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Grad season! Hooray! Also Waaaahhhh!

21 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in Parenting (not for the faint of heart) Uncategorized

So this happened.

I feel like for the past several weeks I’ve been so focused on the fact that preschool will soon be out and the kids will be home with me all day every day, that I’ve completely glossed over the fact that Tuesday was their last day of preschool. EVER. And after this summer of sweating our asses off and likely driving me crazy, I will have full fledged kindergarteners, and soon they’ll be gone all day every day, and I’ll miss them and have I really made the most of these past 5 years home with them, and now I’m about to vomit.

I’m going to be a mess on the first day of kindergarten, y’all.

Everyone says it will be great. They say I’ll be sad for about a day, then I’ll bask in some freedom. This is what you’ve been waiting for, Christian says. And he’s right. I’ve been waiting for the day that they start kinder and we’re not in each other’s faces all the time. I’m a better mom when we all get a break and some space from each other. But can’t they go to kindergarten without growing up? Shouldn’t there be an intermediary step between 2 day a week preschool and 5 day a week kindergarten? Post-preschool-almost-big-kid-but-not-quite-because-mommy’s-not-ready school? (If you answer 3-4 day a week preschool, then yes, thank you, and I will send you the bill. Times 2.)

I’m nervous about them being gone. I know I’ll miss them. I’m sad that they shook their I don’t wanna go to school phase like two weeks before graduation. I’m afraid they won’t like big kid school. I’m afraid they’ll miss preschool. I know they’ll be exhausted when they get home. I’m afraid they’ll use up all their good behavior at school and leave the nastiness for me.

I fear I will never get them there by the ass-crack of dawn time of 7:45 in the AM. Seriously? 7:45? 7:45.  Yeah.

***************************

I started crying immediately after I walked out of the church this morning. I was dropping them off at preschool for the last time. EVER. Can’t we just stay in this phase?  I asked Christian. Preschool is so fun! Cute crafts, fun games, no real responsibilities. I was a blubbering mess all morning, and racing around town to procure teacher gifts was a welcome distraction.

The pre-k kids got to choose from a list of careers to dress up as for their segment. As completely no surprise to me Claire chose a ballerina, and Rachel chose a baseball player – both such perfect representations of where they are in their preferences and personalities right now.

Zoe played the part of the grumpy 3 year old.

OMG waiting is so. hard.

Kindergarten will be an adventure. A new phase. I’m apprehensive because I know that once they’re in school, they’re IN SCHOOL, and things will never be the same again. There really is no stopping the growing up now. I miss them already and they haven’t even left.

Awkward smiles, everyone!

Whew! All this graduating is hard work, yo.

Take heed: You haven’t really lived until a 5 year old cups your boob and you don’t even notice. Also, hair? What is the matter with you?

 

 

13
Say Bye Bye to Google Reader

19 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in blogging Thumbs Up

If you’re an avid blog follower, you likely subscribe to your favorite sites so you can keep up with their content. Some people get new posts in their email, while others prefer to use some sort of reader, a place where ALL of their subscriptions can be found in one place and filed into various categories. You can usually read directly from the reader, without even visiting the site unless you want to leave a comment or give the blogger the satisfaction of a pageview. Until lately, THE reader has been Google Reader, because Google pretty much runs the world, and your blog reading along with it. But the Google gods announced earlier this year that as of July 1 2013, they would be sending their reader to sleep with the fishes, along with its friends Google Buzz, Google Wave, and Google+. Oh wait. We’re still trying to use that... Continue Reading
19
Over it/Loving it

16 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in Over It/Loving It

Over it: Having a litter box. In my bathroom. For years (YEARS!) my two cats were house broken and dutifully went outside to do their business. But then this past winter — not even a really cold one — they started using our bathmats as their personal toilet. So we removed the bathmats. But then when we showered, we put down towels so no one would break a neck. And they started peeing on the towels. Now we’re back to the land of litter, and it sucks MUCHAS PELOTAS GRANDES.  Litter on the floor, sticking to my feet, and tracking into the bedroom. One of them often joins me in business doing, meaning that even when my kids aren’t around, I can’t pee in peace. Not to mention our crotchety old male cat has had some, um, tummy troubles, and my GOD his ass stinks. The only upside is that... Continue Reading
23
I see the light: An overindulgent Mother’s Day

14 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in day in the life

Are we bored with the Mother’s Day posts already? Is it too late to throw my day into the hat? Some days I see it — a light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s a light at the end of a very long, some days seemingly never ending tunnel. But with that light comes a little more relaxation, a little less herding cats, a little more ease at certain logistical situations, a little more comprehension of why you cannot hit your sister over the head with a butterfly net and just keep on running…And while I know that that light is still very far off, and I’m not in any hurry to get to it, the fact that I can see it is wholly reassuring. Mother’s Day – any holiday, really – with little kids is HARD. Especially multiple little kids. Especially especially if those kids don’t nap. No... Continue Reading
21
An apology to my husband

