MARCH MADNESS BABY!!!!

It's March 1st and normally at this time I'd be on my computer scouring the KSHSAA website looking at sub-state pairings and potential state tournament match-ups. I LOVE this time of year. And when I took the high school girl's basketball job in 2002, the State Tournament was my ultimate goal. I was fortunate enough to play on the court of Bramlage Coliseum at Kansas State both my junior and senior year. They also made a state appearance the following year, but the girl's team hadn't been back since 1996. I took the job because I wanted to get the program back to where it once was!

I inherited a team that finished the season before at 8-14. My first season as head coach, we not only won our first game, but finished the year at 9-13! The following year we saw a little bit of improvement going 10-12, and then the following season we finished above .500 with a 14-8 record. A winning season!!!! Things began to click and we went 18-5, losing to Sedan in the Championship game of sub-state. That loss hurt the most because we were so close I could taste it!
In '06-'07 we opened the Fieldhouse and found out we were going to host the sub-state. As a player, I played in the first game to open the Activity Center where we beat St. Paul in a nail biter. As a coach, I was there to open the Fieldhouse and watch my girls take it to Jasper! We went in to our sub state the #1 seed with a 19-2 record. Talk about pressure! And with a packed SMC Fieldhouse, our girls brought home the sub-state trophy and a trip of their own to Bramlage. The next 3 years we pretty much dominated. :) And, to-date, have made 4 consecutive trips to the class 2A State Tournament. I was so fortunate to coach for the team I once played for. And since God blessed me with 4 boys, I felt very blessed to have coached many fine young ladies! My eight seasons are memories I will always cherish and look back on with pride.

And while I won't be the one standing in the coach's box tonight to begin sub-state week, you can bet my heart and spirit will be with them! (I'll just yell louder at them from the stands!) Win or lose, they are an amazing group of girls that have accomplished so much. I just hope that the winning tradition we have worked so hard to get back, will continue to get stronger and better as the years go on. Here's wishing the SMC Girl's basketball team and their coaches the best of luck as they go for state appearance #5!

KAWCCPKA TOGETHER!!!!

Dear Scrapbook Room, oh how I've missed your original purpose!

When we first looked at this house 6 years ago, I was sooo excited! At the time we were living in a 3 bedroom, 1500 sq. ft house. We had one living room that was filled with a ball pit, tool bench, ride-on toys, and a big screen tv. All the bedrooms were spoken for, so my scrapbooking supplies were neatly tucked away in an armoire in our bedroom.

About that time, my good friend Amy Lomshek and I would regularly attend open houses! We joked we'd be those old ladies that always came, but never bought. That we would have been inside every house in Pittsburg when all was said and done. Well, one open house we came to Woodland Terrace. We gave our own self-guided tour since we were regulars and the Realtors gave up on us. And after dragging Eric back with me, and showing him the potential for a really cool "Man's Cave" in the basement, we put in an offer.

I was so excited. It had 4 bedrooms, so we'd have an "extra" and it had a small room down in the basement. I immediately claimed it for my scraproom! It had UGLY pink rose carpet, but I didn't care. I was going to have a place I could decorate as "girly" as I wanted and let my creative juices flow!!! That was the PLAN anyways. So I painted it, decorated it, and organized it. I was all set up to scrapbook! And then......I never did.

Since buying this gem of a house (That has cost us a new hot water tank, air condition unit, plumbing the kitchen sink, fixing cracks in the basement so water would stop running down our walls, and now new siding.) I haven't really used MY room for it's original purpose. I haven't even finished Cooper's 1st year album, let alone started on the other two boys' books. (You know, the two boys that took away our "extra" room and has forced someone to share living quarters.)

So while my husband is in Las Vegas for "work" with his good friend and boss, I'm going to tackle my scraproom and attempt to get back to the hobby that I use to enjoy so much. I'm going to print pictures and break out the papers I bought over 3 years ago for that perfect double page spread. The kids enjoy looking back at their albums (or at least Cade does, since his is the only one done.) so I want to finish them FOR them. Sorry daughters-in-law, the boys will be coming with albums!

"MY" room has been taken over by bills, toys, paperwork, and is a catch-all for everything we own it seems. And that cute little kid in the picture, he doesn't help things much. So here's to a week of cleaning and hopefully scrapping! If nothing else, we'll all be more comfortable hanging out in "my" room when the tornado sirens go off! Enjoy your week!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly about LEGOs

"Oh, I love LEGOs!" or "My kids have a TON of LEGOs." That's usually the first words I hear when I either have to explain what my husband does for a living or when I go to a show with him and people come up to the booth to talk. Let's face it, the LEGO trademark is pretty well-known all over the world. I know Carston could tell me what it is, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Colton will start saying LEGO!

Before I met Eric, LEGO was just a toy I played with. Didn't have millions of them, but sure, I built stuff. Now since knowing Eric, or at least when he started working for my Dad, LEGO has meant even more. And it's meaning increased when he began working for LEGO Education directly. So here's the good, the bad, and the ugly about LEGO. Happy building!

