Life with the Ootens

Needing Inspiration, Please

2012-11-29T22:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I have disappeared, right?

Wrong! Still here... just insanely busy and way too tired to sit at the computer and blog these days.

I have so many posts that I've started and just haven't finished... one of the biggest ones is about my list. I haven't stopped working on it. I've just stopped blogging it. Sigh. But, it's good that I'm still working on it, right?!

Maybe... I'll get caught up... before I die. Maybe. Unless I die tomorrow. You just never know, right?

Anyway...

... so, I turned 32 yesterday.

I remember a few years ago how I had a nervous breakdown over turning 30 and decided that I had to find a purpose in my life through my list. Oh, how I loved (and still love) my list. How it has inspired me to step up and make things happen, even when I am too busy or too tired to make it happen. The list... has just been incredible.

Well, this year's nervous breakdown is brought to you by my relationship with my husband. It will not replace my list by any means, but will only help it.

Yes... we are still happily married.

No... I'm not going anywhere. :) Sorry to disappoint you, Brad... you are still stuck with this old woman. ;)

BUT... it recently occurred to me that I have now known my husband for more than 15 years. That's almost half of my life.

And, well, sometimes, I know him better than I know myself. Sometimes, I find that the things I like or love are things that I like or love only because I always have... because Brad has... because we have... because it's just always been that way.

Now, I don't want to go and give you the wrong impression. I'm not unhappy. I love our comfi-ness... our familiarity... and I love that every time I say something, Brad typically knows exactly what I'm really thinking (for better or worse). But... I just kind of had that Runaway Bride moment where I wondered, "How do I like my eggs? Like really... how do I like my eggs?"

I like mine over-easy, by the way. That is something I really do know. :)

Anyway, I think that sometimes I need to remember to try new things and to discover new things. I think sometimes it's important to re-evaluate and think about what you really do want and like and dislike...

Maybe it also has something to do with the book "My Year with Eleanor," a must-read that my friend Kristi lent me. It's all about facing your fears and challenging yourself daily. I'd almost try the project myself, but well, I'm too scared. ;)

So... last night... after a couple of drinks... I decided I will try 32 new things in my 32nd year.

Give me your suggestions, because truly, so far, I'm kind of just hoping that things will hit me. These don't have to be big things. I mean, Brad's two suggestions are a perfect example of how small these things can be.

Here's what Brad suggests I try:

Sushi with raw fish.
Gumbo Ya-Ya.

And, well, that's the full extent of my list at this point. lol.

So... tell me what you think I should try. I need your inspiration! ;)

Football

2012-08-28T22:33:00.001-04:00

Well, I have to make this quick, but I couldn't resist the chance to tell you all about Jake's football experience thus far.

First things first, he has to wear a cup. You know... a cup... in the crotch area. Imagine my skinny little baby wearing a cup. Now, imagine my grown up husband shopping for a cup for Jake at Dick's. I mean, there are just so many crude jokes I can think of with this one sentence... a grown man in Dick's shopping for protective equipment for my son's package. I mean, really. It's quite funny... at least it is to immature adults like me. ;)

Anyway...

... Brad went and shopped and found a very nice set of compression underwear with a protective cup for Jake to wear. And, yes, I know that Jake will hate me when he's a teenager for writing about things like this. Brad brings home said cup and tells Jake that he needs to try it on. Jake is completely perplexed about why in the world he would need to wear this hard thing in his underpants for football. I can see that he's wondering what in the world we have signed him up for. So, we explain that this is to protect him from getting hurt if he were to get hit there, etc. Jake, in normal Jake-fashion, decides to test this out. He takes off running toward our dresser - wearing nothing more than his compression shorts and cup - and rams himself into it, crotch first. When he sees that it actually does work, he continues to try this. Repeatedly. Brad and I are laughing so very hard that neither of us can even stop him. We just keep laughing.

Once we got all that equipment taken care of, there was the mouthpiece to set. He couldn't believe that we would stick his mouthpiece in boiling water and then make him bite into it. I think he thought we were joking. But, he sucked it up and did it... despite some whining about it being too hot.

This all happened before his first practice.

That was the day that he came home, totally excited about football... telling me about how he loved to do his drills... and how he had told his coach that he believed in God. Then, came practice number two, where he came home with his pads. Equipment issues reign... Jake doesn't really like to wear a helmet. He says the pants are too hot. He loves his shoulder pads, though.

In true controlling-mother-who-is-overly-excited-about-her-son-playing-football fashion, we convince Jake to put his pads on and practice in the yard. I tackle Jake almost immediately, hitting him kind of hard... ramming him into the ground so that he'll be ready for a hit. He laughs. Brad scolds me for hitting his head on the ground so hard. Jake laughs. I explain that I want him to get hit hard when he is at home, so if he is going to cry or get upset, it will be here and not at practice.

It worked.

Tonight, they hit. He didn't do what we had practiced. He definitely needs to work on things. BUT.... BUT... he got hit. He gave some hits. There were no tears (at least not from hitting) - only from being tired and hating his helmet when practice was nearly over. All in all... a win. He wants to go back. He enjoys playing. He knows we support him. And, he's getting more confident. We are incredibly proud of our smallest kid on the team. :) Fingers crossed that he keeps enjoying this... bring on the fall! I am ready for football!

Life is good... life is chaotic... life is perfect

2012-08-22T23:05:00.002-04:00

Well, there is no shortage of things for me to write about. My spring/summer sabbatical from blogging has given me plenty to catch you up on. :) However, I couldn't possibly try to sit down and write it all in one post. And, I certainly wouldn't guarantee that those posts will ever really make it on here completely. It saddens me to think about all the things that the kids enjoyed this summer that might never get onto this blog... all of the fun that we had... but that's just how life is sometimes and focusing on all that I need to catch up on is just keeping me from writing about all of the things that are going on now.

Which brings me to this post...about all of the wonderful things that I'm enjoying about life at this exact second.

Bailey and Jake started school last week, which was bittersweet. I no longer feel like a taxi driver trying to get each child to and from camps all over the city... but I also don't get the option of leaving them sleeping in their beds while their favorite babysitter waits on them to wake. It's the sign of the end of summer... a somewhat (very somewhat for this summer) slower pace and relaxing existence.

With the kids returning to school, I always seem to notice the changes that they've made over the past year. I suppose it is because I can mentally note what they were doing the year before more easily. This year, Bailey, who entered second grade, didn't seem to be interested in me walking her into school on the first day. When I said something to the effect of, "I'll walk you into your class and get you settled," she responded with a, "Oh... really? Why?" My heart sank a bit with the realization that she really doesn't need me to walk her to class anymore. Apparently my emotion was written all over my face, because Bailey quickly recovered and said, "Ok... that sounds great. But this will probably be the last year..." I smiled, because despite her request, I know I get one more year. I will get to walk Jake into Kindergarten next year... which means I will be walking her to class, too. Hehe. She thinks she's got it all figured out, but mom can impose herself for just a bit longer. :)

On the other hand, Bailey still enjoys spending time with me and I love that. She and I went and watched the movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green last week. It was a girl's night for us and we enjoyed every second of it. My sweet daughter, realized that this special night was as much for me as it was for her. A few minutes before the movie started, she reached over and held my hand. She asked me to come closer so she could whisper something to me. Then, she kissed me on the cheek and told me, "I love you so much, mom. Thanks for bringing me tonight." As I choked back the tears from the sweetness of her words and the genuine way she said them, I couldn't help but wonder how many more years will I have with her being happy to spend Friday night with me. I know it's not long before every activity we do has to involve her friends and everything that I say is "just her mom" saying something "uncool" again. I'm savoring these moments. Each and every one of them.

Likewise, my little Jakey is growing up, too. The first couple of days of school went really well... drop off was not perfect. He has a hard time telling his mommy (who he just adores, by the way) good-bye. It really isn't that he doesn't like school. It isn't that he has no friends (because he does). It's just hard to let your mommy walk away. So, we decided that this past Monday would be Jake's first day of walking into school by himself. I'd pull up to the front of the building, where a handful of teachers would stand and help him out of the car. He'd get out, make his way into the school and down the short hall to his classroom. Let me just be clear... I was about as nervous as a person can be. I was terrified that I'd pull up to the door and Jake would lay in the floor crying, refusing to get out. He didn't do that. Instead, I watched him climb out of the car, with big tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat, and walk into the school like a big kid. I later heard that he did cry for a minute, but calmed down rather quickly and began his morning work. Of course, I felt like the worst mom in the world, shoving her little boy out of the car and into the big bad world. But, I also know that this is what I needed to do for Jake. He cries when I walk him in... he cries when I don't. This way is far less drama. Thankfully, day 2 (yesterday) was much easier... only a sad face and tear or two. Today, he was eager to get out, happy to go inside on his own, and has made a huge deal out of how he is such a big kid. His teacher is amazing and has bragged on him like crazy... and it has worked. I guess I need to remember that sometimes the mommy bird really does have to shove the baby bird from the nest to help him learn to fly. I look forward to a year full of mornings where Jake is eager and happy to get out of the car and walk into the school with confidence. :)

Jake also started football this week. I am so excited about this that I really can't stand it. I have been a nervous wreck over how this is all going to go. So far, he's enjoying it immensely... he's excited to go to practice... and he's talking about how he can't wait to go back. More importantly, though, I'm so proud of one thing that he did. This morning, Jake and I were talking... and he mentioned something about believing in God. He kept rambling about a necklace and telling him that he believed in God. I had no clue what he was telling me. He said, "You know... the necklace my coach gave me." All the pieces came together for me. Here's what transpired:

Jake's coach gave all of his team a set of dog tags (aka necklace in Jake's words) at his practice on Tuesday. The dog tags say, "Gratitude" on the back. His coach handed these out to the team, but first asked each of them to say something they believed in. Jake's response was, "I believe in God." His coach, who also happens to be a pastor, said, "That's AWESOME, Jake!"

Swoon. This is just an example of one of my very favorite things about Jake's age at this exact moment. He has formed his own answers, opinions, and thoughts about things. He tells me what he likes and dislikes and sometimes, he can be pretty profound for a 5-year old. I am so incredibly proud of the little boy he is. And, just to put it in perspective... his coach also asked them to go around and say their name and what school they attend. Jake responded with, "I'm Jake and I go to sandsitional kindagaten (aka transitional kindergarten)." :) He asked me later if that was right and I told him he could have just said LCA. He laughed and said, "That would be much easier... I can't say that other thing." :)

And, last, I have to share this... I am so excited about some upcoming plans. We are planning a SURPRISE trip to Disney for fall break! It has been in the works for a while, but I officially paid for it today, making it a complete reality. The kids have no clue. They've complained all summer about how we didn't go on a vacation. Brad and I have totally built it up... talking about how we don't have any money for vacation (which is really kinda true) and how we will just have to wait and go on vacation next year. They've been sad... said it isn't fair that other people can do this, etc. So, our plan is to wake them up early on the first morning of fall break and head to the airport. When we have our layover in Atlanta, we'll surprise them with a gift that will give them a clue about where we are going. We are wrapping up Mickey Mouse ears and revealing it then. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about all of this... everything from the surprise to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations for Bailey to the Pirates League reservations for Jake... from the princess meal at Epcot to the plane ride... the kids are going to be so excited. It really will be a magical five days! So, we are on the countdown (secretly). There is so much to do before then - I have so many things going on at work between now and then. The kids have so much going on with school, swimming, and football. And, then, there's me and Brad and our plans to go to UK games, train for a half marathon (together - yay!), and a trip to Cincinnati to watch the Reds play the Dodgers in September. Life is full... life is chaotic... and I would not have it any other way (unless someone really could clean my house for free or give me one more day in the week restricted to only relaxing and playing at home!).

Jake's Five... and almost a half.

2012-07-29T22:45:00.001-04:00

Well, it has been over 3 months since my little man turned 5. I guess I should write about it, right? Maybe I'll eventually get caught up!

Dear Jake,

I can’t believe that you are really 5 years old. It seems impossible to me that my little baby boy is already old enough to start Kindergarten. It kind of breaks my heart… except that you love to be a baby still. You’d let me treat you like a baby every single day of your life if I could. You would let me carry you everywhere, dress you, feed you, and cuddle you up every second of the day. You are my lazy boy. While I try my hardest to make you be the big boy that I know you really are, it’s so hard to resist your charms. And I really don’t want you to grow up so fast, so I keep hanging onto your baby days. You make my heart melt with your adorable smile and big green eyes. You remind me so much of your dad… you both always seem to have that unique ability to get me to laugh or smile when I don’t want to. I hate it for all the women that will come and go in your future… they are going to have a rough time with you, my little charmer.

You have grown up a lot, despite your desire to still be babied every day. In the past year, you have actually grown enough for us to justify buying you new clothes. J For what seems like the past three years, we have just added a bit to your wardrobe each year because you’ve been wearing the same size forever. You are growing taller and skinnier each day. I wish I could get you to eat more, but you really just don’t require much food. You don’t like a large variety of foods. You take the same thing for your lunch every single day – spaghetti-o’s (or red soup as you call it), cherry tomatoes, grapes, pepperoni, a boiled egg (ugh, the smell makes me want to die), yogurt, and a nutri-grain bar. Occasionally, we can mix it up with some trail mix, raisins, and strawberries. That’s about all you’ll really eat. You love cereal, pop tarts, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and fries… oh… and spaghetti, pizza, and Mexican dip. That’s all. I really think that is everything that you would eat. You love soda… love it. I have to sit mine up high where you can’t reach it or you’ll sneak it up to your room and hide to drink it all. And, you’ll drink the entire can in one steady stream, just like you are drinking a baby bottle. It’s awful. J You are my baby, though. I love soda, too.

