I don't know if her teacher assigned her to write poetry about her mom. I don't even think I care. It is just so sweet. =) Here is the poem complete with artistic rendintion:
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A jewel in a mountain of paperwork
Sometimes, buried in a mountain of end-of-the-school-year paperwork, you find a jewel that makes your whole day.
I don't know if her teacher assigned her to write poetry about her mom. I don't even think I care. It is just so sweet. =) Here is the poem complete with artistic rendintion:
I don't know if her teacher assigned her to write poetry about her mom. I don't even think I care. It is just so sweet. =) Here is the poem complete with artistic rendintion:
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Strawberries...or the lack thereof
I won a blog raffle a week or two ago. The raffle was for $25 worth of free strawberries. At least that's what I thought the raffle was for. Admittedly, I didn't read any fine print. So when a gift certificate showed up in the mail for $25 at Academy.com sporting store I was confused. But not so confused that I didn't immediately go out and spend the gift card.
I bought a swimsuit. online. Crazy, I know. Swimsuit shopping is the worst and I can try on 15 swimsuits and hate them all. So what luck do I think I'll have online? But it arrived today and I love it.
It has all the things that I need in a swimsuit.
1) the perfect straps! I hate halter neck suits and I hate strapless suits. One is a pain in the neck and the other requires me to keep one hand on the front of my suit at all times so it doesn't fall off. This one has cute wide band straps that are comfy!
2) the torso is long enough. I'm not that tall (5'7) but most swimsuits just don't have enough length built into them. I end up with my underwire trying to worm its way into my belly button. Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
3) it is a one-piece. Most tankini sets fail to cover the squish around my middle. What good is a swimsuit that doesn't cover the squish?
4) it is black, so it is both slimming and guaranteed to never become last season's hot color.
5) its got a retro-vibe, which I think is fun. The blog contest that I won was from Heather who blogs at UnitedStatesofMotherhood
. She has a great collection of old retro poster pictures that she will occasionally post and it looks like my swimsuit could have been from that era. Of course, the models in those posters are always more generously shaped than I am, but still the coincidence makes me smile.
So now I'm doubly glad that I won the blog contest. First, because it is just fun to win things. And second, because I don't have to go swimsuit shopping this year. Thanks Heather!
Friday, June 10, 2011
The theme continues...
Playing in the sunshine is lots of fun
Even if I don't get many runs
The pop of fly balls, the thrill of game
Without it Friday nights wouldn't be the same
Last week I learned that "its all good"
that stressin' isn't necessary when hangin' with the Herd
this week I learned to stand in my spot
even if that required the guys to talk a lot
then they gave me the team ball!
my contribution might be small
but they don't seem to care
maybe its all my flair?
So come find us next week
Tibbets field #5 is what you seek
'til the mercy bell rings
we'll be doing our thing
(yes, I'm planning to keep my day job)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Stress, Patheticism, and Softball
Who knew that I was such a stress-case? I laugh because I suspect everyone knows. Yesterday was my first softball game. My first game of my first team. And I stressed a bit about it. I was terrified that I would instantly pull a muscle when running for the ball (like I did in practice) and patheticism would set in. I suspect "patheticism" isn't a word, but "the act of being pathetic" surely sums up my fears.
My kids must have thought I was nuts. "quiet in the car on the way to the game; mommy is stressed". "Um, mom? Isn't softball supposed to be fun?" "Shhhh"
The first inning of the game found me hanging out in right field. The sunshine was lovely, the field green, my terror palatable, my children screaming.
Yes, my children screaming because the Big Guy fell on the sidewalk and scraped up both his knees. I can see my oldest daughter Sweetness holding him and trying to carrying him back to me, and I'm STRESSED because I know I can't leave my spot and Hubby can't leave his spot and what are we supposed to do? But, all things work out and someone comforted the Big Guy and the screaming stopped and my stress level dropped a bit. And then we came in from the field and it was my turn to bat and the stress level jumped right back up...until I struck out and mortification replaced stressification (another new word or two!).
