Racing through September

September has flown by and kept us on our toes!!! With two of the kids in two different sports this fall and all the other "normal" stuff there have been some nights when we've actually needed our jogging shoes on to keep up.

We had more birthday celebrations for our new 7 year old to do. He wanted a family party "at home"
We also gave him a little party for friends at the children's museum.

The kids each were able to make a rocket then they launched them in the lobby of the hotel. It was really fun to watch the rockets fly and see the smiles running to chase them down to run them back and try again.

Even The Daddy had fun!

Isn't he cute??!!! :)

We've had two soccer games a week. BuhBuh does such a good job of "getting in there"

Last night he even scored a goal!!!! (Sadly, I missed it because I was just getting back from picking The Boy up from football.)

Saturday mornings we've had football games to watch.

The Boy is also doing a good job of doing what he is suppose to out on the field.

For it being his first year, and having a cast on I'd say he's doing a pretty good job.

One game he even had a fumble recovery which had this momma proud and excited! The cast is officially off now. WOOHOO! Hopefully we can make it a little longer than 10 months until the next one. EEK!

During the day things are a little less hectic. I have my typical mommy work to do and there is always something for missions or children or youth that I am working on for church.

With my mommy friends having their babies off to school this year I had to find some things for Little Dude and I to do.

I'm going to Bible Study on Mondays which are a little challenging to have a 2-year old sit through....when this book study is done I might not do anymore until he's in preschool.

BUT, I did join a MOPS group which I am really enjoying. Little Dude has his own class he goes to and plays and does projects which he is always so proud of.

I get to sit and eat yummy food, and enjoy some time with other moms. I'm excited to see what other blessings come from belonging to this group.

He and I also are going to the Story Time at the Library. I forgot how much I missed that from when I did it with BuhBuh. It is a nice time just to focus on him without the distraction of the big kids or the chores at home. He has made a project there that he is very proud of too.

We've also been able to play with our friend Emery. I hope that we can do that some more but it's good for the both of them.

October begins tomorrow. I can't believe it. However, I'm looking forward to the trip My Sweetie and I get to take in 2 weeks!!!! BERMUDA!!!! I will miss the kids but they will be in very good grandma hands while we are gone. I am however looking forward to some much needed connecting time with My Sweetie and relaxing break from reality.

Future Lawyer???

BuhBuh: Is it illegal for a white person to marry a black person???

Me: Absolutely not.

Deep for a 7 year old I thought.......I have no idea where this question came from. It was out of the blue in the car. He must do most of his thinking in the car.

Later that afternoon he asked another question.

BuhBuh: Is it illegal to sleep while you are driving???

Me: It's very dangerous because if you are sleeping you can't see where you are going and will probably crash your car.

Moments later he asked....

BuhBuh: Is it illegal to lick a phone??

He said this as he picked up my phone and pretend to lick it.

Me: No BuhBuh, no it's not. But please don't lick my phone.

7 years old

Sometimes I just don't know where the time goes. As my kids get older, and especially this year for some reason, I just wish more and more that I could freeze time and put the in a bubble and make each day last an entire week. Despite our busy schedules, I am learning the true art of soaking in each good moment, living in the moments because moments are precious yet brief and will pass by quickly and be forgotten if we don't

My BuhBuh turned 7 yesterday. We celebrated with all the traditional things we do in our home. The Birthday Boy wakes up to streamer art from The Daddy, we open gifts (he guessed almost all of them correctly. What a smart cookie!) and have cinnamon rolls. There was also a birthday treat to be shared at school and then a birthday dinner of the honored child's choosing. Last night was Church so we shared with all of our Wednesday night friends too! He didn't think he should have to do homework on his birthday, thankfully he didn't have too much to do last night.



In the last year my BuhBuh has completed kindergarten and transitioned into 1st grade. He is learning to read and write and spell. I can tell that math is going to be easy for him just like it is for his big brother. He has played soccer, t-ball, taken art classes and cooking classes, joined scouts and taken swim lessons. He is an amazing big brother to Little Dude and knows how to push The Boy's buttons, especially when all he wants is some sort of attention from his big brother. His favorite thing is still Star Wars; I think he was born that way. He still says things that crack us up. I don't post as many of them as I would like and I post them because I don't want to forget those kind of moments. He is an amazing helper around the house. He is quickly growing into a big boy but he will still snuggle up, give me hugs and wants mommy to tuck him in at night.



This little boy of mine holds a special place in my heart because he wouldn't have been here if life would have travled the path I was trying to direct it to go. He was and is my second chance. He reminds me everyday of what grace and forgivness from both God and my husband is.

Happy Birthday BuhBuh.....we have some more celebrating to do with family and friends!!! I'm looking forward to a fun weekend! Mostly I'm looking forward to all of the amazing moments he brings to my life and our family over the next year.

A Simple September Sunday

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I Remember....

Written on this blog three years ago.....

5 years ago I was at home with my then 4-year old son. He was in the living room watching his cartoons and I was just going about my morning. The phone rang and it was my husband. It was a shock to hear his voice on the other end because we had been separated for several months and were in the process of a divorce.

"Are you watching television?" It was the most civil he had talked to me in months.

"No, why?" I asked.

He proceeded to tell me what had happened and I watched the news in shock.

"This is bad, really bad," I remember him saying.

After getting off the phone with him I called a couple of friends from work. I worked at a television station in the production department. I was a news geek....there was breaking news and I knew I had to get to work.

