Grateful 8

I'm grateful it's Nov 8th and we're still riding bikes to school.

Grateful 7

Music. And I like playing it a little too loud when my kids aren't in the car.

Grateful 6

The right to vote.

Grateful 5

Falling leaves. They aren't dry and crunchy yet which is how I really like them but I absolutely LOVE this time of the year.

Grateful 4

You! ...who actually reads this thing.

Time Out For Women

When your friend calls to get your sisters number to invite her to a conference....well you pretty much invite yourself as well.....so...with a Husband approved Hall-Pass in hand I was off to Oregon to spend time with Min and Kath.  We attended Time Out for Women and it was fabulous!  I do have to say the company was the best part!

Grateful 3

Laughter. I laughed so hard tonight my stomach hurt.

Grateful 2

A super great husband that is holding down the fort while I get a hall pass to escape for a time out.

Grateful 1

Electricity

Football from the sidelines

I had a lady on the bleachers ask out-loud who the loud coach on the end was?  Yep that would be my husband...and proud of it.  He is loud but he is positive and encouraging.

Nana's Halloween party

Thanks Nana. You're the best witch ever!!!!!

Football, football, and more football

#94.  What a season!!  Master got a TON of playing time.  He has made HUGE improvements this year and GROWN so much!  Yes he is the biggest kid on the team.  I am so PROUD of him! 

Trying it on for size

Dennis poured an entire bottle of glycerin over the bathroom. I had just finished cleaning it up and it was quiet. Too quiet. When you come into your bedroom and this is what you find. It's best to just start taking pics with your phone. So much for the 2yr old helping with the laundry!!!

Moments

I walked downstairs after church and Master was counting out his tithing. All on his own without being asked.
LOVE HIM

Thanksgiving Point

Aunt Jana invited us with our Shasta friends to go hang at Thanksgiving Point.  BEAUTIFUL fall day!

Waiting...

What do your kids do while they wait?  I swear mine are not normal.

Coming home to a clean house

The hubs has been gone all week. He is so cute that every time he is sitting on the airplane he sends me an I love you txt. He deserves to come home to a clean house. However this is the txt message he got back today:
Me: love You too. Ps the house is a bomb. First priority is changing the sheets though because your side smells like Remy poop. 😝

Thanksgiving Pants

Do you know why self esteem is not based on the size of your jeans? I just walked out of the Buckle with new jeans. One sized 27 one sized 30. What the heck that's like 4 sizes apart.
Normally I would not have bought the bigger pair but they were super cute and comfy. Everyone needs a pair of Thanksgiving pants.

Hair inspection

I was just inspecting Masters hair to make sure he really washed it. "Jeez the fetching weeZ mom"

Monday Monday

I"m  a little worried I am starting my week feeling like this:

 Instead of like this:

Indy is gone all week.  Just so that I feel good about myself in 20 years.  By myself: I did Sport's enema, made breakfast, got them all dressed, made lunches, gave out vitamins and all required medications.  As I'm dropping them off I notice I've completely forgotten to do Princess' hair.  Like it's not even brushed and she has a rat's nest going on at the back.  "Pie did you even try to brush your hair?"  "No but I brushed my teeth!"  Ah a girl that takes after my dental heart.  Being that we're on a schedule here I pushed her out the door and said have a great day.  One bad hair day is not the end of the world.  Went home, played with Bubba, returned work emails, dealt with the furnace at the mother-in-laws house, returned to the school to volunteer with Dennis in tow.  Ran to Bath and Body to buy wall flowers because I love Sport but I don't love my bathrooms always smelling like Poo.  Took Master to the orthodontist.  Noticed he has major dandruff.  I asked gently if he was really really washing his hair when he showered.

"MOM!!!! I am using that shampoo you gave me, I wash it every freaking time you MAKE me shower. It's just from my football helmet."

"Well maybe you need to shower more often"

"No WAY"

oH my heck, Bless my heart I hope I live through teenage boys.  Did I mention he turns 12 in a few weeks and puberty has already started.

