The Monkey Key Chain

Here has been my day thus far...

6:45 am Alarm went off "time to make the donuts" as the Dunkin Donuts ad says or actually it was Drew that asked if we could go and buy donuts for "Prayer at the Pole" he was a part of leading today.

No time for a shower, throw on something.

7:15 am Off to Dunkin Donuts...but not before Max reminded me of the cute Monkey Key chain he wants to get through magazine sales at school.  Those dreaded magazine sales, the ones that make the children cry if they don't get the prizes that break within an hour.  I already failed him when on Friday he didn't get the clown nose and inflatable tongue because I went out of town and didn't see his magazine sales packet before I left.

7:45 am. Prayer at the pole, which is a special time.  I believe it's called "See you at the pole" and is a nationwide thing for public and private schools.  I brought my camera along for pictures for the yearbook of it.  (yep one of my side jobs, yearbook advisor)

8:05 am the 2 dozen donuts were inhaled by the students that were there, "should have brought more Mom"...oh well you can't feed the entire school can we?

8:15 am Max arrives with Jack and Tommy, who were too tired to get to "prayer at the pole"...Max has his eyes filled with tears over this monkey key chain that he needs to get a ticket for...I assure him I will look into it.  I stop at the table and find out what it is I need to do before 9:30 am to assure my son can get this monkey key chain.  I then run back to Max's class and assure him he will get the monkey key chain in which he responds "You are the best mom ever"

8:30 am leave school and head to Hyvee to pick up my online order I placed last night after getting home from picking up yesterdays Hyvee online order and realizing I forgot a bunch of stuff. Thank you Lord for Hyvee online shopping.

8:30 am return a call to a sweet friend while we thank the Lord for Hyvee and commiserate over magazine sales all while they load my car up with groceries.

8:45 am home and on my computer doing the proper "steps" to assure my son will receive his monkey key chain at lunch for the 10 emails I send out to family and friends asking for them to buy magazines...and then following up with a personal email to them telling them NOT to buy magazines just that I had to have 10 emails to assure son #4 his monkey key chain.  Which then the system crashes and I have to email the PTF president that I did indeed do the emails and please don't miss my son and his monkey key chain at noon.

(I may have sent this to the PTF President in August hoping she would take me up on it.) 

8:50 am bring the groceries into the house and throw them on the island.

9:00 am edit a few pics that said friend needs asap for a very good cause... #adoption

9:05 am edit pictures from "Prayer at the Pole" to send to school admin for their Twitter account

9:10 am text my computer guy as my photos aren't working right on my phone fix that problem.  He assures me it will be okay and will stop by later this morning if he can.

9:20 am answer emails to 2 Senior Mom's who want to change their daughters' senior photos dates in which I have NO wiggle room right now.  19 sessions in the month of September alone doesn't allow for rescheduling...speaking of rescheduling I have a session at 1:00 and it is pouring rain so looked up the radar and determined that will need to be reschedules which as I just said in this very long sentence I have no wiggle room.  Which reminds me that it is hard to have this other side gig job of Photography while juggling the rest of motherhood and marriage.  But yet it is a blessing....

This all reminds me of the craziness of life and how to some the most important part of the day will be receiving the Monkey Key Chain and how that is my joy and why I do what I do...

Update and ta dah...here is this pic when I got him after school

My Buckeye Weekend

Well last year I didn't get a "Buckeye Weekend" so Scott was sure I would get on this year...we left early on Friday morning, left the boys home alone...thank goodness for responsible boys. (and cell phone number of friends nearby)

We got there on Friday in time to look at a few shops and have dinner with Scott's OSU BFF Mike and his wife Jane, their house is where we always stay in Columbus.

Saturday, much to my sons' dismay I slept in until 8:30 and opted out of the 6 am tailgating frenzy they love.  We had a leisurely morning at the Townsleys and then headed to a few more shops and off to the corporate Tailgate with free tickets from the Townsleys.  :)  (Thank you Bob Evans)  It poured on us the first quarter of the game and boy do I love sitting in rain...yes I am being sarcastic.  But my Love had packed ponchos and we weren't going anywhere.  The rain cleared and it was beautiful weather for a not so beautiful game. We won, but not easily or by a ton.

We headed west right after the game and started our trek home....barely 24 hours in Columbus.  We stayed half way home and got here by 1 on Sunday.

It was a quick and fun getaway.  I do love the atmosphere at a Buckeye game and I LOVE watching my husband light up at the sight of everything Ohio State Football.

Can you EVER have too many Buckeye clothes?

