Monday Motivation

The past few weeks I've had some strong feelings about where I am in life, what my life was before, and where I'm going. I've always been a To-Do List writing, quote loving, goal setting type of girl. And before I had kids, I was an organized person. My house was clean, my car was clean, and it drove me crazy if it was anything but!

Fast forward 10.5 years. I make To-Do lists, but about 40% gets done (on a good day). I still love my quotes! And my goals...well, I haven't really thought about those for a while. Oh, I'm organized...in my head! But a clean house or clean car, no where near it! I realize I have kids and it's hard to keep up with them AND the house, AND the bills, AND the laundry but I could definitely be doing better, I'm just not always motivated to. I mean come on, who wakes up excited about cleaning toilets?

I've realized I've kinda lost my spunk, my motivation, my drive. I miss having that something that gave me purpose. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and realize that's a HUGE purpose. But I want something challenging other than a dirty diaper and only 1 wipe! I think that's why in the last two weeks I've really looked at renewing my teaching certificate.

One of the main reasons I think this feeling has emerged is because, quite frankly, the whole graduating college, getting a job, getting married, buying a house, and having a baby-thing happened REALLY fast and REALLY close together! Graduated fall of '98, got a job 2 weeks later, engaged summer of '99, married January of '00, bought a house May of '00, had Cade December of '00! (Just in case you didn't believe that it happened really fast!)

I never really felt like I gave teaching a shot or could see what I was able to do. And while I never thought I'd want to go back, teaching would be ideal for my family since I'd be off when they are off. And while it's been 10.5 years since being in a classroom, one thing is sure, I enjoy kids. Obviously, or I wouldn't have coached for so many years. I just realized that since graduating high school in '95, I've coached some form of sport (volleyball, basketball) at some level (6th grade, jr. high, high school) all but 1 year. Kids are fun and there's nothing better or more rewarding than watching them succeed.

So where is this long post going? Well, to kick start myself, I've decided to do a Monday Motivation. It will basically be a quote and maybe a few things on my To-Do List and possibly a recap of the week before. I've begun looking in to renewing my certificate and am tentatively planning on taking some classes in the spring. But to begin with, I'm starting with ME! I'm kicking my own butt for 1. becoming this heavy and 2. becoming this lazy!

So here is my Monday Motivation Quote from Nike:
"Yesterday you said tomorrow."

I've been guilty plenty of times for saying "tomorrow", but not anymore!!! It begins TODAY!! The goal setting is beginning again! And already this morning, I can check off working out and blogging! I hope your week is as productive as I'm hoping mine will be!

F is for Fall and Football!

September 23rd marked the "official" start of Fall. But here at the Simmons' house, fall begins the first time the pads go on, when the bands perform the National Anthem, when the coin is flipped for the very first time, at the first sound of the whistle, and the first opening kickoff. Football "kicks off" our fall, and we LOVE this time of year.Football can be an every day event for us.
So far every day but Tuesday.

MONDAY: Packers practice (Cade), Monday Night Football
(Doesn't even matter who's playing.)
TUESDAY: only day off
WEDNESDAY: Either Packers practice or
Packers game night (Cade)
THURSDAY: SMC Panther game or college on tv
FRIDAY: SMC Panther game or college on tv
SATURDAY: Packers (Cade), Chiefs (Cooper), and
our Gorillas!
SUNDAY: BengalsYes, our family LOVES football. It's been so fun watching Cooper dive for flags and Cade's first year of tackle. And it won't be long when we'll be going to jr. high football on Tuesdays, junior varsity games on Mondays, high school games on Thursday or Fridays, and the final YMCA games on Saturdays. Right now, I have to pack at least 2 footballs in our diaper bag so that both Carston and Colton can play while the big brothers are on the fields. We've already begun the "all football gear left outside in the garage" rule. And sneaker balls...wow, they really do make your shoes smell good.
Football is so BIG at our house that if you ask Carston,
"What time is it?"
he'll answer you with, "GAME TIME!" every time!
And now that it's OFFICIALLY fall, I can bring out the pumpkins and mums, we can take a trip to the pumpkin patch, think about Halloween costumes, and hopefully take an updated family pic in our Pitt State Red!Yes, there's nothing better than a good pair of jeans,
a nice over-sized hoody, a cool breeze, chili in the crock pot and FOOTBALL!!
Especially when the Panthers, Gorillas, Chiefs, Packers, and Bengals all win!
HAPPY FALL from the Simmons family.

