Soccer Has Started!!!

This morning we were up and out the door by 7:30 on our way to the soccer fields. I ran by the bank to get money to pay the referees (the joys of being the board treasurer) while Richard headed to the field to meet the boys and their dad to get them ready to play. We were all present, dressed, and ready to go with Gatorades in hand (I think this is the first time we remembered them for the first game ever), only to find out the other team didn't get the schedule change and they weren't showing up until 9:30. Seriously, the one time in my soccer mom career that everyone was on time, and we didn't have to be. The other team did arrive and Mason's team played their game one hour late on the only empty field at the park - the big field. They did awesome. I seriously teared up a few times watching my baby play on the big field and realizing in only a few more years that will be where he is playing. Somewhere in the past few months, he has seriously grown up and I am not sure I like it.

Because that game started late, Richard was still coaching Mason's team when it was time for Connor's team to warm up for their 10:30 game so super mom (also known as me) went to tackle the job of warming up 6, count them 6, six year-old for their first game that wasn't co-ed. And might I add, I did marvelously. They even told Richard I was better than him at soccer because I could kick the ball in flip-flops (only one little boy said that was because a guy would never wear flip flops to the soccer field).

Both boys did an awesome job - Mason had five assist and Connor scored a goal.

The miracle of miracles is that Reagan spent almost five hours at the soccer fields and was an angel. I mean a real angel. She didn't cry or go missing. She sat in her Dora chair and watched the games and played with the boy's other sister, Kim, and never gave me any trouble at all. I would say that it really helps that I have downloaded Dora the Explorer to my iPod on my phone, but that would mean that I have to admit that I use technological devices to help watch my children and I am not one of those parents (no chance of lightning today, right?)

I am almost scared to say this out loud, but I think we might be over the toddler hump.

Summer Stuff

Wow - twice in one night! That's not going to happen very often! Here are some pics and video from our awesome summer - can you tell we are three weeks into school and I am starting to miss the summertime?

Where did the summer go...

I would begin this blog with something lame like, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted on here, but...been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, and didn't learn my lesson. So, instead I will say this might be long since I have been saving up so many things to tell! (Much more positive!)

The Meisel gang had a completely awesome summer. Richard and I both worked summer school which meant more money. We remodeled our den and finally got rid of the awful white carpet and the wood paneling. Seriously, what were we thinking buying a house with white carpet when we had two boys and a dog. Add a baby a few years later and those carpets never stood a chance. With the extra money we took the kids on a wonderful trip to the beach which seems to be an accidental family tradition. They love the "big water" so much that we seem to be drawn there anytime we try to think of a fun, relaxing family vacation to take with three children under the age of 10. Our children, being the entertaining, spontaneous beings that they are, kept us thoroughly entertained. I am not sure that I could possibly tell all the funny, fun moments we had; however, I probably could have a few months ago right after they happened (lesson learned...maybe!) I will tell you that Mason is noticing bikinis, Connor is swimming much better, and Reagan thinks the Hurricane Memorial is called "Barbie and the Baby".

After our wonderful, relaxing family vacation, Richard and I were off for our wonderful, totally not relaxing because we were running every minute, trip to Vegas. I would give a long detailed description of everything that we did, but WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, STAYS IN VEGAS! I will say we are definitely going again soon!

To wrap up the wonderful summer, Dave and Pat came to visit for a week from Baltimore. We had a blast doing not much of anything but spending quality time with Grandma and Granddad - my kids are truly blessed to have so many wonder grandparents in their lives. Reagan especially enjoyed putting silly bands all over Granddad's arms. They were really cute until they starting cutting off the circulation.

School is back in full swing, the boys' soccer season has started, and Connor has decided to try cub scouts. To realize how excited I am about another Mom and me camping trip, see previous post from October 2008. Yippee, I can't wait.

I would love to say I will post again soon, but since I am too busy living life to spend a great deal of time blogging about it, I will just say - see you when I see you!

My Bottom...

Oh my goodness - if you are reading this and you need to use the restroom, I suggest taking a second to go to the restroom first because this is so funny it might make you have an accident.

Now that I have the "Readers be Ware" warning out of the way, let me tell you what happened today. I should probably start by telling you that Reagan is teething, which makes her bodily functions acidy, which makes her diaper rash flair up. So, when she uses her diaper, it immediately burns her little tush.

So, today was rainy and we were tired of being cooped up in the house, so we decided to take the kids to the mall for Chick-fil-A and to let them play on the indoor playground. Everything was going great until Reagan used her diaper and it started burning her hiney. At this point, we realize we left the diaper bag in the car, so Richard decides to take Reagan to the car, grab the bag, and stop by the family restroom at the door and change her diaper. Great plan, but one problem. When Reagan has these flair ups of diaper rash, she screams every time you touch her behind anywhere or anyway. And, since she really didn't want to leave the play yard to go to the restroom with Richard, he had to pick her up to carry her with him. By the time they reach the door to the mall and the parking lot, where his arm is holding her under her behind is hurting, so she starts screaming, "You are hurting my bottom." That probably wouldn't be so bad, if her two-year old word for "bottom" didn't sound exactly like "body". Yep - that's right, picture it. My adorable husband, leaving the mall holding our precious little blonde baby trying to leave the mall with her screaming, "My body! You hurting my body! Leave my body alone! My body, oh my body!"

