Thanksgiving in Hawaii
Not a Bad Gig

Day 204

November 29, 2013

Team Zybko

Only one missing from our crew this Thanksgiving and in this pre-feast picture taken at Grandmas and Grandpas. Dylan. He couldn't come home, on the account he flew with the Army football team to cheer at the game Saturday. In Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii. Cheerleaders apparently have their perks. No one really felt super sorry for him  for missing out but I did get a little mushy and just as cheesy as the traditional baked southern veggie dish. A missing kid is a missing kid, even if that kid is busy lifting up cute bikini girls, snorkeling, walking on soft white sand and representing America in a red, white and blue swim suit.

 I didn't hormonal cry all over the homemade cranberry sauce or anything, it was just different head count than in previous years. I did however call him a thousand times til I was able to get through and talk to him. To make sure he knew, we knew, he wasn't there and we love him to Honolulu and back. Oh wait, Dylan... I forgot to tell you last night, remember to heavily apply the SPF toady. Your skin won't be used to the sun. Wearing a grey wool uniform head to toe underneath the cloudy skies of New York is not the same as running around half naked on a tropical island. 
(that will be my one embarrassing mom reminder on this blog for the year. Your shoulders and face will thank me later though) 

Thank you grandma and Aunt Susan for all the hard work and love you poured into the preparation of dinner and the beautiful table arrangments. It was a wonderful day, filled with out door, active games, garage ping pong, lazy movies, jokes, friendy friend guests we consider part of Team Zybko, yummy food and a bunch of thankful family togetherness. 

New Hairdo

Go Extreme or Go Home

Day 205

November 29, 2013

Team Zybko

First of all, I sorry about the middle aged soccer mom selfies. I was by myself and just had to record this super important event in history, just in case it went viral and all.

What did you do?
Oh.....
That is really is short huh?
Why did you do that?
Did you donate it?

These are some of the questions in response to seeing the new, less tangly, messy bun free, lighter me. Yes lighter. That totally counts as ounces if not pounds lost. I figure soaking wet with a palm full of conditioner left in it probably weighed about the same as a huge slice of Thanksgiving home made pumpkin pie a la mode. That's legit, weigh your hair, I saw it on Oprah or something one time. Now I can go in for another round, maybe switch it up and go for the pecan pie this time. I refuse to dessert discriminate, I am that kinda girl. 

Every few years I get a wild hair, so to speak and ask myself why on earth a pile do I even have long hair, I don't do a thing with it. And although I have mastered the sloppy joe pony tail and go look (that was on Oprah once too) I simply had to have an intervention of one and let the hair go, it was bringing the rest of my look down ya know. Ha! Hopefully this fresher look will inspire me to wear pants with buttons more than just one day a week and lace up or pull on something other than Nikes. Maybe just maybe a smidgen of make-up will follow that. 
 Don't expect any miracles people but just for the record I am wearing some bamming big ole silver hoops from Wal-Mart. Mostly so no one has the chance to mistake me for a boy as I go about my weekend errands but it's a start. 

Sorry Locks of Love, it was too jacked up from cheap boxes of dye and $1 bottles of conditioner. Maybe next time. I 'll get in touch with you in about 6 or 7 years. 

This Brown Nosing Student Gets an A+

Day 203

November 27, 2013

Team Zybko

I think this student was trying to get out of something, maybe multiplication flashcards or a shortened recess for behavior issues. Can't really say for sure. What I do know is that in 20 years I won't remember or care about the real reason. Today though, as I cancel the extra work I had planned for school day # 76  I remember how sweet 8 year old boys are. So I gave him an A+ for brown nosing, effort and the use of adjectives.
I love you Drex!

A Prayer and Happy Thoughts 

For Traveling College Students

Day 202

November 26, 2013

                                            Team Zybko

I can't help but smile a big cheesy grin as I scroll down my Face Book news feed today. It is happily littered with giddy parental posts, some in ALL CAPS to em-fah-sas just how happy they are.  Excitement about their college babies coming home for the holidays. I can relate. They are happy and eager to hug them, do their laundry, cook their favorite foods and simply put, more than ready to enjoy their company. Filling up a gas tank or two, turning your cheek to a less than acceptable messy room and of course no curfew will all be part of the equation. I wish my other old friends who obviously don't look old enough to have children 18 years and older a good visit. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of a fuller house, more dishes and the less than normally scheduled quiet time. 

The weather is scheduled to be pretty nasty across the board, so please be careful driving kids. Us old people want you back in one piece.

Psalm 121:8

the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Heavenly Father, I am in complete awe of you. Humbly I come to you in prayer for our children, actually your children on loan to us. I am completely topped off with thanksgiving for your faithfulness and the kind of God you are. An ever loving, present God that hears our requests and keeps a close eye on our children, 24/7/365. You watch over them when they are under our roofs and when they are not. I ask you Lord to safeguard, to put a protective layer of bubble wrap around all the college kids coming and going this holiday week. Thank you for the blessing and joy of motherhood. In Jesus' sweet and precious name. Amen. 

