have you seen my little boy?

I have lost my little boy. It happened over night when I least expected it. I guess I can say I saw some of the signs, but deep down I am sure I was really trying to ignore them. I will admit that some of them made me smile - like your new found sense of style. Like the time you made me drive to four different stores in two different states to find that red hat you saw someone wearing that you HAD to have. Every time you wear it you smile and when you tilt it to the side, it makes me smile. A young face trying to be so grown up. Then you tell me yesterday that you don't need to dress up for Halloween - you're past that. What!? You can't be past that, you are only eight! 

Please, stay and revel in your youth. It will go faster then you really want it to anyway. Then you will be doing everything you can to try and get it back. Enjoy your freedoms, for soon they will be a distant memory. Long gone will be your days of skateboarding and bike riding. There won't be time for Army attacks, Storm Trooper wars and sleepovers.  Your chubby cheeks are thinning - giving way to a more pronounced jaw line, the one your father has. I know it will be all too soon that those once chubby cheek will prickle me with stubble and that makes me sad. If only I could freeze time..... but then I know I would miss out on all the joys that come with watching you continue to grow old and mature. And just when I least expect it you surprise me with a glimpse of the little boy of the past. You crawl up on my lap to snuggle. You whisper, "Your the best", and my little boy is back once again - at least for a moment - and in that moment I will stay.

can i get an 'oh yeah!!'

Oh yes! The day is finally here - the first day of pre-school for Grady. Now, in all honesty, he did start back last week when I started school but 'pre-school' had not started. Yesterday was his official first day of pre-school.
We went out this past weekend to get his supplies which included a new blue folder. He was so excited about that silly folder. We spent Sunday morning decorating it with race car stickers and flames of fire. He was also determined to pick his 'outfit'. Thankfully he chose the same outfit he and Drake wore for their pictures last month but he was sure to add some accessories shall we say? Notice the black head band and mandatory side kick, Doggie.
When we got to school I was a bit taken a back by the door to his classroom. I knew ahead of time who his classroom teacher was but some last minute rearranging changed the classroom assistant. Remember Mrs S??? If you click on the picture and read the sign you will see what I am talking about. Done? Yeah, that's right. She is his new classroom assistant. I am sure she loved the skull and cross bone shorts he wore the first day of school!!! Grady seemed unphased. When I picked him up and asked him how his first day was I got this:
I wonder what she is going to think of my boy always wearing hair accessories???

a new frontier

Grady recently upgraded from a big wheel to a big boy bike. I was a little hesitant at first and was not ready to make the jump. Grady on the other hand was amped and ready to go. He would beg and plead for a bike like his brother...."Pleeeeze Momma? Me bike too?" But he is still so small. What if he falls and gets hurt, what if he goes too fast, what if, what if? All these excuses basically boiled down to me not wanting to letting go - letting him continue to grow up, letting him grow apart from me. Little did I know he would take to this new bike like a bat out of hell. I guess secretly I did know that and that is why I tried to delay this new experience as long as possible. He is the overly athletic and adventurous one, with no fear or boundaries to speak of. So now my days are filled with this view. I chase him along, trying to keep up, as he pedals with all his might up and down the street. I try to remind him to "SLOW DOWN!!" but he rarely listens. Maybe the rushing of the wind blocks out my voice - or not! My only hope is that all this extra running and chasing will have me swimsuit ready by summer. Yeah, that is laughable too!! But a girl can dream right?

5 minutes for mom

Brothers - an unbreakable bond between two boys. While this picture perfect moment has been replaced with bickering and fighting as of late, I know the love is still there. It may be deep, DEEP down, not visible to the naked eye but it is still there. Every once and a while it will rear it's pretty little head and make me swoon. Then someone sits too close or touches the other and it is all downhill from there.

5 Minutes for Mom is looking for photos that tell some sort of story of what motherhood means to you. They could be shots of you with your kids, your kids, you own mother, whatever you want. Check out their sire for more info.

gotta brag - part duex

While perusing the mail when I got home I noticed a letter from one of our Wisconsin State Senators addressed to Drake. I began my internal ranting about the lack of intelligence held by our government campaign offices and their ability to distinguish adults from children. Who sends campaign materials to a child and more importantly, how did they get his name? For some strange reason I was intrigued and opened the letter instead of tearing it in half and recycling it with the rest of the junk mail. What I found shocked me. It was a hand written letter from our State Senator, Mary Lazich, regarding Drake's science experiment that made the paper. (http://irishkat.blogspot.com/2008/03/gotta-brag.html) She even cut out the article and included it in the letter. Talk about eating my words, or shall I say vicious thoughts?! I became very sad about my first reactions and that I opened Drake's special letter. Hubby was also taken aback and vowed to vote for her every time she ran. Who send things like that in this day and age and with a personally cut out article? I gave the letter to Drake and apologized for opening his mail. He was very excited that someone 'of power' would write to him. He was beaming from ear to ear when we explained who she was and what she does for our state. To Senator Lazich – thank you very much. You made the day of an eight year old and taught this mother that there are still people out there that take the time to recognize the actions and events of our youth.

gr8 2b 8

Today you turn eight and I am once again faced with the fact that you are growing up faster then I would like you to. Your father pointed out this morning that you were half way to driving. Please disregard the nasty words I directed at him after that comment, I was a little deranged at the time. Oh and by the way - that was totally a love tap, no harm no foul! I love watching you grow up but secretly hate it too. You can still woo me with those eyes of blue to make you a jelly sandwich with EXTRA jelly for your lunch even though deep down I know that it has no nutritional value and that it will send you off to recess on an extreme sugar high.
I remember when you thought I was everything and the world revolved around me. (hello - who shouldn't!) You would cry when I left and run at me with such ferocity when I came back. I loved that you were my partner in crime and you sought me for worldly advice.
Your innocence and curiosity has always amazed me. You are always investigating something or another. We stumbled through a lot of firsts with me making many mistakes along the way. Hopefully the therapy bills will not be too pricey!

Your sense of humor and silliness always makes me laugh. I often forget because of your 'grown up' tendencies that you are still a child. A child who was so excited because today, you got to use the maracas in music class because it was your birthday. And those eye patches - oh how you loved your pirate patches!! Good thing because you had to wear them FOREVER!!! Your dissertation to other young children as to why you had to wear them over your eye got me every time. Unfortunately they got lost after the first sentence, but nodded along with what you said anyway.

Now you are independent and off doing boy things. Football, skateboarding, snowboarding - what happened to trucks and blocks? How did that time slip through my fingers so quickly? What happened to the chubby faced baby I held in my arms just moments ago. As the time goes on I wonder about what the future holds for you and if you will still be 'you' as a man. And even with all this uncertainty I am enthralled with how you continue to evolve into your own little being. Happy birthday Drakers!!