Friday, August 31, 2007

A bunch of stuff..

What should I be recording on TIVO this fall??? I am clueless. ANd I'm also busy, so I need to have something to watch on the rare occasion that I have some time at night to crash and watch mindless television. Oh- and the produce man at Food Lion today told me I looked like Danielle on Big Brother. I have no idea who that is, and I must admit that while I've never watched any of the Big Brother episodes, it kind of creeps me out that my old produce guy watches it. So...who is Danielle??? anyone???? is this a compliment? Or is she the old, haggard, has-been that they put on the show for balance?


Well, today we entered the "Back-To-School" crowd in a big way. I think that I already posted that we are sending Austin to a private, classical, Christian school this year. Today was upper school registration.The fascilities at the school are absolutely breathtaking with beautiful courtyards, and vaulted cielings, and massive windows that allow light to flood the entire place. Hordes of teenagers standing in lines with stacks of textbooks, schedules, locks for lockers. The kids were awesomely ........normal! Well educated, well spoken, individual.......and........NORMAL!! This is totally foreign to me coming from my own private school background. The administration is just incredible. Austin knew so many kids there already, so it was really welcoming. He found his locker, his classrooms, and then just hung out. He is really looking forward to school starting on Tuesday.We bought school supplies, and locker-stuff, etc. We are incredibly thankful to be able to give Austin this opportunity, and I think it is going to fit our needs beautifully.

Savannah had riding lessons this morning. She has really started working hard at it, and she can't wait to show her dad! She is training in saddleseat, and is looking forward to doing her first show! (excited squeal!!)

Jackson got his football uniform tonight. This is a BIG,BIG, BIG day for our family. You see, Jack got Race's old number!!!!!! I swear to you I think that Race will cry when he finds out. Jack put on the whole uniform and had me take his picture to send to his dad. I can't tell you how much Jack is enjoying playing football. He crawls into the suburban each night after practice, all sweaty-headed, chugging gatorade and gasping, "I LOVE football!!" Our coaches are wonderful. They don't tolerate ANY horseplay. AT.ALL. A kid was kicked off the team for it last night. They repeatedly remind the kids to respect their teammates. They have taught them to tackle HARD, but then stick your hand out and help up your teammate. It's been really great stuff. The kids are learning to be a TEAM. Our second scrimmage jamboree is tomorrow. Go Bruins!!!!!!! Go #32!!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The basement

The first few pictures are of what it looked like "before" and you can also see all the boxing in work that had to be done to acheive the "after". I will try to snap a few shots of what it looks like now that we have the gym equiptment in, and with boys rooms furnished. We are thrilled with the way it turned out.







Above, is the beginnings of the bathroom.

BEFORE
AFTER



This is in Austin's room. We had a trophy shelf put in each room with extra lighting, on a seperate switch.


This is the tiny bathroom.....but it is PERFECT for the boys!!!





One of my favorite features: A built-in lighted wine cooler that we have filled with water bottles! (Also a little storage space for snacks, etc for the kids, above it). This is also where our gym now sits.
More of the bathroom........thought that I put those together.....But I am typing at lightening speed to get this done, so, ya know, cut me some slack on the display.









This has nothing to do with basement at all, but it was so cute, that I had to throw it in.





We are so very thankful to have been able to get our basement finished. It has increased the living space in our little cape cod, immensely. The kids are ALL loving it, including Savannah who is enjoying it SO MUCH that she now has the WHOLE upstairs....including a now private bathroom....all to herself!





Hey look! I remembered how to log in!!

So sorry to be such a bad blogger these days. Things are going great, although we are missing Race terribly.

I will try to post some pics later on, but just to update:
The basement is finished, and the boys have their own rooms! Woo-hoo!! Our little 3 bedroom, 2 bath house just turned into a 5 bedroom 3 bath!!! That's the sound of everyone cheering wildly. And yes, I'll post pics.

Football. (Thanks for asking Bridget). Race called and talked Jack through the goals of his position as linebacker. (BINGO!! Light Bulb illumination!!) The kid went wild. He is coming off the line so quickly, and learning to break through, go around , whatever.....he's getting there. ANd he's just LOVING football!! Our coaches are amazing, and I am so very thankful for them. Very encouraging, and really teaching the kids...(ahem, and the clueless mom (s) ) how to play the game. We couldn't be more thrilled, and you better believe that Jack is absolutely beside himself with excitement at the thought of his dad watching him play. And Bridget my hat goes off to Rusty for dealing with the parents of his players. Wow. Just wow.

I am currently working out like a mad woman, and watching my nutrition as well REALLY closely. While our basement was being done, my work-outs were barely enough to keep complete atrophy from setting in.....and the cardio went out the window. SO, I have alot to catch up on. And it is SO HARD to get going again!(kinda like blogging!) But I'm telling myself to shut-up with the whining, and I'm doing it. ANd I'm asking ALOT from "muscle memory", heh.

