40 days and 40 nights 19 Day Mission

Well, I could have loaded the kids up for breakfast at Denny's, where I could have ordered my 'Moons over my Hammy'.  And I could have packed up the car to drive an hour South to Miami Beach for a Wal-Mart casting, that every agency, model and their dogs were going to be attending at the Albion Hotel on Collins road.  I could have been miserable sitting there with two extremely board kids, one wanting her nap and the other saying he wished he went to school instead of staying home with mom and sister.  In which by the time the casting was over with and we made our way to Lincoln Road to eat lunch, the rain would have come pouring down on us, making for a very unpleasant experience walking Lincoln Road.....and let's not even think about what the beach would have been like when all said and done if we would have done that yesterday. 

You see, I could have done all that I said I was going to do yesterday with my kids.  Because in theory as a lot of things often do, it sounded so nice, wonderful and perfect.  That's why the say "in theory".  

I am blonde, but I am a lot smarter than one may think that I am.  In fact, I am so smart that I often surprise myself at times.  

I thought it through and instead of relying on "theory" to go my way... I stayed here in reality, and instead......

Treated my kids to a nice healthy Chick-Fil-A breakfast.  In which I had the nice and healthy #1 (friend chicken breakfast combo, with mini hash-browns and a rootbeer).  Yeap, nice and healthy is how we roll in this family.  

What?  

Come on folks, there is protein called chicken underneath that fried skin.  Duh! It's healthy in my books.  See, I told you that I was smart.  

After a nice delicious breakfast, the kids had a fun time playing.  Hunter got his creative juices flowing after watching an early movie of Hot Wheels.  He decided to create and design his very own Hot Wheel tracks.  

Let me just say this,  Hunter is one creative little artist. This boy can come up with the coolest visions and ideas that can just blow your mind away.  He is so talented.  

Morgan, on the other hand, is simply scrumptious.  More and more, every day she is trying to explore with new sounds and words.  You should hear her try to say Disney's cartoon 'Handy Manny'.  Oh, it is the cutest thing EVER. 

I need to do something with this girls hair.  I didn't want to cut, but it seems it may be getting to that point.  Its all in her face and eyes.  Its a party in back and business in front, mullet.  

Any suggestions??

Yesterday, she loved having Hunter home to play with.  She loves playing with his hot wheels and Bakugans.  She loves being in his room, even when he isn't home.  She just loves her big brother.  She gave mommy plenty of smiles yesterday..... 

So, while the kids were playing and entertained, I gave it another thought and decided that yesterday would be the perfect day to get out my new fancy smancy camera.  Everyone keeps asking me what I upgraded to, and gees, I didn't think it to be a secret or anything.  Had no idea that everyone would be so curious about my new camera.  

After doing some research, calculating, and bouncing off questions on my friends that are professional photographers.  I respect their opinions and so I upgraded my Canon Rebel XT to the Canon 50D.  Take a look at my sweet new toy.  

I was very limited with how much I could really play with it yesterday.  I have to be honest here.  I was intimidated by it.  I don't want anything to happen to it.  I don't want to mess anything up on it, and I don't want finger prints and smudges all over it,  just yet. I really like admiring how clean and cool and so oh-la-la it looks sitting there on my table.  

I also purchased a DVD on the Canon 50D, so that I can take my camera and it's ability seriously.  I am taking my photography more seriously.  I want to improve and learn something every day and with every photo session I have with my clients.  I also got a couple of books to read on over the summer.  Take a look.  

I can't wait to get out on the field with it. 

Where was I?

Oh yea... 

Instead of walking in the rain on Lincoln Road with two very fussy and bored kids.  Morgan helped her brother organized and clean up his room, before leaving for Cape Cod tomorrow.  She handed him hangers, while he hung up his clothes. I of course photographed them as if they were shooting their own reality TV show or something.  

Notice Hunter's shirt he is wearing? He picked it out all by himself to wear, and thought it was fitting for the reason he was home yesterday.  I agree. 

We organized his Bakugan's and got everything in place so that when he returns from Cape Cod, everything almost everything will be in its place.  You know all the things that Morgan can't get her hands into will probably stay in it's place anyway. 

This next photo is a shot looking up to the bottom of Hunter's top bunk bed.  Recently at church, Hunter made this paper with a verse out of the bible that HE chose on his own.  Not a verse that I told him or that the church told him, but a verse he liked and picked on his own.  It says "God has listened.  He has heard my prayers. Psalm 66:19".  

