Wordless Wednesday: Cody's First Deer - A 5 Pointer!

Wordless Wednesday: 2 Views of Whitingham Lake

No Nursery Songs Here

I kissed a girl. I liked it. Hope my boyfriend don't like it. I taste cherry chapstick.

And again: I kissed a girl. I liked it. Hope my boyfriend don't like it. I taste cherry chapstick

And again and again and again.

That would be Rylee singing the past few days.

And this was our conversation last night:

Ry: Kiera likes that song too. It's her favorite.

Me: Really?

Ry: Yeah, we both sing it today.

Me: Were you in your classroom?

Ry: No, we were singing it in the locker room.

oh boy.....

Me: Did the teachers hear you?

Ry: No we sing like this whispers the words to the song

Phew

Me: Ry, sing me Twinkle Twinkle

Yeah....I'll be expecting a note or call from the teacher this week.

He Shoots & He Scores!!!

So much to write but the highlight of the weekend was the kids' game on Saturday night. We were ahead by 1 goal and with less than 50 seconds left in the game I noticed that the other team had pulled their goalie. It was 6 on 5 and they were hammering our defense, which is what Cody plays. Paula and I were in the boxes keeping time & score when I said "if Cody get his stick on the puck I know he'll get a goal". No sooner were the words out of my mouth when Cody gets the puck and sends it soaring clear across the ice. It was right on target and slid right between the pipes. AWESOME!!


In other sports action: Friday night was a community wide pep rally for the big football game on Saturday. I was so excited to go! Rylee and I sat with some neighbors and my friend Michelle, who had been playing for the team. Unfortunately, it was pretty lame and NOTHING like what it was back in the day but Rylee enjoyed watching the cheerleaders and this was the first year. Hopefully it grows from year to year. After the pep rally we darted over to the next town to catch the last quarter of the final football game of the season for the Mounties. Michelle younger son plays on that team.

Saturday was the big rivalry game. Hoosac vs Drury. North Adams vs Adams. Red vs Blue. It's such an experience. Alumni, parents, administrators, teachers, students.....it is such a community wide event every year. And this year was especially close because both teams had great seasons and the results of the game would determine who would advance to the playoffs. Rylee had so much fun watching the dualling cheerleaders and Molly and Paige got into the spirit with decorated t-shirts and war paint with glitter. So cute. And even better...we won!

Saturday night was the kids' hockey game and then today Cody went to Holyoke with the coach so I could take Molly to her game with the girls' team. They won 6-0 and Molly played great. She had a bunch of shots on goal and an assist.

The Sun and The Moon

A couple of really cool things happen at my household this time of year and month.

The first one I noticed the morning after we changed our clocks back. When I was taking a shower around 8:00 in the morning, I felt the sun shining down on me (hey that sounds like a song LOL) through the window. It was awesome. It makes me feel as though I am outdoors. Outdoor showers are THE best. I went on a mountain biking trips many many moons ago and the place had a shower that was out on the deck. It was awesome (and luckily for the other guests, it was surrounded by a shower curtain). So now I get a little taste of that every morning. It's great.

The second thing I noticed takes place at night. I recently moved my bed so now the head of it is under a couple of small windows that sit a little high on the wall. And now that the leaves are all of the trees, and the moon is full, I have a full view of the moon when I lay down to sleep at night. I love it.

So I can sleep under the moonlight and shower under the sunlight. I have a little bit of outdoors right there in my little old house. It's perfect.

Too Many Thoughts in My Head

I haven't been blogging for very long but there is something weird that has happened to me since I started. I feel as though I am living in some sort of reality show, just not on television. It seems that as each day awakens and blossoms, somewhere in the back of mind, behind all the multi-tasking, chores, work, etc. , I am constantly "writing" about the events as they unfold.

Some are really funny little tidbit type things that I can't wait to share:
* Miss Independent Rylee yells out to me after giving herself a bath that she is done. When I asked her if she washed her whole body she proudly answers, "I washed my front bum and my back bum". Love it. I know many parents would correct their 3 year old and tell her it is called a v. a. g. i. n. a. but I am not one of them. In fact, I may start calling mine a front bum too. I can just hear it now....Excuse me pharmicist, could I get some frontbumical cream please???? And can you imagine the dirty talk?! Yeah, I won't go there but feel free to let your imaginations soar.

