Yesterday was a day, that honestly as a parent is one of the hardest I think I have had to deal with.  Which one says a lot about my kids.  If I have made it into 10 years of momness and just now had a day that I say is just plain hard is pretty good I think.

Thing 2 had a rough time at school yesterday.  My gentle giant had to deal with something and thankfully he has a support system at school as well as at home and it is being handled.  Thing 1 and I had a chat about grades last night.  He said "Mom, there is so much going on right now, I am just kind of overwhelmed."  He is 10 and in 5th grade.  Am I the only who sees something wrong with this. 

I told Granny this morning, that yesterday was just hard.  My heart ached for my kids last night.  While they were snuggled safely in their beds, they were carefree.  Knowing they had to get up this morning and deal with stuff all over again.  I realize that is life, that is just how it goes.  However I had hoped life wouldn't smack them in the face this young. 

By no means am I a coddler.  I don't baby my kids, and shelter them from things.  They know about death, and loss, and hard times, and bad things happening to other people.  But for some reason all of this is just hitting me a little harder than normal.

In the midst of it all, I turn my radio on my phone on and The Perry's song "Still Blessed" came on.  If you have never heard this song.  Let me encourage you to listen, and really listen to the words.  I will admit the song gave me a bit of peace today, and added some much needed calmness to my day.

Here is hoping today is better than yesterday with no phone calls or anything like that.

Full Speed ahead

It is that time of year again.  That's right.  Baseball season is upon us.  This year Thing 2 will be playing coach pitch, and Thing 1 has moved up to Minors.  That's right two kids, two teams...again.  Thing 1 will be the starting catcher for his team, which is the "Stealers" and will be wearing jersey number 10.  Thing 1 will be playing some position yet to be determined for his team the "Braves" and wearing jersey number 11. 

I am super excited about watching them play.  There is just one issue.  Two kids, two teams means two schedules.  Which means mom will have to miss a game or two for a kid.  This of course will be rotated and avoided as much as possible, but it is inevitable.  We are going wide open.  When the weather holds and we can.  Practices are 4-5 days a week. Then throw in all the other life stuff we have to deal with, and we are a family on the move. 

I honestly have no clue how people with tons of kids or kids in tons of things manage.  It makes me tired to imagine. For now though we will love every minute of it and take advantage of the time we have because these two won't be this age forever.

So I am a slacker

I have been absent for a while, I know.  I blame it entirely on life.  Ours has kind of been running nonstop lately.  By lately I mean the last year or so.  I thought after baseball season ended it would slow down a bit.  Boy was I wrong.  In fact I think it went full speed ahead.  I am not complaining too much I don't suppose, other than my usual complaint of being tired, but let's face it I have been tired the better part of the last 10 years.

Let's go over the big life events for the last few months shall we:

1) Thing 1 made All-stars for baseball.  Kid had a heck of a season.  The team the boys were on won the league championship by going 12-1.  Thing 2 had a good learning year for it to be his first year off of t ball.  Thing 1 however was a rock star.  He ended up with the highest batting average on his team.  He went half the season  batting 1000, then he still ended up going 24-27 for the season.  Not to shabby for a dude on the small side for his age.  He went to Allstars, we were knocked out of the tournament after 2 games but that is a discussion I don't need to start.  Let's just say that I was not happy with how the team was done, but that is old news.

2) Thing 1 started 4th grade, Thing 2 started 1st.  I know these don't seem huge but in my world they are.  We are getting ready for the oldest boy child's 10th birthday.  Granted it isn't until July but with the way time goes, that will be here next week.

3) Not sure if I mentioned it before or not but my mom got married again, and moved out of state.  Have no fears, she and her husband have since moved back up here and life is peachy keen.  I am beyond thrilled about this fact let me tell you.  I am not ashamed to admit at 33 years old I depend on my mama  A LOT!!!! 

4)  We lost my grandma.  She fought a long battle with Alzheimer's. This disease is horrible and is just cruel.  It doesn't just take away a person's memory and mind, it takes a toll on those having to watch it happen and know there is nothing that can be done.

5)  Justin GOT SAVED.  This was a very very proud moment for me as a mom.  I have watched both of my children make the  decision to accept Jesus as their personal savior.  That my friends is HUGE.    Seeing my 7 year old little boy walk up to the preacher and tell him Preacher I need to be Saved, is just indescribable.

6)  We celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary.  Hard to believe we have been married that long.  It seems like forever but feels like just yesterday.

I think those are the biggies.  I am hoping life slows down just a tad because it is going way to fast for my liking.  
 

I should know by now

I have been a human for 32 years now, a wife for almost 10 and a mom for 9 of those.  I should know by now that my oversleeping sets the course for the day.  Mom can't over sleep.  I have this horrible habit of not sleeping good on Sunday nights.  Why you ask.  Well it is very simple, and very odd.  I am afraid I won't get up on time on Monday morning.  Don't laugh, or at least for very long.  I wake up about 12 times a night on Sunday nights.  I don't generally do that during the week.  I guess it is because I sleep in on Saturday and a little later on Sunday. 

This morning I woke up at 5:30 to my alarm singing to me.  I have it set to play "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line.  I also have a rooster that crows at 630, that one normally does the trick.  Not today though.  This ole girl woke up at 7:13 (imagine the Kevin McCallister running through out the house moment from Home Alone).  I jump up knowing I still have to pack a lunch box and get two kids out the door and a husbands stuff together.  All the while I am thinking, "Sure am glad I took my shower last night".  I some how managed to get myself and both kids out the door by 7:45.  I drop the kids off and am informed Thing 2 forgot his lunch.  Thankfully I ran back tot he house, and was back to the school, dropped his lunch off in his class room, and was headed to work by 7:58.  I am so glad we live very close to the school. 