The GOOD - Eric working for LEGO means I get to stay at home and play LEGOs with my boys! LEGOs give my boys and Eric something to work on together. And is even at the center of game nights thanks to LEGO checkers, LEGO dominos, and our latest game LEGO Pirate Cove. (It's actually a really fun game.) LEGO has also allowed me to travel to places I've never been. Eric's territory has taken me to Oregon and Las Vegas! Here in a couple weeks I get to go to California. (Not because it's his territory, but because it's a national convention!) All of those tiny little LEGOs that you vaccum up in your Dyson, those little things have provided very well for our family!

The BAD - We have a TON of LEGOs! I'm sure there are people out there with a lot more than us, but they are everywhere. We have big LEGOs, small LEGOs, medium LEGOs, motors for our LEGOs, wheels for our LEGOs, a LEGO table, LEGO cases, LEGO soccer balls, LEGO magnets, LEGO picture frames, a LEGO jello mold, LEGO keychains, LEGO pins, and even a LEGO cookie cutter. (I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something.) I also have a playroom that's overflowing. A playroom that drives my wonderful husband crazy! It's also the same room where I put all the LEGOs he brings home for our kids. Really....like we need even more. Lucky for us, our children have never put LEGOs in their mouths, ears, or noses, so we've been blessed. Having to go to the ER to retrieve a LEGO from somewhere it shouldn't be, would definitely be bad. Of course, we're not out of the woods yet with Colt. Give it time and I'm sure he won't disappoint.

The only UGLY I can think of is stepping on a LEGO. It hurts! BAD!!! Especially when it's 2am and you have to try to find Mickey Mouse so someone can go back to sleep. Yeah, not cool! So while I'm tired of seeing all the LEGOs around the house, I love watching the boys (big and small) build their contraptions. I'm also very thankful for what LEGO has given us. (Of course, Eric is a pretty good sales rep!) And who knows, maybe one of our children will go in to construction and build my dream house some day. Hopefully...not out of LEGOs.

Valentine's Day 2011 In the Books

What a wonderful (and busy) Valentine's Day!

I first woke up to these beautiful flowers from my 5 boys!

Then I was invited by Cooper to a "T" party at school. They sang a few songs and we enjoyed "T" brownies, grapes, and "tea" aka apple juice. He also gave me some beautiful flowers that he made.

We got home from school and I got to work! Cade LOVES spaghetti and meatballs, so I decided to surprise him for dinner. I even made a run to Pallucca's for Eric because he loves the sausage! I also got some help from Carston. He loves to help in the kitchen.

Dinner was a HUGE success! Eric was busy fixing his truck, so the boys and I were able to have a wonderful dinner with great conversation. And to top it off, I made them Oreo cookie dessert! If that meal doesn't just scream LOVE (and calories) I don't know what does.

At least I know Colton liked it.

Thank you boys for making Valentine's Day such a delight for me. You all really know how to make a girl feel special. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day.

And while it's always nice to get flowers, candy, and the romantic card. We should all strive to make every day a little bit like Valentine's Day. You don't always have to do something big, but just something that let's your loved ones know you care about them. Sure wish the Jayhawks had shown a little love last night! Hope your Valentine's Day was the start to a wonderful week!XOXOXOXOXO -The Simmons family
Aren't the flowers Cooper gave me beautiful?

A quick note to my future daughters-in-law

To my future Daughters-In-Law

So obviously God felt the need to bless me with four boys. (Four adorable boys I might add.) But when we found out we were pregnant with an unexpected 4th child, I prayed and prayed for my girl. Just 1 girl, that's all I wanted. Just one mini-Megan. A little girl that LOVED coloring just as much as her Mom. A girl that would want to scrapbook with me. A girl to go shopping with. Someone to be on my side or stick up for me when the boys were being boys! Just one little dainty, but very athletic, girl that would call her Mom on her birthday, remind her brothers it was Mother's Day, would be sure to visit most major holidays, and make sure her mom was taken care of when she got old. But when I saw for myself (I'm pretty much a pro at spotting the "3rd leg".) that baby #4 was going to be Colton, my prayers changed from "Please be a girl!" to "Please just let them marry great girls that will hopefully like me!"

So, to my future daughters-in-law, you can bet you are going to be very blessed to be married to my boys! They have a great father to look up to that will show them how to treat their future wife. (Lucky for you, he can be pretty romantic when he wants to, so hopefully that will rub off on them.) They will be great with a grill and smoker. They'll want to do a lot of projects on their own, which may or may not cost you more in the long run. But at least if the toilet is running, they'll attempt to fix it and possibly save you a service call. They'll probably have to have tools, lots of them. And they'll keep every screw, because you never know when you might need it. (Eric gets that from his Dad.) They'll be hard workers and they'll make sure their family is taken care of. They'll be wonderful dads, because they have one of the best!

