Life’s too short...to never sleep in a treehouse! 8/27 TR is up! Link in siggie

[Sunset Cliffs]

Oh no! Why are you stressed about your DL trip? I'll check out your retro report.

It's crazy. Not only are HS VB and Soccer at the same time but for club, the peak annual tournaments are all at the same time too (which obviously you are in the think of now). It's a nightmare. She's got serious conflicts for the next 2 months and her mom of course is trying to ensure she gets to do both as well as ODP Soccer. And then Sandie gets mad at us because there is NO weekend where K doesn't have something until Memorial Day weekend so she won't fly out unless we can promise K will be free. And really, there will probably be a soccer tournament but we won't know that until mid May. At this point it's like, just wait until August or give up on seeing K for more than a meal here and there. Take your pick.

There has been a lot of drama about the HS sport stuff, GREAT thing is Jeff is really drawing a firm line about our time and our trip and that she is going no matter what. I don't like what I'm hearing and how I foresee the HS tryouts going down but I am staying OUT of it.

I can only imagine how busy you've been with 3 tournaments, that's your entire weekend and then some!


Thanks on the job, I am super excited. The current one has been NUTS the last 2 days which hasn't helped. I'm a crazed person between that, getting all the pesky things done that are during the day type things that I won't be able to do and some pta stuff. I can't wait for our trip, I just hope it's WARM!

I am stressed about our trip because I have not had a lot of time to plan for it. I am doing laundry tonight but I have not even started packing, & I just feel unprepared to leave. The good thing is that we are driving, so if we forget something we can just stop somewhere to pick it up. We are going with some friends though, so it will be fun!

The thing about your situation that bothers me is that K is in 8th grade!! That is so early to be committing so much time to each sport. Todd coaches both for the high school & for club. He feels like the HS season is more important, and that club is mainly for the girls to stay in shape, but to also just have fun & to fall more in love with the sport. We have parents that are similar to K's mom and it drives him crazy. I'm sure that her coaches are aware of what her mom is like. We have spent a lot of time at tournaments lately, & I could tell you who all of the crazy parents are. Luckily we don't have too many. I feel your pain, though. I think you guys are doing great at not playing into her games.

 

[eandesmom]

I am stressed about our trip because I have not had a lot of time to plan for it. I am doing laundry tonight but I have not even started packing, & I just feel unprepared to leave. The good thing is that we are driving, so if we forget something we can just stop somewhere to pick it up. We are going with some friends though, so it will be fun!

The thing about your situation that bothers me is that K is in 8th grade!! That is so early to be committing so much time to each sport. Todd coaches both for the high school & for club. He feels like the HS season is more important, and that club is mainly for the girls to stay in shape, but to also just have fun & to fall more in love with the sport. We have parents that are similar to K's mom and it drives him crazy. I'm sure that her coaches are aware of what her mom is like. We have spent a lot of time at tournaments lately, & I could tell you who all of the crazy parents are. Luckily we don't have too many. I feel your pain, though. I think you guys are doing great at not playing into her games.

Well the good news is that, there isn't anything you can forget to pack, that you can't buy. Especially with a car! Some more easily than not of course but...

And since you live not too far, you should be decently prepared clothing wise. And if not....two words.

D Street.

For you anyways...maybe not for Dylan and Todd! I can't wait to see what you come home with! And see new pics of Dylan.

Thank you! I know you get it on the VB side and Mary Ellen is my soccer vent/reality check DIS friend, it means a lot. I can't really vent with the mom's on K's team as I don't EVER want to put K in the middle of anything. So, from the bottom of my heart thank you for the support and empathy and reinforcement, it really means the world.

I'm sure the coaches do get it. The fact that none of the other parents hang with her at games says it all but UGH it's just painful. We just feel guilty by association! I wanted to scream at her ODP training Sat when his ex HAD to go up to the coach at the end...when NO other parent did....

It's just that we worry about Kendall being punished, at a certain point, as a result. At some point she has to stand up for what is right and reasonable and honestly, if she is taught the world is her oyster and she can cherry pick....it, at some point, will backfire. It already has in so many ways but neither she or her mom sees it.

Sigh.

Vent over.

