I don't even know how it's already a week until Christmas. The last two weeks have flown by, and I'd like to have them back.
I'd prefer they be a little colder, too...because it's ridiculous that we have the windows open in December. I vote no. I want snow and cold and cozy nights by the fireplace.
I think a move to the Pacific Northwest is in order. Or South Dakota. I know I have a room there!
Christmas shopping finally began, but I'm not hurrying to wrap presents this year. I'm flying solo this year, as both of the boys will be with paternal family for Christmas. It's technically my year, but I've had several years in a row due to various illnesses that inevitably pop up prior to the holidays, so I've graciously offered to forgo my year so they can celebrate together. It's important to B, and that makes it important to me.
So, while they are opening presents and laughing and making memories, I will be by myself, watching Netflix and not wearing pants. It sounds like a dream come true...a dream that would only be better if the projected temperature on Christmas was NOT in the 70s. Because that sucks.
I've been at N's school a few times over the last week or so. I taught Art for one of N's former teachers, which was more fun than I expected even though I can't be artistic to save my life. My stick people are lopsided. They all live in a nudist colony because I can't draw clothes...but you know what I can do?
Color a mean coloring book. And paint by numbers? They're my jam.
This week, I ended up assisting in the special ed department at N's school. I was totally apprehensive because I had no idea what to expect. I was nervous, but spent two days bouncing from classroom to classroom, assisting in a variety of different ways, and I loved it. It was fun to work one on one with students, and it was so varied that the time flew by. This is midterm week at school, so it was nice to have an idea of what finals my kid was taking and when...because he couldn't claim he didn't know since I was there.
It also helped me to know how to help him review for the test he was nervous about. When he got in the car today, after taking his last midterm, he seemed pretty confident. It's something I love to see, but don't see very often.
Tomorrow is a shortened day. Instead of getting out of school at 3:20, N gets out at 1:45. B is out of school already...not because the elementary school gets out earlier than the other campuses, but because he has walking pneumonia.
Wait...what? Prior to Thanksgiving, B developed a respiratory infection. He never fully got over it, and struggling to overcome that, along with a little too much activity, has landed him in the bed rest/steroid zone the day before his school Christmas party.
Side note: I think people need to slow their roll on the whole "'Saying Merry Christmas' offends me" business. I told a cashier at Target "Merry Christmas" as I was leaving the register a couple of weeks ago, and a woman literally complained about how it offended her. I jumped up on my soapbox and gave her an earful (in a sweet voice, of course) about how I'm an American and I have the freedom of speech. When I finished, I got applause from the other people in line. And I took a bow.
And she was a little old lady in a Christmas sweater, for crying out loud!
I don't understand. Not even a little bit.
I will Merry Christmas myself silly, if that's what I want to do!
Aubs
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Finals Week
Thankfully, I only have three finals to deal with this semester, since my precious local history professor decided to treat our class as a grad level class instead of a senior undergrad level class. That said, my only grades were two papers, attendance, and blog posts/discussion contribution...so, I totally nailed it and managed to receive all points possible.
The only class that I had any serious doubts about was my Sociology of Disasters class. It's not that the class isn't interesting, but there's a lot of reading that is sometimes less than interesting, which makes getting through it somewhat difficult. Going into my final I needed an 86 to get an A in the class...and her tests have always been a little more difficult than others. The wording of the questions is often off-putting or vague, and often they're open to interpretation, but you have to interpret them the way SHE interprets them. Also, on the final, there were several questions that were clearly opinion questions, so I'm anxious for the final to "close" so I can see how many of those I got wrong. I got an A on the final, which gives me a cushion and makes my A in the course absolute instead of questionable.
The most entertaining final so far has been my Sociology of Marriage and Family final. I've taken a variation of this class multiple times, each time focusing on something slightly different. I figure it can't hurt, and ideally speaking, the repetitive information might sink in and prove useful at some point. In fact, here are some of the most interesting tidbits I've learned this go 'round:
* Forty percent of all marriages in the U.S. are remarriages.
* Remarriages in which one partner was divorced are least likely to divorce.
* More couples cite communication problems as the main reason for divorce than anything else, including infidelity. (That was surprising to me)
* Marriage sabbaticals are legit "marriage time outs" that are agreed upon between both parties.
* Middle-class families tend to be more permissive in their child-rearing style. (Also surprising)
* Couples who cohabitated before marriage have a higher rate of divorce as compared to to those who did not cohabitate before marriage.
* The presence of teenagers in the house creates stressors that make divorce more likely.
So, I kind of figured the last one out because...Captain Obvious...but the rest of them were actually really interesting, as was the class in general.
SO interesting, in fact, that when I took my final this afternoon...I aced it. As in, I didn't get a single question wrong. Given my current relationship status and my fantastic track record with the opposite sex, let's let the irony of the perfect score on the MARRIAGE AND FAMILY final sink in.
I'll wait.
Okay, then. I have one more final this week, and then I have a blessed month off to gear up for my last semester of my undergrad. I was giving a recap to someone earlier today, along with my favorite statistics, and he replied with a LOL...and the rest went like this:
Me: Then what are you laughing at?
Him: How sexy you are when you're talking about statistics.
Me: Are you drunk?
Him: And horny? No
Me: Because statistics about the dissolution of marriage and the family unit are such a turn on?
Him: Because flexing your brain is sexy.
Me: If I could go to school for the rest of my life, I would...especially if I got paid to do it.
Him: Are you trying to turn me on?
I love how he keeps me on my toes. And laughing. Always laughing. Or blushing. Or biting my lip. Or all of the above.
Aubs
The only class that I had any serious doubts about was my Sociology of Disasters class. It's not that the class isn't interesting, but there's a lot of reading that is sometimes less than interesting, which makes getting through it somewhat difficult. Going into my final I needed an 86 to get an A in the class...and her tests have always been a little more difficult than others. The wording of the questions is often off-putting or vague, and often they're open to interpretation, but you have to interpret them the way SHE interprets them. Also, on the final, there were several questions that were clearly opinion questions, so I'm anxious for the final to "close" so I can see how many of those I got wrong. I got an A on the final, which gives me a cushion and makes my A in the course absolute instead of questionable.
The most entertaining final so far has been my Sociology of Marriage and Family final. I've taken a variation of this class multiple times, each time focusing on something slightly different. I figure it can't hurt, and ideally speaking, the repetitive information might sink in and prove useful at some point. In fact, here are some of the most interesting tidbits I've learned this go 'round:
* Forty percent of all marriages in the U.S. are remarriages.
* Remarriages in which one partner was divorced are least likely to divorce.
* More couples cite communication problems as the main reason for divorce than anything else, including infidelity. (That was surprising to me)
* Marriage sabbaticals are legit "marriage time outs" that are agreed upon between both parties.
* Middle-class families tend to be more permissive in their child-rearing style. (Also surprising)
* Couples who cohabitated before marriage have a higher rate of divorce as compared to to those who did not cohabitate before marriage.
* The presence of teenagers in the house creates stressors that make divorce more likely.
So, I kind of figured the last one out because...Captain Obvious...but the rest of them were actually really interesting, as was the class in general.
SO interesting, in fact, that when I took my final this afternoon...I aced it. As in, I didn't get a single question wrong. Given my current relationship status and my fantastic track record with the opposite sex, let's let the irony of the perfect score on the MARRIAGE AND FAMILY final sink in.
I'll wait.
Okay, then. I have one more final this week, and then I have a blessed month off to gear up for my last semester of my undergrad. I was giving a recap to someone earlier today, along with my favorite statistics, and he replied with a LOL...and the rest went like this:
Me: Then what are you laughing at?
Him: How sexy you are when you're talking about statistics.
Me: Are you drunk?
Him: And horny? No
Me: Because statistics about the dissolution of marriage and the family unit are such a turn on?
Him: Because flexing your brain is sexy.
Me: If I could go to school for the rest of my life, I would...especially if I got paid to do it.
Him: Are you trying to turn me on?
I love how he keeps me on my toes. And laughing. Always laughing. Or blushing. Or biting my lip. Or all of the above.
Aubs
Thursday, December 3, 2015
There are some great people out there
I think I've mentioned that my classes this semester were split between online and on campus classes. I had a 3 hour block twice a week and then my online classes just whenever I had the time. This might come as a shock, but I have been known to speak out and contribute...exuberantly...in discussions. Even though I have a bunch of other things going on, I usually read the material to actually comprehend it instead of just skimming it...unless it's long or boring. I keep it real. Anyway, in my local history class, I sat in the middle of the room and am known to everyone as "Aubrey, Not Elizabeth" because my professor was POSITIVE my name was Elizabeth. I'm taking her class online next semester, and as she hugged me goodbye on Tuesday, she said, "I can't wait for Aubrey, Not Elizabeth to ride again!" People like me...they really like me!
Y'all, she was honestly the sweetest professor I've had. She sent out an email just before Thanksgiving to remind those in our class who weren't able to spend time with their loved ones for Thanksgiving that it was, "...just a day. Talk to your loved ones, do something for yourself, relax and unwind, but just remember...it's ONE day, and you are amazing and wonderful and blessed." At our last meeting on Tuesday, she gave everyone personalized Christmas cards and said, "Y'all, please keep in touch. You're an amazing class, and I really do care about y'all. A lot." She asked each of us how our holiday was and what we did, and her eyes got all watery when I mentioned my dad, which did TONS for me keeping it together. She emailed me yesterday to ask how he was doing, and again today. She is a rarity, and I'm so glad I get to learn from her again next semester, even if it IS just in an online forum.
In my world lit class, I sit near the window because...yes. There's a group of 4 of us who always group up and banter back and forth. That class is very divided, but I've gotten to know a few of the "others" from talking to them out in the hall before class. One of the girls in the class and I have gotten very chatty over the last few weeks, so we discussed our holidays and cheesecake and papers and grades and life. Today, she sat down across from me with watery eyes and told me that her boyfriend, her "person" had dumped her at 2 a.m., and then used a Talladega Nights quote to relieve the tension when she was angry, that ultimately made her laugh, but then made her even more mad. She called him an "adorable asshole," and then I knew exactly what she meant.
I don't have one of those, but I do have an "adorable idiot" who bounces in and out of my life on occasion. In fact, I attempted to make her feel better by telling the story of how we met and the ridiculousness that stemmed from it, and at the end, she was all starry-eyed as she said, "Wow! That gives me so much hope!" Wait, what? Later, I heard from her and she asked which idiot I wound up with, to which I had to reply, "Neither." Her reply? "Well...that makes me suicidal. It was such a good story!" I told him about it this afternoon, after a random text to make sure I was still breathing/pining away for him (insert eye roll here), and he was happy to be a cautionary tale. If he lived closer I would've driven to his house and smacked him upside his head. I swear that would be it.
It is amazing to me how someone can disappear from your life for EVER and then reappear and become one of the people you come to rely on the most...the person I wanted to text at least a hundred times over the last 10 days or so to say "I need you" but deleting it over and over again because it wouldn't matter. We each have our own "stuff" going on and aren't able to be readily available for each other, but that doesn't stop us from trying to do the best we can.
At least ONE of us anyway. Life and love and friendships and complications are weird. And frustrating. And...yeah.
Aubs
Y'all, she was honestly the sweetest professor I've had. She sent out an email just before Thanksgiving to remind those in our class who weren't able to spend time with their loved ones for Thanksgiving that it was, "...just a day. Talk to your loved ones, do something for yourself, relax and unwind, but just remember...it's ONE day, and you are amazing and wonderful and blessed." At our last meeting on Tuesday, she gave everyone personalized Christmas cards and said, "Y'all, please keep in touch. You're an amazing class, and I really do care about y'all. A lot." She asked each of us how our holiday was and what we did, and her eyes got all watery when I mentioned my dad, which did TONS for me keeping it together. She emailed me yesterday to ask how he was doing, and again today. She is a rarity, and I'm so glad I get to learn from her again next semester, even if it IS just in an online forum.
In my world lit class, I sit near the window because...yes. There's a group of 4 of us who always group up and banter back and forth. That class is very divided, but I've gotten to know a few of the "others" from talking to them out in the hall before class. One of the girls in the class and I have gotten very chatty over the last few weeks, so we discussed our holidays and cheesecake and papers and grades and life. Today, she sat down across from me with watery eyes and told me that her boyfriend, her "person" had dumped her at 2 a.m., and then used a Talladega Nights quote to relieve the tension when she was angry, that ultimately made her laugh, but then made her even more mad. She called him an "adorable asshole," and then I knew exactly what she meant.
I don't have one of those, but I do have an "adorable idiot" who bounces in and out of my life on occasion. In fact, I attempted to make her feel better by telling the story of how we met and the ridiculousness that stemmed from it, and at the end, she was all starry-eyed as she said, "Wow! That gives me so much hope!" Wait, what? Later, I heard from her and she asked which idiot I wound up with, to which I had to reply, "Neither." Her reply? "Well...that makes me suicidal. It was such a good story!" I told him about it this afternoon, after a random text to make sure I was still breathing/pining away for him (insert eye roll here), and he was happy to be a cautionary tale. If he lived closer I would've driven to his house and smacked him upside his head. I swear that would be it.
It is amazing to me how someone can disappear from your life for EVER and then reappear and become one of the people you come to rely on the most...the person I wanted to text at least a hundred times over the last 10 days or so to say "I need you" but deleting it over and over again because it wouldn't matter. We each have our own "stuff" going on and aren't able to be readily available for each other, but that doesn't stop us from trying to do the best we can.
At least ONE of us anyway. Life and love and friendships and complications are weird. And frustrating. And...yeah.
Aubs
Sunday, November 29, 2015
When plans don't go as you expect them to...
Well, friends...I owe you a bit of an apology. I checked out for a couple of weeks. It wasn't intentional, but there was a whole lot of work to be done, and not a whole lot of help getting it done. It seems that's the story of my life these days.
The week before Thanksgiving break, I had about eleventy-four papers due. They were all due at the same time, and lengthy, so it made me a bit psychotic. It also made parenting fun. Toward the end of the week, I said goodbye to my B because he was spending the holiday with his dad. It was kind of rough knowing the next time I saw him, he would be 10 instead of 9. His stepmom text me and let me know they were going to go to Chicago for the week, and he was so excited when they told him! He ended up getting sick right before they left, and then he had a rough patch while they were in Chicago, which prompted a pretty scary trip to the emergency room...but the good news is he's fine. We got to FaceTime on Thursday afternoon during the exact moment he was born. We sang to him, showed him all the fun things at my sister's house, and sang to him some more. He said he missed us several times this week, and it kind of made my heart explode because he's been firmly in the "I'd rather be at my dad's" camp for quite some time. He came home today, and the first thing he said when I talked to him was, "Mom, I really missed you and N." Who knows? Maybe with double digits comes wisdom that he just didn't have as a single digit. :)
At the end of the weekend before Thanksgiving, I said goodbye to N temporarily. He went to church with his dad and to spend a few days over there and I headed to Houston. While he was with his dad, he learned how to shoot a bow & arrow, spent some time with his older stepbrother who's headed off to college soon (they don't see each other much, and I know N really enjoyed the time they had together), went to see Mockingjay 2 with his stepbrother and stepmom, and watched a JFK documentary followed by a trip to the 6th Floor Museum, a place I've never been to, but always wanted to go. He met my mom at my house on Wednesday morning and they drove down to Houston together. He was really excited to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law. One of his biggest complaints is that he doesn't get to see them enough. Let me just tell you...they were about the only people he saw during the time he was there. They taught him to play darts and smoke a ham in the smoker. They downloaded a new demo for an Xbox One game he wanted to play and discussed all sorts of things. The kid is a dart prodigy or something...he beat them more times than they beat him! It was hard hearing about most of it secondhand, but I'm so glad he had the time with them. He really needed it.
As for me, my Thanksgiving break did not go at all how I anticipated it going. It started off well enough. I arrived at my dad's mid-afternoon on Sunday, and after a little downtime, I headed to my sister's (by way of Target to buy yet another blowdryer) to go see Mockingjay 2 with a group of friends. On Monday, I took advantage of a free day and got a much needed mani-pedi at a place my sister recommended. Oh my gosh, y'all...best pedicure I've had in a while! A week later, there aren't any rough patches, and I've been hard on my feet this week.
After that, I went back to my dad's and waited for him to get home from work. When he got home, he was just ZAPPED. I asked if he wanted to go to the store that night or do it another day. He agreed that sooner was better than later...so off we went! While we were at the store, I noticed how tired he was. He seemed "off," and I finally handed over the shopping cart so he could have something to lean on since he was clearly exhausted. When we got home, I text my sister to give her a heads up and tell her I was worried. He went to bed and took off for work the next morning. As I was working on an assignment, I got a phone call from my dad at 9:55. As soon as I saw his number, I knew something was wrong. "Aubs, I need you to come get me...and we need to go to the hospital." I threw some clothes on and took off. Luckily, my dad lives literally one stoplight from where he works, but it was the longest stoplight ever. I got there, found the people I needed, found my dad, then moved my car to pick him up, and off we went.
When we got to the hospital, he walked in on his own, but as he sat there, telling the nurse his symptoms, I knew in my gut I should've spoken up the night before. They took him to a room to do some tests, and I made sure my sister knew so she could head up there, too. They couldn't determine if it was another stroke without admitting him to do an MRI...so that's how my dad was admitted to the hospital approximately 10 hours prior to his birthday.
I need to take a moment to recognize the nurses (who will never read this, but still...) who found out it was my dad's birthday (granted, he informed one of them that he expected singing at midnight) and went above and beyond to make him feel special. He didn't want either of us to stay with him at the hospital, but he text us and told us that, at midnight, SEVEN nurses on the floor came to his room and entered, singing to him. They brought signs they had made and a little cake and made him feel so special. It was a small gesture, but the impact it had was huge. I am so grateful for such compassionate people...they took time out of their busy evenings to put a smile on a patient's face. My sister and I agreed that we needed to do something special, so we wrote thank you notes to accompany Starbucks gift cards, and she will deliver them this week.