I Stayed On The Tread Mill Running BECAUSE....

Day 201

November 25, 2013

Team Zybko

I laced up my Nikes for a Couch to 5K workout and opened the front door, the wind cut right through me like a seen on T.V. knife. Good. I didn't really want to run anyway. That was easy.
Fast forward a few hours. The kids needed to get out. They needed some interaction and I probably could use a conversation with someone with the ability to grow armpit hair. We make it the gym. I realized I forgot my earphones. My knee hurt a little. I had the wrong color socks on. Maybe I should just take the the Zumba class that starts in ten minutes instead of running. I'm pretty sure I even heard my mom calling me for dinner. My motivation had taken the first fast train to lazyville, 4pm departure. 
So long suck-ahhh!
Fast forward 20 minutes or so. I was content with wandering around ducking in empty hallways to check Face Book on my phone. Maybe my ambition will show would show up on the newsfeed somewhere. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Fast forward through the bad service within the cement walls, I finally got my big butt on a tread mill. Once I hit the quick start key it was all downhill from there or at least 0% grade. 

I stayed on the tread mill running because:

The kids were having fun in the kids area

The kids were driving me slightly crazy

I stayed on the tread mill running because:
I was really into an episode of Parks and Recreation
Even with just subtitles and no sound it was better than laundry  

I stayed on the tread mill running because: 
The lady on the Jacobs ladder insisted on fiddling with her iPod
I couldn't resist watching, if it was me I would have fallen off
Maybe she worked for the circus part time 

I stayed on the tread mill running because:
The lady to the left and right of me didn't stop, they kept at it
I even tried to sneak a peak at their lit up numbers but almost fell 
but remembered I wasn't in competition with anyone else

I stayed on the tread mill running because:
I was trying to master the running selfie to send to Baby Daddy
but never did
hence no sweaty cutesy soccer mom picture attached here
This is harder than you may think

I stayed on the tread mill running because:
The voice on my iPhone told me to
and we all know how smart those people are

I stayed on the tread mill running because:
I was totally into the conversation between a mom an her daughter
My new tread mill neighbors of the day
The dinner she had planned sounded must better than mine

I got off the tread mill because:
Before I knew it 4 and a half miles were behind me

Whatever your reasons are
JUST DO IT!

Snaps of Real Life

Day 200

November 24, 2013

Team Zybko

A Jazzed-Up Catholic Mass

Day 199

November 24, 2013

Team Zybko

An electric guitar

Words jumping around on pull down screens

A drum set

Modern worship songs

Ad lib clapping in random pews

Smiley teens

Where was I you ask?

Our new Catholic Church.

Amen!

Team Zybko Goes ABSTRACT

One Unique Display at Time

Day 198

November 23, 2013

Team Zybko

We could have bought movie tickets but we didn't. 
We needed something different to do today.
We thought exposing the kids to art was a better choice.
We can see an animated film any old time.

The museum was new, clean and way fancier than the dollar movie theaters. Not busy either, we only saw a handful of other  peeps as we strolled through the exhibits with wide eyes and an open mind. Baby Daddy and I didn't say much to the kids before passing the sleek lobby and riding up 4 floors of steep escalators. Only explaining that you may not always understand someones art but it is their art never the less. Creativity speaks many languages. It's a personal thing. Well, that's sorta of the truth. I told them if you don't get it or you think it's not so pretty please don't say so out loud and don't sit down on what you may think is a seat cause it may actual be art.   
  

The place was sprinkled with some beautiful pieces. Sculptures, paintings, glass, wood and woven inspirations made by some talented people. As we meandered around countless glass cases I smiled as I thought about being here in a different season. Like a stroller season, serious sticky finger season and the crazy two year old run in every direction season. It was refreshing to have only been asked once by a security guard for the children to not lean on the glass.

 I seemed to get sidetracked in my thoughts and the very photogenic Charlotte skyline, which starred at me out of every window. I guess I liked the un-art and the 3 farty arts I brought with me more so than what I paid to look at. Or I have un-diagnosed ADD, I'll look into that later...ooh look at that one...over there....squirrel.

We asked the kids what the abstract art looked like to them. Ironically, the names given by my 11, 8 and 6 year old were never the same as the what the plaque on the wall read. Re-naming was half the fun. If the cultural experience wasn't enough they had a fully stacked, hands on kids room on the bottom floor of the museum. We happily stayed in that room for a few hours creating our masterpieces for our very own fridge. Gluing, cutting, tracing and crafting away enough pipe cleaners projects to get our admission money back ten fold. Now only if they had popcorn and ice cold coke, we would have purchased a season pass.  

spaghetti  

a milk ripple

hidden dragon 

 goobers stuck in a box

parmesan cheese

kryptonite

 transparent jelly bean

 root beer

  

slug

belly button

 who flung doo

home school torture desk

bored

dinosaur poop

 kitchen rug

Hey Honey, what do you see in this one?

I don't.

Baby Daddy....Wake up

Keep looking at it....you will see something 

Is that supposed to be in here mom?

 Crayons

Air vents

dead butterfly