Soccer Soccer Soccer Soccer...and Halloween

October was JAM packed with soccer...every weekend, almost every night of the week.  Exhausting - completely exhausting, but so fun.  Silas had his very first tournament and we went to Beavercreek for the Haunted Classic.  It was a lot fun hanging out with all he kids and families.  They had definitely done this a time or two based on how prepared they came for the tailgating!

Silas' team has had a rough season - trying to mesh a lot of boys to these 2 teams. This first tournament though, the played awesome!!  They won all 3 of their games and made it to the final playoff game.  They lost it by 1 or 2 goals but it was so great to see them all play hard, know where to go and what to do... so fun to watch their work come together.

Justin and Ella's Orange Strikers also had an awesome season. Undefeated during the regular season!!  They got bumped up to a tougher bracket in the last tournament and went 0-1-2 but they played so tough against these teams.  

Just as much as Ella loves playing, Justin loves coaching - funny for someone that never played soccer - ever!


There wasn't time for too much else in between soccer this season...though Ella and I got out for a couple walks and took some fall photos. Here is one of my favorites from Hayden Falls. 

I have a bunch from her and me that I should post.  She has a great eye!


We also managed to make time to get to the pumpkin patch (barely) in between Ella's last tournament games. That is why they have orange hair - they got sprayed with hairspray at the soccer game :)

We were totally behind in planning Halloween costumes. The Monday before Thursday Trick or Treating, we still weren't quite sure what they'd be.  Ella decided she wanted to be a scary baby doll and Silas originally wanted to be the Man with the Yellow Hat (from Curious George) but it was too hard to find an all yellow suit.  He ended up being a Zookeeper, Monkey Division.  Banana included.  They both looked really cute (ignore the photobomb in the window :)

The weather this year was perfect for Trick or Treat night.  50's and dry (unlike last year!).  They finished up with a firepit and hot cocoa at one of the neighbor's houses. 

And now, here we are in November...one more soccer tournament left next week (for Silas and it's going to be COLD!!) and then on to worrying about getting Christmas shopping done!

Busy Times!

We are ending our third week back to school and it's been pretty crazy. 

Soccer has also hit at full speed and we tend to have soccer at least five days a week... Which is a bit crazy as well!

One thing that's really helped with soccer this year is Ella got contacts. She still takes a lot of balls to the face but she's not breaking more glasses!

She's done really well with the contact so far - she can wear them all day and she can take them out by yourself.  Getting them in herself is still a bit of an issue. 

I can't remember if I mentioned that we are tearing out the ducky bathroom and redoing it because it started leaking...

This was a few weeks ago actually before school started and it's finally starting to come together. 

Justin ripped down pretty much to the nubs and started from scratch. 

This has taken us down to one bathroom or at least one shower, which is a royal pain in the butt for five people, especially with school starting :(

But it's going to be beautiful when it's done! 

Other than getting back into the swing of soccer and school, I've been working a ton, Justin's been working a ton and I've been trying to get out running, biking and walking as much as possible. Especially since we have the trail at Frank's park now that runs about 4 miles round trip. It's been great for getting a runner, bike or walk in every day. I take lots of pictures when I'm out!

I also got out for a 20 mile bike ride this past weekend, the farthest I think I have ridden my bike at least since college!

I love our Rails to Trails! 

This past weekend we also gathered to honor and remember Elijah. I can't believe it's been a year since the accident :(

We lit lanterns and sent balloons up from the cemetery. 

Still all so very hard to believe sometimes. 

I took Ella to a school night concert last night. Probably not a very good idea, but we had fun and we were both extremely exhausted today!

We saw Grouplove and Portugal the Man. 

I've been doing most of my blog updating via my iPhone for the last month or so. Otherwise I don't think I'd be getting any updating done. My computer is so old and so full from music and pictures and it barely runs anymore. 

It's hard to believe that today is the 13th anniversary of 9/11.  Still so vivid in my mind even 13 years later...
Never Forget. 

So, that's it in a nutshell for now! Ta-ta! 

The End of March Madness

I absolutely cannot believe that tomorrow is the last day of March. Even with all the cruddy winter weather, the first 3 months of 2014 have flown by so fast.


One thing that we all did a lot of this winter was READ. With no cable TV and staying inside more because of the bitter cold, we all tore through some books.  Silas has advanced tremendously with his reading.  He started the winter with easier chapter books, then (here in February) read some of the Nate books and all of the Wimpy Kid books.  In March he has completed books 1 and 2 of Harry Potter and just started book 3.

