Birthday crazies

11-25-14

I have been slacking on this whole blogging thing. I will try to be better.

It was a whirlwind trip that in some ways felt like 1 week  but in reality was only 2 days. I am exhausted from all of it. Thank goodness I just have to make it through today and tomorrow and then I get 4 days to recover.

I would normally be working on month end reports today but part of our annual goals had me training someone else to be able to back me up. So he is doing them today. He says he is doing this one report last and said I could do it for distribution so it goes out faster. Yeah, not gonna happen. I like them to see that anyone else doing my reports will be slow as molasses and frankly, I am tired of the bullshit around here. No reports are gonna happen on my computer today.

Saturday’s game was filled with excitement. The boys won, but barely! They scored in the last minute or so of the game, making the total 1-0. Woo hoo! It was hard fought and it was exciting. 

Now we have playoffs to look forward to. I know we play on the 6^th at 1 and depending on how we do, we will play on Sunday and I think if we win that we could go on to the next weekend. It could be a lot of soccer, but it will be fun!

We left the field on Saturday and headed to the airport. We had no issues with security. We didn’t even have to take off our shoes! It meant we were there pretty early, but I am ok with that. I would rather be early than late.

The flight was very turbulent. Dax, who was sitting with me, loved this. I am lucky I didn’t hurl. I do not care for that one bit. Thankfully it was a short flight.

We were picked up at the airport where there was a surprised Ma and Papa Brenan. It was pretty cool, actually. We then went to dinner at this pizza place. I am so glad I ordered the pasta because the pizza was gross. The boys hated it, too. Plus, they were slow there and it was noisy. Eh, it was ok over all, though, since I know everyone enjoyed visiting. I didn’t get to do as much. I spent much of the evening in charge of keeping the boys from imploding from boredom. The food took long enough and after having been sitting at an airport and then on a plane, they were very restless. This meant I was not as able to visit with grownups. On the plus side, the boys and I came up with a new way to “scold” them in a situation like this. I could say to them, “sidebar” which meant to come over to me at the table and I could tell them something without causing a scene. Very handy!

We got up to the house and did cake and some visiting. Dax was tired, so I got them both set up for sleep. Normally they would have not liked being downstairs alone, but both were so sleepy I am guessing they had no time to consider pitching a fit. Sleep consumed them quickly.

Sadly, Dax did have issues with sleep. He was grumbling and grouching in his bed all night, which meant sleep did not come for me. I kept having to sort of wake him up to find out what was up.

Sunday morning we had a photographer come in the morning for some nice pics of everyone. Last time we did that, Dax was still Fetus Dax, so he was quite thrilled to be in the picture. The photographer complimented us so many times on how well behaved the boys were, so I was pleased.

We did piñatas which was a lot of fun. Lots of laughing and the boys enjoyed being really the only ones beating the containers up.

Holly, Evie and Irving had to go to the airport around 11. Not long after that, the rest of us headed into town to check out JJ Jacksons. I love that store so very much and I picked up a couple of Christmas presents.

There is a stone and gem store there that I have always wanted to check out and since Bobby is quite obsessed with these sort of things, I knew he would be thrilled. He was so very much so! He got to pick out a couple of stones, which gives me ideas for Christmas in the form of his own shelf to show these off. Yay!

We also spent some time looking for potential Christmas trees. I didn’t really want to do anything Christmas related due to my rules. That being said, it was really fun stomping through the forest so it was all ok.

We got to the airport in perfect timing since we had like no wait. I was pleased. The flight was uneventful and it was nice getting home. I found it funny that the shuttle trip to our car seemed longer than the flight itself.

Yesterday, Ken and I did nothing. Stephanie and Eddy came by for a bit, but mostly we were in jammies, watching Avatar. It was nice!

I took Bobby to his orthodontist appointment after school. I took Ken up to the school for the pickup and he and Dax stayed there to go to the Miss Sharon retirement party. Bobby and I had way too much fun at Dr. Trotters. It was the first time he was in the regular chairs. There are like 8 stations and they all face the wall, which has a mural. It is of the beach and there is a plane carrying a banner that says Dr. Trotter. Bobby says aloud that this was unrealistic. Dr. Trotter happened to be behind him and jokingly says that this seems like the least unrealistic thing. Bobby laughs and they banter a bit which results in Bobby announcing, “I stand corrected”. I really hope all the pride beaming out of me didn’t offend anyone.

