September Update

My poor, ignored blog!  Cannot believe it's been since late June that I updated.

School is in full swing here, this week will be their 4th full week.  It's been a bit of an adjustment for all three, but mostly for Michael and Emily.  A full day of Kindergarten is a lot.  We leave the house at 7:25, and the bus brings them home at 2:35.  If they rode the bus to school as well, we would have to leave the house at 6:45....that is just too early for all of us.

They are in separate classes, I am asked this all the time.  In GA, it is the law that the parents decide whether or not to separate.  Keeping them together was never even a consideration for us.  We did it in preschool, but that was because there was only one class for the days/times/age group.  I do not feel that they miss each other, on the contrary, they actually love being in their own rooms, with their own teachers and own new friends to make. It is fun to hear them compare what each class did that day, what special they had, what song they sang.  They do see each other at lunch and at recess, and they see Sophie periodically as well.  It is my firm belief that they are two very different children, and as such, should be allowed to be on their own, just like any singleton would be.  And finally, having gone to school as the 8th Maier in a line of 9 Maiers, I do know what it is like being compared to a sibling(s).  They have big shoes to fill as Sophie is very well known at school, they don't need to constantly be compared to their twin sibling as well.

It is funny to hear what they have to say about school.  For awhile Emily was telling me her teacher was mean, which I know is not the case.  She was also telling me that they didn't go to recess or lunch, so you see how much stock you can put in a tired 5 year old's rendition of the day!  She did surprise me last week when she decided she wanted a playdate with the boy who lives at the bus stop before ours, and got off the bus early.  A bit of chaos ensued, but I knew the mother and Michael told me where she was.  The bus driver did get his you know what handed to him by the assistant principal however...not good letting a 5 year old off at the wrong stop.  

Michael is blossoming.  I knew he would do fine socially, he is the Mayor after all.  But now he is more willing to try new things academically.  His writing is much better than what it was, and more importantly, he seems to LIKE writing!  He actually asks to practice.  This is a huge jump from last year when he would tell his teacher, "I'll finish it later."  His positive attitude is so refreshing, I wish his sisters could have a just a tiny bit of it!  He wants to buy lunch...every day.  Does not matter what it is....his response is the same:, "I love that Mom, I want to buy lunch today."  Sophie will try to talk him out of it, and I tell her that he has to learn on his own.  So far, he has not starved and each afternoon tells me with pride what he picked out for himself. I can't wait to join them for lunch one day to see him in action.  

And then there is Sophie, the child that can already drive me crazy, but then stun me with her need for her "Mommy".  Oh, how I hope we make it through the next few years!!  She has yet another really young teacher, Ms. Rosa is 23 and this is her first full time class.  I had the opportunity to get to know her better this week as I chaperoned their trip to the Fire Safety Village.  (Which BTW, if you ever get a chance to go, please do, I was much impressed and not just b/c Fireman Joel was easy on the eyes...so much great information for the kids). Ms. Rosa might be new, and she might be only an inch taller than some of her students, but nothing got by her.  The kids listened to her, respected her, and I could tell they are motivated by her.  I am sure I was not that together at 23, and I am sure you would not have wanted me shaping your child's mind.  So a good year for Sophie so far.  I am glad this year she has joined Chorus.  I suggested it, then held my breath and waited.  As any mother can tell you, you can only suggest one time.  The more you tell them how great it is, the more they turn away from it.  She had her first rehearsal last week, and loved it.  She was also picked for Art Club, which is a 5 week club that you get to be in once in your time at TR. I really wasn't sure how she would like that, Art is not her strong suit.  Came into the car saying: "Mom, I don't like Art Club...I LOVE it!"  It's nice to see her try new things and find that she does like them.  


Open houses are this week, and like so many things this year at school, we will get to go both nights. I am enjoying this time of all three of them in the same school, only have that for 2 years total, then never again.

  

Fireflies/Lightning Bugs

Which do you call them?  I don't think it really matters what you call them.  To me, they invoke all sorts of memories of playing kickball and SPUD while we waited for the streetlights to come on.  That was always our signal it was time to come inside.

Tonight Emily worked hard on her habitat, so hard I wasn't sure there was going to actually be room for any bugs.  But she made it work.  Terry and I loved watching her experience this.  One of the best parts of parenthood is watching your kids make some of the memories you love from your own childhood.

