12 Days!

School starts in less than two weeks!  Can ya believe it?  I'm trying to put it out of my mind. Not because I feel sad about it. Oh no.  It's because when I let reality really sink in that I'm going to be home alone for 8 hours a day, free to do whatever I please, an excitement wells up in my chest that I feel pretty guilty about. 
Plus some place deep inside me worries that if I get too excited it will be taken away.  So I'm not focusing on it.  I'm trying to be sad.  I really am. 

We went to "Kindergarten Roundup" last week.  The teachers took the kids to "evaluate" them and the grown ups got a tour of the school.  It was a big waste of time as far as I'm concerned but Connor had a blast.  He came back ready to get started. 

I made the HUGE mistake of telling him that he will get music classes.  I thought that was a good thing considering his love and enthusiasm of all things musical.  I, very casually, mentioned that he would do a Kindergarten musical.  You know, sing on the stage. 

oops.

Every 15 minutes for the next two days I had to assure him that it will be fine.  "You know what sweetie, it's about one year away.  You really don't have to worry about it right now."  We seem to have no passed that trauma.  I'll be sure not to mention it again. 

12 days and counting!

New Year's Resolutions!

Guess what?  We are half way through the year and you know what that means?!  New Year's Resolution check in time!!  We have to think of a catchier name for that.  NYRCHIT  ehh.
Ah yes, New Years Resolutions... remember those pesky things?  Let's review...

My 3 Resolutions were:
1. Paint the living room:  Done!!  Aww yeah.
2. Read 25 books:  Half done.  So we are on track for this one.  Sweet!
3. Pay off all non mortgage debt:  Working on it.  Should have this done by November.

Hitting this out of the park this year!  Oh yeah. 

Happy 4th of July!!

Swimming

We have been living in the pool which is my Summertime dream.  Sometimes Connor just randomly comes down stairs in his bathing suit.  You know, in case the opportunity arises to swim.  He wants to be ready.  He has been teaching himself to swim and he's doing awesome!! 

When we started the summer he would touch his face to the water and then spit and sputter for five minutes as he cleared every last drop from his face.  Then he got more confident about putting his whole face in the water.  He would also motor around the pool in the middle of a blow up ring.  He could go anywhere in that thing. 

Then one time we were up there and there were some older boys playing catch across the whole length of the pool.  He wanted to play and they were letting him catch and throw the ball every few throws.  But he couldn't really do it with his ring on.  So he took it off.

He is tall enough to touch the bottom in the shallow end so he hopped around over there playing catch with the big boys.  It was great.  He got some confidence being in the pool without his tube on. 

He practiced this new skill for a while and decided he liked being without his tube.  Awesome.  In fact, he doesn't even bring it to the pool anymore.  He got more and more confident in the pool and was putting his face in the water (which he calls diving) a lot better but still wouldn't go under all the way.

Then my niece and nephew came over.  My niece is one.  She goes under... all the way.  There was no way on Earth that Connor was going to let a one year baby girl show him up.  So under he went. 

Awww... yeah.

Now he does "cannonballs", which means sliding in from the side on his butt as slow as steady as possible and then while holding on to the side of the pool goes under the water.  A Connor Cannonball. 

He will also hold on to the side with both hands, put his face in the water, and kick.  Gosh that is as close to swimming as a human can get!

In the kidde pool he will stand in the middle and glide himself the 3 feed over to the side.  Which again, is almost actual swimming.  He's so close I can taste it!  I keep waiting for the moment he decides he's going for it. 

One thing he will NOT do is let me touch him.  He freaks if I even act like I'm going to touch him in the pool.  "No Mommy NOO!!"  Gosh, I mean seriously.  What am I going to do? 

But anyways, my goal was to have that boy swimming by the end of summer.  I think we are in good shape!

Last day of school

Hello?  Hello?  Is this thing on? 
Oh Hello!  Nice to see you again.  How have you been?

Big changes around here.  Connor had his last day of preschool today.  Which means that he's officially and kindergartener.  Crazy.  My emotions have been all over the place about that fact.  I'm thrilled at the thought of having 8 hours a day kid free.  EIGHT HOURS A DAY KID FREE!!!  But I'm also sad to be losing my shadow.  We have fun together.  He's a cutie and I'll miss him quite a bit.  I'm sad to think about it. 

I went to Costco the other day while he was a preschool.  I think it was the first time I had been to Costco alone.  It was weird.  Usually Connor and I will get lunch at their little cafeteria there but I really didn't want to sit there alone.  That would be weird.  So i was feeling sad to be there without him.  There was a mom and her son sitting at one of the tables eating lunch and it made me really miss my little man. 

