blog-pause

2 months and 2 days
since my last post

i've been
sidetracked
hijacked
derailed

i promise i'm working my way back
wait for it
it won't be huge
but i'll be back
promise....

you know you're an old married couple when...

...your dear husband tries to

pay you a compliment like

"you look hot"

and you reply by saying,

"no actually i feel just fine"

...your husband refills your

bottomless margarita glass

right after the last drink

without even being asked!

...he politely threatens to break

your arm if you bid at an auction

and it is considered being affectionate!

...shared desserts are a

highlight of your date!

...you attend a function that lasts until

midnight but you are home by 10:30!

1 down...179 to go!

for teachers, it's all about the countdown!

give me another day and i will have worked

out how many days until winter break!

anyhoo...here are the cuties from this am...

according to mason,

K is awesome

the only flaw?

he took an apple for his snack

he "ate it all, but meanwhile,

i missed all of recess cuz it took

me that long to eat it!"

different snack packed for tomorrow!

and the second grader?

stoked about no homework all week!

as am i!

baby steps please!

pass the tissues please

this handsome young lad
is officially a kindergartner



and this beautiful young lady
is a big shot second grader



and this is their mama
.

she is sad to be returning to work

but loves that the two cuties above

are with her at school!

lasting impressions

twelve years of teaching
that's a lot of kids
and every year
i hope i make an impact
on them
but what i bet they don't know
is that they make as much
of an impact on me

i remember them
the funny stories
the laughs we all shared
their personalities
they leave an impression
on me
it doesn't go away

so when i hear from them
after they move on
or they come back to visit
it is beyond wonderful
to just listen to them
to see how they've grown
it always makes me smile

so when i hear news
like the tragic news i got today
it hurts
it's beyond sad

a young person's life
cut way, way too short
he sat in my classroom
2 short years ago
but it feels like yesterday
he made quite an impression on me
but i bet he never knew that

so as a new school year dawns
i made a note on the last day
in my plan book...
it reads
"tell them how much they mean to me"

{PS...last night, i recounted a funny story about him
to some friends. the same night he passed away.
gives me chills.}

{oh no he didn't!}

if you know our
little big guy
in real life
you know he is a boy's boy
he is rough and tumble
he is hands on
he is passionate!

he loves nothing more
than wrestling with daddy on the floor

so about six months ago,
when he also wanted
to wrestle with his friends in preschool,
we decided to give him an outlet for his energy:
martial arts!
and a match made in heaven they are!
he loves every minute of it!
he is learning to defend himself,
when it is appropriate to do so,
and that discipline and hard work pay off!
he earned his yellow belt {with white stripe}
recently and is so proud of his accomplishment!
he has also filled us in on his plans...
to become an mma fighter when he grows up...oiy!




so last week, he went to
vacation bible school
on the first day he comes home with a shiner!
apparently he was intentionally
pushed by another
energetic young lad
{this according to the teacher}
and did a face plant on the play structure.
okay, those things happen, he shrugged it off,
and i was just thankful he didn't start it!
the next day i am buckling him in the car
and i see two red scratch marks on his neck
i ask about it and he says some boy did it
but he conveniently couldn't remember the rest!
alrighty then...maybe a lesson
on love thy neighbor
could be covered in vbs???
so a few days later, he asks me to feel
the back of his ear.
i do, and much to my surprise, it is all scratched up
and scabbed over!
i ask what happened and this is the conversation:


him: well remember the day i had the scratches on my neck?


me: yes...


him: well, i might get in trouble for telling you this...


me: just tell me, you will not be in trouble!


him: well, this boy, he scratched me on the neck
i don't know why, but i did what sifu said to do when
we get attacked...


me: {as the blood drains from my face} and that is?


him: i put him in a full mount



me: you what?!?!?!


him: i put him in a full mount


me: i heard you! why on earth did you do that? and at bible school?


him: cuz i was defending myself


me: ummm...okay...


him: it ended when he grabbed my ear


me: at bible school honey?!


him: yeah, and when i get older i am going to do it in one of those cages!


o heavens...a conversation followed
concerning the fact that he is going to K
in a few weeks
and he is NOT to touch another person
even if he thinks he is defending himself
i gently reminded him that mommy
works at the school and i will know
what goes on...
except i don't think he cares!
this might be a long school year!

he's ferocious, and he's five!

