Mothers All Over America Are Celebrating

I've been feeling a little guilty the last two weeks because I've been so ready for the kids to go back to school. We've had a lot of fun this summer and it's flown by, but there comes a point when everyone needs a change.

The guilt came because one day, about two weeks ago, I acknowledged that I was ready. I talked to a couple other moms on the phone that day who gave me the, "oh, I'm so sad summer is almost over" schpeel... "I will miss my kids so much..." This cooincidentally was the same day that I had seven kids at my house, I'd spent the entire day waiting on them hand and foot, giving in to their every need and demand, and my toilet had overflowed. I'd just been on my hands and knees wiping poop off the bathroom floor and Mia was making a b-line toward me.

I finally had to pick up the phone and call someone whom I knew would not give me the "I'm so sad" song and dance. I knew the person to call. I knew she'd tell me I wasn't a bad person for wanting summer vacation to end.

So enough about that... school started yesterday. We're all thrilled!

Some highlights:

1. For Jolie, it's all about the clothes. We went school shopping a couple weeks ago and she picked out some cute outfits. She's had them draped over objects in her room with her favorite one slated for the first day. She ended up wearing MY favorite thanks to my mom who had a heart to heart with Jolie about how important first day of school photos are to certain moms. (who,ME?)

2. For Tristan it was all about the friends and his freakishly large backpack. He missed Back to School Night because of football practice so I had to fill him in on the details of his new class. He wanted to know which kids had dropped out of Spectrum and why, who was sitting at his table, and had all sorts of technical questions about his backpack. When he puts it on it looks like he's going backpacking in the Unitahs.

3. Gavin asked if we could go see his preschool when we were in route to one of the kids' schools. It seems that he's caught the back to school spirit (he doesn't start for a couple weeks).

4. I feel my mental well-being slowing returning. Gavin, Mia and I took a nice, leisurly trip to the grocery store yesterday and I have to say, there was no happier person wandering the aisles of Smiths Food & Drug than I.


<

The Cabin

We spent last weekend at the cabin in Island Park, ID. Jolie and Gavin got a head start with Grandpa and Grandma on Friday. Dan, Tristan, Mia and I drove up after Tristan's football game Saturday night (arrived at 11:30 pm).

We took our mountain bikes and bike trailer and were able to do some biking while we were there. Tristan was as much of a speed demon as he was last year. Jolie made her biking debut this time around. Last year she was very upset that we made her ride in the trailer with Gavin after our first ride. She just wasn't strong enough to keep up with us. She's come a long way in the last year. We were on rocky, bumpy trails and she did fabulously! She got a little tired on our long ride to the brige but eventually made it there.

We also took a long (car)ride through the northern area of the park (Yellowstone) and saw some things we hadn't seen before. Some very majestic waterfalls, paint pots, gysers and a herd of elk. We told Grandpa that we'd pay him 100 bucks if he'd find us a bear but no cigar there (we did that in Orlando years ago and he found us an alligator!)

The weather was GORGEOUS! The kids spent hours playing on the dock; they collected minnows, water skeeters and played with the boats that Grandma brought for them to paint and float on the river. We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores at the fire pit. The kids watched the beginning 20 minutes of five movies. There was just too much going on for them to sit still.

Lessons Learned from the Game of Football

I'm just between loads of laundry and fulfilling snack/meal/drink requests from the kids and their neighborhood friends. I thought I'd post some photos from Saturday's big football game.

I'm still learning a lot about the game of football. For example, did you know that you're not allowed to sit... ever... in football? Even though there's a bench? I'm still trying to figure out why there's a bench on the sidelines, but apparently it's just to hold the first aid kit and water bottles. (This is very puzzling to someone who comes from a long line of basketball players. Your point guard doesn't yell at you if you have a little rest on the bench once in a while- hey, you deserve it!)

Also, did you know that there's a lot of yelling involved in football? Did you know that football players and especially coaches are the loudest humans on the planet? And they don't only yell when they're "lit UP" (angry) or trying to intimidate, either. They yell when they're happy, excited and even bored.

There's also the tell-tale sign of approval and encouragement: the hit on the helmet. This one's kinda endearing, though.

Yes... important things to know.

Oh, and I recommed to other football-moms-to be that you have your kid try on his game pants when they are issued to him in case they are 3 sizes too small. I wouldn't recommend waiting until the morning of his first game when the football office is closed. Then you would be faced with him either wearing his unsightly practice pants (wrong color and covered in mud) or squeezing your kids butt into the three-sizes-too-small game pants. Bad idea.

He still looks pretty cute though, doesn't he?

A Little Twist

This is for all the moms who find themselves in a rut of ponies and piggies... this do is called the corkscrew braid. I found some inspiration here the other night when I was mindlessly surfing.

This summer has been a rut of hairdos for Jolie. It's been a braid or ponytail almost every day. (Either that or the unkepmt-uncombed-hair-hanging-in-the-face do which is coincidentally also the favorite of all of the Grandmas.)

While I'm on the subject of Jolie's hair I should tell you about HOW SHE CUT IT a couple weeks ago. I gave her the opportunity to stay home by herself for the first time EVER. I had to run Tristan to football camp one morning and I gave her the choice of coming with Mia and Gavin and I or staying home (for about 20 minutes). She said she'd stay home and apparently made a B-line for the scissors the minute I shut the door. I didn't notice until several hours later when I was doing her hair. I discovered some pieces that were cut almost to her scalp. Turns out she decided to give herself BANGS while I was gone. Nice.

Gavin's 4th

This week we celebrated Gavin's fourth birthday with seven of of his friends at a dinosaur party. We've been planning our party for weeks. We made dinosaur bones out of plaster of Paris and buried them in sand. We also made paper mache dinosaur eggs and filled them with toys and treats. The boys each got to take one home and crack it open. Grandma made dinosaur cupcakes.

The party was a lot of fun. I had all the boys convinced that a mommy dinosaur had laid her eggs in our back yard. Most importantly, Gavin was over the moon about his bithday. Wednesday morning I awoke to him standing next to my bed, whispering, "Mommy, today's my birthday!" I loved watching his excitement all day long.

Are You a Football Freak?

Yes, it's true. I've been promoted from soccer mom to FOOTBALL mom. Who'da thunk? I can't think of anyone blood related to either Dan or myself who's ever played football, and honestly, I don't even understand the game.

I guess I better get a copy of Football for Dummies because it looks as if it's taken over my life. Did you know that football is a five to six day a week commitment?

Tristan attended a football camp this week as well as what equates to tryouts. Last night was his first practice with his team. His coach spent the first 10 minutes of practice going over some information with parents. One of his talking points was about the fact that each team had been given only two "X Men" (boys over 90 lbs) so there would be four smaller, lighter boys who would have to play the line. Like I said, I'm no football expert but I understand the disadvantage of a smaller boy taking hits from a bruiser. By the tone of his voice I also understood that he knew some parents wouldn't be happy with the situation.

While these words were literally leaving the guy's mouth, I looked on the field and saw my son raise his hand and step forward, apparently volunteering to be one of those smaller, lighter boys. That's when I remembered that Tristan had left football camp the first day and announced that he wanted to tackle people.

I have a feeling that you'll be hearing a lot about football between now and October. Let's hope that all of my news is good news.