Here we go again...

…in two directions!

Hint…Are you ready for some football?

As another school year approaches, equipment was picked up and soon a practice schedule will be stuck to the refrigerator. One change this year though, there will be two schedules. Olivia is going to be cheering this year. She’ll still enjoy hanging out with friends during her brothers’ games and while I work the concession stand for the second game and then, she’ll be cheering for the third game. I have some long days ahead of me but I am happy that she has decided to cheer. You should try a sport before stating that you don’t like it. We’re not sure how this will work and what schedule we’ll be on but we do know it’ll be hectic. It’ll be enjoyable. It’ll be frustrating. I can hope the communication is better than last year. Last year we were newbies to the sporting life. Rather, newbies as parents of young athletes. We were not familiar with the other schools, the playing fields and their locations. How can you expect us to get to the destination on time when no addresses are given out, just this: drive 6 miles on route xx, turn left at the old barn, go 3 miles, then after…the field will be on the right. Seriously? Now having one year behind us, I am hoping we won’t be running “around the block” this year. Frustrating. Fundraisers – did that too! However, very disappointed to learn that the orders were not placed when we were told, thus a 3-week late delivery to those individuals that were nice enough to support our teams. Don’t hold it for anyone. Deadlines have a purpose. And can we have all parents support the teams? Not just sit in the stands. We donated baked goods and I worked in concessions. Volunteer before or after your child plays. There is a lot to do – but (breathe) I have gotten way off my train of thought. Sometimes when you say, or type, thoughts, you feel so much better. Whew – glad I got that out of my system.

It’s going to be a good year despite the negative issues we experienced last year. The positives cast all those onto the sidelines. The coaches were good to the kids, encouraging and supportive. We had a great time supporting the kids and the kids had fun. We met new families and friendships were started. It was fun and I for one, am looking forward to another “crazy, fun-filled, busy, which-way and where are we going” fall. Some of the boys on last years’ team will move up to the older team, new players will join. Who knows what this year holds for Elliott and his teammates. But you can be sure of one thing, they’ll be ready to rumble! After all, they are Mighty, Mighty Panthers!

And for Olivia, this will be a new and exciting activity for her. I’m not sure what to expect. I know it will teach her time-management skills. She’ll get more exercise and experience team work. I want her to have fun and enjoy the season. I’ll find out soon what her season will be like as I’ll attend a parent meeting tonight. Meanwhile, Elliott will be at his first practice.

So today I stock the refrigerator up, make some meals to put in the freezer and get ready for his first practice. I have goals to work on – meal goals. I want to have a menu written up and posted on the refrigerator next to the schedules. I plan to use the crockpot more this fall so we have healthy, ready-to-eat meals once John and the kids get home since they arrive earlier than I do. I’m being optimistic – we’ll manage this much better this year. So much easier to say than do. I have picky kids to feed. I don’t have a problem fixing steak fajitas in the crockpot that they can put in a wrap and eat. Elliott likes egg wraps. Olivia doesn’t. Scalloped potatoes and ham. Olivia loves this dish. Elliott doesn’t like the ham mixed with the potatoes. Pulled pork – hit for all. Meatball subs. That might work. This might be the season that their tastes change. Meaning expand perhaps I’ll be able to say, “good-bye finicky eaters!” Aw…wishful, wishful thinking. But we will have quick and healthy meals. Not necessarily grab-n-go and I’m thinking I will boycott the local pizza house. We ate too much pizza last fall. Yuk!

I’ll pack the car with blankets, chairs, umbrellas, and other items that were needed last year either at practice or games.

I’ll have to dig out my Panther t-shirt. Get knitting that red scarf with a black pawprint on it.

I’ll need to practice my cookie decorating skills. More sugar cookie jerseys this year? Just frosted football cookies or the whole set – football, jersey and helmet? Plus, I’ll have to look for a mega-phone cutter and try to make pom-poms. That’ll be a project to work on.

I do know that we’ll be cheering loudly (well, I will be loud) for number 25. Elliott chose a new number this year!

Fascination

I’m taking the camera tonight on our walk after dinner. I hope it isn’t raining at that time. We have something fascinating to share.

And we age...

I can say getting older hasn’t bothered me much.

The gray hairs don’t bother me. I certainly don’t fret about them. Yes, I have caved and bought hair color on occasion. However, I have never been a “regular” customer for haircuts or hair coloring. Just whenever I get around to it or make the time. Now I’m pondering, if coloring my hair is really necessary? Does the gray hair upset me? No. Is coating my head with chemicals, harmful chemicals, worth gray-less hair? No.

