Another Birthday and Some Thankfulness

This year my birthday fell the day before Thanksgiving.  That’s the closest it can ever get toThanksgiving. I usually hate when it falls like this but it actually worked outfine this year.  It was a pretty laidback day and I was overwhelmed by all the birthday wishes and love sent myway.  Facebook ROCKS on yourbirthday.  I heard from so many friendsand family members that I don’t see or talk to often.  We drove to Illinois and made a pit stop inWilliamsburg at the outlet mall.  Ipicked out a few birthday presents to me from me.  Who doesn’t love that?!?!  The boys spoiled me with presents and made mesome birthday brownies.  All in all itwas a great day.  In year 36, I’m goingto focus on being thankful and appreciating all the blessing I have in mylife.  Feels like an appropriate goalwhen the day after your birthday is Thanksgiving!!

Speaking of Thanksgiving… it was a busy couple days asalways.  We spent Thanksgiving Day withthe Schermerhorns, Friday with the Fogelmarks, and Saturday with theFogelmark/Johnsons.  Here are highlightsthat made this weekend so much fun:

• Relaxing ALL DAY on Thursday.  Talking to Grandma Jane on FaceTime.  Searching Black Friday ads and doing a littleonline shopping to avoid the crowds while still getting the awesome deals.  Hunting- Schermerhorn-style:  Trying to get squirrels wit a nerf gun!
• East Peoria’s Winter Wonderland.  We go through this every year and every yearI love it.  We went on Thursday and itwas so warm the boys could stand up through the sunroof.  They had so much fun!!  We saw a utility truck and told them it was thepolice.  They both freaked out and jumpedin the car because they didn’t want to get arrested.  J
• We picked up G-pa Harold on Friday and told himwe went through the Winter Wonderland. (He invented the Festival of Lights you know!)   I told him I was bummed that the FOL paradewas held a week earlier than normal.  Heexplained that the city did that so that more families would go through theWinter Wonderland Thanksgiving weekend which would bring in more money for thecity!  He’s 87 years old and still thinkslike that.  What an amazing man.  East Peoria was blessed to have this guyhelping run the city for as many years as he did!!
• MarioKart on the movie screen at the Cranford’shouse.
• AJ waking up and going rogue on Saturday morning to go wake up Ashley with his nerf gun!
• Tyler giggling when someone made a comment aboutusing their noodle.  Yep, he’s startingto get THAT humor now.
• Avanti’s on Wednesday night. Butch’s pizza onThanksgiving night.  Monicals on Fridaynight.  And all the other traditionalthanksgiving meals in between.
• A couple trips down memory lane – driving by ourold homes in East Peoria.  The boys wereso confused that we used to live in a ranch house and they couldn’t understandwhy we didn’t just go in and look around. Going back to IVC to a boys’ basketball game to see Ashley’s pom-pomroutine – I haven’t been there since I graduated!

Where Have I Been?? With a Happy Belated Birthday...

It's not like I've been overly busy but I feel off the blog train for a little while!  So the biggest thing I missed sharing was my hubby's birthday!!

He's 41 now.  This is what I know about him:

• He loves ice cream. 
• He loves coaching basketball. 
• He loves his ipad.
• He loves Buffalo Wild Wings.
• He loves pizza with sausage and banana peppers.
• He loves the Bears and the White Sox.  (But not the Cubs - Definitely not the Cubs!)
• He loves french dressing from Monicals.
• He loves the snooze button on our alarm.
• He LOVES OUR FAMILY MORE THAN ANYTHING.

We met when we were 27 and 22.  I never really thought about what our lives would be like at ages 41 and 36.  I would have never imagined it would be this great.  Thanks Hersch for helping make our lives what they are today.  It's perfectly crazy and I wouldn't want it any different!  I can't imagine what it will be like 55 and 50!?!?

No more Halloween

Decorating this time of year becomes a problem for me with all the holidays falling back to back. There's a very short time frame between taking the Halloween decorations down and putting the Christmas decorations up. Usually I let these two holidays merge together. I take down the Halloween decorations just in time to put up the Christmas decorations. This year was different though. I decided to decorate my mantle for Thanksgiving!

