Ahhh, soccer. What would September be without it.
Owen's playing soccer for the first time this year. It's been 5 years since Dave and I were insane enough to try to coach the youngest players, and I'd almost forgotten that there is nothing more hilarious than a 3-4 year old soccer game. Nothing. We've got a pretty good team. I had my doubts, as half of our players just turned three this summer, but after watching the opposing team's players pick up the ball and carry it down the field, bring extra balls onto the field and then cry when they had to be removed, and turn summersaults midfield, I think we're doing o.k. Well, except for the pink shirts. How many colors are there in the rainbow and we had to end up with pink shirts. It took a lot of wheeling and dealing to get the "girl shirt" on his body. "No mom, not THAT shirt, I not a GIRL!"
Molly's got the same coach and most of the same players she did last year, and they totally dominated their game. I think the final score may have been 549 to nothing. She's really playing her position well and got two assists yesterday. Assists make me happier than goals as that means she's not a ball hog and is actually aware of how the game and her position are played rather than just scrambling to kick the ball in the goal.
I always think that as I get more and more seasons under my belt as a 'soccer mom' that I'll learn to just sit and enjoy the game and not scream at the referees, but it doesn't happen. I'm the 'hollerin' mom'. That's my destiny and there's just no escaping it.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Alone with Owen
Dave hit a deer this morning on his way to work. He's o.k.; the deer's not. But he did have to come home and get things arranged to get his car back on the road. So while he was home, he decided to take Maggie with him to go get some sand for the mudroom foundation. So that left me at home with just Owen and Bodie.
It was eerily quiet without the extra little voice. And I guess since Owen didn't have his usual sparring partner around, he was quiet too. So we decided to do a craft. I checked out Wondertime and printed out the farm cutting page. He had so much fun, he actually sat in the chair and colored and cut and glued for over an hour. Of course he took a break now and then to discuss his soccer team and the dead copperhead snake PeePaw brought by (so Mommy would stop calling him every other day to question the markings of one snake or another I find around). It made me realize that he's ready to be doing a little more to prepare for school. He hasn't really napped since I can't remember when, so I think I'm going to start spending some one on one time with him while Maggie naps.
Here he is in action:
It was eerily quiet without the extra little voice. And I guess since Owen didn't have his usual sparring partner around, he was quiet too. So we decided to do a craft. I checked out Wondertime and printed out the farm cutting page. He had so much fun, he actually sat in the chair and colored and cut and glued for over an hour. Of course he took a break now and then to discuss his soccer team and the dead copperhead snake PeePaw brought by (so Mommy would stop calling him every other day to question the markings of one snake or another I find around). It made me realize that he's ready to be doing a little more to prepare for school. He hasn't really napped since I can't remember when, so I think I'm going to start spending some one on one time with him while Maggie naps.
Here he is in action:
And with the finished project. Check out his face, he was so proud of himself!
Friday, September 7, 2007
Farewell Summer
Wow, where to begin. This was such a fun busy summer, but since Molly unhappily noted that she could see her breath when she stepped outside this morning, I guess it's coming to an end. I figured if I didn't try to recap the highs and lows, I never would. And it's definitely been one that we will all remember.
Owen and Maggie, at two and three, were just so much fun this summer. Owen learned to swim all by himself with no floaties, and Mags finally let go of me and paddled around the pool in her life jacket. It was such a lifesaver to have the pool to throw them in on those sweltering August days. This was also a summer of much discovery for them both - marble bugs, the monkey bars, the fact that dirt and water make mud, and lots of it. Not too long ago, they both spent the better part of 30 minutes watching a wooly worm inch slowly across the yard and up a tree. Since we were pretty much free of any obligations, I was able to just watch them interact and it was so sweet to see them on their adventures together. Owen helping Maggie up the hill to the treehouse, Maggie running across the yard to tell me that Owen had skinned his knee. They're more than just brother and sister, they've become best friends and I hope that's a relationship that never fades.
Molly also grew a lot this summer, it seemed. Every day I was more and more aware that she's just not a baby or even a little girl anymore. I was blown away on the way to Isaac's graduation when it hit me that he was her age when she was born. Those eight years have flown by and I know the next ten will go just as quickly. I know they have to grow up, but part of me just wants to hit the pause button for a little while.
Of the three of them, I think Maggie has grown the most. I think a lot of that has to do with the addition of Bodie, but I think most of it is just her finally letting loose of me a little and venturing out on her own. Her vocabulary is amazing--painfully so at times. She knows every cuss word she's ever heard, and can insert them in the correct place in her sentences. Lately she's turned from a sweet shy little girl into a rambunctious, sometimes defiant, bossy little maniac. She's got a horrible drawl when she talks, and I have no idea where it came from. She'll drive me absolutely bonkers all day, but when I check on her before I go to bed, I still melt at those chubbly little cheeks laying so sweetly on her pillow. Her latest obsession is washing her hands. 821 times a day. She'll be playing or talking and then just out of the blue "OH! I needa washa my haaaannnnds" Of course, due to the drawl, "hands" has three syllables. Today she thought she'd plug the sink first, and flood the entire bathroom with water before I realized what was happening.
