P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 274 - Sundays are made for chillin'
If Saturdays are long and busy, then Sundays are lazy and quiet. This morning I got to reallllyyyy sleep in which was fan-tas-tic! When I finally made my way downstairs, everyone was still in jammies hanging on the couch, watching tv or playing video games. My Wonderful Husband made cinnamon rolls and coffee was waiting. Sundays are made for chillin'.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 273 - days I wouldn't trade
Another awesome soccer Saturday - we had three games, three wins, these three superstars scored five goals between them with The Boy scoring a hat trick in his game. After many hours in the park, by the time we made it to our car, we were some of the last people there. These Saturdays may be long days in the park , but days I wouldn't trade for anything.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 272 - Smiles
See those smiles? Those are picture day smiles but also TGIF smiles. I think it is safe to say, we were all ready for the weekend... PS I love Fridays ;-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 271 - Rockin' Robots
I had the opportunity to volunteer at a really cool school wide program today at the kids' school. The PTA had the Rockin' Robots come in for the day. The children got to participate in a interactive robot themed assembly and then get some hands on experience in all things robotic. It was a fun day!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 270 - Morning Trade
In the time before we left for school today, the Morning Trade was hopin'..... There were some serious negotiations going on.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 269 - Monopoly
It was a two hour delay today and that gave the kids a little more time than normal to play a game. The game of choice today was Disney Channel Monopoly. Fun!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 268 - Meatballs
I usually make batches of meatballs and freeze them so I can take what I need out for Sunday dinners. I haven't made a batch in a while and My Wonderful Husband and the kids were all requesting them, so today was operation fill the freezer with meatballs. I make pretty good meatballs if I must say so myself...after lots of practice and coaching from two of the best cooks I knew - my parents. I realized today when I started the process that I hadn't made any meatballs since my dad passed away and it was a little bitter sweet this morning. But as I started chopping, mixing, and rolling I found a groove that was sort of theraputic. As the aroma of cooking meatballs starting permeating the house, my heart flooded with memories of the countless times that I smelled that aroma in my life. That smell will always make me think of home and my parents and it will always make me smile - I am so glad I can fill my house and my heart with that smell! xo
P365(+1) - 2012 - Day 267 - "It's just my style!"
We went shopping for long sleeves and pants for the kids today. The weather is getting cooler and I can no longer wait to see if anyone will grow another size. (let's hope they do not now) While the boys were trying on pants, The Princess had already tried hers on and was scoping out accessories. When she found this hat, she said - "It's just my style!". Enter her Daddy - he could not say no to her smile and enthusiasm so the hat went in the pile as well. I think she's right - it is just her style and she looks stinkin' cute in it!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 266 - Family Game Night
The Bear and The Princess had a great soccer game today - The won 2-0 and their team played fantastic! My Wonderful Husband's other 4-5 team also won and did a great job! The Boy had a bye today so it was a shorter day in the park. After some pizza for dinner and showers all around, the kids asked to have a family game night and chose the game Taboo. Let me just say - I rock at this game and even though The Princess looks slightly sad in this picture - she wasn't - just the photographer's angle... she also rocks at this game and as a team we were unstoppable! Ok - the boy team did well too and we actually tied the game... but remember I am competitive... Seriously, it was a fun family game night and great day all the way around. :-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 265 - TGIF
Was it just me or did this week seem long? I was seriously ready for the weekend and what better way to celebrate TGIF than with a special after school snack. I think the kids agreed. :-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 264 - a little creative
The Bear got a little creative after school today and spent some time painting this wooden car. I love watching his attention to detail and his careful way of doing things.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 263 - a discovery
The kids have made a discovery. They have discovered Full House - you know the sitcom from the late eighties and early nineties? Truth be told, I liked the show when it was on TV...perhaps more for John Stamos than for the quality of the "very special" story lines... but I digress... Apparently this show just does not go out of style...the same cheesy jokes that viewers found funny and endearing more than 20 years ago are still funny today to these kids. So every night these days at 8:00 you can find these three enjoying a blast from the past and if I enjoy it too...well then so be it... :-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 262 - Homework
The 4th graders had some homework today and after having some snack set right to work. The 2nd grader waited for them somewhat impatiently since he did not have any homework today....