You have most recently decided that you want to grow up (sometimes) and get big muscles like your daddy. I love that you have begun idolizing him so much. I heard you telling one of the neighborhood kids the other day that your daddy’s muscles were huge and he could beat up everyone… except the Hulk, of course. J You are still obsessed with superheroes, but it seems to be wavering a bit. Or maybe I should say expanding some… you are now also very interested in Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Pirates of the Caribbean. You love to reenact scenes from your favorite movies and video games… and you laugh so hard at yourself that we end up laughing with you even when we have no idea what you are doing or saying. You have a great sense of humor… unless it’s morning time. In which case, God help anyone within earshot. You are still hateful and whiney until you eat. I started waking you up about 30 minutes early and feeding you before I get you dressed or anything else… and that seems to really make a big difference.

You played soccer in the fall and the spring… and you really seem to love it that your dad coaches you. I don’t think you really care that much about soccer – you just like it that you get to play with your friend, Warren, and that your dads are the coaches. I asked you to play basketball and/or t-ball, but you stuck with soccer only. You did do swimming lessons all winter at the YMCA and you are incredible at swimming. You make it look very effortless (which is probably because you don’t really try that hard), and I keep thinking that if you actually applied your full ability to it, you’d be awesome at it. But, I’m being patient and not pushing you… I hope it’s something you want to do as you get a bit older. You’ve got the perfect little build for it and you really seem to be talented at it.

The theme for you, Jake, seems to be that you have so much potential in everything. You are so smart… you are so funny… you are so athletic… but you just don’t seem to care to try. You are still very immature. And, while it sometimes drives your dad and I crazy, because we know you have so much more potential, we also realize that you are 5. And, we also realize that you are stubborn like both of us. And, if we push you too hard, you are only going to totally rebel against us. So… we sit and patiently wait for you to decide that you want to apply yourself.

With that being said, we made the decision to give you a full year of maturity before sending you to Kindergarten. Yes… we are sacrificing and paying another year’s worth of tuition (J) at LCA for you to go to Transitional Kindergarten… to take your time to mature and grow into the Jake that we see just under the surface of your charms. We know that you could totally do Kindergarten this year, but we also know that a year’s worth of growth has made a huge difference in the past year… so I know it will be better for you in the long run.

Plus, you are learning so many wonderful things at LCA… your prayers are enough to make me beam for days. I think my heart will melt when you ask me to say a prayer with you on the way to school… and then you pray that it won’t rain so that you can play on the playground. J The innocence of your age and the sweetness of you saying, “Thank you, God… I wuv you” reminds me that I could be such a better child of God myself.

Your sweet little smile and your big eyes are enough to make anyone smile. I hope that you will always keep your sweetness, and your stubborness, too, because I know that it will make you such a strong and compassionate leader. I hope that you will never outgrow giving me hugs and kisses whenever you feel the need, that you'll always come into the room just to tell me you love me, that you'll always be such a good little brother to your sister, and that you'll always admire your dad.

I'm sorry I'm always late on these things, Jake, but I hope that one day you'll remember that I was spending a lot of time beating your butt at video games, taking you out for a run or a bike ride, playing the damsel in distress for you to rescue, dancing with you to our favorite (country) tunes, and taking you all over the place to enjoy life. You are the most amazing little boy (my favorite in the world) and I love you with all my heart... to the moon and back.

Love,
Mom

My Baby is Seven

2012-05-02T23:06:00.002-04:00

In the past month, both of my babies have had birthdays.

Sigh. I'm so behind... and blogging is just the last thing on the list to get done.

Sigh.

Seven sounds so much older than 6. I don't know why, but it feels like she is almost 10 now... not just a little over 5.

It was tough when I was talking to Brad about planting some trees in our yard and I said something about planting a tree that would be big enough for a treehouse right behind the kids' swingset... and he said, "By the time that the tree would get big enough, the kids will have outgrown treehouses and swingsets." The pit in my stomach got huge... and tears welled up just a little. Is that possible? Time has slipped that far away already?

It made me regret not planting those trees years ago... regret not realizing that the time was going faster than I wanted, even though I seemed to know that it was.

Sigh.

Dear Bailey,

I can't believe how fast time has flown by since you were born. It seems like yesterday when you were kicking me in the ribs and then remaining completely still for hours, worrying me over and over. Then, I think about the past year, and I truly can't believe how fast it has gone by. It hasn't been the easiest year since your birth. As a matter of fact, it's been my favorite year, but also the hardest. First grade has just been rough. But, you're becoming so much more grown up.

You are so smart... we are so proud of how well you do at school. You love to learn, often surprising everyone with how well you read, with how many things you can remember (all 50 states, the Preamble of the Constitution, many of the Presidents of the United States, basic facts about random things, like fun facts about Helen Keller, President Reagan, and Anne Frank), and how you seem to have so much common sense about solving problems. You seem to remember everything anyone tells you and you love to make sure that we know what everyone has told you, too. You love to talk... sometimes completely wearing us out. But, you are beginning to understand when it is appropriate to talk about things and when you need to quiet down. I'm putting heavy emphasis on the "beginning" part of that sentence. :)

Over the past year, you've become more sensitive about things... more self-conscious. It's not something I love about watching you grow up. It is hard to see you worry about things. You have always been so confident... so sure of yourself. There have been times over the past year where I've seen you hold back... wring your shirt with nervousness... or ask me if I think you look pretty or are doing good at something. It's hard being a mom on those days. I hate the thought of you feeling like you are less than perfect. In my eyes, you couldn't be more perfect.

I have reminded you over the past year of all of my favorite things about you. I try to tell you everyday how beautiful you are and how smart and sweet you are. You are one of the most caring people I have ever met... you genuinely care about other people and spend so much time worrying about taking care of others that you often have to be reminded to take care of yourself. Sometimes it seems like you are being nosey or a little bit of a busy body, but mostly you are just wanting to be a part of everything and making sure to help your friends do everything "right."

I am so impressed by how happy you are almost all of the time. Every morning, you wake up with a smile on your face. Even on days when you are tired or not feeling great, you are smiling. You are happy with whatever the day will bring... it makes life so much better for me. I love that everyday, even when Jake is whining and yelling and crying about hating mornings and life altogether, you try to find the bright side of things and make him smile. You make me feel like a really crappy person, because you are always being so sweet and I'm ready to just karate chop Jake. :)

With that being said, you still have some bad moments. You'll snap at me or your dad or Jake over the smallest things sometimes. You tend to be a little more mouthy than I expected (I have no idea where you got it from haha) and sometimes we butt heads over EVERYTHING. It seems like there are days when we really just snap at each other over and over all day long. It is not perfect, I tell you. I am trying to learn to let you win a few battles here and there so that I don't break your spirit... but there's a fine line where I also want you to learn to respect me (and other adults). Thankfully, you don't seem to be so mouthy with others... just with us. lol

You haven't lost any of your zest and energy for life. You want to sign up for everything and be a part of everything. I can relate, as I often feel the same way. In the past year, you have been involved with Girl Scouts, soccer, t-ball, swimming, tennis, and you've taken several theatre and art classes. Every time we have to register for something, we have to have serious discussion about what you really want to do. It's not easy, because you really do want to do everything. With that being said, you seem to have found a real passion for swimming. You are growing into a very good swimmer and I'm very proud of how far you have come over the past couple of months. You have breezed through each lesson and moved up to the next level without any trouble. You were in one of the top classes during the last session, which is typically one that takes a little longer to progress through. I should have told you that beforehand, because when it came time to see who moved up, you were deeply upset by the fact that you didn't move up to the next level. You cried for over an hour, which I totally didn't expect. It was heartbreaking to watch you hurt, but I think I finally got through to you when we talked about how you have to work hard in everything and sometimes it takes longer than we want to accomplish our goals. The good thing to come from this is that we saw that you really had found a passion... something that you are dying to do every single day. We had hoped that we would "know" when we saw what you loved. I've often felt like we are just grasping at straws with different sports... trying things to see if you like them, but never "really" knowing if you love any of it. So, despite the fact that we had already signed you up for soccer for the spring, we are continuing with swimming lessons, too. So, our schedules are staying busy.

You love art. You love nature. You love to read. No one would believe that if they were around you on a regular basis, because you are so energetic. No one would guess that you can be calm and thoughtful, quiet almost, in thinking about all of the beauty of the world. I recently told your dad that I thought we were raising little tree-huggers, because we are always talking about waste, recycling, growing things, conserving water, etc. Later that very same day, we had planted some trees in the yard... you came out and said, "Oh... that tree is so cute. Can I just give it a hug?" I thought I'd fall over with laughter.

Physically, you have grown so much over the past year. It is that growth that often makes you kind of clumsy. I remember being just like you... growing a lot really early on, feeling clumsy all the time. The good news is that I stopped growing at about age 10, with the exception of about a half inch... so if you are like me, you'll be full grown in a couple of years. :) I can't promise that the clumsiness will go away... you are my daughter, after all. :)

I love that you still believe in things like Santa Claus, but you are very realistic about other things. You know the difference between most things fantasy and fiction. I hate that someone in a leadership role in your life told you that Rudolph wasn't real at Christmas time. You weren't sure what you should believe, but I was able to pull out a reason to keep you believing. I hate it that so many people want to rush you and the kids your age into growing up so soon. You are so smart and so mature, but you should get to enjoy just being a kid for a while. I am so hopeful that we will get to Disney this year... before you completely lose your love of fantasy. Oh, who am I kidding? I am still excited to get to see Cinderella's castle again... I guess you can't outgrow it. :)

I love that your friendships have become such a big part of your life. It seems like nearly every week you are either inviting someone over or being invited over to someone's home for a play date or a sleepover. I love the little girls that you are friends with... they are so sweet and fun... and you guys have so much fun together. I hope that they'll be lifelong friends for you and that you guys don't go through the mean girls phase.

Your friendship with me is one of my favorite things in the world. When we aren't arguing over something like you talking back or not cleaning up your room like I asked you to 500 times, we have a great time. We have a great time having girls' nights... and you love to help me do everything (except clean up your toys). We talk about everything and I love that you will ask me questions about anything and everything. I try really hard to answer any of your questions honestly and openly. They are getting tougher... so I'm wondering how I'm going to handle some of the questions that I'm sure will come over the next three years. It makes me appreciate this age even more. :)

Your relationship with your daddy cracks me up. You want him to baby you, but you are quick to ignore him or argue with him about anything and everything. You get frustrated with him when he doesn't do things as fast as you want, but you still want to crawl up in his lap like a little baby whenever you get a chance. It's quite funny to me to see you interact... it reminds me a lot of my relationship with my daddy... except that my daddy wasn't as big of a pushover as yours is. :) Well... maybe... :)

And, probably my favorite relationship you have is the one you have with Jake. I don't think I've ever met a little girl who loves her brother as much as you do. Jake recently had stitches and you were more worried about him than anything. You were so sweet... so worried. The entire way to the ER, you were watching Jake like a hawk. I think you thought he was going to pass out or something. Of course, he didn't... but you didn't take your eyes off of him.

Bailey, even if you weren't my daughter, I would think you are the coolest little girl in the world. I love your sweetness and spunk. Your frilly girl style and your tomboy toughness. Your personality is amazing... you can make anyone feel like they are the center of the world. I don't really enjoy certain phases that you go through... the know-it-all-ness and the mouthiness. But, at the same time, I love your strength and passion and I would not trade you for anyone in this world. I hope that you remain strong, both physically and mentally, and that you always do everything with kindness in your heart. I hope that as you grow, you find the perfect balance in everything... because I think that's the key to happiness. If I had any advice to give you at this point in your life, it would be to act. Do all the things you love. Don't worry about what anyone else in the world thinks or likes. Be you... because there isn't anyone else that could be more perfect.

I love you more than the world itself! Happy birthday, baby girl.

Love,
Mom

Gratefulness Post... I don't know how to number this :)

2012-03-21T23:34:00.003-04:00

Well, I haven't posted these in a while... and I have been trying to keep track of them. Shew... I don't know what it is, the new job? The kids' schedules? Bailey's birthday party prep? Dirty house? Laundry? I don't know... I think it might be all of the above. :) Anyway... I'm posting the ones that I have ready and will post some more later this week. I'm not sure anyone wants to read each and every day anyway. :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - Hmm. Today, I have had to think a little more on what I want to post. I had a good day. Nothing was bad about it; it was just busy and a run of the mill kind of day. So, I'm going small. Today, I am grateful for my crock pot. Yes. I know. It sounds silly. But, I am very grateful for it. We had dinner last night and today already cooked when we got home. Dinner on the table about 10 minutes after I get home... I just can't ask for more than that, right?

Thursday, February 23, 2012 - I forgot to write anything down... but every night, I think about how I want to write how grateful I am that my babies sleep together each night. There's nothing sweeter to me than walking in to check on them to see them all cuddled up together sound asleep.

Friday, February 24, 2012 - Tonight, I am grateful for cousins. I drove a couple of hours after work to get Bailey to my cousin's little girl's birthday party. I was tired. I wasn't really wanting to make the trip. But, I had promised my baby girl that she wouldn't miss the sleepover. So, we drove. And, I was so happy that I did. It wasn't only fun for Bailey to get to hang out with her cousins... something that I wish we were able to arrange more often... but it was fun for me, too. I stopped and picked up my mom along the way and we hung out with my cousins, their families, and my good friend, Lisa. It was fun laughing about everything under the sun, watching our little girls all act just like us or completely opposite of us (mainly). It's great to have lifelong friends and family that you can go years without seeing, but can get right back into your old friendships within minutes. Love you girls!

