The rugs make me feel grown up

The house in which we currently live, just like our previous home, has absolutely no wall-to-wall carpeting at all.  When we first moved into our first home, we loved it because not only did it add to, and fit, the character of the house, my husband was having trouble being around cats and we thought that was our best shot to him being able to live with them.  It worked out well.  Our living room was very large and we had a large area rug in that room.  The kids rooms had fun little area rugs, and our bedroom had a fairly inexpensive area rug.  It was never very soft and with lots of cat vomit over the years, we threw it out when we moved.

Our second home is 100 years newer than our previous home, but the original part of the house had hardwood floors.  The kitchen and family had hardwood installed sometime before we moved in.  We knew that we liked wood floors, and already had some rugs.  The living room rug fit well into our new living room, and the kids' rugs also made the move.  We ended up getting Catherine a more "grown up" rug about six months after we moved.  Very shortly after we moved, I had found some VERY inexpensive area rugs to put into our family room.  They were a long shag, which is "in" these days, and if we purchased two of the rugs we could put them together and have the size we needed.  We had thought about sewing them together because I loved them and they were SO inexpensive.  However, they would also have been perfect to have on either side of our bed in our room.

Time passed, and nothing changed.  I knew what I hoped to do, but with me being a SAHM, the money just wasn't there.  Finally this fall, we are beginning to slowly rebuild our savings.  We also received an unexpected amount from my grandmother for Christmas.  Around the beginning of the year, I was online just kind of looking around.  I found an area rug that was a good size, and I liked it!  It was VERY reasonably priced to start, and was on sale for 15% off.  In addition, I had received gift cards from my in-laws for both my birthday and Christmas, and had some additional coupons from my Christmas shopping.  When all was done, we paid less than $10.00 out of our pockets...we didn't even need the extra amount from my grandmother!  I was so excited and couldn't wait for the rug to arrive.  When it did, we took the old rugs into our bedroom, and got everything all laid out like we wanted.  It's probably a little ridiculous how happy the new rug, and having the rugs in our bedroom make me.  Seeing something like that come together actually makes me feel grown up!

We are a family

This is the date that we celebrate our family.  Granted, sometimes the big, expensive, fancy meal that we have comes weeks (or even months) later, but today is the day we really, really celebrate our lives together as a family.  We are so lucky to have the little family that we do.

I am feeling a little bittersweet about it this year.  This will be the last year that on this date, my little family will all be living under the same roof.  I don't dread the next phase of our lives, but I sure do have pretty darn good memories of this current phase.  It certainly hasn't always been easy being a parent, and there have been more than a few days where I have felt completely lost.  I also have no doubt there are many more to come!  However, I wouldn't trade our lives together for anything.  I'm grateful for our lives, and I pray that although we may not be together as much as we are now, there is much fun to come in the future!

I am worrying a little about my grandmother

I've been worrying a little about my paternal grandmother.  She turned 87 earlier this month, and is one of the most able-bodied and healthy people I know.  I'm not really worrying about her physically in that regard.  And she lives in a retirement community so I know people are checking on her.

I'm worrying in different ways.  She hasn't communicated as much as she used to, although that might be because I'm so busy and don't respond as much as I should.  There are other things though.  We had a conversation last fall, and by the end of the conversation she seemed a little confused and it didn't go along very well with the beginning of the conversation.  The last two birthdays in our family have been Thomas and Andrew.  She didn't forget to send birthday cards, but she did forget to sign them.  I know that overall she is still doing well, but at her age I just don't want to take anything for granted!

Musical teachers

The gentleman I am in for during the beginning of this week is a math teacher.  He teaches Algebra I, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.  Needless to say, I am absolutely useless as an instructor, and not much better as someone who can answer questions.  I can, however, sit in a classroom and keep things legal.  While this is relatively true nearly everywhere I sub at the high school, it is much more the case in a math room (and science would be a close second).  However, these students can't lose days upon days of math instruction.  The Algebra students have been reviewing and testing, so I can handle that.  During Geometry, I cover academic study hall (staffed by teachers for additional academic assistance) while that gentleman teaches the class.  During Pre-Calculus, the other teacher who is teaching the class this year comes in and instructs, but he has a class that also needs instruction.  Another teacher covers his class, and I go and cover that teacher's class because he has a student teacher.  It also happens that Catherine is in that classroom and I get to see her.  I love how this department works so well together and everyone pitches in to do what needs to be done for the good of the students.  I am happy to be here and do what I can, but I sure do feel useless!

