Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Once again I am reminded of the importance of flexibility in this life. It's been quite a week- professionally speaking. Wednesday night I received an email from my principal for next year (I had signed a contract in April for a 2nd grade teaching position at a charter school in Eagle) stating that the State Commission of Charter Schools had voted unanimously to revoke the charter of our school. Trying not to panic, I did some research and found the audio transcripts of all of the previous year's commission meetings ( hours of fun entertainment! ) and found out the school was given a list of deficiencies way back in April. There were several meetings in May and June, then at the July meeting earlier this week, the commission gave the news that they were voting to revoke the charter. To make a long, long story very short, let's just say that after speaking with the Deputy Superintendent of Idaho (luckily I know him pretty well from my job this year at Apangea and was able to call him directly) I found out more details about the school and its leadership and I decided to resign my position and stay at Apangea to help with implementation for another year. As many of you know, I was dying to get back to the classroom, so this was definitely a blow for me at first. I spent a few hours yesterday feeling sorry for myself, but after a relaxing date night last night (Thanks, Mary!) and a day at the lake with the kids today, I am feeling 100% better. I keep reminding myself that I have a long teaching career in front of me. And Brian keeps reminding me of how much I truly respect the product that I am promoting, the people I work with, and how much more flexible my schedule is with this job.

Considering I had spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday interviewing candidates for my replacement, I had to kind of cow-tow back to my boss and ask for my job back. He was so supportive. In fact, everyone at Apangea was GREAT and not only told me I could have my job back without any hesitation, but also told me how happy they are that I am staying. Unfortunately this means I will have to go back to Pittsburgh for training the first week of August. Luckily I really like my colleagues- in fact my boss is probably one of my closest friends here- but being gone for 5 nights will be rough, especially considering I am going to be gone 3 nights this week for a training in Idaho Falls.... Brian gets another opportunity to shine as Super Dad :)

LAX

Lacrosse is a sport that is gaining in popularity all over the U.S. But is HUGE here in the Boise area. We have friends who's children have been playing for years and it's a big deal (he's choosing his High School based on where he'll have the opportunity to play Varsity LAX as a Freshman). Jake and Tanner watch college lacrosse on TV sometimes and like to play up in their room.

We signed Jake up for the YMCA lacrosse experience camp this summer (along with about 6 others), and today was the first day. Marisa had a meeting so I took him and stayed to watch. He did great. We bought him a lacrosse stick at a yard sale and he has been playing with our friends son (above) so he had some skills before he showed up this morning. He knew how to pass, shoot, face off..everything.

They did drills for a little bit and then broke down into a scrimmage. Jake had two goals and an assist. It was awesome. Hopefully he stays with it, really it's the only way he's going to go to an Ivy league College.

Why we did what we did...

So after talking about buying a boat each summer for the past I don't know how many summers (go back and read the summer posts for the last couple of years), we bought one this year. It's a 15 year old Starcraft that we found on Craigslist (how did the world exist before Craigslist?). The people that owned it were great. They took immaculate care of the boat, it was always garaged, always maintained etc. It was in beautiful shape. They took us out in it and showed us how to drive it, launch it, trailer it etc. They also threw in a whole bunch of ski equipment. So, all that said, Marisa and I jumped in a bought it.

Yesterday was the exact reason why we did.

We got up 1st thing and loaded everyone up in the car and headed out to Lucky Peak resevoir. Lucky Peak is about 45 minutes from the house and

a really easy drive. The lake is long and narrow (kinda like Don Pedro only not as warm and smaller), with campsites and docks kind of spread throughout. We got up there by 9:00, got the boat in the water and found an unoccupied dock. We set up camp and hung out on the water the rest of the day.

The kids swam, played in the sand, caught tadpoles and rode in the boat. All of them went in the tube behind the boat at different times. Faith and Tanner both helped drive as well. Marisa got to ski and knee board as well as tube with Faith. I tried to wakeboard (I need some help, and a board with WAY bigger bindings) and kneeboard (unsuccesfully!), and got to tube with both Tanner and Jake. Grandma Mary came up as well and helped us shepherd kids, man the ski flag and hold Faith while she fell asleep on the ride back to the dock to go home.

We left about 2:00 (it took a couple of shots for me to get the trailer in the water straight enough to trailer the

boat) and were home about four. We hit the DQ for some soft serve on the way home, and all in all it was the exact summer boat day we had been longing for. We are both so excited that the kids will have these memories to grow up with. The tube was the extent of their bravery so far, but it's just a matter of time. We'll see you on the water.

Top 10 Reasons Not to Buy a Boat...