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 261 - after school
The kids played some football in the backyard this afternoon after school.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 260 - Football Sundays
If yesterday was the start of Soccer Saturdays, then today was Football Sunday. I don't pretend to know what games these three were watching although I guess their jerseys should give me a clue...all I know is they had two TVs going, channels changing at commercials, and Red Zone on in between. They all had their jerseys on, there was lots of yelling and running back and forth to TVs, and they were all in their glory. Football Sundays are here and The Princess and I need to make some other plans....
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 259 - The Return if Soccer Saturdays
Today marked the return of Soccer Saturdays and what a day it was. My Wonderful Husband is coaching three teams this season, so he headed out for his first game around 10:30 and finished with his last game starting at 3:30. The Bear and The Princess moved up to the 4-5 level this year and their team - Scotland United - had a great first game with a 2-0 win. The Boy moved up to the 2-3 level this year and his team - Scotland Cosmos - had a great first game too with a 5-0 win. The other team that My Wonderful Husband coaches did a great job as well. The weather was perfect and the day was a great start to another soccer season!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 258 - everywhere
I drove up to NJ today to meet my brother and take care of Poppy's bank business. Once we finally finished everything, a bank clerk who had not been the one to help us, came up to us to offer us her condolences. She explained that she knew our dad from his visits to the bank. She then showed us this plant on her desk and told us that he gave it to her. It was just a small clipping when he brought it in and as she said - she just waters it and it continues to grow. I was so touched by the fact that she sought us out to share this with us. My dad was always giving people clippings of plants. He rooted a few shoots of a hedge that was in the yard of the house I grew up in that is now a full hedge in our yard today... I am not much of an indoor house plant person - I don't have the green thumb that my father had, but I have plants on my front porch that he potted for me years ago...and I look forward to every spring when they come back. But my dad didn't just give plants to me. He shared them with family, neighbors, friends, and apparently even bank tellers.... When you think about it, there is a small piece of my dad living on in all of those plants. Small reminders of the man he was. A man who enjoyed using his hands and making things grow. A man who liked to share that joy with others. A man who in his small ways made the world more beautiful. I will never not be sad that he is gone...but I surely know he won't be forgotten - there are pieces of his memory everywhere.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 257 - Better late than never
The days of sitting down together at a reasonable time to eat dinner as a family have dwindled with the school year, semester, and soccer season in full swing. But even with two practices tonight, I was determined to have dinner together. Thanks to a friend for keeping an eye on The Boy at the playground during The Bear and The Princess' practice so I could run home and get a head start on dinner before the hungry masses came home. It may have been 8pm but - better late than never... Dinner is served! :-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 256 - AM Dance Party
We were at double capacity today. We had the little guy that I watch every morning and afternoon along with two girls that I was watching today. What are 6 kids to do in the morning before school? Have an AM Dance Party of course!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 255 - That's all I got
Ok - so it doesn't happen often, but every once in a great while...I forget to take this camera case out of my purse for a whole day! Can you imagine? Sometimes when that happens I scramble for a picture and sometimes I am lucky enough to find something that works for the day. Is that cheating in this project...nah I don't think so... that's just part of it. But today when I realized at about 10:30 that this camera case and the camera that it holds stayed neatly tucked in my purse all day.. I was quite bummed and just could not muster the energy to find a picture. So here's the honest truth: there was no picture. Were there moments? Yes - sure.. I had lunch with a friend, The Boy had his first soccer practice, The Princess almost stayed home this morning but ultimately felt well enough to go to school...I on the other hand was cringing every time the phone rang thinking it was school saying she was sick.. Anyway, the point is, today marks the day that I just forgot. But not really because I remembered....does that make any sense? Well, that's all I got today. ;-)
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 254 - The scores are in!