Then I got to play catcher for awhile. That was fun. The ref (ump?) was quite helpful. He would say things like "you might want to move in front of home plate when the ball is in play so the runner doesn't clobber you trying to come home" and "if you stand back, the ball will bounce right to you". And more often than not, the ball found its way into my glove.
Right field is nice because the ball doesn't come to you very often, so it isn't very stressful. Catcher is nice because you get to be involved constantly, but then "the play" comes to home plate and you know everyone wishes you were more of a baller and could handle a 95 mph ball being thrown at you.
Anyway, my truly great moment was when I came up to bat and I popped the ball up. I thought it was coming down on my head so I ducked a little and the catcher 'bout knocked me over trying to get to the ball. She (the catcher) knocked the visor off my head, so I tried to right it...then I realized that the rest of my team was yelling "run, Lisa, you have to run". Apparently the time for righting your visor is after you've reached first base. Who knew? I swear I thought that ball was foul. Classic Lisa.
We played a double header and I think it was part way through the second game when I finally started to relax. Clearly the likihood of my making a mistake is pretty high, but a lot of mistakes get made in a game and life goes on. You are still hanging out with a great group of people enjoying the sunshine and the sport. Can't wait till next week!
My kids must have thought I was nuts. "quiet in the car on the way to the game; mommy is stressed". "Um, mom? Isn't softball supposed to be fun?" "Shhhh"
The first inning of the game found me hanging out in right field. The sunshine was lovely, the field green, my terror palatable, my children screaming.
Yes, my children screaming because the Big Guy fell on the sidewalk and scraped up both his knees. I can see my oldest daughter Sweetness holding him and trying to carrying him back to me, and I'm STRESSED because I know I can't leave my spot and Hubby can't leave his spot and what are we supposed to do? But, all things work out and someone comforted the Big Guy and the screaming stopped and my stress level dropped a bit. And then we came in from the field and it was my turn to bat and the stress level jumped right back up...until I struck out and mortification replaced stressification (another new word or two!).
Then I got to play catcher for awhile. That was fun. The ref (ump?) was quite helpful. He would say things like "you might want to move in front of home plate when the ball is in play so the runner doesn't clobber you trying to come home" and "if you stand back, the ball will bounce right to you". And more often than not, the ball found its way into my glove.
Right field is nice because the ball doesn't come to you very often, so it isn't very stressful. Catcher is nice because you get to be involved constantly, but then "the play" comes to home plate and you know everyone wishes you were more of a baller and could handle a 95 mph ball being thrown at you.
Anyway, my truly great moment was when I came up to bat and I popped the ball up. I thought it was coming down on my head so I ducked a little and the catcher 'bout knocked me over trying to get to the ball. She (the catcher) knocked the visor off my head, so I tried to right it...then I realized that the rest of my team was yelling "run, Lisa, you have to run". Apparently the time for righting your visor is after you've reached first base. Who knew? I swear I thought that ball was foul. Classic Lisa.
We played a double header and I think it was part way through the second game when I finally started to relax. Clearly the likihood of my making a mistake is pretty high, but a lot of mistakes get made in a game and life goes on. You are still hanging out with a great group of people enjoying the sunshine and the sport. Can't wait till next week!
Friday, June 3, 2011
45 Reasons why this morning Rocks!
I'm lovin' this morning! Here are a few reasons why:
1. The sun is out! Blue skies all around.
2. The birds are chirping
3. I won a flat of strawberries from a giveaway on www.unitedstatesofmotherhoodreviews.blogspot.com I love winning stuff and I can't wait to get my strawberries. BTW, United States of Motherhood is written by a local mom who has turned her blogging into a PAYING job...a paying job people. I think that's awesome. Go check her out and stay tuned for my "what I did with my free strawberries" blog post.
5. Today is the first park playdate of the summer for the Big Guys preschool group. I just like saying "playdate of the SUMMER".