And then there are the wrinkles. Those lines around my eyes. My laugh lines. They don’t bother me either. Yes I still hate the dark, dark circles under my eyes but you know what, they’re me. And being the plain-jane I am, I am not one to waste time applying make-up because I don't like the feel or that fact that I don't think it makes much difference.  Even the scars from stitches near my right, no left eye, I hardly notice them anymore. Hey world, this is me.  Take me as I is!!!
One thing I CANNOT stand about getting older though is the change in my vision. I have had glasses for distance (driving) for years. This year my close-up vision became unfocused. Blurred. I became frustrated. I dragged my feet for a few weeks before I picked the phone up and called for an appointment. Now I can see. Oh the print in the books – crystal clear. Boy, why did I wait so long. I can’t really blame it on age because I did not forget to call. I opted not to call.

Now though, those new glasses are broke. The weld popped on one of the temples (you know, the piece that goes from the frame to your ear) so I have to drop them off on Friday and get a new pair. I wonder how long my world will be out of focus?

Splatters & Smears

We talked a lot yesterday. We enjoyed the sun and worked on a major outdoor project. We had fun. It was an overall busy day. We went shopping in the morning. Both kids have most of their school supplies for next year. We also stopped at Lowes for paint and brushes. Then we picked up a few grocery items before picking up lunch and returning home.

Once home, I mixed up a batch of cookies and Olivia baked them for me. She is such a great help. She was excited because she would be baking alone. By herself. She loves saying, I baked these. And she is responsible so I let her. I did check in on her a few times. All was well. My only complaint, or perhaps lack of instruction, was she left a mess behind but I forgave her. After all, the cookie jar was full! I changed clothes and cleaned around the shed. Trimmed grass and weeds back. Cut and trimmed limbs from the pine trees. Swept the shed off. Set up a table and bench and we started work. Rather, we started painting. Elliott helped me first since Olivia was baking. They were so excited that they were going to be painting. What fun! As we painted we talked and chatted about various things. Time passed and we painted. It was hot and sunny. We made sure we had cold drinks nearby. Ruddie ran around and checked in on us frequently. John arrived home, talked with us for a while before leaving to mow. Elliott left also. He was going to mow on the tractor. The roller was handed over. Olivia picked up where he left off and we had a nice afternoon chatting and talking – girl things. I enjoyed the chatter among the drips, splatters and smears of paint. For being such a neat girl, Olivia was covered in paint. She laughed about it and said it is the same for her and markers. Painting the shed took about 3 hours but we have most of it done. I have to sweep off the back and then John will have to hold the ladder for me as there is a small staging area and then a slope down to the road. I’ll paint the backside next weekend. I’ll have to buy the trim paint as well and I alone, will be painting. I hope one or both children will spend time with me as I paint the trim. I enjoy talking with them. I enjoyed the time.

Sun-kissed bodies

Isn’t it nice to just get away from it all for a little while? No schedules, no work, no stress. That’s what we were anticipating. Free time. Family time. Vacation!

We packed our bags, then packed the truck recently and drove to Portland, Ontario Canada. We spent a week on the lake. Our rental cottage was tucked back in a quiet cove and it was quiet. We had it all to ourselves, unless you count the raccoon, squirrels, chipmunk and mink that were too friendly and ran around the lot. And the turtles in the water. I was happy to see and hear the loons. All week the lake was quiet and we enjoyed swimming, boating and fishing. We slept in almost every morning. Even John, who in the past has always gotten up early to go fishing. He still fished in the morning but not as early. We stayed up later than normal every night chatting and it was those late nights that led to lazy mornings. That’s what vacation time is about. Doing what you want and when you want to. No schedule.

We swam near the dock and the kids spent hours in the water swimming with their mask and snorkels on. The water in the Big Rideau is very clean thus clear. When wearing a mask, you could see the little schools of sunfish and some perch swimming near your feet. Sometimes we’d rub our feet on the sandy bottom and that would bring debris up from the bottom and the fish would come swimming looking for food. Everything in the water was viewed clearer with a mask on. The kids saw a box turtle and on our last day, a huge snapping turtle came out to swim. Elliott saw the snapper first and got right out and yelled to Olivia to exit. It was huge and they were glad it appeared on the last day as it drove them out of the water and they decided not to swim again.

Quite a snapper, don’t you think?

A little water excitement for sure!

