My very own Roller Dollz.....

Introducing Sioux Falls' next generation Roller Derby team, the Roller Dollz 2.0....

G-Pain

El-liminator

Lily of Death Valley

The Klobber Sisters

Pretty intimidating, right? Look out world, they're coming!

The Kolb's go camping......

Yep, you read that correctly, we went camping. I think by now we have established that I am not really an outdoorsy sort of gal and have put camping very low, like right above giving up Mexican food for life and right below getting up at 4AM every morning for the rest of my life, on my list of things I really, really want to do. However, our good friends, the Zimmer's, are camping enthusiasts and have been after us for quite some time to join them on a rustic getaway. I know a lot of people love to camp and I agree the whole notion of camping is incredibly wholesome, Swiss Family Robinson-esque but it just isn't my cup of tea. Sleeping outdoors, eating outdoors, relaxing outdoors~that's a lot of outdoors activity for a primarily indoor inclined 34 year old. The other four members of my family do not share my aversion to the great outdoors and think the idea of camping is really quite quaint so when Neal mentioned to Jason there was an weekend in the woods planned and invited us to join them, Jason eagerly accepted the invitation and before I could slap a mosquito, I found myself assisting Jason with a tent set up. We, in typical Kolb fashion, packed the Expedition to the hilt for a 24 hour trip but one never knows what one might need when out in the middle of nowhere (or Oakwood Lakes State Park). After the tent was erected, the quintessential campfire was lit and the s'more making commenced.

The girls just ran around having the grandest time with Megan and Zach and their neighbors, Trevor and Jacob. Around 10PM, Lily told me she was ready for bed and Ella quickly followed suit.

Grace and Megan hung in there awhile longer but were pretty tuckered out and turned in also.
I was offered the option of sleeping in the camper or the tent. As alluring as the camper berth sounded, I opted for the tent and finally turned in around 2AM. Remarkably, I drifted off to slumber after just the minimum tossing and turning but awoke bright and early, unsure of the time but knowing full well it was way earlier than I cared for. After realizing I would not be falling back asleep, I arose resigned to an early start. I was happy to hear the girls all slept soundly and wasn't the least bit surprised to hear that Lily began telling stories as soon as she opened her pretty little eyes and hadn't yet stopped. Her topics ranged from her love of monkeys and her dislike of gorillas to her marital status. Our morning was spent showering in the surprisingly clean public showers, lounging and a quick gas station run for gas, ice, pizza slices and the world famous San Luis Red Hot Burrito, mmmmmm. We were hoping for sun but settled for no rain and trekked down to the beach. Unfortunately it just wasn't a very beachy kind of day and our visit was rather short lived. A little swimming, a little eating, a little metal detecting, a little sandcastle building and back to the campsite we went to prepare for our departure.

You know for all the apprehension I had about camping, I really did enjoy myself. I'm still not crazy about sleeping outside, the bugs, campfire smoke blowing in my face or having to continually dig for my things out of the back of my vehicle but I found out those minor issues are greatly overshadowed by all the good things: spending time with good friends, seeing the girls catching frogs, petting dogs and horses, enjoying their good friends and getting to do something out of the ordinary and therefore extraordinary.

Thank you to Neal and Lynette for their hospitality and thank you to my wonderful husband, Mr. Kolb, for once again pushing my limits for the greater good. I highly doubt we are going to be in the market for a camper anytime in the near future but don't be surprised to catch me (possibly even more than once) next summer sitting around a campfire with a s'more in one hand, a Coors Light in the other and a great big smile on my face.

"Camping~nature's way of promoting the motel industry."~Dave Barry

Blammo....

