Spring Break: Part 1

Spring Break conjures lovely images of lying on the beach, maybe sipping a fruity drink, stopping by a playground all sandy and sun kissed...OR the great monsoon of 2011. Either way.

Monday we made a dash for the mall and went shopping for a few summer items, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then hunkered down in the theater for a movie - its what you do on a rainy day right?

Unfortunately no one gave my boss the memo that it was spring break so I did have to work Tuesday - Tori spent the day with her friend Savannah and Tristan hung with Todd at home (Todd was working, Tristan was making messes/video gaming). Then yesterday we headed out again hoping the rain would hold off. Tristan had a gifted service project he needed to do so he teamed up with some friends for beach cleanup! This seemed simple but apparently garbage is amazing treasure that has to be evaluated, shared and announced prior to placing it in the garbage bag. The morning was windy and cool at the beach, but after a chorus of "Look its a beeeeer bottle" and "Gross a McDonalds bag" we managed to clean up a decent size strip of the causeway and call it a day!

On a side note we just found out these friends are moving back to Canada and that sucks. We SO enjoy our time with them and it is so seldom you come across families where the adults all enjoy each other and the kids play for hours peacefully. They will be much missed.

Yesterday afternoon we headed out to see Jenni and Carter. Plans called for playtime at the park...which we got a little of...

And then this showed up and we ran for the cars, made a mad dash to the mall and ate dinner with the early birds. Welcome to Moe's - hideaway from the rain. And because sometimes conversation and togetherness with friends needs more time than a meal we meandered down the street for some gelato. Kids and ice cream, even foreign ice cream, are just the perfect combo.

Fundraiser

Going Buggy

Compliments of years of planning and saving and Todd's never ending desire to own a house I am currently the American stereotype. Mom, dad, boy, girl, dog and house...we literally priced picket fences this weekend, and just FYI - they are PRICEY!

But my gosh darn American dream is home of a zillion creepy crawlies. And I HATE creepy crawlies. I can do throw up and blood and dirt and dead animals and gators but I CANNOT DO BUGS!

The grasshoppers are back, in miniature. But there are millions. And they swarm in small areas. So we bought spray, hopefully got them and then had a lovely Florida rain storm (aka we are all but swimming here) and I wake up to millions of nasty mosquito fly cross breed things all over the house. Literally in droves.

I can't take it. I might have to bug bomb my house.

The Other Me

---Germany pictures coming very soon ----

Sometimes in life we make decisions that are good decision, great decisions, rewarding decisions even but in doing so we have to say no to something else. I got married at 19, had two kids by 22. I went from high school to a brief college stint with no money and another relationship into marriage and motherhood. I went from being daughter to mother and wife in a heartbeat. And hear this please - I AM SO THANKFUL. It was not what I had planned but God gave me the greatest blessings I could ever ask for. My life is fabulous. I am thankful for the awesome husband, loving children and creature comforts we have been blessed with. But to be her - mom, wife, hospital employee, property owner - I had to say no to the other LeShayne.

You know the one who would rather have the job that requires nonstop travel, that would like to sky dive and kayak on her weekends, that would like to travel the world without regard for where every dollar goes or whether the country is completely safe. The girl who wants to stay in hostels, do mission trips in third world countries and then go home. Maybe home in a city where a car is not needed, where public transportation is the norm and maybe even where the language spoken is not my first.

Traveling to Germany was a bittersweet adventure for me. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Breathtakingly beautiful, phenomenally historic and just a culture so different from my own. And it awakened that other LeShayne, the one who usually is shoved tightly in a budget conscious, responsible and devoted parent, box. And yet at the end of the day I missed my family so much. And was so glad to get home to be with them. To give hugs and bedtime kisses and share life.

At the end of the day I have everything I want and way more than I need. I am blessed in many ways far greater than I could have ever imagined. And yet I am thankful for the ease and opportunity to get away sometimes, to let the other LeShayne have her moment too, so I can come back and remember how great it is. To remember why she is the one living under wraps while LeShayne the mom, LeShayne the wife, LeShayne the responsible adult rules here.

**I should add that while I sound like I have lost my mind this online blog is the closest I have and ever will come to a regular diary. Since it is written in a public forum I should probably sometimes shut up but one day I will look back and be glad I was honest. I think. So this is the record of my life,my chaos. And you can judge me for it or agree with it and it will still be what it is.**

Leaving....

on a jet plane...don't know when I'll be back again...

Yes I do. Back Wednesday. TONS of pictures to follow.

Magically Delicious

I share about my patients very seldom these days as its become monotonous. When I first started my job I never thought the day would come when delusions of fiery angels, martians, and CIA conspiracies would be common place. I never thought I would see the day when I knew 100 ways to kill yourself and 100 names for every drug under the sun. I did not think I would one day go to work and hear that a person had 8 separate personalities and take this information with the same amount of shock as someone telling me the grass is green. But the day did come, and it camped out and I never even noticed.

My heart still breaks for the tortured souls I meet regularly. It still bleeds for those whose stories are torn right out of the newspaper, filled with hurt and pain and abuse. I still hope for recovery, coddle patients many cringe away from and pray that we somehow make a difference.

But this week...well it's been rough. The patient's have been louder and angrier, higher and drunker, more violent and intrusive than usual. And to top the whole mess off we are filled to the brim, to the point that the ER is a never ending wait list of Baker Acted patients.

