Holiday Scenes

Off to Detroit in a little while to take the boys and some of their friends to the Motor City Bowl. This is the 3rd straight year my Chips will be playing at Ford Field. I'm hoping the roads will less icy by the time we leave. Have to love winter!

Christmas was very peaceful at my house, even with 20 people. Here's a few scenes from the holiday. I'm also including a shot of me and the boys from 2 years ago as a point of comparison--all of a sudden I'm short, although I have been 5'6" since I was 14...

How do you say Merry Christmas?

I found this little quiz out on one of my favorite sites. I got 13 out of 15 right! I'll admit to having guessed at a few. Ok, at several, but it was fairly intuitive. Now, if you're smart, you can do the same thing, um, well, because these are the answers, lol. Regardless of the language you use, enjoy the day.

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 14 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish Japanese French Arabic German Italian Swedish Portuguese Gaelic Hawaiian Korean Latin Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

Finding an Angel

Christmas is often a time of miracles..a time when those more fortunate reach out to those who have less. With the state of the economy this year, there are more who are on the "have less" end of the scale, and it is important during this holy season for us to give back.

Our church adopts several families each year to try to make the season memorable, especially for the children. The kids in our youth group are very blessed--and are always willing to step up and help others. As part of our annual December activities, we go shopping for gifts for our adopted families. The purpose of this is two-fold: those in need get a little something, and our kids understand how much they've been given. This year, we had $45 per person to spend, which is actually more than we usually have. We have a list of "need" and "want," and the kids try to get something from each list. They find out very quickly how far the money goes (or doesn't go).

This year, we ventured over to Wal*Mart on Glendale to do our shopping. I am generally not a Wal*Mart shopper. However, in this case, the trip introduced us to an angel in human form. One child we had to shop for was a 14 year old girl. The one thing on her "want" list was an MP3 player. The boys shopping for her did a good job of finding some clothing that she needed at bargain prices, and managed to have just enough left for the MP3 player. As they were looking things over, one of the sales associates started asking them if they needed help. She then suggested that they get a nice case for the player. The boys explained the list and the budget, and then the sales associate gave them a hug for what they were doing, and she DONATED (i.e., paid for out of her pocket) the case to give another child just one more gift. Bless this angel who, with a random act of kindness, impacted a variety of teens in a number of ways.

To all readers (if there are any of you left!) have a safe and joyous Christmas.

We're WHERE on the calendar?

I am going crazy. Literally. Obviously, since it's been a decade since I last posted (or so it seems), time is at a premium. I am the one who always has Christmas cards done Thanksgiving weekend. The trees (yes multiple) are trimmed the same weekend. Outdoor decorations--limited though they are--are out. Most of my shopping is done by the first week of December.

Not this year. I'm sitting here writing this instead of the cards. One tree is done--the other has lights, an angel on top, and 2 ornaments since no one else seems to care whether or not it is fully done (and that's how it's going to stay). I have my head buried in the sand with respect to shopping for gifts. I keep hoping Santa's bag will be full of things for my guys so I don't have to actually shop. I do have the stocking stuffers handled (and the stockings are hung, although not by the chimney).

Basketball season is starting, and I volunteered to coordinate spirit wear. Why I did that, I'm not sure. I really have it pretty organized and it isn't that time consuming...it's just one more thing on the plate. On the positive side, I'm technically on vacation for the rest of the year starting on Wednesday (unless you count the 5 or 6 reports I'll be working on while I'm home--but at least I can wear my fuzzy slippers and new comfy robe while I'm doing them at 3 am in the midst of my midlife insomnia).

Maybe, if I get motivated (yeah, right) I'll post some pictures of my trees (once I take them). Right after I do those cards and shopping....

Shades of Fall

Today is Thanksgiving, which marks the unofficial end of fall. The calendar says another month, but the Christmas decorations come out tomorrow (at least at my house) and the forecast is calling for snow, so it's beginning to seem a lot like winter. But here are a few memories of fall:

I've blogged plenty about the Kicking Mules football team(s). Great kids, great season. Fall colors were spectacular, but short-lived. This is my Japanese Maple. In the summer, it has green, lacy leaves. This does not do it justice--it looked like a beautiful sunset.

Election day, as I've previously posted, was difficult although I got to spend it with my great nephew Logan. Of course, Logan thinks his cousin Craig is a super hero.

Craig spent a couple of hours reading to Logan all about dinosaurs and watching Land Before Time. After I tried to get Logan to take a nap (NOT on his agenda), Craig took the reins while I ran some errands, and here's what I got.

In addition to Thanksgiving, the end of November also brings about the annual Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry. Living on the border of the two states means we re-live the great Toledo War from way back when state boundaries were being drawn, although I think that there may be more blood shed during the current "border war" than there was in the 1800's (no shots fired). At work, we use the opportunity to wear our colors as a fundraiser. There is a raffle where tickets are purchased for specific goodies associated with each university. There is also an "I don't care" box for those who really don't care. Well, actually, the prizes for that box were better this year, so at least one co-worker parted with his usual team to go neutral. Now, lest you think this was a Michigan fan who was using it as an excuse to distance himself from this year's maize and blue mediocrity, it wasn't--it was a Butt-guy fan. (That's what Matt used to call the scarlet and gray guys when he was little. I still think it's funny.)

There is also a chili cook-off. Celebrity and corporate judges spend about 45 minutes sampling and rating the 12 entrants and declare 3 winners. Then employees are offered the chance to buy samples or full bowls. The money collected goes to a select charity, which is often the family of a co-worker in need. This year, with so many people in need. the money raised went to the NWO Food Bank, and a can collection supplemented. I have known Tony Packo for several years, and last year I mentioned the chili shindig to him. As you may know, chili is one of the Packo specialities, so Tony volunteered to be a judge. He came back again this year. I also asked my favorite Blonde Highlight if she'd like to try it this year. She was game, but had a timing conflict, so she arranged for Christina Williams from 13ABC News to help out. I brought in a little help for after the tasting, shown in the basket.

