Rainy Days and Mondays!

My six year old son, as he opened up his Diego umbrella in the rain:  "Take that, rain!"

All by Myself!

Today is an epoch in my life.  I have spent the last two hours alone.  As in no children with me.  None. Nada.

My littlest started preschool today.  It has been 12 years in the making, this solitude I am now experiencing, and will be experiencing twice each week.

I'm not sure what to make of it.  On the one hand, it is nice to do what I want or need to do without worry or concern about a little one's needs.  On the other hand, I feel a bit lost.  I'm not quite sure how to best use this long-coveted time.  I must admit that this morning, after I dropped little K off, I went to Menards and Walmart.  Disappointed?

So, what does one do when one's children are no longer at home during the day?  Read, watch TV, sew, scrapbook?  Clean the floors, the bathroom or the kitchen?  Shop for groceries, toilet paper, or new shoes?  I'm just not sure yet.

I'll have to keep pondering it.  For now, I have to go pick up my little girl.  Enough alone time for today.

Pump up the jam!

Things are about to get loud over here.  Okay, okay, it's already crazy loud over here.  If possible, it's going to get even louder.

Why, you ask?

Because we are getting Rock Band for our Wii.

I know I'm certifiable for allowing it to happen.  But I have to say, I'm excited too!  It's going to be a karaoke party!

Wonderful people from church are giving it to us because their boys are grown and moving out.  Their mother is happy to be losing all the large equipment (while I am trying to figure out where we will store all the stuff over here).  Our boys are thrilled to be on the receiving end of such a generous gift.

So - anyone up for a little Bon Jovi or Aerosmith?

A new era

Two weeks from today, four of my five children will be starting school for the fall.  My fifth child will be starting her preschool class the next day.

Yes, dear friends, you read that right.  I will be on my own on a regular basis this school year.  For the first time in twelve and a half years.  For 6 hours per week, not that I'm counting.

I'm a little excited.

You might be thinking I'm a terrible mother, one who does not love her children.  Not so!  I still get sweet baby K (who is obviously not a baby anymore!) for the rest of the week, and I adore spending time with her.  She is so much fun.  And I have grown accustomed to the other kids going to school everyday, so it will be a matter of settling in to the routine again.  

Several people have asked me, "What will you do with (all) that free time?"  I don't really know yet.  The idea of regular time alone is so foreign to me, that I think it will take a little figuring out.  I imagine I'll sort it out and it might include some shopping.

However, all this anticipation aside, for those of you who know me well, you know that no matter how much I am looking forward to some free time,  I will still be weepy when we leave her at school.  It is completely inevitable.  My baby!  My last child, in school!

I think I might cry all the way to the mall, where some retail therapy will ease the ache a bit.

Things A Five Year Old Would Say

Do you remember the show $25,000 Pyramid?  (Or in later years, $100,00 Pyramid - inflation, you know.)  Do you remember the final round, where the contestant and his or her celebrity partner went for the Big Money?  I do, because I loved that show.  And there was always a category called "Things A _________ Would Say".  Below, thanks to my resident five year old, our take on the category.

"Can dogs read?"

"Who is gonna be the last person to die?"

"Can people live underwater?"

"Mom - I made up a song about God.  'God is the best!  The number one best!'"

"Mommy!  I know you're so glad you have me!"  Yes, I say.  "Because if you don't want to clean up, I will!"

"Was there trash when Jesus lived?"  Yes, I say.  "Wow!"

"Dad?  Do skyscrapers really scrape the sky?"


My celebrity partner (Nipsey Russell) and I would have aced this one right away.  Dick Clark would have been impressed.

Olympimania!

The Olympics!  Swimming, gymnastics, cycling, diving. . .spare change!

Yes, my children are very interested in the 2012 games.  They love watching the sports on TV, each rooting for his or her own country.  We drew countries out of a hat (in full disclosure - out of my hand, because how many hats are really laying around?), and each child received a new home country.  We made a huge chart on the wall and each time their country gets a medal, they get a coin taped onto the chart.

The plan was that a gold medal would get a quarter, the silver a nickel, and the bronze a penny.  Until I got smart (luckily just before the games started) and realized the good ol' Olympic games would bankrupt me with five kids cheering for the top five medaling countries!  So - I downgraded the gold to a dime.  Pats on the back for mommy, all around.  Close call.

Each child is enjoying watching his or her country receive medals, and they are noticing just how rich they might be when it's all over (my middle son especially, who drew the US of A).  For my part, I'm enjoying the kids' interest in the games, no matter the reason.

Colorado, Part Two

We drive an awesome van.  Yep, we are the envy of our friends.  Not everyone has a fine, classy, 2005 Chevy Astro.

But we do.

Okay, okay.  So it's not the coolest van in carline.  But that has never bothered me.  While it would be awesome to drive a new suburban or Odyssey or 12 passenger van (I know, I'm weird), this van suits us well.  It's paid for, has plenty of room for all of us and our stuff, and it has that "lived in smell".  The new car smell is way overrated, in my opinion. 

So, on our trip to Colorado, we were dismayed to see it begin to overheat.  Parts of Colorado were experiencing the intense heat wave, and the van's radiator and two other parts (you don't think I actually remember which parts, do you?) had to be replaced.  

We were staying in a gorgeous home with breathtaking views at this point of our vacation.  Our plan was to just hunker down with our family and enjoy the home, the scenery and each other.

Did I mention this home was in the middle of nowhere?  We had to drive about 20 minutes from the main road to get to the house.  On dirt roads that wound up and down, left and right, with a couple of switchback turns thrown in.  It was a beautiful drive back to the house, but it wasn't a quick or easy one.  

For three of the days we were staying in this house, the van had to be driven into Colorado Springs, a four hour round trip, to be fixed.  My husband and his father were returning from the springs on the second day with four of the kids, after the van had been "fixed", only to have it overheat again on the side of the road, about a half hour from our house.  My mother-in-law had to shuttle everyone back and forth to the house, where my older daughter and I were anxiously waiting.  Twice, in the dark, she to drive her rental car to our van and pick up our family.  Twice, I stood at the door, watching for her return.  

Oh, it was scary!  First I had visions of her and the children, broken down on the side of the road, with no cell coverage and no one near to help her.  Then, as the time passed (slowly), I had visions of them teetering on the side of a steep hill in the dark.  I prayed and prayed for their safety and was so relieved to see the headlights in the driveway.  God was surely watching over all of them as they drove back to the house.  

The van has since been given a clean bill of health by our mechanic, so we have decided to keep her.  Aside from this "little" problem on vacation, she has served us well these last several years.  So - if you see us in our Chevy Astro, try not to be too jealous.  Not everyone can have such an uber cool van!