My baby is done with kindergarten.

Yes, I'm a little late on this post, but that is what motherhood has done to me, it has made me late. Well, on May 18th Hunter finished Kindergarten. It has been a year of ups and downs but when I look back, it has mostly been ups (this statement brings a tear to my eye...motherhood again). I am simply amazed at what they learn in one little year. Hunter can read, write, count money, tell time, buckle his belt and tuck in his shirt perfectly. He can sit still, almost, in Church and he can actually take the time to color and draw. I can't even imagine how many words he can recognize and write by sounding them out. I remember the first day of school I asked Hunter how it went, 'Great, they don't have time out and there are no naps!', those were the highlights. Needless to say, I was a little worried, but not shocked. I knew from the time Hunter started talking and walking putting him in those 4 walls was going to be hard, and some days, it was, for everyone involved! However, God knew what he was doing and blessed us with the most patient, loving teacher a first time mom and busy kid could ever ask for. Week 2 brought us the call, 'Hunter is having a hard time listening, sitting still and keeping his attention'......shocking, so shocking to us:-) So, needless to say, Mike and I sat down with our little go getter and explained what he needed to do and what he shouldn't do. When we were done I told Hunter, 'you know, if you don't do well this year you won't get to go to 1st grade like the rest of your class don't you?'. 'yes, I know.................who is going to be in kindergarten next year?' Really God, seriously, is this is what we are going to have to deal with for the next 16 years of school, do you have a little to much time on your hands???:-) But, things got better, days got better, letters from school got better and then the snow came, and then 2 weeks of Christmas vacation and then the Wii. Well the combination of all of these sent Hunter into a tailspin and right to the principals office in February. Here it is, 8:05 am, AM, and the school calls, its that principal, the principal, 8:05AM, AM, I had just sat down and turned on my computer at work. Mind you, I had just had a call from the teacher (the 2nd in 2 weeks) and Hunter the previous week! Well Mr. Hunter couldn't keep his hands to himself and the teacher was spent, that day was not the day to mess with her, not again, the last straw was drawn. So yep, you guessed it, I'm crying on the phone, Hunter's crying on the phone, the principal is probably thinking, 'lady, him and a boy were playing around, he is 6, suck it up, things will get way worse than this'. But from that day on, Mr. Hunter was on his way to making #1 alter boy. We prayed each night we could be good and our brain would make the right decisions. We had a football player/coach pep talk each morning that we could be good. And Hunter greeted me each day at after school with the same phrase, "another great day Mom!". And you know what, it was, another great day because in the end as long as we are happy and healthy and together, they are all great days.

Did you bring my tin home dad?

Dawson, he is my builder, my artist, my thinker. If his dad uses that tool, he is going to use that tool. If his dad built something, than he is going to build it too. I picked up Dawson from daycare today. They went on a field trip today to the miniature golf place. I asked him how it was and he said great! He said his teacher Tina said though, "if your ball goes in the water, don't go after it, we'll get a new one". So, no one went in the water today, per Dawson anyway. But on the way home Dawson said, 'I sure hope dad remembered to bring my tin home tonight'. What are you going to do with that tin I ask? "Well, I'm thinking about getting some lumber and building a shop". Hmmm, sounds like hard work I say. So, at supper Dawson asked Mike about his tin. Well, Mike forgot the tin but asked Dawson how much he needed. Dawson said, 'how much you got?'. Apparently Dawson is figuring on building a shop about the size of the cabin that dad built. Great, two cabins at one house and still, no repainted stairwell for mom.........

Our first family stay-cation

The week before Memorial Weekend we headed to St. Louis. It was our first family vacation that Mike attended with us and I was so nervous that it wouldn't go well and it would be Mike's last with us. But thank the Lord, it went well and everyone, all 4 of us, had a great time! On Saturday we packed up and headed to St. Louis for the City Museum. We had never been there before but everyone who had, says it great, but beware there are lots of tunnel. Lot's of tunnel does not even begin to describe it. The place is a huge warehouse that some one took a bunch of scrap metal and rebar and slides and called it a kids heaven. It is really made for kids ages 9 and up I would say because it is a maze. You have to be ready as a parent to crawl, climb and search for your kids. They head up tunnels and if you can't fit with them, then you have to figure out where the heck they are coming out. The boys, all 3 of them, loved the place. I, a mom, was worn out from climbed, but also from wondering where my 'lost boys' were have the time. We spent 5 hours there and the boys were still not ready to leave and wanted to go back the next day. So, needless to say, we'll go back, but probably in a few years when I'm more ready to have them lost for 10 minutes and not be scared about it.

From the city museum we headed back to our hotel, the Drury by the Arch, it was awesome. It was located right downtown, had super friendly people, a pool (Dawson's favorite), and a awesome breakfast (Hunter's favorite). After the museum we decided to eat in the hotel restaurant which was very good, the kid's ate like nobody's business as they had just run a 5k at the city museum. We then ended supper with a trip the the restaurant's sundae bar, big hit. After that, you guessed it, were off to the pool. Finally at 9:15 I promised Dawson a soda so we could get out of the pool! That night the boys fell asleep so fast they didn't know what hit them and slept until 7am, which is very late for them on a weekend, not on a school morning, but on a weekend.

