Monday Musings: Stop the World...I Want to Get Off

When I was a teen, my mom would take my sisters and me to visit my grandmother (mom's mom) in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where she lived. We'd go for 3 or 4 days, and one of the evenings would be spent on the boardwalk, eating ice cream, saltwater taffy, and French fries, buying t-shirts, and riding the rides in the arcade/amusement area. 

I remember one year we all climbed on to a spinning ride that went really fast forward and sideways and then stopped to go the same way backwards. I rode in the same car as my mom, and, to my mortification, she made the controller stop the ride so she could get off...which meant I got off, too. I was totally ungracious to her and remained embarrassed and a bit miffed that she couldn't stay on for a few more minutes for most of the rest of the evening.

It wasn't until years later that I rode on a ride (one I'd ridden many many times before) and suddenly understood the feeling of sheer panic that can run through you without any warning. It's nonsensical to those who don't understand. There's no rhyme or reason for it, but it takes over and consumes your reasoning until you have to change where you are or what you're doing to even get a tiny handle on sanity again. 

I blame it on hormones.

Funny, right? Not really. Not even slightly. It can be internally terrifying until you ground yourself again.

Fast forward to my own motherhood. I have often complained lamented mentioned in other posts on here that I feel like I'm barely hanging on to this ride called "Life" that sweeps the kids away into adulthood. I often occasionally wish that it would slow down (or even pause) to let me catch my breath. It's an odd sensation, not unlike my poor mom wanting to get off the ride that was terrifying her, making her feel dizzy.

I am dizzy.

I don't know if it's because the beginning of a child's life seems painfully slow that the race to the adulthood seems to speed up exponentially.

There's a saying many older parents use: The days are long, but the years are short.

So how is it that we are a less than three weeks away from graduating our youngest child...and our last homeschool student? How have we managed to finish this chapter so fast? Was it fast? Or is my perspective just skewed by living nearly 55 years of life? I don't remember the years flying by when I was a teenager. In fact, most of the time, they seemed to drag by with all of us anticipating the next phase with the common impatience of youth.

Stuart asked me the other day: "What's next for you?"

It was a hard question to answer...and one that was met with a lot of emotions.

What IS next? 

It's not something I really considered. I've been a stay-at-home mom for so long now, I don't really know how to redefine myself yet.

I guess I wish the wasn't "the end" of our homeschool journey, not because I want to hold back our son...but because I have so much more I want to learn with him.

The days are long, but not long enough, and the years are most certainly too short.

Sigh.

Monday Musings

Well, it's been awhile, huh?

I know. I know. I promised I would try to do better...but, in fact, I feel like I've done worse.

It's been a busy decade or so. Changing from a mommy of two to a mom of three threw me completely out of whack. There's so much more to do and say and buy...and wash. Some weeks I just give up and sit around eating bon bons while watching soap operas...

Ha! If only.

So where have I been? Here...there...everywhere...but mostly just home -- or at least nearby. Working, momming, driving, wifeing...

My little kids turned into the "big kids." (Who knew that would happen??) They're both in college now...in the midst of finals week and preparations for next steps.

My little baby -- who is anything but little...and a baby -- is now 10 going on 75. (No, seriously. Some days I feel like he's aging quicker than I am.) He's in 6th grade this year...and very nearly finished.

I just cannot believe we're at this point in the year.

I'll probably do some kind of recaps, trying to summarize what's been happening in the past millennium gadzillion too many 10 years or so. But I'll also continue to post about new stuff about what's happening now. Because there's lots of good stuff coming up this month, especially. [Hums "Pomp and Circumstance." and "God Save the Queen" to herself.] And life doesn’t ever stop long enough for me to catch up.

We've said happy hellos to lots of new friends...and sad goodbyes to too many old friends. We’ve moved from phase to phase, trying to adapt along the way. There’s no parental instruction book. Well, not one written specifically for your kid or mine...or anyone else’s, for that matter.

2019.

Nearly halfway through it. Nearly another new decade.

Musing merrily on a Monday. It's what I used to do...every week...it's what I want to do again.

So for now, I'll keep this short and (hopefully?) sweet.

*wink-grin*

Until the next time!

A Day in the Life

Or the life in a day?

Sometimes it feels as if we're living many lifetimes in one day. There's so much going on.

My brain tries to sort out our schedule and keep everything straight. Soccer at 3:30...drama at 6:30...dinner at 5:30...little-guy soccer at 6.....laundry, meals, cleaning, and, oh, that's right...I have a newspaper story due.

Still. The soccer season is nearly over. Drama rehearses for a short period of time during the autumn. All will end before I know it and life will slow down, if only a little.

Enjoy the moments as they come, I tell myself.

I got extremely nostalgic this past Sunday when we passed a mom and her young daughter walking on the sidewalk as we drove to church. Suddenly, I pined yearned longed for that time again. It seemed so much easier, simpler somehow. The kids got up and had breakfast. We got dressed. We did school. We had lunch with a couple of PBS shows and then read a story together. After that, it was playtime. The kids loved playing outside. They built "fairy houses" in the flowerbeds and washed rocks and ran around defending our house from "bad" guys. They were little, and I could carry them. My kisses were still magical and healed boo-boos. We colored together.

It was while I was thinking about this and admitting that I missed that time that our 6-year-old piped up, "But then you wouldn't have me."

My heart froze.

