Perspective

I had planned on blogging about the crappy morning I was having.....it just wasn't going well.

Once I got to work I did a quick check on Melody Sherman who was Davis' baseball coach's wife from a couple years ago. I was so sad to learn that this wonderful mom had won her battle with cervical cancer yesterday. Her funeral was this morning and close to work. I was able to go for at least some of it....I got to hug Danny and watch her 18 year old daughter give her eulogy with the poise of a grown woman.

Melody leaves behind 3 children....Megan, Sophie and Drew...and a husband that adores her. Melody has an identical twin sister and as Megan put it "she will get to see what her mom would have looked like when she was 80".

Melody left a mark on this world and I know she will do whatever is necessary to make sure her family is okay without her here.

She told me in May that she would go out fighting....and she did!!!

Fly High Melody.....Job well done!!

A little nervous.

Tonight Pete and I are going to my 20 year high school reunion. Pete and I are high school sweethearts.

I know that I have a great life and have accomplished what I have wanted to accomplish....got married to my soul mate, have 3 children, earned my CPA, and survived cancer (I didn't really "want" that one).

But......

My mind goes back to what I was like in high school.....mostly shy (everyone can stop laughing because it is true) and with big hair. I graduated with honors and there were few in the school that knew that until I received my gold tassel and rope at the practice. I just didn't want people to know.

I am not one that have lots of friends.....usually just a couple really good friends (I married my best friend - so I don't need much more than that). I also graduated with a class of over 800 students.....too big to know everybody. I also did not move to Georgia until my 10th grade year - so no friends from middle school.

I have connected with one of my good friends a couple years ago through Classmates.com and my other good friend passed away over 10 years ago. There isn't anyone that I am just dying to see, but hopefully I will remember more people once we get there.

I am hoping to just be my normal self - not someone I am not!! Hopefully I will leave excited to have been reacquainted with some classmates and to meet new ones.

And for $85 per person, I better leave FULL!!!

What a quarter buys you.

Kids that wake up without problems (Matt did not earn his quarter today)

The dishwasher unloaded

The dishes done by someone other than me or Pete (who am I kidding - I don't do dishes)

Getting to sit on the couch playing George of the Jungle while Hannah brings the boys in.

Clean Rooms

Kids that go to bed when asked

The ability to take a quarter away for NOT doing what we say - although this would be easier if Pete didn't glue the lids to the jars.

**I am so glad I have kids that take after their dad....they will do just about anything for money**

What?

Oh that's right...today is my birthday!!

Anyone that knows me knows I have been reminding people about my birthday the day September started!!!

We all have only one day that is ours alone and I say take full advantage!!!

I am grateful for another year to spend with my family and to enjoy what this world has to offer!!

I took a vacation day today - I got to sleep until after 9, didn't have to take anyone to the bus or school, and I plan on completely enjoying myself today!!

"Not Me!" Monday

As a new "blogger" I have not participated in a "blog carnival" before, but I really liked this idea. It is somewhat of a "cleansing" exercise (click on the box above to see the blogger who started it). You have to blog about things you "didn't do". I had several "Not Me" moments over the weekend....so allow me to "cleanse".

• I did not promise my kids gum if they allowed me to go to the store by myself and then "forget" to actually buy the gum - that would be mean.
  
  
• I did not secretly pray that my son won his oil inject class no matter what it took - it is really all about "doing your best"...right?
  
  
• I did not justify not taking Matt to church school because we were on fall break and "if" we had gone out of town we would have missed it anyway.
  
  
• I did not tell my son that Daddy was helping me with my stomachache while behind closed doors.
  
  
• There is no way we called someone a crazy loon or wish harmful things to them - really that would be completely wrong.
  
  
• It certainly wasn't me that sat around all day yesterday and pretty much did nothing because I "deserved" it.
  
  

Ahhhhhh....I feel so much better now.

A reason to clean

A couple of weeks ago I needed to pick my parents up from the airport. I would not want my parents to know that I don't keep my car spotless all the time....so I cleaned out my car.

I found the following card from my sister that I think I got last year. It still makes me laugh out loud!!

In case you don't know what it is referencing - I found the below video with a short version. My sister has always known all the words and to my dismay, so do my kids!!

A place to belong

A year ago we ventured up to Calhoun for Davis' 1st motocross race. We didn't know anybody there, but it really didn't matter that day. We had no idea that we would find a place to belong.

This was "our spot" last night.

With "our people"...

"Roughing it" in our friend's new MX trailer.

The best part of our "place" is that it is all about family.....we don't have to get a babysitter or worry that our kids will be a bother to anyone. We all just take care of each other - whether it is a chain that needs fixed, a bike that needs started, a picture that needs taken, a hot dog is needed for a "starving" kid, spiced rum needs to be shared, or a child's dinner needs to be spoiled by too much candy (I really am sorry Joey) - someone just takes care of it.

It is amazing what can happen in a year!!

Whew

Dave took 1st place on his oil inject last night!!!

Graphics

We (which I say loosely) bought a new trailer for the dirtbikes back in May or June and we needed to put new graphics on it. It was something we just kept putting off, but Pete finally ordered them last week and he put them on Friday. He did ask for my help to see if things were straight - he must have had a serious brain fart because he knows I can't see "straight".

