Odds and Ends

So my older boy saw that I was referring to him as Bug in this blog, and he became very indignant. Apparently it's way too babyish a name for a 7-year-old. So I guess I'll just use their real names, which are... (drum roll)... Jordan and Ethan!!!

Jordan, who is on the youth wrestling team, has his last tournament tomorrow, praise the Lord. It's the State Finals, which means a l-o-n-g day. We have to be there at 8am for weigh in, but the wrestling won't start until 10ish. Then we wait. And wait. And wait. Eventually, Jordan's weight class will have their turn, and I'll watch him wrestle for 3 minutes, which is how long the matches are for this age group. Then we'll wait around some more. In all, he'll probably wrestle a total of 3 matches (9 minutes). We'll be there all day. Did I mention that there will be a lot of waiting around?

We're heading down to Virginia and Washington DC in a few weeks to visit family and do some sight seeing. It will be the longest car trip we've ever made with the boys (8-10 hours each way). It will either be a really fun adventure, or the trip from from Hell.

Baseball (for Jordan) and T-ball (for Ethan) is supposed to start next week. I hope the snow melts by then, 'cause playing baseball in your snow boots just isn't right.

The Big 0-5

My baby turned 5 today. How is possible that in 5 short years he went from a floppy helpless lump of sweet smelling baby flesh to a rock star? It's happening too fast people, and I'm not ready for it!

Frustration

I'm SO frustrated right now. I can't really say why, as it concerns some information that is confidential. All I can say is I HATE lies. Deception sucks. I try really hard to be non-judgemental and let people know that no matter what mistakes they've made in life, I will continue to support and stand by them. Sadly, I'm realizing that for some people, lying has become a way of life. I'm not talking about little white lies. Sigh. I just don't get it, and I never will.

Back Home

We're back home from Florida. We spent a little over a week enjoying the Florida sun. It was a nice relaxing vacation, and it was great to spend time together as a family. My sister, who I'd only met once before (long story) came down from Tampa with her son to visit. He's close to the same age as my boys, and they were thrilled to meet their cousin. They had a blast playing together. The weather was perfect. We spent our days swimming, collecting shells on the beach, body surfing in the waves, and enjoying being with my folks. They have a dock in their backyard, so the guys did lots of fishing. Bug caught more fish than anyone. He even caught a Puffer fish and 2 Stingrays!

It was a bit of a culture shock to come home to sub-zero temperatures. I'm looking out the window watching the boys play in the 2+ feet of snow right now. It's hard to believe that just a few days ago I was playing in the ocean waves with them.

Only in Vermont

In our town, the Masons hold a community breakfast once a month on a Sunday morning. We usually go because the food is yummy, and the company is fun. The breakfast is held in the basement hall of the Masonic Lodge, which is very small (5 or 6 long tables) and a little cramped. The typical customers consist of farmers, families, and the town's "old timers". Well this past Sunday, we were happily enjoying our pancakes and bacon, when in strolls the Governer of Vermont with his wife and state-appointed body guard. They were driving through town and had seen the sign out front advertising the monthly breakfast. In many places where I've lived, there would have been a mad dash to line up for pictures, shake hands, or share political rants and raves. I have to say though, that most people seemed more impressed with the homemade biscuits than the presence of the head of our State. Of course, they were all polite, smiling and saying "Hi Governor". But they quickly got back to there coffee and conversations. The Gov sat near us, and he chatted with an old-timer about this seasons huge snowfall amount and the impending storm (yes, I evesdropped!).

Incidentally, the Gov is also going to make an appearance at Bug's Scout Troop's Blue and Gold Dinner on Saturday. At one point DH went over and reminded him that our church is also having our anual fish fry on Friday. His response? "Wow, you guys sure do like to eat here in _____!"

4 Wheel Drive Rocks

About 6 weeks ago, we bought a new vehicle. Our last car had over 150,000 miles on it, and was 12 year old. At first, I felt guilty buying this new car. Mostly because I care deeply about the environment, and our new car is an SUV (gasp!). Not very earth-friendly, I know. But my husband convinced me that this was the right choice because :

1) we got it for a really good price,

2) it has a 3rd row seat, which is really handy now that the boys are getting older and wanting to bring friends along, (and neither of us wanted a mini-van).

3) It's 4 wheel drive, and handles great in the snow and ice.

Boy, am I glad we got this new car! Today we had another snowstorm; 8 inches by late morning. Cars were off the road left and right, but I had no problem.

Plus, it has a seat warmer, and boy that thing feels nice on my derrier in the dead of winter!. Thank goodness for life's little luxuries!

Team Spirit!

Guess who everyone in our house is cheering for today?

Phew!

This morning, Boo and I were snuggling on the couch. He gave me an extra big squeeze and said "I've decided I'm NEVER going to sell you, because you're the best mom in my whole universe."

Looks like I'll be sticking around for a while.

Mardi Gras

I would be completely remiss if I didn't mention this very special member of our family. Meet Mardi Gras. She has been part of our family for the last 3 years. We adopted her through a wonderful organization called Labs4Rescue. Mardi is originally from Louisiana (hence the name). When a member of Labs4Rescue found her, she was on doggy death-row. Nobody knows why. She's a pure-bred Lab, with a wonderful temperament. Each year, Lab4Rescue pulls hundreds of Labs from high kill shelters in the South, and ships them North, where they are adopted. We've also fostered a dog for this group, a stunning 6 month old black Lab, who was adopted within a week of arriving here.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I feel like we've won the doggie lottery with Mardi. She is loyal beyond belief, sweet, gentle, and fun. We really feel like she is the perfect dog for us. She adds so much to our lives, and we all love her to pieces. If anyone is considering adding a dog to their family, please suggest they check out Labs4Rescue (www.labs4rescue.com), there are so many more like Mardi, who would love a forever family!

Dentists, Cowboys, and Butterflies

My kids have always loved dramatic play. It's their favorite type of play. We have a big trunk full of costumes. Some days they are super heroes, other days they might pretend to be knights or soldiers. But most of all ,they love playing cowboys. They each have cowboy boots, vests, hats, and all the other accessories that any cowboy would need. Tonight, however, they added a new twist to the usual cowboy play. Bug dressed up as (in their words) "half dentist and half cowboy", and Boo was a "butterfly cowboy". I, of course, was the princess. The evil cowboy dentist captured me and my hero the butterfly cowboy had to fly in and save me.

A little strange, but you gotta love their creativity!