Monday, March 31, 2008

Fragile

I am writing this with a sad heart, as I realize how fragile life is. My husband told me tonight that the baby of a coworker passed away this weekend. Thad has been sending me updates of little Nate for about three weeks now and the last update on friday was that Nate was going home soon! He was born with a congenital heart defect, but praise God did not have to have the extensive surgery that all the doctors thought. He was being weaned off his meds and had started feeding. His parents wrote that they had held him for only the fourth time this last week and they were excited about his future. Imagine our devastation when Thad found an email in his inbox....nate is gone.

Our hearts and prayers go out to nate's family..his mom, dad and sister. all those who loved him in his short and beautiful life.

It's a school day

YAY!! I really mean that in the best possible way. ha ha. I love my kids, but in the short time they were here last week it was almost constant fighting. What the heck? I try my hardest to keep them busy......but it does not seem to matter. So today, it is a little calmer around here! We will see what happens at 3:30! I will institute the crack down in they don't behave themselves. No wii, no webkinz, no fun!!! all homework and chores.

So I said last week that I was able to join our local gym........by God's Grace and my MIL's banking account. ha ha. My MIL had paid for a membership that she never uses and they let me transfer it to me, but she will continue to pay for it!!! So last week I spent time trying to figure out which classes I liked and how to fit it all in. This morning did group power again and then walked on the treadmill for 20 min. Then it dawned on me......I should come in early and do either group ride or group groove, then group power and go home and get ready for the day. I spend two days a week at the school so i have to be ready for that too. It is all just an experiment at this point....what will work best. I am not sure that my son loves going 3 days a week, but he will just have to get over it. It will only be 6 more months and then he will be in school full time.....i can do what i want!!!

anyway..........just rambling. felt like i needed to post something on the last day of the month.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Guy Time

As I was wrapping up my evening last night, laying in bed watching a show.........the phone rang.....10:45pm. My first thought was that the guys had for some reason got stuck somewhere or it was a wrong number.

When I answered I heard the sweet voice of noah......."hi mom. I am going to bed now, I just wanted to tell you goodnight" Guess what? We just went snake hunting in the dark, we caught one too, but it got out the other end of the bag. It was so cool." I am gonna sleep on the top bunk with chase tonight, because we are super tired right. When I get home I think I am going to need to rest, because I am already tired. But in the morning if we wake up and there is snow, we are going to have a huge snowball fight! bye mom, love you."

How sweet. I found out when thad got on the line that they had went snipe hunting! ahhh the memories. so much fun. i am so thankful that they boys get to have this time together! they really needed some boy bonding.

I was starting to feel bad that they were all going to be so cold, but then i found out that our friend brought his xbox, guitar hero and a projector!!! Hello, that is not camping. Talk about your guy time.........now i wonder if they brought lighters and a couple cans of chili....ha ha.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Is it spring?

It is snowing outside right now...........it is march 28th! I seriously cannot believe it. It normally just rains on spring break...but snow! My DH and DS are heading up to a cabin this weekend for a father/son trip with a bunch of guys from church. I am scrambling trying to find something warm for noah to wear. And as of this morning, my DH was actually just going to tent camp with our 6 year old son. His qoute "I have camped in below freezing temperatures before....it is not that big of a deal." UUUUMMMMM...have you taken a six year old out in those temps? NO! Now they are going to be in one of the cabins and hopefully get some snow time in, as well as some hiking! Me on the other hand.........I am going to enjoy some girl time with my daughter. A little Enchanted, dinner and who knows what else.

enjoy

Thursday, March 27, 2008

80's Revisted





Three of my alltime favorite movies


Last weekend I sat down and watched footloose..............ahhhh the memories. I knew every song, every dance move, all the lines.....and it has been years since I have watched it.

It was 1984 and I was graduating 8th grade. I lived in a small town where there was one movie theater and that summer I am pretty sure that every 8th grader came down to that one theater on the same night and we rocked the house....1984 style. At the end of the movie I remember that we were all dancing in the aisles and I am pretty sure a couple kids got on stage and we all imitated all the dance moves. I remember it was the like the coolest thing I had ever done up until that point. That was a rad movie. It had awesome music and dancing. Everybody liked this movie. I think I wore a hole in my tape that summer, listening to it over and over.

