"New" Truck

Well, Bud has finally done it. He's been talking about getting rid of his nice 2005 Chevy truck and replacing it with an old hunting truck. Ever since he got the little Civic gas-saver to drive to/from work, his Chevy truck has been sittin' pretty in our driveway. It gets driven like 2 or 3 times a month for hog hunting and that's it. At about $400/month, it's a pretty pricey hunting truck.

So Bud finally made a move and found a 1997 F250 for only $1,800 which is a great deal for a diesel truck in its condition. . . and bought it. Beau had the day off, so he ran out to buy it for Bud (before someone else bought it out from underneath us) - of course, we'll pay him back next time we see him. Right now it has the flatbed on it, which Bud likes because it's rugged and totally guy-ish, but he's thinking about swapping it out for a truck bed. Whatever he wants to do. . . .it's his truck. Either way, I'm just glad he found something affordable that he likes. He's been looking for several months now.

On a somewhat selfish note. . . .I'm excited! That means we can sell his red truck and start saving that $400/month. Maybe I can get a new car next year sometime!! It's been over 7 years since I got something "new" (if you don't count my '05 Yukon that I got to replace the '04 Tahoe that was totaled in my accident a couple years ago). But while I'm ready to get something new, I'm not in a big hurry. My Yukon is a great car, and I haven't had a payment on my vehicle for more than 4 years. It will be hard to go back to payments. I also want to wait until the kids can ride in a vehicle.....without feeling the need to trash it!!!

Getting Older is not FUN

Most of the time, I don't mind getting older. I actually enjoy my 30s way more than I ever enjoyed my 20s. I feel like I kinda know who I am, know what I want, know where I'm going. At the same time though, getting older means not losing weight nearly as fast as I could less than a decade ago.

I used to be able to look in the mirror, mumble the words "I need to lose weight," lie down on the floor, do 25 situps, get up and look in the mirror again and say "Ok, done." Ok, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but not much. I just had to think about it and it was done.

Not so much anymore. Being 33 (almost 34) means working my tail off, hardly eating anything, and never seeing that scale drop below my starting point. I've been working out 4-5 days a week for almost a month now, eating less than 1,200 calories per day (most days).....and nothing!!!

I know I need to just keep on doing it, and it will eventually pay off, but man....it's easy to get discouraged!

Books Are Fun!

We had some excitement in the Blair household Saturday evening! About two months ago, we ordered some really nice academic books for the boys from a very nice traveling salesman, Daniel. Finally....around 8:30 Saturday night, Daniel stopped by to deliver our books. All $300 worth! I know it's expensive, but they're really cool books.

I know...I'm a nerd, but I love books!
The set includes books on science topics such as insects, dinosaurs, the human body, and the universe. There are also two kid-friendly dictionaries, and books about colors and shapes. The books sat on our table that night, and the next morning, when they were still there, JD said "Are these our books?" When I told him that they were, he said "YES!!" Then him and Ryan sat there for about 1/2 an hour looking through them.

Hugs

Sometimes the kids drive me absolutely batty. They don't listen, they're wild, they are so loud, I have to tell them to do something 4 or 5 times (usually followed by a threat) before I can actually get them to do it. I just get so frustrated!

But then we have moments like this....and I just have to stop, smile and enjoy the moment for what it is. I just soak it in. I love times like this when "being boys" takes a backseat, and being brothers is all that matters.

JD and Ryan give each other hugs before JD starts his day at school.

Days 2 and 3 of Kindergarten

I thought each day was going to be easier? Day 2 went great until Bud picked up JD from YMCA After School Care (held in the school cafeteria). JD was sitting by himself playing with dinosaurs and he could tell he'd been crying. Apparently, JD cried the entire time he was there. When we talked to him about it, he said that he thought no one was coming to get him and that he was going to spend the night. Poor baby.

I accept total blame for that one. I told him that he'd be going to After School Care, but didn't do a good job of really preparing him for what that meant. I know better than that with JD. He needs a lot of explanation, he needs to really understand expectations. I just took it for granted that he knew what I meant. BAD MOMMY!!

