Tom Hanks' character in the film "A League of Their Own" resounding rant. I love this quote for several reasons and I am constantly reminded of it because it happens to be one of "those" movies that hubs watches when he happens upon it channel surfing. This for me has a two fold meaning...
First, our oldest son, Ian, began playing baseball this year. Something he has not done since he was six. It was t-ball then in Murdo, SD. I don't remember much about the season that he played but I do remember the feeling of the lump in my throat that I got as I watched him play his first organised sport. Since the day he was born, I thought of that day. I knew that it was only gonna get better! Although he did not play another organised sport until he was in the seventh grade, I knew that he was gifted. Sports came as easy to him as they had to me. Again, I got the lump in my throat and tears welled in my eyes.
The feeling came again when our daughter, Nora, played her first volleyball game. A great sense of pride welled in my eyes as she so elegantly slammed to the floor in an attempt to dive for the ball. She did not play basketball as I had in high school and she felt very bad. For some odd reason she thought that I may be mad at her for not choosing to play. Instead, she choose to work on the school play! I was sooooo excited!! She was getting the opportunity that I never had. Once more is that she is not me. She was also in drama as a class all three years at her middle school. Something that I never got the chance to explore but one time a year. She was the student director her eighth grade year for the fall play and she had her very first acting part the spring play. I knew she was gifted. There certainly is no shortage of drama in this house!
Second, the legacy that I wish to pass on to my children is this; Never let'em see you sweat or cry, breakdown or what have you! "There's no crying in baseball!" Do it by yourself and in seclusion. Let it all out! Bawl like there is no tomorrow BUT don't let'em see you. Whether its your children, your boss, your spouse, coworkers, etc. Chances are that what ever the issue, it can be fixed. Albeit, not immediately, but it will work out. It's in His plan. He has a plan for you and you know how I love it when a plan comes together. Mom always told me that someone had to be in control. I did not like it but it was the truth. She made it look so easy. I am fairly certain that she too cried her self to sleep many a night! We gave you the tools to make good decisions. Trust your instinct, your gut. Let go and let God. If He LED you to it, He'll LEAD you through it...
...(slap on the butt cheek)Good Game!!!
Monday, 4 April 2011
Friday, 18 March 2011
Do I Work?
"So you ask...do I work? Uh yes,I work 24 hours a day...Why? Because I am a MOM, I am an a alarm clock,a cook,a maid,a teacher,a nanny,a nurse,a handyman,a security officer,a photographer,a counselor,a chauffeur,an ATM,a jungle gym & a comforter,I don't get holidays,sick pay or days off. I work through the Day &...Night... I am on call at "ALL hours"
.
Parenting the hardest job you'll ever love! I heard Oprah say that years ago and I thought that must be some other job out there that you just absolutely loved doing! I had that job. I loved working for UBS. I loved working with co- ordinators, educating donors, phlebotomy, developing newer techs, accomplishing company goals, and I LOVED setting up blood drives! Ask anyone that I worked with in the past 8 years. I would be setting up the ADS table and monitoring all the others setting up and I would hear the theme song to the A-Team in my head. " I love it when a plan comes together!" I had always worked outside the home, for as long as I can remember. I loved every minute of it, even in the bad times. Even in the bad times I knew it was gonna get better. I'll always remember Steve telling me that it was gonna be a "Dark October". Yes, even in the " dark times", I loved going to work.
As happy as I was at work, there was no balance in my home life. Three happy, healthy kids, a loving, supporting husband at my side. I should have felt good about being at home. However, I didn't. I felt inadequate and helpless. The only time I didn't feel that way was when I was in a few situations where I had to make split second decisions and prepare for the worst. Chris took care of the day to day stuff. In the end, all I did was go to work and come home. Nora was doing the laundry, Ian was doing the dishes, Chris kept the living ares picked up and they all took turns cooking. Even when Chris was gone, I was still working a lot but my mom took Chris' place. I would be up all night stressed out and crying myself to sleep only to be up at the butt crack of dawn to back at work. Work was where I felt safe and productive. The idea that I had wanted to impress upon my children was to be a responsible, reliable and goal driven adult. I missed games, parent/teacher conferences, concerts, plays, filed trips, etc. Most of the time I missed bedtime, bath time, meals, homework...
