Annie

I have to admit I am not the most spontaneous person.  I plan to a fault and I envy those who do not.  Needless to say surprises kill me.  But Adam and they boys managed to pull one off… probably the first time ever.  A few weeks ago I saw some weird charges on the check card.  Shoe carnival and JC Penney’s… not places we usually shop.  I told Adam I thought someone had got ahold of our check card.  He said “no, it was me and don’t ask any questions it is a surprise.  And I will really be upset if you make the boys tell you.”  Oh gosh… am I that bad?!?!?  Anyhow a few weeks went by and nothing.  Then one Sat I came home from Jazzercise and my mom was over.  I walked in and saw Adam, Aidan and Aaron all dressed up standing in the living room.  They told me we were going to see Annie – mom would stay with Carter.  I was so excited.  As I child I watched the movie Annie over and over again and I saw it years ago at Center t for the Arts.  They really pulled it off, but I was most impressed with the way the money was handled.  The JC Penney purchase was for black pin stripe pants, shirts, clip on ties and new black socks.  Shoe Carnival for new black dress shoes.  Dad did so great and they boys all looked so stinkin’ cute.   My big question was how he bought the tickets.  We don’t use our credit cards but I do have them in our files.  So Adam got one of the cards out that we never use and used it because he knew I would see the check card purchase.  He said he also had to get the statement out of the mail before I saw it.  That totally impressed me – way to go Dad.  Thanks to my all my boys for my big surprise!!! 

Aidan and Aaron after the show with some of the cast memebers

Our 'big' boys

Cameo Belts

We took two months off from Karate this summer and by the end of the two months they were sooooo ready to get back.  When they started back the boys that they started with as white belts were Cameo belts - that is the next belt after the yellow belt.  The cameo belt is a whole new level because you get to spar, and with some pretty fancy gear.  It was just 'so, not fair'  that they were not cameo belts yet.  Thankfully, after a few weeks back they were ready to test.  Mr.  Backs Karate Kids got a nice chunk of my change for all that gear, belt testing and for our next 6 months worth of Karate.  Needless to say we will be sticking to this sport for a long while!

These are some of the boys in their class sparing with the gear

Mr.  Back awarding Aidan his new belt

Aidan - cameo belt

Mr.  Back awarding Aaron his cameo belt

Our cameo belt Aaron

More to come

I am not even close to catching up with my posting... I really slacked this summer.  Come back soon for more!

First day pictures

Aidan getting off the bus at Utica - I followed the bus :-)

This is the only picture I got of them getting on the bus.  I started crying like a baby right here.

Always in karate mode

Aaron

Aidan

Waiting for the bus

Aaron getting his bus rider tag

Aidan waiting to go to his classroom.  He would not let me walk him to class - tear!

Your fired!

Adam has been doing the boy homework with them since he get them off the bus.  Well the other night he had to leave for class early and I had to take over in the middle of homework.  No problem... I got this Kindergarten homework.  Well the next day just a little after the boys got home I get a text from Adam that said "you are fired from homework".  Well apparently there was a back to the homework page that I totally missed.  I wrote a note to the teacher I was so embarrassed, and I did not want to get off to a bad start.  Really I planned it all so I don't have to do the homework - ha!

Choice words

We spent a lot of time at the lake house this summer.  The boys adore their older cousins.  They really do think they are just the coolest guys ever.  They are allowed to say crap... and they even throw in a holy crap sometimes.  Well after a few weekend of this the boys begin asking, and no it is no not allowed in our house.  On our last trip home from the lake Aidan so passionately said "Oh mom, I just wish I could say that SOOOO bad.  It just sounds so cool mom."  You really had to hear it - I mean he really thought it sounded cool.

Some other choice words over the summer.  The boys we watching a Harry Potter movie in the basement on the big TV.  It was very dark and a dark part of the movie and this dragon fly out from no where - it really was scary.  And without missing a beat Aidan says "HOLY S@#T".  He did not bat and eye he just kept watch away.  I am such a bad mom because I had to walk upstairs I was laughing so hard.  Only because that is kinda what I was thinking when the dragon popped out.  I came back down and heard Adam explaining to him that was not an OK word to use.  I honestly don't know where he go that one from because we really don't swear around here.  But it sure did make for a good laugh!

Carter's first day of Preschool

Last night when Carter went to bed he was Batman and he woke up this morning as Batman.  I was a little worried because he gets so into this role-playing.  Like this morning… Mom:  Cater what do you want for breakfast? Carter:  Batman wants muffins.  Mom:  Carter its time to get dressed.  Carter:  No, I Batman.  Anyhow we pulled up to preschool and I went to the door to get him out he said, “Mommy, I Carter.”  I am so glad to got his identity back before the first day. 

He was a little clingy when I dropped him off but he sat right down with the group and waved bye.   They were on the playground when I picked him up.  He was so excited to see me… he melts my heart.  He said “I play with friends.”  We talked about his day at bedtime.  I asked him if he wanted to go back to school tomorrow.  He said “I go play with friends”.  Followed by “Gurls (girls) gross”.  Gee, do you think he has older brothers.  Then he said, “You no gross mommy.”  Thanks Carter!

Oh and FYI - I did pretty good dropping him off.  Not too many tears, just the big throat bubble.  

Kindergarten update

We are almost two weeks into school now – we are still adjusting.  The boys ride the bus together and see each other at recess but that’s it.  But the fact that they have maybe spent a total of two or three days apart their whole life – that is a huge adjustment!  A few special dates with mom and dad (not near as many as we would like) and a few times one stayed home from preschool, but that’s it.  I can tell they are just beat when they come home.  Bedtime is a breeze.  They are in bed by 8:30 and they get up a little after 7:00.  The bus comes at 8:30 and drops them of at 4:00.  That makes for a long day.  Last night we had a PTO meeting and I got to meet Aidan’s very best friend.  He was so excited and as were we.  We exchanged phone numbers to get the boys together.  At this time we had to have the conversation about each other’s friends because Aaron assumed he would get to go to.  I did my best to explain but they still had a hard time with it.  Then when we got home form school today Aaron had an invite to a little girl’s party in his class.  We got lots of ‘no fairs’.  We have it worked out – we will try to invite Aidan’s friend over while Aaron is at the party.  I can already see this getting complicated – and its only Kindergarten. 

When I got home from work today Aidan’s eyes welled up and he said he had a bad day.  It broke my heart.  Apparently a little girl tripped him on purpose.  Oh life would just be so simple without those mean kids.  All I can do is give Aidan the tools to go out into the world to fight his own battles.  I decided this year I would not form an opinion about teachers because over the next 12 years we will have some we love and some not so much.  But that’s part of life, and a good practice for those coping skills.  So with a heavy heart I just told Aidan to just be as nice as he could to everyone even the mean ones.  I wish I could fight all those battles for them, but I cannot. 

Aaron is doing well.  When I asked him some of his friend’s names he had a long list made up of both boys and girls.  He thought it was so funny to tell Aidan he was going to invite girls to his birthday party.  Aidan just thought that was soooooo gross.  Aaron has a lot of homework…. homework almost every night.  With homework, Karate Mondays and Wednesdays, and early bedtimes, it seems like we have practically no evenings.  More reason to look forward to those weekends! 

Overall they are doing well.  But they are still just little guys stepping out into the real world for the first time, so we have some adjusting to do.  I am enjoying being back in a routine.  As much as I love the summer… I am a creature of habit and I do love our routines!