Some sadness on this Monday morning

There has been some sadness early on this Sunday morning.  Before we even arrived to school, we learned there had been a shooting in a township in our school district.  I learned after arriving to school that it appears to have been a murder-suicide of a married couple.  While I don't know the family personally, or whether children are involved, it is sad.  Before school I learned about a fire destroying a home near my hometown.  After arriving at school, I learned that it is someone my sister knows rather well, and this man and his wife had lived in this house for over 30 years.  They got their dog out, but the cat is still missing.  It made me so sad to think about these people losing literally everything, and quite possibly a pet as well.  I also learned some sad news when I arrived at school.  I was asked if I could be in the same job for the bulk of the week because the gentleman for whom I am subbing today has a very ill wife.  She seems to be weakening, and they expect to receive some bad news this week.  This man has been a colleague of Andrew for nearly two decades, and it made me sad.

I am very grateful for my blessings in life, and praying for those in need!

It was a fun night at the pool

This past weekend was the league swim championships.  Catherine was only in two events, and while she did well for her, we knew she wouldn't be competitive.  Robert was in four events, and we expected him to be competitive.  One must place 6th in order to be on the podium, and at least 3rd in order to receive a medal.  We were thrilled that Robert was on the podium for all four of his events, and was in 3rd place with one of his relays.  It was definitely a night of red & blue!  In the 200 free event, Robert came in fourth overall...and fourth on his team!  The boys ended up winning by nearly 200 points and the girls won by 90.  It is the 12th consecutive league title for both teams.  Lots of new meet records were set, and it was just a fun evening to get to see with the kids.  And as always, I was proud of Catherine for her sportsmanship.  I'm so grateful to be their mother.

Days off

After being off Monday, I was a little surprised that I was also off Wednesday and yesterday.  Granted, I could've taken a PE job (ugh) or a middle school job (so GLAD I didn't), but I wasn't feeling 100%, and I was picky and stayed home.  I told Andrew that I hadn't had three full days off since the very first full week of school back in August!  Unfortunately, after being so highly motivated on Monday, my ickiness kept my motivation limited the last two days, but I did get lots of things done for my church office job.  I was grateful for the opportunity to get some extra sleep and to just kind of move along at my own pace.  At first I had a little mini-panic attack because I want to earn extra money, but I reminded myself that it's okay to enjoy a little time off.  I'm trying to remember this job allows me a win-win!

Still really don't like middle school

I haven't been at the middle school since last October...and I should've kept it that way.  The seventh graders are especially the worst.  However, I took this job because I know the teacher, and I know he doesn't put up with much.  Theoretically, that leaves a better run classroom. This teacher has both 7th and 8th grade classes so I figured I would take some good ((8th) with the bad (7th).  I also didn't have much scheduled when I took this job, and finally, it is business...which I love!  Of course, a couple of days ago my husband called and let me know of a job at the high school, but the policy is that you are not allowed to cancel a job and then schedule something else, so I was "stuck".

I figured it wouldn't be too bad though.  After all, this school is on trimesters and this teacher has classes that change each trimester.  I was in for this teacher during September and actually had to send a child to the principal, but I thought to myself this morning how nice it was that I wouldn't have to deal with him today...he'd already had the class.

Well, not so fast!  Apparently that student was in one of the mixed classes last trimester, and this trimester he is still in the classroom.  Ugh!  In fact, this particular trimester, this teacher has nothing but 7th graders...I sure didn't count on that when I accepted this job.  These children are so obnoxious and disrespectful.  I am really looking forward to this day being over...and I'm pretty sure this is the last day I'll step foot into the middle school as a sub!

I want to be home when they get home

I'm feeling like I'm not getting as many sub jobs as I would like to have...and I think I'm okay with that.  I'm allowing myself to not work at all at one of the elementaries, to only work 1/2 days in certain grades at another elementary, and to work mostly only 1/2 days at the third elementary, and I generally avoid middle school like the plague.  If that means that there is no high school job available and I am home for the day, so be it.  I want to make sure I am home when my kids get home.  I'm sure on many levels it doesn't matter to them, but I am also certain that on a level none of us even realize, it does make a difference.  When they walk in the door I always ask how the day was, if there is anything I need to know, and whether or not there is any homework.  Even if they don't share much, there is some conversation happening about the day.  I want to make sure I can make that happen.

