What the...???

First of all, you need to know that I live in one of those "master communities"...our subdivision is divided into several smaller "villages" & also includes a couple apartment complexes...

So anyway, tonight, at around 8:30 or so, I'm driving home from (surprise! surprise!) Jordan's (crapfest of a) soccer game with Ben in the car. I pull into our neighborhood (the big one)... and am driving along, imagining the beautiful glass of red wine I'm going to enjoy when I get there. Out of the corner of my eye I think I see a boy, about Ben's age, splayed on the grass next to the curb... it looked like he had been a victim of a hit & run. Now, it took a few seconds to register this, then debate whether to a) keep driving & call 9-1-1, saving my son from seeing anything that might scar him for life or b) turn around, help the kid & call 9-1-1. I made a split-second decision & turned around. I didn't see the kid. So I went home thinking I had just imagined it.

I go home & start making dinner. About 20 minutes later, Michael & Jordan come home. He had given her a ride to the school to get her car, then they drove home separately. I guess when Jordan got out of her car, she ran to Michael's car, practically in tears, telling him she had seen a kid on the side of the road. So they got into Michael's car to see if they could help... surprise! surprise! The kid was gone. So they come in & start to tell me the story & I finished it for them.

When each of us had turned around, we noticed an older teenager climbing over a hill leading to one of the apartment complex. Apparently, he & the young kid were in cahoots playing a HORRIBLE prank! Who the hell would THINK to do such a thing? I 'm stunned & appalled! I wonder how many people DID call 9-1-1?! Scary stuff, I tell ya!

The one good thing to come out of this is that I had to have an extra glass of wine tonight, to calm my nerves *wink*.

Ole'!

(e.t.a. The paragraphs are wonky...I can't fix them, but please read anyway)

Image: from espn.com Donald Miralle/Getty Images

First of all, I have to say...GO GATORS!!! National Champions! Woohoo! I got nervous there for awhile, but in the end Superman Timmy & the boys pulled it off. Megan was watching the game on campus at the OConnell Center, I haven't heard from her yet this morning, but I'm anxious to find out just how exciting it was on campus last night. What a thrilling time to be a Florida Gator!

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Now, on to the exciting news I hinted at yesterday... Remember back in August when I told you about Jordan being selected to participate in the Interregional Event in Coral Springs? Well, when I checked my email yesterday afternoon, I found this letter...

It was an invitation from the Region III team for Jordan to attend the Algarve Cup in PORTUGAL!!!

You will be attending Algarve Cup games involving our Women’s National Teams and will actually be involved in three international matches with National Teams from other countries attending the games as well. You’ll be staying at X Hotel with the USA, Sweden and Norway National Teams.

Did you get that?! You’ll be staying at X Hotel with the USA, Sweden and Norway National Teams. IN PORTUGAL! I don't know if you understand how obsessed my girl is with the Women's National Team. The fact that there is a slight possibility that Jordan could end up in an elevator with Lori Chalupny, Heather O'Reilly or Lindsay Tarpley is enough to blow her mind! What? You're not familiar with those names?! I forget they aren't household names to most people. Compare it to, say, my husband being in an elevator with Bono. The trip is March 7-15, which, unfortuately, is not her Spring Break so she will have to miss a week of school & we will need to reschedule her SAT, but it's too exciting of an opportunity to pass up.

I got the letter a few hours before she got home from school & soccer practice so I had to come up with a creative way to tell her about it. As with everything else in my life, I went to scrapblog & made this... (I pixelated the pic of the hotel)

Ben was just as excited as I was, so he helped me set this up...

Thankfully, Jordan's birthday gift from my SIL had come in the mail yesterday, so when she got home (in a bad mood, I might add) I told her that her gift from Aunt Amy was on the table...

Hmmm....what's this?

Then it sinks in...

Congratulations Jordie Girl! Love you!

btw...when she came back down to earth, Jordan opened the gift from Amy... a Burberry pouch wallet that Amy just bought on her New Year's trip to London. Jordan loved it & can't wait to bring it back to EUROPE! :)

Sooners (no) or GATORS (yes)?

