Book Club

Book Club went great! We chose a classic! Yay! We had a very good sized group. Not too big, not too small! We're a pretty ecclectic mix of people, but we all love to read. Should be a really fun experience. Our next meeting is the last Tuesday of April, and we'll be discussing the book that I recommended this time. We'll be meeting at M's house, and she'll get to pick our next novel at that time. For my book discussion, I've planned a type of group quiz/game of sorts and a nice prize to the winner!! :-) I'm looking very forward to our next meeting! We agreed to meet throughout the summer! Squee!
My Granny is still holding her own, but she has been moved out of ICU to a private room where she can spend her remaining time with family around her. I have taken off from school Wed.-Fri. I hate for the kids to miss that much school, but I really have no choice. They'll be attending the funeral which scared them (it will be their first,) but we'll make it work somehow. DaddyP is booked here and can't undo the things that he has booked over the next couple of days. We'll be leaving on Wednesday or Thursday a.m. I'm surely taking my camera. This will be a once in a lifetime chance to photograph some folks. A. Lot. Of. Folks. Kinfolks.
We may still be out of town this weekend, but if we're home, I have a hair appointment unless I have to cancel due to PDaddy being out of pocket. He will be gone from sun up to sun down on Saturday. Busy. Busy.
Trisster. The more we talk about it, the more we're thinking about a serious Albuquerque trip this summer! Maybe Pearlie Sue and James too will come! Wouldn't that be fun?! We'll keep ya posted for sure. It'll give me a chance to get my "official" birth certificate. I think I'm the only one that can get it, but thanks for the offer. We'll figure something out, and we'll definitely coordinate our plans! :-)
I'm off to bed. It's way later than I want it to be. Our town's tornado siren went off at 4:45 this a.m., so we've been up for a lloonngg time. Yawn.

Monday News

1. Granny took a turn for three degrees south of worse this afternoon. She's in really bad shape.
2. Found out today that I may not have an official birth certificate for myself in my possession. Mrs. Ernestine told me that happened to her, and she had to go to her birthplace to get an official copy (for passport purposes.) She was born near Houston, I guess...which is not so far from here. But, uh, I was born in Albuquerque! Hey Trister, we may be coming to see you! I'll keep ya posted!
3. Ordered our countertops today!! Whheee! We're persuing 3 leads on cabinet painters, 1 of which was absolutely ridiculous! I need to pick out kitchen lighting, backsplash tile, and wallpaper for my desk area. I'm going with a cream on cream and gold accent thing. It will look better than it sounds..I hope!
4. Sophy had a super night at gym. Tonight they got to work on the springy runway. They were working on front somersaults/tucks. She was able to get a good height, tuck, and make a landing on her feet...briefly. This was their first night to work on the beam, and she did really good...and she loved it! I; however, was chewing a hole in my tongue every time she flipped on the thing.
5. I'm very excited about Book Club here tomorrow night! Our cozy group of 7 or so may have exploded into a very sizeable group. Who knew so many people out there wanted to be in a book club? I'm glad we'll have a good group, though! Fun!!!

Passports, Books, and Granny

As I type, my Granny is in the hospital in ICU and not doing very well at all. Doc said that if she didn't urinate in the next 4 hours, he'd safely say that she had less than 24 to live. They have her heart stabilized, I think, from a massive heart attack, but her kidney's and other organs aren't cooperating. I talked to her briefly this morning, and she told me she'd be better if they'd just let her go home. My mom called a bit ago to say that they had taken her off of all fluids/IV's, etc. due to the fact that she is drowning in all of her own body fluids. She needed 5 units of blood due a bleed in her stomach, but I'm not sure what the status on that is. My mom said that she is begging for water, but all they can do is swab her mouth with a giant Q-tip swabber because her body can't handle anymore fluid. Basically, I'm thinking it's like the dam that the little boy had his finger plugged up in, and then he took it out and all heck broke loose. Everything in her body has reached it's limit. Physically, she's a walking wonder due to years of severe substance (alcohol and tobacco) abuse. And by abuse, I mean, ABUSE. If she was anyone else, she'd have died young. As it is, she's mean as rip and tough as a boot. Not sure how much longer she'll be able to hold it off, though. She's not like other Granny's. Her hair was always Fire Engine red, as were her nails. She smoked like a dragon. Drank and cussed like a sailor, and hesitated not to tell you where you could get off at. No blue-haired little flower is she. But she's quite a gal.
In other news, I'm still trying to decide which book I'll submit to at Book Club Tuesday night. I'm leaning towards one that is a safe choice, but I really want to choose the other 2. Gggrr! Decisions! Depending on which directions Granny takes, we'll just have to see how the week goes.
It could get sketchy around here. PDaddy has school pics at one of his schools on Thursday and Friday, which means that he needs to be there super early to set up. Which means that, if I'm gone, he'll either have to figure out what to do with the kids, or I'll be taking them with me. We're sort of limited on help with my mom/dad being out in West Texas already, but we'll figure it out.
I'm looking into getting my ducks in a row for England, so I'm taking steps to get....(GASP)....my passport! My first EVER...haha! That's funny!
My nieces are here, so I better go see what the hub-bub is that is going on.
Back to school tomorrow!
Yay!!!
Or not.