So, it's goodbye to fall. On to the holidays and basketball. And on this Thanksgiving day, I am thankful for all that I have in terms of friends, families and overall blessings.

Ode to My Firstborn

OK, I'm not actually going to break out into prose. But today is my firstborn's birthday, and that marks the anniversary of a miracle.

My Andrew arrived much before he should have. He tipped the scales at a whopping 2 pounds, 13 ounces when he was born. Preemie clothes and diapers were too large. Luckily, his lungs were in good shape, so he was off a respirator and breathing room air within 36 hours. He had few health issues--mainly he just needed to grow. He spent the first 8+ weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Toledo Hospital. He was up to 4.5 pounds when he came home. (Once home, he thrived, and by the time he was about 4 months old, he was actually almost caught up).

He and I had several excellent adventures way back when. We journeyed out to the east coast one summer and spent a few days with my aunt and uncle. I had no radio in my car at that point, so we spent the 12 hour drive each way singing goofy songs and talking about nonsense. He turned into an excellent traveller--he's been in 43 or 44 states. The missing ones? Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana, Delaware (and maybe North Carolina).

Being a preemie didn't hold him back. He was an outstanding student through his elementary years. Actually, he was a good student all the way through college. He'll be going back next term to become a social studies teacher.

Andrew is busy planning his wedding to Brooke next summer. That, for me, is kind of scary since it means I'm getting old (plus I have to squeeze into a mother of the groom dress-ugh).

Happy birthday Drewser. Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats. Ho.

Saying Goodbye

Tuesday was not one of my favorite days, for a variety of reasons. In fact, it's been a pretty miserable week with plenty of change (both good and bad). But Tuesday was especially bad. It's not entirely due to the election. Some of the candidates I voted for -- in each party -- made it into office, while others did not. That's the political process and I'll live with the outcome. No, Tuesday was just plain awful for several reasons.

First, I had a sick kid--one who is rarely sick. He's still not quite up to snuff today, but Tuesday was bad. To accommodate my need to vote and to care for my sick one, I decided to work at home (bonus, or so I thought). My mom called around 10 to ask if she could drop my darling Logan off for the remainder of the day (another bonus)--she had to accompany my niece up to Ann Arbor so that she could say goodbye to her mother. And that is was makes it a miserable day. See, her mother (my former sister-in-law) was not going on a trip or moving. Instead, she was at the hospital at U of M, and had lapsed in to a coma, was on a respirator, and was not expected to make it through the day.

Sherry and my brother were married through most of the 1980's. Together, they had 2 daughters. They split when the girls were young, and the girls stayed with my brother. I don't like some of the decisions that Sherry made over her life's journey, but she and I used to do quite a bit together through the early years, and we maintained a cordial relationship over the years although we didn't see each other very often. In fact, the last time I saw her was at my grandmother's funeral in April '07. I have, however, seen her parents and one of her brothers fairly often over time, and will always consider them to be family since we have shared children (my nieces and great nieces).

Sherry has had health issues for pretty much the entire 26 or 27 years that I've known her, but has been in very bad shape over the last few. I know that she's at peace and no longer suffering, but I also know that it will be hard to say goodbye on Monday. I like knowing that she got to spend her last few weeks with her darling granddaughters. She lost her battle early Tuesday afternoon. She was 45.

So, my old friend, sleep well and watch over us.

Happy Halloween!

Ok, that's tomorrow, actually--but I'll be busy. I just got done carving the pumpkins. I have the spider web and spider hung on the porch. Candy is bought. No costume--I think I'll be a football mom at work tomorrow... but maybe I should be a witch based on this quiz. A good witch ;)

You Are 55% Witch

You've got some pretty witchy stuff going on. Even if you're not a witch, you've got to admit that you're a little freaky. You have a strong independent streak - social norms be damned. More power to you. Luckily, the time when you would have been burned at the stake has passed!

Are You a Witch?

An inch away

I would like to congratulate the Bedford Varsity football team on their incredible season. They were an inch away from a playoff spot, at least in the officials' eyes. Those of us who were sitting in the stands know that they were in the endzone on each of the last two plays in regulation and should have had the win. However, that's not how it turned out,. While we are disappointed in the outcome, there is no way that we are disappointed in our boys OR our coaches.

It has been exciting to be a part of Bedford football this year. All three teams at the high school level had winning seasons. Coach Wood has brought much needed discipline to the program without being hard-nosed about it; most of the parents and the boys have great respect and admiration for him and his coaching staff. I had chills each time the varsity team sang the fight song after home victories, and they did that often. What a wonderful tradition to start. And I literally teared up on Thursday when the FRESHMEN lined up and sang to us after their win (as did the JV!).

I was privileged to spend a good part of the past 9 Friday afternoons with the Varsity boys when we gave them their pre-game meal. This is an outstanding group of kids--polite, smart, funny, and truly supportive of one another. I saw absolutely NO finger pointing the few times that things didn't go right. I saw boys turn into men as they accepted responsibility for whatever went wrong (even if it was beyond their control!), and spread the praise for what went right--no glory-hogging.

While we wish we could have a Halloween game, this season has been quite a treat! Good job guys.

To everything, there is a season

This passage from Ecclesiastes has always been my favorite...a time for every purpose ... At this time of year, the turning becomes obvious--the changing of the leaves, the chill in the air (and the need to turn on the furnace!). This weekend, I plan on switching my summer wardrobe for my winter wardrobe in my closet. This means I need to put together a few more covered wardrobe racks for my attic since somehow, I've accumulated more clothes than I had last year. And Angie, I promise I will pare it back as I go--but I still will need the extra organizers. Guess I should have the boys go through their closets and drawers as well since we never got around to that at the beginning of school.

Ah yes. Change is in the air. The election is only a few weeks off, and regardless of the outcome, there will be change. Work has been a constant stream of change, some for the good and some for the not so good. My workload has more than doubled in the last week alone, and I was already busy. Ugh. But life goes on, and somehow, it will all sort itself out.

