On the road again.....

Monday morning dawned bright and early. Daddy headed to China via a stop at the office. We took off for a mom and kid adventure to Emerald Isle, North Carolina to see my sister and her boys. It is truly a mom and kid week as my brother-in-law is currently deployed to Iraq…..

Let me tell you….all plans are great, in theory! But after nine hours in the car with all four children, it’s a miracle I arrived safe and sound at my sister’s house with everyone intact. It was touch and go there for a while. Whew. Let’s just say that some kids were much less patient than others.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How many more minutes? Can I watch a movie? I’m hungry? Can we have lunch? Oh, we already had lunch? Can I have a snack? Are we there yet?

Whew. I just have to say that again as I remember the drive. And, I have to do it all again to go home. Ugh!

Tuesday morning we loaded up the truck and golf cart (Abby calls it the go-cart), and headed for the beach. My sister is so unlucky and lives only two blocks from the beach. Such a life, huh?

But picture this: the pick up truck loaded with a blow-up boat, many boogie boards, two surf boards, coolers, chairs, and the kitchen sink…..add to that a golf cart loaded with people and inner tubes and pulling a beach cart…..that would be us heading to the beach. The Beverly Hillbillies hit North Carolina. Seriously. It makes me laugh!

Ah, the beach. What could be better?

Abby is not overly fond of the ocean. She loves to splash in the waves but is not wild about going anywhere above her knees. She is very content to dig to her hearts content in the sand. But today, I did get her in the inner tube with me for about ten minutes riding the waves. Way to go Abby!




Anna Grace loves every aspect of the beach. She wants to dig in the sand, play in the water, and is pretty much a beach bum. She thrives being in the tube with Katie or even trying to boogie board. Aunt Karen took her out in the water today which was lots of fun! Although the pool is just a few steps away (okay, I’m exaggerating), she would rather play in the surf. She had so much sand IN her suit today that I had to cut a hole in the liner to get it all out. The girl loves the ocean.




Alex, the deep thinker, the “I don’t want to”, kind of kid is really having a good time. Evidently he’s not too cool to hang with his cousins or sisters. Whew. He is loving having the boat to flip, boogie boards to ride the waves, and tons of food to eat. Who wouldn’t love that? Today just wiped him out. He was trying to keep his “normal” hours at home so was up too late and, gee, mom woke him up early. Toss in all day in the sun and surf, he was gone.





Katie is our true beach bum. This is her third trip to a beach this summer. Must be nice to live the life of luxury, huh? But she has really enjoyed hanging with her cousins and brother, and playing with her sisters. She has ridden the boat, gone tubing with old mom, and taken Anna Grace boogie boarding.

But the best thing? Oh my. While boogie boarding yesterday, Katie rode a wave all the way to shore but then started yelling for me. What’s up? Evidently, she lost her bikini bottoms on the ride. Lost. Completely. Washed out to sea. Gone. My nephew ran and got a towel for her so she could leave the ocean. Now, can you imagine the look on someone’s face when those bottoms eventually wash up on shore? Makes me giggle!




And don't you think she looks like my sister???

Lunch has been spent around the cooler with crackers, cheese, meats, and fruit. Caveman style......how much better can it get? Except maybe to not bring so much stuff with us...it gets eaten but, golly gee, it's hard to pull the coolers!!



We have a few more days here before heading to Williamsburg to see my parents. I’ll try to break away from the waves to update you….but don’t count on it! Unless I get more sunburned than I did today. Then I’ll be homebound…..

But now I have SPF 50. I should be good……..

And Twenty Years Later....

Picture it. A small town in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Early fall, leaves are glorious colors. Two college students dressed in camouflage. Eyes locked over the barrel of a machine gun. True love abounds.

Ha! That would be the story Dave tells about how we met almost twenty-four years ago at Lock Haven University. In actuality, we met via friends within three weeks of the start of my freshman year…Dave’s junior year.

You see, I got the brilliant idea to sign up for Army ROTC for a semester…mostly to aggravate my dad who was career Navy. Yes, I was one of "those" teens we all love to hear about. Yep.

I know, payback is great. I already dread it.

Continuing on…..in signing up for ROTC, I met lots of great people who in turn, introduced us. You see, Dave was already in the ROTC program when I, on a whim, decided to enroll.

Now, Dave did show me how to shoot a machine gun, how to assemble and disassemble a rifle, complete basic Army tasks, and all that fun stuff. But that's not where our eyes first locked, contrary to what he might say.

