Busy, Busy, Busy

We have been so busy the last week or so. This is the time of the school year where all of my commitments start catching up with me...Sadie Hawkins, Prom, Relay for Life...apparently I am cursed with the inability to say no. I come by it honestly - my father has the same curse. :) I guess it's a good thing that I love my job!!

This is also the time of year that heat's up for Hubby as well. His soccer season has resumed and Peanut's will in the next week or two. The good thing about all of this busy time is that it makes the end of the school year fly by for me. We are in the last week of our 3rd grading period which means only one to go!!!!

I'm also happy to report that Buddy seems to be making some progress with his whininess. I hope I am not speaking too soon...I really do not want to repeat the last couple of weeks.

The braces are on and they are a pain. I have not eaten anything solid in a week. The good side is that I've lost 4 pounds. The bad side is that I am really hungry. I really thought I would be in better shape after a week, but sadly, I was mistaken. It's really not even that my teeth are too sore, but more that my teeth don't touch anywhere except right in the front. I guess I could nibble on things like a rabbit, but the mental image of that is so ridiculous. Oh well. One week down - seventeen months and three weeks to go. :)

That's all I've got to report for now. Ciao!

Frustrated

It has been a frustrating couple of days in the BamaBacks household. For starters, I got my braces on Monday. I was not prepared for the amount of soreness that I am experiencing. Tonight, I had mashed potatoes for dinner, and that is the most substantial thing I have eaten since Sunday. Needless to say I have been STARVING!!! I am looking at this adventure in a positive light, though. At the end of this 18 month journey, not only will I have a killer smile, no jaw pain, and fewer headaches, but I will be thin, too!!!! I have lost 3 pounds since Monday. I guess a liquid diet isn't all bad, huh?

The other point of frustration has been my little Buddy. He is 3 and 1/2, and he has a meltdown over just about everything. And I mean even little things...his hat fell off, he dropped his truck, he wants apple juice...anything. I am about at saturation level. I'm not really sure how much more of his behavior I can possibly take. I know that he will grow out of this phase and this too shall pass, but WHEN??? As I mentioned before, patience is not a virtue I possess. The only thing that keeps me going is that in his few moments of calm, I look at him and see his beautiful eyes and precious dimples. If in one of those moments of calm he and Peanut play nicely together, I remember why I wanted a second child. But the minute the tantrum starts, I forget...Maybe I should just look at his picture while he is sleeping to build up the good feeling!

On a good note, there are only 12 more school days until Spring Break. We are going camping with two of our favorite families. We all went on vacation together last year and had a blast, so I am really looking forward to this trip. We even bought two new tents!! The kids are so excited!! Maybe this trip will cure Buddy's ills - or maybe the other families will want to kill us! I will keep you posted. Ciao!

Snowing Again????

I am in disbelief. It is snowing for the third time in four days here in the Deep South. This time, however, the weatherman forgot to mention that we might get a half-inch of snow. That makes for some dicey driving situations down here. Hubby is currently out coaching soccer in this. That sounds absolutely horrible to me, but he enjoys it. I sure hope he is careful coming home!!

Buddy is back in Peanut's room watching Cars. He has become quite obsessed with this movie. In fact, he can quote nearly half of it! I am amazed that he will sit as long as he does to watch because he won't sit still for any other reason. At the same time, Peanut is in my bedroom watching Disney channel. I'm not sure I was prepared for everyone to be in separate rooms watching separate things at this juncture. I guess they are just growing up faster than I want them to.

Today was a pretty run of the mill day - not much to report. So, I hope you can have a lazy evening just like me! Ciao!

Slumber Party

Well, Peanut had her birthday party last night, one day late due to the aforementioned Snowmageddon 2010. We started at Grandma's house where she and her friends participated in a kids' cooking class. I was amazed at the amount of noise that 4 seven-year-olds can make. Hubby is very patient, which is a good thing because I have very little. In fact, sometimes I think I have none. :) From there we went to Sumo, a japanese restaurant that cooks in front of you. The kids were SO happy to see the fire, the onion volcano, to catch the shrimp, etc. I did feel a bit bad for the two couples that were seated at the table with us, but, how much romantic privacy could you want if you go to a restaurant like that? Anyhow, the kids ate well and were relatively well-behaved in public. I was really amazed at the stark differences between girls and boys at this age. The boys were into everything gross - poop, vomit, boogers, etc. - and their number one goal was to gross out everyone at the table. Boys are also so rough. They are always touching each other, pushing each other, hitting each other. I guess I got a great glimpse of what parenting Buddy will be like in a few years. Following dinner, we all returned to our house for cake, presents, and play time on the Wii. When the boys left the girls settled into Peanut's room for a movie and lots of late-night giggling.

I had a realization in the middle of all of this - I really don't like small children. That may be horrible to say as the mother of two young ones, but it's true. Of course, I love my own dearly and that love blinds me from seeing their faults. I know they are there, but I am willing to look beyond for my babies. For other people's babies, though, I'm not very patient. I teach high school for a reason - I like teenagers. They are more logical, reasonable, quiet...than a seven year old. By 9:00 last night I had already been through two glasses of wine. If Hubby hadn't been the referee most of the night, that might have been two bottles!