Both boys thankfully had minimal homework. I made dinner, had some Space Queen and just chilled for a while. I still feel tired from all the travel, but I know I will be home before I know it. Hell, it’s 8 am which means I am already half way done with my day!

I think we have practice tonight, so I am considering walking the dogs at the park tonight. Even if we only make it around twice, I know it will be good.

Sigh, now to make it through the rest of the day. 

fired up and growly

11-21-14

It’s official. My boss is the dumbest man on the planet.

My venting to some coworkers this morning helped calm me down significantly, but ultimately, I am still super angry with him. His idiocy has truly been taxing on me. I know, I am awesome, and I am not just saying that to toot my own horn. I kick ass at my job and have great stats and wonderful relationships with my customers. Yet this man is awful in so many ways, and not just with me. I wonder if he would be easier to deal with if this was an office in the 60’s where I could pour myself a drink.

I called out yesterday. My headache from this sinus issue was too much to deal with. I also needed to de-stress since this trip tomorrow has me a little on edge. It is only because we have soccer and then we go to the airport. I know it will be fine, but I feel pressed for time, which I hate. That being said, I am almost completely ready to go. I packed a week ago. I cleaned the house. Everything is in order except for a couple things I will get done tonight. I just need to calm down.

Shockingly, I don’t have a book lined up for my weekend. I know I won’t have much time to read, but I figured I should have something to do on the plane. Of course, I have video games and I could just use the time to nap. Oh wait, a thought just occurred to me. I still am reading NPH’s book. I am good! Yay!

I am quite sad that I am not seeing Mockingjay this evening. I know seeing it next week with Jerry and Nicole will be a lot of fun, so at least that will be cool, but I really am anxious to see this flick.

I have started catching up on some movie watching this week. I have watched Nebraska, Saved and Silver Lining Playbook. All were quite good. I have decided to watch at least one movie a week since I hate being so far behind on flicks. I may even need to start frequenting the Redbox. Plus, it forces me to sit for a couple hours, which truly I don’t do enough of.

We have a fire drill here today. I should be annoyed in some ways since it is happening at my lunch time. But in reality, I am thrilled. I feel that my company doesn’t take too many of these kind of things serious enough. I was a little concerned that the area they are evacuating us was a foolish place since it is all locked in. I asked the guy in charge and he had compelling arguments that changed my mind. He also didn’t mind that I was asking questions, which I liked.

Due to the morning rant session, I am all kinds of fired up today. Thankfully the morning has been moving at a semi-brisk pace. Now to just survive the remaining 4 and a half hours. 

the chaos

11-19-14

The sick is taking hold of our house.

Bobby has been coughing tons and even came home a little early from school. It was especially sucky because I opted to bring Dax home too due to how close to the end of the day it was. He broke down crying in the office, afraid that the reason I was picking them up early was that someone had died. Last time I picked them up early was when Trixie died, so I felt so very bad.

I had a raging headache all day that still lingers now. I am assuming the boys will go to school but Bobby’s cough has not diminished. Dax is now rather congested on top of all of this. I really would like us to be ok for the flight on Saturday.

I had Bobby not practice since I didn’t think that would help his coughing. He instead sat in front of his computer while I made dinner. Ken and Dax did practice. Ken had to run the practice because Lou’s pop was in the hospital. He is ok now, but he gave them quite the scare.

Yesterday I felt very overwhelmed with correspondence.  I felt like I had conversations with so many people, which is something I don’t always do during the day. My plate is rather full these days and I am betting that due to the sick I am a little more stressed from it all. I know that today I would like to get some cleanup on the house done and I would like to finish the laundry, but in so many ways I would just like to take a nap.

Luckily it is a non crazy day. The boss is out (although he is visiting my customer which may mean I will still have to deal with him) and it is a short day for school. Homework should be completed quickly. We also have a fundraiser night, but it is not dinner, just ice cream so it makes for a less complicated schedule all around.

