Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Nightly Bedtime Conversation

Here is my favorite conversation; I get to have it every night with one of my favorite people.

OK - let's say prayers.

Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Guide me through the starry night, wake me when the sunshine's bright. Amen.

Five little angels around my bed, one at the foot, one at the head, one to watch, one to pray and one to carry my sins away. Amen.

God bless Mommy, Daddy, Tyler, Andrew, Sammi, Nibbles, Redshark and all those who I love. Keep them healthy. Amen.

Good night, sleep well. I love you. (me)

I love you, more. (Drew)

No, I love you more. (me)

Nope. I love you more. (Drew) Smiling because he knows how much I love this game.

Of course, he can't possibly love me more than I love him. He has no idea how far my love for him reaches. It's so nice to know that he thinks he does!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

100 Things I Love

My sister put me up to this challenge. Something about it being a blog chain that she was going to do and I should do it to. Nobody reads my blog but her friend Kayla, (Hi Kayla! Thanks for stopping by!) and sometimes Michelle does too. Mostly, it's me reading it to her after I call her to tell her I posted. I can't wait for her to read it herself so I read it to her instead. Incidentally, I just checked out her blog and didn't see anything about 100 things she loves. I couldn't get inspiration from her on this one so this is all me. And .... kudos to me for doing this before her! So, in no particular order, 100 things I love......
  1. Chocolate
  2. Lobster
  3. Listening to my boys sing along with the songs on the radio. They don't do it often enough.
  4. My camera - it does a fabulous job capturing life.
  5. My laptop
  6. My iPhone
  7. Digital scrapbooking - no clean up and if I need paper or elements they are only a click away 24/7
  8. Watching the birds that visit my feeder
  9. The first snow
  10. Music - all kinds - except Jazz
  11. The feeling I get after a good walk on the treadmill
  12. Freshly painted walls
  13. The first trip to the beach in the summer
  14. Watching my boys play baseball
  15. Playing board games
  16. Walking the Marginal Way in Maine
  17. My bed
  18. Reading a good book
  19. Blogging - wish there was more time to do this.
  20. A completely clean house
  21. Watching the sunrise
  22. Watching the sunset
  23. When Andrew laughs and it comes from his toes
  24. Snuggling with the boys
  25. Sammi (my Yorkie) at the top of stairs greeting me with smiles when I come home
  26. Bubble gum - I'm one of those obnoxious bubble gum snapping people
  27. Vera Bradley bags and accessories
  28. My wristlet - I haven't lost the bank card since I got one of these babies
  29. Clean crisp sheets
  30. The scent of Lavendar
  31. The end of PMS
  32. Sarah Jessica Parker perfumes and body lotion - Lovely and Dawn
  33. Watching Tyler take the shot and get nothing but net in a basketball game
  34. Going to the zoo
  35. Jumping in the leaves
  36. The smell of Spring
  37. A warm rain
  38. Looking at pictures of the boys when they were little
  39. Campfires
  40. Grilled cheese sandwiches
  41. Having a heart to heart with Mike
  42. Taking the once in a lifetime picture
  43. Goat cheese and strawberry salad - so yummy
  44. My Land's End slippers
  45. Sweatpants
  46. My life
  47. A thunderstorm on a summer afternoon - I don't like them at night though
  48. Marachino cherries
  49. Walking the beach with Mike and the boys
  50. Coming home from vacation - there's no place like home
  51. A great report card
  52. Snowmen
  53. Fresh cut flowers
  54. My Creative Zen mp3 player
  55. The color yellow
  56. God
  57. Raisin berry lipstick
  58. Watching videos of the boys
  59. Jessica Sprague's classes and products
  60. Tigers and lions and bears
  61. Manicures and pedicures - never had a pedicure but I know I would love it!
  62. The smell of a new baby
  63. Aromatherapy oils
  64. White noise when I'm sleeping
  65. Hooded sweatshirts
  66. Singing in the shower
  67. Jim Polito's radio show
  68. Glenn Beck
  69. Dr. Pepper
  70. Hiking in Purgatory
  71. Living in a small town
  72. Waterfalls
  73. My husband and children (I originally thought "that goes without saying" but then decided to include them - that's why they are number 73 instead of number 1) - like I said - "in no particular order"
  74. 1/2 decaf, 1/2 hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts
  75. Tyler's developing wit and and sense of humor
  76. When the boys play nicely together and it doesn't involve electronics
  77. Money in the bank after the bills have been paid
  78. Remembering something I learned in Photoshop when I am scrapbooking
  79. Watching the clouds
  80. Learning something new
  81. Popcorn
  82. A cold room when I am sleeping
  83. Bananagrams
  84. Playing Rummy 500 with Andrew
  85. When a week goes by and we realize that we didn't eat out at all
  86. Almond Joy
  87. Hanging with my nephews
  88. Dancing like a fool
  89. Amazon.com - no lines, no waiting
  90. Avacados
  91. Memories of my Grandparents
  92. A warm hug
  93. Holding hands with Mike
  94. Christmas Eve at Doris and Bernie's house. Always a fantastic time!
  95. A day trip to Foxwoods with friends
  96. Opening the windows on the first warm day at the end of the winter
  97. Spaghetti pizza
  98. Watching my boys sleep
  99. The songs we sing in church on Easter
  100. Frogs - strange but true