#10).....yeah, we don't care


A 1994 Starcraft family/waterski/wakeboard/ kneeboard/day- on- the -lake-memory-maker
becomes ours on Sunday....

Jake vs. THE BOAT

While Tanner couldn't get enough of the boat, Jake had a love/hate relationship with it. He has always tended to side on the err of caution- even on the playground equipment or his bike, etc... He started out pretty nervous about the boat- in fact he didn't even go on it the first night, choosing instead to stay back at camp with Brian. On day two he faced his fear, though, and even went behind the boat on the inner tube with me. I was really proud of him for doing that because I know it was probably really hard for him to face his fear. Even on our last day he was a bit afraid of the speed and did not like when Jessa drove (she is a madwoman behind the wheel!). He did not like going over wakes or doing donuts. Brian dove in at one point to show him what would happen if he accidentallly fell in- that John would just circle back to get him. At that point he decided he also wanted to jump in and after a few minutes all of us dove in for a quick swim in the middle of Pend Oreille. Faith did NOT like me going in the water AT ALL but the boys thought it was great. Jake did drive the boat a few times with Brian (very slowly!) and claimed at the end of the trip that he really like being on the boat. I was proud of him for sticking with it and giving it a chance. It was a great primer before our big trip to Clear Lake next month.

Faith Takes on Pend Oreille

After the rather chaotic first camping trip of the season we left for this one with some trepidation. Doing without sleep for one night was one thing, but four nights could have been disastrous. The first night we showed her we meant business and took her out to the Suburban for a "time out" when she wouldn't settle down. This must have put the fear of God in her as she rose to the occasion for the rest of the trip and although she did spend at least 15 minutes each bedtime jumping on the air mattress and yelling, 'I JUMPING TANA! I JUMPING!" she settled down much easier. She couldn't quite get the hang of sleeping on the air mattress, though, and was found each night in varying degrees of what looked like extreme discomfort. One morning I woke to find her with her head on the hard ground and her legs on the mattress, the next morning I found her in the opposite pose. And, of course, one night she ended up in bed with Brian and I.
Her favorite activity was playing on the beach. One day she spent over half an hour taking sand and putting it on top of her hand, then taking a plastic container of water and rinsing it off. Over and over and over and over. She was perfectly content. She also loved playing with her cousins- and they definitely doted on her full force. She loved picking up rocks in the campground and she asked me to put them all in my pockets. Our trips to the restroom would take about three times as long as they should because she would have to stop multiple times to pick up the rocks (really just gravel from the road) and hand them to me to hold.

She was a little nervous about the boat at first, but loved it once she realized I would be holding her tightly the entire time. She kept saying how much fun it was but made it abundantly clear that she did not want to go on the inner tube behind the boat (not that I would have let her!) or into the water in any way shape or form.

Tanner Jackson (aka "Spiccoli") Does Pend Oreille

Check out our blond haired surfer boy. He LOVED the boat and has a definite need for speed. He was like a hood ornament in between Quincy and Jess on the helm. He drove the boat like a pro and was clearly made for the boating life.

He kept everyone entertained on the trip. My favorite quote of his was when Quincy said to him, "Tanner, you are so cute and nice!" and he said, "AND FUNNY!"

He liked playing on the beach and digging in the sand, playing in the "play tent" with his cousins, and helping Brian set up the equipment. He spent a lot of time angling for more marshmallows and trying to sneak swigs of diet coke from the picnic table.

He was so exhausted at the end of each day that he fell asleep upon hitting his sleeping bag.

Summer 2009 Family Camping Trip #2

We told our kids that we would leave after school on Thursday, but we really intended on leaving at 4AM. They tend not to sleep if they know something exciting is going to happen. So when we woke them up at 3:45 they were all rather surprised. Tanner, as usual, was wide awake instantaneously and looked up from his bed with wide eyes and said, "What are we doing, Dad?" like he had been awake for hours. It took Jake a few minutes of eye rubbing and sleepy confusion before he realized what we were doing. Faith was game to go, as long as she had all her "baynies" with her in the car.
They all took two naps on the 10 hour drive North. It was easy driving for Brian and easy child duty for me.

I love camping- and it is so much more fun when it isn't raining! We had beautiful weather- perfect, really. It was in the high 80's but our campground was in the shade so none of us ever got too hot. Plus we were right on the lake so it was easy to cool off. The kids got along great and the adults had fun. Brian and I got another glimpse of how much easier trips like this will be in just a few short years. I think the worst part for me was worrying about Faith around the fire. I have to admit to being a little manic about it but I had visions of charred hands covered with blisters.