It was actually very simple. I took some mason jars I had on hand and filled them with acorns. I typed up the word "thankful" using my cricut. I put a letter in each jar and voilà it was done!!

Home "Sick"

I got a call today from the nurse at Ashland bridge. She told me AJ wasn't feeling well and that I should probably come and get him. When I got to the school and he saw me he had a huge smile on his face. We got home and he wanted to do homework, watch tv, and cuddle. I don't think he was really sick. I think I've been scammed. Lets be honest though....this is a great way to spend my afternoon.

Give Thanks Board

Yesterday was November 1.  How did that happen???  Where did 2012 go?????  I realized it WAS November 1 when all my FB friends started posting what they were thankful for.  AND then I realized it was time to pull out my "Give Thanks" board! 

So about my Give Thanks board....

1. I got the idea last year from Pinterest, of course.  (Here's a link Jellybean Junkyard where I found a GREAT tutorial.)  Instead of using a piece of wood, I used a big ol' canvas from Michaels - gotta love 40% off at Michaels!!
2. I started making this much too close to November 1 last year so by the time I completed it, it was December 1.  :(
3. I'm squeal-out-loud-excited to use it this year!!

Last night I ran downstairs to our storage closet and pulled it out, printed up some 2012 tags, and tried to hang it up on the door.  Struggling with the hanging it up part but I'll get that figured out.



And here's a sample of our 2012 cards.  I'll keep you posted on what we are all thankful for. 



Day 1 (if you can't read it) - Jordynne's 16th Birthday (Traci), Helping with Backpack Buddies (Kevin), God (AJ), Friends (Tyler).  (I need to figure out how to focus with my iphone's camera!!)

Halloween Wrap-Up

Everything Halloween in one picture-filled post!  So many great Halloween memories to share.  Let's start with the crazy afternoon of class parties....

Tyler's Class Party: I didn't realize I had volunteered to be the homeroom mom for Tyler's class... but I am.  I wasn't able to take many pictures because I was busy playing a dice jack-o-lantern game. I had some great parents who volunteered to help out thankfully.  The kids made popcorn monster hands, played a dice jack-o-lantern game, played a Hershey kiss math game, ate at a snack station, and made a toilet paper jack-o-lantern craft.


Tyler with his monster popcorn hand.

Mr. Schermerhorn's first class party.  Ready to lead the dice game!

Mrs. Sullivan has this class in line!

AJ's Class Party was led by FIVE homeroom moms.  I didn't realize I volunteered for his class either... but here I am!  This one was pretty simple since I was only in charge of one station - the craft station of course!

Here we are, hard at work making paper plate ghosts.  Kevin is such a good sport!

One of the other moms took this picture.  Not exactly sure what is going on but certainly looks like AJ is up to no good!

And then there was the AFUMC Trunk-or-Treat! I absolutely love the idea of a trunk-or-treat. This is my third year planning it at AFUMC. Each year I stress out and each year it's awesome. A little colder than I would have liked this year but at least there wasn't any wind. The boys love this event too. We decorated our trunk but again, since I was busy running around, I don't have a picture of it.  This picture is courtesy of one of my favorite photographers - Stephanie. What would I do without my awesome friends....


Don't let the Luau in the background fool you - We were freezing!



I don't have a picture of the trunk but this Storm Trooper was part of festivities. Thanks to Kevin and Debbie for making him happen!

 

And then we Carved our Pumpkins..........


Real Men Eat Pumpkin Guts

He's So Brave



Tyler did a lot of the carving of his pumpkin this year.  He's getting so OLD!!!
 

 Trick-or-Treat!!!  Like every year, this night is so much fun.  Weather was much better than it has been in years past.  We got together with the neighbors for dinner.  Jack-o-Lantern pizza... OF COURSE.

