Used Without Permission and Ellie Stuff

Ellerie had her end of the year program for preschool yesterday. We, of course, were running late and somehow our camera had the tiniest memory card ever in it so these pictures are courtesy of Papa Paul. Running late? Moi? I know, it's hard to believe. Grandma Betty wondered why (nicely, not accusingly) and I could only reply that it's just what we do and shake my head. Oh well, no more late for preschool mornings until next fall! Yippee! Next year I may get all sappy as it will be my baby being done and moving on to school and no more of my favorite teachers and all that business, but for this year I am thrilled to have less trips per week. Ellie did a fab job singing and showing off for all the grandmas and grandpas and I couldn't ask for anything more.

Then we all came home and hung out in the sunshine, Ellie trading her fancy sandals for more appropriate attire. I mean, doesn't everyone play in the dirty back yard with the dog in a long dress and Big Brother's rainboots? But that's my girl sugar and spice AND snails and puppy dog tails.

This is also my girl. I took this a couple weeks ago. I don't remember the weather, but it was NOT hot outside. That was her getup: tank top and shorts, dress-up heels (thanks to GiGi chewing the bow off one of them), and a fur lined vest recently handed down from the neighbor girls. Hot Stuff, I tell you.

I have a feeling Miss Fashionista and I will butt heads over clothing choices once or twice before we're done. It's already starting as, currently, I have to remind her quite frequently to just put it on. And with the weather turning all of 70 here, she is in full on bathing suit mode, wanting to daily wear all of them (we have several hand me downs from the neighbor girls who have a pool). I have to confess that it IS fun to have a girl though. Right now. So, I'd better go enjoy her because I might not say the same in, say, 8 years. ;-)

At Week's End

I got to hang out a little bit with this cutie. To pass down a few goodies for re-using. To see my brother and SIL's beautiful house renovation progress.

I had a reasonably productive VBS week, but not so much on my other two jobs.

We had beautiful weather. Today is hot and sticky. I will not complain.

I did nothing to my back, but managed to hurt it anyway. Just walking along and, BAM, my back seized up. It's been hurting rather badly ever since, although improving in starts and fits. Trying to be grateful that this is not a constant problem for me without succumbing to worry that this is somehow the start of a new constant problem and to keep from being generally crabby because I DO NOT HAVE BACK PROBLEMS.

One car went in for repairs yesterday and the other one is up next. As my ironic life would have it, the ONE day the nurse's office calls me from school is the ONE day that I have no vehicle. But my fab friend and neighbor came to the rescue and we went to get Cal. He's fine. We're pretty sure it's allergies.

We are trying to grow grass, again.

My dad's 70th birthday party is tomorrow. It will be good to see family. My oldest nephew also graduates from college tomorrow and is recently engaged. Man time is a-flyin.

I am currently typing to the sound of my kids in the driveway playing with neighborhood friends: bikes, Pokemon, basketball and chalk. There is some reflection of a Norman Rockwell painting here while my Gigi pup hangs by my side trying to stay cool under the fan. Summer is coming and it may be in the burbs, not the country where I always thought I'd be, but I'm okay with that.

81 and muggy in the house. Why, oh why, am I making pizza tonight in a 500 degree oven? Happy Friday!

Gratefulish Friday

I have been seriously considering evolving some fins and gills. Maybe a mermaid tail? I could rock that, right? We have had so much rain and miserable, cloudy weather that being cold-blooded did sound like some kind of coping to me. We had something like 17 or 18 straight days of little or no sun? (Don't quote me. I'm not making a statement about Planned Parenthood).

Well, we did get a break last Saturday. It was lovely. Warmish with shiny, happy sunshine. And, where did I end up for the afternoon? Indoors, in the dark. I don't mean that as complaint, it was a nice afternoon. Just ironic, you know. Fact is, thoughtful Aunt Laurie sent Ellerie and I to a local children's theater production of "Alice in Wonderland" for Elle's birthday, rather than getting her more stuff. Awesome, I know.

