Things are changing.....

It is so cliche to say that the kids grow up in the blink of an eye.  But really, over the last month, the kids really have grown up and come so far from where even I once was in my life.  Facebook is amazing in that you can keep in touch with people from all points in your life, and I am further amazed at how many different ways people's lives can go and yet still feel connected to everyone in some strange way.

But back to the kids:  Last week, we got an installed Gwen's bedframe for her bedroom.  With that, came the end of a 7 year era where someone was sleeping on a bed that was on the floor.  Gwen was thrilled of course to be getting off the ground, but it also made me realize that she didn't need any of her 3 step stools that we had for her to help get up higher to things in the house.  She can reach all the faucets to wash her hands in the bathroom, brush her teeth and the like.  

This week, Gwen and the whole Kindergarten class went on a field trip to the nature center.  It is amazing to see these kids and how much they have all grown in the past school year.  They are almost first graders!  Gwen had her first lunch at school, well, on the field trip anyway.  I will say, I'm concerned about next year and her speed of eating.  She, like me, is a slow eater.  She is also a picky eater.  She is also a social eater.  So put all these things together, and I have no idea how she will get through the day eating probably less than half of what she eats now.  She averages about 20 minutes to eat, but that is without any friendly distractions.    When she got back from her field trip she was very hungry and had eaten about half of her lunch.  Today at school they talked and made a note to their parents about going on the field trip.  Gwen's favorite part of the trip, and she mentioned it again and again and again, was the bus ride.  I seem to remember that it was the same thing for Trevor.  But I also know that she was telling everyone she could that she got to go to school in the morning.  She is looking forward to starting 1st grade, being a big kid, and all that it entails.  That's going to be a totally different ballgame!

For Trevor, we have been working on becoming more dependent on me for reminders and such.  I have been amazed at how much it has taken off my plate.  I think he thought that it meant I was going to leave him alone completely, but because of our weekly touchbase meetings, we can evaluate things that are happening and find new ways of doing things.  It has been a drastic shift for me to be much more hands-off, but I know that it means he has to figure out his own way of doing things.  While I know he can't grasp what it is going to be like in high school or even middle school at this point, I think it is a good idea to at least put some thoughts in his mind now, rather than have a whole shock to the system in a few years.  He is in the middle of some standardized tests which helps determine if he is accepted into the next gifted and talented program at his school.  

He's also ramping up and getting into the swing of things for baseball.  We have found out that for our first really traveling tournament, we will be going to Rochester.  With hockey this year, we will also be traveling, probably out of town as well.  So here we go.  The weather could use some improving.  Poor kids have only been able to do some fielding in the school gyms until the ground is good enough to play on.  Yeah, the weather is a whole other issue.  Everyone has stopped selling winter gear, but both kids have changed shoe sizes and don't have good boots anymore.  With the snowing and melting, raining and such it sure has been wet on the snow gear!

As far as my life, I have been reflecting on that as well.  Having been volunteering as my main source of time commitment outside of family, that has been shifting too.  My two year stint as PTA treasurer is coming to an end in a little over two months.  We have a great replacement named, and since I'm not going anywhere, I know it will be an easy transition since I can be asked questions if something is in question.  But as of this September, I won't have a kid to look after an average of 5 days a week.  I'm goaling myself to find something part time, or get more involved in church/school volunteer opportunities.  It depends on what we need to do.  I for sure would love to get more time at hot yoga.  With the summer, I know I won't go as often as when the kids are at school, but it sure is nice when I get the chance to go.  So peaceful.  

So there is time to think about the coming changes, but they sure are coming.  And coming fast.  Did I mention that Trevor and I can almost wear the same size shoes?  Yeah, he's growing up....in the blink of an eye.

Wow...it has been a whole month

I would guess that is the longest I have gone without blogging.  I know a year ago, I was doing it almost every day while we had our Disney trip in early March.  When you really want to remember things, you know you have to write them down right away or they will slip away from you!

As is true with our lives these days, so much has happened in a month!  A month ago, Trevor still had two weeks of hockey left.  He finished out those last few games strong and we also had the year end hockey party.  It was at an indoor batting facility that also allowed us to use an open space to play dodgeball.  The kids and the coaches also used the batting cages, and we ate and had a very good time.  This was Trevor's 4th year as a mite, and next year he will be a squirt.  I'm learning so much about hockey and it seems as though Trevor really enjoys it.  Hopefully he'll have a great team next year and I'll know a bunch of the parents that I have gotten to know over the past 4 years.

