Wednesday - Day 192 - NO Touching!!!

James received a squiggly face today, instead of a happy face, on his daily calendar.  It is two steps above a sad face.

James broke rule#3

Code of Conduct for Kindergarten

James' teacher let me know it was due to 'touching' another kid.  I was perplexed, but was sure there was a good explanation.  I attempted to chat with James about what happened and who he touched.  

I did not make much headway with my son.  I involved my husband who has a knack for getting to the root of any problem.  He had a chat with James' teacher the next morning.  His discoveries were mind boggling.

"No child is allowed to touch another child in anyway, for any reason."  This was the rule in a nut shell. This also meant, NO games of tag, NO touch (or tackle) football, NO games on the playground that involve any contact with one another, NO hand shakes or hugs.  NO touching is tolerated - at all!

I was astounded.  NO TAG??  It hit me hard.  We loved playing tag on the school playground when I was a kid.  It's a child's right to play tag.  

No More Tag....EVER!

James' teacher went on to tell John, the rule is enforced due to the higher number of special needs children present in the classrooms.  This made the reality a little easier to interpret, however my warm, loving, touchy child was going to be schooled on an entire new level.  

John and I agreed, we live in a campground for goodness sake.  The kids play, and occasionally make physical contact with one another.  That's what kids do.  James has four brothers and sisters and is part of a tight, touchy feely family.  It is normal and natural for him to touch those around him.  Transitioning from one acceptable touching environment to one that's not will be hard to remember each and everyday.  

Will James be mindful and keep his hands to himself or will squiggly faces leer back at him from his daily calendar?  Only time will tell.  

I suppose dodge ball will totally be out of the question.  Poor kids,we had all the fun, didn't we?

No Dodgeball in our kids' future
:-} (squiggly face ) 

Tuesday - Day 191 - a musical magical thing & 88 keys

I looked into buying James a real keyboard today, one with eighty-eight keys.  "Where am I going to put it?"  I asked myself.  I suspected my husband would mirror my thoughts.  

I quickly assessed our living space.  Small, but adequate.  A stand is included in the price.  We could set it up for practice and store it when James is not using it.

Yamaha YPG-535 Portable Grand 88-key Keyboard

It's only temporary right?  I considered it a small, inconvenient, sacrifice for my son, and he deserves it, but has he earned it?  

I planned to work with James, everyday for at least a week on his current, smaller keyboard.  It was given to me, a few years ago, by my fabulous sister, it once belonged to my very musical niece.  She has since moved on to playing the guitar.  

James' current keyboard.  
He claimed his keyboard from our cabin,
 only a week after beginning his piano lessons. 
He is very resourceful!

James likes his keyboard, but the notes are stickered on it and he is aware that it is not the same as practicing with his teacher.  His teacher feels he is ready to transition and I think he is as well.  

I am amazed at how much James retains from week to week.  He has a knack for understanding concepts.  When we go through his piano book he teaches me things and I love it.  Practice has become a great bonding time for us. 

I am going to age myself instantly when I admit this, but I taught myself many of James beginner songs when I played the "Magical Musical Thing" as a kid.  I memorize and played the entire song 

book.  I loved that crazy thing.  

If I only still had my
"Magical Musical Thing"

I can still recall the squence of notes after reviewing James' music book.  Maybe I'm a little more musical then I initially thought.  

Considering John mastered the Saxophone growing up and my own magical musical experience, James may actually have a fighting chance at some inherent talent.  Hmmm, who would have thought?  ;). 

Monday - Day 190 - Labor (Of Love) Day

It's the little things in any day that keep us on track with the big picture.  

A few weeks ago James drew an electronic photo of us on his leapster.  His thoughtful creation and how hard he worked was not the only thing that made my day, the best part was, upon completion he took a photo of it with my phone.  Now I will always have it to admire anytime I choose.  

James' electronic drawing -
that's us holding hands

John and I made a family fun run to Publix grocery store today.  We ran into two different friends we have known forever, but hadn't seen for a long time.  It made the entire trip's timing spot on.  Each person was someone I had been meaning to touch base with and had not made the time.  Life is funny like that, it brings people into our lives at just the right time.  

As we packed the car up with groceries, James and Ty were hugging in the cart, arms intertwined.  They were sitting there so naturally, and then we made them pose for a few photos. 

The boys truly like one another and it's a blessing to see.  I love watching them get along. They have their fighting moments, but overall I note the caring ones far out weigh anything else. 

The little things make for one great thing.  Each day I recognize at least one happy moment, blessing or something to be grateful for.  It's a tank full of goodness, so if and when life gets a little difficult I have reserves to pull from.  Life is simply one big Labor of Love (Day).  

Sunday - Day 189 - Staycation

There's nothing better than a staycation.  It's even better when your current lifestyle is a vacation destination and everyone around you is actually on vacation.  

This was our first holiday weekend at the campground.  We did not have any plans to go away and planned to enjoy life at home.   

On Friday the activity around us was in full swing with various RVs and campers pouring in.  By Sunday the parties and activities were in full force.  The pool area was loud and crowded with unfamiliar faces.  The campground was full of energy, and part of me lavished in it, while another piece of me felt like my home was being invaded by strangers. 

My new view from the back window
(Normally I only see trees)

My view from the side/kitchen window
(normally there are no campers)

People watched me as I drove by their campsites, the seasoned campers waved, while others stared.  No one knew they were space invaders, my tranquil sanctuary compromised.  

With all the commotion around us, John wanted to check off a few house keeping items.  He decided he and the boys would wash the outside of the RV.  

