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Random Thoughts

Wow, I just realized I haven't posted anything in a really long time. Sorry! I guess that's because there is not much to report. Just chugging along at a summer pace. Kids are in camp and enjoying it. The older one is really happy - wow what a change from the beginning of the summer. Answer to his problem: surround him with kids his own age and lots of structured activities. Little one is having fun too. Since it's baseball season he is in heaven. He keeps diligent track of the race between the Red Socks and the Yankees for 1st place (Hopping the Yankees pull ahead of course) and the Soriano trading rumors. He's the only 6 year old I have ever known to wake up early in the morning and instead of turning the TV on to watch Spongebob Squarepants he watches ESPN. Sometimes he reminds me of a 35 year old.

My babysitter is quitting. Now I'm on the perpetual search for a new one. I use college students to watch my kids when I'm at work since we live very close to a university. It's great in one sense: they are usually fairly engaged, can help with home work, have lots of energy, etc. The problem is every time the semester ends I'm screwed. So, now that the summer is ending my current sitter is leaving for a 'real' job. She's a nice kid, but lacks any sort of kid 'instinct'. Like when ever my kids fought she would say they are 'dumb' or are 'dorks' (which they are) but she didn't realize that when you're 6 that can hurt.

I've gained about 5 pounds this summer. Why do I always gain weight over the summer? I think it's because it's so hot I can barely move. It always depressed me, so I try to diet and then quickly blow it, and then I'm cranky towards the rest of my family. You would think after repeating this cycle over and over again I would learn to try to do something different.

I went away for a night by myself. I left the kids with my husband and I went up to NY for a family event. Sister, let me tell you, it felt great! I slept like a baby, listened to MY music the whole way up and back, sang Aretha Franklin songs at the top of my lungs and called old friends from my cell phone. And I mean it when I say absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I really need to take a break from my family more often. It was also great because my husband did an excellent job of taking care of the kids. Not only did no one die while I was gone, but they had a fabulous time. My 6 year old learned how to swim! How did that happen? I'm gone one day and bam, they change. And my husband did it all. Well, it was a great relief and milestone for me - now I can leave my kids with their father every weekend if I want. Humm, I need to start planning my next getaway soon. Well, I'm off for another little jaunt out of town next week, so I might not be able to write for another little while, but school is starting in....2 weeks, 6 days and 6 hours. YES! I will be back on my regular posting schedule by then. Cheers!

I'm Back

I'm back from vacation, and feel exhausted. I thought vacations were supposed to feel restful? It was a fun trip however. Not to bore you with the details here it is in a nutshell:

GOOD STUFF: lots of beaching, swimming, canoeing, eating, drinking. Visited with lots of family and old friends. Read a book. Celebrated 2 birthdays - 6 and 11.

BAD STUFF: my husband herniated a disk in his 'cervical spine' and was in a lot of pain. Love handles now droop over my pants. 11 year old got stung by a jellyfish. Spent a lot of money. Fought a lot with 11 yr old.

I have a new diagnosis for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the bible for diagnosis amongst mental health professionals: Premature Adolescence. To put it mildly, my older son was a bit of a downer this trip. He was constantly complaining of being bored and had no ideas about what to do to amuse himself. He was very testy, rude, and provocative, we fought frequently, and he slept until 11:00 every morning. I thought this wasn't supposed to happen for another year or two? Well, euphemistically speaking, I did not handle it gracefully. For some reason I have always held the belief I was going to be a 'cool' teenager mom, but if this trip was evidence of anything coming my way in the future, I'm in trouble. I just had no patience for it, and was testy and rude, yelled, and caused a mild scene in a restaurant.

Thankfully we are now home and today is his 2ed day of camp. He is out of my hair and surrounded by other kids, and thus his mood seems to have improved a bit. But here's the ironic thing; I have been in a complete state of anxiety since yesterday. I'm worried about him getting over heated (it's 100 degrees here), I'm worried about his asthma, I'm worried that I didn't pack him a hat (even though I packed him a weeks worth of clothes in his back pack - mind you, this is a day camp). And today he's going to a water park, and he's never been down a water slide before. I find my behavior a bit puzzling to say the least. You would think after a month of dealing with Oscar the Grouch I would be glad to get rid of him for a few hours. I'm not ready for adolescence! I'm not ready for him to grow up and individuate! I guess I'm just not ready to let him go this soon. I am not ready to surrender to the teenage monster that is mustering up strength inside of him. He was so sweet and good. Now he seems like a basket full of raging hormones, and I just can't swallow it yet. I guess this is why mother nature invented adolescence: you have to separate from your kids somehow, and at this rate I may be kicking him out the door by the end of the summer.

