State of the Union

At last, the thought of people checking this blog and seeing my Cat in the Hat muffin top has proven triumphant and a new post has arrived. I haven't felt much like visiting here lately. What used to be fun for me, now isn't. I can't seem to make myself focus on much of anything. The back burner seems to be the perfect spot for this blog, vacuuming and visits to the gym (amongst a plethora of other worthy pursuits). 

I've tried a few times to post something. Danny's birthday came and went in November. I had something ready but didn't publish it. It's still there and he still turned seven and most importantly, he still knows I love him even though I didn't profess it publicly in this little space of mine. 

Instead of going backwards and trying to play catch up on our lives, I'll just start from here and maybe go forward. We'll see. Here's my state of the union address for our family.

DAN :: He leaves for work at 6:30 every morning to teach a bunch of hooligan teenagers and shape them into productive members of society. On Monday evenings he's the student. I think he's taking classes for his reading endorsement but I'm not sure. Something like that. He gets home around 8:00, just in time for prayers and good night kisses and if they're lucky, a few tickles. Mondays are freaking long. Other days he stays after school for basketball practice (he's the coach at his middle school). On Fridays he stays late and plays basketball with his teacher friends and Tuesday evenings he has church meetings. When he's not doing all that other stuff (or sleeping) he can be found reading bedtime stories to Cate, practicing basketball with Danny and putting up with my craziness. AND doesn't he look smashing in that family photo up top? Hubba hubba.

CATE :: Recently we were at a family Christmas party. My brother-in-law asked me if I still think about Cate's time in the hospital when she was a tiny newborn. And you know what? I do. I think about it every single day. Because every single day I look at her and I can't believe that tiny sweet baby is now my beautiful little girl. I just really love her. She's loving and good and kind. She plays with cousin Ray Ray and Grama Bama pretty much every day. She loves kindergarten and I'm sure she is her teacher's favorite. I can't see how she wouldn't be. Her best friend at school is a boy named Hank. She'd color all day every day if she had the time. She loves to dress up in her princess clothes. She has also become quite particular about seams on her clothes. Socks drive her crazy (even though I turn them inside out so she doesn't have to feel them). She's even started to be bugged by the seams on her leggings. She's thinking she can just wear them inside out but I told her that won't be happening. Summer can't come quickly enough. Skirts and sandals will be a relief.

DANNY :: First grade has been tough for this one. He thinks it's sooooooooo long. It's really just 6 hours but compared to kindergarten, it's long. He has a very sweet teacher who has been so good to him. He says she only teaches the dumb kids because he already knows all the stuff she says (humility isn't his strong suit). Waking up in the morning isn't his strength either. I'm crossing my fingers it gets easier because he's got a long way to go before he graduates. He's such a good snuggler and Christmas break was such a needed break from the alarm clock. Danny had 2 missing front teeth before Christmas but finally one has started to come in. That was a big deal. He loves his Legos and playing with his cousins Jarrett and Kris. And of course he loves playing at Grama Bama's house and would probably live there if we let him. He still hugs me whenever I ask and will only kiss me on the lips. I'm thankful for that every day because I know he's going to be a teenager soon enough. He tells me that he will still love me and hug me even then and I make him pinkie promise just to be sure. 

ME :: I got a job. I thought about doing something part time while Cate was at school in the afternoons. My neighbor asked me to work at the preschool where she's the boss. I told her no a few times and then I told her yes. I drop off Danny at school and then go to work. It's only about 4 blocks from my house so it's not much of a commute. Cate spends her mornings with Ray Ray and Grama Bama. Sometimes I feel guilty about leaving her but then I snap out of it because if I wasn't working, guess where she'd want to be every morning. Yep. Grama Bama and Ray Ray. And you know what else, my mom and dad moved here from Alabama to be with the grandkids so I'm just helping them fulfill their dream. I come home and eat lunch with Cate and get her ready for school. Then I go back to work after I drop her off. I'm done 30 minutes before their school gets out. My house isn't very clean but it wasn't very clean when I stayed home with my 2 kids plus my sister's 2 (or 3) kids plus a few neighbor kids every day either. I'm tired and I have no Me Time but that's not much different from pre-job life either. I'm just doing my best and trying to figure things out. Even though honestly, sometimes I'm not doing my best. I'm just doing and hugging my kids and trying not to be mean to my husband. 

So that's us. I love my little family. They really are the best.