This and That

We've been on Fall Break for the past few days, so I'll post the annual pumpkin patch pictures soon. But just a few funny ones for me to remember years from now...

1) I was sitting at one of Joshua's football practices (which was cold and rainy and dark AGAIN!) last week, when one of the moms (she has a son on the team, but also has a younger daughter that always plays with J.T. at practice) looked over and said..."K brought Jesus." OK.... "She wanted to share with John Thomas." OK...Then K comes over carrying something to J.T. CHEESE-ITS!!!!!!!!!! Obviously, with all the umbrellas and hoodies and wind, etc. I misunderstood her! But, so glad she's raising her child to share Jesus with her friends! We've had to chuckle since.--"Jesus" came with her to the game on Saturday as well!

2) Joshua got to go to the lake with Nanny and Gramps yesterday following his game. When we got to the van after getting him off, there were two TU flags tucked in my door handle....Gramps! When we got home, JT opened one and unrolled it. He was elated and began alternately waving it and poking me in the eye! As we got ready for a bath later, I took off his shirt. Immediately, he grabbed his flag and began running down the hall yelling, "Go Hurricane!" Ok, love the school spirit, but trying to get a shower and get to bed now! I tried to get him to put down the flag and get undressed, but he continued to hollar and run about. He knew I was getting frustrated, so to justify his enthusiasm, he explained, "I'm like the boys at Daddy's field!" It took me a minute, but then it registered...there are three students that run out of the tee-pee and across the field after every touchdown with flags...U-H-S...you guessed it--wearing no shirts! (Just FYI--they are all boys!)

3) On the way home from church today, we were talking about what J.T. learned and what songs he sang, etc. Somehow in the middle of the conversation, birthdays came up. "Mom, Joshua and Gramps have their birthday together." "Yes, Sweetheart. Their birthdays are on the same day." "I want mine to be the same as Gramps' next time.":)

My little man...

Obviously, I haven't had time to post in quite awhile.--I know, what's new, huh? I have to remind myself, though that the original purpose of this blog was for me to jot down special or funny things so I wouldn't forget them as the kiddos grew up. Thus, the following:

One day a few weeks ago, John Thomas, Joshua and I were longingly thinking back about the summer. The beach came up and then the lake. We talked about playing "Wipe Out" on the inflatibles in the water, Joshua skiing, both of them tubing, and then JT started this line of conversation...

JT: "Next summer I am going to ride "Pinky" with Mom and you can ride "Fum" with Dad.

Josh/Me: "Fum"?

NOTE: We have 2 waverunners at the lake. One is an older model and it is white and burgundy. For some reason, we have always referred to it as "Pinky". The other one is a much newer model. It goes VERY fast and is white with a dark green almost black color.

JT: Yes! "You and Dad will ride 'Fum'!"

Josh: What are you talking about?!

JT: Getting exasperated..."I WILL RIDE 'PINKY' AND YOU WILL RIDE 'FUM'!!!!!!!"

I hit me..."Pinky" and "Thumb"!!!! I thought to myself...surely Gramps has taught him this as a joke. Nope!--I called and asked. JT came up with this all on his own. Made sense to him!

My Charger

Today was Joshua's first tackle football game! I was heartbroken to have to miss it, but John Thomas was sick! (Staying home with JT was the least I could do after dragging him to the Union/Jenks game with 102 fever, a cough and pink eye! He was MISERABLE!--Yes, go ahead and give me the "Worst Mother of the Year" award now! I would feel a tiny bit better about it if we'd just won the game!) Anyway, Grandaddy picked him up and met Kirk there to watch. They killed the bears and shut them out 24-0, I think! (I know it was a shut out, but don't even remember if we can go for PAT's or not!) Anyway, the journey begins for another Fridrich football player! GO CHARGERS!:)

"Jenks Week"

For as long as I can remember there has been a "Jenks Week". Being a graduate of Jenks High School and former Jenks teacher, it was always the week that Jenks played Union in football. Once I met my husband and "saw the light and came over to the other side" (as he describes my conversion experience), it became the week that Union plays Jenks! Anyway, it is a STRESSFUL, but exciting week of anticipation on my part and exhausting preparation on Kirk's part. All of this to preface my conversation at Sport Clips today after school with John Thomas while he was getting his hair cut.

Me: John Thomas, who is going to win the game tomorrow night?
JT: I took my alligator to school for show and tell today.
Me: Yes, I know. Who is going to win the football game tomorrow night?
JT: Brett Favre plays for the Vikings.
Me: Yes, Mrs. B told me that you told her all about Brett at preschool today. Do you think the Redskins will win the game?
JT: Ummmm...Daddy's boys are gonna win, but Tate (his preschool buddy) likes "The Jenks"!


