Happy Birthday to a Great Lady

Today is my Grandmother Appolonia's 87th birthday. (although she acts not a day over 40).  My grandmother is a true gift to our family.  Not only is she smart, and an amazing cook, she is the kindest most generous person you will ever meet.

I strive to be like her someday.  I know I won't ever get close.

Happy Birthday to the best person I know, and one of my best friends - Grammy Bonnie.  I love you with all of my heart.

A New School Year

 Today marked the first day of school here in our small town.  This day came just before I sold one of the kids off to the highest bidder.

I kid.  Sort of.

The morning was an early start.  After a full summer of sleeping in, lazy mornings, and just as lazy days, it was a rude awakening for our children.  Arlington needs to get up by 6:45 in order to make her bus, and she is a slug in the mornings.  She started off this morning no different than any other school day......her legs were not working.  She could not possibly get up.

Whatever.

Finley and Cainan have to be up at 7:15.  So that gives Arlington a half an hour of peace and quiet in the morning to eat, get dressed, and watch a little TV before the bus.  But usually by 7:15 she is still messing around, is half dressed, or brushing her teeth while singing to herself in the mirror.

It is a constant circus in our house.

Cainan is easy to get up.  He bounces out of bed like he has been up and ready for hours.  He is happy and ready to start the day whenever you want him too.  He is a slow eater, but other than that, he is no problem in the mornings.

Finley doesn't like to get up.  Like.....ever.   Not only does she not want to go to school, she has no interest in getting down stairs by herself, or eating breakfast, or doing anything that requires work.  She is constantly being coaxed (yelled at) to move it along.  Which.....she blatently ignores.

At 7:33, Arlington and I are out the door to the bus.  I shout final threats instructions to the littles and Arlington and I head to the bus stop.  I return 15 minutes later to Cainan fully dressed and ready to go, and Finley......still in her pajamas.  She is done eating, but that is where she stopped participating in the mornings happenings.

We have time, though, because their bus does not come until 8:30.  But starting next week, the whole game gets a twist.  Finley has braille class on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays before school, and she needs to be there at 7:45.  So - she is going to have to get up with Arlington and rush getting ready.

It isn't going to be pretty.  Anyone want to trade places with me?

8:30 - Finley and Cainan and I head to the bus.  Finley is nervous.  She is unsure who will be meeting her off the bus, what friends she will see, what the class will be like.  Cainan is clueless.  He just happily goes along.  He asks - "I am staying all day?"  "yes" I tell him.  He smiles and says "Great!"  He bounds onto the bus with a big hello to the bus driver and a loud goodbye to me.  Thank goodness I had one that was happy about where he was going.

Then......quiet.  For 6 glorious hours there wasn't a kid asking me for a snack, a drink, a toy, a tv show, to undo a knot, to get them something, to make them something, to tell their sibling to leave them alone, to tell their sibling to play with them, on and on and on.  No one said "mommy" for 6 hours.  I thought I died and was in heaven.

Don't get me wrong.  I loved summer vacation with my kids.  We had some really great days, and we had a lot of fun.  It was nice to be without routine for awhile and take in the sun and warmth.  But the last two weeks, they have been over playing with each other, and over hanging out with me all day.  So - it was time for school.

Everyone came home in one piece.  Arlington said her teacher was "strict" and I was happy to hear that.  She needs strict.  She got off easy last year.  Cainan loved his teacher and could name at least 2 people in his class.  Finley had a great day and talked about everything they did.  But at bedtime she expressed she was worried about not finding someone to play with at recess tomorrow.  We talked and she knows what to do, so I hope she lets that one go.

Cainan had soccer practice tonight and Finley had therapy.  I spent two hours filling out paperwork the school sent home for all the kids.  We are off to a running start. 

Almost time for school

The kids are crazy, and it is time to go back.  I listen to a lot of moms on facebook say how they are so sad their babies are going back to school soon, and how they will miss them during the day.

Yeah, you aren't going to hear that from me.  I may miss them....a little.  But they need to go back to school.  Summer vacation is just a bit too long.  The kids have been getting on each other's nerves for a few weeks now (and mine) and so school is just the respite everyone needs.

I have washed the bookbags, and laid out the first day of school outfits.  This weekend we all went swimming one last time.  We went and got all the needed items for 3 lunches and 3 snacks every day.

We took a walk yesterday - even took the dogs - on a trail near the house.  It was a beautiful paved trail, and it looks like we might hold an event in our new hometown there next year.  It was a lot of fun to walk along the trail.  The kids ran and the dogs got some great exercise. 

Tomorrow Mat returns to work, and the kids and I run a few last minute errands before school.  Let the fun begin!

Race Day photos

Larry Orlando, a great friend of our family, was kind enough to take numerous pictures from the day of Finley's race.  I wanted to share them because it was a great day, and we made a lot of great memories.  (and also raised more money as Finley's Fighters than we have ever had in the past).

So - here are the pictures!  Enjoy!  WARNING:  There are a lot (a lot) of photos.  And if this is the first you are seeing out blog, I want to share that nearly $30,000 was made that day, and donations are STILL coming in.  Thank you to EVERYONE.

Trying to decide where to start:

 Marge Orlando setting up for registration:

 Marcia Petko, Maggie Livingston, and Mary Rita Kislan looking over their handiwork:

 Trying to make sure all the race packets are in order:

 Jim Hann and crew put up the biggest tent I have ever seen:

 Linda Suter and Marge sort out the wristbands for the racers:

 Some of our awesome sponsors:

 More of our awesome sponsors:

 Our finish line sponsor was Trib Total Media.  This was a giant sticker made for asphalt:

 Our finish line looks so official!:

 The Kostelnik sisters had to put together a tent that had about a million pieces:

 The tent for facepainting and balloon animals goes up:

 Linda Witt and Marge hanging up one of Finley's signs.  Hmmmm.  Marge is in a lot of these photos - I think I gave her too many jobs to do........

