Family Fun

Eric and I are usually in agreement on how to spend our weekends. We like to stay fairly low-key, resting and spending time together. Sometimes we worry that we should be out doing more and decided to try that this weekend.

Saturday we were out the door bright and early. We went to a family event at RCTC. I'm still not clear what it was for, or who was sponsoring it, but it was great. There were giant inflatables and a band outside. Inside there were a ton of booths with different vendors. We got free snacks, toys, coloring pages, reusable shopping bags, etc. We even ran into the dentist Sam kicked in the head.

After the event we did some grocery shopping and then got lunch. We had a picnic and went to the park. Eric and I took turns running all over the playground with Sam. When we were so hot we couldn't take it any more we headed home. Eric and I cleaned the house and got ready to go out. Colleen came to stay with the kids and Eric and I got to go out for the night. My dad and Tina gave us tickets to the Second City show at the Sheldon. We had a fantastic time! After the show we stopped to see Amy at her new apartment. We got home very late. We found out that Shannan, Andy, Shance, and Andrew had been at our house, too, and Sam couldn't have been more thrilled. I think Grandma had some trouble getting Sam to bed!

Sunday we again got up and headed out. Wearing our jerseys we went to Wally and Susan's house. They fed us lunch and we watched the first half of the game. At halftime we packed up and drove to Winona to Eric's cousin's son's birthday party (got that?). We hardly saw Sam and Shannan and Amy took turns wrangling Matilda. It was fantastic. The party was a lot of fun and we had a little trouble getting Sam to leave. By the time we got home it was pretty late. I honestly don't remember what I fed my kids for dinner. I'm assuming they ate as they are pretty vocal when they don't get fed.

We got to bed early and are still exhausted today. We are all battling a combination of allergies and a cold, too. Now my greatest worry is getting Sam's sniffles to stop before school tomorrow. Today will be a normal day for us - doing nothing.

The Better To See You With, My Dear

I was gone last night which meant another fun-filled night for the kids alone with Eric. I love getting these pictures with no explanation when I have to be away from them.

Unexpected Bonus

For several years I thought I was lazy. It turns out it's just really hard to do anything with a kid hanging off of me.

I dropped Sam off at school, came home, and put Matilda down for a nap. In the next child-free 90 minutes I was able to:

1. contact a doctor's office and arrange to have insurance claims resubmitted
2. talk with our new insurance provider and coordinate between them, our Rx provider, and our pharmacy, to have Eric's Rx correctly filled/filed
3. reserve a space for Matilda's birthday party
4. enroll Sam in swimming lessons
5. schedule Matilda's next doctor appointment
6. watch the first half of last night's premiere of America's Next Top Model

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself and wondering WHY I didn't put Sam in the three-day program!

A Request

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,

Young or old alike.

Today may be the last chance you get

To hold your loved one tight.

Take five minutes today to call your parents, kids, siblings, and friends...tell them you love them, and tell them why.

First Day Of School

I'm going to fall back on selective memory and choose to not remember all of this morning. I'm going to forget how I drove Eric nuts worrying aloud about being late and how a hysterical Sam had to be carried from his classroom (he really, really did not want to leave).

Instead I'm going to remember Sam hopping around in just his pajama top and socks, trying to get dressed as fast as he could. I'll remember Eric being able to take off work and a friend watching Matilda so Sam could have both his mom and dad's undivided attention. I'll remember the teacher praising Sam for his nice words when he asked another boy, "Can I play with some cars, please?"

He's going to love school.

What In The...

These were taken about five minutes before bedtime. Matilda looks exhausted but her utter confusion with her surroundings is always clear to me. "Who are these people? Why are they in my house? And why am I supposed to care?"

Show and Tell

One new camera + a visit from Papa and Grandma Susan = what will likely be a week's worth of picture posts.

Sam reads aloud from his new favorite book...

...shows off his new bookbag...

...and gets guest readers for his bedtime books.

Goodbye, AC!

Ah, September. I’ve been looking forward to you for 11 months.

It’s the greatest time of the year! It’s new clothes, new bookbags, new teachers, new friends. It’s sunshine and cool evenings, football games and changing leaves. Plus there’s the anticipation of the next three months: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

Our summer is over. Summer is my least favorite time of the year but I actually consider 2009 to have been a good one. Matilda went from being a baby to a near-toddler. She loved sitting in the grass and falling asleep during long walks. Sam, of course, lived in a permanent state of gaiety. He spent so much time with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. He stayed at a hotel without his mom or dad. He wiped out on his tricycle twice and lived to tell the tale. He was trusted to be outside while Eric mowed. He became fearless on jungle gyms and, for a very short time, was the owner of a tiny frog.

I had another summer with my kids and we played, learned, and grew. I can’t wait to see what autumn will bring.

School

Yesterday afternoon Jackie stayed with Matilda so Eric, Sam, and I could go to an ice cream social at Aldrich. Sam was really, really excited to see his school! I was even more impressed with it this time. The playgrounds were open for the kids and they are just amazing. At least five times bigger than the playgrounds I've worked on at other preschools. We peeked into Sam's room (Room 3). It looks so fun.

Immediately after the open house we went and bought Sam his new school shoes. He didn't understand how exciting that was and was pretty crabby about it. Maybe next year! He is impressed by his backpack, though. I showed it to him last week.

I unzipped the front pocket. "Look, Sam!" I said. "These are little pockets so your pencils - "

Sam dashed out of the room. I heard him digging through his art supplies and he returned with his Elmo pencils. I helped him put one in each narrow pocket.

I unzipped the main part of the bag. "Right here is where you can put all of your books and - "

He was gone again. He returned carrying Where Are You, Elmo?, The Gruffalo, and The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. We put them in and zipped it shut.

Next Tuesday can't come soon enough!

Oh, The Hilarity

As soon as Eric gets home from work Sam starts begging to play football. Sometimes they play catch or practice punting but Sam's favorite game is less involved. He throws the football to Eric, who does everything he can to bobble it. As Eric fakes trouble catching the ball, bouncing it off his arms, elbows, and head, Sam loses his mind. No child since the beginning of time has laughed harder than Sam does during football.