Big Yellow Bus

The boy is all arms and legs.
Alex is officially a first grader. The bus scooped him up this morning and he was very anxious to be on his way. The bus comes at 7:55 and he was on our front steps at 7:30. See if this reminds you of anyone...Before Alex left, he spent five minutes pinning an American flag lapel pin to his backpack. Bless his tiny, patriotic soul.

I let him burn off nervous energy by doing laps around the driveway on his scooter. Meredith wants to do everything Alex does, so out came his old Spiderman scooter. I didn’t want him to have helmet hair, so I let him ride around sans helmet, while he questioned my parenting skills.

Meredith was tooling around and Alex swooped in to tell her how she might improve her form.

I don’t know how Merdi is going to make it through the day without her brother’s unsolicited advice.

Ab envy

I’ll admit I wasn’t all that jazzed about the Olympics this year. I was especially annoyed the games were being hosted by China. I’m not a fan of their government to say the least. (Yes, Jill E. I see the irony in my love for Costco.) I didn’t even want to watch the opening ceremonies, but I had a hard time looking away.

I can’t help but get a little caught up when there are four Hoosiers competing. The local news can’t stop talking about them. Rightfully so. Their hard work and success should be celebrated. And honestly, who isn’t intrigued by Michael Phelps?! I think he might be a machine. Point is, I tried to ignore the Olympics, but I find myself glued to the TV every night.

Normally, my main interest is in gymnastics. I’m amazed at what people can train their bodies to do. I feel guilty that my body has never been trained to do much of anything aside from laundry. I have watched gymnastics, but I’ve been particularly drawn to swimming this year. Initially, I watched to see what Michael Phelps might do, but then I started paying attention to the women. I found my new hero! Dara Torres---who by the way, medaled in her first Olympics in 1984…a year before Michael Phelps was born!

These 41 year-old abs have been through pregnancy?! I’m not even sure I have a belly button and I could do my afore mentioned laundry on this woman’s stomach.

Don't call me to discuss this post. I'm busy watching the Olympics.

After Alex’s ice cream social last year, I freaked out. I jumped on line and started looking into private schools. I called my mom and asked her just how much she thought we stood to loose if we sold our home that day. I lost it. Why? Histrionics. It was the first time we’d been outside of our church preschool and I’m embarrassed to say I was shocked that not every family looked and acted just like ours. No one has ever accused me of being politically correct. However, I calmed down and decided to make the best of it and it turned out just fine. Great, in fact!

When it came time for this year’s ice cream social, I felt much less apprehensive and was looking forward to seeing the kids, teachers, and parents we met last year. Wow! What a difference a year makes. The place was packed, parents were eager to volunteer and children seemed excited to be there. This is only the second year of existence for our school and I think it just took some time to get the wheels in motion.

We met Alex’s teacher, Mrs. Hacker and dear Lord is she adorable. I could put her in my purse and she is incredibly sweet. I assume she has a thing for frogs or maybe there was a sale, because the classroom is dripping with all things amphibian. Not weird, gross frogs. It’s cute, trust me. The reading area is a lily pad! Adorable. Mrs. Hacker also seemed to have a calm control about her which I think Alex will respond very nicely too. She noticed he was a bit nervous and wasn’t thrilled about overt attention, and she responded to him perfectly. It’s such a relief and I’m so excited for Alex!

We had ice cream twice today. I promised Alex we would get ice cream after his haircut. The kid used to LOVE to get his haircut and wanted to do it every week. Now, thanks to these jokers, he wants it longer. I won and he looks much, much better. We ran into my friend Amy R. whom I haven’t seen all summer. We have coffee every week during the school year, and live within five minutes of each other, but managed to go the whole summer without visiting. Where does the time go? Am I the only person this side of 85 that says that?

