I think about writing all the time. The problem is finding the time to sit down and write. Finding a time that isn’t 8PM right after we’ve put Blake to sleep and I just want to collapse. The truth is, volleyball season has been exhausting for me. It’s exhausting for Keith, too, but it’s a different kind of exhausting. Volleyball means lots of late nights for Keith, which means lots of long afternoons after work for me. I’ve missed the last, umm...2 months or so of updates and the entire reason I started this blog was for memories. I need to get back into it. It’s like anything though. The more time passes, the harder it is to get back into it. It’s not going to get easier when swim season starts, but I need to prioritize.
Many people have asked me lately if I am still coaching. When I say that I am, I get a lot of, “Really, with a baby???” As if, what...I’m not a good mom because I coach? Because I should be at home taking care of my baby? I know people don’t always mean anything by it. That’s why I don’t say anything back. But it bothers me. It bothers me for a lot of reasons. I’m the farthest from a feminist, but how come no one asks my husband how HE can coach with a baby at home? I coached last season with a 6 month old. Practice was late at night and early in the morning. When my son was sleeping anyway. I still breastfed him. I pumped on the way to meets. I fed him in the car on a break in the middle of our league meet. I woke up 30 minutes early for 6AM Saturday morning practices to pump so that Blake would have a fresh bottle if he woke up before I got home. I never missed a thing with my son, and I also never sacrificed a thing for my team. You can do both. This year my team will be practicing at 5:30AM 4 days a week. My son will be sleeping. We have 8 meets. My husband has about 28 volleyball games. No one says a word to him. Nor should they. But why ask me how I manage to do it? I do it because I love coaching and I love my team. I would never coach for the money, but the money allows me to spend the entire summer with my son instead of having to work then, too. I love being a mom, and I love Blake more than anything, but I’m allowed to love coaching too.
We’ve had a busy couple of months. Weekdays = lots of volleyball games. Blake is, arguably, the JV Volleyball team’s biggest fan. He travels to every game he can and makes a lot of noise in the gym. Not cheering, just making noise. Lots of noise. We went apple picking, pumpkin picking, then went pumpkin picking again, baked an apple pie…
We went to Sesame Place for free. That’s right, free! If you are a teacher you are eligible to receive a free teacher pass good through 2017 as long as you visit once before 10/31. All you have to do is fill a form out online and bring it along with your teaching certification. Blake is free because he’s under 2 so it saved us a ton of money. We went before Blake actually watched Sesame Street which was fine because I knew he would love the rides. He did. I was worried about the long lines, and it was a challenge waiting on lines with Blake, but the second the ride started moving he completely forgot about the line and smiled ear to ear. He was also matching Corinne, thanks to Carolyn.
Since then Blake has started to watch Sesame Street and he loves Elmo and Big Bird. He also has a little Elmo that he carries around with him. Another thing Blake LOVES is the Sesame Street ABC’s. He smiles as soon as we put it on, and there’s worse things than Blake listening to the ABC’s a thousand times. Of course, I haven’t gotten that song out of my head in two weeks. If you’ve never heard it, search it on YouTube, you’ll thank me later. You know what, here it is...just watch it.
Since then Blake has started to watch Sesame Street and he loves Elmo and Big Bird. He also has a little Elmo that he carries around with him. Another thing Blake LOVES is the Sesame Street ABC’s. He smiles as soon as we put it on, and there’s worse things than Blake listening to the ABC’s a thousand times. Of course, I haven’t gotten that song out of my head in two weeks. If you’ve never heard it, search it on YouTube, you’ll thank me later. You know what, here it is...just watch it.
And while you’re at it, Elmo’s Song is pretty good too…
This past weekend we FINALLY went to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. I’ve been wanting to go for years and it’s always sold out by the time I think to buy tickets. I wasn’t messing around this year. I set an alert in my calendar to purchase tickets the day they went on sale. It was insane. It was everything I hoped it would be. Blake didn’t really understand what he was seeing but he sat in his stroller with his elephant and ate the entire time, so he was happy. He’s become super interested in stuffed animals all of a sudden. I think it’s adorable how he wants to bring Kermit, Elmo and his elephant everywhere.
We also went to Zoo Boo with the Camp’s on Sunday and Blake was Clark Kent. I carried him through the entire zoo because he didn’t want to stay in the wagon and he walks in the wrong direction at all times. Walking around with an extra 25 pounds is exhausting, but I’d like to think my biceps are looking pretty good now. Plus Blake doesn’t eat candy yet so Keith and I have a bag of candy to divide and conquer.
I’ve got this...I’ve totally got this. I’ll be up at 4AM, on a bus (hopefully, long story) with 30 high school kids 4 days a week. That’s over 4 hours a week sitting on bus - I have to have time to write!
