Baseball

Baseball Season is upon us!! When you are the Mom of 4 boys, it is inevitable that at least 1 of them will be a baseball enthusiast... well, I have 3!! And the youngest has entered the ranks of Team Player!! They love it. We have baseball bags everywhere, cleats in every size imaginable (gotta save them for the younger one!!), random baseball gloves found in my closet, and kids hitting, throwing, and running all over my house (inside I might add!!).

Our schedule is hectic... 3 kids in 3 different age leagues, 3 different fields, 3 different teams and uniforms, but for some reason... practice is never at 3 different times!!! We always have to be in 3 places at once. Then add the Karate Kid in there and you can just imagine the chaos that ensues trying to get everyone where they need to be. And this is only practice... no games yet. That is when it really gets interesting... who gets to go where and when!!!

All that being said... I love it!! Seeing my boys, whether it is playing baseball or karate, doing something they love, is an unbelievable feeling. Rooting for the teams and their teammates, helping them celebrate a victory or grieve a defeat, it is all what being a Mom (or Dad for that matter) is all about!! Yeah, the nagging and fighting to get ready, to eat before you go, to get your homework done... all that comes with the territory. It is the Pride I feel watching those boys, my boys, out there learning to work as a team. Encouraging a teammate, learning that it ISN'T all about them, finding out there are people out there you just got to deal with (even though you don't want to), and not only surviving it, but excelling!! Those are my boys!! Huh, I am a very proud Momma (at least until they break a window playing ball in the house!! :) )

Growing Up... Letting Go

Today my baby took a tour of a Kindergarten classroom. MY BABY!!! As long as I can remember I wanted to be a Mom. Since I was a little girl playing with my babies, barbies, and then babysitting, I wanted to be the Mom. In college I saw my sisters having babies, 1, then 2, then 3, then 4... I was dating, but he was slow to make the Marriage Move. I held them, spoiled them, and dreamed of the day I would be holding my own. When I finally got pregnant God gave me twins, 1 for me and 1 for my Mother in-law. She waited way to long for a grandchild and I waited a long time to have a baby, so the only fair thing was to give us 2. I thank Him everyday for that act of genius!!! Fast forward... 2 more children later and my baby is getting ready for Kindergarten!!!

We went to visit a friends classroom (a Daycare Mom) and he sat at the back in a little chair watching everything. All I could imagine was him sitting on the rug, raising his hands and participating like these BIG kids were. Am I going through Empty Nest already?? It's only just beginning. I mean Jack and Cal will be going off to Middle School next year. We will be entering the teen years before I know it. We all know how morose teenage boys can be :)

Ryan wasn't a planned baby... not an accident exactly, but definitely a surprise. A heavenly surprise for me. I drank him in. Even though we thought our family was complete, he fit right in. We can't imagine life without him. We moved to NC when he was just a year old and we haven't separated since. He has been home with me since birth. No daycare, no playgroups, no nursery school, and no preschool. I opened my Family Home Childcare and he has stayed with me throughout. I am glad. Watching him today... he has just enough trepidation, just enough confidence, and a whole lot of humor. Watching my boy navigate his way through a new situation was eye opening... That what I am doing is alright. He is learning and is happy.

So, I have my Baby (who, as I know being the Baby of my family, will ALWAYS be my baby) for a few more months. A time I will drink in, savor, and count as a Blessing. I will watch him grow even more, learn new things, and get even more excited about Kindergarten. During this time I will continue the process of letting go... A process I have been having a problem with since the birth of my children.

Project 365

I haven't been getting my photos on the blog lately!! I hate that!!! This is Shea she is looking at me with her gorgeous brown eyes and hoping I will feed her something. She loves to eat and thinks that she should be fed whenever we eat, or when it is getting dark outside, or if we look at her (that must mean we should give her food) You get it... but she is such a great dog I just wanted to capture that face!!

You will see this face a lot during this project. I can't help it but this is my baby... who is growing up soooo fast. He has lost that babyness to him but I can't help capturing that smile as much as I can.

Here is the Coca-Cola wall at The World of Coke... I wanted to include it here because it is a trip I don't want to forget!! We had such a great time and just allowed ourselves to enjoy each other without trying to DO to much!!!

