First Week of Summer 2015

It's hard to believe that our first week of summer is already over, and it's only June 7!!!  Summer is my busiest time, so I don't get to take a lot of time off with Tate, but luckily I do have 3 day weekends which allow for some impromptu day/weekend trips if we'd like.

Of utmost importance to me for Tate's first summer out of school was that it be as unstructured as possible.  I want him to just play, play, play as much as he can.  I don't think he needs to be working on learning a foreign language, I don't think he needs to prep for 1st grade, I don't think he needs to be sitting in a classroom doing math and reading problems.  I think he needs to get outside and have fun.  Or be inside and have fun.  He has his whole life to learn.    

There are only 2 things I want him to learn this summer: 

Learn how to tie his shoes.

Learn how to ride a bike without training wheels.

Everything else is just icing on the cake.

So he's going to mostly 'fun' camps.  I've actually signed him up for a lot of half day camps which is a great expense to me, because I'm having to pay his nanny to pick him up and take care of him.  But it's totally worth it to me.  They can go to the zoo, to the library, to the Children's Museum, to the park.  They can play outside...(read she can help him learn to ride the bike :) ).  They can have playdates with his friends, they can go to the spray park, they can even come meet for lunch sometimes!!!  So that's my unstructured summer plan...a whole lot of fun.

Tate did make a bucket list at the end of the school year for the summer;  I'll have to add that to my own bucket list for us in my next post!

Last Saturday we had our last Soccer Shots session;  I doubt we'll do it again in the fall...we've so loved this organization.  Tate started with them when he was 3 years old at his old daycare, and we started the weekend classes when he was 3 1/2 (while he continued the weekly classes at daycare).  We've truly enjoyed them, but I think I'm going to try to move to league soccer in the fall.

OOF...right in the face!

Saturday night I got to have a mommy night out with my tribe while Nanny S babysat.  I braved a torrential rainstorm and possible flooding to get there...all well worth it!!

The first Sunday of summer started off with church!  Tate loves helping with the collection plate...

After church we met some old college friends for lunch then came home and just hung out!!  Love hanging out with my little guy!

Monday morning it was time for Zoo Camp!  It starts after I'm at work, so Nanny S came over each morning and took Tate when camp started.  As always I'm a nervous wreck due to his food allergies especially when I'm not the one taking him to camp..I feel like I'm a lot more pushy and informed, but I had to have faith that Nanny S would rely my concerns.  Thankfully, we've done this camp two summers already, and I hoped the staff would remember Tate (and they did!)  He wasn't doing camp with any of his friends, but as always my outgoing little boy made some friends and had a fabulous time.  He came home with lots of crafts, lots of stories of feeding the giraffes, seeing a sea lion show and riding the carousel.  It's an all day camp; Nanny S picked him up as well.  However, I got to take him on Friday, and oh my goodness he was so happy, and so proud.  He told everyone who would listen that his mommy was bringing him that day!  And his smile was just huge.  My sweet boy.

Here he is at drop-off the first day...

Drop-off on Friday...

He was also so excited to show me this little song they learned!!

He proudly showed me the aquarium his group made and we had to be sure to say good-bye to the lion and elephant!

We then drove out to the burbs to go to my friend's daughter's high school graduation party, the one I mentioned in the other post.  We had such a lovely time.  Tate had an absolute blast.  He played and played!

Ready to go to sleep in the car on the ride home!!

Saturday the 6th was my dad's 75th birthday!  In true Daddy style there was no hullabaloo.  He didn't want a big to-do.  He didn't want a lot of fuss.  He doesn't enjoy going out to eat or anything like that.  So since it was his big day we had sandwiches and cake at my parents' house.  Everyone came, and it was a lovely day.  Oh and no pictures either...my dad thinks we take too many pictures.  I am kind of sad that we have no photos to mark the occasion, but again he's the boss!  I have the memories in my heart and mind...that's what's important.  The cousins played outside, we girls hung out inside and my dad was happy.  Tate and I spent the night and I got to hang out with my mommy last night.

