My Cheerleader

Physical strength, flexibility, power, agility, coordination, grace, balance and control again is something I don't have.  But Lexi is all that plus!

Last August, Lexi came to me and said "Mom, I want to sign up for cheerleading".  After drilling her many times, I finally looked into Reading Pop Warner.  We were about two weeks late for signups, but they let us join anyways.  Lexi was now part of a fantastic team, led by an unbelievable coach, Lori Haverty.  At the time, we had no idea just how great this team of 28 girls was.  The bad part was that these girls were just E team and so all their efforts didn't count towards competition, they were just exhbition cheerleaders.  Who would have known at the time, that this group of girls were even more skilled than some of their older counterparts.

Twice a week Lexi was committed to cheerleading, as well as getting up early on Sundays to cheer at the football games.  The season went by fast and I felt I needed to keep her going.  So, we signed her up for All Star cheerleading at Bravo.  Now, Mondays she practices her skills and Tuesdays and Thursdays she cheers with her team.

Just a few short weeks later, Lexi is unbelievable flexible performing front and back handsprings and bouncing around the living room showing us what she learned this week at cheerleading.  Cheerleading is a commitment and I am very proud that Lexi has found something that keeps her happy.

Yesterday, was the RPW cheer and football banquet, where she received a trophy for her participation in Pop Warner.  You can see how excited she and her friend Sara is showing their trophy off.

My Musician

To have a natural intuitive-feeling-perceptiveness of music is something I just don't have.  In my own mind, sure I dream about being a rock star or secretly playing the air guitar or drums when no one is looking.  But, what my daughter Olivia has is a true talent.  She feels the music, she feels the beats, the harmony, and more. She can hear a tune and within a few short minutes repeats it on the piano.  She walks around with her flute or guitar in her hand as casually as chewing a piece of gum and blowing a bubble.  Her enjoyment of making musical sounds through her instruments is incredible.   What a talent Olivia has and I couldn't be prouder. To see her comfortable on stage, laughing and smiling truly meant the world to me. Here is a snapshot of the 6th grade Winter Concert.  The kids were amazing, for only having a short four months with their instruments, they all performed flawlessly.  BRAVO to Olivia and her 110 band counterparts!

Happy 2014!

Happy 2014!

The kids are finally getting to go back to school tomorrow....I think they are ready after having an extra 2 snow days off.

We had a great time with our friends Ellen and Anna, ringing in the New Year at the Purity Springs Resort in E. Madison, NH.  Due to Lexi's cheering schedule we headed up around 2pm and met up for a dinner buffet. Our room overlooked the ski slopes of King Pine Ski Area where we were able to watch the torch lit parade and the fireworks show.  At 10pm we headed to the pub for a family friendly New Years party, which included pizza and a dj.  It took until 11:40pm for the girls to get up enough courage to sing karaoke to Hey, Sister, Sister by Train.  They did a fantastic job!!!  Ellen and I on the other hand are closest karaoke singers....we had a few good laughs about it on facebook and back in the hotel room.

After a hearty country breakfast the next morning, we headed home.  Unfortunately it was too cold to snow tube or ice skate.  Lexi got to ice skate in the backyard when we got home.

I am very thankful to have great friends, they make every experience a fun one!  Here's to our next adventure.

43 Things I Can Do at 43 That I Couldn't Do When I Was 20

So, I saw this posted on facebook and thought I would put my list together to share....credit given to the author Wendy Fontaine of the Huffington Post.

She wrote....20 was lovely, I was effortessly svelte, with naturally blonde hair, long eyelashes and smooth skin.....I didn't worry about sun spots or kidney stones, cholestrol levels or mammograms.  My biggest concern was getting my bangs to lie flat (or in my case curly).

Two decades later...I have a job that requires commitment, I spend my weekends catering to the kids or my family.  I have a lot to juggle and a lot to think about, some days I actually manage to get through it all.

Despite all that has changed, I would never want to be 20 again.  Sure, I was thinner, with loads of energy and free time.  Here at 43, I have more responsibilities, more wrinkles and more drooping body parts, but I also have three things I didn't have back then:  self-awareness, confidence and two really awesome daughters!

Here's a list of 43 things I can do now that I couldn't do then....and a few I still do :)

1.  Cook the best ever meals
2.  Tell the truth
3.  Look past my own flaws
4.  Stay home on New Years Eve or go away with some friends and spend a low key night out
5. Pay my bills on time
6. Go out in my pajama bottoms
7. Don't wash my hair everyday
8.  Go the gynecologist without being embarassed
9.  Talk in front of a group of strangers
10.  Handle rejection.
11. Ignore the trends, just wear what is comfortable....don't care what I look like
12.  Don't care about what other people think, just do what makes me feel good
13.  Ignore people's nasty comments
14.  Stand up for myself
15.  Stand up for others
16.  Be a role model for my girls
17.  Sit at a concert.....find it hard to stay out that late...but still enjoyed BonJovi!!
18.  Drive my car fast (not with the kids in it) and listen to loud music!
19. Be an independent woman
20. Realized that real beauty isn't just looks
21.  Swear when I want to
22. Make my own rules, don't need to follow anyone elses
23.  Avoid the drama
24.  Still use tanning oil at the beach....but I now know that it isn't good for me
25.  Stop trying to be perfect
26.  Use the bathroom and leave the door open
27.  Be proud of my naked body
28.  Create goals and actually meet them
29.  Save money
30.  Adjust to changes
31. Don't get upset over things you can't control
32. Plan my own vacation and pay for it myself
33.Stay up late if I want to or sleep in
34. Social chat on the internet...knowing that the person may be a creep
35. Take as long of a shower as I want
36. When I leave the lights on, don't care, because I am the one paying the bill anyway
37. Have as many pets as I want to
38.  Be my kids hero
39.  Be my kids support system
40. Eat ice cream for breakfast...or have two breakfasts on the weekends
41. Date someone only if I want to - on my terms
42. Teach my girls how to be the best "girl" they can be

Know that the best is yet to come.

Happy 2014!