He was totally right. He's 11 years younger than Emily and 7.5 years younger than Edward. To go back in time 10 years would erase his existence.

Never.

Then I got to thinking about how much I enjoy the kids now. And while they don't play outside very often anymore...and school takes a bit more time than the morning (mostly due to concentration problems),..and they're not as much into PBS kids' shows anymore...and I can't carry them (they're 5'10" and 5'9" tall now...and even the "little" one is 4'6". Sigh.)...they still love to hug me...and my kisses still have magic of some sort in them because they are filled with love.


Enjoy the moments as they come, I remind myself.

One day I'll feel nostalgic when I see a mom and her teenagers walking along the sidewalk, chatting together.


Enjoy. The. Moment.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  

What makes you feel nostalgic?

"Monday, Monday...

...can't trust that day."

That's for sure!

I love Mondays...usually.

Mondays remind me of a blank slate -- a brandnew start to another week. Time to tidy up after the weekend and get things back in order.

I know most of my family doesn't see me as organized, but I am very methodical. But my organization -- like most other people's -- fits and works for me. 

I usually get up before everyone else and come downstairs. After turning on the radio, I fill the kettle and get Ethan's milk ready. Then I let out the dog and fill his bowl with food. Then I prepare the coffee and start the timer. While I wait for the timer, I clean out the cats' litterbox and feed them. I let in the dog and pour the coffee -- maybe doing a few dishes that might be in the sink or making Stuart's lunch (but only if there's time). Now I am ready to greet Stuart and Ethan and spend a few moments drinking our coffee/milk (respectively).

I like routine. It's the stabilizing influence of my life.

But sometimes it can become the opposite. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaken if something is done out of order or messed up...

Thus, today is a mess (in my mind). We have three sick little munchkins...one car...and the need for a very long nap and some sunshine.

Still, there's always tomorrow. A clean slate on which to rebuild my routine...right? Right?

Sigh.

Musing Via Videos

Happy Monday!

Because I'm so far behind in blogging these days, my brain seems to be empty of interesting musings to, well, muse about on here.

Most often when I do have something fantastical to write about -- you know, related to the kids or some funny memory -- I sit down to recount it and *POOF*...it's gone.

I've thought about getting a small notebook to write down my offline thoughts...but I often forget to do that, too.

Anyways...maybe I really am having "writer's block." *wink-grin*

So today I present "musings via video." Three short (15 seconds) and silly videos of our comic-in-the-making.

Have a happy Monday!

Musily, Musily, Musily Musing on Monday

Edward at age 1
Happy Monday to you -- the first Monday in February, the month of love, chocolate, and a special Valentine named Edward.

I can't believe we're already entering a new month. Already 2010 is whizzing by!

Tomorrow the groundhog will let us know if we're going to have an "early" Spring. Not that we should trust groundhogs and their weather forecasting abilities... I'm just saying.

Another new installment of 24 tonight! Woooooohoooooo! Er, um, no excitement here... We're only three weeks into it, but we look forward to the next Monday a little too much, I think. It sort of makes the weeks fly by a little too quickly. But we just have to know what happens to Jack.......

Life is speeding by -- literally -- since I see Ethan racing by with something he's not supposed to have... And as I'm slowly trying to get back into my daily blogging, you'll have to forgive my shorter than usual Monday post.

Have a GREAT Monday! Ciao for now!

Monday Musings and the Blogging Blues

A pic of Ethan taken by Emily about a year ago.
I've been so behind in my blogging these days...

Sigh.

The holidays and the schoolwork and the kids and the house and the... Well, it could be any number of things, right?

But I do have a somewhat legitimate "excuse" -- not that any of the above aren't legit. I started freelancing for the newspaper again.

Woooo-hoooo!

I'm actually really enjoying it! Well, the writing part anyway.

I decided that I'd be a very poor (money-wise) saleswoman. I abhor despise hate dislike making "cold" calls to people I don't know. It's nothing personal. I think I have a condition they call "phonaphobia."

...

No, really. It comes from the fact that I hate to interrupt people who are going about their business. It doesn't matter that I have to go about my business, too. I just don't want to disturb them.

Sigh.

Still, I'm doing it. And writing the stories...and getting paid!! Not a bad tradeoff for someone who loves to write anyway.

Now, if I can keep up with my blogging I'll be back in business, right?

I'll endeavor to do better.

In the meantime, thanks for sticking with me!

Here are my last two favorite assignments: Cars as Gifts and Snow Missiles.

Monday Musings Moseying Along

Happy Monday to you! The laaaaaaast Monday in September. Wow!! Almost our birthday month! Yippee!!

The weather turned decidedly cooler today. I think the outer world suddenly realized that it's Autumn now.

We had a very busy weekend which included a fun time visiting with our Japanese friend and former exchange student, Haruko. She arrived on Thursday evening and is staying with my parents until tomorrow. A quick visit, but it has been wonderful to catch up and reminisce.

Saturday night found us at my parents' house for a supposed meal to celebrate Haruko's visit as a family... It was indeed that -- with the added bonus of a surprise "39-and-holding" party from my family for Stuart and me. Since the date was nearly equidistant between our birthdays, they thought it was the perfect opportunity to do such a deed. And surprise us they did. (Wow! And I'm usually a hard one to surprise since I still have a journalist's nose and instincts. *wink-grin* In other words, I'm nosy.) But they all -- including the kids -- did a great job of keeping "mum" on the subject. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of cavatini (Mom's specialty!! Mmm!) and salad and bread, followed by ice cream cake. Then we played some "old-age" games, courtesy of my fun-loving and creative still older (hee-hee!) sisters.