Saturday, February 25, 2012 - Grateful that my baby girl actually took a nap in the car on the way home from Louisa. I don't think that has happened in, well, maybe years. :) And she did it without any whining or fighting it... she just said she was going to sleep and then did. We might have a grown up girl yet. :)

Sunday, February 26, 2012 - Today, I'm grateful that the kids had friends over to spend the night last night and they didn't get up until 8 a.m. I was fully anticipating a 6 or 7 a.m. wake up from them all... with them demanding pancakes. :)

Monday, February 27, 2012 - Today, I'm so thankful for the sweetest little boy in the world... and for the Christian preschool that is teaching him compassion and prayer. He asked me if we could pray on our way to swimming lessons tonight (it's not that uncommon for Jake to ask, which I have to say completely melts my heart). His prayer had me nearly in tears. One of his friends, C., became a big brother this past week. C's baby brother was born prematurely and is in the hospital. He is looking great, making big strides in a very short time, but my son's teachers have been praying with the kids about it this week. I felt chills when my Jakey prayed, "Dear God, Please make C's baby brother big and strong. Help him feel happy and help him get big. Don't let him be sick anymore, God. He needs to be strong like my daddy. Oh. And, I love you, God. Amen." Maybe I won't complain about that tuition bill ever again.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 - Today, I am grateful for sun shining in my work window. I am grateful that I feel so wonderful about my choice to take this job. I feel like I am actually in the right spot at the right time. It feels really reassuring. I'm one week in, already busy, and feeling really good about it all. I'm even more grateful that our macaw (yes, a bird lives at my work, as well as a variety of other jungle animals), decided to not sound like an alarm this morning when I went in. Maybe he's getting used to me. :)

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - The extra day for the year! I'd be lying if I said I felt like today was an extra day. Instead, it felt like one of the most rushed days ever! But, I'm grateful for a husband who is able to help me get the kids to and from swimming lessons, school, and all that jazz. Bailey got a last minute invite to go with a friend to an Army Band concert tonight. So, we rushed her home after swimming lessons, she scarfed down some dinner, and off she went. Thankfully, she is easy when it comes to rushing. She multitasks just like me. :)

Thursday, March 1, 2012 - I can't believe it is March. Slightly panicking that Bailey's party is 23 days away and I have done nothing. Eek! Very grateful today for a night without any big plans. Hopeful for a few minutes to catch up on the blog. lol.

Friday, March 2, 2012 - Forever grateful tonight that we did not get hit by one of the tornadoes that plagued our part of the world today. Forever grateful that our school system called school out early so that we could safely have our babies at home in the event that something happened. So grateful for an incredible workplace and co-workers who didn't bat an eye when I said I had to leave to the get the kids. So grateful that Brad's awesome company let him come home early to be safe with us. Incredibly grateful for a good friend who told us we could come to her home and basement if we needed to. So very grateful that the storm practically by-passed us. So grateful that my grandfather's house was somehow protected from the winds that destroyed his two barns and our extended family's home.

Saturday, March 3, 2012 - So completely overwhelmed with gratefulness today. So many homes and lives destroyed in our state. So many people left with nothing. Words simply cannot express how grateful I am to be safe and to know my family is safe.

Sunday, March 4, 2012 - Grateful today for life. Just life in all its simplicity.

Gratefulness Posts Week 6 & 7

2012-02-21T22:51:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 (Day 39/366) - Thankful for having a day off from running today.

Thursday, February 9, 2012 (Day 40/366) - I'm grateful today for my little swimming babies. Watching them swim today was extra fun... Jake spends most of his time at the bottom of the pool these days, holding his breath for incredible amounts of time. I laugh at how well his little lungs do. I guess being small means that you don't need tons of oxygen because you don't have much of a body to push air to. :) Bailey was my little rock star today, diving like a pro. I love to watch her learn... and she is learning so much.

Friday, February 10, 2012 (Day 41/366) - Thankful for a great night of fun with my hubby. See post here for more info.

Saturday, February 11, 2012 (Day 42/366)- Today and tonight was fabulous. I missed my kids, because that's what I do when they are away for the weekend. But, Brad and I had a nice, enjoyable, slow morning and afternoon. We ate a late breakfast at Ramsey's. Oh. My. Goodness. The food was enough to feed an army. We needed it after a late night of skiing. Then, we went home and relaxed for a couple of hours... Brad napped while I worked on the computer. We worked out at the YMCA, then went to Drake's for sushi and fish tacos, which I am still wanting more of as I type. And, that's when the night got really fun. We went home and got dressed up in 1950's gear for the Living Arts & Science Center's H'Artful of Fun. My hubby was so cute... and we had a great time. We hung out with new and old friends (one of those old friends being a former middle school classmate of mine). It was fun.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 (Day 43/366) - Today, I am grateful to have my babies home. I am grateful for their sweet hugs and kisses and their plans for a Family Night. I'm grateful that they want to play games with us instead of spending their time doing their own thing. I'm grateful that those games include physical games that we can play on the XBox Kinect... and mind-stimulating games, like board games and cards. I am grateful for a night together... and can't help but thank God for the changes that 2012 has already brought to our small little family's life.

Monday, February 13, 2012 (Day 44/366) - I am thankful for a very patient little boy. We spent 2 hours in line at Sandersville Elementary this morning so that we could hold a spot for him in Kindergarten, just in case we decide to move forward with starting him in regular Kindergarten next year. Transitional Kindergarten is really what we think we will do, but I wanted to be safe and have him a spot at Sandersville, just in case. Jake was so patient as we waited in the long line. He was so patient as I filled out paperwork. He patiently asked me to play Rock Paper Scissors with him. He patiently waited when we had to drive to Frankfort to get a copy of his birth certificate. Truly, I have never been so impressed with his patience. He definitely would have preferred to stay home and play in his PJs all day, but he didn't complain (much anyway). Maybe he is growing up a little bit. :)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 (Day 45/366)- Hallmark's holiday. Normally, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I kind of think it's silly... trying to find one day each year that everyone in the world should be in love and romantic. I'd much rather have love and romance at a random point in the year... making it a little less expected and routine. But, I am grateful that I have a hubby I love and two fabulous kids to smother with love. Since Brad and I spent our weekend together, we counted that as our Valentine's Day celebration. Tuesdays aren't exactly ideal for us to have a romantic date or anything anyway... it is by far the busiest day of our week. Anyway, I had been pinning things on pinterest for months about Valentine's Day. There were so many cute ideas. Of course, I barely did any of them... instead, I cut the kids sandwiches into hearts. I put conversation heart candy into their lunchboxes. I wrote "Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Mom and Dad" on their ziplock bags in their lunches. I am so grateful that both of our kids were able to have parents at their school today - I went to Jake's Valentine's Day party; Brad went to Bailey's showcase. So very grateful to be able to be there for these little big moments in their lives.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 (Day 46/366)- Just so very grateful for breakfast for dinner and how easy it is to fix for dinner. Also, we watched the movie, The Help. It was good, but not as good as the book has been!

Thursday, February 16, 2012 (Day 47/366)- So very proud of our kiddos... both of them are moving on up to the next level in swimming lessons. They are excelling so much... and I'm just so proud. I know it's not like they are moving into Olympic swimming here, but you know, it's important that I am grateful for how well they do. I am also really grateful for a great last day at my job at BCTC. The people I worked with there are good people... and I will sorely miss their friendship and our regular discussion.

Friday, February 17, 2012 (Day 48/366)- The beginning of a long weekend! I am grateful for a kitchen full of groceries and a dinner plan for the next two weeks. It's the little things that make me happy some days. Also, grateful for the Redbox and a night of cuddling and watching movies. And, grateful to have finished my first audiobook, The Help.

Saurday, February 18, 2012 (Day 49/366)- Thankful to have week 7 of 18 complete in the marathon training program. I still haven't committed to doing this thing, but I'm feeling good about it. Tired, but feeling like I might be able to pull it off. Ran 12 miles in the most perfect running weather today.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 (Day 50/366)- I am grateful for sweet kids at church to make me smile. Grateful for a husband who took the kids to the YMCA to swim today while I cleaned. Very excited to surprise the kids on Monday with a skiing trip to Perfect North on our day off!

Monday, February 20, 2012 (Day 51/366)- Tonight, I am so completely thankful for the kids and their really awesome ability to hang in there and try anything. We took them skiing today... the second time for Jake and the third time for Bailey. They were awesome... brave... and I thought my heart would explode from pride as I watched them fearlessly take it on. We had so much fun... so much fun... that it truly deserves a post all on its own. So, that is next. :) But, for this post... know that I'm so grateful for my babies and their awesomeness... their courage, their sweetness, and the sheer fact that they are so incredibly fun. Oh... and the fact that I marked off another list item to SNOWTUBE! :) And, it was AMAZINGLY FUN!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 (Day 52/366)- I am thankful for a great first day at my new job. I am so thankful for nice co-workers who made me feel welcome, for a great (and long) meeting with my boss to discuss the plans and get directly to work, and for the feeling that I'm where I need to be. I am even more grateful that Bailey loved her after school program and Jake was disappointed to see me when I picked him up. That is a good thing... they don't seem to have any issues with this adjustment at this point and I could not be happier.

Our Throwback Date Night

2012-02-12T22:59:00.000-05:00

It was about a month before Brad and I got married when we moved out of each of our apartments (mine in Richmond, Kentucky; his in Smithers, West Virginia) and moved into our own joint place. The day that we moved was one of the longest days of our lives. Moving us always takes a lot, because we both keep too many things... So, we started moving out of my place at like 6 a.m. and finished moving the last of Brad's stuff (well, almost all of it) at like 2 a.m. that night. It was exhausting. That night, Brad and I were starved. We hadn't really had much for dinner. I don't really remember us actually eating dinner. What I do remember and will forever be in my head, is eating the best tasting Funyons, Snicker's bar, and Diet Mt. Dew ever.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, this past weekend, Brad and I had what I'm referring to as a "throwback" date night. No, I know it sounds like we threw back a bunch of beer. We've had those weekends, too, but not this weekend. :) On Friday, after I dropped the kids to the grandparents for a weekend of complete and utter spoiling, I rushed home, started pulling out all of our ski clothes and got ready for a night of night skiing. I have been watching the Facebook photos on Perfect North, Winterplace, and Snowshoe for weeks. Honestly, I was almost mad at a lady who works with me who told me that she was going to Snowshoe for a weekend, but that she would just read a book and not ski. Ugh. I'd love to be going to Snowshoe. Anyway... getting back on track here...

... when Brad and I were first married and living in West Virginia, we went night skiing a lot. I would pack all of our stuff the night before, load it into the car, and as soon as we would get off of work on a Thursday night, we would make a mad dash out of town to hit the slopes. I can even remember us changing clothes in the car, on the way up to Winterplace, just to maximize the amount of time we had on the slopes. We would eat in the car... we would share pizza and water at the resort... whatever we could do to make sure that we spent as little as possible so that maybe we'd get to go again in just a week or two. We would spend the evening skiing/snowboarding as much as possible, taking breaks only when we absolutely had to, and talking non-stop about how amazing some of the little kids on skis were. We made big plans to have our kids learning to ski early... to maybe even move closer to Beckley once our kids were older so that we could get season passes... we quite simply were bitten by the bug.

We spent a few weekends at Snowshoe... it was wonderful. I miss it. Every. Single. Year. One weekend, we drove to Snowshoe in a snowstorm. The roads were so bad that the lines weren't even visible. I look back and wonder what in the hell we were thinking driving up there like that. But, we made it safely (thanks to our awesome Ford Escape and a husband who likes to drive in the snow). And, we had an amazing time.

As with everything, life got busier. We moved to Lexington. Promises to keep skiing and to make annual trips without the kids and with the kids, well, they fell to the wayside. Expenses on this or that came up. Summer vacations aren't something we were willing to trade... babies were too small to go and mom guilt was too strong to leave.

Last year, we took the kids skiing at Perfect North and they did wonderfully. So, making the decision to go without them was really tough. But, I looked at the night skiing rates and times, knowing that it would be a long, late, and probably cold night... a little tough on two kids, no matter how awesome they are. I sent Brad the link, convinced him that it wouldn't be much more expensive than a really nice dinner and a movie, with the exception of the gas money, and decided we would do this. I even decided to try snowboarding, since I've used the excuse that "I can't try to learn to snowboard AND help the kids" for the past two years. It's on my list to learn to snowboard... so I have been pretty excited to get this one marked off. I had no reason not to try. I didn't tell the kids the plan though. I just couldn't bear to see the look on my daughter's face when I told her. :)

So, we left for Perfect North as soon as Brad got home from work. I was sitting by the door waiting on him. :) We stopped on the way up, grabbed Subway for the road, and kept on driving. It was fun. It was like old times. We even laughed about how it felt just the same. I was nervous about snowboarding, just like I used to get nervous about skiing. It felt just like it used to.

We made it to Perfect North in time for me to take a snowboarding lesson, which I was thrilled about. There weren't many people there and my lesson was just me and the instructor. It made it really nice... and I was able to pick up on it so much faster than I expected. It was different than when I learned to ski. I was terrified of falling then. There were people everywhere and I was scared to run into someone. This time, I was ready to fall. I knew I would fall and it wouldn't hurt that bad. I felt stronger. And, I was decent. If I had an entire day on the slopes, I would have it. Maybe not great, but I would be able to go on some long runs. I wasn't able to on Friday. I snowboarded for about 2 hours, then switched to my skis so that I could go with Brad to the top of the mountain and enjoy the few short hours we had. It was great. It was so great that the thought of moving back to West Virginia popped in my head at least five times. It has been years since that thought has even crossed my mind.

We were exhausted at the end of the night... my legs hurt from the workout. I was a little cocky with myself... as soon as I got on my skis, I had felt stronger. My legs were just plain stronger than they were the last time I went. The running is paying off. :) But, with that strength came some arrogance and I skiied faster and harder than usual. I worked myself harder, probably too early in the night, and then my legs were done. We left at midnight... starved and cold... and feeling so good and tired. We stopped at the nearest gas station in town and bought coffee and hot chocolate. We wandered the aisles a few times, looking for a snack. Brad grabbed two Snicker's bars. I grabbed a bag of Funyon's. We were exhausted and hungry... it was a late night... we had stopped with empty bellies, happy to have had finished a great night. I have rarely eaten a bag of Funyon's without remembering that night we moved... but I wasn't sure about Brad. I smiled when he recognized the similarity... it was the perfect ending to our "throwback" night.