Out with hockey and in with baseball.....Trevor had his first tryout experience a week after hockey was done.  Being new to the tryout experience, I had no idea what to expect.  Neither did Russ, except he had his own tryout history to rely on.  However, since we were young, they have really restricted the ability for parents to watch their kids try out.  I guess there have been parents who have taken it upon themselves to argue about a kid's tryout to try to get him/her onto a different team.  So now parents don't get to watch.

Before we left for Florida, Trevor found out he made a team with his best friend, and knew 3 other kids on the team.  That means he know almost half of the team.  He had his first practice this week, and anything I tried to assume based on the previous year's schedule is completely thrown out the window.  This weekend, the coach will be signing up for tournament/game schedule and he asked to send him any dates that weren't good for us.  His reasoning is that because the team is only 11 kids, if there are more than 2 of them missing, I don't know that they can even have a game.  Unfortunately, we did find out that this year (for the first time) their Bloomington team is hosting a tournament over Memorial Weekend.  Similar to the Bloomington Hockey tournament, parents are required to volunteer and be there throughout the tournament.  So this isn't one that we can miss, even if we wanted to.  Bummer!  So baseball will be a learning experience for us.

Gwen has been signed up for "instructional" baseball, which is what Trevor did in Kindergarten.  The alternative option for Gwen to play softball would have her on a team with 1st and 2nd graders where they keep scores and outs.  Since she didn't have any t-ball last year, I think she needs more of a less pressure setting so she learns how to hit the ball, rather than throw her in somewhere where she doesn't know yet even how to make an out.  Also, this way, if there is a scheduling conflict, I won't feel bad at her not making a game because they aren't keeping score yet.  Fortunately, we have about a month before baseball for her starts, so one less thing to worry about in April.

Also on the Gwen subject, she has really taken an interest in drawing and coloring.  She has gotten a variety of writing instruments and coloring pads which she does at least once every day.  She even wrote a note to hear teacher (at my request) asking if she could bring her sketch pad to do during choice time.  He approved, so she has been enjoying the attention she gets from her classmates when she shares her drawing toys with them.  She is still very happy with her Lego Friends toys and got another set for Easter.  I *think* she is done with all the major sets.  I have no doubt that they will come up with more....what a goldmine that stuff is.  Gwen found an older girl in Florida while we were at a restaurant that had a small Lego Friends set. She brought her sticker book about Lego Friends so she made a quick friend with this girl.

This month we also had our first full week of a family vacation in which we didn't have a major event planned.  Don't get me wrong, I love Disney trips, but they can be a bit tiring, making sure you get the most out of the trip.  Going to Florida for an entire week where we just had to worry about when to golf and meet up with people we wanted to see was a very different experience.  We did go out to see a Twins spring training game, and it was a very nice day for it.  It was windy and cooler than we would have liked, but the stadium remarkably kept out most of the wind.  #7 didn't play that day, but we did see a home run and the Twins did win the game.  We had three rounds of golf scheduled.  Trevor played two of them.  Gwen was asking to play golf with us, but I think it is another few years off before she is going to be able to make it at a nice course for 18 holes.  We did take her to the driving range and putting green.  She was satisfied that she got to use her clubs.  We found a morning to head to the beach to get some shells and to bury Trevor up to his neck.

My Grandpa turned 90 earlier that month, and we got to celebrate with him one day that he came over to visit.  It sure is nice to see him and for the kids to get to get to see him as well.  Gwen pulled out all the stops with Grandma Joannie as they both enjoyed basking in the sun by the pool.

But we are back home now, having had two baseball practices, primarily indoors.  Sounds like there will be a strong possibility that Trevor will be a major pitcher for the team.  Between my nerves and trying to get Trevor to understand the reality of what being a pitcher actually involves vs. what he thinks about in his mind, it is going to be a very interesting season.  After his first practice, he said he was glad to be back doing baseball stuff.  He has already started throwing the ball at the wall even though there is still snow in the yard.

Apparently, it is also the season for everyone to need new shoes.  Gwen doesn't exactly have a functional pair of sneakers at this point in her life.  She has many fashionable pairs of shoes, but with her feet outgrowing most of the current pairs, it was time to get a few new ones, and Trevor actually also complained that he thought it was soon going to be time to get a new pair for him as well due to his toes hitting the tops of his shoes.  So I just had a big box of shoes sent this week and T is only one size away from being in the same size shoe as me.  My mom was remarking how again, he seems to have shot up another inch in the past few months, so now he hits me slightly above my chin as opposed to by my shoulder like he did last year.  I was seriously hoping to make it until he was a teenager before he outgrew me.  Fat chance of that I'd say.  Now we are going to have to hope that it isn't before he's 11.

So anyway....before this post ages another day, I'm going to submit for now.  Pictures are something I haven't updated in a long while, except for the occasional mobile upload.  I have so many things on my to do list.  And the days seem to fly by.  Wherever will I find the time....until tomorrow I guess???

