positive thinking?

Woke up at 5am with a migraine. I laid there for a few minutes and figured if I wanted to get any more sleep that i had better get up and take something--it is slightly better---although the rest of me feels like i have been hit by a Mac truck. "IT WILL BE A GOOD DAY" i keep telling myself--if i say it often enough it will come to fruition--RIGHT? I am working on the power of positive thinking--or something like that.

Fake feeling good ….

You're going to have to learn to fake cheerfulness.

Believe it or not,

eventually that effort will pay off;

you'll actually start feeling happier.

-----

Jean Bach

These are pictures of the convention center--i loved seeing the trees in bloom. One of the only things i got to see while i was there

Patience is a virtue...

....That i need to work on. Today has been a rough day for me. Physically as well as mentally. It was the longest set up day on record---the funny thing is that we had more people to help than ever and yet....maybe too many chiefs. I have decided that i like knowing what needs to be done and just being able to do it. I also have determined that tone and attitude is everything when you are asking people to do things--my nose was a tad bent out of shape today. Just frustrating at moments. I have been doing this job for three years and yet i was being told what needed to be done and how and when to do it.UGH!!!! I am hoping that tomorrow will be a better day--i would say that a good nights sleep will help, but i will be sleeping on the hide away bed so maybe not. Pleasant dreams to all.

* The remarkable thing we have

is a choice every day

regarding the attitude

we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past...

We cannot change the fact

that people will act in a certain way.

We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do

is play on the one string we have,

and that is our attitude.

-----

Charles Swindoll

Going--GoING--GONE

Good morning all. I am currently in Portland Oregon and i will just say it is beautiful!! I brought the sunshine with me. It is such a beautiful place when the sun shines! I love the variety of architecture. I had the chance to spend the evening with my cousin---(I only have 2 that are living)we had the best time together---it has been years since i have laughed that hard. We stayed out late and had dinner and went to a movie. It was such a great evening. I got to see her cute kids--such a joy they are. I love the fact that even though we have never lived close to each other that we have always had such a great relationship. I was going to take a picture of us together--but didn't ---she is the skinny cute version of me (LOL) Ah family--what a blessing they can be in you life--don't ya think? She is such an amazing person---she deals with so much and manages to do it with such grace and such a positive attitude. Such the example for me.

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

----

Kahlil Gibran

music to my ears

tonight i had the opportunity to attend my daughters orchestra concert. It is amazing the progress these kids can make in just a few short years.

While they did a wonderful job the real music to my ears came in the form of clicking computer keys as my oldest decided to look up schools she might be interested in swimming at(her interest in anything let alone swimming has been waning as of late) So while she was looking up colleges she filled out an application for Grand Canyon University. She went off to babysit and when she came home there was a phone call for her from the recruiter! He wanted her to attend a meeting this week and when he found out she was only a junior he told her that he wasn't even supposed to be initiating verbal dialog with her, but if she wanted to talk to him she could call him. Hopefully this will be the thing to get her motivated--she is so much more focused when she is busy and balanced. The physical really does help her balance the mental part of school. Now to narrow down her list to where she thinks she would like to go--Alaska? maybe after all you could wear cute boots there. (Oh the things we base our choices on.) Wherever she decides it will have to be her choice--something she will have to live with. Kinda scary watching your children grow up and make adult decisions--all we can give is impute at this point--for what that is worth.

Motivation is a fire from within.

If someone else tries to light

that fire under you,

chances are it will burn very briefly.

-------
Stephen R. Covey

black and blue

Another tooth has been lost--what is in the water at our house? I am happy to report that this time it was in Ryan's mouth--many more out of Alexs' and he won't be able to bite anything. Alex came home with a black eye on Friday--so between that and the missing teeth he looks like a real brute--but what a sweetie when he sleeps.


