again!

Let's go way back .... Remember last year, Rachael received the Student of the Month for exhibiting the trait "joyful"...... yup, it was for "joyful"

Well, she is student of the month again. But she is a little confused why she is ...

My daily phone call just came in.

me: hey sweetie, how was your day?
R: good, I'm student of the month.
me: That's awesome. What is this the theme this month?
R: I don't know, but all I got was a pencil and green cup.
me: Well, you must have done something to deserve receiving the award.
R: I don't know, maybe because I'm just that kind of kid. People like me. That's just how I am. I'm like-able...

How Seinfield did that sound? She cracks me up ...... I don't know what to do with her?

Maybe it was the class clown award.

grandparents breakfast.

Last Friday was Grandparents Breakfast as school. We are very lucky that Pappy spends a great deal of time in Tampa and loves to come to breakfast with the kids. This was Pappy's 6th annual Grandparents Breakfast. And, sadly, it is Rachael's last. Next year my little girl will be a 6th grader in Junior High School. But, Pappy, you are in luck. Erin still has a few left!

Pappy was a little late this year, but it all worked out. Rachael even gave him directions to the school and didn't get him lost! Here are some pictures of the big day. Rachael said she always gets sad when Pappy brings her to school because she misses him! oohhhhhh......so sweet. But Pappy knows how to make her smile, a little bribery goes a long way!

How cute are they in the "Spirit Friday" T-shirts ..

been there ... done that .... and had a slice!

We did our soccer thing today. And we did it pretty well against Lake Wales. But I am sooo glad we didn't drive all the way there to beat them 7 to 1. I would have been all sorts of soccer mom angry. Those poor girls, Lake Wales is a good 50 minutes from here and that's a long way home to be thinking about that loss. No offense, better them than me. And if that sounds very soccer mommy-ish, it is and I said it with a big smile.

But my drive was only 10 minutes and we took one of Rachael's teammates home with us! Rachael took off the cleats and shin guards in the car and I nearly puked in my mouth from the smell. But then her friend did and "OH MY GOSH" did I nearly crash my minivan. What goes on inside those cleats and shin pads in an hour and a half of soccer. That is the smell of something dying. So gross, I drove with the windows down with a hard lean to the left.

Pizza for dinner because I didn't want to cook a darn thing. And I had one piece (yup, that calls for an "atta girl"). Only 7 points to log for the delicious, cheesy, hot, yummy, piece of heaven. It was sooo good!

And Little E just came up to me with an old insurance card asking if he can use it for something. For those that don't know, in my home that is code for "Mom I playing around and I "accidently" locked a door and I need to open it FAST!" Let's just hope it wasn't the room that Trevor disappeared too.....

note to my husband

Hey honey,

I know you check the blog nightly and since I will be sleeping when you get home, I just wanted to let you know not to be concerned about the "smokiness" in our home.

I didn't leave the bread in the oven and then preheat it, I learned my lesson the last 2 times. I didn't forget the toaster oven was on and give the boys a bath, that was a big oopps. The kids didn't put paper in the burning candle causing incredible amounts of smoke. And the dryer didn't mysteriously start smoking after that load was a little too big. I promise.

But while I was helping Erin study that spelling list, Rachael was watching "Jon and Kate plus 8" and Kasey was in her bedroom talking on the phone, Trevor did that disappearing thing again. The little rascal got into the cornstarch baby powder and by the time I started the Trevor hunt, our entire bedroom was covered in white powder. And then the air conditioner kicked on and it was all over the place. If I wasn't gasping for air, I would have been able to take some pictures. It wouldn't have worked, it was more like a white out.

I cleaned up all I can for tonight. I literally need for wait for the dust to settle. So no worries ..... just don't breathe deeply ....

the words I've been waiting to hear ...

COLD FRONT! I would like to welcome Fall to sunny Florida.

Did you hear that, we have a cold front. Wasn't I just complaining that I am soooo over the heat and humidity? Then I was in my kitchen, where I am most of the day & night, and I heard the words I've been dreaming for ... Cold Front. I jumped for joy, I think I screamed, but I was so excited I can't remember. Temporary Lapse of Memory.

The kids heard it too. Little E immediately asked if he can wear a jacket to school! I thought that was the funniest reaction. He just wants to wear a jacket and he wants it to be his new jacket that Nanny bought him! Rachael wants to wear jeans for the cold front, but I had to point out that she has two things going against her. 1 is that the low is 67 degrees, but by noon we will be at 85 and 2. Jeans won't fit over her boot cast. She really just wants to wear jeans.