Obviously, we have some serious A.D.D. issues to deal with, but 1) my 3 year old is having conversations about the upcoming football games with his little friends, and 2) he's educating his teachers about the NFL and its many icons! You should have seen his teacher's face when she was telling me.--She had no idea that his daddy was a football coach! "The Jenks"...I am still giggling about that one! GO SKINS!

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

Ok, people it is just the beginning of September and I've worn a sweatshirt three nights this week! Weird! Rain and storms, sun and humidity, cool breezes...???

From the above weirdness comes 2 funny statements from the boys:

This morning when Joshua woke up it was POURING down rain. After looking outside he said, "Is school going to be cancelled because of all the thunder?"

(You can tell he has grown up in Oklahoma!)

Wednesday morning the boys were chatting over breakfast about the storm in the night. (Yes, JT did come downstairs twice and wake me up. UGGGGG!) John Thomas told his brother, "Yeah, I had to put my blanket over my head so the "funder" wouldn't wake up my ears."

Love those those boys!:)

"My not want to go to school!"

Oh, my precious John Thomas...he does light up my life, but he so marches to his own beat! Unlike Joshua who has LOVED school from his very first day of MDO, JT seems to like it, but would rather stay home with me! He informed me this morning on the way to his first day of 3 year-old preschool, "My not want to go to school." To which I responded, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, we have to go to school; that's what boys and girls do. They all go to school to learn and play." Even though I said this in my cheesiest teacher voice, he still said again, "My not want to go to school!"

Oh, well, at least he didn't cry. Although...do you see the picture with his new VERY nice teachers? Yep, he borrowed those lips from his older brother who has them mastered! No, seriously, he really was ok and so was I surprisingly! He put his lunch in the bucket, his mat and backpack in his tub, turned in his "All About Me" star proudly (BTW, I did a very nice job on it, thank you very much!), and went straight to play on the floor with the trains. Aside from not wanting to smile for the camera, he acted almost like it was a normal day! He even blew me a kiss goodbye! I was so proud.

After his little "open house" last week at school, I came away so excited about all he is going to do and learn this year. Just last week, he started drawing me pictures of himself complete with hair and legs and eyebrows and everything! The past two nights, after reading our books, he has "read" them completely to me! You don't understand...this is my child who only knows the letter J and T (oh, and U--for Union Redskins!) and could care less!! I really feel like he is growing and ready to learn! It's sounds corny, but it's so exciting to see!

In just a little while I will drive to his school and walk down the hall to his classroom. I will peek in and my eyes will be drawn to this skinny, little, curly headed blond child.--My throat will tighten and my heart will swell because I am so proud of him and so glad that he is MINE! I love you, little man and am excited to watch you grow this year. It's going to be an awesome adventure!

Homeroom Mom

As a little girl, I had all these dreams of what my life would be like when I "grew up". My childhood was a GREAT one and I wouldn't change a thing, so a lot of what I envisioned came from my own personal experience watching my mom. Even though the getting married right out of college thing didn't quite go as I planned, I DID marry the man of my dreams--just about 7 years later! Since I married a football coach, I tacked on some new ideas to go along with my childhood visions...I would continue saving the world through molding the minds of our youth for a few more years, then have 2-3 children and stay home and raise them until they were all in school full time and then I would go back to work. My dream was to be the wife that worked registration at the little kids camps, sorted t-shirts and shorts for a bazillion players, painted logos on locker room floors, made snacks for the coaches' on work weekends and never missed a chance to cheer on my man and his boys. Meanwhile at home, I saw myself taking my kids to the park, doing crafts at home, making cookies together, snuggling while reading books, supporting them in all their activities and...being a homeroom mom while I could. (I may have failed at some things so far, but I have gotten the priviledge of being Joshua's class homeroom mom for last year and looks like again this year.

Mrs. C's birthday falls at the beginning of school, so we had to work fast! It was the same day as "Curriculum Night", so I wanted to do something to make her feel really special, but not stress her out on such a long and stressful day/night. We started the day by bringing in her favorite Sonic drink and homemade cards and presenting her with an autographed t-shirt that said "Your Class Rocks". That afternoon when she went to pick up the class from P.E., they were not there! All she found was a gift and a ransom note. She was given specific instructions which took her all about the school gathering gifts. The final place was the science lab, where we all waited to surprise her. The kids thought it was a blast and she seemed touched. Thank goodness it was the end of the day.--Between the double decker cookie cake with icing and the ice cream with toppings, they were hyped up! Happy Birthday, Mrs. C!