...And Fast

"I've got it, Mom." Roman said at drop off, proving that he's as diplomatic as he is independent.

And fast. Man, how is Baby Roman almost 5?! And when do I stop calling him that?

So, I stopped helicoptering and left him with the charming Mrs. Saunders on day 1 of pre-K, after this one last picture.

 
Yep, lots of changes this week, especially versus last year.

There are the basics - rooms, procedures, new things for me to forget, etc. - but the experience is just...different. The start of the day is a perfect example; Roman's bull-by-the-horns approach isn't that surprising; what is surprising is Ben's new-found cling.

Last year, he barely let the car slow before he bolted out and raced alone to his classroom. And I'm sure we'll get back there, but so far he's pretty apprehensive. For him to tell it: "Mom, why do I have to go to first grade? I was so good at Kindergarten..."

I also think, now that he knows how to tell time, he's pretty bothered that he'll be there for seven whole hours.

And who can blame him? I haven't committed to something for seven straight hours since... ummm... well... whenever it was, I'll bet it made me grumpy.

Still, here he is, happily clinging to his happy mother. I mean, who am I to complain that he doesn't want to leave my side? That'll come too soon anyway.

A midday difference: lunch lady duty is more frequent...and more serious. On day 1, I had the unsavory job of marching a crying second grader to the principal's office. Dreadful all around (it was very "Green Mile"), but I guess that's what you get for a Catholic cafeteria F bomb. 

Another difference, this one at the end of each day: man, they're fast. Last year, they still had training wheels on their bikes, so they'd ride home as I walked. Now I have to literally sprint to keep up with them. And, no I still can't keep up. Here's my usual view as I do the P.E. teacher powerwalk to catch up.

But, some things never change. The boys miss each other during the day, then drive each other bananas at night.

Anthony still dresses like he too wears a school uniform...

...and I still look like garbage when I drop off the kids.

Sheesh, no wonder Roman wanted me out of the room...and fast.

What I Did Last Summer

With the Olympics behind us and school's start-up still a whole day away, I'm enjoying a tear-free 24 hours.

Uh, make that 19; Ben starts 1st grade tomorrow at 7:50 a.m. sharp.

So, being the last day of the boys' summer, we're also enjoying extended pajama-wearing hours and we ate breakfast for lunch.

No better time, then, to look back at this fun, funny summer we've had. The boys have grown like weeds, my outdoor plants have grown like dried herbs and I've grown to find a happy place in Wichita. Here's why:

• I've found a pool, a drink and some friends.
• We were in 68-degree California during Wichita's 111-degree days.
• My boys are happy.

So, behold, our good life this summer, through a quick recap.

We performed our own Olympic event, The Springboard (that's Roman):

...and The Spectator (my event, obviously):

 

We had a visit from Aunt Viv...

...and paid a visit to KC to see The Foxes:

 

Ben cozied next to his swimming ribbons, possibly to prevent brotherly theft, or to boost his self esteem as he slept:

And, speaking of accomplishments, Roman learned to cook his own eggs. My work is done here, folks.

The boys also learned to take pictures, resulting in only a few (dozen) R-rated shots, but mostly capturing beauts like this:

We also laked...

...and t-balled:

Then rounded it all out with a vacation to California, where we played...

...ate...

...and became thinkers?

Finally, in Colorado, we had the honor of seeing my brother-in-law Joey marry the wonderful Teresa:

Then my boys of summer caught their first Rockies (vs. Giants!) game at Coors Field:

We're up for a big day tomorrow, then a busy week to follow as Roman starts his last year of pre-school and I take up my dual role as frazzled mom and lunch lady extraordinaire.

But first, we'll get out of our PJs for one more pool day in this funnier-than-expected season. Summer, we anxiously await your return.

Oh Mio Dio

Velveeta in the food section is enough of a stretch, but in the Italian section?! Why, that's just offensive. Dillons, I love your international offerings, but please put this where it belongs: with the oils, plastics and poison. And kindly fill the space with cannoli shells.

Oh mio dio.

Yep, it's been an OMG (or OMD) week around here, including one event that will NOT be accompanied by a photo. So I'll paint the picture: Anthony and I were working on a shower curtain hanging project upstairs (and, incidentally, I highly recommend complicated building, measuring, drilling and hanging projects in close quarters with one's tired spouse).

Meanwhile, the boys were downstairs discovering the hilarity of combining an iPhone's photo capabilities with their private parts. About a dozen times.

I'm sorry, don't most boys wait until their 20s for that?!

Anyway, as funny as I secretly found it (before promptly erasing them, thankyouverymuch Federal prosecutors), the boys were sternly scolded, grounded and reminded that people who do those kinds of things wind up in jail.

Or politics.

In other news, more WTF than OMG, I'd like to introduce my newest accessory:

Man, I need a mani. 

Yes, that's an inhaler and, yes, apparently a 35-year-old can develop asthma, either allergy-induced (thanks Wichita!) or exercise-induced. Not sure what's causing mine, but I do know that nothing inspires confidence in spin class like a wheezing instructor.

But here's hoping the wheezing is behind me; a quick suck on that tailpipe helps me breathe more like myself and less like the 100-year-old lifelong smoker who's been inhabiting my body for a few months.

And, yes, to complete the look, I'll be un-retiring my glasses and headgear.

Land Unlocked

We've tried and tried to counter this summer's heat with the usual methods...

