I'm sorry

Grayson has been at elementary school 3.5 years now and today was the first day (I remember) that we overslept. And when I say overslept, I mean I woke up at 7:55 which is the time the "idiot" parents leave to drop off kids at school for a start time of 8:00am. Leave any time before 7:55 and you are not caught in a stream of crazy, stressed, distracted non-rule following yoohoos dropping off sleepy kids as the bell rings. Everyone but Grayson was sound asleep so that entailed a lot of yelling and running around grabbing everything we could to get in the van. Grayson was completely ready, playing video games, just waiting for us to wake up. Why didn't he wake us up? He didn't know that he needed to. It's a good thing that we were not in an accident or pulled over because I was in my pjs and poor Matalley had to swallow her flu medicine in the car all at once without a chaser. 90% of parenting is me saying, "Hurry up, find your shoes, we're already late!" Normally when I say that, Lola replies, "We don't get tardies." And of course today, when they actually could get a tardy, the fact that they did not get a tardy is beyond my comprehension. Sorry it happened, and I do not want to test our fate again.

The last week has been a whirlwind. Mainly because we have all come down with either strep or flu or both. It started over the weekend. Do you ever plan two completely different days? I swear I have two brains that don't talk to each other and I have a day planner for each brain. Sometimes it is literally walking out the door that makes me realize I can not achieve both days as planned. Last weekend was a little touch and go with ProYaya in the hospital and not know if Bompa and Yaya would come down to watch the kids so Matt, Millie and I could go to Zack and Hope's wedding in Arkansas. Yiayia confirmed all with us on Wednesday (though Bompa stayed behind to work on the shop computer issue) so Thursday was spent preparing for the weekend (getting rides lined up, packing complete, etc...stuff the default parent has to handle. Thursday morning I took the kids to a symphony production for elementary students (I make our own field trips...story for another day). The production was fun. We got to sit in a box (what a treat!) and at one point, got in trouble for leaning over box and scaring the Orchestra. We talked a lot about Abraham Lincoln being in a box for his last play viewing. Doubt we will have box seats again, sorry kids!

It wasn't until Thursday night that I realized I needed to cancel a planned play date, a moms in prayer meeting at my house and a rsvp to a birthday party Friday. I don't know what I was doing. YiaYia handled the bazillion activities and then some while we were away. She even had craft time...cute little snowmen (Matalley's, Grayson's, Lola's...Lola did it all by herself!), a stepping stone outside, and decorated our Christmas tree. How nice to leave the kids in such capable hands!! Sorry for the over commitment YiaYia!

Meanwhile we drove 12+ hours with Millie in the truck (sans all my "just in case" items). We stopped at Nic's Grill in Oklahoma (featured on Diners, Drive-In's, and, Dives) and it was delish...even Millie was excited!

 

We had lots of fun at Hope and Zack's wedding Saturday night. The cousin table was entertaining and so was the dance floor where Matt and I felt OLD (I was the Mom dancing with the short skirted college kids). Sorry if we embarrassed the family.

We drove the 12+ hours back just in time to eat dinner with the kids and send them to bed. Mom left the next morning(sad for me). And Grayson went to the doctor with strep throat. He was home Monday and Tuesday and then Matalley was home Thursday and Friday with the flu (yes we all got flu shots). Her medicine and doctor visit cost the same as 4 American Girl dolls which I told her each time she gagged when taking the medicine (because that makes you not want to throw up). Lola started feeling bad Sunday so we filled her prescription (thank you to the doctor for giving us a Rx for all the kids just in case) and then decided she had strep too so got a Rx for that too. Millie has been taking tamiflu as a precaution (hers cost half as much as Matalley's) but she loves it and is sad that Matalley gets more. I'm fairly certain Matt and I got the flu too but with the flu shot the symptoms don't seem to be as bad...we just sleep a lot. Again Grayson is the last kiddo standing when it comes to our family illness so we'll see when he gets it and hopefully noone else gets strep. LOTS of kids were out sick at school...at least 5-6 from each class and the tests/class work were put off because of it. Grayson's spelling bee is tomorrow morning. I found out some time the week before that he won the class spelling bee about a month earlier. The only reason I found out was because I went through his back pack and found the study list and asked him about it...all this time we could have been preparing for the school bee and we just started 3 nights ago. Oh well. I'm proud of him for winning and not bragging (but next time he better mention it). Sorry that I am not more on top of it to actually coach the kid to win the next round.

Matalley had no problem mentioning that she lost her front tooth at school and then today she lost the other one. So yes, all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth (and an American girl doll and an itouch...because Santa can make anything). Santa might be sorry on Christmas morning though since he can only get her one thing.

Matalley lost 2 teeth and Ms. Millie gained one. Her first tooth poked through this week. She is also so close to walking. She takes one step at a time before resorting to crawling so she may be walking before her first birthday.

In the midst of all this, we are doing our daily advent calendar, saw a festive light show at the Botanical Gardens, celebrated the Mexican Christmas Dinner at church, hadna date night and enjoyed a cookie decorating party at a friends' home. The gardens were packed (basically one long line to follow through the entire gardens which meant lots of photo ops while waiting for line to move along).

 Doesn't Millie look cold? I forgot her socks.

I was annoyed with the line cutters and long lines but the kids didn't seem to mind. Maybe I should wish I was more patient. Grayson wishes his eyelashes were short and Lola wishes she had straight hair (she tries to brush it straight every morning). I'm sure it's because people comment on Gray's beautiful eyelashes and Lola's beautiful hair ALL the time and G and L would rather not have the attention. When I asked Matalley though if she would change anything about herself, she said "nothing, I like me just the way I am!" I love it and I hope it's true forever. I'm not so confident. I also might change my 2 brains. One might suit me just fine. Though for people asking me how I do so much, it might be because of the 2 brains...one is always going while the other rests? I don't know. Please don't be offended if I have to cancel plans last minute on you though because I planned a completely different day with my other brain. It happens A LOT and I am sorry.