Maria's first soccer game....

Try envisioning a kid-sized soccer version of the "Bad News Bears"... Then you will have a clear picture of how Maria's first game went today... Let me first give you perspective of what her team is like.. For many of the girls it is their first time playing soccer.. They are learning the game as they go. For a uniform they have a green t-shirt. It is a fun, spirited team that is enjoying going out there and learning the game and playing.. Now let me fill you in on what the other team was like... The girls showed up in their "professional" soccer jerseys... mouthpieces in, with their star player at least a foot taller than the rest of the girls... First thought coming to mind is "oh sh.....t!" They aren't normal first graders... I think it was a team of freaks of nature... Seriously... And when the game began, let's just say annihilation! I think that Maria's team got the ball to their goal maybe once the entire game.. Final score, thirty-something to zero. But it's alright! The girls all had a blast playing (even while getting their butts handed to them..) and can't wait till the next time! Way to go girls, you never gave up and had fun in the process.. I was very proud of Maria as she did very well (relatively speaking..) and got after that ball and kept moving. In the short video above she is #29.. She is the one that gets the ball for a whole second and a half before one of the freaks of nature takes it from her. Seriously, all the teams can't be like that, can they??? I guess we shall see next week! I'll keep you posted.. Now I need to go get ready to leave. We are going to buy Mikey a big boy bike today! More on that later as well!

nothing new...

Alright, alright, alright.... I know it has been a week since my last post but in all honesty not much has been going on! So let me do a quick week recap... Mike sold the white truck, thank god! Granted he still has to spend another weekend doing work on it for the buyer but he is making a pretty good profit from it... Now I just need to see how much my cut will be for time and tolerance spent! Maria started soccer practice, first game is Saturday.. I have to say I was really worried she would get run over out there because she is so not aggressive but she is proving to surprise me! She is not nearly as timid as I thought she would be.. And I have been trying to get into an exercise routine.. All I have to say about that is OW! Some of the muscles that hurt I didn't even know existed.. It'll get better with time... right? If not I just may be crippled for life. And that has been our week... Later!

I did it!!!!!!!

I did it!! I finally got the energy to get off my lazy butt and go to the gym. A friend of mine is religious about going every day and she has been saying I really needed to try a new exercise class, Zumba with her. So I did today! And I gotta tell ya, my hips have now seen positions that they have never seen before! It was a lot of fun! For those of you that don't know, Zumba is an exercise class based on dance, and a lot of gyrating! I am going to TRY to make a whole-hearted effort to go work out several times a week. I really do feel a lot better after doing it.. It is just the getting started part that is really hard. Hopefully after a few weeks I will be on a better routine and it won't be so hard to drag my derrier out the door and to the gym. And speaking of this gym, it is a great moms gym! They offer free childcare and membership is only $30 a month with unlimited classes. So you see, I really have no excuse for not going... I think I can, I think I can... I know I can!

Happy St. Patty's Day!!! Be sure to wear your green so you don't get pinched!

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This is more accurate!

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Out of the mouth of babes....

So I am going to share with you all a questionnaire about me given to the kids. My sister is the one that started this and I thought it was too cute not to share... Some of the answers are pretty funny (and admittedly accurate..). Mikey was a little difficult, you try to get a very active 3 year old boy to sit still and answer 21 questions!!! Not so easy, but I was able to get an answer for most of them.... Some of you have already read this but for those of you that haven't, enjoy!


1. What is something mom always says to you?
7yr. girl - You tell us to pick up.
5yr girl - I don't know.... I really don't!!! You tell me.
3yr boy - No.

2. What makes mom happy?
7yr girl - When we listen to you.
5yr girl - that I pick up the playroom and dining room!
3yr boy - friends

3. What makes mom sad?
7yr girl - When we don't listen to you.
5yr girl - that I don't pick up the playroom and dining room! and that I don't go to sleep.. That makes you sad.
3yr boy - crying.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
7yr girl - by being funny.
5yr girl - tickling me
3yr boy - uhhhhh.... tickle us.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
7yr girl - nice??
5yr girl - you were like... good? That' what you were like as a kid..
3yr boy - mmm.. can't tell.

6. How old is your mom?
7yr girl - mmmm... 33?
5yr girl - 33, is how old you are.
3yr boy - (holds up 3 fingers.. then when told not how old he is, how old is mommy, holds up 5 fingers..)