All that said, what we haven't seen out of her in soccer, that she is truly capable of, we see much more in VB (fire and passion). It will be interesting to see what develops once the "newness" wears off. VB appears to have the edge for HS. Whether it's really "because the JV coach sucks" or because of VB...that's what I'd like to know!

What I do know is this. Kelli drama aside, it is lovely to watch her play with heart.

Have a great trip and try not to stress. You need, and deserve this vacation, enjoy it! I know you will. 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[DisMomAmy]

I remember Garanimals!!

I love the concept... so much flexibility!

You are so close now!!


********************************

Amy, I found Body Glide at Sports Authority!


Kathy

Thanks Kathy!!

 

[All7OfUs]

I hope you do feel safe venting here when needed! We're ready to listen...

 

[carissanboys]

I think your new plan is a great compromise. It's good to have an idea of what you want to do so you don't get to the park and stand around and say, "Uh....." But, you don't want to be stressing about getting there on time, etc.

A world cooking class sounds awesome! I know Sully would love to take a class like that.

 

[eandesmom]

Yes, I noticed you didn't guess yet! Your competition is stiff...

So........... what's your start date??

I guessed! But you know that.

Start date is the 5th! It has been NUTTY! I have 3 different proposals going for the current job now, not to mention the billion other things on my list. Of course at the moment I'm just annoyed that I got called back on my mammogram (happens every year) and it might make me late to my last Zumba class today now that my neck is finally well enough to go back. I think. Hope. And I have to meet with Evan's teacher today....both things not factored into my giant list.

I am wondering, a little, if there isn't something more going on with him that is contributing to the recent grade fiasco. Dysgraphia specifically. We will see. I have mild dyslexia and some symptoms of dysgraphia as well, he has a cousin with it so...we may have been attributing some things to attitude, age and personality when there may be something else going on.

Not sure. But worth looking into.

Of course I'm not giving up my mani/pedi today and the facial/massage tomorrow to get stuff done. Heaven only knows when I could fit those things in again. Probably not till August. In Florida!

I hope you do feel safe venting here when needed! We're ready to listen...

Thanks! I do. I need to be careful not to wallow or whine though about things I cannot control. It doesn't help Jeff or I at all if I do so I'm really trying to let it go....

As a control freak...that's hard!

I think your new plan is a great compromise. It's good to have an idea of what you want to do so you don't get to the park and stand around and say, "Uh....." But, you don't want to be stressing about getting there on time, etc.

A world cooking class sounds awesome! I know Sully would love to take a class like that.

Oh my goodness those two have the coolest summer lineup ever. We will see if it pans out as fun as it sounds, in the past my experience with camps has been rather lame, that it really was just glorified babysitting. Fun for maybe a week but after that they were bored out of their minds. The only truly great camp experience we've had was a 1 week intense all day outdoors camp that Evan did which was amazing...but outrageous $$. Worth it but UGH! If you only do one camp...fine but if you need lots of coverage, no way.

Basically I had 6 weeks to get coverage for, 2 is vacation and the rest I will mooch off of my family (they are always with my sister and all their cousins for a week anyway where they will all go to VBS).

Checkout their lineup!

Eric.
While I know some of these classes wouldn't excite most kids, they are what he picked!

• 2 weeks of activity and swim. Which is a full day of arts/crafts and then 2 hours of swimming.
• Math Art
• Art Shotz (which is a photography class)
• Space Design (interior and industrial)
• Creative Writing
• World Cooking

Evan.

• 2 weeks of sports and swim. Which is a full day of basketball/soccer and then 2 hours of swimming.
• Baseball
• Fencing
• World Cooking
• Robot Design

Rough life huh.

I'm so excited to see how these classes work for a couple of reasons. Most of them are at a local private school that does focus on gifted ed and I think, for Eric, it will be a great fit where the traditional summer sports and arts camps have fallen short. I love too that it is narrow age ranges for the classes so they should be right where they are supposed to be. SO glad a friend told me about it, the catalog blew me away, it was 25 pages long! And honestly the classes/camps weren't any more expensive than a lame glorified babysitting sports camp.

 

[MEK]

MEK - Have you found Body Glide yet? I've only looked a couple places but haven't had any luck. The pharmacists at Target hadn't heard of it...