The photo above is six-foot-seven-inch Stuart standing beside our 15-year-old nephew, Erik, who is about to "catch" him in height. Every time my family gets together, we are always amazed by his growth. My bet is on 6'8" as his final height. We shall see. I should have taken a photo of Emily beside my mom who is 5'7". At nearly 12, I think she may have caught up with her. My bet is 5'10" for her. I guess you could say we grow 'em big in this family? *wink-grin* (again)

The baby has found his inner-man "strut." Gone is the baby toddle. It's quite funny to watch. He likes to run, too, though he's still working on those brakes. And last week he actually hopped...a two-feet-off-the-ground hop. It was so funny. Of course he probably won't do it again for months now since he surprised himself, too.

Heard from the 8-year-old (of his baby brother): "He's growing up so fast." Hmm...We could say the same about you, my sweet boy.

Speaking of sweet boys, Edward's team lost another game on Saturday morning. We felt bad for them since they didn't get any goals at all. It gives the team's morale a bit of a blow when they continually lose. Still, I thought they played better than ever. Each game they seem to improve. And they're definitely trying...and having fun!

Anyhoo...lots to do to catch up on life and the house and our schoolwork. Sigh. Whatever happened to the slow, boring days of youth?

Ciao for now!

Muggiest Monday Musings to Date

Happy Monday! The muggiest one yet, I think.

And just past the "ides" of the month. Already! Can you believe it?

Sigh.

We had an eventful week last week... well, eventful for us... probably slow to some others. *wink-grin*

On Tuesday, Emily had a "playdate" with a girl from our cyber school. It was nice for them to have some one-on-one "girl-time." Edward, Ethan, and I enjoyed visiting with her mom and younger brother during drop-off and pick-up.

We returned from that "fun-ness" to hurry off to our annual 4-H club picnic/swim. I think the kids changed into fish that evening. They hit the pool, and we didn't see them again until we "forced" them out to eat a few bites of food and then again when it was time to go home. All in all, it was a perfect day and didn't start to rain until just after we were home.

Thursday took us to Nemour's Children's Hospital for Emily semi-annual check on her scoliosis. Since she's hit puberty and done a huge growth spurt (5 inches since last October), the doctor there is fairly confident that her scoliosis isn't going to get any worse. In fact, from her newest x-rays, it appears that it may have improved slightly. Yay!! We always enjoy going to that hospital though. It's bright and colorful and has lots of fun things to look at -- including a model train/car/airplane table that is interactive -- and do. Note the above photo with Ethan riding in "patient transport." I'd like to see all hospitals offer all patients (big and small) rides through their facilities in little red wagons. Wheee! There's a fantastic and colorful playground outside, complete with wheelchair-accessible swings. Sadly, the day was filled with rain so there was no chance of playing on it. Maybe next time?

Edward had soccer practice on Thursday evening since the rain had eased by then. (Go figure, right?) He tried out for goalie. He likes that position, though we're not sure he's really ready for it yet. Still, he's having a good time learning this sport so we'll encourage him all the way.

And on Friday, we celebrated Edward's "half-birthday" and Ethan's 11th month-iversary with a little steak and potatoes on the grill, accompanied by a huge salad. It's hard to believe how quickly the kids are growing up! Makes Stuart and I age faster, I think.

This week should be a bit quieter.

Phew.

This Friday (shhhhh!) is our annual "Camp Woohoohaha" day. Stuart took the day off, and we'll have fun doing crafts, going on nature hikes, playing games, singing songs, and roasting hotdogs and marshmallows!! One day, we'll have a firepit so that we can pretend we're around a real campfire. We had lots of fun doing this last year, so I hope it's just as fun this year. Fingers crossed for good weather.

We watched Yes Man for our "Monday Movie Night" last week. It was...hmm...not bad. We enjoyed it but were glad we only paid $1.06 to see it. Not sure what's on the list tonight...but I have a shortlist of The Notebook or something from Redbox. I finished Season 7 of 24 yesterday. Awesome! I'm very surprised the show didn't get nominated for an Emmy this year. It was such a good season! At the end I felt chagrinned all over again that the new season doesn't start until next January. Sigh. Only 5 months to go. It'll be worth it!

The baby is walking in earnest now. He toddles everywhere, though crawling is still available, when and where necessary. He has two teeth trying to peek through. TWO TEETH!! We're so excited! We spotted them when he was screaming while I changed him on the examination table at the hospital. Perfect time to see them, huh?

Well, as I'm still a little out of sorts with some sort of "bug" I picked up this weekend, I'll bid you adieu and wish you a happy (and hopefully less hot and muggy where you live) Monday!

More and More Meager Monday Musings

Happy Monday! And Happy August! I can't believe we're in the eighth month of the year already. The year continues to whirl by me...

Life is stepping up in busyness this month. We have a few more things on the agenda before school starts for us on September 1st.

We always start the summer break between school years with a few goals. Last year, we had hoped to teach the kids how to play hopscotch and jump a rope. Success to both -- though I will admit it was rather hard to participate, being so heavily pregnant. This year, Stuart had hoped to teach the kids to ride their bikes, and my big goal was to get the kids to experience boredom. Stay tuned to see how we did.

