20 days left....But who's counting??

Every year, I have a love/hate relationship with May.

Things I love:
I love the weather--who doesn't want to be outside when it is nice and the sun is shinning? For the last few weeks, it has been pretty raining so the sun is a nice addition to the forecast. I love being able to play with my kids after school--when volleyball and speech are going on, I never have the time. But in the spring, I have NO after school activities and love walking out the door at 3:45.

I love running outside in May. It is so hard to find the motivation to run with its cold and windy. But in the spring, I love to run and have things to look at and keep me distracted from the run.

Things I Hate:
I hate how every drop of motivation and ability to concentrate has disappeared from my students. Giving students work time to write their speeches is pretty much a waste of time. Right now as we are SUPPOSE TO BE preparing to giving persuasive debates, my students are talking about anything besides their topics. I have tried to get them back on task multiple times, but have failed. Why have I failed? Because my motivation has disappeared a little, too. On a nice Friday afternoon, there are so many other things I would rather be doing than disciplining a bunch of 17 year olds. I know I will be disappointed with their debates on Monday, but right now, I'm thinking about the cold, refreshing drinks waiting for me after school. 3:45 can't come fast enough.

So May, even though I love you for so many reasons, I cannot stand being in school during you. Please Make May 27th get here fast!

Summer Project 2011

Well everyone, we've done it. We've been debating on when to replace the windows in our house for the last 3 years and today, we bought them. We have to do it now.

Last year, we decided our windows needed to be replaced and they couldn't wait any longer. They are very worn-out looking on the outside and not the best at keeping the cold out in the winter. We called 3 different companies to come out and give us quotes for replacing the windows. We knew it wouldn't be pretty, but when they sent quotes of 18,0000-21,000 dollars our way, we decided it might have to wait a few years. :)

This spring, we somehow got the idea that we didn't need to pay someone else to put them in. We are smart, young, and totally capable of putting in new windows in our house. (We will see if we still believe this in a few weeks.)

Yesterday, we decided to head to Menards to order our new windows. Chris took some measurements of our windows (after watching a few how-to videos on you tube, of course) and we were on our way feeling ready to tackle this new project.

We begin this adventure wandering around the Windows section of Menards for an hour before we find someone to help us. During that hour, Chris and I have had multiple fights because we realize neither of us know what we are doing. Right before I am ready to head out the door, we meet Rick. Rick is a very knowledgeable member of the millwork team at Menards--he may be a lifesaver before this is all over. He explains to Chris how to properly measure the windows, builds our confidence up a bit and we head home.

Demolition time! Chris starts pulling off all of the trim around our windows and our house now looks like a construction zone. After two more trips and around 41/2 hours spent in Menards, we finally got the correct measurements for our windows and ordered them along with a new patio door.

As this project progresses, I will update you with all of the successes and the failures with this project. Even though I am not looking forward to the headaches, fights, and messes, I am looking for to the finished product: a beautiful looking house. Do we know what we are doing? No. Will we end up with huge holes in our house? Maybe. Only time will tell. :)

What a Great Surprise: Dustin is Home

As many of you know, Chris's brother, Dustin, has been serving overseas for the last 5-6 months. He arrived home last night for his 2 week leave and we surprised the girls! Lexi wondered why we weren't going to church and why we had to change Brenna's shirt after supper, but she definitely didn't put it together. When the doorbell rang, Lexi looked out the window and only saw Grandma and Grandpa. But her face when she opened the door was priceless!

We spent about an hour talking while the girls made sure Dustin saw all of their Christmas toys and the new things they could do. What a great feeling to have the family back together--even if it's for a short time.

Fiddler on the Roof

I wrote this quite a while ago---but never put it on my blog!

Last Thursday, I took Mom to a production of "Fiddler on the Roof" in Ames. I had bought these tickets for her back in August for her birthday, so it was fun to celebrate her birthday almost 6 months after the fact. We started out the night at Hickory Park--a must stop when we are in Ames. Mom and I must have thought we were very hungry for we both ordered the Sampler dinner. Don't be fooled---there is no "sampling" in this meal. We were brought a salad, a huge order of pork and beef ribs, 2 pieces of chicken, and some fries. We both were almost in tears after laughing at our 'impulse' buys. We ate very little and took the rest home for the boys.

We then realized that we had almost 2 hours before the play started so we headed over to Borders for some quick browsing. Let me rephrase that: We don't browse in a bookstore; we grab whatever we can! I brought home some "Frog and Toad" books for the girls (my personal favorites from when I was a child) and "Walt Disney World with Kids: 2011" (cannot wait for the planning to officially start). As I walked around the store, I realized that my mom gave me my love for reading and I may not be where I am today if she hadn't.

After that, we headed for the theatre. I bought tickets for this show because I remembered Mom telling me that this was my grandpa's favorite musical. I could see that love beaming out of her right as the opening music began. Her face lit up and I knew this was going to be a great evening. We laughed and cried, but enjoyed every minute of it.

