Hugs make me fly

Today was a great day. I spent all morning on a project with my coworkers. Then, we had to evacuate the building because the fire alarm went off! Lol it turns out there was a couch on fire. Don't ask. The crew and I all went to lunch at this really awesome pizza joint. You know the kind of pizza that could give you a heart attack? Yes that kind. The pizza was delicious.

After work I went to the daycare to pick up Sean. He ran to me squealing, "Mommy I had a great day!!" And then he hugged my leg and told me I was the best mom ever.

That would make any mom melt.

Then we went home to take care of the pets and pack up for a sleepover with my brother Jerome and his awesome wife and baby. We're babysitting tomorrow morning. :)

I am so in love with my family. I have two wonderful little boys who are growing so fast! I have my brother and his beautiful family nearby. I have great pets that make our little family even more entertaining! My coworkers are great people. I look forward to work every day. And most of all, I have God. My beautiful maker. I am forever taken back by His grace.

I hope your day is wonderful. I hope that you make every day worth living. And I hope you hug your kids and show them love!

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Mommy Sells Books Now

In Kindergarten, 100% of the children are reading.  Parents are excited and involved in their children's progress in developing learning skills.  I get super excited when I catch Caden trying to put the letters together to make a word.  We read one book when we get home from work and school and right before I start making dinner.  Then we read another one before bed.  This is normal, healthy parent-child activity.  Most children are active readers even through the next couple of school grades.

But research shows that the 100% of child readers drop dramatically down to 54% once they enter the fourth grade.  When they enter the eigth grade, only 30% of children are active readers.  In their senior year of high school, 19% are readers.  As you can see, after the fourth grade less and less children read at home.  So what happened in the fourth grade?  What stopped?

Some of you may respond by saying that when children hit the age of 9-10, they stop reading and start getting into other activities like sports.  Some may put the blame on video games.  And some may even say the kids at that age just aren't interested in reading.  I think that sure, all of those may be true.  However, there is a common denominator.

If you remember that 100% of kindergarten readers, think about how and when they read.  They don't do it on their own, remember?  Their parents read to them and as the children get better, the parents read along WITH them.  Well, once children are able to read on their own and the school teachers are taking over with guiding the kids into more advanced reading, parents tend to take a step back.  And what happens once you're comfortable with something?  You tend to stop worrying about it... and you become less involved with the maintenance of it.  Well, this is what happens to reading in our homes.  This is why 100% of the children who read drops to only 54% once they finally grasp the concept of reading.  It's time to keep your foot in the door-- don't step away. 

The National Research Council states, "There is strong evidence of a relationship between reading regularly to a child and that child's later reading achievenment."  Research experts predict that in the new millennium, math and reading illiteracy may impede three quarters of American adults chances to obtain any but the lowest paying jobs.  It is time to promote the continuance reading in our children's lives.  We don't have to read TO them like we did when they were in Kindergarten.

Reading together is a wonderful way to bond with our children.  Make it a special activity between you and your child.  Sharing your thoughts about the recently read book is a way to get to know each other as people and not just mom and child.  Reading is important for your child--it should be important to you.

I learned about Usborne Books & More from a friend of mine who hosted a party.  The enthusiasm of the consultant about her books made me interested in the company and when I got to hold and flip through the pages of her display books, I instantly fell in love.  Usborne publishes books so that they are appealing to children of all ages by using vibrant colors, texture and even multiple types of binding so that they offer sturdiness that can stand up to wear.  After receiving a few books I ordered at the party, my childhood love for reading came back to me and I decided to help my own children by promoting literacy.  I became an independent consultant. 

I just started, so I'm not quite successful yet.  However, I didn't do it for the money.  I did it for my family.  Please support me on my journey by checking out my website and consider ordering some wonderful books for your young ones.  If you'd rather start your own journey, I'd be really excited to get you some information on joining Usborne Books & More.

I can't wait to get to know you!
http://www.TheFamilyThatReads.com

Follow my page on Facebook!  http://www.facebook.com/#!/thefamilythatreads

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Sigh... they're growing...

