Tales of the Ordinary Days

I needed to choose a picture for this blog and I could think of none better than this one. My husband is my ultimate accountability partner in character and reputation. (and holding my hand on a hard hike is just frosting on the cake!) This blog topic has been on my mind for some time. I have wanted to write about it, but left it 'parked' for later. My thought was that the subject matter revolved only on a recent work experience with a story told of days past. Instead, I have found this attribute of personal goodwill to come up in daily conversation with my kids and friends as well. Reputational value revolves around the person; regardless of whether it's displayed at work, at home, or at play. It's a value we should hold close to our chest and one we look for in those who surround us. I tend to struggle with this one as it relates to my first blush impression of others. In my quest to not judge and to give the benefit of the doubt, I lean on the side of looki...

2009 ~ 2015 Tonight I enjoyed watching my 15 year-old-play some high school football. It was rainy and a Monday night closing out a long holiday weekend. A lot of reasons for preferring the comforts of home. But that thought never crossed my mind. The Lane boys love their football. And their mom enjoys cheering them on. Tonight was no different from when my years of football began in 2000 with Zach as a pee-wee Steeler. Following a win at Skyhawk Stadium tonight, I waited for Grant to come off the field. As my mind floated with plans for dinner and retrieving dry clothes, Grant's went down the path of which friend was 'having people over'. No school for Skutt tomorrow. But always the gentleman and likely trying to schmooze his mom into releasing him to the wilds of his friends, he grabbed me and asked one of his female friends to snap a picture. The picture to the right was the result. As he put his black glove on my shoulder, I was quickly reminded of his size....

We were able to sneak away for a drink and apps on our anniversary I love a good picture and a good story. And a good margarita doesn't hurt either. Today my husband flew back to Denver. By my calculations, we spent close to a month straight by each other's side. That is a first in our history of 63 months of togetherness. And then there is our other record. Our record of never missing a day of communicating since our first call. This has yet to be broken. By my quick calculation, we are on day number 1925 of that streak. In my estimation, this daily communication doesn't give us bragging rights. That is pretty easy to accomplish in today's world; even with the 550 mile distance that stood between us most days during years 1 - 4. We like communicating and sharing life. A plus for a couple that I don't take for granted. But 30 days of togetherness. That was a happy feat. Planes, work and kids' schedules dominate our lives. Although we are much more...

Who says my house is quiet??? I ran into a friend and fellow Skutt mom at parent-teachers conferences about a month back. Her question to me centered around the perceived quietness in my life. "You haven't been blogging lately. I bet life is quiet without Ben around." I went on to answer with positivism on Grant and my new routine. Yes, it was more quiet. And, yes, we did miss Ben a little bit. But quiet was good with blog subjects less abound with my purported favorite subject out of the house. Life has continued at a hectic, but predictable pace. It actually took some time for Grant and I to get used to two days a week with just the two of us. With a husband in Denver on Mondays and Tuesdays, I hadn't a clue what these days would feel like less Ben. Three kids to two was a much easier transition than two to one. Our new two-person existence actually felt awkward for a while. Neither Grant nor I knew what it felt like less his older brothers. A feeling ne...

So my intent was to post this blog last Tuesday. And then I had second thoughts. The picture Grant took of me to accompany my story later struck me as provocative. It seemed innocent enough when I ran into the house soaking wet. My request of my 14 year-old was to follow me out into the cold to take the photo of note. "Grant, I have a blog story on my mind. Come out and take a quick picture for me!" All this with a towel around me, fleece hat on head, and swimsuit on body. Grant didn't blink an eye. Either a good or bad testament to his mother's parenting prowess. But the swimsuit was the ultimate problem. Where no straps work best in hot tubs, the lack-thereof give the appearance of swimsuit non-existence. Fast forward five days and my blog still sat in draft. The picture was on my mind. So tonight I asked my friend, Robbie, for validation. I pulled up the hot tub picture on my phone and simply asked "what do you think?" Her instant respons...

