Reality

With the first "week" (W-F until1:00) behind him, Ward was feeling pretty confident about school.  He didn't have any homeowrk and his "mean friend from last year" had been behaving well and had not bothered him.  Well, reality set in yesterday.  First, Ward will have homewokr EVERY DAY, Monday-Thursday.  It is not a lot, but it is something that I have to force him to do.  Last night it was practice writing his "A" and "a" five times (the hardest part about this is staying in the lines and getting the sizing right - this is particularly hard with the lower case letters) and count 1-20 five times.  We also have to read one book every night and keep a reading log.  Right now it is me reading to him but it will be him reading to me sooner than I think.  That will add some time to the homework routine.

Second, the "mean friend" pushed him down at the playground and made him cry.  He said that he told the principal (who he claims saw the whole thing) and he said that they didn't need to fight.  Ward sais taht he scared the "mean friend" who reciprocated by pushing Ward to the ground.  I hate to hear stories like that.  And I especially hate this kid.  Hate is probably too strong of a word - I dislike this kid, a lot.  He has been in Ward's class the past two years and I have heard stories like this over and over again.  He doesn't play nice.  He is a bully.  He is mean to Ward.  And I don't like him.  Period.

But back to the homework.  I have decided to make Ward do his homework when he gets home from school, before he can go out and play.  That seems kinda mean to me, however, since he just got home from school, but he is exhausted by 5 and I can't imagine trying to get anything done any later than that with the bath-dinner-bed routine.  It is too much.  Even for this super-mom (yes, I call myself super-mom, it gives me a little ego boost when I need it).

First day of school!

Well, it is officially here.  Ward started kindergarten this morning.  He was on cloud nine and could not wait to get in his uniform as soon as he woke up.  I was playing it up so much for Ward that I felt like I was leaving Ann Park out a little bit, but I quickly recovered and she was all smiles.  Kindergarten and 4K . . . where did all the time go?  At least I still have Sam!!!

While I was drying my hair, Ward got hold of the camera and took a couple of cute shots:

He loves self portraits

Ann Park struck a pose.

Then I made them go out on the front porch and model with their backpacks.  It was really hot (already) so we just got a couple.  Plus I felt a lump developing in my throat so we needed to get going!

Good intentions

So I totally meant to write this fabulous post all about our week at the lake with the Tuscaloosa Holts and post all my wonderful pictures.  But, as I am sure you have noticed, I didn't get around to it.  Instead, we had a great weekend of swimming, playing "house", lemonade stands, going to Ann Park's 4K class, and watching Sam struggle to walk.  (He is a LATE bloomer at almost 15 months!)  Ann Park also informed me that she has a boyfriend, whom she wants to marry and kiss.  Great. 

On another note, this week is a BIG week in the Holt household.  Ward starts kindergarten on Wednesday.  I can hardly believe it.  I feel like those long days and nights of the NICU were only a short time ago.  Five years goes by so fast!  He is still my angel and always will be.  No offense to my other kids as I love them dearly, but there is really something special between a mom and her first born.  He will always be the one who I had all my firsts with.  I promise to document the occassion as Ted is going to be out of town for work and will miss the first day . . . uniform and all.  (Most of you know that we are sending him to Catholic school as opposed to public, right?)  I am sure that I will shed a tear or two, but I will never let him see it.  I want him to have quiet confidence as he walks into that school on Wednesday.  It really is the first day of the rest of his life.  I was thinking that once you start school, you are in school for at least 17 more years.  And I have 20 more with law school included in there!

Here is a little walk down memory lane (using pictures from my work computer so I don't have a ton!). . .

Summer 07

October 07

March 08

Summer 08

Fall 08

Age 4 - Fall 2009

Summer 2010

Just call it Wayne Manor

If you remember old cartoons (or happen to watch Boomerang, the retro-cartoon channel), you know what this post is about.  HINT: Wayne Manor was the name of Batman's house.  Of course you could have also read my status update on facebook.  But either way -- We had a bat in our house last night.  Oh yes, you read me right, a BAT.  Here is the play by play:

It was about 9:15, the kids were long-ago tucked in bed and I was quietly reading under the covers.  Ted had just finished up some work and was brushing his teeth in the bathroom.  All of a sudden, I see this shadow fly into our room and the cat goes crazy.  Was that what I thought it was?  Before I could really think (or even catch my breath as my adrenaline had kicked into high gear) I yell (quietly so as not to wake the kids, but loud enough to get Ted's attention) "BAT!" 

