My Summer as a Flipper Rep

It's been ages since I've found any time to sit down and write. I write posts in my head all the time and have yet to get them down on virtual or real paper.  I have been so busy with my class (It's over and I earned an A! Thanks Amy and Amanda for watching the kids so that I could get in several uninterrupted hours of studying!)  I spent about 6 weeks of my summer getting my feet wet (literally and figuratively) as our swim team's pre-team "Flipper" rep. And now I am finishing up teaching preschool for our parish's week long Summer Religion Camp.  There really hasn't been a vacation in my summer vacation and I am so looking forward to a week at the beach which is somewhere in my horizon.

This summer was a little harder with trying to finish up my class. I think my friend Amy said it best when she said that teachers make the worst students. We really do. We think we know everything and yes, we do ;)  I was in the midst of finishing up my class when my oldest began swim season. His school was still in session, I was taking classes, and I had agreed to be the swim team's pre-team rep.

I'll admit now that I was apprehensive about being the rep.  My friend was the Flipper rep before me and only step down because she moved to the other coast.  She tried to talk me into it for about a year and my response to her was, "I don't like people." She actually told the other reps that I said that and what  do you know? They still wanted me to help them out with our youngest swimmers.  I received an email around April asking if I'd still consider being the pre-team rep and I said, "yes."  It ended up being a good decision and I had a blast working with the coaches. My role was to be the liaison between the parents and the coaches.  I had to keep parents apprised of the swim team events, tell parents if their swimmer was swimming in a meet, support the coaches, coordinate Flipper evaluations, coordinate the mini meet with other teams, and all around be on deck to answer questions no matter how random.

I probably spent about 15-20 hours a week on the pool deck and probably spent another 5 hours a week doing "administrative" support. I met some great people, worked with amazing coaches, soaked up a lot of vitamin D, and most importantly I was able to be involved in an activity that my kids loved. I was there for them, I wasn't bored waiting for them, and I loved doing something for my kids. This is a part of the "stay-at-home mommy" job that I love. Being there full-time for my kids and their activities. Being the Flipper rep was my job this summer and it was job that allowed me to be there full-time for my kids.  Granted I probably gained 5 extra pounds from all the fast food we ate after practices, during meets, and any time I didn't have time to cook (which was all the time!) and my house was never neat. It was constant drop-off bag of stuff, wash towels/bathing suits, get kids to bed, wake up kids, go out the door, and do it all over again for about 4 weeks solid. In that time my oldest learned how to swim backstroke, my middle learned how to swim freestyle with support, and my youngest thought the swim team was his personal fan club.  My husband was super supportive and spent countless hours on the pool deck on Saturdays herding children as I helped the team in some way, shape, or form. Hubby also helped with a lot of set-up and clean-up for various events.  Swim team really was a full family affair.  And we loved it.

My role is strictly volunteer. I do not get paid and I do not get a discount on my kids' swim fees. People are always surprised when I tell them that I am a volunteer and the type of time commitment it takes to not only be on the swim team but to volunteer for it as well as a rep.  I have no regrets. I had a ton of fun and I would totally do this again if asked. (But also would be just as happy hanging out on the deck as a regular swim mom if not asked.) My kids' smiling faces was a big bonus. At the end of the season I was given the absolute nicest thank you card from all the coaches which made the job that much sweeter.  Seriously. It's a keeper.

I am so happy to have been able to spend time with my kiddos this summer while soaking up the summer sun being outdoors. (Read: we did not sit on our bottoms and watch tv. I don't think we turned on the tv most of the summer!). It was awesome. I'm looking forward to sleeping in the next few weeks before school starts, and not answering to anyone but my own family, but I wouldn't trade this summer as a Flipper rep for something else. It was a pretty fun summer and a good memory maker. Looking forward to next year!

My oldest swimming freestyle

While the boys melted down at home, Buggy and I helped to prepare the pool for Divisionals. Here is Buggy next to her chalk outline and her "ribbons" on the other side.

Pretty in pink. Buggy with our babysitter and co-head Flipper coach. We are so gonna miss her when she leaves for college this year.

Mr. Bananas ready to "swim" his kickboard event.

It was a perfect day for the first A meet of the season and Boogie's first A meet over all!

Gotta love swim team. The only sport where it is multi-aged, co-ed, a team competition, and where you also compete
against yourself.  There's Bananas in the middle doing a cheer with the big team.

God's Providence

Have you ever been struck with the sense that something needs to change and you're not sure if it's the right thing to do?  My daughter is currently enrolled in a preschool that we loved when my son went there.  We were very happy with the 3 year old program and the 4 year old program.  My son came home sharing Bible stories and singing songs.  To this day he fondly remembers his preschool teachers and how they are allowed to teach about God.  Buggy has a late birthday so all of last year while Boogie was in kindergarten, Buggy stayed home with me. This year she was able to attend preschool and she has loved it and her teachers.

