Spring Sports!

I signed Sammy up for swimming lessons and T-Ball today at the Y!  He will start his swimming lessons in March, and his first T-Ball practice will be the week of March 29.  I also somehow managed to be twisted into being the team mom for T-Ball.  How exciting!

Hopefully T-Ball will not be as traumatic as soccer was for Sammy.  Sammy is a huge bundle of energy, so I really thought that soccer would work for him since it is basically just running up and down the field.  Not so much - it was the one time in his life that he wanted to sit down and draw stick figures in the dirt.  Every practice, and every game, became a lesson in torture for us - we were constantly having to bribe him back onto the field.  He kept telling us he was tired and he needed a break.

Hopefully with the way that T-Ball is played, he'll have a bit of a break pretty often, and not be so exhausted and thirsty!  We are so excited - this weekend Mike is planning to take him to Academy to pick out a glove, several balls, his own bat and his own Tee.  They are going to start practicing together now - hopefully he will be really into it by the time the season starts!

I'm not sure, but I think Sammy's best friend Grayson might play T-Ball as well.  Amanda said she was going to check it out.  And, I requested him to be on a team with several of his soccer friends Tyson, Nate and Collin.  It will be like old home week!

Here goes nothing - and here's to swim lessons and T-Ball!

Towels . . . Who needs 'em?

Technically since this occured at the Y it should probably go in my workout blog, but I know some of my loyal followers are just dying to hear this story, so whatever.  I had about 5 minutes left to go in a workout today when I realized I'd left my towel at home.  Not my workout towel, but a big towel - to take a shower with.

Ordinarily I'd just go home to take a shower, but today I was planning to meet some of our playgroup friends at the park afterwards.  And I didn't want to show up being the sweaty workout girl.  Who looks like she doesn't work out.  If I looked like my friend Phyllis, it'd be ok to be the sweaty workout girl.  No one would think I was faking it.  Right now they would think I just didn't feel like taking a shower for the past few days.  Maybe in a few more months . . .

Anyway, suffice it to say, no way I wasn't taking a shower.  I started to wonder if maybe there was a towel service I wasn't aware of.  So I popped my head into the Wellness Center director's office.  She felt bad for me, said they didn't have a towel service, and shared with me that she had used paper towels in the past when she left her towel at home.  I asked if I could buy a towel, but the only thing they had was a tiny workout towel for sale.  Plus, I'd left my wallet in the car.  No way I was going back for it.  Needing a shower or not.

I was pretty much out of options.  And if paper towels are good enough for the Wellness Center director, then by God they are good enough for me.  I waltzed into the locker room, whistling and praying no one was around.  Unfortunately, a swim class had just gotten out, and the locker room was teaming.  All the showers were full, and there was no way I was going to start pulling paper towels out of the dispenser.  Despite the fact that I was going to actually use paper towels, I didn't want anyone to know that I was going to use them.  Luckily, on the top of the paper towel dispenser was a fresh pack of paper towels.  You know what they look like - all stacked nice and neat and wrapped in brown kraft paper. 

I grabbed them and stuffed the whole package in my bag.  Then I zipped up the bag.  Again, I didn't want anyone to know!  My last problem was waiting for a shower.  There are two kinds of showers at the Y.  One has a single curtain - you go right into the shower.  Several of those were free.  The other has two curtains.  The first one takes you to a dressing area, and the second goes into the shower.  I had to wait for a two curtain shower.

Luckily the two curtain shower next to the wall came available.  After I had waited for five minutes by the shower area looking like a stalker weirdo.  I grabbed a chair and dragged it into there, and jumped into the shower.  I love the showers at the Y.  No one is dragging their dinosaurs into the bathroom and talking to me through the glass door.  No one is pulling up on the shower door and screaming at me.  Yes, I could get a foot fungus from the floor in there, but it's still peaceful.  Plus I really like the rose smelling foam soap in there.  I bring my own shampoo, but I like the soap at the Y.

So after the shower, it was time to put my towel paper towels to work.  I squeezed as much water as possible out of my hair, and then went to work with the paper towels.  I started with the shoulders, and worked my way down.  Gravity, right?  After it was over, I had a huge wad of wet paper towels in my hands.  And I was pretty dry.  But I have to say, paper towels just don't enhance the shower experience, you know what I mean?

I quickly dressed and then shoved all the wet towels into the trash can.  The cleaning lady looked at me a little strange when I was walking out of the shower area with all of them, but who knows, I could have been drying the floor, right? 

I considered keeping the rest of the paper towels, just in case I forgot my own towel again, but in the end I decided it was shameful enough that I had to dry off with paper towels - I wasn't going to get caught stealing from the Y on the same day.  Instead, I have put a towel into my truck, so it's always there when I need it.  Now let's hope I can remember to bring it inside the building.

