My Politics

I had to do a little post today about our upcoming presidential election.  Last night we watched Gov. Sarah Palin speak and all I can say is WOW!  For me, it doesn't matter whether I am a Dem or for the GOP she was an amazing speaker that I think most of us moms could relate to and understand where she was coming from.  This morning Cindy McCain said it best, she told Good Morning America that she didn't necessarily agree with everything Palin believes in but she respects her views.  After last night, listening to her powerful speech, I didn't feel like she was another  typical politician speaking down to me as a citizen.  Instead she is a mom, a wife, a concerned citizen who knows what it is like to have high gas bills and feed seven mouths every night without the help of a personal chef!  I too don't necessarily agree with everything Palin says but I sure do respect the lady.  That is more than I can say for a lot of our Johnny come lately politicians.  

No matter who wins this race, I am happy to see that we are making change and this year we will make history one way or another.  Let's hope that this wonderful change is not overshadowed by a bad leader later on down the road!

Cold!

It is cold today!  And I don't mean that it is a little bit below 80 degrees either!  It is only 62 degrees outside, breezy and not going to get much warmer (it was 48 degrees when I took Kayla to school)!  

What happened to my summer?  My days of laying out by the pool now that the kids are gone and won't whine when I just want to tan my hide?  My days of cool summer coffee's outside?  They are gone my friend that is what happened to them!  Gone I tell ya!  

Mother Nature decided that this past weekend was the end of warm, glorious weather for us Nebraskans - although it is beautiful today, not a cloud in the sky.  We have already seen the geese-a-flocking and the trees-a-changing.  

Oh well, so much for that pool idea.  I guess now instead I will focus on buying Halloween candy, digging out those sweatshirts and college football!  (Which by the way, Nebraska won, UCLA won and ND plays this weekend!)  Yeah football!

Have I told you guys yet, this sure ain't California  : )  

Our first tooth!

McKayla has finally lost her first tooth.  I am not all the thrilled about it...first, her 6th birthday and now this!  What else, her first boyfriend?  Jeez!

Even though I am not all that thrilled she is tickled pink.  All her friends have lost the first four teeth already and so this was a very big event in our house.  She is finally one of the big girls now.  I don't know if you guys remember but Ian lost his teeth late too.  I am sure she will follow.  (Although the other four are pretty wiggly, jiggly right now)

Oh and did I tell you that today of all days is picture day!  Couldn't we just wait one more stinking day....again, jeez!

Move over Beckham...we have our own super star!

Yesterday was the first official soccer game of the season.  We had two back to back games.  One for the regular team Ian is on and one for the special select team he is on.  Last year a friend of his asked him to try out for a team where the boys are one year older than he is (this year it is U12 - Ian is still 10yrs) and he made it.  He is playing on that team again this year.  At the end of the spring season his coach and another coach from a local team put together a combo team to play in a U13 league.  The major differences on this team is the boys on the other teams are older, the field is bigger and it is 11 vs. 11 instead of 8 boys on a side.  He made that team too.  We are so excited for him.  (Maybe one day he will be rich and buy mom a pool, a car and hire me a maid!)

Anyhoo, yesterday was the first day of the season.  I am sunburned, he is SORE but we had a great time.  They won their first game 5-1, Ian had four goals that first game.  The second game we won 7-0, he had two goals which is pretty awesome considering the other boys outweighed him by 100 pounds!!!  He looked so stinking little out there.  

What was really great, was the passion we saw when he played.  It wasn't so much about winning it was about the game, the moves, the ability to out maneuver the other team.  It was a sign of his maturity and dedication to something other than a video game!  It was just awesome!  Now if I could just get him to turn in his homework on time....but that is for another blog  : (

Here are some pix.....

We're 6 today!

McKayla Rhea is 6 years old today!  She woke up this morning and said, "mommy, I can count my age on two hands now!"  Yes, you can baby girl, yes you can.  She is getting so big.  I can't help but look back and remember poor Jeff panicking over her arriving in the middle of the night....funny guy.  The day she was born my mom came over and helped us get the house ready, we waited for Ian to get home from kindergarten and then we took off for the hospital to be induced.  (Jeff really didn't want any surprises)  I remember Jnet running into the room (they only wanted 2 other people in there) and seeing the look of triumph on her face because she snuck past the nurses station.  A few drugs and groans of pain later I had a 6 pound Japanese bundle of joy.  And boy was she Japanese.  I am sure the nurses wondered how this kid belonged to the very pale white girl in the room down the hall.  : )

This weekend we had her birthday party at the house.  Grandma Takako and Jnet came to celebrate too.  There were 15 children running around, 99% of them girls!  It was organized chaos.  She had a great time though.  Tonight we are skipping ice skating and soccer practice and going to dinner at Red Robin.....yahoooey!  I would have voted for Cheesecake Factory but hey, not my birthday.  Here are some pictures of her big day for you all to enjoy!

Back to School

One down, one to go!  Isn't the first day of school so bittersweet?  You can't wait for them to go back to school somewhere in the middle of the vacation because they are driving you BATTY with their fighting and whining and nagging.  But then the last week of vacation comes and you realize that it went so fast and you didn't get to do all those cool things you had planned way back in May. 

 

I have to say we did get to do some cool things this summer and I had a great time at the pool with the kids and taking them to the zoo.  But today they are back in class.  I took McKayla this morning and it wasn't like kindergarten.  She pretty much kicked me out the door.....McKayla I mean.  She was a little nervous but very excited that she had her own desk, not just a table and her teacher Mrs. Sharon had put all her things away so she was ready for her first assignment.  I can't believe she is six years old (or will be next Tuesday).  It seems like yesterday I was potty training her and we were making our first move.  Wow time flies.

Ian, the big man, does not start school until later today.  The junior high lets the seasoned 7th and 8th graders come in first, meet their teachers and then sends them home.  The 6th graders come in around 11am and have the school to themselves so they can get acquainted with the bell schedule, lunch and the classrooms.  I am so excited for him, he has endless opportunities at this school and we are just tickled that he is excited too.  I can't believe how fast he has grown up.  It has been almost 4 years since we moved from SoCal and he was in the middle of 2nd grade then.  That seems like a lifetime ago.  I keep thinking of little Brooke and how big she looked next to all our little boys.  Now our boys are the same age she was when we left and of course she is a young woman going into high school....sorry Tiya  : )

Well off to take care of kid number #2 and then maybe a hair cut today.  Whatever will I do with my free time : )  Yes, I know you all know me better.  

The Big Day!

The big day has arrived.  I always thought the day you picked up your class schedule was bigger than the actual first day of school.  Today we went to the middle school to pick up Ian's schedule, get his ID and photo taken and take care of other business.  We tried out the locker which is a bit sticky, and checked out some of his classrooms.

The good news is that his buddy has the locker next to him but his best friend is located on another hallway.  He does have a class with one buddy but not his other.  All things said it is a pretty good schedule.  He is excited.

He has been on the phone all afternoon talking to the guys about their schedules and trying to match up their classes.  I remember those days.  Of course I hung out with the brainy bunch and I never did have classes with them.  I was the dumb one among the bunch.  : )

We did finally get some school clothes for his skinny little body.  He picked out a pink Abercrombie shirt for pictures today....yes, all on his own.  He looked pretty good as you can see - McKayla not so much.  Ah the fun is just beginning.  I am so excited for him but sad at the same time.  I can't believe he is junior high.  They grow up just too fast!!