Family prank should've been a $10,000 winning video... If we'd remembered to video it !

One of those "Wish we had a video camera running moments" here at the Lance house..... Here is the story:

The kids were cleaning up in the kitchen and Alaina had just gotten reprimanded for standing beside me saying my name over and over while I talked to her father.  (Mommy, mommy, mommy, - you get the idea).

Matthew proceeded to take out the trash, stopping by the window on the front porch to taunt me with a loud tap on the glass and the words," Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." He proceeded to the side of the house and I said to Megan, "lock the door." (Now, in my defense, I was only smarting off, I have made that remark many times, but....) This time, Megan locked the door and giggled. Alan then grinned and said, "you better get the back one too." She did. He then winked at me and said, turn off all the lights and everyone get quiet. I laughed and said, "I'll get the blinds too."

We quickly did all that and waited to hear him holler. He banged on the front door, laughed, and ran to the back door. We heard him indignantly holler, "Hey! not fair!" Then the sound disappeared.

We waited a few minutes laughing about what he might be up to. Then I suggested we better get a view of him before he decided to take a hike (Matthew is our child who would figure out how to get the cops there in under 2 min).

Alan laughed and said he could see him trying to see around the blinds in the kitchen. So I walked over there and motioned for Megan to get the other window. As we got to the window, he calmly said, "Hi, I hear you." On a silent count of three, Megan and I yanked open both sets of blinds and screamed with wild faces.

Matthew's face was priceless. He had apparently been pressing his nose to the glass, pig style to shock us when the blinds opened (he told us that later). The shock of our scream made him jump two feet in the air, scream wildly, and run!

We all died laughing! And by the time (like 10 seconds later), we got the door open and yelled for him to come back he was in the neighbor's front yard panting!

He came back and laughed about it with us. I asked him if he was okay and he said he was fine. He was a little miffed about the prank being on him, but as our resident jokester he had to admit it was funny. REALLY funny.

If only we'd had the camera rolling, we be headed to a $10,000 video clip showing right now..... As it is, the memory will keep us smiling for quite a while! Family pranks rule!

Under 6 Soccer is the BEST!!!!

 All three of my kids have played soccer at one point. Megan has recently given up soccer for her swimming addiction, but Matthew still continues to focus on soccer. 

Not to be left out, Alaina decided to play soccer this year. She is on a little U6 team at the local YMCA.

The first game was "iffy" at best- she cried through the whole thing because "no one would share the ball with her." Her second game was a bit improved. She ran up and down the field, though without much gusto and even gave a tentative smile or two. Mamaw watched this game so her breaks were mostly spent hugging Mamaw who assured her she was doing great.

THEN CAME THE COMEDY HOUR! This past Friday's game was PURE entertainment. Alain started the game running, at least she sort of ran. She ran as if prancing slowly while pumping her arms like a choo-choo, stopping every 10 yards or so for a quick ballerina twirl mid field.  After a few rounds of the prancy run, she came off the field panting and announced, "I;m running like a Maniac!". The laughter began there!

She went back in the game and started to go toward the group and run with them, but would get skiddish as they got close, so she started snarling at them. I wish there were words to describe the snarl face on my beautiful little girl. It is a mix of a growl and barring her teeth. When she makes this face, both dimples shine and her golden curly hair often flops over a shoulder just as she snarls at you.  Nevertheless, she was running and snarling when the crowd cheered (the other team scored a goal). She stopped, threw her hands up in the air and cheered, then gave us a double thumbs up with a big grin.

That alone would have been entertainment, however the coach put her in the goalie position. She proceeded to hang from the goal, twirl in the net, and watch her team chase the ball.  Then the real humor started. She tried to stop the shot, but the other team scored. The parents cheered and Alaina threw her arms up in celebration and cheered. Every time the other team scored, she would celebrate in a huge way.  She even screamed out to us, "Am I doing it like a maniac yet?" We of course replied, "YES!"  She continued to prance, sidestep and even a little tiger walk as she tended the goal. They continued to score on her, and she continued to cheer.  It was the most fun, crazy, and entertaining game we have ever watched (and there have been many). Therefore her father and I have decided that U6 soccer is the BEST!!!!!

The Wild ONE has a Heart of GOLD!

Matthew Taylor Lance, my second born, has long been our wild child. He is an uncontrolled body of energy and ideas. Those ideas are often spontaneous and impulsive. And well let's face it, even unsafe at times. He is ALL boy, messy, sneaky, DIRTY, danger seeking, manipulative, door holding, hug giving, snuggling, sweet smiling, WILD boy.

He is my child who can spend hours playing Jedi in the yard with his friends with my broom dented and bent, nail a hubcap to "his" (really his dad's) shed and call it a fort, go fishing in our yard and get all three, YES 3!, fishing rods hung in the trees, leave them there and just waiting to be discovered.  His ideas are unbelievable! He could talk his way out of anything and has the most unique thoughts that either make you giggle or cringe in disgust!  He is constantly in motion and often answers questions about his intentions or activities with the comment, "I don't know how that happened, honestly....." OR "One Second...."- which by the way is a sure sign of trouble.

