Flat Stanley Goes Down Under

Flat Stanley has been all over the world! This time he traveled to Australia. He was visiting with his new friend Kaye.

Flat Stanley first spent time with Kaye at her work.Kaye said:
Flat Stanley had his photo taken today (13th May, 2008) on the advertising Bill Board for Capricorn Liquorice, at Betta Foods Manufacturing Plant in Melbourne, Australia.

Capricorn Liquorice is Betta Foods Brand Name and is advertised at International Trade Shows. Betta Foods Australia Manufacture for local and export market a great range of soft eating liquorice and chocolate coated liquorice logs,

Betta Foods Australia currently export their great product into Canada, United Kingdom and soon into USA.

Hope Flat Stanley enjoyed his visit at Betta Foods Manufacturing Plant in Melbourne, Australia.

Next he visited with Kaye's son Frankie. He took him to work at one of Australia's most popular television stations- Channel 9.

Here Flat was on the set of a very famous show called 'The Footy Show' which airs in Australia every Thursday night. The link for the show is http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/afl/footyshow/

After visiting with Frankie he went on to visit with Frankie's sisters house. She has 4 young children who Flat Stanley got to play with all the time.

Andrea said:

Well here are some photos!!! Flat Stanley had an awesome day. He visited all the Kinders and Kalani's school. He is pretty knackered and looking forward to his trip home!

Wow! He had a wonderful time. Tired...but otherwise in excellent condition he returned home to Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Today, Zach took him and his travel log up to school to tell all of his friends about his journey.

What did we learn from his travels? In a world where people seem to be out for themselves so often we've learned that their are wonderful people still in all parts of the world. People that have great hearts. People that would take time from their busy lives to hold on to Flat Stanley, take his picture and send a message back to our family. Flat's travels taught us to look at the world a bit differently. While we're glad to have him back home I can't help but wonder if this was a project with no deadline where would he have gone to next?

To all of you who helped with this project THANK YOU! Your kindness to our family, and your careful handling of Flat Stanley are greatly appreciated.

What a month!

It seems hard to believe that it has been 10 days since I last had a minute to post. Honestly, don't know if I have a minute now but... how can I avoid posting with all that has gone on.

Let's see there has been so much happening, where to start...

Flat Stanley! He has been spotted in Australia and is on his way home. Keep a watch for his latest letter and information. He has had quite the adventure and a full recap will be coming soon.

Zach, hockey season is over for the year. It's been a fun and interesting season. They lost the championship game for the Spring League but played hard. We're actually on break until camp the end of July. Guess that's why we went golfing yesterday since it's his off season.

Katie, took her hamster to school today. She is almost done with her first year of school. Seems so hard to believe. 9 more days left, boy do I need to get some things done before that gets here.

Me, well Creative Memories is a blast. I'm in Unit Leader qualifications and will just have to wait and see if we make the sales goals as a team this month. If you need anything, or just simply want to help me make my sales goals...www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy

WINGS!!! Wow! Even the VS reporters were saying they were doing well and dominating the game. Once the reporters turn that corner you know good things are coming. It will be fun to see how the rest of the playoffs go. We may even have to plan a quick trip up to Detroit next week!

That's about it in the quick recap of what is going on. There of course is laundry, dishes, cleaning, bills etc as well. Somethings just never end.

Feeling Sick?

It has been a crazy week. I know everyone has their own busy lives and things going on all the time. I'm not alone in that, and yes I also know that we tend to do that to ourselves by filling up the calendar. This week though has just made me feel SICK!

First, it started with a hideous game on Saturday for my son's hockey team. You can read about that on a previous post. Than Mother's Day came and went. Now I'm all for spending time with family, but it would be so nice someday to have a holiday/celebration with just our family. It's certainly not that I wouldn't like to see family on the special day, but it's hard when we've never had a Christmas morning or any other special holiday morning to ourselves. Ok, I'm whining, sorry it's my blog!

Then the school week started. Now it's Staff Appreciation week up at our school, and while I don't have a role in it really, I've still been involved taking pictures, delivering drinks, and baking for it.

Of course the highlight of our week was suppose to be Wednesday...our youngest 6th birthday. I believe she still had a nice day, but what started out fun for me turned into craziness with Zach needing to go to the Dr. So between breakfast and lunch I ran to the pediatricians, came home long enough to get picture cards basically done for the school, ran up to take Katie to lunch, home to check on Zach and then back to school to pick up Katie. By then Zach felt better which was good. We finished celebrating her birthday with dinner out. At which she started to not feel good. Got everyone put to bed, and sat down to relax and watch the Wings play.

Talk about feeling sick! I know I need new glasses but obviously the Refs need to get them first! I can see the goal in the first game being contested for Homer being in the crease but HELLO OUT THERE! This time he was CLEARLY not in the crease. But ok, fine if Dallas needs to win a game on bad calls and called off goals they can have it. The series still belongs to us. And while on the subject Brian Engbloom needs to get a life! Firsts he is all supportive of the Wings, when they are up 3-0, but the SECOND they have a goal called against them, he jumps sides. You Brian are a commentator, suppose to report the story and not be a one sided anyone but the Wings person. So GET A LIFE!

So, now it's Friday. Finally, all are off to school as they both were home sick yesterday and life is onto the next rush of getting ready for a birthday party and then my National Scrapbook Day Event.

Ahh...time for a nap, maybe in a few years.

At least, cough, cough, sneeze...I'm only feeling partially sick. Nothing a good game on Saturday can't cure!

Crazy Hair Day

Have you ever had a day where you just want to pull your hair out? Things aren't going well, and you have just had it. Maybe you've had a day where life just is too crazy? Today at my children's school they are having Crazy Hair Day! Not because they want to pull their hair out, but rather because the students thought it would be funny. So, being the Mom that I try to be I suggested to our son, who currently is growing his hair long to be just like his cousin, that maybe we could do a crazy hairdo. Zach was all for it...so with rubber bands and hair gel in hand we began working on his hair. It certainly got crazy!

Of course we had to do Katie's too! Her's was more crazy, messy instead of crazy fun.

So the next time you are having a bad hair day...remember it could always look like this!

Does it change your view?

Been watching A LOT of hockey lately. Professional and Mite level. The conclusion is always the same in terms of hockey is a full contact sport. The problem with that is at the Mite Level it is not suppose to be. Just the same this weekend Parma proved they don't care about that. Instead they watched their Mites take hits, and check players into the boards. Now some of that while not what is allowed at the Mite level could be overlooked some. BUT when you allow a player to check another into the boards and then follow it up with jabs to the helmet with a stick you have a serious problem.

One of the Parma parents as we were yelling for the refs to do something said "they're just kids". That's right, they are just kids. Kids who now think it's ok to be a thug. It's ok to give the whole team a bad name because you can't control yourself. Kids who are too busy being thugs to improve their skills. Kids that are giving the entire Parma program a bad name.

