Life of an Organized Momma

I can’t believe it’s mid-November!  Things are moving pretty fast around here.  I dare say, they will begin to slow down.  But I feel like that will just jinx it.

Here’s the lowdown on the Bartis family:

Sam - loving the 1st grade. He has a great teacher who has them doing a lot of public speaking stuff. She records it all. I can’t wait to see it at the end of the year.  Football is wrapping up.  The team finished 3rd in the league for our age group.  This weekend they’ll play in a tournament.  We’re taking December and January off from sports.  February will be karate and then baseball starts in March!  His 8th birthday is around the corner and he’s soooo excited.

Zac - we are all adjusting to kindergarten.  Zac’s behavior is better.  But not all his work gets done.  So, we are working on getting it done in the evening.  T-ball is wrapped up.  We are now looking for a hip hop dance class with other boys in it.  Zac wants to take hip hop dance lessons instead of karate.    Zac is my sunshine.  He says something funny or insightful or flat out sweet everyday.   I always have a good Zacee story.

Brennan - growing like a weed.  Has 2 teeth already.  Must be working on more because he’s gone from sweet baby to cranky pants lately.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde all the way.  Rolls over in the bed in the morning.  Rolls over for NeNe on Mondays when she watches him.  Rolled over for Uncle Mike and Aunt Kristen on Saturday. Won’t do it for us. =)

Ryan and I are doing great.  Tired most of the time.  I feel like I’m more tired than I should be so I’m starting to investigate that.  Ryan’s just working hard at work all the time.  In today’s unstable economy we are both so blessed to have good jobs. 

I am certainly not feeling like an Organized Momma!  I wanted this blog posting to be up last Sunday.  Wow, it’s taken a whole week to get it done.  I went back to work this week and I’m still trying to get used to it.  I really like my job but I need to get into the juggling act again.

Anyway, last Saturday was my husband’s company picnic. The older boys got their faces painted.  I took these pictures before bath time.

We had a great time at the picnic and Ryan actually won a 32′ flat screen HD TV. 

Here’s Brenn-o relaxing after the picnic.  I can’t believe he’ll be 3 months old on Wednesday!

Thursday afternoon, Ryan picked up Sam from his 2nd day of school.  When they got home, Sam was limping. “I twisted my ankle at recess.”  He had been racing a friend and feel off the curb, twisting his ankle.

To be perfectly honest, I thought he was just being dramatic.  Until Ryan took his sock off. It was HUGE!  So, we iced it and wrapped it up.  We did go to football practice but Sam just watched, he didn’t practice.  That night he wasn’t in much pain but it was still swollen.

Ryan and I went back and forth - should we go to the doctor or not.  Friday morning, it was still swollen.  Sam coudn’t wear a shoe.  We sent him on to school but decided to call the doctor.  We made an appointment for later that afternoon.  I decided to pick Sam up before lunch so he wouldn’t be able to go to recess and run some more.

The doctor had it x-rayed and examined Sam while they were developed.  The doctor told Ryan he thought it was just a sprain. They were talking about what to do for it and how to proceed.  The doctor went to get the x-ray to confirm the sprain.  Ryan says the doctor seemed shocked when he came back.  Sam has an avulsion fracture.  An avulsion fracture is when the ligaments detach from the bone. 

So, Sam is in a walking cast/boot for two weeks.  He has to wear it constantly, except when sleeping or showering.  We are so thankful that we went to the doctor.  If we had let him play football Saturday and took him in Tuesday, we could be talking surgery.  Right now, the main problem is also a blessing. Sam isn’t in any pain.  He tries to do things without the boot.  He’ll take it off to lay on the couch then get up and do something without thinking. 