Before you know it, we'll be inundated with Christmas sales and carols and all that jazz. Wait, that's already happening. I guess Christmas is turning into a 9 month season.

One season that I'd like to see extended is that of our varsity football team. They are making the long journey up to Chelsea for the regular season finale. A win will put them in the playoffs for the second time in school history and the first time in 18 years. They could make it with a loss but they're on the bubble there. Chelsea is always a top team, so it should be interesting. Go Mules!

All About Craig

Today is Craig's birthday. He is turning 17. He shares his birthday with Angela Lansbury, Tim Robbins, and Suzanne Sommers. He is a Libra--the scales and balance--which is very fitting for his personality.

Craig has always been a little ray of light. He was a sunny blonde as a child and had a smile and laugh that would light up a room. I wish I could post the video from his second birthday--between his giggles and antics, I roll on the floor every time I view it. I am going to scan in some pictures of him as a little boy so you can see just how adorable he was (ok, bad mom, but I've been swamped between work, football, and school functions).

Actually, Craig is still adorable. And now that he is driving and past that mid-teen point, he is human once again, at least in his relationship with me.

One of the greatest compliments a mother can receive is when others tell her how polite and helpful her children are. These types of comments are synonymous with Craig. I can also recall how he amazed a group of adults at his brother's christening. Craig was 3 at the time, and walked past a plate of cookies to get at a plate of carrots. How many 3 year olds would do that?

He is the pied piper around little kids. The toddler and elementary school set at church have this puppy-like adoration for him. And to our young Logan, he is the absolute hero. He'll make a good dad some day--he gets how to interact and lead.

His current passion is football. As part of this year's winning varsity team, he epitomizes what it means to be a team player. He isn't seeing as much field time as either of us would like, but he is extremely supportive of his "brothers" and understands that the scout team contributes to the overall team success since our starters wouldn't be as strong as they are if they weren't daily going against the talent of our scout team.

Craig is smart. He is currently carrying a 3.8 grade point average, and is in the top 7% in his graduating class. He is taking tough, challenging classes. As a 7th grader (years and years ago), he merged his smarts with his passion, and was named the league scholar athlete.

So, Happy Birthday Craig!

Homecoming 2008

This week marked the annual homecoming celebration for Bedford. With 2 boys in the high school, it was pretty crazy at my house. Wednesday night was Big Ball, then the Football moms helped to resurrect the traditional homecoming bonfire. If you haven't seen a big ball game, it is a pseudo-powder puff activity, but instead of football, the junior and senior girls move rather large medicine balls up and down the field. Of course, the boys show their class spirit, as pictured here:

On Thursday, we traveled up to Ypsilanti Lincoln to watch the Freshmen and JV games. Both teams won--the freshmen by a score of 36-21, and the JV by a score of 69-6 (trust me, it could have been MUCH worse!).

Friday brought the varsity game. The lovely and absolutely delightful Ashley was crowned this year's queen. I have known her since she was very young since her brother TJ and Craig played youth ball together. I am very happy for her. TJ also had a big night on Friday, helping to lead the Mules on to a 37-6 victory. Lots of incredible talent on that field--many big play makers including Nate, Joe, Shane, and Tyler. Way to go boys--one more and it's a winning season.

Saturday was the dance. Craig went with his friend Megan (whose brother is one of Matt's best friends!) This group is pictured below, as are just my boys plus the big bunch that went. All in all, I'd say that this year's homecoming was a smashing success.

Turn Back the Hands of Time

I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Raw circumstances and joyous occasions have made me who I am today, and I am generally pretty happy with the person that I am and with the place where I reside, speaking both metaphysically and physically--current funk notwithstanding.

Over the weekend, I read a book with an intriguing lure. (The Summerhouse by Jude Devereaux). In this book three women who had a happenstance meeting at the BMV on their shared 21st birthday get together again as they turn 40. Life has not been particularly kind to any of them, and they are given the chance to go back to one three-week period in their lives and re-write their life story, if they so desire. Not the same 3 weeks for all--but ANY 3 consecutive weeks for each. If they do so, they can either totally erase the memory of the other life and continue down the rewritten path, move on with the new life but keep the memory of what has transpired elsewhere, or stay where they are in the life they have already made. Each woman chooses something different (1 for each scenario).

So what would I do if offered the same choice? I don't know that I could pinpoint a three-week period that would have been life-altering. In retrospect, I could probably name a handful of isolated moments that I would like a re-do on, but only on the assurance that I would, for the most part, end up in the same spot I am in today. In doing so, my desire would not be for something better for myself, but to perhaps help others on the road not taken for them. I think I would have told the people I love how much I appreciate them more often, but I am not sure that we can EVER do that often enough.

If you could go back and change anything, would you? What?

Autumn Quiz

Love the linked site for funky quizzes (thanks Robin at Befrazzled!). Combine that with my favorite season, and here's what I get. Take the quiz for yourself and let me know how you stack up. I have to say that this is a pretty good description of me....

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm. When you're happiest, you are outgoing and expressive . You love celebrations, and you enjoy showing off a little. You prefer change to come slowly. You need a long transition period when your life changes. You find solitude to be the most comforting thing in the world. Being alone with your thoughts feels very peaceful. Your ideal day is spontaneous and surprising. You like to play things by ear, and you always end up doing something interesting. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

hmmph

I am in a funk. My biorhythms must be out of sync, my cosmic doodads misaligned. I'm just saying. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something is just off. I'm thinking about finding a deserted island for a week or two. Well, maybe not entirely deserted. I'm going to need a bartender and a masseuse. Maybe a chef and a pool boy.

On the positive side, the freshman football team beat Tecumseh tonight to move their record to 5 and 1. They had a devastating blow-out loss to Ann Arbor Pioneer last week--it was their first loss in 3 years, and it looked like they saved all of their yips for one fell swoop. They were still a little tentative tonight, especially on offense--which is usually their bread and butter. But they managed to get the job done.

