At Her Best

A conversation while I am picking up around the house and Rylee is finishing up breakfast.

Mom: Ry, please get your shoes on so we can get going this morning.

Ry: I don't have socks on yet.

Mom: Well please get your socks on so we can get going this morning.

Ry: Can I tell you my idea?

Mom: Sure, what is your idea.

Ry: You get my shoes and socks so I can put them on so we can get going this morning.

Mom (laughing): What a great idea, for you! OK but can you brush your hair while I get your shoes and socks so you can put them on so we can get going this morning?

Ry: Yes.

Ry: You know what?

Mom: What?

Ry: I look great with my hair down.

I love the conniving skills and the confidence she has!

You Go Girl!

One of our defensive players was suspended for a game so Sunday he had to watch instead of play. The coach, for some reason, decided to put Molly in his place on the back line. I was nervous for her. One of the first plays she got hit after she dumped the puck and she went straight back, all the way to the ice. But she got right up and played well the rest of the game.

A few times she even stole the puck away, once lifting the other players stick up and then swiping it right from underneath him. She made some great passes, right to the sticks of her teammates. She made some great stops, keeping the puck in the zone. It was fun to watch. And she had fun playing it.

And best of all, she was named Defensive Player of the Game. Here's the coach's writeup about her Molly "Hey, I really CAN play Defense" was solid!!! Breaking up 2 on 1's, 3 on 1's, even a couple of 2 on 0's!!! She earned a unanimous Defensive Player of the Game!!!

So So Sweet

The kids and I did not have to rush out the door for school, daycare, hockey, gymnastics, or a doctor's appointment this morning. There was no reason to hop out of bed and get the day started. I didn't even set the alarm clock last night.

As I started the lazy process of waking up on my own, I glanced at Rylee and saw that she was laying beside me, awake but relaxed. She must have sensed how rare and awesome this morning was going to be. I closed my eyes and let myself drift in and out of sleep a little while longer.

Soon I felt a fingertip lightly lift some hair off my forehead and tuck it behind my ear. Then I felt a couple of fingertips slowly and softly rub my cheek, up and down a few times. A second later I could feel her breath close to my face as she kissed my forehead.

A second later I hear a light whisper "I love you Mommy".

So so sweet. A morning I will treasure forever.

Dora Memory: Good for Both of Us

I had Molly when I was 25. I had Cody when I was 26. I had Rylee when I was 35. So many times people ask, besides the obvious "what were you thinking?!", if I was more relaxed and enjoyed motherhood more as a 35 year old than a 25 year old. The truth is....NO. I have always been a pretty relaxed, don't get stressed about the house or lack of money and enjoy the kids kind of mom. When I get those sappy emails that remind us of what life is really all about, I feel like they could be describing me.

That's not to say I don't have days where I could send them all to the moon and live happily ever after, but for the most part, I haven't found being an older mom to be that much different. Until yesterday.

Rylee received Dora Memory for her birthday on Sunday. As she was popping out the cards from the cardboard frame, I reviewed the directions (I don't know why, I am just quirky like that sometimes). I decided that we would only play with half the cards since this was her first time playing and I didn't want to overwhelm her.

I quickly learned how it would go. It would go something like this: Rylee finds a match, Shelley does not, Rylee finds a match, Shelley does not, Rylee finds a match, Shelley does not and Rylee does this Ha Ha shaking of the shoulders tease. She was so good! And I was so bad! It was literally to the point that when I flipped over a card, I would watch her reaction to see where the match was. I am not kidding! By the end of the game she had 14 matches and I had 10.

So YES, being an "older mom" is much different. You see, I need to play Dora Memory just to get my brain back in shape!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Miss Rylee turns Four

Hockey Dilemma

The girls' team that Molly plays on is playing a top ranked U14 team tomorrow morning. The team is undefeated and is ranked number one in New England. Both coaches have emailed to make certain she is playing for the girls team rather than the team she plays with full time, which is the boys' team (we are so creative aren't we?).

She is playing with the girls. That was our deal at the beginning of the season. The girls team would be priority. The only reason she is on a boys' team is because it is the only way for her to play full time hockey, locally.

My dilemma isn't which team she should play for though. My dilemma is which game to go watch. A few weeks ago, she had a home game with the girls' team and Cody had an away game (read 1 hour drive each way). Figuring a conflict of games wouldn't happen too often with the girls' team playing so few games, I chose to stay home and watch her game and I sent Cody off to his game with one of the coaches. Cody, jokingly (I think) said "sure watch her game and not mine" to which I replied "well next time I'll go to your game".

Well that "next" time has come. His game is in Springfield tomorrow at 11:45 and her game is local at 9:30. I want to go to his game and I want to go early because the PeeWee team from our league is playing right before us and I haven't been able to catch many of their games this year. But now I find out how competitive Molly's game is and I want to go see her. She plays her best game when she is under pressure. She doesn't feel that pressure when she plays with the boys.

Ugghhhhhhh......such dilemma.

Update: I went to both games, leaving Molly's a few minutes early and getting Cody to his game just in the nick of time. She did great and even though they lost 5-0, the game went really well.

Mind over Matter....

That is my new plan. I haven't posted in a while because I have not been feeling well and haven't had the extra energy for anything more than the priorities each day ---- getting the kids off to school & daycare, going to work, picking up the kids, bringing them to hockey & gymnastics and of course feeding them and keeping up with the dishes and the laundry. All while trying to ignore the cramp in my left side, the tightness in my chest, the acid reflux traveling up and down my esophagus and the sinus headaches I get every change of season. Which happens every other day where I live.

I have had three prescriptions, a CT scan, an ultrasound, and still...nothing conclusive. Just me being overly sensitive and a baby. But sometimes I want to be a baby!!! I want to not worry about anything or anyone and I want to crawl into bed and pull the blanket over my head and stay there until I feel better. Really better. But I can't. Not an option.

So when I woke up today, I decided that I was going to just ignore the pain and blah feelings and not look in the mirror where I see the toll life has taken. I am going to feel like myself today. I am going to be funny and witty and confident and I am going to enjoy every little bump in the road. Mind over Matter.

I went downstairs to change the laundry around and stepped in water because the sump pump isn't working again. So I fixed that. Then I went over to the dryer to take out the clothes but they were still went and the dryer didn't turn back on. So I fixed that. Then I went upstairs to get Ry in the shower and the water never got hot...just luke warm.

Screw Mind over Matter. I tried.