Happy Halloween

Tis the season of pranks, fun and too much sugar.

Love these kiddos. 

"go cubs"

Have I ever mentioned how much I just totally adore my wildcat?

There is just something about that mother-son relationship that can stand up to anything. 

Anything.

Last night, I am at a football game.  It's cold.  It's a playoff game. 

The little girls are at their dad's house.  his time.  (blah)

My Marz rides the pep bus.  Cuz it's cool to go to a game with all your friends.  Meaning....not your parents.  I get that.

My wildcat goes with a friend to the game.  If you have to ride with a parent....it's cooler to ride with a friend's parent than it is your own.  I get that too.

But at the game we all were. 
And the wildcat said "hi" to me.  In front of other teens.

And welcomed me standing next to him.

And put his head on my shoulder.  Twice.
(yes i counted, cuz, i wasn't sure if i was in some sort of parallel universe.....one where it was cool to hang out with your mama) 

The wildcat and I, you see, we have something special going.  For a while.

It goes back to birth.  His.  And how un-natural the only "natural" birth experience I had....was.  With him.

I remember when it used to be cool to show up to places...school, playground, etc....with your mama.

And I remember when it became "uncool."

So we came up with a code to say "i love you."

I promised to not say it in front of his friends or strangers or anyone.
As long as I said "go cubs".....he knew that this was our code for "i love you."

So last night, when I said "go cubs" at a wildcat footbal playoff game....he says....







 

"oh mama....i love you too." 





And my heart.

It melted.

Like right there.

Even though it was freezing outside.

Award Winning Children's Author visits Durant Students

Bully Beans.

Volcano.

Scoop.

A raindrop.

And, according to an informal poll I took out at recess, the best story.....a Booger.

Who woulda thunk it? 

Children's author, Julia Cook paid a visit to students at our elementary school yesterday. 

Totallly engaging, entertaining and educating. 

Who woulda thought that a "booger" can teach a lesson? 

An award winning author....that's who!

She was amazing.  The kids were totally into her high energy presentation.

She travels with her two working dogs, Angus and Jake.  Cute little dogs.  Dogs that made the kids go all gooey and "ahhhhhhh!" when she took them out of their little doggie suitcase.

 

BUT....the lesson she teaches with these cute little dogs is to get them to think not  "ahhhhh," but "oh" when they see a stranger with a cute dog. 

A stranger who could be a "scooper."

Someone who could be using a cute dog to "scoop" kids up and take them away.

 

Fascinating presentation. 

Like I said, educational, entertaining and engaging. 

I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Except different.

But sorta the same.

You know!

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

8th Grade Football Pictures

Since I never pay for a photo if I do not have to, I force my wildcat to pose for shots while the rest of his team is warming up. 

There are some serious social-related consequences to having your mama show up on the football field while everyone else is warming up. 

And it isn't just limited to comments from the other players.

I'm pretty sure a coach or two razzed the wildcat as well.

It probably wouldn't be quite so bad, except that for one of my favorite shots, I actually have to lay down on the field to get the angle just right. 

I want to feel bad about embarassing him.  But then I think back to the days when wildcat was a toddler/preschooler and some comments that, although innocent enough, totally embarassed me.  In public.  Probably public restrooms. 
And I no longer feel bad for the public embarassment that had to take place for me to get these photos.

Enjoy.

I love this wildcat!

Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Claire

Dear Claire~

You are 10 today.  Double digits.  And once you are in the doubles....there's no getting out...unless, of course you are one of the fortunate few who hit the triple digits!

You stand out in ways that that your siblings do not.
Since you were born....or more acurately, since BEFORE you were born.

I thought of you before I ever knew you.  I prayed for you and hoped that God would grant me the gift of being a mama just once more.  He answered with you.

You have made your presence known since day one.  You have a mind of your own and when you set your mind on something....watch out!

One of my first clues as to your willful spirit:
You were due to arrive in the world on October 19.
The doctors told me that we would plan a cesarean on October 11.
You had other ideas.
You arrived October 7th. 

As a baby, you had your own preferences about nursing, when you would sleep, and who you wanted to be around.

As a 10-year-old, you still have your own ideas about what you will and will not eat, your sleep habits and who you want to be around.

And everything in between.

There usually isn't any question about what you are feeling or thinking. 
And you often have a funny comment to say. 

You challenge me as a mama. 
Because of you, I am a better person.

And oh so proud to be your mama. 

Processing here, that's all

I have, like, so SO much to do.

And I'm trying really hard to NOT live by lists of "to-dos" and trying to just "have faith" and trust God when stuff comes up that all of my plans and structure and what-nots-and-to-dos don't really matter anyway. 

Faith.

I understand it's a great way to live.  And have had periods of my life where there was nothing but faith to go on.

But Faith tends to butt heads with structure I like to pretend I have in my life. 

So when I have something going on every night of the week....sometimes two somethings....like, say a game and a parent meeting.....
....and I have dinner
....and laundry
.....and a regular job
....and a job that I have VERY Little time to devote to...even though it's my dream job

....and the most important thing....being physically, mentally and emotionally available to my kids....
....and Brian and his kids


It's alot. 

Especially when I worry.

Pre-Birthday Birthday

I bought $a-hundred-and-something -$ worth of junk food and candy that will be fit for a slumber party full of 9 and 10-year-olds. 

'Cause I love my almost-10-year-old. 

The party is tonight.  (her birthday isn't till thursday, but unreasonable circumstances that surround her "next" weekend deem this the most-bestest-appropriate-day for celebration)

Did I tell you all about how Claire had me believing that she was 10-going-on-11? 
Yes....for like, the last couple of weeks.
Now I ask you....what sort of mother forgets the actual age of her kid? 

Let me answer that for you:  That would be me.....this sort of mama. 

Luckily, I am really good at math (not) and it dawned on me that she was born in 2000, and this is 2010 and so her math isn't quite adding up right. 
....which she knew darn well, and loved every single second of my two-week-long brain fart. 


So...these pics are of my fantabulous culinary skillz: 

This first one is my practice with all of the decorating frosting.

And this last plate is just the plain old cupcakes with plain old frosting and sprinkles to cover up the little artsy stuff I tried to do but failed miserably at.

So you know what this means, right?

I'm totally gonna eat the "practice" cupcake.
And maybe decide I should "practice" some more.
And eat those mistakes as well. 

************************************************************************

Since I made mention of my great-brain-skills that lean towards the mathematical(not), allow me to fill you in on a fact that I am drawn to and horrified by at the same time:

There are 2925 beads in this jar......

The significance?

That is the exact number of days till this soon-to-be-10-year-old turns 18.

Drawn to this because it seems like alot.
Horrified because it doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure that more than half of her days at home with mama are gone.
Drawn again....to make sure that every day matters.

Mid Prarie

Last night was one of those rare nights when more than one kid plays a sport, albeit a different sport, in the same town.  I'm always thankful when I can hop from one game to the next and see everybody play.

Even if that town is an hour away. 

Volleyball was a big success.

We lost football game 26 to 20.  Nathan had couple of touchdown passes.  Fun.

And I only about jumped over the fence just once to give the ref a good shaking and argue with him about what game he is watching....since he clearly missed that face-mask to my wildcat. 

But I didn't. 

And I didn't even follow the ref to his vehicle to make sure he knew all about his mistake.

Nope...didn't do that either.

So I'm feeling pretty mature about practicing some mama-restraint.

Yes, I am.