The bicycle story...

Today Kazz celebrated his 13th birthday. It's not his birthday. I never celebrated my birthday on any day but the actual date of my birth. However, I married, saw that people wait until the weekend to have parties and have resigned my heart to the fact that the actual day isn't set in stone, as I had always been taught to believe. I've said all that to say...

Here is our bicycle story...

Once upon a time there was a boy named Kazz. He was given a Disney bicycle at the age of 4 that he loved. One day he was sad to see that his bike had been stolen. Hours passed and then days. Days turned into 2 weeks and he realized that it was forever to be forgotten.

One bright and sunny, summer day, Kazz and Dad were driving down the road when lo-and-behold a child was riding Kazz's bike! The child, looking up into the eyes of my Brian...nuff said...admitted to the theft. My Brian explained to the child's father that he is taking the bicycle home, to which the child's father made no assertion to the contrary. Uha ha...

Fast forward to 2000. Kazz is so happy to see a shiny new bicycle sitting under the tree. His Disney bike had become way too small and this new one would surely last for years! The fun had on the bike was plentiful. He and his family moved to Michigan where fun was had on the bike for days and even weeks. The weeks turned into months and the months into years. One day in 2004 Kazz began to feel sick. He laid his still shiny bicycle with the cool pegs and great jumping weight on the ground. He began to vomit and shake with fever. The next morning he walked out the door to see his bicylce gone! Stolen from the yard.

A year passed. Kazz, being a boy of 12, found that Life with no bike was cruddy. Kazz spoke to his mom in June 2005 to say that he thinks he should have a bike. "I mean really mom it wasn't exactly my fault that I left it outside with no shelter for someone to steal. I was sick and shaking with fever. I couldn't think straight. Don't you think I could have one this year?"

So mom spoke to dad. Then, in her weakness, went out to the store, 2 weeks before Kazz's 13th birthday. She bought him a bike. Kazz was so happy and siked! He rolled 'round the neighborhood all day long. Days turned into 2 weeks until Kazz's "real" birthday arrived. ON that day, mom asked him to go to the store. He rode his new bike and neglected to lock it as he walked through the grocery store door. When he came out he wandered about, to the place where is bike was before. "Geeze, not again!" poor Kazz said, with no grin and walked home a few blocks from the store.

So the day finally came when we celebrated his 13th birthday. (14 days after the "real" day) Kazz went to a yard sale with his birthday money, bought 3 bike frames, bike parts and assembled his own bikes with his own money and proclaimed, "I love them!" "Nobody will steal these they're crap!" In his happiest birthday voice. The funny part...he meant every word!

Isn't that priceless?

I just can't beleive my life.

Schooling decisions...

Kazz has friends coming over for his 13th birthday party tomorrow. The house isn’t as clean as I’d like. The basement is a wreck…I mean a wreck! If it rains people will be forced to sit among the toys and dust. I don’t mind. I may dust though.

We’re homeschoolers. Kazz has been to every kind of school I believe. He began in public school, homeschooled, private school, homeschool, public school, homeschool..this year..Private school again. He prefers homeschooling. He’s had enough life experience to give a valid opinion. However, when we added 3 young boys to the homeschool day last year, all at once, his opinion changed.

Last year was “messier” than most. Blending a family of 4 into a family of 7 prompted a few growing pains. Kazz, maturely, came to Brian and I a few weeks ago and asked to go to school for 8th grade. After talking at length about sports opportunities, homework, 7 hour days, getting up early, going to bed early…He still wanted to go. We suppose girls are on his mind also…so we agreed.

Kazz took the placement test two weeks ago. The results? He tested into 8th grade language. He tested nearly 10th grade in math. We had pizza that night.

We are a stay up late, sleep in, have fun kind of family. Let me rephrase that. I’m a stay up late, sleep in, have fun kind of woman. Brian is a go to bed early, get up early, let loose when not in public and rarely around friends, always smiling and laughing with the kids and I, kind of man. The truth of that first sentence lies squarely in the middle.

I said all that to say I’m struggling with having to change my routine. I’ll have to go to bed early so I can get up early. I’ll have to rally 5 children in the A.M. hours to drive 5 miles where my eldest son will be off to broaden his mind. Then it’s back home to juggle a 3rd grader, kindergartener and 20 month old twins.

Now that I’ve put this on paper…now that I look at it…okay I’ve read it twice now…
Do me a favor…Count the blessings in this post...if you can count that high.

I can’t believe my life.

And so it begins...

I know nothing about blogging. That’s not true… I know it exists. It looks fun. I’m of the mindset that it will be a terrific way to keep a journal of sorts: One with feedback no less. My husband, my weight, homeschooling, foster parenting, adoption and I will be passed across the table for others to enjoy, despise and/or disregard. It’s interesting…I think.

Life as it is through the eyes of "The Mom With Brownies." The term in which my boys’ friends often refer to me; with a hopeful smile as they walk into the house; hoping against hope that the aroma of something baking will be evident. How fun is that?

I can’t believe my life. I was born to sweet, respectable, hard working parents who love me-remain married-happily at that. I have a brother 8 years my junior, who makes me laugh and turned me into an aunt to my beautiful niece. I married a wonderful man 15 years ago. He picks up his own socks, cooks, hugs me every day and plays with our children. He works hard, so I can stay home with our children. I gave birth to two healthy boys who are handsome, smile a lot, leave their clothes on the floor, forget to lock up their bikes, allow me to be a mom. I am adopting three handsome healthy boys - twins even- who laugh a lot, bicker, get muddy, hate to go to bed, allow me to be a mom. We paid off our van this year and will end the year saying the same about our car. I survived a potentially fatal heart arrhythmia, two short years ago, that landed me in the ICU at the age of 33 - on my eldest son’s eleventh birthday. I underwent heart ablation surgery. This woke me up out of the life I had been riding and allowed me to stand up, steer the ship and start living. It reminded me to be so very thankful for the time God has given and to follow my bliss, instead of the path of the masses.

I’m sitting in the sweet relaxation of contentment. Is there anything more satisfying?
The answer is “no” if you don’t already know.

That’s the beginning as I start today reminiscing...I can't believe my life.