Where My Brain is Right Now....

Youth Conference planning. 

Emails, phone calls, last-minute scrambling, 18 watermelons dropped off on our door step, practice session of leather branding, looking for a wheelbarrow to borrow, thinking up 50 appropriate skit ideas, figuring out how to nicely tell someone that we found someone else to be in charge of their station when they couldn't decide,  going to the store, going to pick up a rental truck only to find the rental store had closed early, etc.... 

All that in amongst a 10 hour day of volunteering at Cub Scout day camp, 5 hours taking a mandatory volunteer slot at a swim meet, a feverish and coughing Ellie, a routine doctor visit, visiting teaching, and all the while trying to keep the kids happy, dressed in somewhat clean clothes, and eating somewhat healthy meals. 

In other words, don't ask me to do anything requiring any brainpower right now.  I'm thinking that the .0000000000001% unused brain cells I have left should probably be kept intact for remembering how to sleep. 

Glen's 40th Birthday....the rosy version

Saturday was Glen's 40th birthday. 

Cami made a sign for the garage door. 

We made him chocolate crepes (not as pretty as Glen's though). 

He opened some fun presents (including a crepe maker, CD, and new Tevas) and ate a beautiful yellow cake with chocolate frosting that Cami had prepared. 

The end.   

(Sorry if any of you thought you were going to hear about how it ended up being the absolute worst birthday ever.  Suffice it to say, that I'm pretty sure that this birthday is one he won't soon forget, and NOT because of how wonderful it was. )

Contest

Bumble bees, plaid, and a muumuu....

Shimmering satin, jungle print...

Oh yeah, I da man...

A closer look...

Three kajillion dollars and a "special" package priority mailed to the person who correctly guesses the reason for  all this fashion awesomeness....






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Good News!!!

At age six, Ellie has already found her dream car....


except she's hoping it will be just a tad more fuchsia, since pink is only her second favorite color behind fuchsia and before purple. 

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First Day of Summer

Today was the first day of summer "break" and ...

• I dragged the kids out of bed an hour earlier than a school day.

• I entertained a tired six-year-old at the closed-to-non-swim-team-members pool for two hours while Emma and Adam were at swim practice.  

• the kids played wii and ate popsicles while I made a gazillion phone calls and answered emails about the youth conference activities we're in charge of. 

• I brought my brother Tim to the airport. 

• we met a new friend at the pool.

• we only stayed for an hour, so we could rush Spencer off to lacrosse practice 12 miles away in rush hour traffic.

• I entertained two exhausted children at lacrosse practice for two hours. 

• we came home and whipped together a quick dinner of chicken and bean taquitos. 

• we ate dinner at 9:15pm. 

• Glen got home from work at 9:30pm. 

• I put the younger kids to bed at 10:00pm. 

• Cami returned from her babysitting job at 11:10pm and Spencer's friend is just leaving and I am going to bed ASAP. 
  
  
  
  

 

It's exactly one day into summer break and I am questioning my sanity at signing the kids up for swim team and thinking that I'm already about ready for a summer break break. 

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father's day in four word sentences

Don't feel like blogging.  Hate falling behind.  I need more sleep.  Father's Day was good.   Don't want to miss.  

Here it is: 


Just returned from trip. 

Kids surrounded him.

He got hugged.

Best. Card. EVER!!!

Traditional candy bar note. 

Glen is AWESOME!!!!

The end. 

Kindergarten Spring Sing

On Thursday I got to attend the  Kindergarten Spring Sing with a bunch of very cute little 6-year-olds singing as exuberantly as they could.  It was cuteness at its best and I loved the joy and innocence their little faces radiated as they sang their hearts out to their parents. 

A few minutes into the show I watched while right in the middle of one of the songs, Ellie had a seizure.  It's still not unusual for Ellie to have several seizures per day and I'm sure that most people assumed she was daydreaming or something, but it made me teary-eyed thinking of the challenges ahead for her.  Besides her safety, I especially worry for the day when her peers will start noticing the frequent lapses. 

Oh yeah, and then there's the whole bit about my BABY finishing kindergarten that kind of got me misty-eyed too. I guess, that with two kids that are going to be in high school this fall and no more preschoolers or kindergarteners, I may have to reluctantly admit that we're getting to the middle-aged stage of life now.  Speaking of middle-aged, I would like to point out that when Glen hits the big 4-0 this Saturday, that it will be an entire year and 10 months before me! 


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School Lunch

About half way through the school year, Cami and I started a weekly tradition of eating lunch with Ellie each Friday.  Ellie has adored the one-on-one attention and I think it's also been a motivating factor for Ellie to stay at school some days. 

 Today Spencer arrived home from school just as I was leaving for the elementary school for our last lunch date of the year and with a little persuasion (in the form of letting him help me pick which restaurant to stop at ) I talked him into accompanying us on our rendezvous with Ellie. 

Despite his gargantuan height (5'10" according to the doctor) that struck fear into the hearts of several of Ellie's classmates,  Ellie was thrilled to have her big brother  as her accompaniment to and from the lunchroom. 