Don't you long for the days when you kicked out your feet, bobbed your head in time to the music and swung your arms side to side. Here is the best part of the whole evening. While i was watching Kevin run around the grain mill dancing his little heart out and throwing in some gymnastics to boot.........the only thing I could think was "that looks like troys dance in hsm2"

So it really does come back around. What was popular then, can be popular again. How fitting that the kid that plays troy is starring in a remake of footloose! My poor husband, he had only seen the movie once and could not understand the nostalgia that I was feeling. I told him that now we needed to rent top gun, 16 candles, breakfast club, pretty in pink, say anything.......he just shook his head. Guess what is in my mailbox from netflix right now!!!! I think I feel an 80's moviefest coming on.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

It's a Tuesday

**So this week is spring break and there is no spring about it. I woke up this morning and it was frozen outside. It was 32 degrees....what is up with that! and to top it all off, the cat was outside all night and was at the back door meowing as loud as an alarm clock, waking me up at 6:30am. I think he has finally thawed out.

**The kids are watching snow buddies for about the 100th time this morning. They saw a preview for this movie about a month ago and it took that long for it to get here from netflix. it must a popular movie with the kidlets. I think we will have to send it back today, I need some movies to watch.

**The kids are going to workout with me this morning. I have never seen sydnie so excited. I guess my mom told them that I was able to join the gym and they are ready to go. haha. i told syd that she was not going to come in the workout room with me, but she got to go and play with all the kids. she was okay with that.

**In the four days my kids were gone........I only scrapped 6 pages. But that is more than I have done in a long time. It takes a while to get the groove back, plus I am just not in love with it like I used to be. In fact the thought crossed my mind that it is time to make one family album per year. I end up doing the same pages for each of their albums...just change the colors or the name, but they are the same pages! Why not just do one big album...then they don't have to haul away 20 albums by the time they are 20. This type of thinking was like sacrilige to me a couple of years ago, but now....i see the logic. I must be growing up as a scrapper! ha ha.

**Thanks to kim for being my excuse to make my favorite carrot cake last night. By the way....I did have a little slice when you guys left....shhhhhh. I pretty sure that I paid for it all night, everytime I rolled over, I could literally feel the cream cheese frosting turning into fat.

**Wait now it is sunny outside! Hopefully it will warm up today and be nice outside.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Faux Easter









Last weekend we got together with my parents and celebrated Easter, early. It just worked out that we needed to do it earlier this year.....brother gone on a mission trip, SIL and niece are going to the wiggles today. It was nice. We just got together and hung out. But I do have to confess that I did not win the mother of the year award this year for easter..........we bought plastic eggs to hunt! oh the shame. oh the whining and crying from children! (who got over it once they got their baskets of goodies haha). I just ran out of time. I did miss the brightly colored eggs. my niece brought her own eggs this year and they were all cracked were she had dropped them into the dye and played with them. so cute.
The kids are down at my parents today for spring break, so it is just thad and I. no rushing. no celebrations. just the two of us. which should be kind of nice! we will go to church and remember the real reason we celebrate this day. Hope you all have a blessed day with family and friends.

Friday, March 21, 2008

CopyCat







Check out what this little one is doing! When she heard that i was going to be taking a knitting class she was so excited, because she has knitting at school! She went last year a lot, but it was pretty hard for her to do it. This year she had not shown interest at all, until I brought home my scarf kit. She talked her two little friends into going to knitting at school and then we went out and bought her some needles and a skein of yarn. She knitted a scarf for her webkinz in one weekend!!! WOW. We only had to tear it out once, when she had 18 stitches, instead of 10. She was so excited to show her knitting teacher and because she did such a good job, she gets to bring home her school project and work on it. She has slowed down a little since I am done with my scarf, she likes to sit next to me and we both knit together. Guess that means I will have to go buy some more yarn for me!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hard Decision = Blessings

This last year I made the decision not to help with awana this year. It was a hard decision. I love that program, but I felt God's calling to step down, that He would direct my path this year if I trusted in him. Last year was a tough year for me physically and emotionally. Lots of family stuff that I still have a hard time revisiting. I did not realize the stress that I was under last year and how much it was affecting me, until everything started to calm down and I could look back and see all the affects.

