- Which part of "don't buy anything else at ITunes" was confusing to my child? $3.98 again today. This child says that it is old stuff just now coming through. Does anyone else know if ITunes holds off on billing? I'm curious.
- What provokes our dog Satan to bark randomly? Today she has done this several times. I can't see any squirrels, birds, or even bugs. She has been barking while standing in the middle of the floor, laying on the sofa, and even sitting in my lap. As I type she is barking at a truck out on the street.
- Speaking of Satan, never tell anyone at the vet's office you call your dog Satan. They bring out a muzzle.
- My computer is running exceedingly slow and this causes me to start randomly clicking all over the screen while I am impatiently waiting for the page to load. This results in me ending up at entirely different web pages than I wanted to. I guess patience is a virtue, I just am not that virtuous!
- Arby's Angus Cool Deli sandwich is amazing! I tried one the other night and it was delicious. I am afraid to look up the nutrition information because I am sure it is not a healthy choice, but YUM!
- As long as I am talking about food I think I may be addicted to hummus. I can't get enough of it all the sudden. Again, I am not really looking at the nutrition info before I eat it. It is made of a vegetable after all, how bad can it be?
- I am EXTREMELY glad the NFL strike is over. Of course I love football, but mostly I didn't want to hear anymore about it, and I need something to occupy Peter Pan on Sunday afternoons so I can nap!
- July is coming to an end. That means that I need to start gearing up for school. I will be heading in next week to start working on my classroom. Summer is almost over.
- I will miss my vacation time, but I won't miss this heat. It is killing me! Especially since Peter Pan wants to keep the thermostat set at 78. I keep turning it down to 75 (heaven help us, I might start an ice age in the house).
- It's okay soon it will be cold out and Peter Pan will insist that the heat not go above 62. I will be cold and happy!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Random Nonsense
I often have random "stuff" floating around in my head, and most of the time it is nonsense. It doesn't relate to anything in particular, it is just there. I have a friend who gets rid of his random nonsense by blogging, he calls it a mind dump. That seems like a great idea, but I really can't steal his on the mark name, so I will just call mine random nonsense.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Update
"It's all good news." said the doctor. Belle's bone scan showed that there is no recent stress fracture in her back. She may have an old stress fracture, but the only way to tell would be a Cat scan and the doctor doesn't feel like she needs to have one since it wouldn't change how he would treat her. Basically it is rest and physical therapy. She can do limited activity, but no running. She is not supposed to arch her back, so no layback spins, and jumping is pretty much out. So, while it is good news, it still is going to limit her right now.
Where do we go from here? Well, I don't think we will be doing regionals this year. Hopefully the cross country coaches will allow her on the team even though she can't run until at least the end of August. Hopefully she will be able to come back strong, post some good times and keep getting some calls from college coaches.
I am actually hopeful that at the end of this road we will find some renewed success on the ice and on the road so to speak. I hope that a true rest will help her skate better, run faster, and most of all feel good while she is doing it.
How is Belle taking it? She seems upbeat right now. She got some good news from our rink, she is going to be the recipient of both a skaters and a coaches scholarship to help her fund some training. We are not sure exactly how she will spend them, but she will be able to take some classes, pay for some training and improve her professional skills with a seminar or 2. That really helped her feel better during this process. She probably won't be able to do skating camp in August, but will still be able to skate in the summer show. Hopefully she will feel up to a couple of private lessons with the guest coaches. And of course the fact that she got to go by herself to visit Grandmom and my sister and her family has helped her mood as well. Today she went kayaking on the Rio Grande, hiked up a "mountain" (really more of hill in terms of New Mexico mountains) and was making her aunt and uncle a birthday dinner. She is going to visit NMSU and UNM. Hopefully she will skate some in Albuquerque.
In the end, it really was pretty good news. Not the best news, which would be a clean bill of health, but still not so bad after all. Hopefully she will get that clean bill of health next month.
Where do we go from here? Well, I don't think we will be doing regionals this year. Hopefully the cross country coaches will allow her on the team even though she can't run until at least the end of August. Hopefully she will be able to come back strong, post some good times and keep getting some calls from college coaches.
I am actually hopeful that at the end of this road we will find some renewed success on the ice and on the road so to speak. I hope that a true rest will help her skate better, run faster, and most of all feel good while she is doing it.