Watched the Wings and the Stars go at it on Saturday night, checks, hits, intense hockey... funny didn't see anyone take their stick and pummel another guy with it. Amazing...after all Parma will tell you hockey is a rough sport!

Watched another intense mite game on Sunday. Full energy, back and forth action. Ended in a 6-5 win for us. And it was clean fun game for all involved. Funny how when a game is played right it is more fun for all involved.

Go Mustangs! Play your game and thank you coaches for teaching our boys to play while conducting themselves correctly. I know they won't always make the right choices, but thank you for being coaches that will correct them when they do the wrong thing, and not just let it go.

Go Wings! Thank you for being role models even when the game gets intense, and while fights break out, thank you for not going after someone unprovoked just to be a thug!

It's a tough sport, but with rules it can also be fun!

Happy Birthday to Phil!

Today is my wonderful husbands birthday. The morning started for me at 6:20 am as I could hear the kids waking up and then in the kitchen trying to convince Grandma that Daddy needed breakfast in bed. While it was a great thought I decided to at least rescue him from the 6:30 hour and let him sleep for another hour.

The kids waited reluctantly. At 7:30 when they couldn't wait a minute longer they rushed up with toast and a glass of milk for him. It was a nice thought, and he really enjoyed that they cared so much about doing it. Then after a breakfast of eggs and bacon and chocolate chip bread, we gave him his gifts. The kids gave him each a gift certificate for money towards an I Phone, and then the big gift came out. The Wii Mario Carts game. Not sure who liked it more, the kids or Phil. We all took turns playing it, and then off we went on a shopping trip for Katie's birthday.

Well, hope he enjoyed his time during the morning because...we ended up getting Katie her dream present of a hamster. We bought a pink castle cage, and a little hamster which she named Emily Elizabeth. The rest of the day will be about the hamster and then the birthday cake that Grandma and Grandpa brought to celebrate Katie's birthday. Then off to baseball practice and a hockey game. Then finally back to Phil's birthday as we go out to dinner to celebrate one more time.

Of course tomorrow is Mother's Day so Have a Quick Happy Birthday!

Go Wings!

4-1! What a game it was. The Stars played well, but they were out skated, and out shot. It will be a good series, but if the Stars blame this loss on the fact that several days ago they played a 4 overtime game, then they need to give up and walk on back to Texas!

Go Wings! This could be your year!!!!

Did you know?!

I've spent the last 2 days volunteering up at my children's school. They were doing a program called COSI on wheels, What's Wild! It was a really neat program, that the kids really liked. They came in for an assembly where the leader spoke to them about animals in the wild, and what they need to survive, and how we control population by fishing, and animal rescue. Then the students broke up into groups and travelled down to the various stations throughout the room set up to explore. I sat for most of the time at the antler and horn table. I know things about deer now that I never knew before.

Did you know that the volunteers that were up at the program were the same ones I see at almost every event the school needs help with. Why is that? We have 975 students at our elementary school. Why is it that the same 20 parents show up for everything?! It baffles me how parents talk about being a part of their children's lives, but then are too busy to get involved. I know the majority work full time, but what about the ones that aren't working. Or the ones like me who work from home and certainly could find a way to come up for an hour.

I will continue to help whether the others do or not. It's nice to be a part of what is going on up at school. It's fun to know who is in your child's class and for them to recognize you as so and so's Mom. The look on my children's faces when they see me helping out is another reason I won't stop doing so. Just the same, there will always be the wonder of why so few others seem to be available for anything.

Rough Play

I really don't get why some hockey teams feel the need to play rough. Actually, it's really just one team that we've found likes to play that way. We've run into it in 3 on 3 play, and then throughout the regular season and now spring league.

I do realize that hockey is a rough sport, BUT at the Mite level the boys are not suppose to be checking, slashing and certainly not cross checking or punching someone once they've gone in the net. Apparently, the PARMA team that we keep playing hasn't got the message. It's not all the boys, but it is certainly some of them. Our son has played for their head coach during an All Star game and has said how nice he is...so what's the deal?

Last night they tripped several times, ok we'll let a couple of those go. Then they were cross checking and pushing kids after the play was done. I'd say they were just frustrated over the score, but they do this regardless of the score. In all honesty maybe we should have cheered all 10 of our goals, but that is not the kind of team we are. We support our boys, encourage them to do the RIGHT thing and clapped for their goals...all of them, but not as loud as we did for the first 2. Why? Because it is the right thing to not make the other team feel bad about their not scoring any goals.

Here's the message you need to get though PARMA... First, your kids can skate, and they have good puck handling skills. We shut you down because you were too busy being goons to actually play. So maybe if you got your kids together and talked to them about waiting until they were in the peewees to hit and push and check you would actually be able to make a run at scoring some goals.

Good luck with that!

Taking a Break

The way this society is, we feel like we need to constantly work. There is always something to do, and always something waiting to do when the first thing is done. It is simply hard to relax. It doesn't matter whether you work full time, work from home or don't work. There is just to much to do.

We need to stop and give ourselves permission TO RELAX! I'm as guilty as anyone. The crazy thing is I work from home, part time. But still feel that I'm constantly working. The only time I really do manage to stop is at 9 or after when we sit down for an hour or so to unwind before going to bed. So, what can I do to stop that?

The biggest key for me is to take time to do something fun, in between all the work stuff. Put the laundry in, clean the bathrooms, make up menus and grocery lists and then actually work on my albums for a few minutes. GO outside and enjoy the day. It is too easy to stop in front of my computer and work all day long. Regardless of whether I sit at the computer all day or not, there will still be work to do on it later, so TODAY I'm going to take a few breaks and enjoy the fact that I am working from home Part Time and that I can enjoy life to the fullest!

Time with the Kids

It's hard to get things done some days. Maybe because we get so focused on the getting stuff done instead of the people we need to spend time with. This weekend has been no exception.
I decided to get back to blogging everyday, or at least attempting to do so BUT, then Friday came along.

Usually, I've found that working on my blog, or checking email or those kinds of activities work best right after the kids get on the bus for school. Friday though I drove the kids up to school so I could go on a field trip with my daughters class.

If I had to choose whether to blog or go on the field trip... the choice is obvious, the field trip. We headed off to Lake Farm Park in Kirkland, Ohio for a fun day of exploring life on a farm. We saw many animals, and the kids got to milk the cow. It was fun, and luckily we were able to avoid the majority of the rain. It was a good thing because by the evening the rain really was coming down.

So that took Friday, well that and teaching scrapbooking at Le Chaperone Rouse. Then Saturday came along. We had such a mess in the kids rooms from this past winter of being too busy to take care of it. So we spent the day attending Zach's hockey game and then off to the grand clean up. It took most of the day to sort and straighten. Truth is I really need to go back in their rooms now that they are reorganized and pull out the things that they are really done with. After working on rooms we made our own pizza and watched a movie together.

Yes there are still a lot of things that need to get done, but there always will be...the kids won't always be little enough to snuggle with to watch a movie or make pizza. SO, I think the choice was the right one.

Unbelievable!