Day 3 was rough too. The first 2 days, we dropped the kids off in their classroom, but starting today, we were supposed to drop them off at the playground. Didn't even cross my mind that Ryan was going to want to play too. So when we got there, JD gave Ryan a big 'ol hug and kiss, said goodbye, then off he ran to the playground. Ryan wanted to follow him and when I told him that he couldn't, the flood gates opened. I scooped him up, waved to a very-concerned JD, and off we went. He stopped crying pretty quickly, but then I started crying. It broke my heart. All he wanted to do was play with his big brother, just like he's been doing everyday for 3 years straight. The whole way to Jane's house, he looked so sad and kept saying "I want JD."

Ugh! When is this going to get easier on all of us?

UPDATE!!!
As you know, JD was supposed to go to After School Care today. Well, I got a call at 4:00, an hour after school let out. The administrator said they still had "John" there for pick up. First of all, it's JD or John-Dylan, not John. Second of all, he is enrolled in After School Care. Poor little man. He was probably told I would be there to pick him up, so he sat and waited. And waited. And waited. For an hour. Then was told I wasn't coming after all and he needed to go to the Y-Care program. This time it wasn't my fault, but somehow I'm the bad guy again. I feel absolutely TERRIBLE for him.

JD's 1st Day of "Zero Grade"

JD had his first day of what he calls "Zero Grade" today (known to the rest of the world as Kindergarten). I was a typical mom. . .nervous and excited and happy and scared and sad. . . .a whole ball of mixed emotions. But we dropped him off at 7:30 and picked him up at 3:00, and it all went off without a hitch.

JD was excited about his first day. He certainly didn't have all the emotions I was experiencing, which I'm very happy about. It probably helps that he's been going to Mothers Day Out now for 3 years, and he goes to a different school in the Summer than he does the rest of the year. So he's used to changing schools, teachers, enviornments, etc.

So he grabbed his baseball backpack, the Toy Story 3 lunch box and thermos that Aunt Kelli and Uncle Jason gave him, posed for a quick picture and got in the car, ready for his first big day. After all this talk, I guess he wanted to see what it was all about.

Bud and I walked him to his new class (Room 304 with Ms. Wilson), and hung out with him while he got acquainted. We even got to snap a few pictures with our little Kindergartener. We need to sieze these moments because I know they don't last forever. Much like Ashton did this year. He's going into the 5th grade (I KNOW! 5th GRADE!!!) and told Kelli that he didn't need her to take him to school, he wanted to ride the bus. Ugh! Like a knife through the heart!

We finally left the room when the teacher called all the kids together to get the day started. I guess that's what she needed to do to make all the hovering parents get on their way. We did a good job holding it together while we were in his room, but once we walked out, we both lost a little of the control we'd worked so hard to maintain. Then, just as we were starting to collect ourselves, Ryan looks at me and says "I really miss JD." Great. Thanks Ryan for kicking it over into 3rd gear.

Ryan & I spent the day together. We ran errands, visited Granny at her work, visited Papa and Nana at home, ate lunch with Daddy, went to get a birthday gift for one of our friends, then headed back to school to pick up JD. When JD and Ryan saw each other, they gave each other a big hug, then JD laid out his classwork and proceeded to teach it all to Ryan....right there in the middle of the sidewalk. It was adorable.

When I asked JD how his first day was, he quickly responded "IT WAS AWESOME!"

Well there you have it. . . the 1st day of school was a success! Hopefully we have at least 16 more of those to experience with JD.

The Beginning of a New Era

Today was bittersweet. We went to Medina Valley Orientation to meet JD's new teacher, Mrs. Wilson, and spend some time in the classroom. We learned a little bit about what his days will be like starting on Monday, we got to see the other kids in his class and sit at their tables, bought a meal card so he can buy his lunch some days, signed up for the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization - used to be PTA back in the "old days"), and bought some school t-shirts.

That was exciting. The realization that today was his last day at Nanie's was the sad part. She's watched him every day since he was 8 weeks old! I can't believe it's already been 5 1/2 years since I started taking him over there in the mornings. It seems to have gone by way too fast.