Well, the first day has come and gone, thank goodness!  Zac’s first day was Monday. He’s attending a private 1/2 day kindergarten.  His cousin Max is in his class - yes, please pray for their teacher.  Sam and my nephew Tripp also attended this school.  Zac was very excited about the first day.  He woke up on time and easily. Got dressed, ate breakfast and brushed his teeth without incident - a major feat in and of itself.  I even caught him talking to himself in the mirror “today is your first day of kindergarten”  Here’s what he looked like when he left the house:

Isn’t he cute? That’s probably what the teacher thought too.  Until he crawled under the table and refused to come out.  I guess he got tired of working. We’ve not been able to get to root cause of the under the table trip.  Here’s what the teacher said when I called: “He wouldn’t come out so I had to crawl under there and get him.  But he didn’t fight me. He let me be gentle with him. I carried him to the office.”  Can you imagine my embarrassment?  Once in the office, Zac stuck out his tongue at the office ladies then proceeded to take a nap.  When I picked him up at noon, he was refreshed and happy about his day.  Dad and I had a much different outlook…thankfully he showed improvement the rest of the week.

Sam didn’t have to go back to school until Wednesday. His first day was uneventful.  Although, I did not realize that the first day of school was a family affair at his school. Last year, I walked him in but we were one of the first ones there since I had to be at my school for my first day. This year, we were actually late =|.  But as we walked up I noticed entire families coming out: mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, younger siblings.  Sam didn’t feel slighted. He did not, however want to have his picture made.  Here’s the compromise photo, you’ll notice his joy:

I still don’t feel like we are in the swing of things yet.  But, I guess we wouldn’t be.  Everyone’s off Monday.  Then I’m starting my new job the following Monday.  Maybe after I go back to work, we’ll settle in…

Welcome to August and the heat!  107 yuck!  I might do a rain dance later today.

August is a fun time of year. Football starts and the kids go back to school.  We had our Kick Off Cook-Out and Pep Rally for football on Friday. It was a great time.  My friend Kristi and I headed this up.  We cooked almost 700 hot dogs in Kristi’s kitchen Friday afternoon.  We were trying to avoid slaving over a hot grill at the park. I’d say the cook-out was a success. The boys and cheerleaders had a great time and the new high school coach spoke to them. 

My goal for August is to enjoy the last few weeks of summer with the boys.  It’s really hot outside so we can’t do much outside but we can do some fun things indoors.  We got a Wii this summer and I really want to beat Zac at bowling. It’s not been done yet.  We have a cool kit called “Just Add Family” that we got a church. It has fun activities that teach Biblical lessons. I’m planning on doing some of these with the boys. 

What do you do for fun indoors?  Post your suggestions!

This past weekend was our annual trip to “The Lake”. “The Lake” is actually The Lake of the Pines in Jefferson, Texas.  The gathering is actually my brother-in-law’s family reunion.  I can’t remember exactly when they first invited us to tag along but I’m so glad he did.  His family is very open and accepting.  They welcome all comers.

That’s why the gathering grows each year.  Our group alone this year included 5 families - 12 boys ranging in age from 5 to 13.  We also had my 1 year old niece and our newborn. They stayed in the house with their grandmas.  It was my first real day away from Brennan. 

3 of the families camped out down by the lake, 2 in RVs and one in actual tents.  The other family and stayed in a hotel in town. We usually stay in the hotel but I didn’t want to stay with Brennan in the hotel. I figured he’d wake everyone up in the middle of the night.  So, we left our house at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to meet up with everyone.

It really was a great day. We rented a pontoon boat and anchored out in the lake. We had 2 jet skis and 2 faster boats to pull people on the tube and skis.  I haven’t had my 6 weeks check up so I wasn’t able to get in the lake. So, I hung out on the pontoon boat soaking in the sun with my girlfriends.  What a life!

After lunch at the house, my middle son Zac , my nephew Max and another boy hopped in the 3 person tube for a ride. Zac did not like it. He came back to shore crying.  He asked if he could go into one of the RVs.  To my shock, when we were ready to load up the pontoon boat, Zac was in the RV asleep!  This is the kid who fights naps like a war.  So, I stayed in the RV while everyone went back out on the lake.