He can also build entire Lego set (the big ones -like Hagrid's Hut, Star Wars Star Cruisers and the Hogwart's Express) in mere hours. He has read ALL the Harry Potter books, Percy Jackson books and as many Matt Christopher and Bailey School kids as I can find ALL on his own - many of them multiple times. So I know he can sit still and focus when he wants to......

His multi-faceted personality often frustrates me to no end and makes me question how we will survive parenting him.  BUT then there are the moments that remind me how sweet, loving, and pure his spirit is........

Three weeks ago, both my kids competed at the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition. Megan's team placed third and advanced to state. Another team at Matthew's school had advanced to state and was excited! They announced Matthew's team category and they placed FIRST! They went up and got their blue ribbons, waved them in the air and held them with pride.  Then they went to go sit with the final team from their school who was still waiting to hear results.

When the final team's category was announced, sadly, they did not advance. It is hard to watch young children deal with losing or defeat even when you know it is necessary. Anyway, one of Matthew's buddies was on the team that did not advance. His friend was VERY upset, and I watched Matthew hug him, pat his back and try to console him.

The teacher in charge of the other team was Matthew's third grade teacher and came over with tears in her eyes. She smiled really BIG and said, "When Matthew frustrates you or is in trouble at home, REMEMBER - His heart is so BIG and is made of pure gold!" I inquired as to what had happened- she went on to tell me that Matthew was so concerned with comforting his friend that he had GIVEN him his BLUE ribbon to make him feel better.

That's right- after working with his team for 6 months and enduring a LONG day of competition. Matthew had GIVEN UP his prized reward, because he cared more for the friend than the ribbon. He let that heart of gold shine!

In two days, my baby boy will be 10 years old. He has been blessing our world with that heart of gold for ten years. Happy Birthday sweet Matthew! We love you!

Chasing Our Dreams

The last two months have been very busy and I missed blogging in January. So on this last "extra" day of February I am going to quickly catch you up on these last two crazy months in our lives.

 Christmas treated us well and we enjoyed our family time. I also had foot surgery in late December and spent all of January hobbling around one way or another, nursed by the kids and my wonderful husband. The surgery has been a success and my foot feels better every day. In addition, I have begun trying to finish my last semester of grad school. Alan has been trying to pick up the slack as I was immobile and was buried in school and the kids have been extremely busy as well.

January& February are BUSY swim months and we spent them going to several meets as Megan chased those elusive 12 year old state cuts.  Unfortunately she did not hit them this year but continues to work hard and is determined to hit a cut at the end of season meet in March!

She has also thrown herself into Odyssey of the Mind and taken me with her as I coach her team. We have been frantically preparing for competition this Saturday. ALSO, Matthew is on an OM team at his school so he has been busy with practices and preparations as well.

Alaina has been tagging along all winter with one sibling or another as she tries to be as big as they are. She is a true joy, even if it is a persistent one!
Today was crazy hair day at her school and we braided her hair in many different directions. When we got home I asked her how it went and if her hair was crazy enough. She replied by shaking her head and saying that everyone's hair was more crazy than hers (her father shook his head in the background to indicate that was not true), so I inquired why that was so. Alaina replied, "My hair was just beautiful, not crazy." And then that gorgeous smile covered her face and I knew she was thrilled to have had crazy beautiful hair all day! She is truly my little firework!

It is a joy to watch them chase their dreams........

Looking to the future, Soccer begins for Matthew and Alaina this week- Yes Alaina! And Megan is swimming a lot in preparation for long course season and summer. I should finish my degree in May and summer is just around the corner. We are very excited and it should be an very entertaining and exciting spring!

The Birth of Miss Megan

On this day 12 years ago, Alan and I were blessed with our beautiful daughter Megan Elizabeth Lance. Her entry into this world was dramatic, unexpected, and full of twists and turns. It was exactly as she has come to be.  Here is her story....


Alan and I had been married for 1 year and 3 months when we were shocked to discover after years of feminine trouble on my part and warnings from doctors to prepare ourselves for the need for fertility treatments that I was pregnant. My pregnancy was easy and enjoyable. We were told we were having a boy and set about preparing for our new addition.  Then at week 36 we had our final ultrasound and were shocked to discover the doctor now thought we were having a girl. We were left to wonder and were told that we would know for sure at the birth. Over the next few weeks, I became very uncomfortable and my feet swelled beyond the ability to wear shoes. In addition, my blood pressure started to climb slowly and the doctor began to be concerned that I was developing pre-eclampsia. To be cautious, I had several stress tests to ensure the baby was okay. 