Just pray for a tough hide

and a tender heart. Ruth Graham

Moments

some days are made up of one or two events and then there are the days (or weekends) that are made up of a number of various moments. I found one of those moments to be rather NETTLESOME. (new word for the week) We went up to the trek site again--hoping to mark the area and hoping that the mud had dissipated---no such luck. About a mile into the event and some slip sliding around on the road we decided that it was in our best judgement to turn around and try another way in.

We went to the area where we are planning on starting the trek and spoke to the woman who owns a small portion of the land we have to enter on--she has changed her mind and no longer wants to allow us to enter in on her property.Talk about a major setback--I--YI---YI. If anyone wants to include us in their prayers we could use all the help we can get--maybe for some dry and sunny weather so the ground won't be so soft and we can get the support vehicles in and then a prayer that hearts will be softened OR that we can figure out another way to make this event work . We have less than three weeks to figure this all out.

We should always pray for help, but we should always listen for inspiration and impression to proceed in ways different from those we may have thought of.

---

John H. Groberg

movies we can learn from

I love old movies--tonight i watched one with Cary Grant and Doris Day.--It was an o.k. movie but i think the reason i love old movies is everything old is new again. I love the clothes,the manners, the style. I am fascinated at how life used to be. It seemed to move at a slower maybe more content pace. Innuendo was enough--everything did not have to shown--moral values were important as well as your reputation. And there is something about black and white that just says "classic". Even though i am opposed to the whole stocking thing i LOVE how polished ladies looked with the gloves and hats and the perfect hair. The clothes they wore were amazing--so put together---so not me--and yet......there is a strange desire to return to that time.

There is more to life than simply increasing its speed. -Mahatma Gandhi

I SEE THE MOON

.....And the moon sees ME.....Last night i was driving home just as the moon was rising----it was InCrEDibLe!! It was so big and bright--kinda a golden yellow color. It almost didn't look real. It brought me back to when I was a child and i remember coming home from church and convinced that the moon was following me--i will admit that it concerned me a bit. I have since figured out---Sometimes it is taking the ordinary everyday things and stopping to appreciate the beauty that we often take for granted.

Savor life's tiny delights---

a crackling fire,

a glorious sunset,

a hug from a child,

a walk with a friend,

a cup of soup,

a kiss behind the ear.

-John Anthony

Let's take the time to pause and enjoy the moment.

It's the simple things in the here and now that really make life beautiful.

LOCKS Of LOVE

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?
– Dr. Seuss

Where did the day go? I am tired and my ability to put together any thoughts at this moment is a little bit muddled. Kaycie gave about 10 inches of her hair to locks of love this afternoon. Her new haircut looks so cute. This is the second time that she has done this--it is incredible how quickly her hair grows. It was just shy of two years ago when she did it the last time. I am so proud of her willingess to be selfless and giving. I hope this will be something that she continues to do as she gets older and more into the teenage years---after all these are NOT the years that you are known for thinking about others.
"Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others." Bush, Barbara

I would post a picture but that would mean that one had actually been taken--maybe in the morning.

Goodnight and may we all awake to face the day

I need to come clean---

i have a sickness.

It is serious--

i have been trying to manage it

but today was just too tough for me to handle.

I succumbed-

--but i will say as much as i was disgusted with myself

for buying more ribbon--

it really did make me happy.

All that new yummy ribbon---

LoVe-

LoVE=

LOVE it.

Here is where the real problem lies--

i DO NOT need

(that is the key word--NEED)

anymore supplies--

especially ribbon.

And yet here i go again--

RANDOM THOUGHTS

There is nothing like a drive to get your brain thinking about random things. So with my drive to Tucson I had some time to just think. I am going to let you into my mind and some of the random thoughts that went through it today. If I can say so myself some of them were rather deep—I will let you decide for yourself which thoughts those were.

