Lucky Number 13

September 26th is a couple days away and as usual it causes me to reminisce and reflect on my life so far.  I think about the decisions I've made with and without Jim's input and the results of those decisions. We got married in 1998 but we started dating long before that. We were together for 5 years before we even got married. So even though we are only married 13 years I feel as though we have already grown old together. We are comfortable.  This can be good and bad at times. Sometimes I find we lack the excitement that a relationship needs to thrive and then in the same instant I realize we have too much excitement.. it's just a different kind.

We were talking about something the other night and the topic turned to having only one child.  This lead to a conversation about how money is spent on one child and different activities are different with one child because you have more money to be spent on the activities etc. Jim looked at me and said "Would things be easier if we just had Aedan?"  I looked at him and said "Well yeah.. but then we would just have Aedan."  The conversation stopped dead there.  We can't picture our life differently because it's perfect for us.  It may be hard at times but it's the uphill struggles that makes the downhill butterflies in your stomach all that much better.

So if I had to wonder if 13 really is lucky I would say yes... because I feel lucky. And that is all that matters.

Happy Anniversary to me.. Lucky Number 13.

Peer Pressure

Whoever says it's bad I'd like to sit down and argue to the contrary. Alexa has been in Pre-School for exactly 2 days and has already peed on the potty more in those 2 days than she has in the past year of me bribing, coddling, threatening, rewarding, and every other way of reasoning with a 3 year old.  So the way I look at it .. if it works then let's run with it..

New Year.. New Teacher .. New ways to work the system..

The boy. Need I say more? To some of you, maybe not. To most I'll have to elaborate. He likes to work the system, aka his parents, teachers and anyone of authority.

Case in point. Day two of the new school year. We are at home that evening and asking the kids how their days went and what they did, etc.  Aedan gets a proud look on his face and says.. "I had my seat moved" .  I immediately went into flip out mode and started spewing questions.. "What did you do? Were you talking? It's day 2 for crying out loud !" and so on and so forth. He goes on to say that he asked to be moved because Girl #1 and boy #1 were talking too much and he didn't want to be in trouble. And Mrs. H moved him to the group of tables that sat his best buddy C.  Let the eye rolls commence. I doubted him of course as is my job after years of experience. He assured me that he was telling the truth. I said, "well good for you but if I find out you're goofing off with C then you're done and you'll regret it". That was a week ago.

Fast forward to tonight. Back to School night. A lovely evening out where parents race to school after work and feeding the kids on the fly to meet the teachers and find out what they are gonna teach your kids this year.  We get there and meet his teacher Mrs. H who is 9.75 months pregnant and ready to go so we also get to meet Ms. C who is on call to take her place at a day's notice. Both very nice ladies.  Get to talking and I warn her about the seating arrangements and how Aedan and C are best buds.  And I relay how the seating arrangement came to fruition. "yeah he's a little chatty" oh...But wait.. she gets a bit wide eyed and chuckles... we tell her Aedan's version of the story and she CORRECTS it for us. Aedan was moved because he was yappin' it up with his friends at the other table.  So I tell her she'll need to keep a close watch on him.. and I relay the same message to the sub. He thinks he is so smart... and he would have gotten away with it had we missed that darn meeting...

Watch that boy.. he's an evil genius. And he's always scheming.

First Day of School !!

It was kind of a letdown and it's all because of a mis-communication between the transportation department and the bus company. I had all my ducks in a row with Transportation.  But apparently they didn't line things up with the bus depot.

I was all excited with camera at the ready to get the shots of the kids coming off the bus after their first day of school only to be extremely disappointed, surprised, shocked and worried when first Chloe did not emerge from the bus. And then later in the day Aedan did not get off either.

I was worried about Chloe freaking out at a Day Care center that she hadn't visited yet, with people she has never met.  She of course got through it like a champ. Cool, calm and collected not even frazzled. Me ? I was pissed, and upset because I missed my photo op and I can't let anything go.

I specifically called transportation 3 days ago to make sure everything was in line for today and they were set up the right way. Apparently I was speaking jibberish.

Tomorrow the kids will each have a note in bold print telling the driver where they need to get off the bus. I hope that works or we have may have other issues.

Potty Training Boot Camp

We have 2 weeks. Alexa starts back at Daycare / Pre School in 2 weeks. I found out today that she will have the regular pre-school teacher for the next 2 years until she goes to Kindergarten which will be PHENOMENAL because we LOVE Miss Maggie. She rocks. Problem is.. I'd prefer Alexa not go into Pre School still not potty trained. The stubborn mule has sat and has gone on the potty but still refuses to go all in and go on the potty full time and live diaper free.

Starting tomorrow she is in Mommy's Potty Boot Camp. Do or Die time kid. Well be doing lots of laundry I think.. and there may be a few puddles ... but I can't take this anymore.. I want to be diaper free.

Lord bless me and please keep my temper in check as I go into this battle of wills with the Master . May I survive and come out on the other side victorious.

It's sink or swim time

Not sure I can remember the stroke. We are at that time of year again where we start looking at bigger houses because we realize, once again, that we have outgrown our starter home. A starter home usually doesn't last 13 years and 3 kids.

We are bursting at the seams and it can't come at a worse time in the real estate market. This time we have found the perfect home. It's new construction, the perfect size, the perfect area.  We wouldn't have to pull out of the School district we love and Aedan could finish out the year in the school he is currently in if we happen to move in the middle of the year.

But.. yeah there is always a but. I'm nauseous just thinking about the $$. I worry that we will jump and then we will be struggling to pay our bills. And I'm worried we'll jump and our neighbors will hate us for moving. And I'm worried that we will start the process and then we won't sell our house which means we can't get the new house..

I suppose when all is said and done I'm scared of the unknown. I'm comfortable here simply because it's familiar and affordable and the kids have friends. Not because we all fit. I'm sick of rubbermaid bins everywhere.. and moving stuff to get to stuff. I want space. I want the kids to have a room of their own to play in so their stuff isn't taking over my living room. And I don't want arts and crafts and homework/school paperwork taking over my kitchen. I want to park my car in a garage and still have a place for the bikes and scooters and wagon etc. I want a laundry ROOM.. not a closet with my laundry scattered in the hallway constantly. I want to be able to host a family party without renting the community clubhouse. I want my own yard and be able to do with it what I want.

I want space. The new house would have space.

I think I just answered my own questions. Looks like it's go time.. I can only try . I'm not afraid of failing. It won't kill me. So step one is DIVE IN. I have my goggles at the ready...

20 Years and Not Much Has Changed

I attended and informal 20 Year High school reunion last night that was organized through Facebook. I was excited to see a bunch of ladies that I literally haven't seen in person since graduation. I have missed all of the official reunions over the years.

I would like to start off by saying, I had a blast. I got to catch up with alot of girls that I chat with on FB and also with some friends I get to see a few times throughout the year. It was a nice night out without the man and midgets tagging along to say the least.

All the girls were just like I expected them to be. Of course that statement can be taken however you'd like to take it. The same girls I talked to in High School were the same girls I talked to last night.

What I don't get is this. If you are going to act like you are too good to be there then why bother showing up ?? I suppose it's simply to see how everyone turned out, but still..seems pointless to me.  Just gives everyone else the evidence we needed to keep our opinions of you the same and realize that some people really don't grow up after graduation.

Oh well.. there's always Thanksgiving..maybe the ones that really want to be there will come and everyone else will stay home..  ;)