At times, it's been a rough summer for Owen. He's at that awkward age where he's not quite ready to behave, but he's old enough that he's expected to. We've been implementing some brain gym into our daily schedules and I think that's helped a lot. He's spent a lot of time in the time out area - we have one in the house, one on the front porch, and one in the yard. At the same time, he's really turned into a little man. He dresses himself, is completely potty trained, and has taken on the role of big brother with much bravado. I've been putting him in charge of watching Bodie while I change Maggie's diaper or whatnot and he's very serious about that responsibility. He's learned to ride a two-wheeler with training wheels, loves...LOVES to dig in whatever - dirt, sand, leaves, and has gotten over his bug phobia. He's obsessed with firetrucks and firemen; every time we drew on the sidewalk, he wanted a firetruck. I'm really surprised that we didn't experience a broken bone or stitches this summer, as he's been up trees, over fences and on the retaining wall. We've had lots of fun feeding PeePaw's chickens and petting every single goat at the county fair at least twice.
I've always loved summer - the heat, the water, the flowers and fresh veggies. And seeing the summer through the eyes of the little ones has made me love it even more. I'm sad to see it go, as always, but I know there are many more adventures to come with the next season.
Bye bye, summer. It's been fun!
The Armstrongs
Owen and Maggie, at two and three, were just so much fun this summer. Owen learned to swim all by himself with no floaties, and Mags finally let go of me and paddled around the pool in her life jacket. It was such a lifesaver to have the pool to throw them in on those sweltering August days. This was also a summer of much discovery for them both - marble bugs, the monkey bars, the fact that dirt and water make mud, and lots of it. Not too long ago, they both spent the better part of 30 minutes watching a wooly worm inch slowly across the yard and up a tree. Since we were pretty much free of any obligations, I was able to just watch them interact and it was so sweet to see them on their adventures together. Owen helping Maggie up the hill to the treehouse, Maggie running across the yard to tell me that Owen had skinned his knee. They're more than just brother and sister, they've become best friends and I hope that's a relationship that never fades.
Molly also grew a lot this summer, it seemed. Every day I was more and more aware that she's just not a baby or even a little girl anymore. I was blown away on the way to Isaac's graduation when it hit me that he was her age when she was born. Those eight years have flown by and I know the next ten will go just as quickly. I know they have to grow up, but part of me just wants to hit the pause button for a little while.
Of the three of them, I think Maggie has grown the most. I think a lot of that has to do with the addition of Bodie, but I think most of it is just her finally letting loose of me a little and venturing out on her own. Her vocabulary is amazing--painfully so at times. She knows every cuss word she's ever heard, and can insert them in the correct place in her sentences. Lately she's turned from a sweet shy little girl into a rambunctious, sometimes defiant, bossy little maniac. She's got a horrible drawl when she talks, and I have no idea where it came from. She'll drive me absolutely bonkers all day, but when I check on her before I go to bed, I still melt at those chubbly little cheeks laying so sweetly on her pillow. Her latest obsession is washing her hands. 821 times a day. She'll be playing or talking and then just out of the blue "OH! I needa washa my haaaannnnds" Of course, due to the drawl, "hands" has three syllables. Today she thought she'd plug the sink first, and flood the entire bathroom with water before I realized what was happening.
At times, it's been a rough summer for Owen. He's at that awkward age where he's not quite ready to behave, but he's old enough that he's expected to. We've been implementing some brain gym into our daily schedules and I think that's helped a lot. He's spent a lot of time in the time out area - we have one in the house, one on the front porch, and one in the yard. At the same time, he's really turned into a little man. He dresses himself, is completely potty trained, and has taken on the role of big brother with much bravado. I've been putting him in charge of watching Bodie while I change Maggie's diaper or whatnot and he's very serious about that responsibility. He's learned to ride a two-wheeler with training wheels, loves...LOVES to dig in whatever - dirt, sand, leaves, and has gotten over his bug phobia. He's obsessed with firetrucks and firemen; every time we drew on the sidewalk, he wanted a firetruck. I'm really surprised that we didn't experience a broken bone or stitches this summer, as he's been up trees, over fences and on the retaining wall. We've had lots of fun feeding PeePaw's chickens and petting every single goat at the county fair at least twice.
I've always loved summer - the heat, the water, the flowers and fresh veggies. And seeing the summer through the eyes of the little ones has made me love it even more. I'm sad to see it go, as always, but I know there are many more adventures to come with the next season.
Bye bye, summer. It's been fun!
The Armstrongs
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Welcome to The Celery Stalk
I just really stink at naming things. Except for my children - that came relatively easily. But a blog? What to name a blog? I see all these catchy little titles and I think "Wow, that's cute and easy to remember! Why can't I think of something like that" That's actually the real reason I never had a blog - I wanted a catchy title and couldn't think of anything. Then last night I was talking to a friend of mine about my affinity for natural parenting and she said "You're so green and crunchy" And you know what? I am! I'm totally green and crunchy...like....celery!
Then this morning I was putting my youngest down for a nap and it hit me - The Amish always plant a lot of celery when one of the women in their families is planning a wedding and serve it at the wedding dinner because it's supposed to mean lots of children. Lots of children...hmmm.. is four a lot? I think so. So there's the second reason. So as soon as everyone was sleeping I quickly hopped on here to create MY BLOG! I had to hurry because it seems to be a theme in my life that as soon as I think of something grand, someone else has already thought of it. But this time, I got here first.
And if you've read that entire long-winded reason behind the name of my blog, then I applaud you.
Then this morning I was putting my youngest down for a nap and it hit me - The Amish always plant a lot of celery when one of the women in their families is planning a wedding and serve it at the wedding dinner because it's supposed to mean lots of children. Lots of children...hmmm.. is four a lot? I think so. So there's the second reason. So as soon as everyone was sleeping I quickly hopped on here to create MY BLOG! I had to hurry because it seems to be a theme in my life that as soon as I think of something grand, someone else has already thought of it. But this time, I got here first.
And if you've read that entire long-winded reason behind the name of my blog, then I applaud you.
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