Tonight it hit me. We all knew it would. The melancholy, the dread, the anxiety over another year of school beginning. One and a half short weeks before I have to send my babies off to be supervised, influenced and taught by people who are not named, "Mommy". My mind started whirling and the list of things to do grew; haircuts, library, errands, cleaning, Canaries game, possible stop at a museum, etc., etc., etc. With my to-do list set aside until I create more inane items to put on it, I reflected on why I despise the idea of school starting so very much. Of course, I am not going to lie and say the house is not more peaceful and calm, cleaner and less chaotic with one little person vs. three little people scampering about. Nor will I say I do not enjoy, very much, spending one on one time with Lily "Cannonball" Jane. So, what's my problem? What's the big whoop? Kids grow up, they go to school, they participate in their extracurriculars, they come home, summer comes, summer goes~so on and so forth. It's nothing new or out of the ordinary. Why do I freak out? After some contemplation, I came to a couple of conclusions:
1. Along with the beginning of the school year comes the time crunch. During the summer, time (on most days) is nothing more than a concept. Up at 9AM, fabulous. Lunch at 1PM, perfect. Bedtime at 10PM, why not? It's summer. They can sleep in. On August 17th, this freedom from the clock ends. There is a set time to wake and a set time to slumber. Meals have to be scheduled accordingly. Lily's naps must coordinate with the carpool times. For a Type A-er like myself, you would think the rigid schedule would be a dream come true. However, my friends, I am an atypical Type A-er. The ticking of the clock causes me to lose it. I don't do well with the minutes ticking away. If I get behind, I stress. If time gets away from me, I stress. If I want to do something other than what needs to be done according to the schedule, I stress. Once school is in session, the busy-ness rears it's ugly head. After school it's snack, homework, supper, bath and bed. With any luck, we can throw in a romp outside, a quick bike ride or a trip for ice cream into the mix but the impromptu shopping trips, stroll around the neighborhood or popcorn and movie night is long gone. We're running on someone else's clock.
2. My girls are my job. Not only are they my job, they are my livelihood. Obviously not livelihood in the financial sense of the word but they are what make me feel alive. Whether I am mediating a dispute over whose turn it is to ride in the front seat or I am on the receiving end of the world's best hug, I am right where God intended for me to be. When I quit my job almost five years ago, I wasn't completely sure I was cut out for the full-time mom gig. Patience isn't my strong suit and I can be just the slightest bit high strung. I also am very driven and motivated by doing my best and making others think well of me. No job meant no one to impress. How ever would I be motivated? What I have found out over the past five years is that there is no one I would rather have think well of me, no one more important to impress than my three daughters who spend their days and nights looking up to me. Frightening thought but very true. I cannot say that I have always provided them the best example. I cannot say I have always done my best. What I can say is that I have always tried my best. Maybe my imperfections have become my perfections. Maybe my girls will realize it's OK to not be the best because they will be loved unconditionally. Maybe they won't be driven by the eternal quest for perfection but rather the quest to be their most perfect. When Grace and Ella walk through the doors of John Harris on August 17th, 2/3 of my livelihood will be absent for a great portion of the day. I know they are not gone for good and I am certain that Lily "I Also Enjoy Monkeys" Jane is perfectly capable of providing me with ample opportunity to work at being my best but I also am keenly aware that I am not quite complete when Grace and Ella are missing from my equation.
And so, tomorrow morning we will begin the final bittersweet 12 days of the 2009 Summer Vacation. It really has been a great summer~trips, swimming, new friends, hours of monkey barring and bike riding, awesome meals out, almost equally awesome meals in, playgrounds, pet shops, butterfly house, zoo, birthdays. The fun has been endless. And just because the summer is coming to an end, doesn't mean the fun has to. Seizing the moment. Living in the now. Remembering the past but living in the present and not worrying so much about the future. Cliche, yes but still so true. Sometimes I get so caught up worrying about what's next that I forget about what's right now. What's right now is Grace being 9 years old, Ella-6 and Lily 3. Right now is invaluable, unforgettable and irreplaceable. What could possibly be more important?

Princesses and Unicorns at Play....

Today our itinerary included a stop at the library so the girls could drop off their summer reading program forms and collect their loot (which included a ticket for each to an upcoming Canaries game~always the hot item), lunch at Z'kota (mmmm, Hot Ham and Swiss) and an afternoon at the park. Since we are such freewheelin', wild and crazy ladies, we went out on a limb (literally)

and visited a park not on our "Frequently Frequented Parks" list, Cherry Rock Park. Fun for three reasons: 1. We don't often go to CRP., 2. It's right on the bike trail with a cool bridge crossing the river. and 3. It had the perfect tree perching (we are too chicken to climb~we just perched) tree. After a brief photo shoot on the bridge....

which Lily and Ella were kind of scared of because of the grating. I have to admit, it was a little disconcerting walking along on the bridge with large openings below our feet. It did kind of feel like we could go right into the drink at any given moment. Notice Lily's absence from the next picture. Her issues with the bridge got the best of her and......

she crossed over to the all wooden slat portion of the bridge.