Unbelievable! That is the only way to describe Creative Memories New Product Line for JUNE! Yes, I realize that it is only May 1st, but if you aren't in contact with a Creative Memories Consultant Now, you are going to really wish you were.

Diplomas to frame...no problem!
Anniversary present...got you covered!
New baby, ahh!...so sweet!
Wedding...pure bliss!

WAIT you forgot that you need a teacher gift, or a coach gift, or Mother's Day, Father's Day...not an issue any longer. Give a gift that will keep them talking about the event for years to come.

www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy amazing things are on the way.

In the meantime, how about getting those pictures organized. Did you know memory cards can erase themselves without warning? Don't be left unprotected.

I love my job!!!!

Tough Lessons to Learn

Being a parent is not easy. There are hard lessons all around us that we need to continually see our children through. We need to guide and direct, insist on bedtimes and eating good foods. We need to laugh and hug and love.

Sometimes we need to pick them back up off the ground and explain why the world or people do things that don't make sense and that skinned hands and sometimes knees happen when others make poor choices. Just the same, we need to wash ourselves off and move forward. Not always an easy job to do. It hurts to be treated poorly, but we could continue the cycle and make others hurt, or offer forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't mean that we are going to let someone continue to make poor choices that hurt us. It may mean creating some space in a relationship and putting up some boundaries so we don't continue to get hurt. But it also means seeing someone the way God sees them. Choosing to love and rebuild instead of tearing down.

Zach learned the lesson this morning while waiting for the bus. He got skinned hands, and didn't get to finish talking to the child that had been involved. Yet, he did get to talk to me about forgiving someone in our heart and deciding to put it in the past and move on. Hopefully, the other child will see his compassion and learn other choices.

Skill of Asking Questions

Last night I listened to a teletraining session on the Skill of Asking Questions. It was a really good call for my Creative Memories business, but it was also a good call for life. One of the keys to the call was taking the time to be interested instead of just interesting. It's not an easy thing to do, but it puts the people first and what they need. What do they need? A way to celebrate their memories and preserve their photos.

It is an exciting time, and there is so much that people can learn to help them organize and preserve those photos.

Time to get back on the phone and be interested in what is going on with the lives of the people I know.

Spring Cleaning

Spring is in bloom, the grass is green and the junk has piled up! It's time to take back the house, for the winter and all the activities and sort through what is needed and what is not.

The best plan for me is Emilee Barnes 15 Minute Organizer. It allows me to work for 15 minutes at a time and get a small job done before moving on to something else. It's amazing how good it feels just to have the linen closet put back together. Besides, many of the jobs can be done while making phone calls, which for my business is a real bonus!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Red Hot

What a game! I realize that it has been a few days since the game, but still GO WINGS! Now I realize that the Wings are to Hockey what the Yankees are to baseball (at least for many people) You either love them or hate them, and hardly anyone is in between. Proof of that is listening to many of the NBC and VS commentators.

"Didn't think they could pull it together"
"They are so old"
"With the kid in goal, who knows what will happen"

Well, now I'd love to be called a kid at 35 BUT SERIOUSLY! Ozzy is not a kid, he has been playing a top level all year. In fact it certainly could be argued that he should have been the #1 all year and not just the #1 after Hasek couldn't handle the playoffs. And about pulling it together, the team has not been perfect all year, but did anyone else have that many points or win the Presidents Trophy?

The best commentator so far in the playoffs has been the guy calling the game. He gets excited for both teams when they score and seems to have the ability to stay neutral. I'd rather hear them stay neutral then be one sided for a team.

So, Tuesday night in good old Colorado. Anything can happen I suppose, but when you're on fire you might as well keep burning! Of course if you follow the one commentators advice and put Jose Theodore back in net the fire might get even hotter!

GO WINGS!

Just One Word

Ozzy! That's all I have to say about that! Red hot Wings melt Avs in Game 1

Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy!

There is one thing that follows the word Dominic Hasek at our house, at least by me anyway. And that is "he sucks". Ok, I'm not usually for putting people down, and he was definitely a wonderful goalie in his time BUT HELLO his time has come and gone. Now I'm all for mature players, like Cheli for instance being able to maintain their game and play well for years beyond what others may think is normal. Captain America is in great shape though, and as far as I know doesn't forget to pay attention during a game and doesn't talk to pucks. This all leads me to the point that FINALLY someone seems to be paying attention.

When Hasek got pulled during the series my first thought was great, they'll put Ozzy in, then during the next game they'll switch him. Our son plays hockey and I'm always saying we just need to trust the coaches. And while I'm not directly involved with the Red Wings, we do feel at times while watching that we are involved. So I guess it's back to the saying of trust the coaches.

My husband can verify that I have been saying all year that they should just go with Ozzy. I just read yesterday, probably later than anyone else that Ozzy has been given the nod for the next round.

Some of you may think WHAT??? But around here it's time for the Wizard of Oz! GO OZZY, GO WINGS, GO SHANNY (oh, sorry, some habits are hard to get rid of!)

Incidentally, if you have been reading this blog you may have just seen the pictures of Flat Stanley at Lord Stanley park. I'm praying that is a sign of what is to come.

Flat Stanley Hits Canada!

We just received this letter from our new friend in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Up until now the only thing we really knew about the area was that the Canucks play there. Now we know so much more! Here Flat is learning about totem poles.

Dear Zachary,
Well my friend Sandy sent me Flat Stanley and I and a friend Katrina took him on a tour of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The first few photos were taken at the campus of the University of British Columbia at the Aboriginal, Native Arts Museum. Flat Stanley met a totem pole that was carved many years ago by a carver from the Haida Gwai Band. They are coastal Aboriginals that are known all over the world for their amazing masks and totem poles.
The next place we took Flat Stanley was Stanley Park!! And he was introduced to Major Stanley for whom the park is named.
And finally, we went down to the beach along the Westend of Vancouver and visited an Inukshuk. If you look at the logo for the 2010 Winter Olympics you will see an Inukshuk. These are made by the Inuit people who are Aboriginals way up North in the Province called Nunivuit. . .near the Arctic Circle. . .The Inuit are what you Yanks would call Eskimos!!
Inukshuks are large stones placed to mark a territory, give directions or to represent something. . .like a man in this case. If you look at the stones they are formed to look like a giant man.
Flat Stanley really liked Vancouver a lot. He especially liked driving around in the car with us. I think Flat Stanley hopes, some day, that you too can visit our beautiful city!!
Right now, we're preparing Flat Stanley for a long trip across the Pacific Ocean to visit the land down under. . .who knows maybe he'll see some roos!!
Have a g'day!
Geri De Stefano-Webre, Ph.D.
Can you believe he went to Lord Stanley (of Stanley Cup Fame) Park??? We can just picture Lord Stanley here hoisting the cup above his head. (I'd be remiss to not type GO WINGS right now!) Anyway, perhaps our little hockey player Zach will also get to hoist the cup someday.

