Whew!

If yesterday was any indication of the days ahead, I better stack up on my Wheaties. Although a tad tired at the end of the day, yesterday was a day full of activities and all I could think was, "and this is only the beginning."

This is kind of how our day went:

We left at 9:30 for Jacob's basketball game at school. That, unfortunately, didn't go over so well. The final score was 44-0. Granted, our poor boys had to play against monsters who were probably a foot, foot & a half taller than them, but it would of been nice to at least put 2 points on the board. It was kind of funny listening to the crowd as the boys would run down the court, shoot for a basket and then just watch the ball slllooowwwlllyyy roll or BoUnCe off the rim....again and again! After every basket the team missed, you could hear "ahhhhhhhh" echo around the gym. Oh well, we'll get them next time, Hawks!

From there, we ran to the bank, pharmacy, barber, McD's and home for a quick wardrobe change.

Then it was off to Ellie's baseball scrimmage game from 1:00-3:00. Although I didn't get to see the entire game, I was so proud of Ellie. She is such a hustler out there on the field and put the bat on the ball EVERY time she got up to bat. Good job, Ellie! It's pretty clear this might be a challenging season for us when it comes to Ellie. It has become quite a chore trying to get her psyched up and ready to go to baseball practice, but on the flip side, once she gets out there, she seems to have fun and enjoy herself.

I had to leave Ellie with MawMaw and then run Jacob down to Stuart for his first scrimmage travel ball game with the TC Drillers.

Here's a picture of Jacob in his new Driller uniform:

I took a few shots of Jacob yesterday with the new fabulous camera I got for Christmas from PawPaw. Although there are too many to post, here is one of the pitching squences I got with my camera in sport mode.

And a picture of the boys just being supportive and cheering Jacob up after a kid just hit a homer over the fence.

We lost, yet again, but it's going to take some time for the kids to get to know each other and learn to play ball together as a team. I have high hopes that it will come around. I did really like the camaraderie amongst all the players. They just seemed to be supportive and had the togetherness and fellowship that I like to see. Crossing fingers....this is going to be a good change for Jacob.

After the game, we went and had some wings with PawPaw and MawMaw and then came home to relax. The evening ended with me falling asleep in my bed with my two favorite people beside me. It was a tight squeeze and probably not the most comfortable evening of sleep, but we were together and so tired that I don't think any of us cared.

Todd came home from work this morning with a Sunday plan already in mind...a little family time at the Italian Festival today. I guess we'll go embark on a cultural journey filled with Italian food, music, art and tradition.

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

Kindness, generosity, compassion...

and thoughtfulness...simple words, but with HUGE meaning.

It brings happiness to my heart to learn of someone that is not affected by diabetes in any way, shape or form, but yet they take the time to join a JDRF team and volunteer their time simply out of the goodness in their heart. I just got an email at work that brought tears to my eyes and touched my heart.

The company Angie works for, FIS, has decided to join the nationwide effort, form several teams and take part in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in Orlando, FL. Their walk takes place on March 5, 2011 and they have a goal of raising $10,000 for juvenile diabetes.

Angie sent an email to her team thanking them for taking part in this cause and briefly telling why she, too, finds it special to her heart. She challenged all of her co-workers to make a donation, and for every donation they made to their team, she would donate an additional $5.00.

This is the email she got back from one of her co-workers:

Angela,

I'm so happy that my participating in this walk is actually helping a family member of someone I know! I wanted to volunteer because I knew it was a worthy cause, but having the personal touch makes it all the more important. I hope the money my team raises will help toward a cure someday.

This may sound hokey, but do you think we could get Ellie to write her name on a piece of ribbon, which I can pin to my shirt when I do the walk? I'd like to do it in her honor.

Marni C.
FIS KMS Administrator

Her gift of time is so priceless and her small act of kindness is worth more to us than she will probably ever know. Thank you, Marni! We would be honored to have you walk on behalf of our daughter. Although I'm always touched by every family member or every friend that we are fortunate enough to have that supports our family, my daughter or our team, your act of kindness really touched my heart today. It's people like you, untouched by the disease, yet still supporting and donating to the cause, who make an unspoken difference in my daughter's life.

