On days like today, I wish that life had a remote control. I would love to freeze time, if only for a few minutes, and catch up. Most of the time, I would use it only to find a few more minutes in my day. I would never really skip through any of it. I actually really do love my life that much.
However, it would be really nice to have that pause button. I would just love to freeze time for a moment every now and then. Sometimes I would use the pause button, do a whirlwind through the kids' toy room, and get it all clean without anyone going behind me in search of Spiderman, dumping out the buckets I've just filled up. Every now and then, I'd use it to speed through the laundry or dishes or dinner or traffic. Tonight, specifically, I would use it so that I could catch up on a couple of projects, including one that I owe a wonderful friend (I know you are reading and I really promise that I haven't forgotten you, C. I should totally be working on it instead of my blog!).
In any case, I would love to use that pause button so that I could take that extra minute to snuggle up to my kiddos and watch them sleep for a few minutes. Or to read "just one more story" to them before they fall asleep. Or simply to crawl into bed beside my husband and not feel like I was asleep before I even pulled up the blankets. Or to take a really long bath or give myself a really, really good pedicure.
So, does it sound like I'm complaining? :)
Yes, I would imagine it does. It sounds like I'm admitting defeat. I'm losing the battle to juggle 500 things and not be exhausted. And, I am. I'm not exhausted and I'm not unhappy at all. I'm actually not even really meaning to complain. I am just feeling the affects of doing everything we do. Today was a completely overly-hectic day, complete with a doctor's visit that lasted over 2 hours, prep for our first Girl Scout meeting, homework for Bailey (and Jake, if you count the project we had to do), ballet class for Bailey, and our first Girl Scout meeting tonight (did I mention that I'm the troop leader? Yes - shoot me now, even if it isn't that bad). :)
It is all worth it. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I would love to have that pause button. Yes, I would love it if we had a live-in massage therapist for my feet. Yes, I would LOVE it if I had a treadmill so that I wouldn't have to decide to run or not to run at 5:30 in the morning or in the rain or cool weather Yes, I would love it if the laundry was done, the dishes were all clean, the floors were swept, the toys were up, and dinner for the next week was already cooked. But, I am not complaining.
I love being healthy, even if I had to go to the doctor and get bloodwork done AGAIN. (FYI - they are working on ruling out the Sjogren's Syndrome I blogged about before). I love it that I CAN run and that I DO run. I love it that my kids are involved and that they have the stamina to handle (and enjoy) our lives. I love it that my husband supports us being involved in 100 different things, without complaint, and that he loves being involved in things, too. I love it that I'm meeting so many new people through Girl Scouts, ballet, t-ball, and soccer. And church, and a whole other list of things. I love it that my daughter is so much like me (sometimes). She wants her homework done as soon as she gets through the door. That way, she doesn't have to think any more about it. It makes life so much easier and I love having it done early, too. I love it that Jake is adjusting to preschool like a pro. He is handling drop off wonderfully.
I honestly and truly love this tired feeling. I feel like I'm living life to the fullest... and the sleepy feeling I have right now is something I only get when I know that I'm doing as much as I can in any given day. A few more hours would be nice, but you know, I'd just fill it up, too.
Good night (or morning for a lot of you!)!
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Showing posts with label Wishing for things.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wishing for things.... Show all posts
Boy Time
Monday, September 20, 2010
On Saturday, my boys went to the UK football together. Just Brad and Jake.
There are times that I think men have no clue how much what they do impacts their kids. I know that Brad doesn't seem to realize how important it is for him to do these things with Jake. I know that he knows that this means a lot to Jake, because it means a lot to him. But, he doesn't acknowledge that it's a big deal. He chooses to treat things as "no big deal." Part of that is because there isn't much in life that Brad considers "a big deal." And, like his father, Jake doesn't seem to be overly-excited about much either. They have that same personality... sometimes emotional about things you don't expect them to be emotional about, but typically not emotional about much. Of course, Bailey and I don't get that at all, but we are the complete opposite. There's not much in the world that we don't make a big deal about. lol. We can't help it any more than they can.
For me, seeing Brad and Jake heading to the ballgame together was priceless. Maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing in my mind... a relationship that I can see for them in the future. The "my dad is my hero" type of attitude that I can see emerging from Jake at some given point (much sooner than later). You know, the kind of admiration where he goes to school and tells his buddies, "my dad is so strong, he could beat up your dad." Don't you remember those conversations from the little boys you knew? OK... maybe that only happened with my brothers because my dad was a former boxer. If that's the case, then maybe you all think I'm crazy. lol. Oh well, what's new?! I don't encourage him to think that his dad would beat up anyone else's dad, though. :)
Anyway, I remember watching my dad and my middle brother establish this really cool relationship (Colt did, too, but Cory's is more memorable to me because it was something new for me to understand... by the time Colt came around, I expected it). Cory was probably about 5 before I really remember seeing it happen. There was this connection that they had... and I am so excited about that for Jake and Brad. Right now, Jake is mommy's little baby. He loves being my little baby. He even tells me he isn't a big boy because he is my little baby. And I am taking it while I can get it. I know it will only be a couple of years before he will think it's not cool for me to kiss him in public. He will want daddy to take him to school. He will want daddy to help him on the ballfield (oh, scratch that, he already does, thus the kicking in the outfield).