The baby is growing like a growing thing. He's getting closer and closer to walking. We're all spinning at the idea that he's nearly 11 months old.

We watched the Pink Panther last week for our Monday Night Movie...and this week we're catching the sequel. I'll let you know how it is.

My apologies for the meagerness in this week's Monday post... But I still end with the same sentiments: Hope it was a good one!

More Muggy Monday Musings

And then there was one...

One Monday left in July that is.

Happy Monday! The final one in July. Next week is August... already.

And it's a muggy Monday, that's for sure. I think traditional Summer finally decided to arrive. (And I, for one, would not have been disappointed had it decided to stay away this year.) Sigh.

We've had lots of thunderstorms lately...so the gardens are filling with lots of weeds. Ugh. I guess it's time to spend some quality time in the flowerbeds.

The kids chose to make some homemade gifts for Ethan, and Edward finally got the chance to finish his: a fringe-edged (Is that even a word? It is now.) blanket. Emily had started hers -- a mini scrapbook -- before he was born last year and has already enjoyed sharing it with him. He "thanked" -- rewarded -- both of them with plenty of happiness at their thoughtfulness.

Speaking of Ethan... The kid is ready to take off...literally. He has been sneaking unassisted steps here and there, and today he took three steps from me to the table. It was like "look, Mom, no hands." Egads. I'm definitely not ready for that stage just yet. Neither of my older two were climbers...and I'm very worried that once he gets his sturdy legs running this guy might be different. But he's growing and changing and chatting up a storm now so there's no holding him back. It's really exciting and fun to watch. Well, from his siblings' point-of-view anyway....my mommy-view is having to quell alarms that keep going off in my head as I remember the older two...

August is ramping up with activities. Our church is holding an "adventure camp" the same week as the Reading Fair...so the kids will be pretty busy that week, I think. Then Emily has another visit to the spine doctor in Wilmington, Delaware, just to check on her scoliosis. She's grown over 5 inches since last October, so we're hoping nothing has changed too much. We also have our annual 4-H club picnic, which comes in the form of a night swimming party.

Stuart and I will resume our "Monday Movie Night" tonight with a selection from the library again. I think we might watch the newest Indiana Jones movie though he's already seen that so we'll see. I have to remind myself of the joys of borrowing movies for free from our local library. In our effort to save money, we sometimes forget that you can't get much cheaper than free. *wink-grin* My laundry folding time has found me just finished with Season 1 of 24 again, and now I'm rewatching Season 7. It's fun to see the huge changes in the main character, Jack. I can't wait for Season 8!

Speaking of shows... Stuart introduced me to a fantastic new show on the Syfy channel called Warehouse 13. It's awesome. Check it out online for free. We watched all three episodes and now we have to wait until later in the week for the next new one. Sigh.

Still, good things come to those who wait.

Until next Monday...ciao!

Mighty Fine (and Late) Monday Musings

Happy Monday! Happy 2nd Monday in July...

(You'll have to forgive my absence on the first Monday of the month...and the week that followed. I had a few ideas for posts but simply lacked inspiration. A bit of a blog drought, I think...no wait. I took a blog vacation. Yeah, that's what it was. A planned time-out to re-juice. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. *wink-grin*)

Anyways...

We've been enjoying some wonderful Summer weather. Some people said that scientists are linking the cooler weather to a volcano that erupted. I'm not too picky as to the reason...and I'll happily keep the cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

We continued our Monday Movie night last week with 12 Rounds, which was a good movie but a bit cheesy at times. Stuart's co-worker also lent us Gran Torino. That was an awesome movie! A great performance from Clint Eastwood especially.

In other news...

Well, there isn't much other news. Our Summer is slowing down considerably, which is what I was hoping for. Slower times so that the kids could experience BOREDOM. Isn't that a rite of passage for kids?

Our car was out of commission most of last week. We still had the smaller, older one, but it's pretty hard to fit all of us in that one so we just stayed home. Never a bad plan, right? Stuart fixed the minivan on Thursday, and it passed its annual inspection/emissions testing with flying colors. I'm so thankful for a hubby who can do such stuff!

Our friend, Rachel, and her son, Francis, visited us from Washington state last Thursday. It was so much fun to see them and catch up after so many years. The kids played some "Monopoly - Here and Now" while we enjoyed some tea and homemade cinnamon bread, and then we took a walk to the playground for some fun outside time.

The kids are growing, growing, growing. I think it has something to do with the summer air or such. Our 11-year-old, Emily hit a whopping 5 feet 7 inches already. (She's grown 5 inches since last October. Amazing, huh?) Edward is 4 feet 6 1/2 inches, which at 8 years old is taller than usual but not quite keeping up with the gargantuan sizes of his sister and brother. And Ethan is 31 inches -- off the charts as usual. I worry about Edward's and Ethan's growth spurts when they happen. I'm not sure how we'll afford the groceries. Fortunately there's nearly 8 years between them so Edward will be full grown by the time it hits Ethan.

Speaking of the kids, we introduced them to the Andy Griffith Show over the weekend. I found a DVD of the show at the dollar store. Nice clean fun...and a bit silly at times but still a true American classic. They love it!