"Volunteers don't necessarily have the time, but they have the heart."

xoxo

Our Hunt for a Cure!

Mommy and Daddy love you, sweet girl!

Funny things kids say~

As the kids and I are sitting at the dinner table eating a little pasta, the reality TV show "Keeping up with the Kardashians" was on TV in the background. The show was about the dad, Bruce Jenner, dealing with his younger daughter having boys in her room, and he simply wasn't having it. This is the conversation that ensued between my two:

E: "There is going to be no dating in this house."

J: " I agree, Ellie."

Me: "Yeah, ok...I'll remember this conversation in a few years when you guys are getting mad at me because I won't allow you to have boys or girls in your bedroom."

J: " Not me. I'll have other things to worry about, like college."

Me: "That's right, buddy, you keep thinking that way."

If only their minds would stay that innocent and pure for the many pre-teen and teen years ahead. That's what is great about this blog. In a few short years, it will be my pleasure to refer Jacob back to this blog post so he can remember what he was thinking when he was an innocent 12.

Wacky Hair Day!

Ellie paid 5 Crane Bucks in order to participate in Wacky Hair Day at school. I really wished I had more time in the morning to get a little wackier, but we were a little rushed and didn't have much time to mess around.

We had 3 colors...pink, blue and sparkle gold. Unfortunately, the gold wasn't quite as wacky as the other two colors. All it did was add sparkles to Ellie's already golden hair.

Next year we are going to go a little more wacky and do something a little more outrageous...maybe a few more wild colors with spikes and mohawks and side-ways ponytails!

On a side note, we went out to another travel ball practice this morning....3 hours worth!! It was different and interesting, but I'm starting to think that maybe a fresh new experience with new coaches (not including Dad) might be a good thing for my son. This new coach is somewhat vocal, an ex-Marine and a personal trainer, if that tells you anything. He was a little tough, yet fun, but I liked him. And more importantly, Jacob said he likes him. I was quite impressed with Jacob today and he proved to me that when he puts forth the effort, he is quite a talented baseball player. The coach pulled me and Jacob to the side after practice and extended a formal invitation to join their team, the Treasure Coast Drillers. He also gave us some info to read about their team, including their mission, which Jacob, Todd and I all have to sign. Afterwards, I told the coach that I appreciated the invitation and for allowing Jacob to come out, but that we would go home and talk it over as a family (since Dad was at work today) and we would let him know our intentions later this week. We weren't home 30 minutes and the coach was calling Todd.

Todd told the coach that Jacob is playing basketball, too....not to mention this is his last year in Little League so he wants to be able to enjoy that final experience. The coach seemed to fully understand and said none of this would be a problem.

Lastly, I sat Jacob down and had a serious talk about this new commitment, his goals and to confirm this is something that he really wants to do. Jacob assures me he is in and ready to move forward with the TC Drillers.

So....strap me in, folks, as it appears we are about to set off for another crazy ride.

Sunny skies and sandy beach with fruity drink in hand~

That's what I'm thinking about right now. I'm feeling it's time to find a little solace and serenity and escape to some private beach island for a little pampering and to simply get away from some of life's daily chaos. Okay, go ahead and nudge me...wake me up from this dream.

It was yet another busy and crazy holiday season and I have yet to get my house back in order. I can't seem to find the motivation to do that right now, but here we are about to dive back in for another crazy baseball season.

I'm very sad to report that Team Worth has officially dissolved and, yes, it's for good this time. I know I complain about the rigamarole of Jacob's crazy schedule, but I also think it's important for him to continue playing against higher caliber players as it is only going to benefit his own skills. I think Jacob needs that competition to keep him at the top of his game. There are certainly downfalls, too...busy schedules, burn-out factor, costs, etc.. So, the question is, what to do? I just have to make sure that Jacob is in it 100% before we commit to another team. Todd has already met and talked to another travel coach. Jacob went out to one of their practices this week and met some of the players, hit a few balls, etc... and he seemed to enjoy it. Todd said Jacob told him that he wants to do it, but I think I still need to have a little chat just to make sure Jacob does indeed wish to continue playing travel ball and that he's doing it for himself and nobody else....period! Where will the travel ball path lead us? I guess that is yet to be known...