A busy week for Trevor

With the changes to Trevor's way of doing things, as well as hockey and a few more events, Trevor has kept himself very busy over the past week.  This weekend was the last Bloomington hockey tournament.  They have a Minnetonka one next weekend, but the parents don't have to be as involved as this past weekend.  Trevor also decided to come with me to the Gopher basketball game on Saturday and last but not least, we had a baptism to attend and visit with relatives on Sunday.

Starting off with his school work and changing his homework routine and anything having to do with getting ready for school.  It started off rather difficult, but then was really easy.  Now we are back to somewhere in between.  I know I have to let go to the point of letting him learn from his mistakes, and I know for sure that I'm not oblivious to what is going on, I just need to point him in the right direction, when he asks for help.  A big change is talking about his results of tests and such.  He has gotten to the point in his class where he has met all the requirements of a 3rd grader and they are doing their expanded curriculum things like analogy word tests and reports on the current unit which happens to be Egypt.  So first step is to do the homework that is assigned by the due date (sometimes this might be studying for a test).  Then when they get the test or report handed back, we get to look at it and see how he did.  For the most part, Trevor looks at the test and says, well, I only got 6 wrong, that's pretty good.  Well 6 wrong is relative and since they don't have grades yet and are only evaluated on if they took the test or not, it is up to us to determine if that was a good grade or not.  So I need to put it in perspective.  If he were in middle school or high school and got a 14 out of 20, what grade would that be?  A C-.  That is a much easier thing to evaluate based on his own desire to get a good grade which then leads to getting into a good college, and job beyond that.

But that is the key thing that I know Russ is having a hard time with Trevor on.  It is finding how to motivate him to get what he wants.  For the most part, school comes easy for him.  He is taught something and he can repeat it back in test format.  But he can't teach it back to someone and when it comes to written tests, explaining what he knows and why, he doesn't do so well at it.  But they aren't graded on that part.  He does what is expected of him and that's it.  If it is something that is interesting to him, he will go at 110%.  He researches and wants books on the subject, he wants to talk to adults about what he knows, etc.  So if you ask him to take a test on something that he doesn't really care that much about, he'll do it but that's all you'll get from him.  If you ask him to do homework on the current math topic, he will do it as fast as he can and not put a lot of time into it.  So if he doesn't get an A on a math test, there really isn't anything I can do to motivate him to want to get a good grade.  It is something he has to want for himself.  With Chess or baseball, there is no need for motivation.  He is motivated to do as good as he can, so you will often find him practicing baseball in the backyard in the spring and summer and reading books or playing against anyone who will play him in chess.  When it is swimming or hockey, he does it because yes, he does enjoy it, but there isn't that motivation there to do better.  He does what is asked of him.  I don't doubt that like school, the motivation might come later.  But while Russ and I both want him to be motivated to do better, it isn't something we can will onto him.

Anyway...not to get too sidetracked, Trevor did have a great week outside of school.  He had his 3rd grade mallet performance.  That was a fun show to watch.  Every 3rd grader got to play a mallet song and sing if they weren't playing.  I know his piano helped him know how to play his piece, but man he really had a doozy of a song!  I think next year is the recorder performance.  I remember when I was playing a recorder in 4th grade.  I don't really know that I'm looking forward to all those 4th graders playing their recorders......

The very next night we had Trevor's First Reconciliation.  We had 4 weeks of prep, religion meetings, and then this one service.  He of course wanted to be a reader and of course we got the remark that I feel as though we always will:  "Wow Trevor, you really have a gift for public speaking!  I wonder what you will do with that when you are older".  To which Trevor thinks that after he is professional baseball player, he thinks it will fit in perfectly to becoming the President of the United States.  Anyway, they had 5 priests to perform the sacrament and invited the adults to take part as well.  Now, I had my first reconciliation when I was in 4th grade, and if I remember correctly, that was the first and only time that I had done the non-communal form.  So that night I had my second.  Trevor didn't seem to be nervous and I think got out of it what he needed to but it was another momentous night of our week.  

The weekend was primarily about hockey with a few other events sprinkled in.  Trevor had a really good tournament, as seems to be the case very often.  The last game of the weekend he scored a goal, but they said it didn't count.  The team and the coaches "counted" his goal anyway and he got the "lunch bucket" award for his play during that game.  I can't tell you how many times the parents were saying that we were all glad that hockey was coming to an end this year.  It is a long season and it would be nice if we got a break between hockey and baseball, but that just isn't in the cards.  We will have a week long break to sunny FL so maybe when we get back most of the snow will be gone.  With this latest dumping and snow day it is hard to believe that there is enough time for it to melt when baseball is supposed to start the beginning of April!

