aquariums might be one of my favorite places

and theirs too .... although there was a tremendous amount of talk about captivity, and sadness. still, the peace, and happiness was apparent on both ends

the penguins are always so entertaining ... kinda like the monkeys at the zoo, you know? and to the right is the Beluga Whale, one of the three at this particular aquarium.

and a very cool new exhibit where you could feed birds with little popsicle sticks and seed attached to the end .... reaching was the challenge, but once you did reach them, they adored the attention ..... the birds did too. ;) there was a wonderful Sea Lion show with a 27 year old male Sea Lion, a 22 year old female Sea Lion, and a new member - the 2 year old, rescued, and had refused to go back into the ocean - who was being trained to be an entertainer!

tired, but full of chatter, and excitement ... still, a moment of bliss. :)

have i mentioned .....

that i have a husband who also plays sports?

that's him ... in the picture to the left here, the guy on the right in the photo. he plays shortstop for this team, and 2nd base for the other team he plays with. yes, that's a hole in his pants. have i mentioned he likes to slide?

that's him at bat. he's a pretty good hitter, but a great fielder.

he loves baseball.

it makes him so happy.

i love his butt in baseball pants.

or not .. in pants.

it makes me so happy.

oh, is that what this post is about?

ahem.

and .... okay, if the sky looks like this as it falls to evening during a game ... who am i to complain, anyway?!

have i mentioned that i am now a huge baseball fan. or at least a less-resistant one this year? ;)

it's the pants they wear.

ahem.

when the dreaming isn't always pleasant

that's when the magic of the "go-away spray bottle"

filled with a special conconction of magic water, sparkles, and an undisclosed (supertopsecretifitellyouthenyoullneedtobetickledtilyoupee) ingredient comes out, and fills the air with the distinct odor of ++no monsters, no bad dreams, and no icky thoughts!++

along with the decorated and beautiful wands of "go-away and don't come into my room" made especially sweet, and especially beautiful by the little lady who was having the unpleasant thoughts fill her head ....

arrive at the house, our house, and find new homes making one's bedroom a wee bit safer, and of course, less inhabited by the bad dreams filling your head. when you're 7 that helps an awful lot.

that's when the dreams become more pleasant .... and we all have a better night's sleep.

{it hurts to see her hurt ... and the fear of bad dreams is so real. so tangible. i had to come up with some magic!}

friday, saturday, sunday ....

fun weekend, and really sunny, hot, and full of family & friends.

Friday, our first visit to the beach! (typically only a few times a summer ... when you own a pool in your backyard, it's kinda like that ....)

chicken fights in the backyard .... laughter and loads of splashing!

my 17 year old niece and her fantastic boyfriend! (yes, she's got herself a redhead! :)

the best part of a "fantastic" boyfriend is the fact that he adores playing .... and when a certain 9 year old is involved with anything to do with playing, it'll go on and on and on ....

lots-a-swimmin' and lots of doin' nothing ....

..... and at the end of the day, sitting down with a warm towel, and hanging out.

mom's just a pain with that telephoto lens. ;)

living life all the way ....

that's how i would describe both of my kids. all the time. every day. they truly don't know how to live life half way. you know, only go so far. be lazy, let the time pass away, just breathe and r.e.l.a.x. nah, that's boring

it's a foreign concept to them.

'i'm bored, what *else* can i do, now?'

sometimes it's tiring (hey, i'm an energetic kid too!) but most of the time it's exhilerating. they teach me so much. they show me that life is meant to be lived. to stretch and grow, and find the things that make you tick. it's summer afterall, and the schedule is completely turned around, and inside out, you know? there is nothing on the agenda most days (save for the camps, and activities they asked to be part of this summer) and they are eager to drink it all in.
lately, i haven't had the vip and vigor that i have always had with them. and when they demand that i help them 'find something to do' it's annoying, to be honest. i am the one that's made the plans, and scheduled the "scheduled" activities for them. do i really need to be the one that entertains them too?

yes. yes, i do. i know.

