My Name is Mommy

Swim Team

We've been so caught up in Chorus and Gymnastics lately that swim team seems like forever ago.  I was going through some video that I uploaded to Vimeo and found one of Vi just killing it at a meet in 50 Fly. It was actually an OFF day for her but she still did well in her age group.  She is in lane 4 which is the third lane away from the camera.

Vi- 50 Fly, 11-12 Girls from Amy Yasuda on Vimeo.

Vi has a really nice butterfly kick which has served her well on her take-offs and turns in both Free and Fly.  I'm a little jealous- fly has never been my stroke.

Vi is auditioning for chorus on January 5th.  We're still not sure if she wants to go with chorus or with the Youth Conservatory through ACT.  For me it is simply a matter of: do I want to drive an hour each way to SF? or Do I want to drive an hour each way to Berkeley?  I figure since Ave is already doign SF Girls Chorus, having Vi do it also makes sense.  She's come an amazingly long way for someone who didn't think she could sing a year and a half ago.  Audrey Howitt is an amazing voice teacher and she has managed to pull the absolute best out of Viola.  She is also a recommended voice instructor for the Girls Chorus.  If you want to learn how to sing or have a child that does, I can only give her my highest recommendation.  She has made a major difference in Vi's life.

Anyhow, watching these videos makes me look forward to the spring again and spending our Saturdays at meets.  I'm not sure how Avery is going to strike a balance with gymnastics and swim team but I'm thinking the gymnastics sure aren't going to hurt her swimming, especially with how strong she's gotten in her upper body.

Time for a shower.  I spent the afternoon resealing the roof with liquid asphalt crap that doesn't seem to want to come off of anything.  Fun stuff.  No, really.  :)

Marvin K. Mooney

The time has come, the time is now...

So, Viola stumbled across my blog finally.  The kids have now become internet savvy enough to search and find My Name Is Mommy so looks like I'll be taking down my shingle, so to speak.  I haven't been regularly and faithfully blogging for quite a while now.  Between Facebook and digital photo books and all the other media out there, I've been recording the ebb and tide of life in many places.

While much of this blog is drivel about my daily life and really not all that interesting, I did blog through some very difficult changes in my life.  I hope someday that my girls can read it all and find out all the wonderful, sweet, silly and amazing things I witnessed during the years of their childhood.  I hope they will also some day read things about me and understand me better as a person and at least have something to take to their respective psychiatrists to explain why they need therapy. :)  They are still too young, however, to appreciate or understand much of the content and so...

Sorry to say, the Duggar Debate will have to continue elsewhere- though I appreciate the fact that lively comments continue to come in, even 7 years after my original post.

I will continue to blog but must do it behind closed doors.  My dear blog friends out there(you know who you are!)- please e-mail me for access if you'd like to continue to get the sporadic updates here.  I will leave this here for a few days and will then be turning the lock for good.

So many times I have considered doing this and now, it just feels right.  I'm very busy with reading and writing.  I am, apparently, having a book published soon- and in the meantime am doing proofreading and editing work for publishers and authors so that others, too, may throw in their story to the lot.

It is with much love and happiness that I look back on all that has been recorded here- it has been more than ten years now since I first started blogging during my pregnancy with Avery.  This has always been a place where I could express my joys, grief, angst and reflect with humor on the ups and downs of family life.  It will, of course, be a bit different- making it private... but I don't know that I ever really strayed too far from my purpose and I think this among other venues will continue to serve toward that purpose.  I will, of course, continue to look forward to reading my friends' updates. :) 

Marvin K. Mooney will you please go now!!

Happy. Just happy.

What a gorgeous day!  It was hard to get up this morning.  The insomnia is killing me.  Not sure what it is about but I've tried *everything*- except the scary hypnotic drugs the doctor wants to prescribe.  We have enough night terrors and sleepwalking around here between me and the girls- we don't need me going into some drug-induced psychosis at 4am.  I know certain drugs are lifesavers for some people but on me: terrifying.  The only thing that seems effective for me is to exercise until I am about to drop..

Anyhow, rolled out of bed, staggered down the hall and turned on the heat.  Crawled back in bed for ten more minutes.  Got up and took my vitamins.  Crawled back in bed for ten minutes.  Finally managed to throw on my breeches, a shirt and a hoodie.  By the time I hit the freeway, the sun was sparkling and I was singing along with my iPod.

I love a bright, crisp day and flying down the freeway listening to good music.

The ranch was a mudhole.  Foxy was surprisingly clean despite all the mud.  (I use the term 'clean' very loosely here- as in not filthy dirty.)  The kids have been singing and listening to Fun alot- Some Nights is currently burned on my brain so that is what Foxy got serenaded with this morning.  Thank gawd it's not "Call Me, Maybe" on permanent loop in my brain anymore.  Those annoying pop hooks should be illegal.

Foxy was awesome.  She had LOTS of energy.  She is usually on the low side of 5 on the temperment scale.  She spend about ten minutes throwing bucks when I first let her out.  It's good- it reminds me of the first rule of horsemanship: never forget that there isn't ANY HORSE that can't get you off their back if they want.  Heh.  Sometimes I take Foxy for granted after so many years of dealing with Mr.-Apollo-buck-and-bolt.  She does surprise me sometimes with how fast she can move her massiveness.

Taking into consideration that the arena is a giant mudslide with all the rain we've had and the clay... I couldn't really give Foxy a decent turn-out.  She can't really get up to speed in the covered arena- too small.  We had a good ride- though my stomach muscles doth protest too much.  It was a little challenging with her being pretty high, but at least I got a good workout.

NO CHORUS TONIGHT! YEA!! Ave is in rehearsals for the Christmas Sing-Along at Davies with the SF Girls Chorus so we're going to rehearsals on Tuesday, Weds ad Thurs..  It's nice to have a Friday back, even if it is only until after Christmas.

Vi is going to audition for the Chorus on January 5th.  Not sure if it is the right fit for her but she's really come a long way with her music and she wants to give it a go.

I am reviewing a series of YA paranormal books right now and I've been flying through them with having insomnia and all.  They are *hilarious* and I am not entirely sure if the author is just really clever with a wry wit or if they are just way over the top.  Vi's been reading them and she tells me they are only funny when I read them aloud to her so maybe it is just how I am reading them.  Anyway- I've found myself laughing hysterically to the point where Dean has come in to the bedroom to make sure I'm not having a seizure or whatever.

 

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Ave had her championship meet for gymnastics last weekend and she did very well.  I think she took 3rd overall on floor where she did some new tumblings passes: round-off-back-handspring-back-handspring, front tuck, aerial, etc..  She is turning out to be a really strong tumbler- she freaks me out by doing a big string of back handsprings through the park where I am pretty sure she's going to break her neck.  Her floor routine is fun, though- her music is the theme song from Mission Impossible.

Ave did well on the uneven bars and her vault, as well.  Beam is still a little scary for her.  She was landing her cartwheels just fine on the beam and then one day she slipped doing a huge split-leap and fell and it scared the crap out of her.  Still, she's been doing back walk-overs and cartwheels on beam and landing them fine but she psychs hersef out during competition.  That's okay by me.  I'd rather have her be conservative and NOT break her neck.

Vi has a dance tonight. Urgh.  How in the world do I have a 7th grader?  

Yeah. Don't answer that.