Look Who's the new Asst. Den Leader

A Nice Email

Mrs Skraby is Seamus' fifth grade teacher. I havent seen her teach, but our interactions with each other have always been positive. I spoke to her at the beginning of the year about his various issues and she has always seemed very willing to work with him. She's energetic and has excellent advice in working with kids his age. I like her.

This week when I was volunteering in the office, Seamus came in. Apparently Mrs Skraby had sent him up to sit in the office and finish his work. He was caught throwing a pencil across the room so Mrs Skraby called Mary (the office manager) and had an agreement that he would sit in the office until his work was done. Mrs Skraby also confiscated his bag of pens and pencils. (NOTE: there is a funny side story to this that I will share later today or tomorrow.)

I ran into Mrs Skraby at school within the hour of this happening. We agreed that as a means of curbing this and other distracting behavior she would keep Seamus' bag of pens and each day Seamus would check out a pen for his work and return it at the end of the day. Usually he has his bag of supplies in his desk but he hasnt demonstrated that he can act responsibly with them. Mrs Skraby's plan was fine with me so she told him about the agreement the end of the day. He was not happy. In fact, when he exited his classroom that day he looked like he was seconds away from having a huge crying fit. This is the email I received from Mrs Skraby that evening:

I am just checking to make sure Seamus is ok. He was pretty upset
this afternoon. I told him that I am just holding his bag for him
and he can pick whatever pen and pencil he wants to use. I am not
very popular right now.

I thought the email was very thoughtful and I replied back to her this email the following morning before school:

He's fine. :)
One really cool thing about Seamus is that things roll off his back
pretty easily. He was definitely upset after school - but he was mad
at me for going along with the plan, not you. I told him it was your
classroom and if he is distracted from his classwork by the pens then
I agree they should be taken away. He didnt like that, but he'll be
fine. Maybe he'll learn in time.
It was nice of you to ask.

I was at the school all yesterday. This kind of schedule (being at the school 4 or 5 days a week) is becoming a habit of mine. It seems in Catholic school there is an endless amount of things to be done and not nearly enough people to do them all. I didnt get around checking my email until this morning at which time I found this email from Mrs. Skraby:

He was much happier today. I think he realized we had not taken them away;
he just had to choose to use one. It was a good day today. I just hope
that you know that I really like him and want to see just good things for
him. He was very cute today. We went and planted seeds with the 2nd grade
and he made sure that he had his brother as his partner. He was very good
with him. He is a great kid and we will have a good year. Bumps and all!

Awwwww. I think I love her. ;) Receiving this email today has started my Saturday off wonderfully for a few reasons. First, I love that Im at a school where communication between the teachers and parents is open and encouraged. Mrs Skraby didnt need to email and that makes me even more grateful for her thoughtfulness. Seamus is a toughie and because of that I really value hearing about the little things he does well. In fact, I dont hear about his positive actions enough. Reading that line about him and Finn brought tears to my eyes. I know... I know... those of you who know me realize that it doesnt take much to make me cry. Im a very sappy person. But you must understand that my day to day life with two active brothers doesnt usually involve a lot of kind behavior. I wish it did! For the most part Seamus' interaction with Finn includes a lot of goofing off, bossiness and older brother torment. Hearing about Shea helping Finn makes me want to grab him up and kiss him for minutes on end. Secondly, I am so appreciative when my boys are assigned teachers that want to work with me for the benefit of my kids. That is huge! Its like a united front - you cant get something past her and you cant get it past me either. I know that I can seem a bit overprotective and/or over involved with my kids. Im working on it. But when their teachers and I can work together, I really believe it makes a huge difference in their performance. Mrs Skraby has been very open and willing to work with me from the beginning of this school year and its been a real positive experience. I hope that the middle school teachers next year are similar.

My Son Has Mad Skills!

Look at my son. Gooooooo Finn! He might not like athletics, but he has some talent. That's a nice looking vertical jump.

