The Sideline Mom

A serving of random-ness.

I've been busy. Life is busy. It's ok, I like busy. Kinda. What I am trying to say is a busy life is just fine with me. Never mind. I really don't know what I am trying to say. Let's just move on shall we.

Here's what's going on.

I went back to Cincinnati this past weekend. With the boys.  We did this for two reasons.

First,  I told these cuties here

 that I would come back soon and bring they're so-called "cousins" for a fun visit. I am a woman of my word if nothing else.

Second, with the monsoon type atmosphere that we have found ourselves in over the last couple of weeks here in our lovely Middle Tennessee area, most of these

 

 have been cancelled.  So we did not miss any games in taking a quick trip up north. I am a woman who demands that my children to be in perfect attendance while playing on any ball team if nothing else. It's just how I roll. I'm crazy like that and stuff.

It was a fun trip. I'll tell you all about it later. I promise. Or not.

Homeschool: Off to a great start. Following a more regimented plan this year. It can get a little stuffy. I might have to change it up a bit here an there. Don't want to be boring teacher or anything. That would be as bad as... well I don't know, but it could be really bad. 

 

Next: More scrapbook pages.

One for A-Train

 

One for Mo.

 

I've set a goal. A 100 layout's by December 2010. It's approximately 2 layout's a week.   T o t a l l y   do-able. I'm gonna go for it man.

Next: I have weird kids. This is I how I found Austin walking around the house a few days ago. You think I'm kidding. I so do not kid about weird-ness.  He was just going about his business in this manner. Weird. I have no better word for it.

 

As you may know, he has a brother who want's to do everything just like his weird brother. He want's to be one of the weird ones. What can I say?  "ANDY... YOU GOONIE!!" (name that movie-and who screams the line?-I watched it 1 million times as a kid)

 This copy-cat thing is a problem. But, I am choosing the battles I wish to partake in these day's and this is not one of them. Let the weirdness fly I say.

Next: the Skateboarding fetish: It a strong one peeps. This one want's to show me skating gear 24 hour's a day. He follow's me around. I can't get away. (plz look away from the junk on my counter in the background of this pic- it happens)

 He show's me all sorts of things. Board's, decks, wheels, grip's, bearing's, ...     "Sporto's, motorheads, geeks, dweebs, bloods, wastoids, dweebies" (again, name that movie) 

It's starting to drive me a little insane (scuse me while I go  wack my head against the wall a few times) **short pause** Ok, I'm back. I feel better now.

 

Anyway, he just love's the stuff. He's got his eye on this particular deck right here. I just personally have a hard time finding all of it interesting. But I'm a good listener if I'm nothing else, or at least I try to be.

 

 

And finally the last bit of this crazy post of complete random-ness.

2 more pics and

1 overwhelming thought.

Pic #1      Austin & Sabrina

 

Pic #2     Austin & Sabrina

Now for the overwhelming thought: WHEN IN THE WORLD DID THIS HAPPEN?!!! 

Somebody? Anybody? Tell me exactly  HOW  do they grow this lightening fast?!

I realize I am suppose to be celebrating the fact that my first born is growing, maturing and moving forward in life., but right now I just want  someone to please return to me the breath that was just sucked out of my lungs as I compared these two photos.  

We're we not JUST dressing them up for the first photo above a few weeks ago? I'm sure we were. Sure of it! 

Excuse me while I go...    go....  do something. I don't know what. I need a moment or five.

Have a beautiful day.

Over and out.

Bye.

The potentially stable (somewhere in the future I hope)  Side Line Mom 

 

Because it matters.

I scrapbook. Rather sporadically, but I do scrapbook. The stories are important to me even if they are not full/complete stories so to speak and even if they don't always have facts specific to that particular event or situation. Take this recent layout for example:

  

Just a quick jot down of the day Mo got a new set of wheels on his skateboard. Not really a very detailed memory but a reminder that getting new wheels is fun and important to him. To me. To us.  I like the layout enough (going to work on page design a bit also) but I think I will start adding more details to future layouts. (if I can remember to remind myself to do this)

I recently took stock of my past scrap-booking experiences and layouts and I was not fully satisfied with what I had accomplished. (or not) Not really happy at all.

