Settling in

We are a month into school. You might say we are settled. I think we are getting to a point where we can say we kind of like having two kids in school. It's still a little quiet on the home front when both of them are gone. It's different but I like it. And, when Mark is in school but Anna is home, we get to see our big girl as we never have before. She is so different when she isn't living in her big brother's shadow. She doesn't feel like she has to always agree with his opinions. She has some pretty interesting opinions of the her own. I love to hear them too. What I didn't expect is how much the little sister would miss the big brother while he is away all day. She loves having Mom and Dad to herself but she still asks often when we can go get Mark. All in all, we are settling in nicely. And, even finding time to pursue a few house projects that have been calling my name for about two years. Coincidentally, Jason ran away from home about the time I started talking about them. Don't know what is up with that. I will show how our project is coming along soon. It's something, let me tell ya.

Freaking out

Does anyone still visit here? Just wondering.
Life has been so crazy these last months. School, vacation, summer, kids, swimming lessons, baseball; the list is never ending. But it all comes to a screeching halt next week when school starts up again. And let me just tell you the level of freak out I am in. I am freaking out. How can I be sending kid to Kindergarten? It just isn't possible. He's just a baby. And then if that wasn't enough, I am sending my baby to preschool. I don't even know how this all happened. One minute your pregnant the next you are sending them off to be educated by someone else. Back to my freaking out. I had a near panic attack over school lunches the other day. Do I send lunch with him so I know he isn't eating junk? Or do I let him buy because he is a big kid now and can make a few decisions for himself? But he can't, he's just a baby. See, freakin' out. So, please tell me this is all normal. It's not strange to obsess over details such as not being able to find his classroom and wandering the halls all day. It's not we rid that I am worried some big mean kids will beat him up and my sweet innocent boy will be gone forever replaced by a snotty bratty kid. It's not strange that I am total mess of lunch. Please. please tell me this is normal.
But wait there's more. If you've done the math, you know I have two children. One is going to Kindergarten the other is going to preschool. You may have figured out that there will be a few child free hours in there. For the first time in five a half years, I will have time to think, to shower, maybe eat while sitting down. I can't even fathom the possibilities here. It's crazy I tell you.
They aren't babies anymore.

Who are you and what have you done with my baby?

Oh, HI! Let's see if I can still make this thing work. Here we go. I got it figured out.

Recently I have had a chance to hold a few babies. Yes, people have entrusted ol' butter fingers with their precious offspring. I don't know what they were thinking either.
Anyway, that led me to the conclusion that my baby isn't a baby anymore. I'm sure other people noticed long ago. But it has taken me until now to figure it out. I've been trying to delay the inevitable for a long time. I, until recently, still put her in 18m onsies. What! They still fit. So why shouldn't she wear them. I gave her coffee to stunt her growth. OK, that one is a lie. But I did think about it.
But I can deny it no longer. These pictures prove my point.

She a big girl. She is quick to tell you she uses the potty. Yes, TELL you. She's finally talking. In words. And if you show any interest what so ever in her pottying she will show you her pink underwear. Don't believe me, just ask the little old lady in Target the other day who was just a little too impressed by Anna's statement. She got an eye full of pink panties. Speaking of undies, she is very opinionated about the underwear in her flashing arsenal. Only pink ones will do. Do you know how many pink panties come in a package of little girl underwear? I do. About three. The rest I may as well throw in the garbage. Because she isn't going to wear without waging WW III.

My baby is growing. I miss the baby. But I love the little person she's become. Flashing and all.

Daydreamer

Imagine for a moment with me that while Mark was snoozing away in his bed, during nap time, something bad happened to his window shade. Now imagine, during the same nap time, there was a great bumping and thumping heard by the parents on the first floor. Think elephants, lions, tigers, bears and maybe whales. Got that? Good. Now imagine upon entering Mark's room at the conclusion of nap time Mark says this statement to his mother. "Mom, my shade broke. But my animals are working on it. They'll have it fixed in no time." Now imagine how hard it was to keep a smile off my face when I walked in and saw not less than fifty (yes, there are that many of them) elephants, lions, tigers, bears and whales gathered in a circle all facing the window.
How am I supposed to discipline a little boy who makes me laugh all day? I can't. I just can't.

For the record, they couldn't fix it. I did though.