Fishing kiddos!

Last night while I was working Chas took the kids fishing. They were so excited to go! When they got back they had pictures and stories the couldn't tell me fast enough. Macy had learned how to cast, reel in the fish, hold the fish and throw it back, she did this seven times. She caught seven fish on her first do-it-herself fishing trip with dad. I told her that was pretty cool I don't know how to do all of that. She said, "Mom, on your day off we could go and I could teach you, it's really easy you just do this, this, and this." She acted out the whole process for me step by step. I was so proud of her. Mark was sitting beside her. He likes to hold the fish and throw them back. With every step Macy explained he said, "Yep," and shook his head up and down. They even explained that the could put their finger inside the gill which is how the fish breaths. I'm gringing and wrinkling my nose. Chas was so proud and said they got fish loving from me, I said your right, if I was there I would have my blanket and a book watching my family fish and enjoying every minute of it. They had so much fun and then they got done around 8:30 and Macy said, "Dad, I'm starving." They didn't even think about food out there with dad going fishing. What a wonderful moment! Chas has the pictures on his phone and I'm not real sure how to get the pictures off of his phone.

Prior to the fishing trip, last Tuesday Mark had his first ride home from preschool on the bus. I have been taking Mark and Macy to preschool and gradually Mark get more and more independent. First I would walk Mark into his class, he would cling to my leg and cry that he didn't want to leave, he would wake up in the morning crying that he didn't want to go to school. After about a month of that, one day he woke up and said, "Mom, you don't have to walk me in, I can walk all by myself." I said, "Really, you don't want mom to walk you?" "Nope, I can all by myself." I said, "Okay, I'll get you past the cars and then you can go all the way by yourself." He did and I couldn't believe it. Well, I gues I could believe that he could I was just crying inside how much my boy is growing up and how handsome he looked walking into school with his backpack on. Then, pretty soon, he said, "Mom, you don't have to walk me past the cars, just drive around like all those cars and drop me off." So that's what we do and he is so big, growing so fast, and I pray everyday I'm helping this little man be all that he can be in this crazy world. Then one day he is the only kid in his class that his mom picks him up, all the other kids ride the bus, so he asked if he could ride the bus. I decided to let him one day, he loved it, but I was a nervous wreck. The bus barn said I could expect him around 11:30-11:50. Well, around noon there was still no Mark, I tried to call the bus barn and could not get anyone. I kept trying to no avail, Around 12:30 I saw the bus, I'm running down the drive, waving my hands and the bus keeps going. I keep running, very out of shape, and finally where the road turns the bus turns around, gets to me and said I couldn't get anyone at the bus barn. She tried to find our house with no success, so she took all the other kids home and decided to drive until she found his house. I was so worried about Mark I didn't care as long as he was home. I was worried sick that he had fallen asleep and the bus went back to the school. He had his coat on, zipped all the way to his chin, face red and a big smile. I took off the coat, asked him why he didn't take it off if he was hot or tell the bus driver, "STOP, that's my house." He looked at me like mom, I was good, I wasn't saying a word. Prior to the bus ride I had a talk with him about behaving on the school bus, no yelling or screaming and sitting in your seat. He loved the ride, I might try it again today, we'll see. Macy can't ride the bus home from her preschool because it's not offered through the school, Mark is essentially going to the speach program at the school and that is why he can, Macy has been a little upset that he can ride the bus and she can't. She is so excited for preschool in August. I'm so not!! I am, I thought I would be ready for this, but I can't believe how time flies and it's truly like the song by Darius Rucker, It won't be like this for long. Or something to that effect. :)