In no particular order

Jack really enjoyed the hydrobike! We were pleasantly surprised by this state park, so we went ahead and made reservations for our annual summer camping trip with our cousins. We'll be able to ride the hydro and canoes to our heart's content!
Sophy and I were discussing the finer points of the nastiness of boys.

We had to pause on our hike for The Trio to conquer a fallen tree.

PDad's mom drove up for a quick visit. Here you see her attempting to smile while thinking, "Why am I here!?" Ha!

PDad is explaining to Sophy about the Spikey Elm. We also learned about The Devil's Walking Stick, Mayapple Trees, and other interesting factoids. He's a walking plant encyclopedia.

After the rain....

The swimming area that we'll be sure to enjoy this summer!

Our first hike on Night #1.

Sophy was pretending to be an indian scout while using a weed as her "headdress." The cabin in the background was the one we stayed in. It was built during the '30's by the CCC. Very clean, but very old!

I'm off to take Jack to swim, and then back here to huddle in the warmth of my house. Brrr, it's cold outside. Looking forward to dining with the QM gals tonight at a new place! Wish we had more pleasant weather, but oh well!

Egads!

I can't find my camera cord to post my pics from the camping trip. Ggrr! I'll keep looking. In the meantime, life goes on. I'll post some as soon as I find the cord!
Today we had lunch and a movie with friends. We saw Monsters V. Aliens...which was cute, I guess, in a weird way. The kids enjoyed it! Thanks J. and C. for spending the last day of the Hallowed Spring Break with us! We thoroughly enjoyed it!
On a funny (or sad note,) we missed my daddy's birthday supper tonight due to crossed wires. We ended up in the wrong town. Heck, we ended up in the wrong state! How's that for getting bamboozled?
After days and days of balmy, rainy weather, we're due for a serious cold snap that I hope doesn't fry my little budders. Sniff, sniff. PDaddy has a bridal tomorrow (poor gal is sure to freeze her veil off,) and I'm hoping he's finished in time so I can meet my QM gals for dinner at Cantina Loredo tomorrow night.
Oh, and have I mentioned that the Book Club is meeting this Tuesday night? (We'll miss you, J., but we'll let you know what we decide!!) I'm so very excited! We're deciding on our novel Tuesday. Sqquueeee!!
(I'm on the lookout for the computer cord tomorrow! Cabin pics coming soon!)

Home Sweet Home

We splished, we splashed, we sloshed, and we squished! We're home from "camping" (is it considered camping when you're warm and toasty in a cabin? I dunno.) Anyway, we're here! We left the campground around 11ish and made the 45 minute drive home. I think one of the best parts about this trip was that we made it home in less than an hour. Gotta love that. On the way home, we stopped in to talk to our person who is helping us with our kitchen re-do. She was out of town until tomorrow, so once she calls us, we'll have our counter tops ordered. I'll be glad to have that over with, but I'm excited all the same to be rid of the ugly colored countertops we have now. So, anyway, I'll update tonight about our trip and post a few pics.
PDaddy is outside setting up Sam's tent. He says he is sleeping out there tonight. Apparently he is still in camping mode. I'm sure he'll be alone. The eldest son of this family is not what you would call an outdoorsy type. If he can swim or ride a bike, he's fine. Fishing he loves. Hiking, playing in dirt, exploring the woods, etc....not his cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination.
It didn't take long to get everything unpacked, and now the washer is whirling and the dryer is tumbling. Thankfully I had all of the laundry washed when we left, so 2 loads oughtta be the end of it. YAY! PDad says we're grilling tonight, so I am off to make a list. I want to hit a nursery outside of town for some bedding plants for my birdbath area, so I guess I'll do that on my way to the store. Oh, my tiny seedlings that I put out Sunday are already poking their little green faces up thanks to the abundance of rain and the teensy bit of sunshine we've had this week. Shouldn't be long before my butterflies come back. I'm hoping to have a Monarch
Weighstation this year, but I really have to get on that if I'm gonna make it in time. If you have any space at all to make a weighstation, or even if you just can set aside a place to plant their host plants, it would be a wonderful thing for you to do. If I can manage to get my game together, I plan on getting a certified weighstation, but if I don't get it together, I am at least going to make a smaller (uncertifed) version. I found a place where you could order some to hand raise/set free, and I'm thinking of attempting 100 of the little guys. Wouldn't that be a sight?
Anyway, lots left to do, and Mercy, if the sun ain't shining. Gotta go!