Along with the cottage rental, we rented a pontoon boat. A pontoon is roomy and ensures that those who are fishing have room (although at times, it did get crowded). I don’t fish. I like to fish but the competition on the boat was tough. So I decided to take photos and when needed, I would take over the captains’ chair when John was called to assist with a catch (netting, unhooking, or holding a fish for a picture). The fishing is great! Northern Pike. Perch. Sunfish and Crappies. Bass – small and large-mouth (kids now call large-mouth bass, bucket bass. I think they picked that up from the guy at the bait shop we visited numerous times, eh?) In preparation for vacation, Olivia wrote a contract months ago, each of us signed it and a jar was placed in the kitchen to collect change. All change collected became the reward for the largest fish caught and recorded. Olivia was the recorder and she rushed to measure each catch. Each fish had to be recorded which lead to her scrambling to find the tape measure and get to the fish. Often times, she obstructed my view and picture taking. All in all, each fishing excursion was wonderful and rewarding. Sometimes the water and wind made it challenging to keep the boat near shore but we persevered. After all, they were on a mission to catch the largest fish! Olivia caught a huge bucket bass (17.5”) and Elliott caught a nice northern pike (21”).

One night while out fishing, we watched an osprey fly down and snatch up a large fish and fly over our boat. If I had been quicker, I could have video-taped it but I did not want to take my eyes off her. She almost lost the fish too but she managed to catch the flapping fish in her talons. Amazing nature and beautiful wildlife.

Since this was our fourth trip to Portland and the lake, we felt comfortable in the area but this years’ cottage was in the opposite direction we have stayed in the past. We also wanted to find Lost Lake and Colonel By Island. Lost Lake is a wildlife preserve located between two islands. We found Colonel By Island one afternoon and walked around.  The house has been boarded up for a long time and the tennis courts, although still usable, needs repair.  It is a shame, as I’m sure the house in its day was a grand home, after all, various stars visited the home.

We walked to a small, empty beach and swam for a while.

Still wanting to cruise through the preserve, we went back the next day. We located one entrance but determined it too small for the pontoon. John did not want to locate the other entrance so we thought we would hike the 2-mile trail on the island. Our goal was to make it to the look-out tower. It was a hot day and the horse flies were swarming around all of our heads. The kids and I ended up hiking with our beach towels wrapped around our heads. What a miserable way to hike. We did not make it to the tower. The trail was very twisted (what happened to a straight hike from point A to point B?) and overgrown; however, we did spook up a turkey hen and her brood. We ended up turning around and went back to the beach to swim and cool off.

Other than sleeping in, boating, fishing, swimming and enjoying family time, we went to Westport. We spent time walking around, browsing shops we had not gone into in the past and eating.  Here the kids tried out an Adirondack chair. What do you think?

Big Blue Adirondack Chair

We stopped for some ice cream and ate that while walking along the lake. On our way to the fudge shop, the real reason the trip was made, we stopped in a bakery and bought some pretzel rolls, a slice of walnut tart, and water. John also went into a fish store and came out munching on smoked fish and both kids sampled this. Next stop, the fudge shop. Olivia and Elliott bought 1.5 pounds of fudge (it was a deal, buy 1 pound, get ½ pound free). Happy that they bought their fudge, we headed back to camp. A quick stop at another bait shop, some tackle and bait purchases made, we arrived and swam the afternoon away.

We kenneled Ruddie while we vacationed and had to take him the day before we left for Canada. We all realized how special Ruddie is to us as we were lost without him at home. His buddy, Elliott had a rough night without him. Returning home was difficult as well. We arrived Saturday evening and had to wait until 5:00 p.m. Sunday before we could pick him up. The kennel experience was good for Ruddie although he was out of sorts when we picked him up. We don’t think he enjoyed his “vacation” as much as we did. Once home, he settled right back into life at home and boy did he get spoiled. When we were outside with him after arriving home, Elliott summed up our thoughts when he said, “Now we are complete.” I couldn't have said it better.

Another great family vacation behind us. We made some wonderful memories! Olivia and I will be scrapbooking soon so we can sit, view and reminisce about the wonderful, hot vacation in 2012.

Here is just a sampling of what we have to scrapbook with. Oh, and we all came back home with a healthy glow!

 Yes, I did enjoy vacation!

 A morning fishing trip.

We really are on the water - crystal clear water.

One of my favorite shots.

 My man in his Jimmy Buffet shirt.

Our beauty!

Oh, yeah the prize money. John told them to split it because a Northern Pike will be longer and a bass will weigh more. You have to compare apples to apples, after all to be fair!