the floor. I assured him that we could only see one sock, so no one would know that they were mismatched. The whole time this was going on, I also assured him that other kids would be wearing silly socks too. I even donned crazy socks (Thank you Mema) because I was going into his classroom today. He went to school, but was not very excited.

When we came home later, these socks were still on his mind. I had Landon, Bronwyn, and Daphne in the car with us, so when we unloaded, I told everybody to take their shoes off. Miles looked at me, with that "deer in headlights" look and told me he didn't want everybody to see his socks. And that broke my heart all over again. Miles is the man! These 3 kids look up to him like you wouldn't believe! I am sure that if they saw his socks, they would think that was the cool thing to do and they would beg their Mom to let them try it out tomorrow. Yet, Miles was overly concerned about them seeing him in two different socks.

How did this happen? Miles is adorable. He is smart. He is athletic. He is funny. He is charming. He has a good family. He is a nice boy. He is a good listener. He has more friends than he can count. He is creative. He follows the rules. He makes me happy. He makes me proud. He makes a whole bunch of people happy and proud on a daily basis. Why doesn't he know these things about himself? I wouldn't say his self-esteem is low, but is self-confidence is certainly lacking in certain situations. And why? How did this happen? More importantly, how do I make it stop?

A....L.....V.....I.....N!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-25T15:22:00.003-05:00

For who knows what reason, Landon has all of a sudden developed a new persona. He woke up yesterday morning and decided that he would no longer answer to the name "Landon". Overnight, he apparently became a chipmunk and we must address him as "Alvin". He also must wear red, because that's what Alvin the Chipmunk wears. He also must eat peanuts at least 5 times a day, because that's what chipmunks eat, according to Landon...ahem....Alvin. This morning, Alvin and I played house all morning. It got even better when Alvin asked for a playdate and we "invited" his chipmunk friends over. This actually worked out quite well for me. Alvin and his "friends" played games all by themselves for the rest of the morning and I was able to grade some papers.
I know what you're thinking. "Oh that's so cute!" "How imaginative!" "How precious!" That's what I thought at first too. But after 48 hours of this, I'm over it! He is talking in a chipmunk voice. That voice that was so cute in the beginning is now starting to make me cringe. But the worst part is that this child absolutely refuses to answer to anything but "Alvin". If I say, "Landon, can you please throw this away?", he just looks at me and says, "I'm not Landon!" So I then have to ask Alvin to throw it away. When I ask Landon what he would like for lunch, I get a blank stare until I ask Alvin. We were running around, rushing to get Miles out to the bus stop on time this morning. I quickly called out to Landon, "Landon, please go get Miles' shoes!" "I'm not Landon......" (said in a squeaky voice too). Does this child not hear the panic in my voice? Of course, I have figured out how to use this chipmunk thing to my advantage. I have found that he will do practically anything....as long as I call him Alvin. Alvin doesn't hesitate to eat carrots. Alvin doesn't complain about naps. Alvin loves to do chores. Alvin even puts his shoes on all by himself. Alvin cleans up messes, whether he made them or not. Maybe we should keep Alvin around. If only Alvin didn't squeak so much.
We went to the grocery store yesterday. We ran into an acquaintance. She was a bit confused when she said hello to Landon and he informed her (via whispers to me) that he is NOT Landon. We caused more confusion today at Miles' religion class. I was asked to substitute, but I said I could only do it if Landon was allowed to sit in with us. He was thrilled. As all the kids trickled in, I introduced Miles' brother, Landon (got the stare down), and amended my introduction. "Excuse me, his name is Alvin...and he's a chipmunk." At first, the kids looked at both of us like we were crazy, but by the end of the class, we had a Simon and a Theodore in the class too. And good ol' Alvin tried so hard to participate in class today. I was very proud of him. But every time he raised his hand, he huffed and puffed until I addressed him by his new name. And even when his answers were right, who could tell? It's hard to hear high-pitched squeaks. Or maybe I'm just learning to tune him out.
As much as I joke that Alvin is driving me insane, I actually find this whole thing quite endearing. I love that he has such an imagination. I love that he can entertain himself. And I love that he is silly enough to keep this thing going for two whole days, whether we are in public or not. This kid keeps me laughing, that's for sure.

