I have never thought of my Zachary as the middle child. He was my first born, so how could he be the middle? For some reason even though I have always considered Justin my "first kid" I have never thought about the fact that that really puts Zachary in the middle.
My goal this summer is to concentrate on my "middle child." Zachary is absolutely brilliant! He is reading on a level that is almost out of middle school and he accomplishes anything he sets his mind to with ease. He has always been this way and now I am beginning to realize that even when he was very young this has made me expect more out of him and put too much pressure on him.
So now I am determined. I am determined to stop and realize that he is only 9 years old and that he is still a kid. I am determined to have more fun with him and not always make it about learning (although, to him learning is a lot of fun!) And, I am determined to make sure that he knows how much he is loved and that he isn't stuck in the middle...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Adventures in Baseball
I am a baseball fanatic. Now, I may not be able to tell you what the Texas Rangers are doing but I can certainly rattle off statistics and give you details of the last game for the BHS baseball team as well as 2 little league teams.
It is an exciting time in baseball for us. My step-son, Justin, is a senior in high school and is having an unbelievable season. BHS has also made the state play-offs for the first time in seven years, so between Zack, Rook, and Justin we have baseball in some form or fashion almost every day.
Friday morning about 11:15 Jason & I left Burleson headed to Abilene for round two of the playoffs against Midland High School. There was some concern about the weather, but they had moved Friday's game time to try to avoid it. Somewhere around Weatherford I decide to hit the email button on my iPhone (Let me stop right now and profess my undying love for my iPhone. I can't imagine how this adventure would have gone without it!) and I find an email that had just been sent saying that they were moving the games to Midland. Okay, no big deal - so I hop on the phone and call the hotel in Abilene to cancel our reservation, pull up Midland hotels on the internet and call to make a reservation.
Okay, all set and we find out that we aren't playing until 10:00 PM so we have plenty of time to mosey west a little further. About another hour in to the drive we start discussing the fact that Jason was getting kind of tired and that we would stop somewhere and eat lunch and then maybe switch drivers. Right around that time we get a text that says we are moving the games to Van Horn High school. Oh dear iPhone, please tell me where Van Horn is... What??? Almost to El Paso? It's not April Fool's, is it? Um, no. And by the way, Jason is WIDE awake now!
So here we go again, I hop on the phone and cancel the hotel in Midland, hop on the internet and am relieved to find that there are a few hotel choices in Van Horn and get one booked. While doing all of this I am texting a friend back in Fort Worth telling her about all of the changes in plans and she tells me to watch out - there are tornadoes in the Big Spring/Midland/Odessa areas. And I could believe it because it was raining HARD. We never saw any tornadoes but we got hailed on a couple of times, and the flooding in Midland was literally unbelievable to me. They certainly aren't set up to handle any flash floods.
Somewhere west of Odessa we finally find sunshine, and a highway patrolman. Luckily Jason wasn't going too much over the speed limit and the patrolman was a nice man and let him off with a warning. We start seeing mountains at some point and arrived in Van Horn about 7:15. Van Horn was an interesting place, certainly not somewhere that I would choose to come visit. If I hadn't known better you could have convinced me that I was in Mexico. All of the houses that we saw were small and run down and there weren't but a handful of restaurants - most of which were Mexican food, and not the good Tex-Mex that we are accustomed to. But let me tell you, that high school had a nice baseball field!
Our boys played their hearts out. They played their first game (and won!) at 10:00 Friday night after spending 11 hours on a yellow school bus. The got up the next morning after about 5 hours sleep and played 2 more games losing the first one but winning the second to become Area Champs. They ate dinner as a team and were allowed to ride back to Burleson with their parents so that they could avoid the school bus if possible. We left Van Horn tired but happy and arrived back in Burleson about 3:00 AM on Sunday morning.
So the adventure continues - the next round is this weekend and they are scheduled to face Lubbock Monterrey in Abilene. Hopefully we don't have to drive to Canada to play the games!
It is an exciting time in baseball for us. My step-son, Justin, is a senior in high school and is having an unbelievable season. BHS has also made the state play-offs for the first time in seven years, so between Zack, Rook, and Justin we have baseball in some form or fashion almost every day.
Friday morning about 11:15 Jason & I left Burleson headed to Abilene for round two of the playoffs against Midland High School. There was some concern about the weather, but they had moved Friday's game time to try to avoid it. Somewhere around Weatherford I decide to hit the email button on my iPhone (Let me stop right now and profess my undying love for my iPhone. I can't imagine how this adventure would have gone without it!) and I find an email that had just been sent saying that they were moving the games to Midland. Okay, no big deal - so I hop on the phone and call the hotel in Abilene to cancel our reservation, pull up Midland hotels on the internet and call to make a reservation.
Okay, all set and we find out that we aren't playing until 10:00 PM so we have plenty of time to mosey west a little further. About another hour in to the drive we start discussing the fact that Jason was getting kind of tired and that we would stop somewhere and eat lunch and then maybe switch drivers. Right around that time we get a text that says we are moving the games to Van Horn High school. Oh dear iPhone, please tell me where Van Horn is... What??? Almost to El Paso? It's not April Fool's, is it? Um, no. And by the way, Jason is WIDE awake now!
