To Think Its Only Monday...

Don't be fooled by the illusion of peace and innocence portrayed below:

This day was bananas.

b-a-n-a-n-a-s!

Tyson worked his first 'alone' shift yesterday- and was 'forced,' meaning they required him to stay and work a double. We got a heads up, so we had plenty of time to make back up arrangements to get Dawson to school and such, but it was a definite reminder of what a luxury it has been to have him back in the picture again!

My Mom was kind enough to step in and take the morning carpool responsibility (thanks again, Mom!).
Of course, last week he developed a toothache, and I had to make him a dentist appointment the second week of school (star parenting moment, for sure).

Since we are still getting into the groove of things (read: its utter and complete confusion) I had NO idea what time lunch was. I was guessing not to pack a lunch since the appointment was 11:10, but I sent a snack. Welp... evidently, the kids don't eat snack at morning recess anymore (?!?!?!?!?). Thankfully my Mom insisted he scarf down a string cheese on the car ride over, but even so he was STARVED when he got home, and couldn't eat for an hour and a half until the anesthetic wore off. It was almost the end of both of us.
Then, after his meltdown last week just to tug at my fraying heartstrings a little bit more... evidently when my Mom went to pick my baby up, the office paged him, and when it was taking longer than expected for him to appear in the office she offered to start walking toward the classroom.

Good thing, too!
My poor sweet boy was wandering around lost, and finally heading back to his classroom. He had no idea where the back door to the office was, or how to get there, or any way of reading a sign that said 'office' even if it had been as bright and flashy as the Vegas strip!

Ahh, growing pains.
Back to school night is Thursday.

I'm looking forward to feeling more informed after that.

So. Now is the part where I have to rant about the actual dentist. First, let me say... we brush. Usually. I mean, lets be honest. We're a busy family of 4. Bedtime is hectic on a good night. Our kids don't stay up til midnight and eat candy corn for dinner, but... we get distracted sometimes. And we definitely haven't been faithful flossers.
However.

I had NO IDEA a massive cavity could form so fast for a five year old! I am shocked. I shouldn't be... he is my kid. And I have mean teeth. Mean like horrible and rotten, not like lean and mean... just to clarify. Anyways- we learned Dawson had 2 cavities when he went to his last appointment at the beginning of summer. I figured we'd put it on the list of things to save for... and then all of a sudden he said it hurt! It felt like 5 minutes went by in between.
So... after today... one cleaning/exam and 2 fillings later... we have already maxed his annual limit of $1k out, and paid $240 (plus $75 out of pocket for the exam!) in addition to what we pay monthly for our insurance.

And they found 2 more cavities today. And quoted me $500. With a discount.

Holy smokes. Who knew being a daycare dentist was so much more lucrative than being a daycare hag?!?! ("Not I," said the hag!).

I would also like to throw in the fact that I had to get a new cell phone recently. Which always puts me in a bad mood. Technology is not my thing. Thats one of the many reasons my husband is so good for me! He does all the homework and gets me a new phone when I need it, sets it up, and shows me how to use it. Its not that I couldn't do it myself. I think he just kind of likes it, and I kind of despise it... so it works out.

But this time... its already broken. It does this thing where the back light stays on, so the battery dies in like, an hour. And... it answers itself without ringing first. So, I never know when someone is on the line. Which is awesome when you have your phone in your pocket while you're "motivating" your kids to get out the door after you overslept. Or scolding your daughter for flashing the entire bank her underwear while you were trying to make a deposit.
So, I decided to be proactive since Tyson worked tonight, and went down to the wireless store to tell them my sad story about my brand new defective phone.... when all of a sudden I entered a mystical land of unicorns and leprechauns, and in that garden of all flawless technology the stinking phone magically started working.

How do these things happen?!?!?

I thanked the man behind the counter for listening to me whine about my imaginary problems with my brand new phone... left the store... and found out ten minutes later it was broken again.

When I got home, it was a mad dash to get the kids in bed early so tomorrow could be a smoother start (ie: Mom not oversleeping, Dad being home, etc.).

Dawson asked if he could help make dinner while Anabelle took a bath. I said sure.

