Beautiful Day for a Hike

Max and I went to a friend's house yesterday.  On our way, we passed a place where we like to hike.  Max immediately wanted to go.  I told him, maybe tomorrow.  So when we woke up today, he was so excited when I reminded him that we were going to go. We packed water, a few light snacks, my camera...and we were off.  Keelin spent the night at a friend's house so she was missing in action.  Max's constant chatter and questions scared off any probable creatures.  He just could not stop asking questions about the trail.  Ella educated me in the types of soil and rock that she saw along the route....why erosion was occurring etc.  She also told me that she studied this ... in the beginning of third grade, mom! We made it to the top and Ella and I sat in the Indian Seats, a very cool rock formation overlooking the valley with "seats" carved into the rock.  Ella and I were a little intimidated, but we did it :)  The way down was quick.  Max stumbled once, caught himself, and said "I wasn't running mom.  I caught myself. It was a good fall."  Including some shots from today.

xo~M

Ella in the indian seats

Courtesy of Ella

King and Queen of the Mountain

Road Trip....Day 1

I was up at 6am on Monday morning.  I worked and came home ready to leave for Buffalo.  We were in the car-packed and ready at 3:50pm.  At 3:53pm, we turned around and came back after Josh discovered he left his sunglasses.  3:58pm...road trip take 2.  47 minutes into said trip, we have vomit...oh, yes of the canine version.  We pulled over on Route 369 in Canton to clean up Charley's present.  Back in the car....take 3?  One more residual vomit about 15 minutes later (all over Keelin's pillow) -clean up #2 and fill up for gas and we are on our way once again.  We eat dinner in the car at 5:30 pm....we made sub sandwiches.  We stop around 8pm to walk Charley and have a potty break.  Back in the van to watch movies and settle in for the night. We made it until 12:30 am.  I had been driving 8 and a half hours.  We pulled over at a rest stop in Columbus, Ohio- to "rest."  Max and Charley slept.  The rest of us....not so much.  Back on the road at 2:30 am.  Next major point of interest....Cleveland.  We stop at a 24 hour McDonalds at 5am and get the worst coffee ever.  It is hot, black, and not so easy on the stomach but it works it's caffeine magic we we continue on.  The kids sleep until about 5:30.  Charley sleeps on.  We arrive in Buffalo at 7:30 am.  Of course we get on 90 during morning commute so it takes us an hour to go 10 miles.  I am beyond exhaustion.  We arrive at Josh's dad's just before 9am. I have been awake for 27 hours.  I count backwards from 100 two times before I fall asleep....until 12:39pm.  Here is the one shot I managed from the trip....

xo~M

Up with the Birds

On a school day, my alarm goes off at 6:15am and I can barely move.  Josh is the closest...and he is always up before me.  I am lucky if I roll out of bed by 6:45 to shower and be out of the house by 7:15.  Hop and skip forward to "summer break," which is funny to me because it is not "technically" summer.  Growing up in western NY, break started with the summer.  Down south, we start at the end of May.  Still weird to me.  Anyway, Charley is sleeping through the night.  Sometimes she will need to go out about 5:30 or so but will go back to sleep....UNTIL...the bird wake up.  If she wakes with the birds, she is up.  If she wakes before them, she is quiet until they aren't.  Needless to say, this is before the 6:45 am roll out of bed time for me.  Yesterday, Josh got up with her and I slept until (gasp) 9:30!  Um...what?  yeah that does NOT happen!  I have been getting quite a lot done (or rather catching up on piles from throughout the year....yea me!) On the other hand, the kids have been sleeping in.  That is nice :)  I have some peaceful time in the morning...after Charley stops running around like a loon....Enjoy your day...

xo~M

Some pictures from the last few days....

I don't know how he sees these little guys...but he spies them right away!

Not long enough for a ponytail, but can do 2 pig tails :)

Racing on the greenway

Looks cute curly too....

Ella and her hair twin, Ms Jenny...who donated yesterday and we went to document the event!

A Kind Heart

Ella gives me a run for my money.  She is sassy.  She has my speak first, think a little later mentality along with the zero to sixty temper Josh used to have as a kid.  (he is WAY calmer now!) She is competitive...competing against both her big sister and little brother no matter what we say/do.  She works hard and cares more.   One of her friends had a fire in his house that destroyed everything in his room.  After hearing about it, Ella came down stairs with a baggie of money and half of her army guys. She wrote him a note that she wanted him to take her money to buy new things and to have her army guys so he would have something to play with until he had more toys.She was saving for an Nook color at the time.  2 years ago, she donated her hair.  Yesterday, she decided she was donating again.  The father of a friend of mine at work is fighting lymphoma.  Ella wanted to donate her hair for Mr. Angelo....her heart is so kind.  She may be sassy and short tempered, but she has a kind heart and a good soul....

xo~M

The day before in a beautiful braid

Right before!

Making the first cut....

9 inches lighter!

Little cutie!

And still sassy!

Happy Birthday Josh!

Yesterday Josh turned 42 years old!  It was a pretty mellow day.  It was really hot and being the awesome wife that I am....I talked him into a nice Pepperidge Farm cake (he actually really love them!) with the promise that I would make him a real cake today.  I did do that....homemade cake AND frosting.  So I may be an awesome wife yet.  Here are a few of us celebrating Josh.

xo~M

Max singing his little heart out

Keelin singing to her daddy

Making a wish....but really what MORE could he possibly want?

And yes, Charley....climbing up on the back of the recliner to get in on the action!

i-dyl-lic

An Adjective meaning extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque

Who does this describe?  Would is describe a WHO or a WHAT?  Would it describe a family?  There was a time, in my head, when I pictured my life-I could picture peaceful...extremely happy.  I really didn't (think) I cared what others saw when they looked in.  "Judge not lest ye be judged." has run through my head countless times since becoming a mom.  Our schedules are crazy, my kids are loud, my house is messy, my laundry is piled, my dishes are in the sink, the toys are not put away, meals are not always hot or made by my hands....but our schedules are crazy because my kids are busy with what makes them happy and when they are happy I am happy (extremely happy), my kids are loud - with giggles and yelling and playing and that makes me happy. I am also happy at bedtime (peaceful). My house is messy-I have a chore list that sometimes gets done and at the end of the day the house is passable (picturesque?) my laundry is piled-but it is CLEAN! (happy)-so one person's crazy mess is another person's Idyllic life....
I am trying not to care as much what others think and hear when they look in, but I am a woman and sometimes I DO care.  I love my little crazy family and I love my loud, busy life.

xo~M

Scenes from my life....

First and Last

As a teacher, there are certain parts of the school year that just seem to drag on.  And parts that seem never-ending-like the paperwork.  There is nothing that I dislike more than having to bring paperwork home because I see so many students in a day that I do not get a lunch break, nor do I get time for paperwork.  Progress report/report card time is one of those times.  Writing 60+ progress reports never gets easier. No matter how early I start them, I am still writing them on their due date.  Ok, my point...as a MOM....the school years fly by.  It is so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I have a 7th grader, 4th grader, and sniff, sniff....my baby is going to Kindergarten.  Life gets so chaotic with homework, sports, singing, coaching, etc...it seems the only time to stop and enjoy is summer break.  I found the picture I took on the first day of school and then took a picture on the last.  They have grown so much!

xo~M