No bugs. Good food (thanks Lisa and John!) and we had the boat to play on all day. I was reminded, once again, how much I love being on a ski boat. We are looking for a way to give similar summer memories of waterski trips to our kids- they need to do timeshares for boats, don't you think? Anyone want to go in with us on a used boat purchase? I skied for one run and had a blast. The extremely sore muscles I still had two days later were well worth it!

We left at around 10 on Sunday morning, intending to drive all the way home, but I hit a wall at about 4:30 and we were still 3+ hours from home. So we stopped at the Super 8 in Grangeville (small town- not even a fast food restaurant to be found!). The hotel had an indoor pool and I think this was Faith's favorite part as at one point she threw her arms around me and said,'This is the best day EVER, Mommy!" We arrived home the next day around 1PM- dirty and tired, but happy and ready to plan our next camping adventure!

Ponytails vs. Pigtails

Brian insists pigtails have to be braided and that these are actually "pony tails". I think that pigtails are when you have two and ponytail is when you have one. Can anyone help us solve this dispute???

In any case, Faith is getting bigger each day. Here she is in her first pony/pig tails ever and her new bathing suit. Jake snapped this shot on our way to the pool this afternoon.

Fathers Day/Opening Day 2009

How awesome is it that those two things coincide most years? I can't think of a better way to spend a Fathers Day weekend than by catching a ballgame.

We went to the Hawks season opener last night, with all the kids and stayed for the whole game for the first time. The Hawks lost (in typical A ball fashion), like 14 - 6 with 8 errors, but the deep-fried Twinkie kind of made up for the shoddy baseball. Some highlights aside from the actual baseball:

• Faith lost her mind somewhere in the middle of the 5th inning (waaaay after bedtime) and was singing something at the top of her lungs. After the 7th inning stretch she switched to singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the top of her lungs. Thankfully everyone around us found it humorous instead of annoying.
• Tanner's typical mascot issues. He saw the Hawk ride in in the back of a pick-up truck and kept an eye on him the whole game. Even when we couldn't see him anymore, we would ask, "Tanner, where did the big birdie go?" and he would immediately know where he was and what he was doing, because he had been watching him the whole time as opposed to the game. When the Hawk finally got within two rows of us, Tanner lost his mind. He crawled over Marisa and both his brother and sister to get onto my lap, screaming, "Don't let him get me...." over and over. There was also a potato race during the 7th inning stretch (which is new this year, a French Fry, a Spud and a Tater Tot race around the bases....we are the Potato Capital of the world after all....). Tanner said, "Dad, there's a lot of mascots here tonight".
• After the game, they let the kids run the bases. Jake, Tanner and I had to run from our seats on the 3rd base line to the RF gate to get out on the field, and then in from RF to 1st base to start our way around. Jake ran on ahead, with Tanner and I about in dead last, holding hands, while he used the other hand to keep his pants from falling down, giggling maniacally the whole way.
• The opening night fireworks show after the game was really cool. We watched it from beneath the grandstands, only able to see the really high ones (of which there were plenty), while Tanner sat on my shoulders shouting, "BOOM" as each one exploaded over-head.

The kids made it through, even staying awake on the ride home. We got them into bed about midnight, sleep-over style, with Jake in with me and Tanner in with Marisa. They all slept until after 8:00 this morning, which was a first.

When we woke up this morning, Jake asked me what I wanted to do today for Fathers Day. I told him that I wanted to get some breakfast, work in the garden and make a good dinner. His response was, "That sounds like a short day.". I explained that, to me, how long you take to do each one of those things is what makes it a great Fathers Day.

We had Pancakes at the Merc, and as soon as I'm done typing I'm off to Home Depot for sprinkler parts.

Here's hoping your Fathers Day is shaping up as good as mine.

Next Time We Bring the Tequila....

In our considerable camping experience, both before and since we have had children, there are just some truths that have emerged that we can have carved in stone at this point:

1. Camping + Kids = Dirty Kids. Everyone who has taken kids camping knows this is a truth beyond debate. I am always amazed- not at the fact that it happens, but the speed and the degree always astonish me.

2. Kids love the set-up and take down, but are really unsure as to the purpose of the time in between. To a certain extent this applies to some Dads as well (I'll take the 5th, thank you very much). But the quiet, contemplative, Walden Pond like aspects of camping will always elude them. If we could have shotguns and fireworks, that would be much more their speed.

3. Water, independent of temperature and weather, will always draw children like magnets (whether you want them wet or not). My intelligent wife remembers this one and for our one night of camping brought each child three

 changes of clothes and two pairs of shoes (all of which were used, by the way....)

4. Kids + Camping + Full Night of rain = What I would imagine waterboarding to be like, only louder and more frustrating.

