The other 'do

So, Max's hair is long enough for ponytails, and then there's Nolan. A few weeks ago, we paid Rocky with beer to cut Nolan's hair. In order to get Nolan to agree to a haircut, I told him he could leave it half cut for the afternoon...

That was at least two weeks ago, and he still looks like this. I'm torn. On the one hand, it's kind of cute. It looks good on him. On the other hand, when he has on "skater clothes," he looks a little too punk. I judge other kids his age with this haircut. More than that, I judge the parents. I think one more week. I'll give him through the Fourth of July, and then he goes back to my clean cut kid.

My little girl

Might be time for Maxine to get a haircut!

Working from home

At noon today, I had a dentist appointment. I had meetings I had to go to afterwards, but beforehand, I stayed and worked from home. Or should I say "worked from home." It's funny, because I know how hard it was and yet how relieved I was when I was home and Dave worked from home. On the one hand, it was hard to keep all the kids away. Even when his office was closed, they wanted to go in and talk to him. So, sometimes I had to make up stuff to do, or take them down into the basement. On the other hand, it was nice to just have someone else here. Someone nearby, just in case. Someone to talk to, even just in passing.

So this morning was funny. I had a book I needed to get some reading done on, and did. But in between, I had Ava in my lap, watching the Gummi Bear Song, or one of it's many variations. And I played with Max. And I watched Abby and Nolan play beer pong. Er, I mean soda pong. Even as I was trying to get things done, I was enjoying spending the time with them. I really love what I'm doing for work, for the most part, but I do miss them so.

Oldies but WINNERS!

This weekend, the kids and I caravanned with my sister, her four kids and my mom up to Eau Claire. The purpose was dual-fold. First was a high school graduation party for my cousin's daughter, Sara. I wrote about Sara's mom, Sue, and Sara's Grandma, my Aunt Judy, awhile back, and Sara is just another wonderful girl (young woman? lady?) in the line of wonderful women. I looked through the many years of dance that she did, and the amazing talent she showed in her drum show, and was happy for her, but sad that I feel like I missed so much. She had never seen Ava before, and hadn't seen Max since he was a baby. It's so difficult to stay connected. There's so much busyness going on. And it's far away!

Also this weekend, I played in a HS alumni volleyball tournament. When we were seniors, we got second place at state, so we got most of the old team together again. We were the oldest team there, but... WE WON! It was so much fun. We started playing, and it was like we were just back in high school. Only a little slower. And we couldn't walk the next day. And did I mention we won? Seriously, it was no easy task to beat the teams with the kids who recently graduated. We barely eeked by some games, but never lost a single one. Woo hoo! Here is us then:

And now:

It was way too much fun. Some of them I hadn't seen for 18 years, but it was like no time had passed. Afterwards, Heidi, Jenny and Jodi came to hang out with me and catch up in the hotel we stayed at. They brought Starbucks for fear that alcohol would make them fall asleep (old!). The visit was even extended as Jenny and Jodi had to hang out at the hotel as some severe weather hit and all the power went out. It was nice to catch up on our lives, and I keep realizing how different 35 can be for everyone--married, not married, divorced, kids, no kids, step kids, everything. But being different at 35 is ok... the self-confidence is different at 35 than at 17. The acceptance, and understanding of life is different. The time with them was great but strange... I had no responsibility, no four kids, no husband, no mortgage. It was just us, playing together again. For just one day, to enjoy feeling like 17 again.

Super jealous

All day yesterday I was jealous of Dave. Abby had zoo class all day, so he packed lunches, got everything together, and got to hang out at the zoo all day. It was a perfect, perfect weather zoo day, and every time I went outside yesterday, I couldn't help but think, "I wish I were at the zoo!"

When I called home on my way home from work, however, I began to see the zoo may have not been all it was cracked up to be. Dave alluded to something happening at the zoo, and it turns out that something was Max getting lost! One minute they were all feeding the goats, the next minute, no Max. From what I've pieced together from what Dave told me, and from what Max told him, Dave said they needed to wash their hands, and instead of going to the hand washing station right there, Max went to the bathroom. When Max realized he was along, he sat down by a tree and curled up. A woman asked him if he needed help and at first he wouldn't talk to her, but eventually he let her help him. Meanwhile, Dave looked for 15-20 minutes, and then got security. It wasn't long after that the woman came with Max, and they were all reunited. Max was a little subdued for 20 minutes, Dave said, but bounced right back to his old crazy self.

I always said with four kids I'm lucky... One gets lost, there's still three more. Turns out, I'd like to keep all four! Also turns out... I still would have rather been at the zoo.

Have a 6 Flags kind of day!

Yesterday, to celebrate the kids being done with school, I took the day off work and we headed to 6 Flags. We debated weather to go... Storms and cold weather were in the forecast for the entire day. But, since I got Dave and kids season passes and it was bring a friend day so I could go free too, we figured what the heck. If it gets yucky, we'll leave and go to lunch at Gurnee Mills instead.

So, we met my mom, sister and her four kids there, and it turned out to be the most perfect day ever. Even though it wasn't sunny, it didn't rain. And it was cool, but not cold and, better yet, not hot. And the best part was... NO LINES! Seriously, there were so few people there, the kids went on every ride they wanted at least twice, and the longest line was 15 minutes, for a very popular ride. It was perfect!

Our morning visitor

It's not every day that you get a 6:00 AM phone call from your neighbor saying, "There's a peacock right outside your patio door! And yes, I'm sober!"

Sure enough, peacock right out our patio door. Dave was half asleep and thought, "Wow, I didn't know they lived around here."

Actually, it belongs with the turkeys (which I had to run around this morning in the road) and the rooster and the goats and the chickens at the little house down the road. Who knew we were so close to the country?

Summer is here!

I've been afraid to say those words out loud... summer, here? But it appears that it's true. We've spent two weekends with a yard filled with hoses, sprinklers and kiddie pools, spraying suntan lotion (or, in some of our cases, getting fried to a crisp), and drinking beverages worthy of a summer day. The kids have three and a half days of school left, and then we're headed to a day at Six Flags and a weekend at the "big pool" at Dave's mom and dad's. All of these things--weather, slower pace, no homework--make me happy, even if it's not going to be me home enjoying it with them every day!