Surprise!!!

This is a post from last week, (day before my birthday) but I was still having a lot computer problems and lost it. I finally have internet tonight (and since the rest of I-5 corridor seems to still be without power I have the internet to myself)


Last week, I was greeted with a lovely (early) birthday dinner on our deck when I got home from C's baseball game. The girls cleaned the deck, made dinner, and a birthday cake complete with candles. They threw me this early surprise birthday party because they knew we had B's Spring Choir Concert tomorrow on my bday. So as we finished our delicious lemon cake very generously frosted with chocolate and bright green mint flavored frosting, B turns to me and says.... "oh by the way mom. I need you to make me a pink poodle skirt for tomorrow's concert but I don't want you to stay up all night."

Crazy / Computer

My postings are going to be spotty for awhile.

I've been having some computer problems. I've had the guy out once and he NEEDS to come back ASAP. I lost internet for hours again last night. (It's so incredibly frustrating!!!) I am so busy right now, I usually don't get home before 9 or 10pm every night. I keep losing my internet connection so Ican't check my email or post anything. grrrrr!

Most Improved

Much to her surprise, M was voted "Most Improved Musician" at last night's Spring Concert. This is because she just started learning how to play the alto sax in October. She has gotten prettty good (proud mama talking) and I guess it was a landslide because she had a steep learning curve. Their band got a Superior plus in the 15 band competition last week.
Good job guys!!

75 Degrees and Chilli

Yes it was finally warm and in the mid 7o's today (Hurray!!!) which made C's baseball game tonight very enjoyable. C played well, but his team lost again. (Our few pitchers are overworked and we have had a slew of games recently, so we have one or two bad innings when they run out of gas. - I knew this was going to happen and predicted it the 2nd week of April, but what do I know? I'm just a baseball mom and not an athletic director.) Anyway. It was a fun game to watch lots of excitement and I knew a bunch of kids on both teams so I enjoyed it a lot.





Today was Chilli's first day at Superior Court. This is the latest seeing eye dog puppy Judge Warning is raising. He just got him last week. Chilli is SUPER sweet and has a very mellow disposition. I think he's going to make a great dog. I think he's my favorite so far. The last one Grant was afraid of heigthts, so he didn't make it through the program. He has been adopted by a great family with young kids.

Isn't Chilli the cutest little guy ever????

Gifts from the Heart1

My kids are the best!! (I know I'm biased but I just have to take a moment and brag.)
All on their own and without my knowledge, they arranged with the local florist to buy a floral arrangement and have it delivered to the house. They even paid for it completely with their own money. On Thursday, the kinda let the surprise slip a little when they asked if we would be home between 11am and 3pm. Thinking back on previous Mother's Day presents, all I could think was that somehow, they were getting me a cow. (NO JOKE!!) I was pretty nervous for 2 days and very happily relieved at my beautiful bouquet. You see, M really wants a cow and for the past year she has been talking to someone who has a bunch of a baby jerseys about getting one this Spring. (knowing my daughter and past gifts....my concerns were NOT much of a leap of imagination.) Anyway.... I LOVE my beautiful bouquet!! They know I love flowers and hardly ever get them. I'm so proud of them that they were able to buy them for me. They are growing up so fast!



B found this at our local farmer's market and thought that I should have a plant at my desk. So she bought me this cute "hens & chicks" planter. Out of all the options, this was my favorite. (This was also a surprise gift.)

I'll have to do another post with some of the other gifts. (C gave me a cute school made magnet.)

Mother's Day

This year, I decided to have a relaxing time with my kids. After a busy morning of games, helping friends move, and farmer's market, we went to the river at Camelot and had a very fun afternoon playing in the sun, fishing (M caught a rock. - It even ate her worm. It was totally classic!!), sandcastles, exploring the beach with Trooper and Queenie, and a yummy picnic. Afterwards, we cleaned up and saw StarTrek. (Which was AWESOME!!! They did a great job of mixing the tv show, and all the other movies.) All in all, a good day with my kids.

C playing a little stick ball at the beach.

He got pretty good at hitting those rocks (even the little ones).

M and our new River Dog - Trooper the Chihuahua playing in the water.

B & C making sandcastles.

C drowning some worms.

M catching those elusive rocks.
Either the rock ate the worm and then got tangled up in the line,

or the worm escaped and tied up the nearest rock as part of his escape.

You pick....

Greased Lightening

This video is of M's 100 meter heat which she won handily. She is the red girl in the lane closest to the stands. There were 4 teams competing at this meet and there were about 30 or so seventh grade girls running the 100 so there were 4 or 5 heats. She was in the 2nd heat. (Sorry about the video quality. I got excited for a couple seconds.)

out of it

Wow! I just realized it's been almost a month since I was last on here. YIKES!!! only feels like a week. I have been so crazy busy that when I finally do get home, I just collapse in my bed and try to get some sleep before I have to get up too early to start it again.

Basic update...I still have my job. (Whew!!!) But it is not good at work right now. Too many good people and vital jobs were cut. I don't know how we're going to make it work. (no security staff anymore, the clerk's office closed to the public just to name a few.) Everyone is very cranky and on edge. Morale is shot and it's going to get worse. (I half-jokingly say I'm going to hang out at the morgue because it's got to be cheerier.) I'm just keeping my head down and working hard. Just finsihed helping on a huge (as in 3/4 of a million dollars kind of huge) 3 year federal grant which will hopefully save the Drug Court program and even expand it's treatment capacity and options. We'll know in early September if we got it. If not, the county is shutting down the Drug Court program October 1st. Keep your fingers crossed.

It is Spring. This means the kids are very busy in sports and I'm running hither and yon to trying to make it all work while trying to keep my hair in my head.

M is doing track and is competing in long jump, javelin or hurdles, and the 100 meter dash and she is also on the 4 by 100 meter relay. They are awesome!! So far they have beaten every 7th grade girls team and a lot of the 8th grade teams as well. (A lot of times, they run both groups together.) I'll try to do a video of one of her races.

B is on a Spring Soccer league. They are doing well and having lots of fun. (It's her last season of soccer since she doesn't want to continue it when she gets to Middle School so I'm glad it's going to end on positive note - with a coach she admires and her friends / teammates that she's had since kindergarten. Yep. The core of this team has been together 7+ years.) It's so mellow and laid back. I love it!!

C is playing baseball. What can I say???? Hmmmm.... This year is a little challenging (as a parent) due to the composition of the team and some of the personalities involved, but thankfully my happy-go-lucky son is blissfully unaware of all the conflict swirling around and is having a ball. (Thank God for small miracles!) He is doing fabulous!! He is playing short stop and 3rd base primarily and actually doing well. He has also been hitting really well. In fact, he got a true stand up triple on Saturday and then stole home. He's having an Allstar season which I'm glad for him.

I'm up to my eyeballs in meetings for parks and library consolidation boards, patient advisory board, and the church's June revival mission, plus the normal fun stuff like scouts and book group, etc.,.

Well, gotta go check on the kiddos' (I've got 2 home sick today and we're waiting for the doctor's appts at 1pm)