A New Era

It's inevitable that your child asks questions... it seems like we've moved from the "Why" "How" "When" section to the "let's ask the most embarrassing questions LOUDLY" department.

Yesterday due to a last minute play date cancellation, I was faced with the decision to cancel my much needed haircut appointment, or take Chris with me. If it was just a haircut, I wouldn't have been too concerned... 30 minutes tops. But, I knew I was getting some highlights as well so this was going to be at least 1 1/2 hours at the hairdresser. Not wanting to go on vacation with bad hair, I decided to reason (aka..bribe) Christopher to come along. Promises of a new video game for good behavior. He was sold.. I was scared.

He actually did relatively great for the first 45 minutes. I had a little bag of entertainment for him and snacks and he happily sat next to me (thank goodness there was an empty chair there) and asked a million questions about every part of my appointment. He couldn't get past the aluminum foil in my hair, or the big sink where they rinse out my hair and the big chairs with the blow dryers that come over your head. He was fascinated and wanted to experience every part for himself. He was convinced that he, too, wanted blonde highlights, a shampoo and a chance to sit under the big blow dryer.

At about the one hour mark, he was done being amused and ready for us to move on... to the Walmart next store to claim his reward for good behavior. He was sitting next to me at the big blow dryer and we were talking a little louder because of the noise of the dryer. There was an older women sitting right next to us getting a hair cut. I guess Chris had never seen a women getting a short hair cut so, out of his mouth to my sheer horror.. he loudly asks me "Mom, is that a MAN??? " I wanted the chair to swallow me up right then and there. Clearly it was a women... just with super short hair. I tried to explain it in a quiet voice not to cause more damage then was done.. but he kept saying. rather, yelling.. WHAT? What mom? I Can't hearrrrr youuuuu!!" Great.. you cant' hear me but the he/she getting his/her hair done certainly can.

Oh well. Just one of many embarrassing moments to come.

You Had Me At Hello

The minute we walked into the pediatric dentist's office... they had me. This dental office is like nothing I had ever experienced in my life. When you walk in, the check-in counter is on the left and the game room... yes, game room is on the right. Parents on the left, kids on the right. Pac-Man, Tetris (the classic huge video games) are the centerpiece of the game room with various toys and activities that keep the kids engaged until it's their turn.

Each kid picks out 3 items from the "menu". Kid-flavored floss, fluoride, toothpaste, etc. I wish I had a dentist like this when I grew up. The dental hygienist couldn't have been nicer and the kids are active, happy participates. There is no crying in this office -- kids just love to come here. Today Chris was assigned to the "Star Wars" room. I thought his eyes were going to bulge out of his head when he walked in there. Star Wars is his favorite (for now) and he was just blown away by all the cool spaceships, posters from the movies, light sabers, photos and movie memorabilia that they had in this room.

He did so well.. no cavities! On the way out, he asked the dentist if they had a Batman room because he likes batman too. (They don't).

Whoever dreamt up this office was a marketing genius. Totally suited for kids. Wish I could go there. They have a princess room for girls -- I could deal with that.

Trust

Came across this in my devotional the other day and thought I'd share...

Stoop-shouldered,
foot-dragging,
sighing
resignation
is not trust.

Real trust
bounces on eager toes of
anticipation -
laughs with pure delight
of knowing
in whom it believes--
rests easily
knowing
on whom it waits.

Lord,
so wrap me in the
knowledge of You
that my trust is no longer
in You, but
is You.

by Susan Lenzkes

Weekend

What a weekend! I thought completing kindergarten on Friday was going go to be the highlight, but boy was I wrong. On Saturday Chris rode his bike without training wheels for the first time! We are so proud of him.. just checking off those milestones one at a time. Realizing that my little boy isn't so little any more. Had a great time on Sunday celebrating Father's Day down in South Jersey with my father-in-law and family.

Today was our official first day of summer break and we have been going non-stop. Mini-golf, play date, library, food shopping, swimming. He's taking a dinner break and has announced he would like to ride his bike and play soccer after that. Someone is going to have to carry me inside later.

Today

Tomorrow is Chris' last day of kindergarten and they are having a big ice cream party (at 9:30 in the morning!) which I will be attending. Notice how I always seem to go to the parties that involve ice cream or food? Anyway... today is my last few hours of alone time before the summer starts. So... just to let my family know..

TODAY ...

.. if you need to find me this morning...

..... you will NOT find me at the following places...

....... in front of a washing machine or dryer....

......... ironing clothes.....

........... scheduling doctor appointments, paying bills, reorganizing a closet, drawer or pantry

............... at the dry cleaners, auto shop, post office or volunteering at the school...

No, for the next few hours, I WILL be....

... roaming around my favorite local stores, just looking, maybe trying some things on.

