November Was A Blur

So after visiting our newest foster child at Hershey Medical in October, he was discharged to our care on October 25th. I forgot how much a newborn can addle your brain.  Whether it is the absolute lack of sleep, the non-existent interaction with other functioning adult brains, or just the vortex of happy baby snuggles and endless feedings.  The month disappeared with hardly a thought.  But I have pictures that confirm I did things and continued through the steps maybe not as technically proficient and competently, but I managed to catch the autumn leaves, help plan a friend's wedding and reception, take the boys and our slightly jealous dog to the dog park where a litter of new German Shepard puppies happened to be, pull off a Women's Club Auction, decorate for Christmas and take a trip to Texas.

November Highlights Include:

6th Grade Heroe Wax Museum - Meet J.S. Bach

Middle School Dances - Isa and her posse

WCM Fundraiser - I'm surprisingly good at this!

After 5ish years, I finished this scarf.  Trixie modeled it.

Free tickets, if I would write a review.  Yes, please!

Middle School Clothing Drive - it was awesomely intense.

Fall Fest and Fall Dance

 

So our middle school is grades 5-8, a huge spread at that age but they really do keep them pretty separate from one another.  Case in point in the fall the 5th and 6th graders have a Fall Fest, where they play games, eat junk food and win prizes.  The 7th and 8th graders have a school dance where they "dance", eat junk food and take group pictures at the photo booth.  I've helped with the fall fest, never the dance.

This year I did both.  It was fine.  A lot of line/group dances, not so much the middle school shuffle of awkward slow songs.  I'm okay with that.  Wyatt ran around playing games against his friends and despite his small size he's not afraid of a little trash talk and competition.  I love this boy!



And because my friends keep asking me, where I've been and why I'm not even posting on facebook that much, here's a summary of my life this past month or two not already covered by pictures and stories here:

Foster Care and Parent Visits
Splits with the Sister Missionaries
Finishing the Cross Country Season and Banquet
Farm Show Madness and Wrap Up Banquet
Setting Up the Non Existent Book Fair
Brother and His Family For Dinner
Dentist Appointments
Subbing for a Volleyball League
PTO Meetings
Helping at the Nursing Home
Visiting Teaching
Omega Field Trip (Oh, I have pics - I should post about that)
Computer Crash and Restoration
Birthday Parties
Being Released and Getting a New Calling at Church
Fundraising Events (WCM Auction, Extraordinary Give, Manheim Car Show, etc...)
Choir
Hosting Class Parties at Halloween (Also post worthy)
Meals for Friends
Seeing Newsies in Philly
Halloween Parties
Writing Competitions (for the kids)
Book Clubs
Play Dates
Temple Trips
Helping at the Middle School (clothing drive, fall fest, book fair)
Parent/Teacher Conferences and Report Cards
Board Meetings
Classroom Help
Planning Vacations (couple - January, family - July)
Hosting Baby Showers (forthcoming)
Feeding the Masses (seriously, always extras)
Getting the Boys Ready for New Placement, Packing
Prepping for Thanksgiving Trip to Texas
and a whole lot of other stuff.

And don't get me wrong, I choose to do it, I love to do it, I think it is important, valuable and worthy of my time.  So don't think this is me complaining.  But when you ask, half the time I can't remember and the other half it'd take too long to tell you so I don't even bother.  But here's the record, just in case you really care.  But I love and miss my friends too.  So call anytime, I'm ready to play too!

Farm Show 2014-15

If you're not a regular to my blog, you probably don't know how awesome Manheim, Pennsylvania is.  It may sound like some German town and let's be honest there is a lot of German influence.  The food is to boot.  But you may be wondering what else there is.  Well it is home to the world's largest auto auction, it's a few short miles form America's Coolest Small Town 2013, proud presenters of the Renaissance Faire and more picturesque small town values and images than in the movie Funny Farm.  And there are a million farms and a plethora of Amish or Mennonite people. 

Well nothing sums up our small town charm more than our Farm Show. Each year the first full week in October we have farm show.  You watch this small town bustle with excitement and activity.  Everyone participates whether you are a farmer or not.  My daughter has been on the Farm Show court twice and Jr. Queen Alternate twice and our agriculture experience is limited.  But our town comes out and comes together to celebrate our existence.  It's quite remarkable and I just fall in love again. 

Here's a small agricultural collage to help you realize how amazing we are.  Pictures will never convey all of my fond feelings. 

More Christmas, Christmas, Christmas

Women's Club did their annual cookie sale.  The cookies I made and the women filling the boxes.

 The Manheim Community Library had a Holiday Crossings fundraiser.

 Mrs. Clause read to the children and we had an awesome bake shop and café.

 Another board member spoiled Bella by buying for her a scarf Bella had her eye on.

 Christmas shopping with my good friend.  Oh yeah, we bought this!

 Our Relief Society progressive dinner and Christmas song sing along.

 Making gingerbread houses, aka graham cracker houses, for Kody's first grade class.

End of Year Madness - Oh My!