Something you might not know about this picture: Seamus had a head and mandible of a decaying dolphin in that bag he's holding. Pretty gnarly, eh? It was gross... and creepy... and stinky. While Matt and I were unpacking things for our night at the cottage, the boys took off to the beach. Del Mar is a wide beach and there werent many people around so we didnt worry too much. After maybe 5 minutes they both came running back saying that they found a skull near the ocean. Hmmm. I didnt believe them. I figured they were mistaking a skull for something else, but I went with them anyway to see what they were talking about. Low and behold it was true: there was a skull and mandible of a dolphin on the beach. I told them it kind of looked like an alien. The eye sockets were strangely placed on the skull. That kind of freaked them out. That fact that it was clearly the remains of a living creature didnt phase them a bit, but an alien skull apparently did. Seamus wanted to keep it. I told him no, but I did scoop it up into the bag so we could show Matt. I dont think he was impressed.

Warning - Aggressive Coyote in Area

Ive lived the majority of my 38 years here in Vista. Coyotes are a part of life here. When you grow up in Vista, chances are you've had a dog or cat killed by a coyote. Chances are you've heard them yip yapping in the night. Chances are you've seen a scrawny looking coyote (or two) in the early morning as you drive to school. Coyotes are not unusual in these parts, but they mostly stick to night time activities when everyone is asleep.

In all my years in Vista, I have never seen a sign like the one posted above. (see photo) That sign popped up one day in a neighborhood between my parent's house and my own. Aggressive Coyote In Area. So interesting... so peculiar. I cant help but wonder what prompted the owner of that sign to put it up. It must have been something pretty bad. Did the coyote attack him? Ive never heard of a coyote attacking a human in this area. Or did he just eat someone's dog? Sadly, eaten pets are very common in this area. It seems like every month signs pop up searching for small dogs. Chihuahuas, mini pinchers, dachshunds, and pugs. I hate to say it but when I see those signs, I usually shake my head and think to myself "Dude... your dog is not lost, its gone. Eaten."

Its possible it was something super serious. Maybe the coyote is crazy from rabies. Usually that kind of thought would never enter my mind, but Im haunted by a recent podcast I heard on This American Life where a woman in upstate New York got attacked by a rabid raccoon. She said the raccoon seemed totally and completely possessed - very aggressive and apparently immune to any pain she and her husband inflicted on it with knives and hammers. Yeah... knives and hammers! Im not exaggerating. Knives and freaking hammers. Crazy.

Could the coyote this person is warning us about be rabid? Jinkies! That's kind of nutty.

Isnt he lovely?

Ive always loved that Stevie Wonder song "Isnt she lovely?" Its a classic! But since becoming a parent Ive often wished it was sung about a "he" instead of a "she." Ive experienced so many lovely moments with my boys. Not days or even many hours. Nope. Im talking about moments: fleeting, but very satisfying and blessed seconds. When I look at this picture taken of Seamus this weekend I think of Stevie's song, but in my mind he's singing "he." Isnt he lovely?

We had lot of good times with Seamus this weekend, but one tender moment stands out in my mind. We were up around the jetty looking for things in the rocks. This is one of Seamus' favorite things to do at Del Mar Beach. He loves looking for crabs and other sea life in the jetty. The tide was really low this weekend and we were able to go really far into rocks that are usually submerged. While out there Seamus found a pretty large sized crab. See photo:




He named him "Crabby" and kept him in a cooking pot outside the cottage for the night. On Sunday morning when we woke, Seamus knew he had to let him go. All four of us went back to the jetty and Seamus gingerly placed the crab down among the rocks. Seconds after he put him down, the tide came up and carried "Crabby" out while somersaulting at a pretty fast rate. It was a strange sight for me, but it was horrifying for Seamus. He went running towards the water yelling "Crabby! No! Crabby!" and grabbed him back from the ocean's reach. Matt and I looked at each other with concern. Seamus was crying. He did not want to let his "Crabby" go. After several minutes and some coaxing from us, Seamus finally released "Crabby." He was pretty upset about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

I couldnt help but see a parallel between Seamus/Crabby and me and my kids. Like Seamus, I find it very difficult to stand back and watch my boys grow up. Seamus is so close to turning that corner into boy adolescence. I can feel it coming. And Finn wont give me a kiss when I drop him off at his classroom anymore! Thats so sad for me. I know I need to allow them some independence, I just wish it wasnt so harsh. When I think of Seamus removing himself from us - specifically me - it breaks my heart. But I know how adolescent boys are. I know thats part of growing up. I think my goal is going to allow them some space without the guilt. I wont let them know it hurts me. Hopefully by putting on a brave face, they'll gain the confidence they'll need to make other important decisions while growing up into teen and young adulthood. It all sounds so practical and easy now. HA! I know better. :)

Awesome Weekend

We had a really awesome weekend.

