Basketball and Pizza

It is an awesome Friday night. My husband picked up Papa John's Pizza (my favorite pizza) including dessert, and we are watching our Badgers in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Now, basketball isn't usually my thing...until March Madness. I'm into it come March...but truthfully, only as long as the Badgers are in it. The kids are thrilled because we are letting them have a "picnic" in the family room, which is definitely a treat. It is Friday night, we are enjoying family time, pizza and basketball. We have the whole weekend looming before us. After a long week, this is perfect!

Laundry Chute Etiquette

We have a laundry chute in our house. It goes from our master bedroom to the basement where the washer and dryer are. The laundry chute also passes through our mud room/den, which is great for dirty clothes when the kids come in from outside. In theory, the laundry chute is a great asset to our home. The kids can throw their laundry down the chute and there is less clutter around the bedrooms. Sounds great, right? Well, it would be if anyone besides me in this house knew how to appropriately use the laundry chute!! BLAHHHHH! I can't tell you how many times I go to the laundry chute to toss down my clothes--one at a time so the chute doesn't jam--and there are clothes stuck and blocking the chute. It is not a super wide laundry chute, which is part of the problem. But, seriously--adjust accordingly! One piece of clothing at a time. And if it looks stuck, it is stuck! Pull it out and try again! MOST of the time, the laundry will NOT just slide down the chute. It is stuck. I spend a fair amount of time pulling clothes out of the laundry chute and then putting the clothes back down one at a time. Tonight I seriously considered just putting a laundry basket in front of the chute and I will just do it myself on a nightly basis. I bet you it would take less time and therefore be more efficient. Isn't that what we are all after when it comes to housework? 

Laundry chute etiquette classes begin tomorrow.  

Girl Scout Cookies

The other day I realized we were running low on Thin Mints. Slight emergency! My favorite treat these days is a Thin Mint milkshake. My husband makes the best milkshakes. So, I quickly texted a friend from work (her daughter sells Girl Scout cookies), ordered up five boxes and breathed a sigh of relief. The next day, the cookies were waiting for me on my desk. They were her last five boxes of Thin Mints! Whew!  That night, I tossed the boxes of cookies into the freezer (because everyone knows frozen Thin Mints are the best Thin Mints). Crisis diverted!

As I tossed those cookies into the freezer, I thought of my mother. My mother LOVES Thin Mints. When I was a Girl Scout many moons ago, she would order at least eight to ten boxes each cookie season. She was one of my biggest orders. She still loves Thin Mints. She recently confiscated a box from my pantry as I have a little more access to Girl Scouts than she does, what with working at an elementary school and all. She's allowed to steal cookies. From me. She probably shouldn't steal cookies from other people.

I used to walk around the neighborhood door-to-door style and sell cookies. I remember working cookie stands at grocery stores and how proud I was when I earned that 250 boxes of cookies badge. I have no idea if that is still a lot or not. Maybe the modern Girl Scouts are pushing out like 300-400 boxes.

I love it when students come and ask me to buy cookies. I gladly order a box or two of thin mints, and I think of my mom every time. I think when all is said and done I now purchase more than eight boxes each year, but that's okay because I have to have spares for when my mom visits.

Unexpected

I was at work today when a colleague told me a recent graduate from our school district--the brother of a friend of mine--had been in a car accident that morning. Pretty serious. Broken vertebrae. My heart went out to my friend. As we were talking, my mind immediately went to a time not all that long ago that this same work colleague, along with many other community members, family and friends were trying to find me because my husband had been in a pretty serious car accident. Definitely different situations but also eerily familiar. My friend's brother is in the same hospital my husband was in and I am assuming he is in the same ICU.