I'm amazed at how much he reads (and by how much he is like his father...see background of picture!).

One day a couple weeks ago, while the rest of us had overslept by almost an hour on a school morning, 
Silas had gotten himself up, dressed, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, spiked his hair and packed his lunch. He was sitting at the table reading his Harry Potter book when we all scrambled downstairs. Besides the fact
that he put his clothes from the day before back on and made a Nutella sandwich for his lunch (and didn't bother to wake the rest of us up!), he did a pretty good job. 


Silas also took a-lovin' to playing goalie in Indoor soccer this past month.  He now constantly takes the soccer ball out front and kicks it (much to Justin's dismay) against the garage door and then tries to block it as it shoots back at him.  He's got great reflexes and I can't wait to have him do some goalie training to see what  he thinks after he's got some more practice at it and plays more in Outdoor this season.

Though 99% of the month was cold and yucko, we did have a nice Saturday in March (it got up to almost 60 and then the next day it snowed again...) and enjoyed the afternoon hanging outside playing soccer, riding on the scooter and rollerblading.

And these 2 were looking pretty awesome with their punked up hair and way-too-cool sunglasses.

Ella has been using my old Rebel to take some pictures - she is pretty good.  She's very anxious to get a laptop (Justin's old one) so that she can start doing some editing to the pictures.  

At the beginning of March, I started a new yoga class which is right over by the trail and sometimes I get to sneak a run in too before or after the class.  Which is particularly nice on days like this one! I've started doing some juicing too - which is interesting and worth a post sometime.

And now Spring Break is over, March is almost over and before we know it - school will be out - and it'll be Summer...right?!? Crazy weather!!

Who Needs Weight Watchers??

I've decided to create my own Infomercial on how to lose 9 pounds in 9 days!  Results guaranteed!  Just lick some raw chicken and the rest will take care of itself...

The Sunday evening before Halloween, I started to feel icky.  My stomach was unsettled and I felt blah. By Monday morning, I was in bed and miserable. Fever, chills, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting...it was bad.  I figured I had a nasty GI bug and I'd be better in (hopefully) 24 hours.  And then I was hoping I'd be better in 48 hours.  And then by Wednesday, I was so bad that Justin took  me to the ER for IV fluids and medicine.  I could not keep anything at all in my body.  Water and Gatorade went right through me and any form of food at all got thrown up.  It was all I could do to lay in bed and make it to the bathroom when I needed to (which was about every 15 minutes). On Friday night (day 5 of being sick), the ER called me at 9:30pm to tell me the labs had come back and it was salmonella.  I was shocked but that REALLY explained why I felt so terribly horrible for so long.  I went in the next morning and they gave me antibiotics.  The entire next week I was still having symptoms and pain so I got to go in for a CT scan to make sure my appendix and other innards weren't infected.  Luckily, all looked good.  After 2 full weeks and 9 or 10 days with no solid food...I was beginning to feel better.
When I was really sick the first week, Ella made this sign to go on the bedroom door:

One of the best decisions made was to go ahead and go on my Hocking Hills trip with book group towards the end of week 2.  Donna offered to drive me there and back, and I could lay around there just as easily as at home.  It was GREAT to get out of the house and away from the sick bed.  The change of scenery did me good, as did all the food that everyone brought.  It really jump started my appetite again and I was able to eat again and get some calories in me.
I sat on the wonderful porch at our cabin/house and soaked in the sun and read magazines.  I took a couple small walks and dozed off when I felt nappy. I got to stare off at the cows...

and watch the pretty grasses blow in the wind....

and breath a little deeper on my walks around the property...

 

It was exactly what I needed for a healing weekend.

and I'm sure that Justin was ready to get me out of the house too...

While I was sick, Justin took total care of the house and kids, while trying to work too.  It really kicked his ass.  Together, we really do a great job of dividing and conquering.  That one of us was totally down for the count made both of us realize how lucky we are to work so well together.  It really made to think about my health and being more proactive in keeping BOTH of us healthy.  

Unfortunately, while I was sick, Ella was also not feeling so hot.  She must have had some kind of stomach bug (she did not have salmonella symptoms).  She got sick an hour before Trick or Treat and did not get to go :(

Silas was sad that we didn't go with our neighbor friends like we usually do.  Mason took him around the neighborhood but it was a bummer of a Halloween for all.

