Back to School

Ah, the first day of school! Did you know it is possible to feel compelled to do a happy dance and be sad at the same time? It's true. By summer's end, the boredom-induced bickering between my two, sweet, precious, most beloved children just plays jump rope with my last nerve 'till I want to see a school bus so bad I'm reduced to looking them up online and show them to my kids saying "see kids, you're going on one of those really soon! Yep, you sure are, oh yeah.

But then the day comes and so does the real bus and my same beloved kids, now chatting happily together and dressed all spiffy in their new back-to-school-clothes, loaded with backpacks and smiles, climb on, happy to see friends they haven't seen since the beginning of June and eager to embrace the day. The doors close, my kids and I exchange sign-language "I love you's", the bus drives out of sight and then it happens. There's no music but someone's humming, there's toe-tapping which progresses into full-out dancing; there are high fives all around and then...a few tears.

Yes, there are a couple of moms new to this first-day-of school ritual and their hearts have just jumped into their throats with the realization that they have just entrusted their beloved child to a complete stranger! Oh, the rest of us remember that feeling well. We tear up too with the recollection and rush to hug, share stories and encourage them praising them for their restraint in not following the bus to school. I, personally, had no such restraint with either of my kids but that's a story for another day.

This day I skip home ready to enjoy the peace and relative quiet that awaits me on the other side of my front door. I say relative because, well, I do still have that 13-week old puppy who has to pee every 20 minutes and my beloved hubby works from his home office. Still, I'm heartened to hear no whining, no tattling, no teasing and no Hanna Montana. Peace (relative). 15...30 minutes, tops, goes by and I'm suddenly struck by quiet. Apollo's sleeping, hubby is busily working...It feels a little empty...There's no laughing, no giggling, no surprise hugs, no little faces at my front door asking for my children to come out and play. Just. Quiet. Sigh...

How long 'till the stranger brings my kids home?

Be blessed.
Melanie


This was actually taken on the 2nd day of school (I forgot my camara the 1st day)


Only 2 days of school and my sweet boy was just tuckered out.


He doesn't even go to school but he's tired too.

Proud Mama

I can't help it. I feel like one of those parents who whips out photos of their new baby every chance they get. But he's just so darn cute!

We had our neighbors over yesterday and they brought their 2 girl puppies (german shepherd/lab mixes). Our pups are all about the same age. I think Apollo's only a week older but he's already so much bigger and lumbers around like a bull in a china shop. The girls were pretty timid around him for a while but once they got comfortable they had a blast tearin' around our backyard together and we laughed our heads off watchin' them. Our sandbox was a big hit. I only wish I had video. Oh yeah, and he seems to like watching SpongeBob too.

Don't forget your vitamins...

Could it really be this simple? Folks, I think I may have found an answer I've been looking for for quite some time.

For years, I've lived with near-constant fatigue as well as a myriad of other little annoying general symptoms. Every year at my annual physical, I tell the doctor how tired I am all the time. I rarely have the energy to do much of anything but I plug along because that's what one does. Faith, family, work, laundry, dishes, pets, all of these responsibilities can't just stop because I'm tired. I always shoot for 10 hours of sleep but even when I'm actually able to get that much uninterruped sleep (which is rare by the way), it's still not enough. I have blood work done year after year and, aside from my cholesterol being on the high end of the normal range, all comes back fine.

When my kids were real small, I'd be told "of course you're tired; you have babies at home." Then it was "You're the mother of young children; it's natural to be tired." Occassionally there'd be an ever-so-slight insinuation that I was just lazy. When I would complain of how tired I am, certain members of my family would say "What else is new" or "You're always tired."

It doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to tell that I don't have the healthiest of diets. I eat far too little of the heathly stuff and far too much of the unhealthy stuff. But still; I've just always thought there's something else I'm missing.

