GO CAPS!

We here at our house, have morphed into Washington Capitals fans. Paul and I decided since it was Kids Night the day before Thanksgiving, that we would give it a try and take the kids. Aunt Ju-Ju and Uncle Tim, and our friend Brain and his daughter came along. Boy did we have fun! Being the worrier that I am, I expected the worst. Melting kids, crabby mom, crazy crowds. But I was wrong! The kids were great, especially Miss M! J was tired an a bit whiny, but not too bad!
Miss M didn't have her own seat so she sat with Aunt Ju-Ju and Uncle Tim most of the night.

(Terrible) picture of me and my boy! (Remember that I had been at work all day. That's my excuse for the circles under my eyes.)

World's Cutest CAPS fan!

J made his own sign!

UNLEASH THE FURY!

I am so glad we went! We were so sleepy the next day so after our Thanksgiving meal, we took naps. Miss M slept for three hours! WOo HOO! I hope we get to take them to another game one day!

Halloween Fun!

We went to a Halloween Party last night for J's scout troop! This is the first year J wanted to be something scary instead of something "cute". boo.....Miss M got to be a "fairy witch" although it didn't come with wings so I just think she is a pretty witch.
Being the teacher geek that I am, I was trying to get her to quote one of my favorite childhood book characters, Ramona Quimby. In Ramona the Pest ,Ramona is a witch for school and ran around screaming, "I'M THE BADDEST WITCH IN THE WORLD!" but Miss M wouldn't do it. She just kept telling me that she was good, not bad!


Anyhow, the party was so fun. They did crafts, had dinner, trick-or-treated to each table and played mummy where they had to wrap a den member up like a mummy with toilet paper. J thought that was the best!

October...finally!

J's 8th birthday!
J and Miss M sitting by the campfire.

Hi everyone! I hope all 3 of you are doing well! ;)

September was the busiest month. Between J's birthday, camping with scouts, WORKING, and life, we were busy each weekend! Exhausting!

J's birthday was at a bouncy place. I don't usually spent that much on a birthday but he didn't get a party last year AND they offered a 20% discount! :) The kids had a ball and we had fun watching them all play till they dropped!

The next weekend was camping. We had a ball. Miss M did great! It was cold but it only drizzled for a few hours in the afternoon.

The following weekend, Paul went to the Washington Capitals convention with his sister and was gone Friday into Saturday night. To keep the kids busy, we went to see The Lion King in 3D. I could have done without the 3D. I love that movie! The kids again, did great! That afternoon we had dinner at my moms. Busy but fun day!

This weekend Paul and J went to a CAPS game and yesterday I GOT TO GO OUT! I went with my BFFs and another friend to a winery for GNO! We ate yummy food, had a glass of wine and talked and laughed. It was so nice and relaxing! I so needed that!

The kids have been giving me a run for my money lately (or my sanity). Miss M has started getting up before 5 AM! No matter when I put her to bed she gets up. I know it is a stage but I can hardly handle it! J has been mouthy, stubborn and be clash a lot! I pray each night for wisdom and patience on how to deal with his new behaviors.

Anyhow, I hope to post again before another month goes by!

Irene- The unabridged version

So I left school Friday with the anticipation of the first day of school, being two days away and with a fear of the impending weather about to strike our area. Little did I know.
Friday evening I cleaned out a cooler, readied the flashlights, put batteries in the radio. Charged the cell phone and Ipod.
Saturday, got up, went to the store to get a few items. and at around 1 PM, the rain started. Paul got home from work around 3:30. At around 5 we noticed a drip coming from the ceiling in two places. We quickly moved the furniture and got buckets to collect water. Paul went outside and inspected the downspouts. in the pouring rain, I held the ladder for him. All looked ok.
We put the kids to bed, as the wind picked up and the rain came down. We watched the coverage on tv and around 11:30, we called it a night. I was feeling anxious and was praying that our power would stay on.
Well it didn't.
at 2 Am I heard the power go off. Does that make sense? Miss M's sound machine went off but since i am such a smart mom I remembered to put batteries in it. BUT I had to go in, unplug it and then it would turn on. Of course, she woke up. I had a flashlight and she was crying. Took about 10 minutes to get her to go back to sleep. I crawled back in bed, hoping that when I got up, the power would be on.
It wasn't.
The kids got up. We at Peanut Butter sandwiches for breakfast. I quickly got the ice from the freezer and put the milk and a few other things in the cooler. No coffee for this mom. ug.
By 9 Am the kids were going nuts. So was I. I was wondering how I was going to deal with all of this on my own. Paul had to be at work. So I went into talk to him and started bawling. I guess I just lost it! God love him, he got on the phone and called out. Love that guy! IT helped me feel less stressed. at least a little.
So I sent him out in search of ice and a land line phone. I couldn't find the one I keep for reasons like this. An hour and a half later, he brought home 4 bags of ice for the coolers I pulled out of the shed. He also brought home McDonald's breakfast and coffee. He said the whole area was out of power. We decided to go out and search for a portable tv. I need to watch the news. I am a storm coverage junkie. Well, there was one Walmart open in our county. Everything was without power. It was creepy!
When we got home we had to decide what to keep (food wise). We filled up our coolers and decided to head to his mom's house to see what we could fit in her freezer. (She had power restored pretty quickly) School (the first day) was cancelled since 49 schools had no power and so we decided to spend the night.
We fit most of our stuff in her freezer/fridge and the rest we kept in the cooler on tons of ice. We got the kids to bed and Paul and I laid down to rest our weary selves. I prayed for patience. There were so many people who had a tree through their home or 6 inches of water in their basement. No power was nothing compared to that. But still, I was so anxious.
We got a call from a neighbor around 11 PM that the power had come back on. I was so relieved. We got up the next morning and brought our food home. I spent the day putting things back, cleaning up and such so was glad to hear of the school closing for Tuesday. I needed a day to recoup.
We were so blessed to have stayed safe, to have minimal damage to our home, to have saved our food, and to get power back so quickly. We went 21 hours without and some people are going on day three.
We survived. and I learned a lesson in patience. I truly learned that I am not in control.

