Rough morning

T & I just got home from a funeral of one of her friend's dads. I had never personally met the man and had only met his wife a few times but T wanted to show her support for the girls. T danced w/ the oldest sister on the middle school dance team and has been in a couple of school plays w/ the middle sister. KJ dances w/ the youngest sister. I kind of felt like an impostor since I didn't really know them but T wanted to go.

I can honestly say I have never been to a more beautiful, moving service in my entire life. The church was packed and the choir was incredible. It was truly a celebration of this man's life. There were 2 big screens set up and pictures flashed on each screen -- images of Mr. K as a kid, on his wedding day, graduating from college, w/ the girls, his airplane, etc. Friends and co-workers spoke and it sounded like he was a warm, fun-loving, wonderful man. They all had stories to tell and several commented on how much he loved his wife and 3 beautiful daughters.
Those poor girls and their mother. She can only be a year or two older than me. I just couldn't stop thinking about them...not having your dad around to teach you how to drive, not having your dad walk you down the aisle on your wedding day, not having your dad see his first grandchild for the first time. One of the nicest things said today was directed at the girls. A co-worker of their father's said, "one day a man is going to enter your life and he's going to remind you of your dad. That's the man you marry." I thought that was so sweet.

Yes, Chris drives me insane most of the time (and I'm sure he can say the same about me) but I can't even begin to imagine my life w/out him. When the girls were younger, they would get sooooo upset when he had to go on overnight business trips. It just about broke his heart whenever he had to leave.

Today was definitely one of those days that made me stop and think. I mean really think hard.

Crimson Chin

The shit always hits the fan when Chris is out of town. Tonight T got off the bus and we ran up to the high school to pick-up some of her dance team stuff. Then we ran to get ice for her lax party. She was supposed to bring drinks, ice and cups. So we loaded up the car and headed to KJ's softball game. She couldn't find her cleats or her softball socks. They're probably still in Chris's car from her lax game Friday afternoon (which has been sitting @ the B'ham airport parking garage since Monday). So, she just wore regular sneakers. So we get to the game and T & I stay for about a half an hour before we have to leave the game and take T to her party. We're in the car for exactly 9 minutes taking T from the ballfields to the lax party at a neighborhood club house when a mom from the softball team calls to say KJ's been hit in the face. I literally throw T out at the curb, throw ice and drinks at her and rush back to the ballfield. Apparently I didn't need to worry. She got back in the game immediately, made a double play and got another girl out at first. Then she smacked the crap out of the ball her next at bat. Maybe she needs to get hit in the head more often.

Granola

Good morning.

Start your day off right; think happy thoughts.

The scripture says, "guard you heart with all diligence; for out of it flows the issues of life."

In other words, whatever you are intensely emotional about you will experience in your world.
God is Love,

Rev Run

Good morning.

Take time to slow down and smell the roses!

Life satisfaction is more likely for those with a steady stream of minor accomplishments than for those who express interest only in major accomplishments.

Slooow down :-)
God is Love,

Rev Run

Sitting here w/ my cup of tea and my pop-tarts watching the Today Show. Martha Stewart is doing a feature on handmade Mother's Day gifts. She's suggesting homemade granola. Granola? You're kidding me, right? No offense, but if Chris & the girls give me homemade granola as my Mother's Day gift I'd flip. Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for diamonds or furs. A simple card is nice, some flowers, a gift card somewhere. But granola? No freakin' way. I think my family knows me and loves me a little better than that.

Chris has been in Dallas since Monday and comes home late tonight. So I've been doing the morning school run. The middle school starts a few minutes earlier than the elementary school so I drop T off first, then KJ. KJ hates this line-up and wants to be dropped off first. Just to shut her up, today I pulled into my friend Julie's neighborhood, opened the door and told KJ to walk the rest of the way (there's a path from the street straight to the elementary school). I drove really, really slowly and made sure the crossing guard saw her.

Busy night again tonight -- T has to be @ the high school to pick up some of her dance stuff that has come in, she has a lax end-of-season party and Hip-Hop at 7:30 PM. KJ has a 5:30 PM Softball game. I can't wait for T to start driving herself around.

I was flippin' channels late last night and started watching Braveheart w/ Mel Gibson. Mel made some pretty good movies before he got all wacky.

Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd. --William Wordsworth

Quiet Day in Blogland

Good morning!
Never let other people's opinion hold you back.
Only you know your potential!
Here are some facts.:
Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team..
Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination and one record company told the Beatles: "WE DON'T LIKE YOUR SOUND."
Keep going!
God is Love,
Rev Run

Not much going on today. Still doing laundry and changing sheets on the beds. Looks like a beautiful day outside. Tonight is our regular Tuesday night run-around. Wednesday's gonna be crazy, too. T has hip-hop, KJ has a softball game and T is supposed to go to her lax team end-of-year party. She's also interested in trying out for the girl's All-Star team that is going to a HUGE tournament in Atlanta. Chris also takes his boys to the Bagataway tourney so it would be fun if T made it, too.

Spoke to my mom & Brandon late last night. They were in their hotel room and Brandon got on the phone to tell me about the hotel pool. Apparently, he stayed awake the ENTIRE car ride yesterday. My kids (and me) would have been out like a light. Wonder how he'll do the rest of the trip today.

Ketchup / Catch-Up

"The mind has to explore every corner of itself, leaving no spot uncovered, because if there is a single dark corner of one's mind which one is afraid to explore, from that springs illusion." -- J. Krishnamurti

"Choose your intention carefully and then practice holding your consciousness to it, so it becomes the guiding light in your life." -- John Roger

Trying to catch up today. Mom & Dad, Steve & Brandon left early this morning. They have a long drive a head of them but I sent Brandon off w/ a little goody bag for the car and he's got lots of videos to watch in the mini-van.

Absolutely beautiful day today. Lots of sunshine!

We have a lot of food left-over from the weekend so I won't be cooking at least the next 2 nights. KJ hates left-overs so this isn't going to go over too well.

So yesterday JV and Varsity played (and won!) each of their State Championship games! Afterward we had our team party @ a BBQ place that opened up exclusively for us. It was very cool (and delish!). It was so wonderful to see all the boys and really visit w/ their parents. One of Chris's senior players was awarded the first EVER Alabama Lacrosse All-American award. Absolutely amazing. Who would have thought there would ever be a lacrosse All-American in the state of Alabama??? Maryland, NY, CT, VA, of course!!! But Alabama??? The other exciting news was one of the players from Huntsville was named as Academic All-American. He's a great kid and plays on Chris's all-star team. Anyway, at the party, the kids gave Chris and the assistant coaches really cool poster-sized collages of them coaching. It was very touching. They also gave Chris a plaque w/ the team photo on it, each of the boys names was listed and it read "State Champs" (whic;h was really risky! what if they lost??!!). Chris loved it! I think he plans to take the 2 state champ trophies to the store for display.

I can't believe the kids have barely 2 weeks of school. Our Europe trip is 30-something days away. April flew by; maybe May can stick around for a bit (although I am really, really looking forward to the summer!).

Check out my Slide Show!

"The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." -- Julia Cameron

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

"Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world." -- Lawrence G. Lovasik

So grammie and pop made it safe and sound. We're all anxiuosly awaiting my nephew's arrival tomorrow. Oh yeah. My brother is coming in, too. But who cares. It's all about the nephew. Joe & Laurie are driving in tomorrow and LCM & Dean are driving in from Cincy late tonight. I got my mani & pedi today and T got a mani and her eyebrows waxed. Thank god. They were starting to look like catepillers. The cleaning lady came this morning and I went grocery shopping so we have goodies to eat this weekend and tomorrow is the Mother's Day picnic at KJ's school and we've been invited to stay for some kind of reading thing. I really don't know what it is.

We've got lots going on this weekend. In addition to KJ's communion we've got a lot of lax to partake in. Lotta lax.

I missed the luncheon yesterday for the director of playschool. I still wasn't feeling great but I know the ladies had a good time. I heard Tracy's painting was beautiful and Tricia cried. That means it was really good. Lots of changes going on at playschool next year: Tricia leaving, Shawn moving, I don't think Teresa's coming back.

Tonight was Chris's last lax practice of the regular season. He lets the seniors get "last licks" against the underclassmen. There are a a couple of brothers on the team and the older boy usually chooses to beat up on his younger brother.