Check out this forecast. I am so excited. 87 degrees with no humidity is beautiful !! We are going to play outside, we are going to wear jackets and we are going to drive with the windows down.

what's a mommy to do?

Let me start by saying. That this ain't my first rodeo, cowboy.

I know the game, I've played it twice before. I hate playing it, it means at least a week of whining, crying, pleading and begging. And to be quite honest, it involves a lot of energy on my part. Trevor needs to give up the paci. We had to have his blood retested last month because he tends to a little low in the iron department. Big E went with me and when Trevor cried, he popped in the paci. I secretly died. I knew that Dr. Mark would say something. And he sure did. UGH ... I hate being talked to by the Dr. He is such a smarty pants.

But really, I know the paci needs to go. It's time. But now he's too smart. He knows he can't have it at daycare, but the second he asks for it at home, I cave. I think it is time for some tough love. It is almost time to cut off the sucky part, leaving just handles. I did it this for Rach & Erin, they walked around with handles for a few days, but it worked.

The only thing left to decide, is when we should do it.....

Ode to Yankee Stadium

Do the math, the Yankees have been will most likely be mathematically eliminated from the Playoffs soon. Yes, I can't believe it either, the Yankees did not most likely will not make the playoffs. Usually I would just tease my father a little. But I'm feeling a little nostalgic since the ball park will close its front gates forever and will meet the wrecking ball in the not so far future.

I can argue with the best of them that the YANKEES are the single best baseball team there is today. Maybe not for this years season, but for the seasons past. If you watched the All-Star game and was able to see all those Yankee Greats walk the field, you'd have to agree with me. Watching George Steinbrenner nearly in tears because of how much history was standing on that field, was incredible.

My father is the biggest Yankee fan ever! Next time I'm in Massachusetts I'll take pictures of the "Man Cave". I know he is feeling a little heartache right now.

I've been to Yankee Stadium a few times. Most of the time, my Dad would take us for a game on the hottest day of August. Oh how I enjoyed the cheap seats on the third tier with sun beating down, with the crazy New Yorker screaming Yankee related profanity in my young ears. The players looked no bigger than the peanuts shells I was throwing at my brother. I remember my Dad telling me over and over how awesome this park was and there was nothing else like it. And he was right. It was pretty awesome ....

BUT ... The Rays made the playoffs! First time ever! Gotta go with our hometown team now that the Yanks are all but done.

peeping Mary

Oh and Mary reads my blog. She is a peeping Mary and she doesn't leave comments. She is also a non-joiner. Maybe that is the reason she doesn't leave comments.

Mary .... congrats to you .... you're now on "The List"!!

turn down the heat please.

My feet got a little toasty today at Rachael's soccer game. When is the heat going to go away? It is September, and in Massachusetts the heat is gone. But not here, not Florida! It is flippin' hot into the October. I really enjoy the heat, but I think I've reached the point where I'm over it. And there isn't a darn thing I can do about it.

In other news...Rachael's soccer team lost today to RSL. 2 to 1. Very close game. We dominated the second half. Our team is very talented, they just need some grooming. But they did well and it was really hot. I know this because I watched, and I was hot & they were running! It should have been 1-1, they got one of those lucky bobble around in front of the goal goals. Nothin' could have been done about that kinda stuff.

Rachael's still in the walking cast. Her foot isn't feeling so hot.
And I'm on the computer and there is a mountain of white's that need to be folded. oh the joy.

no flags to be seen..

They told Rachael yesterday they had to call in the "special flag guy" to get up there and fix the tangled, twisted, knotted mess that she made. I really think that the custodian needed to round up a taller ladder, but the she got the point. Dont' hike the flag, too fast or too high again!!

We rolled up to the school around 7:22am (yes I watch the ticking minutes in the morning) only to hear this from the backseat ..

R: Hallelujah! The flag is down...the special flag guy came. I really hope I have new post today, I'm afraid of doing it again! That was a disaster. Everyone knows me & Julia broke the flag pole. Kara told everyone. Wait until she has flag duty..."

And then Rachael broke out singing this tune..

"IT'S A GRAND OL FLAG, IT IS A TWISTED KNOTTED FLAG, IT'S AN ALL NIGHT FLYING FLAG"

Yeah... she needs her own reality show....

soooo Rachael.

Rachael is a "safety patrol" for her school. Her new post is "water fountain 1". All patrols at "WF1" are also in charge of the hanging the American Flag & the School Flag. Today was day 1 of this duty and she just called for her daily afterschool phone call.

R: Hi Mommy, Julia did it.
Me: Julia did what?
R: The flag. I, umm we broke it. It is like all tangled up and it won't come down.
Me: So you broke the flag.
R: No Julia did it. But even Coach Sagin can't get it down.

