These past couple weeks have been full of lots of transition for most Mothers.  With kids going back to school and starting activities, summer has been kissed goodbye and a new schedule has begun.

There is also the change of the weather that I am so excited for.  For our family, this is our last year here in Jacksonville and that means the beginning of many changes.  First off, we are starting all that needs to be done to sell our home.

We have had our family garden here and made the big step of filling it in this weekend.  My husband dug all the remaining plants and weeds up and filled it in with sod.  All those memories, work and so much more…have been covered up and only saved in pictures and memories.

Here are a few other changes and transitions that are going on in the life of this Mother;

-  Two kids in school and only one at home….huge change!!

-  Soccer schedules and evenings spent at the soccer field with kids.

- Saturdays full of soccer games.

-  Packing early morning lunches and having time to exercise again.

-  Making a schedule so I am sure to use my time wisely and enjoy every minute I have here at home with my baby.

-  Menu planning so we can have dinner between soccer practices and activities and try to keep it family time.

I love change and that is always the one thing in life that is CONSTANT!  I am ready for this change of schedule, change of pace and all the fun memories and experiences it will bring.

What are some of the changes that have come for you with the start of school?

With school right around the corner, my husband and I decided on one last day trip…all four of us. We settled on Myrtle Beach since we could go and head back the same day. The difference between this and most of our trips is that we did not tell the boys what we were doing or even where we were going. We weren’t sure if we could pull it off, but yesterday, as we pulled into Ripley’s Aquarium….they were still clueless

One of our earlier trips this summer to DC

Jake has been wanting to take his dad to see Medieval Times for awhile now. I took both boys during the last deployment and ever since Jake has been asking for a return visit. Sam and I weren’t so keen on round two of the show, but Sam is never one to turn down a trip to Build a Bear. With our respective “dates” in mind, we set off for lunch in Wilmington and that was all we told the boys…..just lunch then home.

They really thought they were on their way home until we were about five minutes from Broadway at The Beach. I am pretty sure Sam got out of the car and thought he was in Jacksonville It was a fun way to end our summer and even getting home at 11PM was OK. We had time as a family and everyone got to do something they enjoy. We’ll have to make those memories last a couple of months now. School, football, tennis…….back to reality and back to work.

Did you take any last trips before school started? Have you ever surprised your kids with a getaway?

These cutie boys and friends recently went on a fun outing.

3 Moms +

3 Tweens=

A Fabulous Night out!!

We took them out to dinner at Red Robin and to a book club at Barnes and Noble.  As I have said earlier, my tween is a huge fan of the Magic Tree House book series.

Barnes and Noble hosted a book club for book # 6, Afternoon on the Amazon. They talked a little bit about the book and then made a craft that coordinated with the book.  Lincoln loved the craft that they made and loved that he was surrounded by lots of other kids who also loved the same books that he does.  I think Barnes and Noble also has a book club for the American Girl books.  I have said many times before that I want my children to love reading.  I think the most educated and well rounded people are those who read often.  I wish I could say that I am a more avid reader, but it just isn’t my season for that.

When I attended the open house for my tween’s school, I was so happy to see the great variety of books his teacher had in the classroom available for my son.  She had each book series in a different labeled basket.  I can imagine all those fabulous books he will be reading in her classroom.

Moral of the story…Barnes and Noble ROCKS!!  I never get enough time there, usually spend too much money, but always come away from there with a smile on my face!!

What are some activities you do to keep your tween excited about reading?

I enjoyed reading fellow blogger Heidi Russell’s post about her Florida Gators. With college football season right around the corner, it made me think of our own household and our love of The Ohio State Buckeyes. My husband and I like to think our boys will follow in our footsteps and become alumni one day. Even more, we like to dream of them running onto the field at the Horseshoe as players. It may be a few years off, but we like to think it is in the realm of possibility

Even our dogs are Buckeye Fans....her vet made sure she had an OSU cast

Up until this past week, the boys had never played football. I am not ready to let them play tackle and they never showed much interest out in the yard…they would still rather ride bikes and build forts. As of last Monday, things changed and I think we may actually have two players on our hands.

I signed the boys up for flag football and they LOVE it! They had their first practice and both came home wanting to go back the next day. I realize it is not the same version the Buckeyes play but they can learn the rules, positions, ins and outs of the game and I don’t need to worry about my 50lb boy getting mowed down by a kid with an extra twenty pounds…it’s a win win for all of us.

We have two seasons ahead in our house now…..the Buckeyes start September 2nd on their way to an 8th national championship and our boys start Sept 11th with their Bengal teammates. I am not sure if they will go undefeated (or win any games for that matter), but I hope they have fun and learn a love for the game..playing or watching

Do you have a favorite sports team in your house? Favorite sport?

If you are like me, you feel like you spend money on your kids all the time. If it is not back to school shopping, it is sports or music or birthday gifts for friends. Never mind how quickly they outgrow their clothes and shoes! It is very rare that I spend money on anyone other than Jake and Sam. When I do, like I did this week, it feels strange and guilt creeps in.

I go back to work in a few weeks just like the boys head back to school. While I don’t outgrow my clothes anymore (well, that is unless I have one too many lattes or slices of pizza:)) from time to time my clothes wear out and I need new ones. This year I needed a few items for my wardrobe…couple that with my recent shopping for school supplies for my classroom and I feel like I have spent my “allowance” for a year!

Bear in mind that I don’t really have an “allowance.” It is all in my head, but I truly feel like spending money on myself is so low on the priority list that anytime I do it…I need to keep detailed notes and makes sure not to go over some imaginary limit. I suppose being conscience about what I spend is not a bad thing…but I do wish I could enjoy my purchases a little more sometimes.

With back to school shopping done and my classroom ready to go, I can ease off a bit on spending for everyone..not just me. I hope when my new shoes and cardigans arrive this week I can be happy about them too and not just feel like I wasted $100. There is something to be said for Retail Therapy

When is the last time you spent money on yourself? Did you feel guilty?