The Snowbirds are BACK!

Thank God! The snowbirds are back for the summer. Ever year, their stay in Florida gets a little bit longer. I can't say that I blame them....it is absolutely heaven down there. You can thank them for the hail and cold weather at the beginning of the week. Someone heard them complaining that it was TOO HOT in Florida. Not a lot of sympathy here. It does feel good to have them in the same state again and within hugging distance. Mom always takes the day to do fieldtrips with the boys. Konnor is excited to have her going this year. He said it's because "grandma doesn't want him to get lost." How cute?! They are going on a Nature trip to Camp Michindo. Who better to take than the Master Gardener herself. She also helps me with drop-offs and pick-ups during track and field days. Did I mention that I have to start work at 7AM on those two days? Who's brilliant idea was Track and Field days anyways?! The Art teacher started the tie-dye tshirt project with the kids this week....that means next week during gym we get to take off rubberbands and spray down shirts....oh joy! This year he is taking the shirts to the laundry mat so that means I won't have to take them home to "set" them in my washer this year. Well, got to get moving....it seems Konnor and I are taking longer to get around these days. Couldn't be that we have been practicing for 150 days. Still don't have it perfected.

25 1/2 days and counting!

This was the only pissy picture I could find, on short notice, to go along with this blog!! Frustrated...competitive...aggressive...where did these personality traits come from and where were they all my life?!

I know that all of you poor friends and family that have to work your fingers to the bone the "whole year" aren't going to like this post, so you might as well exit out now before I tick you off. For the love of God....when will this school year end. I keep trying to focus on the fact that the end is quickly approaching, but the kids are making that goal nearly impossible to attain. They are NUTS!! It is almost like they have started break already and we are there getting in their way. Honestly, I don't think they can remember any of the rules or procedures we have worked all year on. They are on BREAK! Unfortunately, the busiest time of the year is approaching for me too. I am getting ready for the the 6th annual Camden Frontier vs. Hillsdale track and field day. This is a huge undertaking! So here the kids are hardly putting any effort in and I am having to bust my "arse" (love it Kandi!). What is up with that?! Maybe I should put in the same amount of effort as they are and cancel the whole event. Oh, you know I won't, but that empty threat makes me feel better. Gotta go get ready for work.....Yippee!

It's just a sprain!

Thank you to all that said a little prayer for Konnor's ankle. It is just a sprain. He will start physical therapy on Thursday because it has been hurting for so long. Dr. Herbener doesn't want it to develop into a chronic pain. Yeah!!

I took him to the HS trainer after school to get it taped before our soccer scrimmage tonight.... I thought he would think it was really cool being just like the football players. NOT, backfired and he had it wrapped maybe 30 minutes. Sorry Jen! On the positive side, he played like a dog again. He is really starting to get "game" smarts.

Get ready for Track and Field days at Gier. Seems like it comes on way too fast. I still have a lot to get organized before May 24th and May 25th. We are practicing daily in hopes of beating Camden Frontier this year. It is usually split, but last year they won both. Well, got to get a movin'. Have a great day.

A 1st place in Shot!

Kirk threw his career best last night against Maple Valley. He is still trying to perfect the "spin" technique, but is getting better with each meet. He placed first in Shot....the only problem is that K2, Kraig, and I worked the event, and hence the picture from Albion again because we forget to take the camera. I will make sure to get some new shots on Friday even though we will be working the event again.

Konnor is "patiently" waiting for his x-ray results today. Did I actually use patiently and Konnor in the same sentence....what is this world coming to?! I am hoping it is just a sprain. He is doing so well in soccer right now, I would hate for that to end. I will post results later. He may have to sit out tonight at our soccer scrimmage. Boy will that be a bummer?!

Coach another sport? Are you crazy?!

Yep, that would be me! Crazy...certifiable...lunatic....nutty...out of my mind...I think that just about completely describes my personality. We were going to move Konnor up in baseball this year because skill wise he's probably is ready. However, after giving it some more thought, we decided to do one more year of coach pitch. We would hate to set him up for failure and frustration when we don't really have to. So....that's the reason for the beginning statements....I'm co-coaching Coach Pitch baseball yet again this year. Didn't I get on a soap box at the end of last year and say the I AM NOT GOING TO COACH ANOTHER BASEBALL TEAM! Well, I guess I'll have to step down from the box for yet another season. Hope to see you at the baseball field this summer.

