When High School comes back to bite you in the butt.

I was the quintessential drama geek in high school.  I wore weird clothes (really, no one wore knee boots and rust colored corduroy skirts in 1993).  I listened to weird music.  I had entire segments of the Muppet Movie, Monty Python, The Princess Bride, Rocky Horror, and other cult classics memorized.  Broadway musicals were my life's ambition.  One thing I was not was 'preppy.'

In fact, anything to do with the "popular" crowd, I abhorred- school spirit most of all.  In fact, I detested sports of any kind.  I though the cheer leaders were bubble headed ninnies.  I was pretty sure the football players couldn't spell Shakespeare much less read him.  Yes, I was a reverse snob.  If you weren't a band geek, drama geek, or had purple hair I didn't want anything to do with you.

Yes, I was the girl who spent hours at football games (I was in the flag corps in the marching band) screaming the names of cheerleaders when their backs were to the stands while pretending I hadn't said a word when they bounced around & scanned the crowd for the friends they thought were calling them.  I was the loudest of the protesters who felt the cheerleader's skirts should at the very least fall within the length limits set forth by the school dress code.  I was the black clad, red lipstick wearing misanthrope who read Sylvia Plath during pep-rallys (OK, so I never read Sylvia Plath in high school, but you get the idea).  In fact, the closest I ever got to cheerleading was when I helped Did dress like an anarchist cheerleader from the Smells Like Teen Spirit video for Halloween.

Today all of that has officially come back to bite me in the hind quarters.  BabyGirl made the cheer squad at school!

What has the world come to?  I am now a cheer mom.  Heaven help us all.


In all actuality, I am over the moon proud of BabyGirl.  She worked really hard & is super excited about this new venture.  I'm super excited about the socks and sneakers she's going to have to become accustomed to.  Cheerleading is going to open up a world of not only sports and team activities to her, but it's going to open up a world of yet unworn fashion.  I can't wait to see how this goes.

So do not be surprised to find me screaming my head off in the stands when someone shouts, "If you're here for the Warriors say, 'HEY!'"

HEY!!!

Farm Girls can be pretty, too.

A short while ago I posted my header picture again & Art commented that I needed cooler mud boots. While my boots are both warm for the winter & functional in the mud & muck farm life has in store, they are not cute. Not even a little bit. In fact, they are the total opposite of cute. But for once, I've taken function over fashion. B-o-r-i-n-g.

A few weeks ago we had to take the FarmHands to the big town of E'ville for dental appointments. Afterwards we made a GIANT Rural King run. Not that we had to get a lot at Rural King, but the Rural King we were visiting was HUGE! I love it there. It's like the Ikea of farm supply stores (not that I've ever been to an Ikea...I'm just guessing). The boys both needed new mud boots as they've outgrown & worn out their last pairs.

While searching through green & black boring boots, I stumbled on the super cute ones. They had their own aisle. Most of them were for kids. Horses, fire trucks, lady bugs & the like decorated most of the boots. On the next shelf over were women's mud boots in pastel plaids, polka dots, candy stripes, and other pretties. They weren't terribly sturdy, fit mostly for rain puddles & not hog stalls.

And then I turned the corner. There they sat in all their resplendent glory. Purple Paisley Cowboy Boots made entirely from rubber. I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing country music in the back ground. Knowing full well that I was not going to buy them, I still needed to try on a pair. I have a perfectly good pair of boot at home. I had no real call to spend money on fancy ones....as much as I wanted to.

Today I went to Bucka & Busha's to shampoo their carpet before the Aunties come to visit for their week in the fall. Busha & I were talking in the kitchen when she went into one of the back bedrooms & brought out a big shopping bag. In it were the boots! She & Bucka & Uncle Gick had doctors appointments in E'ville yesterday & they decided to check out the Giant Rural King. Busha decided I needed the boots so she found an employee to help her hunt them down.

I am a very happy FarmWife now. And for good measure, it started raining this afternoon, so they'll have to be worn tomorrow!

I only hope Art approves.