How is Belle taking it? She seems upbeat right now. She got some good news from our rink, she is going to be the recipient of both a skaters and a coaches scholarship to help her fund some training. We are not sure exactly how she will spend them, but she will be able to take some classes, pay for some training and improve her professional skills with a seminar or 2. That really helped her feel better during this process. She probably won't be able to do skating camp in August, but will still be able to skate in the summer show. Hopefully she will feel up to a couple of private lessons with the guest coaches. And of course the fact that she got to go by herself to visit Grandmom and my sister and her family has helped her mood as well. Today she went kayaking on the Rio Grande, hiked up a "mountain" (really more of hill in terms of New Mexico mountains) and was making her aunt and uncle a birthday dinner. She is going to visit NMSU and UNM. Hopefully she will skate some in Albuquerque.
In the end, it really was pretty good news. Not the best news, which would be a clean bill of health, but still not so bad after all. Hopefully she will get that clean bill of health next month.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Level Playing Field
I just finished reading a disturbing article in ESPN. It was all about the equity in sports. It shook me a little. I have always known that Figure Skating isn't a level playing field (or rink as the case may be.) It is expensive and it isn't always the most talented that end up on top, but often a combination of talent and money that make the top skaters. With lesson cost ranging from $50 to $150 an hour, ice time at $11 to $20 an hour, boots and blades upwards or $1200, well you do the math. The skaters you see on TV probably spend $60,000 to $75,000 a year on training costs. Obviously most people can't afford that. What disturbed me about this article was the fact that it apparently isn't just in figure skating.
2 sociologists studied the background of NBA players. This was a revealing glimpse into the background of most players. I think most people have the perception that the NBA is a ticket out of the inner-city and into a better life. It was at one point, but that was in the late 60's and early 70's. Now low income African American players are 33% less likely to get into the NBA and low income white players are 77% less likely to make it. Having only one parent in the home also reduced the odds! So according to this study the field isn't level. There are still athletes at a disadvantage even if they have the talent and drive.
What is the solution? I don't know. I do know that if you look at societies who do level the playing field they produce amazing athletes. Think back to the Soviet Sports Machine. They started looking at athletes in nursery school, plucking out the ones who showed the most promise and providing the training. They dominated in many sports for many years. Another example is China, where the government may be spending $400 million or more to support talented athletes. Of course China is not without controversy. There have been claims of abuse of young athletes, violations of age policies (both gymnasts and skaters have been found to have been ineligible due to age), and most recently former athletes found begging on the street. This seems the wrong approach as well. I have to think that my children would have been passed over by these systems and yet both have done well in sports.
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I do know that I have always felt like money would have made a difference to my athletes. We are not poor, not even close. However, like the majority of my friends our living expenses have impacted our ability to pay for training. So I understand the frustration of talented athletes who show promise but lack resources. I don't have an answer, but I think this is something that needs to be reexamined. We do want our best and brightest to have equal opportunity don't we?
2 sociologists studied the background of NBA players. This was a revealing glimpse into the background of most players. I think most people have the perception that the NBA is a ticket out of the inner-city and into a better life. It was at one point, but that was in the late 60's and early 70's. Now low income African American players are 33% less likely to get into the NBA and low income white players are 77% less likely to make it. Having only one parent in the home also reduced the odds! So according to this study the field isn't level. There are still athletes at a disadvantage even if they have the talent and drive.
What is the solution? I don't know. I do know that if you look at societies who do level the playing field they produce amazing athletes. Think back to the Soviet Sports Machine. They started looking at athletes in nursery school, plucking out the ones who showed the most promise and providing the training. They dominated in many sports for many years. Another example is China, where the government may be spending $400 million or more to support talented athletes. Of course China is not without controversy. There have been claims of abuse of young athletes, violations of age policies (both gymnasts and skaters have been found to have been ineligible due to age), and most recently former athletes found begging on the street. This seems the wrong approach as well. I have to think that my children would have been passed over by these systems and yet both have done well in sports.
I do know that I have always felt like money would have made a difference to my athletes. We are not poor, not even close. However, like the majority of my friends our living expenses have impacted our ability to pay for training. So I understand the frustration of talented athletes who show promise but lack resources. I don't have an answer, but I think this is something that needs to be reexamined. We do want our best and brightest to have equal opportunity don't we?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Bone Scan
Today Belle had a bone scan on her spine to see if she has a stress fracture. If you have never had a bone scan then you really don't know what you are missing. It starts with an IV injection of radioactive dye. Then you get to wait for 3 hours while the dye circulates. Finally you go back and get the scan. Belle had one previously for a stress fracture in her foot. It took 30 minutes. When you get one on your spine it takes a lot longer. We were in the room for about 2 hours.
