My weekend

This weekend was a huge pre-planned trip for Ally's girl scout troop.  We've sold cookies, saved and skimped and planned away- and Saturday we departed for Brown County for an overnight stay in a lodge with an indoor waterpark.

9 girls, all 10 years oldish.  5 really brave mommas.  But not as brave as tent camping mommas.  After all- we were in a hotel. 

Armed with coolers of drinks, bags of snacks, suitcases of clothing and absolutely no alcohol or narcotics (yeah us) we split the kids into rooms and began our journey.  Here is a brief listing of what I learned this weekend:

1.  One child in our group depends on a sleeping pill in order to actually sleep- and she was assigned to my room.  And she didn't have her pill.

2.  10 year old children think they know EVERYTHING.

3.  One child gets acid reflux if she drinks lemonade.  One will break out in a rash if she is exposed to chlorine.  And one will in fact try and scale a stone wall.  One of these children is mine.

4.  One child will bring 24 individually wrapped brownies sent by her momma and will refuse to share them with anyone and will in fact end up packing them back into her suitcase to take home with her.

5.  It is apparently not known by all that eating food while in line at a breakfast bar is considered rude.  Definitely not known by one in particular 10 year old.

6. Groups of 10 year old little girls are, in fact, intimidating.  But not to brave mommas- only to other hotel guests.  Having a pow wow with small girls in the pool will in fact turn into a he said she said- where you will have to declare that if we get kicked out of the pool because 'other pool guest' (who is a grown woman and was acting like a complete 10 year old- really arguing over pool noodles with a child?) complains to management- we will in fact NOT be doing anything fun instead.  CUT IT OUT.

7.  Apparently we american parents have stopped teaching children manners.  I've never felt so discouraged in my life.  It is in fact not possible to 'teach' manners in a 24 hour period.

8.  One child will find the pool to be too cold and she will refuse to swim.  And you will feel like a big meanie telling her to just sit there then.  But you did in fact come to a WATER PARK, so you will justify it.

9.  One room will declare that they are in fact not going to go to sleep- and you will be so thankful that it is not yours.  And sleeping pill child will somehow fall asleep before 10pm- all on her own (heavens ringing- angels singing)

10.  You will never have more laughs than with a group of young girls........and you will know what a blessing it was that you got to go with them.  Even if you declared it too early for all this chaos on your way to the breakfast area and demand that everyone hush until you are able to consume at least one cup of coffee.

One more.  11.  When you arrive in a lodge restaurant with 9 little girls- your waitress will basically throw you a pile of napkins and wish you luck as she waves 'buh bye' from the kitchen door.  You will have to fetch your own coffee and anything else that you desire.  9 young women will in fact drink 26 small carafes of milk from the breakfast bar in the absence of a waitress to bring drinks.  Not everyone finds this charming I suppose.

Alright- one more again.  12.  It will only take 10 year old girls a minute to figure out who's momma will make them go the fastest down the water slide.  I may or may not have climbed those slide steps 314 times this weekend.  Dang them skinny mommas.

I used to wonder where kindergarten teachers drew their strength from.  I now realize that it is actually the middle school teachers who need to be commended.  These children talk a lot, complain about most everything and have an opinion about absolutely anything.  They struggle with wanting to be a child and wanting to be a young woman.  Throw in their hormones, that they don't yet know what to do with, and they are like walking little time bombs.

I was looking for my 'I survived a girl scout weekend' shirt or button or ribbon or trophy- but apparently I didn't get one.  Unless it is the box of cheese its that are ground into my van carpeting.  At least I had the opportunity to chill with the other moms in the 'over 18 only' hot tub.  We may or may not have been making faces at the girls while soaking in our own private area. 

Thank you Allyson for making this weekend possible.  Sorry for making faces at you.

Fall Pictures

These are for my mom- she doesn't speak facebook : )

Lew's final debut

Lewis attended his second pet day at preschool this week.  I tried to convince Sam to let me bring a guinea pig- but he wouldn't have it.  He wanted his faithful steed there.  Which is Lew- in case you missed that- follow along.

Lew was happy to oblige because he got to bust out of the house and hang his head out of the car window for a while.  After I hoisted his rather large self into the car that is.  And then up onto the seat.  I now have a new respect for Emily- she is the one who typically helps lift him onto the porch after his walks.  I didn't realize what a chore that really is.

Getting to take our overgrown beagle to Sam's pet day was one of the best parts of my week.  And I am thankful that I got to do it.  I am not thankful that we won't ever do it again. (last year of preschool- babies growing too fast- life not fair, try and keep up man).

See, there is not a pet day at the elementary.  Apparently one year some yahoo brought their pet snake who bit someone and now Mr. Principal decided it is 'not safe'.  Whatever.  It probably wasn't venomous- spoil sport.

Back to pet day 2010.  There were 7 (seven- holy cow) dogs there that day.  If I could speak dog- I'm pretty sure I would have heard the other six snickering and pointing (if they had fingers) at Lew.  However- Lew was completely happy to collapse in a heap and wait for his entourage of small people while the others pranced around nervously- huffing and puffing and barking.  I'm pretty sure I would have heard him say something involving 'whippersnappers' and roll his eyes (if dogs could roll their eyes). 

Thanks for having us little man.  Lew felt like quite the celebrity.  I liked the way you 'sit like a preschooler' and waited in line to touch the other doggies.  By the way- take a look around and see how much taller you are than your friends and put the brakes on that growing crap, would ya.

