Twenty eight, Twenty nine, Twenty Hundred!!!!

Eoin Jamesa, Eoin Michalamesa, Eoster meister Man Jamma Lamma Kareee!

Just one of the Myriad of songs I sing to Eoin using his name.  I am not a singer.  At ALL. But somehow I have managed to sing my way into and during mothering.  We are singing all the time.  Erin and Eoin even sing my crazily conncocted songs to each other sometimes.

This is Eoin. My Manjamma.

He amazes me.  When he was just 15 months old, he had surgery to remove a growth from the roof of his mouth.  Our mutual love affair with singing came as I walked him up and down the triage corridor at AAMC awaiting his time to "go under".  At that time I sang "Cockles and Mussels" over and over again.  He was so calm and to this day I can hold him and sing that song and he calms down regardless of his restlessness or agitation.   "Alive, Alive, O, Alive, Alive, O, Crying Cockles and Mussels, Alive, Alive, O".

The reason I started singing this song to him was because the Anesthesiologist was Dr. Malone.  A young lad who had never heard of the song.  "In Dublin's fair city where girl's are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone".  No sister, no aunt, no relative named Molly.  Maybe he will Marry a Molly.

Okay, totally off track, this is supposed to be about Eoin.  Eoin continually awes us with his creations, set ups, concoctions, and his hard work.  The kid is strong.

Recently, I purchased a Diego Egg for him in the junk aisle at Giant.  Was a total impulse buy, $1, a waste to some, but not this kid.  These are the little Diego candies that were inside.  Did not eat them but they entertained him for a good 30 minutes.

Every day is a new day to create for Eoin.  He will used just about anything in his designs.  Some may think the number of cars he has is over the top, but I don't.  He "plays" with EVERY car, EVERY day.

The method to his madness is unclear, but there is a method, of that I am sure.

He may play with his food, dump a whole bag of pretzels into a basket, deny his love for Bridgie, but we would not have him any other way.

Buddle Madoosk My Eoinie Roosk.  My Buddle, Buddle, Buddle, Buddle, Boy Karee...





Competition

My sister-in-law Tara was the only one to give a guess as to the author of my previous post.  She guessed Emerson...English Major!  Good guess but no.  Anyone close to me knows that I read A LOT of Amish fiction.  Mostly by the author Beverly Lewis.  I went out on a limb and picked up an Amish fiction book by of all things a man.  Dale Cramer is the author and the excerpt came from his novel  Paradise Valley.  I was surprised by this book on many levels.  First, that he could keep pace and keep me enthralled as easily as Bev, yeah we are on a first name basis.  That happens when you love an author so much you pre-order her novels 3 years in advance.  Second, the amount of history Dale Cramer crammed into this book.

A brief synopsis of the book.  In 1921, Ohio's new law forces Caleb Bender's family to seek sanctuary in the wilds of Mexico, where the government will not interfere with their Amish way of life or take their children from them.  The book has the usual Amish fiction spins of love, hard work, young people questioning the Ordung and their parents, and faith.  Caleb Bender's family is almost torn apart when the government tries to force Bender to send his kids the "Englisher" school.  Amish children generally only attend until the 8th grade.  One of the arguments Bender makes to the court about not sending his children to the "worldly" school is the issue of competition.  His exact argument is laid out in the previous blog.

While I certainly see the benefits of competition, or should I say healthy competition, the idea of competition today seems over the top.  A friend on facebook commented on her pre-teen daughters volleyball team receiving trophies at the end of the season.  They were the last place team... yes, I get it let's build every one's self esteem and not leave anyone out.  No, really I don't see the value of this (or the waste of money).  How about  nobody gets a trophy even the winner.  How about kids play because they love the game and the other kids on their team AND in their league.  What, be friends with your opponent?  Did she really just say that out loud?  Yup, I did.

Youth sports should be intramural. Period. Period. Period.  No travel, no fast-pitch softball at 8 years old, no try-outs.  Yup, said it out loud again. 

