The Good Old Days

The kids are back in school. Life is crazy after school but I do have time to go workout and get some housework done before they get home. It's weird how working out eats up so much time. I go to the gym, run errands, shower, eat a late lunch, do a few things around the house and bam! The kids are home. Hannah can walk to school which is nice but it is still really hot. I sometimes drop her off at a path that goes from our neighborhood to the school so so she doesn't get quite as sweaty. I sometimes run Matthew to school instead of having him catch the bus. The bus comes at 7:15 but school doesn't start until 8:05. This way he can sleep about 45 minutes later when we get home late from the rink. Now that he is getting older his practice time is later...sigh. I am a home body and once I am home, I like staying home...especially in the winter.

Hannah has stopped figure skating for hockey. I am so relieved. We were having to dip into savings for all the costs...hopefully, we can start rebuilding...right after we pay for Matthew's travel hockey. Kids are expensive and should come with a warning label. I was asked repeatedly over the Summer where and when we were going on vacation. I looked at the inquirer and said "This is it. This is our vacation." I am not sure if people are extremely wealthy or live in debt...We clearly cannot keep up with the Jones...

Hannah has entered the phase of high school called girl drama. She made a new friend, Ann. We all like her and she is a good friend, however Ann has a friend named Julia who doesn't like Ann having friends...and so it goes. Then there is Anna Marie (now an ex-friend) who went behind Hannah's back and started messaging a boy who liked Hannah...she never mentioned that she knew Hannah to him. Hannah posted a picture on Instagram of her and Anna Marie and the boy said "Hey, I know her. She messages me on Pinterest." HOLY Guacamole, I do not get kids these days. Why would you message a boy you never met? Why would you do that to a friend? Why did the boy message back a girl he has never met? 

While sort of on the subject of Social Media, it has overtaken asking for a person's number. Kids now ask for their Snap Chat. I asked Hannah why. Is it to be like the terrorists and not leave a text/phone call trail? She replied it's less threatening to a boy than asking for their number. So, parenting is now even more difficult since I can no longer look at the phone bill to see A) who is my child chatting/calling and B) is my child in bed sleeping or on their phone. I long for the old days when the phone had a cord that went in the wall and the child was forced to talk in one place...and here is the best part, if you answered you could ask who was calling. And you knew if they were on the phone way past their bedtime. Oh, for the good old days.

Back to the friends...there are too many Ann variation friends...it's so weird. There is of course, Hannah. She has a friend named Ann, two named Anna, and then the ex-friend, Anna Marie. I keep them straight by the subdivision name they live in. True Story. 

I believe Matthew has now discovered girls. We were picking up Ann and when she got in the van M said "'Sup, Babe." My jaw dropped. It was so weird hearing those words come out of his mouth...and he didn't even stumble over the words...it was like he had been doing it all his life. 

And so it goes...this is what is new in my world...well, that and M has to have an ultrasound at the end of the month for blood in his urine. They have run several tests and they sent us to a urologist. I was hoping it was an irritation from all of his exercise maybe causing a dip in hydration causing an irritation...we went back this week and there is still blood, hence, the ultra sound. He has no pain and he doesn't see blood, it's only detected by the lab. 

Oh, and Greg reached his goal weight. He lost 125 pounds and now weighs 215. I have pumped up my exercise and have not lost a pound...of course, I cannot eat all the peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, raspberries, etc without getting a serious case of heartburn. I am trying to make peace with just not gaining more weight. Peace eludes me.