I really am a soccer mom...

I tried to deny it for a long time...but I really am a Soccer Mom.  It seems to have such a negative connotation  but these days I am embracing the term with pride!  This past weekend my son and his soccer team played an impressive game and have ended their season undefeated!  They played against one of the best teams in their division and despite the fact that this other team plays a bit on the dirty side, our boys came out on top and won 4-1...it was A W E S O M E !  Stevie plays goalie and I am so proud to say that his half in the goal was a shut out for the other team.  He had some incredible stops...

See him...yep, the one in the orange and blue goalie jersey...he's mine!  He has come such a long way in playing soccer. He has been playing now for about 4 years.  Being the goalie and playing defense is what he loves to do and he has really gotten good at it. He actually just made the team for his middle school as a goalie and sweeper -- he is very excited about that.  He has gained great confidence and developed a NO FEAR attitude...although there are times when I wish he had just a little bit of fear in him...see THIS shot...

You KNOW my heart was in my chest watching my little guy (okay, so he's not necessarily a little guy any more at 11 years old and in 6th grade...) dive for that ball in amongst those players...especially with the opponent's foot coming right at his face! (thankfully he did not get hit in the face!) He made the stop and quite a few more like it throughout the game.  It was definitely his best game ever.  I am SO proud of him...please feel free to call me a Soccer Mom any time ;)

OH...and you see this guy...

the one there in the center...with the glasses and the black jacket...he's their coach...and my hunk <3

(Now if I could just find a way to instill some of that same confidence and No Fear attitude in my daughter we would be good to go...any suggestions?!)

She makes me CrAZy!

Do you see this girl?

She makes me CRAZY!

Don't get me wrong, I love her more than words can say but man how she can make me nuts....and break my heart :(

Last night she cried and cried for over an hour.  It wasn't any ONE thing, it seemed to be a LOT of things.  I guess even at 9 years old, us girls can still have a breakdown.  I have never felt more helpless than when I was listening and trying to console my little girl last night.

I am the first to admit though, that my girl has a flair for the dramatics...hence the reason I tend to call her my Diva Darling...although her Diva-ness only really shows itself at home.  At school she is quiet and shy...tends to be a follower rather than a leader.  I wish I could help her bring out the Diva when she is not home.  I wish I could help her not to give up so easily on herself or let others bring her down so quickly. 

She is emotional and tends to take things too much to heart and too personally.  She takes after her momma in that respect...yes, I can admit it.  Although at 37 years old I think I am finally growing out it...well, for the most part anyway! ;)  She thinks no one cares about her at school, that she is invisible, no one likes her, etc...drama queen, yes?  But at the same time I could see the hurt in her eyes last night...and it broke my heart.

If it is like this at 9 years old...WHAT will it be like when she hits 13?  or 16?  I worry that she will continually feel bad about herself and be miserable.  I can remember what it was like in school...feeling left out...not having the confidence in myself at that time to know that I was just fine the way I was.  I don't think any of us actually hear what our parents are trying to tell us until we are in adulthood and realize they really DID get it...well, at least SOME of the time ;)

I put a card in her lunchbox today telling her how much I love her and promised her some girl time...just her and I tonight while big brother and daddy do the soccer thing.  I am praying she will be feeling better when she gets home from school today and that knowing how much she is loved and cared about at home will make things seem a little brighter.

Almost Famous?

Anyone who knows me knows that scrapbooking is my first crafty love.  I began scrapbooking when I became a SAHM...we lived in downtown Chicago and I needed something to help me keep my sanity.  I don't get as much time to be creative now that I am back in the working world but still, being creative is definitely my sanity saver! 

I am a big fan of using sketches and PageMaps to jump start my scrapbooking and so I was thrilled when Becky Fleck from PageMaps contacted me to do a LO for the January 2011 PageMaps.  I was lucky enough to be asked in 2010 as well...I am so honored and flattered!  I admit, I feel a little giddy exchanging emails with her since she is one of my scrap heroes! (Yes, I AM a dork.) 

Anyway, just thought I would share my LO submission for the January 2011 sketch she asked me to use...

I love the pictures of with my not so little babies.  Sandra Yu did them.  I just LOVE the photos she took of my family this past November.  I recently had them made into a book from Snapfish.  I was able to get an 8.5x11 photo book with 20 pages for just the cost of shipping ($6.99)  It came in the mail yesterday and it was so fabulous!  I will definitley be ordering from them again.

Sandra also took my sister's engagement pictures and wedding pictures...can not wait to see those wedding pics!  Never have I seen my little sister look so stunning.  I will be sure and post a few when we get to see them.

A not so great start...

So, here's hoping your New Year is starting out better than mine. 

Not only did I have to go back to work on Monday but then yesterday I woke up with a yucky stomach bug -- and that's putting it nicely! ;)  I started feeling better late in the afternoon and figured I could putz around and slowly put the Christmas stuff away and then I wouldn't feel like my whole day was wasted.  I have to say, I made pretty darn good progress and was feeling pretty good about it...and then as I was walking in the garage, carrying a big rubbermaid bin to put on the shelf, I sliced my finger.  AAH!  I felt it happen but actually figured it was just a scrape since it didn't hurt initially....then I saw the blood...and left a trail from the garage to the kitchen sink.  Of course it was just me and my Diva Darling home since Daddy and Stevie were out at soccer practice.  God bless my baby girl though, she didn't even flinch...came to check on me then grabbed the windex and paper towels to clean up the blood and then got me the first aid kit.  As much as she can make me crazy, she really comes through for her mommy <3 

Needless to say, once the initial shock wore off, the pain set in.  GOOD GRACIOUS!  It is pretty deep and right on my knuckle...of my index finger...of my right hand...and yep, I am right-handed.  FANtastic!  (Thankfully, I think I can get away without having stitches!) It is all bruised and swollen and I can hardly bend it which has made writing at the office today quite tricky...it is my "mouse-clicking" finger though and  I couldn't even use it when I pulled the hairspray out this morning!  It is amazing how difficult little things we take for granted can be when you lose the simple mobility of one finger...there's a couple other things I could tell you about but that might end up being a little TMI! ;)

Not sure how my scrapbooking and creating is going to go know that I am slightly handicapped -- or would it be fingercapped?!  Crossing my fingers (don't worry, I am crossing the ones on my left hand!) that it will heal quickly and not hamper too many things.  My Diva Darling finished her science project last night so I am free to get back to creating!  Anxious to get my Gratitude Journal put together :)

And speaking of creating...if you are a scrapbooker with a lot of stash (seriously, if you are a scrapbooker without a huge stash, I would love to know your secret!) come on over to The House of Paper for the January Use Your Stash Challenge...who wouldn't love to win a gift certificate to The House of Paper Store so you can add MORE to your stash?!