PROJECT 365 - Day 273 - Fabulous

PROJECT 365 - Day 273 - Fabulous

Tonight after dinner, as I was about to get a cup of coffee, I noticed some water on the floor by the sink.  My first thought was that The Puppy had thrown up again.  But it really seemed to be just water...as we investigated we found the source of the water.  The kitchen sink was leaking.  Fabulous.  Not just leaking, but pouring water when the faucet was on.  Fantastic.  Now let me say, My Wonderful Husband has become quite handy in 14 years of marriage and I am constantly impressed with his abilities in the areas of plumbing, electrical work, wood work, etc etc....  When you own a home, the list of repairs can seem countless at times....  That being said and with the greatest respect for My Wonderful Husband, whom I love, he gets a bit, shall we say, grouchy, when these repairs pop up.  I learned a long time ago to stay out of his way when he is fixing something or perhaps hanging valances.....  I am no fool.  Tonight, I tried to educate the children on the basics of staying out of the way when daddy is fixing something.  :-))  To his credit, he kept the swearing in his head.  He also persevered and got the job done (well almost done - he needs one more part). Hopefully that will go smoothly tomorrow morning - if not, the kids and I are fully prepared to get out of dodge. :-))

PROJECT 365 - Day 272 - Rite of passage

PROJECT 365 - Day 272 - Rite of passage

Junie B. Jones books seem to be a rite of passage.  I remember both The Princess and The Bear reading Junie B. Jones books in first grade.  Now The Boy is enjoying reading Junie B. too.  Tonight he read to me from Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in her Pocket.  

PROJECT 365 - Day 271 - Late Dinner

PROJECT 365 - Day 271 - Late Dinner

On Wednesdays we have back to back soccer practices for our two teams and that means late dinner. A late, yummy dinner. :-)

PROJECT 365 - Day 270 - Hello Bits!

PROJECT 365 - Day 270 - Hello Bits!

This evening, we had a little skype chat with the kids' cousin Elisabeth.  She is away at college and wanted to catch up with her little cousins.  We miss her coming and spending time with us so the kids and I were thrilled to get to "see" her and talk to her.  We need to set up skype chats more often so we can all say Hello Bits!! 

PROJECT 365 - Day 269 - Road Rash

PROJECT 365 - Day 269 - Road Rash

Tonight after dinner, the kids went outside to play.  While The Princess and The Boy went in the backyard to play on the swings, I looked around and didn't see The Bear anywhere.  My mommy "spidey" senses kicked in and I walked down the street a bit.  I am always telling him that if he is going to ride his bike or skateboard around the neighborhood, to just please tell me so that I don't look out the window and think the worst when I don't see him.  That being said, he often forgets to tell me...  So when I saw him coming back down the street, I called him over and reminded him that he should have told me where he was going.  He looked unusually sheepish....and then finally confessed that he also fell off of his skateboard.  But the tough guy that he is said he was ok though....  Then he showed me where he fell and he had one heck of a road rash on his waist.  Luckily that was all... When we went inside, he showed me the library books that he got out today about skateboarding and how the one book says that it can be very dangerous.  Given that book and his fall, it is amazing that I didn't ban skateboarding altogether tonight.  I think that shows growth on my part...or stupidity.  The jury is still out on that one.  

PROJECT 365 - Day 268 - Fall

PROJECT 365 - Day 268 - Fall

I'm a few days late - but fall is here.  Pumpkins, mums, scarecrows, and all the pretty "harvesty" decorations you can stand.  Oh and that means we are getting closer to Halloween.... and I am quickly running out of precious time to make three costumes.  Why do I get myself into this?  It's my fault.  I enjoy being creative and have now set the bar a bit high based on past costumes.  The kids think I can make anything.  Don't get me wrong, I think you can make anything with sweatpants, felt, and hot glue...  But this year I have some challenges and these fall decorations are mocking me as I have nothing done yet.   I will get it done.  I work best under pressure.  :-) 

