A few things

• I have long avoided getting my hair colored...I never have, and wasn't really interested.  Until the greys kept coming like crazy.  Yesterday, I got it "glazed."  The stylist convinced me that it was the way to go, after I explained to her that I don't have the budget - time or money - to keep up with getting it "touched up" every 4-6 weeks.  With the glaze (that fades out as it grows out) there supposedly won't be any of those dreaded roots to deal with.  We will see.
• On the same note, I have also long avoided the dreaded "mom cut."  To be honest, I don't even really know what that means.  But, nevertheless, I have avoided it.  I am now realizing that most women in their mid-thirties avoid getting the mom cut as well, and hence, we all have the mom cut.  I think.  If that is what it even is.  I mean, I am a mom.  So, what does that make my haircut?  Damn.
• I am pretty sure that Cortlan is allergic to crab meat.  Damn again.  I love the stuff.  L.O.V.E.  But, the first day of eating the crabcakes, he said he didn't like them, took forever to eat half of what I had put on his plate, and said his throat hurt.  The second day, when I served half of a crabcake on a bun with mayo and a big slice of tomato (one of his faves), he tolerated eating it a little better.  Then he said, "Mom, my lips hurt."  And I said, "Like what?" And he said, "Like a bunch of bees stung my mouth."  And I said, "Hmmm.  What do you think that is from?"  And he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know."  (Meaning, to me, that he wasn't just trying to come up with an excuse to not eat his sandwich.)  His lips were still tingly an hour later when I asked him.  Especially considering John's mom and brother both are allergic to crab meat, I don't think I am going to be forcing crabcakes on him again anytime soon.  Or ever.
• I am going a little crazy dealing with a daughter that won't poop on the potty and a four-year-old son that is having tantrums like a two-year-old.  But other than that, I think summer is going well.

Movie Time

We took the kids and one of their cousins to the movies on Wednesday and saw Yogi Bear.  This was Everly's first experience at a movie theater.  She did pretty well, I think.  She wasn't too loud.  She only fell out of her seat once.  And she never let her popcorn bag get less than half full before asking for a refill.

Dark theater, cell phone camera. 

Good times.  Good popcorn.

Where the air is sweet

Last week, we went on a three night trip to a great water and theme park with familiar and colorful characters.  This was a trip with many firsts: the first time the four of us have stayed at a hotel together, the first time that we attempted daytime travel (as opposed to driving all night, which is great from the kids sleeping perspective, but not so great from the adults not sleeping perspective), the first time the kids went to a water park, the first time we attempted to make it through the day with no nap, and the list goes on.  On the six hour drive home, my mind wandered to a billion blog posts I could write about the trip, none of which could really do the memories justice.  I thought I had a pretty decent idea as to how the trip would go.  But if there is anything I should know by now, as a parent, there is no predicting.

In preparation for the trip, I was sure to pack a selection of healthy snacks, and plenty of things to keep the kids occupied while in the car.  I even got a little crafty and cut felt into little people and clothes and shapes of all kinds so the kids could make their own scenes on their own personal felt boards.  This did prove to be a pretty big hit, if only for the novelty factor, but I did make one mistake - I didn't make two of everything.  Specifically, there was only one "boy" hair and one "girl" hair.  Of course, the girl hair was way cooler and coveted by both.  What I didn't expect to happen on the drive:  our quick rest stop trip turning into over an hour (my kids may be the slowest eaters on earth), and missed naps.  Seriously.  What kid only sleeps for 45 minutes out of a six hour drive?  Mine, apparently.

We neared our destination just in time for the downpour to begin, but there was no way that we were not going into the park.  As the only people entering the park, pushing ourselves and our umbrellas against the sea of people leaving, we weren't even sure that the park was still open.  Sure enough, it was.  And sure enough, the rain stopped soon after, leaving us with a little sunshine and a nearly deserted park.  We were among the first in line for every ride, and got prime seats at the show that evening.  Cortlan rode his first roller coaster.  Everly began her love affair with the swings.

Arriving at the hotel much later than typical bedtime, I was sure that the kids would fall asleep, exhausted, shortly after their heads hit the pillow.  Again, I should know better than to make such predictions.  After a bath and story, the giggle-fest began.  With the two kids in one bed and John and I in the other, the room sounded more like an adolescent slumber party than the dark, peaceful room filled with zzzzz's that I had imagined.  Whispers building up to full out hysterical laughter for who knows what reason had us all laughing.  Then it started to get pretty frustrating.  After around the sixth or seventh trip to their bed for one thing or another, we finally got the sound we were waiting for - quiet.  It was 10:00.  The next night went marginally better.  The trick:  John went to the lobby or exercise area, I put Everly in one bed, Cort in the other, lied and told them I had to go potty, took my book to the bathroom, and waited them out.  They are used to falling asleep by themselves; the more people in the room, the longer the process seemed to take.  With this solution, I at least got to read part of my book, and the process did go a bit faster.

