So every once in a while, I remember about this blog and vow to come write some stuff, but then never do. There are a lot of good tv shows on this season, you know. And my fantasy football team keeps me ridiculously busy. Or something.
Jacob did not play football this year, but he did play fall baseball, which was interesting. It was an instructional league, and part of it was letting these boys play positions they usually didn't play. Jacob played first base a few games, pitched some, and played second base, which he was not a fan of. (My recommendation to you would be not to get him started on that.)
Sara is still playing soccer, and is considering a winter indoor league. For someone who said her kids would never play soccer because it goes ALL YEAR LONG, I find this ironic. But she loves it.
Mitch has taken up running and is running his first half marathon on Saturday, the day before his birthday. He is also on Facebook now. I did check - hell has not frozen over, so I can't explain it either.
We had a short visit from Mitch's dad and stepmom recently, which was super fun, even though poor Jacob was recovering from having his wisdom teeth removed. He rallied well though and trooped through Park City sight-seeing with us with barely a complaint. Prescription Tylenol makes everyone more tolerant, I suppose.
So there you have it. A short blog update from me and maybe I'll write more often. But since my last post was in February, if I posted again before the end of the year, that would qualify as "more often" right? Right.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Ten on Tuesday
Ten TV Shows I Watch
- Law & Order: SVU (of course - have we met?)
- The Walking Dead
- Chicago Fire - proving again that if you put "Chicago" in a show title, I'll watch it. (See also: Chicago Hope and Chicago Code.)
- Game of Thrones
- The Borgias
- The Following
- Fringe - even though the series is over, I never saw the first season so I've been watching it on Science channel. It's been fun to see how it all ties in.
- Big Bang Theory
- Two and a Half Men - I know it's terrible now, I just keep watching. I don't know why.
- Boardwalk Empire
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Winter Marches On
For what I have always called our "slow time of year", we've been busy again. Seems like it's always something.
Jacob tried out and made a new baseball team this year and they've started batting practice. I'm hoping he gets more catching time this year, after last season when he caught almost not at all. He'll have a short but intense season, from about mid-April until mid-June and playing roughly 45 games total. Two games on Saturdays and one game on Mondays. We're very excited for this opportunity and he of course is just glad to be playing baseball again.
Sara's been busy with all of the things she does: Girl Scouts, band, school, friends. She's considering being in the school musical, but she's not completely sold on that yet. When they had 150 kids show up to be in it, I think she changed her mind. She got University of Utah gymnastics tickets for Christmas and we've had two meets in a row, but it's so much fun. Even the parking and leaving after the meets isn't too bad. Go Utes! And of course, Sara's birthday is coming right up. Hard to believe she'll be 12!
She had her 6-month neurology appointment, which I wrote about on Facebook so I won't rehash it here. We're pleased and so thankful that this has turned out the way it has for her. We know it's not over, and she'll have to be aware of this her entire life, but let me just say - if you've ever spent any time in a Children's Hospital, it doesn't take long to see how very lucky you are and how different things could be.
I'm going to Florida in March for Gram's memorial service. It will be nice to see everyone who comes down.
Mitch is busy with work, of course. He's been skiing some this year. We've definitely had enough snow. He's still brewing beer with some guys from work so our pantry looks like a frat house - practically nothing but beer, taco chips and ramen. We're nothing if not classy.
We went across the street to the neighbor's for the Super Bowl. It was a good time, even though we were pulling for the 49ers and they didn't win. The power outage at the stadium was cool. The Paul Harvey commercial brought the room to complete silence. There was a grilled cheese bar, which can now be added to my list of favorites bars of all time, along with such classics as taco bar and nacho bar and of course, the leader, mashed potato bar.
Sara taught me to crochet the other night, which she learned at school this year. We only know how to double-crochet, so thank heavens for YouTube where we can learn other stitches and techniques. I think we'll be crochet-crazies here. Who needs a scarf?
