Wilkins' World... updates, etc.

Really no need to admit the obvious in the "blogging neglect" department. Guilty as charged!
Now the question is where to begin???? Well the stomach bug has hit our household for the second time this month... this time the victim is moi. Note [me+illness+fatigue+being cooped up and not being able to do "my thing" = 1 cranky, crabby, fed up person...aka me - present state]
My remedy, a blog entry.

In no particular order... Wilkins's Family Updates.

• weekends have been mainly about making use of our season pass at Swain. We have had the opportunity to stay at a condo at the base of the mountain for several weekends this season. It has been wonderful family and friend time.
• Our entire family decided to give snowboarding a try. No big surprise that the kids have taken off with it. Rick has picked it up quicker than I [my competitive side doesn't like that too much ;o) ] It has been fun for the kids to see their parents try something new and not be the "best" at it. Valuable for them to see our tenacity! Happy to report that their have been no major injuries... just bumps, bruises and sore egos. Not sure if we have made the full fledged "Shredder" status, but all agree that boarding is fun!
• The kids skiing skills have improved and they are smart, good skiers! If anyone wants to join us... let us know.
• MaKenna is about to embark on a session of swim lessons. Her goal is to be able to swim well enough to try out for the Mercury Swim Team sooner than later. Hope her tenacity pays off! MaKenna has a teen role-model who is an excellent swimmer and a member of the HS Swim Team and she would love to "be like Caitlin, someday"!
• MaKenna has decided to play Lacrosse again this Spring. However, she made her preference known...she would rather play the "boys way" [much more agressive game, more physical and the way she has learned the game after playing with her brother]. The girls lax game is "kinda boring, Mom" according to MaKenna. Mom seconds that opinion!
• First Grade has provided it's fair share of hurdles for MaKenna. Reading has been one of those challenges... mainly her fluency. We have another perfectionist in the family [I know, I know... you plant corn, you get corn!]. This trait is both a blessing and a curse, just a hard balance for a First Grader to figure out! And the Friendship Drama... yes, in 1st grade! Can I just say that Girls Stink sometimes! Soooo petty and cruel. Lots of talks about this.
• Connor is wrapping up his indoor lacrosse season [long, started back in Nov.] It has been a great season for skill building. Last weekend, Connor was asked to play on the FCA [Federation of Christian Athletes] team in a tournament in Roch. He had fun... challenging and exhausting.
• Connor decided, after finding a tote in the basement this summer that housed just about my entire swimming career and watching Michael Phelps in the Summer Olympics, that he would like to try Competitive Swimming. He is on a Developemental Team for our local US Swimming Affiliate Team. He wraps this up next week.
• The most random news on Connor is that he tried out for our High School's Drama Production of Les Miserables. Random, because of how it all came about, he told me that he had to go to school for auditions at 7pm one evening when I got home form work. Naturally, I asked what for... "I don't know" was the response. "Do you have any paperwork?" I asked. "Nope... Mom I just have to be there at 7pm." Off we went. Arrived at the HS auditorium [silly me for thinking that we should be going to the Intermediate School]. Down went Connor to the front of the auditorium and returned with the stack of paperwork that I had asked about previously. The top of the paperwork read... "Livonia High School Drama presents Les Miserables". I motioned Connor to come over to me and asked him if he knew what he was auditioning for. He waved the sheet of music at me and said "yeah"! "Mom, I have to practice this" I said "CONNOR, do you realize what this entails? This room filled with people, you on stage, singing??? for three nights????" "Yep, Mom, I really have to practice this, so I'm ready!" was Connor's response. Connor auditioned for the young, lead male role... Gavarache. He got the role! Here Rick and I were thinking that this would be a humbling experience for him, and that we would be parenting him through a disappointment, etc. [the competitive trait also runs in our family]. You could have knocked me over with a feather. How can I be his mother for almost 11 years and not have even guessed that he would want to do this? MaKenna, yes! Connor, I wouldn't have guessed it. He is in the throws of rehearsal now. Loves it and the high schoolers have been amazing to him! Show dates are Thursday - Saturday, March 19th - 21st.
• Rick is doing great. Finishing the coaching post for the indoor lax team and gearing up for the spring lax season. Work is going well, steady [ a blessing in todays' economy].

