The Nest Will Go On

It was back to school Monday, Steve and I looked forward to this day since a couple weeks ago. It's a love/hate relationship towards the end of the summer between Benny and Stink... and I'm sure I will see one of these boys draw blood during a future episode of "summer duke it outs" here within the next couple of years.

Monday was an exciting day... Benny's first day of school! He has been watching brother and looking forward to this day of his own for a long time.

Sergeant Stink started first grade... getting big. He had two teeth pulled and since then I look at his face and he seems too grown up for me just yet.

I am so happy for my children and feel very accomplished as a parent seeing my boys so independent, having there own thing now and doing well so far. As happy as I am, it's been a rough week for me. I swallow hard when I think of my empty nest at age 26. I swallowed even harder Monday morning seeing my Benny sit at his desk so happy and ready to start his own journey. I said goodbye to him and I felt empty walking through that school hall back to my car without kids. Then I got home and there was silence... I could hear the fan and Pursie's paw steps on the tile. It was even emptier. I don't like this, at all I say to Steve... and he holds me and I cry some more. This is hard. They've been my little day buddies for the last 6 1/2 years.

Then I go to Kona Grill with my sweety and of course that feels a ton better. Time to focus on us, on me for those 7 hours. Then I can have my 2 sparks of life back to kiss and squeeze. I love them. The hardest of all adjustments, but I am... so, so happy for them. It was a good day.

Benny Turns 5

Oh, the big "5" and starting K in less than a week... growing up! Still sweet as ever though, and I'm continuing to cherish every step along his way. This year we had a pool party to celebrate the birthday. We had it at a nearby public pool that had water slides, a lazy river, play pool and diving boards. The fun diving boards.... Benny did his flip off one of those thingies and landed on his back, when he got out of the water I could clearly see the tears. His back, bright red. He goes in a tough 5-yr-old man voice, "I'm not going on those again!" Yeah, take that you diving boards, you. We had pizza, cake and Italian ice. After lunch we heard over the intercom, "Everyone please exit the play-pool, we will resume swimming in this area in 30 minutes." Then out comes the nice lady with a bucket of pool-shock and someone with a turd-net.... then the friendly reminder to take your kids to the bathroom frequently while at the pool was announced loudly amongst us. Gross.

Benny still enjoyed his day with wonderful friends and was very thankful for all of the nice gifts. His favorite was the skateboard he got from Mom & Dad.

We missed some very important friends at the party, so we had our own post-party today at Peter Piper, it was fun!! We actually got to celebrate Benny's B-day 3 times. One with family on the actual day, one at the pool with almost everyone, then our good friends that we missed at the big party. So today Benny thought he turned 6 for a brief moment til' Mom broke out the reality.

Happy Birthday Benny, we love you!!

Mom's Gone Wild During VBS

This year the boys are in Vacation Bible School again, they really have fun with this program at our church. It's a week long and during the evening for some end of day, night-time fun. My football feine, also known as Stink, enjoyed it so much the first day that he actually considered missing his game so he could go to VBS the next day... but of course realizing what he said a nano-second later, "Well, I think I will just go to my game."

So the other night before picking up the boys I am starting to walk out the door and go to grab my stuff off the counter. In doing so I knock a "glass" glass (of course full of milk) all over the place... milk & slivers of glass... everywhere. Plus I have noticed lots of crickets outside and they were starting to try and creep their chirpy way in the house. So last minute cricket killing and cleaning in the kitchen before I pick up kids is what fun I had. Benny says to me when we got home over late-night strawberry shortcake, "Mom, why don't you do good stuff when we are gone?" Wanting to know more what he meant by that, "Hunny, what do you mean?" "Well mom, you do bad stuff. You break my cups and let crickets in the house."

Chef Benny

Most of you know that Benny loves to help in the kitchen, well he is now an official chef in the making. He is in chef school, learning the ins n' outs of cooking. Last week he made fritatas that were oh-so-tasty and this week some apple-waffle cookies. As you can tell by the look on his face, he enjoys it. This is "his thing". It's so important to bring out the talent's and interests that God gives to your children. So, have at it sunshine... mama loves sampling your creations each week.

My Human Cotton-Ball

That hair of yours I like to cuddle, smell, and kiss...

Oh Benny, I'm in love...

The Carlsons Rocked Carlsbad

We took a family vacation to California, one of our favorite vacations spots because it's so close and of course who doesn't love the beach?! Well, we do... everything about that deep blue is just pure mesmerizing and relaxing. When getting to cali approaching the waters, we love driving up and looking at the end of the street, which you can't see because it's endless ocean- then rolling down the windows and feeling the salty moist air in the cool sea-breeze, ahhhhhh. This year we tasted a different side of California, we went to Carlsbad. Our trip started out something like this: Out of my mouth goes, "You wanna act like a *bleep*, because I can be a real *bleep*". Gotta love those occasional chunks of marital bliss, especially right before vacation. Despite our bumps that we have (just like everyone else) it was a good break, a much needed one for all of us. We decided to fly, because the boys really wanted to experience an airplane ride and this would be there first trip on one that they would be old enough to remember. So flying we went. The looks on their faces during take-off were of course completely worth it. Stink goes, "Mom, what happens if the wing breaks off?" Trying not to scare him, but fear is in the air with an honest answer, "Well, we would crash." "Oh" he says while I could see his wheels spinning upstairs, then he's over it. And then there's Benny. Who just wanted to talk about farts and poop on the plane, which he did, and announced his brothers smelly gas every time he let one loose. Poor passengers amongst us, they didn't know what they were in for.

So, we stayed at a hotel right off the ocean, it was perfect. Our stay was 3 nights, 4 days. We hit the beach pronto when we got there. First though, most importantly we got our beach gear: chairs, sand toys, football, frisbee, paddle-ball, and boogie boards. Boogy boarding: my fav. The boys after this trip know that mommy goes out "real far" so that was what they said was one of there favorite things to do on the trip, go out real far with mama. Real far to them isn't really the real far in my book, it can get treacherous out there. I experienced a doozy. After diving into a wave out there (the true real far) I came up for one of those huge gulps of air. Little did I know there was a ginormous wave in front of my gulp of air so I not only got a salt-sinus wash, I coughed up sea-juice the next hour, bleh. Riding those waves though, totally worth it. Steve didn't really want to go way out. He hung with Stink who's concrete favorite was running routes on the beach with dad. I volunteered to do some and I got, "mom your not really a good quarterback." Benny and I made a sand-house, and played beach baseball. We buried each other in sand, laid out, ate greasy/fattening mexican food by the ocean, and just chillaxed. Our nights were filled with bowling, miniature golf, and more fattening foods and sweets. We did that for 3 days, then the last day before going home we took the boys to Lego Land. We have gone once before, but this Lego Land trip was by far more fun. The boys could go on everything, even the roller coasters. I am proud to say they rode them with style and even put their hands up on coaster descent.... coaster etiquette. It was sad to leave, we what if'ed about cancelling overtime and how many extra days we were going to stay, but home we are. We love our home, but by the ocean together is a great home-away-from-home.