But this one patient is worth sharing. This patient is manic - to the point that she cannot stop speaking for more than a brief second. She is nonsensical, illogical, angry and completely psychotic. She is carrying on about things being magically delicious and talking to people that are certainly not there. But...

Girl can sing. I mean really really sing. Like a pop star. And if you can get her to sing everything else stops and you see the person she could be, that she is somewhere down in there.

Sometimes my job sucks. Sometimes its fantastic. And sometimes God reminds me in the strangest setting that there is good in everybody, that beautiful comes in all different packages.

Sunday Randomness...

A) Attended the most amazing 3 year old birthday ever, as the photographer. Lauren totally outdid herself with help of Jenni @ FireFly Invitations and the party was nothing short of spectacular. A sneak peek:

B) I hate grasshoppers. Some people hate scary movies, or snakes, or sting rays or...the dark. I don't know lots of things. But I, who dislike frogs quite strongly, have found a new hatred/phobia. They were huge when we moved in and that freaked me out but today...today I saw millions (okay maybe only tens or hundreds) of baby grasshoppers swarming in three separate spots in my yard. So I bug sprayed them to the point that if the actual chemical did not kill them they might just drown. I shudder at the thought of them surviving. And just so you know, baby grasshoppers, they are black and red.

C) I screwed up my neck. I mean really badly. As in, it hurts to move. So that sucks. And makes the day of lawn work excruciating. Oh and I have a cold, that's always fun.

D) I started weight watchers this week. The whole point thing. And in just a few days I lost 3 lbs. It could be a fluke but whatever, small victories need rejoicing too!

E)Went out to take some pictures of Tori's team since so many of them were missing real pictures. Trying to get that many girls to be serious and looking the same direction was nearly impossible. But this, well this they did well.

F)It's Mastermind and Milkshake night at the Maddex house...and I'm the cook. And milkshake maker. So I gotta run! Have a great week all!

To Do List update:

I did....

- edit pictures
- pay bills
- attack Mt.Laundry
- get an oil change for the van
- mail out some packages
- bleach part of my shower
- deal with our health insurance company
- return library books
- take both kids to get haircuts and the DQ treats I bribed them with
- take team photos of toris team
- watch her softball game
- make dinner, sort of - hot dogs on the run but the kids ate

I also signed up for weight watchers online, cut some coupons, and read a couple chapters of a book.

I guess this weekend I will have to work on the rest of the items and CONQUER Mt.Laundry - darn pile is smaller but still there.

To Do

I have the day off (yay!) and a ridiculous list of things to do (boo!). So today I will...

- edit pictures
- pay bills
- make grocery list
- attack Mt.Laundry
- clean my house
- get an oil change for the van
- get fingerprinted (work thing)
- mail out some packages
- cut giant tree branches into smaller ones so the garbage will take it
- clean my fountain
- bleach part of my shower
- deal with our health insurance company
- return library books
- take both kids to get haircuts and the slurpees I bribed them with
- take team photos of toris team
- watch her softball game
- make dinner

Ready, Get Set, Go!

Viva La Musica

Tori was chosen to sing in the All County chorus. She was chosen as 1 of 2 students to represent her school from the chorus of 110 her school has. The pictures are iffy compliments of seats in the waaaaaaaaaaaaay back but...the concert was nice and we were definitely proud of her!!!

Play Ball!

Yesterday was CRAZY but I remembered my camera so yay for that. Tristan played his second game of the season yesterday - rough day batting but he was rocking the field - especially 3rd base!

Random thought but this bothered me - his team and the professional team are BLUE jays...but they wear black. Is that dumb to anyone else?

New Nephew!

For those of you have not yet heard this summer I will be up one more nephew! His name is Danil, and he is currently living in an orphanage in the Ukraine. Danil has an extra chromosome which has made finding his forever family a little difficult. But Todd's brother and his wife, Bryan and Laurie, have decided that a 4th little guy would be the perfect addition to their household.

Check out their amazing story, see how you can help AND how you could possibly win an Ipad2 by going to Adding to the Maddness right now!

Ball, Blades and Booms!

The last couple weeks have flown by in a frenzy of practices, games, patients, homework, cleaning and activities. So much so that this moment, this moment of silence prior to everyone else waking, this moment I revel in going to work late for once (at 7:30 instead of 6:45) is the only moment I have had to even sort of post an update! But here it is.

The last two weekends have been opening seasons for softball and baseball respectively. I LOVE watching my kids out there. It gets a bit redundant at times and it often feels like one thing too many on our calendar but its so fun to watch them come into their own out there. Tori is making HUGE strides. She is learning to play catcher and rocking it. She is tagging people out at home, stopping balls she could not have just a few short weeks ago and throwing like a dynamo!

Her first game:

I totally suck and forgot the camera for Tristan's game which actually happened a week later. At their level they change positions often but he got to play first, shortstop and second. He was thrilled with that! He is fun to watch because he has this natural athletic ability that my brother had but I certainly did not. And it's fun to observe him as an observer...not as his mom. It's like he forgets I am sitting there.

This absolutely gorgeous weather has pulled us all out of the house into its warmth. We decided it was as good a time as any to practice with Tori's new roller blades. Tristan has the hang of skating but...remember that natural athletic ability I mentioned moments ago? Well Tori, she does not have it. Child is a mess. But she got the softball thing with diligence and she'll get this but in the mean time...the drama. Oh the drama.

And speaking of drama, Todd decided he still had the ability to jump stairs...on skates. Like he did in high school. Over a decade ago. Just so you know...he does not have this ability.

No worries - nothing broke!!!