Richard says he has never felt like such a villian in his life, and I say the expression on his face was PRICELESS!!

Time Flys When We're Having Fun

I can not believe it's been three months since I updated this blog. I guess we have been so busy living life that I forgot to write about it. Or it could be that I have been working on my other blog - www.mommasgettinskinny.blogspot.com. Yes, that is what you think it is, a weight loss blog. I have offically lost ten and a half pounds in about three weeks and I feel great. I could go on and on, but that's what the other blog is for. You are obviously here because you want to know about us and our wonderful children, so where to begin.

Baseball season is officially here. We are knee deep in three or four practices a week and two or three games. When I get really tired, I just remind myself that this only lasts for so long so I need to take a moment to breathe it all in and make those memories that last a lifetime because this phase of my boy's life doesn't. Mason is the luckiest player ever - he seems to always be drafted to a team that is stacked. This season his team has only lost one game and that was in a tournament, not the season. He got his first hit the other night and I truly think I yelled louder than I ever have in my life. I have seen him hit a ball off a tee, I have seen him hit a ball pitched by a coach, but there is nothing like seeing him hit a live arm ball - definitely one of those moments I filed away in my memory. Connor's team, on the other hand, is the cutest version of the Bad News Bears I have ever seen. We won our first game on Saturday and you seriously would have thought they had won the World Series in a sweep. I am not really sure baseball is his forte, but as long as he is having fun, we are enjoying every minute.

Reagan turned two last week. Seriously, she's two. It seems like only last month I was a sleep-deprived mother of a newborn. She loves to play ball as much as her brothers do, and honestly I think she is going to be a little athlete; however, I am still enjoying torturing Richard with the idea of dance classes instead of team practices.

We are all doing really great and loving every minute of our lives. I would like to take a moment to mention that one of my dear friends and co-workers, my former fifth-grade teacher, Kay Pearson, lost her battle with cancer and has moved on to be with the Lord. She and my mother were very close friends and her daughter Kristy and I have been good friends since grade school. Please take a moment to throw a little prayer to heaven for her family and loved ones who know she's in a better place but miss her dearly here.

Adventures in Motherhood

Last night Richard had an out of town game in Tyler so the kids and I were on our own. Mason went to spend the night with Nanny and I had grand plans to put Connor and Reagan to bed early and then do some photography editing I was behind on. Around 6:30 I put them in the bath together and let them play a little. Then I got Reagan out and let Connor stay in longer because he likes to "soak" as he puts it. I took Reagan in her room, lotioned her up, put on a diaper and her fleece pajamas because the temperature was going to drop. Then she, her baby doll, and I all sat down to read a few books. After book time, I went to get her medicine and a bottle. All of a sudden I hear, "Mommmm, come quick, you're not going to believe this!!" Connor was yelling at the top of his lungs. I took off running to the bathroom and find Reagan, her baby, her book, and her pajamas in the bathtub with Connor. Connor says, "Mama, she diveded right in. It was sawsome!!" So I had to get Reagan out of the tub and redo the entire process but this time she was screaming because she couldn't have her book - the entire time I was drying her off she was yelling, "My book, my book" at the top of her lungs.
I finally got both of them settled down and in the bed by 8:00 and sat down to work on some editing. Around 10:30, Cera started growling in the kitchen. I also heard a low rumble that sounded like thunder. I assumed this was just another case of Cera getting upset by the weather because she is terrified of thunder or any other loud noise. Fireworks send her over the edge to the point that we have started giving her Bendadryl for several hours before dark on July 4th and New Year's Eve. I walked into the kitchen to calm her down when I hear another growl that I know isn't coming from Cera because I am looking at her. I begin to feel a small panic in my stomach, but then I think maybe Cera let another dog in with her to last time I opened the door for her. As I take a few steps closer to her door, I hear the low growl again, look down, and there right at my feet under the baker's rack in my kitchen is the ugliest animal I have ever seen. It is white with huge red eyes and sharp pointy fangs that are dripping saliva. I run, I scream, I jump on my bed, I call Mark. Mark is my first cousin and my life saver. While I am waiting for him to get here, I call my mom to talk me off the ledge. And, do you know what she had to nerve to ask me. "Is it a mouse?"

Mason's 9th Birthday

My baby, my first born, my pride and joy is now my big boy. Mason turned 9 on September 22nd and I realized that next year he is officially a decade old. For his birthday we and his friend Clay went to Houston and stayed the night at Aunt JuJu's house (she's cooler than I am now because she has a pool - Mason says so). The next morning Julie kept Reagan and Connor for Richard and I to take Mason and Clay to an Astro's game. We had a great time and I was so impressed with how well behaved and mature the boys acted. They actually watched the game and talked about what was happening but secretly, deep down inside somewhere, I longed for just one more cartoon themed party with crying kids and screaming parents (or vice-versa as is usually the case). I've caught myself hugging just a little bit longer or snuggling just a little bit more because for the first time in his life, I'm not sure how much longer it will be cool to hug or snuggle with mom. I want my baby to grow up and become a strong, independent man, but do I really have to grow up with him?