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Oh, and Zann, yes, BabyGirl did stay at her camp out. She had a wonderful time! Hiking, rappelling, compass walk, blindfold walk, rope walk, scavenger hunt, sing-a-long at the campfire, hot dogs, s'mores, pop corn over the campfire, breakfast on buddy burners (cookers made from a candle & a coffee can), teachers sneaking in to TP the tents, games, giggling, little sleep, dirty shoes.....you name it, they did it! I'm so proud of her for sticking around. She decided to stay about 30 minutes after we got to camp while we were setting up the tents.

Wanna' know something cool?

My husband has lost 33 pounds in just over 2 months. He started one of those Couch to 5K programs on the recommendation of a guy from work. He also started watching his diet more than he has in years. He's cut down his portion sizes and has been requesting more chicken and fish and rice instead of red meat and potatoes.

A few months ago he realized he'd gained more than 20 pounds in the months preceding. He wasn't happy about it and decided to take care of things. I, on the other hand, had no clue he'd gained anything. Guess I'm not that observant...at least not about people I see every day. If he'd have cut his hair differently or grown out a beard, I'd have noticed. 20+ pounds, not so much.

I'm so proud of him. I cannot begin to tell you how much I admire his will power as I lay on the couch napping & eating the FarmHands' leftover Easter candy while he runs 4 miles a day. Maybe one of these days I'll move past the admiring phase and move into the joining phase....but not with running. I detest running.

We've had a (thus far) small & short-lived outbreak of stomach bug around here. It started Sunday with #1 Son & ended (I hope & pray) yesterday with B.B. They're the only two who've been sick so far. B.B. had the wonderful fortune to throw up Thursday while we were an hour & a half away at the zoo with his class field trip. After a quite 30 minutes resting on the bus in the parking lot, he was ready to go back to see the tiger. He made it the rest of the way home without getting sick again, so that was a blessing.

Maybe if Husband gets the stomach bug, he'll drop a few more pounds. I'M KIDDING, I'M KIDDING!!! Please, Lord, do not let Husband get this stomach bug. We need him well & able bodied around here.

Today is gonna' be the day....

That #1 Son plays his first game of t-ball.

Actually he's already done playing. It was so much fun! We nearly froze since a cold front came through last night bringing 60 degree weather & a pretty strong wind, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

There wasn't a single instance of someone running to third base instead of first, so I guess all that practice paid off. #1 Son was the catcher first inning, covered 3rd base second inning, and hung out between 1st & 2nd base for the third & final inning. We play last batter, meaning everyone gets a chance to bat during each inning. #1 Son did a good job batting & he loved catching. I think he got a bit bored during the other 2 innings. We had to remind him a few times that he needed to be standing up, not sitting on the base line.

I've decided I need a t-shirt that says, "Proud T-ball Mom to the kid sitting on third base playing in the dirt!"

BabyGirl had a brief (but rather public & dramatic) moment when she didn't want to be there, but when I told her she could go sit with her friends, things changed. Eventually she wandered back to us & even dug into her egg money to buy herself some popcorn. Much to my surprise, she bought a bag for B.B. & Bitsy to share, too. I was very proud of her. Her Uncle Little BIL was so proud of her, he gave her a dollar so she wouldn't be out any money....that she then spent on a Dr.Pepper.

Bucka & Busha came with Uncle Gick to watch the game as did Little BIL & his wife, And Chair (as Bitsy calls her). #1 Son had his very own cheering section. Bitsy loved the game. What's not to love about sitting on old wooden bleachers, being encouraged to yell "Go! Go!" at your big brother, and eat your very own popcorn?

Exorcism of sorts

I have a hard time letting go of things. Especially when they are in any way traumatic. The incident I mentioned yesterday is one of those things, and I'm hoping blogging about it will help me stop dwelling on it. Nothing serious happened, but it was just enough to put me on edge for hours afterwards.

We were in a small town near the half way mark of our trip home last night when #1 Son decided he was on the verge of dehydration (forget that he'd just finished a juice box & drank all his milk for the trip already). Husband wanted to get gas since it was 10-12 cents cheaper there than here, so we pulled into a Casey's gas station. I marched the three older FarmHands in to use the bathroom & get 2 bottles of water for them to share.

