The Graduate

Tonight my little girl walked across the stage for the first time in her life. She graduated kindergarten-complete with cap (no gown just yet). In my usual sappy way I teared up as they sang their graduation song. I teared up when her name was called and she confidently took her diploma and strolled across that stage. Just as I teared up when she did her first dance performance...when she swam underwater for the first time.

A graduate-for the first time. DHS class of 2019.

Live, Work and Play in the Same Town

So recently we were able to make our lifelong dream of living, working, and playing in the same town a reality. It took almost 11 years for all the pieces to fall into place. It sounds simple, right? Just get a job in the town you want to live, find a place to call home and be on your merry way. Not so much.

Here's how it happened: Todd landed a super accountant type job at the hospital here in town about 2 years ago. At that point we put our house on the market and snooped around the Decatur House Market-the twilight zone of all housing markets. I loved the idea of buying an old house "in town"...but not to the tune of $300,000-yep, totally serious. So, we looked at things from a different angle and bought some land-a whoppin' 2 acres and hoped to build someday. In the meantime, we realized that in the big city, houses sell for about $5 since you can build one brand spankin' new for $1. That kinda sucked. We had the house on the market for a year-no takers. When The Baby was born last March, we cried Uncle and took the house off the market. We settled into our big city lives for the next year and slapped the house back up this past February. Six Days Later we sold the house.

At this point we of course have no house built on the 2 whoppin' acres. The metropolis that is Decatur has zero rental property (Which, by the way you find "word of mouth"). So, with great hesitation, I approached my parents and asked to move back in while we sorted out the details. They, also with great hesitation, agreed. They have moved out to the garage apartment (we'll call it The Loft), and we have taken over the "big house". When I say taken over-I'm not exaggerating.

My family of Five has taken over the house I, for the sake of argument, grew up in. It's not that I spent my entire 18 formative years here. Hardly-just the 4 years of High School. There are more memories in this house for me as a visitor than an inhabitant. Still, sometimes I turn a corner and flashback 15 years and feel like I'm supposed to tease my hair super big or study for a super big test. A couple of friends from high school have since visited and agree with the flashes. Must be the house.

So, this brings us to today. Our architect is on the way over with some house plans, and we are moving forward with Project House. It's been an interesting 3 months, but I have to admit not as scary as I had envisioned. I still feel like less than a grown up in this town, and I'm wondering when the change will take place to full grown-up-status.

although-is that something I want to sign up for??

Where's your bike mommy?

Naptime used to consist of just that-napping children. I knew I had about 2 hours in the afternoon for "me time" to recollect myself before gearing up for the marathon evening hours. I loved naptime. I treasured naptime. Sometimes I would scrapbook-my favorite guilty pleasure. Sometimes I would attend to the "business of our lives. Sometimes I would frantically search for necessary parenting knowledge to make it through the rest of the day. Now that the children are growing up into whole kids-that precious time is becoming a thing of the past. The Baby still naps of course, but the elder hoodlums not so much. I have however cleverly convinced My Boy that some days are "napping days" which, when adhered to, allow for "not napping days".

Today was a not napping day. Now, as I discussed earlier, I'm going through a bit of a mourning process with this whole naptime upheaval. BUT-today I embraced that one-on-one time with My Boy. I love that time-just still getting used to using that way cool naptime for it. While gearing up for some outside festivities, he looked up at me with great concern and almost pity. "Mommy, you never get to ride your bike-it's ok, you can have a turn with mine." Wow. What a moment. I instantly found my bike, aired up the tires (it's been a while) and we raced around the driveway for the better part of an hour. Sometimes I won the race, sometimes he did. When he did, he always noted that it was ok-I might win next time.

So much more restful than a nap.

but when will I scrapbook this?

&%$...#@&%...#@%&

There are many changes taking place in our lives with the move to Decatur, but a rather unexpected change is the more than occassional use of the four letter word by our sainted and sweet son Tanner who is not quite 4 years old. I guess these are the hazards of moving in with an ex-marine for an extended stay. Just this morning over breakfast Tanner pounded his fist on the table and exclaimed "Shit...Shit...Shit!". It is hard not to laugh. Do you ever wonder why kids really pick up on these words? I guess at the end of the day the occasional four letter word is fun to say. You have to especially appreciate the moments they use the word in the proper context and with the proper inflection, like the other day, when Tanner and I were fishing and a fish fell off of his line at the bank and he explain "Shit". All of us fisherman know that there really is not a more simple and understood word under those circumstances. And how did I handle it...I did what every good father should do...i turned my head and had a private approving chuckle.

Example #1

Now in the nitty gritty of life, it seems we are always figuring out schedules, calendars, appointments. We sat down just last week and planned out the entire summer. THE ENTIRE SUMMER! Every Single Weekend has something going on. When did that happen? I swear it was just last week (a.k.a 9 years ago) that Todd and I spent a month roaming the western US armed with a tent, a cooler and a few pillows in the backseat of the Taurus. Our biggest decision was which CD to listen to and where to make camp. We floated through the days noting the landscape, marveling at the history, and picking the route for the next day. Someone actually asked us one day if we "lived in our car". Our decision to head home was made for us by the dwindling funds and a nagging need to enter society as a functioning member-for the first time.

Now as functioning members we plan, organize and schedule every moment. In fact, the entire reason we sat down with the calendar was to SCHEDULE FUN. Who has to do that? What happened to "summertime and the living is easy"?

Sometimes being a grown up is just too hard.

First Post

Here it is-the first post. I'm not sure Todd is on board with this whole blog thing. Seems fun enough...like an online scrapbook. Here goes.