Tanner's Big Week

Tanner had an amazing week the week he turned 10. On his birthday I asked him where he wanted to eat, anywhere he wanted. He said, "Mmmm....not McDonald's, you know that other place." There are only a billion restaurants in Katy. But I am very smart and asked if he was thinking about Mooyah Burgers and Fries and I was right. We went and ate there. It was very good. Everyone was happy with Tanner's choice and I could tell he was growing up because he didn't pick McDonald's.
That Friday night he had his skating party. Lots of his friends came and he had a great time. He even got to go into the money machine. What could be better?
That weekend his baseball team had a tournament. Tanner played the best he has ever played. He played pitcher, catcher, and second base and you could tell he put his all into it. He hit the ball hard and came very close a couple of times to hitting it over the fence. His team went 5 and 0 and he won the MVP for the tournament. He was on top of the world. It looks like 10 is going to be Tanner's year.
I love this kid!

Last day to be 9

So excited to be turning 10!!!


Tomorrow Tanner turns 10. I decided to take a few pictures to document his last day to be 9. It is hard to imagine this big boy used to be my "lots to love" baby. He was such a chunky monkey and so squishy and adorable. I think he is still adorable, but in a different way. He has developed a cute personality. He has a great sense of humor. He is very tender hearted and so passionate about the things he loves. He keeps life interesting and makes me a proud mama!

Secret to a healthy you...

Do you want to be thin, be able to climb trees like a monkey, be the fastest 9 year old in town? Well, Tanner has the secret. Today he got a cupcake as an after school snack. As he was eating the snack he was doing sit ups. So, it is not what you eat, it is what you do while you eat. Who would have guessed!

Oh, Tanner!

Tanner keeps life interesting. Last night as we were driving home from practice he informed me he knew where babies came from. I said, "Oh?" He told me they come from a very gross place. "You know, the same place on a girl that balls are on a boy." Always great conversation in the Holmberg house.


This has been a crazy couple of weeks. The boys are both playing basketball and baseball has started up again. Someone has a practice or a game everyday of the week. I feel like all I do is drive kids around. Brad has also been working a lot the last week and was called out 3 nights this week, so he wasn't even home. I finally got the boys into bed and sat down to relax before bed, when Tanner came down and told me he had thrown up. I asked where and he said on the carpet. I should have known that. Then it occurred to me that Tanner had Hawaiian punch at dinner. Of course he did!! He then got that, "I'm going to throw up look," and I yelled at him to go to the restroom. He ran in there and threw up in the sink. I guess I should be happy he hit the sink, but the toilet would have been so much better. I then spent the next hour cleaning up the, ide of his bed, the carpet, the remote controls, the game boxes, a baseball hat, and a sink. His bedroom now has two red stains on the carpet. He keeps saying he wants wood floors in his room and I am thinking that might not be a bad idea. Oh the joys of motherhood!!

Tanner's Journal

The last day of school was Thursday. Woohoo!! As I was going through all the stuff the boys brought home I found Tanner's journal. Here is an entry typed just the way he wrote it.

My favret relitive is uncle Scot heas a UT fan heas nise and frendly hese still alive we visit him evry year. I like him becas heas fun he likes to play chest. becase heas a chest teacher. He always bets me so we play anouther game.

Scott has always joked around and called chess, chest. Thanks Scott for making my son think the game is called chest. We are so glad you are still alive.

My summer goals: 1. Teach Tanner the game is chess not chest. I really don't want him to start playing chest for at least 10 years. 2. Teach Tanner to spell. Man does he suck at spelling. He is the perfect example of why a weekly spelling list and test on Friday does not work. We have studied all the words he wrote at least once for a spelling test. Thank God for spell check.

Astro game and lost boy

Monday at school one of my friends offered me 4 Astro's tickets. At first I told her no, because I was tired. We had been gone all weekend playing and working a baseball tournament. I thought about it some more and decided it was stupid to turn down free tickets, especially because Mason had been asking me if we could go. I told the boys they had to really clean their rooms and we would go. They vacuumed dusted and basically became my slaves in order to go to the game. We weren't sure Brad would be able to make it, because he had already planned on working late. He told us he would meet us there if he could. We left pretty early because Mason wanted to try and get autographs. Lucky for us one of the Astro's threw him a ball and then signed his ball and the one Tanner had brought with him. Tanner came running over to me and asked me how much he could sell it on ebay. I asked him who signed it. He didn't know who it was. I'm thinking no one is going to buy the ball of an unknown Astro. We watched the game until about the 7th inning and then the boys played at the Squeeze Play for a while. When we left the play area the boys were thirsty. I didn't feel like taking out a small loan to buy them another drink, so I pointed out a water fountain and told them I was going into the restroom. When I came out I saw Mason watching the game, but didn't see Tanner. I asked Mason where he was, but he didn't know. We checked around, looked in the restroom, Mason walked outside and looked by the squeeze play, but no Tanner. I stood there wondering what to do and getting really scared. I started to walk toward the door to check the Squeeze play area and saw Tanner walking up with a weird looking dude. He had those things you put in your earlobes that stretches them out. It didn't register to me that they were together. I asked Tanner where he had been and they guy said he had found him outside of Minute Maid Park walking down the street. Tanner said he was going to look for us at the car. He didn't know where I was. I thanked the guy for bringing him back and started on my lecture for Tanner. When I got home and told Brad what had happened he said, "You mean Tanner was with a freak." I said, "Yes, he might have looked like a freak, but he had a heart of gold. He brought us our Tanner back." This has freaked me out. I have talked to Tanner about what to do from now on if he is ever lost. I guess I did this to him by telling him we were going to the car when Mason left us in the mall. Poor kid, he must be really confused. Brad yelled at him and asked him what he was thinking. "Don't you know your mom would never leave you?" Of course I wouldn't. The two incidents were totally different, but I guess in the mind of a little boy he doesn't see that. This was not a great day in my parenting life.