PROJECT 365 - Day 267 - The Beautiful Game(s)

PROJECT 365 - Day 267 - The Beautiful Game(s)

For anyone that knows me, the idea of me enjoying to watch a sporting event is pretty funny.  I am not a sports fan by nature and usually roll my eyes at the amount of sports that My Wonderful Husband can watch on any given day.   That being said, when my children are playing said sports.....it is a different story entirely.  I LOVE watching my kids out on the field and today's soccer games were the kind of games that were just awesome to watch.  Not just because they won - which both teams did.  Not just because my kids scored or had assists - which they all did.  Not even just because I happen to be married to the coach - which I am :-)  But also because these teams played hard and worked together.  They all played beautiful soccer today - passing, defending, and scoring.  It wasn't one of those games where they just ran past the other teams and kept scoring.  They played against teams that fought back - but our teams fought harder.  They brought it today.  It was a pleasure to watch these two beautiful games. 

PROJECT 365 - Day 266 - Picture day!

PROJECT 365 - Day 266 - Picture day!

Today was picture day at school so I thought I would get my own quick picture of the three kids together before they left.  :-)

PROJECT 365 - Day 265 - De-lish!

PROJECT 365 - Day 265 - De-lish!

After showers, the kids watched a show and had some dessert.  Apparently the new Italian ices that Daddy got today were de-lish!!

(265 days??  WOW!  only 100 days left!!  I can not believe it!)

PROJECT 365 - Day 264 - Date Nights

PROJECT 365 - Day 264 - Date Nights

Tonight at dinner, the conversation took a turn to "dating" (thank you Disney channel).  After a a brief conversation The Boy asked his daddy "who are you dating?"  "I am dating mommy - she's my wife."  "Oh - you date?" says The Boy. My Wonderful Husband goes on to tell the kids that we have a "date night" planned for tonight - we will be watching a favorite show together (Modern Family)  "That's a date night?" asks the Princess. You take what you can get. :-)  My Wonderful Husband and I don't get too many opportunities for actual date nights but we make the best of it and always enjoy the time we get to spend together.  So tonight's "date night" consisted of a great show that we both love, some coffee, and relaxing together.  I hope that all three of our children someday enjoy similar date nights.... :-)

PROJECT 365 - Day 263 - Love those boys

PROJECT 365 - Day 263 - Love those boys

Tonight at bedtime, The Bear asked if he could read with his brother instead of with me.  That sounded good and when I checked on them, The Bear was reading to The Boy from his library books.  After he would read a bit, he would stop and quiz his brother about the football facts from the book.  :-)  Love those boys.

PROJECT 365 - Day 262 - Gunther and Tinka

PROJECT 365 - Day 262 - Gunther and Tinka

I have to start with a disclaimer - The Bear didn't want me to use this picture.  But I figured since his face was actually partially covered I thought it was ok. ;-)  The kids were watching one of their favorite shows - Shake it up! and I suggested that The Bear and The Princess should go as Gunther and Tinka for Halloween.  Although they didn't go for my idea, that didn't stop them from doing their own rendition of "I am Gunther. And I am Tinka.  And together we are the Hessenhefers!"  Silly kids.

PROJECT 365 - Day 261 - Daddy's little girl

PROJECT 365 - Day 261 - Daddy's little girl

The Princess and her Daddy hanging on the couch.  :-)

PROJECT 365 - Day 260 - Fall Soccer has begun

PROJECT 365 - Day 260 - Fall Soccer has begun

Today was the first soccer games of the fall season.  The Cosmos and United did great and won their games.  The Boy, The Bear, and The Princess all played well scoring goals - these cleats served them well:-)  Fall soccer has begun! 

PROJECT 365 - Day 259 - A little alone time

PROJECT 365 - Day 259 - A little alone time

Today after school, the kids went outside to play but The Boy decided to go back inside and play in his room.  He had fun in his room playing the game he made up with with his mini football helmets.  Sometimes a little alone time is the perfect way to spend some time after school. 