I can feel it shifting, especially on days like Saturday, where they do something like this together. You can see it in Jake's little eyes when he looks at Brad. He's already the coolest guy in the world. And, while Jake is still mommy's little baby and he wants to come home to his mommy to snuggle him to sleep, he is already ready to jump in the truck and go with his dad at any given opportunity. You can see it every time he brings me a toy that is broken and declares, "Daddy will fix it." It doesn't matter if I could actually fix it (which I normally can't because by the time they are broken to Jake, they are really destroyed). He wants his daddy to do it. No one else. It's in the adorable way that he wants to pee standing up or in the grass when daddy is around, but decides against that when it is just the two of us. You can see it when he looks at his shirt or shorts and says, "I wook wike daddy" or "This is just wike daddy's shirt." It is there every time he jumps on the trampoline and tells me he can flip like daddy (he does somersaults as opposed to the full out series of flips that his dad does). And, it is in the sprint that he makes for the door when his dad gets home and he starts begging him, "Go jumping wif me?" It's all there... just on the cusp of turning him from my baby to daddy's little man. And, while I would love to keep him my little baby for years and years, I love it that he's idolizing him so much. There's just nothing sweeter to me than a little boy who loves his daddy so much. It just melts my heart. :)
There are times that I think men have no clue how much what they do impacts their kids. I know that Brad doesn't seem to realize how important it is for him to do these things with Jake. I know that he knows that this means a lot to Jake, because it means a lot to him. But, he doesn't acknowledge that it's a big deal. He chooses to treat things as "no big deal." Part of that is because there isn't much in life that Brad considers "a big deal." And, like his father, Jake doesn't seem to be overly-excited about much either. They have that same personality... sometimes emotional about things you don't expect them to be emotional about, but typically not emotional about much. Of course, Bailey and I don't get that at all, but we are the complete opposite. There's not much in the world that we don't make a big deal about. lol. We can't help it any more than they can.
For me, seeing Brad and Jake heading to the ballgame together was priceless. Maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing in my mind... a relationship that I can see for them in the future. The "my dad is my hero" type of attitude that I can see emerging from Jake at some given point (much sooner than later). You know, the kind of admiration where he goes to school and tells his buddies, "my dad is so strong, he could beat up your dad." Don't you remember those conversations from the little boys you knew? OK... maybe that only happened with my brothers because my dad was a former boxer. If that's the case, then maybe you all think I'm crazy. lol. Oh well, what's new?! I don't encourage him to think that his dad would beat up anyone else's dad, though. :)
Anyway, I remember watching my dad and my middle brother establish this really cool relationship (Colt did, too, but Cory's is more memorable to me because it was something new for me to understand... by the time Colt came around, I expected it). Cory was probably about 5 before I really remember seeing it happen. There was this connection that they had... and I am so excited about that for Jake and Brad. Right now, Jake is mommy's little baby. He loves being my little baby. He even tells me he isn't a big boy because he is my little baby. And I am taking it while I can get it. I know it will only be a couple of years before he will think it's not cool for me to kiss him in public. He will want daddy to take him to school. He will want daddy to help him on the ballfield (oh, scratch that, he already does, thus the kicking in the outfield).
I can feel it shifting, especially on days like Saturday, where they do something like this together. You can see it in Jake's little eyes when he looks at Brad. He's already the coolest guy in the world. And, while Jake is still mommy's little baby and he wants to come home to his mommy to snuggle him to sleep, he is already ready to jump in the truck and go with his dad at any given opportunity. You can see it every time he brings me a toy that is broken and declares, "Daddy will fix it." It doesn't matter if I could actually fix it (which I normally can't because by the time they are broken to Jake, they are really destroyed). He wants his daddy to do it. No one else. It's in the adorable way that he wants to pee standing up or in the grass when daddy is around, but decides against that when it is just the two of us. You can see it when he looks at his shirt or shorts and says, "I wook wike daddy" or "This is just wike daddy's shirt." It is there every time he jumps on the trampoline and tells me he can flip like daddy (he does somersaults as opposed to the full out series of flips that his dad does). And, it is in the sprint that he makes for the door when his dad gets home and he starts begging him, "Go jumping wif me?" It's all there... just on the cusp of turning him from my baby to daddy's little man. And, while I would love to keep him my little baby for years and years, I love it that he's idolizing him so much. There's just nothing sweeter to me than a little boy who loves his daddy so much. It just melts my heart. :)
My other love
Friday, September 3, 2010
The fall weather is in the air. There's a fresh cloud of moisture on the windshield and the air is just chilly enough to feel like fall. It is almost here. I've blogged before about the fall. I love it. I love all the seasons really, but there's something special about the fall. I love the feeling of the air, the smell of the moisture, the beautiful colors of the trees when they change... all of it.
