Midweek Confessions - It's YOUR turn!

I'm a day late but Thursday is still mid-week, right!?! Time for some mid-week confessions!

1. I cannot for the life of me do those "make sure you're not a robot" things where you have to type in jumbled letters and numbers. Seriously. It took me no less then 10 tries today to post "she's so cute!"... I almost gave up. Some times I click the handicap/hearing impaired button... because apparently while not hearing impaired, I am handicapped... or at the very least "special."

2. Last night I forgot to put Parker's sheets in the dryer so they weren't dry in time for bed. I convinced him because he was "so good today" he got to sleep in his tent. Do you like that spin?! Mommy fail.

3. I started couch to 5K last night after stepping on the scale and confirming my 6.8 pound weight gain this summer isn't magically falling off itself.... it was embarrassing. I was sure I could skip to week 2.... yeah not so much. I have no intentions of running a 5k and I'm almost never on my couch so I'm going to call this operation "flowy dresses to skinny jeans."

4. I"m still *gulp* nursing Avery. Well technically, she is still nursing me since I can't remember the last time I offered "it" to her.... she just takes it... literally. For example, last night after my wun (walk/run), I was doing crunches and she walked up to me, laid on the floor next to me, pulled my tank top and sports bra to the side and self served. After she was done with that side, she announced "done!" and crawled across me to the other side. When she was done with THAT side, she said "thank you" and walked away... it has gotten THAT bad. I have decided to throw my hands up in defeat until turtleneck season. I sure hope they're in style this fall. 

5. I signed up to be room mom for Parker's class and I hope no one else checked "the box" on the volunteer sheet sent home this week. I seriously REALLY want to be room mom. It's my 1st step to being PTA president one day. Type A?  No. not me! 

6. My high school English and yearbook teacher reached out to me this week about doing a "where are the outstanding seniors of the 1st graduating class now" post. Yes, at one time, I was outstanding at more than  online baby clothes shopping and ... (is it bad I can't think of anything else I'm outstanding at? ....my husband answered "making soup" YIKES!) Anyways, I went to email her back and immediately felt a huge rush of anxiety. Did my subjects and verbs agree? Does a comma go there? What is the actual use of the "..." I love so much? It took me forever to write her back and in the end, I don't even think it sounded like me. I'm STILL trying to please my teacher... from 10 years ago. And to think I was offended by winning  "biggest brown noser" as my senior superlative.

SO... week after week I air my dirty laundry (speaking off.... the mountain is back in epic proportion) and I always write "your turn!" at the end of the post; however, no one has EVER even shared a teeny, tiny, not-so-bad confession back so this week I'm expecting REALLY good ones! (mega run-on sentence!) 

READY? 

Your turn and make 'em GOOD!

Tumbling Class

Yesterday was Avery's 1st day of toddler tumbling at the YMCA. While brother was getting his picture taken before his 1st day of 3 year old preschool, Avery sat patiently waiting her turn.

Yes, I made Avery a gymnastics shirt for the occasion. Parker got a new one for school and she got a new one for tumbling class :)

After dropping Parker off at school, we headed to the YMCA and waited outside of the gym until our class started.

Avery didn't exactly follow the obstacle course as it was laid out but she had a good time doing her own course!

Loving the tunnel

Up the wedge...

...Down the wedge

Bouncin' Baby

Our friend's Kristin and Bo! Today was his 1st birthday!!!

Relocating the cones.

Bo LOVED tumbling class! Check out that grin!

Balance beam fun!

Bo got hungry and Kristin didn't have a spoon. You do what ya gotta do, right?!

Precious Isabella is in our class too! We love our buddies!

I'm so glad to have Avery in a class of her own. I did gymboree and MyGym with Parker so its only fair Avery gets an activity too! :) Hopefully in the coming weeks she'll be a bit better about doing the class activities and not so much her own thang!

What a difference a year makes!

This time last year my stomach was in knots and I couldn't wait to go pick up Parker from his 1st day of preschool. He cried the whole way to school, had to be peeled off of me and sat in the teacher's lap crying all day. Eventually he learned to love preschool and today was definitely a testament to that! He was excited to go to school, wore his backpack with pride and ran into his classroom. He wouldn't even give me a hug goodbye! Once he was in his room, he let his backpack slide off his shoulders in the doorway and ran straight to his friend, Colby. After leaving him, I took Avery to tumbling class then passed by his school on the way home. I was "that mom" and pulled in the parking lot because I spotted him on the play ground. He was having so much fun on the play ground with his friends. He was running and climbing the equipment with ease and joy.  I have a feeling it's going to be a great year in 3 year preschool! 

Last Year:

September 2011. NOT excited about school!

2 year old preschool

This Year:

SO excited to go to school!