Finally, mid-afternoon on his birthday, my dad was released to go home. This was huge for him because he has prepared the turkey for our family Thanksgiving every year for the past 36 years. It's tradition. I had planned to go to my sister's to spend the remainder of the week with my kid, but knew I couldn't do that...not that night. And I cannot even begin to describe how glad I am that I listened to my gut. Thursday morning came and my dad was off his game. No wonder...a mild stroke will do that to you. This stroke was milder than the one in May, but it seems to have made more of an impact. He was experiencing some diminished capacity on his left side on Thursday morning...enough to where I stepped in and took over the turkey making...which was kind of terrifying, if I'm being totally honest. I had him sit and rest, and I took over everything, INCLUDING driving his truck all week. I don't like that he's sick, but I did love driving that truck.
We headed over to my sister's for dinner, and it was clear that he was just not himself. It was a relaxed and low-key day, but it was still exhausting. He managed to sleep late the next morning, and I was so glad! I left for a couple of hours to go spend some time with my sister's household, but I knew I'd be back to sleep there on Friday night. My dad is amazing and strong, and it was hard to see him vulnerable...just like it was hard last time, too.
If you know me at all, you know my dad is my person. He and I are so much alike (in all ways, good and bad), and to see him broken without a way to "fix" him really weighs on my heart. This spring was the first time I truly realized that my dad was not invincible. And now, as a 62 year old man, I know that we will have to adapt to a new normal; a new normal that is different than the new normal we started adjusting to after his stroke in May. The stroke in May was a huge wake-up call, and he made so many positive changes. He changed his diet, started exercising, and stuck with it. He lost roughly 40 pounds, and has kept the diet going. He didn't fail himself this time...the doctors made that abundantly clear. His meds failed to do their job. One doctor did say he wanted my dad to stop with the personal trainer and start with more low impact activity...like yoga, something my dad said he would be happy to try.
It was so hard to leave him this weekend to return home. It's hard to not be close enough to be there within an hour if something happens. Living 4 hours away is really hard, and I'd like to say I've ugly-cried it all out of my system, but I'm pretty sure I'm just one small, tiny "something" away from a meltdown of epic proportions. Because he's my dad...and I'd be lost without him.
Aubs
The week before Thanksgiving break, I had about eleventy-four papers due. They were all due at the same time, and lengthy, so it made me a bit psychotic. It also made parenting fun. Toward the end of the week, I said goodbye to my B because he was spending the holiday with his dad. It was kind of rough knowing the next time I saw him, he would be 10 instead of 9. His stepmom text me and let me know they were going to go to Chicago for the week, and he was so excited when they told him! He ended up getting sick right before they left, and then he had a rough patch while they were in Chicago, which prompted a pretty scary trip to the emergency room...but the good news is he's fine. We got to FaceTime on Thursday afternoon during the exact moment he was born. We sang to him, showed him all the fun things at my sister's house, and sang to him some more. He said he missed us several times this week, and it kind of made my heart explode because he's been firmly in the "I'd rather be at my dad's" camp for quite some time. He came home today, and the first thing he said when I talked to him was, "Mom, I really missed you and N." Who knows? Maybe with double digits comes wisdom that he just didn't have as a single digit. :)
At the end of the weekend before Thanksgiving, I said goodbye to N temporarily. He went to church with his dad and to spend a few days over there and I headed to Houston. While he was with his dad, he learned how to shoot a bow & arrow, spent some time with his older stepbrother who's headed off to college soon (they don't see each other much, and I know N really enjoyed the time they had together), went to see Mockingjay 2 with his stepbrother and stepmom, and watched a JFK documentary followed by a trip to the 6th Floor Museum, a place I've never been to, but always wanted to go. He met my mom at my house on Wednesday morning and they drove down to Houston together. He was really excited to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law. One of his biggest complaints is that he doesn't get to see them enough. Let me just tell you...they were about the only people he saw during the time he was there. They taught him to play darts and smoke a ham in the smoker. They downloaded a new demo for an Xbox One game he wanted to play and discussed all sorts of things. The kid is a dart prodigy or something...he beat them more times than they beat him! It was hard hearing about most of it secondhand, but I'm so glad he had the time with them. He really needed it.
As for me, my Thanksgiving break did not go at all how I anticipated it going. It started off well enough. I arrived at my dad's mid-afternoon on Sunday, and after a little downtime, I headed to my sister's (by way of Target to buy yet another blowdryer) to go see Mockingjay 2 with a group of friends. On Monday, I took advantage of a free day and got a much needed mani-pedi at a place my sister recommended. Oh my gosh, y'all...best pedicure I've had in a while! A week later, there aren't any rough patches, and I've been hard on my feet this week.
After that, I went back to my dad's and waited for him to get home from work. When he got home, he was just ZAPPED. I asked if he wanted to go to the store that night or do it another day. He agreed that sooner was better than later...so off we went! While we were at the store, I noticed how tired he was. He seemed "off," and I finally handed over the shopping cart so he could have something to lean on since he was clearly exhausted. When we got home, I text my sister to give her a heads up and tell her I was worried. He went to bed and took off for work the next morning. As I was working on an assignment, I got a phone call from my dad at 9:55. As soon as I saw his number, I knew something was wrong. "Aubs, I need you to come get me...and we need to go to the hospital." I threw some clothes on and took off. Luckily, my dad lives literally one stoplight from where he works, but it was the longest stoplight ever. I got there, found the people I needed, found my dad, then moved my car to pick him up, and off we went.
When we got to the hospital, he walked in on his own, but as he sat there, telling the nurse his symptoms, I knew in my gut I should've spoken up the night before. They took him to a room to do some tests, and I made sure my sister knew so she could head up there, too. They couldn't determine if it was another stroke without admitting him to do an MRI...so that's how my dad was admitted to the hospital approximately 10 hours prior to his birthday.
I need to take a moment to recognize the nurses (who will never read this, but still...) who found out it was my dad's birthday (granted, he informed one of them that he expected singing at midnight) and went above and beyond to make him feel special. He didn't want either of us to stay with him at the hospital, but he text us and told us that, at midnight, SEVEN nurses on the floor came to his room and entered, singing to him. They brought signs they had made and a little cake and made him feel so special. It was a small gesture, but the impact it had was huge. I am so grateful for such compassionate people...they took time out of their busy evenings to put a smile on a patient's face. My sister and I agreed that we needed to do something special, so we wrote thank you notes to accompany Starbucks gift cards, and she will deliver them this week.
Finally, mid-afternoon on his birthday, my dad was released to go home. This was huge for him because he has prepared the turkey for our family Thanksgiving every year for the past 36 years. It's tradition. I had planned to go to my sister's to spend the remainder of the week with my kid, but knew I couldn't do that...not that night. And I cannot even begin to describe how glad I am that I listened to my gut. Thursday morning came and my dad was off his game. No wonder...a mild stroke will do that to you. This stroke was milder than the one in May, but it seems to have made more of an impact. He was experiencing some diminished capacity on his left side on Thursday morning...enough to where I stepped in and took over the turkey making...which was kind of terrifying, if I'm being totally honest. I had him sit and rest, and I took over everything, INCLUDING driving his truck all week. I don't like that he's sick, but I did love driving that truck.
We headed over to my sister's for dinner, and it was clear that he was just not himself. It was a relaxed and low-key day, but it was still exhausting. He managed to sleep late the next morning, and I was so glad! I left for a couple of hours to go spend some time with my sister's household, but I knew I'd be back to sleep there on Friday night. My dad is amazing and strong, and it was hard to see him vulnerable...just like it was hard last time, too.
If you know me at all, you know my dad is my person. He and I are so much alike (in all ways, good and bad), and to see him broken without a way to "fix" him really weighs on my heart. This spring was the first time I truly realized that my dad was not invincible. And now, as a 62 year old man, I know that we will have to adapt to a new normal; a new normal that is different than the new normal we started adjusting to after his stroke in May. The stroke in May was a huge wake-up call, and he made so many positive changes. He changed his diet, started exercising, and stuck with it. He lost roughly 40 pounds, and has kept the diet going. He didn't fail himself this time...the doctors made that abundantly clear. His meds failed to do their job. One doctor did say he wanted my dad to stop with the personal trainer and start with more low impact activity...like yoga, something my dad said he would be happy to try.
It was so hard to leave him this weekend to return home. It's hard to not be close enough to be there within an hour if something happens. Living 4 hours away is really hard, and I'd like to say I've ugly-cried it all out of my system, but I'm pretty sure I'm just one small, tiny "something" away from a meltdown of epic proportions. Because he's my dad...and I'd be lost without him.
Aubs
Friday, November 13, 2015
What. A. Week.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...the parenting of a teenager game has NOT gotten any easier.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he.broke.a.sink.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he's been grounded from EVERYTHING until he received punishment from school for breaking the sink.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he's done a ridiculous amount of homework this week.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...it's all been self-inflicted. That's what happens when you just stop doing your homework and your mom goes ballistic and says you won't have a life until you're not only passing but also have NO incomplete assignments.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he has worked his butt off, and I am insanely proud of him. He is exhausted. He is frustrated. He is irritated. But he is also proud of himself.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he swears it's never going to happen again.
I hope he's right.
It seems that all of the behavioral issues and bad choices come when his normal teachers are out of the classroom. In one of his classes, they are learning about how things work. He's been taking old electronics apart to see how they work, then putting them back together. Apparently, he was having a hard time removing the casing from an old stereo, so he decided to use a hammer as a crowbar. When that didn't work, he decided the hammer "sucked" and to prove his point that the hammer didn't work, he hit a lab sink with it. I bet you can't guess what happened!
Since it wasn't malicious, he did not get suspended or detention, but he will be helping out around the school next week as punishment. I think the most frustrating part about it is that he claimed he didn't know how it happened, even though he clearly did. His dad and I both explained to him that he needs to be forthcoming. You make a mistake? Own it. "I messed up. I know I did. I'm sorry." Easy peasy...aaaaaand we're done. When you say you don't know what happened, when it's clear you do, you just make yourself look bad. Oh, the life lessons learned when you're a teenager. Such fun.
This weekend, both of the boys have games: the last of the season for B (a play until you lose flag football tournament), and the last tournament of the fall for N (a Grapevine tournament...played in Allen, which is NOT close at all) unless the weather stays pleasant and we pick up another toy drive tournament. Since two of our last three tournaments have been canceled, it would be nice to have them play at least one more, weather permitting of course.
This afternoon, I subbed for N's Language Arts teacher. When I told him I was doing this, the look of panic on his face was priceless. Of course, I didn't mention I was only subbing in the afternoon (he has her class in the morning), so that added to the fun. When I reassured him I wouldn't be in his class THIS time (but I could be in one of his classes in the future), he visibly relaxed...then asked if I'd bring him lunch. Since he worked so hard and with minimal complaints, I agreed, even though I'd be there a solid hour before he goes to lunch. Cold & soggy Chick Fil-A, anyone?
Aubs
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he.broke.a.sink.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he's been grounded from EVERYTHING until he received punishment from school for breaking the sink.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he's done a ridiculous amount of homework this week.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...it's all been self-inflicted. That's what happens when you just stop doing your homework and your mom goes ballistic and says you won't have a life until you're not only passing but also have NO incomplete assignments.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he has worked his butt off, and I am insanely proud of him. He is exhausted. He is frustrated. He is irritated. But he is also proud of himself.
Since it's been a week since my last post, let me just say...he swears it's never going to happen again.
I hope he's right.
It seems that all of the behavioral issues and bad choices come when his normal teachers are out of the classroom. In one of his classes, they are learning about how things work. He's been taking old electronics apart to see how they work, then putting them back together. Apparently, he was having a hard time removing the casing from an old stereo, so he decided to use a hammer as a crowbar. When that didn't work, he decided the hammer "sucked" and to prove his point that the hammer didn't work, he hit a lab sink with it. I bet you can't guess what happened!
Since it wasn't malicious, he did not get suspended or detention, but he will be helping out around the school next week as punishment. I think the most frustrating part about it is that he claimed he didn't know how it happened, even though he clearly did. His dad and I both explained to him that he needs to be forthcoming. You make a mistake? Own it. "I messed up. I know I did. I'm sorry." Easy peasy...aaaaaand we're done. When you say you don't know what happened, when it's clear you do, you just make yourself look bad. Oh, the life lessons learned when you're a teenager. Such fun.
This weekend, both of the boys have games: the last of the season for B (a play until you lose flag football tournament), and the last tournament of the fall for N (a Grapevine tournament...played in Allen, which is NOT close at all) unless the weather stays pleasant and we pick up another toy drive tournament. Since two of our last three tournaments have been canceled, it would be nice to have them play at least one more, weather permitting of course.
This afternoon, I subbed for N's Language Arts teacher. When I told him I was doing this, the look of panic on his face was priceless. Of course, I didn't mention I was only subbing in the afternoon (he has her class in the morning), so that added to the fun. When I reassured him I wouldn't be in his class THIS time (but I could be in one of his classes in the future), he visibly relaxed...then asked if I'd bring him lunch. Since he worked so hard and with minimal complaints, I agreed, even though I'd be there a solid hour before he goes to lunch. Cold & soggy Chick Fil-A, anyone?
Aubs
Friday, November 6, 2015
Sometimes you've gotta hit 'em where it hurts
I am the mom of a teenager. This is new, uncharted territory for me. Not only is he my biggest little (who's coincidentally BIGGER than me), but he's a boy. Whoa! Breaking news.
I'm a girl. (Thanks, Captain Obvious) I was around a couple of male cousins growing up, but we only saw each other primarily during the summers and they were never that weird or obnoxious. I have no idea how they behaved during the school year, but I remember being 13. God bless my parents.
Anyway, this whole teenage boy thing is a totally different ballgame. He's pushing limits and testing boundaries (they both are), and I finally upped my game. You may agree with me or you may vehemently disagree with me...I don't care. Every parent does what they can to stay afloat, and this was my way to hit 'em where it hurts AND show I mean business.
The claim both of my boys make is that there's nothing to do at my house. Never mind that each of them have a laptop and their own tablets (in addition to a school-issued iPad), there's a 360, a SNES, a Gamecube, a closet full of board games, shelf after shelf of movies, and a 4 drawer bin of legos. Clearly, there's nothing to do. Also, you now know what to take if you ever break into my house.
Please don't break into my house.
Anyway, when behavior takes a turn, I typically remove Xbox privileges on the weekend. They never get to play during the week (we're too busy and I say no), so the weekends are kind of sacred to them. Even then, I limit their time to ridiculous amounts like hour long increments so one isn't stuck watching the other kill zombies (or something) for extended periods of time. So, on Monday, when both of the boys were being crank pots, I removed the privilege of electronics from their weekly list of activities. No laptops (unless school-related homework was necessary). No tablets. No playlists of phones or iPods. No gaming systems. NOTHING. The only thing they COULD do was watch television...and that was only if we were doing so as a family and we all agreed on a movie. Basically, I ended their lives by 4:47 on Monday afternoon.
But, wait! There's more! Last week, I received a notification that N would be serving a detention on Tuesday for not staying focused in class/being disrespectful and rude. He swore it wasn't him (shocker) and that the whole class was laughing at one kid who made a funny noise and HE was the one who got in trouble. Oh, the horror! Life is so unfair! We talked about it, and he accepted his punishment, and we went on with our lives. Until Tuesday afternoon...when I received an email from a SECOND teacher about behavior and leaving class early, which warranted a SECOND detention. IN ONE WEEK! So, that's about when this Mama lost it.
The first thing that came to mind was "He'll have to sit out at his baseball tournament this weekend." Why not kick him from the team? Well, he worked hard for this, and I don't want to take away the only thing that keeps us all sane because his focus is on baseball and not being moody and dumb. I approached his coach with this suggestion and he shut it down. If I sit him, he's going to be off the team because reliability and cohesiveness...both of which I totally understand, but at the same time, I don't want to let him just get away with being a bad example.
SO.
I don't know how it came about, but I decided I was going to treat him like a professional athlete and fine him for his offensive behavior. Each offense had a particular fine attached to it. I decided it would be only school-related offenses because offenses at home can be remedied with chores or removal of privileges. I called his dad and ran it by him. He agreed, but had one suggestion: Put the money I collect into a fund to help pay for things he needs for baseball. Good call...not that I was planning to pocket it, but that makes sense.
Now. Before you go all "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU THINKING? HE'S JUST A KID!" on me:
1. He has money. He's been saving money (for an Xbox ONE or a PS4) from working with his dad.
2. In the last 11 weeks, I've gotten more emails about grades/attitude than in the past 8 years combined.
3. I knew this would be over-the-top enough to make an impact.
4. There are two things he cares about in life: Video games and baseball. One was already taken away.
So, when he got home, I put my plan into action. Oh, but before that happened, I got ANOTHER email from ANOTHER teacher about how he hadn't turned any of his work in through the online forum, which is new, so he had a whole bunch of goose eggs until he got them submitted. Super.
Okay, so THEN he came home. I asked him what happened at school, and he couldn't recall anything interesting or important. I told him he had another detention and explained if was because he chose to leave class early, along with two other students. I was calm and quiet, and it freaked him out. He immediately said he didn't do it...and then I laid it on him.
Me: N, this is how this is going to go. You have two choices: You can pay a fine and we will consider the matter dropped unless you accrue more detentions, OR you can not pay the fine and resign from the baseball team.
N: Mom, that's not fair! What's the fine?
Me: $100.
N: You're INSANE!
