I have intended to reboot this blog from the day we found out we were moving to Bahrain, but then, life happened. This massive, life consuming, emotion inducing move happened. It's been 9 months since my husband first asked me... So hey, what would you think of moving to Bahrain?
Bah-Where?
Is there Starbucks in Bahrain? Can I drive in Bahrain? Will I have to cover my head in Bahrain? Will we live in a nice house in Bahrain? Will kids go to.... the kids!
What will the kids think? Will they be on board? Will they cry and scream how could you? Will they embrace the adventure? Will they hate us and need therapy one day if we do this?
Emotion. Lots of it. But we made it. Here we are after months of planning and being separated as a family. Months of fixing up our house to rent and months of saying goodbye to a life we've known for 10 years. After a summer full of family, adventure, swimming and tears... we made it.
It's been 20 days since we arrived at our home in the middle of the night. The kids were wide-eyed, excited and nervous. They quickly found their rooms took a sigh of relief in their new space. We were so hungry and because of that were so very thankful to our wonderful neighbors for stocking our fridge and kitchen with food to get us through a day or two. After a few hours of just taking it all in we all crawled in bed and began the process of jet lag recovery and transitioning into our new life.
It's been a crazy 20 days. For starters Jeramy has been gone to the rig for 14 of them. Even before he left he was in the office almost every day. Either that man doesn't care about us or he has such tremendous faith in my ability to handle literally anything that he thought it would ok to leave me in a new house, in a new country with no car, no cell phone, very few groceries and three kids. Thank goodness for the wonderful people that I've already met that have pointed me in every right direction. If it wasn't for grocery and restaurant delivery, we literally would have starved. You can order just about anything and have it delivered right to your door for a very nominal fee. Like dig in your couch for change to cover the delivery fee and order your groceries for the week.
We've come so far since those first few days. Our shipment made it with very, very little damaged. Buh-bye Target pie plate I bought over a decade ago and adios to a candle holder I scored at Homegoods that never really matched anywhere anyways. I raved about our packers back in May, and I'm raving about them again. Just amazing how everything made it in one piece. We all have cell phones and I have a car. It's the ugliest color of blue you've ever seen, Ryleigh has threatened to buy me a Crayola Crayon decal it's so bad. But the girls made a good point, we never have trouble finding it in the parking lot. It's a temporary fix though, when Jeramy gets home we will look for me a permanent vehicle.
I found a preschool for Weston. He will be attending Eton House International Preschool. It's a school that started in Singapore and I just love their philosophy. They have the biggest and most amazing outdoor space I've ever seen. It's like a farm crossed paths with a Children's Museum. Y'all know my little man, he needs some space to roam and explore. It's perfect.
The girls just got home from their third day of school. They are still struggling with the idea of uniforms and the differences between private and public school. I think a few teachers came out of the gate as very strict. I'm encouraging them to give it some time. They both seemed to have made a few friends. Avery has actually already had a few sleepovers and is invited to a birthday party next weekend. I have reports from several sources that Ryleigh spends most of her day laughing and hanging out with a whole group of girls. So don't feel sorry for them, I think they're going to make it.
Me... I miss a few things. I miss my church. I miss my street and my friends. It hurts a little that I got to sub last year and enjoyed it so much and found it so fulfilling. Now this year I'm back to being at home full time. I've been very busy setting up the house but that will end. I do plan to find a good yoga studio, get involved by volunteering at the kid's schools and at some point begin working on the modules I need to finish so that when I move back I can complete my teaching certification.
But it's all good. This is an adventure that we are blessed to be on. We've already started planning some trips for the upcoming year. One of which will be back to Texas for a long Christmas break, that's the trip the girls are counting down to. I'll leave you with this conversation I just had with Ryleigh:
Me: So have you made friends at school that you can follow on Snapchat and Instagram?
Ryleigh: Yeah.
Me: Do you know where any of them live?
Ryleigh: Yeah, the girl from France lives on the other side of the camel farm.
Me: Oh cool, that's not too far.
Ryleigh: I can't believe I just said that.
Me: I can't believe I just replied back like no big deal.
:)
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Monday, January 23, 2012
Houston, We Have a Bike Rider
Today, Ryleigh rode her bike to school. I didn't think it would be that big of deal or an emotional thing for me, but it turned out to be a huge deal and yes, a few tears were shed. I felt kind of like the first day of Kindergarten, a little paranoid, a little sad...and very much in shock that my little girl was taking another giant leap toward being a big girl. But mostly, I was so extremely proud.
Ryleigh is not a persevere kind of kid, she doesn't work at things until she conquers them. She's more of a try it and if it doesn't come easy, try something else, something that does come easy kind of kid. I know that this does not indicate grand things for her in the future, but until the future comes I have vowed to kick her ass every step of the way to keep her from giving up. Take the removal of training wheels...
Once we took the training wheels off her bike she gave it a try, fell over and didn't touch her bike again for two weeks. Then one day, she asked me to put the training wheels back on so she could play with her friends. I refused and instead took her by the hand and lead her outside where her bike was waiting for her to learn to ride it. She tried again, fell over and when she tried to go back inside leaving behind all aspirations of ever riding a bike without training wheels, I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her crying butt back to the bike. Approximately 20 minutes, lots of tears and lots of screaming later (thank you neighbors for not calling CPS, you're awesome) she was riding her bike. A few months later she was rewarded with a new bike for her birthday and now she is an amazing bike rider, in short bursts.
So when she decided she wanted to start riding her bike to school, I kindly explained to her that school is a mile away. A whole mile, full of ups and downs and did I mention, it's a mile away. She seemed to be pretty confident that she could do it, many kids her in class do it she told me. But still, I felt that we needed a practice run. So on Saturday we set out to give the ride a try and as predicted, halfway there, she gave up.
She said her leg hurt and that she had a head ache. She wanted to leave her bike for the alligators and limp back home, or preferably be carried and fed grapes so that she could properly hydrate undisturbed by the process of walking. Once again, the mama bear kicked in and I gave her three options...1) finish the ride to the school and then go home and play with her friends. 2) leave the bike behind and walk home, where she would be promptly grounded for the rest of the night. 3)Ride her bike home, where she would be promptly grounded for the rest of the night. Really, there was only one option that she could live with. So with much angst on her face she mounted up and finished the rest of the ride.
As we neared the school she perked up and by the time we got to the school she was absolutely beaming with pride. I showed her how to lock up her bike and then she got to show her little sis "her playground". The ride home was a breeze (though it is mostly down hill) and I woke up this morning confident that she would make the ride with no problems.
My kid are not allowed to give up, my kids will learn to accomplish their goals and make their desires a reality. Kicking, screaming, crying, it makes no differnce to me. I want them to know that from bicycles to families to careers, the world is theirs for the taking, they just have to put their big girl pants on and take it.
Ryleigh is not a persevere kind of kid, she doesn't work at things until she conquers them. She's more of a try it and if it doesn't come easy, try something else, something that does come easy kind of kid. I know that this does not indicate grand things for her in the future, but until the future comes I have vowed to kick her ass every step of the way to keep her from giving up. Take the removal of training wheels...
