Rainbow Rangers

So...
I am co-coaching Maky's soccer team this season.
I was really intimidated...and quite frankly, didn't know if I could do it...but, we didn't have a coach.
So I stepped up to co-coach the team with another woman....she has to come late to practice due to work, and can't be at all of the games...but still, I am glad there are two of us for as much as possible, because...
They are difficult.
After practice, we literally come out sweating, because it takes an ARMY to wrangle 10 four year olds!
Seriously!
Games are awesome though.
They are SO MUCH FUN!
On game day, all of the sudden, it seems like they just know what they are doing. :)

We are the Rainbow Rangers, because...all of the boys wanted the power rangers, and a couple of the girls said the rainbows....so we just put them together.
Everyone was happy! :)
My little Rainbow Ranger is my favorite though. :)
Not that I am biased or anything.

She is a good little player.
She runs with that ball, like she has never done anything else.
She puts her arms back, in a rocket sort of a way, and dribbles the ball down.

She has great control of the ball for her little self.
She is going to be REALLY good, just like Ty.
She is so much fun to watch.
Actually, the whole team is fun to watch. :)

Here is my team....
Even though it is a challenge, I have really enjoyed it so far!
I miss working with kids from my teaching days.
This is reminiscent!

GO RAINBOW RANGERS!

Green Tigers

To begin.... I know the pictures are awful.
I tried to crop them for affect too...but they were worse, because they become SO grainy.
It is an awful place to try to take pictures. We have to sit on the side, and the gym is quite dark.
HOWEVER,
Tyler, number 11, is AWESOME!

He is such a good soccer player.
He just LOVES the game!
It makes me so proud to watch him.
He is just this little guy...but OMG he is FAST!
It is amazing.

His stamina is incredible too. It always impresses me.
On Monday, after practice, his coach stopped me on the way and said that he has some real talent. He said that he moves like he has played for years. He asked if we would be interested in playing for him on his Silver Lake team in the Fall.
It was pretty cool! He was totally flattered!

Good Game Green Tigers!
Looking forward to an amazing season With NO cancellations, because they are all indoor!!! :) WOO HOO!!

A little vent...

So the debate season is over. Karman ended the season with 11 trophies this year and a couple of plaques. She lettered for a third year in a row, and lead the team to it's highest ranking in Glacier Peak history.
She did so well. It is what she is in high school.
I think there is a part of her that is starting to be sad that it is ending. She can feel it ending now.
Graduation is looming, and it is overwhelming.
I can remember that feeling, vividly.

So now, we are on to thinking about college, and she is FINALLY thinking about scholarships.
We have been trying to get her to start filling out scholarship applications for a while now...but we can't do it for her.
It is a hard balance for a parent. Trying to teach them responsibility; so choosing to give gentle reminders instead of forcing things...all the while knowing they are making a huge mistake by not listening to you.

That is how it has been with her since December.
A dancing party...with the fate of whether or not she was going to listen to us at all.
The problem is, we know what she is going to face.
She doesn't now, nor has she ever, lived that way. She does not look past today, and usually when she finally does, it is too late.

So she is starting to barely, BARELY tap into the huge world of scholarships that exsists. She has turned in three, and thinks she is a sure thing for them. I assure her she isn't. I am not trying to hurt her feelings by thinking she isn't good enough, but rather feed her some logic, reminding her that thousands applied for those same scholarships. That until she has the money in her hands, she can't assume she is a sure thing! To keep turning them in.

She moves at a pace that is so different then mine today, or even when I was her age. I truly believe that is her generation. There is very little drive.