We went out on an overnight trial run

 up to Lake Cascade this weekend. This was in preparation for our four day trip with Lisa, John and the Girls over the upcoming 4th weekend. I wanted to do an equipment shake down and see what needed replacement- plus we needed to see what would and wouldn't work for the kids (questions, see this post). We knew that it was going to rain for a good portion of the trip, we knew thunderstorms were possible, we knew that the children wouldn't sleep well, and you know what...we went anyway. Yep, masochists as always...

I'm not sure if the word "fun" applies here. Don't get me wrong- there were some fun MOMENTS, but overall I would say that it was "trying". Some of the highlights:

• The kids playing "Wipeout" in the tent. This is a game they made up during our several hours in the tent which is based on the horrible TV show that we let Jake watch wherein the kids run and jump and barrel into things while yelling "WIPEOUT!" loudly while Brian and I hush them repeatedly and hope the tent doesn't rip.
  
• Swimming in the lake (even though it wasn't even 60 degrees outside)
• Using the light sticks that Brian got them as: light sabers, pretend cameras, exploring sticks, guns, and bug killers.
  
• Using the pit toilets (this was a highlight only for Tanner and Faith)
  
• Teaching Jake to play solitaire while Tanner and Faith colored Diego pictures while listening to the pounding of the rain on the tent
• Starting the fire with a bag of Cheetos (based on an online camping tip Brian read before we left, it works better than lighter fluid believe it or not). It worked so well we think we will buy a bunch of small bags for our next trip.
• Brian and I cracking open the bottle of wine, our loaf of bread, and the artichoke dip and lounging on our sleeping bags while the kids entertained themselves (OK... so this only amounted to about 5 minutes of our trip... but still... it was definitely a highlight!)
  

The lowlight (I guess it is really just one... but it was a doozy):

• The fact that Faith was HORRIBLE. Seriously, I don't think I have ever been so frustrated or angry at ANY of my children in the last six years. She would not settle down in the tent and it was after "quiet hours" and she kept whining and crying and screaming (repeatedly, "WHY" over and over and over again),  and being a total brat. We had no recourse except to repeatedly threaten to lock her in the car (which we obviously couldn't do) or drive home (which we weren't willing to do). Even her brothers- who usually have the patience of saints with their sister- were annoyed with her.
  

But, like Brian mentioned above, we are gluttons for punishment and are already excited for the big trip to Coeur d'Alene in two weeks. This time I think I may pack Benedryl for Faith, though. We are also thinking about bringing the kids their own tent....

Our Bodies as Art

When the boys asked if I could get out the markers so they could draw on themselves, Brian and I were just worn out enough to say yes, hand them the markers, and let them run with it. It was bath night anyway.... so I let them create their masterpieces. It kept them busy for close to half an hour and all came out in the wash. Next time we need a little alone time, I know just what to pull out....

Unfortunately I can't post the full body shots of the three kids (think: Demi Moore's painted pregnant body on the cover of Vogue 20 years ago but more graphic..) Suffice it to say that ALL parts of the boys were painted- and Faith diligently tried painting her female counterpart.

Swim Lessons

The boys started swim lessons this week. The first day was traumatic: Tanner sobbed the entire 35 minutes, bravely (and diligently) doing each thing his teacher asked of him, then holding his arms out toward the bleachers (where I was asked to sit and stay out of the way) and sobbing hysterically,yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!" as if he needed me to save him from his horrible fate. Of course, I wasn't supposed to talk to him or interact so I kept trying to look away nonchalantly, pretending that I didn't see or hear him (although I am sure that pretty much
every parent in a mile radius could hear his sobs).
I was worried that it was going to be a
LONG two weeks, but he bucked up
and on day 2 was done with thecrying and by day 3 was splashing
around, grinning, and yelling,
"MOM! Look at me! I can SWIM!"

We debated putting Jake in lessons again, but when he started the summer afraid of going in the deep end, we decided we needed to do it. He is practicing freestyle and swimming under water. Basically he is just gaining confidence because he already swims well. He is really proud of his little brother and high fives him after each lesson, telling him what a great job he did and how brave he is.

Lessons are at 4:00 so I have been picking the boys up early and leaving Faith at daycare until the end of lessons. I made the mistake of bringing her with me one day and it was definitely an error in judgment. Of course all she wanted to do was swim with her brothers and be in the pool, but this place starts lessons at 3 yrs. old so she isn't old enough. It was not a relaxing time- chasing her around, trying to keep her out of the instructor's way, explaining 600 times why her brothers get to swim but she doesn't- so she will be spending the rest of the lessons at her daycare.

One week down and one to go. If we keep making progress like we did this week, it will be money well spent!

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.