M.I.A......

I think it has been over 20 days since I have blogged.  I guess you can tell it is spring time in the midwest.  The days are certainly warmer and longer, or so they appear to be.  With the time change we lost an hour of sleep and gain an hour of daylight.  Oh how I dislike daylight savings time.  It just makes putting kids to bed harder because it is still light at 8pm.  Waking up has always been difficult around here, but now it is dark at 6:45 and I just have such a hard time getting up.

Now that the sun is shining on a regular bases, I have noticed how dirty windows really are.  It must be a sign of old age, because I never use to care about my windows, and now their dirtiness is driving me crazy.  I am turning into my mother.  My windows is the first thing she complains about when she comes over. 

Let's be honest, 3 kids, a dog, a husband, a babysiting gig of 10 hours a week, a waitress job of 10 hours a week, two executive boards, and life in general just get in the way.  The free time I have I hardly want to clean windows, but they are so dirty that I can barely see my neighbors house this morning.  Oh how I wish I would win the lottery.  I would pay to have the house spring cleaned and I would hire a window washer to make my view picture perfect.....


About 2 weeks ago, the PTO that I am president of had its yearly Zaar.  We have been planning and organizing this event since Oct of 2009.  The final month was pure madness.  The man hours I put into this is mind blowing.  Raffles, Silent Auctions, Dinner for 450 people, Games, Volunteers, Cakes, Tickets, Prizes.....the list goes on and on.  At the end of the day $23,000 was raised in about 4 hours for the school.  That number alone makes it a huge success, but let me tell you, the behind the scenes drama is down right ridiculous.  Next years board elections are held in May and the nomination process in April.  This is probably one of the most thankless jobs I have ever done.  I am ready to walk away...it has been a long uphill battle since last June.  When I took over as president, I walked into a big mess of turmoil and uproar.  I am a big girl with thick skin and a strong back bone, but enough is enough.  A lot of good changes have been made, and the teachers are so pleased with the direction that the PTO is heading, but I just don't think I have any fight left in me for the rest of the board.  When you sign up for a committee or run for a board position you have to put the work in, and to many of the current people are in it for their name only.  I am one person and put more heart and soul then the work of 3 people.  These people who are in it for name only, need to leave, so those of us who work hard can do just that, work hard.  I am prepared to walk, volunteering shouldn't cause this must stress and anger.  The hardest part for me, is knowing what will happen when I walk away.  This is my childrens' school and they need more people like me, but at what cost is it worth it?  If I walk, it will survive, but slowly decline, is this fair to my children?  Is it fair to the 3 others who agree with me?  Is it fair to let the loud, bullies continue to bully?  Someone needs to fight the fight, I just know if I have any fight left in me......


Maybe spring break and a trip to the sunny south will help clear my brain and make the choice more clear.  I return home on the 12th and the 14th is when I have to have a decision about my intentions for next year.  Perhaps I should take my frustrations out on the windows????

Spring has sprung.......

A Science Lesson...

You know the saying..."In like a Lion, out like a Lamb"? That is what they usually say about March. This year I am a little worried. There are no lions present here, just lambs. This better not mean we are going to end the month like a lion. Once you get a taste of spring it is hard to willingly accept winter back. I have noticed that in the last 2 weeks it is a little lighter when I get up and not so dark when we eat dinner. My mood is improving daily.

Now I am hardly a science brainchild, but I know enough to give a mini science lesson on cause and effect. Keeping in mind that I only taught kindergartners, we will keep this lesson nice and short and tell the story using a simple pictorial format.

CAUSE:



EFFECT:



CAUSE:



EFFECT:

(I hope you can all tell that is a tulip trying to make it 's way through the snow!)



See what I mean, in like a lion.
Enjoy the day, I've got to run I sun is shining and it is only 8am!

Random Fun......

Join my game, Here are some random questions with even more random answers. The catch, your answer is one supposed to be one word long.

It is so much harder to do than you think. If your in for a real challenge make that one word the first one that comes to your head.


Where is your cell phone? Desk
Your significant other? Kitchen
Your hair? Brown
Your father? Banker
Your mother? Teacher
Your friends? Forever
Your favorite thing? Sunshine
Your dream last night? Peaceful
Your favorite drink? Coke
Your dream goal? Entrepreneur
The room you are in? Den
Your fear? Birds
Favorite muffin? Cinnamon
One of wish list items? Lottery
Where did you grow up? Goshen
The last thing you did? Slept
What you are wearing? Pajamas
Your t.v.? Off
Your pets? Cooper
Your computer? Dell
Your life? Chaotic
Your mood? Undetermined
Missing someone? Always
Your car? Van
Favorite store? Target
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? Yesterday
Last time your cried? Midnight
Favorite food? Italian
Would rather be right now? Florida


If you play along, I would love to know, link your post in my comment section so I can check it out.

