A Day in Our Life

• 8:30 Preschool Open House
  

Jackson with Hannah, Hannah's mom (Jax future Mother-in-law), and Trace

Jackson, Lennon and Trace

Jackson and Jeffrey ( infront of the school supply stacking table)

Jackson and Jeffrey being measured by Jeffrey's dad. He spent the rest of the day with them.

Jackson, Trace and Big Joe play with the cars and garage.

• 6:00 Soccer Stars Soccer Game
  

Jackson and teammates prepared for a goal kick.
(The red head is Caroline, Hannah's sister and Jackson's future Sister-in-law.)



Caroline gets the ball; Jackson and others in pursuit.

Jackson's blue sleeve can be seen NOT trying to grab the arm of the player in the lead of the scrum, and Coach Bright tries to keep the peace.



The End

Potpourri of Updates

• Preschool open house for the kids is tomorrow morning.
• Jackson's first t-ball game was Monday night, so he is officially a 2 sport athlete.
• I stopped the last drug Friday, and the pain has hit, but in trying to find the silver lining, I think I have decided that being in pain is better than chronic vomitting - you get to eat comfort food, and alcohol in moderation helps.
• I go some time in the next week for an hormone IUD to help keep the pain at bay and the mean hormones from circulating through my blood stream.
• Jackson and I have Cubs tickets on Sunday for Chicago, then first day of school on Monday.
• My cousin came to visit this past weekend. It was awesome to hang with her. AND I felt pretty good.
• Just paid for the rest of the hotel room for Disney Vacation - we are SOOOO excited!

Here are some fun pics from tee ball:

Where is the Pause Button?

My little "baby" now:

• Wears boxers, not briefs
• Sleeps with no shirt on
• Plays both soccer and tee-ball
• Says things like, "Awesome" "Check this out" "Wasn't that TOTALLY COOL?!"
• Tries to bribe me with "50,000 kisses?"
• Can spell toy and boy cuz they rhyme
• Starts preschool 4's next week
• Has absolutely no baby fat to be found
• Has hairy legs (and a bit on his back)
• Takes up the whole width of MY bed when he lays across it

BUT, he still calls me mama or mommy and snuggles on my lap every once in a great while.

A Silver Lining

I have not posted much lately. Partly because of time:

• We had our second largest convention at the end of July
• I hosted my parents' 40th wedding anniversary two weeks before that
• Tee Ball AND soccer have now started.
• I got a promotion at work - I am now our Vice President and head off all operations at work
• One of my first duties was "letting go" a young man who had been my right hand, who had become "septic" to our organization.

But mostly, because I have become very sick with the this new hormone. And after week 10, I have given up on it.

Over the last month, I have vomited my meals at least 1/3 of the days.

And I was forced to face reality when my physical therapist noted that all progress we had made on my frontal muscle groups had regressed and gotten worse. When she stated that I was way over rationalizing that my current state of digestive distress was not that bad. When she insisted that I (1) take a vacation; (2) get in to see my doc; and (3) that she did not want to see me until 1 & 2 were taken care of.

Okay, okay, okay.

Jackson and I have planned a vacation to Disney, inviting ourselves along to my two aunts' and two cousins' trip to the Not So Scary Micky Halloween party in late October. We are not going to over due it, and plan lots of poolside time, weather permitting. That has given me a light at the end of my next two month hell quarter (3rd quarter is ALMOST as bad as the 1st in my world).

I go see Dr. Brown tomorrow. I am not sure what he is going to say. I will get the results of the second scan, so hopefully he will have an answer about the swelling in my right fallopian tube. Hopefully he will have a different drug or strategy to try.

Despite my complete meltdown to my sister on Friday night, I am trying to see a silver lining:

My pants are much looser! And yes, I know that is NOT the approach to losing weight.

BUT the things I have been able to eat seem quite in line with LisaK's healthy eating - low fat meats, veggies, fresh fruit, natural starches. No fatty foods. No greasy foods. No hot, or sticky, sweet foods.

As a result, I am eating healthier. I am cooking at home more. I am saving money. Jackson is eating healthier. I am seeing glimpses of my former in shape body.

I still have a good 20 lbs or more to go before my pre-pregnancy weight, but I DO feel inspired. If I don't have the energy to work it off, I can at least for the time being, clean up what I am putting in my body.