7. How tall is your mom?.
7yr girl - uhh... i don't know... do you mean inches??? do you mean feet??? You're tall.
5yr girl - you're woooooouahhhh (as she points from my toes to the top of my head) this tall. You're (as she starts counting with her hands from my feet to my head) 17 little hands tall.
3yr boy - (stands on tiptoes..) too much tall.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
7yr girl - play the computer
5yr girl - is drink coffee
3yr boy - get on the computer

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
7yr girl - play the computer
5yr girl -you sit on the computer with quiet drinking your coffee
3yr boy - uhhh.. find you.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
7yr girl - playing games on the computer
5yr girl -you'd be rock star!!!!! And you'd go NA NA NANANANA!! wearing purple and yellow star glasses and dancing crazy everywhere!!!
3yr boy - a shooting star.

11. What is your mom really good at?
7yr girl - cleaning
5yr girl - You're really good at magic....
3yr boy- dancing

12. What is your mom not very good at?
7yr girl - ummm.. I don't know!!!
5yr girl -You're not really good at hulahooping.
3yr boy - pooping in her underwear when you were little.

13. What does your mom do for her job?
7yr girl -take care of us.
5yr girl - Your job is to take care of us! That's true.
3yr boy - mmm... don't know.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
7yr girl - all the food.
5yr girl - Your favorite food is..... egg pie!! (Quiche for those of you that don't know 5 yr old speak..)
3yr boy - chicken

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
7yr girl - because I think you do a very good job with everything.. Because you do!!
5yr girl - because you're nice.
3yr boy - nobody.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
7yr girl - Jerry (from Tom and Jerry)
5yr girl -You would be a question person that asks questions on TV and you would have to try to ask the questions that they want you to say...
3yr boy - NOOObody!

17. What do you and your mom do together?
7yr girl - pick up together
5yr girl - We go to Kidmasium together!
3yr boy - eat dinner.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
7yr girl - because we have the same color of skin.
5yr girl - We are same because we are both nice.
3yr boy - poopie.

19. How are you and your mom different?
7yr girl - we are not as tall as each other and we are not the same age
5yr girl - We're different because... you wear earrings and I don't.
3yr boy - you're not a boy.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
7yr girl - ummmm... because sometimes you're nice??
5yr girl - because.. ummm.... because you tell me you love me.. and why you love me is because I was born in your belly.
3yr boy - I love you.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
7yr girl - to go to restaurants with Daddy for dinner.
5yr girl - Your favorite place to go... isss.... your favorite place to go is Kidmasium with me.
3yr boy - can I have cake now???

Lillian is 5!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you!!!!! Lillian turned the ever so monumental five today! And let me tell you, boy was she excited! Lillian is funny because whenever she gets really excited she can't sit still... She gets what we call the wiggles and jiggles, she is so full of excitement that she just can't contain it... and was she wiggling and jiggling all day today! It is a very big day after all... She got more than her heart could ever desire for gifts! (spoiled kid.) We are talking a doll bunk bed, dress outfit (Thanks Cindy!), barbie, music, sticker book and stuffed pig (Thanks Michele!), and oh, that's not all....

Mom, Dad, here is a pic of the castle clock radio you got her.. It is super neat, not only does is tell time and play the radio, but also Cinderella can talk and sing her songs on it. AND it has a projection light on it that lights stars on the ceiling!!! Wow.


Mike and I got creative and "revamped" an old MP3 player Mike had with "jewels" and gave it to Lillian. So now she is just like her big sis and can listen to music whenever she wants! Big girl stuff, don't you know.. (she is 5 now...)


So it was a very good day today... We had a fun, relaxing, lazy Sunday with an extra-special celebration to honor.. We love you Lillian, 5 years old already!!!! That means kindergarten next year... oh boy. No good post would be complete without an awesome monster pic! Enjoy!!

Happy Fri. the 13th!!! Don't worry about bad luck, dance and have fun!

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Lil' Lillian update....

Well Lillian got her third and hopefully (fingers crossed..) last bump taken out last month. Everything went very well, she was put under mask sedation, and the doctors honored my wish to make the surgery as non-evasive as possible.. No IV's inserted or tubes down the throat.. just a little "happy juice" and mask was all that was needed! Now since she was put all the way under I was not allowed to be with her during surgery, hospital policies don't you know, so when I met up with her in recovery she was a little upset and not quite sure what was going on... But I truly believe that this was the best way to go for her. There was no way Lillian would have sit still for another one to be removed, sleeping through it was the way to go! This scar is the smallest and best looking of the three.... Hopefully in time it will fade just as the first one has next to it! Way to go Lillian! You have definitely proven yourself to be a very brave little champ!

Look what followed Mike home....

