What a Cheese Ball!!

Brady had his final preschool Christmas program yesterday. I was a little worried for him. In the years past he never really participated in any program. He usually just stood there and stared out at the auidence like a deer in headlights. This year was a little different.

He came out holding his ears because the clapping was too loud. Then he just bloomed into this little performer. He sang every song. He did all of the motions. He just shined!!

After their class was finished singing they allowed the parents to get up and take pictures of their child. Brady spotted me and this is the reaction I got...



He totally filled my heart with JOY.

He was so proud of himself. I love it!

Tis the Season

I have been very hopeful this Holiday season. Hopeful in a sense that this season remains light, happy, and fun.

Jacob, who is 8, has many questions about Santa. He is still very wary. Very wary! "How does he come down the chimney when we don't even have one?" "Is it magic? If it is magic then I don't believe in it because I don't believe in magic!" "How does Santa know what I want?" "I just don't know." I have told him just to believe in the Spirit of Christmas. Magical things do happen over the Holiday season. He always shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

Last year my sister sent us the Elf on the Shelf. Jacob named him Bob. Ever since Thanksgiving I have been looking for Bob. He was missing! We unpacked all of our Christmas decorations and still no Bob. I was getting very nervous. The four of us were putting up the tree when Tod tapped on my shoulder. He pointed to the kitchen where I saw Bob sitting on top of the fridge. Whew! He showed up.

Bob sat there for about 15 minutes before Jacob went to the kitchen to get a drink. He shouted, "He's here! He's really here!" The look on his face was pure elation. We all ran to the kitchen to see Bob smiling down on us. At that moment Jacob believed. He truly believed. It was so wonderful to see the innocence back in his face.

I am still very hopeful that this season will be fun, merry, and joyful. Miracles do happen.

Climbing at Whitewater

A couple of weeks ago we went to the U.S. National Whitewater center in Charlotte. If you haven't been...GO! It is the perfect place to go with a family. It isn't jut a whitewater rafting place. It was a little to cold for us to go rafting, but we were able to watch a team practice kyaking. Very fun.

The boys loved climbing on all of the rocks.



Jacob made it to the top!


Brady climbed this rock and watched the kyakers for about two hours. Glad I brought my book!





Tod took Jacob on one of the mountain biking trails. He loved it! I was a little worried that he wouldn't make it, but he and his el-cheap-o bike made it out in one piece!! I rode the trail around the white water route. So beautiful. The fire department was doing rescue training at the center and it was fun to watch while on my bike ride.



After our biking and climbing adventures Tod and I sat and had a couple of cold beers and the boys enjoyed a Sunkist and a Sprite. We watched some kids do the free fall jump and decided to come back when the Zip line was open.

I think we wore Brady out!!! He sounds like a cat purring!!

Chaperone

Today I chaperoned Brady's field trip to Black's Farm. This is a local pumpkin/apple farm. The kids love it. They have a corn maze, hayride, a house made out of straw, farm animals, and there is always free ice cream at the end. To me, a trip to Black's Farm marks the beginning of Fall. We have done this trip annually since Jacob was 3 years old.

Today is also the coldest it has been in a very long time. I didn't dress appropriately. Brady had on two shirts and a jacket. I had on a short sleeved shirt with a fleece. Burrrr.

As we gathered around to listen to Mrs. Black explain about the farm and what all we are going to do this morning....it started to rain. Not a downpour, but that annoying rain when you are not sure if you need an umbrella or not.

Our group was the first to do the hayride. I must say that the hayride was the warmest place on the farm. We were all sitting so close I'm sure we generated enough heat to power the tractor. Brady LOVED the hayride. He squealed when we dipped and swayed from side to side. He didn't even care it was cold and rainy. Unlike his mother.

The morning was actually fun. Watching Brady with his love of farming equipment was so much fun. While all the kids were watching the pigs, Brady was admiring the combine harvester. I may have a future farmer on my hands.

One of our last stops was the barn. On one side the kids got to jump on a hay "trampoline", and on the other side of the barn were horses, goats, chickens, and a giant white turkey. In the middle they had hay bales set up for us to watch a puppet show about being a good friend. While we sat to watch the puppet show we all ate our free ice cream. Brady had his favorite - chocolate, and I had mine - vanilla. This was going to be the highlight of my morning. Nothing beats dessert BEFORE lunch! On about my third delicious bite of ice cream....the smell from the animal side of the barn waifed through the rest of the barn. Gag! Cough! Blech! The overwhelming stench of farm animals does not blend well with my vanilla ice cream. This may destroy my love of vanilla ice cream. The next time I eat my much desired vanilla ice cream...I may not be able to devour it because I will recall the powerful smell of poo.

Brady had a fabulous time at Black's Farm. On the way home he said, "Maybe next time we can ride in the combine harvester!!" My thoughts were, "Next time?! Next time?! I'm cold, wet, and cannot get the taste of vanilla poo out of my mouth! Next time?!" I said, "I hope so! That sure would be fun!"

