The Straw

I did okay during the last field trip.

The final letter arrived in the backpack without a second glance.

His last visit with Lansing passed by, almost unnoticed.

'Nare a hesistation during the final drop off this morning.

and then Kayden shoved this in my hands during pickup.

A picture of him with his two teachers. A happy, innocent, precocious preschooler.

It will never be the same, and this picture was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I see myself years from now, longing for these simple times. Holding this picture and remembering my goofy little boy, so happy with his two teachers.

I am sad.

Not ready for him to grow up, and kindergarden feels so, well, grown up!

31 turning 42

"Mrs. Bird, Mrs. Bird! I found someone in my book that looks exactly like you!" one of the fourth graders proclaimed excitedly when I walked into the room today.


Fourth graders don't always have the most tact, so I wondered how bad this picture was going to be. They pretty much speak what is on their mind, without the foggiest idea that it might be offensive. It is actually one of the things I love most about this age- you know what you get.


I remember one of the first years I was married to Josh, and my grandpa passed away. Each student worked hard to create a special card to cheer my grandma. Along with a tombstone and RIP on every.last.card, we oscillated between crying and laughing when reading them.


One card said "I am sorry your husband died. Now it's time to get over it. "


Another said "So, you have been married 50 years. Wow, he must have really loved you."


Hoping the picture wasn't Phyllis Dillard or Betty White, I sceptically waited as they flipped through their book to find the page where the "look-alike Mrs. Bird was".


Wanna know who it was???



















A 42 year old JK Rowling.

I guess I won't take it too personal. Seeing that on my birthday, most of them guessed I was turning 60.

I Miss Vacation

The warm sand on my feet

Seeing my brother Nate

Grandma and Grandpa spoiling the kids (well, that still happens here)

Playing baseball on the beach

Walking in the waves

Sorting through sea shells

Shopping with my mom

Teasing my dad about how many naps he takes on vacation

The warm weather! Feeling the sun on my shoulders and playing outside with the kids in shorts and t-shirts...I just love it.

HOWEVER.

Vacation is not the same without Josh. My parents got a condo at the end of June in TN, and we all get to go. So excited.

Happy Birthday Uncle Nate!

Greetings from MYR

I was incredibly nervous to fly with the boys.

I have had one too many (okay, two too many) flights in which I was ill.

I flew for years back and forth from California and never got nervous, but I was all shook up Monday morning in anticipation. Not having my mom with me, I just wondered what I would do if I got sick. Bryce would never sit in his seat alone.

We got through checkout and onto the plane just fine.

Kayden was situated by the window, I was in the middle, and Brycer aisle seat. Bryce was a tad frightened, so immediately he decided to sit on my lap.

The overhead compartments were full, so an older lady stepped into Bryce's {empty} seat to see if there was room in our compartment. She happened to have a ginormous Meijers bag full of goods, which kept hitting me in the head without her realizing it.

I don't normally get claustrophobic, but with the big bag in my face, Bryce on my lap, and Kayden jumping all over me, all the sudden I couldn't breathe. I could feel my chest tightening, and the dread of being ill with nowhere to go.

I started praying. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down, and both the nausea and lightheaded feelings cleared. Thank God!

The rest of the flight was great- the boys did awesome. I even got a short nap from Bryce. I was so thankful when the wheels touched down. Relief. We had made it.

It is nice not having anything on the schedule. We have been shopping a few times, to the pool quite a bit, and today looks like a good beach day.

The only thing missing is Josh. I really wish he was here, too!:-)

PS

Oh, and for age 2, this kid has some mad hops:-)

Very Hard Work

I try really hard not to work when I am at home with my kids. For one thing, I am interrupted so much it is hardly worth it to even start.

Every so often, though, I have to sew something in the middle of the day for an afternoon mailing. Because Bryce wants to sit on my lap and play with thread and machine knobs, I often save it for when he takes a nap.

Kayden has a basketball hoop downstairs next to my sewing space, and loves to shoot baskets while I sew. Ever few points, he will peek his head around the door frame.

"Mom, why are you sewing?", he asks.

"So that I can buy you more cars." I answered that way once on a whim a year ago, and now we have to repeat it every.time.

"Are you working hard?", he responds.

"Yup, really hard, bud", I reply.

-------------------------------------

Friday was bike day. All of the little preschoolers take their bikes to school and ride them around the parking lot. There are a variety of different stations they can go to for a bike wash, or to decorate their bike.

As I arrived to pick him up and as he climbed into his car seat, sighed and said, "Mom, I worked so hard today riding my bike. You would be really proud of how hard I worked."

Oh, to be five and have the "work" of riding your bike.

More Hard Work, Grandparents Day:

with Grandpa and Grandma Birdy

With Grandma Van

Singing to God.

Ho-Ho-Ho-Hosanna

getting lower....

and let's not forget the hard work of playing outside on the playground.