Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Long Time No Write
So I am obviously the worst blogger ever! I can't believe a year has gone by and I haven't written. It makes me sad because so many great things have hapened this past year that I am sure I will forget and wish I would have written about. I can't believe how fast time goes as my kids get older. Tye is now 13, Luke 11, and Alyncia 8. WOW!!! Where are my babies? I honestly miss the nights of staying up and seeing them experience their first milestones. Now we are at the point where Tye rarely wants anything to do with me. He wants to play basketball, play video games, and hang with his friends. He is a great kid just not my little boy anymore. Luke is still as sweet as ever but he too is growing up way too fast. He is becoming quite the athlete and I am so proud of the great young man he is becoming. Alyncia is still as tiny as ever. She is hoping she is going to be tall, but she is now 8. She is very involved in gymnastics and is as spirited as ever. However, our baby is no longer our baby. It is bittersweet. In my wildest dreams I never thought she would be as healthy as she has become. I never understood how everyone says time goes faster as you get older but it really does. It seems like just yesterday we were starting our family and now they are getting older and Tye is in his last year of middle school, Luke will be leaving elementary school, and Alyncia will be in 2nd grade. WOW!! Luckily, I have all the memories close to my heart of these wonderful children who have made my life worth living. They truly are treasures and I am so lucky to say I was a mother. It is, in my opinion the best thing I have ever done.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Golden Wolf
Tye had his last tournament of the season in Kansas last weekend. It was a bit bittersweet. It will be nice to have some free time but I must say I really enjoyed getting to know some of these parents. They have a level of committment that Tye and I have. They are intense about basketball as we are. Tye played well last weekend. He made a few 3's and played some great defense! It was fun! I will never understand how people can live in Wichita because it is so hot and humid. It is unreal how hot it is. We were not prepared for it. When we got out of the car to fill up our gas the the heat shocked us. Tye was so funny he is like I am not farmer I am a city boy. He said that because of the eneventfulness of the drive. Kansas is very flat! Not the most exciting road trip. Originally just Tye, Tye jr. and I were going to go. At the last minute Luke and Alyncia decided they wanted to go too. I am so glad they did. We had so much fun hanging out! Joking in the car. We kept saying things and Luke for a few hours told Tye he was a "Golden Wolf". None of us paid much attention to it. I figured it was from a movie. Finally after a while we are like Luke what in the world is a Golden Wolf? He said remember mom you said when you believe everything you say you are a golden wolf. I said no Luke I said you are gullible! We got quite a kick out of that one. Kids are so innocent and funny! That really do say the darndest things.
We went out to eat, swimming, we went to the Alley which is like a Fat City and we had a blast! It is the best family fun we have had in a long time. On the way to the games there were signs about seeing the Largest Prairie Dog in the World! Alyncia was just obsessed with seeing this so we stopped on the way home. She was a bit impatient and was like is it in 10 miles or in 30,00 miles. I guess we need to work on number sense since she slightly under and over exaggerated that. Of course it was a statue. I will post pics later. There were some beautiful birds and a 5 legged bull. Again, except for the swaggering heat it was a lot of fun! It really made me reflect on what is truly important. Before we know it the kids will be grown and gone and all we will have left are these memories and I want to make sure we have so many wonderful memories that they overflow and the kids look back and reflect on what great childhoods they have. I want them to not be able to just have 1 best memory but to have many, many wonderful memories! I am so lucky to have a partner who is willing to put our children first and embrace the joys and yes of course the trials of parenting.
We went out to eat, swimming, we went to the Alley which is like a Fat City and we had a blast! It is the best family fun we have had in a long time. On the way to the games there were signs about seeing the Largest Prairie Dog in the World! Alyncia was just obsessed with seeing this so we stopped on the way home. She was a bit impatient and was like is it in 10 miles or in 30,00 miles. I guess we need to work on number sense since she slightly under and over exaggerated that. Of course it was a statue. I will post pics later. There were some beautiful birds and a 5 legged bull. Again, except for the swaggering heat it was a lot of fun! It really made me reflect on what is truly important. Before we know it the kids will be grown and gone and all we will have left are these memories and I want to make sure we have so many wonderful memories that they overflow and the kids look back and reflect on what great childhoods they have. I want them to not be able to just have 1 best memory but to have many, many wonderful memories! I am so lucky to have a partner who is willing to put our children first and embrace the joys and yes of course the trials of parenting.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Some Days
As summer is winding down I have mixed feelings. On most days I am sad because I thoroughly enjoy having my children around. I like to go swimming with them, staying up late to watch movies, or just hanging out. However, today I must say I am looking forward to the fact that school begins in 19 days. Yep I am counting down. The house is a mess. I just do not understand how we go to bed with a clean kitchen and are only up 2 hours and it is destroyed. I will tackle the kitchen in a bit. We leave for Kansas tomorrow for a National Basketball Tournament for Tye. I am trying to get all our laundry done and of course the spin cycle goes out on the washer. So all my towels are beyond drenched! So now the question remains how in the world am I going to get all my laundry done by tonight when our washer does not work? I am not a snooty person. I really don't mind the laundrymat however there really isn't one close to here and I have so much other stuff to do I just don't know if I have the time to get down to one.