The boys and I spent the weekend at my brother Jerry's house with his wonderful wife and kids.  Today, Jerry showed the boys how to mow the lawn!  They were so excited to push that great big lawn mower.  Sean was so happy when Jerry announced they were all going to cut the grass that he was the first to run to him.

It will never cease to amaze me how fast time flies.  This year has certainly sped like crazy.  I need to blog more so I can hold onto as many memories as the internet allows me to!  I have a tendency to get tunnel-visioned and just head straight for the next checkpoint and it isn't until the adrenaline rush is over that I stop and breathe and realize what exactly is happening.  I get that way when I'm preparing to leave for a temporary duty away from my kids, trying to meet a huge deadline at work, or just trying to make it through the week.  This fall, though, really hit me pretty hard.  Because I realized... my kids are growing so quickly!

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Cheap Fun

Yesterday was awesome. The boys and I were outside from 0930-1230. We played with silly string, bubbles, and wrote on our patio floor and out apartment fence (shhh, don't tell) with sidewalk chalk. After a good crockpot chicken lunch, the boys were ready for more outdoor fun. But it was HOT out. Soooo... What's a mom to do?

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of jump ropes for the kids. I didn't realize til I unraveled them that they were the super long ropes. So yesterday I used them as imaginary laser beams. Then I took a couple of our hula hoops and put them on the floor by the laser beams. Voila!! Indoor friggin obstacle course.

We had fun seeing who could get through the course without touching anything but the floor. Caden decided that jumping over the laser beams was too easy so he said we had to crawl under them. Easy for them!

By the time we were done I had two kids so tired that they put themselves to bed for their nap. :) After nap, we worked on art and alphabets. This was an excellent way to have a fun filled day without worrying about the bank account.

2 jump ropes: $3 each

2 hula hoops: $4 each

2 bubble sets: $1 each

3 silly string cans: $1 each

1 pack sidewalk chalk: $1 each

 

Total: $20 with $15 of it a one-time expense so that leaves $5 actually lost for the day. Not bad!!

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Leaving Again

A couple of weeks ago I left my boys for a one-week TDY to Virginia to attend a Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership retreat.  The week prior was crammed with crazy deadlines, on-the-spot demands and late nights.  Not to mention, handing off all my work to my second in command so he could successfully manage the shop.  It wasn’t until 2 am the Sunday of my departure that my anxiety about leaving kicked in.

I hadn’t slept.  I spent all night making sure I had everything ready to go.  At two o’clock it hit me.  I was leaving my kids again.  Sure it would only be for a week instead of nine months again.  Still, though, Caden just recently complained about a toothache the night before and Walmart was out of Oral Gel.  And yesterday, Sean asked me why he couldn’t come with me on my trip. 

Every day for the last week, I counted down the days with both kids, reminding them that I was leaving but that I’d be back.  “Just for five days, right Mommy?” Caden asked.  I had been so busy that not only had I not prepared for the trip until the last minute but I didn’t prepare emotionally to leave my kids.

So there I sat on the couch, checking Facebook and glancing at the clock every ten minutes.  At three-thirty, my hands started to shake and my belly began to cramp.  The taxi was due to arrive at four.  I looked at the boys as they slept. 

Caden was asleep in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.  I picked him up to move him and his little brown eyes slowly opened.  With a sigh, he wrapped his legs around me and snuggled his face into my chest.  Breathing in one last whiff of his scent, I held him a little tighter before laying him back down.

Sean was curled face-down with his knees almost to his chest and his hands beneath his belly.  He has always been such a cuddler.  Even in his sleep he made sure the pillow snuggled him.  I pulled his blanket over his back and kissed his head.

At three fifty-eight, the cab driver called to tell me he was outside.  Marie stood to hug me.  I felt my chest tighten and a lump rose in my throat.  “Okay,” I said as I headed to the door.  “Let’s not talk or I’ll cry.”

She smiled and nodded her head.  “Okay.”

I walked out, looked over my shoulder at her and said, “I love you.”  Without giving her a chance to say it back, I hurried to the cab.