Speaking more of the kids, the older two are just about to finish the first section of their Summer Bridge books. Their prize for this stint? A sleepover/movie night with Mom and Dad respectively. They've been working hard for the last 15 days, trying to get their work done. So I think it's a fitting reward for our Summer Scholars. More on that to follow, no doubt.

Ethan turns 10 months tomorrow. It's hard to imagine in two short months he'll be one year old. I can't fathom the fact that he's growing up so quickly. Even as he practices standing without holding and crawls like a speedracer...and babbles words like "Umm" and "hi" -- more than just sounds. Some days I feel like I'm left spinning in the dust of these little people who are racing to grow up on me.

Bittersweet yet exciting times ahead....

More Meager Monday Musings

Happy Monday! The final Monday in June.

Final. Last. Wow!! Half of 2009 is already gone.

I was lamenting the other day with my older kids that our "baby" is nearly a year old.

Sigh.

Another fun Monday Night Movie Night was had by us. Last week's was a complete and utter bomb. Unless you enjoy completely cheesy (terribly done) films, don't watch Direct Contact. Oh, my gosh. We laughed so hard through the entire movie...and it wasn't meant to be a comedy. Tonight Stuart got Bedtime Stories, and it was such a wonderful movie! We both agreed the kids should watch it tomorrow. (You know the kind of movie you laugh, cry, and want to clap for at the end?) We enjoyed it so much more than last week's film-du-nuit. But then anything would have been better than that, I think. *wink-grin*

The kids have been super kids and seem to be enjoying their Summer thus far. We're hoping to enjoy lots of time outside and at the playground and library -- weather-permitting -- this week. We've had quite a bit of rain and even a few thunderstorms already this summer.

As I'm incredibly late in posting this and my brain is very tired, I'll end in the hopes that you had a wonderfully enjoyable Monday, too!

Muggi-less Monday Musings

Happy Summer!! Happy Monday!

And Happy Dad's Day from yesterday!

It's a beautiful day today! Sunshine and blue skies. It may change, but I'm enjoying it while it's here.

We had a semi-busy weekend. Life is beginning to finally wind down for the summertime. (Can we say: "Yay?" Yes, we can!! YAY!)

The kids showed their rabbits on Saturday at our 4-H club's fun show. It was an actual show with an actual judge (alright a judge-in-training who was not Zac Efron despite the similarities in looks), with the idea of allowing kids (like ours) to experience showing their rabbits. Emily has wanted to show Earl for years now, but we feel a bit nervous of the idea since he lives inside in the A/C during the summer. At the county fair, the rabbits are housed in an open-sided shed for a week. I'm not sure her bunny would enjoy that too much. Earl Grey got 1st place and Best-of-Breed, Best-of-Variety, Best-of-Class...of course, he was the only one in his breed, variety, and show. *wink-grin* But still... Edward showed Tony, our black Holland Lop, and got a second-place ribbon with him. He was quite proud since he's not an official member of the 4-H but was allowed to show anyway. It rained buckets while we were there, but we were in the cow shed at the Reading Fairgrounds so everyone stayed nice and dry.


Father's Day was a fun-filled day. After church, a Skype video chat with Stuart's dad, and some pre-dinner dessert with my dad, Stuart and I prepared his Father's Day feast. Since we got him a charcoal grill last Father's Day I thought he might like to grill something special on it each year (different from, say, the other usual grillable stuff he does during the rest of the year). He's been "drooling" over a recipe for stuffed flanksteak since last year...so that was his choice-du-Father's-jour. And it was awesome!!! (The recipe is available upon request.) I made some bacon and egg potato salad and cooked broccoli and cauliflower to go with it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.


Let me pause to remember it................. Mmmmm!

Anyways...

Emily finished her pointe club for ballet last Friday evening. We won't say it went without a hitch because she balked and cried everyday (with the exception of one) about going.... But it's OVER! No more dance until September.


Edward wrapped up his Spring soccer season on Thursday evening in between raindrops. It was not his favorite season, but he was still very sad when it was all over. Since it finished somewhat later than usual and Emily was still in dance class, we celebrated on Friday morning with waffles and ice cream (whipped cream, chocolate sauce, AND sprinkles) for breakfast! He'll play on a U9 team in the fall. All guys. And he gets a uniform with his very own handpicked number on it: 51.


We had Emily's and Edward's moving up "ceremony" on Friday evening after Emily's last dance class. Each got a "congrats" certificate, bookstore giftcard, and new Summer Bridge book, as well as a photo with the headmaster of our "school." Wooof. It was a "solemn" occasion, let me tell you. *wink-grin* Well, as solemn as silliness allows. Stuart and I did have a sobering thought, though, after we put the kids to bed that night. We'll have a 12th-grader, 8th-grader, and kindergarten all in the same year. Three "graduates." Wow.


Ethan is Ethan, still our jovial, silly baby. He's growing and developing all the time. And, like his siblings, he's full of curiosity. We had forgotten how much babies actually understand, and we are constantly amazed by his attention and communication with us. He's not talking by any means (though he loves to "sing" and jibber-jabber), but he shows his understanding by looking at whatever we say or signaling with his hands. We're anxious for his next checkup so that we can find out his stats. He's definitely one BIG guy.

Heard from the girl on Saturday. "I didn't know Agatha Christie was English. Oh, that's right. She wrote Harry Potter, right?"

Have a happy Monday! And I hope it's sunshining wherever you are, too!