So, funny thing about the costumes this year.  We were all going to be "classic" Halloween.  AJ - a skeleton, Tyler - Frankenstein, Me - a Mummy (because I'm their "mummy"), and Kevin - a Vampire.  We couldn't find a Frankenstein costume that Tyler liked.  AJ found a pretty cool skeleton costume that he chose and Tyler loved it and decided they should be twin skeletons.  I fought it for about 10 seconds and then gave in.  It should be their choice, not mine.  They showed their friends their costumes who also thought they were cool.  So this is what happened....

Skeleton - Party of Five

Peek-A-Drew

Strike-A-Pose-Skeleton-Style

Happy Halloween!!!

Whew!  I'm exhausted!!

Swim Lessons in October!!

Tonight was the first night of Little Divers. Boys had a lot of fun and were pretty relieved when I told them the lessons were inside at a hotel. Although, Tyler wanted to hang out in a hot tub.

This week we are supposed to figure out one way to take care of God's creation. We will see what we come up with.

God Moments

I could have had a bad week last week.  I could have had (more) breakdowns than I did.  I could have failed to realize God was by my side EVERY step of the way.

I just had one of those weeks where God answered my questions in a very obvious way.  Sometimes he answered questions I failed to ask.  I wondered.  But I didn't come right out and ask, "why?".

This week just made me realize that I probably pass over these answers from God ALL. THE. TIME!!  Maybe because sometimes I don't like the answer.  Sometimes because I'm too busy to listen/see the answer.  Sometimes he's answering a question I don't realize I have.  I don't know if that makes sense or not but I really experienced that this week.

I'm going to work on hearing and seeing His answers without requiring him to be quite so obvious with me.  :)

Is it a) Awkward; b) Creepy; or c) None of the Above

The boys LOVE to use the words "awkward" and "creepy."  Don't be impressed with their vocabulary.... they use them incorrectly 90% of the time.

Last night, I was taking Tyler to his first basketball practice that was at a local grade school (let's call it "C" assuming his school is "AR").  I told him we were going to C and he said, "that's the school that is the opposite of AR.  The gym and classrooms are on the opposite side....."

And then he described it as either "awkward" or "creepy". Take a guess.  Really.  Guess.

"....That's creepy!  And the building smells like ranch."

I love that kid.  I may have let him run with calling it "awkward" actually.  But not creepy.

You know when your kids say things wrong and it's sooooo cute?  That's how I feel about this.  I hesitate to correct them because I'm so entertained when they use it incorrectly.  I'm slowly correcting it.  Slowly.  This one I didn't correct because I was laughing too hard.  Maybe next time.  After all, I don't want him to be the awkward kid who is creepy or is it the creepy kid who is awkward???  Maybe I'm not the best teacher....

I9 Fall Ball

This was our first year doing fall ball through I9. AJ had a great time. I had a great time as well since we picked the kids on our team which meant I got to hang out with some of my favorite fellow Moms. Here are some memories from the season....

Before and After

Before

After

 



After-After

Best of the Week

Every week we have so many things to be thankful for.  Here's what stood out this week.

1. AFUMC Basketball started this week.  Went smoothly.  The boys (all three of them) had a good time.  I love seeing Kevin coach these sessions.  He's totally in his element and is so, so, so, so very good with the kids.
2. I've always known that God blessed me with an amazing group of friends.  I'm overwhelmingly thankful for them this week.
3. School pictures came home.  50% of them turned out.  Sorry Tyler.  Gonna do a retake this year!
4. Fall parties were Friday.  Kids had a great time and I didn't flip out on any of them.  :)  Kevin got to experience school parties for the first time.  Another post later on fall parties...
5. It's been a rainy weekend.  We haven't had a lazy, rainy day in a very long time. 
6. Boys had kids from three different families over this weekend.  They all played so well together and had a lot of fun.  Thankful that they have chosen good friends.

Quote of the week from the kiddos:
          AJ:" Tell me something unusual." 
         Ty: "I just saved 15% on my car insurance."

