Back to school appreciation

This morning went surprisingly well. I must admit, I was expecting a very slow morning with a lot of "hurry-ups", "don't be pokey" and all the other "have you ......'s?" that go along with a typical morning. To my delight, things moved smoothly. I even got the back-to-school picture with all 5 kids! Never any easy task especially with Simon's dislike for group shots.

Supplies were labeled last night and backpacks filled. This morning lunches were made and children fed and not once did anyone (that's me) lose their cool. Woo Hoo!

The kids walk to school, so although it was drizzling a bit we were out the door (without umbrellas, they are on my to-buy list) by 7:55. Only had to step over 2 piles of dog poop on the sidewalks (seriously people, clean up after your dogs) and 1 pile of puke (poor little kid must have been really nervous).

Simon, Mary Kate and I came into a quiet house (well with the exception of a barking dog) and sat down for some breakfast. I checked my email and had a wonderful note from hubby that made me cry.

Just wanted to tell you that you are a Very Very Good Mother and Wife! Our kids are very blessed to have you as their Mom. Getting our elem school aged children out the door fully prepared, while offering to help the teachers, while entertaining the youngest, while getting them to after school sports, while responding to calls and emails from friends, while making my lunch and coffee, no complaints....etc.We are all blessed to have you and you should get a big dagum gold star. I love you. BP

I had been holding things together so well watching Andrew lead the pack as a 5th grader and Riley venture into a new building as a 3rd grader and then little Nolan, how did he become a first grader? The kids are all growing up so quickly and it was this morning that I wish I could make time stand still. Can't I hold them close a little bit longer? Do they really need to grow up? Thankfully, all the boys still seek out a big hug and kiss from me and like to be tucked in at night and snuggle on the couch for a good movie or sit at the table for a competitive game of cards. I pray the days never come to an end. OK fine, someday they'll have to snuggle on their couch with their own kids, but I hope to be held in their heart as they do these things with my grandchildren (gulp!).

Now as I sat at the kitchen table typing, Simon and Mary Kate have been sitting across from me with paper, crayons and scissors quietly playing together. All of a sudden, I felt this very strong tap on my shoulder and I looked up to find Simon cutting Mary Kate's hair!!! Now I believe this tap was Mary Kate's guardian angel. I said a "no" that had to have been 5 syllables long to Simon. He got the point and put the scissors down a little shocked that I would stop his hair cutting. Fortunately, not much was cut and it really isn't noticeable at all, but enough to warrant me taking a picture of the clump I collected.

Here's to a continued good day with creativity on paper rather than hair :)

Spaced out on Spaceballs

While the kids were eating their not-so-nutritious-artery-clogging meal from Mickey-D's, I searched the tv for something for the kids to watch. I'm looking for a somewhat peaceful night before they head off to bed. Wishful thinking, I KNOW! A woman can dream though....

Me: Ok guys, I have a hilarious movie you can watch. It's called Spaceballs.
Ri: No.... is it cartoon?
Me: No
Ri: I don't want to watch it (with a lot of WHINE)
Me: Fine, I'm going to turn it on and if you don't laugh in the next 30 minutes then I'll turn it off.

5 minutes later....

Ri: Mom are you recording this?
Me: Yes
Ri: Good!

So I won, however now that I am hearing it, I'm really beginning to rethink who won? Too many words that they kids don't need to hear ;( Why did it seem ok 20 years ago and now not so much? It's amazing how much kids change things for you...

Simon's idea of a fun hike

Simon was getting ready to head out to preschool when I told him after school we'd be going on a hike. He got all wide-eyed (if you know Simon, you know the look well).
Me: "we can look for butterflies and flowers"
Simon: "but I want to look for snakes and lions"

I of course will be taking my camera along. I'm hoping to not come home with pictures of snakes and lions.

Ri needs to work on his photography skills

I was passing out the kids dinner tonight when Riley said he wanted to take a picture of me in his brain. He held up a an imaginary camera and gave a big "click".

Ri: "Ok, lets see you are wearing a Hokie shirt, glasses, sneakers and a little bit of pants..."
Andrew: "Ri she has her pants on, you can't just a wear a little bit of pants"

I will say that Andrew was just as shocked by Ri's photographic memory and even turned around to make sure that I was in fact wearing pants.

For the record, I was wearing a pair of capri pants.

I'm scared of heights

Came across this nifty little height calculator and filled in the blanks to see what my future holds. I'm afraid, very afraid!
Andrew - 6'1"
Riley - 5' 11" (obviously very dependent on how well he eats)
Nolan - 6'2"
Simon - 6'2"

Mary Kate was too young to get an accurate height. Oh my goodness though, I do believe we have some recessive genes at work here. I'm only 5'7" and the hubster is 5'10". Maybe I need to start being a little nicer before they literally start looking down at me...

Where does pee go Simon?