I was so distracted by my son, who thought the broiler was "so interesting!" (his choice of words) that he nearly put his entire head inside of it, that I forgot to tell my darling daughter to shut off the bathwater. I didnt think at 4 I should worry about drowning. But evidently my little disney princess wannabe needs a reality check, because she isn't actually a mermaid in real life, and the bathtub was seconds from overflowing by the time I got there. We have really deep tubs.
My dog almost bit my hand off playing fetch in the back yard.

My kids left their clothes they changed out of everywhere, and didn't put their laundry away despite the fact that I asked them repeatedly and they promised it was done.

It was a craaaaazy Monday.

Good thing there's only one of those every week. And I think maybe God is trying to give me an extra dose of peace about sending my daughter to her first day of her last year of preschool tomorrow... which I am SO looking forward to.
Especially after a day like today.

xo

A Day of Firsts

Yesterday, my first baby boy had his first day of first grade.

The weight of it all didn't hit me until THIS moment:

HOLY Cow.

First grade is MUCH different than kindergarten. Its the real deal! And... it tricks you, because you think you already did the real deal when you kissed him goodbye last year!

Kindergarten was basically fancy (and FREE!) pre-school. At least that was our experience. Dawson still learned a bunch, but because his sweet angel of a teacher had SUCH a gift, and had SO much experience... there were no surprises, unless they involved personal notes and ribbons and maybe a runaway gingerbread man or two.

I was dancing at the thought of having Dawson back in school. Hes been much harder to entertain this long summer, we were all going stir crazy. But then... all of a sudden, there we were, dropping him off. Just like that!, he was sitting in his very own desk, the bell was ringing!, and we had to just say goodbye, and pick him up a whopping SEVEN HOURS later. Thats never happened in Dawson's world! And it hasn't happened in mine for... well, you can do the math. Its first grade level. ;)



The desks were positioned in clusters, and there are a couple kids we know and love that he is with or next to. A good half of the class he knows from last year, and there are four kids from our street alone that are in the same room. That poor teacher, wait til she finds out theres a small herd of kids that can bicker like siblings right under her nose.

This is his friend Sarah... they are buddies. Unless they aren't. :)


Another highlight of the morning was that Tyson was there to enjoy it all. With nowhere to be until 2pm. In fact, at least until January, he will be taking the kids every single day, and hopefully volunteering in the classroom as well. What a breath of fresh air its been for each member of our family to have him around more.

Ah, the little moments.

When I picked him up and he climbed in the sweltering hot car (thermometer read 112! YOWZA!), the first words out of his mouth were... "Ohhhh, boy, Mom, there is a TON of homework... but its ALL FOR YOU!!!"

Har, har, har. What a funny little man.

I expected him to be a little vague so I made sure to ask direct questions, which he politely answered. He talked about the big playground, and the picnic they had on the grass. It sounded like a good day, but I knew I would get the real story at bedtime.

When we were finally snuggled in, and the exhaustion had gripped him, the flood gates opened (as somewhat expected).

He explained to me that all day he felt funny and lonely (LONELY! He actually said lonely!, his mother's worst fear!), and he was afraid of nobody wanting to play with him or be his friend at recess. He said how he wanted so badly to tell the teacher how he was feeling, but she didn't pay attention to him when he raised his hand, and it made him feel so sad. He said he didn't know if he could do first grade, because there would be homework, and it might be too hard for him...

Are you crying into your keyboard yet?

It was everything I had to not bawl my eyes out right there with him.

I did my best to gently explain that every kid... and teacher, for that matter!, feels scared or nervous about making friends the first couple days.

I said how the teacher doesn't know most of the kids, and has to learn all 29 names! That's a lot of homework!

I reminded him of what we talked about just last Sunday at church, how we are to share the love of Christ with everyone, and we don't ever have to be afraid because God is always with us.

I told him that tomorrow is ALWAYS a new day, and a new chance to make a friend.

And, of course, I reminded him that even on his worst day at school... his Mom and Dad and Anabelle Lee would be waiting patiently to hear all about it, and we would love him no matter what.

Overall, it was a day of so many firsts... and something tells me we've got quite an exciting year ahead.

But with the kids I have... 'exciting' will NOT be a first.

