Hi Y'all

Wow, it's been 6 weeks already since I've posted.  I got a new computer at work and now I can't access Blogger from work.  It's a Google thing.  I have so many work Google accounts and I don't know which one is associated to my Blogger login and so it cookies me and blocks me and it's confusing.  I understand Google less than I understand iTunes.  So now I can only post from home.  I'll try to be better about logging in from home.

We celebrated Jill's 8th bday a few weeks ago.  Can't believe how grown up that girl is.  I made her a pink lemonade cake.  It was yummy.

Liam has started to venture out into the world on his own.  He is now riding his bike to a friend's house in the neighborhood.  It's kind of scary knowing he's out there all by himself but he has really been pushing me for more independence.  But he kind of takes it overboard.  Because he can go to his friend's house alone now he wants inappropriate video games, to be a "walker" and stay home alone all afternoon, and to watch the movie "chucky" (But my friend has seen it like 15 times, MOM)  I said geez Liam, you don't have to do ALL THE GROWN UP THINGS at once now, you know.  One thing at a time kid.

Andrea and I went to Key West and Dry Tortugas last month.  It was pretty awesome.  We met a lot of fun people and had a great time.  Dry Tortugas Park was super cool.  Literally, a huge fort and lighthouse out in the middle of the ocean.  Two lighthouses actually.  The fort itself has it's own light, then there is Loggerhead lighthouse about 3 miles away on another island.  Watched a beautiful sunset from Mallory Square.  It was really a great trip.  It had been about 10 yrs since I'd been to Key West.

I participated in a breast cancer walk last weekend.  It was tons of fun!  I was the second highest fundraiser on my team.  Thank you SO MUCH to everyone that donated!  It def went to a good cause!!

Besides that, not too much is going on.  Just living another day in paradise people...

Meet Skipper

Jill begged me for about three days to get her a rabbit for her birthday.  As most of you know, I have zero desire to take care of any living creatures that I did not give birth to. But, I finally caved.

He is pretty cute though. It's only been 2 days so we are still getting used to him. I've never spent any significant time around a rabbit before. He's kind of jittery and always wants to be moving. 

Just look at those buggy eyes. But Jill is seriously SO happy to have her own little pet and she's been very responsible so far. Now Liam wants a cat. Ugh, I don't know. That is just living creature overload for me. I don't think I can do it. 

Back to school

I know I say this every year, but I just can't believe another summer break is winding down.  Another school year starting.  Liam will be in 5th grade this year.  I remember when he was starting kindergarten thinking that he had so many years ahead of him in this big new school.  Now, he's a "5th grader".  No one above him.  He doesn't seem very excited for this school year.  I hope that changes once school starts.  He has changed so much this year.  His behavior constantly reminding me he isn't a little kid anymore.  I can't get away with half the stuff I used to with him.

Jill is heading into second grade.  I think she's more excited about her school wardrobe rather than actual school.  But Jill loves school.  I have no doubt she'll have a great year.  She'll be 8 yrs old (going on 15) in just 5 short weeks.

As usual, time is just flying by.  It never seems to slow down.  We've had a good summer.  Did a lot of fun stuff.  Have some fun stuff coming up.

I've been trying to meditate in an attempt to "reach my higher consciousness" and "get to know my true self".  Have you ever meditated (or tried to?)?  It's hard.  I don't think I'm doing it right.  But I will continue trying.  Deepak Chopra and Oprah are doing this free 21 day meditation challenge.  If you're interested, check it out:  https://chopracentermeditation.com/home/?acode=oprah&utm_source=20130724&utm_medium=OcomHPRR&utm_campaign=1

Liam quit football.  I can't say I'm 100% disappointed.  That league was seriously a full time commitment.  Over 12 hrs of practice a week.  Game days, parents were expected at the field for EVERY game of the league.  NOT just your  kids game.  Forced volunteering for parents at the concession stands for the ENTIRE game day.  Geez, Liam likes football, but come on now.  These kids and parents are all consumed with this.  Liam wasn't down with it.  And I would've stuck it out for him if he wanted to play but, honestly, I wasn't down with it either.  Joe and I gave our best speeches about "once you make a commitment you have to follow it through Liam", "you signed up for the team and they need you", "you can't just quit things in life because they're hard".  And on and on.  Not to mention how much money we (mostly Joe) invested in this league.  But not a word of it swayed him.  We let him know that ultimately it was his decision and we weren't going to force him to do something that he was not enjoying.  He decided he didn't want to play anymore and that was that.  I admire how Liam had the guts to stand up for himself to me and Joe and didn't just force himself to do something that he didn't want to do just to please us.  That kid's got some guts.  I told him that I "admire that he's living his life for himself, and not us".  He says he's willing to give football another chance in the future.  So I know he's not completely traumatized by the whole situation.  I think Joe and I made the right decision for his well being.  Parenting WIN!