Our dog Rolly, hasn’t been himself and clearly had some sort of stomach issue, so we took him to the vet today. I put it off as long as possible, because I really don’t like going to the vet. I am not a huge animal lover, and I just feel like I’m inhaling fur the whole time we’re there. Plus, I knew I’d have to drag the kids and that’s almost as bad as the flying dog hair. Poor Rolly doesn’t ask for much, and this was his first sick visit it seven years. God Bless him. He puts up with a lot! Turns out taking a dog in for a stomach virus is sort of like taking a kid in for a stomach virus…a shot, some pills, and a diagnosis of “I don’t know what he has. Something must be going around or he ate something he shouldn’t have. You can check out at the front.”

I don’t remember it ever being comfortable in mid-August in Indiana. We’ve had so many beautiful days in a row. I wish I could tell you we’ve spent them all out hiking and biking, but you would know I was lying.

Saturday morning the kids and I were out of the house by 7:45. Evidently, I promised them a trip to Dunkin Donuts for accomplishing something I don’t remember. I wanted a latte, so I didn’t argue. After that we hit the Farmer’s Market. The market is one of my favorite things about summer. It’s as much about the atmosphere and the people- watching as it is about the produce. We buy the same four things every week. Corn from these people, salsa from this lady, a cantaloupe from a kid in a Kansas Jayhawks t-shirt-- which I’m not sure gets washed all summer, and a bag of kettle corn. I always think about lingering and trying the goat cheese, but I have a thing about samples and germs. I also wonder if it’s pasteurized.

We celebrated the third birthday of our sweet friend Emersyn Saturday evening. Her parents threw a very fun backyard bash! All of Meredith’s little girlfriends were there, so she was in her element. We have to constantly remind her a good friend isn’t bossy, doesn’t shout at people, and shares. I forgot to remind her not to sit in the birthday girl’s chair and beg for “a huge piece of cake with the butterfly on it!”

Sunday I spent the majority of the day with my new best friend, the Shark Steam Mop. I’ve been battling my tile kitchen floor since the day we moved in. I can spend the afternoon on my hands and knees and still have grey socks the first time I walk across it. I don’t get it. I’ve tried everything from Murphy’s Oil Soap to vinegar, and I finally bit the bullet and bought the Shark. I read mixed reviews on-line, but a lady at Costco saw me eyeing it and gave me her testimonial on the spot. As I’ve mentioned, I’m easily influenced. It is great! Thanks lady at Costco! I used it on my hardwoods too and they are squeaky clean. So please by all means, drop by unexpectedly while the phenomenon lasts. Hurry.

Meredith and I did sit outside for awhile, but the boys suggested we go inside as they were knocking down a yellow jackets’ nest and warned us we would be easy targets. There was also a “confirmed mole sighting,” which I found odd because I thought moles were nocturnal. My suspicions are also raised because Brandon and Alex claim to have seen it run around the yard and under our deck. Aren’t moles blind? How could it see to run for cover under our deck. I didn’t ask many questions because I’m afraid it’s something worse than a mole and they don’t want to tell me. I don’t want to know.

Do we have to get out of the pool?!

The last full week before the start of school came out of nowhere. I want to do as much with Alex as possible before he starts first grade, so we followed Alex’s lead this week. Surprisingly, Alex didn’t want to sit around and watch me do laundry or clean house. I have mountains of laundry and fingerprint-streaked appliances, but it will all be there next week when he climbs on the bus. (Unless of course, my fantasy about vandals breaking in and cleaning our house comes true.)

I did get a much needed haircut on Thursday and popped into Immediate Care to have a case of poison ivy treated. After trying vinegar, scalding water, Dawn dish washing liquid, Fels Naptha laundry bar, and some $20 over the counter cream, it turns out all I needed was super strong cortisone cream. Apparently, I’m not a trained physician no matter how much I read on-line.

Thursday afternoon, we went shopping for school supplies. Alex loves office supplies, so he was on cloud nine when I told him we could shop at Office Depot. He made some weird choices…a safety yellow binder, and a cement grey notebook, but I kept my opinion to myself. I’m not sure how he’s going to get all the required supplies into his classroom. For the teachers who read this blog, would it be strange if I showed up at the ice cream social with all this stuff? I just can’t picture Alex dragging it all onto the bus, and he insists on riding the bus.