• As I am driving I notice several miles of full trash bags off the side of the road—can you imagine how frustrated the people would be who cleaned it up if a truck decided to use the bags as target practice—I am envisioning a movie clip here.
• If you are the people that live next to the rest stop and you have a party—do you have to worry about parking? What if the party flows out of the house—will you be able to tell? If you run out of snacks do you give your guests change to buy something out of the vending machines? And no real need to worry about having enough bathrooms. The benefits just go on and on.
• I noticed a new home sub-division named “the GrAves”—I thought to myself why would anyone want to live in a subdivision named “the Graves”? Is it built on an old cemetery? (at this point I was thinking about the movie Poltergeist) As I got closer to the sign I noticed that it said “The GrOves”—it is amazing how one vowel can change your whole perception of things. It was still kinda funny because it was in an area that didn’t have a single tree around. Couldn't’t that be considered false advertising?
• Why is the logo for Dairy Queen a lemon shape—do they sell anything with lemons? Don’t you think a crown would be a better icon?
• I actually saw some sidewalks and grass in Tucson—the grass was at a cemetery and it was all dead (maybe it’s a theme)
• I forget how nice and pot hole free our roads are up in the valley—while we curse the road crews and the inconvenience it is SOOOO worth not being swallowed up by a pot hole—even in the bus I felt the pot holes
• Does it irritate anyone else that as you are driving on I-10 west that the SUN it on your right hand side? (it was setting) It should really be I-10 SOUTH or NORTH ----because after all that is the way it actually runs. Why call it something its not---at the point you leave Tempe it no longer runs East/West.
• Around Casa Grande there is an road named Jimmie Kerr Blvd—Who is Jimmie Kerr? I know that Jimmie Kimmel is from Az and that Steve Kerr played for the Uof A but I am at a loss as to who this Kerr is—if he has a Blvd named after him in Casa Grande he probably is important and I feel I should know who he is.
• I decided that I am not overweight---I am the perfect weight if I were just 5 inches taller—that is really where the problem lies.
• Do cheerleaders really think that we all want to smell the frou-frou that they felt the need to spray on the bus? And I won’t even talk about the fingernail polish—EWEEE. It is a closed up area and the smell did not dissipate---but I will say this---the brunettes were well represented on this squad almost 2-1--YEAH for dark haired girls
• Since when did a 32oz drink become a Medium?--and a 24oz become a small at Carls Jr. So a large would be a metal drum?

waiting for the game to end—so far it doesn’t look pretty for the team I brought—but I have seen them come from behind and win some tough ones. Only time will tell—could be a quiet ride home if they lose. ---my team was down by 11 after the first quarter and actually pulled ahead in the fourth only to lose (some really bad calls or lack of) by a few points. It is sad to watch big teenage boys cry

Sometimes, when I drive across the desert in the middle of the night, with no other cars around, I start imagining: What if there were no civilization out there? No cities, no factories, no people? And then I think: No people or factories? Then who made this car? And this highway? And I get so confused I have to stick my head out the window into the driving rain---unless there's lightning, because I could get struck on the head by a bolt.–Jack Handey

And yes as i drove home it was very dark--except for the lightening happening in the distance--quite the show and when we got to the valley it poured!! It is amazing the many levels of darkness or black that you experience when there is cloud cover.

Have a fantazmic day all.

LUCK

I have just gotten my driving directions to a school in Tucson--where i will be traveling to this afternoon. Lots of time to think and ponder while i drive. I wonder what profound thoughts i will come up with? I am the "lucky" bus driver for this team--and since this is the first playoff game i hope my "Luck" will rub off. So what really is luck? Is there such thing as good or bad luck?

"All of us have bad luck and good luck.

The man who persists through the

bad luck -

who keeps right on going -

is the man who is there when the

good luck comes -

and is ready to receive it."

In the case of most things in life i really believe this next quote to be the truth--it is the time we spend in preparation that will make the difference in our lives. Do we take the time necessary to create the "LUCK" in our lives? And when something good (or bad) happens do we view it solely as "LUCK"? Maybe our "LUCK" is based on the choices (big and small) that we make on a daily basis. It could be catching the Flu--(bad luck) but perhaps if i had washed my hands more i would have (good luck) not gotten it. Sometimes it is really the small things that can change our luck.

