P365 - 2015 - Day 271 - Here's how that looked today...

P365 - 2015 - Day 271 - Here's how that looked today...

My busy nights have morphed into busy days as well...  I have been lucky enough to get some consecutive subbing days.  What that means for me and the rest of the household is my time is at a premium.  I am in awe of the moms who do it all every day and always have.... Because even if you are working outside the home, all of the same things need to get done inside the home, which usually means you are moonlighting on one of your jobs...That being said, in my short venture into the working world, I am trying my best to make it all coexist.  Here's how that looked today.... My Wonderful Husband had to leave for his 4 hour trek to work (which became more with unexpected traffic...never a fun start to a Monday), I was up at 5:30 doing laundry, then completed Day 28 of my Abs challenge which included 180 sit ups and a two minute plank (seriously, at 6 am - do it before your brain knows what's going on), showered, made dinner, got the middle schoolers off, got the 5th grader off, got myself to work and spent the day with 18 1st graders, came home and helped the 5th grader with homework before giving him the afore mentioned dinner before bringing him to our neighbors so he didn't have to be alone for hours while I was gone (thank goodness for good neighbors), packed a dinner for The Princess that she could have in the car after her middle school game and before her club practice, checked in with The Boy who was on his way home from his middle school game (thank goodness for friends that provide rides when I am in another zipcode) ran 5 miles during her practice, came home to put together lunches, do more laundry, organize the troops and get everyone off to bed.  Oh and I painted my toenails because it was awfully warm again today and I thought I should be sandal ready for tomorrow.  I feel like I did enough to call it a week, but as it turns out tomorrow is only Tuesday.  So, I'll be doing it all over again tomorrow.

P365 - 2015 - Day 270 - one cool kid

P365 - 2015 - Day 270 - one cool kid

It was a winning weekend for The Boy and his team - two games, two wins.  These boys have worked their tails off and it showed this weekend.  Thanks to a fellow parent who is also a professional photographer, we got these awesome action shots of The Boy.  I might be biased, but he is one cool kid. And in the words of my friend who texted me after seeing one of these photos..."he rocks that hair like nobody's business".  I agree.  Love the Littlest Leonard!

P365 - Day 269 - great season start

P365 - 2015 - Day 269 - great season start

The Boy and his team finally had their first game of the 2015 fall season today.  The SSC Cannons played the SJE Barons and won 5-2.  It was a great game and The Boy played fantastic! It was a great season start - here's to an awesome season!

P365 - 2015 - Day 268 - calling my name

P365 - 2015 - Day 268 - calling my name

Our days are full and they start before the crack of dawn and sometimes don't end until late....  After substituting several days this week along with the regular routine of practices, a back to school night, house stuff, etc etc... this pillow was calling my name for a good night's sleep.  Nighty night.

P365 - 2015 - Day 267 - I do know...

P365 - 2015 - Day 267 - I do know...

Daughter's Day? .... I have no idea if that is a real thing...  But what I do know is that we finally got confirmation that this girlie's ankle was not broken.  I do know that every day she impresses me more and more.  I do know that she is beautiful inside and out.  I do know that she is as smart as a whip.  I do know that she is an awesome athlete that kicks butt on the soccer field.  I do know that she is my "favorite daughter".  I do know that I am so lucky to have her.

P365 - 2015 - Day 266 - Love this kid

P365 - 2015 - Day 266 - Love this kid

Tonight was Back to School Night at The Boy's school and this was hanging in the hallway.  Love this kid.

P365 - 2015 - Day 265 - "the back to school photo"

P365 - 2015 - Day 265 - "the back to school photo"

Today was my first day back to subbing for this school year... so in the spirit of "the back to school photo" I am posting mine.  :-)

P365 - 2015 - Day 264 - No Bueno

P365 - 2015 - Day 264 - No Bueno

The Princess rolled her ankle on the soccer field going in for a tackle in the first 30 seconds of Sunday's game.  No Bueno.  She couldn't put any weight on it and woke up in pain with swelling and bruising.  More no bueno.  So we headed to the doctor and for xrays.  It is definitely a sprain with some possible slight ligament damage but we are waiting on the xray results for more info.  In the meantime, R.I.C.E. - Rest, ice, compression, elevation.

