First Flag Football Game

My big boys started flag football.   I never worry that they'll struggle.   I suppose I'm lucky that way.  They seem to have enough coordination and natural talent to handle most sports.   We'll see if they pick a sport to stick with and how much energy and dedication they'll put forth later in life.   For now they are having fun.

Cam pulled the first 3 flags of the game.  He was on fire.  He's also got a foot on him....he can kick the ball really well.   He has this speed that he's holding back on though.   He'll run fast but just fast enough.  It's like someone needs to light a spark to set off his rocket booster speed :) ha ha

Cam heading for the flag

Cam with the flag

 Spencer has a mean arm on him.   Jan already has him pegged as quarterback :)  He was also instinctively good at following and defending the receiver down the field.   They can't tackle or push the guys away. (at least I don't think they can) but he did some fantastic blocking with his body.

Spencer as quarterback/his own receiver (per the coaches instructions...he wasn't being a ball hoggit :-)....he ran the ball a good distance down the field too

None of the opinions expressed are at all biased or prejudice AT ALL !  I'm simply recapping the events and can't help it if I'm their mom and think they are the cutest bestest ones ever.  :)

Syd really wants to play, I think we're too late now.   We'll see.   She was coaching her brothers on the side telling them to just pull everyone's flag.  ha ha  I suppose that's one way to do it.

Twinners

Someone asked me previously if I asked for my big boys to be placed in different classes. I didn't. I have decided that I will just let the school place them and if they are together...so be it. If not...great.
Spencer and Cameron have only made 1 or 2 comments about not being in the same class and it hasn't been emotionally troubling for them.
I like that they are in different classes. I like that it gives them space to be good at what they are and not comparing themselves with each other...which they really didn't do, but I did notice certain times when Spencer would bring home 3 reading books and Cameron would only have 2. Normally they are each given 2....I'm not really sure as to why a 3rd was given to Spencer but comments were made. "I got 3 books" And neither knew why Spence got an extra but I could see the wheels turning in their heads....trying to come up with an answer....pointing out the differences.
Spencer makes friends much easier than Cam. A lot of the time Spencer would make friends and then Cam would tag along. I want Cam to make his own friends. Currently they all play together with the same group at recess and that's ok. They'll branch out.
I encourage them to be different. To be an individuals. They are so different in looks that it's not hard. I have chosen not to dress them the same and they don't want to. They are starting to have certain clothes that are theirs and not the others. Certain shirts that they won't wear because, "That's Cam's shirt" when the shirt was bought for both and placed in their shared shirt drawer.
They always have each others backs when it comes to someone else. They get along so well together and truly are the best of friends.

My little boys now. They fight like crazy. They will turn on each other and join forces with their older siblings against the other in a heartbeat if it means that they are getting attention from the big kids. They have a harder time coming to compromises, a lot. They do play together. Twins are great because you do have a built in playmate.
For the last 45 minutes they have been taking cup fulls of water from my bathroom sink to the sand in the backyard...making quite the muddy mess. Ryan went to the bathroom to clean himself up and soon after Nathan came and asked me to "clean the bathroom because, Ryan made a mess in there mom." The bathroom now looks like the dog.  (sigh) They are currently getting themselves dressed and humming their own tune to whatever song is in their head.
They seem to follow pretty close with 2's company 3's a crowd when playing with friends or their siblings. Ryan has made comments to me, "mom, I want to go to Beckham's and I don't want Nathan to come" Nathan not so much. He usually asks Ryan to get his shoes on to go to Easton's. Ryan has also said to me enthusiastically, "mom, when I go to kindergarten I will have my own class...Nathan won't be in my school huh ?" which is HUGE because he has been my short leashed attached umbilical cord kid who HAD to sit by Nathan in pre school. He's branching out and I'm not only excited about it, but I encourage it and may ask that they be in separate classes in kindergarten. who knows. I may just play it out like the big boys and just let the school decide for me.

These 2 aren't twins...but such a cute picture...I had to include it. Syd and one of her BFF's.

My Kids

Nathan :  I wish that Syd's name was Mama, and Mama's name was Mama and Mommy J's name was just Mommy J and Spencer's name was Jackson and Ryan's name was Jackson and Cameron's name was Jackson and my name was Gaybop.

Ryan : Mom, I wish that you were my age so that you could be my girlfriend.

Cameron : Hey Mama, what's shakin' bacon.

I'm not exactly sure why he was disappointed but I'm glad he's able to express his feelings

Nathan : Ryan.....smell my finger.

Nathan : Mom, Ryan just peed outside.

Syd :  All you ever do is play Candy Crush
Ryan : No, sometimes they play Pet Rescue.   huh mom?

Saying goodbye. again.

Our sweet Lucille died today.   We are still unsure as to what happened and shocked and sad.  They typically live 10, even 14 years.
She was not acting right and feeling well last night and this morning was much worse.
I took her to an exotic animals hospital and by the time I got her there and they took her back she had passed.

