The Orchard Team Huddle

I have never been one to dread my birthday.  I don't feel sad or old or sorry for myself.  I figure there is nothing I can do about it so I might as well age gracefully.  I also believe that you need to take charge and do exactly what you want to do to make it the best day ever.  As I pondered how I would celebrate my special day I learned a few interesting things about myself. The Day: I wanted to be outside in the sunshine, wearing capris, playing with Mason.  The zoo would have been my first choice but I settled for Wheeler Farm.  I have to admit that part of me didn't want to sit home and pull that sweet boy off of the counter or the computer or out of the pantry one more time.  But, the biggest part of me wanted to watch his face light up as he discovered something new.  That brings me so much joy...Mason and the sun.  Those two things belong together because he is my little sunshine.  I wore my capris, the weather was cold and wi...

March Madness tournament.  First time to have both of the boys playing in the same tournament.  There was so much excitement and anticipation for this one.  We had to make sure Grandpa was coming because we knew we could possibly be in two places at the same time.  We arranged to stay with the Thompson's while we were there.  Then, we awaited our schedules.  I have a bit of a ritual on schedule day.  Russell usually calls me to tell me they are up (this happens 1 week prior to the games).  I take a quick look and call my friend, Roni, so we can discuss the teams and our chances and our times and locations.  It is almost as fun as the tournament itself!  This time I was SO hoping that I could catch 4 games with Stockton and 4 games with Douglas followed by two really exciting championship days.  Russell and I had no idea how we would pick which boy to go with for that day but we would work it out later. The schedule: Thursday: S...

By this age my older boys had a scrapbook full of pages documenting their first few years of life.  Mason currently has this blog!  I have made one page for a scrapbook that I have yet to purchase.  Oh, poor third child.  He is at such a fun age that I just had to take the time to snap a few pictures and write down all of the 21-month old things he does. Let's start with the binki.  He perfectly says "binki" now, he wants one in his mouth and hands at all times and about 6 to sleep with.  If you tell him one is enough he says, "two".  If the kid can ask for two binki's, perhaps he is too old to have them!  However, sleep is such a commodity and he is the baby so is there really a big rush to take them away?  I told myself that I would after St. George in March.  Now I am rethinking as the time is upon me.  Stay tuned for that one:). Mason loves to "I go na-night."  It is almos...

Our love of baseball has taken us on some of our coolest family vacations.  Last week, Douglas' team played in the Triple Crown Spring Training tournament.  We decided to cash in our sky miles so all of us could go cheer him on.  A toddler on my lap for a 2 hour flight was a little more enticing than enduring a 12 hour roadtrip, each way.  Douglas wasn't too sad that he missed the team travel in a 16 passenger van.  Can you imagine it?  8 teenage boys...together...lauging....texting...stinking.  No thanks!  His coaches are saints! As seems to always be the case, travel day was hectic.  Watching our family go through airport security must be somewhat entertaining.  There are the Ipods, the belts, the shoes, the stroller, the laptop, the portable DVD player, the camera, the sippy cup, the blanket....followed by the howls of a little boy who got his fingers pinched when the stroller collapsed on him as we tried to contain him to...

Preparing to go out of town can be quite overwhelming.  In a perfect world I would like to have the house clean from top to bottom, the bags packed, the bills paid with all the T's crossed and the I's dotted and ample time to spare.  I hate staying up late the night before a trip, my mind buzzing with all of the things that I still need to accomplish before I can actually leave.  I had a pretty good system down before Mason but I have had to adjust my expectations just a bit.  I gave up on having the house clean.  The goal was to be packed in time to leave!  I started pulling things together a week ago.  I had a little pile of clothes and diapers in Mason's room.  There was a snack pile on the kitchen counter.  The portable DVD player was charged and movies were gathered.  Little by little I prepared for our Arizona vacation.  The day before our trip I loaded the suitcases and decided to do 2 quick loads of laundry so I wouldn'...

I have to admit that I am a bit of freak when it comes to office supplies.  I can't pass up those back to school sales in August...colored pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, pens, pencils, glue sticks, folders.  Sigh!  One never knows when one is going to need a new box of Crayolas!  I have more than a year's supply.  I think I planned on putting crayons in Stockton's 5th birthday party bags but never did.  Most of them are still neatly stashed in my supply tote!  So, I guess you could say I tend to go a little overboard and sometimes need to reign myself in from buying more supplies than my family really needs.  One of my impulse purchases a few years ago was clear pencil boxes. They were 10 cents, limit 10.  I had to get all 10 of them.  I justified them as great Scrapbook storage (everything can be great scrapbook storage.  I like to store scrapbooking items more than I actually use them!).  They sat for awhile, som...