First off, we went to see the movie Inkheart together. All four of us went. That doesnt happen often. I will go to a movie with the kids or Matt will go to a movie with the kids. Every blue moon Matt and I will go alone. But its not often that all four of us go. Its even more infrequent that we go to the theater and the movie we watch is enjoyed by everyone. We all really enjoyed seeing Inkheart. Finn got a little scared at parts, but all in all we left the theater very entertained. I read Inkheart over winter break in Tahoe and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was hoping that Seamus might read it too, but then the movie came out and ruined any plan of that happening. The movie was great though so its cool.

On Saturday we took off to Del Mar Beach and stayed in a beach cottage. This is something we always talk about doing, but never actually do. Its kind of a minor miracle that we booked reservations and made it happen. We only stayed one night, but it was really refreshing. There is something truly amazing about waking up in the early morning, throwing open the french doors and seeing the waves crash down on the beach right in front of you. The sounds and smells and sights are the perfect start to any day. Del Mar Beach at Camp Pendleton is so large too. Its vast and full of sand and there's usually not a lot of people there - even on a nice summer day. When we woke up Sunday morning and looked outside, it felt like we were all alone out there - like it was our own private beach or something. Our friends the Huelsmans came out with their kids for a campfire on Saturday night. We ate hot dogs and pizza pockets. The boys played outside way past their bedtime. Quilts were essential around the campfire cause it was freezing outside, but we had a good time none the less.

I have more pictures to share, but Im totally exhausted tonight. Ive been volunteering a lot at the boys' school. I enjoy it a lot, but its basically a job without the pay. It takes a lot out of me.

Goodnight. More pictures of the beach later.

Im Proud of Him

This was Seamus last night at about 6:45pm.

Yesterday Seamus got a list from his teacher of about 13 items that he had yet to turn in. It was mostly homework. Actually, it might have been ALL homework. I cant remember now. Report cards come out next Friday so he had until today to get all these assignments finished and turned in.

My first reaction to this situation was irritation. I thought we were beyond this. A little background: at the beginning of the year, Seamus had to go to "homework club" everyday because he wasnt turning in his homework. Monday through Thursday the teachers rotate rooms and host the 5th - 8th grade students so they can do their homework before they get home. Seamus hated it, but he went everyday until his teacher saw improvement. At the beginning of November she told him he no longer had to go and we all congratulated him on his new found responsibility.

Since November, I have taken a hands off approach to his homework. He's in fifth grade now. This is his responsibility. Im not doing him any favors checking on him throughout the evening to make sure everything is done. All that withstanding, its been hard for me to back off. My instinct is to do everything I can to make sure he does the homework, completes it neatly and turns it in. Guilt. Nagging. Coercion. I'll use them all. But I havent. Everyday I say "Have you done your homework?" and when he replies "yes" I choose to believe him.

Now do you understand why I was initially very irritated? He'd been lying to me... again. And you know, there were soooo many times where my gut told me he was lying. There have been many times that I followed up his reply with "Are you sure you did everything? Do I need to check?" But for the most part, I havent said that. Usually when I say "Do I have to check?" he comes back with an exasperated "You never believe me!" and that makes me feel crappy. It doesnt feel good to doubt your son. I really want to believe him.

And look what it got me. (((deep sigh)))

A few moments went by. I did some dishes and had some time to think. The kid actually brought the list home to us. He let me know right away that he had a ton of missing work to complete. He even asked for help on some things. Thats pretty big of Seamus. In fact, that is a HUGE step forward for my son. He could have easily not shown me the list and blown off all the work without a word. Seamus is "always right" and he "knows everything." He's been like this since he was maybe 4 or 5 years old. In the past, he has convinced himself that the teacher was wrong about missing work. He refused to do it because, in his little world, he had already done it. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. But he didnt do that this time. He brought home every book in his desk and when it came time to do the work, he didnt waste time. He sat down at the counter (the table was set for dinner) and was totally focused on getting the work done.