our little big guy

is 5 today!

this boy is 100% full of:

action

unbridled energy

humor

animation

sweetness

cuddles

physicality

cutness...

the list goes on!

have a great day sweet kiddo!

we love you!

mommy, daddy, and big sis

{mason got to navigate yesterday when daddy took him fishing!}

P.S. for a special story about his day of birth click here!

friday faves

{these are a few of my favorite things...}

i eat so many of these during the summer

and the only place to get really great ones

is the local farmers market

i eat them with everything...yum!

this little guy is a must!

especially with kids...

and speaking of kids,

they are well trained in its use!

especially the boy!

remember this post?

well i changed gears a little

and joined the women's class

OMG...addicted to kickboxing now!

i have lost several inches all over

in a matter of weeks,

have so much more energy

and just feel better!

i hate working out

but this class i love!

{and yes, hubs bought me the rockin' pink gloves!}

this salsa is to die for

it is fresh and yummy on

just about everything

i eat a lot of it...

and a neat fun fact...

the one i love was designed

esp for disney theme parks!

how do i love thee?

let me count the ways...

i cannot live without my cell

and look forward to upgrading soon...

i smell a blackberry curve in my future!

so what are some of your faves???

what the...?

i have uttered this phrase a lot lately...

like when we went to the park last night
and within 10 sec of being there
the big girl had two bites on her legs!
seriously, this girl attracts all bugs
of the biting variety!
she is always the only one in the fam
to get bites
no matter where we are!
and she has a tendency to
have a reaction to them
so much so that in the beginning of the summer
it warranted a trip to the doctor!
it is nuts!
i mean, i know she is sweet,
but give the girl a break!

and today, i thought what the...?
when we went to the free movie
and the four young children next to us
were being dropped off
by a relative to watch the movie while
that person ran errands!?
seriously? the kids ranged in age from
6-9, {i asked!}
and as soon as said adult left
they were at each other's throats!
thankfully the movie started soon after,
but am i the only one who frowns on using
the local movie theater as a babysitter
for such young ones????

oh, and then there was my announcing
what the...? loud and clear
in the grocery store
when the son, who was carrying the
loaf of bread, hands me a half
loaf of bread at the register!
oops!
i asked what happened,
{after saying what the...? out loud}
and he says,
"mommy the thing came off
way back there"
clearly meaning the twist tie,
and well, half the loaf!
i turn to look and here is a bagger
following us picking up bread!
we left a good trail!

so what has made you say
what the...?

{and would you participate in a weekly
what the...?
post if i hosted?}

happens every year...

but this year it is early.

i get this dream

before school starts back up

every year

it is a stressful dream

i wake up worried and anxious

every teacher has probably

had them...

the dreaded

back to school dream!

i remember my first one...

THE night before my first day

of my teaching career!

nice timing!

in the dream, i was a teacher

in the fifth grade classroom

in the elementary school

i attended as a child

and the kids were unruly,

outta control

and the easiest task of the day

was proving too much for this

novice teacher: attendance!

i just couldn't get it right!

every year since

i have had some sort of school

dream

but it is usually closer to the start of school

and they have become dreams about

bigger and bigger

issues...

like last night's...

i was teaching history to hs students {prob #1!}

and i had no clue what i was teaching

and the kids knew

and as you can imagine

hs kids love a weak spot

it was a feeding frenzy

and i was their lunch!

and no matter how many times

i woke up

and

went back to sleep

it was still there!

{why does that happen with bad dreams but not good ones?}

i am sort of hoping

that since this dream

arrived early, i might not have

another closer to school...

so what about you?

any dreams of the sort

that are recurrent???

i know i'm not the only one...

right???

its a swap thing!

so mamarazzi's swaps are the best!

you must do her next one...

coming soon i hear!

all very practical things!

thanks vanessa!

{click on over to see what i sent her!}

{rolling out the welcome mat!}

welcome

welcome

welcome

welcome

welcome!