When Nanie kissed him goodbye this afternoon, she told him she'd call him Monday evening to see how his first day of Kindergarten went. She couldn't even finish her sentence and then she had to walk away. She couldn't fight the tears any longer. I'm really excited about JD starting school, but I'm also sad for Nanie. JD has been a part of her life everyday, and she a part of JD's, it's going to be a difficult change and I know they're going to miss each other.

I guess JD is starting to realize what's happening beginning in just 2 short days also, because as soon as we drove away today, he said "Can I spend the night at Nanie's house next Saturday?"

Ok, enough sadness. Let's focus on the positives. JD is going to have so much fun in school. He loves to learn new things and meet other kids, so I think school is going to be a great experience for him. Plus, Nanie will have the chance to be more of a grandma to JD, rather than a disciplinarian, which is probably not that much fun for a grandma. I know they're really close now and will continue to be, even if they don't get to see each other everyday.

Move over Bobby Flay...

...there are some new chefs in town. They're names? JD and Timothy.

Back at Christmas time, Kelli and I bought the boys a Groupon gift certificate for a cooking class and we finally used them yesterday. I picked up the two boys and headed to the Young Chefs Academy in Stone Oak yesterday. In the 75-minute class, the boys learned about keeping germs away from your food, cleaning as you go, measuring ingredients, mixing, stirring and baking in a hot oven.

When they showed up, they had to put on their aprons and wash their hands, then place their hands on top of the table until they were ready to start cooking. They weren't supposed to touch their hair or face with their hands or they could spread germs. Even though they kept stressing that, they had a very hard time getting the kids to keep their hands off their faces (and out of their noses - haha!). So the hand santizer was kept nearby and used very often.

Timothy learns to add "a pinch" of cinnamon.

I really enjoyed watching them interact with the teachers. They listened well and paid attention, volunteered to do extra responsibilities, and took turns with the other kids.

The used recipes to make two snacks - Strawberry & Banana muffins and Oatmeal Raspberry cookies. They were both healthy snacks. When they got to eat them, Timothy saved me a cookie and JD saved me a muffin, and they were both so proud to come over and share with me. And let me just say...they were both really delicious. We got to take the recipes home, so I think we'll have to make them again.

Timothy gets his turn with the electric mixer.

JD mixes all the ingredients to make muffins.

Timothy scoops muffin dough into the mini muffin tin.

JD gets his turn putting the raspberry jelly on top of the cookies.

The boys enjoy the fruits of their labor...yummy!

I wish that this academy wasn't in Stone Oak which is sooo far away. I would love to have JD go to a few classes and learn a little more about cooking. I think it's so important for everyone to know the basics about cooking. That's ok - I can teach him. Him and Ryan love to sit up on the counter and help me cook.

Request Withdrawn

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my post from last week regarding a flexible work arrangement. Like I mentioned, I got the initial "go-ahead" and had to put together a formal business case/proposal. So I did....and I did it honestly. I proposed my new work schedule which was to work 2 hours from home in the afternoon because I wanted to be available to my 5-year-old when he got out of school for the day. I did my write up and turned it in to my manager.

Later that day, she pulled me into a conference room and said "While I understand your request, this isn't going to fly with HR." So we discussed what would "fly" and without saying so, I came to the understanding that I couldn't be honest. I would need to come up with something else. I quickly racked my brain...what I could I say that would sound good? Then it hit me. I've been praying to God that His will would be met. Whether it meant that I got to do this or not, I wanted Him to be served. Would lying be His will? It's one of the 10 Commandments, so surely it would not be His will, right?

So I went home that night and thought about it and prayed about it some more. The next day, I withdrew my request. I felt like lying wasn't the way to go. I'm a terrible liar. I would have to tell other lies to protect that one, and I'm not good at that. Plus, I realized that just because I'm physically home with JD, doesn't mean I'm "available." I know that I'd be under a microscope since this type of work schedule had never been done before - they'd want to make sure I was doing a good job, being productive and actually working instead of paying attention to my child.

