Bittersweet Goodbyes

Today Joe came to take sweet Ally back. I already miss sweet Ally Baby Girl so much, it's just not the same without her.

Basketball

Ash had her first practice lastnight. She did so well. A little nervous at first, but that's to be expected. By the end of the night she had relaxed and was having a good time. She's one of only three 5th graders on the team, all of the other girls are in the 6th grade, very experienced and all knew one another, so her antimidation was only natural. She really is such a good sport, she goes out there and just keeps on truckin despite being inexperienced and knowing no one. I was so proud of her! Her first game is Saturday, and she's so excited that she wore her uniform to school today.

She has informed me that after basketball season she really, really wants to play football. Yes, football. She's been asking to play football for over a year now, and I think I'm gonna have to give in before too long.

Ashley's new line on the wall

Less than six months ago the line was two inches lower.
My baby girl is now 5'1".

Ode to bacon grease

Oh how I love thee!

You give us a delightful flavor the morning of your birth, a flavor that if captured continues to be savored for meals to come. I once considered you bad and unhealthy and fattening and artery clogging and despicable, but your flavor has cast a spell on me. I will cook with you, seek out recipes for you and feed you to your biggest fan of us all, my bacon savoring husband, whom your spell was cast upon many moons ago. I won't fret about how unsightly you are when you are resting in the bottom of the old sauce jar, I will scoop you and close my eyes until you awake, and then I cook with you, and eat you. I will do more crunches, more walking and eat an extra helping of veggies just to have you. You are the almighty and shall have a shelf of your own in the Urben kitchen.

Just a Mom

I have read this numerous times over the years, and each time I read it I smile, I spose that makes it blog worthy....


A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office
was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.


"What I mean is," explained the recorder,
"do you have a job or are you just a......?"
"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman.


"I'm a Mom."
"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it,"
said the recorder emphatically.


I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the
same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.

The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised,
efficient and possessed of a high sounding title like,
"Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."


"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it?
I do not know.
The words simply popped out.
"I'm a Research Associate in the field of
Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and
looked up as though she had not heard right.


I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most signific a nt words.
Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written,
in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest,
"just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice,
I heard myself reply,
"I have a continuing program of research,
[what mother doesn't)
in the laboratory and in the field,
(normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family)
and already have four credits (all daughters).
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the hu manities,
(any mother care to disagree?)
and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and
the rewards are
more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she
completed the form, stood up and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career,
I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model,
(a 6 month old baby) in the child development program,
testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!
And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished
and indispensable to mankind than
"just another Mom." Motherhood!


What a glorious career!
Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers
"Senior Research associates in the field of
Child Development and Human Relations"
and great grandmothers
"Executive Senior Research Associates"?
I think so!!!
I also think it makes Aunts
"Associate Research Assistants".

Catch of the day # 1,453,201

I had to make a trip to the office yesterday for a meeting. So yeah, I had to stop in at one of my favorite Goodwill's that happens to be right across the street from the office.

My catch of the day:



Pocket V.Smile (with 1 game)
Portable educational game system for on the go, or can be hooked up to the TV.
Jamie's price: $9.99
Target's price: $69.99

Practice and Learn 6th Grade
6th grade workbook that includes Grammar, Reading and Lit., Spelling, Scicence, Social Studies, and Math
Jamie's price: $.99
Teachers Paradise: $18.99

And one other thing...I found a box of solid wood flooring that just happens to be exactly the flooring in the background of the above picture, same brand and color. We intended to buy a box of this to have on hand incase we needed to make repairs in the future, but we found out Home Depot no longer carries it. Soooo, I walk in to my favorite store and wowzas, there it is, an entire box.

Wood Flooring
Jamie's price: $12.99
Price tag on the box: $55.00

At Goodwill they have a date code at the top of each price tag, I thought it was interesting that I probably bought one of the newest items on the shelf and one of the oldest items as well. The V.Smile was priced yesterday (the day of my purchase) and the wood flooring was priced 6 years ago! HA! It was waiting for me! I cannot walk through the doors of a goodwill and come out without a story, it never fails.

Normalcy

The holidays are officially over. This is not such a bad thing. I'm always so anxious for the holidays to get here so I can decorate, bake, spend more time with the fam, celebrate with traditions, etc., but by the time it's all over, and things begin to get back to normal, normalcy is quite a welcome change. Gone are the days of staying up til midnight and waking up at 10. (although Alex is still adjusting, he slept until 10 yesterday morning)
Yesterday, I was up before 7, and quite honestly, I was glad to have my morning back. On a typical weekday morning I wake up around 7ish, see Ash off to school at 7:30 and then I'm all alone until the boy wakes up. This is when I get a big chunck of work out of the way. I typically get in about an hour and a half of work before Alex gets up. My reward is my nice warm cup of joe, which happens to be keeping me company as I type this entry. If I miss this morning routine, like I have for the last two weeks, my schedule gets totally thrown off. So if a dog barks, whines, wags it's tail to hard, or does anything more than lie quietly still on the floor while I'm engrossed in this routine, I'm like a mother of a newborn shushing any possibilty of a waking boy.

Good bye Ho, ho, ho, hello hi, ho, hi, ho. (Gosh I make me laugh)

So here I am once again, wrapped cozily in my routines with a pile of work in front of me waiting to be done.

On the agenda for today:

1. My hair appt.! Yay! I'm way overdue for a cut and highlights.
2. Ashley's dentist appt.
3. Meeting dad to drop the boy off for a few days.
4. A short meeting up at work.

Random thoughts with Alex

At lunch yesterday with Belinda and Ciara, Alex interjects with a random thought...

"Momma, wouldn't it be sooo cool if Granny Franny moved to Georgetown!?"

I had to post that one for you Fran. Just too sweet to forget. :)