 The pages were not horribly lacking in documentation, I just would have liked to have more info for the boys to read later in life. More journaling of they're personal histories. So, I am going to go a little deeper. Keep up the scrap-booking (I was thinking of giving it up all together) but get better at getting the details in the mix. Just better overall documentation. I have lots of pics. I just don't have the specific info I want. I can be so un-specific. It's just me. Unspecific. Alway's have been a "fly-by-the-seat of my pant's kind of girl, ya know, moment to moment". So here is the question... can me, myself and me, the unspecific, vague and hazy Sonja really be more specific in my scrap-booking endeavors? This will be interesting to find out. And...   this, I guess you could say is a very, pre-new year's resolution statement from me. How's that for an early bird? I let you know. Or not.

Did any of this make sense?

Cause it matters peeps. It really does matter.

 

Over and out.

Go do something creative.

The SLM

Quick update and a bit about Mo feeling tingly.

I don't feel as if I have time to blog. But I'm going to. Because I like it. It's fun.   Also, I may go insane if I don't. So, onward we go.  

I don't have much time at the moment because the schedule for homeschool does not allow much extra time for anything. Who's idea was this whole homeschool thing again? Mine? Oh yea, ok, nevermind.

This is would be Austin's schedule. Part of it. I must keep record of his completed lessons. Or I will go loony toons on everyone. His are highlighted in orange.

 

Mo's also. Well, actually they are in yellow. Someday it will all make sense. I'm sure of it.

 

In other news: The skate competition. At our YMCA. The boys participated.  It was great. They had a good turnout. The boys did well. Meaning they both skated at they're personal best. There were a lot of kids there.

The competition had a beginner, intermediate and advanced group.  Both A and Mo were in the beginners catagory since they have only skated for about a year now. And Mo is only 7 (although soon to be 8-the countdown is on)

Austin here. He completed a few narly tricks and felt good about his efforts. Is it still cool to use the word narly? I didn't think so.

 

Mo. Well, he did his thing. He is fearless as they say. It's just the way he rolls. Just before the competition he said "Mom...I'm feeling kinda tingly" (he also said it before bed the night before) In other words..he was nervous. I like the word tingly much better don't you? 

  This would be an 8 foot "drop in" ramp folks. Strait down. And I'm just gonna throw out there for the record that I pray a lot. A whole, whole lot.  You are free to do this also if you are so inclined. Thank you very much for your participation in this matter.

 

Neither of the boys placed but Morgan did walk away with a little somethin, somethin. See his board here. It's just about as beat up as his own body is on any given day after several hours at the skate park. Yes, this little guy is as hard on his board as he is on his body and it shows. The thing is nearly torn to bits on both ends.

 

At end of the competition this guy here who own's the local skate shop and who was a pro himself    (skated with Tony Hawk-also held the worlds record for highest olley at one time-if you don't know what that is there's a Learn the Skateboard trick names and they're definitions here  at 8:00pm )     asked the crowd of competitors who they thought had the most beat up board. Mo won by a long shot. Plus, he said Morgan was pretty fearless for a 7 yr old. Here is the new board.

 

From that smile and gleam of total awe radiating from his face one would think he had just won the Heisman and that the board was made of pure gold.

 He. 

Was. 

Thrilled.

He was just ridiculously happy people. And after riding this one for so long...

 

who could blame him.

Only problem now.... he thinks he can do this. 

 

This would be one of the advanced competitors and actually he skated at the X Games this year. He is a pro from Nashville. Morgan thinks he hung the moon.  And again... he thinks with the new board this stunt is a possibility. Does anyone have a few bottles of vodka calming words for his mother. I would be forever indebted.

Anyway, a great time was had by all.

  

Oh and this smile

 

went to bed with him that night. Never has one lasted so long.

Until next time peeps.

Over and out.