  

 

 

Rainy Day Mishap

It's October 9 and today was the first time it's been raining when school got out.  I started to stress about 2:15 when I realized it was raining and likely would still be raining at 2:55.  So I tried to plan.... because that's what I do.  Brainstorm all my potential solutions.  Weigh all my options.  Make a decision.  I had a few big obstacles:

1. When the boys left for school this morning, we did NOT discuss a plan for rain.
2. I could not get into their little heads to figure out what they were expecting from me.
3. I JUST read the school's newsletter last night and it stated that:
1. Parents should not email teachers to arrange pick-up procedures.  It's the parent's responsibility to be prepared for inclement weather. (OOPS)
2. It clearly stated that children shouldn't ride scooters to school and if they did they should be stored in their lockers - not on the bike rack.

IDEALLY - I would have sent this email:

Teachers-
So sorry to bother you but I didn't realize it was going to rain this afternoon.  Could you please let my child know that I will pick him up outside the first grade classrooms?  Please have him pick up his scooter from the bike rack before coming to my car.
Sincerely,
The-Parent-Who-Ignores-Your-Rules.

But because I read that newsletter and I don't want to break any stupid rules and I don't want the teachers to hate me and I truly don't want to create more work for them, I decided to park on the street behind the school.  I knew they would see me.  They'd still have to walk in the rain a little bit but I'd save them half of the walk at least.  So, I drove to the school.  Waited.  Saw them walking down the sidewalk and was relieved my "plan" was going to work.  One of my friends drove by as the boys were approaching my car. I waive at the boys.  My friend and I were chatting about the unexpected rain.  I look in my rear view mirror, and the boys are riding their scooters home...  I have been left behind!

I get home.  I'm laughing.  I ask AJ why he didn't get in the car.  He tells me, "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to!"  ?!??!?!?!??!  I ask Tyler the same thing.  He gives me the exact same answer.  So then I ask them why they think I would have been parked there if not to give them a ride home.  AJ said, "I thought you were just watching to make sure we got home OK. I didn't know if I should put my scooter in your car."  !?!?!?

And now please refer back to point #2 - "I could not get into their little heads to figure out what they were expecting from me."  Yep!  Never, ever, ever, ever crossed my mind that they would see me and think I was planning on watching them walk home in the cold rain... for fun.  It all worked out though.  They got home.  They did not melt.  And now I know, next time, I let them walk and I stay home curled up in front of the fireplace!

Fall is here

It has been cold the past few days.  Friday it was 32 degrees out when the kiddos left for school.  I yelled downstairs to see if they were ready to leave and Tyler said, "almost."  I walk to the stairs and looked down to see him in shorts and a tank top.  :)  Guess he was in denial.  Nonetheless, he left the house in sweatpants, long sleeve t-shirt, and a fleece.  Mom - 1, Tyler - 0.

 

It was cold on Saturday for baseball too.  Sure sign that fall is here.  That means it's fireplace time.  I *heart* my fireplace!!  I've noticed now with our new furniture that something is missing in this room.  What do you think?  Doesn't Kevin need a pipe?!?!?  I mean I don't want him to really smoke one but I think it would really class this place up!

Politics as Understood by my Children...

Even though we don't typically talk about politics in this house, politics regularly come up since every commercial is a political message these days.  Here was our conversation at dinner:

AJ: Who gets to vote for the President?
ME: American Citizens who are 18 and older. (Relieved the political questions are this level.)
AJ: Do you know who you are going to vote for?
ME: Yes.
AJ: I hope it's not Barack Obama because the commercial says he's killing American families.
ME: Uh, he's not actually "killing" families literally...this isn't District 12.

<Random comments from Kevin and me trying to explain killing means hurting... but not physically hurting...etc.... etc... >

Tyler: (clearly not paying attention to the past five minutes) So even people in Kentucky can vote??

Apparently, watching "Call of the Wildman" has skewed his opinion of Kentucky.

Thoughtful PinSpiration

I'm inspired every day when I scroll through Pinterest.  (Yes, I am on Pinterest Every Day and I'm not ashamed of that! Keep reading...)  The crafts.  The meals.  The desserts.  The clothes.  BUT ALSO, the quotes.  So let the creation of "Thoughtful PinSpiration" be born!