My promise to you lucky ladies, is to show them the importance of remembering the important dates! To tell them that a card, just because, can make the worst day seem like a memory. That sometimes all they have to do is listen, just because you need to vent. Not because you need their opinion or advice. That a chick flick, popcorn, sweats, and couch CAN be a romantic date! That telling you how beautiful you are can make your heart melt! My promise to you is to give them a girls perspective! That Valentine's Day, which may do nothing for them, might mean everything to you!

Oh, I'm also working on getting them to put the toilet seat down, put their clothes in the hamper instead of on the floor right NEXT to the hamper, and putting their dishes actually IN the dishwasher! That's definitely a work in progress. And while I hope at least one of my 4 boys is somewhat of a "momma's boy" so I don't wither away without anyone noticing in a rest home they forgot they put me in. I hope even more that they make you just as happy as they've made us and that we've raised some wonderful young men that still give you goosebumps 11 Valentine's years later.

Things I LOVE!!!!

Of course, I LOVE my boys, I LOVE my family, I LOVE my God and church, and I LOVE my friends. But here are some other things I just absolutely LOVE!

I LOVE chocolate! I LOVE scrapbooking, I just never get a chance to do it anymore. I LOVE bedtime! Probably because it's quite and I can finally hear myself think again. I LOVE watching it snow, but do not like driving or walking in it. I LOVE sharpened crayons, and I LOVE to color. Unfortunately, my boys don't feel the same way. I LOVE a clean and organized house, but mine is no where near that! I LOVE to make lists. (I can now check off #4!) I LOVE sweats, and with the crazy temps and snow, I've been wearing them a lot! I still LOVE my basketball girls, although I'm no longer coaching and don't see them as often, they are still a big part of my life! I LOVE history. Especially the Civil War era! I LOVE The Office.

I LOVE the color black for both a wardrobe choice and interior design color. I LOVE looking at houses and wish that I had done something along those lines as a career. I LOVE being surprised with flowers, or a card, or an "I LOVE YOU" email from Eric just because. (hint, hint) I LOVE when the boys wake up from naps happy! I LOVE Sonic ice, which is another reason why I LOVE Sonic's cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. I LOVE fall. I LOVE the colors, the temperatures, playing outside, and football. I LOVE watching my boys play sports. I LOVE seeing the smiles on their faces when they hit the ball or make a great catch! I LOVE a good book. (Yes, I do read!) I LOVE watching KU basketball and hearing Carston sing Rock Chalk. I LOVE taking vacations with Eric, and only Eric! I LOVE taking vacations with the boys too. I love the smells and traditions of Christmas. I LOVE when I find $5 in my pocket. I LOVE that I only have 1 more kid left in diapers!! I LOVE having candles burning, but with 4 kids don't get to light them as often. I LOVE Saturdays. I LOVE hearing the kids laugh!

I LOVE getting scrapbook magazines in the mail. I LOVE when the checkbook balances. I LOVE the ways the kids smell after a bath. I LOVE when my hubby holds my hand! I LOVE watching Grey's Anatomy in peace and quiet. I LOVE having "me" time, just wish I had more. :) I'm now in LOVE with HGTV more than before. I just wish I knew how we could have a house in Pittsburg and one in the Bahamas! (Seriously, how do people afford that?) I LOVE the Outback Steakhouse, just wish Eric would share my enjoyment for Tangy Tomato salad dressing. I LOVE chick flicks, especially You've Got Mail. I LOVE when the kids sleep through the night and in their own beds! I LOVE Target and Hobby Lobby and Kirklands and Academy Sports. I also LOVE Pottery Barn, just can't afford to shop there. I LOVE taking naps when it's raining outside! I LOVE lasagna and Oreo Cookie dessert, not necessarily together. And did I mention I LOVE Valentine's Day??

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Valentine's Day!!!!

Valentine's Day is my most favorite holiday. I think it's largely because I am a HUGE Romantic!!! HUGE! I love chick flicks, lovey-dovey music, and the happily ever after. I don't even have to get chocolates or roses, all I ever want for Valentine's Day is a card from my Valentine, with just a few words from him, not Hallmark.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't complain if Eric surprised me with a candlelight dinner and some quality "us" time, but I'm also realistic...we have kids. My ideal Valentine's Day would be going out to dinner and then coming home and snuggling on the couch watching a chick flick with the fire going. But reality tells me we'll be home eating tacos because I forgot to thaw something better, studying for some upcoming test with Cade, breaking up a fight between Cooper and Carston because one called the other a "cry baby", and wiping snot bubbles from Colton's nose. If that doesn't just scream romance, I don't know what does.

I guess in a way I'm one lucky girl. I have 5 wonderful men in my life. Which is probably another reason why I just LOVE Valentine's Day. I have the most amazing husband. Not only is he good looking, but he takes great care of me and our family. I always feel protected, cared for, and loved! He's my best friend, and although there are days where he drives me nuts, I still get goosebumps when I see him in a room of people! And then there are the 4 little valentines. One that still asks for hugs, one that tells me how great a cook I am (you can stop laughing), one that wants to help me do everything, and a little one that LOVES to snuggle. Five Valentines for one girl! I LOVE Valentine's Day!