No Text, Just Watch....

Mother of a First Grader....or not

Jake's Kindergarten Graduation was today. Let me start by stating my opinion on the idea of "graduating" from Kindergarten: It is silly. The Pomp and Circumstance playing as the kids walked in with the graduation caps and the slide show of the year playing on the big screen was all a little too much for Brian and I to handle. Cute, yes, but WAY over the top. I am not a Scrooge. Honestly. But I fit it into the same category of "Everyone Gets a Trophy" and "Everyone Wins Citizen of the Week". If they have a full fledged graduation ceremony at 6, what does High School and college graduation really mean?

Jake was very nervous for his singing presentation with his class and I caught him practicing the "hand shake with the right and accept the diploma with the left" while he was in bed last night. So, I am officially the mother of a first grader. Am I really old enough for that title?

When I congratulated Jake on being a 1st grader, however, he told

me in no uncertain terms that he is NOT a first grader yet. He is still a Kindergardener. "It's like a clock, Mom. If the little hand is BETWEEN the 2 and the 3, it isn't 3 yet. It only becomes 3 o'clock when the big hand actually is ON the three!" OK, then. I guess I am not the mother of a first grader yet. I stand corrected.

It was a busy day. After the ceremony- complete with a balloon arch and cookie reception and lots of crying parents- I took Jake home with two of his friends. We played at the pool for a few hours, watched Madagascar 2 and the boys entertained themselves with basketball and chess until it was time for the Carnival. No, I am not kidding. We had an all-school carnival from 3-5 on the playground. Brian and I manned the Dunk Tank and Jake got to dunk his favorite teacher- Mr. Perotto (the PE teacher, of course).

The kids are all exhausted and currently watching SpongeBob until bedtime. We are hoping they sleep until noon.

Another Season Come and Gone

We finished up our T-Ball season last week with our last game and party. It was a great season and a lot of fun, but as usual when it comes around I am ready for it to be done. It is a lot of work to keep 11 tired but yet still hyper kids focused (I truly don't know how teachers do it, I would collapse into a pool of bourbon....or kill someone...).

We had a great group of kids this year, with a lot of talent and enough internal good behavior 

genes (or fear of their coach yelling) to keep them from laying down in the field, or picking daisies, or looking for bugs when they should be paying attention. If there was a score kept, we would have finished an undefeated season. We had the best hitters in the league as a whole and we made the only put outs at 1st of any game I saw.

We'll see what sport is up next. Both boys are making noise about hockey, there is a tennis camp this summer, and Jake is all ready to sign up for football for next season. But I am out of coaching until Tanner hits T-Ball in the 2011 season.

My Own Personal "Field of Dreams"

I started this long weekend by doing something completely illogical and possibly slightly insane.I traded my mini VAN for a mini COOPER.

I'm not joking. It could be a sign of an early midlife crisis...

It is the coolest thing ever. I LOVE it. I am pretty sure it will be worth every cent of the (relatively low) car payment that I now have to make (with the relatively high raise I am getting when I change jobs in August).

No, all three kids cannot fit in it (well.... at least not if Brian is with us).
No, it doesn't have all wheel drive.
No, it won't be easy to drive in the winter- or particularly warm (although it does have heated seats!)

Yes, my father thinks I have lost my mind- or at least he does now that he knows I actually did it. When he was here the idea was only that: AN IDEA.
Yes, the kids all love it. When I picked up Faith from daycare she jumped up and down and said, "Ooh! That looks like FUN!!!")
Yes, it makes me feel a little like a teenager again (as long as I don't turn around and see the carseats in the back).

There is no logic involved, really, but here's what I tell myself so I don't feel like I have gone off the deep end:

• It gets great gas mileage
• We don't really need two large cars since we never have all the kids in two places at once
• Brian works from home, so when it is winter we only need one 4 wheel drive anyway (and the van wasn't all wheel drive either) and because I work so close if there is ever a reason he needs the big car he can drive me to work and pick me up.
• It has low miles (at least we bought USED, right?) so by the time it is paid off we will trade in the Suburban and have alternating car payments. (OK... so it's a stretch)
• Two of our closest friends told me to "go for it". Seriously. They bought an even less useful car (a two seater Miata) when their kids were still little and they promised me they never regretted it. (I called them for advice since I was pretty sure they wouldn't try to talk me out of it.)

In Field of Dreams there is a scene where Kevin Costner and his wife are standing out on their front porch arm in arm looking at the baseball field they just built and he turns to his wife and says with a smile, "I have just created something completely illogical... Am I completely nuts?"

