This blog is really about Nick but I thought the picture of above of the boys was so cute.  Jay all dressed up for football practice and Nick all dressed for soccer. 
Tonight I had the adventure of taking Nick to soccer practice.  Now some people might disagree but I personally find it painful to watch 5 year olds play soccer.  They stumble all over each other and have no idea what they are doing but that's not the point......as long as kids enjoy it and get to move their bodies then who cares, right?  The coach decides she wants the parents to
play against the kids tonight to help them learn how the game is played.  As she asked the parents secretly I was thinking Oh please don't pick me.....But then that little voice was saying, "go and play and you may actually enjoy it."  So I played the game.  It started out in typical Nick fashion with him giving me cuddles on the field.  I told him that although I appreciated his cuddles he should pay attention to the game and stop giving his mother cuddles.  Then I accidentally backed over another 5 year old.  I wouldn't say I plowed him over but I tripped over him as I was backing up and he fell to the ground........tears and all.  It was quite a spectatcle.  I apologized profusely and the boy was not hurt, just probably shaken up by being knocked over by adult who out weighed him by at least 125 lbs.  Yikes!  Then Nick changed his tune from being all "lovey and cuddley" to sweating me on the field.  As I'm playing I hear my youngest across the field shouting........."Is that all you got, mom," "Is that how you play soccer, REALLY, Mom, REALLY!"  What can I say?  It was an eventful soccer evening. 

Jay & Lukie

This week has really gotten away from me.  I headed out to Cincinnati on Thursday for work and returned on Saturday.  It was a quick but fun trip.  We are back into a routine for school which is lovely.  Nick likes Kindergarten and Jay advised me he "Loves 4th grade."  Jay has never said that - EVER!  He likes that he switches teachers.  He likes his home room teacher and the other teacher and I think it helps break up his day.  Mike is super busy at work right now and things with my work are really good.  Have I mentioned I absolutely love working from home?  Anyway when I realized I hadn't blogged in awhile I was trying to think of something cute to write about when I found this picture.  I took this picture a few weeks ago and when Jay and Luke are together, this is usually how you can find the two of them.  Jay adores his cousin and Luke thinks he's pretty cool too.  I think this picture is so cute b/c Jay looks so grown up and of course Lukie is his usual adorable self.  I am so thankful my sister is in town and we are raising our children together. 

So Embarassing

It's official, I'm the parent that embarasses her child.  I was hoping to avoid this situation until middle school but it hit Jay in 3rd grade and he's really tuned it up a notch in 4th grade.  Last December after I attended Jay's 3rd grade christmas party he told me I embarassed him and basically said he'd appreciate it if I stopped showing up at school.  Ouch right?  I must admit his words stung and I had a pity party for myself for about a week but trust me, I'm way over it now.......hence me blogging about it. I remember sharing this story with my former boss, Jill, who also has two boys.  She told me she remembered when her son told her the same thing and she acknowledged the first time you hear the words they hurt but she also told me you quickly develop a "thick" skin and get it over.  Plus at the time it was  nice to hear I'm not the only parent who has heard those words from her children.  After this happened I had a conversation with Jay about his hurtful words and how I accept him and his introverted ways and he needed to accept me and my extroverted ways.  He apolgized and I promised I would "tone it down."  Fast forward to this school year.  Jay hasn't been as vocal about me "embarassing" him but he's made it clear he can do without his mother at school.  But Nick is in the picture now.  Jay and Nick are in the same school all day long.  I don't want to say Nick is a mini-me but he kind of is both in looks and personality so technically Jay sort of has his mother at school now all the time, just in a smaller version (hee, hee) and he' made it quite clear that Nick embarasses him too!  I'm just waiting for Jay to really get charged up - at which point I'll break out my giraffe costume (my halloween costume from last year) and walk the boys into school one day in all my giraffe glory.  Nick will think it's the bomb, Jay not so much.