As track begins, it is a little easier as both boys are doing track and Catherine is fabulously responsible and independent.  But even then, I want to be home more often than I am not.  I want to build up our savings again after doing the bathroom last summer, but I also trust that taking care of my family is important.  I am so grateful for my husband who supports my perspective, and I'm so grateful for subbing which allows me to have days at home, AND days where I get paid!

I was highly motivated

For about the last week, I'd been feeling highly motivated to get our house in order.  For the most part things are, but I was talking really cleaning and organizing.  Things that take hours to do, not just a little bit of time here and there.  It's also something that I find I can do better when other people aren't home, although that isn't imperative.  I do however, need to not be transporting to activities.  Needless to say, those specific requirements are not easy to come by in our house!

Sunday, I was delighted that our annual church meeting was half the length I expected.  Although Robert had to work that evening, I had nowhere else I needed to be the rest of the day.  I was rather indifferent about the football games so I wasn't concerned about making sure I saw most of them, and I began to work with my motivation high!  I got a lot done in my bedroom and the kids even commented that they were impressed I was throwing things out.  I made dinner, and because Robert doesn't have to be there until 7:00 we enjoyed eating together, and I still had time to sit and relax since I had to wait up for him to get home from work.

I kept my eye open for sub jobs, but nothing was appearing.  Later into Sunday evening, and art job opened.  I really prefer being in "regular" classrooms.  I'm not a fan of art and gym, and the things kids usually enjoy the most.  Often, there is a lack of structure, and that tends to not work well with my Type A personality.  I told Andrew I would take the job if no one else did, but hoped that either something else would open up for me or that someone would take the job.  I was pleased to see when I got up yesterday that someone did, and there was nothing else available for me.  It took lots of checking to convince myself that I would be home, but indeed I was!  I allowed myself to close my eyes for a bit, but couldn't really sleep so I got up and really got some things done that needed to be done.  I was so excited about having the entire day spread out before me.  In fact, I had nowhere that I needed to be the entire day!  I was practically giddy about that!  I couldn't remember the last time that happened, although I know it was back to at least October.  I also knew that I would be working today, and that helped me to not put things off.  I was thrilled with how much work I got done in the kitchen and how much laundry was handled.  Everyone commented on how nice things looked as well.  It was so nice to have a day to be able to do that...and there might even be a few more coming up!

A Monday with school but no work

After four consecutive Mondays at home, we are back at school today.  Sleeping in for the last four Mondays sure has been nice!  Can't last forever though.  However, I will note that after today, there are only 14 Mondays left in this school year. 😀

I am also off work today, for only the third Monday of the entire school year.  The other Mondays were the very first Monday of the entire school year, and the other one was the last Monday we actually had school.  It was right before Christmas and because the high school was having final exams, I was about 90% certain I wouldn't work that day.  I am more surprised to be off today, but I certainly don't mind!  Andrew told me yesterday that he thought I should take the day regardless of whether or not anything was available because of Robert's work schedule being so late on Sunday nights.  I certainly can't do that for the rest of the year, but I appreciate the time today!

Good in quantity, not so much in quality

Last night, everyone was pretty worn out.  The kids had a swim meet both Friday evening and all day yesterday, and Thomas had also had a basketball game.  I was thrilled to know that I didn't have to get up until 8:30 this morning, and even more thrilled that I was able to go to bed at 10:00 last night.  At 10-1/2 hours, that was a pretty good amount of sleep!  Unfortunately, I woke up quite a bit throughout the night.  It was definitely fairly restless.  In fact, I woke up at 3:00 and realized I still had 5-1/2 hours to sleep until it was time to get up.  I then realized that tonight, I am most likely only going to get 5-1/2 hours of sleep in total.  Sunday is the night that Robert works until close.  He is just now on his way home, and by the time he gets a shower and everyone gets to bed, it will be 11:30.  Wake up tomorrow is at 5:00, so I was right about that sleep estimate.  It wouldn't be so bad if last night's quality had been as good as the quantity, but it's better than nothing!

