Hard to believe the first week of October is already in the books. Wow! Where is time going? It was another busy week, but this weekend we are headed to the lake. My husband decided to get a sub at Sunday School, and we are actually going to stay over Saturday night. I often find that staying over just one night is a lot of work, but it means I'll get to sleep in on Sunday so I can get excited about that! We have no soccer games this weekend, and the Steelers aren't playing so we can just relax and enjoy the weekend. Dad will be up there tomorrow, and apparently Mom & my sister will be joining us tomorrow afternoon to watch the Notre Dame game.
Our Reds played their first game Wednesday evening. Didn't quite go according to plan, but it was neat to see Roy Halladay pitch a no-hitter. It's only one game, and that's why it's called a series. Unfortunately, none of us will be home this evening to watch the game, but we'll be cheering for our Reds anyway!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I survived art class
I've never enjoyed art class. Not one thing about it. My grandmother is a very talented artist and even my other grandmother is just about the most creative person I've ever met. She'll say that she's not talented, and that may be but she just amazes me with her creativity. Me, yeah, uhm, not so much. I'll be happy to share my penchant for obscure sports facts or my love of identifying cars by their headlights, but nothing in the creativity department. In school, art was always my least favorite subject, and I took only the basic minimum that was required. Today I got a desperate call from one of the schools where I work. School had literally just begun, and a teacher had come to the office requesting a sub so she could go home sick. I was happy to rush in. Oh yeah, and by the way it was art class. Yikes! It was definitely an interesting experience. We accomplished everything the teacher asked for, and the kids all seem to have a good time so I classify the day a success. And I even survived the lunch room duty that was also required of my day. I'm starting to feel like a veteran!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Switching sports
It seems that HT, as with the others, is really not into soccer. This is not terribly surprising to me, although it is somewhat disappointing. We had thought that maybe the lack of enthusiasm was due to the 9AM game times, but even the 10:15 game times aren't exactly bringing out the zest for soccer. I asked HT if he thought he would be playing soccer next year, and he announced that he would prefer to try badminton. I got quite a chuckle out of this...how on earth we'll find a rec badminton league for seven-year-olds is beyond me!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Weekly tidbits
Whew! We survived the week! It was a pretty daunting one, and I apologize for any repetitions in this post from earlier ones. It was just a really long week!
Monday - I worked again. I'm really enjoying subbing and am so grateful for the opportunity to earn some extra money. I'm not working quite as much as I would like, but I'm sure as flu season begins that will change. There was a cub scout pack meeting in the evening, and HT got to attend for the first time as a cub scout. He's officially signed up and very excited!
Tuesday - HT is now cast free! He is required to be in a brace for a week, but the good news is that he's using his thumb frequently. We had some concerns that he would be "lazy" with it, but it all seems to be going well. That evening JC attended her first girl scout meeting. It is a fairly laid back group, and I'm grateful for that. Girl scouts is very different than the cub scouts...some good, some I don't like as much. But I think it will be good for JC and that is the important thing. JR also had his first karate lesson Tuesday evening. I think this is going to be really great for him. He is excited about learning everything there is to learn about karate!
Wednesday - This was supposed to be our "easy" day, but it turned into feeling like total chaos. I was babysitting Sarah, the daughter of some friends. She has started preschool, so I still had the morning to myself, and she took a nap in the afternoon. She was not the part of our day that was chaotic. After school, all four kids (including Sarah) were out playing in our back yard. I was sitting on our front porch, and they came running up to me announcing that there was a dead animal in our back yard. Yuck, yuck, and yuck! Almost right away JR's nose began to bleed and as I was tending to that I hear JC announce that she couldn't take the buzzing anymore and turn around to find her standing there with a dead fly on the bottom of her shoe. While this actually made me happy, her little brother was very squeamish about the whole thing (this is the same little brother who was happy, however, to help dispose of the dead animal later). It was a lot to absorb in a five minute period of time! Fortunately, my husband said the dead animal really only appeared to be a squirrel's tail, or something similar, and he's already scoured the back yard to be certain that there are no additional body parts scattered around!
Thursday - This was a fairly normal day. JR had a meeting after school so that he can be on the safety patrol again this year. He really loves doing it, and I've got to say (again) that he is one of the most responsible 11-year-olds I've ever known. I'm so proud of him! We all got our flu shots yesterday, and I was so proud of HT. He never screamed, cried, or even teared up! This is a first for him and needles! JR and I both agreed this was the worst shot we've ever had. I'm pretty sure it was due to a nurse who wasn't very good at giving shots. JR and I both took some Tylenol yesterday, and we both agreed that it's still a little sore today, although much, much better than yesterday.
