Wah.  I really wish I were better at this.  So many great and not so great things happen on a regular basis in my life and an outlet like this would be so nice.  I can't believe a year has gone by.  I have a picture similar to this and will post it ASAP.  Both boys are off to SCHOOL!!  ON THE BUS, at the same place, at the same time!!  It has been an amazing week, with plenty of smiles and laughs and some tears and screaming too.  Hey, this is real life.

Owen going off to Kindergarten was rather anticlimactic.  He was REALLY ready.  I mean READY READY.  He just could not wait to wear that backpack, take that lunch and get on that bus.  (Being my independent boy, he looked at the soft polo shirt hanging on the closet door and calmly said "I am not wearing that, mom."  But alas, he was dressed, fed, shoes and backpack on at 745 AM.  The bus picks up at 9....so, to say the least that boy was ON TIME.  A nice change from the complaining we got last year about preschool.  Not so  much the school part, but they took naps, and he was way too big for naps (although he passed out cold for 2 hours each day...)  :)  My big boy.  My baby.  He has been loving life this week.  Up and ready and out the door, no comments or complaints.  Life is good, people!!

Nick loves school, but boy oh boy this first week is kicking him in the tushy.  He rolled himself up like a blanket burrito Monday and stated "I am not going to school today."  Just not wanting to get back in the routine, homework, etc.  I get it.  But also, that boy gets TIRED.  I mean, still, at 7 years old, you offer that boy a nap--he is jumping on that train in a second.  Pants off, in bed, cuddled with beloved BearBear and he is out.  For like 2 hours--we call them "toddler naps" and he is as proud of a peacock for continuing his trend of the best sleeper ever.  Middle and high school is going to wipe him out.

So, today I enjoyed my first day "off".  No noon pickup at preschool (which I actually missed having alone time with my Ownie Bear), just me and some volunteer work at school and a haircut and making dinner for tonight and on and on and on.  YIPPEEE!!  I will look forward to my Fridays with a vengeance.  It is always good to get some of the silly little things done during daylight hours.  It makes a girl feel good.

I will find a picture of my big, big boys.  They are awesome. 

New Beginnings

Well, well, well. This transition was going to be so big. In my mind at least. But, as with most things, it has been what most change is, manageable. I usually thing change is good, that is what the experts will tell you. Most of the time that is true after you get used to it. This has been no different. The excitement leading up to the BIG DAY (1st day of Kindergarten for Nick) was alot of fun. Talk of the old stuff, the stuff he "used" to do and talk of the new things to come. He was excited and a bit nervous, but by the time we got that back pack on his back and those new TIE shoes on his feet, he was out the door in a flash. I pretty much saw my future flash before my eyes. The way a kid feels so free as they run out of the house, away from the same ol' same ol' and off to new adventures, even if it is just hanging out in someone else's basement for a while!! I remember that feeling and I see Nick liking the idea of that freedom already. Where has the time go? Have I cherished all the time I have had with him enough?? One will never know. Seeing him stand at the bus stop and gaze up at the "big boys" (2nd graders!) and just look so proud is a moment I won't soon forget. He loves the bus, he loves his teacher and he is having so much fun. I haven't heard much on actual learning, but I am sure that is happening too!! It was a big day, but it has turned in to a routine like most other things and now it is just school. He is such a good little dude, and I kinda miss his longing to just be with me. Bigger things await him and me and I will try to be there, every step of the way.

Getting ready!!!

"light sabers"

Fathers Day crab legs and steak

Milwaukee zoo with Latus boys

Whoa, this summer is flying by. And even though I try to relish everyday with whatever comes it's way, it is still zooming. We have had such a great time splashing around in many forms of water fun. We still have our big rectangle blow up pool in the backyard, that STILL makes for at least an hour of good physical fun. The boys are very daring this year, running and jumping in, jumping off of the sides, having Star Wars battles. It is very fun to watch them play together, and even fight too.

We are getting ready to go to Michigan once again. And by "getting ready" I mean, that I am running around crazy time packing for the boys and me, buying car friendly activities and books, finding good snacks/candy treats, remembering every teeny tiny item that one might ask for as we drive 13 hours to heavenly Crystal Lake. Then Andy rolls in and packs his 4 shirts, 2 shorts, some undies and a swimsuit and asks me why I am so stressed out about this????!!! Ahh, men. So, I am done w/ the packing part for clothes anyway. The car activity center is almost done. Some MadLibs, markers, paper and even scissors. Those boys love to cut!!! I can find just about any type of paper product cut up all over the table and they look up at me with that "aren't you so proud of me?" look as I am looking for one of my many lists....

