Oh boy! Spring time has come and housing woes

Wow am I just bad with this. Ok I sooo promise for the few that read I will me better about posting.

So in the past 2 months the Blue Heaven that has been our world has really gotten busy. I'll focus on the bigger of the boys- N. we are slowly conning him into lets not play hockey because I can not afford it! So we went for soccer-- now my father loved it, my hubby lives for it and I loathe it with every fiber of my being. Needless to say N loves soccer. He cannot wait for outdoor season in August and I have a feeling I will be a soccer mom ( driving an SUV!) Before he can get his kicks on the field we have baseball season. Now I was not some star athlete however my now 6 year old can hit. Not just hit a ball I mean knock out clear the field hits. If he would only stop diving for balls like a mad man, rolling in the dirt and focus I swear this kid would be brought up to play with 8-9 year olds.

The positives- I'm making neighborhood friends... Down side. They don't actually live in my neighborhood. See in my little town of 4000 where literally everyone knows each other there are the townies on the west side of the main street and the newbies on the east side. We have some friends on the west side but on my side -east-there are 3 subdivisions. We will call them P, H and N. P is small, larger more expensive all brick homes-- we have a few friends there. N is mine.. 30 homes, some kids, but 4 blocks of land with no homes since 170 should have been built here but everything crashed.

Then there is H. H Has been around since 2000 and has great homes. We liked 4 of them but they were over 300k when we were looking and could only get 1-2 of them on the lots that were open so we opted not to buy there. But EVERYONE lives there. Literally. I feel like they are the popular kids and I'm on the not as good 2nd class place looking in. One step behind the popular kids. Getting the latest fad 5 months later. They are only 4 blocks away but they are 90% built and have blocks of kids playing, neighbors getting together etc..

Oh how I wish I lived there..... Maybe one day.

All Wrapped Up 2011

So presents have been bought, wrapping paper found and it's time to get it all perfect.... I'll have to admit I LIVE to wrap gifts. I love the bows, perfect creases, ribbons, neatly writing names on ribbon and having a warmly decorated Christmas house. Ahhhhhh the fantasy.

REALITY STRIKES!!!!!!!

Between 2 cats who believe our home is in fact the African jungle and they must hunt, knock everything over.... 2 boys who think the house is the NHL practice field and my spouse who well tries. So I rearrange, replace, and just think well there is always next year (yes I am a cubs fan there is always next year).

So I decorated and it looked nice.. not perfection like a magazine but nice.. and now my last day of break and  I have to take it down :( . Not looking forward to it only because I LOVE the look of a dark house with the tree on. Something warm and inviting about that.  I have resigned myself that I know what I want my home to look like (decorated wise) and that I should probably have someone come and help. Not that it looks bad, outdated or anything but a fresh pair of eyes... just need to find the cash to pay for one of those. I love my friends home and they say they like mine but Im just not sure you know.

I have to say Im sorry this took SO LONG to post! With the holidays its hard to get on but my resolution is to post 2 times a week AT LEAST!!! This is my outlet for chatting.

2011 SEE YA! Bring it on 2012...


New year new start right?! I though, naively, last year at this time  that I would be skinner by 2012. Right.. I had an entire YEAR and well 2011 came and went and Im the SAME.. Not chubbier (thank god) but not thinner either.. really and I was doing SO WELL until about July.. then wham. So Im going to try and get healthier and thinner in the new year. Maybe TTC #3.... who knows but hopefully if the Mayan's are wrong in 2013 Ill be thin!

See ya in the new year!

Tis the Season

So Christmas is 2 weeks away.... and I'm FINALLY done with the shopping, the decorating, and now on to the wrapping... I have to say my favorite part of this time of the year is our annual family photo for the Christmas card. As devote Blackhawks fans, last year we donned our red jerseys (the boys had fake jersey T-shirts) and that was the formal fancy picture. Our caption: "May your cup runnith over in the new year." In honor of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champs.. This year I wanted to do the Cubs and say something like " All we have is faith....." seeing as it has been 105 years now since a World Series. Hey at least if you suck you do it well right?!

