Visions of the 4th Wordless Wednesday

This Week's Wordless Wednesday:

Pictures Taken During our 4th of July 2013

Our's town's parade

Waiting for the Fireworks

(we watched from the top of our city hall parking garage)

And the show began!

My daughter enjoying the fireworks

Oooooooo, ahhhhhhhh

Part of the finale!

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Experience the Normal

         I take a deep breath and just try to absorb the moment.  Nothing special is going on, I'm just making some lunch and my son is playing on the computer in the other room.  It’s just the two of us home right now as his sister is at Girl Scout Camp for two weeks and his dad is at work.  It’s just that lately I've become all too aware that days like this will be gone way before I'm ready for them to end.

            My daughter is 14 and my son is 11 ½ .  Each summer seems to mean I have less and less time with them as they are more inclined to be doing things with friends or pursuing their own interests.  We dropped my daughter off at Girl Scout Camp about an hour away from home two days ago.  She will be there for two weeks.  She’s gone to camp before, but this is the first time it’s been longer than a week.  I missed her before we even got to the camp.  She starts high school in August and of course at this point it’s about spending as much time with her friends and boyfriend as she can.

            Last night my son spent the night with a friend.  It meant that it was just my husband and me at home with the dogs.  I usually love having that alone time with my husband.  Last night it just felt like the house was empty.  This morning when he went to work, it felt even emptier.  I was so relieved when it was time to go pick my son up from his sleep over. 

            It’s just a normal week day during summer break.  I’m doing things around the house and trying to get some of my own things done.  He’s finished eating his lunch and is now downstairs playing on his Xbox.  I’ll be going to the grocery store soon.  But, the fact that we're in the same house for most of the day is really all that matters.   

        So, again I just close my eyes and only focus on the sound of his voice as he’s talking to his friends over his Xbox and the feel of the house when he’s home.  I try to focus all my senses on the simple experience of doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen and preparing to go to the store while he’s here in the house with me.  All too soon it'll be over and we'll be building memories with our children as adults instead of as kids.

P is for Prayer

My prayer for my daughter:

     My dearest daughter, if I could custom make your life experiences for you I would.  But, since I cannot here are my prayers for you as you grow into adulthood.

     It is my greatest wish that you grow strong, healthy and happy.  I pray that you will always know how much you are loved and will always love yourself.  I pray that someday you can see yourself through my eyes and know what a miracle you are to me.  I pray that all your dreams come true, but that you must work for them so you appreciate and enjoy them fully.  I pray that your life is full of people who love and value you for who you are.  Most of all I pray that I get to be with you to see you experience everything that comes with growing up and being an adult.

My prayer for my son:

     My darling boy, if there was a way for me to put into words what you mean to me, I would.  The best I can do for you is to share my prayer for you.

     It is my greatest wish that you, like your sister, grow strong, healthy and happy.  I pray that you will find wisdom that helps you make sound decisions in your life.  I pray that you learn how to be a man from your father, for none do it as well as he does.  I pray that you experience the joy of sincere friendships.  I pray that all your dreams come true, and that you must work for them to fully enjoy them.  I pray that the people of your life value you and love you for who you are.  I pray that others get as much joy from your sense of humor and laugh as I do.  I pray that those close to you never fail to notice your caring, loving nature.  Most of all I pray that I get to be with you and see you experience everything that comes with growing up and being an adult.

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E is for Endings

     We are going through a lot of endings in our house lately.  Of course we've just gone through the end of winter.  Very soon it will be the end of the school year.  Less than a year ago was the end of us having children in elementary school.  But, there is so much more getting ready to come to an end and it's got at least two of us in this house a little unsettled.

     My daughter is going through the most endings right now.  Her Girl Scout troop will be folding after this school year and so that's the end of everything that goes along with that.  The end of mother/daughter dinners, father/daughter dances, neighborhood camps, overnights at museums, cookie sales, etc.  The cookie sales I will not miss.  It will be very strange not having the other stuff going on.  She is going to do PEGS so she can continue to earn her awards.  But, it will not be the same.

Neighborhood Camp 2.5 years ago

     This is her last year of middle school.  Everything that goes with not being in high school is over.  This is both scary and exciting for us.  I just am having such a hard time believing that my baby girl is going to be in high school come August.  In just four years we will be planning for graduation.  YIKES!

