Soccer

Today was Josh's soccer game. And, just as I thought, it was good for a few laughs.

Josh scored a goal while warming up and that was incredibly exciting. He definitely has his victory moves down.
Here they are in action. The teams are co-ed and the kids are all pretty little. I think just about every kid on each team scored at least one goal (Josh included), and one little girl on our team scored close to 10 goals.One down, seven to go.

Funny: Part way through the game, Josh started putting his arms up in the air and yelling, "I'm open!" over and over again. It was pretty funny to watch him running up and down the field shouting his availability. Naturally, kids this age don't understand passing the ball and one generally passes to someone in better position, so he didn't ever get the ball that way.

Not so Funny: While Josh was sitting out, he was cheering on his team and yelled, "Go White Team! Win!" (since they were the away team, they wore white jerseys today) A parent nearby said loud enough for us to hear obviously, "Well, that wasn't nice!" And I would agree with this parent, if Josh had said, "I hope you die, scum-sucking Black Team!" But, since he didn't, I couldn't see the problem. Oh well, now we enter the realm of snarky soccer parents.

While Josh is Away...

Having only two kids at home is easier in most ways. But, Michael misses his playmate and has started in on asking, "Where are we going today?" and "Who is coming over today?" every day. Just in case I was missing having Josh here to say that, I guess. And while Josh and Michael play most of the time and fight sometimes, Michael and Ben mostly just fight. This morning, Michael pinched Ben with toy pliers and then Ben took Michael's spot on the couch. A little bit later, Ben whacked Michael with a toy so Michael kicked Ben in the face. Unless I have something planned for the day, I usually just end up refereeing the Michael-Ben smackdown the entire time.

After a few hours of this on Tuesday morning, I called my friend and asked her if she woke up that morning thinking that she would love to drop off her 3-year-old at my house. Luckily enough, she had so we had Michael's friend Jake over for several hours. That little boy saved my sanity that day.

On Wednesday, we finally got to attend Preschool Orientation. Michael has been looking forward to this since Josh's first day of school. Which is why he huddled in a little ball in the corner after we got there and refused to deal with any of the teachers. Luckily, this was nothing Miss Tiffany, some Rescue Heroes and Jake (again! love this kid!) couldn't solve. Hopefully, when he starts preschool next week he will be happier to go. In any case, after orientation we went to the park with Jake and his mom and had a great time. Here is a picture of these silly boys who wanted to swing in the baby swings.

Today (finally Friday), we went for a walk with my friend and got to enjoy this beautiful weather. And, I was able to capture on film (on an SD card, rather) this happy moment with Michael and Ben. They really do love each other, they are just caught in a battle to the death for ultimate dominance and sometimes that strains their relationship.

On Strike

I was trying to lose weight, but now I am on strike.

It all started on Tuesday. It would have started on Monday, but Monday was a holiday and we all had the day off. Which meant that the doctor's office had the day off as well. Which is why they called me on Tuesday instead of Monday. Not that any of that matters really.

Or, maybe it would be more accurate to say it started last Thursday. Last Thursday is when I went to go see the doctor. The doctor whose office called me on Tuesday instead of Monday. Which is why I am on strike.

I can't pinpoint anything before that point because I have never bothered to ask specific questions because the answers never mattered to the other doctors.

I am on strike because what the doctor's office told me is the VERY LAST THING I expected to hear. I was literally on the verge of tears. Looking back, I feel badly for the nurse who had to call to give me the news. I was a little desperate sounding.

To explain it all: I have hypothyroidism. In the succinct words of a boy I dated in college - the one that makes you fat. Having spent the better part of the last 7 years exhausted and the last 8 months utterly exhausted as we have experimented with other medications, I found a new thyroid doctor who listens. He was great. He said those magical words, "Everyone has a level that their body is happy at, no matter what the average ranges are. I want you to be at that number and to feel good." I thought I had died and gone to medical heaven. So, I happily let them draw my blood secure in the knowledge that he would be willing to do what no other doctor would do and up my meds.

And then came the phone call. The nurse told me my number. It wasn't pretty. And it wasn't anywhere near what could conceivably be a hypothyroid number. It was, in fact, a hyperthyroid number. That's right. I have been medicating myself into hyperthyroidism.

HYPERthyroidism.

The one where people LOSE weight. Where they CAN'T gain weight.

Wow. What would that be like?

I think this is freakishly unfair. I have a bunch of other unpleasant hyperthyroid symptoms, but I am still fat. I get to lower my medication because really only thyroid cancer patients should have my numbers.

After I talked to the nurse, I went and ate some Nutella. Because, really, what is the point? I can't win either way. I realize I am being a little bit childish about this, but for now I am strike.

Thanks, Earl!

I am sure that Tropical Storm Earl caused some people a great deal of difficulty and damage, but I owe him a great big THANK YOU for the marvelous weather we had as he headed up north. Today was gorgeous. Today was the kind of day that restores my faith that Virginia is habitable by humans.

Naturally, we had to enjoy this day with some sort of outdoorsy activity. So, I took the boys on a hike. We don't do that very often. It is just too gross here. But today was different, so I took them to a local state forest and we trekked. We didn't trek very far because I was flying solo on this activity and had absolutely no intention of carrying more than one child back to the car. Ben mostly rode/screamed his head off in the carrier and the older boys walked under their own power the entire time. I guess that makes this a 66% successful endeavor. Ben hasn't been in the carrier for so long though, I think that he needs to get used to it again. In any case, no one was injured and that always makes me happy.