:-)

relating to that paradigm shift, and the changes that we've been feeling a little bit this year, i think i'm just worn out a smidge. tired ... i'm feeling like i can zip it up a notch or thirty though, and perhaps that will help me begin to live life the way you're supposed to according to the wee redheads in my life.

all the way. ;)

the spirit moved me ...

:)

to check out my friend Nichole's blog, and there was a survey. funny thing, generally, i don't do these in email, but for some reason, this one looked fun. maybe it's because it was on her blog.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? two sets of headphones for the DVD in the car, a blanket or two, a spare seatbelt adaptor for the kids seat, an empty Gatorade bottle, a 1/2 full water bottle. it's all neatly in place though, seriously. ;)

2. When was the last time you threw up? December 15th. messy evening that was.

3. What's your favorite curse word? f*ck. it's true, as UN feminine as it gets, but it's so cathartic.

4. Name three people who made you smile today? my two kids, my husband

5. What were you doing at 8am this morning? laying blistfully awake in bed listening to Higgins wake up

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? eating dinner with the family on a deck by the water.

7. What will you be doing three hours from now? s.l.e.e.p.i.n.g

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? yes, and i had an absolute blast! even had a lap dance ... betcha wanna hear THAT detail, don't ya?!

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? ".... please don't argue with each other, just jump in the shower." to my two cherubs. ;)

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? vanillla, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter ANYTHING. sorry, can't choose.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Sam Adams Summer Ale

13. What was the last thing you ate? grilled fish

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? no. trying to keep the buying to a minimum

15. When was the last time you ran? haven't been chased, what the hell would i be running *from*? :)

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? Red Sox today

18. Who is the last person you emailed? Cam's hockey coach

19. Ever go camping? dear god, yes. i saw 26 states by the time i was 16 years old, and all of them were in a car, traveling with a pop up camper.

20. Do you have a tan? i have a healthy summer glow about me right now. lotsa baseball, and lotsa pool time with the kiddies

24 (?). Do you drink your soda from a straw? don't drink soda, and generally only use straws at restaurants, and places that i am not comfortable drinking from the glass.

25. What did your last IM say? don't do im'ing. text was to my gym partner - something about tomorrow's time to the gym.

26. Are you someone's best friend? yes.

27. What are you doing tomorrow? to the gym early, then hitting the grind to get organized with work. then home with the kids while sean has a meeting.

28. Where is your mom right now? in her car with my dad heading back home from dinner with us.

29. Look to your left, what do you see? a pile of "to do's" for tomorrow, and my laptop.

30. What color is your watch? my wha ...? haven't worn a watch in almost 11 years. my phone is my time keeper.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? a place i have to visit before i die. and kangaroos. :)

32. Would you consider plastic surgery? i don't necessarily think so.

33. What is your birthstone? aquamarine

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through? Dunkin is the only "fast food" i will do - and if there is a drive through, it's got my name all over it. i hate going inside.

35. How many kids do you want? got two, and a husband. technically, that makes three. today - right now- i want three. i don't know how i'd handle more than what i've got.

36. Do you have a dog? uhm. three. yes, 3 dogs.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? my husband at 3:20 today, that was the last phone call i made.

38. Have you met anyone famous? yes, a few folks.

39. Any plans today? it's the conclusion of the day ... my plans include a face wash, teeth brushing, contact out, and a crash into my nice clean sheets!

40. How many states have you lived in? 3

41. Ever go to college? yep, sure did.

42. Where are you right now? in my office at home

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? sibling rivalry and my husband's short fuse for it.

44. Last song listened to? Take Me Away

46. Are you allergic to anything? lactose intolerance

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? anything flip flop in nature.

48. Are you jealous of anyone? sure, but it's alwasy petty and silly, and i convince myself that i'm being ridiculous and goofy and it's over.

50. Is anyone jealous of you? perhaps .... again, silly i am sure.

51. What time is it?9:26 PM

52. Do any of your friends have children? i have very few friends that *don't* have kids

53. Do you eat healthy? yes, and i try to instill that in my kids and husband too. we are an *everything in moderation* kind of family

54. What do you usually do during the day? take care of the family, work, go to the gym, and breathe .....

55. Do you hate anyone right now?absolutely not

56. Do you use the word hello daily? uhm ... yes.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? {gulp} 41

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? no i haven't. and my kids think they are deprived because they haven't either.

