Weekend fun

This is a journal type post, because I had so much fun this weekend with the kids so I want to remember it. I am really going to print my blog so far at blog2print so I we can have it as a keepsake for when the kids are adults someday. Then I can keep printing once a year and it won't be so much at a time!

Saturday: Robbie went in to work for a couple client meetings in the morning, so I picked up my Dad to come with me and the kiddos to watch Barbara's basketball game. This is only the second time or so that we've done something with just him and the kids and I (we went to the Domes a few weeks back) and it was really neat for him to have that time with his grandchildren - i really enjoyed it! I never thought I would be THAT kind of mom, that yells out stuff to her kids playing sports, but I can't help it! Barbara is still pretty lost and when I see her running around and not guarding her girl on defense I just can't help calling out! I used to get nervous before EVERY sports game I've played in, and I played basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer and field hockey. And now I am nervous for my kids' games!!?? I've GOT to stop that. :) I have 4 kids so far so that is going to be a LOT of games!! It's just that Barbara still really has no clue what she is doing so it is hard for me to watch because I'm thinking, oh I've got to work with her on ball handling- I need to teach her to WANT to get the ball, I should practice having her guard someone...etc. ha ha ha!! She'll pick it up eventually! That's what the weekly practices are for! It was pretty funny, after the first game, I had a little chat with her and said, Barbara, everything we've taught you about being polite, letting others go first, not annoying people or getting in their face, THROW IT out the window when it comes to playing basketball! You want to be so annoying to the girl you're guarding and up in her face that she can't get past you! Barbara looked a little surprised and slightly delighted, and she did MUCH better the next game, even guarding a girl twice her size. :)

Robbie met us at the game, but it was already over. My Dad suggested we head to Murf''s, so we had lunch and the kids had ice cream there.


Later in the afternoon, Barbara and I went to get haircuts at Supercuts, and stopped in Target. It was fun to go out just us girls- it had been a while since our last Mommy-daughter date.

Robbie got a haircut once we got home at his Mr. Dino's and then after dinner, Barbara and I left to go ice skating at Pettit! She and Jimmy have a board up on the fridge and they earn points for things like good behavior at Church, answering catechism questions correctly and trivia, helping out, doing something kind, etc. When they get to 100 points, they get to choose a provelege from the list- Jimmy got to go to Monster Jam with Robbie for earning 100 points. We write up other things like they can go to Barnes & Noble or Starbucks with us, and Barbara had ice skating with Mommy as an option. The rewards are usually one-on-one time things with a parent. I had found a groupon where for $11 you got 2 open skate admissions, 2 skate rentals and a bag of popcorn! Noah's hockey team was going to be facing off against one of the Dads from school and his team, at Pettit, so we were going to be going there for the game with the kids to watch anyhow. Barbara and I went early and skated at open skate, then met Robbie and the boys and Maggie, as well as the school mom and her daughter from Barbara's class to watch the hockey game. By the way, Sammy can say "HOCKEY GAME" - perfectly clear!

Hockey was a hoot. The teams had some bad blood from last time, so there were fights breaking out everywhere, which is unusual for this type of league! It was a really intense game. So we got home after 9, which probably wasn't the best idea with Sam and Leo since we had so much going on the next day, but oh well it was a blast!

On Sunday, Robbie left early to take Sammy to "Toddler Ministry" taught by the talented Krissy A. :) I had been hearing rave reviews from some other moms and figured that Sam could definitely use some ministering to! (That naughty guy drew BLOOD on both Leo and Jimmy this past weekend!!!!) Barbara, Jimmy Leo and I got to Church a little early as well, since Barbara was going to be reading petitions along with a few other classmates as part of the kickoff to Catholic Schools Week. After Mass, there was Donut Sunday, which Jimmy lives for. He has the calendar committed to memory of when the next Donut Sunday will be. Robbie took Sam & Leo to drop Sam off at my moms, while Barbara and Jimmy and I stayed on for Barbara to participate in the forensices tournament.

She did an awesome job, reading a book. I felt bad, because all the other kids seemed to be doing the cheesy gestures along with their pieces, and Robbie and I did not know they were supposed to do gestures- we really did not know what we were doing at all. Also, a friend had told me their piece needed to be 8 minutes long, so we had Barbara pick a book that went 8 minutes long. I guess 8 minutes was the maximum, so hers felt kind of long to me. Her delivery was good, though- she is good at looking up to make eye contact while reading aloud. The first time I think she was nervous b/c she didn't do the voices for the characters she'd practiced, but the second round she did all the voices. It was a great learning experience. I was surprised that later that evening we got a phone call saying the judges had picked her as one of 2 third graders to present their piece at the all-school awards ceremony at school the next day! So Maggie and I are going to go watch that today. Robbie and Barbara stayed after for the "power round" where the older kids did their pieces for a thrid time, and Robbie said it was hysterical- he was crying laughing!

So that was our weekend - busy but lots of fun! Now I'm bracing myself for the "blizzard" that is coming, and as soon as Leo wakes up I need to get to Aldi and stock up on groceries!! I'm pretty sure we're going to have a snow day on Weds...