No, actually I haven't. I just figured it would be easy to find. I'm at 4 weeks now and that's when I usually start looking for things I need to pack- like coffee - yes Cynthia - I am actually bringing REAL coffee this time after the Nescafe adventure at Pop. I guess I really better start searching for the body glide - thanks for the heads up.

Now I am off to look at your pictures, cause you know I can never see them at work.

 

[MEK]

OMG - I must have the beers around the world and the drinks around the world pages. They are awesome. My friend Chuck would go wild over those. I could see pulling those out of my backpack....he wouldn't know where to go first. So creative! Luv it!

 

[cdotla]

Wow! I am totally impressed with your binder sheets. I'll be interested to see exactly what gets checked off on the Drinks Around the World!

 

[eandesmom]

No, actually I haven't. I just figured it would be easy to find. I'm at 4 weeks now and that's when I usually start looking for things I need to pack- like coffee - yes Cynthia - I am actually bringing REAL coffee this time after the Nescafe adventure at Pop. I guess I really better start searching for the body glide - thanks for the heads up.

Now I am off to look at your pictures, cause you know I can never see them at work.

I am so PROUD of you! And you will be SOOOO much happier in the mornings!

OMG - I must have the beers around the world and the drinks around the world pages. They are awesome. My friend Chuck would go wild over those. I could see pulling those out of my backpack....he wouldn't know where to go first. So creative! Luv it!

Aren't those the bomb? I can't take credit for them, I stole them off of the dining thread a long time ago. Doug will think they are pretty neat. Sandie too for that matter

Wow! I am totally impressed with your binder sheets. I'll be interested to see exactly what gets checked off on the Drinks Around the World!

LOL! I don't plan to check all the boxes but it's nice to know what's out there for sure!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Cynthia !!!!

 

[eandesmom]

First. A couple of real life updates.

It has been a CRAZY couple of weeks as I wrap up my current job, my WAHM status and my daytime flexibility in preparation for my jump back to the daily M-F office grind on MONDAY!

I feel like I’m a car. That’s been overdue for a tuneup! And so of course, I try to cram ALL my maintenance into a few weeks. Annual exams, Eye exams, Dentist, and of course the dreaded Mammogram…with the callback…bleh…will be really glad when that stops, supposedly I can expect it for another SIX years. Even though I expect the call, expect everything is fine, it’s still a wee bit stressful! As some of you know, I ran into some major neck issues. Serious pain last week. Unreal. I have a bulging disk from a old ski injury that causes some neck issues. I’ve avoided certain things that I loved, exercise wise, as a result as they seem to aggravate it. Pilates is one of them. Recently I’ve tried to add it back in, as well as yoga. Now I don’t know that these really had anything to do with it but I’m guessing they didn’t help. I carry all my stress in my neck. That doesn’t help. My home office chair…not an office chair and as a result, my posture is not good. Also doesn’t help. 2 weekends of bleacher sitting for hours didn’t help. The real culprit, I think, our bed and pillows. We need a new bed. We’ve needed it for a while. We keep being cheap. This rears its head every couple of years, I spend a lot of money on pillows and it gets better. And then it gets bad.

This, by far, was the worst its ever been. And me, being ridiculously clueless at times, took a good 2 weeks to figure out what was going on. It took several nights of insomnia and an inability to get comfort or relief to clue in to the bigger issue. So I went pillow shopping. Found my DREAM pillow. The woman, at one of the sleep number stores, must have spent 30 minutes with me creating my custom dream pillow. I did NOT want to get up off that bed. I want that bed (but that’s another story).

Pillow. Not in stock.

Pillow. Not in stock at the other local stores.

Pillow. On backorder with the company.

I needed a pillow that DAY. Not in “maybe” 2 weeks. I almost burst into tears, right there in the store.

I did find a substitute at Brookstone. A copy if you will. Is it as good? No. But a full week later I feel better than I’ve felt in months (in my neck) and was SO happy to at least get one last Zumba class in before I can’t go anymore due to my new daytime gig. Needless to say the neck nightmare put me behind on my big list.

