Gilbert Luau

We had lots of fun Friday night.

Our town was hosting a Luau party as part of their National Turn It Off week. They had some crafts for the kids, and a couple of games inside. Outside they had bubbles and Joe's favorite, cotton candy. If you can believe it, Joci was SCARED of the cotton candy. I mean, how is that even possible? It's candy and it's pink, and she wanted NOTHING to do with it. In fact when we would offer it to her she would back away like we were trying to shove something vile in her face.

Later they had a local dance company put on a show with Hawaiian dancers. Before they started I went out and did a dance with the kids, it was so much fun just holding their hands and dancing with them.

To say the kids were ENTHRALLED with the Hawaiian dancers would be an understatement. Especially Joci. I was so proud of them both as they both volunteered to go down and dance. Joci was so graceful and at home trying to learn her dance, it almost made me cry. Admittedly, Joe seemed a little bored most of the time that he went there, but he did get into it, and take his hands out of his pockets, towards the end.

Even though we did end up turning the tv on during the week, and played a couple of video games, we did get out and do more things together as a family, and we definitely watched less of the ole boob tube. So I guess this little experiment was a good one for us. This next week, it's going to be stay in and do some work around the house week. Ü

2 Way French Braid

National Turn it Off Week - Day 1

So this is National Turn it Off Week. At the beginning of the week I was, like any good diet, excited and filled with confidence in our ability to turn off the tv and the games and limit our computer use. Naturally as the week wore on, it became harder and harder to abide to my technology diet. And, it was definitely me, mostly me, that had the most difficult time quitting cold turkey. By Friday all bets were off. So, while we absolutely reduced our dependency on the digital mediums, we did end up giving in to the siren call of the boob tube.

Monday we did go to an event sponsored by our town. It was considered a tailgate party held at one of our local recreation centers and was sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. Sparky (ASU's mascot) was there and the kids had a great time playing with him.

Can you imagine someone drawing you a bath that looks like this?

Oh, how I wish I could climb right into this picture!

Random Thought of the Day

From Joe:

As I was sitting doing Joci’s hair this morning in the family room Joe gave me a big bear hug. That’s when he proceeds to tell me, “Mommy, we have to get you some sunscreen, you really need it.”

He was talking about my ‘red neck’ from this last weekend of football fun.

Too cute. He sounded like such a young man.

Double Header

We had a really busy day on Saturday.

It all started out with a bit of confusion. Some of us thought our flag football games started at 8am and others thought it was 9am. Some thought we were playing home, and others thought we were playing away. Come to find out, both were right. Apparently, we had been scheduled for a double header and hadn’t realized it. So, first we played the Dolphins, and lost. Then we played the Falcons, and barely lost. I think we would have won the second game, but the boys really started show a lot of fatigue during the second half.

Bye-bye Steelers, Hello Ravens! It’s still hard getting used to being the Ravens when we had been the Steelers for so long. Unfortunately, Arizona seems to be a Ravens hating sort of place. We have not been able to find any Ravens gear in stores except for a couple of hats. So, we are going to have to go online and buy some t shirts to show our support.

After the Raven’s two games, my parents took the kids for the weekend…so wonderful of them. Jon and I hung around the field for a few hours until it was time for the Bears to play. Jon is coaching a 7-8 team because none of the parents were able to do the coaching responsibilities. Although, you wouldn’t know it. There are so many armchair quarterback Dads on that team it makes me crazy having to listen to them on the sidelines. Jon and his assistant coaches all volunteered to coach a team in which none of their kids play because none of the parents on that team could or would step up and do it themselves. They have taken time away from their families and their own team to help out the kids on the Bears, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of criticism these Dads whine about on the sidelines during the game. There have been so many times when I just want to shout at them…”If you think you can do it better, than step up or shut up!”. It’s really frustrating for me. As many of you know, I can be a bit, ahem, outspoken, and so for me to not be able to say anything is almost like torture.

We were at the ball field from 7:30am, till almost 2 in the afternoon. Even with sitting in the shade, I was still sunburned. I took a huge amount of pictures that I hope to get posted on Jon’s blog very soon. We were so tired by the end of the day. It was a good thing my parents took the kids. Jon and I were able to relax and bit that evening.

Family Dinners

Let me tell you how important family dinners are…

The last couple of weeks we’ve had a lot of things going on:
*We’ve all had the cold from hell, especially the kids. They have had to endure multiple breathing treatments, antibiotics, and Mucinex, with trips to the doctor and days home with Mom and Dad from work.

