Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween 2007! Hope everyone had fun and that the monsters weren't too scary this year!

First, a couple of decoration updates. I finished the Wizard of Oz witch so she could keep an eye on those other 3 guys:

And the skeleton is just dressed for a night on the town. Sort of. He's also guarding the candy so the kiddos don't steal it while I'm not looking.

Bill finished the outside decorations. He got an inflatable ghost snow globe that looks really cute. Abby didn't like any ghosts in her upstairs window, so she got a kitty cat this year.

The girls carved real pumpkins at school this year. KC did a bat and Abby did a very scary skull:

Here is the skull when it is lit (the camera is a bit blurry, but you can get the idea)

And here's the bat with a bit of a light:

On to actual Halloween. Of course we had to start with a Halloween feast!






The girls found a group from school and hit the trick-or-treat trail! Abby is an adorable witch and KC is a cutie pie soldier:

After trick-or-treating, the girls came back and joined Brady and I handing out candy. We'd sit on the porch as still as statues. When little ones came up, we'd just tell them Happy Halloween and give out the candy. When those teenagers wandered by, we'd sit still and wait. They'd kind of sneak up to the house and argue whether we were real or fake (it was very dark on the porch, with just a jack-o-lantern and some orange lights glowing, and we had spooky music playing in the background.

When they finally convinced themselves that we were fake, they'd finally walk up and Brady would jump out of the bushes!! Who knew the girls could sit still?

We'd only scare the big kids - never the little ones. It was fun, though. Here's what we looked like with the flash:

I took a video of the front of the house in the dark, I'll try to capture and upload it tomorrow. It's 10pm and there are still trick-or-treaters ringing our bell. Time to turn out the lights and hit the hay!

Happy Halloween to all, and happy All Saints Day on November 1st. Thank your guardian angel today!

Warriors win!!

The Warriors played in the 14U division this past weekend because there were not enough teams in the 13U division (these other teams need to get their priorities straight - what's more important than baseball?? - LOL).

Anyway, it was a bit intimidating seeing so many players who were much larger than most of our boys, but it was a good challenge for them. They've finished 2nd in so many tournaments this fall (granted, 2nd is far better than last, but it's still 2nd) that I thought a bit higher level of competition might spur them on to work harder.

It did. They won first place! Brady had a very good tournament. He had a bunt hit, a solid single to left field, and 5 walks (plus a sac bunt and a strikeout). His defense was really outstanding - he was focused, made good decisions, and executed them well. We were very proud of him!

Here he is squaring around to bunt, right-handed. He's really back to being comfortable from both sides of the plate again which is such a relief! Once switch-hitters begin struggling from one side the coaches tend to want them to commit to batting from the other side. He really likes hitting both left and right, so it's nice to see him having some success both ways.


This bunt ended up being a triple - a throwing error helped him reach all the way to 3rd! We always tell him that it's because he hustles up the first base line that the defense feels pressure to make a quick play and once in a while that will cause an error that helps him reach base. It's all about doing your best and working hard!



This was an attempt at a steal. What I am so happy to see is that he's not nervous about the runner these days. In the past, he'd flinch a bit when the runner slid in hard, but here he's right in there, protecting the base, and keeping that tag on the runner. When the dust settles, he's got his man!


I don't know that it matters whether or not Brady ever becomes a major league ballplayer (although if he keeps working hard, no dream is ever out of reach). I do know that the skills he is learning about hard work, persistence, and teamwork will make him a better person and that is worth it. :-)

Fall has arrived!

I love fall. I suppose being a small child in Boston, you can't help but look forward to the leaves changing colors, the chill in the air, the pumpkins and scarecrows dotting the landscapes . . .

So, despite the fact that I have spent most of my life in Texas, where (as they say) the 4 seasons are early summer, summer, late summer, and rain . . . I still love to decorate the house and yard as if the leaves were about to turn any day. A small tribute to my younger days.

The kids, Bill, and I try to combine some fall/harvest decorations with some scary Halloween sorts of things.

I like to start with the mantle. I've had the Halloween beanie babies for years, so they get a chance to shake off the cobwebs for a few weeks. Hmmm, maybe I should leave the cobwebs next year . . .




Of course I have to have a tree!

The door is kind of spooky/harvest with the wreath and the mums watched over by some spooky guys there in the window.

The porch itself is mostly fall with the scarecrows and the hay. There's a crow sitting on the bale of hay, too, but he kind of hides from that scarecrow:

The yard itself is pretty spooky with the tombstones in the garden. These spirits are all friendly, fortunately.

These last three guys are in the dining room, but they may move closer to the front door. I bought them last year, but didn't actually get them done until this year. They are kind of cute, though, although that lion reminded me why the glue gun and I will never be fast friends. Martha Stewart I am not.



Since I took these pictures, I finished the witch to keep an eye on the three wise guys, and we bought a few new things this weekend. I'll post some updates once I get them all in place. Tonight, however, it is raining, so the decorating will have to wait for another day.

Happy Fall!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I read this essay by Erma Bombeck when I was in high school and it always made me think of my mother.

"You don't love me!"

How many times have your kids laid that one on you?

And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much?

Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I'll tell them...

I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.

I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money, which we could afford, and you couldn't.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your hand picked friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to say, "Yes, you can go to Disney World on Mother's Day."

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust, and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or your bad manners.

I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.

I loved you enough to ignore "what every other mother" did or said.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt, and fail.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your own actions, at 6, 10, or 16.

I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned, but forgave you for it...after discovering I was right.

I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas and insensitive to your demands...so that you had to stand alone.