Another Snow Day!

2010-02-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

Yes, folks, after returning to school for 3 days, Miles and the rest of the town have yet another snow day!!!! And, from the looks of the weather, there will probably be more of them this week. It's crazy! But since we aren't rushing around getting ready for school, I had time to go through some videos. If this blog survives the next few years and Miles ever sees them when he is a teenager, he will be very mad, but these are just too hysterical not to share!Last week, on one of our planned days off for Presidents' Day, we invited our good friend Colin over. Since Colin is in first grade and in school all day, we rarely get to see him anymore. But, luckily, Miles and Colin are such good friends, they get reacquainted real quick!

Colin loves Wii just as much as Miles and Landon so he was happy to bring over the new game he and his sisters got for Valentine's Day. It's called "Just Dance" and it is just too much fun! I enjoyed playing it, but I REALLY enjoyed watching the boys play. I'm really hoping the Easter Bunny will bring this game to the boys so that I can hours and hours of entertainment ahead of me. Can't you all just picture Kirk and Pop dancing to Britney Spears' "Womanizer"?

Who Needs Kindergarten?

2010-02-17T15:18:00.000-05:00

Want to hear a crazy statistic? Since January 20th, Miles has been to school exactly ONCE. Due to our vacation and then some crazy winter weather, Miles' days in school have been lacking, to say the least. The thing is, CT winter weather is wacky and unpredictable. Plus, the Board of Education has to err on the side of caution and they tend to cancel school often. Or they call a delay for school. That's fine and dandy for everyone.....everyone but Miles and his fellow morning Kindergartners because when there is a delay, morning Kindergarten is cancelled. I guess since Kindergarten is only 2 1/2 hours, starting 1 1/2 late is pretty pointless. So, because of all this.....Miles has been to school ONCE since January 20th. Not that's he's complaining. Not one bit. He's quite loving this current 8-day stretch.

This lack of school has put me on high alert. It would be so easy for me to let Miles and Landon play Wii all day long. They would love it! But, that will not happen on my watch! So, instead of having my usual "break" from Miles, now I've been working harder than ever! We've done hundreds of art projects and the glitter and sequins on the floor can prove it. The Legos that I've been stepping on daily attest to our engineering practice. My refrigerator and freezer are filled with soups, entrees, and baked goodies! We've been to the library several times because when you read 20 books a day, you need to refresh your collection often. And can we talk about play dates? We've had more kids at our house this month than we did all last year!!!!
These pictures are from our latest project....that show just how desperate I'm getting. A very large package got delivered to our house yesterday. The boys' eyes widened as they saw the gigantic box! Miles asked if they could have the box. Landon begged for it too. I asked them why they wanted it and they both talked at once. "To make a doghouse!" exclaimed Miles. "To sleep in!" cried Landon. I agreed that they could have the box. You'd think that would be good enough, but no... Miles asked me if they could color the box. I told them yes. Soon, crayons weren't good enough. "Can we use markers, Mommy?" (For those of you who don't know, markers don't seem like they would make a big mess, but they do. They really do.) But since I was running out of ideas to entertain these children, I acquiesced. Soon, the markers weren't cutting it. I could tell they were getting frustrated with the lack of coverage the markers were providing. I knew what was next. I crossed my fingers, hoping it wouldn't come to this, but soon enough.....

I heard, "You ask her." "No, you ask her." "Mommy, Miles wants to know if we can use paint." UGH. But I caved. They were being creative. They were working cooperatively. They weren't asking to play the Wii. "Yes, you can use the paint." So, as the boys covered the kitchen floor, I went to fetch the paint. It was worth it. This major project kept Miles and Landon busy for over an hour.

