Archive for growing up
I’m Ready, I’m Ready, I’m Ready!
Posted by: | CommentsTomorrow is the last day of school. Here’s a list of things I’m ready for:
- SLEEPING IN!
- Heading to the matinee
- Lazy mornings in PJ’s
- Trips for ice cream
- The kids splashing in the pool
- The drive in
- Riding bikes on the trail
- Carnivals
Things I’m not looking forward to:
- “I’m bored!”
- “She hit me!”
- “I’m hot!”
- Keeping their brains working
So, I guess I AM looking forward to summer. But I also get excited about them going back to school. Seeing that back to school is 76 days away, I’m just going to enjoy the Summer stuff first. Then I can get excited about new pencils, glue sticks, teachers and outfits. I’ve decided that I’m going to take some time to ACT LIKE A KID this summer. I may even put my bathing suit on once or twice. Why? Because this is the last summer that I am IN MY THIRTIES! I’m going to be carefree (I hope), fun and silly. I will eat popsicles. I will draw with chalk. I will jump rope. I will teach my kids to do a cartwheel. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not going to be a boring, strict 40 year old. But I think I’ll suck up the last bit of my thirties, and then get back to ‘the grind’ once I turn 40 and school starts again.
ENJOY THE START OF SUMMER!!!!!
They Can’t Be Babies Forever – Thank God!
Posted by: | CommentsWell, as I sit here on the last Friday of school, I’m thinking about the summer and the girls going to school in the fall. I’m very much looking forward to summer. I love that the girls will sleep in a bit. No more 6:30 a.m. wake ups. I love that they can stay up a little later, and they don’t get all crankified. (Yes, I made up a word.) I love stopping for ice cream, catching an afternoon movie, and visiting with friends and family that we’re too busy to visit with while school is in session.
There are parts of summer that get a little trying, though. Although Becca and Chloe generally get along, there will be afternoons where they can’t be in the same room together without being mean to each other. I’m sure there will also be lots of “I’m bored!!!” and “There’s nothing to do!” I’ll take it though. I think I’m ready. But if you talk to me in August, I might be singing a different tune.
My friend Marlo asked me yesterday if I was going to be sad that they are both going to be in school all day come the fall. You know what? I’m not. I don’t mean that in a greedy way, though. I will definitely miss all our little conversations and cuddles. And I WILL like to have some time back to myself. But more than anything, I’m proud of them. I’m proud of they way the girls became great friends on vacation. I’m proud of they way they made friends in the pool. I love that they are buddies, and ready to take on the Primary School as a team. I’m proud that they’re not extremely annoying or mean to other people.
I really think that I will enjoy watching them flourish, watching them make more friends, help people and become more confident. I’m excited for the unknown that will happen as they grow older. I will mention, though, that my tune may again change when they are older…like 13 and 15. I can’t see that being too easy.
Have a great weekend, and GET READY FOR SUMMER!
Kennywood’s Open (No, not your zipper)
Posted by: | CommentsI hope you had a great Mothers’ Day. We spent Mothers’ Day at Kennywood. It’s our new yearly tradition (second year in a row). Mothers’ Day weekend is opening weekend at Kennywood. Seems that people have other things to do on Mothers’ Day, so the lines are pretty light. Not to mention that there was a high temperature of about 52 degrees.
But we had a blast. We went on the kids’ favorite, the Jackrabbit at least three times. We hit all of the classics…the Paratrooper, the Kangaroo, the Pirate Ship, the Turtle. We went on Noah’s Ark, which completely freaked Becca out. (Chloe was a little scared too, but she just hides it better). I think that most of Becca’s problem was having a couple of 11 or 12 year old boys behind her, making extra noise. Becca was actually tall enough for the Racer and The Exterminator. Which she thoroughly enjoyed (although, because The Exterminator is dark, she just sort of clenched my hand in fear the entire time. But when we exited, she was really excited about it.). The kids played games, won stuffed animals, got their cotton candy and had an overall great day.
Because the lines were so short, we really had ridden all that we wanted to ride by 4:30. So, we headed home. On the trip back, I asked the girls what their favorite part of the day was. Chloe said it was winning the stuffed animals and riding the Jackrabbit. Becca said stuffed animals and the Racer. Then I asked what their least favorite part of the day was. I was expecting Becca to say that it was Noah’s Ark, but she threw me a curve by saying that it was riding the three rides she rode in Kiddieland. Chloe agreed.
There’s a little part of my heart that is sad about that. They used to be so excited to get on those rides. They look at me, so proud that they could ride something on their own. That day, however, they looked at me like I was making them watch a documentary on making cheese. I guess I can’t avoid the fact that they have to grow up. At least I get to ride the fun rides with them!