Betcha didn’t know that, did you?

Here we are now, five towns, four kids, three houses, and two states later celebrating twenty years of marriage. Wow. Twenty years.

Flashback…..





Oh my. How young we looked.

July 8, 1989……wedding at St. Joseph Catholic Church….reception at the Carlisle Country Club….. the day it all started. Twenty-four hours later, we loaded the U-Haul truck and headed to our new life together in Vidalia, Georgia.

And never looked back.

Happy Anniversary to my best friend, the person I could not live without, and the best father I can imagine for my four babies.

I love you.

Twelve Dollars of Fun

Ah, Monday. A fresh start of a new week. Thought we’d do our usual morning routine and head to the pool. After all, this is what we usually do.






But alas, the weather would not cooperate. No rain, but cloudy and overcast. Not ideal pool weather.

What to do instead? Library? No, just mom. Backyard? No, just girls. Shopping? No, not anyone!

What can we do together? And then it hit me. I have passes for free games of bowling for the girls. All I have to do is pay for shoes. Never mind the fact that the shoe rental is actually higher than the price of bowling. What’s up with that?

I round up clean socks for everyone and load us into the car. For the five minute drive to the bowling alley, I am assaulted with questions….

Why do we need socks?

Why can’t we wear sandals?

We have to knock down the paddles, right? No, the bats.

Do we get to keep the shoes?

Are you going to play bowling too?

We’ve done this before, right mom?

What color ball will I have?

What do the shoes look like?

You said bowling costs lots of money. Is it not much money today?

You’d think they had never been before!

We don our lovely yellow and orange shoes, corral our balls, and head off to lane seven. Watching them bowl was hysterical. They would either push the ball with all their might or sling it and hope for the best. Whew.






Twenty balls later for our ten frames, we were done. Actually, I got twenty-one balls due to my spare in frame ten but who’s bragging?

Shoes returned, march back to the car, talking about the next time we could come “play bowling.”

Pretty good for $12, huh?

Those Lazy Summer Days.....

Ah, summertime. School is out. No alarm clock. Pool is open. Playset in the backyard. What could be better than that?

Bet you thought you’d be seeing lots of pictures like these.....




Or these.....




Hmm. Well, no one told my kids that great news.

I hear……

I’m bored.

There’s nothing good to do.

I don’t want to go there.

There’s nothing good to eat.

I don’t want to.

No.

Never.

And the list goes on and on.

Today, we had to leave both the pool and the library because the short people could not follow directions. Today, we experienced sassy and disrespectful kids during dinner. Today, we had lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth for not winning the battles. Today, mommy needed two cokes to get started with the day.

Today showed me that mommy needs a vacation.

All by myself.

Are We There Yet?

Snacks and water? Check.
TV and movies? Check.
Full tank of gas? Check.
All the kids? Check.

Let’s rock and roll!

We hit the open road bound for South Carolina where we would visit with my grandmother, great-aunt, and parents for the day. Everyone settled in for the three hour drive. Alex played his guitar, Katie had her i-pod going, and the girls watched a movie---with headphones!

We happily sped along…..for ten minutes. And then traffic slowed to a crawl. Dave told me this is pretty typical on a weekday due to all our wonderful interstate construction. Okay. So we kept creeping ever so slowly knowing our time schedule has now been shot to pieces.

Finally, I called Dave at work to have him check the online status of the roads. He pulled it up and said, “Uh oh.”

Uh oh? That’s not good.

Nope, an accident one mile ahead of me was the cause of our issue. Yeah for me. But it was due to be cleared in fifteen minutes so yes, yeah for me.

Whew. Finally back up to speed but forty-five minutes behind schedule. And the questions start. Are we almost there? You said it would be a short trip. What does Grandma’s house look like? Can I watch another movie?

Now, my grandmother lives in assisted living. So, there was no house to describe. Or at least not one the girls would understand. Katie finally said, “it’s a hotel for old people”.

And that made sense to them. Go figure.

Three hours later, we pulled up at the center, unloaded all our stuff, and began our visit. Lunch was had, pictures shared, stories told,



yearbook poured over,



guitar strummed,



hide-and-seek and Uno played.



Katie spent time goofing with the camera…






Alas, our time had to come to an end as we still had a three hour trip home. A picture taken with great-grandmother



and grandparents



rounded out our day.

