Now,

I don't have as many "money shots" of Miss K because...

One, it's inevitable that I'll forget my camera.

Two, soccer is so fast-paced I catch myself watching

the game instead of photographing it.

And three, sometimes it's really hard to get

awesome shots because they move so fast.

(They're comparable to gazelle.)

I kid you not.

I promise, I'll get more.

We have a tournament coming up and

I'm super psyched.

But this girl, she rocks my socks too.
She's one of the scrappin'-est,
knock-down-drag-out, crazy fightin' soccer girls ever.  Ever.
She's a wicked beast on the field, with fancy feet to boot.
She's come into her own and she's kickin' butts and takin' names.
There's no other way to put it.
She's bad.

Her stubbornness send us into battle.

Yet, she curls up in bed with me when it storms.

And then she asks six hundred times for me to braid her hair.

To cook her ramen noodles.

(blaaa! because she's like her daddy and even though I'm a superb cook,

- not to toot my own horn -

she loves gross school food (i.e. chicken patties, hot dogs, bologna, Vienna sausages)

Her clothes have to be perfectly matched.

And she always has to accessorize...rings, bracelets, necklaces.

And then, she'll say "Which necklace looks better?"

And I can't help but love that insane, hormonal chick.

Because she's mine.

And she's so sweet and beautiful.

And CRAZY.

All at the same time.

Saturdays mean soccer again

Yes, it's that time again.

The man had his first game today.  He pulled his usual line, "Mommy, I'm too shy."

Then, things got fun with a few drills..."Simon says, put your belly on the ball."

The ref worked on getting the sidelines revved up.

And I would've given anything to hear this conversation...

Our team played hard.

With no shortage of cute faces.

And fun had by all.

With K, we are now 3 games in.  With a 1-2 record. 

She came off the field feeling frustrated today. I completely understand. Once upon a time, I played sports. 

It's just as aggravating, if not more, when you're a spectator, sitting along the sidelines.

up in arms

Soccer was supposed to be yesterday,

but was rescheduled due to the hurricane. 

Which, thanks be to God,

only brought some steady rain and wind,

nothing serious.

It was utterly brutal.

She was livid.

You could tell the way she sulked off the field.



This one ~especially in b&w form~ speaks.

Fury.

Fire.

Disappointment.

Bitterness.

Pain.

Outrage.

what now?!

The gooberlings are now at school.  I dropped them off, despite C's dismay that it won't hurt them to ride the bus.  Oh we've done that, brother!  Not going down that road again!  Yes, I understand it saves gas, but out of babes' mouths come the worst of things.  Things that I don't want my two birds hearing or knowing anything about at their age!

Now, I told you I had a great long list of things I was gonna do to celebrate being home alone and I was all pumped to do them.  You know it's coming, don't you?  But, I am frozen stiff with the overwhelming realization that my tiny munchkins will be at school ALL. DAY. LONG.  It's harder than I thought.  I'm used to K being gone until 3 during the school year, but the man, he only went 3 half  days to preschool and I was so accustomed to having him here.  Whether he was quietly playing in his room or trying to coerce me into a wrestling match where I would finally give up because he's just way rough and I couldn't take any more, or if I was attempting to complete one of the hundred million things on my agenda and he was interrupting at every step of the way.  I do, I miss them.

Now, I find myself making coffee and buttering bread to console myself.  Maybe then, I will get myself together.

butterflies

We met teachers today and dropped off school supplies.  It's almost time!  I'm feeling jittery just thinking about it.  When K started going to preschool, I would drop her off and tears would fly, but they said she was fine once I left.   Still, it left me with that miserable feeling that sank deep into my bones.  I would go home and feel absolutely wretched!  I was so attached to her and she to me.  I really didn't know what to do with myself!

