Happy 7th birthday Colby!!

Today is Colby's 7th birthday.

It's hard for me to believe some days that he is already seven.

I know. I know. People always say that it goes in the blink of an eye... but it has! Still in my brain, he is a 2 year old - with a vivid imagination, slightly independent, but still wanting Mom.

\

Colby has definitely come into his own this past year. He had gained himself a little attitude that I, as his mom, am not sure I care for, but he has also gained the ability to be a secure, independent reader and he has also grown through 2 pant sizes. That's a LOT of growing!! (mentally and physically)

Tonight I took him out for a birthday dinner. The whole restaurant ended up singing "Happy Birthday" to him. It made his day! He took it completely in stride...NOT embarrassed at all. (like his mom would be!)

As we headed home, another storm rolled in.

I tucked him into bed and again wished him "Happy Birthday", he then looked at me and said, "Mom, could I maybe sleep with you tonight??"

He may be seven...but he's still my little boy! :)

Blown Away!

We had a wonderful time at the boys' party!
We had invited everyone from both of the boys' classes at school. (That's the school's policy if you want to send invitations to school, you must send one to everyone in class.)

So, in turn, we had several parents (that I had never met before) come with their child to the party.
(Better than the parent who sent their child with another child... only for them BOTH to be dropped off and me never meeting either set of parents until 2 hours after the party was over! - but that's another story... I mean I could have been a psycho killer for all they knew! ...okay. okay.... Stepping off my soap box...for the time being.)

Anywho...I had this one mom who called 2 hours before the party and kept me on the phone for a half an hour telling me her whole life story. I finally had to politely tell her I had to go. (I mean, I was trying to get ready for a party here!)

When she arrived, you would have thought she brought the party circus end of the world with her... everything was a huge commotion!

From her bouncing her 5 year old up and down as she shouted, "Whose my baby? Whose my baby? Whooose MY BAAAAAAABY?"

To her filling a cup of lemonade all the way to the top for her 5 year old, only for him to knock it over and it spilling all over my freshly mopped floor, and then her walking away leaving the spill for me and my friend Laura to clean up.

But those 2 things weren't what took the cake... no, see... the party was from noon till 2 pm. Right around 1:30pm, this is what we saw outside:

The trees started blowing sideways, and I thought we might have to figure out how to hunker down 50+ people in my computer room in the basement.

About this time, this mom received a phone call from her teenage daughter. Her daughter was hysterical, crying and carrying on about tornadoes. After the mom got off the phone, I asked her if everything was okay.

"Oh...she'll be fine, she's with friends. A few years ago her grandparents were killed in a tornado, so she kinda freaks out now."

Me: "Are you sure you don't need to go?" (Hey, you can't blame a gal...)

"No, no. She's fine."

I guess I should have pushed that issue... 'cause that mom was at my house until almost 4 pm. (Did I mention the party ended at 2 pm?)

But that's not even the most frustrating funniest strangest part of it all... no, this is:

The next night on the 10 o'clock news there is a story.

A story of 3 teenage girls being swept up by a Fzero tornado.

The girls weren't seriously hurt, just picked up, tossed around, and now scraped and bruised.

Yep... you guessed it... it was the daughter of that mom!

...Not sure why the story surprised me any...except for the fact that don't you think that daughter would have said something like, "MOM! I was in a freakin' tornado!!!"

Or, maybe, the daughter is all commotion like the mom ...and things like this are normal???

Rut Ro Raggy ~or~ Happy birthday boys...Mom's tired.

So, it is Wednesday... and I have finally recovered enough to blog about this weekend's birthday party.

Every year I allow my boys to choose a theme for their party (their birthdays are 4 days apart - I will keep this good thing going as long as they let me!). In return, I bake a cake to go along with that theme.

Hey....It's what I do.

Once a year.

This year's theme was Scooby Doo.

Easy enough... I thought.

You see, I tend to bake two days before the party and decorate the night before the party. I've done it for 7 years now. It seems to work.

This year...not so much.

Don't get me wrong... The baking went fine. The cake decorating went fine.

I ended up with these:






I was happy with them.

I knew the boys would be happy with them.


So I headed to bed. (as the clock was pushing 2 am)

The next morning I got up to find the back half of the Mystery Machine had toppled over. I'm not sure if Fred had been drinking and driving or if it was the obscene amount of humidity in the air...but either way my cake was no longer intact.


(I was too sad to take a picture.)





