Caroline is 6??

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY TO CAROLINE TODAY!

Isn't she a cutie?  She's a cheerful girl, and it's so fitting that her favorite color is yellow.  When she is happy and charming, she absolutely lights up a room.  Of course, there have been some darker moments when I didn't think I'd let her live to see 6...but why dwell on that today?!

Caroline is an entertainment machine -- constantly singing and dancing without any care given to the accuracy of lyrics (which often makes the songs especially entertaining).  For those of you who do not interact with Caroline regularly, she can be pretty intense, especially at play.

One of my favorite pictures of her was taken a few years ago in a Boston park (Caroline was 3):

"BAYWATCH"

Zooming in on her face:

(I don't know why, but this always cracks me up)

2 yrs. old

4 yrs. old

51 Days and Counting

I am itching for spring.  I cannot wait until mid-March, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the 18 or so inches of snow that fell yesterday.  OK, maybe it does have a little bit to do with the weather since that really is an awful lot of snow to shovel. 

I am anxious for spring because........I have just been assigned my very first F-I-V-E college lacrosse games to umpire.  F-I-V-E college games!!!  AND, if that is not amazing enough -- one of the games is even DIVISION 2!!!!!  I am so excited. CAN YOU TELL???? 

This will be my 12th season umpiring and I've been slowly getting assigned more competitive games each year.  I know I wasn't ready for college games a few years ago, but after some special training sessions on 3-person umpiring, observing and getting to umpire playoff games with some more experienced and truly skilled officials, and finally attending the US Lacrosse National Convention last weekend, I think I'm ready.  At least, I hope I'm ready.  I know right now I'm going to be incredibly nervous since I get a few butterflies just thinking ahead.  But, what fun is life without throwing yourself a challenge now and then? 

My very favorite umpiring moment last season was working with an international level official.  (This official has been certified to umpire  and has worked World Cup level games all over the world. Impressive, right?)  We were at a fairly competitive high school game, the result of which had some playoff implications.  There was intensity on both sides.  After a scoring play, this girl runs up to the other umpire and screams in her face, "C'mon you have to call something!!"  My partner, without a moment's hesitation, said in the calmest possible voice, "Ok, I will card something.  Here is a yellow card for misconduct.  Now, go sit down."  The girl just looked at her, stunned, turned around and walked to her bench.  And then behaved for the rest of the game.  Staying calm was the key to that whole situation. She was completely calm, authoritative without being shrill or angry, in control, in position, etc.  All the higher level officials have these qualities about them when they are on the field. (I'm working on it....not there yet.)

I'm not going to post where exactly I'll be umpiring that first NCAA game, but it's Saturday, March 19th.  That's 51 days away. 51 days to review the rules a few more times, go to the interpretation meetings, and start running more sprints. Oooo, and I have to buy a new striped shirt with an official NCAA Patch on it.  That thought alone makes me smile. The sprinting part is going to be hard since there are almost 24 inches of snow on the ground right now which needs to hurry up and melt....C'mon sunshine.

Those Darn Kids

There's nothing like kids to cheer you up and lift your self esteem.  Here are some examples from the last few days:

1) Ben is working on opposites in preschool, and we've been given "homework" of talking about opposites on car rides.  Typical stuff:  (good--bad;  left--right, up--down, in--out)

Mom:  "Ok, Ben, what's the opposite of YOUNG"
Ben:  "I don't know."
Caroline (chiming in):  "C'mon Ben, you know that one.  Babies are YOUNG.  Moms are OLD."
Mom (grimacing):  "Guys, I'm not really that old."
Caroline:  "Sure you are, Mom. You're WAAAAAY old."

2) Abby is working on correct pronunciation of S's, and also managing to make me feel ancient.

Abby:  "Mom, what is a CAS-ette."
Mom:  "A what?"
Abby:  "A CAS-ette. Look here's the word."
Mom (looking at list of words):  "Oh, a casSETTE.  A cassette is what music came on before CDs."
Abby:  "Oh, I've never seen one of those."
Mom:  "Yep."

3) Keeping in mind I have my masters degree in Environmental Science and am trying to apply environmentally sustainable practices in our home, I heard Ben singing a song from the Curious George soundtrack:

Ben:  "Abuse, Reduce, Recycle."
Mom:  "I don't think that's quite it."
Ben:  "Abuse, Reduce, Recycle"
Mom:  "It's REDUCE, reuse, recycle."
Ben:  "Whatever, Mom"

He "whatevered" me.  And he's only 3?!!!

In Rememberance

I didn't feel much like blogging last week because one of my co-workers lost her hard fought battle with breast cancer.  Although I wasn't directly friends with Kelly, she was one of the best friends of a very close friend, so I have felt more of a connection to her battle and her family's loss than perhaps I would have otherwise.  Kelly left behind two children and a loving husband, many friends, grieving co-workers, and a legacy of optimism and love, even in the face of the gravest of circumstances.  By all accounts she was a remarkable person.  My heart goes out to her family, particularly her 13-year old daughter who now has to face adolescence without her mom. 