After the Sandy Hook tragedy Bug's preschool placed a full-time police officer in the front lobby and we had to be diligent with showing our laminated cards with our child's name in order to enter the building. I thought it was a little extreme, but it was put in place after Sandy Hook, so we just went with the flow. Rather be safe than sorry. However, in my humble opinion I thought the administration and staff at Sandy Hook had done everything they could have possibly done to make their school safe and it was a bizarre and tragic event that took hold of their school.  That was in the back of my mind as our school began to make changes.

Time went on and pre-registration came up. The school had a new system that was online with little explanation. Knowing that the preschool is very popular and can be difficult to get in, I panicked and had my husband do the registration from work since  registration opened when I would be in the middle of getting my kids ready for school.  My husband diligently spent quite a while on the phone and with the online registration to finally get Buggy enrolled. I was annoyed with the new process, but figured it would be worth it.

Then not a few weeks later rumors started to swirl around that Buggy's current teacher would no longer be teaching. The question was, is she retiring? Then we found out the 4's teacher was not returning.  What's going on?  But nothing was out publicly and no word had been said, but parents started to become anxious.  More rumors spread that the 3's teacher was leaving to start another preschool (she had founded Buggy's preschool and been there more than 20 years) and that the school did not want us to know before registration although the teacher wanted us to know. Hmmmmm. Okay, I understand why the school didn't want to risk losing enrollment. People line up to have Mrs. E. be their child's teacher.  But I thought it was a little shady.

Later we found out that indeed our beloved teacher was leaving and she was leaving to start another preschool program elsewhere.  Our beloved 4's teacher was leaving as her husband had found a new job and they were moving. Two wonderful teachers leaving at the same time. We were blown away. Hubby and I started talking about switching schools to another program that would fit our schedule better. As it stood now, I was having trouble getting Buggy to school on time because I had to drop off Boogie first at his school.  The new preschool also had a two year old program so if we wanted to, we could enroll Mr. Bananas in school. I know he would LOVE it.  As we contemplated the switch we found out Buggy's new teacher in the 4's program would be her current teacher's aide and that was good news. But I still felt unsettled. Another two weeks passed and the school went into a code blue, kids were locked in their classrooms and preschoolers could not be dismissed. We found out later that a high school student had left his backpack with a homemade musical instrument in the senior high worship center over night.  The police officer on duty had noticed the bag and no one had stepped up to claim it, no one knew who it belonged to, and they couldn't identify the musical instrument. Next steps were taken and the bomb squad was called in, the backpack was blown up, and fortunately it ended up being a mistake. It was not a bomb, just a homemade instrument. However, the school is now instituting random locker checks and backpack searches. The school is preK-8th grade. These turn of events left me more unsettled.

 I worried and Hubby and I continued to talk. Long story short, I ended up calling the new preschool at 7pm on a Monday night hoping an answering machine would pick up my call. To my disbelief the director of the school answered the phone. I was so shocked I think I asked her if she was real. She assured me she was and we spoke over the next half hour about her school's program and set up a tour date. She even scheduled it early in the morning so that Hubby could make it to work at a decent time.  Before we hung up I told her that I was surprised she answered my call and I didn't think that preschool directors were still working at 7:00 at night. She answered, "I usually don't. I had a meeting tonight and came in early to do some paperwork. I think this was God's providence that I was here when you needed me. I look forward to seeing you." Well if that didn't seal the deal, I don't know what else could have...oh wait, how about the Protestant school had decided to do a lesson on Mary, mother of God, for Mother's Day. That usually doesn't happen in a Protestant school, and I was thrilled that there was a focus on the mother of our savior.  Jesus is usually the focus, but I think Mary should get a shout out every now and again. I mean really, she is the first disciple and said, "Yes" to God.

Anyway, we went to the school, took the tour and we really liked the director. Hubby asked her if it was true that she was retiring at the end of the year. She confirmed it. We asked her if she knew the new director and she said yes but she wasn't at liberty to share the information yet.  We asked if the integrity of the program would stay intact. She was the founding director of this preschool. She assured us it would be. We decided to enroll Buggy anyway and leave it up to God. The very human side of me still worried, but at the same time Hubby and I felt that this was the right decision for us and for our family.  We were concerned about Bananas not having Mrs. E. when his turn came but we would rely on God for next steps. We left the new preschool thinking we made the right decision, but of course feeling slightly uneasy being out of our comfort zone.

Wouldn't you know that I received an amazing email this morning, less than a week from enrolling Buggy for next year at the new school.  The director of our religious education program at our parish was stepping down because she was presented with a new opportunity to become a director at a local preschool. Guess where? Yes! She was the new director at Buggy's new school. God is so good!  It is amazing to me when I hear God's answer to prayer and it is definite. There is no guessing game. It is an absolute answer one way or another. God answered my prayers, took away my anxiety, and confirmed through the new director's email, that Buggy is where she is supposed to be next year. What a blessing and a huge weight off our shoulders. Hubby and I could not be more thrilled with the turn of events.

We just felt that our current school was no longer the right fit for us and we hesitantly moved out of our comfort zone. We prayed, I worried, and desperately tried to let God take over the situation. Letting go has always been hard for me. God has shown me over the years, in more ways than I can count, that He is in charge. This time was no different. We are so blessed and we look forward to next Fall filled with joy and relief.