..... going to the most kid un-friendly stores just because I can go without fear of something breaking

......... sipping coffee or an iced green tea and looking at a magazine...

.............. just chillin' because I'm going to need to be well rested for this summer!

Now I better get to it because he has early dismissal today so that only gives me TWO hours to relax..So, enjoy your day everyone.. I'm certainly going to!

Almost.....

Every Wednesday Chris has to "share" in class. It's the modern day show and tell. You bring in a toy or special object, share 3 sentences about your item, and then pick one classmate to ask a question.

When we visited the Newseum in Washington, DC., my broadcast-savvy husband encouraged Chris to purchase a foam microphone as a souvenir thinking it would make a great item to share with his class. Well, for the last 2 months, that poor microphone was never selected to be the "special" object for share. Chris would choose his other beloved stuffed animals or knick knacks...always pushing the microphone off for another week. Well.. we are down to the wire. Tomorrow is his last share. Realizing that, yesterday he told me that he was going to bring in the microphone. At long last! I knew his father would be happy, but I didn't want to say anything and make it a surprise. Well... that whole theory got shot when Chris arrived home from school today and asked me, "Mom... do you think that Scooby Doo could pretend to talk into the microphone during share tomorrow?" "No.. .you can only bring in one object...either Scooby or the microphone."... let's just say that maybe Steve can bring the microphone in to work one day to "share" because it's not going to see the light of day in the kindergarten class.

Window Cleaner

I have a 6 year old window cleaner. He is standing on our deck with not just one, or two.. but three water guns. I guess it saves on having to run into the house to fill them. Now he didn't go outside with the intention of washing my windows... what 6 year old boy would volunteer to do that? He just wanted to squirt... but the problem was that every time he went in and out of the house, he would leave the sliding glass door open and, inadvertently, would squirt into our kitchen. So, I lovingly told him to close the glass door and aim at the windows. Then, lovingly suggested to take a paper towel and see how fast he could catch the water as it was sliding down the glass. See.. you have to make it a game! LOL

Of course that lasted only a few minutes.. .now he is squirting any fly or bug that he happens to encounter. Oh the joys of summer!

Torture

Do you remember the feeling you had when you were little and your parents told you NOT to do something? Maybe it was not to touch something delicate, not to hit your brother/sister, or not to push a button. Whatever the directive, one thing was for sure... the more you were told NOT to do it, the more you wanted to. Am I right? It was right there.. just waiting for you to act on it. Temptation almost.

Well, tonight I'm that little kid. Tomorrow morning I'm taking a routine blood test, but I have to fast 12 hours before the test. No problem, right!? But it's honestly driving me crazy. It's not that I'm hungry because I purposely ate a late dinner and I'VE BEEN EATING ALL DAY as if preparing my stomach for this 12 hour lull. You would think that I'm a contestant on Survivor packing on the pounds because I'm going to be stuck in the wilderness for 40 days with no real food to speak of.

I just have to wait these next 12 hours. But the thought that even if I wanted to nibble on something at 9:30 tonight, that I can't is so bothersome. It's like an inalienable right has been taken away. Am I overreacting.. absolutely. Should a PMS women be denied chocolate at the wee hours of the night... NEVER.

Needless to say, I will definitely be packing a snack in my purse tomorrow morning so after I have done the deed, I can go back to eating on my terms. See you at IHOP at 8:30 .

What's the Temperature?

The other day I pulled out Chris' inflatable pool. He hadn't used it since we lived in Florida, and honestly, he didn't even remember it since he was so little last time he used it. He had such a good time splashing around and jumping into and out of that little pool, that every day since then, he's wanted to go back in. Unfortunately, the weather has no cooperated. Even still, he didn't quite grasp the concept that if it's cold outside, it would be REALLY cold in that pool water.

So, every day one of the first things that he does, is turn on the TV and asks me to watch the weather. So, now I just leave it on the Weather Channel (probably one of the safest things to put on TV these days) and he watches to see what the temperature will be. He knows if it's in the high 70s or above, he can have access to the pool. Who knows, maybe he'll change his dream of being a librarian to becoming a weatherman. Either that or maybe he'll become a member of the Polar Bear Club... brrrr!

Vanity

Yesterday, Steve & I rearranged our furniture in the master bedroom. It is now nice and spacious and, best of all, I got my vanity area back! Hadn't had it since we lived in Florida. I was very excited this morning - took a shower and all the while, anticipating sitting on my little white bench and applying makeup and drying my hair in my little special area... just for me. You know as a mom sometimes there aren't many places in your house that you can declare are yours (well.. other than a kitchen or washroom.. I mean an exciting place.. kids free.. just a spot for you. This is MY spot.

As I pulled the white bench out to sit down this morning, you can only imagine my surprise to have 3 little Lego figures jump out at me.. two fell on the floor and one remained on the chair. I burst out laughing realizing how silly of me to think that our son would not explore this new territory and claim it as HIS own. Nothing is sacred people. Nothing..