Bring.It.On.

xo

Little Boy Treasure

Just had to share the harvest of tonight's Dawson laundry when I went to swap his clothes from the wash to the dryer.

Here's what I scored!:



I'm sure theres a technical term for each of these items I am not familiar with, but in "laymom's terms" the contents included:

One wooden guitar pick thingy (that has no apparent function I can imagine),

One piece of some kind of coated electrical wiring (!??!?!?!),

One screw,

One even bigger screw,

One red spaceship/dreidel shaped squishy thingy I'm almost positive my Dad gave him out of his personal stash of non-mom approved toys from his super cool worker man toolbox,

A glass bead,

A woodworker's pencil,

A plastic animal cookie, made for a play kitchen (I dont share desert either, can't blame him there...),

And the grand finale....

A good sized clump of coarse black hair I can only hope (best case scenario!) came from a giant stuffed monkey he bought with his lemonade stand earnings from the neighbor's yard sale this weekend.



The things this sweet sleeping angel is capable of accomplishing in one day patrolling the neighborhood.

I have a very, very busy little boy, who I have enjoyed immensely this summer (wild ambitions, tantrums, sandy mud pies and all!)... and its hard to believe that when he wakes up tomorrow, he will be off to first grade where they fill his mind with all kinds words and colors and dreams, and rob him from his mother who loves him and misses him all day long.

But judging by his carefully selected wardrobe patiently waiting for sunrise on his bedroom floor... he's not looking back.

And I will look forward to unfolding the mysteries of his days away by checking his pockets more carefully.

xo

Leave Me Breathless

2.More.Weeks.

...until school starts.

But whose counting, anyways?

(ME. MEEEE! I'M COUNTING!)

My.children.are.BONKERS.

I have tried, TRIED, I say!, to keep them busy.

We've read books. A lot of books. Chapter books. Picture books. Educational books, old books, new books, library books, and books that I actually feel dumber after reading.

We've been for long walks, short hikes, bike rides, wagon rides, bike rides PULLING wagon rides(thanks, fun Uncle KJ!). We've been frog hunting, snake hunting, BB hunting, deer watching, and dead animal spotting.

We've picked blackberries, cherrys, apples, zucchinis and peaches.

We've made necklaces, finger painted, water colored,

strung keychains and built and painted model airplanes.

Im pretty sure my kids could bake almost any dessert I make better than I can with their eyes closed, along with a few new ones.

We have manicured, pedicured, beauty shopped, and hair dressed.

We've movie-nighted (inside AND outside!),

and (of course!) slip and slided.

We've bobbed for apples, and run thru sprinklers.

We've swimming pooled and bubble blown to our hearts content (despite the unseasonably cool LOW 80 degree weather ALL SUMMER LONG!).

We've been bike riding, face painting, garage sailing, picnicking, birthday partying.

We've been to the neighborhood park and all the city parks, to the zoo, the golf course (gentlemen only ladies forbidden, naturally),

Done vacation bible school, the drive in movie theatre and the regular movie theatre,

the children's museum (thanks, Grandma!), the beach, and of course swimming lessons.

So yah.

We've been keeping busy.

And I haven't so much been blogging.

Forgive me....

I am UTTERLY EXHAUSTED.

Despite all these fabulous summer happenings... any guesses on how do my kids prefer to spend their spare time during the day?

(If you guessed terrorizing each other until someone is crying or bleeding, leaving behind as many dirty fingerprints and making as much noise as possible in the process... you are likely a Mom that has spent a few summers home with her children. Extra triple heaping scoop of rubies in your heavenly crown, you beautiful creatures!....now come close, and whisper your secrets).

What A Turd!

I think I've blogged a time or two about our (cursed, wretched, loathed, despised, good for nothing) family cat, Minerva, and how she loves nothing more than to leave us 'prizes' all over the place.

She likes to dig up the decorative bark right by the front door and use it as her personal litter box, despite the fact that she HAS a perfectly functional personal litter box in the garage... not to mention that the entire field next door to us, and the rest of the neighborhood as we know it is her personal port-a-potty.

