Today is the day.

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Love you!

Weekend

Okay, I really should be cleaning out the garage, pressure washing the front porch, shopping for new flooring...you know, all those things we need to do on a weekend, but never get done because we're always at a soccer something or other. (We are going to a soccer something or other later, to watch the Fajita play, btw) Anyway, all those things I should be doing are not getting done because I found the most hilarious blog & I've been reading it all day while Michael & Jordan watch soccer something or other on tv. Check it out if you aren't easily offended, Ashley's Closet. I've been laughing out loud all morning... and no, Michael & Jordan aren't annoyed at all.

Zeus

Anyone who has ever met Ben knows that has a bit of an obsessive personality. Ever since he fell in love with Spiderman when he was 3, he has had something in his life that completely consumed his every thought and word. Like I said, his first love was Spiderman. He had a very pronounced speech problem when he was younger, virtually no one outside of the family (and sometime INSIDE the family) could understand a word he said, but he would sit for hours at his sisters' soccer practices & games going on and on and on about Spiderman. Thankfully, those soccer parents were like family and were very patient.

When Ben was 5, Michael took the kids to MOSI. We thought the girls might enjoy the Titanic exhibit there & Ben would like to play at the kids' center. Turns out, Ben fell COMPLETELY in love with the Titanic. For about 2 years, he talked ad nauseum about the beautiful ship and the tragedy in 1912. We had every book, he memorized each of the decks, he knew about the Astors and "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. I still don't know what about the Titanic was so intriguing to a 5 year old boy, but something had him hooked.

During the Titanic years, he also loved Harry Potter, but once he could read (and reread and reread) the HP books, the Titanic was all but forgotten. He had a new love. Thankfully, Megan & I had already read all of the books so we were able to talk to him about it, but we couldn't keep up. He had spells memorized and would ask us about details of the books that we had no clue about. Megan would even let him play HP Scene It with her & her friends...he was always a great asset to team.

Last May, he started reading The Series of Unfortunate Events books. All summer we heard about nothing but Count Olaf, Violet, Klaus & Sunny. He drew the V.F.D. symbol on every scrap of paper he could find and did extensive research about the books on the internet. (Apparently, he was not alone in his obsession, as he found many websites devoted to it).

About a month ago, he started reading Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This is an adventure series based on Greek mythology. Can you guess where this is going? He talks about Zeus, Hera & the gang as though they are family friends. Yesterday at school they were learning how to make a power point presentation. Yesterday afternoon, he made this all by himself (look for some familiar faces on the third slide).




I wonder what his next obsession will be?

Tally

I'm happy to report that my jaw loosened up around 8 Friday night. I think it just felt like I had endured enough ridicule from my family & decided to give me a break.



We had a fun weekend in Tally. After watching the Noles beat FIU 5-0 Friday night, Jordan & Michael were able to spend some time with the team Saturday morning as Ben & I hit the hotel pool. We spent the rest of the day reading, napping, watching college football & going to dinner. Tough day, I tell ya! Sunday, we dragged Ben (& his book) to another soccer game, as the Noles took on the Gators. Unfortunately, although the Noles dominated the game, they just couldn't find the back of the net & the Gators won the game 1-0. Regardless of the outcome, we endured the heat (it was about one trillion degrees out!) & enjoyed the game. After a quick bite to eat, we hit the road & got home at around midnight. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Awwww! They love each other. The only thing that makes Ben happier than a girls' (womens') soccer game is one trillion degree heat.Jordan is here on the field while the team is warming up before Sunday's game. Can't you see her? Huh? Huh? She's waaay in the back, really itty bitty, by the bench wearing a white shirt & khaki shorts. Duh!

Time to go & be productive...

The Sound of Silence

Today we are heading to Tallahassee to watch a couple of FSU soccer games. Jordan verbally committed to play soccer there after she graduates high school next year. (We will be a house divided with a Gator & a Seminole.) She's really excited about spending the weekend in Tallahassee & watching her future team play. Ben is willing to go along for the ride because we made a stop at Borders yesterday & he is all set with 3 new books. We won't hear a peep from him until he finishes the last sentence. No one will hear a peep from me either, as my jaw locked up when I yawned this morning. AAARGH! This has happened to me before, and it will go away on it's own, hopefully before the day is over, but in the meantime, I will be armed with a whiteboard & a marker. Should be a fun ride!

Just testing my new "signature".

New Design

So... because I can't find enough excuses not to clean the kids' tub (ewwww!), I've spent the past hour fixin' up my blog. What do you think?!



Obviously, nothing too exciting is happening around here, although I DID make a kick butt dinner last night...Gorgonzola Chicken and my famous (in my house, at least) Wok-Seared Sesame Green Beans, oddly enough the only part of the meal that wasn't good was the baked potato. How the heck do you make a bad baked potato?! I just didn't cook them long enough, I guess.



Back to the housework, I guess... bummer!