If it was Tuesday, I'd give you a list of my top 10 tv shows recently, but it's not so I'm going to save it for Ten on Tuesday. Someday, I might blog on a Tuesday. You'll just have to check back then.
Oh and before you ask - the recipe blog kind of died out when my laptop did. I did make a pie bites recipe off Pinterest and it was really good, except that I didn't want to make my own whipped cream and the canned stuff just didn't hold up. Maybe I'll try to update over there when I'm off at the end of the week.
Jacob tried out and made a new baseball team this year and they've started batting practice. I'm hoping he gets more catching time this year, after last season when he caught almost not at all. He'll have a short but intense season, from about mid-April until mid-June and playing roughly 45 games total. Two games on Saturdays and one game on Mondays. We're very excited for this opportunity and he of course is just glad to be playing baseball again.
Sara's been busy with all of the things she does: Girl Scouts, band, school, friends. She's considering being in the school musical, but she's not completely sold on that yet. When they had 150 kids show up to be in it, I think she changed her mind. She got University of Utah gymnastics tickets for Christmas and we've had two meets in a row, but it's so much fun. Even the parking and leaving after the meets isn't too bad. Go Utes! And of course, Sara's birthday is coming right up. Hard to believe she'll be 12!
She had her 6-month neurology appointment, which I wrote about on Facebook so I won't rehash it here. We're pleased and so thankful that this has turned out the way it has for her. We know it's not over, and she'll have to be aware of this her entire life, but let me just say - if you've ever spent any time in a Children's Hospital, it doesn't take long to see how very lucky you are and how different things could be.
I'm going to Florida in March for Gram's memorial service. It will be nice to see everyone who comes down.
Mitch is busy with work, of course. He's been skiing some this year. We've definitely had enough snow. He's still brewing beer with some guys from work so our pantry looks like a frat house - practically nothing but beer, taco chips and ramen. We're nothing if not classy.
We went across the street to the neighbor's for the Super Bowl. It was a good time, even though we were pulling for the 49ers and they didn't win. The power outage at the stadium was cool. The Paul Harvey commercial brought the room to complete silence. There was a grilled cheese bar, which can now be added to my list of favorites bars of all time, along with such classics as taco bar and nacho bar and of course, the leader, mashed potato bar.
Sara taught me to crochet the other night, which she learned at school this year. We only know how to double-crochet, so thank heavens for YouTube where we can learn other stitches and techniques. I think we'll be crochet-crazies here. Who needs a scarf?
If it was Tuesday, I'd give you a list of my top 10 tv shows recently, but it's not so I'm going to save it for Ten on Tuesday. Someday, I might blog on a Tuesday. You'll just have to check back then.
Oh and before you ask - the recipe blog kind of died out when my laptop did. I did make a pie bites recipe off Pinterest and it was really good, except that I didn't want to make my own whipped cream and the canned stuff just didn't hold up. Maybe I'll try to update over there when I'm off at the end of the week.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Don't Sleep On It
Hey guys! Remember when I had a blog and I would sometimes write things and you would read them and I'd promise to write more but then I never did?
Yeah, good times.
Kind of like now, ironically. There are just never enough hours in the day, it seems.
Unless you wake up out of that half-sleep you get right before you fall asleep for good and remember something you forgot to do so you jump out of bed and do it and then you're wide awake. Then there are too many hours in the night.
If you know me well, you know that there are times that I struggle with sleep. I won't say insomnia, because that's a whole bigger thing and I most definitely DON'T have that. There are just nights when, for whatever reason - too much soda at dinner, too many worries about things, a nap during the day - there are nights when I'm awake long after midnight.
I'll fall asleep soon enough and still need to be up to get Sara to school and I'll be kind of tired all day, but it won't be that bad. And tomorrow night, I'll sleep well. There's that to look forward to.
Yeah, good times.
Kind of like now, ironically. There are just never enough hours in the day, it seems.
