So long September!

How did September go by so fast?? Is it just me or did the month zip by at record speed? Maybe it's because school started, but whoa, let's slow the rest of the year down a bit, shall we.

Saturday was a beautiful day here in Nebraska -- lovely warm and sunny weather! It was so nice, especially after Maddy and I got totally soaking wet at the University's homecoming parade the night before. Seriously, my hair was plastered down and dripping! We got caught in a major rainstorm! OY!!

So, Saturday we headed to our local sunken garden to enjoy its flowery goodness. A cute young couple decided to get married there and the place was packed. So, we went to a Rose Garden that our city recently developed instead.

Oh. My. Goodness -- it was so beautiful and smelled so good -- I'd forgotten how fragrant roses can be! While there, we looked for a very special bench. A sweet little old lady neighbor of ours died a few years ago and her family put a bench in the Rose Garden in her name.

Seems especially fitting since her daughter is one of the City's gardeners working on both the Sunken Garden and the Rose Garden. I know Marie would be so proud of all of her daughters and her sweet bench at the Rose Garden.

Sneak Peak - Dining Room Light

I've been working tirelessly on a little project. Well, I guess you could say (and I think Mr. Tennis has said) that I've doing more than my part to stimulate the economy! Yes, after living in our lovely, older home for the last 15 years without doing a whole lot, I decided some changes needed to be made. So I had an on-line consultation with Rhoda of Southern Hospitality. Not joking when I say that both Mr. Tennis and my son kind of scoffed at the idea, but really she has given me some great ideas and suggestions!

Many of her ideas are still being put into play -- this redecorating stuff takes a while! But, we just got a new chandelier for the dining room and I love, love, love it!

I had thought about spray-painting the old brass one, but when this new one was on sale and I got an additional discount, I could not resist. While many people can make the spray-painting work, Mr. Tennis spray-painted an ugly lamp about a month ago that he bought at TJ Maax a couple years ago. After his efforts, it became an ugly black lamp, so you can see why I'm too confident about our spray painting abilities.

More changes afoot in the dining room -- new curtains to be put up, rug into place and some other little touches. Also, new seat cushions on the chairs. Have spent the last week removing over 120 staples per chair to remove the old fabric! Oy! I need to start the recovering process -- keep fingers crossed!

It's been fun and I'm so thrilled with the way it's shaping up. Stay tuned!

Flashback Friday - Fave Photo

Sweet baby Maddy at 18 months old. Though I doubt you can tell from this scanned photo, she has little tears in her eyes. Only having been home for about 4 months then, she was still a bit scared of new people and experiences.

A Moment

It's hard, isn't it, especially for us Moms when we're thinking ahead of everything that needs to be accomplished, i.e., laundry, homework, dinner, dishes, blogging and so on, to actually stop and enjoy a moment sometimes.

Last night after chatting with my twin and while waiting for Miss M to return from gymnastics, I noticed the sky. Had it been this beautiful before and I just hadn't taken the time to see it?

The sun was setting and the sky was lit up with such beautiful colors. No gorgeous mountains or ocean around here, just the trees framing the beautiful sky on a lovely evening in September. And for just a moment, worries and rushing around stopped.

Rain-- Not Always A Bad Thing!

Rain is not always bad news . . . not when you've got a cool umbrella! What do you do when it looks like rain for the first "home" football game of our local Catholic high school??

Find your accessories, of course! Grab that umbrella, a doggie and a little lamb and you're all set. Well, if your Miss M, you're ready! And since it hadn't actually started raining yet, just getting the umbrella out meant that someone needed to put it up and prance around with it a bit! Leave it to a 7-year old to make an umbrella fun!

While we don't have any kids playing on the team or even in the high school, the home football games are a social occasion for the grade-school group! Finally, last Friday it was time for the first home game, so you can bet we made plans to attend.

So, here's what we did at the game . . . ate hot dogs, popcorn and ring pops. While Mr. Tennis watched the game, I kept an an eye on Maddy and her friends - they joined the other kids and did cartwheels and handstands on the track surrounding the field. Yeah, they were really paying attention! ;) Our team was ahead, so when it really started to rain and lightning (!) at half-time, we booked! But, it was loads of fun. Next Friday evening -- homecoming -- we'll be there! :)

09/09/09

Since the date today for the month, day and year all consist of my favorite number - 9 -- I figured I should do a quick post.

I know, you're all waiting to see what I come up with now, aren't you? ;) Of course, I have a couple things to chat about -- when don't I like to ramble on and on?

First - Cboo's birthday. Yesterday was my #2 son's (Connor) 22nd birthday!! Holy moly -- how did he get to be so old?

Bonus, he came home for the Labor Day weekend reportedly to celebrate his b-day with family, but he did spend some time with friends and there may have been some partying going on. I'm just saying -- he arrived on Friday evening and we didn't actually see him until Sunday around noon! :) We had a fun time catching up, going out to eat with him and Philip and Catherine for dinner (no, I did not want to cook) and giving him his b-day gifts. He left already on Monday to return to Illinois -- miss him already!

Maddy bought no less than 3 birthday cards for him and
a Webkinz that he had been eyeing (yeah, right).

Bad Mom -- I didn't even make him a cake, but he specifically requested a cookie cake with lots of frosting. Doesn't it look delish -- it was so yummy!

Second - white pants. Do you wear them after Labor Day or do you ever wear them? Ok, I admit I committed a bit of a fashion faux pas last night (only1 day after Labor Day) when I wore white capri pants to the school open house. But, it was pretty warm out and jeans would have been way too hot! My sister from Florida was actually surprised at the number of Nebraskans wearing white shorts/capris when she visited in the summer. I think her comment was something like -- "wow, don't they care how big their butts look in white?"

Um no, of course I don't!

Do You Pogo?

Who remembers pogo sticks?

Are they considered "vintage" now? I think they still make them, don't they? I found one in the garage that was like new. I think I bought it for one of the boys ages ago . . . do boys even use pogo sticks??? What was I thinking?

But, oh my gosh -- it is fun!! Ours is really tightly wound [I'd guess you call it], and Maddy and the neighbor girls are too light to use it properly. So, guess who is breaking in the pogo stick??? Yep, yours truly! My neighbor saw me bouncing on it -- he gave me a thumbs up and then I think I heard him snickering and whispering to another neighbor!

But, hey, I'm doing it in for the girls after all -- not for my own enjoyment!

You may not know this, but I was a pogo champion of our neighborhood playground the year after my bicycle championship. Yes, always an overachiever, that's me! I figure it's a form of exercise, isn't it. Don't you think I'm burning a few calories on the pogo? I did a little Google search and you'll be happy to know that pogo sticks are still available. Some pogos need the user to be at least 70 pounds. Guess it will be a while before Maddy conquers the pogo -- she's working hard to try and gain enough weight to get out of the car booster seat. Our state law requires the child to be at least 60 pounds. Hmmm, at the rate she is going (42 pounds currently), she'll probably still be in that booster in jr high!

2nd Graders Are Sweet!

Back to school has been so much fun for Miss Maddy! Even though her answer to everyone who asked her if she was ready for school to start, was an emphatic NO, she has really been enjoying it. Since the school year has just started (and my memory is so lame), I wanted to be sure and remember all the things that make 2nd grade and my 2nd grader so special.

• 2nd grade girlfriends hold hands with each other -- so sweet!


• And 2nd grade girls hold hands with their Moms too!


• Having a cool eraser is very important.


• 2nd graders love their teachers!


• Flowery book covers are a necessary part of school supplies!


• 2nd grade girls like to coordinate the color of their polo shirts with their friends.


• 2nd graders are very social and excited to see their friends in the morning and have to arrive a little early to chat before school.


• 2nd grade girls still like to snuggle with their Moms; and


• 2nd graders want to do what is right, and above all, avoid the principal's office! :)