At least CHKD (where we had it done) has video capability and Belle was entertained, but it was a long, painful process anyway. She had to stay still in a somewhat awkward position for a really long time. She was a trooper none the less and did manage to stay still. We also got to go out to breakfast and then grab lunch at Doumar's, our favorite greasy burger dive.
Now it is time to wait and see. We go back to the doctor on Thursday for results. I know Belle wants an answer, but I want her to be okay. No better than okay, I want her to be good! I am praying that all works out well!
At least CHKD (where we had it done) has video capability and Belle was entertained, but it was a long, painful process anyway. She had to stay still in a somewhat awkward position for a really long time. She was a trooper none the less and did manage to stay still. We also got to go out to breakfast and then grab lunch at Doumar's, our favorite greasy burger dive.
Now it is time to wait and see. We go back to the doctor on Thursday for results. I know Belle wants an answer, but I want her to be okay. No better than okay, I want her to be good! I am praying that all works out well!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Toddlers and Tiaras and Judges (Or is Figure Skating Really a Sport)
I needed a self esteem boost last night so I watched Toddlers and Tiaras. I always feel better about my parenting when I watch. I have never cajloled bribed my child to get on stage/practice/perform by feeding her cheetos and "dance candy" (sugar cubes). I haven't spray tanned her, plucked her eyebrows, or any of the other crazy things I see on that show. Last night's episode was particulary interesting in that none of the 3 featured girls won any of the big prizes. It really was sad for the little girls. I felt bad for them, and of the 3, only 1 mom said she was done with pageants. She figured it out, any time your child is judged they can come up short.
It set me to thinking of the old argument Peter Pan and I have over figure skating. He (like manypeople men) refuses to see figure skating as a sport because of the judges. His argument is simple, there is no accounting for personal preference and judges are inherently biased. Football, basketball, baseball, track, swimming, golf and many other sports have definable parameters for winning. You score more, run faster, hit the ball harder (i.e. home runs) etc. To his eye there is no definite parameter for winning a skating competition. And of course over the years he has sometimes been proven right. Before you vilify Peter Pan for this opinion let me make it clear that he acknowledges the athleticism of figure skaters, in fact he can see that they are often amazing athletes. He just feels like the entire "sport" is more of an art than athletic event.
Sure IJS is supposed to prevent that by providing a scoring structure (elements are worth a certain value and then judged on performance). It has helped, but judges are still people and they have personal preferences. Does a skater have a Russian coach and thus a more Russian style of jumping? I have seen (and heard) judges take off points or criticize that. I have looked at Belle's protocols at a competition and seen judges line up by geographic areas (northern vs. southern). I have observed poor skating by a normally strong skater rated higher than fair skating by a new or unknown skater. The judges are still people with personal preferences after all. To be fair, I have never met a judge who was intent on doing wrong. They are volunteers who take their judging jobs very seriously. And who is to say that personal preference is a bad thing.
My argument back to Peter Pan has always been that there is a certain amount of judgement in any sport. Umpires and referees make questionable, even bad calls. In fact many of their calls are JUDGEMENTS of a particular set of events. It can and does impact games! He holds firm that there are still more definite ways of seeing a score (touchdowns, baskets, etc.) and thus it is not all judgement and we are back to figure skating is not a sport!
I always thought that as Belle progressed Peter Pan would change his opinion and realize it is a sport. Nope, he did see how dedicated figure skaters are, but if anything he more than ever remains critical of the judged aspects. He has seen Belle passed over, underscored, and hurt by the whole thing. Of course, this doesn't always happen, she has certainly had her successes, but I agree, it is hard to tell whether it was the actual skating or maybe just preference. I am not talking about times when she got exactly what she earned but those times when we were surprised by the low scores or placement.
At the end of the day, I think that sometimes I have been like those moms on Toddlers and Tiaras. No I haven't bribed my 3 year old with sugar ( I do see a lot of junk food in those hotel rooms at pageants!) But I have allowed my child to put it out there and be judged. I have criticized when I thought the judges were wrong (of course they were wrong, my child was definitely the best one!!) Belle says she hates it when I start "getting all conspiracy theory"! I of course don't see rationally about my own child, most parents don't. I am trying to grow up, but I really do have a blind spot about my own kids!