60. How did you get one of your scars? a rock was thrown with the intention of going over my head, i slipped, and fell, and the rock (poorly aimed) hit me square in the eyebrow of my right eye. i was 7. it was my brother's buddy, the boy with the adorable smile, scotty white. :) i forgave him, and so did my mom.

fun stuff ... anyone else wanna play?

who? where? when?

me.

all over.

all the time.

it's been a whirlwind of a month. i cannot believe that i haven't posted in a month here. shocking, and yet, so understanding.

my life has been no different than it has ever been, honestly. i just haven't made it here to post on my site. i think i have sporadic blocks. indifference to keeping this active, and i think concern that what i am writing isn't all that interesting to anyone but me. but alas, i don't write for "interest" or even "entertainment. i am writing to journal this time.

so where, who, what have we been up to? we've had baseball (lotsa) and softball (reasonable amount) and hockey (just started) and end of school (hooray!) and settling ino to the summer routine (yay!) and interviewing babysitters (uhm ..) and work (boo!) and friends (hooray!) and babyshowers (hooray!) and barbeques (hooray!) and gearing up for vacation (hooray!) and cleansing the extras here in our lives (finally!) and .... oh, so much. it's been good, and busy, and fun, and cleansing.

i've adopted a new approach to time - time with my kids, time with my husband, time for me - just in general, i am more aware of the moments that i have. more in tune with the peace, and the incredible balance that is essential to achieve, and grasp in order to have time. the kids are enjoying the new approach. they have a super duper sticker chart (going back to previous times in their lives that were very beneficial!) and it's working well. they are achieving success, and realizing that life doesn't have to be so cluttered with things, and thoughts .... they are learning to "fly and be free!"
it's been a very interesting start to the year 2008. i feel like i went through a paradigm shift and looking back, i might still be processing the shift. it feels good (finally) and it feels right. timing wise, it was not necessarily accepted by me, but for the most part, i have come to terms with that, and realized that life hands you things that maybe shake you up for a reason. i've felt the shake. and i'm still feeling the shake. it's a great realization, though, and i am thankful for it.

so, with that, i will continue to process, and shift. and i will continue to let the "spirit" move me to writing. forcing it never works anyway. ;)

request

if you've got any spare positive vibes hanging around awaiting their next assignment ... i may be able to keep 'em busy for a little while.

my husband got some shocking, and disappointing news today on a new career he had been working really hard at launching into (everyone is very shocked by the news, to be honest) and he is sad, and truly dejected.

if you've got some good thoughts for him ... and for the new path he is creating ... i know he'd (and i) would appreciate it.

i'll tell you what, too, with all the sad, tragic, and disturbing news that has been a part of our lives the last few weeks ... i have found a way to breathe, and peel off the layers, and just listen to what's happening all around me.

the process to get where we want to be is a journey through the time of where we are today.

thanks for the pv's.

summertime kickoff ...

this is the natural kickoff to the season of summer. typically, i am better prepared for summer which usually means i have done a fine job of 'nesting' and 'orchestrating' how all the pieces of the puzzle will fit into place for the coming months.

you know, things like kids out of school in 3 short weeks means that they will be needing childcare-ish coverage ~ normally i've got that solidly in place with a dry run already done, and the sitter has spent some quality time with the kids. i've got the sitter, yes, but she hasn't done the dry run just yet - nor has she spent lots of time with the kids because frankly, she doesn't have that time to give away (great athlete on two soccer teams, and in high school so social life this time of year is important ... i recognize the priorities when you're 16/17) and truthfully, my kids don't necessarily have that time to give away either, so we haven't done that part of it.

i've usually got the summer camp schedule in place for the squirts - i know *which* camps, but not the details of said camps. each wants a one week camp secured.

our pool is typically open already, but we have a slight bump in the road with that opening. should be solved this week, but again, ill prepared for that.