This year instead of helping in awana, Thad and I have been able to go out on some dates together. It has been nice, just the two of us, a chance to reconnect. Plus I have been able to start bringing two other kids to awana as well. I see that as a blessing from God. I feel like I am right in line with His plan. If my car were bigger I could bring a couple others as well.

School has been my area of impact this year. I have been able to speak to parents about Upward and Awana. I talked to many families about playing Upward this year, some had never have been to church or even thought about it. Of course it was not that hard to talk them into playing, because they had all heard about the program. I have another family that wants to start awana this year, but softball practice is in the way. I have a boy that is going to start next year...he is switching to our church next fall....one more child to bring! This is all just by being there and talking to people. I don't hunt people down...in fact they seek me out.

I have made some serious connections at the school. Syd's teacher came to one of her bball games to watch the team, which had 4 players from our school. She is not a christian, but she has now seen it and Sydnie really lives it(ie: the b**bie story). haha. Another staff has a niece that played and she was impacted by Upward. And because these women know that I am involved they talk to me about it. They both gushed over the positive aspects of Upward and how much they appreciate that there is an organization that is teaching in a positive and uplifting way.

I see the blessings from my decision, because I followed the Lords will and I am thankful that He has provided me eyes to see and ears to hear. I still do not know where God has me for next year........there has been no lightening or soft voices.......I just wait for the guiding and seek His will.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

School Part Duex

Since I had a school post about my son yesterday, now it is time for my daughter. This afternoon the kids got together with their fifth grade reading buddies.....syd has had the same buddy all year. The fifth grader is really nice and made her a Christmas present and today they made an easter basket to hide for their buddies.

So syd has told me throughout the year that when her reading buddy reads to her she often cannot read the book that has been chosen. She often misspells words when they write notes to each other. So today she tells me that her buddy (5th grader) could not spell the word pine and had written pin instead. My daughter is so sweet and did not tell her, but the other kids around noticed and were talking about it.

Wow! I am a little suprised that they did not pair their buddies a little better, but the idea is great and I am glad that syd has these experiences that show her how to treat others.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

school


Tuesday is my day to volunteer in my sons classroom and I was struck by a revelation today in the middle of the kindergarten classroom. My son is not like my daughter! Now I have known this, don't get me wrong......but today it came in crystal clear that he will be my child that school is an issue.


I have been working with him at home...writing his sight words, reading his sight words, reading, math, etc. But when he gets into class he totally freezes up. Maybe it is because I am working with him. But he will pretend like he cannot read, he forgets words and adds extra words in. Now let me also say that in the time that I have worked with him at home he has taken off...he is an excellent reader and he is good at reading. His report cards are always excellent. His teacher praises how good he is, he does his stuff and does not misbehave. Although she did put him at a table of all girls and he is now talking a lot more and is distracted, because all the girls love noah and talk to him. I questioned the wisdom of that decision, since he is a casanova.


This is just something I have noticed about him. In kinder they have reading groups and noah started in the highest and is now in the middle. (and I know that he is better than this, but he does not try in class) Nothing wrong with middle. But it is funny because if it was my daughter I would expect her to be in the top and she always has been. I expect it from my son too, but part of me says, well he is a boy! Not an excuse....but he is a bit of a daydreamer. He is my child who, when I ask him to pick something up or get his shoes on, next thing I know he is doing something completely different.