She likes to leave us dead creatures as presents ALL.THE.TIME. I know you're thinking this is typical feline behavior, but she does it in such a way that I've come to believe she is intentionally assaulting me personally. Its like she strategically positions these treasures. I've stepped in them... barefoot... more times than I can count. And I will NEVER, EVER forget that time Anabelle had just learned to crawl and was putting everything under the sun in her chunky little mouth when she had the beautiful (mis)fortune of encountering one of Minerva's rotting delicacies under the picnic table in the back yard (gasp, gag, dry heave... moving right along).

She likes to lurk outside the front door and find juuuuuust the right moment where I am most vulnerable (I'm actually vulnerable a lot each day, I know, you're shocked)... when I have a kid with a potty emergency, or an arm load of groceries and the phone is ringing, or the kids are fighting and I am talking (yelling) over them and trying not to throw a mom tantrum in front of the happy neighbors... and she ZOOOOOOOMs underneath my feet and then... POOF! vanishes somewhere in the house until I am forced to give up searching for her and she can finally take her well deserved (HA!) 23 hour nap.

Sometimes she gets locked in the house when we leave by mistake. Once left inside, I suppose she may argue that a cats gotta do what she's gotta do, and hey. If we aren't home to let her out WHEN she wants out... things get ugly. Which brings us to her new favorite trick: LICKING herself clean inside the house... and then, leaving nasty gray surprises of slimy shed cat hair souffle in inconspicuous places for us to find at the end of another exhaustively endless day in paradise. Like inside Tyson's nice pair of dress shoes. Or on a pile of freshly washed blankets. Or in the middle of our daughter's room... which Anabelle, naturally, steps in immediately following her evening bath.

I bet you think this blog is going to be all about our cat.

Negative.

She's SO not worth her own blog.

This is about my hilarious, wicked, brilliant, warped evil comedic genius of a son, who evidently watches and listens to his mother at ALL the moments I am ranting about the cruel injustices of pet ownership and devises himself a plan to join in the torment, inspired by carnal feline-evil (he really does love that beastly cat).

******************************************************************************

Im in my happy place, watering the garden at the end of a long hot summer day, letting the cool hose water wash over my tired feet like an old friend and just enjoying the soothing sounds of a summer evening, when all of sudden... what? What's this I see? Just yonder... on the SLIDE!?! Where my DAYCARE KIDS play, and put their little hands and faces all day long!?!?!:

OH.NO.SHE.DID.NOT!:


I dont remember exactly WHAT I spouted off, but Im pretty sure its not family friendly enough to repeat on my sweet little blog. Naturally, I turned to my husband who ADORES when I come to him with animal related mishaps... and he chuckles and stops my rant cold.

He goes... "You like that?"

Um. I most certainly did not.

"Dawson made that for you."

"say WHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!"

...and sure enough, the little rat fessed up. Or something like that.


He spent the afternoon the day before meticulously concocting this scientific little mud mixture so it would perfectly resemble... cat crap.

Just for little old me.

I feel so loved.

And so grossed the frick out.

And, not gonna lie... slightly amused (and even proud?) that my son likes to laugh so much, and shares our (slightly warped) family humor (alright, maybe it just MY humor).

So there you have it. Sh*t happens. The best you can hope for is that it was left behind in love by someone you cherish as a twisted joke.

Speaking of cherishing, and all things warm, fuzzy, and twisted (pun intended)....


Even when they're in trouble, I just don't get how they can manage to be this stinking adorable all the time.

xo

The Almighty Dollar

We are on DAY2 of a new reward system we have implemented in the McDermott household.

I know its early, but its been A-MAZING.


I attended a pampered chef party last week and the mother of one of the girls in Dawson's kindergarten class was the consultant. After the show ended, we were chatting about summer, and I asked how she was keeping her girls busy. She responded that 'she keeps them on a pretty tight schedule.'

I think my kids are 'on a schedule' too, in the sense that we do the same things around the same time each day, the rules don't change, and we don't spend the days in front of the TV in our PJ's as a general rule. So I asked what her definition of a 'tight schedule was,' and she grinned and began telling me about how her older daughter is very 'financially motivated.'

Well, obviously I am thinking of how I'm not going to pay my kids for doing things they are required to do as functioning family members. But then she begins to explain her system... which is brilliant.