So here we go again, I hop on the phone and cancel the hotel in Midland, hop on the internet and am relieved to find that there are a few hotel choices in Van Horn and get one booked. While doing all of this I am texting a friend back in Fort Worth telling her about all of the changes in plans and she tells me to watch out - there are tornadoes in the Big Spring/Midland/Odessa areas. And I could believe it because it was raining HARD. We never saw any tornadoes but we got hailed on a couple of times, and the flooding in Midland was literally unbelievable to me. They certainly aren't set up to handle any flash floods.
Somewhere west of Odessa we finally find sunshine, and a highway patrolman. Luckily Jason wasn't going too much over the speed limit and the patrolman was a nice man and let him off with a warning. We start seeing mountains at some point and arrived in Van Horn about 7:15. Van Horn was an interesting place, certainly not somewhere that I would choose to come visit. If I hadn't known better you could have convinced me that I was in Mexico. All of the houses that we saw were small and run down and there weren't but a handful of restaurants - most of which were Mexican food, and not the good Tex-Mex that we are accustomed to. But let me tell you, that high school had a nice baseball field!
Our boys played their hearts out. They played their first game (and won!) at 10:00 Friday night after spending 11 hours on a yellow school bus. The got up the next morning after about 5 hours sleep and played 2 more games losing the first one but winning the second to become Area Champs. They ate dinner as a team and were allowed to ride back to Burleson with their parents so that they could avoid the school bus if possible. We left Van Horn tired but happy and arrived back in Burleson about 3:00 AM on Sunday morning.
So the adventure continues - the next round is this weekend and they are scheduled to face Lubbock Monterrey in Abilene. Hopefully we don't have to drive to Canada to play the games!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Being a Step-Mom is HARD!
Don't let anyone tell you any different, being a step-mom is HARD! Some might think that it is easier than being a "real" mom, but the people that think that aren't step-moms.
When Jason and I got married almost 12 years ago, his amazing son Justin was part of the package. At the time I thought that I could love him like I was his real mom. Over the years I had my own children and realized that that I was mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid to death, and I don't love him less, I just love him different.
I think the hardest part is the lack of control you have. You get to do the dirty work, you get to drive to baseball practices and spend all of your evenings at baseball games, you get to discipline them and listen to them when they are upset about life, you get to make last minute trips to the store to buy poster board and dig in to your wallet when they need money for something. But, when it comes to the big Mom in the spotlight times you have no control over things: parent recognition at sporting/school events - bring in the real mom; Mother's Day celebrations - sorry, you're out of luck; planning graduation parties - you got it, the step-mom is OUT!
Now it may sound like I am whining, but really I am not. I am just pointing out the things that a non-step-mom probably doesn't realize.
There is something that I bet is harder than being a step-mom though, and that is sharing YOUR son with a step-mom. I am glad that I don't have to know how hard that is, and I hope never to find out!
When Jason and I got married almost 12 years ago, his amazing son Justin was part of the package. At the time I thought that I could love him like I was his real mom. Over the years I had my own children and realized that that I was mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid to death, and I don't love him less, I just love him different.
I think the hardest part is the lack of control you have. You get to do the dirty work, you get to drive to baseball practices and spend all of your evenings at baseball games, you get to discipline them and listen to them when they are upset about life, you get to make last minute trips to the store to buy poster board and dig in to your wallet when they need money for something. But, when it comes to the big Mom in the spotlight times you have no control over things: parent recognition at sporting/school events - bring in the real mom; Mother's Day celebrations - sorry, you're out of luck; planning graduation parties - you got it, the step-mom is OUT!
Now it may sound like I am whining, but really I am not. I am just pointing out the things that a non-step-mom probably doesn't realize.
There is something that I bet is harder than being a step-mom though, and that is sharing YOUR son with a step-mom. I am glad that I don't have to know how hard that is, and I hope never to find out!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Be Thankful
I have a co-worker who lost his son today due to an injury sustained during a college spring-football practice. While I am not close to this co-worker and he is actually in another town, I have been hearing about his son and his amazing football talents for years. This is a dad who worshiped his son.
I worship my boys. All 3 of them. I cannot imagine the devastation that my co-worker is feeling right now. One day he has happy healthy kids, and the next day one of them is being Care-Flighted to the hospital where he would lose his life.
Sometimes it takes someone else's tragedy to make you realize what is important. That you should cherish every last minute with the ones you love. And that it really isn't that tragic when they spill fruit punch on the carpet.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Spring is here!
Springtime is definitely my favorite time of the year. The sun comes out, the baseball games are in full swing and we get to go outside and enjoy everything.
Easter is next week and while it is not my absolute favorite holiday (Thanksgiving) it is easily in the top 3 and by far the best meal of the year. If there is anything that you can count on it my life it is that our family holidays will be full of tradition. We always go to my grandmother's (Nana's) and the table will always be full of the same wonderful foods: ham, mashed potatoes, gravy (yes, we make gravy with ham!) fried okra, green salad, creamed carrots (yuck!) and yeast rolls. Dessert is strawberries over home made pie crust squares with Cool Whip. After we are all stuffed we moms will go in the back yard and hide dozens of fun filled plastic eggs and then watch the kids run around and find them. It is a great day.