Just a musing from me today. Just a thought for me to ponder. Just a "wow, i better start pushing him more or her less" thought. Just a mommy moment that i felt needed to be shared. Because even though we all say we will never do this stuff, like compare, we do. But we love them the same.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Secret Rockers


Last night I hosted a Pampered Chef party at my house and I invited a bunch of women. You know how parties are, you never know how many are coming....I had 18 women show up. HOLY CRAP. People had to sit on the ground while they were ordering. ha ha. The party was great, although I was to busy answering the door and talking to individual guests. When I sent out the email and talked to different people I let them know that I was going to break out Guitar Hero for us to rock a little. I think more people came for the rock then the food.


I had worked hard all week to unlock new levels for the women to play on and my daughter had been practicing her "when we were young" so she could impress her teacher and friends. I think 8 women played and a couple were closet rockers...they instantly got the whole idea. It was a blast. Of course when they started egging me on to get my rock on, I messed up. My brother can literally just walk around, turn around, be completely bored and still hit all his notes....not me, not yet! I am not allowed to play it around my children unless it is in training mode.


The best part was when I pulled out the guitar, my 2 year old niece ran up, grabbed the guitar and started rockin' out. I think she plays with her dad a lot. ha ha. it was priceless.


Gotta love a bunch of suburban moms........rockin out and eating brownies. That is some good stuff.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

So Literal

Yesterday morning my son came running into my room and jumped on the bed and I heard the bed groan it's final breath. I told my son to stop jumping on the bed because it was on its last leg and could not handle anymore jumping. I turn around to finish getting ready and the next thing I know noah is yelling at me...I turn around to see his little body sticking out from underneath our bed. He wriggles his way out from underneath....looks at me with all seriousness and says "mom, i was just under the bed and it is not on it's last leg, it has four under there!"

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Seeing Double

Enter this post about webkinz at your own risk...you might have to go buy one or two!

alley cats

cows

penguins

beagles
and huskies


As you have all read, we have a serious webkinz addiction over here. My DD has 14 webkinz and my DS has 9, I have 2. But did you know that we recently had a photoshoot, camera and shots provided by my DD. One day I heard the kids running to and from the playroom and heard lots of giggles and whispers as they worked together to create a webkinz world. They had set up shop and taken photos of all their webkinz. literally they set up a shop. complete with signs and a general store for their webkinz to buy stuff. so cute! my dd posed all the animals and took the shots herself on her camera....i think she took 100 shots that day! good thing i don't have to print them all. My dd has been bugging me for a week to post this on my blog, so here it is! enjoy!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Forgetful


Okay I am going to admit that sometimes I really do not like to cook and over the past two weeks it has been in full swing. We have had a lot of pancakes and waffles around here lately! So yesterday I decided I would make my daughter request of sweet and sour meatballs, but when 4pm came and I was staring at the hamburger.....I thought, what can I make that I just stick in the oven and not stand here for an hour rolling meatballs?
Then it came to me: Tater Tot Casserole. Now I have only made this one other time, for the kids who ended up not liking it.....so why bother, right? I looked up a recipe on the internet, wrote it down and proceeded to make said TT Casserole. While it was cooking I read to the kids and finished the laundry and smelled the TTC cooking. I thought to myself, huh, was I suppose to put in garlic salt or onion salt. We sat down to eat and I realized that I really was suppose to use onion salt.....so we had a nice garlicy TTC last night and the kids loved it!!! ha ha. I cannot believe that my memory is that far gone that in the space of 5 minutes I could forget what I had read and wrote. I don't know why I did not use real onions, other than why do any more work and I forgot the ingredients. Tonight is the perfect excuse, since I will be at the school all day for our science day and night program! Looks like a run to subway in between events.

Friday, March 07, 2008

Gould Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Gould Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

The Greatest and The Heater




Last year at this time we forcibly signed our son up for tball, meaning he was screaming and crying while daddy walked out the door. The season went by and of course he ended up loving it (well that is relative, but he did not hate it).

This year, since about september, he constantly asks me when is it going to be baseball time again? So we got the call the other night that he is once again on the Yankees team. He was so excited!

