My BFF Business Woman

So I have apparently been underestimating the smarts of my firstborn, red-headed child.

I decided to dive into the dark hole of papers that make up her book bag last weekend to see what all I have probably missed as far as parent reminders, meetings, special events, fundraisers, and homework.  What I found instead were some trinkets that I KNOW did not belong to us: a snow globe with a bear in it, some jewelry, a small coin purse, Leah's wallet with a large sum of cash and coins in it, some candy, and a few other knick knack things.  I also found a notebook filled with people's names, and some sort of scribbly writing I didn't understand.  Kid code or something. 

At the top was written, "BFF Club."

Now my curiosity was killing me. I brought the subject up as we were driving to the grocery store that evening, just her and I.  I said, "so what is BFF Club?" 

She turns her head quickly and gives me this stair like "oh crap!"

She thinks on it a bit and says "It's my club."

I ask her what it means to be in her club...to which she thinks again for awhile.  As if to carefully word what she says in order to protect her club members or something..

My curiosity peaks even more...

She says, "Well, I'm the boss of my club.  And people sign up to be my BFF's..."

I listen some more.

I say, "That's interesting.  And people sign up just to be YOUR BFF? You must be special...what do you do in your club?"

She replies, "Weeelllllll...to be in my club they have to give me gifts..."

Silence.  As I sort out my careful response, without laughing...and also in complete amazement with her sales skills...this girl has a gift!

I finally say, "So let me get this straight, to be your BFF, people have to sign up on your list and give you gifts?"

"Yeah, kinda...or money."

I can't take it any longer. I gently tell her that she has to return the gifts and money, that to be a true friend means you care for that person no matter what.  That you show them God's love by our words, actions, and heart.  It should not involve lists and gifts.  That is is a feeling and connection a relationship, not gift-giving...

(all the while thinking she could have a career in politics)

And also realizing this explains why a neighbor girl in Leah's class brought over a basket of Starbursts the night before with a note for Leah...for no reason...according to Leah...

Ha!

She assures me she returned all the gifts and money and I think we are back on track with friendships.  Feeling pretty proud of the lesson she learned, I forget about it.

Until this week, when I check her bag out again and see another "BFF List" and a few trinkets in the bottom of her bag.   

I stomp up the stairs to her room to find out what this new list involves.  And to get an explanation for more gifts...

She says, "Oh mom! Don't worry about it!  Now, my BFF's just rent me their gifts for a night, so they can be in my BFF Club!  I'm not accepting them to keep, just to borrow.  It's all good!"

Oh my word...

Leah at CrossFit Kids

 

Life Here

I will not lie, we are running at a fast pace in our new setting.

A typical day goes something like this:

• 4:51 Alarm goes off (Thank you Sarah Basile for getting me started on setting my alarm at weird times while we were in Ukraine)
• Hit CrossFit Pathos at 5:15 am to either coach or workout
• Get home at 6:55 in time to meet Jerad running out the door to work.  He usually passes by filling me in on who's awake, who has a poopy diaper, who is asleep in our bed now, where to drop off bills today, a quick kiss, and he's off!
• I assess whether I have time to take a quick shower downstairs--all depends on if a child is asleep downstairs on the couch or not--or who all is awake demanding breakfast by 7 am.  Most days a shower is not a priority.
• I whip up something for breakfast while answering all of Autum's questions as she follows me around the kitchen.."why are you stinky?"  "why are you wet?"  "where's Eeah?" "Bobby poopy?"  "We go to fish park today?"  "We Wwing (translation is swing) today?"
• While doing this, I get Blake his meds 30 minutes before he can eat breakfast, pack Leah's lunch and repack Leah's lunch if Autum gets into it and eats her candy out of it while I'm in the shower, while staying on Leah's case to keep moving, keep eating, brush her hair and teeth, find homework, get shoes on...(she's not a fast mover in the morning)
• I push everyone out the front door toward the van while I hurry up and get some clothes on to take Leah to school.  
• I get outside hoping to see the kids crawling in the van but usually find Autum riding her bicycle, Blake pouring dirt over his head out of the big flower pot out front, and Leah standing out in the street yelling something to the neighbors as they are trying to drive around her and out of our cul-de-sac.
• It takes roughly 5 minutes to get to school, so if we leave at 7:55 am I can usually get Leah to the front doors before they lock the doors and I have to go sign a tardy slip (only done that a few times)
• Then I take the 2 little's home to get their breakfast finished and cleaned up, get their clothes on for the day, and decide what all we are going to attempt to accomplish before I have to take Blake to school at 12:20.
• Somedays we have to go to the store, or according to Autum go ride in the "blue car" (translation blue shopping cart with car on the front they can drive while I push them around store)  This is usually when I realize I may have rushed too much getting everyone ready because I put Autum's shoes on her on the wrong feet (she usually does that herself with no help from me), didn't change Blake's diaper and its hanging down between his knees, realize I haven't taken Autum to the potty in awhile and she is wearing her cloth panties, that I forgot to put make up on or only have one earring in or only shaved one leg...

Most days I have the kids in and out of the van 15 times before dinner.  And it is not fun. I finally invested in a bike stroller and we ride our bikes a lot more to save getting in and out of the van so much--and on gas.  

• I then get the 2 little's lunch and we make our way to Blake's school, usually with the bike.  After dropping him off, Autum and I will sometimes head up to the gym to coach or workout before heading home about 2:20, just in time to get Autum down for a quick nap and me to eat some lunch before having to pick up Leah and Blake from school.---that is unless the dishwasher repairman shows up and takes forever, and Leah's carpool ride is running late and I can't leave to get Blake on time and the teacher isn't answering...and when I finally get to the school to pick Blake up the teacher informs me I'm late enough (25-30 minutes) that they had to call Child Services and the police...

