Tales of the Ordinary Days

Grant is the one in the suit...the coach, of course I played a little hooky this afternoon to watch the St. Wenceslaus 8th Grade vs. Teachers volleyball match. Grant was one of the coaches. My late breaking choice to attend proved to be a good one. Last night, Grant carefully planned his coaching wardrobe; choosing a suit with a tie in the team color of red. As he carefully laid out his coaching strategy to me on the way to school, I knew I needed to figure out a way to be there. And that I did. Just four years past, Benny Lane, filled the same coveted role as coach of the 8th graders. Ben had a drawn-on mustache and wore a pair of his older brother's head phones for effect. I missed watching the rivalry play that day. It didn't work into my schedule. Later, another mom sent me pictures of my coach-son and told me what a riot the match was, as was Ben's performance. Regret. My happenings of the day didn't seem as important anymore as I viewed the text photos o...

There are a lot of difficult topics swirling in my brain today. I will save the heavier thoughts for tomorrow. Today I choose light. And as far as the other topics, I choose right. Battle garb necessary? Absolutely. But for tonight, a Jays win and smiles with my crazy kids lead the Top Ten List. Sandy's Top Ten List: 1/28/14 10)  As I typed the title to this blog, I noticed that I used a 2013 date. <pause>. Hmmm...I was pretty sure I had done this before. When I went back to blog posts for this new year, eight out of nine 2014 posts had "2013" title dates. Oops. I have now corrected. Pretty typical of my haste in posting and later finding errors in my ways. Seldom are my oblivious oversights in proofreading pointed out to me. Thank-you to those who read for being kind and forgiving. I will try to be more conscientious of writing accuracy in future posts. To err is human and this imperfection; a perfect #10 for the day. 9)   Did I mention my new comfy jammi...

This blog has been sitting in my mind for some time. During my most thoughtful times (i.e. walking the dog and long bike rides), I have pondered this specific blog title and its intertwining relationships into my own personal life. This week I was reminded of this theme once again. Amid some mild oppression from a myriad of outside forces, I did what I typically do in these situations. I thought of the words of a dear friend. Life is beautiful. No better way to avoid the bad things in life than to focus on all things good. Wallowing in negativity is not my gig. So tonight I will transfer my recurring thoughts from mind to blog. Preparing for my blog post, I scoured my computer picture files with the goal of finding a recent picture of my boys. In my mind's eye, I pictured them smiling; enjoying life. There were many to choose from; football games, family trips, rough-housing in the backyard. Instead I kept coming back to the picture above. A forgotten picture of me....

I have often said that my favorite blog subject is Ben Lane. For the record, he likes this accolade. And he continues to live up to this expectation. Last Thursday night was no exception with a late call from Ben. "Mom, I have an official football visit at Hastings College this weekend. Can you take me?" <pause> "Sure. What are the details?" Within minutes I learned it was an all-day Saturday visit with an overnight and Sunday closing meeting. Of which, I had no e-mail or itinerary. Just Ben's verbal instruction. <pause. breathe. recite the Serenity Prayer> Saturday morning. Still no e-mail or official agenda for this overnight road trip. Ben assured me that he had been corresponding with the coach via meetings at school and texts. On a whim and a prayer, I decided to fly blind and follow Benny's instruction. A two hour and fifteen minute drive. A 1:30 check-in on just Ben's word. I breathe again. We began our venture to Hast...

The following is a guest post from my dear friend and fellow mom-of-three-boys, Patty Johnson... _______________________________________ Go JAYS! Go BRONCOS (Manning)! It was a great Sports DAY!!!  Blue Jays, 49ers and BRONCOS all won. I’m a happy person.  God gave us “Sports events” so we can release that emotion and passion within ourselves and experience FUN!  (For a few hours we “play”!)   I always think I’m rooting for the “Good guy”, when I root for MY teams.  My sons would say that I’m not a good sports fan because I’ve rooted for many teams.  I am a Chiefs fan (logistically makes sense since it is the closest NFL team to Nebraska- but mostly because of my husband and family loving them); I’m a Broncos fan (mainly because I am a Manning fan, which includes not only Peyton, but Eli) and Creighton fan (I know, not a football team, but worth mentioning since they played today) and have been for a long time since th...

A Broncos playoff win. A day of football. A sweet surprise. Sunday was intended to be a day full of errands and crossing things off Garrett's and my collective lists. A quick weekend in Denver was to entail some skiing and playing catch-up post-nuptials. As we sat drinking our beers at the airport on Friday night, Garrett received a random e-mail. Were we interested in Broncos tickets for the Sunday playoff game. YES!! Oh, and there was a parking pass too. Saturday we bagged skiing and instead opted for the list elimination route including the pick up of our coveted tickets. After a drive to Sports Authority Field, Garrett gathered the designated envelope from the will call window. We quickly read our seat assignments. Champion Club. The parking pass read VIP. Wow. They sure sounded important. Giddy with our discover, Garrett and I responded as any excited fans would. We bought Broncos stuff at the stadium gift shop. A stocking cap and zip sweatshirt for me. A bright ora...