P365 - 2015 - Day 263 - Happy Sunday!

P365 - 2015 - Day 263 -  Happy Sunday!

Our time is at a premium these days.  This weekend we still only had two games because The Boy hasn't started his season yet.  But with a late game for The Princess today, kind of far away, the only way to have a family dinner was to do a swap and have dinner for lunch before she and My Wonderful Husband left.  This time is important and given all of the running around we are doing, we need to find at least one day to all sit down together.  Happy Sunday!

P365 - 2015 - Day 262 - #ilovesushi

P365 - 2015 - Day 262 - #ilovesushi

I have been craving sushi for months and finally got some!!  It was a fairly relaxing Saturday with only one game.  The Bear and The Gunners had a home game at noon which meant no running out at the crack of dawn and right home after their win.  The Princess and The Bear went to a birthday party at a friend's house later in the day which just left The Boy with me and My Wonderful Husband.  That was the perfect time for us to get takeout for dinner and my choice was sushi!  Finally!  Yum.  #ilovesushi

P365 - 2015 - Day 261 - First SRMS soccer game

P365 - 2015 - Day 261 - First SRMS soccer game

It was the first SRMS soccer game for the boys and the girls and The Bear and The Princess both started on the A teams.  And so begins the next crazy month.... soccer, soccer, and then more soccer....

P365 - 2015 - Day 260 - spa day

P365 - 2015 - Day 260 - spa day

Someone had a spa day.....and came back looking quite dashing!  Meanwhile, My Wonderful Husband and I took advantage of the down day and had a nice lunch together before an evening of practices, training sessions, and back to school night.  You take it where you can find it these days...

P365 - 2015 - Day 259 - Go Rams!

P365 - 2015 - Day 259 - Go Rams!

Their schedules are crazy busy.  They go from school to middle school practice and twice a week they go to club practice after that.  Add on top of that games on the week and homework all week and these two are pretty busy.  We are only in week two but I think they are really handling this well - they are mature and responsible and I am super proud of them.  Today they came home with their middle school soccer uniforms and they are pretty excited to play for SRMS.  Go Rams!

P365 - 2015 - Day 258 - I have to admit....

P365 - 2015 - Day 258 - I have to admit....

There has been a chill in the air, windows are finally open, pumpkin flavored everything is available again, school is in full swing, and we were cold at soccer this past weekend.  That can only mean one thing, Fall has arrived.  Now, I know that technically it hasn't arrived yet and it is in fact still summer, but all of the evidence points otherwise.  If it's going to appear to be Fall that it was time to decorate for Fall.  The Boy was the first one home and he walked in on decoration central to exclaim "Yeah, the Fall decorations are back!  I love this season!".  Ok, that is his father in him... while I love to decorate for any occasion, I hold to my love of Summer above all else.  However if there have to be seasons and I have to make my peace with that, there is something about Fall that is comforting.  Maybe it's the return to the routine?  Maybe it's the breeze in the house, maybe it's the colors... whatever it is I have to admit that I do enjoy a good pumpkin flavor every now and then and getting cozy in a sweatshirt is kind of nice too.  We'll just ignore that fact that I was already freezing in the morning and wore long sleeves on my run.....we'll discuss that come January.

P365 - 2015 - Day 257 - our first Monday

P365 - 2015 - Day 257 - our first Monday

I'm pretty proud of this kid. Mondays are shaping up to be a bit nuts... The Boy gets home first before I go pick up The Princess from middle school soccer and bring her to club soccer.  The Bear takes the late bus home but in the mean time, the 5th grader is on his own for a bit.  He came home and got started on homework right away and finished before I left, leaving just his reading to do which he did while he waited for his brother to get home.  I made dinner that I left for the boys to have together while I was gone with The Princess.  It's not our normal routine for sure, but it is our new normal and this kid handled it like a champ and we made it through our first Monday.