So in the long run, I think it would be best if I work until 5:00 at the office, then come home and actually be "available" to my children. Plus, I think JD will have a great time in the After School Program. He's used to playing all day everyday, and when he starts school, he'll have a 30-minute recess and the rest is learning time. So I think he'll enjoy the time to play with his friends after school. Right? That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

While I still battle with this, I'm trusting God. He'll let me know what I need to do, if it's anything different.

Ryan's 3-year Check Up

I know, I know. I'm slacking. Ryan turned 3 back on June 26th and we're just now getting him to the doctor. Busy little life gets in the way sometimes.

Bud had 1/2 a day off on Friday, so he took Ryan to his check up. He said that Ryan was a perfect little guy at the doctor. He had to take his clothes off and put on one of those lovely paper gowns. Bud got him into the gown and told him to sit still and wait for the doctor....and he did! He said he just sat there patiently and waited, then when the doc came in, he did everything she told him without any fighting or tears.

Ryan is a growing boy. He's 33 lb 6 oz (75th percentile) and 39 inches tall (also 75th percentile). It kinda concerns me a little bit because he used to be in the 95th percentile for height and now he's 75th. Not a huge difference, but I just hope he continues to grow nice and big. I really really don't want my little guys to end up short like me. :)

The 3-year-check-up form says that by now he should be:
jumping (check)
riding a tricycle (check)
drawing a circle, cross and square (circle and cross - check)
go up and down stairs without help (check)
hop and stand on one foot (check)
walk forward and backward (check)

By 4 years old, he should be:
singing a song (check)
drawing a person
distinguishing fantasy from reality (I think so - he likes to pretend)
saying first and last name (check)
building a 10-block tower (check)

I would say he's a successful 3 year old, and almost doing all the 4 year old things too. The form was missing a few things though -- he can also drive a battery-operated John Deere tractor better than most 4 year olds, sing his ABCs, count to 14, other than nighttime he's completely potty trained (and even tries to wipe his own bottom), and when he wins a contest he'll throw his hands up in the air and yell "the winner is Ryan Connor Blair!"

Ryan also loves to say his prayers before each meal and at night. He usually starts off saying "Thank you for me, thank you for JD, thank you for Dad, thank you for Mom," then he starts looking around the room and thanking God for whatever he sees - the table, the swingset, his glass of water, his fork. You get the picture.

Ryan is such a treat. He's loud and wild, a complete monster most of the time. He's very independent and wants to do everything himself, and absolutely loves his brother more than anything. It's been a great 3 years, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much he changes during his 4th year of life. I love you Ryno!

Work/Life Balance....

....it's what Hartford says they believe in. So we're giving it a try. Since becoming a mom 5 1/2 years ago, I've battled with the guilt of being a working mom. Fortunately, we've been lucky enough to have Nanie (Jane) watch the boys, but it's still not the same. I wish it were me at home taking care of my boys, creating some consistency, enjoying the time together while they still like to hug and kiss on me, and before they grow up and start being embarassed of me and asking me to drop them off around the corner so they can walk the rest of the way. Haha!

But really over the last year, it's been weighing very heavily on my mind. Unfortunately, we're not in a position for me to quit my job, and honestly, I do enjoy working (most of the time). So with JD starting school in a week, Bud and I have been trying to figure out how to work everything out with dropping off and picking up each of the boys everyday. Racking our brains trying to find the right solution.

Then it came to me...try to adjust my schedule at work. So on Tuesday, I proposed to my boss a flexible work arrangement where I'd work 8-2:45 each day, then leave and go pick up JD at school, then go home and finish my work day from about 4-6pm. This would give me a chance to balance my most important personal priorities with my work priorities. It's exactly how I explained it to them too. No excuses. No lies. Just simply explained that I wanted to be available to my son after school, that it's important to me.

After 3 days, they finally gave me the initial approval to move forward. It hasn't been 100% approved yet, but I'm working on my proposal and business case. It would be so awesome if I got it approved. It would give me a chance to be more of the mom I'd like to be for my boys. I keep praying that if this is something God wants me to do, he'll give me the chance to do it.

