Yellow Fever

I am haunted by the color yellow. At night, when I wake up in a cold sweat it is not due to the fact that I have been reading The Bone Collector, by Jeffrey Deaver. The real source of my concern, the thought that dominates my walk to work...

The Yellow Card.

'Have the boys started playing soccer?'

Good guess, but no. Sammy has started kindergarten. If you get in trouble in his class you have to go 'flip your card', one infraction, yellow, two infractions, orange, three infractions, red. There was a time when my oldest child got a red card, but we don't mention that in our home anymore. It's better for everyone that way.

Back to Sammy. Sammy has been in school for a grand total of 11 days so far. Three of those days when I got home he had a forlorn look on his face. He knew that he had to face the music and fess up to his foul deeds. Usually I had received advance warning from one of my numerous sources, so I already knew all of the gory details. The sordid tales of picking at the tape on the floor in class, goofing off during chapel, turning off the lights on the other boys in the bathroom. The details stumbled out of Sammy with great shame. Even on the days where he escaped the sentence of the card flip there were discussions of 'almost flipping'. It seemed to me that few and far between were the days that Sammy was not on the edge of yellow.

On Monday when he received his third yellow card, which was two days in a row, and I think three out of four I had had enough.

'To your room!' I bellowed in a fit of rage (rage might be a bit of an exaggeration, frustration? consternation?). How to deal with this? The willfulness. The disobedience.

We had a long talk, there were tears, there were harsh words spoken, there were hugs exchanged, but in the end I think the talk was fruitful, and we came to an understanding. Then I had to stop talking with Suzy and go talk with Sammy.

'Sammy, you can't keep bringing home yellow cards, bud. It just can't keep happening.'

'I know, I just forget.'

'I know you are trying, and mama and your teacher say you have been behaving well for most of the day, but you have to make good choices, OK?'

'OK.'

Well, not to jinx anything, but my sage words of wisdom, my awesome parenting seemed to really have an impact. Tuesday, green card, baby! OK, it was only one day, I admit that, but we are talking about baby steps here. If he makes it today, that will be two days in a row!

Go, Sammy, you can do it!

Back to School

First day of school! First day of School!

The boys were ready and rearing and excited this morning. They had their uniforms on, their backpacks loaded and lunches ready.


Daniel barely gave me a departing glance when I dropped him off. Sammy was pretty wide-eyed, shy and quiet...at first. I actually got to stay for the morning and help out. There were a couple of criers, but once school got going and the parents got out of sight, they all seemed to settle in. Sammy did a great job, cutting and gluing and coloring.

I didn't even cry, although I think it helped that I stayed for the morning. We'll see how I do tomorrow.

My boys are growing up...

Unpacked, Mostly

It was hot today. I miss having the ocean breeze as my constant air conditioner. But I won't complain as it only hit 90 and for only a short while.

I've mostly got everything unpacked and put away. We are still trying to adjust to the time change. I had to drag myself out of bed at 8 and Dan and the boys didn't rouse until almost 9. Thankfully we have a full week before school starts. What?!! Can that be right? In one short week Daniel and Sammy will be off to school? Daniel a second grader and Sammy his first year of school? I am still a little sad/depressed about the whole thing. You know me and how I don't like change.

So we are slowing getting back into the groove of things. But I still am missing this:

And this:And today I could've really gone for one of these:

12 Years

It is hard to believe that 12 years ago today Dan and I got married. That seems like such a long time. I mean 12 years! I was just 23. But it has gone by in a blink.

Thanks for 12 wonderful years, baby! Looking forward to many, many, many more! Love you forever and always...

Little Swimmers

I love being able to walk to the pool. One of the many things I love about where I live. We have been able to go up to the pool quite often this summer and the boys have improved in their swimming so much. Sammy, who didn't even like to put his head under the water a month or so ago, is now jumping in and learning how to swim. And Daniel was able to swim from one side of the pool to the other (the short way) all by himself today. How cool is that?

When In Rome

Today was the last day of VBS (vacation bible school) at our church. For the last 5 days the boys have been learning about Paul and the underground church. They had a blast (they always do) and have been playing 'Rome' at home being Caesar, guards and undercover Christians. Here is Caesar (looking oh so serious) and his loyal guard:

Buzzzzz

Who are these clean cut boys? They couldn't be mine could they? Where is the thick shaggy hair you might ask. Well, I finally got around to buzzing it all off today. I certainly do not like cutting all that hair, but I love their soft fuzzy head when it is all said and done. And they look so darn cute too!

Sun and sand and seaweed, oh my!

Nana took the boys and I down to the Shores this morning. It was hot and crowded and wonderful. I just love the beach and so do the boys.

We wandered down the shore and even made it all the way to the tide pools (luckily it was low tide). Sammy loved all the seaweed and liked dragging, carrying and lugging large pieces of it around and Daniel loved splashing through the cool water and jumping the waves. Me, I just loved the sound of the crashing waves, the sand between my toes and the cool, misty sea breeze.

Snaggle Tooth

I just love this boy and his big snaggle tooth. I just wish he would stop growing!

Summer Camp

Daniel and Sammy just finished a fun filled week of summer camp at City Tree. They must be exhausted because they were on the go almost every single day. Trips to parks, an aquarium and the zoo, water days, movies, crafts and more. I guess they kind of liked it since they both complained when they asked if they were going next week and I said "No". What? Am I not fun? I guess not. Well, I am glad we will have next week to just relax and do whatever we want or don't want to do.

This week was a test run for Sammy. All day, every day with a schedule similar to his kindergarten class this fall. Just more work and less play. I am so glad he enjoyed himself and hopefully it will help make the transition from preschool to kindergarten easier for both Sammy and I.