May seem like an appropriate question if you are asking a 3 year old potty training little boy, but for a 4 1/2 year old? NO! However last night, we had a busy night of dinner out and taking the kids to the school book fair. As you can imagine the boys were completely wound up when we got home and it was already inching past their bedtime which can result in some bizarre behavior. I was in the kitchen when Nolan yelled down the stairs "Mom! Simon peed in the trash can!" At this point I took the steps 3 at a time, only to find Simon standing at the top of the stairs saying he was sorry with the grin that can melt your heart and make you want to scream all at the same time spread across his face. Apparently, there wasn't enough room around the toilet (I really should consider on-the-wall urinals) and so he just shot it into the trashcan. Now I don't know what is worst, the fact that he did it or that Andrew looked in the trash can and justified it by saying "oh it's just a few dribbles mom".

For the record, I don't consider enough pee to cover half the bottom of the trash can as "just a few dribbles". Clorox wipes to the rescue :)

In case he swallowed a dry erase marker

I was standing in the kitchen this afternoon when Simon walked up, grabbed the bottle of cleaning spray for a dry erase board, put it up to his mouth as if it was breath freshener and sprayed away. I was speechless for about 3 seconds and then screamed for him to stop it.
Me: Simon why did you do that?
Simon: I don't know.
Well OK then. I don't know what kind of response I really expected. It's a Simon thing!

Clearly, I need to retrain these boys

We are having a lazy day here after a quick trip to and from PA. I'll set the scene of the latest conversation that reminds me I NEED to retrain my boys thinking...

I'm sitting at the computer in the family room, Hubby is at the kitchen table on his laptop. Before I sat down to the computer I had put waffles in the toaster for Andrew. Once I was all comfortable and "working" away responding to emails and checking in on the diet group , Andrew came into the room and this is where the fun begins..

A: "Mom, my waffles are ready"
Me: "And....? Can you not get them and put peanut butter on them?" dripping in sarcasm
A: "No, I broke my hands while I was downstairs" he said with an equal amount of sarcasm. Where did he get THAT??
Dad: "What about me, why didn't you ask me?"
A: "Because you are working"
Me: I'm now facing the cabinet with my hands up in the air looking at the ceiling.
Dad: "And what is Mom doing?"
A: "Well right now she is praying for Mercy"
Dad: "The year is 1952, Ladies don't bother your husband with your problems, because his problems are far worse......"
Me: At this point I tuned him out as he continued to repeat the email that circulates every few months about life in the 50's and how woman were to act.

So we all had a good chuckle, but it really does show me that the kids see very distinct roles here in the house. It's not that dear hubby wouldn't have taken care of the waffles or sippy cup, or bottom that needs wiping, or diaper change.... It's just that as a Mom who is here 24/7 and has always done everything, that is the role they see me do the most. I'm OK with it, but sometimes it's good to say "hey, go ask your dad!" I know for certain that if I weren't here this morning, you know if I was off getting my nails done, shopping and having a cup of coffee (WAKE UP MARGARET!!, you are daydreaming), the boys wouldn't have starved because they wouldn't have hesitated to ask daddy for anything.

HOKIE Training Camp

Apparently, I missed the memo that the training camp for future HOKIE football players was to be held at the Park house this morning. Last night, before bedtime, the kids were listening to songs off their Dad's IPOD and specifically "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. He told the story of how before every VT home football game the fans and players would be jumping up and down to the first part of the song prior to running out on the field. Andrew picked up our HOKIE blanket and started practicing with his brother's running through the blanket. Once we had them wound up enough, we put them to bed and reminded them to sleep in until AT LEAST 8:00 am. Well that was wishful thinking! I heard them all in Andrew and Ri's room with the door closed as I snuck down to make breakfast at 7:30. At around 7:40, I heard music start to vibrate the floor above me and ran up to quiet the boys down before they woke up Mary Kate. Well to my surprise when I opened the door, I found all 4 boys jumping up and down on the bed to "Enter Sandman". My oldest and oh so intelligent one, quickly jumped off the bed to tell me how he was teaching the boys how to be HOKIE football players before they enter Lane Stadium.

Now how could I argue with that?

I'm raising a school of sharks

3 of my 4 boys have had the distinct pleasure of trips to the dentist to have their first teeth removed, nothing serious just that the baby teeth are holding on for dear life even though the adult teeth have already come through. Not much pain involved with the extraction and then the rest of the teeth typically do what they are supposed to do and just fall out (read: sometimes get hit out by a younger brother).
Well now my oldest is pushing the gross button a bit far and has been walking around with a mouth that resembles a great white shark for awhile now. Adult tooth on upper left has come in but baby tooth was still hanging on for about 2 months now. A few weeks ago, out popped the teeth on either side, but that stubborn baby tooth was determined. Until today that is, when Andrew greeted me with 1/2 of his tooth while I was cooking dinner. Great, I thought, now I have to take him to the dentist to get the remaining piece out. Oh be patient Margaret, because as we all found out while he was eating his grilled cheese and tomato soup the remaining half of the tooth came out.
So now the question is, does he get more from the tooth fairy because the tooth is now in two pieces??