When we got to the bathroom, the attendant was almost done cleaning it, so we waited around the back of the store until she was done. I told the kids exactly what was going to happen (they need specifics sometimes). "We're going potty...everyone get the job completely done because we aren't stopping again until we're home. Then I'm going to buy 2 bottles of water. In the van I'm going to put half a bottle of water in Daddy's empty cup from McDonald's & #1 Son gets that(he'd already eaten all the ice out of his dad's cup, so I figured he should be the one to drink out of it). B.B. gets the rest of that bottle & BabyGirl gets a bottle." Then #1 Son says he wants some more ice in his cup. I told him no, just water, we didn't have any ice. He starts eyeing the 10 pound bags of ice in the freezer by us. "We could get one of those!" I explain that it would melt & I don't want 10 pounds of water in my van floor. The boys start trying to figure out a way to get the giant bag of ice the rest of the 2 hours home.

While we were waiting I noticed a man lingering by the Lotto machine a few feet from us. He looked to be in his late 50's or early 60's, was not what I would call well groomed, and was carrying a black cane. I knew he was listening (it's hard not to in a store that small & kids as young as mine) but didn't think much of it. I'm used to people listening to us. We're not a quiet bunch.

One of the boys went to the freezer & I was afraid he was going to open it, so I brought him back to stand by me & said, "We are not getting ice." The man turned & said, "Come here." I started to ignore him because I wasn't 100% sure who he was talking to & to be honest, he made me a bit uncomfortable (he reminded me of someone I have issues with). He said it again & I said, "Me?" He said yes & I took a small step in his direction (he wasn't far from me). My kids followed me instinctively & the man looked at them & said, "Not you. Get back." They got nervous & all stepped even closer to me. I put my hand out to gently direct them behind me & nodded for them to stay back but still keep close. They were watching him very intently & he said again, "Not you. Just your Mama. Now get back." This really freaked #1 Son out & he tried to walk up & get a hold of me. When he did, the man raised his cane to push #1 Son back.

That was it. My head snapped around to face him & I said, "Um. Do NOT poke my children with your cane. What do you want?" He looked taken back by my reaction & said, "Oh, I wasn't gonna' poke them," and I kept staring him down. He finally told me something about getting a cup with ice in it for a quarter & I said, "OK. I'll check that later." Then I stepped away & pulled all three of the kids close to me.

Just then the attendant came out & let us in the bathroom. I had been thinking I'd let the boys go in one & BabyGirl in the other while I waited in the middle (they were both single toilet bathrooms, so no one would be in with them), but after that I wasn't about to let anyone out of my sight. When we came out, he was gone. I got our water & paid for the gas & headed out the door.

As we started across the parking lot I saw him talking to a couple filling up their car just behind our van. I ushered the kids quickly into the van keeping myself between him & them & keeping them close together. When we got the doors shut, I locked them quickly to Husband's surprise (our van locks when you put it in gear). As we pulled out of the station I told him what happened. Husband didn't seem phased by it. I, on the other hand, was a bit sick at my stomach most of the trip home.

I kept replaying the incident in my mind & I really believe he meant no harm. He was trying to help me out....but he went about it entirely the wrong way & instead made me angry & scared.

The boys were completely unfazed by the entire thing. They barely remember it happening. B.B. said, "He was a stranger, so I didn't talk to him." BabyGirl said she was scared that he was going to kidnap them. I told her that I would never let anyone take them away from me & she said, "I was afraid he was going to kidnap you too!" I assured her that her daddy was right out side & no one was getting past him. She seems happy with that promise.

I've always wondered how well I would deal with someone doing something to my kids that I was not comfortable with (especially a stranger, I've had to deal with issues with Husband's sister's attempts to discipline them against my wishes, but that's another very long story) and I've always feared I'd succumb to panic & be useless. I tend to panic in emergencies, just ask the Queen Mother about me & the fire alarm at the museum when I was 11. Yesterday I was proud of myself. Part of me wishes I would have told him immediately not to tell my children what to do, but in the end the Mama Bear in me (as Inkling would call it) came out. While no teeth were used, I'm pretty sure they were shown just enough.

