Upward Football Last Game

This morning was Max's last game for Upward Flag Football.  He was SO excited and nope I didn't ask the Dr on Wednesday night if it was okay for him to play so soon after stitches.  I was afraid he would say no and Max would have been so sad.

The "Little Bears" were 0-7 going in to today's game.  When I got there I saw Will in a suit.  I asked him why the suit he said "Dressing for Success".  So funny how these 17 year old boys think.  BUT he was right and they WON!

Max played QB some and did a great job throwing passes, which is very rare in 5-6 year old flag football games.  He was SO excited which was the BEST part.  He pulled 5 flags and had a terrific game!

It was a fun season and it was such a great experience for Tommy and his friends Will and Noah to coach.  So cool...and with that...the season comes to a close with a 1-7 record for the Little Bears!

Here are a few of my favorites from today's game.

"Beggar's Night"

It's that time of year in Des Moines..."Beggar's Night"!  No Halloween anything around here tomorrow, it's all today.  Weirdest tradition ever and if you want my honest opinion about it you can read my posts from the last 6 years....

But...when in Rome, do as the Romans do...or something like that.

All 4 of the boys dressed up this year...YES you read that right ALL 4 of them.  Tommy and Drew headed to the Girls Volleyball Playoff Game, and Jack was good enough to stay here and take Max around with Scott.

Max has been deciding for weeks on his costume, police officer (last years) or Buckeye Football player...and it was determined at 5 pm that Police Officer won out...

Jack, went with the "when in doubt wear the Hamburger" costume everyone wears from time to time.

Drew opted to be Coach Urban Meyer, pretty sure he has been some sort of Buckeye thing since he was 5.  I need to look back.

Tommy opted for Johnny Manziel...with a couple of minor tweaks he made Scott's old Tim Couch jersey work for it and his money socks work.

3 of the 4 carved pumpkins.  I will let you guess which 3.... :)

Here are some pics I snapped before they left. Not everyone wanted an individual shot taken.  Ahem.

The Path

A friend posted this quote on Facebook today and I don't want to forget it...One of my favorite verses in the bible Proverbs 22:6    "Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it."

But LOVED Jen Hatmaker's spin on it....

"A good parent prepares the child for the path, not the path for the 

child." @jenhatmaker on parenting ‪#‎forthelove‬

4th born

Wednesday night was the night DMC played in their first football playoff game...it was COLD and windy.  Max and I were going to opt out but last minute I decided we should go and cheer on Drew and his team.

It was COLD but I was glad to be there.  Max and I were bundled, and snuggled.  All was going great.  We were sitting with good friends, keeping the concession stand busy and cheering.  Max was going back and forth between us and the student section with his big brothers because that is what he does.

There was about 2 minutes left in the game, I had just turned to Scott to tell him Drew was going IN! When Jack came running down to us carrying Max and saying he hit his head and that there was a lot of blood.  I grabbed Max and we held napkins up to stop slow the bleeding.  Gratefully one of our friends is a Doctor and he was sitting in front of us.  He took one look and said, "he sill need stitches".  The game ended and we got in the car.  I texted a friend whose son played little league with Drew 8 years ago...yep still had his cell.  He is a facial plastic surgeon.  He texted back to meet us at his office.  

 We drove there like this, with him on my lap buckled in.

30 minutes after meeting him at his office, we left with 2 layers of stitches and a VERY tired boy. 

Yesterday he stayed home with me, we were able to have one of his best friends come over, Sammie. She skipped her half day of K and they had the best time together.  Played on the iPads, stamped, played board games, watched a movie and went to Chick Fil A.  The best medicine of all.

She drew him this pic of them, note the stitches on his head.  lol

note her little hand on his back while they watched a movie

This morning I sent him to school.  He was excited to show everyone his "star" or scar.    Below is the transaction of emails between the school nurse and myself.  This kid is INDEPENDENT. 

From: Robin Fynaardt <rfynaardt@dmcs.org>

Subject: Re: Max

Date: October 30, 2015 at 8:55:16 AM CDT

To: Susan Shisler <smshisler@aol.com>

he came to me at start of day and explained and had me apply.  Thanks for the email

Robin Fynaardt

On Fri, Oct 30, 2015 at 8:51 AM, Susan Shisler <smshisler@aol.com> wrote:

Good morning Robin,

Max got stitches on Wednesday night after hitting his head on the bleachers, we are supposed to try to keep the cut moist while it heals.  He has Bacitracin with him and he really just needs it twice during the school day.  If you wouldn’t mind doing that for him I would so appreciate it.

He stayed home yesterday and is feeling fine today.

thanks Robin

Susan

How Did I Get So Blessed?

As a little girl I adored my Dad, I loved him beyond measure.  He truly could do NO wrong in my eyes.  I don't remember ever arguing with him, or talking back to him.  I remember crying when I would "disappoint" him, but he never yelled at me, he would simply come to my room sit beside me on my bed and share his hurt and disappointment.  Ugh...that was all he needed to do to get to my heart.

I always knew I was blessed to have such a terrific Dad.  I remember when my Grandpa Twig died, sitting in the parking lot of the funeral home about to drive away.  I remember my Dad turning to my brother and me and saying "If I am half the Dad he was, than I will have done well".  I was in the 7th grade.  I didn't understand why he would say that?  He was an amazing Dad, my Grandpa was an amazing Grandpa and Dad.  But now as a parent I get it.  I totally get it.  I feel like that with our boys.  If I can be half the parent my Mom and Dad are...if I can show our boys love like the kind of love I grew up knowing.  If I can raise our boys to feel that unconditional, unspeakable, unshakable love I will be proud.