On to the last few weeks of school in March!  This week the kids already didn't have school Thursday and Friday, and Gwen was even off on Wednesday, but add in this snow day today and I think we'll be ready for school to come back again next week sooner than Monday!

Parenting...tough stuff

It really isn't anything to get worried about, but being a parent is sometimes hard.  You try to be the best parent you can be, and then get information that you are probably contributing to the problem.  It is hard not to feel like a mini failure.  Our school has been lucky enough to have had 3 seminars with a very cool teacher, parent, coach, and tutor named Megan Stone.  She also has been working with the entire staff at the elementary school to coordinate a complete effort from home to school when it comes to basically empowering kids.  Her subject is called Tools for Schools.  Part of it is learning and teaching your kids organization techniques, but also just to key the kids into taking control of their schoolwork as though it is their job.  Actually, school is their job but it isn't something that they can just sit and enjoy, they need to be an active participant.  Where the parents (and me in particular) can throw a wrench into things is how much we take over things for the kids.  I solve problems, I set schedules, I remind rather than let happen what will happen in order for the kids to learn from their mistakes.

So last week, I heard basically the same message from two different sources that I need to let Trevor figure things out for himself.  This is NOT to say that I ignore questions or talk through issues with him, just that he is the one that has to come up with the questions on his own, if he gets stuck.  If he forgets something, gets a poor score on a test, or makes a behavior mistake, it is up to him to figure out how to change it for the future.

One of the big changes is having a weekly meeting, just him and I to discuss the next week of activities and homework.  It is a chance to plan out our next week, have him sync up his planner and let me know what he needs from me.  We also chat about feelings, highs and lows from the previous week.  This week he expressed his fear to me that I was trying to push him out of the nest, basically.  He said he thought he would feel very lonely.  I reassured him that I wasn't going anywhere, but that it is better to learn these skills now, especially how to remind yourself of something important, rather than continue to depend on me to remind you when I'm not going to be able to drive you to your job and remind you all the things you need for your events in your life.  But it was at this meeting that it was very evident how dependent Trevor had become on me.  And it was also then when I knew I didn't do a very good job at teaching him independence.  Now I know I'm not the worst mother out there.  Today on Dr. Phil there was a mother with older teenage kids that she still flossed their teeth for them among many other things.  So no, I know I'm not an extreme parent.  But today, it was SO hard to bite my tongue and let him go without doing a number of things that I constantly remind him to do.

Another thing that we are going to continue to work on is open communication between his teacher, Trevor, and I.  Right now, we primarily communicate via email, and now that Trevor has his own email, he will get cc'd on everything appropriate.  The only thing that may not be included are feelings that he might be embarrassed about that he would not feel comfortable directly talking to his teacher about.  Really, when you think about it, what good does a parent/teacher conference do when the child isn't there to contribute to the discussion or make plans how to work on his/her own strengths and opportunities?

So here we go.  On to a new place.  It is interesting to me that when it comes to teaching Gwen these same things, I feel as though she is already ahead of the game.  Although she doesn't have homework like Trevor does, she is much more willing to take charge of her things she needs to do for school.  Trevor was much more willing to let me help him.  I guess it is just the natural differences between the kids, but hopefully when Trevor succeeds with his tasks, it will cause him to take such a big pride in his work that it will be worth the difficult learning times ahead.  Only time will tell....

I've been away for too long

Once upon a time, I said that once the new year hit, things would slow down for me/our family.  Ah....such was the case years ago when the kids didn't have very many after school activities, or even had school all day.  But that isn't the case for us anymore.  I was looking forward to Trevor having religion class this year and Gwen will start next year, but it seems to throw more of our time away rather than being a good value for us.  Not to say we will forgo it, but it just makes us so busy!

So there is school, Chess club, piano lessons, swimming lessons, religion, hockey, dance, the request by the kids to do their after school program twice a week, homework and their own personal play time.  Gwen is the only one with time to get together with her friends, and it always happens during the mornings that she doesn't have school.  She doesn't have as much time taken up by activities, but rather than being run to errands all the time, she prefers to hang out.  I think they would be more likely to get together with friends if we lived in a neighborhood where the kids were within walking distance of a good friend.

But what has been going on with the kids over the past few weeks?  We had conferences, and the kids got their semester report card.  Trevor's was not surprising.  He continues to do very well academically, and needs to work on slowing down...taking his time...and really understanding what is being taught.  He has a wonderful teacher, and we are so blessed to have her willing to work with us to find out what works best for everyone.

