It’s really way bugging me that my blogging schedule right now is approximately every other week. That is unacceptable and it just does not sit well with me. And sure enough, because it’s been a while, I’ve got lots to say. So, I plan on using my good ‘ol bullet-points technique. (Although it’s safe to say that each bullet-point will have quite a bit of wordage before the next bullet-point presents itself. And actually I don’t like how the bullet-points thing automatically indents everything so I will actually number and title topics for clarification). Here goes:

1.) MIDDLE SCHOOL REUNION. Way back on Friday, March 18th, I hosted a reunion of my closest friends from the days of yore and yesteryear (middle school – ahh yes, those tumultuous puberty-hormone stricken, preteen angst-filled years. Thank goodness for these girls). We had so much fun together – back then and now! A couple of the ladies have little offspring of their own now (all girl-types thus far). So, I had warned Zachary that there would be a few 2ish and under girls rippin’ around here. Apparently this news was just too much to handle and a meltdown of emotion burst forth.

“But, Mommmmm,” he wailed, “They will ruin everything and make such a mess and I will have to clean it up…I always have to clean it up. And they’ll break stuff. And I just…I just…I just don’t have time for this!!!” Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you had a busy agenda and that this just really doesn’t work with your pressing schedule. I talked Zach down – reassuring him that any mess the little girls made, I would help eradicate after their departure. I also convinced him that it might be wise to move some of the things that he really wouldn’t want little hands playing with – completed Lego completions, Playmobil knight/castle pieces, etc. We worked through his pain together.

A few days later, we were talking about labor (as in having a baby). Just in a general sense: that Rebecca would be going into labor soon. Zachary – as always when he hears a word he’s not familiar with – asked what the word labor means. Mike replied, “Labor is REALLY hard work.”

And, as usual, our vocabulary whiz, quickly utilized his new word in a sentence. “Oh, yeah,” Zachary said, “My WHOLE life is labor.” Yes, he has a VERY tough existence.

Anyway, when my middle school friends and the couple of little girls arrived, Zach soon realized that 2ish and under kids can be fairly fun! Though he did, at one point, try to rip a box out of little Wynter’s hands because it had little knight/army guys in it that are “VERY CHOKABLE!” (Yes, I’m sure he was only concerned about her safety and not his own desire to keep his toys intact).

My friend Erica’s husband Eerik was brave enough to face all of us ladies. At one point, Zach suddenly realized that he was the only boy-type in the room…and then he saw Eerik. Zach went over to him and nonchalantly said, “So, who are you?”

Eerik responded, “I’m Eerik. I’m Wynter’s dad.”

“So, do you want to look at Where’s Waldo?” Zach asked. And from that point on the two men were pals. Whenever Zach needed a break from the girls he would go over to Eerik for conversation and male bonding with Where’s Waldo. They huddled in their little testosterone corner – strength in numbers – while the rest of us girls gabbed away.

2.) T-BALL. It has happened. It’s begun. We’ve become one of those families whose lives revolve around a sports team practice and team schedule. We’re slaves to the calendar. But it’s actually VERY exciting to be marching down, for the first time, this path of team sports! Initially, we only had Zach signed up for T-Ball. After talking to other parents about it at the bus stop, I was given the clear impression that it was ‘too late’ for Matthew’s baseball career. That ship had sailed. At the 7-8 year old level, baseball is already highly competitive and try-out based. Ewww. We had waited to sign Matthew up – knowing that we were missing the T-Ball age – because we just didn’t feel he was ready emotionally for team sports. He’s a sensitive big boy and we weren’t sure that he would’ve handled it well. And now, when we’d really wanted to sign him up, our dreams of Major League offspring were shattered.

Thankfully, Zachary’s T-Ball coach is the embodiment of awesomeness. Mike played catch with Matthew during the team practice while Matthew glumly watched the kids play racing games around the bases and practice catching and throwing. After that first practice I was chatting with Coach and Coach’s Wife. I mentioned that we were basically told that it was too late for Matthew – that the kids at his age level have all been playing for a few years already. Coach insisted that that was hooey and how dare these parents dash our dreams of sports stardom. He would talk to the league and see if Matthew could join Zach’s team – the Cubs. Sure enough, at Saturday’s practice we found out that Matthew could play!!

So, yes, he’s a little bigger than the other kids, and yes, he’s a little better than most of the kids, but it’s a perfect way for him to finally get that team sport experience while learning the basics of baseball. Plus, there’s just no way I could handle having two kids on two different teams with four different baseball events a week. Oye! Since I’m sure this is the only year we can get away with having them on the same team, future seasons will be tough. Basically, we’ll see which kid is better at the end of this season and then we’ll put all of our baseball-dreams on him. No pressure. (You know I’m kidding right?)

3.) THE ZOO. On Saturday, we went to the zoo with Kayliana’s birth mom (Mia) and her mom (Norah). It was wonderful seeing both of them. Mia hasn’t seen Kayli since New Year’s (so Kayli was 6 weeks old) and Norah hasn’t seen Kayli since we picked her up (at 2 days old). You can imagine that they couldn’t get over how big Kayli is now. (And, of course, the second comment we get is how much hair she has).

The outing was great. The boys were well behaved (Norah even commented on that fact)! And it was so good to see Mia. She’s doing very well and starts classes at community college today. I was able to find out a few facts about Mia as a baby (so who knows if this will carry over to Kayliana). She was an early crawler and an early talker (and hasn’t stopped since, her mom reported). And Mia – who now has very thick, black curly hair – had the same kind of hair as Kayli. Then when she was about 3 it turned coarse and curly. So, we’ll see…

4.) THE MIRACLE. A week ago today I was very, very tired. Not as tired as our best friends Jason and Rebecca though. A week ago today, Rebecca had a baby, and I got to be there. A new addition joined our clan. (They’re the ones also with two boys – Joshua and Noah. We camp together. We celebrate birthdays, holidays, life together. We’re the Clan). For several months we’d been preparing Kayliana because, you see, Jason and Rebecca are the torturous types who don’t want to find out what they’re having until the baby’s born. So, we’ve been mentally preparing Kayliana. You know, letting her know that the baby in Auntie Rebecca’s tummy was either another husband option or her best friend.

For as long as I live I will never forget that moment in the hospital room. Rebecca’s mom and I were hugging each other and crying when the doctor announced, “It’s a girl!!!!!” I didn’t get to be at the birth of my own daughter but I got to be at the birth of Rebecca’s, and that is a gift for which I will forever be grateful. Veronica Margaret is a beautiful perfect little lady and already the girls have gotten along smashingly well. 

When Zachary got to meet Veronica on Thursday, we (Rebecca and I) said something to the effect of, “And, Zach, this is your wife Veronica.”

“Why is she my wife?” Zach asked.

“Because your parents gave us three goats,” Jason replied. (I don’t recall any exchange of livestock happening…yet).

When Zach got home he said, “Matthew! Guess who I got to meet today!...my wife, Veronica. And I’m going to marry her ‘cuz she’s very cute!”