He shoots, he scores!

Here is the picture that Jared was able to capture of a VERY happy Peter coming off the field after scoring his first ever goal in a lacrosse game. You can't tell with his helmet on and his mouthguard in, but he has a really goofy grin on his face! And here is the action shot of Peter heading for a shot in the game against Timpview yesterday. He played almost the whole game and was really ON his game in spite of the cold!

Lacrosse Mom

Lacrosse dominates my life every spring and usually fall (until Peter discovered cross country) and I figured I should write something about it . . .

Peter is the one with the hair in the center, not yet wearing his jersey

Before I had children I had decided that my boys would play hockey. I REALLY wanted hockey players. Then I had Peter and then Erik and I knew I would not have a hockey player. Both boys were, shall we say, cautious in the extreme. After Peter scraped his knee when he was 2 and screamed for what seemed like hours, I realized that he was not going to be cut out for a rough sport. We made sure that he was well protected from "owies" all of his childhood, though we didn't have to because he made sure of that himself.
Erik has also always been a cautious child, though not to the same extreme. He is a bit more adventurous, but still, not a hockey player. And Nicolas? Same as Peter. Not a hockey player.
I gave up my dream of being a hockey mom long ago and figured after a couple years of soccer (Peter was more interested in picking flowers and chatting with players), that sports were not in the cards.

Peter is #3

Then came lacrosse. I remember lacrosse. Lacrosse was cool in my high school. We had a good team at Cheshire High. But in UTAH? Unheard of! Peter came home in 7th grade saying that he wanted to play lacrosse and said that several boys in the neighborhood were playing. "Really?" I said. I wanted more information and he didn't get it and Peter didn't play that year. He learned his lesson and in the fall of 8th grade he made sure to give me all the information he could find. Lacrosse was just starting in our area and there wasn't much, but enough for me to get him registered. And we were hooked! It's not the cheapest sport, but not hockey-pricey either. But, man, it is fun to watch! I think it is one of the best spectator sports ever. Of course me, being me, can't just sit and watch. I had to get involved also. Team parent and score/time/statkeeper within one season. Now I eat, sleep, breathe lacrosse right along with the boys. Maybe I should learn how to play? Jared is just as bad - he's assistant coaching! I love the boys, the coaches and the excitement of the game. I hope Erik continues to play all through high school so I can continue to enjoy it since Peter only has one more year.

Now Marin wants to play also. Shall we make it the official family sport? Our hip-hopping Markee can be the official cheerleader.

The losing of the tooth

It finally happened. The day that we have all been waiting for for sooooo long. The day that we started worrying would never come. Nicolas finally lost his first tooth. Okay, so I'm a little late posting this since it was last week, but we are all still feeling the excitement. History: Nicolas' teeth started decaying when he was about 10 months old. He hadn't even started eating food yet, really. His front teeth seemed to be rotting right before our eyes. Because of all the financial difficulty we have had these years, though, I never took him to the dentist. I just knew that with how young he was it would require major anesthesia and hundreds of dollars. So we just watched his teeth get worse and worse (lovely school and family pictures!).

Then he turned 7, first grade, and not even a little wiggle! I finally took him in, concerned that perhaps he doesn't have permanent teeth. The dentist did an x-ray, confirming many large, crowded permanent teeth just waiting to burst forth and, as if the visit was magic, the next day Nicolas' bottom tooth was wiggling! It took him a few weeks (surprisingly with how often he worked at the thing) and finally, last Thursday, he came home from school with his tooth in a baggie! Yeah! The tooth fairy did pay him a visit that night (again, surprising as it usually takes her a few days to remember, I mean, get here) and he is on to the next one. He worked at the other bottom until it started to move yesterday. We will finally be on to the, hopefully, white clean fresh strong permanent teeth. And on to the orthodontist in another few years, looks like.

