WOOO HOOO!!!

So very proud of this team of 11, but especially my 1...#13! He had the winning walk off single of the game with 2 outs so it was pretty much their last chance. I think you can see the joy in their faces, and I love how they flocked one by one to the camera all eager to to capture the moment...keep it alive.

Game 2 is on Sunday. They play my old rivals. Of course, I played soccer not baseball. No question who I'll be rooting for.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Yves Delorme soap. The scent of it is the very definition of clean.

My man's dedication as a coach and his commitment to the team. The tournament starts tonight and I cannot wait to see how these boys have come together as a team.

When T. Bone saw that homemade cinnamon buns were for breakfast the other morning he said, "NNNNICE!!" And then he pretty much ate the whole pan by himself despite the fact that they didn't rise to meet my expectations.

Uncle B. Bone treated himself to his dream car last week. When he pulled up early Saturday morning, I went to the door to see what the noise was. It was his powerful Porsche engine. T. Bone proved he was only a little impressed when he inquired, "Why didn't you get a Ferrari?" He didn't hear the part about T. Bone borrowing it for prom some day. Miss Bit proudly refers to it as Uncle B. Bone's "Posha."

One of Miss Bit's favorite times of the camp day is "chill" time. She had a great time at camp yesterday and was excited to go back today.

Back on track this week. Back to life...back to reality.

An early morning walk to start the day today. I had the sweaty streets all to myself as I listened to Little Bee.

Winnie the Pooh is in theaters today. T. Bone wants to see the Silly Bear more than Miss Bit, but I know she's going to love it...him too.

I finished Water For Elephants the very minute my walk ended yesterday. I wasn't expecting the story to end yet. I liked it, but I wanted more. I will be seeing the movie.

This budding young actress.

This all-American athlete.

Plenty of new reading material...now if only I had the time that it really deserves.

Close-knit teams huddled together on one half of the bench, and legs so little they don't quite touch the ground.

My other slugger.

My other artist. Camp Crafts. T. Bone made cat's eyes for all of us. Pink just for me.

Miss Bit caught a grounder and threw it to first. She's thinking about signing up for fall ball with the Little League.

All In An Ordinary Day

7:20 My day begins when I am abruptly awoken in Miss Bit's bed again by the screech and clang of a neighbor's dumpster delivery.

7:21 Tigger wanders in to continue my wake-up call wondering why I'm not up yet since the rest of the critters are.

7:29 Hubby gives me a goodbye smooch before he leaves for work.

8:15 I finally rouse when I realize that today for me there won't be any more slumber thanks to the onslaught of lawn services and one persistent cat.

8:16 I Spy on a still sleeping Miss Bit snug as a bug in my spot oblivious to an ounce of commotion. As I make my way down the hall to check on T. Bone, I see his empty bed and remember that he is at a sleepover.

8:17 The Boys follow me straight down to their food bowls making me feel like the Pied Piper. They are frantic when I pause to open the front door to let the crisp (a cool 60 degrees) air in. I lol when I see that hubby has already filled their bowls cuz' one would have thought they were starving when apparently they are just creatures of habit.

8:18 I make a much needed, strong cup of coffee.

8:20 I start the 12th load of laundry of the week and it's only Wednesday.

8:25 Miss Bit presents herself in the kitchen sulking and saying, "I didn't have a very good night's sleep!" Really? I refrain from pointing out that because of her I didn't sleep too well either, and instead offer cuddles and confirmation that we have little to do today. Wink. Wink.

8:30 Me and my girl snuggle in on opposite couches to read. She curls up with some Ivy and Bean and declares, "GREAT! G-R-E-A-T! GRRRRREAT! book Mom!" Totally music to my ears. I am working my way into Haag's memoir, Come to the Edge and wishing we could spend our whole lovely day reading.

9:00 Me and my girl share a cheesy bagel and a banana while we watch her new favorite and my old favorite: Looney Tunes.

10:00 We get dressed for a day of running errands. She looks like she does almost everyday today...more tween than girl. Today's ensemble: madras shorts, cami, slightly dangly earrings, flip flops and a ponytail with a stretchy headband to tame the wispies. I cannot remember the last time she chose to wear a dress.

10:15 We hit the laundromat to wash quilts, pick-up the jerseys for the tournament team, buy a gift, get an oil change and stop for some noodles for lunch: mac & cheese for her and udon for me. I find myself thinking about how much more fun it is to do just about anything when I'm with my Bit. She's my sweet sidekick. As we leave the restaurant and walk hand in hand to the car she says, "If you weren't my Mom and I could chose anyone for my Mom, I would chose you every time." I may have blushed.

2:30 It's time to pick T. Bone up so he can have a little down time before practice. He thanks his hosts graciously and the Mom declares him "delightful." I couldn't agree more and I think I blushed again.

3:00 We all have a little chill time. The kids pick raspberries in the yard (and the neighbor's yard) for snack and I tell them about the raspberry raids of my childhood, but I refrain from sharing that our yields were more plentiful.

5:00 The boys head out to practice. Miss Bit plays first with me and then with a friend. We play Barbies. Hailey and Abby, our girls, are house sitting in Malibu for the summer and they are in charge of 20 untrained, but cute dogs. Then I do more laundry, other miscellaneous chores and read for a bit.