so, historically speaking, these shortfalls would wreak havoc on my nerves, and cause all kinds of headaches, and frustrations.

i think age is mellowing me. i am truly feeling like "it'll all get done, and we'll all be just fine". sometimes, too, flying by the seat of your pants works out a little better than really planning to the very last detail and drop.

crap.

my husband has worn off on me. not even 11 years married yet, and he's changed my thinking. ;)

i'll leave you with this little driplet of summer right around the corner:

these little darlings are the most beautiful blooms of the hanging plant on my front porch ..... gorgeous in color, and fragrance. maybe they are helping my angst too. :)

good question

sometimes in all the honesty and forthright answers we (sean and i) made a commitment to sticking with, there is that comment back that throws us.

today, it happened. to me.

sean was with kendall at gymnastics, and cam and i were running a few errands, over the radio in the car, an ad for prostate cancer runs. cam waits until the completion to ask me his questions.

"mom, what's prostate cancer?"

"well, the prostate is an organ close to the penis and testicles, and gettting cancer in that organ can be common. usually it doesn't affect people until they are much older than you, and even daddy" (he, sadly, has been made aware of a diganosis of cancer through some friends, and family so that was easily understood)

looking at me with a little bit of a smirk, he says " mom, seriously, no need to spell it out, just say groin."

yah, okay kid.

karma

it's all about it.

i am a positive person by nature. i feel strongly that if you keep the 'view' half full, the vibe will repay all the goodness that you share.

things are motoring along well, and i am keeping the sail 'righted' as i mentioned previously. i am looking to see some good things happening from a work perspective, as well, we are anticipating some good things from sean's work. the kids are done with school in 3 weeks, and they are picking up speed with excitement every day (i believe i heard the last "days to go" count from one of them this morning - 14 including today, if you're counting)

my backyard is beginning to take the form of a summertime backyard, and that makes me all kinds of happy. the flowers are all planted - every pot is full. i can't take any credit for that, my mom is my gardener. the pool will be opened this week sometime, and the batting cage will be completed within a month, we hope. the brick terrace, and walways are in the planning stages, and i just need to coerce ... oops, i mean convince, my dad to get 'em done!

it's friday of the long weekend, and i am gearing up for lots of outdoor time with the family (6 baseball games/softball games before the championship game monday if cam's team makes it in the tournament) and working on the yard in between. the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the dogs are smiling.

on another front, we just got word that one of my bucket list (you know, the things you want to do before you kick the proverbial bucket) items will be fulfilled this fall - cam's new hockey team that he is on will be going to CANADA for a tournament! woohoo! so excited for that trip - and we are planning on having a great time there.

so, there we have it ... a positive, karma-type post. i am planning on keeping it real, of course, and truth be told, still working through the tough things that have been happening to people all around me. but the reality is, life is real. and these things are real - but it's all in how you respond.

:) i choose to be grateful, and thankful, and supportive. and that helps me keep my head about me.

karma. i believe in it.

right the sail

i'm finding the way through the stormy weather ... it's been challenging, yes, and at times, exhausting. but as is the case with most 'lives' sometimes, they aren't smooth sailing - it's all in how we respond and react.

long chats with sean; supportive discussions with some others that i love; and warm hugs and kisses.

that always helps.

xo, and thanks for the support.

preoccupied with some thoughts ....

and they aren't exactly the kind of thoughts one would like to be preoccupied with.

for the last several weeks, it feels as though my exterior world has been screaming at me to

stop!
look around!
take notice!
rejoice in the moment!
and
breathe!

an old friend from the kids nursery school found out last fall that her healthy and happy 5 year old (former micro-preemie baby that battled all odds of living at all- born at 27 weeks!) had a cancerous brain tumor. she has been in chemo since that time - ding okay, and fighting the good fight, but ... 5? cancer?