I asked him why he thought of that verse to write down that day.  His response was "because last night and this morning I prayed that I would make the Jr. Panther's 2009-2010 Travel Hockey Team.  I prayed, and I made the team, God answered my prayers." 

Of course I thought for a moment to explain to Hunter to not expect that to always be the outcome of his prayers, but instead, I just smiled and let him enjoy his moment. While I enjoyed watching him feel good that God did answer his prayers.  

We decided to tape this underneath the top bunk bed, so that when waking up or going to bed, Hunter can always be reminded to A) pray and B) be thankful for that answered prayer (and give thanks for answered prayers).  

We all know how easy it is to forget and move on, and not thank God for something we prayed for and received.  This is a verse that we could all use taped onto our mirrors or near our beds to see when waking or going to sleep.  Having a constant reminder that God answers and listens to our needs and prayers.  

After that we continued to clean up his room, and we noticed we are still missing two state quarters.  We have been working on this collection for about 4 years now, I think. We are so close to finally having it complete.  We need UTAH and ARIZONA, state quarters.  Anyone have one to give us???  Please hit the 'contact me' tab at the top of my blog if you do and I'll give you a shipping address to send it to.  If you do find the missing quarters we need, there may be a little gift involved. Maybe, NO PROMISES.  I just thought of that as I was typing.... I may take it back.  Moving forward.....

You see, I could have done what I said I would be doing yesterday.  It sounded so nice, didn't it? 

Then we would have missed out on so much more.  Like lunch at Moe's, a bike ride to his friends house, and to end with a scavenger hunt around the house. Finding a movie called "Journey to the center of  the Earth", that we watched last night.  A great kids movie by the way. 

To end a perfect day with my kids, with Morgan a sleep and Hunter snuggled right next to me in my bed for the night.  

Which would you have done?  

That's what I thought! 

You see, as I also mentioned in yesterday's post, 'it's different for me'.  Today is the last day of school for my 2nd grader now 3rd Grade son. However, it's also my last day with him for 19 days, for he will leave today to Cape Cod with his dad for his first part of the summer break.  I don't get to have my son every day of the summer. I don't get the chance to get tired of having him home and ready for school to begin.  I have to share him with his dad, out of state for half of the summers.  While he is home, I still have to let him be a kid and do things like camps and playdates.  I now share him with his friends, his camps and his father in the summer.  

Last day of school and summer bring such mixed emotions to me as a mom.  I am happy summer is here, and that Hunter gets to travel and have fun. He gets a break from all his school demands and travel sports.  For me I get to sleep in and not have to stop in the middle of my day to sit in pick-up lines at school.  But I only  get 19 days on and 19 days off with him, and then another 21 days on and 21 days off.  I get my son for a totally of 40 days and 40 nights in the summer, all in which only about 9 or 10 of those days do I really get to keep him home all to myself like I did yesterday.  

Today, when I dropped Hunter off at school,  and after watching him kiss his sister and then quickly jump up to give me a kiss before we got close enough to his peers and teachers to be seen kissing his mom.  You can see the excitement in his face that this as the last day of school, and excited he was heading to Cape Cod with his dad.  You could also see that he feels a little off too. Knowing he was going to be missed and miss us too.  

I thought I had prepared myself enough this time around about keeping it together when I dropped him off and drove away. As the rain is dripping on my windshield, baby girl sitting in the back.... I just started crying.  It really came over me out of no where. I wasn't expecting to cry or thinking about crying. However, once I drove away and looked back at his empty seat, I was then reminded he wasn't coming home today, or for the next 19 days.  

Getting home, only to get on the blog and read about a baby girl I have been following for months on Cambridge site, passed away last night.  She was 7 months old and she fought a long hard road very similar to baby Kayleighs.  I just started bawling.  

After a good cry and some giggles with baby girl.  I picked myself back up. 

I am better now this afternoon.  I have been putting together a list of things that I want to get organized, cleaned out and accomplished in this home, in my photography and for a really cool project I am working on. I decided that I will make use of my 19 days, and say that I am on a 19 day mission.  

Before I know it, Hunter will be home.  We will travel to Texas, Mark and I travel to NYC and I have a bloggy friend that I have never met in person, but have come to love and adore as a close friend through email, bringing her and her family to stay with us here in my home, an entire week in August.  I can't tell you how excited I am about that.  

So before the post gets any longer.... 

I will leave you with one last photo.....

Hang on. Hang on.  I can do better that.   I'll leave you with this one last photo instead.  

Now that's better!