The boys have been back in school for a week now and so far things are good. We are getting into a schedule and routine without any bumps and hiccups in the road and I LOVE THAT.

The boys both had to have sports physical’s again so yesterday and today I was late coming into work to get them done. Luckily our family doctor opens at 7 for appointments so I could get them done without them having to get out of school. I was late for work but that I can deal with that. This year, Okoye opted to not have me in the room for the testicular exam. I don’t know rather to be sad about it or not. Up until the second she said ‘okay, now comes the part of the Testicular exam and you can have your mom stay or have one of the nurses come in…’ he had said he wanted me there but then, when she asked, he said ‘I’d rather have a nurse….’. I sat open mouthed for a second but hopped up and waited outside.

SIDEBAR… I find it hilarious that doctors try to make pap smears and testicular exams sound like a helluva party when in truth…its not so much…

Because of diabetes being prevalent in my history they always get blood work along with ketone checks and the ketone check checked out, now we are just waiting on the blood labs. Jalil has a slight curvature of his spine that we have to have looked at (already have the appointment set up), Okoye has gained 10 pounds and a ½ inch in height while Jalil has lost 2 pounds but grew 1 ½ inches. Other than that, everything is checking out. A no one drank out of the urine cup! I’ll have to tell that story one day…

Whats better than being recognized for your achievements, struggles and wins? Your kids being recognized for their achievements, struggles and wins. Okoye had open house at his new high school, you know, giving the parents a chance to meet teachers, go over plans, become familiar with the school. I talked to the teachers and was pretty happy with what I heard. One teacher already recognized that he was going to be the social one in the bunch but if he could reign that in, Okoye would be an asset to the class. His Spanish II teacher commented on his can-do attitude and his willingness to ask for help or to repeat things if he didn’t catch it the first time. So…we are walking out of the school and there is a table of cake, punch, hot wings, things like that with a group of adults kind of hanging around. As we walk by one of the men call out to us to get some cake, punch whatever and I say ‘no thanks’. One man (who is holding a baby) jumps up and says ‘Mr. Washington! Is this your mother??’

I immediately I’m on guard….

Okoye says yes but I say, ‘that depends on what he’s done’

He comes over, shakes my hand and said that Okoye was a really good kid. That he helps on in the cafeteria. That even though school had been in session not even a week, he had gotten two reports from teachers about how he helps out without even being asked. And that he really appreciated what he does. I said thank you and we chitchatted for a minute longer and left. As we were walking out I mentioned what a nice man he was and I asked was he one of his teachers and Okoye said no, that he was the principal. Talk about feeling stupid. But still proud.

Do I tell him about wet vacing up the poop?

or about the sneaking out last year?

or about the fight he had at school?

or how moody he can be and then flip the switch on you at the drop of a dime?

or

or

or

*sigh*

GOOSEBUMPS…why does the song Butterfly Kisses (Bob Carlisle) still gives me goosebumps???? Especially the one with all the voice overs…Good Lord, I feel the tears coming

HUNG-OVER…have you ever felt so tired you feel like you have serious hangover??? Man… Okoye’s girlfriend had a party for her 16th birthday and my boys went for that. Then Jalil had a bbq for his birthday so I feel like I am in hormone overload from all the teenagers that I was around this weekend. All the high pitched giggling from the teenage girls trying to get the attention of the boys, all the boys trying to be manily men for the teenage girls, the food, the music…urgh…this is WORSE than a hangover



Lacey's Birthday Party....filled with that stringy crap that you squirt out of a can...




that would be Okoye in the middle of the circle.....getting ready to dance.......or really dancing...that boy loves to dance


*sigh*....Mama.....she is Beyonce and my dad is Jay Z....and you wonder where I get my craziness....

my baby's birthday cake...the cake that when i went to get it...they couldnt find it...the one that we had to wait for about 45 minutes for them to find and when they did, they only charged us for a quarter sheet cake instead of half a sheet cake.

CREEPS…I can admit that I am a paranoid ninny at times but do you ever get freaked out when you get a FRIEND request on FACEBOOK from a complete stranger? None of her ‘NETWORKING’ groups come even close to me. The only thing I can think of is a friend posted one of my photo’s on her wall and maybe its from that but I gotta say…it’s freaking me out

DELICIOUS…a coworker made breakfast quiche for the office and it was sooooooo good! Nothing like spinach and eggs to start a day

SOUNDTRACK…does anyone remember the show Ally McBeal? It was the show about about the unisex rest-room......well, okay that was not what it was all about but that was one of the things I remember most about the show. The other thing I remember was the episode about having a soundtrack for your life. Everyone should have one. Well, lately what wax I imagine to be rotating as I work my way through life is ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas…. Now THAT song makes me finger snapping head bobbing happy.

