We are about to wrap up basketball season and move into lacrosse and tennis. I am glad that Jake and Sam have tried just about every sport they could. I want them to at least experience each one and then decide what they like and what they can live without. To this point we have given a thumbs down to soccer (no fault of the coach , but everything else seems to be fairly fun for them. Luckily, they have had good coaches along the way who have been supportive and great teachers. I think that has made all the difference in the world.

Great coaches care and understand they are working with kids..not adults.

I applaud those who coach, just as I applaud anyone who teaches. For the most part they have had volunteer coaches on base or out in town. The coaches give up their time to help my child learn some new skills and have fun while they do it. Each time the boys have tried something new, they have jumped in knowing nothing. They have often played with kids who have played before and that could go one of two ways. They could feel so far behind and overwhelmed that they never want to try again or they can feel secure, safe and supported and given time to develop on their own time table. Thankfully the latter has been the case each time and they have had a blast trying new sports.

With tennis ramping up, the boys will get some time with their favorite coach and Jake is thriving on the lacrosse field. It is so fun to watch them have fun and get better each week. I wish every child had experiences like this on the court or field…..sports should be fun at this age. After all, if they don’t have fun now and learn the fundamentals, how will they ever make it to the Horseshoe at Ohio State on Saturdays??

GO BUCKEYES!

Have you had great coaches? Any bad ones in the bunch?

Which way will we go??

From some previous posts (like this one) you may know that we are in limbo at the moment. My husband’s career could go a couple of different ways and this means we are not sure what our plans are for this summer. We could move to another state, stay put one more year or move overseas (new option I learned of this past week! ). With so much up in the air I sometimes wonder how much the boys really need to know at this point. Do they need to be in the loop or should we just fill them in when we have a firm decision?

It was so much easier when they were little. We moved and they could have cared less! By the time Jake was 4 he had already lived in three states and four houses. It made no difference to them where were were or how often we moved. As long as they had mom with them (and dad when he was stateside), things were OK and stable in their eyes. Now it is different. They are school age and no matter where we go, they will make a big transition to a new school next fall. I know how stressed out I am about all of this and I just feel like maybe keeping them in the dark another month or two won’t hurt.

The truth is, they don’t have a say in what happens so I suppose they might as well just be told the final course of action. I am not even sure they could wrap their heads around all of our options and choices at this point. My biggest concern is that I keep my cool and don’t become too stressed around them at this point. They know daddy has an interview this week and that is about it. I think I’ll keep it that way for now.

Did you ever keep things like this from your kids to lessen their stress?

I recently had to go in for a sleep study.  Mainly to rule out some health issues.  Although I hesitated at the thought because, really, do moms ever feel completely rested?!  I thought motherhood is synonymous with fatigue.  I mean sleep has become highly overrated.  It’s not like it was what I remembered it.  During sleep studies they also ask questions about my children and what type of sleepers they are.  Honestly, none of us sleep well.  I have a family of snorers, sleep talkers and walkers.

I recently read an article that stated 60% of American children don’t get enough sleep.  Another study cited cellphones, Facebook, and video games were to blame.  Our elementary age children need 9-12 hours of sleep.  Experts say that sleep deprivation at any age can impair metabolism, immune functions, and motor skills, increase stress hormones, and cripple sugar metabolism.

So, maybe my lack of sleep accounts for my few extra pounds, poor health, high stress level and slow responses.  To think I attributed that to my age and motherhood.     I guess the answer is simple….my family all needs more sleep.  Sleep is important and I need to ensure we have good sleep habits, cause if “momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”

Signs of sleep deprivation:

* Can’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of going to bed

* Has a hard time waking in the morning

* Has trouble remaining alert and active during the daytime

Establishing good sleep habits is imperative for the healthy development of children. The National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute offers the following tips for parents to help get their kids to bed:

• Set a regular time for bed each night and stick to it.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as giving your child a warm bath or reading him or her a story.
• Avoid giving children a big meal close to bedtime, and no caffeine within six hours of sleep.
• Make after-dinner playtime relaxing; too much exercise close to bedtime can keep children awake.
• Keep the noise level down and the bedroom dark. If some light is necessary, use a small nightlight.

Do you get enough sleep your body needs?  How about your children?  Any tips to get higher rate sleep?

Another day off of school and the weather is predicted to be beautiful!  Although I love days off from school and having my children home, I do want them to know and understand and appreciate why we have a day off.  President’s day originally began to celebrate George Washington and then Lincoln’s birth dates.  However, it now is a date to celebrate not just our Founding Fathers, but all presidents who have served.  Being military, I think it is important to honor all who serve and support our government.

In 1968, Congress passed legislation placing any federal holiday on a Monday, including Washington’s birthday, to create a three-day weekend. In 1971, President Richard Nixon combined Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays into Presidents’ Day. It would be celebrated on the third Monday in February, regardless of which day it fell on. Presidents’ Day is now viewed as a holiday that pays tribute to both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all those who have served as president. 

My children have excitedly come home bearing posters and facts of the presidents.  We have played games with those facts.  We have tried to find presidents we relate to and have similarities with.  We have even discussed our favorites from past and present.  We have tried to come up with “motto’s” for each presidency.  It has already been a week of learning, studying and discovering.

Although it is always nice to have a day off, I still want my children to learn why we have the freedom to believe, speak, learn and live.  I want them to know their past so that they can change their future.  I am excited to spend time as a family (maybe on the beach:)) on this holiday!  Two Presidents who are notable swimmers are Ronald Reagan, who was a lifeguard before he became president; and John F. Kennedy, who enjoyed swimming at Martha’s Vineyard.  So in tribute to them, we’re off to the beach!

What do you have planned for president’s day?

My parents and my husband’s parents all live in Ohio. Ever since I got married and moved away, I have called my mom and dad once a week, on Sunday, to check in and catch up. Sometimes when there was news or something to share we would talk more often, but always on Sundays. When we had the kids, that did not change, but something has changed in the past couple of years. My dad calls more….a lot more…and it is backfiring a bit on him.

We have used Skype on Sundays with the boys for years now to make sure my parents got to “see” Jake and Sam weekly (my mother in law has yet to join the internet world:)) For awhile, that was enough but something happened during Kerry’s last deployment. All of the sudden my dad felt the need to call 5-7 times per week…in addition to the Sunday call. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, but all of this calling meant to bring him closer to the boys had the opposite effect.

The boys are only 6 and 8 and well, they are boys. They don’t have that much to say or share on the phone. When you ask how their day was you get “fine.” When you ask if anything exciting happened you get “no.” All of this just frustrates my dad and no matter how I have tried to tell him that maybe fewer calls would be more meaningful. Now that my dad has an iPhone and facetime…well let’s just say..it opens a whole new world of calls to make I try to tell the boys it is just because he loves them but they are just not up for a call every night….they have nothing to share.  For now we will just keep answering when he calls and making our call on Sundays.  I know it is all out of love and I suppose the boys just need to accept that and love that he cares that much about them.

What would you do? Would you continue to point out that fewer calls may be better or just let it go?