If you had doubts about my sanity before, well then let me assure you I am for sure insane currently.  Every mother feels a little frazzled at the end of the school year.  I am exactly one week away from the last half day of school; it's so close, but still unreachable or at least it feels that way.  So I just keep breaking it down to smaller chunks of time so I don't get overwhelmed.  Each morning, I repeat the mantra: "I just gotta survive today."  And it's been that way the whole month of May.  Here's what we've been up to:

Women's Club of Manheim Adopted a Block
Softball and Play practice galore
Softball games every Tuesday and Thursday
Math Night at Doe Run
Temple Trip to Washington DC
Graduation Parties (x3)
Cinco De Mayo Party
Celebrity Scoop Fundraiser
Board Meetings, Monthly Meetings and Presidency Meetings (WCM, PTO, Primary, Library, etc...)
- that's a whole lot of meetings if you get my drift
Weekly volunteering in the boys' classrooms
Spring Cleaning
Foster Care Training
Foster Care Recertification
Choir Concerts, Orchestra Concerts
First Grade Musical
Day Camp planning
Taxes finalized - ugghhh
Teacher Appreciation Week
Thank you gifts for officers (Order, prep, deliver)
Working at the School Store
4 Newspaper articles and photo shoots to Promo different events
Parental Visits galore
Lots of end-of-year Field Trips
Special Auxiliary Training
Middle School Book Fair
End of Year Carnival at the Elementary School
Dental visits
Many abandoned Book Clubs "Ain't nobody got time for that"
Relief Society Socials
End of Year Banquet
Order, Sort and Deliver Yearbooks (add a final sale for those who forgot to order originally)
Field Day Instruction
Scholarship Banquet
Activity Day and Scouts
Sporting Tournaments
Barnstormer Baseball Game
Memorial Day Picnic
Hiking
BBQ's
Planning, helping, and/or running fundraisers (Manheim Rock n' Glow 5K and RAINN em in)
Buying, making, sewing costumes for RAINN
Regular and Skype Assembly at the Middle School
Breakfast with Friends (a girl has to take a break every now and again)
Attend Bella's musical 3 out of 4 Show times
Run a mile fun run with younger kids, turn around and run a 5K with Bella
Clean Up Race starting at 11pm
Bake for a bake sale
Bake for end of year parties
Race a human powered horse for hours while eating and playing with friends

So that covers May through the end of the weekend June 2nd.  And next week...well I'll let you know how it went if I survive.  (Pictures to come)

Happy Holidays in Many Ways

Celebrating the holidays comes in many ways.  For Women's Club we had our Annual Holiday Tour of Homes and cookie sale. Both were largely successful and I was thrilled.

Also as resource parents, we had a holiday activity inviting all the families.  Juggler, Chris Ivey performed, breakfast was awesome, and each child received a present.  It was a great kick start to the holiday season. 

At church we had a celebration including the reenactment of Luke 2.  It was adorable!

At school we had gingerbread decorating parties early in the month and holiday parties in all the kids classes right before vacation, including a snowball fight with cotton balls in the Kindergarten classroom.  Suffice to say - having Travis home and celebrating almost daily adds to the seasonal cheer.  I love this time of year!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Going Back

So going way back to finish up early late October and early November...because of Hurricane Sandy canceling tons of flights Travis was able to be home for trick or treating.  My cute kiddos, Pocahontas, Luigi, Mario, and the Red Power Ranger.

With Travis being gone lots, I really have started to fray in certain areas of my life.  The other day I walked in the house and saw this.  Never in the previous 12 years of marriage has my house/counters looked like this.  Don't look to closely because you can't even make rhyme or reason of all the stuff that had accumulated on my counters and table.

Issac's fall party was delayed because of weather and ended up being in November.  I had the kids finger painting in my workout t-shirts to avoid staining their clothes.

And Women's Club of Manheim sponsored an All Pro Dad's event at out elementary school.  This is a program geared for helping dad's to be more active and influential in the life of their kids.  It's an awesome program and I am impressed at all the dad's who bring their kids to school before the school day starts to participate in bonding activities and mini seminars.  I am constantly amazed at the people in my town.

I also helped to chaperon the Wyatt's field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.  I had this great little group of boys.  So fun, but despite doing way less than I do in a normal day, these field trips leave me feeling exhausted.

A girl may tell herself that she is going to bed early tonight.  But said girl will still find herself working hard at 11:30, finishing stuff for a Cub Scout Camp this weekend, she may find herself preparing for the last few events for Women's Club of Manheim, Manheim's Rose Festival Weekend on June 9th - the Mannheim Market and Volksfest specifically, and she may find herself deeply emerged in PTO stuff, with too many tasks to even begin to name.

All I can say, is I appreciated teachers before, but whew....you people rock a crazy busy schedule at the end of a school year.  Thanks teachers and I need some sleep.  So Peace Out for tonight.  Now to pack lunches for tomorrow and clean up the house.  Oh I love single parenting - In the words of my neighbor's hubby tonight, "It seems like you could use a live in husband."  Yeah, you think.