They did a fabulous job, while I sat inside and studied. Our home looked great when they were complete.  Homeowners mow lawns and pull weeds on the weekend, fulltime RVers wash their house. 

They worked hard!

Good thing John Is tall

With a task well done the boys all hit the pool and enjoyed the festivities with all the other weekend campers.  There was a Hulu hoop contest, cupcakes, games and all sorts of fun stuff for the kids to participate in.  

It was another world, or so I was told, our quiet, pool area looked like a popular vacation resort.  Although, I was not there, John clued me in when I finally made my way over to the pool.  Jack won third place in the Hulu hoop contest.  I was very impressed.  

Staycations are the best kind of vacations.  The cost to travel is zero, the cost for activities is zero, the cost to appreciate your everyday life, priceless.  

Saturday - Day 188 - Life changing...

Today we spent the day with Marcella and Jack at the beach.  

It is what we do and how we spend a lot of time together.  We talk and share and catch up on life. 

Today was a particularly important time to see them.  Their grandfather had a massive heartache last week and he is in the hospital in critical care.  The kids are learning to cope with a traumatic life experience, and it has been hard. 

Having conversations and learning the progress of their grandfather resurfaced my own past experiences connected to my father. 

My father endured a long series of illness in a span of ten years before his passing.  He had open heart surgery, two hip replacements, a colonoscopy bag, and many other hospital stays I have since forgotten the details of.  The hardest part, of his hospital stays, was seeing him after surgery, with tubes and machines hooked up to him. 

I know the kids saw their grandfather in a similar state and I would guess it was the hardest thing they ever had to witness in their lives.

Base on what they have told me, their grandfather should pull through.  The entire experience has forced them to grow up a little, it shed light on how fragile life is, and to never to take anyone or anything for granted.  Life as they knew it had changed forever.  

Friday - Day 187 - Old Life, lifelong friend

Quality time with good friends is something I always cherish.  I had the opportunity to spend time with my Texan friend, who was also my neighbor, coffee buddy, and fellow mother of two, Yen!

Yen and her family moved back to the East coast not long after I did.  Fortunately for me, her husband has family who lives in Orlando.  This will give Yen and I many excuses to coordinate seeing each other and to bring our kids together.  

At the campground playground,
All our children

Yen decided she and the girls would make the drive to my neck of the woods for a beach day.  I was thrilled, she was our first official out of state visitor.  

I took her to our favorite beach spot, a local beachside restaurant and we shared our campground facilities.  I think Yen was pleasantly surprised and truly enjoyed our new lifestyle, a far cry from our Texas, luxury apartment days.  

Getting ice cream by the pool

It is always a treat to see an old friend in a brand new setting.  You have an unbroken bond from a different time, yet it is easy to pick up exactly where you left off.  

I believe Yen and I will maintain our friendship for years to come.  She is a one of a kind friend to me.  Her zest for living life and trying new things is similar to my own.  We both love to travel and we share many common views on motherhood, education and family.  When our opinions differ, she will always stand her ground with confidence.  I have an unbelievable amount of respect for the person she is and the care she brings to those in her life.   We learn from one another and I love that immensely. 

Our kids get along exceptionally well and I suspect they will be friends with one another when they're older, maybe they will be accepted into the same colleges. 

Hangin' watching cartoons,
on James' bunkhouse

Spending time with Yen and her girls and sharing our new life, made for a perfect day.  It was a great reminder of how much I appreciate and adore our friendship.  

Thursday - Day 186 - My Mom

Somedays come and go and although there is nothing significant about the day in general, there is a chain of emotional events that bring light to specific realities in our life.  

I printed a family photo for James to hand in with a school project.  I made a decision to print photos and mail them directly to my mom at the same time.  It had been too long since I sent her photos of the boys. 

I send happy photos of the boys to my mom!

My mom is a wonderful woman.  She is strong and thoughtful and has taught me many of my values growing up.  Many of which, have taken me until adulthood to appreciate, but I know I am a better person because of her basic life lessons. 

Printing photos of the boys for my mom is one of the few connections I can create between her and her grandchildren.  She does not go online or have a smartphone.  She does not know what FaceTime or Tango is.  

My mom and baby Ty

.....20 months later

My mother sees her grandsons about twice a year, and in between visits all I can do to maintain their relationship is to physical mail photos.  Although, lately, with Ty and James getting older, I send photos less frequently. 

My mom and baby James
(Rabbit and Marcella too)

Five and half years later

The reason I share these thoughts is due to my mom being sick and homebound for the last four months, if not longer.  She has breathing problems, swollen feet due to her breathing medication and she recently had a scan to check a spot on her lung.  It's been a rough year for my mom.  It's been a hard reality to swallow and I still can not believe my mom will turn 78 in December. 

As I drove to pick the boys up from school today, I reflected and thought long and hard about my mother's future.  Would she get well and begin her active lifestyle again or would she continue to get worse and not leave the house for the rest of her life.  I shuddered at the sad and scary possibility. 

Talking to my mother on the phone is never enough, and I often wish my boys knew their grandmother well and had a better relationship, as they do with John's parents. 

Life is full of bitter realities, many we choose to ignore, not relate to or understand.  
I love my mom more then I think she realizes.   My plan is to make sure she knows how much I care, each and every time I speak to her.  One day, when I am wishing I can pick up the phone to call her, I do not EVER want to have any regrets that she never knew how much I loved her every day of my life. 

I remember my last conversation with my father before he passed away.  If I had known it would be our last conversation, I would have shared so much more with him.  Now all I can envision is my dad waiting patiently for my mother, to be reunited and live eternity, pain free.  A brief happy thought, among the sad ones.