I, however, did not have time to rebake & redecorate. So, I did what any insane person would do. I rebaked a cake....only to think, "What in the world am I doing???I DON'T have time for this!!!" So, I trashed the back half of the old cake and ran to Wal-Mart as fast as I could to get more icing.


By noon, the old cake had been reicing-ed (I'm sure that is not a real word, but cut me some slack here!) to have a back end, but was by no means as nice as it had been before.

The party was attended by friends new and old - I think the count I got was 52 attendees. TOO many! But everyone had a great time! The cake was eaten...imagine that! People actually ate my short bus Mystery Machine...and liked it.

Yeah...I'm just that good!

Digits, a new dad, a dance, and a date

There are so many things that have been rolling through my head the last few days that I have thought, "Oh, when I have time to sit down... I'm gonna blog about that!" But instead I have been cleaning and cooking and baking and cake decorating...and that is what I have been doing when I'm not at work teaching. Seriously, getting ready for a birthday party is hard work!

So here are the things I have wanted to share:

Digits
My son, Colby, is the sweetest of sweet kids(his teacher even says it's so). He has a ton of friends and he is one of those kids that is in the center of it all, but also has a heart of gold. (Yes, I realize I am his mom...)

So, on Wednesday, a mom called to RSVP for the boys' b-day party. She said if she could find a ride for her daughter, she would be there.

The next morning, as I was driving to school, I was talking to Colby on the phone.
Me: "Colby, L's mom called. I will call her back tonight because I forgot to write down her number."
C: "Oh...do you need it mom? "Cause L. gave it to me. I have it right here in my book bag."

Seriously????
My son is turning seven...seven, people!!! and he is already getting girls' digits???
I'm not ready for this!!

A new dad
I shop in the same grocery store every time. I know a lot of people. Sometimes... people say that I have never met a stranger.

On Thursday, I was doing all of the shopping for the boys' party. I am standing and waiting for meat from the deli counter.
Behind me is a man also waiting. But as he waits, I watch him continuously eyeballing the cinnamon rolls on a table beside us.
Finally, smiling, I say to him, "Oh, go ahead and get you some...you know you want to!"
He smiles back and responds, "Well, it would be an easy breakfast...and I have a newborn at my house."

Within seconds, we were talking about kids, sleep-less nights, and when to start potty training (he also has a 2 year old). It was as if I had met up with an old friend and we were catching up on each other's lives. Then he pulled out his iPhone and showed me pictures. My boys were at the bakery counter staring at cakes...I pointed them out. Throughout the rest of our shopping trip, we kept running into one another on different aisles, each time sharing a little more about our lives. At one point, he asked what I did. I told him I taught. He said, "Well, maybe one day, my kids will get to have you as a teacher."

I believe people come into our lives for a reason. Nothing is happenstance. Just haven't quite figured out why I met this overly tired, proud father of two... but I'm sure one day I will figure it out.

A dance
On Friday, we had a fun-filled day to celebrate the ending of our state testing. The kids needed a break...and we, teachers, needed a break! Part of our day was a dance.

Now, mind you, these are third graders at a dance.
In the weeks prior, I heard of dress buying and dates. I (along with the other third grade teachers) tried to make it very clear that this was not the type of dance that they were thinking of...this was not a prom! I even had to answer, "What type of punch will be served?" "No, punch. No dates. Just fun dancing!" I said.

However, most of our talk was not heeded. Girls showed up in fancy new dresses and high heels. Boys showed up in dress shirts and ties. They did listen to us on the dates part though.

Everyone had a great time dancing as a group. We, teachers, even joined in. In fact, I think we had a better time than the kids...and, no, I will not be sharing pictures.

A date
So...I have been talking to a new guy. Actually it has been for 2 weeks now. My friends have been giving me a hard time saying, "Are you two ever going to go on a date?" but actually... I was okay with the fact we hadn't. We have been getting to know each other. Plus, he also has kids at home, so finding a night we are both free hasn't exactly been easy.

So, last night, it finally worked out for the both of us.
We didn't really have any set plans. Strangely enough, I was okay with that.
We found a quiet spot to sit and talk. Rain poured down outside, and we poured out our stories to one another... the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Neither one of us want to rush into a relationship... so we agreed to take it one day at a time.
So...here's to the days ahead.

Even when they're not here...

I miss my boys dearly when they are with their dad....
But they leave me things to remember them by even when they're not here.

it won't be the same...

My son, Sam, is in Speech.

Colby went too.

I was a proud Momma the day Colby graduated!