I know that Friday will be a little more chaotic than I like it. Checks will be signed that day and keys will be distributed. Plus, I want to have my hair done. All of this on top of making sure I am packed. Of course, I am pretty much already packed. I put all of the boys’ clothing into the bag already and I have packed my belongings. I even have clothes set out for Saturday. I just need to prep the boys’ backpacks.

I really wish I could win the lottery. I then could quit my job and go help out at the school. I think I would be a good stay at home mom.

Soccer star

11-17-14

Countdown to travel!

The Hoedown on Friday was fun. I was pleased that the boys didn’t spend the entire night stuck to my side. I watched them play tag and run around with a group of kids, mostly made up of soccer teams they have been on, which was really cool to see. I hope these kids all stay friends and that they make up the group of people the boys spend much of their time with. It is a rare treat to watch them all together.

Our game was brutal. I think the final score was 5 to 2. They played hard, but were just outplayed. Even the coach, Dan, from the other side told me it was really a huge victory for his team since it was one of the first that they happened to click so well together. He felt bad we had to feel the wrath of it. I didn’t mind too much, although I was a little concerned about Dax.

That kid gets so involved in the game that his emotions not only come out, they explode out. Plus, he is constantly on the move, being tapped for most free kicks and special plays and more than once in a game he is expected to run down the fastest of players, which he does, but it is exhausting for him.

On the plus side, the AR on our side at the game is one of the Extra coaches. He knows talent when he sees it and made a point to mention to me that number 11 was really good. I proudly declared him mine and he proceeded to tell me that Dax had no business on this field. He said he was way too good for everyone! Look, I know my kid is good, but this really makes a mama bear stand up tall and proud. He pointed out all the things Dax does that other players don’t and insisted that Dax try out for Extra next year. If Bobby isn’t going to play after this year, it may be the perfect time. Then again, we are considering having him one more year in core if just for emotional development.

I got the boys over to their birthday party. I was late, but the boys were still the first ones. I was happy that when Ken and I came back, there were plenty of other kids, and they were kids from their team, which was great. We ended up hanging out at the self-designated Firefoxes table. It was really fun! Lou clearly adores the shit out of the boys. And man, he wants Dax to play the whole game because he has that much faith in him. I was also pleased when he told us that he wants Bobby in the whole game, too! He said Bobby is solid in defense and really knows his position, which I thought was fantastic improvement!

I slept on my neck wrong and am in gobs of pain this morning. I am unhappy about this. I keep trying to stretch it out but I may need to break down and take some Tylenol.

This week looks to be a little chaotic. I have a class tomorrow night and I need to pack for Saturday. I should get some keys to Stephanie, too. I would like to also make the house cleaner than normal so that when we get home on Sunday night I don’t have to worry about it. I am glad I still have Monday off since I am planning on recovering from the whirlwind weekend. The boys are stuck going to school, but I have less sympathy for them since they get Wednesday off, and let’s face it, they’re kids! They can handle it.

I got my book!!!

11-13-14

I got my book!

It’s funny, really, just how excited I am that I got the email notice from the library yesterday that the book I had reserved was in and ready for pick up. I actually found myself singing all the way to the library a little ditty that went something like this:

“I got my book! I got my book! I got my book today!”

Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a creative tune, and it was somewhat repetitive, but, dude, I got my book!

Now it sits next to me, calling out my name. I am looking forward to lunch time so I can read. When I get home, I will read. Sadly, I discovered that this isn’t the last book in the series, with the actual final one coming out next year, which means I will have to wait. I really hate waiting.

The book, you ask? Well, as much as I should be embarrassed at the series, I am gonna just own it. I am reading this series of YA vampire books. Not Twilight, but in all fairness I read those, too. These are significantly better, and truly, I am enjoying the crap out of them. They are super angsty, but in a much more interesting way than just some teen novels. Plus, drunk vampires, crazy anti-vampire groups, and some half breeds with serious issues. It is all kinds of wonderful.

I tried to read some last night before bed, but sadly I was just too tired and a little after nine I called it a night and crashed out.

The boys have practice tonight, so I will have an additional hour or so to read. Woo hoo!