As the colorful "doghouse" dried, I asked Miles and Landon if they wanted to go outside and play in the snow. For the first time since the first week in December, we had snow coverage!) Miles and Landon asked if they could have rest time instead. Seriously! My children do not enjoy the snow! I didn't push it.

After a quality rest, the paint was dry, and Miles and Landon happily played with their box all afternoon. They couldn't have been happier. That's not true. They really wanted friends to come over so that they could share the box, but the slippery roads prevented this.

Luckily for them, we had no school again today so we were able to have friends over. The kids all played house and Miles (a.k.a. "Jacob the Dog) happily played in his doghouse. I hope Miles' teacher doesn't ask the kids what they did on their "vacation". I have a feeling, of all the great things we've done all week, the box was the highlight.

In case you are wondering, Landon did go outside eventually. He was very proud to be helping Daddy shovel the driveway. And the plan is for Daddy to take them out this afternoon when he gets home from work. I still think the box will trump the snow.

There is no snow in the forecast until Monday, so I'm holding my breath for at least two days of school in a row!

My Funny Valentines

2010-02-14T10:32:00.001-05:00

When did Valentine's Day become such a big deal? I am overwhelmed by the gifts and well wishes! For my boys, of course! Valentine Cards have been arriving in the mail all week long. It's actually quite rewarding when the cards outnumber the bills! Mema sent the boys sports t-shirts. Geeg and Pop bought Miles and Landon a box full of arts and crafts supplies. One day, I went out to the mailbox to find a "BFF" box of candy, just for me! And of course, Mommy and Daddy went overboard and bought the boys a Wii game - Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics. I thought it was kind of clever to buy them that so that they could follow along while the real Olympics are on TV. Miles is intrigued by the athletes, but Landon is still waiting for Mario and Luigi to show up on TV.

Miles and Landon loved getting all of these gifts, but they also enjoyed the preparations leading up to Valentine's Day. They helped me bake and decorate Valentines cookies. Every day, they concocted a few beautiful Valentine's of their own. The cookies and the Valentines were very similar, in fact. I think the object was to put as much "stuff" on the cookies/Valentine's as possible. I loved the Valentines Miles and Landon made for me, but my favorite card was the one Miles made for Landon. It was sweet that he even thought to make one for his brother, but the picture he drew of him and his brother was just precious.

Just like Christmas, and both boys' Birthdays, the celebrations for Valentine's Day seem like they are going to last forever! We still have heart-shaped sandwiches to eat for lunch and pink cupcakes to enjoy after dinner. Plus, with all of the snow days we've had, Miles still hasn't had his Valentine's Day party at school. And with another storm brewing for Tuesday, it seems like Miles may never be able to hand out his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to all of his classmates!

Last night, we all got a special Valentine's treat. Aunt Sara came over, bearing sugar-filled Valentines' Day cookies! She babysat Miles and Landon so that Kirk and I could spend the evening with our friends. And each other!

So, do you see why I say Valentine's Day was a huge deal this year at our house? Not that I am complaining at all! We are blessed and I am so thankful that my boys are loved so much! And that they have so many people to love. But the biggest hit of the day, by far, was the card crazy Aunt Amy sent to Landon. It's one of those talking/singing cards. After listening to it several hundred times, I still don't know what it is saying. But, also, after listening to it several hundred times, Landon still cracks up every time he hears it. I'm not sure how long the batteries last in those things, but Landon is sure going to test their powers!

Miles also got a singing card, but his just sings a sweet song. Is it wrong that when questioned, I told them that Miles got a sweet card because he's sweet and Landon got a goofy card because...well, because he's goofy? There's nothing wrong with being a little quirky! These are my boys and I love them like crazy!

Basketball Diaries

2010-02-07T18:16:00.001-05:00

As if winter wasn't long enough, now we've given Miles one more reason to eagerly anticipate the spring. And that reason in basketball. Miles wanted to play the sport this year and it sounded like a great way to spend Saturday afternoons. Plus, this program goes from November until March, so I thought it was a great deal! Too bad Miles can't stand it!

