Angel Kisses!

I love this picture of Karly! All those angel kisses and the personality to go right along with them!

The gig is up!

"Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one" --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sometimes surprises and the secrets that go along with them place a person in a quandary. To tell or not to tell--such was my internal debate.

I've been working on Kent's 40th birthday surprise for sometime. Orchestrating a trip to fulfill a life dream for Kent--his desire to band with the brethren of Purple People Eaters and attend a Minnesota Vikings game at the Metrodome. Would you believe that the very moment I was scheduling flights for our trip, my dear husband calls--he's been given tickets to a December San Francisco game (their opponents, the Vikings). Just eight days difference between the date on my tickets. He was thrilled to say the least and was quick to tell me that tickets near the 50-yard line were ideal (something I already knew having researched tickets myself--but I played dumb), and to remind me how cool it would be for he and Kyle to go.

My stomach became one big knot. I felt like the wind was repelled right out of my sail. He's only been to one professional game in 39 years and now two in 8 days? What are the odds? Grrr.....as my stomach churned, my mind went into overload--should I spend all this $$ to go, if he just saw his team play? I chose not to click "confirm" and did not purchase that airfare.

After lots of thought, I decided I'd be miserable for the next three months if I didn't tell him. I was too bummed and I didn't think I'd hide my disappointment well. I put together a surprise package, set the scene under the stars in the hot tub, and I then told my purple people eater husband the secret I possessed.

You'll be happy to know that I am told that an away game doesn't even compare to the excitement of the Metrodome--especially a night game. "IT'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, babe" was his grinning reply. He couldn't sleep last night he was so pumped up and we talked about it again first thing this morning.

Thanks to those of you who were in cahoots with me, but the gig is up!

"Football is my life"

No surprise here that Kyle loves sports. We have joked that all his life he's been throwing something or devoting his time to something that has a ball--baseball, golf, football, teatherball, wall-ball--you name it--the only variable has been the time of year (what season it is)!

With football season upon us, Kyle lives and breathes football! Just last week as we were tucking him into bed he said, "I wish I was a football player." We asked, "why is that?" His response with great sincerity, "football is my life". Sure enough it is. He's arranged his football cards in play format on the floor of his room. Kent drew him a diagram of the positions and their placement on the field, and very methodically he has placed each player according to their position. Those football cards travel with us anywhere we'll let him take them. The gym, a friends house, or anywhere we go in the car that takes more than 20 minutes. Add that to running play routes outside with dad and recess touch football at school and we've got ourselves a football nut!

Though you have to be a Vikings fan to live in this house, Kyle has chosen the San Diego Chargers as his team of devotion. He's saving up his own money now for a LaDainian Tomlinson jersey because he doesn't want to wait for Christmas.

A huge positive to football season has been the implementation of the Sports page to Kyle's daily required readings. Seeing that he does not have his sister's natural passion for reading (reading 20 minutes can be a struggle sometimes) he is happy to knock off some of his reading minutes with the latest news in the sports world.

It's true, at least for right now, football is his life!

9/11 revisted - ages 7, 8 & 33

I remember 9/11 vividly. Karly was two and a half, Kyle 15 months, and I was getting ready for our first MOPS meeting with the news on. I remember the battle in my mind... I want to watch this....I want to know what's happening and finding myself moved to tears. But I was also very aware I had two little people right at my feet and I wondered how they would interpret the events I was watching or mommy's sad eyes. I was compelled with compassion for people I did not know, but I was also compelled to protect the innocence of my own children. It was an odd place to be.

Today with the kids 7 & 8, as the history nut that I am--I took a moment this morning to help them understand 9/11. Thinking it might be addressed in class, we looked at some pictures and clips on "you tube". I explained to them that 9/11 would be an historic event that their generation would speak of for a lifetime. We talked about a HATE so strong that you would kill yourself and others and how sad it must be to be so hateful. Kyle pointed out the courage of the heros of the fourth flight that they sacrificed themselves to prevent others from dying as well--he brought up this concept first to my surprise. We dicussed the courage of rescue workers who went in to help not knowing if they would come out. They also loved knowing that dogs can be trained to find people in piles of rubble (no surprise here from two animal loving children). We also talked about the picture above. How amidst the fallen buildings and lost lives, we still live in a free country where we inspite of dispair --we are not defeated. Freedom can be a tough concept to American children. It's automatic to them and their world view is still so small and innocent.

It was also interesting to hear their questions about survivors. How many people got out? How many people were just injured and not killed? The childlike hope that said, "yes Mom, that's a tragedy, but where's the good parts of the story?" My first thought was, ugh, this is tragic, we need to grieve this. However, Karly especially wanted to talk about and give time to looking into the survivors of the day. I love that their view of life is not only focused on the losses, but also the wins--the good that comes even with the bad. These are the times that I learn from them. How often do we as adults already find ourselves (likely due to life's "yuck") stuck in the "yuck"?

9/11 revisted for ages 7,8 and 33-- and we all walk away with something new to ponder.

Mac Baby!

So my boys surprised me today! I thought they were out putting the greens, but they were in cahoots and buying Mommy a Mac.

Educators are crazy about Macs. It's all they know and all they want to use. An honorary educator by association on all fronts--I too now share this preference. Love the click and drag everything concept and much more!

So, this leaves me to converting everything over. PC to Mac. I'm cleaning out files--why do we wait so long to do this? I'm creating new folders, and finding new applications. It was sobering to think how much of my life is on this PC! Kyle wanted to know why it will take days to get the computer fully switched over--oh my goodness, if only it were push this button and it all zaps into space and into my new Mac. How do you choose which files you might need later, and which ones you definitely will? Heaven knows I don't want to recreate anything if I don't have to.

Nonetheless, I've entered the Mac world and I know it will all be worth it in the end! Mac baby!

Bully Kisses!

Wet kisses from this bully come in daily doses! Pucker up!

Labor Day Get Away

We headed up to Almanor for a Labor Day get away to enjoy the cooler weather (though it was still plenty warm) and the relaxing pace.

What we loved about it....

slowing down,
playing, laughing,
time together--no distractions.

fishing at sunset,
catching nearly nothing,
yet eyes that glare with strategy.

sipping coffee,
jammies till mid-morning,
petting the dog just because you have nothing better to do.

reading nonsense magazines,
jump rope and jacks,
nap time mid-day for Daddys.

football on t.v.,
football on the back lawn,
and a crazy dog who thinks he's a linebacker.

staying up a little later,
snuggling, smores and stars,
knowing no alarm clock will bring our morning to start.