Consumer safety is going to bankrupt us!

Our Maclaren strollers were recalled a few weeks ago. Thankfully, we just needed parts and that crisis was averted and no digits were amputated.

Our grill that blew up in July...well we waited until mid-October to throw it out and replace. Only to have it recalled for guess what? You got it, starting on fire!! Stupid dumb luck!

And now, drop side cribs!!!! Granted we don't have a StorkCraft but nevertheless we have a drop side. So do we run the risk of the side collapsing and the unthinkable happening; or go out and buy a new crib that she'll probably be scaling within a year anyways? We're going to turn the crib around and hoping that ends that worry since she only stands up on the one side begging for us to come rescue her.

We've had so many toys recalled which were too cheap to deal with bothering a recall so they just get pitched.

I swear consumer groups do this on purpose. Get things to fail so you have to buy new ones. We had to get all new car seats when Austin was born because 3-point harnesses were no longer safe for carriers, and the shield type seats for toddlers are a no-no too. It looks like Ashley is going to be able to use Austin's old one's though, that is until the next best thing comes out of course. Arg!

Dang it!! Is it asking too much to actually buy something and have it last maybe more than a couple years without running the risk of it injuring me or possibly killing me?!?! Gimme a financial break!

Me Thinks...

When he finally learns how to really shoot, he'll be a really good basketball player. It was a fun season. 6 games and the team was 2-4 but they lost two games by only 2 points. Next year those games will be wins. Tommy had a hot night on Wednesday when the team won 21-7 and he scored 12 points. It was fun. Today he was back to his evil tricks and had lots of chances but the ball just wouldn't fall. The school bought a new video camera so I taped the game. I just did a small movie of the big guy making some wild misses and finally hitting one in the end. Enjoy. And don't throw darts at me when you hear someone say "can't shoot" after yet another miss. tee hee. Back to hockey tomorrow. Yay!



And you should just double click and watch it on the youtube page because it's chopped off on my page. DOH. Will try and fix it later, gotta get to church now. Tommy gets to altar serve again. Another big Saturday.

Yet another new adventure.

Tommy made his altar serving debut tonight. He's been looking forward to this for a long time and the day was finally here.

We got him there nice and early and get him in his robe and I can tell by his demeanor that he's getting a major case of the nerves. I'm trying to keep things light when he gives me that look and says teary eyed, "I don't feel good." Best remedy for this when Tommy gets nerves is get him outside into some air before he pukes. And as if God was watching we head outside and up strolls my Dad and brother. Grandpa is Tommy's idol, a sports junkie, and supreme goofball. Tommy had a hockey game and two basketball games earlier in the day. Grandpa was quickly able to divert Tommy from the upcoming task to sports. After telling of the days games soon he was calm again and at least not feeling like he was going to puke. We get him back inside and Fr. Bill was just as wonderful and supportive as Dad was and kept Tommy calm. And I was quasi-thankful for the nerves because then I was nervous and didn't end up tearing up like I thought I would as I usually do when he hits another big life moment.

First big battle is holding the book for Fr. Bill and Joe and I could both see him wobbling up there and I could just see him going timber or worse puking. Thankfully he survived and the rest of the mass he didn't seem too bad.

Ashley went bugs right before communion so we were waiting for him out in the gathering space when he got done. He comes in and in typical arrogant Tommy fashion exclaims, "is there an easy button in here because... THAT WAS EASY!" Dork. He said he had a very good time and can't wait to serve again. We made it! Thank God!

A new sporting adventure

Well Tommy has now reached the age of school sponsored athletics. He had his first basketball game ever tonight. And boy was it, fun, wild, and chaotic.

Their poor coach is a teacher over at the middle school and had parent-teacher conferences tonight. Well game time arrives and they have no coach there. Yikes! Me being the closest thing to authority tried my best to help coach. I asked who usually plays where and they all stared at me with that deer in the headlights look and I was then thinking this is going to be great!! They didn't know what a guard, forward, or center was and busy-body Tommy was trying to tell me something about numbers. Later I find out they play positions 1-5 not the actual names, very smart actually for learning.

