Another birthday...come and gone...

As far as birthdays go, I don't think Brynnley's 9th will go down in history as "the best." Don't get me wrong...we celebrated...in the midst of school, volleyball game, piano lessons, soccer practice, football practice and a teacher orientation.
Do we know how to celebrate or what?
In spite of all the craziness, B said she had a great day. How lucky we are to have this beautiful (fiesty) girl in our family! Never a dull moment as she is CONSTANTLY singing at the top of her lungs. CONSTANTLY. Surrounded by lots of friends, there seems to be drama of some sort on a regular basis. (Is that typical for 9-year-olds?) She is super-friendly and has a smile that lights up the room. She also has been known to have an attitude that will challenge the most patient of people (which I am not...) She loves soccer and gymnastics...(another constant...cartwheels and back bends in the family room, in the parking lot, on the soccer field, in the grocery store) and going without shoes. After begging for months to take piano lessons, she was ready to quit after the second week. (Turns out, she just wants to know how to play...doesn't want to have to actually practice or learn.)
Ever in awe of her big sister,...she is quite popular amongst Addysen's friends whether at volleyball or basketball...and she has quite the crush on more than one of Addysen's friends.
We are so grateful for this spirited and lively little girl. We sure do love our Boo Da Loos!

Football...do I have to learn to love this sport?

The 7th grade Rangers are undefeated at the current time. With two games left before the playoffs, we hope to keep that record going. It's been an interesting season. I find it quite painful to watch these boys tackle and slam each other into the ground. I never thought I would say this, but Cannon seems so little when he is out there against some of the kids. (He would hate that I said that, I'm sure.) Of course, I can't remember now, but I think he plays Wing Back and Linebacker? I don't know. I'm quite clueless...and wonder how, if he decides to stick with this game, am I ever going to learn to love it?
Do I even have to?

Volleyball is also in full swing. Unlike last year at this point, however, I do not have a single picture yet. That has to do, in part, with the fact that the refs yelled at me multiple times last year. Apparently, taking pictures is too distracting to the girls playing. (Whatever.) The other reason? This year just isn't so fun. There are a lot of differences....which I won't go into on a public blog...but let's just say that we hope this goes down as a great learning experience. Only time will tell.

A Scout in the house

Cannon is moving forward with Scouts...and, thanks to a campout in our backyard this weekend (in the pouring rain), he has almost completed the rank of First Class. Onward and Upward....

Apparently, I am a fighter.

 I don't really think of myself as a fighter. I THINK of myself as more of a peacemaker.
But, maybe I am not.
I fought with Bank of America for 2 YEARS...yes, 2 YEARS to get our house payment lowered and into a plan that they said we qualified for...then continually kicked us out of. It was only after enlisting the help of my local congresswoman's office that Bank of America finally completed the deal. Given my piles and piles of documentation...I can't even imagine how many people lost their homes due to bank errors and screw-ups.... People who apparently weren't as determined to just accept the answers given and the status quo.

Heaven knows I have fought with more than one renter. Talk about a losing battle. The court systems, the legal system....the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Still makes me sick to my stomach...but I fought...and won in most cases. Although...my winnings were really no victory.

And now....

After many back and forth calls and emails...suffice it to say that Kenzie has a new bus stop. Or, rather, the old bus stop is back in front of our house. Although I didn't have to actually use it, I did videotape the bus several days in a row...as it stopped at 4 separate stops on the end of the street (they told me it only stopped once on our street.) At two of the stops, no one even came out. Turns out, the kids that live there go to private schools, yet the public schools have to provide their transportation or pay the parents a stipend. Go figure.
I also videotaped one day when it was so foggy I could only see about 3 houses down the street...and Kenzie's stop was 9 houses down. Again, my issue wasn't so much that she had to walk down the street (.20 miles according to my Garmin. Yes, I am that insane...I did clock it.) My issue was having two kids leave at the same time...from opposite ends of the street. How could I be in both places? And which child should I leave standing alone?
But really, the issue was...since the bus legally stops in front of my house anyway...why in the world couldn't they open the door and let my kids on?
Since they couldn't/wouldn't give me a reason that made sense (like..."we only have one stop on that street," or "we stop within 2-3 houses of each kindergartner or first grader's house") I pushed the issue.
Finally, after the Director of Business Services took a tour around town...and saw what I was talking about....
Kenzie now gets picked up and dropped off at the end of our driveway.
Now, if only the bus ride didn't take 1.5 hours.....

As for how I feel about being a "fighter"....I'm really not sure. I feel like I don't just fight to fight...all good causes...but it is exhausting. Somehow, however, I'm afraid that it will become increasingly important in the years ahead for me to be willing to "fight" for what I believe is right.

I hope I'm up to the challenge.