Should be packing

We're supposed to leave at one for our camping trip, and I seriously should be packing. Instead, I'm searching/pricing vacation prices/packages to England. Haha. Rach and I have plans to book our trip in the not-so-distant future. We had hoped to go this summer, but I don't think either of schedules coincide to allow it due to other trips we've both got planned. Rach found info on the Jane Austen festival which is in September, but it's not likely that either of us could get off for the amount of time we're looking to be there with her professorizing and my teacherizing. We haven't given up on it though because I would love that awfully much, and there have been other teachers who have booked extended vacations during the school year and were allowed to travel. A bit more investigating is needed. If not, we'll just have to plan for Summer '10. Sounds sooo far away, but it would give us time to solidify our plans. So, we'll be booking soon. It's terribly exciting! TERRIBLY!
DaddyP just made it back from Walmart. PDaddy lives in the woods, so he's taking this little trip to heart and has big plans for the boys. Not sure what they'll involve, but I'm taking a book...just in case.
We'll be leaving in a bit, so I better go pack.
Splish-splash.

Monday Madness--Also Titled: The Spring Break Fun Continues

**As I type, Jack, who seems to be fully recovered (at least physically-he may be forever psychologically scarred) from the hammer attack, is lying on the coach with a bag of frozen blueberries between his legs following a bike accident on the driveway that left his manhood painfully injured. I'm awaiting a call from our pediatrician to see if she thinks I should bring him in. There is a bit of swelling going on, but these things are a mystery to me....Honestly, you'd think I'd be mentally prepared for Spring Break by now. The human spirit is a hopeful thing though. One day. One day we'll eat rainbows and poop butterflies during Spring Break. Just not this year.**
The weather man is calling for rain all the rest of the week (or basically just the days that we have booked a cabin.) Maybe he'll be wrong. Hahaa. I know. It's Spring Break, right? Of course it will rain. Probably flood. With a cyclone and munchkins. Followed by a terrible altercation with a menacing green witch with pet monkeys who will steal our dog and fly away to their horrible lair and...oh, you're still here? Sorry.
Where was I? Oh yes. Tomorrow.

Well, tomorrow (haha, I can't believe I'm actually typing this...what a terrible chance I'm taking...) we plan on leaving around noon to head to the cabin. We're set with coloring books, video games and play-doh in the event The Great Flood '09 occurs, and we're stranded indoors for 3 days. PMac will be driving up and joining us for one day/night...God Bless Her. She may want to rethink those plans. Aligning yourself with us during this specific week of the year is not only dangerous, but some might argue not very prudent. The kids are excited she'll be there, so we're hopeful that maybe she'll bring a bit of good fortune our way.
We've also stocked up on rubber boots, umbrellas, etc. Unless there is some serious electrical storm, we plan to enjoy the weather no matter what gets thrown at us. It would seem that DaddyP, aka Mr. Eagle Scout, camped quite a bit as a youngster, and he is chomping at the bit to cook all of our meals over an open campfire. Haha. I can't help but giggle. Mind you, it would probably be a good meal, if it wasn't spring break. Given the fact that it's supposed to rain a lot, I think we'll take campfire cooking items, but I'll also be taking sloppy jo fixings and a crockpot with stew makings---just to be on the safe side.
I live on safe side.
The safe side is my friend.
I own the safe side.
My middle name is Safe Side.
The kids are super ready to leave. We're taking the kids bikes, tent, lanterns, flashlights, s'mores fixings, mud boots/clothes, shovels, rope, fishing poles....we're set!
Stay tuned....