Recital and other things

Emily's first recital was this weekend.  She did a great job, despite missing the dress rehearsal due to Michael's strep and Sophie's soccer game.  Terry had to coach, and I didn't think leaving a vomiting child with a sitter was the right call.  The morning of the recital just Sophie and I went to Mass, Michael was still contagious and I didn't feel like getting Emily all ready.  Sophie was an altar server, and fainted about 3/4 of the way through Mass.  There is nothing like seeing your daughter sprawled out on the floor to make you move faster than you ever have before.  I honestly don't even remember getting to the altar; one minute I was kneeling next to my mother, the next I was kneeling beside Sophie.  She really didn't know what had happened, she thought she had fallen asleep.  A wonderful parishioner, Keven, who is also an EMT helped me get her off the altar.  He really took great care of her.  I am First Aid and CPR certified for Girl Scouts, but I was trying to be the mother, not the doctor.  I got her home, and she rested and re-hydrated the rest of the afternoon.  However by recital time she still wasn't feeling great and even though she didn't want to, decided to stay home.  I took these photos of Emily before we left.

First time I have ever attempted a bun, pretty darn proud of myself!  And Emily too, she is way more cooperative than the other female child in our family.....

She had picked this daisy from our neighbor's yard and held it during all the photos.

You can dress her like a ballerina, but really, she is still the same tomboy underneath.

There was only one glitch at the recital....while we were all waiting for Emily's group to take the stage, they announced that there would be a short delay. I knew what was coming, and then I saw it: One of the teachers leading Emily across and down the stage to the restrooms. I had been so hopeful that her potty issues would not spoil this for her. I got up and met her in the restroom, and 15 minutes later she emerged and the show continued. She did great on stage, but did tell me that next year she just wants to do the gymnastics part, no dance.

To top off the evening, Pam and I took the kids to El Porton, Em's favorite restaurant. From there I called Terry to check on Sophie. He told me she had fallen asleep right after I left and had slept for 2 hours. And that was good because he was busy vomiting. Awesome! When I arrived home he and Sophie were watching TV, and I can't tell you who looked more pitiful. Sophie was feverish, and Terry was miserable. I told them I would help out once I got the twins in bed. As I was reading them a story Sophie came in and perched on Michael's bed. She then gave me a funny look....and threw up. Then ran down the hall to the bathroom and did it again. 

So...it's been quite a weekend, but we are all feeling better now.  I am starting to get that tickle in the back of my throat, I think Emily has passed me her cold.  But as Terry pointed out, "Hey, at least you're not vomiting!"  Gotta agree with that!

Easter Day

Happy Easter to all my faithful readers!! 

So I am back on FB as of last night, even though Pam deemed that a wee bit too early....and  wow, it's great to be back, but I have to say I really enjoyed the break.  Not only from a time perspective, but a clarity perspective.  When I logged on and all the ads and page updates hit, it was like watching TV with only commercials.  And since I only ever watch DVR'd TV, I never have to deal with commercials.   The break has certainly made me rethink my usage of FB, and what I choose to view.  And how often I choose to view it...I think that will be the biggest difference.

Today was an interesting day, we were up early, the kids were a bit crazy from starting their day with jelly beans and malted eggs.  And of course, there was the inevitable squabbling. Is there a family out there whose kids don't compare who got what?  If so, I'd like to meet them, because that is so not my kids.  I hope this is something they will outgrow, the quicker the better.  How do you teach them to be happy with what they have, and to not worry about what others have?
 
We made it to Mass an hour before it began, which gave us time to get our normal seats and save room for my parents.  And time for me to capture the following shots of Sophie, who was serving her first Mass with her friend Colby.

You'll be happy to know they were much more reverent during the actual Mass, this was beforehand in the dressing room.  The other kids were asking if they were brother and sister because not only do they look alike, they bicker like siblings.  They have similar personalities (both are right ALL THE TIME) so they really know how to push each other's buttons.  And that is why I love Colby, he doesn't let Sophie get away with anything, and she needs that!  Sophie did a great job, she didn't even look nervous.  Seeing her come down the aisle was a rewarding moment for me.  So often you wonder if what you say and do has an impact.  Knowing that she was excited to serve at Church made me hope that yes, she is getting the message that we are working hard to instill.  

We were fortunate to have all the grandparents come over in the afternoon for dinner.  It was nice to sit on the pollen free deck (thanks to Terry) and enjoy the beautiful day.  And the MANY eggs that our own Easter Bunny Terry had hidden for the kids. 

