The good news is...

...our air conditioning guy came. The bad news is that he can't fix it.

We'll know more next week when the warranty people get back with us.

On a happier note, I know I promised Keaton I would take no more back-to-school pictures, but I couldn't help it. She looks too cute:


Reagan walked into the house from her bus stop today (in the 105 degree heat), but she's still chipper!


And this is what I discover if I ever turn my back on the two-year old. He found a stool, stepped onto the kitchen counter, opened the cabinet door, and searched through the cups; hoping to help himself to some juice.

His newest, and most emphatic request is, "Do it me-self!" And he does.

It's hot

It was 104 degrees here yesterday, on it's way to 105 today. We didn't have air conditioning all day yesterday or last night. The AC man will be here at 11:00.

What made it all worse is that we didn't have cable all evening. No big deal since we don't watch TV during the week, but I had no internet access.

Take away my AC, take away my food, you can even have a kid or two-but please don't take my internet!

(Okay, I was kidding about taking a kid or two; I really kind of like them.)

All alone...ahhhhh

Jimmy got home last night so my morning ran much smoother with the extra set of hands. He even makes breakfast and changes diapers so I really have it easy.

Reagan has to be at her bus stop by 7:10 so she left by 7:00. I realized about 7:03 that she'd left her lunch and I drove it to her. She asked me to please not leave her at the bus stop though, as an "older" boy was the only one there (7th grade) and she was too embarrassed. I waited with her until a girlfriend showed up, then all was well. She was so busy girl-talking that she didn't even notice me telling her goodbye and blowing kisses. I'll bet I looked pretty stupid talking to myself and sending flying kisses out the window to no recipient.

Sutton was the next to leave. She provided me a stack of papers to go through and sign, a request for a check for tennis shoes she has to have for the volleyball team, a quick run down of last night's matches that were out of town, a kiss on the head, and then she was gone. She didn't get home until long after I went to bed last night. I miss her.

Oh, she did squeeze in a funny story about how the school has her name spelled wrong on the main roster sent to all teachers. In her first class, they had a substitute teacher. When the sub was calling role, he kept calling, "Sutto. Sutto." No one was answering, so he said it louder and louder until Sutton realized she was Sutto; they had left off the "n." The same thing followed in her next two classes; "Sutto. Sutto." She got smart and mentioned it ahead of time to the final few teachers. Many classes had a laugh at her expense.

Keaton and Hayden allowed me one more day of pictures; "Then that's it, Mom." I evidently put our two subjects in the wrong part of the room as Daddy said to put them in front of the piano (his first baby; his pride and joy), but he had to move the flowers because "they don't match the kids' outfits;" an obvious jab at me and my condemnation of his clothing choices (No, honey, for the millionth time, you can't wear striped pants with your Hawaiian shirt). This is his reward for picking on me:



Please notice his color choices. Do you see why I check his clothes before he leaves the house? And doesn't he look sweet with those pretty pink flowers? (Don't mess with me, buddy. I have a camera and a blog!)

Hayden and Keaton suffered through one more photo session. Landon, who was not going to be left out, soon joined the fun.



Jimmy took Hayden and Keaton to school and invited Landon along to go with him to a doctor's appointment.

I'm here alone. There is no TV on and all I hear is the sound of this computer. I'm trying to decide what to do with myself. I could clean the kitchen, but that's no fun. I could start the mounds of dirty laundry piled in the laundry room, but that can be done later.

I think I'll take a shower...by myself, with no two year old with his face pressed to the glass supervising me, squeezing toothpaste on the shower door, or forcing me to dodge the balls he has currently discovered he can launch over the top of the shower. Who knows, I may even have time to shave my legs before the boys return. A real shower with time for soap and a razor? That would be the real treat.

I know I'm a little biased...

but these are some cute kids!

The school bell (FINALLY!) rang

This morning actually began last night. I had everyone's clothes ironed, lunches made, backpacks packed, little bodies bathed, jammies on and most of the kids in bed by 7:30.

I was feeling pretty cocky. All I had left to do was make sure Sutton got herself ready for today (she's 16, so there's not much she'll even let me do), and get Landon to sleep. I wasn't worried. In fact, I was looking forward to an early bedtime myself.

