So proud of my lil Hero!

On the first day of school, my kids were supposed to take the BIG YELLOW BUS home. This would be their first year, as years before they would be bussed to daycare. They were so excited! I reminded Rock to remember, Mari (my oldest going to middle schoo this year) wouldn't be there. He was now in charge to look after Briana and Julia. If there were any problems on the bus he'd have to stick up for them.

The first day of school came. Mari was home waiting for the kids to get off the bus. She called me at work to say she saw their bus come by, drop off kids at the stop but Rock, Bri, and Jules didn't get off. I was a little worried. Did they get on the wrong bus? Were they just not paying attention and didn't realize they missed their stop? I left work and tried calling the school only to reach their vcmail. Ugh! I was worried but told Mari not to be and to call me when they get home. She called just as I pulled up to our house. Bri and Jules were giggling in the driveway, and Mari and Rock looked serious.

It turns out, at the end of the day Rock, Bri and Jules lined up to get on their bus. But a teacher pulled Bri and Jules out of Rock's line and told them they were supposed to be in a different line for a different bus. Rock stepped up to say he was their big brother and they're supposed to be on the same bus. The teacher actually told Rock to get on "his" bus and they had to send the girls on the bus that is on their (stupid) list! Really?? This is the Hero part....Rock refused to get on the bus and told the teacher AND principal he's not going anywhere without his sister's! He said the teacher and principal stared at eachother for a sec then questioned eachother as to what to do. Rock tried giving his address, but I guess, this principal and teacher were taught to ignore nine-year olds, I dont know, maybe he should have raised his hand first so they would listen. A nice teacher stepped forward and listened to Rock, confirmed our address and sent them home on a bus together. I am so proud of him and have been telling him all week! He's gotten extra hugs and a trip to Jeff's Sporting Goods for a pack of baseball cards, along with Bri and Jules retelling the story in the most dramatic way possible over and over to anyone who will listen.

Love him so much!

Nervous Bellies and A Hero

My babies went back to school yesterday! Finally the day came! The supplies were loaded up and they finally got to wear their new clothes, shoes, and backpacks. (Something they've been asking me, everyday for the past month).

Mari was so ready for middle school. She didn't seem nervous the night before, just really exicted. We made sure to have her schedule, her locker # and comb in every notebook and folder, just incase she loses the one on her locker door and the one in her pocket. Better to be over-prepared, right? :)

So when it came time to drop her off, I thought she was ready. But, outta nowhere came tears. I almost lost it, too. She was scared, and had every right to be! Her middle school is huge! I reassured her that she knows where her classes are, knows how to open her locker with no problems, and she was as prepared as she was going to get. We went to parent info meetings, meet and greets, practiced her locker til she memorized her combination and walked around to each class in the previous weeks to this first day of school. She agreed she was ready, took a big breath, wiped her tears away, checked herself in the mirror and said she was ready. (I wanted to ball like a baby and just tell her nevermind, stay home, be little again, dangit). But I swallowed and gave her a huge smile telling her I know she's gonna rock today (which made her laugh, I guess, I'm a dork) told her I love her, and with an "I love ya too", she jumped out, caught up to a friend and was smiling and talking. PHEW! I thought I could let out my sobs now, but I had the girls in the back and Rock Jr. next to me, askin "You ok, mom?" So, I sucked it up again, smiled and told him, "Yeah, I'm fine", and I held his hand so tight while he laughed at me. Her day ended up going better than great! She has a friend or friends in every one of her classes which, I guess is THE most important thing in middle school. I love her so much! I gotta go for now, so I'll post about Rock being the girl's hero later tonight. Here they are! All ready to go!

My baby ::sobs:: is at middle school!

Mari went to her school's Meet and Greet tonight. I was excited to hear they were planning a Meet and Greet, because I assumed they wouldnt since it is Middle School, I mean it's the big time, right? Well, excited until I saw "NO PARENTS ALLOWED!!" Okay, really it said parents drop off your kids....but same thing. What? I thought. Me? Not invited? But, I'm her mom. I should meet her teachers too. Wrong. I dropped her off at the doors with a bazillion other kids and almost cried my eyes out. How will she find her friends in this huge school with a bazillion other kids? She walked in alone. Without me. I totally said a little prayer, made a wish, and begged thin air to please, please, please let her have a good time, not be too nervous, and find her friends easily. Ugh! My stomach hurts thinking about her, my baby, my first-born. She's so much tougher and cooler and awesomer (yes, awesomer!) than I was at her age so I'm sure she'll be fine. I know she's ready for this new "adventure" of Middle School, but I'm not. Forty five more minutes til I pick her up. If I only had the remote from the movie Click to fastforward time, or better yet, rewind time and hold her in my arms again as my little baby. Why did these years go by so fast?? How are we here, already??

I love my crazy lil man!

