The First Gift of Christmas

We visited with Ellen and her hub this weekend for their annual Holiday Open House. It is always such a fun time as they have a wonderful group of friends and neighbors.

While visiting, JBM received his first gift of Christmas. No it was not a silver bell that only those of us who believe in Santa can hear. JBM had seen Ellen with a LED book light and thought how nice it would be to have for those days when he starts (or finishes) his homework in the car. So, that is what he received and he also has a new lap desk for the car.

The first official use of the desk....writing a letter to Santa on our way home yesterday!

Thanks to Ellen and her hub for a great weekend and a wonderful gift! Both will be well used and loved!

Copycat Meme

Ellen and Kate at Chronicles of a Country Girl have this meme on their sites and I loved it so I will play along too!

1. Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider? Definitely hot chocolate or as Fly Boy and Ellen's hub would say hot chauwcolate (northern NJ accents).

2. Turkey or Ham? Love turkey but Christmas dinner needs to be beef.

3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it yourself Christmas tree? We do fake as I am highly allergic to pine. We do go to the local tree farm to enjoy the festivities.

4. Decorations on the outside of your house? Lighted wreaths and a blow up of Santa flying a helicopter. Would you expect anything else?

5. Snowball fights or sledding? Sledding

6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping? We do not have a downtown for shopping and I hate the mall but I do try to shop with the vendors in town.

7. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night

8. How do you feel about Christmas movies? Love to watch them and our family favorite is Miracle on 34th Street. It has to be the original one with Natalie Woods.

9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music? Before the decorations go up in our house....Thanksgiving weekend.

10. Stockings before or after presents? After...we used to do them on Christmas Eve but with JBM that cannot be done any more.

11. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them? We do not have any in our area...they would get killed trying to maneuver our road.

12. Go to someone else's house or they come to you? We have Christmas Eve at our house and go to my Brother's on Christmas Day.

13. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so, when? We read both the Christmas Story and the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve.

14. What do you do after presents and dinner? Get in the car and head to the OBX for the rest of the week.

15. What is your favorite holiday smell? Cookies baking.

16. Ice skating or walking around the mall? Always prefer to be outside!

17. Do you open present or presents on Christmas Eve or wait until Christmas Day? Christmas Eve with my extended family and Christmas Day with our little family.

18. Favorite Christmas memory? The first year that JBM took piano lessons, he learned Silent Night for the Christmas recital and it made FlyBoy cry......I love it.

19. Favorite part about winter? Playing in the snow with JBM and then having hot chocolate in front of the fire when we are done.

20. Every been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes. The one kiss I miss the most is the one from my Dad.

Let's keep playing!

"I don't want to go to school, Mom."

I know we have all either said this to our parents or heard it from our kids over time. Up until this week, I had never once heard it from JBM. These words came out of his mouth on Monday morning and I was shocked! Fourth grade has been challenging. While the work load is not much different, the teacher is...... We went from warm and caring with lots of re-enforcement to aloof and no re-enforcement at all! The other night, I walked into JBM's room to check in while he was doing his homework and found him crying. Just rip my heart out on the spot!

So what do FlyBoy and I see as a result.....self-confidence is plummeting and the desire to do those things he loves outside of school (hockey and piano) are being self questioned as he thinks he no longer has time....excuse me? As a nine year old child, should JBM be soul searching the rest of his life and giving up what he loves? I don't think so.

School conferences are this week and somewhat to my relief, I am hearing similar things from other parents in the classroom. I guess I feel comfort in numbers and we have all decided we need to say something to both the teacher and the administration. Being a member of the school staff, I have to be careful what I say and how I say it. Hmmmm...maybe I need to leave that up to FlyBoy.

We all remember those one or two teachers we loved and hated for the rest of our lives. Guess JBM is starting his list....

As always, thanks for listening...I feel better now.

On Line Education

As I mentioned in my prior posting, I started an online class two days ago. Similar to college, I started the class with an assignment that was due for that class that had been posted one hour prior to the class.....HUH? As an adult, I have other things going on in my life and surprises like this are not always easy to manage.