Unless you wake up out of that half-sleep you get right before you fall asleep for good and remember something you forgot to do so you jump out of bed and do it and then you're wide awake. Then there are too many hours in the night.
If you know me well, you know that there are times that I struggle with sleep. I won't say insomnia, because that's a whole bigger thing and I most definitely DON'T have that. There are just nights when, for whatever reason - too much soda at dinner, too many worries about things, a nap during the day - there are nights when I'm awake long after midnight.
I'll fall asleep soon enough and still need to be up to get Sara to school and I'll be kind of tired all day, but it won't be that bad. And tomorrow night, I'll sleep well. There's that to look forward to.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
It Should Have Been Easy
Yesterday, there was an unfortunate incident at Jacob's football game. No, not the loss, because sadly, we're kind of getting used to that.
After a play, when a boy came off the field, one of our "coaches" was in this kid's face, hitting him in the chest and screaming repeatedly "What the hell were you thinking?!" When later confronted by a parent about his behavior, this "coach's" answer was "This isn't tennis,"
This isn't a post about the coach's behavior. Or about how if any parent with a video camera had captured this incident and posted it to YouTube that this guy's life would be forever changed. It's not a post about how certain larger men with loud voices seem to believe they can do whatever they want without reprisal. It's not a post about at what age are these boys not "kids", but "men". It's not even a post about the differences between tennis and football, which I could undoubtedly explain until you all want to stab yourselves in the eye.
This is a post about being the person you thought you would be.
Because while this incident was happening, no one stood up and stopped it. Not any of the parents on the sidelines. Not one of the other coaches. No one.
And most importantly, not me.
There's an argument that could be made that the entire incident took place in the span of about 30 seconds. There's also the argument to be made that I was so incredibly shocked by this behavior that by the time I gathered myself, it was already over.
But those are not acceptable excuses. In those 30 seconds, this much larger man could have seriously injured this kid physically. I'd wager that in those 30 seconds, this larger, older, supposedly wiser man probably did injure this kid emotionally.
And I did nothing.
I always thought I'd be the kind of person that would step in a help a kid. Yesterday, I was not that person. And it makes me sick to my stomach to know that. It's easy to imagine these situations and visualizing yourself doing the right thing. But when it's happening in real time, as I found out yesterday, you can't slow it down and think of the perfect thing to say. Sometimes all you do is sit staring, shocking and appalled.
I heard another parent say "It's not my place to step in. If it was my kid, I would have, but that's not my kid,"
I myself said to the parent next to me, "If that was my kid, we'd be on our way home right now,"
Only one parent said anything. I honestly don't know if it was that boy's mother or not. But she was the only one.
So what if that wasn't my kid? In two weeks, both Mitch and I have to work and we'll have to ask another parent to take Jacob to the game. We won't be there to see him play. And if this coach did this to my kid, we wouldn't be there to stop it. Can I count on another player's parents to step in? When I didn't do the same thing? Am I comfortable letting Jacob play in the game knowing this? Right now, the answer is no.
Yesterday, I was saddened and shocked by the behavior of a grown man taking an 8th grade football game too seriously. But most importantly, I was saddened and shocked by my own behavior.
Today, I vow to be more like the mom that stood up and said something.
Because I can't change what happened yesterday, but I think what happened yesterday changed me.
After a play, when a boy came off the field, one of our "coaches" was in this kid's face, hitting him in the chest and screaming repeatedly "What the hell were you thinking?!" When later confronted by a parent about his behavior, this "coach's" answer was "This isn't tennis,"
This isn't a post about the coach's behavior. Or about how if any parent with a video camera had captured this incident and posted it to YouTube that this guy's life would be forever changed. It's not a post about how certain larger men with loud voices seem to believe they can do whatever they want without reprisal. It's not a post about at what age are these boys not "kids", but "men". It's not even a post about the differences between tennis and football, which I could undoubtedly explain until you all want to stab yourselves in the eye.
