Time for a little road trippin'

This years summer vacation takes us Panama City Beach, Florida. It is approximately 1,350 miles from Hudson and 24 hours, if we didn't stop. We made it in about 30 hours, stopping to sleep for about 4 hours some place in Alabama. Our family LOVES road trips. Half of the excitement is packing the car and getting our "activities" ready. Thankful for these inseparable days.... Here we go! 

We arrived at our condo with lots of energy and ready to go swimming and play in the ocean. But not before we head to the balcony to check out of view. I would have like to spend more than a half of a second to take it all in but before I could realize it, the kids had their suits on and were ready to go. 

Our view for 8 nights! 

How could I make these cute faces any longer?!

We spent the next 8 days and 8 nights doing as much as we could yet doing as little as we could, does that make sense? We spent time on our boat adventuring around the bays looking for dolphins and sea life. We fished but didn't have much luck and/or patience. The kids had their first snorkeling lesson, given to them by Dad. We went on an airboat looking for alligators, went to Gulf World Marine Park (which was awesome),  saw a movie (Despicable Me Two)  on a rainy day and saw a magic show on our last night! The in between times we spent together swimming at the pools, playing in the ocean, building sand castles, playing charades in the hot tub, making up games, playing cribbage etc. It is these times I treasure most. How lucky we are to get that time together, uninterrupted time as a family. 

 Oh, and I can't forget souvenir shopping! We (the kids) shop all week looking for their perfect souvenir to bring home. They take this part of our trip VERY seriously!

We were already planning our next summer's road trip on the way home from this trip. It is something we look forward to each year. Our plan is summer of 2014- Colorado! We are heading out West! 

Until then we will cherish these memories we made. I love my family. 

~ It's My Life 

Kasey is 8!

Kasey is 8! Again, the same of generic line of "where has the time gone?" comes to mind. There is a reason this has been used over time. IT IS TRUE. "where has the time gone???  I can still remember the day she was born and we didn't know if she was a boy or girl. My midwife asked, "what do you think it is?" and immediately I said, "a boy!" Because I assumed I would have all boy. Cause what the heck would I do if I got a girly girl??!!?? And then she said, "IT'S A GIRL!" I was SO happy! She isn't a girly girl and she is not sporty, she a perfect right in between easy going kid. I love her more than words can say!

She loves art. So an art party it was. Full of color & messes! Just perfect for Kasey.  It was so much fun to have her friends come over and express themselves while listening to the radio singing away.  I always thought, what would I do with a kid if they didn't love sports?? Well, answer is, that you learn too to love what it is that they love. I absolutely LOVED this party. One of my favorites for sure. We made Owl oil canvas' and duct tape purses. Both projects the kids embraced and made it "their own."

Birthdays are a day that my kids look forward too all year and nothing makes me happier than to see them get a day that is all about them! She felt very special! 

~It's My Life

My baby is 6

Six years ago was the scariest time in my life thus far. My water broke at just 27 weeks pregnant. Hospitalized on best rest hoping for the best possible outcome. Just seven days later my placenta ruptured causing me to have an emergency c section. (During the c section my doctor noticed I had valamentous cord insertion: A condition that occurs in less than 1% of single pregnancy and  is routinely detected during ultra sound (mine was not) and if not detected causes premature labor and stillbirth.)  It was at that time during my c section, my wonderful doctor kissed my forehead and said to me, "she is a true miracle..." It was not until later when she explained what was really going on inside. It was hours later when I got to go the NICU to see my precious 2 pound baby and the neurologist said, "...she is one feisty little girl..." She was already off her ventilator. Although I was still scared and the 85 day NICU stay had its ups and down, not once did I think I was going to lose my baby. She is the light of my life & someone who has forever changed me.

Today, Tori turns 6! What a great 6 years it has been having our family complete. She brings us so much joy & positive energy. This year she requested a cooking party- so a cooking party it is! I know how ironic, considering how much I love to cook...*note sarcasm. So 12 of her closest friends came together to make some fun food.

We made homemade lasagnas to go, fruit kabobs and chex mix. We had egg races on the driveway and decorated aprons! It was a fun way to spend her day & most importantly she LOVED it. It feels good to be six!! 

~ It's My Life

Baseball.Baseball.Baseball

Summer has hit the half way point, I can't believe it. Time sure flies when you are busy having fun. It is our first summer that a sport has mildly taken over our lives and I love it! It brings me back to being a kid and those summer days and weekends of playing!

