Are you kidding me???

Today, as we are getting out of the car after school - yes it is still so hot that I drive the 1/2 mile to pick him up, but that's the besides the point! I hear Garrett say this as I am opening Ethan's door to get him out of his carseat, "Mom, can I get a phone?" WHAT!?! The kid doesn't even talk on the regular phone and already he's asking for a cell phone? This was so out of character that I KNEW I must have heard him wrong! So out comes my baffled "WHAT did you say???" He repeats, "Can I get a phone" but this time he follows it up with "you know, so I can put it here in my phone pocket?" Seriously, his backpack is more equipped for anything techy than any of my bags or purses or television set. Of course, being probably the lamest family when it comes to anything techy, that's not too surprising! But really, when your kindergartner is wearing the same-sized backpack as a highschooler, I guess these things are bound to come up! Besides the crazy size issue - those packs are so big on those little kindergarten bodies!!! But, it gets kids thinking that they need the ipod for their nifty ipod holder and a cell phone for their great little phone pocket! Maybe I should start telling him that those are hotwheel car holders or g.i. joe pockets instead or a special compartment for his granola bars! How long do you think I could fool him??? Probably not long, huh?!?

Slippery When Wet!

Whenever Ethan is done eating...instead of wiping him up with a cloth or wipey or something of that nature, I take him over to the sink and rinse him off - hands, face, arms, whatever needs washing...this kid can get messy! A simple wipe-down just will not do! He has never minded the post-meal dousing, so all in all, it's been a great little system...until now! His new favorite thing is to grab onto the faucet and make the water spray all over the kitchen! He giggles with delight and tightens his grip so that sometimes, it is almost impossible to get his cute little hands off so that the spraying will stop! Oh well, nothing like an indoor water park during the still sweltering summer days! Luckily, if I can remember to keep the water flow low...the spray manages to stay in the sink and maybe on the nearby counters...it's not nearly as magnificent of a water display, but it keeps my clean up a bit more manageable! :)

play-by-play

Tonight during dinner, we're having our usual craziness...which really translates to: we eat while Garrett chatters away about everything and nothing all at the same time. Seriously, that kid can talk!!! We tried tonight to have a more structured conversation mixed with more actual eating...but it didn't work out too well! Our meals are always peppered with comments like "3 more bites before you can finish your story" or " finish your beans before you say another word" or things of that nature! It really is cute...that kid loves to talk...but I'm always ready for him to eat so we can move on with the rest of our night!

Tonight was no exception....Steve and I had finished our perfectly balanced and very nutritious meal (hahaha!!!) and were ready to start cleaning up and finding something else for Ethan to eat who had cleaned everything off his tray and was signing more like a madman!!! Steve took over the Ethan part of things and was headed towards the fridge to get a peach to slice up for our little fruit-lover when this is what we hear from the table "There he is. He opens the fridge. He takes out a...a...it's a peach! He's getting a peach for Ethan!" Nothing like having your every move announced by your 5 year old like he's an olympic announcer announcing the play-by-play! It definitely took the peach slicing to a whole new level! Needless to say, dinner time at our house is always very exciting!

Packing it in...

Ethan loves to cram as much as he can fit into his little mouth when he eats! I seriously can't watch sometimes because I'm convinced he will choke...and my constant pleas of 'one at a time' or 'not so fast' are completely ignored! I had to snap a picture...but it doesn't even begin to capture how extremely full his mouth is! And then when he happens to sneeze while his mouth is crammed full...we'll that's another post all in itself! Let's just say, shredded wheat EVERYWHERE!!! So not fun!

Ants

I have just had a huge breakthrough. I have lived in TX among the throngs of fire ants for 3 years now. I've had bites here and there...enough to make me think that they are the bane of all existence. I just thought that I was the biggest baby ever...most people don't complain or worry when they get bit! I should have clued in that something was wrong when my toes promptly swell up to golf ball-sized proportions (kinda scary) due to a little bite...or when I got one on my calf and had track-marks going up and down my leg and had the annoying sensation of having a severe muscle cramp in my calf for 2 weeks! I couldn't figure out how everyone else puts up with the symptoms so calmly!

So here's my realization moment. I got a bite on the underside of my foot on Thursday - yeah, not the best placement! I promptly applied my handy benedryl pen, thinking that if I treat it early enough it will just go away...it works for everyone else! By Friday, I'm limping a bit - I can still hide it when I walk in public - but the limp (and the pain!!!) is definitely there. This morning I can hardly walk...I've slept with an ice pack strapped to my foot for 2 nights and I am just praying that this all goes away by tomorrow so I don't have to be all gimpy at church and that I can actually fit my swollen foot into dress shoes! So, I'm laying on the bed this afternoon with my foot elevated...when Steve finally convinces me that I'm not the wussiest person ever and that my reactions really are quite severe! Is it possible to have an allergic reaction to a little tiny ant??? Who would have thought!?!

First Day

Well, as Garrett put it today...'Mom, tomorrow finally came! I kept saying all day yesterday 'Tomorrow is my first day of school' and now, tomorrow was today!" So if you can follow that logic...you will know that our little boy had his first day of kindergarten and had the time of his life! He was so excited and had such a great day! We took him in this morning and helped him find his seat and hang his backpack and put his new lunchbox in his cubby (all the things that he could do himself, but that I selfishly wanted a part of too!) He sat down and started chatting with the kids at his table, posed nicely for the few pictures I had to take, and then grinned and waved goodbye as we left the room! No tears, no pleas for me to stay with him, no hesitation at all...he was ready! In fact, I called out from the kitchen this morning when he was supposed to be getting his shoes on and asked if he was ready...he replied, "No! Well, yes I am ready, but I still have to get my socks on!" Even at 5 years old, he knows he's ready for more freedom!

Could they make backpacks that actually fit a kindergartner??? Why are they all so big???

T- minus 10...9...8...7...

Tick, tick, tick, tick...seriously, this is how I feel today! It is as though I have this giant clock following me around - kind of like Winnie the Pooh and that little black rain cloud that hangs over his head now matter where he goes...or is it Eeyore??? But anyway, instead of raining...my clock is ticking down the seconds until Garrett leaves me tomorrow and enters the world of school, school, school! :) It's not a bad thing...but every thought today is focused on the fact that he is ready to go! He is all ready with his clothes laid out for tomorrow...he keeps begging to make his lunch and put his new lunchbox in his backpack...and he has NOT, for one second, mentioned the minor detail that he might just want to stay home with me forever!!!

He is so beyond excited...and so it makes me excited too! I just have the feeling though that this clock is going to be situated above me for the rest of time...it's not just the school thing, he's just growing up - a bit too quickly for me! I know it's a good thing for them to grow and learn and eventually leave home...but time is just flying by a bit too fast! I know it's just Kindergarten tomorrow...but it makes high school and missions and college seem like next week!

Okay, I'm done with my little pity party! I know I'm not the only one out there feeling like this today! So, good luck all you back-to-schoolers and all you moms and dads who are sending them off! :)

Here's Garrett at Steve's graduation...I should have seen it coming then! :)