Again, for year 2, Nate has been BEGGING for  a Blackhawks Jersey- begging. His favorite player is Brent Seabrook. Not Kane or Toews like every.other. kid. in. Chicago. No my son has to like Seabrook. Do you know how hard it is to FIND a Seabrook shirt?! Let me tell you. See the NHL has limits and they only make a certain number of shirts per player for a certain time. Seabrook is not to be found and I will not shell out 75+ bucks for a 5 year old. So I go calling... no one will put Seabrook on a kids shirt (too big)... but Target had these GREAT fake jersey shirts. I get one (20 bucks!) and go to our local t-shirt maker place and plead my case. Who really wants to disappoint a 5 year old on Christmas. THANK GOD the lady  said it was not a problem and in 3 minutes WHAM the back said SEABROOK 7 in jersey letters.

Now I have to wait 13 days to give it to him. Christmas will rock. The simple things.

Tis the season for decorating as well.... It all started out simple, put lights on the bushes. So Saturday afternoon I venture out with Nate to put said lights on said bushes. We take the 1 year old lights (8 boxes) and try all the lights out to make sure they work. Yes success! We bundle up (its like 20 here) and go outside where for 2 hours we carefully, skillfully and artistically wrap lights about 2 5 ft/6ft tree bushes and 6 shrubs and our tiny porch meanwhile Nate is my "wingman" helping untangle--yes every December we vow this year we WILL put them back nicely to avoid the December tangle.. but then in January we get lazy and toss them in. We light up the house and BAM.. white light perfection. and satisfied we go in for hot chocolate. Hubby and Logan admire our work and we are satisfied. 2 hours later hubby looks out the window and says "hey honey you know only one bush is lit up...." yep.. all those lights DEAD. So I will head to Menard's to replace said lights and repeat the decorating.

Next year I think hubby will do the outside!

Defending the Shopper: Christmas Chaotic

Black Friday, cyber Monday, early bird or late owl... what ever your shopping habits are 'tis the season to break out the self-defense skills

First you have ever elusive hot item toy... you know the one every kid has, yours wants it and there is one left... that is when the 50 yard dash you did in 5th grade comes in handy. You eye the other mom, and GO. run like hell trying to get the toy. If you have to toss in an elbow like a hockey defender so be it.

Second, you have the "My kid wants it but I can't find it gift." The one you KNOW your kid would love (mine loves Brent Seabrook.. I can not find a Hawks shirt with that player.. why cant he like Kane or Toews like everyone else in America.")... you search high, low, Craigs list and Amazon to see and pray and hope and figure you can mortgage the house again just to make your kid happy.

While these are all justifications on our actions during this month of "giving"... there is the other side to defending the shopper... the verbal defense. As a mom of boys I feel like I forever have to be on the defense as a shopper.  Going out with 2 of the same gender people think you are bat shit crazy.. right because parents with one of each some how get no tantrums, no yelling, no fighting?! ok. sure. But my biggest defense as a shopper is not the behavior or the gender of my children. It is clothing.

Yes boys clothing. Why is it  that men make up about what 1/2 the population, and still have to get dressed (like girls) for work, school and play (like girls). Go on dates (like girls), to dances, weddings, and other 'events' (like girls) but have like 1/5th of the selection.. Who do you think is BUY and DRESSING these boys,,... GIRLS... and it is females like ME who want to rip fashion designers a new one.

Boys clothing can be separated in the following categories
1) Sports
2) Animals
3) Stupid Sayings
4) Animals playing sports with a stupid saying
5) Skulls 
** Replace cartoon characters for animals in many stores**
6) 3 Ralph Loren Polo options: Lumberjack, Red Lumberjack, white shirt.

Really... at christmas Im not taking my son to church is a fabulous lumberjack shirt (we dont live in a lumberjack area), skulls (he is not the angel of death), or some random sports shirt. Im sure god loves hockey but its not church wear... Or for pictures?! Really my cute boys need plain old polo's, or collared shirts, or something that is NOT with a slogan or animal....I vent all the time about the lack of options in boys clothing. You want men to look classy, clean and appropriate well they dont just figure it out. Start having more than 2 options for young men. Start with nice shirts and pants without Tommy Hawk, Skulls or " I hate homework." If JC Penny can pull " Im too pretty for homework" then pull the boys shirts that say equally as derogatory statements. I want my boys to look classy for pictures, save the skulls for the park.

whew.. vent over.  :)

Weekend warriors

Wow.. So it's been a week since I last posted! Oopsie gotta be more on top of this huh. So the title is weekend warriors since for the past 2 weekends we have basically plowed through so much "stuff!"