So here is what I think of on-line education so far:

1. Students need a primer before the class starts on the teachers expectations.
2. How are we supposed to know what criteria to choose for posting and what our role is in the on-line application we are using (student was not one of the options)?
3. It is always comforting to know that you are not the most technically challenged in the class.
4. Nurses are technology challenged in general and like to complain about it to anyone who will listen!
5. I had the role of Help Desk geek during class the other night as I was one of two participants who had logged in ahead of time and palyed around with the application.
6. Attending class through a chat room is weird and un-natural.....but the reality of our life today.
7. I need a new computer.....my computer could not handle a podcast, powerpoint presentation and a chat room all at the same time.....Santa, are you listening?!

Now I have homework to do that is due in three hours.....not going to happen.

Happy Friday!

A new first...

Hey all....I am back. Don't know how often but I could not stand the guilt I felt by looking at the date of my last post and the sideways pickles one more minute!

Anyhow, I am starting an online class tonight at a university in Seattle. I have never been to school on-line before nor have I ever attended a university in Seattle before. It is a review course of a national certification for school nurses. Several of my friends have asked me why I am taking the course and taking the four hour exam. Passing the exam does not earn me any more money or distinction. This is one of those things that I am doing just for me. Studying the ins and outs of school nursing will improve my skills and knowledge in many ways and that will make me a better care taker for the kids at school. Maybe some day the certification will also mean more money.....but until then, it is just for me!

Another new first, I have been asked to present at a national conference. I applied to be a trainer for Managing Asthma Triggers and was accepted! If the school district approves my attendance, I will be headed to Washington DC in January. Not the best time of year but I see this as a great opportunity to stretch my skills.

Finally, my boss is going away this weekend to New Orleans and has asked me to step in as her sub on an elementary school level. She has never asked me before. If she thinks she is grooming me to take her place.....NOT!

Now if I could just find the time to download some awesome pictures from my life in the past three months, I can get this whole blog thing started again.

Pickles

We finally had a weekend at home with no commitments and no work to get in the way. So what did that mean for Nurse Nancy....pickles! We have harvested seven picling cucumbers so far. Made the brine (thanks to Ellen for the recipe), bought the dill and garlic and here they sit in the jar waiting to be consummed. I will let you know what my critics think!

Sorry for the sideways photo and "crick in your neck." I cannot figure out how to fix it.....

4 Weeks Down and 2 to Go.....

I hope....this has been a long summer for me. It is in my nature to go until I collapse from exhaustion. Having knee surgery has slowed me down and limited me far more than I thought it would. Recovery is going well and I am now crutch free....I am starting mile walks this week and taking the dog (poor Hope won't know what hit her). Hopefully, by the time we go on vacation, I will be ready for longer distances and even some running. I never thought I would miss running but I do....

I think (I know) that when I run I feel entitled to eat more ice cream....haven't had any since my visit with Ellen. Boy do I miss ice cream and Ellen, of course.

On a side note, it is comforting to know that even my sadistic physical therapist is human. He torn his medial meniscus last week getting off a treadmill and will be rehabing along side me within the next week. Guess I can show him a thing or two.....

Happy Monday.

Vegetable Choices

As promised, we have cooked and consummed our first harvest. Normally, I would assist in making the choices of seeds but this year, JBM decided he would buy them himself with FlyBoy. The results....about half way through consumming the sugar snap peas, JBM asked me if he needed to finish them. Of course, I said yes......and waited for the second half of the conversation...... "Mom, you know I love peas...but I don't love these." Oh well, we learn as we go. Moral of the story, next year, I will be present for the purchase of the seeds....and we will stick with frozen peas for now.

First Harvest

JBM and I came home after a week to find that some of our crops were ready for harvest. The extreme heat of the week had taken a toll on the pea plants but the harvest was OK. The burgundy beans look as if they will be plentiful this year. Here is a photo of our lovely treats! By the time you read this, we will have cooked and eaten all of them and will be looking to pick more.

By the way....I was right that the first harvest was before 7/15......I will try not to gloat too much :)

The tomatoes are huge and look like they are going to be plentiful. I think the plants have topped five feet in height! Any bigger and I will be picking them off a ladder! But I heard a story on NPR that the blight from last year is back....I hope not!

Surgery

Just had knee surgery last week. Arthroscopic and thankfully somewhat minor. What have I learned? It is really hard for me to slow down and ask ANYONE for help (including my own family). And with modern day medicine, there is no babying yourself anymore. PT started two days post op...it hurt but I worked hard and felt som much better! Six weeks before I can start running again....I cannot wait.