Maiden Monday Musings during Summer Vacation

"No more pencils...no more books...no more teacher's dirty looks...."

Ooops! Wait a minute! That "teacher" would be me, huh? (And I've got news for my kids...the looks are staying.)

Happy Monday! The first Monday in our Summer break! Woo-hoo!! I can't believe we're at this point in the year already.

We took "last-day-of-school" photos on Friday, and I suddenly realized, we started the schoolyear with two kids and finished it with THREE. Yikes! I hope this isn't some kind of trend.


Funny enough, life isn't slowing down for us...at least not yet.

Emily begins her "pointe club" -- a ballet "intensive" camp -- tonight. It will run from 5:30 to 8 every night this week. Edward has his last soccer game this coming Thursday. And Emily still needs to finish her life science lessons.

Still, it's nearly SUMMER!! Yippee!!

The weather has remained a tad chillier than usual, though you won't catch me complaining. Cooler weather means NO air conditioning...and no air conditioning means lower electric bills. Now that's something to really WOOOOO-HOOOO about!

Stuart and I continue our Monday Movie Nights with "Mall Cop" tonight. Hopefully, it will be every bit as funny as people say it is. There's not much on television at the moment, so we're spending our time doing other fun stuff. A win-win all around, right?

Since, it's late, and I'm posting this late, I'll bid you adieu a little earlier this week. Happy Monday!

Muggier Monday Musings

Happy Monday! The second one in June!

Well, I guess it's officially getting closer to actual Summertime.

We were spoiled by a few days of cooler more Spring-like weather....and now it's getting humid. Ugh. I guess that's all part of living in Pennsylvania.

Thank You, God, for AC!!

Emily had a fantastic recital yesterday. The dancers did a wonderful job and all their hardwork really paid off. She just finished her 9th year of dancing!! Wow! I can't believe it has been that long already. Apart from a weeklong "pointe club" next week, she has off from dance for the summer. Yay! We're getting closer to finishing school for the year. Just a "few" more sciences.....

Edward is still finishing up his Spring soccer season. He has a few more practices and games, I think. He's officially finished with all of his lessons for the year. We finally managed to do the rest of his music lessons, and, oh, what a relief that was! Hooray!

Ethan is nearly-mobile now. He can scoot around a bit and get to things that used to be out-of-reach. And he loves to pull himself up and stand. Ut-oh. Life is changing dramatically for all of us. He's certainly growing and changing quickly. He'll be 9 months old next Sunday. Yikes, huh? But it's fun as well!

Stuart and I started a "Monday (and Tuesday) Movie" night to take the place of our 24 show that is over for the season. So far we've watched New in Town and Taken. Tonight will be He's Just Not That into You and Defiance. We're hoping to start The Closer Season 4 soon, too. It's fun to have some good stuff to watch...especially when our favorite-most shows finish out their seasons. That, from two people who don't watch much anyway. *grin*

On that note, I will bid you adieu and hope that you have an enjoyable Monday!

Coos and News on Monday

Happy Monday to you!! The middle of May already. Really. No kidding around. Egads!

I'm listening to my baby sing and "coo" (though he sounds nothing like a dove) nearby. He has lots to "say" and sing about...he has my family's "chatterbox" genes. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. *wink-grin*

Today's the day! The DAY! THE day! It's finally time for the 24 Season 7 finale...Yippee!!!! I say finally and yet the months have been speeding by so quickly it's kind of surprising that it's here already, if you know what I mean. We find out all the secrets and answers to this particular season...hopefully wrapping up some loose ends. But it is 24 and that means nothing wraps up prettily. And that's not a spoiler. I have no idea of what happens tonight...except I do know some of the characters who are returning next season. Phew.

Edward had another soccer game yesterday. He did...well, suffice it to say, he wasn't focused in the slightest as he skipped -- yes, skipped -- to his position on the field, laughing and playing with his one teammate who was equally oblivious to the fact that there was a soccer game in progress...and then he did his silly dance whilst "keeping" the goal. Not that I have a problem with skipping or dancing. Not in the slightest. But there's a time and a place. I'm just saying. It's not the kind of scene you'd see during European football matches...not that he's professional or even heading that way.

Another little bun-bun joined our family last Thursday. I've dubbed it "George" (even though we don't know the gender yet). He/she/it was born to Audrey and Jack. I'm not sure why she only had one kit -- since most Holland Lop does have 3 or 4. But it was her first time. Whatever the case, it's early days where baby bunnies are concerned, but we're excited to have another potential furry friend in our midst.

I've managed to begin piecing back together my wallet. I got a new license and replaced my credit cards. I have to get new insurance cards and library cards and shop club cards....but all in due time.

School is wrapping up quickly for the kids. Edward is finishing his subjects rapidly and will fill in the rest of his hours with music, projects, and experiments he didn't have a chance to finish. He's done very well with his 2nd-/3rd-grade curriculum -- surprising us especially with his composition skills. Emily has a bit more than him to finish, but she's winding down, too. She seems to be enjoying history again -- now that she's in the "modern era." She learning all about '80s and '90s at the moment. It's fun "reliving" it with her...giving her an insider's view of it all.