It went surprisingly fast

Today was the annual meeting at our church.  I'll be honest, I was pretty much dreading it.  Last year, I wasn't able to attend because I was working as a volunteer at the kids' swim meet, but the first two years I was there the meetings lasted a couple of hours.  Two years ago I remember I was the Sunday School volunteer, so after arriving at church by 9:00 that morning, I was pretty worn out when I finally got home at nearly 2:00.  My hope for today was to be home by 1:30, so I was stunned when the meeting ended at Noon.  It was such a pleasant surprise!

A proud night at the pool

Tonight was senior night for the high school swim team.  Robert was recognized, and Andrew and Catherine and I walked with him (Thomas was preparing to be a timer).  I enjoyed seeing my son's picture on the big screen.  I don't love being down on the deck and was happy to get back up to taking tickets with Andrew.  As we were leaving the deck, Catherine mentioned she was swimming the 500m event.  I was a little mortified, as she has only managed to complete it in practice one time, but decided it would be what it would be.

It started earlier in the evening when a special needs young man swam his event.  As I'm mentioning this to Andrew, I notice that Catherine was right there at the edge of the pool, cheering on the young man.  I was pretty sure she would be, and I was so proud of her.

The time came around, and Catherine jumped in.  I have no idea how long behind the winner she finished, but finish my girl did!  I was thrilled to see that the girl who was counting laps for her was a senior...I loved seeing Hannah being supportive for her.  When next to last place finished, Catherine still had about 75 meters to go.  By this time, several of Catherine's teammates had gathered and were cheering her on.  Andrew mentioned how it reminded him of the time that Thomas's cross country teammates supported him at the end of his first race, and I could feel the tears start in my eyes.  As she finished her final 25 meters, her teammates began clapping, and Catherine began swimming even harder.  I was so proud of my girl, and when she finished (in just over 10 minutes, shorter than anyone expected), the entire place clapped for her.  As she climbed out of the pool, Thomas (who was down on the deck timing), was right there to ask if she was okay.  At that point, I could hold the tears back no longer, and they began to fall.  I didn't care...it was very emotional.  Catherine couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.  I was so incredibly grateful to be able to witness those moments.

Robert swam the 500m race right after Catherine  He also did very well, and was able to cut another eleven seconds off his personal best.  I enjoyed hearing his coach cheer when he finished.  In fact, he cut times off of all his races.  I am thrilled with the progress he is making this season.

I am so incredibly lucky to be able to be mom to these kids, and to witness these moments!

Less than 18 weeks

I pointed out to Robert last evening that at that time in 18 weeks, we would be sitting at his high school graduation.  I am so excited that we are so close to getting there!  I try to keep myself in check because a lot can happen in 18 weeks, but right now I am optimistic things are on the right track.  I know that so many things are going to change in life this year, but I also know that not all changes are bad!

In school on a Friday

After four consecutive Fridays off (two for the holidays, two for weather) we are in school today.  I am grateful that I am only working this morning and should be home in time for lunch...and hopefully a quick nap!

I have mentioned to Andrew that next week is going to feel tortuously long.  This week felt unbelievably long, and we had Monday off and a delay on Tuesday.  So, five full days next week is going to feel like it never ends.

There are several things this weekend I am not overly looking forward to.  The first is this evening.  It is senior night for the swim team.  I am thrilled that Robert is being recognized as a senior, but less thrilled that I am part of the event.  I don't particularly love to be in the spotlight in that way.  We also have the annual church meeting Sunday after services.  I appreciate that Sunday School is cancelled so there is a bit of sleeping in, but I don't appreciate that the meeting takes about two hours to get through all of the business.  I will cross my fingers that this year might surprise us, but I am not optimistic.

Thomas also has basketball tomorrow and Robert has a Navy requirement before he and Catherine head off to another swim meet.  Always plenty going on!

Post #2000!

This is my 2000th post!  I've been recording our little family memories (and my thoughts) for the last nine years, and I'm very grateful for this little corner of the internet where I can look back.  I especially love some of the early post about my kids when they were so little, as well as some of the happy posts involving my dad.  It's a little ironic that I have nothing special to write about for this post, but I consider reaching this point to be a milestone!

From one side to the other...and back again

Tuesday I was able to sub in the classroom next to my husband's.  That classroom belongs to the english teacher on his "team" so I knew I would have many of the same students I've had so many times recently in my husband's room.  I enjoyed the day, and I always love getting to see my husband so much.  Yesterday, I was in a different freshman English teacher's classroom...on the other side of my husband.  We had the same plan period and again got to spend a good amount of time together.  Today, I get to be back in the same room as I was in Tuesday.  With the way things have worked out today, I've kind of wandered over and made editorial comments everyone once in a while, and we've met in the hallway to discuss things a few times.  It's funny because the other teachers think we are really cute together like this, and we do enjoy it...although we are quick to point out we couldn't do it every day.  In fact, I'll be in another hallway tomorrow morning and it's probably just as well!

