100 Days - Days 4 and 5

Ooops...see what I mean...the days fly by and I can't keep up! But I will not be dissuaded from this goal. So, I am placing my perfectionism aside and pressing on! (If you know me well, you know that I do have a bent toward the dramatic side.)

Monday night we had soccer practice. Only five girls but they are so cute. And Sydney loves it. Our final drill had the Assistant Coach (that's me) trying to defend the goal as the girls tried to score. Shaun played some too since he had to attend and since we didn't have many girls.

Tuesday night was a bit more leisurely. No practice of any kind. We worked on homework and had tuna casserole. Brian doesn't like tuna casserole but the kids and I do so it was perfect to use the opportunity of him working to make that. (And, don't tell the kids, but it was so simple which suited me perfectly.)

Wednesday was spent in an all day planning session at work. That left me spent. So, when I picked the kids up from work, I succumbed to Mommy guilt. After all, they had an early out and had spent the day at day care. When they asked for Mickey D's, I didn't have the heart to disappoint. So that was supper.

I managed to scrap a couple of pages and spent some time reading a new book. Joe Calico by John Grisham is the story of a young baseball player who arrives on the scene for the Cubs in the 1970's. Very good story. Both Shaun and Sydney read as well. I have promised them that if they read 100 books, we will replace the stolen iPod Touches. It has them both reading without complaint. Yay!

100 Days - Day 3

They played "When the Saints Go Marching In" at Uncle Gene's funeral. Gene would have loved it. Mom would have loved it. They grew up singing around the piano with Grandma. When I was little, I grew up singing around the piano with Mom.

She loved to play things like "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey" and "The Tennessee Waltz". I remember when she bought her piano at the Iowa State Fair. Critchett's always had a display (still does) in the Varied Industries Building. She really wanted a piano. There was a display model...the wood was blonde...she got it for a good price...and she loved that piano.

I took lessons on that piano...but I never wanted to practice. Randy's kids took lessons on that piano...but they really didn't love music. I have the piano downstairs but it is really banged up and has seen its better days. I think that it may be ready for the junk yard. But the memories...oh yes, I'll keep the memories!

And, someday, I'll be one of those saints that gets to go marching in.

100 Days - Day 2

Soccer
Sydney and I went to her soccer game yesterday morning. I don't remember the score. I would guess that it was somewhere around 25 to 4. And she had between 13 and 15 of the goals. Plus several assists (is that what they call them in soccer?). And while it is fun, the dilemma is that she isn't getting enough competition.

This year, Norwalk had so many girls in the U8 group that they formed three teams and she wound up on the new team. The new team is made up of two Kdg girls, two 1st graders and Sydney and her friend Rees are the two 2nd graders. Because of the ages, they have the girls playing against U7 competition. Oh my...

Buying
I thought about titling this as cars. But, I think that we are now finished with buying cars. I don't, however, think that we are finished buying. (If I had a smiley face to insert here, it might be blushing.)

Yesterday was our second new car purchase in the last 3 months. Brian's Grand Marquis bit the dust at the beginning of February. He was driving home and the engine started clunking. Now, that poor car had 135,000 miles and we had already said that we would not put much money into it. So, when it broke down and the expenses would be $2,ooo plus, we immediately went to the plan to buy a new car. Of course, the fact that we were having the only real snowstorm of the season when we made the purchase was a bit problematic. A quick decision to purchase a Ford Escape and we were now driving a minivan and a small SUV.

The minivan hit 70,000 miles on Monday. On Wednesday, the check engine light came on. And the report was $4,000 plus for repairs. I personally never did think that car was quite right after the head-on collision two years ago. But I sure wasn't planning on replacing it!

Which shows that might plans aren't all that accurate. Because we replaced it yesterday with a Jeep Compass. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Jeep Compass until yesterday. Brian had a Jeep Patriot for a loaner. When looking at cars, we found that the Patriot and the Compass share the same set up inside but they look different on the outside. And, our very uninformed, unplanned purchase, became a Jeep Compass with a sunroof, satellite radio and 4x4. Don't ask...

Weather
Last night's plans included a trip to PTO Fun Night at Lakewood. We delayed our departure because of the thunderstorm that was happening. Then, when it cleared off a bit, we went to Lakewood and found no parking. I was unwilling to park on the highway and walk through that weather. We came home and sat around listening to the weather reports.

Today is Uncle Gene's visitation. I will miss him. I will miss him for who he was when I was a kid. I will miss him for his connection to my mom. I will miss him for the way he said "Lin....." I will miss him.

100 DAYS - Day 1

What is 100 days? What does it look like? What will happen? Smile.

Oh, I think that I know. I think that I can plan it out. I can count the soccer games and the baseball games and the days of work and the holidays. But really...can I?

We passed the 100 day mark of 2012 this week. And in the first 100 days we have purchased two new cars. We traveled to Maui. Brian started a new job. The kids have been in two day cares. I was placed in a different job and now we are reorganizing again and I will be in yet another new job. Uncle Gene died.

Some of those things were planned...some were a big surprise...whether good or bad. So here I am...thinking about time...thinking about life. And reminded that I need to do a better job with blogging. There will be a day when I am gone and my children will wonder about things. That is why I began blogging...and I am committed to making it happen again!

So, for the next 100 days, I am going to become obsessive about recording life. Some days wil be outright boring. Some days will be filled with joy and laughter. Some days will be sad. But it will all be my life!

There will be scrapbook pages and recipes and photos and stories...lots and lots of stories. Because this is my life!