Growing up ain't easy to do.....

#1 Son started having nightmares when school started this year. He's never had them before. He's never complained about school. We are baffled. He loves school, but the bad dreams are definitely related to going to school.

Every night for the first week or two of school, he'd come in our room in the middle of the night upset. One of us would have to either get in bed with him, sleep in the living room with him, or bring him to bed with us. Between #1 Son & Bitsy, we weren't getting much sleep. After the second week or so, things started to calm down a bit. Now he only gets up ever other or every third night.

I asked Zann if she's make him a superhero shield & she knocked out a fabulous one. My execution leaves much to be desired, but all I had on hand were permanent markers and some very old fabric paint.

When I gave it to him tonight he was over the moon! I told him Superheros don't have bad dreams, and they can stay in bed all night long. He was so excited!! When I put him in bed he said, "I won't get up tonight, Mommy! I have my superhero shirt on. It will help me stay in bed!" I hope so.

BabyGirl is reading. This isn't really a new thing, but it still shocks me to see her sit down and read a story. She has reading home work at least 3 times a week. Her teacher tells them to read to specific inanimate objects so they won't be embarrassed if they have trouble. Last week she had to read to the couch. Monday she had to read to a spoon. Yesterday she had to read to a tree. BabyGirl takes her assignments very seriously. QM said I should start taking pictures of her reading to her objects. I had already taken this one...I loved that she was setting in the yard surrounded by cats, reading to my little poplar tree. I hope the tree enjoyed Path on the Map as much as I did.

FarmGirl

Here's my blond BabyGirl checking on the beans she planted with her Uncle Gick this spring. She's so very proud of them. I'm so very proud of her!

My daughter is special because...

Last week was Grandparent's week at school. Each class had a day when the grandparents were invited to eat breakfast with their grandkids and visit their class room. Most classes had projects posted that the kids had done for the visit day. BabyGirl's class did a worksheet describing their grandparents. (Note: as I'm typing, #1 Son said, "Why couldn't anyone go the the pirate movie? Because it was rated 'Arrgh.'")

I need to share BabyGirl's answers with you. She wrote this for Busha and Bucka.

My Grandmother

My Grandmother is special because...she lets me sleep in her camper.

I like it when my Grandmother...makes me food.

Grandmother can do many things! I think she's best at...helping me do puzzles.

Grandmother has a great smile! I like to make her smile by...telling her jokes.

Grandmother is smart! She even knows...all of my name.

Grandmother is pretty as...a poodle.

My Grandfather

My grandfather is special because...he lets me watch movies.

I like it when my Grandfather...plays ball with us.

My Grandfather can do many things! I think he's best at...fixing me food.

My Grandfather has a great smile! I like to make him smile by...doing a puzzle all by myself.

My Grandfather is smart! He even knows...how to count to 100.

My Grandfather is as handsome as...a movie star!

Our day in potty training

# of times he's peed in his pull-ups: once....but in his defence, it was before I got out of bed. He needs a reminder in the morning...a BIG reminder.

# of times underpants have been put on backwards: once. "No, Mommy. Dis is da wight way! Oh, no...wait. Mommy, deese pants is batwards. We hava' take dem off a'din."

# of times he's pulled his underpants all the way up with both legs in one hole: Once. Seriously, how does he do that?! I mean all the way up so that they resemble a very odd belt around his waist covering NOTHING!

# of times he's peed in his potty: Once. Way to go, B.B.!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, BabyGirl is "saving lives," or so she told me last week when I found her washing off her Yoplait yogurt lid. If you save the pink lids & mail them in, Yoplait donated money for Breast Cancer research (Save Lids to Save Lives). "Really, Mommy! I can save lives with these things! I saw it on the TV!" My little superhero!

*****

Updated at 3:47 pm. # of pairs of wet underwear waiting to be washed: 2.

# of times potty's been peed in: at least 4! Way to go Boy of mine!

# of times Potty's been pooped in: ONCE!!! YAHOO!!!

And won't he be thrilled when he's 14 to know his mother posted all of his bodily functions on the Internet! Hey, at least there's no pictorial evidence!