Well Hello Blogosphere! Here I am!

I have been super MIA from this blog. It's truly ironic - I get super involved in social media (organizing for my television station, and helping other media/peeps work it) ... and I am completely less social.

Basically, unless you're on Twitter - or occasionally - Facebook, you're probably wondering if I even still exist. Yep! I do. So darn busy. And you know what, with as much time as I spend on the computer, once I am home - it's really the last thing I want to mess with. (Because, you know, I still have access with my phone, which I do obsessively check.)

So...let me catch you up. Where to begin? I've been pulling folks at the TV station (some kicking and screaming) into the social-media-sphere. Seriously folks - get on board the train, or prepare to have it run you over. Some are doing really well .. others still roll their eyes when I mention anything about Twitter...Facebook. It was on the cover of FREAKING Time magazine - it's legit! Twitter reported Michael Jackson waaaay before mainstream media. Anyway, I digress into a journalism discussion - and that should really go on my other blog. Which, too, has been sitting stagnant.

Let's see... let's talk kids. Jack - 9 - is doing really well in baseball this season. He got hit by a pitch once and it took him awhile to stand close to the plate after that - but he seems to be getting that confidence back. He loves watching ESPN and something called something like "MLB TV" or something. He told me a lie yesterday...and we had to go through the whole "you're mostly in trouble because you lied - if you have told the TRUTH it wouldn't have been a big deal." Now, to beat a dead horse, I'm pointing out things like "not sure if I can believe Jack, because he has not been truthful..." What a nag. I'll only do it for a little while longer - while the initial infraction is still fresh.

Kyle. He too is doing really well in baseball. He insists on sliding into every base. I missed a couple slides today - but knew they happened because of the big dust cloud rising from the field. They call him "Kamikaze Kyle" for his wild head-first slides. Makes him happy to get dirty. I'm ok with it ... you're SUPPOSED to get dirty playing sports. He's also recovering from the horrible sunburn from last Sunday. He had second degree burns on both shoulders...and it created two blisters that were the size of ... what? trying to think ... they were FREAKING HUGE. I had never seen blisters like that before. These were "burn victim" blisters. I had used aerosal sunblock .. which was REALLY cool ... so fast and convenient and seemingly like the answer to a parent trying to get three kid lotioned up quick. Not so much. I think it was relatively ok for my dark skinned kids .. but not this fair blondie. Anyway, when the blisters first showed up - we followed tips and tricks from online research and knew not to pop them. But then he was so miserable - and they seemed to be growing, so we decided to check with the doctor. When they told us we'd have to bring him in - I cried the whole way there, because I knew I'd be doing the "walk of shame" and no matter what I said I was the stupid parent who didn't properly protect her child from the sun. And of course, the stupid internet informed me that I had increased his chances for skin cancer like 6-fold. So, now, he'll be wearing his snow suit to the beach.

And then there's Nick. The poor guy who gets dragged to everyone's multiple baseball games. He does play Tball - but only on Saturdays. We didn't go today because I just couldn't pull it off by myself w/conflicting games/etc. Nick asks every night if it is a "work night" - because if it is not, then he gets to sleep in Jack/Kyle's room. The rule used to be it was ok if it was not a school night...then school let out and he thought he'd get to sleep in there EVERY night ... so we needed a new rule. Feel bad for the kid - mom & dad share a room and so do Jack & Kyle ... so can't fault him for wanting to be in on that.

Caught up? Let's pick up from today. We had 10am swim lessons, 11:00am baseball game, 12:15 TBall (skipped) then 1:00pm baseball practice. It's super hot. I was trying to juggle all of them, their various equiptment, plus, of course the over-application of sunblock. (You can imagine how obsessive I am about it NOW) ... and a cooler. Kids were making it difficult - and the heat made it hard to be patient. At baseball practice, I had told Jack there was only ONE way to get into the field and to go in that way ... well of coure, he DIDN'T and I could see him walking ALL the way around the field trying to get in. I could hear his coach telling him to go around .. but then he thought he'd try to climb the fence, a TALL fence. So, I'm watching this from the minivan -- from pretty far away. Getting madder and madder that he just didn't listen to me in the first place. And he's not coming back around to go into the field at the right place. So finally I decide to quickly hop out of the minivan - which I have running to keep us cool -- to yell at him. Halfway there I turn around to see Kyle in the driver's seat. Remember - the car is running. So, I hiss at him and then go after Jack. You know, the "arm yank" and "do you remember what I said to do?? " (But like the hissing - very subtle - so parents don't notice and think I'm one of THOSE parents.) I make him RUN to the right place and tell him he can't stop running 'til he gets to the right place and to then apologize for being late. (I was in mean mode.)
Then I go back to the minivan and give Kyle the "Don't ever ever ever ever sit in the driver's seat. Ever" speech.

I was so angry, I could have picked up the minivan and squashed it in my hands like aluminum foil. And I think if Ryan had been there, it would've diffused some of the crazy. I don't know how single parents do it - especially if there's several kids. It's like herding cats.

But I'm better now. We're better now. Back at home in the A/C. Of course, I can't relax because I am on call and there's a threat of severe weather. AGAIN. We have had a crazy amount of severe weather. And if it gets tornadic or dangerous, I have to go in. But I don't want to talk about that.

Tomorrow is my 12 year wedding anniversary. 12 years. But Ryan is gone on his man weekend. The big, annual summer "Gerding Guys Getaway." It involves his dad and brother, his grandpa, and his dad's brother and two sons. (uncle/cousins, follow me here?) They always go somewhere where they can golf and goof for four days. Often out of state. This time, though, they're down at the Lake of the Ozarks. No kids. No nagging wives. The occasional angry text or call (ME: "WHERE THE F IS THE SUNBLOCK????") Sound nice? Yeah. It is. While I want to be angry he's gone on our anniversary, I'm mostly crazy jealous. And honestly, we BOTH agreed the dates would be ok ... only later did I look and go "HEY - Did you realize that's our anniversary weekend???" So, if you ever wondered, it's at about 12 years when you start forgetting.

So, there's an update on the boys, Ryan, and my day. Me personally? Constantly worrying about whether my job will soon be one of the ones that can be eliminated. We've had cutbacks and layoffs. I'm trying my best to remain relevent. And that means working very hard and stressing. The economy hits TV Stations very hard - because people aren't buying ads. (Especially car companies, as you can imagine.) But enough about that. My "good thing" is that I have managed to lose 29.1 pounds since January. I'm still on track and doing very well. I'm very committed to this. I am getting much closer to my first goal.

And I've actually read a couple books this summer! See -- less computer time lets you do that! (I do it mostly at night. LATE at night.) Looking for my next good read now ... let me know if you have any suggestions. And no, I'm not interested in : "Be a Better Mom: How Not to Burn your Child or Scream at them at Baseball practice." But thanks. I think I've got things under control. Let's see if I can make it through the rest of the weekend without turning into the word-spitting, head-spinning, fist-clinching angry mom-lady. Now, where's that bottle of wine???.....