All afternoon my thoughts have been bouncing between thoughts of my friend and her family and how scary this all is with memories from that day. How I felt like I went into auto-pilot in order to get to the hospital safely with our three children in tow. How I desperately tried to recall if I said, "I love you," before I left the house that morning. How fear of the worst took my breathe away. How relief overcame me in waves when I got the phone call that he was in the ICU but that he would be okay. Tears still well up when I think of that moment. I cannot explain the relief. I remember how I watched him that night in the ICU, so relieved that I still had him. I wanted so badly for him to sit up in that hospital bed, hug me and tell me it would be okay. Others were doing that, but you know, it just wasn't the same. I could go on and on. There are parts of that day--of that weekend--that will remain crystal clear in my mind my whole life. There are other moments of that time that are a complete blur. It turned out to appear far worse in the beginning than it ended up being. We were so, incredibly lucky because this could have been unimaginably worse. With that being said, it was still a pretty traumatic day. At the time, I didn't realize how that day would continue to effect me--sometimes out of the complete blue. I didn't know then whenever I heard about an accident, it would take me back to that day. I remember months and months after the accident, the movie We Bought a Zoo was on. I didn't think anything of it; I knew the man in the movie (played by the incredibly handsome Matt Damon) was a widower, but I did not expect the onset of tears and emotion at the end of the movie when viewers witnessed the love this man had shared with his wife. I remember thinking, "That could have been me." I can't explain the guilt I feel over even thinking that because it wasn't me. He is here. He is okay. I am so lucky. I never forget that.

We all have those moments and experiences in life that change us, shape us--sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. That accident was one of those moments for me. Never before have I felt such clarity and blurriness all at the same time. Never before have I ever felt so relieved in my entire life.

I will continue to pray for my friend's family. I will continue to hope for the best possible outcome for her brother. And when my husband gets home from a late night at work, I will give him yet another hug, so thankful to have him here.

It's a Monday

Do you remember my nice, "the weekend was so relaxing and I am ready to take on the week" blog from yesterday? Yeah, well. Shortly after posting that, my oldest son came downstairs, clearly not feeling well. I spent half the night up with him and was tempted to call in to work, but since he could stay with Grandma today (another perk to family living so close), I powered through and headed to work. A few hours into the day, I thought to myself, "I should have called in." I knew it wasn't just me when I heard a colleague say, "Is there a full moon tonight?" Later, another colleague lamented about her day as well. It was definitely a Monday.

Now, I am home. Ah, home. Nothing better to cure a less than fantastic day. I sat on the porch and watched my children enjoy a bit of fresh air together. I made homemade mac and cheese and played dinosaurs with my son. I read my daughter stories and snuggled her close before tucking her in. My oldest son is on the mend (I hope) and I anticipate an early bedtime for me.  Bring on Tuesday!

Sunday Dinner

Earlier today, my mother-in-law called and invited us over to dinner. My husband's stepsister was coming with the new baby and she was making spaghetti. Sounded great to me! I threw the pork chops I had thawing in the fridge and finished up a few things before we headed over for the evening.

When my husband and I were engaged, we bought his childhood home. His mom and step-dad now live across the road in a home they built. I feel very lucky to have family so close--close enough that when your mother-in-law calls at 3:30 and invites you to dinner, it is super easy to say yes.

We had fun taking turns holding the baby and it was nice to catch up with everyone. The spaghetti and chocolate cake were delicious, and it was a nice, relaxing end to an equally nice and relaxing weekend.

As I sit here with my husband, the kids are bathed and tucked in to bed, I am warm under a blanket reflecting on the best kind of weekend. The kids got to play outside almost all day yesterday, we got a ton accomplished around the house, church service was inspiring this morning, and I feel refreshed and ready for work tomorrow morning.

I couldn't ask for a better end to a great weekend.

My Grandma's Porch

When I was a little girl, I LOVED visiting my grandma and aunt. Every summer we would spend a week with them at their house. The best part of the house was the screened in front porch. Some of my best memories were on that front porch with my family. When I think of my grandma, who passed away eleven years ago, I think of her on that porch swing, quietly watching the world and maintaining the steady back and forth rhythm of the swing. Sitting with her on the swing was a highlight of our summer visits. 

Last March, my aunt, who still lived in that house, passed away. With her death came the inevitable reality of selling the house, which came with mixed emotions. When we left the house, the swing came with me. My husband promptly hung it on our back porch. 

Today was beautiful and mild; a perfect day for cleaning out the porch. As I was sweeping the floor and wiping down everything, I thought about how happy I am that I have a part of my grandma and aunt's house--my mom's childhood home--in my home. The little table I used to play "office" at as a child sits out there as well as well as a picture of my kids and me sitting on my grandma's porch. And, center of it all is that swing. I still feel close to them when I sit there. I think  my mom does, too. She sits out there when she visits and it makes me happy that we are able to have a part of that house and them with us still and always.