Preschool Preview

We were at the preschool preview this morning where we get to meet the teachers and play for a while to entice the kiddos to want to come back when school starts.  My boys were eager and excited to go (which I took for granted until I watched one mom drag her son by the arm through the parking lot.)  Their excitement only grew when we entered the familiar room that was Griffin’s last year and now it’s Fletcher’s room. And they both settled in quickly to play with the bat man cave and black helicopters with moving propellers.  I was relieved and a bit nervous for the teachers when I learned that there are 11 boys in the class and just a small handful of girls.  Fletcher will do well. Hopefully the teachers will survive.  

I couldn’t help but notice the pack of boys on the floor, each laying on their sides making motor noises and navigating around each other to all get their hands on the bat cave.  And over at the table, the teachers had aspirationally set out cups of crayons and stacks of coloring pages. But lo and behold, several prim and prettily dressed girls with their floral sundresses, sandals and pigtails pulled up a chair and began to color and expertly scratch out their names.  “Oh,” I thought to myself. “I guess I should start working with Griffin on writing his name, these chicks are even younger.”  Then I couldn’t help but smile as I observed Madelyn, who’s name I know because she had written it so nicely, was on the verge of tears when the tip of her new fushia crayon broke.  Her mother reassured her that it would still work but based on the frustration and sheer disappointment written on her brow, I wasn’t sure she’s ever going to recover from this tragedy.  I had to bite my lip not to laugh outloud.  My boyz break crayons for sport! Fletcher just recently stopped unwrapping them and eating them like candy.  Ok, I’m adding the those five little girls to the prayer list who have to endure preschool with 11 little boys.  Fast forward 30 years and Madelyn will be standing over her sons asking them, with all seriousness, "Why did you just break all the new crayons!?"  I guess it's named Preschool Preview for a reason.

Mom's Night Out

My wonderful hubby is always encouraging me to go out and take breaks and he's right, I should. But I usually don't because I never know what to do... but last week, a dear friend was in town from Michigan and we got together and went out.  You know I don't go out often enough when I get questions from Carter like, "Why are you so dressed up?" or Fletcher who noticed I painted my toes and he asked "Why Green, Mommy?" - except they were red.

We had a great time! We met at the fashion mall at 4 o'clock - time to do some serious damage before dinner!  And damage we did. At least, I did.  The hubby had given me a budget and encouraged me to have a good time, so I did!

We started at Crate & Barrel and I used up a gift card left over from Mother's Day - shows you how infrequently I go to the mall! And then to a store she knew of from Michigan called "Hot Mama" - we both bought stuff there, how could you not?!  Then, after a brief obligatory stop at Kid's Gap, we spent about an hour at Athleta walking around telling stories and laughing and touching all the clothes and accumulating piles of things to try on. She put a cute scarf around her neck first thing and wore it the rest of the time we were in the store! I found a fun hat and several other items I couldn't live without. We left with full bags and new resolve to stick to our workout routines, now that we would look cuter doing them! Further damage was incurred at Ann Taylor while Amy was texting my hubby "Budget Schmudget" and "Good thing you have a big closet!"

I confessed to Amy that I haven't ever done this - a girls shopping trip.  The hubby said it was about 8 years over due. But that's the thing about a friend.  Shopping is just another task unless you have a good friend to share it with. Then it becomes an outing, an event.  It was about so much more than the clothes we bought or the bags we carried.

We finished off the evening with a leisurely dinner at the Cheesecake Factory - YUM!  We both had salmon dishes and after dinner I was perusing the dessert menu and their list of hundreds of cheesecake concoctions. But the one that jumped out at me was Godiva chocolate brownie sundae.  When I asked her if we should get it and split it she replied, "I don't know why not!?!"  Exactly.  A perfect dessert to end a perfect evening!

But the other half of the story was the report I got from Daddy-O when I got home.  After he enjoyed the fashion show of my new wardrobe he told me about the line of questioning he got while he was grilling up grilled cheeses for the boyz dinner.

Sounds like it went something like this:
Numerous boyz asked: "Where's Mom?"
Daddy-O: "Out to dinner with Amy."
Numerous Boyz asked: "Why?
Daddy-O: "Cause Mom needs a break."
Carter: "Where did they go?"
Daddy-O: "To the Cheesecake Factory"
Carter: "She's eating dinner at a FACTORY?"
Daddy-O: "It's a restaurant"
Kiefer: "They make cheesecake in a FACTORY?"
Much laughter by all!!!


The hubby said it was apparent that I needed to do this more often.  (But probably with a smaller budget next time!)

Evidence of the "Damage" :)

I said to Amy,
 "Who knew they gave out these nice reusable bags now?
Show's how long it's been since I've been to the mall!"

