Happy Monday / Puppy Love

HAPPY MONDAY!!

I LOVE Mondays. I love newness and starting over and hope for more....to me, that's what Mondays represent. I have always loved Mondays. As a matter of fact Sunday and Monday are my two favorite days in the week. My least favorite is Thursday, but that's a random bit of unnecessary info....Moving on!

Some Mondays don't begin as we would like them to....

And as the day goes by, sometimes there are surprises that are less than happy....

Whether you are a stay at home mom or you work in an office downtown, it can feel like none of your accomplishments are truly appreciated...

And Karma usually has nothing to do with all of the things that go wrong....

Even when you try to just get away, be alone and hang out with someone who makes you feel safe and appreciated, the world always seems to find you.....

But no matter what anyone says, Monday isn't all bad. 

Someone out there loves you!

So SMILE!

And at the end of the day you will know that you won! You didn't let Monday get you down. 

And you can rest peacefully and dream......about Friday!

Insanity Squared 8-29

So here's the deal: I have learned a lot over the past few years of blogging like a space cadet and I have come to the conclusion that, if I let it, blogging itself can be a good grounding resource for me. And boy, do I need grounding! So, here it is, Friday = Adams Family update day. (I will do my best to add pictures)

It's been an absolutely crazy week here at the Adams House, not that it is ever a calm, relaxing, chaos free week at the Adams house, but hey, it's a conversation starter :)

School started for us 2 weeks ago and it has been a rockin' and a rolin' ever since.

Starting with our oldest, Laurana (why am I the only one who calls her Laurana? it's such a beautiful name!) She has been working her behind off out there in the pacific northwest training for a half marathon. Her progress was awesome. Her determination, inspirational, her injury from over-use, painful! She had to take a step back and go a little easier on herself. She is an awesome health coach so she knows exactly what she has to do to get to her goal safely and I know she will do it. Her own DH (Darling Husband) is VERY supportive and they have been steadily changing their lifestyle together to create healthier, happier married people.

She is also my health coach and though that is no easy task, her perseverance has really inspired me. I still need a "buddy". I have one on one side of the country and one on the other, but none here in the middle. Such is the story of my life. I will find someone though, it will happen. In the mean time she has helped me to lose 10lbs in 2 months and I am jogging/walking in my first 5K tomorrow morning :) Big Daddy has been uber supportive, taking me to the gym and buying me little "prizes" when I stick to my struthers and "Just Do It!". He even, of his own accord, signed up to do the 5K with me! Talk about a great guy!


 I have also signed on to be an assistant coach for my Zabo's Girls on the Run team and will be her running buddy at her 5K in November (Yay us!). Moose will be joining us by default. He has no place else to go after school and enough energy to take more than a few laps around the gym!

Zabo has also had a milestone birthday this week; she turned 10 **Screams in maternal anguish!**
She is so smart and beautiful and creative. I am just amazed by the small human she has become. Her teacher absolutely adors her courage and opinionated nature. She says Zabo is engaging and confident in class and is her discussion starter during "Book Circles" pretty much every time. (You go girl!). We couldn't be more proud of who she is and that she's ours :) Another wonderful thing happed to Zabo; she has come to a personal knowledge of Jesus. Not that she "accepted" Jesus or said some parrot prayer in church. Rather, she came to me a couple weeks ago to tell me that now, when she prays or thinks about God, when she is singing in church or listening to the message, she feels God there. in her words "He moved me". Yay God!!

