Getting used to it...

So I remember a conversation with my next door neighbor about how she didn't get attached to her daughters' beaus because they didn't necessarily stay around long enough, and the one she did get attached to-well that break up was as hard on her as on the daughter.  And the conversation just recently came flooding back to me, because the new "interest" whom I had just barely met, apparently is suddenly much less interesting.  And I'm left thinking "But he's so polite.  He came right up to me and asked me how I was and how my weekend was going.  Are you SURE you're not interested anymore???"

Thankful...

My to-do list is at least a mile long, but I have to sit down and think/write about this NOW.  First, a little background information. 

On Black Friday, I reminded Dennis that if he was close to spending $50.00 at Kohl's, to make sure he did get to the 50 because Kohl's was giving $15.00 Kohl's cash for each 50 spent.  He was bringing G and T shopping, and I thought there was a good chance they'd get there.  So he came home having spent...$48.00. (In his defense, he had spent 50 before the 15% off coupon I gave him.  He just doesn't know how to shop at Kohl's!!)

You guys KNOW that Black Friday is NOT my thing, but I was so annoyed, I took the receipt and went back planning to spend the additional couple dollars in order to get 15 more to spend.  Obviously, I was meant to be there so I could get this reminder to hug my kids and be thankful for amazing people.

I stepped into line at customer service, behind a woman who made me do a double take.  It was a mom of a kid in Gabrielle's class, and she was bald.  I stammered "hello" and her name, just to be sure it was her.  She kinda chuckled and said "I know, I look a little different."  She then proceeded to tell me that her son (a year older than the one in G's class) was diagnosed on Halloween with osteosarcoma, and was just about to begin his second round of chemotherapy.  As I was biting  my lip, willing myself not to cry, she mentioned that the family had shaved their heads in solidarity.

We have just become friends on Facebook, and I looked through her home page.  What she neglected to mention is that FIFTY people shaved their heads in solidarity with her son, including some of his friends, his aunts/uncles and cousins, and members of his swim team.

Why the blog?  First, to express how thankful I am for the health of my family.  Gabrielle's sprained ankle suddenly seems little more than an inconvenience.  Second to express how thankful I am that people still CARE in this world.  Sometimes it seems that everyone is out for themselves, and looking at the pictures of young girls in the prime of the "worrying-about-their-looks-phase" who not only shaved their heads, but also donated those ponytails to either Locks of Love or the Great Lengths program...well it made me cry.  (surprise, surprise, I know.)  Somehow it was a great reminder that THIS is what the holiday season really is all about.

What a turnabout!

I believe many of you had heard my rants about how I was NOT going to spend my weekends driving around the state for my kids' sporting events, because I have three kids and it's not fair to the others to drag them around and blah, blah, blah.  And you probably heard me eat some crow last year when we allowed Gabrielle to try out for the Spring Select soccer team, (which involved weekend tournaments in Mesa, Gilbert, Tucson, Prescott, Peoria, and Southern California) and I really enjoyed it, and so did the rest of the family.

Well, fast forward to this year, and we are all in.  There is no denying that we are a full fledged soccer family now.  Gabrielle is playing club soccer, and Tyler is playing both rec league and club soccer until the end of December, and then Dennis will coach his all star (Spring Select) team from January to May.  And Evie is everyone's favorite "goal can passer", for Gabrielle's team, and the girls and their parents all love her.  So this was a tournament weekend, which meant 2 games Friday night, 2 games for Tyler on Saturday, 1 for Gabrielle, and 2 games for each today (Sunday).  And what did we add to the mix??  A 7:30 pm US Women's National team soccer game last night, because 3 games in a day just wasn't enough!

bahahaha

Gabrielle and Tyler were discussing an acronym that a teacher had given them to remember the traits of a civilization (i.e. economy, arts, language), and they got to the letter "i" and were both stumped as to what it stood for.  I was washing dishes, and asked, "ideology?" to which I got two blank stares, and then Gabrielle said, "Idiotology, like the study of idiots??!!  I don't think so mom!" 

I might just do it...

I might forego decorating for Thanksgiving, and move straight on to Christmas, even though I am a staunch believer in decorating the day after turkey day!  All because it is the 8th today, and Halloween is still up.  I will be at the school all day tomorrow for the Veteran's Day celebration, then at a soccer tournament Fri night, Sat, and Sun for both Gabrielle and Tyler.  The very earliest I could take down Halloween (which is no small task if you've never seen us decked out for it) would be Monday the 12th.  Thanksgiving is early this year, the 22nd, which means putting up and taking down a houseful of Turkey decor within 10 days.  Penguins and snowmen are looking mighty tempting at this point!

Musical chaos

Things seem to go in spurts in our house, and the trend these past few weeks has been music.  All three kids play instuments and have been practicing them like crazy lately.  Gabrielle plays the flute and the keyboard, Tyler plays the guitar, and sometimes sits down at the keyboard, and Evie plays the keyboard and her recorder (which she calls her clarinet, telling us that is the instrument she is going to play in the school band). 

As I was making dinner tonight, I thought I would be feeling like someone was scraping nails on a chalkboard, because Gabrielle was in the front room playing the keyboard, Tyler was in the family room playing the guitar, and Evie was upstairs playing the recorder; all different music, all at the same time.  Somehow though, I found it comfortable and fun.  Go figure.  :)

On a separate note in the same vein, I have to relate something Evie said.  Unfortunately, it may not be as funny to y'all if you don't know the musical reference.   I wouldn't know it if I wasn't married to Dennis, as "Dio" is not really in my wheelhouse...  So Gabrielle has been practicing Oh Holy Night (yes I know it's October, and no, I don't know why Christmas music already, but it is what it is) and apparently Evie has been hearing Dennis and Tyler listen to the guitar riffs in Dio's music.   Earlier today Evie said to me, "Do you think I can learn to play Oh Holy Diver?"  (Holy Diver is a Dio song.)   HA!   Those two songs are about as musically far apart as you can get.

Sad but true...

Dennis:  "Do you need anything while I'm out?"
Me:  "You mean like a milkshake?"
Dennis, laughing:  "Will a milkshake stop you from yelling at me when I make you go through these boxes in the garage?"
Me:  "Probably not, but it may temper it a bit..."  :)