Just another day in the mud - Nick style

First day of school - 4th grade and Kindergarten

Well today was the day - Jay went to 4th grade and Nick entered kindergarten.  Mike took the day off and joined us.  I pointed out to Mike this is the last time we'll be taking a child to kindergarten.  It was bittersweet.  Nick did great and I'm sure he'll do fine.  I got such a kick out of Jay and Nick today.  I had to go through the lunch menu with the boys to determine what days they wanted to eat hot and cold lunch.  Every meal choice I read, Nick wouldn't answer until Jay gave him the low-down as to whether it was a "gross" lunch or an acceptable one.  Jay started to get annoyed but as Mike and I pointed out to him, Nick is just starting school and is only looking for guidance from his older brother.  As for the picture above..........this was the best I could do.  He was a big "cheese" today.  I was just glad he wasn't wearing cut off jeans with his UnderArmor shirt.  I told him he could wear his cut off jeans & his UnderArmor shirt on Fridays only!

My boys!

I love this picture - it looks like the boys actually like each other.  Ha!  Let's just say they have their moments.  Another funny moment today.  One of the benefits of working from home is now I don't have to be so rushed in the mornings.  The boys get to sleep in 30 minutes longer (compared to the time I had to wake them last school year) and I can drive them to school everyday.  I've been looking forward to doing this since I accepted this job back in April.  But ironically my older son started complaining that he can't ride the bus!  I'd like to point out that in order for Jay to ride the bus he'd have to get up 30 minutes earlier (so the same time I was getting him up last school year), be at the bus stop at exactly 6:55 and then ride the bus for 50 minutes!!!!  Are you starting to put all this together?  In other words, if I let Jay do this we'd be right back to the same, hectic schedule we were running on last school year.  Go figure.  I did tell Jay riding the school bus in the mornings is non-negiotable, I'm driving him to school! 

My next chapter

The pages in my next life chapter have been ready to begin for some time now - but there is no denying it any longer.  In three short days both of my children will be in school full time.  Can I believe it?  Yes and No.  It's true that time flies.  I still remember one night back in May 2006 when I was up in the middle of the night feeding Nick (he was just 4 weeks old).  Jay had a bad dream and came down to where I was feeding Nick, hopped in my lap and I remember thinking it doesn't get any better than having my "babies" in my lap in the still of the night but you know what, it does get better.  It will be bittersweet for me to walk Nick into his kindergarten class this week but I am really enjoying this stage with my boys.  I get such a kick out of their personalties and what makes them tick.  Gone are the diapers, potty training, the daily clothing changes (that I would assist with), the baths, feeling the crunching cheerios under my feet and the car seats and high chairs. All that has been replaced with driving kids to and from sporting practices, registering them for elementary school, conversations about good and bad choices, and the constant challenge of keeping two growing boys fed.  Does it grip at my heart that my youngest is entering school - kind of but if I were to be really honest with myself I truly feel this is the stage I'm best at, as a mom.  I love that at a moments notice we can drop everything and go out to dinner together as a family and actually conversate!  I love that I can take my kids to the pool now and actually sit there and relax while watching Jay jump off the diving board for hours (I kid you not).  I think our family has laughed more too.  Don't get me wrong, we've always had fun together but the boys are each developing their own sense of humor and they crack us up.  My mom told me to really enjoy these next few years before Jay turns 14.  What is it with 14, I wonder?  Ha.  No need to worry, I plan on enjoying every second of it. 

Relaxing with dad

Late one afternoon I walked into the living room to find Nick nestled into Mike.  Mike was asleep and Nick was completely relaxed. 

Just the other day I sent Nick to his room for a time out.  A few minutes later I sent Mike to retrieve Nick from his much needed T.O.  but after a few minutes had gone by and they hadn't come out of Nick's room I went to check on them and this is what I found.  Apparently Nick had fallen asleep during his T.O. so when Mike found him that way he figured he might as well join him.  And the thing with Nick is, he's a cuddler.  Mike said he laid down and Nick cuddled right in next to him and Mike said before he knew it he was sound asleep. 

Fun with family

As our last "hoorah" before my sister goes back to work we all got together at my house for lunch and then went to the pool.  We went to this small pool in Stanford.  The kids had the whole pool to themselves and mom, Kim and I relaxed.  It was heaven.  If we had a quarter for everytime my mom, sister and I mentioned how blessed we are that we get to spend time together we'd be rich.  We love seeing the kids together.  The picture above is of Jay and Luke.  Lukie is such an adorable baby and he and Jay are buddies. 

