I Know I've Said It Before...

but I love the Sabres and now I love them even more. Yesterday I did something that's pretty lame. I went and watched the team practice at our local ice rink that is near our house. We bought tickets to one of the pre-season games, including one for Annabelle. She has never been to a hockey game before and I thought she should go to one practice just to have an idea what it will be like. The noise, the cold, the crowd, though on a smaller scale, at least she wouldn't be too out of her element. We ended up having a fantastic time.

Firstly, Annabelle was being exceptionally cute, even for her. She was singing the song she had learned in pre-k to prepare for saying the Pledge and Supercalifrgilisticexpealidocious from Mary Poppins, loudly, while dancing. She was asking questions about what each player was doing, what was his name, then saying hello to each and every one of them as they filed past us off the ice between periods. Most of them ignored her at first, but a few waved to her, which only encouraged her:)

Then when they started straggling back onto the ice after the first intermission, Paul Gaustad (whom I have mentioned before) told Annabelle that he loved her Winnie the Pooh socks. He then hunkered all 6 feet 5 inches of himself down next to her and had a conversation with her. About their mutual love of Pooh and telling each other their names. Annabelle was so delighted to have someone give her that kind of attention that her face was all smiles.

After the next period she got more attention from other players, they all knew her name. Patrick Lalime, our back up goalie, gave her a puck. Thomas Vanek tapped her head with his glove and many others waved and said hello.

They didn't have to do any of it. They could have walked right on by and ignored her. It's happened before. She loves to wave and say hello to people where ever we go. I mean, they are at work, even if it's not a job that everyone else would consider serious or important. They are being paid to get on the ice and work their asses off to have the biggest hit, the best goal, the most amazing save. They aren't being paid to make a 4 year old girl smile and giggle for he rest of the day.

So the Sabres may not be the best team out there. They have never won a championship and sometimes it feels like they never will. I can scream and wail at the TV when I'm watching a game, telling the players what I think of them. That they stink. That we need better players,players with more talent and leadership. But in the end, I'll look back at yesterday with fond memories at my "boys". So when they go their separate ways, I will still always think of them as the best players out there because they went out of their way to be sweet and friendly. It makes me love this team even more than I already did.

My salute right back to you, boys.

I May Be Crazy

I've had an idea in my head for about two or three weeks and it won't go away. Maybe it's because I wasn't supposed to exercise per the chiro, but the idea has lodged in my brain. I want to run a 5k.

The idea is crazy to me. I remember in high school being told that we should be able to run a mile in under 13 minutes and I couldn't. Not even close. I failed phys. ed. that semester because of that. Not that I really cared. But if I couldn't run one mile at 17, how do I think I could run 3.11 miles as a 32 year old?

Except that I just decided to try. I got on that treadmill this morning and I ran one whole mile! The adrenaline that I felt at being able to do it... was amazing to me! I tend to tell myself that I can't do things. I'm too fat, too old, too short, out of shape, not smart enough, etc, etc, etc. I'm rarely ever very high on myself. But, I think I can do this.

After I finished that mile, I was out of breath but so happy. I ran upstairs and literally pounced on Mark, who was still in bed. I told him what I did and what I planned on doing. He sounded so proud of me. It reminded me of how excited I would get when I would tell him how I aced a test or got that amazing solo in Choir when I was a Senior in high school. That proud, happy smile he would give me because I was his girl.

So, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do it for Mark and Annabelle. So that they will see that I can finish something when I really put my mind to it. But really, I'm doing it for me

Who Do You Tell?

I've been doing this blog thing here for a few months. I started it mostly to put down ideas that may pop into my head. Random things that make no sense when you're hanging out with friends, but that I just wanted out there. I also thought I would use it as my place to gripe about things and people that are annoying me.

So because of this aspect, nobody knows that I'm out here. No friends, no family, not even my husband. I feel like if I told people about this, then they'd feel like they had to stop on over. And if I'm complaining about someone, I wouldn't want their feelings to be hurt. I'm a classic people pleaser, by the way.

So do I start telling people about this? It seems weird that I would start all of these months later. But sometimes I'll be talking about something and I'll stop myself from saying that I had blogged about it. I'm just confused about what to do.

Christmas

My daughter is obsessed with Christmas all of a sudden. It started about a month ago. We were in the car and she asked me if I knew who had a white beard. Now I was thinking a person that we actually knew, so I was stumped. My dad has some gray/white in his beard, but I wouldn't say it was white per se. But it was the only thing I could think of so that's what I said. Papa's beard's kinda white. Annabelle's response- Mom, Santa has a white beard! (All being said in a particularly whiny voice while rolling her eyes at me. You would think she was 14, not 4.)