Three hours later, Landon was still awake and very fussy; not wanting to sleep in his new "Big Boy Bed." We've had such a time getting him to stay upstairs in his bunk bed with Hayden that we bought him a toddler bed that we put next to our bed downstairs.

The first night he stayed in it and all I had to do was hold his hand every few hours so he could go back to sleep. Last night he wasn't going to be appeased so easily. We butted heads for three hours. He fell asleep about 11:00 only to rise again at 3:15am.

We've been up ever since.

So this morning he was grumpy. (Okay, I admit it, I might have been a little grumpy too.) Fortunately the other kids can dress themselves so that part went smoothly. Breakfast was eaten, teeth brushed, shoes on...and we still had 30 minutes until anyone had to leave.

Normally I'd be thrilled with our prompt preparedness, but Hayden decided to sing, at decibels beyond my level of tolerance, a new kindergarten song he made up. It consisted of, one word and one word alone, oddly, it was...KINDERGARTEN! (Go figure.)

Such was the theme throughout the morning.

Mom: "Hayden, you need to eat your banana."
Hayden: "Yes, because I'm in kindergarten."
Mom: "Hayden, please brush your teeth."
Hayden: "I'm going Mom, because I'm in kindergarten, you know."
Mom: "Hayden, have you seen your brother's ball?"
Hayden: "No, but I go to kindergarten today. Did you know that, Landon?"

Ugh..it continued all morning. At least he was excited.

Sutton took Reagan to school and I took Keaton and Hayden. It was so sweet to watch them enter their classrooms, excited and eager to begin the school year. That thought was short-lived, however, as I tried not to run over the other mom's on my way out the door with Landon...to Target for that frappaccino and icee and then home, to take a nap. (Um, him, not me...really!)

The great countdown

In 16 hours and 13 minutes (I'd count the seconds if I could calculate them) four of our five children will be in school...full time...busy...not fussing with each other...not calling "Mom!" every few seconds...not needing a drink...not needing a snack...not needing a ride to someplace else.

In 16 hours and 13 minutes I will be home with ONE child and the teachers at school will be enjoying my other children's company (surely they will!).

In 16 hours and 13 minutes those children will be perfect angels in those teachers' classrooms, as my kids always save their less-than-pretty sides for me.

In 16 hours and 13 minutes Landon and I will head to Target (the "Slurpee store" as he calls it) for our celebratory toast; his Icee and my Grande Mocha Frappuccino with no whip. We will salute our impending time together, the lunches we'll soon have with Daddy, and the quietness awaiting us at home.

In 16 hours and 13 minutes I will thank God for allowing me to make it through yet another summer with my angels, ask for forgiveness if needing a break from them makes me a bad mother, and say a special prayer of thankfulness that I can be Mommy to five of the most wonderful children He has ever created.

Manners

Hayden: "Mom, May I have some gum, please?"

Mom (getting up to get gum): "Yes, you may."

Landon (following, so he doesn't miss out): "Gimme gum!"

Mom to Landon: "Use your manners. What do you say?"

Landon (proudly, knowing this answer): "Gimme gum, peese."

Mom: "Landon, you say, 'May I have gum, please?'"

Landon (thinking to himself, "Like I said..."): "Gimme gum, peese."

Mom (kneeling down to Landon's eye level): "Okay, repeat after me...May I..."

Landon (repeating slowly because he really wants that gum): "May I..."

Mom: "...have some gum, please?"

Landon: "...have gum, peese!"

Mom: "Good! Now you say it."

Landon: "May I... gimme gum, peese!"

Mom (heavy sigh): "Never mind; here's your gum.

Landon (thinking, that was too easy): "Thank you, Mommy!"

Chief cook and bottom washer

We are in the thick of potty training. It's not pretty and it's not fun. Actually, it's probably one of my least favorite parts of parenting, ranking right up there with vomit clean-up and suppository insertion.

I'd like to just ignore the need for it. I mean, I didn't graduate from high school with anyone not potty trained, so obviously it happens eventually. I could just keep putting him in diapers until he goes to school. He would certainly, by then, take control of his own situation when the other children made fun of him.