The Princess and The Bear have been waiting anxiously for the results of the PSSA test that they took last spring in third grade. While I had full confidence that they would score well, this was their first taste of a big standardized test and they took it quite seriously. I am not going to lie when I tell you that I am thinking of moving out when they take the Sat's in the future...it was that serious. ;-) Well today the scores are in and our two awesome (now) 4th graders both scored "advanced" and we could not be prouder of our smart, hardworking kids!! The scores are in - you two rock! xoxo Many thanks to two fantastic third grade teachers too!! Mrs. Soltroff and Mr. Barry - you two rock too! :-)
P365(+1) - 2012 - Day 253 - See you next year Skipper!
We made a quick trip to NJ this weekend to take care of a few things - not the least of which was one last visit to the Skipper Dipper. The soccer madness starts next weekend and it's unlikely we will be back again before the Dipper closes, so this was our goodbye for the season. See you next year Skipper!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 251 - Reunited!
Guess who arrived in the mail today? Norwegian Donald!!! Thanks to my friend Patti for picking him up on a trip into Epcot with her kids and mailing it here!!! The Boy is so happy to be reunited with his buddy!!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 251 - Tomorrow I am sleeping in
This morning was one of those mornings when not only did I not feel like getting up but my brain was already formulating plans of how I could go back to bed at some point. I never do, but it's a little game I play with my brain..."Sure get up now and you can nap later." I am usually so tired I can easily make this simple plan work and I am never the wiser. Anyway that was the conversation in my head this morning. Ultimately, I got up and within a few hours I forgot the plan that I had lied to myself about... make sense? What I don't understand however is how I can have that conversation with myself and after getting through the day and getting everything done that needed to be done...I come downstairs after getting the kids in bed and instead of actually following through on that long forgotten plan to go back to bed, I sit down on the chair, turn on the TV, grab some pizza goldfish and stay awake! Something is wrong here. But now that I have realized the error of my ways...I am off to bed. The best part? Tomorrow is Saturday and I won't need to play any tricks on myself. I have already decreed to anyone who would listen in the house that tomorrow I am sleeping in.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 250 - All better
I am so happy to see him not in pain anymore...My Wonderful Husband broke a back tooth and was in quite a bit of pain. The kids and I were all worried about him because he is not one to complain of pain but that darn tooth sure got the best of him. Thankfully the dentist saw him quickly and they got him in right away for an emergency root canal and tonight he is all better!
P365 (+) - 2012 - Day 249 - Studying
The Bear and The Princess had one of their first tests in fourth grade today and they did some last minute extra studying with their Daddy this morning before school. These two smart cookies knew their continents and bodies of water and I am certain that they rocked that test!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 248 - xo
Just love these three...that's all. :-) xo
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 247 - My backseat camera crew
The ride home today was just awful. It started with traffic and then the rain came...like build an ark and float home kind of rain. My Wonderful Husband and I were in separate cars and I was traveling with The Bear and The Princess. At one point, I handed the camera back to them and told them to get a picture of the rain - that is how bad it was... They then proceeded to take pictures of themselves. (of course) So, here's my back seat camera crew and the rain that was making me want to scream. What a ride!
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 246 - Skater
My Wonderful Husband took the kids to get a new skateboard today. Our littlest Leonard has really been diggin' skateboarding lately and with three kids (and a husband) who all skate and two boards, the kids have been campaigning for another board. This skater was thrilled with the new board and spent a good part of the day skating up and down the street.
P365 (+1) - 2012 - Day 245 - All was right with the world
It was a beautiful beach day - sun, sand, salt water....just what we all needed after a long week back to school. The Bear skimmed - all the kids swam - I soaked up some rays - and all was right with the world.
