Mamma's in time out.

Word on the streets is mamma Schroer's a little intense tonight.

TRUE THAT.


I won't front, I feel it.  And I call for a hearty amen that it's one thing to be it, and a whole other thing to know it.  Well excuse me while I feel AND know it.  Some Sunday eve's are just like that.  If you can't hang, I'll go with the 'ole "you may be excused" from my Sunday dinner table.  If your game, I promise dark chocolate for dessert.


It may have started with this:

 A quick attempt to throw a licensing sticker on our trailer before heading to town, landed me an intimate date with the drop ramp.  

That wasn't so dropped.
It was awesome I promise.




Or maybe it was this:

Receipts.  I hate them.  I hate entering them.  I hate balancing them.  I hate the way the suckers won't even feed easily into the shredder when you've assured them their time here is done.  I hate that in my perfected childish rebellion of trying to shove too many in at once they all crumple into a big wad that says, sorry chic, but we aint going nowhere.  And I hate that every month when I swear I will keep up on them so I don't have this mountain to deal with, they laugh and look at each other with that "ya, OK....." smirk.  




BUT:


You know what this means?

It means we made it another year.  We survived another holiday season.  Winter may think it's got us locked in, but it SO DOESN'T.  It's Mexico time.  

Break out the piñata man.  I feel like hitting something. 


Five more days......

I know I can make it.  And it will be worth every last intense, receipt crammed, preparation headache getting there.

My kids are the bomb.  This Mexico gig is a yearly thing, and they've learned you work hard to play hard.  I'm kinda proud of that.  Martin Luther King Day they got out of school at noon.  But guess what?

I found these two tackling their Mexico work together ON THEIR OWN.  Six hours worth after school got out.  Dude.  I called everyone.  I mean who's kids are these?

They're MINE.

And I couldn't be more proud.

Girlfriend grabbed division and RAN with it.

 Necessity of 6th grade studying ~ headphones

It promises to be a jam packed week of insanity.  Followed by Friday night salty breezes, ocean wave lullaby's, and sand dusted sandals.  Work hard to play hard.  Excuse me while I slam out this vacation prep list.  Intense?  Ya.  But I got places to go......

Project 365:

 CD Rainbows

"Welcome to Moe's!"

Hockey championships.  Don't mess.  Derek's buddy Carson.

 Honeybell tangelos.  AKA manna from heaven.

Derek's bells in church bell choir

"Creative headband storage", by Kailey Schroer

The nightly ping pong action is heating up

For those who stayed, 

Dark chocolate is served.

I'm off to prepare for a few moments in paradise. 

Hey Mondays~ TGIF.

Dear second week of January,

TGIF baby.  Thanks for visiting, but SEE YA.  I don't know where you got off track, but there was an awful lot of your Monday that rolled over into my Tuesday.  And kept on rollin' into my Wednesday.  Blahday the 9th, blahday the 10th, blahday the 11th.  And that funny little joke when night after night you'd giggle in the dark while this mamma got NO SLEEP?  Like for about 9 days straight?  Whatever.  I'm not sure what that was all about but you seemed to be visiting several of my peeps too.  So to the sleep thief of the night that's on your committee;  Dude, let my people go.  

I'm thinking mother nature was feeling it too.  Meet Monday:

What up Monday.  I'd like you to meet my friend Tuesday:

Oh hey Wednesday, I take it you three know each other.

But I love a cute pair of rain boots, so nice try.  And a big shout out to my 6 hours of sleep Thursday....oh baby.  You make me feel like a natural woman....



Amidst the rain and gloom I fought hard to create some sunshine moments.  And some of them found me.  Connecting with friends, appreciating the things that make you smile when you have to dig harder to find them, and sipping that latte a little slower while you wait for the rain to stop.

Monday's sunshine:

Tuesday:

Wednesday rebellion.  Right on Monica.

Thursday was all mine.  Because when the second week of January gives you lemons, this girl knows how to make some killer lemonade.  Without the rain we won't ever see the rainbow.  Well get in, shut up, fasten your seat belts, and don't ask me to turn down my tunes.
Because this is my I-26 rainbow.

POT O' GOLD

Ever since Christmas I've been getting tripod shots that look like this:

Followed by thoughts like this: 

I need to start researching tripods.  

This *&#$% tripod.

 I'm going to need to be medicated if I don't score me a tripod.

THAT'S IT.  

Well research complete. 

I got plans for you Manfrotto.  And happy Thursday to you too.

Friday showed up and SHOWED OUT.  

Those blue skies are the real deal.  Oh, and Friday, thanks keeping it cold.  I have no hate for you.  I mean it IS January after all.  And just for that?  Here's what's for dinner.  Ode to your bad 25 degree self.

Friday 365:  

Here are my three that weren't shared above.  It was a week of learning and trial and error.  But the story behind this shot?  Crazy goosebumps moment.  A team of grade schoolers, including my son, were invited to compete with the high schoolers in a dodgeball tournament.  This is the sweetest THIRD grade boy EVER as the last man standing against a team of Juniors.  AKA giants.  Don't mess, cuz he was picking them off one by one.  What you can't hear is the entire gym of 100 chanting his sweet name, cheering him on.  Sometimes life's treasures come in small packages.  And for the record, if things go right he'll be my future son-in-law.  I'm just sayin'.  