~

loitering is allowed

shirts and shoes not required

no need to clean up after yourself

snoop in my medicine cabinet

root through my junk drawer!

and stay as long as you like!

thanks heather and tiffany

and the whole SITSAhood!

what an amazing bunch of wo{men}!

she's baaa-aack!

okay, so i never really went anywhere,

except across the country and back!

more posts and pics on that soon!

but i am here...just busy with

life

enjoying our summer

and time off school

and really,

i thought i'd have more

of my summer to do list

crossed off,

but of course i do not!

still have 6 weeks!

stay tuned for more on our adventure...

until then...feast on these:

7 days :: 7 states

started last saturday
left california
swooned over how beautiful
arizona is
crawled through
new mexico
tumbled in to
texas
where everything is bigger
met the humidity in
oklahoma
which led us to our
destination of
arkansas!
where we have been
enjoying hanging out
swimming, eating, playing
and yesterday we ventured
into beautiful
missouri
for a stop at silver dollar city
which didn't stay beautiful
for long once the sky
opened up on us!
had us wondering if ark building skills
were necessary!

we have decided to leave a day early
{weds}
in order to catch sight of:
the memorial in downtown
oklahoma city
and the hole that is
the grand canyon
and several stops in between!

i promise many pics soon to come!
ta ta for now!

memories in the making!

we are off on our road trip
first thing in the am
25 hours in the car
3 days of driving


we have not taken
a long road trip since we moved
so we are excited to hit
the open road

in all previous road trips
we have made some awesome
and some not so awesome
memories:


like the time we nearly lost
the load on the travel
rack on the top of the jeep
stressful, good times.


or the time when i was still nursing
and i forgot the most integral
part to the pump
and in the middle of the night,
while hubs was driving,
i thought i would drown in milk
or pass out from the pain!
where was a wal mart when we needed one???


or that same trip,
after we finally found a wal mart
for said pump part,
hubs came out to the car
with a donut and a candle in it
singing me happy birthday


or when we first realized
that when traveling with kids
they dictate the schedule


or when we counted the number
of billboards advertising
walnut bowls in missouri
and wondering how many
people stop and buy themselves
a famed walnut bowl


our kids are much older now
there are so many new memories
to be made on this road trip
i am excited that they will
remember this trip,
for better or worse!
and that we have many days ahead
of uninterrupted family time
for better or worse!

good times ahead!

i will occasionally
check in here
and if you follow me on
twitter or facebook
{click to follow...you kow you want a
blow by blow of the griswald's next adventure!}
i will be tweeting/facebooking
from the road,
which might be humorous
or maybe stressful,
who knows!


need to finish packing
and since we always forget something,
any guesses what we will forget this time???

swap time ladies

i am so excited for this!
i have done a mamarazzi
swap before and it rocked!

click on over...you won't be sorry!

hurry...go...now!

lists and looking back

i love to make lists

i don't always accomplish

everything on them

but just getting the

swirling thoughts out of

my head helps!

so in preparation

for our upcoming road trip

{25 hours cross country...another blog post}

i actually have a notebook

of to do lists!

and those to do lists were

broken down into days...

and so far so good!

in fact i am a little ahead

but somehow,

i know that the night before we leave

i'll still be jumping through my arse

to get it all together!

old habits die hard!

-------

in other news...our weekend...

well, back up to last thursday

the kids had kajukembo

and the big girl has been

working so hard

on her forms

and she decided she wanted to

show her instructor her kata

thinking he might give her a few

things to work on...

but instead, she earned

a stripe on her belt!

she was beside herself

and i was so proud

i nearly cried!

way to go girl!

saturday...

mason graduated from preschool!

is he handsome or what?

we let him pick a lunch spot

and we took them to see UP!

{awesome movie!}

at lunch, he wanted to show me

a trick with milk in his mouth...

ugh...

so he fills his mouth with milk,

and opens it to tell me to look...

and milk cascades down the front of him!

poor planning buddy, maybe next time!

sunday...

we took the kids to their

first MLBaseball game...

and due to persistent

camera battery problems,

we didn't get but one pic

on the camera!

i took some on my phone

i will try to upload later...

the kids had a good time

although they both let us

know that they didn't really watch

note to self...leave them at home

next time and we can make it a date!

so the rest of my week is

planning and packing!

yeehaw!

on second thought...

life would be dull

if it weren't for

our ability to

'think twice'

about things...

in the past few days

i have thought twice

on many occasions!

1. calling 911

i have never had to call before

but one afternoon

this guy in the suv behind

me was driving like a mad man

swerving from one side

of the road to the next

i got over to turn and

almost got hit by

his erratic driving!

as he passes, i see he has

handicap plates

so i worry that

something is wrong

i'm nice like that!

i follow him and

dial 911

this is what i get:

9-1-1, what....is....your....emergency?