My heart also hurts as a mom

In addition to my heart hurting for my mom as I wrote in my last post, my heart also hurts as a mom.  That feeling is generally there every time my kids walk out the door, but lately it has been more prevalent.

While I was at my grandfather's induction ceremony Saturday, Andrew texted me that Thomas was very upset because his teammates from his rec basketball team didn't like him.  Sadly, I'm not surprised by this.  He and the coach's son are the only 8th graders on the team, which means the other boys are all 7th graders...younger and more immature.  I also completely acknowledge that Thomas is not a particularly good basketball player, although that does sometimes seem to be lost on him.  Andrew did his best to point out to him that he has his own friends, and that not everyone has to be his friend.  That is hard on my little guy's heart though, who wants everyone to be his friend.  He was also devastated last evening by the news of my mom's dog and just leaned against me and cried for a bit.  Always hard on a mom's heart.

Catherine also asked Andrew yesterday if she and her friend Hayley could eat lunch in Andrew's classroom each day.  Andrew has the entire period as his plan period, so Andrew said it was okay.  The more we talked, Catherine mentioned that someone at her table had told Catherine that no one likes her and that they didn't want her eating there.  It turns out that Catherine's best friend Austin no longer eats that lunch so he isn't there with her, and the table dynamics have changed a bit.  I had a pretty good feeling I knew who had said this to her, and it was someone that earlier in the evening my husband had mentioned was such "a nice girl".  I disagreed even before I knew about Catherine, but kept my thoughts to myself.  As I talked more with Catherine about the situation, I was correct in who had said that to her.  Fortunately, Catherine seems to be taking it relatively in stride, and is enjoying eating lunch with Hayley in her dad's room.

This morning I found myself wondering what kind of a person says such a thing to someone as "No one likes you and they don't want you here"?  How nasty a person must you be to do such a thing.  I also found myself wondering if it was such a smart idea for the girl to say it to the daughter of one of her teachers (yes, this girl is in my husband's class).  Sometimes I just don't understand people.  I know my children are all far from perfect and can definitely make poor choices, but I pray my children display kindness if nothing else.

My heart hurts for my mom

Yesterday when I got home from work, there was a voicemail message from my mom.  I was pretty sure I knew what it said, and I could tell from her voice before any words were spoken that I was correct.  She had to put her dog down and yesterday was the day.  I can't even imagine the pain as she drove him to the vet and said her final goodbye to him.  My mom is an animal lover, and especially of dogs.  It is something she and Thomas have always shared.  I could only imagine how empty and quiet her house must've felt.  Because my mom usually has two dogs at a time, since October 1977 she has only been without a dog for two months at the end of my senior year of high school.  And of course during that time my sister and I were both living at home and my dad was still alive.  It breaks my heart to think of her emotions right now.  I spoke to her last evening and of course, she is an incredibly strong and philosophical woman, but it doesn't keep her from being sad.

I enjoyed coming to work in the daylight

We received another 3" of snow yesterday.  Last night, temps dropped to near zero and there were subzero wind chills overnight into this morning.  Our school delayed, but we are still here.  I'll be honest, I am grateful for several reasons.  We all needed to get out of the house, and I've already missed two days of pay with snow days and didn't want to miss another.  I was also grateful for a little extra sleep, and I especially appreciated that it was daylight before we all came to school.  It's hard to believe how cold it is outside, because the sun is brightly shining!  After today, things should begin to regulate again and we should be back into more of normal weather routine.  I've appreciated the extra sleep though!

Going back in time

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was able to attend my paternal grandfather's athletic hall of fame induction.  This meant driving about 90 minutes to my grandparents' home town.  To say it is a tiny school in a tiny village is a bit of an understatement.  Even the current graduating classes are only around 40 students.  There are no stoplights in the town, and it is just a quaint little place to be.  Both of my grandparents and all of their siblings graduated there, and my dad and his sister attended elementary school, but my grandparents moved to my hometown for the additional opportunities.  Driving to this little town feels in many ways like going back in time because it is such a small little place with few amenities.

