Not much. 'Sup with you?

The other evening Suzie came charging into the room squealing with pride.
She thinks she's SO funny...

...and I heartily agree.
But maybe that's just me.

**********

In other news, I've started giving piano lessons again. It's been nearly 4 years. I quit last time to focus more on photography, and because Brenda started having absolute fits when my attention was diverted to a student. (And she HATES listening to music unless it's part of her own activity.)

So Thursday was the first lesson. It was maybe 20 seconds into the first song when Brenda came running over, SLAMMED her hands down on the keys and shouted "NO!!!". (sigh) Luckily Mike was home and he took care of business.

Come on kid. You're six. Get over it.

*************

Oh, and I saw Michael Jackson's "This is it". Not the best film, but I definitely had something in my eye.
Have the MJ sightings began yet? Just like Elvis you know it's coming...

I can put 'speaks Garret' on a resume

I remember having a chat with a friend when Garret was a toddler-
me- "I'm looking forward to when he's older and I can just have a normal conversation with him. You know, reason with him..."

(Now I know those parents out there with older kids are scoffing saying, "Yeah right, you think it's going to get easier???")

So here's a typical 'conversation' today-

me-"Hey Garret, what's up?"
G- giggle, stomp
"Are you hungry?"
"DOOODOOOOOO!!"
"Want toast?"
hissssssssssssss, shhhhhhhh (arm flap)
"Wanna go outside?"
run around couch, stomp stomp
"Here, you can go out."
BIG laugh, runs out.

-I guess actual speech is not top priority for conversing.

OH, and we've been basking in the sun this week. :-) In a few months we'll be giddy over the thought of mistletoe, cider, and twinkle lights. But for today it's sprinklers, ladybugs, and popsicle-stained tongues. I declare this the SUMMER OF GEORGE! (Seinfeld is on...)

...and she left me with a box of cheese-its!

Despite my allergy-haze I enjoyed a nifty playdate yesterday. This gal and I share many things like awesome hair, short fingernails, a love for DVRs, and... Oh yeah, special kids.

The banter was fun. One of us would mention, say, changing an 8-yr-old's diaper and the other would emphatically nod in a "sing-it sista" kind of way. The subject of socks came up and we laughed. "So how often do you have to replenish his sock drawer...?"

mm hmm.

While sharing our 'woes' the kids stayed out of our hair. (Did I say that?!) (Really, isn't that what playdates are all about??? Come on...)
OK well we did play, take pictures, push 'em on swings, roll around on the trampoline, etc... Our kids fit together like ummm, something... that fits well. We ought to be neighbors to alleviate all babysitter worries. She wouldn't think it strange when Garret leaves his clothes scattered on the lawn. I wouldn't bat an eye when her son puts his thumbs in his ears to show he's happy. And our girls can be as ridiculously-quirky as we know they can be-
so what? We're home.

Suzie got a little crabby while trying to keep up with the big kids.Garret was antisocial mostly.

Brenda stayed ready for school. I don't know...

So after the day's success we agreed to stalk each other. After all, having a friend that totally gets your 'everyday uniqueness' is something worth pursuing illegally.

P.S. Kerry, I've got pictures to email you! (I didn't think I had the right to post your family pics on my public blog.) (What if someone thought they were cuter!!!?!??)

P.P.S. I shared the cheese-its.

What day is it?

I'd like to take a moment for a shout-out to Mike's parents on this Fathers' Day. (Mike shy's away from public mushies.)

My Dad-in-law is strong, patient, attentive, and kind. He'd carry the world on his shoulders for his family and you'd never hear a complaint. He's a friend to his kids, and a teddy-bear to the grandkids.
My Mom-in-law is cheerful, sweet, creative, and eager-to-serve. She sings and laughs with ease. She is also the only person, so far, who really makes me work to win 'Boggle'. (Hmmm, it's been a while!!)

Shot 1: Grandpa graciously wearing the hat that Garret insisted upon.
Shot 2: Mike playing 'where's the ball' with mom. (I LOVE that picture!)
Shot 3: Christmas for Mike just a few decades ago...

My mom is witty, caring, hard-working, and fun. She loves us kids, and loves Dad just a wee-bit more. I think only her close friends and family know just how GOOFY she is. It's true, she is! I'd like to say she's one of my best friends, but that would be weird since you're supposed to whine about your parents to you BFFs, you know? haha

To my dad,
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!
Through my life's experiences I realize more and more how lucky I am to have MY dad. ...THIS dad! He's wise, gentle, generous, and AWESOME. What has often kept me on the 'straight-and-narrow' is the thought of breaking his heart. His catch phrase should be "work hard. play harder." -as he conquers the world with his many ambitions. LOVE YOU DAD!

Shot 1: Dad holding new grandbaby, Garret
Shot 2: My fam. Aren't we pretty?

