Wordless Wednesday

More Soccer....

I can't think of a better way to spend Saturday mornings. I take my coffee along, chat with friends, and get to watch my big boy play soccer. Beth and I spend a great deal of time chasing after Brett at the games. He really just wants to be a big boy, too. We frequently have to pull him off the field.
Apparently in Michigan, Soccer = rain. We had our first experience with drizzle last week. Luckily, it cleared up. Brett enjoyed playing in the umbrella while he waited for Thomas and Jack to be done.

Go, Thomas, go! The coaches do a nice job of making sure all the kids get a chance to play. This was a nice little turn for Thomas. He typically runs alongside the others and doesn't make much of an attempt to go for the ball. Aren't they so sweet in their little uniforms?!

Buddies.

The Help

I loved this book! I read it upon the recommendation of my good friend, Kathy. She was also nice enough to loan me her copy. Thanks, KB! It read a little slower than books I normally choose. This turned out to be such a benefit. I fell in love with the characters and didn't want the book to end. Reading it slowly, just a few chapters a night, allowed me to soak it all in.

The movie. To see or not to see? That's the question now. Typically, I am disappointed with the movies that are based on books. However, I've heard that this one is really good. So, I'll probably have to see it. If nothing else, it will let me get a few more tastes of Skeeter, Minny, and Aibileen.

Traditional book or e-version? For me, it's all about the traditional, turn the paper pages, and hope your bookmark doesn't fall out of its place type. I have numerous friends that swear by their Nook, Kindle, etc. I even have a friend that loads books on her phone. I, unlike my husband, am always late to the technology game. Maybe I'll jump on the bandwagon in the future. For now, there's nothing like a book with real pages.

Today

• 5:30am: Beep, beep, beep- Alan is up and at 'em.


• 5:45am: Beep, beep, beep-Jill's turn. I get up, quickly change and head downstairs to work out.


• 6:15 am: Alan is ready and backing out the driveway.


• 6:21am: Thomas makes his way to the basement. Upon arrival, he informs me that there was a "7" on his clock. Most likely 6:17 and not 7:00 like we've talked about. He is suppose to stay in his room until 7:00.


• 6:30 am: turn on cartoons so I can shower and get dressed.


• 7:00am: Pack lunches and sip some coffee before Thomas and I make pancakes for breakfast.


• 7:30am: Dishes done, tossing in a load of laundry. Snuggle and coffee time.


• 8:00am: Teeth brushed and finding shoes.


• 8:15am: Arrive at school. Stand in the parking lot for a few minutes, marveling at the double rainbow that is arching over the school. Chat with some co-workers who are taking pictures.


• 8:30am: Finally in the office and getting settled. Thomas does crafts and puts them on my bulletin board.


• 8:50am: Last hugs for a slightly weepy Thomas on my way out of his classroom


• 8:50-3:45: Work hard! I got everything done on my list AND saw all the kids I needed to :)


• 3:00pm: Alan's home.


• 3:45pm: Pick up Thomas and his buddy Kyle from their classrooms and bring them back to my office to finish up the day.


• 4:05pm: Heading home with 2 cute kiddos. Alan is in the basement working out.


• 4:30pm: Retrieve T's wagon from the ravine. Apparently he was taking Kyle for a ride. Luckily, Kyle didn't tumble down the ravine. His orange push up was the only tragedy.


• 4:40pm: Get changed. Have pictures at church at 5:30.


• 4:50pm: Alan's ready.


• 5:00pm: Load up the car - need to take Kyle home.


• 5:15pm: In town. Kyle's mom isn't home and he tells us his dad is on a business trip. Get back in the car only to have Kyle's dad open the door. Oops. Kyle was wrong. Dad IS home ;)


• 5:40pm: Pictures taken. They are running behind. Skillfully dodge the sales pitch to buy pictures and survive the cheese head photog who is calling me "your highness" and Alan "sire." Really?!


• 6:00pm: Just heading out. Need to get Alan to his friends house to help him move.


• 6:15pm: The guys are done. Alan invites them all to dinner. Yikes! Hadn't planned on company.


• 6:30pm: Scrambling in the kitchen to make dinner for a crew of men.


• 6:50pm: Dinner's done. We ate spaghetti and meatballs, chicken ravioli with alfredo sauce, and burnt garlic bread. There. Secrets out. I'm not perfect - even I burn bread ;)


• 7:20pm: Thomas gives our company the grand tour, including showing off his treasures.


• 7:40pm: Sending T off to bed with stories.


• 7:50pm: Folding laundry while Alan reads the last story.


• 8:20pm: Got the bills ready for the morning deposit and organized my coupons. Need to get groceries tomorrow. It's been 2 weeks. No milk. No bread.


