So this is my family – it is ever changing and that is confusing to many. Four remain the same in our family pictures, but I always smile when a group photo memory pops up on Facebook and I see not only how my kids have grown up, but who was in our family at that period of time.
Anyway, short and sweet – this is us right now.
We got an email last week asking Trey to a callback for a Seattle theater company I had never heard of. I was confused, at first, because it was a part he had never auditioned for in the first place but I assume it was because he made a positive impression on someone when he auditioned for the role at the Seattle Rep.
I’m a proud mama here, but also realistic. I knew when we walked into the Rep that he most likely wasn’t going to get the role of the son in Raisin in the Sun, not because he isn’t fabulous, it was just clear that in Seattle he doesn’t really fit as an “African American” boy.
Yes, I know I am totally biased, but I think the kid has talent! When he is onstage, you can just tell that he loves being there. He’s working hard, he’s focused and he has the most amazing memory of anyone I know. He reads through his lines and he’s basically got them down. That was NOT my experience w when I did BPA as a kid – it was hard work for me! It just comes so easily to him. He’s also had amazing people to work with, both with BPA and Ovation! and has learned so much over the years.
One of the biggest parts about it for Trey is that he is such a people person. There are tears at the end of every show, knowing that those same people will never all be together again. It’s hard.
He most recently got to see how things worked behind the camera as part of a cookbook promotional video. Will be fun to see how that comes out, but a few minutes of actual footage took about 3 1/2 hours to tape. That was a new experience for him!
Opportunities are popping up for Trey and I’m excited to see what his future holds.
We head off to an audition in Seattle today, next week is an audition for BPA’s Christmas Story and later in the month is Ovation’s Annie.
I believe that any audition is a great experience and if this is truly what he loves to do, we will give him every opportunity we can to follow his dreams. The future is bright, Trey Cameron!
There are some people who come into your life when you are young and awkward and have no idea who you are. Some you never see again, some stick with you through the thick and thin. Steve and Mary have been there for the long haul. We have shared good times and bad, but when we see them, we know it will be a good day. Big hugs, belly laughs and great, easy conversation.
My heart is aching right now, as Steve and Mary are going through a horrible time and I can’t be there to give them support. What I can do, is put it out in the universe and ask for prayers and love to be sent their way.
Mary is currently in the ICU after taking a terrible fall and hitting her head. Steve is by her side and her kids are there also. It is a waiting game right now, but she is honestly the strongest woman I know, if anyone can get through this, she can.
So please send out all the healing, positive energy to Mary and their entire family. Can’t wait to see that smile and give them both a gigantic hug. Know you are loved with our entire hearts and our whole family looks forward to your next visit and pizza dinner. Will be the biggest hugs yet.
Life can change in an instant, hug your people and tell them you love them. All the time.
So we haven’t really gone on “vacation” this summer, just a hotel stay here and there when there is an amazing deal or a soccer tournament.
We thought it would be fun to have one last little getaway before school started and take the kids overnight to a hotel w a pool and then back to school shopping.
Now, there’s a lot of work involved in us leaving town even for a night (especially when we are trying to make it a surprise). The babies need coverage, the dog needs coverage and just getting 6 people packed and out the door takes work.
I guess I should have known how it would go from the start…we thought we were leaving after Trey did a blacksmithing class (auction item invite from a friend) but then he ended up getting invited to film a little cooking show segment after, so we didn’t get to leave until the 8:10 boat. The kids were all in the car, made a quick stop for some food for the ferry and catch the boat, all the while the kids complaining about one thing after another. We got to the hotel just as the pool was closing and decided sleep was the best option. Figured out who was sleeping where, settled in and kind of slept. Carlos was completely on me the entire night, the room was hotter than Hades and I think Levi was a kicking machine, so poor Dee and Erin were awake a lot also. Dee also woke up covered in flea bites. YUCK! Needless to say, we woke up super chipper and ready to SHOP! This would also be a good time to note that we forgot to pack ADHD meds for one…doesn’t help w coping skills!
