To Be A Little Boy

Sab is six and quite fascinating to me.  He has a way of delivering words but is totally unaware of this skill.  I have accepted that he will embarrass me most days.  Often, I mention his own future children and you know what they say about payback . . .  Here are some of his latest thoughts.

Two different families that we know have had babies since we have moved.  The ladies on campus organize two weeks worth of meals for these moms as a way of helping out.  Curt was working the other day so I had to take Sab and Mia with me while I was delivering our meal.  Sab asked where are we going again?  I answered with the above spiel.  Sab said God, these women better stop having kids or we are going to go hungry.

Sab has recently discovered the term "girlfriend."  Up until this day I was his only girlfriend, even though he has to share me with his dad.  I pick him up from school the other day and he says, "Big day today mom.  I got me a girlfriend."  I ask why, who, how - devastated to learn this.  He proceeds to tell me that this girl in his class was pushed over at the playground.  Unfortunately she fell over and her pants slipped a little.  Sab helped her up and told her that she better cover up her butt crack because people were looking.  Such a smooth operator he is, she just gushed with love I guess.

While at the table the other night, he asked his dad if he could tell him something private.  Curt tried to tell him that it wasn't the time.  Many nights during the week it is a requirement for faculty to eat with the students.  Sab goes along for this adventure because he is fascinated with the older boys.  Anyway, Curt's shh wasn't enough.  Sab tells the entire table of boys, who are trying to use the proper utensil and make it through the 30 minute dinner with no incident, that a student in his class had diarrhea in her pants at the playground and had to wear "boy underwears" the rest of the day.  Curt said all sense of formality flew out the window.

I love this kid.  He doesn't always make it easy, but it is always interesting.  I can't imagine what he will be when he grows up.  This is Sab eating a hot dog at Carter Mountain Orchard in Virginia.  He wanted to know which way Pennsylvania was from the top of the mountain.

The Kindness of Others . .

When you move into an entirely different world, you cannot count on the little lady from church who knows your mom to check your library books without a card nor can you go to the "purple park" and know the exact spots of danger Mia is sure to find.  For someone such as myself who is just that stubborn, it is difficult to ask for help or admit a weakness of any kind - can't think of who I have this genetic trait from (psst Nana!).  So here we are in the Woods of Virginia, a good 40 miles away from Barnes and Noble or Mitchael's (Curt is so pleased!) - what does a mom of a toddler do?  Don't get me wrong, the campus/community of our school is very pleasant and provides many opportunities to play.  That being said it isn't enough for antsy, twitchy me, plus I miss my mom and sisters (what a baby, yes I know.).  In looking at the piles, I mean piles of welcome to Virginia literature, I discover a little group called MOPS.  No this is not a cleaning organization, thank God for that.  The letters stand for Mothers of Preschoolers.    I find that this wonderful, magnificent, estrogen filled group, will want to spend time with little old me and wild girl Mia.  The group certainly provides social opportunities, WATCHES MIA FOR FREE - GOD BLESS THOSE VOLUNTEERS, but it reminds me to be a considerate, compassionate human being.  My mom is all of those things and bent over backwards to teach her daughters to be the same way.  Don't get me wrong, she is as stubborn as a mule (I love you mom), but she is genuinely kind.  Children and dogs cannot get enough of her!!!

So this brings me to a point.  Through this amazing group of new friends I join a bible study.  While picking up my book at the selected meeting place (Chick Fil A), I see a young mom with a tike Mia's age.  I assumed she was picking up her book and find that I'm wrong.  She said they were just out for breakfast (Chick Fil A serves breakfast!), not a part of any group.  She seemed so nice and had the same kind of dazed expression I find in the mirror.  I proceed to tell her about MOPS in my rambling way.  That look I saw was similar to my own, she had just relocated from Florida.  She gathers all the information from me and the director of the group and sails off with a teething tot.  I think about her a lot in the next week because I know how much she misses home and not counting on the kindness of others.

A new week comes into view.  A tough one for me because my mom, sisters and nieces just left after a too short visit.  Playgroup with the MOPS is on the schedule.  I arrive at the spot with Mia in tow - a real trooper with all of our adventures.  Who do I see while I'm chasing Mia????  My new friend from Chick Fil A with a great big smile!  You never know when you can lend a hand.  It's nice to take advantage of the opportunity and help someone else up.

*This is Mia after our morning play date at MOPS*

This One is For the Girls . .

Seven years ago - I ran into the lovely Dianna Wise Crites.  As in the usual Dianna fashion she lays all her cards on the table.  I find out much about her ovaries and so does Curt while eating dinner!  Curt has grown to love her, not nearly as much as me!  At the time we were ready to expand our zoo but we're nervous about my possible abilities to have a litter.  She gave us the number of her OBGYN and off I went.  Needless to say we were poster children for fertility.  Many months and pounds later, I called Dianna to thank her for all the information.  She let me know of Girls Nite - a nite to eat, drink (depending on litter carrying this is what you make of it) and a way to just be with a great group of high school friends.  I was just fat - carrying Sab.  I was so huge I had rashes in my fat folds - no lie - a sickening truth.  So needless to say I was hesitant about this reunion - I'm not shallow but I have my limits.  One month to go, swollen cankles and all, I joined the group.  It became the big read star on my calendar and a sacred event in our household.  Over the years, I hosted and looked forward to it so much.  Curt became used to all the subjects we cover - sort of anyway.

This pic (all of you hate my camera, see how great this is?) is from Dianna's shower - she's pregnant with Jordan in this pic at Pam's house.  The group has grown since this pic!