Hammers + Disease + Gardening = The Only Way We Know How to Start a Holiday Week

Perhaps I shouldn't complain. After all, despite the plethora of things that have gone wrong this the First Weekend of Spring Break, it still doesn't compare to the atrocities that we were plagued with during Spring Break '01, i.e. The Rotavirus Scurge. Yeah, I think we got off lucky.
So, while I finished up weeding the last of my beds this afternoon (really, it's like I was on crack, which I promise I am not--but you wouldn't believe the weeding, soil prep, fertilizing/edging I did today,) Sophy whacked Jack on the head with a hammer. Yeah, I know. ER doc, who had the bed side manner of an egg-sucking wildebeest, said everything was fine and sent us home. I really figured he was fine, let the record state, but how do you not take your child to the doc when he's been cracked on the head with a hammer? Ya know? So, yeah. That was interesting.
In the meantime, Sam has exploded with Fifth's Disease which he apparently caught from Jack. It's really all about the thoughtfulness around here, ya know? We share everything from hammer blows to viral infectants. We are a very close family. Anyway, yesterday while playing with cousins and visiting with PD's sis and mom, we realized that Sam's face and ears were on fire with a fine rash on his arms. Today that fine rash turned into a very prominent and ANGRY rash on his arms, trunk, tops of legs and backs of his calves (which is odd for Fifths.)
So there you it have folks. Another Spring Break for the books. It could be worse. It could certainly be worse. Not that I'm asking for it to be worse. Oh no. No, no. Uh-uh. Nope. We'll take hammers and diseases any day. ANY day. We love hammers. And viruses that don't make us puke or poop and run 104 degree temps for 8 days. Oh no. Anything but that.
Happy Hammer Diseasing!
I mean, er...Happy Spring Break!

A lovely yard and a dog who eats marbles.

Ok, she doesn't exactly EAT the marbles. She just carries them around in her mouth and spits them across the tile, so she can chase them. It will go on forever if we don't put a stop to it, but for now, it's keeping her from minding Pongo's business. I'm sure he appreciates the break.
The mowers were here when I came home from school (happy to report that this time they didn't blow a rock through our back door glass,) and it was nice surprise on such a warm, pretty day. For the past couple of months, my roses have been looking a bit poorly. I've been watering them faithfully, I 3-in-1'd them last month and waited a week before salting them. Last week prior to the 3 day deluge of rain, I put out a ton of Osmocote on all of my plants that had been wintered in. Once it rained on them, I think the combination of things from the last couple of months really paid off. They are returning to their former selves even though a couple of them are still looking a bit haggard. For the most part, they look almost as good as new. My Joseph's Coat isn't totally healed, but Joseph is sitting in a place that doesn't get much sun throughout the winter. He's just going to have to be patient and try to not get to leggy in the meantime. My Duncan rose is in the same predicament, so hopefully they'll perk up when they get some sun on them. The irises that I stole last year and the day lilies that I moved from a different spot in the year are looking very nice as well. I intend to have my hands in the dirt on a couple of occassions next week during spring break. Not sure what I'll get done, but I'll be loving it no matter what.
DaddyP is taking pics all evening, so we're in various stages of playing outside, homeworking, and getting supper going. Speaking of, I better go get on it.

Before the blackout...

I feel the all-too familiar twinges that let me know a migraine is brewing, so I'm going to keep this short while the kids play outside and DaddyP shoots a senior--not literally. Maybe I can recap yesterday/today before the blackout occurs.
We attended church with PDad's mom/stepdad yesterday in L'sport and then had lunch and visited for the afternoon while PDaddy shot some people--again, not literally. Lunch was great. PMac made brisket, potato salad, baked beans, salad, bread, cheese grits (which I think I ate entirely by myself), and a buttermilk pie. Yeah, we ate ourselves silly. It was too good. It was grey and drizzly, so we mostly stayed indoors and visitated, but PDad did manage to get his pics finished. We made it home around 5, I think, at which time I managed to do 4 loads of laundry, clean 3 bathrooms, get Sam's homework finished, and lay out clothes for Monday a.m. It was a mad dash, but I was somehow done by 9:30. Not really sure how that happened.
School was productive today, and the kids are working really well. I almost hate to have a break because we'll never get them back this way again. We are out for Spring Break next week, and they'll be permanently checked out--mentally--after that. Today was pleasantly quick, though, so I shouldn't complain about the little boogers too much. Tomorrow morning is another early day due to an awards breakfast ceremony where I have to say something touching and uplifting about a student. Great. Haha, just kidding, I really do have something touching and uplifting to say. So there.
PDaddy picked up groceries last week, and he grabbed two pre-made salads from the deli. I think I know what we'll be having for supper....along with a certain little orange pill that makes my migraine go bye-bye. We'll call that dessert.

