The Next New York Ranger

I know Monday is usually reserved for weekend recaps but I forgot my camera card yesterday, so today will just have to do.

We had a really great weekend! On Saturday Bud participated in a “Try Hockey for Free” program. He did it last year and LOVED it but it was too late in the season to sign up. When I gave him the choice to play hockey or do karate this year he didn’t hesitate! Hockey is in his blood! (Ok, so I may have poured it in there myself, but nonetheless, it’s in there!)

Since it was a “try hockey” program they provided all the gear he needed (donated by the NY Rangers, thank you very much! See there are so many reasons to love them!). We haven’t done too much skating in the last few years (did you know skating with a baby strapped to your chest is dangerous?) so Bud hasn’t really refined his technique. This is all to say that he falls…a LOT…when he’s on the ice. Nevertheless, Bud didn’t care! He had a smile plastered on his face the entire time!

And because the program is so awesome, and the coaches are amazing, and they know what they are doing, they allowed the newbies to use chairs to keep their balance on the ice. This worked out great because he was able to get the hang of how to move his feet without falling every 10 seconds (not that it did away with all falling…there was still falling, with chairs on top of kids…but all in all it was great).

The only downside was Bud got the hang of using the chair and he really started to motor around the ice and was having so much fun. Why is this a downside you ask? Because he wouldn’t give up the chair, even though he was totally ready to do it chair free. Finally, at the end, they did sprints across the rink and the head coach told him he couldn't use the chair anymore. He said “OK” and skated off just fine. The coach just looked at him and raised his hands like “Why the heck were you using the chair if you can skate?” That’s my boy! Taking the comfortable route because it’s more fun and you can go faster! 

It's going to be a fun season!

Lily

Conversations with Bud

Bud: (showing me his hand) Mom, look.

Me: Bud, how did you get poop on your hand?

Bud: I don’t know.

Me: (helping him take his pants off) Good Lord Bud! How did you get poop on the front of your knee?

Bud: I don’t know. Sometimes it just happens.

Lily

Friday Flashback

What? Doesn’t everyone dress like the Dutch for their 10^th birthday?

In my defense, it was my birthday and my Aunt was living in Holland at the time. (And yes, I have three scrunchies on one arm and at least one on the other. I was COOL people!)

Happy Friday!

Lily

Thought Vomit Thursday - Clipboards

I love clipboards. I know, that’s a weird thing to love, but I do. They are good for so many things. Need something to write on? Here’s a clipboard! Need a place to hang multiple papers? Here’s a clipboard? Need to keep unruly children in line? Here’s a shotgun clipboard! See! So many uses!

I've always recognized the value of clipboards but my love truly blossomed when I got my first “real” job after college. I worked in a library. (Did you know some really WEIRD people work in libraries? Like the guy with the elbow patches and fedora. He was…something. No, I do not have elbow patches – I don’t even own a sports coat. That would be weird. Just because I worked in a library doesn’t mean I own a sports coat! I am a GIRL! Girls own blazers. Yes, I own a couple of blazers – no, they don’t have elbow patches! Stop judging me just because I worked in a library…ok, a science library…annex. Whatever! I said stop judging me!)

So my job was…boring. Yeah, that’s a good word for it. But being the goody goody (on the outside) that I am, I needed to “look” busy (because on the inside I’m just a slacker). So when I wasn’t sitting in my office emailing Smidge I would take my clipboard and roam around the library looking at random books and making “notes” on my clipboard. (Genius, I know!) It was highly effective. (Except for that one time when my boss asked me what project I was working on. I said something but I don’t know if it was coherent. Whatever. Would you please stop judging me!)

This “technique”, let’s call it clipboarding (I just thought of that! I wish I had thought of it back them! Maybe I can make it the new craze, kind of like planking! OOH! I see this getting BIG!) was really very helpful in getting me through the day. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I had legitimate uses for the clipboard, but chances were good that if I had a clipboard in my hand I was just trying to look busy so I didn’t bang my head on my desk in the back office.

I left that job after a year (and they eliminated my position after I left. That just shows you how “vital” I really was.) but my love of clipboards has remained! Is there a national Clipboard Day? There should be! Maybe I should write a letter.

Lily

Fresh Look or Scary Eyesore?

So? What do you think? Do you like the new look? It all started because I wanted to create a new header. I really like how it came out (the pictures) (Thank you for your help Daily Mom!) but I didn’t like the new header with my old background picture. It just didn’t go. I browsed through the Blogger templates but I really want it to be “my own”, ya know? So the purple with the white is what I came up with in Paint. (Yes, I used MS Paint, aren’t I creative?) I went through like 7 or 8 editions before my eye started twitching  settling on this one. I’m not in love with it but I haven’t come up with anything better yet. I want it to be kind of simple but also have a little pizzazz to it. If any of you creative people  have any suggestions I’d like to hear them!