i have been following for several months an amazing, and conversely truly uplifting story on a blog of a woman whose 4th daughter was born april 7th, and died 2+ hours later. this mother knowingly chose to carry to term, and lose, this angel with a diagnosis of Trisomy 18. angela, the mom, is the strongest, and most beautiful person i have ever come across. (audrey caroline is the baby, and their story can be read at Bring The Rain blog)

a good friend of mine lost her mother in law to alzheimer's rather unexpectedly (although ill, it was not end-stage, and therefore, shocked with her sudden death)

another good friend lost her mother tragically when she had a stroke while taking care of her youngest at her (my friend's) home. she died instantly, and the 4 year old saw the whole thing.

another friend, with horrible nut allergies, from the gym died tragically after ingesting hazelnut frosting from a cake as she scooped the frosting on her finger on the way out of the restaurant two weeks ago. she had a cardiac arrest at the emergency room, and never woke up. she was in a coma for two weeks with no brain activity. they buried her today, and i went to the funeral. when her 9 and 7 year old babies (the same age as my two children) began to quietly cry as they brought her body into the church, i lost it.

i think it was the culmination of such tragedy and grief all around me.

i am sullen and quiet today.

overwhelmed with the thoughts.

and reaching for the strength to grasp all of this.

my grateful box is getting all kinds of entries lately.

i am so grateful.

i was gonna .....

....come here and complain about the challenging moments that have been enveloping my head, and stealing precious time from me.

.....tell you about the daily struggles that have been ever-present for a few, er, weeks here.

.....put to words the particularly hair raising arguing that my two cherubic redheaded children appear to be convinced is the *right thing* to do - ahem - regardless of the consistent request from me and sean to end that *wrong thing NOW*

..... let you in on a glimmer of my days as they have been so entertaining, and particularly so.

BUT - the above is not worthy of giving to the blog. certainly, YOU fine folks don't need to be tortured with any of it.

so, i will keep those yummy little nuggets of negative banter to me, and allow you this:

hot shot, potato, isn't she? ;) she is diggin' it a little bit. the competition, as i've mentioned is not her bag. she is all about the social aspect, the fun friends, the enjoyment of the team atmosphere, and "the playing". but the competition - not so much.

she is teaching me all about living like this. i was more competitive. i challenged myself competitively (reaching to improve my best time in the pool, as an example) however, not really competitive with others. the big brother is more outwardly competitive.

she is her own drummer, and dances to the beat that she sets. she isn't waiting for anyone else to set the tone, or the beat. she likes your beat, and she'll listen, but she wants her own, and if you'd like, you can listen to hers, too. she'll share. she'll share just about anything with you. she's got broad shoulders, and a huge heart. she's tough as nails, and as fragile as an egg shell.

they find a way to be the best of friends, and then argue like the worst of enemies. they are so different on so many levels, and so similar on so many others. but - when the earth and the moon are aligned just right, i even get peace and harmony inside my home.

which gives me peace and harmony inside my head.

which makes my heart sing.

and that makes all the bulls*it go away. and then i can come here and write about shiny happy people and things in my life.

{there, i feel so much better}

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to one and all throughout the land! :)

'twas a lovely day .. rleaxing, and enjoyable, and entertaining. had a date last night, just he and I, met some friends too, and then a nap this afternoon to sneak in a catch-up from the sleep I lost after getting home entirely too late. got some fabulous homemade cards today, and some sweet homemade gifts, a pretty new sun dress, and love. I got lots of love.

so, today, and all the days ahead - may the mommy-love continue for you!

Hi

it's been so long, starting with anything other than that would be weird.



and truthfully, i can't even summarize the last month or so with a fitting title other than 'hello' because there are so many things that have been going on.



i wish i was able to sit and type~daily. i think it was writers block on some levels, and it was the lack of clarity that anything i am doing is interesting enough for the blog, for anyone to read. i always come back to the fact that i am doing this for me ... for no one else, but for me to somehow put to words the memories that are forming in my head, and my heart ... and with my family. some of them have been beautiful and fun, and silly, and playful. some of them have been rough and dimpled - you nkow real life. snapshots of a family living in a time that brings with it glorious moments, and ugly moments. we see them all, and thankfully, the latter is far fewer!



so, with that said, a review of the past month or so.