The goal was to pack up, eat and get to the Outlet Collection Seattle Mall (formerly known as the Super Mall) when it opened at 10am. That meant we didn’t get a chance to swim in the pool, boo we are such mean parents, I know. Anyhow, goal accomplished but we got there and there were NO cars in the lot. Had Carlos run and check the times and they didn’t open until 11am on Sundays. Cue the whining kids “we could have gone to the pool!” “are you serious?” “this is the worst day ever” Luckily the Evil Empire was close and open so we started our adventure there.
I am thankful that our boys are pretty easy when it comes to clothes – one is always sport shorts and a white t-shirt, one wants mostly black and comfortable and the other is a clothes hoarder but doesn’t really care. Erin is not like that, she wants matching outfits that are girly. Anyhow, the Evil Empire got a LOT done for the boys – essentials like t-shirts and socks and underwear plus the few remaining school supplies and lunch boxes for all. It was 11am by the time we left there, got coffee (thank God) and hit the Super Mall.
Child without meds refuses to get out of the car, stating he doesn’t need anything. Then proceeds to inform us that he will just wait at the entrance until we are done. We start to walk off (knowing he will follow) and he yells “are you kidding me? What kind of parents are you just leaving your kid behind?” Yup…that kind of day.
Started at the shoe department of Burlington Coat Factory. Just walking in there, oh wow, it’s like Costco of clothes. Finally found the shoes and asked the boys to see what they liked – boy w drama talks back to me and I see a young mom holding toddler size shoes roll her eyes. I smile and say “they all grow up” and she says, “My kid wouldn’t have teeth if they talked to me like that” So I just smile again and walk away. You just have to pick your battles – I knew it was going to be a long day so that wasn’t one I was planning to start.
Levi found a sweatshirt he loved that wasn’t black – so we stood in a long line (tons of shoppers, one register open) and then hit the mall. Trey found some horribly green reflective Barkley’s at the Nike store that he loved, so those went on hold. We struck out at Vans and Converse (only got their feet measured there) and had success at Adidas! Stopped for a bite to eat and finished up strong, picking up our hold items and finding a cute dress for Erin at Tommy Hilfiger.
Got back to the car, took this classic family photo and headed home. One last stop at Target for a few essentials and dinner and then back to home sweet home.
I wouldn’t wish this trip on anyone – but am always thankful for core family time, no matter how stressful it is.
This summer we have done so much less, which has resulted in having the time to be spontaneous and having more family time. I am not going to lie, all this together time has had it’s moments of drama and there was one point where I couldn’t stand the bickering and couldn’t wait for them to be back in school. I have NEVER said that before, I always dread the first day of school because I miss them terribly.
That feeling passed quickly and now I am back to dreading next week when 2 of my boys hop on the bus and are gone for the day, and the week following, my other two will be gone.
I will miss the noise they fill the house with, maybe not the bickering so much but just their presence. I really do feel so grateful for the time in the car to chat, or the times sitting quietly and one of the kids comes and snuggles up and we don’t even have to talk. Even the times I feel like I’m fighting the bed sheets, only to turn over and see that one of my big guys has snuck into our bed.
The kids are growing up fast, my time with them is limited and I sit here so incredibly proud of the people they are becoming. They each see the world in their own way, often times so differently then my view point.
This is the beginning; the time where they start to break away. I am trying hard to find the balance between holding them close and letting them do their own thing – where I can forsee when they will soar and when they will crash and burn. I can’t always catch them when they fall, only be here to love them unconditionally. It’s a tough place to be, they are babies no more.
Every year, about this time, for as long as I can remember…I start preparing for Mama K’s Summer School. The kids usually get a week off just to relax, then we start in. In the car yesterday, Carlos asked me if we were going to be doing it again this year. Yes! Then he asked why. That’s easy, for us, it’s about routine and not getting out of the practice of working the brain. It’s easy to get out of practice. It’s not about us teaching new things, just keeping up with the skills they already have.
Here’s what we do – each child has a folder with 2-3 workbook pages in it that they need to complete each day. They also have a journal that they do a page in, it could be a daily “what’s happening” type thing or a story, whatever they want. Last is the reading, we do 30 minutes.
As much as I love the routine of the school year, I LOVE summer. I love the time with my kids, love reconnecting with them on a daily basis and just knowing them better as people, love the weather, the fun outings, all of it. I know it’s getting close, I’ve done my part, the folders are ready and I’m counting down the days…yay summer!