Of course my lovely children are not making it any easier on me. I think kids have a radar and know when parents are tired and stressed and then that radar goes off and they do everything they can to get under my skin. Luke and Alyncia have been fighting like crazy. It honestly is not her fault. They have very different personalities and for some reason she just really gets to him. I have tried reasoning with him. We have tried time outs. We have tried the reward system and nothing seems to be working. So in an effort to keep all our sanity, he is going to stay with grandma and grandpa while we go to Kansas this weekend. Maybe they just need a break. I hope so. I am an only child so I often worry whether any of this is "normal" sibling behavior or if I really need to start worrying. Some Days I tell you!
Of course my lovely children are not making it any easier on me. I think kids have a radar and know when parents are tired and stressed and then that radar goes off and they do everything they can to get under my skin. Luke and Alyncia have been fighting like crazy. It honestly is not her fault. They have very different personalities and for some reason she just really gets to him. I have tried reasoning with him. We have tried time outs. We have tried the reward system and nothing seems to be working. So in an effort to keep all our sanity, he is going to stay with grandma and grandpa while we go to Kansas this weekend. Maybe they just need a break. I hope so. I am an only child so I often worry whether any of this is "normal" sibling behavior or if I really need to start worrying. Some Days I tell you!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Summer Fun
The summer seems to be whizzing by. You know it is almost over when school supplies line the shelves of the stores. Weather here has been crazy first it rained and hailed and rained some more for weeks. It did do some damage to our cars but nothing too bad. Now it is just too hot to function. And the mosquitos...ugh if I get bit one more time. We all look like we have some weird disease because we have been bit so much. We had Alyncia's birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese and it was a lot of fun. A couple of her friends came and she just loves being the center of attention. She got a Justin Beiber CD and is driving her brothers and dad nuts by playing it all the time. I hate to say this out loud but it is growing on me. He really isn't that bad. We are having Luke's party this Wednesday at Jump street. I know parties are a bit delayed this year but his trip to Iceland was quite costly and so we are getting to parties a bit late. I am sure my children will hold this against me for years when they are grown up. But, hey remember you got your party!
Tye has been busy playing club basketball. He has been working so hard. He goes out every morning and even practices on his own. I feel so bad for him. This team does not treat him very well. If he makes one mistake they pull him right away, all the while other kids make many mistakes and it doesn't happen to them. It is so hard to know what is right to do with this team. I know this is one of those tough experiences that kids need to go through and it will make him stronger. However, seeing his confidence fade away is very hard for a mother to deal with. How can we protect our children yet let them live and experience life? I have not yet mastered that balance. This team has some shady characters. The coaches are not the most moral individuals. They have lied, cheated and are just not people we would normally associate with. The kids cuss, talk back to their parents and all around really are brats. I know that isn't nice to say about kids but it is the truth. Now the problem? The problem is this is a great opportunity for Tye he is becoming more aggressive and the parents are so competitive and aggressive just like us. My husband stuck up for Tye today and it wasn't pretty. He is the type of guy that sits back and doesn't say much but lets it build up until he can't take it anymore. Because if his large size he can be quite intimidating. He is Tye's biggest advocate and even though he pushes Tye very hard it is only because he loves him and wants him to have the opportunities he did not have. Nobody ever said parenting was easy. I will say it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. Some days are rough but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Tye has been busy playing club basketball. He has been working so hard. He goes out every morning and even practices on his own. I feel so bad for him. This team does not treat him very well. If he makes one mistake they pull him right away, all the while other kids make many mistakes and it doesn't happen to them. It is so hard to know what is right to do with this team. I know this is one of those tough experiences that kids need to go through and it will make him stronger. However, seeing his confidence fade away is very hard for a mother to deal with. How can we protect our children yet let them live and experience life? I have not yet mastered that balance. This team has some shady characters. The coaches are not the most moral individuals. They have lied, cheated and are just not people we would normally associate with. The kids cuss, talk back to their parents and all around really are brats. I know that isn't nice to say about kids but it is the truth. Now the problem? The problem is this is a great opportunity for Tye he is becoming more aggressive and the parents are so competitive and aggressive just like us. My husband stuck up for Tye today and it wasn't pretty. He is the type of guy that sits back and doesn't say much but lets it build up until he can't take it anymore. Because if his large size he can be quite intimidating. He is Tye's biggest advocate and even though he pushes Tye very hard it is only because he loves him and wants him to have the opportunities he did not have. Nobody ever said parenting was easy. I will say it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. Some days are rough but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Welcome to Double Digits Luke!