"This Was the Best Day of My Entire Life."~Sophy

Today was a banner day! PDaddy and I got to sleep until 9:30, and the kids woke up and watched tv and ate cereal. DadP had a wedding interview mid-morning-ish, and the kids wandered around in their pj's--not at his interview. We left about 1 to head to S'port to have lunch at Jason's. It was the perfect weather for the salad bar and a bowl of tomato-basil soup. We split up after Jason's--not literally, and Sophy and I went to the Boardwalk for a bit of shopping while the guys went bowling. I found some good deals on some spring outfits for Sophy at the boardwalk and got an awesome deal on some Born sandals for her as well. We made a Target stop to pick up the Thumbelina Barbie for getting all 95's and above on her report card and few other things we needed. Our next stop was at the place where she now says she wants to live for the rest of her life. The nail salon. This isn't the nail salon I typically frequent for a pedicure, but I think I will make the switch to this place. It has recently been remodeled, and the manicurists were extremely polite and only spoke in English to us and to each other. Sophy decided prior to getting there that she wanted "sunset pink" for her nails and toes, so she set to work searching for just such as color as soon as we got there. She oooh'd and aaaahhh' over the pedicure part. That was her first go-round with a full pedicure, and she was enraptured. Le (pronounced Lay) gave her butterfly decals for her fingernails, and that pretty much admitted him into the BFF Club for the rest of eternity. Sophy informed Le that when she "got her future house, he was invited to visit for all the holidays and sit in her vibrating chair" that she was going to furnish said future house with. Sophy assured the entire staff that we would be back in a matter of days to do the process all over again.
The guys had a great time bowling. They had hoped to go fishing today, but it was so nasty and cold out that they opted for something that they could do indoors. Can't say that I blame them.
We're about to have movie night (Beverly Hills Chihuahua) and snacks, so I'm off to get something together!

Hope isn't the only thing that floats.

We've had a nice couple of days of rain. I've heard lots of complaining from folks around, but I just don't think I'll ever complain about the rain. Until you've lived in a dry, dusty place, you just can't appreciate it, I suppose. Things can always dry out, but you can't make it wet without rain. Profound, I know.
I killed another bird today with my car. If I were to be keeping a tally, that would probably be about the 12th bird that I've mowed down. I didn't mind so much the giant buzzard that clung to the luggage rack on the car's roof before clawing across our sunroof and being hurdled to certain death. It's the sweet little guys that break my heart. Today, it was a cardinal. Poor guy. Never knew what hit him. We've taken to calling our vehicle The B.K. Sigh. I'm ashamed. I'm a serious lover of birds. Serious. Borderline obsession. Apparently my obsession has turned deadly.
I left school early this afternoon to take Sophy to the doc. I noticed a very large knot behind her right ear yesterday and thought we better get it checked out. Doc says it is a lymph node (which I guess we suspected) and that it's slightly enlarged. She did bloodwork which came back normal, so I guess all is well. The kid still hasn't grown. She is still 49 inches tall and weighs 49 pounds. Maybe she'll grow one day. According to the doc's charts, she has been the same size since this same time last year. She's either going to be a petite little thing (which I can't imagine,) or we're in store for one heckuva growth spurt at some point.
We headed to the theater after the doc, and DaddyP met us all there. Jack was dying to see Race to Witch Moutain (remember Return to Witch Mountain from the 70's, hehe.) It was a good show, surprisingly. The theater was crowded, despite the continuing downpour of rain, so we left there and headed to supper. Chocolate chip pancakes for the kids, chicken and dumplings for me and DaddyP. After eating, we sloshed on over to the bookstore for hot chocolate and some book perusing/purchases. Sam got the newest Mercy Watson book, Jack chose the latest Captain Underpants and March edition of Train magazine, and Sophy bought the Magic Treehouse research guide about Egypt.
DaddyP and the boys are doing something testosterone induced of their own choosing tomorrow, and Soph and I are going to get our nails and toes done. Maybe some lunch. I'm hoping to get to the boardwalk to look for some sales, but we'll have to see how it goes.
Well, I think I'll go read in the tub. DadP is watching Drillbit Taylor. I've GOT to get outta here.

The Change O' Plan that we're famous for!

