A boy & his dog

Our new puppy, Copper, is settling into life with two very active boys.  She is the perfect fit into their craziness.  This particular blog is about Jay.  Nick loves Copper too but Jay is over the moon for her - probably for a couple of reasons.  Jay has been wanting a dog since he was Nick's age and Jay is an animal lover at heart.  He takes after his Grandpa John.  I remember reading Jay the "Shiloh" series when he was in second grade.  Shiloh is about a boy and his dog.  In Jay's world he is Marty and Copper is Shiloh and those two are two peas in a pod!  It gives me great joy to see Jay with this dog and know his heart is full of love.  It's also a good lesson in responsibility.  I'm glad we could finally make this possible for our family.  The timing was right and thus far Copper seems to be the perfect fit into our family. 

Welcome home Copper

Well we are now proud dog owers of our Vizsla puppy!  We love her.  The boys adore her and even Mike is rather fond of her.  Me - I love her too and I'm thrilled to have another female in the house.  I've already told her the two of us have to stick together.

After playing with two busy and crazy boys for about an hour she wiped out on Jay's lap in front of the fire.

The Math A Thon

A few weeks ago Nick came home from school excited about a math a thon.  This was an extra circular activity that was voluntary and Nick was all about it!  I'm ashamed to admit it but for a couple of days I ignored his requests to sign the permission slip as I was hoping he'd forget about it.  He didn't.  He kept at me so finally one night I sat down and read what this activity required.  Each student who participates would have to get pledges for St. Jude.  Once I read St. Jude I first felt guilty that I had discouraged Nick from doing it and then I was proud of Nick for wanting to do it because he was just as enthusiastic about collecting pledges as he was about doing the math for the math a thon.  How it works is each student is given a math booklet (at their level) and they have until March 15 to complete it.  As they are working in their booklet they are also suppose to be collecting pledges.  Thus far we've gotten a pledge from my mom and her friend, Leslie.  Thanks you two! 
I'm proud of Nick.  Just tonight he spent about 15 minutes on his classroom homework and he's been working on his math a thon book for the last 30 minutes.  He never ceases to make me smile (but don't get me wrong he can also send me from 0-60 in no time flat).  Thanks Nick for opening my eyes to what is good and educational all at the same time. 

Nothing like a mom

When one is sick, one tends to prefer to be taken care of by their mother.  At least I know that is true in my case.  I vividly remember my mom tucking me comfortably into her couch when I was on bed rest with Nick.  I lived with her for awhile since she lived so close to the hospital and I lived so far out in the boonies!  She cooked for me, ran errands for me and made sure I was always comfortable.  It was heaven!  I don't think you ever get too old to be taken care of by your mother.  Nick is sick with strep throat.  Today I was driving him to the doctor's office (for a diagnosis) and Jay was in the car with us.  Nick was crying because he remembered they stick that Q-tip down your throat to test for strep.  Then the conversation went like this:
Nick:"Curse you mom for taking me to the doctor, I wish you weren't taking care of me."
Me: "If I wasn't taking care of you, who would?"
Nick: "Dad"
Me:" Daddy would not take care of you like I take care of you."
Nick:"Yes he would."
Jay (who is Mike's biggest fan):"Ahhh No, Nick, not really!  Mom takes much better care of us." 

Sorry Mike - I get a big score in the sick department.  Mike earns point in the archery, gun, knife, four wheeler department everyday so I have to take the points from the sick department whenever I can get them!

Our weekend

Our weekend was spent much like the picture above of Jay - relaxing.  It was the first weekend of no basketball (basketball season has ended).  Jay is cuddled up under the blankets, watching a movie on the portable DVD player, eating strawberries (although you can't see them) and just relaxing.  Our house is also a balmy 70 degrees thanks to the fire Mike had going all weekend.  When our house gets to be 70 degrees it feels like a heat wave to us and I feel plain ole lazy.  It doesn't hurt that the weather has been beautiful.  Jay and I got out and took a walk today.  Nick has been sick today.  He's really not feeling good so I'm hoping he turns a corner tomorrow.  I got in a much needed and over due visit with my good friend, Karen and Mike got in some guy time at a gun show with his friend, Mike Ausili.  Besides Nick being sick it was a really nice, lazy weekend - just the way I like 'em. 