We loaded back into the car ready to make the reverse drive home. Movies, guitar, i-pod, pit stop for ice cream, and life is good.

Until we hit metro Atlanta. At rush hour. Yep, timed that one really well. Suffice it to say, we had a four hour trip home.

Eight hours in the car for a three hour visit.

Questions non stop on the drive.

Perhaps our last visit for a while.

Seeing Grandma enamored with the kids.

Priceless.

Should I Worry?

The other day, Katie and her best friend were in Atlanta at IKEA stocking up on supplies for their dorm room----well, actually their apartment. After spending all their money, they headed out to a local hospital to visit a friend who had been in a car accident.

Now, amazingly enough, they planned ahead and had directions to the hospital. Everything should have been peachy keen.

Ah, but things are not all that they may seem.

I got a call from Katie saying they were lost. They had stopped at a gas station to ask for directions but they didn’t believe the clerk. Then why bother stopping to ask??

But, no, I didn’t say anything. I just asked where they were and where they were headed.

A pause. Well, I think we’re on Piedmont.

Okay. Where are you headed?

Egleston Children’s Hospital.

Got it.

But in the back of my mind, I wondered if that was correct. After all, the friend in question is over 18.

However, I was a good mommy and mapquested directions for them. I stayed on the line and talked them through all the roads.

Until……uh, mom? We’re headed for the wrong hospital. She isn’t at Egleston. She’s at Atlanta Medical Center.

(my above deduction was correct)

Oh good grief.

Directions corrected, heading the right way now, all is good.

These are the same girls who will be living ALONE in Atlanta in just two short months.

So I ask you……….

should I worry?

Bring Molly Home!!!

My friend Teresa at Continuing the Journey needs our help. She and her husband, Kevin, have three adorable kids. Meggie is in high school, a dancer, a driver, and an aspiring teacher. Carson, a preschooler adopted from China, is such a cutie! I love reading about mischieveous side. He makes me feel better about my antics with Anna Grace. Hee hee!

And then there is Molly.



Molly is currently waiting for her family to come meet her in China. Teresa and Kevin were told it would take 3-5 months to receive their LOA (basically, the form to say YES you want to adopt this child).But in their case, it took six weeks.

How wonderful!!! That means Molly will be home much sooner.

Except that Teresa and Kevin had planned on overtime and additional hours at work to help fund their trip. Uh oh. So wonderful that China was working faster than expected but hard when you had planned on having more time to save money.

We’ve all been in that boat at some point or another. If you look at my sidebar, you will see links to The Oatsvall Team and Help Bring Anna Grace Home. These are families who have also reached out for help to bring home their precious babies.

Well, Teresa has had the help of many friends to start a fundraiser for Molly. Every little bit helps. For $5 a chance, you may win one of these amazing prizes!!!

1) autographed copy of Silent Tears by Kay Bratt



2) Handmade Pirate and Princess costumes





3) 7" Sony digital picture frame



4) a Swarovski crystal bracelet with a bead that says "mom"



5) a Vera Bradly tote, your choice of color and pattern, courtesy of Meggie!!



6) an 8 pack of movie tickets to Regal cinemas.



Now, I’m saying right off the bat that I’d like the Vera Bradley tote or the movie tickets. Gee, or the bracelet, or book. Definitely the picture frame and costumes.

Hmm. Guess that means there’s nothing for the rest of you!!

Nah, seriously. Please, if you are able, help bring Molly home. She has an amazing family waiting for her.

Head on over to Continuing the Journey and Chip In. The drawing will be held in mid-July!

Good luck and..............Thank You!!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

When I last left you, I was battling my refrigerator to give me ice, water, and well frankly, freeze things. The local repairman quoted me over $400 to fix it.

Gulp.

So what do I do? I start searching the internet for possible solutions. One was to order the part myself for $125 and an easy fix. No problem. I can do that. Maybe.

Well, in my quest for information, I came across numerous sites talking about my particular model and others manufactured around the same time. Seems they all have issues with the main circuit board.

Gee, that’s what the first repairman said about mine.

As I continued to read, I saw that GE had issued a service bulletin regarding this particular circuit board which stated that regardless of warranty status, GE would replace this part for free.

Say what? I’m liking this.

However, the most recent postings regarding this was from September 2008. Well, even if GE would not honor the bulletin anymore, perhaps they would be sympathetic and fix it cheaper than I could do myself.

After plopping the girls down in front of the television, I picked up the phone to call GE. I was transferred around a few times but eventually reached a nice lady named Chiquita.

