Riley

We first got Riley as a puppy in 1999.  He was the cutest ever!  Oh, but did he cause a lot of commotion!   When you'd open the front door, he would take off.  If you left the kitchen, he was in the trash.  If the kids had a stuffed animal laying around, the stuffing would be out.  If someone passed by the house, he would bark non stop.  He loved to have his ears scratched.  He would play dead whenever he wanted a bone.  He would help us catch our pet rabbit when she got out of the cage (no, he never hurt the bunny!) He ate an entire tub of butter one Thanksgiving (took it right off the table when no one was looking).  

Riley was well loved and we will miss him!

April 1999 - February 2011

Deceived

After 30 years of marriage my step-father abandoned my mother and their marriage.  Not only am I troubled that he left my mother, but also in the way he left.  My mom was visiting my sister, Tori in Alabama for a week in August with my son Ahren.  Upon returning to her home, my mom finds a letter left on the table from my step-father.  This letter was a cold and cruel way of saying goodbye to a woman he professed to love.  To make matters worse, he leaves during a time period when she finds out that she is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
Their marriage wasn't an ideal one nor a happy one.  He didn't treat my mom with respect and he was not kind with his words.  He put her down as much as possible in private and in public.  She deserves so much better.  In fact, I am glad he is gone.  I think my mom realizes that she is better off emotionally without him.
My step-father has had his own business since 1991.  My mom has received a paycheck from the business since then.  When he left, he stopped sending her the paycheck.  So now she is worrying about how to live financially without an income at the age of 63.
A good divorce lawyer was recommended to her.  She is in the process of going through the divorce and is waiting for a court date to resolve the issue of alimony.
A friend told me that there is always good to come from the bad.  I am focusing on the fact that I feel as if I can finally have a relationship with my mom.  I have a lot of unresolved issues from my childhood and found it difficult to forgive my mom while she was with my step-father.  Recently I have felt the anger slip away.  Hopefully I can be at peace with my mom before the Parkinson's diminishes her mind.

Snowtober

It's not supposed snow in October, is it?  Well it is Halloween in two days and it is expected to snow at least 6 inches today in PA.  Lovely...

The pond in our back yard.

My rose bush.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Defense!

Brandon has skated since he was 4 and has played hockey since he was 7. He has always played defense and is really good at it. I know.. I know... I have a biased opinion...  but he is good at what he does. His nickname is Moose afterall!  
Recently he decided he wanted to try playing offense with the high school team.   While watching him on the ice, it was interesting to see him slip back into a defensive position.  Playing defense is comfortable and what comes naturally to him.  His first high school game and first time playing offense did not go as he planned.  After suffering a devastating loss, the captain of the team asked Brandon to play defense.  He said, "We really need a good defensive player."  Brandon was disappointed that he wouldn't have a chance to play offense, and yet I could tell he was flattered to have been recognized as a good defensive player.

The stories Brandon tells me after playing a game can be just as entertaining as watching him on the ice!  Last evening he told me he was "egging" the other team on with his witty remarks.  During one play an opposing teammate fell on top of Brandon and didn't get up right away.  Brandon said to the guy "Next time buy me dinner first!"
Being "spunky" does not fall far from the apple tree.  Those who know me frequently say Brandon is definitely my son!  I admit I do get a bit crazy watching him play.  I cheer loudly (but positively). So my question is.... is it wrong to cheer my son on when he "crushes" another player? One of my favorite sounds is the loud banging the boards make when Brandon pushes another player into them at full speed. Am I that crazy of a hockey mom to be proud of my son for committing hockey violence?

Inspiration!

Ahren went back to school in September.  He is taking a program at a local college to earn a degree as a chef.  I am very proud of him.  Ahren had a difficult school life, especially in high school.  When he was in Kindergarten he was diagnosed with ADHD.  We tried medication and it did not help, in fact Ahren had side affects from it.  (Take into consideration that at the time ADHD was very new and the only medication was Ritalin).  When Ahren was in middle school, he was diagnosed with Bipolar.  We took him to CHOP (Childrens Hopsital in Philadelphia).  A specialist gave Ahren a test and he scored very high determining that he had ADHD and Bipolar.  Over the years medications were given to him but nothing seemed to help.  In fact Ahren slept so much during school.  It wasn't until recently I found out the medication he was on should have been given to him in the evening (not first thing in the morning like we were directed to do) because it causes drowsiness.  I honestly don't know how Ahren passed and graduated school.  It was so frustrating because we knew Ahren was an intelligent boy but it did not show in his school work.  Once Ahren graduated he decided to go off all medications and hasn't taken any for the last 5 years.
I am happy to report that Ahren is doing fantastic in school!  In fact he scored a 104% on his history mid-term!  He has the highest grade in the class right now.  I can't express how proud I am of my son!  He is maturing into a wonderful young man with a bright future ahead of him.

  

Hockey Begins!

Over the summer Brandon took hockey lessons to improve his defensive skills on the ice and I can definitely see an improvement in his game.  Hockey season began in August with the Valley Forge Colonials, Bantam AA.  He also is playing with his high school team, Daniel Boone.  Did I say high school?  Yes, my baby boy is in 9th grade this year.  Brandon will have at least two games every weekend with VFC and one game with DBHS.  Not only is he playing hockey, but he got a job working at a hockey rink as a skate guard.  (A skate guard is the staff person who skates around during public skate time to make sure you are following the rink skating rules.)

Can this boy get enough on the ice? 

I know I can't get enough watching him play hockey!  

Bipolar

One month ago I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. For years I have suffered with depression with bouts of manic episodes in between. In fact the depression is why I stopped blogging last year. I just didn't have the heart or the energy to sit at the computer and be honest with how I was feeling. It was the most frustrating feeling to one day be lethargic and the next being a hyper whirlwind. I saw many, many doctors over the years and they all had given me different types of anti-depressents, which made me feel a bit better - but not quite right. I finally was at my wits end, even had suicidal thoughts. I made an appointment with a Psychatrist and he told me I had Bipolar. One would think this news would be devestating. To me it was a relief to hear I was not crazy and that a disorder was causing my mood swings. The doctor gave me medicine to help. Within two weeks my nightmares went away, I had energy to do things, I cared about my appearance, I began making breakfast for the boys (which I haven't done since they were in grade school) and I felt "normal". It's amazing how much I am smiling and laughing again. I am looking at life with new eyes!