Gwen...well, Gwen is Gwen.  Honestly, I was shocked at her report card.  After her fall conferences, I finally felt at peace with the decision to send her early.  She seemed to be fitting in both socially and academically.  Now...with the report card, I'm still not understanding how she could be doing so well.  They don't have grades.  They simply explain if she meets the standards for Kindergarten.  If she tests above those requirements, she can get an "exceeding expectations" score.  It is the same numbering score as Trevor, the simply have different requirements.  I made darn sure to not compare kids, especially since I don't want to make it a competition.  These kids are SO different.  But it seems as though Gwen is meant for school.  She is in a wonderful mix of kids, she is being challenged, and her teacher really enjoys what she adds to the mix of kids.  She loves going every day and talks about how she wants to go the entire day.  Hopefully we can continue the momentum next year.  That will be a very tricky thing.

After conferences, I went to Vero Beach, FL for a moms only weekend.  It was interesting to be away from the family during a somewhat busy time.  3 other moms and myself decided to stay at a very nice spa/hotel right on the ocean for 3 nights.  While we had no interest in the spa itself, it was such a nice hotel facility.  The offered free coffee and tea in the morning, hot chocolate early afternoon and wine in the evening.  The area of the city we stayed in was really quiet.  We found out the first few hours we were there, the city motto was: "Home of the newly-wed and almost-dead".  Because it wasn't heavy honeymoon season, there were a lot of elderly people there.  While we were there, at the hotel I think we came across 3 families, one of which were from Spain I believe.  They were European at least.  We had such a good time, simply laying in the sun, eating really good food, or enjoying live or DJed music in the local watering holes.  However, even there, we were lucky to see 20 other people.  I have no idea how these places can stay in business.  I guess they depend on the off-season slow down when they have peak timing.  We also stayed a block away from a hotel owned by Gloria Estefan.  If we ever go back, we'll have to look at that place.  But really, there wasn't anything to complain about.  We didn't have to worry about the kids.  We could simply de-stress.  And I came back completely de-stressed.  It was SOOOOO nice.  Add to it a few hot yoga sessions and I can continue the good feeling for a few more weeks until we go back as a family at the end of March.

So while this isn't a lot of new information, I figure I'd at least acknowledge that I need to get back on the blogging wagon.  Its time for the annual not-exactly-valentines-day-celebration-but kinda..... nice dinner and a movie!  Yipee!!!

Hot hot hot yoga

Not sure how many people have ever heard of hot yoga before.  I had through some people that I golf with. One of the people there is also an instructor.  I wasn't really sure if it was something I could do during the summer, but it sounded very intriguing during the winter.  I knew there were a lot of different places that did it, although there are a lot of places that don't only do hot yoga, just variations of yoga and do have hot yoga in the mix.  There have been groupons and other deals that have come into my email that I have checked out, but it looked like it was going to be something that was going to have to wait until Gwen was in school full time.  The times they usually have sessions were early morning, morning, lunchtime, or evening.  That 1-2 didn't seem like anyone was offering it.  So I kept it in the back of my mind, and didn't really pay any attention to it.

In having conversations with various people, it kept coming to my mind.  Another groupon thing came to my email that was very inexpensive, for an unlimited two month membership to an exclusive hot yoga place.  That's all they do.  Their room is 105 degrees and it only is about 15 minutes from my house.  I figured I would jump.  I knew that it wasn't going to be perfect, but with Gwen trading playdates every week with a girl from her class, I figured I would at least try it and then try to make it work when I could during the weekend, early mornings if I had to.  Now, after purchasing clothing, gathering the necessary equipment over the holidays from birthday and Christmas gifts, I was nervous, but ready to try it out.

I first went the day before my first workout to know where I was going and get registered.  Gwen came with me, and she was excited for me too.  I think if I let her into the room, she probably immediately would have not liked it as much, but she knew that I was really pumped, so I knew that was what she was reacting to.  Ever since that day, before I had even gone, she was telling everyone she saw that I was doing hot yoga.

So the time had come...I did my best to try to fit in, and also let the instructor know that I had no idea what I was doing.  I knew I was not flexible and completely out of shape because I had never, never, NEVER done anything in order to be in shape or be flexible.  At least in the summer, I can claim some muscle movement due to golf and walking the course.  The instructor assured me that I picked the right session to start with because it was a much slower paced class than some of their others.  Also, since it was in the morning, there were fewer people and more space to pick where you wanted to be compared to their afternoon and evening classes.