Moving on, we do our "hands-in Eagle cheer" I tell them, get the ball, dribble, put it in the basket, don't let the other team score, and they're off. Our poor center got hurt during the tip off when the ball bounced off his nose, everyone then stared at him and didn't get the ball. More deer in headlight looks from the players. Would this game ever start? It did, and before I know it we're down 6-0. What part of "don't let the other team score" aren't they getting? Oh yeah, maybe it was the fact that the other team had a player that was taller than probably 1/2 of my students who are 7/8 graders. Yeah, test that player for roids. I was able to put in a set of subs which was a small miracle because when I told them to go kneel by the scorers table they looked at me like I was speaking Yiddish or something. It was a little crazy but at least we had a game going sans head coach.

She got there with a little left in the 1st quarter and our team did MUCH better after that. We only lost 12-6 and we could have won if our shots would have fallen. Tommy played very well defensively and got quite a few chances offensively. He'd be dribbling down the court for what would look like an easy lay-up chance and he would shoot the ball up at the glass so hard that it would often fly way back past the free throw line. Note to self - Tommy needs to work on his shooting in the off season. So many times we'd get excited watching him shoot, and BOOM another huge miss. The kid has no finesse and was a real backboard abuser. Maybe Saturday he won't shoot the ball so hard since he'll have tired himself out at his earlier hockey game.

The funniest part of my coaching experience was when Tommy was going back on defense he comes running over yelling, "I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired." I guess he was hoping he could just change on the fly like in hockey. Hilarious! I just told him stay out there he gave me a panicked look and kept moving. He survived.

So the family has been all abuzz about Tommy's big debut. It's a short season, we'll see if Tommy can knock one down on Saturday. Tonight he couldn't buy a bucket but I'm all proud just the same. I'm loving this new adventure already.

Halloween After the Fact

Hey, I got this post out there sooner than last years ok? It was another fun year, though we were so busy I never got the Halloween decor out and we never carved pumpkins. We'll try to do better next year.

Tinkerbell, Michael, and Luigi

Thing 1 & Freddy Krueger - You all know I hate horror and everytime I'd look at him I'd get dizzy.

My cutie Luigi at school.

Thing 3 and Tinkerbell

Thing 3, Thing 2, Thing 1 ~ With apologies to Dr. Seuss for adding a 3rd Thing.

Crazy Austin

The picture of a picture really doesn't do it justice. Everyone in real life that I show his picture to just busts up laughing. The poor photographer told me she took three and that was the best one. It was a real struggle to get a good picture. I kind of wish she had picked the worst one. It might have gotten even more laughs.



You can't ignore that squeaky wheel, and poor Tommy took a beautiful picture but you don't see me up here flaunting his. Nope, gotta make fun of my nutty professor.

Prayer today

Thanks, Please, Oops, & Wow! Fr. Bill mentioned these four words he'd read somewhere which are your modern way of thinking about the traditional adoration, thanksgiving, repentance, and supplication that us Catholics learned about growing up.

Today, All Saints Day is a special Holy Day along with All Souls Day tomorrow. Each year on this weekend in church we will light a candle in memory of those people in our parish who have died in the past year. Tommy was playing hockey out of town last year so I didn't get to go to good ole St. Elizabeth's but I did go to St. Francis Parish in Ann Arbor and I thought it was so neat how their remembrance ritual was they sang the Litany of the Saints but put the deceased persons name in. It was beautiful and would be nearly impossible in our parish as we only lost about a dozen people that parish had lost about 50, it was a huge church. But I digress...

I will always tear up during this particular mass as I'm sure many others do too. This year was a no candle for me year and I'm so thankful. Every year I will think, "please Lord don't ever make me witness the lighting of a candle for one or more of my dear children," I also think "someday Lord I will be lighting a candle for my dear Dad." "Who gets the first candle, Joe or myself?" Sounds agonizing doesn't it?

What an amazing gift life is, the human capacity for love is nothing short of amazing. It can almost take my breath away when I stop for a moment and just think about the love I feel for my family, most notably my husband and children. Each day is a gift in this journey we call life and thankfully we don't have to journey alone. Not every day is easy in fact some are devastatingly difficult. Today at mass was generally easy for me, the church member who had two candles of remembrance lit today for her husband and her Dad I'm sure had a much sadder experience. Cherish the days you have together.

In closing, I'll just say:
Please Lord, don't let there be a candle for a loved one next year.
Thank you Lord, for not having a candle for a loved one this year.
Oops Lord, I still falter daily; I'm sorry.
Wow Lord, what an amazing family I have been blessed with.
Thanks again.