My Soul is Filling.....

At the end of May this year, I was laid off of work. This wasn't the type of layoff that one would expect to be called back from, so I'm not sure why they call it a layoff....I guess that's to cushion the blow. Anyway, I was stunned. Knew it was coming, but my emotional self took over for several hours. And then, I was ok. Really, ok.

I felt ok. I got my ducks in a row. I started applying for jobs immediately. I made a list of all the good things that might come of having this time to be home and I must say that helped me not to panic. I'm a silver lining girl all the way.  I know many people who are out of work right now. I hold each of their stories in my heart and root for them to get back to work, too. I feel guilty that I am making the best of this time off. I don't make light of anyone's situation and I feel the pain, my friends. But I want to share my list. My good things list. My silver lining list.

1. I've accomplished stuff. My hall closet is clean and functional!
2. I've enjoyed whole days and not worried about having enough time to do things.
3. I've finished reading one book (Freakonomics) and have two more cued up - 1. Fiction-The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and 2. Non-Fiction - I Love it When You Talk Retro - both of which I found for 89 cents at Goodwill (see #6).
4. I've made my yard lovely again - with the help of my sister, her hubby and my dear, Invisibob.
5. I've been the "driving mom" for the first time in many years. And I've been happy to do it.
6. I've wandered around the Goodwill stores in my neighborhood, finding treasures. Don't scoff, my money supports their mission and the treasures look great in my yard!
7. I let my kids have sleepovers - heck, I don't have to get up for work in the morning, why not?
8. I've gone to Thursday morning matinees with my dear, IB. (See #4, Bob is known as Invisibob because 1. He does not appear in photographs willingly, and 2. He didn't start appearing at family functions until we'd been together for a while. My dad dubbed him "Invisibob" as a joke, and it stuck.)
9. I've stopped eating fast food and started cooking again -can't say that I don't have the time to cook!
10. I've taught Matt to cook English muffin pizzas (at least I'll know he can make something!)

11. Ana and I pulled out the food processor and made a cantaloupe granita this week- yum!

We're also growing our own herbs: lots of basil for pestos and pizzas, cilantro, parsley, and dill. And, our cucumber plants are coming along nicely.
12. I've indulged myself in art and music - something I haven't had time for in a long time.

13. I had a picnic in my backyard for the first time in the 7 years I've lived here. Ok, I kind of had to force the kids to join me, but it was a good time, nonetheless.

I'm so thankful that I have a family who is there to help me out and be supportive as I look for a job. I have a second interview with the same company next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm ready to go back - my soul is filled up again.

Happy, Happy Birthday Matthew!!!

My baby is 9. Oh, where has the time gone?

When you are a 9 year old boy, you'll understand....

1. That bouncing for an hour and a half is fun.

 

2. That shooting your friends with neon orange and green foam "bullets" is fun. (Even though your mama HATES the idea of you playing with guns, she's conceded to letting you as long as they are neon orange, yellow and green...I think NERF must have been listening).

3. That chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and fudge filling is a food group.
4. That running for hours makes for a great birthday party (not the mama's idea of a great birthday...give me spa, give me coffee shop, give me casino, even....but running? Not this mama).
5. That when you introduce your friend and say, "I've known him since 3rd grade"....it's not as impressive when you are only in 4th grade, but you'll quickly get over that.
6. That your birthday can't come FAST ENOUGH!!!
7. That Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos is also a food group.
8. That's is cool to have an older boy cousin who knows how to play Halo Reach. (Even if he wins the tournament and gets the Cheeto Trophy!)

9. That 20 candles on your cake makes for an impressive display!

 Happy Birthday Party, Matt!

Hi from Matt

I think God painted each of those freckles on himself.

And those blue eyes...

And Matt only "charged" me $2 to take his picture. 

(That was the price I paid for about a 100 other photos like this one - hard to sit still when you're 8)

Such a deal!

Been a long week.....

This is my Swedish Furniture Name. Want to know yours? Follow this link to Blogadilla

So, I know I haven't posted all week, but not to worry, I'm here and I'm thinking about why I haven't said anything in a week. I've been devoting my creative energy to planning a makeover in my home, and it's been hard to think about anything else - one track mind thing. First up will be my son's room, which is really just a loft. He's gone from tiny tot to big kid faster than his room has, so he'll get the first update. Thanks to IKEA, I have it all planned out and it's affordable! He'll have a wall of their Expedit book cases to put his collections in and a desk where he can do his homework and set up his lego Star Wars battles.

I went to Behr.com and they have a super cool color design thingy and I know just what colors to use now:

Now all I need is the energy to complete the project. *sigh* Oh, and a big strong guy to lug it up my staircase!

Have you ever??? Riverwalk Style

I dragged my indoor self out with my son to walk on the inspiring Naperville Riverwalk a week ago. Years (and years and years) ago, a guy I was dating took me there for a "romantic" stroll....I just wasn't into it (or him since he was a nice guy and I had a thing for the jerks, but that's a story for another time). I moved to the area years later with my then husband and my babies, and I finally got it. It's a beautiful spot of nature in the middle of a (great) city. There's a beach, walking trails, covered bridges, the river, paddleboats, sculptures, fountains and lots of shady spots to sit and read or people watch. I always feel like I'm on vacation when I'm there. Last year, I took my sister there and now she gets it, too.