Dear Luke,
Happy Birthday my sweet boy! 10 years ago you and I spent 4th of July weekend at St. Anthony's Hospital watching the fireworks. The nurse brought you in to me and I nursed you and we watched the sky light up from the 5th floor of the hospital. It is only fitting that 10 years later we laid on a blanket in Edgewater and watched an amazing show together. We held hands and it was a wonderful night! I can't believe you are 10 years old. Time is going way too fast! You are such an amazing person! Everyone was shocked that we let you go to Iceland and we just knew you were going to be ok because you are just such a trooper. Kathy Peterson, whom you went with told me how much she is going to miss you and how all the families felt you were such a great kid. I am so glad they got to know you Luke. They are the ones who are better for it. You have a unique way about you that just makes people smile. You are such a great little boy. I know we argue a lot and I push you hard but I hope you know I only do that because I love you so much and I know you are capable of great things. Oh Lukie! I am so proud of you and I feel so lucky to have you in my life. You have taught me to enjoy life more Luke. You have taught me to take the time to smell the roses. I know that sounds silly but I am so impatient and always in a hurry and you are so laid back and you have taught me to appreciate the little things and not to miss the bee on the flower. Or the ant lion in the dirt. You are so much fun! I hope your next ten years are as great for you as the first ten have been for me. I thank God everyday for letting me be your mom. I am the lucky one and I will never forget that. Happy 10th birthday my sweet, sweet boy!
All my love,
Mom
Happy Birthday my sweet boy! 10 years ago you and I spent 4th of July weekend at St. Anthony's Hospital watching the fireworks. The nurse brought you in to me and I nursed you and we watched the sky light up from the 5th floor of the hospital. It is only fitting that 10 years later we laid on a blanket in Edgewater and watched an amazing show together. We held hands and it was a wonderful night! I can't believe you are 10 years old. Time is going way too fast! You are such an amazing person! Everyone was shocked that we let you go to Iceland and we just knew you were going to be ok because you are just such a trooper. Kathy Peterson, whom you went with told me how much she is going to miss you and how all the families felt you were such a great kid. I am so glad they got to know you Luke. They are the ones who are better for it. You have a unique way about you that just makes people smile. You are such a great little boy. I know we argue a lot and I push you hard but I hope you know I only do that because I love you so much and I know you are capable of great things. Oh Lukie! I am so proud of you and I feel so lucky to have you in my life. You have taught me to enjoy life more Luke. You have taught me to take the time to smell the roses. I know that sounds silly but I am so impatient and always in a hurry and you are so laid back and you have taught me to appreciate the little things and not to miss the bee on the flower. Or the ant lion in the dirt. You are so much fun! I hope your next ten years are as great for you as the first ten have been for me. I thank God everyday for letting me be your mom. I am the lucky one and I will never forget that. Happy 10th birthday my sweet, sweet boy!
All my love,
Mom
Friday, July 8, 2011
Happy Birthday Alyncia
Dear Alyncia,
First they told us you would not live, then they said you may live but your quality of life wouldn't be any good, well... I am not sure how one measures a quality of life but 7 years later you are doing amazing. You are smart, witty, athletic, and beautiful. You are such a joy to us! We spent your birthday boating at Chatfield with the Lawtons. We had so much fun! They pulled a tube behind the boat and while it took some persuassion to get you to do it once you did you wouldn't stop. All the other boats kept stopping and remarking on how cute and tiny you were on the tube. You kept giving us the thumbs up sign which means to go faster. We couldn't stop laughing you fearless little girl! We had a few minor problems on your birthday first I locked our only set of car keys in daddy's car when we were getting water out of it. We decided it was best not to ruin his day so we didn't call him until 3:30 after he was hot and tired and worked a long day. He took it relatively well. Then as we were leaving Chatfield Amy's power stearing broke down in her car and we had to wait an hour for AAA to get there and tow it. 7 of us and a dog then piled into Max's truck to head home. We had originally had plans to do dinner with grandma and grandpa at your favorite place, Chili's. Instead we stopped at Chick-Fil-A. You told everyone it was your birthday and the employees gave you a pink balloon and a stuffed cow and let you make your own ice cream cone. You were so excited to go behind the counter to make the cone. It was the highlight of your day! When we got home at 9:30pm we were all tuckered out. I asked you how your birthday was and you said one of the best ever! We are having your friends party next week, but I dare say this day was great fun! I just love to see how excited you get about everything! You are just always happy and you love life so much! You make me want to embrace it just to get as much enjoyment as you! I am so grateful for these past 7 years and cannot wait to see what this next year will hold! I love you with all my heart and then some!