Sweet Lauren.  Her hair got so blond this summer.  She is such a good sport.  She is surrounded by boys and truly loves it.  She loves being around people (like her mother) and even though her and Nick squabble sometimes the four cousins really do love each other - when they squabble it just proves they are more like siblings rather than cousins.  I love it.

Here's Nick in his "summer time uniform."  His first day of kindergarten is coming up and let me just say he won't be wearing this shirt.  Ha. Nick has loved the water this summer.  This summer he was able to swim without water wings.  He kept up with his older brother and did everything he did. 

Nick and Lauren are totally humoring me in this picture, although you'd never guess.  The two of them did pretty good this day but they do have their moments.  Nick hates it when Lauren wants to give him "loves" so she purposely loves to do it, which sends Nick over the edge.  It makes Kim and I just laugh and shake our heads.  Those two!

Sweet, sweet Luke.  I know I'm biased but he is so cute and sweet.  We are all in love with the last baby that will be in our clan.  My sister and I like to joke that there isn't an ugly one in the bunch.  He's such a sweet natured boy.  I do joke with Kim that she's basically screwed once he's mobile.  I've been there done that and still doing it with two boys.  I know how it all goes down.  Ha. 

Summer wrap up

I know that summer isn't officially over and I know the kids don't go back to school for another week or so but in our house things are "wrapping" up for summer.  This upcoming week is the last week my sitter will be here and the boys start soccer and football practices this week so things in our house will pick up speed.  I'm anxious for school to start but only because I crave a routine.  This summer has been a good one but it's also been a summer of transition.  Starting my new job and working from home was a huge transition but I'm happy to say I've transitioned and I love it.  This was also the boys' first summer staying at home and having a sitter come to them - instead of getting them up and taking them to a sitter.  I have to admit, some days were better than other but it was really nice having the boys sleep in.  Here are some highlights of the summer.
*I have never purchased so many popsicles in my life.  We went through boxes of the popsicles you can buy at Sam's.  I have no idea what they are called but one day I had to cut Nick off when I realized he had eaten 15 of them!
*Notice the pictures above.  The boys absolutely loved wearing their UnderArmor shirts with their cut off jeans - especially Nick.  When summer started he wouldn't wear anything but a collared shirt, until his dad got him his "Jethro" UnderArmor shirt.  He would literally wear it everyday - hence why I thought it would be appropriate to take their summer pictures in "their shirts." 
*I have never watched so much "Phineas & Ferb" in my life.  Mike and I can recite almost every episode. 
*We lovingly nicknamed Nick, Rip Van Winkle.  He slept until 8:30 or 9:00 almost everyday.  One day this summer he slept until 10:15.  The boy can sleep and Kindergarten is going to rock his world, as far as having to get up in time for school. 
*The boys spent countless hours on their trails, riding their bikes and four wheeler.  Jay got his four wheeler in October so this was his first summer to enjoy it. In late fall of 2010 Mike borrowed a BobCat and made trails for the boys, alongside our property.  It's heavily wooded and the boys LOVE them.  Heck, I love them too.  We have so much fun riding our bikes on them and at night the boys love to put their headlights on and go riding. 

Mike took all the pictures above.  I thought they turned out great.  I just wanted some cute pictures of the boys that reflected parts of their personality at age 9 & 5 - especially since Nick is entering Kindergarten.  When I saw the pictures I thought Jay looked so old and grown up.  He's been so delightful this summer.  He hasn't given me one moment of trouble and anyone who knows and loves Jay knows this is a big deal for me to write this.  There have been some summers where that wasn't the case.  I have enjoyed his dry sense of humor.  He's made me laugh so many times this summer.  Nick has been more of a challenge this summer but this too shall pass.  He's had a hard time making a decision and he complains.....A LOT but I love him anyway.  He still thinks I'm the bomb and loves to spend time with me and it gets me everytime!