I'll close for now. Time to get some stuff done. Hope all is well with all of you!

General Happenings

As I have been bitten by the guilt bug for slacking when it comes to posting on the blog, I thought I would attempt to bring the blog up to date. I sure hope that I won't fall into a once a month posting category. Time will tell, it's getting close to my bed-time.

• Working out has been going well, for the most part... feel free to check out my working out blog entry on http://working-it-out-jessw.blogspot.com/

We celebrated our 1 year anniversary the third week in September. All of us have made great progress. We are thinner, stronger and definitely more fit. I have enjoyed this journey and the fact that I have embarked upon this commitment with some great support, friends. I know that I couldn't have come this far without them. I am closer to my overall goal and my next stage of maintaining.

• MaKenna and Connor continue to be a joy! Busy as ever and happiest when they are in the middle of their favorite activity. Lots more to share about both lovies... Fall season wrap up, school updates, MaKenna -isms, Connor and his friends "school" mom & dad on 'girls', Winter sports begin ... that'll be my motivation to come back and post another entry on the blog.

Stay tuned.

Time to Re-Group, Re-Focus...

Okay, not sure where to begin...

I'll start with the fact that I consider myself organized. Organization has always come easy to me. I think it was my way of keeping things in check, a control factor [imagine that?!] If I was organized then I could plan more, better, etc. I was also recognized, early on, in a positive way for my organizational skills. Maybe that's why I am having a hard time with the fact that no matter how many lists I create these days, I can't seem to stay on top of them.

I have lists for work, for home, for myself, for Rick, Connor and MaKenna's schedules/activities. I have to do lists, must do lists, be here, go there lists, work out/ fitness lists, grocery lists, gift shopping lists, send card lists, birthday, anniversary , celebration, thank you lists, update blog lists, send pictures lists, volunteer lists, need to touch base with, need to visit lists, need to let this person know how important they are to me lists, need to show my appreciation lists.

My children are more and more self-sufficient and yet it seems like there is no more time to get the lists done! Maybe it's because the more self-sufficient they get the more activities, and to-do items creep onto their lists? Which loosely translates to my list.

Maybe I have reached my own maximum capacity for the whole more, better plan thing. Maybe I just cannot cram another thing into the time constraints that I have? Maybe that's it... maybe it's not an organizational thing but a time thing?! I am envisioning a thermometer on a hot day... remember the cartoon images? all of a sudden the mercury explodes! Well, I think that I have exceeded my "temp." time capacity!

Seriously though, how many of you have thought about your days from start to finish each day? Am I alone in this struggle? I take the deep breathes and try to polish off the "S" [or is it a "W" - yeah right] on my chest and accept the fact that I am a person who will always struggle with the concept of "did I do or accomplish enough today?!" It's a tough balance between making the most of the days you have and being a busy bee!

Another realization... no wonder I "crash and burn" a.k.a. get run down sometimes!
Top of my next list... Do what you can and accept the fact that you cannot control time!
Time for bed... because along with my value of organization I value sleep almost as much!
Thanks for reading!

September 4th

School Days... and a new year begins!

Hey Cheerleader!

Many of you have asked... her she is, in her glory! Don't know that I get the cheer leading thing, but, I was the tom-boy kinda gal! My thing was matchbox cars, football cards, Lincoln logs, Lego's and a baby alive doll. Rick and I have told the kids that they can try activities so when Mb said she wanted to Cheer, I swallowed hard and said that we would look into it. Then the flyer came home with the school papers and the PLeeeaaase Mom, started. The rest, as they say is history.
So, like anything else, we have been committed to "practicing" cheer leading for the LJB Flag Football and Cheerleading.
A W E... S O M E awesome, awesome...totally!
"Mix 'em up, Spin 'em around, Come on Livonia, Mow 'em down!"
Who has joined in at this point? As Auntie Sarah reminded me, the NHHS Varsity Swim Team would do our "cheer" ritual before our home meets... "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty" "Wimpy, Wimpy Wimpy!"

