Where did it go?

If there is one thing I can't stand, it's to reach Sunday night and wonder where the weekend went! In my mind, this is a sign that we've been too busy! Sitting here now and looking back, I honestly can hardly remember Friday night! Then I remember why:

Friday night I came home and was exhausted! Turns out everyone in my house was exhausted, because we were ALL in bed and asleep by 9:30pm. DS 3 went first at 7:30! Then, DS 4 and I went. Finally, DS 2 went. He was getting up at 4:30am to haed to an Ultimate Frisbee Tournament on the other side of the state.

I got up early Saturday morning to conduct a parent workshop at my school. It was a Reading Comprehension Workshop for parents of students in grades 3 - 5 We did not have a great turnout, but those that were there enjoyed it (I think).

From there, I headed out to a craft fair. Our church had a table there (we have several people who make some beautiful cards) and we were handing out FREE Scrapbooking supplies as part of our kindness outreach. It was pretty slow, so we decided to pack it up early.

After that, DS 4 had a soccer game. He played great ball and they won! I don't know if he'll continue in soccer or not. He doesn't quite have the zeal that my other guys did...but he is definitely a better player today than he was just a few months ago.

Last night was "Crepe Night" at my house. My guys love to have breakfast for dinner when DH is out of town. And one of their favorites is crepes. So, we made crepes and enjoyed this little change in our normal nighttime meals.

DS 2 did not get home until midnight from the soccer tournament, but he was so excited that his team won the entire tournament! He loves playing. I guess you'd have to in order to play seven games in a day!

This morning we had a great time at church. I really am chewing on the sermon and want to share more of my thoughts on that later this week. After that, we went to DS 4's final soccer game of the season. They won again!

When we got home I took DS 4 to the skatepark. I am amazed when I am at this park. The park is filled with kids (usually boys) who are either skating or skateboarding in and out of the concrete pools and ramps. Today there were several kids flipping in and out of the pools. I cringe as I watch it!

I came home and finished my blog labels. As you can see, "chabby chic" won. I have loved working with this over the past few days! It's so much fun to learn new things.

It was busy, but it was good. Have a great week, everyone!!

We need your VOTE again!

My boys are at it again. This time the video contest they entered is sponsored by CBS. The winning video had to lip synch to this song (that I don't like) and submit a one minute video. The winner will be shown on the Grammy's and gets $5,000. They worked really hard on it and need your help cause voting is 33% of the score. There will be four separate voting windows and the first one is open now. (Read: I'll be asking you to vote three more times after this!)

This one is even easier than the last, you just click on the link and hit "vote". No registration or anything. I appreciate it if you can help!
Here is the link:  Matt Kissed a Girl

My Weekend Window (Sort Of...)

Life's been busy busy busy around here! It's been a while since I've done a Weekend Window. I thought that'd be the easiest way to bring anyone who's still visiting this blog up-to-date.

Thursday night I had the pleasure of going to dinner with my college roommate, her husband and one of their daughters. Jeanine and I were roommates 26 years ago during our Freshman year of college. She and her husband married shortly after that year. We've kept in touch over the years, but literally have not seen each other in about 24 years! What a blessing our visit was. And it served as a reminder that we need to do all we can to MAKE the time to visit with friends and family as often as we can.

Friday, DH and I took our DS 3, his GF, DS 4 and his friend to our local high school's jazz concert. They have won several national competitions and are now headed to defend the title. This was the first time we met DS 3's GF and her parents. Let me tell you it was not without incident!

After school, I went for my regular Friday night workout. I was rushing home to jump in the shower before we headed out to the concert. When I got to the house, there she was WITH her Mom, Stepdad and brother! How proud I was to be hot, sweaty and "ripe" for this meeting! It all worked out, but I'd have given anything to have had a "back way" into my bathroom to avoid meeting them in that condition!

Saturday was our school's Christmas Party. We had a great time! It actually gave me the "kick in the pants" I needed to start my own decorating. I mean I still had my Fall stuff out!

{This blogger is now reclined on the therapist's couch.} I went back to revisit old blogs cause I thought for sure I had griped about confessed this before on this blog. I can't find it. So, if I'm being repetitive, then you have a better memory than I---and that would require a whole other kind of doctor. Back to my confession:

I have worked at the school for 10 years now. That's TEN Christmas parties I've attended in that time. Each year, they do a "Scottish Gift Exchange"...or whatever you call it. It involves numbers, and stealing, and laughing for sure. For me, though, it involves GREAT STRESS!

