Today is our special family day. It's a day where I am even more so amazed and so very, very grateful for my beautiful children. I can not believe how lucky I am that I am their mother. Our lives have been really, really crazy and we've barely been home. But there are so many things that happen each day that let me know that this little family is just incredible. I know I'm a little mushy about things, but I just can't believe that life is blessed.
And I'm especially remembering to count my blessings after the email I received this evening. My good friend from college emailed that her nephew passed away this morning from his battle with cancer. Please join me in prayers for their family.
There is so much more I want to write and I will at some point, but for this evening I just want to be Mom and love my family.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
It's very cold
Last night we were under a wind chill advisory. A little after 9:00 last evening, the school district called to report we were on a two hour delay. Always nice to be able to sleep in, and it's even better when the call comes before bed the night before! The temps were in the single digits, and will chills hovered around ten below. I still took the kids to school because I didn't want them walking out in those temps. Almost all of the school districts were delayed. It's actually going to be colder this evening, but not as windy. I'm still planning to take the kids to school tomorrow though. I'll be honest...as much as I don't love the cold, after last year being so mild I'm very grateful that winter is back this year!
A much needed evening
This was a very rare evening. I didn't work today, and in fact haven't worked in a week. For whatever reason, January is a very slow month for subbing and I accept that. I was able to really spend some time getting the house picked up, and we all sat down together for a nice family meal. There was actually nothing on our calendar this evening, and we all just hung out together as a family because there was no where we needed to be or anything that absolutely had to be done this evening. I wish we had more evenings like this, but I'm aware that isn't the case...which makes me very grateful for the few that we have!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Classic old shows
Yesterday when Thomas was home, we were watching some good ole' classic shows on television. We watched The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and The Andy Griffith Show. I really love these shows. They bring back memories from watching them on syndication when I was a child, and I also find them to be so amazingly civilized. I'm particularly enjoying watching the Ricardos make their trip across the country to California...some absolutely great episodes! The thing I love more than anything is that we can even watch these shows with the kids...these days that is very rare!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Basketball
Basketball games began last weekend. Andrew is coaching Catherine, and
Thomas is also playing. For Catherine, Saturday was her very first game
ever. Considering that, I thought she did well. I can't wait to see
how she develops during the year. I think she has some potential,
although her height (actually, lack thereof) is definitely going to be a
disadvantage! Thomas has good ball handling skills, but again his size
is a detriment. In fact, he's about six inches shorter than the next
shortest person on the team. However, both kids are having fun, and
that is ultimately the most important thing!
Stomach flu
Thomas is home today with the stomach flu. Fortunately, he does seem to be feeling much better this morning, but neither of us had a great night of sleep.
While the stomach flu is never convenient, I was very disappointed about the timing. My 93-year-old great uncle passed away this week and today is the funeral. We were able to go last night to the visitation, but I was really looking forward to getting to spend the day with all of my cousins. We have so much fun together. That may sound callous, but we are all philosophical that he had a nice long life, and the last year had been very difficult for him. He's been reunited with his loving wife (they had been married over 60 years) and his grandson who passed away three years ago. Anyway, instead of a family day, I'm home with my sick little guy. Instead of hanging out with my cousins, Thomas and I are enjoying TVLand...love the classics and the time with my little guy!
While the stomach flu is never convenient, I was very disappointed about the timing. My 93-year-old great uncle passed away this week and today is the funeral. We were able to go last night to the visitation, but I was really looking forward to getting to spend the day with all of my cousins. We have so much fun together. That may sound callous, but we are all philosophical that he had a nice long life, and the last year had been very difficult for him. He's been reunited with his loving wife (they had been married over 60 years) and his grandson who passed away three years ago. Anyway, instead of a family day, I'm home with my sick little guy. Instead of hanging out with my cousins, Thomas and I are enjoying TVLand...love the classics and the time with my little guy!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
What I should be doing
I really ought to be doing just about anything RATHER than what I'm doing...sitting here on the computer. And this is what I've been doing for the last hour so I'm getting absolutely nothing accomplished today. I have to be at work at Noon, and that honestly, is the issue. I don't want to get into my work clothes, so I'm putting off taking a shower as long as I possibly can. Even sitting on the computer, I could be doing some billable work for my dad's office, but can't seem to get into that either. While I did watch three quarters of the Notre Dame game last night, it was a blowout so I did not feel obligated to stay up until the end. I think it's just my body getting back into the yucky school wake up time that has me so tired and lacking motivation. Oh well, life shall go on!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Game time!
We are all dressed appropriately in our Notre Dame attire. My shirt is my personal favorite, "Beat Bama". We've been waiting six weeks for this game. For me, winning this game would mean not only a national title for our favorite team, but it would mean my least favorite college team EVER would lose! GO IRISH!!!!!!!! Roll OVER the tide!
Resuming some normalcy
Today everyone is back at school except for Robert. He doesn't have to go until Wednesday. As a teenager, I'm not entirely sure that he loves his "free time" at home with me, but it is what it is. I'm hoping the kids aren't too awful today. It was nice that they had to get up for Sunday School yesterday so that today isn't a TOTAL shock to the wake up systems. It still felt pretty early though!
