Peyton's 12th Birthday

Happy Birthday to Peyton!

On the 27th, Peyton turned 12!

He requested chicken nuggets, French fries and a cookie/brownie cake.  That's what he got.

He invited his two friends over.

Their mother was driving me up wall.

She called seven times while I was getting dinner and cake ready.

Then when she drops them off she asks to see me.

Peyton was like "Their mom needs to talk to you" and

I responded "I am trying to finish dinner!"

She was standing in my living room....

Mimi, Alli and the Birthday Boy

His cake!

Maggie joined in on the festivities.

The aftermath and yes, I did give my cat a chicken nugget.

She happily ate it.

writers workshop: late

My friend had a birthday party.  This birthday party consisted of a derby scrimmage than excessive amounts of food at their house afterwards.

That day was already jammed packed in the morning.  Alli's birthday party was the night before, so it was an early morning with getting girls ready and making breakfast.  Alli had a volleyball tournament that started at 8 am and last into the afternoon.

I told them that I would be late.

I was not late to the party.  Alli's team lost in the first round of a single elimination tournament. (But ended up 4th place somehow)

When I got there "I thought you were going to be super late?"

I wasn't and I got to enjoy the party with my friends.

I think I hit Mamba because the next picture was of Katie flying down the track.

Morgan squared.  His name is Morgan, my name is Morgan.  We play on the same coed team for Fountain City Roller Derby.

The one in the teal helmet is the birthday guy.

Dixie dressed up for the prom.  I'm not giggling.

Killshot and I made faces.

Top Ten Thursday: Life Swap Advice

Over at Part-time Working Hockey Mom’s blog there is a weekly blog link up called Top Ten Thursdays!  I love lists so it is perfect for me!

This week we are listing what advice or instructions we need to give someone who has swapped lives with us.  Of course, this wouldn’t be a permanent thing.  Just temporary swapping.  Kinda like Wife Swap, except I’m not anyone’s wife.  So here is my advice for anyone who is swapping lives with me for a short time.

1.  Make sure to check your calendars.  There is the work calendar that I keep and try to put everything on, but it’s pretty much a #fail as I always miss something.  The google calendar helps with roller derby league stuff.  Check Facebook events to make sure you didn’t say you would go to something for someone and then forget. 
2. It’s recruitment and training season for Fountain City Roller Derby.  I am the Head of Recruitment so newbies are my business.  I keep a blog going with all the newbie advice.  There are 4-5 posts per week.  I base some of them off of a previously established timeline and others are things that are brought up at practice or things that need extra attention.  I keep attendance for the newbies.  I watch out for them and identify those who might need some extra help with skills.  Also, you need to learn the names of the 36 newbs. 
3. Make sure you are a few minutes early to work.  You are usually the first one there, so you have to unlock the door and turn the lights on and get things set up.  Also, the parking lot gets cray right at 8 am.  I am going to start a series of pictures called “Not a Parking Space” The parking lot at work is a prime space for it.
4. At work, we see a lot of non-English speaking persons.  You will have to be patient with them and some days you spend half of your day on the phone with various interpreters.  Swahili, Somali and Kinyarwanda are three of our most popular.
5. When you get home, expect to drive around a lot.  Picking children up from various places, running errands, going to practice, going to meetings, etc…
6. When it’s time to relax, run a bubble bath and read a book.  Current read “The People of Broken Wheel Recommend”
7. Run a load of laundry each night.  Peyton actually tells me I wash his clothing before he even knows I take it.  Nobody lacks of clean laundry in my home.
8. Dinners: keep it simple.  I write out a tentative menu plan on Monday and attempt to stick with it.  Sometimes things go well, sometimes they don’t.
9. Study, study, study!  Being almost done with school requires a bit of studying to be done.  Chemistry and Biology will be your frenemies while you swap lives with me.
10. I like to watch TV, watch Roller Derby on youtube and play on Pinterest when I have a few minutes.  I love reality TV, so plan on watching Survivor and the Amazing Race.

monday

Happy Monday everyone!

