Our First Astros Game

Max learned a new word tonight that ought to make his Papa proud: baseball. We spent a total of $22 (thanks to the benevolent bag checker who let us bring in our snacks and water "for the kids' sakes"), including parking, and sat three rows from the very top of the stadium. The Astros won, big time, and we all had a blast. And, it turns out that I much prefer indoor, air-conditioned baseball to any other baseball. Almost as soon as we sat down in our seats Weston asked, "When can we come here again?!" I don't know when it will be, but I can tell you we will probably be doing this again in the not-too-distant future.

Water Bugs

Letting Go of the Boys

Weston is just about to pop with pride, knowing that in just a few short months he will start preschool. We toured the school today, and he was thrilled. He will go three days a week, from September to May. He's really ready for this, and I know it will be a wonderful experience for him--even if I have to give up a portion of my full-body hugs on those days. Max will also be out of the house one day a week, at the same school, which is intended to restore a modicum of sanity to my life. I can't believe how quickly my kiddos are growing up.

My life as a thirty-something adolescent

• I'm thinking about a couple of boys pretty much all day long.
• I wish I looked like a sexy fashion model.
• Pimples, zits and other skin disasters.
• The group I run around with can be pretty immature sometimes.
• On the phone again.
• My music is loud, and my dancing is awkward.
• My car isn't fancy, but it gets me where I want to go.
• Pop quizes all too often.
• My chores must be done before I can have any fun.
• I really want to be a grown-up, but I often feel like I'm still a kid.
• I look to the future with excitement (and just a little fear).

Swim Season Finale

We finished up our swim season today with the Divisional meet at Atascacita High School. And the Gators are, once again, Divisional Champs! This was our first indoor pool competitive experience, and there were many more teams competing, and the pool was deeper than any we've been in before, and the starting blocks were higher. So, there were a few mental hurdles, but Ruth still did fantastic (in her mother's humble opinion)! We are so proud of the progress she's made this year and look forward to another fun swim season next year.

In case you are wondering...

My grandmother is recovering nicely from her back surgery. She is getting around very well and is not in much pain. My grandfather is recovering from his heart attack and a mild case of diverticulitis, and should be released from the hospital today. I am staying at my parents' house for a few days, trying to help out, while Jeff is home with the kids, who are all well and healthy now. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Living Murphy's Law

[Our house this morning between 8:30 and 9:00]:

I'm running water for my shower, when Weston comes in yelling at me that my phone is ringing. I shut off the water and make a bee-line for my phone, since I am awaiting news of my grandfather's health after a heart attack yesterday morning. I missed the call, but sure enough it was my mom with the expected update. I dial her back. She doesn't answer. So, I put off the shower and sit by the phone. It doesn't ring, and it doesn't ring. Finally, I give up and head back to the bathroom. I strategically place the phone near the shower and hop in. Still it doesn't ring. I step out of the shower a few moments later to a cacophony of cries from the smallest members of my family. I throw a towel around myself and rush out of the bathroom, where the noise grows increasingly louder. Weston is screaming and crying and saying over and over, "I threw up," while Ruth is chanting "Weston threw up" and trying her best to keep her other brother away from the mess, which makes him super-angry. It is then, my friends, that the phone rings. Obviously, I couldn't get to it. I scooped up the smallest child, exposing my backside to the world (or whoever might have been standing on my front porch), and simultaneously herded the sick one into the bathroom with instructions to wait for me. I then successfully trapped Max in his booster seat, while exposing other parts of my still-wet body to whoever might be looking in my kitchen windows. I had no time to feel embarrassed about these actions. I shove a plate of food in front of the wee one, while in the background Ruth's chanting continues and Weston is inquiring at the top of his voice when he can come out of the bathroom. I put him off a moment longer so that I can dash back into my bathroom for my robe. (Why I didn't think of that in the first place, I will never know). Meanwhile, Jeff is trying to conduct a dignified business call and is no-doubt impressing the pants off whichever client is being exposed to all this hullabaloo. Ultimately, everyone is calm and collected. The mess is cleaned up. The noise has not reached the client's ears in any discernible way. And, I finally connected with my mom and received the update I had been waiting for. It's truly a wonder that people can survive with the sort of sustained insanity that goes on around here, but we are living proof that it can be done.

Bathroom Day

The bathrooms in my house get cleaned once a week, whether they need it or not (though, now that I think about it, I can't remember a time when they did not, in fact, need to be cleaned). So, if it can be said that there was something fortuitous in Weston coming down with a little tummy bug today, it is that it fell on "Bathroom Day," thus making it unnecessary to have more than one of those this week. That is not to say that I had to limit my cleaning activities to the bathroom today, but truly, it could have been worse. Weston was just the saddest little thing today, and I could just hardly stand it. I'm really hoping it's just a 24-hour thing and that he will be back to his happy/healthy little self tomorrow. I'm also hoping that the rest of us don't pick it up.

I'm still here

Somewhere in the midst of birthday parties and swim meets and planting seeds and a pedicure and my grandmother's back surgery and learning to send text messages and a whirlwind tour of Texas to drop kids off and pick them up and a pile of laundry that never ends and a sink full of dirty dishes and dinner parties and Bible studies and morning walks and sitting in the massage chair and a myriad of mundane things that don't even deserve to be mentioned, I'm here. Just so you know.

Birthday Weekend