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UPDATE: I'd really like to take credit for the current background but I can't. My paint version lasted a day before a wonderful reader suggested this photo instead. Although I liked showing off my mad MSPaint skillz, I am just not that creative or talented! :-)

Lily

My inner artist...or a poor attempt to take a nice picture

I love to take pictures. I’m not especially talented (and completely incompetent when it comes to people subjects) but every now and then I manage to get a really great inanimate shot. (It helps that I have a super awesome camera now.) Here are some of my favorites.

 (My husband, kids, and me made this bird feeder from scratch)

 (This is a nicer picture when it's bigger. If you look closely you can see the splash just left of center.)

Lily

Dear Bud

Dear Bud,

No one is perfect. We all have our flaws. We all have our bad habits. You won’t get your way every time. People will be mean. Opportunities will be lost. Your heart will be broken. If I teach you nothing else, I pray that you will learn to pick yourself up. I pray that you will learn to forgive. I pray that you will roll with the punches, even when you can barely breathe. I pray you do not let fear of the unknown rule your life. I pray you will learn your lesson but live your life. I pray, with all that I have, that you will learn to be flexible; that you will learn to turn the other cheek. I pray that you will learn from your mistakes and see that there is room in all of us to be better. People will stumble, you will stumble. Get back up. Brush yourself off.

You are growing so fast. Every so often I catch a glimpse of the man you will become. You have so much potential. You are so smart. You are so curious. I hope that things come easy to you but I hope that you see the value of hard work. I hope you see that a little effort now will bring big rewards in the future. I hope you don’t back down when it gets tough. I hope that you will stand up for what you believe, even when it’s not popular. I hope you learn that you can’t control everything and it’s ok that you can’t.

I watch you struggle with fear. “What if” statements have come to rule your life. I don’t have the answers. I don’t know how to make your fear go away. I don’t know how to calm your nerves. I don’t know.

I do know that I need to help you. You can’t go on being scared of everything. Yes, some of it is just a phase – you are so young – but I can’t sit back and watch you struggle and not offer a hand. I want to instill the right habits, give you a path, show you how to handle your troubles. I don’t know how. Not yet. But I am trying. I am your mother. I am your ally. You need to do the work but I will be by your side. It is your burden but I will be by your side. You will make bad decisions, and I must let you, but I will be by your side. I promise I will be by your side.

Lily

Friday Flashback

This was my Archie comic book collection mid-90’s. It grew bigger before I stopped reading them because I was old enough to buy them with my money and those things are expensive. I took the picture to send in so I could be one of the super cool kids who got their pictures in the back of one of the comics, except I never actually sent in the picture. I like to think I was just too cool! Or maybe I was a slacker and just didn't get around to it.

 Happy Friday!

Lily

Thought Vomit Thursday

So you might not know this about me but I think about some really random crap. (I know! Hard to believe, right!) Most of the time I spare you guys the details but I have come across the perfect platform to spew my mind vomit all across the Internet.

Thought Vomit Thursdays was brought to my attention by Josey over at “My Cheap Version of therapy” (Go ahead and click the link. She’s fun.) I’m really looking forward to this feature and plan to stick with it for as long as I can. Here goes…

Our DVR is 89% full. The fall TV lineup starts tonight. I have shows I haven’t watched from back in April. I’m thinking I have to admit defeat, just skip to the season finales and go from there.

LET’S GO RANGERS! Rangers preseason started last night!!! (Yes, I get this excited about preseason. Just wait until the REAL season begins!)

I’m gettin all sassy in my old age. I find myself barely being able to control the words that come out of my mouth when someone is being stupid. Sometimes, I can’t control it and I say things like “Stop being an asshole.” Surprisingly, this hasn’t gone over so well.

I have been known to say the wrong things in response to someone’s action. For example, a student handed me a withdrawal form, I signed it, gave her the student copy and said “Good Luck”. I don’t really know what she needs luck for, but at least she’s got it now!

Face paint is a sure-fire fix for a lackluster sick-day. 

This is, apparently, his "mean" face.

Please don't critique me on my painting skills. 

 Rambo or fashion model? You decide.

I don't think a fairy should be able to wrestle a gun away from Rambo but never say never.

Lily

Sick child blues

Nothing like starting your day to diarreha and vomiting. I really can't think of a better way. Who wants to get dressed in peace, eat breakfast in peace, do a few chores before the children wake up in peace when you can get dressed with a child sobbing at your feet because his tummy hurts only to just make it to the toilet in time (oh, dear Lord! Thank you!) then to put him back in bed only to have him vomit all over his sheets that you just washed. Yes, it has been a fun morning! And now, of course, because he expelled all of his bodily fluids he is now feeling perky and obnoxious much better! Damn that school rule that says you must keep your child home from school for 24 hrs after a vomiting incident!
Lily