6. Shay Shay is coming over to play math geek with me in the afternoon.
7. Homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight 'cause Costco cooked us a rotisserie chicken for dinner last night
8. The sun is out!
9. The doors are open (despite hubbys protesting)
10. My bathroom is clean (or clean"ish")
11. I got to sleep in till 7:30 this morning
12. The sun is out!
12. Hubby is going to work on trimming and caulking the patio door today. He replaced my sliding door with a French door earlier in the year and once he's got the outside all fixed up, I can power wash the patio and create my outside oasis. Then I can bug my family for a chaise lounge for my birthday.
13. Hubby and the Big Guy are conspiring together to fly a helicopter into my face while I'm blogging. Come on, that's cute...right?
Okay, that is only 13, but I gotta get going. God is good, people. God is good.
1. The sun is out! Blue skies all around.
2. The birds are chirping
3. I won a flat of strawberries from a giveaway on www.unitedstatesofmotherhoodreviews.blogspot.com I love winning stuff and I can't wait to get my strawberries. BTW, United States of Motherhood is written by a local mom who has turned her blogging into a PAYING job...a paying job people. I think that's awesome. Go check her out and stay tuned for my "what I did with my free strawberries" blog post.
5. Today is the first park playdate of the summer for the Big Guys preschool group. I just like saying "playdate of the SUMMER".
6. Shay Shay is coming over to play math geek with me in the afternoon.
7. Homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight 'cause Costco cooked us a rotisserie chicken for dinner last night
8. The sun is out!
9. The doors are open (despite hubbys protesting)
10. My bathroom is clean (or clean"ish")
11. I got to sleep in till 7:30 this morning
12. The sun is out!
12. Hubby is going to work on trimming and caulking the patio door today. He replaced my sliding door with a French door earlier in the year and once he's got the outside all fixed up, I can power wash the patio and create my outside oasis. Then I can bug my family for a chaise lounge for my birthday.
13. Hubby and the Big Guy are conspiring together to fly a helicopter into my face while I'm blogging. Come on, that's cute...right?
Okay, that is only 13, but I gotta get going. God is good, people. God is good.
Its all about the Jersey
Sometimes life sneaks up on you and you find yourself enthralled by something you hadn't expected. This week I'm unexpectedly enthralled by the jersey.
Sports jerseys are a fact of life for some families. They grew up playing on sports teams and the jerseys probably piled up on the floor of their closet. I didn't grow up playing sports. My childhood was filled with fun and friends and family, but the only sport I ever got to play was bowling. (Do you "play" bowling? It seems like you "go" bowling.) Sports just wasn't in playbook.
As I reached adulthood, I began to introduce myself to sports. I jogged a little. I rollerbladed a little. I wakeboarded a little. I skiied a little. I played a little ultimate frisbee at lunch with friends from work. It was all fun, but I didn't realize there was more to team sports than that.
And then I got invited to play on a co-ed softball team this summer. And I purchased a softball glove. And I purchased cleats. And I purchased gloves and pants. And then they handed me...a jersey. It's blue. It has MY number on it. It has MY team name on it. Its my first jersey. Yes, I know it is little more than a teeshirt with numbers ironed on...but it is a jersey to me.
I find myself smiling when I think of the jersey. I'm not even sure I know why. Does it represent the chance to make up for something I wish I had growing up? Am I thrilled to be part of a team? I'm not a very competitive person. I'm too busy worrying about how everyone else in the world is feeling to care about winning, although now I can worry about how MY team will feel if we don't win. Perhaps that will knock some competitive spirit into me.
Stay tuned for my next post...where we figure out if playing the game of softball is as fun as owning a jersey.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Lest you think my kids got the short stick...
I know some of you were concerned that my children were getting a raw deal for spring break. Apparently my list of options was unimpressive. Some even suggested that the dentist, hair salon, and photo studio were not exciting outings for children. Pshawww.
True to the master plan decided upon by the SBPO'A committee, we've been doing one "special" item a day with the kids. We started on Saturday night with a trip to the Rainforest Cafe in SouthCenter (which apparently is not called SouthCenter anymore. Now it is the Westfield Mall in Tukwila. Why do they gotta mess with stuff?). The kids had a great time...it even felt a little vacation-ish.