Yes, Spring is a great time of the year!
Easter is next week and while it is not my absolute favorite holiday (Thanksgiving) it is easily in the top 3 and by far the best meal of the year. If there is anything that you can count on it my life it is that our family holidays will be full of tradition. We always go to my grandmother's (Nana's) and the table will always be full of the same wonderful foods: ham, mashed potatoes, gravy (yes, we make gravy with ham!) fried okra, green salad, creamed carrots (yuck!) and yeast rolls. Dessert is strawberries over home made pie crust squares with Cool Whip. After we are all stuffed we moms will go in the back yard and hide dozens of fun filled plastic eggs and then watch the kids run around and find them. It is a great day.
Yes, Spring is a great time of the year!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Hurry Up, Spring!
Baseball season is probably my favorite time of year. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely the busiest, but there is nothing like watching your boys on the baseball field.
So, it's Monday and Justin's first game of the season has been pushed up from Tuesday due to snow in the forecast. Yes, snow. Again. Is it ever going to get warm?
I started the day with plans for a busy evening. Rook had baseball practice and then we would all head to Elk Field for some Burleson High School baseball.
Most days I eat lunch in the kitchen at the office and never even see the outside world between 8 and 5, so I was kind of surprised when I got an email from Rook's coach telling me that we weren't going to have practice because it was too cold. I pull up weather.com and see that it is a nice brisk 39 degrees outside.
Okay, I love Justin and I love baseball, but there is no way that I was dragging Zack and Rook out for 2 hours outside in this cold (and no, I don't think I could stand 2 hours in it either!)
So here I sit, getting text message updates from Jason about Justin hitting a triple to right and then scoring and wishing that I was there to see it. I just need Spring to hurry up and get here.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
I Thought We Lived in a Small Town
Okay, so Burleson really wasn’t THAT small when we moved here from Fort Worth 6 ½ years ago, but I still felt like we were moving to a relatively small town. Even though our new high school that is opening next year is supposed to be the largest in Texas, and I don’t have to drive very far to find practically any retail store I could desire, I feel like we still live in a small town.
That is until Thursday when both Zack and Rook had baseball practice on opposite ends of town…
Since Zack’s practice was to start at 5:00 and Rook’s at 5:30, I decided that I better leave work a little early to at least make an effort to get them there on time. The 17 miles from the door of the office in Ft. Worth to the door of the school were a breeze. Quick stop by the house less than a mile away to let the boys change in to their cleats and to let me swap my slacks for jeans. By now it is 5 till 5:00, but no problem – so I think. I plug the address of Zack’s coaches’ house in to my GPS since that is where they are practicing, and am surprised to see that it is almost 14 miles away. Really?!? So off we go. We get there about 5:20, and I kick Zack out the door (not literally!) with a promise to his coach that someone will
be back before dark to pick him up.
With Rook in the back seat asking every 2 minutes if we are going to be late to his practice we drive back across town and make it to his practice only 10 minutes late. Whew!
Luckily, Jason lets me know that he will be able to leave work close to 6:00 and can pick one of the boys up while I get the other one. So here I go back across town to get Zack. Right on time to get him – score a point for Mom! The boys had asked for Chick Fil A for dinner, and since at 6:45 I had no desire to start dinner I gave them their wish. Of course it wasn’t on the way to the house, so it is 7:15 before we get home with food in hand.
Finally, 3 hours after I left the office (12 hours since I left the house to go to work) and literally 70 miles on my car and I am home for the evening. At that point I realized that we really don’t live in a small town.
That is until Thursday when both Zack and Rook had baseball practice on opposite ends of town…
Since Zack’s practice was to start at 5:00 and Rook’s at 5:30, I decided that I better leave work a little early to at least make an effort to get them there on time. The 17 miles from the door of the office in Ft. Worth to the door of the school were a breeze. Quick stop by the house less than a mile away to let the boys change in to their cleats and to let me swap my slacks for jeans. By now it is 5 till 5:00, but no problem – so I think. I plug the address of Zack’s coaches’ house in to my GPS since that is where they are practicing, and am surprised to see that it is almost 14 miles away. Really?!? So off we go. We get there about 5:20, and I kick Zack out the door (not literally!) with a promise to his coach that someone will
be back before dark to pick him up.
With Rook in the back seat asking every 2 minutes if we are going to be late to his practice we drive back across town and make it to his practice only 10 minutes late. Whew!
Luckily, Jason lets me know that he will be able to leave work close to 6:00 and can pick one of the boys up while I get the other one. So here I go back across town to get Zack. Right on time to get him – score a point for Mom! The boys had asked for Chick Fil A for dinner, and since at 6:45 I had no desire to start dinner I gave them their wish. Of course it wasn’t on the way to the house, so it is 7:15 before we get home with food in hand.
Finally, 3 hours after I left the office (12 hours since I left the house to go to work) and literally 70 miles on my car and I am home for the evening. At that point I realized that we really don’t live in a small town.
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