My two youngest are out of school today so you know it's definitely a Happy Monday for them.

Alli does have a volleyball game in Lawrence this afternoon though.  The sports must go on!

This is her last full week of volleyball.  Next Monday is her last game and it's only their second home game.  I took off work early to attend.  I am so excited!!

On Friday when I got to work, someone left their kitten in the car.  It was meowing up a storm!  Who leaves a kitten in the car.  It was almost 90 degrees at that point and I know a lot hotter in that car.

I did keep an eye on it and the person who owned the vehicle did come back in about five minutes.  These parents are notorious for leaving kids in their cars, so it didn't shock me to see a kitten in a car.  It made me sad.  Both make me sad.  We have hot and cold and kids are in the car all the time.

I got this from my daughters homeroom teacher on Friday.  It was after the homerooms kickball game.  My daughter is the far left with the volleyball sweatshirt. 

On Friday, I played in a scrimmage for KCRW.

It was a Game of Thrones themed game.

I've mentioned before that I've never read the books nor watched the show, but I really need to.

I played women's only.  I was a Lannister.  Apparently, they are bad?

It was a crowd manipulation bout, so spectators were able to pay money to see things done a certain way on the track.  I didn't like that part as much and was glad when people started running out of ideas and money!

Our team lost by a little, but it was fun and I enjoy hitting people.

See, smiles!  I had such a great team.

I lost the little ball of my earring.  I need to go and get new jewelry and have someone change it for me.  I've had this for around five year...way before the migraine trend thing.  It's been in there for five years without anything happening. 

P went fishing with his dad on Friday night.  The only fish he caught was with a stick and fishing line and a cricket he captured on the ground.  He has learned that fisherman tell tales.  He told me some good ones when he got home.

Alli went to the Halloween Haunt at Worlds of Fun.  She said it wasn't crowded like opening weekend was.  They went through move of the haunts and the walkthroughs.  They upgraded the clown one this year.

On Saturday, we all saw "IT".  Peyton had been begging to see it, Alli loves scary movies  and I invited my mom to go with us.  Tanner had to work.  Shocker, he is always working!  The Cinemark by my house is cheap for Matinees.  It was only $17 for all four of us and I spent $11 on a large popcorn and large drink.  They send the best coupons each week.  They had a preview for "Ready Player One"  I hope they turn it into an awesome movie.  So many Easter Eggs just in the trailer!


The final WFTDA playoffs were this weekend and seeding has been set for Champs in November.  This is the first year it will not be a Gotham vs. Rose championship game.  Gotham and Rose (if they win all their games) will meet in the Semi Finals!  I don't even know how to predict a winner.  I am going for Victorian Roller Derby to win it all.  Also, the Championship game will be on ESPN2.  Previously, it had been on ESPN3. 

 

Training for the newbies for Fountain City is going well.  I have a total of 39 new people.  Check out what's happening here.  It has a lot of things for starting out in roller derby in general.

Tanner has been wanting a cat.  We've made a few trips up to the Great Plains SPCA and have narrowed it down to two kittehs.  No kittehs exactly as they are already over sixth months old.  We have it narrowed down to Zsa Zsa and Beauty.   Zsa Zsa came from a hoarding situation.  Beauty was from an unwanted litter.  I would adopt both of them if I could.  I guess I can, I don't have anyone telling me differently.  Plus, Tanner's cat would go with Tanner when/if he moves out.

How was your weekend?  

devils tower

I've had this sitting in my drafts folder since June!  What is wrong with me?! 

Devils Tower National Monument is captivating. 

You can see it from quite a distance.  It makes it look like you are almost there.

Photo taken while driving to the monument.

There is still debate on how exactly Devils Tower was formed.