I hesitated to share news like this here.  I usually try to keep the tone of the blog pretty light, just recording a few anecdotes that I don't want to forget or venting about what are really trivial matters in the scheme of things.  But, sometimes I think we need to take a step back and remember how precious our friends and family are.  And, remember how precarious life can be.  And, most especially to be thankful.

     

Weekend Whiplash

Weekends are always interesting here for many reasons, but largely because my kids bounce from one activity to another to another to another.  Aside from whatever is planned, typical errands/chores (groceries, etc.), we never really know what we'll end up doing.  For example, this past weekend, we knew there was a magic show with grandparents for Caroline and a Brownie swimming event for Abby.

1) We also ended up growing crystals (these are super cool, right?):

2) Watching animated Legos on TV.  An hour-long Lego cartoon was aired this past weekend to coincide with the release of a new set of Legos called Ninjago.  After the cartoon (which all three kids absolutely loved) and at least an hour of running around and karate chopping each other, Ben asked, "Mom, do you think that they're going to make this kind of Lego that you can buy?"  "Yes, there's a good chance, Ben."  (Slick marketing, Lego Team!)

 (Image from Lego website)

3) Lastly, finding out my children are card sharks.  Grandma Y. brought up Phase 10 to play on Friday.  After a lot, and I mean a LOT, of rounds of superhero Phase 10 with Ben, we played traditional Phase 10 with Abby and Caroline....and Caroline played War with Pops.....and Abby played Phase 10 with Mom .....and then Dad and Caroline and Ben played a bunch of rounds of Old Maid.  That's a lot of cards for one weekend!  Note to all readers, please do not teach my children Poker, or you will lose your shirt!

Reality Check

Scene:  Thursday morning, 8:05 a.m. (bus comes at 8:12 a.m.) - We're having a less than cooperative morning. Caroline is sitting at the kitchen table, hair a rumpled mess, no shoes on,  totally lacking any sense of urgency.

Mom: "What shoes do you want to wear to school today?" 
Caroline (looking dreamy):  "Glass slippers"     (Yes, she actually said that)
Mom:  "You have gym today."
Caroline:  "Fine.  I guess I'll wear sneakers."

[Mom physically puts shoes on Caroline]

Mom:  "Caroline, we need to comb your hair."
Caroline (dramatic sigh):  "Oh...Mom"
Mom:  "Where is your comb?"
Caroline:  " I don't know"

[Mom gets comb since, fortunately, she tracks the locations of all objects in the house at all times.  By the way, that job is really using up too much capacity of my short-term memory.]

8:10 a.m. Mom starts frantically, but ever-so-gently, combing Caroline's golden tresses.

Caroline:  "Mom, could you give me a princess hair-do today?"
Mom:  "Caroline, you do realize we have less than 2 minutes to get to the bus, right?"
Caroline:  "How about doing two braids on the sides, and then connected in the back into one braid.  With a flower pin on the side."    (And, yes, she actually said that too.)

[Mom thinks:  "Hello, are you living in this reality?  We now have 90 seconds to put on your coat and run to the bus with your 3-year old brother who takes at least 2 minutes to put on his rain boots." Then Mom thought some other edited choice words too.]

Mom actually says:  "No, I don't think we have quite enough time for princess hair today.  Maybe if you had gotten dressed the first 12 times I asked we would have had more time for hair."
Caroline:  "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.  I was busy playing in my room."

8:16 a.m. Mom and Ben are back from the bus.  Abby and Caroline have made the bus, fully dressed and mostly groomed with lunches and snacks, homework, library books, snow clothes and sled for Abby for recess, appropriate forms in folders.  Whew.

School day mornings are not for the faint of heart.  And that was only 11-minutes!  Kids are fun.

On the Treadmill (mostly)

It's that time of year when the gym is super crowded with people exercising trying to keep their New Year's Resolution to eat right and get some exercise.  I know some folks get annoyed with all the extra bodies, but I think it's kind of nice to see everyone trying so hard to take care of themselves.  Keep it up People!! 

With all my positive encouragement in mind, if all you good exercisers wouldn't mind, though, could you please save me a different treadmill next time at the gym?  I don't usually run to music because I don't like all the cords (I do like the music). If' I'm inside and on the treadmill, I usually try to either space out or watch the highlights on ESPN Sports Center.  I thought today would be a good day for football highlights with all the NFL Playoff games over the weekend.

Unfortunately, there was only one treadmill left, the one with a column in front of it-- so no Plays of the Week for me. Bummer.  The column had a nice sign posted saying that it was a No Cell Phone Zone.  But, the sign only had one line of text, so it couldn't really hold my interest for the whole run. 

I thought I'd try to peer around the column, but the only thing to look at was the abductor machine.  In case you're not familiar with that particular piece of apparatus, it is a machine that people use to tone their inner thighs by opening and closing their legs with weights.  So, I can't really stare at people using that machine or I would end up some kind of watch list. 