Save The Date

Heard at my house yesterday...

"Mom.. I want a party to celebrate my 100th birthday"
"Wow.. that's planning ahead!"
"Yeah... I want to eat Pizza at Bensi (an Italian restaurant) and then have ice cream cake"

So, basically he will be celebrating his 100th exactly as he celebrated his 6th birthday minus the bowling. LOL

So, save the date people... December 26, 2103 Hope we are all still around to celebrate with him!

Field Day

Yesterday was my first experience with our school's Field Day. We had the choice of supplying food, equipment or volunteering our time to help out. So, since I always like to be at whatever events I can to see Christopher in action, I volunteered my time. The idea behind Field Day is that all the students and teachers are outside all day playing various games.. they move from station to station every 15 minutes.

Heat and I don't necessarily mix. For those of you who have ever had the pleasure of vacationing with me, you may have seen me suffer from extreme sunburns, heat stroke or almost pass out at the turtle farm in Grand Cayman (right, Sue!?) So, I was really concerned when I saw yesterday's forecast for 88 degrees. I loaded on the sunblock, grabbed my hat and stood outside in the hot sun for 3 1/2 hours. I was smart enough to bring plenty of water and a good friend gave me an extra chair she had so I could "rest" in between groups. Well, I got my station set up and my butt never graced that chair once! I had back to back groups and by the time the third group came I lost my voice from talking. See, I had the ring toss game and I was constantly chasing after the target (which was made on a shower curtain that wasn't taped down to the ground), redistributing the rings to the 4 teams and explaining the instructions, counting up points, etc. I talked non-stop for those 3 1/2 hours. I knew that I had to be careful or else I would end up with heat stroke yet again. The funny thing was, when I looked around at the other stations, all the other moms had easier games. They were chatting with the teachers, relaxed and not breaking a sweat.

It was all worth it when my son's class came through as my very last station. He was thrilled because both Steve & I were there (Steve and another Dad walked the course with the kids and the teachers).

Next year I'm volunteering to bring water and begging for an easy game.

Mole Doctor

Yesterday I had to go to the dermatologist, or as my son refers to her, "The Mole Doctor". For those to you new to my blog, you might want to check out this story about my last visit to the dermatologist. Let's just say that I spent the better part of last year looking like a block of swiss cheese.

As you can imagine, I DID NOT continue to go to that particular mole doctor. In fact, I was so scared of going back to any mole doctor that I've put it off until I stumbled upon a wonderful dermatologist that I knew I could trust. I actually met her because of my son who had a few moles that needed to be examined. Thankfully, he didn't need any of them removed, but during the course of the visit, I explained about the "Butcher of Chester" and she readily agreed to take me on as a patient.

I was extremely nervous. I prayed, read my bible and had my husband pray for me before I went. I just had so many visions of what happened last time that it was almost paralyzing. But, I put my trust in God and forged ahead with the visit. She couldn't have been any nicer, any more sympathetic and I DIDN'T FEEL A THING! She had to tend to 3 moles in particular and honestly, I didn't have to grip the table once... that says a lot.

So, I'm very excited that's behind me and I don't need to go back for another 6 months.

Can I Trust You?

Trust... do you trust easily? Or is it earned? Can you meet someone, immediately get a "vibe" from them and determine whether or not they can be trusted? I have to admit, that for the majority of my life, I was not a very trusting individual. I think 90% of that was because of the fact that I was raised in a metropolitan area where we were taught street smarts probably before I even knew my A,B,Cs. It's not that I didn't want to trust people as I got older, but I learned that I had to be around them for a bit, quietly observe them in words and action, form my opinion and then I can let my guard down and be myself.

When I first arrived at college, the administration had set up little small groups for all incoming freshmen. It was assigned alphabetically by last name and there were about 15 or so in a small group. I loathed these once a week get togethers. I totally felt like an outsider... city girl trying to find her way in the country. Totally out of my element and, at this point, only knowing 2 other people on campus that I could truly say I trusted. Friendships were just forming and it was going to take me time.

The leader of our small group was an upper classman and he announced one day that we were going to play the "Trust" game. Right then and there the panic alarms were sounding inside my brain. What do you mean, the trust game... I don't even know you.... don't even know what the game is but I already knew that this was not going to be pretty.