{the slooooooowest talker ever which i thought rather ironic!}

anyhoo, due to the small town we live in,

he needed to transfer my call,

which resulted in being disconnected!

{not so handy in a life threatening situation i presume!}

so by this time, said motorist

is pulling into a car dealer

it dawns on me...

this yahoo was a service guy

testing out his repairs!

i followed him and kindly told him

what i thought of his maneuvers

on a public street.

like he cared!

next time?

i'll let him hit someone!

2. mc donald's

i took the kids for lunch

at the wretched place,

play place and all,

which generally makes

my skin crawl,

thinking of all the germs!

but i'm a cool mom,

so i indulged them...

but tell me this:

is working at mc donald's

so damn stressful

that you forget to put the food

in the happy meal boxes?

really?

i cannot remember a time

that i have 'dined' at a golden arches

and they actually get the order correct!

what gives people???

next time?

packing lunch and hitting the park...

even if it is 100 degrees!

3. kickboxing

need i elaborate?

4. are we there yet?

the dreaded question came up

2 times yesterday

during a 20 min

car ride!

why is this making me

think twice you ask?

because in a week, we are hitting

the wide open highways and bi ways

of the US of A

for a 25 hour car ride!

what have we gotten ourselves into???

it is bad to have second thoughts

about something before it begins!

any guesses on how many times

we will hear that question on our trip?

so, what have you thought twice about lately???

note to self

listen to my inner voice
more often!
like today
when i was gearing myself
up to go to kickboxing
there was this little voice
saying
what? for reals?
and she should have been
listened to!

because this was not
your modern day
kickboxing class
where you show up and
sweat it out to a
new dance mix tune
oh, hecks no!

let me set the scene:
martial arts training center
like where real kickboxing
dudes and their mma cohorts
sweat it out!
and all the tattooed gents sport
the shiny boxing shorts
and the only other girl in the class,
who i was paired up with,
was a pumped up, tattooed,
sinead o'connor look alike
that let me know she is used
to street fighting in east san jose!
off to a great start!
{in all fairness, she rocked and i think i made a new friend!}
it started out with a flurry of
blocks, punches, kicks, turns
and i was hanging in there
despite the 5 pounds of sweat
already rolling off me just halfway
through the class!

oh, wait, did i mention that
i am soooooo not in shape?

i think about halfway through
i even begged her to go ahead
and make contact,
knock me out already!

but she lassoed her street fighting ways
and i had to suffer on!
so five min left in class
i'm thinking,
great, time to cool down!
and then it happened!
we were sentenced to 5 cold hard min
of a circuit, most of which
i cannot recall
as i was trying not to hurl
or pass out in front of these tough
men and woman!

i hear 'last time'
and i am so overjoyed
i can barely stand up,
ok, so i was barely standing
because my lungs were trying
to collapse, details, details!

and then it happened!
again!
as it turns out, we had one min
of class time left!
and what else to do,
other than get a drink
and find the nearest O2 machine????

why, 50 sit ups of course!
by this time, hubs had arrived
to rescue me,
but only after i attempted the
50 sit ups!
he just beamed from ear to ear
with pride that i had hung in there,
all the while i had visions of hanging
him, who got me into this mess!

but you know what?
it wasn't all for not!
in addition to the major water weight
i must have shed,
hubs did the dishes when we got home,
{which he tends not to touch when i am not working in the summer!}
somehow, it just doesn't balance out!

note to self
join the women's class!

she crafts, she crafts

i can be crafty

but due to lack of time,

i am only when i need to be

like tonight

i want to give the big girl's

teachers

something nice for the end of the year

so here is what i came up with:

in the morning, i will have her write...

'thanks for helping me blossom!'

on the thank you note card.

and this past weekend, while at

the bookstore,

she picked out a little cross stitch kit

so we worked on this cute little guy

and stuck him in a frame!

me hope she likes!

well, better get, hubs

is on the patio dragging furniture around

at 9:45 PM

while enjoying this:

in no particular order...

this is going to be soooo random

i apologize!

first, remember this?

yeah, well, my

NNNNNNNNNNN's

are giving out on me.

do you know how

common the letter N is?

takes about three presses

of the N key to get just one!

annnnnnnnnoying!

