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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Has It Really Been A Year?!

I am a master procrastinator.

Everyone thinks I'm this "get things done" kind of girl, but what most don't realize is that I'm a "get things done" kind of girl - at the very last minute!

That is why I have been sitting at my desk doing everything I can to put off having to write the history of one of my client's, for an event they have coming up in two weeks. My deadline is yesterday.

As my mind was wandering around the internet, I thought about this blog and realized that it has been a year since I started SportsMum. 365 days chronicling our life - as I said in my first post, the good, bad and very, very ugly.

What started as an adventure into finding another source of income (I've made a total of $63.56 over the course of the year, lost all but two of my Google Ads to some mystery computer glitch, and had almost 8,000 visits) has turned into a wonderful journal for my family.

Providing the world wide web remains a piece of our lives, I have opened a window into a year of our lives that my children can forever have access to.

So my grand adventure in making money has really turned into a grand adventure in providing my children a history of our family.

The best is yet to come...

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Football Is Fun!

I love watching my kids play sports - any sport except football. Or that was the case until yesterday.

The mother in me hates the aggression and physical brutality of football. Helmets and shoulder pads crashing into each other with such force as to knock the other guy silly.

It's particularly hard to watch your child get the worst of it...but that was then.

Cameron has found his inner beast. I never thought I would love seeing him hammer another person into the ground, but when it has a huge impact on the outcome of the game, it is REALLY exciting. That's him going for the legs of the running back...a pretty convincing take-down.


Of course, as cornerback, it's not all about taking someone down. It also means being taken down yourself...especially when you're about to intercept a Hail Mary pass. He had it in his arms - you can see it rolling away to the left. The shot's a little fuzzy because the camera was jumping up and down in excitement!


Final score 21-13.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

What Happened To The Pictures?

Some of you may have noticed that I have not been including pictures in my posts for the past several weeks. That's because I "thought" I had left my camera battery charger at my parents house in Canada. When they sent the "charger" this week, it turned out to be a rechargeable battery charger. Mine had been on the floor of the van the entire time!

Sooo...I took pictures last night! Friday Night Lights pictures.

It was a GREAT game...:)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Hallelujah!

52 hours.

Our lights came on at precisely 12:23 a.m. ending the longest power outage in our family history.

How's the saying go?...If you love something, let it go, if it comes back it is yours, if it never returns it was never yours to begin with.

Power is MINE!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Where For Art Thou Ohio Edison?

As of this posting we are entering our 39th hour without power.

I just got back from a couple of meetings and in my wanderings noticed two areas where trees had fallen over power lines - so it's obvious where the trouble spots are. What I also noticed was that the trees, for the most part, had been removed, making accessibility to the power lines possible. What I didn't see was a single Ohio Edison truck in either of these locations!

Where are they? Well, we heard that they are in Texas helping out the Hurricane Ike victims. Hello? Wasn't it the remnants of Hurricane Ike that came through here on Sunday night?! Nothing like taking care of your own.

But there is a silver lining...we played games last night. No television, computer or video games - well, actually, the game we played was "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader", on DVD, with our tv hooked up to the generator.

But we did play it by candlelight...

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Day The Lights Went Out In Ohio

23 hours without power and no end in sight...we're hearing maybe by Thursday!

No T.V., video games, and sporadic computer time (thanks to our neighbor Ken, the generator king)

...SHOOT ME NOW!!!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The "Palin's Choice" Aftermath

Wow - I certainly started a political controversy when I posted my blog about Sarah Palin.

I thought I was simply commenting as a Mother. From how the sides have lined up, it appears it's become a Republican Democrat battle.

Yes I have fawned over Barack Obama, but that is more about the man than about the party. If I was to vote in the upcoming Canadian election, I would throw my support behind Stephen Harper, the Conservative (nee Republican) Prime Minister.

But now my parents are mad at me; I have argued with one of my best friends and, quite frankly, been disturbed at how far right he really leans; I have had football Mom's (all lifelong Democrats) in awe that I would have the guts to speak out; and I have received an email from a Senior Producer at Fox News who would like to speak to me further about my "take" on the White House!

All this for simply saying I feel sorry for Sarah Palin's children...if only everyone else did too!

Friday, September 5, 2008

The Boy Who Doesn't Get It

I love the first day of school when the kids get home and tell me about their teachers and classmates.

Cameron provided a gem comment that will go down in infamy (especially when he graduates from some big college on the Dean's List!)

"You should see my Advanced Biology and Advanced World History classes. I'm in with all the smart kids!"

Thursday, September 4, 2008

What They Don't Tell You About The First Week Of High School

I remember when Caeden started Kindergarten four years ago they warned us that he wouldn't be himself for the first couple of weeks. Physical and mental exhaustion would consume him and he would be irritable, whiny and inconsolable.

They don't warn you that the same thing happens in high school.

Cameron is a wreck. When I picked him up from football practice last night he absolutely broke down. In fact, I picked up his best-friend Devin too and I'm sure he would have done the same had he not been with me.

He's up at 6am, the bus arrives at 6:45, first bell is 7:45, final bell's at 3pm, then he has 3 hours of football practice - everyday...

So how does he cope?..."I'm quitting football. My heart's just not in it...I've lost my desire".

"Well you know Cameron, we've always said that you can't quit a sport in the middle of the season...but you don't have to play next year if you don't want". I said this as my mind went "who are you and what have you done with my kid?!"

A few hours later, after a shower and a good meat and potatoes meal, it was like the earlier conversation had never happened.

"You know what Mum?...our quarterback is really struggling. The coach might bench him. Then Dayne will be QB and he ALWAYS throws to me in practice".

Welcome to the Jekyll and Hyde world of high school...

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Sarah Palin's Choice

This blog is not a forum for politics but there is something that has been irking me ever since the revelation about Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter.

I applaud Palin's choice to support her daughter through this time - I would most certainly do the same thing.

What I don't applaud - in fact what I downright condemn - is her choice to accept the Vice-Presidental nomination at this critical time in her family's life.

How sad that she subject her very young, impressionable, and vulnerable children to this intense public glare and scrutiny. Any 17 year old girl who finds herself pregnant is already feeling ashamed and embarrassed, imagine having to share that shame with the world!

Sarah Palin has put her political aspirations before her family and subjected her daughter to the worst media barrage that will ever come out of this election.

For this, she should not be our vice-president - she should learn to be a mother first!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The First Day of School

Every year I take a photo of the boys on the first day of school. It's a wonderful way to chronicle how they grow and mature year after year.

I can no longer take that photo as you can see from the picture of Cameron. His bus comes at 6:40 a.m.!!!


I have to admit right now that I'm feeling pretty melancholy about all this. Cameron is in high school - gulp - only four more years until he's off to college - gulp, sigh - this is all going too fast - gulp, sigh, cry.

I do have a lovely photo of Caeden and Jackson, taken an hour later - when the sun has fully risen!

I still have both of them for seven and nine more years...but who's counting?!