Fast food getting a little too fast?

I think fast food is getting too fast for me. I can barely make it from the order menu to the window fast enough for them. They expect me to have my money out too? Yikes! We shouldn't be eating there anyway. I know that, but a busy mom has those moments when she just needs to get it done. The problem is I'm starting to detest the lack of etiquette involved with our five minute stop. Yes. I still get the forced would you like anything else? But the need to have your hand out the minute I pull up to the window is a bit maddening. Then there's the fact that you never actually stacked the burger on top of the bun. It's been years since I've had the surprise of not having to scrape off cheese from the wrapper or work around the ketchup that wiped all over when you missed the bun that was supposed to be on TOP of the burger. Then there are the half container of fries that end up in the bottom of the bag rather than the container. And finally the fact that I have to request any and all sauces and napkins.
Slow down fast food restaurant! You're going so fast you're getting rude! Next time take an extra 30 seconds while I get out correct change and use it. Stack the burger right, place the fries in a good spot and throw in ketchup and napkins. I'm a mom and I need them. We both know that!

Blue and Gold Banquet...

Yes, I did give the ok to plan a banquet for 100 Scouts and family members less than two weeks before I'm due to give birth. Yes, this is what being an Alpha Mom is all about...over promising and over extending yourself to the point of pure and total exhaustion. The trouble is, I've never been to a Blue and Gold Banquet. In fact, I had to Google it just to find out what the heck I was planning. Turns out it's a Boy Scout Birthday Party and quite frankly I've got a few birthday parties under my belt. How bad can this be? right?!

So, the next question is how would me planning it even come up? Well, as with anything, give an inch they'll take a mile. Everyone else was busy. Everyone else had projects A through Z. And I was the next gal at the table. I told them this was a bad idea, but here I am. It brought me to thinking a lot about volunteering and how we treat volunteers though. I mean, have you volunteered lately? You have to put up with a lot of crap just to give of your time and energy freely these days! To be a Boy Scout Pack Committee Member I filled out an extensive application (complete with background check). Then I went through 4, separate trainings that each took nearly an hour to complete online. And every time I think I'm finally "trained" and ready to operate I check my email and hear I need something else. Then there's how everyone treats each other. I mean we are volunteering here right? Shouldn't we be grateful for help, gracious for what they offer, and try to work together peacefully? It's not all bad. I love seeing things come together, but I hope we will all remember when we are out volunteering that the time we are spending is precious and we should try to be as gracious as possible. To each other!

Time for a new blog name

I suppose it's time to make it blog-official. I'm soon to be an Alpha Mom to 3! Our third son has been slowly cooking in my belly for a full 6 months now and I can't wait to increase the mayhem here. Ok, maybe not the mayhem, but the love for sure.
As I approach the pending birth of this third little man, I cannot stop thinking about one moment. The moment my three sons become brothers. Quite honestly I already know it will be the single greatest moment of my life. Three boys will meet in a hospital room and become a part of each other's lives forever. I did that. Well, Trace and I, but I did that. I brought into this world three amazing boys who will grow up to be the best of friends. They will right? Eventually. Ok, enough daydreaming Mom! It's another 3 months before it's real.

The Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy has made her way to the Dotson Home! Can you believe it? H is not only 6 years old, he is missing a tooth and has another loose one!

At first I was so proud of him for not complaining about it hurting and being diligent about wiggling it. Then I realized I had to play Tooth Fairy and hadn't asked a single parent what the going rate was! A quick 8 pm text message got me a few ideas and we settled (ok Trace caved in and gave) $4 for the first tooth. However, we included a note that the going rate is $1/tooth for future ones. Yes, I'm that kind of a mom. I didn't want him to think I could afford giving him $4 every time he looses one! With 31 teeth or so left to go he'll be a Millionaire by the time he's done with this.

It was a big step for both H and his parents and a clear sign we are moving into a new stage in Parenting - School Aged Kids!

Journals...

For my ninth birthday Destiny Hixson gave me a Diary. It was pink, had ballet slippers on it, and when you opened it, it played music. 21 years ago I got that Diary and wrote in it nearly every day. Now, I still write. In my diary (the 7th incarnation) and online. I'm not 100% certain what it is about writing in a diary that intrigues me but, I love it. I can sit down and write for hours! About nothing!

I guess this online web log of my life is similar. Although it remains focused on the kids for the most part and a little bit about their parents. I could write for hours. And then I think about who is going to read it. And then I delete that post. And write something more appropriate.

The kids have completed soccer camp for the week. I can't believe how much they enjoyed it. In fact, they both wanted to continue, for the low-low price of $$$$$. HA! Hayden will play this fall. The leagues don't accept 3 year olds here so we will wait another year for Max.

After a week with soccer moms, clearly I need to step up my game. After all, I wasn't up, makeup on, hair done, and dressed to the nines. I even forgot their soccer balls one day. I guess I'll need some practice myself before H starts in the fall!

Soccer Moms

It's hard to believe we have been here three months now. Time has flown by. We have settled into our house and the boys are enjoying time between swim lessons, karate, Little Gym, and soccer camp.

I have had success with a few interviews, but haven't found the right position yet. I can say I am not interested in just any job. I don't want to spend time away from my kids for A job, I want THE job that makes my life better. Can any mom say they want to spend the whole day away from their kids just for a few bucks? I think not.

Anyway, this post today is about "How I Became A Real Soccer Mom." I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but soccer moms are brutal. There is a club. You are either in or you are out. The club is exclusive. Requires their members to be well dressed, with near perfect children who made the elite club team, and poise. Soccer moms are not what you think they are. They don't just show up at practice. They strategize with their children, stand on the sidelines collecting stats while networking with other moms, and they never forget their child's water bottles. They know where to buy the best soccer gear in town, their kids' outfits match their cleats perfectly, and grass stains don't exist.

Soccer moms are crazy. And for some reason I am embarking on becoming one. I'll keep you posted on what this life is like. Soccer moms are not just at soccer. They are at Little Gym, preschool, and the park too. I see a novel in the making...what a crazy life.

Catching up!

Can someone please email me a reminder to update this blog? It seems like I get email reminders for everything else on the planet - surely this can happen here too?

Our lives have changed so much in the past few months. Our move to McChord AFB was a success. We suffered minor damage to our household goods (less than $1,000) and arrived after more than a month traveling across the country from Oklahoma. We saw great friends (Liz Paget) and great family (Herrings, Albany Reiger-Halvorsons, and Spokane Dotsons) and then we landed in the most beautiful place on earth - the Pacific Northwest.

Our time here is likely short as Trace will attend the next level of school in the next 2-3 years, but we plan to make the absolute best of it.

So now the hard part - I need a job!?! Yes, it happens every time we move. One would think that my entrepreneurial skills would have me in some cushy job that moves with me each time. In reality, my life has been so consumed by the move, buying a house, and orchestrating it alone, that a job has been lower on my totem pole. I wonder if I'm the only mom that goes through this? Now that Trace's career has picked up, we have 2 kids, and a lot of moves ahead of us how do I stay motivated to keep my career? It's not easy. It would be much easier to give up and stay home. But it's not in my nature. I love - no really - love my kids. However, I need the mental stimulation and camaraderie that comes with a workplace. So, it's off to job hunt I go!

Max and H are fabulous. H will be an official kindergartner this year. Max will start a 3 year old preschool. I'm so incredibly blessed with bright, generally healthy children. I can't imagine being an Alpha Mom would be easy with big hiccups!

So, I'm off to put them to bed late tonight. The summer has finally picked up in Washington. It's in the 90's which is record-breaking. I missed the heat, but I wasn't ready for it at all. Enjoy the sun!