It's All About Signs

Jonah hung this on his door within one day of us moving to Redding. It reads:

No Girls, Boys Only
No Food
No Running
No Heart Trouble
No Attitudes

This is the kind of stuff that goes on in Jonah's head. Sometimes you can explain it, sometimes you can't. But it's always entertaining.

Payton answered with her own sign hung on her door that read:

"Stay out if you know what's good for you."

Where does she get that? Trav and I don't talk like that. That one had to come down right away. You shouldn't have to feel threatened like that in your own home.

As I turned on the computer just now Jonah ran out and made anther sign that reads,

"Go away if you're a girl ages 20 and under"

I love it, I made the age cut off on this one!

new phone, new number, new life

My one year plan was up, so the timing was right to upgrade my phone, get a local number.

Am I sad to change my old number? Yes.
Is it ridiculous to get sentimental over a number? Probably.

I identify my old 951 number with happy memories and people I love. It's like I just severed another tie to my old life, and it makes me feel sad. Taking on a new number is like accepting a new identity. I like the old and familiar. As much as I talk up adventure I really don't like change.

Plus now I have a new phone with all these capabilities that will take me hours to learn just how to do the simple stuff and I'll probably never learn how to use half the other options on my phone. I clam up with new technology. What I want is for Trav to learn everything about my phone and then show me what to do. That's what I want.

Sweet Mom Moment

Payton and Jonah are bit by bit starting to claim more and more autonomy. Every day there's demands to ride the bus instead of being picked up by me. Jonah always greets me with a disappointed scowl and, "Why do I always have to be in parent pick up??!! I just want to go on the bus!! I'm getting on the bus right now!" And then he tries to slink off in the direction of the bus while we wait for Payton to meet us. Payton of course is much more gracious, she'd like to ride the bus, but she still cheerfully allows me to get her myself.
Since riding the bus is still yet to be debated and decided by me and Trav they now just want me to drop them off curbside at school in the mornings and let them walk to class on their own rather than have me park and walk them in. Payton promises to drop Jonah off and see him to his playground. I "let" them do this by giving kisses at the front of the school and then let them walk in on their own with me trailing behind where they can't see me. Let me explain why I seem like a mom who can't let go first:)
Jonah's first week of school he was tackled and thrown to the ground and climbed on top of by a boy who wanted a ball Jonah had. It was horrible, I had to peel the boy off my son with a, "hey buddy, we can't use our hands like that, let's use our words next time." Jonah was absolutely crushed and just crumpled in a heap of tears. It was so sad. I held it together for Jonah, told him it was ok, and he'd be all right. Then I broke down crying as I tried to explain all that happened in mumbled jibberish to Trav on the phone. He's got to love fielding these kind of calls from me at work!
Needless to say, I'm hesitant to leave Jonah on his own on the playground until I feel more confident that he can handle himself well. It's a crazy world out there in kindergarten! So I follow behind and watch unannounced from the corner of the playground. So here's my sweet mom moment; yesterday morning I watch Payton call for Jonah on the playground, find him, rub his back, offer some encouragement for his day, and then wave a big goodbye. I started crying again of course, this time happy tears (thank goodness for big sunglasses). I LOVE that she looked out for little bro, loved on him, and sent him off on his day much like I would've myself!

These are such defining mom moments for me, like when Jonah was four and ran and got my mom a gatorade out of our cupboard when she was sick to help her feel better, or when Davey was two and smiled at me so sweetly from the shopping cart at Trader Joe's and for the first time on his own said, "I wuv you mama". These are the memories that are so sweet to me, that always come back to encourage me, spur me on as a mom. To know that my kids are always growing, always evolving, that they are little works in progress that sometimes totally get it, is so gratifying! Yay for the times they get it!

Anatomy with Jonah

Jonah fell down yesterday and hit himself pretty hard where it counts which resulted in his bold statement, "Boys have penises, girls have bajanas".

Apparently, Payton has been sharing her limited knowledge base with Jonah lately. What can you do right? I tried the old, "Um ok, that's right, but let's not talk about that with our friends or anything right? You can just talk to Mommy or Daddy about it." I say it, hoping that he actually heeds it, but deep down knowing and dreading that he's probably totally having playground conversations about bajanas!

Only in Redding...

I think I might add a bit of what I observe in Redding to Dan's periodic updates of the uniqueness found here.

Today it is funky attire. Of course you can find funky attire in any town. Santa Cruz was awesome for that. But a few days ago I spotted a man who very obviously worked out walking into the mall with one of those tank tops that look sort of torn with super thin straps, loose fitting exposing most his sculpted chestal region tucked in to nice slacks with a belt! I was fascinated and trying not to stare b/c I certainly didn't want to give off the impression of admiration, but I had to do a double take to confirm what I just saw! Crazy! Was he going to the office later?

Today I saw the sweetest old man walking his two dogs with very short jogging shorts and tall work boots. It brings a smile to my face just remembering it. Good for him rocking the short shorts with boots!

Anything's possible here.

my new favorite

I'm sitting at Starbucks with my green tea latte and lucky for me, they came around with samples, one being a red velvet cupcake. YUM!!! I've never tried it before and I have to say wow. It's right up there with princess cake from Gayle's bakery in Capitola which has held #1 for the last 10-15 years. I've got to introduce this to Arden, my fellow cake afficiondo. Did I use afficiondo properly? I just like how it sounded.

So I have Mon and Fri mornings to myself now with Davey in preschool. At first it was so discombobulating. I mean, it was what I've waited for these last eight years of mothering, regular scheduled time alone w/out having to depend on anyone to give it to me. It's finally here, and it feels uncomfortable, weird, and even a bit indulgent. I felt immediately like, ok so maybe I should get a job for two hours every mon and fri morning so I can do something productive with my time, contribute and stuff. I feel somewhat guilty doing something just for me. It's the curse of every mother I think, it feels wrong to prioritize yourself. But I've decided that I'm going to take my mon and fri's and do whatever I felt like that day and try NOT to do anything productive. So far I've found myself at Starbucks mostly emailing, studying, and reading. It's a bit of heaven on earth, this time alone. I love it, I've earned it, I'm claiming it. There, I've said it. Viva freedom!!!

Best News Ever!

They're going to have Amazing Race episodes available on-line this season!! I was seriously willing to pay for cable just so I could watch this show and again Trav talked me down, he's always making sense that way. We'd been living without cable the last year and a half, why get back into it now. I knew he was right, but wow, it was going to be a major sacrifice on my part. So yay!! Everyone wins, we're not addicted to cable TV and we still get to watch our favorite shows. Does life get any better? I submit that it does not.
On a side note, I read the frat bros this season reapplied like a million times together which technically you're not supposed to. I'm totally resending me and Alyssa's tape in!