And, for the record, we drove in snow to get home, too... but we could actually see the lines on the road for most of the way. :)

Gratefulness Post Week 5 (I think...). :)

2012-02-09T12:53:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 (Day 31/366) - I am grateful for my iPod. I had to run 5 miles indoors. If it was not for my iPod, I would have lost it. Period.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 (Day 32/366) - I am grateful for a very positive meeting this morning, a big decision to make, and dinner and drinks with a great friend and former co-worker. I am thankful for snuggly hugs and kisses from my babies before they fall to sleep... for great conversations with those same "babies," who seem to be growing into such mature little kids with such fabulous abilities to understand the real world.

Thursday, February 2, 2012 (Day 33/366) - Timing. Hard decisions, but good secure feelings in those decisions. Yesterday, I was offered a full-time development director position at the Living Arts & Science Center. I had turned this very same job down a few years ago for a variety of reasons, but primarily because I wanted to spend more time with the kids and I was able to do that because Brad had received a promotion. So, when it came back up, I had to really debate if I was interested. It's a funny thing... timing. Jake is about to go to school full time in the fall. A full-time job was definitely something I was toying with, but not sure about... so when this came up, well, I just had to take advantage. I have loved the Living Arts & Science Center's mission and programs for years... and now I'm going to get to play a major role in its future. Pretty exciting (and nerve-wracking) stuff. :)

My favorite thing about this? My kids' response. I talked to each of them separately to make sure they weren't going to be upset... that they would understand and be OK with this. Bailey was immediately excited. She could go to after-school care with some of her friends. Social time... that's all she was concerned about. She even tried to help me figure out the best angle to pitch this to Jake. Geez. She is so going to be a fundraiser. Eek. I feel bad for her. :) Jake and I had to talk for a while and I'm still not 100% sure he understands. I talked to him about how he is turning 5 and has to go to school 5 days when he's 5. So, we talked a lot about how he has to practice for Kindergarten, etc. He was all about it before it was over... even asked me today if it's only 2 weeks until he gets to go 5 days like big kids.

So, more changes for the Ootens. Brad has a new job... so do I. That wasn't really in the plan, but I think it will work. I think we'll be happy and the kids will be able to adjust. I sure hope so. These things make me pretty nervous, even when I'm the big embracer of change. :) I sure am going to miss my Mondays and Fridays though. Better stop typing before I change my mind. haha.

Friday, February 3, 2012 (Day 34/366) - A cleaned out AND washed car. Olive Garden for dinner. The sweetest "I love yous" from the kids. I love them so much.

Saturday, February 4, 2012 (Day 35/366) - An awesome little boy's birthday party, where I got to meet a friend face to face that I met through blogging (and through Brad and Rebecca). Enjoying time at the birthday party where my kids just run and play and have a great time and I get to talk and catch up with friends, too. My cute hubby and his funny little quirks... his constant ability to remember movie lines, the way that he acts like it is such a hassle to take Jake down the big inflatable slide, even though he's dying to get on it himself. It's nice having him back to normal and less stressed. :) Running 10 miles at the YMCA track. It was horribly boring. 160 laps on the track. I just can't say anything else to describe how awful it was, but that I am thankful that I did it instead of running in the rain. Renting movies at the Redbox and cuddling on our couch as a family to watch them. I love a good fighting movie... it was great seeing Real Steel and Warrior. Totally got my testosterone fix there. :)

Sunday, February 5, 2012 (Day 36/366) - GIANTS WIN THE SUPER BOWL!!!! We had a great time with friends and got to watch Brad's favorite team of all time win. :) Extremely thankful that I was able to drive a happy hubby home and not a devastated one. Had the Giants lost, I would have not heard the end of it for weeks.

Monday, February 6, 2012 (Day 37/366) - Deep cleaning at the house. I am grateful for... um.... a functioning vaccuum cleaner? Sigh. It was a good day, despite all the cleaning. And, I'm thankful for this post by my friend, Sammye Jo. Totally took advantage of her tip to freeze sandwiches and have a week's supply of lunch for myself and Bailey already in the freezer. No more buying those overpriced Uncrustables for me. Sheesh... I wonder why it is that I never thought to freeze sandwiches? Sometimes I wonder how much of my brain goes unused each day. :)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 (Day 38/366) - Happy birthday to Cory! Thankful to have a little brother who has taught me so much over the years... someone to reminisce with about the good ole days and laugh about all of our crazy fights. I love having a brother... I'm so lucky to have two incredible ones.

Sorry for no pics this week... doing good to just get this one posted today and it's ALREADY THURSDAY! CRAZY TIME! :)

Gratefulness Post Week 4

2012-01-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 (Day 24 of 366) - I am so proud of the kids today... Bailey came home with her test scores from school, testing out at fabulous levels in reading and math. She exceeded her mid-year goals by 6 points for reading and 3 points for math. When I told her that she rocked it, she smiled and said, "That means we are going to Orange Leaf tonight." Apparently, the last time we went, I was telling the kids that it was a special occasion place (it's a bit pricey for ice cream or frozen yogurt for 4 people)... I apparently said something about it being a good place to go to celebrate good grades on report cards and great efforts in sporting events, etc. My never forgetful daughter was on it as soon as I said she did great. So, we had Orange Leaf. Jake also impressed me today... he did fabulous at swimming lessons. He has been kind of lazy (Jake's favorite) at his lessons. He's only going to do enough to get by. But, today, I think his teacher saw that he could do more than he has been and she told him to do it all alone. He swam all the way across the pool and back, using proper stroke technique. She laughed when the lesson was over, because she had just recommended that he stay in the same class for another month. She said I could move him up, but that it would probably be good for him to have to work a little bit harder before going to the next level. So, I told him that he has to swim like that at each lesson if he wants to move to the next level. He understands that concept... I think he thinks he's moving up to a new level on a video game or something. Haha. In any case, I am thrilled to see that all their hard work is paying off... and that they are really applying themselves.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (Day 25/366) - I say it all the time, but I seriously am grateful for my "second family" of friends. It isn't always easy to have a date night, especially an impromptu one, or to have time to go to some work-type functions that don't include kids when most of your family lives 2 hours away. I am not complaining about my family at all... they all step up and help us every single time we need them. But, sometimes, you just need to be able to leave the kids for a couple of hours to go and have adult time. That's where our second family comes in... so many of our friends have taken turns watching our kiddos from time to time so that we can spend a couple of hours out. I am so completely thankful to have them... to know that the kids are probably more excited to hear that they are spending an evening with them than to spend it with us on most days. Thanks to Paul and Rebecca for keeping the little people entertained for us tonight. I totally appreciate it. And, while I'm at it, I'm also pretty grateful for some good food and drinks with my hubby tonight. It was good to get out... to take time to talk about nothing and everything. I also am thankful to live in a city where I can always think of a handful of places that I've never been (sometimes more than others) and where we can have a chance to try new things out. :)

Thursday, January 26, 2012 (Day 26/366) - Today, I'm thankful for an awesome mother-in-law, who came to watch the kids for us tonight so that we could go out with Paul and Rebecca to a fabulous fundraiser. I'm thankful for a new dress and a gorgeous husband who pulled the car around in the rain for me, so I wouldn't have to get soaked after the event. I'm thankful for amazing food, paired with delicious wine, and wonderful friends to share immature "that's what she said" looks and snickers over silly things that more mature adults would never dream of. I'm extremely grateful for a wonderful life tonight.

Friday, January 27, 2012 (Day 27/366) - Good food. A visit from family... Brad's mom, my parents, my brother, and his girlfriend... me getting to go grocery shopping alone. A good simple day. Oh... and awesome comments on my new Facebook profile pic. You guys totally know how to make a girl feel good. :)

Saturday, January 28, 2012 (Day 28/366) - I woke up to the sounds of my family in the house. Not just my kids and hubby, but my brother, his girlfriend, my parents, and Brad's mom, too. Not all of them were up and at it yet, but it was nice knowing we were all under one roof. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have a family that I love so much? My baby brother was already dressed in his running gear when I dragged into the kitchen. He was waiting for me... I had talked him into a 9-mile run. I was totally dreading the run alone, so I was thrilled when he said he'd try to do the whole thing with me. I knew it was a sacrifice for him... not only because he has no real desire to run 9 miles, but also because he'd have to run it at a really slow pace if he didn't want to leave me in a cloud of dust. So... off we went. The first 7 miles weren't bad... I thought it was great temperature-wise, but Colt was freezing. :) He'd rather run in the heat. I think I'm all alone in this love for the cold weather... but oh well. After mile 7, I could really feel the pain in my hips, which was kind of weird since they don't hurt usually, but I pushed through and finished out the complete 9. It was great running with the little brother... and it was even better to come home to a plate full of oranges and grapes that Bailey and my mom made sure were ready as soon as we walked in the door. I spent nearly the rest of the day eating, too. Gravy, biscuits, and sausage at about 11 a.m. Then, oatmeal and toast at about 1. Steak at Texas Roadhouse around 4. A bowl of cereal at about 7. Chicken salad sandwich at 9. About 30 cocktail shrimp at 10:30 p.m. I may or may not have eaten more than I am admitting publicly. :)

So, you are reading this and thinking that I've lost my mind... once again. Yes, I know it sounds crazy... and I know you wonder why I'm running 9 miles. I read an article about how runners should just not tell non-runners about running anything over 4 miles, because no matter what, non-runners will think you have lost your mind if you tell them you ran that far. I get it. I really do. I think it sounds kind of crazy, too. I was thinking about all of this while I soaked in a bubble bath with exhausted muscles and an always-growling tummy after my run. I think I run because I love the feeling of complete exhaustion. I love the way my muscles feel like they've been pushed to the edge and have survived. I love the way my skin feels a little bit tighter and slightly windburned like I've been out skiing all day or bathing in the sun. I love the emptiness in my stomach... because I know I've pushed my body to the max... and I deserve to eat and drink whatever I want, guilt-free. I think a lot of it comes from my childhood... when I was a little girl, I remember my middle brother (Cory) and I would climb in the hills, playing and running, fighting over this and that, and coming home completely exhausted and completely famished. The food could have tasted like sawdust and the bath could have been lukewarm, but in that moment... when you are exhausted and starved, everything is 100 times better. I worry my kiddos will never know exactly how that feels living in a city.

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment; full effort is full victory.” - Gandhi

Why 9 miles? I'm not sure if I'm going to do it yet, but the idea of running a marathon is always in the back of my mind... I get postcards about marathons in the mail... I see articles and beautiful photos from various marathons from around the world in my Runner's World magazine. It's all calling to me... making me want to do it. But, I'm still not sure I'm ready. The 9-miler on Saturday was the first test. I made it through without injury and without feeling like I would die. So, I'm sticking with the marathon training schedule to see how far I get. I'm not committing to this 100% yet, because part of me didn't really WANT to go farther than 9 miles. Training for a marathon means running a 20-mile training run at some point... if I'm not sure I want to go more than 9, I'm not sure I want to do 20. But, there's something to be said about the fact that I didn't hate myself for running it. And, despite my tiredness tonight, I was pretty excited about the idea of running 10 miles next weekend. There's also the whole "stress fracture and weak ankles" thing to consider, too. Until I decide, I'll keep on running...

Sunday, January 29, 2012 (Day 29/366) - Less grateful today. Had to think hard for this one... it isn't ever a FUN day when you spend most of it working on income taxes. On the brighter side, I slept in this morning. I wasn't completely sore from running. Bailey and Jake wanted to stay in all day, so we were able to be lazy. I spent at least an hour staring at a photo of Snowshoe today... crying internally... wishing we were there. Oh, I know this is supposed to be a grateful post... but geez... I would be FOREVER GRATEFUL if I could go on a weekend ski trip to Snowshoe... and maybe, just maybe, try to snowboard. Sigh. I'm grateful for other things though... Brad did dishes. I fixed myself a delicious omelet. Brad is learning one of my favorite songs on the guitar. Want more? Hmmm.... I had a dream last night that I ran a marathon... in 11 hours. I was devastated. Dawn and Maria ran it with me and were equally as slow. :) I think the marathon thing is creeping into my mind a little too much these days. :) And, I totally know that Dawn and Maria could totally run a marathon much faster than 11 hours. Oh... and really, how could I forget this... Jake can draw a stick person! He was so excited and kept drawing them. He even wrote *almost* all of his name (the K and lowercase E can give him a tough time). AND... Bailey is the sweetest sister in the world. She giggled quietly when she saw his stick man and said, "Jakey... you are doing such a great job... you are trying so hard." She was as proud as any momma. :)

Monday, January 30, 2012 (Day 30/366) - Today, I'm grateful for grilled salmon on the actual grill... outside... in January. Beautiful weather in the 60s. An outside run, even if I'm a little more sore than I thought. I'm really grateful for our DVR and a stockpile of shows to watch when we can't find anything else that interests us... less grateful for poor refereeing done in the WVU vs. Pitt game. But, as my dear friend Amanda pointed out, "Remember the Orange Bowl? 70!" :)

Gratefulness Post Week 3

2012-01-23T21:48:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 (Day 17/366) - Today, I'm thankful for food. I've been like a ravenous pig since I got back into my running routine. So, I'm thankful for food... and I have to figure out how to eat more without totally breaking the bank and/or grossing out everyone around me. I am packing my lunch to work everyday, so at least there's not that huge temptation to eat out, but I still have to figure out how to get fuller faster so that I'm not eating all of my lunch before 11 a.m. :) Suggestions of good (translation healthier) foods that fill you up fast?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 (Day 18/366) - Today, I'm thankful for late night discussions with my hubby. Sometimes they don't end well, but sometimes we have a good laugh about the things that drive us crazy about each other most. I overslept this morning because of a good episode of Justified and one of those fun discussions with Brad. My best quality in his opinion - "You are never tired." My translation of this: "Please shut up and go the f*&% to sleep." :) Which totally reminds me of this awesome video....You must watch... http://youtu.be/cQZmU2GnUdA IT IS NOT NOT NOT SAFE FOR WORK. :)

Thursday, January 29, 2012 (Day 19/366)- Great conversations with potential teachers. Tonight, I visited Jake's current preschool to discuss the possibility of him attending transitional kindergarten there in the fall. For those of you who haven't heard of this concept, it is basically a transition between preschool and kindergarten for young 5-year olds who just aren't ready for Kindergarten. Jake could do it... but the amount of fighting and corraling and dealing with tears every morning is just not worth it to me. One more year of growth is just bound to help. Anyway, more on that in another post. I'm thankful for teachers and other parents who reassure me that I'm doing the right thing. One parent said to me, "I've never heard of a parent who has said that they regret holding back their child." I thought that was a great point... and come to think of it, I never have talked to a parent who said that either.