The first day of school...almost

I am too exhausted and have too much to do to blog about the whole thing but to some it up, today WAS the first day of school until Irene gave us a visit. Hurricane Irene.
We had a lean in the living room. We are all safe but we had no power for a long time, we had to pack up and move food, I had a few meltdowns but we are all ok. Power is on and so it is time to clean up.

No first day of school today. Maybe not tomorrow, but perhaps. Many schools still w/o power.

Wow.....

We had an earthquake today. Never would I think those words would come out of my mouth. ever. really....
But we did. In Virginia, a 5.6 earthquake. I was in my classroom sitting at my desk talking to my coworker. I felt like I was shaking on my chair, but my coworker kept talking. Was I getting dizzy? Was the custodian moving larger furniture in the hallway? Was I imagining something? Then, my CW noticed the overhead TV shaking...I yelled GET OUT OF HERE! Apparently I pushed he towards the door but I don't remember. We were all standing in the hallway and people were yelling to get into the hallway. We still weren't sure what in the world was happening. Then the principal said on the speaker- :EVERYONE- GET OUT OF THE BUILDING!" I grabbed my purse and out I ran! I was shaking, my heart beating so fast. My CW was hugging me because she said I have such good instincts that I pushed her towards the door. We all met in front of the school and did a headcount. Only one guy had a phone with Internet and that is when we found out that it was, indeed an earthquake. Holy Moley.....a real Honest to Goodness earthquake.....here....
It took me about 15 minutes (which seemed like an hour) to reach my home via the phone. Everyone was OK...no damage.....It took almost an hour to locate everyone in the family but everyone is OK. We were allowed`to go home so I did. Of course, tonight was "Meet the Teacher" night at school so I had to go back. I wasn't happy about that but I didn't have a choice.
I am praying that this experience with an earthquake will be my LAST!

Update on "Prayers Needed"

Thanks for those of you who have been praying for our family. We are asking for God's wisdom. We have had many prayers answered, and still are asking for more guidance. Please continue to pray for us. We have seen glimpses of sunshine through this storm.

Wordless Wednesday

Prayers needed

I have asked everyone I know and trust to please pray for my sister -in-law and our family right now. I know some of my blog readers but I know there are some who I don't know. So I am asking you whether I know you or not, to pray for my sister in law and our family. I don't want to go into detail on a blog to respect her privacy but she is going through a lot right now, mentally, physically, personally. We are helping her the best we can....sometimes it is tough love.......but we are doing the best we can....but more than ever, we are asking for God's help......and I know that HE knows what is going on but would you keep Denise in your prayers? Also, would you ask your friends to pray for her? The bloggy world is so huge.....I have prayed for so many people that I don't know (besides what I read about their family) and now I am asking you all to pray for her. and for her family. Like I said, we are trying the best we can to help her. But it is hard. I appreciate your prayers. We are truly seeking out for what HE wants us to do next. Thanks!





Wendy

The Wolf Pack

No, I am not referring to the Twilight series (although I am looking forward to seeing that Wolf Pack when that movie comes out). I am referring to the Cub Scout Wolf Pack! We have had a lot of fun this summer with these boys and their families! J is well on his way to earning the Summer time Achievement patch which is earned by doing planned activities with their den.
The first event we attended was the local minor league baseball game. The boys got to parade around the field at the start of the game, which was super cool! Can you tell J was excited?

All lined up!
The parade begins.

and ends...

Our next activity was at the local Lowe's, where the boys made binoculars. IT was super fun for them and FREE! Even Miss M got in on the action!

Sibling love...

J was such a good sport. He let M take a swing at hitting the nails.

I was thrilled becasue it was soft wood and pre-drilled holes!

Here are our handsome boys showing their cool binoculars!

