rampin' up for the weekend ....

This weekend is a big weekend in the soccer world!! It's Region Cup time for this little soccer star .....

I'm heading off to Naples sometime before sunrise on Saturday morning. Two games Saturday, one game Sunday and I should be home by 1pm on Sunday if I only stop for a drive-thru lunch!

Because we have so many children, they are naturally going in different directions, which means mega-planning for me. I think, and this is bound to change 5X before I leave my driveway, I am heading south with just Trevor and Rachael. There is a possibility that Lil' E will be joining us. But for now it is just me, Rachie Power & the Trevmeister will be going.

I'm still trying to figure out why we have to play in the furthest place south, when there are very good soccer complexes near our home and within an hours driving distance. We are literally the furthest field possible. Directions are simple. Head south on 75, when you get to the Everglades, hang a right...the soccer fields are on the left...

I'm heading home fast on Sunday, because Sunday is a special day! My little girl is turning 11 on Sunday! 11 years old !! That is amazing to me. She is my little girl and she's not so little anymore ... I'm confused as to how the time went by so fast !! I'd like to request a re-do of the last 11 years, or maybe just the last 9 .... I'll skip the diaper part !!

So wish me luck in the hotel with a super crazy 2 year old boy. Wish Rachael luck .... she needs it and I would really like to advance to the Quarter Finals in two weeks .... Wish us nice weather and no traffic jams and a quiet ride to the Everglades .... Wish me sanity and patience ....

And I have something to share with all of you ....A few weeks ago, my friend Beth came to Rachael's game and took some super fab pictures of my little girl in action. She takes the best pictures and could clearly start a little home-based Mommy business of her own ..... I have so many more to share .... but here is a little piece of awesome-ness...

a little bit quieter.

One child comes home, and one child leaves. Does anyone notice a difference in their home when you remove one child from the mix? We do, and it is really significant, strangely odd, yet peacful lack of noise that reminds you that you are minus one child.

Our home is loud. There is no getting around it. Tile floors, a plasma car for Trevor (thanks nanny), 4 children with different agendas, two dogs and 2 birds - it is a hot mess for noise. I am loud by nature. It came to me by my father, so that doesn't help. Sometimes having a conversation with someone takes too much energy, so you just don't.

BUT, this summer Kasey was away for 12 days and Rachael just left for her summer trip to my home in Massachusetts. Because each of our children is so drastically different from the others, removing one changes our home. It is remarkable. With Rachael is Massachusetts and Kasey out with her friends last night, Erin and I had the boys home and that was it, just the boys. It was a walk in the park. The quiet was almost spooky. I felt like I was missing someone.

Rachael is on her summer trip for the next two weeks. She left on Wednesday with her Pappy. Rachael has some diva tendencies, so flying first class with Pappy just added to the Diva in Rachael. Next week she will be going to Old Orchard Beach in Maine with Papa, Nic Nic and Alexa and then back to Nanny and Pappy's before coming home. Did I mention she is flying home 1st class too....yeah...She should be a full blow Diva upon return. I'm hoping to get some good pictures of her trip. New England beaches are beautiful.

Here is the weather report for Old Orchard Beach, Maine:

Free Weather Reports

I very glad that Rachael has this opportunity to visit her grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. She loves having everyone to herself.

China Update

The update from the mass e-mail that gets sent out is that all the group has been confirmed on a flight. Kasey and Nanny are officially seperated. I spoke to my Mom a few minutes ago and she is in Washington DC on standby to get to Chicago. She gave me a cell phone number to reach Kasey. Kasey is doing fine in Tampa. She is confirmed on a 4:30pm flight going direct to Chicago with 17 others who did not make the previous flights. Kasey says she is a little tired and a lot bored and just wants to be in Chicago. The good news is that the chaperones said the kids are being great!

I know Kasey is still in Tampa, see the below picture:

{I would have preferred her face, but I'll take what I can get}

Kasey & Nanny are off to China

Well, not really. The organization that is handling the entire trip failed to have some of the Visa's cleared. They are not going to China today.

Because of this the entire group has missed the plane to Chicago. They are currently in the process of the finding everyone a seat on one of five flights heading to Chicago this afternoon. Kasey and my Mom (Kasey calls her Nanny) will be on broken up. However, Nanny is on the first plane out, and Kasey will follow on the 3rd flight with the Orchestra Director. They will meet in the Chicago and head to the hotel.

However, I have a brother in Chicago that they may visit and I think Nanny is going to take Kasey on a "Duck Tour" since she has not been to Chicago. Hey, when given lemons make some Lemonade!! So hopefully they will make it to Chicago in time to do that and then have time to go to dinner with Uncle Duane and Aunt Tara.

With the Visa's to be cleared by this afternoon, they will be off to Shanghai tomorrow am.

Here is a picture of the Orchestra on Friday.

Spring Break In Florida

Spring Break in Florida! What to do, what to do! It is a week when the kids are out of school, daycare is on vacation. So I do the very best thing .... I call in back-up. I call up Grandma, aka Nanny.
And, that is where she takes over. The kids are spoiled and loved for a week and I don't have to worry about them at all! It is great. They are sleeping very good at night.
The pool isn't quite warm. But the kids are jumping in for a few minutes at a time. Last check, Erin went in and didn't complain, so it has to be warming up a bit. Trevor is getting used to the water again. He hasn't cared much for it the last couple of times.
Temps here are around 85 degrees everyday. It is the most beautiful time of the year before the humidity sets in. Playing outside is perfect for Spring Break!