Rain Gear Required

Today was the Walk to Cure Diabetes. Benjamin, Cooper and I walked with the American Family Insurance team in honor of Paige, Ben's friend from school who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in kindergarten. The walk was held at Oaks Park with lots of festivities planned for before and after the walk, and free ride bracelets for all participants. Sounds like fun, right? One problem....it poured down rain! Not just a small sprinkle here and there, but 3 straight hours of steady NW rain! The walk was 3.1 miles (5k) and we had fun walking with friends from Ben's school. We did try to stick it out for a few rides afterwards, but by that time we were so soaked that standing still while waiting in line only chilled us to the bones! So after only one ride we decided to head home, with the promise to return to Oaks Park when the weather made it more enjoyable.

Thank you to all who donated to help Ben reach his fundraising goal of $200. Together our team raised over $5000 for Diabetes research all in hopes that someday Paige will be cured!

Pachelbel Bedtime

Here is a very creative dad!

Notes from our life

Today was school pictures. Ben did not chose the suggested blue polo with stripes. I'm okay with that. We were trying to figure out how he could get away with wearing the funny glasses (see Stink-Bombs and Carnival Prizes) but decided that it could create problems with other students who didn't have the cool, fuuny glasses to wear in their pictures and whose mothers would probably scream if the prints came home with their child in them. So only the normal glasses went to school today.

You know how most children have a security item? A lovey, binky, or blanky? A bond with that special item that makes them feel secure and safe? Ben has Squishy, a gift from his older cousin Andrew.

(yes, he's really asleep and yes, that is where squishy was when I checked on him)

And Nutter Squishy (as in another squishy), there on the floor. My lame attempt at replacing a once lost Squishy.

They were so close to being similiar. Or so I thought. Who knew that he would be rejected based on minor differences? So what if Squishy has felt feet and Nutter Squishy has silk. Who cares that Nutter Squishy still had his stuffing in his nose, his right ear still intact and a slightly different bowtie? Apparently my then 18 month old did. Luckily Squishy was found within a few days, and Nutter Squishy took his place as a favorite floor decoration.

So, what is Cooper's security item? Well, funny you should ask. We tried to get him attached to Nutter Squishy, but he rejected him also.

Cooper is attached to.......................

face.

Not just any face, but MY face. Although Daddy's and Dutter's (brothers) will do in a pinch. He will walk up to me at random times, usually fueled by exhaustion and ask for "face, mama". That means that he wants me to hold him and allow him to cup my face in his tiny, often grubby and sweaty hands. He holds my face and squeezes my ear lobes, sometimes just a few seconds of "face" is all he needs, othertimes it is necessary to have a full on snuggle time of "face". This past summer, I worked on limiting "face" time to just in the evenings and mornings at home, just as any parent starts to put limits on kids' security items. But every so often he will still approach me while we are out and about with a request for "face, mama". I usually indulge him.

Someday his wife will thank me!

Stink-Bombs and Carnival Prizes

Stink-Bombs...........inevitably the combination of those words would be uttered in my house.

I blame it on public school.

No matter, those two words were the topic of much amusement between my boys tonight. Possibly brought on by the dinner of Taco Soup full of kidney and garbanzo beans?

And what could be more fun than stink-bombs and silly glasses, picked up as prizes at the Church Picnic yesterday.

Blogging is good for my soul

I have decided that blogging makes me a happier mom. Maybe I should have started this or at least some form of journaling years ago. This is a great way for me to look at my days and my life and realize just how blessed I really am. Blogging has helped me focus on the good things in my life that I want to share with others. Not to say that I don't have struggles daily. It just seems that the good is brought into focus when I am thinking about what to write about.

Just yesterday Benjamin and I were on our way to soccer practice. It was just he and I in the car, and he said "mom, I've had a happy life." I said, "you know what buddy, so have I." He then responded, "let's play the happy game. You name one thing that has been happy in your life and then I'll name one in my life." Whoa........that just came from my seven year old? We've never played the "happy game" before, so for the next four minutes that is what we did. I was happy to have God in my life. Benjamin was happy to have Jesus in his heart. I was happy that I have a wonderful husband who is working hard to make our lives a little easier by finishing his degree. Benjamin was happy that he has a mom and dad who loves him and only spanks him when he is disobedient (yes, both my children know and use the words disobedient and obedient often). I was happy that I have two fun and mostly obedient children. Benjamin was happy that he has a cute, but sometimes annoying little brother. I was happy that I get to play soccer on Wednesdays. He was happy that he gets to play soccer with Jonahs and Trenton. I was happy that I have lots of brothers or sisters. He was happy that I took him and Cooper to Booster Juice for a smoothy that afternoon.
You get the idea.
It was a short drive to soccer practice, but quite possibly one of the most memorable moments I have ever had with my big boy!

