Grandpa and Gia-Gia come to visit

My Dad and Sally drove up on Friday to stay with us for a night.  It was a quick trip.  They headed right back down to Houston Saturday night.  We had a great time seeing them.  We checked out the nature center, walked to the lake, and just enjoyed eachother's company.

Julianne's champs meet

Julianne has been working so hard at swimming to earn her first B times.  Her practice group just completed a 4 week nutritional challenge (no sugar except for fruit sugars in whole fruits) and she stuck to it the whole month.  She practices 4-5 times a week for 2 hours.

Saturday and Sunday she had her champs meet and she did it.  She earned her first B time in the 50 free.  She was so close to earning a B time in all of her other events.  But it was nice to earn the first one.

Trent went to her meets this weekend and cheered her on, so I don't have any pictures to show for it.  But I am so proud of her hard work.  It is not easy to pick up swimming at 13 years old.  It takes a lot of hard work.  So many of her peers have been swimming for years and so it seems like she might not catch up to them, but she is.  She's determined and hard working and very dedicated.

Catherine's return to soccer

All the kids played soccer in New Canaan.  They really didn't have a choice.  It was $45 per kid to play each season.  In a town where absolutely nothing is affordable, soccer was affordable.

Since moving to Texas the whole wide world of sports is now available to them.  We've done basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, diving, football, and  . . .  now back to soccer.

I looked hard to find a good team for Catherine with just the right fit -- serious but fun, rigorous but not too time demanding, and above all not too far from home.  We found the best team around.  It has been a perfect fit.

She had her first game today, Saturday and she was right back to her awesome moves.  It was like she hadn't taken off a year and a half.

Today being a mom feels like conducting a band

Julianne had a band concert today.  All those kids, all those different instruments, and yet as the conductor started the count all the kids' toes started tapping and they sounded great.  As I would watch each of the different musical instruments play and then rest and then play again I could see how this is the perfect analogy for my life right now.  Each individual instrument's part is not overwhelmingly difficult.  They have a few challenging sections, but they also have a lot of resting time.  It's the conductor who doesn't get a break.  He was always directing 4 or more instruments at a time.

That is just exactly how my life is.  Not any one of my kids has so much going on.  They each have a few activities.  They each have a few challenges.  They have time to rest and time to play.

But me???  Not so much.  I schedule out my afternoons like a well written musical score.  From the time the first bus arrives home at 3:10 until the last kid is asleep (usually around 10 p.m.) we are on a finely tuned schedule.  I use my iphone calendar like a metronome-- keeping me in time.

I really do enjoy it though.  The kids are each growing smarter and more talented.  Their skills continue to improve.  It was tough for me to realize that Julianne can swim faster now than I ever could.  Catherine is not too far behind.  I love watching them play and race and swim.

I've had to accept some new roles-- I am no longer an "expert" on anything in my kids eyes.  Everything I say or suggest is treated with deep suspicion.  Julianne asks for Algebra help, tells me how I'm doing it all wrong, and then can't believe that I repeatedly get the correct answer.  But I remember saying the same things to my Dad when we'd do math.  (sorry, dad!)

Adam informed me the other day that he would have to teach me some new basketball games.  I asked what they were and he assured me that I wouldn't know any of them.  I asked again and he finally said, "Well the first one has a couple of names -- it depends how long you want to play -- some people call it HORSE but it could be CAT or PIG"    Seriously????  He thought I wouldn't know THAT game.  I've even tried to play it with him before, but he tells me my games are stupid.  I told him I've probably played THAT game 1000 times and he just rolled his eyes like there goes my silly mom.

I had to show Madelyn a youtube video on how to throw a softball before she was convinced that what I was trying to show her was correct.  Because clearly I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING about softball.

I just got my official license in the mail for USA Swimming.  Do you think that means the girls will trust anything I say about swimming???  No, those 7 years coaching a swim team probably mean nothing.



And I also keep realizing that I'm not really a mom to any babies anymore.  Owen is 3 1/2.  He talks to me like he's an adult.  At least he still lets me makes me lay by him to go to bed.

And while 3:00 - 10:00 are crazy busy, 8 am - 3:00 pm is not too bad.  I make it to the gym 3-4 times a week.  I cook with my friend on Mondays (all of our meals for the week, plus a treat, and now we've added changing all the sheets in whoever's home we are cooking at that day)  So in a couple of hours every Monday I get all the cooking and the dreaded bed linens all done.