PROJECT 365 - Day 258 - Because Nice Matters

PROJECT 365  - DAY 258 - Because Nice Matters

In the car on the way home from picking the kids up from school, The Princess was telling me that she forgot her jacket at lunch and she wasn't allowed to go back to her classroom and get it.  (don't even get me started on how insanely ridiculous I think that is - it's not the point of the story)  She was understandably cold when they went outside so her brother, The Bear, gave her his jacket.  I was really proud of him for doing that and I told him so.  There are times (like tonight after dinner when the three of them made some questionable choices that got them into trouble and caused a bloody lip - yes a bloody lip) that I wonder if they hear anything that we are saying to them.  There are days when I feel like I am saying the same things over and over.  I get tired of hearing my own voice to be honest.  But moments like this, when they do things so inherently nice and kind and thoughtful make me think that we must be doing something right.  Because nice matters.

PROJECT 365- Day 257 - What a day!

PROJECT 365 - Day 257 - What a day!

Tonight was supposed to be everyone's first soccer practice.  I was running around like a crazy person today getting everything done that needed to be done.  After getting the kids from school, we started the mad dash of getting unpacked, homework, snack, changed for practice etc.... in order to get everyone ready and The Boy out the door first around 4:40.  The Princess went outside and came back in to report that it was "getting windy and she heard thunder".   "No you didn't" I responded.  "And it's not windy.  It was just hot out there.  It's fine."  I do not claim to be a weather person, but we had just gotten home about 10 minutes prior to this report and it was neither windy nor thundering at that time.  So I hurried everyone along, My Wonderful Husband (aka The Coach) came home from work and got ready, and he and The Boy left for practice.  I left shortly after with The Bear and The Princess and made a quick stop at the store for dog food before heading over to the park.  On our way to the park, I began to see very dark skies and lightening.  Storm Fields, otherwise known as my daughter, reported from the backseat that it looked like rain, she DID hear thunder, and now she saw lightning.  She also chose this moment to inform me that she was watching the news today and it said 30% chance of rain, possibly severe thunderstorms.  I kept my mouth shut at this news although I wondered why she didn't share this information earlier.  We were only minutes from the park at this point so I figured we shouldn't turn around since The Boy and The Coach were already there and I wasn't sure if this storm was going to pass.  Within a minute of that decision, I get a call from The Coach telling me that he sent the k-1 team home since there was lightening.  So, I see.  Now to decide if this storm would pass in time for the 2-3 team to practice.  We quickly figured out that was not going to happen.  We called parents, canceled practice and got the heck out of the park just as the heavens opened, the rain poured in buckets, the sky lit up, and the thunder rolled!  This turned into some storm - our front lawn was more flooded than after a day of rain.  The kids were disappointed to miss their practice and I was just plain exhausted from all of my running around that turned out to be in vain.  Luckily, I had found time to get dinner ready before we left, so at least we were able to come home and have a nice warm dinner while the storm raged outside and the lights went out a few times.  What a day!

PROJECT 365 - Day 256 - Motor Trend

PROJECT 365 - Day 256 - Motor Trend

In third grade, the children are allowed to take magazines out of the library along with books.  This week, The Bear borrowed a book about the Grand Canyon (which he read last night with his Daddy), a comic book, and this magazine.  Yup.  Motor Trend.  This is how I found him tonight while he was waiting for his turn in the shower.  Being a third grader is pretty cool.

PROJECT 365 - Day 255 - Suburban Daredevil

PROJECT 365 - Day 255 - Suburban Daredevil

The Boy was popping wheelies on his scooter today.  Getting prepared to live up to his Halloween costume.  He is channeling his inner "suburban daredevil".  