They Grow Up Fast

I can hardly believe that JBM has just completed the third grade. While our lives have changed so much in the past nine years, we would not trade the parenting experience for anything in the world. Each day, something happens or is said that makes us laugh..maybe cry...and always swell with pride. I could do without being corrected every five minutes....and I know it will only get worse.

The first photo was taken the first day of school and the second on the last day of school. Subtle though it may seem...I think he grew up a lot over the course of the school year. Always fun to compare....now these photos will go into the scrapbook I started in Pre-K. First day, last day and class picture each year. I hope it will be a cherished memory for all of us some day.

Signs of things to come....

The vegetables are maturing and beginning to flower. A sign of things to come. We cannot wait.... The photo on the left is the flower on top of one of the pea plants and the one of the right is the first flower from the tomato plants.

We hope for many good harvests....I am being told that the first cannot occur before 7/16 according to the package of seeds. I think it will be sooner.

Summer is here!

Yesterday was the last day for the kids and today is the last day for me! Yahoo! Happy Summer everyone.....

Garden Update

Well...it has been a bit over a month since my last post and the garden is planted. We have had an ideal Spring for planting. Perfect temps, just enough rain and lots of sunshine. And, as you can see, all those factors combined with JBM's hard work have paid off. We will soon be harvesting peas, tomatoes and burgundy beans...and soon after that German yellow beans and cucumbers. YUM!

The Process Begins

JBM could not wait another moment and neither could I.....the weather was predicted to be warmer and it was scheduled to rain. So we came home and decided to start planting. So the sugar snaps peas are in and the tomato seedlings are too. In another week or so, we will add the cucumbers, the burgundy beans and some special German yellow beans from TSAnnie. We hope we did not take too big a chance.....

To play or not to play......

Woke this morning and it is drizzling, foggy and cold. FlyBoy thinks that it is OK to play baseball in this weather....for eight year old boys to play baseball in this weather. It is not like they are making millions a year like the major leaguers...and he obviously does not have to deal with the kids who come down with colds from playing in the cold and wet..... I think our only saving grace would be for all the games to be canceled. I can only hope and ask the coach to "get a clue!" If only I was not married to him :)

We are ready.....

......but the weather is not. JBM is so anxious to get out and plant seedlings and seeds in our raised vegetable bed. We have decided to keep the crop simple this year: tomatoes, cucumbers, sugar snap peas and burgundy beans. We worked diligently on Sunday to turn the soil, add some manure and fertilizer and plan out what goes where. Now if only the temperatures would cooperate...temps of 25-29 at night are not exactly planting weather!

Southern Living

There is something very special about southern living. The people are warm and friendly and life is a bit less frenzied. I have had two experiences this week that I wish I could say happen to me in the Norhteast.
First, I was in the local Home Depot looking for some mulch. A gentleman on a fork lift saw me reading signs, stopped and asked if he could help me. While the product I was looking for was sold out, he recommended a similar product (which was cheaper), loaded it on a flatbed cart for me and loaded it into my car. Would that happen in my local community? Pardon me while I laugh and cry at the same time.
The next day, I was in the grocery store shopping for wine. Don't get me started on how much I love buying wine in the grocery store. I was looking for another bottle of a wine we had the first night we were here. Another pleasant gentleman stopped what he was doing, came over the help me and went into the store room to bring out the wine I was looking for.....again, would this happen in the Northeast? I think not.
I want to live in the south and hope to have that dream come true some day.

Toy Story Revival

We are looking forward to the release of Toy Story 3. Toy Story 1 and 2 have been favorites in our house for a while. In traveling through a big box store a few weeks ago, I came across the Bucket O Soldiers.....Ellen's spawn had this same bucket and spent hours playing with them. I bought a new bucket for JBM. He has been having a ball waging war between USA and Japan (WWII) on the cocktail table and in the driveway with water pistols! Such fun...oh and the bucket has had an interesting entertainment factor as well.

Livin' the Life

We are currently away for spring break and visiting the beach! All in our family love the beach and JBM especially enjoys southern living because it means quiet time in the morning...and not having to "get up and go" first thing every day. This photo seemed to capture the moment.
Has been a great week for all so far...as you can see, Hope gets into the relaxation act too.
Do we have to come back?

Gaaaatorland

In looking back at this blog, I realized that the story of our trip to FL was never completed. Guess the brain was waterlogged by the rain storms in March. So now is the time to complete the adventure.