My friend Phyllis says next time I can just shower at her house, since it's so close.  But you know what?  Those paper towels really helped exfoliate my skin.  Maybe all the hot salons in town will start offering it as the next great service . . .

A Comedy of Errors

My day has been an absolute comedy of errors.  It's so bad, I'm just going to share it, and hope someone can find some humor in it.

We woke up early this morning so I planned to go to the Y before going to our friend Tanya's house for a snowman playdate.  It's 70 degrees outside, so I dressed Sammy in pants and flip flops, the usual Texas winter clothing.  When we got to the Y, he insisted on opening the door himself, and ended up swiping the door down the side of his foot and cutting it.

From the way he responded, you might think he must have amputated his foot, but it was just a little scratch.  He immediately threw himself on the ground in front of the door, so no one could come in the door, and no one could get out the door.  I was stuck standing there, helpless, holding Sophia, her diaper bag, and my gym bag.  Some kind soul held the door open while I dragged him through, and I had finally gotten him calmed down when he noticed the blood.  Crisis NOT averted.

I sat him on the bench, and was trying to calm him down by telling him I'd get him a bandaid.  He didn't want a bandaid, but there was no way I was sending him into ChildWatch with blood spurting everywhere.  Finally I just put the bandaid on him.  Again, you'd think I'd whopped him upside the head with a baseball bat from his reaction.  Everyone who walked in the door was giving me the "you are a bad parent" look, and all I could do was try not to laugh. 

Finally, my high school friend Annecca took Sophia into the baby room, and I tried to get Sammy into his classroom.  He continued his fit in there.  Eventually one of the teachers took Sammy and told me if they couldn't get him to calm down in 15 minutes they'd come get me.

I checked on Sophia, then collapsed, gratefully, into the silence and serenity of my iPod and the elliptical trainer.  With 3 minutes left to go in my workout, Annecca showed up with the white board.  The white board strikes fear into the heart of many a mother at the Y.  When your child needs you (aka they've been screaming for over 15 minutes), they write your name on the white board and walk around with it.  Every time I see the white board I cringe, hoping and praying it's not my little angel causing a ruckus, and it never has been.  Until today.

I just knew it would be Sammy, but turns out it was Sophia.  She was being her usual drama queen self in the baby room - insisting on being held.  Normally it's not a big deal for them, but there were so many babies in there at that time that they couldn't do it.  I was totally sweaty and stinky - didn't even have a chance to change.  After collecting Sophia, I asked them to bring Sammy out, and here comes drama king . . .

He walks out barefoot, hobbling and limping on his "injury."  AKA his scrape.  Ridiculous.  He refused to wear a shoe on the injured foot, and made me carry him to the truck.  There I am in the parking lot at the Y, carrying an almost 4 year old, an 8 month old, a diaper bag, and my gym bag.  Sweating like a pig.  Are you kidding me? 

Everyone kept stopping to ask if I needed help.  No thanks - I can make an ass of myself all on my own.  And halfway there the bandaid fell off, so Sammy begins to scream that I am walking too fast and making his foot hurt again.  Arrgghhh!!!

I forgot the best part about Sammy coming out of Childwatch at the Y.  They had been painting, and Miss Bridget told me Sammy decided to paint his fingernails with the blue paint.  So his fingertips are all blue.  As is both nostrils and the end of his nose.  Pick your nose much, kiddo?

I almost called Tanya to tell her we weren't coming, but I figured the day couldn't get much worse, so why not give it a try.  Except for the fact that I stunk.  Plus I needed to change.  I was wearing a sports bra, so while sitting at the stoplight at 99 and Westheimer Parkway I took my shirt off, and reached into Sophia's diaper bag to grab a baby wipe.  I was wiping my arm pits with it when I looked over and noticed the garbage truck next to me with the garbage men checking me out.  How 'bout them apples?

Needless to say I hit the gas as soon as the light turned green.  I finished changing in Tanya's front yard.  Hopefully her neighbors don't think I'm homeless. 

So there you have it, folks.  Sammy's injury has continued to proliferate.  He is still hobbling around like an invalid, and he refuses to get in the bathtub and take a bath.  Sammy, I love you honey, but you look like a weirdo and you stink.  Real nice, kiddo.  Good thing we're going to the park in the morning . . .

Oh No . . . I'm BORING!

I was reading a friend's blog the other day, and she was saying that most SAHM's blogs are boring and that the only person who ever reads them is their mom and their husband's mom.  By that definition, my blog must be boring.  EXCEPT, I have a faithful reader in Terre Haute, Indiana who reads my random musings every morning!  Only thing is, she never comments on them . . .