*Football, practices, games, and the start of the NFL season…Go Bears!

*Major projects at work for me and lots of training at work for Jon.

*Planning for our BIG Halloween party coming up.

*There have been Birthday Parties, Scrapbook Clubs, and Pee Wee Play Classes.

*The kids, while home sick, have learned how to appreciate their DSI and PSPs so much more now and are getting good at playing some of the games.

*Homework, homework, homework.


We have been busy, and tired, and cranky, and not connected to each other, which has made us more tired and cranky.

Wednesday night I decided that we were going to eat dinner together and re-connect. We all got home after 6:30, so making a dinner was not going to happen. We decided to go to Applebee’s for a quick bite.

It worked. Jon and I were able to talk about our days and things going on at work. We were able to chat with the kids about school and daycare.

Joe had his favorite, mozzarella sticks and a corndog. Joci had her favorite, soup, although she didn’t eat much of it and hasn’t been eating great since feeling sick. Jon and I ordered the 2 for $20 meals and I even have a huge salad to eat for lunch yesterday. Then we shared a trio of desserts and decided that the strawberry cheesecake dessert was definitely the best.

We did this together while looking into each other’s eyes, not over the blackberry, or via email.

Bonus for me…when my 5 ½ year old son pulled out his sister’s chair for her and pushed it in, then did the same for me. I almost cried it was so sweet.

We needed this time together because it brought us back together to the center. We are four pieces of one puzzle. Without a piece or two you can still tell what the puzzle picture should be, but it’s never as complete and beautiful as when all the pieces come together.

Team Mom

In trying to reignite Joe’s passion for football, Jon thought it would be a good idea for them to collect some football cards with each other. They bought a few sets at the store the other day. As they were going through them and Joci was watching a Barbie movie I played around on the computer, updating my Facebook. That’s when I heard Joe say, “I didn’t know they had cards for team Moms, too! That’s weird!”. Apparently, they have some cards of cheerleaders in there now, too. Jon and I shared a good laugh over that one. Out of the mouths of babes.

Joci's PeeWee Play Class

Jocelyn has started a new class as well. We couldn't find any dance classes that were available at a good time, so this session we decided to do a play class.

She gets to do all the fun things that I loved to do in PE when I was a kid. They get to play with a parachute, and do hurdles over little poles. They get to go through tunnels, play soccer, and run after a huge bouncy ball.

She just loves her class, and we love that she gets a time to herself where the focus is just on her.

Here's some pictures of her before her first class.

Doing a few dance moves...

Silly Mommy...
Are we done with the photos yet?
Jump!
Who is THAT?
I'll show you where my class is...

Top Cat

We are all so proud of Joe.
This last week he was made 'Top Cat' of his class in school, it's sort of like Student of the Week. His teacher told us that she typically awards her Kindergarten Top Cats alphabetically, but since there had been a few kids with excellent behavior, she just had to award it that way. Thus, Joe was the first Top Cat in his class.

They do a warning system in his class. There are three different colors, if you stay on Green then you've had no warnings, yellow is one, and then if you're on red you get a note sent home. Most everyone in Joe's class has been on at least a yellow, except him. Everyday he brings home a behavior card for us to sign, and each and every day it has a smiley face on it. He is really proud of himself for being so well behaved.

For those of you that know Jon and I are probably wondering where in the world he gets his amazing behavior from, as it's obviously not from us and how we were in school. Well, I have to say it's due, at least a little bit, to our parenting and how much we have stressed how important school is. That's what I tell myself anyway.

The school announced his name on the morning announcements, he got to put a top cat with his name up in the principal's office, and he got a neat little plastic cup with Top Cat on it. That night we took Joe out to dinner to celebrate being Top Cat. He told the waitress all about his award and she brought him a complementary canolli. Then this whole week he brought fun stuff home for being Top Cat. the coolest of them being a book that made him the VIP. It had lots of stuff in it about him and then each kid in the class and his teacher colored a page for him to put in his book.

It was so awesome to see him feel so appreciated and honored. Even better was when his friend, Justin, was chosen as the new Top Cat. He was genuinely excited for his friend. I love that he has such a generous heart. He is such a sweet and giving boy.

Great Quote

My boss sent this one out this week and I really liked it:

"A clever person turns great problems into little ones and little ones into none at all."

-Chinese Proverb