Usually, this is Daddy's thing so he brings Miles to school to play with his friends. I went one day in December and was not at all impressed, but I figured it was because they were still in the introductory stages. So, I went again yesterday, hoping to see marked improvement. I was not impressed. Miles (and all of the kids) try hard and play hard. They've all got great attitudes....BUT......the program is awful! The group of 50 Kindergarten boys warmed up by shuffling around the gym one lap, and then they broke out into their "teams". For the next 55 minutes, they took turns passing to one coach, receiving a pass from the other coach, and then making a shot. Boring!!!!!

I feel bad because Miles drags his feet when it's time for basketball. He goes, but he constantly asks me why it has to be so long. At the end of practice, the kids are allowed to practice shooting, but Miles was at my side right away and said he "was all set". He wanted no part of the free shooting. As soon as we got in the car, he asked me how many more weeks he had basketball. Poor guy. This is quite a difference from soccer, when he looks forward to practice and games all week long. At soccer, he is the MAN! He owns that field! He looks happy, he is a leader, he's active, and he's great at the sport!!! Maybe it's because he has a dynamic, skilled, awesome coach!

So, while I am bummed that basketball is not holding Miles' interest, I am very proud of him for not giving up. As much as he doesn't want to be there, he still gives 100% effort and has a positive attitude. Way to go Sport!
Come springtime, basketball will be out and baseball will be in. Again, I am proud of Miles for trying something new. It would have been easy for him to stay with soccer, with kids he knows, a coach he knows, and a sport he excels at. But, he wants to try something new and though I am nervous for him, I am proud of him. Landon, too, will be embarking on a new adventure. While Miles makes his name at the ball field, Landon will be following his brother's footsteps on the soccer field. Yes, Kirk and I will divide and (hopefully) conquer both sports this spring. I can not wait to see how Landon does. This could be very interesting. Stay tuned.....

All I know, is this weekend, there is nor basketball because of President's Weekend, and at least 2 of us are pretty happy about that!

Family Celebration

2010-02-04T20:36:00.001-05:00

Before we went to Florida, we had a small party for Landon and I uploaded these pictures, but I guess I never posted them and wrote about them. (remember the days when my blogs were current and prolific too? Aahh...those were the days!)

For Landon's party, we let him choose the meal. With Landon, that could have been a big mistake. We could have been serving peanut butter, honey, and yogurt, his staples. But, we lucked out, and the Birthday boy opted for spaghetti and meatballs instead. He also chose a chocolate cake with blue frosting, but he couldn't choose between cupcakes or a big cake, so I surprised him with a giant cupcake. (Note to self: never try that again - that cupcake mold was a pain in the butt!) (Second note to self: don't bother ever making a cake from scratch again; it tastes just like Betty Crocker's.)

On the day of Landon's small party (his words, not mine), Aunt Sara came over early. She took Landon on a very special trip to the toy store. I wouldn't want anyone to think Aunt Sara as taking the easy way out. She did buy him a present per my suggestion, but there was a bit of confusion. Rather than risk a bummer present, she allowed Landon to pick out his own present. He was thrilled! I sent her to the local toy store. It's one of those old-fashioned store, where you can't buy crap, so I assured her that anything he picked out would be acceptable. He came home with the sweetest, cutest toy! It's a cupcake set that allows the child to pick the cake, the frosting, and then decorate the cupcake with markers. Okay, I'm not making it sound cool, but it is! And the best part is that you can wash the marker off and start all over again. I can not tell you how happy it makes me when my children play with wholesome toys that do not involve violence, noise, or batteries!!!! Miles and Landon played with this new toy for over an hour and never got bored. Furthermore, we've had the cupcakes for almost a month and it is STILL a favorite!

