Revisiting an old blog

Happy 2014!  I fell off the blogging wagon for the last 6 months but life certainly didn't slow down.  Maybe that's why I fell by the wayside on this thing.  Looks like my last post was around the 4th of July.  There's part of me that couldn't tell you anything we did during that time - perhaps because it seemed like a whirlwind.  I will give it a shot:

Pool time, Brandon's baseball games, lots of bike riding, playing with neighbors, Jim and Cameron to Cedar Point, work travel, got my Invisalign, week in FL for Sea World Camp, back to school shopping, outdoor movie night, trip to Red Oak, school started for a 1st and 5th grader, Jim and I took a quick trip to Boca to celebrate our 15th anniversary, took the boys to an Iowa game, Homecoming weekend with my Tri Delt friends, Jim went to Turkey with Justin, girls weekend in DC with Alisa and Stacy, boys' swimming lessons, Cameron playing the sax, fun family wedding, Cleveland for Thanksgiving, I turned another year older, homework, Cub Scouts (Brandon's 1st year), popcorn sales, Cameron altar serving, Christmas weekend in the city, Christmas, Florida, Outback Bowl, Holiday brunch, Mountain Mites, polar vortex…

I think that brings us up to speed.  Once again at the beginning of the year I am trying to refresh and refocus.  Organizing my home life and my mental life remains a priority.  Each day is a gift and up to us to fill it with good things.  The reality is that school, work and the mundane tasks of our life sometimes appear to take over.  But it is important for me to stop and take note of the happiness in those tasks.  Sure it's a pain to get the boys to scouts on a Monday night when you just want to sit around.  But watching them be a part of a group and participate and learn is serving them well.  

My goals for this year again are to be more organized.  Story of my life right?  Each year I think I have done a bit better and will continue to focus on keeping our life in order as much as possible.  I great reminder is a plaque Jim gave me a few years ago that I keep on my desk and look at every day.  

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all

Happy New Year and all the best as we start fresh in the new year!

You're a grand old flag!

Hard to believe it is already the 4th of July.  I knew June would go by in a flash and it certainly did.  What a jam packed month we had - end of school, Cameron's 10th birthday, and our big trip to Croatia.  It's weird to be on the other side of it all and I'm trying to use this week to regroup a bit.  Got through the 800 work emails awaiting my return and I guess I'm back where I left off from a work perspective - feels like I was never gone.  

The last two years we have been out of town for the 4th.  This year we will be at home which feels good.  I love this holiday and hope that the sun makes an appearance for the rest of the week.  Parades, BBQs and pool time are my priorities.  Also just good to be home and get some things done around here after our travels.  

Traveling overseas is one of my favorite things to do.  Our family has become quite good at it and it is fun to share the world with our boys.  But there is nothing better than being welcomed back to the US after a trip.  

I always think back to my Minisinger days in high school and the numerous patriotic performances we did throughout the summer.  I can't hear a song about America without silently playing out choreography or singing the words.  I also remember my speech I gave as part of our performances - helps me remember a portion of the preamble to the declaration of independence...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Happy 4th and happy summer to all!  

Blog in a blog

This may be a faux pax but I am posting my vacation blog within my ongoing blog. What a great time we are having. Trips like this make the world seem a little smaller...

www.tinyurl.com/matejkacroatia

Short pants/trashed supplies - Bring on summer!

Two full days and two half days left.  At that point my Kindergartner and 4th grader will be promoted to 1st and 5th graders.  Weird that Brandon will no longer be the "little guy" at St. Pat's. Onward and upward - Kindergarten you've been a blast.

Yesterday was the last day they climbed on the bus for the year.  Given we share the bus with the public school and they got out yesterday, our remaining days are filled with "it's so unfair how we have to go to school longer" comments.  

I spaced on the end of the year bus driver gift but recalled that we gave her a nice Christmas gift so I'm ok with that.  While I appreciate very much that she safely transports my kids to and from school each day the gift giving to everyone who you come in contact with can get a little out of control.  I figure my gift to her is two well behaved boys who didn't cause any catastrophes on the bus.  You're welcome, Miss Laurie.  Hope to see you next year, although Cameron is still holding out for Mr. Joe to make his come back on our route.  We'll see.  

Two big signs it's the end of the school year:  

1.  The uniform pants have either shrunk or the boys have grown - thinking it's the latter.  One visual queue of the growing that's occurred in the last nine months.  

2.  I always get a kick out of the transformation from the bright, shiny school supplies to what returns back home in June.  Signs of the season for sure...The long sharp pencils are now little nubs, some with teeth marks.  The markers are dried up and purple is gone.  The crayon paper is dingy and the ends rounded.  The pencil sharpener and pencil box have a big crack in them and the last pieces of loose leaf paper are rounded at the corners.  Glue sticks are all dried up and the erasers are no longer pink but a dingy black.  The first day jitters have worn into an every day routine.  The teachers are no longer a mystery and at this point everything that is going to be learned this year has been learned.  The 3 ring binder Cameron used this year is on it's very last leg.  We replaced it a couple times throughout the year as it was probably my favorite thing about 4th grade.  Every class had a tab and the binder went with him everywhere.  It is a great tool to teach organization.  He will even admit he has a way to go but the binder has helped us have a little more organized year.  I think I need a life binder...