The Diary

This week my mom uncovered my old diaries.  I started a diary when I was 10 and kept writing in it through high school.  It's interesting to me my mom just found this diary since I now have my own child who is 10!  I have gotten such a charge from reading it especially during my younger years.  I have laughed out loud because every entry I made when I was 10 was how every day was fun and I ended each entry with "It was a great day!"  Isn't that how it should be for every 10 year old boy and girl?  It was such an age of innocence and I'm so thankful to my parents for that.  I did notice a common theme.  A constant was my friend, Melissa.  I must have mentioned her name 100-some times from the time I started my diary until it ended in high school and we are still friends.  Another common theme was my weight.  Big shocker there.  I would never say I was ever obsessed with my weight but it was on my mind - even at 10!  I was always trying to watch my weight and I mentioned it several times.  Some things never change.  Another theme was my sense of humor.  My sense of humor was and has always been a positive characisteric of mine and I'm glad it's never left me. 
I laughed out loud at a diary entry I made when I was 14.  I had finished an all day babysitting job and I swore I would never had kids - ever!  Apparently the babysitting job had done me in.  In high school I apparently had my life planned out as I was not going to get married until my late 20's (I was 23).  Then I wasn't going to have kids untilI was in my late 30's (I was 28 when I had Jay) and the funniest of all.......I wanted to be a cop!  Being a cop is a far cry from what I actually do for a living, a claims adjuster.  The only thing a cop and a claims adjuster have in common is they both start with the letter "C." 
One thing is for sure I enjoyed writing from a young age.  My blog is now my diary and in another 20 years I will read my blog books and get the same enjoyment from them as I have from my childhood diaries. 

As a side note.  One thing I did find sad was the fact that due to modern technology how many kids have/keep diaries now?  I have boys (and Jay doesn't like to write) so even if they were born 20 years ago I can't see either of them keeping up with a diary but I'm curious how many young girls keep diaries in this age of Ipod touches, lap tops, etc.....

Love this little guy

The jammies Nick is wearing in this picture were Jay's.  It seems like yesterday that Jay was wearing them.  Anyway, I digress.....Nick loves to get in my bed on Saturday mornings, get the portable DVD player, turn on the electrc blanket and watch movies.  I just love his sweet 5 year old grin.

What story will Nick come up with next?

After a PTO meeting at the boys' school tonight one of my friends called me in gales of laughter.  Through her laughter she started the conversation by asking me if I had something I needed to tell her.  I told her there wasn't while I was racking my brain trying to think of what she knew that I didn't.  When she pressed me further I finally said........"We're getting a dog!"  But trust me a dog was not what she was referring to.  Apparently my younger son told his entire kindergarten class today that his mom was having a baby because she had been sick (which I was last week) and I had been gaining weight (thanks Nick).  Then at tonight's PTO meeting a little girl in Nick's class announced to several people that Nick's mom was having a baby!!!  When my friend heard this she pressed the little girl for more details (aka dirt).......hence the phone call with my friend laughing hysterically!  Perhaps the best part of this story is we had Nick's kindergarten conference with his teacher this afternoon.  When I got this phone call Nick was already in bed and sleeping but needless to say breakfast should be interesting tomorrow morning!  Now I'm off to Facebook to squash the pregnancy rumors. 

Archery, Guns, Video Games, Knives & Four wheelers......oh my!

My title describes Jay's favorite things right now and when I say favorite thing I mean FAVORITE things.  He's consumed by them - in no particular order.  Jay is a typical fourth grader.  He plays sports, works hard in school, has a few good friends that he likes to spend time with but his greatest loves right now are archery, guns, video games, knives & four wheelers.  His dad got him into archery and it's been very positive.  Jay and Mike spend time at an archery place where they can shoot their bows.  When the weather gets nicer they will spend time in our back yard.  I've learned that a fascination with guns comes with the territory with having boys.  Jay has his own BB gun and again he and Mike love to target shoot with their guns.  I'm just thankful that Jay has a responsible, mature parent who handles guns safely and is teaching Jay the same thing. Jay is also obsessed with collecting knives.  As his mother and a woman, I don't get it but then why do we women have so many shoes?  I know the answer to that but show me a man who gets that.  Honestly the only hobby Jay has right now that could eventually become a problem is video games.  He got an I Pod Touch for xmas and he's on it constantly!  In fact Mike and I finally commented to one another it is time for us to set some limits with that crazy touch.  However it has worked to my advantage in terms of consequences right now.  When Jay gets in trouble, guess what is the first thing to get taken away? 
As Jay gets older I find it gets harder.  I am not interested in any of the things he's interested in right now so I find it harder to connect with him but I certainly keep trying.  He has asked me several times to start archery with him and Mike and although this doesn't really excite me I'm going to do it as it's something I can do with Jay and it's something we can talk about - another challenge with Jay these days - conversation!  As I always have said.........giving birth to Jay was easier than getting information out of him. 

