Spring is Really Springing

It's been a crazy winter - 3 snow days and all of them BEFORE Christmas break.  And everyone (even ME) is ready for some nicer (warm, not HOT) weather.  Today was a day to start a little bit of spring cleaning yard work and do a little bit of playing on the tire swing.

 I still don't know what this tree is - but for the 10 days or so that it blooms - it is beautiful  Patrick and I have decided this may be its last year.  One side is pretty much dead.  We keep cutting it back, but eventually, it's just going to topple over because there are only branches left on one side!

Murph is getting too tall for the tire swing, but Peyton really wanted her turn pushing her brother.  Seems like he's having a good time!

 I remember when Patrick hung up the tire swing that she so badly wanted.  I must admit - I thought it would be a passing fancy and it would hang out there and never get used.  But she loves it and plays on it every week.  I'm so glad the kids would rather play outside than sit on computer screens and in front of the tv (not that they don't do some of that!)

Even Sophie and her overgrown winter coat are enjoying the sunshine.  She does NOT want a ride on the tire swing - she'd rather just supervise!

Murph thought he should show off his Spring football conditioning.  His sister is a willing participant - I mean who doesn't like to get picked up and spun around?

Sweet or Sour is this game they play where they wave at cars and if they wave or honk back - they are Sweet.  If they ignore you or are mean - they are Sour.  I think it's just an excuse to climb up on the fence and sit for a while on a beautiful day!

HMS Cheer Tryouts

A few weeks ago, Peyton informed me that the "cheer meeting" was next Wednesday...WHAT?  What cheer meeting?  Apparently, my daughter wanted to try out for the 7th grade cheer squad.

She'd mentioned it when we saw the cheerleaders at her brother's football games and she'd been to a couple of cheer clinics - little one-day things where she learned a cheer and got a t-shirt.  I'd even planned on putting her into some kind of acro or cheer camp this summer.  But because cheer is a class period instead of the regular before- or after-school athletics, try outs happen in March.

Off we went to United Cheer for lessons - 2 months in a class and 4 private lessons to work on jumps.  She did really well.  Got her back handspring on the bubble and the trampoline the very first night.  Getting it on the floor was another thing.  She has it, but it's not second nature yet.

Peyton is a dancer.  She has a dancer's posture and a dancer's body.  She is MUCH more flexible that the girls at United.  Her back bends in a way that makes it tough to do a back handspring correctly.  She jumps all the way around in a circle instead of just back to the floor and over.  It was a battle.

But she worked hard.  She was determined and she was brave at tryouts.  I don't have any pictures from tryouts because they were closed.

 Here she is heading off for the first day of tryouts...

And here she is after the second day of tryouts with her friend heading into a tumbling class at United

Tryouts were Tuesday and Wednesday and the list would be posted on Friday at 4pm.  It was the longest couple of days I can remember.  I felt pretty sure she made it.  There were 23 girls who tried out and they didn't have a set number they were selecting.

There were 11 acro girls - could do back handsprings, back tucks, back layouts, arials - all of it.  There were 11 girls who couldn't do much more than a cartwheel.  And then there was Peyton.  She can do a great running round off and she can land her standing back handspring about half the time.  She landed it on the second day of tryouts.  She was right in the middle with a strong dance background.  She had also worked really hard at her jumps which really helped her scores.

So we waited...well, she waited.  I checked the website every 15 minutes until I saw the list.  And she made it.  I picked her up from school and we were going to head home, pick up her brother and then go check the list.  But she couldn't wait.  She asked to see my phone so she could check the web site and saw that she made it!  One of 17 selected for the squad!

 Hillwood Middle School 7th Grade Cheer Squad 2014-2015

 Checking out the list on the school front doors...there she is!

A little celebration

One Word Wednesday

Tomorrow is the first One Word Wednesday for my website/blog.  I really want to connect with people who are caregivers through this forum.  It may be tougher than I imagined.  There aren't as many caregivers blogging as I thought.  It's been my salvation, but I also know you really have to make a commitment or your caregiving duties will consume every minute of your time.

The kids wanted to be involved, so I typed up 52 word prompts and put them in a jar.  And each Tuesday night, the kids will take turns pulling a word that we will write on each week.