This man, he's different.  He loves me so, but he's a go-getter.  He's not the type to sit and watch from the sidelines.  Although, every once in a while, he needs an introduction because "I'm too shy, Mommy."  Once the meet and greet is over, it's all business and he plays his heart out.  Not to mention, I have since found things to do with my time and when my two head off to school on Wednesday, I am going to hit the roof I'll be so excited!  Just thinking of the things I'll be able to do without hearing "Mommy!", "Mommy, she's giving me a nasty look!", "Mommy, tell him there's no kicking and punching in wrestling!" every 5 seconds.  This may sound awful, but I am so excited to be able to sew, read, do housework where I can actually fully complete the task at hand without interruption or chaos I just don't know what to do with myself!

Maybe I'm just so ecstatic because my baby is dying to go.  He wanted to know if he could stay there today, in which I had to reply, "No, you'll go in 2 days."  Which then prompted an "Ol' maaaan!"  Over the summer, I have, at times, been sad that my littlest bird is leaving the nest, but he's just so ready and so thrilled.  He wandered around that room today with a sparkle in his eye, just in awe of all the new toys and new space.  He hugged Mrs. R good-bye and couldn't wait to go back.

Don't get me wrong, I will miss my babies, I will, but I am looking forward to some quiet time.  Am I the only one who feels like this?  I don't know, but I will not feel guilty for my new found freedom.  I will use it to the best of my abilities and something grand will come of it, I tell you.  Look!  My sewing list is lofty and I intend to tackle it. 

Not to mention, the baby gift I'm sorta working on.   Let's just say I cut the fabric.   So, there will be no "we interrupt your regularly scheduled program..." for fighting, bickering and name calling, hungry, tired, or needy children.   No sirree, I'll be as happy as a pig in mud!

But on those days when allergies flare up and we haven't gotten a bit of sleep from coughing or we've got a cold, I will cuddle fiercely, bask in the glow of an entire day's worth of TV and make all of the soup, grilled cheese and popsicles I possibly can until I burst.  I will love and dote on those babies with all my might.

i'm just thankful

We hit the book fair today.
It was opening day.
And we were there when they unlocked the doors.
Because we also had plans for later.
I thought it would be mobbed,
but just the usual crowd.
Although, the longer we stayed the crazier it got.

Luckily, K's much like me,
she can't go more than 3 hours without eating.
Or at least having a snack.
So, at the 2 hour mark,
plus, add on a little over an hour that it took to get there,
she was spent.

This has become our trip.
Just us girls.
The two of us.



Yes, these are old, really old!

I let her spend her own money this time.
The threshold,
not set by me.
Only her.
And I was taken aback by her cautious spending.
She even put a few down,
saying if they were there next time,
she'd get them then.

She kept a running total.
At any given time,
 you could ask "how many do you have?"
Just meaning the number of books.
And she would tell you her running tally in dollars. 

Surprised me, she did.
I really thought she'd go all out.
And she used a coupon to get $5 off!
This all made me feel alright in the world.
Like I was raisin' this girl to be frugal,
a good steward.

We're even checking into selling the books online that we've read.
I'd like to think of it as kind of recycling.
Sort of.

Me, personally, I finally decided on these...
Chosen Forever is "a memoir of a horse, a book, and finding love" by Susan Richards.  I read her previous book, "Chosen By a Horse" and it was fantastic!  So, I can't wait to get into this one.

The Ten-Year Nap just sounded familiar, "the past decade has been defined largely by marriage and motherhood, but it wasn't always that."  I usually try to research the books on the preview page and while there were quite a few that had great reviews, they just didn't appeal to me, but this was one that wasn't previewed and it has mixed reviews, equally good and bad.  We'll see how it goes.

The Silent Gift, I found in the Christian Fiction and it just sounded interesting.  While I could've taken home quite a few from here and believe me, the lady standing next to me kept telling me this and that and this was great too.  She wasn't helping any, just made selecting one too difficult, but at least I know of some good reads I'll look for next go round.

My Book of Devotions about Obedience - A Guide for Parents & Kids was something I'd had my eye out for.  Just so happens, I found it discarded in the wrong section and it was meant to be, so I scooped it up!

Now, I couldn't forget the man, so I picked up 2 of the series that we have all come to know and love!  Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble and Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones.  As soon as we arrived, he exclaimed that I had to read these to him!  And then, he listened to the CD where Judy Schachner reads the story.