If Lisa can endure cancer surgeries and treatment and radiation, and two years later finish a triathalon, surely I can take some inspiration from her and commit that when my body is up for new exercise, I will do it. And in the meantime, I can break some of those bad habits, comforting myself with crap food, and embrace the healthy.

Laying here on the couch with no energy to move much, I watched the women's final tennis match from Cincinnati. I WANT to wear my tennis clothes again. I want my arms to look like that again. I long for opponents to look at me like a daunting challenge, at least for the first few games until my complete lack of skill shines through. I want my son to have the image of mommy as an athlete, not just daddy. I want to play tennis with him. I want to chase the balls he is cranking off the tee and be able to chase them well.

Anyway, I will try. Feel free to encourage! And in the meantime, I think I smell the pork roast with potatoes and carrots ready in the kitchen....

Year 2 - Almost a Pro

Tonight was Fee Night at our school. Last year I remember being nervous, disappointed, let down.

Tonight I felt slighly more inconvenienced, BUT also much more like I belonged.

Tonight:

• I recognized several parents from church and we chatted in the line that streamed out into the parking long, and talked with the host of the Ladies' Night Out pre-party.
• Father Hoefler recognizes me as "the little guy's mom" and knows that somehow I am friends with our new deacon.
• Our soccer coach's wife (really the coach for most last season) was doing the monthly teacher appreciation lunch, and we quickly worked to fix Jackson's soccer registration that the Y set up.
• I chatted with the new full day preschool teacher, who is the wife of a former colleague.
• I did NOT get sucked into dropping an obscene about of money on school Script (gift card program) like I did last year, BUT did pick up forms for both sets of grandparents and Aunt Lori (they have freer cash and will spend $ at the grocery, etc.).
• Skipped all of the other tables, each of which require separate checks (uniforms, mandatory school ordered supplies, hot lunch tickets, etc.) and was happy about it.
• Did not linger to see what I could get involved in.

This year I have my established group. I am starting to fit in much more. I think it is going to be a good year, or 9.

Calling Time Out

(home)

Today, Jackson and I essentially called a time out to the rest of the world, housework, my not feeling well, travel and everything else.

We got up to our completely trashed house - my room in laundry transition, kitchen in dishes transition, dining room with the fruits of my pampered chef e-commerce extravaganza last weekend, and the living room with Jackson's toys.

We ate our breakfast and I asked him what he want to do today. Ride his scouter, practice for t-ball and play.

OK.

I drank my coffee and talked to my sister on the porch while he cruised up and down the sidewalk across the street (because for some reason it is better for scoutering than our side??!!).

We then got out the tee, ball, mitts and his official t-ball aluminum bat. He cranked balls across the street over and over and over again. The kid can hit. It was fun.

We laughed and played, and I explained about hands together, bat back, elbow up and enjoyed the nice breeze before the day got too hot. First base was a large oak leaf that had fallen a bit early. Somehow it never blew away.

It felt good to play with my son. And not say, hold not a sec while I....; I'll be there in just a minute...; No, mommy's tummy hurts.

Then I did cut the grass. Instead of playing on the swing set at planned, he played inside in the air conditioning, but came out to watch the last few passes in back, and helped me push the mower back to the garage.

Today was a spirit of fun and cooperation.

We then made our t-ball supply shopping list, packed our picnic lunch and swim bag and headed out.

We did our errands, played for a few minutes in the play area at the mall. Had a cookie from the Cookie Factory BEFORE lunch, and headed to the pool. We had a fun hour to ourselves before friends showed up, and for the most part the rest of the day went well.

But this morning while cutting the lawn it occurred to me that this all felt SO strange and unusual. And then I thought about it.

I tracked our weekends back to May, and there was not a single weekend we were home together with no out of town company for as long as I can remember.

Don't get me wrong. I have loved our little outings. I LOVE when out of towners come to visit. AND I need my mommy free weekends. BUT this weekend, today in particular, has been so nice.

I don't feel rushed to get the house cleaned, laundry done, lawn cut.

I have dedicated the day, except for my little computer time as he plays with batman in a fisher price school bus, on hot wheels track going over a hulk hands hill and amusing himself with HIS toys in HIS house.

I think I need to be more conscious of more errands at lunch and more time out for us in the evenings and weekends.

Oh, and I did just book our BIG time out together - 5 days and 4 nights on the Disney property with 2 of my aunts and 2 of my cousins.

"I am so excited for Disney," says Jax. "I can't wait to swim!"