SHOPPING.......

Weekend 1= Christmas shopping. I think dad's must have some secret gift of getting the house all to themselves with phrases like " take the kids with you and your mom she would love to see them." really?! Of course she would.. But you take a 5 and 2 yr old out shopping all day.. Yes that is my idea of a relaxing Sunday. Needless say 9 am Sunday morning mom and I ventured out with 2 boys. We went from store to store with minimal screaming (me) running (mom), grabbing (Logan) and whinning (Nate). I managed to get 1/2 the shopping done with little damage to the budget (YEAH!) and to the kids :). My mom treated us to lunch and we even did some grocery shopping. 6 hours, 1 mall and 6 stores later I made it home in time for the Bears game @ 3pm.

TURKEY BOWL DOWN

Weekend 2= so thanksgiving is upon us and I did something I vowed I would try so hard not to...I bought the boys matching polo's ( they can wear them to church and a few other places separately ) they wore them thanksgiving with my family and everyone thought they both looked so cute! eh so occasionally they can match. Thursday was a day to eat, relax, and celebrate. It was nice to FINALLY have a "sister " in the Greek sense as my 18 yr old. cousin ( who has been like a little sister) pledged a sorority-- while she is in a different one we talked all night about our experiences and it was great to connect with her differently! I can't wait for her to truly experience sisterhood!

Then came the moment of truth.. Turkey Bowl time. What is turkey bowl you ask ! Well every thanksgiving we have a bowling match up. 2 games family vs family for a real trophy & the chance to be crowned TURKEY BOWL CHAMPIONS. So my mom, me, the boys and hubby are a team along with my aunt/uncle and cousins and then each of my aunts 3 sisters has a team. We all have 4 (Logan bowled sporadically for Nate). Last year our slogan was " That's how we roll." this year, seeing as we came in last, we decided to go with Bowled Over. And boy were we ever. Team score was in the 300's and hubby bowled in the 100's. Nate ( he DID have bumpers) beat me... Safe to say we came in last..... Again... And if hubby ever cheats on me it will be in November with some pro-bowler.

So we practice for next year. I'm hoping to at least beat Nate :)... Off to grade and watch Bears football. Happy Thanksgiving!

Letters in the mail

“Here, letters in the mail it’s yours.” This phrase was spoken weekly by my husband pre-paperless days. I never thought much about that phrase until about three years ago when I asked him why he always said letters in the mail, it’s yours. His casual response, they had the letters Sigma and Kappa on the envelope so he knew the mail was for me.  It was his means of identifying something for me.

Fast-forward to the present and a co-worker’s wife, who is interning at the school I teach at, noticed my key chain lanyard. “Sigma Kappa.. I know those letters -some of my best friends are Sig Kap’s. They are awesome women” and there we forged a new connection all because of letters—and a 30 minute conversation talking about our sororities and how life is like from the alumnae perspective (she is in a different NPC group).

Two little letters that might be meaningless to some, identify so many women world wide and hold the power to unlocking who we are and who we connect with. So often I have the conversation of sororities are collegiate experiences, but for many of us the experience transcends our four years into for life.

Why? 

I have come to realize the little letters in the mail don’t just describe me but describe my support system for life. With membership I have found thousands of others with whom I share something scared, something mystic, something special about those letters—Sigma Kappa. 

Now what?

There is a book by Bill Cosby “You’ve graduated now what?” I have come to realize my sorority membership made more of an impact now than it did back in 1995 as a collegian. When unexpectedly lost my father when I was 23, not only did my chapter of initiation send flower, but I received calls, offers of help, flowers, you name it, from my alumnae chapter and the chapter I had just started advising. Women I barely knew were there for me all because of letters.  