I ain't got it

Whatever it is that makes women seem so put together and in control, I need some.

For I am way falling apart and out of complete and total control.  Everywhere I turn are piles of things that need my attention (bills, homework, laundry, dishes, grocery lists, filthy dog, children) and I just can't keep up with any of it.  All I can manage to pin it on is stress- but that just sounds stupid because what freakin' stress could I possibly really have?

But still- it's what I am blaming my lack of............everything on.

I want to write something funny to lift my spirits- but my heart just won't allow it.  So instead I will post this bummer of a blog and go wash the tears off my face.  Somedays just feel a bit like too much- and this is probably one of them for me.

I watched that stupid (I'm just being cranky- she is really like a living angel) Michelle Dugger and her brood of 19 kids last night on TV and I'm afraid that is what spurred my hopelessness.  She has it all so very together.  Stocked pantry, clean home, happy kids (who don't watch TV), homeschools, a husband who adores her and she is so positive and gentle with her children.   Wow- I'm thinking of moving us in with her.  With all those kids, I bet she wouldn't even notice.

Happy Fall

I don't have it in me to post anything this morning.  I have a HUGE day planned that includes lots of work and ends with a dinner for 150 in the hangar at the airport.  I might call myself a guest at the dinner, but since I am also the coordinator for it- I'm thinking 'guest' might not be the correct term.  Sucker- that's a term.  I'm starting tired so we'll just have to see how this pans out.  Meanwhile- check out this gorgeous photo of my sassy kids that Ronda was generous enough to take for us.  What a blessing this is, thank you Ronda.  And thank you children for holding still for her.  And for not getting poison ivy in that field.  And for being my children.

The day the world changed

Sam beat the girls out of bed this morning and we scrolled the Saturday morning cartoons together.  And he discovered boy shows.

It was like an epiphany of sorts for him.  He gasped.  He sat up.  He exclaimed.  He'd never seen anything like that before.  Like a reunion of two long lost souls.

He was taken back by the good guys and the bad guys- their cars- their shields- their helmets- their walkie talkies.  It was all so familiar, yet so foreign.  Like the friends he had known his entire life yet never met.

See- with two older sisters and being the baby and all, his choices for television viewing are limited.  The kid has watched his fair share of Hannah Montana and Saving Charlie, and he's even kind of taken a liking to the Wizards of Waverly Place- but simply as a default of not being the worst of the choices.  He has met Sponge Bob and Fan Boy and Chum Chum- which I consider kind of boyish and a happy medium for my 3 differently gendered and aged children.

We know PBS shows.  I find them charming and appropriate, and for the most part sweet and wholesome.  He has sworn off Word Girl and refuses to watch Sid anylonger, he gave those up almost a year ago.  Oh how I miss that science kid. 

However, with his new found 'boy' shows- somehow I think all of those Peep and the Big Wide World's I have dvr'd will go to complete waste.  I certainly hope he doesn't turn against Chuggington too. 

Hot Wheels Battle Force One- you have forever changed him.  He had me scan the week's schedule to see when they can be together again.  Apparently every other day at 8:30 am.

I don't speak boy.  And Sam does.  I can see that this is going to create a problem for us.

Why just this week we were playing with his giant new bag of monster trucks aka his new loves.  And action figures, which I don't know much of either.  One guy even has blood coming from his arm.  So I suggested sending him to the hospital.  Or find his mommy to kiss it.  And then my guy invited his to my house for cookies and milk.

I don't speak boy.  The closest thing I can even remotely relate to are barbies- which are kind of like action figures only with kickin' outfits and flowing hair.  I don't know how to 'play' cars or action figures with swords and light sabers.  But I am willing to learn, and I am trying like all heck- but it is not clicking.  How can you play with something that you can't even change it's shoes?  Where are their houses? 

I'm loosing my playability with him.  At least I still am the only one who will bake goodies or curl up in bed to read stories- because of that I'm sure I will still see him occasionally.  But running around the yard beating each other with pool noodles?  I will depend on someone without boobs to fill that role I suppose.

This child is all fired, busting at the seams boy.  He just came wired that way.  It started early with anything with wheels (which were few and far between in a house of polly pockets and miniature doll house people) and has progressed rapidly.

No one tell him that his favorite blankie in the entire universe, the one that he cried for an hour for when we forget it at grandmas, and he needs every night when he climbs into bed, is covered with sunflowers.

It has always cracked me up that out of all of the blankies that this testosterone filled child had to select from, he choose to fall in love with mine- one from the living room-one that is a homemade quilt covered with bright yellow flowers.

In our new found love of all things metal covered and loud- I find it charming.

In add due respect- I neglected to realize that I was posting this on what is in fact 9/11- the day the world really was forever changed.  With a heavy and prayerful heart I do remember that day vividly- even though I was no where near where tradgedy struck.

Exercise

If you choose to wake up at the crack of dawn to shake your groove thing in an effort to reduce the size of said thing, you MIGHT want to keep it under wraps.

Otherwise you will end up with little people shaking their little things next to you and a husband who can't keep out of the room with the camera.

It was a wee bit humbling for Emily to get up and get fully dressed for school- perform sweating to the oldies with me- and then proceed to eat her breakfast and get on the bus.  Just like nothing had happened.

I on the other hand had to hit the shower.

Only because I worked harder of course.