A Letter from Flat Stanley

Hello, Zachary! your friend Flat Stanley asked me to type this for him:



YO, Zachary! Flat Stanley here! I've been in Oregon the last week, visiting with Sandy Richards. She is a friend of your Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck's. She met them a couple years ago when they were on a photo trip to the Galapagos Islands. They have huge turtles there, and funny birds and odd reptiles. They even saw penguins, even though it was 80 degrees ! Can you find the Galapagos Islands on your globe?
Hint: look west of Ecuador, in south america.


I like Oregon, but it's awfully wet here. It has rained almost every day. Here is a picture of me and Sandy on her deck overlooking her river. Sandy caught s little salmon yesterday, and we ate him for dinner. Salmon is delicious! But i think i like hamburgers and ice cream better.

We drove up to the top of Mt. Hood a few days ago. We wanted to take a picture there, too, but it was snowing so hard we couldn't see a thing! We read about Mt. Hood - it is part of the Cascade mountain range, and more Han 11,200 feet high.
Sandy was born in Toledo, not very far from you, and she visits her relatives there every year. She loves Lake Erie, but there are no mountains there.

Spring has almost come to Oregon! daffodils and crocuses are up, and the magnolias and rhododendrons are blooming. Finally, winter is over. By the time I get home to you, the flowers will be up there too.

Now I'm off for an other adventure!!! Sandy knows I have been to many countries with your Aunt Barb, and thought it would be fun for me to see ANOTHER country.
Can you guess where I'm going next? Here are some clues:

It is a VERY VERY big country. the west coast touches the pacific ocean, and the east coast touches the Atlantic ocean! The US has a president, but this country has a QUEEN ! The people love ice hockey much more than football. the symbol of the US is a Bald Eagle, but the symbol for this country is the Maple leaf.

I'll be visiting with Sandy's friend Geri there, and Geri will tell you more about her country when we write to you from there.

I miss you, Zachary, and I'll be home soon.

Love,

Flat Stanley
(typed by your friend, Sandy Richards)

Flat Stanley Is in Oregon

Flat Stanley is visiting with Sandy Richards in Sandy, Oregon. It is a little town east of Portland. He was sent there by our Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck.

While Flat Stanley has been enjoying his travels he says that it is "too COLD and too RAINY" in Oregon in the Winter. He likes snow better and is looking forward to returning to Ohio this Spring. He can hardly wait to share all of his stories with Zach. In the meantime, he is going to be taking some pictures in Oregon soon and then off on another exciting adventure.

So Much Snow!

As many already know this was the weekend when the snow really hit Ohio (as well as many other places). We were scheduled to drive down to Cincinnati on Friday for a weekend with my sister and her family. It is so hard to find time to get together, and part of our reason for going was she had purchased a ticket for Katie to go see High School the Musical on stage, so we really didn't want to miss it.

We started out at 4 pm on Friday and the roads were basically fine. They were plowed for the most part, or at least had tracks in the lanes that you could stay in. That is until we were 20 miles south of Columbus. Then suddenly as if we were transported to another place the roads were barely touched. Now I realize that all of Ohio does not get as much snow as we up here in the Cleveland area are used to getting. Still, last time I checked Ohio was a Northern State, and it would stand to reason that in the North during the winter you will see snow. Apparently, that is not the reasoning in Southern Ohio as the roads were barely plowed and you couldn't have seen a lane if you wanted too.

While driving across 275 towards 74 in Cincy I finally said "this is the choose your own lane version of driving" Now I know there are more hills in the Cincy area then in Cleveland, I get that. I just think that if you go over a street enough you will get it basically down to the pavement, and much easier to drive on. Just a thought from watching it down in the North!

Anyway, we managed to make it to Cincy in 6 1/2 hours, and then on Sunday home in 4 1/2. I guess truly that isn't bad. We were safe and Katie loved seeing High School the Musical. So in the end the weekend was well worth it. Not sure I'd drive back down that way when there is a major snow storm hitting, but...

So now we're home. The driveway is plowed out, the roads are clear. Already made it to the gym and grocery store and the kids are off to school. The only bad thing about all the snow for us now is the poor dog is having a terrible time getting out into the yard. We shovelled her a little path, but she is 11 years old and thinks she needs to be out in the yard where she would normally go. Consequently, she is trudging her way through the snow, almost getting stuck to go out there. She's a 95 lb black lab, I hate to think what it must be like for anyone with a tiny dog!

Happy snow from the Cleveland Area. Hopefully, this is it for the winter, but around here you never quite know.

Spring Framing Promotion

I can't believe it is back! Creative Memories is launching a framing promotion like the one they offered in December. It is incredible. I'm so excited about it I can hardly stand it. For only $67 plus $10 s/h you can have a beautifully framed masterpiece for Mother's or Father's Day or Graduation! Really like your teacher...why not make one for them as well!

All you do is pick 1 4x6 photo, 1 of the framing choices and 1 of the sayings:

The Biggest Adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams
Be Strong Be Forever who You Are
Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.
The measure of a man is in the lives he's touched
A Mother is someone who can take the place of everyone else, but no one in the world can take her place
Nothing can dim the Light that shines within
All our Dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them
Live isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments!

It's just too cool! The only problem really is deciding who NOT to buy one for, because everyone will love this gift. Guess Mother's Day, and Father's Day shopping is done!

As always to find out more check out www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy or email me at kropwithkathy@yahoo.com

Blank Space

Funny how something as simple as blank space on a calendar can really improve so many things. I'm looking at my calendar now, and while there are many things written on it, there are even more things Not written on it. For once in a long time there is space.

The real question is how to keep that space there. It's a matter of choices and we all make so many of them and get pulled in so many directions. As one thing ends we quickly pick up the next thing. And while many of them are good things, there are simply to many of them.

God wants to give us life to the full. Not necessarily a over full life. We, in general, are over tired, over committed, over busy people. I read the kids the Berenstain Bears Too Much Pressure book the other night, and chuckled to myself about having time to just sit around and do nothing. What a concept!

Spring is almost here (I can dream at least) so it's time for a new look at things. This year, I want to have time to sit around with my family and choose to do nothing. Time to say "yes" when the kids ask to play a game or watch tv. Time to say "yes" to just being together without it being a planned trip somewhere.

It sure makes the whole day look brighter when you can see space at the end of the day to relax.

True Champions

True Champions come in every shape and size. They are the ones that fight through a situation and walk out better for what they went through. They don't always win, they aren't always happy with the results. Sometimes they questions what went wrong, and always they look for how they could have done better.

I can think of 14 true champions that stepped off the ice yesterday morning. Their eyes were wet, disappointed by the results of a game that didn't go the way they had dreamed of or hoped for. Some felt bad that they had tears in their eyes and were promptly reminded that it's ok to be sad about not achieving what you wanted to achieve. All of them were surrounded by parents who love them and were proud of what they had accomplished. It's not everyday that 14 kids who basically don't know each other, have different skills and different experience on and off the ice come together and form a team. They spend time with 3 Coaches willing to sacrifice their time to teach a game that they love, willing to guide and direct these 14 kids to something that is incredible.