AAAAAAAAAnd Mike-
Happy Fathers day hun-bun. The kids really ought to be saying it seeing as they've got themselves a good one...
What do you want for breakfast?

Webcam-cam I am

...It's Ernest P Worrell

Bad Mommy forgot her memory card. So instead of a spectacularly-visual display of the moment-to-moment happenings from yet another "graduation", I'm just gonna make this short and sweet.
Garret's party had cake and ice-cream.

I could stop with that but I'll add that there was a sweet-sweet slide show, lovely decorations, and lots of fun visiting.

My kid was the cutest one, of course. But he does have some very scrumptious classmates.

The teachers who patiently work beside these kids everyday are heaven-sent and I wish they would all just come home with me. It reminds me of that strange feeling when you leave the hospital with a new, wiggly baby. The nurse hands you the little bundle and you think, 'Huh? Your sending us home with this? Aren't you the professional???'.

Know wud I mean Vern?

Did I mention?

I ran a half-marathon last week. A fellow Hood to Coast team member organized the event and 10 people participated. Ran most with my super-runner mom. (Who makes 50-somethin' look good!) Then the last few miles I decided to see how many people I could pass. (Just one) I averaged 10.9 minutes per mile. Hoped for a faster time but oh, the hills...

(Here's me sprinting to the finish line.)
(That, or just a picture I stole off google images...)

The first mile I'm thinking, 'Who does this??'
The last mile I'm thinking, 'Let's do it again!'

So August brings the Hood to Coast relay and then onto marathon training. (Why not?)
And I would post an actual picture from the event but lazy-me didn't bring a camera. The kind person who took my picture is yet to be heard from. Oh. Hope I didn't break their camera...
I'm JOKING 'cause I'm BEAUTIFUL!!!

p.s. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles. The route we ran was 13.5. (I thought that was important information.)

Don't you know my kid is a genius?

In the first 20 minutes of Brenda's kindergarten graduation we thought we'd have to just take her home...

(Here she is hiding out in her 'escape' room, which is right off the stage.)

When suddenly she heard the music for the first musical performance. Before we could grab her she was out on stage...

(Maybe we should have drug her off the stage but I was more like, 'don't nobody be touching my dancin' baby'...)

She tolerated class picture time...

(Never mind the fact that she stood with the wrong class.)

Even posed for this shot-(Within 2 minutes the diploma became binoculars, of course.)

In the end it was a success!

***Can I add that I think the whole idea of kindergarten graduation is lame??
(Never mind that I savored the whole evening...)

A quick 'Hello!'

I love the corniness of my old journal entries (old-old, not last week) where I emphatically apologize for long gaps between entries. Who am I apologizing to? Who cares??
I thought of this as I realized I've got lots to blog about and no time to do it, over the next few days. I am SO SORRY. hahaOh, and send happy thoughts for good weather. If it rains this weekend it'll totally cramp my style.

in the kitchen

We were prepping for a snack and I needed Brenda's input-

"What does Brenda eat?"
..."apple"

"What does Suzie eat?"
..."milk"

"What does Garret eat?"
..."playdough"

He's MY monkey!

This is the picture I put together when first creating the blog. I scrapped it and did the 'ark' doodle instead. I'm happy with how it all turned out. I like the idea of the zoo-ish, ark theme 'cause I figure Noah's ark was bizarre chaos with a lot of poop to clean up.

We can relate.

I imagine they got used to the funny smells, restless monkeys, and every-man-for-himself meals. Noah would be nursing a dog's hurt paw and his wife comes running in announcing that the pig escaped again...

I've been stressing a bit, wondering about summer break. What am I going to do with these kids?? (How sad a question to come from the mom, eh?)

Thank goodness we're not trapped on a boat.

Garret needs a lot of stimulation or he gets a bit wild. His regular school schedule does help him "even out". At home, when he starts to lose control, sometimes all we can do is just sit on him. (Don't worry, he loves it.)

But this afternoon he got a rare treat of cream soda. He was giggling over the pure joy of it and cuddled up next to me. 'Oh, we'll be fine' I thought, 'and come end of August we'll send out the doves...'

I'm getting excited for summer.
-are you?

I'm a dogear-er myself.

So this is my favorite book-I read it after my dad laughed and cried his way through it. (Nevermind the awards. My dad recommended it!)

.

Here's my second favorite-Thanks to my friend Sara, I read this and it has changed my life. (Not to be dramatic or anything...)

.

And here's my third-

It was just last year that I finally read this one. (After years of posing as a P&P expert.)
.
.
If I was stranded on a deserted island (and apparently had warning), these are the books I would have with me.
.
.
You get three. Which would you have?
.
.
OH wait, and this one-

Yeah, this one's pretty good too.
.

OK, you get FOUR.