We're hoping the Varsity team is ticked off enough from losing a game they should have won last week (gave up 2 touchdowns in the last 3 minutes to lose by 7!) to roll tomorrow night. I've already got my long johns out since it's supposed to be pretty frigid by game time (making that deserted island sound even more appealing!). ADDENDUM: GO MULES! They pulled off the victory 56-40.

What type of vacation sounds good? The desert island? A girls' shopping spree in Chicago? Some other exotic retreat?

Sorry Mom

It has been a crazy week. In chaos, I missed blogging about my mom's birthday, which was on Friday. She is the same age as my dad. I guess technically she's a senior citizen, although she hasn't yet acknowledged that fact. Most of the time that's amusing, but on Wednesday, it ended with an overnight visit to the emergency room. I'll spare the details, but in a nutshell, she fell and broke her arm. The boys are looking forward to signing her cast.

She's been amazing. Oh sure, she still goes out of her way to embarrass all of us. That's ok--that's in the Mom's Handbook, so I understand. All of the neighborhood kids and my sons' friends call here Grandma Joan. She was active at the boys' elementary school throughout their years, as well as when my niece attended. Every year, there was a VIP day for parents or grandparents. One little boy in Matt's class was unable to have family members attend, so my mom always went as his VIP so that he could share all of what he had done with someone who cared. My mom has also lent the school several pieces from her rather extensive holiday collections (Hallowe'en and Christmas) for display in the lobby.

Mom rarely fails to attend one of the boys games. I've told her that she doesn't need to make the long trip up to places like Dexter or Chelsea, but she still likes to make the trip (another example of her refusing to grow old even as the calendar moves).

My young Logan is very attached to his GiGi. She takes care of him three days a week. I'm sure that she'll make it to all of his VIP days and sporting functions as well.

So Mom, Happy Belated Birthday.

A new season of DWTS

A new season of Dancing with the Stars began on Monday. I am not going to do the low-down of who is who. I'll just give some general reflections this time around.

• The first man out was the right one. Jeffery Ross couldn't dance and he wasn't particularly funny, although in the end, his praise for his partner was surprisingly touching.
• Ted McGinley was this year's Steve Guttenberg. I wish "Ace" would have lasted a bit longer, but oh well.
• I don't get the whole Brooke Burke thing.
• Warren Sapp is graceful. Who'd have thunk it?
• I have a soft spot for Cloris Leachman. She was Phyllis on the Mary Tyler Moore show and the subsequent spin-off. Mike Allen used to sing the theme song from "Phyllis" to me in Mr. Tienvieri's history class in 1977. Anyway, I about peed my pants laughing last night as I watched her dancing and dishing out the tom foolery (which was a great bar in Mt. Pleasant in the late 70's and early 80's). She won't go all the way, but she'll make it entertaining.
• I'm cheering for Toni Braxton or Misty May-Treanor this time. You girls rock.
• The others are fun, but eh.

On a side note, did you know that "thunk" doesn't come up as wrong on a spell-check?? Have to add that one to my pet peeves list.

Oh What A Night!

Actually, what a couple of nights. On Thursday, the Bedford Freshman and JV football teams travelled up to Ann Arbor to take on the Huron River Rats on their turf. Both teams emerged victorious, with similar scores--20 to 14 for the Frosh and 21-14 for the JV, although the games were paced very differently. The Freshmen were dominant--the game was nowhere near as closely played as the score indicates. Matt is the backup quarterback, and when his good friend Aaron went down with an injury, he had to step in. He did a very good job, but timing was a bit off on a couple of plays, which resulted in fumbles by either him or the RB, ending drives deep into River Rat territory. A field goal attempt by first year player Nick Harvey just missed as well. What a terrific group of kids! They all played well.

JV was a close game from start to finish. The great off-season conditioning Coach Wood ran really made the difference. The JV RR were visibly exhausted in the 4th quarter. The defense did their job when it counted most! Having watched all 3 games in this series, I'd have to say the Huron JV team was the best of the 3, and it was encouraging that our boys played as powerfully as they did.

Then there's varsity. It was a crazy day, but oh, what a night! It was a designated "white out" game, and the football moms sold over 1000 themed t-shirts for the occasion. We originally had ordered something like 600. We had to do several special orders. The last one arrived just in time for the pep rally. Trying to get them distributed was a circus. Then we had a lasagna malfunction when it came time to feeding the boys, so more chaos.

At game time, the stands were full. I went over to the other side to see the impact of the "white out." It was very cool--probably 85% of those in the stands were wearing white, and the home side of the field basically glowed. I took a couple of pictures, but they don't do it justice.

No one thought our boys could pull this one off--no one other than the families and the coaches seem to have confidence in the team. The first half was a defensive battle--the Mules scored pretty quickly and Huron answered, then the defenses held tight. The second half was a different matter. Nate Davis and Doug Harmon had the offense going on all cylinders. They put on quite a show. The O-line was impressive. While some think they are undersized, they did a good job of leveling the "big boys" across the ball. Our kids may not have the pounds or height of some of our opponents, but they are like a brick wall and they know how to execute!

And what can you say about our defense??? AWESOME, AWESOME evening boys!!! Big plays when things got tight (the interception on the 1 yard line changed the whole rhythm of the game!) and consistent pressure kept the Huron offense on the sideline for most of the game.

Go Mules, and thank you! You made us proud!

BUZZZZ OFF!!!

Earlier this year, I read an article about the hazards of a dying bee population. Well, I can tell the beekeepers of the world where all the bees have gone...they are residing in my attic. Um, that is, they were residing in my attic until I waged chemical warfare earlier this afternoon. I swear, there were several MILLION (well, ok, seriously, several hundred) swarming around the window, and at least a hundred more dead on the floor from the stifling heat of the attic. Apparently there is a nest under the eaves, and they are coming in through the vents. What makes it worse is the fact that I have two kids who have very nasty allergic reactions to bee stings--not life threatening thus far, but enough that we've made trips to the emergency room because the localized swelling is so bad. I understand the role bees playing in making my gardens look lovely and can tolerate bees in that environment. I refuse, however, to share my overall living space with them. Yuck.

