mathias family blog: 2014

Friday, November 7, 2014

Gobble Gobble until you wobble!!

Wow!!! Another three months has managed to slip right by before my very eyes!! I truly thought as the boys left me to go off to school, my heart breaking, I would have more time but the fact of the matter is, now that they are no longer with me during the day, I fill up my days with even more stuff to keep me busy!!! I think the busier I am the less time I have to be sad and less time I have to think about that gaping hole that is still there. I'm doing my best trying to find myself in all this 'Beautiful Mess' I call my life! Though as much as I don't want it to...it's changing! I volunteer even more now and work at the church a few hours watching two adorable little boys during bible study! The best part of it is I get to fill my void of missing my boys with two precious boys! What a trade off!

Well the boys are both doing wonderful in school! That Grayson is such an avid reader! He's at a 5th-6th grade reading level as well as in math too and may I say Rogan is developing that passion for reading too!! I can't believe my baby read, 'Go Dog Go' to me the other night!! He's a smart cookie with a love for numbers just like big brother Grayson. When it comes to numbers, both boys rock with math!!! We are so very proud of both our boys! They certainly are wonderful students and behave like 'role model students' is what we are told.... so here's my question, "Why do they behave so well at school?" What happens when they get home because there are days I feel like a referee! Santa...bring me a whistle and black and white striped shirt for Christmas! But then there are days they can't be separated! I figure this phase will pass and I must remember to embrace these challenging moments because there's something to be learned for all of us! This too shall pass!

Here we are, November! October is always such a very busy month at' The Mathias' house! First of all it is Grayson's birthday so that keeps us busy! Then to add to the celebration, it's our favorite...FALL!!!! There is so much to do and so many fall traditions to repeat!!!! Must go to 'The Headless Horseman' at Conner Prairie!!!! It is just the best time and something we look forward to every year. There's Tuttle's Apple orchard, the Zoo and may we not forget, The Haunted Guild at the Children's Museum! Did I forget any thing? Oh, yea and Halloween!!!!! I took on my biggest challenge to date this year and made an R2D2 costume! Rogan wanted to be R2D2 and nobody I mean nobody sells that costume. So leave it to me to find a way to give my son what he wants! There are only so many years a child gets to trick or treat so I made it happen! Four nights of layered paper mache and then the cutting and measuring of the fleece and decorating the helmet once it dried! It was worth every minute because it looked nothing short of amazing!!! Too bad there was so much rain on Halloween and it was so cold! But nothing could stop those Mathias boys from Trick or Treating!!! They are Jedi Masters and also from time to time droids!!! The force is strong in both of them!

Grayson had a wonderful birthday. Theme, Star Wars of coarse. I made his cakes for both his sleepover and his actual birthday. For his sleepover, I did the scene from the movie where Anakin and Obi Wan are fighting in lava! It was such a great cake! For his birthday I made a cake that was creepy Halloween with a giant spider! Grayson's first sleep over was a huge success! They had a blast! They went bowling and had pizza, followed by cake, watching Star Wars movies, playing games and 5 long hours of sleep I think! Just enough to rejuvenate their Jedi minds! The following morning, homemade waffles and a movie a the Imax Theater. Grayson's birthday day he went to The Children's Museum and that evening to Red Robin. Grandpa and Grandma joined in our celebratory dinner! What fun!

We are now counting down the days for giving thanks and taking recognition for things to be grateful for and there's a lot! We are looking forward to turkey, a warm cozy fire and putting up the Christmas Tree! Only 19 more days until Thanksgiving Break!!! Then I can enjoy having my boys home with me! Tomorrow we head to Lego Kids Fest and we are so thankful for Legos in The Mathias house especially Star Wars Legos!! Last night the boys had a photo session with Santa! They had so much fun! It was a very special time! Be on the lookout for those picture so arrive in your mailbox very soon! Wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! 'God Bless us All, Each and Every One of Us!'

Fall Break at the Zoo!