This is a post about being the person you thought you would be.
Because while this incident was happening, no one stood up and stopped it. Not any of the parents on the sidelines. Not one of the other coaches. No one.
And most importantly, not me.
There's an argument that could be made that the entire incident took place in the span of about 30 seconds. There's also the argument to be made that I was so incredibly shocked by this behavior that by the time I gathered myself, it was already over.
But those are not acceptable excuses. In those 30 seconds, this much larger man could have seriously injured this kid physically. I'd wager that in those 30 seconds, this larger, older, supposedly wiser man probably did injure this kid emotionally.
And I did nothing.
I always thought I'd be the kind of person that would step in a help a kid. Yesterday, I was not that person. And it makes me sick to my stomach to know that. It's easy to imagine these situations and visualizing yourself doing the right thing. But when it's happening in real time, as I found out yesterday, you can't slow it down and think of the perfect thing to say. Sometimes all you do is sit staring, shocking and appalled.
I heard another parent say "It's not my place to step in. If it was my kid, I would have, but that's not my kid,"
I myself said to the parent next to me, "If that was my kid, we'd be on our way home right now,"
Only one parent said anything. I honestly don't know if it was that boy's mother or not. But she was the only one.
So what if that wasn't my kid? In two weeks, both Mitch and I have to work and we'll have to ask another parent to take Jacob to the game. We won't be there to see him play. And if this coach did this to my kid, we wouldn't be there to stop it. Can I count on another player's parents to step in? When I didn't do the same thing? Am I comfortable letting Jacob play in the game knowing this? Right now, the answer is no.
Yesterday, I was saddened and shocked by the behavior of a grown man taking an 8th grade football game too seriously. But most importantly, I was saddened and shocked by my own behavior.
Today, I vow to be more like the mom that stood up and said something.
Because I can't change what happened yesterday, but I think what happened yesterday changed me.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
One Summer
Where am I? Where have I been? What have I been doing?
We went to Hayward, Wisconsin for our yearly fishing vacation with Grandma and Grandpa. Much fun was had by all - with the possible exception of Grandma, who was feeling poorly due to a lingering case of shingles. But I think she had fun, what she remembers of it anyway!
While we were gone, our house did not burn down, which is of course, awesome.
We met Shea, our newest cousin and nephew. A little ball of cute, that one is. Unfortunately, Dan and Kim were keeping too close an eye on him for Sara and I to sneak him in the back the truck and bring him home. First time parents - psssh. All attentive and whatnot.
Both kids attended Scout camp. Both had a great time. Only one came home bruised and broken.
Sara visited with her neurologist and all is well.
Baseball and softball is over and this week brings football tryouts. No rest for the wicked, I say.
We got a new washer and dryer. Our old ones had been purchased in Virginia Beach when we got married 18 years ago. So I guess I can't really complain.
I painted the ceilings in two of the bathrooms this week. If I ever meet the policy writer that said just to paint every wall and ceiling of a bank owned home one single color, I will punch them in the throat. Painting ceilings is brutal. Once that's done, we're down to selecting wall colors. Which I'm terrible at. Sara's current bedroom colors choices are neon orange and lime green. (We'll work on that.) Jacob, of course, is leaning toward dark blue and orange. You can take the boy out of Detroit, but apparently, you can't take the Tigers out of the boy.
I've won 3 books on Goodreads.com giveaways. Seriously. Two were advance releases, which pleases my book-loving soul in a way I can't describe.
Somewhere in all of that, Mitch and I continue to keep our jobs.
We went to Hayward, Wisconsin for our yearly fishing vacation with Grandma and Grandpa. Much fun was had by all - with the possible exception of Grandma, who was feeling poorly due to a lingering case of shingles. But I think she had fun, what she remembers of it anyway!
While we were gone, our house did not burn down, which is of course, awesome.