She has also become completely enamored of "American ninja Warrior" and has a "date" with Boyo to participate in one when she turns 21 (which is in 11 years, of course). She loves it so much she is actually having an "American Ninja Warriior" themed birthday party with a cool (but much safer) obstacle course in the back yard, healthy snacks and cupcakes decorated with the American flag :)


Moose is uber excited to be back in school. He has been somewhat bored with the routines of Summer. Not that we didn't do anything this year, but even the busyness of doing stuff every day has become mundane to him. He is a real challenge to keep occupied and engaged, but when you get it, man is he a lot of fun!! He has become an absolutely gifted toad hunter this Summer finding them everywhere and bringing them to his bat-cave to play with. He does not harm them....I promise. He just scares the snot out of them trying to get them to "play" on the miriad obstacle courses he has created in the front yard for them. He's still energetic, happy, intense, creative, thoughtful, out of the box 7yr old BOY. And we wouldn't have it any other way :)

Bubba is in his Senior year this year....ug! I've had it with the growing up thing! He looks almost identical to Big Daddy when he was that age. He's strong, handsome, funny, sarcastic, talented...I could go on and on. He has a beautiful girlfriend he is madly in love with and cannot wait to show off at prom. He just got a part in the fall play for the APA (Academy for Performing Arts) in which he has to kiss his best friend, which neither he or she likes at all. He is being courted by a million colleges and is actually looking into schools as far away as New York or Florida! I told him that Florida has alligators and New York has muggers...Indiana just has corn. No one has ever been injured in a random corn attack. Just sayin'.

 I don't know what I would do without him here. I know he will have to leave. Bubba is so very special. He has that look of something just waiting to happen. He was made for bigness. But he is also a rock I have been able to lean on in times of struggle. He doesn't do anything, he is just there, and being there has mattered so much to me these past few years. He has become a good man and I am going to miss him when he goes into the world to become the good man God has called him to be.

Tabby is almost 14....14! Why? She's stunningly beautiful, crazy smart, annoyingly sarcastic....she's one of us :) Things got a little dicey for her last year in school, but this year it seems to be better. You know how Junior High is....catty, mean, frustrating, emotionally traumatizing....no? Maybe that was just me. Anyway, she is getting along better with her peers and has started intentionally trying to get over her social anxiety (which she did not suffer from before Junior High...just sayin'). She tried out for the volley ball team. She didn't make it, but trying out was such a success! I'm really proud of her.




Big daddy is off and running as the school year begins. He and I both have PTA and other commitments. He is the elementary school chess coach and the head of the All Pro Dad program at the school. I am looking forward to getting back into popcorn days and Girls on the Run as well as volunteering with the APA (if they let me...it's a strange group of hens in that coop!). Also our performance season will begin in 2 weeks! I am SO excited about this season. We learned a lot last season, have worked with some really talented kids and cannot wait to see who and what God brings together this year! Our first production will be, as always on October 31st and it is looking good so far :) Dance, human videos, hip hop, games.....so much fun! I think we have purchased every form of glow anything that there is to buy! Yep...I'm excited...

Boyo joined the military. He is now an Indiana National Guardsman. He is currently at Basic Training and it's killing us all! He has been gone for 5 weeks...5! and we miss him every day. I write to him at least 3 times a week. tabby does as well. The small ones send him pictures, Bubba sends him updates on whether he can sleep in the room without him there or not....we all just miss him. For his part, he writes to us regularly, he is bored stiff, misses home and skittles, has developed a serious hate for sand and has learned to really value jello as a "treat" because it's the only one they get. He gets lonely at night. He feels so different, being a Christian in the military. He says that some of the guys are starting to read the Bible because they are bored and homesick, but it's not the same as having Brothers and Sisters around you, supporting you, hanging out together just being yourselves. More than anything, he can't wait till he comes home. Neither can we.

So that's us....be well and blessed friends. And make sure, as the days get busy and the nights get shorter that you take time to hug those amazing people in your life that you KNOW would be so much less spectacular without...yep...I'm talking about your kids, your husband, your best friends, your brothers and sisters...and don't forget....The family pet :)

Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Yes! I did NOT find it...lol...but I wracked my brain for about 3 hrs until I finally remembered. I only had to ask Tabby for a little help (she's my little Irish sous chef :-) So from my heart to yours...here is one of my favorite recipes:

Breakfast Cookies

Breakfast Cookies*
(*this recipe makes ALLOT of cookies. About 36-40 palm sized cookies. Feel free to halve it. It works just as well)

Preheat oven to 375

In first bowl combine

1c. Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1c. Honey
4 RIPE Mashed Bananas
1/2 c. Dark Molasses
1 Stick of butter or margarine (softened)
2 Eggs
2Tbs. Cinnamon
1Tbs. Allspice
1 Tbs. Nutmeg

Mix on low until completely incorporated.