Besides having such an emotional meaning for my mom, the play also touched me on so many levels. First off, I loved every song and continued to sing "Tradition" and "If I was a Rich Man" well into the first of the week. I also felt like Tevye reminded me so much of my dad, Papa Kenny. He was harsh and crude on the outside, but a gentle soul once you got to know him. He may not have agreed with all of his daughters' decisions, but in the end, he loved each one of them regardless of if they followed "tradition."

"You Look Like a Mom"

Most people hate Mondays. But for me, Mondays are one of my favorite times. Not getting up or going to school--I dislike those as much as anyone. My favorite part happens after the school day has ended. Now that speech has ended, I get 2 hours to be child-less. I head off to the Y for a great work-out (2 miles this Monday!) and off to Fareway for some groceries. Now, to some people, grocery shopping is just another mindless chore that must be done to keep a household running. But for me, it is a way for my need to plan to be fulfilled. I love to decide what we are having for a week and go to the store on a mission: knowing exactly what I'm there to buy. I get satisfaction from crossing off a menu item from my list, knowing that my plan worked.

But to back up in the story a little, I distinctly remember the feeling I had while running at the Y. I felt free without the kids and the thought crossed my mind that I might even look like a young, single woman. Now Chris, don't worry, I wasn't trying to pick up guys at the Y. But I think every married mom wonders if people can tell that they are married or that they are a mom. Well, at least, I do. I don't ever get sick of the look of surprise people give me when they hear that I have not only two kids, but a six year old. So as I was leaving the Y in my workout clothes and black Nike headband, I felt that I definitely didn't fit the "mom" look at that moment.

I guess I was wrong. I was somewhere between the pasta aisle and the detergent aisle when a man approached me. He seemed troubled and very out of place. He looks at me for a second before saying, "You look like a mom to me. Tell me, what band-aid sticks the best?"

Before I answered his question, I took a minute to think about this. What made me look like a mom at that moment? I've already describe to you what I was wearing, so I quickly ruled out my wardrobe. I checked my cart for pull-ups or fruit snacks that would have been dead giveaways for my mom status. The only thing that was out of place with the health foods and Chris's pop was Captain Crunch Crunch Berries, but let's face it, Chris and I eat those more than the girls do.

So, what gave away my "Momness"? What told that guy that "hey, that 24 year old looks motherly"? I'm still debating this question. I feel that I've struggled for the last six years with being the youngest mom at all the school meetings, being called Lexi's 'sister' while trick-or-treating, and always getting the "she's too young for those to be her kids" looks. But this experience definitely made up for some of those. Today, I was called mom by a total stranger...and it was strangely pleasant. I handed him a box of band-aids (Mom approved) and continued on my way.

All-State Speech!

I do plan on making this blog mostly about my family and our experiences. But, just this once, I want to 'brag' about my students and their accomplishments. As most of you know, I am the competitive speech coach at ADM. Over the last few months, we been attending competitions landing us at all-state last Saturday.

For those non-speech people, all-state is like going to state in any sport--but it's suppose to be a festival, not a competition. But, of course, they offer a critic's choice award for the 1 group in each category that catches the judge's eye. That, in itself, turns the festival into a competition. ADM was competing against schools like WDM Valley and Spencer, who practically have teams larger than our school. The odds were not in our favor.





But, on Saturday, David overtook Goliath. Our small 8 person team took home the critic's choice award. Our script about school bullying moved not only myself, but the judge to tears. It was the strongest performance I have every seen from them and I'm still not quite sure what provoked the change. Was it the all-state atmosphere? Was it the article about gay teen suicide I had them read before performing? Was it enticing them with Hickory Park? Who knows. What I do know is that my students put their hearts into that piece and helped bring home the award.

As I'm still coming down off of cloud 9, I find myself replaying the moment they said "ADM-Adel" in Stephens Auditorium and running past heart-broken teams to claim my award. But right after being handed the award, it dawns on me: Can I ever top this moment? Will I be able to get my group here next year?

In the end, I've realized that it was great experience for my students and myself. I am a proud coach of these kids and the season we had.

After we won the award, one of my students approached me with this question: "Mrs. Seidl, compared to the birth of your children, where does this rank?"

Pretty damn close.

Brenna enters the Terrible 3s (early)!

This week, we have seen a huge transformation in 21/2 year old Brenna. Everyone who knows Brenna would say that she is the most easy going child. NOT ANYMORE! We were spoiled with a child that slept in her own bed every night and laughed instead of throwing tantrums. Now, as she struggles with her independence, it is safe to say that the rest of the family is struggling to deal with it. Chris especially-- he told me that he doesn't remember Lexi going through this stage and he's glad he doesn't.
"Too much Drama!" Chris exclaims this at least once a night. Please let this phase pass before golf season arrives or I may lose my husband for the summer.
If Bren gets told no, she cries and throws herself on the ground. If Bren gets told later, she cries until later arrives. If Bren gets told yes, she cries because she now wants something else. Bren, if you happen to read this someday, know that we are patiently (as patient as we can be) counting down the days until this phase passes!