As my babies grow up and begin school, the thought of what I will do next looms over me. Do I go back to work? What do I do? What opportunity will present itself?  Can I stay home?  Should I stay home while the kids are in school?  All of this nibbles away at me while I try to let go and let God take over.  However, this most recent blessing reminds me, very loudly and very clearly, that God has a plan for me and that I should not worry. It will present itself when the time comes. Just as I knew 5 years ago that I should stay home full-time with my children.  God will let me know when He is ready to use me again and how I will serve Him and my family. God is so good.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matt 6:25-27 NIV

Meeting Diana

Last month I had an amazing opportunity to go at an author's event for my favorite author Diana Gabaldon.  This was huge for me because I notice that she doesn't travel to my area very often or at all for speaking engagements and for this event she would only be one state away.  I was introduced to the magic that is Gabaldon's writing by my mother-in-law and fell in love with the Outlander series. I don't know quite how to categorize Outlander and I don't think any one can. In a nut shell it's historical fiction with a little fantasy and romance thrown in. My huband's favorite summary is that a nurse from the 1940's walks through a set of standing stones in Scotland and finds herself transported to the 1740's and has to marry a hunky Scot.  Mind you, he hasn't read any of the books and is gleaning this wee bit of information from bits of pieces he's heard me tell him or that he's heard while I'm listening to my audiobooks.

Deb and I waiting for Diana!

I was fortunate to go to the event with a colleague from my former teaching days.  The event was hosted by a public library and when they opened the event registration they were hoping for 400 participants and ended up with over 1,200 in addition to a very long waiting list.  As a result they had to change venues to a gymnasium to accommodate Diana's Outlandish fans.

It was perfect.  I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go. I was at the event for more than 4 1/2 hours, but it was worth it to me. While meeting Diana and having her sign one of my books was a great honor and I was most definitely starstruck, the best part of the event was listening to her speak.  Being a wannabe writer myself I was enthralled and really enjoyed hearing how she started in the business.  At the time she was working full-time for a university and was raising 3 young children.  In her spare time she wrote and she was never going to publish her work, she just wanted to know if she could write a novel and see it to the end.  She shared snippets with an online writing community and what was once a personal project turned into a highly acclaimed and beloved series.  My favorite anecdote was answering a question about whether or not she does her own researching and why doesn't she hire someone to do that work for her. Diana's answer, granted this is not verbatim, but you get the gist:  She has a personal assistant. If she wants hot dogs for dinner that night, she'll send her personal assistant out who picks up the fixings for dinner and they eat hot dogs. But if Diana, herself, goes out with the intention of buying hot dogs for dinner, she might come across chicken breasts on sale and then she thinks hmmmm, I can make curried chicken, I have all the spices, what else would go well this? Oh, look at that lettuce, it looks fresh and beautiful with the water glistening on it, let's make a salad, let's add some walnuts, and oh, look at these tomatoes, I'll add that as well.  And she ends up with curried chicken and a hearty salad instead of hot dogs for dinner. Why doesn't she use a research assistant for her writing, if she did then you'd just get hot dogs ;)

Listening to Diana!

I was so enamored with her and breathed in every word.  I thought to myself...it might be possible. I might just be able to pull off my dream some day and write something that is worth something to me.  I hung on to every word as if it were a gift just for me and I am so grateful that my husband enjoyed an evening with the kids while I trotted off to another state for the night to meet my favorite author and to gain some inspiration from her.

She signed my book!

After the event, my friend Deb and I joined the 1,198 other Outlandish fans and patiently waited in line for Diana to sign our books.  I brought my current crocheting project with me and it was good thing I did because we were in line for over 3 hours. My only regret is that I wish I had worn more comfortable shoes and chosen comfort over style.  My companion was great and the Outlandish fans charming. I was impressed with the group and how everyone was polite and courteous to one another.  I was very impressed that Diana agreed to stay and sign all of our books (with a 2 book limit, though if you wanted more signed you could go back to the end of the line! Super generous!). I had waited 3 hours for her to sign a book for me and for my mother-in-law. Not only did she sign our books she took a picture with each of her fans.  After I left the line, she easily had another hour of signing to go. She was gracious and beautiful and I was awestruck. I barely managed to squeak out that my mother-in-law and introduced me to Jamie and Claire and I had been a fan ever since.  I think my voice was breathy and soft and just every so squeaky.  She graciously signed my book with "Best Wishes" in Gaelic. It is a treasured book that I hope to pass on to my daughter some day when she is old enough to read about the adventures and passion of my favorite characters James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser and his wife Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp Fraser.

Meeting Diana...swoon!

If you have never read Outlander I suggest you do. Diana Gabaldon is an amazing storyteller. Her ability to weave the intricate scenes, story lines, and characters is extraordinary.  She is so descriptive that there are times when I feel like I am in the story, sitting on the sidelines and observing and hearing every conversation. Davina Porter is an amazing narrator for the audiobooks. I have recently started rereading the series again in preparation for the next book due to come out at the end of the year Written in My Own Heart's Blood. With my busy schedule I have little time to sit and enjoy the luxury of reading a long book filled with historical information, many characters, and several story lines.  However, the beauty of today's technology has allowed me to download my books onto my smartphone and now I can take Jamie and Claire with me on my long runs. It is a gift to my myself every morning to find the time to read a long and intricate book combined with my passion for running all before the kids wake up.