P365 - 2015 - Day 256 - fully entrenched

P365 - 2015 - Day 256 - fully entrenched

Gone are the care free day of summer...we are fully entrenched in the school year.  Lunches packed, reminders on the chalkboard, and as an added bonus the 7th graders pack for each day like they are moving out.  School bag, school soccer bag, club soccer bag, lunch etc.  Good times.  "They" tell me I'll look back fondly at these days... "they" say I'll miss the hustle and bustle when it's gone..."they" might be right but I miss summer more at the moment. ;-)  

P365 - 2015 - Day 255 - a run, a blister, and that sky

P365 - 2015 - Day 255 - a run, a blister, and that sky

A run, a blister, and that sky over that soccer field...  that pretty much sums up my Saturday.  I got in my 14 mile long run for the week before heading out to The Bear's first game of the season.  After getting back from my run I realized that I had one heck of a blister on my toe... no bueno.  Good thing I was wearing flip flops to the game....  We got most of the game in before these ominous skies opened up and started to rain and the game ended in a tie.  In an instant it seemed, the temperature dropped and it started feeling as much like fall as it looked.  I came home to bundle up in sweats and nurse my boo boo toe.

P365 - 2015 - Day 254 - phones

P365 - 2015 - Day 254 - phones

We finally broke down and got them phones.  According to my kids they were the "only kids" on the planet without phones.  That may be true but I just didn't think it was necessary.  UnPtil now.  They leave at 7 am for school and I don't see them again until 5 and then they are off to another practice after that.  Aside from my need to be able to contact my kids or vice versa, they also use them in school - reminder texts and school wide apps.  So we broke down and bit the bullet.... we gave them our old phones an d upgraded ours.  The shrieks of joy were reportedly heard across the state.

P365 - 2015 - Day 253 - I don't always post TBT photos but when I do...

P365 - 2015 - Day 253 - I don't always post TBT photos but when I do...

The Boy was looking for photos today for a class project....after he was done picking, I started looking through them as well, taking a walk down memory lane.  When I came across the photo of The Boy, I remembered the moment that I took it - it was always one of my favorites.  It captured him so perfectly.  Then I came across this photo of me.... I fully admit that The Boy is My Wonderful Husband's mini but as it turns out he kind of resembles me too.  ;-) I don't always post TBT photos but when I do, they prove that my kids look like me too. haha!

P365 - 2015 - Day 252 - fifth grader

P365 - 2015 - Day 252 - fifth grader

Happy first day of school to my fifth grader!  Not sure where the time goes....and how we got here so fast. Here's to a great year at LBI.

P365 - 2015 - Day 251 - 7th graders

P365 - 2015 - Day 251 - 7th graders

Happy First Day of School to my two 7th graders!!  SRMS here they come! (It was just their day today because The Boy starts tomorrow.)

P365 - 2015 - Day 250 - no where to be today

P365 - 2015 - Day 250 - no where to be today

I am still in denial that tomorrow begins the school year - for The Bear and The Princess at least.  The Boy starts the next day.  After a weekend of soccer tournaments, we had no where to be today.  No where except the beach that is.   We spent the afternoon with our feet in the sand, soaking up the rays and the final moments with friends and family.  Yes, we are local now and we are lucky enough to not have to buck the traffic and get "home" but the start of the school year brings with it a schedule that makes time like this much more difficult and there are people and faces that we will miss through out the year....  We are lucky enough that this won't be our last beach day but there was still a finality in the air today.  A sense of mourning.  Gone are the carefree days of summer... days like this when everyone grabs a shovel and digs a hole....tanned skin and wet hair...feet in the sand...chairs lined up...no where to go...no agenda.   Goodbye summer 2015 - it was a slice.