The last day of the trip, JBM, FlyBoy and Ellen's hub made the exciting trek to Gatorland. This was the one place that Ellen's hub did not want to miss as it was featured to be a "slice of old world Florida." Well, since I did not go, I had to rely on the word of the boys. Two thirds of the troop thought it was thrilling...the other one third? Let's just say, if you have seen one gator you have seen Gatorland? Anyhow, it was enjoyable to live vicariously through the experience.

First, Ellen and I enjoyed the stories from JBM and Ellen's hub. They were thrilled at the sight, size and number of gators. They enjoyed the "jumping" show and also had the chance to feed the alligators. Then there were the text messages from FlyBoy. Don't get me wrong, he had fun too but was done with the experience a little sooner than the others....each text message had a few more "a" in the word Gator.

The visit to Gaaaaaatorland seemed like appropraite way to end a vacation that started with a day at the Daytona 500. Can you say "redneck"?

Waiting......

Every morning before school, JBM and Hope hang out together and wait for the High School bus to stop across the street. This morning, Hope decided that JBM made the best pillow going. Truly a peaceful moment.....a dog and his boy.

Happy Tuesday.

My Two Geeks

Dateline did a special last evening of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13. Needless to say, my two men were glued to the TV for the full hour.....not a word was spoken, except during commercials and this was the position for the full hour.

A priceless moment...enjoyed by me and captured forever.

Really?!

A little more than a week after having 8-10 inches of rain over 36 hours, there is a Fire Weather Advisory posted for our area for today. This means that conditions are ideal for a brush fire. Really? I still cannot walk in portions of my back yard for fear of sinking into a wet murky puddle..... I guess if a fire breaks out, it would go out fast!

On a happy note, it is going to be 85 here today! Woo hoo!

We are back!

After being off for three days due to the storm over the weekend, we are back today..... It is like we never left. Two hours into the school day, the door has not stopped opening. I think we have many cases of post traumatic stress disorder. I feel for everyone in our community. This has not been easy for anyone. Hope it gets better with each passing day.

40 Bag Update

With a big storm this past weekend and a few unexpected days off, Nurse Nancy has taken full advantage..... This was the weekend I had planned to clean the basement. The weather had other plans and I spent part of the weekend cleaning water out of the basement. Once the first job was completed, I moved on to the second. The results:

10 more bags of garbage
One trip to Goodwill (with the back of the truck completely filled)
A bag of baby clothes for a friend (was JBM ever that small?)
.....and a dead end.

The rest of the "stuff" that needs to sorted and evaluated belongs to FlyBoy. I think I will be old, gray and crippled by the time he gets around to it....sigh.

KSC

If anyone asked JBM what we were doing for February break, his answer was "Going to Kennedy Space Center." So, of course, our trip would not have been complete without a visit to KSC. What a fun day.....included a briefing on the current mission, lunch with an astronaut and a tour of both my childhood and JBM's present space life. I do not think anyone can appreciate how primitive our space program was and how brave early astronauts were until you see up close what surrounded them in space. We also realized how far we have come and how far we have to go.
On a side note, JBM walked up to our tour guide at the first photo stop and told him that he planned to be the first astronaut to walk on Mars. He is about the right age...

The Disney Cure

I have blogged in the past about JBM's "need for speed." Well, Disney had the temporary cure for this...or maybe it made matters worse?! Here we are at the Tommorrowland Speedway. First he was happy to let me drive...but that did not last long. Do you think I can limit his teen driving years to an annual trip to Disney and a few passes around the track? I can dream can't I... :)

At one with Nature......

While waiting out our reservation for dinner at Epcot, we enjoyed the warm weather and the seating around a nearby fountain. Also enjoying the fountain was a mallard duck couple. What was most interesting to us was that they did not seem to be begging for food and were not the least bit concerned about the people around them. It was fun to watch....in addition, as we strolled through Epcot, Flyboy noticed a mature bald eagle flying above us. It could not have been more the 100 feet in the air. Too beautiful!

Test Track

Yesterday, I talked about Epcot Center and some of the fun things we did. Top of the list for JBM was Test Track. For those of you who have not had this experience, it is an exhibit sponsored by GM where the rider is taken through the experience of test driving a new car before it is sent to the showroom. The most exciting part of the ride is the speed component where the rider is taken up to 65 miles per hour before the brakes are abruptly applied. Based upon the photo above, I think it is safe to assume that JBM had a good time.

p.s. The arm in the photo belonged to me. Good time? Not so much but the ride was short and sweet so I survived.