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Learning Life Lessons

I am a firm believer that a person can do anything they put their mind to. If you want it bad enough and work hard to achieve it, the sky is the limit. I encourage my children to always do their best. I tell them "If you are not going to give it at least 110%, then don't do it at all." Sometimes they listen to me, mostly they don't.

My oldest, a lover of baseball, tried out for an AAU team in the fall. He is a very good ball player. But he is big fish in a little pond playing town ball. I wasn't really sure how he would measure up once he stepped outside our small town. Tyler has an April Birthday and the cutoff for baseball is May 1st. He is always one of the youngest and one of the smallest players. Some of the kids are almost a full year older and let me tell you the size difference in a preadolescent and a adolescent can be pretty significant. He made the team. It was bittersweet. I was happy that he had the ability and skills to compete but now we had a large bill to pay. But it was all worth it because it meant the world to Tyler.

The organization he would be playing for was trying to put two teams together and in the end they did not get enough kids to field two teams. On Friday night the kids from both proposed teams practiced together and we were informed that the two teams would be merged. I was a little concerned about the amount of playing time that Tyler would get with so many kids on the team. But Mike told me not to worry - "Ty is one of the better kids on the team, he will get plenty of playing time. They will be playing double headers on Saturdays and Sundays so there will be plenty of games." I went to bed - feeling a little better about the whole thing.

Six thirty Saturday morning - Mike calls from work (he works nights) and tells me that we received an email from the organization that said upon merging the teams cuts had to be made and, unfortunately, Tyler was one of the kids who was cut. Now what? How was I going to tell my baby that he had been cut? My heart broke for Tyler. When the news was broken to Tyler he was devasted. It was his first bitter taste of rejection. I love the saying, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." I was hoping that this experience would make Tyler stronger and better. I was hoping that it would make him work all that much harder. He had something to prove. He loves baseball and I was hoping that this would not break his spirit.

What do you do if you live in Massachusetts and your child gets bad news - you go to Friendly's of course! We could have filmed a commercial for Friendly's that morning! Funny thing is, the MM pancakes and a little pep talk from Dad and Mom seemed to make it better for him. By Sunday morning, 90% recovery. Although Tyler was better and on the road to hard work, I was still feeling his pain. Oh, the joys of motherhood.

We asked the organization for feedback on their decision to cut Tyler. Where did he fall short and what area(s) was he weak in? The feedback was great - only one area - strength. His skills were great but he needed to get stronger. And there it is - the problem with being the smallest/youngest kid on the team. We gave him the choice to help build his strength - steroids or work out with Dad. Thankfully, without hesitation, he chose to work out with Dad.

So at the ripe old age of almost thirteen, Tyler learns a very important life lesson. The competition is fierce and you need to work hard to make yourself stand out in the crowd if you want to succeed. I pray he will take what he has learned and incorporate it into all aspects of his life. I want him to always have that phenomenal feeling you get when you work hard and you succeed. There is so much greatness in him; if he works hard, the sky is the limit for him!

Friday, February 5, 2010

On Singing

I love to sing. Sometimes I sing quietly to myself. Most times I sing out loud. Sometimes I bellow the tunes out as if I am performing a concert (especially in the shower). I like to make up my own songs and sing them. I make up songs about the boys and the dog. I sing to my boys; I sing to my dog. Sometimes my boys ask me to stop. My dog looks at me when I sing with a funny little expression on his face. Maybe he would like to run from the room, maybe he would like to bark "shut up" to me. But he never does. He just sits and listens. I have always loved to sing. When I was in sixth grade, a group of us would sing at recess - "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. The boys would always run away. When I was a young teen we would swing on the swings at the campground in Maine and sing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee. In high school and beyond we would be out cruising and singing whatever was playing on the radio. I loved music - I spent most of my money on cassettes - I had hundreds of them. I knew all the words and would sing them happily.