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." ~ John Lennon I love this quote. I referred to it often, back in the days of divorce and family life changes for the Lane's. I had plans; one month, one year, five years. And then life happened. My great plans were out the window. I am a forever planner. Although I can take a mean curve ball here and there, the steady flow of following the Outlook calendar is a necessary balance in my structured mind. Today was no exception. With a look ahead for the week, food packed to get me through a busy day, and a myriad of to-do's anxiously awaiting a highlighter by the close of the night; I made my way to the office. The schedule was tight, but achievable. Ben and Grant were communicated their supportive roles as well. And then my phone rang. "This is St. Wenceslaus. We have Grant in the nurse's office. He is sick with a fever and headache. We need you to come and pick him ...

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...

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...

I have been asked how Grant came out on his student council election. With all the hoopla of football, I have been negligent in this follow up blog. I sadly have to report that Grant did not get elected. But hold your tears, we have all survived quite well. And there were even some life lessons learned along the way. I knew Grant was to hear about the results on the Thursday post-election. My plan was to call him after school. Instead I learned of the bad news as I read the school newsletter that afternoon. As I perused the school news for the week, I saw a section congratulating the newly elected student council members. With excitement, I scanned for his anticipated name. No Grant. And then I scanned again. Nope. I initially had a lump in my throat and then I noticed a peculiarity. Of the seven elected officials, six were girls. This struck me as suspect as I knew at least five of Grant's buddies ran. They didn't make the list either. My bullshit meter was running hi...

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...

Our babysitter extraordinaire, Lisa Fey, with Benny and Zach Grant has a weakness. He just can't let things go. I get on him to make hard decisions as we clean his room and go through accumulated stacks of paper. Me: "Grant, we can give this toy to Goodwill. You haven't played with it in years." Grant: "But it was a gift from Grandma, Mom. We can't give it away." Me: "Grant, there is no reason to hold on to that birthday card from two years ago." Grant: "But, Mom, Aunt Joan wrote me a note in it. We can't throw it away." You get the picture. Cleaning out a closet or a drawer with Grant is a painful process. I pride myself on tidy spaces and a less is more philosophy, so I tend to cringe on Grant's hoarding tendencies. In Grant's defense, it really is the "stuff" with his perceived sentimental value that he wants to hold on to. Unfortunately, with our large circle of friends and family, most of his...

Even Cookie is helping Last night was a late night fire drill at my house. A Vote-for-Grant, poster-making, last-minute project surprised me at bedtime. As I was on a video call with Garrett at 11:00 p.m., I erroneously assumed Grant was asleep in bed. His bedtime is 10:30. My assumption was incorrect. Mid-sentence, Grant blasted into my room in a complete panic. It was as though the house was on fire. “Mom, I need to make two posters for the Student Council election tomorrow!” After taking all the proper mother steps of quizzing him on why he hadn’t thought of this before and vowing that he was on his own, I conceded to help him out. My rationale was that the child needed to go to bed. In reality, it sounded like fun. To my surprise, Grant actually had a vision and a plan. I was simply his support staff. I offered suggestions on the poster board choice and Sharpie color. Past that, Grant communicated the message and design. As he scoured the art room for s...

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 ...

Watching a Husker win with my furry friends I really like my seats at Memorial Stadium. We sit on the east side between the band and team parents. About sixteen seats up, the boys like the great view to the field. Although I enjoy this as well, I also like to watch the players on the sideline and all the hoopla that happens near the field. Late in the week we chose to sell our tickets and watch from home. Between Grant's morning football game and Ben's homecoming, it felt like a good decision. But there is always some reservation about missing out in the live venue of Memorial Stadium. Watching Kenny Bell's one-handed catch was an after-the-fact reminder of this. But all is good. No regrets. Based on the picture above, you can conclude that the comforts of my home were enjoyed by all. Kenny Bell looked just as good on my big screen. And nap time between the great plays was divine. My furry friends were happy and the Husker win; just as good. We started our day wit...