Once we took the training wheels off her bike she gave it a try, fell over and didn't touch her bike again for two weeks. Then one day, she asked me to put the training wheels back on so she could play with her friends. I refused and instead took her by the hand and lead her outside where her bike was waiting for her to learn to ride it. She tried again, fell over and when she tried to go back inside leaving behind all aspirations of ever riding a bike without training wheels, I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her crying butt back to the bike. Approximately 20 minutes, lots of tears and lots of screaming later (thank you neighbors for not calling CPS, you're awesome) she was riding her bike. A few months later she was rewarded with a new bike for her birthday and now she is an amazing bike rider, in short bursts.
So when she decided she wanted to start riding her bike to school, I kindly explained to her that school is a mile away. A whole mile, full of ups and downs and did I mention, it's a mile away. She seemed to be pretty confident that she could do it, many kids her in class do it she told me. But still, I felt that we needed a practice run. So on Saturday we set out to give the ride a try and as predicted, halfway there, she gave up.
She said her leg hurt and that she had a head ache. She wanted to leave her bike for the alligators and limp back home, or preferably be carried and fed grapes so that she could properly hydrate undisturbed by the process of walking. Once again, the mama bear kicked in and I gave her three options...1) finish the ride to the school and then go home and play with her friends. 2) leave the bike behind and walk home, where she would be promptly grounded for the rest of the night. 3)Ride her bike home, where she would be promptly grounded for the rest of the night. Really, there was only one option that she could live with. So with much angst on her face she mounted up and finished the rest of the ride.
As we neared the school she perked up and by the time we got to the school she was absolutely beaming with pride. I showed her how to lock up her bike and then she got to show her little sis "her playground". The ride home was a breeze (though it is mostly down hill) and I woke up this morning confident that she would make the ride with no problems.
My kid are not allowed to give up, my kids will learn to accomplish their goals and make their desires a reality. Kicking, screaming, crying, it makes no differnce to me. I want them to know that from bicycles to families to careers, the world is theirs for the taking, they just have to put their big girl pants on and take it.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Deep Conversations with Avery
Avery: "Mommy, we made curties at school today."
Me: "You made cookies at school today?"
Avery: "No, we ade curkies at school toady."
Me: "You ate cookies at school today?"
Avery: "NO!...... woka, woka, woka, woka...."
Me:"........ OH!....You made TURKEYS at school today!"
Avery: "Yes. Turkeys."
Me: "You made cookies at school today?"
Avery: "No, we ade curkies at school toady."
Me: "You ate cookies at school today?"
Avery: "NO!...... woka, woka, woka, woka...."
Me:"........ OH!....You made TURKEYS at school today!"
Avery: "Yes. Turkeys."
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Disney Dream
Today is Saturday and we have now officially been home for 6 days from our Disney vacation. Not that I've really noticed since I spent the first 24 hours home taking care of a sick husband, the next four days trying to get caught up at work and the last 24 hours taking care of a sick little Avery and my own fever. Somewhere in there I managed to unpack all but one suitcase and to do most all the laundry. Is it time for another vacation yet?
But back to our fabulous Christmas gift from my parents, an 8-night Disney vacation! We spent the first 3 nights in Orlando at the Caribbean Beach resort which gave us 2 full days at the parks. The first day was spent at Magic Kingdom where the girls got done up princess style at the Bibitty Bobitty Boutique followed by breakfast with the princesses. I'm telling you, that is the way to see the princesses. In an hour and a half we had every princess come by our table and sign their little books. Sure beats standing in line for an hour plus per character out in the park. We rode just about every ride in the park that day, thank you fast passes! The next day we set off for the Hollywood Studios and miraculously made it to the park before it even opened which allowed us to maximize our ride time and gave us time to head over to the Wildlife park before the end of the day.
Day three we packed up, jumped in a shuttle and headed to the Disney Dream for a 5 night cruise! I've never really done a real cruise, usually when we vacation there is usually some sort of adventure involved, lots of driving, sight seeing and historical marker reading. In other words, even on vacation we are total geeks. The idea of being stuck on a ship with nothing but food and ocean all around you just has never really appealed to me. But, this was no ordinary ship and we loved every minute on board.
There was a full sized theater on board, and once inside you wouldn't know that you weren't in the theater district of Houston or on Broadway. The shows were that good too! In addition to a live theater there was a movie theater too. While on board we got to see Pirates of Caribbean 4, and this family loves pirates! Which brings me to our favorite night, Pirate Night! We got to all dress up like pirates and there was a live show that included Captain Jack Sparrow that was truly spectacular.
The food was amazing and of course I ate way too much of it, but my sweet tooth is slowly wearing off. The best meal for Jeramy and I was at the French restaurant on board. Nine courses complete with wine pairings....ooh, la, la!
Ryleigh's favorite part of the cruise was Pirate Night but a close second was the Aqua Duck, a clear slide that actually went out over the ocean and back on the ship. If there wasn't a 20 minute wait to ride it, I think she would have been on that thing non-stop. When the girls weren't swimming, they were in the kids club which meant some alone time for mom and dad out in the adult only pool area. So yes, you can take a break from Mickey and the gang!
The best part of the cruise was having my whole family there, not just Jeramy and the girls but my brother, his fiance, my sister and my parents. I am so thankful to my dad for arranging the whole thing, it was a trip that we will never forget!
Here is our family share site with pics from my whole family...enjoy!
But back to our fabulous Christmas gift from my parents, an 8-night Disney vacation! We spent the first 3 nights in Orlando at the Caribbean Beach resort which gave us 2 full days at the parks. The first day was spent at Magic Kingdom where the girls got done up princess style at the Bibitty Bobitty Boutique followed by breakfast with the princesses. I'm telling you, that is the way to see the princesses. In an hour and a half we had every princess come by our table and sign their little books. Sure beats standing in line for an hour plus per character out in the park. We rode just about every ride in the park that day, thank you fast passes! The next day we set off for the Hollywood Studios and miraculously made it to the park before it even opened which allowed us to maximize our ride time and gave us time to head over to the Wildlife park before the end of the day.
Day three we packed up, jumped in a shuttle and headed to the Disney Dream for a 5 night cruise! I've never really done a real cruise, usually when we vacation there is usually some sort of adventure involved, lots of driving, sight seeing and historical marker reading. In other words, even on vacation we are total geeks. The idea of being stuck on a ship with nothing but food and ocean all around you just has never really appealed to me. But, this was no ordinary ship and we loved every minute on board.
There was a full sized theater on board, and once inside you wouldn't know that you weren't in the theater district of Houston or on Broadway. The shows were that good too! In addition to a live theater there was a movie theater too. While on board we got to see Pirates of Caribbean 4, and this family loves pirates! Which brings me to our favorite night, Pirate Night! We got to all dress up like pirates and there was a live show that included Captain Jack Sparrow that was truly spectacular.
The food was amazing and of course I ate way too much of it, but my sweet tooth is slowly wearing off. The best meal for Jeramy and I was at the French restaurant on board. Nine courses complete with wine pairings....ooh, la, la!
Ryleigh's favorite part of the cruise was Pirate Night but a close second was the Aqua Duck, a clear slide that actually went out over the ocean and back on the ship. If there wasn't a 20 minute wait to ride it, I think she would have been on that thing non-stop. When the girls weren't swimming, they were in the kids club which meant some alone time for mom and dad out in the adult only pool area. So yes, you can take a break from Mickey and the gang!