Oh well, I survived the slumber party. Hopefully Peanut won't want to have another one for at least a year. I am ok with the fact that I'm not that mom, the one who patiently sits and does arts and crafts, the one that plans out everyday of every school vacation day, the one that wants all the kids at my house all the time. I'll take my kids and all their friends when they are teenagers. That will give those moms who can't stand teenagers a break. :)

Snow Days

Today has been a winter wonderland here in the Ham. School was dismissed at 11:30 due to Snowmageddon 2010. For those of you not from the South, Snowmageddon counts as anything more than 1 inch accumulation. I literally laughed out loud when our school closing was announced because it wasn't even snowing at the moment. But, within the hour, about an inch had come down. I just checked our radar and there is still snow all the way back to the Mississippi state line. The kids have been outside playing since the minute we got home. We made a Bama snowman (about 1.5 feet tall) and snow angels. I put Buddy down for his nap and now I'm relaxing in my chair, heating pad on, staring out the window at all the beautiful snow. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Ciao!!!

Another Year Older

Birthdays are a fun time. Everyone pampers you for the day - you get cards, presents, people sing to you. Today is Peanut's birthday. She was born 7 years ago today. A child's birthday is an interesting day for a parent. There is so much reflection and remembering - first the day of the birth, then the memories that flood back of all the years prior. Where has all the time gone? I mentioned in a previous post that my Mom told me that time moves faster the older you get. My children's birthdays are serious reminders of that fact. My Peanut is full of sass!! She is lively and spunky and funny and smart. I really and truly cannot believe that she is 7. I really and truly cannot believe I am the mother of a 7 year old. I guess I can find some good in yesterday's news - maybe the braces will make me look younger. :)

Mouth Pain, Dentists, and Braces...Oh my!!!!!

Have I ever mentioned that I really dislike going to the dentist? I don't dislike my dentist - in fact, I LOVE him!!! I have known him since I was a freshmen in high school. I helped babysit his two younger children and I even got to teach one of those children in high school (WOW! That makes me feel old). I just really dislike people scraping and drilling in my mouth. I dislike the sounds and smells of the office, too. Well, yesterday, I began to have throbbing pain in one of my teeth. I was absolutely convinced I would need a root canal. I took a trip to my dentist to find out that the pain was coming from my sinuses and that my teeth were fine...except for one, small problem. I have a large overbite and I grind my teeth every night. I guess that is two small problems. :) Those two small problems have combined into one large problem - I need braces and I need them badly.

I have paused here to give you a minute to laugh hysterically. I know, I know - a 30 year old in braces. I asked about the Invisalign, but apparently those are for straightening. So I will be metal mouth soon. The worst part about it is that I work in a high school. So there I will be, walking the halls of my alma mater in braces as an adult. I still have not really accepted this fact. I have to go next week for my initial consultation and fitting. This is not really money that I want to spend - in fact, I don't really even have this money to spend. I guess my dentist is right, though. If I don't do this now I will be spending a whole lot more of my time and money at the dentist later. And, did I mention that I really dislike the dentist??? Ciao!

A Day of Rest...Finally

I'm so happy to report that I have done nearly nothing tonight. I have done two loads of laundry, but that felt like a vacation next to yesterday's sanding. Hubby brought me sushi for dinner - so thoughtful. The kiddos made pizzas for their dinner, and everyone sat together and relaxed for a while. Hubby is out for a run now. He encouraged me to exercise tonight, too. I have been on a "diet" since the beginning of December. I quit drinking soft drinks, have been more conscious of calories, and I exercise on my wonderful elliptical downstairs. I am down 8 pounds so far, and Hubby's encouragement has been helpful. I assured him, however, that I had plenty of exercise the past few days wrestling with these walls. Tonight was a night for rest. I am looking forward to his return because I really want to watch our Wednesday shows. Modern Family and Cougar Town make me laugh out loud!!!

Due to my laziness today, I don't have much new to write about. I hope you get to have a lazy evening, too. Ciao!

Drywall Dust Everywhere

I was really excited about this DIY home project. Really excited. I think it is safe to say that the excitement has past. There is now a loathing for home renovation. I'm so close to the finish line - I can see it...really... - but I just don't know if I have the stamina to get this done. Oh, how I wish I could go to the money tree in the backyard, grab some dough, and hire someone to finish this project for me. But, alas, I cannot find the money tree. Oh well.

Hubby started back to soccer tonight. This is the time of year that I refer to myself as a soccer widow. I am basically spouse-less until May. Let me spill a little secret...there are nights that I enjoy the time by myself. After I put the kids to bed the house is so quiet, and I can be on my computer and watch HGTV with no eye-rolling from across the room. That said, I miss Hubby during that time, too. I also really enjoy nights where we are both home, both relaxing in our semi-finished great room. Just having him in the room with me relaxes me. I guess I could say I have the best of both worlds, so I will not complain. :)

Peanut is tearing up 1st grade. She makes a 100 on her spelling test nearly ever week, and she often gets all of the challenge words for bonus as well. These are words such as devious, consequences, unreasonable, amiable, and so on. I have juniors in high school that can't spell those words, and my Peanut can. She has quite the natural ability with school work. She has brought home 100s on her past three math tests as well. I am so thankful for her academic abilities, and I am also thankful that she really enjoys school. I hope that continues as she gets older. Somewhere between elementary and high school, most children lose their luster for school - I pray she keeps her enthusiasm.

Buddy is cute as ever. He went to the high school basketball game with me last night and he spent the evening charming the ladies instead of watching the game. I think we are going to have our hands full with him!! He might have hugged everyone in the gym if I had let him roam!

Well, enough of my random thoughts for tonight. Sleep well. Ciao!