Well, I think I may have figured it out. Recently my friend and I got talking about vitamins; I think because I mentioned reluctantly wanting to cut back on caffeine. I say reluctantly because that's one of the primary things that keeps me going everyday but I hate how jittery it makes me feel. She suggested perhaps I needed some B vitamins for energy. I started looking into it and realized that I regularly deal with a number of the symptoms mentioned under B vitamin deficiency. So I went to the store, got me some B complex vitamins and I can honestly say I feel a little better. Even after only one dose, this stupid, ugly, embarrasing little crack in the corner of my mouth (also on the list of symptoms) went away. I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to get rid of that thing for months and it just wouldn't go.

Now, before you get all nervous about my self-diagnosing, rest assured that I plan to talk to my doctor and/or pharmacist about the whole thing, but I'm just feeling so encouraged. And slightly well-rested.

Be blessed.
Melanie

A Clean Slate

My has it ever been a busy week. You met the newest addition to our family in the previous post. His official name is...........Apollo (after Rocky's Apollo Creed - another boxer)! At least I think that's the official name. Yeah, we're pretty sure. Once we had him home, Hershey didn't seem to fit and Hubby didn't like Cooper (though the rest of us still kinda do).

George brought him home Monday morning. I had no idea he was going out so early to get him. I was still sort of asleep but mostly I was in denial of being awake when I got this feeling that someone was looking at me. I opened my eyes to the cutest little puppy face.

That first day all Apollo really did was sleep. He just seemed so overwhelmed and afraid of everything. We brought him outside to introduce him to some of the neighbors and he was incredibly shy even with the other puppies in the neighborhood. He's since come out of his shell a bit and his favorite place to be in under the dining room table. He seems to feel safe there.

It's been a long time since we had a puppy in the house so maybe I just don't remember this with the other puppies I've had in my life but I'm most struck by the fact that he knows next to nothing. I don't mean that in a negative way at all. He's just so new to everything - a completely clean slate. We've got to teach him everything. Like that stuff I put in that bowl on the floor is for him to eat. I had to coax him to eat by dropping little bits of food leading to his bowl until he he figured out it was ok. He's starting to learn how to go up the stairs but seemed to get a little dizzy climbing the stairs to the deck (he kept looking down). Good thing I was behind him. Going down the stairs is a whole other story; he's not even considering that yet. Walking with a collar and leash is just wrong as far as he's concerned and he doesn't like it at all though he's getting a little better. The first few times he just wouldn't move. He sat or laid down and that was it. By Wednesday, we managed to get around the block with him - it took an hour but we did it.

In addition to all this, he is full of puppy kisses, "talks" to his toys (he already has a favorite, a little stuffed monkey) and has twice slept the whole night. He's got the cutest little face and we just love, love, love him. Here are some pics to see why.

How you doin'

Apollo LOVES the sandbox

Peek-a-boo

Nose to Nose

Sizing each other up...

Sleepy boy

That can't be comfortable

Boys best friend

Night-night

Here's lookin' at you

We Found Him!!!

We won't be able to pick him up for a few days, but it is our great pleasure to introduce...ummm...Hershey?...Cooper?...Well, we'll figure that out. In the meantime, here's our sweet brindle boxer boy.



He seemed to pick us as he followed us around showering us with puppy kisses. We love him already and can't wait to bring him home.

Be blessed.
Melanie

It was bound to happen

I knew it was coming but, frankly, it's still weird. I think posters on the wall makes it official, though, doesn't it? My daughter's a pre-teen. I almost didn't let her put the posters up but then I remembered all the posters I had hanging on my wall of John Travolta (in his "Welcome Back Kotter" days) Shaun Cassidy, the entire cast of Happy Days, Greg Evigan, etc and, of course, in later years an entire wall devoted to KISS. I just couldn't say no. It's sort of a right of passage, I guess.

At least I can still see the wall.

Be blessed...

Saturday Fun

Not a bad way to spend a day. The kids earned some money (including my little toothless wonder) and enjoyed some fun in the pool.

The kids worked a little, swam a little, worked a little more...He's been literally spitting teeth out all summer.






Hope you're enjoying some summer fun too.

Be blessed.
Melanie