First day of Kindergarten

My little Sweet Pea is going to Kindergarten! 

She might have poison ivy again, not sure.  No time to go to the Dr office, it appeared yesterday.  She is riding the bus home and is very excited about it.  Can't believe this little person is at school, today.   

making memories

My little Sweet Pea is going to Kindergarten in a week.  Lots of milestones this summer.

At her last check up, I sat with the doctor that got me through so many illnesses (there was a time I saw her once a week, before she was 2, we had many illnesses)  and we talked frankly about how I never even thought she would survive to see 5 years old.  The doctor laughed and I did not explain myself...which sounds very doom and gloom, but in my past are some disasters and I just have expected that I was not destined to happily ever after.  More doom and gloom...but I thought this happy place was just not meant for me and I am always worried that I will be tapped on the shoulder and someone will say...there has been a mistake and this horribly awful is really meant for you and not the goodness and light you have been living for the last 6 years.  Which also sounds very doom and gloom...but I have to be honest someplace and this blog is the place.  Each day is a gift.  I am a lucky girl to have this life.  And I know that.  I sometimes think that not everyone knows that about their life.    

Sweet Pea is smart, strong and healthy.  She has reached 35lbs which is WAY below normal for a Kindergarter, but the Dr is not worried as she has always been WAY below the norm and she is steadily gaining weight.  She is at the average for her height, so that is good.  She is still in the harness booster seat.  I promised that she could be in the regular booster when school started, and I will have to agree to that...but she hasn't pushed the issue and I am not bringing it up again.  Her car seat is huge and I realize it seems like a baby...but she is so light she doesn't really meet the criteria to get out of it.  I bought this seat because it is convertible (I can remove the harness) to a regular booster.  Pat on the back for me!   

We had a few struggles this summer with asthma for Sweet Pea.  Which is not unusual since I have chronic asthma and Honey Bun had childhood asthma.  All episodes seemed to happen away from home and were on days that she was extremely busy/active.  Dr thinks it could be exercised induced...but we are watching it and have a rescue inhaler for the future.

She loved vacation this year.  We took 2 trips.  One to Branson and she loved Silver Dollar City.  IT was so much fun with her.  She is not scared to go on anything, there was only one ride she said she didn't like.  It was a fast roller coaster and a rough ride.  I hated it and felt icky for about 2 hrs after we rode it.  Her ears took the most abuse, because her head moved around in the harness.  Her ears were bruised.  Our second trip was a driving trip and she did wonderful!  We drove about 6hrs a day and it was not too bad.  We had a great visit with all the people we saw. The only hiccup was we tried to go longer on one of the driving days and it was not good.  I was crying, she was crying and he was driving.  Stick with the plan!
Both times I was so glad to get home.  Good to be gone, good to be home!

We went school shopping this week.  I went into thinking I would make some memories.  That was the name of the game.  And I am not sure I did that for her....but I did for me.  We did our running around and she got something at each place we stopped.  She is getting to be a good shopper.  Thinking about what she wants to buy and what she needs.  She wanted something for her 2 dolls.  Baby and Ashley are their names.
SP:  Can we get something for baby?
Me:  Well, I guess she can have something new for school too.
SP:  It's her birthday so she needs a new outfit.
Me:  Ok
SP:  Can Ashley have a dress too?
Me:  Does she need a dress?
SP:  Her birthday is tomorrow, and it would hurt her feelings if Baby got a present and she didn't
Me:  good thinking...we don't want hurt feelings.
That girl of mine is a thinker...I don't think I would have said my doll was having a birthday in order to get what I wanted.

We ate lunch at IHOP.  She got a fancy pancake and then loved trying all the different syrups.  It was so much fun just the two of us at lunch.  So grown up!

She had to try on a few things...her comments...
"Mom, this just doesn't look like me!"  "Put it in the thumbs down pile"
"Do you think Kindergarteners wear cheetah?"   (I assured her they do!)
"I think these pants will look great with my new shoes"
"I want blue tennis shoes, I bet everyone else will have pink"
"Mom, I'm not really a pink girl"  

We found some long sleeve tops to go with pants that I picked up at the end of the season in April...so that was a good thing.  We didn't find any dresses for school play.  She said maybe we could find some online.  I told her that was a good idea.  We got 3 pairs of shoes and she had a new pair of flipflops...I cleaned out her shoe basket and she wore size10 when summer started and I bought size 12.  Crazy!  I found the tennis shoes on the clearance rack and they aren't the name brand but they were blue and they fit.  The name brand was all pink, and they didn't seem to fit her long,skinny foot as well.  Probably have to get a new pair at Christmas, but with the money I saved...I can do that. 

