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.