As I took this picture last night, I couldnt help but feel proud of my son. I know that sounds crazy given the amount of late work he had to complete, but as I took this picture I was overcome by the realization that Seamus is maturing. Oh my God. Seamus is actually starting to "get it!" He's starting to realize that life isnt just "according to Seamus." He plays a role in how things happen: he can choose to work with the status quo or against it. Last night, he chose to work with it.

Matt and I both looked at each other after I took this picture. It was the glance of two "soliders" who have shared the trials of war. We both smiled. We were feeling the same pride. It felt good to share that moment with him. Im so grateful we are parents together.

Baby steps. Itsy, bitsy baby steps:)

A Wonderful Birthday Gift

I got to see my Beaumont friends last week: Tina, Kim, Trish, Lisa, Rachel, Dalia. It was so great to see them again. One hard reality of moving the kids out of Beaumont and into St. Francis is that I dont see these ladies on a daily basis anymore. I used to see them constantly - often multiple times a day. Now I dont at all. I can go weeks and not talk to them. Its really sad. But last Friday we got together for some fun "mamas only" time. We got to hang out and talk. We had yummy drinks and played some Trivial Pursuit. It was great to reconnect. I had missed them.

When I arrived there was a surprise for me. Tina had this birthday gift waiting with my name on it:



Isnt it beautiful? I squealed with delight when I saw it. I adore the patterns and colors she used. They're so fun and bright. I love the quirky squares. She even quilted my name in it. Its soooooo perfect. I absolutely ADORE it! I have such a giddy love for quilts but I dont make them. I can't afford another expensive, time consuming hobby. Tina loves quilts too and she CAN make them. She's quite a talent. Her mother is a quilter and passed on the tradition to Tina. You should see all the beautiful quilts the two of them have made collectively. Its enough to make me salivate with envy.

This quilt is all mine. Its gotten a lot of use in the last 5 days. Im so lucky.

I hope...A New Beginning

I hope and pray... a new beginning.
More later.

Ok. Im back.
What a day. I wish could sit back and watch the days events at my leisure, but I was out of my house a lot of the day. I tivoed most of the Inauguration festivities but I havent gotten to watch it all yet. Maybe I will tomorrow.

Everyone who knows me knows that I have not been a supporter of the Bush Presidency. I voted for Obama (and Gore and Kerry before him.) I wanted a change badly when Obama started his election bid in '07. As I watched our new president deliver his speech today, it resonated with me. Obama often evokes imagery and speaks of issues in his speeches that are important to me: equality for everyone; hope over fear and religious ideology; tolerance for all people - regardless of their sex or religion or race or sexual orientation. These are core values of mine. Equality. Tolerance. Hope.

But today I felt no anger towards Bush. In fact, as I watched him this morning I felt a bizarre, detached affection towards him. This was a very interesting realization for me. Why did I wince when the people at Andrews Air Force base booed him? Why did I feel shame when the crowd sang "Na na na na... na na na na .. hey hey hey... goodbye." Hmmmm. This was all very interesting to me. Maybe I felt this way because Bush didnt feel like my president anymore. Today Bush was just another human being - albeit an extraordinary human being - among the dignitaries . He appeared gracious and kind towards Obama and Michelle. He seemed humbled by the outpouring of support for our new 44th president. There seemed to be a very simple dignity about the way he conducted himself today and I really respected that. It couldn't have been easy.

Its 10pm and Ive had some time to reflect on the days events. Im beginning to think that maybe what I experienced today is similar to what I experienced when I gave birth to Seamus. Having my first born child was agony. He was 10 days late. I had to be induced and was juiced up with drugs that made my body do what it refused to do on its own. I labored all day and pushed for almost 2 hours straight. Seamus refused to come. As I threw up my arms and screamed "I cant do it anymore. GET HIM OUT OF ME!" I was beyond despair. I was in hell. They took him from me with a vaccuum and I fell asleep instantly with extreme exhaustion. When I woke up a short few minutes later, I was struck with the unmistakable realization that I was a parent. I was somebody's mother - Seamus' mother. Right then and there, the miracle of childbirth happened. Somehow, as I held my brand new son in my arms, all that pain and exhaustion of giving birth melted away. My body was tired and sore, but all I could feel was a humbling sense of gratefulness and warmth. The pain was gone - vanished - and in its place was Seamus. He was wroth it all. Even today, i know in my head that what I experienced was beyond horrible, but in my heart I cant seem to feel any of it. Joy replaced the pain.