Preseason was filled with losses and changes, then tournaments entered the picture and this group of kids became a team. They attended 3 tournaments placing 2nd, 1st and 3rd. They went on to win 11 regular season games and skated into the playoffs in 2nd place. In the end they skated off the ice still in 2nd. Disappointed, yes. But changed by what they went through definitely.

I don't know what all the families talked about yesterday. I can tell you that at our house we asked our son about whether or not he had fun. Did he remember enjoying the opportunity, standing on the ice for the National Anthem, and getting directions from his coaches. Did he remember the plays that worked, and fighting for the puck to keep the team in the game. Did he remember hearing the parents cheer for the team, and did he watch us rise to our feet to cheer them even after the overtime loss. With tears still fresh in his eyes he said that he did have fun, and that he did remember the other things as well.

Congratulations North Olmsted Mite A3 team. You did a great job and should be proud of your accomplishments!

And congratulations to our Strongsville Mustang Mite A3 team. You showed us time and time again that hard work and determination will take you far, that playing as a team can and should be fun, and that at the end of the day there is always another sheet of ice out there waiting to be played on.

STOP IT

Ok, I'm sure this is really not going to prove anything BUT whoever keeps posting bogus comments on my blog STOP! If you are looking for something to do with your ability to create viruses and use the computer search for ways to cure cancer or stop world hunger and leave me alone!!!!!!!!!


So, it might not have helped but it sure makes me feel a bit better.

For those of you who truly read my site and care to make a legitimate comment I'd love to hear from you!

Patriot's Day Tournament Niagara Falls

OOOOOH is it cold outside! This weekend we are in Niagara Falls, New York for the Patriot Day Hockey Tournament being held here at Niagara University. We arrived Friday evening in order for the boys to play their first game this morning at 6:30 AM.

They played a hard game, but a dissapointing one none the less. The Columbus team beat our Strongsville Mustang team 6-0. Regardless, the boys held their heads high. Afterwards we headed out to Denny's for breakfast. Then over to see the falls for the first time. Both Phil and I had seen the falls as kids but this was a first experience for Zach and Katie. They thought the falls were cool, but thought throwing snowballs and chunks of ice over the fence was even more fun.


Here's a quick shot of the kids we were with this morning in front of the falls. Quick because A it was really, really cold that close to the falls with the water spraying all over. And B-quick because the kids were far more interested in throwing the ice and snow.

We came back to the hotel after visiting the Niagara Aquarium and managed to get the kids to nap for a bit before our next game. The boys once again played hard, and had fun. The parents cheered and yelled and mostly have laryngitis at this point. BUT despite the cheering and the yelling the team fell to a 7-1 loss. We're headed off to a team dinner and time hanging out with our hockey family, but for now the kids are off in the pool hopeing to recapture the fun that this weekend is suppose to be made of.

So as the voices of the California kids echo from the hill outside in their attempt to live the Northern life of sledding, and the sound of hockey players fill the hallway with the sound of hotel hockey I can only be reminded of the catch phrase of many Master Card Commercials.

4 hours of driving, 5:30 am -witnessing an unused sheet of ice, the feel of putting on equipment and playing your heart out. Time as a kids spending time with a team. The cost might be high, but the memories are priceless.

Happy Birthday Zach!

Today is my baby's 8th Birthday! Can't believe he is 8 years old. So hard to believe. He's had a pretty good birthday so far. In place of a birthday party he chose to go to a Detroit Red Wings Game with his Dad at the Joe!

Even Ozzie tried to tell him Happy Birthday!

This year was his first year for not having a birthday party so we decided to surprise him a bit by bringing a cake to hockey practice. He really enjoyed the surprise.





Now today is his actual birthday. So I'm heading up to his school to take him out to lunch and then his best friend is joining us for dinner and then a surprise sleepover!



What a great day it will hopefully be for him!

California Here I Am...

Flat Stanley has been spotted again! This time in California! He has been traveling with our incredibly cool, amazing Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck. They just returned from Egypt, where they let Flat Stanley visit pyramids and the Sphinx. When they returned it was time to head out to see their Grandbaby Owen turn 2! So...off they went with Flat Stanley in tow. Here's the letter he sent to Zach:

Dear Zach,
I traveled to Los Angeles this past week. Your cousin, Andy, took me to see the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in the Hollywood Hills. I was thrilled to see it. I stayed in Los Angeles a few days until I had to pack my bags to go to another great location. You will be hearing from me again soon.
Love,
your traveling buddy,
Flat Stanley

Headed for Ireland!

Did you ever have a dream? Something you just have always wanted to do or go see? I was just telling my husband this fall that the one place I think I will always want to go would be Ireland. There is just something Magical about it when I think of it. Probably to many books I've read that turn it into a Magical place, full of adventure, but regardless it's just a place I've always wanted to go.

Well, the time has certainly come for dreaming big. Creative Memories offers incentive trips to their consultants every year. Trips where they treat their consultants to the best life has to offer. I've talked to consultlants who have gone on the trips and I've seen pictures it's amazing what they give and do for their people. I've been to conventions and if they treat us like that at a convention, I can't truly imagine how great it would be on a trip.

While sitting at Regional Convention this last Saturday they began the video feed leading up to where the 2009 trip would be. There were shots of foreign places, and the people and cultures that visiting different places would introduce you to. There was green, green grass, and rich blue seas, there was the reds of the fabric and the colors of faces from all over the world. It was exciting watching and thinking where could it be?! Is it New Zealand, Australia, where is it...then suddenly the camera whooshed across the water and up a cliff and Irish music began playing. We all screamed (500 women in a room, what do you expect)! The 2009 trip will be to...


Dublin, Ireland! I'm planning now...because I'm not going to miss going to a place I've dreamed of, all for FREE!

"Ireland I am coming home,
I can see your rolling hills of green
and fences made of stone
I am reaching out
won't you take my hand
I'm coming home
Ireland." - Garth Brooks

If you want to come with me, just log on my website www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy, and join my team. Dreams were meant to be shared.

Flat Stanley Goes AROUND the world!!!!!!

The following are letters from Flat Stanley!