My newest obsession!

As if I need yet another reason to not clean the house, cook dinner, or fold laundry....

I'd like to introduce you to my newest obsession. It's called Pinterest.Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can categorize things you see on the web and don't want to forget. It's just like a bulletin board or an idea notebook. You can follow people, "like" something, or repin something a friend of yours has put on their "board".
I'm OBSESSED with it right now. I've come across so many good ideas. And not only with crafts, but I've also pinned recipes, gift ideas, outfits I like, decorating ideas, and quotes.
Below is just one example of a "pin" on my "Future Projects" board.
I found this idea on Pinterest:So with the help of my hubby, I set out to make my take of one. I found this frame, which initially came with cork board, at Hobby Lobby. I loved the look and how it seemed to fit on the wall in the kitchen, but we never really used it. Eric got some white marker board at Home Depot and cut it to fit inside the frame. I then decorated it and voila! I LOVE how it turned out. And whether I want to be in there or not, the kitchen is the heart of our home. They are the first lights we turn on in the morning and the last lights we turn out at night, so it made sense to keep it there. Now we can all write our intentions on the board and at the same time, it serves as a reminder to take some time out of our hectic lives to say thanks to God for all that he's given us.
I imagine that the board will fill up more once tests start, the boys have a big game, Cade loses his ipod again, or Eric's gone on those far away business trips!

So here's one of my future projects I got from Pinterest
when I should have been menu planning:Fear not friends, it's going to be either a Pitt State wreath, or a SMC wreath. I can't decide, so I guess that means I need to make both! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. We are headed to watch Cade's first football scrimmage. Yes, it's just a scrimmage, but with weather like this...who cares...we get to hang outside and it's FOOTBALL!

August Recap

It's September?? Really?? Because it feels like mid July with the 100+ temps.

I am sooo ready for fall to get here.

You can tell that our August was fast and furious, considering I didn't post 1 time the entire month. So here's a quick review of a month that just seemed to fly by! See ya August, hello fall...please!!!
It began with all 4 kiddos heading to Elkhart so I could remodel the boys' playroom. (Thank you Grandma/Grandpa Simmons!) I'd say it was a success! I LOVE it, and just have a few things to finish. Not really my ideal way to spend 7 days without kids, but definitely rewarding.
Then we went on a family vacation to Branson, MO. The house we stayed in was AWESOME! We had our own media room and pool table!
(Thanks Mom & Dad!)
While in Branson we went to White Water (twice), the lake, hit the go-cart track, and chilled. It was really relaxing and a lot of fun.We came home and shifted in to SCHOOL MODE! (Or at least I kinda did!) Hard to believe I have a 5th grader. Won't be long and he'll be heading to the jr. high. Cooper was super pumped to go to school! He loves wearing his uniform and school lunches. He doesn't care for the 3 recesses, and with this heat, I don't blame him. Carston asks every day if he gets to go to school. Unfortunately for him, he only goes 2 days a week.
Makes for a long week, but he's loving it too.
Before officially starting school we got to celebrate a birthday! COOP turned 6! He requested chicken and noodles for dinner and Oreo Cookie dessert for his "cake". YUM! Hard to believe my little guy is 6. He's such a sweetheart and I've missed not having him at home all day.
For Coop's birthday we lucked in to some Red Sox/Royals tickets. Under the influence of his older brother, Cooper became a Red Sox fan. So we had Cooper, Cade, and I wearing our Red Sox attire and Carston and Dad cheering on the Royals. It was a great night. It was Cooper's first MLB game, it was the RED SOX, and it was Fireworks Friday. We were a foul ball short of making it the BEST DAY EVER!!!

WOW...I'm almost tired again from just thinking about how busy our August was. Makes sense how the month got away from me.
So we have almost two full weeks of school under our belt. We're getting used to the early mornings, lack of naps, and homework. And now yet another activity is beginning to take over at the Simmons house.
FOOTBALL!!!Are you ready for some football, because we are!

Top 10 Reasons I'm Glad I Have BOYS!

In going with our sports-themed blog, I thought I'd go all Sports Center-ish and give you my

Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Glad I Have BOYS!
*These are my reasons, and my reasons only. Nobody persuaded me to write these or paid me to do so either.*(Bummer)
So here we go!

