In Case You Were Wondering Where I've Been.....

I know, I know. I've been so bad about posting regularly lately that I think even my most loyal of blog friends has just about given up on me. How some of you manage to have a daily life with jobs and/or kids, and still post amazingly lucid and entertaining posts is completely beyond me. If you have a secret, could you share? (And if it's just that your kids are much more entertaining than mine, can I borrow them for a week or two?)

Let me (try) to get you a bit caught up on life here in the locker room, ok?

Bug..... It was discovered with great hilarity this week that he is just about as tall as I am. I'm still not quite sure how that happened, as I routinely try not to feed him. (I just realized how bad that actually sounds. People, if you can't read the sarcasm in there.... well, you just don't know me. And if you don't know me, you might benefit from the knowledge that my kids? EAT.CONSTANTLY. Seriously, they eat everything in the house. Which wreaks havoc on my grocery bill, you know?)

We also attended the big-deal presentation at the local middle school for parents of next year's incoming 6th graders. Now, it could just be me, but I'm having a really hard time accepting my baby being old enough for Junior High School. I spent a portion of that evening crying sad little mama tears, while hiding in the bathroom. Needless to say, Bug is totally stoked about this whole growing up thing. Me? Not so much.

Jock..... Well, after a grueling three weeks of baseball training camp and a long week of stressful tryouts, we are beyond thrilled to tell everyone that he made the team! Trust me when I tell you that we seriously needed this bright spot right now. On the down side, it means I now have to go find (please God!) inexpensive white cleats and white baseball pants, as that is required for the team. On the plus side of that? There really isn't much that beats an afternoon sitting in the bleachers watching him play ball.

As amazing as I think my kids are (and I really do feel so incredibly fortunate with these two---the respect with which they treat other people, the unselfish way they seem to "get" our current financial situation, the hugs and cuddles every night, and the way they are both just turning into phenomenal young men), sometimes the conversations we have just boggle my mind. Especially when they are conducted via text, where there's actual proof of the lack of ... whatever.

Me (upon noticing that my house seemed to be missing one of it's children): Hey? Were you thinking of letting your mama know when you were going to be home? Cuz I'll pull rank and just tell you when if I don't hear from you. Also? Where are you? (and yes, I typed that all out. I have a very low tolerance for text-speak.)
Jock: Dad didn't tell you?
Me (realizing that yes, Dad HAD told me where he was. He had also admitted to not telling him when to be home, however, and knowing that sometimes the best way to get the teenager to tell me anything is to not admit I already know it): Dude, would I be asking you if he had?
Jock: I'm at Joe's (no, not his real name... and I apparently don't have enough creative brain cells left to give him something more clever. *sigh*) And he just said to call.
Me: Which you haven't. Or we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Jock: Oh. Didn't think I had to.

I paused for a moment here, just to laugh. Really? He didn't think he had to? Huh.

Me: Um, yes. If you're told to, that means you have to.

And then I just told him when to be home, as that would be when dinner would most likely be ready. Signed off with a typical mom comment of I love you.

He came back with Love you, too.

And just like that, I melted. No shock there, is there?

Coach..... Well, baseball season started. Baseball season tends to suck all possible free time from our lives here. Coach spent most of the past two weeks at various baseball tryouts, drafts and meetings. We have a couple of weeks until it really kicks in gear, and then there's no real time to stop and catch your breath until late July, I think. That's ok, though. Keeps him happy. And when he's happy, he does things like vacuum and cook dinner for me. So I'm all about keeping him happy.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! May you recognize the hidden Valentine's in your everyday life, and melt for them all at just the right moments.

Now, if only someone would manage to smuggle me a box of conversation hearts.......