Wylie is playing in the 9U junior league in Hudson but also made the 9 year old select Hudson team. This puts him playing ball anywhere from 4-7 days a week depending on if he has a tournament on the weekend. One would think, that is an awful lot of baseball for a young little guy and he might get burnt out.  NOT Wylie. This past weekend was a great example. The boys play 8 games, four in a row on Sunday. We get home, Wylie showers, plops on the couch and immediately turns on the Twins game that he dvr'd from that day. This kid LOVES baseball and I LOVE that he loves it so much. 

It brings me so much joy to watch him play. Such a different feeling than playing, it is actually harder to watch. You see the joy, excitement, frustration and disappointment on his face and realize you can't help him and that you need to let him learn and figure out the highs and lows,  that is all part of the game. Learning to manage all these feelings through out one day/ 4 games is a challenge for a 9 year old (and their mother).  

Through out the weekend I realized a few things about myself. 1)  I have not lost any of my competitive fire that once existed when I played. 2.) Wylie inherited all of it from me and some from Jacques so he might have a little extra than the norm! But hey, better to have too much then not enough, right??? 

This is just the beginning and I am embracing it all and learning myself how to parent an athlete and to keep my emotions and competitiveness in check....I am not going to lie, I still have a ways to go! 

                                               2nd place in the Hudson Tournament

                                             3rd place in the New Richmond Tournament

Thankful for these girls~their friendship & their patience at all these games! 

                           Thankful for these friendships~ the Moms of the boys who make it so fun!

                                                                   ~ It's My Life  

Another year comes to an end...

Another school year comes to an end. Where does the time go? It is true, that the older the kids get, the fast time goes. I can vividly remember having a 3 year old, 2 year old and an infant just hoping the day goes faster. Now, I wish the days would go slower.  The things we thought we could successfully do with two toddlers and an infant we can actually "successfully" do now with out looking like crazy fools.  Life is good with kids ages 9 1/2, almost 8 and almost 6!

Wylie just finished 3rd grade and was counting the days until summer break. He was ready for hanging out with his friends, swim lessons, lots of baseball and baseball tournaments, a couple basketball camps and our summer trips. He wasn't so excited to learn that I had signed him up for a 7 week book club. Although he had his first one and the morning after he woke up and read before turning on Sports Center. HaHa. Wylie is definitely our sporty kid & I love that!

 Kasey just finished up her 2nd grade year and I think she loved every minute of school. She is going to be my school kid. She embraces every bit of it, except gym in which she is not very fond of.  Kasey will be doing book club all summer,  taking summer classes (for fun), doing a couple art camps and swim lessons. Five days after school was out we drove to school for her summer class and she said, "Oh my school! I have missed you." I couldn't help but laugh. So glad she loves school so much!

Tori finished up her PreK year and will heading into kindergarten in the fall. She is definitely excited to go! Tori's summer is filled with gymnastics, K summer class, swim lessons and being really excited for her birthday and our trip to the ocean. She asks daily, "How many days til my birthday?" and "How many days til the ocean?" Love that she LOVES life so much.

 So here's to another summer with my kids at this precious age. Here's to making new memories and teaching them new things & lots of fun in the sun!

           
                                                                ~ It's My Life 

Mother's Day

 I will let them be little, fill their hearts with laughter, help them grow wings, nurture their sense of wonder, inspire them to believe, and LOVE them like there is no tomorrow. 

Waking up to extra hugs and kisses is always a good way to start a day. Reading endless handmade notes and cards that are made with so much love, priceless. I try to teach them to love and love big, be emotional, tell people you love them, take chances (while making the right choices), be who you are and be proud of that and to be a good friend. There are many more things but those are some that we talk about regularly. This morning, I was confident that I am doing an okay job of making sure they love and love big. Their faces when giving me their homemade cards were not just them being proud of what they made but watching their reaction to how happy that they made me. It is such a great day to take time to remember why you wanted to bring these beautiful people into the world a day to think about your responsibilities to these little people but also a day to be reminded of love, unconditional love that we, as a family have for each other.  I love my kids, to the moon and back (even the smiley moon). 