I know she's a lizard and she was Sydney's....but I did most of the work (as is the case with most young kids and pets) and grew quite fond of her.   I stood in the vets office (no charge), the vets assistant asked what I wanted to do with her, I told her that I wanted her back and when she left, as hard as I tried, a lump grew in my throat and tears filled my eyes.
I held it together but when I got in the car and laid her on my lap (in a towel) and called to tell Jan...I lost it.   I couldn't hide the quivering in my voice when I talked about what happened and had to wipe tears from my cheeks. :(   I was sad for Sydney,  I knew how hard this was going to be for her.   and I think that post trauma thing from putting Sadie down just recently came back too.

Sydney had a birthday party to go to after school today and as luck would have it went home with her which helped us keep it from her so that she would enjoy her time with friends.  and she did.
When she came home we had moved Lucilles cage out of her room and cleaned up some of her things...we walked her to her room and she looked around and said, "what. what is it ?  where's Lucille ?"  I told her that she died and she started to cry and came over for a hug.  
We found a nice place to bury her in the backyard.   The boys weren't aware or invited to our little ceremony.  (mainly because we didn't want it disturbed later) and the 3 of us said one last goodbye to Lucy.

Afterwards, Syd got in the tub and I heard her crying hard...the ugly cry, and then I cried.  because she was crying.  and now I'm teary because I'm typing it.
All because of a LIZARD !   What the heck people.
Any ways.   Syd is asleep.   She told me that she would miss her red lights at night...they helped her sleep.  and that she always loved it when she woke up at night to see her there.   That is right before she would come into my room and climb in bed of course. (another story another day maybe)

Goodbye sweet Lucille.   We are all going to miss you.

A year ago, when we first got Lucy

First week of school is behind us

First week of school down.   39+ weeks left.
As far as I'm concerned....the first week was a success.

Funny story.   We were asked to send a snack for the first couple of weeks for the boys.   Something to help them transition into full days at school.    I packed their lunches and then put some crackers in a separate baggie in the side of his backpack fully explaining that their lunch is for lunchtime and their crackers were for snack time.
Cameron ate his lunch and snack for snack time and then got himself hot lunch for lunch time.   WTH. :)
He apparently needs a bigger snack.  
Spencer felt bad that he didn't get hot lunch so the next day I let them all have hot lunch.   Today I packed their lunches and again repeated that, "your snack (Cameron) is in the side pocket of your backpack (Cameron) this is your lunch (Cameron) to be eaten at lunchtime."

Sydney wrote this card for me and surprised me over the weekend.   She even had J help make me a morning smoothie.
These kind of things bring such balance when it comes to my Syd.    She's pretty amazing.

I will have 2 hours today.   2 full hours.   I imagine my time spent buying birthday presents and cleaning the house.   J's family is coming over for dinner tonight and the kids are so excited.   They love their California cousins.

Well. I played baseball with my little boys and in turn played fetch with Lilly, blogged and simultaneously ate breakfast (clearly I'm a multi tasker) I suppose I should get out of my pajamas and be productive now.

First Day of 1st grade

The big boys started first grade today.  Syd started yesterday.
FINALLY...sheesh.  Are we the very last to start school ?
It feels like everyone has posted first day pictures for weeks.

They all seem to like their teachers.   I've only met the boys' and both seem to be very nice.
The other FANTASTIC thing is.....Cam's teacher is mentoring Spencer's teacher, so most of their classwork and schedules are the same.   :)   That will make it a LOT easier for this mama.

Everyone was SUPER excited to go today.   They left 37 minutes early for school, and that was after forcing them to take one more picture, just one more picture.

Cameron, Spencer, Sydney, Nathan and Ryan
1st, 4th and pre K

my kids being my kids :)

photo bomb

Syd's first day was yesterday.  

Walking her to school

Summers End

I'm going to say something.   I'm going to say it out loud.   I mean, this could be really big and by saying it I could be jinxing all of it.  Seriously, the balance and rotation of all things normal could be thrown into a frenzy of events leading to the same situation that once was.
Here goes.  (deep breath)
I'm not looking forward to school starting this year.  (hands now covering my head...panicking...waiting for the roof to fall in on me...slowly peeking through squinched eyes)
(sigh) nothing happened.

I have had the best summer with my kids.   You may remember how previously I couldn't wait until the kids were in school. here.  Going back to school always won out.   It was harder to have them home all day and that just isn't happening this year.   Which means.  WHICH MEANS PEOPLE.  That it's getting easier.  (dope...I did it again...I used my inside voice)
Now, if you want to think about it this way......you could say that the kids are getting easier.
OR.  you could say that the hardships of school are getting worse.   I mean...I will have 2 more lunches to pack.   I will have more homework and from, now, 3 teachers.  (the boys are in different classes this year...happily)
It's been nice flying by the seat of our pants.   We've done lots of traveling and visiting and camping.
Bedtime has been slipping and the idea of getting back on a schedule also read as -  making sure everyone is dressed by 8:20 am and fed every morning is going to pinch me in the soft part under my arm a little bit.

I'm going to miss my big boys being gone all day too.   I liked having them around for the afternoons when they were in kindergarten.   They were fun...and helpful....and easy.

I guess what I'm saying is.   don't expect another dumb video of me dancing like an idiot because I'm getting a few more hours without my soon to be first graders.  :-(
You can expect one next year when the littles go to kindergarten though, for SURE.

\

P.S. my little boys start pre school today.  2 hours might just be enough.  :-)