Next on the Scout agenda is the fishing derby (yikes) and a trip to a local amusement park. I am not a fisherman. I will leave that outing up to my hubs! :)

No Sleep

I pride myself on the fact that I can sleep. I have very little trouble going to sleep. I can sleep in a chair, on the floor, in my bed, in the car. I sleep pretty well, not waking up in the night. I can pretty much roll myself out of bed in the morning to get ready for work at an ungodly hour and survive the day.
Except now I am not working.
and now I can't sleep.
I do not have the stress of work, packing lunches, fitting in housework between working all day and being with my kids. Yet, I cannot sleep.
I was up until after 1 AM last night. I told Paul that it must be that I am not exhausted enough to sleep. I guess.
Maybe I need to go back to work? Maybe. But for now I will just keep on not sleeping and enjoy the summer with my kids.

Summer so far

Well, they are saying that summer is 1/2 over. So what have we been up to? Not a whole lot.

We didn't do a vacation this summer. Since I am not working, it is best to save money and not go anywhere. I really want to see the beach. :(

We have gone to the library a bunch of times. My aunt volunteers and does a pajamas story time. It was so fun. J is reading up a storm. and some of it hasn't been forced! :) He has read about 6 Fancy Nancy books to his sister. She loves it, him not so much but he is a good big brother! I am determined to not let him lose any of the knowledge he gained in first grade so we also have school time each day.

Another way to pass time is going to the pool! We haven't joined in years, but decided that we needed the activity to pass our summer days. The kids are really enjoying it. I also love to come home at 3 PM and let Miss M take a nice two hour nap!

J and I are headed to a baseball game tonight with the scouts. It is supposed to be like 95 degrees- I pray we don't melt.

We also took Miss M to her first movie---Winne the Poo! She was really good, a little antsy, but did well for being 2 1/2.

Anyhow, that is our summer so far. Nothing exciting, but I get to spend it with the kids which (most days ;)) is good!

Nanny's 90th Birthday

This weekend we had a birthday party for my grandmother. She turned 90! Isn't that just amazing. For those who don't know my family, my g-mom suffers from dementia. She knows who we are most of the time but she is easily confused.
She had a wonderful day. My uncle and aunt flew in from Illinois, Nan's brother was there, and 5 of Nan's 12 great-grandchildren were there! It was the perfect day!

Uncle Charles, my mom and Nanny

This is my favorite shot of the night. It was my candid, amongst the posed shots and it shows such love and happiness don't you think?

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Nan and then lit the candles. She blew them out in one blow! Aunt Suzie and Uncle Charles

My mom invited her friends from way back. These ladies have been friends for over 50 years. Mary lived next door to my mom growing up and Pat has been my mom's friend from church since they were small.

This is my Nan and her brother Bob.

Not the best shot of my group, but it had been a long day!

My brother Mike, Nan, Mom and my g-father's cousin Frank. He is the family historian!

Me, showing Nan her cake. She told me that she usually doesn't eat cake, but she would have a small piece since we went through all of the trouble to get one! :)

The whole gang!

Happy Birthday Nanny! Love you!

100 Book Challenge

Our school has a program called the 100 Book Challenge. It is required reading for grades 1-5 each day. You don't really read 100 books but you read steps. 1 step=15 minutes of reading. The reading they do must be on their "fast, fun and easy" level. The goal of the school year was to read 400 steps (100 hours of reading) and I am proud to say that J made it! They have milestones at each "100" and they get an ice cream scoop on the wall. I took one of J when he reached 100 back in October, but forgot my camera for ht rest so I just took all four pictures in June1 You can see by the height of the ice cream cones that not everyone gets to each milestone. It requires a lot of extra reading. That is why I am extra proud of J and how he was determined to get to each milestone!

This is the hallways display, that is left up all year.

(Okay so I accidently deleted the 100 Step picture.....cannot seem to get it back in order)

200 Steps! (50 hours of reading)


300 Steps (75 hours of reading)

400 Steps (100 hours of reading and end-of-the-year goal)

J grew so much as a reader this year and I am so stinkin' proud of him! Way to go Buddy!

Scout Camp 2011

J spent his first week out of school at Cub Scout Day Camp. I don't have many pictures yet but his wonderful den leader took many and has promised to send them! I dropped him off bright and early each day and picked him up late in the afternoon, a tired, sweaty boy who had lots of stories to tell! He loves the obstacle course, partially seen below.

All but 3 boys in his camp Den were from our regular scout den, so it was nice that he knew the boys and made a few new friends.
They did so many fun activites:fishing, arts and crafts, woodworking, flag football, leather working, building, water games, BB gun practice (with the range master from the county's range), made and used a sling shot, cooked, and much more!)

It's What She Does!

Makes silly faces at the camera, that is. Miss M is such a bird! She keeps me laughing!

Mad face

Cheese face

Toothy grin Surprised face

Um, not sure

Surprised face part 2

That girl of mine....

Photo Shoot

My best friend's niece has taken up photography and needed to practice. I volunteered my kids and here are some of my favorites...

My babies