A good mom

I finally became a good mom today when I took Hannah and Emily to the dentist for the very first time in their lives. I was nervous and mortified that I had to admit that I have never taken them to the dentist, but it turned out great. They had a pleasant experience and came away with a clean bill of health for their teeth--no cavities. Now, they are signed up next week to get sealants on their teeth to try to keep those pearly whites cavity free!

Now, I just have to swallow the bullet and get my own butt in there.

I posted this picture on my other blog, but wanted to share here too. Emily has been practicing and practicing and practicing her overhand serves and has been dying to use them in a game. Her coach doesn't want her to serve overhanded because she is inconsistent. She always gets her underhand serves over, so he'd rather her serve those to be safe--to rack up some points. But at the game this afternoon, her coach wasn't there, and she went for it. She made at least one over with each serving attempt, but she definitely could have scored her team WAY more points serving the other way.

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I was getting kind of frustrated with her, but then I stopped, and I watched her. She was fearless. She was determined. And she didn't just want to go the safe route. She was willing to take a chance.

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After the game (which they lost), she came off the court in tears. She said that getting to be team captain hinged on how many serves they get over the net and she really wants to be team captain. That's when we had a talk. I told her she had to decide which was more important: being team captain or serving overhand. And I told her that once she makes that decision, to stick with it and be proud whatever the result. She didn't say anything after that and was quiet all the way home, so I'm not sure what she was thinking.

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All I can say is that I felt very proud of her for taking a risk. Taking chances and stepping out of comfort zones is hard, and I struggle with that every day. It's nice to see that maybe Emily didn't inherit some things from me!

College Volleyball

Tonight, Hannah played volleyball at NKU (maybe an omen of things to come???) Her team entered a 5th grade volleyball tournament (yes, they played 5th grade teams with 5th grade rules and net height when still in the 4th grade). The first match they played was a miserable experience; they lost by a lot. The second match was more respectable. They were at least competitive and volleyed back and forth quite a bit.

I was actually very impressed with Hannah. Just this time last year, she struggled to get even one serve over the net. Now, she gets every single serve over and even over a higher net and from further back. She bumped the ball several times and tried to cheer her team on.

She played 3 matches tonight (winning the first regular season match), and even though I get tired running around, dealing with schedules that never stay the same (thanks to the fabulous planning of her school), and eating on the go, I do enjoy very much watching her play.

The outfit that never made it out of the house

That's right. I spent all this time this morning choosing an outfit for Mass only to find out that my boots, which I haven't worn yet, squeaked. The leather was so stiff and the noise was so loud, that I couldn't wear them out of the house. I could only see everyone turning to look at me as I went to Communion squeaking with every step. So, I didn't go. I didn't have time to change my outfit and get there on time. So, I took a picture to document the outfit that never made it out of the house! (I also posted this on my POTD blog)

What a snowstorm means to my family

For Ray, it means shoveling snow with the snow shovel I bought him for Christmas per his request...

For Hannah and Emily it means playing outside making a snowman...

And for me it means trying to get my groove on scrapbooking and looking for inspiration on the web

Losing my mojo.

With our snow day today and no papers for me to grade (because I already graded them), I tried to scrapbook. I say "try" because I wasn't very successful at it. Here's all I could come up with:

It doesn't even have a title because I don't know what to call it or where to put it.

It makes me sad that my scrapbooking mojo has disappeared.

But then again...

Maybe a color scheme like this...

would work since I really like orange too with turquoise and yellows...I'd keep tan couches maybe or paint the walls a tangerine color and use white couches...

And then in the kitchen, I could do some kind of backsplash with wallpaper (or paint treatment)like this

(I would be able to keep my cabinets the way they are...they would match and maybe my current countertops wouldn't look so bad--or perhaps painting the cabinets white and changing the countertops)

and then I can buy these cheap chairs from IKEA,

use the current clipcovers adding cute throw pillows or make new slipcovers, to create a sitting area in the empty corner the Christmas tree left behind, using pictures on the walls behind them...(envisioning them in the corner..you know pictures on opposing walls meeting in the corner) with some kind of table in between the two chairs...

Yeah, I think I'm kinda liking this idea...but then I still like that black wallpaper. Maybe I'll order a sample of it to see what I think. But this orange would work better with the dining room color and the yellow I have in the hallway...

I found these images on a blog that posts pictures for decorating inspiration. You can click here to see it if you wish!

Some considerations

I am sooo itching for a change in everything from my home decor to my looks to my love life. I spent part of the morning looking at wallpaper because I am seriously contemplating using some in my living room on the fireplace wall for some visual impact.

I originally thought of using this... (painting the walls some kind of greyish blue, using white slipcovers. I thought the black accents would still work thanks to the black stem and the tan would bring in the woodwork. Plus, I liked that it was shiny)



or maybe this...