I'm still finding it a little hard to motivate little E, but Todd and I keep pressing how important she be involved in some form of extra-curricular activity. She went to her first practice with her new cleats and new glove in hand, but I can't say she was too excited about it. She is now playing on a Rookie's team with several other girls, so I'm hoping once she gets a little more comfortable and gets to know some of the other girls, she'll be ready to go.

Todd and I both feel it's so important for our children to be involved in some form of activity, whether it is to excel in a specific talent, build confidence, form friendships, or most of all, to stay out of trouble. I hope that this upcoming season is simply a fun and rewarding season for both my kids.

Although that private island sounds very enticing, I guess it will remain a dream for now.

So....off we go.

Are we ready for that talk yet?

Nope...not just yet.

So last night Todd, Jacob and I were sitting on the couch just chit-chatting and having some one on one time with our son. Although I forget exactly how the conversation started, this is how some of it went:

Me: "So, Jacob...do you feel that you could come to me or Daddy if you ever wanted to talk about...umm...."

Todd: "the birds and the bees."

Jacob: "I'm not interested in that."

Me: "I know you aren't, but I want you to know that you can come and talk to me and Daddy about anything."

Jacob: "I'm just not interested in that yet."

Me: "Yes, Son, we understand that, but we just want you to know that we are open and ready to discuss anything when you are ready...don't ever be too scared or to nervous to ask ANY question. Okay?"

Jacob: "Okay, but I'm just not interested in that yet."

Well then...I guess he's not quite ready for that discussion, so I won't push it. I understand it may take a few times, so until then....

It certainly wasn't long before the conversation skipped right back to basketball, baseball and anything else sports related.

On a different note, he did tell us that he got the highest grade in the class on his Science semester exam...so super proud of that kid!

Rumble in the jungle...

or maybe that should be rumble at the ballpark.

I'll tell you the beginning part of this story and then let your imagination run with it.

So imagine this...

We are hanging out at the ballfield on Sat. watching the rest of try-outs. Todd and Dooner (one of Todd's friends) are sitting on one bleacher, Ellie and I are sitting one behind them and then Jacob and his friend, Ryan, are sitting on the bleacher behind us. There is a somewhat large fellow sitting about 2 bleachers down from Todd and Dooner, and when I say "large fellow," I'm putting it kindly. The fellow slowly leans forward to get the momentum he needs to stand up and as he is half-way bent over and a few inches off the bleacher he sneaks out a VERY loud rumble, or as my kids would call it....a toot, or a fart, depending on which kid you are talking to.

Now, keep in mind how most kids find farts to be quite amusing and ridiculously funny. Now picture the faces of two pre-teen boys as they hear this rumble in the jungle. I swear that is the hardest I've laughed in a while. The look and reaction of said pre-teen boys was just PRICELESS!

Although the fellow never looked back, he did say sorry and continued on his way.

"Baby you're a firework..."

"come on, show 'em what your worth."

As most of you know, Jacob decided to give it a shot and try-out for his middle school basketball team. He was excited, yet scared and nervous, since he has never really played "organized" basketball before. As I've always told my kids, I had to remind him again...just go out and give it your all - that's all I can ask for and the best you can do.

As I picked him up after the first night of practice, he hopped in the car and said, "that coach is mean." Almost immediately his eyes started welling up with tears and my initial thought was, "oh boy...is he ready for this let down?" Jacob went on to tell me how the coach told the boys after practice that this is the first time since 1993 that he's ever seen a group of boys that can't play basketball. And, as we all would expect from Jacob, he took this right to heart. I asked Jacob how he thought he did and he said, "I thought I did pretty good." Me: "Well, son, that's all that matters." You could tell that he was still pretty disappointed, but I just continued to encourage him, besides....this is, afterall, the first time he's ever tried out for basketball. I told him to give his self a chance, let the coach give him some pointers and teach him a few things and I'll sure it won't be long before he shines....kind of a like a firework.