:-)

Lookin' good

I know it was a little untraditional - or maybe very traditional- but it was JARED's birthday and he is not the most traditional guy. What he really wanted, and had his eye on since December, was a kilt. Not just any kilt, mind you, but a bondage kilt that we saw at Hot Topic. He wanted it for Christmas, but it was expensive and we were scraping by. Fortunately for him, his wife remembered said kilt and was able to surprise him with it for his birthday! And I have to admit, he looks darn good in it! Now about those socks . . .

Running with horses

So, about 3 years ago I was running in the early morning and 2 deer decided to join me. I freaked out, not knowing yet that they were REALLY friendly deer and everyone had a giggle at my expense. Rose, one of the deer, apologized for scaring me by having her baby on my lawn the next summer.
Well, Thursday morning I went out for a run in the cold and dark and as I was going down the street I saw a very tall man, all in black, standing in the middle of the road. I am by myself and realizing that this is not the smartest thing that I am doing (running in the dark by myself). I slowed down to see if he was going or coming and to see if I recognized him. He didn't move, just stood there in the middle of the road - I could just see his outline in the neighbor's outside lights. A little more than a little freaked out, I came to a stop trying to decide to run home or try to hide, hoping that he didn't see me. That is when I noticed that there were three and they weren't men, they were horses. They must have been scared of me running toward them as they stood stock-still until I stopped. Then they all came over to find out if I was friend or foe. They must have escaped from their fence and were out enjoying their freedom. I was worried that they might want to come for a run with me, so I walked sedately home, leaving them to their breakfast of weeds on the side of the road. I must admit, after the burst of adrenaline I wasn't in any shape to run anymore anyway. What is it with me and big animals on my runs?

Ah, spring

Brilliant blue skies, the drip, drip of melting snow, and mid-40's. I can feel it coming! It is actually light enough when the kids leave in the morning to see them go down the street and they always come home with just a sweatshirt (or not) on. And the cleaning fever is already hitting. I have been to the store a couple times in the last few weeks just to buy bins to organize things in. I mostly cleaned and rearranged both boys' rooms and the girls' room (still need more bins!). It's time to start getting outside. I went out to run in the dark early morning this morning and was able to see the trash cans before I ran into them! Ah, the long dark winter is almost over.
I love the change of seasons and always look forward to the first snow each winter. I love the time change that makes it dark in the evening because it feels so cozy at home. And I love the little chill in the air as fall descends upon the heat of summer. But there is nothing like the first warm breath of spring. The red buds on the trees, the mud - yes, even the mud! - and the first hint of green on the ground. Freezing cold lacrosse games - at least we are outside - and the really chilly Run For Red 5K every March truly mark the beginning of spring and revitalize and invigorate. It's almost here. Can I pull out the shorts yet? :-)

Can I petition for 30 hours in a day?

So when does life slow down? I know we should appreciate the moment we are in and not wish for the future, but I feel like I am always going, going going, and am missing everything. I love running the bookfair at the kids' elementary school and want to do it as long as they let me, but then I need a whole week just to catch up with the rest of my life! Working every day this year has really made me make the most of the "free time" that I have. I realize how much time I must have wasted all these years. My house should have been spotless, laundry always done and folded and dinner should have always been on the table by 6pm when I didn't work 4 hours a day AND volunteer at the kids' schools. Now I run - many times literally - from one thing to the next. Log off the work computer and dash to the school, help in the classrooms and get home with the kids. Then become the chauffeur - oh how I wish Peter had some desire to get his license! - homework helper and chef for the evening. On the days I don't go to the school there is always a meeting - school community council, Primary presidency, etc - or I need to run errands. I do squeeze in "me time" here and there, but definitely not in long stretches. How on earth do full-time working mothers not lose their sanity?! I need just a few more hours added to each day, with extra energy to get through them. Then I will have time to run, read and do projects around the house that don't involve a sponge, rag, broom, cleanser or duster . . . Maybe even do a quilt again . . . Ah, fantasy . . .