Me: No, I'm not. You've received TWO detentions in less than a week, both for disrespectful and disobedient actions, and I'm done.
N: I can see like $10, but $100 is stupid.
Me: Your dad and I discussed it, and we agreed.
N: There's no WAY my dad agreed to that. He's reasonable.
Me: Well, you can pay it...or you can quit. You have until your hitting lesson on Thursday to decide. Also, you're grounded from practice tonight, so when you go to your hitting lesson, you will also have to explain to your coach why you weren't there tonight...and you WILL tell him the truth, or that will be grounds for immediate exit from the team.
N: I'm not doing either one.
Me: That's not a choice. You can pay and we can move on with our lives or you can quit.
N: You just want my money.
Me: No, the money you pay will go towards replenishing equipment you need or paying for baseball expenses.
N: Nobody else on my team would EVER have to do this. This is effing stupid.
Me: You don't get to use grown-up words, and I've already told you...I don't give two shits what other parents and kids do or don't do. I care about what you do and don't do, and what you're doing right now isn't working.
Later, he explained the second detention and although I still don't know if I'm on the same page as him and his dad, I agreed to lower the fee associated with the second one (since there are a lot of unknowns) to $25.
Before he went to bed on Tuesday, he paid me $75. He was pissed. He's still pissed. But I guarantee he'll think about what he does before he does it because the funds in his wallet are finite. On Wednesday night, he had his hitting lesson, and he and his coach had a talk about what happened. When he got back in the car, he turned to me and said, "YOU SET ME UP!"
You're damn right I did, Kid...you don't want to listen to me, but you'll listen to him.
It was an ugly and emotional week, but it's a win. I'll take it. And so will he because the weather is PERFECT and it's baseball tournament weekend!
Aubs
I'm a girl. (Thanks, Captain Obvious) I was around a couple of male cousins growing up, but we only saw each other primarily during the summers and they were never that weird or obnoxious. I have no idea how they behaved during the school year, but I remember being 13. God bless my parents.
Anyway, this whole teenage boy thing is a totally different ballgame. He's pushing limits and testing boundaries (they both are), and I finally upped my game. You may agree with me or you may vehemently disagree with me...I don't care. Every parent does what they can to stay afloat, and this was my way to hit 'em where it hurts AND show I mean business.
The claim both of my boys make is that there's nothing to do at my house. Never mind that each of them have a laptop and their own tablets (in addition to a school-issued iPad), there's a 360, a SNES, a Gamecube, a closet full of board games, shelf after shelf of movies, and a 4 drawer bin of legos. Clearly, there's nothing to do. Also, you now know what to take if you ever break into my house.
Please don't break into my house.
Anyway, when behavior takes a turn, I typically remove Xbox privileges on the weekend. They never get to play during the week (we're too busy and I say no), so the weekends are kind of sacred to them. Even then, I limit their time to ridiculous amounts like hour long increments so one isn't stuck watching the other kill zombies (or something) for extended periods of time. So, on Monday, when both of the boys were being crank pots, I removed the privilege of electronics from their weekly list of activities. No laptops (unless school-related homework was necessary). No tablets. No playlists of phones or iPods. No gaming systems. NOTHING. The only thing they COULD do was watch television...and that was only if we were doing so as a family and we all agreed on a movie. Basically, I ended their lives by 4:47 on Monday afternoon.
But, wait! There's more! Last week, I received a notification that N would be serving a detention on Tuesday for not staying focused in class/being disrespectful and rude. He swore it wasn't him (shocker) and that the whole class was laughing at one kid who made a funny noise and HE was the one who got in trouble. Oh, the horror! Life is so unfair! We talked about it, and he accepted his punishment, and we went on with our lives. Until Tuesday afternoon...when I received an email from a SECOND teacher about behavior and leaving class early, which warranted a SECOND detention. IN ONE WEEK! So, that's about when this Mama lost it.
The first thing that came to mind was "He'll have to sit out at his baseball tournament this weekend." Why not kick him from the team? Well, he worked hard for this, and I don't want to take away the only thing that keeps us all sane because his focus is on baseball and not being moody and dumb. I approached his coach with this suggestion and he shut it down. If I sit him, he's going to be off the team because reliability and cohesiveness...both of which I totally understand, but at the same time, I don't want to let him just get away with being a bad example.
SO.
I don't know how it came about, but I decided I was going to treat him like a professional athlete and fine him for his offensive behavior. Each offense had a particular fine attached to it. I decided it would be only school-related offenses because offenses at home can be remedied with chores or removal of privileges. I called his dad and ran it by him. He agreed, but had one suggestion: Put the money I collect into a fund to help pay for things he needs for baseball. Good call...not that I was planning to pocket it, but that makes sense.
Now. Before you go all "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU THINKING? HE'S JUST A KID!" on me:
1. He has money. He's been saving money (for an Xbox ONE or a PS4) from working with his dad.
2. In the last 11 weeks, I've gotten more emails about grades/attitude than in the past 8 years combined.
3. I knew this would be over-the-top enough to make an impact.
4. There are two things he cares about in life: Video games and baseball. One was already taken away.
So, when he got home, I put my plan into action. Oh, but before that happened, I got ANOTHER email from ANOTHER teacher about how he hadn't turned any of his work in through the online forum, which is new, so he had a whole bunch of goose eggs until he got them submitted. Super.
Okay, so THEN he came home. I asked him what happened at school, and he couldn't recall anything interesting or important. I told him he had another detention and explained if was because he chose to leave class early, along with two other students. I was calm and quiet, and it freaked him out. He immediately said he didn't do it...and then I laid it on him.
Me: N, this is how this is going to go. You have two choices: You can pay a fine and we will consider the matter dropped unless you accrue more detentions, OR you can not pay the fine and resign from the baseball team.
N: Mom, that's not fair! What's the fine?
Me: $100.
N: You're INSANE!
Me: No, I'm not. You've received TWO detentions in less than a week, both for disrespectful and disobedient actions, and I'm done.
N: I can see like $10, but $100 is stupid.
Me: Your dad and I discussed it, and we agreed.
N: There's no WAY my dad agreed to that. He's reasonable.
Me: Well, you can pay it...or you can quit. You have until your hitting lesson on Thursday to decide. Also, you're grounded from practice tonight, so when you go to your hitting lesson, you will also have to explain to your coach why you weren't there tonight...and you WILL tell him the truth, or that will be grounds for immediate exit from the team.
N: I'm not doing either one.
Me: That's not a choice. You can pay and we can move on with our lives or you can quit.
N: You just want my money.
Me: No, the money you pay will go towards replenishing equipment you need or paying for baseball expenses.
N: Nobody else on my team would EVER have to do this. This is effing stupid.
Me: You don't get to use grown-up words, and I've already told you...I don't give two shits what other parents and kids do or don't do. I care about what you do and don't do, and what you're doing right now isn't working.
Later, he explained the second detention and although I still don't know if I'm on the same page as him and his dad, I agreed to lower the fee associated with the second one (since there are a lot of unknowns) to $25.
Before he went to bed on Tuesday, he paid me $75. He was pissed. He's still pissed. But I guarantee he'll think about what he does before he does it because the funds in his wallet are finite. On Wednesday night, he had his hitting lesson, and he and his coach had a talk about what happened. When he got back in the car, he turned to me and said, "YOU SET ME UP!"
You're damn right I did, Kid...you don't want to listen to me, but you'll listen to him.
It was an ugly and emotional week, but it's a win. I'll take it. And so will he because the weather is PERFECT and it's baseball tournament weekend!
Aubs
Friday, October 30, 2015
Well...that was different.
Today, I spent a few hours in the company of a pretty delightful 2 year-old. I haven't spent a lot of time with her, but I've spent time with her three times in the last week, and I have never seen a happier little girl. Seriously. Her mom, dad, sister, and brother brought her home from China over the summer, and she is amazing! Whether it's singing Jesus Loves Me or trying on all the hats and all the shoes in sight, she is always smiling and happy. And her laugh?! Oh my goodness. It makes me crack up just thinking of her contagious belly laughs. Today she tried to put on my rain boots without my assistance. They're approximately half her height, so it didn't work too well. I picked her up and put her in my boots, and the laughs just bubbled up out of both of us! I was wiping tears from my eyes as she grinned and said, "CHEEEEEEEEEESE" over and over. And within five minutes, I was rocking her and singing naptime songs...it took two minutes once she was in her bed. She is amazing! I adore her...she steals the hearts of everyone with her precious little face.
While I was reading after putting her down for her nap, I got a call from N's school. When I see the school on my caller id, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. When B's school calls, it's always the nurse, and I don't necessarily know what I'm getting into, but I have a general idea. N's school? Wild. Card. It was the nurse, which was weird. Normally, when N feels like he's sick and wants to come home, he'll text me, and I'll tell him to go to the nurse and have her call me. And at first, he would call me from his phone and then hand it to her. Rookie. ANYWAY, she called to say that N had passed out during the Red Ribbon Week Wrap-Up Presentation. What? It kind of freaked me out, and then she started talking about heart rates and serious fluctuation, and wait...did he have a fever? She forgot to check it...no, no fever, but he needs to see a pediatrician.
Y'all, it took an hour from the time I got the call to when I got there to pick him up. Stupid rain. And the whole time, he was texting me asking me to hurry and get there before school got out so he wouldn't have to be embarrassed. Kid. The weather wants you to buck up and hold your head high. It's not me...or something. Anyway. So, when I picked N up yesterday, he said he felt "weird." His stomach hurt, but he didn't feel nauseated, but it still felt off. He rested and did pretty much nothing, and as he got up to get ready for bed, he felt lightheaded and dizzy. When he got into bed, he said his room was spinning and his head hurt. Ibuprofen fixes everything, so I dosed him up, and then checked on him entirely too many times, including putting my hand on his back to make sure he was breathing...because he's 13, but you just never know. He slept all night and woke up feeling okay. I was going to let him stay home if he pushed the issue (shhh, don't tell him!), but he said he felt just fine after his shower, so off he went.
Apparently, while viewing the presentation, his vision blurred and he felt like he was going to vomit. He got up to ask his teacher if he could use the restroom, and she said "no." (For this, I do not blame her in the least. I'm sure there were multiple attempts to escape the presentation made by other students. N, however, doesn't do that stuff.) He decided to go anyway, opting to get in trouble rather than vomit in the library. He made it about 15 feet and then woke up on the floor. (For the record, the teacher came to his aid and apologized, the latter of which was not necessary, but much appreciated.) She helped him to the bathroom and then had a male adult present in the bathroom in case he had further issues. He told me he was only out for a few seconds, but he hit the ground with his knees and his chin, with basically no damage.
All of the test the pediatrician performed were within normal range, but he did suggest a follow-up with a cardiologist. That's kind of scary, but N's biggest concern was the baseball playing he's hoping to do this weekend. The pediatrician said he was good to go as long as there weren't anymore dizzy spells, but to still make an appointment with a cardiologist. N had another "spell" over the summer while he was alone at his dad's house. He woke up on the floor, but didn't think it was a big deal, so never said a word.
Lesson of the day: PASSING OUT IS ALWAYS A BIG DEAL.
He and I also disagreed about contacting his coach to fill him in on the situation. I mean, he didn't really have a say, but he didn't want me to be dramatic. I explained that his health and safety is my main concern, and since I'm not in the dugout, his coach needs to be made aware of potential issues...especially since N is the primary first baseman. It's kind of important. Coach agreed, and N did, too, once he thought about it.
What a day. I stress baked 4 loaves of banana bread. Even if the baseball team only plays on Sunday, they're going to be well-fed!
Aubs
While I was reading after putting her down for her nap, I got a call from N's school. When I see the school on my caller id, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. When B's school calls, it's always the nurse, and I don't necessarily know what I'm getting into, but I have a general idea. N's school? Wild. Card. It was the nurse, which was weird. Normally, when N feels like he's sick and wants to come home, he'll text me, and I'll tell him to go to the nurse and have her call me. And at first, he would call me from his phone and then hand it to her. Rookie. ANYWAY, she called to say that N had passed out during the Red Ribbon Week Wrap-Up Presentation. What? It kind of freaked me out, and then she started talking about heart rates and serious fluctuation, and wait...did he have a fever? She forgot to check it...no, no fever, but he needs to see a pediatrician.
Y'all, it took an hour from the time I got the call to when I got there to pick him up. Stupid rain. And the whole time, he was texting me asking me to hurry and get there before school got out so he wouldn't have to be embarrassed. Kid. The weather wants you to buck up and hold your head high. It's not me...or something. Anyway. So, when I picked N up yesterday, he said he felt "weird." His stomach hurt, but he didn't feel nauseated, but it still felt off. He rested and did pretty much nothing, and as he got up to get ready for bed, he felt lightheaded and dizzy. When he got into bed, he said his room was spinning and his head hurt. Ibuprofen fixes everything, so I dosed him up, and then checked on him entirely too many times, including putting my hand on his back to make sure he was breathing...because he's 13, but you just never know. He slept all night and woke up feeling okay. I was going to let him stay home if he pushed the issue (shhh, don't tell him!), but he said he felt just fine after his shower, so off he went.
Apparently, while viewing the presentation, his vision blurred and he felt like he was going to vomit. He got up to ask his teacher if he could use the restroom, and she said "no." (For this, I do not blame her in the least. I'm sure there were multiple attempts to escape the presentation made by other students. N, however, doesn't do that stuff.) He decided to go anyway, opting to get in trouble rather than vomit in the library. He made it about 15 feet and then woke up on the floor. (For the record, the teacher came to his aid and apologized, the latter of which was not necessary, but much appreciated.) She helped him to the bathroom and then had a male adult present in the bathroom in case he had further issues. He told me he was only out for a few seconds, but he hit the ground with his knees and his chin, with basically no damage.
All of the test the pediatrician performed were within normal range, but he did suggest a follow-up with a cardiologist. That's kind of scary, but N's biggest concern was the baseball playing he's hoping to do this weekend. The pediatrician said he was good to go as long as there weren't anymore dizzy spells, but to still make an appointment with a cardiologist. N had another "spell" over the summer while he was alone at his dad's house. He woke up on the floor, but didn't think it was a big deal, so never said a word.
Lesson of the day: PASSING OUT IS ALWAYS A BIG DEAL.
He and I also disagreed about contacting his coach to fill him in on the situation. I mean, he didn't really have a say, but he didn't want me to be dramatic. I explained that his health and safety is my main concern, and since I'm not in the dugout, his coach needs to be made aware of potential issues...especially since N is the primary first baseman. It's kind of important. Coach agreed, and N did, too, once he thought about it.
What a day. I stress baked 4 loaves of banana bread. Even if the baseball team only plays on Sunday, they're going to be well-fed!
Aubs
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Weekend Wrap-Up
Welp...I got my grade back on my super-long paper, and it was only a 99. I'm pretty sure I deserved waaaaay less, but it pays to interact with your class and have a good rapport with your professor because it makes a huge difference.
On Friday I worked at N's middle school where I ran into so many baseball players and friends. There were a lot of teachers out that day, but I was right next door to one of N's teachers from last year, and she and I have become quite friendly...partially out of necessity and partially because we're hilarious. The embarrassment factor is just an added bonus! She has several familiar faces in her classes this year, so I hope she asks me to sub for her sometime in the future...just not on Tuesdays and Thursdays, even IF Thursday is the only day her son can get an eye appointment. But I'm not bitter or anything. :)
Anyway, the teacher I subbed for teaches math, which is (admittedly) not my favorite subject at all. But then I realized she teaches 6th grade math, and that's BLOCK math, which means she has 2 classes of 6th grade math and BOTH of those classes are two class periods long. Holy. Moly. I had a break between with a 30 minute group of 7th graders for "E-time" and a 7th grade math class of literally 10 students. It was more fun than I expected.
Afterward, I picked B up from school and we zoomed across town to babysit for some of our favorites: C, J, & LM! This was a monumental day for me because it's the first time LM has been awake and hanging out with us. She just came home from China over the summer, and I've babysat for the older two in the evenings, but she's already been in bed or been going to bed. This time, we got to spend 3 hours together before her bedtime. Y'all? She's a hoot! I mean...she gets the giggles and NOBODY can keep a straight face. C & J were at a birthday party, so B and I got to spend some solid LM time playing cars and running around and giggling. All the giggles!
When the big kids got home, we played some more and watched a little Cars2, and then it was time for sweet LM to go to bed. I literally changed her diaper, put her pjs on her, and rocked her while I sang and she drank a bottle of milk...and she said "nigh nigh" and went into her bed without a peep!
C and I read a funny book while the boys played, and then they were in bed! I can't wait to be back there on Wednesday! And then, it's just me and sweet LM on Friday for a few hours! It will be awesome!
These kids...I've talked about them before, but I adore them. I've known C since she was about 6 months old, and she'll be 8 in February! B didn't even realize J was in Kindergarten this year...and when J mentioned something about his class, B said, "You're in SCHOOL?! That just blew my mind!"
The rest of the weekend has been so, SO lazy. We spent all day at home on Saturday doing nothing but taking naps and watching tv. It was glorious! When we went to bed around midnight on Friday, we slept until almost 11:00 and it was so needed. Even with that, I was in bed at 10:00 on Saturday night (I told the boys to go to bed by midnight), and slept until 9:30 this morning. We did the 11:30 church service, and then N went to spend a few hours with his dad while B and I relaxed at home...and by "relaxed at home" I mean B played Xbox and I FINALLY caught up on my dvr.
I watched Dead Poets Society, and I can't even talk about all the feels today. Maybe tomorrow. I'm still sniffling, and I fully maintain that the ONLY reason I teared up watching the Descendants (Disney Channel TV movie...yeah, I know) is because I was still emotional from Mr. Keating and "Oh, Captain, My Captain!"
Insert watery sigh here.