What they do agree on is that it was exposed by erosion from rain and snow and the sediments being carried away by the Belle Fourche River.

We walked along the Tower Trail.  The Tower Trail is a little over a mile long.  It takes you all the way around the tower.

We walked a long part of the boulder field.  You can only go so high on it without a permit.

Can you spy the climbers? 

There were a ton of climbers on the tower when we were there.

It was incredible to see them summit the tower. 

The boys have plans to climb it one day.

I want to know what's at the top.

Until recently, I didn't know.

On Instagram, a picture was posted of the oldest man to summit the tower and had a picture of him at the top!  I'm sure I could have googled it a long time before that, but I enjoyed the mystery.

Serious faces.

Silliness trying to happen.

He was up at high as he could go on the boulder field.

Oh, the sun, shining so bright.

Alli by one of the fallen columns.

We do plan on going back and staying longer.  We were only there for around three hours.

There is a lot more hiking and exploring we could do there.

I love this place.

It's Finally Fall!

Happy Fall everyone!  I know, Fall started yesterday at 3:02 pm, but I already had a blog up for yesterday and the beginning of Fall fun needed its own day!  It’s time to say good bye to Summer.  It went by super-fast for my family.  It was so jammed packed full of goodness.

My Fall list of things to do isn’t super long.  If I make it too long, there is a chance of not succeeding and I want all the fall lovelies to happen.  Here is my list, in no particular order!

Apple Picking at Cider Hill Orchard.  They have apple donuts, apple cider slushies and kettle korn.  They have a hayride to the orchard!  So, that is a two for one because a Hayride is on my list also!

Corn Maze.   Venturing out to Gary’s Berries for this fun activity!  Gary’s Berries has a ton of other stuff to keep people entertained.  This will be a Friday night excursion because they have fireworks on Fridays!! Their show is awesome too!  There is a hayride here too. 

Pumpkin decorating!

Caramel Apples – I’ve seen some delicious ones at stores already! 

Yard Work!  We have so much of it to do!  I found those pumpkin leaf bags at the store and picked some up the other day.  Might as well decorate as we are working.

Have a mini bonfire after all the yard work is done.

Make a Thankful/Gratitude list for November.

Pumpkin and Apple Recipes!  Being all the basic is the best.

Watch WFTDA champs!  I would actually love to predict all the winners and win some stuff.

The Pumpkin Glow at Powell Gardens – October 21^st.  My mother and I are going to take the kidlets on an adventure.

Scarecrow Fest baking contest! 

Turner Days – we have a 1 mile race for Peyton, the parade and Mud Volleyball.

Teachers STEM event at Union Station.

It’s almost fall back time, so check those fire alarms and CO₂ detectors. 

Fall/Halloween movie night

Family Chili Contest

Pies, Pies and more Pies!

Start watching Game of Thrones.  I keep hearing that I will like it. 

Volunteer at Harvestors or another food pantry or distribution.

Watch the adorbs Charlie Brown holiday movies.

Bonus:  I would love to go to a football game!

What are your must dos for the Fall Season?!?  Give me your ideas!

Alli's Birthday!

Alli turned 14 last Friday!  She requested pizza and cookie cake.  Parties are easy when they get older.  Buy them pizza, soda and cake and not see them for the rest of the night.  Her friends did sing happy birthday to her, which was adorable.

The brother re-doing some school work. 

The Party!  (You know, like the early 90s band)  Her friends in her new larger room.  Don't worry, the boy left before the sleepover.

Cake distribution. 

Snake finding in the front yard.

Turning the teenage girls basic, one pumpkin spice item at a time.

Volleyball Tournament

I didn't get a lot of pictures, but they placed fourth out of nine.

Family Birthday Dinner

Discussions with the Great Grandpa.

The FAM.

Opening Presents.

I think her Birthday weekend was a success!  She went to the Haunted Houses at World of Fun with her friend. 

Happy Birthday, Mike.