Homecoming 2015

Homecoming is coming up in a few weeks...October 10th!  A little over a week ago both Tommy and Drew asked good friends of theirs to the dance.

 Drew asked Antonia Miller.  They have been great friends since about the 3rd grade.  He was going over to her house to hang out that Saturday night and took flowers and these balloons along with him.  I don't think Antonia expected that when she came to the door.  They are both excited to be going with each other and I know they will have a fun time together. This is Drew's first time asking a girl to a dance.

Tommy asked his good friend Ebby Prewitt to the dance.  We made these signs, tied balloons to them and got flowers for Ebby.  He went over with his friend Alec and Jack and set it up and rang the door bell and waited.  Both of the boys had called their parents earlier in the day to ask for permission to take the girls on dates and also to let them know they would be coming.  Tommy took Ebby to the prom when he went as the Sophomore representative 2 years ago.  They will have a fun time together.  

So I guess one of these days we will need to make sure they have clothes to wear to the dance...until then their dates are secured and the boys are excited. 

Game Day for Jack

Today is game day for Jack, his second JH football game.  He played his first last week and had a great game.  Football is his love and his passion.  It is fun to watch him playing

Scrolling through the uploaded photos this morning I found this one of him blocking the QB throw...it ended up in an interception and a near TD (or a "pick 6" I believe the proper lingo would be)

He is fun to watch and loves playing center on offense and some great position on defense...but I am not sure what that is....lol   Such a great football Mom I am huh?

This Past Weekend We Went to Ohio

We spent this past weekend in Ohio, visiting the farm and taking in a beautiful wedding. The little guys were so excited to head to the farm.  We left late on Thursday, went part way and stayed in a hotel and then the rest of the way on Friday.  I always forget that it is a pretty long drive.  I actually drove a couple of hours this time, I don't always do that but Scott was beat.

Tommy and Drew stayed home on Thursday and Friday.  Drew didn't want to miss his football game and Tommy had been asked to play in the schools fundraising golf tournament by some friends.  They flew out on Saturday morning.

It was hot in Ohio, have I mentioned before how much I dislike hot?  heat?  humidity?  sweating? stinky boys?  stinky boys who have been playing in the dirt at the farm?  or mowing?  or chasing the dog?  But I love them just the same.

Saturday was a play day at the farm.  Scott and I snuck out around 12:30 to head to Akron (30 minute drive) for the wedding of Scott, or Scotty as we call him, and Natalie.  Scotty is the oldest son of one of Scott's best friends from Ohio State, John Albert.  He and Natalie have been dating for several years.  I have known Scotty since he was about 6 years old and his younger brother Kyle.  Kyle got married last summer and Scott was able to go, I was home helping Mom.  It was fun to be there.  As I get older I realize the meaning of family friends, church friends, raising children together, praying for our friends children...the connections are meaningful.  Scott went to watch Scotty play high school football, college football, he watched him show things at their county fair..we have gone to Buckeye games with them, Packer games with them (Scotty loves the Packers) and had so many meals.  I am not sure there has been a year of Scotty and Kyle's life that Scott hasn't made an intentional visit to build that relationship with those boys.  We sure love them.

Sunday, was church morning...where one of the cars in the parking lot caught on fire during the service...that livened it up a bit.  No one was hurt.  Sunday afternoon was a quiet day on the farm.  Dinner at the Dalton Dariette.  Jack spent some time shooting his gun in the fields.  Max chased the dog and cat all around.  (not while Jack was shooting)  The farm is such a peaceful place to be...outside it is so serene and quiet.  We had Kubota rides, football throwing...soybean picking, memory making times.

We all headed out early on Monday, Tommy and Drew flow back home. The rest of us drove.  Making it home JUST in time for the Buckeye's season opener against Virginia Tech!  Go Bucks!

Pictures are in random order...and I need to shower before school is over so I will be leaving them. :

driving there and hotel living

The Albert boys we love.   Scotty is 6'8" so makes us all look short

 The groomsman had these cans of beer from their party bus, couldn't resist a pic for our Browns loving sons..

 Lerch's donuts are the next best thing to Grandma Shisler's pie in Ohio

 Tommy and his teammates won the DMCS fundraiser

 Mother and Father of the Groom.  Scott went to Ohio State with John ( and Janet)

 

Couldn't resist pulling these off of fb to share, such a pretty day

 After church on Sunday

 Taking Mom out on a Kubota ride

 Max play and plays AND plays with their dog Cindy

The Things You Learn

I saw this posted on Facebook the other day for a 3rd grade class...but really I think it applies to my life where it is today at 43 and every age before and after...