Not a bad deal, really. I think it was 105 degrees Saturday. I got to take a Brennan-free uninterrupted nap.  It was nice and cool in the RV. When I did venture outside, my sister in law drove the jet ski up to check on me.  Eventually one of the other boys joined us in the RV for a quick nap and then a movie.

Ryan and Sam had a blast on the lake. Ryan got bounced around on the 3 person raft and Sam eventually wrote the tube.  He’s not an adventure seeker so it took him a while. I am bummed that I missed his big moment.  I think someone took pictures.

The day was topped off with a FABULOUS fish fry.  I don’t have any idea how they do it but that fish is always great tasting.  We left around 9:30 and arrived home at midnight. I long day but a great one.  I’ll post pictures as soon as I can.

My car beeps at me when it’s time to change the oil.  “Perform service soon”  “0 miles until service”.  I finally decided to stop ignoring it.  The older boys were with my mom.  It was just me and Brennan so it was a great time to get it done.  I went to a new Jiffy Lube here in town.  There wasn’t a wait because they are so new. 

As we waited, I could see the employees working on the car.  I braced myself for the hard sell when one man came walking into the waiting area with my air filter.  Imagine my surprise when he showed it to me and said it needed to be replaced but it could “probably wait until next time”.  I asked how much it would be then so I could budget.  He told me $22 but that I could probably get it cheaper at AutoZone.  And if I wanted to get one at AutoZone and come back by, he’d put it in the car for me FREE OF CHARGE!  My mouth dropped open as I muttered thank you.

A few minutes later, a women came in to deliver similar news about my cabin air filter.  Apparently, leaves fell out when she removed it to check.  She offered to order one for me because they didn’t have mine in stock.  Again, I ask how much.  And AGAIN I’m told a price and told I could probably get it cheaper elsewhere.  AND that she’ll put it in for me for FREE if I bring it back to her.  AND AGAIN, I’m shocked beyond belief!

So, when a third employee (remember their store is new and they don’t have much business yet) comes in, I brace myself for the hard sell.  “Ma’am, what I am about to tell is very important.  I can not stress how important it is”  OK, here it comes…”Your serpentine belt (puzzled look from me) - the belt that makes your engine run - has a chunk out of it and must be replaced immediately.”  Alright…  “You have to take it over to the NTB across the street right now.  I can’t do that kind of work here but they can do it.  This is very serious.  I can’t promise you can get across the street with that belt. If it breaks you’re dead in the water. No air. Nothing. You aren’t moving. I’d hate for that to happen to you with the baby.”

He was so sincere and seemed really worried. Which, of course, made me really worried.  And I took him seriously because I trusted that they had my best interested at heart because of the air filters.  I was really impressed. 

I did go straight to NTB. They confirmed what he said and replaced the belt for me.  It cost about $130.  Ordinarily, I’d be hacked off to spend that kind of money without planning for it first. But, yesterday I felt thankful and blessed to spend it. I was happy to know that my family and I were safe because a Jiffy Lube employee did his job selflessly.

Brennan will be a month old this week so I decided to start getting back into the swing of life and taking him places.  Ryan had been vacation but went back to work on Sunday.  I had planned to wait another week to return to church but a comment from Sam prompted me to go this past week.

We were in the car and he said, “So, we don’t go to church anymore. Right?”  No, we just haven’t been in a while.  First we had baseball tournaments. Then towards the end my pregnancy I was just too tired.  Then Brennan was born and we didn’t want to take him out.  I had been downloading the sermons onto my ipod but it didn’t occur to me how it was effecting Sam and Zac.  So, I decided to venture out without Ryan. 

At first, the older boys were reluctant. They had grown used to hanging out at home.  They are like me, they like to be home.  They’ll go other places but they don’t often initiate it.  But, I have found that if I ask them to help me with Brennan, they’ll do about anything (including throwing away a stinky diaper)! 