I got into the class and picked my spot and relaxed on the mat.  What a wonderful feeling...like being in a sauna.  This was Friday, before the cold snap, so I wasn't chilled, but even if I had, that would all be out the window as soon as I entered the room.  During the session, I was confused on many occasions, trying to make sure I heard and processed what we were supposed to be doing, and I was dripping sweat within a matter of minutes.  They had a midpoint break, and towards the end, I felt I had probably pushed myself hard enough and had to rest for a bit.  At the end...I felt so warm and relaxed and sooo....pumped on endorphins  probably.  It is a hard feeling to describe.  I'm guessing it is that feeling that marathoners or people who do races get when they are finished with their event.  I hear it a lot from people that have decided to take up running.  That the first time someone does a 5K, it is addictive and you want to do more. I can only guess that that feeling is what I felt.  I knew I could never do running, but I'm glad I found something that gives me that feeling.  It puts me in a better mood, and I feel so warm for many hours after the session.  I went back on Sunday morning, and while that was a very cold day, it didn't feel so bad to me.  But also when I went back on Sunday, I had a different instructor, fewer people in class and it was even slower and not as difficult for me to know what was being done and yet this time, I really felt it in my muscles.  Even today, two days later, I'm still sore.  In my neck, shoulders, and hamstrings.  It is cool to think that I could become more flexible and get this wonderful feeling maybe once or twice a week.  Maybe it will help my golf game.  I'm glad I took a chance and did it.

Oops...there went half of January!

The holidays seemed to get away from me pretty quick this year.  Or I should say blogging about the holidays and after seemed to get away from me pretty quick.  This year was pretty similar to past years.  Christmas Eve mass, with dinner and gifts at Vicky's.  Then Christmas morning at our house, so Santa can come and visit.  Then Christmas afternoon and evening dinner with my folks for my birthday and gifts, and then the day after it was ice skating, dinner and gifts at Jerry's house.  It just so happened that Russ's alumni hockey game was that morning, so we watched Russ skate at his old home rink while the kids and I huddled under my new fleece Bears blanket, also under the barely warm heaters.

The next day was Vicky's 12/12/12 birthday celebration so that everyone could come and visit.  We saw some out-of-town guests that we don't get a chance to see very often and got ready for Trevor's hockey practices and games.  Gwen had caught yet another cold, so we spent 120 minutes at the minute clinic to get a prescription for an ear infection before driving out to the lake for New Years weekend.  We got to see a few more families there before heading back on New Years Day since the kids had school the next day and my parents left for Florida that morning.

The kids got spoiled and the family got some new toys that we are still trying to work the kinks out of.  But it was a wonderful holiday season to spend as a family.  It was hard to get thrown right back into the heavy routine of all the activities the kids have.  I decided to finally cave and let the kids try out the after school program that working families sometimes use.  I knew it would save me a trip to school on Mondays since Trevor already stays after for Chess club and also knew I couldn't get away with only letting Gwen use it since Trevor had been asking too.  So now, twice a week, I get an extra hour and a half without the kids.  Assuming the weather is nice enough, the kids also have the option of going outside and being on the playground.  Gwen used that to its full potential on her first day and was complaining that I should leave again to give her more outside time.  It's a pretty sweet deal for me!

Russ went on a little vacation with his dad and brother to play baseball with the Twins.  Sounds like they had a blast and only got rained out one day.  He was gone 10 days, over the stretch of two weekends.  That was a strange adjustment having him gone on the weekends.  Poor Gwen didn't like all the extra hockey things she had to come along for.  Trevor ended up asking to not play in a hockey game on Saturday because he came down with a bad cold.  I was watching for a fever, but it never occurred, thankfully.  Even with most of the entire day that we never left the house, it was such an exhausting two weekends.  But it does keep the time flying by.

Now, since the holidays are over, it is already time to start thinking about the summer.  By the end of the month, the summer programs are usually published and we already have the traveling baseball tryout dates.  It always makes me feel a little warmer to start pushing forward towards summer, after the holidays.  There is a lot to get done to make it through to that point next!  

Trevor growing up

Since the wonderful Monday luck that I had a little over a week ago, many things have changed.  Mostly our luck...but we'll start with the first big event.  Trevor had a well-check for being 9 years old.  Not really surprisingly, the kid is growing up, literally, quite fast.  I was asking if he would please start to slow down, at which the doctor explained that no...he goes faster before finally slowing down.  So he's now less than a foot away from over taking me.  92nd percentile for height and 76th percentile for weight.  Not exactly a string bean, but he's leaned out over the years.  We had a little conversation about how he'll probably be the tallest one in our immediate family and I don't think the idea really makes sense to him.  I'm guessing its one of those things you can't really imagine what it would be like to be that big.  I don't know that I ever really thought about it.  I was usually one of the tallest girls in my class.  Anyway....it was a good appointment and we had some good conversations about what is expected for his age.