There was more to it though.  I drove past the house where my great-grandfather lived when I was a child.  He didn't pass until I was 14, so I have many memories of being in that house.  I also drove past my great-aunt's house, and my great-uncle's house, and since our family gathered for Christmas every year until I graduated from college, there were many times spent in those homes.  Of course sadly, I also spent time in that town for various family funerals.

As I walked into the basketball, I realized how much I miss being a part of a community like that.  I'm not sure I could go quite as small as that little village, but I love how everyone knows everyone.  I recognize there could be some downsides to that, but I love that the school is the center of the community, and the center of the lives really, of those who live there.  I miss that sense where everyone has the same goals and their is just so much support.  I recognize how many more opportunities and benefits there are in this town, but I truly have come to realize there is a downside to it as well.

My grandfather's Hall of Fame induction

Last summer, we were informed that my paternal grandfather's senior year basketball team was being inducted in his high school's athletic Hall of Fame.  It is the inaugural year for the event, and we were excited to be able to be a part of it.  Both of my paternal grandparents had graduated from this tiny little high school, and my sister, aunt, and I joined my grandmother at the ceremony last evening as she accepted on my grandfather's behalf.

The dinner was delicious, and the ceremony was pleasant.  My favorite part was the game that followed.  The inductees (or representatives) were being recognized between the JV and Varsity games.  My dad's cousin and her daughter came to the game to see that part.  It was wonderful to see them, as it had been nearly 2-1/2 years since the last time.  We were able to visit for the entire JV game, and although I wanted to get back due to early morning commitments, the rest of the family stayed to visit.  I was especially pleased that we had someone take a picture of all of us together.  I never tire of family moments and memories!

Another day of no school

We are home again today for inclement weather.  The rain is really coming down.  Sounds funny doesn't it?  It is supposed to turn over to ice late morning or early afternoon.  Our elementaries get out very late and some of those younger students have an hour bus ride, so in order to get them out safely, there was really not much point in going to school.  In fact, it seems as though it is turning over even earlier here, and I absolutely think the right decision was made.  In fact, Robert's school is also closed, and pretty much the entire county is shut down.

I was a little disappointed since this is the second day this week I've been scheduled to work and have missed out on the opportunity...which means missed income.  I tell myself though, that instead of the money, I have the time.  The trees can be finished, laundry can be done, and Christmas can be put away.  These are not bad things.  None of us have anywhere to be until tomorrow morning at 7:30 (yes, that early!) and I intend to enjoy the day together.  I try to remember it is a win-win!

Wishing my house was more organized

Honestly, I wish my house would be more organized.  Right now, all of Christmas is still in our dining room, and the trees are still up but 3/4 of the ornaments are off.  I've only put away about 1/4 of them, and the remaining 1/2 are currently waiting to be put away.  I would love for things to be different, but that isn't happening.  I would love for my bedroom to not look like a giant closet of things (and don't even get me started on my actual closet!), but it is what it is.  I worked on it last evening, but had a meeting, and even though I worked on it when I got home, at 9:00 I decided that was enough.  I am grateful that Andrew understands and doesn't ask for more!  He is willing to help, but honestly, I am too much of a control freak.  I am looking forward to getting a lot done this evening, and hopefully appearing more organized!

More snow headed our way

It seems as though there is quite a storm headed our way tomorrow.  Originally, it was sounding as though we could get nearly a foot of snow.  That isn't quite going to be the case though.  Then it was sounding like 6-8" of snow, but that isn't going to be the case either.  Now they are calling for 2-4" of snow, but ice/freezing rain/sleet is going to fall first.  And they can't pretreat the roads because it is going to come down as rain first.  It won't happen early enough to get us a snow day overall, but we are pretty sure there will be an early release.  In fact, the district has already sent out a notice that we should be prepared for such a thing.  I am scheduled to work tomorrow, and it would be exciting to not be here the entire day!  It would also cancel any evening activities, and since we have a ridiculously crazy weekend ahead of us (the weather should be better by late Saturday morning) I would LOVE to have a few hours tomorrow evening to just hang out as a family!