1.5 days of school left

i am beyond excited!

tonight was a nice glimpse of

summer:

we were all outside until late

used the hose as a bath

and still went to bed dirty!

let the summer begin!

speaking of summer,

my to do list has started

and lord is it large!

what do people who work

12 months of the year do?

summer is when i get things done!

{or at least make good lists of things to accomplish!}

oh, and it is when i have time to read...

these all came today, good timing!

and did i mention i am forming a

book club?

yep...more reading!

{and hopefully some good wine and snacks?}

today was a fun day

the big girl had her

awards assembly

and

talent show

so proud of her!

to celebrate we took

the kids for ice cream...

before dinner!

rebels, i know!

the little big guy's last day

of preschool is friday

{sniff sniff}

but holy heck am i happy

to lose that monthly expense!

although, i am sure the savings

are spent already!

and lastly...some humor:

on the playground today

a boy comes over to tell me

some kids are saying the

v word!

i say, honey, i am not sure what that is.

he said, you know, the V word!!!

oh lordy...1.5 days...

irol and her ipod

once upon a time

a most deserving

mom, irol,

got a shiny new

green ipod




she fell in love

she could do anything

with those little buds filling

her ears with harmonious tunes

then...

it happened:

she popped the buds in her ears,

scrolled to her fave artist,

but...wait...it was missing

as were ALL of her tunes!

she immediately went to her hubs

who had recently added new music

{read: HIS music}

to the tiny green wonder,

surely he had to know where

her tunes went!

after much debate over

whether it was intentional

or accidental

irol and hubs finally concluded

that synching it up on a diff

computer was the problem



irol immediately became way less

productive around the house

her ears were no longer filled

with the sounds she loved

to take her mind off of the fact

that chores suck!



finally, music restored,

irol and her jolly green friend

were reunited!

her kitchen has never been cleaner,

despite letting something boil over

whilst deep in her music,

and her hubs is back to complaining

about her singing out loud...

perhaps he should invest in some

earplugs!

especially since she has vowed

to don the buds for at least

30 min a day

in order to achieve the cleanest

palace in the kingdom...

and of course to drive the hubs crazy!

lordy what a year!

as a teacher

i know the toll that a

school year can take on you!

it sucks the life out of you...

trust me!

if you listen closely,

you can probably hear it!

draining like leaky balloon!

so when the big girl

brought her writing portfolio home

i should not have been surprised

to see the toll first grade has had

on her

{self portraits from fall and spring}

not quite as perky or happy in the second pic!

please forgive me...

i have a confession to make:

i have not seen

• star wars


• star trek


• it's a woderful life


• miracle on 34th street

now before you go all crazy

and pass seriously lame judgment

on me

i assure you

i am somewhat cultured:

• i eat sushi


• i read


• and i like scrabble

so when hubs suggested we see

the new star trek

i was confused!

why?

what is there to see?

i have gotten this far in life

without seeing any!



but i obliged...

and don't tell him i said this:

i enjoyed it!



now to my cultured list

i can add star trek...

there...is that better?

{{{love}}}

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

thanks for loving mom, dad

and i love you mom...

Happy Mother's Day!

when it rains, it pours...

and that is a good thing!

i was in need of some

serious soul watering

and i got just that in two days time!

back up to weds...

a hard, stressful, sad day

thurs brought a feeling

of exhaustion...

emotionally and physically spent

and this was all before 7:30 am!

so i get to work

not mentally ready to take on the day

and then the bell rang...

and brought with it

watering number one:

my awesome students

surprised me with a gorgeous

flower bouquet,

a balloon,

a card

that would make a grown man cry

and a little black lab doggie statue!

i love them!

their pick me up

got me through the day!

thurs night brought

watering number two:

open house at school...

seeing the big girl's

pride in her accomplishments

was amazing

and she also made

this cute little number:

in my own classroom,

it was nothing but

smiles, thank yous, and nice thoughts

from parents and students alike!

my soul was a little less thirsty!

friday morning

brought relief that this week

is almost over

and around midday,

it brought

watering number three:

hubs emailed me at work

he wanted to bring me lunch

and eat outside!

we had such a nice quiet lunch,

just the two of us, and

much needed!

but wait, this watering had a bonus!

about an hour later,

another gorgeous bunch

of flowers graced my desk

thanking me for being

the greatest wife and mother

my soul soaked it up!

and the best part?

more waterings

in store this weekend...

i am cashing in

a facial and massage

gift cert

and hope to fit in a pedi

and hubs has plans on sunday

for a little road trip...

my soul should be sufficiently

wet by sunday!