He SAYS it is for flipping and reselling immediately for profit... And to his credit, and to my astonishment, he has put it on Craigslist for sale already (maybe the threat of making him move next door into the neighbor's spare bedroom lit a fire under him, who knows?)... The profit made is supposedly going to go toward the previous hunk of junk that followed him home....
This green money pit was supposed to only need a little tuning, some new brakes and tires, and be up and drivable with minimum investment. Two years later this is where we are at.....
Supposedly all that is really left to do is a paint job and then it can be assembled and done! Hence the quick turn-key money investment previously shown. Why am I telling you all this you may wonder? Well, it is to tell you all that even though I give Mike a lot of grief over his "little project", I am very fortunate. Yes, it is very dirty and loud. Yes it takes up a lot of room (half the garage, basement and shed to be exact). Yes, it can be expensive and take up a lot of his time. But it is a hobby that he loves. There are far worse ways that he could be spending his free time. Mike is not out at the bars in the evening drinking. I have no worries of him sniffing around any other women. His energy and passion goes into this truck. He loves it. In fact, there have been times that I have been a bit jealous of it! All the time and attention that he dotes on it, money that is spent on it, admiration shown for it.... A woman's dream to have all that shown to her!

But in all seriousness, I have some friends that think I have the patience of a saint and may be a little crazy for allowing such a hobby. And Mike has some friends (including himself) that think I am too controlling and have set too many restrictions. But it is a game of checks and balances... We have learned to compromise and give and take. He wants a pole barn, I say no way. He wants more money for his truck, I show him our finances and tell him he is getting more than enough. He wants more time to work on it, I want more family time. It is all working out, we are in the home stretch, and I couldn't be any happier for him. Love you babe and I know that it is going to be great when it is done! Just don't be looking for your next project anytime soon.....

Maria turned 7!

One major event that happened this past month was Maria's birthday!! My baby girl turned 7. Hard to believe... She is no longer a baby... She now is a beautiful young girl with friends and a little seven year old attitude! (A few days ago I had to try not to laugh as she went running to her room screaming and crying that "It wasn't fair!!!" followed by the notorious door slam... Ahhh.. and it starts already....) But I digress... Yes, she is growing up and I couldn't be any prouder of what a sweet, wonderful, smart, kind-hearted young lady she is becoming. (and I am not biased in the least... ask anyone and they would agree!! Really!!) Maria had a great birthday with a couple of her best friends coming over to help her celebrate. Happy Birthday baby girl, I am so, so proud of you and love you very much! And yes, you will always be my baby.. I will always think of you and remember my sweet curly haired little girl who adored baby dolls and dressing up as a princess. Happy Birthday!

Through the words of a seven year old....

"How can we play nice with each other on the playground. How can we be nice forever. I want to know how we can be nice. I don't want anybody to yell at each other." These are the words I read this afternoon when I came across one of Maria's many art projects that she left on the table. My initial thought was that there was some bullying going on at recess in school. When she got home this evening I sat down to talk to her about it. I asked her what it was about. She told me it was a poem she wrote about the whole world. She wants everyone in the world to stop yelling at each other and be nice. All I can say is, wow. At seven years old she is wiser and more compassionate than many adults are. Here I thought this was about some silly playground fighting. No, it is about much, much more than that. It is amazing how at seven years old she is so sensitive to what is going on in the world around her. We don't watch the news when she is around, and we monitor what she watches on TV. She came up with this poem just from her daily observations of life. I agree with you Maria, and I couldn't have said it any better myself.

I'm Baaack!!!!!!

Hello everyone!!!! I hope you all did not abandon me in my time off! I am sorry for the long hiatus but I was really needing a break from the blog for a bit. It is a lot of work keeping this updated and a nice long vacation from it has renewed my energy and excitement in keeping you all informed of our daily lives!!! Don't worry, you didn't miss much! In celebration of Spring being right around the corner and the blog's new-found life I have once again changed the look of it. The picture now proudly displayed at the top is one that is very special to me. My Grandmother (Hi Grams!) unbeknown to me had kept one of the African Violets that were the centerpiece of the tables at my wedding's reception. For 10 years she kept this flower and last summer for Mike and I's tenth anniversary she returned it to me. Now for those of you that know me I have a very black thumb. I was terrified that I would kill it within a week.. and by summer's end I had almost accomplished that feat! However over the winter I have discovered the secret to make it thrive and in this past week it has finally bloomed for the first time. I am beyond ecstatic to see how well this very special plant is doing! And now all of you can now see how beautiful it is as well... I will try over the next week to highlight the big events that have occurred over the past month... Look forward to updates on Lillian's arm and Maria's birthday!