It is such a frustrating part of parenting a teenager which we were slapped with in December when she ran away...
She doesn't want rules, or being told what to do, or having expectations...she wants to do what she wants, when she wants. She doesn't want us to get upset or frustrated with the choices that she makes, even when they are wrong. She just wants us to pay for everything, and take care of her, but have no opinions in the way anything is done. Or at least not tell her our opinions.
However,
When she came home...the agreement was...
You live in our house, it is by our rules. Period.
So there are still rules, we are just more leinient and accepting.
We try NOT to TELL her what to do, but to still offer suggestions and reminders as no matter how much I wish it weren't true, she is still mentally, NO WHERE near her actual age.
By parental default, we do today, and will always have expectations.
Goes with the territory.
She doesn't have to like them, or listen to them, or even live up to them...but we still have them regardless.
And without fail, we EXPECT our 18 year old to stop lying and sneaking around, and instead to act her age, and take responsiblitiy for her actions.

I apologize for this wordy, frustration filled post.
Sometimes it just gets to me and I need to vent. Sometimes it is hard and makes me sad to spend so much time being the "bad guy" simply because I want what is best...and know my daughter better then anyone, including herself.
I have been flooded with emotion lately.
The time-bomb kind...
A roller coster that, these days, has so many more up hills, then downs. It is hard, and it is all I can do sometimes, to just mentally stay afloat above it all and function fully, in the way that I need to on any given day.

Sometimes, I just need to vent.

Beyond...

Beautiful!

Supermoon, March 19, 2011
Biggest full moon since 1993.
It sure made me feel small in this great big world of ours!
Gorgeous!

An Artist Gift

This is the birthday present that Tyler made for Makylie.
He was so proud of it, and worked very hard.

I a SO glad, that they are so close and love each other so much!
Allm of the bickering that happens, but at the end of the day they are the best of friends!
Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!

Five Candles

Tonight we celebrated Makylie's birthday with family and our family friends the Gallants.
We had some dinner and cupcakes...Pink cupcakes.
Covered with a "whole hands" worth of candles.

Happy Birthday Little Lady!

Later that night...she got to open her presents...

This is THE number one thing she wanted. She saw it months ago, and wanted it so bad...but I wouldn't get it for her. I did get it...just saved it for today. She didn't forget, she kept asking and asking for them....when it came time to write her list...these walkie talkies were in fact, on it!

We got her this MP3 player because, number one, Tyler got one from Santa, and it has been the root of many fights between them...but also because the girl LOVES music!

Grandma gave her this purse, along with some other Hello Kitty things. Included in this was a darling Hello Kitty coat. She can still wear it this year, being such a COLD spring so far, but it will certainly fit her next year too! There was also a necklace that Maky adored!

The Gallants gave her this adorable doodle book. It is shaped like a purse and so cute. She saw it about a month ago at the store and couldn't put it down. Erin remembered, and got it for her! :) They also got her a couple cutie shirts and a pair of pants that all go together.

These are from Aunt Sandy, Tanner and Uncle Jeff. They also got her a VERY cute Hoodie zip up that is turquoise with silver hearts! Love!

Mason is just trying to enjoy a yummy cupcake...and is getting so tormented by these people. I am sure he is wondering who they are...and why they keep pretending to be his parents. :)

Here are Makylie's new earrings we got her. She was having so many problems with the Hello Kitty set that she got them pierced in. These are much better, sterling silver baby hoops. She loved them!

This is from her brother. It is a dog and carrier, and it also has 3 outfits. She named her Penny. She had a fun night, and was VERY ready for bed when the time rolled around!
Happy birthday again little lady!
Still have her party coming on April 3rd. Soccer made it hard to schedule...but we finally set a date. :)

And now...She's A Whole Hand...

For the first time, Makylie has been counting down to her birthday.
She knew it was coming, and has just been so excited.
Everyday, she would say, "how many more days now mommy?".
Finally, the night before...she went to bed with a BIG smile, and was so excited to wake up the next morning.

When I went in her room in the morning...and said...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY....

She looked at me, with an ear-to-ear smile, and said, "NOW I AM A WHOLE HAND!".

So all day, she was so excited to show her hand to anyone who would look, and tell them she was a whole hand now! It really was too cute!

Pretty much everything IS cute about you, Little.

I am amazed, when I truly think about the fact that you are 5 now.
FIVE.
So much happens this year.
However, you are now, and will always be our baby.
You make us happy in a way that will take having your own kids for you to understand.