     We are also part of the ending of an "era" with our local YMCA.  My daughter has been part of the swim team there for the past three years.  All of the coaches are leaving which means whatever happens next year it will be completely different.  It's a little scary, but then, change is always scary.  I hope that they are able to find new coaches soon.

The coach who is pregnant

     This past Christmas saw the ending of Santa Claus in our house, too.  It was the first Christmas that we did not have to pretend about Santa.  Which also meant that the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny have ended, too.  These actually I'm not as sad about as I probably should be.  I'm more relieved because I was HORRIBLE at it.  I just can't remember my lies to keep them going.  And,  our poor kids, the tooth fairy has NEVER been on time.  So, that ending has been helpful.

     This year also saw the ending of my 18 year run as a first grade teacher.  I was moved to 2nd grade for this school year.  I was not happy about it, but am really hoping this is where I stay next year.  There is a lot of uncertainty about that, but I'm still hoping not to be moved again.

My first second grade class in 19 years

     My husband's job that he had for a long time ended less than a year ago.  The company he worked for closed it's doors.  This led him back to a company he left about 13 years ago.  Thankfully, he did find another job.

      And, now it is time for the ending of this post.  Life takes us through lots of changes.  Sometimes they are far apart, but sometimes a lot happen in a short period of time.  The upside to it all is that whenever something ends, something else begins.

An early spring sunrise

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Blogging A to Z

     My family is leaving me! 

I am going to be all by myself! 

Ok, so just for an evening and most of Saturday.  My husband and kids are taking a hunter safety class this weekend.  So, I will be home alone.

     I will drop the kids off at my husband's work this evening so they can leave from there.  They will be gone about 4 or 5 hours this evening.  Then, tomorrow they will be gone for about 9 hours.  That's somewhere around 13/14 hours of alone time.

     I am looking forward to this.  I love all three of them endlessly, but I do like my alone time, too.  Being alone allows me to breath and think freely.  I don't have to think about how my words are going to affect anyone else.  I don't have to worry about anyone else's needs.  I can pick my nose if I want.  I can dance around the house naked and sing as loud as I want without scaring anyone, well except maybe the dogs, but they are much more tolerant than humans.  I can watch whatever I want on television and not have anyone interrupt it. I can fart where ever I want and not worry about someone commenting on it.  I get to eat whatever I want for dinner! 

 

     Of course, I enjoy this because it doesn't happen a lot.  If I had a lot of alone time, it would probably be depressing.  But, for now, I am going to enjoy this, especially since I only had to work three hours today.  .

Windmills in Illinois

It's Wordless Wednesday
So Here are some
Windmills in Northern Illinois

These are the windmills we saw when driving to and from the swim meet in northern Illinois this past weekend.

Here is one picture of the windmills as we are driving that I have edited several different ways. 

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A Road Trip

     I am sitting in the passenger seat of our van playing a game on my tablet and signing softly along with an 80's song that is coming over the radio.  The kids are in the back seat watching a movie on the DVD player.  My husband is in the driver's seat.  We are on our way north.  Our destination is about 4.5 hours from home.

     I actually love times like these.  We don't have to be going anywhere exotic.  We don't even have to be going anywhere to stay overnight.  Our destination is not necessarily important.  It's that we are together.  It's that we are creating memories as a family.

     Last summer, my daughter came home from girl scout camp with all these plans for the next few summers that include her being gone for increasingly amount of time each year.  She will be starting high school in August.  These two things have been a huge twist in my gut.  It has made me realize exactly how limited our time is with our children.

     I have always tried to make sure my children have plenty of smiling moments in time that they will hopefully be able to look back at their childhood with fondness.  I want them to be able to have tons of things to reminisce about and talk about when they are older.  Those, remember when we... moments.  Moments they want to share with their own children.

     As I sit in the moving car I breathe in the contentment that surrounds me and cloak myself with love we all share. I glance at the man I am lucky enough to share all of this with and it makes me smile as my chest balloons.  He is the reason all of these family times work so well.  Because he is a daddy and a husband, not just a man with a family.

     Our road trip may cause us to sit in the car for a long period of time.  It may be we sleep in not the greatest hotel.  We may end up playing a waiting game most of the weekend.  But, we are all doing it together.  Our children are learning to support each other in their interests and our family is building a foundation that, hopefully will be strong enough to embrace grandchildren and great-grandchildren and beyond.

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Wordless Wednesday

My Two Beautiful Scottish Terrier Girls

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