Is It Just Me...

...or does everyone feel the need to take a mental health day today?  This weather is pretty depressing.  How's a girl supposed to get her walk on when it is constantly raining?  The theory of walking a mile before work every morning and then another 2-3 every lunch really sounds terrific {especially when I hear myself profess it}but the reality is a bit more bleak.  I did, however, pick up a kettlebell last night {from the basement, not the store}and was totally knocked out.  Those things are killer.  But they are awesome.  It's my new focus.  I've been feeling really terrible for more than a week.  At first I thought it was allergies...or lack of sleep. {someone needs to remind me I'm a little past my partying prime} I've heard the weather can cause this.  Whatever it is, I slept for most of Saturday and still never felt better.  I really need to step it up.  I need my mojo back.  I really need to take my health more seriously.  I'm a mess.

Last week Caleb played his last 7th grade football game.  It was super fly.  The boys did a fabulous job, against Oakridge I might add, and won the game. Sigh.  I think we have a week before basketball...?

Also last week, Caleb was invited to the Youth Leadership Conference in November.  It's a 4 night, 5 day conference  held at Camp Miniwanca.  ♥  What an opportunity for him.  he's so jacked.  He'll get to do a lot of the camp stuff like rock walls and high ropes, as well as do a bunch of leadership stuff with other 7th graders.  The food there is Uhmayyyzing so I won't have to worry about him starving to death.  In the end, he'll have come up with a way to better our school in some way {along with other students} such as a fundraiser or other betterment idea.  What I don't know is if each Whitehall student does his/her own project or if they all work on one together.  Beats me.

Keith's last game was also last week.  The team started off strong in the first  half.  I really can't say what changed in the second.  At the end, the team held a really long huddle and then they all walked the entire length of the filed together, holding hands.  It was pretty neat to see.  Watching the tears streaming down faces of seniors, I was taken back 18 years.  Something about that feeling of knowing "this is it" maybe really never goes away.  I felt for those kids.  I was so struck by seeing a father and son embracing that I wanted to take a picture of it.  Keith was annoyed with me that I would do that in their moment, but I was thinking like a mom.  I knew it may or may not have been appropriate at the time {mainly because I had my zoom lens attached to the camera and I was sooo close to the people in proximity and I was in their business}  As a mom I knew that mom would want that picture.  I'm still playing around with them, but here is one...

Okay, so one pic can be taken a couple different ways...I was just having fun. {and clearly this isn't him with his dad.  I get it}

In case you didn't already know, Halloween is Sunday.  Yes, Sunday!!  Caleb is dressing up as The Mask, Andrew as an Old Man and Kyle as a Harlem Globe Trotter.  Not really sure about the last one.  Kyle wanted to be a basketball player and I agreed only if he wore a wig.  Why?  Because I like Halloween as much as the next gal but I don't see the point in dressing up as yourself or in the same costume every single year.  That thought process is not for everyone but it's the way I'm built.  So anyway, it's Tuesday.  I have 5 days.  I say I have plenty of time to get this worked out.  So far I have the ball uniform {via Keith's throwback Sacred Heart 8th grade collection...who keeps that crap??}and wig and still need tube socks, a sweat band and wrist bands.  Kyle will be wearing black pants and a black shirt underneath...is this racist in any way?  I'm realizing I'm profiling...he needs to be warm.  Thoughts?  For Caleb, I have green makeup and a hat.  Strange, the leopard print electric blue fedora doesn't quite resemble the Mask's hat but Caleb thought of it right away so...  He also needs a brown suit.  Wish me luck.  Andrew has grandpa pants from Jen {thanks, Jen} and suspenders.  I've been really dragging my feet over this one.  Andrew wants a beard.  I'm thinking side hair and bushy eyebrows.  I need a hat and glasses.  Tomorrow is the big day.  Goodwill shopping and Hob Lob. {and maybe some Teej...I want a new purse}  Cannot wait to put it all together.

Here's how old I'm apparently getting.  My baby tells me this morning that...wait, let me first preface this story with a little irony.  Caleb never liked dressing up in costumes as a little thing.  As he got older, he looked forward to coming up with, and dressing in, fun costumes.  So anyway, he says to me this morning, {yes, I referred to him as my baby}"I don't think I'm going to go trick-or-treating this year."  I asked him if he wants to help G & G pass out candy and he said yes.  He even said he may dress up to do it.  I love that he loves to dress up.  He's got a good sense of humor that way.  I'm breaking over here, though, to know that he is growing up.  My fall scrapbook is going to start changing from here on out.  Pictures of my 3 and Kristin's 3 dressed up at gram's will be replaced with the 5 trick-or-treaters and Caleb with his friends dressed up for fall school dances...

Caleb's first dance is Friday night.  he has no "date" but plans to go with some friends.  Oh, I so totally plan on chaperoning.  Don't you know it.  I've waited for these days for a long time!  It doesn't matter that I don't have a girl...I'm actually acting as his voice of reason.  If you ask Caleb what one thing I always say to him without fail, he would answer, "I will never steer you wrong."  It is my motherly duty in this case to prevent him from too much dancing.  While it's definitely a sight,  he could really hurt someone.  I say that lovingly and would never to his face.  Sadly, the rhythm gene skipped over his little soul.  Fortunately for him, he may just be too cool for dancing right now.  Saved by the bell.