• 8:40pm: Sit down to play on the computer and realize I've forgotten to blog every night this week. Crap. Strike 2 on the imperfection meter. Maybe it's because we're boring and don't do exciting things. Maybe it's because we are freaking busy all the time and I forget things (strike 3?). Depends on perspective, I guess.


• 9:00pm: Alan is snoring on the couch.


• 9:05pm: Blog done. Time for bed. Good night.

Transition Troubles

Thomas was so excited about his first day of school. He hasn't been nearly as excited about the following 4. We're having trouble with transitioning into school in the morning. His mornings have been tearful. So, if you're so inclined- keep us in your thoughts. Having him so worried is hard on Alan and I as well.

Antique Engine and Tractor Show

It's that time of year again. The Antique Engine and Tractor Show was at the Michigan Flywheelers Museum this weekend. Thomas and I camped with Kathy on Saturday night. I love that this is only about 4 miles from our house. It made going for 1 night really easy. We went for the day last year and had a great time.

Thomas hitched a ride in the Snoopy plane. The guy on the tractor built all of these little planes and takes kids for rides. I think he has just as much fun as the little ones. Lauren might just be a little bit too big for driving T's tractor.

Rob was nice enough to take Thomas on a ride around the grounds.

In his happy place.

Just another tractor on exhibit.

Thomas tooled around Flywheelers on his John Deere the entire time we were there. He loved being "just one of the guys." Older gentlemen totally understood and indulged Thomas a bit. They waved at him, complimented his tractor, and asked him questions about it. He loved telling them about his gears and showing them where his battery is stored.

Soccer Saturday

Thomas is playing AYSO soccer this Fall. So, for the next 6 Saturdays we'll be soccer parents. The hour is split into 2 parts. They practice for the first half and then have a scrimmage for the second half. Thomas was very focused on his dribbling. They had to go around the field twice while kicking the ball around the little cones.

Game time. All the boys were glued to the ball - as one would expect with 5 year old soccer. Thomas enjoyed himself and is very excited that his buddy Jack is on his team.

Artsy

Little Tommy has been very artsy the past few months. He spends numerous hours a week at home crafting, painting, cutting, gluing, and coloring. I love watching his drawings evolve and letting him explore this creative side.

Our new morning routine includes 30 minutes of him hanging out in my office before school starts. I drink coffee and work. He cuts, staples, glues, tapes, and otherwise "creates" with anything he can find in my office. He then tacks them up on my bulletin board. I'm amassing quite a collection of Thomas originals.

On Friday, Thomas gets to go to art at school. His art teacher caught me in the hallway and remarked at how well he behaved in art today. She then invited me in to show me his work. The kids were given the basic outline of a face and were to finish filling it in. In true 5 year old form, all the kids had arms and legs protruding from the face. Thomas did a great job including eyes, ears, nose, mouth, a heart, and hair. He also included some extra drawings of an ant, a spider, and a sun. However, our child was the only one that included a penis and a butt. Yep. That's right. That's our boy - always keeping us on our toes.

Daily Dose of Truth

I recently saw this on Facebook and had to save it to my desktop. It just makes me smile.

Wordless Wednesday

First Day of School!!

The BIG day! It almost feels a little surreal to me that I have a child in school now. To start the day, I had to wake him up. Of course he slept in on his first day of school. I hope this isn't any indication of what the next bazillion school mornings will be like! Thomas was a trooper and posed for quite a few pictures this morning. Above, on the front porch on the way to school. Below, next to the sign at school. Yes, it was sunny. Yes, it was cold. I had a hard time putting him in jeans and a hoodie on the first day. But, geesh, it was 47 degrees when we left the house!

Heading on in. I love that Puppy is peeking out of his backpack. Puppy stood guard in the locker. He waited patiently and protected T's stuff until he made his debut during rest time.

Thomas loves that he has his own locker. I wanted a picture of him with his name. He wanted a picture standing next to his open locker. You know, so you can see all his stuff.


Thomas is in Mrs. Flower's Pre-K (young 5s) classroom. He is very excited to be in her class this year. A couple of his buddies have had her in the past. He's heard lots of good stories. I had the benefit of working with Mrs. Flower for an entire year prior to Thomas starting school. I'm sure this will be a great year. She is full of energy, patience, and knows how to push each student to help them become their best.


Thomas (and I) did great today. No tears or emotional oubursts! He will tell those that ask about his day:

• I have 2 recesses.


• I saw Kyle and Maggie at recess. I played "monsters" at recess with Kyle.


• Hermie (the class guinea pig) knocked over his igloo and scratched at his cage when Mrs. Flower put him back in.


