Shopping with the Diva!

When we were little mom would take us school shopping at Miller's Outpost. Remember those! We would get to try on clothes and she was really good about letting us pick out what we wanted.

Well today Justice had a BIG sale going on so Kayla and I went shopping. We had a blast because she is finally old enough to pick out outfits instead of just a shirt or a pair of jeans. She can put things together and accessorize and the store had it all. Of course it was all from the 80's and bright neon colors. Too funny if you ask me.

She picked out about 4 outfits which are just super darling but the biggest thing she bugged me about today was a pink sequin hat. I told her she could either have the hat or the new school bag....the hat won. It was a fun day, memories and all.

Summer camp

Ian is at Creighton soccer camp this week. I can't believe how fast summer is flying by. This camp seemed a lifetime away just a month ago. We took him to camp on Sunday afternoon and he was a bundle of nerves. It's the school he wants to attend when he graduates because they have the most amazing soccer program and a good medical school. Dare I say it.....doctor maybe??? Who knows right now because it really is about the soccer to him.

We got him there and things went very smoothly. We were impressed with the organization, the kids are great and Cindy Warming sure has things organized! After we got him all checked in and were ready to head up to his dorm room - yep a freshman dorm room! we spotted Coach Warming talking to some of his guys. Well Ian just about fainted seeing him. "Mom! that's Coach Warming! OMG it's Coach!" If you can imagine yourself seeing George Clooney or maybe Julia Roberts this is exactly what his reaction was like. It was pretty awesome.

So, we get him upstairs and Jeff (spoiled rotten from Pepperdine) is shocked that the dorms are tiny and have no carpet. Welcome to real dorm living my dear! I am of course trying not to hyperventilate as I have a flash forward to doing this same routine when he is 17. We get him all unpacked and show him the bathroom and common room and he tells us to hurry up so he can go meet up with the others to watch the Brazil VS USA game. As we walk him over I ask if I can take some pictures of him to which I get..."mooooom!" I guess that's a no. I do get one though. But when we get to the science lecture hall where the game is playing Ian takes off without so much as a hug, a goodbye, nada! I did get the hug finally but it was outside the lecture hall, away from the door and down the hall so no one would see us. Uh! Ungrateful little monster : )

I get a phone call every night around 10pm to tell me that he is having a great time but he has to run because the guys want him to come and hang out in the commons. Where did my teenager go and when did this college man show up! I am so glad he is having a good time even if it is breaking my heart that he is growing up so fast.

Today and the days before it....

Today is Tuesday, just an ordinary day.  But I decided today that I needed to put my life back together from the disaster I call school and Relay.  Today, I decided to start doing the little things again that I have missed out on for the last year and a half.  I have submersed myself in all things school and Relay For Life and while both have been worthwhile I have missed the little things in life.  Especially the little things that now have big feet and toes.

I played on the swing set this weekend for hours with the kids.  It was so much fun, I even got a little motion sickness : )  I have been so consumed by my other obligations that I had forgotten how to go outside and just "be" with them.  We played with chalk, played hopscotch and even went on a small meaningless walk.  It was very nice just to be with them again.

Mother's Day was this weekend as well.  I miss my mom terribly.  It gets harder with time, did you know that?  Not easier.  Anyone who has ever said the pain will ease with time has never lost a parent.  It does not get easier.  The memories fade and aren't as brilliant and that hurts the most.  My mom loved Erma Bombeck and I remember vividly when she died because my mom shared the poem Erma had written that so many of us have seen.  My mom too was busy in life and wished she had slowed down to just "be" with us.

Today, in honor of my mom and Erma I have decided to let the homework go, let the urgent emails slide, get off my tush and go outside with my kids before their feet are bigger than mine.

In Loving Memory...

Last night I found out that my uncle passed away during surgery.  I had to write it down somewhere so here I am.  He went in to have an aneurism on his kidney taken care of.  It was causing problems for his heart and his kidneys.  They were going to do a renal bypass and repair the aneurism at the same time.  It was to be a 4 hour surgery but turned into a 7.5 hour surgery instead.  He took 10 units of blood and they did what they could but his body just couldn't handle the stress of it all.  

My uncle was the most vibrant, energetic and loving man you could ever meet.  He was still playing tennis and kicking everyone's butt up until recently.  His dimples were the size of saucers and his laughter was contagious.  We would listen to him tell stories about his family and just howl with laughter.  He was my grandmother's youngest brother, but because of his age he was more like a big brother to my mom.  He and my sweet Aunt Bonnie were my mom's favorite relatives.  

