Chapter 78: You say Goodbye and I say Hello.

"Hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye when I say hello."

The truth of the matter is, that you don't really have a choice in saying goodbye to your carefree days of summer, but now that you are back in school, I get to say HELLO to my carefree days of the school year!!!! Welcome back my long lost friend, oh how I have missed you, although I did enjoy it while we were apart, I love the order you bring back to my household. and the semi-sanity you instill in me!



The Neighborhood Gang

B-rad now in 6th Grade and in his last year at Elem. school :(

Kenners - like totally in 5th grade cha!!

Zach (no longer Pedro) now in 3rd grade, finally reunited with Zane and their K teacher!!!

What happens when you leave us home to "plot" *evil laugh*

Lainee's first day of Kindergarten!!!!

Walking to School, she was so excited to be going!!!!

She hung-up her backpack, found her name tag and found her seat, gave me a kiss and told me I could go now *tear*.

Her first project, I love seeing her name and how proud she is when she is showing me her work, I also love that she is soooo excited about her homework and takes everything so seriously!!!

HELLO, HELLO!!!!

Chapter 77: An American Flag

I know I have been lax in posting about the rest of our MD trip, and school starting but things have been a little busier than I hoped, but a conversation between Lainee and I made me pause and I had to blog about it.

But first you are going to need a little background. Mom came with me when I was driving home from MD and since we had a "little" extra time, we decided that we would swing down to Springfield, Ill. where the 16th President of the United States lived and is buried. So we went to a little museum, watched a film on Abraham Lincoln's life and then went and visited the house he raised his family in. After that we went to the Tomb where he and most of his family is buried, it was a very neat experience to be at his grave, and we were lucky to have gotten in at all, they were set to close a few minutes after we got there. As we were leaving the tomb, a caretaker was lowering the flags that were flying beside the tomb, when he saw my 3 kids (Bradley left the week before with Kari) he came over to us and asked if the kids would be willing to help take down and fold the flag.............what a privelege, I didn't even wait for the kids to answer because I knew what they would say, so Grandma and I ushered them over and this kind man helped teach and instruct them in the proper care of the flag of the United States, I could have jumped out of my skin, what an incredible opportunity for them, to be able to retire the flag at Lincoln's tomb, once in a lifetime I am betting.



















So now to my Lainee story, here is the conversation we had yesterday while driving in town.

L - Mom, do you remember when we helped fold the flag at that grave?

Me - yes

L - can you believe we did that?

Me - No, it was really cool that you got to do it, huh!

L - and can you believe that it was the 'merican flag?

Me - *snort* haha oh Lainee!!!!

Anywhere we go if there is a flag flying she points to it and says "Mom, it's the 'merican flag." I guess I just took for granted that she understood why that is usually the "only" flag she sees, all others are just state flags or pack flags etc. etc. My cute little Lainee!!!

Chapter 76: My Mom says....

- it's worth it!!!

- It gets easier!!!

- you learn to love them when they sleep!!!

- enjoy them while they are little, they grow to fast!!!

- learn to take the things they say with a grain of salt!!!

- one day you will miss all the mess!!!

- one day all you will have is quiet!!!



All I can say is.......................








FOR SALE:

Boy, 11 going on 95 (because he knows or has done it all), loves kids (just not any who share his same DNA), loves to talk (back), is good at listening (to music), practices piano everyday (just complains about it every waking moment), loves to do his chores (unless you give him one), is exceptional about going to bed when asked (I apparently just don't ask the right way), never raises his voice at you (again unless you share the same DNA), and is always ready to give a compliment (to Sophie)!!!!

Sound to good to be true!!!!

Don't let this opportunity pass you by, call in the next ten minutes and I will throw in a free 8 yr. old as well..................2 for the price of 1, never will you have an opportunity like this again. Don't just sit there, CALL TODAY!!!!


NO RETURNS

(I am hoping one day, I will laugh at the thought of ever wanting to sell him, or sit in the Wal-mart parking lot with him in a box labeled free................:)
okay, so I really would not sell him, but there are days (upon days) when I wish to go back to the time when he was little, and couldn't walk, or talk, and his face just lit up with excitement because I simply walked into the room, back to the days when I could just kiss his face all over and he wouldn't gag, back to the days where when I tucked him in at night he blew me kisses, and back to the days when all he needed to feel better was a band-aid, when being a Mom was cool in his eyes, not just the old bossy lady he sees now...................*sigh*

My mom says:

- I love you!!!!

and I say:

- I love you too, you are the most adorable, funny, witty, clever, talented, patient, kind, caring, amazing woman I know, and THANK YOU for everything you do for me!!!!!!!!!!

beep.........beep.............beep

We interupt this blog to give you this:



YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF:








(I now am going to apologize if this is "you" or someone you know!!! But in all seriousness REALLY, really your shall we say drink of choice is that important that you have to strap it to the top of the car...........well you know what they say, there is no might about it, you ARE a redneck!!!)

(cont.) Pool Time

The Wheeler's (meaning Erin's in-laws) were so kind in inviting us up to their home for a day at the pool and a BBQ. We had such an enjoyable day lounging at the pool, we read, sun-bathed, chatted, zipped, ate, dipped and dunked!!!!!





















a big THANK YOU to the Wheeler's for letting the Merkley clan (albeit a small one :) come and enjoy the day with you!!!!

(cont.) zip-a-dee-doo-dah!!!!

While we were there in Maryland, the Wheeler's (meaning Andrew's parents) were so kind and invited us up to enjoy a day at their pool, send the kids down the zip line and have a BBQ.

Both my boys were very excited about the zip line, and even Lainee was getting in on the excitment of it all, but the surprise of the day belonged to Kennadee when she decided to give it a try!!!!! I had given up on her going and had walked back to the house to help with the homemade ice cream when they called me back down because Kennadee was hooked up and on her way down. Thank you Drew, Joe and Mike the kids are still talking about how much fun it was.

(cont.) fireworks at the Capitol

I know there will not be very many times (or anymore at all) that my kids will be able to say that they celebrated Independence Day in our Nation's Capitol. Sitting in a park situated between the Captiol Building and the Washington Monument, enjoying a picnic in the shade and having some fun with glow sticks. Although the pictures I am about to show you may seem to contradict my statement of "fun", anyone with kids knows that when it comes to snapping away, if you have more than 1 kid (and really that may be to many) there always tends to be someone that isn't happy!!! But nonetheless what an incredible way to spend the 4th of July. The fireworks were amazing, the kids looked adorable *thanks grandma* and time spent with our east coast family was worth it!!!!