PROJECT 365 - Day 254 - Three games, three jerseys

PROJECT 365 - Day 254 - Three Games, Three Jerseys

I saw a comedienne who asked why men wear team jerseys when they watch football - do they think they are on the team?  I laughed when I heard that thinking of My Wonderful Husband and now my two sons as well. My Wonderful Husband always wears his jerseys for football games and soccer games and now The Bear and The Boy do too.  They are even asking Santa for some additional jerseys this year.  Given how much My Wonderful Husband likes to wear his teams' jerseys during games, today was a trifecta day for games and jerseys.  The day started with a Steelers game in which all three of my boys wore their Steelers jerseys.   My Wonderful Husband has become a Steelers fan now that we live in Steelers country.  Next came the Redskins game and My Wonderful changed into his Redskins jersey.  This is his all time favorite team and he was thrilled that they actually won!  That jersey will become sacred now.. or more sacred....  Finally, the Jets are now playing.  My Wonderful Husband did not grow up a Giants fan, even living in NJ in a family of Giants fans.  He was a Redskins fan.  So, why the Jets jersey you ask?  Well, a few years ago The Boy decided that he liked the Jets because they wore green.  (I had nothing to do with this type of reasoning although it would seem that I did)  My Wonderful Husband was willing to encourage his son who was hellbent on rooting for his green team.  The Jets were ok - just as long as he didn't go liking the Eagles who are also green.  Given that his one son liked the Jets, My Wonderful Husband started rooting for them as well, thus the need for the jersey.  So as I said, today was a jersey trifecta.  Three games, Three Jerseys, Three silly boys.....

PROJECT 365 - Day 253 - The Princess and The Puppy

PROJECT 365 - Day 253 - The Princess and The Puppy

Tonight while The Bear was out with Daddy getting new soccer cleats, I grabbed my camera to catch a moment between The Princess and The Puppy.  When I changed the setting to view the pictures that I had just taken, I saw that My Wonderful Husband had caught a similar moment this morning.  Great minds think alike I guess.  When I asked what made him take the picture this morning, he said he turned the corner and saw The Princess just sitting at the top of the stairs petting The Puppy -  she had just woken up and hadn't even come downstairs yet.  The Puppy has sure been getting lots of love today.

PROJECT 365 - Day 252 - Yummy

PROJECT 365 - Day 252  -  Yummy

A rainy Friday night.  A yummy dinner with the family.  Ahhh.... welcome weekend.

PROJECT 365 - Day 251 - Rain

PROJECT 365 - Day 251 -Rain

So in the past few weeks we have experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, and monsoon like conditions with major flooding.  We have been lucky and not had to deal with any damage to property like so many people unfortunately have.  As I type this I am being serenaded by the constant sound of the sump pump turning on - a welcome sound no doubt.  Even so, I think I am not alone in saying - ENOUGH ALREADY!  Enough rain.  We give. Uncle.  It is getting a bit ridiculous.  Today when My Wonderful Husband ran out to the store for a few things, it started pouring again on his way out of the store.  It rained so hard that when he got home we had to DRY THE GROCERIES.  That is a first.  The box of frozen waffles were so wet the box was falling apart.  I realize that wet groceries are nothing compared to flooded basements, damaged cars, and other casualties of these storms and I am so sorry for all of the homes and businesses that have been damaged by this horrible weather.  So I, along with my sopping wet groceries and drenched husband, send a humble request to Mother Nature - please stop this rain. 

PROJECT 365 - Day 250 - New Journals

PROJECT 365 - Day 250 - New Journals

I found some journals in Micheal's today for $1 each and got one for each of the kids.  I think it is really cool that those $1 journals excited them as much as they did.  They each grabbed a pencil and started writing.  That really makes me smile.  There is just something about a new journal with all of those blank pages waiting to be filled up.  I admit, I am kind of glad they inherited this journal loving gene from me. :-)

PROJECT 365 - Day 249 - Three lunches

PROJECT 365 - Day 249 - Three lunches

It was a long, rainy ride home from the beach with the kids and the dog.  My Wonderful Husband stayed behind to take Poppy for his procedure tomorrow.  Once we got home, the kids helped me unpack the van and put everything away and I threw together a quick dinner.  Then I got three kids to bed and three lunches ready for school tomorrow......

