Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tommy and the Girls


The other night, after showing up for a soccer practice that had been canceled before I had a chance to read my email, we were playing on the school playground instead. There were three "older" girls hanging on the monkey bars as well. A quick glance over, and I could see them eyeing each other. Tommy stood up a little straighter, and I could tell he was trying to get their eye.
Oh, brother.

I kept a close watch, or as close as you can out of the corner of your eye. Enough to see the girls start preening, tittering to each other and pointing. Tommy glanced back over their way, and I heard one of the girls say, "You're cute."

WHAT? Are you kidding me? He's in kindergarten, I wanted to yell at the top of my voice!

Tommy was closer, and struck up what looked like back and forth conversation. Pretty soon they were running around together, jumping on the around, chasing each other in tag. Tommy came up to me, and I said, "What did those girls say to you?"
"They said I was cute."

Hmmmm....

The neighbors have a friend name Keri. She is quite the little tomboy from what I can tell. One night, late in the evening, Tommy comes running up. "Mom, I'm going to Keri's house!"

I stopped. "What? No you are not!" I called. He was trying to be all big about it, but his face crumbled, his lips curled into a grimace and the wailing commenced. "But I want to!" he wailed, over and over.
"Tommy, I have no idea who this Keri is. I don't know her parents. I don't even know where she lives."
"But I waaaaannnnnnt to," he continued to wail. "She's my friendddddd!!!"

The other day Keri was over again, and of course all the kids were playing together. Keri's dad came over to find her and take her home.
"Hi," I said, offering to shake his hand. (My son thinks you're daughter is pretty cool, and I'm not sure what to make of it...in my head of course.)

Tonight, the kids come running in. "I invited Keri over, Mom" he says, as 4 kids run through the house into his room.

I looked over at John and exchanged...what? A look? The look? Am I looking down the barrel of a gun right now and seeing the beginnings of something I wish I could slow down? He's in kindergarten...

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Mother's Day 2010



Tommy woke me up this morning by crawling into bed and snuggling with me. Cooper pulled me out of bed yelling for daddy. Quickly calculating in my head that I'd been the one with more sleep, I crawled out of bed to get him and let John sleep.

At one point, Cooper said, "I need to tell daddy Happy Modders Day, Mama."
"No, Coop," I replied, shuffling to the coffee pot.
"Ahhh. But I need to," he cried, inching towards the bedroom.
"Coop. No, baby. It's Mother's Day and I'm your mother. You need to wish me the Happy Mother's Day."
"Ahhh..."he whined, crawling back up onto the couch all dejected.

Tommy came up, wrapped his arms around me and wished me a Happy Mother's Day.

While still at the coffee pot, Coop came back up to me. "Happy Modders Day, Mama."

Bless his heart. That is all I needed today. My two boys. My coffee. The sunshine out. Perfect.

While John was sleeping, I decided to go get breakfast out. I wanted a particular muffin from a coffee shop downtown. Cooper wanted sausage and Tommy wanted hashbrowns. I needed to try to get a gift for Grandma Lil before going home, too. We stopped at Avalino first. It was so peaceful downtown. When Tommy started to whine about not wanting to go in for the muffin, I asked him to enjoy the beautiful morning we had...and the fact that I would appreciate him not whining on Mother's Day when all I wanted was a muffin. Coop then decided he wanted a bagel. Then we hit up McDonald's for hashbrowns and sausage. When at the Garden Spot looking for Lil, I realized I didn't have my credit card on me. So much for a Mother's Day gift this morning. Once back at home, we spent the day enjoying the beautiful sunshine out on the beach. It was a great day together!

My gifts? Tommy brought home a plant with a seed in it that Teacher Kathy had them put together. Cooper got mad at Tommy two days ago and hucked the pot across the grass.

Tommy brought home a bag with a gift in it. While he was throwing a fit about a Lego, Cooper ripped open the present and showed me the gift. Tommy cried even harder.

See the pattern here?

I bought myself a new jacket on an outing to the concert the other night. I love my gifts, boys!

Friday, May 07, 2010

Concert Chaos-Needtobreathe

A concert used to be just that....a concert. These days, however, it is much more of a process, a series of events that must all align perfectly to actually turn out in our favor. We must now be resigned to the fact that we may click on the send button assuring the band our money, but we may never actually GET to the venue at all.

Seats must be purchased, a babysitter secured for the night, work schedules arranged, no illnesses need arise, presents bought to butter up the children for a smooth getaway and less tears, figure out a time to get to the venue to jump into just the perfect spot to watch the show, but not too early so that you're near collapse by the time the band you came to see actually shows up on the stage. If you add other people to that mix, it can lend to even more chaos. Or if you lose your mind momentarily, like I did at our last group show, you will actually get everyone down to Seattle, ready to party, then realize you invited people you didn't actually purchase tickets for. Nice.

This Needtobreathe concert turned out to be no different. Only days before the show, I realized our second line babysitting defense would not be in town. Molly B. was ready to go, but I'd intended to spent the night down in Seattle to avoid the late night drive home. With Bruce and Lil leaving town, they would not be around to relieve Molly at bedtime and listen for the boys until we arrived home the next morning. We also realized that Tommy had a soccer game scheduled for bright and early 9 am that next day. Lovely. No Seattle hotel. My favorite time to be out at Northwest Fields with 3-4 hours of sleep. With this one development I was ready to forgo the show in favor of sleep. I am so old.

Rhonda was scheduled to go with Jason. She was ill all week, missed all week of work, all with some unknown but contagious illness that was still to be determined. Jason couldn't get out of work, but Rhonda wouldn't know that until late Friday afternoon. She wasn't allowed in my car due to said unknown illness, so she was left to try to find someone else to come down with.

Jenny and Lance were lined up to go this time, as they were the ones left out of the tickets the last time around. I was bound and determined to make this work for them this time around. Unfortunately, their babysitters suddenly had other plans, as Jenny's sister in law went into early labor. How dare she. With the uncertainty of impending delivery, Jenny's babysitting plan went out the window, or down to Seattle, really. Plan B was to leave Lance at home, but he wouldn't be able to relieve Jenny to leave for Seattle at the time John and I were heading down, so she was scrambling to find a ride down to Seattle. She would not allow Rhonda in her car due to above illness, so the game was on to secure transportation.

On the way down, John and Brad had pretty much decided they weren't down with waiting for one opening act, much less TWO. They figured standing that long was just too much to ask and we should eat a leisurely dinner and show up late. I had a moment when I almost laughed. Almost...really if this were a cartoon, smoke would have been coming out of my ears with this new development. This coming from two Ironmen, planning and training for another Ironman competition...hmmmm.

Turned out to be a lovely afternoon lounging in the hot sun at Alderwood, leisurely checking out all the stores we don't get much chance to see when with the boys, and taking our time. Taking our time. What a concept these days. It was late afternoon by the time I felt that intense sense of urgency slip away, and I found myself relaxing a bit. I feel that I must always operate in an anxious state, as even at home I am anticipating getting ready for work and juggling multiple schedules and such. Work schedules, nanny schedules, court schedules....it took time to come down from that.

We joined Brad and Erica for a fun dinner together while Rhonda and Paige drove for Seattle and Jenny caught a ride with David Halgren as well. Rhonda met up with us just as we got into line, but Jenny missed the two fun opening acts. However, she did get to see the main show, though, and for that I was thankful. And despite my prediction that we would be in the very back of the room for the show, John managed to find a spot directly up at the stage, to the side, for a perfect view the whole night! Fabulous!

And even better? John didn't get into any near-fights this time around. Pretty good for a pretty chaotic event!