The next day he came home from school with a grin from ear to ear. I guess he passed the coach in the hallway and the coach said, "boy, you've got game." That's all it took...those few, simple words from the big man and Jacob had a completely different outlook and attitude on the start of his basketball pastime. He was now ready to move forward full speed with his mind focused on the work ahead.

The next morning he went to practice from 7:30-8:45 and again immediately after school from 4:15-5:30. And guess what?? On Friday afternoon he learned that he made the "A" team. They have an "A", "B" and "C" team, but the "A" team is I guess what they would consider the "varsity" team that consists of the top 12 kids. He's super excited and I'm super excited for him.

No, he may not be a starter...initially...but he is prepared for that. I told him to continue to go out there and give it his all, practice with all his heart and I bet it won't be long before he's at the top of his game and fighting for that starter position with the rest of the boys.

Katy Perry's "Firework" song is one of my new favorites and now everytime I hear it it makes me think of Jacob and his newfound journey...

"You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July."

"Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y"

"Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst.
Make 'em go "oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own."

"Boom, boom, boom
even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through."

For those who may not know what song I'm referring to, take a listen...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw

Jacob...go out and show them what you got, big guy! I know you can do it!

I guess I officially have yet a new team to cheer for...Go Hawks!

Happy New Year!

xoxo

Cute pic of Grandma Hefley-

Considering she is 88, I don't think Grandma looks to shabby. However, she still carries her "baby" around with her wherever she goes. The nurses tell Dad that she does this because she is reliving the happiest moments of her life which, I guess, was when she was a Mommy to her 3 little boys.

How precious...

It's official...

my little man no longer believes in the big, jolly, rosey-cheeked guy also known as Santa :( I know he's had his doubts the last few years, but to finally hear him say it made me a little sad. I guess I will miss the excitement of Christmas morning, the stockings, the "Santa" gifts and the wide-eyed wonder, but the good news is I have one little girl who still believes...

What kind of makes me mad though is one of his teachers said, "come on, kids, we all know there is no such thing as Santa." I understand they are in middle-school and probably 99% of them don't believe in ole' St. Nick, but I still don't think that is a teachers position.

In any event, the "believer" walked in the room while we were having this discussion, so I didn't get a chance to go into much more detail. I still want my boy to know that Santa only represents one aspect of the spirit of Christmas while instilling the real reason for the season. With that being said, it's not really an open book for discussion just yet, so no probing for info, please.

Reminder

Any time you want to be reminded of how good you have it, have a sleepover. Ellie had a little friend stay over last night and although the girls had fun, it simply reminded me of how blessed I am to have two wonderful, well-behaved children.

And, although I thought I was going to be Jacob's date, last night I learned that I, too, will be a part of Donna and Rodney's wedding. So...that will be one bridal dress, one flower girl dress, a rental tux, bridal shower, couple shower, etc.. I guess I better start saving now. They were going to see if Jacob wanted to be a usher, but he flat up told them he wasn't interested in being a part of the bridal party, so I guess he'll partake in the events as a guest. It's been a while since we've been to a wedding, so looking forward to it. What's even better is I think this will be the first wedding I get to attend with my two favorite little people.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Things kids say- Part III, or maybe IV?

Ellie was checking out her blog yesterday and reading the 3 comments that were made about her last post - "Extra Recess." This is what transpired next...

Me: "Gosh, Ellie, you get more comments on your posts than I do."

Ellie: "Well, I guess you need to write about something more exciting."

I guess extra recess, flat-screen TV's, pets and football are more exciting than anything I have to say these days...hehe :)

Have a great Tuesday!

So sad...

Ellie and I were driving around last night after we dropped Jacob off at football practice and decided to take a ride over by Crosstown Parkway and take a sneak-peek at that quaint little place that we will always remember as our first home. It was tiny indeed, and I certainly couldn't imagine living in that place now with all the junk we have, but yet it was a place I found very charming and one that I have to say I was very proud to have as a newly married couple.

Unfortunately, it's not quite so charming anymore. The new homeowners have really let that charming little home go to the pits. It looks terrible and actually made me a little sad to see, so I had to take a picture to send to Todd. It's kind of hard though to get a decent picture as you are slowly driving by in your car trying not to look obvious that you are checking out someone else's home....



