Summer Lovin'

It is quite impossible for me to get back into the school groove.  On the other hand I can't be tied to a Sept - Jun school schedule either, which is why I must get this show on the road.

July

I can't believe I am saying this again, but I can't believe I just posted the title "April" and it's already July.  Apparently this has become a quarterly blog.

The summer is flying by and the boys and I have been busy.  I've managed to get all of our school requirements done, with the help of a good friend, to appease the government gods.  I also managed to gather all my materials and organize them so that we can start school in the near future.  I had planned to start this week, but real life is so much fun that the books have been pushed to the back of the shelf and we'll try again on Monday.

We've had lots of visitors already and we've done a fair share of visiting.  Recently, we attended my family reunion in NC and then we headed northwest from there back into VA to bike an old rail trail.  New River Trail Park, in Galax, VA is beautiful.  Thankfully the weather was perfect.  Poor little RePete couldn't hang for the long haul but he finished with a very respectable 8 miles.  Not bad for a 6 year old.  BN took Pete and my nephew T-bone a little further and then turned around so RePete and I wouldn't have to wait too long.

Other than that, we've been visiting with local friends, hanging out at the pool and I've been hanging out at the gym on a regular basis.  All positive things.

~R

April

I can't believe it was just a few posts ago that I typed, "December."

I decided to cut back our extracurricular activities this year so we could focus on school and get some downtime. The constant running was taking its toll on me and the boys. It's worked but it equals Boring Robinella!

We've started back letterboxing. Letterboxing.org A really fun way to explore areas around your town and spend time with your kids. Or friends.

Speaking of friends, Pogo and I have been reunited. Pogo went back to work full time last summer and as it will happen, things haven't been the same. No mid-week visits. Just a sad, sad state. Not to mention we live 40 minutes apart. We've emailed a couple times promising to get together but it never panned out. Her lovely daughter and I are friends on facebook and she finally talked her mom into getting online and that's how it happened. We pm'd a few times and immediately got together for a girl's only night. I hadn't laughed so hard in, well, since last summer. I missed her.

You know, I have always been someone who tries not to impose. BN says I take it too far, meaning that in order not to impose on someone else, I cheat myself. That's what I think happened with Pogo and I. We are a lot alike in that respect. Because she was working and her kids were into nightly school activities, I didn't want to impose on her by trying to take some of her limited time. We are both big on spending time with our families on the weekend and since that was the only time she wasn't working or driving her children to activities, I never tried to get together with her. She had her reasons for not contacting me as well, similar to mine. And then it just snowballed.

After a while, we began to assume the other wasn't interested. It's a confidence thing. And more and more time lapsed between half-hearted emails. We've gotten together with kids and without a few times in the last couple of weeks and I couldn't be happier.

In just the few short months since December and my turning 40, things have become clearer to me. What's important in life is more clear and good friends are right up there at the top.

Robinella and Pogo 3/2010

~Robinella

Sun Addiction

I have it.  Now that the sun is out more, I am waking up from my dreary winter blahs.  Brrr.

The boys and a friend of ours went to the Nauticus Maritime Museum in Norfolk today.  They have a pirate exhibit there until April that we just had to see. "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship".  The boys got to see real live pirate booty and cannons and guns.   A really good exhibit.

A bonus exhibit was also there.  "Marking Time - Voyage to Vietnam" showcased graffiti art from the bottom of the soldier's bunks.  I was in total awe of it all.  Drawings and writings from men on their way.
Here's a shot of what the bunk looked like assembled.

I loved that they included this on the bottom bunk and was equally in love with Playboy for being a bit more modest back then - especially with three little boys in tow.

I only wish I had been by myself so that I could really take it all in.  I was really touched by something as simple as this one:

Giggled at this: (I know it isn't politically correct, but it was what it was)

Understood this:

Loved this:

Left me wondering if the ones who left these marks made it back.

~R

Tricked my boys into cleaning their room.

They were arguing and fighting over who was supposed to clean what and who was doing the most cleaning.  Yada yada yada, I made a threat.

