I day like no other...

That would be Thursday every week - the day of the week with so many places to be all while Rex is at meetings at church.

Here is the agenda today:

4:30 Erin Ballet

5:00 Jacob Birthday Party

5:30 Michael Play Practice

Brooke Soccer game

Pick up Erin from Dance

6:30 Pick up Brooke from soccer

7:00 Erin Activity Day

8:00 Pick up Jacob from party

Pick up Erin from ADG

8:30 Michael done with play practice

So basically there isn't time to go home, so I'll be spending the next four hours in the car. I wouldn't change it EVER because that would mean I didn't have four wonderful kids!

Turn and Shoot

So Brooke may turn out to be the most athletic child in our family. Anything sports she LOOOVES! We had a White Elephant party at Christmas and I opened a deflated football from Uncle Patrick. Pretty soon it was inflated and Brooke was playing catch with Uncle Patrick in the family room. She couldn't get enough of it.

Well now that Brooke is six, she is old enough to play basketball through the Rec. Center. She had two practices last week and her first game was on Saturday. At this age the girls need to be "coached" about the most simple things, like which way to run and several reminders about dribbling and not just running around with the ball. The other team had one girl that could really shoot and she seemed to have the ball most of the time and most of the time when she shot the ball she made it. Brooke was one of the point guards and would take the ball down the court. We were impressed that she was sharing the ball and passing to her team mates (she doesn't like to pass when we play as a family).

During the last quarter we still hadn't made a basket and you could tell the girls were discouraged. We were on our end of the court and something was called on the other team. Like I said the girls can get confused and before we knew it both teams had run to the other end of the court. Brooke's teammate threw her the ball and then took off to the other end. A light when on in Brooke's little mind. She looked at the stands where everyone was yelling, "Shoot, Shooot, Shooooooot!!!" She smiled and turned to the basket and shot the ball. AND SHE MADE IT! I really wish that I would have got it on video. It was so perfect!

At one point during the game Brooke came over to tell us that they hadn't scored yet. Rex started to quiz her, "Does your coach want you to pass the ball when you get down to your side?" Then he gave her just a bit of fatherly advice: I think you should bring the ball down and just go straight to the basket and shoot it.

Later that day we saw Brooke's coach (she's good friend and a member of the church) and she let us know that when she was talking to girls during a halftime she encouraged them to find someone who is open and pass to them. Brooke said, "My dad says that I don't need to pass that I should just shoot the ball." Neither of us knew quite what to say, but we did learn that no secret is safe with Brooke.

Forty Fabulous Memories from my Fortieth Birthday

1. I rolled over in bed and realized that Brooke's stomach must be feeling better and despite waking me up several times during the night to ask for a drink, she hadn't thrown up again.

2. Breakfast in bed: Carnitas breakfast burrito from Santiagos and a yogurt parfait.

3. Erin telling dad that he couldn't give me just fruit for breakfast. They had to make me a yogurt parfait - yogurt, fruit and granola.

4. Feeling stuffed after the burrito and offering the parfait to Erin. She happily at the whole thing.

5. A handwritten birthday greeting from Erin.

6. A phone call in between classes from Jacob to wish me a Happy Birthday.

7. A card from Rex telling me to put my feet up, today was my day.

8. Being chauffeured to my 9:00 a.m. massage.

9. A nice 75 minute massage with only a few uncomfortable moments when I should have said the pressure is a little much. The masseuse found some really tender spots on my scalp - OUCH!

10. Brooke and Rex greeting me in the waiting area to take me to my next appointment.

11. Crocodile tears from Brooke that she couldn't go to school because she was afraid the lunch ladies would make her eat ALL her lunch and what if her tummy didn't feel like it.

12. Consoling Brooke in the back seat while we were chauffeured to my next appointment.

13. Brooke spilling the beans: you're getting your nails painted AND your toes!

14. A manicure with paraffin hand dip

15. Dark purple nail polish.

16. A pedicure downstairs at Rumors - wow, their basement it nice.

17. A nice, relaxed conversation with the gal doing my pedicure.

18. Being asked by the nice girl what my secret is to nearly 19 years of marriage.

19. Wearing funky, cheap flip-flops outside when there is still snow on the ground. A man can't think of EVERYTHING.

20. A sonic diet coke with fresh lime.

21. Walking into a clean house with the carpets freshly vacuumed.

22. Four cell phone messages - two friends actually singing to me!!

23. Lunch out with my hubby at The Olive Garden.

24. Chicken Gnocchi Spinach soup

25. Shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond for new pillows and threatening to buy his and hers comforters. I have been recently accused of stealing the comforter.

26. Brooke's first basketball practice.

27. Brooke begging to eat at Qdoba instead of Mimi's

28. Kids fighting in the car which caused me to change my dinner request from Mimi's to Chili's (it's closer).

20. Dinner at Chili's where soooooo many things went right over my head!

30. Entering my house and KNOWING that someone had been there.

31. Candles flickering in the darkness.

32. Wonderful friends snuck in my house to surprise me!

33. Having "Happy Birthday" sung to me - hasn't happened in a long while

34. Costco Cake and ice cream!

35. Wii "Just Dance" - I have pictures to prove that so many people danced for me including Bishop Ackerman.

36. Presents along with two cards that were exactly the same.

37. One present: vintage Diet Coke

38. A present from Brooke that she wrapped herself: a half-eaten box of Tic Tacs

39. Brooke's last words as I tucked her in, "Mom, I think you had the best birthday for a grown-up." I think so, too!

40. Climbing into my Sleep Number Bed a 40 year old woman who is blessed beyond measure.