The other reason why we don't hike in Virginia very often is that I am terrified of two things commonly found here: TICKS and POISON IVY. The ticks are tiny here and some of them carry lyme disease. Ugh. And, despite my research on the internet and help from Virginia natives, I cannot for the life of me identify poison ivy among all the other leafy (3 or otherwise) green plants that grow everywhere. Ack. So far as I know, we haven't had a run in with either of these things, but I am sure it is only a matter of time.

Littlest Savage

He cleans up pretty good, huh?

I Didn't Know

The things I didn't know about parenting or kids could fill a book. Or two. Or a set. Or a library. Something the size of the Library of Congress. Some of these discoveries have been amusing, some startling and some are a little bit disturbing.

Here are some examples:

1. When my kids get really tired, they get louder and faster. This seems counterintuitive to me. When I get tired, I want to sleep or, at the very least, lie down. And being tired never, ever makes me want to be louder. And yet, when the boys start running laps and yelling at the top of their lungs, I know they are exhausted and tears are soon to follow. Mine and theirs most likely.

2. There is an infinite number of irritating noises that kids can make. Just when I thought they couldn't possibly make any noises worse than they already are, they figure out another sound to drive me crazy. The latest is Michael's "Baby Jaguar" growl. Jason heard him making that noise over the phone and was completely startled and wanted to know what in our house was making that sound.

3. Related to that, Michael thinks that if he stops making noise, he is going to die. Not that he has said as much, but he acts as though that is the case. He isn't actually talking with actual words most of the time, but just making incessant noise. Noisy noise noise noise noise. It doesn't stop. Ever. It is so wearing. I grew up in a relatively quiet home, but my kids are not getting that same experience.

4. The boys are cold-blooded. Not figuratively, but literally. I know that this directly contradicts conventional wisdom when it comes to mammals, but is it true. I discovered this at the pool. When they get out of the water and have to walk to the changing room, they move at an infinitesimal rate. Their blood is so sluggish in their cold state that they can barely move. They shiver and shake and take teensy weensy steps.

5. Boys really are BOYS. I went to a liberal university where I was taught that gender is socially constructed. I was taught that parents impose their ideas of gender on their children and that if parents treat kids the same and give them the same toys, then girls and boys will be the same. Wrong! My boys came obsessed with toys that have wheels. I showed them lots of "girl" Disney movies and they were never interested in movies until I showed them Thomas the Tank Engine. I have given them dolls with which to play and they aren't all that interested. But, they love guns. Everything is a gun. I don't particularly support it, but there is not much I can do about it. I did not make them this way, they came that way.

6. When it comes to kids' shows, it really can get much worse than Barney. I led a rather sheltered life when it came to children's shows and thought that Barney was the most irritating show inflicted on children. And Barney really is very irritating. Very. But, in the scheme of things, it is pretty tame. We didn't have cable, so I never saw what cable had to offer in the area of mind-sucking, brain-mushing TV. I'll refrain from mentioning any specific shows as I have probably offended someone with my Barney bashing, but I am sure most parents can think of a show or two that match my description.

Rooms Reassigned

We have a little problem. A cute, little problem. A cute, little, early-rising problem. His name is Michael and he has a hard time staying in bed in the morning. That is not so much a problem as is the fact that he feels the need to drag Josh out of bed with him. During the summer, when all of us were able sleep in until the late hour of 7 am, we had it pretty much under control. However, since Jason has been going to work early in the morning, Michael has been getting up earlier and earlier. He was waking Josh up too and Josh would stumble downstairs with his blanket around him telling us how tired he was and that he just wanted Michael to leave him alone to sleep.

These days, I am very invested in Josh getting enough sleep. Going back to school is exhausting. His allergies have started acting up as well and that takes a toll on his body. So, the other day I had the idea that we should put our sleepers, Josh and Ben, in the same room and let Michael get up early in his own room. I admit, it seemed a little silly at first because one would think that that eldest child (considering that we have three of the same gender) should probably get his own room first. Being a first child myself, that seemed right. But, I didn't have any control over the personalities of my kids or the order they came in, so I had to change my thinking. I mentioned this plan to Jason Sunday afternoon. Much to my surprise, he said, "Let's do it now."

So, we did.

It was a much bigger project than it appeared. It was easy to decide that Ben should be moved to Josh's room and Michael moved to the other room. It was a lot of work to take the bunk beds apart, move one bed to the other room, take the crib apart and move it into the other room, move the changing table to the basement, move the dresser into the other room, move the couch into our room, move our bed over to make more room, and move the table into the other room. I am thinking that perhaps since we haven't moved houses in 3 years that maybe we just needed to get the urge to move out of our systems by rearranging the top floor. Craziness.

Here is Josh and Michael's room before:

And here is Josh and Ben's room afterwards:

I realize that spartan might be a word used to describe the decor. I keep thinking we aren't going to stay here long so I don't want to invest in decorating the rooms. Of course, I have been thinking that for three years now.

Here is Ben's room before:

Yeah, it's a bit of a wreck. I am not going to post pictures of my room because it is also a wreck. However, as the Mom, I reserve the right to have the messiest room in the house. So there.

And here is Michael's room afterwards:

We took down all the pictures of Ancient Egypt that Jason had on the walls so that Michael wouldn't destroy them or start to worship the old gods.

The boys all seem happy with the arrangement and Josh has been able to sleep until 7 am every morning since the change. I love it! A funny story about this change: While we were rearranging the furniture, Josh was talking on the phone to Nana. He told her about the changes we were making. He said, "Guess what, Nana? Ben and I are going to share a room. And Michael gets his own room. Except, Mommy and Daddy are going to stay in their room because they like sharing a room."