In second bowl combine

8 C. Quick Cooking Oats
5C. Unbleached Flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder

Stir to combine.

Add 1 pkg. Semi Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips to dry ingredients (I used Ghiradelli...yummmm)

Hand mix by 2 cupfuls at a time the dry into the wet. 

Fold in 2 c. of your favorite diced dried fruit**. (I use a mix of pineapple, mango and shaved coconut) Batter will be thick and sticky when ready.

I use a 1/3 c. measure for my cookies. Scoop, form into thick patty's and place about 1 1/2" apart on *lined cookie sheet. These cook for 15-17 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. You could definitely do smaller cookies and less time. But even with a 1/4c. measure they still take 12-15. They are dense. They are awesome still warm but really good about 24 hrs later when they have rested. You can also pop them in the microwave on a paper towel for 20 seconds. They can be frozen in freezer bags for, up to, 3 weeks.

*I always line my cookie sheets with parchment but I grease them lightly as well.
**Bubba Does not like any kind of fruit in the cookies so we just omit that part and they taste fine.

I actually just found this recipe...lol It looks pretty good though and has stevia instead of the honey and molasses. If you're watching sugar and gluten this might be a good recipe for you :-)

individual baked oatmeal cups

an addendum

THIS is my favorite article..it's from the NY Times and is specifically about elderly or indigent care, but it applies to motherhood and wifedom too! We are 24/7 caregivers to those who depend on us for compassion, love and nurturing...taking a break, taking care of ourselves, relaxing or going out for a bit isn't selfish, it's necessary to everyones well being.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/health/18brod.html

"Self-care is not a selfish act. It’s an essential act, because a caregiver who burns out, who becomes overly stressed, exhausted or ill, is no help to anyone. There are many ways for caregivers to protect their physical and emotional health, and a growing number of organizations that can help. Sometimes all you need to do is ask."


If you have the time to read the whole article it has some fabulous suggestions and info.

Be well and Blessed my friends :)

Taking time for yourself

One of the things I have realized recently is that the more I take care of myself, the better I feel about my relationship. I know...I know..relationship guru's have been saying this for YEARS...gimme a break, I'm a slow learner.

Anyway, when I'm so busy taking care of everyone elses stuff and neglecting myself, I rely very heavily on those others for my value and happiness. That's not remotely fair for 2 major reasons

1. I'm a VERY difficult woman to please..lol I have very high standards for myself and do not understand people who do not. And even IF they do, they may not be as high as mine, which are the sky high, unattainable type and so they just wont do.

2. Happiness is relative. It's something we perceive as real based on all of the input, including our own mood at the moment. Many times I have heard people say "I should be happy..." because all of the external facts seem to add up to what a person would call happiness, but the feelings of the person in question have a profound effect on how they perceive those facts. My wonderful family could do everything right, everything they know I enjoy and it could still not be enough to make me happy because I'm literally not "feeling" it.

When I take time to do the things that are about valuing myself, when I exercise, when I deny my sweet tooth what it wants in favor of what my body needs, when I take my time to study as I know my mind and spirit needs...then I feel lighter, better, happy without anyone having to try and "make" me happy. When it's like that my relationship with Big Daddy especially is fantastic because I'm not dependant on him to give me what I have neglected to give myself and what it is impossible for him to impart; self worth.

In the interest of sharing this amazing epiphany with others (strap on the boots girls..it's gettin deep ;) I have scoured the Internet for some good advice and I will share what I have found here :) SHMILY

From www.lovingyou.com

Ask yourself:

• How has your life improved in the last year?
• What have you done that you never thought you could do?
• What actions have you taken recently that have yielded positive results?
• What negative habits have you gotten rid of?
• What charity work have you done?
• How have you been a good friend, employee and partner?
• How are you continuing to improve yourself?