Carlos left on a trip to Eastern Washington on Wednesday with his 5th grade class. It’s an amazing trip where they tour the Wild Horse Wind Farm, a potato farm and the Grand Coulee Damn.
A friend sent me this picture of him w his buddies at the dam. It absolutely made my day. It’s not just a picture of my boy, who I miss terribly. It’s so much more. That smile, that genuine “I’m happy” smile. I needed to see that.
I think back to Carlos’ first field trip to Seattle without his mama. He was so scared and we tried to make it better by me drawing a heart on his hand so he could look down and know I loved him and was thinking about him, even
while he wasn’t with me. It seemed to help and we did it every field trip from there on. Even this year, on the way to the ferry, he asked me to draw him a little heart. This time, small so nobody would see it but he would know it was there.
So, this picture that came yesterday really let me know that my little boy is growing up. He’s about to change schools and be in a bigger pond. The Island School has been such an incredibly supportive place for him to grow up, he’s become such a confident young man. He’s ready for this.
I couldn’t be more proud of my boy – Trey worked hard and got the part of Flounder in Bainbridge Performing Art’s production of The Little Mermaid. He has a pretty big role, lots of dancing and even a solo. He is the only kid in the whole cast! I just love watching him do what he loves to do.
I have to say, my favorite part of it is that he once again shares the stage with Myriah Riedel (she was Peter Pan and he a Lost Boy and now she is Ariel). He absolutely adores her and it is perfect for Flounder’s relationship with Ariel. I think the audience can really feel how much he cares. It’s very sweet. Ah, to be 10 with a crush.
It’s a super fun show – the bright costumes and catchy songs. I’ve been singing them in my head for weeks now. It runs through Memorial Day weekend (Friday and Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 3 plus a bonus show Monday, May 23rd at 7:30). I will be ushering this weekend and would love to have company, plus Trey loves seeing people he knows at the show! It’s great for kids, too!
Tickets are available at the Bainbridge Performing Arts website.
I’m a pretty positive person, but this week has kicked my backside…a big part of it is that we haven’t had much time as a whole family, and when we do we are out of sync and it ends with the kids just bickering. We have forced the time we have together to be hand held electronics free, spending evenings coloring or watching a family show. They always end up having fun but getting into the groove of it again is painful (and truth be told, disappointing to me – kind of not the “family time” image I have, but then again those moments are truly few and far between)
I need to vent here so bear with me….
So yesterday I was doing a little Amazon shopping and a couple orders went through and one special offer they had said my payment was declined. Odd, I thought, but figured the special offer was over or something. Then went to get a few things at Safeway and went to use my card and it was declined. Now there are times when I would lower my head and slink out of the store knowing I had nothing in my account, but I knew there was plenty so no reason to have the card declined. I was pissed more than embarrassed, but after a wander around the store looking for my mother (yes, she had been shopping there, too) I went off to the car to get my checkbook and on the way out a friend said she had paid for the groceries. What a saint! I was so relieved. Got the groceries and spent the next half hour in the car trying to figure out what was going on with my account – apparently someone in California was trying to check into multiple hotels. Luckily my bank caught it and froze my account, but would have been nice to have that information so I wouldn’t be trying to use my card. So today in all my spare time, I had to go get a temporary card to use (which worked the first time, but didn’t work the second time I tried to use it!!!).
It jut gets better…so, we just got over a week of living out of coolers because our fridge was on the fritz, we defrosted it and got it working again (per the appliance company’s advice) and this morning woke up to the fridge almost warm again. Called the appliance people again and they said they would order the parts and come out but in reality we are looking at another 7-14 days without a fridge. It just plain sucks. I try to spin my positive attitude and pretend like we are camping, but my little Eeyore reminded me that “no it’s not like camping at all, there are no s’mores, no tents, no fun all we have is wet food and that’s the bad part of camping” I give up, it’s really no fun.
All in all we are happy and healthy and life goes on. But really I would just love to have a little break from the b.s. here. Not asking a lot, just a little.
Three Scurvy Dogs a Wee Lass (and their Mamas) 