"Be ready when opportunity comes...Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet"

Well with those deep thoughts i am off--my goal today is to drink more water---if i accomplish my goal i just hope that i am "LUCKY" enough to not have my bladder explode.

TTFN

Comfort food

There are certain foods that just say comfort to me. Today i pulled out an oldie but a goodie and actually cooked for my family. Is is the odd day when we all manage to gather around the table and have dinner together---i thought i was cooking for a small army and we will now have leftovers for a week. So what did i make you ask? Well years ago my friend Annette gave me a recipe from her grandma(what says comfort food more than a recipe from a grandma)

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

• 1 lg chicken
• 2 lg tomatoes (i used canned)
• 1 lg bell pepper (i like red or yellow)
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 1 lg onion 8oz sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion,pepper and tomatoes and put in Dutch oven with a little oil. Cook veggies until tender, add chicken and paprika. Cover and cook on med to low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (i used my pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time--can be made in a crock pot as well)

When chicken is tender,remove from liquid. Add 8oz of sour cream to liquid and remove from heat. Pour sauce mixture over noodles and serve with chicken (can also thicken sauce)

NOODLES--German style

• 2 cups flour
• Water
• 2 eggs
• 11/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp butter

Mix flour, eggs and salt together with just enough water to make a moist dough. Put dough on a flat plate and using a spoon,scrape off small pieces and drop them into boiling salted water. Cook 2-3 minutes and then drain. Sift in butter to prevent them from sticking

i loved my grandma--and miss the fact that i can no longer call her up on the phone and tell her what i am doing. The other night for coronation the kids used her dinnerware to set the table--i know she would have gotten such delight to have seen that. She was such a great cook and always set a beautiful table. She loved being a homemaker and could make the common meal feel like it was something special. When we were younger and would come to visit we would walk into the smell of cinnamon rolls and the cookie jar was always full. I think i gained my love of baking from her--she was an amazing woman and i miss her, her laugh, and the notes she would send. I am going to be going to Portland next week and the idea that she won't be there is still hard for me to take--my grandparents home was always the constant in my life. No matter where we lived in the world their house was always the constant. It was home. For 50 years my grandparents shared their life in that home--it is strange to think of someone else living in it. I know that i was blessed to have some many years of memories with her--happy times.



"I loved their home. Everything smelled older, warm but safe, the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture"

----Susan Strasburg

Pazookie for breakfast

It is the end of the day and i am pleased to report that Alex is still alive and his reign of terror was limited to this morning. At 7:30 tonight he was asking to go to bed (or the comfy chair as the case may be) and yet he is still awake? Go figure--i just hope that once he is asleep he stays asleep tonight. My glasses got fixed and we now have food in the house thanks to the marathon shopping trip to Costco and Sam's Club. I think with the amount that i spend at those stores i really should invest in some stock. I took Jake with me and it was great having a teenage boy to load the car--we had a nice afternoon together(he even hugged me in public) We had to return his MP3 player at Costco (it was the third one that had broken) and in return he ended up getting an upgrade--hence the hug. I asked him "so do you think you deserve this?" He responded "probably not" referring to his bad behavior last week--And when i told him to get "whatever" he gave me the look "you mean it?" Ahhh the simple things to make your kids like you. They did all clean their rooms today with a minimal amount of fighting--laundry didn't happen--I guess i will leave that fun for tomorrow. I failed to mention that while we were trying to get Alex lip to stop bleeding he lost another tooth--I'm getting a little concerned about his ability to bite his food at the rate his teeth are falling out-- O.k. so here is a quote to end the night on--anyone who had their children home all day are sure to understand and sympathize with it---

"Children are a house's enemy. They don't mean to be--
--they just can't help it.
It's their enthusiasm, their energy, their natural destructive tendencies.
--Delia Ephron

Oh and i have a confession to make--we had PAZOOKIE for breakfast--some of us had peanut butter(which counts as a protein) and then there was the White chocolate Craisin (it has coconut, and oatmeal which counts as fiber and the craisins count as a fruit group) It was covered with vanilla ice cream so that counts as calcium for the day. So i think all told it really wasn't as bad for us as first impression lead you to believe. And just for the record we really don't eat like this all the time--HONEST.