But, alas, my graduate school counseling professors would probably frown on my parental short-comings, as well as the obvious potential long-term negative emotional effects on my child, so I will forge ahead into the dirty, mucky, thankless job.

Landon eased into the whole "Big Boy Potty" concept quite suspiciously. In fact, the picture far left shows how we both began this journey; unsure and ignorant to what would lie ahead. He started out by putting his sister's panties on over his diaper, followed by their shorts. More panties and shorts were then added to the head region, resulting in several turbin-like get ups that were fun to look at, but less than helpful when potty training.

We eventually coaxed him into the "Big Boy Pants" seen in the next photo. He adores those. Not only do they feel soft and less plastic-like than his diapers, but the added bonus to a two year old boy is...well, let's just say that we spend much of the day saying, "Put that back in there!"

Today he has driven me to the brink. We've been through three pairs of underwear, had three baths, and have cleaned up numerous "tinkle spots" throughout the house. The baths are the result of unexpected "poop encounters;" unexpected to me only, as he knew what was coming.

I've started several loads of laundry and am in the process of trying to bleach the last two pairs of "Oops Mommy wook what happened!" underwear. I had to excavate them from his soiled bottom without tainting his recently washed legs; an art form for experienced moms and dads. I was somewhat successful, but baths followed nonetheless as I am paranoid of him getting sick from dirty, poop-covered hands.

In between carpet, potty, bath, and laundry runs, I've managed to wipe big brother's bottom as well. He can do all but the 'wiping sufficiently' himself so the job isn't too bad. Standing there with Hayden, trying not to breath, I realized that I have several more years of this and I better quit belly-aching and just do my job with a smile. And besides, the added practice in holding my breath for long periods of time will be helpful in my eventual training for deep-sea free diving(?) (Never mind, I'm getting loopy from all the ammonia in the air.)

In reality, we've hooted and we've hollered and we've high-fived. We've had small successes and Landon is feeling proud. He loves his big boy pants and he is becoming more proficient in tinkling by himself. Our next lesson is in aiming at the water. Well, actually, our next lesson is in convincing him he doesn't need to point "it" straight up so he can watch what is happening, or during his next bath I'll be washing his hair and face, instead of his bottom.

Parenting 101 (the class I missed)

Sutton has had a debit card tied to her checking account for almost a year now. We've had few typical teenager, wow-I-have-my-own-money-and-full-access-to-it, kind of problems since she received it. Once, she gave her account number to a sales person over the phone and we had to cancel the card. Another time she misplaced it, forcing us to cancel the card again. These were not huge complications. We just explained to her the possible repercussions of a lost card and how others could use it and take her money. We mentioned, as well, to never give out her card information over the phone and why. These experiences did force her, and us, to be more cautious regarding her use of the card.

As a parent I am learning that, no matter how mature and confident your child may seem, sometimes you still need to "spell things out" for them.

Last night we discovered that Sutton's account was overdrawn for the first time. Since hers is a student account, we have access to her transactions online. As of 10:00 pm she had already been hit with one overdraft fee with three more pending. This morning when I told her about the negative balance, her face went white.

We discussed the fact that the $7 movie she went to last night was, in reality, going to cost her $26 with the overdraft fees. She paid $4 for a friend to get something at the concession. That generous act will cost her $23; a lot of money to someone making only a fraction above minimum wage.

She sank lower and lower into the couch.

I said to her, "Sutton, have you not kept track of all the things you've been buying lately?"

She said, "No Mom. I haven't been keeping track because I've been so busy; but I figured the card wouldn't work if there was no money in my account."

You see, we never thought to tell her that the card would, indeed, work even when she was out of money. I assumed she knew that. She's a smart girl who makes good grades, has a car and a job. Other parents always compliment her on her maturity. But I didn't s-p-e-l-l it out.

Today I did. She's been told now that if you have no money in your checking account, the debit card will still work and you will owe the bank even more money in penalties. I said it several times actually, just to be sure I had explained it sufficiently.

At times I feel like I've got this parenting thing down, only to have one of the kids prove me wrong. My lesson for today: I can't assume and I must spell. Our job as parents is to cover all the bases and, I guess, the dugout. I've determined that sometimes parenting is not just teaching your children the hard stuff, but it's also not forgetting to teach them the easy stuff.

