everything is possible... the impossible just takes a little longer

slow and steady wins the race

Friday, May 21, 2010

gotcha day

The boys are beyond excited that the kitties are finally home to stay.  I picked them up yesterday afternoon and they are so adorable.  They play together and with us and they sleep in a heap of orange and white fluff.  There have been lessons on holding and lifting and so far so good.  Sean does not think that kitties should be allowed to walk anywhere and Sam likes to point out their eyes and noses and Andrew likes to play with them.   Andrew was up (far from stealth) at zero-dark hundred hours this morning to play with the kitties but they had a good night and appear to be adjusting well to their new home.  



You can barely tell them apart, but if you look real close you can tell that one is every so slightly darker than the other and the "M" on his forehead is more prominent.  The darker one is Cooper and the lighter one is Kitty 2.  



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

and this is the bow that Patrick made...

OK... if you don't hear from me in awhile it will be because Patrick has confiscated my computer or worse...tossed it out the window... to avoid the humiliation resulting from future posts of a similar nature.  

For starters (I will start with the really-super-cool-awesome reason that brought me to this post and slowly lead into the more embarrassing stuff) I have been selected as a Creative Segment presenter at the upcoming Uppercase Living Convention in July.  OMG!!! I am sooo excited.  This is such an honor, however after signing the non-disclosure agreement my lips are sealed!

However... that brings me to the stuff I CAN talk about.  Long story short... before even being selected to present at convention, I told a fellow Uppercase Living demonstrator and convention roommate that I would help her with her bow-tying woes.  (BTW... I will not be presenting about bows...LOL) Well one thing led to another and now there seems to be a cult movement of sorts and a little one-on-one demo has turned into a room full of women and few pitchers of margaritas.  I think it is great that so many people want to exchange ideas and I am really looking forward to it.  I have several different ways to tie bows and knots but with such a crowd I want to make sure that I could teach this to the masses.  The techniques are quite simple and the results can be pretty dramatic.  I could do this in my sleep, but in a room full of women armed with scissors I wanted to make sure that this seemingly easy task does not get out of hand...LOL.

Then a bit of panic set in... but only for a moment... and then I got an idea.... I will teach Patrick to tie a bow.  Yes, Patrick, my husband who does not have a creative bone in his body and would rather dig ditches naked in manure than be caught tying bows (so as to keep manliness  intact I will mention that he was threatened into this and he was made to conform under duress).

So with much grumbling... this is the bow that Patrick made.



Not too shabby!  Of course to make it even more painful I made him use the sparkly ribbon... of course.  Now don't go pegging me for a sadist... there a method behind my madness.  My thought was that if I could get Patrick to tie a decent bow in 10 minutes or less then I would have no problems with a room full of eager bow-challenged women.  Seriously... if Patrick can tie a bow like this just imagine the bow-tying frenzy that will follow!


...and here is proof (and might I add wearing his marine corps tee shirt no less)!  Real men do tie bows!

(thank you honey for being such a good sport xxoo)

Saturday, May 15, 2010

#5 in your program... #1 in your heart!

 Today was Sam's first Challenger baseball game of the year.  At first I think he was a bit disappointed because there was no mud on the field (there is usually more mud than field)... but he found a way to get dirty anyway.  Sam still does not want to wear his hat, batting helmet and will only occasionally agree to wear his mitt but I am pleased to say that he stayed on the field the entire game.  Pat got a work out but Sam didn't escape once and he didn't throw any balls into the road... the 8 foot fence worked to our advantage.  

I think Sam gets bored in the field and would rather play in the dirt but he seems to have caught on to base running.  In his own round-about way he makes it to first base and eventually all the way around... he even slid into home plate!  

WTG Challengers!!!! Great game today!

checking out the field

play ball


choosing a bat


keep your eye on the ball


slugger


look at that form!


running... bases


safe on first



Monday, May 10, 2010

a busy weekend in three short chapters...