I came home and called Kari, who had already created a system in her own home. She thought it was brilliant also. So then she introduced the money aspect into what she was already doing, and shared it with me.

On Sunday, I spent a half hour throwing to all together. Heres what it looks like on paper....

Basically, the tablet in the left pocket of their charts is just an excel spreadsheet of the things they are required to do each day. Get dressed, make bed, brush teeth, feed dogs, pick up living room, comb hair. They get a sticker for each task completed, and $1 for each sticker (the stickers are fun and cute, and they help keep track of the dollars in case I don't have time to pay out right then). So they earn about $6 just for getting up and starting their day.

Then. We made a list of other chores that sometimes need to get done. They aren't all things that have to be done every day- but things that will give them something to do and ways to earn extra $ when they are 'bored,' such as setting/clearing the table for the next meal, putting away my laundry/matching socks, cleaning dog poop and changing dog water, reading quietly for 30 minutes (which they like doing anyways), picking up backyard before sprinklers go off, etc. Each of these are worth a dollar amount, depending how big the task is.

There is also a list of 'rewards' they can spend their hard earned dollars on. They are things they have been getting for free up until now (doh! what was I thinking!??!), such as $2 for 30 minutes of TV time, $1 for a sugar snack was added recently (like a popsicle, or hot cocoa in the morning), family walks to the park, or a bike ride after dinner. There are bigger rewards they can save up for, such as $50 for an ice cream date, $100 for the drive in movie theatre with snacks, $50 to choose a movie at Red Box, $50 for a trip to the dollar store, $25 for the 'prize box' which is a stash of cheap toys I got in the clearance bin at Michael's, most of which are marked below a dollar each.

The last part is where it gets good. They LOOSE money for bad behavior. There is a list of fineable offenses, with a written dollar penalty. Bad table manners? Bummer. You owe me a buck. Not listening the first time I asked you to stop? $2, please. Hitting??! Whoops, looks like you just lost $5. Throwing a fit?, tattling?, yelling?, running in the house? All more money for mom and less money for fun.

I have never seen my kids more motivated to do good without being asked! I have never seen them more proud of their rewards for their dollars well spent. They feel empowered! They are making their own choices, and living on their own terms in a way. Dawson earned AND lost several dollars yesterday, but at the end of the day ended up with about $8. He spent $3 for a family walk to the park after dinner, and saved the rest to save toward a big reward. THEY ARE LEARNING TO BUDGET! And count money! I am less frustrated with their behavior, and feeling less guilty about being too busy to keep them busy. There is always something to do. 'Go read a book in your room for 30 minutes, and earn some money!'

Anyways. Like I said, I just had to share. My kids are a short season older than most of the other kids we hang out with, so I feel like since I have to make the first mistakes with the things I am doing wrong for all of you to see, I should probably also share the successes that come here and there in between as well.

Here's to the almighty dollar, and hoping it doesn't deflate to less than its worth before the summer is over.

Cheers!

Reporting For Duty

So, my husband is officially official.



He is all sworn in to his new life...

...he graduated on Friday!

I am PROUD.

His brother made it up from San Diego, where he is stationed in the Coast Guard. And Ty is excited to be working along side one of his best and oldest friends, John. These boys have been friends since boyhood. How adorable are they?!

It was such a privilege to be there... and hear about all the 'fun' things they've been up to the last few months. The kids have been really curious as to what the new job is all about, I know it made them feel special to finally be invited to be a small part of it (plus, you KNOW my daughter loves her an excuse to 'be fancy!').

(Almost) Tyson's whole family was there (move home already, CARLY!). My family was out of town, but they were supportive in spirit!

We had a little 'after party' at the parent's house when the ceremony ended.

The family and I all chipped in to buy a fancy flashlight for our officer's cool new belt. John ended up having to work at the last minute (part of the call of duty, as I know we will learn first hand,) but his sweet wife (and my good friend!) Rachel still walked over with their kids and hung out while we all relaxed and ate.

I know I may be the slightest bit biased, but I think we've got a handful of the sweetest, cutest kids around in our lives.

We are beyond blessed.

xo