My due date came and went and I was put on bed rest as my symptoms did not pass. The doctor then began sending me to the hospital daily for cervix softening, and after three days, scheduled an induction of labor for December 9th, 1999. We were admitted to Labor & Delivery room 9 at 7 am. The trouble began when they tried to start an IV for fluids. They stuck me 9 times before the anesthesiologist was able to get it started. As a result, it was almost 11 am before they go the petocin started. The afternoon did not bring better news. My blood work revealed that my pre-eclampsia had progressed and was moving towards toxemia. The doctor turned up the petocin and hoped for a quick delivery. By 6 pm, the doctor had diagnosed full blown toxemia and had determined an epidural was out of the question. They brought in the prenatal emergency team and set a deadline of midnight. If labor had not progressed sufficiently they would deliver by c-section. About 11:30 pm, we began preparing to push and by 2:45 am on December 10, 1999, Megan was born. I do not remember much from 7 pm- the birth. The doctors had given me drugs for the pain and I was very sleepy due to the toxemia. It was a scary night, but one that yielded a wonderful reward. 
 
We were given our beautiful caring and loving daughter.  She entered this world in the same dramatic and unique way she has come to face everyday. She has also developed a heart of gold that she uses to guide her daily. She has blessed our lives in more ways than we can list in the last 12 years and is growing into a beautiful young lady. I am anxious to see how God uses her in his plans and am thrilled to be a part of the years to come.

The Blessing of Children

Tonight, as I sit grading papers and avoiding grad school work, I am struck by the wonderful blessings of my three wonderful children! 

Megan has grown to such a beautiful young lady. This evening we jogged around the neighborhood (okay... she jogged and I walked, but still!). She gave it her all and I was struck with what an awesome kid she is! I am thrilled to have her as my daughter and to get to be a part of her life, even if she does cop a 'tude on me from time to time!  I love my mini me!


When we came in, I sat on the couch and my heart was warmed when Alaina climbed from Alan's side to my end of the couch. She said, " I want mommy." I replied, " Mommy is sweaty." She quickly flashed me her sweet, know-it-all, adorable smile and said, " Don't worry Mom, I already took a shower. I got it!" I chuckled and snuggled her close as she shared her cleanness with me! Her sweet spirit is a daily joy and I can't wait to see all God has for her!

Later, long after all were tucked in and sleeping (except me, the lone night owl), I heard the regular sounds of Matthew's nightly rounds. You see, Matthew has some interesting sleep habits. When he was younger we termed them night terrors, he would run screaming through the house and was the reason we utilized deadbolts at the top of the door frame.
Lately, his nightmares have been no less frequent, but have become less frightening (I suppose) as the reaction has been less terror and more confusion! But it is almost comical as he comes running from his room regularly to save his sister, or get his backpack, or find the dog, all with his eyes half closed and completely asleep. Tonight his mission was to help "sissy" with something. He ran out, into my bedroom, and then quickly back into the living rooma ll teh while mumbling about "sissy" and "helping." He allowed me to calm him down and send him back to bed, still sound asleep! And even now as I hear him talking to the wall in his room, I am blessed by his sincerity.
He is my challenging child when it comes to daily parenting, but is also my most loving. He loves to a fault and is a true blessing to cuddle and talk with! His imagination never ceases to amaze me and though he challenges every fiber of patience I have, he is my sweet boy. I pray that he heeds God's calling for his life and changes the world with his endearing tenacity.

Thanks you Lord for the blessing of my WONDERFUL children!  

The BUSYness of Fall & the Joy it brings

Last night, a dear friend joined me for Megan's swim meet in Habersham and got to witness the other world of swimming that I am blessed to be a part of. As I interpreted the language of swimming for her and watched her smiling at me kneeling in water at the poolside counting laps, a realization hit me. (And at the risk of offending my other two children, let me be clear, the sideline of any of their events would have shown the same thing). You see.....

For the Lance family Fall is the busiest time of year and that it leads straight into the holidays (also a busy time) can sometimes seem exhausting. The month of October alone has zero days unscheduled with some type of practice, swim meet, soccer game, party, or event. I know some of you say that means we are overscheduled or something like that, but in our house we consider it the norm. With three kids going in opposite directions, it is just how it goes! And since we do most things together as a family- we treasure the time together, no matter where it is!

Today. Matthew has a soccer game and Megan is swimming in a swim meet. Unfortunately, that put us in different parts of the N.GA area this morning, so I am anxiously awaiting texts of swim meet results and lacing up soccer cleats all at once! All while convincing Alaina that her swim suit is not appropriate attire for the soccer field even if it is what her big sister left dressed in!

It is this BUSYness that I enjoy most. Though my kids may drive me crazy acting insane and pranking each other, it is the fact that they like each other and are enjoying life that brings me joy. I am so thankful for my beautiful children, their many activities and all, and I can't wait to see what God has for them.

So when you see me out running wild and looking frazzled- know that I am in my happy place and go find your as well.... Oh, and toss us some change for gas money too .... (just kidding)!