First Grade

Here we go again.  It's already crazy.  School is in session and getting back to the routine has been hard.  It has been two weeks and Oh, I feel it.  It's been a rocky start.  But even with all the craziness, my boy seems happy.  He flows.  It seems like months ago we were shopping for supplies.  Why in the world is that?  Crazy, that's why.  But looking back, this was cool.  Armed with the list, calling the items out one by one...Ok, where are the glue sticks?  Over here!

Jonah got a blue ruler, Jesse grabbed the purple.

I guess Jonah was wondering what other purpose this boring tool could be useful for.

Monday morning.  Started out fine.  Ms. Kelly and Jesse waved goodbye from outside.  They waved, we waved, and our focus turned towards the road.  And we drove off and left them locked out of the house.  Yep, just hanging out.  They were cool, because we weren't long.  It was a beautiful morning...thank goodness.  Hey, and there's usually a pair of spare shoes by the door and plenty of sidewalk chalk.  

And we got him squared away in class.  I peeked in with my camera so not to embarrass him too much.  Left him there on the back row...his back row of all boys which he seemed super thrilled about.

And then he was supposed to ride the bus home.  And...well, the teacher put my baby on the wrong bus.  And...the last two weeks we have spoken to both assistant principals and the principal...And if this happens again...well, well, do I even have to say?  What a freakin nightmare that was.  I'm getting passed it.  I'm getting passed it so we can concentrate on other things like this.  Like the fact that his first homework was a spelling game on the computer.  And he maneuvered this thing like a pro.  And he played Word Search and he was so proud.

We worked on spelling words every night this week.  We were preparing for his first test.  His very first test ever would be a Spelling test on Friday.  He was ready.

She was ready too.  She's so anxious to join him...as most yonger siblings are.  So ready for school.

He aced it.

So, here we are a couple of weeks in and we are getting a little more adjusted.  I have often thought this week how different it all seems.  In a lot of ways, school is the same, but in a lot of ways, it is so very different.  I'm sure I did homework, but I sure don't remember much until I was older.  I rode the bus, but I never got on the wrong one.  Anyway...in a perfect world, I would write a perfect story of how beautiful Jonah's first day of First Grade was and how he got off the bus safely and even have a cool picture of him stepping off that big yellow ride smiling ear to ear.  But that didn't happen and I'm not going to sugar coat it.  In fact, I'll just end with this... 

I'm loving this picture.  I love these two children and I wish I could promise them a perfect world.  But, obviously, it is not.  So, we learn and we prepare for it all.  Every day.  And my sweet Jonah, I am so proud of you.  When your Daddy and I got to the school that first afternoon, you were so cool.  Not at all upset.  Just simply, "Mama, she put me on the wrong bus."  You were so brave and so calm.  I rushed there to hold you and ease your pain, and the opposite happened.  You were the one comforting me and you didn't even know it.  Oh, I love you so much...my sweet young man...my Jonah.

This is Real

How do I capture the spirit of this night in words? This is a moment when I know this...I am not a writer. I've thought of this off and on all day. How do I express my wonderful friendship with these three amazing women. I have no idea. All I know is that I love them, and the pure excitement of this evening was almost too much for me to contain.

We go back so far. For some of us all the way back to summers at the City Pool. Of course, we went to high school together. Then, it was like some gravitational pull that put us all back together in college. Yes, even through college. Amazing. Unusual? Wonderful! On this night, we met up here...

Oh yeah. Our old stomping ground. And we made reservations at the fabulous Westin Buckhead. We had no plans really, just the simple fact that we would make the most of it because we never see each other and we never do this. And when you split a room four ways and it's only $35 each you wonder....what have we been waiting for?

Four small town girls, four happily married women, four working Mothers, four Mothers of two. Four friends for life.

And we walked to the Tavern. And I wish I had a picture of us walking through the doors. We were greeted with a sea of white napkins falling over our heads like parade confetti. This place was alive...and so were we.

And it was like the movie Cocktail. You know, the bartenders flipping bottles and keeping the crowd happy with their tricks. Excitement. But you know what's funny, we never got close to the bar. We found a table and we talked and we laughed and it was like it was just us. When they performed, we watched, but mostly, it was just us.

And I should have had a steak dinner. But that's all I'm going to say about that. That's for us to talk about...next year when we do it all again. Because that's all we could think about, how next year, same day, more time, we'll be here.

And as the night started to end, there was this reminder on our hotel table. A reminder of how lucky we are to go home to them. Our sweet angels. Our wonderful husbands that were so supportive of our night and took care of our angels for us.

And this night we will talk about for years to come. Our first annual. It was fabulous. One more thing though. The following morning, in sort of a daze, I picked up my phone. And I had received a text at 3:24 am. I know I was completely out when it came though. And it started out like this...

"I love you girls and I'm so glad for tonight. We are truly blessed to have each other as friends. I am thankful. I love yall..."

