The EbbTide

It has been a busy and wonderful weekend.

We spent all day yesterday at soccer games.   The first game was in a drizzle after some major rain.  it was sloshy and messy.  We tied that game.  The next game was a tough one – boys played well but we lost 3 – 0.  The last game was the best game – most evenly matched – fun to watch….but we lost it 3-2.  It was a fun day at the field anyway – we were able to come home between games so that was nice.

Today we went to First Baptist for baptism for our son’s best friend.  It was very special.  We joined his family and friends for a wonderful lunch at his grandparents house.  During lunch, I was reminded yet again – it is indeed a small world.  I noticed one of the ladies was very familiar, but just could not place her.  Then introductions all around…it started coming back.  As we were eating, I was able to confirm that it was a former teacher of mine from NWR.  Very neat. The incredible part is that she is great friends with my son’s friend’s mom.  It IS a small, small world after all………………………….

What a day.  I was involved in my first wreck today…..first wreck with me driving.  Ugh…what a headache.  It was not my fault, and I am OK.  The other drive and occupants are OK.  Van is at the shop and I am in a rental.  No kids with me…. just me, myself and I ….on the normal commute to work.  I drive that way every day….can’t avoid it ….. couldn’t have avoided it today….it just happened……………..life happens……………..

glad to be home ….safe and sound………………………blessings and hug those babies…you just never know.

My nephew is sleeping over tonight with my boys.  They have had the best time.  We did not do anything fancy – just ordered some Papa John’s pizza and let the kids play.  They have play with trains, cars, games and my nephew’s favorite – hide and seek.  I had to stop that one – way too stressful for me.  I have my two trained to respond when I call.  Called for my nephew… no response….looked everywhere.  EEK.  Where IS he??  I was not amused.  Turns out he was just in the sunroom – hiding.  KIDS will be kids…..they had so much fun.  We let them watch a movie and stay up until 10:30…..shhh, don’t tell my brother or my SIL – they would not be happy to hear that their 3 year old was up that late.  But hey, it is Friday night and that is what you are supposed to do on a Friday night.

I have been cleaning and working on my scraproom.  One day I will get it to where I want it to be.  I am pretty stoked tonight, though.  Found some cube storage at M’s today – on clearance then got an additional 20% because that is what the coupon did.  Woo HOO!  I was there to get the supplies to make stepping stones this weekend with the three boys.  We did this back in July 2005, so it seems appropriate to do some new ones to update their growth.  We will be doing that on Sunday.

Tomorrow the kids will be playing their first Tennis matches.  This should be very interesting.  The best part is that they have been practicing all week.  Real practice at the Y on Monday and in the back yard every night since.  My elder ds definitely seems to be getting the hang of it.

It is my understanding  that my nephew is an early riser – even if he stays up late so I best be heading to bed!

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend.

I learned something new this past weekend.  We were celebrating my friend’s daughter’s birthday.   My dh and I had 5 kids in tow last Saturday.  Our two kids, one nephew and my friend’s two children.  We ventured into Wacky Bear to make a critter for the girl’s birthday and for my nephew since neither had indulged in the “experience” before.  SOO, my plan was – two critters………………..how many do you think we left with?  AHEM….yeah, you are correct, one, two, three, four, five…. courtesy of allowances and graduation money….(hangs head in shame…..it sounded so good ahead of time….only the two are making critters…one is for birthday and the other’s first time…..sigh) the big kids got new Webkinz and the three younger ones made critters – a ballerina cat, a kung fu panda and a Spider Man bear….of course these critters need new clothes…..

Our reward for surviving Wacky Bear is sending the nephew home with Oma for his nap – at 3 – naps are a must – must have and must stay on schedule.  The rest of us – dh and I and four kids venture over to Chick Fil A and received the BESTcustomer service I have EVER recieved in a fast food restuarant.  The kids and dh got a table for 6 while I ordered food – 4 kids meals, blah, blah.  After we eat, my friend’s sons says – with authority – my mom says if you turn in the kids meal toys – Chick Fil A will give kids a free ice cream cone.   Yeah, yeah, sure… I kind of blew it off.  He says it again – so I say – you can go ask if you want….he gets shy and won’t.  Then one of the workers came by our table (for about the 3rd time – already has refilled drinks and taken some trash).  So we put it to the test – “I heard that if we turn in these toys we can get ice cream cones.”  Her response – an immediate, “yes, i will get them for you” as she is taking the toys from me.  Incredible…………….to which – the little boy starts “showboating” I was right…nah, nah, nah….so I looked at him and kissed him right on the cheek.  He got real quiet after that!