#10: HAIR - For the most part, boys hair is easy. Add some gel or water, slick it down, DONE! And if it still looks bad, throw on a hat. No braiding, no ponytails, no ribbons, no curls that go flat. 5 minutes and you're done!
#9: CLOTHES - I've learned that you CAN wear navy with royal blue, that different logos are okay, that long socks with sandals is cool, and that the "just got out of bed look" is okay when hanging out with the guys, because "who cares". When shopping it's either navy, khaki, jean, or camo.
#8: PUBERTY - Guess who gets to have that discussion. And this might be more for Eric, just one girl in the house with mood issues! :)
#7: BONDING WITH DAD - This will also creep up to a higher number once they are all old enough to go. But the boys LOVE doing things with Dad. And once they can all go, that means Mom gets some time to herself! Woohoo!!!
#6: TOYS - Yes, toys. Give a boy a ball and he's good for the day. The only toy we own with a million pieces...LEGOs. But we don't have the Barbie dolls, Barbie clothes, Barbie shoes, or the furniture for the Barbie Dream House. Sure we have a few small items, but for the most part it's light sabers, footballs, basketballs, bikes, and gloves.
#5: TRYOUTS & CROWNS - I am thankful I don't have to deal with the aftermath and trauma of cheerleading tryouts and homecoming results. I know I'll maybe have "sitting the bench, or riding the pine" moments, but I'll take those over not making the cheer/dance team any day!
#4: BATHROOM BREAKS - I'm going to like this even more once they are all potty trained, but even right now..having boys ROCKS! A seven and a half hour road trip to Elkhart...easy, pull over on a dirt road, open up the door, line 'em up, and go!
#3: LAWN CARE - I will never have to mow again!
#2: SPORTS - I always said I wanted to date a football player. I get goosebumps when I watch the Pitt State pregame. I get to sit in the rain, sleet, snow, hail, freezing cold, and the humid heat of summer watching my boys play ball. There is nothing better. Girls can play ball too, but (and I might catch some slack for this one) boys don't "cheer" in the dugout or have little sayings after an ace or kill. That stuff drives me crazy! Yes, girls aren't as gross as boys or smell as bad, but I've pretty much accepted the smells and sounds and don't really notice it anymore.
AND THE #1 REASON WHY I'M GLAD I HAVE BOYS.....Because they'll kill snakes that I find in our garbage can IN the garage. I'm still freaked!
Thanks Cade! Yes, I'm very proud of you!!

FORE!!!!

So today marks the 1 year anniversary of the infamous phone call I received around 9:30 am, July 12, 2010. Cade called saying he was hit in the head with a golf ball. At first all I could think was concussion, and Cade's baseball team was playing in the league championship, so I immediately got him in to a doctor to check it out. (Yes, I'm a sports mom and coach!) He ended up passing the concussion tests and it rained that day, so he had an extra day to rest.

I will never forget the events of that week. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that it happened, and then other times it feels like years ago. I look at Cade now and can see the effect it had on him. He's definitely not the same Cade as he was a year ago, but it's not a big enough difference that most people would notice.

The lasting effect it has had on me, as a Mom, is to trust my instincts. You know, the ones that eat at you when you just "know" something is not right. I had those that entire week. I just knew that Cade was not Cade. And looking back, I wish I had acted on those instincts a lot sooner. I did what every Mom would do and got him in to the doctor. In fact, we went to the doctor four days out of the week. And even when I heard the first Dr. say pneumonia, deep down I knew that just didn't seem right. I mean, I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn the night before, but when a kid can't read and has gotten sick, and has been hit in the head....hmmmm.

Eric and I understand that we're very blessed to have had everything turn out so well. He played basketball and baseball and is already asking about football. Sitting out last year was torture for him...and us, because we had to listen to him complain. Cade's whole head/face region has cost us a fortune between his head injury and flossing his front teeth with a basketball net on a backwards dunk. (A whole other blog post!) The seriousness of it all has never really sunken in to Cade. I mean, what 9 year old thinks they could have died? But I saved all the emails and posts we got from everyone praying for him so that one day he'll really understand and appreciate it.The one thing we have never had to tell him to do is pray whenever a helicopter or ambulance goes by. Whether he's in the on-deck circle at the baseball field, outside swimming with friends, or just driving in a car, I've noticed him praying at those times. A time that as a parent, I wish on no one.

