Tales of the Ordinary Days

Garrett, Ben and I assembling the dorm room Yesterday was moving day to UNL for Big Bad Ben. It was a good day. No tears. No angst. Just time for change and a rite of passage. Good for Ben and good for Mom. Earlier in the week, I worried of the pending fire drill that seemed imminent. As is typical for my middle child, little planning or packing had occurred in advance. Although Ben assured me he had it handled, I projected chaos on our scheduled 4:00 p.m. Friday move into Harper Hall. My organized self decided to follow Ben's blind lead and kick in Plan B, if necessary; make sure he took clean underwear and his backpack and then make a second trip to Lincoln later with all the things he forgot. I'm officially thankful for the short 40 mile commute. But Ben surprised me. With his dad's lead on Thursday night, he cleaned out his room and packed Home #1 for school. Based on Ben's hoarding ways, this was an unbelievable achievement to complete in just a night. Pick...

The boys' idea of dessert...video games I love family dinners. Tonight was no exception. The flurry of voices with sharing of our day over warm buns and steak was the perfect cap on a fall day. Too often our sit-down dinners are the first to go as I carefully maneuver through the squeeze play of daily life. Nights like tonight remind me of the importance of this family time. We went about our day in business-like-usual mode. Grant was dropped off first. With a warm cup of coffee in hand, I went through the family schedule and reminded him of steak night. The thought of this family dinner perked him up. Enthusiastic questions on sides and other participants quickly followed. Ben was next reminded of the same schedule and meal plan as he skedaddled out the door to start his school day. With Garrett in route from Denver, a family dinner was sealed. No unexpected delays or curve balls late in my day were going to sidetrack the marinating steaks awaiting me in the frig. With n...

me and my pals We had all kinds of aspirations for our fall Saturday. With Grant done with football and a Husker away game, the day was ours. Initially I thought we would go to the Pumpkin Patch. A movie with Zach? Walk around Village Pointe. Yes! We would to do it all. And then there was a neighborhood party at 7:00. This is my downfall. And Grant is right by my side. We never want to miss a fun time. In turn we tend to overbook our free days. I will give credit to my furry friends for giving me strength to say "No" this go around. With no morning interruption of an alarm clock, Cookie and I slept in. I put on my favorite slippers, made my Keurig coffee, and snuggled into my favorite chair; leopard to match my slippers. Bliss. I wrote a blog and enjoyed the quiet of the morning. And then the rest of the house woke up. Ben was sore from his game the night before; wondering what was in store for breakfast. Grant, my forever planner, was concerned on our timeline for ...

Ben is #9 We had a very exciting Thursday night as Skutt fans and parents. Our boys played hard and with heart for a decisive win against Seward. The exhilaration of playing on TV as the featured game of the week added to their fury. I love these boys. Six of the senior players are St. Wenceslaus classmates, together since kindergarten. I have watched them grow up. And now we are on our last hurrah. Watching our senior boys finish their high school years is bitter sweet. But nights like these we'll carry in our hearts for a long, long time. _______________________________________________________________________ (article from Omaha World Herald story and clip below from TV coverage) At halftime, Seward's total yardage was minus-20 as it trailed 31-0 after a 28-point second quarter. "They didn't let us breathe for one second," new Seward coach Jamie Opfer said. Ben Lane stuck Seward quarterback Keith Wolverton for losses on his first two carries to s...

Ben displaying what is left of our brick mailbox Our mailbox bit the dust tonight. And that was no small feat. It was tall and made of brick. Ben's friend, Addy, was the unfortunate offender. Her parents will be happy to know that the truck they bought her is a safe haven for their young driver. Addy and her pick-up truck departed my driveway unscathed. My mailbox wasn't as lucky. It was garbage day, so I was hoping for the best (crushed garage cans and recycle bins) as I sat on my bed and heard the bedlam through my opened windows. Not so lucky. My brick fortress of a mailbox was leveled like a house of cards. Addy cried as I heard Ben tell her, "My mom doesn't care. She's really nice." With reassurance, Addy went on her way and the boys did the heavy lifting; one brick at a time. "Mom, are you mad?" Ben asked after his tearful female friend departed. I really wasn't. I was grateful the victim was a bunch of bricks and not my step-do...