Jeff and I will miss him very much....

In loving memory

Leon F. Adams

February 13, 1930 - April 9, 2009

A Dance!!

So here I am stuck with varying degrees of emotions running through my brain.  Ian is going to his first dance this Friday and he has a date!  I know, just a crazy thought.  I am so excited for him on the one hand but at the same time I have this knot of dread in my stomach.  

When did he grow up? 

Was I seriously not watching?

Anyway, this very nice girl in his class called this weekend to ask him if he would be her date.  WOW!  I don't think I ever asked a boy to a dance, not at that age any way.  So, now he has a date to the dance and is looking for just the right t-shirt to wear.  Too funny, a t-shirt.  Maybe I have nothing to worry about if he is just worried about a t-shirt.  : )

If he asks Jeff for cologne then I know I am in big trouble!

I will keep you posted......

We're still here

I have been bad!  I have not posted a thing and my friends are wondering if I/we fell off the face of the earth.  Guess what?  We're still here!!

So instead of writing a long winded note 

I have decided to give you a list of what has been happening in our crazy household  : )

Starting at the beginning of the year....

1.  Family finally left .....whew!

2.  Enjoyed the rest of winter break just to get....

3.  The flu!  I got it really bad and the kids got some variations - even with shots!

4.  Brownie meetings - oh the joy of having 15 girls together in a small space  : )

5. Brownie field trips - the good thing about this is that we aren't in charge!!!

6. Relay For Life kicks off and ....

7.  Ian starts his own Relay team.  http://main/acsevents.org/goto/imfreeman

8.  Ian starts soccer again - playing indoor soccer for two teams

9.  My great - nephew Connor Keith is born!!

10.  Relay meetings every week!

11.  I start school - 5 classes this spring....almost there!

12.  A quick visit to Arizona to meet my beautiful great-nephew

13.  Another cold/sinus infection ....

14.  Oh wait it turns into a nasty ear infection where Mommy can't hear!!

15.  Three trips to the doctor and some goods meds so I can hear again

16.  Our first rain....no more snow???!!!!  keep your fingers crossed...nope!

17.  Winter soccer is over!

18.  Ah man spring soccer begins!

19.  NASCAR starts again - Jeff is not leaving his couch until September

 

20.  My spring break arrives - 6 more weeks and it's the home stretch!

21.  ......and the culmination of all this mess  : )  a new swing set (because our neighbors had to go and take their really cool one with them!!)

I'm sorry guys.  I will be better.  I hope you all are well.  We miss you too Beckie!  It's just not the same without four little girls running over to my house the minute the bus pulls up!  : )  

Way too long

Wow!  It's been way too long since I posted anything here hasn't it?  Sorry about that.  The holidays snuck up on me and once Thanksgiving arrived it all snow balled from there.

We have been up to pretty much the same things as usual.  Ian finished soccer the day after Christmas but we start again this weekend  : )  We got through out first semester of junior high with only minor damage.  The grades were great, the schedule was crazy.  He is getting so big...check out this picture Jeff took of him over the break.

Isn't he handsome?  And so big, it's just not fair.  Something about the photo reminds me once again that he is not four years old but on his way to full fledged teenager-hood.  Bummer

We had lots of visitors for the holidays.  My dad came into town mid December, quickly followed by Jeff's folks and then my sister and her husband.  They all finally left after the first of the year.  It was nice to have them all here.  My house is so quiet now it's almost creepy.  

We did the usual during the holidays, went to the zoo - our favorite place.  It's really different to go to the zoo in the winter.  Many of the animals are hibernating and all the waterfalls are frozen solid.  Pretty cool to look at.  We also went to the movies, dinners and the museum.  It was a nice holiday.

The kids went back to school this week, I start next week.  McKayla is still in Brownies and we have some fun meetings and field trips coming up.  We are going to Build-A-Bear and to a bakery to make our own cakes and maybe a luau at the end of the year.

Other than that life is just moving along.  The kids are going to start sports soon, Ian soccer and McKayla softball.  We are looking forward to spring.  We have not had much snow but for three weeks in December is was really cold.  I mean below zero cold... for days on end.  It was nuts.   I think the kids would be fine if we had no snow this year and just skipped over to spring.  We will see what happens.  So far it has been a warmer and drier January.

Sorry again it's been so long.  I will post some photos of the holidays as soon as I get the camera emptied.  Hope you all had a good Christmas.