PROJECT 365 - Day 248 - Last official beach day of summer

PROJECT 365 - Day 248 - Last official beach day of summer

It may have been a bit overcast and chilly today but that wasn't stopping this crew from being the only ones in the water.  They practically had the beach to themselves as well and they lived it up on their last official beach day of the summer.

PROJECT 365 - Day 247 - until next summer!

PROJECT 365- Day 247 - until next summer!

Tonight, we took the kids to Fantasy Island one last time for the summer.  They had a blast!  The Boy rode the roller coaster again - he's an old pro now!  We all went on the bumper cars together and had the best time.  The Bear and The Princess got to do the drop ride that they love and The Boy rode the little swings for most likely the last time.  The evening would not have been complete without trying their hands one last time at the strong man competition or "hammer striker" as The Boy calls it.  They were thrilled to pick these great prizes.  I can hardly believe that this is the last true weekend of summer.  Although we will try to get back here soon and we will be here through out the year, this is the last weekend for Fantasy Island until next summer!

PROJECT 365 - Day 246 - Future Babysitter

PROJECT 365 - Day 246 - Future Babysitter

After a day of playing on the beach with friends, we went to a friend's birthday party tonight.  While we were there The Princess gained a little shadow (actually two - but only one is in the picture).  Two little girls, our friends' 3 year old daughter and the little daughter of a couple we met tonight, were so happy to play with the big girls.  The Princess was more than happy to play with them, entertain them, and keep an eye on them.  She played Barbies with them and they looked like they were soaking in all of her 8 year old wisdom.  The Princess is a natural around young children - she is so patient and kind with them.  Given the genetic predisposition to teaching that she has, I would be surprised to see her not work with children in her future.   In the meantime, I see babysitting in her future without a doubt. 

PROJECT 365 - Day 245 - One Fun Ride

PROJECT 365 - Day 245 - One Fun Ride

We took two cars out to the beach this weekend because My Wonderful Husband needs to stay and take Poppy for a procedure on Wednesday and the kids and I are going back home so they can get back for school.  So I drove the car with The Bear and My Wonderful Husband drove with The Princess and The Boy.  Since the DVD player went with the majority in the van, The Bear and I had to make our own entertainment.  For the first couple of hours we just talked.  Even as the mother of  two 8 year olds and a 6 year old, I am wise enough to understand that I should treasure and cherish these moments when my son can sit for hours in a car with his mom talking about his day at school, his friends, what he wants to be for Halloween, and so many other topics.  This kid had a lot to say tonight.  He talked about his teachers and how much he likes them.  He practiced his multiplication tables.  We talked about how is excited to learn about history in school and I learned that he really wants to visit the battlefields at Gettysburg.  We talked about when he was a baby and laughed about some of the things that I am certain I was not laughing about then.  He even asked me serious questions.... he has heard about 9-11 and wanted to know more about it and where I was when this happened.  Then we talked about silly things and really laughed out loud about some of his Halloween costume ideas... stay tuned for that....  Then we finally turned on some tunes and rocked out a bit.  Luckily my taste in music runs from Jimmy Buffett to Kesha and everything in between, so my iPod was able to entertain him.  One thing about having three kids, you tend to always have a group dynamic, which is of course fun and keeps things lively.  But those moments when one of us gets one of the kids by themselves is always a treat, even if it's in a 3 1/2  hour car ride to NJ.  This is one special guy we have and this was one fun ride tonight!

PROJECT 365 - Day 244 - Swinging

PROJECT 365 - Day 244 - Swinging

When the kids come home from school, we go through backpacks, have a snack, do homework, and then they head outside to stretch their legs, play, be silly, and hang with friends.  Today I looked out the window and saw The Princess and The Boy on the swings.  The Princess told me she was actually practicing her surfing..... They were chatting and swinging together.  :-)