Flashback July 27, 2009 - 6 years old

Happy VERY late birthday Dexter Rawlings!

Almost everyday on my drive home from work I would talk to my dad.  The conversation would always start off with how was work - not always answered with a lot of enthusiasm. He would then ask how the kids were and then specifically ask how Dexter was.  Dexter was obviously young at that time.  One day he said to me "You know whenever I mention Dexter's name you light up, your whole demeanor changes through the phone, you can't let the other kids ever hear you" (or something like that he would say).  I tried to deny it, but he was right and he knew it.  Maybe I was obvious to everyone and he was the only one who could really call me out. 

I'm sure at the time Kellan and Zoe were born I had the same excitement.  D's always been a little different, not in a "I love him more way" (I know I've said that before).  I consider him a little bit more mine. Kellan grew up with him and his dad; total buds going to Disneyland together, playing ball together, going to the pool, etc.  I think when we moved to CO and I left the house for work having been home with Zoe for a year and a half, she became a little more Jim's - he's her protector and her daddy.  I never did a good job playing babies or Barbies with her.  Maybe it's because I still lay with Dexter every night?  Maybe because every morning I come down the stairs he yells "Mommy" with a huge smile on his face. Maybe because I really, really, really wanted a third child (even though Jim said if we had one I would be a single mom) and I learned from my "mistakes" with Kellan and Zoe? Who knows? For whatever the reason, I love that this little guy is around (Or "big boy" as he says now that he's six). Granted he broke my heart the other day when we were playing catch, Jim came out and he wanted to play with him instead (I deserved it, rarely play catch with him). 

I hope I never stop hearing "I want mommy."

We had a pretty mellow b-day party at home, D's first - only a few friends.  One of the attendees was his good friend Mason from pre-school who he's now played baseball and flag football with. Unfortunately, the event resulted in the demise of big slide - RIP Big Slide (it had one too many patches and didn't quite stay inflated).  There was an accident with Zoë and Mason which ended with Mason suffering a broken collar bone mid-party.  Mason is the sweetest kid and lucky for us his parents are pretty awesome.  On a completely unrelated and present day note, Kellan tackled a kid in football practice this week and broke the kid's wrist (totally not his fault the kid landed hard, but pretty traumatic for both of them). Fingers crossed D doesn't maim someone in the near future.

With Mason (and his sling).

A Friday Night

Saturday - so sick!  Throwing up all day, missed football and gave me an excuse to do absolutely, positively nothing as he wouldn't let me leave the couch.

Sunday - good enough to go to the Disney store and try on this awesome Chewie jacket (no, I did not buy it, but he sure looked cute and just glad he felt better).

This is what 24 bags, 8 varieties, $50 of BIGS sunflower seeds looks like.  We "had" to order direct from BIGS as they do not have the Old Bay Seasoning flavor in stores.

D's come close to blowing through a bag in a day.  I guess there could be worse things for him...

First day of school 2015

Jumping ahead to present day (then I'll go back in time and post D's 6th b-day and WA Kabischs in town). 

Dexter came literally dancing down the stairs his first day of school.  I asked him what he was doing and he said his "first day of school dance".  Jim and I had the rude awakening of getting Kellan back up at 6:00 AM.  Kellan is in a home room with almost everyone of his best friends, crazy how that ends up with such a huge class.  

We are now in our second week of school and found out today Dexter's teacher resigned. Bummer.  There was also a tornado warning today and all the kids had to take shelter. They announced there were funnel clouds in the area over the loud speaker.  I'm sure most folks have seen Zoe flip out by now...tornado warnings are for sure a driver to upsetting her, whether the warning be on the radio or in a state far-far away, they cause her to get absolutely/positively hysterical. When I saw the email from the school I almost started crying knowing she would be a wreck.  They dismissed school 30 minutes late - when Jim saw Zoe her eyes were all red.  She said she cried and cried, but the teacher tried to comfort her. It's different when she goes crazy on us and we yell at the poor kid to calm down, totally different when you know she's there by herself with kids staring at her.  Poor kid!

