Olympaholics unite!

I have something to confess........ I'm addicted to the Olympics.  It doesn't matter what sport, I am glued to the TV, on the edge of my seat, with a hanky clutched in my hand.  My heart swells with pride for our nation and all of the athletes competing.  Hearing the Star Spangled Banner leaves me in tears, as I also point out to my children that if they are ever on a podium they should cry. It's guaranteed camera time, and it makes those of us at home cry too.  I love the emotional drama, and the superhuman efforts that the Olympics create.  The Olympics are fickle at best.  It is a place where the greats are rewarded and humbled, and where the meek can surprise and surge to stardom.  Although the networks try, this type of atmosphere cannot be scripted.  The human spirit at it's best and worst.  I love to sit there and point out to my children how many times 'hard work' is mentioned.  It is pretty easy to pick out the divas and the athletes who put their head down and get to work, and just like life sometimes the hard worker doesn't win.  Sometimes, the hardest worker has to go home and work harder, his goal to return and be worthy of that medal.  That is the moment I love!  That special moment when everything works as it should.  When hard work pays off, when the moment is perfect, and everyone in that gym or auditorium can feel it too!  We cheer, because for a few moments the world feels right, the good guy won.  On the other hand, there are times when the good guy doesn't get the gold.  That moment when they smile that brittle smile for the camera, say the 'correct' things, and then find that silent place under the bleachers and deal with heartbreak.  We feel for these individuals, for have we all not experienced heartache or failure?  It connects us, touches us.  I will say it again!  I love the Olympics!  I'm grateful for beautiful and touching stories that remind us that each of us are human.  We all have hopes and dreams. I love this quote from President Uchtdorf......

" The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine."

May Day! or is it MAYDAY!

We could celebrate the end of cold winter nights with flowers and a good ol' fashioned Irish bonfire, or we could go scream into our pillows that this is May, possibly the second busiest month of the year (December is still queen).  Everybody who is anybody holds a recital this month, and yes group lessons and practices are mandatory.  Not to be outdone, all sports are required to hold at least one major tournament this month. The apple of every parent's eye is graduating.  That means lots of gifts to buy and BBQ to attend.  If we are lucky, we could have two or three on the same day as the soccer tournament and piano recital, but only if we are lucky!  Oh!  and tests!  How could I forget the agony of semester exams and the emotional trauma involved during that week! Then there is the poor kid with the birthday in May (sorry Marla!).  I'm not their birthday is really even allowed to happen, unless, they are graduating and then we can roll it all into one big event!  Then to top off all the craziness, we celebrate Mothers!  Forget breakfast in bed, these poor creatures will barley survive the month.  Watch and document closely their sad demise from a confident and capable human being to a quivering mass of hysteria by months end. 

So good luck to all!  The countdown to Summer begins now!  May we all survive and meet on the other side in June! 

Gotta love the crazy Target mom.  She is so inspirational!

Making the grade.......................

Springtime brings flowers, sunshine, and the high pitched wailing of little elementary school students. Seriously!  These poor kids are so wound up for the state tests, that they are nervous little wrecks the night before.  I found Tabby in a heap of tears on my bed, she didn't think she could pass her tests!  Really!!!!?????  I'm all for showing what you know, and the rational side of me knows that we need some kind of standard as to measuring school performance and ranking.  BUT, and it's a big one, do we really need to focus two complete weeks on testing?  Do we need to teach to these tests exclusively?  Do we need to drill mercilessly into the minds of these kids that all their educational dreams are riding on this test every year?  I think I'm going to start looking around and research a bit, as I really want to know what makes a good student, school, teacher, etc.  I have some ideas, with the ability to work hard being at the top!  This world is tough, competitive, and (at times) harsh, I hope to give my kids the things they need to survive.  I believe I will start with coping skills for surviving testing mania.

 

Throwing traps off a cliff..........

This year I don't have to make a leprechaun trap!  Woohoo!  I loathe those traps.  Well, I do get to use extravagant amounts of glitter and that makes me happy.  Beyond that fun diversion, I detest this project.  Forcing people to be creative is just wrong,  AND it is just another holiday character to impersonate.  I've told my kids that leprechauns hang out at schools and sunny meadows with rainbows, and that said meadows are usually in Ireland.  So far that is working for me.  I have not had to hide any gold coins or turn any chairs upside down in delighted mischief.  Although, Tabitha mentioned the other day that she wanted to make a family leprechaun trap. GASP! Maybe I can distract with the movie 'Darby O'Gill and the Little People.'

I long for civility!

I love 'Downtown Abbey!'  Some may turn their noses and refer to it as nothing more than your basic soap opera, disguised in English gowns and maid uniforms.  It may indeed be just that, but it entertains me, and there is not much out there that is smart, elegant, and well written.  This past weekend, I was ill and spent the entire night of Friday on the couch watching episode after episode.  My children even enjoyed it, and were caught up in the storyline.  We actively booed the villains, cheered the heroes, and cast votes as to the characters in that gray area of moral fence sitting.  I love how the English use their language.  They have the ability to say the kindest,  meanest, sharpest, funniest, clever, spot on retort  leaving their prey wondering if they have just been complimented or if they are bleeding profusely from a word inflicted wound!  I love it!  The Dowager is the best at this game of mental fencing.  I leave you with some of her best.  Enjoy!

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

There are few things that will put me into a bad mood real quick.  My children fighting is chart topper, along with having to fix a car or an appliance.  Right at the top of that list is the wind.  I am not a fan!  Today, in the great Land of Enchantment, we are in for a very windy day.  One knows it will be awful when the wind speeds are up to around 40mph before ten in the morning!  Ugh!  It grates on my nerves!  There are many beauties to behold in the southwest, unfortunately, Springtime is not one of them!  Today I will be holding onto my hat, my car, Molly and Tabby's backpacks, and the occasional door.  Hopefully I will find myself on the right side of the rainbow tomorrow!

Moving Out

Well it is official. We are out of the house now. Emily has been working her tail off in order to get things ready and to do be honest that is quite a task with the two boys. It was sad to spend the last night in our home. We spent a lot of fun times there and if it were not for the future I might even dwell on it. We are really excited about moving up to Logan. I am excited to finally after all of these years start my real job. Even today I am getting run down at being a resident. I have learned a lot and look forward to showing how much I really did not learn.