I kid you not.

I explained my plight to Chiquita, added the information about the service bulletin which I had found online, and asked what step we needed to take next to resolve my issue.

A service call was planned for today with the agreement that if it was the circuit board, I would need to pay $100 to replace it. So, not free anymore but still less than it would cost me to fix it myself.

And, it would be fixed by a professional. Works for me!

So today, I get a call from Bill at GE telling me he’s on his way. Yes! Let’s hope he can solve my crisis.

At 2:50, he rang my doorbell. I open it up to see Bill, a dad from my class! What a coincidence! His twin boys were in my class this past year. I knew he worked for GE but didn’t know in what capacity. Now I do. He rescues moms from going crazy due to lack of ice and freezering.

At 2:57, Bill is done. He has replaced the motherboard and said everything will work perfectly now.

Oh, and by the way, there is no charge.

Whoo hoo!

Thank you Bill, GE, and the internet for saving my sanity!

The Refrigerator Battles

If you are here to read about Catlan and the MLB Draft, click here, otherwise stay on the line and the blog will resume its normal routine in a moment……

(Insert elevator music)

Thank you for holding, we will now continue with our regularly scheduled programming.

Just over three years ago, we moved into our current house and bought a snazzy new GE side by side fridge that gives water and ice through the door.

Well, it turns out our very cool fridge is temperamental.

Great, just what I need….another contrary person in my house.

About six months ago, it stopped offering us ice through the door. Just a short time later, it stopped passing out water too.

Now, this was something I could live with for a short time. It’s not convenient but I can certainly reach my hand into the ice drawer and get a handful myself. We did plan on calling a repair man but the months passed with no phone call.

Hmm. Then about a month ago, we started hearing odd sounds coming from the freezer. Shortly after that, it started tripping itself out completely. I’d open the freezer door only to find water dripping, squishy ice cream, and softening food.

Uh oh.

After a bit of finagling, I could usually get it back on so it was freezering again.

You like my new word? I think it’s cool. (pun intended)

But now this (fill in the blank) refrigerator only works about 8 hours a day. It picks the 8 hours it wants to work. I have no say in the matter.

Wonderful.

So yesterday, I waited all afternoon for the repairman to come pay a visit. I was excited thinking about getting crushed ice from the door and being able to keep frozen foods, well, frozen.

I shouldn’t have gotten excited.

This nice little old man came, took apart my freezer, and after some testing, promptly said,

“It is the circuit board. It will be $428 to fix it.”

Holy Toledo.

Needless to say, our food remains in the garage fridge, the inside one remains on its contrary schedule, and I am scouring the internet to find the part ourselves.

The fix-it sites say it’s a quick, easy, $125 fix.

Hope they are right.

The Icing On The Cake

Oh my. I am tired. School is out, so why am I tired?

Ah, it could be that the past month has been a whirlwind from which I have still not recovered.

It’s either that or I’m just flat out old. I’d rather go with the first choice, wouldn’t you?

The past few weeks have brought us prom, my ramblings about my baby leaving, kindergarten graduation, high school graduation, baseball, Alex and his permit, and college orientation.

So, now it’s officially summer and time to relax, right? Nope. There needs to be one more huge event to cap off the previous month.

What could it be?

How about sitting by the computer and listening to tons of names being read? Or, being stuck on a plane for hours when you know you are missing major news? Or sending texts left and right? Or freaking out and making tons of phone calls?

Or all of the above?

You would be correct if you chose all of the above. All of those things happened yesterday. All because of Catlan. Yep, blame it all on him.

Yesterday, I sat by my computer for as long as I could with the volume turned up all the way. I even carried it with me when I left the room.

Yesterday, Catlan’s parents were stuck on a plane bound for Oklahoma to watch their other son play baseball with Team Georgia.

Yesterday, texts were flying left and right between Katie, her friends, me, and tons of other people.

Yesterday, Katie and her friends did lots of screaming.

Why?

I told you. It was Catlan’s fault. Blame him.

And blame the MLB Draft.

Yep, you read that right. The MLB Draft.

(insert drum roll)

Catlan was drafted by the Texas Rangers!!

(and the crowd goes wild)

Now, you know Katie had to do something to mark this day, right? After all, this is Katie we’re talking about!

She whipped up a cookie cake



made signs




and had me pick up balloons while I was out shopping.