I think the same thing happened today. The past 8 years have been hard on me. Its been hard on my heart. Its been hard on my family. Its been hard on my identity as an American. I know all of this in my head. And yet today as I watched Barack Hussein Obama sworn into office, I felt very healed in my heart. Gone was the hurt. Gone was the sting of the past. Im ready to move on. Im ready for something new. I feel hope.

I also feel almost afraid for Obama. He's just a man... a slight one at that. And yet he has the weight of so many expectations on his shoulders.

God bless him. I hope and pray this is a new start for our nation.

SUPER BOWL BABY!

Way to go Steelers... way to go!

Feeling Kind of Sunday - Part 2

We've got some tortilla soup brewing for half time.
Hoping for a big win today.
Go Steelers!

Sharing another layout from 2peas.

This layout was on two peas and a bucket.com this week. Its rare that I do layouts about myself. Im kind of uncomfortable with the idea. But I had to use a particular product on this page and I was given the assignment around the time of my birthday. So, there. Kind of weird how Im sitting her justifying it... like I feel guilty or something. I dont think I feel guilty. But i do kind of feel vain. Ive always felt that way when I make scrapbook pages where Im the topic.

Anyway, the pictures were done in photo booth on my mac. I love that feature on macs. That feature alone (and maybe ichat too) could convince most people I know who dont have macs to buy one. I should do a post about all my photo booth pictures. They are especially funny when the kids start taking them.

Have a good Friday. :)

Let them Eat Cake!

Its been a long week. I dont know why some weeks are like that. I went to bed with the kids at 9pm twice this week. Its been rough on Matt too. We were just talking yesterday how this week was a marathon. Here was my schedule:

Monday -
Take car to dealer for week's worth of auto maintenance
Volunteer in St Francis office 7:45 - 11ish.
Nurse in afternoon 11- 2:45.
Kids have martial arts from 6-8.

Tuesday -
Nurse from 11-2:45
Babysit for Barella kids when home until 4:45.
Dad's birthday dinner
Weight Watchers Meeting

Wednesday -
Nurse from 11-2:45
Speech after school
Matt's RCIA in pm

Thursday -
Volunteer in St Francis office 7:45 - 11.
Nurse from 11-2:45
Speech after school

Friday - IM IN LOVE!!!!!!! (((ha ha... thats a Cure song. I couldnt help but put that in.)))

There are lots of things to do today, but Im not going to write it all out. Suffice it to say, its more of the same. But thats cool. Its Friday and that feels great!

One of the things that had Matt super stressed this week was the annual boy scout cake making contest. It takes place at tonight's meeting.This is Finn's first year in boy scouts and apparently they make cakes each year according to theme. The theme this year was "super heroes." Finn picked out a hero character from Club Penguin and Matt began brainstorming ideas of how to create the cake.



At first, all of this was very exciting for Matt. He was a boy scout as a kid and he too participated in the annual cake contest. In fact, he remembers making a cake with his sister Kris and actually winning the contest one year. When he first found out that the contest was on and that Finn's troop would participate, Matt was ready to go. He was all about winning. Being skilled in program management, he made a schedule of how he would tackle the construction of the cake and he stuck to it. I was very proud of him. He didnt procrastinate... he was right on schedule. But last night, Matt looked discouraged. He voiced several times how stressed he was and how things werent going to plan. "The penguin looks lame." "My iceberg didnt turn out the way I had imagined." "I dont have enough blue frosting." "Why isnt Finn helping me more." He was not a happy camper.

Im sure he wanted to quit. Anyone who has seen Matt frustrated knows that things can go south quickly. But he persevered like a good former boy scout and finished what he started. The cake is a masterpiece... at least I think so. Im actually very impressed with what he pulled off. And like a good father, Matt finished it before bedtime too! Wooo hooooo! Finn thinks its awesome and he got to eat a lot of frosting last night. Thats all that really matters, right? Happiness and a full tummy.

Here is the cake:



And now I just need to clean all this (((((groan)))):

Itunes: Soccer Mom Chillout???

Matt is at RCIA and the kids are playing the WII. I decided to go check out itunes. I love itunes. :)

Look what I found. Soccer Mom Chillout.

Say what?