DaddyP has planned to do some BOY STUFF with his sons this weekend, so looks like the sis and I have some girl planning to do! Oh yay! What shall we do (tapping my chin and looking to the sky....) What shall we do....heehee!!

Stuff, etc.

Today rolled along like any other Monday. It's the beginning of a new six weeks, so we've got some new things lined up in class. Starting a new novel is one of my fav things, and I think my classes are going to like our upcoming one. Plus, my sixth grade classes have started an impromptu research "project" of the effects of recess on school kids and their grades, behavior, etc. Have I mentioned how much I love my sixth graders this year? They are a serious group of go-getters. L.O.V.E them!! In other school news, one of my sixth graders lost his mom last week, and he was back at school today. He's one of those kids that the other kids kind of overlook a lot, but I was so proud of how good the other students were today and how careful they were to include him in things and to give him space (at the same time) when they thought he'd need it. Overall, kids can be by far more naturally good at these things than adults. It's heartbreaking, but I think this boy has a great group of peers around him that care about him. Not to exploit any private moments, but we gave our 6th graders and teachers one night's notice to bring a handful of quarters, a dollar, whatever they could spare to donate to the family to cover bills, etc. We took up a shocking amount of money from our students (and we're a low income school.) Last week the lower grade teachers who have one of the family's kids covered a meal, and the teachers at my campus will cover a meal for the family this week. I just wish we could help make this little guys life a little easier down the road. A meal seems so inconsequential when you consider what the family has lost. Anyway. It's sad.
This is Texas Public Schools Week, or some such nonsense, so I went to the cafeteria this a.m. to have a "Muffin For Mom." Couldn't they just celebrate TPSW by giving teachers a pay raise? I'm sorry...was that out loud?
Gym went okay tonight. Sophy's new coach makes them do push ups when they complain or grumble. She learned her lesson the hard way last week, but this week she was able to keep her mouth shut and work without sharing the contents of her thoughts. Haha. Poor child. That's a hard lesson to learn. Trust me. I know whereof I speak.
The rest of the week...hhhhmm. Wedding shower, parent conference (for MY child,) parent conference (for SOMEONE ELSE'S child,) Donuts For Dad, Biscuits for Grandparents, haircut appointment for the boys, pancakes at Strawns on Friday night, hhhmmm...anything else? Can't recall.
I'm looking forward to not doing much this weekend, if memory serves. Seems like I might be forgetting something, but for now, it feels good to forget whatever it is and pretend like I'll be home all weekend to do NOTHING! I hope I'm right about that!

We hit GOLD!

Oh what a fun weekend! We had an UBERsuccessful Grand Prix, but we'll save that wonderful news for the end!
We left straight from school Friday ("we" being DaddyP, Pop, Jack, and me) and headed to my bro/sil's house in Austinish. We had a pretty uneventful trip...well, if you don't count the incident with the 18 wheeler and the ditch. We sup'd in Madisonville at Texas Burger, aaahhh, and then made the rest of the trip in good time. Friday evening we visited until pretty late and hit the hay. Saturday a.m. the kids (niece, nephew + Jack) woke up pretty early, as usual, and DaddyP made a run to the breakfast burrito (read, AUTHENTIC) joint in town that is a breakfast tradition when we visit there. You have not lived until you've had chorizo, green sauce (hot enough to melt your fillings), refried beans, cheddar, peppers, onions, eggs, and fried potatoes rolled up in a tortilla. Uh-huh! Yeah. It's good. Where was I? Oh yes, after we gorged on the burritos, SIL and I stopped in at new antique store on the square. WONDERFUL new place! Oh my, weeelll, needless to say we made some purchases, and I'm happy to report that my large purchase did fit in the car! SIL and I found a perfect cuckoo clock so very similar to the one my grandfather had all through the years that I remember. After haggling with the owner over the specifics of the clock (she got a little miffed at us, I think, haha,) we took our cuckoo back to SIL's house and gave it to Pop for his birthday. The kids were tickled pink, and it's perfect.
After wrapping up our shopping venture, we went back to order pizza for lunch. SIL had a birthday cake order to make, so we talked while I watched her create a barn/farm scene out of marshmellow fondant. I know now that I can NEVER take up the occupation of baking/decorating/pleasing people. Omg. It turned out sooo adorable. I hope she posts pics on her blog soon. It was a full barn complete with a silo, duck pond, pigs, cows, a feed sack and water pail. Cute. Cute. Cute. She's got talent, that's for sure.
So, somewhere around mid-afternoon, we headed to Longhorn Aquatics on the TU campus. Made it there with time to spare, thank goodness, because the girl's basketball state play-off games were happening (and the WHS girls AND boys missed it by one game this year!! UG!) The place was crowded. Well, it's always retardedly jammed in Austin, but moreso than normal. Once inside the swim center, we found seats right up front and in the middle of the action. Jack was in awe of the high-tech facility. Big screen scoring system, Omega touch pads, 50m pool, very nice. And we did see some big names, although we missed Dara Torres and Aaron Piersol. Sniff, sniff. I'm happy to report that in our quest for gold medal Olympian viewing, we saw Kirsty Coventry (gold medalist from Zimbabwe) beat Katie Hoff (Olympic gold medalist). We also saw Garrett Weber-Gale and Peter and Alex Vandarkay. These names surely mean nothing to you, but Jack was elated and super pumped. He was even more elated and pumped when we walked right into getting an autograph from Garrett Weber-Gale as he was leaving the swimplex. Oh yeah, Jack almost passed smooth out in the stands. Here are some pics!
This was just after shaking hands with Garrett W.G.

