Scanning

I just saw a commercial for a scanner. It's to make you life paper free blah blah blah. Seriously? I wonder how much it is. How much more than a normal scanner I mean. Okay, so it has some pretty nifty software that may be nice, but we've been rocking the scanner in my house for years! It's just a normal one tho.

So anywho, I thought I would share some of the things we use the scanner for...

The main things is the children's work. I have a bag under the desk that says "SCAN" on it and I drop stuff in there I want to keep forever and scan it when I get a chance. You see with 4 children the mound of paper is outrageous. So a few years ago I started scanning their stuff in to the computer and putting it in their own folder. I've also gotten much better at just chunking stuff after I've seen it.

I love hand prints, ESPECIALLY my own children's. I like to stick their hands on it an hit print! I write the date on the peace of paper and file it away. Occasionally we come across them and the kids LOVE to compare their current hand size to the old one.

And pictures of course!!

 Happy scanning!

I'm not a soccer mom.

I've never been a soccer mom, but that's only because I'm a baseball mom and the seasons are basically at the same time. This will be my 9th season as a baseball mom. When my oldest was younger he wanted to play soccer until he realized he wouldn't be able to play baseball. So he passed. All of my children play, or have played, baseball. My daughter played softball for about half a season and decided she didn't like it. She wanted to play baseball with the boys. So the next season that's what we did. I'm not sure if she even lasted half way through that season. Baseball just wasn't her thing, but the boys love it. Some more so than others of course.

My daughter started taking gymnastics a little over a year ago and REALLY loves it. My little boys showed interest in it too, so they now also take gymnastics. My second son plays baseball, but isn't "passionate" about it. I think he just does it cause his big brother does. He has however become passionate about gymnastics. And he's SO good at it. He has the perfect little skinny body for it too! The 4 year old more has the body of a line backer, but he's loving the little Tiny Tumblers class he's in.

My oldest son now plays middle school basketball too. It's his second favorite sport and weather permitting he will be outside shooting hoops. I'm having a major issue with his coach though and am wondering if I just haven't been around the sport enough to know how it works.

You see I am not one of those parents that screams and yells at their kids, and refs, and the coach or whatever. I will holler at my 5 year old to pay attention if he is playing in the dirt, but for the most part I let the coach do the yelling of instructions. If you've ever played sports you know the last thing you want to listen to is your parents yelling instructions at you. And if you've ever sat in the stands with these parents you know how hard it is to not tell them to shut up! My husband coached for the first time last year (undefeated!) and there was rare occasion when a parent thought they new better than him. You have to let the coach coach!

So here's my issue. My son hasn't played basketball on a team his whole life. Middle school is his first experience on a team. Now granted I haven't made it to ALL of his games, but his last game of the season is tonight and I STILL have not seen him play! He told me he did get to play for about 40 seconds at an away game one time, but I wasn't there. It seems to me that this coach plays the same 5 boys almost the ENTIRE game. You can tell these boys are just exhausted by the end of the game. There are 12 boys on the team. They had tryouts and these 12 boys made the team. My son was one of them. I understand he may not be as good as some of these boys who have played their whole lives, especially when playing against another team, but how is he supposed to improve if he never gets and opportunity to play!? There is a big difference between practicing with your teammates and playing against another team!

If my son has ever complained I've told him to just be there when he is called up and be ready to do your best. Don't whine to coach. Just do your best and play hard in practice and be there when it is your turn to play. I just don't agree with the way this coach works. The kids are always nervous when they first start playing real games, but they can't shake that unless they get some experience. 

Anywho, next year he will be in high school, OH WOW, and hopefully he will have a different coach and get to actually play. 

Sign ups for baseball are this weekend. I'm SO ready! AND I'm SO glad my husband won't be coaching this year! He really loved it, but missed so many of the kid's games that he wasn't the coach for. ALSO, him being a coach means a bit of work for me, and I'll pass thank you. He's going to be coordinating the instructional league this year, we'll see how much work that entails from me.

While I've got your ear, or eyes, I would like to make a request. If your child plays a sport and you are asked to volunteer at the concession stand or something, PLEASE do it! 

I smell like a man!

Why do I keep getting a wiff of my husband? That would be because I'm wearing his deodorant! Hey, it's better than no deodorant. Why am I wearing my husband's deodorant? Because I'm out and no one makes sure I have some.

Mommy always looks out for everyone else and makes sure they have deodorant, toilet paper, underwear, etc. Well, at least she tries. But who looks out for Mommy?

I ran out of deodorant this weekend. I found a little travel size woman's deodorant that I have apparently used as backup before cause the plastic bottom was exposed. So after a few days of removing skin with this plastic, barely covered scraper, I threw it away. So there I am this morning trying to figure out what to do. Well, the hubby has more than one deodorant, so the choice was obvious. Now I'm sporty fresh!