Vacation Day 2 - Epcot Center

Our second day was the warmest day of the week and we jumped at the chance to wear shorts in February. It felt so good even though we did need jackets.
I had not been to Disney in over 22 years and JBM had never been there at all. I was not sure if I was more excited to be back or to have the experience with JBM.
So what had changed? New exhibits, new experiences and still all good things. Loved Test Track, Mission Space and Soarin' Although I have to admit I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to rides so the exhibits mentioned were the outside edge of my comfort realm and well worth it.
We dined in Germany. JBM's Oma was one of the best German ladies I ever met and a great cook. Flyboy and I really loved the Rouladen (beef dish) and both thought it tasted just like Oma's did. Have not had anything that good in 10 years!

Vacation Pics and Stories Part 1 - Daytona 500

Where to begin......our trip to FL was so wonderful and I do believe that JBM had the time of his life.
Day 1 - The Daytona 500
The day before we left, I had a casual conversation with a friend who within an hour called me with tickets to the race! Have I ever told you that JBM has this wonderful aura about him and nice things happen in his life? We live by the "do unto others" philosophy and it works!
Based upon the pictures shown (race in progress, JBM, and JBM with Ellen's hub)....I think a nice time was had by all (despite the pot hole delays)....and Dale almost won!
Ellen and I had a lovely day shopping and lunching like two proper ladies.....(please don't laugh too loud).
I am not sure why these pics show up the way they do and I do not seem to be able to move them around....guess I have more learning to do about blogging (SIGH).

Volunteer Work

I know that many of you have done more volunteer work in your lives than I have in mine. We do volunteer work for the satisfaction but do you also find it frustrating? For the past three years, I have been actively involved in the PTA. The first two years I was co-chair for the membership committee and this year I am co-chair on a committee to raise money for the library to help acquire more books.
The first two years were great! I had a partner who taught me the ropes and stepped back and let me learn. This was wonderful. She stepped back in when family issues pulled me away and we worked seemlessly together. This year is a whole different story. My partner should be in charge, she should be teaching me and she should be leading the process. NOT! I have essentially been stuck with everything....and am frustrated to the point that I have decided not to serve the second year.
Why do people volunteer when they are not prepared to fulfill a commitment?
Thanks for listenting....I feel better now.

13 Bags and Counting

Yes, I kow I promised vacation pictures and have yet to deliver....however, I thought a quick update on the 40 bags in 40 days was warranted. Last Friday, it snowed and we were home all day.....very nice. Spent it going through old financial papers, purging checkbooks from dead accounts and organizing some of my own stuff for a change. Resulted in three more bags to throw out or shred! My desk is a beautiful sight both inside and out. JBM has more stuff to shred (thrilling for him)! My boys are so proud of me....lets see how long it lasts (the clean desk I mean, not the pride). Happy Wednesday and I PROMISE vacation pics are coming soon!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my oldest brother's 60th birthday! Had a nice family dinner last night and good cake was enjoyed by all!

Happy Birthday Bro!

Happy Valentines Day

By the time you read this, I will hopefully be in sunny FL with JBM, FlyBoy, Ellen and her hub. This trip has been in the planning for two years and the highlight will be our visit to Kennedy Space Center.

Enjoy a week without me and we will have lots of photos to share when we get back.

Happy Valentines Day.....spend it with those you love and savor every moment!

Peaceful Snowday?

What I hoped would be a peaceful snow day at home turned out to be anything but.....the phone rang and it was my brother who lives with Mom. She fell in the hallway and hit her head in two places and was on her way to the ER. I met them there and was immediately struck by how large the lump was on her head. After CT scan and full body Xrays, the report was good and she was sent home. All turned out well but the anxiety took some time to dissipate. Did I mention that it really stinks to get old? In more ways than one....I don't like seeing my mother age and I don't enjoy the role change to being her caretaker. But the alternative would be much worse.....

Hoping for a Snow Day

Snow is in the forecast for today...our custodian has predicted no school. I hope that he is right and that as your read this I am at home..dreaming about warmer places, paying bills, organizing my life (be it temporary) and just enjoying a little down time.

Happy Wednesday!

