My Name May Be Autumn, but I Did Not Fall

So, tonight is game night, and it's an away game. I am at home, and not brave enough to take 3 kiddos out of town to watch Coach's game.  I sometimes get a little down about not being able to attend the games, but instead of dwelling on it, I am going to share with you my entertaining weekend activity.

I am always up for getting out of the house. I am a goer, (is that a word?). Whether it is or not, that is what I am. Coach on the other hand loves to stay home. I call him my hubby homebody. Ooh,  here's a thought I can call him my homeboy.  That may just stick. He would choose to stay home and watch a RedBox rental any day rather than go out to a movie. I would rather get out. I am always up for a drive or for a walk, although drives have become much less enjoyable since my two year old has decided she officially hates the car, and walks are a little breezy right now.

Anyway, my hubby homeboy (see it works! No? Alright, I'll stick with homebody) decided to get me out of the house and take me on a surprise date.  Let's all say it together..... Awwwww........

Okay, don't get too excited because it was not a trip to Paris, or a getaway to wine country. But it was sweet. He surprised me by taking me ice skating.

So, if you have read my previous post about cartwheels, you got to enjoy my embaroussment at the fact that I can no longer effectively flip my body through the air like I used to. I have been practicing by the way, and no you don't get to see pictures. Maybe once I perfect them :) 

I hoped that this ice skating experience would go much smoother than the whole cartwheel catastrophe. (I'm pretty scarred).  I remind you that I live in Texas, and where I come from, it does not snow, or even ice over, so this ice skating thing is unknown territory. Now, Coach is not a small guy. He is 6ft 6, and approximately 240 lbs, so this wasn't going to be a breeze for him either. The rink was small and chopped up from a lot of use during the day, but we were going to attempt this. In my head, Coach and I were going to skate arm in arm, or do the couple skate thing (you know, where the girl skates backwards, and the boy pushes her- umm it was romantic in middle school).  We grabbed our skates and headed onto the ice. The rink was atop a building in a nearby big city, so we got to see all of downtown and the lights as our view. It could not get more romantic right? Well, if constant stumbling, hanging onto the wall for dear life, and being passed by people 3 times our age is romantic, then there you go.  After a little practice we became a little smoother, so I asked my hubby homebody (yeah, I like that better), to couple skate. We attempted and failed miserably, but we did not go down!!!  That was the goal of the evening, Do Not Fall Down! And we didn't. We did however wear ourselves out and have to stop every once in a while to catch our breaths. Maybe I should write a section about working out. :) 





In our own little way we had a romantic evening, and the fact that Coach planned it made it special. Romance is enjoying the time you have together and making the most of it. We didn't look awesome on the ice, but we had an amazing time. Although, someday I am planning on going to Paris. Hopefully they don't have ice skating there!

Just a quick note to those of you who used to make jokes about my name in elementary school (I'm sure you can guess all of the Fall jokes they came up with), some were kind of funny actually :) but I want you to know:

My Name May Be Autumn but I Did Not Fall Down!!!

My New Years Resolution - Positivity

This year I have decided to try a new resolution. Last year was lose my baby weight, and I did okay. Never quite made it to my goal, but did make a dent (or got rid of a few dents) :)  I decided to go a different route this year and try a unconventional resolution.

At the school I work for, our theme for the year is "Get on the energy bus." This is a book by Jon Gordon that gives 10 rules to fuel your life, work and team with positive energy. Everyone at my school was given one of the books that outlines how to do this, and encouraged to read it.  I have not read all of it (in all of my spare time), but highly recommend it. I have heard it is great. What I have read is a list that my principal sent out to the employees that the author of "The Energy Bus" wrote. I usually think these kind of lists are a little corny, but I actually liked this one. So here is my inspiration for my new years resolution.

20 Tips for A positive New Year by Jon Gordon

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.

2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is _______________
(I'm still working on figuring out exactly what I am going to fill that with)

3. Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a "thank you walk." It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
(Not sure I will have time for this every day, but may try to do it on the weekends when Coach is home)

4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, think optimistically about where you are going.

5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
(or in my case queen, and princess :)

6. Remember that adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome.
(I really like this quote. Wish I was one of those people who could memorize quotes and use them at the perfect moment. I usually end up saying, Oh that stinks, it will all be okay. )

7. Focus on learning, loving, growing, and serving.
(Definitely important for coach's wives)

8. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

9. Don't waste precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember there is no substitute for hard work.
(We women already know that)

13. Zoom focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: "What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?" Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

14. Implement the http://www.nocomplainingrule.com/ . Complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.
(Love this one!)