Don't get me wrong, my husband definitley takes care of me in many, many ways. There are just a lot of things, like the above mentioned. that would never enter his mind as something to do. When he runs out of deoderant he usually just goes looking in the cabinet for the almost always located replacement. If it's not there he lets me know and I replace it promptly. For some reason I just haven't been able to make it to the store to replace my own.

Okay, so I'll go this afternoon after I get off work and pick the kids up from school. Nope, nope. That would require taking 5 kids to the store and I'm just not feeling that today. Besides I've got to get home and get some dinner rounded up cause I've got a meeting to go to as soon as the hubby get home. So maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll be smelling like a man! At least it's a good smelling man!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

On this day 6 years ago I was finally blessed with a daughter! My only daughter. My girl! I often tell people I am so happy to have a daughter, but I am so happy it's just A daughter. I don't know if I'd be able to handle more than one. I don't know how my parents did it!

So today the kids were out of school. Daddy and I still had to work tho. The boys went to work with Daddy and Sis came with me. I only work part-time so that gave us plenty of time to do birthday stuff!

She got a jewelry box at her party yesterday. She's just in love with it and decided she needed to fill it up with stuff, including earrings. She doesn't have her ears pierced tho so we had to do some research. That led us to the mall. I can't remember the last time I was at the mall! We got lucky because there was someone getting their ears pierced and we got to watch. Afterwards she decided that she would wait til she was 10 and then maybe get them done!

As we were leaving I got talked into a manicure. SO CUTE!!

We ended up at an accessory store and bought lots of goodies to fill her jewelry box. Then we came home and had some dinner with the boys. Now me and Missy are sitting in my bed watching the tube. That's one of our favorite things to do. She doesn't really care to play on the computer or play video games. She just wants Mommy to come get in bed with her and watch tv! So that's what I do, cause she's the boss!

Happy Birthday pretty princess! I love you more than any other girl in the world!

To my favorite child.

To my oldest, my first born. You are my favorite child. I can't believe that you are already a teenager and so close to driving. You will always be my little baby no matter how big you get. I remember every night I spent up with you crying for hours because you were colicky. You have helped me learn how to be a mommy. I'm still learning from you every day.
You are such a wonderful, helpful big brother. I know younger siblings can be testing, but watching you mature in your emotions and learn better how to handle them makes me so proud. You make me so proud.
Since you were just a little fellow in daycare I've had other parents tell me how impressive you are. From your helpfulness, to you compassion.  Even now as a teenager, you don't compromise who you are to please others. You do what's right, even if it's not popular. I love how independent, brave, and confident you are.
You are my absolute favorite child and I love you.

To my second son. You are my favorite child. Daddy and I waited 3 years for you. After our miscarriage we decided God had decided it just wasn't time to meet that baby. We took comfort in knowing that we would one day meet you.
I love your energy, although sometimes challenging, it makes you you. Always making people laugh, you are a constant comedian. You are stubborn like me but have such a huge heart. You are the sweetest kid I know.
I'm so glad that you've found a passion in drawing and gymnastics. You continuously impress me in both areas.
I love listening to you read. Especially when it's to your younger siblings. You do such a wonderful job teaching them things. You are my absolute favorite child and I love you.

To my daughter. You are my favorite child. You are my girl and I love hanging out with you and doing girl stuff. You are my little mommy. Be it with your animals or your little brother, you are always such a good little mommy.
I love the way you still want to be held when you get up. I love the way you have your daddy wrapped around your finger and bat your eyelashes at him to get your way.
I love watching you flip your hair and the way you prance is a riot. You are a princess. Even tho you are a girly girl, you are at the same time a tough cookie.
You are my absolute favorite child and I love you.

To my last born, my baby. You are my favorite child. There is not a hug in the world that is so completely encompassing as yours. You get that from your dad.
I love that your not yet too old to cuddle and that you still make me feel like your favorite person. I love that cute, sometimes mischievous, little grin you have. It truly lights up a room.
You always seem to be running 3 steps behind your siblings, but you never let it deter you. I am amazed at how quickly you pick things up.
You are the most patient, sneakiest, cutest kid I know. You are my absolute favorite child and I love you.

To my favorite children. I could go on endlessly listing all the things I love about you. Just know that I do love all the things about you! You are my reason. You complete me. I love you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

If you went out to celebrate last night I hope you had a wonderful, safe time. If you stayed in like we did, I hope you were able to stay awake til midnight. My hubby and I usually don't even make it to midnight, but this year we did! 

Not sharing any resolutions this year, just a new project. The kids and I are starting a new blog today.

http://winterspictureproject.blogspot.com/

Hope you'll take a minute to check it out.

Happy New Year! 2011 is going to be GREAT!!!