March 29 was my surprise party, and it was wonderful! (did i already mention that here? ;) my husband is a fantastic specimen of a man. the best, really. so, ladies, if you're still looking for the 'best' you better just resign yourself to settle, cause i already snagged him! kidding! really - he rocks, and the party was a huge fun time with all the people i love (well, MOST) in one place! 40 was easy to take in!

sadly, i have had two close friends suddenly lose their mom and mother in law in the last month. one was an tragic accident at her homw, the other a stroke. while they were not young, the sting of suddenly saying goodbye to them has truly brought them both to their knees. also, a very young mom i know distantly from the gym sufffered from a peanut allergy reaction at dinner with her new fiance, and is in a coma with little to no brain activity. they aren't expecting her to survive. she has two young girls, 9 and 7 years old. the worst part is her brother and sister were tragically killed 2 and 3 years ago. she was the last surviving child for this family. keep the parents in your thoughts .... gives you pause, for sure.

cam's AAU baseball team is having a blast! he has had several double headers, and his town little league has started as well (he pitched last night, and did GREAT!) we also went to Maryland with the AAU team, and played at Ripken stadium! it was a terrific tournament, and he had a really good time. they were undersdogs playing in the 10 year old level, but did great!

softball has begun, and she is practicing (begrudgenly ... ugh) quite a bit. they have had three games, and they are 2-1 right now. she's playing very well, and likes games far more than practice, but isn't the competitive kid that her big brother is, that's for sure ... not a problem here, but certainly different! i am hoping to keep her activly involved with sports for the movement aspect, sadly though, the competition seems to be so important on so many levels.
:0\


work has been insanely busy! i have been traveling, and having to be in certain hospitals supporting trials, and equipment investigations, and just plain "selling" more than in the recent months. it is good, but it is exhausting, and likely the reason coupled with the family activites and things, that i haven't been here too much!

higgins was in a dog show! sounds hilarious, i know ... the breeder asked him to be part of the Newfie Specialty Nationals here in New England so we of course agreed - he did GREAT! however, forgive me for this, dog show people are the weirdest subculture of people i have ever come accross. there are truly some whacky folks completely tied around the dogs showing and being 'championship' level animals. higgins is a pet - the most loved and tenderly treated pet out there - but he was way out of his league with primped and pampered pooches. and they were all newfs, too! the highligh was the final day, he was entered in the 3 generations ring so it was he, his mom, and his grandmom in the ring - they got 4th! woohoo!! he's a ribboned champ!
there were only 4 entires ... but hey HE GOT A RIBBON!!! :O) we're so proud!

auntie amy is closing in on her due date - july 4 - and we are having a party for her .... soon. (she could be visiting here, can't reveal the date or details. hehe. found out too that sean's little bro is expecting #2 in about 8 months. there's a story there .... but we are hoping for the best there.

we're pretty sure that cam is suffering from seasonal allergies these days. different than the fall headaches, but he was struggling to breath (deep long inhales almost like he was trying to catch his breath) so trying claritan right now. hope it works.

we said goodbye to his long standing hockey league last weekend. the banquet was sunday and we had the chance to see everyone. it was hard saying goodbye, but surely, we are making the right decision for him. who knows, too, he could be back there someday!

i have flowers, and blooms, and green green grass in the yard! i have tons of pictures that i have been taking and i promise to be posting them over the next few weeks here ... i need to.

if you've made it this far, thanks ... and thanks also for being so patient with me. :-)

"miss"matched

does your spirited sweetheart simply *love* to be colorful, and full of whimsy?

mine does, and i have been wanting to get her these sox ever since i first saw them ...

go here and check out how stinkin' cute this is ..... http://www.littlemissmatched.com/

home opener!

another SURE sign that the spring is upon us, peeps. the first pitch was thrown by Buckner. my husband sat and cried (along with the millions of other LIFELONG fans watching) as he threw the ball. {sniff}

bring it on. can't wait to go to Fenway this year .... woohoo!

sure signs that the newest season is upon us ....

