soccer and pumpkins

We leave for Disney in a few days.  I knew that would be a blog worthy post, so I thought I might should get to recapping the last month before I get too far behind.

Our October has been dominated by soccer.

With Lofton as the coach I am, by default, team mom.  I take my role very seriously.  Just kidding. I do attend all the games, though.

And I also got in a minor {okay, major} verbal altercation with an opposing team's coach.  She was cheating. And insulting my husband.  It was ugly. I may have used the phrase "pot calling the kettle black" and told her to get back on her side of the field.  Not my finest moment.  But funny in hindsight.

Tomorrow night we play our last game and I am not sad.  Not one bit.  Although the kiddos are pretty adorable.  They are also unbeaten.  See that blond little boy on the left?  That's Warner.  He's a beast on the soccer field.

Last weekend we carved our pumpkin.  Reese was so excited... until he realized what is actually inside the pumpkin.  Evidently pumpkin guts aren't his thing.

So basically Lofton and I spent two hours carving pumpkins while Reese played football in the yard.  They looked phenomenal-- mine had polka dots and Lofton carved a Mickey Mouse vampire into the other-- but I didn't get a picture because the heat got them after approximately one night.  Bummer.  Wednesday was the big trick or treating night in Opelika.  Reese went to five houses.  At the first house {friends of ours we attend church with} Reese burst into tears when he got four feet from the door.  The pressure of ringing the doorbell was too much.  So we did it together.  And after five houses, all people we knew, he was done.  Lesson learned?  Halloween is not our jam.

And with that November has arrived and Mickey Mouse awaits.  

We are beyond excited.

happenings

We had Reese's birthday party the Saturday before last.

It was perfect weather for jumping in the bounce house and celebrating our favorite boy.

We surprised Reese before the party with a little gift...  A trip to DISNEY!  It's hard to say who's more excited-- him or me.  We've been planning the trip since the Spring, so it's nice to be able to actually talk about it now.  There's been a lot of spelling of d-i-s-n-e-y.  Our trip is in early November and the countdown calendar is displayed prominently on the fridge.

I'm literally giddy with excitement.  My parents are going to join us if my dad will go to the doctor and get his knee examined.  Hi Daddy-- I know you read my blog.  Take your tail to the doctor because we aren't wheeling you around Disney in a wheelchair.  Love you! I actually received our Magic Bands in the mail from Disney today.  We are testing them as part of a new program for Disney World.  Awesome?  Umm, yes.  

In other happenings, Reese came home with a horribly high fever Tuesday afternoon.  We wasted an hour of our time {and forty dollars} at the pediatric clinic before coming home to snuggle on the couch.  Wednesday was spent doing the same.  Unfortunately for Reese it was his birthday.  Luckily he loves watching movies on the couch with his mama.  And me?  Perfectly content to stay home and snuggle with my baby on his actual birthday.  I still can't believe he's five.  And evidently neither can he because he says that all the time.  He also asked if he could go ahead and start kindergarten.  Like Thursday.  Oh the disappointment when I explained he would have to finish the year in preschool first.

Friday we sent him to school fever free for his pumpkin patch field trip.  I was leery as our first trip to the pumpkin patch didn't go so well.  Petting zoos are not Reese's jam.  He was also nervous about riding a school bus.  I was equally as nervous about him riding a school bus, but off he went.  When I picked him up from school he was full of stories.  The best of which involved him explaining the pumpkin patch rules.

Let me just tell you the punkin patch rules, Mama.  Rule one: Whatever punkin you pick, you have to carry.  So if you pick the giant punkin you have to carry it all day long until we get back to the school bus.  And so my punkin is small Mama, because there was no way I was going to carry a big ole punkin around all day.

Small it is.  Tiny, in fact.  Well worth the eight dollars I paid.

From school we headed to get our flu shot.  Let me just tell you, I will not be taking him alone next year.  It took two nurses to hold him down.  Lovely.

And that about sums up our first week of being five.

five

Dear Reese,

Today you are five.  FIVE.  It sounds so big and so old.  My heart just can't comprehend that five years ago today we welcomed you into our arms.

You are the perfect combination of funny and smart, sassy and sweet. You asked me recently if I would marry you and move to Canada.  Without hesitation I said yes.

Watching you grow into a little boy with questions and ideas of your own fascinates me.  I love seeing your mind at work-- processing life in your brain and reasoning all on your own.  Recently we were talking about heaven and you said that you were so happy Granny, Mrs. Krista's dad, and Deuce {Mamie and Paw Paw's dog} could all be together as friends.  I pray you hold on to that childlike faith for many more years.

Speaking of prayers we have so many for you. I pray for you more than anyone, or anything else, because growing up is hard.  But above all we are just thankful to God for creating you just as you are.  You are our greatest blessing and your Daddy and I love you so much.  To the moon and back again and again.

Happy 5th Birthday, baby boy,
love, Mama

settling in

Can you believe it's almost Fall?  

This time of year is always hectic for us.  The start of school {times 2 this year}, the start of soccer {Lofton is coaching again}, and Reese's birthday.  If I think too hard about my baby turning five in two weeks, I'll cry.

For once, though, I think we feel really settled.  Although work is busy for us both, it's finally a good busy. Teaching is stressful, sure, but the parts of my job that have been so overwhelming in the past few years, are no longer so.  The change is pretty amazing.  Lofton is insanely busy at work, but that's wonderful.  When you work in the building industry as a salesman, busy is always good.  