Mikey is now 17 months old and has been a crazy lil man lately!.He's becoming a lil naughty, but he's just the cutest thing in the world! I've learned from my four oldest not to laugh or pay too much attention to the naughty things (at his age) so it won't encourage them to continue. But when Mikey runs away laughing carrying something he shouldn't have, I find myself laughing too, chasing him, and scooping him up in my arms for hugs!  Yeah, I'm totally encouraging him. But he either has an infectious lil laugh when he's doing something wrong or a sweet inncocent look. Last, week Julia left her empty glass bowl on the kitchen table, before anyone noticed what Mikey's motives were, he had grabbed the bowl, headed to the hallway, and threw it, smashing into pieces on the floor. Then looked so innocently at it, like, he didn't mean it.

But, really...how could anyone get mad at this lil guy and those big, brown eyes?

I love him soo much!

I've got PROOF!

So, like most men, my Rocky has a problem with listening (which he denies).

Sample recent conversation...

Rocky: "When are Rock's games this week?"

Me: "Monday and Wednesday, they're both Away games, Mari has cheerleading and band practice on Thursday, and Volleyball camp all week, and Rock has Basketball camp, so it's gonna be a crazy week!"

Rocky: "Oh..."

Me: "Yup!"

Two hours later...

Rocky: "When are Rock's games this week?"

Me. "ummm...Monday and Wednesday remember?"

Rocky: "Oh yea, are they Home games?"

Me: "really??... no, they're both Away games, I just told you this."

Rocky: "No, you told me Monday and Wednesday but didn't say if they were Home or Away games."

Me: "Yeah...ah...I did, you're just a horrible listener..."

Rocky: "(laughing) No, I'm not...."

Me: ::Rolling my eyes::

So, onto last night....

I was sitting next to Rock looking through a magazine while he was watching something boring on t.v. I usually pull out the perfume samples and ask if he likes 'em. Well, last night there was a small advertisement for watches in the magazine. I showed it to Rock, and clearly said to him, "Ya think this one's pretty?" He leans in, eyes still glued to the t.v., and SNIFFS the watch ad, saying "yeah, it smells, ok".

Proof! He does not listen!! Gotta love him.

Anthony James

My heart hurts today. Four years ago today my nephew passed away. He was 4 years old. A babysitter was not watching him and he jumped into a pool. He fought hard for a few days in the hospital before he went to Heaven. I am his Auntie Lilly. We tried to teach him to say Auntie Cindy when he first started talking, but he refused and would only call me Lilly. I love him so much.

I think about him often but even more so on this day and his birthday. I remember when he painted Rock's Tonka truck with nail polish, when he colored down my hallway stairs with red permanant marker, and emptied an entire bottle of air freshener spray in my bathroom. I'm glad that each time I laughed with his mom for him doing those things. He never walked, he only ran. He was always on a mission, loved Harley's (Harley Bikes, as he called them) and racecars. I miss him and wonder what he would be like today.

His parents were brave enough to donate his organs. After he passed away I noticed butterflies constantly around me. I'd see them everywhere, but even more special they would fly right in front of my face, or sit on the edge of a my window. I mentioned this to other family members and we cried when they were having the same experiences. A few months after he went to Heaven, his mother and I went to an special event to honor family members for donating their loved one's organs. The parents were given special ornaments, some birds, some angel wings, each different. When Melissa (Anthony's Mom) opened her box to look at her ornament there was a beautiful carved white butterfly. I know Anthony's still with us in spirit. I love him so much and wish more than anything I could still give him big hugs, even if they were just for a second before he was off and running again.

Another Month

Well May n June have come and gone and we're now in July!!! Shame on me, I didn't blog once! I blame Rocky. I need want a laptop so bad. I think I would blog more if I didn't have to sit alone in the family room once the kiddies are in bed. They're usually in bed by 8pm and Rocky and I will watch a movie or he'll watch a boring war show and I'll sit and read a book or complain about how boring the war show is. Instead I'd much rather be sitting next to him blogging. I'll continue working on him, my birthday's in a few months, so we'll see. ;)

May was crazy. The end of the school year came up quick! I had a fun Mother's day with everyone over for a BBQ, on Memorial Day my girls danced in the parade followed by another BBQ at our house afterwards. We've been so busy with baseball now that Rcok Jr (9) is on a traveling team! It's been fun, but keeps us super busy! Our nights have been, rush home from work, load up the babies, eat junk from concession stands followed by McDonald's or Pop's for dinner. Nice. I'm sure I'll gain 20 pounds by the end of baseball season! grr! We played two tournaments, one in Germantown and one in West Bend and ended up with 2nd place at each one! Pretty awesome!

The kids are glad to be outta school! I can't lie, I love summer break! It gets tiring every night to go through four folders, signing papers n assignment notebooks, practice spelling words n checking over homework. I'm still trying to make sure they read daily, but love the break from school nights and mornings!!


I really can NOT believe my Mariana (11) is going into 6th grade! Middle school....Jr. High....::sobs:: She's now taking clarinet lessons once a week and is in cheeleading again, practicing two nights a week. Crazy how time flies!