When I picked him from preschool I told him about it.

Me: I went to Costco all by myself today!
Connor: So.
Well I was lonely without you.  I saw another mom and little boy eating lunch and it made me miss you.
There was another boy there!
Yeah, and it made me miss you.
Was he the same age as me?
Yes, but that's not the point.
What was his name?
I don't know.
Do you think he will be there next time we go.
Connor... that's not the point.  The point was that was missing you!

So clearly he's ready for school.  Me?  Not so much.

I'm also kinda nervous about what I'm going to do with myself.  I feel a little pressure to actually be productive and not sit around here doing nothing.  So what am I going to do?   I don't exactly know. 

Maddy's last day is tomorrow.  She will be coming home as a fourth grader.  That which is also crazy. 

The ghost of parties past

Kind of embarassing...  My friend Nikki (in the middle) posted this on facebook the other day.  You know... they say, not to get pictures taken at parties cause they WILL end up on the internet and you never know who will see them.  Not that this particular picture is all that bad... at least I don't have red plastic cup in my hand and a glazed look in my eye. 

But it's not really fair since this picture was taken on Feb 4th, 2001.  Three years BEFORE facebook waseven founded.  I shouldn't have to be protecting myself from something that doesn't even exist.  Am I doing something right now that will haunt me for the rest of my life?  In 10 years will it be common knowledge not to sit in recliners while hungry?  Come on.. everyone knows not to sit in recliners while hungry, jeeze what if your boss finds out!  You'll never be able to get a job!

But the point of this post really isn't about facebook and ability to make you both a celebrity and the paparazzi at the same exact time.  It was the amazing coincidence of the date that picture was taken.  Feb 4th 2001. 

There I was... getting drunk at a house party hanging out with my friends all innocent with no idea of two things...

#1:  I was pregnant with Maddy.  Yup, I'm pregnant in that pic.. but I don't know it yet!  See the smile?  Totally clueless!  In just a few days I would wake up and feel a little sick.  Nah... I'm sure it's nothing.  And then the next day I would wake up undeniably sick.  And the day after that I would wake up and run to the bathroom knowing exactly what was wrong. 

#2:  In 5 years to the day of this picture I would give birth to Connor.  To Connor!  Married, homeowner, mother of two.  WHAT?!  That's crazy.  In just 5 years from the date of this picture. 

What would I say to my past self?  Well, first I would say "put down that drink, you have a baby in your belly!"  Then?  I don't know... I'd tell myself to relax.  It's ok, you don't have to try so hard. Everything is going to work out.  Just do what you know is right... even if it's hard.

I'd probably be more specific, but I also wouldn't be posting it on the internet.  And I can't just put all out there on the internet cause you know... what if my boss finds out!

The zity bus

Connor's class went on a field trip on a city bus the other day.  No, they didn't take the city bus to their field trip... the city bus WAS the field trip.  They went on a 30 minute bus ride around the city.  (Budget cuts?)  Connor was very excited about it.

Connor: "Guess what Mom!"
Me: "What." 
"We got to ride on the zity bus!"
"I know!"
"Guess what Mom!"
"What."
"It has two doors, you go in one door and out the other door!"
"Cool!"
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"There is a yellow button but it was too high for me to push."
"Oh yeah."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"When you push the yellow button there is a sign that says 'stop requested'"
"Oh yeah?!"
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"I sat next to Gavin on the zity bus"
"Oh good."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"We pretended to put money in the... in the... money thing"
"Oh yeah."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"You could have come because there was one extra seat."
"Were there any other Mommies on the city bus with you?"
"No."
"I think the ride was only for you and your friends."
"Yeah... but there was an extra seat... so you could have come."

Did you hear that!?  I missed my chance to ride around for 30 minutes on the zity bus.  Darn it!

Last weekend we finally took Connor's car seat out of the van.  It was one of those car seats that goes from the little baby one with the 5 point harness to one that just used the seat belt.  But even with the seat belt it was still a full on car seat with the hard side walls and everything.  So now that's 5 and no longer needs to be in any kind of car seat whatsoever I moved him to a traditional booster seat.  *eyeroll*  I'm annoyed at myself for being so crazy about the whole car seat thing.  I just stopped making Maddy sit in a booster less than a year ago.  I'm sorry!  I didn't MAKE her sit in it... I just never told her she could stop. 

Not too much else is goin on.  Connor is counting down until Kindergarten begins.  (So am I... kinda)