by Sarah | May 22, 2012 | All About Me, Contest, Giveaway, Random
I grew up in Buffalo, NY. In Buffalo you have to love Hockey (Go Sabres! Even when you suck!) and football (Go Bills! Even when you suck!).
I didn’t. At least not at first. I wasn’t the sports girl – my bro was the sports nut. Over time I grew to appreciate going to hockey games that weren’t my brothers. to the point that these days I love a good hockey game.
One sport that I loved (to watch) almost from the start was baseball. It got even better once the Bison’s had Pilot Field. There was the fun of the games, cotton candy, and Buffalo had the “Earl of Bud“. Baseball meant summer and sun and fun.
When we moved to Indiana, my dad took me to a few games at the old Bush Stadium. The games were always against a New York teams – in fact the first game was against Buffalo themselves.
Since then Indianapolis has upgraded to Victory Field. As much as I always loved Pilot Field (I don’t care what it’s called now, so hush)…Victory Field has a leg up with the lawn. “The cheap seats” are the best in the house. You can bring a picnic (make sure your cooler is small…~ahem~), sit back and relax while watching a great game. Not that there’s anything wrong with good seats (I still enjoy those too) – but there’s a definite ‘summertime’ and real Family Fun air to sitting on the lawn.
Indiana’s Family of Farmers (@FamilyofFarmers) is hosting a #FamilyNight at the Ball Park at Victory Field this year.
Best part? You, yes YOU can win 8 tickets! Right here (and once again at other blogs – I’ll be linking those below).
Winners and their families (8 tickets) are invited to join us for the June 11, 2012 Indians Game against the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 PM (Gates open around 5:30 PM).
Guests are also invited to join our In-Game Picnic in Coors Light Corner. The picnic starts at 7:30 and goes through the game. You will have the option of watching the game from the picnic area or your seats, which are in 120 on the first base side.
Kids 2 and under are free on a lap or on the lawn.
So you want to get in on this great night of family fun?! It’s SUPER easy. You have up to three ways to win. Leave a separate comment for every method you use.
1. Comment here telling me what your favorite sport is! {Mandatory}
2. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment w/ the tweet URL
3. Share this page on Facebook and leave a comment w/ saying you did!
For more chances to win this awesome night of fun, check out the following blogs. (This list will update regularly. Check back often!)
Bonus Entries – If you enter ANY of these other giveaways, come back here & let me know! For each blog you visit & enter their contest, you get an an additional entry into mine. Make sure you add an additional comment every time, so you get all your entries.
Details: The giveaway will end on Monday, May 28th at 11PMEST. I will pick & contact the winner on Tuesday the 29th. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
You can learn more about IFOF at the following links:
· IFOF Website
· IFOF Blog
· IFOF Facebook
· @FamilyofFarmers
Disclaimer: In exchange for hosting this giveaway, IFOF provided my family with tickets to the game. All opinions are my own.
by Sarah | May 18, 2012 | Contest, Giveaway
GIVEAWAY CLOSED.
I’m not a drinker.
On any normal day you won’t find a wine or a beer in my hand. When the neighbors celebrate I may have a drink or two, but I just don’t tend to gravitate to alcohol.
BUT. (You had to know I was going somewhere with that)
I love a good wine.
By good, I mean sweet, fruity and doesn’t taste much like alcohol. My husband on the other hand, likes it dry as the desert. Lip puckering dry.
My 45X45 list had “Attend a wine tasting” on it – and it was the first thing I checked off. Let’s just say I’m new to this wine stuff. I can’t tell you about a bouquet, or how to properly ‘taste’ a wine. I can just tell you what I like.
Vintage Indiana
One thing I didn’t realize when I first started learning how to enjoy wine is that Indiana has more than its fair share of wineries (63 in case you didn’t know).
And on June 2, in Military Park, 26 of them will be there with their delectable wines for you to sample. From 11AM-7PM you can answer all those burning questions, or just delight in yummy samples.