Thank you Diana for letting us into your world! It was an honor to meet you and to hear you speak!

Tapadh leat!

Mother's Day 2013

Celebrating with a Mother's Day Tea at Bug's Preschool

I'm so far behind so many posts (aka memories) that I need to log in.  We have been so blessed and every weekend has been awesome for different reasons.  I'm trying my best to keep up, but this class I'm taking has really eaten up every spare minute of my day. No lie. And really, the class isn't hard, it's just a lot. And really, I'm probably over doing it, because that's just what I do.

Mother's Day for me is a time for me to reflect on being a mama and truly appreciating the three awesome gifts God has given me.  Without them, I would be a completely and totally different person and I don't know if I would have liked that person very much. Honestly, I think I would be working, working, working and coming home 8pm every night. I think Hubby and I would travel a heck of a lot more, but I think in some ways we'd be a little bored. Seriously, you cannot get bored taking care of three charismatic, mischievous, ever changing little beings. I know that I would not have picked up crocheting and making blankets for loved ones.  I would probably be much fatter, would never have attempted a half-marathon, and I would be watching The Biggest Loser on television while eating my giant bowl of ice cream with all the toppings. And I'm pretty sure that I'd be a little grumpier in general.

My Mom and I and my 3 Blessings

Being a mother has changed me for the better. I am more patient. I have learned that I have to go with the flow or I'll get washed away with worrying about the details. I have learned that I can love with all of my heart and feel like I can keep on loving because my heart keeps on growing. I am more forgiving.  Having children really changes your perspective on love and forgiveness.  I am more fun. I laugh, I giggle, I smell stinky toes, chase naked bottoms (yes, I mean my childrens'!), blow bubbles, tickle and kiss bellies (yes, again my childrens'!), and look at the world through the eyes of a child. I have strengthened my faith, because I cannot imagine that I am alone in this world or that our Creator above is not looking down on me giving me a hand when I need it and yes, there are days when I do need it! I have found my strength and I have found my weakness.  I am somebody's whole world and and each of them are mine. I dance in the kitchen and sing off key to my babies. There are days I have got it together and there are days I am broken. Through it all I am loved and I am blessed.

My Mom and I Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day this year I was able to sleep in until 6:30am. Really, that is sleeping in for this 4am Mama who tries to get in her run at 5am. I was able to study before the kids awoke (seriously, my class has been stressing me out so that was good!), I was given breakfast in bed before our big brunch at 10am, my folks joined us for a yummy brunch made by my fabulous husband. I don't think I washed a dish all day!  I received a new pair of running shoes (YES!), beautiful roses, the sweetest card from sweet Boogie with a letter attached, a card from Buggy where she signed her name, and sweet scribbles from Bananas.  I napped (amen!) and we went out for sushi (yum!).  We ended with family movie night and snuggles on the couch. It was the best and it gets better every year. I am so, so blessed.

My family attended Mass the night before Mother's Day so that we could celebrate my niece's first communion. Mr. Bananas was in rare form and the kids were antsy or non-participatory.  I murmured in their ear often trying to encourage them each to sit up, participate, or stay in their seat.  As we were leaving I turned to pick up our bags and faced the three nuns who sat behind us. I gave an inward groan as I'm sure they saw the shenanigans and my lack of ability to "control" it. I was just happy the kids were mostly quiet during Mass.  However, I received the best compliment I have ever received as a mother. One of the nuns remarked that Mr. Bananas was full of character to which I said, "Why, yes, yes he is" and she said that I must be a very patient mother because she never saw the stress on my face and saw nothing but patience.  She said that I never let on that I was frustrated or irritated although she could imagine I might be.  She said that I was a very good mother.  Being a teacher herself she knows a thing or two about patience and children.  I was really, really touched. Being patient and letting things roll off my back has been something that I am continuously working on. I don't like the yelling, frustrated, irritated mother that I am known to be now and again. I really, really want to be patient, loving, and not let the little things irritate me. So I felt her compliment was an affirmation of my work towards bettering myself.

The 3 Reasons Why I am a Better Woman

I am thankful for the babies I have.  I would not be the woman I am today without them. They have taught me so much and I still learn more and more every day. I aspire to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. Day, by day, I hope to walk in such a way that I am an example to my children.  It's not an easy walk, but one that is honorable and blessed.

Proverbs 30:28-30
Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Another Year Older

Happy Birthday to me :)

Earlier this month I turned 35.  I can't believe I am 35, but there it is. However, I think I am the healthiest I have ever been.  Seriously.  How is that possible? I'm in my 30's and now is the time that I have become my healthiest.  It's taken being pregnant, having kids, and staying home with my kids full-time for me to realize that I need to take my health and my weight seriously.  I mention my weight because when my weight goes up my knees hurt, I trudge along, my energy is low, and I am hungry all the time.  When my weight goes down I feel like a rock star because I can move more easily, my energy (for the most part) is up, and I eat much healthier and I don't crave the junk food.

