wow

.......i won't bore any person with the dreaded details of my life the last few weeks..... lets just say there was a ridiculously high fever, an ambulance, a runaway poodle, new neighbors, fits, tantrums (even me), broken ac, a new dentist, new dance teacher, gym leveling adjustments, gym commitments and contracts for the entire year, construction indoors....still going on.... and well visitors, lots... and none of that is in order of event or importance.....we have had the tremendous pleasure of our nephews company from way across the united states....we had soooo much fun with them....little jakey let me read to him all cuddled up for well it must have been an hour.....such a highlight....even though he called me aunt stephanie i was still overjoyed to be called that.... then my nieces are all snuggled down in their beds downstairs....elle won't last long in that playpen....but it's a start....lizzy had to drive down to watch the kiddos for back to school night....yes it was long and informative....being at a new school i knew i had to go...and well at least they let us park on the grass!...nightmare. i'm reflecting tonight on how easy and simple my life would be back "home", but then i'm reminded of how nothing great in life is ever achieved with short cuts and without working towards a goal....jess and i weighed heavily the new gym year.....the sport is so time consuming and well just down right costly...our new team and gym is less hours of team coaching per level, zach's coach is 15...don't go there...and well about 3 times as much in cost per year....so that's less instruction...way more $...um yeah. i won't even think about the privates we need to pay for this year...it's beat...and we have no other option. we asked the boys in a long heart to heart at disneyland last week before we signed contracts....what is the most important thing that you do right now....zach said, "gym and i'd love to give up soccer"...not a big surprise there ...now noah..."gym by far and I don't want to quit soccer either i promise mom i won't ever complain when it's time to go to practice...is it about the $ mom?" i swear....that kid has rabbit ears and a knack for eavesdropping when jess and i try to talk in private....did he hear me say college fund??? just wondering....i reassure him that no matter what he wants to do we will make it happen. so i ask him, "even if you have to have so and so for a coach they are so lifeless and unenthusiastic"..... his reply with a whole 8 years of wisdom "mom, when you want to go for something that you really want you can't let anything stand in your way, even if it's a coach..." ???what??um are you only 8??? the drive that kid has is amazing....i wish i could bottle it and sell it...... so tonight at back to school night i get praise praise praise...and just this time.....i actually believed it... and the drum roll please.....NOAH IS COMPETING BOYS GYMNASTICS LEVEL 5!!! It's a pretty big deal for him and he's worked really hard overcoming flexibility and his size for 8. he's big and only getting bigger.....it's basically nothing short of a miracle that he's being given this opportunity.... the leap to this level is big and i'm praying no matter how undecorated the season is..... that he can hang on......literally.