And for the record, I can sometimes see that figure skating is more an art than a sport, but I love it all the same!
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It set me to thinking of the old argument Peter Pan and I have over figure skating. He (like many
Sure IJS is supposed to prevent that by providing a scoring structure (elements are worth a certain value and then judged on performance). It has helped, but judges are still people and they have personal preferences. Does a skater have a Russian coach and thus a more Russian style of jumping? I have seen (and heard) judges take off points or criticize that. I have looked at Belle's protocols at a competition and seen judges line up by geographic areas (northern vs. southern). I have observed poor skating by a normally strong skater rated higher than fair skating by a new or unknown skater. The judges are still people with personal preferences after all. To be fair, I have never met a judge who was intent on doing wrong. They are volunteers who take their judging jobs very seriously. And who is to say that personal preference is a bad thing.
My argument back to Peter Pan has always been that there is a certain amount of judgement in any sport. Umpires and referees make questionable, even bad calls. In fact many of their calls are JUDGEMENTS of a particular set of events. It can and does impact games! He holds firm that there are still more definite ways of seeing a score (touchdowns, baskets, etc.) and thus it is not all judgement and we are back to figure skating is not a sport!
I always thought that as Belle progressed Peter Pan would change his opinion and realize it is a sport. Nope, he did see how dedicated figure skaters are, but if anything he more than ever remains critical of the judged aspects. He has seen Belle passed over, underscored, and hurt by the whole thing. Of course, this doesn't always happen, she has certainly had her successes, but I agree, it is hard to tell whether it was the actual skating or maybe just preference. I am not talking about times when she got exactly what she earned but those times when we were surprised by the low scores or placement.
At the end of the day, I think that sometimes I have been like those moms on Toddlers and Tiaras. No I haven't bribed my 3 year old with sugar ( I do see a lot of junk food in those hotel rooms at pageants!) But I have allowed my child to put it out there and be judged. I have criticized when I thought the judges were wrong (of course they were wrong, my child was definitely the best one!!) Belle says she hates it when I start "getting all conspiracy theory"! I of course don't see rationally about my own child, most parents don't. I am trying to grow up, but I really do have a blind spot about my own kids!
And for the record, I can sometimes see that figure skating is more an art than a sport, but I love it all the same!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Dog Days
Dog Days- (from the Latin diēs caniculārēs ) refer to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. It is sort of appropriate at our house right now. It is definitely hot and sultry outside, but inside we are still dealing with dog days. Yep, since Belle and Moose are both gone, I have resigned myself to dealing with the dogs. Interestingly they are keeping me fairly busy right now.
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First of all you have to know our dogs. Fenway is the sweetest, most loving Fox Red Lab. Technically she is a yellow lab, but her actual color is much closer to a golden retriever. She has both yellow and chocolate labs in her family tree. She follows me everywhere, in fact sometimes I just walk from room to room in circles while she follows me. Sadly Peter Pan and I get great entertainment out of that- this is what our lives have come to. She also thinks she is little (probably because she grew up with a dachshund sister) and will try to sit in my lap if I sit down. She is a good, good dog although we have not really trained her so much so she has a few bad habits (like jumping up on people and she won't stay!).
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Bella (or Satan) is a whole different element. She is a half wire haired, half smooth haired miniature dachshund. Peter Pan and Moose say she is ugly cute, and she is a little different looking. Belle and I sort of got conned when we bought her I think. In any case we love her. Unlike labs, dachsies are much more dominating. I call it "Napoleon Syndrome" but Bella can be extremely aggressive with other dogs. She is also very protective and territorial and like all dachshunds believes that everything she surveys is hers! She also has an annoyingly high pierced bark, which we hear most of the day. The worst thing is that her house training is just sort of guideline and if no one responds to her need to go out quickly, she goes wherever she pleases. Again, I blame us because we haven't really spent enough time or energy training her.
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Since Peter Pan and I are both home right now we have been trying to walk them regularly. This is always and adventure. You never know what they will do, find, or get into. I usually take the little one, and Peter Pan takes Fenway. They each have their own walking issues. Fenway is just desperate to see, smell, and explore EVERYTHING! She has to wear a harness to cut down on the pulling and still Peter Pan has had a sore shoulder since we started. Bella wants to bark at everything and attack any dog, bike or jogger who comes near. So much for pleasant walks.
