And the Earth Rejoiced...

It's been a busy couple of days. I haven't had two minutes to myself to even go to the bathroom without the company of a minor.

"But Amber," you may say, "Didn't your son start school yesterday? Surely that afforded you a break."

You'd think. Except Riley starting school meant that his little sister had to conveniently decide that she was going to prove her independence as well- from napping. I think she's teething again, because she's also refusing bottles. What this all boils down to is a hungry, tired, crabby baby that wants to pull herself up on everything and then scream because she doesn't know how to get down without falling.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I am kinda a big deal. I got an award on Tuesday. Myself and a handful of other employees were summoned into a top secret meeting with one of the department higher-ups, on the sixth floor no less, and awarded for some extra hard work we'd done recently when threatened with the government funding ceiling. We were called up in front of the room full of people, embarrassed, and handed a box (which contained a silver plated, engraved, star-shaped paperweight) and a certificate in a nice embossed folder. We then slunk back to our seats beside the gigantic windows and watched as the meeting progressed.

But then the earth decided to applaud us for our hard work.

It started with the ceiling rumbling. We looked up at it and considered it, but ultimately brushed it off. Then the building seemed to sway, and the windows rattled, and the blinds started shaking, at which point we all leaped from our chairs beside the windows and stared in wide-eyed astonishment. Was this an earthquake? There were several people from California in the room, and they stayed seated and looked utterly unimpressed, but I was sick to my stomach with shock. In the short time that it lasted, my dominating thought was "what if it just keeps intensifying until this building crumbles and I never see my kids again?" But then it was over and my fear was replaced by excitement. MY FIRST EARTHQUAKE! Maybe it doesn't seem so impressive to YOU, but I live in Virginia, and have only been familiar with earthquakes via the news. Our building was evacuated so facilities could check for pipes leaking, etc. and then we were let back in, and the afternoon was pretty much shot. Everyone that stayed just talked about the earthquake and surfed the internet looking for information about it.

A friend posted this on facebook and it cracked me the hell up:

Maybe we're wimps, California, but I'm willing to bet you'd freak out about snow.

Yesterday was Riley's first day of school. Our county does half-day kindergarten and Riley is in PM. Therefore, the morning went a little something like this:

8:30 am
Riley: Is it time yet?
Me: No. Three and a half hours left.

8:40 am
Riley: How about now? Is it time? How much time has gone by?
Me: Only ten minutes.
Riley: Well, how long is that? How much time is left?
Me: I will tell you every hour, okay?

8:55 am
Riley: Has an hour passed?


Needless to say, the hours passed very slowly for all of us. I can't fault him for being excited, though. I was too. I had his lunch packed at 7:30 am. He was dressed and in his shoes by 9:30.

Russell arrived home from work in time to come with us to drop Riley off at school. Riley tried to not even say goodbye or give us hugs. When the teacher came to walk the kids back to the classroom, he simply took off running. I had to call him back.

I am happy to report that I did not cry. Though I will admit that I worried, a LOT. I also immediately drove all around town doing stuff that would otherwise be peppered with complaints from my five year old- went to the grocery store, got gas, went to Starbucks, drove to my mom's house to drop something off. I stopped by Toys R Us and got Riley a globe to congratulate him on his first day of school (he's wanted one for a while).

When the bus dropped him off (40 minutes late) I asked him how it went and he said it was fun. He chose to not give me any more information (except a tiny tidbit later about having music class and playing the bongos). We then started what I hope will be a new tradition, and picked a place on his globe and then researched that place and recorded facts about it. Yesterday it was the Indian Ocean (which is the 3rd largest oceanic division, accounts for 20% of the earth's water surface and is the warmest of the Oceans) and today we're going to do Egypt. We need to work on his ability to read the globe, though. Yesterday he insisted several times that we should focus on "North". North what? Your guess is as good as mine.

It's hard to curse around a child that knows what you're spelling.

I can't remember any of this past weekend. I wish I could say it's because I partied and got super-college-frat-party-drunk, but I think it's because we didn't do anything note worthy. Wait, part of it's coming back to me now.... We went to Target and bought a dish drainer.... and another baby gate.... and a new welcome mat.

Better left unsaid, right? I know, the glamor of my life is unbearable to you common folk. I shouldn't have been so insensitive just then.

Yesterday was "Meet the Teachers" day at Riley's elementary school. I left work at 11 to go pick him up (I had to eat in the car! New milestone! I LIVED!!). When we got to the school, it was PACKED WITH KIDS. They were sticky and dirty and I felt like the construction paper lined walls were closing in on me. That place smells like my childhood. Walking in there is like a slap in the face of memories. I had to go into the main office to ask a question about the bus routes, and the ladies of course all remembered Riley. Especially when he proudly read them the drawer labels, all of their names off of their desks, the sign behind one of them, and the people's names from the 'sign in' sheet. After several long, tense minutes in the packed foyer (Maybe most people aren't tense? But SO MANY KIDS!!!!) they let us back. I hadn't received a letter telling me who Riley's teacher was (got it yesterday when we got home, of course...) so I was anticipating lists being posted outside the classrooms. Nope. So I had to wander in to each of them (which were all notably marked 'PEANUT FREE ZONE', which is going to suck for my PB&J loving child) and ask around like a dumb noob.