  

Spencer was thrilled too....

And Ellie made sure that he showed it for the camera.....

After a couple of times of buying as-disgusting-as-we-remembered hot lunches, Cami and I resorted long ago to bringing our own lunches for these dates, either from home or from a restaurant.  I must say that I certainly enjoyed my lunch from Baja Fresh....

just as much as Ellie enjoyed her school cafeteria pizza (the Friday menu item).... 

While we were in the cafeteria, Mr. S came over to greet Spencer and Cami.  He had been  both of their 4th grade teacher eons ago and he invited them to stop by his classroom after lunch, so he could introduce them to the class and look them up in his collection of old-time yearbooks.  It was an entertaining journey down memory lane and eye-opening at how fast time really does fly. 

Here's where I should input Spencer and Cami's 4th grade pictures, so you can see how much they've grown and laugh at how different they look. But since that would require actual effort in the form of me diving into my picture box to locate the pictures and then scanning them in, that will have to wait for another day week year.  

Just picture Spencer with short spiky hair and a silly smile. 

And Cami as a cute little shortie wearing a sweatshirt that looks like it belongs to me. 

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Spirit Week

Dress-Up Day:    

Ellie came home bragging about how her dress was the prettiest in the whole school.

Crazy Hair Day
 

Adam had to be convinced to let me do his hair like this (since we didn't have any hair dye), but in the end he loved his faux-hawk for a day!   Cami is now trying to convince him to wear it like that more often, but he has yet to accept that challenge.  On the flipside, after 20 minutes of trying to brush out the tangles the next day, I discouraged Emma from ever wearing her hair like that again.

Pajama Day: 

They thought it was SO cool that they could just wake up and go to school without taking the time to get dressed!  Pillow pets and stuffed animals were brought along as well. 

Hat Day:

We convinced Ellie to wear the hat to school by telling her she looked like a little girl from a magazine ad.  It worked like a charm.  Not only did she wear the hat, but she went around telling everyone that she looked like she belonged in a magazine.

 At least she's got some confidence to go with that fashion sense!


Now there's only 4 days of school left and I think I may be as excited as they are to shed the crazy schedule.  I definitely have a love-hate relationship with all this end-of-year craziness!



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A New Passion

 Between all of the end-of-year activities (Colonial Days, end-of-year parties, award ceremonies, concerts, etc), a few too many projects (organizing activities for Youth Conference, teacher gifts, PTA fundraiser, Summer Girls' Club organization, house projects, etc), AND my brother Tim and sister Heather being in town.....I am exhausted and not getting near enough sleep.   I truly have no business blogging while I have a whole heap of emails that need to be answered, but what can I say?  I need a sanity break and I have loads of pictures to blog about.... 

In amongst all of the craziness lately, we've caught a bug.  The birdwatching bug.  I blame it on Adam's 2nd grade teacher who interwove birds and nature into every subject this year.  Adam can identify birds by sight and sometimes even just by the call.  It's truly an amazing gift his teacher has given him (and by default us as well). 

Over the last month or so, we've collected quite an array of bird paraphernalia to attract the birds to our deck.  We've got everything set outside our dining room window and so while some kids plop down in front of a TV, my kids plop down at the dining room table and birdwatch!

When I am eating or working on my computer, I will set my things up so I can maintain a good view of the feeders while I work.   It's a little distracting sometimes, but it's so worth it to capture these amazingly beautiful little creatures.  This picture is one of my favorites with 2 downy woodpeckers on our suet feeder.  The downies are regular visitors to our suet and are stunningly beautiful in my opinion.   

This is a photo of a tufted titmouse.  There are several that come to our feeder and I love their little mohawks and bluish-gray plumage. 

We also love the cardinals, Carolina chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, house finches, purple finches, and house sparrows that come regularly.    Of course we only know how to identify them thanks to Adam, which brings me to  a picture Adam drew for his teacher. 

And one Ellie drew for Adam's teacher as well. 

And my new favorite bird photo of all time.....

I found these two Eastern bluebirds in a tree and luckily had my camera and telephoto lens with me.  I snapped several shots, but ended up in love with how this one really captured the beautiful details on its feathers.  What a gorgeous bird! 




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Three Steps to Being the Most Popular Kid in School

1.  Be cheerful and friendly

2.  Be kind and respectful to all you meet

3.  Volunteer to be the mascot at the school faculty basketball game

Your admirers will flock to help you and swear to keep your identity a secret....

The hugs and smiles will start almost immediately (even before leaving the bathroom)...

You'll get the crowd to cheer louder than anyone else in the room....

You'll inspire confidence in those around you....

Your little sister will treat you like a walking, talking teddy bear and never leave your side (but of course your secret is still safe with her)....

You'll never give and get so many hugs and high fives in such a short period of time...

And when your team wins the game, you'll be mobbed with adoring fans....

My three gurrrrrrrrrls....

Go TIGERS!!!!



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