Friday, January 20, 2012 (Day 20/366)- Tonight, I am grateful for fun times with great friends. Thankful for a night of Catch Phrase, a few too many drinks, and some dinner with Paul and Rebecca. I am thankful for comfortable recliners to fall asleep in and friends who are totally comfortable crashing at our place. And, of course, for mine and Rebecca's ability to totally understand each other's insane clues on Catch Phrase. :)

Saturday, January 21, 2012 (Day 21/366) - Today, I am thankful for the YMCA. I am thankful for a place to go and run when I just can't seem to do it outside. I'm thankful for a place for my kids to swim and grow stronger and more confident. I'm thankful for a place to entertain our kids where we don't have to shell out another $25 just for them to consume a bunch of junk and get a bunch of cheap toys to bring home.

Sunday, January 22, 2012 (Day 22/366)- Today, I'm thankful for pinto beans and cornbread. I'm thankful for pajamas. I'm thankful for great sales at Express. I'm thankful for football playoff games.

Monday, January 23, 2012 (Day 23/366)- Beautiful weather. In January. An outdoor run on a Monday night. A girl scout meeting that my friend and co-leader, Teresa, led. An ab workout with Jillian Michael's DVD with my hot hubby (and when I say hot, I mean, sweat-dripping all over the floor I just mopped hot). :)

Gratefulness Post Week 2

2012-01-18T21:18:00.003-05:00

Still grateful... :)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 (Day 10/366) - Sometimes it is the really little things in life that make me smile. Today, I truly laughed because of a package of peanuts. I had stopped at the gas station for gas and ran in to get a drink. I saw packages of peanuts and just had to have some. In the car, I decided to break them open (I am constantly starving when I have been on a running schedule). Upon opening them, I debated how to eat them... I could use my hands, politely picking one or two at a time, or I could just pour them into my mouth. I was on my way back to work and didn't want salt all over me. So, I broke out my redneck childhood moves and tossed them in my mouth. I laughed when I looked up and saw the man in the car behind me straining to see what I was doing. Immediately, I laughed about how I must look... all dressed up, tossing back peanuts from the package. And, all I could think was, "Man... if I had bought a Coke, I could totally channel my childhood and put a few in." Disgusting? Sure. Fun... ABSOLUTELY.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (Day 11/366) - I am grateful for phone conversations with my best friend... the way she laughs and asks if Jake is OK as he throws a fit in the background and I just ignore his whining so that we can continue our conversation. I love that she knows when I say, "He's fine..." that it really means, "I'm going to have to put you on hold in about two minutes to yell at him and then I'll come back and pretend that nothing just happened." I can't wait until I can return the favor for her when Steff is pissed off in the background of our conversations. :)

Thursday, January 12, 2012 (Day 12/366) - I love my husband's truck... and I am so grateful that we had it today, even though we didn't really need it. When I came out of work at 2:30 today, it was pouring the snow and I had to go all over the town to pick up the kids from school. My tires on my car are bald... I mean, really bald. So, I've been sliding a bit here and there in the rain. As soon as I saw that it was snowing, I called Brad to see if I could pick up his truck. Have I mentioned that Brad's work is about a mile from our house... and my work is about a mile from his work? Have I mentioned loving his new job? :) Anyway, I swung by and picked up the truck. It quit snowing about 10 minutes later and didn't snow again until we were all safely at home. Even though I didn't really need it, I love knowing that the truck has four wheel drive... that it can haul stuff in the rare event that we need to... and that I feel like a badass woman when I'm driving it. Haha. Really, I do... that is until I have to park it. Then, I feel like an incapable idiot. :) Also... today, I'm grateful for Kroger's sushi and for our DVR filled with new shows to watch when we are cuddled up because of snowy weather.

Friday, January 13, 2012 (Day 13/366) - I am grateful for one-hour delays at school... for complete tears from Bailey when she realized school wasn't out for a snow day... for complete belly laughs when she got to whiz a snowball at my head (and missed). I am grateful for salt trucks and underground utility wires (where I grew up, the snow often kicked off our electricity). I am grateful for the long list of friends that our kids have and for all the playdates, sleepovers, and party invitations they get.

Tonight, I am so grateful for the chance to have a date night with my husband while our kids have a sleepover at a friend's house. While Brad and I aren't the most romantic couple in the world, it is nice to get a chance to spend time together, just the two of us.

Saturday, January 14, 2012 (Day 14/366) - Today, I am thankful for so many things. I am grateful for my kids and their awesome ability to go and spend the night for the first time at their new friends' house. I'm am thankful that the parents of our kids' friends treat them so wonderfully and made them feel so good that they didn't want to leave when I went to pick them up this morning. I'm grateful for a morning at the salon, where I felt pampered just getting my haircut. I'm grateful for an evening of kids' activities... Brad taking Jake, meeting up with DW and Warren, and going to the Monster Jam at Rupp Arena; Me taking Bailey and two of her friends to see Dolphintale at the dollar theater. Jake had an amazing time, telling me when he got home all about the big trucks, the girl driver who he was rooting against only because she was a girl (yes, I'm confused about how he can be a sexist pig), and explaining it most simply by saying, "Mom... it was totally awesome." :) Bailey and her two little friends also had an equally fun time, giggling the entire way home. Their laughter is contagious and I was laughing about their silly little nonsensical jokes just as hard as they were. In a nutshell, today, I am grateful that I'm a mom... and that I married a man who is an awesome dad... and that we have two kids who appreciate the things we do together. :)

Sunday, January 15, 2012 (Day 15/366) - Church messages. I woke up this morning not wanting to crawl out of bed for church. But, I made myself go anyway. I am glad I did. Sometimes God just wants you to hear something and you just can't see it or hear it sitting at home. God - message received. :)

I'm also thankful for friendships. Rebecca gave me a shout this morning to see if we wanted to carpool to Hamburg to run errands. I had lots to buy at the grocery, so I warned her. She said she'd go anyway. I'm guessing she'll be more hesitant next time. haha :) But, we had a great time perusing some clearance racks at Target and talking girl stuff for a few hours. Then, we came home (Brad kept Bailey and her friend, Megan, and Jake and Joseph at the house), unloaded our groceries and headed to Rebecca and Paul's for dinner. I came home feeling very content. It was a great weekend.

Monday, January 16, 2012 (Day 16/366) - I am thankful for days off... for kids that are of the age to sleep in. For a good 3 mile run at the Y. For Bailey trying out new foods. For our dinner guests (Tara and family). And especially for my new food processor. Oh you know me... had to have a new project. So, this time it is all about hiding veggies in the kids' food so that they eat healthier without the uphil battle. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. :)

Gratefulness Post - Week 1

2012-01-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

In case you just started reading or didn't make it through my last LONG post... I'm trying a new project where I post pretty regularly (like more than once a month... :)) about the things I'm grateful for. In a nutshell, I'm doing the 365 (366 this year) Days of Gratefulness. However, I'm just not posting them everyday because I KNOW that won't happen. :)

Here goes!
Saturday, December 31/Sunday, January 1 - I am grateful that we had a house full of kids and adults who we love as our extended family. I am grateful that we can all make the time to be together, let our kids run amuck, shrieking, blowing horns and making entirely huge messes, making the best memories, while we pretty much do the exact same thing. I am so thankful, especially for my husband... who despite the good and bad, continues to love me and tolerate my insane antics (like taping up black table runners on the ceiling so that we can fill them with balloons to drop at midnight). I am thankful for two awesome kids who loved decorating and celebrating just as much as we did, who are low maintenance, easy-going, and don't crash and burn when we expect them to stay up to late hours to celebrate the beginning of a new year (when I'm pretty sure that they could not care less). :) I am so completely grateful for old(er) friends, Cilla and Bret, Rebecca and Paul, and Dawn and Brandon, and John... and the fact that they came from all over to celebrate with us, laugh about all of our crazy stories that they have already heard 100 times, and who have been there for us through so many of our lowest and highest points. I am equally as grateful for the many new friends that are in our lives... Kristyn and Lance, Steve and Hollee, Shane and Tatiana, and Tara and DW(even if some couldn't make it!)... for coming and having fun with us crazy people at NYE and because I know there are so many good times to come. I am thankful for our friends bringing a variety of different beers so that we could have a beer-tasting (marking off a list item before the end of the year) and for Rebecca's organization skills in making sure that I didn't forget it or the champagne/sparkling cider at the stroke of midnight. Oh... and I'm thankful that my uncles taught me how to gamble when I was a kid and I totally took Paul's money playing poker. :) Finally, I'm thankful to have my three best girl friends to wake up to on New Year's Day, knowing that we have all grown so close and so comfortable with each other's families that we all could have spent the entire day together and we still would not have been tired of each other. I miss you guys already. :)

Monday, January 2 - I am thankful for gift cards to the Outback... for cheese fries... YUM... for snowy nights at home with the kids... for my beautiful babies and their love of the snow and their excited hopefulness that we will have a snow day that closes school.

Tuesday, January 3 - I am thankful for indoor swimming pools and a successful first day of swimming lessons. I'm thankful for a hubby who brought me lunch to work when I forgot to pack my own. I'm thankful again for his new job. :)

Wednesday, January 4 - I'm thankful for a big WVU win! Records destroyed in the Orange Bowl... making an ordinary day very memorable. In case you live under a rock... here ya go:

Thursday, January 5 - I'm thankful for the chance to start running again... on a regular routine... and a schedule that allows me to still be able to watch those awesome kids do great in their swimming lessons, too.

Friday, January 6 - I'm so thankful for a little boy who loves to cuddle with his mommy, watching movies like The Hulk and asking me, "Want me to shake my butt?" for absolutely no reason at all. I'm also thankful for ice cream and frozen yogurt and delicious places like Orange Leaf. :) And some pretty nice weather... and two kids who love to dress up just to play outside.

Saturday, January 7 - I'm thankful that our kids are great travelers... that they can easily go on a car ride to eastern Kentucky for a post-holiday dinner and then turn around and make the trip home without complaint. They rock. Also, thankful for BEAUTIFUL weather... and a nice 6 mile run. I didn't think I had it in me anymore... but there it is. Now, the road is calling me again. :)

Sunday, January 8 - I'm thankful for lazy Sunday afternoons... for family nights with the kids... for a daughter who insists that we have family nights... for a daugther who would prefer to spend every waking moment trying to make everything special than to spend one second of her life bored. She is her mother's daughter for sure. :) We gotta love our Just Dance 3 and might understand why Jake insists on shaking his butt at us all the time. :)
Monday, January 9 - I'm thankful for Girl Scout meetings where the girls are awesomely sweet. I am thankful for my beautiful daughter who helps me put out the chairs and tables and then listens intently when I read them stories. I'm thankful for hand-drawn pictures that they bring to me each meeting... hugging me and smiling so sweetly. As much as it drives me crazy to be a Girl Scout troop leader, I love those little girls so much. Want to buy cookies? I'm ready to take your order. :)

I am... Behind... but Grateful.

2012-01-03T00:02:00.000-05:00

It hasn't been easy to sit down and write lately. I'm sad when I look back and realize how many good posts I could have written about the kids... the holidays... Brad... my friends... etc. over the past few months.

I might just write little snippets about things from the past couple of months for the next couple of months... or they might just go out the window and into the black hole that is my memory. :)

The past few months have brought some changes to our lives, but none bigger than Brad's new job. He started in early December and I simply cannot express how wonderful it has been for us. His new job is about a mile from our house and has strict Monday-Friday, 8-5 hours. He is home by 5:15 everyday... he has energy again... he seems so much happier and much less stressed. To put it simply, it is wonderful. I feel like I got my husband back in December.

While that makes me extremely happy, it is kind of bittersweet. I always knew how much I missed him when he was gone, but now I feel like we've missed out on so much over the past few years... and now we are "reconnecting." I feel like I found my best friend again. And, while I'm totally excited about it, I'm also a little nervous that we'll get into that rut again and we'll both forget how good it is to just hang out together. I'm hoping that 2012 helps us keep that rejuvenated friendship strong.

The holidays were wonderful... busy... and I procrastinated way too much to the last minute, but it didn't mess up a thing. The kids were so excited about it all this year. They finally understand the meaning behind it all (especially Bailey), and they really enjoyed everything we did to celebrate. This year was the first year that we have done an advent calendar. It was fun (although I was a bit ready for it to end going into the last week). We did ours a little differently than most people; I created a table of decorations with envelopes and packages that were numbered for each day in December leading up until Christmas. In each "decoration" or "package," I placed a piece of paper that said how we were celebrating the holidays that day. For example, one day, we had to bake cookies... on another day, we went to see the Christmas lights at Southern Lights. It was kind of tiring, but it was also a great way to make sure that I didn't procrastinate all of the "traditions" we celebrate until it was too late. I loved that we really did do each and everything that we love to do to celebrate.