How about we teach our kids healthy internal competition?  Teach them to do their best, always.  And their best is not always going to be better than the day before and that's OK.  Let's teach our kids to work with others to achieve a goal.  Let's teach our kids that to BE THE BEST does not mean to be BETTER than someone else.  Because, they are already the BEST GOD had to give us.  Yes, there is room for improvement, goals, achievements, and victories, but at what cost?  Sports used to be simple and in many cities still are.  However, in places like Crofton, somebody spent a pretty penny to have portable construction lights set up at Crofton Elementary for lacrosse practices (okay maybe somebodies Dad donated them but I'm cynical).  Is lacrosse practice at the youth level that important?

But how is my kid gonna be ready for HS?  How is my kid going to get an athletic scholarship if he does not put in enough time now?  Please, don't get me started.  I'll save that for another blog.  Spend time with your kid playing catch in the yard, shooting hoops in the driveway, playing tag, riding bikes, going to the park or going for an evening walk (don't forget to bring your plastic shopping bag for the trash you pick up along the way).  It won't be long before they won't let you do these things with them, especially if you try to make them practice lacrosse in the dark.

Thoughts on educational competition to follow...

Konkurrenz...

"We are here because we are fathers and we want to teach our children what is best.  Who is better to decide what to teach a child than his father?  The Bible tells us we are to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord, so this is what we try to do.  We teach them to love Gott and neighbor, to work hard, to care for the land, to provide for their family, to cooperate with their neighbors and to help widows and orphans.  A little schooling is gut, but your consolidated school is full of the world, they learn other ways.  They learn..."  "Konkurrenz..." "Competition".  "They learn competition".  "Not working together, but against one another.  They learn to be selfish.  So then it seams to me we are bringing them up in the nurture of the world.  We fear for our children.  We fear for their minds and hearts because we don't know what they will be taught in your schools".  "So much time in your school, makes them greedy and lazy, and fills their heads with foolishness."

Anyone want to guess what type of book this is from and or the time frame?..... Crickets chirping.

Kindergarten registration is in a few weeks.  Not really sure how I feel about it.  She needs more than I can give but how much more?  7 1/2 hours a day more....I think not.

Would love to discuss this but chances are I will only hear from the crickets....chirp, chirp, chirp...

Cupcakes, Candles, and Cousins, Oh My!

The Na- Na's turn two on Thursday so Aunt Laura wanted to try a practice run before their big party on Saturday.

She brought cupcakes, frosting, sprinkles, and candles.

Everyone got to frost and sprinkle two cupcakes and everyone got their own candle.



We sang Happy Birthday to the Na-Na's. Once, twice, three times....I lost count!

Everyone was happy....

Especially, Mama Na-Na.  "This is what I dreamed about when I thought about being a mom".

Oh, and Uncle Jerry was happy too...

He purchased a trampoline from Mr. Alex, our next door neighbor, for fifty bucks.

"For the kids", right, and I have ocean front property in Arizona!



"Happy Birthday, dear Na-Na's..."  We love you.

The little "things", part two...

Today Erin got her very own Library Card!

She filled out the application all by herself, signed the back of her card, and checked out 5 books.

I can't believe how "proud" I am of this little girl for this little "feat".



I hope and pray that this will begin a life long love affair with books for her.

The little things...

In this life of mine, there are very few "things" that make me happy.

Here is one example of "things" that make me happy...

Pumpkin Spice coffee, Yum...

What makes the pumpkin spice coffee so wonderful is the taste combined with Coffee mate Italian Sweet Cream, my mother's favorite mug which I inadvertently stole (she left it or I borrowed it and I never returned it!),  and the fact that my wonderful sister-in-law, Jenny Bryl found this coffee for me!  It is a limited edition sold in the fall and she found it for me!  Yay, Jenny!

So, it truly is about the little "things" like your favorite coffee, a pair of jeans that fit just right, and Hershey's chocolate.  Without the little "things" we would not have the big relationships, memorable conversations, and fun adventures in life.

Down Syndrome Awareness Day

So what does one do on Down Syndrome Awareness Day?  Play, love, and share the joy.  Bridgid Kelly Bryl, 14 months today, is pure joy.  I wish everyone could share in the joy that is Bridgie on a daily basis.  I want to share with you this face of pure joy.

The face that loves soft, cuddly toys....

     

The face that LOVES her big sister...

 

The face of the only one of the three Bryl children who could hold her own bottle....

The face of a princess who loves to play...

This little angel is Bridgie, one face of Down Syndrome. 

If not me, then who...