But none of that compares to the feeling I get when I walk up to a stadium full of people and see a football team on the field. The ACDC blaring over the loud speakers, the smell of popcorn, team colors on little boys that dream to be on that field, and big bows and cheerleading outfits on baby girls who will grow up and stand on that sideline... it all just thrills me. I can feel it deep down... and my adrenaline just rushes and I can't help but smile. I just love football. It's happiness for me.
If only Bailey were a boy... :)
I drove past a field of kids practicing the other day. I wished with everything in me that we were there instead of the t-ball field. Not that I don't love t-ball... I'm just passionate about football. I pray that Jake loves it like us... because I really NEED him to play. lol. Not really... I'm not the parent that will push him to do it even if he doesn't want to, but I really have to admit that I want him to want to. I really want him to want to. :) I can't help it... I just love football.
But, until Jake is ready, if he ever decides to be (hopefully when he's young, but we'll settle for eventually), we will go support UK and watch our fill of ball on TV (Go Mountaineers). I'll pick my fantasy football team and watch players I've never heard of before, hoping they'll score or not score so that I can come out a winner at the end of the weekend. I hope I can get back home to see my brother's stepsons play at some point this fall. It's so much fun to see a little kid learning what to do on the field. It's just so much fun...
We will patiently wait with hope that we will be soon enough watching Jake on the football field, spending our time teaching him about options, bootleg passes, blitzes, and end-arounds. And, most likely how to avoid getting hit or at least how to take a hit by some really big kids since he's really small. :) Tough or not... a big kid on top of him isn't exactly what I'm excited about seeing. :)
But none of that compares to the feeling I get when I walk up to a stadium full of people and see a football team on the field. The ACDC blaring over the loud speakers, the smell of popcorn, team colors on little boys that dream to be on that field, and big bows and cheerleading outfits on baby girls who will grow up and stand on that sideline... it all just thrills me. I can feel it deep down... and my adrenaline just rushes and I can't help but smile. I just love football. It's happiness for me.
If only Bailey were a boy... :)
I drove past a field of kids practicing the other day. I wished with everything in me that we were there instead of the t-ball field. Not that I don't love t-ball... I'm just passionate about football. I pray that Jake loves it like us... because I really NEED him to play. lol. Not really... I'm not the parent that will push him to do it even if he doesn't want to, but I really have to admit that I want him to want to. I really want him to want to. :) I can't help it... I just love football.
But, until Jake is ready, if he ever decides to be (hopefully when he's young, but we'll settle for eventually), we will go support UK and watch our fill of ball on TV (Go Mountaineers). I'll pick my fantasy football team and watch players I've never heard of before, hoping they'll score or not score so that I can come out a winner at the end of the weekend. I hope I can get back home to see my brother's stepsons play at some point this fall. It's so much fun to see a little kid learning what to do on the field. It's just so much fun...
We will patiently wait with hope that we will be soon enough watching Jake on the football field, spending our time teaching him about options, bootleg passes, blitzes, and end-arounds. And, most likely how to avoid getting hit or at least how to take a hit by some really big kids since he's really small. :) Tough or not... a big kid on top of him isn't exactly what I'm excited about seeing. :)
The Blog Evolution... or something like that.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
My blog is evolving. I’m sure you all have noticed it. It’s transforming… spiraling out of control? Well, I might be a little dramatic, but hey, that’s what you get with me sometimes.
I started my blog at the encouragement of a wonderful friend. She inspired me by starting a blog about her children, their journey through life, and the ups and downs of parenting. I had been struggling to keep up with updates to friends and family who live out of town, scrap booking about the kids’ different stages of lives, keeping up with baby books, and trying to keep my thoughts straight about how I felt about many things. Heck, I would have been happy if I could have just had photos printed before they were a year outdated. I wanted a place to air my ideas and thoughts, vent about crazy things that happen, and, well, you get the idea. So, Life with the Ootens was born.
I have sporadically updated it, trying to keep up with life and post about how we are handling different stages of our lives. I’ve posted daily for weeks and then spent months away from the blog, avoiding it entirely because I had too much to say. Until recently…
I can’t quite pinpoint what happened to make me decide that I wanted to live life a little differently. I could reel off a hundred different things that played a role in my decision to live by a “list,” but that would take a while. It’s easier to just say that I needed to do something new and set some goals. So, as you all know, I created my list.
