Week in review

We had a big storm blow in on Tuesday night and this is what we woke up to. Our pool survived the hurricane, but not a front blowing in.




Mason helped his team win his game by scoring the last basket with seconds to go.







Mason's baseball team won second place in the President's Day Classic.

Valentine's Day

Once again I was struck by the reality of raising boys. Last night I gave the boys their Valentine cards to make out for their class exchange. I remember when I was little I would love Valentine's Day. I would take my cards and look through them so I could pick out the best Valentine for each person in my class. My best friend would get a special one, and which ever boy I loved at the time would get a special one as well. I had to pick out just the right card. I was a little boy crazy. I think I loved my first boy at age 3. I don't really remember his real name, but we called him Bubba Rooney. Why, I don't know. So back to last night. The boys got their class list and began filling out their cards. You had to attach a piece of candy to each so I was doing that. While putting the candy on Mason's cards I noticed one made out to Casey. The card read, You are my sweetheart! I started thinking, wow does Mason have a girlfriend. I asked him who Casey was and he said it was the boy that lived down the street. I said, "Well, your card to him says he is your sweetheart. Is that what you want to give him?" He said, "Man, why do these dumb cards say things like that?" I was all, "Duh, they are valentine cards, what do you expect?" Crazy kid!! He just wrote names on the cards and didn't even read them. That just really disappoints me. I thought the cards we got from the boys had been hand picked by them. I guess they were just in it for the goodies. I guess not much has changed. The men in our lives today are just in it for the goodies to. The only difference is the goodies have changed.

I did get a really cute card from Tanner today. It was his handprints making a heart. When I got it I thought, this is probably the last time I will get a handprint craft from him. That made me a little sad. He is really growing up.

Events from the week in pics

(pic 1)Tonight Tanner had the third grade program, "It's a Jungle Out There". He was an elephant. Doesn't he look excited?! He is always just so full of joy.
Pic 2) This is Tanner at basketball practice. He loves to be first. You see him looking to see how close the guy is running with him. He is usually the fastest. His baseball coach had him run against a 9 year old at practice Friday night. He told me he wanted to see how Tanner would do against this kid, because this was the fastest
kid he new. Tanner tied him.

(Pic 3)This is my sister's family. Her son, Zachary, was in the high school play "The Music Man". He was Winthrop. He is only in the 6th grade. He did awesome. Apparently his big brother in the back needs to be in drama as well.

(Pic 4)Saturday Mason was fouled with just a few seconds left in the game. His team was behind by 2 points. He had the opportunity to tie the game. He only made one shot. Maybe next time.

Independence

This Christmas Brad wanted to get the boys a mini dirt bike. I wasn't really happy with it, but like a lot of things in this house my opinion doesn't mean too much because I am the only female. There are lots of things I just don't get like guns, laughing at noises that the boys make with their bodies, talking about body parts etc..... Anyway, we got them the dirt bike. Once I saw the boys ride it I wasn't too concerned. It really didn't go too fast and they did wear helmets. Brad even agreed with me on making them stay off the roads. We have a bayou behind our house and a pond in the neighborhood. This gave them a safe place to ride. Then one day I got home and Brad was trying to figure out how to make the bike faster. Why!? He succeeded and now the bike goes much faster than I am comfortable with. The boys have also found a new place to ride. We had a public golf course that closed down during the summer. The bayou behind our house runs to the golf course. They like to ride to the old golf course now. I am not real comfortable with it, but I am not sure if I am being too protective. Part of me likes the idea of the boys getting to do what boys should do. But the mommy in me is scared they are going to get hurt. Last Sunday, Mason told me he was going to the golf course and ride. I made sure he had the cell phone. A little time had passed and Mason called crying, saying the bike had broken down and he was really far from home. Then the phone died. I tried to call him back, but it went straight to voice mail. I got in the truck with Tanner and drove down the bayou to where you can't go any further because there is a gate. Then Tanner and I walked to find Mason. At first I wasn't too nervous, but as I called for him and didn't hear him I got more and more scared. Finally we saw him. I told Tanner to run to Mason and for them to go to the building at the front of the golf course and I would come with the truck and pick them up. I ran, yes I ran, to get the truck and drove to the front of the golf course. The kids weren't there. I got really scared. I imagined someone had stolen them both. (although I know they wouldn't keep them for long) I rode all around that place looking for them. I finally decided to go home and guess who was there? Those crazy boys pushed the bike all the way home. I asked Tanner why they didn't stay and he said he forgot what I had said.