Asking and answering these questions of yourself will help you realize all the things you've accomplished that really matter. This is a key to self-love. Comparing yourself to yourself allows you to see how much you've achieved, obstacles you've overcome and goals that are within reach. It also helps you improve your self-appreciation and gratitude.


From www.selfworthquotes.com

.“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
Louisa May Alcott

From www.wikihow.com

Stop making your self-worth conditional on other people. Once you try to live up to an image of what you think others want to you to be, you lose self-worth. Instead, you are following a compass set by other people's expectations, whether or not those expectations are clearly defined or implied. Unfortunately, many people live this way, including making such choices as studies, career, where to live, and how many children to have, all based on expectations from parents, spouses, friends, and the media, and mostly because they are afraid of standing up for their own preferences and respecting their self-worth.

• Be very wary of listening too much to people who regret the choices that they made in life and are willing to inflict their distress or anger at this regret upon others (especially upon the next generation). Such people won't enlighten you as to the path of acting on your self-worth but will try to either live out what they didn't get through you or even expect you to have the same rotten experiences they had by giving poor information, incorrect details, or simply omitting to inform you at all. People with healthy self-worth will share their insights and learning with you, and will be willing to guide you around life's many traps. Look for those people to mentor you rather than being misguided by the unhappy people.

What kinds of things do you to to show a little love to yourself?

Holy High Winds Batman!

Some days I look outside and I am just homesick. the winds, the warmth (it's like 60 out there!) the slow steady drizzle all remind me of SanFrancisco. I miss it terribly some days. Those days are usually when the heat index spikes over 90 or the wind chill drops the temp below 30...I may be an extreme personality, but I am totally NOT into extreme weather. These days though, these "mist moisty mornings" are the ones that really get my heartache going. So this is my tribute to home post. SanFrancisco...how I loved you in my youth. I miss the culture, the natural beauty, the public transportation!

So much has changed about you, yet so much is exactly the same as I remember it...Golden Gate Park where I spent most of my adolescence, wandering, dreaming, breathing in the fresh air that makes a young mind feel like ANYTHING is possible

Stow Lake where Big daddy and I spent most of our first year of "dating" just wandering the paths around the hill, feeding the ducks and geese, relaxing at the marble gazebo...

The veiw up from my apartment in Noe Valley; Diamond Heights and Day St. Hill

My School

My Library

My church

SanFrancisco, My home town

What's your home town like?

This week in review

Ok, so it's been one of those weeks where I just didn't have tons of time to write. I wanted to..I needed to..I even attempted to...but I just was unable. ...sigh. Sick little ones, Boyo had a bruised shin bone from last weeks games, PTA and other volunteer obligations, the missing shed wall...the list goes on and on. In the midst of all of this I have been trying hard to keep to my menu and cook from scratch as much as possible. I don't even remember what each day brought, but this is the basic rundown...

Sunday we had kids church at home because all three little ones were sick. We learned "The Lords Prayer" made prayer pretzels and a prayer puzzle and rocked out to Carmans rendition thereof

http://youtu.be/EtPMv0UZAPw   pretty cool actually.

Monday Zabo was still sick. That was the "making kids feel guilty" post. The part that sucked the worst was when 6pm rolled around and she pushed herself to get up and jump around trying to prove to Big Daddy that she was well enough to go to cheer leading. It was cute but sad. Of course he said no. No school, no after school activities, that's our rule.

Boyo stayed home Monday as well, having been in the ER Sunday night because of his shin. They said he bruised the bone and to see his Doc. Boyo is a high energy, comically antagonistic, 6'/190lb, 16 yr old. He has the charisma to get comments like "Pleasure to have in class" from his teachers even when he is failing that same class. When he is home from school and he isn't "sick" he spends his day driving me insane. Especially since we have a "no video games or computer" rule when they are home sick (thanks to my oldest, Rana, who played me all through high school like a Stradivarius!).