{but i still miss you alex!}

{and i still hear you walking around the house!}

so...has your soul been fed lately?

and what are your plans for the weekend?

{background}

in the background

is where our dog,

alex,

has been for a while now.

as he has aged to a ripe

15 years

he has slipped into

the background

he no longer runs and fetches

it hurts him

he is slow to react

but quick to love on

our legs as we pass him by

he is slow to meet us

at the door

but quick to move

to a bedside as we sleep

he is slow to eat

what is in his bowl

but still quick to beg for our food

the last year has brought

some health issues for him

but he kicked them like

the trooper he is

there was a time in the summer

when we took him to the vet

and did not think he would

return with us

but he did

thankfully

alex

has been with the hubs

for longer than

me and the kids

and while i do not

envy him the decision

i know it is his in the end:

he has decided

it is time for

alex

to be free from the pain he is in

the logical part of me

knows this makes sense

no pain medication

has brought him relief

and hubs said it best

when i suggested maybe trying more...

he said,

"to make us feel better or to make him feel better?"

and he is right.

alex

just isn't going to feel better.

so with a heavy heart

and a shaky voice

i called the vet

to make an appointment

for tomorrow (weds)

one which he will not accompany

us home from.

we told the kids tonight

which i dreaded

we read a book called

dog heaven

and the kiddos

have decided that might be

a cool place for him to be.

i keep telling myself the same.

so tonight

there have been lots of

hugs

petting

kissing

and loving

and tomorrow

i am sure there will be

lots of missing...

missing him

rub our legs

sleep by our beds

beg for our food.

the background in our life will be missing...

{q and a} part 1

i am back
i am recovered
2 cat naps on sat helped!

while i was away,
a few of you had some questions.
it isn't too late
if inquiring minds
are still out there
you can still ask...

question one was from
my friend kim
over at i know, right?!
she asked me to tell
the story of how hubs
and i met...
read that cute story here...

good question kim!
thanks!

the time is now!

i know, i know!
you have all been waiting
and patiently i might add!

here is your chance!
ask.me.anything!
well, you know,
just about anything!
i doubt you need
or want
to know
things like...
how often i shower...
what toothpaste i use,
or if i can parallel park.
{for the record...daily, crest, yes!}

fire away!
surprise me!
leave me some questions
so that upon my return
i can get back with ya'll!

go on now...ask already!

give a girl a break!

REPOSTED: enjoy this past post
and think of me as i am cut off
from the world for a few days!

ORIGINAL POST:
{warning: my one male follower
might want to stop reading now
just sayin'!}

what is with spanx?
you know...the lovely modern day corset?
the only thing missing is the laces!
i have two pair
one original
one knock off
i hate them both
i generally do not wear them,
unless i am feeling more bloated
than my normal bloatedness!
so i slipped a pair on for our date night
what the hell was i thinking?!
the rage came rushing back
like seeing a bad picture from high school,
i was brought right back to why this was
such a bad decision.
first, there is no slipping into them
let's be honest,
they are best donned in the absence
of the person you love as
it might scare them off!
hell, it almost scares me off!
then you get them on, and you're like,
"okay, i dig these"
and that lasts for about 9 seconds.
when you go to put your fave pants on
you feel no less fat,you just cling to your clothes more!
okay, still thinking they might
be worth the pain and discomfort,
you go about getting ready
you look in the mirror and think,
damn, i look puffy in places i don't normally look puffy!
'cause let's face it, your fat is just being moved around!
then it happens...you start to sweat...
because who needs this extra layer!?
they are hotter than hades at high noon!
and now you're getting pissed...
as that bead of sweat rolls down you back, you are
wondering why in the hell you wasted the energy
at least you might have burned
a few calories shoving your bod into them!
and you finally make the decision...
these things are coming off!
and when you do this in front of the one you love,
they look at you like,
what the hell is that layer you are taking off?
'cause they didn't see you put it on!
and then you see the hole
you know the one i speak of
what the hell is that for???
are we supposed to be able to use that?
is it an evacuation exit?
'cause i could barely get in the entrance!
what skinny person invented these?
i have heard skinny people profess
their love for them!
lordy.
so they are back in the drawer
back where they belong
until the next time
when i forget about why they are such a bad decision.
so, guess i'll just suck it in!