Then, this past week, the kids have been pretty pumped to get close enough to Christmas to see it coming within a week.  Unfortunately, Gwen got a bad cold starting on Monday night.  She had a low grade fever, and didn't have any energy on Tuesday.  So I explained she wouldn't be going to school.  She was SO mad at me.  She was crying "Mommy, PLEASE can I go to school.  I REALLY want to!"  Man, if I could have recorded that conversation to play for her later.  It really gives me a peace of mind that we made the right choice for her this year.  She got better that day and night so she was able to go to school the next day.  So on Wednesday when she went to school so was so happy.

As a side note to all of this:  Russ and I volunteered to help with the winter party in class on Thursday.  They were playing a game that put the kids in a line to hand the game to the player sitting behind them.  The class spontaneously chanted "cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-CHA" while sitting down and their teacher remarked...."this class is so fun...they will be remembered as the class that spontaneously breaks out to cha-cha."  Russ and I see it too.  The kids get along very well as a class, have fun and still know how to get down to business and do what is expected of them.

So on Wednesday, our traditionally busy day, we went from school to swimming to religion class.  Trevor reported that he got two rocket rewards that day...at the beginning of the school day.  The kids got their last day of swimming classes in, and we had to run to church after eating a quick dinner in the car so they could practice for Christmas Eve mass: bringing the nativity characters up to the manger.  We made it just in time to practice and then get back home for a half hour before religion.  This religion class was really just their Christmas party, which I volunteered to help for.  When I got to his class, it turned out that they had more than enough people to help organize the snacks for the party.  So we tried to get as much done as we could, but there was a lot of waiting around.  Then my special time happened.  The religion leader came in looking for someone to help drive a person that came in for confession, but broke their key off in their car lock and needed a ride back home to get their spare set of keys.  I jumped at the chance.  It was a perfect opportunity to pay it forward since I was the one in need just a week prior.  The woman offered to pay me for gas, but I declined.  She then said that she would pray for me and my family, and that was something I could accept.  She needed a ride about 5 miles away and back, but we got back in plenty of time to do what was needed to help for the party.

I had a chat with Trevor about how lucky I felt to be able to pay my help back to someone that needed it.  Because of his day of rocket rewards, and my luck he thought maybe it was just a lucky day for the Johnson family.  I said that because of Gwen being able to get back to school that day, I knew she would agree that it was a great day for her as well.  We decided that because Russ was in town to enjoy the day, that would be his lucky day as well.

So the kids are now off of school until next year.  It started off with Gwen having a difficult sleeping night last night with her cough but she seems to be handling it ok.  Trevor has been playing Ninjago/Lego Friends with her nicely for most of the morning and we have activities to get them through most of the next week.  Christmas will be here quick!  Happy Holidays everyone!

One of those days

There actually haven't seemed to be that many unlucky days in my life.  So maybe I was due for one.  Regardless, last Monday was it.  It started on Sunday afternoon when I went to try out a refurbished snow blower that was given to us since our one that we had been using was also broken.  I wanted to make sure I knew how to use it since Russ would be traveling that week.  Well, after 4 runs of the driveway, I broke it.  Russ tried to fix it, but when he did, the auger didn't move.  Boy did I feel bad that I had already rendered it useless in the middle of a big snowstorm.  Thankfully, Russ finished the job with a shovel.

Then, in the morning, when I was getting ready to take the kids to school, the van was starting funny.  I thought it was due to the temperature, and just that it needed to warm up.  I was able to get Trevor off to school before Gwen and I were off to run our errands.  We stopped at a local bank, then went across the street to do our grocery shopping.  After the groceries were back in the car, the car decided to not start for me.  *Sigh*  Getting the car looked at was on the list of things to do this week, because it was also in need of an oil change.  But of course it had to happen right after a snow storm.  So when I called roadside assistance, they were backed up.  I started off asking for a jump because they said it would be quicker.  But when they quoted two hours and said I had to be with the car when they came, I cancelled the service.  I had them tow it, instead.  That was another 4 hours but at least I didn't have to be with the car.  I had them tow it to the service dealership so it could be serviced for other things as well.

Then we went in the grocery store to see if we could get a cab to take us home.  Nope.  The cab companies the grocery store suggested were booked and not taking any calls, or disconnected.  Then I made the call list through my phone book and found a willing friend to pick us up and drive us home.  Since we had another car, I got reorganized and took Gwen back to the car so we could pick up our groceries.  Got those, got on with the day, and when the dealership called, I was told that it was the battery that needed changing and that once that was fixed, it was fine.  I asked to get the key automatic door openers looked at, and an oil change.  