This is a big year for me.  I am at my lowest weight since being pregnant for the first time. Yeah, it's only taken me 7(!) years to finally get rid of the baby weight from all 3 kids.  Not only have I lost the weight I have discovered a passion for running. And, no, I'm not being chased!

Blessed beyond measure

I have run in the past and I have run in a few 5K, a couple of 5 milers, and a 10K over the last 7 years.  But this past October after coming off an injury (I had a wicked case of Plantar Fasciitis) I ran in a running festival with family and I was hooked!  I ran my first ever 7 miles as a member of a 4 part marathon relay team. I started training late for it because I was scared and I was kind of hoping that we weren't going through with it. But once Hubby's cousin took the lead on our team I made a definite commitment and kicked my training into gear.  Everyone else could run longer distances and at a faster pace. But I was happy to be included and I didn't want to let them down.  Oh.My.Goodness! I ran faster than I thought possible, LOVED the vibe from the spectators, and truly enjoyed participating in this event with family. It was a great bonding experience and made me love them even more. One awesome benefit was spending extra time with Hubby's cousin and her husband. I was able to spend the night with them so I didn't have to drive an hour to the race site in the wee hours of the morning.  We looked at old family photographs, talked for hours, and I got to know them better. It was great. But that entire event, the bonding, the vibe, the spectators, the runner's high, and reading Born to Run...it all totally hooked me.

And now at 35,  I am running in my first half-marathon. WHAT?  That's right. You heard me, I'm running in my first half-marathon. This chubby little girl in her 30's has fallen in love with running and ran 13.1 miles last Sunday.  How did I fall into that?  Well, my seat mate on the bus to the first leg of the marathon relay in October told me about this race and told me the registration date. She planted the seed in my head and I talked about it for months. After overcoming a few more injuries (a calf strain and hip pain) that took a couple of months to heal completely, I decided to start training keeping my eye on the registration. Finally last month after a conversation with my husband he told me to go for it. I was already training as if I was registered why not just do it. So I did. And did you see that? You better take a look because that was pigs flying. Never in a million years did I ever believe that I would sign up for that kind of crazy. I will definitely write a later post about that experience, because it was awesome.

So at 35, where am I in my life?

• I am a stay at home mommy to my three children ages 7, 4, and 2.  I have been blessed to be home with my kids for the last 4+ years.  
• I am a wife to my amazing husband and I have been married for almost a dozen years.
•  I am still trying to find my career calling.  I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I was a teacher, my husband thinks I'll be a teacher again. I'm taking classes to keep up my certification, so maybe he's right.
•  I'm still writing, but not as often as I would like. Does that still make me a writer, even if it is done causally? 
•  I am a runner.  Overhearing your daughter tell her friend, "My mommy is a runner" kind of makes it official. 
•  I continue to make baby blankets and full length afghans for family and friends.
•  I volunteer at my son's school and in different ministries at church and I love being a part of each volunteer opportunity.
•  Somewhere in there I try to be a friend to my friends, though I know that I am falling down on the job because I am almost never home and my hours are crazy (I'm up by 4am 4:30am and I collapse by 8pm and try to eek out more time in my day by staying up just a little bit later).
• And finally,  I am imperfect and I am thankful for God's grace and forgiveness. 

Thirty-five isn't looking too shabby.  I will continue to work on myself to be the wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend that God wants me to be. I am blessed beyond measure by family and friends. I feel so good physically and I look forward to tackling yet another half-marathon.  God has been so good and while I am enjoying where I am right now, I look forward to what God has in store for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Easter

Annual Easter picture

Easter is a big celebration in our home.  We celebrate that our Savior has risen from the grave and is alive.   I love this time of year. It's Springtime, the flowers have started blooming, it's warmish outside, and it is a celebration.  I especially like that my parents have started attending Easter with us. Because Easter is a big deal to me and my family, I like that my parents join us for church and then afterwards for brunch.  This year was no different and I am so happy to spend time with my family.

Dying Easter Eggs

We attended our usual Mass time and saw many friends at church. I love seeing my kids in their Easter duds.  After Mass the kids participate in an Easter Egg Hunt organized by the Knights of Columbus.  This year, Buggy had to be placed in the older age group which meant she was placed with older, quicker kids who made a mad dash for the eggs and she ended up with very little. Whereas Mr. Bananas was at the top of his age group and demolished the competition.  Boogie tried to compensate for Buggy's loss by sharing his eggs with her.  The whole even took less than 10 minutes and we trooped home for Easter brunch with my Filipino Relatives and my parents.

Mr. Bananas' First time decorating Easter eggs

The kids came home to find their Easter baskets while Hubby prepared brunch. Again, I really enjoyed this time with my family and I'm glad my parents could join us.  Later in the afternoon, we trooped over to my in-laws home and we celebrated Easter dinner with my husband's side of the family.  Due to the rain we had to improvise and do the Easter egg hunt inside. With 19 kids looking for eggs, it makes it a little tight, but the kids had fun nonetheless.  I enjoyed my time with my husband's side of the family catching up.  I think it has been over 2 months since we've seen them...we usually see each other once a month because we are celebrating one thing or another. It was nice to catch up.