Alex the Terror

Never give up,

never,

never give up."
- Winston Churchill

Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he is really in trouble---dennis fakes

I am trying to remember that i love my dear sweet youngest child--i am just trying to remember WHY? Alex has been on a destructo overdrive. I found my glasses last night broken--then he decided in the middle of the night that sleep was overrated and wanted to be awake--wide awake--like, lets get into things awake. So we wrestled for a few hours and then he finally did go back asleep only to wake up at the normal time--(did he not get the memo about sleeping in when we have NO school?Sooooo onto his terror of mass destruction--

• found Jordyn's camera in the sink--slightly wet---we think it still works
• my camera lens has this button on it for the auto focus that is now missing--this one has happened before--i believe it was an $100. fix last time
• he decided to start shaving--his lip--try to get that to stop bleeding
• my glasses--being able to see things is sooooo overrated

I am sure that before the day is over we will have added to the list---there is the normal little stuff that i have learned to let roll off my back--it's the big expensive stuff that will make me crazy before the day is over---gotta love him--it's my job, but i will be ready and waiting for the bus in the morning!

CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
--Abraham Lincoln

So tonight we had some friends over for dinner and we got to talking about someone we refer to as Sis. Smiley, and how she always has a smile on her face. She is currently serving in a different ward but was at ours today to play the piano for her step-daughter. She is the epitome of a happy person--at times it drives you crazy until you get to know her and the things that have happened to her in the past--her life has not always been a "HAPPY" one and yet that is what she chooses--to be happy. She is genuine--I love to see her and she always makes me feel like i am valued and loved---what a great example she has been to me--I am lucky that i got to work with her for a few years in our church job. I am trying to carry on that attitude of happiness. As we all know with kids--some days are easier than others.

I have not felt so well today--my gallbladder i think. It is amazing how you forget how being in pain makes you so tired. It brought back memories of me being in labor with my kids--only the outcome was worth the pain---no so today. I guess i will have to call the doctor in the morning and see what they have to say.

They kids made it home safely---I feel such stress when they are out so late--all the crazys on the road and all. They had a great time and except for Jake breaking the fundamental rule of t-peeing(you know the one about getting caught). You would think that the runner of the group could have gotten away--but being stuck in a tree hampered his ability to escape.

So i guess i will call it a night and hopefully i will feel better in the morning--the kids are all home tomorrow, so i am hoping to get the laundry all done with their help--should be a fun day? Well, maybe for me--not so much for them.

TTFN

Camera battery is dead so pictures will be posted in the AM

TWO-PLY HAPPINESS

So my quote for the day went something like this--
"The only true joy and happiness you find is within yourself."
While i totally believe that we do create our own joy and happiness it sure is nice when someone else can do something to help bring it into your life. Happiness does beget happiness. This morning before i started the "coronation countdown" I managed to find a moment to read my E-mail. A friend sent me one that she had composed herself and it brought me to TEARS i was laughing so hard--what a great way to start the day.! Coronation went off without a hitch---well i did run out of eggs,flour,coconut and brown sugar (at this point you think i would have gone to the store--but instead my mom bailed me out--i guess it is time i returned to Costco)but that was for the cookies at the end of the night so i had time to get it together. My plan was to post pictures tonight but the camera was left at Grandma's house--but i can say, and i will post the proof later on that they all looked BEAUTIFUL!!I never really thought about how long Jordyn's lashes are--they are the kind that are supposed to be on a guy they are soooooooo long. I mean this girl hardly wears makeup--she looks amazing when she does(YES i do realize i am the biased mother speaking here) so now i am sitting up waiting for the kids to get home---not from the dance but from--shall we say "paybacks"? The kids got home from the dance and were playing a game when i went out front and found a note with a single roll of toilet paper that said "mission accomplished"--We were all a little perplexed until we were enlightened by my niece as to who she thought was behind the note---I usually don't condone t-peeing but paybacks on the night they got you i feel is just too good to pass up--(i forgot to mention that they t-peed Jordyn's dates house.) So i sent them off with the instruction not to get caught and to take pictures and if they do i will post them.---My friend that made me laugh this morning mentioned that i shouldn't write anything i don't want the whole world to read--so i am hoping that the part of the world that is being t-peed doesn't read my blog--if they do I will say to you (with a very straight face) "i tried to talk them out of it--I had no idea--and i was just kidding about the instruction thing and if a picture of your house shows up on my blog it is purely by coincidence"LOL