Some are really sad and emotional things that I just want to express:
* A friend of Cody's parents are splitting up (for just a short time I hope) and I feel so sad for all of them. I know that no marriage is perfect and that we all have our issues, but to know that such an awesome family is currently going through that breaks my heart.
* A local fireman that recently retired after 30 years died unexpectedly last weekend. He was only 58 years old, was so outgoing and personable, had a huge group of friends, loved and appreciated his wife, and his daughter just recently got married. I can't stop thinking about how awful this is for his wife. I can't even imagine losing your "everything" so early in life.

Some are the joys of parenting:
* Speaking louder than Molly (who is trying to speak louder than me so she can continue to ask the same question that I already answered with a resounding NO) to say that if she asks ONE MORE TIME then she will NOT be going to the pep rally tomorrow OR to the game on Saturday.
* Molly telling me she is sorry after she finally shut.her.mouth (what a peaceful 3.2 seconds)
* Rylee telling me that Molly said she was sorry after I didn't respond to Molly's apology.

And some are accomplishments: I went spinning today : )
And failures: I ate pecan pie after lunch : (

But mostly, they are things in my life that I have a deeper appreciation for, because I want to share them. I really enjoy putting bits and pieces of my life out into the open where some of it may or may not connect with someone else. It's pretty cool.

PS: I apologize to the 4 or so people that read these entries and then have to listen to me tell the same things to you in person.

Wordless Wednesday: The Birthday Boy

Knockin on 40's Door

Something is happening to me and I am not sure if I like it. Just last week I did the following:

I went grocery shopping for more than my normal "just enough to get by" list

I made macaroni and cheese -- homemade ...Not Kraft Mac n Cheese

I almost stayed home with Rylee while the kids went to hockey practice on Tuesday

I made an awesome lasagna dinner, complete with salad & fresh garlic bread

I had friends over to enjoy the dinner (and to put together the trundle bed that has been sitting in my kitchen for way too long). Thanks Rob!

I still had beer in the refrigerator the next morning. Like 4 out of 6?!

I made lasagna again the next day because I still had the ingredients and because there were no leftovers and the kids asked me to!

There was only 1 night that I collapsed into bed with a sink full of dirty dishes

I at first declined an offer to go out dancing on Saturday night.

When I was talked into going, not that it was too much of a challenge, I actually curled my hair. Then used Molly's foundation and mascara and OMG, lip gloss!!!! Disclaimer: I was too uncomfortable so by the time I got to there, the lip gloss was a distant memory.

I didn't dance, we were home long before 2:00 a.m., and I had still had money in my pocket.

I stayed home on Sunday. Like really really stayed home. I never even opened a door to the truck. I didn't even go to the store. AND, I was okay with it.

I think....I think....well I think :gasp: I am growing up. It's taken 39 years and 8 months but what the heck. I had to do it sometime I guess. Although, I am still not sure if I like it.

My Brother Bryan

It's been 13 years. And I still hate that I didn't stay on the phone with you that Friday morning. We had already talked earlier but you called me back; for some reason. I have no idea why. My boss was standing over my desk so I told you that I had to let you go. You told me to call you when I got out of work. I didn't call right after work because I had to go to the hospital. The baby hadn't moved all day and the doctor wanted to do an ultrasound. The baby was fine.

So I went home and fed Molly and bathed her and read to her and put her to sleep. Then I called you. In fact, I think I tried calling you twice. I hung up the first time and then left a message the 2nd time. It was around 9:00 pm. Then I went to bed. I was pretty exhausted. The baby was a week over due and I was still working full time and running after Molly the rest of the time.

Then Mom was calling. She wanted me to come over the house. When I asked her why she said she wanted me to bring her car over to her (I was using her car that night because you still had mine and she didn't feel like driving me home after the hospital visit). Of course, it didn't make sense that she would want the car at 10:30 in the evening so I finally got her to tell me what was wrong. I started to cry and then said out loud "ok. I can't think about this right now. Did you call Dad?". She said yes and we hung up. I called Dad. He didn't say anything and neither did I. I told him I'd meet him at Mom's house. Then I called my husband at work. His supervisor answered . He was excited and asked if I was having the baby. I replied no but it was really important that I talk with Duane. He said he'd be right home. Then I called my best friend since 6th grade. She asked me if I was having the baby.