O.k, I've gotta get going on the day, here. I'll try to get my pictures on tonight, and I really need to go back and answer several comments that I think I unwittingly ignored....
So, that's it for now!
HAve a great day!!!
Melissa

Friday, August 17, 2007

Nobody told me......

Tonight was Jack's first night in pads. The coach had him fitted. He got brand spanking new-out-of-the-package helmet and pads. He ame back out from the clubhouse all suited up. AWwwwwww he looks so cute! But wait........why is he coming up to me??? I was all settled in my chair,(Dy) with my mint water, and my Oxygen magazine.....What's that white stuff in his hands???

"Hey mom!! I need you to put these pads in! I don't know how they go!", he shouts from the field.

HUH?????Oh. My. Gosh. ............I don't know where they go.

As he approaches my chair, he says, "Mom, these are the pads for my pants. Coach says that you need to put these in."

After quickly scanning the 7 items for some directions or a diagram.....or something. Jack says, "I kinda know how they're supposed to go, I think".

Nobody told me I'd have my kid out behind the suburban,randomly shoving pads down his pants.

Nobody told me!

There was a lot of......."Does it go like THIS??", "This looks just like that one, so we'll put that here" "Does that look right??","Oh, man..I hope that this is where this goes". Everything was finally in place, or at least it looked like it was.

He cheerfully yelled, "Thanks Mom!" and was back out on the field. I watched carefully to see if there was hysterical laughter from anyone, but there wasn't, so we must have gotten it right.

This is all new to me, folks. I'll be so glad when Race gets home.

Topping the night off : one little gal that had just finished up cheerleading practice on another field was walking up the hill near where I was sitting. SHe looked at me and said , "Oh-Hi Jackson's Mom!" ummmmm....."hi". I am with Jack seemingly 24-7 and I've never seen this child before. All I can figure is that she's the sister on one of the kids on the team. I. Have.No.Idea. Yes indeed......all new to me.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The Ultimate Black Belt Test

This is what my boys are doing for the next 6 months. They are both brown belts in mixed martial arts. Jack has to do 1/2 of what Austin has to do. I am going to list Austin's requirements. As I read over this list I am realizing what an accomplishment this will be for both of my boys, and how proud I am of both of them.


Ultimate Black Belt Test

Written Goals
: Each candidate is required to discuss his or her goals with Coach Jamie and then supply a set of written and specific goals that he or she plans to accomplish as part of the test. Written goals should be quantifiable and as specific as possible.

Weekly Journaling: Every UBBT participant is required to make a weekly journal entry. It should be approximately 100 words long and chronicle the personal journey of each participant as he or she lives with the UBBT experience.

10 Personal Victories: Each UBBT team member is required to fulfill and record 10 achievements that they consider to be "personal victories".

10 Testing Performances: A testing performance is a demo of the techniques and skills that you have mastered in your martial arts career and for your test. To polish these skills each participant is required to put together a demonstration featuring their personal test requirements and curriculum. You will be required to perform your demo in front of 10 different groups.

Push ups and Crunches: 36,400 (minimum) push-ups,crunches, or the combination of both are required by the final exam. That's 700 a week. 100 a day.

Reading Requirements: Each candidate will be required to read 10 or more books pertaining to management, philosophy,motivation or enlightenment. Books will be read and tracked in the UBBT's journal.

Acts of Kindness: Each candidate must perform and log 1000 acts of kindness and compassion in his or her UBBT journal.

Righting Wrongs and Mending Relationships: Candidates are required to right three wrongs that they have done in their lives or mend three broken relationships.

Empathy Training; One full day of living in a wheelchair, one full day blind, and one full day mute are required by all candidates.

Walk or Run 1000 miles: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". -Lao Tsu
Each participant will be required to walk, run, or walk/run 1000 miles over the duration of their test.

Whatever It Takes: (WIT) This card (the WIT card) is a special challenge that Coach Jamie might issue during the test to the individual candidates. If you receive a WIT Card, your challenge is to do Whatever It Takes to get the task done in the quickest and most efficient way possible.

Dropping out of the UBBT: Forget about it. Don't join if you can entertain the idea that anything could make you withdraw. The UBBT is about overcoming obstacles, not giving in to them. See it through.....or don't enroll.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Well, while all the kind words on the hair made my day, I must admit that Em is right. I could fill countless posts with all of my hair mistakes over the years.
Maybe I will. Anything for my readers..

I do find that the secret to good hair is a GREAT stylist. One who will tell you if a particular style just isn't going to work for you, because of your face shape, or the texture of your hair, or whatever. ANd one who is skilled enough to actually CREATE what you have requested. It's like a finding a good mechanic that you can trust.....worth their weight in gold!

We made it through the day. The icredibly hot, humid day. School, martial arts, football practice and the parent meeting at school. I couldn't have done it all without calling in reiforcements, though. Thom filled in for me at football practice so that I could get to the school, across town for the meeting. SHe mentioned on the phone that the practice looked alot like herding cats at times, and wouldn't you know it? I found a bottle of SOuth African wine called "Herding Cats" that I picked up for her as a thank-you.

The basement is starting to look like...well...... like someone elses house. I am starting to get excited about all the extra room!