• I painted and played with blocks.


• We went to computers but didn't get to use them. We learned that you put a colored cup on top of your computer if it isn't doing what you want it to do.


• I colored 2 pictures.


• I made new friends- Oscar, Matthew, Charlie, and Gavin.


• I didn't care for having to walk in that line. Some kids push and don't make good choices. I want to walk like the workers.

To celebrate such a good day, Thomas and I went to the park. When we got home, I made nachos. Thomas requested them as his special first day of school dinner.

Happy Labor Day!!

I'm lucky enough to work in a field where Labor Day always means a day off. Some, like my husband, trudge into their jobs at the crack of dawn just like any other day. On his way home from work, Alan noticed our friends working on their farm. He decided to go help, so Thomas and I tagged along. Actually, to be more accurate, Thomas cancelled our trip to the park because he wanted to go "work" on the farm as well.

I've learned in the years that we have been friends with the Bennett's that there is always work to be done on the farm. Today's task - digging a trench to repair a broken drain tile. Today, they had 3 generations of Bennett farmers and 2 generations of Asiala handymen working the job. Grandpa Bennett now supervises from his tractor while Rob (far left) and Cal (on the left in the distance) do the work, with the help of anyone who is willing.

I'm intrigued by farming. Specifically, small family farms. I never gave much thought to farming in the past. I bought food at the store, cooked and ate it, and didn't give it a second thought. Now a days, we've shifted our focus. We buy our beef from this very farm. The Bennett's raise beef cattle and feed them their own corn and hay. It's a small, family operation and we are so lucky to be some of the few that are able to buy and eat this wonderful meat. In addition, we buy as much in season locally grown produce as possible. The local farmers market is one of our Saturday morning routine stops. Good thing, too, because this year, we stunk at gardening. This measly bowl:

was our gardens bounty for the season. Pitiful, really. We'll try harder next year. In the mean time, we'll continue buying from our local farmers and hitting up Grandpa Bennett's garden for seasonal treats. I picked 4 buttercup squash this morning. Can't wait to cook one later this week!

Cal grew little pumpkins and Thomas was thrilled to bring a couple home. He plans on painting them later in the day.

One Liners

Thomas, like his dad, memorizes lines from movies and then makes use of them on a frequent basis. Some of his current favorites:

From Rio, "I'm gonna bust that cage open like a soda can."

From Despicable Me, "Done got shrunk."

Also from Despicable Me, "Teeeeennnnny, tiiiinnnny, tooooiiiiilet."

Tonight, he got a new line from a song that was on in Alan's truck -

"Shake that healthy butt."

Yep, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix a Lot.

Flashback: Summer: Chicago Children's Museum

Flashback to July, 7th when Beth and I went on an adventure. We packed up the boys and headed into Chicago. Destination- the Chicago Children's Museum. Thomas, Jack, and Brett had a great time exploring, using their imaginations, and role playing. Beth and I had a great time watching them in all their wonder and chatting along the way.

Chief Thomas. This is one of my new favorite pictures.

Thomas and Jack had a great time playing in the fire department/safety area.

Little builders. Thomas loves these boards, bolts, and nuts. I've searched the 'net high and low and can't find anything remotely close. Maybe a handy grandpa would like to make him a set...

Wow, 3 feet 10 inches tall in July. He's growing like a weed!

Beth and I grabbed some Starbucks on the way out and enjoyed a peaceful ride home. I'm so glad we got to share such a wonderful day with such good friends!

a little project :)

For the month of September, I will do a blog post every day. I will give this little project my best effort. I've had a couple of requests for more frequent posts, so hopefully this will point me in the right direction.

Stay tuned, there's a lot to come!

Blessings

Blessings are out there, you just have to recognize them when they look you in the eye. We were blessed, almost 5 years ago, with a sweet, rambunctious, eager little boy. Thomas changed our lives in ways we never would have expected.

Carol Rouse came into our lives a short 3 years ago. I met Carol in a few different arenas before she became our daycare provider. I remembered her as being full of energy, loving her family, and speaking highly of the services she provided and the families she provided them for. A couple of months later, during a time of despair and frustration with our then current daycare - I made the call. It's a call I will never regret.

I will be eternally grateful for the love and support she provided for our family. She has helped us to shape Thomas into the little man he is becoming. Carol has been such a blessing to us.

Today we parted ways, sharing a deep bear hug and many tears. Tears of happiness for the school year to come, tears of gratitude for the wonderful job she has done, and tears of sadness for the upcoming absence of our twice daily talks.


Thomas on his last day. He loved spending time with Carol's grandkids (and summer daycare helpers), Madissen and Aiden.