So, I have been taking my camera with me everywhere... and I am trying to get photos that capture the moment, but it seems like they don't really make the grade when I put them up. I want to fiddle with them, but my program doesn't really allow me to do much. I think I need to invest in photoshop or something...

It's Wednesday!!

So far this year... 2010... I have slowed down a bit. That week off after the Christmas Holiday took me by surprise. I got to sit and just be in my home with just my family for the first time in a long time. I have always had daycare going on or I was traveling to visit people or people were here. So, I have realized that I need to slow down. My boys and family come first. I need to stop putting the needs of others before the needs of my own.

I have decided that my after school adventures need to be curtailed... I realize that some of these kids would do better in different situations. I can't be all things to all kids. I always think I can do better than others, but I just wasn't able to meet all the needs of the bigger kid. So, as Parents found different care for them while I was going through my licensing process, I have come to realize that that is okay and maybe I shouldn't fill those spots.

Also, I have been not running so much. I have been reading, bring Cal to Karate, and hopefully being a little more present with my own children instead of being "done" with kids at 5:30 each night. I am realizing that doing for yourself and your family isn't a bad thing, it doesn't make you a bad Childcare Provider... in the end it makes you better.

I read the book Precious, by Sapphire... Wow. I thought it was a young adult book, but it was pretty intense. I am not sure I would let my teenager read it, but then again it is about a teenager and maybe it would be good for them to see a different view point on life. On how a Parent's choice can affect a child in such profound ways. It was an intense read, not for the weak stomachs out there, but I couldn't put it down and read it through in a day. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book... it gave me something to think about, and I like that.

So, my next book to read will be Please Stop Laughing At Me, by Jodee Blanco. It is about bullying, from a someone who lived it and came out on the other end. I think it will be interesting. I hope so.

That's what I am up to... I am still trying to get on the eating healthier bandwagon :) not doing so great on that front... not sure why... but I am talking to myself about it all the time. Well, maybe not when I am thinking of eating those Girl Scout Cookies that I ordered.... ARGHHH!!! Will power!!! Have a Great Wednesday!! I am looking forward to my Date Night with the Twins!! We are seeing Mall Cop at their school, who is hosting this Take Your Mom On A Date thingy... it should prove to be a wonderful memorable night!!!

No Snow

The weather report yesterday said that our part of NC would be getting some snow last night. The kids were so excited... it's been cold enough for snow... now we just needed some precipitation. They thought we would finally get it. The wore their pj's backward and inside out (Thanks Dana).... they put the spoon in the freezer?????? (what's up with that??) We went to bed...

Ok... as the title states... NO SNOW!!! We did have a 2 HOUR DELAY though!!! Why??? Not a clue!! Here, at least, we got no rain or snow. The roads didn't even look like they were wet at all all night. No mud in the yard... I mean it was cold, but not any colder than most mornings lately. So why we ask ourselves. We can speculate... the buses wouldn't start, the schools wouldn't heat up (never stopped them before) or maybe someone, who lives in the far reaches of the county, had some ice on his/her driveway.

So the boys didn't get their snow day, but they did get a delay. Not what they wanted exactly... but they'd take it. They lounged around watching cartoons, slept late, and laughed about the delay.

Living in NC has it's perks... not much snow, warmer (mostly), sunny and school delays and closings for the least bit of snow, ice or even the non-existent snow and ice :) What more could we want. I could do with the cold to go away.... I know it could be colder... but I like the warmer weather... So, cold weather go away... warm weather come our way!!!

An Ordinary Day

Life is normal. Boys went back to school, they are waiting for a snow day... that I expect won't come anytime soon. They are trying to complete a Social Studies Project about European Countries... answering questions about imports/exports, population, weather... that sort of thing. It is a huge project and I can't wait for it to be done. They watch TV, do homework, and I try to push them outside.

Speaking of outside... I can't believe we have hit the plateau of 50 degrees is cold. I mean, it has been in the 20's and 30's lately... and yes, that's cold. But, they boys were complaining that 50 was cold. When we first moved here from NY... the boys wouldn't come inside at all in 50 degree weather. Now I can't bribe them to go out. I should have enrolled them in basketball of something... they are getting at that age where sitting and vegging is more fun then actually using their body or mind.

