Me, My Kids, My Aunt, and MY MOM!

I started a post last weekend....but never finished it.  I looked at it and all it really began with was that I was excited to ALMOST be done with another semester - my first full year of school.  However, now I AM done and so I figured I would just begin a new post.

Since I last posted/wrote a lot has happened....I'll write it all here and hopefully not miss much.

First off, I AM finished!  I stressed a bit with my last paper...but all is good and I am done.  I still need to go to work down in Carbondale Monday and maybe Tuesday, but no homework.  I also need to submit an article/book review to a publisher....but at least the writing and re-writing and editing is done.

Now I have the house to catch up on and Vienna, Austria to pack and get ready for!  I'm excited for that...the latter, that is!

Ok...now the kids and all their goings on! (and various other things that pop into my head)

CODY

Mother's Day Program (Kindergarten)

May 5, 2011

About a month ago I began thinking about this program.  I knew Mother's Day was the 8th and figured the programs would be the week before.  As I checked my school calendar I noticed that it was my LAST week of school.  I wouldn't have class on Tuesday night but would on Mon and Wed.  I knew my HUGE paper was due on Wed and got this sinking sick feeling in my gut that Cody's would be on WED....not ANY other day that would have been SOOOOO much easier.  I called his school and sure enough....I was right!  The program began at 1:30...which meant that I would have to scoot QUICKLY out when it was over to even make it down to class for my presentation.  

The day before I didn't have school so I was home all evening with the kids.  I LOVED it.  Cody reminded me (excitedly) about his program the next day and explicitly told me I needed to remember tissues.  Having attended 3 previous Mother's Day programs at that school with the same music director, I knew I probably ought to bring them.

But.....I spent the ENTIRE morning finishing up my paper and then a quick presentation.  I electronically submitted it at 12:51 and left for the program about 15-20 minutes later (had to get ready for the day).  I got there in time to get a seat close to the front.  I had remembered my camera to get some shots of Cody.  I was feeling pretty smug.....I did it!  Although I HAD remembered my camera....I was reminded pretty quickly when the tribute song came that I HAD NOT remembered tissues.  I chuckled inside because through Cody's smiles at me I could see his facial expression say, "I told you to remember tissues!"  He could tell that the tears could have fallen out my eyes at ANY moment!  You see, my kids make fun of me mercilessly when I cry when reading the scriptures or a story from the Friend to them.  They can hear it in my voice.  Now, when something gets touching they all look over at me....doesn't matter what it is...a movie, a story, a game, WHATEVER....and just shake their heads that I have tears in my eyes!  So, it was no surprise to Cody that my eyes were full of tears!  It is also no surprise that he explicitly told me to bring them KNOWING that I would tear up and cry!  If the songs wouldn't talk about my kids growing up and leaving home and how much they love me, how small they are but how big they will grow, and all the things they will do.....I probably wouldn't even THINK of crying. But Cody is the last Kindergartner for me....of course THAT fact only made the tears bigger and heavier and more frequent!

Let's move on before I can't see the screen anymore.....here are pics!

so excited to have me there

 

 

had his own part

in his classroom after he gave me my Mother's Day present - a class cookbook (where his contribution was GREEN cake)

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My aunt Geri is a fabulous woman!  I remember when I was young I used to enjoy being at her house.  She had 13 kids and we never wanted for anything fun to do...literally.  I used to marvel at bedtime...they would just sleep wherever they fell asleep.  While I probably thought that was cool for the moment, I really valued my own bed and the routine of going to bed in the same place every night.  But it worked for her.  One night after work I didn't have a ride home....I really don't know the particulars....but I started walking.  It was dark and at first I felt fine.  But the longer I walked the more scared I became.  Aunt Geri lived on the way home, probably not even a mile from my house (so I really didn't have THAT much farther to go), so I decided I could make it THAT far.  It was back in the day when doors weren't automatically locked every night - tho I'm not sure her door has EVER been locked (she had a revolving door for anyone and everyone) - so I walked on in.  How lucky I felt to know that I could walk in to her bedroom, wake her up, and ask for a ride home.  She peeled herself away from a couple sleeping babies and was in the car taking me home with a smile in no time.  I will always remember that!!!!

I write about my Aunt Geri because I think of her EVERY time I am matching socks.  In her house where there were 10-11 boys she just bought ALL the same socks and put them in a bin.  When someone needed socks, they just pulled two out - every sock matched because they were ALL the same!  How easy!!!  I think about her and how I can't wait til my boys where the same size so I can do that too.  I hate matching socks!

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SPENCER

Relay for Life 5K

May 7, 2011

For awhile now Spencer has been wanting to run a 5K.  Kudos to him for his GREAT accomplishment this morning!!!!  We went to bed LATE last night and I really didn't think he'd be up and ready for a run by 7:30.  I was wrong!  After his late baseball game on Thursday night where he got his FIRST hit E.V.E.R.  Last year he struck out a lot, was scared of the ball, etc.  This year...not so much!  This was their FIRST game after one rained out game (Monday) and A LOT of rained out practices.  Let's just say it's been pretty WET this year (tons of flooding in southern Illinois, etc)!!!  His hit was pretty excellent!  A hard line drive right over the 2nd baseman's head....with an RBI also.  He was all smiles.  Even after he made it ALL the way around the bases and scored, he came STRAIGHT to me with a huge smile and hugged me.  He felt good.  His next at bat was a similar hit just as hard, but a little lower.  This time the 2nd baseman made a beautiful diving catch to get him out.  No worries, it was a hard hit anyhow!