Aubs
On Friday I worked at N's middle school where I ran into so many baseball players and friends. There were a lot of teachers out that day, but I was right next door to one of N's teachers from last year, and she and I have become quite friendly...partially out of necessity and partially because we're hilarious. The embarrassment factor is just an added bonus! She has several familiar faces in her classes this year, so I hope she asks me to sub for her sometime in the future...just not on Tuesdays and Thursdays, even IF Thursday is the only day her son can get an eye appointment. But I'm not bitter or anything. :)
Anyway, the teacher I subbed for teaches math, which is (admittedly) not my favorite subject at all. But then I realized she teaches 6th grade math, and that's BLOCK math, which means she has 2 classes of 6th grade math and BOTH of those classes are two class periods long. Holy. Moly. I had a break between with a 30 minute group of 7th graders for "E-time" and a 7th grade math class of literally 10 students. It was more fun than I expected.
Afterward, I picked B up from school and we zoomed across town to babysit for some of our favorites: C, J, & LM! This was a monumental day for me because it's the first time LM has been awake and hanging out with us. She just came home from China over the summer, and I've babysat for the older two in the evenings, but she's already been in bed or been going to bed. This time, we got to spend 3 hours together before her bedtime. Y'all? She's a hoot! I mean...she gets the giggles and NOBODY can keep a straight face. C & J were at a birthday party, so B and I got to spend some solid LM time playing cars and running around and giggling. All the giggles!
When the big kids got home, we played some more and watched a little Cars2, and then it was time for sweet LM to go to bed. I literally changed her diaper, put her pjs on her, and rocked her while I sang and she drank a bottle of milk...and she said "nigh nigh" and went into her bed without a peep!
C and I read a funny book while the boys played, and then they were in bed! I can't wait to be back there on Wednesday! And then, it's just me and sweet LM on Friday for a few hours! It will be awesome!
These kids...I've talked about them before, but I adore them. I've known C since she was about 6 months old, and she'll be 8 in February! B didn't even realize J was in Kindergarten this year...and when J mentioned something about his class, B said, "You're in SCHOOL?! That just blew my mind!"
The rest of the weekend has been so, SO lazy. We spent all day at home on Saturday doing nothing but taking naps and watching tv. It was glorious! When we went to bed around midnight on Friday, we slept until almost 11:00 and it was so needed. Even with that, I was in bed at 10:00 on Saturday night (I told the boys to go to bed by midnight), and slept until 9:30 this morning. We did the 11:30 church service, and then N went to spend a few hours with his dad while B and I relaxed at home...and by "relaxed at home" I mean B played Xbox and I FINALLY caught up on my dvr.
I watched Dead Poets Society, and I can't even talk about all the feels today. Maybe tomorrow. I'm still sniffling, and I fully maintain that the ONLY reason I teared up watching the Descendants (Disney Channel TV movie...yeah, I know) is because I was still emotional from Mr. Keating and "Oh, Captain, My Captain!"
Insert watery sigh here.
Aubs
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Exhaustion
For the first time...EVER...I thought to myself, "I'm too old for this."
It was a short-lived revelation that I quickly rescinded, but it was a moment. It was bizarre. I didn't like it.
I took a midterm on Thursday, and was overjoyed to see my grade on the online portal: 102/100. I figured it had to have been across the board...an easy exam...so imagine my surprise when I went into class today and heard multiple murmurings of grades in the 70s. I covered up my paper and didn't say a word. Later, my grade was changed to 104/100. I feel like this will help when she reads/grades my paper.
Papers. Y'all. I've written so many things over the last week. I wrote a 5 page paper on Jonathan Edwards and his path to salvation by way of repetitive shame. I'm not even sure it made sense. BUT. 104/100. I also wrote a 16 page doozy on a guy named Jonathan Edmiston from the 1800s. I feel like I could sleep for a year and never want to write another paper again.
Too bad my next paper (a 10 pager this time) is due 3 weeks from this coming Tuesday. This will be a group effort, so I'm not sure if that will be helpful or harmful.
I have more to talk about, but I need to go to sleep. I already took a nap this afternoon.
In. The. Rain. Well, not IN it, but while it was raining.
And I'm filling in at N's school tomorrow, so that should be lovely.
But, I swear...I'm caught up on pretty much everything, so I'll have nothing else to do over the weekend besides fill you in on ALLLL the non-interesting things going on in my life...including, but not limited to playing Truth or Dare with gum wrappers.
I know. I'm intrigued, too.
Aubs
It was a short-lived revelation that I quickly rescinded, but it was a moment. It was bizarre. I didn't like it.
I took a midterm on Thursday, and was overjoyed to see my grade on the online portal: 102/100. I figured it had to have been across the board...an easy exam...so imagine my surprise when I went into class today and heard multiple murmurings of grades in the 70s. I covered up my paper and didn't say a word. Later, my grade was changed to 104/100. I feel like this will help when she reads/grades my paper.
Papers. Y'all. I've written so many things over the last week. I wrote a 5 page paper on Jonathan Edwards and his path to salvation by way of repetitive shame. I'm not even sure it made sense. BUT. 104/100. I also wrote a 16 page doozy on a guy named Jonathan Edmiston from the 1800s. I feel like I could sleep for a year and never want to write another paper again.
Too bad my next paper (a 10 pager this time) is due 3 weeks from this coming Tuesday. This will be a group effort, so I'm not sure if that will be helpful or harmful.
I have more to talk about, but I need to go to sleep. I already took a nap this afternoon.
In. The. Rain. Well, not IN it, but while it was raining.
And I'm filling in at N's school tomorrow, so that should be lovely.
But, I swear...I'm caught up on pretty much everything, so I'll have nothing else to do over the weekend besides fill you in on ALLLL the non-interesting things going on in my life...including, but not limited to playing Truth or Dare with gum wrappers.
I know. I'm intrigued, too.
Aubs
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Another tournament, an airport debacle, and a little gushing
Well, if the title were the beginning of a joke, I would be afraid to hear the punchline. Ba dum bum. I'll be here all week, folks!
There are lots of truly amazing places in the great state of Texas. N's baseball team has been able to play on some really amazing fields just within the DFW area, and I know there are dozens of ball fields that he may never be able to play on that are equally fantastic. But the tournament they played this weekend? Well...let's just say it was not one of the great wonders. Not even close.
You know it's going to be an interesting weekend when you look the complex up on the map and think, "Well. This will be...something." And when someone asks you where you're playing, and you give the main cross streets and they say, "Oh. Um. Awesome?" you know it's bad. But, I think the clearest indicator for me was when I told another mom, "Yeah, if you need to use the bathroom, Quik Trip has some really clean ones...it's just on the other side of the highway." I have never been so thankful for my continuous regimen of wall sits and squats because they came in ridiculously handy multiple times this weekend.
Up next on my "to work on" list: Lung capacity as it pertains to holding my breath. Also very necessary.
One of the boys on our team, KJ, came over before warm-ups because his mom was flying solo for the weekend and his sister had games, too. He and N killed some zombies before we left for warm-ups, and then after warm-ups, I added CB to my car and we took off for "the ghetto." It was an extremely entertaining car ride...mostly because we attempted to follow one of the other parents and he mostly drives like a bat out of hell. It made for lots of laughter.
After a little bit of confusion as to which field we had been assigned to, we found our way to the softball field (Yellow...it seems to be our color), and got ready for the first game. This was a bigger tournament than the one last weekend, and there were a couple of teams that seemed like they would be excellent competition. The first game was a fairly easy win: 11-3. The boys played well as a team, and in the top of the first, one of our boys hit a three run homer! It was awesome! Know what wasn't awesome? The miniature pitcher's mound. It was this small circle of hilarious in the middle of the dirt. It seemed to give some of the boys some trouble: it was too small!
There was almost 2 hours between games, so some of us (6 boys and assorted parents/siblings) decided to go to Subway. As we pulled up, I noticed the outdoor access restrooms and told the boys we would go to QT after lunch...if they needed to pee, they needed to hold it. As we ate (Bless the people at Subway. I think we overwhelmed them), we observed our surroundings and noted that the pawn shop across the street had a sign boasting "Good gun deals." Wonderful. Someone came in and asked to use the restroom, and they had to make a purchase before the staff would give them a key. It was something I hope I never have to witness again. We loaded up on gum at QT and said a silent prayer for the freshly cleaned bathrooms, then headed back to our beloved softball field.
I didn't get to stay for this game, because...airport duty (more on that in a minute), but it sounded like a pretty good game. We ended up losing by 1, and that team ended up being the top ranked team going into elimination, while our split pool games left us ranked 5th. It's about where we were last weekend, and we all know what happened there, so it was fine. AND 5th put us on a real baseball field this morning!
The trip back to the colorful and eclectic baseball fields this morning was a little more somber. I had the same group in the car with me, and the two in the backseat were chatting away...but Mr. Fredrickson in the front seat must've needed a V8 or something. He was a crank! On the way, one of them asked who we were playing, and when I said, "We're playing a team from Oak Cliff" the facial expressions/response made me laugh until I had the sniffles.
I love baseball. I love all of it, win or lose. I do NOT love the annoying clapping sounds the batters make when they're leading off to distract the pitcher. Not all teams do it, but the ones who do are irritating...to me, not to the players. These guys did that AND brought the speaker thingy to play music each time we switched places. Now, if the music had been appropriate, I would've been less annoyed. But. It. Was. Not. Some of it was: They rocked some M.C. Hammer and Charlie Daniels and Beastie Boys, but then there were the inappropriate song choices laced with sexual references and innuendos. Also, there was a dad with a radar gun, and lots of Spanish. Spanish...whatever, but a radar gun? Seriously? U13, folks...13 and under.
These guys were ranked 4th, and after a few scoreless innings, we were up 4-1. We were fine. AND then the ump called out "Time has expired but we'll finish the inning." and we kind of just fell apart. Moms had been discussing lunch choices, and then all of a sudden, it was a tie game and bases were loaded and someone hit a line drive down the left field foul line...just fair, and it was all over. N was pretty bummed about a "3 games and out" loss, but he did do a spectacular dolphin dive into second. His coach said it was beautiful and absolutely perfect...except for the whole "out" thing. Love him!
It was a hard loss, but it was probably for the best. We struggled to get back on track this week after the long weekend and looooooonger baseball tournament, so an early afternoon was (hopefully) helpful. We'll see in the morning.
Airport Hooplah: I took my sweet friends to the airport a week ago at dark o'clock (aka 4:30 a.m.) so they could do a family trip to Disney. I agreed to pick two of them up at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon so they could go to Taylor Swift that night. On Saturday morning, I got a frantic text asking for ideas on how to get the rest of the family (4) home a couple of hours later because original plans had been changed. I offered to do it because I knew the baseball games would be over, so it wasn't any trouble. Well. That was a silly thought to think. When I picked (2) up, I took them home only to discover all of the doors were locked and all of the keys were inside on the counter. SO, we did a plot twist and they got to wear airport clothes to dinner and T.Swift. Exciting! I dropped them where they were having dinner (no car keys, remember?), then went BACK to their house to unload their bags and make sure the garage door was shut. Then I went back to the airport to get (4). Their bags took forever, and then went to a different claim thingy, so it took a little over an hour before they came out. I had text one of them to say I was in my car, so he was like "Um, what happened?" I realized he hadn't spoken to his wife yet, so I filled him in...then stopped and said, "Uh...you DO have keys to the house, right?" He did. Whew!
The rest of it went fairly smoothly. All the luggage fit, all the people fit, and my friend's dad suggested I rethink my friendship with his daughter after the whole ordeal. So, I did. For about 15 seconds. And then I started laughing because life wouldn't be nearly as entertaining or weird without her in it. We have so much fun making up our own shenanigans!
Meanwhile, N had gotten a ride home with the twins on our team and was hanging out over there until I was finished with airport duty. I went to pick him up, and they were gone...eating dinner (I knew I forgot something!). I waited, and then talked to the parents for a little bit. I am constantly overwhelmed by how amazing this group of boys is...but I am equally overwhelmed by the kindness and friendship of the parents as well. Weekends and practices are things I so look forward to, not just to see my child improve, but to see the team interact: the coaching staff, the boys, the parents...they are all just amazing. I seriously couldn't think of a better group of male influences for N, and I am so thankful for how they've accepted us into the group like we've been here all along. It's a rare and precious gift, a true blessing from God.
Aubs
There are lots of truly amazing places in the great state of Texas. N's baseball team has been able to play on some really amazing fields just within the DFW area, and I know there are dozens of ball fields that he may never be able to play on that are equally fantastic. But the tournament they played this weekend? Well...let's just say it was not one of the great wonders. Not even close.
You know it's going to be an interesting weekend when you look the complex up on the map and think, "Well. This will be...something." And when someone asks you where you're playing, and you give the main cross streets and they say, "Oh. Um. Awesome?" you know it's bad. But, I think the clearest indicator for me was when I told another mom, "Yeah, if you need to use the bathroom, Quik Trip has some really clean ones...it's just on the other side of the highway." I have never been so thankful for my continuous regimen of wall sits and squats because they came in ridiculously handy multiple times this weekend.
Up next on my "to work on" list: Lung capacity as it pertains to holding my breath. Also very necessary.
One of the boys on our team, KJ, came over before warm-ups because his mom was flying solo for the weekend and his sister had games, too. He and N killed some zombies before we left for warm-ups, and then after warm-ups, I added CB to my car and we took off for "the ghetto." It was an extremely entertaining car ride...mostly because we attempted to follow one of the other parents and he mostly drives like a bat out of hell. It made for lots of laughter.
After a little bit of confusion as to which field we had been assigned to, we found our way to the softball field (Yellow...it seems to be our color), and got ready for the first game. This was a bigger tournament than the one last weekend, and there were a couple of teams that seemed like they would be excellent competition. The first game was a fairly easy win: 11-3. The boys played well as a team, and in the top of the first, one of our boys hit a three run homer! It was awesome! Know what wasn't awesome? The miniature pitcher's mound. It was this small circle of hilarious in the middle of the dirt. It seemed to give some of the boys some trouble: it was too small!
There was almost 2 hours between games, so some of us (6 boys and assorted parents/siblings) decided to go to Subway. As we pulled up, I noticed the outdoor access restrooms and told the boys we would go to QT after lunch...if they needed to pee, they needed to hold it. As we ate (Bless the people at Subway. I think we overwhelmed them), we observed our surroundings and noted that the pawn shop across the street had a sign boasting "Good gun deals." Wonderful. Someone came in and asked to use the restroom, and they had to make a purchase before the staff would give them a key. It was something I hope I never have to witness again. We loaded up on gum at QT and said a silent prayer for the freshly cleaned bathrooms, then headed back to our beloved softball field.
I didn't get to stay for this game, because...airport duty (more on that in a minute), but it sounded like a pretty good game. We ended up losing by 1, and that team ended up being the top ranked team going into elimination, while our split pool games left us ranked 5th. It's about where we were last weekend, and we all know what happened there, so it was fine. AND 5th put us on a real baseball field this morning!
The trip back to the colorful and eclectic baseball fields this morning was a little more somber. I had the same group in the car with me, and the two in the backseat were chatting away...but Mr. Fredrickson in the front seat must've needed a V8 or something. He was a crank! On the way, one of them asked who we were playing, and when I said, "We're playing a team from Oak Cliff" the facial expressions/response made me laugh until I had the sniffles.
I love baseball. I love all of it, win or lose. I do NOT love the annoying clapping sounds the batters make when they're leading off to distract the pitcher. Not all teams do it, but the ones who do are irritating...to me, not to the players. These guys did that AND brought the speaker thingy to play music each time we switched places. Now, if the music had been appropriate, I would've been less annoyed. But. It. Was. Not. Some of it was: They rocked some M.C. Hammer and Charlie Daniels and Beastie Boys, but then there were the inappropriate song choices laced with sexual references and innuendos. Also, there was a dad with a radar gun, and lots of Spanish. Spanish...whatever, but a radar gun? Seriously? U13, folks...13 and under.
These guys were ranked 4th, and after a few scoreless innings, we were up 4-1. We were fine. AND then the ump called out "Time has expired but we'll finish the inning." and we kind of just fell apart. Moms had been discussing lunch choices, and then all of a sudden, it was a tie game and bases were loaded and someone hit a line drive down the left field foul line...just fair, and it was all over. N was pretty bummed about a "3 games and out" loss, but he did do a spectacular dolphin dive into second. His coach said it was beautiful and absolutely perfect...except for the whole "out" thing. Love him!
It was a hard loss, but it was probably for the best. We struggled to get back on track this week after the long weekend and looooooonger baseball tournament, so an early afternoon was (hopefully) helpful. We'll see in the morning.
Airport Hooplah: I took my sweet friends to the airport a week ago at dark o'clock (aka 4:30 a.m.) so they could do a family trip to Disney. I agreed to pick two of them up at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon so they could go to Taylor Swift that night. On Saturday morning, I got a frantic text asking for ideas on how to get the rest of the family (4) home a couple of hours later because original plans had been changed. I offered to do it because I knew the baseball games would be over, so it wasn't any trouble. Well. That was a silly thought to think. When I picked (2) up, I took them home only to discover all of the doors were locked and all of the keys were inside on the counter. SO, we did a plot twist and they got to wear airport clothes to dinner and T.Swift. Exciting! I dropped them where they were having dinner (no car keys, remember?), then went BACK to their house to unload their bags and make sure the garage door was shut. Then I went back to the airport to get (4). Their bags took forever, and then went to a different claim thingy, so it took a little over an hour before they came out. I had text one of them to say I was in my car, so he was like "Um, what happened?" I realized he hadn't spoken to his wife yet, so I filled him in...then stopped and said, "Uh...you DO have keys to the house, right?" He did. Whew!