 Taking a break from homework to pull the very first OWW word

 I had to show the picture twice because Peyton took so long to actually pull a word.  She fussed in that jar fingering all the little paper words...she was determined to pull just the right one.

 NURTURE was our very first word

This is Peyton's rendition of Nurturing - with Bubbles

Let's Dance!

Yesterday was Peyton's very first dance competition.  I remember the day she tried out for Comp Team.  We were both nervous!  And yet, I knew she'd make it.  And she did.  She ended up on Junior 1.  There've been some changes this year - one of the girls quit in the middle of the season - right after the Christmas parade in Keller.  Of course that meant they had to reblock all their dances. 

Little by little the costumes have been showing up at the studio - Peyton's favorite thing in the world.  They got 2 beautiful costumes this year and a hand-me-down that I'm not that crazy about.  Apparently the one they decided on got snatched up by another team...which is a bunch of nonsense to me, but it's not my studio. 

So the big night is here and it's an hour's drive away.  Of course we get lost - I Map Quested instead of using my Navigation on my phone.  A panicked call to Jeneva and some directions from her husband and we made it on time.

There was a specific competition hairstyle that we did right after school, make up that was started in the car and finished once we got there and then the costumes.  There is pressure in making sure you have all the stuff - the right tights, an extra pair, the fishnets, all the shoes, the competition jewelry, the hair pins, the hair spray, the butt tape, the makeup, the false eyelashes - good heavens!

No parent meeting can prepare you for competition.  You just have to overpack and pray for the best.  The girls were magnificent.  They danced beautifully, the scored gold and high gold.  I brought too much stuff, but I learned and we did better on the next one. 

 Helping Miss Victoria with her stage eye makeup

 Red, Red, Red lips are a must!

 Cynthia was fascinated watching Peyton put on her makeup

 Beautiful girl

 stretching, practicing, run through in the hallway

 off to perform their very first competition dance

 Victoria and Peyton in their tap costumes

 My girl after a wonderful performance - she lights up the stage!

Medals!

Murphy Perfect Day

Yesterday was anything but classically perfect, but it was family perfect.  Peanut is sick.  Stuffy, feverish, watery, miserably sick.  The weather was overcast.  The bank account is empty in the recreational funds portion.  The Buckeyes lost to Michigan in the Big 10 Tourney.  Mom was edgy and bitchy (and yes, I looked for a kinder word, but that's the only one  that does it justice folks!)

But we were all home together.  We had nothing that HAD to be done.  We wanted to be home together - nobody yearning or whining to be somewhere else.  We are a family.  We have food in the pantry, including the good potato chips and everything you need to make brownies.  We have medicine for Peyton, boxes of tissue, 7-Up, ice packs to cool her and comfy blankies to warm her.  We have furniture that begs to be laid on - even with your shoes on.  We've got movie channels and Netflix.  We had a fire in the fireplace.

And then we got rain.  The ultimate stay-at-home-lazy-day accessory!  It's like a heaven sent excuse to not do anything.  Read a book.  Work on a website.  Play a game.   Watch a movie.  Make a fire.  Bake some brownies.

There was talk on the news that we might get 'severe storms'.  That worried me.  Sophie is so frightened by storms - especially thunder.  She is a rescue dog and I am guessing thunder reminds her of some scarier times.  Peanut is terrified of the idea of a tornado.  She can remember vividly the time we had to hide in the closet and the sound of the sirens.  Mom isn't exactly afraid of storms, but she doesn't understand the preparation for a storm.  If I bring things up close to the house or light candles or move the big baskets out of the closet (just in case) it really upsets her.  She will stare at whatever is out of place and mumble conversations to herself trying to make sense out of the things that aren't the way they are 'supposed to be' in her mind.

So, I was grateful for the rain we got (we really needed it), but thankful that the severe storms did not materialize.  It poured - big puddles in the yard poured!  And then it let up.  So the boys took off to return a couple of movies.  They hadn't been gone but a minute when the phone rang - with a request to RUN outside to see the rainbow.

It was the kind of rainbow we don't get to see that much here in the suburbs.  A full arc.  Bright colors and a pot of gold at the end, no doubt!  So we called my neighbor - because this was a rainbow to be shared - and we went out front where it developed into a double rainbow.  I wasn't able to capture that with my phone (if you squint your eyes and use a bit of imagination you can kind of see it in the picture below), but I have it in my mind and it was so beautiful.