Our Friday was nuts and lots of fun. Dawn called and asked us to go to our favorite burger place. Rarely will I turn down lunch. It was sort of a last hurrah with my kids and Dawn’s kids before they all hit the books. Have you tried to synch a preschool schedule?! Bubs’ is very kid friendly, but also caters to the business crowd at lunch. They have outdoor seating, it was 78 degrees and sunny. Guess how long our lunch took? Worth every minute.

After lunch, I called my new friend Annie. I “met” Annie through another photographer’s blog. The funny part is, this incredibly talented photographer, Betsy, lives in Ft. Wayne, but her friend Annie lives in Noblesville. I love God's way of connecting me with great people! Annie is an extremely talented artist and produces beautiful canvases. She has several signature lines, and also does custom pieces, which include personalization. As you know, I will buy practically anything if it is monogrammed, so I loved Annie’s work from the get go. I was thrilled and honored when Annie contacted me and asked me to photograph some of her pieces. Annie is going to create something for Meredith that I can’t wait to show you! If you need a birthday idea, a baby gift, or your walls are begging for something original you have to check out Annie’s website. Her blog is fun too!

Oh, another great thing Annie offers are canvas tiles dedicated to various health issues. I love this idea as a gift of support for someone facing a tough diagnosis or treament schedule.

I can get off track faster than a bullet train…my point was we met Annie and her three gorgeous children, whom I’m dying to photograph, at the park. We took a few shots of recent works. Easiest subjects ever, except I was nervous about doing Annie’s work justice. Then, we all headed to our pool for an afternoon swim. The kids had a great time smacking each other with noodles and splashing the moms. Annie and Joe stopped by too, which added to our fun. This is what I’ll miss most about the summer. Well, maybe not the most…this is the first year I’ll only set two places for lunch.

It's a gift

Girls’ Weekend is about reconnecting with our friends and taking a short break from our caretaking rolls. In thinking about this group of friends it dawned on me that all of us have jobs that involve nurturing or taking care of others. Between the seven of us there is a teacher, a SAHM, two different types of therapists, two women who work in the medical community, and no one will argue how much comfort Jill’s restaurant brings.

Of course the greatest amount of our caretaking is spent on our families. What do we talk about most when we’re on hiatus?! (Aside from all the random tid-bits we’ve heard about all the people we grew up knowing.) Our little ones.

We try to get our children together as much as possible, but since we’re all somewhat spread out and our summer schedules are jam-packed, it’s difficult. Fortunately for us, Nancy forgot a pair of shoes at the cabin and came back with her son and daughter. I grabbed my camera and coerced them all onto the porch for a quick couple of shots before they headed back to St. Louis. I couldn’t help myself! Those eyes!

As I mentioned yesterday, my children and I stopped by Sommer’s parents’ on the way out of town. I’m so glad we did, because I was able to get a couple of shots of Sommer’s chicks too. I cannot believe how much her son looks like his dad in this picture.

I wish I had a picture of him to prove it, but you’ll just have to take my word for it. Sommer’s daughter was IN LOVE with my lens and probably would have posed for me all day, if we had had the time. SO CUTE! My kids always run away screaming, so it was a treat.

Jill, I think your boys are the only ones I have left to capture. Next time we’re together, it’s going to happen! Robyn, it won’t be long before I can take pictures of your new precious little one.

What a gift it is to be able to watch these women whom I’ve known most of my life in their roles as Mom. For those of you not quite there yet, your day will come and you’ll be pushing my lens out of your face before you know it.

Is it any surprise I'm hoarse?!

This is what happens when I ask my friends to stop posing and do something silly. This was the best they could do. We're getting old.

For those of you who whom really know me, I have something unbelievable to tell you. I slept until 8:00 a.m. today. That might not seem like a big deal, but I have slept on a geriatric schedule most of my life. The fact that I was tired enough to sleep past 5:30 a.m. is a good indicator of our extended weekend.