I'm a Wreck!

I cried more yesterday than I have in a long time. I don't know why it hit me suddenly yesterday, but it did. While I was blow-drying my hair, I realized that when JD starts school on the 22nd, it will be the first time that him and Ryan have spent a lot of time apart. They are best buddies and inseparable. When JD goes to school, he won't see Ryan until the evening each day. I realized it and it just broke my heart. What is Ryan going to do all day while JD is at school? He's going to miss him so much. JD will keep so busy at school that he probably won't have much time to think about it, but Ryan will just be hanging out at Nanie's, where him and JD play everyday, so he'll notice it BIG TIME!

I just pray that the separation brings them closer. I hope that when they see each other each afternoon, they'll cling to each other and enjoy their time more than ever. And the weekends will be really special time together.

When I realized all of this yesterday, I started crying....and couldn't stop. I cried almost all day long. Now I can barely see because my eyes are so puffy! I wasn't crying because JD is starting school. I'm actually excited about that - he's so smart and loves to learn, so I think he's really going to enjoy school. I was crying because of their time apart, and how much I know Ryan is going to miss JD during the day.

What's funny is that JD realized it yesterday too. He asked if Ryan would be going to school with him too and when I said no, he started crying. Not whining and throwing a fit like he tends to do, but I mean, huge elephant tears pouring from his eyes, silent, very sad crying. Again, broke my heart. Jane was standing there too and she was bawling along with us.

I know it will just be an adjustment and everyone will be fine after a week or two, but I'm just dreading getting it all started.

Ok, I better stop now before I start crying again. I can't do that to myself again today.

Depantsed at NASA

So I said I was going to write more about our recent Summer Vacation to Galveston. Here's a pretty funny story:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it rained one day so we took the opportunity to drive up to the NASA Space Center. It had been many years since me or Bud had been (I think I went in the 2nd grade??), but we had good memories of it, so we knew the boys would have a blast - no pun intended. So when it started raining, we decided it would be the perfect day to go...and off we went.

When we got there and walked inside, you would have thought we'd walked into a candy store by the looks on JD and Ryan's faces. There was a huge indoor play yard, like a McDonald's play yard on steroids. It was awesome, I have to admit. It was like 5 levels with lots of tunnels and slides and a ball center we couldn't get the boys out of. It wasn't a ball pit (those are disgusting), but it was an area that had suction tubes that you can put the balls in. The balls would get sucked up the tubes and spit out at the other end. They loved it.

On the top floor were some NASA simulation centers the boys could play in. Needless to say, they were in love with that place....and that was only the first thing on the "NASA To Do List" out of about 10 total.

So, I mentioned there was a funny story....

While playing in the play center, JD said he had to go potty. So Bud took him over to put his shoes back on. JD was so in awe over the center that he couldn't take his eyes off of it. Bud kept telling him "JD, put your shoes on. JD, put your shoes on" but he couldn't break JD's focus. Next thing he knew, he looked down to get on JD about putting his shoes on, and JD had dropped his pants! He was so mesmerized by everything going on around him that he didn't realize where he at and pulled his pants down! Then he snapped out of it and realized what he'd done and quickly pulled them back up. Hilarious! I wish I had been standing there to see it.

Anyway, after the play center, we went around to the various stations. We rode in a shuttle simulator, watched a couple of shows that told more about the International Space Station, walked through a museum, etc. We all had a blast while we were there, then went back to the hotel and since it had stopped raining, we went swimming. JD was so excited because he had never be swimming in the dark!

Here are some pictures from our day at NASA.

JD and Ryan standing next to an astronaut suit in a mock shuttle.

Astronaut JD.

Astronaut Ryan. He did NOT want to try that helmet on.

The four of us in front of the shuttle inside the museum.

Bud always feels like he's having to hold the entire world up on his own. Now he has proof!

Scrapbook Room......The After

Ok, here's the "after."

I stayed up until after midnight on Friday trying to organize the room a little bit, focusing mostly on organizing my pictures. I have so many pictures!!! It still needs A LOT of work, but I got things cleaned up enough to be able to get in there and do a couple of pages. Yay!