All in all I think it was a fantastic first week of summer!!!

My Plus One

Last night Tate and I went to one of my friend's daughter's high school graduation party.  D and I have been friends since we were 10 years old and in the 5th grade together.  37 years of friendship!!!  Isn't that amazing?!  We're not super close friends, we don't hang out or even chat on the phone, ever. But when I started practicing by their house, she brought her girls to me, and I was their dentist for 10 years!  Our mothers worked together at our neighborhood elementary school, and our parents now attend the same church.  All that to say that we don't have any friends in common from our adult lives, but several from our growing up years.

So last night D and her husband threw a huge, lovely bash for their daughter, S.  I figured I wouldn't know anyone, but I wanted to support D, S and their family.  That's what friends do, right?  Even friends you don't see or hang out with.  Friends who you know that when you need them, they would be there in a heartbeat to pray with you, hold you and care for you like you had hung out every day for a year.  That's the kind of friends we are.  So I went with my little boy.

My plus one.

Prior to him being in my life, I would have dreaded this kind of thing.  Because even though I know the hosts, they can't babysit me at their party.  I hate mingling with strangers.  I am not one to walk up to people and insinuate myself in their conversations.  I may have gone to this party pre-Tate, but I would have been much less comfortable.

Now I get to walk in with my happy boy who ran straight outside to play on the swingset.  I got to follow him outside and push him on the swings while surveying the partygoers.  And D was great being sure to introduce me to people and explaining our connection to everyone.  And who doesn't love to talk about their kids....so I heard about all the upcoming graduates and where they're going to college, while I shared tales of kindergarten shenanigans and summer camps for my 5 year old.

But most importantly, I finally have a plus one.  Someone who I can talk to while I eat, someone I can hang out with when I don't know another soul in the room, someone who will laugh at my jokes and someone who wants to be at my side.

Part of me is so very happy to have my plus one.

Yet, part of me is so very scared to have my plus one be my child.  Because he won't always be my plus one.  Oh my goodness, that thought brings such fear and sadness to my heart, it almost paralyzes me. Because I know it's going to happen much sooner than later.  I can hardly type for that realization.  I'll have to go back to going to events alone.  Heck, I'll throw events, and my plus one will be in the room, yet I'll be alone.    

I have to stop now.  

I have to live in the now.

I have to enjoy him now.

I have to soak up this time now.

I have to embrace our relationship now.

I have to love him (and myself!) now.

All there is, is now.

I have to remember....I have my plus one.  For now.

Last Day of Kindergarten

Friday was Tate's last day of kindergarten.

I have so many mixed emotions I don't even know where to start.  I can't believe he's going into 1st grade, though I think the transition to 2nd grade is going to be harder.  I still think of 1st graders as being little boys, little people.  2nd grade just seems so much more like real school.  I can't even bear to think of that right now, and thankfully I don't have to.

So my sweet little boy has finished kindergarten.  The last day was one big Tate celebration!!  I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home at 5:15!!

Here's my sweet boy ready for the last day of school!

I asked him what he wanted to get his teacher as an end of the year gift, and he was very specific...'cut flowers and chocolate hearts.'  That's what we got her, as well as a pair of cool earrings :)

The morning started with Lower School Prize Day at 8:15am.  Every single boy gets recognized and receives some sort of award;  apparently it's a tradition.  Our school also gives each boy a book :).  I love when Tate walks into assemblies when I'm there....the looking around for me, the shy grin when he sees me and then the absolute joy of seeing his mother in the audience.  I could just scrunch him up and hug him all day when I see that face.

Tate and some of his buddies!

After the presentation it was time to head out!  A bunch of the boys were getting together at another boy's house to play until it was time for the end of year Kindergarten bowling party.  Initially we were going to take the boys to a playground, but the torrential rain and flooding from last week prevented that.  I wasn't up for hanging out at someone's house so much, so was going to drag Tate to Target with me.  However, another mom asked if Tate could come over and play for a bit...she wanted her son out of her hair so she could get some things done around the house, and it's much easier when there's someone for him to play with!!!  Woo to the Hoo for me...I dropped Tate off and headed to Target alone!  Bliss!