Pretty sad, don't you think? I have to admit, it tugged at my heart a little. Oh, what I would do to stroll through the inside and take a gander.

Dear Homeowner: Please take care of that house. We had some wonderful memories in that quaint, charming, little place of yours that we once called "home."

Message from school-

Here is a phone message left on my voicemail yesterday:

"Hi, this is Mrs. Stefani. It's Tuesday afternoon about 3:30. I was just calling to let you know that Ellie is doing a wonderful job at school. She did use her school money for a positive phone call home, but if she wasn't doing well, I would of said, "you know, sorry, can't pay for that." But, um, I'm not just calling because she paid, I am calling really to tell you that she's doing a great job; she's a great listener, she's finishing her work, she's truly a dream at school. Please let her know I called and I'll talk to you soon."

Way to go, Elle-Belle! To no surprise, you are once again off to a great start!

Just a quick update -

Bubbe's, or aka Wolf Boy's, second day of school went much, much better. To no surprise, he's making new friends, the dreaded Algebra class seemed a little easier to manage and my boy was smiling, laughing and joking just like his old self. That, my friends, is the perfect ingredients for one happy Momma!

First Day Stories-

We have one that had an exciting and fabulous day, and another one who wasn't really all that thrilled.

So, we'll start with Ellie. She jumped in the car smiling, talking a mile a minute about the things they already worked on, pictures she colored, two good stamps that she got, books her teacher read, friends she got to see, etc... Plus, she seems to love her teacher, so her move into 2nd grade started off with a bang. Plus, her sugars were really well all day long, so hopefully that is a sign of what the future days will bring.

Number 1...not a very happy camper when he strolled through the door at 5:05-5:10.

He's not so happy about being in honor/advance classes because he doesn't have many friends in his classes, he's in advanced Alegbra with a bunch of 8th graders and feels like a nerd (getting high school credits I might add), his Science teacher is bi-polar (exact words from Jacob) who arrived at school after his morning surf wearing Reef flip flops (not a very good example in my opinion considering the kids can't even wear anything like that, yet I didn't get very good vibes from him at the orientation either) and he got yelled at by a teacher because he was trying to chat with a friend in between classes and wasn't with his "Osprey" team. However, he told me he was walking from his elective Spanish class back to his regular building, so it's not like he was with his team at that time anyways. In any event, not a very happy start for him. I'm trying to keep him positive, so I can only hope tomorrow goes a tad better.

On the other hand, with the exception of "hang ten" boy, he did seem to like most of his teachers. He loves his science teacher who said to him, "Jacob, Jacob, Jacob....I've been seeing your name all over t-shirts these days...can I call you wolf boy?" In this class, I guess they all had to talk about something they like and something they dislike, so it was funny listening to Jacob tell the story about the teacher's likes/disklikes. Jacob apparently talked about his dislike for cooked carrots and his like, or love, for football.

These next few years are going to be tough from a social standpoint. I keep telling him to just be himself and he'll have no problem making new friends. He's such a likable person and just because he's in honors classes by no means makes him a "nerd." He's simply intelligent with a good heart, lots of athletic ability and just a kind, sweet soul to everyone he knows. I know he'll be just fine...he just needs to give himself a few days to adjust and make new friends.

Well, that's it for now. I guess I better go make some lunches, sign off on some paperwork and jump in bed. It's been a long, busy day....

XOXO

and they're off...

yet again. Unbelievably, it is another "first" day of school. My oh my, where did the summer go? I can't believe I now have a 2nd grader and a 7th grader. I started a post last week about our summer and some of our favorite summer memories, but it wouldn't let me post it so I'll have to work on that and finish it up later.

So, as in years past, here are the first shots of the 2010 school year, along with the last couple of years...

Funny - I just realized Jacob is wearing almost the same exact colors/outfit as he wore last year, but I promise you it is new.

8/2010

8/2009



8/2008



and then the little one...

8/2010



8/2009



8/2008



And, of course, a picture of the two of them together.

Lastly, don't you just love Ellie's new lunch box?