Dear Zachary,
I have not written to you for a little while because I have been so busy traveling around the world without my laptop! Now, I am going to get caught up!
Here I am with my new friends, the airline attendents, on my way to the Middle East. I flew from St. Louis, with Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck, to Minneapolis.
From there we caught a flight to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. We then caught a flight to Dubai in the United Arab Emeritas. This photo was taken on the flight from Amsterdam to the UAE. We were flying at 38,000 feet high. The flight attendents said to say "HI" to my friend Zach! You will be hearing from me again very soon.
Love, Flat Stanley



Dear Zachary, Here is a photo of me with Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck in Egypt. We flew from Dubai to Cairo, Egypt. We drove to a wonderful place called Giza, the site of the world's great pyramids. They are awesome to see in person. Some of the pyramids in Egypt were constructed 4,000 years ago. We traveled in Egypt for 8 days. I will send you another photo of me with our guide very soon. Aunt Barb, Uncle Chuck and I have a great time traveling together. We wish you and your family could be with us.
Good-bye for now. Love, Flat Stanley


Dear Zach, I want you to see a photo of me and my new friend, Sahara. Her name is pronounced like the great African desert, which is the largest desert in the world.
Sahara and I are standing in front of the Sphinx, which is the biggest and best preserved in the world. This sphinx is located south of Cairo, Egypt. I love traveling all over the world and seeing new and awesome sites and learning about new cultures. Love, your friend, Flat Stanley


Dear Zach, I have traveled to a Middle Eastern country called Oman. It is located south of the United Arab Emeritas. This photo is of me and my new friend, Abdullah, in the desert of Oman. Oman is a beautiful country of 2.5 million people. 100% of the population are Muslim, aka Islamic. They are peaceful, kind and caring people. They have been so nice to me. Instead of a president to run their country, they have a sultan. He loves the people and has helped this country to be a "shining star in the Middle East." I hope you can come here someday and see this for yourself. Your Aunt Barb would love to come back here again. I love traveling and meeting wonderful new people. Good-bye for now. Your friend, Flat Stanley

Dear Friend Zachary, I have had a great time going to a goat market with Aunt Barb and Uncle Chuck. The location is the desert city of Nizwa, in the country of Oman. The people come here to sell their goats. In this photo, Uncle Chuck is introducing me to some of the goats that will be sold at this market. All of the men wear something on their heads at all times. THey wear the little hats when it is warm and turbans when it is colder. They long outfits are called dishdashahs. Everyone here has been so nice to me.
Also, they take good care of their goats, which makes me happy because I love animals. Uncle Chuck helps Aunt Barb by carrying her camera equipment on his back. Sometimes I ride in the camera case. It is fun to be in there with all of the lenses. I hope you will come here someday. Love from Flat Stanley

Hello Zach, Now, I am in Amsterdam, Holland in the Netherlands at the International Airport. Aunt Barb and her friend, Sue, who is from New York City, are holding me while Uncle Chuck photographs me. The concourse that our airplane is on is called "Holland Boulevard" after the country we are in. That is cool. I would like to come back to Holland someday to see the tulips and windmills in the Springtime. Well, it is time to get on board our airplane now for the 10 1/2 hour flight to the USA. More later. Love, F.S.

Dear Zach, Here we are in Amsterdam, ready to go down "Holland Boulevard" to get our flight back to the USA after nearly three weeks in Egypt. the UAE and Oman.
Must hurry to catch the flight. The woman helping Aunt Barb hold me is Sue, a friend from New York City. See you back in the USA. Love, F.S.


Hi Zach, Here I am just before landing at Memphis International airport in Memphis, TN. The flight from Amsterdam has been 10 1/2 hours long. Before that, we flew from Dubai to Amsterdam and that flight was 7 1/2 hours long. Next, we will fly from Memphis to St. Louis. That is a short flight- only one hour and ten minutes. I have never been to Memphis before. I am looking forward to seeing the airport there. I hear it is new and beautiful. Love, tired F.S. PS. We have been awake and flying now for over 30 hours.


Where Flat Stanley will end up next we can't be sure. We do know that wherever it is he will have a great time meeting new people and learning about them as well!

Pictures will be posted shortly so check back!

100 Days of School Project

Thank you to all of you who helped Katelyn reach her goal of 100 emails! It has been an exciting time as we collected the emails. (although in hind site collecting buttons would have been a lot easier! Then again, it wouldn't have turned into such a fun time of guessing how far away emails would come from, or seeing who we would get an email from next!)

To begin with we sorted the emails by the place they came from. Then with Zach's help we alphabetized the locations and grouped them by states and countries. We finally found a use for the jr. globe that has been sitting in Zach's room for 3 years! We used it and Katie and I spent time figuring out distances between Ohio and the other locations by having Katie touch the two points on the globe so we could record it on our list. Zach of course helped out by remembering the numbers and then judging which was the farthest distance.

Katelyn also enjoyed answering the questions people asked her, and then creating her cover for the binder and the awards for some of the participants with Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus.

Congratulations to all who participated. Hope you enjoy viewing the awards. These are just the fun ways Katelyn came up with looking at her emails!

Here's the statistics for the project!
Katelyn's 100 Days of School Project
100 Emails
Some Fun Ways to Look at the Emails
Quickest Email Mrs Fields
From the Closest Location Zachy My brother, downstairs
From the Farthest Location Mr. Dan, Antarctica 10000 miles away
From the Coldest Location Mr. Dan, Antarctica
From the Hottest Location Miss. Whitlock, Anguilla
From a Doggie (and his Daddy too!) Jessie and Mr. Carl
From the most people in one Family Hamilton Family 5 emails
Favorite Email Miss Kaitie Worlds' Best Babysitter
Multiple Locations Coach Jim PA/NJ
Best Hockey Fans It's a tie between all the Strongsville Mustang
Fans and the Red Wing Fans
Mrs. Citro helped gather the most emails with all of her connections in New York

Mr. Eldred helped get the email from the farthest and coldest location

Locations, # of emails, Distance (based on our jr globe distance function)
States
Ohio 48
Alabama 1 530 miles
Colorado 1 1200 miles
Florida 3 880 miles
Illinois 1 360 miles
Indiana 1 180 miles
Iowa 3 550 miles
Kansas 1 840 miles
Michigan 3 290 miles
Nebraska 1 840 miles
New Hampshire 1 560 miles
New Jersey 1 460 miles
New York 16 480 miles
North Carolina 2 420 miles
Oregon 1 2100 miles
Pennsylvania 1 220 miles
South Carolina 1 400 miles
Tennessee 1 350 miles
Utah 1 1500 miles

Countries
Anguilla 1 2200 miles
Antarctica 1 10000 miles
Canada 2 390 miles
England 1 3900 miles
Indonesia 1 9800 miles
Mexico 1 1500 miles
New Zealand 1 8400 miles
Portugal 1 3700 miles
Scotland 2 3500 miles
Spain 1 3800 miles

Winning isn't everything, but!!!

What a weekend we just went through. I realize as first time travel hockey parents that this weekend was NOTHING compared to many more we will experience. Just the same it was intense. The weekend actually started on Thursday evening as our Mite 3 Mustangs took the ice at the Raymond A Robinson Memorial Tournament in Cleveland Heights. The Tournament was really put on well. Tickets for pop after each game for the kids, dog tags with the tournament logo on the front, flowers for the hockey moms to wear. Prior to the tournament we had a schedule complete with locker rooms in our hands. It was great.

As the boys stepped on the ice Thursday night they were geared up for an exciting time of hockey. They were set to play Euclid a team that we had come back to beat in our first tournament experience back in October when we placed second overall in the Halloween Hockey Tournament in Euclid. This same Euclid team we had also beaten fairly easily on our home ice, but then lost too in a "not so much fun to watch" game a few weeks ago. Needless to say this was the game we were not looking forward to. We knew the boys could focus, get their heads set in the game and with the great coaches we have make it through the game. The only catch...OLYMPIC SIZE ICE!