So this morning....he followed suit.  It was raining but that didn't deter him whatsoever.  I wasn't running with him (on more accounts than just being out of shape...I hurt my knee again about 3 weeks ago and haven't started back to running) so I made sure he had people that knew him and could watch out for him.  I told him to follow the crowd so he knew where to turn, etc.  I sort of told him the course....thinking I SHOULD have driven it for him ahead of time so he knew it (next time)!  OH well....he did great.

I had left Cody in bed with Jordan.  I had woken up Jordan but wasn't sure if he'd be up.  I didn't want Cody freaking out because no one was home.  So after taking a couple pics of Spencer starting, I hustled home to check on Cody.  He was still asleep and Jordan WAS up so off I went to find Spencer on the course (which was RIGHT by our house) and take some pictures.  The first place I went...he had already passed.  The second place was the same.  The third stop he had JUST barely passed so I zoomed to the next road and took a pic and gave him a high five!  He looked to be holding up very well.  I couldn't believe he was making SUCH great time!  Then it was off to the finish line.  He came in near the top 10 overall...WOW!  In his age group (15 and under) he came in 2nd with a time of 25:31!!!!!  How impressive it THAT !!!!!  The winner looked to be around 14 so I was pretty impressed.  Although he was really tired, seeing the top winner get some money was a lot of motivation for him.  Spencer has decided this is his ticket!  I imagine we'll be doing a lot of races this summer!  He has decided to get up to run more consistently (we'll see how that works while school is still in).  

All in all...I'm really proud of him.  Here are some pics:

Spencer waiting to begin

 

 All of them...he's just a tad nervous, but REALLY excited!

I wasn't fast enough to get him...he started off FAST so all you can see is him behind the lady

 Where I finally caught up to him...going strong!

 Just about finished!

Crossing the finish line --- 25 minutes and 31 seconds!

Without the medal (darnit, Denise) but with his water and fruit!
(and a smile)


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MOM
(my mom...not me)

Even before it was today (Mother's Day 2011) I began this post and planned on putting my mom in it!  I think it was yesterday someone on facebook posted that she wanted us to share our favorite quote from our mother!  It got me thinking.....

The first thing that came to mind was how when I would emerge from my basement dungeon/room she would sing, "Here she comessssssssssssssssss, Miss-alaneous!"  I probably didn't appreciate it THEN as much as I laugh about it now.  I have always (well, maybe not always....I can't be held responsible for my stupid teenage years!!!!) appreciated my mom's sense of humor.  I love that I can call her when I'm having a bad day and I don't even really have to complain (tho sadly I do at times)....we'll just get to laughing and everything will feel so much easier to handle.  

The other day I was telling someone about how wonderful my mom was....and still is!  I related how I had been mad at her for something petty....it was during those teenage years of mine and I can't even remember what it was about, but probably that she didn't drop everything to revolve her busy life around mine with every breath she took.  I had a game in Salt Lake that night and left without saying much - though I'm pretty sure she knew how mad I was.  I remember that my father was coming to the game and I never played well when he was there.....so, to give myself not such a scary teenage look, I'm sure I was stressed and emotionally distraught too.  Anyhow, that sounds lame even this many years later.  I'll chalk it up to being a teenager!  At any rate, while warming up I saw her enter the gym (even though it was from the TOP of the bleachers).  I'm sure I still acted mad as she walked down the bleachers to the gym floor with a poster in her hand.  My mom.....came with an apology to me in the form of a candy bar poster.  Back then I probably didn't react much but today I cry thinking of my mom and how wonderful she is!  

I believe I was sharing that with a friend because my mom is just that way....she is near perfect.  I know that I can volunteer her for things without even asking because I know she'll say yes to certain things (as long as it's not teaching a lesson - that's where she asks ME to help HER out).  I often find myself wondering how my mom did it while I was growing up....usually when I'm overwhelmed and can't seem to find the top to the water to catch a breath!  When I ask her she says I was just oblivious to how overwhelmed she was.  It is then that I hope that I can be like her....accomplishing so many things even when she may not have felt she could.  Of course, I seem to always find myself asking how my mom did this or that (whatever I find myself faced with) and hope that I can be like her.  I hope that one day my children will look back and see in me what I now see in my mom! 

I could go on and on and on!  I'm just lucky to have such a great mom.  I don't think she is much different than most other moms - she loves me beyond compare!  I don't think that kind of love is EVER understood until you have a child of your own.  It was during a particularly difficult time in my life when I seemed to be making more unwise choices than good ones that I began to realize how much my mom loved me.  Despite my dumb decisions she loved me and let me know that.  Now I am a mother and sometimes weep when I think of how much I love my children....and that is how much my mom loves me!

Aren't moms GREAT!!!!!  I know mine is!  I love you, MOM!