The best part of the cruise was having my whole family there, not just Jeramy and the girls but my brother, his fiance, my sister and my parents. I am so thankful to my dad for arranging the whole thing, it was a trip that we will never forget!
Here is our family share site with pics from my whole family...enjoy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
More Fun with Homework
Math Homework tonight: Mom: "Very good Ryleigh, 8+9=17 is correct. Now, show your work so the teacher will know how you figured out the answer." Ryleigh: "But I figured out the answer in my head." Mom: "Well, just show how you did that." Ryleigh: "What, you want me to draw of picture of me figuring it out in my head?" Mom: "..........whatever you think you can explain to your teacher."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Some Topics Just Happen
While helping Ryleigh with her homework tonight Jeramy came barging into the kitchen to bring up the topic of homosexuality. Well, that's not exactly what he planned, but it sort of happened anyways...
Jeramy: "I just saw on tv that they're going to show a documentary tonight about two women, a couple, that each had twins through in vitro".
Ryleigh: "They're gonna, wait, what...two women?"
Jenn: "Way to go dad."
Jeramy: "How did she pick up on that?"
Ryleigh: "They're married?"
Jenn: "Yes. Thanks Jeramy."
Jeramy: "Why didn't she ask what is in vitro? That sounds much more confusing."
Jeramy: "I just saw on tv that they're going to show a documentary tonight about two women, a couple, that each had twins through in vitro".
Ryleigh: "They're gonna, wait, what...two women?"
Jenn: "Way to go dad."
Jeramy: "How did she pick up on that?"
Ryleigh: "They're married?"
Jenn: "Yes. Thanks Jeramy."
Jeramy: "Why didn't she ask what is in vitro? That sounds much more confusing."
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Bieber Fever
Me: Hey Ryleigh, did you know that there is a Justin Bieber movie that just came out?
Ryleigh: Yes, all the kids at school were talking about it.
Me: Well, do you know who Justin Bieber is dating?
Ryleigh: Yes mom, Selena Gomez, duh.
Attempt to connect with my 1st grader, squashed. She is officially smarter than the internet.
Ryleigh: Yes, all the kids at school were talking about it.
Me: Well, do you know who Justin Bieber is dating?
Ryleigh: Yes mom, Selena Gomez, duh.
Attempt to connect with my 1st grader, squashed. She is officially smarter than the internet.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Yup, Still in Katy
This afternoon after school some friends and I conducted one of our twice monthly Eco Club meetings. Today's topic, the school garden. The kiddos got to help us select a location for the garden and then we sat them down and talked about what kind of vegetables we want to plant in our garden. One of my fellow Eco Moms taped pictures of veggies up on the wall and let the kids put sticky notes up under the veggie that they most wanted to see in the garden. A fun activity and of course, strawberries won with an incredible majority. Then we went through each veggie and talked about them because ya know, lots of kids don't even know what an unprocessed veggie even looks like.
Our 3rd or 4th veggie was the cucumber which I think only two kids voted for. So I asked the kids, what can a cucumber be used for...hoping to get them more excited about one of my personal faves.
Kid #1 says, For Salads! Great answer Kid #1, yes, they are quite yummy in salads.
Kid #2 says, For Pickles! Yes, exactly Kid #2, cucumbers can be turned into pickles and maybe we can do that with our cucumbers.
Okay moving on...oh wait...Kid #3, yes, what would you like to add that a cucumber be used for?
Kid #3 replies, Spa Treatments!
Ahhhh yes, spa treatments. Let's not forget about the spa treatments. Miss Jenn subscribes to her local produce co-op specifically for the great value on spa treatment items.
Life in the bubble does at least have its entertainment value.
Our 3rd or 4th veggie was the cucumber which I think only two kids voted for. So I asked the kids, what can a cucumber be used for...hoping to get them more excited about one of my personal faves.
Kid #1 says, For Salads! Great answer Kid #1, yes, they are quite yummy in salads.
Kid #2 says, For Pickles! Yes, exactly Kid #2, cucumbers can be turned into pickles and maybe we can do that with our cucumbers.
Okay moving on...oh wait...Kid #3, yes, what would you like to add that a cucumber be used for?
Kid #3 replies, Spa Treatments!
Ahhhh yes, spa treatments. Let's not forget about the spa treatments. Miss Jenn subscribes to her local produce co-op specifically for the great value on spa treatment items.
Life in the bubble does at least have its entertainment value.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jeramy the Watch Dog
Jeramy was the Watch Dog at Ryleigh's school today and he came home with a great story...
He was helping shelve books in the library when a kid came up to him and asked for his assistance in finding a book about Sponge Bob. Jeramy said sure, no problem, just point me to the card catalog. The kid looked at him with a look of confusion. Jeramy explained that the card catalog would be the large bank of drawers containing numerous index cards. The kid continued to look at him, confused. Jeramy then told him, it helps you find the book you're looking for. Oh!, says the child....then points to the computer.
Dude, I told him, you are so totally old.
He was helping shelve books in the library when a kid came up to him and asked for his assistance in finding a book about Sponge Bob. Jeramy said sure, no problem, just point me to the card catalog. The kid looked at him with a look of confusion. Jeramy explained that the card catalog would be the large bank of drawers containing numerous index cards. The kid continued to look at him, confused. Jeramy then told him, it helps you find the book you're looking for. Oh!, says the child....then points to the computer.
Dude, I told him, you are so totally old.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Post Christmas
The girls and I arrived in Monahans on December 18th for a two week trip. That trip ends in just 3 more days. On Saturday, Jan. 1st, the girls and I will make the long trip back home. Jeramy didn't come with us, not because he didn't want to, but because he is currently on a rig off the coast of Cairo, Egypt. We've missed him so much, I think everyone has missed him. He has gotten to Skype in with us a couple of times, but even Skype has its limits and the connection has not been very good. The good news is, Jeramy will be back home in just 14 days and then he'll have just one more hitch before moving back into the office. So yay!...no more single mom here!
Even without our Daddy, the trip has just been awesome. A fantastic Christmas, as usual, but with so much time we've been able to really spend lots of quality time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And as fatigued as I'm feeling after having to check my shoes and my bed for scorpions every day, I'm sad that it's all about to come to an end. But, being back in my bed and having a grocery store that carries more than Tampico Orange drink and two isles of various types of tortillas will be Awe-Some. Is it too much to ask for just one organic apple in this town???
Yesterday I realized that mom has been using regular laundry detergent in her new fancy schmancy HE washing maching. But MOM, I say, I you HAVE to use HE detergent, it says so in the instructions and at least 13 times all over your machine. But JENN, she says, you can't buy HE detergent in Monahans. Yes you can MOM, I buy mine at the dollar store in Katy, you have to be able to buy it at the regular grocery store in Monahans, even if it does feel like a street market in Mexico. But you know what internet?...you can NOT buy HE laundry detergent in Monahans, but you can buy 5 differnt fragrance variations of Fabuloso household cleaner. No shit.
I finally found mom some HE laundry soap at Wal-Mart in Odessa, a place that feels like the Largest street market in Mexico. So now I can rest well knowing that her new washing machine isn't struggling to process the excess sud-ation being caused by regular laundry soap.
