Soccer

Nathan had his first soccer game on Saturday. I was a little concerned about how he would enjoy soccer as he complained when he heard that I signed him up for it. However, he complained when I signed him up for t-ball but he always had fun when he was at the games.

He had a lot of fun and tried many positions. He was even goalie although he told me that he did not like that postion. He said it was too boring and lonely being goalie.

Sleep-deprived

Bruce left Thursday morning to go to Bristol, TN for the NASCAR race with my Dad, brother-in-law and uncle. On Thursday evening, on Nathan's second day of school, he went in the living room after eating dinner to watch TV. I was in the kitchen cleaning up when Darren walks in the kitchen from his bedroom to ask where one of his toys was. I told him that I did not know, so he needed to ask Nathan. He runs into the living room and comes back immediately. He told me that he couldn't ask Nathan as Nathan was sleeping. What? It was only 6:40! I debated on what I should do. Do I wake him up? Do I let him sleep and take the chance that he sleeps all night? I finally decided that I was going to let him sleep as it is hard work to be in school all day. If he got up in the middle of the night, I knew he would turn on the TV and watch TV until he fell alseep again.

Last night (Sunday) he was sleeping on the couch by 7:30. I know that was because he was up at a party at Mom's house (the party was because Dad and grandpa weren't home) until 11:30 or so and then he was up again at 7:30 am. About 4:00 yesterday afternoon I could tell that he wanted to take a nap, but I told him that it was to late in the day for a nap and too early to go to bed for the night. So I tickled him and tried to get him to wake up enough so that I could kick him outside.

When I asked Nathan why he was so tired, he told me very solemly, "It is hard work going to school all day"

First day of 1st grade

This morning Nathan was already complaining that he doesn't want to go to school. I told him that we couldn't start dragging his feet about going to school on the first day of 1st grade already! He has twelve more years of school. I can't listen his whining and complaining every day I told him.

Later that morning when they were all climbing in the van for the ride to daycare, I remembered that I did not take Nathan's first day of school picture. I made him unbuckle his seatbelt and get out. He was asking why he needs his picture taken on the first day of school. I told him that I am going to take his picture on the first day of school every year. He asked in awe, "Even when I am in the sixth grade?" I told him that I would take a picture every year, "even when you are in high school." He seemed amazed by that.

School open house

On Monday evening the entire family went to the school to talk to Nathan's teacher and check out his classroom. On the way home, Darren said that we have to go to his school now. We asked him where his school was. His reply? "In Dayton." What?

Good (Bad?) Parenting 101

Here it is. I am going to spill some of my good parenting tips.

Justin and Darren typically take a bath together. Sometimes I don't think about it and leave a bottle of shampoo or a bottle of body wash in the shower stall. When I do that, one of the boys (I am sure that Darren taught Justin so I am not sure who to blame) will take the bottle and empty the entire thing in the tub so that they get bubbles and now have a squirt gun. Rather than wash them up, I just wash their hair and get them out of the tub after a half hour of playing. Depending on how much they have rolled around and dunked their head, sometimes I don't even wash their hair!! I figure the water to soap ratio is really high and they have just cleaned themselves.

This is not so much good parenting as lack of organizational planning. The other day Justin ran out of diapers and my emergency supply was also depleted. He wore swim diapers that day to daycare.

Brother

In the past few months I have noticed that Justin does not call his brothers by name, he just says "brothers."

Justin: "Where is brother?"
Me: (knowing that he is talking about the brother that is not sitting next to him) "Which brother?"
Justin: "Brother!"

Justin: "Brother hit."
Me: "Which brother?"
Justin: "Brother!"

I know he knows his brothers name, but I rarely hear him say them.

Still here

I know that it has been a while since I have posted and I apologize for that. There just never seems to be enough time in the day. Look for some new posts in the next few days as Nathan gets ready to go back to school on Wednesday.

Learning to drive

Nathan has recently taken it upon himself to inform me when I am about out of gas. Just this past Tuesday I got a new van and the fuel gauge is on the other side of the display panel. This morning Nathan tells me, "Mom, your gas is on C. What is C?" I told him C stood for cold and that meant that the engine was cold. He immediately realized then that the H stood for hot and informed me that was what the H was for. I told him that the fuel gauge was on the other side and then he informed me that I was less than halfway to empty. Thanks for watching my back!