Our Advent Calendar

Southern Lights 2011

Southern Lights 2011 Pony Ride

Southern Lights 2011

Jake's Pony Ride 2011

Jake Singing in Preschool

Christmas Tree 2011

The stockings were hung

This year was also fun because Brad and I were able to make some homemade gifts for the kids from us. And, they loved them. Brad made a gorgeous art desk for the kids. I made them both game bags, embroidered with their names, that included a hopscotch kit, tic-tac-toe set, and bingo cards. And, of course, I made them some Angry Birds... and they were totally pumped about those. All of our gifts eventually got overshadowed by the air hockey table that Santa brought and the slew of superhero sets, video games, and art supplies that they received from Santa and many family members. But, Brad and I love the idea that they will enjoy these gifts for years to come... and one day they will both look back and smile thinking about how special these gifts are. And, while the gifts were great, hearing Jake wake up Bailey to tell her that Santa had come might have been the highlight of my entire Christmas. He was so cute telling her to wake up and watching her cuddle up closer to her daddy to go back to sleep. Then, he whispered, "Santa came." And she was up and ready to roll. :) Their believing in Santa is probably one of my favorite things about Christmas with kids. They were so excited when he came... they were so excited when he left a note and picture telling them that they had an air hockey table waiting on them when they got home... they were so completely excited and nervous when Santa sent them an e-mail video a few days before Christmas. Memories that I know I will cherish forever; years that will quickly fly by.

Enjoying her art set...

Santa brought the huge batcave... and some Reese's!

Karaoke to some Taylor Swift (mom likes this gift as much as Bailey)

Artist at work... no interruptions please

The cherished "hugest batcave ever"

Have I mentioned how much I love spending time with my family around the holidays? This year was no exception... as a matter of fact, it was better than usual. The past few years, I've been chasing kids and trying to prevent major injury to someone or something at each home we visit. This year, we were able to just let the kids go and play while we got to have real adult conversation with our family members. We weren't rushed... we were able to really just enjoy our time. It was so nice to visit with my aunts and grandmother, with my cousins and aunts and grandfather, with Brad's family... it was just really nice. Again, a reminder of how great it is that the kids are indeed getting older. :)

Gifts... well, I would be lying if I didn't love some of my gifts this year. Actually, I loved all of my gifts this year... and I kind of feel like I just have to tell you how much I loved them. Brad totally shocked me... surprised me with his thoughtfulness... and got me an awesome gift. He got me a Nike Plus Sportwatch (all of you non-runners may not know, but this is a GPS watch that tracks your mileage, speed, calories burned, etc.). I'm so excited about it. :) Colt also got me a really thoughtful gift... a new armband for my Ipod to use when I'm running, since my old one that Rebecca bought me has been through so much weather and sweat that it has started to crack and totally stinks in a disgusting way. :) Brad's mom helped us buy the most beautiful table and chairs for our dining room... I just can't tell you how much I love it. And, the kids love it... everyone who has visited has loved it. My parents always hook me up with the best clothes and they didn't fail me this year either. My brother, Cory, and his wife, Angela, got me an adorable nightshirt, a holiday planner (that I LOVE) and jewelry, which just so happened to coordinate with the clothes my parents got me. We have put my ipod speakers that Ryan and Jennifer got me to great use... Jake dances around singing, "I'm sexy and I know it" all the time. :) And, I have to mention the three crock pot set that I got to use for parties and tailgating. It has already come in handy... and I love it! It makes me feel incredibly spoiled when I list all of this... incredibly spoiled and incredibly loved... and maybe just a little bit sad for those in the world who have sincere needs while we are so fortunate to have so many things that we just want. It reminds me to be grateful for everything we have in our lives... love, health, wealth, and happiness.

And, I suppose that brings me to New Year's. Did you have a resolution? I don't really. I mean, I've been thinking about it, but I just haven't been able to come up with what I would do exactly. One of my goals is to really enjoy something everyday and really take the time to appreciate it. So, I'd like to do a project that Priscilla started doing a while back and that I'm pretty sure is pretty popular... the 365 Days of Gratefulness. Since it is a Leap Year, I guess I'd have to do 366 Days of Gratefulness. :) So, I'm going to try and post at least once every week something that I'm grateful for, at least one thing for each day... it might be short posts or long posts... and it might be related to my list, the kids, or something else entirely. But, I'm hopeful that by focusing on all the good things in my life, I can maintain a positive and happy world... and that I can maybe spread some of my happiness with someone else. I don't want to take all that we have for granted... I want to appreciate it daily.

So... my next post will include my first week of Gratefulness posts...

Here's hoping that all of you had a wonderful Christmas... an awesome New Year's... and will have a very blessed 2012.

The Lost Month...

2011-11-16T18:04:00.001-05:00

Every year, I dread October. It isn’t that I hate the fall or October or Halloween.

It is that it flies by without any warning and I wake up one morning to discover that Thanksgiving is the following week and I am still writing 10-15-11 on all of my checks.J

It is probably the busiest month of the year for us. Even busier than November or December, because I think in those two months, we actually HAVE to slow down to appreciate everything for at least one day.

But, in October, we have school events, sports events, and Girl Scouts is really revved up and going. Add to that, the change of the season requires closets to be switched out, boots and jackets to be pulled out and dusted off, and costumes to be purchased. It is a lot to pack into one month.

Every year, I dread October. And then I blink and it is gone… and I wish I had just a few more of those days back!J

Alas, I can’t stop time and I certainly can’t go back and re-blog all of the things that happened in the whirlwind month that it was.

So, today, I give you our October Overview… in pictures… and some descriptions where I failed to take pictures…

... Bailey's field trip to the pumpkin patch/apple orchard:

... our Girl Scouts Fairy Ball:

... Soccer:

... birthday parties and time at the orchard:

... roller skating at Champs with the Girl Scouts:

... Keeneland. Our girl is going to be a gambler... and if Jake doesn't start growing, he might be a jockey. :)

... Camping with Girl Scouts.

... Tailgating and more tailgating:

... Taylor Swift concert:

... Halloween.

Just the beginning...

2011-11-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

When the ultrasound tech told Brad and I that we were having a girl, we were shocked. I can remember feeling almost let down by the fact that our first born child would be a female. It wasn't that I didn't want a girl... it was that I was terrified of having a girl. Immediately, I thought about teaching her to shave her legs, having to talk about menstrual cycles, and explaining how babies are born.

Terrified.

Then, I had this perfect little girl and everything was different. It was beautiful… and I still look at the world a little differently than I did before. I notice the pink and purple… the butterflies… and I am more girly in 100 different ways.

Back on point… when we found out we were having a girl, I envisioned a beautiful baby girl who acted like her dad. I have no idea why I always thought our girl would act like Brad. I just did. Maybe it was because I always acted like my dad, so I expected the same. In any case, I was not prepared to have a daughter so much like me.

On the one hand, I love how much Bailey is like me. She is fiery and fun. She has boundless amounts of energy. She has this incredible appreciation for everything in life. I sound really self-congratulatory here, don’t I? J Not trying to say that… just trying to say that she really enjoys her life. She is happy… like me.

On the other hand, she is her mother’s daughter. And, that means that she got the flaws that I hate about myself, too. Of course, I don’t hate them about her… just hate it FOR her.

The first grade has brought out an entirely new creature in my daughter. It has been a very emotional school year… and it is only November. I’ve had to sit back and watch as she has become the very epitome of me. She is insecure about this or that. She wants to be perfect. She is clumsy, but hates to mess up.

Read on…

… during her second week of school, Bailey messed up on a project. She didn’t understand the instructions and she just did what she thought was right. She got sick at school. I didn’t have to go and get her, because fortunately her teacher caught on to what was happening. She was sick because she realized she had done her notecards all wrong and she was scared that she’d never get them right. Unfortunately, Bailey began to feel inferior. She came home telling me that she wasn’t smart enough for this class. She cried when she brought home a test that she had struggled with and was worried we would be mad. My heart sank as I heard her explain that she thought we’d be upset with her if she got a bad grade. Not much longer, she came home to tell me that she had stuck a pencil (eraser end) in her stomach to help her breathe when she was taking a test at school.

UGH.

… at a Girl Scout Fairy Ball a few weeks ago, she fell down and cut her chin and bruised her hip. She just fell down the steps (a very familiar thing to her mother). Then, we tried roller skating with Girl Scouts a week or so later. Again, she fell. Again, she got back up. And fell. And got up. And fell again. On the way home that night, she cried in the car and told me that she can’t do anything right.

UGH.

What’s a mom to do?

Reassure her. In each of these instances, I have sat with Bailey, nearly in tears at moments, and explained to her how perfect she is. I have told her that it is OK to make mistakes. We have talked about trying your hardest at everything and I have shown her that sometimes even when you do your best work, you still aren’t perfect.

Laugh with her. I have told her stories about my clumsiness. I have told her stories about me falling down and getting back up and feeling so frustrated with myself. We talked about how much she has grown and how fast she has grown there… and laughed about her feet being so disproportionately large, just like her mom’s, and that there’s an old adage about having bigger feet also meaning that you have a bigger brain. J

Tell white lies. I lied to her and told her that it gets better… knowing that she might never outgrow her clumsiness (I haven’t). She might outgrow it, but there are still those times when you will have to pull yourself back up, only to get knocked down again. She’s six… and I can’t break that to her just yet.

Love her. I have hugged her and kissed away her tears. I have told her that God looked the entire world over for two people to love her exactly how she is and He gave her to me and Brad because she is complete perfection, even in her mistakes, even in her clumsiness, even when she is striving so hard to be perfect and can’t.

I have done these things knowing that they will make a difference. I have said these things, praying with everything in me that she’ll hear my words and believe them.

Yet, I come to write this with a heavy heart, because I know that life is hard. She is going to get knocked down. She is going to make mistakes. She is going to feel less than perfect. She is, after all, my daughter. And, I know how she is going to respond and feel. And, that just breaks my heart.

This is truly only the beginning.

What to do for Christmas

2011-10-20T21:14:00.000-04:00

There's a slight chance that I go a little overboard at Christmas time. Brad has even tried to find a nice way to suggest that I'm neurotic about it.

I am choosing to ignore his opinion.

Honestly, I can tell you that I love Christmas so much because I really do love finding ways to surprise and give special gifts to the ones that I love.

So, you can just imagine how I am about my babies.

This year, I am trying... with all my heart... to find ways to give special, memorable gifts. But, with a catch... I want gifts that really do encompass my children's personalities and really capture their imaginations. I want to give the kids some of their Christmas wishes (Jake's Batcave, Bailey's Scooby Doo figures, etc.). BUT... I also want them to be surprised by things that I know they will love and things that I know will have a more lasting impact. I want things that make them pretend... the really encourage their creativity.

Now, I could easily spend $1,000 on Jake and have everything in the world that encompasses his personality. He is easy. He loves all things superhero and could spend every waking moment playing with his superhero figures and video games. Nothing would make him happier... and nothing could be easier.

However, Bailey is a little tougher. She loves her toys... but she does not play with them the way other kids do. She gets bored easily. She needs constant entertainment. She plays well when she has people to play with. She loves arts and crafts (no clue where she gets that). She loves to perform skits for us.

So... I've spent several hours on Pinterest and online, searching for the best ideas.

And, I'm compiling ideas about what *might* make the cut.

Here are some of my favorites.

An art area, where Bailey (and Jake, but likely to be mainly Bailey) can go to create quickly and easily... without dragging a bazillion things out onto the kitchen table, where momma has to put them all back up.

Photo and design plans compliments of http://ana-white.com/2011/05/lego-art-desk

I'm hoping to use some combination of these ideas:

Compliments of Chasing Cheerios

Compliments of Pinterest

What else? Not another iPod... but definitely some angry birds.

An angry birds game in real life. I think this one might really need to be a *family* gift, because I think Brad and I might just love it as much as they do. :) Thanks for sharing, Cheryl!

Photos and ideas provided by Alpha Mom

A puppet theater/lemonade stand. This one is probably going to get pushed back and probably isn't going to happen until Spring. I want it SO much (notice the I WANT IT - am I living vicariously through them?), but I'm worried that there's not enough time (plus it might be tough to make with the kids at home and then find a spot for it, too)...

Photo compliments of Ana White

However, this one might be able to make the cut at this point.

Compliments of Skip To My Lou

... but if I do puppet theaters then I have to do puppets... hmmm....

The superhero fort kit...

Compliments of Meg + Andy

The homemade tic-tac-toe game.

Compliments of My Little Gems

The colored rice bin.

Compliments of Share & Remember

The indoor hopscotch kit.

Compliments of Tip Junkie

The homemade checkerboard.

Compliments of Sun Scholars

The magnet board (but I think I'm going to have letters with superheroes to help encourage Jake to care about learning his letters. :))

Compliments of Nic and Kate

Now you might really think I'm crazy. There's no way to do all of these projects, right? :) So, which ones do you think I should eliminate? I just can't decide. I think I'm as excited about some of these as our kids would be!

What are you doing for your favorite kids this year? Share the creativity!

I Raced for the Cure... Winner Announced

2011-10-16T12:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning, I ran in Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure.

I had not trained like I needed to, but I was determined to go and to get my best time for a 5K. I basically told Dawn that I was going to run my guts out, even if I had to stop and walk, because I did not want to see a time over 30 on a 5K again. Now, this is not to say that I have any negative thoughts toward anyone, including myself, who has a time over 30. AT ALL. Basically, I decided that I wanted to get under 30 because in several of my runs around Masterson Station or at the YMCA, I have run 3 miles at a 9 minute + pace, which theoretically should get me under the 30 minute mark. YET... in my last 5K in November of last year, I still wasn't able to pull that out. Pretty much the same in the half marathon... still not under 30 at the 3 mile mark. So... I decided I was going to do it or die.

I think it meant more to me to do it at the Susan G. Komen race, too, because I wanted to do it in honor of my mom. She pushed me... she always has... to be a better person, to do things that I normally would not be brave enough to do, to try my best at everything. And, she pushed me yesterday morning.

I hit the ground running harder than I usually do, because I was going to run my guts out. :)

When I passed the 1 mile mark, I heard the time caller say "8:50." That was a good sign... except that I knew I was going to have to slow down because I couldn't keep that pace the whole time. I was already breathing hard.

Mile 2, I missed the time caller. I had no idea how much I had slowed down, so I just kept going. I thought about walking, because I really was getting tired. Ugh. I should have trained more. Tired at 2 miles. That sucks. But, I thought about mom... and all those radiation treatments and I saw a little girl with a blood red face, who looked like she was about 8 and she was running. OK... who cares if I get a personal best? I just need to enjoy this. It's a beautiful fall day and I can finish 3 miles, no matter what.