So, the premise of the game is that everyone is to form a circle and one by one we would take turns standing in the middle of the circle. Then we were to fold our arms across our chest, close our eyes and just fall back. Ummmm... excuse me? Just fall back... with my eyes closed... and trust that this 90 pound boy or girl to my left or right is going to catch me? I'd rather be thrown into the creek on campus.. or eat a vegetable (which is saying a lot!). So, one by one, the other group members cheerfully took their turns... totally trusting that someone would catch them and they would bounce back into the middle of the circle. And each and every one of them did. Even the scrawny looking kids were pulling their weight so to speak. Even though I saw this was sucessful and no one was falling, I still didn't believe it was going to work for me... I could not trust that I wouldn't fall. I could not trust these strangers! So, finally it was my turn. I got in the middle of the circle and ... FROZE... I closed my eyes, put my arms across my chest...but could not let myself fall back. Gripped with fear... not trusting in anyone. I started to fall back and when I didn't feel someone right behind me to catch me.. I shot forward to regain my balance and walked out of the circle and off to the side.

I think, in hindsight, it was the turning point for me about trusting people. Although I didn't succeed in the task, I realized what a problem this was. I can trust Jesus with my life.. can't see him, but I know he is there always. I just needed His help in learning to trust others. Not to be reckless in just trusting everyone, but to let the walls down. 18 years worth of walls needed to be chipped way at. I don't know if they are all down.. but I know I've made a ton of progress. It's much easier for me to form friendships and easier to trust (with caution).

I often wonder if I played the Trust game today if I'd be able to do it... I think I should give it a try.

June!

I don't know what it's like by you...but June always seems to be a busy month. Birthdays, graduations, last days of school. It's like squeezing 3 months worth of activities into 2-3 weeks. I was trying to schedule a little shopping excursion with a friend only to realize that every morning this week (prime time to shop when Chris is in school) is already booked with various things. Doctor appointments, meetings and other obligations are proof that my mornings of running errands by myself are quickly coming to a close. Don't get me wrong, I have a bunch of fun things planned for us this summer, but oh how I'm going to miss a few stolen quiet moments each day.

Speaking of fun and summer... check out this website to see if your local bowling alley is participating in the "kids bowl free" program. Your child will get 2 free games A DAY! All you have to pay for is shoe rental. www.kidsbowlfree.com We took Chris yesterday and had a blast.

Red, White & Broke

What have we done this weekend? Well... hubby's car decided to smoke on Friday. It's in the shop getting fixed and then will be put up for sale. We wound up purchasing a car for hubby and new furniture for the living room (for those of you who follow the blog you'll remember that we sold our living room furniture at the community yard sale a few weeks ago). We got great deals so that helped ease the pain of making such big purchases.

As far as fun goes, Dairy Queen, mini golf, bowling and a surprise invite to my cousin's house for a BBQ rounded out the excitement. We went to our small town's Memorial Day Parade which, I must admit, was really fun. It flooded me with childhood memories of the Memorial Day parades I attended with my family. It felt great to see Chris excited about the festivities. Of course we also were trying to explain to him the purpose of this important day. When asked what his favorite part was he replied, "the candy". Of course... who wouldn't love the candy that was thrown by the people participating in the parade. He honestly collected as much as he does on Halloween. Not a bad gig.

Hope you are all enjoying the day with family and friends and a special thank you to all of you who have served or are currently serving our country and for fighting for the freedom that we enjoy each and every day

Close Friends

The other day we were asking Chris who is closest friends are. He started naming several kids in his class and we were a little surprised by some of the people he was naming. Not that they aren't nice kids, it's just that he doesn't talk about them much or socialize with them much outside of school. When we asked why so-in-so is his close friend, he replied, "Well he lives near our house.. I'm naming all the "close" kids.. you know the once that are closest to our home" Bless his heart.. he was right.. we asked who were his closest friends.. and he listed them by proximity.. not closest to his heart. How cute.

BP - Bringing People together - Funny!!

Man, It's HOT

Today I remembered why I hated going to school in May and June. THE HEAT! Oh my word. Today I spent 2 1/2 hours in Chris' school helping with various activities. I don't know why I bothered to shower this morning, because I was dripping with sweat when I left there today. Stale, hot air... that's all that flowed through the school. It brought back memories of my own school days. Relentless heat and teacher's trying to get you to pay attention when all you can think of is a cold drink and a swim.

I don't know about you, but I'm staying in with the air conditioner on... with any luck I'll catch a nap (and another shower) too!

Field Trip

Today, lil' guy took his very first class trip.. .without me, mind you. They boarded the school bus and headed to a local farm... couldn't have been a HOTTER day for their outing. 90 degrees.. now I don't know about you, but the LAST place I want to be on such a hot day is at a stinky farm. Maybe me not being on the trip was a good thing given my outlook LOL.

Chris had a great time and is definitely tired from the adventure. A friend of mine knew I would be worried and thinking about him all morning, so she did what any good friend would do, invite me over and then we went shopping. Totally kept my mind occupied for which I'm very grateful.

I remember going to a ton of museums in NYC when I was in school. My mother must have really have been prayed up those days of us getting on a school bus and going into Manhattan!
Do you remember your first class trips?