January

I recently read somewhere that "January is the Monday of the months".  I laughed, and I understood what it meant.  Of course it is the beginning, but it is more than that.  There is the joy that the year is fresh and absolutely anything can happen this year.  It all starts good!  However, it isn't long before the newness of it all begins to fade, and the doldrums of the month set in.  There really isn't much exciting about January.  The holidays are in the rear view and now we realize how much money we spent and how much weight we gained.  The weather is cold and there just isn't much about which to look forward.  It is so easy to start thinking about to "better" days.

I'll be honest though, I really enjoyed our cold and snowy weather from this weekend.  My kid spent lots of time at a pool, but we still had a whole more time at home together than we otherwise might have been able to do.  I'm never sad about that.  As I explained to someone this weekend, "I am an extroverted introvert," and cold weather gives me the opportunity to hibernate when I need to do so!

Updated my background with snow

I decided to update my blog background with some snow.  We have had snow on the ground for weeks now, and since our winters have been so mild, I decided to take advantage of being able to use snow as a background while I can!

Taking time to enjoy the memories

As I've been putting away the Christmas decorations and ornaments, I've really been taking the time to enjoy the memories.  For the decorations, I try to write on either the package or the decoration itself who the gift was from and when.  Many of my Christmas decorations are nearly 20 years old, and Andrew even brought some into the marriage from his family.

The ornaments are even more precious.  Not only are the years and gift giver written on those as well, but many times the ornaments are representative of something the kids enjoyed that year or are from vacations we took.  I'm taking a moment to reflect and appreciate those memories.

As we went through the holidays this year, I couldn't help but feel changes were coming.  My in-laws are 78 & 82, and my father-in-law has been diagnosed with dementia.  My grandmothers are 88 & 87 (as of yesterday), and of course my brother-in-law has severe complications from diabetes.  I know the chances of having all five of these people still in our lives, just as they are now, in the next couple of years is unlikely.  And of course, Robert gets no say in his holiday plans as of July.  Honestly, the last time I had this feeling around the holidays was 2012, and that ended up being the last year my dad was around.  I'm very grateful I took the time to make sure I treasured the moments.

Another day at home

The entire family is home again today.  We knew there was snow/freezing rain/sleet/rain arriving in the early morning hours, and we knew with road temps it was extremely unlikely to be a school today.  Our school district went on a delay last night, and around 5:30 this morning we got word we would be closed for the day.  Because we knew the roads would be bad, we had decided Robert would be home as well, and as it turns out, his school is closed today as well.  Over the course of this weekend, we have managed to equal the number of snow days for the last two years combined!

Everyone is home today

We received an unexpected surprise last evening.  As I was researching exactly what time Robert's school starts so we could drive him (after all, he is always on the bus!), we found out that his school was closed today as well!  We were stunned!  After all, the roads aren't bad, it's just frigidly cold out there.  It was so awesome to know before we went to bed last night and know that we got to sleep in this morning...for all of us!  And it leads right into the weekend!

No school tomorrow!

Andrew and Robert returned to school yesterday, and Catherine and Thomas went back today.  I also got to work today, and I loved the day!  The temps though, are brutally cold, and I was cautiously optimistic that tomorrow might get us a school delay.  However, I was shocked when the announcement was made at the end of the day that there would be no school tomorrow.  It is all about the temps so the roads are fine.  The air temp is supposed to be below zero though, and the wind chill is going to be below -15 degrees.  Robert's school won't close, and I hate for him to miss a day when the roads are fine, so we are planning to make the trip over.  The rest of us though, have a day of freedom!

Parenting struggles

I'm grateful that this post is not about any specific struggle our family is facing...but goodness knows we have had our fair share.  I never looked forward to parenting teens, and even with that "low" expectation, I still feel that I had no idea what I was facing.  My husband has taught teenagers for over 20 years, and yet I still think we were only slightly prepared for the "job" of preparing these young people to go out into the world...and it so isn't just us.

Over Christmas I had a chat with someone I've recently had the opportunity to know better.  Her son is a junior and is one of my favorite human beings.  Her daughter however, is the young lady who took her own life as a fourteen-year-old almost four years ago.  We talk about our struggles raising our sons, and while I'm sure sometimes she thinks we have nothing to complain about, she also knows only too well how the little things can suddenly become so serious, and deadly.