It used to be that each person would take a number. The first person chose a gift and opened it. Then the second person chose a gift and opened it and decided if he or she wanted that gift or wanted to TRADE with someone else who had an opened gift. People didn't want to offend the giver, so often no one traded. It kind of plodded along, and in my opinion, was boring.

When my boss came 8 years ago, he said, "No one's stealing other people's gifts!" I said, "That's cause they don't play the "right" way." You see when I've played this is how it goes:

You take a number. In order, you either choose a gift from under the tree OR you take a gift from someone else. That person can then steal or chooose a gift under the tree. But there is none of this "open it, then decide whether you want it or not and then go trade with someone for what you do want" stuff. So, the next year, I took over.

I gave the "new" rules and guess what? People laughed and stole gifts and had a great time. All except for ONE person who reminded me over and over and over again that "THIS is NOT the "RIGHT" way to play the game!" and "We've NEVER played it THAT way before." Now, that was 8 years ago and here we are supposedly older and wiser, but every year she reminds everyone that "we never played it that way until "Susan N. came along and changed all the rules!" And trust me, it's not an "I've seen the light" kind of remark!

Now, this person happens to be of the Jewish faith. I am sorry to admit that the year our party fell on Hanukkah I was so excited cause she wasn't there to fuss about the "rule change".

And to add to my list of "weird but true facts about me"...let me tell you this STRESSES ME OUT. Each year, I get so worked up over playing this game that I really wonder if I need to be locked up somewhere. It starts the minute the invitation for the party goes out. Last year, I decided that I would not play for the first time so that it could be done however they chose. Plus I thought I needed serious help to get over the anxiety this causes me. Well...they "chose" to play the way we've been playing for 8 years and she STILL fussed about it even without me playing to anyone, and everyone, who would listen.

Sooooo...Saturday night I thought about NOT playing again. I mean this is ridiculous, right? I'm an educated adult...and a CHRISTIAN woman on top of that! I really should be able to let this all go and turn the other cheek. After all, it's ONLY A GAME! Still, I found myself getting worked up over it early in the week last week. My friends who know the annual saga start to tease me. And one guilted me into bringing a gift and playing.

My boss (who LOVES to throw gas onto fires) started asking rather loudly "Did you and M work out the rules of the gift exchange tonight?" I told him to stop, but it didn't help. The social coordinator asked me to verify the rules and I told her I simply could NOT do it. She'd have to go ask someone else.

Someone else gave the rules the SAME as we've been doing for 8 years and it wasn't long into the whole "rule speech" that she started: "We never USED to play that way! Susan N. came and changed the whole thing!" The "rule man"...looked at her and said, "M, look me in the eye...it's a new day! We USED to use Chalkboards too...but we don't anymore. It's time to move on." I wanted to crawl under the tree! I needed the rule man's admonishment as much as she did (and perhaps more).

He's right, you know. We DO let the "little things" cause us so much stress. I don't know WHY I get so worked up over this. Certainly there are much bigger issues about which I could fixate. So...while he was speaking to HER...I think I got the message loud and clear...

I'm guilty. This is a "little thing". It shouldn't matter. And...

"It's time to move on!" Honestly, though, I've played the scene over in my mind several times since Saturday and I already told myself I'm NOT playing next year!

OK, I know--I know----back to the couch...

Because some days I'm a lazy blogger...

I am not sure I could put together one coherent thought today, so I decided to copy Lauren at Baseballs and Bows and do some game recommendations. (I know that she and Heidi both added widgets, but I'm going to forgo that.) We have recently discovered a couple of new fun games in our house:
I purchased this first one, Toss Up, at Target or Walmart a few weeks back. It is also available here. It is a PERFECT on-the-go type game because it literally is stored in a box that is smaller than a tin of Altoids.

The gist of the game is this, you are trying to roll the dice and work your way to 100 points. You get one point every time you roll a green. You have to be careful though because when you roll a red and no greens, you lose all your points in that roll.

It's a game of probability with chance thrown in for fun. Although it says 8 and up on the box, I really think younger kids might be able to play with adult help.

The second game is one that I like, but I haven't quite sold all my kids on yet. It's called, Bananagrams and is a little like Scrabble without the board. This game is also portable and can be played by kids from 7 and up.

The game is played simultaneously rather than by taking turns, so it makes it a bit of a race against other players. Players have to use all their tiles to connect words in crossword format. When they use their tiles, they call "peel" and everyone takes another tile. Play continues until there are no more tiles. The first player to use all their tiles to make words, calls "Bananas" and other players can check, to see if they agree that the words are legitimate.

These are BOTH fun and easy games to play. They require little set up and are portable.

What's your favorite game?

Wordless Wednesday--Cousins at Play