Soccer Mania

Alecia had a great time at soccer this year. She didn't end up being on a team with anyone from her school (or anyone that she knew beforehand, for that matter), but she didn't seem to care too much. She had a great coach.

She loved playing goalie! Probably because she was so good at it. This is a shot I got from the net. She was crossing her fingers, hoping that the other team (who was really struggling) would get the ball close enough that they might try to score, so she'd get a chance to show her stuff.

Whew-- I am glad the season is at it's end! Fun as it was, four different sports a week for the same child is way too much for me, even if she thinks she can handle it just fine.

And even if she can handle it, it sure wears her out!

Brandon Mull Signing

I kinda mis-guessed how many people were going to be at the signing. Lots of people were so excited to see Brandon Mull!
There were lots more at the front right and the back left that you can't even see from this picture. We finally gave up on the wait to get our books signed well before it was our turn. I don't think my kids minded that much. I think it is cool that they get to meet the authors of the books they read. They think it is cool to have the author sign their books, but not Hanna Montana cool. (I think they may have been willing to wait in that line!)

But they had fun, anyway. They spent about 45 minutes playing on the library jungle gym (aka the folding chair holders). It was well worth waiting in line when you got to do this!

Clue

You, Me, Brandon Mull

With the Book

In the Library

7:00 pm

Rapunzel's Revenge

I used the phrase

"Cory, please stop reading and

pay attention to me!"

for the first time EVER,

last night while Cory was reading this book.

It's magic, I tell you. Magic!! Plus, pretty darn funny.

Hahahaha

Yay me!

I recently recieved a great blog award- yay me! Thanks, sweet Kellie, for the award!

With this award comes a requirement- giving it away to three others, and listing 6 things that make me happy:

1. The smell of morning. You know– when it is light outside but the sun hasn’t peeked it’s head over the mountain yet. Add the smell of chlorine, and it gets bonus nostalgia points!

2. Being smack in the middle of reading a book. Well, I guess I should specify– a GOOD book. An I-hate-to-put-it-down-and-go-clean-my-house book. It’s something I’ve missed lately.

3. Being smack in the middle of writing a book. Or, even smack in the middle of plotting a book. It gives me a high tangible enough, I swear I can eat and drink it. Course, that doesn’t really explain why I have the munchies so bad whenever I write...

4. All three of my kids playing together willingly and nicely... without it ending in tears! It brings me sheer joy. I let my kids postpone almost anything when this happens. You’d think if it got them out of chores for a while, it would happen all the time. But, alas. Maybe I should spell out the benefits to them. :-)

5. A long shower. The kind that empties the hot water heater. As soon as the water touches my skin, time stands still. Then when I get out, I find that time had actually been careening wildly out of control!! It’s not in my nature to take a quick shower. But, based on the time thing, almost every morning, I cannot be at one with my nature.

6. Going to bed feeling like I had a productive day. The feeling that I spent my day wisely is like no other.


I would like to pass this fabulous award on to these great bloggers:

My sister Janet @ The Boulter Family. Recently, she jumped into the blogging world with both feet, embracing it. Her posts are always sweet and funny. Like THIS ONE.

My son Kyle @ The Castle Chronicles. His love of reading and writing rivals my own. Besides being an amazing and sweet son, I love what he has done with his blog!

Spencer @ Video Games with Some Love. Spencer is one funny kid! Y'all should check out his blog-- you'll be glad you did. And then you'll want to bookmark it so you can go back when you need a pick me up.

So, Janet, Kyle, and Spencer: feel free to post your blog award on your blog along with 6 things you love. And since it's a really girly looking award, I made you a more boyish one that you may want to use instead, Kyle & Spencer.

Backpack Surprises

From the moment I decided I was ready to have kids, I knew conversations like this one would eventually occur:

"Mom! Guess what?!!"

"What?"

"I have a snail in my backpack!"

"You do? Why?"

"I'm taking it home so I can keep it as a pet!"

I just always kinda assumed the conversations would normally be between me and one of my BOYS...

Tale of a Run

Most people who know me know that I hate to run. Even when I was in elementary school and in fabulous shape, I still couldn't run! I hear what a run does for my runner friends, and I'm a little jealous.

Yesterday, right after the rainstorm, I went for a WALK. I figured I might even jog a block or two. I took off on a road that is slightly uphill. I hadn't gone too far before the wind started blowing quite fiercely. Straight on, right into my chest.

And I've never felt more like running.

Of course, I've never been chased by a bad guy, and I'm not saying it would trump that. But I wanted to run. Like the wind was some kind of invisible foe that I just had to beat. The harder it blew, the harder I ran, determined to get the best of it; to not let it win.

It did NOT win!

Then I turned right and went up a few blocks, and then turned right again. This time the wind was blowing me on my back. Compelling me to run. Pushing me, helping me, making me feel like I could fly. So I ran and I ran and I ran some more. Probably more than I have ever run before in a day. And, I started to understand just a tiny bit what all of you who are my runner friends are talking about. (And no, I'm not going to say how much I ran, because all of you who run would just roll your eyes. Trust me. Like I said, I suck at running.)

But, it got me thinking. Isn't that just how opposition is? It's there to help you. To push you. And when it feels like it is holding you back, it's really just trying to give you a chance at getting stronger in the process.

Pretty Peppers

Lance LOVES peppers. Never met a pepper he didn't like. Never has he met a food that he doesn't like peppers on. Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. So, every year, I plant a variety of peppers. This is my first year planting habanero peppers. Now, I know this isn't a pepper for everyone. But you gotta admit, this is one pretty pepper! Next year, these babies are going in my flower garden!

And how about cayenne peppers? You gotta LOVE those! ;-) Hehehe!

Only $2 for a lesson and pretty things!

I've had a really bad cold. One of those sticks with you for way way too many days, wipes you out completely and daily, gives you a 24 hour a day headache, makes your brain constantly in a fog, kinds. Keep that in mind.

Thanksgiving Point was kind enough to do $2 Tuesdays this month. :-) My kids showed absolutely no interest in going to the gardens (normally $10!). I figured that left me with two Tuesdays left in the month when they would be at school. The first didn't work out, so I thought I'd go on the last Tuesday the offer stood. I've been wanting to try my hand at writing a fairy tale, and that seemed like the perfect place to go for inspiration.

So, I loaded up my laptop, paid my $2, and found a secluded little place near the waterfalls and cracked open my laptop. Perfect conditions, right? Well, as it turns out, my body was needing rest and relaxation WAY more than it was needing the incredible high that writing offers. In an hour and a half, I managed to write about a page. I finally gave up, cursing my brain fog, and set out to enjoy a bit more of the gardens. Darn brain fog also kept me from realizing that in my current sickly state, that wouldn't be a good idea.

When I finally headed back toward the building (all uphill, of course), I had gotten almost to the top when I came upon an old man. He was probably a good 90 years old, bent over from age almost to his waist, and unable to go further without resting. I wasn’t even sure if he was ever going to make it all the way without someone giving him a piggyback ride or something. He looked up at me as I neared him and then he said, "Wow. You look really tired." A little more poignant coming from him. Yeah. Maybe I should have just stayed home and taken a nap.

But, on the bright side, I did get to see lots and lots and lots of pretty things! Here are some of them.