A few minutes later – sure enough – 4 ice cream cones – delivered to our table.  Amazing SERVICE, we were very impressed.

So there you have it that is what Chick Fil A will do with kids meals – I never knew that.

It is so hard for me to believe it is July 17 already.  Where in the world has this summer gone?  We have done a little of this and a bit of that.  We took a much needed family vacation to Orange Beach right after Memorial Day.   Since then the kids have been involved in daycamp, soccer camp, basketball camp, swimming lessons and tennis.  They both especially enjoy soccer.   My older ds learned a lot at basketball camp and my younger one has just completed a two stint of swimming lessons with my nephew.  A real treat since my nephew lives out of state.

We have also picked berries – blackberries and blueberries.  We are so blessed to be able to drive over to “Pop’s Place” in AL to pick blueberries – we have a plenty!!  Good thing we all enjoy them.

I enjoy reading other’s blogs and hearing what is going in their lives, so I am going to try to keep up with mine better, too.   Look for separate posts detailing more about the summer activities.

This has been a tough week for us.

We have had it all.  The highs and the lows….the week began with a discipline issue at school with our eldest, his first official…then mimi had a heart cath on Tuesday.  Got great results – all clear….to be followed by the death of her brother…from a heart attack of all things!  Then another discipline issue at school with the eldest…twice in one week.  It has just been one thing after another…all week long.  Of course we have had the normal “work stress” that goes with this time of year…. where is March 1?  Get here please!!!

Tomorrow, we are going to the early games – basketball and little man’s soccer….then hitting the road to the funeral in Alabama.  It is really sad, it is the third funeral this week for the country baptist church in rural  Greene county.  Al’s uncle was 74, seems young to me by today’s standards.

Sincerely hoping that your week was filled with the sunshine, could you send some our way?  We sure could use it.

Today has been a weary Wednesday.  I have been putting in a lot of hours for work – both at work and at home.  I have also been battling “the crud” for the past couple of weeks.  Better than the flu that my friends seem to be contending with…but tiresome all the same.  Knew I had a deadline coming up, found out today that my deadline is about 2-3 days earlier than I thought it would be….um, okay.  Gulp….ahem, sleep is over-rated you know.   So there you have it, this morning I was ahead of schedule a few days……….but tonight as I go to bed, I am a little behind where I would really like to be  I foresee a late night  tomorrow night.

The boys are good.  They had a typical day today so that is all good.  School, playtime, dinner,  playtime, homework, self created art for the younger one, pick up toys and off to bed.  Yep, they had a good day.

Not too sure about my better half.  He picked up the kids, fixed dinner and dealt with homework so I could dial in and work from home.  He IS the GREATEST and I am blessed beyond measure.

Stay tuned………….tomorrow night we are going on a World Adventure.

Going with the Flow…..day by day.

Well, I am FINALLY trying my hand at “blogging”. Bear with me as I learn to do this. I have been wanting to join the “Bloggers” for quite some time. Guess what my hang up was? I could not think of a good “title”. How typical is that? Lame, but true.

What will I be blogging about? My favorite things to discuss are my children and scrapbooking. Work is a means to provide for the necessities as well as the fun things. I am fortunate to have a good job that I like most of the time. It is like any other job with highs and lows, but I won’t be talking about work much. It is there and it is a part of who I am, but it is not the most important part.

I guess I should introduce myself. I am a working mother of two, married to my best friend of twelve years. We have been blessed beyond measure with family, friends and jobs. We have two boys ages 8 and 5. Two dogs compete this menagerie that we call our family.

Going with flow….day by day….