Now we look official when we pull into the track...

Here he is putting the finishing touches on the side.

The back he did himself.

We will be getting a picture of Davis for the door (not shown in picture) soon from Brandi Henson.

Some Lessons are Easier than Others.

Picture by Brandi Henson

Davis has been racing dirtbikes now for a year (he raced his first race on 9/15/07 at the Calhoun track). He has gone from a PW 50 (small Yamaha) to an oil injected 50 and is now also racing a bigger liquid cooled 50cc.

He has dominated his oil inject class mainly because he hasn't had much competition. He ended the regular season of the 2008 Moto Madness series with over 400 points.....I think more than 100 points ahead of the 2nd place winner. We are now in a 10 race "playoff" in which only 3 riders in his class qualified (Davis Y - 1st, Davis L - 2nd, Hunter - 3rd). The points have been zeroed out and because Davis L is out with a broken arm, the championship is between Hunter and Davis. Hunter's dad is Pete's BFF (which he will kill me for actually printing that) and Pete helped Alan (Hunter's dad) find Hunter's current bike.

Hunter is definitely great competition for Dave and we have seen Davis really step it up and he has been riding GREAT!!! His technique is spot on and he is giving it everything he can. Unfortunately, the last two races he has lost to Hunter and after 4 races they are tied for 1st place. This has been tough for our little man. He has cried and now thinks he is too heavy for the bike (which is funny because Hunter is much taller and weighs more than Dave).

We have explained to him that it is not about winning...it is about having fun and doing your best. I asked him if he did his best and he said "yes". We told him he should be happy for his friend and use it as motivation to go out and kick his bootie next week (all in fun of course).

Behind the scenes, Pete is doing his research to see what needs to be done to make his bike go faster. I guess there is something with the gearing that he can adjust depending on what track he is at. Pete hates to think he can't win because of his mechanic!!!!

The kids are off school this week (fall break) and there is no baseball on Saturday....I hope all this rest will help Dave do his best, win if possible, and to be a good sport if he doesn't.

Are we going.....?

Yesterday after we left Matt's baseball game, we headed out for our hour drive to the race track. We needed to stop at the store and try to get some gas (which was ridiculously high and surprisingly hard to find). We headed the same way we go to the kid's dentist (the one that pulled Matt's front teeth).

Matt asked from the backseat....

"Are we going to get me some teeth?"

Just for giggles

Actually, my dad would have said "Just for Shits and Giggles"

Monday Blues

I seriously have a case of the Monday Blues....I am tired from a busy weekend and I really just want to go home and crawl into bed!!!

I will try to unload my camera from Dave and Matt's first baseball game tonight. They played at the same time on Saturday and because Daddy was pitching for Matt's team...I went from one field to the other!!! Saturday night the boys raced and they both did great!! Matt had a little spill at the start that gave Mommy a bit of a heart attack, but he got up and kept going!! Davis was a little speed demon and seems to have found a little fire in his belly!!

We went to Lisa's yesterday to celebrate my two nephew's birthdays. We had a great time...I can't believe how quickly they are growing up. I got to see the new bedding and such for my niece (due November 19th) and the room is going to look so cute - I can hardly wait to meet her!!!

My parents were gracious enough to take our kids with them because we had bowling. I bowled like poo....didn't feel great (didn't even feel good enough for wine and I had earlier in the day signed Noah's card from "David" instead of "Davis").

Knew this morning wouldn't be great for the boys and it wasn't. At least Davis got on the bus without me having to carry him (which would be a repeat from last week)!!! Matt cried when I took him to school (he also cried yesterday when I took him to church school).....lovely way to start the day!!!

Tonight it is gymnastics for Hannah and baseball practice for the boys. I know this is only the beginning, but WOW it is tough!!!

Sometimes they do listen

Every race day before my boys get on their bikes (or sometimes while they are on the line for practice) I say a prayer with them. It usually goes like this...

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Please keep Davis and Matt safe on their bikes and don't let them get hurt, let them have fun, know how proud their mommy and daddy are of them and let them kick ass (which we changed to "bootie" for Matt since we have some issues with bad words).

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I didn't really know if it meant much to them, but I have had Davis come to me and say "Mommy, we need to do our prayer".

Tonight I was driving home from the store with Hannah and Matt while Pete had Davis at baseball practice. This is what I heard in the sweetest 4 year old voice from the backseat ...

"Father, Son, Holy Spirit Amen. Please keep Davis and Matt safe on their bikes. Amen"

The below video was after we got home and I asked if he could do it again for the camera. My Grandma must be smiling in Heaven, I know it made me smile from ear to ear!!!

It Rhymes

When Davis went to daycare (from the time he was 14 weeks old until almost 2), the director always called him "Mavis". I am not sure where it came from, but I don't think I ever heard her call him anything different. In fact, we just saw her last month (she is the regional director of the daycare that Matt goes to Pre-K at), and the first thing she asked was "How's my Mavis?".

On Sunday as we were driving to a party, the kids were talking about their names and what it rhymes with. We had "Hannah Banana" and "Matty Fatty" and then Davis piped up with what he wanted to be called.....

Davis Anus

I couldn't make this up if I tried!!!! We told him it might be better if doesn't share that one with his friends!!! I think "Mavis" is a MUCH better nickname!!!