She even enlisted the help from the girls in making cards. Anna Grace drew a picture of Catlan hugging Katie. Check out how much taller he is than her!



Since Cat’s parents were out of town, I told him he had to take pictures so I could send them to his mom. Smart boy that he is, he did not argue with me.





Decision time is upon his family now. Play for the Rangers or head to college and play ball there? No matter what he chooses, we know we will be seeing great things from him.

Congratulations Catlan!

Me and the DMV

Oh my. Has it really been a week since I updated? How can that be? School is over, right? I should have loads of time. After all, there’s nothing to do except wake up, eat, and go to the pool.

(insert snicker)

Go ahead, laugh. I know you want to.

Feel better now?

It’s actually been really hectic. Take moving to a new classroom, toss in a few pool trips, college orientation, multiple trips to the grocery store, and daddy being gone all weekend, and perhaps you won’t be laughing at me anymore.

Thought so. (hee hee)

I craved excitement today so embarked on a journey to the DMV. Yes, on purpose. Alex turned 15 last week…..the magic age where in Georgia the teens may receive the treasured document….the learners permit.

Off we went armed with the necessary documents: birth certificate, social security number, my driver’s license, my debit card, and the certificate of attendance from the high school.

You see, there is a law in Georgia where you cannot be issued a permit or license if you are under 18 and not in school. Therefore, you have to have this document from the school proving you are enrolled. (remember this info….it will be important later)

We arrive, wait in line, wait in line, and wait some more. Yes, this is the DMV. Finally got our number and paperwork to complete. As I sat there filling stuff out, I questioned Alex again about being ready for the test.

I just got “The Look”. If you have a teen, you’ve seen it too.

Hey, just checking.

After a short wait (amazing!), we were called to the counter. The DMV lady reviews the paperwork ever so slowly. She documents everything. Whew. We’re clear.

And then she says, “I can let him test but not issue the permit if he passes.”

Say what? Why?

Here was the reason: on the certificate of attendance, the paper was signed one day by an administrator and notarized the next day by a clerk.

Yep, the dates weren’t the same. Therefore, according to the state of Georgia the stupid people at the DMV, his paper was not valid.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Imagine Alex’s reaction when he passed his test but could not receive his permit. Yep, he was thrilled.

Off to the high school we went to correct the error. Left the paperwork there, Katie picked it up a few hours later, and we returned to the (enter your word of choice) DMV.

Fortunately everything went well the second time.

Well, maybe not fortunately. I now have to teach Alex to drive.

Gulp.

Pray for me…..

Let's Play Ball!

We leave your regularly scheduled blog post (ha!) for this slight diversion.

Yes, I know. Stop laughing. Me? Regularly scheduled posts? I know. Just go with me on this one.

Imagine months of practice, hours of sweat, many camera flashes, and lots of prayers. All for what?

Baseball.

Say what? You are a soccer family.

Yes, I know. But Katie’s boyfriend, Catlan, who has been mentioned and seen here many times is a baseball player. A starting pitcher for the local high school team. A team that won its way to a chance at the state playoffs.

I laugh at myself because I have gotten sucked into the baseball scene. I have been checking stats of opposing teams and players, looking up articles, and other such stuff. And I’m just the “girlfriend’s mom”!




I have tried to attend as many games as I could this season but missed many. Of course, I missed the ones where Cat hit home runs. Sigh. It seems they always played the best when I was not there. (hint to me: don’t show up!)

The boys pitched, hit, and fielded their way all the way to the State Finals…the final two teams…the winner of which would be the State Champs.

The finals were this past weekend----yes, right after graduation. It has been a weekend, let me tell you. Graduation Friday night and baseball all day Saturday.

Anyhow, it was a best out of three series. I took Anna Grace to the first game where she kept asking me the whole time why we wanted Catlan’s team to win. Guess she didn’t quite get it, huh?



Katie and her friends paint up for each game. It’s been different each time. Well, for game two, the girls painted their boyfriends names on their backs. But then guess who didn’t load up on the sunscreen?



With one win and one loss on Saturday (ugh!), the third and final game was held on Monday right smack dab in the middle of the day. Whose bright idea was that? I left school early to spend the next three hours sitting in 90 degree weather in the blazing sun.

Why did I do that?

This is why I sat there dripping with sweat…..




For the WIN!! Yes, the boys at Northgate hung together to get the win as the Georgia Class AAAA State Champs!!