Grant attended his first school dance last night. Per his estimation, there were 600 kids at this multi-school dance for 8th graders. Based on the traffic and volume of kids swarming in at drop off, I wouldn't doubt it. Two hours later, I picked him up and I did what any good mother would do. I interrogated him. I was very curious how this "dance" played out since the 8th grade graduation dances I have observed in the past did not mirror my school dances growing up. Kids either jumped up and down in packs or kids just plain didn't dance. Girls appeared to be trying out their many learned moves from dance classes, separated from the boys. Me: "Did you dance?" G: "Yea. Mom, it was a dance." Grant was obviously confused at my question. <duh!>. I was as equally confused with his answer. <really?> Me: "Did you dance with girls?" Now he was downright annoyed. G: "Who else would I dance with?" Me: <sil...

Morning plant care I love a routine. There, I said it. As much as I like to blog about my many adventures, meeting new people, and going to interesting places; home always feels good. Back in the saddle of a daily routine is a welcomed pleasure. I have enjoyed three days of taking Grant to school. Without fail I have my ceramic cup filled with hot coffee in hand. The conversation varies, but the route stays the same. My mornings start with either my 5:30 run with friends or a later bike ride, dependent on the day. The perimeter of the house is perused upon my arrival home with plants watered as I tend to the blossoms on the foliage. My Outlook calendar is my savior. On perfect "routine days", there are work meetings and lunches sprinkled in with plenty of time left in between for typing a daily blog, attending an occasional daily mass at Boys Town, and keeping up with e-mails and favorite reading. Last night was Curriculum Night at St. Wenceslaus. Grant is an 8th Gr...

Last week I was flying high and feeling cool. Like a superhero taking on the world, I soared to new heights while increasing the depth of my extraordinary to-do list. And then I went home. To my teenagers, I am so incredibly uncool. Like a cold bucket of reality, my uncoolness was dumped on my head. If you have ever watched the movie, The Incrediables, my role is Elastigirl...the mom. Superhero (or so she thinks) by day and humble (or humbled) mom by night. Me: "I closed on a big deal today!" Teen: "Cool. What's for dinner? Did you really wear that all day? You're a little old for that." Hmmm. Attempt to be cooler.... Me: "I met some really important people today. You'd find them interesting!" Teen: "Oh. Like business people? Or people who are actually interesting?" Done. On to dinner and talk about the cool people they hang with and the interesting things they did all day. Grant is typically my wing-man. The youn...

Grant and camp cabin mates Grant's week-long camp has been deemed a success. Stefano picked him up from Rivercrest Camp in Fremont yesterday afternoon. Although I have yet to lay eyes on my young camper, I was able to talk to him on he and Stefano's drive home. My first question..."On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rank your camp experience?" Grant "A nine! Actually a ten. It was awesome. I'm going back next year!" Although I think there are some parental steps that need to occur before next year's registration, I like the enthusiasm. My second question..."What was the best part?" Grant "Everything. It was so much fun. Can I go back again next year?" After some more coaxing, I did get some specifics. The food was good. They didn't sleep much and he did get my letters. But he needs to go to the orthodontist because he broke a brace when a tree branch hit him in the face while running in the dark. Hmmm. Of c...

Brendon and Grant outside their cabin home for the week "Are you ready for the good times? Are you ready for the birds and bees, the apple trees, and a whole lot of fooling around..." It's Meatballs time. Summer camp has begun. Grant is the first of the Lane boys to attend sleep-over-all-week summer camp. Personally, I'm jealous. Laurie and I drove the boys to Rivercrest Camp in Fremont today. Brendon went last year and enthusiastically convinced Grant into join him this year. They have been talking about it for days with great anticipation. What I have gathered is that camp includes little sleep and lots of fun. There is a pool, a river, paint ball guns, air boats, a snack shack, cafeteria style food and activities galore. And although in different cabins, there are girls. Hmmmm. Last year Brendon was introduced to coffee and per his mother, slept for two days straight after returning home. Bags were packed and included stamps and envelopes for letters ho...