...I vow to spend more time there this summer....

Matt and "The Big Fish"

(Kit: Write On, a new kit from Laura Banasiak/simply.scraps which is available 5/17 here)

Back on April 23rd ...., we had a celebrity among us....our very own, award winning author, none other than, Matt! Matt's short story, "The Big Fish", was selected  by the Brainstormers as one of 5 stories to be performed by the group, in front of his classmates.

The school called that Monday, and let us know his story had been selected and instructed us not to tell Matt. Yep, it was a BIG secret - he couldn't know until the very moment his story was performed, that he was a chosen author! We all gathered, as his entourage, in the conference room at the school, so he wouldn't see us until it was time for the show --Me, My Guy, Stepmom (on Dad's behalf, as he was stuck in Canada), Grandma and Bubba, and I even sprung Ana from school a little early, so she could be there to celebrate Matt.

The Big Fish

by Matthew Erickson

Once there was a bear that was really good at catching fish. One day, it saw a really big fish. But something else was trying to catch it. It was an alligator.

And the bear went up to the alligator to ask, "Want me to help you catch that big fish?" And the alligator said, "Yes. So the bear told the alligator all his way of catching fish: using a fishing pole, using a fishing net, and using a trap.

So first, they tried using a fishing pole. But when they tried casting the line, it got stuck in a tree. And the tree was too weak to climb. So they left it there.

Then, they got the fishing net. But the bear had it for a long time, so it had a hole in it. And when the fish came, it just went through it.

Next, they used the trap and the trap was to get some logs and put them behind and in front of the fish, then jump in the water. So they did and they caught it.

But they had to decide who would eat the fish. And they decided they would both have a half. So, they split the fish and ate it. And that's how the alligator and the bear worked together to catch the Big Fish.

Couldn't be prouder!!!

My son, the author....and just one week later, Ana found out she took second place in a writing contest! Oh, they make their former English teacher mom proud!!!

Wake Up!

I love waking up to see this little face in my face....just not before 7, Matt!!!!

Agent Mustachio cracks me up!

Found these silly pictures of Matt taken after he got his SPY kit.....

Look at those MUSCLES!

He's very menacing in his Mickey Mouse pj's, huh?

My Little Professor

Little Professor Hand-held Calculator
Originally uploaded by draggin

Last night I watched in awe as my 8 year-old, third grader helped his 13 year-old, 8th grade sister do her Advanced Algebra. I confess, I know they are both bright little bulbs, they run neck in neck with above average test scores for their respective age/grade levels, but I was more than a little proud that the little one was able to help the big one with something he had never learned.

Personally, I've reached the end of my Math Usefulness with my daughter - in 8th grade, she's already past where I got with math, and I could only suggest she take a step back from the problem and see if some clarity would come from a distance. This is when her little brother stepped in. He'd been working on his spelling words when she stepped away from the table in tears. He said to her, not in a mean way, but truly with the intention to help her, "Let me take a crack at it".

My daughter and I exchanged doubtful glances. You can guess what happened next.

"Oh, I think I get it, you have to find out who drove how long.....all you really have to do is....[insert confusing math jargon here]." Uh, yeah. Darn it if he wasn't right. He may not have known exactly how to write out the problem in proper math terms, but he knew how to solve it.....and while he proceeded to work the numbers out ....IN HIS HEAD....his sister shouted, "I get it now", jumped off the couch and tackled the problem.

Stunned, but proud Mom. Not only because they are both so bright, sure, but because of the kindness and the support he demonstrated and she accepted. The evening that had turned so tense, ended up in laughter. Good job, little brother.

Queen of the Universe

Rather normal day - missed Ana's bus again...need to call them...they cannot continue to be 7 minutes early without getting a piece of my mind.

Stepmom bought Ana's ridiculously expensive calculator....last of the school supplies to be checked off the list.

Matt really knows how to melt my heart. Tonight, he told me he likes to be with me because he feels different when I'm around. Says it's because I'm a mom and I'm special to him. The other day he was singing a made up song with the lyric "Mom is in my heart". I thought being the mom of a daughter was the best...clothes, shopping, makeup, late night chats....but being Matt's mom makes me feel like Queen of the Universe.

Although, how cynical am I that I'm ready for him to ask me to buy him a new DS game?

Matt and the Anakin Flowers

So, Matt and I have deep conversations all the time. I usually try to relate the content to something he understands. So today we were talking about how we need to pull some weeds around our house. I explained that we have a responsibility to take care of our home, and that's one of the things we could do to make it look nicer. That lead to a discussion about why there are weeds in the first place.
Matt: Why are they even weeds?
Me: Well, weeds are kind of like flowers that got out of hand and grow too fast until they take over the whole place. They are like flowers with a dark side.
Matt: I get it, they are like Anakin flowers. Anakin, in case you are not a Star Wars fan, is Anakin Skywalker, or who Darth Vader is before he goes over to the "dark side".
Made sense to Matt. Made sense to me.