I keep saying that in the hopes that it will come true! We ended 2009 on a
fantastic note and we hope and pray that it continues into 2010 for us and you as well.
New Year's Day is like a day off from work for good behavior. We never go out on New Year's Eve (and, in fact, cancelled our reservations last minute) so when others are recovering from a fun night of partying, we relax and do fun things like take Lauren to her first movie!!
We went to Alvin and the Chipmunks and boy, oh boy, was Lauren excited!
Honestly, to watch her was the cutest thing ever. We walked into the theatre and she just started jumping up and down with excitement. THEN when we got to get popcorn and an Icee she thought she had died and gone to heaven! I took the kids (and their Kid's Packs) into the theatre while Dustin waited for our vat of popcorn and pop. ;-)
We walked up the incline and I just watched her face light up as she saw the enormous screen. It was adorable! We took our seats and she kept asking for her ticket. I told her she didn't need it but she didn't care. She held onto that ticket throughout the entire movie (except when she placed it on her arm rest) and still had it when we left. Before the movie started she stood up and said, "Mommy! I can't wait for the Chick-a-munks to see my outfit!"
She is such a girl.
Honestly, the rest of Friday and Saturday were either spent shopping or playing with our new toys from Christmas. I certainly had no motivation to do anything productive and God knows Dustin wasn't eager to clean and do laundry. So we just enjoyed a couple of days off together.
Saturday night we whipped out the new Bingo game after Ella went to bed. Man, did the kids have fun with that. Of course, the one who is most oblivious to who wins or loses won the first two games. She didn't get why we were hollering "BINGO" at first...but it didn't take long for her to catch on.
After Bingo Josh thought he'd knock a couple books off of his "Christmas Reading List".
He has become such a good reader! In fact, Sunday I was working on laundry and him and Lauren sat down while I folded clothes and he read her a book. It is so nice to have someone else in the house that can read to the girls. He takes such pride in being a Big Brother!
Ella is still fighting her string of illnesses. The cough is breaking up and causing her to sound like a pack a day smoker. So lately we've had more looks like this...
than looks like this... (note the abundance of snot and drool)
Sunday was a rough day.
We were on Mission Organization and I tore apart Ella's closet while Dustin tore apart ours. Her closet had been stuffed full with random things from her elder siblings and there was no room for anything of hers. So instead of having the Rubbermaid tubs part of her room decor, I decided to take care of the problem.
Of course, as soon as Dustin and I saw some progress it encouraged us to move on and do more cleaning. By the time I got to the kitchen is was almost 4:00 and as I cleaned off the front of my refrigerator I found a birthday invitation. I looked at the date and time and saw, "Sunday, January 3rd, 3:30 at the Playstation. RSVP"
Uh..crap. Seriously, I bawled. I had forgotten a birthday party and Josh missed out on playing with all of his friends for the afternoon.
Then I realized that the invitation was on top of his basketball registration that I had never mailed in. Deadline for registration...December 28.
I immediately told him about the birthday party and hoped that I could smoothe over the whole Basketball debacle and get him registered on Monday (even if it WAS late). He took missing the party much better than me, but then again, maybe he felt bad for his poor mother and could tell how remorseful I was.
He put his hand on my arm and said, "It's okay, mom. Caiden will understand."
I am a failure.
I went and told Dustin to go ahead and call the YMCA and see if they had a basketball league. He called and told me, "Yeah, they have a league. But it's full."
&#$%!!!!!
I asked Josh if a little DQ ice cream would help missing the party and he agreed. I realized that, at that moment, only true Iowans go get ice cream when it's -8 degrees outside.
In my new found dedication to become more organized with our schedules I pulled out my daycare schedule and saw that Linn-Mar did not have school on the 4th of January and that the activity planned was a trip to the library and lunch at Culvers. I sent along $5 with him and told him that he didn't need to take his backpack (which had his boots and snowpants) because it was too cold for playing ouside anyway.
I raced to work and quick called the Marion Recreation Department to see if I could still register for the Basketball League. Uh, no. They were full.
Panicing I called the Cedar Rapids Recreation Department and found that yesterday was actually the last day to register for their Basketball League and they had two openings. I quick paid my $40 and then he said, "Practices are on Friday nights from 5:30-6:30 and/or 6:30-7:30. We don't offer Saturday practices."
Originally, I had intended this to be a father/son experience on Saturday mornings. I would be busy working during tax season anyway and then their mornings would be filled and I wouldn't get a hundred phone calls asking when I was coming home. The thought of dragging three kids out on a Friday night for Basketball League is not appealing. Especially given that it is during tax season. But the thought of telling my son his mother has failed him, yet again, is not really appealing either.
So I will make due...and he will play basketball if it kills me. Which it probably will.
Thinking I was back on track again and that I had temporarily redeemed myself to my son, I wanted Dustin to call me as soon as he picked him up from daycare so that I could tell him about basketball.
And then this conversation took place...
Me: Hello?
Dustin: Hey.
Me: Josh! I have good news.
Dustin: Uh, Beth?
Me: Yeah?
Dustin: Josh had school today.
Me: WHAT?!?!?!?
Josh: Yeah, mom. (in a disappointed tone)
Me: The schedule said...
Josh: The schedule was wrong mom. I didn't go to Culver's or the library.
Josh: I HAD SCHOOL!
Me: Are you serious?
Dustin: Unfortunately, yes.
Me: Dustin! You saw the schedule!
Dustin: I know! Josh the schedule was wrong then.
Josh: Yeah, well, I didn't have my bag and so I didn't get a prize for completing my Christmas Reading List.
Me: I'll write a note to Mrs. Martin for you and explain what happened.
Josh: First my party and now this.
Me: Yeah, I get it, dude. Your mom sucks.
Dustin: Well, at least tell him the good news, Beth.
Me: What good news?
Dustin: About basketball.
Me: Oh yeah, you start basketball on Friday!
Josh: Oh.
I swear I can't win for losing.