I have my burgers ready for grilling & my beer chilling in the fridge. Even my 'Nole Girl is rooting for Superman...er, huh, I mean Tim Tebow (couldn't get her to root for the Gators, just Timmy). He's a close, personal friend of Megan's after all. They did stand in line together waiting for peanut butter at Gator Dining. Once. I mean, really, if peanut butter doesn't bring people together, what does?



Stay tuned tomorrow for some exciting news about one of the Beth's Blog Bunch!

Madame President

I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to my friend, Madame President (previously known as Joanne, but forevermore known as Madame President, or MP for short) for bringing her kids over today to be "participants" in Ben's science project. Ben needed 10 (not 12...Ben, did you notice I got it right?) kids to test whether biking or running has more effect on heart rate. Since we've lived here, we've spent the majority of our evenings at soccer practice (aren't you suprised?) and the majority of our weekends at games or tournaments, so my kids have never been all that friendly with the neighborhood kids (which frankly, I usually think is a good thing), but when Ben went out to ask some kids if they would paricipate in his experiment yesterday, they all declined. Broke my heart. No one should tell that little guy "No", he is seriously the NICEST KID EVER!

Anyway, Madame President lives in the next neighborhood over & thankfully, she agreed to let 2 of her kids be Ben's guinea pigs. I really like all of MP's kids, Kasey is the year between Megan & Jordan & played on a competitive team that Jordan occasionally guest played for, back in the day. Rachael & Erin were the "guinea pigs"... Rachael is Ben's age, is highly competive & is a soccer player (duh?) & Little Erin reminds me a lot of Ben, really sweet natured (although he may have saved himself, because I really think that he has actually embraced soccer & seems to enjoy playing, which I never thought Ben did)...they were great guinea pigs & I was so grateful they were able to participate. :)

But, Trevor, OH TREVOR! Oh my, what a cutie! He developed quite a little crush on Jordan during the 1/2 hour they were here. I so wish I would have thought to grab my camera, because he was so cute playing hide & seek with her & he told her he loved her & insisted on getting one last hug from her before they left. I could seriously eat that kid with a spoon! Jordan was pretty smitten with his 2-year old self too...

Anyway, thanks again, MP. Let me know when I can repay the favor...

Domestic Goddess That I Am...

Dear Mom,

Remember on New Year's Day when we were going to have that yummy Oatmeal Cake Megan made at your house? Remember when I put it under the broiler to brown the yummy coconut topping? Remember when flames were shooting out of my oven & my house was full of smoke? Remember how Megan had made the cake in your brand spanking new cake pan?

I owe you a new cake pan.

Love,

A Nice Break from Real Life

Whew! What a busy "break" we have had! We picked Megan up on the 15th & life has been a whirlwind ever since...

• Shopping trip w/ Mom & Meg
• Baking Marathon
• Carpet installation
• High School Soccer Tournament
• Jordan's BFF's visit
• CHRISTMAS!!!
• Visit with old soccer friends
• Day trip to Miami to watch J's BFF play
• We had Michael's family over to watch the crapfest that was the Buc's game
• Disney Soccer Tourney
• New Year's Eve
• "Christmas" w/ my parents on New Year's Day
• More Disney Soccer Tourney
• Trip to Pediatric After Hours for X-Ray on Jordan's ankle (just a strain, THANK GOD!!!)
• Jordan's Bday

It's been fun, but time has really flown...I can't believe Megan is heading back tomorrow! Today, Michael & Jordan went back to Disney to watch some of her friends play in some semi-final games. (I've had enough of a soccer fix lately, but apparently they needed another hit on their soccer crackpipe, and since it's her bday, I didn't argue). Eventually today, I will get off of the couch, straighten up a bit & wrap her presents... but for now I'm just enjoying some down time before they come home & we go to dinner.

Megan heads back with her boyfriend around noon tomorrow, Michael goes back to work Monday, the kids start school on Tuesday... Real life is slowly but surely going to catch up with us again. *sigh*

17!!!

How is it possible that my baby girl is 17?! Happy Birthday Jordie-Girl! I love you soooo much!!!

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