Adjustment Period

Many people have asked me what Owen and I have been up to since Corwin has started school.  Let me just say, it has been a definite period of adjustment...and we're still adjusting!


Our mornings start with getting up with Daddy and Corwin, getting breakfast going, and getting them out the door by 7:20 a.m.  (Corwin catches the bus at Daddy's school and rides it to the upper elementary.)  Then, it's usually time for us to finish breakfast and clean up the dishes, make beds, start laundry, etc.  Then, weather permitting, Owen and I might take a walk.  Well, he's on his bike; I'm on foot.  Afterwards I usually get my shower while Owen takes in a little Sesame Street.  Now that Owen has some TV time to himself, he's beginning to really enjoy a little Elmo time.


Then, we play trucks.  Either outside...

...or inside.  Often times, both!

As you can see, if we've been outside playing, he's playing trucks in the dirt.  There is dirt in a large crack in the drive way, dirt next to a rose bush just off the carport, and dirt under the pecan and maple trees to the west of the house.  So, as you can imagine, Owen gets himself awfully dirty!

So, therefore, we end up here!  His legs are usually black with dirt, and his hands, arms, and feet.  If he's been sweating, so is his face.  So, we just dump him in the tub to wash it all away.  Then, when we drain the tub, the tub is filthy.  So, Mommy cleans the tub.

By then, it is usually lunch time.  So, we have a sandwich, and head to bed for a nap.  I usually sit down and read...and have a nap myself.  :)  I'm using the pregnancy as an excuse.


After nap, around 3:10 p.m., we go and head to the school to pick up Bubby from school!  He rides the "early bus" from his campus (the lower elementary), to the upper elementary and high school where Jason works.  While Jason is in the midst of baseball season, Owen and I go pick him up after school.  When baseball is done, Jason will bring him home.  Anyway, occasionally we'll stay at the school for a home baseball game.


When Corwin gets off his giraffe bus (which Owen looks for), Owen is yelling, "There's Corwin!  YAY!"  And, when Corwin gets in the van, Owen tells his brother, "I lost you, Corwin!  Now I found you!"  Then, Owen usually goes about telling Corwin about his day (which is almost always the same).  "I watch Elmo, Corwin!  And play trucks!  I ride my bike on the road!"  I love to hear this interaction.  Owen has truly missed his brother, and wants Corwin to know all the exciting events of his day.  Corwin also fills us in on his school day, too.  I'm learning to enjoy those rides home.

Then, we come home, get a snack, and I sit with the boys and take in some Loony Tunes or Tom and Jerry.  By then, it's usually time to start supper.  Jason comes home around 5:30 p.m., where Owen lavishes over Daddy's return!


I have learned several things since Corwin has been in school.  1.  The house is much quieter without Corwin.  2.  The house is much cleaner without Corwin.  3.  Owen misses his brother and wants Mommy to play with him, read to him, and talk with him an awful lot!  (Not a bad thing.)  4.  We both look forward to going and getting Corwin at 3:30 p.m.  5.  We all three look forward to Daddy's arrival as well.


Life is...different.  But, I'm going to enjoy the calm before the storm.  By December, this house is going to be roaring with the sounds of a baby girl.  We'll savor the quiet while it lasts.

First Day of Kindergarten

Oh, the excitement! Oh, the nerves! Oh, the tears! (Okay, that last one was me and Owen, not Corwin.) We started school today. It is a bittersweet day.

Last night we prepared his lunch, packed his backpack, and took a bath. Then Jason and I put a very excited 5-year-old boy to bed. Then, he was back up 30 minutes later. Then, he called me into his room 15 minutes after that. Needless to say, the boy had trouble getting to sleep.

But, at promptly 7 a.m., I opened his door and pulled back his curtains, and he was up and dressed in about 5 minutes. We had a little squabble over what he was going to wear his first day. I wanted him to look a little nicer, and he wanted to wear his Cardinals baseball t-shirt. I chose to pick my battles and let him wear his t-shirt.

After a special breakfast of blueberry pancakes, we were off! Owen is just as excited as Corwin at this point.
...But, the nerves are beginning to settle in. Corwin tells me he is a little scared, but I reassure him that that is normal, and that he'll have an amazing time!