Grace and Ella took this opportunity to show off their bravery to the little sister who was extremely nervous.

Once our Bridges of Minnehaha County experience was complete, we stopped at the perching tree for a few quick pics. I fully intended on keeping my feet firmly planted on God's green earth but Grace had different plans for me. She encouraged me to climb up for my own model moment.

With the picture taking nonsense that the girls so kindly have accepted as part of any outing with me, they were set free to create their own fantasy land. As I supervised from the sidelines, I listened in amazement as my girls were transformed before my eyes into princesses fleeing from the evil witch (I sure hope that wasn't me playing a part unknowingly). At one point I heard Grace exclaim, "Ella, is it time to get back on the bird and fly away yet?" to which Ella replied, "No, I'm on my horse." as she galloped away. Grace started to protest but then the lightbulb flickered and she hollered, "Hey Ella, how about we ride unicorns?" which Ella and Lily both thought was about the best idea they had ever heard and off they all swiftly rode into the sunset.

There is nothing I love more than watching my girls play and laugh. Their level of comfort with one another is something I at times envy and the way they complement each

other is so interesting. They each have their very important and integral part to play in their sisterhood and there is no place I would rather be than sitting right there watching them play it.

Shopping and butterflies....

This morning we woke to a beautiful blue sky and promises of the perfect summer day. Last night before bed, the girls selected the Sertoma Butterfly House as their activity of choice for today. We had a bit of a rough start and I was afraid and frustrated that all my good intentions were going to be doomed. Now in this situation, Monday's Jessica would have freaked out and then spent the remainder of the day alternating between being pissed at the girls for fighting, arguing, etc. and pissed at myself for freaking out about the girls doing normal kid type things. But alas, Monday's Jessica had taught Tuesday's Jessica a valuable lesson and Tuesday's Jessica tried an entirely different tactic. A brief but stern discussion about choices, both good and bad, and how your choices dictate how your day will go and we began the day all over complete with brand new good morning greetings and hugs. This new approach seemed to do the trick and away we went ready to embrace the day.

Because our school supply shopping was taken care of months ago (thanks to those handy school supply kits), we have very limited shopping necessary to prepare for the looming big day. One major item on the list is new tennis shoes for Ella. Last year shoe shopping turned into an several day, pull your hair out of your head Olympic event and took us forever. This year, Grace unexpectedly stumbled across the perfect pair of sneakers a couple of weeks ago leaving us with just Ella to attire. Her decisive nature paired with her intense dislike of shopping caused me to conclude this would go quickly and it sure did. One trip around the shoe section at Kohl's, three pairs tried on and one pair singled out as the winner in less than five minutes. Yay Ella! Selecting the all important "1st Day of School" outfit turned out to be a bit more time consuming but boy did we hit the jackpot. After a spin through Target, a fast lunch at Wendy's, a buzz through JCPenny's (so Ella could admire this ultra fancy dress she has been thinking about for a couple of weeks), we meandered into Old Navy. As we walked through the entrance, Lily muttered under her breath, "We're going in here? I hate this place."~which she says every single time we enter this particular store. Much to our delight, all clearance items were 50% off the clearance price and we seriously did a number on said clearance racks. As we were leaving with ridiculous smiles pasted on our faces, Ella said to me, "I guess shopping can be kind of fun. Did you have fun, Mom?" Jeans for $5 and happy faces all around me, how could I not have fun?

Our shopping escapade took much longer than I had anticipated and although we were running short on time, I had promised the Butterfly House and I was going to make good on that promise. I sure am glad I did too. What a peaceful, lovely place to spend an hour. We strolled around the room, taking pictures while oohing and ahhing.

