Strategic Planning and Other Mishaps

Strategic Planning - Coordinating a business trip to NJ to coincide with my Aunt's visit to NYC for a girls' weekend.

Mishap - Locking the keys in my rental car just before I head into the city to meet my Aunt and her friend.

Yes it did happen ... it was raining and took over an hour and a half to get someone to unlock my rental car.  Then I had to drive to the airport, catch a train to Penn Station and then walk/run a mile to the apartment (in the rain).  The worst part was we had tickets to Wicked that night and I was afraid I would miss it.  Luckily we were only a few minutes late to the show.  At the time it wasn't funny ... but looking back now it is pretty comical and makes for a good story. 

After an eventful Thursday night, I woke up to this view Friday morning (btw - not sure what is up with my camera but all of my pictures are hazy ...)

The Hudson River

After some NY bagels we ventured to the Upper West Side and walked and walked and walked ....

Love the fall colors in Central Park

Then we hopped on the subway and headed down to lower Manhattan and Wall Street.  I had to bite my tongue when we passed the protesters but I did say to my Aunt "I hope they freeze their a**'s off!".  We had tickets to the 9/11 Memorial.  Before we went to it we headed into Trinity Church.  It was very emotional to see all of the items on display.

After that, we got in line and headed into the 9/11 Memorial.  Very beautiful and tastefully done.  A lot of people were taking their pictures at the sight.  I sort of felt like it was sacrilege to take a photo of myself in front of the memorial.

No words ....

As we were leaving they were raising the flag outside the memorial.  Even though they said the tickets were sold out for months, I was able to get some online two days before we went.  I highly encourage everyone to go see this.  Very moving.

The next day we were part of a Once in a Lifetime Event (according to the NY news).  October snowstorm in the northeast .... I guess that's what happens when a someone from central Florida, South Beach and the Desert spend a weekend in NYC!  We bring the crazy weather.

The view from our apartment on Saturday afternoon

Making the most of the weather-chilling our beer on the balcony

Luckily the weather cleared on Sunday ... one last photo before we headed home ...  

Thanks Aunt Susan and Fran ... I had a great time!!

Halloween

Hope you all had a great Halloween.  To be honest this really isn't my favorite holiday.  I do enjoy hanging out with my neighbors and seeing the kids get excited about their costumes, however I am glad it is over.  I am ready to move on to the other BIG holidays ... but before then a ton few pictures from our adventures last night.

Yes Chatty was a soccer player - not much of a costume but she couldn't make a decision and it didn't cost me any additional cash so I went with it.

Bia has mastered the fake smile

Bia and her BFF

Chatty and her Knight in Shining Armor (our neighbor Jack)

Bia, BFF and BFF's lil sister

Riding in style

Mr. ESPN's creation

Enjoying her stash

As usual we had a great time with our neighbor's.  We were so glad Bia's BFF's family could join us this year - they are so much fun!  Stay tuned for a post on my NYC adventures!

Where Did All of the Candy Corn Go???

I am having some serious issues with my local grocery store.  They don't have this:

Specifically this kind:

I have searched high and low in the candy aisle and the Halloween aisle and can't locate it.  Don't they know it isn't Halloween if you don't have Brach's candy corn?  Chatty tried to get me to buy the cheap generic stuff - little does she know that the generic kind tastes like wax.  She must get that from her dad.  Mr. ESPN has been know to buy generic candy corn.  It's kind of like buying Pepsi (ugh!) instead of Coke! 

Favorites

Gotta love a morning when you succeed in making 2/3 of your family mad at you before 6:00 a.m.  Success?!  You tell me.  You would never guess the one person that was happy with me ... the one who is usually the most unpleasant in the morning ... Sweet Little Bia.  Let's just say she is my favorite right now - but don't tell the others! 

But seriously how could you not 

think this one is my favorite???

 

Ordinary Life

I keep trying to think of stuff to blog about and I don't have anything exciting.  My life is pretty ordinary for a working mom .....