Pumpkin Pie...done. Next up, pink stuff....
Even without our Daddy, the trip has just been awesome. A fantastic Christmas, as usual, but with so much time we've been able to really spend lots of quality time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And as fatigued as I'm feeling after having to check my shoes and my bed for scorpions every day, I'm sad that it's all about to come to an end. But, being back in my bed and having a grocery store that carries more than Tampico Orange drink and two isles of various types of tortillas will be Awe-Some. Is it too much to ask for just one organic apple in this town???
Yesterday I realized that mom has been using regular laundry detergent in her new fancy schmancy HE washing maching. But MOM, I say, I you HAVE to use HE detergent, it says so in the instructions and at least 13 times all over your machine. But JENN, she says, you can't buy HE detergent in Monahans. Yes you can MOM, I buy mine at the dollar store in Katy, you have to be able to buy it at the regular grocery store in Monahans, even if it does feel like a street market in Mexico. But you know what internet?...you can NOT buy HE laundry detergent in Monahans, but you can buy 5 differnt fragrance variations of Fabuloso household cleaner. No shit.
I finally found mom some HE laundry soap at Wal-Mart in Odessa, a place that feels like the Largest street market in Mexico. So now I can rest well knowing that her new washing machine isn't struggling to process the excess sud-ation being caused by regular laundry soap.
Pumpkin Pie...done. Next up, pink stuff....
Saturday, October 30, 2010
My First Triathlon
I submitted the following essay to a contest for the 250 first timers in the triathlon I did on October 17th.
My First Triathlon
By Jennifer Montgomery, #579
For about 10 years I’ve been saying “I want to do a triathlon.” Ten years ago, that was during college. That was before marriage, before kids, before careers, volunteer work, multiple moves, multiple pets, multiple countries and multiple excuses for why I couldn’t take time to do a triathlon. During college is when I should have done my first triathlon, not just because making time to train would have been much easier, but because I could have gotten hooked then. I could have gotten hooked and been doing triathlons all this time, for me, while all my excuses carried on around me.
But I didn’t do my first triathlon back then and four months ago I found myself no longer the young athlete that I once identified myself as. I suddenly started identifying myself as the woman, wife and mother of two that I now am. While I LOVE with all my heart being this woman, I missed that young athlete that craved competition and pushed herself to go longer and faster with each swim meet, each track meet and each workout. Aerobics for housewives has just never really been my thing.
In July I Googled “Texas Triathlon” and a few clicks later found Try Andy’s Tri in Sugar Land, just 20 minutes down the road. I signed up, paid my money and it was done, I was doing it. Back in the pool I went, I could now justify bike rides without the kiddo trailer and hello running, it’s been a long time. The first time I ran three miles without stopping was just amazing and as I started feeling stronger in the pool and faster on my bike I began to think, I can really do this.
My husband kept telling me that I was nervous the week leading up to the race. Of course I was nervous, what was I thinking in doing this? Was I actually going to do this? The idea of getting up before the kids and driving 20 miles away before the sun even came up, well that seemed crazy. How would my household even function without me there to wake it up and get it moving. That’s my job, I turn on the lights…who is going to turn on the lights if I’m not there?
The night before the race I went over and over the race route in my mind, from start to finish. I’m seriously going to come in very last. The guy is going to be standing at the end with a cone in his hand and a look on his face that could only mean, “It’s about damn time!” There’s no way I’ll be able to run 3 miles at the end, after all that swimming and biking, no way. I worked really hard, I really tried to get to that point, but it just didn’t happen. Everyone is going to be passing me while thinking in their head, “Seriously, go back to the donut shop you apparently crawled out of and leave this racing business to the ones that can hang.”
Then the morning came and I got up, got dressed and pulled my family-mobile vehicle quietly into the street. The morning smelled so wonderful, the way the world only can when very few are up and about. I took some deep breaths and pulled out of my subdivision and hit the Grand Parkway bound for Sugar Land. As I closed in on the race site I started seeing more and more vehicles with bicycles attached to them. Then, all of a sudden, I didn’t feel so out of place. All that hard work, all that training, that should mean I deserve to be here, right?
I got my bike all set up an hour before the race was supposed to start and took a walk around to see exactly what I had gotten myself into. To my surprise, there were lots of people that looked, well, just like me. When I got back to my bike and still had 45 min. to kill before the race I heard a friendly voice come from the woman sitting down on the ground next to my bike. She asked me if this was my first time. Okay, so it’s totally obvious, yikes. She said her name was Kara and then she started, without prompting, assuring me that I would do great and that I was going to love it. We chatted all the way to starting line and she was a life saver. Not only did I finish the race, I beat my goal by more than ten minutes. It was an experience that I will never forget and the only regret that I have is that I didn’t do it sooner.
By Jennifer Montgomery, #579
For about 10 years I’ve been saying “I want to do a triathlon.” Ten years ago, that was during college. That was before marriage, before kids, before careers, volunteer work, multiple moves, multiple pets, multiple countries and multiple excuses for why I couldn’t take time to do a triathlon. During college is when I should have done my first triathlon, not just because making time to train would have been much easier, but because I could have gotten hooked then. I could have gotten hooked and been doing triathlons all this time, for me, while all my excuses carried on around me.
But I didn’t do my first triathlon back then and four months ago I found myself no longer the young athlete that I once identified myself as. I suddenly started identifying myself as the woman, wife and mother of two that I now am. While I LOVE with all my heart being this woman, I missed that young athlete that craved competition and pushed herself to go longer and faster with each swim meet, each track meet and each workout. Aerobics for housewives has just never really been my thing.
In July I Googled “Texas Triathlon” and a few clicks later found Try Andy’s Tri in Sugar Land, just 20 minutes down the road. I signed up, paid my money and it was done, I was doing it. Back in the pool I went, I could now justify bike rides without the kiddo trailer and hello running, it’s been a long time. The first time I ran three miles without stopping was just amazing and as I started feeling stronger in the pool and faster on my bike I began to think, I can really do this.
My husband kept telling me that I was nervous the week leading up to the race. Of course I was nervous, what was I thinking in doing this? Was I actually going to do this? The idea of getting up before the kids and driving 20 miles away before the sun even came up, well that seemed crazy. How would my household even function without me there to wake it up and get it moving. That’s my job, I turn on the lights…who is going to turn on the lights if I’m not there?
The night before the race I went over and over the race route in my mind, from start to finish. I’m seriously going to come in very last. The guy is going to be standing at the end with a cone in his hand and a look on his face that could only mean, “It’s about damn time!” There’s no way I’ll be able to run 3 miles at the end, after all that swimming and biking, no way. I worked really hard, I really tried to get to that point, but it just didn’t happen. Everyone is going to be passing me while thinking in their head, “Seriously, go back to the donut shop you apparently crawled out of and leave this racing business to the ones that can hang.”
Then the morning came and I got up, got dressed and pulled my family-mobile vehicle quietly into the street. The morning smelled so wonderful, the way the world only can when very few are up and about. I took some deep breaths and pulled out of my subdivision and hit the Grand Parkway bound for Sugar Land. As I closed in on the race site I started seeing more and more vehicles with bicycles attached to them. Then, all of a sudden, I didn’t feel so out of place. All that hard work, all that training, that should mean I deserve to be here, right?
