Scary Mom Made an Entrance

So, I was planning for this post to be about my knitting, and update on my running goal for the year. So in one sentence, I'm almost done with the second stocking and I'm NOT going to run 1,000 miles this year.

That abbreviated update is brought to you by a Daryl story that I wasn't going to share but the ending is too good not to. I might need this story later when he is a teenager.

Yesterday, before school, I asked Daryl a question and he gave me a "Duh" look with his eyes rolled back up into his head. After many days of telling him to stop with the sassy looks, I lost my cool.
I don't even remember what I asked him, that is how much red I was seeing. I got nose to nose with him and holding his chin let him know when he looks at people like that he is calling them stupid. How would he like it if someone called him stupid, I let him know I don't like it one little bit.
I then proceeded to tell him I wasn't taking him to school, because if he is so much smarter than me he can figure it out himself. (I told you I lost it!)

Kelly was in the kitchen when all this happened and thank the lord he knew HE was taking Daryl to school and I was taking Alex. At first Daryl was in shock, then when I left with Alex and not him he did start to cry.

But guess what? Momma was still mad and every once in awhile I think it's OK for him to know he has messed up. So I didn't go back into the house and BY NO MEANS did I apologize.

I talked with several co-workers about what am I going to do with this sassy boy who thinks he knows more than anyone else? For the love of all things holy, he is ONLY 8! Talking helped, while I was acting in anger I didn't touch him, other than holding his chin, and I didn't say all the things that were coming to my head. I would give my moment a solid 7 on a scale of 10 for parenting.

However, I was not going to be home last night and wouldn't see Daryl again that day. So, I left him a note. I wanted to let him know that I loved him, and we would talk later about his sass. I made a special point again about not apologizing. I was pretty surprised and pleased when I got home at 10 o'clock last night and I had a note. I love that boy! He is me in an eight year old body, that is why we clash like we do sometimes. But under all that sass my sweet snuggle bunny is still there. He just has to see "scary mom" sometimes to remember he is only 8. This morning we hugged and kissed and I didn't get one sassy look in 90 minutes. That is a new record! ;-)

New Life Adventures; Preschool and 2nd Grade

So yesterday Alberto, (real name Alex), had his first day of preschool! He has been so excited about this all summer. The day had finally come and I was getting him dressed and I asked him, "Who do you think your teacher will be?"

Alex-"I don't know but maybe a gorilla!"

I crack up laughing because we watch way to much Peppa Pig where all the characters are animals. I hope he wasn't too disappointed when he realized all his teachers were humans!
We dropped him off at 8am and he just ran through the doors and started checking out all of the toys. When I tried to tell him goodbye and give him a hug I got a quick "Bye," without him even looking up. I'm so glad he wasn't sad or scared, BUT a hug would have been nice!

When the whole family went to pick him up he said "This is my bestest school ever!" (We need to work on the proper English, but I'm taking the happiness as a good sign. The teachers said he had a great first day but just needs to work on lining up and staying in a line. They say that is what preschool is for!

Last night he did finally have the break down that I thought would eventually happen. After we put him in bed he started to cry and said he didn't want to go back to school. He couldn't tell us why but I asked him if he missed Claudia. He shook his little head yes and then cried a little harder. This morning he was happy to go to school again but Claudia was such a big part of his life I know he misses her and his friends at her daycare. :-(

Today was Daryl's first day of 2nd grade! He found out last night that his teacher is Mrs. Armfield, and he was really happy about that! He also has many of his friends in his class. This morning when it was time to go he was Mr. Cool. He didn't care about what outfit he was going to wear and he wouldn't take a serious picture. I can't believe the attitude he already has four days away from eight years old!! Ugh!

But he had a huge smile on his face walking into school and that means more to me than anything else. He loves his school, he is excited to see his friends and I trust the entire staff at his school to take care of him. As a mom, you can't ask for much more. It was a great week and tomorrow I will go back to work. It was a nice break and the entire Manor is ready to settle into our new routine. :-)

Alex getting ready to walk into preschool for his first day! 

After day one of school! Can't hardly even get into the house! 

Daryl's first day of 2nd grade, Al's second day of preschool! 

Happy Birthday Meerkats!