We're pretty certain Ethan has hit another growth spurt. At just 8 months old, he's almost toddler-sized now, I think. *grin* He can roll over when he wants to and is trying to get up on all fours to rock or crawl. He loves to stand -- with support, of course -- and BOUNCE. The kid was born to bounce, I think. Tigger in a human suit. I'm afraid he's nearly too heavy for his in-the-door bouncer, which is sad since he loves it so much. And he's a huge fan of "Daddy" and squeals with sadness if he hears him but isn't with him. It's very touching. The teeth are there but not quite popping through yet. Sigh.

Off to do my Monday chores. Enjoy the beginning of the week and the 24 finale-- if you're a fan. And I think it's trying to sunshine.,,,we can hope?

Post-Mother's Day Musings on Monday

Happy, happy, happy Monday! A kind of gray and chilly one here. But it is Monday...our second one in May already.

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all of my mommy-friends out there! Hope you enjoy our special day.

My weekend started off on a somewhat frustrating note...and it was mostly downhill from there, I think. (My poor family! They tried...mostly.)

Friday evening was supposed to be Edward's soccer practice. I have a mental block on activity times this year and had to keep reminding myself all day that he had practice at 5:30. So finally figuring out something light, easy, yet nourishing, to make for dinner, I managed to get it made and in our bellies with 5 minutes to spare...meaning we'd be only a few minutes late. Well, we got there a few minutes late all right, but there was no practice since there was a three-day soccer tournament for the older players. Oh, well. C'est la vie.

Heading home, I decided to stop at the store to get some things I needed for the weekend. Unbeknownst to me, I somehow got separated from my wallet somewhere between the checkouts and our car. I didn't notice this until Saturday afternoon.

Whilst all this was happening, my beloved was flying (or trying to fly) home from Houston, where he spent the past 7 (count 'em) whole days away from us. Sigh. (I know. I know. There are many wives and kids who have to be apart from their honeys for much, much longer...we were weak this time.) Anyways... His first flight -- which would have gotten him into Philadelphia sometime after 10 p.m. -- was scrapped due to a "broken plane," and a new plane was ordered with a new departure time that would get him into Philly sometime after 2 a.m. I catnapped between calls but decided to wait up for him to arrive home after 4 a.m. Not my best plan, but I'd missed him so much...and had way too much coffee by that point. He climbed into bed around quarter-to-five, and I decided there was little point since our little guy would be waking up for the day between 6:30 and 7. Two hours (possibly) of sleep does not a nice mommy make.

Plus, Emily had tryouts for her ballet school's "jr. company" at 9:30 a.m. There was no way I wanted to oversleep that. So Saturday morning was a bit of a fuzzy foggy blur...until I realized that I'd lost my wallet. Somehow knowing that you've lost what is basically the "heart" of your purse (and life) makes your senses go on high alert.

We searched the car. We searched the house. We searched the yard. We called the store. Stuart and the kids even drove around the parking lot of the store, hoping beyond hope that if it was dropped that maybe someone didn't notice it. But no soap.

Ah, well. I've begun the arduous task of rebuilding my wallet. In time, this will just be a "bad memory" blip on my life's timeline.

The wallet incident and extreme tiredness factored into a somewhat disheveled and less-than-ideal Mother's Day for me. It was not that my family didn't try, per se, and they did give me some awesome gifts and very thoughtful cards (their excitment ahead of time was contagious!). Edward added to my glass fruit collection with a marbleized "lemon." *wink-grin* He also gave me a "growing angel" and a cat statue that is perfect for remembering him and his love of cats. And Emily gave me some beautiful pink silk flowers, a very colorful windmill flower for the garden, and some yummy cookies. Both kids made me some coupons to use for things likes hugs, kisses, and gumballs. Ethan picked out something by telepathy. He got me a fun game to play with him. My gift from Stuart will arrive on the 19th in the form of 24 - Season 7!!!!! Yippee!!

Speaking of 24... Another exciting episode tonight. My fingers are already fearful of being eaten. Next week is the season finale already. Yikes. I wonder how they're going to get Jack out of this one. But enough on that. I feel my stomach already trying to tie itself in knots.


We dedicated Ethan at church on Sunday. As with a lot of Protestant denominations, our church follows Jesus' parents' example of dedicating Him to the Lord. We don't believe it suddenly makes Ethan into a saint or saves his soul, but we presented him to God and pledged before God and our church to teach him the ways of the Bible, God's Word. It made it extra special to do it on Mother's Day and have my parents be there.

And speaking of Ethan -- who is nearly 8 months old -- he's working on cutting his first tooth (you can just about see it), crawling, rolling over, and clapping. Busy guy, huh? That's exactly it. I really feel like babies get "ants in their pants" around this age, and suddenly the content little one who sat on a blanket and chewed contentedly on toys wants to go, go, go!! Ethan is immensely curious about everything. He always been observant, but now his head is constantly spinning around, as he tries to see what's on every wall and every shelf. He keeps us laughing and smiling.

That joy is a gift all in itself.

Have a happy Monday!

Mainly Photo Musings on Monday

Happy Monday! The first Monday in May. Wow! New month, new weather? We've had lots of "April showers" so now we can see lots of May's flowers, right? We can hope.

The rain cancelled Edward's soccer game yesterday. He was sad as the rain also caused his practice to be cancelled last Friday. Ugh. The rain is making our grass look more like an African savanna at the moment. But at least everything is green and colorful.