I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, and not what I wanted you to be.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it.

That was the hardest part of all.

Erma Bombeck

Today, October 10th, is my mother's birthday. I celebrate this day, because without her there is no me. I don't just mean that I wouldn't have been born, although that is certainly true. It is because my mother is who she is, that I am who I am.

When I look at my children, I see so much of her in each of them. Brady's loyalty and character, K.C.'s curiosity and creativity, Abby's strength and nurturing, have all grown from her. Whatever skill I have as a mother, I learned from my Mom.

Thank you for everything, and happy birthday! I love you. :-)

9-11

Today is the 6th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. At the girls' school they had a program called "Patriots and Heroes" and KC was one of the featured soloists in the program. She and 3 other students helped lead the 5th graders in a song called American Tears.

First, all the students sang a very nice song about being Americans. Then the third graders sang a song about diversity and how it takes lots of different people to make a difference in the world. Very sweet, and Abby was adorable (as usual):



Then a local deputy gave a very touching speech on what it means to be a hero. At this point I'm already teary, so imagine what is yet to come.

Next, the fourth graders sang a song about America, then it was the fifth graders' turn.

They had a powerpoint presentation with photos from 9-11 and it is a beautiful song.



Of course, anyone who knows me at all can imagine that I was very emotional. Heck, I get weepy when they sing the national anthem at Texan games . . .



I think KC did a wonderful job, and I was so proud that she had the courage to stand up there in front of all those students and sing her heart out! She sang clearly and beautifully!

I could not possibly bring myself to actually reflect on 9-11 at this time because I am still emotionally drained from this morning. Maybe later I will be able to think of something meaningful (or at least coherent)to say - LOL. But I am so proud of both the girls for raising their voices in honor of the heroes today!




American Tears

Sometimes I think about America, about her struggles through the years.
I think of people who did what they had to do with the strength to act through their fears.
Sometimes I think about America, about her future and her past.
I know I’m blessed to be living in liberty in a land where freedom will last.

For the heroes, for the patriots, for the soldiers, for all the pioneers.
I’ll always be an American and I’ll always cry American tears.

Sometimes I think about America, about her people’s legacy.
I wonder if they knew that what they had to do would be known throughout history.
Sometimes I think about America, about her pain along the way.
I know it had to be for our democracy, for the world we live in today.

For the heroes, for the patriots, for the soldiers, for all the pioneers.
I’ll always be an American and I’ll always cry American tears.
For the heroes, for the patriots, for the soldiers, for all the pioneers.
I’ll always be an American and I’ll always cry American tears.
Yes, I’ll always be an American and I’ll always cry American tears.

They are the Warriors . . .

I miss music from the 80s . . .

Brady's select team, the Warriors, played in a tournament the last weekend of August and finished second overall. It was their first tournament as 13U AAA players, so they did very well.



Brady had a slow start (a bit rusty from not having played in so long) but he quickly got into the groove and in the last two games he reached base in every at-bat with 3 walks and a hit.




They all played good defense, too. The best part of the tournament was beating the First Colony Heat in the semifinal round (most of the same kids who beat the MC All-stars in the district tournament). It was so nice for the boys to see that they really can beat any team if they play well enough. GO WARRIORS!!

First day of school 2007

Yesterday was the first day of school. I'm too swamped to process what that means for me as an ITS, but as a mom I have been thinking about it so much for the past several weeks that I'm actually relieved that it has come and gone.

The kids were all eager to get up and get ready for school. I don't like to take the girls to extended day on the very first day of school so they get to sleep in an extra half hour in the morning. They had all picked out their clothes for the first day, so they sat down to pancakes (microwaved) and orange juice, grabbed their backpacks (except Brady- more on that later) and we hit the road.



I cannot believe how big they have all gotten!

The girls get dropped off first. We parked and walked up to the front doors. K.C. will be in the temporaries this year (all 5th graders are) and she couldn't be more excited. She is a bit worried about how loud it will be if a thunderstorm comes through during the day, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. LOL Her teachers seem great, and she is really looking forward to

Abby is in 3rd grade this year, and she is so excited to start the school year. We like her teacher, and are really hoping that this will be a good year for her.



Brady is in 7th grade this year and the first day the kids don't even have to bring their books or supplies - just a pen or pencil. He had already been back at band camp for a week, so he got to see his friends and band directors and was pretty much ready to go back. I knew he wouldn't pose for me, but I asked him to please just give me a smile before he walked in the building, and he did.



He's still a bit sensitive about the missing teeth, but he was definitely ready for his first day.

Now the big question - did I cry the first day?

I've always cried when I dropped off the kids on the first day of school, but in my defense, it's always been a new beginning. Starting with Brady it was his first day of kindergarten, then his first day of first grade, then KC's first day of kindergarten, then KC's first day of first grade, then Abby's first day of kindergarten and her first day of first grade . . . last year was the girls starting at Palmer and Brady's first day of middle school! So this year, no first graders, no sixth graders . . . did Mom cry? Just a little. LOL.

I think as parents we want everything to be so perfect for our kids. We want them to be loved and welcomed at school, and we want them to be safe and happy wherever they are. We want them to have the perfect school experience. And we forget that it is through challenges that they grow. They have to experience teasing to learn to be compassionate. They have to be thoroughly confused to really appreciate the joy of solving a problem. They have to experience diversity to appreciate what makes them special. They have to struggle so they can learn to persevere. And they have to stumble occasionally so they can learn to get back up again . . .

And they have to spend time in the real world so they can truly appreciate how wonderful it is to come home again. :-)