So, let's go from where we are. We have had an amazing summer, but as we're wrapping it up it's so bittersweet. Kayci goes to Kindergarten in just a few days (Monday, to be exact). Last week as I was rehearsing my Staff Development talk in my head, I realized something: I left the classroom 3 years ago, when she was just about to turn 2 years old. At the time, I thought that 3 years would last forever. I thought that those 3 years would be so much time, that we'd do everything we wanted to do and have tons of those lazy days when you just let life happen. I had a lot of misconceptions about myself as a Mommy (yup, turns out I still have no patience) and the life we'd lead here in Brenham. In a lot of ways, our life is so much better than I ever imagined. Am I a better Mommy? I don't know. Am I farther along in my career than I expected to be? Yes and no. I haven't ever gotten serious about writing, and haven't written anything I didn't HAVE to write for work. Did I have any clue we'd be a family of four? I hoped, but honestly, I gave up on that about 7 months before we got pregnant with Nobley.
Ah, crikeys--just realized I've digressed and have gone back to where we were, not where we ARE. So let's try again...
Kayci is 5 years old. She digs being 5, too. Today she asked how many Kindergarten classes there are at Krause (pronounced Kraus-ee), and I said "four or five." She said, "well, if there are five, that's cool, because I'm 5." Life's pretty black and white for her--things are cool or not cool, even when I can't see the association. :) So, she's 5. She loves clothes and shoes and anything shiny or snazzy. She digs movies and music and watching TV (particularly TV at Grandpa's house, as he has the double threat: big TV AND cable...). She's great at art, dancing, singing, writing, drawing, joking...you name it, she rocks it. Kayci is something else, I'm not too humble to say. She is the best part of James and me...and then this whole other person entirely. We see a little bit of everyone in her, and a lot of her namesake. :) This summer Kayci has learned to swim (we thought it would never happen!), and if you ask her what she did this summer she'll tell you "nothing." Ah, a teenager in training. When I went back and read her journal, I was struck by what she thought was cool--on days when we did the coolest stuff, you know what she journaled? That we watched a DVD. Or, on the days that excited her most, 2 DVDs. Silly, silly kid. She'd watch TV all day if we'd let her, and don't think I'm never tempted (I have discovered this summer that working with TWO children at home is, in a word, impossible). James and I had discussed unplugging this summer (well, okay, I discussed it, he was willing to be agreeable)...but then summer came, and I realized that unplugging the TV in the morning meant I'd get NO work at all done for Region 4. I know, I know, call CPS. So, she watched TV in the mornings. And it doesn't matter what else we did--the zoo, the library, scaling Mount Everest--her favorite part of the day was watching TV. Kids these days, man.
On to Noble, before the laptop runs out of battery...he's 23 weeks old tomorrow. If you go back and read his blog, he was exactly average at 2 months (5/16/08). At his 4 months check-up 2 weeks ago (don't judge us--we were on vacation, then had some major life stuff happen) he was STILL exactly average in height & weight. Pretty funny, as he's HOOGE. Well, to us he is. Looking at pics it doesn't seem like Kayci was terribly thin, but she just never had those baby thighs that you could just squeeze...no rolls on her arms and legs. Nobley Obley has the baby rolls, and they're awesome, as he would say. (Yes, we still do that annoying thing where we talk for the baby. Turns out, Noble is quite the wiseacre, and his favorite phrases are "that's crap!" and "that's awesome!") Anyway, Noble's right in between 5 and 6 months old. Thanks to our great friend Ms. Amanda, Noble is the master of the horizontal plane. (I won't get started on the benefits of tummy time for the sake of my battery, but seriously, folks, get your kids on the floor and out of the swings.) He's having fun right now with eating, and he loves cookies. Baby Arrowroot cookies, that is. If you're eating or drinking, he's just transfixed...and will turn himself inside out trying to get whatever it is you have. We just had the conversation tonight that it's time to get him out of his Bumbo, as he's learned that when he arches his back and hangs over the back of it, it lifts his legs out and he starts to tip out of the chair. He loves being inverted...so watch out, grandparents, he'll throw himself right outta your arms if you're not careful. He's so much fun, and watching Kayci with him just makes me realize what a blessing brothers and sisters are. They'll always have each other, and this childhood they'll have in common. Makes me kinda weepy...
Okay, down to 10%. Our favorite things at the moment:
Daddy: Flickr & MadMen & those Quaker rice cakes
Mommy: MadMen & golden Oreos & spending time in our newly useable office!!
Kayci: her new table in the office & American Girl (Kit!) & creating stuff
Noble: cookies & his new carpet in the office & BoBo, a monkey Grandpa bought him at the zoo
There's so much more to say, but I guess that's what's cool about a blog--you always have tomorrow to say what's on your mind. I was "talking" (actually e-mailing) to my favorite high schooler this evening about what being cool really is (yep, I think I know), and talking to her about high school made me remember how much I ACHED for real life to be more like a Molly Ringwald movie. I wanted my happy ending back then, man, and anything less seemed so, well, less. But you know what I know now? Happy endings are endings--who wants that? For us, every day is an adventure. And I for one am freaking grateful that I get a do-over every day, so maybe tomorrow's the day I'll get it right. Or at least better.
Thanks for reading. Is that what you say when you blog? I'm going to have to learn the rules or something...
Oh, and if you're an e-mail friend of mine, I get total cool points for using capital letters, right?? :)
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