So fast forward a few weeks and she decides she wants, no she NEEDS to watch Mickey's Twice Upon Christmas. After a small power struggle, I relented because really what's it hurting? But now she's been singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas constantly and last night she started making her list. Little post-it notes of scribbles scattered throughout the house, many of which she slept with last night.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas more than anything, but I love Halloween and pumpkins and cider (just bought some at Wegman's, yum). I can't wait to go to the Spirit store to look at costumes. Friends of ours have a big, adult only Halloween bash the first weekend of November each year. It's the one time of year that I can dress up slutty if I feel like it and be able to get away with it!

But Annabelle is ready for Christmas, running to her windows every morning hoping for snow. The more excited she gets, the more excited I feel. So I guess we'll be singing carols for months in advance and we'll know the words to every single Christmas movie out there by next month. It makes me wish I was a kid again without any of the worry that comes along with Christmas. But Annabelle brings all of that out of me, so I guess I get to relive it through her. :)

Do You Have a List?

I was talking to some of my girlfriends the other day and we were discussing our crushes, likes and dislikes of specific features on a man. The guys that make us swoon or watch a particular movie just because he happens to be in it. So then we started talking about our lists.

You know, your list. Of men that you're given a pass for by your husbands. Everyone out there has at least a handful of people that they would love to "be" with. I'm assuming, for most people, that this list is rather unattainable, so basically fantasy and safe. So I've been thinking about who my IT guys were and thought I would put it out here in cyber-space. Just in case one of them happened by and thought they would what to check me out, then they would know where to find me. :) In no particular order they are:

Johnny Depp

He's kinda weird and quirky but he just does it for me. Those black eyes and the cheek bones and just the whole package. I mean if you can look hot as a drunken pirate than you must look good all of the time:)

Mark Salling

He plays Puck in Glee and there is just something about this bad boy. When I'm watching the show, my eye is automatically drawn to him in every scene.

Ewan McGregor

Now he's not normally my type. I like really dark eyes and dark hair but I just can't help but love Ewan. He can sing and dance and has the cutest Scottish accent. I love his smile and just about everything about him.Zac Efron

He may be young but he's still legal:) I get a rush just looking at him. My friend and I made complete fools of ourselves in front of a movie poster of him when we were in LA last year. He is the only reason to watch High School Musical.Paul Gaustad

I look forward to Sabres hockey every fall, but having a "hockey boyfriend" as my husband calls him, makes it even better. He is the only one on the list that makes Mark mildly nervous. If I were to have a chance at any of these men, it would be Paul. He lives near-by and according to my husband I'm cute enough to get him:) Plus we share a birthday. We must be a match made in heaven.Ryan Reynolds

He's got a great body and he's funny. Need I say more?Orlando Bloom

If you don't like Johnny Depp than Orlando is probably the one who did it for you in the Pirates movies. The hair, the eyes, the accent. It's all good in my book.Eric Dane

Who wouldn't want a hot doctor? His name is McSteamy for a reason.

So what do you think of my list? Any additions I should make? I'm always open to adding on:)

I'm Trying

I had all of these wonderful plans to get myself on some sort of schedule starting this week. I figures that with 2 1/2 hours everyday all by myself, I'd be getting loads of things done. But so far I've been pretty lazy. At least I exercised today, though only for 25 minutes instead of 40. Glee was calling to me... watch me, watch me. I mean, when am I going to catch up on last years DVR'd shows in time to start DVR'ing the upcoming season?

So now all that free time that I was supposed to have seems not quite long enough. I mean once I go on the treadmill for 40 minutes, do some weights, and take a shower and get ready, more than an hour has been eaten up. So then I need to decide, do I clean the bathroom or wash the kitchen floor or maybe just go on Facebook and read my blogs. It's really such a hard decision. :)

So I've given myself permission to be lazy the rest of the week. No need to rush into a schedule just yet. I have the rest of the school year to make my home immaculate, have perfect 5 course meals prepared for dinner every night and whittle away those last 15 pounds. Right now I choose to talk on he phone with my sister for an hour and watch 19 Kids and Counting. Just this week :)

My Baby's All Grown Up

Today was Annabelle's first day of pre-k. There were a few tears shed by me, watching her walk away from me for those two and a half hours. She did so good. I had thought that we might have an issue when she asked if I would be there to take her to the potty at school. Her face had that deer in the headlights look when I told her no. But she just walked right in. It even took a few moments to get her attention to say good bye and blow a kiss.

I thought last week that I would have no problems letting her go. Other friends were whining on Facebook about their nervous stomachs, letting go of their little boys and girls but I was oddly unfazed.

But as I watched her playing in the little kitchen area, I had flash backs of her as a baby. Bald as a little chick well past 18 months. Helping her learn to walk, talk, use utensils, dance. All the little milestones and stats that I religiously jotted into her baby book. Now I get to record her first day of school into that book. Pictures, date, time, teachers names, all there for her to look back on someday when she has little ones of her own. So shoot me if I shed a tear or two. I'm only human, a silly human being with a mother's fragile heart.