And that brings us to today. We have lots of fun plans for the weekend and it sounds as though the weather is going to be beautiful. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Monday - I worked again. I'm really enjoying subbing and am so grateful for the opportunity to earn some extra money. I'm not working quite as much as I would like, but I'm sure as flu season begins that will change. There was a cub scout pack meeting in the evening, and HT got to attend for the first time as a cub scout. He's officially signed up and very excited!
Tuesday - HT is now cast free! He is required to be in a brace for a week, but the good news is that he's using his thumb frequently. We had some concerns that he would be "lazy" with it, but it all seems to be going well. That evening JC attended her first girl scout meeting. It is a fairly laid back group, and I'm grateful for that. Girl scouts is very different than the cub scouts...some good, some I don't like as much. But I think it will be good for JC and that is the important thing. JR also had his first karate lesson Tuesday evening. I think this is going to be really great for him. He is excited about learning everything there is to learn about karate!
Wednesday - This was supposed to be our "easy" day, but it turned into feeling like total chaos. I was babysitting Sarah, the daughter of some friends. She has started preschool, so I still had the morning to myself, and she took a nap in the afternoon. She was not the part of our day that was chaotic. After school, all four kids (including Sarah) were out playing in our back yard. I was sitting on our front porch, and they came running up to me announcing that there was a dead animal in our back yard. Yuck, yuck, and yuck! Almost right away JR's nose began to bleed and as I was tending to that I hear JC announce that she couldn't take the buzzing anymore and turn around to find her standing there with a dead fly on the bottom of her shoe. While this actually made me happy, her little brother was very squeamish about the whole thing (this is the same little brother who was happy, however, to help dispose of the dead animal later). It was a lot to absorb in a five minute period of time! Fortunately, my husband said the dead animal really only appeared to be a squirrel's tail, or something similar, and he's already scoured the back yard to be certain that there are no additional body parts scattered around!
Thursday - This was a fairly normal day. JR had a meeting after school so that he can be on the safety patrol again this year. He really loves doing it, and I've got to say (again) that he is one of the most responsible 11-year-olds I've ever known. I'm so proud of him! We all got our flu shots yesterday, and I was so proud of HT. He never screamed, cried, or even teared up! This is a first for him and needles! JR and I both agreed this was the worst shot we've ever had. I'm pretty sure it was due to a nurse who wasn't very good at giving shots. JR and I both took some Tylenol yesterday, and we both agreed that it's still a little sore today, although much, much better than yesterday.
And that brings us to today. We have lots of fun plans for the weekend and it sounds as though the weather is going to be beautiful. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
NL Central Champs!
The Reds did it! Last night, they clinched the NL Central title in very dramatic fashion. Very suitable though, as it seems the Reds have done everything, win and lose, in dramatic fashion this season. The game was tied going into the bottom of the ninth. Jay Bruce hammered the first pitch he saw out of the park to not only win the game, but to officially send the Reds to the post season for the first time since 1995. Very, very exciting!
I am truly a lifelong Reds fan. While I am too young to actually remember watching the Big Red machine, my family jokes that my first words weren't mama or dada but were Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. I do remember being sad that Johnny Bench was retiring and that at the game where he was honored they gave him a new car. I remember rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the early 80's because they had Pete Rose. I remember those really, really bad years of the early 80's where Mario Soto pitching was pretty much the only bright spot. I remember Pete Rose returning to the Reds in the mid-80's and breaking Ty Cobb's record at old Riverfront Stadium. I remember so many years where the Reds were in second place at the end of the season and at the beginning of 1989 Marge Schott (owner) stated that she was tired of being a "bridesmaid". I remember thinking "Careful what you wish for" and sure enough, that was the year that the Pete Rose scandal broke and the Reds finished in fifth place.
But then along came 1990. For the first time in major league history, a team won on Opening Day, thusly beginning the season in first place, and maintained first place throughout the entire season. It was such a magical season, going wire-to-wire, and after beating the Pirates for the NL title, they had an improbable sweep of the Oakland A's to win the Series. I remember being at my high school gym decorating for Homecoming and listening to the game as the Reds finished off the Pirates, and rushing home to be with my sister, because I knew it was no fun for her to celebrate alone. I remember watching game four of the World Series, and I can still see in my mind Todd Benzinger making the final catch of the game and jumping into the air. The Reds again won the Central in 1995, but because I was 21 and in college that year, I really don't remember much about it...too busy having fun to follow along. I do remember that the Reds lost to the Braves, although I didn't remember it being in the NLCS (I thought they had lost in the first round). I do remember following devotedly along in 1999. They were a team that wasn't supposed to go anywhere. But they came together as a team with great chemistry, and heading into the final weekend were all prepared to clinch the wild card spot in Milwaukee. Never happened though, and it forced a one game play off for the spot with the Mets. The game was played in Cincinnati, and I was fortunate enough to be able to go. The atmosphere was amazing, but the game itself not-so-much. Al Leiter pitched brilliantly for the Mets, and the Reds' season came to an end.