Katie and Cat


Cat


Katie and Conner (Cat’s brother)


Katie and Kara (the two biggest supporters!)


Some of these boys have played together since they were five. Can you imagine? Starting off in t-ball together only to win the State Championships your senior year. Wow.

This is certainly something neither the boys nor their parents will ever forget. What a way to end the year……and, for the seniors, end your high school playing days.

Congratulations Catlan and the rest of your team! We are very proud of you!

(and thank you Tracy for putting up with all my questions and text messages!!)

A New Beginning....

Let me set the scene: bright skies which eased into a cool, starlit night; a stadium filled with friends and family; seniors clothed in cap and gown; cameras ready and waiting.

Yes, graduation day finally arrived.

Just a few hours earlier, as I scurried around trying to get dinner ordered (for those staying behind), a frozen pizza made (for those leaving), clothes ironed, and nerves settled, Katie headed out the door to her final night as a high school student.



Friends arrived to hang with the girls, so we headed on out with a complaining boy. Why do I have to go? I don’t want to….



Well, he came but did not sit with us. And, trying to track him down later for pictures was a nightmare. But I’ll refrain from commenting on that, well, right now anyhow.

As luck would have it, we ended up sitting right near Catlan’s family. Perfect! Whatever pictures I didn’t get, perhaps Tracy did and vice versa.

After some superb and not so much speeches, graduation commenced. We were very impressed at how quickly the entire thing seemed to move. Wow. Now, I could have done without the air horns and other stuff but hey, this is the south.

Cat graduated before Katie. He received his diploma from a school board member who is a former Atlanta Braves player. Cool, huh?



And then Katie. Yep, how could she liven things up? Well, red sandals instead of white is a start. And then, all the way to the podium, what does she do? Talk. Yep, the whole way.




And on the way back to her seat.



We giggled the whole time. It didn’t occur to me to be teary eyed. Yeah for me!

The students were supposed to recess in nice lines. Well, the first three rows of students did that, but the rest? They did a mass free for all exit to the goal post.



Once all present, the music blared, and they tossed their caps. I, of course, missed that shot. Bummer. I also lost Katie in the midst of the chaos.



How do you find your kid in the mass of people swarming the field? Easy. You look for the tallest person on the field. I knew she’d be with Cat so it was just a matter of finding him. But that even took a while. Whew.



It is amazing that in the unreal mass of people, you can actually find your friends. Here are Nat and Tori with Katie…..all future college roommates. (note: Tori graduated earlier from another school within the metro area)



I shall spare you all the friend pictures. Trust me, it’s a good thing!

Then the mom “obligatory” pictures started. I had warned them at Baccalaureate that graduation would be worse…..don’t think they listened.






And in the midst of the chaos, I see this…



a very pensive look. I think she was overcome with the emotions of the night. She has been with some of these kids since first grade. Tears means she truly has had wonderful friends at school and knows that those times are over. A hard thing to accept.

Picture time over, we headed on out. Katie and Catlan headed to pick up their actual diplomas…..and I just happened to be stalking following them.



I will leave you with this picture. My favorite of the night. When my baby was so emotional, I look up to see this……



She has grown up and is no longer just my baby.

Soccer in the mud....

We interrupt this blog to bring you something new.

Lest you think we only have graduation events happening right now, I thought I’d do a quick post about soccer.

Soccer has been in our lives for a very long time. Both big kids played for years, although Alex much longer than Katie. Anna Grace had a short stint in playing when she was three, but guess what? She didn’t listen to the coach so her soccer career was pretty short lived.

But I digress.

This weekend, Alex had a tournament. I haven’t been to a game in a while. Dave is a coach so he’s always there (unless he’s in countries across the sea). And taking the girls can be….well, a challenge.

But I was determined to go to a game today. So we headed out after Baccalaureate for the final game of the season. Mind you now, it’s been raining for a while so the fields are complete mud. What a mess.




The boys ended up second overall. Very good showing!

And what did the little girls do while Alex played?




Play with sticks, play in the water, and torment unsuspecting bugs.

Ah, bliss.

Another milestone down.....

Ah, the beginnings of a new week. How did it begin? With an 8 am soccer game. Yuck. And no, I did not attend. Who wants to be on a soccer field at that time of day?

Today also marked Baccalaureate. In between soccer games today, we headed to a local, extremely popular church for the program. Now, we’ve been there before for other events but I’d forgotten what it was like.