Well, this is certainly a boring post, but I am beat. But, for you...my reader(s)..I will try to end with something funny. Lets see........I know!........I'll tell you about the funniest thing that EVER happened to me.
The funniest thing that ever happened to me was when this one time, I was singing at the Super Bowl, and my boob fell out! Oh-no. wait- that wasn't me. Oh well.
g'night!
Melissa

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Without further ado.....

My new do..... The POB! Or, at least my version of it. You can't see from the picture, but the other side of my bangs are actually right around chin length.They just sort of taper down at an angle. I LOVE this cut!! The back is really short, so that the layers fall forward. Too fun! AND...the bangs cover my hideously wrinkled forhead! Now......what is to be done about my elephant neck? I can't think about that right now. No....no....I'll just think about that tomorrow.

But seriously. Look at this cut! Do you love it? (sigh) I swear ....if more people knew me...I'd be famous. (Go ahead, write THAT one down).





Moving right along..................

Bridget, tell Rusty that Race was a running back. And from the looks of things tonight.......we may have another in the family!!!! (I took your advice and bought the Nike cleats today, and they worked out great! Thanks!)

I got that huge lump in my stomach tonight, as we walked over the hill(in the 100 degree heat) and saw about 100 kids of all ages, divided into various groups......none of which we recognized. And Jack said, "Oh, mom, this is so embarrassing....I know NOTHING about football".I did what most other good mothers would NOT do. I said, "Oh, it's o.k., honey, NONE of these kids know anything....take a look around you sweetie.....It can't be THAT hard." He grinned, which should count for something in the You're Not Such a Horrible Mother contest, right? But it was all o.k. The head coach remembered us, and called Jack over and welcomed us in and took care of us.

There are about 20+ kids on the 9-10 yr old team, and while I HATE to play the part of the bragging mother........the kid ROCKS!! The coaches kept yelling "Great job Jackson!" and during drills, "Watch Jackson, THAT's exactly what we're looking for!!" and even a parent over where we were said, "How about that Jackson? Where'd he come from?? He's a good player." (Heh, I'll tell ya where he came from!) Apparently the little guy had more stuff than I knew. He did a GREAT job and he can't WAIT to get back out there tomorrow! I am so excited to tell Race. He is just going to pop!(O.K., he may cry a little at first, but then he's going to pop!) ANd all kidding aside, I am SO incredibly thankful that this went well tonight. God intervenes for me at my very weakest moments and makes everything better that I ever dared to hope. (and there I was about to melt my jewlery and worship a calf). I am so thanklful.

It was a great night, and I was so pleased with the coaches and the well organized practice. SO....whew! AND the bonus of the night was that Thomasina had dropped off a pot of homemade corn chowder for us. SO...wallah! Dinner! I've told you before, if this woman ever cooks ANYTHING for you, don't even ask what it is.....just run away with it greedily and eat it all. You won't be sorry.


Super busy day tomorrow with school, martial arts, then football, then a parent meeting at the classical school that Austin will be attending this fall(part time).Savannah has got a few things waiting in the wings as well, so long days ahead, but it DOES make the time go by, and we're ALL about that!!

Thanks for checking in! AND do give your thoughts on the hair. Go ahead. I can take it.
G'night!
Melissa

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

What can I say????

No need to try and recap, so I'll just go from here.....

Race is still away, but we've been communicating regularly, which is nice.

Jack, Savannah and I started school yesterday. So far so good, everything running smoothly.

Austin is away with the Boy Scouts in the Keys on a sail boat for the week.(Yes, yes, we ALL want to be Austin).

Hey! ANd how about Dy's news????!!!!!!!! She and Zorak must be like rabbits, man.(I only say it, because I know she'll laugh.)

In other less important news, I'll give ya a run down on the activity schedule for this fall. For Jack: Mixed Martial Arts(working on the black belt)& football, For Savannah: Riding lessons & pilates, For Austin: Boy Scouts(working toward the Eagle Scout),Mixed Martial Arts(working on the Black belt), Jiu Jitsu(working on the blue belt). And don't forget about the once monthly orthodontist and once weekly Speech therapist! As of tomorrow, we'll be in full swing with everything. Oh yeah- the basement.....ie, the boy's bedrooms, still aren't finished. Ugh.

The only thing keeping me from shaving my head and ramming a parked car with an umbrella is the fact that I got a very cute haircut today! Now, I wish that I could take creative licensing for this cut, but alas, I bow down in awe to the fashionista who can take credit on this one. I got ..........."the Pob". YOu know, the Vic Beckham bob?! O.K., not QUITE as drastic in the back and sides, but....those BANGS! I got em' !! I love it!!Oh thank-you, thank-you haircutting-genius-whose-name-is-jennifer.......(with hushed reverence),thank-you.
I know, I know, I need a picture. But c'mon, I can't come back full force all in one night! I'll try to get a good pic of the cut.
O.K., I'm going to go stare in the mirror and watch my hair move.
Thanks for the comments, and for checking back here!