Back to School

Summer break is officially over. My big little went back to school today.

It's hard to believe that he's in second grade already. But, time does go by. This is my last year having my middle little home, this time next year he'll be climbing on the bus with his big brother and off to kindergarten. That will also be the beginning of one of the biggest challenges of my life thus far. Because next July or August my darling roughrider cowboy will be deploying for at least a year.

I'm at a point that I know the time line for that dreaded farewell and can't help but wonder am I prepared and what do I need to do to better prepare myself?

Oh, I know the basics. I know the paper work and business aspects of it, but it's been five years since I've been a married single mom, and I know I'll be fine, but what can I do to try and make the situation easier on my children. Kids are stronger and smarter than we give them credit for, and my little herd of cowboys are troopers. So, I figure at least we are lucky enough to have a rather large advance notice and make the best of the next year and enough memories and bonding to hold us through the separation of daddy being an American soldier and off fighting bad guys.

I am such a sap. I sit on the front step while my oldest cowboy baby waits for the bus. He's got his new school cloths on, probably the last time I'll see his jeans so pretty and new, give it a few weeks and the knees will be faded and I'll be continuing on the endless battle of removing grass stains, mud and markers. I look at him standing at the end of the driveway, all excited to be back and looking forward to 4H and wrestling. His backpack on his back and kicking at the dirt driveway with what started out as shiny new sneakers. The bus pulls up, Mark (the farmer bus driver) says a few things smiling at my boy, waves to me and off they go down the road.

Cough! Cough! Choke!

Sorry, I live on a dirt ride and it is crazy dry and windy so I just got plowed with a dust cloud. There he goes, I have to share my boy with the public school system yet again. Sigh! Sneeze!

What's waiting for me inside, once they wake up that is, is a 4 yr old (my middle little) whose world is not a happy place because he lost his play buddy and is going through the I'm too little for everything roughness of life and a spunky 16 month old who really is too little but everyone except him knows that. Deep Breath! First day is always the toughest for all. Lets find something creative and fun to distract middle little from peering out the picture window waiting for brother to come home.

Is it 4 o'clock yet?

Typical Saturday

I love summer Saturdays. Not that Saturdays during school are that much different it's just nice during the summer.

Wake up run around in my pj's till probably around noon. Kids either eat cereal or we have a later than 7am breakfast along the line of what you'd order at IHOP except better, why better you ask...because I made it that's why.

After a nice big later than breakfast but earlier than brunch meal, it's nice to just veg out and watch some cartoons with the kids. Oh don't roll your eyes, you too have an inner child that just loves to sit and watch cartoons while drinking a juice box.

It's usually after noon by the time we all get dressed and decide what the plan for the day is, meaning do we have to go anywhere and do anything...which if that's the case we would have left earlier because it's a 65 mile one way drive to the nearest anything except we do have a little town that the streets roll up at night and they do have a grocery store with the same hours as the bank and the prices would make you choke, we also have a little gas station, a hardware store and lumberyard, not open on the weekends I might add.

You see really "anything" is at the end of a 65 mile drive. OHHHHH, but at the end of that drive is ... play the pretty angel music... Stores, restaurants, coffee stops, damn now I want a carmel mocha latte. I can not forget the reason it's all worth while going to the city...Fleet Farm. I do believe if they sold more food, we can't live on peanuts, raisins and jerky only, BUT, anything I need in life is under that roof. Most women get excited over walking into the mall and smelling the smells of high end perfumes, designer purses, and deciding whether they like the wedge,slingback or peep toe. HA HA I know I just confused some people and probably shocked even more.

Let me fill you in on a little something. Part of me used to be one of those women. I've always been a country girl, but I let that slip away for awhile and let the "glamour girl" side of me lead the way for a while. Trust me once I got married to my rough rider cowboy, the "glamour girl" couldn't find the oh shit handle fast enough to get the hell out of there. So, now you know that there is a different side of me. All of us have different layers that's what make us who we are.

So, now I'm that's I've completely took a side road off the subject of Saturdays I'll get back to that.


Since, I'm sitting here writing this at 11:30 am it's pretty obvious we aren't going to town today. I don't think we'll be going anywhere at all if my dh (dear, darling, damn, husband..pick the "d" that fits) can't get the truck fixed. Ah yes the truck is broke, to be exact the axle. UHHGG. Welcome to my world...just a typical day at my prairie farm.

My wise words of the day "Use butter not margarine"...margarine is one element away from being plastic, was originally created as a turkey fattner but even they wouldn't eat it. and if you leave a tub opened for months IT WON'T MOLD, why you ask because it's fake not natural, just like... oh nevermind.