"They make cheesecake at a FACTORY?!"

"Dessert?"  "I don't see why not?!" 

Fairy Tales Can Come True...

As the nostalgic song goes: "...Fairy Tales can come true, it can happen to you... if you are among the very young at heart."

Well, the other day our neighbor hosted a pool party at his house for his medical team that he works with and their families.  We all agree that Dr. Neighbor really knows how to throw a great party! The pool was opened, of course, for the requisite pool party, but they didn't stop there. They had a bounce house, with a huge slide, they had a snow cone mobile parked on the court where they shaved the ice and you could doctor it up from a rainbow of flavors, they also had the best burger joint in town, Bub's Burgers in their mobile grill catering truck grillin' burgers and other summer fare and they had a gaggle of girls delivering the burgers wearing their Bub's t-shirts and working a milkshake station where they were hand-dippin' milkshakes to order. They had rented a white tent and round tables and chairs and when the boyz saw all this activity arriving by the truck load you can imagine their excitement. Our very patient and gracious Dr. Neighbor invited us to come over when the party started and partake along side the very intelligent and somewhat high brow burn unit from the respected hospital in town.  Then as if all this circus of activity wasn't enough, it was all capitulated when Carter saw they had a live band setting up for musical entertainment.  He raced home, got his own guitar that he got last February for his birthday and the stand, bag, kaypo clip, and music book and before you could say, "Hey Carter, what are you doing?" he had it all set up right next to the professional musician's line up of three electric guitars, a banjo, a keyboard, drums and a superhighway of cords plugged into their speaker system.  As if I wasn't busy enough keeping Fletcher from dousing their electrical hazard with the giant squirt gun that Dr. Neighbor set out for the party, then I had to try to casually let Carter know that he wasn't going to be part of Ana and the Kings who were hired to perform.  But he hears me like the Peanuts hear any adult in the Snoopy cartoons, "Waa, Waaa, Wa, Waaa, Waaa, Waaa."  and he doggedly pursued his idea of playing along side the band.  It's all cute, I have to admit. But I'm not the kind of mom who likes to show case her children and make them perform their latest tricks.  In fact, I try hard not to be that mom.  And Carter desires to play the guitar earnestly, however, it's the practicing that gets him. Or the lack of desire for practicing, I should say.  He can pluck one recognizable song... Ode to Joy. And before I know it, as I'm now wrestling the oversized squirt gun away from both Fletcher and Kiefer I overhear the kind Kings saying, "Yea, we know Ode to Joy." And then Dr. Neighbor chimes in and says he'd love for Carter to play for the party.  Oh dear, does he know what he's asking?!  I gulp.  I don't want the poor kid to embarrass himself.  But is that my pride?  Not that it would embarrass me, it really wouldn't. I was actually proud of him for being so self-assured and assertive. But I've heard him play enough to know that he really needs to log more practice hours before he's ready for his first professional gig.  But then again, I'm no talent agent. Just his anchor of a mom.  So we do a few minor house keeping things to help set up for the party and herd the children back home hoping that they'll forget about Dr. Neighbor's offer to attend the party. Fat chance.  The pleads began when the first guests arrived.  We held off as long as we could and reluctantly were dragged across the lawn to the office party.  Not knowing a soul, other than the host, has it's advantages. And he insisted that we partake and let the kids enjoy themselves. So we bellied up to the burger bar and put back a milkshake or two. Just as I was beginning to relax I heard Ana, of Ana and the Kings introduce "Carter for his guitar debut." And he quietly plucked nearly accurately every note and even the second refrain of Ode to Joy with musical accompaniment delicately played on the keyboard so as not to drown out his debut.  It was a really sweet moment and he received thunderous applause. Or maybe that was just from me. (and loud concert whistles from his proud Daddy-O!)  His HUGE smile and humble proud smile made me grateful I hadn't intervened too much.  Then as I helped him walk his guitar back home he said to me, "You know what mom?"  Playing with a band has always been a dream of mine."  I told him I didn't know that... but how proud I was of him for pursuing it.  And I truly am. And a line from the chorus is ringing loudly in my ears of his faint plucking... "Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine."  Sometimes it takes the young at heart to teach us the very best lessons in life.

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
   Op’ning to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
   Drive the dark of doubt away;
   Giver of immortal gladness,
   Fill us with the light of day!
2. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
   Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
   Stars and angels sing around Thee,
   Center of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
   Singing bird and flowing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
   Ever blessing, ever blest,
   Wellspring of the joy of living,
   Ocean depth of happy rest!
   Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each other,
   Lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
   Which the morning stars began;
   Father love is reigning o’er us,
   Brother love binds man to man.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   Victors in the midst of strife,
   Joyful music leads us Sunward
   In the triumph song of life.