Saturday was the first one I missed in a long, long time because of our move to the Woods of Virginia.  Honestly, it was three o'clock in the afternoon and I was toying with racing back to PA, dumping snickle and fritz with Nana and Pap and making it in time for Tiff to clear the spinach dip.  Needless to say, I didn't but couldn't help but think about it.  How fun is it to go and guess who is pregnant now - with 13 of us - it's never ending.  I will be so sad when all of our ovaries take a rest and springs (that was for you Miss) prevail.  How many groups are this loyal to one another and have two members producing twins - boy and girl sets to boot!

These are things I missed: Tiff's laugh, are you kidding me?  Who has a better full belly, head thrown back, laugh like Tiff?  Thus why I act like an idiot just so I can hear it.  You all just thought I was really that idiotic! I missed seeing Lesley's belly (the picture text was good though) one more time before Baby Bachman makes his/her appearance.  I missed Colleen and Tammy's stories of life on the side of single - you can't help but be a little envious right? I missed Missy's facial expressions - the puzzled one right before she makes fun of you.  I know Dianna wasn't there but I missed her big mouth (love you!) and the way the air swirls around her whirlwind and everyone is called Sister.  I missed the Zacherl sisters, but most of all I missed Anna's announcement.  I've been waiting to hear it.   - I knew it was coming.  I missed the way Pam will get so worked up with hand gestures and saying Ryan's name.  And our newest member Tricia - I missed the way she truly seems interested in your life when she talks.  Had April been there with the new babies - I would have gone off the deep end.

I'm in the boat of finding new friends, not ones to replace the old, new ones to discover and live each day with.  It's not an easy thing to find the comfort we have together.  I know on Sab's first day of Kindergarten, I said a million times, just be nice, introduce yourself, ask to join in - you'll have plenty of friends.  Swallowing your own medicine is rough.

So to the wonderful group referred to as Girls Nite - I miss you like crazy.  Thank you for everything - the fun, from breastfeeding tips, to play dates, to 3rd grade Sunday School (Tiff), to rent-a-cop police car rides - I thank you.

The Power of a Pink Sparkle

Mia has many ungirly-girly like qualities.  She often is gooey.  Gooey as in various particles are in her little chubby neck and hands.  You can bathe Mia and five minutes later she looks like a street urchin.  She loves to make food paste and spread it in her hair so that the front sticks to her forehead.  At the end of the day her brother often tells her that she smells and he's not far off, plus he is unbelievably honest.  We love Mia and I thank God for her every single day. 

She does have two girly qualities that I truly adore.  She loves shoes and it's not my imagination.  She can spend a good hour in my closet or "the family shoe closet" trying on various shoes.  Often she will wear her shoe on her right foot but leave the left foot bare to try on other people's shoes.  This was a little embarrassing for me at the pool this year because she was quick to swipe shoes of others - perfect strangers really.  So we went to Walmart the other day to buy new shoes; she goes through them with amazing speed.  I saw this pink sparkly pair and she immediately said pwetty and niiiiice.

I noticed after we brought the shoes home, Mia started her own athletic commercial.  She spent 30 minutes in the driveway trying to jump, hop, anything to get off the ground.  Maybe it's the new version of Air Jordans?  She would giggle and grunt, but never left the ground.  New shoes couldn't help her little chubby legs up.  Shortly after we went to Sab's soccer practice.  This photo is of her kicked back in a play car at the playground by the field.  After spending a lot of time in this car, she headed to the slide.  Down she goes head first on her belly.  I consider myself laid back, but this was heart attack inducing.  I scooped her up at the bottom and as clear as a bell, she said FUN.  Much, much later in the day she discovered walking backwards, unfortunately she is about as graceful as her mother.  All of these events added up to an early bed time.

She loves shoes, especially these pink sparkly ones.  They rarely leave her feet and look abused after less than a week.  I love my wild woman.  Next time I'll talk about her love of purses  . .  sigh.

Sab's First Day of Kindergarten

Anyone who knows our family understands and even at times appreciates the world of Sebastian.  His frustration ever since he was an infant is that the world does not move fast enough.  Curt and I laugh (we can now) about bouncing Sab all over our yard after he was born singing various songs in order to stop his crying and find peace.  I often chose the song with the lyrics Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (thus the name of our site); Curt would favor patriotic hymns and Ozzy Osborne.  He claims he knows no other lyrics to any other songs!  Long story short, we are exhausted from entertaining Sab.  He's never learned to play by himself, shame on us, therefore we are camp directors who are aging rapidly.  I honestly thought that Sab's first day would leave me singing in the aisles and drinking tropical drinks with umbrellas.  Nope, not the case.

I awoke at 4 a.m. with tears and many doubts.  How would he react?  What would I do if he clung to me?  Would he hate it?  Would other kids abuse him because we are not from Virginia thus no accent (no Southern accent anyway)?  The list goes on and on.

Curt finds me at Sab's bedroom taking a pic of the outside.  Of course he is curious as to why I would do such a thing.  If you think about it, even though he was sleeping, it was his very last second of "babyhood".  This day forward, he would have more mature worries - doing well in school, making friends, trying new things, bullies, on and on . . . Curt was tempted to call the resident psychologist but there was no time.  My sister texted and demanded that I get a hold of myself.  Life goes on . . I woke him up and welcomed him to his first day of Kindergarten.  He smiled and sprang out of his bed.

Don't get me wrong on the way there (yes, I drive, not because I'm a hover parent our bus does not pick up here) he asked several times if it was absolutely necessary to go to school.  I answered yes, it's time buddy.  I find out much later from his teacher that Sab was able to comfort another child who had cried all morning.  This child came to life from his offer of friendship.  Wow, life is truly full of surprise!