Happy Birthday Tan Man!!

My sweet baby is 9 today. That is really hard to believe. He is really growing up. I am very proud of his accomplishments this year. He has become a great student. He loves to read, which makes me really happy. He is becoming more confident in himself. He has such a sweet heart. I love that about him. Today we went to pick up his cookie cake from the mall. Mason disappeared, which really aggravated me. We looked around and called his name, but he didn't come. I told Tanner let's go to the car and we will drive up to the entrance and I bet Mason will be there looking for us by the time we get there. I really was trying to teach Mason a lesson. He likes to think he is big enough to wonder off and not let me know where he is going. I was hoping to scare him. Tanner wouldn't leave with out finding him. Mason was right where I thought he was, at the music store around the corner from the cookie shop. Mason is lucky he has a brother that cares about him so much. He is still pretty shy. When someone says hello, you can barely hear him say hi, and he won't look at them. Today he surprised me. The lady running the party asked him what he wanted to do and gave him a list of activities and the order she was planning on doing them. Tanner looked right at her and said, "I would like to play kickball, dodgeball, and then basketball." I was very proud of him. He still cries when he gets disappointed, but it doesn't last long. I am hoping by the time he is 19 he will stop this. I guess it is just part of his sensitivity, which is a good thing. I wanted to scan a baby picture of him in, but Brad unhooked our scanner and I don't know how to fix it. I look forward to spending another year watching my little boy grow up. I am so glad I am his mom.

To be a boy

I have often wondered what goes on in the minds of my boys. Tonight Tanner and I went to run some errands together. As we were driving he said, "I need to dig a hole for my whole body to fit in." I asked him why, wondering if he was going to dig his own grave. He said he needs it for when they play war. I told him it would take a long time to dig a hole that big. He said he didn't care he would just use dad's shovels.

He wanted me to take him to Academy so he could buy wrist bands with a $10 gift card he had. He looked and looked at everything in the store and decided he didn't want to get wrist bands. As we were walking to another part of the store away from the wrist bands he said, "That's all right I don't need to look cool to play basketball."

It is really easy to spend mom's money, but when it is your own you think a little bit harder.

Yikes

When we left for the hospital yesterday my brain was working over time trying to figure out everything we might need, who to call immediately that would be expecting me or Mason in the next couple of days, and what to do with Tanner. My friend Susie picked up Tanner before we left and Brad picked him up after work. On the drive to the hospital I called one of Tanner's friends and spoke to his mom about after school tomorrow. The plan was Tanner would get off the bus at the same stop and go home with Luke. Luke's parents would take the boys trick or treating if Brad had not made it home in time. About 5:00 I called to check on Tanner. Lisa said Tanner was at home. I thought she was kidding. She wasn't! My heart stopped. She said when he got off the bus he went to the garage and punched in the code. He saw my truck in the garage and told Briant I was home. Tanner went inside and did God knows what for an hour. Lisa said Luke went to our house 30 minutes earlier and rang the doorbell to see if Tanner wanted to play. Of course he didn't answer, that is our rule when he and Mason are ever home alone. I just wonder what was going on in that little boys mind when he got in the house and no one was home. Did he celebrate and have a little party or was he scared? In my mind I think of him being scared to death and crying for his mommy. But if I know Tanner it didn't faze him a bit. If that had been me as a child I would have been hysterical. One time my mom couldn't pick me up from swimming lessons on time. She called the place and told them she would be late. I remember the lady telling me this and offering me chips and coke, but I wouldn't stop crying until I saw my mom. I guess you see where Tanner gets his emotional side.

When I hung up with Lisa she sent Briant back over to the house and I told her I would call him. I had to call several times before he would pick up. The thoughts that were going through my head were not good. I was almost in tears. He finally picked up and said, "Luke is here to get me." No duh! I told him to go and open the door and he said he had to put on shorts first. I bet he was eating in the living room, in his boxers, and watching cartoons. Like I said he was in hog heaven.