I got my bike all set up an hour before the race was supposed to start and took a walk around to see exactly what I had gotten myself into. To my surprise, there were lots of people that looked, well, just like me. When I got back to my bike and still had 45 min. to kill before the race I heard a friendly voice come from the woman sitting down on the ground next to my bike. She asked me if this was my first time. Okay, so it’s totally obvious, yikes. She said her name was Kara and then she started, without prompting, assuring me that I would do great and that I was going to love it. We chatted all the way to starting line and she was a life saver. Not only did I finish the race, I beat my goal by more than ten minutes. It was an experience that I will never forget and the only regret that I have is that I didn’t do it sooner.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
First Grade
Anyone that follows me on Facebook knows just how much I have been anticipating the start of school. I love my eldest child, but dear God, I can't take another full day of her attitude. My mom says it's normal...or at least it's normal in our family. I called my mom on Sunday after we made our SECOND attempt to buy Ryleigh new shoes for school. The second attempt, like the first, ended in me dragging her to the car because we could not agree on the type of shoes she was to get. She needs athletic shoes, plain and simple. And I don't want to spend more than $40 on them. Totally doable, except that on the first trip she would only look at the Lelli Kellys...an $84 pair of shoes. And why does she want the Lelli Kellys???...because they come with a play cell phone that has lipgloss in it. She knows this because she saw it on a commercial. The second trip to get shoes ended in the same manner because she only wanted the Twinkle Toes that lit up. I am not opposed to Twinkle Toes, which is obvious because she already had a pair of Twinkle Toes. They do not light up, but they do fit and so it is my firm belief that she does not need another pair. She disagrees, quite adamantly.
So, on the first day of school she got to wear her old Twinkle Toes, the ones with rhinestones missing on the toes. And to be honest, I don't think it bothered her as much as it bothered me. Mom says all kids are ungrateful and are never happy with what they get whether they get it all or they get very little. I don't know if I believe that but these arguments have left us lots of room to talk about gratefulness and the importance of it. I told her that if she shows me that she has learned how to be grateful this week we can go shoe shopping again this weekend and try again. Maybe this time at Academy where they have neither Lelli Kellys or Twinkle Toes.
At any rate, here are some great pics of her at a Girl Scout event last weekend and then first day of 1st grade.
So, on the first day of school she got to wear her old Twinkle Toes, the ones with rhinestones missing on the toes. And to be honest, I don't think it bothered her as much as it bothered me. Mom says all kids are ungrateful and are never happy with what they get whether they get it all or they get very little. I don't know if I believe that but these arguments have left us lots of room to talk about gratefulness and the importance of it. I told her that if she shows me that she has learned how to be grateful this week we can go shoe shopping again this weekend and try again. Maybe this time at Academy where they have neither Lelli Kellys or Twinkle Toes.
At any rate, here are some great pics of her at a Girl Scout event last weekend and then first day of 1st grade.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Mexico in June
Last April my mother, in a moment of weakness, told me that she would be willing to watch my kids for three nights during the summer if Jeramy and I wanted to go somewhere alone. I immediately took to the Internet and booked two non-refundable plane tickets to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This way, when she sobered up, she couldn't take it back. While my mother is a fantastic grandmother in so many ways, she generally only likes to be a fantastic grandmother in small doses, and preferably at my house where I am clearly in charge of changing all poopy diapers. Just to be fair, Jeramy's mom is the same way.
Of course, in order to take advantage of my parents' generous offer, we had to first drive our children 10 hours to their house and then fly out of Midland. Yes, my mom is still punishing me for being 17...for three years.
A trip to West Texas isn't all bad. First of all, I get to see my family. And then of course, there are the fried burritos from the gas station...best served at 2am after sitting under the heat lamp for minimum of 6 hours. Worth driving 10 hours for every time.
So, we headed west, Monahans bound with a one night stop in San Antonio so Jeramy and Ryleigh could ride a roller coaster at Sea World.
And then at last, Jeramy and I found ourselves sans children on an airplane, headed to Mexico. 8:30 in the morning?? Why that's bloody mary time. Layover in Houston? A couple of vodka tonics will get me through it just fine. Final leg to Mexico...white wine indeed.
Once we made it to Mexico we decided that it would just be way more fun to rent a car than to take a shuttle...and what else would two newly liberated parents do. And while were were at, we decided to ride in a style. Only a red convertible mini-cooper would do.
Once we were at the resort we had some dinner and commenced to behave like we didn't know better and imbibed an unknown amount of wine that night.
The next morning...oooooooo, the pain...what-was-I-thinking-I'm-never-drinking-again kind of pain. Room service was really the only option...room service and water....room service, water and Tylenol. And then finally, some relief. And then, we were off to the spa.
When we arrived at the hotel we booked a couple's massage and nothing, not even the hangover from hell, was going to keep us from our massage. And it was just really lovely. The best part was after the massage when my hubby and I just got to sit and stare out over the ocean and have a cup of tea together. The world sort of stopped and it was in that moment that I felt like I somewhere with my husband and only my husband.
Next on the agenda was to get two wicked sunburns. Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you go to Mexico? Mine wasn't really that bad...but only because I am a woman, which means that I am not too manly to wear sunblock. My deal husband on the other hand...burned to a crisp. However, he totally recognized his stupidity and kept his complaining to a bare minimum.
The second full day we spent driving our little red convertible to Tulum. Tulum is a group of ancient Mayan ruins that would have been sooo much fun to walk around and see, if it wasn't 251 degrees outside. But it was indeed 251 degrees outside so we took in the highlights and then went for a swim in the ocean. Once we arrived back at the hotel we took a nap and then got dressed for our final night in Mexico.
The next morning I woke up yearning for my children. We turned our little red car in, got on airplane and headed home.
I would like to thank my mom from the bottom of my heart for watching our kids, it was a much needed recharge for us. And thank you to my husband for all his hard work which made the trip possible.
And here are the pics...
Of course, in order to take advantage of my parents' generous offer, we had to first drive our children 10 hours to their house and then fly out of Midland. Yes, my mom is still punishing me for being 17...for three years.
A trip to West Texas isn't all bad. First of all, I get to see my family. And then of course, there are the fried burritos from the gas station...best served at 2am after sitting under the heat lamp for minimum of 6 hours. Worth driving 10 hours for every time.
So, we headed west, Monahans bound with a one night stop in San Antonio so Jeramy and Ryleigh could ride a roller coaster at Sea World.
And then at last, Jeramy and I found ourselves sans children on an airplane, headed to Mexico. 8:30 in the morning?? Why that's bloody mary time. Layover in Houston? A couple of vodka tonics will get me through it just fine. Final leg to Mexico...white wine indeed.
Once we made it to Mexico we decided that it would just be way more fun to rent a car than to take a shuttle...and what else would two newly liberated parents do. And while were were at, we decided to ride in a style. Only a red convertible mini-cooper would do.
Once we were at the resort we had some dinner and commenced to behave like we didn't know better and imbibed an unknown amount of wine that night.