                                         Nana, Terry and the kids waiting to start the hunt.

                               
                                                          Pure excitement, I love this shot.

                                                                       Poser! 

           It was hard to get a clear shot of Emily, she was on a mission...to get the most eggs!

                                                                     Paparazzi.

I tried out the panoramic feature on my camera while the kids were digging into their baskets this morning.  I did this so I could give my husband props.  We are fortunate to have a great backyard, but it would not be so without his many hours of sweat equity.  So here's a shout out to you Ter: THANKS for working so hard to give us a beautiful place to play and unwind.

And speaking of my talented husband, can you guess which egg below was his? Admit it, who else likes to make "the ugly egg"?

Brownie Sprites Weekend

This weekend I had the pleasure of going "camping" with 8 nine year olds and one other Girl Scout leader.  I put the quote marks around camping because we stayed at an actual Girl Scout Camp, in a cabin with bunks, a flush toilet and shower.  When Terry goes Father/Daughter camping each Fall with Sophie, they tent camp.  They do have bathhouses, but they are a distance away.  So mostly they use the port a potties. Not me. Just having to climb to the top bunk is rustic enough by my standards.


                                   You can see how shy and demure our troop is......

  Making no sew fleece pillows.  Loved this craft, will do it for Emily when she gets a bit older. 

Sophie and Natalie canoeing.  I was amazed at how confident they were on the water.  Sheila and I brought our camp chairs and got a bit of reading in between the raindrops while they were on the water.  They had counselors and a lifeguard out in canoes with them, certainly didn't need us out there as well.
 

 

                        Waiting to put on their skit at the Saturday night talent show. 

I really enjoyed being with the troop and seeing how mature they have become. This is their 3rd year as Brownies and when we saw some first year troops in the dining hall,we could really tell how far our girls have come. I am so thankful for the influence of Girl Scouts in Sophie's life. It's still the same good, clean fun that it was when I was growing up. She will go to this same camp for a two night session this summer. I still have fond memories of my summer GS camp time, I hope the same for her.   

PW!!! MM!!!!

Last night was a bit of a departure for me...Sylvia and I attended a book signing at Border's in Buckhead.  What book, you ask?  Why it was Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, by none other than Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman.  I have been following her blog for a few years now, and have made many of her recipes.  She is a an awesome cook, wonderful writer, and just all around funny person.  The kind of person that makes you think, "Wow, I could be friends with her...if only she didn't live in the middle of Oklahoma."  Meeting her only confirmed that feeling, she was warm and down to earth and spent about 5 minutes talking to me and Sylvia....and all the other hundreds of mostly women who had waited for their chance to meet her.  She posed for a few pictures as well.  I did not bring my camera, didn't want to seem like a dork.  (Note to self: next time bring a camera so you don't have to ask your new best friend Emily who stood behind you for 2 hours in line to take a picture on your phone.)  She joked with us about not being puffy from the traveling, how her boys enjoyed the hotel pool, how MM would love to come to dinner with us and eat a steak.  She never seemed rushed, even though she had been signing books for 2 hours by the time we got to her, and had at least 3 more hours to go.


And we also got to meet MM.  Who is MM?  That would be Marlboro Man, aka Ladd Drummond, her husband and consummate cowboy.  Here he is, and may I note that when I texted this photo to my sister Mary, she asked for one taken a bit lower, and from the other side...if you know what I mean.  He does know how to wear his Wranglers and as Sylvia pointed out, "He is the real deal honey, I'm from Texas and I can tell you that is a true cowboy!"  Love Sylvia, she always tells it like it is.   

You can just see the belt buckle of their oldest son in the background, and to the right of MM their younger son.  Two very sweet, well behaved boys who read books and answered any questions people asked of them.  I didn't engage them at all, that felt kind of weird to me.  But I did try and sneak a picture of them, plus give Mary the view she was looking for:

And of course he signed our books as well, and posed with us, such a nice guy.

 And here we are with Ree, again not the best shot, but it was on my phone.

A fun night, capped off by dinner at The Buckhead Diner, which I had never been to before.  Oh my...very good.  Had to take a shot of their homemade chips with homemade blue cheese dressing, I am not ashamed to say we licked this plate clean!

Sophie saw this picture and asked, "Oh man Mom, did you have funnel cake without me??"  Ummm, no!