Tan Man

Tan Man

This is suppose to be a blog about how perfect my kids are and what a great mom I am right? Well, I hate to break it to you, but my kids aren't perfect. I don't know how since I am. LOL



My poor Tanner has been having some issues. Tanner is an emotional kid. I have always described him as the most loving kid one minute and the spawn of Satan the next. He has been that way since he was a baby. When he was two we called him Tanner the Terrible. We couldn't go out to eat with him, because he would be so loud and Brad couldn't handle it. He reacts by yelling, screaming, or crying when he gets upset. This is part of the reason I took him to the doctor when he was in first grade. He was having a little trouble academically. He has never really gotten into trouble in school. Well, not anymore than the average kid. He might get a mark, her or there, but nothing terrible. He always saves his bad behavior for me. Anyway, I took him to the doctor and we determined he has ADHD. He has been on medicine ever since. He has done really well. The first day he was on the medicine his teacher said it was the first time he raised his hand and sat still while they were on the carpet. Another issue he has had is crying when he is playing sports. In football it was when he couldn't do something correctly. In baseball it is if he strikes out or misses a ball. When he was younger I felt like he would out grow it. He did get better for a while, but the last two Sunday's at baseball he has had total breakdowns. His teacher said he sobs if he gets into any kind of trouble or is asked to redo something. Thankfully this has only happened a few times. He has break downs on Monday when we are studying his new words. He thinks he has to know them already and cries and yells if I tell him he spelled it wrong. Anyone that knows me knows I am a pretty laid back person. I really don't beat my kids for not being perfect. I took him to the doctor last week because I thought maybe it was the medicine causing him to react this way. He said he didn't think so. The medicine would not cause this behavior it might enhance what is already there. My sister took the pictures of him above. He was crying when he was playing chess with his uncle a couple of Thanksgivings ago because he was losing. This was before medicine, so the doctor is right. He thinks we should go and see a counselor. I have mixed feeling about this. I tried to call the person he suggested we see, but she isn't in our plan. I started thinking we would just forget it and see if we could work this out ourselves. Then yesterday during his baseball game, Tanner missed a ball. When the first baseman threw it back to him Tanner threw it down on the ground. The ball was still live and the runner kept running. He picked up the ball and the ump called time. Tanner was playing pitcher and he has to give the ball back to the coach so he can pitch the ball. Instead of throwing the ball back he hurled it at the coach as hard as he could. His coach made him go to the dugout. Tanner was bawling. I went over and had a few words with him and told him to stop crying in a not so nice voice. He did. I was so embarrassed. His coach handled it very well. He made him apologize to the coach and I am happy he sent him out of the game. I am hoping this will make a big impact on him. I grounded him from video games and TV for the rest of the day. This is like taking oxygen from him. I also told him if he does it again he will not be playing baseball again. I am really at a loss as to what to do.

Going Buggy

Tonight Tanner had baseball practice. When we were leaving he started yelling and crying. He screamed. "There's a bug in my ear." He was crying and screaming and slapping at his ear. I tried to pour water from my water bottle into his ear, but he kept screaming. We used a water hose and tried to flush it out. He looked relieved and said it was out. We gathered our things and went to the car. Right when we got there he started screaming again and hitting his ear. We drove straight to the ER and found out there were 15 people in front of us. The receptionist at the ER suggested we go to Katy Urgent Care, but it closed in 15 minutes. We ran to the car and drove as fast as we could. Tanner had calmed down a bit. When we got there we had 5 minutes to spare. We ran in and they had already closed. Brad kept calling during all this and telling me what he found out on the Internet. We decided to go to Walgreen's and pick up some hydrogen peroxide. While there I ran into another of my old students and her mom. She tried to help me find an irrigation syringe. Tanner started crying and screaming again while I was talking to her. I am making some great impressions on my old students lately. We paid for what we needed and started home. It was the worst drive of my live. Tanner started screaming and crying hysterically. He kept saying that this was the worst day of his life. He was screaming at the bug to get out of his ear. By the time we got home I was crying too. We ran in the house and put the peroxide in his ear and within a couple of minutes a little black bug came out. What an ordeal. That poor baby was being tortured. The bug would be still for a while and he would be fine and then it would start moving again and he would go hysterical. I am so glad what we tried worked or we would have been spending the night in the ER. What a crazy night!

Be Very Careful

America has a new soldier. He will kill you with cuteness. Brad bought the boys these BDU's the other day. One of the kids favorite things to do is run around the neighborhood with their friends and play war. They make teams, build forts, and run terrorizing, I mean playing all over the neighbors yards. It reminds me of the good old days when kids could run around and play without all the worrying. Doesn't that make me sound old? I do still worry about them, but they can't live in a bubble and I figure if someone decided to take them, they would return them really quickly. I mean who else could afford them?