It is a valuable time for me since the rest of the weekend looks to be nuts. Tomorrow night is the Hoedown at the school, and Saturday has soccer game, soccer drawing, and a birthday party for a soccer team member. I think Sunday is less hectic for me in the morning, what with Ken reffing games, but we then have a pool to finish taking down along with some boxes to put away.

I am taking the dispute resolution class for the region next Tuesday night. I figure it should be fun, even if it is a late night. I am trying to be involved in a better capacity with the region. I even managed to get a new fundraiser for the region yesterday due to my friends and contacts on Facebook. I may help Coach Lou this next season with fundraising efforts in the idea of being behind the scenes and helping him while he is the awesome negotiator that he is. It helps that Lou knows that I am good people.

Goat Dance Party

11-12-14

It is always strange when I don’t have any significant chores.

When I got home yesterday, I actually was all kinds of happy. First off, it is really wonderful seeing the back side of the house all painted. Secondly, my house was clean! We had cleaned up quite a bit for the arrival of the house inspector. This is all for a refinance taking place. We wanted the place clean and ready.

The inspector I guess was not there super long. He was pleased with the new windows and our connected smoke detectors. He took some pictures and I guess we will find out at some point soon what all it does for the points. If we are lucky, it could mean upwards of $500 savings each month. Of course, it might only be a couple hundred, but either way, it is all good!

Part of me really wanted the inspector to say how pretty Steve is. I have a lot of pride in my home.

Since the place was clean and I had no practice or homework to contend with, I opted to watch a movie. Ken was at class and the boys in the midst of simulating goats, so I ended up watching Brave. I always think I will make it through the flick without crying. I am always wrong.

Tonight there is another fundraiser night for the region. This time it is at BJ’s. The boys also have their sculpting class. In some ways, I am a little excited that there is a smidge of clutter since it will give me something to do when I get home. That being said, I really need to start pulling receipts for this audit for the region. Bleah.

I am considering going back to brown for a while. The cool colors of blue and purple are wonderful, but right now I am back at a need to pre-lighten before I can do more, and I am not 100% sure if I want to do that right now. I have two containers of a beautiful purple from Manic Panic that I would like to use, but between the lightening and the boys wanting me to stay blue, I am torn. So perhaps I should go brown again for the winter. Then again, I noticed this morning when I put in my avocado oil mix it seemed to make everything ok again, so perhaps using the gentle powder for lightening would be ok? Sigh, can we say first world problems?

My gums still hurt a bit. I have the one spot that I am getting fixed where there is what the dentist called a food trap. I had some chicken stuck there on Monday and I had to really dig it out, causing some lingering pain. I have another spot where when they cleaned my teeth it was a little sore after. I hate that.

Sigh, now it is time to work. 

Motivation overload

11-10-14

I have been at this company 14 years today.

It was a long and satisfying weekend. I started early by bailing on work on Friday and I went home to sleep some more. I then was able to drive the boys to school on my way to Target. I wish I had picked up more of the cereal they had there from Halloween since it was so cheap. I had picked up a box of Count Chocula because it was fifty cents, unsure if the boys would like it. Sure enough, they did, but when we went back yesterday they had sold out of the last of the boxes. Oh well.

I then spent the day in cleaning mode. I took care of clutter and got a lot of things done. It was great! I always feel so refreshed after I clean up. I can crank the music and I can see the results of my labor pretty quickly.

Stephanie and Sabrina came over not long before Ken and the boys got home from work and school respectively. The kids played while Stephanie and I hit up a local dispensary. They didn’t stay super late, but it was awesome being able to visit, especially since we had plans on hanging out on Sunday morning but they ended up having Nutcracker rehearsals.

Since the boys were playing on the computer, Ken and I settled in to watch some tv. He scrolled through Netflix and jokingly suggested Red Dawn. I happily accepted. I had never seen it and I was content with my Taco Bell and was about to take a couple hits to just chill. Ken seemed surprised at my willingness to watch the movie, but didn’t try to talk me out of it.

So, um, yeah, I had always been under the impression that Red Dawn was more like a campy fun film where this rag tag bunch of kids save the day when some idiot Russians came to take over a small town. I was expecting something like a Hogan’s Heroes with wacky bad guys and cheesy puns. I have NO IDEA where I got this impression of the flick. I know I had thought this for a while. I even felt outrage on behalf of all fans of the flick when the new version was made with Thor and Peeta thinking that it seemed wrong to put a serious spin on the storyline.