The rest of it went fairly smoothly. All the luggage fit, all the people fit, and my friend's dad suggested I rethink my friendship with his daughter after the whole ordeal. So, I did. For about 15 seconds. And then I started laughing because life wouldn't be nearly as entertaining or weird without her in it. We have so much fun making up our own shenanigans!
Meanwhile, N had gotten a ride home with the twins on our team and was hanging out over there until I was finished with airport duty. I went to pick him up, and they were gone...eating dinner (I knew I forgot something!). I waited, and then talked to the parents for a little bit. I am constantly overwhelmed by how amazing this group of boys is...but I am equally overwhelmed by the kindness and friendship of the parents as well. Weekends and practices are things I so look forward to, not just to see my child improve, but to see the team interact: the coaching staff, the boys, the parents...they are all just amazing. I seriously couldn't think of a better group of male influences for N, and I am so thankful for how they've accepted us into the group like we've been here all along. It's a rare and precious gift, a true blessing from God.
Aubs
Friday, October 16, 2015
What. A. Weekend. (Part II)
Since an entire week has passed (almost) since the weekend concluded, I figured I should finish my recap since I will (fingers crossed) have an equally exciting weekend to report about over the next week.
So, when I left off, the semifinal game was getting ready to start. We were ranked 4 and playing the 1st place team, the team that beat us the night before. The difference between our coach and the coach of the opposing team was night and day. Where our coach was respectful and polite to the umps, this guy was cocky and rude. The ump called the start of the game at 5:05, and he decided to argue that his clock read 5:10. And it went downhill from there.
Since we were the lower ranked team, we batted first, and in the top of the first inning, our fourth batter took a fastball right to the kneecap. He collapsed (understandably so), and our coach requested a pinch runner because our fourth batter was supposed to catch in the bottom of the inning. The umps agreed, but when it came time for us to field, he was in no position to catch. Our coach went to explain to the umpire, who was extremely understanding about the whole situation.
The other coach flipped his lid and went off on a total tirade...so much so that he was ejected from the game. The parents on the other side of the fence were just as ridiculous, and they scraped together the money to request an appeal ($100) then said they were playing under protest. Whatever. The coach was supposed to leave the complex immediately, but after arguing with the official running the tournament for a good 20 minutes, he stayed by the flag pole and text his third base coach.
It was moderately better for a minute, but then the crap started. They accused our boys of cheating: of using rosin, of having something "tricky" inside a baseball cap (we have twins and they switched hats), of blocking the bag. Their first base coach told my kid he was cheating by blocking the bag, and he'd handle the situation by having his kids slide into first and break N's ankle. (Full disclosure: I didn't know this until WELL after the fact, and that's probably for the best.)
The game was super close, and despite their best efforts to rattle both the team and the parents, our boys pulled off a victory: 8-6. After the game, they took possession of the field so we couldn't play the final game. They threatened the umpires, then told them to expect to hear from their attorneys. What? Why? Is this the majors and I didn't realize it? Because, if so...I'm seriously lacking in the MLB swag department. Last time I checked, it was U13 baseball...
Anyway, we made it to the championship game, and it was back and forth the whole time. Some of the semifinal team stuck around to warn the other final team about all of our "tricks." Y'all, it was utterly ridiculous. The boys played so hard, and us moms were total wrecks by the middle of the game.
Thank the good Lord for sangria...that's all I have to say! Our team played like I've never seen them play before. As the 4th place team, we had the tops of the innings against the 3rd place team, and going into the bottom of the 7th (the last inning in U13), we were up 8-6. I cannot even begin to describe to you how amazing it was to see on of our boys catch that last pop-up at 2nd base. They totally came unglued and were jumping around, screaming. You never would have guessed they'd just played 5 games in 24 hours (2 of them back to back in some ridiculous temperatures). The parents were over-the-top excited, too (as was our newly acquired team mascot, Beau...mostly because he had free reign to run all over the field), and we all rushed onto the field to congratulate our team and applaud the guys who played such a good game.
Because even though the semifinal team was crappy, and these guys started off suspicious of us, they played some really excellent baseball, especially for having to play back-to-back-to-back. But you know what? This was huge for us. We needed this. I didn't know that our team had never won first place...but I DID know that this tournament was the first tournament we had ever played with this roster. Until this weekend, they'd played a handful of league games, but never anything this intense.
And they rocked it. They totally rocked it.
I'm proud of my kids anytime, and I'm proud of this team...but to go out and make a name for themselves and react with such positive attitudes to a whole bunch of negativity? Well, that makes me get an awkward lump in my throat.
I also have to say...B found his calling on Sunday afternoon. One of the moms was kind enough to teach him how to run the scoreboard, and I never heard another peep out of him. He ran the board, cheered his brother's team on, and was so excited about doing both of those things. He even said, later this week, that he wished he could go to N's games this weekend instead of flag football. When I asked him why, he said, "Mom, N's team shows up and they're all in it to win it. My team never shows up, and if they do, there are only three of us who actually show up and don't jack around."
Love. Him. This new outlook has made baseball that much more appealing to him, and that makes me glad, too. I want both of them to be supportive of each other, and he gets dragged to a lot more baseball games than N does flag football games. In fact, B even rocked the scoreboard at the last league game on Thursday night. The team wound up taking second in their league for the season...but on Thursday night, still high off of their championship win (I'm sure), they left the only undefeated team staring at the scoreboard when they beat them 5-1, giving them their only loss for the season.
If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know WHAT will! And so, tomorrow morning, we do it all again...different teams, different fields, but the ultimate goal is still the same: Play good, solid baseball, be good sports, and take the team as far as they can while maintaining a high level of integrity. Also, these championship rings need some friends!
Aubs
So, when I left off, the semifinal game was getting ready to start. We were ranked 4 and playing the 1st place team, the team that beat us the night before. The difference between our coach and the coach of the opposing team was night and day. Where our coach was respectful and polite to the umps, this guy was cocky and rude. The ump called the start of the game at 5:05, and he decided to argue that his clock read 5:10. And it went downhill from there.
Since we were the lower ranked team, we batted first, and in the top of the first inning, our fourth batter took a fastball right to the kneecap. He collapsed (understandably so), and our coach requested a pinch runner because our fourth batter was supposed to catch in the bottom of the inning. The umps agreed, but when it came time for us to field, he was in no position to catch. Our coach went to explain to the umpire, who was extremely understanding about the whole situation.
The other coach flipped his lid and went off on a total tirade...so much so that he was ejected from the game. The parents on the other side of the fence were just as ridiculous, and they scraped together the money to request an appeal ($100) then said they were playing under protest. Whatever. The coach was supposed to leave the complex immediately, but after arguing with the official running the tournament for a good 20 minutes, he stayed by the flag pole and text his third base coach.
It was moderately better for a minute, but then the crap started. They accused our boys of cheating: of using rosin, of having something "tricky" inside a baseball cap (we have twins and they switched hats), of blocking the bag. Their first base coach told my kid he was cheating by blocking the bag, and he'd handle the situation by having his kids slide into first and break N's ankle. (Full disclosure: I didn't know this until WELL after the fact, and that's probably for the best.)
The game was super close, and despite their best efforts to rattle both the team and the parents, our boys pulled off a victory: 8-6. After the game, they took possession of the field so we couldn't play the final game. They threatened the umpires, then told them to expect to hear from their attorneys. What? Why? Is this the majors and I didn't realize it? Because, if so...I'm seriously lacking in the MLB swag department. Last time I checked, it was U13 baseball...
Anyway, we made it to the championship game, and it was back and forth the whole time. Some of the semifinal team stuck around to warn the other final team about all of our "tricks." Y'all, it was utterly ridiculous. The boys played so hard, and us moms were total wrecks by the middle of the game.
Thank the good Lord for sangria...that's all I have to say! Our team played like I've never seen them play before. As the 4th place team, we had the tops of the innings against the 3rd place team, and going into the bottom of the 7th (the last inning in U13), we were up 8-6. I cannot even begin to describe to you how amazing it was to see on of our boys catch that last pop-up at 2nd base. They totally came unglued and were jumping around, screaming. You never would have guessed they'd just played 5 games in 24 hours (2 of them back to back in some ridiculous temperatures). The parents were over-the-top excited, too (as was our newly acquired team mascot, Beau...mostly because he had free reign to run all over the field), and we all rushed onto the field to congratulate our team and applaud the guys who played such a good game.
Because even though the semifinal team was crappy, and these guys started off suspicious of us, they played some really excellent baseball, especially for having to play back-to-back-to-back. But you know what? This was huge for us. We needed this. I didn't know that our team had never won first place...but I DID know that this tournament was the first tournament we had ever played with this roster. Until this weekend, they'd played a handful of league games, but never anything this intense.
And they rocked it. They totally rocked it.
I also have to say...B found his calling on Sunday afternoon. One of the moms was kind enough to teach him how to run the scoreboard, and I never heard another peep out of him. He ran the board, cheered his brother's team on, and was so excited about doing both of those things. He even said, later this week, that he wished he could go to N's games this weekend instead of flag football. When I asked him why, he said, "Mom, N's team shows up and they're all in it to win it. My team never shows up, and if they do, there are only three of us who actually show up and don't jack around."
Love. Him. This new outlook has made baseball that much more appealing to him, and that makes me glad, too. I want both of them to be supportive of each other, and he gets dragged to a lot more baseball games than N does flag football games. In fact, B even rocked the scoreboard at the last league game on Thursday night. The team wound up taking second in their league for the season...but on Thursday night, still high off of their championship win (I'm sure), they left the only undefeated team staring at the scoreboard when they beat them 5-1, giving them their only loss for the season.
If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know WHAT will! And so, tomorrow morning, we do it all again...different teams, different fields, but the ultimate goal is still the same: Play good, solid baseball, be good sports, and take the team as far as they can while maintaining a high level of integrity. Also, these championship rings need some friends!
Aubs
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
What. A. Weekend. (Part I)
I feel like I need a 4 day weekend to recover from the 4 day weekend the boys had this weekend. I also feel that way during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring breaks. And don't even get me started on summertime. Thinking that far ahead gave me a mini-panic attack. I need to slow my roll and focus on the here and now.
Friday was pretty relaxing, and there wasn't a ton on our agenda. Saturday, however, was a vastly different story.
My day started at 4:00 a.m. Yes, I mean dark o'clock. It was dark. And it was early o'clock. I headed over to drive friends to the airport so they could catch a flight to Florida to spend the week at Disney. Braggers. They went to Harry Potter World and everything. I can't even begin to describe the level of jealousy I feel as I flip through the H.P. pictures and like/comment on every single one. Because I do. And I want to (sweetly) thump my sweet friend on the noggin for not getting the appeal of the wonderful world of wizardry. Some people. I mean...
Anyway, I had her husband drive us to the airport, and then I drove their Expedition back to their house. The LAST thing I wanted was to have 12 eyes staring at me as I drove an unfamiliar vehicle in the middle of the night without having consumed coffee. I only closed my eyes about 4 times as I drove it...twice when I was paying to get out of the airport and then the whole electronic gate thing.
(No vehicles were harmed during this trip...just FYI.)
I went home, fully intending to do some laundry and get snacks ready for our busy day...and I totally did. Inside my head. Because my eyelids closed all on their own, and then it was 10:00 and I was running like a crazy woman because I needed to do ALL.THE.THINGS.
My dad was early (totally fine), so we loaded everything into his truck and dropped N off to do some batting practice before the tournament. Then we headed to B's flag football game. I know B loves to play, and I love to watch him play, but I get so irritated for him when I see the ball always going to one particular player. I mean, I know he always catches the ball, but how can anyone else always catch the ball if it never gets thrown to them? B was also suffering from a "foot injury" that seemed to ebb and flow as far as pain level goes based on if we were sitting in the car or he was able to run around and play. Clearly, it was life threatening.
B played almost all of the 40 minutes, and became almost inconsolable after his "injury" sidelined him in the last 2 minutes of the game. He was moody and cranky the whole way to N's first game (already in progress), and claimed he only wanted a Dr. Pepper when we went through the drive-thru at Chick Fil-A. Lucky for him...Mom knows better.
When we got to the ball fields (It was a Lewisville tournament, but our pool games were being played at "other area fields" and we wound up a good 30 minutes away in east Plano), the first game was almost over. This mom was a hot mess...she hates missing games and knew N didn't have any of "his people" there to represent. Luckily, we were totally winning, and although I felt bad, I knew that getting a solid win would be what mattered. The first game was an 8-1 victory, although N and I are still arguing about that because the scoreboard wasn't working. He says 7, the website said 8...and I sided with the tournament. He obviously thinks I'm a moron.
We had a break between games, and it was a tough decision. Ultimately, my dad took the boys to the mall to meet the team while I went with my mom to get N the Jamba Juice I promised him because it was nearby. Let me just say...Jamba is one of our favorites, and there just aren't enough locations nearby. It was a thing I had to come through on, or I'd lose any cool-mom cred. As if he would agree I had any to begin with...but I digress.
The second game, I have to admit...I didn't really watch. I mean, I watched, but I was on the phone for the entire game (and then some), talking to someone I legitimately hadn't spoken to on the phone since roughly early 2005. And they needed me. So I was there. It's what I do. We lost, but it was a squeaker...6-4. When the rankings were posted while we were STILL on our way home, CBC (our team) was ranked 4th, and that gave us an 11:00 a.m. game time. I can handle that all day long.
We met at 9:30 for batting practice, and then went to the (MUCH closer) Lewisville fields to finish out the tournament. We were pumped because we knew if (WHEN) we won our first game, we wouldn't have another game until the semifinal at 5...which meant hours to go home and nap or watch a bunch of episodes of Psych or make sangria in case we made it to the finals.
We won the first game pretty easily, 10-5, and knew we would more than likely be facing the team that beat us the night before (ranked 1st in the tournament) in the semifinal. When we got back for the 5:00 game, the score was 6-5, and they still had a while to play. We held our breath, hoping the lower ranked team would pull it off, but they didn't and lost 9-5.
And that's about when all the shit hit the fan...
Aubs
Friday was pretty relaxing, and there wasn't a ton on our agenda. Saturday, however, was a vastly different story.
My day started at 4:00 a.m. Yes, I mean dark o'clock. It was dark. And it was early o'clock. I headed over to drive friends to the airport so they could catch a flight to Florida to spend the week at Disney. Braggers. They went to Harry Potter World and everything. I can't even begin to describe the level of jealousy I feel as I flip through the H.P. pictures and like/comment on every single one. Because I do. And I want to (sweetly) thump my sweet friend on the noggin for not getting the appeal of the wonderful world of wizardry. Some people. I mean...
Anyway, I had her husband drive us to the airport, and then I drove their Expedition back to their house. The LAST thing I wanted was to have 12 eyes staring at me as I drove an unfamiliar vehicle in the middle of the night without having consumed coffee. I only closed my eyes about 4 times as I drove it...twice when I was paying to get out of the airport and then the whole electronic gate thing.
(No vehicles were harmed during this trip...just FYI.)
I went home, fully intending to do some laundry and get snacks ready for our busy day...and I totally did. Inside my head. Because my eyelids closed all on their own, and then it was 10:00 and I was running like a crazy woman because I needed to do ALL.THE.THINGS.
My dad was early (totally fine), so we loaded everything into his truck and dropped N off to do some batting practice before the tournament. Then we headed to B's flag football game. I know B loves to play, and I love to watch him play, but I get so irritated for him when I see the ball always going to one particular player. I mean, I know he always catches the ball, but how can anyone else always catch the ball if it never gets thrown to them? B was also suffering from a "foot injury" that seemed to ebb and flow as far as pain level goes based on if we were sitting in the car or he was able to run around and play. Clearly, it was life threatening.
B played almost all of the 40 minutes, and became almost inconsolable after his "injury" sidelined him in the last 2 minutes of the game. He was moody and cranky the whole way to N's first game (already in progress), and claimed he only wanted a Dr. Pepper when we went through the drive-thru at Chick Fil-A. Lucky for him...Mom knows better.
When we got to the ball fields (It was a Lewisville tournament, but our pool games were being played at "other area fields" and we wound up a good 30 minutes away in east Plano), the first game was almost over. This mom was a hot mess...she hates missing games and knew N didn't have any of "his people" there to represent. Luckily, we were totally winning, and although I felt bad, I knew that getting a solid win would be what mattered. The first game was an 8-1 victory, although N and I are still arguing about that because the scoreboard wasn't working. He says 7, the website said 8...and I sided with the tournament. He obviously thinks I'm a moron.
We had a break between games, and it was a tough decision. Ultimately, my dad took the boys to the mall to meet the team while I went with my mom to get N the Jamba Juice I promised him because it was nearby. Let me just say...Jamba is one of our favorites, and there just aren't enough locations nearby. It was a thing I had to come through on, or I'd lose any cool-mom cred. As if he would agree I had any to begin with...but I digress.
The second game, I have to admit...I didn't really watch. I mean, I watched, but I was on the phone for the entire game (and then some), talking to someone I legitimately hadn't spoken to on the phone since roughly early 2005. And they needed me. So I was there. It's what I do. We lost, but it was a squeaker...6-4. When the rankings were posted while we were STILL on our way home, CBC (our team) was ranked 4th, and that gave us an 11:00 a.m. game time. I can handle that all day long.
We met at 9:30 for batting practice, and then went to the (MUCH closer) Lewisville fields to finish out the tournament. We were pumped because we knew if (WHEN) we won our first game, we wouldn't have another game until the semifinal at 5...which meant hours to go home and nap or watch a bunch of episodes of Psych or make sangria in case we made it to the finals.
We won the first game pretty easily, 10-5, and knew we would more than likely be facing the team that beat us the night before (ranked 1st in the tournament) in the semifinal. When we got back for the 5:00 game, the score was 6-5, and they still had a while to play. We held our breath, hoping the lower ranked team would pull it off, but they didn't and lost 9-5.