On October 30th, 2011, I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC for the third time.  The first time I ran the race was in 1996, and the second time was in 2004 right after Jerry and I were married.  The first time, right out of college, I overtrained.  The second time, newly married and fresh from our honeymoon, we seriously under trained.  Both times I had the same result.  Finished in 4:50 and 4:53.  Seriously, "bonked", ran out of gas, tossed my cookies, saw stars, however you want to phrase it my body crashed at mile 21.  Walked, jogged, and stumbled to the finish line.

The Third time should be the charm.  I am much smarter and emotionally stable and desire only to finish while still feeling "well".  By training with a group, fueling my body during runs, and having a reason to run I hope to accomplish my goal.

Enter Team Travis.  I am running this marathon with a group called Team Travis which is an offshoot of the Travis Manion Foundation.  Travis Manion was a marine who graduated from the Naval Academy in 2004.  In 2007, on his SECOND tour in Iraq Travis was killed in action.  Please visit http://www.travismanion.com/ for more inspiring information about this young man.  To add to the story, Travis' roomate from the academy, Brendan Looney, was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan this past fall.  Travis and Brendan were born leaders, soldiers, and best friends.  They were laid to rest side by side at Arlington National Cemetary this year.

Brendan Looney was a DeMatha grad and the nephew of a friend of mine from college.  For many reasons this foundation resonates with me.  The most resounding reason is the foundations mission to "Honor the fallen by challenging the living".  I hope that you will at the very least check out this foundation and learn more about these fallen heroes and the selfless mission of their families and friends.

My goal is to raise $600 for the foundation as I train for this Marathon.  If you are able and feel so inclined please help support me and the foundation with a monetary donation.  More importantly, I hope you will support me and the foundation with your thoughts and prayers.

If not you, then who...

Steps for making a donation:

1.  Go to http://teamtravis.com/
2. Find Marine Corps Marathon in the left hand tool bar and click "sponsor an athlete"
3. Type in Cynthia Bryl under search for a runner
4. Choose Cynthia Bryl and click sponsor
5. Make a donation

Luck of the Irish

                                    
                                           How lucky am I to have my own Leprechaun! 

This mischevious little elf leaves all kinds of hidden treasures.

I am so Lucky!

Saturday Nite Underwear-Pajama Family Jam

The Silver Lining?

As I see it, there is one plus to having the stomach bug in the house.  All surfaces are lemony fresh, all bedding is downy fresh, and I don't have to make any chocolate milk for 24 hours!  Okay, that's three positives.

One more positive is seeing how brave and selfless your 5 year old can be.  "Mom, don't let Bridgie sit with me this morning, I don't want her to get this".  She is not purposely excluding Eoin from this declaration, the fact is he would be more likely to eat Lima Beans than to sit in the same chair as his sister.

Speaking of Eoin,  there is much joy in listening to him talk to his dinosaurs and making them talk to each other.  We had quite fun tearing apart his room looking for the triceratops this morning.  "Triceratops where are you?  We miss you so muchly.  Triceratops where are you?  It's dinner time."  That's what we say when we play hide and seek and peek-a-boo with the kids.  Triceratops was located in the stuffed animal basket in case you were worried.

Chewing the Fat

Muscle weighs more than Fat. True. Scientifically.  However, muscle can never weigh as much on the body as fat weighs on a persons mind, heart, soul, and spirit.  Chew on that.

It ain't for the money, it ain't for the glory, it ain't for the free whiskey, It's for the Badonkadonk

Okay, it's not really for the Badonkadonk, well maybe just to help keep it under control a little bit.  I don't train to be better than you, to beat anyone, or for the free beer at the end.  I train and race to beat her.  Cindy Lou. That little girl, that competitive runner, the best friend.  I need to catch her and I want to beat her.  I need to catch her and show her all the errors of her ways and how far she has come.  Mentally, I am far superior, physically she is my challenge, my motivation.

I had a glimpse of Cindy Lou last nite.  I could feel her in my bones.  She lifted my spirit and challenged me to push harder.  She was in my garage with me, in front of the treadmill, driving hard, pushing ahead.  And I could SEE her! 

It's been a long time but there was no doubt.  It was her and I could SEE her.  That means I can catch her.  Not today, not tomorrow, but soon.  I wonder if she knows I am coming?