This one was pretty timely.

It has always bothered me the reactions to every one's "busy" schedules.  We do indeed GLORIFY it.  We are so proud of what we can accomplish in an hour, in a day, in a week etc.  The part that bothers me the most about the topic of "busy" is that we all become judgemental about it.  We are in awe of those who accomplish so much in their busy lives and we look down on those who don't keep as busy as we believe they should.

So what qualifies as busy?  Working at a job?  Cleaning a house?  Changing diapers? Volunteering?

Does sitting out on my deck enjoying the beautiful weather count as busy?  Surfing Pinterest?  How about doing crafts with my seven year old?  Does catching up with my friends count?  How about laying on the couch with my hubby watching TV?  Do those give me "busy" credit. I would bet not.

I'd rather be doing more of the latter.  The thing is, we all have 24-hours in each day. I'm not a math genius but 24 hour = 24 hours ... regardless of how you spend them.  I've been a full-time working mom and I've been a part-time working mom.  I'm here to tell you, they are both hard and they are both "busy." 

Life can keep us all busy but I'm going to focus on not being so busy.  I'm going to say, "no" more.  I'm not going to thrive on being busy anymore.  Life is passing by SO quickly!!  If I don't slow down, I will miss it.  Didn't Ferris Bueller teach me that?!?!?

So I am going to enjoy this amazing fall weather....even as it gets colder.
And I'm going to surf Pinterest so that AJ and I can do a Halloween craft tomorrow.
And I'm going to be to call/text/email my friends and family.
And Kevin and I are going to lay on the couch and watch random TV when the boys are tucked in.
And most importantly, I'm not going to apologize or feel bad about it.  I'm proud of that.

And when I struggle.... I'll pray.... because that's what I'm advised to do...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Matthew 11:28

Bucket List

I've become obsessed with bucket lists.  I feel like we need one for each season.  I like lists and I like doing fun stuff so a list of fun stuff is obviously a win-win for me.  Last fall, I got a great fall bucket list off of Pinterest.  It was a pretty age-appropriate list for our family so I decided to use it again this year.  I pulled it out of the ol' fall storage tub and proudly displayed it a couple weeks ago.  Several people have come to our house and commented on my "creativity" which makes me laugh because this particular "creative" project required me to hit print, put it in a frame, and locate a dry-erase marker.

So, yesterday we went on our annual Center Grove Orchard trip.  We got home and the boys and I were excited to check a few things off the bucket list.  As we were doing this, I realized my bucket list said 2011. UGH!!  There's simply NO WAY that's gonna work.  Every time I walk by it, all I would see was it's out-of-dateness.  So, no choice but to make a new one!!

Of course I ran straight to Pinterest again.  This time though I found some awesomely nice lady who had a bucket list template that allowed me add my own activities to her pretty graphic design.  I only know enough of gimp to be dangerous but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and it took me less than 15 minutes!

And since we are talking about fall fun, here's the Schermerhorn 2012 Center Grove Orchard picture!  I have a picture of the boys in front of this sign every year since 2006.  I think that makes it a tradition!  Wonder how many years they will keep doing this for me!?!?  I hope my future daughter-in-laws are good sports and willing to travel to Cambridge, IA every fall!!  :)

Let's Get Started

When I see moms with kids a few years older than mine I think, "I wonder what my life will be like in a few years!?!". Then I go to sleep and wake up and my boys are a few years older and I'm living that life. Time flies and I don't want to forget the details. I know I'll remember the big things - the first days of school, learning to ride a bike, etc. I don't want to forget the little things though. How AJ laces his fingers in mine when he holds my hand. How Tyler puts his fist in my hand because he already finds it slightly embarrassing to be seen with his mom.

Hopefully in a "few" years when I'm 80, I'll look back at this blog and be thankful that "past Traci" took the time to jot down some of the everyday moments of Our CrAzY Days!