Sloan's First Concert

As I mentioned in my last post Sloan and I were going to see Kings of Leon on Friday night. We had so much fun. It was great to be able to experience Sloan's first concert with her. She started to get excited as we got closer to the concert. I don't think she had any idea how big it was going to be or how many people were going to be there. And since I have been listening to their CD's over and over again for the last 2 years she knew every one of the songs probably better then I did.

We had fun with the girls behind us who thought Sloan was cool for knowing all the songs and told Sloan how cool her mom was (duh) for taking her to see KOL. We also had fun making fun of the boys in front of us for yapping like girls and not listening to the concert. Sloan also got her first whiff of pot and I'm hoping she didn't get high and that I'm not getting her taken away from me, because truth be told it was pretty darn strong!

After the concert I got her the must have t-shirt every girl has to have to remember her first concert with, even if it did cost me $35.00. I think it will be money well spent though because she's worn it 3 days in a row and is planning on wearing it to gym class this week.

Then on our way home we listened to their last 2 CDS while belting out every tune and I couldn't help but think how I remembered how excited I was to do that very same thing many, many years ago at my first concert!

Day to Day Happenings

Not much has been happening on the Jones front lately which I guess is a good thing because it seems like for a long time only bad things seem to be happening to us. Although, maybe I'm speaking too soon because while Drew was away at Chicago last weekend someone hit the back of his car. (The one we just had fixed) Of course the person didn't leave a note so now our newly fixed car has a scratch on the right side.

Sloan has finished up kickball and has gone directly to basketball. Today I dropped her off at school at 6:45 in the morning for before school band practice (she plays the guitar) and did not pick her up until 4:45 when basketball practice ended. She's also been a little bit sick lately and I can't help but wonder if she's sick or just plain exhausted!

She has a pre-season basketball tournament on Saturday which I hope won't eat into our entire Saturday but I'm letting her skip practice tomorrow to take her to her first official concert and we're both super excited. We're going to see Kings of Leon. It's not as great as my first concert (Corey Hart) but I'm sure we'll still have a great time!

Glass Starting To Look Half Full....Almost

I took Sloan to guitar lessons last week and had to go in with her this time because she needed new strings. While we were waiting for the strings to be put on her guitar I started talking to Hans her guitar teacher. Let me tell you about Hans, first of all his name is Hans, its like his parents knew he was going to play guitar! He is awesome and even I think he is cool and truth be told Sloan probably has a bit of a crush on him. He is the type of person who you just like being around and you can tell he really enjoys teaching kids. In fact most of the kids in Irvington take guitar lessons from him and if you talk to any of the parents they say I'm not sure if my kid likes playing the guitar or hanging out with Hans!

In the middle of our conversation he told me that he and his wife were just heart-broken about us losing our girls and he wanted me to know they were still thinking about us. Then he told me they were not able to have children of their own and that is why he felt so bad for our loss and why they have puppies and why he teaches kids.

My heart sunk for he and his wife and I instantly thought as bad as my story is, here are these two really great people who deserve children and they can't even experience the bad thing I had happen to me. For the first time in a long time instead of saying why me I thought why them?

I know there is always someone that has it worse then you do but this was one of those moments and perhaps I was ready to get the lesson that everyone has their own sadness to deal with and sometimes the pain is alot worse.

Of course my glass emptied a bit after all this though because the next day the hospital where I delivered the girls called me to remind me my tour of the maternity ward was that day in which I replied to them, umm yea I sorta had the big tour last month. It was while I was saying the words the person on the other line must have pulled up something to see she'd made a horrible mistake and as bad as she felt I didn't feel so bad she felt bad. So rest assure I've still got that bit of negativity in me that you've all grown to love!!

Are You Digital or Paper?

I'm actually a digital and paper gal. Drew has tried to convince me to go completely digital but I just can't. I think it might be because I was a paralegal for 15 years and when you work in a law firm it was all about your attorney and your calendar. For years I had a work calendar and a personal calendar. When I started school again I chose to use a paper calendar. Its the whole seeing everything there in front of you that I like but what I really like is crossing off things I have accomplished. I'm a list maker and there is nothing better then crossing off your list, its just not the same to delete it.

The photo you see posted is strictly Sloan's calendar with every thing I need to remember. I also have another paper calendar for to do's and my appointments and in addition I have a calendar on my iPhone and my computer that I usually use for a back up that beeps at me to remind me not to miss an appointment.

I have lots of calendars and it drives Drew crazy but for some reason my system works. I don't like my to-do's to be mixed up, that's why I have more then one calendar. (Hello, I get it I'm a freak!) So I ask you what sort of calendar do you keep?

The Best of Both Worlds

The dunes at Lake Michigan and Chicago, my 2 favorite places!

Why My Daughter Will Never Play Kickball Professionally

I was sitting on the bleachers yesterday waiting for Sloan to be done with kickball practice, their team was scrimmaging against another team and were about to wrap up their practice. Another team was playing a game later that evening and had started making its way over to the field.

The coach who was playing that night (who will remain nameless) called over to one of the other coaches and said, "Can I have the field?" The other coach said, "Sure, just one more out." Then the coach whose game was yesterday said as snotty as can be in front of about 30 girls and 5 or 6 parents, "Whatever, you'd think the team that was playing would have dibs on the field first but HEEEYYY that's just me!"

Unfortunately I made eye contact with the coach while this was said and I was asked, "Oh my God don't you agree?" My reply, "Ummmmm, it's kickball, not one of the things I tend to get too fired up about." Then I realized even though I was being asked a question, my response was not what the coach was looking for because by the time I finished my reply the coach had walked away.

These are the times where I dislike being a parent the most, interacting with parents I would never probably speak to if I didn't have a child that went to the same school. Its hard for me to be nice, hard for me not to be a smart ass but here's the thing, I am nice and I do suck it up because my daughter goes to school there and I think if I can put on my big girl pants and act appropriate for my child's sake I would hope a coach who is coaching our children in a CYO league could too.

Or maybe I'm just not cut throat enough to take kickball seriously enough and maybe that's why Sloan won't get that scholarship to Notre Dame to play kickball. Oh well, there's always that scholarship for four-square or dodgeball.