But here is the part that I love. I cannot get that kid to practice his catching, throwing or batting. Last weekend we played a little, but he has such a long ways to go. He really is a video type of kid, not an outdoor sports guy. But he is loving all things to do with baseball and one of his favorite movies is "The Sandlot" as you can tell from this conversation that took place......

n: "mom....i am gonna show you my heater!"
m: "your heater?"
n: "my heater"
n: "is babe ruth still alive? because he was the greatest baseball player ever. the king of swing, the sultan of swat"
m: "no, he is not alive and he was one of the greats."
n: "i am gonna be great like him"
m: "well, we better practice a lot more."
n: "can i play a computer game now?"

So much for the greatest ball player that ever lived!

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Top Ten

1. Stuffed Animals
2. Family
3. Games
4. Friends
5. God
6. Love
7. Books
8. gifts
9. Earth
10. Electronics


These are the top ten of an eight year old girl. The list was made in school while they were waiting for other kids. When she brought it home I absolutely fell in love with it. I thought I would share with the rest of my friends....I think thad and i need to explain that God should be first on the list, not animals. ha ha

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

OH NO....another obsession




Aren't these the cutest little animals you ever saw! I happen to watch Martha one day last week and they were making these adorable little animals out of wool gloves. The project looked easy enough and I thought what a fun thing to do with the kids. We could make a couple for their cousins and for themselves. I loved that you could make them fun and funky. Plus just look at that adorable little green scarf around the puppies neck. For more on this project

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=490fec3502248110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=glove%20animals&rsc=image_1

I think the crafting has rubbed off on me. I am almost done with my scarf. I will post a pix of it when it is complete......wahoo. Then I ran across a couple of knitting blogs the other day. oh lawsie mercy (to qoute pioneer woman) they just about stole my heart. These cute adorable felted eggs for easter and bunnies and chicks. oh my!

We will see if I do any of it. But it is nice to have another creative outlet to work with. Although I do love photography as well. To many things to work on. Must finish scarf first.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Another Great Story

So a couple of weeks ago I picked syd and her friend up from school and as we walked home in the beautiful sunshine they told me all about the health video they watched that day. Val was explaining how she almost passed out when she saw the blood and had to run to the bathroom to get some water. They told me that they had a substitute that day (my mind rushed back to the drill sargeant). But then they started telling me about how the lady was naked in the video and that you could see her b**bies and butt. That the video had zoomed in on her b**bies to show the skin, but that you could see them. And how the woman was posing with her hands behind her head and you could see her naked body. I asked the girls many questions to see if they were just exagerating, but they were both consistent in their answers....oh boy.

Now if it had just been sydnie telling me I probably would have just casually brought it up to her teacher the next morning.....like you are never gonna believe what syd said yesterday. But since it was both girls and there had been a sub.....I called my girlfriend and we agreed that I should at least call and clarify that it was not something else.

Given that I have a relationship with the principal, I called and asked to clarify what had been on the video, letting him know that if syd's teacher had been there I would not be calling I would talk to her directly, but with the sub issue...I thought I better call. Now this is when it gets good. As I was talking to the principal......I said the word b**bies about 5 times in this conversation. I am so smooth! That is what happens when you listen to a couple of 8 year olds! I hung up the phone with him and instantly started to regret using the "b" word, why couldn't I have said chest! When he called back I listened to him explain that he could see where some kids would think it was bad (cuz he skimmed the video himself, since it was a sub) and we hung up.

That afternoon I had a blast tellingmy friends my embarassing moment from that day....called my SIL and left her message that said "i got to say the word b**bies to the principal today, about 5 times." She called back that evening and we laughed about it.

Then the next morning came and suddenly I felt embarrased over the situation...but they are my kids and I have a right! So as I walked into school I walked past the principals office (flashes of sitting in his office in trouble passed in front of my numskull brain). Syd's teacher and I talked and laughed and laughed some more. Have I said she is cool. Anyway...then she tells me that by the time she got to school everyone knew that she had shown p*rn in class!! ha ha. By the time the principal talked to her, she already knew and then she says...mr G came up to me this morning and said "rochelle called yesterday and said b**bies to me!!!!" I was dying inside. So of course being the brave, get it over with type of woman I am....I found mr G. We laughed and it was all good.