Now, I’m at a point where I’m trying to decide how to reorganize my blog accordingly, so you might see some changes in the very near future. I’m pretty excited about it. No worries though… I won’t be losing any of the aspects of my parenting and updates on the kids. And, I will most definitely be posting about my list, my life, and all the struggles and successes that go along with it. After all, it is a blog about Life with the Ootens, as hectic as that might be. J I had contemplated separating my blogs into a family blog and a list blog, but it just doesn’t come naturally. There is no way to separate my life into neat little segments, no matter how OCD I am. The kids are definitely a huge factor in why I want to accomplish so many of the things on my list. It is important for me to be their mom (number 1), but more important for me to have an identity other than just their mom. So, it will remain one blog. Sidebar – the idea that me being more than a mom to my kids is already taking hold. I am already seeing positive response from that with Bailey. She thinks I’m incredibly cool because I’ve been running. J She told my mom all about how I have been training really hard. So cute.
All of you readers (I think there are three of you – just kidding) out there are making me so happy. I can’t wait to open my e-mail after I’ve blogged something. I hear you all encouraging me and it makes me smile. But, I have to say that what is making me happier is hearing about your different goals and “list” items that you are doing. It’s funny that some of you are worried that I’ll think you are “copying” me by doing things on your list. DON’T! I’m not listing these things so that no one else can do it. In fact, I think that might just be what I love the most about my blog in its new stages... I am finding common ground with people that I didn't even realized I shared with them. I am hearing fun stories about things they've done that are on my list or hearing about how I definitely need to make parasailing a priority for this summer because it really is that awesome. I think we all have a list that we have kept mentally. Most of us have never written it down or made it public. Most of us change it frequently, without even meaning to. If my list helps you mark things off your list, or even begin to keep your list, go for it! I would feel honored that anything I have done or will do could have a positive impact on someone else. But, please, I beg you… share, even if it’s only with me and you don’t want me to tell anyone. Because, THAT is what is keeping me inspired… that and my kids, my husband, blah, blah, blah.
The list goes on… Literally.
Soundtrack of my life
Sunday, May 16, 2010
I've always heard people say that we all have soundtracks for our lives. I honestly can say that certain songs will take me back to completely different times in my life. For instance, hearing Mariah Carey takes me instantly back to my bedroom in high school, where I laid on my bed and belted out the entire CD for hours. For any of you who know how wonderful (insert sarcasm here) my voice is, you know why that is so hilarious to me. I can hear a Boyz II Men song and I think of my friend Jackie and the many evenings we spent entertaining my parents by singing these songs while standing on our "stage" (the ledge in front of our old fireplace). Yes, I do realize that 13 was a little old to be doing that, but we had a great time. lol... And the list goes on... I could probably turn on the radio right now and find a song that would "take me back."
Anyway, when I was a little girl, I really enjoyed reading poetry. It took a while for me before I realized that so many of the songs that I loved were poems in and of themselves. Sometimes, I hear a song, listen to the words, and something about them will just stick with me. I thought about starting my own little collection of these lyrics, but that seems kind of silly to me. I don't know why, but I just don't want to be the hoarder of song lyrics for some reason. Probably because I'm already tracking and hoarding so many other things.
So, maybe I'll just post one every now and then that is fun or interesting or somehow affecting me.
The first one is American Honey by Lady Antebellum. When I first heard this song, I thought it was kind of cheesy or silly. Then, I read the lyrics... and it's really sweet. I can relate with it in terms of missing the "good ole days" when things were slower and easier and I spent hours upon hours roaming the countryside behind my grandparents' home or laying in a field reading a book. I've said it in my posts before, but it makes me sad that my kids won't have that slow, country lifestyle. You learn a lot about how to be comfortable with yourself and to just "be" when you don't have anything in the world to distract you from yourself. Yep... I know... that was as clear as mud. lol.
So... here's the lyrics for American Honey, if you haven't already heard it 1,000 times on the radio. :)
Where the church bells ring and strong love grows
She grew up good
She grew up slow
Like American honey
Steady as a preacher
Free as a weed
Couldn't wait to get goin'
But wasn't quite ready to leave
So innocent, pure and sweet
American honey
There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowing in the wind
Calling out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summer time
And American honey
Get caught in the race
Of this crazy life
Trying to be everything can make you lose your mind
I just wanna go back in time
To American honey, yea
There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowing in the wind
Calling out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summer time
And American honey
Gone for so long now
I gotta get back to her somehow
To American honey
Ooh There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowing in the wind
Calling out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothin's sweeter than summer time
And American honey
And American honey
And.... my list... keeps... growing...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
I have made my list and it keeps growing. I can't even begin to stop adding things. So, I'm going to list what I have here, but know that it will likely change constantly. :) I was trying to stick to around 100 things, but well, I tried.
Now, here is the deal. I think I can accomplish about 20 things off of my list in the next twelve months. I think I can... some of the things are simple things that I just need to make a point to do. So, I think that is going to be my goal... I'm going to try and have at least 20 things marked off my list by May 1, 2011.