We now have sports 7 days a week.  Kellan football Monday, Tuesday, Thursday for 2 hours, Zoe softball for 2 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays, Dexter flag football on Wednesdays, Kellan baseball on Fridays.  Kellan football games on Saturday, Zoe double headers on Saturday, D flag on Saturday, Kellan baseball games on Sunday. Somewhere along the way Jim decided to help coach D's football, so much for a coach free fall, he's also helping out for Kellan's baseball.  Needless to say there are conflicts!

I'm still not completely dialed in on getting the boys' haircuts.  I like Dexter's hair really short, but not shaved.  Unfortunately, I had a hard time communicating that to the girl cutting his hair, and well, he ended up with a total buzz cut...three days before school pictures.  He's still cute.  He says he likes it because I tell him it's the same cut as Kellan's...he tells everyone that when they look at him in shock (it looks much darker in the pictures than in person).  

Kellan had his first football scrimmage.  He played offense and defense, sacking the quarter back, recovering a fumble, and running a catch in for a touch down.  Not a bad first game. He also got hit really hard, not in the head, but everyone in the stands gasped.  He was fine. We'll see how the first real game pans out.  

Click for 1st day of school video

First day of 4th grade and 1st grade.  D really didn't wear a hat because of his hair, it was a "free" day.  Evidently we didn't get a picture of Kellan, sounds like we were lucky to get the video.  

He was wishing. I probably still have 2 inches on him.  He's fluctuates between 104 and 107 in weight and holding between a size 9 and 9.5 in shoes.

Kellan kept his baseball #11 - far left.

Cousin Summer Part 1 of 2 - Camila, Jackson & Frank

The thing about not being timely on every single post is then I forget what to say.  There may be some back to back to back posts as there's actually been a lot going on recently.  

Two new cousins for the kids came into the world this summer.  First, Mr. Jackson Robert Nelson.  So happy to have a cuz in town.  We all got to meet Jackson along with his first cousin Camila at her third birthday party back in July. 

Jackson chilling with his Grandpa Tom

Aunt Jan, Camila Rose and Jackson

Jenna, Tom, Mark 

Cassie, Camila, Mark and Camila's home grown Rose cake courtesy of her mom

Jeff strangling Jackson

It had been a year since we last saw Frank.  He is super cute and lucky for his cousins he let them all man handle him without any objections.  He really does have hair, but his dad shaves his head.  We had a great visit beside Uncle Mike, Zoe and Kellan getting violently ill.  So much more to say at the time, but now I am thinking about the next few things that have come up...

Kellan had his first "football" injury.  He had it in the mom fashion in that it was unrelated to football, but more related to his clumsiness.  He was at practice, walking backward and fell over another teammate - landing on his tail bone.

 

4th of July

Summer has been in full swing.  We've actually spent time at the pool this year.   4th of July we hung out at home for 3 full days with 0 sports.  

Zoe wrapped up her final tournament - brutal.  Her first game she had to be there at 7am, over an hour a way.  Since they lost they didn't play again until almost 6pm. Long day, but we ended on a fun note, girl trip in Loveland at a hotel with some other teammates for the night.  

Zoe starts softball back up in August.  D's still playing baseball for a couple more weeks. Kellan continues football practice (soon to be 4 day a week practices) and is subbing in for a baseball team, his baseball season starts back up in August as well.  Somehow we ended up with 3 kids in 4 sports for the fall - not sure how that happened.  

The kids remain patient with their old mom practicing taking pictures of them.  Lots below.

On a bittersweet note...I decided to go back to work for Starz.  I am going to miss all the new people I was lucky to meet as well as my "old" friends from Starz.  As tough as it was to decide to leave Starz in the first place, it was as difficult to leave Charter.  I'm excited to start my next chapter there.  I took the week off and start on 7/28 (I had to take 7/27 off for D's birthday).  My goal for my time off is to update my LinkedIn profile from 2007 and potentially add a picture.  Granted it's already Friday...

Post to come..."Cousin Summer" with visits from their new cousin Jackson, Camila, Frank and the WA Kabischs...and their other new cousin Hobson!

4th - they couldn't wait until it got dark...

 

 

Earlier in the day...

Helmet hair