Tuesday it was Moose's turn to stay home. He woke with a fever and coughing, runny nose, the whole works. I have to say this is the only thing I hate about Fall. ug! Everyone gets sick at the beginning. He is another high energy kid so him staying home sick isn't a walk in the park. He gets these bouts of manic type energy when he is sick, has weird reactions to most medicines (he's even allergic to most immunizations!) and can become aggressive. It's nothing dangerous....but I do end up having him run laps around the house (inside) to burn off some of that energy so he doesn't hurt someone.

Wednesday Boyo stayed home again. All of the walking up and down the stairs at school Tuesday did him in. Big Daddy works at 4am so there is no car to take them to school in in the morning, and it's a mile walk there and back again. He didn't get the chance to drive me crazy that day though because it was the Pre-Schools trip to the art center. 20-4yr olds and 10 parents. Why did we feel so outnumbered?

 Wednesday night was that crazy wind storm that, they said, whipped up 25' waves on lake Michigan! 25'?  On the lake? That reminds me of home...lol

Thursday everyone went to school, everyone had a great day.  When everyone got home we found out that we were missing a tree limb and a shed wall. Tabby also had a fall concert at 4pm and Big Daddy was supposed to finish 4 chapters of Federal Tax homework before his study group on Friday. Suuuure.

Hmm...Friday? I don't remember much. Big Daddy did homework. Oh, he and Boyo tried to fix the shed and they were doing great until the saw died. We didn't exactly have a funeral for it, Big Daddy opted for recycling it as a shot put :)

Bubba called at 5pm to tell us that he had let a neighbor girl take his box o' fundraiser chocolate to one of her classes to "help" him sell some and now it was missing $20. Sooo...we went to her house to discuss the situation and came to the understanding that if Bubba doesn't somehow miraculously "find" the money by Monday when it is due they will both have to put in $10 of their own money because they were both responsible for the box and the money throughout the day. Bubba learned a valuable life lesson; don't trust girls. Poor guy.

Saturday we cleaned up the outside of the house. Morning Glory vines came down off the front of the house.

All of the deadwood etc... got cut up and sorted (after it was made into a fort of course)

AND we scored a 52" TV for free from a friend of a friend who upgraded to all HD and just doesn't need his old TV anymore. Yes, thank you! Boyo kept asking "When are we picking that up?" and reminding us that he was more than willing to babysit so that we could do just that...lol


Today is Sunday again, and while I was hoping to have a bonfire tonight, i have 4 kids home from church today. Big Daddy and Boyo have inexplicable immune systems and rarely, if ever, get sick. So I'm off to get kids church at home set up again.......sigh

Kinda drained, kinda tired...but overall, it's a beautiful day, the kids are all safe, there's food in the cupboard....I don't really have anything to complain about. God is faithful and we are so grateful for His presence which brings peace into our lives. Life is good even when the circumstances aren't.  And so I leave you this week with peace, be well friends. :)

No wonder I couldn't sleep

Night before last, while I was grumbling against my beloved Bear for continually barking, the high winds not only knocked a good sized branch off my tree and set it down just 2 feet from my bedroom window, but it also took the entire back wall off of my attached shed. I guess he had a good reason for barking.

To give you an idea...each of those fence lengths is 5 feet wide. I didn't really think it was going to be as heavy as it was, expecting that it was dead inside or something like that, since it DID get ripped off the tree. No, it's perfectly healthy and heavy enough that my back hurts quite a bit today from moving it across the yard and trying to maneuver it somehow so that it doesn't look like a random tree limb littering my yard. I failed by the way. It is quite conspicuous.


We heard some banging but thought it was out shed door, it's lock doesn't work well in high winds, we already knew this. But that would be too easy. It seems that the small part of the siding on our shed where a mulberry tree had decided to grow right up from under our cement slab was bent up just enough for the wind to sweep under it and rip all of the siding off. It was short work from there for all of the rain to tear apart the (very old) plywood wall. Being that it is a part of my house I cannot see from any of the back windows, and that I didn't look because it was COLD and wet yesterday, no one noticed it until Zabo came in from school saying "Mom, we have a problem!" what an awesome way for a 7 yr old to communicate..lol  I have to admit that my first thought was that someone stole her new XOXO eraser or that one of the buttons on her coat had come off.  I suppose i should have given more credence to her dire pronunciation.