Hitting the pool daily for swim team and lessons:

Installing four glorious ceiling fans, made only better with these three glorious words from Anthony: "You were right."

Lighting other things aflame, figuring we'd feel relatively cool versus, say, a Roman Candle:

Indoor activities, like bitching and moaning. Oh, and bowling, which is more fun for the boys:

But we were finally cooled properly - and unlocked from this most land-locked place - with a trip to the lake yesterday with our dear friends, the Wilsons.

 Daniel Wilson, Roman & Ben

It was the boys' first(!) lake trip, first boat ride and first fling on a tube...and easily their best, most exhausting day ever. (Roman the daredevil, hopeful this morning: "Are we going on the boat again today?")

  Ben, Anthony & Roman

As for me...well, it felt like the return of my 16-year-old, laughing, lake-living self...with only a few differences: I was plus sunscreen (turns out that stuff works!), minus crushes on all the boys (never did work), and plus next-day tube-induced pain. Maybe there's a workout for that...?!

The Dog Ate My Blog

...okay, not really, but this busy, lazy summer (yes, both) has kept me from the computer.

Please accept the following as updates and excuses (again...yes, both):

#1: We were wrapped up in pomp & circumstance.
Ben graduated from Kindergarten amid a million activities, along with a song that was obviously written by a sadist. Sample line: "...just remember I'm little..." Come on!

#2: I was sick.
Yowza, was I sick. Like, "no wine for me" sick. A first. For a week. But rather than send me out to pasture like I suggested, Roman kindly read me back to wellness.

 

#3: We were at the game.
Ben has become quite the little hitter in T-ball, and he's finally learned to run in the following order: first, second, third, home. (That's Roman's "YES" in the background.)

#4: We had family in town.
Aunt Viv paid a visit! From Seattle, she was enroute to Berlin with the option of stopping in Paris, France or Wichita, Kansas. And would you believe...!?

#5: I was under water.
We've been total water dogs with daily swim team, lessons and other poolside slackery. Here, Ben (center) preps for the backstroke at his first meet:

#6: I got caught up at the gym.
My coworkers and I had the pleasure of working out with Hannah Curlee from The Biggest Loser; she came to Wichita and joined us for Group Power. Much to my chagrin, she didn't offer me any temptation challenges.

#7: We were chasing Anthony.
Damn, he's fast! In the time it took us to get out of the house and park, Anthony was nearing the finish line. He came in 5th among the 30-somethings at RiverRun this year, hands down our favorite Wichita event. Where else can you get bouncy castles AND an ice cold Newcastle at 9 a.m.?!

And finally...
#8 We were in traffic.
We're incredibly lucky. My boys have so rarely been in traffic that, when it happened last week, they were devastated. And so curious. "Why are you stopping?" "Where did these cars come from?" And my favorite from Roman, "Why are all these idiots parked on the highway?" (Yes, I'll cool it on the name-calling.)

Phew! Now that we're caught up...who wants to join us at the pool?

Wishful Thinking

"I wish for a funny summer," Roman said today at the fountain. It's always money well spent at Bradley Fair...or at least the best return on investment.

That penny is already buying us some laughs on this first day of vacation (for Roman, that is; he finished year one of pre-school yesterday.).

And I'm not just talking about my Gap swimsuit try-on session where the laughing was, of course, to keep from crying. Aside from the usual bikini dismay, I was reminded (again) that it's time to be less self-deprecating in front of my kids. Roman said (again) "Mom, if that's too small you'll look like a sausage."

Also time for him to sit outside of the dressing room. Duh.

Yep, it's been a funny week, with Ben's first practice t-ball game, where his enthusiasm collided with his shaky grasp of the rules; I'd never seen a kid run the bases in the wrong direction...and with such gusto.

So I don't fear any shortage of funny around here this summer, just as soon as we get through Ben's kindergarten graduation next week, marking the official end to my Kindergarten CryFest 2011-2012.

Roman, good call on that wish. Summer LaughFest 2012, here we come.

Here's to Moms

My mom managed a lot in her life: work, school, travel, family, in-laws, health issues and (the biggest adventure) two teenaged girls and all the fun that must have come with being our single parent. It didn't dawn on me then, but she was balancing a lot on her little body. Why didn't I realize it?! Because she never complained.

And now, as my guardian angel for nearly 20 years, she's balanced my nonsensical twists and turns. She's kept me safe and landed me in a great life.

Well done, Mom. I miss you.

So if I can give my kids one great lesson - something I've been thinking a bit about on this Mother's Day - it'll be about balance.

Not this kind of balance, which Roman demonstrated at Ben's soccer game today:

(Jogger balls? Juggle balls? I still don't know if this is an actual move.)

I mean the kind of balance that makes us happy, humble people. You know...
We get, so we give.
We play, so we work.
We spend, so we save.
We eat well, so we exercise.
We make a mess, so we clean.
We have great days, and some not great.

And this one falls into the great category. I'm sharing Mother's Day with my beautiful mother-in-law Eileen and with Anthony, who turns 36 today.

(Behold: Eileen and me not saving as we arrived at the Kansas Star Casino last night.)

So, today, as I celebrate my mom and all the other lovely moms in my lucky life, I propose a toast to good life balance.

See? We drink cheap champagne, so we buy good o.j. Ah, balance.

Happy Mother's Day, friends.