I took the photo below right after Ella asked me what the butterflies were doing and I explained they were eating. It looks like she was becoming one with the butterflies and figuring out how she would eat if she were a butterfly.

My three beauties...

Awe and awwww....

At one point, I exclaimed to Lily, "Oh Lil, look at this one. It's so pretty". She came over, took a look and matter-of-factly informed me, "I call those ones fellas". Well, of course you do! What else would you call them?

Waiting and hoping with all their hope that a butterfly will land on them....

And here is Ella on our way home, drying off her sweaty pits after a long hot day of shopping and butterflying! Phew! Who knew having fun could be so much work?

What a great day! I'm so glad we started over. It made all the difference and without doing that, I would have missed out on a fabulous day with my fabulous girls. I'm anxious again tonight~anxious to wake up tomorrow and see my three favorite girls' beautiful faces.

Summer fun and more....

As usual, we spent this weekend playing and having fun. There was a birthday party on Grace's social calendar for Friday night. We dropped her off, grabbed a quick supper at our go-to, Fryn' Pan, and beelined to the park to kill time until it was time to pick up our eldest. Lily enjoyed the swing.....

While Ella showed off her monkey bar skills, going back and forth 16 times total, 13 of those times right in a row. I haven't been able to lift my arms above my head since, just thinking about the pain.



It was finally time to return our resident pop star diva to the fold. She had a fabulous time, just as expected. Pizza and Hannah Montana~what more does a nine year old girl really need?
Jason and I had decided that since we got totally gypped out of sun and didn't get to participate in any lakeside lounging, we would have to take matters into our own hands. After just the slightest bit of Facebook research, we located a lake near our house that sounded perfect. With the back of the Expedition filled with appropriate beach-friendly gear, we headed for sunny Lake Pahoja, Iowa. We were pleasantly surprised that after a quick 20 minute jaunt, a lovely, clean, relatively unbusy beach welcomed us. Prior to take off, I commented to Jason that we would most likely spend more time packing up and driving to the lake than our actual time spent enjoying the surroundings. Well, once again, I was totally off base. The girls shocked me and happily played in the water on their inner tubes and in the sand, surfside for hours with nary a complaint or a nag~even when they found out while we had plenty of beverages, their airheaded parents completely spaced off bringing any snacks. (Luckily Grace had her Kit-Kat from the previous night's party and she was willing to share!) It was the perfect summer day!

Lily~making friends everywhere she goes. I think she may be a politician when she grows up~(if the cowgirl thing falls through, of course).

Ella rockin' the air guitar....

Last week while cleaning the house, I decided this week was going to be fully devoted to the girls and doing all the things they love. No cleaning and no errands. All fun, all the time. They unanimously agreed today was pool day and so to the pool we went. Grace and Ella swam in the big pool while Lily and I splashed in the wading pool.

I think this smile tells it all.

Yesterday in church, the priest spoke about not squandering the gift God bestowed upon each one of us. The greatest gift I have been given is my beautiful family and the opportunity I have to spend each day with them. Now, I'm not going to lie. I struggled with my gift today. I was plagued by anxiety. Sometimes I worry over big issues such as wondering if I am providing a happy, secure life for my girls, if I am doing my best and giving my all every day, finances, being a good mother, wife, daughter, friend, etc. Some days my anxiety is over trivial matters but matters important to me, nonetheless. Selfishly I wondered why in addition to all I have been given, I have been chosen to bear the cross of persistent anxiety. People understand when you are stressed about losing a job, health concerns, problems with your children or your spouse~you know, the big things. People (myself included) do not understand stressing over what to make for supper, what time to get on the treadmill, what day to go to the library, how best to schedule your day~little things that build up throughout the day. And the irony of it is because of this anxiety, I became more anxious. Worried and regretful that I had wasted my time, thoughts and energy. Because of this, I did not fully embrace my day; you know, the day that was supposed to be devoted to my girls. Cue more anxiety over not being a great mother. I hate that but I know it's in my hands. This is not an insurmountable problem.

I'm not sure yet what tomorrow will bring but I do know what I will bring to tomorrow: a positive attitude, a grateful heart and the promise not to squander my gift.

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."~Angela Schwindt