Those are phone lines hanging there. fortunately we do not have a "land line" so we didn't lose service or anything. We rid ourselves of that about a year ago because something was always going wrong with the service and since we all have cel phones (the two grown ups and the Big Boys) we just don't see a need for one.

So you can guess what our day today is going to be like. Fortunately it is not raining and windy today as it has been. I am very grateful for that fact. I am also grateful that, although that large tree branch fell so close to our window, it did absolutely no damage, somehow missed the power lines that run from the poll to just above our bedroom window and landed "safely". God is good. That's the only way I can explain such things.

HOMECOMING!!

Let's Go Governors! Let's Go!

It was an awesome day for homecoming. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. The clouds were out, but it didn't rain. The wind rose and fell like the tides on the seas, but never enough to be dangerous or even terribly inconvenient. Overall, for those of us who have our homecoming at the end of the regular season rather than at the beginning, it was a fabulous day for homecoming.

The Football program has spent the entire season honoring our servicemen (and women) and our veterans. At each home game, before the game begins those willing to be recognized are called by name and greeted with standing applause. 10% of the home game ticket sales goes to help veterans causes. It's been really awesome to watch as men and women from every branch, from the Korean war to the war in Iraq, stand at the 50 yrd line and get some recognition and respect for what they've sacrificed.

 Our head coach is the genius behind this years worthy theme and we support it 100% So much so that the classes each picked a branch of the service to represent with their floats in the parade this year.

Freshman had the Navy

Sophomores had the Army

Juniors had the Marines and Seniors the Air force

The community Schools get together every year to make the homecoming parade something that everyone can enjoy. 3 elementary schools, the middle and high schools all have participants. There's an elementary cheer squad

 a patrol squad

 and various PTA's & PTSA's

  The middle school adds their Football team, the future Gov's to the entertainment

 and the high school, the star of the show, brings the marching band,

dance and cheer leading teams

plus the various clubs and homecoming hopefuls

(You cannot see the whole thing but her dress was the prettiest I have ever seen)

(Our Homecoming Queen, Clara)

(Moose said this one was his princess...so cute!)

And of course, The Football Team

(MY football player, Boyo)

After the parade the Middle School hosts a "tailgating Party" in it's courtyard. BBQ hot dogs, chips and bottled water for $3.00, can't beat that! And the fellowship with the families of the community, our educators and administrators is absolutely priceless. No one's complaining about this or that teacher. No one's fighting. It's all friendly and fun.

Yes Zabo, Cheerleaders have to eat too :)

No Bubba, you are NOT too old for me to be taking your picture :)

Big Daddy, please take off those glasses. You look like a David Lee Roth wannabe! ug...lol

(David Lee Roth...see what I mean..sheesh!)

the rest of the night was spent at the game with friends. There were 12 or 15 of us total. I lost count when we dropped off one of the neighborhood kids but picked up another...IDK it is what it is. The Governor Wagon (our van, otherwise named Hugo) seems to be more of a kid transportation system than our personal vehicle.

Yes, I know it looks like it belongs in a McDonald's commercial. It's not Yellow on the bottom anymore. the black primer makes a world of difference. Soon it will be red and dark grey...we will, after all, have kids at the high school for the next 12 years...dear God, have mercy on our souls. We just haven't gotten that far on the overall overhaul :)

After a long night and a lot of laughs, hot dogs, candy, glow sticks, shouting and touchdowns, we came home to hot chocolate and warm blankets...

And one very tired Linebacker (He'll get me for this one..lol)

Thanks for taking the ride with us. Here's hoping your Autumn has begun as well as ours has and to many more victories in the post season for our boys!