To set the stage: we attend a Catholic church here in town. It’s pretty laid-back as far as Catholic churches go but still quite traditional.

This church we were in today had a huge stage, sound/lighting system, and two big screen TV’s on the wall. Nothing like we’d see each week.

So we read the program to see what we were facing. Turns out there were several songs we would all be singing. Okey dokey. So I browsed through the program to find the words to the songs. Huh, no words. Guess we’re all supposed to know them.

Then it hits me. The words will be on the big screens. Yep, karaoke Baccalaureate.

The high school pastor did a nice job with the service. So all in all, it was fine.

And…..I didn’t cry! Teared up a few times but I had on my waterproof mascara just in case.

When it was over, I headed to the lobby of the church to locate Katie. Not hard to do since Catlan is 6’4” (or more!). Just find him and I’m good.



Tracy, Cat’s mom, took this photo of us for me. You’ll notice Alex and the girls are absent. You think I’m crazy enough to take them to a church service?



You’d think we were trying to kill the teens. Pictures? Why? Are we done yet? No one else is taking pictures. And the comments went on and on.



Just wait until graduation. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Sunrise, Sunset

“Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
swiftly flow the days
seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
blossoming even as we gaze….”

Senior week has begun. The next few days will be filled with parties, Baccalaureate, exams, graduation practice, and yes, graduation. Friday night will be here before we know it.

And our lives will never be the same.

Eighteen years ago, a beautiful baby was born. Her parents had many hopes and dreams for her. What would the future hold? Would those dreams be fulfilled? Would she blossom into a respectable kid and teen?

Hard to believe that time is already here. In some ways, the past eighteen years have gone by so slowly. But, now that we are facing graduation, I realize just how quickly time has flown.

When did this chubby cheeked baby



turn into this energetic, crazy kid?



When did this happy, blonde toddler



grow into this beautiful girl?



When did this perky preschooler



bloom into a fun-loving teenager?



When did this sweet six year old



become a gorgeous woman?



Did I miss all those days? I must have because now I can’t remember how she grew from a cranky baby into adulthood.

As the first born, Katie had to endure our first trials at parenthood. She was the one who taught us what to do and what not to do; she was the one who helped us grow into our role as parents.

And now my baby is graduating and leaving. Leaving for a life all of her own. Without me. What am I going to do?

My tiny baby has become someone I really count on. My chubby cheeked toddler has become someone I enjoy being with. My preschooler has become a reliable, responsible adult.

My little girl has become my best friend.

I love you, baby girl.

Happy Trails to You

Happy trails indeed. The trail to first grade. The trail to more challenges. The trail to a new school year.

Today marked another milestone in the life of a five year old…kindergarten graduation. Lucky me was the kindergarten teacher in charge of teaching the music. Yeah me. Can I just say that I am tired of the songs? If I hear Happy Trails to You anytime soon, I may scream.

Despite our poor rehearsals at school, the kids did a great job! I was very pleased. Even our little monkey cooperated……and believe me, I was worried.



However, I had to keep motioning to her to stop playing with her skirt!



Whew, we’re done!



On to the classroom. Anna Grace had her own little fan club with her. Daddy, Katie, Natalie (K’s best friend and future roommate), and Catlan.

Anna Grace received several awards including The Most Cheerful. Do you agree?



The official diploma giving



After the awards portion but before the party portion, the kids were allowed to go greet their guests. So what does Anna Grace do? Runs straight past Daddy and Katie and into Catlan’s arms.




Coming up next….Baccalaureate and senior graduation

Times, they are a'changin'

The countdown is on
‘til the end of the year!
Eight more school days
until we’re all clear.

No more waking up early.
Well, maybe for some.
No pencils or books,
come, summer, come!

Daddy is home
from his trip ‘cross the sea.
Just in time for the chaos
our days surely will be.

As before the year ends,
milestones will be hit.
From kindergarten graduation
to Baccalaureate.

The season is here
with changes galore.
One headed to first grade
another to Pre-K4.

A sophomore arrives
and hits the roads.
Eeek! Not another teen driver?
Stay in your abodes!

But the biggest event
we will witness quite soon,
is senior graduation
held under the moon.

The moon and the stars
will light up our way
to watch Katie and friends
have their big day.

Can’t believe the time’s come
for my first birdie to fly
far away from our nest
without a glance goodbye.

So bear with me right now
as we prepare for the sight
of my baby to leave me
and ride off in the night.

I promise you pictures
and tales of each day
that we spend celebrating
a new passage-way.