Maybe someday I'll learn.

Haircut hang-ups

Haircuts have long been a stressful event for the Jones boys. Hayden screamed during his first one and bellowed every subsequent time until he was about 3 1/2. Landon didn't scream the first time, but made up for it from then on.

We had a breakthrough today with a dry-eyed Landon who was oh so big and proud of his "hair-tut." It's old news to big brother who was more interested in the video game he was playing.

Reagan looks so pretty and very much like a soon-to-be 6th grader.

Being cute...

just wears a boy out.

A "ruff" run

Several of us had to be places this morning by 8:30 so Reagan and Keaton got right on their running. I had to get dressed, so they ran alone. Reagan came in when expected after her run, but Keaton followed soon after; quite unusual for our little slow-poke.

After she was quizzed as to the actual number of laps she completed, and it became clear that she was shy by at least one rotation, Jimmy volunteered to go back out and run with her.

Our collective gasps were deafening, I'm sure.

This is the same man who, when I gave him 5 sessions with a personal trainer at the fancy gym he joined (and went to only once), asked if he could trade the sessions in at the gym's snack bar. This is the same man who doesn't want to "waste heartbeats" by going up the stairs when he can send someone else; the man who text-messaged Sutton last night at work, suggesting she bring home cake batter ice cream with brownie so he wouldn't have to go all the way there. He does not like to exercise and will find any excuse not to.

I followed Keaton and him out the door (in my pajamas, I was so concerned) as I reminded him that he is on high blood pressure medication and his cholesterol is out of whack. I jokingly told him to remember his "heart condition," which he doesn't have, but I suggested we needed to buy a defibrilator so I could jumpstart his soon-to-be dumbfounded heart.

But he went and he ran and he survived. When he returned and we all recovered from our shared astonishment, the kids began complimenting him on this somewhat momumental athletic feat. Reagan mentioned that if he could make one lap today, tomorrow he could probably make two.

His response was priceless: "Baby, those laps are like dog years for old people like us. One for you equals seven for me!"

When we all finished cracking up, Jimmy had his bowl of cereal, placed a few trades on the computer, played with Landon and went for a massage.

Maybe those laps around the neighborhood are like dog years for him, but today, being at home and not on the road working, allows him a much-deserved, yet short-lived, "dog's life."

Just checking...

Landon, ran to Mom and happily announced: "You're my mom!"

Mom to Landon: "Yes, I am your mom. And you're my son."

Landon: "I'm your son?"

Mom: "Yes, you're my son."

Long pause...

Landon: "Okay."

He ran off to play.

Hawaiian heartache?

Jimmy just wanted us to think he had a horrible time in paradise with no wife and no kids. He is pictured above with his friends Michael and Melissa, the team lead and tech he was working with while teaching. I can't seem to decide which guy is hairier from the sunbathing picture, but do notice Jimmy's expression; I am assured that those are tears on his face from missing us, not sunscreen he applied while relaxing on the beach. And while there is no visual of the drink he is enjoying (nice save, by the way), I am positive Michael and Melissa didn't have fun alone.

As you can see, Jimmy was distraught and grieving due to our absence and Michael and Melissa had to work hard to pull him out of his home-sick funk. Poor guy.

(That explains my fancy new purse!)

Good idea gone bad

Mom's Track Club has continued. I realized Keaton was walking more than she was running, so I had the bright idea that I was going to run with her. The circle we live on is about .3 miles around so the girls are told to run around four times; not an unusual request for girls who have been running all summer. For a mom who's old and hasn't been running all summer, it was a little far-fetched.

I was cocky and I ran the first two laps without stopping, urging Keaton to continue as she repeatedly paused. I let her walk the third lap, never admitting that I, too, really needed the break. By the fourth lap we were both sucking wind, but I urged her on like some amped-up, obnoxious, personal trainer you'd see on tv.

That was yesterday before church. Today I am so sore you'd think I had run 100 miles instead of one. The girls ran without me today. I'm out of shape and I'm getting old.

This stinks.

She's a goober

We were all, including Granna and Pawpaw, sitting in the kitchen watching the boys as they were admiring (and playing awfully, um, loudly) their new ukuleles.

