Last night was my first night as a soccer mom.  Kind of.  I don't think I really qualify as a soccer mom.  I mean, I have a soccer playing kid, but other than that, I don't think I fit the description.  But maybe.  Who knows.  Who cares.  Peyton did awesome on his first evening of practice.  He is the smallest kid on the team- I suspect that he is the youngest (by far) but its hard to tell.  But he ran hard and played hard the whole time.  At one point late in the practice they were supposed to be scrimmaging and he was told to "go stand back there" when the coach was moving them around.  He took it quite literally.  Even as the ball was in play he didn't move.  I kept yelling for him to go after the ball but he just looked at me and shook his head.  I thought he was scared or something or just tired but then his coach finally told him to go after the ball and he was right on the ball the rest of the time.  He took "listen to the coach" to heart.  Sometimes I forget that "mom doesn't know what shes talking about". 

 

He probably doesn't have the skill of some of the kids who have already played for two or three years but he'll get it, I'm sure.  He was engaged the whole time and tried really hard.  There were a couple of other kids standing around kicking dirt.  Peyton and I are going to have to spend some time learning soccer terms this weekend, though.  The coach was shouting things like "defense" and "offense" and "forward" and "scrimmage" like we knew what that meant.  I know what it means in basketball and after that I'm out.  And P sure doesn't know. 

 

 

This was my first sports practice in a LONG time.  I think I went to a few of Alan's middle school practices but I was in high school and probably not paying much attention.  Turns out I might enjoy it.  I THINK.  It was kind of hard to listen to the coach address him because it always sounded like he was in trouble.  I think that was why I wasn't a fan of participating in team sports.  Or sports of any kind. 

 

Also, soccer socks are crazy hard to put on.  AND the shin guards go on the OUTSIDE of the socks.  Who knew!? 

 

The pictures are really bad but its all I had.  He is number 3 - if you can read the numbers in any of them.  He has a blue ball, that might help identify him.  And his jersey pretty much covers up his shorts.  Like a dress.  I tucked it in for him but no one else had theirs tucked in so he undid it on the field.  I know, I know.  I'm mom.  I don't know.  Its not cool to tuck in your jersey.  

 

 

After soccer we still had to do homework. 

He was pretty good about it.  The bath, not so much. 

My First Day of Kindergarten

Okay I guess its time I fessed up.  I was not the picture-taking cheerleaderish mom excitedly watching my kindergartner walk off to his first adventure in education.  I was more like the moms you see in the background of my pictures.  The hand to the face, fake smiling picture taking mom.  That was me.  I cried.  Not in front of Peyton, of course.  But I have doubts about my acting in front of him.  He cried and he held on to my leg and it was awful.  And then I went to breakfast and shopping with Brandon and his mom and sister to keep myself from a one-mother stake out in front of the elementary school waiting for time to pick him up.  I had flash-backs of his third birthday at the water park when he went down the slide by himself and I nearly threw up over the railing because I knew something horrible would happen to my little blond headed cherub if he went down the big bad slide. 

Same thing at kindergarten.  I was convinced that he would wander away from the school and out into traffic and no one would know that he was missing.  I'm not joking.  Don't laugh too hard. 

I really had an awesome Peytons-first-day-of-kindergarten.  There was a big breakfast, clothes and make up shopping and Starbucks involved.  Then we picked him up and he hugged me so hard I thought my head would pop off.  He said he was never going back.  And I really wanted to say "don't worry, you don't have to".  But I didn't.

And he did go back.  Today is day three and I heard that he went off to class without tears this morning.  So maybe its not so bad. 

Its irrational and ridiculous and completely insane and I totally fell into the first day of kindergarten emotional bear trap.  I don't mean to scare other newbie kindergarten moms, but yeah, its horrible.  Prepare yourself.

End of Summer Weekend and First Day of Kindergarten

One of Peyton's favorite things to do is have a "sleep over" which means he and I sleep in the living room and watch movies and have Scooby Snacks and popcorn.  So thats what we did for our Back to School weekend.  (and also because Daddy was out of town)

Never takes him long to fall asleep.

So Nimbus and I watched some more TV and read magazines.  But Nimbus didn't make it too long either.

Neither did Bella.  (yes she REALLY sleeps like that)

Saturday morning Peyton and I woke up and had a lazy morning playing video games and watching TV.

After breakfast we headed to Barnes and Noble to find some books & play with the trains & Legos.  Peyton ALWAYS wants to go to the "train place".  I don't think he realizes that its actually a store full of books.

Then we played at the mall and had lunch and tried to play at the park but it was too hot.  So we went home & settled for taking Nimbus for a walk later that evening.

The next week Peyton started Kindergarten. 

He was super excited! 

 

Until we actually got there. 

He wasn't sure about this whole thing once it got started.

But he lined up and headed to class.

And off he went!

He found his seat with his name on it.

And started his first day of school!

He was pretty overwhelmed but he did well. 

I think he will really enjoy it once he gets used to his new surroundings. 

My Boys

Peyton loves Nimbus

Sooo much!

Nimbus ready for his walk

and off we go!

Some flowers Peyton picked for me.  :)

Nimbus & Peyton playing cars inside

Told you I'd walk my cat on a leash!

Peyton with Nimbus on his first day of leash training. 

Nimbus in his harness. 

Nimbus Thunders Up (Barely)

Nimbus & I started Game 2 of the Playoffs Round 2 with laundry. 

But Nimbus was very sleepy after running around with Peyton all evening and fell asleep.

At half-time we moved out to the Man Room with Brandon.

Nimbus watched for a few minutes but was not impressed with the Thunder's losing game.

So he went back to sleep.

By the end of the 4th quarter, Brandon and I were making some unhappy noise, so Nimbus woke up to see what the commotion was all about.  He woke up with 2 minutes left in the game and watched the Thunder STEAL the game from the Lakers!!! 

And promptly after seeing the final winning score, Nimbus went right back to sleep. 

There is talk at my office about Nimbus helping the Thunder in the Playoffs.  We've been undefeated since Nimbus arrived.  And they DID turn the game around in the two minutes that he decided to be invested in the game.  Coincidence...?  Maybe. 

The Days of Creation (according to Peyton) ... there are 12