My new view that goes along with my new travel routine People have been asking about our honeymoon. Where? When? My response has been that Garrett and I travel and adventure frequently, regardless of vows, so life is always a honeymoon for us. Behind closed doors I have been giving Garrett a hard time about this same subject. Ironically, the first two trips he has booked for this year don't include his new bride. Hmmmm.... I do enjoy some playful banter with my husband, and this subject matter ammunition is perfect fodder. Every time Garrett brings up his upcoming guys ski trip to Telluride, I follow up with "you mean your honeymoon with Mike?" He does laugh and shake his head. Since Garrett has been lacking an adequate response, I feel that I am winning this banter. At date night last Thursday, Garrett probed if I was just giving him a hard time or if this really bothered me. Although I hate to give up my ploy, I had to admit that I was having fun at his expens...

Morning drive for school drop-off I love dropping Grant off for school each morning. There were days in years past when we were always rushed on this morning drive. I considered this activity a "check the box" of starting our morning. Finding Grant a ride was merely a necessary accommodation. But not this year. I clear my calendar and enjoy the ride. Grant is an eighth grader. The big Kahuna. The last year for the legacy of Lane boys. We started at St. Wenceslaus the fall of 1998. This puts us into our 15th consecutive year at our grade school. That's a lot of years. Most parents in my position are burnt out by now. I have seen it many times over the years. As the parent of a young Zachary, I never understood the mothers of 8th grade trail-enders; praying for the day of 8th grade graduation to arrive. Coincidentally, the mothers of the boys were even more enthusiastic. I would observe from afar, wondering if this day of wanting grade school to be over would come...

Although I write about ordinary days, I am beginning to think there is no such thing. And I mean that in a good way. The way it should be; a life full of the extraordinary. Since it really is what you make of it, the definition of extraordinary lies with each individual. Today was busy. The kids, finally back to school. A trip to Mexico, booked. A connection with an old friend, refreshed. And two work meetings were cancelled, leaving a day open for new opportunities. Tomorrow my husband flies back into town. Strange to refer to Garrett as my husband, but at the same time, those words feel very comfortable. Tonight has been full of simple pleasures. After catching up with old work friends, I reflected on the conversations of the day with new work friends. Relationships built and relationships maintained. Steady and true. Grant took it upon himself to run (literally) over to Lifetime to meet buddies. Knowing that my kids stay active and can entertain themselves, outside of elect...

Garrett thinks it's funny that I close my eyes when I kiss him. I never thought this was odd. But then again, with eyes closed, how would one know the normal technique? Now that we're married, I will try it his way. Eyes wide opened in married life. Yep, we are married. Tied the knot. Husband and wife. The ceremony has been performed and the cake eaten. Guests were warmly welcomed and the reception hall filled with wedding cheer until close. Garrett and I found ourselves home at the end of the night, reflecting as a married couple. Our marriage ceremony and celebration really were heartfelt and beautiful. We couldn't have asked for more. That being said, it really has been a whirlwind the last fifteen days as I quickly planned a wedding. The goal was family, friends, and simplicity. Mission accomplished. It all started with a surprise engagement ring from Garrett in early December. We discussed getting married in a quiet ceremony on the Vail mountains sometime afte...

The Twelfth Day of Christmas  Today I was thinking about the common grade school homework assignment; writing a story on what you did over Christmas break. Since it's been ages since anyone asked me this question and it sounded intriguing, here goes... My Twelve Days of Christmas by Sandy Lane 1st Day of Christmas - Celebrated an early Christmas with the boys. No wrapped gifts, just a shopping mall and Barnes and Noble with money in hand. We ended the night at Outback for dinner and then caught the movie, The Hobbit. Note for next year: avoid shopping malls the weekend before Christmas. Second note: my kids are fun, no matter what we do. 2nd Day of Christmas - Creighton vs. California for a Sunday afternoon game at the Century Link. Kori joins us as we celebrate Robbie's birthday. The night didn't end after the Creighton win. Happy Birthday, Robbie! 3rd Day of Christmas - Last day of work in Omaha before the holiday, ending with Christmas cheer. I m...

The boys after surviving our Christmas Eve road trip This story serves as a follow-up "bad parenting story" from my last blog post. Since the kids in my previous story were not my own, I thought I better come clean on my own parenting prowess. When the boys were young, we would spend time over our Christmas breaks skiing in Colorado. The days of our stay would vary, dependent on family schedules. On this particular year, we chose to ski the week before Christmas. The plan was to drive home on Christmas Eve. This would get us home for the Lane extended family gathering on Christmas Day. Our ski trips would many times involve other families. Russ and Robbie were with us on this trip. Following a great week of skiing, we packed up Christmas Eve morning. We set off on our road trip with happy thoughts of landing in the warmth of our homes by late afternoon. Plenty of time to enjoy this special night and prepare for our Nebraska Christmas. As is typical with the mountain...