Here's to the final countdown.  Good luck to Brandon today at his Olympic day.  Go Team Blue! 

Tradition of Honor

Memorial Day was always one of my favorite days in my hometown.  Those who don't know me likely don't have a lot of reason to know or have heard of Red Oak, Iowa.  And many don't know that in WWII Red Oak suffered more casualties per capita than any city in the United States.  This lead to an amazing tribute every year when the flags of service men and women who have died are dedicated and Evergreen Cemetery is lined in honor.  It is a beautiful sight and a vivid reminder of the cost of freedom.  

When I was in high school we could participate in hanging the flags as a service project.  I remember reading some of the names and the wars they served.  Some of the flags are very old while some are bright and brand new.  Each flag represents a life which give you goose bumps and a humble heart at the thought.  

I've never taken my boys but as they get older I would like to make a point to attend the ceremony in Red Oak and walk around the cemetery.  On a sunny day nothing beats the beauty of all the flags blowing strong in the breeze.  It is a quiet part of the world - one I'm proud to call home.  

Today is cold and rainy in Chicago but I am thankful for the fact that my sons can ride their bikes around our neighborhood, play with their friends, and enjoy freedom in our amazing country.  

God bless.  

Just keep swimming - just keep swimming

I feel like I could use a Dory these days.  There is so much going on that, if I allow myself, I can become quite overwhelmed.  Work is nuts as it always is, boys have a lot going on with school, this bathroom/closet project is still underway, we are participating in our community garage sale this weekend and that's just what comes to mind.

From now until the end of June we are non-stop, topping it off with our family vacation to Croatia (countdown - 36 days).  So that's what is keeping me going.  Just get to Croatia...

When I start feeling like this I try to make myself take a step back and remind myself of the things I do well.  A funny one came to mind today.

By this point in the school year I have nailed the weekday morning routine.  My teammates still need some coaching along the way as we race the clock every morning in hopes of not missing the school bus.  Alarm goes off at 6:20 AM allowing for one snooze before we really need to move.  Cameron now has his own alarm and I enjoy hearing him stumble downstairs to get his breakfast.  By the time we are all downstairs and all have made their breakfast selections I am on to sandwich making.  PB&J for Cameron, ham and cheese for Brandon.  With minimal verbal interaction we make the side and snack selections.  Each meal is placed in it's designated pile for packing by the boys after they get dressed and groom themselves (please make sure you comb the back of your hair as well).

We each do our routines and while sometimes I sound like a drill sergeant in the final minutes, we stumble out the door and are on our way to the bus between 7:20 - 7:25 AM every day.  The actual time out the door will determine our final walking pace.

Any amount of good, bad and ugly can accompany this daily routine...misplaced library books, second try at washing mouths, missing shoe, last minute homework to be checked, check writing for some activity, Jupiter falling out of orbit in the paper mache solar system...a number of possible diversions.  But, we all function as a team and once we are out the door our day officially begins.  For the most part it works and we are good at it.

Soon we will have a break for summer then start up again in the fall.  This is one of the things that I enjoy most about my life right now, strange as that may sound.  I know it won't last forever and every year it will be a little different.  But these are the things that keep me going...simple as they may be.

A simple and lovely chat

Today is my grandma's 93rd birthday.  93 - incredible.  I had to pull out a calculator to figure out, if I live that long, what year I'll hit 93...2063.  Seems unimaginable.  But I'm sure to her living in 2013 seemed pretty unimaginable when she was my age, which was in 1963.  I love to think about everything she's seen in her life and how, for the most part, she's doing very well for her years.  

The boys and I tried calling her a few times this evening but her line was busy.  The boys said, what's busy?  In a world of call waiting and other modern features, a busy signal is something they hadn't heard.  It cracked them up.  

So once we finally got through, I said, hello Mamoo, it's Syd.  Happy Birthday - you're pretty popular based on how long it took us to get through.  

She said she'd been celebrating the better part of the week with several lunches, coffees, singing at church and dinner out last night.  She said today she pretty much stayed in and answered the phone.  It all made me very happy.  The boys each spoke to her which couldn't have been sweeter, especially Cameron who has a heart bigger than any kid I know and speaks well beyond his years.  Like one old soul to another...

This is one of my favorite pictures with Mamoo.  It's in the basement of Mamrelund, aka, Mamooland, and I was sitting with my dress draped over the back of the chair.  She was downstairs with us and I'm so glad someone snapped this pic.  It always makes me smile.  She still does this too, she thinks one shouldn't look directly into the camera when someone is taking your picture.  Many a picture of Mamoo looking elsewhere.  

I'm glad we got to chat and hope we can next April 28th as well.  Cheers to Mamoo and her long and wonderful life!