And... here's the big reveal:
My List (Changing Daily)
1. Parasailing at the beach
2. Serve the homeless
3. Habitat for Humanity
4. Planting a wildflower garden like my great-grandmother's
5. Learn to plant a vegetable garden
6. Learn to make jewelry
7. Make a memory quilt for my parents
8. Research my family tree
9. Go to a UK football game
10. Go to a UK basketball game
11. Go to the NCAA basketball Championships - DONE! NCAA Championships 2010 Duke versus Butler (After Duke defeated WVU in the Final Four Game we attended and Butler defeated Michigan State University – Indianapolis, Indiana)
12. Go to a NCAA football Bowl game (preferably WVU’s game)
13. Run a 5k
14. Participate in a triathlon or a duathalon or both
15. Take Bailey to see her first concert – DONE! Taylor Swift at Rupp Arena on April 29, 2010
16. Go back to see Taylor Swift. :)
17. See Dave Matthews in concert again, preferably with Bret, Cilla, Rebecca, and Paul. :)
18. Swim with dolphins
19. Learn to ride a horse (without feeling terrified)
20. Teach Bailey and Jake how to shoot bows and arrows
21. Teach Bailey and Jake how to ski
22. Ski in Colorado, Vermont, and/or Canada
23. Visit Savannah, Georgia
24. Visit Charleston, South Carolina
25. Travel outside of the country
26. Participate in a mission trip (this might have to wait until the kids are older)
27. Teach Bailey to tie her shoes
28. Teach Jake to walk into a room and feel confident with himself (no nail biting)
29. Go to the Super Bowl - hehehehe.... definitely have to win the lottery for this one
30. Learn how to write HTML code
31. Learn how to decorate cakes (beyond the little stars that I can do)
32. Learn to play guitar
33. Camp out with the kids
34. Ride a four-wheeler (again)
35. Drive a motorcycle
36. Snowboard… without injuring myself
37. Ice skate
38. Teach my kids to make crawdads fight
39. Learn to golf
40. Teach Bailey and Jake how to play tennis
41. Build a children’s boutique that features specialty clothing, including items that I make
42. Visit Hawaii
43. See a volcano
44. Learn to surf
45. Sing karaoke
46. Get tickets for Brad and Jake to see a motocross competition together... just so I could hear about the look on Jake's face. It's crazy to see how much a motorcycle can impact a little boy - it's genetic.
47. Take the kids to a monster truck show
48. Help the kids learn to throw and kick a football
49. Go snorkeling
50. Go deep sea fishing
51. Read these books: http://www.newsweek.com/id/204478 Yep… all of them.
52. Help my kids learn (and love) to read and read them the Little House on the Prairie books (my mom read them to us as kids)
53. Organize all of my photos and family videos (this will probably never happen because I can’t ever get caught up!).
54. Catch fireflies with my kids
55. Find a way to organize kids’ toys… really…
56. Raise money for breast cancer awareness (think at least $5,000)
57. Read the entire Bible from beginning to end
58. Get my kids a dog and teach them to take care of it
59. Learn to water ski
60. Grow old with the love of my life by my side
61. Go to Vegas… and gamble a lot. A whole lot.
62. Go to the Kentucky Derby
63. Visit New Orleans, but not during Mardi Gras – that would be too many people for me to handle…
64. Visit Los Angeles
65. Drink a green beer
Now, here is the deal. I think I can accomplish about 20 things off of my list in the next twelve months. I think I can... some of the things are simple things that I just need to make a point to do. So, I think that is going to be my goal... I'm going to try and have at least 20 things marked off my list by May 1, 2011.
And... here's the big reveal:
My List (Changing Daily)
1. Parasailing at the beach
2. Serve the homeless
3. Habitat for Humanity
4. Planting a wildflower garden like my great-grandmother's
5. Learn to plant a vegetable garden
6. Learn to make jewelry
7. Make a memory quilt for my parents
8. Research my family tree
9. Go to a UK football game
10. Go to a UK basketball game
11. Go to the NCAA basketball Championships - DONE! NCAA Championships 2010 Duke versus Butler (After Duke defeated WVU in the Final Four Game we attended and Butler defeated Michigan State University – Indianapolis, Indiana)
12. Go to a NCAA football Bowl game (preferably WVU’s game)
13. Run a 5k
14. Participate in a triathlon or a duathalon or both
15. Take Bailey to see her first concert – DONE! Taylor Swift at Rupp Arena on April 29, 2010
16. Go back to see Taylor Swift. :)
17. See Dave Matthews in concert again, preferably with Bret, Cilla, Rebecca, and Paul. :)
18. Swim with dolphins
19. Learn to ride a horse (without feeling terrified)
20. Teach Bailey and Jake how to shoot bows and arrows
21. Teach Bailey and Jake how to ski
22. Ski in Colorado, Vermont, and/or Canada
23. Visit Savannah, Georgia
24. Visit Charleston, South Carolina
25. Travel outside of the country
26. Participate in a mission trip (this might have to wait until the kids are older)
27. Teach Bailey to tie her shoes
28. Teach Jake to walk into a room and feel confident with himself (no nail biting)
29. Go to the Super Bowl - hehehehe.... definitely have to win the lottery for this one
30. Learn how to write HTML code
31. Learn how to decorate cakes (beyond the little stars that I can do)
32. Learn to play guitar
33. Camp out with the kids
34. Ride a four-wheeler (again)
35. Drive a motorcycle
36. Snowboard… without injuring myself
37. Ice skate
38. Teach my kids to make crawdads fight
39. Learn to golf
40. Teach Bailey and Jake how to play tennis
41. Build a children’s boutique that features specialty clothing, including items that I make
42. Visit Hawaii
43. See a volcano
44. Learn to surf
45. Sing karaoke
46. Get tickets for Brad and Jake to see a motocross competition together... just so I could hear about the look on Jake's face. It's crazy to see how much a motorcycle can impact a little boy - it's genetic.