I met my husband in 1992. Anytime there was music on, I would sing. One day after we had been dating for about six months and I had fallen head over heals in love with this fabulous man, I was singing away and he said to me,"You know you can't sing, right."

"What? Are you kidding me? Of course I can sing."

"No, you really can't"

Wow - I had been singing for nearly 25 years and no one ever told me I couldn't sing. But I am sure he is right. I am sure that I can't carry a tune to save my life. It really doesn't matter because I love to sing and I will keep on singing. It makes me happy.

I am very thankful that Mike told me I can't sing because if he hadn't, I may have tried out for American Idol and had Simon tell me, "That was absolutely the worst thing I have ever heard. It sounded like two Tom cats fighting in an alley."

Blessings

I count my blessings. Everyday. It usually goes something like this.

  • Incredibly fantastic husband. My very best friend, my soul mate, my light house. He supports me, encourages me, completes me.
  • Wonderfully enjoyable boys. So proud of my boys. I love watching them grow into fantastic little men. They bring me so much joy and keep me young.
  • God - I am a believer. It keeps me grounded and gives me hope.
  • A best friend. I can always count on her to be honest with me ( even if sometimes I don't like what she has to say), to be there for me and, most importantly, to accept me.
  • My faithful dog. I never had a dog when I was a kid, Sammi is my first. He loves unconditionally. Such a faithful little guy. He makes me smile.
  • A warm house on a cold winter's day. We bought a "starter home" over 13 years ago and still live there. It's small and cozy. Most times I wish we had more living space but it is our home and I love living here.
  • Employment. In these difficult times, I am so glad I have a job. It's not a glamorous job but it works for me. I have flexiblity so the boys can still be my number one priority. I have a great boss. I like my co-workers. I enjoy going there.
  • Health. Thank God we are all healthy. With tragic illness striking familes and individuals all around us, I am so blessed that I and my family are all in good health.

I try not to take things for granted and I count my blessings everyday.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

O.K. So here I am. Making my bloggers debut. This has been in the making since November '07. The month and year I turned 40 - wonder if there is some sort of significance here. Scrappi's Space was born and went immediately into hibernation. But now, I hope, is the right time to wake it up and put it to use. With that decision made, I had to stop and ask myself, "why? why do you want to blog? what is the purpose of this blog?" You see, everything must have a reason and a purpose. More thinking and then voilla - to capture life's moments - in a neat and tidy space. Then - to share or not to share? What the hell - I'm a good sharer. So here we are. Before I continue, I need to give a big shout out and thank you to my fabulous, veteran blogging sister who inspired, encouraged, and coaxed me into this. She has been blogging for about three years and loves it - check her out at LifeMadeCreations and you'll see why she inspires me. I am a very competitive person and I have to say that anything I can do she can do way better!!

So here in this space I will write. In my head I am a passionate writer. Something happens on the way from brain to fingers and ..... well....there is nothing. I will use this space to find my voice and share my thoughts and feelings. It is here that I will work out daily struggles and it is here that I will celebrate lifes moments. Life goes by too quickly and I want to remember these fantastic - perhaps midlife - days. Days of raising the two most wonderful boys I know - and - no - I am not being biased at all. I want to document these days - breathe life into these pages so they will live on forever - so my boys will know and remember. I don't want to be morbid but sometimes I think - if I get hit by a bus tomorrow - will they know how much I love them, my boys - all three of them. Well just in case....now they will.

Here in this space I will post photographs. I will capture life moments on memory card. There will be a story to tell and pictures to bring the words to life. I am passionate about taking pictures. Love my camera!! I wish I could learn how to use it to its fullest potential. I will....someday. I have a small (ok - maybe bigger than small) issue with my memory - I can't remember anything. I am OK with that - I have accepted it and can laugh at my stupidity - it's not worth getting upset over. Life is too short. But learning how to use my camera is not easy because I can't remember ANYTHING. I know, I know. Practice will reinforce. But then there is the little problem of time. Not enough of it and what there is goes by way too fast. But I will change my priorites and make time. It's amazing the time you free up when you don't sit in front of the television watching mindless programs. I just recently gave up watching my soap operas. I loved my soaps. All My Children and One Life to Live - been watching AMC for about 30 years. Now I have more time to do this. Much more productive. And I don't really miss all the drama of the silly, unrealistic lives of the characters.

OK - so there it is - my purpose for blogging. Only great things can happen from this and I am so excited to be starting this new adventure. And I am glad I won't be taking it alone.