Here's to being HApPy---may we all be blessed with the ability to laugh at life

accomplishments

"The greater danger for us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it,
but that it is too low and we reach it."- Michelangelo

I liked this quote--how often do we short change ourselves and take the easy way out? We still reach our goals but are capable of so much more--just something for all of us to "stew" on for the evening.


O.K. so speaking of goals--you should all be proud of me. I finished Jordyn's bolero jacket tonight, tapered Jake's shirt and picked out the zipper in a tent I need to fix for my brother. Pretty productive evening if you ask me. I am just proud that i finished the jacket and it's not even the last minute--next to last minute--Yes!! But this is a marked improvement for me

Also i got my cell phone fixed today---YEAH--I can now reach out and call someone--anyone --I am just thrilled to have that ability back again--and the best part is that it didn't even cost me a dime--AHHHH simple pleasures.

becoming a Real woman

I started my day by having some
cheesecake for breakfast--
leftovers from last night.
I am not a real big fan of cheesecake
but i will just say YUMMMMY.
That and the two heart shaped sugar cookies
and i won't be able to eat the rest of the day--
but it was worth it.

Today is a rainy drippy kinda day
and i love that i don't have to go running off anytime soon.
I am hoping that my baseball trip gets cancelled
so i can have the full day at home--
(keep your fingers crossed.)
So the plan for today is to sew
a bolero for my daughters coronation dress--
should be a piece of cake.
(maybe cheesecake)
I am a little nervous about it fitting--
those shoulders of hers makes things a bit difficult at times.

Speaking of fitting--
Jordyn tried on the dress we had bought a few months back
and it was NOT fitting---
PANIC MODE.
So i did what any woman would,
who wants to fit into something
and its just a bit snug---
i took her to buy some
FOUNDATION WEAR.
Guess what?
It worked!---
after i convinced her
that they were NOT old women underwear--
and that she would be able to fit in the dress
if she was willing to try them on--
she has decided that they really aren't very comfortable---
to which i responded--
WELCOME TO
WOMANHOOD!!!!
Ah the joys--
We got her fingers and toes done yesterday
and picked up shoes and a purse--
do you have any idea how hard it is to find
metallic brown accessories?


Mission accomplished.YEAH!! I will try to take pictures, so those of you who don't like to read can just look at the pictures (Sheli) lol.

Off the Market

Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it.
-----Harold S. Hulbert----

O.k. so with the drive to Yuma I had some time to "cool" off and the said child is off the market. He won't be sold today but that's not saying he won't be in the future. He did apologize and we can only hope (keep your fingers crossed here) that he actually learned and won't repeat the crappy behavior. SOooo we are still on the rollercoaster of parenthood--hopefully on the part that doesn't leave us screaming to get off the ride. Wrestling is over for the highschool season--WHEW---i am glad that it is over--fun while it lasted but i was ready for the end. Even though Jake ended with some losses they were really good matches---He was happy overall. The team lost by 6 points--giving up 12 points to forfeit but thats O.K.---it just means that we won't have to go and wrestle Sunnyside and lose tonight--and we would lose--anyone who wrestles them will lose---the only question is by how much. So now we actually get to spend Valentines Day together doing what we want instead of sitting in a stinky gym---YEah for US.