I wanted to jot these memories down before they slipped away! 

Mr. 500

What do you do when you have something that you think is very important in the life of your spouse and he doesn't want it talked about. Because he is humble or embarrassed or both, I can't figure out which.

Do you honor that? Do you blab about how proud you are?
What did I do? I asked for a time frame. As is...when can I talk about this.

He said after the season. So I am kinda waiting. Kinda...because I am telling you, I told my family and a close mutual friend. He told his Air Force buddy.

Honey Buns got win number 500 last night. So exciting for his career. This season has been a rocky one and I so wanted this milestone for him before he changes his career outlook. And he got it last night. Hooray!

I bought champagne and we toasted all the players that got him to this feat. Then we feasted on a delicious roast cooked in the crockpot and drank a few beers. It was a good celebration.

The athletic banquet is in 2 weeks and the regular season will be over on Thursday (depending on the weather) you can bet your bottom dollar, I will be making sure it is announced at the banquet...no matter what Honey Buns wants.

new stuff

Had to get a new dryer. Honey Buns said just get the set. So I did.

Looks like this...



The only problem is this...

Should I spring for the pedestals to cover that?

shopping trip

This weekend Sweet Pea and I made a mad dash to see my niece who recently turned 1 and we can't go to the party. We ate lunch with them and dropped off the gift. Niece fell asleep before the gift part...which wasn't a big deal to us. After leaving niece, we went to the shopping mall. I have been on a quest to replace my work tote. I am calling it a quest, because I have specific things I want in a work tote and I truly love the one I currently carry and I have repaired it many times. I think the handles are soon going to give out.
I found one that was not perfect, but it would do...I didn't buy it. We stopped for new tights and then headed for home. About 60 minutes from the shopping mall, I began to have regrets about the bag.

I asked Sweet Pea...Do you think I should have bought that bag?
S.P....did you love it?
Me...not really.
S.P....OK.

I then asked, (because I am slow that way) Do I keep looking till I love it?
She said...well, Duh Mom.
And I thought...well, Duh Mom.

falling in love again

Is it possible to fall in love with your daughter again? I read all the baby books that tell you, you might not love your baby the first instant you hold her in your arms...but give it time and you will once you hold her enough to know her. I believe it. Because I actually held her for such a short amount of time before they wisked her away...I wondered when they brought her back to me after I got back to my room...I haven't told many people this...but I actually wondered if she was the same baby. My baby. Turns out, she was my baby and that love came in waves that first day of her life. Because they took her away again and didn't bring her right back like I asked. (And I think there was some ranting in that room and a very gentle husband did what he could to fix an unfixable situation...)

Which brings us back to the story for today.

Sweet Pea and me went to visit my college friend at her mother's this weekend. We both have little girls and the brown haired one is 5 and the blonde is 4. They are fast friends and very cute together. They both have been into beads and making necklaces...they each made two this weekend. One each with their names in them. Sweet Pea was so proud of hers with her name in there. They decided to make the mom's one also. Brown haired is in kindergarten and reading and so smart. It is so hard not to compare them and they are only 15 mo difference in age. Sweet Pea is in Pre-K and so innocent and adorable...but also smart! Brown haired makes one for her mom with her name on it. She brings it out to present it to the mom and tell her...see I put your name in the necklace. She spells the name...T-A-M-M-I. The mom oohs and ahhs over it as it is wonderful. Sweet Pea brings me one and tells me she put my name on mine too. Did I want to wear it? You bet I did. She presents it...and it did have my name on it...M-O-M. And right at that moment with her shining eyes on me, I was so proud of her.

I fell in love...again.

New Year, New Me? !

I have made the same resolution for the past two years. The first year, I was semi-successful. 2011...I mastered that resolution! Menu planning is part of my life, a habit that makes my life easier, a routine to my week.

2012 needs to start off with a new resolution. I have a few brewing in the back of my skull. Listing them here will give them merit.

1. I want to get healthy. Diet and exercise. I want to lose 20lbs.

2. Cleaner house. I need to add this to my daily/weekly routine. I don't have a baby anymore, I don't have a toddler anymore, I can no longer use that as my excuse. I need to get a strategy I can understand and manage. Maybe pick-up one room a day and clean one area a week.

3. Professional goals. I need to write some.

4. Give him a break. I am going to try and give my husband the benefit of the doubt. He makes decisions differently than I do. He thinks of things differently than I do. I resolve to try and go with the flow more and wait to give my opinion until he asks for it.

5. Make time for fun with daughter. We need to do more, go more and experience more. That includes at home time too. I resolve to put away my book and do things with her.

I think maybe 4 will be the hardest for me.