An O'Donnell Wedding

This past weekend we drove up to Northern Kentucky for an O'Donnell Family Wedding. Most family events are a perfect reason for a family to reunite, to see how much the kids have grown, and to just catch up. Well, an O'Donnell Family Wedding is not one of these times.

An O'Donnell Family Wedding is an event. It is something that will be talked about for years to come. It is simply... a party. (A really fun party!)

Tod's cousin, Jill O'Donnell married Ian Sheckel this weekend.

Jill was 15 years old when Tod and I got married. She walked into our reception and said, "This is where I'm going to have my reception one day!" Well, that day came and she kept her word. We took over the hotel. An O'Donnell Invasion.

The reception starts out like every other reception with announcing the wedding party, dinner, first dances, cutting the cake. Once the music starts the party begins.

I am not one for dancing. I am usually the girl sitting at the table in the corner with every one's purses and coats drinking a beer tapping my foot to the beat. Well, at an O'Donnell Family Wedding...not participating is NOT an option.

I actually danced. The entire night! I am using the word "dance" very lightly. I kind of move around in the same spot occasionally keeping the beat to the music. But still. I danced.

Tod's brother, Pat is the family dancer. (Does every family have one?) Several times that night the dance floor was cleared to make room for Pat to move. Just amazing. It is hard to share the floor with Pat, but we were all out there.

The best part of the night was seeing Tod's Dad out on the dance floor with his sister and brothers singing and ....dancing. For those of you who don't know, Tod's Dad is in a wheelchair. Has been for four years now. I remember when he was in the hospital and had to get a blood transfusion. He said, "I hope it is the blood of a tap dancer!" Well Tom, you didn't need it. You definitely still have the same moves!

As the night was wrapping up we sat in the lobby and talked and laughed and laughed some more. I think we were all feeling a little blue that the night was almost over. Then another one of Tod's cousins announced that they were getting married in June!! Yes! Another O'Donnell Family Wedding!

Everyone Has a Story

Have you ever driven by a house and instantly know its story? That little farm house with an elderly couple sitting on rocking chairs. We all know that story. Married young, had many children, fought in a war, farmed the land, kids moved away, sold some of the land where a new neighborhood sits, retired and just waiting until Wheel of Fortune comes on the TV then time for bed. Yes, we all know their story. They have made a million "made for TV" movies about their story.

Today I saw a very young Mother at Wal-Mart Pharmacy and her obviously sick baby girl. She paid for the prescription with change. Nickles, dimes and pennies. You could feel her stress. I wondered if she had enough money for them to eat tonight. What was her story?

At the park there was a family having a picnic. The whole family looked very preppy. They even had the classic Eddie Bauer picnic basket and blanket. The kids were all very good looking and played nicely with the other kids at the park. I overheard the dad say, "I think Trevor is going to be a politician when he grows up." Then the mom said, "Either that or a criminal!" I thought...."What's the difference?" But there must be quite a story there for her to say that.

I wonder what people think when they see my family, when they look at my house. Do they see the couple married for almost 13 years who are still very much in love? Do they see this couple stress out over bills? kids? cars? money? family? Do they see the kids who don't want to brush their teeth? clean their rooms? drink their milk? Do they see happiness? Do they see love? Do they see who we really are?

I wonder if my image of others stories is correct.

That old couple could have millions of dollars in the bank and not a care in the world. They love their house and have no desire to move on up. They might hate Wheel of Fortune and go to bed late.

That stressed mother could have lost her wallet. She could have walked out of Wal-Mart and into a BMW for all I knew.

That happy preppy couple could have been just that. Happy.

I wonder if my image of others is just as off as others image of me. What is the story that I want others to look at me and see? We all have a story. Maybe we have more than one story. The actual story and the story people see.

Thoughts on Things I Saw This Week....

This week I have seen some interesting/strange things and I thought I would share.

*I saw a man dressed in a blue striped seersucker suit coming out of the courthouse. He even wore a flat brimmed hat. He looked like the fourth member of a barbershop quartet looking for a small town street corner to sing "Goodnight Ladies". Where did he come from? Where was he going?

*At my In-laws house I saw a new bottle of Breck Shampoo. Yes a new bottle. I didn't know they even made Breck Shampoo anymore. I do remember the first time I saw Brooke Shields was a magazine print add and she was the Breck Girl. (Kind of like today's Cover Girl.) After turning over the bottle I discovered that Breck is now made by Dial Soap. Strangely enough Breck Shampoo looks and smells an awful lot like Dial Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap. Hmmm....

*Yesterday I was behind a beautifully polished hearse with Arkansas plates. What are they doing in the Carolinas? Was the deceased so afraid of flying that even posthumously they drove half way across the country to rest in peace? Maybe this vehicle isn't being used for its intended purpose. A family wagon? A delivery (so to speak) vehicle? I'm still wondering about this one.