P365 - 2015 - Day 249 - I swear I just blinked...

P365 - 2015 - Day 249 - I swear I just blinked...

Ok - so call me nostalgic and possibly weepy and a bit anxious....but with a new school year on the horizon (I am in denial but on the horizon it is...) I can not help but think back...  Five years ago this trio all walked into school together - the first time that all three Leonard kids were in school together.  This week this trio will be going their separate ways for the first time in years.  The Bear and The Princess will go over the bridge and start 7th grade and middle school while The Boy will stay on the island as a 5th grader!!  Where does the time go?  They were just this little a minute ago.  Two second graders and a kindergartener.  I swear I just blinked....it doesn't feel like that long ago.

P365 - 2015 - Day 248 - Hey I know you....

P365 - 2015 - Day 248 -  Hey I know you....

Hey I know you.....:-)  It seems that lately we are always going in three directions with the kids.  More often than not everyone has games on the same day and overlapping times.  My Wonderful Husband spent last spring as an assistant coach for The Princess and now as an assistant coach for The Bear.  That means that even if we are at the same game together, we are not on the sidelines actually together.  That is a bummer.  So today we started off in two directions.  My Wonderful Husband and The Bear left at 6 am for his tournament in East Brunswick while I set out later for The Princess' tournament in Toms River.  The plan was that we would meet after The Bear was done and I would take both boys home while My Wonderful Husband stayed.   Instead the boys wanted to stay and so did I.   I am glad that we got to sit on the sidelines together and watch The Princess play a great game.

P365 - 2015 - Day 247 - lunch bags

P365 - 2014 - Day 247 - lunch bags

I set out with the kids to pick up some last minute things that we needed for the start of the school year... socks, toiletries, clothes, and lunch bags.  The lunch bags proved to be an almost impossible task.  We looked everywhere and could not find anything... so we went from store to store and managed to cobble together this trio of lunch bags to start this school year.  If I never have to search for another lunch bag any time soon, I will be very happy.  As a matter of fact at the end of my days I will petition to get back the hours spent on this search.

P365 - 2015 - Day 246 - this happened....

P365 - 2015 - Day 246 - this happened....

So.... this happened.....  The Boy woke up and said that his stomach and his head hurt.  He never got out of pajamas, he went from laying on the couch to laying on his bed and he barely ate all day.  He was running a very slight fever, but more than anything I think he was worn out.  Summer can be exhausting.  So a rest day was in order... for him at least.  The Bear made a quick trip up to the beach to ride some waves, My Wonderful Husband had surf lessons and then soccer training and meetings, and I had a meeting to start my day and then spent hours cleaning and organizing.  I almost feel ready for the school year to start... except for the tiny problem of not wanting summer to end and school to start.

P365 - 2015 - Day 245 - the "anti-first day of school" photo

P365 - 2015 - Day 245 - the "anti-first day of school" photo

So this morning I saw the latest wave of back to school photos posted on social media.  Let me just start by saying that I wish all of our friends who went back today a great school year....special good wishes to our beach friends who traded in their flip flops and boogie boards for new shoes and backpacks.  We have several more days until we join the ranks of back to school photos posted to social media so instead we got our feet in the sand today with some friends.  I call this the "anti-first day of school" photo.  I'm still in denial so humor me.

P365 - 2015 - Day 244 - Hello September....

P365 - 2015 - Day 244 - Hello September....

And just like that.... Hello September...  Where did the summer go?  Luckily, we still have some more time and we were able to spend the day at the beach today before making a mad dash to drop the boys off at practice before bring The Princess up to her scrimmage.  Luckily, I had sand in my toes, sun on my face, and salty breezes in my hair before the madness of the evening began.  Luckily, I saw many sunsets this summer from our bay before spending most nights catching the sunset like this... behind a tree.  I guess it was an appropriate way to see the sun set on the first day of September.  But I sure will miss those summer days and nights....