Here he is sitting at his table, all ready to go. We're a little early, though, so Mrs. Newcomb tells him he can go outside and play until the bell rings. (How convenient that the playground is literally just outside his classroom door.)

He isn't shy, so he's not afraid to walk up to someone and start talking and playing. I know he'll do great!

So, I snap just one more picture before Owen and I leave. At this point, I'm just as excited as he is, and am glad to see that he's already playing and talking with other boys his age.

So, Owen and I leave. Owen is wailing because he wanted to "stay and play with the guys." Then, we pack up in the van and head home. Owen's cries get louder as he says, "Don't leave Corwin, Mommy!" I explain that we'll come back to get Bubby at 3:30--after nap time. He says okay, but 5 minutes later cries again and says, "Please, don't leave Corwin!"

Sorry Big O. Thankfully, it won't be long before this is our daily routine, and Owen (and I) will soon adjust. Now, what to do with just one kid for a few months.... I think I'll enjoy it!

Open House

The BIG DAY has almost arrived! Yesterday we had the opportunity to meet Corwin's new Kindergarten teacher, drop off his beloved supplies, and check out his classroom for the next 8 or 9 months. As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, a HUGE grin spread across his face! He is so unbelievably excited, folks!

(You can't tell it from this picture. I don't think he knew this was coming.)

We were shown his table and chair, then we put his name on his school supplies, and he put them all in his cubby.

The teacher was glad that he was tall enough to be able to see his name on his cubby.

His teacher is Mrs. Newcomb. She seems like a genuinely wonderful lady who loves her kids and is excited for the new year.

Now, all we have to do is wait ... wait ... wait .... I just don't know if Corwin can stand it. Wednesday is the BIG DAY. Very, very excting! (Kinda bittersweet for Mommy.)

New Beginnings

As many of you know, the Morris Family has started anew ... again. We have moved from the lovely town of Licking, to a new town in southeast Missouri. It is a small farming town just south of Poplar Bluff, near the Bootheel of the state. It is quite different than we're used to. It's very flat, and there are crops of corn, soybeans, and rice on every side of the road. But, we are excited to be here! (We could live without the clouds of mosquitoes, though.)

Jason will be teaching at Neelyville School District, and Corwin will be starting Kindergarten there as well. *sniff* *sniff* Corwin is so incredibly excited for school! We went last night to fulfill his school supply list. He wore his backpack all through Walmart. Then, as soon as we got home, and the bags hit the table, he tore into them and started filling his new backpack. He opened his crayon box, erasers, and scissors and put them in his box, then found a pocket in his backpack just for his box. Then he put in his binders, coloring book, glue sticks, and pencils.


We got him registered today. When we got home, he told me he wished he was going to school tomorrow. Then, he told me how cool it was that he'd get to celebrate his birthday at school with all the new kids in his class!

Not once has he said how much he'll miss being home with Mommy. :-(

Anyway, we are excited to be here. Our house is pretty much settled, and now we await the coming of school. After that we'll prepare for the arrival of our baby GIRL in December. Lots of changes for the Morris Crew coming this Fall 2011.

God is good, and He has provided every step of the way. There have been times I was beginning to wonder if we'd have a house to live in, or a renter to help care for the house we own in Licking, but He provided when the time was right! Why I ever doubt, I'll never know. He's never let us down yet.

3G FUN!

Last weekend we spent some quality, close time with the Lewis cousins, third generation. Well, it really ended up just being Jason's first cousins and Christy (a 3G cousin from Houston). We had a cabin close to the Spring River, in between Mammoth Spring and Hardy, AR.

Our first day there, it rained all morning, but the boys went trout fishing anyway. Meanwhile, we girls (and John) were stuck in the house with a passell of kids. That proved to be a challenge. Eventually the boys came home with a dozen fish. They cleaned them, then threw them on the grill.

Jack is catching the gutting and cleaning action here. Mmmm....

The next day was gorgeous and HOT! It was spent rafting and kayaking the river. Charlee and I stayed back and kept the little guys who were too small to float.

That evening we went back to "the fishing hole". The kids swam...

...and the boys fished.

Overall, it was a good weekend. It started out kinda rough, but ended up really good! Until next time, folks! Hopefully we'll be able to involve more Lewis 3G cousins! The more, the merrier!