.005

We were a swimming family for sure this past weekend. HeartSmart 2010 started on Friday night at 5:10pm and ended Sunday night around 4:30 pm. D1 swam two events on Friday night. The 200 IM and the 200 Freestyle. For all you non-swimmers that is 8 laps at one time in a 25 yd pool. (Last weekend I went to the open swim at the pool and barely could do 4 laps at one time) for a girl with asthma,she can swim.




As a swim mom and board member, I lived at the pool this weekend. I have learned the skill of computer master at the home swim meets. This is a high stress job. I feel as though I may have just aged 2 years after 3 days of running that computer system.

Ms. Gabby swam a total of 4 individual races and 1 relay each day and warm ups started everyday at 7:15 am. This was the last meet of the short course season and was also Gabby's last chance at a divisional cut.




Divisional cuts are times that each age group need to swim in order to advance into post season. Gabby's age group isn't old enough for divisionals, so to qualify she would need to swim the time set for 10 year olds. Gabby is 8.

We knew going into this meet a divisional time was just a goal. She was 2 seconds away, but we encouraged her to give it her all. The 50yd butterfly is what we were trying to get a divisional time for. 41.79 is what she needed.

On Saturday Gabby swam her best ever fly, but didn't touch the touch pad quiet hard enough. Backup times had to be used. One will never know if it was a costly mistake. Her time for the day......41.93. Her best just wasn't good enough. That was a hard lesson to teach an eight year old. How do you explain that she had just got 1st place, and dropped her time, but it wasn't enough to qualify for divisionals?

She cried pretty hard. But mainly because her season was now over.

Then we learned about time trials. Time trials are an event the head coach makes, for kids to re-try or re swim after the meet. We were told these were going to be held on Sunday evening at 4:30pm. So after a long day of swimming, we returned for another chance at a divisional cut.

I was so nervous, so I can only imagine what it was like for her. You have to understand, she is racing herself, no one else. This is her last chance to qualify.

Swimmers take your mark......

I have never been so proud.

That little 8 year old of mine swam a 41.84

and yes you read that correct.....she missed the divisional cut by .005 and she took it like a true champion. She didn't make excuses and didn't through a fit. Her eyes welted up when she saw the scoreboard, and it was that moment that made me so proud.

My daughter is growing up right in front of me. She took that major disappoint better than 50% of the adults that I know. Swimming is a sport that teaches you so much about life and it's mini lessons. Today's lessons, sometimes your best just isn't good enough, but if you gave 110% then you have nothing to be ashamed of.

It was a great swim weekend and swim season, but this swim mamma is tired.

You win some, you lose some, today .005 was the difference, but tomorrow, the possibilities are endless.

How was your weekend?

Heat Wave. . . .

Dear Mr. Sunshine,
Thank you for showing us your face for 2 straight days.



It was so nice to see you. You made everything appear much warmer than it actually was. You presence made it seem so much warmer than.....



The kids had so much fun seeing you.


We hope to see you soon.




One question though, why oh why must you friend Mr. Cloud come and ruin everything? First he brings rain and now snow. Shhh, don't tell Mr. Cloud, but we don't like him.

Mr. Sunshine, please come back and visit soon, and this time feel free to stay a few days longer.

What If. . . . . . .

Today’s entry is going to be a little on the heavy, pull on your heart strings; ponder about your life entry. I have been kicking this around in my head since December, and I have finally decided that maybe if I wrote about it, it would help de-clutter my brain and since 2010 is all about re-organizing and de-cluttering I think it is time for me to get this down on paper.

I am not going to go into details about the events that preceded this, because that really isn’t my story to tell, but I will say that my neighbors have been put through the emotional ringer since early November of 2009. They as a family will never quite be the same even though the loss their family took wasn’t a direct household loss; it will forever affect their family dynamics. This loss is something that makes me think of them each and every time I drive past their home, which then consumes my own thoughts about my family and what my wishes would be if I were in their shoes.

I am no longer going to make people wonder what I would want done, I am going to make my wishes clear right here on my blog for anyone to see, so that God forbid something were to happen to me, others are not wondering what I would have wanted or angry at my hubby for actions that he may or may not do.

Deep, I know. So you may want to run and hide under the covers for this post, because it will be long and brutal and real. Honestly I think about this so much that it consumes my thoughts, so I am going to do my best to try to clear my brain with the hope that by doing so it will then take a weight of my shoulders and help give me some sigh of relief that my wishes are out and in the open.