What do Croquet, Brownies, Fishing, Treasure Hunting and White Water Rafting

have in common?
Family, Memories and a great family vacation.

With all three sets of Connor and MaKenna's Grandparents living on Lakes in NYS we try to arrange family visits in the summer. Add Connor and MaKenna's football and cheer schedules into the mix; not to mention the fact that I am the "newbie" at work when it comes to vacation time and that makes for some quick, jammed packed family visits.


This year's the trip to Henderson was special in that it was the first time that all my siblings [on my father's side] and their spouses were together in a long time [since Brooke & Jesse's wedding]. We had a great time. We went white water rafting on the Black River in Watertown, NY. For me, I don't know what made me laugh more... Sarah's nervous energy before we even boarded the rafts or her "oh s_ _ _!" comments through out the ride!

The Wilkins participated for the first time in the Greystone Cup - a semi -serious amateur Croquet tournament. It was an adult only [Connor got a bi and was Grandpa's partner] tournament... truthfully I think that Rick would have been better off with MaKenna as his partner. I did improve when I went to the one handed method [one hand holding a cocktail and one hand holding the mallet -form counts for something... doesn't it?!]


Connor and MaKenna were very busy... lots of people around to indulge their energy and imaginations! Brownie making, cooking classes, wave splashing, swimming, scavenger hunting, fishing, Wii playing, treasure maps and treasure, bonfires with pie irons and smores! Plenty of hugs and kisses to hold close to our hearts and cherish until the next time when we are together.

Time Well Spent

Hour-glass
Originally uploaded by didixx28

A little background before I start this post. Because I am the so to speak "low man on the totem pole" in the "vacation time" requests in my office, we have had to jockey our typical summer plans this year.
The kids have been so anxious about making their annual trek to Cedar Lake for a visit with Mimi and Gampie. We headed out Friday when I got out of work. We arrived in enough time for Connor, Rick and Gampie to hit the lynx and try out their very best Tiger impressions. Meanwhile MaKenna, Mom and I took to trying our best at a "make-shift" nail salon. Mimi is quite the manicurist! I think that every shade of nail polish that Mimi owns ended up on either MaKenna's finger or toe nails.
Saturday morning and Mom and I headed out for a walk around the block, while Rick and the kids headed to the beach. It was a great day at the beach. Plenty of sun, sand creations galore - even a full sand body cast for Connor [possible pis to follow] and enough swimming to make me check and see if my children had grown gills!
Saturday evening and Gampie took the kids back out on the golf course. MaKenna's goal was to be able to be included with her brother [you never know what you may miss out on, ya know!]. Also, to get her Gampie to go "really fast" in the golf cart! Connor has been frustrated with his golf game [if he only knew, that's more than half the battle with this game]. His buddies have been shooting better rounds in their weekly Jr. golf league. Connor is convinced that is because of size and the fact that he is shorter than the rest of his buddies. We have been trying to tell him differently, but to no avail. Gampie to the rescue! I had told Connor that he should ask Gampie for some pointers as Gampie coached golf for many years. Well, it worked. When the crew returned they were smiling from ear to ear. Ready for this one....???
Connor had a birdie [one under par for those of you who are not golfers] from the jr.'s tee on hole #16. He drove it just before the green and chipped it up and in the hole> MaKenna said that Gampie yelled so loud that it blew her ear out! Connor has carried that ball around with him ever since. Wow! Lots of memories came flooding back to me. Hole #16 is where my Dad [an avid golfer and who passed away in 1992] had his only hole in one. There is a sports award plaque that used to hang in the TV room of our old house that had a picture of my Dad, Grandpa and brother that was taken on the day that he made the hole-in-one. Rick and I had some of our wedding pics taken on that green as well.
MaKenna swam and swam some more. She has decided that she will take the infamous raft swim test next summer so that she can swim out to the raft and play dibble dabble [i'll explain in a later post].
It was fun to be back to my old summer hang out! Lots of memories to share... sometime soon. For now, it was a treat to witness our children enjoying the place and some of the things that hold a very special place in my heart!