Some friends of ours, who live in Bristol, England, had a tragic loss this past Friday, and it's been playing heavy on our hearts and minds. Their 11-year-old son Sammie was killed when a woman drove her car onto the sidewalk where he and several others were walking home from their church's youth group meeting. Our hearts are breaking, but I'm sure our sadness doesn't even compare an iota to his parents' and three brothers' pain. If you can, keep this family in your prayers, please. They still haven't found the driver who killed him.

Our homeschool learning group wraps up its last session this week, and then we have our annual end-of-year program and art show. Then that's it until next Fall. I can't believe we're at this point in the school year. The kids are working hard, trying to finish their lessons before the nice weather arrives for real. It's always harder to work when the sun is shining outside. *wink-grin*

Episode 21 of 24 is on tonight. Woooo-hoooo! The season is ramping up with plot twists and excitement. Only a few more weeks until the season finale. Whatever will happen to Jack is anyone's guess. The baddies are especially bad this season -- or "super bad," as Stuart says. We've been watching more free shows online, as well. It's such fun to catch up on some of the shows we love and enjoy but can't see because of our schedules, forgetfulness, or lack of that particular channel in our cable "package."

We had a restful rainy afternoon yesterday. The kids were bored and wanted to play the Playstation 2....but I suggested a rousing game of Monopoly, and they had a blast. Sometimes I think we overlook the simple stuff. I was remembering how my cousin and I used to have marathon games during the summer. The lazy, hazy days of summer.... Sigh.

A pictorial view of our Sunday afternoon as texted to Stuart:





Our dogwood tree is in full bloom at the moment. It's looks so bright and cheerful, especially against the gray of the sky. We recently had our house appraised, and the appraiser had a photo of the house from before we bought it. You couldn't even see the tree -- it was so small. Funny how time changes a house, and it can be so subtle you never notice.

Here are some photos of it:





Well, housework and school and babies are calling to me...so I'm off to "do" Monday. Hope you enjoy yours!

Musing on a Moist Monday

Ethan in his new hat from Granny
Happy Monday to you! And a very rainy one here. But we're not complaining since the weekend was gorgeously sunny and warm, despite the prediction to be otherwise.

Okay. Okay. I couldn't resist the alliteration today. I tried...I really did. *wink-grin* But I did do "good" last week in veering from it, right?

Isn't it hard to believe we're nearing the end of April? I think it is. Sigh. Emily reminded me that April showers bring May flowers...and I suddenly realized that those flowers will be here soon.

Stuart tore down a bush this weekend. It was a huge, old bush that had decided to grow sideways into our frontyard -- basically taking it over. The front garden looks so much nicer now. He also mowed our "hay field" of a yard. It's funny how a little rain followed by a little sunshine can make the grass grow -- and fast.

Edward started soccer on Friday evening and, as predicted, was in heaven. He certainly loves this sport. His coach seems nice, very patient as he took 11 kids through the drills all on his own. Amazing really. He has practices on Mondays and Fridays with games on Sunday afternoons again. It'll be fun to see what Ethan thinks when he sees his big brother play this season. And Edward got his new team t-shirt. They're a dark golden yellow. He doesn't know what the team name is yet, but I'm sure they'll come up with something sporty. (Let's hope it's not "buttercups" or something similar. A co-ed U-8 team last season had a very creative name: "Silver Knights on Pretty Pink Ponies." Guess that's a good compromise? Maybe Edward's team could be the "Lightning Buttercups?")

We're looking forward to another exciting installment of 24 tonight. Last week's episode had my stomach in knots, and, by the end, I joined the myriads of others around the area yelling at our televisions. Ugh. It's just a show, I know, but it certainly can evoke some real emotion. *grin* I made myself a new flavor of pretzels last week: balsamic vinegar ones. Very nice. Not sure what variety I'll go for tonight, but I'll need something as it's sure to be another nailbitingly exciting episode.

Emily celebrated turning a half-year older last Wednesday. We had a little party for her in the evening, and it was interesting trying to figure out how to put 11 and a half candles on her cupcake. I don't think I didn't too badly, right? I was looking at photos from her birthday and then more recent ones...and it's funny how much a kid can change in a mere six months. It could just be her new glasses, but I'm not so sure.

Emily on her 11th birthday

Then on her half-birthday

Ethan also hit a new milestone: 7 months! And if confidence follows strength, he'll be up and running before too long. He loves to bounce in his "in-the-door bouncer." He's even taken to winding-up the cord and then picking up his feet to spin. I'll try to get it on video sometime. Still no teeth though his nighttime (mis)behavior keeps getting our "hopes" up. We tried some cereal puffs and discovered that he loves to chew.

We went to the historic Hopewell Furnace Village this past Saturday to celebrate Fala Day, or "Doggie Day in the Park," in honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite dog. It was such a treat to take Buster with us and join two friends and their two dogs. Even though it was hot, we all had a fun time, especially Buster who doesn't get to go for drives very often. Emily even entered him in the just-for-fun "SIT-STAY-COME" contest. She's been working with him at home...and this was a real test to see what he'd actually learned from her...which at home is LOTS but out at the park with a ton of distrations NADA. Still, he did get a ribbon for "participation."

It was fun to see all the people out at the park yesterday when I drove past on my way to the grocery store. It made me remember that Spring is indeed here...and Summer isn't far behind.

On that note, I'll bid you adieu for this gray and moist Monday morning! (Ooopsy.)