WANTED: GYPSIES

Who said that boys are easier to raise than girls? I don't think they had boys if they said it---while you can blame girls mood swings on "that time of the month", what do you blame boys whacked out ways on? I have one 15 year old that i am willing to sell to the Gypsies for real CHEAP--infact i would be willing to give the said child away. The crappiest part is that he knows he is being a selfish jerk and letting people down and he can't snap out of it. UGH--this being a parent thing SUCKS!!!! I just want my sweet,kind obedient child back---this too shall pass--RIGHT?

the storm clouds are parting

I can see a glimpse of sunshine--parting the storm cloud that has surrounded our home. I actually saw a smile on my daughters face today--i managed to do something right?! We figured out a solution to her double date problem.

My niece and son
are going to double with her
for coronation.

It doesn't
really
count as a date
when you go out with your cousin!?

RIGHT?

They do always manage to have a good time together.

So off to find fabric to make a jacket for her dress...

now that is a story to be continued--

maybe tomorrow

Meltdown Monday

Actually it was a tough weekend and left me not wanting to get out of bed today...i will, but begrudgingly. Thanks so much for a dear friend letting me vent this morning---it didn't change the situation but atleast it felt better to verbalize and have someone listen-----thank you...thank you...thank you. When the kids were born no one explained how hard and painful raising them would be sometimes! I think i could even manage it if they took turns having their crisis instead of all of the all at once---but probably not. There is a reason that i have NO desire to go back to the highschool years----way tooooooooo much drama!!! Found out that a kid we knew got busted for selling pot at school---it hit too close to home for my comfort. The things that our kids have to deal with on a daily basis--WaY tOuGh!!! I am trying to hug my kids more--which is hard when they are teenagers and they don't want you to. I have always said that Alex (even with all his issues) has been such a blessing in our home--he is the glue that binds us together.
He is like the dog that will lick your face and love you even when you have kicked it--that is our sweet boy. In the midst the drama at our house he gave the hugs and kisses that needed to be given.
When the oldest was melting down he showed up and gave her that unconditional love that she needed--and she was willing to accept it from him. Thank goodness for a glimpse of the good stuff that makes being a parent worthwhile.

ThRoW dOWn ThurSday

it is amazing that in just a few short years you can become so dependent on something you lived without for the vast majority of your life. You know what i am talking about---the little modern technology called the cell phone. Today my little one decieded that my phone needed a bath--Kevin had bought me the one that was supposed to be virtually indistructable--i think the key word is supposed--do you suppose they dipped it into water to see if it was water-proof? I think NOT!! So for today i have been handicapped and have managed to lived my life without my lifeline--kinda a quiet day, well as quiet a day as you can get sitting in a gym with the whistles blowing and people screaming. It turned out to be a great day---first day of the state wrestling tournament--and things have gone well. My nephew kicked some butt and won his first 3 matches, Jake won his first 2 and then had to wrestle a state placer from last year--he lost the match but i saw some amazing growth from him. He did not give up and was tough till the end. I am so proud of him. He went on and man handled the next kid--picking him up and throwing him down!! He said he had wanted to try some of these moves and finally had the chance to--and he liked it! He did make me a bit crazy during the last 30 seconds but we won't talk about that since "all's well that end's well." So tommorow we have some more matches and then hopefully they will be wrestling on Saturday in the championship round.....

a Glimpse..

Tonight was a bit odd---i got a glimpse of what it will be like without the bulk of my kids around. The oldest four were all off to various places tonight and that left Me-the Hubby and the baby to fend for ourselves. We went out to dinner--(at Native New Yorker) normally when we go there it is with whole group in tow--we are so big that we are an automatic gratuity (which irritates the husband) and we have a standard fare with a variety of items that we order that fits everyones appetite. Tonight we actually had to think about what we were going to get and we had to eliminate some items because there was no way we could eat it all. It was just odd--I can't remember Alex ever playing the role of the only child--it seems that we have always had more than one child with us and Alex. Even sitting in the booth had to be readjusted. I realize more each day how the time with my kiddo's is fleeting, and before i know it, it really will be just the three of us left around the table.