• Spending countless hours on the soccer field
• Making lunches and dinners for kids who either don't eat them or complain the whole time they are forced to eat them
• Trying to work with a teacher who doesn't e-mail (even though she has a school issued MAC) and isn't the most communicative
• Trying to teach a 4 year old that she isn't in charge and that screaming will not get her what she wants
• Painting cabinets in my free time (uh - what's that)
• Trying to train for my half marathon that is 4 weeks away and raise a few more dollars in the process (thanks to everyone who donated - you rock!)
• Wishing my house would clean itself
• Listening to countless stories about a girl in Chatty's class who can speak Chinese (umm... duh - she is from China)
• Wishing for cooler weather
• Enjoying Sunday evening dinners on the patio (or the porch as Bia refers to it)
• Trying to spend more time as a family ....

So that's pretty much it.  Nothing extraordinary, just our ordinary (but good) life!

Life As I Know It

I'd like to tell you all I have been galavanting across France, sitting in cafes drinking chilled wine and eating pastries with Mr. ESPN and that is why I haven't blogged in a couple weeks, but no that is not the case.  In reality I have been working, volunteering, chauferring, baking, painting, cooking, making lunches, disciplining and oh yeah sweating (because it is still over a 100 degrees here).  Basically living my life as I know it.  Nothing different from any of you other moms out there ...

But for as tired and worn out as I am, I am thankful I have so much going on and that I really have a very good life with a great family and wonderful friends.  I oftentimes forget this and start to wallow in my own self pity, but then something happens.  For me it happened yesterday when I found out a co-worker lost their FIL.  My co-worker and his wife are my age.  It's sad that it takes an event like that to make me stop and really look around and see how blessed I am. 

So in between the parenting, volunteer meetings, Sunday School teaching, soccer games, dance, fundraisers, work and everything else that seems to run my life these days, I will stop and remember to be grateful for all that I have (even when Bia is throwing her third tantrum of the day and it isn't even 7:00 a.m.).

The Life of a Soccer Mom

Yep that's my life these days.  Last weekend I experienced a whole new level of soccer mom status.  Chatty's team was in a tournament (hosted by our league).  That meant a Friday night game, Saturday morning game, working as a volunteer Saturday, Saturday night game and Sunday morning game.  Chatty's team played very well - won on Friday night and Saturday morning and tied on Saturday night.  Which meant they were in the championship game on Sunday morning.  The Sunday morning game was a nail biter and with a final score of 4 to 4.  Normally for this age group if you tie it ends in a tie, but someone in our league forgot that when they set up the tournament and according to the tournament rules, they had to go to penalty kicks.  Ummm - guess who is one of the goalies and was asked to step in and perform a Hope Solo?  Yep - Chatty.  Guess who was a nervous wreck?  No, not the goalie, the mom of the goalie - ME!  Chatty had never done penalty kicks but was up for the task.  She stopped all but one kick!  She did an awesome job.  I have never felt more relieved and excited at the same time.  Our entire team and coach have worked so hard and it was so fun to see it pay off!!  Chatty loved how all of her team ran out to hug her after the kicks were over!!  So sweet!!

The whole team (minus one player missing that day) 

Sporting her medal

We also squeezed in lunch with Chatty's Godfather, Uncle Greg!  It really was an amazing weekend!

Oh and we also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary 

Picture courtesy of Photographer Chatty

Quotes of the weekend:
"I have to protect my house, I can't let anyone in my house!" - Chatty on defending the goal.  Mr. ESPN's response - "Maybe we should buy her some Under Armour."

When asked to set the table Sunday night, "I am a Champion, Champions don't set the table" - Chatty.  My response "You are part of this family and I am in charge of this family and you WILL set the table."

As if all of this excitement wasn't enough, Bia is starting dance class today!  She is beyond excited and I can't wait to watch her dance!!