With the exception of a minor head injury (me), some puking (Ev), and some minor meltdowns due to lack of sleep (Cort and Ev), the rest of the trip went off without a hitch.  We had a great time.  Of course, Cortlan would have probably been happy if he could have sat on the forklift or firetruck for most of the day, and Everly would have been content to go back and forth between the swings and the carousal, but at least some of us managed to ride just about everything there.  Cort loved the rope climbing, hated the water slides.  Everly wanted to go on everything - the bigger the better.  (She even went on the Blast Off ride that shoots you up and drops you down.)  They both loved the spraying water attractions, the parade, seeing all of the characters and shows, the slides, and of course, the ridiculously huge lollipops that we splurged on, knowing there would be no way they could finish them.

John and I loved seeing them so happy.

Happy Father's Day, John!

I kind of suck at getting presents for people.  I struggle on every occasion - weddings, birthdays, Christmas - and Father's Day is no exception.  I have long found getting my own dad a gift nearly impossible and now the task is doubly difficult as I search for the perfect gift for my husband, as well.  I think that my biggest issue is that I never feel that the gift sufficiently matches the sentiment.  What can you really get a dad to express how much you appreciate him and love him?  A pair of shorts?  A foam roller?  Replacement blades for the Magic Bullet?  Yeah, those things just don't seem to do it justice.  And when you have a husband that is so content, who doesn't really want anything, who doesn't want a lot of money spent on him, the task becomes even more challenging.  In reality, there isn't a thing that money can buy that would express how I feel this and every Father's Day, how appreciative I am of everything my husband does for his family, how great of a dad I think he is to our children, and how great of a dad mine is to me.  So, yeah, I did get John some shorts, a foam roller, and replacement blades for the Magic Bullet, because he kind of needed those things.  But hopefully, the little things, the things that money can't buy, that happen today and everyday show him how much he is loved and appreciated always. 

What follows is an interview with my kids on Father's Day (in hindsight, I should have interviewed both kids independently, as Everly's answers may have been slightly influenced by her brother's):

What is the best thing about Daddy?
Cortlan:  Because he's nice sometimes and he gives Everly time outs sometimes.  That's nice about him. And he gives me a kiss before bed.
Everly: He gets me touble (trouble).

If you could give Daddy anything in the world, what would it be?
Cortlan:  Astronaut clothes.  Or tools.  He really likes tools.
Everly: A special fok (fork).

What do you like to do with Daddy?
Cortlan:  Play games and do puzzles. 
Everly: Play puzzles and toys.

What is the funnest thing that you have ever done with Daddy?
Cortlan: When it was the last day of vacation and we got to drive at night and didn't go to sleep.
Everly: Play on pillows.

What do you think that Daddy likes to do with you?
Cortlan: Play games and puzzles.
Ev: Play

If there is one message you would like me to type for Daddy, what would it be?
Cortlan: Happy birthday even though its not his birthday.
Ev: Pesent (present).

How much do you love Daddy?
Cortlan: SO MUCH!
Everly: TOO MUCH!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JOHN!!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

And PS:  Because we were on the computer together, Cortlan really wanted to type something.  He had me spell, and he typed.  Here is what he wrote:  sasha mr. giraffe alexa

A little appreciation goes a long way

I don't often write about work, for a number of reasons, but I am just going to say this:  I had a rough school year.  One of the top three roughest years of my career, I would say.  There were a number of things that contributed to that, things that I don't feel are appropriate to blog about, things that cover a pretty broad spectrum.  But, in a conscious attempt to remain vague about two of the components, let's just say that: 1. Every now and then there is a student (or a couple of students) that I encounter that make me think, "My kid better never act like that" and 2. I think sometimes some people forget that teachers are just hard-working, regular people who have feelings, too.

Particularly because of the nature of this year, it meant so much to me to receive an e-mail from one of my students on Thursday, after the last day of school, that expressed his appreciation for me and my class and indicated that I had positively affected his life.  The fact that this was coming from a non-stellar student who I would not have expected to hear from again after the bell rang on his last day meant that much more.  Surprisingly, the letter served to erase much of the negativity that I had associated with the year and as a much needed positive note upon which to end.  And it made me think a bit.

