Saturday, December 22, 2012

December ... So Far!

My favorite Christmas craft ever.  These are so beautiful and easy to make!  I also made some red and green ones.  I am going to make a red and white one for Valentine's Day and the IU Hoosiers!

Have you ever had a k-cup explode in your Keurig?  This was not pretty.  Coffee grounds and hot water everywhere!

12:12 on 12/12/12.  I took this picture for my husband who was under anesthesia at the time.  Love it!


I was so excited to go watch the IU Hoosiers play!  I was so sad when they lost to Butler.  My dad, who is a Butler alumni, got four tickets to the game.  Noah and I had a blast with my brother-in-law and nephew at the game.


I was so excited to pay $2.77 for gas in Indy.  I filled my tank up, which I haven't done in a while!  I work less than a mile from my house, so I usually just get a half tank of gas, but at this price I went all out.  Gas is back up to $3.25 in our town!


The twins and I went to a library program where they were able to cut out ornaments and paint them.  Then they took them and baked them at a pottery shop.  They turned out really cute!  Our library is awesome and has really neat children's programs.

Can't wait to see what the rest of December holds.  Then it's Happy New Year!  2013 here we come!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Sixth Grade Sports


I have always claimed to be a bad sports mom.  I am very competitive by nature.  I am the second girl in my family and the middle child.  So I spent years trying to outshine my older sister and years trying to prove myself.  Now that I have children of my own involved in sports, my competitive side tends to come out even more.

My sixth grader decided to join a travel basketball team this year.  They do not have a sixth grade school team in our town, so travel basketball was our next option.  He was very excited when he made the "B" team.  What we didn't know is we would be in a league way above us!  We are playing teams that have been together for years.  These kids can run circles around us.  And every week his team shows up, plays hard, and gets beat!  I think it is more discouraging for me than it is for my son.  He keeps saying he is still having fun.  And he does not complain about practice or losing.

Here is what I have learned after six weeks, twelve games, and a record of 1-11:

1.  Cheer no matter what!  I tend to be louder than most parents at the games (except for my husband), but I am cheering for these boys no matter what the score is.

2.  What does not kill you makes you stronger!  I keep thinking how much experience this team is getting.  They are playing some of the best 6th graders in the state of Indiana.  They will only get better and stronger.

3.  Life is not fair.  There will be lots of things in life where you lose (not just games), and the sooner you realize this the better.

4.  Break it down.  While my sons team does not score a lot of points, it is exciting when he out-rebounds everyone on the court, or when he makes the most free throws, or when he gets the most steals.  There is always something positive to focus on.

5.  Celebrate no matter what.  A lot of times after losing two games, we go out to eat as a team.  The players get their own table, and the parents and other siblings sit together.  After one particularly bad day of games, my son said eating dinner with his teammates was the best part of the day.

Last Saturday, my son and I got to go watch the IU - Butler game in Indianapolis.  I am an IU graduate, so we were cheering for the Hoosiers, of course.  But sadly they didn't win.  And that is ok.  It was another lesson for my son who is learning it is ok to lose!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

What I did on 12/12/12

I have always loved numbers!  I love it when the clock says 12:34.  I love to add up numbers and see what they are divisible by (I think I learned this in 5th grade).  So I was very excited about the date today.

My husband decided to schedule surgery for this day.  He was pretty sure nothing could go wrong on 12/12/12.  He was under anesthesia at 12:12, so he had my son take a picture of the date and time for him.  He had the TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication) procedure done for his very bad reflux.  He is hoping to be medication free in 2 weeks.  Hopefully his new "flapper" (as he calls it) will work!

Today we had our MOMSnext meeting at our church.  I am so blessed to be the coordinator of this wonderful group of moms.  We had lots of yummy food (someone brought cranberry bliss bars from Starbucks....heaven) and a favorite things gift exchange.  Each mom brought a gift for the exchange.  I loved hearing everyone's story about the item they brought.  I gave away a Chick-Fil-A calendar, one of my favorite places to eat.  My kids love the play area, and I love their peppermint chocolate chip shakes this time of year!!

The boys and I are going to get some dinner, then head to the hospital to see their dad.  He is required to spend the night.  They do not want him to get nauseous, so he had to get anti-nausea medicine around the clock.   If all goes well, he will be released in the morning.

After all of today's excitement, I am looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

What I am doing {December Edition}

I cannot believe it is December already.  2012 has really gone fast for our family!  Here is what I have been doing...

{Reading}  I just finished The Same Kind of Different As Me.  My book club is meeting tonight and we are discussing this book.  I read it once last year and then last week for the second time.  I think I cried more this time around!  What a great story.  I highly recommend it.

{Watching}  I am still way into Duck Dynasty.  I call it the highlight of my week.  I think I may be getting some Duck Dynasty merchandise for my husband for Christmas.  I recently started watching Married to the Army: Alaska and love it.  I am at a loss for words when these women go months without their husbands.  It makes me cry!

{Drinking}  I have been trying to drink more water, especially in the morning when I first wake up.

{Listening}  My favorite Christmas carol is Oh Holy Night.  I have four versions of it on my playlist right now.  I also love the Third Day song Born in Bethlehem...great lyrics for the Christmas season.

{Making}  I learned how to make some fancy paper hangings.  I have been making them like crazy!

{Eating}  Reese's bells.  Love them more than any other Reese's cup!

{Going}  We have been going to watch my oldest boy's 6th grade travel basketball team play 2 games each Sunday afternoon.  His team is 0-8.  It is not fun watching them get beat (badly) every week.  I keep hoping and praying he is learning life lessons this season!

{Shopping}  Not at all.  Christmas is coming!  It comes every year!!  I need to get busy!!!