I quickly dressed and got my son ready for and dropped him off at day care and was at my station by 10:30 that morning. I usually worked a second shift position. But everyone was there in the control room. I took my seat next to the director and that's basically where I sat for the next 12 hours.

When we weren't on our network we were doing local cut ins. It was a fly-by-the seat of your pants day. This was what news was all about. The adrenaline rush carried me through the day.

At one point I called my husband. I needed to hear his voice. When he returned my call he was short with me and I almost regretted that decision. He asked about when I was going to get on my own health insurance because he had some papers to sign at work. Our country was under attack and THIS is what he has to say to me?

Most people chose to sit and watch the events unfold. I didn't because I was part of making it unfold for people. I couldn't escape it. As I watched one of the network reporters get choked up towards the end of his story I realized how much worse so many people are right now than myself. Here I was in the middle of a divorce with my husband for selfish reasons and there were people out there wondering where their loved ones were.


I remember the images from that horrific day. But mostly I remember how I felt. Scared; confused; like my life was spinning out of control. I had nighmares for a long time after. I called them "end of the world" nightmares. I haven't had any in a long while which is good I suppose.

I worked at least 12 hours that day, not getting home until late. That night, I slept in my bed that my husband and I shared. Neither of us had moved out during the separation and I had been sleeping in my son's room on a mattress on the floor. But I just needed to be near my husband that night; needed to feel him somewhat close; needed to feel safe. I was back in at work by 6 a.m. the next day to direct the morning news and put in another 12 hours at least.

On Sept. 13th my husband and I had our first counseling session. Although there were many more rough spots in the months ahead I eventually called off the divorce; just in time for Christmas. I don't know if I would have been so willing to work on things with him had it not been for September 11th; had my life not been put into perspective for me that day; had I not realized how short life is.

My heart continues to break and weep for those who were affected by this tragedy in a direct way.

Marathon Momma's Thursday

6 a.m. Alarm goes off I hit snooze twice
6:15-7:05 a.m. I wake up kids, make breakfast and facilitate the getting ready for the day process and having morning devotion
7:13 a.m. Take kids to bus
7:20 a.m. Run to Church and check to make sure all ingredients for Mission Meal have arrived
7:45-10:00 a.m. Do a bunch of random things around the house such as make phone calls, talk to hubby, tiddy up keep Little Dude company while he watches some cartoons and I write a letter
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Errands such as....post office: hang flier, library: hang flier, parish office: drop off fliers, children's museum: pick up bday invites carrying a sleeping child, grocery store: carrying a sleeping child, mandatory taco bell drive through: I was hungry! other post office: hang flier, home: drop some groceries, dollar store: buy water, church: drop off rest of groceries, start cooking meat, head back home
1:30-3:30 p.m. Dishes, 2 loads of laundry, hand out snacks to Little Dude, sit on computer (GEESH! What a slacker!!!)
3:40 p.m. Welcome home BuhBuh and The Boy with hugs and smiles and visit with them asking about their day and homework
3:50 p.m. Run to church and put food in oven, run to drop off bday flowers and card to friend
4-something p.m. Back home, 1st grade homework, tell The Boy to eat and get dressed for football, feed BuhBuh and Little Dude too
4:55 p.m. Run back to church (we live close) get food ready to be loaded into father-in-laws car to be driven to the Meal Site
5:15 p.m Run back home pick up The Boy drive him to football practice
5:30 p.m. Back home, more 1st grade homework, get BuhBuh ready for soccer with cranky 2 year old on my hip
6:30 p.m. Give said cranky two year old bath and laugh when he refuses his jammies and gets me a collared polo shirt, we agree on a different shirt and mis matched pj bottoms
7 p.m. Read 20 trillion books to Little Dude, say prayers then listen to him cry when I turn off the lights and sit by his bed while I start this post
Current Time: 7:28 p.m. Still sitting in the dark but now I'm typing with one hand....the other one is being held by a seemingly sleeping darling little boy.

The night is still young!!!!!! 7th grade homework to monitor, showers for my football and soccer players to make sure get done, read to BuhBuh, kiss him goodnight, and tell The Boy not to stay up too late.

I'm hoping tomorrow I can be more productive!

Goodbye Summer...

Labor Day seems to be the "unofficial" end of summer even though according to the calendar we still have a couple of more weeks. With the kids already back in school summer feels like it ended for us a few weeks ago. We had, in my opinion, one of THE best summers! We had a lot of fun and it went really fast. I am one of those moms who LOVE having their kids home. It can be loud and crazy but it's so much more of a laid back causal time of the year for us.

I haven't really been ready to let the summer go and getting back into the swing of the school year has been more of a challenge for me this year than it has been in years past. I feel like a crabby mommy in the morning and in the evenings my feet just can't keep up with the clock. I'm trying to get Little Dude to fall asleep in his own bed and by the time that last task of the day is done, there is nothing left of me to give to My Sweetie. Often times he's waking me up next to the toddler bed and telling me to go to bed.

We spent this past weekend up in Milwaukee visiting my brother and his family; our niece turned one. All of my brothers were there and so was my mom, dad and grandma. It was relaxing and a good time and just what I needed to take on the business that the fall generally entails in our family.

I'm sure there were still be crabby mommy moments in the mornings, and I don't foresee our evening schedule getting any lighter until after the holidays. But I finally feel ready to say goodbye to summer and ready to tackle the rest of 2009 with a smile (most of the time!)