BOOMER GAZETTE

 Every week Dane and I do a PSA for the kiddos. Do they read it? Sam...

That said, we enjoy informing the kiddos of the week's plans so they can veto a dinner (usually Christian). We then work on the grocery list. Still, some kiddos complain there's NOTHING good to eat :( So sad, so very, very, sad. Our critters appreciate me the most! They don't talk back, give me tons of affection, and ask very little of me. Food, a clean litter box, and a short walk equal happiness!

BOOMER GAZETTE

Last Week's Highlights 

• It snowed!!!

 This Week's PSAs

• Think before you act & SNACK

• Be happy where you are. 

• Focus on the family.

• Take breaks from technology. LOL

• Go outside and take a breath. 

• Rub Kahuna for good luck.

• Be thankful for what you have.

This Week’s Menu

Day	Main Course	Sides	Link
Sunday	GaGa’s
Monday	Soy Ginger Chicken Thighs	Green Beans Roll	https://www.carbmanager.com/recipe-detail/ug:d53a7581-1dbf-232e-7c44-50a6240d4129/keto-one-pot-soy-ginger-chicken-thighs
Tuesday	French Dips	Fries
Wednesday	BBQ Hamburgers	Baked Potato Bar Cabbage Slaw Pasta Salad	https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8735/italian-chicken-bow-tie-pasta/
Thursday	Red Robbin		Birthday March Birthday Bash!
Friday	Pork Chops	Green Bean Casserole Mac N Cheese
Saturday	Chicken Bacon Chowder	Biscuits	https://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/chicken-bacon-crock-pot-chowder/

Gymnastics with this monkey!

She usually falls asleep much faster on these nights! 

Fallen Sandcastles

Missed my ocean wave naps and freezing pool swims with the kiddos. But M* and I survived at home with the critters to keep us company. It's hard being a mama with my heart in two places!

Mom's everywhere!

I've shrunk down to 115 recently due to family stress, yet as I sit here in my mom's hospital room I feel guilty that I'm not home. She's been laid up for 5 days, and 4 days ago was one of MY worst days this year. I can't stand the summer heat and the day before she was admitted for pancreatitis pain, there was a cluster of bad events ranging from serious adult kid issues to critters driving me bat sh*t crazy! 

I made this sign and taped it to our door leading upstairs because both the puppy and one of our cats pees on the upstairs landing. Those who know our family understand this causes some OCD upsets!

It's a cool 68 degrees in this room and the thought of making the trek back through heated traffic and my foot walking through the front door is daunting. I love my house, family, and critters, but sometimes it feels good to just sit and breathe. Another thing to thank my mom...DINNER is DONE! I snipped some of her famous leftover chili, Dane and I are off the hook for dinner! I just pray that she gets through this and back to being grandma the great! 

Poor Carly missing her mom...She hates these long "store trips!"

Lost Bet

Who could swing higher? Emma explained I lost...on the technicality, I'm taller than her. So I played along and slid down a wet slide! Then, later bought her ice cream with a WET BUTT! 
 

What a day of Cluster F*'s

Busy, busy, busy!!! In a nutshell...Puppy, pee/poop caused a lot of OCD moments in our house! So much fun 🙄.  But how can you be mad at this face!!!

Finn socializing some more

"I'm sorry Emma!"

    Hanging out at Grandma's eye appointment. The same day he and Emma broke her glasses, it was a busy day of driving for this tired mama! I wish gas prices were lower!!!

On today's adjenda..

Do stuff, do more stuff, and finish the day with everyone happy. Is it possible? We shall see. I've got an amazing husband, children, family, and friends!

 Glad I can finally have coffee again!!!

Our next family member! I hope!!

 

God's perfect plan. We met this little boy last night. The lady who met with us said that she was once assaulted while showing her puppies, so she now meets in public places. What is wrong with people these days? Back to happy thoughts...Seeing her smile again, that's what everyone's looking forward to!!!

Christian the graduate... created in Canva!

 

Tomboy no more?

Not me!!! This salon visit cost us about 100 bucks!! 