Challenge from JBM

Later this week, we head to sunny FL for a nice week with Ellen and her hub. Over the weekend, JBM heard me speaking with Ellen about playing tennis. The plan was for Ellen to play FlyBoy. I do not play FlyBoy because I have too many permanent scars and bruises from my attempts in the past. Anyhow, within the hour, I heard loud bangs from the playroom and a few times the walls were shaking! FlyBoy ventured downstairs to check on the cause....JBM was practicing his tennis swing. His exact words..."I am practicing tennis Dad. I am in training and next week when I play against you...you are going DOWN!"
I promise to provide an update on the tennis match after vacation :)

10 Bags and Counting

As of this weekend, we are 10 bags into the 40 bag total. This weekend, JBM and I focused on purging toys and other sporting equipment that he no longer needed, "its broken," "missing a part," or "just too old to play with any more." This last one was hard for me to accept.
All the wonderful trucks have been put in large storage bins and JBM looks forward to playing with them with his own children some day. Since nothing had lights or power, they are great toys that are ageless.
I have to say that JBM is a great decision maker and his playroom looks wonderful. We are down to a massive collection of City Legos and two boxes of Kinex. FlyBoy and I love to see what the creative juices produce.....currently, we have several military vehicles engaged in battle.
What a great feeling it is to simplify and purge. We have decided that when we get to 40 bags, we are going to make a monetary financial donation to a good cause. The discussion of what that cause is has already started....we ruled out "JBMs toy fund" and "new shoes for Nurse Nancy." Oh well!
Happy Monday!

Back in School

I was truly hoping that as JBM got older, I would have more time in the evening. NOT! As of last night, I have decided that I am back in elementary school....the only difference, this time I know what is coming. YES, YES, I know it will only get worse and the issues will only get bigger but, if it is even possible, I have less time now than I did when JBM was a baby and he needed me 24 hours a day.

I also thought that if I was ever going to go back to school, it would be for something fun like interior design.....not basic math, spelling and writing. But you know what? I would not trade this time for anything since I know it is fleeting and we are stuck together for an hour (sometimes more) every day....homework usually ends with some nice conversation. That is the best part.

Wolf Moon 2010

Friday evening was a Wolf Moon - the moon was full, it appeared larger than normal and due to the clear weather in the Northeast (my home region of the country), I felt like I could reach out and put my hand in the craters. In addition, directly to the left of the moon was a pink star which JBM announced was not a star but the planet Mars. Mom stands corrected!

Despite the bitter cold weather....there were many trips to the back deck with cameras and many attempts to take photos....none as good as TSAnnie and the one at the top of this post was not one of them.

It was fun to try and the sight was beautiful....but it did keep me up for most of the night! I am one of those fortunate souls that is impacted by the full moon....and all the other thoughts racing through my head!

Happy Monday!

Sarcastic Technology?

One of the treats that Santa brought us this year was a Wii and he brought Mom Wii Fit Plus. Once we found the time to set it up, it was time to hunker down and get busy working out. I never thought that sarcasm would be part of the process but I have had a few sarcastic comments from the my virtual trainer this week.....

First, every other day, she asks me to do a "body test." This involves a combination of balance and memory testing. While the memory testing is not an issue, balance is. Ask FlyBoy, he tells me that I am the only person he knows that has the unique talent of tripping "up" a flight of stairs vs. down the stairs. So I guess my center of gravity is a bit off.

Second, I skipped one day this week because there were just not enough hours in the day. The next day, I recieved this wonderful message..."Not enough time to work out yesterday? You need to pace yourself and make this time." I think I need to change the trainer from the female to the male. At least the sexy voice would make me feel better about my indiscretions.

FlyBoy is throughly entertained by my being scolded by a machine! Just wait until he starts.........

They survived!

As you can see from this photo...a good time was had by all. This is at the end of day two in one of FlyBoy's favorite places, The Hatchery in Ludlow, VT.

Two days of skiing....JBM found kids to hang with at the lodge....and a nice steak dinner. What could be better?!

FlyBoy"s observations of the weekend......"JBM is me all the way." A proud Papa and a bit scared at the thought.

When I asked JBM who he missed the most being away from home? I was fourth on the list. Guess I better get used to it. The list was this.....Hope (the dog), Doggie (favorite friend that he decided to leave home), Bear (second favorite friend that he left home) and Mom.

Happy Monday!

p.s. Bag update on the 40 in 40.....2 this weekend. One was garbage as I sorted through a file of recipes I hoped to make some day and got rid of those that are unlikely and also started cleaning out my personal file cabinet. Second bag/box, recipe books that I have not touched or used in over five years.

