A new chapter

"Chapter 8, the adventure continues..." this is what Kyle said a little bit ago on our way home from his day camp.  We had just celebrated his 7th birthday (which is tomorrow) with his summer friends, a bunch of cupcakes, oodles of chips, and some drink pouches.  I mentioned on the way home that it was the last time he would go to Sunshine House as a six-year-old and of course Kyle who always thinks of things in terms of books and adventure realized he was starting a new chapter in his own life.  So far I think his book is a best seller!  Not a day goes by when that kid doesn't say or do something that either makes me laugh like a loon or stare at him in amazement.  

Seven seems like a magic age, a time when he's on the cusp of turning into a bit of a gangly, big-toothed kid but for the moment he's all glowing skin, lovely eyes and never-ending imagination.  Our friend Reid had is golden birthday at age seven.  In case you're unfamiliar with the golden birthday it's the year your age matches the day of your birth.  So I had my golden birthday at age eight since I was born on April 8.  Of course Kyle will have to wait for his golden birthday until he's 28!  

We're celebrating his birthday with Kyle's grandparents and a fun-filled day tomorrow.  A coffee house breakfast followed by the present opening at our house.  Lunch at home followed by Wall-E the new Pixar movie.  For dinner Kyle wants Pizza Joint pizza, root beer floats for dessert and sparklers after dark.  I think we'll all be exhausted!!!

Updates

So lots of people have been asking how the carpool thing is going.  So far, so good.  This week is pretty much a zero carpool week as I was out of town yesterday and David is out of town until Thursday...BUT I can already see a bit of difference in our budget and a huge reduction in my post-work cell phone usage!  LOL.

*****

It has been so hot here lately - over 100 for day after day after day.  It just seems too early for all this heat and humidity.  The heat here can be just as crippling as the cold and snow in Nebraska were - you get worn out just going out to the car, cooling it down, and then getting out and starting all over again later.  Thank goodness for air conditioning!

*****

Kyle's alien picture was chosen for a student art display at the Morris Museum of Art!  We are very excited.  The show is supposed to start in August and run for eight weeks so I'll let you know how it goes.

Tooth Man

Kyle has now lost his top front teeth - a sight that still makes me giggle.  He just cracks me up with this little toothless grin.  At dinner tonight I was telling him about the song "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and he immediately took to the song giving it his typical Kyle twist.  It ended up sounding more like a rock song.  During his shower he continued to sing about teeth, the lyrics went something like this (sung loosely to the tune of "Bad to the Bone"...whatever): "I went to the store to buy some teeth.  I went to Dollar Tree and went to the tooth aisle, but all they had was molars.  I went to Dollar General but they had incisors, I said no, I need front teeth.  Give me some teeth...give me some teeth."  Man I wish I had my video camera going at that moment.  However tomorrow I'll see if he'll let me video him doing the Christmas song!

Goodness

I'm not posting as much as I was, am I?  I think it's a combination of too much to do at work and no direction to my life on the weekends.  I'm slowly getting used to school being out, the days being longer and spending more time at the pool.  This is the second summer we have joined our neighborhood pool and I love it there.  Augusta has a couple parks and rec pools, but they are in lower-income areas and the Y pool has a water park, but from what I hear you have to be waiting at the gate the moment they open to have a hope of getting a lounge chair.  Our pool club is busy, but you can usually find a chair if you're there before 2:00 or 3:00 - after that it gets pretty crowded.  I love watching all the people - the soccer moms, the new moms, the on-the-cusp teenage girls trying to catch the eye of the gangly, pimply boys.  It all just fascinates me.  

David and I have started car pooling to work and with gas creeping closer and closer to $4 a gallon, it only makes sense.  We work within blocks of each other, travel 20 miles round trip each day and my car definitely gets better gas mileage.  Of course we're both making sacrifices - David has had to change his work hours to meet mine and he's without a car during the day since I have an assigned parking spot and his office is on a first-come basis, and I (of course) have had to cut down on my cell phone use while in the car.  We're just starting week two, but I'll keep you informed!

Pomp and Circumstance

David's son, Tony, graduated from high school in Nebraska on Sunday.  Woo hoo...it was a bit of a long road the past couple years, but he did it.  He now plans to go on to college and major in horticulture and golf course maintenance.  If anyone can do it, he can.  We have been lucky through the years to have a good blended family relationship - I know we're lucky because I've seen other families that nothing ever seems to work out and everyone is in turmoil.  Tony has been in my life since he was 5 (which seems like only yesterday) and he started calling me "mom" the day after David and I were married (Tony was his best man at age 7).  I don't know what the future is going to bring, but I am so thankful to have had these years watching Tony grow into such a great young man.

Meet Peaches!

Peaches is my very own Webkinz!  Kyle got her for me for Mother's Day and I've already established her online account, started furnishing a room for her and put her in a pair of stylish yoga pants and t-shirt!  I wonder if Kyle thinks I was spending too much time with his two Webkinz?

If you have a chance, check out Trace Adkins performing "You're Going To Miss This" at the Opry here.  I realize that I am definitely going to miss chatterbox Kyle at dinner, especially when he's been replaced by monosyllabic Kyle with hair hanging in his eyes.  I'm going to miss the toy strewn playroom and impromptu hugs and kisses.  Although I will say I do NOT miss the hassle of having to load Kyle into the car (toting a giant bag of baby junk) - I love that he can himself in the car and buckle his own seatbelt.  Oh and I don't miss toting around all that junk!

Hope you had a great Mother's Day!

Holy Cow

I saw this commercial last night during Desperate Housewives. If someone had told me about it, I would have thought it was a joke. I mean really!