Later, we headed out to see a free showing of Dumbo and spend our Kohl's cash because it was the last day to use it!  K even splurged on these, using her own money again.  My argument being "you have enough shoes for 3 kids".  She'd been wanting them for some time since she adores the ones her cousin has.  In her defense, they were on clearance (cheaper than the price online even), and with 15% off coupon in hand, I put them on my card so she could get an even better discount and she paid me back when we got home.  I got the man a pair of dress shoes for when the cool weather ushers in for $6.81!  It was a good day for shopping!

The evening, mixed with fatigue and hunger, was trying my nerves.  It all ended well when I got a text from my SIL saying to call if we were still up.  It was C's nephew's birthday and since they live a good distance away, we don't see them as often as we'd like.  We had called earlier to wish him a happy birthday, but had to leave a message.  Being the only one up, I hit send and I was happy to ask the details of his special day while I sat alone in the living room, soaking in the conversation in the hushed stillness of the house.  I was excited to hear about his special gift and how he'd occupied his day, the upcoming party he was having and the woes of having an older sister.  We talked about his chickens, how they were starting to lay, and the excitement of getting eggs.  Things all too familiar, effortless to talk about really.  Nonetheless, it was good to hear their voices and the whole manner of it all eased me into a pleasant mood.

I am thankful for the little things today.  Time spent bonding with my daughter, time as a family, savings, and the simple, sweet conversations had with innocent youth.  Sometimes, the best things in life are free (and then some are discounted.)

our week in review

I know I haven't been here in awhile,

so I feel the need to do some catch-up.

Sunday, we shipped K off to 4-H Camp.

Monday's mild weather ushered us out for some target practice.

'Cuz he knew his sissy was doing this very same thing at camp, too.

It was just the two of us.

Daisy-Boo serenaded us with her complaints.

Mama and her babies graced us with their presence.

She's so beautiful with her white speckles.

We're missing 3 hens now.

Not-so Fantastic Mr. Fox and a friend were spotted in the field behind the house.

They're dead meat!

Last week, I took a canning class.

Previously, I knew nothing about canning and up until recently,

I'd never had the desire to sew, garden, can.

Anything absurdly domesticated.

Monday night, we made mulberry jam.

'Cuz we're drowning in mulberries here.

 This morning, I was weeding in the garden and the UPS man drove by.

He went to the next house, so I didn't think anything of it.

Then, he came to our driveway and because the dogs were making such a ruckus,

he honked the horn and I ran through the yard, muck boots and all, to get my package.

I knew it!  It was my canning cookbook!...

Now, check out this quilted table runner I'm working on.

I'm gonna hand stitch some glass beads on to it,

hoping to give it a little extra.

I've never, ever quilted anything.

So, I started with the simplest of patterns.

How can you go wrong with four triangles to form a square?

Answer:  you cannot

Boring, but simple

Sometimes, I really like simple.

Also, it's totally wrinkled because K wore it on the first day at camp

and it hasn't made it to the washer yet,

but she got lots of compliments.  So, I just had to add it! 

It was a plain white tank top/undershirt that was now too short,

but otherwise, it still fit just fine.

Will try to make a tutorial soon 'cuz a friend of K's wants one too

and K has one more top to chop!

Lastly, while weeding our garden, we found some seriously large caterpillars.

So, the kids put them in a bug catcher, immediately they made chrysalises and today,

K noticed that they had hatched.

So they fought over who would hold them.

Spelling Bee

Three kids were picked from each class.

K and two of her close friends made it in.

Then it was down to business.

This one hung on to make it into the top three.



They ran out of time.

So, there was no final showdown.

It'll be tomorrow morning.

GOOD LUCK P!

Congratulations ladies!

Saturday marked the official end of soccer season for our girls.

This was one of C's faves.

This game, I tried to photograph my girl, mostly.

'Cuz I have a tendency to stay with the action.

Like this crazy flying high-five.

And as long as the offense is hot,

the defense doesn't see much action.

This had to be my fave.

And just like that, it was all over.

Our girls won the all-star game 4-3.