Then today the boys went with their neighborhood friends to the old golf course to play war. Brad and I rode our bikes out there and spied on them. They were fine and just having a blast. I am not sure how much independence you let the kids have. Do all moms feel this way when your babies are growing up?

positive thoughts

I have been having a difficult time dealing with Mason and his attitude. I am not sure if it is the teenage attitude coming out early or if it is still a reaction to his medicine. A typical conversation with Mason is usually about how he hates this, this sucks, blah, blah, blah...... Things he even likes he can find something wrong with it. This is so different than me. I think I am a pretty positive person. I try to find the good in everything, you know look for the silver lining. I decided I need to do something about this. I began to ask both boys each day to tell me one thing good that happened at school. So far it is usually about recess, lunch, or dismissal, but I guess it is a start. I then began asking them what they did to please God that day. We are still on very basic answers and I often have to give them suggestions on what they could have possibly done to please God. Tonight I forgot to ask the boys and Tanner reminded me. I thought this was a good thing. He said he pleased God by saying thank you and your welcome to his teacher. The good thing for the day is he got to play kickball at recess. I asked Mason and he couldn't remember anything he had done that day to please God. I said, "Mason what do you think that says about you as a person." He said, "I just can't think about everything that happens in one day." He finally came up with he held the door for his class. He is still a work in progress.

Mom has still got it!

Tonight Mason's baseball team had practice. The last half of practice the kids played the parents. The boys batted first. Mason was the first batter. I was playing left field. Mason hit a fly ball to left and I caught it. I think we were both shocked. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. We ended up beating them 4-3. I even got a hit and scored.

On our way home we passed the Jr. High. Tanner said, "I can't wait to go to Jr. High. You get your own locker." Mason said, "Yeah, but you have to take showers in front of everyone. I'm not going to do it. I'll just spray Axe all over myself." I tried to assure him it would be okay. All kids have to do it and the coach makes you take a shower. He asked,"Do the girls have to too?" I told him yes. He said, "At least we don't have to shower in the same room as the girls, we would see their vagina's," Then he said,"Remember in Kindergarten Cop that little boy said, my dad looks at vaginas all day." He laughed and laughed. I said, "Mason you know why the boy said that right?" I didn't want him thinking the boy's dad was a porn addict or something. He said he didn't know why. I explained to him he was a woman's doctor. Mason said that was gross. I said, "You know a doctor that delivers babies." He said, "That is still gross. I mean I wouldn't want to stick my hand up some ladies vagina. That is worse than touching a frog." That is pretty bad for Mason. He is really scared of frogs. I burst out laughing because I couldn't keep it in any longer. I just keep wondering if he is going to feel the same way in a few years. Then Tanner started laughing and said, "Vayina, vayina." Mason said, "Man you can't even say it right." Thankfully we drove up to McDonald's at this point and our conversation could turn to food. Man they keep life interesting.

Daddy in Charge

Thursday night I went with some friends to Girls Night Out at Champion Forest Baptist Church. Kate from John and Kate Plus Eight was one of the speakers. I had a good time. I left right after school and told Brad he was in charge of the kids. I got a call at 9:00 asking me where on the computer I could find Tanner's homework. There's a couple of things wrong with this. 1. Tanner is suppose to do his homework when he gets home from school. 2. The boys bedtime is 8:30. I had no idea what Brad was talking about, so I told him to get Tanner in bed. The next morning as Tanner was brushing his teeth I glanced at his dirty fingernails. I asked him if he had bathed the night before and he said no. I didn't have time for him to take a bath, so I sent him to school dirty and with no homework. He ended up with two marks for no homework. Brad did take notice that he really does not have a clue about the boys and school and it seemed to upset him. I guess I should make him do a little more, so the next time I take a night off it is a little more successful.