And that's about when all the shit hit the fan...
Aubs
Friday, October 9, 2015
Why is this week so crazy?!
There has been so much going on...and at the same time, nothing at all.
You know those weeks that just feel insanely busy, but when you look at them on paper, there's just no real reason why things feel so chaotic?
The boys have a four day weekend for elementary conferences and Columbus Day (aka Fair Day). This is the second year the school district has turned this into a 4 day weekend, and I can't say I'm a fan. I still haven't figured out why this week has been so hectic, but it feels like such a chaotic beatdown. My homework levels were moderate, and one of my classes was cancelled all week, so I don't get it. I think the whole "having Friday off" thing has thrown a serious wrench in the ebb and flow of my life.
Wednesday was my mom's canciversary, so my hair went from dark blonde with highlights to a seriously dark espresso color. It's been 2 days and I still freak myself out when I catch my reflection in the mirror or a window. N was asleep when I got home on Wednesday night and when he walked into my room on Thursday morning (when I was halfway through drying my hair), he stopped short and said, "Whoa. Mom. That's dark."
No kidding. Dark hair makes for a dark & twisty mom...aka "Watch out, children...Mom plays even less than usual now."
Thursday morning was early conference morning at B's school, and we got an excellent report! He has been having some issues with responsibility, and the math has kind of thrown him for a loop, but he is doing so well. I was worried about how he would transition to a new school within our district, but he really seems like he's doing well, even though I know he desperately misses his friends at DCE.
Thursday night, N had a hitting lesson, and then we had to run a few errands. My dad and our friend, Stella, came up this weekend to attend football and baseball games, so I knew we'd be busy most of the day on Friday. We slept in this morning, and then cleaned up the house and ate lunch while we waited for them to get here.
Also, MLB. Be still, my heart! I have not been that anxious about a game in years! Watching the Rangers take the first game of the series yesterday afternoon is probably one of the sweetest memories I have with my biggest boy. The atmosphere for today's game was more intense in Toronto AND in our living room! Stella and I finally left to go get manicures for her birthday when they were headed into the 11th inning. Her Astros had just started, so I asked the sweet man at my nail place to put the game on for her...thinking the Rangers game would be finished before my nails were painted.
I was so wrong. Bless the woman doing my manicure...every minute or two, she'd swipe my phone for me to refresh my sports app so I could see if anything changed. When the Rangers won, I messed up a toe and she had to repaint! It was an awesome win...and I can't wait to bust out the broom on Sunday!
I hope I'll be able to watch. B has a flag football game tomorrow at 1:00. N has games at 2:00 and 6:00 in an entirely different place than what we originally thought. The outcome of his two games on Saturday determines the time(s) we play on Sunday. I do love tournament season, but I bet I won't be the only one trying to "watch" two baseball games at once on Sunday!
I have a sweet someone in my life...someone I care a lot about, who is going through some stuff. I was feeling like I was being ignored and getting frustrated, until I received a text tonight informing me of the situation. And then I felt like an idiot. Because I know this person, and I know they wouldn't purposely ignore me. They know better. And my irritation pales in comparison to what they're dealing with, which makes me feel even worse.
And now it's 8:43 (and OU still sucks) on Friday night, the weekend of the Red River Shootout between Texas and OU (we ate dinner at Babe's tonight...surrounded by gross OU fans), and I'm in bed. Why? Because I'm driving a sweet family to the airport in the morning so they can spend a week at Disney with their extended family. At 4:45 a.m. Because I love them...
Even if I won't be remotely social.
Aubs
You know those weeks that just feel insanely busy, but when you look at them on paper, there's just no real reason why things feel so chaotic?
The boys have a four day weekend for elementary conferences and Columbus Day (aka Fair Day). This is the second year the school district has turned this into a 4 day weekend, and I can't say I'm a fan. I still haven't figured out why this week has been so hectic, but it feels like such a chaotic beatdown. My homework levels were moderate, and one of my classes was cancelled all week, so I don't get it. I think the whole "having Friday off" thing has thrown a serious wrench in the ebb and flow of my life.
Wednesday was my mom's canciversary, so my hair went from dark blonde with highlights to a seriously dark espresso color. It's been 2 days and I still freak myself out when I catch my reflection in the mirror or a window. N was asleep when I got home on Wednesday night and when he walked into my room on Thursday morning (when I was halfway through drying my hair), he stopped short and said, "Whoa. Mom. That's dark."
No kidding. Dark hair makes for a dark & twisty mom...aka "Watch out, children...Mom plays even less than usual now."
Thursday morning was early conference morning at B's school, and we got an excellent report! He has been having some issues with responsibility, and the math has kind of thrown him for a loop, but he is doing so well. I was worried about how he would transition to a new school within our district, but he really seems like he's doing well, even though I know he desperately misses his friends at DCE.
Thursday night, N had a hitting lesson, and then we had to run a few errands. My dad and our friend, Stella, came up this weekend to attend football and baseball games, so I knew we'd be busy most of the day on Friday. We slept in this morning, and then cleaned up the house and ate lunch while we waited for them to get here.
Also, MLB. Be still, my heart! I have not been that anxious about a game in years! Watching the Rangers take the first game of the series yesterday afternoon is probably one of the sweetest memories I have with my biggest boy. The atmosphere for today's game was more intense in Toronto AND in our living room! Stella and I finally left to go get manicures for her birthday when they were headed into the 11th inning. Her Astros had just started, so I asked the sweet man at my nail place to put the game on for her...thinking the Rangers game would be finished before my nails were painted.
I was so wrong. Bless the woman doing my manicure...every minute or two, she'd swipe my phone for me to refresh my sports app so I could see if anything changed. When the Rangers won, I messed up a toe and she had to repaint! It was an awesome win...and I can't wait to bust out the broom on Sunday!
I hope I'll be able to watch. B has a flag football game tomorrow at 1:00. N has games at 2:00 and 6:00 in an entirely different place than what we originally thought. The outcome of his two games on Saturday determines the time(s) we play on Sunday. I do love tournament season, but I bet I won't be the only one trying to "watch" two baseball games at once on Sunday!
I have a sweet someone in my life...someone I care a lot about, who is going through some stuff. I was feeling like I was being ignored and getting frustrated, until I received a text tonight informing me of the situation. And then I felt like an idiot. Because I know this person, and I know they wouldn't purposely ignore me. They know better. And my irritation pales in comparison to what they're dealing with, which makes me feel even worse.
And now it's 8:43 (and OU still sucks) on Friday night, the weekend of the Red River Shootout between Texas and OU (we ate dinner at Babe's tonight...surrounded by gross OU fans), and I'm in bed. Why? Because I'm driving a sweet family to the airport in the morning so they can spend a week at Disney with their extended family. At 4:45 a.m. Because I love them...
Even if I won't be remotely social.
Aubs
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
The B's Knees
My B...when I think about him, I shake my head and laugh. He has so much character and heart in that almost-10-year-old body of his. On Thursday, he had a run-in with part of a bleacher in P.E. and asked the nurse to call his stepmom. When they called me to tell me about it, I mentioned that I was impressed that the nurse called her instead of me (because she usually calls me when there's an issue, and I relay), B said, "Mom, I knew you were really busy with school because it's Thursday and you had that paper due, and I didn't want to bother you. Plus, I knew I was going to my dad's after school."
It was a simple statement, but what I took from it is that B knew I was stressed about my deadline and he didn't want to add to the stuff I was dealing with.
I know he doesn't enjoy being at my house. I understand why...but it wasn't always like this. And I hope it doesn't stay like this.
Allergy shots are really beating him down, too. Wednesdays are his shot days, and he spends Thursdays and Fridays absolutely miserable...and then he goes to play flag football on Saturday. I really wish a cold snap would come so he would get a little bit of relief.
It has been so much fun watching him play flag football this season. Even though we haven't talked about it, I think it means a lot to him that his brother shows up to watch him play. It's only an hour, and N complains initially...but B has been dragged to practically hundreds of N's baseball games with minimal complaints.
This Saturday, N has a tournament (game times tbd) and B has a flag football game at 1:00. My dad and our friend, Stella, are coming up for a weekend full of sports. B will have to come with us on Sunday to the games (again, times tbd), and I'm not sure he's going to be excited about it, but he will do it without complaint...especially if there are snow cones. I don't think he's ever met a snow cone he didn't like.
I really appreciate his stepmom and our ability to work together to create the best schedule we can for him. I know sitting at a baseball game can be boring to a kid who wants to run around and play. I know it sucks infinitely more for someone whose allergies are the worst I've ever seen. And his stepmom has been great about having B stay with them when N has games during the week or early morning games. We handle business.
And he deserves the best. He has such a sweet heart and a fun sense of humor and a caring personality. He's just the B's knees!
I love both of my boys...for some of the same reasons, but for a lot of different reasons, too. They are similar in some ways, but their differences are what I love the most about each of them.
Aubs
It was a simple statement, but what I took from it is that B knew I was stressed about my deadline and he didn't want to add to the stuff I was dealing with.
I know he doesn't enjoy being at my house. I understand why...but it wasn't always like this. And I hope it doesn't stay like this.
Allergy shots are really beating him down, too. Wednesdays are his shot days, and he spends Thursdays and Fridays absolutely miserable...and then he goes to play flag football on Saturday. I really wish a cold snap would come so he would get a little bit of relief.
It has been so much fun watching him play flag football this season. Even though we haven't talked about it, I think it means a lot to him that his brother shows up to watch him play. It's only an hour, and N complains initially...but B has been dragged to practically hundreds of N's baseball games with minimal complaints.
This Saturday, N has a tournament (game times tbd) and B has a flag football game at 1:00. My dad and our friend, Stella, are coming up for a weekend full of sports. B will have to come with us on Sunday to the games (again, times tbd), and I'm not sure he's going to be excited about it, but he will do it without complaint...especially if there are snow cones. I don't think he's ever met a snow cone he didn't like.
I really appreciate his stepmom and our ability to work together to create the best schedule we can for him. I know sitting at a baseball game can be boring to a kid who wants to run around and play. I know it sucks infinitely more for someone whose allergies are the worst I've ever seen. And his stepmom has been great about having B stay with them when N has games during the week or early morning games. We handle business.
And he deserves the best. He has such a sweet heart and a fun sense of humor and a caring personality. He's just the B's knees!
I love both of my boys...for some of the same reasons, but for a lot of different reasons, too. They are similar in some ways, but their differences are what I love the most about each of them.
Aubs
Thursday, October 1, 2015
The "Mercy Rule" is awesome...when you're the team showing the mercy!
Some days really go my way, and others seem to be stacked against me.
Today was one of the good days. I've had a deadline looming over my head for a couple of weeks: an outline of the 25 page paper that's due toward the end of September. With footnotes.
I loathe, despise, and abominate footnotes. I never know how much information to put in them. Also, they suck.
Anyway, I've been meaning to sit down and start it, but things have gotten in the way...like grocery shopping, and trying to figure out how to work my new phone, and staring at my messy house that I need to clean for my Monopoly session with random people I've never met on Friday.
This morning, though, my first class was optional since the outline is due at 11:59 p.m. I decided to take an absence in my other online class and spend the morning working on the outline so I'd have a better idea about how stressed I would be during N's doubleheader.
So, I started. Because that's the hardest part...getting started. I used random sentences and headings and pictures and footnoted the crap out of everything. When I attached it to an email to send to my professor, I sent a disclaimer: "This is an extremely rough draft...please. Be gentle."
She emailed me back less than an hour later and said, "This is exactly what I was looking for!"
It was submitted before 12:30, and I had the rest of the day to do whatever...so I went to Target.
Because that's the funnest.
I came home and whipped up my favorite veggie dip (Thanks, Aunt Patty!), then went to pick N up from school. Oh, and I picked up some new batting gloves because he totally ripped the palm out of his other pair last weekend. That kind of makes gripping things difficult. I think. Anyway, he was surprised and pleased to find new gloves in his seat when he got in the car, and decided they were pretty great. Mom wins.
My win was short-lived because he was not about to get ready for baseball nor did he want to leave early to avoid traffic. I sweetened the deal by offering Chick Fil-A if we went early, and he was in. It was one of the funnest car rides EVER. My XM did NOT disappoint on the way to the ball fields, and N was mortified. But he was also laughing himself silly.
He just wouldn't share my microphone. It's also my fist. So there's that. Here was the 4 song line-up that put us both over the edge:
When I Said I Do: Clint Black
Goodbye Earl: The Dixie Chicks
Lost in this Moment: Big & Rich
Tim McGraw: Taylor Swift
I went from song to song without skipping a beat or missing a word...and even when N turned off the radio during Goodbye Earl, I kept going and matched up with the song when I turned the radio back on. He was trying so hard not to laugh...but he just lost it. Y'all, it was so funny! And I'm so glad we had such a good time on the way to the baseball fields because it totally set the tone for the night. We were there an hour before game time, which was kind of perfect because he had time to warm up with his teammate before everyone else started showing up. Us Margarita Club girls stick together...and plot ways to get our third member back home to us.
Anyway, my main gripe is that the score boards haven't worked for the last two weeks, and it's really irritating. I can't be expected to keep up with the score of the game in front of me AND shout out updates for the Rangers game for those who have dead phone batteries. The first game started at 6:00, and they run 1:45, so I was really confused when the umps said, "That's game!" and it was only 7:15. I mean, I knew we were scoring runs, but I didn't realize they were scoring none. Mercy rule! Yay us...sad for them.
That left the boys with a ton of downtime between that game and our second game with its 8:00 start. So things got silly. A couple of the dads got the boys lined up to take a serious picture ("No smiles, please."), but some of those boys are just smilers. Then they did a fun picture...and this is where it got super fun! Y'all! My new phone takes pictures that move!
It's like I have Hogwarts right in my phone! I showed the boys, and they were like, "Whoa! Do it again!" They all sat on the front row in the stands to watch the remainder of the first game and I got the entire group of them sitting there, paying attention to the game, with all of their numbers on their backs.
It was precious. I love it!
The second game started on time and...wouldn't you know it? The second game kind of went the same way as the first. I was hollering out Rangers updates (They won, 5-3) and our boys went on to mercy rule again: 17-1. I think. I mean. I lost track. But they scored all the runs and the other team only scored one.
We were taking one of N's teammates home, so N, W.K., and I headed home. On the way home, it's like N has this epiphany and he says, "You know...I never really got it before, but baseball games really do go better if you have a good time while you're playing."
Um, you think? He went on to talk about how he had a really rough 5 years with trying to learn that in his life, and I responded with, "YOU had a rough 5 years? How about the rest of us who had to deal with that mess?" while W.K. laughed in the backseat. Then they collaborated while trying to figure out what my password might be since chopping off my thumb to access my phone is not an option.
We did some super stealth moves to get W.K. into his house, and then we were on our way home. EARLIER than normal. I told him..."Mercy rules work for us as long as we're the ones showing mercy, not receiving it."
He said he'd try. Which is great. Since there's only one more regular season game and tournaments don't use the mercy rule. It makes me nervous and excited!
Tomorrow? It's all about my B!
Aubs
Today was one of the good days. I've had a deadline looming over my head for a couple of weeks: an outline of the 25 page paper that's due toward the end of September. With footnotes.
I loathe, despise, and abominate footnotes. I never know how much information to put in them. Also, they suck.
Anyway, I've been meaning to sit down and start it, but things have gotten in the way...like grocery shopping, and trying to figure out how to work my new phone, and staring at my messy house that I need to clean for my Monopoly session with random people I've never met on Friday.
This morning, though, my first class was optional since the outline is due at 11:59 p.m. I decided to take an absence in my other online class and spend the morning working on the outline so I'd have a better idea about how stressed I would be during N's doubleheader.
So, I started. Because that's the hardest part...getting started. I used random sentences and headings and pictures and footnoted the crap out of everything. When I attached it to an email to send to my professor, I sent a disclaimer: "This is an extremely rough draft...please. Be gentle."
She emailed me back less than an hour later and said, "This is exactly what I was looking for!"
It was submitted before 12:30, and I had the rest of the day to do whatever...so I went to Target.
Because that's the funnest.
I came home and whipped up my favorite veggie dip (Thanks, Aunt Patty!), then went to pick N up from school. Oh, and I picked up some new batting gloves because he totally ripped the palm out of his other pair last weekend. That kind of makes gripping things difficult. I think. Anyway, he was surprised and pleased to find new gloves in his seat when he got in the car, and decided they were pretty great. Mom wins.
My win was short-lived because he was not about to get ready for baseball nor did he want to leave early to avoid traffic. I sweetened the deal by offering Chick Fil-A if we went early, and he was in. It was one of the funnest car rides EVER. My XM did NOT disappoint on the way to the ball fields, and N was mortified. But he was also laughing himself silly.
He just wouldn't share my microphone. It's also my fist. So there's that. Here was the 4 song line-up that put us both over the edge:
When I Said I Do: Clint Black
Goodbye Earl: The Dixie Chicks
Lost in this Moment: Big & Rich
Tim McGraw: Taylor Swift
I went from song to song without skipping a beat or missing a word...and even when N turned off the radio during Goodbye Earl, I kept going and matched up with the song when I turned the radio back on. He was trying so hard not to laugh...but he just lost it. Y'all, it was so funny! And I'm so glad we had such a good time on the way to the baseball fields because it totally set the tone for the night. We were there an hour before game time, which was kind of perfect because he had time to warm up with his teammate before everyone else started showing up. Us Margarita Club girls stick together...and plot ways to get our third member back home to us.