Here they are……
First and most importantly, I have given up a teaching career and within the last three years a teaching license so that my three children could be raised by me and not a daycare. I have been at home raising my children for 8 years. Now I know that anyone who reads this and works or reads this and worked while their children were my children's age may take offense to this, but honestly I don’t care. Stay at home moms vs working mothers is an entire other blog for someone else to debate. This is about my wishes and the path that I have tried to clear for my family, so keep that in mind as I continue. My wish would be for my children to never step foot in a daycare. I have accomplished this so far, but my baby still has 2 maybe 3 more years till kindergarten, and I would be very heartbroken if she were to have to step foot at a daycare.

Secondly, I wish that even if I were to have to go back to work when all of my children are in school, I wish for a job that allows me the freedom to put them on the bus in the morning and be home when they get off it in the afternoon. Someone has to drive them to and from practices and activities and I want to be able to have that luxury for myself and them because that is when they talk to you and tell you what is really going on in their life. Despite the daily temper tantrums after school over food and homework, I want to be here for them when they step off that bus.

Next, the Mr. and I purposely came back to the city and state that we were raised in for a reason. That being we wanted our children to be raised in an environment where grandparents could be an everyday part of their lives, if the grandparents wanted it that way. I would be devastated if for some reason they had to be moved away or were more than a 2 hour drive away from those people; so never, never move my kids away for their support system. Support systems may move because I am in no way attached to the area I live, it is more my love for the people I live around that I love, so Kiki, mom and dad can move closer to you so you do not have to move back to the dreadful climate of the Midwest, however, you cannot stay in movie-land, you’ve got to move to a more kid friendly city. Or the deal is off.

My wish would be for Jared to raise them as a single father, but I would want them to have some type of mother figure that is not a grandmother to actively help them. ( IE…make-up, haircuts, clothes shopping) so I would be ok with Jared remarrying as long as she was not a money hungry B….

If something were to happen to the both of us, I would want my sister to raise them, not hubby’s brother. However, I would never want them to grow up in LA LA Land, so she would have to move back home or I would find someone else to raise my children. Even though my brother –in-law is a father, and lives in the same state as I do, my wish would be that he not be the one to raise my children. If my sister were to not want to move back to the area, I am ok with that, but then I would want my children to be raised by one of two families. (Those families know who you are, so if you’re reading this and think gosh I hope it is not me, it probably isn’t, so you’re off the hook)

I think lastly, I want people to know that, I think flowers are a huge waste of money. A few would be fine to make the viewing colorful, but I am so much more a plant or contribute to a fund type girl. The flowers are beautiful and all, but in a few short days they will just be in the trash and a lot of money will have been wasted. Cremation is fine by me, save the money because no one ever visits grave-sites anymore. I just want to make sure that any organs that can be donated are used.

Ok, I feel better, like a little weight has been lifted. I know that ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone does because I will be long gone and removed for the situation, but I feel better at least saying what I would want to be done, because, grieving family members sometimes makes rash decisions out of raw emotion because they just hurt too much to think it through.

4hawkeyes, the houseoffiveoncambridgedrive wants you to know; we love you and pray for you daily. That olive branch is always available all you have to do is reach to touch it.

Still snowing

Is the winter ever going to end?  My lower back is so ready to be done shoveling!  At least it is all white and pretty to look at.  Feburary is usually my least favorite month.  For being the shortest, it is almost always packed to the brim and feels like the longest month.  Generally February is filled with dirty, brown, slushy snow.  The kind that just makes you want to stay in the house all day long because you don't want the hem on your pants to get wet and dirty. 

This is not the case this year.  The snow just keeps coming and coming.  We are starting to gear up for our yearly trip to Florida, but it isn't truly paradise there this year either.  70 degrees is nice and way better than 20, but when I go to Florida I am going because I want 85 or 90 degrees not 70.  6 weeks and counting.  It is right around the corner.  Hopefully it will be nice and warm come April 1st. 

Ms. Bee, these pictures are for you....you always have these lovely, sunny paradise looking photos.  So today I am going to show you what my paradise looks like......

Here is the view out my front door.  BRRRRRR........ (and no I have not yet shoved for the morning.  I have decided to have a cup of coffee before I venture out to do that project.)



Here is the view out the back door.  No I am not a nice doggy mom, I do not shovel the snow off the deck for my doggy.  And for the record, he doesn't have to lift his leg to pee, because well the snow is just that high.  Need I say more?


Here is the mound of snow in the cul-de-sac on our road.  The kids are having a blast on this.  Well that is on the days it is actually warm enough to go outside and play.  Yesterday, they played, and they played hard.  I wish I would have braved the climate to take pictures, but instead I enjoy the view from my window. 


This is the parking lot at Bella's Pre-school.  The mound is higher than my car.  I was sitting in the car waiting in line to drop the kids off  when I took this.  They are starting to run out of room to clear the parking lot. 


Gee, I just love winter!   Do you hear the sarcasm in that statement?
Yea that's what I thought!  It was suppose to be dripping with it!

Ms. Bee I do believe I prefer your paradise over mine (at least Nov-March)