This was the 1st year in the Baum's history that these children weren't the new kids on the 1st day of school. Wahoo! Jace and I felt like real parents. I dropped Noah off near the playground and yelled a farewell "Good Luck!" out the window. Surely someone will show him where to find Mrs. Baldwin's classroom? I love that kid.
But at the Intermediate school, when I started climbing out of the car, Macy gently let me know that I didn't need to walk her in this year.
"Are you sure?"
"Ya."
"Ok then. Have a good day."
"I will."
"Be brave. Smile. You have everything? See you after school. Watch for cars. Don't cry. Look for other little girls that need a friend. Mrs. Ward will be so nice, just watch and see. Have fun."
I don't think she heard half of it. Tears streamed down my face as I watched her walk into a new chapter of her life. Why are girls so different? I'm going to be a basket case if that girl ever decides to marry off.
And somehow I got suckered into participating in a Joy School group for this little guy this year. I hope I'm still able to sing "Oh, boy I got joy!" after the first week of them at my house. Why can't I be a good Mormon mom and speak softly to my children and set up craft time in the afternoon and teach them piano? At times my weaknesses are made so clear to me (i.e. Joy School Mother's meeting). But Ezra is having a ball. I truly miss him and his clamming presence when he is gone. I asked him awhile ago what me and his father did to deserve such a sweet boy? He said, "nothing." And he is exactly right.
11 Months
I'm so not ready for her to be a year old.
How did that happen so fast?
We still have so much to work on. She still is not sleeping thru the night. My jeans should fit better after a year. She should love to eat regular food. She should not be nursing 9 times a day and night still. Her 3-6 month old clothes should long ago been put away.
I inserted myself into her milestone pictures this month. It only seemed appropriate. Me and Mikael. We are thick as thieves. When I'm on the computer - she is laying on the keyboard. When I'm sweeping - she is doing snow angels in the dirt pile. When I vacuum, she is following while chewing on the cord. When I am showering - she is climbing the bathtub walls. You get the picture.
I love this chic. I know it sounds like I might feel sorry for myself a lot when I talk about this baby that exhausts a lot of my time and energy but don't pity me. She is a ray of sunshine in our lives. I married her father because of his enthusiasm for life, his curiosity, his desire to learn and be better and his love for me. Mikael is her father's child. She does not know how to sit still or sleep for long periods at a time. There is so much to see! And do! I'm jealous and in awe of her spunk and her ability to steal the show at any given minute and make the room fall in love with her. And I'm completely flattered at her love for me. I'm a lucky girl.
AND...No one told me that hearing loss was a potential side effect when removing one's tonsils out. I want my old Noah back. I know he's going deaf because he can't seem to hear a word I say and doesn't seem to notice Ezra's screaming while torturing him. Ok, so it's probably selective hearing loss but hearing loss all the same. Those two will either learn to really like each other with the absence of their sister or.....I'll have to move out.
They seriously dressed in the aprons themselves and are carrying around clipboards/markers with all this exciting "chore" talk. They looked thrilled. How long do you think those smiles are going to last?
The appointment today by the way was a diasaster. What was I thinking taking both my boys at nap time and then what turned into be lunch time? The Dr. kept us waiting almost an hour. I thought the nurses were going to have to turn me into CPS. Ezra was eating things out of the trash can and screaming when ever Noah got within 3 feet of him(the room, by the way, was 5 feet wide). Noah was riding the stool on wheels back and forth (you know the one that every Dr's office should hide when children are in the room?) and looking for snacks in every cabinet. I promised the office staff that I would not be scheduling his pre-op or post-op appointment during nap/lunch time again. They smiled kindly like they understood and bid us all farewell.
I drove as fast as I could to the nearest eating establishment - Samari Sam's- for my rice eating Noah. We had just sat down with the food, when who should walk in? You guessed it. Two of the nurses who had just bid us farewell. I looked up and tried to smile. I told them, "I am so sorry you have to now spend your lunch hour with us. Would you all just sit across the restaurant over there, so you won't have to listen to him (refering to Ezra) scream all thru your lunch?" They laughed politely. And not kidding, 5 minutes later, Noah proceeded to spill a newly filled orange soda all over the table, Ezra, and the floor. About 3 employees appeared from the back with mops, buckets, a "Caution Wet Floor" sign, and towels. As I walked wet napkins to the trash, I passed the nurses and one of them said to me, "It's just not your day. Tomorrow will be better. And we have seen way worse children if that makes you feel better." No, it didn't make me feel better and no, I didn't tell that tomorrow won't be any better either. Ezra will scream on and off ALL day. Noah will find something not intended to be ridden and ride it into a wall or sibling. And I'm sure I'll find something else to interrupt Ezra's nap and delay an all important meal time. And I will probably yell at some point. And I will probably get another headache around 6pm. But I will love being those 2 rowdy boy's mother (Macy's too) and I will try to remember that these are the best days of my life. My children are my heart and right now I am their world. I wouldn't trade that for anything...including a quiet lunch out where the beverage stays standing and no one has to place "Caution" signs around my table. My time's a comin'.