The sign that God keeps His promises.  A message that everything is happening exactly as it is supposed to happen.  That we are Loved.  A perfect ending to a classically imperfect day that really was Murphy Family perfect!

Father / Son Time

In this new time of responsible spending, I have become somewhat of an expert on when to buy and when to make.  For instance - we bought pizza last night - $5 faves are cheaper than most good frozen pizzas and much cheaper than make-it-yourself pizza.  Even my favorite french bread pizza recipe - which I deem to be a Bargain (notice the capital B?) is more expensive than 2 $5 faves when you have 5 hungry people and aren't planning any sides.  So we bought.  Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets - a no brainer!  I make them.  I can feed my entire family for the price of 2 of their nugget meals, drinks included.

Anyway, now that we were able to finally save up for a new TV for the upstairs, we were able to move the tiny TV into Murph's room so he can play video games and not displace the entire household.  Or the kids can watch their shows.  Occasionally, he can fall asleep to noise on those days when he needs some noise to fall asleep to.  And on days when they just can't muster any more patience to deal with mom - they have a place they can escape to and watch a movie.

Now, my Responsible Spending Logic says - I can buy a TV stand online cheaper than we can make one.  But that's when you are only factoring in wood and nails. 

My husband has always been good with wood and tools - I think he gets it from his Grandpa Carl.  And he enjoys the work.  And this week he got to share it with our son.

They planned it all out on paper - sketches, measurements, angles (it was pretty exciting to make Murph realize he HAD to use geometry in a regular day-to-day situation!).  They shopped for wood.  They used the saw, the drill, the hammer, the sander, wood glue, nails, screws.

And they spent time together laughing and learning and "rockin' out" and in the end - they had more than a new TV stand.  They had a story.  They shared an experience.  They created something together that they will remember forever.  I'd say that knocks Responsible Spending Logic right out the window!

Lazy Saturday...

Everyone got up early...and then somehow everyone but me went right back to sleep (notice my bed is already made)!  Peyton was OUT!  But she was so cute I had to snap a picture.  (and so out that she didn't immediately wake up and as say "MOM!  WHAT did you take a picture of????  You're not going to post that on Facebook are you????") 

Sophie - always a fan of a good nap, managed to find a spot right next to her to grab an extra hour of snoozing.  She was so comfortable that she didn't even come downstairs for breakfast until it was all the way ready.  Sophie wouldn't miss my Mama Eggs for anything!

 Once everyone was up (I had gotten mom up, gotten us both coffee and breakfast, gotten her bathroom clean, started a load of laundry, clipped a few coupons, finalized a grocery list and done the week's food shopping...and yes, I am patting myself on the back!) by then.  Anyway, the kids couldn't agree on lunch, so I told them they were going to have to figure it out and make it themselves.  Which means pancakes!  And sausage!  That's what they know how to cook.  Murph can make a pretty mean omelet and they both make sandwiches, salads, etc.  But they wanted to cook.  So pancakes it would be!  And who am I kidding?  Everyone loves pancakes and we didn't have them earlier in the week when it was National Pancake Day and Mike Golic ate 20 of them (maybe more) while they were on the air! 

These were their very best pancakes ever!  They have mastered seasoning the pan, making the baby test pancake, knowing when to flip, how to flip and how to cool off the pan if they are getting too browned.  They know how to set up a sheet tray in the oven to keep the first ones warm while the last ones cook.  They are in constant competition with each other over who has the best pancake and then they try and make an "art pancake" with the last of the batter.  Murph tried a swirl, which ended up being a "C", lots of teeny-tiny dot pancakes and one that ended up looking like a little cartoon man driving a car and Peanut made a heart pancake for me...AWWWW!  It was the best pancake ever! 

After the dishes were done and the kitchen back to normal, Patrick had to head off to work...boo!  Then Peanut and I headed off in search of a new bathing suit for her - she is going away with friends for part of Spring Break and none of her old suits fit.  Found one at Penney's, along with a couple of new pairs of flip flops that were too on sale not to buy!  Then home to try our hands at knock-off Panera Bread Mac and Cheese - delightful!  And now everyone has settled into their own thing. 