Christian's food truck lunch order ;) with idk.. either a bunny or a Kahuna sketch. 

Veteran's Day!!

 Better late than never!!

Mommy daughter day at OMSI

As you can see, it's sometimes hard to carve out time for some one-on-one time. But it's so important, as they crave my undivided attention. 

My favorite dino...Sabertooth tiger!

For my BFF Sarah! When I met her, she looked just like this!

 

Busy times!

4 kids-4 different schools. I could not be any more proud of my kiddos! This month they have taken hardships and turned them into strengths!

Thankful for my village! For the first time since school started (late August), I'm free at 9pm on a weeknight night to have ME time. I don't know what to do! 

Late Aug - Race to get clothes and school supplies for Emma. Last-minute shoppers get the scraps and have to go to many different stores. Stress level 7. 

Aug 30th - First day of 4th grade. Note - She has not been to in-person school since March (a few days shy of her super-crappy B-day) in 2020. Stress level 10!

Also Aug 30th - M* - First day of 12th grade, online. Stress level 10!!!

Sept 11th - Sam's back-to-school supplies are now done. Stress level 6.. not too bad, more products in stock and less needed at his grade. 

Sept 13th - First day at a brand new school for Sam. JR HIGH!!! After a year stuck at home, he's now attending a STEM school. Stress level 10! Note.. shouldn't have stressed as he loves this type of hands-on learning. 3-D printer, laser cutter, welding, and woodshop, all in addition to project-based learning. 

Sept 15th - Back to school clothes shopping for Sam... need I say more?  

Sep 20-24th - Emma's entire school had to quarantine due to a breakthrough case of C-19. Had to learn how to Zoom / Seesaw / Zoodles etc. Stress level 10+! 

Sept 27-Oct 1 - Emma switched to a new home school pod. Started a new homework routine, met new friends, had her first test, and made some more friends! Today a much-needed break from stress with her first FIELD TRIP. What a trooper!! Her stress level is starting to come down. 

Oct 1 - Christian started college! Online learning with several new platforms is no easy task to learn! He had to create accounts for Moodle, MOM, new Gmail & Outlook, etc. It's all new to us, so it's difficult to sit with all the unknowns to come.  

Light at the end of the tunnel

Gradates in the year 2020 and 2021 faced many huddles the past year. Christian on the other hand took the past year in stride. Re-wind a bit .. School always came easy to him a straight A student.  First to memorize times tables in his class, homework done promptly after school, perfect scores, teachers praised. Christian was due to graduate last year class of 2020 with friends and soccer mates glued together. But that road flashed a road block.. OCD.  There was about a two year period where we as a family took detour after detour. There were many tearful days and nights where we had nothing to see the end of the tunnel yet and to hang on tight...God's light was there we just had to have faith! Like the amazing student his is, once we found the correct path, he diligently followed. The way he came to this accomplishment reminds me that the way we reach our goals, is not always the way we envision it to pass. Knowing that God's plan is perfect, gives me peace to know MY greatest gifts to this world are guided by Him. 

I miss my yesterdays!

I stumbled upon this poem that I haven't read for years. So I put this picture behind my written words. God is once again telling me to enjoy this time I'm in right NOW.

Your my best friend

You know when you walk in the door and everything is clean, including the dust off the washer and dryer, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I want nothing more than the happily ever after that we promised each other 20 years ago. But I also know God does not work like that. There will be obstacles to learn from.. hurdles that seem too high, canyons that are too wide, teenagers and toddlers that just don't give a f* about the relationship that mom and dad strive to keep hot. But it's OUR relationship, and we are the only ones that can keep it loved!

But hey looks like we're on the upswing... You know me, I love my research!

Our little rainbow turned out to be such a blessing! Even when I'm upset with you or you with I, she reminds us both how easy it is to just love! How can I not be happy feeling our daughter's excitement when you walk in the door! "Da-Da home"! *Not to say that the other kids don't give me warm and fuzzy feelings too, just that I have to PULL it out of them. ;)

One more just for fun.. as I'm always blogging just before bed with a little one sleeping next to me. I COULD be sleeping... 