On the week off I had we did spend time playing boardgames and such... but I wasn't to keen on going outside either... so I guess I need to be part of the solution and not the problem. Another resolution I guess... be more active. Goes a long with the losing weight part I guess, so it shouldn't be to hard. HaHaHa!!! We'll see!!!

Atlanta Trip

We went to Atlanta this past weekend. I wanted to take a little trip over the break since I didn't have to work and my son, Jack, loves everything Coca-Cola. He loves to drink it of course, but he also loves to collect things about Coke. He likes old, new, cute or odd, it doesn't matter... he just likes it. I like that he has something that is his own. Being a twin can sometimes be a little overwhelming. So to Atlanta we went... The World of Coca-Cola was our destination.

I researched hotels, did a AAA Trip Tik, got a friend to look after the dogs and off we went. We stayed at a very nice Fairfield Marriot that included breakfast, parking... and had an indoor pool (a must with 4 energetic boys). We went straight to the hotel that night and planned our trip to Coca-Cola World for the next day. We swam and watched TV and had a really great family night together. In this fast paced world of ours we don't always get to have time that is just the 6 of us.

We wake up in the morning, have a nice breakfast, and with 4 excited guys off to Coca-Cola World we go. It was a windy, cold day... we were happy the tour was inside. We bought our tickets and we waited in the lobby before we go into the opening/introduction movie... a great little movie about what goes on inside a coke machine :) Worth it!! Then off to a self guided tour of the rest of the building. We went into a hall of history, a bottle works hall, Pop Culture Art kind of place... that was really nice because people would write about what Coke meant to them or the memories that they had that involved Coke... Some of the letters were really touching and funny. Cal even wrote one... soooo cute!!! Then I talked all the boys into going into the room where you get to see the all the Coke commercials ever made. Funny.

Then the best part of the tour... the Tasting Room!!! Over 60 different soda's from around the world. Oh... they had so much fun. They ran around that room tasting all those soda's, running back to me or Glenn telling us what they liked or pulling us to a fountain to taste the Best or Worst soda they had ever tasted. I mean what could be better than having a whole room of soda to taste WITH your parents permission :)

We were finally done with tasting and decided to pick up our free bottle of coke and go into the gift store for our treasure to take home. Let's see... Ryan picked out a Coke Baseball, Luke a Coke Mini-Baseball Bat & Coke Playing Cards, Jack picked out an Aluminum Bottle & A Coke Style Dog Tag Necklace, and Calvin chose the Bat & Ball and a bottle of Coke with a Sleeve that he picked out and they shrink wrapped it on the bottle. Oh... Luke did that too.

So, that was our trip to Atlanta... we picked up our friends daughter and started our trek homeward. It wasn't a terribly long road trip home, but just long enough that you are happy to get out of the car when you get home. I have decided a 3 hour or less road trip is perfect for a short trip. Just when your getting tired of the car, your done. Next time we decide to go on a short family trip... it will be a little closer to home. We loved Coca-Cola World and I am really glad we went... memories were made!!

Quiet Time

We started a new book last night for our nightly quiet time... well, really we decided to read this one together as a family instead of letting the boys read their book on their own. We have been talking about Christmas, of course, and I have been trying to get the kids in the spirit of giving... not just receiving. Of seeing things as half full, not half empty. Not just because Santa is watching, but because it is what Jesus would want from us. To strive to be the best we can. So... I remembered a book I read as a kid... The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson. I thought it was the funniest book ever, but I also remember thinking both about how it would feel to live near the Herdmans and how it must have been to BE the Herdmans. So, I got the book and we started to read it last night. The big kids have heard it already, but they jump on the bed as fast as Luke to hear it again. Luke hasn't heard it yet, and seems to be enjoying it. It is a really good book for the Christmas Season, especially if you have a house full of rowdy boys like I do. One thing, I am happy my kids aren't the Herdmans and secondly, I am glad that the boys see that it could be worse... they could have the Herdmans as siblings :)
They also can see how giving... not just presents, but time, love, understanding can be a bigger and better present than most of the things we find under the tree. That we are lucky to have what we have, when so many don't. Now, don't get me wrong... they are still young, rowdy, selfish (in a good way) boys... but I see them thinking, even if they pretend not to :)

Santa Anyone??