Life with the cats is also settling into a routine. Lincoln has decided that his favorite spot in on top of our basement freezer which is very close to the heating ducts. I think we all understand his appeal to that! Piper was sleeping next to me on the bed again last night as opposed to UNDER the bed which is where she had been hiding for two days. Hopefully the four of them are going to continue to adjust to living under the same roof! Lincoln and Rosie are scheduled to be declawed on Friday morning, and to be honest, I'm hoping they don't destroy anything between now and then!
I think it's time for either a nap or another cup of coffee!
Life with the cats is also settling into a routine. Lincoln has decided that his favorite spot in on top of our basement freezer which is very close to the heating ducts. I think we all understand his appeal to that! Piper was sleeping next to me on the bed again last night as opposed to UNDER the bed which is where she had been hiding for two days. Hopefully the four of them are going to continue to adjust to living under the same roof! Lincoln and Rosie are scheduled to be declawed on Friday morning, and to be honest, I'm hoping they don't destroy anything between now and then!
I think it's time for either a nap or another cup of coffee!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Best break ever!!!!
These last two weeks honestly feel as though they have been the best two week break ever. While I'm never necessarily thrilled to be getting back into the rat race again, I at least feel as though we truly, truly had a break and I feel (almost) rejuvenated! When I think back on all we did, the last two weeks almost feel like they were forever ago!
One of the best things about our break and Christmas this year is that for Thomas, everything is still so magical. I know that there is a pretty good chance that this is the last year he's going to completely believe, and I'm so grateful that I took the time to really slow down and see the season through his eyes. We had our own version of an "Elf on the Shelf" that my mother had given me many years ago, but it wasn't the one that is so popular today. This one was named Christopher, and it was fun watching where Christopher might appear each morning. My favorite was a Saturday morning when Christopher appeared on top of the lights in the upstairs bathroom. He had written on the mirror, "Santa is always watching!" Later that day, I heard Thomas exclaim, "That freaks me out!" and then he came downstairs to use the restroom. I couldn't help but laugh!
Even though there wasn't actually any snow on Christmas day, we received about 6" the next day, and then another 2" last Saturday. We didn't really have any place to be on those days, and were able to just sit inside and watch it snow. Andrew received some more season of the The Cosby Show for Christmas, and the kids also received some new movies, wii games, and DSi games. And of course Thomas had MANY new Lego sets to occupy his time. Catherine's favorite gift was her new American Girl Doll, and she also received several different sets of clothing from various relatives. In fact, my grandmother found a pattern and made some flannel night gowns for the dolls. Family is such an amazing blessing! Christmas Day at my sister's house was so pleasant and relaxing...it was so nice to be able to share the day with family and truly be able to enjoy it.
Last Sunday we hosted the annual New Year's Eve eve gathering for our group of friends. All together there were 12 of us, and as always, we had an absolute blast. Even our friends who moved to MO two years ago were here and there were so many good times shared together. Someone had mentioned a group photo, and it turned out really well. This was a year where I really tried to take photos...the memories of the year were just to awesome to let go by without capturing!
Monday we drove to my in-laws. We had decided we would ring in the new year with them. There were snow flurries coming down when we left, but about half way there it really turned into some difficult traveling. We arrived safely though, and even in time for dinner! We all stayed awake until Midnight, and it was fun to celebrate with them. Tuesday we sat around and watched football, and some dear friends of Andrew's family came over to visit that evening. Wednesday we drove into the city to see a Santa's From Around the World display, and also a miniature train display. That was a huge hit for Thomas...and again it was so much fun to see the magic in his eyes! After a stop for dinner, we drove to one of the world's biggest light displays. There was so much to see that I have no doubt that we didn't get to see everything. I was very glad that we were able to purchase an ornament to remember the day. Everyone tumbled into bed very, very tired that evening.
Thursday we were on the road bright and early. We had breakfast with Andrew's parents and were able to be home by mid-afternoon. That evening was literally the only opportunity we had to visit with some friends that although we'd seen, the kids hadn't been able to hang out together since June. It was Andrew's birthday, and our friend was gracious enough to bake him a cake. We have so very much in common with these friends and it was such a nice "breath of fresh air" to be able to visit with them!
Friday was quite an adventure. Our cats, Wally and Piper are turning 13 this year. We'd always said that we never wanted there to be just one cat in the house, and although we are hoping that we have many, many more years to share with them, we wanted to get two more cats before Wally and Piper were really too old to adjust to them. We set out Friday morning on a mission! I had originally wanted two more adult cats, but our vet had advised us to get cats under a year old so that Wally and Piper could still be in charge. I also insisted that at least one cat be a male. I know that female cats are often territorial and I couldn't deal with Piper AND two new ones! We came across these two nine-month-old cats that had been found abandoned, and I absolutely knew, without a doubt, that these two were supposed to be going home with us. Robert really, really wanted the younger three-month-old kittens, but I was absolutely convinced. Rosie and Lincoln (as we've named them) had been at the shelter since September, which helped to convince me even more that these two were meant for us! It's been quite an experience having them in the house...I almost feel as though I have toddlers again! We hadn't planned to take our Christmas decorations down until today, but since Rosie successfully climbed our Christmas tree and knocked over several fragile decorations, "Operation Dismantle" was quickly put into place! Catherine was in charge of keeping an eye on Rosie for the evening (Lincoln was content to hide under the couch) and when she went to bed that evening she commented how exhausted she felt. We've all (even Robert) quickly fallen in love with these two new additions. Even Wally has begun to accept them and play with them, and we are hoping that Piper will eventually do so as well!