The description for this playlist starts off : "This is for all the ladies living life in the minivan, who get the tots off early and dont stop 'til sports practice, piano lessons, playdates, din-din and homework are all in the rearview mirror."

I think I resemble that remark!

But the playlist? Eh. I do own some of these songs. Songs like "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. I actually really like that song a lot. I own "Brighter than Sunshine" by Aqualung and "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. I have "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones and "Rock and Roll" by Eric Hutchinson. Of course I have the U2 song. Duh.

The rest arent really appealing to me. Then again... maybe Im in denial. Am I in denial? Bleh.

Wax On... Wax Off

I cant remember when we first started the martial arts thing. Maybe a year ago... a year and a half??? Although I cant remember the time frame, I distinctly remember how I felt when we added it to the line up: stressed. Seamus is our kid who is active in everything. I was not excited to add another sport/hobby to his already hectic schedule. Although I was leery at first, martial arts has turned out to be a really cool activity for our boys. Matt and I enjoy it too. Not doing it. Just watching.

Some backstory: Seamus' friend Ryan is the person who got us started in this activity. He signed up for the class but didnt want to do it alone. His mom gave me a ring and asked if Seamus would want to join too. That was a "no brainer." Of course he wanted to join! Thus... we began martial arts.

Then about 4 months ago, we decided to get Finn involved. Finn has issues with his body. We have called him "the noodle" or "Mr Noodle" for years because he cant seem to control how his body moves. Example 1: He'll sway instead of stand. Or he'll lean against anything - be it person or thing - to steady his standing. Example 2: When sitting, he'll hang one cheek off the seat like a languid cat. Then, within 30 second of doing so, his entire body will have slinked off onto the floor. Last example: When he gives my grandma hugs, I need to caution him (and my grandma) cause he will fling his 50 lb body at her and then hang with all his weight on her small, aging body. The whole phenomena is really strange. I honestly cant say Ive met anyone quite like him.

Matt and I thought karate might be great for Finn cause it would teach him discipline with respect to his body. And in many ways that has happened. He's still wobbly and noodle-esque, but you should see him stand at attention when his sensei commands. He can do it!

On Monday of this week, the boys went up a belt. Seamus is now an orange belt and Finn is a yellow belt. Woot woot! Their martial arts class is not overly strict so its not like they can demonstrate all these crazy ninja skills. But we are proud of their progression none the less. They are McGarvey Karate Kids! HIYA!

*note: these photos were done on Matt's cell phone, hence the poor picture quality

Happy Birthday Dad

Just a quick shout out to my dad on his special day.

He looks grumpy in this picture, but I assure you he's not. He's very mild mannered and even tempered; very "go with the flow." His personality suits his home life well. After all, he has shared the majority of his years with 4 very vocal, independent, but sometimes crazy women. Thats no cake walk when you're the only man in the house. His secret: dad has totally mastered the art of staying out of the drama.

That's not to say he's perfect. His humor can be cutting and he enjoys taking a joke far beyond what anyone would consider funny. Dad thinks he's invincible and often acts obstinately in taking care of simple things - things like sunblock. As "go with the flow" as he naturally is, he's definitely got a stubborn streak. Its been presenting itself more prominently in his retirement years. But you know, I can appreciate that. He has always demonstrated patience with us. I can surely give some of that patience back to him now.

This quick shout out turned longer than I had planned. What can I say? I like to hear myself talk. ;)

So anyway....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I love you. I hope you have many more.

Blessing

My disposition is such that I dont often want what others have. I think Im lucky that way. The "green eyed monster" doesnt really visit me much. With the exception of a week or so each month, Im a pretty contended person. I can clearly see the many blessings in my life. Blessings: even the word sounds lovely, doenst it? My favorite kind of blessings are the unsolicited kind: things that bring me happiness, yet I did nothing to deserve them. I didnt cultivate or lobby for these gifts. I didnt work hard for them or beg for them. They just happened.