Easter was pleasant and I truly enjoyed myself. I loved watching my kids interact with my side of the family and my husband's side of the family. Seeing all of our loved ones is a wonderful way to spend our Easter.

Romans 6:8-11
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with HIm. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  The death He died to sine once for all;  but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sing but alive to God in Christ Jesus (NIV)

Celebrating Boogie

I cannot believe it has been almost a month since my last post. Seriously!  Things are so crazy busy, but in a good way. I'm constantly on the run literally and figuratively.  I have so much on my mind lately...Boogie turning 7, me turning 35 and entering a new age bracket on the racing front, Easter, my half marathon coming up, meeting my favorite author and having her sign one of my books,  my first Goddaughter receiving her first holy communion, the tragedy in Boston, keeping up with my class, and my kids being in my former student's wedding (am I really old enough to have students I taught in 4th grade now old enough to get married?!?)...life does not slow down!  I really need to find the time to write everything down before my head explodes because I really need to process it all. I won't write about it all now and I hope it will not be another month before I write about all of it.  Slow and steady...

However, with all that is going on in our busy lives I am so grateful for the blessings that keep raining down.  I am one very blessed mama.

So, Boogie turned 7 before Easter. My first baby is 7. Wow. I look at him and I am in awe of this amazing young man. His faith continues to grow. He is inquisitive about so many things and it is very hard to keep up with his thoughts and questions.  Just the other day he told me that he never wanted to work. I said, "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, Mama, if I do what I love, I'll never have to work. And what I want to do is observe animals, write down notes, and share them with future generations of kids. I love animals. So if I love what I'm doing, I won't be working. Right?"  

Um, how can I argue with that logic. And why did it take only 7 years for my kid to figure it out and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. The possibilities are endless!

Lolo and Boogie enjoying time together at dinner

Boogie's birthday was during Spring Break.  I had arranged to bring in his birthday treat to his class a few days before school let out for vacation. He asked me to bring his favorite donuts and juice boxes. I did and it was fun. He felt so special and I was so happy to do that for him.  My mom came with me and my friend was also there volunteering in his class. L has a child in the same class so it was nice to have her join in the celebration.

Boogie's birthday fell on Good Friday this year. Being an April baby, my birthday falls on Good Friday a lot. Several people have said it is a blessing...but fasting on my birthday and spending most of it with a headache and feeling lethargic while trying to get a better understanding of my Savior's sacrifice is not, how do I say this without being blasphemous?...um, not my idea of a rocking celebration...and it shouldn't be...but I think I'm way too human and way too selfish to really count my blessings that my birthday sometimes falls on Good Friday.  When I realized that Boogie's birthday fell on Good Friday I wanted him to be able to celebrate and enjoy so we celebrated a day early with a trip to the Museum of Natural History (his request) and dinner at his favorite restaurant where my parents joined us.  Although Hubby and I were fasting the next day we allowed him to pick a place for dinner (I fasted the first two meals and was joining Boogie in eating dinner) and he chose sushi.  Lucky kid. Two birthday dinners in row. He opened presents from us, found a gift waiting for him at home from the neighbors, was able to Face Time with his best friend, and was called on his birthday by Godparents, cousins, and Grandma where he was serenaded.  It was a pretty good celebration considering we were solemn and reflective throughout the day including spending time participating at Stations of the Cross at Church.

I love his smile here

Boogie was able to extend his birthday celebration and the following weekend he took his best friend J to Medieval Times to celebrate one more time. I decided not to do an at home party or a big party.  Boogie rarely gets to see his friend J. now that they are both in school full time. So Hubby took the kids and celebrated and the kids had a wonderful time.  J. is a girl so Hubby and Boogie cheered for her so that their knight would throw her a flower.  As the knight was looking for his last lady, Hubby and Boogie cheered so loudly that J. received her flower.  Things have been so busy for us lately that this was a perfect ending birthday celebration for Boogie.  I think next year I will try once again to do a party and invite more friends, but this year W. and J. celebrated being friends for the last 7 years. Yes, they have known each other since birth and it is a very special friendship.

Happy Birthday Animal Adventurer!
As a kid we always received an ice cream
cake and Boogie wanted one for his birthday
too. It's a nice memory for me :)

I am so thankful for my firstborn. He taught me how to be patient, how to love, how to give of myself, how to be grateful for my many blessings, how to feel real terror (like when I lost him on an elevator in a condo where we staying during one of my Hubby's work rotations in another state) and realizing that I really shouldn't sweat the small stuff, how to see through the eyes of a child, how to play, how to grow in my faith, how to stand firm and provide consequences when necessary, how to be okay with change, how to learn to be flexible, and most importantly how to be the mother he needs me to be.

Dear Boogie, thank you for making me better than I was. Thank you for making me a Mama. Thank you for loving me and showing me forgiveness when I make mistakes because you are the first of my children and I am still learning how to be a parent. I love you from here to Satren (Saturn), all around the universe, all around the world, from the tips of my toes, around my heart infinity times, to the top of my head. I love you.  I thank God you are mine. Happy, happy birthday. May you continue to grow in wisdom, age, and grace.  Love, Mama

Boogie's 7th Birthday

6!

