Something's Happening Here

I'm sitting here trying to come up with a post.  Hazel is watching Toy Story on abc family, Trey is out picking August up from his summer trip.  Have I told you about his trip yet?  Okay, so August wasn't doing his best in school last year.  We tried everything before we dangled the carrot- if he finished the year with no C's he could fly out to Cali to visit the Reynolds and the Mitchell girls.  We thought it was a long shot...but we should've known better.  He pulled some amazing grades and we bought the ticket.  The first part of the trip was spent with Aunt Anna where he skate boarded, swam, revved up a ferrari and visited some crazy big houses and much, much more.  And...they hunted down a real Banksy.  So cool.
The last part of the trip was spent with Uncle Scott and Aunt Amy where he took an animation class with his cousin Zane, went to the Tim Burton museum and much, much more.  I couldn't even keep up with all the cool things my boy got to do.  I'm so happy for him and so thankful to my California family for taking care of him.  He is home safe and in high spirits and is ready to go back.  While sitting at the kitchen table a few minutes ago he actually started making plans for next summer...if his grades are good.

Hazel, Trey and I spent part of the day purchasing supplies for my new classroom.  Yup.  You read that right.  After subbing for 7 years I finally have a classroom.  I'll be working with a great gal at Hazel's school teaching reading and writing to 1st graders.  It's a jobshare so I'll be working in the afternoon.  Hazel and I spent most of last week setting up the classroom and leveling books.  My extended family has been amazing and has sent boxes of books to fill the shelves that my neighbor built.  Uh, huh, our wonderful chicken neighbor came to the school and built shelves for the class.  The village has built this classroom, that's for sure.

In other news, Kat and her husband Justin and dog Royal are getting ready to move to Austin, TX.  We're going to have our last dinner with them on Monday.  It's a bummer because all of the events that I mentioned above have kept us very busy.  All the while, Kat and Justin have been packing up their belongings and the move date looms ever closer.  Soon they'll be on the road for an excellent adventure.  Austin is the right place.  Have you ever been there?  It's so cool.  They're going to have a great time out there...but the Many's will surely miss them.

So.  I know it's been a long time since the last post and I know I should put some pictures up, but my computer is so slow and it'd take me a half hour to open iphoto, so it's just not gonna happen this time.  But soon. 

Birds

The play is over!
Let me just say that again, the play...is over!
It was great working with Heather, I think this year was easier than last year and my hope is that next year will be even better. I'm looking forward to having lunch with Heather so we can talk through things we'd change and keep the same for next year.

I worked today and one 4th grade girl came up to me and said, "My days are so empty now that the play is over." I had to laugh a little because she sounded so down about that...I, on the other hand, am ecstatic!

Yesterday I walked the kids to school with the dogs. There was nothing on my schedule until pickup so we walked down to Green Lake and walked around it, then went to the off leash area for a while. By the time we got home it was almost noon. I did have to go into the school because even though the play is over there is still plenty of paperwork to wrap up. I should be finished with everything by the end of the week.

While the dogs and I were at Green Lake we saw a bald eagle. I've seen a few here and there but they are usually soaring. This one was just perched on a big ole tree.
I know it doesn't look like much through the lens of my phone but it really was quite something.

The other night I purchased an application called Hipstamatic for my phone. I think the pictures turn out pretty cool. Here are a few from the dog park:
I think that first one kinda looks like a ghost dog. And the green one looks like something out of Neverland (from Peter Pan, not Micheal Jackson...)

Ugh

You guys?
I am tired. I'm so tired that the kids are commenting on the bags under my eyes. They are asking if I'm okay. They are making mention of the wrinkles they suddenly notice on my face.
My children aren't doing this because they are mean spirited. They are doing it because they are just now noticing it.
So, why am I so tired, you ask? Well, not sure. Could be that Hazel is sick again. Could be that it's spring but it's not really spring. Could be that we have to fix our stinking chimney. Could be that the play is coming to a speedy end next week and we're in full speed. Could be that August is experiencing some difficulties at school. Who knows.
This parenting thing though, it's killing me. So many choices, so many decisions...I'm sometimes finding myself wishing we could fast forward through the middle school years. And I say that knowing full well that I'll want to fast forward the high school years. And then? I'll wish to go back in time, to relive all the sweet moments. All the times when Hazel needed me because she wasn't feeling well. I'll want to be in the moment when August reached out to hold my hand because he felt alone in the world.
I can sit here on this couch and know all these things and the only thing I feel right now is TIRED. And I want this part of parenthood to be OVER.

The Kids

I recorded this a few weeks ago but have been having problems uploading so I'm trying vimeo (thanks Tania...totally copied you!):
End of Year Project with August:

August from Jennifer Many on Vimeo.

Magic Trick by Hazel:

Hazel from Jennifer Many on Vimeo.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Well shoot! I had these great plans where I'd post a video everyday this week but the darn blogger thing just isn't working right and I can't get it to load the freaking things...I've tried for two nights people! It's just not working!!
Wait! I just uploaded them to YouTube and I think I can embed them here:


Tuesday really did nothing for us. School, laundry, crummy weather with the promise of warmer temps to come...