Let me just say, the ice surface was huge. The last thing I said to Z as I left the locker room was "pace yourself, this won't be the same as the rinks you are used to." Now I realize hockey players have to play in different types of rinks all the time, but when you're 7 and 8 years old, Olympic Size Rinks are just huge! Regardless, the boys took the ice and held their ground during the first period. The second period opened up with Euclid scoring 2 goals. But then we answered with a goal of our own. Our parents are an amazing group and one of our parents made a spirit gear shopping trip before the game and came prepared with pom poms and plastic horns and cow bells for the occasion. We chanted, we cheered, we hung in there with our boys. Encouraging them to dig in, play hard, and just letting them know that we were with them. Finally, in the third we did just that tieing the game with a goal by Zach. It was one of those don't let this rebound get away from you bang away at it goals that ended up on his back hand and he was able to bang in. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, and as we left the rink that night we were certain that they would be the team we would meet should we make it to the finals.

It's not about winning, it's about doing your best and having fun. It's also not about thinking that just because you have beaten a team every time you've faced them this year that you are going to win the game. Our second game was against Parma, and the boys knew it was in their grasp. They dug in and scored 7 goals, and held Parma to only 2. Zach scored 2 of the 7 with a hat trick for Wyatt and a goal for Joey and Gavin. WOW! Somehow it seemed like just maybe this could be our tournament.

Then you get to the rink on an icy cold day. Check the standings and think....what is going on! We tied Euclid 2-2 in a tough game, beat Parma 7-2 in a fairly tough game that we were able to dominate in, BUT Parma Beat Euclid 3-1?!? I literally had to ask several of the other parents of our team to go read the score board. Is that right?! It was and it sent us back to the locker room to remind the boys not to get it in their heads that they could win against the team we now faced. That's not to say that we couldn't but. The team we now faced Cleveland Skating Club, had tied Parma, and tied Euclid, and we had beaten in regular season play. From looking at the standings though you soon realize anything is possible.

And anything was possible. We played an intense, edge of your seat game with CSC. Blake our goalie was incredible. He had some stops that were unbelievable. Our parents cheered, their parents cheered. We encouraged our boys (and possibly girls, not sure) and lived each moment of the game as though it was never going to finish. We hit the post again and again. Z had amazing breakaway only to have the puck slide off his stick right before he went to shoot. In the end we scored 1 goal to take us past them and into the championship game against....PARMA!

The team headed off to dinner at the Mongolian BBQ, and had a good chance to try to unwind from the game. The problem with 7 and 8 year olds, as they get tired they get hyper. They were so wound up many of us wondered if they would wind down to much before game time. We headed back through the frigid air to the rink. The boys put their sweaty, stinky gear back on. They wore one sock of each color at the suggestion of their coach and got ready to play. I'm not sure what Coach Matt said to them before the game, but whatever it was he was able to get them to focus on the task at hand. (wish he could of given us a pep talk as we were all nervous wrecks before the game ever started). Once again we learned that you can't judge one game by another one. The game was close, and hard. We spent the majority of the time, in their end. Their defense was strong and kept shutting us down. We hit posts, we had an awesome shot that the goalie really should have been applauded by us for as he snatched it out of the air.

In the end, our hat trick boy who had missed the CSC game as he was at his brothers game out of state, came back in the nick of time to lead us to a 2-0 victory. We jumped to our feet cheering on the boys that had worked so hard together. A team that has learned so much this year from 3 great coaches. A team that knows now that winning isn't everything but it sure feels GREAT!

Way to go Mustangs! The Queen song "We are the Champions" is yours to enjoy! 2 Tourny's so far, and we've walked away with a First and Second place finish. Not sure what is in store for us as we head to our next tournament next month in Niagara Falls, New York. The only thing we do know is that we face.....PARMA in our first game there, and I'm sure it will be an edge of your seat kind of game.

Time for a little Queen

As soon as 2 loads of laundry are folded, menus and grocery list are made for the week and 2 days of bible study homework are completed I will be posting a very exciting update from a very exciting hockey weekend.

You might want to find a Queen CD so you'll be ready to sing along...

How hard can it be?

I believe I am fairly computer savvy. I check email, a lot, obviously I blog, and I shop online so HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO ORDER PIZZA????

I just spent the last 40 minutes trying to find the best deal. After all the kids only want cheese and I thought other toppings might be nice. Then we decided a dessert to go with it would be fun. With Phil enjoying Lotusphere, why not. Finally settled on domino's. Of course, to order on line you have to register, and have to use a password with 6 characters, 1 of which has to be a numeral. Ok, made it past that, added the online computer coupon, selected what I wanted on what side of the pizza, and I'm off and running. Finished ordering and then was asked if I would like to track my pizza?

Track the pizza??? Is that necessary? Isn't the teenager working at Domino's tonight going to read the screen with my order, slap it together and send it over? Do I really need to track it. Man I feel old, what happened to opening up the phone book to pizza. Picking the one you felt like having, calling the number and having it show up at your door. While waiting for it of course you frantically had to search the house for cash to pay for it, or better yet find the checkbook.

Ok, it's a lot harder then it used to be, but in the name of modern conveniences my pizza might be in the cooking stage?!, Don't know the pizza tracker page is currently not refreshing!

Next time, we'll be prepared!

American Heart Association

If you've ever considered donating to the American Heart Association both my kids would appreciate any help they can get. They are participating in programs designed to raise money for this worthy orgainization. Zach is doing hoops for hearts and Katie is jumping for hearts. The following are the email messages that can be used to gain support. Having just sent emails out to get 100 emails for Katie it seems like a poor time to send out emails to get support for the American Heart Association.

If you are intersted follow the links below.
From Zach:
Hearts are important, ! I'm participating in the American Heart Association's Hoops For Heart program at my school. I can't wait to shoot some hoops on the basketball court at school to fight heart disease & stroke. Can you help by making a donation? Thanks!The American Heart Association's online fundraising website has a minimum donation amount of $25.00. If you want to donate less, that's ok. You can just send the check right to me and I'll make sure the American Heart Association gets it.Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support American Heart Association – Great Rivers

Some email systems do not support the use of links and therefore this link may not appear to work. If so, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=249041&u=249041-202186072&e=1465161804



And For Katie:
Hearts are important, Hi! I’m joining in the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope For Heart event at my school. I will be jumping rope to help the American Heart Association raise money to fight heart disease and stroke. Can you help me by making a donation? Thanks!The American Heart Association's online fundraising website has a minimum donation amount of $25.00. If you want to donate less, that's ok. You can just send the check right to me and I'll make sure the American Heart Association gets it.Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support American Heart Association – Great Rivers Affiliate******************************************************************************Some email systems do not support the use of links and therefore this link may not appear to work. If so, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=249042&u=249042-202186072&e=1465081077******************************************************************************Katelyn Randolph


Thanks!