The SLM

 

Homeschool, baseball and my sanity. (or lack thereof, not in that particular order)

School has started, fall ball is in full swing (no pun intended) the laundry, dishes, grocery shopping and other misc. nightmare chores that call my name on daily hourly basis are not looking as if they plan on setting sail anytime soon. Sidelinemom is tired. I just am. So the story goes people. I totally realize that you've heard it all before. But really, I am fatigued in a permanent way. Suppose it comes with the territory. Just felt it necessary to state that for the record for some reason. And, just a quick reminder: the holidays are on their way. Ya know Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Not to depress you or anything, but they are coming. Lovely.

Pics below for Dad (sorry I have not called-I will this weekend-Love you) Do you think it odd that I leave messages to my father via my blog posts? Is that just weird?  I have to fit in tidbits of communication anywhere I can folks. I'm a busy woman.

They are the Durham Bulls this season. In the fall, the uniforms sport minor league team logos. Veddy, veddy interesting. The team names are interesting I mean. Here are a few.  You have the Lookouts,  Casper Ghosts, Nuts, (yes there is a team called the Nuts) Iron Pigs, (yep) Sand Nats, and Lake Monsters. Like I said veddy, veddy interesting. Go figure, cause I can't. Just to weird.

Nice swing. He's been working on it specifically. It shows.

   

Pitching. He loves to pitch. So very, very much.

 

This is still his best position.

 

But in fall ball it's all about trying new things. Like this.

 

Catching for the first time. He never wanted to try it before now. But, spontaneously, he does.

Then there's this little guy here. Good golly miss molly.

  

He has his mom's heart COM-pletely. He just does.

 

And everywhere he goes, that heart of mine goes with him. Yep, sure does. It  travels right along. Around bases, diving for baseballs, flying full speed down skateboard ramps. He's got it and..... um...     let me just say one thing ahead of time here to my future daughter-in-law.(should she happen to be reading this)   I apologize.   I apologize for the fact that,    well....   he's mine. It's gonna be interesting. Just sayin.

I know. I have issues. Just hush alright. 

Here he is with his guys. Ya know, his amigos, buddies, pals, homies. We, (their mothers and I- ok just me really) like to call them The Three Musketeers, The Holy Trinity, Larry, Curly and Mo, The Triple Threat or on particular days The Knuckleheads. Whatever fits at that time. They have been playing football and baseball together since thay were babies. Wait! They are still babies. Nevermind. I don't know what I'm talking about. Anyway, they work together like internal gears of a fine swiss watch, like a well oiled machine, like, like, like a trio of 7 yrs olds who really just "get" one another. Heck, I don't  know what to compare the compability they have with one another too really, but it's just ridiculously fun to watch, if you know what I mean.  It really is. 

  

 

Now on a much, much more personal note. Kinda. These next few pics will give you a visual on my present reality. If I could please have a moment of silence from ya'll.

The homeschool curriculum arrived a week ago. Fed Ex man had to carry them in. He did not look real pleased. I mean it is his job for crying out loud. Right?!! Sorry, little touchy these days. 

 

After the boxes were unpacked

 

This is what was very apparent to me, myself and me . I am in trouble.

 

 Big, huge, ginormous trouble. 

 

And with instructor manuals that look like this. It only spelled one thing.

More trouble. I can hear Travis Tritt singing it right now "I smell T R O U B L E." Yes, I smell it too. Like my dog on the floor in front of me, who has not been bathed in nearly 2 months. Stinky man.

 

Can I get a valium prayer from you sisters out there? I could really use one. Naw, actually, I really think it will all be ok.

I've also taken up enough of your time at this point, so before I make even more of a fool out of myself I will go. Go and crawl into a dark and drafty corner somewhere and rock violently back and forth while pulling my hair's out one at a time until I feel a little better. Don't worry bout me, I'll be just fine, really.

More updates from the homeschool front later. *honest little secret* the impending doom of being a homeschool mom is not nearly as bad as it seems. I promise. I think.

Until next time.

Over and out.

Thanks for listening.

The Sidelinemom