Like storm clouds on the horizon....

Hockey Season Begins.



It is still August, but here in PA the official hockey season has begun. August. Hockey in the summer? I don't think even the Canadians are this insane! Minnesota and Michigan are the big hockey states, and they wait until mid October to get the team rosters together and start carving the ice. I am not sure why hockey begins so early, and it is a shame as it cuts into fall activities and sports that many boys would like to play.



So, as we all gear up for another season of action and fun, I have decided to psych up myself with my version of "you might be a hockey parent..."



You might be a hockey parent if......

~your e-mail account has hockeymom or your child's number somewhere in it.

~you upgrade from a minivan to a suburban so you can fit your son's hockey bag in the back.

~you clock the miles to tournaments and take bets on which will be lower, the fees or the mileage.

~your husband knows all the names of the kids your son has ever played with and their birthdays, but doesn't know the names of the neighbor's kids and hasn't a clue the birthdays of your neices or nephews.

~you plan the birth of your next child so it lands just prime for the hockey cut-offs.

~you rush home after each game (and practice) to enter the stats in your own computerized spreadsheet.

~you simply cannot relate with a parent of a soccer player.

~you find yourself stumped when trying to open a conversation with a family that doesn't play hockey.

~you walk around the house humming "hockey rock"tunes.

~you trip over hockey gear on your son's floor, which is only picked up when it is loaded into the bag for the next practice.

~you no longer find the smell of his equipment "offensive".

~your other children have acclimated to the hockey rink climate and no longer require winter coats, hats, or gloves when the temperature is above 18 degrees.

~Vending machine coffee and hot chocolate are a delicacy.

Dipped

Benjamin was officially christened into the Scott family when his feet were dipped into Lake Sylvia July 20th. Onlookers Grandma and Papa couldn't have been more elated. The smile shows it all -- Benjamin truly loves the water.

School

School begins for us Sept. 8th. This week I will order loads of new books and curricula. This is the most fun part of homeschooling! Like fresh paint on a barn to a farmer , so are new materials to a homeschool family.
When does it start for your kids?
Just curious.....

Three Weeks

That is how long we were in Minnesota. It was a great trip full of time with family, friends and cabin memories.

The twenty hour car ride on the way there went without a hitch, but the way home Little Ben had caught a very bad cold and was miserable...so everyone but the driver took turns trying to appease a stuffy, sick, tired - but - can't - sleep baby.
Audrey, Chloe and Jackson are Benjamin's hero's. They never grow impatient and always have a new idea of how to make him smile.

I don't know how many moms out there can say that after spending three weeks with their kids 24/7 traveling from home to home will come away loving their kids even more....but I can say it. I'm blessed to have such a wonderful troop.

I have pictures and stories to share, but not until I get a good night's rest (please sleep my little sick baby...) and upload some of the pictures.

It is strange, but the kids and I all had the same feeling: We were so sad to leave MN, but after arriving "home" in PA we realized that it is our home now, and it actually felt good to be back. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I suspect we are all making peace with the move and that is a good thing.

Who would have thought

That Easterners loooooove Italian Ice. Within 4.5 miles, I can think of at least 6 places where you can order Italian Ice from a window.

Here we are at Rita's, which is quite popular. Every town has a Rita's. May I recommend the Mango Italian Ice?

Quirks of living in the Lehigh Valley

1. If you plan on getting your car washed after filling it up with gas, think again. No car washes at gas stations.

2. When merging onto a highway from an enterance ramp, be prepared to stop at a stop sign.

3. Kids swim in creeks, not lakes.

4. A very bad day is NOT horrible....it's "Haarable". The word is commonly used and never pronounced correctly.

5. Weekends are spent at the "shore" rather than the beach.

6. I have yet to find a grocery store where you bag your own groceries.

7. There is ONE target for a population of near 800,000.

8. Drivers will stop in the middle of a road (no stop sign present) to let you enter the road from a parking lot.

9. People eat hotdogs from a place called "yocco's".

10. Names of towns nearby: Trexlertown, Shnecksville, Catasaucua, Kutztown

11. Popular last names in the Lehigh Valley: Schaffer, Schermerhorn, Shoohooven, any name beginning with Van

12. A visit to the zoo means you wind up a mountain to get there and ford a creek to exit.

13. PA natives believe all bad drivers must be from Jersey. All Jersey implants think the bad drivers are the PA natives.

14. Houses put candles in all the windows. It's quite quaint and welcoming.

15. Many houses have a large metal star hanging on the front.

16. I think every town has a local "Diner", and most all restaurants are family owned, rather than a franchise.

17. No one ever takes off their shoes when they enter a home.

More to come...

Eatin' More Chikin!

It's a poor quality shot, but as you can see, our herd was welcomed like family by the Eat Mor Chikin' Cow.
In fact, you may see us in a promo sometime soon, as the Chick fil a representative had me sign a release form for the rights to our picture. We also were informed that we could win a grand prize of FREE FOOD for an entire month. Imagine that!