Crazy Eyes!

More Crazy eyes!

Grayson's Star Wars Birthday Cake!!!

May The Force Be With You!

Trophy Day Go team Mathias

Way Cool Jedi Masters, AKA Grayson and his best buds!!!

Brown County with Grandpa and Grandma

'Best Day ever,' Rogan said!

Rock collecting with Grandpa and Grandma

Crazy Fun Times

Cover Your Heads!!!

Mathias Boys bad to the bone!

We made it through Prairie Town without losing our heads

Happy 9th Birthday Grayson Reed

One Cool Dude!

Roasting marshmallows Mathias style

Pumpkin Carving gooey mush!

Cutest Droid ever! It's R2D2

Anakin and his Droid R2D2

Resist the dark side! Use your Jedi powers!

My little leaf collector

Backyard Football!

Our wall of Many Thanks!!!

Storm Trooper Pumpkin

Friday, August 29, 2014

Summer Time.... or bust!

I can't believe it's time for our boys to go back to school and one of them will begin a new journey attending school all day for the first time! We had a fun summer! I will miss my little guys being around each and every day! I'd be lying if I said some days weren't incredibly difficult! But that goes with any thing in life! Every day can't be perfect, what would we learn and take away from it if it were! Summer seems to have reared it's hot head these last few weeks! But thank goodness the YMCA pool is still open and most fun...so is Grandpa and Grandma's pool.

As many of you may or may not know, Marc turned 40! We had a wonderful Dr. Who party for him. Shortly there after, we went to Disney...AMAZING! After returning from Disney we had Vacation Bible School! That was so fun and a blessing to be asked to be a part of the team leaders! I enjoyed every minute and from time to time I still catch myself signing those fun VBS songs! We all enjoyed 4th of July at my parents house. The boys love watching the fire works Grandpa and Grandma set of.

This summer we didn't have a so many pool days because it was rather cooler but we certainly had our fun! We had lots of trips to the zoo and Conner Prairie which in the summer months of July and August it's usually too hot! Never a bad day to go to The Children's Museum so we made trips there as well! We also took many trips to the parks. We had to hit all our favorite spots! The boys love their snow cones and carousel rides at Forest Park. As we do every summer, the boys participated in the summer reading program so we made many trip to the library! They got lots of fun prizes for each goal they meet reading.

We made our way to The State Fair, can't miss the fair! Would you believe we all actually wore jackets!!!! First time ever!!! Couldn't miss Little Hands on the Farm! We've been going there since both boys were young and oh yes The DNR building!!! Huge fish!! I think some of them actually eat little boys! We also took a trip to Brown County! We went to the mill and sifted through sand to find rocks!! Super fun!

We found out this summer while on vacation our Rogan would attend all day kindergarten because too many parents pulled out of 1/2 day after they decided to offer it and in order to keep the class, there had to be a certain number enrolled. It was heart breaking for me!!! I shed many tears even while at Disney receiving the news not even Mickey could turn my frown around! On a positive note, Rogan loves it. I am missing both my boys so much and trying to stick my head above those clouds and find the sunshine in it all but some days when I'm out and about and I see a mom with her little boys, it just brings tears to my eyes!!! Some times I find those tears rolling and rolling fast down my cheeks! I will continue to volunteer in Grayson's class every other week, his request and Rogan's every week! We are beginning a new chapter in life and a new journey is about to unfold so hold on tight because here we go!

I can't wait when I hear that bus rolling down the street. I'm like our dog Macie when she hears the garage door go up! I can't wait to see their smiling faces! Here's to a wonderful school year and new adventures and to making every day count! Not going to lie some days are harder than others not having my Rogan here ( I still wasn't completely used to Grayson being gone and it's year 4 for him) but I remind myself to be thankful I got to share those first years at home with both of them! When we dropped off Rogan at Kindergarten the first day, we walked past him room and imagine me, there I was with my face stuck to the window looking in.... now I've become their stalker!