100 Day Project Update

Katie's goal of reaching 100 by Saturday did not happen. With 2 weeks left before her project is due she is sitting at 95 emails. I'm really not worried as there is so much time. While we're waiting for the last 5 emails we're starting the sorting process. We're going to try and group them in categories and tally up our results. Hopefully, by the weekend we'll have a listing of where we've received all the emails from. Check back...it could be surprising!

Flat Stanley in NEW ZEALAND!!!!

This post has been written by Zach!
I just received news that Flat Stanley made it to Wellington, New Zealand.

While there he got to sail to the South Islands. He saw the oddly-shaped "Beehive" building, the executive office building for the New Zealand Government. He also got to hang out with cousin Matt Mueller. http://www.muellerworld.com/wheres_matt/. Matt has this really cool job, he gets to work on movies! It was really nice of him to take him all the way back to New Zealand with him. Maybe someday I'll get to visit there too.

I wonder where he will turn up next?!

100 emails!

WOW! So far Katelyn has 47 emails. Ranging from up at our school from our son's teacher, all the way to Portugal, Spain, England and The Netherlands! We still need 53 more. Katelyn's hopeful that she will reach her goal by Saturday. We'll see.

100 Days of School

The 100th day of school is quickly approaching. Katelyn, our kindergartner has been asked to collect 100 items to bring to school. The first thing she thought of was books. Now we of course have well over 100 books, but...I AM NOT LUGGING 100 BOOKS TO SCHOOL. So, we began to brainstorm we came up with paper clips, hot wheel cars, buttons etc. We figured most of these other kids would think of. That's when I suggested what about emails Katie?

She thought that was a fun idea. We sent an email last night to those in our personal account and then in my business account. We simple asked that people send her a quick email to say "hi" and where they were from. Five minutes after we sent out the email we received an email from Houston. Since then I have received 34 emails. Ranging in location from Strongsville, Ohio (which is just down the road) to England! She is so excited to hear from people, as most have sent her a little message. It's made it even nicer today as she is home sick from school.

We still want this to be her project. Therefore we are reading each one, and then will be locating them on a map together to figure out which came the farthest, the closest, the fastest. She also predicted that it will only take 3 days to get 100 emails.

If you would like to help out with this project just drop her a note to Katelyn at randpkz@yahoo.com

Night with the Monsters!

Last night our team joined the rest of the Strongsville Youth Hockey Club at the Lake Erie Monsters game.

Here's the team with their brothers and token sister, as they are waiting for the most exciting part of the whole evening...

GOING ON ICE THROUGH THE BLOW UP MONSTER TO START THE PLAYER LINE UP!

The boys skated through the Monster with their Coach and then were able to stand with the players for the National Anthem. They looked so cool standing there on the ice with the team. After the National Anthem they exited through the Monsters bench and then came back up into the stands. After watching the rest of the game, I'm thinking the wrong team exited the ice. Maybe they should have let the Mustangs take on the Bull Dogs as the Monsters truly were not that scary.

Regardless of the score the kids had a good time. Eating junk food, and watching a live hockey game.

The game had a pretty good crowd. Strongsville Youth Hockey contributed with representatives from most of the teams that play through the club. Katelyn, who will tell you she really doesn't like hockey, also had a good time. Especially when Daddy snagged this t-shirt as it was launched into the stands.After the game Phil and Zach were able to go on the ice and skate and get autographs from many of the players. They had a great time, and we were glad that Zach and his team were able to be a big part of the evening.

Zach got both of his gloves signed and his t-shirt too. Here is Zach's impression of Dan Cleary, with a full face mask on that is. Notice the black eye?!? Unfortunately, we can't even say that it was a hockey injury because of the face mask. Instead, he has to fess up to the fact that his snow board hit him in the face this weekend when he went sledding.

Sorting Photos

Just received 200 photos in the mail today! I now have all of the photos from 2007 either scrapbooked or at least printed. This is the first time I've been this close to having the year prior done at the start of the new year. Why is that?

Well 2 things really. First, Memory Manager software from Creative Memories has allowed me to sort, edit and delete pictures so that when I go to print my photos I have only the ones I really need. It also tracks what photos I'm printing so I don't have to worry about that either.

Secondly, the power palettes by Creative Memories are phenomenal. They allow me to quickly crop photos, match with paper, and get them into my album. In a moment of true honesty I'll let anyone reading this in on the secret that my pages are done from September - November but not one is journalled. It's the hardest step to take. Oh, well. So, next Thursday at my all day workshop I plan on powering through the rest of 2007!

How awesome it will be to have it finished.

For more tips checkout www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy

It just figures

Starting off a new year is like starting a new blank piece of paper. Everything is fresh, clean..ok well not clean, but it's a new start. Hung the calendar in the kitchen and carefully marked things out that will be taking place this month. Finished transferring all the info from my consultant calendar, and made sure to mark all of the hockey games in red. This morning, I put the new tournament schedule on the calendar, walked down to my computer and IT"S CHANGED! UGH!

I'll admit I quite type A. I like things to be just right, not that they always are, and not that I can't be flexible, but on occasion I rewrite the to do list if it looks messy. It's my area of control what can I say. So now, I need to go back up to my calendar and cross off and rewrite 3 hockey games. Just goes to show that even in 2008 I need to be more flexible, or use a pencil to write things down.

Let's Get this New Year Started!

WOW! Did 2007 go fast or what?!? Seems so hard to believe that it's 2008, but here we are and in 363 days we'll be saying wow...didn't 2008 go fast too!

Kiddos are back to school today. It's been so quiet...ahhh the sound of the washing machine churning away. I've really enjoyed having the kids home, it has just been hard since we've had so much going on. Kids sick, family in, hockey tournament, family in. Of course with them going back to school means time to get restarted on everything. Laundry, cleaning, Christmas decorations put away, bedrooms taken back over...the list goes on, but so does time. Eventually, it will get done.

The thing I'm really excited about getting back to is my business with Creative Memories. I took a bit of a break while the kids were on break. What a great advantage to working from home. I was able to continue to take orders, and process orders, but not have to leave the house for work. So, now it's Jumpstart January. I'm working on finishing the 2007 album, doing a digital Christmas album and booking some events for January and February.

There is the cutest mini display board that hosts can earn for free. I have mine with the kids Christmas cards, sitting on my work table. It's such a neat product.

The everyday display board is also incredible. We currently have ours in the Red Wings Room (ok, we're obsessed with hockey around here). The board itself comes with magnets and clips to attach memorabilia in a great display format so that it can be changed out or left as is. We plan on changing ours out whenever we get to the next Red Wings Game.

The thing I think I continue to love the most about Creative Memories is the something for everyone product line. I still love the traditional album making products but the new stuff is so exciting and fun that it makes treasuring family memories all the more fun and easy. Off to work...I just love what I do.

I'm always looking for consultants to join my team, if you want to love working...drop me a line! or look on my website www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy and sign up today.