7 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in day in the life marriage

I owe my dear husband an apology. He apparently was a little miffed at my choice of hunky UK men that I featured in my Old School Blogging post, and now he spends his days in fear that I am constantly fantasizing about them instead of him. I mean, just because he’s Spanish doesn’t mean that he can’t make a fervent attempt at a British accent, but that only seems to make him more perturbed. It’s led to some rather thoughtful conversations.   C: I think I’m going to go work out. Me: Yeah…you should. You’re not quite up to Daniel Craig level yet. C: [Glaring, makes lukewarm joke in response that I surely can't be expected to remember] Me: Oh hahahaha. C: What, you can’t laugh at my jokes now? Me: I’m afraid you’re going to have to dial it up to Simon Pegg funny to keep me interested... Continue Reading
5
Some stuff

6 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in Uncategorized

How was your weekend? Mine was gloriously, exhaustingly boring, featuring yard work, pretend camping, a farmer’s market, and kids freezing their ass off in the inflatable pool. Anywho, some stuff.   Listen to Your Mother is coming up fast, Thursday, May 9, and I have been meaning and meaning to post about it. All 24 shows around the country are in full swing, and hopefully you can find one near you. It’s an amazing experience, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it as an audience member with one of my best girlfriends and many of my bloggy/writer friends. Plus LTYM creator Ann Imig from Ann’s Rants will be there! I’m going to try really hard not to go all fan girl all over her. Tickets are $16 and well worth every penny.   Some links: Jedi Max — Another Austin blogger, Alison of House of Hepworths, posted a few... Continue Reading
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Old School Blogging: the Pop Culture Edition

2 May 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in blogging

Time again for Old School Blogging! Come hang out with us at The Miss Elaine-ous Life. Side note:  I recently got to meet Elaine when she passed through Austin. Her parents live like 10 minutes away from me. No joke! She’s so fun and has the most lovely Louisiana accent.) What was one of your favorite shows as a kid?  Why? As a family we watched the Golden Girls. For me it was You Can’t Do That on Television. Double Dare. Mickey Mouse Club. Never ending reruns of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Growing Pains. I really loved He-man and Hulk Hogan. But I think my all time favorite was Family Ties. I had a mad crush on Michael J. Fox, and even printed out a God awful computer generated dot matrix greeting card (do you remember that program? Floppy disc, yo!) to prove my love. Apparently I watched... Continue Reading
11
The perils of doing a good deed

30 Apr 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in day in the life

When I took off on my run this morning, an older model Mercedes pulled over from the busy rush hour traffic, onto my street , presumably stalled. Or out of gas. Or visiting the house on the corner. Who knows? All I knew was that I had a rockin playlist and three miles to get under the belt of my compression pants, which have this annoying habit of falling down. I quickly forgot about the car and driver as I slugged through the neighborhood streets. I was too busy thinking about how much farther I had to go, how my right shoe felt weird, and whether or not I was going to flash passersby a view of my crack. Isn’t it always that way? We’re busy. We don’t want to get involved. Surely people have all of their affairs under control. Why would they need help from little old me?... Continue Reading
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Rookie mistake

24 Apr 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in day in the life

I have some advice for you rookie parents out there. There will come a time when you will plan something really fun for your kids. A trip to the zoo. A beach vacation. A super sweet stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas that you found on Groupon and couldn’t resist because seriously, have you seen that place? It has an indoor water park and little log cabins for the kids in the rooms! And my God how your idea of luxury has changed. So maybe you’re like really excited about this trip because maybe the last thing that even remotely resembled a vacation was that time you drove all the way out to Georgetown to have your cat quarantined at the shelter while your husband stayed home with the kids. You can’t contain yourself. You’re bursting at the muffin top with excitement. So you make the biggest mistake... Continue Reading
11
The REAL Cake Boss

18 Apr 2013, Leigh Ann Torres, Archived in day in the life

The next time I call myself a crappy mom, please shove these photos in my face to remind me that I, at two very last minute requests, hand decorated two store bought cookie cakes with Rainbow Dash and Hello Kitty. I’m not gonna lie. I admired those cakes all morning before the party. Normally, even given ample warning time, I’d be all Sorry, kids the cake store was all out of Rainbow Dash and Hello Kitty cakes. I mean, I had every intention of writing their name or something lame like that. Maybe putting a big “5″ on there somewhere. But actually drawing something left room for failure that writing their names didn’t, and I get stage fright when asked to create something that will be seen by actual people. Then I was all, Seriously Leigh Ann. RD and HK are like the easiest of the easy characters to draw. At... Continue Reading
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