My Mother's Day gift: we planted our very own orchard. I have to laugh a little because it was only last year that we started our own garden and I am still learning so much about that. We planted 5 fruit trees, one for each member of our family. Two apple trees, two pear trees and a cherry tree. We read and learned about what to do, we talked about bees and their importance and how to nurture our trees to become strong, healthy fruit bearing trees.  We also talked about how we have to have patience because it takes a few seasons before we can eat the fruit. Wylie said, "mom you are not very patient." (Oh how my kids know me too well. HA. )

               The three people who made me a Mom and our 5 new fruit trees in our new Orchard....

Top 10 Reason I love You: By Wylie 

10. You drive me to my sports practices and games

9. You are the best baseball fan

8. you sit with me when I am hurt or feeling bad

7. You have movie night with us

6. You tuck me into bed every night

5. You make my favorite meals on my birthday

4. After try outs you take our family out for dinner or ice cream for trying our best

3. You sit with me when I am sick

2. You buy me Christmas toys and birthday presents

1. You are the best- YOU LOVE ME.  

~ It's My Life 

One tiny clementine

On a Sunday where a lot of people are celebrating St. Patrick's Day, drinking green beer or watching championship Sunday, awaiting Selection Sunday we try to figure out who threw away their clementine.  At our house, we don't throw away our fruit and/or vegetables... it's a rule. As their Mom, I know which veggies /fruits are not their favorite (in which they don't get much on their plate) and I know which they love and are then expected to eat what they are given.  In this case, it was one clementine with their lunch.

(The Clementine itself) 

So cleaning up the kitchen after lunch, I realize that one of the kids threw away their entire clementine. So I very nicely ask all three kids, "Who didn't eat their fruit?" And all three kids had the same answer, "I ate all of mine." So I asked three more times and when their answers didn't change they were all sent to sit on the "dog couch" (only cause it is smallest) until one of them wanted to admit to throwing it away. After 20 minutes or so and still no confession, I ask "This is your last time to tell mom you threw away your orange before I get really mad now for lying about it. I wasn't even that mad about the orange and I was just going to make you eat it. But now, you are in trouble for lying about it. So you will sit there all day until one of you tells me." Keep in mind, I know my kids and I had a good idea after asking them the first time which one did it but that's not the point here. It's a good lesson for all.  Twenty more minutes go by with no one confessing, so I had them go into the office (aka interrogation room) and talk to Jacques. He very calmly asked each kid the same two questions: "Did you eat all your orange?" and "Did you throw away your orange?" Each kid, yet again, said the same thing, "yep I ate ALL my orange" and "NO I did NOT throw it away." So back to the couch they go, by this time Wylie has crawled onto the end table because he is just mad that one of the girls has not admitted it yet... oh and that way he can also partially see the t.v and the basketball game that's on.

 

 (Tori above in "interrogation room," while other two wait their turns)

One hour later, yep they sat there for one hour, doing nothing just sitting there. We talked about how terrible it was to not admit to doing something wrong, let someone else get in trouble for what they did, not taking responsibility etc and how even if they might get in trouble, telling the truth is always the best way.   So we asked Tori to look Kasey in the eyes and repeat after us and we asked Kasey to do the same. As soon as Tori had to repeat, "Kasey I ate my orange. I would never lie to get you into trouble because that is not what sisters do," she started bawling... Kasey could repeat it all pretty sharply cause she is pissed that she was getting into trouble for something she didn't do. So I ask Tori, "Do you want to come with mom and talk to me?" She says "no, I ate all my orange." Finally, after nearly 2 1/2 hours (in total) I say, "I am giving which ever one of you who did this 3 minutes to fess up I am going to freak out, yell at both of you and send you both to your rooms until dinner." Tori is crying this whole time when I announce there is only 30 seconds left, she stares at me with those big blue eyes and says "I want to talk to you." So off we go.... She admits through lots of tears that she did it. She had to go apologize to Kasey first and then up to spend the rest of the afternoon in her room for lying.

Kasey also learned a valuable lesson because I got to explain to her that it would have been easier to believe her if she hadn't lied to me about things before. She said, "that's a horrible feeling for you not to believe me when I love oranges, they are the first thing I eat if you pack them in my lunch."


Who would have thought that this tiny little clementine would cause a 2 1/2 hour stand off, lots of tears, some interrogating, a confession and one tough (but ever so important) lesson.


                                                 ~It's My Life