The brief but meaningful and well-written e-mail made me realize how much our words can positively affect the day (or even the life) of another.  It may have taken five minutes to write that e-mail, but here I am still thinking about it days later.  Receiving that e-mail made me realize how important, and easy, it is to express appreciation and made me resolve to do it more often.  It doesn't require money, doesn't consume a large amount of time, doesn't even take a lot of effort.  But the positive effects are immeasurable and unpredictable.

Thinking about it now, I am really glad that I e-mailed Chick-Fil-A that day back in May about the employee who had treated me so well and was so kind that she brought tears to my eyes on a day when I was juggling too much, was stressed to near tears when an already stressful union meeting ran late and I couldn't get my kids in time, had lost my green receipt and had basically dumped the contents of my purse on the counter, and the kids had just knocked an entire display of brownies to the floor.

In a world where criticism and complaints are so much easier to come by than praise and appreciation, hopefully my feedback made her day as much as my student's did mine.

The Paci Fairy Came!

The Paci Fairy came Friday night.

Everly had prepared her bag:


The front of the "Paci Fairy Bag." 



And back.  (Cort had a "Paci Fairy Box."  I couldn't find a box the right size this time around.  Nor could I find a bag that wasn't Christmas themed.  Fortunately, Everly was very good about her sticker placement.)

Loaded it up with her accumulated beloved pacifiers:

"One of these things is not like the others."  Can you guess which one she was having a fit about last Tuesday?

And woke up screaming, "Mommy!!  I got a dishy!!!"  Which was exactly what she wanted.

Welcome, Dora, the male beta fish.

Now, I am just hoping to be able to keep Dora alive.  Wish me luck.

Sorry - I took these pictures with my phone.  I have no idea where my camera is at the moment.

Almost there...

I have one and a half more days of school, and then home free for a much needed summer break. What am I looking forward to?

• Spending time with my family, first and foremost.  I know there are some people who panic a little at the thought of having to fill the summer days and spend so much time with their kids, but not me.  I can't wait.  Sure, there will be tantrums, and moments that I would rather forget, but I know there will be many more good moments than bad.  And I can't wait to be a full time parent again.
• Coming a close second to spending time with my family:  having coffee on my deck at 6:30 AM before the kids are awake, enjoying the peace, with the sunshine coming through the tree branches and the early morning mist.  And then, when my coffee is done, going for a run.
• Not having to wake the kids up and get out of the house by 6:35, which never ceases to involve a little bit of stress.
• Being able to get things accomplished that only get done once a year, like washing my windows.
• Being able to grocery shop on a weekday morning or early afternoon.
• Unplugging a little bit, and spending far less time on the computer than I currently do.
• Hanging out with my friends, including my teacher friends who will also have the summer free, my neighbors, and two of my out-of-state bff's, one of whom I haven't seen in way too long.
• Spending time in and around swimming pools.
• Going to Sesame Place, which, thus far is being held as a surprise for the kids, who are at the perfect ages: 2 and 4.  I fear that next year, Cortlan might be a little too cool for Elmo.  Last year, Everly was too young to really appreciate the experience.  I can't wait to see their faces when they see that we get to have lunch with Big Bird.
• Flexibility in our days and being able to do things and go places on a whim.
• And last, but not least:  The Beach. 'Nuff said.

Prelude to A Paci Fairy

Returning to school after the Memorial Day weekend was difficult, at best.  And I would say that Everly might agree.

On Tuesday morning, no one wanted to get out of bed.  As I gently tried to wake her, with eyes still closed, Everly said, "Nooooooooo.....I want to stay in mine beeeeeddddddd!" And "My tiiiirrrredddd!"

To top it off, on Monday she had found a paci that I had bought for her when she was a baby that was very different from all of her others; this one had a shape of a butterfly, a differently shaped sucky part, and was pink.  And she had it in bed with her.  And she knows she can't have pacis out of bed.  And she wanted it.

To this point, Everly has been allowed to have pacis when she sleeps.  Much like Cortlan, who had pacifiers until early in the summer after he turned two, our plan has been to deal with the potentially difficult transition once the 5AM wake up call for work is done with for a little while.  I know we should have done it a long time ago.  (Don't judge me.)  Not once has the paci come out of bed since she turned one.  The boundaries are clear.  And we have a plan that involves the Paci Fairy.