Some random guy starts running beside of me... and he's breathing like he's dying. I can hear him over my Jason Aldean rocking in my ears. Really? Stop running beside me. I slow down a bit... he slows down. I speed up. He speeds up. Great. He's pacing off of me. Is that something I should be flattered by or annoyed by? Hmm. Ignore him... ignore him... :)

Mile 3... time caller says "28:10." HOLY CRAP! I can sprint the last .10 miles. I so have this. I can see the clock. Get under 29... get under 29... there's the finish line... just a few more steps... OMG. I think I'm going to puke. Gag. Definitely going to puke. Gag again. Please don't puke on the finish line... there is a photographer. Gag... OMG. What a horrible idea to sprint .10 miles. Find a trashcan... sewer grate... that will work... PUKE. Oh... my time was 29:05 on the clock. Now, I just feel stupid. Who pukes after running 3 miles to come in like 33rd place in my age group? Hahaha.

But... I got under 30. I actually officially got under 29. The results posted this morning... and I ran it in 28:57. I came in 33rd place in my age group. I came in 330 place out of 652 overall... 156 of all women. I'm pretty psyched about that. Not psyched about puking. But, I did literally run my guts out. lol.

Note to self: Never eat raisin bread before running. Ever.

Anyway...

There are four very special people that I need to thank for making a donation to the Race for the Cure on my behalf. These four people helped me contribute $200 to Susan G. Komen, helping me make a dent in my list goal to raise $5,000 for breast cancer research. I have no timeframe on this list item, but will keep track of how much I raise over the years! If you would like to make a donation, you can still donate here. However, four generous people were entered in to win a $25 Visa Gift Card for their donation. I used random.org to make the selection yesterday after the race and my Anonymous donor was the winner. Now, I assure you that Anonymous is a real person and that she even tried to get me to give the card to someone else. But, you see, I just didn't think that would be fair. She is always so giving, so thoughtful, and just good people. She also posted a link of my page for several others to see and raised money for cancer research a few months ago. So, she will get the card this week! Thank you, Anonymous! :) You know how much I just love you.

The other three donors that gave all deserve a special thank you, too. Jon, one of mine and Brad's dearest friends (and a soldier fighting for our country to boot), brought me to tears with his donation. I was so surprised and so elated when I woke up the morning after I signed up for the Race to see that he had already made a significant contribution. It's funny how certain friends always remain so special to you... they are always there, even when you go years without seeing each other... they are always there with some of the best memories (Jon... I'm sparing you and Brad some serious embarassment, as I totally found a video on my old computer of the two of you playing guitar and singing at our house on New Years' Eve). I know you remember it. :) Thank you, Jon... for everything you do for our country, but more for always being the same fun-loving guy who makes me smile every time I hear from you.

The other two donors are both such special people to me, because they gave despite the fact that they aren't that close to me, but they are to my family and friends. June and I really met a few years ago when my middle brother was getting married and she supplied SO MANY decorations for their household shower. I mean, this woman has a mini-Hobby Lobby going on. :) She helped us so much then and is constantly giving of her time and attention to my family. I'm not sure we could ever repay her for all the kindness she has shown.

Then, Rita and Joe... well, come to find out, they are family. My grandma used to tell me about her cousin who would send her holiday cards each year. Their last name was Pigg... and my grandma's cousin would sign the card "Josie and the three little Piggs." Joe was one of those "little Piggs." Imagine my surprise when I discovered this information. Here I had been spending time with Dawn and Brandon Pigg... and we were cousins (very distant cousins, but still). Rita and Joe have been at many of the same birthday parties and get togethers that we have shared with Dawn and Brandon over the past couple of years and they are both just wonderfully sweet people.

Thank you, Anonymous, Jon, June, Rita and Joe for being so generous and kind and supporting the cause!

Hope you are all having a fabulous fall weekend!

This and That...

2011-10-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

Today is a day to celebrate... I have tomorrow off and the kids are out of school for a short fall break. We have been running around like crazy and tomorrow is supposed to be a rainy day. We might not leave the house.

Haha... yeah right.

Instead, I'm planning a big day with the kids. A big, but cheap, day with the kids. Because, today, I not only got a new laptop (semi-planned for), my phone also decided to stop working. Entirely. I have to go and get a new phone now.

Swell. I was gunning for a new smartphone with all the bells and whistles. But, not gonna happen. I'm still getting a decent phone, but it's not the one I have been eyeballing for a while. Instead, I'm going with the almost free one.

I'm not going to focus on how bad 2011 has been on the bank account. Just refusing to think about it. It kind of makes me look forward to the New Year even more.

Anyway... I have no idea what the plan is for our fall break. Of course, it's not completely without schedule... there's still soccer on Saturday and the Race for the Cure. Remember that if you donate to support the Race through my page, you'll be registered to win a $25 Visa gift card! So, DONATE!! And, if my voice isn't convincing enough, maybe you should read here and here to learn about my mom's battle with breast cancer.

I'm also hoping that our break involves some time cuddling up little man Steffen at some point. I hear that he's growing up like crazy these days. :) Maybe I'll get some blog posting done (now that I have a laptop from this decade) and maybe get a solid outline of which projects I am actually going to attempt for Christmas. I'm craving some pumpkin pie (and just because I'm craving something doesn't mean I'm pregnant or anything), so there's going to be a pumpkin pie at some point. :) I am hoping to get catch some good movies, too. You know, I'm thinking about catching Cars 2 at the Dollar Theater, as well as possibly The Smurfs. I know you are all jealous. There's also a good chance that Brad and I might spend some time watching Horrible Bosses at some point... and of course, Walking Dead, since it comes back on this Sunday (woot!). I know my life is so incredibly exciting these days. :)

Actually, it has been pretty exciting. Or busy. Or excitingly busy. Last week, we had some great fun... Jake got to spend all day on Thursday for his fall break with Brad at home. Jake and I joined Bailey's class on Friday at a local apple orchard and pumpkin patch. It was so fun to see Bailey with her friends and to see how sweet they all are. I love how so many of the kids are friends with my girl, but I think it's even more adorable how much she loves her brother and how much all of her friends come running up to say hi to him. He thinks he's totally going to join her class when he starts elementary school. It's adorable. I have many cute pictures from that day... on MY DEAD PHONE. Yes. I'm not happy. Ignoring it and hoping that I can find some kind of battery to use to get the stuff off of it. UGH. Ignoring it... ignoring it... :) Friday night, Jake had soccer practice and Bailey and I made a run to the fabric store. We had lots to do for Saturday. Because, honestly, I think Saturday might have been the busiest day of my life... second to my wedding day. :) Okay. Yes, I'm exaggerating.

It was crazy though. At 10 a.m., I had to have Bailey at a Girl Scout Fairy Ball. The girls were all dressed up as fairies. They had tea and snacks and just looked perfect. It would have been perfect, but my baby girl fell down and got a huge bruise on her hip and scratch on her face. She was all beat up. She was happy at the end, though, because she won the grand prize Fairy Sleeping bag. Yes, that will come in very handy when we have our first overnight camping trip with the Girl Scouts later this month (no tents... just camping... shew... thankfully). :) Anyway, we sprinted out the door at noon to get across town for Jake's game that started at 12:15. We watched his little team, a group of four-year olds playing against a mixed batch of 4 and 5s. They rocked! They have improved so much (and Brad and DW have done a great job helping them along the way). I'm so proud of Jake AND Brad. It has been fun watching them. Jake is actually going after the ball and is learning to be more aggressive on the field. He loses interest after the first half, it seems, but the improvement is still significant, so I can't say a word. After Jake's game (approximately 1:15), we rushed away to have a quick lunch before we had to come back for Bailey's 2 p.m. game.

Bailey's team also played well. Bailey seems so timid on the field and it drives us crazy. She's having fun, but she is so not aggressive with other teams. With her own teammates in practice, she is much more likely to steal the ball away or at least make a solid attempt. But, in a game, her hands are constantly wringing her shirt and she's hesitant. We have hope that she'll gain the confidence to go after the ball... until then, she's having fun.

At 3 p.m., we were off to the orchard for a birthday party for Warren, one of the superheroes that Jake plays soccer with. The kids had a great time and were completely worn out after the full day.

But did that stop us? Uh... no. Still more to go. We left at 5 from the orchard, stopped at the house to let the kids have a bath, and then headed 2 hours down the road to Brad's mom's house. It was her birthday and we were going to hang out for the night and enjoy some down time. We had a blast... and despite their tiredness, the kids spent a few hours playing spotlight with their cousin, Rianna. James, Kathy's significant other, decided (after some prompting from us) to hide behind a bush and scare the kids while they were playing. They had been scaring each other all night. So, he hides behind this bush and shakes it and snorts when they get near it. Bailey and Jake have never run so fast in their lives. Jake was sobbing by the time he got to us (I know... we are evil). He was telling us that a raccoon was trying to attack him... and the raccoon had white shoes! LOL. He has such a good sense of humor though... when we told him it was James, he was cracking up. He just kept laughing at himself.

For any of you who have made it this far... :) Have I worn you out? You can imagine how tired we were when we got home. Sunday, we spent some time at my cousin's little girl's first birthday party. The kids had such a good time playing with their cousins... something that I wish happened more than just on birthdays and holidays.

Then, we headed back home. Only to start another busy day on Monday. After school, we went to a Girl Scout roller skating party... and, on Tuesday, we had Bailey's soccer practice.

Oh... Wednesday... I have loved you. We have had nothing tonight... and it has been wonderful.

We have been going so much that a weekend at home with no schedule sounds great. Bring on the fall break! :)

What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

2011-10-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

Since there is a very good chance that I will never feel "caught up" on my blog... I figured that it would be a good starting point for me to blog "the reasons I haven't been blogging" or "what I've been doing instead of blogging." :)

Soccer practices and games. Tuesday night practices for Bailey; Friday night practices for Jake. Two games every Saturday.

UK Home Football Games. Tailgating and games (we won't go into detail about the frustrating level of these games). But, will go into detail about how much we LOVED tailgating with our precious friends. Photos by Dawn Pigg.

Church on Wednesday nights and Sundays.
Girl Scouts. I'm still the leader, but thankfully with more and more help this year.
Tennis lessons for Bailey (after school on Thursdays).
Homework. Hours and hours of homework. Not for me, but for my special little intelligent, sponge of a daughter.
Shopping trips and play dates.

Visits from awesome friends and our loving families... near and far.
An out-of-country trip for Brad to Mexico for a week.
Attempts at a new running schedule... hindered by a frustrating medical issue... not a big one, but one to keep me off of a regular running schedule, just as I was getting back into it. AGAIN. But it didn't stop me from committing to a race in support of breast cancer research. See post here. :)
New ideas for the house... a painting project for Jake's room, a revamping of Bailey's room, moving some plants in the yard, etc. etc. etc. Now, will these get done? :) I sure hope so!
Regular, boring stuff, like work, cleaning, and laundry. Lots of laundry.
And some irregular, non-boring things, like sewing projects. Here are a couple of my most recent favorites.

My little Pocahontas

Despite the fact that I haven't posted on here regularly for quite some time, I still think about my blog all the time. I'm constantly writing blog posts in my head, but rarely getting them out in their entirety... sometimes not even getting anything more than a sentence describing my thoughts onto the beginnings of a post. I joke often that I have adult onset ADD, but I'm seriously thinking that it might be true these days. :)

I know that I'm most certainly not alone in the world... I talk to many and most of you about the challenge of juggling so many things and still feeling like a sane person. I wonder how we might survive the holidays.

Yet, we honestly are enjoying each and every activity. We are busy. We are frantically scrounging items together on some days. My car looks like a trash can sometimes. The laundry is honestly always overflowing. And, well, the dishes might just be piled up in the sink at any given point.

And... we are happy. We are making memories with the kids. We are spending time together as a family. We have Family Night every Sunday, often playing video games, sometimes playing board games, and usually always finding a way to incorporate some kind of dessert. We talk about everything under the sun... and with Bailey, that really does mean everything. We are enjoying the little things in life: watching our kids put on skits at home with Bailey's pink keyboard; Jake in his Captain America costume; Bailey taking our dinner order at odd times during the day, with her pretend high heels and her clipboard; and Jake forcing me to play with girl toys while he plays Batman (all girls must be damsels in distress in Jake's world - ugh).

This:

PLUS THIS:

EQUALS THIS:

I don't mean to paint a perfect picture here, because it isn't perfect. I yell at the kids daily... begging Jake to stop whining about needing to play his video games for another 30 minutes or telling Bailey to please stop talking. I get frustrated with Brad when he doesn't jump up with excitement to fold clothes. :) Life is not perfect... it is perfectly imperfect.

I'm missing my blogging, but I'm certainly missing it for the right reasons. :) But, maybe tonight is me turning over a new leaf... maybe I'll be back at it. No promises, but maybe!

Racing for the Cure

2011-09-29T23:17:00.000-04:00

I know that I keep promising posts... and I really am working on some. I just really haven't had time to finalize them. They are coming though! ;)

Until then, I have to tell you that I just registered to run in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Lexington on October 15. It is a 5K and I just could not be more excited about running it, for a lot of reasons. For one, it means that I'm actually going to run, which has been completely hit and miss lately. I don't have any goals of making record time... I even considered doing it without the chip-timer, just so I could enjoy the run without pressuring myself to go faster. :) I didn't do that... but it did cross my mind.

Of course, the more obvious reason that I'm excited about it is because of the cause. In case you don't know, my mom is a breast cancer survivor. She isn't even 50 yet... and she has survived breast cancer. I thank God daily that she is alive and pray almost daily that it doesn't come back into our lives through her, myself, or my daughter (among my other female family members).