Saturday means soccer

Konnor had another soccer game this weekend. Our team won 6-5 and was a very intense game. The boys have really played well this season. They are working hard and are starting to "think" about strategy instead of chasing the ball around the field. I took Konnor to our friend who is a trainer at the college. He had stepped on a tennis ball 2 weeks ago in gym and has been complaining about this ankle since then. Dave wants it to be xrayed on Monday. He thinks he may have a fracture in his growth plate. The thought of Konnor in a cast makes me shiver. He will not be in a good mood at all. Hopefully we will find out that it is just sprained and needs some rest. Keep your fingers crossed.

Kraig had his first tryout for baseball. He said it went fine. He has another one next Saturday and then he will probably be starting practice soon after. Kirk3 has baseball practice from 2:30-4:30 and open gym for basketball from 6-8. He wonders why he needs to use his time wisely???? Why homework? Tomorrow is another home track meet. Hope he gets to run again.

Hope you had a nice weekend!

I just want to impress you Dad!

Who would have ever thought that a 14 year old could put so much pressure on himself. Kirk told his dad last night, " I just want to impress you dad." WOW. What a powerful statement. Kirk2 responded that he didn't need to impress him, he just needed to do his best and try his hardest. So much emotion in this picture taken Monday night at Albion. Tonight is Davis Relays and Kirk2 and I are working the shot put. I know this sounds a little unfair to all the other shot putters, but I promise we won't cheat. K3 will be just throwing tonight, no running. With so many teams at the Relays, they only let a select few run. Well, enjoy another glorious 75 degree day. I know I'm loving having gym outside. I hope it doesn't rain from now until the end of school. Can't go back into that gym! Only 30 school days left for all of you that were wondering.

Hornet Soccer

Well now days if I'm not watching one of the boys sporting events....it seems I have been hooked on watching Kayla play Varsity Soccer. Let me tell you something...if you have never watched one of these games you should. These girls are brutal. Where was this sport when I was in high school? I would have loved it if I hadn't been such a "girly" girl back then. Actually, I wasn't all that girly because I was usually bossing a 12oo pound Quarter Horse around in a show ring when I wasn't doing cheerleading. One of my only regrets from HS is that I didn't participate in a "real" sport. I think my competiveness is more intense today then it was back then though. I could really benefit from getting out on the field and kicking some butt!

What a great start to the DMS track season!

Kirk had his first track meet last night at Albion. Columbia Central was there too. He had a great start to his season. I think he was a little disappointed with his shot put throws (but his dad just changed his technique this weekend and he is still getting used to it). He did place 3rd though.

His 70 and 100 yard dash runs were awesome. It is very exciting to see him run this year. He mostly threw shot last year and only ran occasionally. Now he is running everytime. He came in 1st in his heat for the 100 and 3rd in his heat for the 70. He was dancing in the infield when he finished his 100. What an accomplishment for such a large athlete! He even had girls from Albion and Columbia Central high fiving him too. WAY TO GO KIRK!

Easter Bunny Proxy...

I know that most parents are used to the whole Easter bunny thing, but I have been fortunate enough to have a Easter Bunny Proxy for most of my boys childhood. What's that you ask? Well, the Easter Bunny was still in the South, so that left the hoopla up to Kirk and I. Before we left FL the "bunny" (aka Mary Ann and Ron) handed us the Easter baskets wrapped in bags so no one was the wiser.....what they failed to remind me of was the HUGE plastic easter egg hunt outside that goes along with the real easter egg hunt inside.

I thought I had things pretty much under control....Kirk and I decorated easter eggs with Konnor (the 2 big boys were out for the night).... I had the cookie dough ready to make cut outs....had the food I needed ready for dinner on Sunday at Grandma Abbie's....under control right?! Well, luckily Konnor said "I wonder if the Easter bunny will hide eggs at Grandma Abbie's this year?" Eggs.....EGGS.....oh yeah those plastic easter eggs that have money in them. (insert forehead slap here) Lucky for me I had two bags of them in my Easter container in the basement.... (sigh) got them stuffed and hidden in record time (30 minutes from start to finish). So all was well in Hillsdale....moral to the story....either stay in FL for Easter or that bunny better start heading North a little earlier!

Make sure you notice the Hillbilly electric fence designed to keep Chloe out of the flower beds until they grow back up (she ate most everything to the ground last summer). Gotta love her?!

Spring has sprung in Hillsdale!

There were two tell tale signs of spring in Hillsdale this weekend.....a baby mini born on Friday night to Spring (momma horse's name) and Soccer officially started on Saturday morning!

Konnor had a great game! He scored both goals for the team. Not to mention that he had probably 9 attempts on goal that didn't go in. He was all over the field...he played a very "smart" game. It was exciting for us to start off the season with a win (2-1) instead of loosing (like we did all last year). We have the same group of boys back and some of what we worked on in the fall carried over (very exciting).