We met Shea, our newest cousin and nephew. A little ball of cute, that one is. Unfortunately, Dan and Kim were keeping too close an eye on him for Sara and I to sneak him in the back the truck and bring him home. First time parents - psssh. All attentive and whatnot.
Both kids attended Scout camp. Both had a great time. Only one came home bruised and broken.
Sara visited with her neurologist and all is well.
Baseball and softball is over and this week brings football tryouts. No rest for the wicked, I say.
We got a new washer and dryer. Our old ones had been purchased in Virginia Beach when we got married 18 years ago. So I guess I can't really complain.
I painted the ceilings in two of the bathrooms this week. If I ever meet the policy writer that said just to paint every wall and ceiling of a bank owned home one single color, I will punch them in the throat. Painting ceilings is brutal. Once that's done, we're down to selecting wall colors. Which I'm terrible at. Sara's current bedroom colors choices are neon orange and lime green. (We'll work on that.) Jacob, of course, is leaning toward dark blue and orange. You can take the boy out of Detroit, but apparently, you can't take the Tigers out of the boy.
I've won 3 books on Goodreads.com giveaways. Seriously. Two were advance releases, which pleases my book-loving soul in a way I can't describe.
Somewhere in all of that, Mitch and I continue to keep our jobs.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Time After Time
I spend a ridiculous amount of time doing things that are irritating.
Like trying to remember passwords to various websites. And yes, I have a master list, but for some reason, things like my Yahoo Calendar and this blog aren't on there. But no, I'm not getting up right now to update the list while I'm thinking about it. That seems like a big job.
I finally switched out of my ginormous orange and white purse that I love because the amount of time I spent looking for my keys every day was staggering. STAGGERING. And my iPod was constantly lost in there. And my gum. And a pen.
Letting the dog in and out of the house seems overwhelming. I bet if we didn't have this dog, I'd have at least 2 hours a day with nothing to do. Related to this dog - I can't even begin to count the amount of time I spend looking for my shoes. Because she separates them from each other and moves them all over the house. One in the kitchen under the table, one on the stairs. Or one in the living room and one by the back door. Seriously.
At least school is out for the summer, so I've freed up a lot of time that is usually spent looking for a pen to sign yet another school form. I wish there was a form I could sign at the beginning of each school year that said "Yes, I agree to whatever you plan to teach/wherever you plan to go/whatever you plan to serve my kid to eat while in your class this year." I'd sign that form with a little :) at the end too. I might even go back to spelling my name with an "i" and put a heart as the dot too, that's how happy a form like that would make me.
Let's not discuss that time I spend looking for my phone. Especially when I realize I've been looking for it while I'm talking on it.
Like trying to remember passwords to various websites. And yes, I have a master list, but for some reason, things like my Yahoo Calendar and this blog aren't on there. But no, I'm not getting up right now to update the list while I'm thinking about it. That seems like a big job.
I finally switched out of my ginormous orange and white purse that I love because the amount of time I spent looking for my keys every day was staggering. STAGGERING. And my iPod was constantly lost in there. And my gum. And a pen.
Letting the dog in and out of the house seems overwhelming. I bet if we didn't have this dog, I'd have at least 2 hours a day with nothing to do. Related to this dog - I can't even begin to count the amount of time I spend looking for my shoes. Because she separates them from each other and moves them all over the house. One in the kitchen under the table, one on the stairs. Or one in the living room and one by the back door. Seriously.
At least school is out for the summer, so I've freed up a lot of time that is usually spent looking for a pen to sign yet another school form. I wish there was a form I could sign at the beginning of each school year that said "Yes, I agree to whatever you plan to teach/wherever you plan to go/whatever you plan to serve my kid to eat while in your class this year." I'd sign that form with a little :) at the end too. I might even go back to spelling my name with an "i" and put a heart as the dot too, that's how happy a form like that would make me.
Let's not discuss that time I spend looking for my phone. Especially when I realize I've been looking for it while I'm talking on it.
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