On top of it, The Bird, got to dress up all fancy-like and hit the theater in style. Check out this pretty dress! I won this a few weeks ago from Susannah over at An Art Nest. She is such a fab all around talented artist and person. She made that dress and then GAVE IT AWAY. Clearly, she is also generous because I'm not sure I could spend that kind of time and then send it to a complete stranger. ;-)

And, the good news is, the sun is back out and is scheduled to make appearances next week as well. Now if I could just get the temps up about 10 degrees.....

Random Bits

• Maybe the pic is too small. But, really? Pizza Hut opens at 12 am on Sundays? I highly doubt that. Please management, this is a public building. Drives me insane.

• We spent Easter at my parents' without Mike. For the first time since we moved here, we had trouble with flooding in our basement. It has been SO wet. Just barely any sun for weeks and tons of rain, so Mike spent the weekend researching sump-pumps and periodically emptying the crock in the basement. The kids and I had a nice time but, of course, they were all getting sick and so cranky, mouthy behavior followed. I probably wouldn't list it as my favorite Easter ever.

• This week I'm running doggy day-care for our neighbors' dog. They've been at the hospital with his mom, so Gigi is getting a few days with her boyfriend. She's thrilled, even if he does keep losing puppy teeth and bleeding all over her white coat :-) My neighbor and I have decided we should have named them Romeo and Juliet as they frequently gaze across the street out their windows or through their fences and whine for each other.

• I get very discouraged when I have grand plans for things and no budget or time to do them. I need to work on being content. I am thankful for what I have, but not always content with it. I am learning there is a difference and that I need to work on patience.

• Speaking of discontent: my yard looks like garbage. We have weeds, crab grass, maple tree saplings abound, ants, bees and moss but hardly any grass. SIGH.

• Not sure what I am going to do with the dogs when I go pick up Ellerie from preschool. I have just over an hour to figure it out.

• That's it. I got nothin'.

Good Friday Music

Spring Break What?

See how depressed Pink Panther looks here? That's sort of how I feel this week. In Pink's case, it isn't because he hasn't been getting any attention.

Quite the opposite. He's been played to death. Along with Pinky-Dinky Doo and Phineas and Ferb. The troops have been literally spending their afternoons glued to Netflix streaming.

And I really can't blame them.

This was how our Spring Break Monday started out:

And it really hasn't got any better.

Thank God for Splash Week at the Y in the mornings or we might be Netflixing it all day.

Speaking of, we're gonna be late if I don't stop whining here and get my bum moving. After all, it'll have plenty of rest time later when we're zoning out to The Super Mario Brothers Super Show. ;-)

The Party Life

We had a whole lot of birthdays this past week. My second youngest nephew turned 16. My baby girl(s) turned 4

and 1. Gigi got a play date with her best bud down the street. Literally 4 straight hours of this:

Then she proceeded to destroy half of her birthday presents within three days, including this awesome flying duck, and to help herself to her own cupcake at Saturday's birthday party. Ahem. Seriously rethinking this G(ood) G(irl) name.

My very youngest nephew also had a big day. He turned one! Such a cutie.

I made him his own birthday crown and was SO happy with how it turned out...

It is currently, however, a tad too big.

Doesn't matter on such a handsome little dude and hopefully it'll be just right starting next year.

Back to regular life for a week with decisions to make about yearbooks and book fairs and Easter baskets. I don't know why one of my pics loaded bigger and the rest tiny and it is driving me nuts but I am forcing myself not to waste time going back to fix it. Too many more important things to do like drinking my coffee and scooping dog poop. (Not at the same time though. That would be weird, even for me.) Plus I swear the laundry alone is a full time job around here. And I'm sick with some little virus that gives me the usual happy congestion, but throws in a nice kicker of me waking every day with a headache like I've been beaten all night with a hammer and every movement feels as if I'm getting one more knock. But it's 70 this morning. SEVENTY!!!! And I know it's gonna rain, but I must soak this day in before it's back to 50 tomorrow. So i'm off to try to do just that. And to take some more ibuprofen. ;-)