When I made my life list a little more than a year ago, I listed "Raising money for breast cancer research/awareness." I won't mark it off until I've raised a considerable amount (probably $5,000 or so), but I have to start some place! So, I'm asking all of you who feel compelled to visit my personal fundraising page and make a gift. It doesn't have to be a large gift... a gift of any size will help! And, please share this with your friends and family, too.

Breast cancer impacts the lives of everyone... let's join together and find a cure!

And to sweeten the pot, there will be a drawing for a giveaway! If you donate to Susan G. Komen on my page prior to October 15, you will be entered to win a $25 Visa Gift Card! So, even if you donate a small amount, you have a chance of getting your money back! Winner will be announced on October 15 after the race!

Sensitive

2011-09-12T22:33:00.000-04:00

I procrastinate occasionally... like when I have a blog post almost complete and then decide that I really don't like a big section of it... and then instead of just re-writing it or working on it, I decide I want to do an entirely new post.

Tonight is that night. Aren't you lucky?

I remembered a story that I wanted to blog a while back... and never did. Or did I? Maybe I did and can't find it or recall it.

Either way, it was a story that I love because it shows the sensitivity of my little baby boy... at the sweet age of 4.

We were at the movie theater to see Kung Fu Panda 2. The kids and I had met Brad at the dollar theater to see it after work one day this summer. I really enjoyed the first Kung Fu Panda, so I was probably as happy as the kids to go and watch it. I had no idea that my little man would end up in tears.

Spoiler alert... if you don't want to know part of the movie, then don't read any further. :)

About two-thirds of the way through the movie, Kung Fu Panda (Po) remembers a day from his childhood when his mother left him in a basket to save him from being harmed or killed by the enemy. It was a very visually dramatic part of the movie, where both the mother and the baby are sad and the baby is reaching for his mother from the basket. As you can imagine, it was very sad. That's when Jake turns around to look up at me from his position on my lap (he sits there to see over the seats in front of him, supposedly, but I think it's really because he just loves being cuddled up). Jake has big tears in his eyes and is puckering up the saddest little lip. He whispers, "His mommy left him." That's when I heard my heart break in half. :) Of course, I explained that she did it to save him, but he was still so upset. He choked back tears for the rest of the movie... and then he proceeded to cry when we walked out to the car, saying that it was just so sad that the panda couldn't stay with his mommy forever.

Oh, my sensitive son. I hope you stay this way forever.

Thankful

2011-09-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

On a regular day, I could possibly be the type to have a small mini-pity party for myself, because I happen to get a little carried away with the idea that I do everything at the house and no one ever seems to notice it. :)

Well, this weekend, I was proven wrong.

My wonderful hubby came home with flowers and chocolate for me yesterday afternoon. Now, I am completely ignoring the fact that I'm pretty certain the only reason that he did this was because Paul happened to suggest that it would be a good idea for both of them to bring flowers home to me AND Rebecca. I do know my husband well enough to know that he knows me well enough to know that, while I love flowers and romantic gestures, the practical side of Andrea almost always prevails and says, "Why did you waste money on something that's going to die in like two days?" :) I did not do that. Instead, I think I said something like, "Thanks, Paul, for suggesting that to Brad." I know, I know... equally as horrible. :) In return, they both laughed and I continued to explain that it has rarely happened in the 12 years we have been together (like twice, I think), so I'm pretty certain that I have Brad pegged. Not that I'm complaining, because I really do honestly say to Brad that it's a waste of money to bring home flowers. Anyway... I certainly do not want him to think that I didn't appreciate it. And I definitely love the flowers. It was perfectly sweet and thoughtful... and while I'm just about the toughest person in the world to please, I have to say that it really did make me happy. :) The simple fact that Brad took the time to do something extra for me on a pretty ordinary day really did make me feel appreciated and loved. So, good job, Brad (and Paul - ah hem). :)

And, then there was this morning... when my son proclaimed to his dad that he was indeed only his mommy's baby boy. He proceeded to give me some of the best hugs and kisses and snuggles that a mommy could ever want. Of course, Brad was gagging and pouting, but I was pretty enamored by my baby boy and all of his love. There is just something special between a mom and her baby boy. I can't explain it. It isn't more or better than it is with a daughter... at all. But, it is a different sweetness, much like that of what I think a dad-daughter bond is like.

And, then, there's Bailey. My sweet daughter... she is always creating... always making gifts. She could hold my heart in the palm of her hand. And, today, she made me cry with her sweetness. I had gone to wash the car and when I got back, she was running around the house, telling me not to go into the kitchen. She had made me the most beautiful coffee mug and a homemade card. The mug said, "Werld Gratist Mom" on one side, with a cute little drawing of the world and stars. On the other side, it said, "This is for pop. Love Bailey." She knows I don't drink coffee, so she wanted to make sure I wasn't confused. lol. It's a keeper. Forever.

I sit here tonight looking at the computer... ready to finish a post that I've been writing for about a week and can't seem to finish. But, instead, I can only write that my heart is absolutely and completely full. I guess it is fitting, considering that today marks the 10 year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. My heart should be full... I have so much to be thankful for. I can't thank God enough for all of the blessings he has given me. I can't think of enough words to thank all of the men and women who keep us safe with their service. All I can do is cherish the wonderful freedoms we have and pray that I never take them for granted. Life is good... and having love makes it incredible. Thank you to Brad and my babies for making me feel so special on an almost ordinary day. I love you and I'm so happy to have such a perfectly sweet family.

Now, if only I would have been playing someone else in my fantasy football league. Then, my day would have been PERFECT. My mom seriously is beating me with a score of like 92-56. Had I played anyone else in the league, I'd be winning. I mean, for real... who in the world gets 90+ points in fantasy football? Ugh. MOM. I guess I should be saying, "Girl Power" or something like that, since we are kicking butt. :)

Still here!

2011-09-06T22:16:00.002-04:00

Hello world!

It has been a while.

Yes, we are still here.

Yes, we are still alive and well.

Yes, we are still living life to the fullest.

Where do I even begin to start to get caught up?

Well, I guess I’ll just work my way through what we have been doing. This could take a while. Grab your favorite caffeinated drink. Then, again, with my adult onset ADD, this might really only take a few seconds... then, I'll be on to writing a completely separate post that has nothing to do with anything. It happens. A lot. I just don't post them all. Yes, you can thank me later.

First and foremost, I have to tell you that the kids are both doing wonderfully in school. It is as if Jake has transformed into another child altogether. He loves school. He comes home spelling words, like the word, RED, in both English and sign language. He sings us songs, both Christian and traditional preschool songs. He tells me about the Bible and about baby Jesus and he loves to say the Pledge of Allegiance and the “Robin Hood” pledge, which is really the pledge to the Christian flag, but it says “brotherhood” in it and Jake calls it the Robin Hood pledge for that reason. J Yes, he is still kind of a little baby boy. Yet, you wouldn't think he is my baby boy at all if you walked into school with us each day. Oh, he still holds my hand, thankfully. He still gives me the traditional hug, kiss, and a high five before he goes into his class... sometimes twice. :) But, he doesn't hesitate. He doesn't seem nervous. He walks into his classroom with confidence and a smile. His teacher says he interacts with the class a lot during the day, often raising his hand to answer questions or offering his thoughts on something. I am one beaming proud momma... I am so close to feeling like I can mark off the list item that I have - to teach Jake to walk into a room with confidence and less insecurity. Although, I'm quite certain I never taught him anything... just encouraged him to use what he already has always had.

Bailey also loves school, as she has from day 1. She has had a little bit tougher time this year, seeing as how she is extremely competitive and is also in an extremely competitive class. She’s had more insecurities than I’m used to and many more than I would ever want her to have, but she is doing great. It is incredible to see how much she has grown since her preschool days… both physically and mentally. It is truly bittersweet. She is reading wonderfully... she is improving in math and learning more and more. My favorite thing about Bailey though is that Bailey still loves everyone she meets. She never meets a stranger and always comes home telling me about how she loves everyone in her class. She has a new best friend everyday... often coming home with drawings of her with this friend or that and the words "Best Friends Forever." It used to bother me that she didn't really have one friend that she counts as her "best friend" because I felt like she longed for that kind of friend. But, now, I am seeing that she really and truly does see each friend that she makes as her "best" friend. I love that she really loves people that much.

Brad and I are still happily married on most days. He's been rocking at the awesome dad role lately... not sure what got into him, but I can say that I am loving every second of it. Super Dad award is totally going to him these days. I am one lucky woman. Not to mention that he's a really fabulous husband. (Sidenote, I am totally wanting a treadmill... so there is some motivation to my compliments). :)

Fall is about to hit our area of the world, which really makes me happy. It also stresses me out just a little... because our schedule gets insane. I am not sure I can handle insane as well as I have in the past... mainly because I think the new version of insane is a little more hectic than the old version. :) We now have homework out our eyeballs, and I'm being nice when I say it that way. We started soccer tonight in the drizzling, windy, cold rain for Bailey and will start Jake's season on Friday. And, UK football... the first home game is on Saturday. Oh... and then there is Girl Scouts. Holidays, birthdays, and my favorite cooking season of the year is right around the corner, too. Eek. I feel like it is 2012 already. :)

We kicked off the start of our fall last weekend at the hottest game in the history of football (for us anyway) when we visited Dawn and Brandon and joined them for the Ohio State football game. If you know me well, you know that I'm not an OSU fan at all. However... and yes, this is a big however... we had a fabulous time! Of course, I didn't really care much about the game (it was a complete blow out), but I had so much fun hanging out with Dawn. Brad had such a great time hanging out with Brandon. And, we as a group, just had a great time hanging out together. It was so nice to have a relaxing time (we all slept a good 12 hours), enjoying good food and drinks and wonderful company. Thank you to Dawn and Brandon for inviting us to go!

Of course, since we went to the OSU game with Dawn and Brandon, the kids had to go have some fun, too. And, they definitely had their fill. They went fishing with my mom, dad and my nephew, Braden. They caught more fish than they could count, needing an almost assembly-line fashion to keep them baited and cast out. Bailey was the queen at baiting hooks (she loves to fish with worms AND minnows). Jake wouldn't even touch the fish or anything that would get his hands dirty. :) Like mother like daughter... like father like son. Haha. They also got to spend some quality time at my grandfather and uncle's home, playing with their cousins and enjoying the country life. I am told that they get really nervous walking on a back country road... it's really tough to understand how it's OK to just walk in the middle of the road when we have always told them just the opposite. My city kids... the city kids I never thought I'd have. lol.

We all enjoyed some quality time on Sunday and Monday at my parents' house, which is something that we never seem to have enough of. It always seems like we are rushing in and out when we visit our families... so this weekend was a welcome opportunity to just hang out and catch up. It's especially relaxing when I know that it is something we might not have again until the holidays. Did I mention our crazy busy schedule?

And that doesn't really catch us up, does it? But, it's close! I'll have more soon. Hope you are all enjoying the beginning to your fall!

First Day of Preschool

2011-08-24T22:53:00.000-04:00

Jake's first day of preschool was great. It was smooth... easy... all things I did not expect.

Of course, I didn't expect there to be crying or kicking or screaming or anything like that. I just expected it to be more "eventful." Instead, I had a smiling little boy who was up early and eager to get to his "new" school. He was excited about his lunchbox and backpack and the items that went in it. He was happy to sing along to some Taylor Swift (yes, my poor kid recognized it as I was flipping the radio stations and made me stop so he could sing) while we made our way across town. I have to say that I had a mini-flashback of the days when I used to drive the same path to take Bailey to the very same preschool, listening to the very same artist on the radio.

This time was a little different though... this would be the last time that I would have to walk one of my babies in for their first day of preschool. It is the beginning of a whole new era in our lives... the school years for not one, but two children. It was a bittersweet moment... but mostly sweet. I really love this age.

Watching Jake walk into his class so bravely made me so proud. I thought for half a second that he was going to walk in and completely forget that I was there... not even saying good-bye or giving me a hug or kiss. Despite my desire to reach out to him, I was going to just walk away. Then, he turned and smiled at me. And he came running over to me, arms out for a hug. We did the traditional hug, kiss, and high five. Then, he grabbed my hand and asked me to stay. Sigh. I was afraid that this is where his tears would start... or where the nervous hand-wringing would emerge... or where he'd get the lump in his throat that I could see him fighting back. But, he didn't. I smiled at him, took his hand and walked him to a table filled with new blocks and showed him how great they were. I introduced him to another child there... patted him on the head, kissed him, and told him to have a great day. And, that was that. I walked out, wondering how it would go... and thankful that I was not leaving a crying child... or crying myself. :)

I wondered on my way to work how he would do, if he slept at nap time, and if he ate the delicious lunch that I packed for him. Delicious to me, anyway. I couldn't believe it, but Jake wanted us to pack him salad, grapes, strawberries, and spaghetti-o's for his lunch. I wondered all day if the teachers thought I was crazy to pack a salad for a 4-year old. lol. But, he ate a lot of it. And, he wanted the same thing on Day 2.

Which brings me to Day 2. It was a little less successful. He was tired. Not happy to be getting up this morning and definitely not happy that he couldn't spend some time playing Batman on the Xbox. He didn't cry at school when I dropped him off, but he did seem more hesitant. He wanted me to tell him what time I would be back, even though he can't tell time. :) Yet, when I picked him up today, he was happy. He said he had a good day. Then, he asked if he had to go back tomorrow. When I said that he did, he decided that his teacher had punched him in the face. Yes. You read that right. He thought that maybe he should convince me that his teacher is hitting him so that he wouldn't have to go back. I played along and told him that I would talk to his teacher about the punching and beatings tomorrow morning. He immediately back pedaled, begging me not to tell his teacher because she'd be so mad. LOL. Tonight, he fell asleep at about 7:30. School is apparently exhausting, even if you have nap time. The bad part is that he didn't get to play Batman on the Xbox for long, which means that I'm going to have one mad kid in the morning. So, I contemplate... do I wake him up early so that he can play a few minutes when he gets up? Seriously? Am I really contemplating something like this? Yes, as ridiculous as that sounds, I am.

And, so life continues...