Waiting patiently for the autograph!

On the road

We'll be on the road tomorrow after school, headed to Austin for the Grand Prix. You can read about it here! To say that Jack is excited, would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions. I'm sad we missed seeing Dara Torres swim today, but Garrett Weber-Gale and Aaron Piersol are nothing to sneeze at. Katie Hoff, one of Jack's crazy favs, will be there too. It is our most fervent hope that we can get photos of his favs, preferrably with Jack in the photo! These are the things his dreams are made of! He was literally bouncing off of the walls tonight. I'm pretty excited myself! We'll be taking Pop with us, and my SIL and her kids will be going with us to the meet. We watched a lot of the Olympic swimming events at their house this past August while we visited, and they're looking forward to experiencing this as well. I think we'll head to Austin early afternoon on Saturday and have lunch before heading to Longhorn Aquatics. While I'm not exactly (haha) a L'horn fan, ok...I'm the EXACT opposite, I do realize that they have an over-the-top swimming program, and I'm excited for Jack to get to see their facilities. He has heard so much about Longhorn Aquatics, with it being the home base for so many of his heroes, that it will be a prize for him to get to see their turf...along with the big names he hopes to see. We know he's not ready for an away-from-home swim camp just yet, we are scouting out and listening to friends who have been through them. This could be a good place to attend one in the future, and it will be good that he has been inside the facility. So far, the best camp we've researched is at TCU, but we'll probably wait a few more years before we take that step. Rest assured, I'll have pics to share from the Prix, and hopefully, we'll have some stellar moments to share. EEK!
In other news, I think we're pretty close to making a car purchase. We're having some issues with our current ride, and we're not sure if we want to continue on and pay for the work (warranty has expired) or see what sort of trade-in (hahha, that's funny) we might get. PDaddy has considered using it strictly for his biz vehicle and purchasing a second family vehicle. Not sure which, but I think we'll probably get that ball rolling. We've got 2 in mind, and we have totally differing car priorities. We'll see!
Oh, Treasure Quest is on Discovery! Have you been watching this? OHH! I love it.

Trip Planning + Weekend Plans = You guessed it...

Sophy threw up as soon as we got to my classroom this morning. Actually she emptied it on my classroom floor, twice in the hall on the way to the restroom, and once in the teacher's bathroom. I've never seen folks moving so fast to get out of our way. Blech! The good news is that schools are geared for easy vomit removal. A little cat litter tossed on it, sweep it up, disinfectant/bleach poured on it, mop it up, Wal-lah! Good as new. I seriously need to remember that about the kitty litter when we're at home. Then again, when you're at home, it usually lands on a bed, or carpet. So, there goes that idea.
So, here we are. She's playing the Wii and is as "happy as a dead pig in the sunshine", as my sweet Ninnie used to say. She seems fine, but she can't get that yucky taste out of her mouth. She keeps saying, "I wish you'd smell my breath. This is awful." No thanks, chic. I believe ya. She asked if we could get McDonalds for lunch, so I think if she doesn't throw up again between now and then we might do it. All the way home she remarked on how wonderful life was since the boys had to stay at school.
Speaking of sunshine, it was cloudy and cold this a.m., but the sun is trying to peek out. Wish it was closer to planting time, I'd get out there and work in the dirt. This time of year I have to hold myself back from planting stuff too early, but oh how I wish. I just finished lining up some movies at Netflix. We recently joined, and I had no idea how quickly those movies would go/come. When we register for a movie, we get it the next day. When I send it back, we get a notice the next day saying they received it. Why use a movie store? We typically use Pay Per View for movies, but lately there isn't anything worth watching on. PDad and I usually try to watch a couple of a movies a month together once the kids are in bed, but I've used Netflix to get a lot of movies that the kids have never seen. Sam is dying to see Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark because he has the Wii Lego game which follows that story line. I just put it in our queu, so we'll see what he thinks of it.
I suppose I' better go find something productive to do. Hhhmmm....perhaps I'll go continue spring clothes shopping online for the kids. They've all hit a serious growth spurt, and the $$account$$ is going to take a hit from getting them all caught up on shoes, church clothes and spring clothes. I've been searching for bathing suits as I go, but the only ones I've seen so far both the boys and Soph were tacky. Lets go see what we can find...