more odds than ends...

we had a great weekend

the only problem?

went by way too quickly!

friday night was our school's

family fun night

lots of families and lots of fun!

the kids were in heaven...

and once i got home

and put my feet up,

so was i!

long day!

saturday brought beautiful weather

and what a better way to spend it

than to clean out the garage and attic

in preparation for a garage sale???

this proved harder than i thought!

we pulled down 6 large rubbermaid tubs

3-4 of which were filled to the brim with

baby/toddler clothing.

what an attachment i had to them!

but i was also not happy that they

were not being used

so the decision to get rid of them

was easier!

oiy

i sorted through and chose some

keepers

the rest will find a good home

just not ours!

today, the big girl

had a tea party to attend

so we painted her toes and curled her hair

and she chose one of her fave dresses...

is it really possible that she is this big???

while she was having tea and, well, snacks,

i treated myself to a movie

the soloist

very good

but i think i am still processing it

staggering to me that there are over

90,000 homeless in la

and really, we could all be considered

only a few bad steps away from that reality,

scary.

this post is it for me for the week...

i leave on tuesday to attend

outdoor ed with my students

yes, you read that correctly

my class of 30 6th graders

overnight from tues through fri.

let's just say i have a gift cert

for a massage and facial

that may be promptly

cashed in on sat!

i thought of having some guest

bloggers fill in for me

but, um, too much thought and work...

in their stead,

you might be seeing some

repostings here...

let's just call it the best of mommy's take!

until the weekend...

{dot com!}

{sing the above to the
annoying expedia tune}

so this should come as
no surprise to me,
as she is the daughter
of a computer lover,
but today, the big girl
said something so funny
and very telling of the
generation she is growing
up in!

not sure why, but we were
discussing the nutritional value,
or lack thereof,
of goldfish,
quite possibly her fave
crunchy snack.

when she asked what else
they were made of
besides cheese,
i told her i would have to look
on the box...
to which she said,
"just look on how goldfish are made dot com!"

she is in the first grade...
is this really how her mind
is thinking?
i think a trip to an
old school
library
is in order...
card catalog and encyclopedia style!

{a week in reverse!}

yes, i said reverse...
we are going to review
our spring break in reverse!
for no other reason than
that is what is freshest in my mind
don't laugh,
you know you can't remember 7 days ago
just like i can't!

saturday, april 18:
happy birthday dad!
we were heading back
to cali on this day.
after visiting with
some more friends
we hit the skies for flight
one of two for the day,
and took what might have been
the worst flight ever!
you know, like
student-driver kind of bad!
i hope i never experience
40 minutes of that hell again!
the rest of the eve, uneventful...
except for the tailgate incident...
poor fella!

friday, april 17:
who doesn't like a good partay?!
in celebration of mom and dad's

60th birthdays,
we invited some friends and fam
and partied!
in the garage i might add
cuz that is how we do it in
the midwest!
but before any partying could happen
the grass needed cut

and the food needed prepped

oh, and the kids needed
reminding every 10 min
what time the party started
they are their mother's kids
they can't resist a good party!


once the festivities got under way
there was much cornhole to be played
{did i mention that earlier in the week
i actually suffered cornhole calf?
it is not yet a diagnosis on web md,
but wait for it, it'll get there!}

and what's a party without
a pinata???
no funniest home video
worthy clips, but funny
nonetheless!

and the guests of honor
had some fun party gear to sport!
and what good sports they were!

it was so good to see
friends and family
and everyone had
a great time!

instead of the traditional
nightcap
we topped the night off with:

which always prompts me to yell out
"saaaaaaw-rrrry!"

and i am not sure anyone
partied harder than this little guy:

he literally passed out on the couch!

it was such a fun ending to
a great week long visit back home!

happy birthday mom and dad!
love you!

updated: i forgot to mention:
i met a blogger friend too!
kim over at, i know, right?!
lives in my hometown
so we met up at my parents party...
she is also irl friends with my sister.
the best part was that
my brother was in disbelief
that i would meet up with a
blogger friend, and at the house no less,
and wondered if she was a murder!
so we played a joke on him and
had her walk out of the house wielding
a LARGE knife!
not sure he knew what to think!
so good to meet you kim, you sweet gal!