Bedtime reading

Jay and I alternate putting the girls to bed each night, and they usually fight over who I put to bed. Sundays it's my night with Addi, and tonight we were reading a book about dads.

We got to this page and this is how our conversation went. Enjoy.

 

 

Addi:  I don't get it. What does that mean?

 

Me: Well, you know how you think me and Daddy aren't very smart?

 

Addi: [nodding head] Yes.

 

Me:  Well, when you are a grown up you are going to realize that me and Daddy are actually really, really smart.

 

Addi: Yeah, I can see that.  Because by then, I'll have taught you guys a lot, lot more.

Yes, Addi goes to school too

I realized that I haven't written anything about Addison lately.  It's actually a great thing, because so far the school year has been uneventful.  Great days, good grades, she loves her teacher and loves to learn.

We did have one milestone last night, though.  She finished her first real chapter book, cover to cover!  She's read entire books before but this was the first time she started one book and didn't read anything else until she was finished.  I hope this is a trend because I do love me some reading time.

Her nightly prayers

Samantha is loving school and loves "spending time with Jesus," as her teachers call mass and prayer time. I ask her what she talks to Jesus about and she always replies, "I don't know what to say Mommy!" so we have been talking about how to pray.

One night I was putting Sam (she now allows me to call her that, only at home) to bed and she wanted me to pray with her.  She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and said, "I pledge allegience,  to the flag...." and so on.

She ended it with "St. Jude, Pray for us!" so I didn't bother to correct her.  It was way too cute.

Her education is really paying off

Sometimes, Jay is just really, really picky.  Last week he insisted on taking his car to the shop because his air conditioning wasn't working and his windows wouldn't roll down. What a baby.

Samantha and I were driving the truck back home from the shop (seriously, am I wife of the year or WHAT? I let him fix his car!) and I asked her what she learned at school that day.  She was quiet for a few minutes, then said, "Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton."

Knowing that most saints have a special calling or thing they are a patron of, I asked her, "So what does she do?"

Samantha looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "Duh, she's a SAINT."

Glad to know her education has included the "eye roll" and "sassiness" lessons. She's definitely going to get an A in that subject.

The "Catch Up" Post

I love blogging and try to keep up with it, with a goal of three updates per week. And just like my weight loss goal, I haven't done well.

For a while I just felt bad about myself... I seemed to have no energy to blog or really do anything. I just wanted to lay around the house. Even with my regular workouts I didn't have energy and seemed to be getting overwhelmed really, really easily.

I tried to think about what could be going on when my ever so smart husband pointed out to me that by the first of July, I had already had enough drama and stress to fill an entire year.  With all that went on with my dad, and work, and trips, and the kids, and notoriously over-committing myself, I was tired. And being tired was perfectly acceptable.

So, I know I'll never catch back up on all the amazing things our family did this summer.  But here's a short list.

We swam.
The girls and I went to Texas for 5 days to see our amazing friends.
We hung out with our neighbors.
We went to St. Louis and played at Six Flags and the City Museum.
We visited Jay's family in Indiana and went to Holiday World.
Jay and I took a night away for our anniversary and stayed in a ridiculously quiet Bed and Breakfast.
I downloaded a great "white noise" app on my phone.
Sam became Samantha.
We watched our school put the finishing touches on our building.
I had more weeks of layoff.
Samantha got her first real pedicure.
I got to level 127 on Candy Crush Saga.
The girls got adorable hair cuts, just in time for school.
I freaked out and felt really, really old when I realized I have a second grader.
We cuddled.
Addi changed her name to Addison, then Addy.
I cleaned out my car.
Our cat got fleas.
I got carpel tunnel from so much vacuuming.

And many, many, many other moments that I can't remember right now.  And that's OK.

The one where Samantha goes to School

When Addison started kindergarten, I was excited and scared and all kinds of emotions, but knew she was ready. She was so grown up in her own five year old way, and even though I was worried about her going off into the big, bad world, I knew she would be fine.

Through the summer, there was no doubt that Samantha was ready to go to kindergarten. She knew her letters and numbers, her uniforms were hanging in the closet and her backpack was filled with school supplies.  She even decided on her own that she would officially "Samantha" now, NOT Sam, or Sami, and followed through by learning to spell that long, long name.

The problem was, I wasn't ready.  I was clinging to the baby still there, the little girl who still wants to cuddle and calls me her best friend.  One day I overheard her telling Addi she could have her pillow for nap time in second grade, and Addi said, "We don't have naptime." When Sam (I'm sorry, SAMANTHA) responded, "OK Addi, you take it for your rest time," I couldn't breathe, let alone correct her and tell her that big girls don't have rest time either.

Three weeks ago I sucked up my fears and took this big girl to kindergarten. I kept waiting on her to need me, and to cry, and to show me the baby still there.  But all I saw was this.

Someone forgot to tell Samantha that she's supposed to be a baby still. 

Really smooth, Steph

Top 3 Most Embarrassing Moments in My world, corporate America style

3. Addi calling our VP "fat" during a race for charity.

2. Walking into the men's room accidentally (and seeing my coworker)

2 1/2: Walking into the men's room 2 more times that same week.

1. Calling a video guy and asking him to produce a 30 second clip for me. After explaning to him what I needed he said, "I really don't understand what you need from me."  I said, "Well, you are the producer, right? Your boss said to call you?" and he said, "No, I report to the Vice President. I'm the controller for the company."

Oops.