I've been awarded!

Thank you to Tiffany from Hillside Hollow for bestowing this kind award on me!

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

I'm not sure how interesting these will be but here are 7 things about me:
1. I started dancing when I was 5 and quit when I was 35. I did tap all those years but have also done jazz, ballet, and modern.
2. The first concert I ever went to was Conway Twitty when I was 9.
3. The first concert I went to in high school was The Beach Boys.
4. I choked on a candy when I was 4 and my babysitter reached in my throat and took it out.
5. I have never broken a bone.
6. I got glasses when I was 10 and bifocals when I was 12.
7. I was 27 when I went to Walt Disney World for the first time.

Amongst the many great blogs to choose from, I am passing this reward on to the following:

1. Jennifer at Snapshot, a fellow CT mom who is one of the moms who runs 5 Minutes for Books. I love her stories and honesty regarding her kids, and life in general and enjoy reading her book reviews, too!

2. Heather at Cool Zebras. the mom of 3 busy kids, she always has funny stories to share.

3. Rachael at Always Wanted Four. A mom of 4 kids (one of whom is adopted from Russia). I love how they've integrated the Russian culture into their family.

4. Ann Marie at Capicola. A friend of my friend Julie, Ann Marie is an incredible writer; I am so glad she's come back to blogging!

5. Deb at Mom of 3 Girls. Because I have a boy, I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on girly-stuff and then I read her stories and breathe a sigh of relief! (just kidding). Her girls are adorable and I love her honesty!

6. Mari at My Little Corner of the World. Mari is a wonderful lady who I have come to know through blogging. Someday if I ever make it to Michigan, I would love to meet her!

7. AllyJo at AllyJo's Erudition. Though she doesn't blog as often as she used to, I love to read her blog for her refreshing outlook on life!

Whew! That was harder than I thought it would be!

First Soccer Game of the Season

Today was Tucker's first soccer game and he had a blast! Here the team warms up with a little dribbling...


Tucker was starting the game as goalie (he was really looking forward to it!) Here his Coach gives him a few pointers)

Tucker's got the ball and he's off and running (he scored a goal and came thisclose to scoring two others!)

Right in the thick of things, leading the charge (he's #4)


Getting ready to go in as a sub for a teammate, standing his his coach and the coach's son


Trying to get the ball away from the goal, playing a little defense

Tucker's team ended up winning 7-1!

We Will Never Forget...

In memory of those who lost their lives on this day 8 years ago...

My Daybook

For Today...Monday, September 7, 2009, Labor Day

Outside My Window...the sun is out and it feels like a beautiful Fall day (though it's technically not Fall yet!)

On My Mind...thinking about the busy week ahead, with soccer practices, Cub Scouts, and a game!

What We're Reading...finished Lucky by Alice Sebold and I have started The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffeneggar; it was a little confusing at first but now, I'm moving right along (I think...)!! with Tucker, we finished Mercy Goes For A Ride and also read Mercy Watson Fights Crime, Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson? by Lois G. Grambling, What is the Full Moon Full of? by Shulasmith Levey Oppenheim. Tonight we'll start Mercy Watson Princess In Disguise.

What We're Listening To...Still listening to The Lady Elizabeth and will be doing my poetic review for the Take a Chance Challenge on it (I've written the haiku and the limerick and am working on the poem.)

I am hoping...not to get crazy with the hectic week we have coming up!

Quotable Quote...A strange thing is memory, and hope; one looks backward, and the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Memory is history recorded in our brain, memory is a painter, it paints pictures of the past and of the day...Grandma Moses (it's her birthday today!)

A Funny Thing...on the way to soccer practice last week, Tucker told me that we should live next to the soccer fields because then he could put himself in a catapult and launch himself onto the field!

In the kitchen...omelettes for lunch, ham steaks for dinner, not sure the rest of the week, we'll be on the run a lot!

Around the house...laundry waiting to be folded and more to be washed...thanks to the demo crew of Tucker and Willima, a messy living room and Tucker's room is not so pretty either.

Coming up this week...back to work tomorrow after a four-day weekend...soccer practice Tues and Thurs nights...Cub Scout pack meeting Wed night...Tucker's first soccer game of the season on Sat...scrapbooking with my mom on Sun.

Some Picture Thoughts...From soccer practice this week

The Origins of Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 7 in 2009).

The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes ("Nine-Hour Movement") first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers' strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.[1] In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.[2] Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.[3] All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.
1882

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labour Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school. However, start dates for schools vary widely, beginning as early as July 24 in urban districts such as Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. In addition, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. The NCAA usually plays their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.

source: wikipedia.com

Life in Review through Books

Among the many blogs I saw this on, one place was Becky's Book Review

Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Describe Yourself: The Constant Princess (Philippa Gregory)

How do you feel: Lucky (Alice Sebold)

Describe where you currently live: Rainbow Valley (L.M. Montgomery)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Beach House (Jane Green)

Your favorite form of transportation: Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson)

Your best friend is: The Other Queen (Philippa Gregory)

You and your friends are: The Wives of Henry VIII (LOL- Antonia Fraser)

What’s the weather like: Magic Hour (Kristin Hannah)

Favorite time of day: The Almost Moon (Alice Sebold)

What is life to you: Multiple Blessings (Kate and Jon Gosselin)

Your fear: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County (Tiffany Baker)

What is the best advice you have to give: Love is Eternal (Irving Stone)

Thought for the Day: Always Looking Up (Michael J. Fox)

How I would like to die: Above the Thunder (Renee Manfredi)

My soul’s present condition: Home Safe (Elizabeth Berg)

Thursday Thirteen-Summer Wrap-up

With Labor Day approaching (and with it, the "un-official" end of summer), I thought I would make a list of the things we actually did (compared to my "plans"!!)

1. Saw Fireworks on the 4th of July
2. Cook-outs with hot dogs and smores
3. Went to Old Sturbridge Village
4. Went to the beach
5. Used the Slip and Slide
6. Went to Lake Compounce
7. Went to NYC in August
8. Went to the Dinosaur Splashpad
9. Went to Fort Trumbull
10. Spent time in my mom's pool
11. Went to Roger Williams Zoo
12. Read (Tucker completed 3 different summer reading challenges!)
13. Relaxed (believe it or not, we did!)

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