Both the dogs have had health issues for the last few months. They have both had seizures, puncture wounds, and now Fenway has an ear infection. I hate when something is wrong with them. They can't tell you what is happening. They are so helpless. Most of all, I am a poor judge of when something is really serious or just a nuisance that will pass. Fortunately my sister is a vet, she doesn't live near us, but I can text or call anytime for advice. When she visited she took care of some strange wound on Bella and helped me clean Fenway's ears, plus she cut both of their nails. It was awesome!
So, since I have no kids at home, no sports to obsess over, and no work right now, I am officially a crazy dog lady. They are so sweet and cute, how could I not be!
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First of all you have to know our dogs. Fenway is the sweetest, most loving Fox Red Lab. Technically she is a yellow lab, but her actual color is much closer to a golden retriever. She has both yellow and chocolate labs in her family tree. She follows me everywhere, in fact sometimes I just walk from room to room in circles while she follows me. Sadly Peter Pan and I get great entertainment out of that- this is what our lives have come to. She also thinks she is little (probably because she grew up with a dachshund sister) and will try to sit in my lap if I sit down. She is a good, good dog although we have not really trained her so much so she has a few bad habits (like jumping up on people and she won't stay!).
Bella (or Satan) is a whole different element. She is a half wire haired, half smooth haired miniature dachshund. Peter Pan and Moose say she is ugly cute, and she is a little different looking. Belle and I sort of got conned when we bought her I think. In any case we love her. Unlike labs, dachsies are much more dominating. I call it "Napoleon Syndrome" but Bella can be extremely aggressive with other dogs. She is also very protective and territorial and like all dachshunds believes that everything she surveys is hers! She also has an annoyingly high pierced bark, which we hear most of the day. The worst thing is that her house training is just sort of guideline and if no one responds to her need to go out quickly, she goes wherever she pleases. Again, I blame us because we haven't really spent enough time or energy training her.
Since Peter Pan and I are both home right now we have been trying to walk them regularly. This is always and adventure. You never know what they will do, find, or get into. I usually take the little one, and Peter Pan takes Fenway. They each have their own walking issues. Fenway is just desperate to see, smell, and explore EVERYTHING! She has to wear a harness to cut down on the pulling and still Peter Pan has had a sore shoulder since we started. Bella wants to bark at everything and attack any dog, bike or jogger who comes near. So much for pleasant walks.
Both the dogs have had health issues for the last few months. They have both had seizures, puncture wounds, and now Fenway has an ear infection. I hate when something is wrong with them. They can't tell you what is happening. They are so helpless. Most of all, I am a poor judge of when something is really serious or just a nuisance that will pass. Fortunately my sister is a vet, she doesn't live near us, but I can text or call anytime for advice. When she visited she took care of some strange wound on Bella and helped me clean Fenway's ears, plus she cut both of their nails. It was awesome!
So, since I have no kids at home, no sports to obsess over, and no work right now, I am officially a crazy dog lady. They are so sweet and cute, how could I not be!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Are You Ready for Some Football?!
Yes, Yes, Yes! I am ready for football season! This summer seems to be dragging on forever waiting for football to actually begin. I am not talking about practice. I want to go to a game at VMI. I am ready to tailgate, see the Corps of Cadets enter the stadium, hear the cannon roar when the team takes the field or scores, watch the rats do pushups after each score, and hear the team sing the VMI Doxology. There is nothing quite like the pageantry and excitement of a VMI home game! 52 days and counting!
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VMI glee club singing the Doxology, Shenandoah, and Fight Song:
And a little music to get pumped up:
Monday, July 11, 2011
Build a Bridge and Get Over It!
I have a tendency to hold on to old hurts and recycle them at random times. This is not a good thing! It really does nothing productive, and it hurts everyone around me and mostly me! It is damaging to relationships because I can't see past my hurt/frustration to deal with what is at hand. I pull random hurt out add bad times and throw it back into the middle of life (i.e. arguments) and justify current behavior with it.
But it isn't justified. Bad behavior is bad behavior, and yes I sometimes behave badly (I am an insane sports mom after all!) So where does this leave me?
I know what I need to do, build a bridge and get over it! It is just that so often something will remind me of perceived wrong doing by another and I will get riled up once again. I am still angry and bewildered by the behavior of a football coach in 2003. Now really what relevance does this have anymore? Moose is successful at what he does. He doesn't care! Why do I? Now to be honest I don't think of this very often, but sometimes I will be reminded of what that coach did and I just get furious all over again! In the end this only hurts me! I bet money that coach doesn't even remember me, although he does remember Moose, Peter Pan ran into him this Spring and he knew Moose was at VMI!