I'll be proud when Sam graduates too...

...except Sam is my baby.

...and even though I want him to speak correctly....

there are some things that he says that just won't be the same.... and I will miss
...like,

Tolby! Tolb! Tolb! Tollllbbbbyyyyy!!!

I tan't do dat right now Mom, tause Tolb needs my help.

Mom, I'm so hundry! (hungry)

As the world turns...

Two years ago, I would have laughed in your face if you told me that R. (my ex) and I would be two civil human beings towards one another... especially when it came to emotionally supporting one another.

A year ago, I would have laughed in your face had you told me that I would say W's (my ex's girlfriend) name without having fire burn in my eyes and smoke come out my ears.

But time changes things.

Two months ago when I broke things off with Spencer, I was heartbroken. R. wasn't mean. He told me he was sorry. Sorry for all the pain he had put me through. Sorry for all the pain I was currently suffering. He let me immerse myself in our children.

I decided it was my turn to forgive.
I forgave him.
I forgave W.

I decided that it was time for me to accept that W. was going to be part of my boys' future and move on. I told R. it was fine if she wanted to join us at the boys' birthday party.

So, I was completely thrown for a loop tonight when W. called me crying to tell me her and Robbie were done. All I could say was I was sorry...I don't wish a break-up upon anyone.

My head is still swirling.
I don't know what to make of all of this.

Just another night at the Gym ~Post it Tues

365 (March 2010)

I have to admit...My life was kinda turned upside down in March. I didn't have the desire to pick up the camera and take pictures. I was sad and heart-broken. So even my love of photography suffered. Here, however, is what was taken on those special days I actually picked up my camera.

Mar 4 - The boys in a leprechaun hat I bought for my vice-principal.

Dressed as a farmer...for The Little Red Hen play

Going bowling with my class!

The darn squirrel that eat all of my birdseed!


March 17, 2010 - Us in our St. Patty's Day green!


At the Circus!














The day the boys went to have ice cream before dinner.

Child Labor Laws...What???!!!

I feel it is important to instill in my children a sense of what it feels like to be a mom responsibility and accomplishment.



Even if it means my cabinets look like this when they are done.

See??...I'm NOT crazy!

He never hit me.
Not once.
We rarely rose our voices around each other.

But, somehow, someway, he made me feel like I was crazy when I crossed him.

I had friends point it out to me... "He's acting like what you did was wrong. When, truly, he was in the wrong."

I didn't listen.
I loved him.
Why would someone I loved belittle me? Want to make me feel like crap?

But after our month and a half break up, I thought we could give it another shot.
I caught him in a lie.
He told me that when I stopped listening to the voices in the back of my head to contact him.


Finally, I realized.
I saw what my friends had been telling me.
I stood up for myself.
I told him it was not me...and to not try to put it on me!

He then tried to tell me he wasn't putting anything on me...that I just have the most suspicious mind.
(It's not suspicion when you catch someone red-handed.)

He then tried to make it better by asking me & my boys to join him & his kids on their camping weekend ...or could he come up to see me.
That backtracking showed me he knew he had lost.
I didn't respond.
He texted good-bye 3 times.
I didn't respond.


Sometimes even when people point out the bad, you don't recognize it until you actually experience it yourself.

Shame on me

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I'm learning...S.L.O.W.L.Y. learning from my mistakes.
I guess, I'm one of those people that I assume the best in people. I try not to treat others poorly and I just expect the same decency in return.

...and as a result, I got burned.

I put myself into a familiar situation and (for some reason) expected different results.

I think that means I'm insane...according to Ben Franklin anyways ~The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

But I'm learning.
I'm learning to trust that gut instinct of mine.
It has never steered me wrong...I just haven't listened to it very well in the past.
So I'm listening now... and the answers are loud and clear.

Now...I just have to make sure the rest of me follows suit and I don't head back down that same familiar (insane) road.

it comes with stipulations

What if you were given one million dollars, but it came with stipulations.

The stipulations were:
~you couldn't tell anyone that you had received the money
~you could only spend it on yourself
~the max that you could spend at one time was $10

Would you still enjoy being a millionaire?

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray

It's been one of those weekends...One where the best laid plans are undone...and the unmade plans turned out better than the originals.

I have to say I am happy.
I haven't been able to say that in a while.

It was a good weekend.
I haven't been able to say that in a while.

And as I sit here with a smile upon my face, I know that life is/has/never will be easy... but things are MUCH easier when you are smiling.


Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!--Jane Austen