It's probably my fault. When I ordered the boys their new school shoes and their new backpacks, I probably should have kept them in box. And not let the boys see them.
Because once they did, it was all over. Both boys wanted to put on their new shoes the minute they saw them in the bench. And yes, yes they are bright, bright red. Both boys wanted to put on their new backpacks. And as soon as we had everything on, both of them went running for the garage door.
"School?" Xander kept asking. Over and over again. Even Sawyer was saying "Go!" And that's pretty big for him.
Let's just say they wore their new gear for a few hours before I could convince them to put it back away. And they were severely disappointed when we did not, in fact, head out the door to school.
The scene has replayed itself several times in the last week.
Lesson learned. Next year, keep the new school stuff in the box. Until the night before school. After the boys have gone to bed. Maybe then the waiting will not be quite so hard.
And no, if you're wondering, Connor did not join in the fun. He's not been home very much this summer, but even on the handful of days that he's been home, he has not wanted to try out his new backpack or shoes. He's perfectly content to sleep in while he still can.
Just a few more weeks, and ready (yes for the twins) or not (no really for Connor), school will be here.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Gone Again
Less than 24 hours. That's how long Connor was home from one adventure before he left on the next one. He arrived back in town Friday afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa and Cousin Austin. We met Uncle Brian at one of our favorite restaurants for dinner.
By 10 o'clock Saturday morning I was having to wake him up from a deep sleep to get ready to go again. Pappy was picking him up. They were going out for doughnuts at a local bakery, then meeting up with Grammy to head to a major league baseball game with her and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Sherry.
It is, indeed, a hard life.
They made a whole day of it, heading up early even thought it was a night game. They took in the sights, toured the stadium, played a little ball, collected some souvenirs. And they had some really amazing ball park food (Mommy is jealous, if you can't tell).
And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Our lefty is batting right in this photo. He apparently thinks he's a switch hitter. And though he did manage to hit a line drive on the first pitch according to Grammy, he really is not.
After the game, they spent the night with family. They went to church on Sunday morning and spent the day just hanging out with family. Late Sunday night, he finally made his way back home.
Other than Friday night's brief layover, he's been gone for three weeks now.
So, of course, you know what he asked this morning, right?
"Where am I going next?"
It's a hard life, he says, but someone has to live it.
Special thanks to Aunt Sherry for sending us the pics from their adventure.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Learning to Let Go
It's only taken six years, but finally Sawyer and Xander are learning to let go.
Last week the boys and I packed up and headed down to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the lake for a really long weekend (Connor was already there on his extended summer vacation). And it was the first time the twins have truly enjoyed it.
Xander has discovered jumping off the back of the boat is just as fun as jumping into the swimming pool. And that's just what he did. Over and over and over. All day. Every day.
Sawyer is not quite ready to leap off the back of the boat. It does look like a long way down if you've not done it before. But he will climb down the ladder and free fall the last little bit into the water. He'll even climb back up the ladder just to fall off of it again.
And more important, both boys have finally gotten comfortable enough in their life jackets to enjoy the deep waters without clutching onto Mommy for dear life. Both of them have mastered the back float in our little backyard pool. Sawyer is a little more skilled than Xander, but both do pretty well. And both have a rough dog paddle down now, too. So they can move on their own. And with a life jacket, they can do so much more.
We spent hours in the water the last few days. Both boys LOVED it. Connor and I have always LOVED it. So it's nice to find something all of us can do together. You know, without the screaming and the tears.
I was fully prepared for Xander's very opinionated self to proclaim "No boat, no swim!" at each turn. Instead, we were constantly questioned about "Grandpa's truck? Boat? Swim?" And then there were tears when it was time to take the boat out of the water and go back to the cabin. You know, for important things like eating dinner.
It was a good trip. Good to see the boys learning to let go. And having a good time doing it.
Last week the boys and I packed up and headed down to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the lake for a really long weekend (Connor was already there on his extended summer vacation). And it was the first time the twins have truly enjoyed it.
Xander has discovered jumping off the back of the boat is just as fun as jumping into the swimming pool. And that's just what he did. Over and over and over. All day. Every day.
Sawyer is not quite ready to leap off the back of the boat. It does look like a long way down if you've not done it before. But he will climb down the ladder and free fall the last little bit into the water. He'll even climb back up the ladder just to fall off of it again.
And more important, both boys have finally gotten comfortable enough in their life jackets to enjoy the deep waters without clutching onto Mommy for dear life. Both of them have mastered the back float in our little backyard pool. Sawyer is a little more skilled than Xander, but both do pretty well. And both have a rough dog paddle down now, too. So they can move on their own. And with a life jacket, they can do so much more.
We spent hours in the water the last few days. Both boys LOVED it. Connor and I have always LOVED it. So it's nice to find something all of us can do together. You know, without the screaming and the tears.
I was fully prepared for Xander's very opinionated self to proclaim "No boat, no swim!" at each turn. Instead, we were constantly questioned about "Grandpa's truck? Boat? Swim?" And then there were tears when it was time to take the boat out of the water and go back to the cabin. You know, for important things like eating dinner.
It was a good trip. Good to see the boys learning to let go. And having a good time doing it.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
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