So now occasionally I will find syd's teacher and quietly say chickamowmow!!! and she calls me the b**bie momma!

Life is full of good stories and I had to share this one. It is humbling and made me laugh and a good lesson in how we have to protect our kids and stand up for them. (even if for the next 5 years I will be the b**bie momma to syd's teacher)

Monday, March 03, 2008

Things I Miss


4 year old princess


noah was obsessed with phones and look their is bear


The other night we were driving home from our nephews basketball game and i hear this little yawn from the back of the car and my heart melted. When I turned around to ask if he was sleepy, he replied with his eyes half closed...."not really mom" Within a minute he was out, his head bobbing around until he was completely gone. I know that their baby years are gone and soon they will be grown and I will long for those little things that children do.



I miss noah sucking his two fingers
I miss cute little bottoms in diapers
I miss bottles being drug around in mouths
I miss those belly laughs when they are babies
I miss playdoh and crayons
I miss holding a sleeping baby
I miss when they get an owie...holding up their finger for you to kiss
I miss noahs bear
I miss everything princess
I miss cheerios being the ultimate food
I miss trying to figure out what they are saying
I miss the little head bobs of slumber in the car


It is true that while you are in the midst of the little years you do not always appreciate them...but now that you look back and they are suddenly gone you long for them. I guess that is why God made me an auntie!!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

how to eat a potato chip


brought to you by a six year old boy



The first step on this journey is to beg and beg and beg your mom to serve you chips with your lunch. After a successful negotion, you next run to the counter, climb up and retrieve favorite chips from their holding place. Then the ultimate....open the bag, sniff the cool ranch flavor that delights your senses and makes your mouth want to eat them right then and their. But you are patient little one and proceed to jump of the counter, falling to the ground, with the bag of chips held victorously in the air (not spilling one). Next your run to your plate, your pb&j is their waiting patiently for its long lost companion. You put a pile on your plate, looking around to see if you can pile em high or just start with this for now. Then you leave the open bag right next to your plate so that while you are eating, you can enjoy the pleasure of looking in the bag to see more chips waiting their for you. Ignoring the perfectly made pb&j you dig into your chips...not being a total pig you choose only one to start your feast. You place said chip in your mouth and crunch! Your world crashes in around you as all you can see, hear, taste, touch and think about is the chip. Now here is the important part. You take your initial bite, chew, then slowly begin to shove the rest of the chip into your mouth using both hands, crunching as you go. Like we said this is sofisticated chip eating. None of that four chips at once thing. You grin victoriously and immediately grab a new chip and begin the process again.
Now that is how you eat a chip!

Saturday, March 01, 2008

A New Skill


So I admit that beyond scrapbooking (which I never do anymore) I am not a crafty person and I am fine with that. I have lived my non-existent craft-free life for quite awhile now and I am satisfied. I admire women who can knit some adorable hat and I am a little jealous of the cute felted bags that were popular a year ago. So when my friend invited me over for a learn how to knit day, I thought to myself....."I really need some adult time, who cares about the knitting."


So I went....it was hysterical. I felt like an old woman. I had to squint my eyes to see what the heck our teacher was showing us. I needed glasses. I also had to learn by doing it, many times!!! But in the end I finally caught on and took my project home to work on throughout the next month. I found myself looking at my little bag with the yarn and needles, dreading it. How am "I" going to get through a whole skein of yarn in a month? Plus everytime I picked it up I could tell that I was picking up extras along the way and my scarf was getting rather wide.


It has been two weeks since I made this commitment to knitting. I had gotten a good 5 inches into my scarf. I even took it to events to work on while I was waiting for kids or husband (I had crossed over to the dark side). Last night my friend told me I should rip out the whole blasted thing and start over so that my scarf was not wavy from extras. So I did and I started over. While I was waiting for Thad to get home and watching a movie, I knit it back to about 4 inches. Not too bad for someone who is not crafty!
Even in my old age I can say that I learned a new life skill. Now of course my daughter wants me to knit her webkinz scarfs!!! Oh my...I am a lifer now.