As I have gotten older I have realized more and more that NOT everyone is raised with this kind of love from their parents.  I feel like especially from their Dad...many of the people close to me did not and do not have the same bond I have with my Dad (and Mom).  I didn't know that when I was younger....I see that now.  They didn't hear words of affirmation, shouts of praise, encouragement from their Dad.

How did I get so blessed?

My Dad just saw the blog post with the pictures of Tommy on it...and again I am reminded how very blessed I am to have a Dad that CONTINUES to encourage me, to love me, to pray for me and to tell me how very proud he is of me.

Tears run down my cheeks as I type this...there is really nothing like feeling the love of your parents.  It never gets old, it never gets tiresome.  May I be a parent like that...

Here is what Dad sent to me....

Good Morning Dear Susan,

I just arrived home from Cursillo Renewal.  Mom is at beauty salon and am here alone ready to start some more study.  Cursillo was good...Don was the speaker , I opened with the prayer and Keith T. closed after Don spoke with the prayer.  It was a good morning and Don did great.

I checked my email to find the new pix of Tommy and your note as well.  I, too, got teary just looking at the fine young man in those pictures.  What a good guy he is and what a fine young man he is becoming.  He will do well although I  know at this time how your heart longs for the best for him.  Scott and you have been such wonderful parents and God will care for him.  He will do well no matter what vocation, wife, or path he chooses...he will make fine choices because he has the true strength of character and Faith given to him thru your nurturing.

Love the pictures and love you for being such a wonderful daughter, wife , Mother and person.  I am so proud of you and your entire family.

Love,

xoxoxox

Dad

I think I am the luckiest girl around.  I will always be a Daddy's girl....forever and ever. 

Senior Pictures Part II

Last night we snuck out to get a few pictures in nature...there was no sunset as it was cloudy but I got over that.  Rain is in the forecast and my fear was we would lose all of the leaves.  So here are some of my favorites from last night.  I got a bit teary last night as I snapped the walking away picture....oh how I love him and oh how I pray for him.

The Boy Who Made Me a Mom

Yep, this boy made me a Mom and tonight it was his time.  Time for senior pictures, well part 1 of 2 sessions.  I couldn't get all of them in tonight.  But he was a trooper and didn't complain once.  We are SO proud of him and SO excited to see what God has in store for him.  Our precious first born.  Love HIM so much.  

Here are a few of my favorites from tonight...

College Road Trip

We are back from a quick college road trip to Ohio.  Tommy and I left early Sunday morning and headed to Ohio.  The goal was to see Ohio University and Ohio State again.  OU had a business day on Monday set aside for students who were interested in those programs.  I realized as we drove there on Sunday I have never been to Ohio without Scott.  I have flown there to meet him, but I had never driven there without him.  I almost was emotional about that...shocking I know.

We stayed with our good friends the Townsleys arriving late on Sunday night and got up bright and early to drive the 1.5 hours south to Athens Ohio to look at Ohio University.   What a beautiful drive to OU, it is done in the Valleys of Ohio.  Reminded me of Decorah where Luther is...and the leaves are beginning to turn as well.

We were very impressed with their business day.  Even more impressed with their lunch that included students in the business school/ sports marketing school and also professors.  It was so nice to be able to ask them questions.  The student we had at our table was also on the Club Golf team which is something Tommy is very interested in.  There is a golf course on campus.  I saw Tommy light up when these guys were at the table, I hadn't seen that earlier in the day but as the talk of sports management and marketing came up...and the talk of internships with Adidas, Nike, etc came up he was in his sweet spot.  We ended with a tour and really loved seeing all of the buildings new and old on campus.  There was very much a personal feel at OU.

We  headed back to Columbus in time to purchase some tickets to watch Lebron in a pre season scrimmage at the Schott on OSU campus.  Tommy loved that.  It was fun for me to watch him smile.

We headed to meetings on Tuesday morning with the director of Ohio State's Sport industry major...which isn't really the direction that Tommy wants to head.  There is a different feel at Ohio State and you are very much on your own there with figuring out internships, and defining the exact major you want.  Tommy would have to almost create what he wants there between the Sport Industry major and the business school as a minor...it would not be nearly as easy to get to where he wants to get with OSU.  We met with an admissions person after and it did not feel nearly as personal as OU.  Even the fact that Scott is an alumni, we give money to the school, have season tickets...none of that seemed to matter to her.  Tommy left feeling like Ohio State is not the place for him.  But it was so good we were able to meet with these people and get questions asked and answered.

It was especially fun for me to have so much time alone with Tommy...we headed back after the morning appointments getting home around 9 last night.  I am excited for him, for his future and for what God has in store for him.  After this trip I can see how he is ready for this next step...ready to be in college.

Here are some photos I forced him to take while we were away...

The Dance

Tonight is the Homecoming dance...whew.  We have made it through the week.  I will post pics from the parade, the game, the coronation later on....but know Grandparents are awaiting these shots.

Both Tommy and Drew chose terrific dates, good friends of theirs and fun girls.  So it makes tonight an event to really look forward to.  While I type this I am baking cookies for their after parties...evidently my chocolate chip cookies are popular especially when they are warm.

Here are some shots from both of the boys evenings...so proud of them.

 Tommy and Ebby Prewitt

Drew and Antonia Miller

Such a fun week...such an exhausting week.  I am ready to sleep for days upon days...but that won't happen.  I may just try one of those 5 hour energy shots tomorrow and see if they work.