Of course that is just 1 example. I do it with other situations as well. Upon reflection I tend to hold on the longest when it involves Belle or Moose. So I guess part of it is just the pain any mother feels when her child hurts! Still, they are tired of me doing it. My refusal to let go means that they have to also keep reliving whatever the situation was that hurt them. Both of them have told me to stop. I really hate it when my kids are smarter than me!
So my goal is to actually build that bridge, go to the top of it, throw all this crap over the edge, and get over it!!! Wish me luck, this will be hard.
But it isn't justified. Bad behavior is bad behavior, and yes I sometimes behave badly (I am an insane sports mom after all!) So where does this leave me?
I know what I need to do, build a bridge and get over it! It is just that so often something will remind me of perceived wrong doing by another and I will get riled up once again. I am still angry and bewildered by the behavior of a football coach in 2003. Now really what relevance does this have anymore? Moose is successful at what he does. He doesn't care! Why do I? Now to be honest I don't think of this very often, but sometimes I will be reminded of what that coach did and I just get furious all over again! In the end this only hurts me! I bet money that coach doesn't even remember me, although he does remember Moose, Peter Pan ran into him this Spring and he knew Moose was at VMI!
Of course that is just 1 example. I do it with other situations as well. Upon reflection I tend to hold on the longest when it involves Belle or Moose. So I guess part of it is just the pain any mother feels when her child hurts! Still, they are tired of me doing it. My refusal to let go means that they have to also keep reliving whatever the situation was that hurt them. Both of them have told me to stop. I really hate it when my kids are smarter than me!
So my goal is to actually build that bridge, go to the top of it, throw all this crap over the edge, and get over it!!! Wish me luck, this will be hard.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Anxiety
It has been a relatively peaceful week and I am anticipating another peaceful week to come. Moose did well on his first test (at least he thinks he did, but since he said the questions on the test were the same as the practice test he took right before I trust him!) He had a great week at football conditioning and is really enjoying having more of the team back for this summer session. Belle is doing pretty well and was in a good mood for the week. She is packing up to go to church camp tomorrow and is very excited about that. So it will just be Peter Pan and I next week. Talk about quiet and calm! Why then do I have this huge sense of anxiety?
I think it is because it will be just Peter Pan and I and we will actually have to find something non kid related to occupy our time! No one will complain about the food or the TV show. We won't know what to do with ourselves.
Oh and I will have ZERO control over what my children are actually doing! I hate that! So I am praying that I will actually be peaceful and enjoy my week, that God will protect my children (from car crashes, mean people and themselves) and that they come home safely at the end of the week!
I think it is because it will be just Peter Pan and I and we will actually have to find something non kid related to occupy our time! No one will complain about the food or the TV show. We won't know what to do with ourselves.
Oh and I will have ZERO control over what my children are actually doing! I hate that! So I am praying that I will actually be peaceful and enjoy my week, that God will protect my children (from car crashes, mean people and themselves) and that they come home safely at the end of the week!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
I Miss Going to the Rink
So now that Belle has her license she doesn't want me at the rink anymore. This initially seemed like a golden opportunity, I could actually sleep past 4:00 AM. We are in our 3rd week of this new life and I don't think I love it so much. I really miss all my morning ice friends! I miss watching her practice. I even miss the free coffee from the ice rink!
It just made me think that often when you think something will be really good it turns out not to be so good after all. There are so many times in my life when I wish for something to be done, or to change. Maybe I should appreciate what I have!
There are a lot of things that I miss if I really think about it. I miss rec league football and cheerleading. Sure it took up all of August-November, but we had a blast as an entire family. I miss gymnastics- both Belle and Moose did it for a while although not together, Moose stopped when he was 4 (I thought it would make him more coordinated, I'm not sure it did.) It was low key and fun to watch and they really enjoyed it, even if we did catch chicken pox there. I miss dance and the recitals we attended. I miss little league baseball. I miss rec league basketball. I really miss that it was low key and fun!
If you really put it all together I think I miss my kids being little! They needed Peter Pan and I in such a different way than they do now. Of course I am proud of their achievments and success and how they are growing into amazing adults. It just all happened so darn fast.