I missed those things of my own accord. In the last year at UBS, I began to realize all that I was missing at home. Thinking to myself that if I ever got the chance to do it all over again, would I get the same result? If I knew then what I know now? Did ya get that? I had to retype it ! LOL! I don't think so. I made the best decisions at the time. Some may argue that Ian and Nora may have suffered because I worked a lot but I disagree. To be honest, I did not start to have these feelings of being inadequate until Hunter came along. My mom has worked my whole life. It seemed only natural that I provide for my family as much as Chris. I have always admired those who choose to stay home. I never thought that I was suited for it. At the very least, I would never get the chance to try. Well the Air Force proved otherwise. When Chris called to tell me that we were moving to England, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders! I get the chance to work in the home.
So I traded in my scrubs for yoga pants, trip sheets for sports schedules, six pack truck for a minivan, monthly training days for coffee with the spouses and sleepless nights for peaceful rest. I pack Chris' lunches now! I still have it rough though. I get up with the kids every morning around 0630 and I am usually still awake when Chris gets home between 2300 and midnight! I am here to push the kids in and outta the shower, get homework done, and eat supper by six. Most of my day is taken up by laundry as the UK spec washer and dryer take VERY long time to process. I research recipes and BAKE! I am always trying English or Indian recipes or making something from scratch that we have had premade in the past. Trying get in better eating habits. I love going to the markets and getting fresh fruits and veg(that's what they call it over here). Hunter said the other day, " I want REAL mac'n cheese!" That is REAL!!! I have yet to have a regular cleaning schedule. I would like for it be a rotating kinda thing not just "oh for Pete's sake, this toilet is horrible" kinda cleaning! These things take time. I am certain that I will have it all figured out soon.
For now, I have balance! I am a SAHM and I am on call 24/7...
.
Parenting the hardest job you'll ever love! I heard Oprah say that years ago and I thought that must be some other job out there that you just absolutely loved doing! I had that job. I loved working for UBS. I loved working with co- ordinators, educating donors, phlebotomy, developing newer techs, accomplishing company goals, and I LOVED setting up blood drives! Ask anyone that I worked with in the past 8 years. I would be setting up the ADS table and monitoring all the others setting up and I would hear the theme song to the A-Team in my head. " I love it when a plan comes together!" I had always worked outside the home, for as long as I can remember. I loved every minute of it, even in the bad times. Even in the bad times I knew it was gonna get better. I'll always remember Steve telling me that it was gonna be a "Dark October". Yes, even in the " dark times", I loved going to work.
As happy as I was at work, there was no balance in my home life. Three happy, healthy kids, a loving, supporting husband at my side. I should have felt good about being at home. However, I didn't. I felt inadequate and helpless. The only time I didn't feel that way was when I was in a few situations where I had to make split second decisions and prepare for the worst. Chris took care of the day to day stuff. In the end, all I did was go to work and come home. Nora was doing the laundry, Ian was doing the dishes, Chris kept the living ares picked up and they all took turns cooking. Even when Chris was gone, I was still working a lot but my mom took Chris' place. I would be up all night stressed out and crying myself to sleep only to be up at the butt crack of dawn to back at work. Work was where I felt safe and productive. The idea that I had wanted to impress upon my children was to be a responsible, reliable and goal driven adult. I missed games, parent/teacher conferences, concerts, plays, filed trips, etc. Most of the time I missed bedtime, bath time, meals, homework...
I missed those things of my own accord. In the last year at UBS, I began to realize all that I was missing at home. Thinking to myself that if I ever got the chance to do it all over again, would I get the same result? If I knew then what I know now? Did ya get that? I had to retype it ! LOL! I don't think so. I made the best decisions at the time. Some may argue that Ian and Nora may have suffered because I worked a lot but I disagree. To be honest, I did not start to have these feelings of being inadequate until Hunter came along. My mom has worked my whole life. It seemed only natural that I provide for my family as much as Chris. I have always admired those who choose to stay home. I never thought that I was suited for it. At the very least, I would never get the chance to try. Well the Air Force proved otherwise. When Chris called to tell me that we were moving to England, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders! I get the chance to work in the home.