Quite probably.

It really is a small town.....

Boise is featured in a couple of magazine articles this month. Sunset has Boise, including our community and Merc on it's list of 7 best getaways in the West, and Men' Journal has Boise ranked as one of 30 best places to live. Which is cool in and of itself.

The Men's Journal says that Boise is the kind of City where you can find yourself stopped at a red light next to the Governor, which seemed like a good way of saying it's a small town. Well, today, Jake and I found out it wasn't just hyperbole. 

We were in the line at the Home Depot and were right behind the Governor and First Lady. The Gov. turned, and as politicians are want to do, started talking to Jake, asking him what projects we were working on around the house and if he was helping me out. Jake said, "yes" and I said, "Jake this is the Governor of Idaho", to which Jake replied, "Oh.". Once we got outside I explained who the Governor was and what he does. 

We finished up at Home Depot and went to the feed store (Jake calls it the cowboy store) to get some other things for the garden. As we were leaving, The Governor walked in, saw Jake and said, "Hey Jake, haven't you got that stuff back home yet?" Very cool.

Now our Governor is a VERY Republican; Hunter, Rancher, oppressor of freedoms etc. But on this day, he couldn't have been a better guy.

Remodeling Project

When we bought this house we had no idea that Faith was already on her way. So we bought a house with two (rather small) kids bedrooms- one being for Tanner and one for Jake. Well, when Faith came along we realized we'd have to do something different- and there was no way we were moving again!

So we transferred the boys into the upstairs Bonus Room- which is a huge room, perfect for sharing with a brother. Only problem was.... no closet. So we knew this project was on the horizon, we just didn't know when exactly. We realized as we were refinancing the house recently that this was the perfect opportunity, so we took a little extra cash out of the equity and got to work.

No, we were not crazy enough to take on the project ourselves. This time we hired a contractor. It was a quick two weeks with the boys sleeping together in our guest bed while the work was being done. Faith loved having them right next door, and could often be heard yelling to them from her room. "MY TANA! BE QUIET MY TANA!" or "I going sleep now. No talking my bruddahs!" We wanted a really fun, functional space for the boys to grow up in, since I swear on my life we are not moving before they graduate high school. So this room will have to do for the next 12 years of Jake's life and 15 of Tanner's.
It turned out great. There is a HUGE closet (the picture is just of Jake's half) with plenty of space to store things like football helmets, hockey sticks, and (quite secondarily...) clothes. There is a real basketball hoop mounted on one wall which is clearly the highlight of the room for them since they have done little else since we got it installed yesterday. They each have their own workspace/desk in the corner near the windows, and we got industrial grade carpet squares that are easy to replace if spills occur- or if someone decides to take a sharpie to one of them (not that I speak from experience, of course).

Papa's Visit May 2009

Papa came for a nice long visit with the Alan clan this past week. There was tennis to be played, swings to be pushed, basketball playoffs to watch, and lots of catching up to do. It was so great to have him here and it was made even nicer (for HIM) that he was able to stay at my Mom's house- which is uninhabited for 6 months of the year- and not have to OD on "kid time". It can take a monumental amount of patience to hang out with our family sometimes, and for someone used to living alone- in a quiet house, with little more to worry about than when his next tennis match is- the hustle and bustle and whining and dinner time and bedtime and "Quick , get in the car. It's time to go to daycare!" stuff can really get to a person.

Dad was a trooper! He took the boys to the tennis courts several times, played out on the swing set with Faith to her heart's content, took us out to eat on more than one occasion, and teased and talked to and interacted with the kids the whole time. We were lucky enough to have Dad here for our first concert of the season at the Barn- which was a really fun way to pass an evening- and also to have the NBA playoffs on most nights, which we watched after the kids went to bed. The kids adored him (especially the boys-) but even Faith had warmed up enough to offer him a hug goodbye on his last day.

I loved sharing this time with you, Dad. Thanks for a great visit!

Deep, philosphical conversations with Jake.

For whatever reason, Jake waits until he and I are out alone doing something to have his deep discussions. We have discussed religion on our walks to school, politics and the Presidential Election on the basketball court before anyone else arrives, and race relations and segregation/the Civil Rights movement on a bike ride. 