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It just made me think that often when you think something will be really good it turns out not to be so good after all. There are so many times in my life when I wish for something to be done, or to change. Maybe I should appreciate what I have!
There are a lot of things that I miss if I really think about it. I miss rec league football and cheerleading. Sure it took up all of August-November, but we had a blast as an entire family. I miss gymnastics- both Belle and Moose did it for a while although not together, Moose stopped when he was 4 (I thought it would make him more coordinated, I'm not sure it did.) It was low key and fun to watch and they really enjoyed it, even if we did catch chicken pox there. I miss dance and the recitals we attended. I miss little league baseball. I miss rec league basketball. I really miss that it was low key and fun!
If you really put it all together I think I miss my kids being little! They needed Peter Pan and I in such a different way than they do now. Of course I am proud of their achievments and success and how they are growing into amazing adults. It just all happened so darn fast.
Monday, July 4, 2011
I'm Done With Nicknames
Okay, I can't actually keep it all straight in my aging brain. I keep mixing up real names and nicknames in my blog so I think I should just do away with the nicknames all together.
What do you think?
What do you think?
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Fourth of July
When I was growing up my Dad wasn't a really big into holidays. Don't get me wrong, we did something for all the holidays but Dad really only loved a couple. As a veteran he loved Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, and he loved July 4th. He was a true patriot in every sense of the word. July 4th meant a small family cookout, maybe homemade ice cream (if we were really lucky), sparklers and snakes (does anyone else remember those), and watching the Boston Pops and fireworks on TV. We didn't really go anywhere to watch fireworks. It didn't matter. It was a really fun and laid back day.
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My husband grew up in Boston. He actually went to the Esplanade, or somewhere to watch live fireworks. So he always wanted to take the kids somewhere and do that on July 4th. For many years we went down to the Coast Guard base and watched the fireworks show from the pier. Then we would go back to his office and watch movies in one of the classrooms until the traffic died down. As the kids got older they ran in the annual 5K every July 4th. We would watch the parade (which is sort of cool since the Revolutionary War ended here in Yorktown).
So now I am left with 2 traditions. Which do I choose this year? Home! Hands down. I loved taking the kids to see the fireworks, but it was always hot, sticky, and a very late evening. They both have plans to go somewhere away from us tomorrow night. I am perfectly happy to find fireworks on TV and watch them from the air conditioned comfort of my living room. This (and the box of Revlon #50 waiting upstairs for me) is how I know I am getting old! I don't care at all, I will love my little cookout that Peter Pan and I have here at home with all our favorite foods. No one will say "Ewww, I don't like the rice casserole!" or "Why can't we have hot dogs instead of steak tips". We can have all the great food to ourselves and even have left overs!
Will I miss Moose and Belle? Of course I will, but this is the way it is supposed to be. I raised them to be independent and self sufficient and confindent. I understand why my Mom was okay with us going out and doing something else. There is a peace to having a semi-empty nest. I am not sure what I will do when they are gone for good, but I will find something to occupy myself. Life goes on!
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My husband grew up in Boston. He actually went to the Esplanade, or somewhere to watch live fireworks. So he always wanted to take the kids somewhere and do that on July 4th. For many years we went down to the Coast Guard base and watched the fireworks show from the pier. Then we would go back to his office and watch movies in one of the classrooms until the traffic died down. As the kids got older they ran in the annual 5K every July 4th. We would watch the parade (which is sort of cool since the Revolutionary War ended here in Yorktown).
So now I am left with 2 traditions. Which do I choose this year? Home! Hands down. I loved taking the kids to see the fireworks, but it was always hot, sticky, and a very late evening. They both have plans to go somewhere away from us tomorrow night. I am perfectly happy to find fireworks on TV and watch them from the air conditioned comfort of my living room. This (and the box of Revlon #50 waiting upstairs for me) is how I know I am getting old! I don't care at all, I will love my little cookout that Peter Pan and I have here at home with all our favorite foods. No one will say "Ewww, I don't like the rice casserole!" or "Why can't we have hot dogs instead of steak tips". We can have all the great food to ourselves and even have left overs!
Will I miss Moose and Belle? Of course I will, but this is the way it is supposed to be. I raised them to be independent and self sufficient and confindent. I understand why my Mom was okay with us going out and doing something else. There is a peace to having a semi-empty nest. I am not sure what I will do when they are gone for good, but I will find something to occupy myself. Life goes on!
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