Landon to Sutton as she came in: "Wook at my 'tar Tutton!"

Hayden, pronouncing the word slowly: "Landon, it's a u-ku-le-le."

Sutton, exasperated: "I have a question. I always thought it was ukulady. Is that not right?"

Long pause and then everyone bursts out laughing.

Mom (stifling my own guffaws): "No, it's ukulele and next time maybe you need to ask those kinds of questions in private."

Wiggly Wiggly World

We are huge Wiggles fans, as evidenced in Landon's 2nd birthday picture to the left.





So tonight when the Wiggles came to Texas, the Jones boys (with their mom and dad in tow), were there to dance, sing and...well, wiggle. We watched Anthony eat, Greg sing, Murray play the guitar and we woke up that narcoleptic Jeff numerous times. Dorothy collected dozens and dozens of roses, Wags took in baskets full of bones, but the highlight of the evening was Captain Feathersword, his magical buttons and his ever annoying animal sounds.

Greg drove all the Wiggles on stage in the Big Red Car to screaming children and their star-struck moms who knew more dance moves than their kids (Yes, I admit it.) Hayden cackled at the blow-up Murray falling on Jeff, and Landon couldn't hold still to "Hot potato! Hot Potato!"

The Cock-a-Doodle-Doo bit was clever, but the house came down when they sang "Fruit Salad" and "Do the Monkey." The final compilation of twisting, turning, jumping, hand raising, shimmying, and that "Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist" song, left few little ones (and yes, their moms) in their seats.

There was no intermission, so when the show was over, we grabbed our hungry, yawning, I-didn't-take-a-long-enough-nap-today-because-I-was-too-excited-about-the-Wiggles-concert kiddos and took them to dinner. After baths and jammies, they were out within minutes.


**Obviously, unless you have toddler children or grandchildren, you have absolutely no idea what I have been talking about. If, however, you have toddlers, admit it...you've been singing "Yummy! Yummy!" ever since you saw the "Fruit Salad" song mentioned above.

Daddy's home

Well, the testosterone levels have evened out. Daddy is home from his longest trip yet and all is right with the world.

He came bearing gifts from Hawaii; a T-shirt for Sutton, necklaces for Reagan and Keaton, Ukulele's for the boys (Hayden calls them "little hula, hula guitars") and a fancy new hand bag for Mom.

Don't feel sorry for us not getting to go to Hawaii. We went for spring break this year and had a fabulous time, but BOY was it a lot of work.

We'll go again sometime and it will be fabulous then too. For now, though, staying home was a much easier "job" than being on vacation.

Hayden-isms

Hayden: I'm a good knower, right Dad?

Dad: You're a good knower?

Hayden: Yeah, I know lots of places and things, right Dad?

Dad: Yes, Hayden. You're a good knower.


Later at dinner...


Hayden: These shrimp are seafood, right Dad?

Dad: Yes, your shrimp are seafood.

Hayden: So if these shrimp are seafood, then my french fries must be people food, right Dad?

Dad: Yes, I guess you could say that.

Waiting

Landon waits on the porch each morning for the girls to return from their runs. The Parks and Rec. track club may be over for the summer, but "Mom's Running Club" is still alive and strong.

Reagan gets up happily each morning to get right on her morning exercise.


Keaton, on the other hand, is still miffed at me for the whole track club idea. She doesn't crack a smile until the run is done and she's had her breakfast.








Landon helps the time pass by singing songs, chasing bugs, and eating ice chips.


This morning he yelled at the top of his lungs to Keaton, "Keep running Keakon!!" when he saw her stop to walk a while. She wasn't amused. Currently she's not speaking to either one of us.

Raw talent?

Hayden has been with Granna and Pawpaw this week. Yesterday Pawpaw took him golfing with the golf clubs they gave him for his birthday last month. Word is, Tiger and Phil have nothing to worry about...yet.

The Clampetts

As many of you know, we've given our family the nick name "The Clampetts" of our city. We live an a fairly affluent area, a suburb in the DFW area where the houses are as big as the incomes. Jimmy and I weren't raised this way. We grew up in the country, in small little towns where having money wasn't a big deal. We had TV's back then but rarely used them, we played outside all day and only came in when it was too dark to see. All our friends lived pretty much the same kind of lives we did; simple, inexpensive, full lives.