Today I had to hang around the house all day because we were supposed to get a couch delivered from IKEA for the downstairs room. I waited and waited and waited and then got a call about a half hour to the cut off time telling me that they were running an hour late. I couldn't wait past that time because August had an Ultimate Frisbee game so poor Trey had to leave work early to make sure we actually got the darn couch. Now we've never bought a couch from IKEA and I guess we thought that it would come assembled...ummm, nope! This freaking couch is in pieces on the ground. And, yup, that sound you hear coming from the downstairs room? Yup, that's Trey. Yup, he's using words that would make your ears bleed. Good Times!

Monday

There are times when things seem to be going along rather smoothly. During these times I have to pause and really notice them.
This afternoon the kids finished up their homework without much fussing...which is a rare thing round these parts. Once they were finished I suddenly realized that all was quiet still. I remember a time when quiet kids meant that they were getting into trouble, but these days, it's a wonderful sign. Silence means that they are both involved in something that is holding their interest:

SUNday

What a great day...weather wise anyway...August has officially entered into a very mouthy/attitude/gross phase. Every word that comes out of his mouth is loaded with some sort of mean spirited oozing substance that cuts to the bone.
Trey and I are trying to avoid confrontation with this new version of our son but it's hard to do this when every conversation leads to a fight.
He looks happy in this picture, right? But then his team lost...again...and BAM! Spawn of Satan.

But the weather was good. 72 degrees...that's perfect in my book.
Did some weeding while Trey took the dogs to the dog park. August had the backyard neighbor over to play wii while Hazel went to the other neighbors house to watch them while they put a chicken coop together. She's over the moon about little baby chicken being right over the fence.
And look! My first Lily of the Valley!!

Super Sunny Saturday

Didn't do much today.
Took the dogs to the dog park where Hazel and August complained that it was too hot...to which I quickly told them to zip it!
No games to attend, no practices to rush off to...just a nice relaxing Saturday.

We had a PTA event to attend in the evening and had a new kid sitter come by for the night. She brought her twin sister with her so the kids got some good one on one time with college girls.
Trey and I bought an evening out with some other school parents so we headed out for a little schmoozing. And then we went down to Crapital Hill and met up with some friends.

It was a good night.

Fabulous Friday

I wore a bright orange dress on Friday.
Hazel picked it out for me saying that I wore too much black and why couldn't I "just wear some color sometime?" So we looked in my closet and sure enough...loads of black and very few colors. The next time I went shopping I brought Hazel with me and told her that she could pick a dress. She picked a bright orange dress.
The weather was beautiful on Friday so I thought I'd go for it and put it on after my workout...
It's actually hard to know if it was a hit because the folks at school were probably just shocked to see color on me, but while I was distributing DVDs from the play I was bombarded with compliments. The dress was from the gap and unfortunately a piece of it fell off by the end of the day but I think I can fix it. Hazel was so proud of me for wearing such a vibrant dress though.

Hazel had a Daisy meeting right after school that ended at 5pm. August had Ultimate Frisbee around that time so I played taxi driver and dropped August off at a team mates house and then rushed over to pick up Hazel and then off again to drop her off at a Nanny Night back at the school. Then rushed over to Magnuson to catch the last part of August's game only to rush him back to the school for Nanny Night before meeting up with Trey to grab a bite to eat.
We ended up going to this little neighborhood hole in the wall called La Casa De Mojito. It's a Latin American restaurant with really good mojitos.

It was a pretty good Friday night.

Rain, Rain, go away Wednesday

Well, it's raining today.

Hazel had a quick dentist appointment this morning where she had to have that nasty stuff painted on her back teeth...yuck! The visit was so quick that the kids made it to school on time, which is nice.
August is having a friend over after school today. He's on the same Ultimate Frisbee team and we've been carpooling to and from the practices.
Trey called from work today to ask if I wanted to go see Flight of the Concords...ummmm, yep! So I began the pleading and begging for a sitter that often occurs whenever I want to go out without the kids. We have a great gal who comes out on Thursday nights on a regular basis so I'm not really complaining...I'm just saying...it's times like these, when I really wanna do something without much planning that I really hate. After many texts and phone calls I was able to nail a sitter down! So I'll be dropping the poor boys off for practice in the rain, dropping Hazel back off at the house with the sitter and booking it downtown for the show. It's gonna be fun!

Had a super busy day today and I haven't really been attached to my camera as of late so this months installment of 10 on 10 is via my camera phone:
At the Dog Park

At the gym
Making copies at the school
Driving from point A to point B

Grabbing a quick bite at UVillage
Break time with Tank


Picking up the kidsOn our way to Aunt Emma's house

Uncle Justin's Red Velvet Birthday Cake
Fuzzy slippers at the end of the day