Santa is coming and my boys are excited!! Luke has decorated, set up his list, & now has even decided to BE Santa!! He is definitely ready to be done with school and get on to the Holiday Cheer. He is anxiously awaiting the arrival of not only Santa, but his Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt & Uncles. We talk about all we will do, food we will eat, and places we can go. I hope everyone is ready for a few busy days.
My goodness though, will you look at that playroom behind him :) I didn't realize how messy it was. I know it was probably because I was out and Dad was home and let them make a mess :) What a sight!!
We will have to begin all the wrapping and getting things done so we can enjoy a great time when family gets here. We are planning a trip to Zootastic, a drive through light show, which we have heard wonderful things about and the boys can't wait to go. You can see Santa, roast marshmallows, and drink hot cocoa... a little boys dream I think. Just the coziness of it sounds great, I am sure it will be pretty cold though. Oh well...


***Note to all... Our Own Little Santa happen to love that picture... but asked that I not put it out in cyperspace... as he does have his reputation to protect. It could be accessed sometime in the future just when he was trying to ask that special someone out... We don't want anymore angst for our children if we can help it... so that is why I decided to take the Santa photo down!! But it was cute while it lasted :)

Our 2009 Christmas Tree

Ok... we went to the Christmas Tree Farm, got our Tree, got out the ornaments, went down memory lane... but where is the Tree?? Well, after Luke took some random decorating shots, we got a picture of it.

Helping Dad... Learning what it means to be the Dad :)
Doesn't seem like they mind either.

Getting some use out of the Perfect Swiss Army Knives from Aunt Linda and Uncle Gary

Ryan wants to help too... Thanks Dad!!



Standing back to admire... Wow, It's Big!!

Our 2009 Christmas Tree

The kids were so excited to get to decorating, but they pooped out rather quickly so the tree stands kinda bare right now. I told them that Grandma & Grandpa were coming soon so they had better get it ready!! This weekend they said!!!

Ornaments

Christmas Ornaments mean a lot to so many people... to me they mean history. To see that every year someone saved the most precious and cute ornaments to hang on the Christmas Tree. All those little reindeer, Santa's, mittens, pictures... those are some of the things our children look forward to. They each have their own box, of their own ornaments. Ones in which they made or were given. They love looking at them each year, talking about who they received them from, when, etc... They know when they get their own house, their own tree, their own families that box will be theirs to take with them. Until then they are mine, and I can look at them and remember their small little hands making them or as they get bigger their large hands holding them. All those little hand prints I received as they grew... what treasures they are now.

My Twins are getting so big... they will be bigger than me soon. I am already starting to not be the center of their world anymore. I have a poster they gave me for Mother's Day when they were maybe 5 or 6, and it said..."Mom, The Center of Our World" What a fleeting time that is. They grow so quick. I lost Jack at a festival the other day... it hit home how fast they grow. I was frantic... he is 11yrs old, I know he just got disoriented, but that little piece of me just panicked... was he afraid? No. Was he worried? No. Did he know he was going to find me? Yes. He was just hoping he wouldn't get in trouble. There was a time that all he would have wanted was me. Now he knows what to do. I know, I know... We have taught him well, We have given him the wings to fly... blah, blah, blah... doesn't make me feel any better :) I was afraid, I was worried... I can't keep them safe all the time anymore. I can't anticipate their next moved. I pray that God's Hands protect them and show them the way. I pray He gives me the strength to get through this next phase of their lives.

Ornaments... a little glimpse into the past. Little did I know that they would hold so many memories... Like I always tell the boys, "You won't understand until your a Parent yourself." So keep those special little mementos... pass on the stories and make sure they know them well... because someday their children will enjoy seeing Daddy's tiny hand print on a piece of paper hanging off the Christmas Tree.

MY GUYS

A RAINY DAY FOR TRICK OR TREATING... BUT THEY LOOK GOOD!!

I look at them and fall in love all over again. That feeling of overwhelming maternal love when you first meet your child, it can still come back when that same baby is much bigger, smeared with green face paint, and standing in the rain waiting to go Trick or Treating!! I love being a Mom, especially to these 4 bOYs!!