7:00 Time to make dinner. It's slim pickings with the schedule we've been keeping so I decide to make breakfast for dinner: pancakes, sausage and strawberries. The kids, at least, are very happy. I opt for cheese, crackers and grapes...the fermented kind.

7:30 Hubby and I chat over cocktails while the littles hang out together watching t.v. and videos on the Internet that they find hilarious. I think the character goes by the name of Mrs. Swan.

9:45 Bedtime for T. Bone and Miss Bit means the adults finally get the t.v.

10:30 I fall asleep half way through an hour long show after an ordinary, but good day.

12:00 I make my way up to bed and am quite sure I sleep with a smile on my face thanks to the gift of the day and the sweet smell of crisp, clean sheets.

Weathering Storms

The house is dead quiet. The kids are still sleeping. They are no doubt stuck in catch up mode after a frenetic few days...a go go go week and a half. Many late nights and long days filled with a flurry of activity. I'm absolutely awed by their staying power, and like most mothers I dream of bottling up their energy and selling the expensive elixir.

Monday morning confronted everyone at Casa Wags with her abrupt assault. The early morning electricity in the air stirred me before I wanted to be at the ready, and yet I love to listen to the rumble and roar of fronts clashing from the comfort of my bed. Or Lil Bit's bed as it was this dawn for last night I got the boot from my Bit. We slept walked our way through our morning routines, which are still not entrenched after a month of vacation and we even managed to leave the house a little early. As I drove towards the lake, I took notice of the ominous sky behind us, the eerie darkness flanking us. The swollen, bruised clouds were moving so fast I sensed they would swallow the brightness before long. The heavy air clung to me like a wool sweater in July so I was relieved to get into my air conditioned car. And then it started to rain. I no sooner shut the door when the sky opened up and unleashed its fury. I passed men in suits dashing in doorways with their steaming coffees and queried at bikers and walkers caught in the eye of the storm without hope of refuge. At one point, the rain was so furious I couldn't see the road before me and I thought about pulling over to wait it out. Then I realized that I was driving too fast. I was trying to go with the flow so as not to irritate the drivers around me. That is exactly when I had an a-ha moment. If I slow down maybe they will too, or else they can go around me. Translated to say...I don't need to please these anonymous commuters. Do you know that they slowed down probably relieved that they didn't have to keep up any longer?

I say a-ha because as soon as I decided to hit the brakes, it occurred to me that my frustrations with family this weekend were also rooted in trying to please everyone. I was worried about making and keeping everyone happy, which resulted in no one being happy least of all myself. Egos, intentions, agendas and tendencies (passive, passive aggressive and aggressive) collided and communication simply silenced. We were at an uncomfortable stalemate so I spoke up and things softened even if just a little.

Today the sun is shining and there's little chance for rain. The tension has been released and the clouds have moved on. The air is cleared and family have traveled home. Tomorrow I may not think about these disturbances at all, and some day I may even laugh about the weekend whirlwind. The rest of this week's forecast is favorable.

two day pass

there were bright spots to be had over the crazy, company-filled weekend.
but then aren't there always if we look long enough or maybe not at all?
if we stop straining to see and simply be.
if we live in the moment instead of always trying to create one.
there were cups of coffee and conversation on the patio with my cousin, a yummy brunch with perfectly sweet pineapple and spinach quiche that was so not soggy for the whole family, and a hodge podge, last minute bbq at the end of a hot, harried day enjoyed amongst the hold-outs.
there was a late afternoon hike at the audubon, a competitive round of mini-golf, a couple games of kickball and also a few of our recent favorite, croquet.
there were super soaker wars with our new well-stocked arsenal and an array of icy treats all in an effort to stay cool.
the littles loved the presence of their colorado cousin...he's a legend of sorts in our neck of the woods and they were the 3 amigos for 36 fast, furious hours.
the bigs have much to learn from them about tribe togetherness.
i'm just about recovered from the whirlwind nearly 24 hours later.

On My Mind Monday

Childhood - which sets the scene, the determining scene, which establishes the norm, which has you observing other people's arrangements with surprise. Childhood - which you do not remember except in cinematic fragments, which was simply accepted and is forever the foundation on which you stand.

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Penelope Lively

Family Album

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Reading this I'm reminded of so many glimpses of my own childhood. Memories I'm not even sure are all together authentic, yet have withstood the trying test of time, and therefore, are true and mine. Moments that make me who I am, images that influence my reality, cues that take me back and then propel me forward changed and yet the same.

(The above sentiment spoke to me, but there is clearly an overuse of the word which here. Rather a dull read too.)

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Ahhh... today I give thanks for all of this and so much more, but most of all a wonderful week off at home. We did something fun every single day, but the best part of it all was spending time together. We sunned a day away at our favorite lake, got in an afternoon of mini-golf (I was the only one not to get a hole in one), and stayed up late (or early) watching movies. The boys practiced baseball while the girls indulged in pedicures. Pretty in pink for me and cool blue for her. There were trips to the library and also the mall to get super soakers, new earrings, neon tank tops, and sparkly flip flops. There were bike rides, walks and scooter scoots. We enjoyed popsicles, ice cream and root beer floats although usually not in the same day. Play dates were seldom scheduled, menus were rarely followed and chores were moved to next week's list right where they belong. Time was spent reading and writing, and laughing and dreaming of the shapes in the clouds and what we want to do the rest of the summer. There was only a tidbit of time tuned in here, there, anywhere. I really needed this beautiful break. Sigh.