On New Year's Eve, we spent the evening with our closest friends from our former town.  All of them, with the exception of one couple whose oldest child is a year younger than our youngest, have kids in high school and slightly younger.  One of them talks about the anxiety that their son faces, and how he is currently medicated.  They talked about how he will most likely be medicated for the rest of his life, and if he isn't, there will most likely be a suicide prevention plan similar to the ones they've had in the past.  I suspect they feel as though they can literally never let their guard down.  This kid is on his way to Harvard or Stanford or Penn, and they are just grateful for each day that he is alive.  Another of our friends talked about their daughter's anxiety and the physical manifestations that are occuring within her.  She is having seizures that are literally caused by absolutely nothing physical.  She can't be left alone, and it is affecting every aspect of her family's lives.  She couldn't attend her brother's graduation last spring, and her parents have to take days off work on days she can't attend school.  Her sister and brother are often responsible for keeping an eye on her, and it's just taken a toll on the emotions and stress levels of all of them.  The friend with younger children is not currently dealing with teen issues, but pointed out to us that she is not wearing her wedding ring as she and her husband are having marital issues.

All of this brings me to this...you just never know.  Everyone posts on social media about the good things that are happening, and to a certain extent I think that is a good thing.  Social media should often be upbeat and positive.  At the same time, that isn't reality.  I am grateful for the blessing in our lives each day and I do believe, through my faith, that things are mostly going to work out okay.  However, parenting is hard, and stressful, and emotional, and at times just down-right terrifying.  We literally never know what is happening in someone else's home or what they might be fighting in their own hearts or heads.  I pray that I can remember that whenever someone treats me poorly, and I hope that there are times when maybe I can make someone smile, or just take away the stress for a little bit.  Sadly, the craziness and chaos, the fear, the pain (and all of the good things too), are truly what is normal.

The rest of our break

The time off since Christmas has been absolutely wonderful.  I'm so grateful for a little bit of down time, and I'm trying not to dread the return of the rat race.  I'm trying to just enjoy each moment, regardless of the chaos involved!

I particularly appreciate that we did not travel to my in-laws on the 26th as we have for the last couple of years.  It made Christmas evening more relaxed, and with no activities scheduled on Tuesday it was a nice day to just hang out.  I did laundry and we packed, but there was no real schedule.

The time at my in-laws was really nice.  I feel badly that our kids ended up missing all three days of scheduled practices, but I will never regret that we took this time.  My father-in-law has been diagnosed with dementia, and we can really see him slowing down.  My brother-in-law had two fingers amputated right before Christmas, and he continues to struggle with his diabetes.  Even though we were only there 48 hours, it was the longest visit we've had in quite some time, and we were able to help them in some ways and truly visit with them.

The drive home took longer than expected.  About an hour away from home it began to snow, and the road conditions deteriorated quickly.  It took an extra 45 minutes, but Andrew took his time and I wasn't really worried...and it was very pretty.

Saturday we spent the day picking up the house for company.  Our friends who moved to Missouri several years ago were in town, and they were coming over with another couple.  We really enjoyed our evening and laughed so much!

Robert worked briefly on Sunday, and then we took the kids up to my mom's house.  We spent the evening in our former town hanging out with our best friends there.  It was another incredibly fun evening, and although we had taken clothes to stay over, I'm glad we drove home.  I appreciated sleeping in my own bed.

Yesterday was exactly the day I love it to be...football all day and not much else.  Today, although there are practices, it is still a day to relax a bit.  I'm enjoying a feeling of peace (and productivity) before it gets crazy again!

Bitterly cold

It is absolutely brutally cold here right now.  It has been really for the last week.  It is dangerously cold in fact.  Fortunately, no one is in school today, although Robert has to wait out for the bus tomorrow, and Andrew has to report for professional development as well.  I wouldn't be surprised if school is closed on Friday, but we will see what the week brings.

Today we don't necessarily have places we need to be, and I'm going to enjoy the day of not much happening while easing back into reality!

Beginning 2018

Here we are at the first day of 2018.  My kids spent last night with my mom (and she kept the dog as well).  I will write about our New Year's Eve and the rest of our break on another day...today is just about the very first day of this year.  After retrieving the kids from my mom's house this morning, we are spending the day exactly as I like it to be.  We are watching football ALL DAY(Go Irish), there is chili (compliments of Andrew) in the crock pot, a lovely scented candle is lit, and we are all sitting in the glow of the Christmas tree lights in a relatively picked up house.  January 1 is always one of my favorite days of the year.  Tomorrow the kids have swim & basketball practices again, but no one goes to school yet, and we get to spend today just being.  I am being grateful and my heart is full!