My realization that this was not an 80’s rom-com came quickly and with a giant kick in the gut as these guys dropped from the sky near the school and then proceeded to gun down a teacher in cold blood.

Mind you, the movie was amazing! I found myself cheering every time they got a bad guy and I was happily shouting out, “Wolverines!” every chance I got. That flick holds up! I was so impressed and in some ways I almost want to see the remake just to see what they added. All in all, I was blown away!

Saturday was all about the soccer. We went down to set up the field normal times. I was all proud that I painted a whole field and got the flags up before other people showed up. With it being the first game of the day, we were dealing with the humidity coming off the grass, but it was ok.

The game was once again great to watch. We tied, but it was a good match. Dax at one point was in goal but had to run to the other side to take a corner kick for us. After he kicked it, he was booking it back to goal. On the way to the goal, he actually ran down the ball and stopped it in the middle of the field in order to slow down the game. I am telling you, it was amazing to watch. I think this next week I am going to try and film the game.

After the game, we hung out at the field because, well, we always do, and also because I had a game assignment! Yep, that’s right, I refereed a game! Ok, I was only the AR (assistant) but it still was a big deal. Luckily it was a girls’ game. They are so much sweeter and let’s face it, slower to a degree. I think I did ok in terms of performance, but the best part was the girls. I knew one of them, but overall, both teams knew me from having seen me around. They were all super happy to see me and were chipper and sweet and lovely. It was a little tough trying to not just watch and cheer good plays, but I managed. I enjoyed myself, despite being a little sore from the running. Ha!

After the game we headed over to Dylan and Taylor’s birthday party. It was over at Anderson Park. It actually worked out ok in terms of us showing up a little late since the boys felt awkward that they didn’t know anyone outside of Dylan and Taylor. We got there in time for things like the piñata and cake, which is what all kids love. Dax managed to scalp the minion piñata, which was really fun. Both boys had the face painter put the Firefoxes logo on their arm. It was a fun afternoon.

Sunday had Ken at soccer fields all morning, which left the boys and I to do our thing. We tried to hunt down some Count Chocula to no avail, but did manage to clean up some clutter around the house. I also cleaned out the guest room, getting it prepped for the bed to be set up. I also knew we needed to do some hardcore cleaning due to an inspection coming tomorrow for a house assessment for refinancing.

Once Ken got home, we jetted over to Ikea in order to get a mattress and bookshelf. Bobby helped me make the bed and decorate a bit in the guest room while Dax helped Ken build the bookshelf. We may need to go get a couple more of the shelves since it was cheap and awesome looking. I need at least one more for now, but most likely we need 2 or 3 more total. I will line the walls downstairs since we have so many books.

Ken is taking down the pool today and painting the rest of the house, which is awesome! That is super happy making for me. I know it is kind of a small thing, but it means a lot to me. It also means I can work on the yard and side of the house.

Have I mentioned how much I love my house? I actually like cleaning it because I feel like I am grooming this critter that I adore, making sure it is all happy. It is silly, I know, but I am gonna say, it makes for a happy life when you enjoy where you live.

No school for the boys today or tomorrow.

On Dec. 10, I am going to the Los Angeles County Cemetery. That morning they will be doing their annual burial of the unclaimed bodies. I have wanted to go to this for a couple of years but have always missed it and only found out when it was after the fact. So now that I was proactive, I had already put in my calendar, but now that I have the actual date and time, I am pleased. It is most likely that I will be going by myself, but I am happy to just be there.

Today has a dentist appointment for Bobby and I this afternoon. I am only bummed because I want more time to get everything looking nice at home. I realize I have time tomorrow, but still. I feel all motivated. 

Mortal Enemy

11-5-14

So I guess I am a referee now.