When I went to pick Trevor up from school after chess club, I made the mistake of putting the mail on top of the car and forgot to take it off.  It blew all over the road and I didn't recover all of it.  So I decided that that was my three things that were going to happen to me that day.  Unfortunately, on Tuesday when I went to get the car, they didn't understand about the key and said I would need to leave it there longer, (to which I said no thanks), the car still isn't starting like it should, and two of the tires are low on air, which should have been taken care of with the oil change.  *sigh* So that means another discussion with the service station.  Hopefully someone will listen to a dissatisfied customer.  And hopefully the car continues to actually start until next week.  Russ is home until the new year, so we need both cars during some scheduling conflicts.

On to Christmas!  I want some more fun times please!

Starting our Christmas season

This year, we have just started our Christmas season, but already done so much in the way of changing things a little bit here or there.  First off, on Black Friday we happened to go and see Wreck it Ralph at a nearby mall, and when we came out, we noticed Santa's line was really short, so rather than find another day to come out and visit, we went and saw him.  I put the photograph in the frame this weekend and noticed that we only missed one year, the year Trevor was 2.  But we've seen the same Santa for all but one year.  Usually it is some time in December but I'm happy not to have to make another trip out there.

Speaking of Santa, I finally gave in to Trevor's asking about Santa.  I have read about parents writing a letter to their kids about Santa and have a blogging friend that used one last year for her daughter that seemed to fit well with us (Thanks Erika!).  Here's what it said:

Dear Trevor, 

You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?” 

I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say. 

The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa. 

I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Dad helps, too.) I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights. 

This won’t make you Santa, though. Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch. 

It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments. 

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy. 

With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible. 

Before you go around telling your sister, or friends that there is no Santa, be careful because believing in Santa is all about believing in a Christmas miracle, and destroying someone else’s belief is a very sad thing to do.  If someone asks me if I believe in Santa, I honestly say “YES” because I do believe in all the Christmas miracles that the idea of Santa brings.  I don’t know if this helps you understand why there is a belief in Santa until you are a parent, but hopefully it is a start.

So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too. I love you and I always will. 

Love, Mom

He didn't get the letter before we visited him, but he also didn't say anything that I'm aware of.  I also didn't give him the letter before his sleepover party on Thursday night, but I did hear the boys talking about it that night.  I hope Trevor didn't ruin anyone's Christmas spirit!  So when he read the letter, he seemed very happy and told me that he wouldn't go spilling the beans to anyone else.  He thinks that when Gwen knows, we'll stop doing a lot of the traditions that make Christmas fun.  

What is interesting about this whole thing to me though, is that we still have our Elf on the Shelf (Frankincense) that comes around and I think...like his toys, he still has a hard time fully believing that they don't come to life when we aren't watching.  A few months ago he told me that he can't throw away his character toothbrushes because of what happened in Toy Story 3.  He has such an imagination that while he has loved to create his own stories with his toys, its hard to switch off that imagination switch when it comes to seeing the toys portrayed as real things when no one is watching.

Gwen has been loving the Christmas changes in our house and taking full advantage of the new music selections on both the radio and the CDs that we have.  Her favorite is a Kids Bop Christmas CD that we have already listened to 5 times and it has only been out for 3 days.  Her dance class is starting to prepare for their Winter Show in January, and they are performing "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" but if she hears the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, she actually still remembers most of the moves from that recital as well.  

We have only seen 2 movies of our Christmas collection - both Grinch movies.  She has been playing with the Christmas ornaments and as a side note, we were putting the ornaments up and Trevor opened his Lightning McQueen and Toy Story ones, and saying that they didn't have hooks on them.  I explained that he never let us put hooks on them because he always played with them instead, so he took them out of the box and put them by the doll house to be used as a toy.  Gwen, of course, picked up right where he left off.  She undecorates and redecorates the tree.  She has a lot of princess ornaments and so with the lights, they put on a show...usually some kind of dance number.  Now that Frankincense is here, she also wants to give him part of her Advent Calendar chocolate the way Trevor has the past few years.  At least, that is what she said this morning...and then she ate both pieces.  

She also is enjoying the books that come out too.  I somewhat forgot about those and got more library books so I've read her favorite books, but she has some other new books (American Girl Doll books) that we have been reading as well.  

So with all that, I believe we are in the Christmas spirit.  The kids are again slotted for bringing up Mary and Joseph for the manger scene at church on Christmas Eve.  This will be Trevor's last year bringing a character.  He can bring other things, but they listed pre-k to 3rd grade.  His comment is, why does church have to be so long that day?  He's used to Children's Liturgy where the kids get to go out of the service to have their own discussion about the readings.  It's a nice break for them so that they don't have to be still for the entire hour.  But that doesn't happen on Christmas Eve.  Hard to believe it's only 3 weeks away.  I gotta get on the shopping bandwagon!  I'm probably very behind!