G'night, and sweet blue sky dreams.....

Project 365

The Christmas decorations are down, the pine needles swept, and the six cd changer of holiday music is on a 334 day hiatus.

Goodbye Jingle Bells.  And hello secret music stash the hubby had growing in the Jeep.  Ask the Mrs. to take a vehicle to the shop = forfeit the tunes.  And I'm ALL OVER this one:

My favorite?  Go ahead, I KNOW you want to listen to it........

TRACK 8

There's just something about that bass groove cranked so loud it bounces off my chest that makes my car go faster, my coffee taste better, and my day more accomplished.  I'm preparing to hit the treadmill this weekend to This Is It on blue ray.  I'm pretty sure it will be a bionic kinda experience.  Maybe I'll keep the fire extinguisher close by.  Because that's just what Michael does to this white girl these days.

Project 365.....

I'm trying a new project this year that I was introduced to through a friend.  Meet Project 365.  A picture a day in the life of Karen.  It's day 6.  And you know what?  I love this.  I love that I'm consciously thinking every day about what shot paints the picture of my day, of what caught my eye, or what inspires me.  I love that at the end I will have a keepsake album that will remind me of 365 capturable moments of 2012.  I love that my camera now goes EVERYWHERE with me.  I love that this forces me to learn more and more about my hobby, every single day.  And I love that it's already teaching me that every shot doesn't have to be perfect.  Because perfection means I'm done learning.  And I never want to be done learning the secrets of this passion called photography.  My project peep, Kris, said my 365 needs to be shared.  Here. On Jive and Java's.  

Yikes.

Introducing my first Friday 365 post.  I recommend Track 8 for your viewing pleasure : ).

Anniversary Tulips

**SNOW!!**

Retro decor at Jim Beaver School of Music

Our source of heat

A day at the office.  671 boxes in.  20,000 patient names entered.

My gift.  

HAPPY WEEKEND

Whole lotta happy goin' on...

Well drop that ball and light the fireworks......

There it is.  In all it's pristine goodness.  2012.  

I love a clean slate.  I love organizing.  I love making lists.  And once a year when those three loves hook up?  Well it's nothing short of some form of matrimony.  It's my illusion really.  That life is all together and organized and not hitting the fan on a daily basis.  So when my head is spinning and I can't remember my name, the freshly organized clean slate can look back at me and say, "It's all good girl! We got you!"  So bring on your bad self 2012.  My mommy superpowers are in place:  color coded, pre-stamped and labeled, and backed up on hard drive.  Take that.

But put the kiddos to bed and have a seat.  I must share the last of our 2011 ~  

Because the Schroer's went out with a whole lotta happy on tap.

Christmas delivered it's own magic this year.  It will go down as one of my favorites.

Part of my sneaky Santa plan this year was to surprise Kailey with a mannequin head.  Because that girl loves to do hair.  

Meet MONICA THE MANNEQUIN 

I nearly died when I picked her up.  I forgot that for cosmetology school they come with lice nits, long nappy hair, and random strands of grey.  Monica proudly sported all three.  I just love her for that.....

She found herself headfirst in a plastic bag tied in a knot and an appointment for a makeover.  Sorry Monica.  You'll thank me later.

After some reassurance that the lice were D E A D, Kailey was all over it.  Cue hair artist:

That smile?  That's your happy place darlin'.  Feel it.  Memorize it.  Follow it.  I'm behind you all the way.

Welcome to the family Monica.  

Skating rink debut?  We got that.....

   
                                         

This boy SMASHED it.  And the rush for this mamma?  I have no words.  Raging groupie might sum it up.  But I've been to a lot of concerts, and nothing got my heart pounding like watching this one.  Feel it.  Memorize it.  Follow it, D man.  I'm behind you all the way.

You know what I WASN'T prepared for? 

I know you may not believe it....but I'm soooooo 9 years old here.  No really.  Operation Nostalgia Sneak Attack.  I'm pretty sure you couldn't wipe that smile off my face if you tried.  Call me crazy, but suddenly from down that long hallway of time I could hear it, smell it, feel it.  The breeze in my face with a good fast skate, the Goody comb in the back pocket of my Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, the beat of Another One Bites the Dust, and Heart of Glass in my ears, that burn of the day's blisters forming on my feet, the glow of black lights and flashes of disco ball reflections ~ Once upon a time I felt it, memorized it, and without warning I was remembering it like it was yesterday.  Step aside kids.  Let me show you how it's done.

And you know what?  I wasn't the only one feeling it.

 Give some mamma's a night out and some memories and you just never know what will happen.

My love child discovered she has a skate groove too.  "Can we do this again sometime mom?"

Heck ya we can.

And no year is ever complete without this:

That's a whole lotta happy.  We've worked for it Brady-o.  And there's NO other happy like it. 

Feel it.  Memorize it.  Because we're living it.  And I'm behind you all the way.