So what did Cade do today? He went golfing with some buddies. And I can now breathe a sigh of relief because I just heard him walk in the door. And to all you Moms out there...trust your instincts. You know your children the best of anyone. I mean, I can tell you right now that Colton is planning his next attack on Carston because Carston ate the last chicken nugget! (I'm betting it will come around snack time.) I just know that Cooper is hiding the extra Wii remote so Colton won't mess up his game, that Carston really isn't taking a nap, and that Cade has granola bars under his bed. We're Moms...we just know stuff!

As I get ready to go break up yet another fight, that I heard coming by the way. I just wanted to take this chance to also say thank you again for praying for my family, offering to help with the kids, fixing us meals, and visiting during that whole ordeal. It's been a year, but it's something I've never forgotten or taken for granted. We're blessed with amazing people in our life and we appreciate you all!

Didn't Think Twice

Having 4 kids is hard enough. Having 4 boys has it's ups and downs. Yes, I don't have to buy all the prom dresses, and yes I won't have to pay for a huge wedding. I don't have to buy all the bows that match the tights that match the dress. Or the earrings that match the purse that pulls it all off. I won't have to tell my girls why that "dumb" boy didn't call her back, or worry that she didn't get asked to Homecoming.

But I'm guessing that a house of 4 girls won't go through a box of granola bars in one afternoon. I'm pretty sure that 8 pork chops wrapped in bacon could feed a set of parents and 4 girls ages 10,5, 3, and 2. I'm pretty confident that a house with 4 girls in it would probably be good with peeling just a handful of potatoes for dinner, that there would be no fighting over a pan full of rolls, and that thirds is probably left to Dad. I'm pretty sure that my grocery bill for the next 10-15 years will come pretty darn close to all those prom dresses I won't be buying. To tell ya the truth, I'm not so sure I got the better deal.
Having 4 boys is different. I'm sure most of it doesn't phase me because I'm a "Boy" Mom. I'd rather be at a ballpark than getting my nails done. I'd rather wear Under Armour pants than a pencil skirt. New Balance is my choice of shoe, rather than a 3 inch heel. And tailgating on a Saturday morning wearing a Pitt State sweatshirt and jeans beats shopping any day! So when I looked at my color coded calendar and saw that both Cade and Cooper had baseball games on a Saturday, one in Kansas City and one here at home, there was no question we were going to find a way to do both.

We're just beginning to see the consequences of having boys who love their sports. And while it's not completely crazy now, it's a glimpse of what's to come. Already a handful of times this summer we've had one kid at practice while one kid is playing a game. We've had two scheduling conflicts where one has a game in Pittsburg and one in Nevada, MO. (The 3rd time is in a few weeks.) And in a few more years it's only going to get worse. The problem is, how do you tell one kid who has grown up either watching his Mom coach or his brother play ball, that his game is less important than the other? You don't!

So, the Simmons family drove up to KC Friday night in 2 separate cars (Had to anyways because Eric left for Canada today.) to watch Cade play in his State Baseball Tournament at 7 and 9pm. We got back to the hotel, showered quickly, and were in bed by midnight. Woke up at 6am to shower and pack up Colton and Coop and begin the drive home for a 10 o'clock tball game. Texts were flying back and forth keeping one parent up-to-date on one child's game and the rain delay for the other's. Finished Coop's game at 11 and jumped back in the car to head back up to KC. The entire way there we prayed they'd win so we got to see the 1 o'clock game. It wasn't until we were 5 miles away from the ballpark that the first game ended 7-6 in favor of the Rookies and we were able to watch Cade pitch a great 3 innings in the next game. Had we just decided to stay home I would have missed it. And had they lost the game he was playing as we were driving up to KC, we'd have gotten there just in time to turn around and head home.
And while Colton is still at that "hard" age to have at a ballpark all day, or in a hotel room all weekend. And while I'd LOVE to just sit in the stands or next to the other moms to cheer and chat and actually watch an entire game without changing a diaper or taking someone potty. I realized that when I am finally able to do that, I'll probably be missing one child's game because I'm at another one's. And as I watched Cooper and Carston, and even Colton playing catch with all the Rookie siblings, I realized I'm probably going to have 4 ballplayers. When Cade is at JC ballpark, I'll probably have Coop at Wild Red Berry, Carston at Ted Carnino, and Colton at Deramus...all spread out. I'm sure I'll miss a great catch, or the go-ahead hit. But I can tell you this....if it takes driving to KC, back to Pitt, back to KC to watch both my boys play, I won't think twice about it. In fact, I never did!