I know this is terribly long, and I'm certain I've left something (or things) out, but it was just such an amazing break, and I wanted to have the opportunity to remember it for later! I hope everyone's New Year is off to a wonderful start!
One of the best things about our break and Christmas this year is that for Thomas, everything is still so magical. I know that there is a pretty good chance that this is the last year he's going to completely believe, and I'm so grateful that I took the time to really slow down and see the season through his eyes. We had our own version of an "Elf on the Shelf" that my mother had given me many years ago, but it wasn't the one that is so popular today. This one was named Christopher, and it was fun watching where Christopher might appear each morning. My favorite was a Saturday morning when Christopher appeared on top of the lights in the upstairs bathroom. He had written on the mirror, "Santa is always watching!" Later that day, I heard Thomas exclaim, "That freaks me out!" and then he came downstairs to use the restroom. I couldn't help but laugh!
Even though there wasn't actually any snow on Christmas day, we received about 6" the next day, and then another 2" last Saturday. We didn't really have any place to be on those days, and were able to just sit inside and watch it snow. Andrew received some more season of the The Cosby Show for Christmas, and the kids also received some new movies, wii games, and DSi games. And of course Thomas had MANY new Lego sets to occupy his time. Catherine's favorite gift was her new American Girl Doll, and she also received several different sets of clothing from various relatives. In fact, my grandmother found a pattern and made some flannel night gowns for the dolls. Family is such an amazing blessing! Christmas Day at my sister's house was so pleasant and relaxing...it was so nice to be able to share the day with family and truly be able to enjoy it.
Last Sunday we hosted the annual New Year's Eve eve gathering for our group of friends. All together there were 12 of us, and as always, we had an absolute blast. Even our friends who moved to MO two years ago were here and there were so many good times shared together. Someone had mentioned a group photo, and it turned out really well. This was a year where I really tried to take photos...the memories of the year were just to awesome to let go by without capturing!
Monday we drove to my in-laws. We had decided we would ring in the new year with them. There were snow flurries coming down when we left, but about half way there it really turned into some difficult traveling. We arrived safely though, and even in time for dinner! We all stayed awake until Midnight, and it was fun to celebrate with them. Tuesday we sat around and watched football, and some dear friends of Andrew's family came over to visit that evening. Wednesday we drove into the city to see a Santa's From Around the World display, and also a miniature train display. That was a huge hit for Thomas...and again it was so much fun to see the magic in his eyes! After a stop for dinner, we drove to one of the world's biggest light displays. There was so much to see that I have no doubt that we didn't get to see everything. I was very glad that we were able to purchase an ornament to remember the day. Everyone tumbled into bed very, very tired that evening.
Thursday we were on the road bright and early. We had breakfast with Andrew's parents and were able to be home by mid-afternoon. That evening was literally the only opportunity we had to visit with some friends that although we'd seen, the kids hadn't been able to hang out together since June. It was Andrew's birthday, and our friend was gracious enough to bake him a cake. We have so very much in common with these friends and it was such a nice "breath of fresh air" to be able to visit with them!
Friday was quite an adventure. Our cats, Wally and Piper are turning 13 this year. We'd always said that we never wanted there to be just one cat in the house, and although we are hoping that we have many, many more years to share with them, we wanted to get two more cats before Wally and Piper were really too old to adjust to them. We set out Friday morning on a mission! I had originally wanted two more adult cats, but our vet had advised us to get cats under a year old so that Wally and Piper could still be in charge. I also insisted that at least one cat be a male. I know that female cats are often territorial and I couldn't deal with Piper AND two new ones! We came across these two nine-month-old cats that had been found abandoned, and I absolutely knew, without a doubt, that these two were supposed to be going home with us. Robert really, really wanted the younger three-month-old kittens, but I was absolutely convinced. Rosie and Lincoln (as we've named them) had been at the shelter since September, which helped to convince me even more that these two were meant for us! It's been quite an experience having them in the house...I almost feel as though I have toddlers again! We hadn't planned to take our Christmas decorations down until today, but since Rosie successfully climbed our Christmas tree and knocked over several fragile decorations, "Operation Dismantle" was quickly put into place! Catherine was in charge of keeping an eye on Rosie for the evening (Lincoln was content to hide under the couch) and when she went to bed that evening she commented how exhausted she felt. We've all (even Robert) quickly fallen in love with these two new additions. Even Wally has begun to accept them and play with them, and we are hoping that Piper will eventually do so as well!
I know this is terribly long, and I'm certain I've left something (or things) out, but it was just such an amazing break, and I wanted to have the opportunity to remember it for later! I hope everyone's New Year is off to a wonderful start!
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