So go ahead and check out The Pioneer Woman, you will not be disappointed.

Facebook-Friend or Foe?

I'm ashamed to say that it's been so long since I have updated my blog that I had to look up the password.  Pathetic!  How did it come to this, I used to love blogging.  I think there are a few reasons why it's not on my priority list anymore.  When my blog started, my kids were little.  And by little I mean Sophie was 4 and Michael and Emily were 5 ms old.  Sophie went to preschool, the babies napped, and I wrote.  It was a sure way to keep my sanity in those incredibly insane days. 

My days are still pretty busy, but not in the same way.  Now they are busy with two preschoolers and a 3rd grader.  That means play dates, gymnastics, PSR, Brownies, soccer, IEP meetings, media center duty, field trip chaperone.  Throw in the occasional case of strep throat, the beginnings of orthodontia, and you have one mother who is not really home as often as she would like to be.

But I do think the biggest detriment to my blogging has been Facebook.  Not Facebook itself, but rather, my usage of Facebook.  Because let's face it (no pun intended), if I can post 25 words that elicit 10 comments, as opposed to putting together a blog post complete with captioned pictures that might elicit one comment....ummmm, which do you think I am going to do??  I used to get lots of comments on my blog, but that was before FB.  Of course, I used to check many blogs on a daily basis, that was also before FB.  Now I can easily keep up with these same folks all in one place. 

But the point of blogging is not to see how many people think you are brilliant and want to comment.  My original reason for blogging was to pass on information about my two premature babies in a time saving way.  It grew from there as our family underwent some changes, and blogging became a refuge for me.  Still a way to connect, but also a way to have something concrete, something that was all mine and that made sense.  Life is so much better now, but does that mean that I should give up blogging?  I don't think so, because it still can mean something to me.  And maybe that's what I am attempting to figure out.  Yes, I know I will still share about the kids and post pictures of them.  But I am also hoping to see what else comes of blogging.  Not quite sure what direction I am heading in, but I feel in time that answer will come.

I posted on FB yesterday that I was giving it up for Lent, which began today.  And so far, so good.  I even turned off the email notifications, so I really have no idea what is happening in the FB world.  I am sure my East Cobb peeps are all abuzz over the school board's latest decision to table any further discussion about the 2011-2012 calendar.  Who knows what else I have missed, but I do know that anything really important I will hear about, in person, from people that I actually know in real life.  I am not dissing FB, but it can give you a false sense of intimacy.  When I walk into preschool at 9:30 am, I already know what my friends there have had for breakfast, what trouble their kids have gotten into, or what their schedule for the day is, because I have already checked FB at least once.   Because of this, our conversations are  much shorter, or even non existent.   Is that a bad thing?  Maybe not considering many of them are busy parents like me, and a few of them are teachers as well, trying to corral their own classes.  FB has it's place, but I was starting to use it IN place of real life encounters, and that doesn't sit well with me.

At Mass tonight, Fr. Henry encouraged us to give up something for Lent that has become a distraction to our real purpose for being here.  Something that has been keeping us from a closer relationship with God.  He talked about how we are not to become too attached to what we have in this world, that as humans our time on Earth is finite, and our main concern should be what will happen to our soul when our time here is over.   I do think that for me, FB has become a major distraction.  I check it many times a day, and once the kids are in bed, I can be on it for an hour without even realizing it.  What better things could I do with that time?  My mind becomes so cluttered with all the posts that I read, I find myself thinking about them during the day, wondering who has commented, what they said, etc.  When your child does something funny, and the first thought that pops into your head is "Wow, that would make a really funny post." .....I think you might have a problem.  Or even worse, when something happens in the life of your 9 yr old and she says to you, "But don't put that on FB Mom!"...you may have a problem.  Embarrassing, but true. 

I am hopeful that by removing this distraction for awhile, I will become focused on more important things.  Will I miss it??  I already do, but today was a much calmer day for me, and I didn't feel as scattered as I normally do.  This morning I did my WII training for 35 minutes, then ran/walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I still had time to shower and do a couple loads of laundry before going back to school for pick up.  Any other day I would have come home from taking the kids to school and would have logged on before starting any other project.  It really was freeing to just walk right by the computer.

And a note for my mil Pam.....I think the funniest thing Michael said today was during Mass, after we received Communion.  "How come you get to eat in church and I don't? "  The two older ladies sitting next do us thought that was darn funny.