Walking into a room you are guaranteed comfort zone of sincere friendship simply because you both share letters. There is a power amongst Greek’s…. we support our own. Whether it’s supporting Sigma Kappa or a friend in another NPC chapter letters stick together.

Leaping with my letters! 

A few years after graduating I realized I missed my letters and vowed to return to something that helped define and guide my collegiate days. I never wondered who to eat dinner with, where to study or if I had plans on a weekend, I had my sisters and we always had something to do. But as an alum I was working, in graduate school, planning a wedding, starting a career, then kids, and so on and so on…. Was there room for 2 little letters. Then I realized, they never left, they just waited, patiently until they were needed again. That’s the beauty of being an alum, there is always a place for everyone you just have to look for letters in the mail! I took my leap wearing my letters—my badge—and I found my sisters. I found an alumnae group. Women of all ages, from chapters spanning numerous states, but the laughter, the ambiance was like we all lived together in one house.  Through my sisters I found out ways to be more involved and began working with collegians as an advisor and national officer. Through these roles I met sisters with such a desire to assist our collegians in “finding their way.” 

So what about my letters in the mail?

While my mail is now in e-mail, it’s the same. I see my letters in the mail and I smile. A sister and I can connect, instantly, over our letters.  Our sorority membership makes it possible to continue to make dear friends who share similar values after college – through alum clubs and through service to the sorority organization whether big or small Sigma Kappa has benefited from all our sisters.  The “new friend” making, working together, sharing our experiences and modeling living our values for a common purpose, is not just for the collegians but alumnae world wide…

So where is your place? Where are your letters in the mail and do they define you?

Connections.......

 “Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.”

This famous quote from Dr. Seuss’s resonates in my mind. Joining Sigma Kappa in the fall 1995 I was seeking a connection in college. I saw all the movies, heard from friends and realized I had no connections at college. I was alone, me, just me. On a push from a floor-mate I plunged into rush not knowing what life had in store. While my chapter is dormant, 16 years later I may not have a connection to my college but I found connections beyond the Ivy towers and nights sitting around studying and laughing with new found friends.   I don’t cry because my college experience is over or that I don’t get to return as the proud alumna to my university and tailgate with alumnae and collegians. I smile because my first independent choice as an 18 year old was one of the best choices I could have ever made.  

Connections… just what are they?

They are people, experiences, events and sisterhood. In 2000 I connected with a SK alumna from a different chapter looking for advisors and I thought you know I loved my days in SK this should be fun. 14 years later I have never looked back. That connection led to me to some of the most amazing women I have been blessed to call friends, sisters, confidants and yes connections. 

Connecting to the collegians

While many of us come in reliving our college days, sharing our experiences with the fresh faced women, secretly I would trade places with them in a moment to relive the little individual events I have the privilege to share with them:   Bid Day – posters and poems from “big sisters” – initiation – conventions  -  recruitment preparation –  dinners-Founders’ day, and so many many more.

The world has changed so much since 1995 but one thing has remained the same, my connection with Sigma Kappa. When life is over scheduled, work is challenging, my sisters are there to bring me back to my silly sorority self. Whether it was walking into an alumnae meeting alone, and seeing a room full of strangers who instantly became friends, or having a collegian tell you thank you for your guidance I connected with something bigger than myself. Their experience is not my own but I am richer for knowing them. 

Connections: belonging 

Staying connected as an alumna gives me a feeling of belonging to something greater than my own little world. We get caught up in our daily lives and forget what else is out there. Through my experience in an alumnae chapter and working with our collegians I have been able to volunteer, be active in my local community, assist with national philanthropies, and connect. I was at a conference last year, alone and out of state. I used my recruitment skills to say hi and join a table of fellow teachers and chat. One teacher and I were just sharing personal information-where we lived, college we attended and somehow we got on to the subject of Greek Life and sure enough she was a Sigma Kappa too! Connection.. We both smiled and realized that’s why we connected we are sisters and instantly there is acceptance and smiles because you found a sister. I don’t need to know anything else other than she is my sister. 

That is the beauty of connecting… as a collegian your world is your college… but as an alumnae the world is your connection. You never know where you find a connection even if you think you are alone, there are 250K of us out there waiting to connect.