Silas did look good in his costume though - which luckily Aunt Amanda was able to help him figure out how to get it on!

Ella's very cute costume will have to wait until next year now...

In the week leading up to my Salmonellaism (which I still have no idea where I got it), we finished up soccer for both Ella and Silas.

We have a couple months off before they both start indoor soccer in January.

I ran my 3rd Half Marathon the Sunday before the sick Sunday.  It was not my best time of the 3 (2nd best time) but it was mentally the easiest of the 3 and the most fun.  I ran with a few friends and it really seemed to make the miles fly by. 

   

Heather and I crossed the finish together.  So fun 

running with her!

We also managed to squeeze in our annual pumpkin patching - and Mason's girlfriend, Yamine, came with us.  

 And for Halloween, Justin and I dressed up as Flo and Mayhem (the insurance commercial characters).

(sorry about the blurry pics)

So that is the last month...I hope to never repeat that salmonella (or anything resembling it) ever again!!

When We Last Left Off...

Seems to have been awhile since I last posted!  Dang, time flies when you have to work for a living!

Since the camping and back to school updates, we've been busy getting back into a groove of school, getting up at 6am(ish), homework, packing lunches, paying  for schools fees, paying lunches, girl scouts, after school art and choir programs, homecoming coming up (Mason is actually going he says!), soccer...ya know.

First, running:  I've really been hurting and not running much.  I pulled my hamstring back in (Aug?) and it's been hurting since.  I've done a few fun runs and they have been fine.  I'm worried about the Half in October but know I can finish...but it may take awhile to recover.  I really want to finish it though because Alison will be at Mile 13 as a Children's Champion! It's very important for me to make it to the end AND still have enough strength and energy to hang out and have fun with her there!
In August, 12 of us girls did the Tap N Run and we were the Blue Mooners.  We had a TON of fun running in our tutus and buttocks!

Strides for Hope is the Ovarian Cancer run and has become one that I really enjoy running with my friend Heather, who lost her mom to ovarian cancer 2 years ago.  Our team is Carla's Rum Runners and the rum and coke toast after at 10:30am has nothing to do with why I run it!

We are back in the soccer groove too...this year is a little different.  Ella has gone up a league.  Justin is no longer coaching her.  She's playing for Coach Sam, who coached her indoor league.  It's been a bit of an adjustment but she is loving it!

 Daddy and toothless Si watching one of Ella's games.

Justin IS coaching Si's team again this year but he's the assistant.  It's been hard for him to give up a little control over "strategy" and how to coach the kids but it's been great because he's not doing the organizing for snacks, trophies, etc.

And this look on his face is one we see often.  I love it.

And for your amusement - go back and look at this post of Silas and his soccer arms/face :)



Oh, and I got my hair cut!!  First time in a LONG time that I've chopped it off...but it was time!!  I don't think I had my hair out of a ponytail in 2 years and I was sick of it.  This is quick and easy, I like that I can do something with it when I'm so inclined (like going to a concert!) but can still get it into a (albeit, the teeniest ever) ponytail!

Last weekend, Justin and I went to Put-in-Bay with 4 other couples.  MY FIRST TIME THERE!  We had so much fun!!
We got there on Friday, early evening.  Caught the Jet Express by the skin of our teeth at 5:45pm.

We milled around the island, had a little dinner and drinks and then chilled and got ready for our Saturday morning PIB 5K!  After a very soggy Friday night, we had incredible weather for the morning run.

 

Doug and his babes had a great run!

We spent the rest of Saturday watching the Buckeyes game and bar hopping.  We found a super fun band that night and got to dance and have a great time.

We're really looking forward to doing it again next year.

The last but definitely not least update is our progress on the house (a YOSP update the I've failed to do lately!).
So, one of the things that we really wanted was to convert the 1st floor laundry into a mudroom. Justin put a laundry area in the newly finished basement and that allowed for the laundry room by the kitchen to be turned into a mudroom.

It was a big project and the first portion (tear out and tiling the floor) went pretty smoothly.
Building the cubbies went fairly smoothly too.  The problem really started when trying to get the cubbies INTO the space.  That wasn't as smooth!

And then TA DA!  It all worked out and I have my mud room!!

It is such an awesome space.  The baskets at the bottom hold shoes, the ones above can be used for gloves, hats, etc. Papers will go in there, hooks for book bags, jackets, hats, umbrellas...
Top shelf holds lunch boxes and other odds and ends. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!


It's been a fun and productive month!  Much more to do in October!!