I want to get away from the reds and tans that I have been using (even though I really LOVE red) to go more toward the grays and blues and whites (with punches of yellow). But I'm not sure either one of these wallpapers offer up a visual punch...

Then I saw this...



I liked the yellow and gray and white, but decided that perhaps it's too soft.

Then, I kinda really liked this one...imagine the impact this black would have (I'm thinking of doing black countertops...) on the one wall. Plus, I could get away with keeping the reds I have (which I really do love) and all my black accents like the coffee table and bookcases and even the black on the fireplace would work. And then add in the black countertops I hope to get one day. Plus, I think it would look good with the tan wood.



But then I came to this one...I am really leaning toward this (but after writing about the above wallpaper, I'm not so sure.) Maybe even painting the walls a light grey like the flower, using dark grey or even white on the couches (have some new ones in mind from IKEA..trying to convince Ray we NEED them) and then various throw pillows with greys and yellows and whites...




I don't know...what do you think? I'm really waffling between these two (and maybe even the first one). I'm going for impact...for a "wow" factor. For a change. But not one I'm going to hate a few weeks later!

Some things I'm looking at

Like making a clock similar to this one for Emily's room...



and artwork and prints like these for the basement...

my next reward for getting in shape...like maybe this purse...

or this dress...

and some new changes for the living room...like maybe wallpaper for the wall with the fireplace

or

Change of plans

So I finally managed to lose that last half pound (actually, a whole pound), so I went to buy that skirt outfit I had picked out. Problem is, it is sold out in my size. I was a little bummed until I found this:

I thought it was very cute and could be worn with a sweater or a long-sleeved shirt underneath and some knee-high boots in the winter and some cute sandals in the summer.

So I ordered it. It's on it's way.

Now, it's time to set my next goal...

Hannah's 2011 Debut

Just like Emily played her first game of the season yesterday, Hannah played hers today. She was awesome; her team was awesome.

(Pictures are a bit grainy and blurry thanks to the low light in the gym...)

(I didn't realize until I uploaded this picture that Hannah was standing out of the circle...going to have to chat with her about that...)

Her coach is great (you can't really see him, he is leaning down in the circle) and he stresses team spirit and they are learning soooo much about how to play volleyball--not just randomly hitting it over the net, but making plays and trying set and spike--which Hannah attempted tonight. She tried to spike the ball! There is no way on God's earth would she have done that last year.

She has grown so much in her confidence this year and she is so proud of her serve.

Which she does amazing at this year.

On a side note, Emily's team played today as well, and faired so much better--they won 2 out of the 3. Good news for them; they looked so bad... :-)

Emily's volleyball debut

She was so excited to play her first game today. She has been working hard in practice to get her overhand serves over, and she was ecstatic that her coach told her she could serve all overhand serves today.

But, it didn't quite work out for her today (or her team, really). They lost miserably and the only 2 times she got to serve she didn't get her serves over. Bummer. But she tried and I'm proud of her for trying. I'm almost 40 and I still can't serve overhand!!! Here she is in 3rd grade and is almost there. There are many girls who struggle just to get their underhand serves over.

She has another game tomorrow, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that she and her team has better luck tomorrow.

Half a pound to go...

and I will be buying this turtleneck from the Gap

this skirt from Ruche

some tights like these from Kohl's

and I will wear them with these boots I have from Kohl's as well.

I envision myself looking a little something like this:

except hopefully a little cuter!!

My plan is to reward myself as I hit small milestones in my journey to create a better physique!!

Wish me luck! :-)

Making some "bold" choices...

like getting me some new specs!!



Getting new glasses isn't that brave of a move, but buying the black plastic frames with the white on the inside and a little bling on the outside is a bold move for me! I have been eyeing frames like these for quite some time, but I was too afraid that I wouldn't look right in them. Of course, I went for a thinner rim around the lens (that part's wire), but I LOVE them! And I'm going to enjoy wearing them.



In other "bold moves" stories, I made the girls dentist appointments...you don't really know how much fear and trepidation I overcame by walking into the dentist at Sears (weird that they have a dental place...), ask if they accept my insurance, schedule appointments, and admit that I have NEVER taken them to the dentist. It was huge for me, I tell you. HUGE. I know it makes me a bad mom to not have taken them yet (at first I just didn't think about it, and then I got embarrased to admit it, and then I was just plain scared to go), but soon, I will be on the good mom list...

Black framed glasses and all!!

A rare moment indeed!

Yes, that is Emily stroking Hannah's hair. Hannah was on the computer, Emily (obviously) was laying on the couch watching T.V. when I saw her just nonchalantly reach her hand out and start stroking Hannah's hair absentmindedly. I kept waiting for her to pull it or mess it up or something mean, but she didn't. She just kept playing with it and neither one of them missed a beat. Luckily my camera was sitting beside me, so I quietly picked it up and snapped a quick picture. And it's a good thing I did because right now I hear Hannah yelling, "Mom, Emily is squishing my head!"