Spring's baby is not even 24 hours old in this picture. She is so adorable....looks just like a little grey field mouse. She is the smallest one they have had born on the farm, but she sure is spunky. Did I already mention she is soooooo adorable.

Konnor, K2, and I had a campfire last night. Love burning the Christmas tree during the first campfire of the year. It always make such a big fire. It was a little chilly, so the big fire felt good. Konnor spent the entire time wittling a stick (with his real knife) and listening to his dad tell him about the stories of when he was a boy scout. Good thing he is too young to pick up on the off color jokes about Girl Scouts and Brownies. I sure got a good laugh from them though.

Have a great Easter! Hope the bunny was good to you.

TGITH

Kraig definitely has the right idea here! I know this title won't catch on with the public...but thank God it's Thursday because I'm whipped! I am so thankful that this was only a 4 day work week because another day would have probably killed me. My morning started off with extra time (I thought) because Konnor didn't have tutoring at 8. Well, that lasted a whole 5 minutes when Chloe saw a neighbor cat by the other garage and proceeded to chase it across the road and then to the back property. As if that wasn't a long enough chase...she decided to take us by the lake, through 5 neighbors yards, to the college baseball field, around 3 dorms, to the preschool on Hillsdale St and then finally collapsed by a dead rabbit by the arboredum. I have never been so spitting mad at that mutt in my life. Luckily we got home, changed out of our muddy school shoes, and made it to school as the bell was ringing. Needless to say, after work tonight she got her neck shaved hairless and her collar is fully charged. So far, so good. I'm glad it wasn't Kirk chasing her because she would be dead for sure. I think I am going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie tonight. No work for me. Ok, maybe some laundry, but that is definitely where I draw the line. Hope everyone has a "Good Friday" and a Happy Easter.

Shuffle board anyone?

I had to take this first picture because it made me laugh at all the things you can't do at Pennbrook....can't walk on the courts...can't drive through the golf course...can't have horseplay (which means any type of fun) in a 55 and over community. Grandpa Ron had to set it straight with one of the "Grumpy Man" as Konnor called him (outloud). The "Grumpy Man" definitely needs to take a chill pill and enjoy life a little.

I know this picture looks totally posed, but it wasn't! The boys had a little hand shake ritual that they did before they "took on" each other. Of course, this good sportmanship only last about 30 seconds between these two, but it looked good anyways. Konnor and Kraig actually became quite skilled at this game. The only problem with playing against them is they would always knock my shuttle "thingy" off the court....not really that funny when you only make a few good plays. The best part of going to mom and dad's is that the boys can go and do things without us worrying about them too much. Gated communities make a lot of sense...maybe they should make them for younger families too.

Here a gecko....there a gecko....

The Great Gecko Hunter (aka Konnor) was at it again as soon as the wheels stopped spinning on the truck. He is completely content to hunt down these quick little creatures. There is only one poor Gecko running around FL with a short tail. One of the attempts left Konnor hanging onto a tail and no Gecko was attached. This mean little one latched onto Konnor hat and wouldn't let go. Mom had to pry his little mouth off the hat with her finger nail. All I can say....is I'm glad he chose Geckos instead of Crocs.

Where to begin??????

Well, I guess I begin by saying.....I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK TODAY! I really could have climbed back into bed and stayed there all day. I know I haven't done much for a week...but get real, 6:00 is way too early.

I decided to start with a post of the "Florida Kristin" as my friends referred to me as during our first trip to FL. I don't think I have ever had so much R & R time in one week before. Daily routine usually looked something like this....7:30 get up and have breakfast....8:00 coffee on the Linie (I know this is spelled wrong but it is the other word for screened in porch -- pronounced len-i)....9:00 sometimes go for a walk or go on a mini outing...12 lunch.... and then usually pool for the afternoon....dinner....more porch time (spent reading or doing Stidoku (sp).......10:00 bed (on the most comfortable mattress ever).

Now you know why coming back to work and reality is sooooo hard. I had it made in the shade for 9 days.....I had a cook (mom)....a housekeeper (dad).....a laundry fairy that I wish I could have packed in my suitcase (mom)....a driver (Konnor, Kirk, and Kraig took turns (ok, really they fought over who would drive it every chance they got!) with the golf cart). What more could a girl ask for?! I think I will pack my bags again soon.

We're Baaaack!

Just a quick note before I go downstairs to finish laundry and do homework with Konnor....I know 36 hours in the car and not 1 lick of homework done by anyone. It probably didn't help that the 3 boys were constantly on dramamine (sp?) for car sickness. Yuck! I will start officially blogging again tomorrow...I have lots of pictures to share. Glad to be back....even if it is freezing!