Cindy's Life as She Knows It

There have been alot of changes in my life lately that have caused me heartache and tears, not necessarily because they were bad, but because they were big..important...life altering.  As this week of new beginnings has played out, however, I have noticed a very positive change....my youngest son, Dakota. Dakota is a wild child.  He is high energy, high maintenance, full of sass and swag.  He is adorable and has a kind, loving heart, but he is also quick to fire up an attitude, has a hot temper and can test the patience of even the most saintly people.  This week, however, I have seen a huge change.  Last week he whined and cried about school.  He didn't want it to start.  He didn't want to do work.  He wasn't going to be able to play.  Saturday his brother moved out and went off to college.  Dakota stayed with his grandmom at home because I knew it was going to be a long day. I had alot of trouble adjusting and I cried alot over the n...

So here lately there have been alot of bumps in the road that is my life.  I am having great difficulty adjusting to my older son being at college, but if anyone who knows me was listening, I've been warning you for more than a year that this was coming.  I know myself and this is one of my toughest challenges.  I thought all was going well for my son, though, until he called last night, already in over his head with girl troubles.  Oh, how I wish he would have waited to get into a relationship until after he had been there awhile.  But he didn't, and there are issues, and I am concerned that this is alot to handle for a kid who struggles with adjustment anyway and now has a new home, new classes, is going to be juggling these things with his job and now there is this relationship to navigate.  I will support him in whatever he chooses, but I so wish he would slow it down and enjoy meeting lots of new girls. My marriage is having it's issues as well, but ...

Today was day 2 of our second grade homeschooling year.  It went okay in the morning, except my granddaughter decided sleep was not going to be her thing.  We doubled up on the subjects we missed yesterday afternoon since I had them planned out for the week and just decided to wait until Tuesday next week for the other subjects like Science and Health.  Dakota was cooperating well and while he was learning to look up words in the dictionary he said "I'm surprised!  I'm having fun!".  Well that was a plus!  We didn't do anything creative or wonderful...I am still reeling from this move to college by my older son and wonderful and creative have not rejoined my circle yet, but we got through, shared a few laughs and finished what was on the morning schedule right at noon. The problems began after lunch....a return of last year's dilemma.  We take an hour lunch break.  In that time I cook lunch and feed Dakota and Natalie during the first 30 minutes...

So today my littlest son starts Grade 2!  Time sure is flying!  I always think of PreK, K and 1 as the fun grades, not worried too much about academics, although Dakota blew through his second grade curriculum last year.  To me, second grade starts the read adventure into elementary school.  You are experienced and ready.  You read well, write well and can hold a good conversation.  You have opinions and can support them. So we started off welcoming Natalie about 7:45 and then all three of us had waffles with butter and jelly.  It is a nice morning out,, after a long day of soaking rain yesterday, so we put Nat in the pink car and the dogs on the leashes and took a twenty minute walk through the neighborhood, noticing how green the grass is after the rain, how blue the sky is and how it really still looks and feels like summer.  We will be noticing the changes in the season as we walk throughout the year. Back inside Dakota got to go to his ne...

So the deed is done....my son is settled nicely in his dorm room.  I met his roommate and his roommate's parents and they all seem very nice.  The room is okay.....not terrible.  To me it seems like someplace I definitely would not want to live.  To him, I am sure, it looks like paradise.  It's his first place of his own.  He can do what he wants, when he wants.  He can not make his bed, leave trash on the floor and eat all the crap he wants in one sitting if that's what he chooses :-).  He has his computer, his PS3, his helmets, a fridge, microwave and bed.  What more does one need at nineteen?  He called me last night briefly to say he was tired, happy and ready for to go do some more.  He texted me this morning before orientation and talked to his dad for awhile today, but I haven't heard his voice.  And my heart hurts.... I am not going to be the kind of mother who calls him constantly.  I will not infringe on his ti...

This is normally my favorite time of year.  I am usually all about new beginnings and September holds all that for me.  I love the coming of fall, the crisp, cool air, the start of school...new books, new activities, a return to a normal schedule.  Except this year, our new beginning also includes an ending, and a very significant one.       My oldest son is beginning a new phase in his life as he moves out on his own and starts college tomorrow.  Wow! An incredible experience in itself and so much fun and excitement awaits him!  There is no one more deserving of this than my Brian, who makes great choices, always is kind, gives back, works hard....you couldn't ask for more in a son.  And through the years, even when it would have meant more friends and more fun to party with the crowd, he always chose to make better decisions, covet just a few close friends and spend alot of time with family.  Tomorrow after my husband and sister in law...

Wednesday we made an impromptu trip to the Washington Zoo.  We hadn't been there in awhile, it wasn't supposed to be ridiculously hot, Kris was going back to work in ten days and Brian David was heading off to college in ten days.  So a zoo date was set and off we went.  We got a late start, but didn't hit any traffic.  It was crowded, but we parked and headed in.  Most of the animals were sleeping that we actually saw for the first hour or so.  Natalie is particularly taken with lions right now, but they were sleeping high on a hill and she couldn't see them.  She loved the statues and other pictures of animals, though, probably because she could actually touch them.  We saw the monkeys and went to the Invertebrate house.  The end, where the butterflies are all around, was a favorite for everyone but Kris, who wasn't crazy about them.  We lunched at the very expensive "food court" and then went in to see the pandas.  The boys and I...

Dakota and I had a "just the two of us" vacation this past week at Jellystone campground.  The older guys went on a "man's only" camping trip at Point Lookout and after considering for awhile, decided that Dakota would be bored and he couldn't go.  I didn't want him to be disappointed so I used my credits for the campground and we were able to stay in a small cabin for two nights for under $50. We left on Wednesday and made the hour and a half drive to Hagerstown.  When we first arrived and after unpacking the truck, we played a game of putt putt golf and then a thunderstorm threatened and we hung out in the cabin for about an hour.  When things cleared up I talked Dakota into trying laser tag, something he didn't want to do only because I knew he had no idea that it involved guns and shooting and pretend "battles", all things that are very high on the Dakota Baublitz things to enjoy list right now.  He LOVED it, of course, and after abou...