This week we had a previous governor pass. In honor of him, there was a 'lie in state' visitation/memorial at the Capitol (across the street from where I work) and following that,his funeral. These soldiers were part of the Artiliary Squad ( I hope I got that right) and it was their duty to fire the canons after the service. Before the services this group was lounging around the the Capitol but all went to this monument and stood for the longest time and it gave me goosebumps because they were reading the Ten Commandments..... Can we really have a division of Church and State
Does anyone remember the movie BeBe's Kids????? It was the late Robin Harris' movie, animated? The rapper Tone Loc (Letzzzzzzz do it) was the voice for the chunky baby boy that walked around in a diaper??? This little pile of cuteness reminds me of that character so freakin' much!!! He talks in this gargle baby chatter and its always random. Our first meeting I got onto him because he walked up to me and tried to grab a bottle of water out of my hands and after that...he steered pretty clear of me. Two weeks later (the day of this picture) I took him and his brother to the park to play and they had such a blast. So much that when I took this picture, he was walking to me to give me a random big hug...no smiles...just a hug. I guess that was his way of saying 'you alright with me....'

That's Jalil in the front, Okoye is on the right side, chasing the little boy that's on the left side of the picture. Nothing special accept I do believe this is the first picture I've taken of my new car. Say hello to the folks BB (Burgundy Berry). And yes, I name my cars...sue me

*sigh*...first day of school shots...and they are growing up so fast....i dont care if its the last year of college, I WILL get a first day of school shot every YEAR....bite me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jalil!

Today is my babies 14 birthday….I do believe I will make it through the day. I know I can. Well…I think I can. But this smile…right here…makes my day, my life so much better. Even when I’m getting on him about something, he can flash it and even though I’m getting on him, I’m laughing, smiling telling him ‘stop it. Right this instant!’ People think Okoye have me wrapped around his finger…whew… you have no idea.

This was their first day at being at a public daycare...tomorrow is the first day of school....sigh....it goes by entirely too fast

Most times…I have no concerns about my kids and the ability to think through things. I think they are well adjusted. For the most part. When they sauté white onions and green onions in butter, fry bacon and mix it into ramen noodles (yes, Hell’s Kitchen strikes again…) I know that if they are hungry…they can feed and sustain themselves. But when I come home to find the wet vac in an unusual place…I have to question it…

Me on the phone with Okoye: why is the shopvac in the living room?
Okoye: whats a shopvac?
M: the red round thing that looks like a vacuum
O: oh…Miyagi pooped
M:
O: mom???
M: miyagi pooped….andddddd….what???
O: I vacuumed it up….

Yes. He vacuumed up dog poop with my wetvac. Lord help me….

School starts next week, which I thought was early but according to some people (Laura for example) they have already started. I gotta tell you…when the supplies start coming out, I get pretty giddy. I love new paper and pens. LOVE.IT. I go and stock up before I even know what I need. But once that ‘hit’ passes…ehhhh….I start thinking along the lines of a 14 or 16 year old kid and begin to think ‘where did summer gooooooooooooooo???!’ I am not ready for school. Sad to say…I’ve even started a countdown to Thanksgiving, Christmas and the end of the school year….

Today was enrollment for school. One, Okoye is going to The High School this year. The other, Jalil, is in his last year of middle school. To events in time hat have got me, of course, ready to laugh like a hyena at one minute and ready to break into tears the next...
　
When you are an adult time goes incredibly fast now. When the boys mentioned how fast summer flew by I said 'yeah, as you get older time doesnt take its time at all' and then I stopped. They knew time goes fast. I didnt know that time went by too fast until I got older. And it hit me, really hit me...my kids are growing up and THEY know they are growing up. They still want to be kids, dont get me wrong but they are already ready to do adult things like get jobs. Help Mom with bills. Pay for their own way. WTF??? what happened to my babies....

Could they also be...gulp....dare I say it...young MEN???
　
But at the same token I look at them and smile because they are good people. You know what I mean by good people? Dont get me wrong....sometimes I want to smack them upside their heads, and ummmmmmmm I have done so...but overall, they are good people. Respectful. Grateful. Sensitive. Caring. Intelligent. Wholesome. Hard-working. Thank God for all that.

But, back to what I was starting this post with and that is summer is OVAHHHHHHHHHHHH people and it is now time for a new school year. To all the teachers out there...God Bless You!!

I AM ALMOST 40 FREAKIN’ YEARS OLD…

This is the thought that I screamed in my head this weekend…

I screamed, out loud, as my body was being hurtled through space, feet dangling in the air, praying to God while I was on the Batman Rollercoaster

But

I was having fun…so much fun….