Team Mitchell & Crew

Thank goodness I don't have to keep this pace up for long. It's only the 6th of March and already I am worn out by it. Why you ask? I have over programmed the Mitchell's. I am notorious for doing. It's a bad family trait....but still, I should know better.

The last 24 hours have been really cool at the Mitchell household. Yesterday at about 3 PM, I was in a meeting at school and my cell phone rings. The name pops up and it says Joe. For those of you who know me, Joe is my 28 year old engaged younger brother who lives in Indiana. He never calls - by never, I mean...close to lunar eclipse regularities....never - ever - calls. He's gots lots goings on and Joe (nor myself) have ever been big time phone chatters...so it's really not weird that we go months without talking. We'll take through the night sometimes when we finally are together, just never on the phone. So immediatly, I see his number and I sense something is wrong. Why else would my "phone never rings" brother call me at 3 PM on a Monday.

Well! He was in town. He and Jessica are getting married in August of next year and took 2 days from school and work to check out reception sites. It was such a cool surprise. He called and wanted to come over and play with Lainie for the evening (and he wanted somewhere to stay...I mean he is the younger brother and all :), so they came to the house at about 8 last night. We talked and laughed and played with Lainie way past her bed time. Joe decided to check out what number he would be on the sleep number bed in our room (more info to follow in an upcoming post...) but until then, FYI: Scott is a 70 and I am a 55.) I think Joe was somewhere in the 60's. We talked for a long time last night.

Then today they went to additional sites, including Talon Winery, Keeneland, Lexington Center and Signature Club. After their appointments they joined the gang at Lainie's T-ball game #2 and afterwards we all went out for Chinese. It was a super cool night and a great surprise to start the week off. Lainie was sad to see them go. She becomes very attached to Jessica when she's here and looks forward to having a new aunt soon! Although Brewtus (our Min Pin) is excited their Jack Russell "Elvie" is back in the car, the rest of us will miss them!

Whoever wrote the unwritten rules regarding the timelyness of swim lessons, forgot to include it in the "new mom" handbook!!

When I was a child, you took swim lessons at the start of every summer. That's just the way it was. If you were scared of the water, your father threw you in and your mother complained from the sideline. I remember hating swim lessons at 3 years old in my kelly green swim suit (circa 1979), but I snapped out of it within a year or two and was on my way to swimming heaven.

Oh no...not my child. She is afraid of the water. She always has been - and I pray that it ends soon. It takes all of May, June, July and the first half of August for her to feel good in any kind of water, but sure enough, it's time to go back to school and "swimming" gets put on hold. I thought - easy enough, we'll just pick up where we left off late last summer - she jumped into someone's arms, blew bubbles, left go of my neck...ya know the major things. Nope!

We started swim lessons tonight at the High Street YMCA. Poor teacher, Mr. Drew. He had no idea what was coming for him when I introduced him to the smiling brunette named Lainie. I had pumped her up all week about toes in the water, momma on the wall, ice cream scoop hands...the whole bit. As soon as her butt hit the water, she clawed up his spine and made the tile walls of the Y vibrate with her screams. Not good.

If you are as new at this as I am, apparently, it is a good idea to keep the swim practicing up year round. Year Round? This was not in the mommy manual and it wasn't until our friend Andrea told me that she and her son make special visits to hotels with pools during the year just so he can practice. Allyson and Kelly have had the boys doing their lessons since January, so my sweet little anchor has more work to do in this area. Maybe next time, our back will get wet. I'll hold off on wanting wet hair until a later date.

Here lately I feel like I am in this twilight zone of feeling like I either don't want to grow up or feel like I never am going to grow up. It's not a bad thing I guess, being that I like to think that I enjoy the smaller pleasures of life (nothing like a candy bar and a balloon to make me happy) but occasionally I wonder if something is just plain wrong with me.

Case Point #1: Friday night after ball practice, my family & I spent the evening watching movies and eating our own individual pint of ice cream. Mine - Ben + Jerry's: Cherry Garcia....same kind I liked when I was 12.

Case Point #2: The last movie I watched: Mary Poppins. Scott bought it because her knew I loved it! I know every word.

Case Point #3: I have always tried to be friendly to everyone I meet, even when they aren't nice to me. It's not realistic, and I often get hurt, but it's the truth.

Case Point #4: I cannot bring myself to throw out the old Halloween candy left from trick or treat and my Valentine bag from school is still on the counter. I never could throw that stuff away until months later.

Case Point #5: I'd rather play on the swings than go anywhere in grown-up world.

Case Point #6: I still like Pink clothing.

Case Point #7: I have only recently taken up "reading" and the love of coffee. And honestly, I feel weird liking these 'grown up' things.

Case Point #8: I still hate scary movies.

Case Point #9: I'd prefer happy meals or Dora yogurt or Applesauce cups to any other food in the world. Just ask the people I eat lunch with.

Case Point #10: I hate it when surprises are spoiled. Doesn't matter what it is.....never spoil a surprise if it's aimed at me.

So maybe my childish ways aren't too bad, but I struggle with a few. Particularly #3. Nice is nice, but I need to learn to speak my thoughts. Whether it's with strangers or non-strangers.....that part of my childhood gets hurt sometimes. Now ya know. :)

So Cool! This week I am excited to say, we have pulled another would-be blogger into the world of blogging. My sister in law VICKIE is now hooked. You can read all about the her super husband Steve and my way cool nephew Zach on her new blog Means Mania! Welcome ya'll!