The spring/summer has been great. Owen has been pretty healthy. He officially has asthma, sinusitus and excema. All very mild, but they all can cause their issues. We have several meds to chew up each day, an inhaler every day and special soaps and lotions. He also gets to do "nasal irrigation" at bathtime to clear those sinuses!! That is a fun one. I should get video, he is quite a trooper. He has actually settled in nicely to being a typical three year old. All of my worries about him being a convict at some point have been put on the back burner till maybe 6. He is more calm and able to explain himself or just do things for himself. I think that was a major problem for us--we were trying to do too much for him or limit him too much = CONTROL--heard of it?? Yeah, it is not good when you get a feisty 1, 2, or 3 year old in competition for control....We are all learning and making progress. Amen.

Nick is awesome. SO ready for Kindergarten, although it will tear my heart out to see him go. EVERYDAY!!!!??? ALL DAY?????!!!!! No more "mommy days" to run around and do field trips, or just do nothing....Oh well. As I bought his SCHOOL SUPPLIES the other day, it hit me, that although I may feel (almost) 25, and look (almost) 25, I am NOT 25. I am 37 with 2 growing children. Not even infants anymore. They are boys, they are mine and I love my life. Amen.

Wintertime fun

The past couple of months has been a bit of a blur. With the holiday rush and the sicknesses around here I feel like I missed something. We are currently experiencing better health, sort of, and now it is the intermittent bad weather that gets us stuck at home. And by "stuck" I mean all sorts of fun in and out of the house. I really do love winter, just not the cold and certainly not the 5 pounds I gain by eating junky, yummy food! We finally got a real snow storm and the boys had a blast as usual. Lots of snowmen, snowball fights and sledding was had. It was so pretty after it all ended and we celebrated with hot cocoa and make your own playdoh type cookies. The neighbor girl spent the day with us and had fun too. The boys are really growing up. I let them play outside with Kate (8) for an hour with out me....which is big time nice for me!!! They missed me I am sure, but I did not see/hear from them for ONE HOUR!!! I saw them out the window and heard screams of joy, but they stayed out and got along fine without me. amazing transition, as they all are, even when you don't realize it!! I have been having fun watching some of my good friends go through new infant concerns lately and I am realizing that Andy and I really enjoy this stage. Still demanding for sure, but less so each day--besides refereeing once in a while!!! These are your run of the mill typical boys--wrestling, Light Saber fighting, "karate" etc. It can be exhausting as you wonder if you can just go ahead and get rid of the thousands of toys lying around that don't get played with much anymore!! The boys both got their adenoids out and Nick got ear tubes put in. It went very smoothly and they quite enjoyed a few days of non-stop pudding, jello, ice cream, popsicles and movies!! It was a lazy weekend for us! So, just thought I would update this, haven't in awhile and I figured my ONE reader might like to hear about the shenanigans!!!

Ahhhh, the Fall

My "Tractor Tippin'" Masterpiece (from CARS)

Grama and Nano took in an O's Game

As much as I hate to see those long summer days go away, there is something special about the chill in the air, the frost on the grass and the rosy cheeks of little boys playing outside. I do like fall and winter, I just don't like the cold. I am one of those chronic cold people--ask any roommate of mine, or my mom or my husband and they will tell you I always have socks, slippers, an extra sweatshirt and usually a blanket on me just to watch TV. It is annoying and it can get very uncomfortable, but I have learned to cope with lots of layers and especially when I am forced to be outside several times a day with the boys, to keep moving!! That is good for the hips at least!

We have had lots of fun this fall season. We hit several fall festivals and got many different sized and colored pumpkins. It stayed really warm in MD till Halloween, then it has been cooler--requiring cute fleece jackets and the occasional hat or mitten search. The boys look so sweet all bundled up, with just their faces showing. Reminds me of days not so long ago. My little babies. How they keep growing and learning and amazing me.

Nick is a thinker. He loves books and being told stories about various things. He comes up with those questions where you are not sure how much detail to go in to, or if you should answer at all. He is constantly LISTENING and WATCHING and ABSORBING, which can get scary! He will ask me questions about NPR as we drive....that is tough--"What is politics? Why did Obaba ruin the US? Why did that train crash?" Hmmmm. I have been saving NPR for alone time lately!!

Owen continues to challenge us as parents. He is, as the books like to say, "Strong willed, precocious, curious, determined, hard headed, challenging, independent" and so on and so on. He just likes things a certain way and if you know Owen, that means OWEN'S way!! It is tough to manage at times, and alot of the time we know we are making mistakes, but for the most part, the books say to try to be consistent and we are at least trying to do that. He is incredibly smart and figures things out quickly, so we hope that helps him in life. We still want to help him, that is where the problem usually occurs!! He is potty training now, and while it is going better than expected, it is hard when you ask your little one to go on the potty--and he hates being told what to do....so he quickly says "NO", then 10 minutes later, he wets his pants..... I guess that is potty training and I should continue to take these lessons to each me about all of Owen's stages!!! I told the new tee ball coach, we are thinking about calling him "Chuck" since he rarely responds to "Owen" anymore!!!

Whew-- what a summer!

Annual trip to the Butterfly Garden

The boys loved fishing at the Lake--caught some good size fish too!