Anyway, my main gripe is that the score boards haven't worked for the last two weeks, and it's really irritating. I can't be expected to keep up with the score of the game in front of me AND shout out updates for the Rangers game for those who have dead phone batteries. The first game started at 6:00, and they run 1:45, so I was really confused when the umps said, "That's game!" and it was only 7:15. I mean, I knew we were scoring runs, but I didn't realize they were scoring none. Mercy rule! Yay us...sad for them.
That left the boys with a ton of downtime between that game and our second game with its 8:00 start. So things got silly. A couple of the dads got the boys lined up to take a serious picture ("No smiles, please."), but some of those boys are just smilers. Then they did a fun picture...and this is where it got super fun! Y'all! My new phone takes pictures that move!
It's like I have Hogwarts right in my phone! I showed the boys, and they were like, "Whoa! Do it again!" They all sat on the front row in the stands to watch the remainder of the first game and I got the entire group of them sitting there, paying attention to the game, with all of their numbers on their backs.
It was precious. I love it!
The second game started on time and...wouldn't you know it? The second game kind of went the same way as the first. I was hollering out Rangers updates (They won, 5-3) and our boys went on to mercy rule again: 17-1. I think. I mean. I lost track. But they scored all the runs and the other team only scored one.
We were taking one of N's teammates home, so N, W.K., and I headed home. On the way home, it's like N has this epiphany and he says, "You know...I never really got it before, but baseball games really do go better if you have a good time while you're playing."
Um, you think? He went on to talk about how he had a really rough 5 years with trying to learn that in his life, and I responded with, "YOU had a rough 5 years? How about the rest of us who had to deal with that mess?" while W.K. laughed in the backseat. Then they collaborated while trying to figure out what my password might be since chopping off my thumb to access my phone is not an option.
We did some super stealth moves to get W.K. into his house, and then we were on our way home. EARLIER than normal. I told him..."Mercy rules work for us as long as we're the ones showing mercy, not receiving it."
He said he'd try. Which is great. Since there's only one more regular season game and tournaments don't use the mercy rule. It makes me nervous and excited!
Tomorrow? It's all about my B!
Aubs
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
LMFAO...Why?
Y'all, I don't know why that stupid "group" popped into my head just now, but they totally did.
Thank sweet baby Jesus in heaven that their popularity was short-lived.
A couple of months ago, I joined some former co-workers in a squat challenge via an online accountability group on Facebook. Several years ago I was the squat queen...I did different variations for a couple of years in addition to walking at least 5 miles a day. I was in the best shape I'd ever been in, post babies. But, as it often does, I fell off the wagon toward the end of 2013. Why?
Carbs. Oh, blessed carbs. More specifically, potatoes. I have never met a potato I didn't like. Just as it took forever for the weight to fall off, the gain was gradual. I finally got to a point where I wanted to do something about it, but I didn't feel like I had any time. I'd start walking or exercising or start a challenge on my own, but I'd either manage a feeble attempt or I'd forget about it midway through.
Fast forward to this summer. Like I said, I've done the squats thing for a while, and I knew my quads were waiting to bust out of their fat cocoon, so I jumped in. The variation during that 31 day challenge was so awesome and so much fun that I saved the list to add when I need a little something extra. It's easy to throw a few sets in while I'm reading something on my laptop or watching the Rangers attempt to keep a hole of first place in the AL West. The "4's" are my favorite: cross one ankle over the top of the opposite knee and squat with one leg. LOVE.
When that challenge was over, the next one was an ab challenge. I did that one, too...for the most part. There were a few exercises where I lack the sheer amount of coordination to make them count, so I went to solid standbys. This time, it's a cardio challenge, and I'm kind of just watching. It seems like a lot of fun, but I was so amped by my progress during those 62 days that I decided to kind of branch out and stick with my squats that make me happy.
So, for the last 25 days or so, I've been doing a squat challenge, a wall sit challenge, and a crunch challenge. Today I had to do 220 squats, a 4:10 wall sit, and 120 crunches. These are some of my favorites because I can feel and see the results. And when I'm nearing the end of my seemingly endless wall sit, I start singing random songs to myself to keep me engaged and focused so I don't slide down the wall like a cartoon puddle. You know what I mean.
Why is it that my legs always look better when they're up in the air? Hahahahaha, that's funny.
Aaaaaand we're done here.
Aubs
Thank sweet baby Jesus in heaven that their popularity was short-lived.
A couple of months ago, I joined some former co-workers in a squat challenge via an online accountability group on Facebook. Several years ago I was the squat queen...I did different variations for a couple of years in addition to walking at least 5 miles a day. I was in the best shape I'd ever been in, post babies. But, as it often does, I fell off the wagon toward the end of 2013. Why?
Carbs. Oh, blessed carbs. More specifically, potatoes. I have never met a potato I didn't like. Just as it took forever for the weight to fall off, the gain was gradual. I finally got to a point where I wanted to do something about it, but I didn't feel like I had any time. I'd start walking or exercising or start a challenge on my own, but I'd either manage a feeble attempt or I'd forget about it midway through.
Fast forward to this summer. Like I said, I've done the squats thing for a while, and I knew my quads were waiting to bust out of their fat cocoon, so I jumped in. The variation during that 31 day challenge was so awesome and so much fun that I saved the list to add when I need a little something extra. It's easy to throw a few sets in while I'm reading something on my laptop or watching the Rangers attempt to keep a hole of first place in the AL West. The "4's" are my favorite: cross one ankle over the top of the opposite knee and squat with one leg. LOVE.
When that challenge was over, the next one was an ab challenge. I did that one, too...for the most part. There were a few exercises where I lack the sheer amount of coordination to make them count, so I went to solid standbys. This time, it's a cardio challenge, and I'm kind of just watching. It seems like a lot of fun, but I was so amped by my progress during those 62 days that I decided to kind of branch out and stick with my squats that make me happy.
So, for the last 25 days or so, I've been doing a squat challenge, a wall sit challenge, and a crunch challenge. Today I had to do 220 squats, a 4:10 wall sit, and 120 crunches. These are some of my favorites because I can feel and see the results. And when I'm nearing the end of my seemingly endless wall sit, I start singing random songs to myself to keep me engaged and focused so I don't slide down the wall like a cartoon puddle. You know what I mean.
Why is it that my legs always look better when they're up in the air? Hahahahaha, that's funny.
Aaaaaand we're done here.
Aubs
Monday, September 28, 2015
I'm a total sellout.
It's true. I have been anti-Apple for as long as it's been a thing (with the exception of my iPod shuffle...that got stolen, and my replacement iPod something...that doesn't hold a charge unless it's plugged into my car because Texas is hot and melts things). Entertaining myself in the car is the only reason I have ever navigated iTunes, and that's simply because it's the only way I've been able to put music onto my iPod.
So, when I upgraded my phone online yesterday and ultimately wound up with an iPhone, I was sort of disgusted with myself. I have an LG G2, and I really like it. I like that there are no buttons to accidentally press. I like that the front and back cameras don't suck. I like the size of it. I'm used to it. You know what I'm not used to? A freakin' iPhone.
I'm sure it will be fine. I'm sure I will love it. I'm sure it will be adorable and cute and yet another reason why my child hates my guts...because I have one and he doesn't. In fact, when I told him I'd upgraded yesterday, he didn't talk to me for TWO GLORIOUS HOURS. I call that a win.
The truth is, doing the whole "iPhone forever" thing that Sprint has does nothing to my bill. When I hit the two year mark with my LG this month, I was able lower my bill by about $20...and to switch to the iPhone will be about $24. So, there you go.
I will hate learning how to use it, and my kids will laugh at me, but we have very little else as far as entertainment goes. Lord knows the blood moon really failed to come through for us last night. Also, I agreed to look for an iPhone 5 for my kid (he's footing the bill), so I've redeemed myself as the coolest mom again...although I bet I'd be a lot cooler if I agreed to purchase it for him.
No dice, N...not happening.
This week will be pretty hectic, with a lot of school deadlines for me, and the end of the first six weeks for the boys. Can you believe it's been six weeks already?! And can you believe that it's almost October?! Oh, I can't wait...I really can't! I need fall weather and temperatures that max out in the 70s. Apparently, this also means I need to move. But I won't. Not for a few more years anyway.
If you know me at all, patience is not my virtue. It pretty much skipped me and went straight to someone else...perhaps not in my family at all. I have been exercising an insane amount of patience with someone I care about. Just because I don't mind talking to someone on the phone or via text on a daily basis doesn't mean they like to...or maybe they aren't available...or something. So when I talk to someone on Wednesday and then don't hear from them until Sunday, that's a long time. It's not...but patience, right? Not. My. Strong. Suit. And then on Sunday, we exchange hellos. And that's it.
To text or not to text...that is the question.
But since I'm an Android/Apple sellout, I'll probably try to over-correct on this one.
Sigh.
Aubs
So, when I upgraded my phone online yesterday and ultimately wound up with an iPhone, I was sort of disgusted with myself. I have an LG G2, and I really like it. I like that there are no buttons to accidentally press. I like that the front and back cameras don't suck. I like the size of it. I'm used to it. You know what I'm not used to? A freakin' iPhone.
I'm sure it will be fine. I'm sure I will love it. I'm sure it will be adorable and cute and yet another reason why my child hates my guts...because I have one and he doesn't. In fact, when I told him I'd upgraded yesterday, he didn't talk to me for TWO GLORIOUS HOURS. I call that a win.
The truth is, doing the whole "iPhone forever" thing that Sprint has does nothing to my bill. When I hit the two year mark with my LG this month, I was able lower my bill by about $20...and to switch to the iPhone will be about $24. So, there you go.
I will hate learning how to use it, and my kids will laugh at me, but we have very little else as far as entertainment goes. Lord knows the blood moon really failed to come through for us last night. Also, I agreed to look for an iPhone 5 for my kid (he's footing the bill), so I've redeemed myself as the coolest mom again...although I bet I'd be a lot cooler if I agreed to purchase it for him.
No dice, N...not happening.
This week will be pretty hectic, with a lot of school deadlines for me, and the end of the first six weeks for the boys. Can you believe it's been six weeks already?! And can you believe that it's almost October?! Oh, I can't wait...I really can't! I need fall weather and temperatures that max out in the 70s. Apparently, this also means I need to move. But I won't. Not for a few more years anyway.
If you know me at all, patience is not my virtue. It pretty much skipped me and went straight to someone else...perhaps not in my family at all. I have been exercising an insane amount of patience with someone I care about. Just because I don't mind talking to someone on the phone or via text on a daily basis doesn't mean they like to...or maybe they aren't available...or something. So when I talk to someone on Wednesday and then don't hear from them until Sunday, that's a long time. It's not...but patience, right? Not. My. Strong. Suit. And then on Sunday, we exchange hellos. And that's it.
To text or not to text...that is the question.
But since I'm an Android/Apple sellout, I'll probably try to over-correct on this one.
Sigh.
Aubs
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Football, Faucets, & Funky Moons
Saturday, B had a flag football game. Since I was unable to attend the game last week, I was super excited to go to his game this weekend. After a few hours of baseball practice, N and I both donned our Cowboys apparel and headed off to pick B up from his dad's house. His dad and stepmom had to attend a wedding that afternoon/evening, so they were unable to be at the game.
And it's probably for the best...because the other team were terrible sports.
One of the things I want to make sure my boys know is how important it is to be a good sport...win, lose, or tie. As long as they do their best, they work hard and improve, and they're having fun, I'm good with losing games. N's coach said it best when he said, "I don't care if we lose every single game, if we're playing with integrity." I couldn't agree more. Yes, it's fun to win, but when you put winning above all else, it takes the fun out of the game.
Case in point: The Broncos. From the very beginning, this team was out for blood...and I'm not just talking about the players. They took their cues from the coaches and dads who were running up and down the sidelines, screeching until the cords popped out in their necks, calling boys out who weren't making the plays, and pointing out all of the flaws on our team as well. I mean, I know every single player is clearly headed for the NFL, but for the love of Pete...they're 9. And it's flag football.
They had one kid tackling instead of pulling off flags, and each time they would receive a 10 yard penalty, the coach would gleefully hoot, "I'll take that penalty! Keep it up, boys!" What does that teach their team? Bad sportsmanship. That's what.
I told B's stepmom about it later, and she said, "Oh man...I'm glad both of us weren't there at the same time. It would've been ugly." And she's right. To a point. I voiced my frustration to the coach, but I did so after the game. He was trying so hard to keep his cool during the game, and I don't blame him. HE was the best example of being a good sport on that entire field, and when the game was over, his team proved that ten times over by having a great conversation about how important it is to learn from each game they play. It did my frustrated mom heart some good, let me tell you.
Sunday brought a half-day of sitting at home, waiting for the plumber to arrive. On Saturday morning, I was showering before baseball practice, when the water pressure went super low and started making weird noises. I figured that N had turned on the shower in his bathroom and the sprinklers must have kicked on...it wasn't until I turned around with a head full of conditioner that I noticed water spewing out of the faucet instead of the shower head. Lovely. The faucet was at an odd angle, so I contacted my landlord and he contacted a plumber. When the man arrived this afternoon, he looked at the faucet and said, "Well...that's creative."
Like anyone should expect anything less from me.
He replaced the faucet, and I was back in business! I celebrated with a bubble bath and music so loud it drowned out the arguing in the living room. I think. I locked my bedroom door and my bathroom door to give me an added buffer from the noise. That is what you call "smart parenting."
This whole blood moon thing has gotten a whole lot of hype, but it's super cloudy. The boys and I stood outside watching, but all we got out of it was bug bites.
Maybe it won't be cloudy in 2033.
Aubs
And it's probably for the best...because the other team were terrible sports.
One of the things I want to make sure my boys know is how important it is to be a good sport...win, lose, or tie. As long as they do their best, they work hard and improve, and they're having fun, I'm good with losing games. N's coach said it best when he said, "I don't care if we lose every single game, if we're playing with integrity." I couldn't agree more. Yes, it's fun to win, but when you put winning above all else, it takes the fun out of the game.
Case in point: The Broncos. From the very beginning, this team was out for blood...and I'm not just talking about the players. They took their cues from the coaches and dads who were running up and down the sidelines, screeching until the cords popped out in their necks, calling boys out who weren't making the plays, and pointing out all of the flaws on our team as well. I mean, I know every single player is clearly headed for the NFL, but for the love of Pete...they're 9. And it's flag football.
They had one kid tackling instead of pulling off flags, and each time they would receive a 10 yard penalty, the coach would gleefully hoot, "I'll take that penalty! Keep it up, boys!" What does that teach their team? Bad sportsmanship. That's what.
I told B's stepmom about it later, and she said, "Oh man...I'm glad both of us weren't there at the same time. It would've been ugly." And she's right. To a point. I voiced my frustration to the coach, but I did so after the game. He was trying so hard to keep his cool during the game, and I don't blame him. HE was the best example of being a good sport on that entire field, and when the game was over, his team proved that ten times over by having a great conversation about how important it is to learn from each game they play. It did my frustrated mom heart some good, let me tell you.
Sunday brought a half-day of sitting at home, waiting for the plumber to arrive. On Saturday morning, I was showering before baseball practice, when the water pressure went super low and started making weird noises. I figured that N had turned on the shower in his bathroom and the sprinklers must have kicked on...it wasn't until I turned around with a head full of conditioner that I noticed water spewing out of the faucet instead of the shower head. Lovely. The faucet was at an odd angle, so I contacted my landlord and he contacted a plumber. When the man arrived this afternoon, he looked at the faucet and said, "Well...that's creative."
Like anyone should expect anything less from me.
He replaced the faucet, and I was back in business! I celebrated with a bubble bath and music so loud it drowned out the arguing in the living room. I think. I locked my bedroom door and my bathroom door to give me an added buffer from the noise. That is what you call "smart parenting."
This whole blood moon thing has gotten a whole lot of hype, but it's super cloudy. The boys and I stood outside watching, but all we got out of it was bug bites.
Maybe it won't be cloudy in 2033.
Aubs
Friday, September 25, 2015
Just call me "Detective"
This fall, one of my classes is all about the mass hanging in Gainesville, TX in 1862. On the first day of class, everyone drew a name out of a camouflage lunch tote (because we are a very fancy class): a victim or a player. I had a victim first, but he was a total dud with the most common name EVER. I requested a new person and got a much more interesting person...he's not a player, he just crushes a lot.
The professor is INSANE over research. She considers musty basements of courthouses foreplay, and is obsessive over her "person" that she's been researching for years. She's also a total hoot. In an attempt to get on her good side (and to prepare for this massive 25 page paper that's due in 3 weeks), a classmate and I ventured to Gainesville this morning to visit the courthouse records. The county clerk knew we were coming, but was not super helpful. Eventually, we found our way to the basement and the deed records.
About 90 minutes, 32 copies and $32 later, we had all of the information in the courthouse pertaining to my player and her victim, and we were wandering around the square because...
There. Was. Pie. And since she drove, I bought breakfast, while we stared at the Fried Pie Company's display cases of all the pie flavors. We were sitting there talking about random things when this man in a suit and an orthopedic boot came in. He was pacing in front of the display case, asking questions and consulting his phone while placing a huge order of individual pies. I caught his eye and said something about "all.the.choices." and he asked what kind of pie I'd like. I smiled and laughed and said, "Um...apricot sounds interesting!" so he asked the guy behind the counter to wrap up an apricot pie for me. Then he asked my classmate, and she said, "Peach?" I thanked him, and told him to have a great day, and after he left with all of his pies, the guy behind the counter said, "Do you know him?"
No. He just gave us free pie. It was awesome.
Later, I got an email from my professor asking how our research went. I told her the search was fruitful and segued right into the story about the pie. Her reply was almost instantaneous: "I've been researching in courthouses for years and NOBODY has ever bought me pie!!!!" We're totally going to be best friends when this class is over...but only after because this paper is going to make me seriously dislike her for the next few weeks. It's not personal, it's business.