The next morning...oooooooo, the pain...what-was-I-thinking-I'm-never-drinking-again kind of pain. Room service was really the only option...room service and water....room service, water and Tylenol. And then finally, some relief. And then, we were off to the spa.
When we arrived at the hotel we booked a couple's massage and nothing, not even the hangover from hell, was going to keep us from our massage. And it was just really lovely. The best part was after the massage when my hubby and I just got to sit and stare out over the ocean and have a cup of tea together. The world sort of stopped and it was in that moment that I felt like I somewhere with my husband and only my husband.
Next on the agenda was to get two wicked sunburns. Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you go to Mexico? Mine wasn't really that bad...but only because I am a woman, which means that I am not too manly to wear sunblock. My deal husband on the other hand...burned to a crisp. However, he totally recognized his stupidity and kept his complaining to a bare minimum.
The second full day we spent driving our little red convertible to Tulum. Tulum is a group of ancient Mayan ruins that would have been sooo much fun to walk around and see, if it wasn't 251 degrees outside. But it was indeed 251 degrees outside so we took in the highlights and then went for a swim in the ocean. Once we arrived back at the hotel we took a nap and then got dressed for our final night in Mexico.
The next morning I woke up yearning for my children. We turned our little red car in, got on airplane and headed home.
I would like to thank my mom from the bottom of my heart for watching our kids, it was a much needed recharge for us. And thank you to my husband for all his hard work which made the trip possible.
And here are the pics...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Drugs are Bad, Umkay?
I don't recall smoking crack but it must have happened because a few weeks ago I signed up and even paid $100 to take part in a sprint triathlon. A sprint triathlon is not a full triathlon but it is indeed going to kick my ass. Any race that involves 300m of swimming, 10 miles of biking and 3 miles of running really does not deserve to have the term "sprint" placed in front of it.
Why would I be so stupid as to sign up for such an event when I could have just enjoyed the crack and gone about my business? Well, number one I have always wanted to do one. And, number two, I am getting older and fatter every second and apparently that's not going to change so really, it's now or never.
I have begun my official training which means I get to work my butt off and not eat donuts from now until October 17th. I'm no stranger to working my butt off, I did it for 10 years while swimming competitively, I did it in preparation for my wedding and I did it while I was in Canada because there really are just so many hours a day you can stare out your window and hope a moose will walk by. A diet without donuts, now that's going to be the hard part.
I have a confession to make, and don't hate me, but I have never "dieted". Never done Adkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig or any other nonsensical exercise in self degradation. I just absolutely loathe any sort of program which involves creating for yourself an even greater obsession with food than when you started. Okay, I take that back... in college I was too poor to order desert, or an appetizer, or a drink other than water...or dinner most of the time so, instead I went home and had a few slices of not-really-lunch meat and went to sleep before I got hungry again...this proved to be an effective involuntary diet I suppose. That being said, my current regular diet is at least, decent. I eat lean cuts of meat and lots of fruits and veggies... I just balance it all out with plenty of cookies and ice cream.
But for this event, I've committed myself to a much more strict diet. No sweets, no adult beverages and no kolaches, pizza or barbecue until after I kick this race's ass. So, if you see me cheating, call me out. Remind me of what I have coming to me, of how hard it's going to be dragging that one extra donut across the finish line. I just think that if I'm going to do this thing, I might as well give it my all. See how good I can be and how fast I can finish because guess what....I read they're going to have donuts and pizza at the finish line.
Why would I be so stupid as to sign up for such an event when I could have just enjoyed the crack and gone about my business? Well, number one I have always wanted to do one. And, number two, I am getting older and fatter every second and apparently that's not going to change so really, it's now or never.
I have begun my official training which means I get to work my butt off and not eat donuts from now until October 17th. I'm no stranger to working my butt off, I did it for 10 years while swimming competitively, I did it in preparation for my wedding and I did it while I was in Canada because there really are just so many hours a day you can stare out your window and hope a moose will walk by. A diet without donuts, now that's going to be the hard part.
I have a confession to make, and don't hate me, but I have never "dieted". Never done Adkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig or any other nonsensical exercise in self degradation. I just absolutely loathe any sort of program which involves creating for yourself an even greater obsession with food than when you started. Okay, I take that back... in college I was too poor to order desert, or an appetizer, or a drink other than water...or dinner most of the time so, instead I went home and had a few slices of not-really-lunch meat and went to sleep before I got hungry again...this proved to be an effective involuntary diet I suppose. That being said, my current regular diet is at least, decent. I eat lean cuts of meat and lots of fruits and veggies... I just balance it all out with plenty of cookies and ice cream.
But for this event, I've committed myself to a much more strict diet. No sweets, no adult beverages and no kolaches, pizza or barbecue until after I kick this race's ass. So, if you see me cheating, call me out. Remind me of what I have coming to me, of how hard it's going to be dragging that one extra donut across the finish line. I just think that if I'm going to do this thing, I might as well give it my all. See how good I can be and how fast I can finish because guess what....I read they're going to have donuts and pizza at the finish line.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Graduation Day
Since I get really bothered with those people that start the first post to their blog in months with the obvious, "Wow, Geeeze, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted!"...I won't do that. Not at all, because it's obvious. You can see the dates and it's very plain, it's been several months, several busy months, since I've logged a post.
We are three weeks and a few days away from school starting and rather than recap a whole summer in one very long and boring post I'll start with this: Kindgerten Graduation. Our little girl, born on the 4th of July, 2004, is now a First Grader. Now, I'm not a sappy person. Ask anyone in my family, ask my husband, ask our beta fish and they will tell you, I'm not a sappy person and I don't cry easily. But two things have made me cry this summer as the mere thought of them come to the surfuce of my brain; one I will discuss in a future post and the other is the realization that Ryleigh is on her way in this world...*tears, sniff, sniff, tears*.
We are three weeks and a few days away from school starting and rather than recap a whole summer in one very long and boring post I'll start with this: Kindgerten Graduation. Our little girl, born on the 4th of July, 2004, is now a First Grader. Now, I'm not a sappy person. Ask anyone in my family, ask my husband, ask our beta fish and they will tell you, I'm not a sappy person and I don't cry easily. But two things have made me cry this summer as the mere thought of them come to the surfuce of my brain; one I will discuss in a future post and the other is the realization that Ryleigh is on her way in this world...*tears, sniff, sniff, tears*.
One day this summer she told that she knows more than I do. I was taken back by this observation as it took me until 6th grade to draw the conclusion that I knew more than my mother. Of course my mother agreed with me but to my daughter I asked "What's the sqare root of 16?" When she couldn't answer I told her to keep learning more stuff, she might catch up when I'm 80 and decide that the era of non-stop donut eating has entered my life.
She is a bright girl though and loves to sit around and write out math equations but really hates to read. She loves to be read to, just doesn't seem to have the patience it takes to tackle the whole sounding out of words thing. The thought of having a child that doesn't get the joy of reading is frightening to me. I love to read and always have. However, if she keeps it up with the math...and the Geograhpy...and the current events...and the science and all the other things that do highly interest her, she just might be able to make it in this world. And then maybe at some point, when she can learn to read the good stuff, you know, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men...Twilight, she will catch on to this reading thing and be just as much of a smart-ass dork as her mother.