For example:

About 2-5 times a day Finn tells me Im the "best mama ever." He usually does it while hugging me or hanging on to me. God bless that child of mine. He's 8 years old and I should think at this point he might not be so eager to shower me with kind words. But he does it anyway and with such enthusiasm! Its terribly sweet and my heart just gushes over every time he says it. Anyone who knows me can tell you I am far from being the "best mama ever." I am soooo flawed; in fact I never knew how flawed I was until I became a mother. How about that for irony? But gosh darnit, I am so grateful each and every time Finn tells me how great he thinks I am. When you hear something kind like that everyday, it make an impact. It gives me a an extra spring in my step. It makes me want to give above what is needed or expected. At the very least, it makes me feel very loved. I have no doubt that Finn loves me and that makes us very good together.

Im Feeling Kind of Sunday...

Here we go Steelers... here we go!

Layout

I work for an online scrapbooking site called Two Peas in a Bucket. I do a couple layouts each month and get compensated through the site for the page. Its a sweet gig - one I truly love.

This month I had to do a page called a weekly challenge. Its supposed to prompt the users of the site to scrapbook. This was my page for this week. That's Finner and my sweet little nephew, Elijah.

Joy To the World - Epiphany Pageant.

Matt and I enrolled the boys into a new school this year. Its the same school that I attended as a girl - a kinder through eighth grade Catholic school in town. It has been a HUGE change for us. There have been lots of challenges, especially for the boys. But they've handled them well and they're adjusting better with each day.

One of the many cool things about their new school is the annual Christmas pageant... excuse me, Epiphany pageant. As I said earlier this is the same school that my sisters and I attended, but when we were there they called it a Christmas pageant. It used to take place in December, the week before we left for Christmas break. The Epiphany pageant actually happens when we come back from break - around the time of the Epiphany which is January 6th. When I innocently questioned the reason for the change I was told that Catholics are supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus up to the Epiphany - not the lead up to the 25th. Oooo-kay. But last night before the show, our principal further explained that having the pageant after Christmas allowed everyone to enjoy it more. There isnt the rush, there's less stress, AND it goes along with the Catholic liturgical year.

Honestly...I just wanted to see my boys dressed up like shepherds or wise men. Im being totally serious. Don't all parents want to experience that? I dont really care if they call it "Spectacular Spectacular" in February. I just want to experience a Nativity type play from the parent perspective.

For the past 5 years, our kids haven't participated in a Christmas pageant. Seamus did once when he was in preschool but Finn never has. In public school, they dont do that kind of thing anymore, at least not around here. I understand the reasons surrounding that decision so it never really bothered me. At least, I didnt think it bothered me. You cant really miss what you've never actually experienced. I had never experienced seeing my boys standing up in church wearing angel smocks so it wasnt a huge deal to me.

But now its different. As of last night, I have experienced a Christmas type pageant and it was awesome!

The highlight? For sure, it was Seamus and his fifth grade class (see photo above.) The Christmas pageant, err, I mean Epiphany pageant was called "Christmas in Egypt" and it focused on Jesus being born and spending his first year in Egypt. Seamus' class dressed up like Egyptians and sang a song to the tune of "Louie Louie" (yeah... Im not joking. Louie, Louie.) There was a little skit with Pharaoh before their song and then it was showtime.

Let me interject here for a moment by saying that in the weeks leading up to the show, both me and Dama Shan (Matt's mother) asked Seamus several times to share with us the song that his class was doing for the pageant. He woudlnt do it. We both asked him a few times and every time he flatly denied our request.

So back to the pageant: the lights are low, the skit is over and Seamus is front row, center. He's the smallest kid in the class (among the boys and the girls) so of course he was right up front. He looked a little nervous but Ive seen him look worse, so I wasnt concerned. There were seven of us in the audience waiting on pins and needles - my parents, my sister Miranda, Dama Shan, my grandma Nena, Matt and me. The music cued up and the kids began singing, but thats not all they did: they danced. SEAMUS DANCED! He wasnt just doing some dorky toe tap number either. Seamus was fully moving his hips and arms and doing this sort of rhythmic swaying thing. Truth be told, it wasnt pretty. Matt later said Shea kind of reminded him of Elaine from a Seinfeld episode. But dude... it was amusing and stunning and soooooooo unforgettable for me. I think more than anything, I felt shock watching him up there. I would have never expected to see him do that - certainly not in front of a packed church on a raised platform in the front row. We all sat there with our jaws on the ground - except maybe my sister Miranda who was laughing most of the time.

They told us earlier in the week that there would be a DVD we could buy of the pageant for $15. I honestly didnt think twice about buying it. Why would I? Now I have a reason. Im am soooooooooo buying that DVD. Its worth every penny to see my boy bust a move.