So I traded in my scrubs for yoga pants, trip sheets for sports schedules, six pack truck for a minivan, monthly training days for coffee with the spouses and sleepless nights for peaceful rest. I pack Chris' lunches now! I still have it rough though. I get up with the kids every morning around 0630 and I am usually still awake when Chris gets home between 2300 and midnight! I am here to push the kids in and outta the shower, get homework done, and eat supper by six. Most of my day is taken up by laundry as the UK spec washer and dryer take VERY long time to process. I research recipes and BAKE! I am always trying English or Indian recipes or making something from scratch that we have had premade in the past. Trying get in better eating habits. I love going to the markets and getting fresh fruits and veg(that's what they call it over here). Hunter said the other day, " I want REAL mac'n cheese!" That is REAL!!! I have yet to have a regular cleaning schedule. I would like for it be a rotating kinda thing not just "oh for Pete's sake, this toilet is horrible" kinda cleaning! These things take time. I am certain that I will have it all figured out soon.
For now, I have balance! I am a SAHM and I am on call 24/7...
Well, we have been in England now for 3 months on Wednesday. I must say, it feels like three years! Everyone's schedule has settled nicely, all except Chris'. Although he is on swings regularly, he was just put on 12 hour shifts. We got to have supper together but we won't see him for the rest of the weekend. What can I say, life in the military!
Ian finished out the basketball season and lettered as a sophomore! He did all sorts of traveling as well! Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Germany was the end of the season tournament so he was gone for a week! It was too long for the both of us. He turned 17 this year and is in full swing with baseball. This is new! He has never had the opportunity to play baseball before. He plays first base as a left-hander and relief pitches. We were so excited that he chose to play as we are avid Twins fans!!! I am certain the Grandpa Fred will be, too!
Nora turned 15 a few days and is still blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She is working very hard to learn her part in the spring play. She just finished a duologue piece with a classmate for the Shakespearean Festival at school last week. She stays pretty close to home but next year plans on playing three sports! She and I worked on a power point project for her French class the other day and I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge she had when it came using all the software! She has made many friends and is my muse when it comes to the British trends in fashion! As you can imagine, the trends are different over here. We love watching the British TV show, Gok's Fashion Roadshow, together!
Hunter is all boy! I saw a defination of the word boy the other day that desribed him to a T!...Boy; a noise with dirt on it. For sure! Once he got used to riding the lush school bus, he became a little more comfortable walking by himself to the bus stop. He and his class have been very busy! They all went to a play about Mother Goose in Bury St Edmunds this past December. They are also planning on going the the Dinosaur Adventure park. That should be fun. Maybe I should go with! The highlight for Hunter so far has been our trip to the ocean at Great Yarmouth. Its about an hours drive from home and we had a blast when we got there. It was very cold and windy but Hunter could have stayed there all day! While we were there we toured Sea Life. It was awesome!
I posted some random pictures and hope to get some more up in the near future! Take care and God Bless! We are indeed thankful to Him for all of our blessings and opportunities! Cheers!!! OXOXO
Ian finished out the basketball season and lettered as a sophomore! He did all sorts of traveling as well! Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. Germany was the end of the season tournament so he was gone for a week! It was too long for the both of us. He turned 17 this year and is in full swing with baseball. This is new! He has never had the opportunity to play baseball before. He plays first base as a left-hander and relief pitches. We were so excited that he chose to play as we are avid Twins fans!!! I am certain the Grandpa Fred will be, too!
Nora turned 15 a few days and is still blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She is working very hard to learn her part in the spring play. She just finished a duologue piece with a classmate for the Shakespearean Festival at school last week. She stays pretty close to home but next year plans on playing three sports! She and I worked on a power point project for her French class the other day and I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge she had when it came using all the software! She has made many friends and is my muse when it comes to the British trends in fashion! As you can imagine, the trends are different over here. We love watching the British TV show, Gok's Fashion Roadshow, together!
Hunter is all boy! I saw a defination of the word boy the other day that desribed him to a T!...Boy; a noise with dirt on it. For sure! Once he got used to riding the lush school bus, he became a little more comfortable walking by himself to the bus stop. He and his class have been very busy! They all went to a play about Mother Goose in Bury St Edmunds this past December. They are also planning on going the the Dinosaur Adventure park. That should be fun. Maybe I should go with! The highlight for Hunter so far has been our trip to the ocean at Great Yarmouth. Its about an hours drive from home and we had a blast when we got there. It was very cold and windy but Hunter could have stayed there all day! While we were there we toured Sea Life. It was awesome!
I posted some random pictures and hope to get some more up in the near future! Take care and God Bless! We are indeed thankful to Him for all of our blessings and opportunities! Cheers!!! OXOXO
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