Mom is starting her nighttime back and forth between the couch and her room.  Murph is on his phone and watching the many hours of the NFL Combine that he recorded and I am threatening to erase.  Peyton is "socializing" on the iPad and I came in here to pay bills.  Then I remembered the cute photos, the nice day and the 10-15 minutes I still have to myself before it's time to start getting mom ready for bed and thought I would record some Marvelous Murphy history before it's gone from my brain.

Catching Up

Heard about a new app last night while Peanut was at gymnastics and it got me looking at my photos and vids.  Also got me realizing I have missed recording some pretty important things in this little storybook blog.

My beautiful son turned 15 last Friday.  So hard for me to believe.  I am sure part of that disbelief comes from the fact that he is still a bit of a kid.  I like that.  Actually, I LOVE that!  Patrick had to work that night (of course they changed his schedule at the last minute) so we took him out to lunch to celebrate.  He didn't get one of the athlete schedules where he has athletics and then lunch - he has 2 AP classes on either side, so it had to be a quick pick up and drop off - Geometry test right after!  So we took him to Cheddar's and let him get a dessert as big as his head.  Nothing like a Monster Cookie to make you feel special on your birthday!

We also got him one of the Burton hoodies that mimic the Olympic snowboard uniforms.  He was obsessed with all the extreme sports in Sochi - especially the Slope Style.  Only kid at his school to have one... and he loves it.  Sadly, it took an act of congress to get it off him to wash it finally!  Boys!




Peyton finally got her back handspring on the ground.  Big accomplishment!  High adrenaline!  Not the best video - but at least I got it.  I am trying to insert it here, but failing...for the moment.  I don't give up that easily!




Then we had Saturday - 81 degrees outside - lots of yard work and sunshine.  Mom was happy as could be to sit outside.  Murph mowed, Patrick and I raked.  Peyton cleaned the windows the old fashioned way - I taught her the newspaper trick that Katherine taught me at the motel years and years ago!  Sophie just sat around enjoying the sunshine and barking at squirrels she couldn't catch!

Saturday night also meant Murph's "party" - not that 15 year olds have parties anymore.  We did take a group of boys to Altitude (the trampoline place) and then had a sleepover with pizza and birthday brownies.  Peyton went too...perfect place to practice her gymnastic stunts.  And for the first time in all the times we've been there - they were all ready to leave 20 minutes BEFORE their 3 hours was up!  I call that a successful trip.

Then they ate pizza (wolfed pizza, to be exact), drank too much soda and stayed up pretty much all night playing video games.  Yay!




Then on Sunday we got freezing rain and ice, 20 degrees tops and the Oscars.  Lazy fireplace day except for getting the boys home and quick run to the grocery.  School ended up being canceled on Monday - for no real reason.  But the kids loved it!

Peyton disappeared upstairs at one point and came down with some balloon animals and this flower.  You gotta love YouTube tutorials!

They also "watched tv" - which these days means - the tv is on a show they have already seen and Peanut is on the iPad and Murph is on his phone.  But hey!  They are getting along and his room is back to normal after the sleepover.  I'll take it.

Tuesday sent everybody back to reality - school, dance, conditioning, homework, work, trying to build a website...thank goodness for my sweet husband.  It is something I really want, but I am in completely over my head and he just plows right through the tech jargon and overlapping computer nonsense.  I'm making a nice binder of all the things we need to remember - include 340 passwords...perhaps I exaggerate...but not by much!

Last night I'd say we OD'd on reality...we had a mental and physical meltdown after gymnastics.  This back handspring (which seems to come quite naturally to some)  is pushing my daughter to the limit.  And although I am tempted to coddle her - that's not going to help her get it.  She needs to face the fear or decide it's not that important.  But it breaks my heart to see her so upset and frustrated.  She can still do it, but it's still hard, she's still scared and it hurts her body to go over and over and over again on her wrists...I just don't think there is anything else you do that can prepare you for that kind of impact on your wrists and elbows.  So she broke down a little.  And she cried.  And she melted into my arms.  And then she put on the fuzziest jammies she could find and she got out Spot and Bubbles and sat by the fire to finish her homework.  Obviously, there was a need for a dish of ice cream after all the trauma/drama.  And this morning she is ready to go again.  God Bless our children and their resilience and determination and strength.