I've started to re-evaluate some fitness goals.  For 12 years I was either pregnant, about to be pregnant, or nursing a baby and while I loved that whole phase it provided plenty of excuses and reasons to just maintain the status quo.  I ran a mile the other day in 7:49.  That's a big improvement for me.

I've been trying to play the piano some more and have even been working on a new classical piece.  And I've been reading Harry Potter in spanish -- SLOWLY.

I've been a terrible blogger.  But I'm often still driving kids around until 9 and then I get to double check Algebra homework.

I read another persons blog lamenting the lack of blogs written by parent's of older kids and I could really relate.  For one, the kids read this blog now.  They want to approve of every picture.  It was funny to post pictures of a cute baby covered in baby food, but my kids would not be happy if I posted pictures of their less than beautiful moments.  It's funny to write about your 2 year olds tantrums.  It is NOT funny to write about your 12 year olds tantrums.

I had a friend with older kids while mine were all babies and she would always listen to me and then say, "Little kids, little problems; Big kids, big problems."  And she's right.  I can't solve their social dilemmas for them.  I certainly can't blog about them.  I can't make someone enjoy math homework.  I can't write about the less than stellar grade because someone insisted on doing things his or her way.   I have so much to say and nowhere public I can or want to say it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm having a great time. We all are.  It's just that things are different.  Here are the girls on a daddy/daughter date with Trent.  I look at these 2 girls all the time (Julianne is taller than me.  Catherine is getting close) and wonder how I ever got such grown up kids????





And I am re-writing my own musical score.  Tonight after running a throwing skills clinic for Madelyn's team, serving dinner, getting Catherine out the door for mutual, racing to the band concert with Owen in tow, I realized I had a full hour before I HAD to do anything so I wrote in my own rests and went and got a pedicure.  I brought Owen with me because he is an angel and sat in my lap and we sang songs and counted to 20, and played "mindcrap" on my iphone together.  Oh sure it meant Madelyn and Adam got to watch an extra hour of Disney channel drivel but I enjoyed the conductor's break immensely.

My facebook lookback video

I think facebook was so clever creating a custom lookback video creation algorithm that gleans from your posts and photos to tell a quick story of your facebook record.  Here's mine and also I went on and created one from my mother's account.  Here is hers too.

Another swim meet

Both Julianne and Catherine swam in a meet this weekend. Julianne had the early morning sessions. I drove her there but wasn't able to stay and see her on Saturday (had to get Adam to basketball and baseball coach look). Then I headed back to take Catherine to the afternoon session. I even remembered my big camera. Both she and Julianne really swam well and are continuing to get faster! Julianne is 4 tenths of a second off her first B times.

Here are some pics of Catherine!!!











Adam and Owen were good sports about waiting for so long.

January in Instagram

I risked my iPhone for this pic. #splashmountain



All my kids! Happy new year Magic Kingdom style!



Loved meeting Mary Poppins. She told Owen, "get those filthy fingers out of you mouth!" In a proper British accent.



We made it at Epcot until 2:00. Then came the rain. And it hasn't let up. The kids all napped for 2 hours an have played quietly. Maybe the rain was just what we needed!



The 8th and final day at Disney!!! We had so much fun! Now for the last ride- there's no wait and the ride lasts 17 hours!!



"Mom, here's my business card. Just scan the bar code for all the details." He's only seven.



Catherine is 12 today!



Owen's new line. "Mom, can I be your best friend?" It really means can I sit on your lap and commandeer your iPhone.







Trent is FINALLY getting to see frozen. Kids have seen it JUST a few times!! #3D



We are working through our Christmas puzzles. We just finished this 750 piece puzzle. Now on to the 3000 piece one from my brother



Having never attempted a 3000 piece puzzle, I started with a plan. All pieces are separated on trays by shape. Edge is assembled. Now to work section by section. What I need are local puzzle fans to come over this week and help. Open invitation. Seriously



So far I'm on track with this 3000 piece puzzle. (The goal is 200 pieces a day- so it will be done in 2 weeks). There are a surprising number of life lessons where a 3000 piece puzzle is a good metaphor. I'll spare you the deep thoughts by Jamie handy



Me and Madelyn at Ghost!!