...and, don't forget about the exciting roller coaster my kids got to ride!
That was Saturday night. On Sunday, we went to worship services in the morning and spent the afternoon with friends.
Monday's exciting schedule included swimming lessons and a trip to the dentist.
Now I ask you: Do these look like faces of children who don't want to go to the dentist? They nag me to make their appointments. I kid you not! They think going to the dentist is a chance to sit back in a lounge chair, watching the movie of their choice (ignoring that person poking in their mouth) and then getting a prize afterwards.
Tuesday's outing was haircuts!
Wednesday's outing was the movies. We took the kids to see Mars Needs Moms, which I thought was very cute. I loved some of the messages of the movie (be careful what you say to each other, moms that make you do your chores are the best, etc.). Unfortunately, Spunky Girl had an ear infection that flared up during the movie, so she isn't too happy in the pics. We got to visit the pediatrician directly following the movie; Lucky us!
(The big guy went to the movies too, but was too busy playing with the video games in the lobby to cooperate with my picture taking. Spunky Girl didn't want her picture taken either, but mom was pushy!)
On Thursday, the kids didn't get a special outing. They got to trail along with me as we visited the chiropractor, Oil Can Henry's, QFC, two banks, and Best Buy. There were errands to be done and sometimes that's just the breaks! =)
Friday we took the kids to Yuen Lui to get their portraits taken. Yea for Groupon! The kids did great and we took them to FatBurger for lunch afterwards, followed by a trip to the Lucky Strikes arcade.
Now it is Saturday morning and Spring Break week is nearly over. I think we'll get in one more outing, a bike ride at Marymoor Park, if the weather holds!
All in all, I think we had a pretty good time this week. I guess I'll have to wait to read what my girls write in their "What I did during Spring Break" journals to see if they agree!
True to the master plan decided upon by the SBPO'A committee, we've been doing one "special" item a day with the kids. We started on Saturday night with a trip to the Rainforest Cafe in SouthCenter (which apparently is not called SouthCenter anymore. Now it is the Westfield Mall in Tukwila. Why do they gotta mess with stuff?). The kids had a great time...it even felt a little vacation-ish.
...and, don't forget about the exciting roller coaster my kids got to ride!
That was Saturday night. On Sunday, we went to worship services in the morning and spent the afternoon with friends.
Monday's exciting schedule included swimming lessons and a trip to the dentist.
Now I ask you: Do these look like faces of children who don't want to go to the dentist? They nag me to make their appointments. I kid you not! They think going to the dentist is a chance to sit back in a lounge chair, watching the movie of their choice (ignoring that person poking in their mouth) and then getting a prize afterwards.
Tuesday's outing was haircuts!
Wednesday's outing was the movies. We took the kids to see Mars Needs Moms, which I thought was very cute. I loved some of the messages of the movie (be careful what you say to each other, moms that make you do your chores are the best, etc.). Unfortunately, Spunky Girl had an ear infection that flared up during the movie, so she isn't too happy in the pics. We got to visit the pediatrician directly following the movie; Lucky us!
(The big guy went to the movies too, but was too busy playing with the video games in the lobby to cooperate with my picture taking. Spunky Girl didn't want her picture taken either, but mom was pushy!)
On Thursday, the kids didn't get a special outing. They got to trail along with me as we visited the chiropractor, Oil Can Henry's, QFC, two banks, and Best Buy. There were errands to be done and sometimes that's just the breaks! =)
Friday we took the kids to Yuen Lui to get their portraits taken. Yea for Groupon! The kids did great and we took them to FatBurger for lunch afterwards, followed by a trip to the Lucky Strikes arcade.
Now it is Saturday morning and Spring Break week is nearly over. I think we'll get in one more outing, a bike ride at Marymoor Park, if the weather holds!
All in all, I think we had a pretty good time this week. I guess I'll have to wait to read what my girls write in their "What I did during Spring Break" journals to see if they agree!
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