I survived TAKS day.

I want a tshirt that says that. But only so I can soak it in gasoline and set it on fire.

If you look on the bright side of the day from Hades today, I guess one could say that supper was a bright spot. I made tacos and the fixings, and for dessert, I made a strawberry shortcake. It was tasty.

Jack survived the 4th grade writing TAKS today. He said it was "easy." I hope that means that it was "easy" and not that it was so hard he had no clue that it was not "easy." Hha. He was able to tell me about the composition topic that he had to write, but I'm not sure if he addressed the prompt or not. I guess we'll know in a few weeks.

As I type, DaddyP is working on our taxes. Fun times, people. So far he seems to be in sorting mode, so the actual insane ramblings and cursing hasn't started yet.

Sam lost a tooth at school today. "Pulled it right out of my head" in the cafeteria, he said. Sometimes I really would like to be a fly on the wall...but only sometimes.

Looking forward to going to the Austin Grand Prix this weekend. Not sure if we're all 5 going, or if we'll leave the bottom 2 with the Meem.

I've got some online shopping to do, so I better get to it.

The View from Monday

Monday should be a fun day. The day before TAKS testing is ALWAYS fun times. The truly great news is that we get to do it all over again times ten in April!! WHHHEEE!
Tomorrow night Sophy has gym. She already doesn't want to go because last week the coach was pretty tough on them, and they didn't get to spend the last 10 minutes playing on the rock wall and foam pit like they normally do. I told her that is what happens when you don't do what the coach says, and she said,"Well! I didn't know that ahead of time!" haha.
We hit Walmart this evening to replenish some things and caved and ended up buying the week's groceries while we were there. If I needed a reminder as to why we don't buy groceries at Walmart, all I have to do is look at my checkbook from today's purchase. Sheesh. At any rate, we've got meals for the week. Tomorrow is lasagna/salad/bread, Tuesday is tacos/taquitos/Mexican night, Wednesday we'll grill chicken wings and have rice pilaf and sauteed squash/zuccini, Thursday is pizza night, and Friday we'll be heading to Austin.
I've got morning duty tomorrow (aka morning doody), so I better get things ready to roll.

Cold, cold, cold.

If I could permanently move to a location that had year round temperate weather, I would do it in a heartbeat. I hate cold weather. I detest cold weather. Ug, I want it to be warm. I've got several new gardens in mind, and one that I started last year that I stopped working on about 80% of the way through. I'm ready to dig in the dirt. DIRRRRT. In the next week or so, I'm gonna start some of my early seedlings indoors. This worked out great for me last year, and I had some beautiful cutting flowers by late April. This year I hope to have a small kitchen garden, there is some work I need to do on the bed I made last year with the pond in it, we're going to add some areas to our backyard, and I've got the notion to make a sitting, secret-type garden outside of my kitchen window to attract bees, birds, and flutterflies. If it would only get warm already. The first thing I'm doing is putting marking paint to mark where the new areas are gonna go, then I'll be eradicating the grass in those areas. Once that has happened, I'll get the tiller after those areas, and then the fun stuff can commence. I'm not making ANY weekend plans in April in order to spend all my days up to my teeth in dirt. (Well, one Saturday we'll be tea partying, but other than that, no other plans. )
I've got a ton of stuff to buy at Walmart. We avoid Walmart like the plague and only buy our groceries at a "grocery" store or a small, family owned market here in town. Still, every once in a blue moon, I'm out of all the things I can only get there for a reasonable price. And today is the day. Barf.