47. Take the kids to a monster truck show
48. Help the kids learn to throw and kick a football
49. Go snorkeling
50. Go deep sea fishing
51. Read these books: http://www.newsweek.com/id/204478 Yep… all of them.
52. Help my kids learn (and love) to read and read them the Little House on the Prairie books (my mom read them to us as kids)
53. Organize all of my photos and family videos (this will probably never happen because I can’t ever get caught up!).
54. Catch fireflies with my kids
55. Find a way to organize kids’ toys… really…
56. Raise money for breast cancer awareness (think at least $5,000)
57. Read the entire Bible from beginning to end
58. Get my kids a dog and teach them to take care of it
59. Learn to water ski
60. Grow old with the love of my life by my side
61. Go to Vegas… and gamble a lot. A whole lot.
62. Go to the Kentucky Derby
63. Visit New Orleans, but not during Mardi Gras – that would be too many people for me to handle…
64. Visit Los Angeles
65. Drink a green beer
66. Take my kids to Disney world
67. Have an in-ground pool
68. Get a couple’s massage
69. Learn to save money for Christmas to give our credit cards a break J
70. Pay off our credit cards – HAHAHAHAHA! I know… it is hilarious.
71. Take a world geography class or at least attempt to learn where various countries are located, since I have absolutely no knowledge of these things.
72. Have a Halloween party, complete with costumes and bobbing for apples
73. Host Christmas dinner at my home
74. Go some place really fascinating for New Year’s Eve
75. Do a tour of New England, including Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, complete with historical tourist stops
76. See the Grand Canyon
77. Climb a mountain… like really hike and climb a mountain not a hill in eastern Kentucky
78. Go to Nashville and watch the country music stars at the CMA Music Festival
79. Teach Jake to pedal his bike
80. Teach Bailey to ride without training wheels
81. Win the lottery so that we can actually do this traveling before I turn 80. :)
82. Capture a caterpillar and watch it turn into a butterfly with the kids
83. Milk a cow
84. Take the kids to the circus
85. Spend an entire day wandering the hills where I grew up with my own children… showing them the blackberry bushes that my grandparents and I picked berries from and the little “pond” where I thought a huge turtle lived
86. Teach my kids to appreciate everything they have… even if it means sacrificing all of the things on my list to show them what is really important in this world
87. Learn to can vegetables
88. Learn at least ten new recipes each year
89. Read all of the “Fifty Books Every Kindergartener Should Read” with both of the kids this summer
90. Learn to speak Spanish
91. Learn to paint… not walls and stuff… like paintings
92. Go to a Nascar race
93. Learn to tango (with Brad, who will object vehemently… scratch that… he just said he would… I think he’s the best man in the world.)
94. Sit on top of a mountain and watch the sunset with my family
95. Learn to toss a lasso properly
96. Go to a rodeo
97. Stay in a lavish hotel with room service and a poolside bar (again, since we did that for our honeymoon)
98. Get a famous person’s autograph
99. Make homemade ice cream
100. Fly kites with the kids on the beach
101. Wake up early with each child and take them to find seashells at the beach… one at a time
102. Sit on a covered porch during a thunderstorm
103. Help other people do things on their lists… like I’m totally taking Cilla to play putt-putt golf.
104. Find a recipe for tea that I actually like
105. Jump in a pile of leaves again
106. Buy Brad a motorcycle because I love him and he wants one so bad. Guess the surprise is out on that one?!
107. Ride a jet ski – no I have never done that, can you believe it?!
67. Have an in-ground pool
68. Get a couple’s massage
69. Learn to save money for Christmas to give our credit cards a break J
70. Pay off our credit cards – HAHAHAHAHA! I know… it is hilarious.
71. Take a world geography class or at least attempt to learn where various countries are located, since I have absolutely no knowledge of these things.