YOU TODAY...
~You are truly amazing! You can write all of your letters in uppercase, flawlessly, and about half in lowercase. You know all of you numbers, and can count to OVER 130. It is amazing to hear you in preschool, count higher then kindergarteners are expected to at the END of the year!
~You are even doing and understanding basic addition in math. You will say, "I know 3ways to make 4"...and then will go on to say..."2+2, 1+3, and 1+1+1+1". It is really amazing!
~Last week you started sounding out words, and sounded out DOG and DAD by yourself. You are showing understanding of the concepts by trying to sound out things you see now.
~You know all of the coins and their amounts, and dollars too.
~You are trying very hard to learn your states from Ty right now.
~You LOVE art. You could spend the ENTIRE day doing art projects, or simply coloring. You are good at drawing and painting and even cutting.
~You adore your brother. You miss him all day, and want to do EVERYTHING he does. You are so much more likely to play Legos, then dolls because that is what he wants to do.
~You sing almost everything. Words are put to music all of the time. You break into song for pretty much everything. You just love music. Your favorite songs right now are, Party in the USA, and Slice, and Jar of Hearts...but they change every week.
~Almost as much as you sing, you also DANCE. All of the time! In the grocery store, at soccer, in the livingroom...everywhere.
~YOU LOVE SKIRTS AND DRESSES! Seriously, can't stress this one enough. You are NEVER in pants. NEVER. I used to fight the fight, but now, it just isn't worth it...you wear dresses and skirts every single day!
~Within seconds you notice my different earrings, nail polish, makeup or clothes. You, without trying, make me feel special, and beautiful. I love that about you.
~Your earrings got infected a couple of months ago. We treated them, and took good care of them, and finally needed to change them to more expensive metal. You opened the package and said..."Now this is what I'm talkin' about"...as though you had waited for them for your entire life. You say things like "when there is a storm, it is the Angels bowling" and "When I grow up, I am going to be a mommy and a Applebees worker".
~You love pink, and silly bandz, and nail polish, and Makenzie and Anna, and soccer, and me being your soccer coach, and special drinks, and cupcakes.
~You love Daddy. Hands down, your favorite!
~You love to sleep, and are a heavy sleeper.
~Maky you are such a sweet soul. You add such amazing, youthful enthusiasm to everything that you do. You get excited about every little thing there is to get excited about. You help make life so fun.
~You still are slow to warm to people, but you are getting better. You check everyone, and everything out for a while though. I was like that as a child too, and what I can say is, that I had a handful of very very good close friends as I grew, and yet, got along with EVERYONE...however, I do think being wary of situations made me a superb judge of people and situations as an adult. I hope that for you.
********************
********************
This Fall, you will start Kindergarten.
I will cry, because I am not ready.
You, however, are SO much more then ready.
You did your preschool,
you did your speech therapy...
You are a sponge that just CRAVES to learn.
You will smile and wave, and so will I.
Then I will leave and crumble. Into little tiny pieces of putty, just awaiting the minute I get to go pick you up.
Then I will sit in awe, just like I do today, at this little person, this little girl who helped shape my world...
and marvel at how much better the world is because of her!
Happy Birthday Makylie Rae.
We love you!

All about the GREEN!

Around here, St. Patty's Day is usually affectionately referred to as...the day before Makylie's birthday. :) But I still try to make it fun.

The Leprechuan visited our house. He made a mess of Ty's Legos, and he pee'd in the toilet, turning it green. Kids loved it! He also left each person a chocolate in their room. The kids lunches were all green, with the acception of their sandwiches. There were grapes, and apple fruit leather, and single serve packs of Erin's Popcorn...finally there had green cans of apple juice, and a green hershey kiss, from Christmas.

I made green breadsticks for dinner. They didn't look very green once they were cooked, but they were a nice pale green once bitten into. I am not a fan of food coloring chemicals, so I try to use them lightly...all the kids noticed, which is really the only point.

