Tis the Season...

Soccer started Monday. To make life even more eventful? I was drafted as Coach. I've now been waiting for the season to start with trepidation. First day of practice however went off without a hitch. We've got a great group of kids, and we really had fun...myself included. All in all, with the first one out of the way (and the drafting of two experienced coaches for assistants), life is good.

Now, if only the homeowner's board stuff goes this smoothly...

Wife thinks I'm biting off more than I can chew...

Gee, ya think? Well, there's worse ways to overdo I guess...

Failure...

This search sums up many people's sentiments I think...

Be back on time...

Me: Be back by 3:00pm.
Middle: (Whining) But Dad, it's already 2:69...
Me: Wha?!?!

(crickets)

Me: Genious, that's the cable TV channel...

Thoughts of family...

I need to mention a friend of mine. This is a close friend, whom for years I've lived somewhat vicariously through. Not because she's necessarily that exciting or anything, but she does have some of the best moments.

There was the time she knew a family of boys...5 of them...and dated them all...at the same time (or near enough).

There was the time that a random co-worker brought her lunch. Nope, not from a restaurant, but a brown bag lunch from home.

There were the stalkers and other offers too numerous to count which have for years provided me with endless entertainment. Through it all, she has been a strong willed, devouted daughter and a great person too.

Unfortunately, recently, her father passed away. As a result, I'm asking all of you to keep her and her family in your thoughts. I know she'll be in mine that time will ease the pain, even if it can't take it away entirely. I know also, they'll be all right, but that warm thoughts always help. For the rest of us, this should also be a lesson to us to remember our loved ones.

Time is short, so enjoy the time you have so that the memories will have trouble fading.

Why my eye twitches...

The youngest is at a very percocious age. I think the child is trying to kill me. Today, we went to the amusement park and as soon as we told the kids, they all got very over excited - to the point we almost had to cancel the trip. Everything at the park was fine, but once done...geez, you would have thought world war three was starting - with the youngest being at the center of most of the ruccous.

Eventually, it got to the point where I started dropping bed time to earlier and earlier, which is how this happened...

Me: That's it. Bedtime at 7pm.
Youngest: What?!? But why? (in the best whiny voice possible)
Me: (crickets)

A couple minutes later, another ruccous is started...

Me: OK, now we're at 6:55pm...
Youngest: NOOOOOO!!!!!

(rest of car is silent)

Me: Fine, yours is now 6:50pm...
Youngest: NOOOO!!!! Why?? I didn't do anything...NOOOOO!!!! Please...
Me: (to wife) That child is a slow learner...
Youngest: (dropping all whining) Yep. That's me. Slow learner, fast runner...

(SMACK)

Me: How fast are you when you're strapped in a car? Hmmm, not fast enough. 6:45pm bedtime, suggest you stop while your still here to go to bed...

Okay, so maybe, just maybe, the part from the smack on down is what I WANTED to have happen if it weren't for DFACS. In part because that piece didn't happen, my eye is twitching and the child decided just before dinner that the dining chairs would make a good tunnel to crawl through. The kid won't make it much longer, DFACS or no...

How's that again?

Middle child (Shaking a partially frozen water bottle and talking to the youngest): Don't do this. It makes a lot of noise...

(continued shaking)

Mom: Child, please stop shaking that. It is very annoying.
Middle child: See what I mean?

Thank you Uncle Scott

Today while driving down the road carting kids to various after-school activities, I am, once again, reminded to thank my bro-in-law for his creative verbage. Out of my 8 year old girls mouth... "wow, I'm glad I don't have a jimmy, it would really hurt to get hit in your jimmy." Thank you so much!

Follow the leader...

Sis: Since your kids are going to school tomorrow, I decided mine needed to start getting up earlier...
Me: Wha?!?!?!...
Sis: Yeah, I told them your kids were going to school and they needed to start preparing, so they need to be up by nine. They weren't happy...
Wife: That's OK, we told our kids that whenever yours get grounded, they lose allowance...
Me: Did you hear that oldest? You lose allowance whenever they do...and the nephew is grounded for the rest of the summer. No allowance for you for the rest of the summer...
Oldest: NOOOOOO....Wait. Summer ends today...OK.
Me: Yep, I think it still stinks for the neice and nephew...
Sis: Oh, shut up...

They're gone...

The crowd has headed for the hills. The homestead is quiet (but not too quiet) and life is slowly and surely headed back to norm. Everyone is exhausted. All in all, it was a great time with lots of memories and cheer. Time for my nap however...