15. Read more books than you did in 2010. I happen to know a few good ones. :)
(I'll try!)

16. Get more sleep. You can't replace sleep with a double latte.
(I am definitely a coffee addict. Maybe I can have both)

17. Focus on "Get to" vs. "Have to." Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
                     I am thankful for ________________.

                     Today I accomplished _________________.

19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

(My husband wanted me to include the famous quote: Life is a garden, dig it-Joe Dirt,  thank you Coach for the contribution)

After reading these tips, I decided that in 2011 I am going to try to be more positive. When you have all the troubles of daily life upon you, it is hard to remember that most of the troubles you have are also blessings. Work, somedays tiring, but rewarding. Children screaming, thank you Lord for the healthy lungs of my children, Coach gone at a game, we are blessed he has a job, and I am blessed I have him as my husband.  Life is busy, but I am going to try to look at each day, as Jon Gordon said, as a gift.

Good luck to y'all on your resolutions and hope you each have a blessed new year!

Everyone Should Do Cartwheels

Last night, I participated in an event that I am glad no one (besides my family) will ever see. Coach was home early because it was the night before a game. We picked up dinner, and had a fun evening hanging out together in the living room. Everything was pretty normal until my daughter asked me a tricky question.

"How do you do a cartwheel mom?"

Being a former cheerleader, and dancer , I felt highly equipped to handle this question. I puffed out my chest and walked to the middle of the living room floor. First, I began by attempting to show her how to do one through demonstration. Lets just say it didn't work out so well. I didn't realize how long it has been. This demonstration ended with laughter from all of my children (even the 1 year old) as well as my hubby

. Hmmm.... how do you teach a cartwheel? I've been doing them since I was 4, so I have never really thought about how I was supposed to teach it. Needless to say, I attempted to have her lift one leg here, place two hands there, and kick. It was a very entertaining and interesting sight. By the end of the night, I offered up the suggestion that maybe we should enroll her in gymnastics this summer and let the professionals handle it.

As I sit here and write this, I think, parenting is kind of like doing a cartwheel. You jump into it, and just do it. The rules are hard to explain, and everyone has their own personal touch. We are all just hoping to make it through with grace and land on our feet. Sometimes we don't do it perfectly, but we all have the opportunity to get up and try again. (Wow, guess I am feeling deep today!) It takes practice, and sometimes we can use some help to get through it. Cartwheels can be so much fun, but they also take a lot of hard work.

By the way, I will be practicing cartwheels for the next few days to ensure myself I haven't lost my touch :)

Keep me in your prayers! I'll need it.

The True Meaning of Coach's Widow

Let me first explain the reason and meaning behind why I am writing this blog. I am what people call a "Coach's Widow." Please don't confuse this with a real widow!!!! I do not want that to be a confusion, although I am sure it will happen at some point. I stumbled upon this term a few years ago when I was sitting around a table with some girlfriends. I began to tell them that my husband was getting ready to graduate from college as a teacher, and that he was really excited to go into coaching. (I will tell you more about the reasons he went into coaching later!) I had believed we were going to have the good life. Since I am a speech pathologist (aka speech therapist), and work in the schools, I believed that my husband working in the schools would be awesome! We would both have holidays, summers off, and be off work by 4 every day during the school year. As I was telling my friends about his soon to be graduation, one of them said, "Oh, you will be a fellow Coach's Widow!" I had never in my life heard this term, and was actually kind of offended by the fact that she would call it that. "A coach's widow?" I questioned. What are you talking about. She laughed and looked at me as if I was a pitiful child. Little did I know that this is a very common term. "You don't have any idea what being a coach entails do you?" she asked. I had played sports in high school, well when I say sports, I mean cheerleading, and dance team, and didn't ever really think about the hours that the coaches put in. I looked at my friend and replied, "No, not really."  I had no idea what was coming. Most people don't even fathom working the kinds of hours that coaches do. Yes, coaches work hard, but many times the hardest job of all (in my opinion) is being the coach's wife or the "coach's widow" as we now understand it to be.  I have now officially been a coach's widow for 2.5 years. I am a mother of 3, work full time, and am beginning to feel like it is my job to spread the word about how crazy, fun, hectic, lonely, tiring, exciting, and entertaining life can be when you are in this role. Although I am sure I will talk about coaching a lot, really, this blog is what I decided to do to document the crazy ride I call everyday life.