Raced back to pick Tate up and we headed over to the bowling alley for noon!  The boys had a blast bowling and we parents just got to hang out.

After an hour and a half of bowling it was time for the end of season baseball pool party!!  Yes we had more celebrating to do!!  We were off to one of Tate's teammates home!!  I could barely walk by this point.  Combining my exhaustion with Tate's tears and crying because I had forgotten his goggles, and I was just about done.  I will admit I didn't handle his crying and whining about the lack of goggles well...it was hot, uber sticky and the mosquitoes were out in full force.  He ended up getting in the pool finally, albeit while freezing because he refused to submerge himself in the water which would have kept him warm.  But we made it though!!!

Gathered around the 'championship' trophy!

With that, summer had officially started.  Tate and I headed home, along with D who we took to the party.  We watched his new 'Cars' movie which I gave him as an end of the school year present and headed off to bed.  

I have a first grader.  

Mother's Day 2015

 Mother's Day.  A day I had hoped to celebrate for me for years and years;  I've so always wanted to be a mom.  This was my 6th Mother's Day!!  Because yes I count that year when I was pregnant...I loved every minute of being pregnant, every.single.minute.  I have never felt so beautiful, complete and connected to another human being...that's how I knew I was meant to be a mother.  I was completely fulfilled once I was pregnant. 

This Mother's Day weekend started with the Mother's Day Liturgy at Tate's school.  It was just lovely.  We sat together during the mass and then in the midst of it the boys stood up and sang 'You Are My Sunshine' to their moms.  The one song I've sang to Tate since he was born.  Well I haven't sang it to him at bedtime in about a year and a half, but it was the first song I sang to him when the nurse placed him in my arms in the hospital for the first time.  And I've started singing it to him every night again;  he was shy and embarrassed the first few times, but now I think he's loving it :).  It was sweet to look around and see the 7th and 8th grade boys struggling to be cool, yet wanting to love on their mamas by singing.  I only taped a few stanzas because I wanted to be able to just breathe in my sweet boy.  Oh my though I love Tate's face as he sings, the shyness, the embarrassment, his love...just beautiful!

Then the kindergarten and 1st grade boys sang 'You Are So Beautiful'...tears.  Just gorgeous.

My sweet boy also went up to the stage and got a rose for me...Love him so much!  

After some snacks he headed off to class, and I went off smelling my rose :)

Saturday we met our good friends for lunch at a lovely restaurant...it has a huge grassy play area outside for kids to play in and run about!  It's one of our most favorite places for lunch!  I just wanted to spend some time with N and R;  it's so important to me that Tate see strong, positive black mothers and to foster these friendships for him!   And our kids have a great time together!

One of the rare times Tate has picked up a bug!

He quickly exchanged the bug for a book!
Which I love!!!

On Sunday, Mother's Day, we went to church to the awesome worship service.  It was a lovely service, and we had a lovely time.  Even better the church gives all the kids a rose to give to their mothers as we leave the worship service!

That afternoon, we went to see another festive kid's play, 'Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing' with our friends S and her son P.  I invited my mom along as well as my sister Kellie and my nephew.  The boys loved the play;  it was really well done and actually quite funny!

My mom, Tate and I came home for dinner which I had prepared that morning.  Lindsey joined us as well.  I had made chicken spaghetti that morning.  Lindsey came to my house while we were still at the play to cook everything and get the table ready.  Even better, she had picked up a card for Tate to sign along with a little gift for him to give me...some scentsy chips for my warmer...yum.   

Three of my most favorite people!

It was a beautiful weekend which reminds me in the hectic pace of my life, the stress of all that's going on, more wrong than right these days, the worry and pain that I am truly content.  My life's dream has come true and because of that, all the worry, pain, stress and hecticness of my life is nothing but a blip in my life.  

This, this mothering, is what I was meant to do.  I'm so blessed that God deemed me worthy to raise this sweet soul.