The boy and football

I gave in and signed him up this year.  Asher has been asking to play football for some time.
I decided we could handle flag football financially and physically.
He was so excited. Beyond excited.
He loved practice and looked forward to the games.

I didn't play sports in High School.  Shocker I know.
So, I wasn't really "in" to sports.  I don't watch them on t.v.
I don't get all hyped up about the "Big Game".
However, take me to watch one of my kids play sports and I'm a raging fanatic!!!
I hoot and holler, clap, snap pictures.

Asher was so much fun to watch this season.
We didn't miss a game. At his first game I realized this boy had some football skills.
He was quick and had a good eye for grabbing flags and some sweet moves for celebrating touchdowns.
 I was a proud Momma.
When his very first game ended Chloe turned to me and said,
"I wish girls could play flag football."
"Oh, they can dear."
"Why didn't you sign ME up?!!!"
"I"m sorry.  I didn't know you'd be interested."
Silly me. She sat by me at every game cheering him on.

When the year had ended Asher had learned how to make and call plays, had bruised/cut his hips numerous times from "flag diving", had scored some touchdowns and made some awesome runs.

I continue to say he may have my freckles, but he's got his Dad's physical prowess.

Piano Man

He whines about it.










He complains.



















I persist.

Seriously, it takes him only 5 minutes a day.
And he BEGGED me to teach him.
But, isn't he cute at the piano with his cheeks puffed full of air and the
light shining through his ears?
Play on boy, play on.

He's an XXL

My Mom use to make my Dad's western button up shirts.
She always said it was difficult to find a shirt that fit the man because his arms are so long.
My Mom is an amazing seamstress and his shirts were beautiful. And they fit those long arms.

So my husband has recently done an about face.  You see his clothing of choice is t-shirt and jeans.
It seems to be a family disease. A good disease.  We're comfy people over here.
All his t-shirts say Boise State Football, or Iowa Ping Pong, or Boise State Waterboy.
You get the picture.  Collegiate athletic shirts. Period.
He gets asked often if he played_____ in college.

So anyhow, back to the about face.
He's decided to step  it up and start wearing casual button up dress shirts to school.
I'm behind him 100%.  He looks good in a casual dress shirt.
So we did some shopping and he picked out several XL dress shirts.
He tried them on for school the next morning and looked like an 8th grader who'd hit his growth spurt.
The sleeves all hit him along his forearm.
Ape arms.

So I finally found time to take them back and pick up some XXL's.
Yeah. XXL's.
That's my man.
I actually think it's kind of funny/deceiving that he wears XXL shirts.
He does have some manly shoulders and biceps, but he's not an overall big guy.
Tall, yes. But he downplays his height :)

So the husband has long arms like my Dad,
and while his knuckles may drag,
his arms will always fit all the way around me.
My Mom loves that part. Me too.

Bambi- Cole's version

Cole just came down from watching Bambi in my bedroom.
He climbs right up in my lap and holds my face with both his hands, as he does to make sure he has my full attention.

"What are you watching up there son?"
"Bambi.  It's kind of a sad movie because Bambi's Mom gets killed by a human."

*pause
(My face shows some concern and sadness.  He takes note of this and continues....)

"The human has a gun and shoots her.  But, ACTUALLY, she's not really dead.
 The bullet went right over her head and she ducked down then it hits this really brave guy.
 But he was not really a human. He was just a robot!"
Big smile, as if to say "All better Mom. No one is dead. I've changed Walt's vision of 1942 so you don't need to worry about Deer Mommies being shot.

Thanks son. I'm feeling a lot better about it.
My Hero.

Welcome Winter at the Waldorf Astoria

It was our first day of snow. 

Here was the plan:

Surprise the children by taking them to Park City to the Waldorf Astoria to swim and play for the day.

Scotty's sis Karen was in town on business and her company 

puts her up and some schmancy joints.  We are the beneficiaries of this. 

So the kids got ready for school just like any other weekday. 

We were running late and they were worried because I was fixing my hair.

"Mom, we're going to be late. Are we going to go?"

"Get your swimsuits and put them in your backpack."

Squeals of delight. 

I told them the plan and they gathered swimsuits, games, and hot cocoa and stuffed them in with the textbooks. 

Over the mountain we went. 

Park City was beautifully blanketed in white. 

And it turns out the Waldorf Astoria is not too shabby. 

Valet parking only left the valet perplexed when a minivan 

full of kids pulled in.  

No pride I tell ya. I just smiled and parked it down the street at his request. 

We walked into that gorgeous lobby lugging backpacks full of Capri Suns and swimming flippers.

Big kids carrying little kids on their hips. 

Just smile Amy, the kids think you're a hero right now. 

The room was gorgeous with a fireplace, flat screen, mini-kitchen, and even a t.v. in the bathroom. 

The kids couldn't wait to try that out.  :)

I made some hot cocoa while they lounged by the fire and watched cartoons.

That lasted 9 1/2 minutes and they were ready to hit the heated pool.

It was so fun to swim in that warm pool and the hot tub surrounded by snow!

They ate and ate and ate that snow.

They had some snowball fights in the pool. 

They swam until they pruned. 

We were the only ones in the pool the entire time. 

I guess those stuffy adults don't go swimming when there's snow out.

After the long swim they had baths using the delicious smelling complimentary shampoo while watching their favorite shows.  When the rotation was over we packed up and headed home. 

Thanks to Aunt Karen and the Waldorf Astoria for welcoming winter in a most wonderful way.