Chapater 1

Mother's Day program at Andrew's school.  There was singing and poems read and fabulous art work and all the mothers were all served cookies and lemonade.  






Chapter 2

Andrew's First Communion at Prince of Peace Catholic Church.  Andrew was chosen to be one of the children to bring up the host for the mass.  He did a wonderful job and he looked so very handsome in his suit.  After the Mass we went to the Olive Garden for lunch (Andrew's choice) and had a really nice afternoon with family.





Chapter 3

Mother's Day.  Since Grandma Moore (and Papa Moore too) and Grandma Mema were here for Andrew's First Communion I was able to take my mom and MIL to get pedicures.  Now we all have pretty feet and painted toes.  ***OK... we will use the term "pretty" loosely LOL but they are painted all the same***  Pat cooked ribs on the grill, we went for a walk and the boys went fishing and everyone had a nice day.  


It was a very nice weekend.   

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

take me out to the ballpark...

So let me set the scene...

It is a warm summer evening and there is a nice breeze.  The baseball field is full of kids of all abilities playing catch and getting serious about their sport....Challenger baseball!

Sam is at baseball practice and his Dad is his buddy and is coaxing him to participate.  I am standing some distance away at a small playground area with Andrew, Sean and a few other kids.  All the Challenger baseball kids,  of all abilities, have partnered up and are throwing balls back and forth.  Sam is running in the grass and has more interest in making Pat run after balls than an actual game of catch.

From a distance I am watching Sam run bases... his way (which is just another way of saying that Sam was running around a lot with no real direction). He is stealing other kids balls and throwing them in every direction.  I really think that the idea of playing catch completely escapes him... either that or he just likes to watch people run after balls.  Pat has no doubt broken a sweat at this point.  Sam (AKA The Grounds Keeper) is all over the field.  At one point I hear the coach yell "WE HAVE A RUNNER" as I turn to look and see that Sam has gotten out of the fenced area and is running full tilt towards the road.

This has become a game of sorts.

He waits until he thinks no one is paying attention and then he bolts.  His giggles are that of a child who wants to get caught... but not before he lets you know that the score is Sam 1, parent-unaware 0.  I am sure this was much more comical from a distance where I got to see the whole scene unfold.

Sam started making his way toward the gate.  Bigger kids moved out of the way and actually assisted him to navigate the bats and helmets that slowed his progress a bit.  And then he shifted into 4th gear.  I hear the coach yell.  I see Pat who was helping another kid bat, spring up and scan the field only to realize that Sam was gone.  Just as Sam reached the street Pat scooped him up and brought him back inside the fence.  

Now Sam has a mission.  He is now determined that he will make it to the street.  And now another idea occurs to him.... if I can't go into the street I can make others go into the street.

So now I see Sam pick up a ball and throw it.  Not to anyone in particular but a good throw all the same.  He then walks over to his ball, picks it up and throws it again.  Good job Sam, I am thinking.  Slowly but surely he is making his way across the field... until he reaches the fence.  He then tosses the ball over the fence and into the road.  Cars are breaking, adults are running and Sam is quite pleased with himself.  Over the course of the practice Sam threw 2 balls into the street and escaped 3 times. 

About 3/4 of the way through practice Sam is DONE.  He is exhausted from all the "base running".  He makes another break for it and starts to head over towards the small playground, takes a brief break at the swings and then takes off towards a concrete area that is behind the school.  I try to coax him back to the game but he is... done.  Sam is a master of the famous "stop, drop and flop" and he executes this perfectly making it impossible for me to lift him.  As if to tell me that he is not moving another inch... he rolls to his back and puts his hands behind his head and just lounges there on the hard cement.   He has had a good day, a fun practice and now he is pooped out.  

Briefly he joins the team again but under protest.  With very little cooperation from Sam we get him, Andrew and Sean loaded into the van.  With practice over we are headed home for baths and bed.  

Another great practice.