Certified

I am a CERTIFIED Professional skating instructor now. Yee-haw! After spending most of the day today online submitting payments to various skating organizations (USFSA, PSA) and background checks, taking 3 continuing education credit courses and successfully passing the tests, I am able to coach my students at the next competition coming up in a few weeks - Oktoberfest. What that means is really: The governing council on figure skating decided that they weren't making enough money and decided to implement a new system to mandate that all coaches at sanctioned events must be CER compliant or they wouldn't be allowed to coach. So I have finished jumping through all the hoops now and all is well. Fun day.

Waka Waka

I have this song stuck in my head today. I spent most of the day choreographing a new program for Amanda out at Accord. Since our home rink is closed I had to go out there. Oh, well at least her program is almost finished before the competition next month.

Lasso the Moon and The Stars

My sister Darlin sent me this link today. It is of her Glitter in The Air program from the Sun Valley Show this year. I guess a professional photographer is able to capture her skating a lot better than I ever could. The photos are amazing.

Close One

Mighty Max

Mighty Mites

Max's Murray Mighty Mite team had a pre-season game today against The Jordan Beetdiggers Grey team. 

It was a really exciting game and Murray was leading by a touchdown almost the entire last half, but with five minutes to go Jordan scored and ended up winning the game by 1 point. It was so close to being called a win. It just wasn't.

Max in his new jersey looking on. He did get a ton of playing time and had a great game so it wasn't all that bad. And at least it was pre-season, so it doesn't count "on the record"!

A Victory?

I think that Max's team beat Brighton's B team when they played them last night. It is hard to tell when it is a scrimmage game, no one really keeps score, but it seems like they did. So hopefully they will do well tomorrow against Jordan in the pre-season game.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday

The Gifts

The Pool

The Yummy Food

The Cake

The Girls


Cute Heidi hosted our First Annual Un-Birthday Party Girls Lunch at her home today. We decided at one of our "Planning" meetings (he-he) earlier in the year, that instead of trying to get together for lunch in the months that all of us have birthdays (it was getting really hard to find a time when EVERYBODY could come with all of the crazy schedules of carpools and preschool) we would instead have one big birthday lunch for every one's UN-birthday and bring gifts for everyone then. It turned out great and was so fun to open seven gifts at once, it seemed almost like Christmas!

Thanks Heidi for a great party. 

Lingonberry

Lingonberry plant

I went for a run and it felt so good out this morning. I might just have to keep running and do that 20 mile run I was talking about, just for fun.

When I went to Ikea yesterday, after I bought some frames and some new Tupperware, I sat down for lunch with a yummy Caesar salad, lingonberry juice (It's the best, if you haven't tried it you really should. It is so refreshing.) and a great book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Even though it was only about 20 minutes out of my day, it was so enjoyable. I still cleaned the house, did laundry, went to visit teach and my visiting teachers came over as well. Held a primary meeting and planned my talk for Sunday. Drove the boys to and from school, made dinner and helped with homework. Seriously, how can they have homework already? It was only the second day of school! 

Moonrise

Football practice is only three nights a week now that school has started. Max has a scrimmage game against Brighton on Thursday. He is on the starting defensive line this year, so he will get a lot of playing time.

Did you happen to catch the moon as it was rising last night? Beautiful.

First Day

First day of tenth grade for Morgen. When the alarm rang at 6:30 this morning I remembered why I don't get up early to exercise any more. It was still dark outside. I made cinnamon muffins and eggs with O.J for breakfast and then sent him out the door, his sophomore year is under way.   

First day of sixth grade for Max and second grade for Markus. (Markus picked out his shirt that says, "I bring the Jam", "and you're toast" on the back)

Back to school

Max was so emotional today. I haven't really ever seen him like that before the first day of school. He said it was because it is his last year in elementary school. 

Markus jumped right in line and waved goodbye. He was excited for school to start this year. He really thrives on structure and being with his friends.

Unloading all the school supplies that he brought with him to class. He truly learns with joy and enthusiasm.

*****

I was fine after I drove away from school, until I pulled into the gym parking lot. Then I saw a lady holding her little boys hand walking in, and I just lost it. It seems like I was just walking hand and hand with my little boys yesterday, either to go in to the gym or the rink. And now they are all in school all day long. I know that I adjusted to it last year and that I will find ways to fill my day while they are away, but I truly do miss them so much when they are gone.

Feast

After church today we had a back to school feast. Complete with sparkling creme soda. And my finest china. I asked the boys to put on their new school clothes for a fashion show, and they just looked at me with raised eyebrows. When I asked Morgen if he had laid out what he was going to wear tomorrow, he said, "I'm not a girl, Mom!" Is that only what girls do before the first day of school and not ever boys? Well, I didn't think so, but now I know how he feels about it. After the long day at Seven Peaks Water Park yesterday they were ready to go to bed early tonight.

Zuri at the Zoo

A day at the zoo...

and we got to see Zuri! The new baby elephant born last year to her mom, Chrisie.

She was so cute and smart!

The boys enjoyed watching her do tricks with her mom and then we went to watch the bird show. Since the rink is closed for the next two weeks, and I didn't have any lessons to teach, we spent the entire day at the zoo.

Morgen wanted to go to his friend Brittany's yesterday instead of coming to the zoo with us. I think he missed out, but I am sure he had fun "watching T.V" with her instead! :)

Watching the giraffes play outside.

Of course no trip to the zoo would be complete without a train ride!

Fun times. And a fun way to wind up summer vacation.

Back to School

S.E.P. conference's were yesterday and that means school is right around the corner. Max met his new teacher Mrs. L-G and Markus,  Mrs. D. Morgen had the same teacher when he was in 6th grade and Max had the same when he was in 2nd. Kind of cool.

After they got their lists of school supplies to buy we went to Target for a little school shopping.

Morgen didn't want to go to his Sophomore orientation yesterday, or his first stomp of the school year last night. He went with his friend Brittany to a play instead.

*******

The weather was so nice and cool last night - it actually felt like fall! It was fun to sit out and watch Max's football practice and not be melting in the sun.

Even though he is on the "B" team this year and he was a little bummed at first, he is still having a fun time playing. I think it might actually be good - he may get more playing time than he did last year.

At least he is closer in size to the kids on this team. They had weigh-ins Wednesday night and he had no problem making the cut off weight to carry the ball. Anyone over 100 lbs. has to be an X-man and they cannot touch the ball. There were a couple of boys last year that weighed 150 lbs. on Max's team!

Max with his assistant-coach Matt

And with head coach Rob