A passage that leads
my four kids somewhere new.
A passage that shows me
just how much each one grew.

Time to look back at time
and shed a few tears
as I realize how quickly
we move through the years.

Mommy's "Me" Time

As if graduation and other senior events aren’t already enough, just add baseball to the mix. Nope, not for Alex. For Katie.

You see, The Boyfriend is one of the starting pitchers for the high school team. The same team who is now entering the third round of State playoffs. The same team who did so well this season that they have home field advantage. Yes!

First rounds took place last week on my lost day. Second rounds were last night with a double-header. I was determined to go to at least one game. All by myself.

The girls love going to Catlan’s games but I then spend my time keeping an eye on them while they climb fences, throw rocks, play under the bleachers…..you know, anything EXCEPT watch the game.

So I prepped the girls that I was “going shopping” and they would be staying with Alex. All the way home from school yesterday, Anna Grace was begging to go shopping with me. I stood my ground and said no.

Poor Alex. I left him with a screaming, flailing, upset kid. I know, bad mommy. First daddy is gone for a very long time and now mommy ditched her. Sigh.

But let me tell you, having time by myself was so nice. I was able to sit at the game, chat with Tracy (Cat's mom) and watch the events unfold without the distractions of short people. Can’t say the same for the big people.

Distractions? Yes, there were some at this game------primarily organized by my kid. They had to outdo the other team’s fans, of course. Check out the paint jobs. Thank goodness I teach kindergarten and have lots of paint, huh?

Hint: Katie has the big 3 painted on her stomach.





Photos courtesy of Tracy and facebook

I had to leave after the first game to get Alex to soccer practice. I walked in the house and heard Anna Grace ask, “What did you buy?”

Huh? Oh yeah, I was “shopping”.

I told her I couldn’t find anything to buy. Alex just gave me the look. Hey, sue me.

Despite the noise, or because of it, the boys won both games putting them into the third rounds for State. I will make it to one of the next games on Tuesday for sure. But alas, I will have to bring the girls.

Unless daddy is too tired to stay at work all day because of jet lag. Ah yes, that will be the plan. Let’s hope daddy is tired and needs to come home early.

After all, being at home with the little ones is sure to wake anyone up!

The Lost Day

Lost. No, not the show. Never watched it.

Lost as in can’t locate. Me? Can’t find something? Shocking, I know.

But as I spoke with my mom tonight, I realized I’d lost an entire day full of events. I also evidently neglected to tell her I am moving to fourth grade next year. Whoops. I’m telling you, I’ve lost something……..my mind and my sanity.

The Lost Day. That would be last Thursday. If my memory is correct, which it’s probably not, I raced home, and then, hmmm. Not sure. Let’s check my facebook status from that day.

Okay, here we are: updated the blog, went to Subway, is dropping Alex off for his soccer game, hoping to catch some Viking baseball (Catlan already scored two homeruns!), all before heading to Katie's yearbook banquet WITH the girls. Pray for me.

Ah yes. Headed to the yearbook banquet with the girls. But I had a few things in my favor. Subway for them for dinner and brand new markers/coloring books. We did lots of talking about being quiet during the talking parts, being polite with all the grown-ups, and anything else I could toss in.

Fortunately, they were pretty well behaved. They were able to convince another mom to sit and color with them. Her son is a junior so hasn’t had little ones in a while. She was taken in with their cuteness. If only she knew…..after all, those are the markers that just got thrown away on Sunday.

Now, at the same time we were at yearbook, Alex was playing soccer in a neighboring town. He called me when he was on the way home.

Guess what, Mom? What Alex? I got a red card (in soccer, this means he was tossed out of the game). I didn’t believe the kid. He finally handed the phone to a friend so I could ask about it.

Sure enough, he got thrown out of the game AND cannot play in the next game. What did he do? He was playing goalie and pulled an opposing player down so he could not score. This is evidently referred to as a “professional foul”.

I was a bit stunned so called Katie. Katie said, “Whoo hoo, Alex!” Say what? So I told Dave. He said the same thing. As did lots of my friends on facebook.

Huh? Getting kicked out of a game and banned from the next is a good thing? I guess in soccer status, it is. All I know is, it means I don’t have to be at the next game since the boy can’t play. I can just drop him off.

Oh my. Got to run. A certain child just drew on the velour bar stools with pink ball point pen while another certain child sat there and watched.

What’s up with that?