As part of the peer-around-the-column attempt, I learned that I can't run in one direction and have my head turned slightly in another.  Also, it's good there is a 'STOP' button on treadmills.  And, it's good that people are mostly watching TV or listening to music while they are running, so they tend not to notice what's going on around them.  I'll just leave it at that.

So, where am I going with this story?  I don't really know.  1) I'm successfully procrastinating doing my work and/or any useful housekeeping activities right now.  2) I've learned that I will just have to focus on running the way I'm looking in the future.  Not to be too philosophical, but this is a good metaphor for life too. Pick good paths, and really focus on where you are going.

Flash Fast

It has been well below freezing here for a few days.  Crazy cold.  But, you know what you can do really, really well when it's this cold outside?  Sled.  Fast.  I mean REALLY fast.  As Ben says, "Superhero Flash fast."  Even on only 6 inches of snow.

We "hit the slopes" on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon this weekend.  Everyone, even Ben and I, got into the action.   Ben likes sledding so much this year he's even willing to walk back up the hill.  However, he needs a little help due to all the snow gear -- just think of the little brother in Christmas Story, "I can't move my arms!" 

Before

After

Before

After

Trust, But Verify

Well...I think Abby and Caroline have finally reached the age when they don't believe everything I say anymore.  With the exception of a few certain holiday-related traditions, I've been truthful with them and even provided them detailed scientific explanations when requested.  Nevertheless, they are starting to trust me less -- at least when it comes to beverages. 

Abby drinks skim milk with breakfast, or at least she used to.  Caroline is lactose intolerant, so she drinks Lactaid milk at breakfast.  In glasses or plastic cups, Lactaid and skim milk look pretty much identical.  Maybe the skim milk is slightly more bluish, but mornings are kind of hectic here. That kind of small detail can get overlooked, and there have been a few unfortunate occasions when I've accidentally switched the glasses upon serving. Based on their overly dramatic reactions (screaming, gagging, weeping, etc.), there is a wee bit of a taste difference between the two products.

For a while there, Abby and Caroline were trying to get out of drinking their morning milk by saying I had switched the glasses.  Since I wasn't 100% sure, this strategy was successful.  I wouldn't want Caroline to have an unpleasant morning, after all.  Of course, Abby could drink either glass without any ramifications. At first this strategy was applied every once in a while -- so it was semi-believable.  Recently, however, they were telling me I had mixed up the milks at every meal, even when I knew that I had served correctly.

To thwart this apprach and increase calcium consumption, Scott and I have employed a new foolproof milk strategy at the house:  MILK VERIFICATION.  Prior to pouring any milk glasses, we will now hold the Lactaid/skim milk jug in front of appropriate child and say (in robotic voice), "Lactaid.  Verify."  In this case, Caroline is required to reply, "Lactaid. Verify."  Since she has now made eye contact with the appropriate beverage product, she can no longer wriggle out of drinking it.  Unless she just flat out refuses to drink it... 

Scott and I are having a lot of fun with the verification process and pretending to be robots and savoring our rare parental victory.  Abby and Caroline have submitted to this new process and reply very glumly and unenthusiastically.  I know they are scheming for a new approach.  But we will foil this too!  Ha-ha! 

After typing that last part, I'm starting to think maybe Ben's superhero shows are starting to affect me.

All is Calm

The first question from Abby on Sunday morning was, "Mom, is it going to be calm today?"

Stomach virus aside, we had a wonderful Christmas break, filled with lots of fun family visits, a trip down to Baltimore to celebrate Abby's birthday, and a trip up to Allentown to visit more family.  It was a busy week with lots of  activities and guests.  A really, really busy week.  Maybe even a little too busy. And Abby's question echoes my own feelings of post-holiday fatigue.  As much as I enjoy holiday foods, holiday drinks, giving gifts, and holiday parties, I am ready to get back to the regular routine.  Even just sitting in front of the computer and doing a few hours of work seems appealing right now.  (Yes, I do realize that this will wear off after a day or two.)

Some highlights from Christmas break (note these highlights are brought to you by a NEW CAMERA -- which has taken me a week to figure out how to use):

"Yes, I did get Makeup for my Birthday"

"I am Iron Man"

At the Birthday Party

Despondent Ben

(After realizing that Birthday parties only have presents for the Birthday person)

Visit with GG (90 yrs old!)

I don't know about you, but I am also eager to get back into my regular exercise routine. I feel like I've been continuously cooking, cleaning, and running errands since Thanksgiving, and I neglected some of my workouts. I still managed to get to yoga every week, went to a few spin classes and did a few laps in the pool. But, I avoided running for the entire month of December (partly due to errands and partly due to super cold temps).  So, I went for my first 2011 run in several weeks on Sunday, and was shocked by the results.  I assumed that I would be super slow after such a long break, but I guess my body was ready to start burning off the pound(s) of butter I consumed in December-- 3.1 miles in 27 min 30 sec (that's a 8:50/mile pace).  Go me!  I was seriously dreading that first run, but now I'm ready to get in shape for lacrosse season.