This century has not been kind to my beloved Reds. Many years, early on with Ken Griffey, Jr., they would jump out to a lead in April and May, and maybe even into June. But then Junior would wind up injured and other things began to fall apart, and by the end of the season they wouldn't even have a winning record. The last couple of years they couldn't even manage to accomplish the strong start and I would usually declare them "done" by the end of July or early August. Last year though, they had the best September of anyone in the game, and we were cautiously optimistic for what that might mean for this year.
And now that we know that last September was indeed an omen of the fun to come this year. It has yet to be determined who the first round opponent will be or when or where the games will begin, but the Reds will continue playing into next week, and that was the most exciting thing about Jay Bruce's dramatic home run last night.
I am truly a lifelong Reds fan. While I am too young to actually remember watching the Big Red machine, my family jokes that my first words weren't mama or dada but were Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. I do remember being sad that Johnny Bench was retiring and that at the game where he was honored they gave him a new car. I remember rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the early 80's because they had Pete Rose. I remember those really, really bad years of the early 80's where Mario Soto pitching was pretty much the only bright spot. I remember Pete Rose returning to the Reds in the mid-80's and breaking Ty Cobb's record at old Riverfront Stadium. I remember so many years where the Reds were in second place at the end of the season and at the beginning of 1989 Marge Schott (owner) stated that she was tired of being a "bridesmaid". I remember thinking "Careful what you wish for" and sure enough, that was the year that the Pete Rose scandal broke and the Reds finished in fifth place.
But then along came 1990. For the first time in major league history, a team won on Opening Day, thusly beginning the season in first place, and maintained first place throughout the entire season. It was such a magical season, going wire-to-wire, and after beating the Pirates for the NL title, they had an improbable sweep of the Oakland A's to win the Series. I remember being at my high school gym decorating for Homecoming and listening to the game as the Reds finished off the Pirates, and rushing home to be with my sister, because I knew it was no fun for her to celebrate alone. I remember watching game four of the World Series, and I can still see in my mind Todd Benzinger making the final catch of the game and jumping into the air. The Reds again won the Central in 1995, but because I was 21 and in college that year, I really don't remember much about it...too busy having fun to follow along. I do remember that the Reds lost to the Braves, although I didn't remember it being in the NLCS (I thought they had lost in the first round). I do remember following devotedly along in 1999. They were a team that wasn't supposed to go anywhere. But they came together as a team with great chemistry, and heading into the final weekend were all prepared to clinch the wild card spot in Milwaukee. Never happened though, and it forced a one game play off for the spot with the Mets. The game was played in Cincinnati, and I was fortunate enough to be able to go. The atmosphere was amazing, but the game itself not-so-much. Al Leiter pitched brilliantly for the Mets, and the Reds' season came to an end.
This century has not been kind to my beloved Reds. Many years, early on with Ken Griffey, Jr., they would jump out to a lead in April and May, and maybe even into June. But then Junior would wind up injured and other things began to fall apart, and by the end of the season they wouldn't even have a winning record. The last couple of years they couldn't even manage to accomplish the strong start and I would usually declare them "done" by the end of July or early August. Last year though, they had the best September of anyone in the game, and we were cautiously optimistic for what that might mean for this year.
And now that we know that last September was indeed an omen of the fun to come this year. It has yet to be determined who the first round opponent will be or when or where the games will begin, but the Reds will continue playing into next week, and that was the most exciting thing about Jay Bruce's dramatic home run last night.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
It's getting rougher
Our mornings are definitely getting rougher around here. No longer is the school day exciting, or any of the activities that may happen at the end of the day. We are in our routine, and everyone is tired. The fact that the weather has changed didn't help this morning at all. It was a very cool day yesterday, and rained all afternoon and into the evening. It's still cloudy and rainy this morning...a perfect day to remain under the covers!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Getting it done
Somehow, someway, we seem to be accomplishing in this house everything that needs to be accomplished. It's been tricky sometimes, and has required the help of additional adults, but we seem to have all of the kids where they need to be and, for the most party, when they need to be there. My husband's schedule this time of year is particularly challenging, even though he is no longer coaching football. He's still gone many Fridays helping out at the games, and at least one night a week he is scheduled to work at the concession stand for a soccer game. Add to that his Lions Club, Parish Council, and union meetings and there are days when we barely see him. JC will be officially joining scouts this week, and JR is going to begin karate. And then there is the homework. I'm truly amazed by how much homework is assigned at the elementary level, especially in the 3rd grade. I remembered how tough it was when JR went through, and things haven't changed much for JC. But we are trying very hard to work through it all as a team, and in that respect I'm very proud of the kids for pitching in. Eventually it does all get done!
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