Happy Birthday Luke

My sweet nephew, Luke, is one years old today!  How time flies.  My sister had an amazing party for him.  She had a ton of good food (notice how I comment on the food first........figures) and the theme was Monkey - since Lukie is our little monkey.  Happy Birthday Luke!

Sick

I have been sick and I mean really sick for about 11 days now.  Yesterday I started to turn a corner with my cold and today I have the stomach flu and I'm miserable.  Truthfully I'm surprised I have enough energy to blog.  When Mike and the boys got home from school today Jay came and checked on me and realized I was no better than I was that morning.  Jay went out to the kitchen and reported....."Hey guys mom is really sick.!'  Then the conversation went like this.
Nick" My teacher told me that George Washington got sick and he died, Yup, he died!" 

Boy did that make me feel better!

First tooth.. gone!

About 3 weeks ago Nick started complaining that his bottom teeth hurt.  When I looked I noticed that he was getting a permanent tooth behind his baby teeth - none of which he had lost yet.  Ouch!  I took him to the dentist and we were told it wasn't 9-1-1 but Nick needed to get his baby teeth out and wa-la one was loose.  Nick promptly called his Grandpa John and ordered him to start making him a wiggle machine - whatever that is.  For 10 days Nick has worked and worked on getting his tooth to come out.  We were use to Jay who simply pulled his teeth out the second he noticed they were loose so this whole 10 day thing kind of threw us for a loop.  Aunt Mimi even gave Nick a big head start yesterday but to no avail.  I knew Nick was getting worried last night when he insisted we pray that his tooth wouldn't fall out while he was eating and that he wouldn't in turn swallow it!  Tonight Mike and I could take no more.  Nick was delighted to suck on a popsicle to get his gums numb for the big event.  A little pull from daddy and out it came! 

Sunday night bedtime

We have a Sunday night ritual in the winter, we all go to bed insanely early!  I usually have Nick in bed by 6:30 and Jay in bed by 7:00.  I was sharing this information with my sister recently and she couldn't believe I got my 10 year old in bed that early.  I told her that for some reason Jay never questions it.  It's just what we do on Sunday nights.  My sister still couldn't believe it and pointed out that Jay is 10 (for heaven sakes) and can tell time - how does he go to bed at 7:00 without noticing it's 7:00?  She had a point but because he never said anything about our early Sunday nights I didn't say anything......until tonight!  I was getting Jay tucked into bed tonight when he gazed at his clock next to his bed and he noticed the time.  "Mom, it's 6:52!"  I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights.  He had never questioned me before on his early bedtime on Sundays.  I quickly responded that it's Sunday night.......didn't he know we always go to bed early on Sundays?  It's just what we Sieberts do.  He wasn't buying it and he wasn't happy that at 10 years old he was going to bed at 6:52.  Thankfully that was the end of the conversation and I'm happy to report it's 7:20 on a Sunday night and I'm sitting in front of a roaring fire, blogging and my kids are sound asleep.  Dang, I'm good!  LOL. 

Swollen & scabby - Gross!

This is going to be one of those me being real blogs!  I am 37.  I'll be 38 in May and let me tell you I have never battled so much with my complexion as I have these last few months.  Honestly my skin has always been a problem but it's like I turned 35 and my face/zits decided I needed a little more excitement in my life or something.  I began having problems BIG TIME in June.  I thought it was because of my job change and perhaps initially it was but my job is not stressful and considering I'm a good 9 months into it, I'd say it's safe to say I've settled in.  Plus - and this may be too much T.M.I. - but I'm not on the pill anymore which may be a good or bad thing, who knows.  I've been off the pill since May so again my body has had plenty of time to adjust.  My morning and evening routine consists of washing my face, cleansing it with a special acne cleanser and then attacking the problem areas!  It's a full time job - seriously!  I never thought I'd spend so much time on my face.  I've been known to drive the boys to school without my foundation on.  It is not a pretty sight.  I usually have scabs on my forehead from zits that are drying up - I'm just saying - or I have big red ones that are big and swollen starting to form on my chin.   Just this morning I woke up and had a new one on my eye lid!  Yes, my eye lid.  I mean really who gets zits on their eye lids?  Clearly I do.  I look like I have a growth of some sort on my eye lid that is only made worse by trying to cover it up with make up.  The whole thing is sort of exhausting and down right depressing!  I'm slowly coming to terms that this may be something I will have to battle from here on out but that along with my weight battle is really kind of a pain!