A mom's nightmare....

So it's Halloween. Time for spooky stories and scary movies. Well, I have a real life 'scary' moment. My almost 20 year old son has purchased a motorcycle. A 'chick magnet'. Yes, this is a photo of him riding withOUT a helmet. He was in an empty parking lot; doing a 'test' drive. He rides with a brand new helmet.

I'm not thrilled. I didn't want him to buy it. I am not one of those HUGE worry warts. I gave him lots of 'room' when he turned 16 and could drive. I did ask for check in's in the beginning. I would see or hear an ambulance and call him. As the years passed; he showed his safety and responsibility, I could actually go to sleep if he hadn't yet arrived home for the night.

This is SO different. A motorcycle doesn't have antilock brakes or airbags. He has been careful on it. He is reading up on safety and precautions. He is a smart kid and NOT an aspiring dare devil stunt rider. Still, it scares me more than anything else he has done. I've already awoke from a dead sleep dreaming about it. I calmly went and checked under the carport ~ the bike was there. Then I went to his room and just touched him. Of course, I woke him up at 2:30 in the morning and scared him too. I busted out into tears. My dream was real. Probably because I no longer dream and haven't in years, that I can recall. This one was vivid, in color and I remembered every tiny detail. I went back to my room and just cried. The crying that racks your body and leaves you drained. It took at least another hour before I could go back to sleep.

Friday night we sat and talked for a long time after he came in from work. He told me about reading up on all the cautions and scenarios that 'could' happen on a bike. One of his buddies has given him some lessons. He isn't driving it too fast. He reassured me he watches EVERYthing and for everyone on the road. He told me about how he does this. I felt a bit better.

I told him, there is NO possible way for him to understand the fear of a mom. I told him I didn't even know if he would fully understand it the day he becomes a father ~ because a mom has carried this child within her and feels sole responsibility. I know I feel that more so because I have basically raised them alone for the last 12 years. Yes, their father still has weekend visitation and does spend that time with his children. However, I am the one there, day in and day out. I wouldn't have it any other way. But I told Derek that it would rip my world apart for something to happen to him. I came right out and said that I didn't want to bury him before I die. I know it may sound morbid to some. Yet, I needed him to know how much I care and how CAREFUL I want him to be.

He will be 20 in January. Technically a man, but always my 'little' boy. It's so hard some days to watch them become adults and then some days we wonder just how much longer it will take until they get there! The day he purchased the bike, is one of the days I still wish I could 'control' the boy; instead of watching my son grow into the man.

Cruise Photos

Ok, so it was in September and I turned 42, while IN Mexico! But I said I would share a few of the photos.

The very top photo is my BIRTHDAY picture IN Cozumel. The next photo (in the middle) is the night of my birthday ~ dinner outfit for the dining room.

This last photo is the final night of the cruise at sunset on the back of the ship.

The food was awesome, the crew was friendly, the shows were good and Mexico was HOT. It was a birthday to remember!

Can you teach an old ‘dog’ new tricks???

I’ve heard that old saying all my life: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Well, I’m not sure if that saying was proven or not yesterday.
My mother has been telling me for at least a month that my aunt wanted me to come up and teach her how to scrapbook. (My aunt lives about 40 minutes north of us).
So finally Saturday, after a bit of scrapping myself, I called my mom to see if we could do the deed on Sunday. The page posted was created Saturday. This photo had been lying around on my kitchen table for weeks. Apparently one of my daughter’s friends snapped it and then printed it out. So I whipped up this page just for FUN. It was quick, easy and is simple. I just wanted to enjoy the process and not get so caught up in having to have a ‘perfect’ page.

My mom called back to let me know that my aunt was delighted and would even be taking us to lunch. So I packed up the basics: my paper cutter, scissors, a black Zig pen, a few scrap magazines and some of my recent pages to show my aunt.

I drug myself out of the bed on Sunday morning after 5 hours of sleep (My daughter had a band competition and it was a 3am bedtime – UGH). I picked up my mom and headed to my aunts house. We quickly assessed her scrapping purchases ~ two pair of scissors (wavy and deckle), a plastic oval cutout sheet complete with exacto knife and cutting mat, one black micro journaling pen and a few packs of pastel cardstock along with some kit purchase from QVC.

You also have to be told that my mom is 72 years old and my aunt is 78!