Not just wine to sample, either.
There will be live music (including a former American Idol – I kid you not!), and food! Yay food! Me? I need it – I can’t enjoy any alcohol without food in my belly. This way I can truly enjoy my day.
The thing that surprised me? This isn’t just for the adults! They have set up a whole KidZone for the tykes so the whole family can enjoy the day without the need for a sitter!!
So how can you get in on this great day? It’s simple:
1. Head on over to a Marsh Supermarket – where the advance tickets are going for just $22
2. If you want to wait, at the door tickets are $25. Bonus? Designated Driver tickets are only $10, and Kids 6-20 are only $5 (under 5 is free!!)
3. Go for FREE – Enter my giveaway right here…where you can win 2 tickets!!
That’s right, I said FREE because thanks to Indiana Family of Farmers, I’ve got 2 tickets to giveaway!
Entering is so very easy. You can get three entry points:
1. Comment here telling me whether you’re a fruity or you like to pucker (sweet wine or dry?) {Mandatory}
2. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment w/ the tweet URL
3. Share this page on Facebook and leave a comment w/ saying you did!
Details: The giveaway will end on Tuesday, May 22nd at 11PMEST. I will pick & contact the winner on Wednesday the 23rd. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Psssst….want more chances to enter? Go over to my good friend Katie’s blog and enter her contest, or head on over to the effervescent Michelle’s blog & enter HER contest. Oh look, Crystal’s blog has more chances to enter, too. Head on over to Angie’s for a fresh set of chances. Keep checking back here over the next few days, I’ll keep linking up to blogs running contests!
This is an amazing deal, and I’d ask you to share some social media love w/ the event and its sponsors…
- Vintage Indiana: @vintageindiana & #VintageIN ~ Facebook: Vintage Indiana Winefest
- Indiana’s Family of Farmers: @FamilyofFarmers ~ Facebook: Family of Farmers
- Indiana Wine Grape Council: @indianawinebabe & @indianawines
- Marsh Supermarkets: @MarshGrocery
- Clark Appliance: @ClarkAppliance
- WFMS/WJJK: @WFMS & @ClassicHits1045
- WISH/WNDY: @WISH_TV
- Indiana’s Turkey Farmers: Gotta give them real love
- Indiana’s Dairy Farmers: @INDairy
- NUVO: @NUVO_net
Disclosure: As an IFOF Ambassador, I received two tickets to attend Vintage Indiana and two tickets for this giveaway. This is a sponsored post, but all the opinions within it are mine, and I stand by them.
by Sarah | May 14, 2012 | All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, Random
[flickr id=”7196830566″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Mother’s Day happens when the kids are still in school. So, through similar sheets of papers from the school I got to see what I look like in the eyes of my little ones.
Molly says so many things that are accurate (thankfully she was not asked my age ~ahem~).
1. My favorite drink is “Casey’s drink” (I get many fountain pops from Casey’s)
2. My favorite TV show is Big Bang. (Why yes, yes it is)
3. For fun I play on the computer. (Who? Me?)
4. Around the house I “wash jeans and chlothes” (I’m afraid she is very very correct on this one. All. The. Time.)
5. My favorite thing is…..the computer. (It is in the top…of “things”.)
6. The best thing is “she is good to do exercise” (not lately b/c I’m injured, but I’m surprised the girls put this in there)
7. No, the best thing is “she hugs me,” or “she kisses me good night”, no, the absolute best thing is “she loves me.” (No, baby…the best thing is that you KNOW that and love me back in your own special way)
8. If she was a mom she would “go on comter, and wash dishes, and cook dinner. I’d be a super nice mom like you!”
9. Last, but not least, she says what makes me special is I’m “pretty”.
All so very sweet and special…seeing what she sees. (For the record she did fill out one of these for Erik too…let’s just say there was a lot of mention of “Family Guy” on it ~giggle~ She’s a perceptive little beast).