I don’t think it matters really how long you’ll be gone.  The moment you step outside you know you won’t be there to see them wake up in the morning or hear them whisper and giggle at night when they know they need to be asleep.  Of all the things one could possibly face being in the military, leaving your loved ones behind is always the hardest.

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Capoeira

"Oh cool, I should do that one day."

"Hmm, maybe I should look into that."

"I gotta try that!"

Have you ever noticed how many times you say you're going to try something but never do it?  You're involved in a cool conversation and you find yourself thinking "Wow, I wanna do that."  But you walk away from the discussion already deciding that you'll probably never do it.  It's just something nice to think about.  You make up excuses for why you can't.  Your schedule doesn't allow it.  You don't have enough money.  You can't find a sitter.  Sometimes the reasons you can't are really valid reasons.  And sometimes?  Sometimes they're just excuses.  Well, I'm pretty notorious for making excuses.  Finally a friend of mine kind of cornered me and I couldn't come up with any reasons.  So I did it.

My friend Daniel sometimes talks about his son's Capoeira class and how much fun it is.  I've heard about the Brazilian martial art.  It's incredible- really something that moves you when you watch it.  Capoeira is a martial art that combines fighting, music and dancing.  There's a lot of history behind it and is pretty popular today.  So while listening to Daniel talk about it one day, I said "Man, I gotta look into signing Caden up for a class."  And WHAM.  As soon as the words left my mouth, Daniel already had a response, "Cool, well there's a special right now where the first month is free and if you like it you can sign up for a permanent place in the class."  Uh.... did I really mean it when I said it?

To make a long story short, after a few "Maybe another time" lies, Daniel's wife gave me a discount card and told me exactly where the class is.  I was scheduled to work a late shift the day of class so Daniel said, "I'll switch with you.  Take Caden to the class."

We went last night.  We loved it.  Why was I so hesitant in the first place?  Because I get stuck in my comfort zone, my daily routine.  One more new thing requires a new change to my schedule.  I am pretty darn introverted so I hate new activities that involve being with other people.  But last night I remembered that it's not always about me.  Caden had a blast!  Why wouldn't I want to get him into a class that was different from regular school playtime? 

I guess what I learned out of this is this:  It is healthy and OK to step out of your comfort zone and do something that you think would be fun.  Instead of sitting around thinking how much you wish you could do XYZ, get out and do it.

Caden's teacher told me that Caden will do very well in the class.  She said he is physically strong and agile and will be just fine.  I'm glad I was almost FORCED to step out of my routine to let my little guy learn something new and fun.

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Wise Big Brother

Caden: Sean I'm holding your feet. You gotta do situps ok?

Sean: Ok. You'll hold my feet good?

Caden: Yep.

Sean: Ok!

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Kids Work Too

I love taking my kids to work!

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You Can Make it Turn

We moved to Colorado in the middle of August. We drove for about 23 hours and when we arrived I thought it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. But I was too nervous about the new job, new home and being away from Patrick to allow myself to fall in love with the place.

The kids started daycare almost immediately after the first weekend. The first day I brought Caden and Sean to their daycare classes, an indoor potted plant with a cardboard pinwheel sticking out of its soil greeted us. It was huge, brightly colored and boy did it just call Caden's name. He went straight for it and started blowing.

"Caden, it's too big to spin when you blow it. It's not a toy pinwheel. It's just a decoration." I was too much in a hurry to meet their teachers that watching him blow at this thing over and over was making my head hurt.

Finally he stopped and grinned at me. "Well," he answered, "I can make it turn." With his little index finger he lightly pushed at the yellow cardboard wing and watched as the whole pinwheel slowly turned clockwise. With wide eyes he squealed in laughter and pushed it again, this time a little harder.

Sean, who was busy looking through the glass doors as this was taking place, whirled around at the sound of Caden's laughter. Instantly, he laughed and jumped up and down, squealing, "It's turning!"