Anyway, I have to admit, it was really fun to dig around in the basement and look through the index to find my person's name in all the records. I had a lot of information: several purchases/sales of land, transfer of property to relatives (presumably before moving to another state), and even the marriage record from 1850. I won't lie; I did not-so-secretly wish the courthouse would burn before I could research, but that was because I had no idea what to expect. It was super organized, and a few of the books even had pages that had been transcribed to print instead of old-school cursive that was faded. I still don't know how I'm going to get 25 pages, but I feel like I'm ahead of the curve just by going to the courthouse.
And scoring free pie.
For the record, it was really good!
N agrees. I brought home a variety of little pies for the boys.
Must. Not. Eat.
Aubs
The professor is INSANE over research. She considers musty basements of courthouses foreplay, and is obsessive over her "person" that she's been researching for years. She's also a total hoot. In an attempt to get on her good side (and to prepare for this massive 25 page paper that's due in 3 weeks), a classmate and I ventured to Gainesville this morning to visit the courthouse records. The county clerk knew we were coming, but was not super helpful. Eventually, we found our way to the basement and the deed records.
About 90 minutes, 32 copies and $32 later, we had all of the information in the courthouse pertaining to my player and her victim, and we were wandering around the square because...
There. Was. Pie. And since she drove, I bought breakfast, while we stared at the Fried Pie Company's display cases of all the pie flavors. We were sitting there talking about random things when this man in a suit and an orthopedic boot came in. He was pacing in front of the display case, asking questions and consulting his phone while placing a huge order of individual pies. I caught his eye and said something about "all.the.choices." and he asked what kind of pie I'd like. I smiled and laughed and said, "Um...apricot sounds interesting!" so he asked the guy behind the counter to wrap up an apricot pie for me. Then he asked my classmate, and she said, "Peach?" I thanked him, and told him to have a great day, and after he left with all of his pies, the guy behind the counter said, "Do you know him?"
No. He just gave us free pie. It was awesome.
Later, I got an email from my professor asking how our research went. I told her the search was fruitful and segued right into the story about the pie. Her reply was almost instantaneous: "I've been researching in courthouses for years and NOBODY has ever bought me pie!!!!" We're totally going to be best friends when this class is over...but only after because this paper is going to make me seriously dislike her for the next few weeks. It's not personal, it's business.
Anyway, I have to admit, it was really fun to dig around in the basement and look through the index to find my person's name in all the records. I had a lot of information: several purchases/sales of land, transfer of property to relatives (presumably before moving to another state), and even the marriage record from 1850. I won't lie; I did not-so-secretly wish the courthouse would burn before I could research, but that was because I had no idea what to expect. It was super organized, and a few of the books even had pages that had been transcribed to print instead of old-school cursive that was faded. I still don't know how I'm going to get 25 pages, but I feel like I'm ahead of the curve just by going to the courthouse.
And scoring free pie.
For the record, it was really good!
N agrees. I brought home a variety of little pies for the boys.
Must. Not. Eat.
Aubs
Thursday, September 24, 2015
So. Many. Feels.
Today is full of birthdays of people we know and love.
N's aunt, Tiffany
N's dad's friend, Caleb
My cousin, Josh
N's grandfather, Larry
A dear friend, Jeff
Sadly, two of them are no longer with us, but this day always catches me off guard when it comes to the feelings that come out of nowhere. N's grandfather (he and his daughter share a birthday...how cool is that?!) died a few years ago, and it's left a huge hole in N's world. They were best buddies. Jeff, who was a great friend to me and one of N's dad's best friends, died five years ago...something that still hurts my heart all the time.
N doesn't like to have a lot of people there to support him when he plays baseball. He says it gets in his head and he feels like he has to perform instead of just relax and play the game he loves. Today, he had a full house, though. Normally his dad, his stepmom, his little brother (3), and I attend his games. It may not be all of us, but there's some sort of combo of me and one or both of them. Tiffany (his aunt) flew in from Seattle today for her birthday with her 4 year old son (she's got another boy on the way!), and surprised N at his game. For the whole game, her kiddo was cheering N on from the fence...and talking to a cricket. It was adorable! My mom also came to her first game of the season. She's been so busy, and Thursday nights are rough, so I'm glad she was able to come. On top of THAT, N's best friend and his parents came to check out a game, too! Like I said, FULL. HOUSE.
He was nervous...I could tell. He wanted to do well, to give them a show since they came to watch him. And it was a good game, even though they lost by one run. They made some mistakes, and their coach was frustrated, but I bet they won't make the same mistakes again. Practice on Saturday morning should take care of that. YIKES!
On the way home (a lot later than normal), he and I got into a serious discussion. He told me he really wished I would find somebody and be in a solid and happy marriage relationship. He said I deserve it. He said we deserve it. And I can't say he's wrong...but I told him that I wasn't sure that was what I wanted because the last relationship of that type went so badly that it's made me afraid. We were both very candid, and I was sad when we got home because it meant the conversation was over.
Except it wasn't. He sat down at the table and said, "Mom, let's talk about this. Please." So, we did. We talked about past loves and future loves and "why didn't you just try" loves, and it ended with, "Dang it, Mom! Why didn't you just marry _________?" Kid. I don't freakin' know. Trust me...I wish I did.
Aubs
N's aunt, Tiffany
N's dad's friend, Caleb
My cousin, Josh
N's grandfather, Larry
A dear friend, Jeff
Sadly, two of them are no longer with us, but this day always catches me off guard when it comes to the feelings that come out of nowhere. N's grandfather (he and his daughter share a birthday...how cool is that?!) died a few years ago, and it's left a huge hole in N's world. They were best buddies. Jeff, who was a great friend to me and one of N's dad's best friends, died five years ago...something that still hurts my heart all the time.
N doesn't like to have a lot of people there to support him when he plays baseball. He says it gets in his head and he feels like he has to perform instead of just relax and play the game he loves. Today, he had a full house, though. Normally his dad, his stepmom, his little brother (3), and I attend his games. It may not be all of us, but there's some sort of combo of me and one or both of them. Tiffany (his aunt) flew in from Seattle today for her birthday with her 4 year old son (she's got another boy on the way!), and surprised N at his game. For the whole game, her kiddo was cheering N on from the fence...and talking to a cricket. It was adorable! My mom also came to her first game of the season. She's been so busy, and Thursday nights are rough, so I'm glad she was able to come. On top of THAT, N's best friend and his parents came to check out a game, too! Like I said, FULL. HOUSE.
He was nervous...I could tell. He wanted to do well, to give them a show since they came to watch him. And it was a good game, even though they lost by one run. They made some mistakes, and their coach was frustrated, but I bet they won't make the same mistakes again. Practice on Saturday morning should take care of that. YIKES!
On the way home (a lot later than normal), he and I got into a serious discussion. He told me he really wished I would find somebody and be in a solid and happy marriage relationship. He said I deserve it. He said we deserve it. And I can't say he's wrong...but I told him that I wasn't sure that was what I wanted because the last relationship of that type went so badly that it's made me afraid. We were both very candid, and I was sad when we got home because it meant the conversation was over.
Except it wasn't. He sat down at the table and said, "Mom, let's talk about this. Please." So, we did. We talked about past loves and future loves and "why didn't you just try" loves, and it ended with, "Dang it, Mom! Why didn't you just marry _________?" Kid. I don't freakin' know. Trust me...I wish I did.
Aubs
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Productivity and the Pre-teen Hormones
I told a friend earlier today, "I really need to start wearing heels or wedges more often...so I don't accidentally skate across the floor at the grocery store and flash unsuspecting shoppers." Also, this would be problematic whilst substitute teaching at any kind of school. Not that I fell or slid or even skidded today in my super cute Steve Madden wedges. (At least one little girl in each class told me she loved my shoes, and a couple of the boys told me they looked like they would be really hard to draw...)
I did a half-day stint as the Art teacher for B's former elementary school this morning, and it was a lot of fun to see all of the familiar faces and field all of the questions about B. It hurts my heart that we aren't at that school anymore...simply because of the relationships he had with his peers and the teachers in that building. I know we're in the right place, but it was bittersweet to be there today, promising the 4th graders that B would be at the same middle school in two years, and telling them he would not be back at their school next year. When I relayed all of the messages to B after school, he was surprised by some of the names I threw out when he asked who was asking about him.
The kid had absolutely no idea just how well-liked he was...even though everyone else did. It was a proud mama moment. One of my favorite little girls was almost in tears this morning when she found out I was filling in for Art...because she had P.E. And it didn't even matter what grade I had in my classroom (I had 3rd, 4th, and 5th this morning) because they ALL knew my B. There are several Bs in that school, so if there was confusion, I busted out a picture and then they all knew.
And who doesn't like seeing people you haven't seen for months only to have them tell you that you look amazing?! I mean...what an ego boost. Of course, it was "Walk It Wednesday" which means I could have worn yoga pants instead of a dress and wedges, but I had totally forgotten about that, and one of my favorites in the office FORGOT to tell me, but she's felt icky for a week so she's forgiven.
After I finished, I came home and took a 45 minute power nap, which was probably the best idea I've had in a while. It was just long enough, and I woke up to a slew of text messages from various people that made me feel loved and important. I managed to work my way through a fair amount of reading while waiting for B to get out of school, then some more while we sat in the allergist's office during our weekly allergy shot visit.
It's been a pretty productive day, although I feel like there's a whole lot more I could be doing/should be doing/would be doing...except.
I. Don't. Want. To.
Tomorrow is baseball Thursday, and I'm happy/sad we have one game. Happy because 5 hours in the allergy-laced air is killing me, and sad because it's an 8:00 game which still means a super-late night. Especially when you're 13 and moody. Or 34 and moody. Either way.
Sidebar: I had one of the learners ask me a series of questions this morning that halfway horrified me and halfway entertained me...AFTER I caught him trying to sneak a peek at what might be under my dress.
Me: Dude. Not cool.
Him: You're pretty.
Me: Um. No. Inappropriate.
Him: How old are you?
Me: How old do you think I am?
Him: 25
Me: I have an 8th grader, so I'm older than that.
Him: So...do you like older or younger men?
Me: _______, that is not even remotely appropriate. We're done here.
Good grief...preteens and their mixed-up hormones. I always find it funny when kids try to guess my age. It doesn't phase me when they're way off, and the answers/reasoning they provide are always good for a laugh or two.
You know what else is good for a laugh or two? Catching a glimpse of yourself slipping on something imaginary and skidding across an aisle in the freezer section at the grocery store.
I mean...not that I would know or anything.
Aubs
I did a half-day stint as the Art teacher for B's former elementary school this morning, and it was a lot of fun to see all of the familiar faces and field all of the questions about B. It hurts my heart that we aren't at that school anymore...simply because of the relationships he had with his peers and the teachers in that building. I know we're in the right place, but it was bittersweet to be there today, promising the 4th graders that B would be at the same middle school in two years, and telling them he would not be back at their school next year. When I relayed all of the messages to B after school, he was surprised by some of the names I threw out when he asked who was asking about him.
The kid had absolutely no idea just how well-liked he was...even though everyone else did. It was a proud mama moment. One of my favorite little girls was almost in tears this morning when she found out I was filling in for Art...because she had P.E. And it didn't even matter what grade I had in my classroom (I had 3rd, 4th, and 5th this morning) because they ALL knew my B. There are several Bs in that school, so if there was confusion, I busted out a picture and then they all knew.
And who doesn't like seeing people you haven't seen for months only to have them tell you that you look amazing?! I mean...what an ego boost. Of course, it was "Walk It Wednesday" which means I could have worn yoga pants instead of a dress and wedges, but I had totally forgotten about that, and one of my favorites in the office FORGOT to tell me, but she's felt icky for a week so she's forgiven.
After I finished, I came home and took a 45 minute power nap, which was probably the best idea I've had in a while. It was just long enough, and I woke up to a slew of text messages from various people that made me feel loved and important. I managed to work my way through a fair amount of reading while waiting for B to get out of school, then some more while we sat in the allergist's office during our weekly allergy shot visit.
It's been a pretty productive day, although I feel like there's a whole lot more I could be doing/should be doing/would be doing...except.
I. Don't. Want. To.
Tomorrow is baseball Thursday, and I'm happy/sad we have one game. Happy because 5 hours in the allergy-laced air is killing me, and sad because it's an 8:00 game which still means a super-late night. Especially when you're 13 and moody. Or 34 and moody. Either way.
Sidebar: I had one of the learners ask me a series of questions this morning that halfway horrified me and halfway entertained me...AFTER I caught him trying to sneak a peek at what might be under my dress.
Me: Dude. Not cool.
Him: You're pretty.
Me: Um. No. Inappropriate.
Him: How old are you?
Me: How old do you think I am?
Him: 25
Me: I have an 8th grader, so I'm older than that.
Him: So...do you like older or younger men?
Me: _______, that is not even remotely appropriate. We're done here.
Good grief...preteens and their mixed-up hormones. I always find it funny when kids try to guess my age. It doesn't phase me when they're way off, and the answers/reasoning they provide are always good for a laugh or two.
You know what else is good for a laugh or two? Catching a glimpse of yourself slipping on something imaginary and skidding across an aisle in the freezer section at the grocery store.
I mean...not that I would know or anything.
Aubs
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Totally Taxing Tuesday
Today has been a day for the books, folks. I typed a Facebook status earlier (it HAS to
be Facebook official) that gave a brief overview of my day and left me
exhausted. Here’s a recap of the recap:
5:40 No, I don’t want to get up.
5:45 Push snooze again.
5:50 Fiiiiiiine. So,
I got up and turned on the water in the shower and stared at the grout between
the tiles on the floor and contemplated life.
For 10 minutes.
6:20 Stumble out of my room half-dressed saying, “N, why
aren’t you in the shower? Your dad will
be here in 20 minutes! B, get UP! You need to be eating breakfast right this
very second so you will get big and strong.”
6:22 N stumbles blindly into the bathroom and bangs his shin
on the cabinet. I ignore the
expletive.
6:30 B finally stumbles into the kitchen and grabs a bowl,
the milk, and a fork. Clearly this is
going to go well.
6:50 N’s out the door for breakfast with his dad. B is pondering what he will do in his next
life. Know what he’s not doing? TAKING A SHOWER.
7:00 “I’m leaving in 15 minutes!” - Me “No,
you’re not. You’re not wearing a shirt,
your hair is messy, and I don’t have a lunch.” - Astute observations from the 9
year-old.
7:24 Lunch is packed, shirt has been located, hair is
sufficiently smoothed, and I even swiped on some lipgloss. This is a decent morning.
7:30 B is at school, and I’m on my way to Denton…
I even had time to stop at Starbucks for a Skinny Vanilla
Latte, and made it to class with tons of time to spare. The peace should have been a clue…because
once my professor got into class, she literally said, “Pop quiz, hot shots…”
and passed out a quiz on the reading that nobody has been doing…the reading
that I actually did yesterday. I was
proud. I thought things were going
great. Then she dropped the bombshell that my rough draft of my 25 page paper
was due in a week. Y.I.K.E.S. In my other class on campus, we got into a
delightful discussion about savagery and the early colonies in America and
other fun stuff. And then the “fun”
began.
After I sat on the highway for 90 minutes trying to get
home, I had enough time to dump my backpack at home and make a pulled pork taco
for “lunch” before I went to pick N up from school (B went to after school
care). I took him to get a haircut…a
haircut I tried to make an appointment for, but since I didn’t have a
particular stylist in mind (because I don’t know any of the names!), I didn’t
get one. So we waited…and it would have
been fine, except he had a hitting lesson at 4:30. So at 4:04, Allison got him in her
chair. I explained the situation, we
discussed what he wanted to do, and we were out the door 16 minutes later. I like Allison. I dropped N at his hitting lesson, and went
to get B from after school care. We stopped
at 7-11 (Oh, thank heaven) and got bottled water…but the poor kid pulled the
door of the cooler too hard and whacked himself in the side of the head. Tears came next, and he was pretty
waterworks-y for the remainder of the afternoon. We went back to get N, took him home to start
homework, grabbed a snack, and took off for football practice. I actually got to sit at football practice
and read a little of my next homework assignment, but that was the only resting
point. On any other Tuesday, I’d be
dropping B at practice, taking N to his practice, then going back to get B,
grabbing him some dinner and waiting for another hour for N’s practice to
finish. Tonight, several players had
football games, so we were shown serious mercy.
Even still, we had to stop by B’s dad’s on the way home, and that took
forever. And then we still needed
dinner, and I’m happy to say that they still managed to get into bed ALMOST on
time.
It’s a “last day of summer” miracle, y’all.
It makes me tired just thinking about it, but I’d be lying
if I said the chaos made me mad. I need
it to be slightly chaotic so I feel like I have a handle on
all.the.things.
Tomorrow I’m teaching music for half a day at B’s old
elementary school…and then I’m working on my research project. And Friday, a classmate and I get to go to
the courthouse to look at records from the 1860s. I’m still hopeful it burns.
Kidding! (Mostly)
Even with all of the schoolwork and the kid stress, I’m
finding time to giggle at the random smiles that pop up on my face at any given
moment. Why? I can’t really say. It’s almost fall. The cooler weather is so
close (yet so far away), and we are solidly into football and baseball
seasons. I was able to spend time with
family I see less often than I’d like, and I’ve had some great phone
conversations with my dad about fantastic changes in his overall health and
well-being. I have some of the best
friends a girl could ask for, boys who give me hell but still let me tuck them
in at night (and ask me to cuddle with them), and a heavy dose of optimism
following me around. Oh…and someone who
could someday be a special someone…when I see a new message from the "adorable idiot" my heart
races, I get a cheesy grin on my face, and I remember that I still have a whole lot of life left to live.
Aubs
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