I'm also starting to see spiders...big, hairy spiders. I whacked one that was crawling on the ceiling in my family room the other day. I was pretty sure that I had put it out of its misery, but all I managed to do was to knock it into the crevice in my couch. The vacuum cleaner eventually swallowed it. Yuck again.

Well, I suppose I could have the birds in the attic or the field mice in the family room or the groundhogs under deck as I've had in the past. Regardless, I'll going out to restock my creepy crawly removal arsenal.

Cheer, Cheer for Ol' Bedford High

We are now one-third of the way through the high school football season. It has been an exciting season thus far--at all levels.

The Freshman team is doing well. Thursday's game was especially exciting! As the game wound down, the score was tied 20-20. Adrian went for the bomb with 4 seconds left and missed, but alas, there was a pass interference call against our young Mules, so Adrian got another shot with an expired clock. Their QB lofted it toward the end zone, where it was tipped into the hands of "T", who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown and the win. There are a few more gray hairs today among freshmen parents!

JV are also looking strong. They've played 3 tight games, but have managed a winning record. The teams that they have played against certainly know they've been in a battle--this is a VERY physical, hard-hitting group of kids.

Varsity is 1-2, but they have played to the very end in every game, and it has made for some heart-pounding action. The Airport game was disappointing, but the kids NEVER gave up. Saline was a game for the ages! A TD with 44 seconds to go, then the gutsy decision to go for 2 and the win (which was successfully executed!). Good stuff! Last night's game at Adrian was also exciting although our boys couldn't quite pull it off. Take 4 plays away (or even 1 of the 5 turnovers), and the score could have gone the opposite direction. Adrian is a highly ranked team, and people around the state didn't have very high expectations for our boys, but the Mules managed to hang with the Maples until the final seconds. The guts will bring glory. We have faith!

So, here's to the remainder of the season. Good Luck boys. Win or lose, we will always support you--but we think you can win the rest!

school days... or is it school daze?

The boys are back to school. While both protest about the agony of it all, they seemed to have enjoyed their first day back yesterday. I'm feeling a bit sleep deprived because the idea of a regular routine is still a few weeks off. Consequently, I'm getting up an hour earlier than usual to make sure THEY get up on time. I try to go back to sleep, but the ensuing chaos precludes that.

Matt came home with Geometry homework on day one. He had to find the next elements in several series, then explain how he derived the solution. Here's a sampling. (I expect Angie to have them in a snap. I got the two with names quickly. The one with letters took longer, and when we figured it out, it was one of those "doh" moments.)

What are the next two letters/names in each sequence?

OTTFFSSE

George, John, Thomas, James

George, Thomas, Abraham, Alexander...

Here's some first day of school pictures over time (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008)

Unofficial End of Summer

Labor Day is waning and the boys are getting their stuff together for the first day of school tomorrow. I guess this marks the unofficial end of summer, although the calendar still gives us another few weeks. It's hard to believe it's over--it seems like it just started.

It began with baseball and is ending with football. Views of Matt at the AA U14 State Tournament in Canton, plus a few from Thursday's Freshman Game and Friday's Varsity dinner.

We also had some landscaping done. It was beautiful before, now it's spectacular.

daddy's girl

I have always been a daddy's girl. It's not that I'm not close to my mom; I am. It's just different. And today is my dad's birthday. He's somewhere in his 70's. I'm not sure he'd appreciate my telling his exact age. I wish I had a picture loaded on my computer of him, but I don't. Sorry dad.

As a smaller child, I was my dad's sidekick. He taught me to appreciate a good football game (and even a bad one). I can recall many New Year's Days spent lying across the bottom of his bed watching bowl games. I'm pretty good in my bowl pool selections because I had a good teacher.

My dad spent over 30 years working for Ford within the stamping function. From what I recall, he was a program timing coordinator--a kind of logistics manager. We started in Chicago, then he transferred to Detroit. As I entered high school, he decided we needed to move, so he transferred down to Maumee (more than 50 miles so Ford bought our house in Detroit), and we landed in Bedford. Eventually, he started working back in Dearborn again, and spent a good 15 years doing the 45 minute commute every day.

I think my dad made it to most of my major milestones (except my actual birth--he was still parking the car). He actually did a few girl scout banquets when I was younger, and I know he was at the school plays and my eighth grade graduation. When I played basketball in high school (GO MULES!), he came to several games; not all, but as many as he could. Many parents were unable to do that way back in those dark ages. I know he was at my wedding--I also recall what he told me before I walked down the aisle. I won't put it here because it was, is, and always will be between us. Suffice it to say that it was fun and I was laughing as we moved on.

My dad tries to get to my kids' sporting events when possible. I'm not going to say he's in bad health, but he could be better. He does have a tough time walking. He had a knee replaced about 4 years ago, and he had some complications (life threatening) that left him in the hospital for 7 weeks instead of the 2 days they expected. He recovered, but given the experience, he's not too eager to get the other knee replaced.

Dad is our resident family historian. He started doing the family tree when he couldn't answer some simple family tree questions for a project my brother had way back when. Since then, he's been able to trace back 11 generations on several sides. Along the way, he's found a few famous ancestors and/or current distant relations. The one that I think is the coolest is Daniel Dafoe, author of Robinson Crusoe.

So daddy, Happy 70-something birthday.

Still Crazy After All These Years

I've mentioned a few times that I've spent part of my summer planning my 30 year high school reunion. The committee got a late start on planning, so attendance was a bit sparser than we would have liked, but I think that those who attended enjoyed themselves for the most part. The reunion committee is pictured above. I think we're holding up pretty well.