Let's just hope the rest of the day slows down (not too much) and runs smoothly.

Have a great Monday.

And it begins again

We had our first baseball game of the season last night.  Let me just say that I LOVE this time of year.Even though it is considerably more hectic for me.  Nights like last night make it all worth it.  Let me set the scene for you.  Warm spring night in North Carolina, 10 little boys and 2 little girls gather in orange shirts, grey pants, black socks and black belts (actual uniforms are ordered just not in yet) They are warming up while the little kids finish their tee ball game.  These kids are throwing the ball back and forth and look to be having fun. 

It is time to head to the dug out, line ups are shared, and the batting order is set.  our first batter comes up and makes a good clean hit, and gets a double.  Then Thing 1 comes up to bat.  He steps into the batters box after listening to the coach remind him don't swing at the first pitch unless its right where it should be.  What does he do....yup swings at the very first pitch.  He settles back in and then his pitch comes in.  He knocks the fire out of the ball, and get a double, and his first RBI of the night.  Thing 2 comes up for his first at bat, and settles into the box.  He makes three good swings, but misses the ball.  He did it with a smile though.  Thing 1 then has 2 more at bats, he gets a double, and a triple.  The triple leads to another RBI.  Thing 2 gets another at bat.  He was making some great swings, it just wasn't his night to get a hit.  His night of going 3 for 3 will come.  He did however hustle like no bodies business.  He did amazing as far as that goes.  He is still learning, this after all is his first year on a non-tee ball team and its a lot different. 

We played a great game, and the kids all looked to be having fun.  I will say, and have said already today, nights like that make you realize some pretty important people are gone.  I can't help but think how much my Daddy would have loved to watch my boys playing ball, especially on the field I watched him play on so much as a kid.  Mama had one of those moments kind of slap her right in the face last night, but with my Uncle Gerald.  When the boys started playing so good she would have text him and told him all about it.

We have another game tonight, and I can't wait. Times like this are what life is all about.  Kids being kids, having fun, learning important life lessons, and having parents cheering them on.  

My mother gave me homework

I get a text from my mom yesterday, this isn't odd but the text it self was.  It was a mass text to all the grand kids telling us to think of memories of our grandparent, aunts and uncles from her side of the family. This has gotten me to thinking.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I am just down right lucky to have the family I have.  Growing up I just assumed all families were as close as mine.  It was normal for me, so I just figured it was for everyone else.  As I grew up though, I learned however that we were actually the exception to the rule. 


I started my little stroll down memory lane with Papaw, I have mentioned him and the uncles here.  He was a little man in stature but big in heart when it came to his family, not to mention that man could grown ANYTHING!!  He had a green thumb that sadly was not passed down to future generations.  Then there is Mamaw.  One memory that sticks out the most, is her picking me up at school sick one day when I was in elementary school.  I remember going to the grocery story and her getting a can of chili beans and taking me home and fixing chili beans for me and letting me eat in bed. To this day chili is a comfort food for me.  Then there are the uncles.  These two men, left  our family entirely too soon and have left huge boots to fill.  My memories of them are more when I was older.  I remember one of Uncle Edwards visits from Oklahoma, he stayed with me and my family.  He slept in the race car bed in the kids room.  We would get up in the mornings and sit and have coffee and just enjoy the morning.  We might chit chat a bit, but mostly just enjoyed being there together.  Uncle Gerald went into the army when I was little, maybe 7ish.  He sent me a spud mckenzie dog all the way from Texas just because he knew I would like it.  You see, I was slightly spoiled as a kid, being the first grand kid and all.  My aunt Patricia is proof positive of this.  We were in a story when I was little and I found a pair of boots that I wanted.  Tricia didn't have the cash for it, so I so sweetly told her to write a check, and you know what happened next...yep she wrote a check and bought me boots (told you I was spoiled).  Then there is Audrey.  She is the only one I can count on to play with my hair, and braid it and it look decent.  Even to this day I love to sit down and let her brush and braid it..

This is not even the tip of the iceberg of memories, but I have been thinking of tons of them lately.  I just blows my mind for this not to be the norm ya know.

What's time to a Hog?

Growing up we listened to Jerry Clower.  Anyone not familiar with this man has truly missed out.  He was a southern comedian that told stories of a family called the Ledbetters.  If you are familiar with him, then you may have heard the story that the line "What's time to a Hog?" was in.

We have recently changed time-you know the whole Spring Forward Fall Back bull crap.  I love the Fall Back part, who doesn't like an extra hour of sleep.  The spring forward though has been a real heifer this time around though.  It has effected everyone in my house.  The kids aren't even willing to go to sleep till 930, because really it is only 830.  They however do not want to get up at 7 because it is only 6.  We won't even begin to talk about my schedule being so off track that I am up till 11 and in bed till 7, well maybe we will talk about it a little.

It got me thinking yesterday on my way home.  Why do we have to lose an hour?  Where does it go?  There are still 24 hours in a day, no matter what.  I understand that way back when this crap started it was so farmers could have more hours to work in daylight-I get that.  I don't get why I have to lose an hour of sleep.  I don't get enough as is. 

My plan for tonight is to stay up as late as humanly possible--for me that should be about 1130 and I will be dragging.  Then sleep in as late as I can, if I am lucky maybe 8-830. Hopefully. 

It is suppose to be 70something here tomorrow, so I foresee doors open and windows open and music blasting.