He gives these topics waaayy more thought then I give him credit for (or than I remember doing at his age). So it's awesome to see the wheels turning while we talk. I love having these discussions with him, it keeps me sharp having to figure out how to say what needs to be said in a appropriate way, without putting the bias of my opinion into the conversation. It's important to me (and I assume Marisa to, although we haven't come out and discussed it) that he develop his own opinions (yes, even if they are contrary to mine) based on his take of the evidence and his feelings on the matter.

Yesterday in the car on the way to run some errands, he decided the time was right to discuss Creationism v. Evolution. He asked me, "Dad, who was the first person on the Earth?". As I started to formulate the discussion the way I generally do, "Well, bud, it depends on what you believe..." He jumped back in, "I think it was probably Babe Ruth..." I really almost drove the car off the road because I was laughing so hard the tears were obscuring my vision.

We finished our discussion as per usual, eventhough this is a little harder topic for me to keep my opinion out of, but I think I did a pretty good job of being impartial. But I made it pretty clear that the first person on Earth was Ty Cobb.....

Mother's Day 2009

As a surprise for Mother's Day Brian took the kids to a local photographer for a "photo shoot" while I was in Seattle several weekends ago. There are 60 some odd pictures but here are three of my favorites.

Of course Brian couldn't keep it an actual secret all the way from April 27th to today, so he showed me the pictures about 9 days ago after asking me repeatedly for 24 hours if I wanted my Mother's Day present early. Finally I relented! The last few blogs- the ones I did about each of the kids- also feature photos from this shoot.

It was a great Mother's Day present. Now we are on our way out for a family bike ride to the park downtown and Joe's Crab Shack for an early dinner.

Happy Mother's Day 2009!

Go Giants!

T-ball is moving right along and would be going perfectly if not for the weather. We have had two games rained out so far (out of a six game schedule), but have been able to re-schedule those, so the kids will get to play all of their games. We have two games this week (one make up) and we should be in the clear weather-wise for awhile.

This group of boys is a little more skilled than last years team so we are doing really well. There are no outs and no score is kept, but so far we have been the best team I have seen, this week will really tell the tale. As always Jake is having a good time and just keeps getting better and better. He has A LOT of friends on the team this year, so I think he is enjoying it more than last year. I also think he is aware that he is better than most of the kids on the team so he is not having any confidence issues either, he is able to just let himself relax and play ball and it's a blast to see (even from a coaches perspective).

Jake

Jake is getting more grown up each day it seems. Hard to believe that Kindergarten will be over in 3 weeks. Although he is a good solid reader, he is not that into listening to books (much to my dismay, of course). He likes picture books somewhat- and funny books like Chet Gecko and Geronimo Stilton- but all of our attempts at "good" chapter books seem to fall on deaf ears. I am dying to read him Harry Potter and Charlotte's Web and Dragon Rider and such, but so far it's a no go.

Sometimes he says things that I swear came straight out of Brian's mouth. It is becoming more and more obvious which traits he has picked up on from each of us- both good and bad. He is kind, loving, friendly, gentle, helpful,and sensitive to other people's needs. He is also needy and demanding and whiny and sarcastic (he gets that from both of us...) and often over tired despite our best efforts to get him to sleep past 6.

While he has a typical love/hate relationship with Tanner, his relationship with Faith appears to be all love. That little girl can get away with murder as far as he is concerned. Tanner, on the other hand, can just look at him wrong and it's all over. Still, they are all playing together really nicely these days. The boys will engage in a game of 1 on 1 basketball or Tanner and Faith race their matchbox cars. While the need is still there for him to be "entertained" by one of us, it is getting better, I think.

He loves to help around the house- probably his favorite thing to do is help his daddy. Recently we had to move everything out of the boys room because we are getting ready to do the construction (build a big closet). He just was so happy helping to carry the things down to the garage, decide which things we would sell at the garage sale, etc... He makes breakfast for the kids on occasion and the other night requested that he be allowed to make us all dinner (He wanted me to rest since I was recuperating from strep throat).

He has his best buddies at school that are his age, but also makes friends with the older kids on the playground, often playing basketball, four square, or tether ball with 2nd graders. I am so, so proud of him and lucky on this (and every) Mother's Day to call him my son.

Tanner

Tanner Bee-nanner, TanMan, Tanner Pants, TJ

No matter what you call him, he is a character. He is the most loving boy- so affectionate. He has definitely been more of a Mama's Boy lately- and I don't mean that in a negative way. My kids have always been partial to their daddy in many ways but lately Tanner wants me and I have to admit, it is really nice! He will crawl up into bed or onto the couch and cuddle with me. It was really hard for him when I was sick last week and he wasn't allowed to kiss me or get too close (dr's orders).