Ted kinda looked at me funny and seemed to be wondering what I was smoking. He asked me if I was sure about that (maybe it was a bird?) and I told him to go find the cat and he would find the bat.  He walked slowly down the hall (in his boxers) and then came back into the room and told me he didn't see anything.  I was not taking that as an answer.  I knew what I saw and I was not going crazy - not yet, at least.  I shoved him out of the door (I had locked myself in the room since I knew the bat wasn't in there - and don't worry my kids sleep with their doors shut so I didn't have to worry about the bat going in their rooms) and told him not to come back until the bat was out of the house.

Well, the next thing I hear is the swinging of something.  A couple of misses . . . and then, yes! contact.  The bat was hiding in the playroom (with the cat closely watching) and was hissing at Ted by the time the struggle began.  Ted used Ward's tennis racket (I am going to clean it very well, no worries) to smack that bat around for a little while.  Once the bat was down and stunned, I got Ted the dust pan and he scooped him up.  Although Ted placed the tennis racket on top of the bat-filled dust pan as a safety precaution, the little sucker somehow managed enough strength to try a stealth escape. But Ted came down with a grand overhead swing and popped him good - my hero.  Ted threw him out the hall window (that I had to open for him and then went squealing down the hall to our bedroom until it was out of the house) and that was that.

I only wish that we had some sort of big brother camera filming the whole thing.  Although I had a hard time sleeping last night, I am quite aware that the whole scene was rather comical and might have been able to win us some money on America's Funniest Home Videos.

When we got in bed Ted asked me what I would have done if he wasn't there (which is about 4-5 nights per month).  I didn't hesitate when saying that I would have woken up the kids and gone straight to my parents house.  Critter Control would have been called for an emergency removal.  Oh, and I that would have been one more thing to add to my list why he shouldn't travel so much.

So proud

As most of you know, one of my dearest friends and first college friend (we met in line at orientation) is Calder Britt Clark. She is a wedding designer, business owner, mother, wife, incredible friend, who lives in Charleston. Check out the newest addition to Calder's long to-do list. She never ceases to amaze me.

Get to Know Calder Clark

Burnout update

I forgot to given an update on my burnout situation (isn't that picture funny?).  To put it simply, I am still at a cross-roads.  I do think that vacation helped some, but I am still not feeling up to work right now.  I have lost that spark, drive, whatever you want to call it.  Plus, I am totally overwhelmed with Ward starting kindergarten and getting the new after-school routine (i.e. how am I to be in three places at one time - picking up Ward, taking Ann Park, and working) under my belt.  Oh and the whole taking them to school thing too is interesting.  Although Ted said that he would handle this, he likes to go to work too early too much and he is out of town a lot so I gotta get a plan there as well.  I am going to keep on keepin' on for a little while until things settle down and I am not so flustered and then re-evaluate.  Will keep you posted.

Don't worry 'bout me

Have you been missing me, my two to three readers out there?  Oh, I know, I know.  It's okay.  I didn't leave you for too long, now did I?  Ha!  But I am back from the week trip at the lake.  A little (okay, a lot) more tired than I was before I left, but that is the sign of a good vacation with seven kids and four adults, plus a babysitter, right?  Oh and I can't forget to tell you about the poison ivy in the crook of my elbow.  That was a present I did not want to take home.

I have lots of pictures and lots of funny things to report, but that is for another post.  But here is a taste of things to come:

1.  Ward jumped off a pretty high point on Chimney Rock.  The teenage years are not going to be good.
2.  Ward got up on skis (notice I didn't say that Ward actually skiied - he got up for about 5-7 seconds, which is pretty impressive in my book for a 5 year old).
3.  Ann Park did lots of "shows" for us, although I am pretty sure I don't have a future star in the making.
4.  We had a make-up and hair night and even the boys participated (good pictures for later, rehearsal dinner night use)
5.  Lots of swimming and canoeing
6.  Lots of cute pictures of Sam

Will post more later.

Burn out?

Sometimes I wonder if I should quit work for good.  I am in that state right now.  I usually think that way when I don't have much going on at work and I am just sitting at my desk, making up stuff to do to make the day go by (and remember that I only work 20 hours a week so it is not like I am here all the time).  But that is not the case right now.  I actually have a bunch of work.  Two summary judgments under submission and one coming under submission later next month.  So, in short, I have plenty to do. 

