older

by 1 year she is. Happy Birthday Auntie Shell!!

Devastation

Thursday night we had it! {r} learned that she was being moved out of preteam gymnastics and back down to rec. She isn't advancing as quickly as the other girls so they want her to go down to rec and work on the little things she needs. . . hopefully she will get it and move back up to preteam soon (basically body awareness; ie: don't arch her back, don't stick her butt out so much, keep a flat belly). She was completely devastated. Not only because she was being moved back, but because just the week before her coach said she was progressing which is all they look for so they would be keeping her (basically the surprise plus the sadness = devastation). Really, it isn't so much that she is advancing more slowly than the other girls it is just that they are finally at a point where they are picking it up and advancing and she isn't. All the other girls have been in this class since June, she has only been in for 3 weeks so that is pretty much to be expected. She will be in the preteam class for 3 more weeks, until the next rec session starts. Her coach did say though that if things all of a sudden started to click with her then she would likely just stay in preteam. One thing her coach mentioned was her needing to get better at her back handspring. She needed a lot of spotting when doing them and she was keeping her back straight instead of arching . . . until today!

I have been telling her for weeks to try the back handspring by herself but she has been too scared. Today she asked if I would help her, so I told her to go clean off the trampoline and I would spot her. When I got out there she was already trying to do it by herself. After about 7 tries, she got it!
Mom, I know you won't be able to see the video so here are pictures showing what she is doing (to tide you over until you get here Tuesday and can see for yourself).

What is that smell??

I think I am coming down with something. No, not the pig. Feels like a head cold, which is usually the kind of sick I get. I don't want to be sick since we will be leaving on Thursday to go to Ohio. On FB, I saw some friends commenting about another friends 'don't get sick' tonic. I sent that friend an email asking him what this tonic was all about. He said he would send me some in the mail. Turns out it is grated ginger root, grated horseradish root, grated fresh garlic, grated onion and cayenne pepper (equal parts of all) in apple cider vinegar. You let it fester for at least 2 weeks then strain it, then drink the liquid (1-2 ounces at a time). Well, I REALLY don't want to get sick so I am giving it a go. I had some last night. I made the mistake of smelling it first. If you get some, DON'T smell it first (open the bottle at arms length). Honestly though it wasn't as bad as it sounds, and I think I am feeling better. Time will tell.

And, speaking of the Buckeyes (yes, I was speaking of the Buckeyes, way up there around the 3rd line). I am off to scout next week's opponent. GO Bucks!

10 years

Today is the day. . .the BIG 1-0. Happy 10th anniversary Tug. In those 10 years we have: had 4 different dogs, 4 different kids, lived in 4 different cities, 3 different states and 7 different homes (no, we aren't military). I wouldn't trade living the gypsy life with you for the world! I love you Tug!!

Grrrrrr

How cute is this guy!! Are any of my nieces or nephews into Wild Things? Oh, I could make him and him with the book for Christmas. . . though everyone has the book. Still cute. LOVE him!

pattern here

; picture is NOT mine, click the link!

And now I can breathe

Back in February I enrolled in an online MT (medical transcription) course. I actually signed up for the course around 4 years ago but never finished (because I ended up getting a job and figured I wouldn't be doing MT work within a year - most MT companies want experience or for you to have taken a course within the past year). I submitted my final on 10/4 and just got the results saying I PASSED. Woooooo-Hooooo! Now to find a job. . .

Word

received via email from tug's uncle

Counting down

Only 10 more days until we leave for Ohio. I am figuring it will be at least a little chilly so I made myself a scarf.

I am pretending the honeycombs are little block O's. Tug says not a chance. Off to make some hand warmers.

scarf pattern here, though mine is much smaller and plain

See. . .

all the cool kids like the Buckeyes!!

WORD

pictureless

I have realized that I rarely post pictures anymore (my bil complains that a blog post without pictures is like reading a book ~ he isn't much of a reader I guess). It is just too much work. Think up a good blog post. Drum up a good picture to go along. Too much thinking. My mom likes to see pictures of the kids so here are some random, relatively recent ones. . .

With a judo friend. . .

Dad teaching them how to skip rocks. . .

quick recap

1. work was fine, though super boring. I didn't get to watch the game because it wasn't being televised on regular ESPN here. this upcoming weekend i work 8-1; buckeyes play at 9. typical.