I must confess, I've been in a funk lately.  I don't really want to share any long drawn out details, but suffice it to say, I'm ticked.  I've got a lot on my mind, it keeps running through there, and it irritates the fire out of me every time I think about it.  I'm trying to channel the anger through my workouts, but in the process I am getting completely sore!

I've also been eating baked goods.  Which is not a good combination with working out, but I guess one cancels out the other, right?  I had a cake at my house from home group last Thursday.  I made the cake, iced it, and Sammy put tons of sprinkles on it.  Looks disgusting, but I love sprinkles.  And frosting.  And cake.  We had about half the cake left, and in my funk of anger I think I ate the whole thing myself. 

Come Monday, I was out of cake.  And I was even angrier.  When Mike got home that night, he walked in the door with two big cookies.  I'm talking BIG - they had about a 6 inch diameter.  I said, "How sweet, you brought me cookies?"  He says, "Well I knew you were having a bad day, and I figured it was because you ran out of cake.  So, I brought you cookies instead and hoped they might help."

He brought me cookies?  I was having a bad day because I ran out of cake?  Seriously - how does Mike know me so well?  I'm glad I married him, because otherwise I might have to prosecute him for stalking me . . .

A Busy, Busy Day!

Wow!  We had the busiest day today!  We got up this morning, and I wanted to continue my workout streak, so I asked Sammy if he wanted to go to the Y.  Of course, he said no, but I eventually convinced him to get ready.  I've been taking a backseat to getting Sammy ready in the mornings.  I discovered that he can get himself completely dressed, including his shoes, as long as I loosen the laces for him.  I'm so proud of him, but at the same time, I feel sad - my baby is growing up!

Anyway, back to the Y - I started a blog for my workouts - check it out by clicking here!  I thought it best to keep my workout info in a separate place from our family happenings.  I saw my friend Sarah at the Y this am, and she asked if it was ok if she came to our Katy TOTs playdate.  Of course it was - the more the merrier!

I had barely finished working out and picked up the kiddos and climbed into the car at 9:40 am.  It takes about 15 minutes to get home from the Y, and I was worried because I was thinking our playdate started at 10 am.  I drove home as fast as I legally could, changed my clothes, let Kona out to go the bathroom, and then sat down to feed Sophia before everyone got there.  I looked at the clock and was completely confused because it was 10:05 am.  Where was everyone?

10:10, then 10:15 came, and finally I figured out that the Happy Feet playdate was supposed to start at 10:30 am.  Of course, when I let Kona back into the house, he got dirt all over the floor, so I had to vacuum again before everyone got there, but I got it done, and then at 10:30 all our friends came over! 

We had a Happy Feet playdate.  Everyone brought a new pair of socks to donate to Katy Christian Ministries, and then we watched Happy Feet while the kids played, and I had fish (aka goldfish) for the kids to snack on.  We are starting to do a Playdate for a Cause once a month.  I'm really excited, because I think it's so important for kids to learn how to give back to the less fortunate!

Sammy honestly had a rough time the first part of the playdate - he didn't seem to want to share his toys with any of his friends, and he actually ended up throwing a fit on the floor of Sophia's room.  Turns out, he doesn't want to share his grabber (present from his best friend Grayson), his Cars watch (which is not working and I need to return to Target), and his Lite Brite (that Santa Claus brought for him).  Once those were put away, he did fine, and actually plopped onto the couch with his friends Edson and Greydan to watch the movie!

Edson, Sammy and Greydan watching Happy Feet with Abigail looking on!

After our friends left, Sammy took a nap for the first time in two days, and Mommy was able to grab a nap as well!  I made a homemade meal (without a recipe!), of pulled pork tenderloin with rice and green beans, and Mike seemed to really enjoy it (3 helpings later). 

Right before it was time for her to go to bed, Princess Sophia decided to show us a new trick . . . I helped her to pull up on her FP Stroll Along Walker, and she sure surprised me!  One second I was helping her hold onto the walker, and the next, she was pushing it forward and taking small steps behind it! 

OK, this was posed after the fact, but still - she's holding herself up - even if she's fussing at me!

I am so proud of my baby, but at the same time, I am feeling sad again - my babies are all grown up! Sammy's getting himself ready on his own, and apparently Sophia is ready to start learning how to walk . . . next thing you know, they'll be starting kindergarten!

All in all, a great, exhausting, busy busy day - one of the ones we like here at Chase Place!  By the way, I think Sammy will grow up to be a photographer - he is constantly grabbing my camera and taking pictures . . . . Check out the perspective on this picture he took of his dinosaur!