All Football, all the time

Ah yes, Football. Third week of the High school and the pee-wee season, second of the College season.

Friday night - High School football. The Opponents were the public high school of where I grew up. (I went to the Parochial school). We won! Here's a pciture of my 14 YO in his full band Uniform

The Saturday we went to the Game at my Alma Mater (and employer). We went becasue it was band day. Various High School band played on the field with the College band. My Hubby went to help with the instruments. the 9 YO and I spent a few hours Tailgating prior to the game with a group of my co-workers. But I made the mistake of going into the book store with my credit card and a 9 YO who thinks everything is cool (much like his Mom). We came out with hats, Rally beads, cups and a foam finger. Sigh. There went my money to buy a new Blackberry. I have to keep using my old one that doesn't always like to answer calls for another month. Our team won buy a huge margin.

Then finally on Sunday the 9yo played. They gave up 4 goals int he first quarter, but none after that. My son also played a new position, defenseive tackle and he was in on 2 tackles. So he was very happy.

Weekend trip -

I borrowed this image from Wikipedia. It is Pilot Mountain in North Carolina. We pass by it on the way from home to my Mom and Dad's. This is the pciture form I-77 in VA - about mile marker 5. I was so tempted to take my own picture. But seeing this means we it is just over 2 hours left. About 30 minutes after you first see this site, we drive right by it on US52.

Approaching Pilot Mtn from the South.

Anyways, I drove from SW Ohio to Central NC on Friday. It's camp G&G Month. (G&G is Grandma and Grandpa.) My Niece and Nephew stayed for a week. Then on the 11th we all drove halfway and I met my Dad at Tamerack in Beckley WV where I traded my Niece and Nephew form my 14 YO. Then this past weekend I went all the way down with the 9 YO and Sunday brought back the 14 YO.

On Saturday, the 14 YO water skiied and both he and the 9 YO tubed. My Dad managed to toss them both off the tube. LOL!

We made good time on the way home. There is only one little part of US 35 in WV that is not 4 lane divided. Those tend to be the longest 10 miles. The 14 YO and I arrived home about 8.5 hours after we left. We got McD's to go for breakfast, a Bio-break, a gas and Bio stop, 2 more Bio-breaks and then the grocery store.

Too Big

Late last week my 9 YO shows me where his shoes are coming apart on the inside. Sigh.
We had to go to the Men's department to find shoes to fit him. We started at Kohls. They did not have any 7-1/2. He did try on a few pairs of size 8 but he did not find a pair he really liked.

So we went to Famous footwear. The first pair he liked and found in a 7-1/2 were $69.99 on sale. He's 9. I am not paying Seventy bucks for a pair of shoes he'll either outgrow or wear out in three months. Fortunately we found a pair of Adidas on sales for $30.

He's got the feet of my family. My Dad wears a 12 and my brothers both wear a 13. My husband only wears an 11.

Where is my little boy going?

Santa Claus

So my worldly 9 year seemed bound and determined to prove that Santa Clause was not the person who put additional gifts under the tree. He talked about setting up the video camera to survey the tree. He discussed his plans at length with Uncle Bill, Aunt Email, Grandma and Grandpa and whoever else was around Tuesday evening.

Well, this year I did not reserve any of the gifts to wrap in the separate “Santa Claus Paper”. All gifts were wrapped in the each person’s designated paper and on Christmas Eve I moved the pile from my bedroom to under the tree.

The we went to 5 PM Mass at my Brother and SIL’s Church, went back to their house for dinner and gifts. We arrived home about 10:30 where Mr. Morning person (just like his Mom) declared he was going to bed.

Christmas morning he was the first one downstairs (I was in the shower when he got up). He tells me “there are no more gifts there.”

“Nope, there are not. But why don’t you go get your gifts and put them under the tree.”
And he did. “Hey, look at that, You are Santa Claus."

“No I am not”

“Sure you are, anyone who gives gifts at Christmas is Santa Claus. We all give gifts to in Memory of St. Nicholas, a generous man who left gifts.”

Now I’m not sure he bought all this. But I sure hope it sinks in. I want him to think of Santa Claus as the embodiment of giving. My Parents used to tell me “Santa is the Spirit of Christmas.

The picture is of him sitting on Santa’s lap Christmas night.

Tidbits

• Yesterday my 9YO Drama King lamented how mis-treated he has been throughout his life ?! - Serious discussions ensued. He did concede that he was lucky that he had a friend next door, both parents married and living together, plenty of food to eat, clothes to wear, Cable TV to watch, video games and internet.
• The 13YO is going to have a rude surprise when he comes home and finds that he cannot get ont he computer. I password protected it. He's been finding other things to do rather than his homework.
• Both boys have Christmas programs (it is a Parochial school, so it is a Christmas program) LOL). The 9 YO had the school where every kids from K-5th participate. The 13 YO has a band concert. I told Hubby we'd flip a coin, but he decided to let the 9 YO choose who he wanted to go to his program. He Chose Dad. Yeesssss! I get to go to the Advanced band concert.

My DVR...

Goodbye old friend, you have been a part of our lives for about 2 ½ years. But it is time for you to go. Its not you, it is us. We need to stand on our own feet.

You have been loyal, recording all the show we ask of you, very often two at a time. You have saved those shows for us to watch at other times. However, getting rid of you will save at least $25 per month and that’s not including the extra we pay for the digital tier.
Why do we need to free up the money? Well, the public story is that next year our oldest son wants to attend a parochial high school. The tuition is triple what we are currently paying for the Primary school tuition.

It took some effort on my part to convince the Mister. He loves to record shows. But he discovered that he can stream them online. He made the decision to cut it out about a week ago. He needed to watch all the shows that had already been recorded. But yesterday he spent time watching a new show on the CBS website. He declared “I don’t need the DVR.”

The 9 YO was taking it hard last night. He wanted to know how he could watch Star Wars Clone wars and total Drama Island. Apparently Nick and Cartoon network don’t have streaming episode. These shows are on after his bedtime.

So Long dear DVR, we will miss you.

Update: I just went to CartoonNetwork.com. They have 2 versions of full episodes online. Now do I show the 9 YO?

Monday Randomness

Last Monday was my birthday. I got a pretty purple iPod from Hubby.

Our Weather is still pretty summer-like. They are talking frost toward the end of the week though.

It looks like the busy-ness of the 13 YO is helping him do a good job of keeping on top of his homework. Like his Dad, he is a procrastinator. Football does not leave him much time to procrastinate. Hopefully Wrestling will do the same.

Speaking of the 13 YO, 7th and 8th graders were invited to play with the High School band Friday night. He got to ride the bus to the stadium. I did not stay up to see him when he got home. But the next morning he said he had a great time, he broke his drum sticks and got a stick shoved up his nose. (Boys!) He told Dad he thinks Marching Band might just be his Fall sport. Cool!

My 9 YO thinks he's invincable. He is getting tired of going to his brother's football practices and games. He keeps asking if he can stay home. Friday afternoon he wanted to stay at home while Dad picked up the 13 yo from his after school study session (Studying for the Catholic High School entrace exam). Dad had to drop the 13 yo off at the High School for the big game. The problem was I was riding the bus home from work. If something came up, the 9 Yo was on his own. A few weeks ago he stayed at home by himself while Dad went to pick up big brother practice. The run was that I was 10 minutes up the street at dinner with some friends.

Mr. Coach..

That's my Hubby in the glasses, deciding on a play for flag football. What's funny is that as a kid, he played one year of T-ball where he was picking dandilions in right field. In High school he was a memberof the tennis team. When He married me and I dragged him back to my hometown, he started playing softball. Our oldest son was signed up for YMCA Soccer and Baseball at about 4 years old. He watched and learning. He helped out the coaches as an assistant. I thin his first foray into head coaching was as a co-head coach for the oldest son's 4th grade intramural basketball team.

When our younger son, now 9 turned 4, he played soccer at the Y. Dad decided to sign up to coach. Then Dad signed up to coach t-ball. Then he started helping out with the Wrestling team. Parents frequently came up to me and expressed how much they like him as a coach. His Mom often sat beside me and beamed. Once he was asked by another coach what weight he wrestled in High school. That coach was amazed when he learned Hubby had only learned wrestling when our oldest so started the sport in the first grade. By Son's 6th year, guess who was the head coach. And he loves it!

Action picture of the 9 yo in his first Flag football game.

A Post about nothing

Oh how I wish I was full of witty posts that has people rolling in front of their monitors. I'd love to be another BooMama or a Mrs Dryer, But I just don't have it in me. Heck. Shalee is a Mom who works outside the home and she posts more regularly that I do.

I stead I give you pictures of my wind-ravaged home and my boys in their sports. But maybe because my life is pretty confined these days. I sleep, work and drive. I take time out to eat and use the bathroom. Take yesterday, I got up, showered and dresses, referred arguments between Whiney (the 9 YO) and Meanie (the ADHD 13 Yo who's meds had not kicked in yet). The 9 YO has been making things with Legos, He had a cars that was made out of DS13s Legos. the 13 YO demanded him Legos back. Yelling ensued until the bus pulled up. I did spedn 30 minutes on the home computer until it was time to pick up my carpool friend. I did have to stop and get gas. Then we came to work. Then we came home. Just as I am 3 minutes from Carpool friends house, Hubby calls me. he got out of work late. Was I closer to school to pick up the 9 Yo from after school care? Yes. So I go back and pick up the ( YO. In the meantime I call DS13 to tell him to eat before football practice and to be ready because i would probably have enough time to pull into the driveway, jettison DS9 to Dad's care and have DS13 climb in to take to football practice. (Lets do a time check: leave work at 3:45, pick up DS9 about 4:35, pull into the driveway about 5:08).

I drop off DS13, and go find the Kroger. I went to the second closest one because of traffic. I got a package of California rolls - Yum, Dinner) and juice boxes to send in for Ds9's class. I stop at Trader Joe's looking for Flax seed supplements. Then I decide to go to Whole Foods - it's another 2 exits up the expressway (yes a lot of my driving is my own fault..) I find Arnica Gel

I sit waiting for football practice to end for about 30 minutes. It's awful dark, but I guess the two little street lights are enough to do pushups and situps to. DS13 is hungry. Ok, it's 8:15, we've got a 15 minute ride home with a boy who procrastinates on his shower, getting something to eat at home would prolong my agony by 20 minutes at least. So it is a stop at McDonalds. Bu=oy are they busy. So I hand the boy some money. He goes in with $8 and comes back out with $5. Hey, not bad. We drive home. Ah, I can now kick off my shoes and change out of my work clothes.

So am I crazy to be starting a very expensive workout program? I am working with a personal trainer. Hubby is behind me. I have not been able to exercise for about 2 years. I have developed chronic tendonitis in my ankle due to my extremely flat feet. Working with the Podiatrist, I have a rigid brace that I am supposed to wear most of the time. Surgery is the next step. I don't like the idea of surgery so I want to work with a personal trainer to find workouts that won't aggravate my ankle. My goals for exercising are:

1. Stress relief
2. Stave off Diabetes for another 20 years
3. Of course it would be nice to drop some weight. (Goal is about 65 lbs)

So to find the time, I and going to work out at 5 AM Tues and Thurs and 7 AM Saturdays. Wish me luck...