I’ve had to tune up the kids. Before school care signups, summer care signups (man I want THEIR summer!) has been the least of it. Evan had, what I honestly feel, was a disastrous report card last week. His winter card always dips but he fell further this time, to an unacceptable level. We’ve had to make some hard choices and take some pretty important things away to try and hit him where it hurts. Sadly, so far, we aren’t seeing any improvement in effort. I did threaten to take away his hair gel tonight and that seemed to resonate.

Sigh.

If I hear one more time how charming and likeable and that there isn’t a mean bone in his body…I might scream. He just could care less about the grades. But hey, everyone loves him! He cares in retrospect, in concept, but the attention seeking part of him is winning…and his class clown act has finally caught up with the grades. Sigh. He may have mild dysgraphia but it’s really all about effort, the ability is clearly there.

We start Kumon back up tomorrow for Evan. I had cut it out for financial and workload reasons a year ago and was questioning the benefit. It is something that adds a lot more work for me but I don’t really see a choice. I’ve also been trying to get Eric, FINALLY, signed up for piano lessons. I swear the kid gets shafted as the others are such attention suckers. Juggling that into the schedule though, and finding the right teacher…easier said than done.

Taylor is also in need of tuneup but our hands get tied there. It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks in that area. Kendall well…..just keeps adding more to her plate. We’ve learned more about the fall sports situation, and her take on it, none of which I like but…I’m trying to be a duck. Really really trying.

On that note though, poor Sandie wants to come out and see us before the trip. But of course she didn’t do it in Jan or Feb like she said and now we are in the thick of K’s sports so she literally has a tournament of some sort on our weekends between now and June. Sandie is NOT happy but whatever. Either she comes out and watches what is going on, or she doesn’t. She wants K to herself for a whole weekend and it’s just not going to happen. She is a little like Kelli that way with K. I get it, only granddaughter, had two sons, blah blah blah but it does make the rest of us feel a little like chopped liver.

So. Speaking of K. And HS sports. Brings up flights.

I messed up.

Big time.


I would LOVE to blame it on my TA. She was too busy the day I was booking things like a maniac.

I would LOVE to blame it on the Delta website. Which kept timing out.

I would LOVE to blame it on Kelli’s inflexibility and Jeff’s fear for K to just miss one darn day of tryouts so we’d all be on the same flights and I could have booked 6 round trips.

But I can’t. Darn accountability issues.

Instead I booked 3 separate legs. All of us outbound. I was way too paranoid of not getting all 6 tickets (since the same flight 2 days later at that rate was already gone) to not book them together. I had visions of booking 4 round trips and then not being able to get seats for the other 2 on a different RT itinerary.

I am, as I have mentioned before, mildly dyslexic. I transpose letters and numbers. I have left right issues. I am, generally, hyper aware of this and try to really check my work.

Clearly I was moving too fast.

That red eye from MCO to SEA? It doesn’t exist. I booked Jeff and Kendall from Seattle to Orlando instead of the reverse.

Can you say

NON REFUNDABLE TICKETS?

Can you say

BYE BYE direct flight back (for Jeff &K?)


What an IDIOT! I am SO mad at myself. At Delta. At rules and sports and what not. But mostly, 99.9% at myself.

I have done this before!!!! More than ONCE!

It was a $300 mistake. Buh bye savings from the cheap flights. Ok we saved more than $300 but still…talk about THROWING money away. And now they aren’t flying direct on the way back. That would have made it a $500 mistake and I couldn’t go there.

Suffice to say it’s been a busy couple of weeks. I did get a LOT done on my list and did do some fun, just for me, things as well. Did I get all my binder pages where I wanted them? No. Not even close, on top of everything else my current job all of a sudden exploded with new work this week.

But I did get my AK page done!

It was SO much more fun doing it this way!

Next. What? no Mickey Mail?

 

[All7OfUs]

Just finished reading the whole shebang, but want to digest it some...

I'll comment in a while.....


L

OK, here we go:

First off, I'm really sick over your ticket mess up! I can totally see myself doing that- totally! It's easy to do- way too easy in my opinion, in fact- to mess up a flight. Don't blame yourself too much.

Now, I just can't believe how fast this start date has come up! Only 4 more days until you go from WAHM to "in the force" again. What a change of routine and mindset that has to be. You'll do great, but am really praying you make the adjustment quickly and stay "in a good place" whilst doing so.