72. Have a Halloween party, complete with costumes and bobbing for apples
73. Host Christmas dinner at my home
74. Go some place really fascinating for New Year’s Eve
75. Do a tour of New England, including Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, complete with historical tourist stops
76. See the Grand Canyon
77. Climb a mountain… like really hike and climb a mountain not a hill in eastern Kentucky
78. Go to Nashville and watch the country music stars at the CMA Music Festival
79. Teach Jake to pedal his bike
80. Teach Bailey to ride without training wheels
81. Win the lottery so that we can actually do this traveling before I turn 80. :)
82. Capture a caterpillar and watch it turn into a butterfly with the kids
83. Milk a cow
84. Take the kids to the circus
85. Spend an entire day wandering the hills where I grew up with my own children… showing them the blackberry bushes that my grandparents and I picked berries from and the little “pond” where I thought a huge turtle lived
86. Teach my kids to appreciate everything they have… even if it means sacrificing all of the things on my list to show them what is really important in this world
87. Learn to can vegetables
88. Learn at least ten new recipes each year
89. Read all of the “Fifty Books Every Kindergartener Should Read” with both of the kids this summer
90. Learn to speak Spanish
91. Learn to paint… not walls and stuff… like paintings
92. Go to a Nascar race
93. Learn to tango (with Brad, who will object vehemently… scratch that… he just said he would… I think he’s the best man in the world.)
94. Sit on top of a mountain and watch the sunset with my family
95. Learn to toss a lasso properly
96. Go to a rodeo
97. Stay in a lavish hotel with room service and a poolside bar (again, since we did that for our honeymoon)
98. Get a famous person’s autograph
99. Make homemade ice cream
100. Fly kites with the kids on the beach
101. Wake up early with each child and take them to find seashells at the beach… one at a time
102. Sit on a covered porch during a thunderstorm
103. Help other people do things on their lists… like I’m totally taking Cilla to play putt-putt golf.
104. Find a recipe for tea that I actually like
105. Jump in a pile of leaves again
106. Buy Brad a motorcycle because I love him and he wants one so bad. Guess the surprise is out on that one?!
107. Ride a jet ski – no I have never done that, can you believe it?!
:) We'll see how it goes!
Our Fabulous Night
Friday, April 30, 2010
Well, I have been proven wrong... and I'm happy about it for the first time ever. :) My daughter is not overly-spoiled to the point that she can't appreciate the little and big things in life. She stood speechless after last night's concert.
Bailey had a fabulous time at the Taylor Swift concert. Honestly, I don't think she'll ever forget it. It was amazing. Spectacular. Fabulous. Wonderful. Incredible. I can't find enough words to describe how perfect it was.
We got there early to go and eat at the food court... nothing like Arby's before a concert. lol. At about 6:45, we made our way into the arena to find a t-shirt, get our cotton candy or popcorn (she hadn't decided just yet which one), a drink, make a bathroom stop, and make the way down the long set of stairs to our seats. We were on the floor... something I've only done once at a major concert. So, needless to say, I was pretty pumped about it, with the exception of walking all those stairs with my hands full and a five-year old girl in tow.
We got all of our stops in, after waiting in a very long line for a t-shirt. I was praying the whole time that they wouldn't run out of youth sizes before we got up there. Fortunately, we were able to get one. And, for everyone's information, Bailey bought the shirt with her birthday money... another thing I was impressed with and happy about. She didn't even seem to mind that we were using her money. She also offered to buy our dinner. :) Sweet, huh? I told her to save it for her shirt, of course. Don't worry... she's asked me twice already to make sure I don't forget to put the rest of her money back into her piggy bank. lol.
Anyway... we make our way down to the floor and find our seats. I'm pretty excited when I see that we aren't far from the stage... less excited when I see that the sound equipment and some other things are right in front of our seats, blocking our view. The two ladies beside of us were equally peeved. Bailey would have to stand in her seat to see anything and most likely, I would end up holding her. Not something that's easy to do when your five-year old weighs nearly 50 pounds. So, we were sitting there commiserating with our neighbors when the staff/security guard told us to pay more attention to what was on the other side of that "fence" in front of us. We looked... there was a small stage... perfect for Taylor and a guitar. We all freaked out like little five-year old girls... jumping up and down and dancing in circles. Yes, that was me. :)
Needless to say, when the concert began, we were on our feet right against that fence, waiting for her to come to us. I held Bailey, which was exhausting, but totally worth it to see her face. We used said fence to prop a lot of her weight for a big part of the evening. Imagine how excited she was when Taylor walked up on that stage in front of us... we could have reached out and grabbed her guitars... we were only about 10 feet from her for two songs. It was truly incredible. Before she went back to the main stage, she made her way around to touch hands, give hugs, etc. Bailey got to touch her hand and was given a guitar pick with Taylor's picture on it. I went as nuts as any little girl, but Bailey was awestruck. She was speechless... for the very first time in her life!
The concert went on to include paper hearts being shot out of a cannon which was right in front of us, covering us with the hearts. Bailey was adorable when she looked up and asked me how it was raining hearts. She picked up fistfuls of them and stuffed them in my purse to take home. And took other fistfuls and threw them in the air, dancing under them as they fell. She was amazed by the lighting and the loudness of it all. She truly enjoyed being able to scream as loud as she wanted without me telling her to quiet down. She marveled at the fire on the screens behind the stage, confirming with me that the fire was not real, but just looked it. And then... Taylor sang her final song. And water, as in sheets of water with the word NO imprinted in them, came down. Bailey couldn't believe it. She asked me how it could be real... then told me she knew it was real... Taylor was drenched.