Graduation Day:
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Going to Sheboygan...Part 1
For some reason, or because Sara Z. made me think it would be a good idea last October, we decided it would be a great idea to do a 17 day driving trip around the United States....with the children. So we told our friends in Chicago, Sara and Kalman, that we wanted to come up for a visit. They told us to come on and even said we could bring little tornado #1 and little tornado #2! AND, in an attempt to be the coolest friends ever, they offered to take us up to their lake house in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on Michigan Lake. Then we asked my mother in law in Nashville if she would mind a visit from us and the grandbabies and she said "I would love to have the kids come visit...wait, where are you guys going?"..."We're going to stay with you too Pam"...and she said "Oh, yeah, that would be great, I will need someone to change Avery's diapers."
So a trip started to take shape and here is how it got planned out:
Night 1: Texarkana, TX
Night 2: Queen Wilhelmena State Park Lodge in Arkansas
Night 3: Memphis, TN
Night 4&5: Nashville, TN
Night 6: Lexington, Kentucky
Night 7: Indianapolis, Illinois
Night 8-12: Chicago/Sheboygan
Night 13: St. Louis, Missouri
Night 14 & 15: Arltington, TX
A trip like this takes lots of planning, for anyone that ever dares to be so bold. We decided early on that we couldn't afford to eat out every mean so we packed an ice chest and vowed to eat out of it for lunch every day that we possibly could and to do breakfast out of it too if the hotel didn't offer a free breakfast. So we packed our bags, packed our truck and hit the road. I'm going to try and break up this post into several parts because there is so much to tell and so much we want to remember. I'll post a link to the pics at the right though.
We drove to Texarkana stayed the first night night. On the way we swung through Lufkin where I got to see a parking terminal that was a project of mine back when we lived in Bryan. I left the job a few months before it was complete so it was really cool to see the final version. Our first visit to Texarkana was pretty much what expected. We stayed in a nice, new Hampton and enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden. Not much to do or see in Texarkana so we were up and away on day two.
On day two we drove from Texarkana to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas and searched for diamonds. When we arrived the weather was nice with a remnants of a recent rain. This is supposed to be prime diamond hunting condidtions as the diamonds are burried in a thick mud and you have to sift through the mud to find the diamonds. When it rains, it washes away the top layer of mud and is supposed to reveal new diamonds. The park tills the soil every now and then to aid in the process. There is nothing clean about searching for diamonds here, but it is the only place in the world where you can search for diamonds and keep what you find for the bargain price of the $8 admission fee. At first we attempted to walk across the field in our shoes. This didn't work so well because the mud just accumulates on your shoes until each foot weighs 20 lbs. This was especially hard on the girls. At this point we decided to go hard or go on down the road. We took the girls' shoes off and told them to just have fun in the mud. Then Jeramy and I filled a 5 gallon bucket with mud and headed to the water station to sift through our bounty. The pictures really say it all, the girls had a blast getting all muddy and dirty and Jeramy and I got to look at rocks and minerals. A magical day for everyone indeed. We didn't find any diamonds, only some quartz and mica. So after we decided it wasn't our lucky day we all got washed up at the water power blasting station and then went for a swim in a nice little water park that was in the State Park. After changing clothes we were off to our final destinatin for the day, Queen Wilhelmena State Park in Arkansas.
The lodge we stayed in was originally built in 1897 and was situated on top of a mountain. The girls got to do a little train ride around the top of the mountain. We had expected to be able to do some hiking at this park, but there had been some bears sighted close by so all trails were closed. We had a pretty decent southern style dinner which included a dessert buffet that would have put the ol' church potluck to shame. Amazing bunch of homemade, old fashioned desserts. The kids didn't even like any of it...but bring on the chess and buttermilk pie baby! The lodge was old, but very clean and we got a good night's sleep before setting out the next day towards Hot Springs, Arkansas.
So a trip started to take shape and here is how it got planned out:
Night 1: Texarkana, TX
Night 2: Queen Wilhelmena State Park Lodge in Arkansas
Night 3: Memphis, TN
Night 4&5: Nashville, TN
Night 6: Lexington, Kentucky
Night 7: Indianapolis, Illinois
Night 8-12: Chicago/Sheboygan
Night 13: St. Louis, Missouri
Night 14 & 15: Arltington, TX
A trip like this takes lots of planning, for anyone that ever dares to be so bold. We decided early on that we couldn't afford to eat out every mean so we packed an ice chest and vowed to eat out of it for lunch every day that we possibly could and to do breakfast out of it too if the hotel didn't offer a free breakfast. So we packed our bags, packed our truck and hit the road. I'm going to try and break up this post into several parts because there is so much to tell and so much we want to remember. I'll post a link to the pics at the right though.
We drove to Texarkana stayed the first night night. On the way we swung through Lufkin where I got to see a parking terminal that was a project of mine back when we lived in Bryan. I left the job a few months before it was complete so it was really cool to see the final version. Our first visit to Texarkana was pretty much what expected. We stayed in a nice, new Hampton and enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden. Not much to do or see in Texarkana so we were up and away on day two.
On day two we drove from Texarkana to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas and searched for diamonds. When we arrived the weather was nice with a remnants of a recent rain. This is supposed to be prime diamond hunting condidtions as the diamonds are burried in a thick mud and you have to sift through the mud to find the diamonds. When it rains, it washes away the top layer of mud and is supposed to reveal new diamonds. The park tills the soil every now and then to aid in the process. There is nothing clean about searching for diamonds here, but it is the only place in the world where you can search for diamonds and keep what you find for the bargain price of the $8 admission fee. At first we attempted to walk across the field in our shoes. This didn't work so well because the mud just accumulates on your shoes until each foot weighs 20 lbs. This was especially hard on the girls. At this point we decided to go hard or go on down the road. We took the girls' shoes off and told them to just have fun in the mud. Then Jeramy and I filled a 5 gallon bucket with mud and headed to the water station to sift through our bounty. The pictures really say it all, the girls had a blast getting all muddy and dirty and Jeramy and I got to look at rocks and minerals. A magical day for everyone indeed. We didn't find any diamonds, only some quartz and mica. So after we decided it wasn't our lucky day we all got washed up at the water power blasting station and then went for a swim in a nice little water park that was in the State Park. After changing clothes we were off to our final destinatin for the day, Queen Wilhelmena State Park in Arkansas.
The lodge we stayed in was originally built in 1897 and was situated on top of a mountain. The girls got to do a little train ride around the top of the mountain. We had expected to be able to do some hiking at this park, but there had been some bears sighted close by so all trails were closed. We had a pretty decent southern style dinner which included a dessert buffet that would have put the ol' church potluck to shame. Amazing bunch of homemade, old fashioned desserts. The kids didn't even like any of it...but bring on the chess and buttermilk pie baby! The lodge was old, but very clean and we got a good night's sleep before setting out the next day towards Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Why I Am a CASA
I just saw this story on CNN.com. It's so sad, so tragic, soooo pointless. Some of the abuse situations that we learned about in CASA training were just unbelievable. It is just amazing what some people of capable of doing to their own precious, defenseless and very fagile children. And really, for what? I don't understand the payoff that comes from beating a child.