Just took a peek at your ticker too... 17 days!! WOW! So, basically, you'll just get started then, you're off for a fun time in SoCal. Nice!!!

To me it just seems like this sports monster has now taken control, rather than it BEING controlled. Can she (Kelli) not see that?? Just weird to me.

I wish Sandy had come sooner! Surely she knew about Kendall's schedule and how the sports monster is the one in control now. ?? Right?? or did she not realize that things are so tight?

 

[All7OfUs]

bump- to make sure you see I edited...

 

[jordanyosh]

Yay pillow! It's amazing that a pillow or sleeping posture can make that much difference...

Maybe it's telling even he can be both funny and likable AND a good student. It's about finding balance. You don't want to squelch his natural gifting of being a people person, but also want to continue to stress the importance of learning.....oh that crazy balance....continued luck in this area.

OY with the plane fares...at least you caught it now and not right before you were leaving.

 

[Flossbolna]

Wow, what a lot of things going on!! Sounds really stressful, I hope you can use the California trip to recover a bit!

I can understand how you feel about the flight! But at least you realized it now! My father once was suppose to book a flight for him and my mother, but managed to book to book himself two tickets and none for my mother. They realized that at check-in at the airport! And then it was an even more expensive mistake than your 300 $ mistake... Not that someone else's misfortune should make you feel better. But perhaps it is a comfort to know that your mistake isn't so unique...

 

[Charleston Princess]

It has been a CRAZY couple of weeks as I wrap up my current job, my WAHM status and my daytime flexibility in preparation for my jump back to the daily M-F office grind on MONDAY!

I can't believe it is almost time to start your new job! Are you excited? Nervous? Both?

I needed a pillow that DAY. Not in “maybe” 2 weeks. I almost burst into tears, right there in the store.

Oh no! How frustrating! I am glad the one from Brookstone seems to be working.

Evan had, what I honestly feel, was a disastrous report card last week. His winter card always dips but he fell further this time, to an unacceptable level. We’ve had to make some hard choices and take some pretty important things away to try and hit him where it hurts. Sadly, so far, we aren’t seeing any improvement in effort. I did threaten to take away his hair gel tonight and that seemed to resonate.

Sigh.

Right there with ya about the sighing. Chelsea's "lifestyle changes" are not working out quite as well as I had hoped. Partly because she feels (with the backing of her 12-year-old friends) that I am being completely unfair.

If I hear one more time how charming and likeable and that there isn’t a mean bone in his body…I might scream.

Yep. I know exactly what you are going through! Chelsea has one teacher, in particular, her social studies teacher, who keeps telling me (and her) that she is super smart, a good kid, and doing just fine. The kicker was last week when he told Chelsea that he thought I was being unreasonable with my expectations. Sorry, I am the mom so I get to decide what our expectations are in our house. I was furious.

Just think, it will soon be summer, and we can take a break from this aspect of parenting.

 

[carissanboys]

Those do look like some great summer line ups for the boys. My boys have to be happy with day camp at home with mom.

Actually, we have applied for Sully to go to a week long overnight camp in North Carolina (it's held at a 4H camp) that is part of Operation Purple. They are summer camps for kids of a deployed parent. And it's FREE! We just have to wait to hear if he made it in.

 

[glennbo123]

Sorry to read about your ticket mishap. I could see myself doing that too, (and I'd hate it that the blame had to rest with me). You've got a LOT going on, take it one day at a time.

 

[MEK]

Oh Cynthia -

I am so sorry about the flight screw-up. That is something I would do because I tend to have the same issues with numbers, letters, and left - right. It has only gotten worse as I have gotten older.

Take consolation in the fact that you were trying to do the best for everyone in your party and all the planning, changes, and over planning competed for your accurate attention. You did your best, so don't beat yourself up too bad. I am just so suprised that delta is so unforgiving. Clearly you didn't need two flights going the SAME direction 10 days apart. Is there no room for error? I must say, that is why I keep using southwest.....I know they will forgive me if I make a mistake and I will do it one of these days!

Good luck with the start of work on Monday. Whatever you don't get done, let it go....schedule it when you can. Once you get into the grove of working full time again, you will get the rhythm and be able to figure out who and when to schedule things.