Time for Clean Up

What a mess!!! I love to scrapbook but I rarely find time to do it. And right now, anytime I think about it, I take two steps into my scrapbook room, see this mess, turn around and walk out. Ugh! I can't work in that mess, but I really don't want to clean it up either. I don't know what to do with everything. I really really need to get organized. I need shelves to put stuff on to get it out of the way and still be accessible.

Well, tonight might be the night....Bud is hunting. Again. Since I have the night to myself, I think I might just take this task on. We'll see how I feel after I put the kiddos to bed. I hope I can keep my motivation and drive to do it.

So here are my "before" pictures. Maybe I'll have "after" pictures tomorrow. We. Shall. See.

106 Degrees of Summer

This has been such a hot summer. It seemed to stay cool longer than usual (into May), but since it warmed up, it's been nothing but BRUTAL! It's been between 104 and 106 for the last week or so, and there's no sign of it letting up. We also haven't had any rain in what seems like forever. It's probably been almost a year since we've had a good downpour. We even had to buy a soaker hose to put around the foundation of our house because it was starting to shift and our sidewalk and driveway are cracking.

Funny how it doesn't seem to affect the boys though. They still want to come home and play baseball until they almost drop. I got home yesterday and they were on the side of the house playing Home Run Derby....in 106 degree heat!

I tried to post some pictures I took with my iPhone, but for some reason, they keep posting upside down. Oh well...guess you'll have to use your imagination for this one. Haha!

Jonah --- Here I Come!

Yay! Last night our Ladies Bible Study group picked back up. Man I missed it. We had decided to take the month of July off since everyone is so busy with summer vacations, mission trips, VBS, kids' camp, etc. While it was nice to have a little break, I truly missed meeting every week with the girls.

Our time together every Tuesday night is so highly valued by all of us. We talked last night about what our Bible Study means to us, and we all agreed....we like learning about God's Word, diving in and understanding the message on a deeper level, sharing our personal stories, relating to each other, and just plain fellowship time. We had about 15 or 20 ladies there last night and it was like we just picked up where left off, and we enjoyed a great potluck meal too.

We are going to be studying the book of Jonah for the next 6 weeks. I'm totally thrilled about that because I know the child's version of the story, but I want to have a deeper understanding - more than just Jonah got swallowed by a whale. When I told JD that we were going to study Jonah, he said "Oh, I know that story. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh but he didn't want to so he tried to run away. He got on a ship but then the men threw him in the water and a big fish swallowed him. Then he prayed and the whale spit him back out." I got all teary-eyed because he knew the story so well. I'm looking forward to learning more about how God used Jonah, then sharing the story with my boys.

I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot about myself over the next 6 weeks too. So Jonah --- here I come!

What I'm Reading Right Now

I love love love to read.
It's one of my favorite hobbies, especially when I find a really great book that I can sink myself into. I'm mostly a fiction reader, although I do a have a few non-fiction, self help books like The Everything Parents Guide to Raising Boys (Lord knows I need the help. Haha!) and Total Money Makeover (again, need the help!).

Right now, I'm totally into Karen Kingsbury's Redemption series. It's a 5-book series, set in Bloomington, IN and is centered around the Baxter family. I know it's just a book, but man, I almost feel like I know this family. I laugh with them and cry with them (alot), and oftentimes, find myself praying with them.

Karen is a Christian writer and I'm so glad I discovered her. I heard about this series on K-Love radio station, and immediately bought the book and started reading. I've had a hard time putting it down since then. I've finished books 1-4 and am in the middle of the 5th and final book. As I started #5, I got a little sad because I was going to miss the Baxters....until I found out that there's another 5-book series linked to this one. I can't wait to start it!

I rarely read hard copy books these days. Bud and the boys got me a Nook for my birthday last year and I love it. That's the way I read most of my books now. I can carry it in my purse and read just about anywhere - doctors office, waiting in line for the car wash, in the drive-thru, etc.

Well......I guess that's it. I'm gonna get back to my book now.