[flickr id=”7196832638″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”] Kennedy had a couple of similar, but different questions. Unfortunately she was asked my age…
1. My age appeared twice. Once I was listed as “93” the other time “30”. Truthfully, I’m somewhere between…MUCH closer to 30.
2. I like to “mac cake”, and my favorite food it “lettuce”. (A sign I’ve been dieting, perhaps? I like to make cake, but eat lettuce…)
3. To relax I “lay on the bed”, “watch TV” (2 different times)
4. I like to shop “at Casey’s” (I think I go there too much…O.o)
5. What she loves most is that I “love flowers”
6. If she could buy me anything it would be “a pet dog.” (awww)
7. What I do while she’s at school? Why, I “go running”.
8. I’m really good at “working on the computer”
9. My mom is as pretty as “a flower”, sweet as “a butterfly”, smart as “a heart” (??), most of all, special as “a rose”
10. And my favorite…and the most accurate statement is that what makes me so special is that “I love her” (Yes, Kennedy…the fact that you love me, and your sister loves me, is what makes me so special)
*~*~*
I have to say that I loved reading these…seeing how their minds work, and how they see me. one of the best gifts ever.
by Sarah | May 11, 2012 | All About Molly, Autism, Crap, Random, Special Needs
[flickr id=”7089103379″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It’s never a good thing when in the middle of a class ‘event’ with many parents present – the teacher singles you out and pulls you aside before you can leave.
“Just for a moment.”
Last week the class had a field trip.
Field Trip = Change in Routine.
Change in Routine = Over-Stimulated Molly.
The teacher let us know that on the trip Molly had a bit of trouble. She never stopped. Once. Nearly running into the street at one point. If Teacher had to pull her attention away or let go of Molly’s hand for even a second, Molly used that to run off.
Eventually one of the parents caught on and became Molly’s ‘keeper’ for the rest of the field trip – but it was a bit of a hectic day.
So now it’s been decided that going forward Molly will need a ‘keeper’ on any field trips. It’s not something that’s likely to end up on the IEP, but it’s something the teachers will be aware of.
It is our decision to also make them aware that I will be her ‘keeper’.
So I will be the official Molly-Chaperone for all future field trips.
Even the ones I usually avoid.
Fun.
by Sarah | May 8, 2012 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Random, Special Needs, Writing, writing tips, WTF?
[flickr id=”6271416484″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]When I was young I used to love the Limbo. I was really good at it and always won.
As an adult, as a parent of special needs kids, as a human being – limbo has taken on a new meaning.
It’s the in-between.
The period of nothing.
No answers.
More questions.
Infinite waiting.
In my personal life. In my pursuit of a writing career.
Limbo now consumes my life.
Tests for the kids, my husband, myself. Infinite questions on our health, our futures.
Submissions of my work to strangers for judging. The ones that might hold the key to my writing future.
I hate limbo.
If I didn’t love writing so much I’d throw in the towel and end it just to give up another source of the interminable status of ‘waiting’.
I’m not about to do that. Writing is a part of me. It gives me release and happiness.
So I suppose somehow I have to turn this new definition of Limbo into something I can live with.
I just can’t see how to make it a party game.
Maybe a drinking game…
by Sarah | May 5, 2012 | Random
[flickr id=”5033124805″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]This mothering thing.
Some days I excel at it. I feel proud of myself, of my kids and their accomplishments, of the things I’ve done around the house to make it a home.
Those days are few and far between.
Most days I suck at this.
I’m not a clean freak, and with five people in a tiny house I really should be.
Sometimes my girls go a full week between baths.
Some days I make the girls play for several hours in their bedroom so that I have some semblance of quiet.
Most days me and ‘patience’ are total strangers.
But damn do I love them, and although some days that’s all I can give them…
Every time, it’s enough.
I grew up in Buffalo, NY. In Buffalo you have to love Hockey (Go Sabres! Even when you suck!) and football (Go Bills! Even when you suck!).