Speaking of that, I had the opportunity to cross something off my bucket list (the Skycoaster). Problem was, they were only accepting triple rides (meaning you had to have three people to go). The girls were tall enough to go on, and I actually pressed it a bit. Chloe was more than willing, but Becca wasn’t so sure. Then Tony looked at me and very gently asked, “Do you want to be the Mom who scars them for life on Mothers’ Day?”
OK, guess not. I’ll have to try another day…
Old Men in Hats
Posted by: | CommentsToday we had the first little round of REAL snow flurries around here. The kids were excited, and chased them around trying to catch them on their tongues.
Me?
I knew I had to drive to the North Side, while the Pitt game was happening (crappy loss) in this ‘first snow.’ I was pleasantly surprised, though. It wasn’t too bad driving. Usually those first flakes just freak people out. Seems that us Pittsburghers don’t really get used to driving in the snow until maybe February. I’m guessing that all the bad drivers were going to the mall. I’ve come to this conclusion after driving on Black Friday.
Maybe it was due to lack of sleep, or the sheer excitement of ‘getting the deal.’ But there were many drivers (I hate to say it, but many WOMEN drivers) who either forgot how to drive or never learned. There wasn’t a mass amount of traffic. But still, there were problems merging onto the highway. I merged in behind a white minivan who then continued to drive 45 miles per hour on the highway.
It’s a good thing my patience is one of my greatest traits.
My father, because he was a cop on the streets for so many years, has his own theories about drivers. And the older I get, the more they turn out to be true. These are the two that have stuck with me (although I’m sure there are more, right Dad?)
- All the bad drivers come out on Sunday. It’s a fact. When I used to work at the airport, I worked every Sunday. I would start at all different times of the day, from 6:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. EVERY SUNDAY I would have problems with other drivers. Usually they were going to slow, or were afraid to do things like merge. Or they would stop for green lights. Maybe they thought they were about to turn yellow. Who knows.
- Never drive behind an old man in a hat. They are terrible, slow drivers. Over my past 23 years of driving I’ve put this one to the test. I get behind old men in hats just to test the theory. I’ve never gotten behind an old man in a hat who is a good driver. Never. I’m not sure if it has something to do with the hat or not.
You may have already known these things. But we sometimes forget to tell our children, nieces and nephews who are new drivers. So, consider this a public service message. Tell all the newer drivers in your life to remember these two things.
And please, please….don’t become an old man in a hat.
Halloween Horrors
Posted by: | CommentsIf I haven’t mentioned it before, I love Halloween. And if I have mentioned it before, it’s worth saying again. I’m not a big Christmas girl. But Halloween? I’ve always loved it. Growing up, I loved being scared, I loved figuring out what my costume was going to be and I loved, loved, loved trick-or-treating. I would push my mental and physical limits to hit as many homes as I possibly could. And trick-or-treating the city streets of Pittsburgh involved many, many hills. My calves would be sore, but I’d have a bag full o’ loot.
As an adult, I still enjoy Halloween. But it sure has changed. First off, it’s changed for the kids. In my neighborhood growing up, we had a parade which was then followed by trick-or-treat. Although it was a bit unconventional…we did our trick-or-treating on the Saturday before Halloween, in the afternoon. ( I think it officially went from 3:00-5:00). One day, one shot. We would hit a haunted house some time in October, and we may have had a party at school.
Halloween now starts at the end of September. I have to admit, we had our Halloween decorations up the third week of September. We have treat bags for everybody at school. Each child has a Halloween parade at school. And there’s the neighborhood parade. And there’s a pumpkin walk on our walking trail nearby. Trick or treat at the mall, trick or treat at the hospital (um, not this year…thanks H1N1). Hell, going to the Halloween store is almost as good as taking the kids to a haunted house. Even the isles at Wal-mart and Target entertain the kids. We have Halloween pencils, Halloween erasers, Halloween shirts and socks.
I actually get to go to a GROWN UP Halloween party this year. Costume? Um, I’ll figure something out that day. Trick-or-treating? I’m just hoping that it doesn’t rain…we did that one year…it wasn’t pretty. Seeing that I’m pushing 40, on old people medication and get a buzz off of two drinks, my bright eyed child-like view of Halloween has just about vanished. Although I still enjoy the scary stuff (and the campy stuff), I’m too worried about making the entire month of October chock full of Halloween fun for the kids.
Being responsible can sort of suck. Until I see them watching Goosebumps, peeking out from under blankets. And when it’s over, they ask for more.
Hee, hee. I’ve gotten them all wrapped up in the Halloween crap. They love it. And maybe when I have grandkids I’ll get to just ENJOY it instead of PLANNING it.
See? There is life after 40.