They both seemed pretty excited this morning. We had a few tears from the little one last night as she went to bed...."I'm scared because I don't want everyone asking me why I have to keep going to the clinic or why I'm eating snacks in class." Bless her little heart... I swear, in times like that, my heart just breaks and I want to cry with her. Actually, I did shed a few tears, but we were in the dark so I did my best to wipe them away as quickly as possible so she didn't notice. We talked about what to say, and cuddled, and wiped the tears, and encouraged her that it was going to be another great year. Thankfully, she woke up this morning saying, "I'm not scared anymore." Whew...

They both seemed to get off to get a good start this morning, so my fingers are crossed and I'm looking forward to hearing the "first day" stories just as in years past.

Even though Daddy is at work, he's officially back on his vacation and I'm sure he's doing the back-to-school dance.

XOXO

Cousins and friends forever-

It's as simple as that. I just thought I would take a minute to share a few quick pictures that I had on my phone. I have more on my camera that I will share later.

Here is a picture of two special girls in our family. Ellie, I might add, was VERY sad to see this cousin leave-



Here are the boys...and which of these two do you think are brothers? haha...



And the entire crew-



We had an amazing week spending time with lots of special people whom we don't get to see near as much as we would like. The best part is these kids can go 2 years without seeing each other, yet when they are back together, it's like they need missed a beat . Love that about those kids...

Thank you to Aunt Essie and Uncle Tony for the fun times, good memories, shopping trips, and especially for watching out for our 2 little ones during all the crazy festivities we had going on with the reunion.

We will miss you guys dearly! Safe travels back across the pond and we anxiously await the next time we are together. I'll get in touch with you about our Skype day, Es...I've already talked to little E about it.

Lots of love to all of you!

T,J,J & E

We ended our vacation...

with what else? A baseball tournament in Coral Springs... We lost our first two games on Sat. and then won our next two on Sun. We were scheduled to begin our playoff game for 3rd and 4th place when it started to pour down rain. They ended up canceling the games and we got to head north to our very own, nice, comfy and cozy beds....ahhhhh!

Time to begin the unpacking, putting away and a little bit of laundry. Does anyone have any idea on how to get these pants clean? I've tried every spray out there and can't seem to find a good one that will get these back to the sparkling white they once were.

I'm not sure if it's because my son plays so hard, or if he just insists on sliding head first at every chance he gets. Okay, so maybe it's a little of both. I can almost bet that after every game my son will be the one that comes out with the dirtest pants...guaranteed...every time! Which leads me to my next question...why would you buy white pants for a group of 12 yr old boys anyways?

Well, it's been a great week off from work spending quality time with some of my favorite people. There is nothing better than that. Good times, good times....

More vacation pictures-

This picture may be a little de ja vue to some some of you...does it seem like you are back in New York?



Just thought this was a funny picture of someone's sandy feet-



Ellie's favorite part of the resort....pirate ship time-



We weren't there 5 minutes and already had our first boo-boo-

Nice shot of Daddy and the kids-

The bartender took one of all of us-

Then Daddy took one of me and the kids-

Another favorite activity...jumping off the platform in the lagoon. Although I had a hard time getting a clear shot (need a new camera), I thought this was a pretty funny shot-

Ellie looks terrified in this picture...wonder if she was having flashbacks of the jellyfish that Daddy and Jacob saw which really seemed to freak her out-

Daddy losing ground as they swam out to the lagoon. Todd said it was a good 20-25 feet deep around the platform-

Just a shot of the opposite end of the lagoon where I was sitting-

I had a really hard time getting a good shot of the dolphins. Again, need a new camera...mine just wasn't quick enough to catch them jumping out of the water.

The firepit where Daddy and I sat while the kids....

played in the pool-

A liked this picture of the kids standing outside the resort-

The "Lucky-Ducky" game that the kids played at game time. This is the resort worker giving them instructions-

Then she threw out the ducks and said "Get ready, get set.....

GO!"

Looking for the lucky winner....duck #21-

A few more shots of Ellie's favorite spot-

I loved this little palm tree. The little coconuts would fill up with water and then topple over on whoever was walking by-

The little playground for Ellie-

Okay, I think that's going to be it for now. I will try and upload some more later.

Great times, great memories!