 Our children of our RDH12 group!

 Still trying to put up that crazy tent.  Now they have enlisted Judy Haines to help:

 Marcia Petko and Diane Ratai get in on the action.  This tent WILL go up eventually:

 Mary Louise Hornick - AKA the goddess of the basket raffle - gets the tables set up:

 My in-laws, Ben and Sally, and my three hoodlums get the bounce house spread out:

 Finley is ready to steak someone.....I mean, help put the bounce house up:

 Karen Macko, Linda Suter, Diane Ratai, and Marge (oh boy, there she is again) get ready at the registration table:

 Mat and I and Maggie Livingston (along witht the Kostelniks not pictured) manned the pre-registration table:

 Dave White - one of our high school friends - checks in:

 The pre-registration line gets a little long:

 Finley with one of our volunteers - Linda Ruth:

 Pre-registration madness:

 The tent made it up!!:

 Arlingotn and Cainan meet Alicia Hruby (the young lady I mentioned in yesterday's post):

 Registration is in full swing now:

 Judy Haines is in charge of shirt orders:

 AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH:

 We had a lot of walk ins - it was GREAT!:

 Donna Leighty and Mary Louise get the basket raffle tickets all set up:

 Susan Morrison and Donna selling those tickets!  We made over $3500 at the basket raffle:

 The Bullskin fair queen came by as well.  And on the right is our OLDEST walker - Nick Mazella.  At 80 years old walked the whole 5K!

 Baskets!

 The crowd before the races start:

 Mary Louise and Chris Hornick.  My Godparents - what would I do without them:

 Mat had to leave pre-registration and start to make speeches at the beginning of the race, so Aunt Betty Pletcher and Maria Fiore (Bella, her daughter, is one of our RDH12 kids) stepped in and helped.  Thank goodness because it got crazy.  Checking in 270 people was crazy:

 Mat and Finley get the races started:

 Starting to line up:

 Our race day sponsor: Corner Stone Appraisals:

 And one of the races begins!!

 Waiting for another race:

 Bella got to start another race:

 The 5K walkers are off:

 Bella and Finley hanging out as the races begin:

 The Fiore family:

 1 mile fun run takes off:

 Those awesome baskets:

 Starting to set up for lunch.  Holy Lord - there is Marge again.  I am starting to think she is photobombing:

 My nephew "E" and Cainan watching Uncle Tom make balloon animals:

 Carol and Jonathan Kelly (the makers of the toy basket and my oldest friend) check in for lunch:

 My sister in law, Jess.  Jess is a selfless person, and I know she would blush if I told you what a wonderful person and huge supporter she has been for Finley.  My whole family has been.  Jess painted faces for 4 hours -without a break even with me begging she take one - and without complaint:

 The face painting/balloon animal tent is always the most popular:

 Bounce house gets going - Finley takes the first bounce:

 The basket raffle area was always busy:

 Lori Kinney (her daughter, Abigail, has RDH12) and her mom Cathy.  They ended up winning the quilt my mother in law made!!  So exciting:

 Look at all of those shirts!  Jenelle Cummings, a local Connellsville high school (recent) graduate designed the shirts this year.:

 Finley hands out the trophies to our winners of all 4 races:

 I am pretty sure this is the overall winner of the 10K.  I say that because she came in FIRST place NOT ONLY for the women, but OVERALL - ahead of the men.  Yeah:

 Mat's cousins Doug and Patty Lyday came to the race all the way from Indiana state.  They were out FIRST registrants overall.  PRetty cool:

 Our 100th registrant:

 Our 200th registrant:

 We had a little drawing for the kids.  I put all the kids names in a hat and gave away one boy and one girl present (mostly school supplies).  this is the little boy winner:

 Our little girl winner was Bella Fiore!!:

 Oh look - there is Marge Orlando again.  IT is like playing "where's waldo". :)

 Nicole Rota starts to help with the face painting:

 Our RDH12 families there:  Fiores, Pletchers, Kinneys:

 Jim Meyers played for 2 straight hours to be our music entertainment.  He did an amazing job and we want him back again next year!:

 Food line is now open!:

 (Marge):

 This was the first year we almost needed more seating:

 Jess still hard at work:

 Baskets and more baskets:

 We had two kids games this year.  We hope to add more and more each year:

 Donna Hruby and my Father in LAw - Ben helped check in the lunch folks:

 Some of the sweet teenager volunteers painted nails and did tattoos for the kids:

 The is my Great Aunt Mary and my grandmother, Bonnie.  So glad they were there:

 My Aunt Renee (my mom's sister) and my 92 year old Granpa Phil were there too!:

 The RDH12 girls drew the names for the basket raffle prizes:

 Because we love a good party, even when the event was over, we had our family and friends over to my mom's house for pizza and socialization.  We had a great time:

 The Kinney family:

 Maria and Mike Fiore.  They are from New York, and we had our favorite local pizza.  We told them not to judge:

 The after party.  Even that was in red!

 My sister in law, Teen, and Nicole:

 This is what happens when you are tired and someone MIGHT spike your coffee:

 The kids enjoying my mom's flowers:

 Finley picked some flowers:

 Oh look.....there's MArge:

 The kids: Bella, Reese, Finley, Abigail, Ava, Anthony, Arlington, and Cainan:

 We even had a wedding!  Bella and Cainan got married:

 The kids ended the night with a game of hot potato: