Rookie League Champions!

Taylor has been fortunate to play with the same handful of kids for the last three years.  This year was his first year in the Majors division of Rookie League.  It's what we like to call "real baseball".  Three strikes, you're out, not everyone hits and GASP, THEY KEEP SCORE!  He was on the Reds this year and had great coaches that are just full of positive energy, yet teach the kids so much!  They were undefeated and then won the single elmination tournament at the end of the season.  Even though he is only 7, this was a very proud time for him and his team and I am so happy for him.  His football and basketball teams didn't make it past the 1st round in the tournament, so this was a good change for all!  Plus, daddy would be really happy if baseball is Taylor's favorite sport :)  I think daddy got as big a kick out of all of this as the kids.  He helped assistant coach a bit this season by filling in for other coaches if they were out.  The parents, who have been together for three years now as team parents, have had a blast getting to know each and hanging out too!

Meet Evelyn!

I just realized that I have not introduced the newest little bundle of joy in my life!  NO, NOT MINE!  One of my besties (yes, I just used the word besties) Jennifer just had her second little red headed baby girl, Evelyn Belle.  How stinkin' cute is that name?  Not near as cute as she is!  Evelyn Belle was born May 28th at 8 lbs something ounces. (don't remember and don't feel like looking it up :))


Jennifer (aka Jiffy) a couple of weeks before Evelyn made an entrance

Look at her hammin' it up for the camera already!

Evelyn and big sister Ellie (what is not to love about this pic?)

Hands are for Painting!!

Finger painting makes me cringe....a little.  The idea of all that paint on the hands of children who can't eat a snack without making a mess bigger than themselves.  Add in a few extra kids and painting is daunting.  When I taught Kindergarten, as fun as painting was, I rarely attempted it.  Just imagine, 24-28 kids, one teacher and lots and lots of paint!  After the first time it took me so long to recover that it was months before we attempted it again. You would think this wouldn't bother me because I thrive on chaos, and live a somewhat (sarcasm) unorganized life. But a paint mess just seems overwhelming.  Although I do kinda want to dig in an roll in it myself.  I got some finger paint on sale at the store the other day and as messy as it is, it is also FUN! And since that is what kids like and summer is all about FUN-why not?  It took way longer to get ready and pick up than it did for the kids to actually paint, but did I mention it was FUN?  Thanks to my neighbor, Michelle, for helping me!

Dear 16-year-old me

This post is dedicated to my friend, Vickie, who was diagnosed with melanoma a few years ago.  Her general practitioner had dismissed a spot on the bottom of her heel as a callous.  He referred her to a podiatrist for plantar fasciitis and told her the podiatrist would be able to scrape it off for her.  While he was examining her foot, she asked the podiatrist if he could take care of the callous for her.  Low and behold it was melanoma (a malignant tumor) READ...CANCER!  With two young children (ages 4 and 2) she had the spot removed and still sees an oncologist and dermatologist every 6 months.  HOW SCARY! 

Today, my cousin Kate, posted this video to her facebook page.  It is a well done, interesting video on awareness of melanoma. Take a moment to view it and pass it on.  You could make a difference! :)

http://www.thatvideosite.com/video/dear_16yearold_me

Here is a picture of Vickie's precious babies that thankfully still have her as their mommy because of catching the melanoma early.

Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

Anyone remember my New Year's "More or Less" Resolutions?  I wanted to take the 6 month mark to revisint them and see how I've done and try to renew my motivation for accomplishment!

exercise MORE-FAILURE so far.......I am averaging once every few weeks....I am such a sporadic exerciser!  I need motivation....actually I need someone to phsically pick me up and take me to an exercise class where I am forced to move or look dumb. 

organize MORE (this is by far my greatest weakness in life)-EPIC FAILURE!  I seriously might need to be committed to the institution for "non-organized clutter creators".  Try as I might, I can't do it captain!
purge MORE I am doing better at getting rid of things that I would otherwise have kept "just in case I need it when I'm 80".  SUCCESS

cook MORE  I really have been more conscious of this and think I am doing better!  SUCCESS

clean MORE Haaaa Haaaa Haaaa-that's all I can muster for this one.

read MORE (It's one of my favorite things to do but I need to find good books that can be checked out from the library)  SUCCESS!!!

finish MORE (If I start folding the laundry at 8:00am, I should probably finish it before 5:00pm. Or if I start cleaning out a closet, it is probably a good idea to finish it instead of leaving everything sitting outside the closet to do "later")  Baby steps

individualize MORE (spend more time with each child and husband by themselves!) FAIL AGAIN

Play MORE Summertime has helped with this one! 

And last, but not least, in order to accomplish MORE of anything I will also need MORE caffeine! So while most are cutting caffeine out of their diets as the new year begins, I will be adding MORE, without guilt-because I will need it! SUCCESS!  Lucky for Dunkin Donuts the amount of money I spend on coffee has drastically increased!


This year I would like to:



Worry LESS (thanks to happy pills I am already leaps and bounds ahead of the game!)  SUCCESS

Eat LESS  Depends on the day.....we'll categorize this as a minor success?

Get frustrated LESS Uh...ya...

Yell LESS (okay, I admit it-I am not the perfect parent! Wew, glad I got that off my chest!) I have read the book "Scream Free Parenting" thanks to my friend Nicole, and I am trying better not to, so I would consider this a SUCCESS!

Pay LESS (this is where my new fascination with extreme couponing comes in!) Consider my last trip to the grocery store where I used one measly coupon due to not spending the time to find the coupons I would say FAIL, BUT I have started using the Target Red card so I get 5% off every purchase, which really adds up, so that would be a SUCCESS.

And last buy not least, Plan LESS and Do MORE! FAIL-I love making lists and I just can't break the habit.  Oh well.

9 SUCCESSES and 7 FAILS.....better than the other way around!  I am really going to concentrate on the cleaning/organizing aspect as well as the frustration aspect for the next 6 months!

PEACE OUT YA'LL

Proud Momma (Keep on Rollin')

If I can't brag about my kids on my blog...where else can I brag about them? So, that being said...my oldest finished 1st grade this year.  I am not sure how he is that old, but somehow 7 years has passed without my permission AND time refuses to slow down.  My "baby" boy (which I am sure he LOVES me calling him that) got an award for Academic Excellence (he made straight A's all year-SO PROUD), a PE (gym) award and then for class awards he got "Most Responsible".  Typical first child huh?  His teacher said he is more responsible than her (jokingly) but I am not jokingly saying that he may be more responsible than me.  Not REALLY, but I am slightly scatter brained and unorganized and I am not sure how I ever made it as a teacher.  :)  Taylor is always telling me "mommy, you always forget".  But I defend this statement by saying that anyone with multiple children has "mommy brain".  It's due to the fact that there is no way humanly possible to process all of the associated tasks.  If you are, pat yourself on the back and toot your horn to the world, because you deserve recognition! 

So back to the title of the blog.....PROUD MOMMA!

 Academic Excellence

 PE Award

 Claire making herself at home during the classroom awards

One of Taylor's BFF's

Tay's teacher was on maternity leave but came for the last 3 days of school!

Most Responsible