2. {l} lost the 2 matches she fought. There were 6 girls in her division but it is double elimination so, since she lost her first 2 fights, she didn't have to fight again. i think it unlikely she will win much this year. she is in a higher age/weight division and has to fight a girl that won nationals last year and another girl who she has yet to beat. they both turn 10 before her so once they move up she might have a chance again (near the end of season).

3. {r} got bronze. there were only 3 people in her division which means she lost both her matches. she was pretty happy to medal though. i doubt she will win this year either because she too has to fight a national champion (the sister of the 1 {l} is fighting) and another girl in her division is someone who beat {l} twice last year.

4. my sil michelle is saddened i haven't commented on the nobel prize. i didn't want to say anything, but since she asked. . . tug was awarded the nobel prize, deservedly so, for his high bejeweled blitz score.

first day jitters

no, i dont have any. seriously, this job is as easy as it gets. worst thing we have to do is send people over to membership when their account is flagged for some reason. oh, and try to get people to take their picture for their card (not displayed on the card). . . apparently some people have a problem with doing this.

{l} and {r} have a judo tournament today. this is {r}'s first tournament so i am kinda sad to miss it. kinda. judo tournaments can be LONG and BORING. fun while your kid is fighting but that lasts all of 2 minutes and yet you sit there for 5 hours.

i work from 11-4. the buckeyes play from 12:30 to (likely) 3:30. super sad to be missing it. actually you can see the tv's from the welcome center (where i work) so i will just have to make sure 1 channel is on ESPN. . . hopefully i don't forget my glasses. oh, and hopefully i remember not to yell too loudly ;)

boys night out

Tug doesn't have many friends. It isn't because he smells or because he is an oaf, he chooses not to have many friends. Last night was the first time in a long, long time (in fact, I can't remember him actually ever going out with just the boys) that he had a boys night out. He went to a local high school football game with out landlord. Our landlord who is 69 years old. Fun times!

Actually, Tug said it was fun. He had 2 funny

quotes from the night. . .

LL: This crowd needs to liven up. Come on, let's do the cheaters never prosper cheer (Tug said he didn't then actually go into a cheer)

Tug was sitting between our LL and one of our LL's friends who went to school with him. The game was between the high school they went to (public) and the school our LL's son went to (Catholic). At one point, the friend leaned over to Tug and said "You know [LL]'s a Lutheran right? I've got the pictures to prove it!"

So funny! The team they were cheering for (LL's old high school) won.

suck-o-rama

I told you I have been knitting again. This year has been a slow one on the knitting front. I had other things going on keeping me occupied, but now my time is once again my own and I have taken to the needles. Unfortunately I don't think I will have time to get Christmas knitting done, especially since I have now decided I need a scarf for our Ohio trip. It is likely to be cold in Ohio on Halloween, right?

So, I found a scarf pattern I liked and started working on it last night. This morning I realized the section I thought was the contrasting color is actually the main color which means I casted on with the wrong color. Initially I decided to just go with it. After about 1/2 a round I decided not to go with it and ripped it all out. Back to casting on. . . all 400 stitches!!

Oh and the red isn't the right color red but it is a pretty red so it is staying.

If it fits. . .

This post is for Tug. The closer it gets, the more I soooooo badly want to tell you what we are doing for our 10th anniversary (Oct. 23, but we are 'getting away' the following weekend). I am weak. I was going to wait until the actual anniversary, but give me credit for holding out this long!! I am not giving you any other hints. You get 1 guess. I will answer honestly. . . it should be pretty easy!!

10 years in the making.

9 months of planning.

8 8, i forget what 8 was for.

7 months of lying to you.

6 hour flight (including layovers).

5 (almost) kids.

4 more weeks (roughly).

3 years since we last saw them (roughly).

2 teams.

1 shoe.

The pics to prove it

I finally got the pictures of Lauren's belt promotion. She is now a bona fide yellow belt.

New do

I used to be photogenic. Not sure what happened to me.

I did take a picture from the front but it was after I had worked out at the Y and I didn't like how it turned out so you just get a back shot.

I was being goofy flipping it around when Tug took the pic so that is why it is flung up on the right side. It is shorter than I anticipated but I like it. I think it was around 14 inches total taken off.

Off with her head

or just her hair. My hair. It has been far too long since I had a haircut and now my hair is far too long. I have been wanting to go get it cut for at least a year but have been lazy. Today is the day.

At least 10 inches will be gone (so I can donate it).