On Vacation

I'm on vacation at the beach, so this is a rare opportunity to write - I snuck onto my husband's computer. I only have a minute.

My son turned 11 years old today. It's a good thing I have to be nice to him today. Otherwise I would be strangling him because of all his bordum complaints. Next summer it's sleep away camp. Period.

My 5 yr. old learned how to swim in the ocean yesturday. We were all very excited until I got bit by a Jelly Fish. That put a bit of a damper on the moment.

As far as the sleepover goes, it was a riot (in all meanings of the word). The boys stayed up until 3:00am wrestling, pillow fighting and playing truth or dare, and them set the alarm clock for 6:00 am. Go figure. The next day my sone slept from 4:00pm untill the next day.

The only casuality of the sleepover was Jerry, one of our pet Zebra Finches. Somehow Jerry (named after the mouse from from the cartoon Tom and Jerry) ended up with an injured wing. The bad news is that our bird was hurt, the good news is that it wasn't a kid. She must have gotten hit by a sofa cushion or pillow being flug across the room by a rouge child.

Well, that's about it for now. Gotta run. Cheers.

Random Thoughts

OMG I'm in such a fog right now. I got like 2 hours of sleep last night, and I just woke up so I can get my little one off to baseball camp. I don't know why I couldn't sleep other then I took this diuretic because I am soooo bloated with premenstral water retention. What are those things - straight caffeine? Anyway, I have never taken one of these but I had to because every time I took off my bra I would almost cry in pain and I was feeling so fat I was practically in tears. Well this should lend nicely to my irritability.

Summer has been going, well... OK. Lot's of fighting at the start but things have settled down a bit. But, I think I have figured out the key to life: keep the kids busy and keep the kids separated. The less time they spend together the less they will get on each other's nerves, especially when there is too much ideal time.

OK, here's the big news. My 'soon-to-be-11-yr. old' is having a slumber party tonight. I am petrified. I don't know why I approved this. He's got 5 or 6 friends coming over, and we're going to just shove them in the basement with lots of pizza, popcorn, X-Box and movies, and let them fend for themselves. But several of his friends are a bit wild and strange. Like the type of kid you would see dressed in a Aragorn costume at the opening of Lord of the Rings. Once one of his friends brought to a play date a half a dozen light sabers and they battled with them all afternoon. I actually think it's pretty cute, but only for a few hours. For all night and into the next morning feels a bit overwhelming.

Well, I should have much to write about come tomorrow. I hope I can find the time. Wish me luck.

Good-bye Freedom, for Now

In exactly 25 minutes the school year is over. Life as I have known it for the past 10 months will be over. As I eat my sorrowful last meal of freedom with my trusted friend, computer, I look around the room and take one final glance. Good-bye peaceful lunch. Good-bye semi-clean dining table. Good-bye quiet. Good-bye peaceful house. Good-bye calm nerves. Good-bye blog (though this I will attempt to continue to the best of my ability). Good-bye my blogger fans (all 3 of you) - don't forget me! I have enjoyed your company and will try to write whenever I am able. Farewell to you all, for now I am embarking on a new journey. For the next 3 months I will be living amongst mess, rowdy children and smelly body odor (for I will not be able to take a shower for more then 2 minutes without someone coming into the bathroom interrupting me). Oh shit. Now only 10 minutes are left. There are so many things to say. But I will vow this - I promise to try to keep my calm and my dignity. I promise to reserve time for myself. I promise to write as frequently as I can. I am putting on my shoes now. Freedom - I will see you in a few months. Farewell, for now.

Football Fever

OK, one word - WORLD CUP (that's 2 isn't it). OMG, my house has lost it's mind with soccer.

My husband has order HDTV, just for the next 2 weeks, and some device like TiVo that can record any game he misses at any time. Then he wants to rig his computer the TV so he can record the games to disk or something. Meanwhile my little 5 year old son is running around the house at 5 am, turning on ESPN and yelling 'RONDALINHO', 'WAYNE ROONEY' and 'THIERRY HENRY' as loud as he can, in an English accent no less. FYI, we are not English. He has had the theme song of their favorite soccer channel stuck in his head for the past three days and has been humming it to himself nonstop, particularly when playing his Play Station FIFA soccer game. The two of them are even chanting common English soccer phrases (yes, in the English accent again) to each other like 'what a lovely bit of skill' and 'brilliant footwork'. No one in my house has ever used the word brilliant as an adjective to describe a physical skill until now. They don't even call soccer soccer any more. Now it's football.

I like the World Cup too, but I have to admit, I can't wait for this to be over. Bloody hell.