She broke the school's flag or tangled it up pretty good. I probably shouldn't think it is funny.

But I can't stop laughing .... Rachael needs her own realty TV show....

when does it stop.

Our family is a bunch of sickies. Well, at least 4 out of 6 are. Daddy Erin and Kasey seem to dodged the sneezes pretty well.

Rach & Erin have the sore throat, stuffy nose thing. I have the headache, stuffy head, climb into bed and go to sleep thing. And little Trevor has the runny nose, and I'm cranky and you have to hold me thing. I can only explain it by comparing it to one of those sucker fish that hitch rides on the sides of sharks. yeah...just like that, but a lot more whining.

Does this mean that the sick season has officially kicked off ......wonderful.

big mistake

I was down two kids yesterday. Not because I misplaced them, but Rachael had a birthday party to go to, she currently is on a very tight social calendar. And Kasey doesn't hang too much anymore, she was doing what most 17 year olds do, doing something somewhere with her friends. So I took the two boys grocery shopping.

One of my stops was Costco. I needed bulk "lunch box snacks", juice boxes, milk, and bread, etc. Trevor did great for about 1/2 of the trip and then the dreaded request came. It wasn't even a request, it was more like a "I walk now"! As a mother of a 2 year old, that is the one request you NEVER want to hear in a place like Costco ....CRAP!!

Carts at Costco are like ginormous sized, they're like grocery carts all hopped up on steroids. He was loose and I could only hope that someone wouldn't run him over ....

He sought shelter and he was fine. This is where I found him ...


I passed on the Sun Chips. I hope the poor soul who buys them doesn't mind them all crushed and mangled.

..... and for the record, I laughed. It was funny .....

golf tournament

This past weekend was our 1st Annual Brandon Flames Golf Tournament. If you don't know already, Rachael plays competitive soccer. It gets pretty expensive, not only the fees, but all the traveling that goes along with it. A few of the competitive teams from our club joined forces and held a golf tournament for fundraising.

It was a great success. We had a good turnout and it was a lot of fun, not only for the golfers, but for the volunteers. Pappy and a few of his friends came out to show their support for our team. Not only was it nice to see Pappy, but it was nice to see him do something relaxing for once. My job was being the official "Golf Paparazzi". Funny, there are a lot of pictures of Pappy!!

For all the pictures, please visit the "Brandon Flames Golf Tournament" blog.

Here are some of my favorites of Pappy:

look at this face.

What do you think? Happy toddler or angry little boy??

Happy Toddler! This is what it looks like when he is trying to say "cheese" and smile at the same time!!

I love his little "chicklit" teeth .....

labor day memories.

Here are some pictures of our trip to Melbourne. When we weren't watching Rachael play soccer, we were on the beach and at the pool. Erin and Trevor lived in the water the entire weekend. Erin wasn't able to come with us, but Nanny came along to help me out. And I certainly did need her. Erin and Trevor didn't want to go to the soccer field. There was no way to get them to go when there was an oceanful of fun right below our balcony!

Weather, it was beautiful. There was a little more than a sea breeze with Tropical Storm Hanna churning things up. But all we felt in Melbourne was some wind and the biggest waves my kiddo's have ever seen. The wind blew salty mist on everything, thus some cloudy pictures. But we had more than enough sun and it was perfect!!

Here are two videos of the kids playing in the waves. We kept them close, since the red flags were up due to the huge waves and super strong rip currents.

Here are a few pictures of our beach days:

Early morning shell hunt with Nanny

Watching Rachael play soccer was the real reason for the trip to Melbourne. Here are some pics of the soccer star in action. She played her heart out all weekend. We are so proud of her. We love #21 and her Rachie power!!

quote of the day

"Who turned on the Hurricane Machine"
"On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Josephine joined the Conga line of destruction."
TBT - Tampa Bay Times

I laughed my butt off!!

back at home.

Home from Melbourne...

Rachael team placed 3rd overall. They lost in the semi-finals 0-1. The other team scored with 15 seconds left in the game. We were heading into overtime and they scored a bobble, bobble, boop goal. I would more okay with the loss if it was a real goal, a strategically placed goal. But this was a lucky goal. As a soccer mom with a bit of an attitude, I was a little mad. Not because my daughter's team lost, but because they played so very hard and they deserved the win, they really did.

Rachael felt so bad and you could tell how disappointed she was by looking at her face. A quick stop of Friendly's for some ice cream turned her frown upside down!!

I have lots of pictures to share. I'll post them shortly!