Reese is doing well in school and adjusting to a new routine.  I won't say it hasn't had challenges {we had a parent conference--that we requested-- yesterday}, but I think he's really enjoying being at a bigger school.  I'm constantly amazed when he tells me all he's learned during the day.  Our conference concerns were behavior related, but they basically stemmed from a lack of clear communication from his teacher.  Now that we are more informed I feel much, much better.  And much more confident that we have a bright, funny, sweet little boy who loves to learn.

As we left our small group Sunday night and were driving home, I told Lofton how nice it feels to be settled.  Super content in the life we are living.  Content with ourselves and each other, our house, and our jobs. Things haven't always been that way, and I'm not sure if getting older has helped us, or if living through life's ups and downs the past few years has brought a fresh perspective.

Regardless, it feels really nice.

schooled

As expected, Reese has taken to school fairly well.  He was a bundle of nerves Monday, but by Tuesday had decided he didn't need Lofton to park and walk him inside.  Mr. Independent. And yes, I'm still insisting he be walked inside.  At least for a few more weeks.

He's been full of stories about his teachers, other kids, and lunchtime.  Evidently eating in the cafeteria is really exciting.  I can't say that I feel the same way!

This week in PE they learned to hula hoop.  Reese was excited to share that he told his entire PE group about Emo's amazing hula hooping ability,  I think they signed her up as entertainment for Grandparent's Day.

The only downside, if you can call it that, is that poor buddy has been slap worn out.  I could tell on Wednesday night we were starting to hit a wall and told Lofton as we were getting ready for bed to be prepared.  I know when things are about to get ugly. Thursday was a little worse and by Friday morning Reese had come unglued.  I emailed his teacher to let her know we'd had a rough morning and she let me know that she suspected something was up.  Reese is accustomed to napping most every day.  He can go without a nap, but not for five days in a row.  They do have "rest time" but I think by the time he gets settled to sleep, it's time to wake up.  

We've been putting him to bed around 7:30, and I'm hoping after another week or so he's body will adjust to the more hectic pace.

Speaking of tired, I've been going to bed a little earlier myself.  The first week of school wears me out.  So much of me having to talk, and organize, and instruct the kiddos about every little thing.  It takes a lot out of you!  But I will say that I've had a peace about the start of this school year that I haven't had in a long time.  It's been really amazing.  

I'm excited to have Labor Day just around the corner and preparations are underway for my favorite little boy's fifth birthday party.  Can you believe it?  Friday night football starts this week and Auburn plays Saturday so we are officially ready for Fall!

big school

Today Reese starts big school.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad.  I've been desperately trying to grasp the days as they fly by.

Big school feels really big.  A drop off circle, a cafeteria, walking down the hallway for music and art.  Big changes for this mama's heart.

When I was a little girl I always got really nervous before the first day of school.  Buck would always give me a big pep talk, and always, ALWAYS it made me feel better.  I'm not the one taking Reese to school, probably a good thing!  I have my own boys and girls to welcome.  But I know Lofton will do a great job of easing Reese's worries-- because let's be honest, Reese is like his mama... he worries.

I've prayed a lot for Reese's future friends.  That they'll be boys and girls with big hearts, who love their mamas and daddies just like him.  I've prayed for his teacher, too.  That she'll love him like I love my boys and girls.  That she'll encourage him and guide him through this year of learning.  Reese is strong willed but sweet.  So funny and so smart.  I pray she sees all of that.

Since Reese was a baby I've prayed this verse for him-- Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

It literally feels like I blinked and he became a little boy. Like just yesterday we were rocking and bottle feeding and pacing the halls at three in the morning.  

But here we are.  And I think you go to jail if you keep your kid locked in the house forever?!? Ready, set, go-- right?

lasts

I read an article this morning about lasts in parenting.  It was a really great reminder to me to appreciate the fleeting moments that I sometimes get annoyed by.

The article talked about all the firsts we document in our children's lives-- first steps, first smile, first bike ride, but went on to say that lots of things are lasts and we never really know they're coming.  Do I remember the date Reese took his last bottle?  The last time he used his beloved pacifier?  The last time he called Lofton "Daddio" instead of Daddy?

I'm guilty.  Guilty of wishing away some of these moments in anticipation of what's to come.  And this summer I've been guilty of being irritated at Reese's inconsistent naps. Sometimes he naps, but more often he doesn't.  And no nap means that he's usually planted in my lap instead. And four year old's talk A LOT.  At least mine does.  I really loved naptime for the break it gave me to recharge a little.

Yesterday I heard the patter of flat feet coming down the hallway and he climbed in my lap.  I told him we had to be really quiet for a little while even if we weren't actually asleep.  He asked me to rub his back like a spider.  I wasn't really sure what that entailed, but I gave it my best shot.

And I'm so glad I did.  Because what if this summer is it for snuggling and I don't even realize it?  Surely there is soon to come a day when he doesn't want to run around the house in his underwear, when he won't snuggle next to me on the couch because sitting by himself is so lonely, and when he won't tell me every night that he loves me "so, so much to the moon and back when the moon is out and the sun and back when the sun is out."

So I'm changing my tune.  Maybe I'm just feeling a little winsome that summer is slipping away?  Less than two weeks to soak up some last snuggles.