He takes to people really quickly. My mom had a friend visit recently (Carol) and Tanner just fell in love with her. On several mornings after dropping Jake at school I took the little ones over to Nana's for morning coffee and treats. Both days when Carol was there Tanner went upstairs to talk to her while she was getting showered and dressed. He definitely charmed her!

He plays really well with Faith. The two of them definitely have a special relationship, being so close in age. He told me the other day that when he gets old enough he will drive Faith around in the car to where she wants to go and in that instant I could just see it: Faith in the passenger seat with her feet up on the dash bossing Tanner around as he takes her to the mall. Seriously- they are so cute together. Watching them sometimes they remind me of an old married couple- loving and affectionate but also knowing exactly how to push the other's buttons! She calls him "My Tana" and he is almost always delighted to see her after her naps or in the morning when she wakes up.

He also really looks up to Jake, but their relationship is more stereotypical, I think. Neither Brian nor I ever had a brother, so this "brother relationship" is somewhat a mystery to us both. They can play really nicely together and then all of a sudden things will fall apart for seemingly no reason. I don't see competition between them yet, at least not from Tanner's side, but know that it will probably be an issue as they get older.

He can run us ragged some days, being naughty just to see what will happen- especially when he is overtired, but the sweetness and charm win me over every time. He loves to have one-on-one time with each of us and thrives when we are alone.

I know that every mother in the world thinks this, but I am so lucky to have this kid in my life.

Faith

Faith continues to love animals and has recently added a doggie and an old Winnie-the-Pooh bear to her sleeping arrangement. We've got to pare down her stuffies as she will often wake up and call out for us in distress if she can't find the particular one she wants- which is really annoying in any case but especially annoying when it is the miniscule bunny rabbit that she has lost somewhere beneath her covers.

She calls me "My Mommy" as in "Me want some juice please my mommy" or "I love you my mommy!". She calls Tanner "My Tana" and continues to idolize him. The other morning Tanner insisted on wearing two different shoes to school, so of course, Faith had to follow suit. I took them to daycare with Tanner wearing one Cars croc and one blue one, while Faith wore one bright orange/yellow crow and one pink.

She is so affectionate and often will just lay her head on my shoulder and pat my back. When I was sick recently she kept bringing me her prized animals and laying them beside me and asking, "You feel better now my mommy?"

She LOVES to swing and will gladly spend what seems like hours out there in the backyard swinging on her tummy or being pushed by someone. She is playing T Ball with her brothers and hitting off the tee with the best of them. She may be the only two year old out there that can identify not only a hockey stick, tennis racket, and every type of ball known to man but also asks specifically for the Lacrosse stick.

She loves to play outside in our sand box and swim in the hot tub. Her hair is getting longer and she is finally allowing us to put headbands on her. She will watch Dora for hours on end and insists on wearing her Dora shirt whenever possible. She has started crying at daycare drop off, but (just like her brother used to) but stops as soon as the front door closes.

She can be feisty and definitely stands up for herself with her brothers and anyone else that gets in her way. It is so trite to say, but honestly, she is the best little girl in the world and as much as I want to keep her this age forever, I am so excited to see what the next stage will bring.

Dad and Joan Visit

My Dad and his wife Joan came into town this last weekend for a visit. We hadn't seen them here since 2007, so it was great to have them drive up and visit with us.

Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding their visist weren't the greatest; Marisa was sick most of the weekend with Strep, and it rained almost all day Saturday and Sunday. Friday night was nice enough to get in some flag football over on the green, so Dad got to see Jake and Tanner in all their football glory before the bad weather set in.

After the rain started, it was indoor weekend. Grandpa Phil and Joan both did great with intensive kid time, playing games, reading books and throwing all sorts of various balls around the house while waiting to see if the weather would clear. We braved the rain for breakfast at the Merc on Saturday and make your own Pizza dinner for the kids at Flatbread Community Oven on Sunday night. I spent the weekend making sure the kids were taking their vitamins and pouring orange juice down everyone's throats trying to stave off Strep for the rest of us (it's a really bad strain apparently, they gave Marisa a shot rather than oral antibiotics, which would be to wimpy to fight it and she's still not feeling any better.....please let it miss the rest of us!)

It was a great visit in spite of everything, and we are looking forward to seeing them (and some extended family) for our vacation week in Clearlake in August.