Yesterday I took the two training classes that certify me to be a referee in AYSO. I took the online training in the morning, which was pretty much reading a bunch of slides and learning the rules. The class was last night and thankfully taught by this one ref guy who is awesome and fun. This class was put together kind of quickly since many of the divisions, mine in particular, were scrambling for ref points in order to go on to Area Playoffs. Our team will most likely have plenty of points, what with Ken being a referee, but I wanted to just be able to help out if ever needed. One team that was there actually had I think 4 plus the coach taking the training, which was kind of cool to see them all so dedicated to allow their kids to play.

Sadly, one of them was Mega Bitch.

Yeah, this is the mom that for whatever reason I feel like I am in an epic battle with. She volunteers at the school, I volunteer at the school. I determined that she had the upper hand in the school battle so I was ok with being more of the soccer mom and not the PTA mom. Now this bitch is on my turf. I know she is only reffing because her boys play. I actually really like one of her kids. He is a total sweetheart. That being said, I just can’t stand her.

I try to be nice to her, but she scowls at me whenever I do. She is nice to me when there are others around, and I know she is “nice” to other people since I have seen her at the school. Yet for whatever reason, she hates me and in turn, I hate her. It is silly and petty, but I suppose it is kind of fun having a mortal enemy.

She just wishes she was nearly as cool as me.

I am tired this morning since I didn’t get to bed until about 10 last night. I am currently nursing a diet soda, hoping the caffeine kicks in along with it being kind of cold so I don’t get too cozy here at work. I do see a bit of work around me that needs to be done, so hopefully that will get me through the day.

The boys start their sculpting class today. They have desperately wanted to take this afterschool class since last year, but it would have been hell last year since they were on different teams which meant just about every day was a soccer practice. This year, with the class only being on Wednesdays and them having practice on Tuesday and Thursdays, it isn’t so bad. Plus, Wednesday is their early release day, so instead of them getting home early, they will simply stay at the school till normal release time and be at this class. It gives me a whole other hour each week. Yay!

The boys were invited to another birthday party this month, meaning this Saturday and the Saturday after that are party booked. I only have to stay at this week’s, but next week I make take advantage of the couple of hours and maybe I can look into doing a bit of early Christmas shopping for them. Then again, I have earmarked in some catalogs things I want to do for them and realistically I plan on looking for all of the items on Amazon.

I know I should do some housework when I get home but I am seriously considering just taking a nice nap.

When I was a kid I always thought it was odd that dry cleaning places would have a sign talking bragging about the fact that they had a plant on premises thinking that no one cared that they had some kind of fern in their shop.

It has been so nice not needing a fan at night. I have actually been cold enough in the mornings to turn on the heat in the car. Right now I am rockin a sweater. Fall has finally arrived in both temperature and scent. I walked home from the class last night and it was heavenly.

Alright, time to work.

Halloween Adventures 2014

11-3-14

Typing is hard when using these nails.

The weekend was crazy. It started on Thursday and in some ways seemed to last a week. In other ways it seemed to last only a few hours. All of it was busy.

Thursday Dax came home from school completely broken out in a horrid rash. It was everywhere. He was warm to the touch and looked puffy. I wouldn’t have worried as much had that morning not been filled with concern from his random episode concerning nausea and random vision issues. I gave him a Benadryl and packed the boys up with homework and iPads and set out to Urgent Care. Thankfully Ken’s class was right next door so he met up with us there.

The good news is that the doc gave some good ideas behind the vision issues in the morning. If Dax was tired, pooping and not feeling great, his blood pressure most likely dropped quickly which caused vision issues. All of it was most likely not associated or related to the new symptom.

The bad news is that realistically we will never know what caused the rash. The doc said that 90% of the time kids come in with this and they never figure it out. The rash is treated and it doesn’t come back, either. Crazy! Mr. Dax impressed by being able to swallow pills and he got a shot with not even a whimper. It was great since you could see how quickly the redness cleared up.

He was given meds and told to use more Benadryl. Friday he was still kind of puffy and itchy. We have cream on hand, too, so I put that on him. All of it helped, and by Saturday he looked like he was back to normal. Yay!

Friday morning I went up to the school with the boys to watch their parade. It was so much fun! The boys were the only one as their characters they chose. Bobby’s Mad Eye Moody costume looked great and he really embraced the part. Dax had a lot of fun as Groot. I dressed up in my ball gown and the cool wings we had picked up a couple years ago. Those wings were amazing. I got gobs of compliments.