Quiet Time

I am spending this weekend at home alone....well, not quite alone as our lovely Hope will be my trusty companion. In some ways, I am looking forward to it and in others, I will miss my boys.

Plans? I am having lunch with a friend that I email everyday but have not seen in about 6 months. She works in my home town and lives about 25 miles from me but our lives keep us in opposite directions. She has two girls who play soccer, basketball and are involved in school plays and I have JBM with his various activities. It will be nice to catch up.

I also have a few chick flicks to watch that I borrowed from Ellen months ago. Glass of wine, comfy blanket and the pup. Sounds good to me.

Happy Friday!

Confirmed but not down for the count....

So the concussion was confirmed and the conclusion is that things are better already and will improve with each passing day. We are glad for this....

On a side note, this event will not keep FlyBoy down as he is taking JBM skiing this weekend. The only reason our doc is letting him go is because he is going with JBM and assumes that he will "take it easy." Obviously, our doctor does not know what putting FlyBoy, JBM and fresh snow together means....... Guess I have to pray a lot!

Sports Injury...

FlyBoy is the assistant coach for JBM's hockey team. This means that he is on the ice twice a week for practice and for a game. Last week, FlyBoy was moving away from a player to avoid hitting him and said player moved in the same direction. The resulting event was the two collided! FlyBoy took the worse of the event, fell straight back and clocked his head on the ice. Thank goodness for helmets.....however, we are convinced that he did suffer a slight concussion. He had a headache for two days, has been more sleepy than usual and is having difficulty attending to activities (like driving)! After much prodding and discussion, he will see the doctor and we will go on from there.

We had gone more than a year without any kind of sports injury..... I guess being a good parent involves a few bruises along the way :)

40 Bags in 40 Days

Ellen put an interesting concept on her blog last week. We chatted about it the next day and I decided to be in her court. I do not have time to do 40 bags in 40 days but am making the same commitment she is which is 40 bags by Summer. The photo above is the start.

Having a rare weekend with no commitments, I started cleaning. The four garbage bags are the result of a kitchen cleaning. In addition, I filled two bags with canned goods. One for church and one for school (collecting canned goods for the needy). I sent a box of unwanted kitchen items to the Senior Center for their next tag sale, the first of many bags of clothing to Goodwill, and another bag of outgrown toys to JBM's piano teacher. She has two boys and they love JBM's cast offs and he loves passing them on.

This feels good.

On a side note, JBM and FlyBoy ventured to Long Island yesterday for an Islanders/Devils game. The Devils lost and JBM cried. The passion for sports runs deep.

The Winds of Change

Two weeks into 2010 and life is making some changes that I am not ready for.....no one is sick and life is going along pretty well but JBM has decided a few things need to change.

First, he has decided that he no longer requires my help in waking up in the morning. He has an alarm clock for that. What?! This is one of my favorite times of the day. We had a whole routine that included Ms. Hope as the alarm clock. She is looking very bewildered as well.

Second, JBM had decided that once the light goes out in his room at night, he no longer needs Mom or Dad to "hang with him for one minute." That one minute always turned into 10-15 and included nice conversation about school, friends and what might be bothering him. When will we get these conversations in now? Before school and after school in the car are designated "down times." I sense there is a brooding teenager just around the corner.

Oh...and we do need to work on the alarm clock piece too. He set it for 5:45AM yesterday. I was not even up yet....and since it only takes him 10 minutes to get ready, he had WAY to much free time on his hands before school. Free time for him, sends my routine off in a big way. Maybe that is why I have been completely out of sorts this week?

Vacation

Just returning from the December Break (cannot call it Christmas break as we must be politically correct), I am reflecting on our vacation. After the craziness of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we retreated to the serenity of the Outer Banks of NC. It is my favorite time of year to at the beach. The crowds are gone, most of the souvenier shops are closed and we are left with the elegant restaurants and businesses that are open year round. The biggest disappointment this year....my favorite coffee shop was closed. In the 12 years we have been going to the Outer Banks....this shop has never been closed. What am I going to do? I placed an order on line for the best coffee ever but have not gotten a response yet....this may be the worst crisis of my life so far this year! (and I hope the only one)

On another note....I admitted to TSAnnie this morning that I did not take a single photo! Does that make me a bad Mom, sister, daughter, spouse....if so, oh well!