We started the weekend festivities with a mixer at Sidelines. We packed the dugout early on. Some 20-somethings started filtering in around 10:00 and tried to get us to leave by playing really nasty music on the jukebox. Since most of us have kids that age and have to listen to that stuff regularly, we were generally unfazed. We actually had several "lost" classmates who heard about the gathering and made it for Friday. I still don't have addresses for a few of them, but at least we know they are still around. I did pretty well at knowing who was who. I think there were 4 that I couldn't pin, but that's a pretty high batting average considering I haven't seen many for several years.

Saturday morning was our golf outing at Giant Oak. Bright and early--had to be there by 7:30--a bit rough after Friday night. I forgot my camera, unfortunately. We had 20 people on the links. I had fun with Wes, Mark, and Kevin--3 of my favorite people. They had to send a search party out for us because the rest of the group finished about a half hour ahead of us. We'll never tell the reason we were 3 holes behind. What happens on the golf course stays on the golf course. LOL.

After a nap, it was on to Connie's Celebration for the dinner party. A couple of our kids gave up their Saturday night to help at the check in table. At one point, though, I had to point out to Matt that he was supposed to be working the table. He told me he was working the room. Hard to argue with a 14 year old, so I didn't even try.

The 3 piece band was great, although Ron and his date Paige and Tim and Debby were the only ones that consistently "cut a rug" (as my mom would say). I think we must be getting old though--at our 5 year reunion, we tapped out the alcohol by about 9:00. This time, I think there was still a significant amount of beer in the keg as Cinderella left the ball.

Much reminiscing took place. We had folks in from Florida (2), Nevada, Oklahoma (2), Georgia, Minnesota, among the more regional locales. Several folks who were there were first-time reunion attendees. Some said they hadn't come in the past because high school had not been a particularly positive experience for them--they had felt a little picked upon. However, they were almost unanimously glad they had come,saying that everyone seemed different--that they had had conversations with people that wouldn't have associated with them (or vice versa) 30 years ago.

Next time, I think we'll try to go more casual. Maybe we won't wait 5 years. A "we're turning 50" party seems in order for 2010. In the meantime, I can help plan my oldest son's wedding that is on the calendar for next June.

A taste of fall is in the air!

Today was Media Day for the Bedford Kicking Mules football program. Freshmen started at the crack of dawn. Well, ok, it was at 8 am, but they had to be there by 7:30 and I was up later than anticipated last night, helping to assemble the programs for today's festivities.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day! The morning started out nice and crisp, and while it warmed up, the temperature on the field was still comfortable for the boys. The atmosphere was upbeat as well. The varsity kids spent the earlier part of the week together at "camp," and it was obvious that they have bonded. They were very much a team rather than a group of individual football players. Success has eluded the varsity for, oh, the past 60 years or so. Here's hoping that this group of kids can start the turn around point, and that the next 60 years will be as successful for the football program as the wrestling program has been.

The freshman and JV teams also looked good. It's clear that the off-season conditioning has been a bonus. It will be fun to watch both of these teams this year.

Marching band gave us a bit of a preview as well. They played the fight song up and down the sideline just after the varsity finished their scrimmage. The absolute highlight of the day came when all of the varsity players sang the BHS fight song. "Cheer Cheer for old Bedford High..." Learning this was part of the program up at "camp" this week--Coach Wood insisted that they know it. They sang without hesitation and fairly well in tune. Somehow, it was very touching--and very cool.

Two weeks til the first game. Good luck boys! We're all proud of you.

Turning into whom? or what?

I need to thank my old friend Mike for this post topic. He started a comment chain on my grammar police post from a few weeks ago, and rather than continuing that thread, I thought I'd bring the topic upfront. Let me digress a bit though. Mike and I went to grade school (k-8) together in Detroit. He was my main academic rival for 9 years, and I think we're both better people because we had a constant challenge to be the best. We haven't seen each other since I moved in 1974, but it's funny how old ties still bind. We now have children of similar ages, and are going through similar experiences... and that's where I will begin the topic at hand.

Our previous thread started delving into the murky area of communicating with teenagers, specifically, communicating with 14 year olds. With Matt at that age, this is the third time I've navigated this channel, but it really doesn't get any easier. Mike mentioned that he has turned into a cross between his dad and Red Forman from That 70's Show. I'm just not seeing Mike as Red, but I thoroughly understand the sentiment.

I don't think I'm turning into my mother, per se. Instead, I think I'm turning into the stereotypical middle-aged mom. I find myself saying things like"I don't need a reason" or "because I said so" or "I'm not your personal ATM," or other equally trite and banal mutterings. Now, my kids are generally pretty even-tempered, and we still actually speak with each other regularly. At times, they'll give me too much information--things I really don't need to know although I'm grateful that they feel we can have discussions at that level.

If you've ever called my cell phone, my ringback tone is Bowling for Soup's song "1985." It was my boys' idea; they say it is sooo ME. They are probably correct, although I don't recall ever wanting to dance on the hood of White Snake's car. To them, I am crazy, eccentric--and in public, thoroughly embarrassing. I tell them it is in the mom's handbook and is payback for every embarrassing moment they provided me before they entered kindergarten. My two youngest boys helped at my class reunion last weekend (more on that when I get time to download my pics!). I think they realized that they have it good (or at least that I'm not an isolated case of crazy).

What typical parental phrases do you find yourself saying even though you SWORE they would never escape your lips?

A great piece of advice

I love my friend Jodi, even though she occasionally sends me emails of doom and gloom (one of which resulted in a broken ankle). We are getting ready to celebrate our 30 year high school reunion. She sent me this last week--I wish I knew who authored it so I could give credit, but it is SO spot on.

"Old Age, I decided, is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be.. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will. I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong."

Thanks Jodi, for once again putting it in perspecitve.