On Saturday, we had Daryl and Alex's birthday party at the trampoline park! It was a great time with a great turnout. We did have one fail, I didn't get a picture of all the kids together. This makes three years in a row I haven't gotten that picture. Oops! 

We had special visitors from South Dakota for our party! Henry and Charles came for the weekend with Grandma Rosie!! They did so good away from mom and dad, Charlie only got sad at night and not for very long. 

Thank you to all the special friends who came to celebrate with the boys. So far we are still getting away with only having one birthday party. Since the boys have so many of the same friends it just makes for one great get together. 

Daryl tried the zip line at the trampoline park and I was so proud of him. He is really getting brave on me. Since Daryl doesn't weigh that much he did get stuck in the middle of the zip line and was just hanging there. He didn't freak out and the worker when out and got him. A great memory for all of us! Alex's favorite present were water balloons that he got. He bugged us all Saturday to play with them and I kept telling him "Maybe tomorrow." 

So at 9am on Sunday morning he was in his swim trunks ready to play water balloons. So we did! He said it was his "Most Perfect Idea." So cute! 

Stuck on the Zip line! 

Ada can eat some pizza! 

Singing Happy Birthday, for some reason Alex got sad. 

Sunday Morning Water Balloons! 

Done with Summer Camp!

On Friday, Daryl had his last day of Sports camp at Genesis. He really loved this camp, all of the counselors were so great with him. They played games everyday and one of those was tennis. He now wants tennis lessons and he is really excited about it. I told him once we get through August, I will look into it. He talks about it everyday so I don't think he is going to forget.

On the last week of camp they had a color war. They had something fun almost every week and that kept Daryl interested and ready for the next day. He said he wants to go back next summer!

Alex also had a last day on Friday. Starting on Monday he will be going to Preschool so Friday was his last day at Claudia's. This will be a major adjustment for all of us as Ron, Claudia and Dillon have become a part of our family. Alex has been going to Claudia's since he was six weeks old. I have accused her more than once of spoiling him, and I hope he doesn't have a rude awakening at school.

He was not sad because he is so excited about school but I think soon he will want to go see Ron and Claudia. He will miss them before too long, I miss them already!
<3 nbsp="" p="">
<3 nbsp="" p="">I will have a birthday party post tomorrow or Monday. Right now I'm on day two of a stay cation. I'm off work Monday and Tuesday of next week and I had last Friday off too. Just getting stuff done around the house. Friday I spent the majority of the day cleaning the boys' room. It looks great! Goals for my stay cation are to finish my kindle book before the library takes it back and finish the second stocking I'm working on. It was actually the first one I knit but the second one turned out so much better I'm going to re-knit the toe of the first one. Then it will be time to mail them to their new owners!
Next four days.
1.) Read
2.) Knit
3.) Clean
In exactly this order!!

The counselors signed the kids' shirt their last day. Daryl's
nickname, given by the counselors, is Meerkat.

Alex didn't want to make a nice face. :-)

End of a Era! Or, Mom is Retired!

On Friday, I got to go to my mom's retirement party! She has worked for the Co-Op for 34 years and today was the first day she didn't get up to go to work.
My mom started her career in the Dodge City office, but for as long as I can remember she worked upstairs at the Hanston Co-Op. Her job brought us to the community that shaped me as a person. Hanston is also where she met my step-dad who will forever just be my dad.
It was a happy and sad day to watch the community come and congratulate my mom and in the same breath ask when she is leaving. In an effort to be a part of her grandchildren's lives my mom will be living with my brother, sister and at the manor for a portion of each year. Unfortunately, none of us live in Hanston.
We still have family there so it is not like we will never be back, but with mom not living there it will just be different. I will always be a Hanston Elk and I couldn't have asked for a better town to be raised in.
I thank the Co-Op for being raised in a small town, for always standing by my mom, looking out for the single mom with her three kids and later caring for a widow with no kids at home.
My mom has always been a hard worker and she earned this next phase of life of being close to her kids and grandkids. Love you mom, you made it!

I was too late to get a picture of her with her cake, it was gone!

It's weird seeing her at Don's desk, but whatever!

Mom with possibly her 2nd and 3rd best harvest help. We all know who was #1!