By the time I got to my mother's house my father was there and a few close family friends were pulling in at the same time. My aunt and uncle were there. I hugged everyone and then put Molly back to bed. My mom gave me the details that she knew so far. My sister had not called back yet. So I grabbed the phone and went into my mother's bedroom. I started trying to call my sister and left messages with every friend of hers that I knew. It was 11:00 on a Friday night. She was only 21 and probably wouldn't be around for hours yet. So I called the airlines and got a flight for the next morning for her to get home. I then called so many police numbers. I kept getting connected to 911 in the Rochester area instead of the getting to the police station. Finally, I was able to talk with an officer that was at the scene. He said there was hunting gear in the car. His thought was that he may have fallen asleep after hunting. The car went off the road and hit a telephone pole. He hadn't been wearing his seatbelt (I still don't understand this...he was the one that got me into the habit of always using one). He was thrown from the car and died instantly. I asked the officer if he thought alcohol was a factor. He said he didn't think so. I still wonder if he was just easing my mind.

And I still wonder what you wanted to tell me when you called me back that morning. It's the one thing in my life I would take back if I could. I wouldn't have hung up that phone.

"Bring It On"

It's a movie. A cheer leading movie. It's cute enough and has some pretty catchy cheers, one of which I can't seem to get out of my head - "Burn baby burn". What it is not, is a movie suitable for a 3 year old. Especially my 3 year old who remembers everything. And I think I will forever remember this movie as the movie that changed her life. A movie that she should have never watched. Here are just a few reasons why:

* "Mom, what does kick your ass mean"

* "Mom, why her boobs go up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down?" she innocently wonders as she moves her head up and down, up and down, up and down.

* Her constant YELLING and then clapping her hands together saying "READY!? OK! R.Y.L.E.E.D.B.L.T" over and over and over, and did I mention over?, again. At all times of the day and evening. Ugghhhhh

* Her reciting the cheers, wherever we are, "I don't like you! Because we are cheerleaders......something...something.... and they are whores."

Yeah we had to have a few discussions about bad words. But the biggest reason I will forever remember this movie as not the movie for her to have watched, is...well.... now she wants to be a cheerleader. And I know her and I know that this will be in her head for a long, long, long time. Not, of course, that there is anything wrong with cheerleading. It's just that, well, I kind of saw Ry as a soccer, lacrosse, softball, gymnastics, and hockey kind of girl. Not a dance and cheer girl.

But she is good. She's really good, actually. And she makes up her own cheers combining what she watched with songs that she knows with movements that I haven't got a clue where she picked up. And she does it with so much enthusiasm and so much emotion and she ends every cheer with the funniest expression. It's this really cutesy, smirky, quirky, kind of extended wink.

Well, at least I'll get to go to all the football games. In fact, this weekend is the big rivalry game between Drury and Hoosac. I think I'll take her to it on Saturday. She can sit and watch the cheerleaders and I can watch the big game....Go Drury!!!

Worldless Wednesday: American Pride

Halloween & Hockey: I am Still Recovering

It was such a busy weekend. Ry had a good time sitting on the porch handing out the candy until it was gone. In fact, she had such a good time that she didn't want to go trick or treating after that. She warmed up to the idea after visiting with some friends at the bottom of our road. Then my little Pocahontas was off and running. And Cody collected a good stash of stuff just walking around as the big brother. He's not into Halloween and never really has been. Molly changed at her friend's house and headed out before I got a chance to see her. By the time we met up, I was glad to hear that she didn't walk around and instead handed out candy with her best friend. I know she was supposed to be a fairy but OMG, she was way too grown up in that outfit. Thankfully she decided on her own to go the haunted house party in pajamas instead of her fairy costume.

Saturday was a sports filled day. We left the house at 7:30 in the morning and headed to learn to play hockey so Molly & Cody could help out with the new skaters. The little ones were so cute all dressed up in hockey gear. After that we headed to their soccer game where they both did really really well. Then it was back to the rink so Rylee could watch her "boyfriend" Brandon play his game. He's not on the same team as Molly and Cody this year. A couple of hours later, after feeding the kids lunch, we headed to the rink yet again for a couple of home games. The boys on that team were huge! Molly pretty much stayed clear of them and passed the puck as quickly as she could. At one point, she got checked into the boards. Cody said coach John commented "crunch" after the hit, which cracked me up because that described it perfectly. She was fine.

About 18 or so of us headed to the pizza place to grab supper before we headed back to the rink, yes that would be the 4th time in one day, so the kids could skate Teen Night while us adults chaperoned. It was a mild night because all the kids that showed up were really good kids but we didn't get enough to actually make any money. We broke even but the kids had a good night so it was worth.

Molly and Cody both had an awesome game on Sunday. Cody got a top shelf goal from the blue line that was outstanding. And Molly played her best game of the season getting quite a few shots on goal and another assist. And Rylee took a nap on the bleachers. Which cracks me up because we haven't played at the Brattleboro rink in two years and I have pictures of Rylee sleeping on the bleachers then too.