Random acts of kindness

As a parent, I try to impress upon my boys the importance of being kind, of doing unto others as you would have done unto you. Consider the image of helping a little old lady across the street, or doing something as simple as holding a door for a stranger. I just love the insurance company commercials about the impact of the random acts of kindness and how the recipients pay it forward. I have, over the years, done things like that--my kids roll their eyes and think I'm crazy, but I think once their brains mature, they'll understand better. Last year, on the way home from the state baseball tournament in Columbus, Matt and I stopped at a Steak & Shake somewhere around Marion. They were decidedly short-staffed, and I could tell our waitress had had a very rough day. I won't say I had exceptional service, but given the circumstances, she did a good job, so I left her a $10 tip on a $15 bill. She'll remember it someday when she sees someone else having a bad day. I didn't do it for attention (and that's not really why I'm telling the story), just to point out that little things can have a lifelong impact on others. (and my son has told this story numerous times, so like it or not, it's had an impact on him and he still thinks about it.)

I've had a long, miserable week at work (well, sometimes at home because I've spent the better part of a week fighting a migraine). I had someone who works for me break a leg, someone else return from maternity leave (yeah!), projects that have had major issues, a couple that have done well--all in all an exhausting week. Traffic was nasty coming home, and as I turned on Phillips over to Lewis, there was a guy on a bike, obviously on his way home from work. With gas prices what they are, I understand his mode of transportation. But he wasn't wearing a helmet, he had on headphones, and he was holding up traffic by drifting in and out. It was getting a bit frustrating, but then came that random act of kindness... There was a couple struggling to either load or unload a washing machine from the back of a pickup truck. The man on the bike started to ride by, then stopped, pulled off the road (freeing up traffic--yeah!), and went over to help them take care of what they were doing. It was pretty obvious that he didn't know these people, but he interrupted his commute to take a few moments to help out a stranger. He was actually dressed nicely as well-- not in clothes I'd use to be moving heavy loads. My frustration vanished, and the rest of the ride was peaceful, if only in my mind. You can be sure, after having witnessed this, that I will be looking for the next opportunity for my own random act of kindness ... just like those commercials.

Where are the grammar police when you need them?

I have reached my quota of listening to grammatical errors today. I will confess to not always being perfect in my sentence structure (and fat-fingering into typos periodically). My worst offense tends to be dangling prepositions. I know this is incorrect, but sometimes I get lazy.

I am, however, a stickler for matching tense. Past participles are the worst! I just heard an announcer in either the Tigers/Royals or the Reds/Padres game utter the phase "should have ran." It is "should have RUN". If one more college educated person in my work place (or household) says "should have went" instead of "should have gone," I think I am going to lose what is left of my sanity. I also overheard a colleague state that they "seen someone." AAARRRRGGGHHHH.

My latest nitpick is the phrase "I have got to." The word "got" is totally unnecessary, yet usage of this phrase has become so commonplace, it's easy to overlook the fact that it is off kilter.

OK, enough of my ranting. What are some of YOUR pet peeves?

Time flies...

Two weeks since my last blog? Seriously? Time flies when you're having fun--well, actually, time flies. Period. We are in the final week of baseball. The season went quickly. It was a fun year. Summer basketball is winding down and football is gearing up. While prognosticators on MLive see no chance for the Mules this year, those of us who have watched this year's varsity players over the years see all kinds of positive possibilities, and the freshmen should do just fine as well (and JV, although I don't have anyone on that team).

My class reunion is coming up in less than a month. Talk about time flying! Too much work to do on wrapping up the details on this shindig! Not to mention the fact that it's been 30 years(!) since we graduated. It's funny, though, how when my classmates and I look at each other, we still see the same person we saw back in the 70's (just as foggy now, although for different reasons ).

Craig asked me the other day what it felt like to be almost 50. I had to point out that I still had over a year and a half to reach that point and he'd be better off asking his uncle, who will be 50 in September. Overall, though, it's just a number. I'm still 24--just twice over. My body has become a shape shifter and my hormones have taken a different direction, but I'm still active (although comfort has replaced fashion!). I like to think I'm wiser in addition to being older, just as long as my friends still think I'm crazy after all these years.

No rest for the weary

I was on vacation last week. I did a good job of not "working". I only sat through one conference call and checked my work email twice a day. It helped that people at work knew that I needed to take a break. Two days out of town all by my lonesome--I got through a couple of novels (this was part of my new year's resolution of setting aside some self-indulgence time, and I finally got around to meeting my goal, six months in!).

The rest of the week, I played Mom's Taxi service. With Craig in Boston, my schedule should have been light. Ha. Matt had 9 baseball games, basketball camp, and football workouts (I missed 2 baseball games) plus several incidental travel needs. Several of the games were up in Canton, Michigan, where we spent almost as much time dodging raindrops as we did watching the games. We drove up Friday for 2 games, then had to be back up there by 8 on Saturday morning. Early bedtime was beckoning on Friday night.

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men... The call came at about 8:45 pm--the bus bringing the gang (Craig) back from Boston broke down in Fremont. They weren't going to be getting a new bus there any time soon, and there were kids from Novi and Jackson who needed to get a little closer to home. So off I went at sunset to shuttle folks back to Toledo. I finally got home as the 11:00 news came on and still had my early wake-up time.

Now I'm back to the grindstone, looking forward to my nice short work week. Maybe I'll get a chance to do some of the yard work I never got around to last week -- or catch up on my sleep. Somehow, I think not. sigh.

Dr. Mom, MD (not)

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV. However, after 25+ years of motherhood, I have some pretty well-honed instincts when it comes to my children being ill. Andrew used to run a temp of 105 when he got tonsillitis, and a 101 with an ear infection--he got boils before a viral infection. Craig used to break out in hives, which signaled a fever coming on within the hour. Now that he is a teenager, I can usually nail him when he's looking for a free day (post-nasal drip has a nasty side effect on him in the mornings; the rule is no fever, no home time).