Kick Off To Christmas

So the first weeks of December were crazy busy.
Our PTO does a Holiday Craft - each student makes a gift to give to someone.

Women's Club of Manheim assembled cookies, had a cookie auction, and a Holiday Tour of Homes.

Bella's dance studio did multiple Saturday preformances at retirement centers and the town square.

We went to the Manheim tree lighting with friends and their kids.

We took the kids to the Washington DC Temple grounds to see the lights, a Bell Choir, and enjoy the Christmas Kickoff.

I'm totally entrenched in the Christmas Spirit.  What about you?

What do you do to get ready for Christmas?

Rick's Will Live On Forever

Many people ask me about Rick’s College. It was where I went for my first two years of college. Yeah it has a funny name. People joked about going to Sam’s college, etc… When they heard it was in Idaho, I would get a lot of comments like “Yeah you are ‘da ho!” Clever I know. Perhaps I surround myself with some lesser scholastically minded individuals. Regardless the college is now known as Brigham Young University – Idaho. It’s a legitimate 4 year college, accredited, etc…it just had a crazy name back in the 90’s when I went.


When people ask my general consensus is that I loved it. I think everyone should go. Sure there were dumb activities such as Prayer Meeting(s), despite meeting my husband at one, and sure they give fake assignments like Family Home Evening Moms and Dads for our little college groups, but overall all these social events they thought up lead to a great education and a whole lot of friends and fun.

So when I was asked to come up with games for Women’s Club of Manheim meeting, I went to my old arsenal of Rick’s college standby favorites. And it didn’t matter that the demographic of these two groups is largely different. Fun is fun and watching someone shove 8 full size marshmallows in their mouth and then try and talk is fun. Doesn’t it look fun?

 

Goal Not Needed

I call myself the Volunteer Whore.  Well I came up with the title for myself with the help of a friend and current live-in honorary family member late last night as I made sugar cookies to be used in today's school party.  As she's lived with me she mentioned that this was what she saw... 

• Monday I made dinner for a neighbor's family while she was in the hospital having surgery. 
• Tuesday I purchased, prepared, and delivered Easter dinner to 25 needing families in the Manheim area.  I chaired this event on behalf of Women's Club of Manheim. 
• Wednesday I helped lead a somewhat last minute choir rehearsal for women as part of my church service, I watched the neighbor's kids afters school, and played taxi driver later in the evening.  I planned, baked, bought, and orchestrated a class party for 23 little 1st graders for Spring/Earth Day as Wyatt's room mom. 
• Today I will spend the better part of the day running the party I planned and watching more kids. 

I realized I have service opportunities planned for pretty much everyday for the next two years as recently I became President Elect for both our elementary school's PTO and Women's Club of Manheim as well as serving in several voluntary capacities within my church.

Travis was the inspiration for me.  When we were dating I was often pleasantly surprised and occasionally annoyed when he would stop for every broken down car we passed, volunteer to help anyone with anything, and often sacrifice his personal interests in the pursuit of other's.  It was those acts of kindness though that made me realize this was the man I would convince to marry me.  His kindness and ability to help others superseded my highest expectations and in the following years I have tried to follow his example. 

This year one of my New Year's Resolutions was to serve 260 days this year.  That is everyday M-F all year long or five days a week.  But as I have easily plowed through this goal I realized that service has become a part of my life already.  I find real happiness when doing it and that is motivation you can't fake.  And for bonus snaps I can't help but think of this scripture:   Mosiah 2:17  "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

So you may see me running around like a crazy person, a bit frazzled around the edges, treading on the very slippery slope of insanity, but know this I am one happy girl.

Keeping Up

In reverse order in the last two weeks we have.... had an old man back into my not moving vehicle. $600 dollars to his insurance later it looks marvelous, but that is ludicrous. We have had the van start making funny noises, strand Travis in a rain storm to walk home, and that will be fixed by my super handy hubby tonight.

have made birthday treats to take to school. Rice crispy circles with chocolate frosting and mini Reese's Pieces. As well as baked 4 batches of cookies for Manheim Women's Club, assemble 130 some odd 1 lb. packages and sell them at the Manheim Auto Auction. This year the flattery from the Auto Auction men was laid on as thick as ever. What a good day! And cooking more cookies for a neighborhood cookie exchange.

have been spoiling Issac's very particular birthday whims of breakfast in bed. Check out his mini 6 pack. Remember this child is also considered obese on the BMI body chart.

have been having lunch dates with neighbors and friends and kids.

have spent a lot of time at the shooting range. Recently we joined Manheim Sportsman Association. The kids love our quick impromptu trips to shoot for a bit. They have little point competitions, here they are checking the scores. Also I saw a mildly attractive man there, who got a whole lot hotter, in his camo fatigues practicing pistol drills and doing awesome. Something very primal about knowing that man could protect a woman.

celebrating Thanksgiving both in the school for the first grade feast, and the actual day of with Turkey Bowl football, which I also cash in on and dinner at my brother's house with his family.

We have been keeping super busy, but every minute is better than the last, so I can't complain.