I spent the afternoon in Bobby’s class helping with their party. I had so much fun! We had an eyeball toss and a mummy toss. Yeah, lots of tossing. I loved chatting with the kids. One kid, Matthew, who was on the Creepers last year was talking to me along with Alex on our team this year. I pointed out to Alex that I was doing snacks for the game and Matthew, remembering my snacks from last year, cheered. I showed him a picture of what I had made, and he said it looked awesome!! YAY!

Ken thinks I am an alpha female. I never considered myself this. He said this is probably why this one mom (Matthew’s mother) doesn’t like me since she is an alpha female, too. I don’t know if I agree with him. I am confused.

The Campbells came over at around 5 and we had a really great night! We took the kids trick or treating, which was fun. We even came across a house with full sized candy bars and one who pointed to a box and told the kids to help themselves. It felt so quaint and awesome.

I did enjoy that we came across a set of parents who were all so proper, sipping their coffee. Stephanie, Dave and I were not the coffee parents, but the high and tipsy ones. LOL!!

My folks came by and it felt like we had a nice fun and cozy family gathering. I had a lot of fun. Kids were coming by until about 9. I loved that many kids who came by while we were out (Ken stayed behind to pass out candy) asked for the boys. Local celebrities! Yay!

Saturday morning was raining and awesome. The soccer field had multiple downpours, which were brief, cold, wet, but all around wonderful. I loved hearing the screams of the kids when it would happen. There was a joy in the sound along with the slight terror. I loved it.

The game was amazing. We were playing the first place team, and we managed a 2 to 2 tie! Really fantastic. We also were playing fantastic. Dax in particular was on fire. He was showing some new skills and truly he is such a natural out there. He even scored his first goal! He kicked a corner kick that bounced off a defender and went in. He didn’t even realize it! I had to tell him after the game that he scored! Bobby was incredible! He was stopping any person coming at him and always cleared the ball with a perfect kick.

What was even better was watching Bobby and Dax play together. They were working together with defense and it was like a well oiled machine. It was this incredible communication between them that was unspoken. They knew where each other would be. I know perhaps it was lucky, but I am telling you, I am such a proud mama on the sidelines.

Ken had soccer field duties all day since it was the second double header day for the girls at the field. I went and got him lunch and then watched him ref the last game. I know I didn’t have to, but I really wanted to.

We watched Django Unchained that night, and holy crap, that flick was awesome! Quentin Terrantino is a brilliant filmmaker. I was so glad it came out on Netflix!

Sunday was the first day in a while that we slept in. The day was spent taking down decorations and trying to recover from the holiday. I liked that the boys were a little perplexed as to what things to put away since as they pointed out, much of my décor is slightly Halloween-esque.

The boys played out front for a long time, using Nerf guns and building some kind of a fort. I was surprised they were outside, but didn’t question it. Turns out that I had said to Bobby if he didn’t change his attitude he would lose the computer all day. He took it as he had lost his computer. He asked me later if he could have it back. Oops! I granted permission but was not so secretly glad I had made him play for a while.

Jerry and Nicole picked us up one of the folding wagons at Sam’s Club and brought it by. We had been saying we wanted to pick one up but Costco didn’t have them anymore. Jerry texted us showing us Sam’s Club had them so we asked them to pick one up. Yay! When they were over, we also made some plans for Thanksgiving weekend to go see Mockingjay. Woo! It will be a grownup double date. Fun!

Today I should finish up the house cleanup when I get home. I don’t want to, but someone has to do it. I have late nights ahead of me, what with referee training tomorrow night and a board meeting on Thursday. I will most likely have fun at both, but I know I will be tired come Friday.

Saturday is an early game with the Machado twin’s party in the afternoon. I will look forward to Sunday which appears to have nothing on tap. Yay!

I am going to make some salt dough tonight, too, for Bobby’s class. It looks to be pretty easy and I am pretty sure I have all of the ingredients on hand so it won’t be hard. It also makes me feel like I am contributing. I sometimes feel like I don’t do enough for the school. I do a lot for soccer, so I know I have that covered, but I feel like maybe I should do more.

Now it is time for me to do some work. Gotta pay the bills.