Matt doesn't usually get too sick, so when he told his coach he didn't feel well and didn't want to play yesterday, I knew he was miserable. Even so, he was well enough for a few hours in the evening for me to go out with my friend Michelle to catch up on a few things. As we were sipping our adult beverages, we BOTH got calls that our youngest were a bit under the weather. I dropped her off and home and went in for a few minutes to chat. As she hunted for her thermometer, I used the mom-mometer on young Tyler, which pointed to a temp of about 99.5 (he was warm, but not hot).

When I got home, Matt was to the "hot" stage. Before I stuck in the thermometer, my mom-mometer said he was at 100.5. His dad scoffed at my medieval techniques. When all was said and done, the highly sensitive digital device registered Matt at 100.6. Let's hear it for the mom! I don't think Ohio or Michigan will grant me a medical license any time soon, but my maternal instincts are pretty spot on.

Matt recovered quickly--he managed to play a double header today, and smacked a BEE-YOU-TEE-FULL double over the center fielder's head in game one. A little TLC goes a long way. (And Craig, if you read this, I'm wishing you well on your trip to Boston--out of sight is not out of mind).

Now, I'm off to enjoy a couple days of rest and relaxation.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Summer has me hopping and I have been remiss with my posts, but since most of my blogging buddies are MIA as well, I'm betting things have been slow on readership anyway.

I need to take a few minutes to wish my parents, Bob and Joan, a happy anniversary. They are celebrating 53 years of wedded bliss. Now if you know my parents, you're laughing on that one--they are the Bickersons. Deep down, though, I think there's a deep affection and they would be lost without each other. They wouldn't let us do anything for their 50th (it's just another year, after all). However, I am at a point in my life where I am supremely grateful to still have both of my parents, and to have them together.

We have a very cool video made from our childhood home movies (and some older filmstrips as well). One reel was from my parents' wedding. My mom was drop dead gorgeous, she with the Scarlet O'Hara waistline. She had a great ballerina length dress. Neither my sister nor I would have been able to wear it, although I wish I could have. (My sister also had the Scarlet waist, but she and I both would have had to have had multiple bodice alterations--my mom still hasn't figured out where that came from!). My dad was very dapper in his white coat and black slacks. It was also fun to see my grandparents (when they weren't much older than I am right now--in fact, I think my Granny was actually YOUNGER than my current age).

My mom likes to tell the story about how her reception was "dry." At some point in the evening, she noticed that all of the groomsmen (and groom) had disappeared. Any bets on where they were found?

At any rate--happy anniversary Mom and Dad. You did well.

Function over fashion (or oh my aching feet!)

Yesterday was the annual junior high music department trip to Cedar Point (the amazement park). I like to chaperone this trip, although I am not a big coaster fan. It was about 95 degrees in the shade, so I went sleeveless (and slathered the SPF 50 and 70 all over). I debated on footwear though--my funky Converse one-stars (chuck taylor-lites) or my more sensible sketchers. I opted for the Converse--BAADDD move on my part. They looked much better with my outfit than the black and tan sketchers, but I am paying for it today. I have 5 new blisters, some in places that I didn't know you could get blisters. Actually, the count may be higher--my little toe is one massive blister, or maybe it's more of a conglomeration of a dozen or so smaller blisters. Regardless, it is now swathed in bandaids, and between those and the underlying pain, walking any further than across the room is not an option. Overall, though, it was all worth it.

The kids deserted us early on--what 14 year old wants to be seen with their mother?? So the moms walked around and dared to go on a few of the rides. I am not a fan of the coasters with the really big hills, like Millennium Force or Top Thrill Dragster. Those are just not going to happen for me. But I will go on some of the loopy ones. I managed to do 4 coasters--old standards like Blue Streak and Gemini, which still provide a fun ride even if they are tame. My favorite is the Raptor, so I hit that one. Then one of the other moms and I decided to test our fate on the Maverick. It doesn't look bad. The ride is smooth. I survived it and can say I did it, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. It is fast (my son laughed when I said that--but when you're older than dirt, the speed kind of takes your breath away). It is constantly flipping you one way then another. Quite a ride--worth it, at least the once.

Off now to other summer pursuits, and hoping the boys can keep themselves occupied this summer without beating on each other. At least they'll be together at the high school next year. That's a good thing. I think.

In the blink of an eye

Today marked another rite of passage. It was 8th grade recognition. It was my third time going through this--each one has been special. But this is my youngest baby, and he is now going to be a high schooler. It seems like yesterday when he was finishing kindergarten... but that was almost in the last millennium. He is still friends with some of these kids, although he currently towers over them.

Two years ago, we found out the sky was the limit as we reached for the stars... the theme of the 6th grade recognition at Temperance Road Elementary. The group of kids (all 60 of them) from TRE class of '06 was pretty tight. Great kids with loads of potential. They were starting to look like teenagers, but frankly, were still kids who carried a special kind of innocence & naivete that we parents wish we could bottle up and throw on them at the age of 16.

Junior high marked huge changes--some good, some bad--for the kids. Physically, they are growing. They are maturing, some too quickly. They are challenging us for their independence and showing us that they are ready to handle greater responsibility. As much as we'd like to keep them tucked in safe and warm at all times, they are ready to spread their wings, and we need to push them out of the nest, at least a little. We have to remember, however, that they are still kids and still need our guidance, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. Rebecca, our favorite Blonde Highlight, did a dynamite job with her keynote speech. It was witty and poignant all at the same time. The message was strong, and I'm hoping the kids paid attention. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of her son, though, when she said she was going to do a dance since that hadn't been explicitly forbidden. The look on his face was just priceless!).

Just to show how much they grow... the first picture here is of Matt and his friend Devon the night of their 6th grade recognition. The second is from today, with Matt and Devon on the ends. Aaron and Allison are in between. These kids really rocked with their outfits today. The last picture is of four of my girls--gorgeous and sweet every one. (Kaylee, Kelsey, Maddie, Taylor). Congratulations kids! Best of luck at the high school next year.