Happy 7th Birthday Alyncia!
Love,
Mommy
First they told us you would not live, then they said you may live but your quality of life wouldn't be any good, well... I am not sure how one measures a quality of life but 7 years later you are doing amazing. You are smart, witty, athletic, and beautiful. You are such a joy to us! We spent your birthday boating at Chatfield with the Lawtons. We had so much fun! They pulled a tube behind the boat and while it took some persuassion to get you to do it once you did you wouldn't stop. All the other boats kept stopping and remarking on how cute and tiny you were on the tube. You kept giving us the thumbs up sign which means to go faster. We couldn't stop laughing you fearless little girl! We had a few minor problems on your birthday first I locked our only set of car keys in daddy's car when we were getting water out of it. We decided it was best not to ruin his day so we didn't call him until 3:30 after he was hot and tired and worked a long day. He took it relatively well. Then as we were leaving Chatfield Amy's power stearing broke down in her car and we had to wait an hour for AAA to get there and tow it. 7 of us and a dog then piled into Max's truck to head home. We had originally had plans to do dinner with grandma and grandpa at your favorite place, Chili's. Instead we stopped at Chick-Fil-A. You told everyone it was your birthday and the employees gave you a pink balloon and a stuffed cow and let you make your own ice cream cone. You were so excited to go behind the counter to make the cone. It was the highlight of your day! When we got home at 9:30pm we were all tuckered out. I asked you how your birthday was and you said one of the best ever! We are having your friends party next week, but I dare say this day was great fun! I just love to see how excited you get about everything! You are just always happy and you love life so much! You make me want to embrace it just to get as much enjoyment as you! I am so grateful for these past 7 years and cannot wait to see what this next year will hold! I love you with all my heart and then some!
Happy 7th Birthday Alyncia!
Love,
Mommy
Saturday, June 25, 2011
ICELAND
Dear Luke,
Your trip to Iceland is winding down. You have been so fortunate to go on this trip of a lifetime. Lets back up, your soccer team that has beeen together for years had tryouts this year and you will all soon be going your separate ways. Your coach decided to do an amazing trip to do a tournament to Iceland. Originally, we were all going to go, but dad couldn't get off work and we just couldn't swing it for all of us. Luckily, Ken and Kathy Peterson offered to take you. They are amazing people and I am so grateful they allowed you to have this chance. You were so excited! A bit nervous, you packed and unpacked your suitcase 6 times because you were so worried about forgetting something. My little detail oriented child, I love it!!! Anyway, you went off and we were so sad to see you go. I tried to hold back my tears, but you know me I couldn't hold it in! I let a few tears lose. We are so lucky you are with such thoughtful people. They have let you call us every other day and they Blog about your trip everyday and post pictures and videos. WE are so proud of you Luke. You did this trip and you did it with a smile! Everyone has told us you are so easy and get a long with everyone so well! As a parent you have no idea what that means to us! Plus, you scored a sweet goal with your left foot! You went horseback riding, whale watching, splunking, and swimming in the hot springs to name a few. Luke, I am so glad you have had this opportunity. Embrace all these "aha" moments and treasure them because they are gone with a blink of an eye! I love you so much and I have missed you more than you will ever know!
All my love,
Mom
Your trip to Iceland is winding down. You have been so fortunate to go on this trip of a lifetime. Lets back up, your soccer team that has beeen together for years had tryouts this year and you will all soon be going your separate ways. Your coach decided to do an amazing trip to do a tournament to Iceland. Originally, we were all going to go, but dad couldn't get off work and we just couldn't swing it for all of us. Luckily, Ken and Kathy Peterson offered to take you. They are amazing people and I am so grateful they allowed you to have this chance. You were so excited! A bit nervous, you packed and unpacked your suitcase 6 times because you were so worried about forgetting something. My little detail oriented child, I love it!!! Anyway, you went off and we were so sad to see you go. I tried to hold back my tears, but you know me I couldn't hold it in! I let a few tears lose. We are so lucky you are with such thoughtful people. They have let you call us every other day and they Blog about your trip everyday and post pictures and videos. WE are so proud of you Luke. You did this trip and you did it with a smile! Everyone has told us you are so easy and get a long with everyone so well! As a parent you have no idea what that means to us! Plus, you scored a sweet goal with your left foot! You went horseback riding, whale watching, splunking, and swimming in the hot springs to name a few. Luke, I am so glad you have had this opportunity. Embrace all these "aha" moments and treasure them because they are gone with a blink of an eye! I love you so much and I have missed you more than you will ever know!
All my love,
Mom
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