Time

I keep saying that I'll blog more.

When school is out, I'll blog more. Yet, when school was out, we went to the pool, and the beach and the library, and skating, and bowling, and vacation... and...and...and.  It was super fun and amazing and special, but I didn't blog.

When school starts, I'll blog more. Yet, when school started, I went back too. And there were lunches with friends, and homework, and quizzes, and chores, and...and...and. It is fulfilling and wonderful, and I have time all by myself for 3 hours a day to regroup. I'm getting stuff done, and improving myself, but I'm not blogging.

I do want to fit it in, and will continue to try.

For now, I will leave you with a cute Ben story.  Today, after the boys were off to school, he was playing the piano. I was cleaning a little and hearing the plink,plink, plinking.  Suddenly he ran into the kitchen and said "MOMMY!! Did you know that there is a place in the piano! And it has A GUITAR!!!"  I went with him to see, and sure enough he had opened the lid, to see the strings inside. We had a nice discussion about how the piano makes sounds. Maybe he and I should learn to play. You know, in all of our free time. 

Always an Answer

I am trying to stay on my Monday routine of cleaning up the horrific messes that occur on the weekend, and the boys were being pretty crazy. They had already finished their chores (which tells me they need more chores) and it was getting louder and louder.

So we had a little meeting.

Me: You have two choices.  You can play or read quietly, and get along, or you can be my slave.
Mark: Well, I wouldn't say slave.
Me: Well, that's the choice. 
Mark: More like... assistant.
Me: Okay, that's a good choice of words. 

This boy has to have something to say about everything!  I'm always in a battle with myself over whether he's being disrespectful, or if it's just how he's wired.  Sometimes I go into lecture mode about not correcting adults, not having to comment on everything people say (sometimes with argumentative undertones.) Today I just let it go, with a reminder that things needed to stay calm around here, and if that meant they needed to help me scrub toilets and floors, then so be it.

So far, they are playing quite nicely.

They know each other well!

A funny thing just happened.

The boys were playing hide and seek, and not fighting, which is a miracle, but not the funny thing...

Kevin helped Ben find a really great hiding place, and the boys had a super hard time finding him. So they stopped looking for Ben, and started looking for a musical birthday card Kevin got yesterday. It took us a minute to piece together why they switched gears suddenly. We heard bits of conversation regarding how Ben LOVED the card and he would go to it. At first, we thought, they were going to look for him near the card. As it turns out, they used it to lure Ben out of his hiding place. And it totally worked!

Life With BIG Boys

On the topic of my kids are entirely too big:

Today, Eric and Mark made a "pile of stupid creatures" that they deemed ridiculous for us to still own and told me they needed to be sent to charity.  Ben then proceeded to vehemently disagree with this decree, by removing all of the stuffed animals from the bags in which they were enclosed.  So much for purging. I have to admit the thought of less stuff upstairs was appealing for a small moment.

Used to, we'd assign Eric and Mark the task of unloading the dishwasher.  Now when I tell the two of them to do this job, Eric says "I got it Mom. I don't need help."  They really are good helpers now when they want to be.  I just have to find the right motivation. 

Even the small ones are showing signs of growing up. Zack  has lost two teeth, and Ben is really excited about starting Pre K in two weeks. (Oh, I'm ready.. but I'm still not sure how that happened!)

Life with big boys is interesting! It's challenging in all new ways.  Easier in some, harder in others.

Some days, my biggest challenge is just to let go that little bit.  I am fiercely protective, and  yet, I sense that at 8 and 9, Eric and Mark are kind of ready to do things like play out front without me (gulp.)  Obviously, there are parameters.  They know not to leave the cul de sac (thank GOODNESS for the cul de sac!!)  Now the trick is explaining to Zack and Ben why they are stuck with Mom, or on the patio to play. 

We will get down the whole big kid routine, I am certain. Then things will change again, and we will adjust again.   For now, I'm thoroughly enjoying watching them grow.  Let's just not talk about Eric starting 4th grade in a few weeks. 

The Here and Now

Realizing, that I never posted about the second half of our vacation... the part where we went to Oklahoma and visited the fam... I have to move on.  Even though there is so much else I've meant to sit down and write about, the current situation dictates I bypass it all and tell you what is happening right this very moment. With a well meaning, but probably not very likely promise I'll get to all that other stuff added in.

Right now, Kevin is at a second sleep study to see if a CPAP machine will help his sleep issues, and hopefully, maybe end the scary nighttime episodes where he bolts upright, gasping for air, leaving me to wonder if I need to call 9-1-1.  It doesn't happen often, but often enough to where he finally went to the doctor about it.  After years of gentle suggestion by yours truly... but I digress.

Tonight... my children, who go to bed relatively easily on most nights (probably because our summertime schedule is exhausting) had issues.  Tonight, Mark wondered if he could stay up and keep me company. The answer is, "No, Mommy is very tired and wants to relax and be alone." Translated into "No, Mommy is very tired and wants to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey that she has recorded since Daddy is way above such trivial nonsensical television viewing."    Zachary's comforter was in Mark's room downstairs, so I tried to pull off a switch-a-roo and put a crocheted blanket his Auntie Sarah had given him when he was born to cover him.  He was NOT amused and cried "But, Mommy, it has holes in it!"  So I threw a sheet on him and said I'd bring up his comforter.  Ben, he sobbed, because "I want a sheet that isn't cut!!"  Do you want to venture a guess into why his sheet might be cut?  Because he cut it with scissors. And yet, it warranted huge tears and breathless sobbing.  Make a note, that Eric had no issues, other than requesting an extra hug. He's so, so big and wonderful!

I have to make it very clear that none of this would have been an issue had Kevin been home.  Even though I always tuck them in, and it isn't like he is mean... so I just don't get it.

While I've been typing this, things have settled down, thankfully. I just hope I don't have any squirmy little visitors in my bed tonight to kick me in the ribs.  For now, though, I have a date with bad tv.