Sunday was a very busy day, we ate breakfast and then headed to the Arch. Mike and I had been 'to' the arch a ton of times but never up. So, we did it, went all the way up. I was leery of the small space and heights, but I sucked it up for the family and it really went well. We got to the top and the boys were plain amazed at what they saw. When we got back down and started to walk the river front I said, "Hunter, can you believe we were just up there and looking through those window!'. Hunter said, 'Mom, we weren't all the way up there. We were looking through a lot bigger windows, those window's are really tiny". On our way to the river front there was a hot dog cart and you know, if they see any food overpriced and ready for consumption, they are starving at that very moment! So, we enjoyed a hot dog, chips and soda and wanted the barges flow by. All I could think was how lucky we were, to just be together and to get to be able to go on a stay cation, very lucky.

From there we headed to the Cardinals' game, the first for all 4 of us at the new stadium. Let me tell you, the recession has not hit the Cardinal's stadium. It was a Sunday afternoon and the placed was packed. We were lucky enough to get free tickets from aunt Becky, thanks Becky! Well, the seats were $70 seats, we spent $35 on food (I'll list that out in a moment) and then you still have parking to pay for. I couldn't believe it, how expensive a game could be. If you had to pay for tickets, food, parking, gas and maybe even a hotel the game could run a family of 4 almost $500, CRAZY!!. Since it was the boys first time I let them pick their favorites for lunch at the ball park. They got nachos, cracker jacks, a soda, and 1 hot dog for $20.75. Mike went back and got a Hardees hamburger, no drink, for $10. And then we went later for 2 ice cream cones for $5.....out of control crazy expensive, but we paid it and so did tons of other people. I just couldn't believe how busy it was during such a down time for so many.

Well, we lasted to the 7th inning and then figured we should head out of town before everyone else. When we got on the road Dawson said, 'did we miss nap time?' He always feels like such a man when he gets out of nap time. I told him he'd missed it. I turned around 1 minute later and he was out like a light, mouth open and all, he was out for the next 1 1/2.

Time just flies.........

I made it back from California weeks ago and am just now getting or finding time to blog, the summer is crazy and it isn't really even summer yet! When I was gone I took pictures of San Francisco to show the boys where I'd been. This shot I took from my window seat on the plane to show the boys how high I was. I thought it would be neat to show then how I was ABOVE the clouds. Well, of course Mr. Dawson put his little brain into thought. I showed Dawson the pic and he thought it was so neat, that I was so high, and off he ran. Well, later that day ol' Hunter was on his death and heaven talk, at the age of 6 he is not ready to die and wants to know how old he will be before he does, crazy man. Well, I always say you never go until you've done everything you need to do on earth and so on. Then of course Hunter always wants to know what heaven is like and what you do there and who you'll see. Here is where Dawson's wheels start spinning. I say, "I'm not sure what it's like in heaven but I know it's the best place to be'. Dawson's turn to speak now, 'my, you were just in heaven'; 'no, I haven't been to heaven'; yes you were mom, when you were on the plane, you were above the clouds, and that's consider heaven you know, and did you see grandpa Rick when you were up there?':-) Cause as you know, heaven is way above the clouds and I said, I was flying above the clouds................

When I returned though, everyone wanted to know how Mike did with the boys for 6 days as he has never wanted the boys for more than a day. Well, I tell everyone, 'if the operation failed that would have meant that the house burned down because I had everything lined up for them! In order for the week to go smooth I cleaned the house, washed all the clothes, laid out all the boys clothes for the week, prepared suppers or lined them up, finished all of Hunter's homework with him for the week and prepared a detailed list by day of what had to be done with the boys from sun up to sun down. Is was a lot of work to prepare it all and pack for myself but as you know, that's just was mom's do. I asked Hunter when I returned how it went and he said, "mom, I really missed you, but it was good to get to spend so much time with dad".

I'm gone and wondering what is going on........

I'm on the west coast and my family is still in the Midwest.....and I'm scared!!?? I had to leave for a week for work and Hunter wanted to know if I would remember him...... I've never been gone more than a few days from the boys and this trip will be 6 days, so this is different. Dawson couldn't care much on Sunday when I left, 'ya, love ya, see ya Friday, I gotta and go'. However Hunter said he loved me, he'd miss me and got a little teary eyed.........which made my tears start flowing! Hunter kept saying, 'mom, stop crying, mommm stop crying'. So, I pulled myself together and hoped in the car. I hadn't been on a plane in about 11 years so rules and procedures have definitely changed on the planes and at the airports. We only saw one women with a 'swine flu' mask on, which was nice. Our plane got delayed 2 hours because of fog but we gained 2 hours flying west so I guess it all evened out. However my 'clock' is really going to be off after a week of living this 'time'. On the plane we also got to watch Marley and Me which was good, but it made me cry!!!!! I rarely cry and then twice in one day I'm hit with the tears, crazy!!! Well, I'll post some pics and finds of my trip when I return..................