That's real. That's our friendship. Till next year ladies. Love you.

How I want to feel forever...

Everything I love. Everything I need. It's all right here. Right here.

They played in my upholstered, removable top ottoman Saturday morning. And I decided, it was ok. Who cares? How often do I get to see this, so who cares? And Ms. Kelly rented them Hotel for Dogs...and we watched it many times this weekend...in porch chairs Jesse decided to bring inside. Ok.

And thanks to Aunt Kelly, we got to celebrate our Anniversary Saturday evening. It was spectacular. He worked so hard all day painting Jesse's room the most perfect Princess pink. And then we celebrated. Like we like. With Margaritas of course.

And as we left our favorite restaurant in the city, we admired. I'm sure the Valet thought I was nuts, but how often do you see this ya know? A Bentley. Nice, but I was just as happy as I could be jumping in my 2000 Acura. Yeah, just as happy.

I don't long for this kind of rich. I'm already as rich as I can be. I do love my husband. I do love my family. And waking up Sunday morning next to him and my angels was the perfect dessert to our Saturday evening. So much better than a Bentley.

And this weekend...this is how I want to feel forever.

Do You Remember When...

I listened to this all day and thought of him. I tapped my feet at my desk and thought of him. I thought of how young we were when we first met. All the road trips. Thought of the windows down and the wind in my hair. Thought about our mini vacations to the beach just the two of us. And we felt like this. Just like this. And I smiled a lot. And tonight I looked back at pictures of him with the kids.

Going back. We were kids. And he picked me up after football games and took me to Dairy Queen every Friday night. Couldn’t wait to jump in that black Toyota fresh off the field into his arms. I snuggled just as close as I possibly could. Windows down. I would be starving! Couldn’t beat a good DQ Cheeseburger after a football game. He probably had a Mr. Misty. Oh, I miss that. I miss how he scooped me up like a princess and made me feel so incredible.

And later, driving I-16 to Savannah or Brunswick with the Windows down and Aerosmith blasting. On my way to see my man. No worries. How every single time I saw him after a long week was like the first time.

And then, his trips to see me in Atlanta. Still getting butterflies anticipating his visit. How he took me to Six Flags and then later that night asked me to marry him in my tiny apartment bedroom. I had no make-up on. And how he told me he didn’t care about that. And how my heart completely melted when he said that and how much I realized how perfect it was. And how I had no doubts that I would spend the rest of my life with him and be so happy.

And how he looked into my eyes on our wedding day like no one else was in the church. Like it was just us. How neither of us cared too terribly much about the wedding details. We just wanted to be married. We wanted to move on to the next chapter.

And how he just came home from an overnight work trip and when he walked in the door I still got butterflies. How I look at him with the same feelings I had back then. And how adding the kids’ excitement to that escalates those feelings even more.

I can’t wait for all the living and loving to come. I see us in our 50’s driving the California coast…with the windows down…that’s our kind of love. Another trip to Hawaii in our future…with the kids…riding down that volcano again on bikes all together just like that family we saw. Remember that family? Remember I told you that one day I wanted two kids and I wanted to go back there when they were old enough to do it all again? I can’t wait. Mt. Haleakala. He’s waiting for us. And it won’t be long.

Happy Anniversary Love. 13 Wonderful Years. I love you.

Jesse's Moon

Sometimes, it's natural, I guess, to come down a few days. Let's just be real a minute. Every day can't possibly be Mary Poppins perfect, now can it? Some days I just want more time with my angels. And what I am needing the most, more alone time with my love. Not to mention, maybe a girls night out somewhere in there. And many days this week I would imagine...what would be like to not work and to live in a small beach cottage? What would it be like to walk around barefoot and in a tank top and shorts most days…sitting in a beach chair with my feet in the sand with a cold beer in my hand watching the kids make sand castles? What would it be like to call Mama and say come on up, I’m home alone with the kids. Let’s make cookies with them and watch Anne of Green Gables. There’s this thing called Food Network you’re going to love!! Just wait till I introduce you to Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen. What would that be like? Not sure. But, it’s ok. I know I’m blessed. But sometimes, I just can’t help but wonder.

And then, while I am missing my love and my angels are fast asleep, I start looking back at pictures.

Jesse’s new big girl bed…or as she calls it, her “princess bed”. How excited I am about this stage in life and just imagining her sitting there…eventually with a telephone in hand and chatting with her girls. Giggle and laughter coming from her room while I remind her to finish her homework for sure.

These from her very first night in this new phase in life.

How much she is growing and how every day I see more and more of my Mom in her. Looks and personality. All of it. Realizing she is with me after all.

How much excitement she gets from a simple trip to the ice cream shop.

And Sprinkles! Simple things like Sprinkles just bring her so much joy.

And yet again, I am reminded of how very great it is. How great it is to see her actually reach for it tonight. It was grand.

Good Night Moon. Good Night Room. Good Night ungrateful thoughts. Hello Weekend.