I got up a little earlier than I would normally would have and got dressed.  Sam and Zac shocked me by getting up without a problem. I turned on the light in their rooms and they got moving on their own. They were ready so early that we actually left the house early enough to stop and get donuts.  And we all 4 went in to the donut store!  Brennan slept through everyone getting ready and all I had to do was get him up and dress him.  Here’s a picture of he and I before Ryan left for work.  Boy, Brenn looks totally excited, doesn’t he?

Once at church, the older boys went to their classes without incident.  I was a little worried about getting Brennan and his stroller upstairs to Sam’s class.  But, my brother in law was there early and waited downstairs with the stroller while I walked Sam upstairs.   

Brennan was wonderful through service.  He just hung out.  I took him out once to change a diaper.  I did bang the stroller on the door a few times turning that portion of the adventure.  And, of course, when we settled back in the service, I smelled the BIG diaper. But I decided not to take him out again.  He was fine. I even decided to stay for my Adult Bible Fellowship class.  I got to show Brennan off to some friends and hear a great lesson on Jesus being both a lion and a lamb.  Again, Brennan just hung out. He didn’t sleep but he didn’t fuss either.

It was a great day (except for missing Ryan).  And I’m way more confident in my ability to get three boys moving in one direction. I just have to make sure I get started early enough. 

Wow! I didn’t realize that I didn’t set a June goal. I was not a very organized momma in June.  Having your third baby is a little weird. It’s not so new and you are a little relaxed. But it is a whole new situation.  Lots of things feel through the cracks. I didn’t blog. I barely got my newsletters out.  I forgot to pay two weeks worth of bills. 

But, I was in baby heaven.  Brennan is a great baby. Sam and Zac are adjusting well.  Things really are going better than I had imagined.  So, I’m back on track.

Which leads me to my July goal.  I have about a million unfinished projects.  Ok, maybe not a million but enough. Here’s the short list (in semi order of importance)

• clean out my closet and box up maternity clothes to pass on
• finish Brennan’s birth announcements
• go through hand me down clothes for Brennan and organize his closet
• shred old paperwork
• embroider older boys bed spreads
• embroider onesies for my sister in law
• find a place for my teacher stuff (since I’m not going back in the fall)
• plan cookout for football teams (yikes! I can’t believe it’s time to start football again!)
• make a poster for Zac from his t-ball pictures
• get hospital pictures from my sister in law (our camera went dead at the hospital. Thank God for Laura, she’s always prepared) and make a digital scrapbook for Brennan’s birth

That doesn’t count the projects I have in the air for my new job with QuickSmart.  So, my goal for July is to get these household projects out of the way.  Post your goals!

Brennan Wyatt Bartis made his debut on Tuesday, June 17 at 8:34 p.m.  He’s 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches long.  He’s beautiful, as you can see:

We checked into the hospital at 7:30 a.m.  It was a long day but not a painful one, thanks to the joy of medication!  Ryan and I actually watched the College World Series.  We kept up with Rice vs. LSU and saw Rice get eliminated from the tournament.  Then we started watching the second game but labor progressed quickly, as did the game. I remember that the game was still on when Brennan was delivered because the doctor said he turned his head up towards the TV as soon as he was out.  But the game was over before we knew it.  I looked up and said “Why are we watching international soccer?” And even now, I can’t remember who played in that second game.  I bet my husband knows, though.

The 17th was my sister in law/other half/best friend, Laura’s birthday so she’s thrilled with her gift.  She had the ‘honor’ of spending her birthday corralling my other boys plus her’s.  She had a lovely birthday dinner with 4 boys under 8 years old and a 1 year old daughter.  In her words “Everyone had lots of bread and sweet tea but I didn’t care because no one was fighting”.  She and her husband then brought the whole gang to the hospital.  So, my boys were there just minutes after Brennan was born. That meant a lot to me.