July 10, 2010--6 years and counting! Still in love!

Ahhh, fresh air!! I love opening the windows and front screen door to let in the clean, cool air that we have been enjoying these past few days. It is such a nice feeling to hear the wind blow the leaves and hear the little voices playing outside after school. We had such a great summer filled with little and big adventures alike. I think the last time I posted we had gotten back from WI and we were gearing up for some fun here in MD for the month of July. We spent alot of time swimming this summer as Owen has followed in his Big Brother's footsteps and found his love of the water this year. We had to get a bigger pool for the back yard so Nick could do "laps", goggles and all. Too funny. Mostly that meant belly flops in to the pool after running from 20 feet away. They really lived it up out there and I loved watching them. Our gym pool is awesome as well and we would go there 2 or 3 times a week, especially after work when the sun was not quite so hot (ha ha, still 90 at 6 pm!) It was so nice to be in MD during July. We were always on our trip to MI, so being around was a good thing. I was training for the IronGirl triathalon and had a great time mixing up the workouts--swimming, running, biking. Whatever my heart (or timeframe) allowed. I have taken to that biking thing! It is exhilarating and so easy on the joints! The race went great--finished in 2 hours and felt awesome! Looking forward to the next one. The boys and I did a week of Vacation Bible School or "VBS" as it is known as around here. I had never done that as a kid and this year the boys were very familiar with our church and teachers, so they had a blast! I taught Nick's 4 year old class and had fun with them. Owen gave the teacher a run for her money, but she said he was good. :) Our trip to MI was amazing. The drive there was easier than expected, the weather was awesome, the boys slept great, and we just played on the beach all day long. Lots of fishing by the boys and fish to eat too! I got to swim almost every day for 30 mins, then decide if I wanted to run or bike or both!! I loved those pleasant 78 degree days!! What a dreamy to train!!

Our dear Owen turns 3 this Sunday--sniff, sniff. Where has my baby gone??? I still think of a 3rd child daily, but wonder if I have the stuff it takes. I see myself getting pretty worked up with some of his antics and just need the downtime when I can get it to process how to do things differently!! I started reading The Spririted Child as it has been recommended to me many times. I think I have read EVERY SINGLE parenting/discipline book out there, and that is not always the issue. It is really trying to figure out HIS intentions, thoughts, ideas, and temperament for the moment that is struggle. Both Andy and I get frustrated by this and know it is up to us to change and figure it out, as he is only 3...The good days outweigh the bad at this point and that is step in the right direction. Thank goodness his daycare provider loves him to death and thinks he is hilarious!! It gives us a nice break!!

So as both boys nap--yep even my Nick, I get to reflect on another year of parenting ups and downs and realize we are not doing so badly. They are happy, healthy, boisterous boys who keep us on our toes and bring smiles to our faces. They truly are our best accomplishments to date and I love having Andy to share in this wild ride. He is the best partner for me and I thank God for him daily.

Summer sun and fun

Down at the creek (frog release day)!

The frog we grew from a tadpole.

Picnic lunch with the Gramas, Drew and Megan.

Grama and Nano want us to stay.

Well there has been no limit to the energy these two put out despite the heat of MD. We have been busy busy busy and they keep me moving at all times. Thank goodness for the occasional movie watching that keeps them still for approximately 45 minutes!

We enjoyed a great visit to Wisconsin. Lots of good people and awesome weather. Grama and Nano wished we'd never leave (or at least that the boys would stay forever!) We got to see the Menominee Zoo, playground and even swim in the Lake. I don't think we initially thought there would be real swimming, but their legs are only 18 inches long, so "wading" turned in to swimming very quickly. I did not have the insight to get them undressed first, but they were happy to jump in clothes and all. They always have a good time and that is all that matters. Morelli's kindly hosted the annual family get together and it was well attended. Both sides of the family came and had fun catching up. The boys loved playing with their cousins and we loved seeing everyone. We also braved a hot day of Summerfest with my friend Stacy. It was great, but the boys literally melted and we headed out!

Back in MD it is HOT HOT HOT. Sometimes too hot! We spend lots of time at the pool or in our backyard pool. I have been working my required 12 days and enjoying some free time between. The boys transitioned to a new daycare provider and have been loving it at Donna's. They get to play in the sprinkler or baby pool and they are water lovers! We have been catching up with good friends here. Lots of playdates and dinners. It is fun to be here in July--everyone seems to be around to play with!

We are getting ready to pack up for Michigan. Another big trip to endure. It will be great no matter what and it has to be better than last year!! I am gearing up for some early morning runs--we have resigned to the fact that he just needs to GET UP as soon as he WAKES UP on vacation....not fun for us! At home he might wake up early, but he knows to quietly play/read till we get him. I like that situation alot better.

I am still training for the triathalon in August. I have IT Band syndrome in both knees and have been laying off the running lately. Lots of stretching will hopefully help the problem. I think I will still be able to do the run, but the day after will be a slow one!