Five Presidents.

Just saw this image on the front of MSNBC.com. Pretty neat.

Stealing Pictures of Myself

I am the primary photographer for my family. Its very rare that anyone else uses my camera except for me. Because of this fact, Im not in many photos. I am, in truth, absent from about 99% of our family pictures.

I grew up in a household that was very similar to my own. My mom was the primary photographer for our household. She took the most beautiful pictures of us when we were young. She had a cool Nikon SLR and she would take pictures a lot. Im really lucky because I have wonderful photographs of my life growing up. That being said, my mom is absent from my photographic history. We have excellent shots of me and my sisters. We have great shots of my dad with us. We have great vacation shots and extended family shots and holiday shots and birthday shots, but she is nowhere to be found in any of them. She was always taking the pictures and spent zero time in front of the camera.

Im the same way.

When we went to Lake Tahoe, my sister and her family left home an hour earlier than the rest of us. In their haste, they left their camera and videocamera in the room they shared at the rental house. I ended up bringing those articles home with me and they are still in my possession today.

Last night, I decided to check out the photos that they had taken. I felt kind of naughty - like I was doing something I shouldnt be doing. To relieve my guilt, I imagined myself a female version of James Bond. It wasnt me looking at their personal pictures; it was me doing counter espionage.

You will not believe what I found: I found photos of myself! My sister had like 7-12 photos of me on her camera! I couldnt believe it. I EXIST! It felt really good and I wasnt expecting that. The photos werent all flattering, either. In fact, many of them have me looking pretty old and out of shape. But they excited me all the same. It felt good to see me on film interacting with my family. I cant full explain how excited and grateful that made me feel. I wish I could put it into words.

So I downloaded a few. That was really bad and I suppose Jennifer will be irritated with me when she reads this and finds out what I did. But I wont deny it. I downloaded some of her images off of her camera and put them into my computer. Now they're mine too. heee

Here are a few. Im so excited. :)



And if Im too embarrassed to tell you in person: thank you Jennifer and Barry.

The Photo that Freaked Out my Sister and Mom

I sent this picture to my sister and mother a couple months ago. My mom frequently updates her iphone with pictures of her grandchildren and when she does she'll email me asking for photos. I sent this picture along with maybe 10 others to her and my sister Jennifer. Within days they both came up to me separately to tell me how much it freaked them out.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" my sister accused.

"He looks like a teenager! What did you do to him?" my mom asked.

I didn't do anything, other than capture his soul. ;)

Anyone who has spent time with my son KNOWS that he has always believed himself older than his birth date. He can give off attitude that rivals a teenage girl. Seriously. Its the truth. Lately (and when I say "lately" I mean the past 2 or 3 years) he has been waaaaay "too cool for school." He rolls his eyes or looks upward in mocked boredom when being lectured. He talks back in exasperated, irritable tones. He sighs heavily when told something he doesnt want to do. Ick. Yuk. Yuckity yuk yuk.

Im soooooo not ready for this stage. But hey...that's my boy. That's Seamus, at least for the time being.

God give me strength.

We Are Not In Kansas Anymore.

This year, my parents gave us the gift of a winter vacation. Instead of giving their children and grandchildren traditional gifts, they rented a house at Lake Tahoe and we all stayed a week up there together. There were thirteen of us: my mom and dad; my sister Miranda and her friend Tiffany; my sister Jennifer, her husband Barry and their kids Abbey and Elijah; and us - the four mcgarveys and my mother in law Barb. It was so much fun. Let me repeat myself for dramatic effect: IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

Previous to this trip, I had never stayed in the snow for any long period of time. I have driven up to the snow before - like for a couple of hours with the kids. I have seen snow fall in Pennsylvania and Ive driven through snow (as a passenger) in Colorado. But Ive never stayed in snow and Ive never done snow type activities. While we stayed in Tahoe, we did it all: sledding, ice skating, snowball fights, snowmobiling and most of all SKIING. I never knew winter activities could be so fun.

More Tahoe pictures to come...

My 38th Birthday

Matt set me up with a blog for my birthday. :)  

The cupcake was made by my boys. The pink frosting was made by my wonderful mother in law, Barb.

More soon.