I made corned beef and cabbage for dinner, which was REALLY REALLY good. Also made oven baked sweet potatoes, my new favorite treat!

To top it all off, and end it all right, we had mint chocolate chip ice cream, with MINT oreos. (have you had the mint oreos??? OMG) Fun day! Fun kids!

Doing some Good...

Makylie's preschool class had a trike-a-thon. It was SO cute. The kids could bring scooters, or bikes, or trikes, or big wheels...or even walk. This was all to raise money for St. Judes.
The school did lessons on giving back, and the reasons why we need to help others for two weeks before the event. The kids were sent home with fundraising forms, and could collect sponsor donations.

The kids were all really excited.
Not just about the event but for donating all of the money they had been collecting. The school does a couple of food drives throughout the year, and they do a toy drive at Christmas, but this was the first time the kids were really connected to what they were doing.
They knew they would ride laps...and that the money was to help other kids.

The day before the event, it POURED rain ALL day long. I mean, we didn't get a break at all. I thought for sure they were going to have to cancel...or at least, postpone it. The day of the event though...not a drop. Cloudy, cool, but absolutely no rain, UNTIL less than an hour after! I went to pick up Tyler, which is what we do right after I pick her up, everyday...and while I was waiting for him, the downpour started.
It was crazy!

The kids had a BLAST, and burnt SO much energy. They went around and around over and over again!
Makylie never stopped once.

She rode with her friends most of the time. Her best friend, Anna was sick and had to miss it, which made her sad, but she still had a great time!

She was so proud of herself.
They all were!

When it was over, they gathered and sang us a song about tricycles. As a class, they raised $200. 6 classes participated at our branch of the preschool alone. All total, $1061 was raised. Those kids did great! And for a really good cause too. It was a really fun day!

Daddy's Dinner...

Time for Daddy's Birthday dinner and presents...
The first week of any month is a long one for Kevin at work.
So since his birthday is the 2nd, it always winds up being month-end close at work. That means late nights....long days...and no seeing the kids.
So we saved his presents and dinner for when it was over.
We had some friends over and did a little celebrating.

Lasagna was the dinner of choice.
I made a WHITE chicken lasagna, and a RED beef lasagna.
Half of our family likes the chicken version and doesn't like the other...so I like to make both on the very rare event that I make it at all.
The white kind is SOOO good though, just so ya know.

Ahhhh....cupcake....how I have missed you!

So the cupcakes are German Chocolate, made from scratch, completely...
and PINK~for my breast cancer walk! :)

We sang a little song...
The kids are really good at that now. :)


And wished him a million more wishes!
We are pretty lucky to have him...
But I think he is kind of lucky too. :)

Melting

Nothing really makes me feel more important...
more loved...
more honored...


Me.
I am simply a developing body walking around doing the very best that I can at any given moment.
Soaking in everything I can. Making mistakes, learning from them, and doing better the next time.
Meandering through my world...
My magical, peaceful, chaos...every minute unpredictable. Some so difficult...most however, are beauty wrapped in glitter.
I have a hundred things on my endless to do list, and I am almost always busy. Everything,
and I mean EVERYTHING...
Dulls in comparison,
To things like this....

A painting by my daughter.
She and I, are "watching a rainbow".
Truth be told,
She and I could do anything at all and in that moment, I would be hers forever.
I am hers forever.

Creative...and a birthday

All by himself...
Tyler thought of this...
Planned it on paper...
AND
Implemented it.
His little sister got in on the action...and he let her.
--------------------------------------------------
Daddy..."We love you as big as all of the football fields in the whole world".
Daddy... "I love you one hundred twenty thousand."
Kevin... you are the rock of this family.
You hold us together in a way that few are lucky enough to understand.
You make me happy in a way that few are lucky enough to experience.
You are so important to me.
Look at all we have together.
Look at all you have given me. You are my best friend, and the best father!
Happy Birthday!
We love you times one hundred twenty thousand football fields!