I am so very happy that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of my CASA child's life. She is an amazing girl with so much to offer this world. She is destined for great thing and it was just awesome to watch her first move physically into a safe and nurturing home and now emotionally into a safe and nurturing space. I look forward to watching her grow and succeed for many years to come.
If you live in Ft. Bend county and are interested in becoming a CASA, there is a week-long training session in August...you can check it out at www.cafb.org.
Don't live in Ft. Bend county? CASA is everywhere! Just google it to find your nearest CASA organization.
I am so very happy that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of my CASA child's life. She is an amazing girl with so much to offer this world. She is destined for great thing and it was just awesome to watch her first move physically into a safe and nurturing home and now emotionally into a safe and nurturing space. I look forward to watching her grow and succeed for many years to come.
If you live in Ft. Bend county and are interested in becoming a CASA, there is a week-long training session in August...you can check it out at www.cafb.org.
Don't live in Ft. Bend county? CASA is everywhere! Just google it to find your nearest CASA organization.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Calling Me Out
Avery had a pretty late nap today which, as always, led into a rough time getting her to go to bed tonight. So, here I am with Ryleigh in bed wanting her good night song, and a drink of water, and some allergy medicine, and whatever else she can think of to procrastinate....and then there is Avery in her bed just crying away for Mama. So after I get Ryleigh all that she needs, or at least can think of at the moment, I start to walk out the room to tend to the screaming 2 year old in the other room when I hear her little voice behind me go:
"So who's the good kid now."
I stopped, my heart stopped and I just looked to the sky and had a total Doh! kind of moment. What a heavy statement for my 5 year old to make. My five year old who is doing her very best to become a big kid and to make good decisions and do right things just totally called me out on not taking enough notice of her efforts.
I turned around, sat back down on the bed and did my very best to make up for the recent lack of "I'm so proud of you" and "You are such an awesome kid" statements. Way to go mom...way...to...go.
If I could I would shout it from the mountain what an amazing kid she is. So smart and sooo pretty and kind. She cares about everyone she comes into contact with, she doesn't understand why everyone can't just get along and be friends. Ryleigh only has 13 days left in Kindergarten and then we're off to 1st grade! I really just couldn't be any more proud of her if I tried and she's not just a good kid, she's the best kid!
"So who's the good kid now."
I stopped, my heart stopped and I just looked to the sky and had a total Doh! kind of moment. What a heavy statement for my 5 year old to make. My five year old who is doing her very best to become a big kid and to make good decisions and do right things just totally called me out on not taking enough notice of her efforts.
I turned around, sat back down on the bed and did my very best to make up for the recent lack of "I'm so proud of you" and "You are such an awesome kid" statements. Way to go mom...way...to...go.
If I could I would shout it from the mountain what an amazing kid she is. So smart and sooo pretty and kind. She cares about everyone she comes into contact with, she doesn't understand why everyone can't just get along and be friends. Ryleigh only has 13 days left in Kindergarten and then we're off to 1st grade! I really just couldn't be any more proud of her if I tried and she's not just a good kid, she's the best kid!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Environment and Science Do Not Mix...Texas Says So
Once again, I found myself bored, sitting around, eating bon-bons, watching Oprah and wondering what I could do to pass my time. So I got myself involved in a new project, I am now heading up the Environmental club for Ryleigh's elementary school next year. And seriously, I am so excited about this. It is going to be my number one project next school year. I graduated from college in 2002 with my Geography/Geology minor tucked under my belt and with the exception of some bus route planning at my first job I have not used my degree at all. This, I hope, will give me the opportunity to work in an area I am terribly, annoyingly passionate about. Teachers, get ready, those diet soda cans will now be recycled!
So, first off, some research. Of course, this is a PTA sponsored club so let's see what the ol' Texas PTA website has to offer in the way of environmental program advice:
"Environmental awareness is usually associated with terms such as climate change, global warming and energy conservation. Although it is important for our children to understand the importance of being good stewards of our resources, being active in the environment is more than science."
Well bleepidy bleep....there goes my plans for the first meeting. Sorry kids, there will be no screening of Al Gore's, An Inconvenient Truth...what with all it's sciencey science and all. Instead, let's make new paper out of shredded Scantrons and tears from polar bears. We'll just save the Earth via that route.
So, first off, some research. Of course, this is a PTA sponsored club so let's see what the ol' Texas PTA website has to offer in the way of environmental program advice:
"Environmental awareness is usually associated with terms such as climate change, global warming and energy conservation. Although it is important for our children to understand the importance of being good stewards of our resources, being active in the environment is more than science."
Well bleepidy bleep....there goes my plans for the first meeting. Sorry kids, there will be no screening of Al Gore's, An Inconvenient Truth...what with all it's sciencey science and all. Instead, let's make new paper out of shredded Scantrons and tears from polar bears. We'll just save the Earth via that route.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Things That Go Boom in the Night
Last night at about 10pm one of Transocean's rigs in the Gulf of Mexico had an explosion. Right now, 24 1/2 hours later, the rig is still burning and eleven are missing.
When I first found out about this at 6am this morning I immediately felt the same way I did when the Cougar helicopter went down in Canada a little over a year ago. Jeramy is home today, not out on the rig like he was when the helicopter went down. But the feeling in your stomach is the same. It's horrible, just really horrible. We are hoping and praying that the eleven missing are found alive afloat in an evacuation capsule. Yet as each minute goes by, our hope and optimism can't help but begin to slip.
It's days like this that make me take a moment...or many moments...and think about our home, our family..our life. My husband has a dangerous job. He spends three out of every six weeks in a very dangerous environment. He does it for us, me and the girls, so that we can have a home and a life filled with all that we desire and so very much more. When Jeramy is home we strive to make each moment count. We love each other and the girls fiercely and are so very proud of our daddy when he leaves to go back to work every six weeks.
My heart aches for the families of those still missing and those that were injured. Jeramy's boss while we were in Canada is one of the injured. He has a family. They all have families and I/we/all Transocean employees are with them in thought and prayer hoping for the very best.
When I first found out about this at 6am this morning I immediately felt the same way I did when the Cougar helicopter went down in Canada a little over a year ago. Jeramy is home today, not out on the rig like he was when the helicopter went down. But the feeling in your stomach is the same. It's horrible, just really horrible. We are hoping and praying that the eleven missing are found alive afloat in an evacuation capsule. Yet as each minute goes by, our hope and optimism can't help but begin to slip.
It's days like this that make me take a moment...or many moments...and think about our home, our family..our life. My husband has a dangerous job. He spends three out of every six weeks in a very dangerous environment. He does it for us, me and the girls, so that we can have a home and a life filled with all that we desire and so very much more. When Jeramy is home we strive to make each moment count. We love each other and the girls fiercely and are so very proud of our daddy when he leaves to go back to work every six weeks.
My heart aches for the families of those still missing and those that were injured. Jeramy's boss while we were in Canada is one of the injured. He has a family. They all have families and I/we/all Transocean employees are with them in thought and prayer hoping for the very best.
Thank you so very much to our daddy and to all the oilfield men out there, including my dad, grandfathers, uncles and many other relatives, that do a job that is highly unappreciated, highly needed and filled with danger.
I love you Jeramy and are happy every day to be walking this road with you, hand in hand.
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