The sign says "September 4, 2012 1st day of 3 year preschool. When I grow up I want to be: A cow!" Bless his heart... that was his answer.

This is the best I could get of him with the frame. I'm planning to do this each year. I think it should be fun to see what he answers each year for "what he wants to be when he grows up"

Walking into school!

Last year I was a ball of nerves and couldn't wait to pick Parker up! This year, Avery and I went to tumbling class then ran an errand and came home to do some "cleaning"... which became blogging. The time is FLYING by and I'm not anxious at all to pick him up. I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful preschool! There are pretty much 2 places I'm OK leaving Parker without feeling like a piece of me is missing... my parent's house and his preschool. I love it THAT much! My baby is growing up!

The DNC

Today we braved the crazies and headed uptown for some Democratic National Convention chaos fun. Because we had no idea where to park or what roads would be blocked off, we parked at the furthest train stop from the city and road the train in. Apparently every one else had the same idea. Parker (who LOVES the train) had a total meltdown that he had to sit next to someone he didn't know and that there weren't window seats available so he stood in the isle whining. It got so bad I spanked him in public on the train which I'm usually against doing. Why do kids pick holidays or busy public places to melt down?! He hasn't had a meltdown in MONTHS but being surrounded by our closest thousand friends on a train apparently set him off. Bless my mom's heart for handling him the rest of the time uptown because he would have nothing to do with me! 

You're probably wondering why I (and my super NON Democratic hubby) lugged the kids uptown for the DNC.... WELL... my sister, Kelly who moved to NYC this summer was freelancing with a marketing company that was hired to by Google to do their DNC production. We were so excited to have her back in Charlotte for a few days but she's been so crazy we've only seen her for a few minutes each time. She's been busy doing this:

This is the HUGE building they constructed for Google at the DNC (and Daniel pushing Avery, my mom searching for something to entertain Parker with and my dad looking suave in his shades)

Sticker and Button bar.

Inside of the Google building. Lots of places to sit, charge your phone, free drinks, clean potties and A/C!

This is where the important people will be interviewed.... I was not invited in the glass box. They probably wouldn't have liked what I had to say about our nations political situation.

Brother and sister enjoyed the free stickers and time with Aunt Kelly!

Parker sharing a sticker with Avie

In line with daddy to get mommy a FREE iced coffee (Thanks Google!)

Kelly looked SO official with her walkie talkie!

Dad and Kelly

Daniel and I

Avie is SO silly!

After we left the Google building we navigated the busy streets to the best of our abilities until Parker declared "Nana, you buy me a chicken nugget, okay?!" So we headed to the closest chicken nugget joint... Hooters. 

After lunch we tried to find our way back to the train station but we got misinformed by a cop that we could get on at a station we couldn't so we took the LONG way. Avery fell asleep along the stroll and Parker made my mom carry him the whole walk. Poor nana!

The train ride home went MUCH smoother! Parker got a window seat and it wasn't very busy. WHEW! I was dreading the ride home but thankfully it was an enjoyable experience!

I'm SO proud of my sister and how hard she's worked the past 3 weeks helping make the Google production so AMAZING! She's for hire... or rent so if you're hiring and are NYC or better yet Charlotte, contact me! The Google building really was pretty cool. Also cool was the....

FOX NEWS Headquarters!

I'm definitely not looking for a debate but here's my HONEST opinion of what I've seen of the DNC in Charlotte. While I appreciate all the new gadgets the police department got, the landscaping the city was able to do and the general clean up the city underwent, it came at a GREAT cost. More than I think was worth. Financially, I think the DNC and the RNC are both WAY too expensive. The tax dollars that go just to protect the candidates, senators, president, etc is astronomical. So much so that I really think this year due to the country's economic woes, it would have been more appropriate to broadcast rah rah speeches from the White House for Obama and from Romney's living room. The sheer financial expense for Obama, Biden and Clinton to travel is mind blowing.

I see streets blocked so residents can't park in their driveways.... or within blocks of their apartments for that matter. People can't get to work.  An entire intersection is blocked off around a local resort diverting traffic way out of the way. A family friend can't receive his scheduled chemo this week because the office is blocked off and forced to close. Friends can't work and aren't being paid because their employers were forced to shut down for the week.... all for????? BUT... that's just my opinion... 

Now to end on a light note... 

OUT TAKES!

Love Avie's expression

This was attempt #3 and photo #3 of Kelly's eyes shut.

Parker choking nana and Kelly getting frustrated with her eyes and the best photo of me in the bunch we took. Oh group shots!

Nana's eyes are lookin' a but scary but Parker looks presh!

The pink giraffe sunglasses always make an appearance in public!

Thanks for bearing with me on this long post! Check back for Parker's 1st day of 3 year old preschool tomorrow and Avery's 1st day of tumbling class! Big day in the Wise household!