5!

4!

3!

Celebrating his 2nd birthday in our new home with a real backyard

Turning 1
He still has that infectious smile

Just Born
Happy Birth Day Boogie!

In Bed by 7...

So much time has passed since my last posting and I'm not doing very well in my resolution to write more and to write often.  A lot of it has to do with me taking a course to keep my teaching certification current. In my state, I have to take 6 credits every 5 years to keep up my certification.  Even though I'm still two years out from having my certification expiring, I feel the need to complete the credits now so I'm not scrambling last minute. I'm getting better at not waiting to do things the last minute. Not great, but better.  So I'm currently taking a 3 credit self-paced online course. Taking one class is the way to go.  I have about one solid hour of study time a day when the little kids are napping. I'm able to complete a reading, watch a video, or begin a writing assignment. I have to get better at not getting distracted when I need to write a response.  We'll see how this goes and I'll try another one in the fall. Even though I have been signed up for 2 1/2 weeks, I am STILL waiting for my textbook and DVDs to arrive. If they don't show up by the middle of the next week I'll have to call them. Ugh! Fortunately, I have links to the videos and some of the readings are online...just not the ones from the text book. I'm supposed to be reading a chapter for each session and right now I'm winging my responses based on the readings I am able to access.

What else has been going on? Oh, yeah. I've registered for my first half-marathon. Yikes! Seriously what was I thinking?  But I am so totally excited. After running in the relay with family in October's running festival, I've been hooked.  I have been training for the last 6 weeks. I'm finally over my calf and hip issues. I realize really, really need to listen to my body and not run when I'm injured. I only injure myself further when I do that.  It took weeks of spin classes and using the elliptical machines before I was better. And weeks of patience, of which I had very little and spent most of it grumbling about not being able to run.  I had planned on building a base slowly and getting stronger. But I found I had just about 12 weeks to train for the half-marathon when I was finally injury free. So I'm not starting the way I want to, and it's taken the last 6 weeks for me to build up my endurance, but I'm doing it again.  As I write this, I feel twinges in my ankle and I'm praying I don't injure it. I'm thankful that my friend J. saw the wisdom in buying me an ankle compression sock as a "just because" gift earlier this year. I have a feeling I will be using it more often. So the race is at the end of next month. It's an all female race and I've heard that it has an amazing, encouraging vibe. My overall goal: to finish and not to get swept up!!!! My realistic time goal: 3 hours 13 minutes.  My "the gods are smiling on me" goal: 3 hours. And my "Hey at least I'm out here" goal 3 hours 30 minutes. The course closes at 3 hours and 40 minutes so it gives me a little cushion. Hubby said he and the kids will be out there to cheer me on. I sure hope so.  It would rock my world if they were there for my first half-marathon.  It would rock my world if other local family and friends were there but I'd settle for a few race day texts wishing me luck and sending good vibes ;)

Let's see what else. Well Mr. Bananas had a big accident last week. He was jumping around at my mom's house and totally bit it on her very hard wood sofa arm.  Yeah. Her sofa is going to outlast all of us it's so durable. Unfortunately it left a big thumb length dent in his forehead.  I called the advice nurse and after confirming that he will probably be okay, she still scheduled an appointment with my pediatrician.  After my nephew's head injury last fall, I really didn't want to take any chances. I love our provider and they were awesome about setting up an appointment for us.  We saw the pediatrician within 45 minutes of the accident.  Hubby even left work early to join me.  When the pediatrician first saw she said, "Well he's acting like he's okay. Where's this dent we're talking about?" When I lifted Mr. B's bangs she said, "Oh, yeah, there it is. Let's go ahead and schedule an x-ray, shall we?"  She was calm but urgent.  We went down to x-ray and the x-ray tech said "Who are we seeing today? This little guy? We're doing a skull x-ray."
Me: "Yes, there is a dent in his forehead" and I lift up his bangs.
X-ray tech: "Why yes there is, let's get him in for an x-ray" and she said it in that same calm, yet urgent, voice the pediatrician used.

Fortunately, the x-ray showed that everything was intact and there weren't any fractures or fissures. Thank the Lord!  I was terrified!  The dent appeared to be in the soft tissue of his head. It took about 4 days for the dent to pop out and bruise. But it did. He seems to be fine overall. Praise God!

However, five days later he started throwing up. Now we're dealing with a stomach bug.  Buggy and I had a touch of it for about 2 days, but we're better. Mr. Bananas is still dealing with it. Fortunately, the vomiting stopped after the first day. But we're still dealing with really nasty diapers. So I've kind of quarantined us. If he's not better by tomorrow I'm going to have to cancel play dates that I have scheduled for next week. I really don't want any of my friends or their children to get sick. This is one nasty bug.