•  We usually hit the ground running upon arrival home from school.  Empty bags and lunch pails, change clothes, refill water bottles, go over what's for dinner later because that is a big "need to know" for Leah. And head out again, either to the park to play, to feed the ducks, go to CrossFit Kids, go swim, go run errands, etc.  I get everyone home about 5 pm before I head up to the gym, some evenings, to coach again.  (can you tell I love that place?) Or else I stay home to hang out with the family, get to know the neighbors better, grind through homework with Leah, bathe little's, get lunch stuff together for the next day, etc.
• Put kids in bed.  Hang out and catch up with Jerad. Head to bed early, and exhausted.  And get ready to go again.

I will say I am feeling more settled in that I've pretty much got my routes down to all the different places we drive.  I figured out the best times and ways to get the kids to and from school on our busy street.  I am getting some actual time to sit down now and don't feel so obligated to unpack another box in my free time.  Or clean up another room or space.

So life is slowing down in a sense.  Thank God!  I was wearing down.  But we are back on the up and up now...as long as I don't get the police called on me again for another 10 years :) 

A Zoo Birthday

Fish...feeding the fish.

A quick break.

An attempt at one good pic

This gorilla kept rolling his eyes at Leah...haha!

Then Blake gave it a try.

Fighting over the wooden horse. I'm not standing there to pose, just to keep Autum from shoving Blake off the back. :)

Flamingos!

We spent Sunday afternoon at the zoo to celebrate Autum's birthday and Mimi Terri's Birthday.  It was a beautiful day outside and the animals were all out and moving around. 

Blake liked the animals that were in his face and moving.  Forget the elephant swinging his tail 50 yards away, nope!  Not exciting enough.  Give him a snake climbing up the glass, preferably glass he could lick and he would be entertained for hours.  Then everyone else was entertained when I had to drag him away kicking and screaming, every. single. time.

Leah had her eye on every vending machine, pop dispenser, snow cone stand, and gift shop in sight.  As well as every 50 cent viewing and feeding station.  That girl just had her mind set on spending Papa David's money. :)  And eating...she did figure out how to get a penguin to follow her though.  She put on quite a display for everyone tracing the water with a blade of grass as the little penguin with the pink clips on her wings swam right along chasing that blade of grass.  Leah loved the attention and even bowed after her performance for all the by-standers.

Autum just toddled along with us, sipping on her juice box, chewing on her snacks.   Waving at the animals as we walked by, hollering out a hello!  Completely indifferent to one animal from the other.  "Hi Snakey, snakey!"  "Hello monkey, monkey!"  She did keep her distance, though, a little unsure of what to think.  Especially after a random tall bird crossed our walkway and let out a shrill squawk as Papa David assured Autum it wouldn't do anything to her as she walked by...that girl jumped about 100 feet in the air, and had to be held and reassured of her safety until we got back to the caged up animals. :)

We ate a late lunch and headed home.  The little's slept nearly 3 hours.  So I'd say it was a good day!

Happy Birthday Mimi Terri!
Happy Birthday Autum!

CrossFit Will Kill You and Make you Poop Your Pants..

With all the negativity surrounding CrossFit lately, with accusing it of causing rhabdo, and categorizing all CrossFit coaches into a lump of screaming, relentless, yelling lunatics, and setting the premise that only super-fit athletes can do it, if that!  I felt like I needed to add my 2 cents.

It will kill you.
And it will make you poop your pants.

Just ask my kids.

Leah has been attending a strength and conditioning class at our CrossFit gym that incorporates CrossFit movements into the workouts.  She is loving it!  I have actually noticed a difference in her behavior post-workout...either because it wears her out OR because she is getting her movement-seeking sensory needs met.  As well as moving around heavy weight, which is similar to joint compressions, in that it is soothing to a child with sensory issues.  Anyway, I am always excited to ask her about what she has learned...I no longer stay at class to watch--she spends too much time making sure I'm watching--and not enough time paying attention...last week she said, "Mom! Sarah made us do an exercise tonight that is supposed to kill you!"

I laughed out loud and said, "what??"  The first thought I had was that they did a workout called "Death by Pull Ups"...which includes you doing 1 pull up a minute, 2 pull ups the 2nd minute, etc. until you can no longer do one.  But she assured me that wasn't it...so I asked her to demonstrate.  She said they had to pick a bar up off the ground, stand up with it, then put it back down...until you die!

Deadlift! The name of a basic weightlifting movement. Ha! Now I got it!  Her literal thinking took over... I couldn't stop laughing thinking about what was going through her mind as she was lifting that bar up and down until death! She said she was able to do all the teacher said to do...and she was still alive!  Phew!

So be aware of that when you CrossFit, you might deadlift.

Somedays I teach a CrossFit class at 1 o'clock PM and Autum helps me instruct.  She always asks if she can go with me to class and do push-ups.  She loves hooking her arms in the rings and swinging in the air out in front of a big box.  That is her warm-up!

Yesterday's workout was one she could participate with us in, so she tagged along.  She started out by running 100 meters, then she had to do as many push-ups as she could.  I would write each class participant's number of reps on the board before they took off to run again, and so she would do the same.  She would say, "Mommy, Alma has 1! Bye!"  She would run out and back and come in and do some sit-ups, which were next on the list.  She did dumbbells rows, and some other movements I wasn't quite sure what she called, but all the same she did a few rounds of it.  When we were finished she told me to tally up her score like I did everyone else's and to record it on our wall of fame board.  Then as were walking out of the gym to leave, she said, "I did good today, Mommy!  Aaaaaand I pooped my pants..."

Silence.

"I tink I wran too fast!"

So there you have it.
CrossFit can push you so hard you poop in your Tuesday panties.  So beware.