Sam - "Can you give me a dream?" - Time machine

Titanic Rescue

Grabbing the mail like we do every morning, you didn't expect a letter with your name on it. The letter simply had The Justice League emblem and a handwritten: "You have the decision to make."
Once at the park, you waited until I was enjoying my book and slipped away. Remembering how just a few months ago you were asked to join the League, you once again found the secret door. All members of the Justice League were sitting around the big round table. Everyone's attention was on a big box in the center of the room.
Superman spoke up. "Sam we created a time machine, but we could not agree on where or when to try it out." "The decision we need you to make... What point in history do you want to go back to to save people?"
Superman flew up trying to get the captain's attention, the iceberg was approaching at lightning speed. Flash tried treading water to slow the ship. Green Lantern blasted a beam of light at the solid iceberg but it was too late the ship crashed right into it. The sound of metal ripping deafened us all.
Superman tried over and over, diving down to the large gash in an attempt to fix it. You Sam, tried calming all the people on board, telling them the League was there to save them. But the ship was quickly sinking and all of their efforts were in vain... the ocean was just too powerful. Fear for everyone on board started to sink into your gut.
The ship broke in half and began to sink, history was not bending to their will. The Justice League tried their hardest to save as many people as they could. You looked over and saw the time machine slide off the deck and splash into the water. Bobbing up and down, you knew it would soon begin to sink.
Once again you had to make a tough decision. Stay and save just a few and be stuck here forever, or go back to the present and save many. You called out to the Justice League to get into the time machine before it was too late. Superman, Hulk, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, there is no time to waste we have to GO!
Once home Superman spoke up...
"There is no way to change the past." "We have to focus on the here and now!" When we focus our efforts on the past we take away ourselves from the present."

So want a beautiful web!

This morning watching a spider build its web, I thought about how easy that spider has it. Nothing in it's way to create the perfect web. Its whole life is dependent on building the perfect home. I too feel this need to make things organized and perfected, but rain, wind, and every other element I can think of keeps pulling at my threads. Will keep at it.. someday I will feel the peace sitting in the middle of my lovely web!

Sam "Can you give me a dream?"

Every night at bedtime Sam asks me for a back-rub and a dream.

Last night

S -Tell me the story of me.

M -  (Sigh)  on May 15th 2008 you were born. Doctors had to be sure you were ready to come out and join the world. After poking a needle in me that was this long (---------) , they decided you were ready, and the time was set for you to be born the next day.

S - A needle THAT BIG!

M - Yes, and that needle made you MAD! You must have thought "FORGET this place, it's no longer safe and fun, I'm outta here!" You wanted out NOW! I have never felt so much pain. Christian, and Maddy when they decided to come out didn't hurt mommy so bad.

S - Heheheh, I was strong!

M - Yes you were, and I knew that you wouldn't wait very long! So grandma drove me to the hospital VERY fast. We were just at the doctor's office, but the hospital you were to be born at was 20 minutes away. I did not like grandmas driving, she hit every bump and took every turn very fast. OUCH!
Meanwhile everyone got the call that you were coming fast. Daddy was at work dressed fancy, Christian was having at play date with aunt K and the cousins, and Maddy was with GaGa at the zoo.
Maddy had just gotten a snow cone that she had begged GaGa to buy, but had to throw it away.

S - Is that why Maddy hates me so much? We should buy her a snow cone for her birthday!

M - That's a great idea, she would love that!

S - I don't know what her favorite color is, so we'll just get rainbow. Then she'll like me.

M - Maddy loves you, she was so happy to hold you for the first time. I'll show you pictures tomorrow that show happy she was!

S - Did daddy hold me too?

M - Yes daddy was the first one to hold you. Back to my story.... Daddy got there in the nick of time! And grandma went to go buy a camera, but the doctor told her there was no time. Off I whet to go have little Samuel.

S - I thought I was a big baby.

M - Nope, although you were very strong you were born tiny. But everyday you grow bigger and stronger.

S - Will I be Superman someday?

M - I'm sure you will!