I couldn't help but smile at them right then. Alone in my car while they were settled into their classrooms, I marveled at the simplicity of Caden's answer. I can make it turn. There I was, in this gorgeous state, spending so much energy being nervous and feeling heartsick that I didn't even think that maybe all I had to do was make things turn. Change is never really easy. And of course I was going to miss Patrick. He's three states away! But it didn't mean I was stuck with a decorative pinwheel. I could make this a beautiful adventure. I wanted this pinwheel in the first place and now that I have it, dang it I'm gonna make it turn.

Now, almost 3 months have gone by and not once have I hated being here. Sure there are days when I get lonely. There are times when I hate the parking lot in my apartment complex. And twice I almost slipped on a sheet of ice. But I don't forget to make an effort to enjoy this assignment. It doesn't mean I will love it every day. It means that I'm going to be excited about life, whether it's snuggling up with my kids in front of the fire place or simply reading a book. My life is not a decorative pinwheel. It can turn and be a glorious whirl of colors. If I just choose to make it turn.

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Pepper Pots

It was a frustrating night.  Bruce ran away for about the fifth time since we’ve moved in.  We were out on a walk and with his nose to the ground, I had a feeling he already knew there was a bunny out.  Sure enough, his head bolts up and he spots the unsuspecting bunny a few yards away.  In a flash, he springs forward and the leash is stripped out of my hand.  Ticked off, I go back inside the apartment with the kids who are now nagging me about how we have to get Bruce back.  I don't want to go after him.

We moved into the apartment about a month ago and since then we've been living with boxes everywhere and everyone stepping all over each other.  Bruce is 90 lbs and is constantly squeezing past the kids and me. Now, at my new job, we get home later than usual and sometimes even VERY late so I haven't had much time at all to unpack as quickly as I'd like.  Don't get me wrong- there's been lots of progress, but there are still boxes in our way.  To summarize it all, we have little quality time at home and we are squished!

So, I finally got Bruce back and proceeded to get dinner started.  Meanwhile, the kids were being really loud as they jumped on the couch and played with their Iron Man toys.  Between chopping onions and bell peppers and calling to them for "quiet voice," I could feel my blood pressure rising.  However, we managed to get through dinner. 

As I was washing our after-dinner dishes, Caden approached me with two toys in his hands- Iron Man and a plastic Lego woman.  “Mommy, I have Pepper!”  He held out the Lego woman so I could see.

“Pepper?” I asked, caught off guard by the announcement. At this time I was tired from a long day of work, pissed off at Bruce for running away again, irritated with the high volume of children playing, feeling claustrophobic from all the opened boxes and unorganized junk everywhere, and my mind was preoccupied with the checklist of to-do items like laundry, bill-paying, etc.  The last thing I could think about was who exactly Pepper was.

“Yes!” His eyes were wide and a smile was stretched across his face.

Then it hit me.  “Oh!” I exclaimed, “Pepper Pots!”  I watched as he turned from me and ran off toward Sean.

“Sean, Sean!  I have Pepper!”

I stood there for a moment and listened as they role played two Iron Mans and Pepper Pots fighting bad guys.  I finished the dishes and approached them.  “So, Pepper Pots isn’t a superhero is she?”

Caden grinned up at me, slightly surprised that I had taken an interest in their activity.  “No, she’s just a friend.  But she’s really cool.”  Then he held the plastic Lego girl up so I could see her.  “Here, Mommy, you can be Pepper.”

I smiled at him as I realized that this entire month has been filled with frustration.  I’ve been doing nothing but learning my new job and fulfilling my motherly tasks as caregiver and housekeeper.  I haven’t been engaging in any real play with them.

As parents, we do that a lot.  We keep ourselves in this little tunnel and only see the things that are constantly attacking us.  We get so involved with tasks and stress that we get too tired to stop and play with our kids.  And sometimes when we do “play” with them, all we really do is give them the courtesy “that was cool” comment or the fake laugh when our minds are really thinking about budgets and unpacking our boxes.

I took the plastic Lego girl in my hand and grinned.  “Hey, Iron Man,” I said, facing the toy toward Caden’s.  I took the Mommy hat off and tossed it aside for the night.  Tonight, I thought to myself, I’m pepper Pots.

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