When we left, I was high on life. Bailey was too. I asked her what her favorite part was and she said, "All of it... it was all awesome, mom." :) She was right... I couldn't pick one thing out of the concert that was the best... it was truly incredible. And I was so proud that my little girl realized how wonderful it was.
I have to say before closing this, that I would have on my "bucket list" to take Bailey to this concert. And it's definitely something I'm keeping on the list. We will go back to see her next time she comes here. She is amazing. And, you know, there is more to her than just the music and the lights. She was truly touched by the fans. I'm not sure if she is just a great actress or if she's genuine, but she seems to appreciate the screaming fans more than any other artist I've seen. She seems to get it that her fans are not all adults or teenagers, but five-year old girls with dreams and fantasies of fairytales. She seems to realize that touching her fans' hands, waving at them, hugging them, and all of that is what makes the concert go from good to great. And, I have to say that I hope Bailey sees her as a role model as she grows. This chic seems to get it that she doesn't need a man to make her who she is, but she still has hopes and dreams of finding real love with someone who respects her and treats her good. That's what I want Bailey to be like... independent and strong, but open to having her heart broken in hopes that she will find the one person that gives her a fairytale.
Please hurry summer...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Have I mentioned how ready we are for Spring? And, thankfully, the sun is finally coming out! It looks like we might reach the 50s this weekend, so I can finally get these kids out and let them burn off some energy. It's been a lot of staying in and cuddled close this winter, making us all slightly crazy and irritable. Not too much longer and we'll be able to breathe a little!
Also, we have been swimming every day this week. The kids started their swimming lessons at the YMCA on Monday, which has even reinforced our strong desire for summer. They both are doing fabulous with their lessons. Bailey is not having as much fun in hers as she would like. She thinks she should have free swim the entire time, not be waiting for someone else to have a turn. Jake, on the other hand, is driving me crazy asking if we can go swimming every five minutes. It's adorable. He has always been a little timid with the water, not quite as confident as Bailey. But, he's come around and is now so excited about it. I hear, "We go swimming pool???" about 50 times a day.
So, now we wait for the days that we can spend all day at the pool, enjoying hot weather, ice cream, and popsicles instead of bundling up in sweatshirts and hats, stripping down to swim in the indoor pool, and then bundling back up to come home and stay in the house. Please hurry summer... we need you. :)
Also, we have been swimming every day this week. The kids started their swimming lessons at the YMCA on Monday, which has even reinforced our strong desire for summer. They both are doing fabulous with their lessons. Bailey is not having as much fun in hers as she would like. She thinks she should have free swim the entire time, not be waiting for someone else to have a turn. Jake, on the other hand, is driving me crazy asking if we can go swimming every five minutes. It's adorable. He has always been a little timid with the water, not quite as confident as Bailey. But, he's come around and is now so excited about it. I hear, "We go swimming pool???" about 50 times a day.
So, now we wait for the days that we can spend all day at the pool, enjoying hot weather, ice cream, and popsicles instead of bundling up in sweatshirts and hats, stripping down to swim in the indoor pool, and then bundling back up to come home and stay in the house. Please hurry summer... we need you. :)
Beautiful Day
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Today was beautiful... nice and warm after what seems like months of snow, ice, and cold winds. I have to say that it could go down as one of those perfect days. We slept in until about 9:30, got up and went to church. We came home, changed into grungy sweats and hoodies, ate leftover Chinese and went outside. No hats and gloves... no promises of hot chocolate... and no hurry to get in and get warm. It was great. The kids rode their bikes, scooters, battery-operated cars, and trikes throughout the day. Brad and I took turns working in the garage and cleaning out cars while the other helped the kids work on their pedaling skills or prevented Jake from eating the remainder of the snow, which was nearly all black at this point. It was just a good day.
I think sometimes what can make a day perfect is that everyone is content. No one was complaining about anything (including me!). Brad helped me with everything without being begged or harassed. The kids played wihtout having complaints about being bored or needing us to do something different. I was just happy to have everyone happy and to find half of our sippy cups that we've been missing when I cleaned out the car! :)
Now they all sleep... except me. And I'm torn... do I go to bed and rest or do I stay up and sew? Balance the checkbook? Write a few grants for the ballet? Watch some tv? Hmmm...
I think sometimes what can make a day perfect is that everyone is content. No one was complaining about anything (including me!). Brad helped me with everything without being begged or harassed. The kids played wihtout having complaints about being bored or needing us to do something different. I was just happy to have everyone happy and to find half of our sippy cups that we've been missing when I cleaned out the car! :)
Now they all sleep... except me. And I'm torn... do I go to bed and rest or do I stay up and sew? Balance the checkbook? Write a few grants for the ballet? Watch some tv? Hmmm...
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