The problems is that I don't want to do it.  Take, for instance, the case I am working on now.  It is a business deal gone wrong and pretty complicated.  There are four claims and I really don't know much about the law in this area.  Normally that would be a good thing - a challenge.  I would have fun researching and trying to figure out the right result.  But I am not feeling that way.  I am bored.  I don't want to do it.  I don't really care.  I am apathetic to the whole thing.  Instead, I want to go home and play with my kids.  I want to go to the gym.  I want to have lunch with friends.  I want to do anything besides being here.

So what am I gonna do about it?  Well, nothing right now.  I am taking the week off next week and it couldn't come at a better time.  I am going to see if leaving htis place for a week and coming back after a good vacation changes my attitude.  Plus the kids will be starting school soon and we will all get back in the routine.  Hopefully things will go back to normal.  If not, Ted and I will have to have a sit down and reevaluate things.  

4 Years Old (well, almost)!

Ann Park had her 4th birthday party yesterday afternoon and is COMPLETELY convinced that she is already 4.  She doesn't quite understand that her real birthday is tomorrow and that she is not yet 4.  She told everyone all day yesterday that it was her birthday and she was 4.  She told people at church, at the grocery store, and especially at Walmart where she rode her big-gril bike that she picked out through the store to the check out line (sorry, Angela, no fancy bikes at the Holt household).

The parry was a bit of a fiasco, but she didn't seem to mind which is all that really matters.  It was supposed to be a swimming party from 4:00-5:30. Well the pool called at 3:30 and said they had just heard thunder, were making all the kids sit out for 20 minutes and that the golf shop had called saying there were bad storms in the area.  So I made the call to cancel the pool and had the kids over here.  Thank goodness 4 families had cancelled because it made it much more manageable.  Of course, it turned out to be the wrong call and there was not a bit of thunder, rain or even really clouds.  Just lots of humidity.  Oh well.  Here are some party shots:

practicing her hula before the party

Ward's bow and arrow that he got at the deer and turkey expo (notice Sam in the baby pool in all his clothes . . . nice, I know)

swinging

Sam playing in the ice

Nemo cake!

birthday princess!

"Happy birthday to you!"

blowing out the candles!

licking the icing off Nemo

kids eating cake!

yum!

Sam gets cake and ice cream!

climbing trees

a wet but happy Sam!

Swamped

So I haven't posted in a while because I really haven't had anything to say or comment on.  Instead, I am swamped up to my neck in work and Ballet Guild stuff.  For those of you who don't know, I am President of the Ballet Guild for 2010-11 - a job that I am excited about and know that I can do a great job.  (The Ballet Guild raises about $60,000 a year for the Alabama Ballet through an annual gigantic Ball.)  The problem is that getting everything organized and out to my people (i.e. other officers and chairmen of all the different committees) has proven to be more work than I signed up for.  First of all, and no offense to the President before me, the files and binders are A MESS.  I don't understand how some of the people even worked with them, much less figured out what they were supposed to do and not do.  Some of this is because people just don't care, and some of it is because people ran out of time, had babies and lost their minds, etc.  But now my OCD self is spending hours each afternoon and night organizing, purging, writing lists, etc.  It is very overwhelming.  Second, the girl who is in charge of getting the directory updated and printed (we have about 200 members, by the way) just had a baby last week - her first, so you know that she is a basketcase. The directory needs to be done by the middle of next month . . . in like 4 weeks.  So guess who gets to do it?  Me.  But, no worries, the excellent delegator that I am (one of the things I did learn through high school and college sorority - yes, I was in a high school sorority and President,  I might add), I have already recruited a girl to check the addresses, phone numbers and e-mails of half the girls.  That leaves me with the other half.  And finally, I have to write a newsletter, get it printed and mailed to the membership before Labor Day.  Fun stuff.

And then, not to moan, our social calendar has gotten a little packed.  It is mostly Ted's work stuff, which is fun, but I don't want to do it every night!  Take the next week for example, we have something for his work Thursday night, Friday night, Sunday afternoon (we are not going to this, however, because we have Ann Park's birthday party) and then next Tuesday night.  I mean give a girl a break!  And the poor kids have babysitters all of those nights.  At least we are heading to the lake for an entire week soon.  (We should be Rosemary Beach but we cancelled since they can't get in the ocean - I know, bad us, we should be helping the economy, etc., but you tell 7 kids that they can't get into the ocean for a whole week.)  Oh yeah, and we have 4 birthday parties in the next 6 days - some both kids are invited to, others just AP or Ward - one of those being Ann Park's birthday.  I hope I show up with the right kids.

Ummmm. . . what else?  I am tired just writing this.  And I wonder why I am not getting any sleep.