Enjoy the rest of your summer everyone!

Hi, my name is Debbie and I'm an over reactor

It's true.  I've had to apologize many times for my over reacting tendencies.  At the time you are over reacting you feel very justified in your behavior.  I have an opinion and I'm going to express it dammit!  But afterwards, you're just like, you know, that wasn't the biggest deal ever.  Then you usually just feel like an idiot and knowing you have to apologize for being such an idiot is dreadful.

I got upset today over a slight misunderstanding about a woman that Joe has been spending time with, with the kids.  I got pissed off, called him up and demanded to know "who this woman was!?"  And "why is she acting XYZ with MY kids?!"  And she "needs to STOP doing XYZ with MY kids bc I don't like it!"  Well, that's what I meant to say at least.  The problem was, I called him right in the middle of my rage.  Which is a big no no for me.  I don't communicate well when I'm all raged up.  I was so bottled up and emotionally distraught that what actually came out of my mouth was just word vomit.  I didn't nearly get out my well practiced "speech" as well as I had it in my mind.  Ugh.  So now I just look like a lunatic.  Who the heck takes a lunatic seriously?

When my friend Lisa was going through her divorce she would say "ya know, people tell you what divorce is like, but no one TELLS you what divorce is like".  (yes, I am aware that Joe and I are not actually divorced, but we are basically living a divorced lifestyle) I totally get what she is saying.  Every single "new" step in the process is just reopening the wound.  The reason it hurts and we lash out is bc it hits us, literally, right in our insecurities and worst fears.  For me at least.  I felt extremely threatened at the thought of another woman in my kids' lives.

So, what, do you think this woman is BETTER than me?
You think she could take care of my kids BETTER than ME?
What if my kids like her better than me?
Is this the beginning of Joe completely abandoning us?

Logically, I know these things are not true.  But it doesn't change the fact that it feels like any one of them could be true.  And it is terrifying.  It literally feels like a punch in the gut.  Just another step in the process I guess...

Football is taking over my life

This is Liam's first season of tackle football.  Practice/conditioning has been going on since May.  I could see the difference between this league and the flag leagues right away.  This is some serious business.  When it was just conditioning, practices were 2 hrs 3 nights a week.  Which was already too much for me.  Joe has always been Liam's head coach so I never really had to go to practices before.  And I liked it that way.  6 hours a week sitting at a football field was just ridiculous and torturous to me.  On Monday, they started full pads practice.  Now practice is 2 1/2 hours 5 nights a week!  12 1/2 freaking hours a WEEK just sitting doing nothing at the field.  OMG.  This is killing me.  I get home from picking the kids up at almost 5:30, then we have to be at the field by 6.  No time for a decent dinner.  No time to relax after a long day at work/summer camp.  When we get home at close to 9 pm, kids have to eat, shower, brush teeth, relax.  Our new bedtime is now 10pm.  Which I don't like at all.  Ugh.  Don't even get me started on what goes through my mind when some kid much bigger than Liam completely flattens him on the field.  I almost started crying last night :(  First game is in 2 weeks.  He is awful cute in his pads though...

Hang gliding

I went hang gliding over the weekend.  I got it on Groupon.  For the actual hang gliding and the "mandatory gratuity" it was less than $100.  For about 7 minutes of hang gliding time.  Yeah.  But it was fun.  I would never pay full price to do it again.  But I would pay for the experience where they bring you 1 mile up.  As opposed to the 1,500 ft I did.  Here are a few pics for you.

Getting loaded in:

Take off:

Getting towed to 1, 500 ft:

Coming in for a landing:

 

Summer Camp

For the first time, the kids are in REAL summer camp.  Having my Dad watch them this summer just wasn't really an option.  They serve free breakfast and lunch, which is awesome.  Except, my kids are so super duper picky in their culinary requirements that what I hear every day is "Lunch was so gross!"  "My burrito was wet!"  "My turkey sandwich had turkey on it!"  Ay, ay, ay.  These kids, I swear.

They go on two to three field trips a week.  Which requires a school bus to get there.  Not crazy about this idea.  But mostly they're having fun and doing lots of stuff there.  And no one has died yet.  However, it really peeves Jill that her camp counselor's daughter is in their group.  Apparently, she shows preferential treatment to her own kid.  They went to the zoo last week and I asked Jill how it was.  "It was terrible.  My counselor only bought her daughter a slushy and NO ONE ELSE!"  Outrageous!  That is downright Jillian abuse.

Overall, they are not crazy about summer camp.  But I really don't have a choice.  Liam is already asking if he can stay home by himself next summer.  Um.  No.