So I Was Just Thinking

...not that she will see this today. Although her apartment complex has a computer she can use, and I got her an email address, she still remains somewhat digitally disconnected. She's thinking about buying an iPad or an iPhone, though. (Don't worry, I will send her the link and tell her to go check her email.) Mom just got back from seeing my brother get married in North Carolina. She has also been very busy coordinating the carpet people putting carpet in my Texas house. Additionally, she has put her house on the market and moved into a senior apartment complex. Moving to the community has been the best thing ever. They have coffee hour every afternoon. Someone arranged a Senior Prom last month at a country club where there was food and dancing. Most of the time when I call her she is talking to one of her neighbors. It is very nice to know that she is making new friends now that I am in Missouri. I hope you have a good day, mom. Here are some pics from the past.  Mo...

I usually love my birthday week. Doesn't everyone celebrate birthday weeks? This week though found me with just me and the kids. Every morning I had to be at work by 7 a.m. to stand and watch a relatively empty hallway at school. One morning, I couldn't find my i.d. card so I couldn't get through the gate on post. I had to drive home, dump my purse and run through my memory of when I used the card last....I last saw it on Election Day at the polls. Then I had to remember what raincoat I was wearing. This made me 10 minutes late for duty. My mother went out of town and of course, my husband doesn't live here anymore, so I made plans with a couple of friends to go to one of our favorite hangouts after school today. I also made arrangements to take my friend and her kids and my kids to the World Hunger Farm for their Farm Day. Unfortunately, plans have changed. My friend had to ground both boys because of some majorly severe actions that occurred at school, and I found out...

At our church, we have a program for mothers of preschoolers called MOPS. Do we have such a thing for teenagers? No, so I am starting MOAT - Mother of a teenager. There will be a girl and boy group as those of you know teen boys and girls and completely different creatures. I am looking forward to this time. There is so much in store for the two of us. Below are the pictures are a couple pictures of Caitlin on her birthday. Cait and her friend most of the evening laughing at things on their cell phones. Watch out world. Here she comes.

My children have been blessed or cursed depending on your point of view with having birthdays on during spring break. It's a blessing because in our schools, if you give an invitation to one kid in your class (elementary) then you have to give one to everyone. My thought is if there is someone in your class who is just a total turkey, why should you have to invite them? Having a birthday during spring break means you don't have birthday parties with classmates so you don't have to invite someone you don't want to your party. This is also a curse. You don't have birthday parties so no one comes to your birthday. Another good thing about spring break birthdays is presents can be things like trips to North Carolina like we did one year for Caitlin. We are going to try to go Disney next year. We will be having Caitlin's birthday at a local restaurant with some friends. Sunday was James birthday and we had a little friend over. She is the cutest little girl. Note the...

Hi! I have hijacked Annemarie's blog just to say Happy Birthday and to leave a couple of her favorite YouTube videos as a gift. Come on over to MY BLOG to hear more about my adventures in Texas. The trip is almost over. If you want to know what she is saying (I must admit I had to look) check out the lyrics here. She is a geek at heart. And now we shall return to the regularly scheduled blog.

Today I went to my friend's house for her son's fourth birthday party. It was an experience. My son had a great time, and I had to bite my tongue about dirt and boyish rough behavior. This is not an easy thing for me to do. I usually am the one ensuring my children stay clean and safe, while my husband lets them run and get dirty. I usually have to leave the area. I didn't have that luxury today as I was the only one home to take my son to the birthday party. James had a great time climbing the backyard fort with a slide that runs right into the path of a tire swing. Twice he slid down only to be knocked in the head by swinging party goers. Unfazed by the possible concussion he may have just received, James proceeded to climb a tree that later he couldn't get out of. By the time the hot dogs were ready for the kids to eat (and superb steaks for us grown folk,) you couldn't tell where James began and the dirt ended. Nonetheless, he reached for a hot dog and devoured ...

Eleven years ago today: It's 5:00 in the morning. I am not feeling well. I had better have my husband call in to work for me. I don't think I am going to make it. What is that strange feeling? If I could stay out of the bathroom long enough I would call in myself. Well at least I don't have to find an outfit that fits. It's 8:00 . WOW! That really hurt. "Uh, Gary. I think that was a contraction." In a state of disbelief, he starts timing them. Five minutes. Oh, my God. Now he's wondering how he's going to get me to the hospital 20 minutes or more away from here. There's no time for the suitcase. Just get the keys and let's go. Speeding through the streets of Colorado Springs, winding our way to Fort Carson. There is no major amount of time between contractions. I am banging on the window screaming, "I have to push." Gary, "Don't Push!!!" After the worlds fastest trip in a Festiva, we pull up in front of the emergency ro...