But back to Tueday morning.  She wanted to take the paci to school.  She wanted to put the paci in her pocket.  She was having a rough morning.  I compromised, and we made a deal.  She could carry her paci in her pocket in the car, but then we would have to leave it there.  And she couldn't put it in her mouth.

Somewhere along the line, I lost my guard and made some really bad decisions.  Because before I knew it,  Everly was lying on her cot at school at 6:50 AM with her blanket, her snuggie bear, and a butterfly shaped pink paci in her mouth.  Sheesh.

Fast forward to pick up time.  The report from her teacher was not a good one.  Most of the behaviors clearly stemmed from sheer exhaustion.

We got home, and she was still a mess.  She cried about this.  She cried about that.  And then, she said she just wanted to cry in her room.  Well, ok.  We all need a little quiet time and space every now and then.  She closed the door behind her.  When I checked on her a little while later, she was laying in her bed with her feet propped up, sucking on her paci.  "Come out of bed," I said, "And get that paci out of your mouth."

She was not happy.

She was not happy a little while later, either, so she slammed her door.  But, Cortlan, who is now at doorknob height, was standing in the doorway.

As he cried, I asked her to apologize, at which time she bagan to cry some more and express her desire to lay in bed again.  I told her she was welcome to go to bed, but she does not get her pacis as a reward for slamming the door into her brother's head.  I took the pacifiers out of her bed.

Thus began the paci war.

She screamed.  I need my pacis!!
Tears rolled down her reddened face as she frantically searched for them.

I tried to reason with her.  I tried to calm her down.  I tried to give her alternatives.  I tried to make her laugh.  When none of that worked, I walked away.

From the kitchen, I heard her in the bathroom.  Is she getting the bathroom stool? I looked at John.  She was!  She took that stool into my room to get the pacifiers from my dresser.  I beat her to it and took them into the kitchen.  She brought the stool into the kitchen, screaming all the way.

I need my pacis!!!

But they were out of sight.  "Not until bedtime," I told her.

This went on, and soon it was time to sit down for dinner.  Except Everly wanted no part of it.  There was only one thing on her mind.

Three of us ate, while the fourth screamed, her dinner getting cold.  At some point, she took me up on the offer of a hug, and sat on my lap as she calmed down.  After probably 45 minutes of a paci rage, she finally was calm enough to have some dinner.

The evening progressed, and after swinging on the swings for a little while, we came in for an early bath and bedtime.  There was no resistance on that one.

When Everly was dresesed and ready for bed, and I was holding her, she started to say to me, "I need my p..." then she looked around.  "I need my pa..." And then looking around some more, settling her eyes on her stuffed animals, "I need my pooh bear."  So, I looked at her and said, "Do you want your pacis?" with full intent to give them to her, as promised, at bedtime.

And do you know what she said?

NO.

Another one about running

The May issue of Shape magazine states that "Nearly 44 million Americans reported running outdoors last year (that's a 7 percent jump from the year before)."  Well, count my family among them.

Besides Cortlan's 1K run two Saturdays ago, in March my nephew ran his first half marathon and then more recently his first marathon in Prague.  John has started running.  Everly wants to run.  I ran a 5K the same day as Cort's race (results below).  And as of today, I am officially registered for my first half marathon.  Woo hoo!!

I am not joking or exaggerating when I say that four or five years ago I would have laughed hysterically and not believed you for a second if you told me that I would be training for a half marathon in 2011.  Back then, if I ran, I was happy to complete a mile.  I had a mind block against anything more than 20 minutes of running.  I flat out didn't enjoy it and may have gone so far as to say I hated it.  So much for a person not being able to change.

My neighbor ran with me the other night for the second time.  She is not a runner.  (Yet.)  As she struggled a little bit as we made the loop around a nearby neighborhood, I thought about how torturous running used to seem to be to me.  And I was thinking that she may be thinking the same thing.  And as I tried to verbalize it to her, I realized that trying to describe the transition from running being torture to it being something that I love, need, and generally look forward to doing is like trying to describe to a person who has never been pregnant what it is like to have a baby kick you from inside.  (Now that is quite a parallel, huh?)

I hope that I always enjoy running as much as I currently do.  I hope my legs carry me many more miles.  I hope my neighbor, and many more people, are able to someday understand through experience what I can't quite express in words.


___________________________________________
Again, as my self-designated place to record them, here are the results of my May 21, 2011 5K:
Time: 22.48.70
Pace:  7:21/mile
Division Place: 2nd
Overall Place: 47/415
Team Place: 1st in Women's Division (with a total time of 1:09:57.10 for all three women)