A funny one courtesy of Mara

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day. They picked out a box of Tampax and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?" "Eight", the boy replied. The man continued, "Do you know what these are used for?" The boy replied, "Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They are for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. He can't do either one."


Can't you see my boys doing this?

Is this bad of me?

Tonight at dinner the topic of "school picture day" came up. It is a week from tomorrow, and fortunately Ben had a haircut last week, so we don't have to worry about the week after his haircuts before his hair looks normal again. But we did discuss what he should wear for picture day. This year Ben has taken to picking out his own clothes, he often says to me "I'm seven mom, I can chose what I'm going to wear" then promptly puts on what I have suggested. He does like to look good! So during the discussion about what to wear for picture day I suggest a nice polo style shirt that is blue with multi-colored stripes. He agrees to wear it with his brown cargo pants (Yes, I know, the pants don't show in the picture.......) Only then did I remember that for his kindergarten pictures he had on a blue polo style shirt with stripes

and for his first grade pictures he wore a different blue polo style shirt with stripes.

So, I am wondering if we should continue the picture day theme, and if we do, I feel like it would now have to continue all the way through grade school, or should we hang up the blue polo shirts with stripes and go with something else? At least it's not as bad as the school pictures that shows my sister Kris in a shirt one year and me in the same shirt the next year. But, we have not started school pictures for Cooper yet...this could be fun!

Introducing my son Tuba

I need to share this because it was rather funny. The other day at Coop's first day of Little Kickers, I took him onto the field to check him in, and the gal checks his name off on the list and directs him over to the other coach, who was a young adult male (maybe 20?). So they start their practice and I go sit on the bleachers ouside of the almost sound-proof plexiglass to watch. About 20 minutes into the practice I decided to sneak in and try to get some pictures. As I am crossing the field I hear the male coach call for Tuba to pass the ball, and I think "Tuba, what a funny name, it must be a nickname or something". I get across the field and position myself to get some pictures, and I hear the coach call Tuba again. This time I look, and he seems to be talking to Cooper. Okay, that seems weird, but I just let it pass, maybe I heard him wrong. But then it happens again, and this time he is speaking directly to Cooper. That is when it dawned on me that instead of looking at the list, this coach asked Cooper what his name was, to which Cooper likely replied "Toopah", that is what it sounds like when he says his name, and it was then translated to Tuba. So for the first 25 minutes of practice this guy was calling my kid Tuba!
I kindly corrected the coach..........

Excuse me while I brag for a moment

So, tonight was the Fighting Hornet's second soccer game. They won again, this time 11-3, Ben scored two goals again. But that's not what I want to brag about. After the game a lady that had been watching the game aproached me and said "is the blonde boy with glasses yours?" at which point I was not sure if I should deny his lineage or not, but I said yes. She continued "he has the best sportsmanship that I have ever seen. He is so nice, I watched him help two of our players up after they had been knocked down, and he asked another one of our players if he was okay after he fell. You have done such a great job teaching him to be a good sport."

WOW! Makes a mom proud!

Okay, done bragging for now, and as promised here is a couple more soccer pictures:

How cute is that?

Cooper LOVED his soccer practice, and has asked all day today when he gets to go to practice again. He didn't want to take the uniform off yesterday, and wants to wear it again tomorrow.

Ben playing goalie.

One Hot Mama

A big, humongous thank you to April, Leah and Eden at Salon Au Rouge for my fabulous makeover. I had so much fun today! They were so generous with their services, and all so friendly. I walked out of there feeling very pretty. Who knew that a few hours of being pampered could give a tired ol' mom such a great lift. So here is the before, yes, I know it looks like a mugshot:

Here is the work in progress:

Okay, drum roll please..........................

The new and fabulous me....................

Look at those smoky, sultry eyes and those finely groomed brows. Not to mention that gourgous hair. I look smokin hot!

Did you know.....

That I win stuff on the radio all the time? It's true. I have won tickets to concerts and movie premiers, the Polar Express on DVD, money, a makeover (that was earlier this summer, and I am just now getting around to making the appointment. I'll post before and after pictures!), and just today I won a $25 Visa Gift card from 104.1 The Fish. Hooray for me! I think Dave and I will go out to dinner with my winnings!

Soccer, soccer and more soccer.......

I love the game. It's a good thing too, because the next four days are consumed by soccer.........

Ben has practice and a team "taco feed" tonight. I have an indoor game tonight also. Tomorrow is Coopers first day of "Little Kickers" at the indoor soccer arena, and Ben has practice again. Friday evening and Saturday morning brings games #2 and #3 for Ben's team, the Fighting Hornets.