Lunch was at a country cooking diner, actually located in the restaurant my aunt and uncle owned and operated years ago. Good home cooking. Then we headed off to Michaels. I had her pick up some black cardstock and a heritage pack also. Since she wanted to start with very old black and white photos of my mom’s family (her husband’s). I also was thrilled to find a couple of mini album kits on clearance for $4.00! ~ a tin kit and a folder tab mini album. They will be great to whip out quickly.

Back to my aunt’s house. She has this adorable little room with a table in it. It must be intended for a small office, but works great for a mini crafting room. I would LOVE to have one that size in my house.

My aunt had pulled out a lot of the family photos, however, had no idea where to begin. So I questioned her a bit of what she wanted the ‘book’ to tell others and we started from there. Or should I say *I* started from there. With very little supplies to work with I made a title page for the album. I ended up getting about 6 pages completed with photos and journaling over the course of several hours . My mom and aunt sorted other photos; while I grouped them together for ideas for pages. I also told them to TELL the ‘stories’. A few of which, I heard from them yesterday. They have photos of the ‘old’ home place. Tell me MORE than where it was located. How big was it mom? How many of the ‘children’ lived in it when you moved there? Side note: my mom is the baby of eleven children; 9 of which moved into this two bedroom house with their parents and one ailing grandmother in 1936. There was an added lento room on the back with the back porch that the boys slept in; piled high in that room was also my grandmother’s quilts. The outhouse was on the back side of the barn. While my grandmother milked the cow in the evenings; the boys usually rough housed and fought by running around the kitchen table. My grandparents made their own butter, grew their own vegetables, raised and slaughtered their hogs. They only purchased sugar and flour at the store. They also had a cotton crop for income. The family attended the church located directly next door. Three of the boys played various musical instruments and my mom sang.

That is just a bit of what they shared. I WANT that in the book. I said, ‘we’ won’t remember that; only YOU can tell us the story.
After a while, I asked my aunt if she was learning how to scrapbook. Her reply was how often can I come back ???? Yes, I am the one that ‘stuck’ the simple pages down and they are the ones that gave me the memories. Hopefully I will be going back often.

So did I actually teach the elderly to scrapbook or did they teach me? Journaling is not one of my strong points; yet I kept hearing myself tell them over and over that I want to know the ‘stories’. Maybe we all learned something yesterday.

Been a LONG time ....

Yep, it’s been FOREVER since I blogged. So let me see if I can do one massive update.

August – School started back for EVERYONE in our household. I work at a University and the students came back; which means crazy hours the first week of school for my office and busy non-stop days. I was also assigned a ‘new’ job task. I am now the Trademark Licensing Office on campus. Uh, that would be ‘me’; just me. I worked with the Assistant Vice President in order to put together the license agreement and get that out to all of the vendors we do business with here that use our logos. So that has been a huge undertaking. I have enjoyed the process because I love getting the ball rolling on new ideas!

My son, now in his second year of college, also started school back in August. He decided to take all of his classes on Tuesday and Thursday, meaning he can live at home and commute the hour drive two days a week. This saved a little over $2000.00 in fees.
He is working the other three days a week.

My teenage daughter started high school this year. She is also in the marching band. So August was a VERY busy month for her (and me as her ‘taxi’!). Band camp was a week and a half long. Then school started directly after that. The band practices 4 days a week, with football games on Friday nights. Needless to say, we are running the roads constantly!

September - I turned 42 on September 9th. I was fortunate enough to have a friend take me on a cruise for my birthday. This was a long time dream of mine. I ‘rang in’ my birthday in Cozumel, Mexico!!! Our port of call was ON my birthday. Now, the flip side of that was that is was EXTREMELY hot. However, it was two firsts for me. I took a cruise AND was out of the ‘country’ ON my birthday. Yes, I have a photo or two; didn't really MAKE a lot of them; but I will try to post one on this update tonight at home.
September continued with band functions and football games with my daughter. Plus a niece’s birthday tossed in there too.

October - We are ALMOST finished with this month! Where has it gone????
For me, it meant more band and football games PLUS adding in band competitions and festivals on Saturdays. I got in after 2am this past Saturday night from picking up my daughter after a competition. She has been enjoying it as their band has already won two Grand Champions at their festivals. We have another one this weekend fairly close that I plan to attend, weather permitting! It will be exciting as one of my older nieces will also be at this same competition. So it should be a family outing with my sister and mom attending.

So really you, what couple of readers I have (laughing!); really haven’t missed TOO much going on with me.