despite the weather outside here in the good 'ole Northeast, the calendar states SPRING, and the activities say SPRING. so i say SPRING, and took some happy snaps!!

here we have the first pictorial evidence of one 9 year old viola playing phenom ... well, that would be a stretch, but hey, who could be more proud of a well rounded kid like this?! cam's school had a string concert recently (3rd grade begins musical instrument instruction, apprently there will be a voice concert for the ENTIRE school coming up in the next couple of weeks!)

and he was so proud of himself at the conclusion of the show, he couldn't stop the grins ... (and neither could his fans!! :) :) :)

he mentioned clarinet or the flute for next year, and even asked about horns! way cool, right? and kendall gets to start next year, and she's mentioned the violin! :O)

this here my friends, is the first sprig of GREEN in the garden ... this is a picture of HOPE! this was about two weeks ago ... and man, oh, man was i hoping for this to begin and SOON!

and this was TODAY! these are from different gardens, and different plants than the first one above, but look - LOOK AT ALL THAT GREEN!!! and the last one has purple .. PURPLE people! yahhhhoooooo!!!! and kendall was the one to tell me about the purple ... she was tickled to pieces that she found it! :O) :O) :O) obvioulsy has the same spring fever that he mother has .... heh

okay, next up we have the favorite American pastime ....

this, my friends, is the kickoff game for the AAU team he is on. they had a double header yesterday .... his town league team has begun practices, but games a few weeks off, so this is a great headstart for him! the little sister is in practices now too for softball and she'll be sharing the limelight with him soon with some snazzy shots crow hoppin' and whacking the ball out of the park! she is enjoying herself immensely, and is decidedly happier to be on a "real team" this year versus the instructional type from last year ... egads, right?

so, be on the lookout for some more photos soon, as the activities seem to be a-multiplying with the weather finally breaking a tad!

spring is spring-ing! and i couldn't be more happy!

enjoy .......

attitude

i have to begin this post, in the shadow of that loaded title, with a wee bit of a disclaimer:

i invited said attitude.
i raised him to be independent, and strong.
i encouraged him to use his big personality, to be "noticed" (in a good way ...)
i reveled in his rich, full-of-gusto approach to life.

i did.

however,
(this is the part that i dispell any preconceived notion that I KNEW WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING WHEN I BEGAN THE ABOVE PROCESS)

i was not planning on the sass. i was not planning on the determination of red-head will (who knew about THAT?!) i was not, and i repeat, n.o.t. expecting it to actually work.

good maude.

much of this is stemming from the teacher thing at school, still. it has not mushroomed any further than the last time i mentioned it, it is just so clearly affecting his attitude. he doesn't have any of this "sass" on days she is not in and he has a substitute (happened yesterday - "oh, mom, the sub was AWESOME - she is so nice, she gave us time to be creative, and show her, and gave me high fives for my work!" who knew that positive feedback worked for 9 year old boys ... amazing!) he is full of it on days that they've butted horns, or he's not been a complete quiet mouse in the room - not many of those - it is so evident that she isn't commending his good work. he was the only one to get ANY spelling words correct on the test - actually he got them ALL correct, and no one else did! and we got nothing home. NOTHING. we found this out from another parent days after the spelling test. argh .. there's more, but that's that ...

and then there's the inherent competitiveness he seems unwilling to temper. first in all things, this kid needs to be. on the bus, to brush teeth, to take a shower, to be done with homework ... all of it. his sister is not a big fan of that when it affects her. she isn't competitive at all, but if he is insisting on being first for let's say, a Wii tournament, well, she isn't all that forgiving- especially if he's been first for the last "1200 turns". there've been some heated discussions, and often it's ended by me, turning it off. and that's met with a wee bit of grief, as you can imagine.

he is spreading his wings. he is testing the battle zone. he is doing this because ... well, because he can.

i am so glad i am 40 now, 'cause you know what - one of my presents to me was patience. that and the security that with patience comes maintenance of already very low blood pressure. the alternative is not appealing. so, i will prevail in this attitude from this 9 year old redhead. he is a mere 9 years old, afterall.

and i taught him everything he knows.

see, my fault.