Great Looking Boys

We loved going to Aunt Linda's and Uncle Gary's Wedding. I think I had the cutest kids in the world... but of course I am a little bias :)
The kids had such a great time dancing, I don't think we had 1 tantrum, pout, or cranky moment. We had 4 great boys... we were very lucky!!
I think what impressed me the most was when people would come up to me and tell me what little gentlemen they were, or how great they were on the dance floor. As a Mom I was in such glory... all those fights, teaching moments, and parenting books seem to be paying off. They really are great boys!!

Back to Life

I completed my first day back to work with ALL the kids. I am exhausted but it was a good day. I am feeling better... Thanks Susie!!! I am just tired. My nose is still stuffy, but it is starting to break. I am hoping the boys don't get it for the first day of school. That would be a bummer.


The boys aren't really excited to go back to school. I always remember being soooooo excited to get back to seeing all my friends, homework (in the beginning), & just getting out of the house. I was always bored stiff by the end of the summer. Now, the boys are always saying they are bored, but it isn't school they want to get back to, it is trips, amusement parks, camping, etc... I told hubby that we shouldn't do so much with them during the summers anymore, they are getting spoiled ;)


They are excited about back to school sneakers. Their Papa gets them their sneakers each year and it is a big treat for them. He tells them they have carte blance (did I spell that right??) and can pick out whatever they want. They drag me to every shoe and sneaker store in the mall. By the end I am exhausted and tired of the indecision... but I guess for them this is a huge decision. The right pair of sneakers can make or break a 6th grader. I think they all did good... nice sneakers, fit each of their personalities, and didn't cost my Dad an arm and a leg, not that he would care, but I do.


So, tomorrow we are getting are school laptops. That will be fun. Trying to keep track of them, and what they are doing on them... ARGH!!! I hope the school has put enough nanny guards on them. I hope soooo. I tell you all about them after tomorrow. We will go to our 2hr long lecture on how to use them and such... boring!!! I think these kids know what to do with them, but I guess we need to go anyway. To make sure they know the consequences for doing something bad with theirs. We have the next 7 yrs of using them, I wonder if the program will last that long, or if they will update the laptops eventually. Like, does the School Board know that laptops or any computer becomes a dinosaur after a couple or so years?? We will see...

I will end with a picture of my boys... All of them!!! We had a great time just walking around CitiField... Boys and Baseball, ya gotta love it!!! :)

1st Holy Communion

Well, we finally made it... Our 1st Holy Communion!!! As you can tell from this picture he was so not happy about being dressed up... even for God & Jesus!! This is my athletic, baseball loving, very sensitive and when I say sensitive I mean..."Mom it's BOTHERING ME!!! IT being ANYTHING, socks, sneakers, tags, buttons, etc... you know the type. He wears track pants and t-shirts all day, every day... so this was a hard day for him. We have been preparing him for it for a long time, but it didn't matter. In the beginning he hated it and let us all know it!!







We finally got on the road and made it to the Church on time... he finally was dealing with the suite and tie, he even let me take his picture near the banner. See, we worked on his banner only a few days before and it had to be perfect... so I was excited to see that he loved the end product when he saw it on the end of our pew.





When all was said and done my son really was happy to have taken this sacrament and accepted God into his heart and soul. He felt very grown up and even said after, "Mom, I think I feel different..." I was very proud of him, even after all the chaos we went through to get here.

Three down, just one more to go. Hopefully the Little Guy won't be so sensitive to anything on his body, and if dressing up on this day was any indication, he will love his 1st Holy Communion.

He felt very grown up too, he wanted to be just like his brothers and Dad. He even made me find him a tie, which thankfully I had an extra one from when the twins went to a wedding with us when they were 4. When he saw that tie, he was so excited. To bad the neighbors garbage bin was in the background, I need to think about those things when I take my photo's, he was just so darn cute, I kept taking his picture.

I will end with all 4 of my boys, the one time that I rarely get to see them clean and dressed up. I will enjoy looking at this photo and remember this day, because I probably won't see it again until the Little Guy is making his 1st Communion.

.