So with all of that going on, I've been in bed by 7pm or 8pm every night (from sheer exhaustion) and up around 4am to hit the gym and get runnin' or spinnin'. One of my friends asked me if I was sick when I told her I was going to bed so early. No, not sick, but exhausted. And with Mr. Bananas being sick he hasn't slept through the night in over a week and has ended up in our bed sometime in the middle of the night just about every night last week.  Which means Hubby and I haven't slept through the night in over a week. I am one tired pup. Oh, and I have mountains (yep, that's multiple) of laundry to wash, dry, and put away.  It's amazing how much laundry you have to do when someone has the stomach bug.  Yuck!

I am hoping that I will adjust soon and be able to stay up later and work out harder.  I was chatting with another friend at the gym and told her I was going to take a class and I happen to mention that Boogie was starting soccer and little kids were starting gymnastics. And she asked, "And you thought this was a good idea to start everything at the same time..." Well, yeah, until she said that! No, it wasn't a great idea in retrospect. But here we are.  Oh, did I mention that Hubby is coaching Boogie's soccer team? Let's just add that to the mix.  I'm so proud of Hubby for stepping up and coaching Boogie's team, especially since Boogie's last coach was awful. He would just stand on the sidelines during the games wearing sunglasses, a knit cap, folded arms, and a scowl never once provided directions or encouragement to the kids during the game.  Gah! So Hubby stepped up and offered to coach this season. Which is totally awesome, but does add to the strain of we're all going in a billion different directions and Mama's anxiety and stress is going up. At least running is my outlet. I can train for my race and let go of my stresses from the day. Running truly keeps me sane. Did I mention I heart running? I do. I really do.

So that's what I've been up to. So if you try to call me after 7pm and I don't answer, I'm probably in bed. And when I'm up and moving around, you're probably still in bed. So there you have it. I am never available and probably won't be until summer...HA! Then I'm the Flipper rep for the kids' swim team and swim team is a full-time activity...so maybe in the Fall...but no, we'll have all the kids in activities again and I'll be taking another class...Winter? Who knows????  Know that I love you and I'll try to keep up the blog so you know we're still here. I'm sorry about the lack of pictures. I'll try to do better next time. And no, I didn't take a picture of the dent. I should have. It was righteous. Ugh.

Shout out to my friend C...(Where are you?  Right here!)...

xoxo

A Mommy and Boogie Date

With my Boogie Man

Last month I had to pick up Boogie from school early to go to an opthalmology appointment.  He was able to eat a little bit of his lunch at school, but could have eaten more.

After receiving good news that Boogie's eyes were healthy I took him out for ice cream. I almost always take the kids out for ice cream after a doctor's appointment. The ice cream shop is just down the road from the doctor's office and usually the kids have been awesome as they wait and sit through a doctor's appointment, especially when it's for their sibling. But that day, it was just Boogie and me.  We went out for ice cream, ran to the dry cleaner's to drop off some clothes, and then I treated him to lunch, just the two of us. I gave him choices and he chose sushi and off we went. I also asked if he wanted to order the lunch and bring it home to eat with everyone else and he opted to have a lunch out with just Mommy. So we did.

Our lunch out was so nice. We ordered all the yummy food we both like. I bought him a can of lemonade and he asked, "Who is this for, Mommy?"  I told him it was his lemonade and he said, "Oh, man! This is all mine?"  Shows you how often the kids get their own drinks. They usually share :)  We took our time, he tried using his chopsticks the whole time. We talked, we laughed, and we had a good time just the two of us.  Afterwards he suggested we bring home any leftovers for everyone else.

I really enjoyed this one-on-one time with Boogie. Now that he is school full-time, I rarely get any one-on-one time with him and I'm glad I had this chance. It was perfect.  I need to remind myself to take time and spend time with each of the kids and give them some undivided attention. It's so hard with so many items on my to-do list, the chores that need to be done at home, the errands that need to be run, and of course giving attention to every person in my family. But, it is so, so important and I am so, so grateful I had this opportunity.

Using his chopsticks

Showing off his skills

In mid-sentence

I promise you, he loved it despite the incredulous look on his face.

Back to School!

I just registered for my first online course to keep up my teaching certification. YIKES! I'm feeling a bit very nervous about balancing the course load and family obligations.  But this is important and I should do this...but YIKES!

I'm wondering if I can handle the pressures, though it is really only one class. And I can do it in my "down" time. Down time, HA!  My certification really does not expire for another two years, but I hate doing things last minute and stressing out about it and wondering if I'll get all of my paperwork in on time.  So here I am, two years ahead of schedule taking 3 of the 6 credits needed by June 2015.  I'm hoping that if I write the state department of education that I can get an intro to writing class approved, because that would be awesome. I am a reading specialist and I think that writing is an integral part of the literacy process.  Do you know how many of our students are unable to write a cohesive paragraph? Or answer a question in writing? I used to make my students write every single day as part of their warm up, as a result, I saw their literacy skills take off. I spoke with my son's teacher from last year and I saw the literacy work he was doing with his emerging readers. Inspirational!

Anyhoo, I'm checking my email every so often to see if my coursework information has been sent to me.  They said it should be sent as early as tonight or in a few days and I can begin immediately.  I'm very excited, too. It's been so long since I've been a student and I'm looking forward to using my brain in other than "mommy mode."  Wish me luck!....YIKES!