The kids and I left for Illinois on Wednesday four hours later than I planned to leave. Long and boring story, but it included two trips to the Ford garage and a looooong trip to Costco. We finally got to my grandma’s house in time for dinner. Nana was pacing the floor convinced we were in a ditch, broken down by the side of the road, kidnapped, or caught in some horrible combination of all three.

Thursday I took the kids to Holiday World. All of us were giddy for the first hour. Then we were hot, sick of crowds, and hungry. This is the trifecta that always puts me over the edge. It was a matter of time. I lost it around noon; after we were stuck on the octopus ride 20 feet in the air, lying on our backs, facing the sun. I needed air conditioning and the only restaurant in the place with a/c was crowded and noisy, which is what I didn’t need. In a sad reversal of rolls, my kids were patient and calm as I had a meltdown. The water park was much more fun, but it was insanely crowded. The kids had a great time and didn’t let my adult temper tantrum ruin their day. Aside from the wave pool and the log flume, the biggest hit of the day were the free soft drinks. I lost count after Alex’s fifth root beer, but I’m guessing he finished a keg.

Friday, I left the kids in my grandma’s capable hands and prayed my mom wouldn’t be late getting to her house. I headed to Olney for the start of Girls’ Weekend. I met my friend Jamie for lunch, and played with her adorable seven month old son, Bo. (Amazingly, I left my camera in the car, but you can find lots of pictures of Jamie and her family here.)

After I left Jamie, I hit Wal-Mart to pick up a couple of last minute sundries. I also bought a swimming suit cover-up that would make Mrs. Roper swoon, an Olney Tigers t-shirt for Alex, and a ballet Barbie from the clearance aisle. I didn’t realize what an impulse buyer I am. I did not however, manage to buy what I originally went in to purchase. In my defense, they don’t sell swim noodles in August. They have to make room for Halloween candy.

I stopped by to see Baby Reece and Caroline, Jennifer’s little ones before I fully immersed myself in a weekend with grown-ups. Caroline is a riot and has the best tan I’ve ever seen. Reece is smiling and cooing. Obviously, he’s a genius. Who coos at 10 weeks?!

We finally hit our cabin and docked our boat. I was near panic because I some how got elected to drive the boat. I think it’s because I grew up on the water, but I was mostly eating Cheetos and drinking RC. I wasn’t paying attention to the mechanics of boating. Luckily, we can talk Michelle B. into about anything and she took over. She was a fine captain and I was comfortable in my roll of skipper. I happily tied up the boat and took care of the anchor.

Have you ever seen Summer Rental with John Candy?

Slowly, everyone rolled into the cabin and we had a great weekend of catching up, eating great food, and floating around the lake. Michelle surprised us with a yoga instructor and she conducted a class that had to be worse than a room full of eight graders. I was unable to keep my composure and laughed 90% of the time. My silent laugh usually winds up being more disruptive than my regular laugh, so my efforts to stifle myself were useless.

Should anything happen to the USA synchoranized swimming team, we have it covered.

Michelle made us a soundtrack for the weekend.

We all slept too little, and played harder than we’re probably used to, but it’s always a rejuvenating weekend. I always talk too much and annoy even myself, so I don’t know how these girls put up with me. My kids love it because I’m too hoarse to yell. I’m already looking forward to next year.

My parents met me in Olney with the kids, and before we left town we stopped by Sommer’s parents’ house. This family has one of the neatest homes I’ve ever seen. The house itself is beautiful and has amazing details, but their land is what is truly amazing. They have a pool that my kids were in within five minutes of pulling into the driveway, a treehouse that rivals Swiss Family Robinson’s, and trails through the forest next to the house. Sommer’s dad, Blaine, has cleared I don’t know how many miles of trails and built little bridges throughout. The man should really work for Disney. He took us on a Gator ride down “Rattlesnake Road” and into “Alligator Alley,” where he has staged little vignettes that convinced my six year old we were in potential danger. I told Sommer there really isn’t any reason for her to ever make the trip to Disney World and that’s saying something coming from me.