I don't know where I heard this, possibly one of you out there, but one mom said when her boys were fighting so much, she tied them together and they had to figure out how to get along for the remainder of the day.  Eating, playing, etc.  By the end of the day, they were agreeable.

So I told this story to my two little boys, as a threat mind you.  THEY decided to try it.  They stood side by side and tied their inner legs together and then their inner arms.  Laughter began almost immediately.  Then talks of how to pee and poop.  So off to the bathroom they went together to pee.  They decided it would be hard to do the other.  Thank goodness.

Then back to the room, falling all over the place, giggling because it was hard to put this toy away or that one without cooperation.  This went on for about 30 minutes before the luster began to wear off.

The room was almost clean and they were no longer fighting.

Boys 4,849,394
Mom 6

~Robinella

Thank You, Darling BN

Warning.  I am my usual random self today.

We braved the winter storm to visit my mother this past weekend.  She asked us not to come, but since she is prone to dramatics when it comes to weather, we decided to travel anyway.  It wasn't so bad on the way up.  VDOT was out doing a fairly good job.  It wasn't clear by any means but passable.  

We did have a slight slippedy slide when BN passed a tractor while going a little fast.  But he understands all that turn the wheel right when the ass slips left or maybe it is the reverse.  Anyway, he gets it and corrected like a pro.

She had close to a foot of snow upon arrival.  It snowed while we were there and by the time we left, VDOT was at home by the fireplace and we were in snow/ice up to our yingyangs.  Again, BN's mad skills behind the wheel got us home safely, although I think I had my first panic attack.

***

I started our way of list making when my oldest was about 3.  When the big toy catalogs come in the mail or Sunday paper, I let him cut out pictures of the things he liked and glue them to a piece of construction paper.  He loved doing this and I was actually able to find the things he wanted.  I've continued this for the past 7 years and my youngest makes one as well.

When Grandmas ask what to get the boys, I pull out the list and let them pick and choose.  So this past weekend we had Christmas at my moms.  When we returned home and the boys pulled out their goodies to play, RePete suddenly looked at me and asked to please remove this goody from his list.  He didn't want Santa to bring him the same item.  He's so thoughtful.

***

I rock at Spongebob Typing.  75 WPM.  Too bad I didn't know about blogging when I worked.  I think I could only do about 45 wpm back them.  I wonder if I can list Blogging under education on my resume.  Hmmm.

***

This is the first year we've been able to put presents under our Christmas tree.  I was always afraid the boys would open the presents (because Pete did many years ago) so we've always had an empty tree underneath.  Of course, none of the boys gifts are under there because BN believes they should wake up on Christmas morning to a magical wonder.  Oooo.  Ahhh.  He also believes we have to buy every stinkin' thing on their list.  The more the merrier and all that.

***

I've got to figure out how to take photos in the gym.  Pete started basketball and I can't have all his photos look like crap.

***

It's my first year not sending Christmas cards.  That month I lost after my knee surgery just messed me up.  It's during that month that I would  have made cards, extra handmade gifts, kids Christmas party and just all my planning.   Instead I was laid up or on crutches or just feeling tired.  What a difference two months makes.  I feel fantastic now, but alas it is too late to worry with cards.  Oh well.

Have a Great Christmas or whatever you celebrate.  Even Festivus!

~R

It's December!

It's become my own little tradition to post the birthdays of my fellow December Birthday Buddies (some links may no longer work and I'm not gonna fix it) and rather than recycle that old post for the third year in a row, I'll just give a little link. Go wish everyone a Happy Happy Day.

In other news, I really dislike those pre-made gingerbread house kits. But I bought one anyway because the boys have already made do with my Lazy Mom's Gingerbread houses. Not only are the pre-made ones not quite right, it is quite impossible for 9 and 5 year old boys to create what is shown on the box. Lucky for us, my boys are more interested in how much icing and candy they can sneak into their mouths than the actual outcome. Even still, their house is super sweet.

Let the countdown to Christmas begin.

~R