When we finally found his teacher's room- Her name is Mrs. Weigel, but she is kindly allowing the kids to call her Mrs. W.- Riley immediately went into his version of coronary arrest. Here is his heaven, this classroom papered with letters and numbers. Immediately he attempted to rip them all down and love them, but I stopped him. As I filled out paperwork and he stealthily tried to remove letter magnets from the chalkboard (meanwhile, the other kids are playing with each other), Mrs. W found her way over and made the mistake of striking up a conversation about letters, at which point she wasn't able to leave to talk to any of the other children because Riley would not stop talking for anything. When she finally found the opportunity to introduce herself to the room, Riley anxiously waited until she finished and then proclaimed "YOU ARE THE BEST TEACHER!" which got a chuckle from the parents. The parents were asked to head to the cafeteria so the teacher could get to know the students, and I watched as parents tried to separate themselves from their tearful children.

"Riley," I said, "I have to leave you here now and go somewhere else with the other moms and dads"
"Cool, bye," Riley said dismissively as he spelled 'School' with foam letters. Well. That's my kid for you.

While the parents were introduced to the staff members, the children got the opportunity to learn about bus safety and ride the school bus. At the end of the hour, we were allowed to go get our child off of the bus. Mrs. W, with a big smile that might have been strained and fake, informed me that she'd started reading something (the posted rules, I think?) on the bus and that Riley had "finished them" for her.

I get the feeling that everyone is going to know my son and me by the end of this school year. I am terrified.

Later that afternoon, Riley asked to play outside with his truck. I stared at him for 45 seconds straight in amazed silence, thinking if I breathed or blinked it would disappear, like a mirage. This is the child that would sit on the computer for 6 hours straight if we let him, and whose version of playing with legos is making the alphabet out of them. I may have yelled "YES" accidentally, in my excitement, and shoved him outside.

Every so often, the stars will align perfectly, and I will do something that makes me feel like a cool mom. Such an occasion took place yesterday, when I was preparing to butterfly chicken breasts for the picatta I was making for dinner, and blew it off to play with sidewalk chalk instead. It was beautiful outside, and I was so happy to fully appreciate the last of summer with my kids. Of course, the first thing Riley did was start drawing numbers and letters- but hey, we were outside! That's at least an improvement!




I drew the sun and the clouds, and a heart, and Riley gave them all faces.



Zoey focused on throwing her pacifier repeatedly on the ground as a way, presumably, to taste the asphalt.

Riley wants to make sure you know your colors.

The artist at work.

(Not pictured: Me in sunglasses, an oversized Samuel Adams t-shirt, leggings and bare feet. Sorry for your loss there.)

Is this what normal people feel like the morning after?

Hi. Did you miss me? What do you mean you didn't notice I was gone? I took the whole three-day weekend OFF from the internet. Well, with the exception of hours of research I did trying to figure out why my home computer keeps crashing. This is a big deal. I mean my break from the internet, though my computer crashing is a close second. You see, if it weren't for the internet, I probably wouldn't have friends. I am really bad at keeping in touch, but I'll be damned if Facebook doesn't make it a crapton easier. Since it's obvious that you've all (I mean you, and you. Thanks for reading) missed me terribly, let me entertain you with a summary of my weekend.

Friday, I finally hauled Riley in to register him for Kindergarten. Zoey, too, but she only wishes that she were being signed up for an opportunity to get away from me. For those who haven't met my son, it is an understatement to say he's not shy. He's also not even the slightest bit intimidated by adults. We walked into the school's office (cute school! The sidewalks are all decorated with illustrations of the school's values, Riley and I had fun on our walk up to the door) and Riley immediately steamrolls those sweet, unsuspecting personnel. He walks in, past the front desk, back into an area that I'm sure is typically reserved for staff, and starts questioning a lady there about what she's doing on her computer. She thought it was hilarious, thankfully. I was a little worried he was going to be banned before I'd even gotten him registered. She offered him a job as her personal assistant, and I practically had to beg him to come out and sit beside me while I filled out forms. I talked him into playing with my phone instead (and found out later he'd started a game of Words with Friends with Russell). Zoey started chanting (ehhhhhhh-UH! ehhhhhhhh-UH!) in a tone that grew progressively louder, until everyone in the office was cracking up and my face was burning. Riley then impressed the ladies by loudly reading everything on the bulletin board in the office for them as I tried to drag him out the door. I get the feeling they might remember him.

It was absolutely lovely outside that afternoon, so the kids and I went out into the backyard to play. Zoey and I set up camp under a tree while Riley played with his "Stomp Rockets" that he'd gotten from Grandma Crossley for his birthday.



You put the styrofoam rocket on the tube and then stomp on that pink thing.

Or, if you're Zee, you eat grass.

I was fortunate enough to capture this heartwarming action shot.

Saturday, we went grocery shopping, then school shopping. Riley had fun picking out a lunch box and backpack, and I even let him help pick out his clothes. He doesn't have bad taste, for a five year old.

Sunday, Russell smoked a chicken and some baby back ribs, and I drank some beer. I think- THINK- I might have my first hangover ever this morning. I've got one of those headaches that saps all your strength. I wasn't even able to get the deadbolt to lock on the door when I left the house, and I had to cut open the package my breakfast was in even though it's perforated for tearing. Pretty lame.

Seriousness coming-

All those things having been said, my heart is heavy today, and probably will be throughout the week. I am remembering three baby boys that left this world far, far too soon, and am so heartbroken for their families. Please take the time to appreciate your families a little extra today, and if you pray, try to remember to ask for peace for those who have holes in their hearts that can never be filled. All my love to those who have felt the pain of losing a child, particularly to the Cortez and Rivers families this week. My thoughts are with you and your sweet baby boys.