Activities anyone?

You know the kids you read about that "need a break" when they graduate from high school due to their life being totally over-scheduled in their youth? Meet James. He will be touring Europe, Eurrail pass in hand, dothing N.O.T.H.I.N.G. and debating (!) college and it will all be due to our one year here in Montgomery.

It's just so easy here - nothing's more than 15 minutes away, Molly's pretty flexible, and Brian works a 4 hour day (at most!) so he's available for schlepping.

Here's James' current schedule:

Monday - school 9-1, taekwondo 4-4:30

Tuesday - school

Wednesday - school, big green bus 1-1:30, taekwondo 4-4:30

Thursday - school, soccer practice 6-7pm

Friday - school

Saturday - soccer game 9-10am

Sunday - math intensive, focusing on long division and Pythagorean's Theorem (JUST KIDDING!... about the long division)

If you've ever met James, then you know he NEEDS the outlets. He needs the activity and the instructor/teacher who's not his mom.

Here's where we stand. He asks me to "sign him out" of soccer every other day and he loves the big green bus and taekwondo. He's surprisingly bad at soccer (all you have to do is run towards the ball and kick it) and even more surprisingly - good at taekwondo, which involves a 30 second (!) meditation moment where he sits absolutely still and quiet. Wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

Here are the pics you can throw in my face when I cry to you that my 18 year old son "doesn't take life seriously", "isn't interested in college" and "needs more money."

First soccer game...

...although they don't keep score at this age or in this league, let me tell you - we lost 5 to 0.

Buddy Haydn (#3) is on the team.

James asked me (again!) to sign him out of soccer after the first game because he "didn't score any goals." So, a CostCo ice cream was in order.

The Big Green Bus is like Gymboree on wheels.

No, it doesn't move while they're on it.

Oy, if I had a dollar for every person who asked me that...

BEFORE his first taewkondo lesson. he wanted to show me "his karate."

Please note Molly innocently walking in on the action....

Doh!

Love you anyway.

First lesson:

I would like to know: where is the cross-country running league for preschoolers?

THAT'S what we need.

The Price I Pay

James teaches Molly to WALK ON WATER.

Yes, I am well aware that, instead of correcting the situation, I was taking pictures of it.

You're welcome.

First Days of School

Last year: James went three days, three hours a day

This year, James goes five days, FOUR hours a day AND Molly goes two days, four hours a day = we're paying $20 LESS than last year. LOVING Alabama!

Their school, Vaughn Forest Preschool is no joke. It's very organized and is definitely getting the kids ready for real school. James walks into class at 9am and immediately sits down to "table work." QUIET table work. Didn't think it was possible. He is writing his letters (upper and lower case) and is being held to a pretty strict (in a good way) behavioral policy.

Molly has four hours of play time with her best friends, twins Gracie & Maddie (more on them later), lunch, and love love love from her teacher, Miss Keke. She had some tears on the first day, but now she walks right into class with a big hug for Miss Keke.

The Price I Pay

I am starting a new thread of blog posts entitled "the price I pay...." It's a visual momento of the price I pay for getting ready in the morning. And by "getting ready", I mean, brushing my teeth, washing my face and putting in my contacts. You know, hours and hours of luxurious pampering that result in me looking like I just walked out of a salon..... Ha!

In order to get this done, I have to let the kids be on their own for what seems like 2 minutes, but the result looks like I have left them at home, unsupervised, ALL DAY.

This was last week's "shoe store/doctor visit" in which they take out all of my shoes and "treat" each other with the (sealed) contents of their travel toiletry bag.

Just to get my contacts in, people.

So I can see!

Montgomery Mamas

Also known as the "pool ladies." I have 8 or so new besties in Montgomery. We met IN THE POOL in early July and together, we have survived the heat of an Alabama summer, getting to know a new town and, most challenging - our children.

The week before school started, we had an activity intensive. We did the zoo, a trolley ride around downtown Montgomery, the MOO-seum (seriously, it's a museum about beef), the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, and an inflatable play center. We topped it all off with something I "coyned," The Hub & Grub. It's a potluck dinner, bring some grub and bring your hub. With 500 students at Brian's school, there's a chance that none of our husbands would have met and now the Hub & Grub is a weekly tradition.

And now some random memories from Survival Week:

Here's Nan. She has twin girls, Molly's age and what she really needs is ONE MORE KID slowing her down. Thanks Mol.

This was the zoo trip. I think, when we told the kids we were going, what they really heard was, "would you like to go play in some trees and ask for snacks every ten SECONDS?"

The trees:

The snack begging:

and, of course, the very crowded, very hot train ride.

Trolley ride to the MOOseum...

I couldn't make this up if I tried... it's a museum.

About BEEF.

This is the steak wallpaper in the Mooseum kitchen.

James & Haydn made use of the refrigerator....

James & I had to have a LONG conversation about this cow and why he looked alive, but obviously wasn't and also "where did his back half go?"

My fruitless attempt at a group shot.

Keeping busy on the capitol grounds while waiting for the trolley...

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has a GREAT children's section. Unfortunately, they were not prepared for "Survival Week" and after our group arrived, they actually closed the doors to everyone else until we left. Bwa-ha-ha-ha.

Little boys at the first Hub & Grub.

It's a little bittersweet as I know our Air Force paths will not likely cross again, but it's fun for now!

They're Cousins....

... who WILL NOT look at the camera! aaargh!

It's no secret that we are LOVING living in Montgomery, but the icing on the cake is that Brian's aunt & uncle, his cousin Karen and her kids live about 30 minutes away in Prattville! It's been a LONG time since we lived near family!

We're looking forward to many more "family dinners" while we're here.

We Interrupt This Lapse In Blog Posts....

..... to report:

Look who's rocking pigtails now!

Good job growing hair, Molly.

Good job.