Ran home returned several work emails, dealing with a couple work disasters,(that so are not my job but it's MY client so it's always my job, I really want a nap, still in my work-out clothes because I was so hopeful I was going to get cardio in today. NOPE. ( I did lift for an hour with Trainer boy and my arms feel like they are going to fall off).  Now I'm off to community council and soccer (which of course are at the same time) and then football.  At some point maybe I'll finish my dishes and maybe I will put the Halloween totes away. Or not.... HAPPY Monday!!

It happened. It happened today.

After school conversation with Master
Master: Guess what.  Do you remember when Ryan said that if I started getting buff the girls were going to notice me?  It happened.  It happened today.  Two girls talked to me.
(insert here a silly little grin on his face - that I wish I had a picture of)
I am so not ready for this!

4th Grade Hike

This hike 'Big Mountain' is an old pioneer trail.  Sport is not much of a hiker.  He made it about a mile.  I made it another 1.5 miles with him on my shoulders.   This very good dad that was also a chaperone did the last 1.5 for me.  LOVE good people like that.

Flash back to summer - Random Saturday with Uncle Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shiny happy people and feedback

I'm not even sure where to begin with this one.  Doing what I do for work and even in my job as a mom I feel like I am getting constant feedback.  Typically I am the hardest one on me.  I can give you a list longer than my arm of all the things I could do better.  Now when it comes to constructive criticism or negative feedback from others, I really try to process before I decide if they are correct and I need to make an adjustment or if they are SMOKING CRACK.  In an effort to save you a super super long post...the short version is this....apparently if you didn't know me you would hate me, I'm too controlled and don't show enough emotion therefore I give off the message I don't need anyone because I've got it all figured out. And I talk at people instead of talking to them. HOLY SHIZ are you serious?  It came from three different sources within a 4 week time period so I thought I better sit up and pay attention. And the last fragmented piece of feed-back came today through a friend of a friend who didn't want to say anything directly to me, but she thinks the above pictured child is always screaming and has a runny nose, because he has food allergies, and I should really work on that.  Things that make you go hmmmm. After thinking and thinking and thinking about this...and a really great conversation with my husband and another great conversation with my sister.  If you think any of the above and you are reading this blog you can go STICK IT....
 ha!!!

 no really I am kidding.  

I'm ok with feedback, but I am also wise enough to know that feedback is coming through THEIR filtering system which is based on THEIR life experiences.  My life experiences have made me who I am.  I grew up with an alcoholic father that put us in some super crazy situations.  I don't know many others that can say their Dad has pulled a gun on them, tried multiple times to commit suicide, been in and out of jail, cheated, lied....like I've said in previous posts, the man had some good traits but lead a scandalous life. Then to top it off I landed myself in a relationship with a gay seminary teacher that told me every day he didn't desire me,  that's not only a whole blog post by itself, it could be a small novel.  Then I put together a somewhat normal life and along comes Sport.  How many ER visits?  How many surgeries...and still health problems I don't have answers for.  All of which equals, OK I'm a control freak, I've had enough out of control, that when CALM comes along I am going to milk it for all it's worth.  As for having "it" figured out.  I have moments where I don't have anything figured out, but this I can say, I am happy, I am at a spot in my life where I am really really happy, and I hope it goes on for a long long time.  I have been blessed with the best partner, companion, aka husband I could ever ask for. I think He is my best decision EVER.   I have really great kids, and family and even friends who usually like me.  The one adjustment I will make is that I am NEVER going to give advice or FIX  or give FEEDBACK unless the person asks for it. (immediate family exempt)  And the next time you see a shiny happy person, cut them some slack, know that there is a real person under there with real feelings, who has probably been through some pretty REAL stuff, don't hate them, get to know them.

AMEN

I gotta go do my kids homework now.

If you actually read this far...you're the bomb and I love you!

They crack me up

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