Last Saturday the Fighting Hornets had their first game. They won 18-2, and Ben scored two goals! It is very fun seeing the improvement in his game, he is really starting to show some ball handling skills. Most of the boys on his team have been playing together since they were five and this year it all seems to have clicked. There was a lot of ball passing and good communication, and not so much of the massive ball bunching that usually goes on in micro soccer. This is the year that the team gets to add a goalie to the field also. I think all the boys were excited to try that position out!

Here are some pics from last weeks game:

Goal!

Good hustle Ben!

Stay tuned for an update and pictures of Cooper and his Little Kickers team! And maybe I'll hand the camera over to Ben tonight to take some pictures at my game...........

PS: Shhh.....Don't tell Dave, but I am secretly on a mission to turn my boys into soccer players......I just think it is more of a "sport" than baseball =)

Do you remember?

Where you were? What you were doing? Who you were with?

I do. I was at home, with just Ben. I am not normally a daytime TV viewer, but for some reason that morning I turned on the TV. Shortly after the second plane crashed into the tower I called my mom. I didn't understand what was going on. Here I was, a grown woman, a wife, a mother. Still in need of my own mom. I watched, numb, the images on the TV, while still keeping my mom on the line and trying to shield my toddler from the horror. I cried, I was scared. Never in my lifetime had I experienced anything like this. I am to young to remember the Vietnam war, and since the first Gulf War took place while I was in high school, it seemed so far removed. This was my first adult experience with tragedy. But this is not really about me, it is about the 3000 people who lost their lives that day. It started out as just another ordinary, beautiful day and before the day had hardly begun, it was over for them. Every one has their theories and opinions about 9/11. And while the deeper issues are Al-Qaeda, terrorists and possibly WMD's, please remember this day that fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters lost their lives.

I have been to Ground Zero. I was there three years ago, and ironically got my pictures back from being developed on September 11. It was moving, to say the least.

Never Forget.......9/11/01

Oh, crafty me

I did it! I made a craft! My friend Shannon is the craftiest person I know, and she is always posting her fun ideas on her blog. A while back she posted a sample of her 'altered tin cans'. They were so cute that I thought I'd give it a try. Someday. Then just the other day she posted again about the cans, only this time her kids made them as gifts for their teachers (eightcrazy: Teacher Gifts). So I decided that if her 8 year old and 5 year old could do this, then I certainly had a shot at crafting success. So we started eating the peaches and pineapple in the pantry so that mommy could use the cans.

Here are the pictures from my evening of craftiness:

The "stuffings"

The finished products are for birthday gifts for my nephews whose birthdays we are celebrating at the "Rosebrook Family Quarterly Birthday Party" today.

Check out Shannon's post at eightcrazy: Altered Tin Cans for instructions.

Dave the Princess

The conversation went like this:

Cooper: "Mommy, when i'm a dad will you marry me?"
Me: "oh buddy, that is so sweet, but mommy is already married to daddy."
Cooper: "that's okay, you can marry me when i get bigger."
Me: "but what about daddy? what will happen to daddy if I marry you?"
Cooper: "he can be our princess."

Picture that!

Here comes the tooth fairy.....

Benjamin has a loose tooth! It is his first. He is a little behind in the loose tooth department. Most kids start losing their teeth around the age of five, not this kid. I was getting a little concerned that he may never lose his baby teeth so at his last dentist appointment I shared my concern with the hygienist. She assured me that he would be losing them soon, and even pointed out that one of his bottom teeth had acquired a bit of a wiggle, not much, but there was wiggle. Now four months later that tooth has a little more wiggle to it. Tonight Ben was trying to get Cooper to feel his loose tooth. Cooper said "is it 'dross' (gross)?", to which Ben replied, "aww, c'mon Coop, we share the same DNA".

Hooray for Second Grade!

Like most other mothers in America, I am celebrating the start of a new academic year. Don't get me wrong, I do love summer. I love the sunshine (we saw a little of that this year), fresh summer fruits, playing at the pool, BBQ's, the Fourth of July......all the fun that summer brings. And even though my kids do their fair share of bickering, it is sad to see summer end.
I am celebrating the start of scho0l because Ben loves school. Yep, I have a seven year old who LOVES everything about school. He loves riding the bus in the morning, seeing his friends, having hot lunch (a once a week "treat"), library, PE , recess, reading, math. From beginning to end, he loves it all. And that makes a mama very happy! Let's hope it stays that way for many more years.

100 days and counting

In case you failed to notice, we are down to 100 days until graduation!!