10 years....

Seems hard to believe that it's been 10 years since the Towers were hit.    I remember watching it all unfold on TV.  B was at school and I was a getting ready to take Z to preschool and I just stood there in stunned horror.  John was TDY in Georgia and I wondered how and when he would get home.

I remember thinking what a horrible accident until the 2 plane hit and then I remember thinking who? how? why?  Could this really be happening?  Wondering what should I do?  Who should I call and then pretty much spending the day trapped in front of the television, riveted by the horror, heartbreak and stories of amazing heroism.  To this day, the idea of those men and women running into those buildings as they fell to try and rescue people amazes me.

John made it home 3-4 days later after finding the last rental car in GA and driving back to Wichita Falls with coworkers.  We tried to keep as much as we could from the kids.  When they are 8 and 3 you have to protect them as much as possible.

So while today I will remember and be thankful for all that I have in my life.  I don't think I'm going to be watching too much TV.  It's too painful and heart-wrenching.  On the other hand, it would be nice if some of our political leaders would sit down and watch and remember that we can come together as a country, we can all get along and we can work toward what works best for the nation and not ourselves.

8th grade??? Say what???

Tomorrow is the first day of school for the Zack-man.  8th grade no less... how can that be.  I still remember the dread and terror I felt when I contemplated sending him off to Kindergarten.  I wondered what I would do with myself without him home every day and how I would keep myself busy.  Was I really ever that naive?
Now he's starting his final year of middle school and then high school and I'll be facing sending him off to college just like my baby girl.  How does this happen so fast?
I must confess he surprised me tonight, got his clothes laid out.  Texted a picture to his sister for confirmation of a choice well made and put himself to bed at 9:00pm.   I couldn't believe it.  This is the kid who all summer made it his personal mission to be the last to bed and the last to rise.  Actually sleeping until 4:00pm one day!
He actually went to bed at 9 and when I just peeked in at him was asleep at 9:30pm?  Do you think he's sick?  Should I worry?  The poor kid can't win.  If he stays up too late I worry, if he goes to bed too early, I worry.  I told him to be prepared that with his sister gone, I only had him to focus on!
For now I'll just assume that even though it doesn't look like it, maybe he is actually listening to some of the  things we say and maybe he won't be too cranky when 6am rolls around tomorrow morning.
Good Luck Zack, I know you are going to knock 'em dead in 8th grade!

We're off to see the dentist...

I took The Boy to the dentist today to get 3 teeth pulled.  Not because of poor hygiene, although that's a whole other "boy story."  I mean The Boy will literally shower or bathe 2-3 times a day, has numerous "manly" haircare and body care products, but I can't get him to brush his teeth to save his life.  Unless you specifically tell him to brush them and then follow up by threatening to touch his toothbrush he won't do it.  He "forgets" on a daily basis.  I just don't get it.  But I digress.... he had to go to the dentist to have 3 baby teeth pulled.  Hyzy/Hall children seem to value their baby teeth above all things and those damn teeth won't fall out.  He's 13 years old now and I think he's lost 8 baby teeth naturally.  The rest have been pulled or are still hanging around in his mouth.

Had the 3 teeth pulled with very little fanfare.  He was nervous, but came through like a champ - bravery and all that jazz.  So off we (Zack, the tooth fairy and I) went to the magical place of tooth fairy prizes.... Target.  I told The Boy I would get him whatever he wanted, Xbox game, Wii game, Nerf gun... whatever.  I mean even though it's not my fault he had to have 3 teeth pulled it still sort of sucked so I was in major "guilt make it all better" mode.  At one point when it looked like he couldn't find anything he really wanted, I even offered to buy a new DS for him, but he declined.
What did we end up with... Cheese-Its, Pop-tarts, Gobstoppers and Junior mints.  Nothing but sugar, preservatives and processed food product.  It seems like there is something fundamentally wrong with rewarding good dentist behavior with nothing but sugar, sugar and more sugar, but did that stop me?  Nope, that's what the boy wanted, that's what the boy got!

I'm surviving...

It's the first day of September and I am still surviving.... no caffeine, no Brenna and an incredibly tall, handsome, funny, but totally obnoxious teenage boy in the house.  Why o' why can't they go off to college when they are in the 8th grade???  I'm just saying....