Our kids are expected to keep our same values while being influenced by a much different group of peers. Kids in this area expect and get; our children aren't afforded such luxury. Kids around here get brand new cars when they turn 16 (often sooner), they have unlimited use of mom and dad's credit cards, their clothes are ridiculously expensive as are their taste in all things "necessary." They have fancy cell phones and the latest techno gadget, get manicures, pedicures and hundred dollar haircuts.

If I don't have a coupon and/or the items requested aren't on the clearance rack, we don't buy it. We clip coupons for groceries, for restaurants, for haircuts. The majority of my kids' clothes come from consignment stores or the 80% off racks...WITH an extra 15% off coupon.

I could pay full price for things, but why? If I can get free and near-free groceries by spending a little coupon-clipping time, why shouldn't I? I could buy the kids' clothes for retail; OR I could let some other mom shell out the big bucks, have their kids wear it a time or two, sell it to a consignment store for pennies, and then I can swoop in and buy those perfectly good clothes for a couple of bucks AND use my frequent buyer card discount to make it even cheaper.

My kids are following suit. Sutton and her friend, Maeli, went shopping last week and called me squealing with excitement. They had each gotten a shirt for $.29. In awe, I squealed right back and asked how they had managed such a coup. Evidently the store, a boutique for teens, was giving each customer $10 coupons just for trying on their jeans. Those two smart girls tried on the jeans, got the $10 coupon, and headed straight for the clearance rack. They picked out $9.99 shirts and were told they would have to buy some candy or gum so the store wouldn't owe them! I was so proud.

We are the Clampetts in many ways. We are country born and bred and surrounded by big city people who don't understand us. That's okay, we don't really mind. I just hate the fact that I'm beginning to look a lot more like Granny and a lot less like Ellie Mae.

Baby Dayden

My sister, Gina, her husband, David, and kids, Bailey and Ashlyn are shown to the far left with the new addition to their family, Dayden. Dayden was born three weeks ago and her Auntie Devin was in the delivery room. I have to say that witnessing that birth, my first ever, was one of the highlights of my life. I have given birth five times and each time I was very eager to have the birth over and done with, taking little time to truly enjoy the experience. This birth I was able to enjoy.

Watching my sister give birth, being there with my mother and David, watching the baby emerge and feeling the air being sucked from the room as we all collectively gasped at her beauty, was amazing. Of course I, who often shares too much, took the doctor and nurse aback, I believe, by stating that seeing my new little niece was enough to make my ovaries ache. They just stared, not sure what to make of me and my strange comment. But that is how I felt and next time I guess I'll just have to think it real loud.

She's as close to a perfect baby as you can get. She's not a crier, she nurses like a champ, burps well, rides contently in her car seat and already is sleeping through the night. I am extremely jealous of those last two feats as none of mine liked the car seat and few sleep through the night to this day.

Congratulations to Gina and David and their family. Dayden is a welcomed addition and we all look forward to watching her grow and thrive. Your Auntie Devin loves you!

Scissor struggle

Keaton: "Landon, please put down the scissors." (They were baby scissors lest anyone think I wasn't paying attention.)

Landon laughing maniacally as he inches toward her.

Keaton: "Landon I SAID please put down those scissors!" (As she runs behind the couch.)

Landon smiles menacingly as he proceeds.

Keaton (obviously trying some new-found negotiation skills, slowly emerges and calmly states): "Landon, listen. Just put down the scissors and we can talk about it."

Cindy

One of the most amazing moms I know is Cindy.(Just click on her name and you will be taken to her blog.) Cindy and I worked together for six years at a high school in Georgia. I was a teacher then, she was the media specialist, and at that time she "only" had 12 or 13 kids.

Her brood has expanded now to 39 children. To me one of the most amazing aspects of her story is that she is a single mom. She's one of the strongest, wisest women I know and I have learned so much from being a voyeur in her life, both through working with her and through reading her blog for a year.

I have said before and will say again that when my children grow up, they will be thanking Cindy for all she has taught their mother.

I love her dearly and miss her terribly. She is an inspiration to many and I am so proud to call her my friend.