But, boys will be boys, and Miles and Landon love electronics too. So they were quite pleased when Jay, Alicia, and Baby Drea gave them new Wii games. The concepts of these games are ridiculous; one is a lumberjack game and the other is all about tapping a box. But, these games are a huge hit in our house. I'll even admit to enjoying the lumberjack game. That might be because it is one of the only games that I can beat Miles at.
So, we ate, we played Wii, we sang, we ate cake, we played with Drea. and we celebrated Landon. A good time was had by all!

Florida Pictures

2010-02-03T11:00:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos to go along with the past blog. We're back, trying to adjust to a regular routine, jobs, school, the cold......

Happy Birthday Stinky Face!

2010-01-27T19:35:00.002-05:00

It's January 27, 2010. 4 years ago, I was lying in my hospital bed, thinking "How am I possibly going to love this new baby as much as I love Miles? How am I possibly going to share my heart?" 4 years later, I've learned what all moms know. Moms don't have to share their heart or split their love. Rather, with every child that is born, a mother's heart just grows and her love multiplies. There are days when I truly can not believe how much I love my two sons. And just when I think I can't possibly love them even a teeny bit more, they do something that makes my love grow more! Sometimes, those things include a kind act, a new accomplishment, but sometimes, the boys don't even have to put forth any effort. Like today. It's Landon's birthday and that just makes my heart swell!
It's 7:30 pm and my Birthday Boy's celebrations are finally done. We've been partying for just about 2 weeks now and I'm done! Thank you to everyone who helped Landon celebrate. Right now, the Birthday Boy is in his Florida bed, happily watching Power Rangers. I'm pretty sure Landon is as content as can be. I'm pretty sure he is experiencing visions of cake and ice cream. We gave him a great Birthday. And why not? He deserved it! This is definitely the first year that Landon fully grasped what a Birthday is and all that it entails. He earned himself a new nickname today - the Dictator. He had fun ordering everyone around today. He quickly figured out that he could get us to do almost anything - as long as he attached "It's my Birthday" to the end of the request. He even had Miles acquiescing, albeit with rolling of the eyes.
We went out for Breakfast this morning. Landon helped bake and decorate his cake. Then Miles and Landon rode bikes with Geeg and Pop. After a nap, Landon opened presents from Geeg and Pop and then played with one of his gifts. With some cajoling on my part, the Birthday Boy shared his gift with Miles (and later Uncle Jude too). At dinner time, Uncle Jude and Aunt Marion came over for the meal of Landon's choice: hot dogs! After that feast, the boys rode bikes to the beach and finally saw the beautiful sun set. Then we headed back to Geeg and Pop's house for the highlight of Landon's day: cake and ice cream! He did, in fact, get the first and more importantly, the biggest piece of cake. And then it was time for bed, but since it was "a special day", Landon was able to choose a movie to watch while he and his brother drifted off to sleep.
Like I said, a perfectly great Birthday for a perfectly great Birthday boy! I can not express how much I love that little guy. If you've met Landon, you know why I love him. If you haven't met him, make that a priority. He is quite simply, one-of-a-kind. He is the perfect mix of funny cute, handsome, cuddly, pensive, adorable, and stubborn. He loves to please, but man, does he love to fight! He has the sweetest little voice and the gentlest little touch...sometimes. Other times, his growl and his energy compare to a wild animal. One minute, he wants pizza and milk. The next minute he dislikes all dairy products. One day, he wants to play baseball on a team. The next day, he doesn't like the outdoors or running. One week, he can't wait to go to school. The next week, he mistrusts all strangers and refuses to leave my side. One second, he is Mr. Independent. "I can do it myself!" The next second, he regresses to my teeny baby. "Hold me! Hold me!" But that's why I love my little stinky face. You never quite know what you're going to get. You could get cuddled, you could get pummeled. You could get love, you could get scowls.
But no one, and I mean no one, can make me giggle like Landon. When he does his little "Ernie" giggle", my heart melts. When he attempts to be stern with me and give me an attitude, is it so wrong that I just cuddle him more? He's a character, that little Landon and I am blessed to be able to see this character develop.
Happy Birthday Stinky Face! I love you more than you'll ever know!