.......flakes.....

I work with some flakes..............and big fat flakes of snow keep coming down today.........and my son spilled frosted flakes all over the kitchen ......my dog will be enjoying a sugar buzz now.....

I've decided that on Tuesdays I get to go out for lunch for the rest of the year............cuz the meetings I have to endure on Tuesdays make me crazy......today was Subway............now that I've met Jimmy Johns I don't love Subway anymore..........I'd be in big trouble if they opened a Jimmy Johns closer.......for now it's a 20 min drive at least...

Is SmartFood popcorn really that smart.........I guess better than movie theater popcorn.........I wish they would sell it at movie theaters.....or pirates booty.......it's really hard not to eat junk in a movie......I have sneaked in carrots and apple slices before but it's just not the same......

I need healthy snack ideas........time to research and make time for shopping.....sadly, fruits and veggies aren't major cravings for me...........diet coke and salty crunchy....that's the ticket.......I'm starting to think I've had my fill of pizza in a box ...it is pretty disgusting..........

my niece put a picture on facebook of me as a bridesmaid in a stunning fuscia dress.......she is so gonna get it...........brat

........zzzzzzzzzip....

Days are flying by people......I don't know what I'll do when the chaos comes to a screeching halt.......I bet I will fail at retirement........I was booking flights with Frontier Airlines and the agent told me they were hiring if I would be willing to drive to Denver.........they were a no-go for summers only but she said they hire a lot of retired teachers..........what  a fun retirement job that would be..........I will also work as an SLP if my district needs contract people.........big money for two days a week.....and then I'll dabble with Frontier and fly for free..........I have big plans now...........Jackson will need to go to college somewhere warm........so momma will fly in to visit....for free..........Abby could be on Broadway......so momma will be flying in for shows...........sounds good to me.....
You should all buy a yearbook from my school.........it's so awesome.......explosions of colors and happy faces........I'll make you a deal.....
Baseball was a happy day.........Champions.........we particularly like winning.............the championship game was crazy since we thought we had lost until we won the argument that there is no time limit in the finals............we finished the game as winners...........those were some smily, happy........and smelly boys..........we have a 1.5 hour commute home usually.......and I have a live goat sitting in the front seat with odor pouring off of him.........I love that kid........
My daughter has become a baseball fan..........she cheers herself hoarse for her brother and his friends......warms my heart.......and drives me nuts............she keeps ruining her money maker.......I'll bet her choir teacher is ticked at me today..........she has two solos in the Spring concert........perhaps she will have to miss the tournament the weekend before that performance...........I'm excited for the concert though.........bittersweet..........last one in jr. high...........she's in a foursome doing Amazing Grace a capella.................and a soloist in Rolling in the Deep..........she will rock them both.........my baby has a gift!

...photographs......

I love photos...........love love love photos............since going digital I miss the thrill of picking up the pack of pictures developed from a roll of film..........I used to take 3 rolls of 24 in the hopes of getting the perfect Christmas card........when the kids were 1 and 3.5 things were rough.......finally, the winner was of them in the bathtub with soap bubble Santa beards......
this year I'm the yearbook creator at school.........I get paid to take pictures and put them into a book to commemorate 2012-13 for our elementary........I just showed a mom a pic that I took during the Parade of Presidents........her son was part of the secret service...dark suit, glasses, and earpiece........he looked awesome.........she burst into tears...that's how cute he was..........I think she might buy 10-12 yearbooks.......or she can just ask me for the digital picture.....
I scrapbook......I used to sell Creative Memories stuff just to get it at cost........teachers loved getting it at cost too..........I did not have parties.....just a dealer I guess.....or supplier.........I am 11+ years behind in both of my kids scrapbooks.......when I work on them I fall in love with them all over again........so it's a great thing to do when they've been driving me crazy......
I have pictures of my first two foster daughters.........it's been almost 15 years and I still can't work on them.......I wonder all the time if they are okay......\maybe someday I'll be able to put them in a book.......for now...looking at the pix makes me remember how sweet they were.........and how much it hurt to give them back to their birth mother....that wound has a scab.....it doesn't heal........one rip and the pain is raw all over again............sending happy thoughts to Brittney and Adrianna........can you imagine me without a little boy?........I can't ............everything happens for a reason.....

...April Day

Today....my district is closed for no reason.....we don't question...we just love.....last year I bought a car....my son's love of baseball was costing us a mortgage in gasoline....the old Exploder sits in the garage.....the new Honda is what we take almost everywhere.......maybe today it gets a bday wash......38 mpg.....it's been hit twice and we weren't hurt.....I should write a commercial.....I won't....because I'm from a long line of Ford people.....my family doesn't embrace my choice.....
this April day....we're catching up on rest....it was a wild baseball weekend...early mornings, high winds, cold temps......and excellent games....our boys almost pulled off the impossible.....somehow we ended up playing the number one seeded team in our fourth game....they were from Montana....twelve-year-olds in Montana look like college freshmen......maybe when they are off the grid they don't have a birth certificate....maybe they just count teeth or something.....any way.....we lost 10-9......jaw clencher until the end....My son would have been the winning run but he was left stranded at second....still an excellent game...
we grabbed his bestie and went to see 42......I knew that it would be heart wrenching......I wasn't ready for them to both cry.....I think it might have been their first exposure to racial slurs....the N word is not a pretty word....doors with WHITE ONLY written on them.....I hope they no longer exist.....I won't say more...just go see the movie....

....wild Friday night....

Boy is at practice, girl went to watch the talent show ......I went to Sams Club......we can't get enough of this party life......three day weekend.....that tastes good coming off my tongue....
We had a snow day....I wasted it.....good times.....Jack really was sick so he went to school every other day this week......forgot his meds today so that was a bust.....his teachers earned their three day more than most.....
My car is a year old......I thought I'd hate driving low to the ground after an SUV but not so......the exploder sits in the garage for the most part....that's a weird phrase....for the most part...that can't be proper....
An SLP friend corrected a teacher for saying ”ek specially” today.....rock on!
I said Ying Yang once......I'll never try to say it again....

......Monday mornings.....

....for the first time in his life, Jackson asked if he could stay home from school......I don't blame him....he's exhausted from the baseball weekend......I said no......there's nothing worse than making up all the work you've missed when you're absent......I did tell him that I might let him tomorrow since we have a pretty major blizzard warning tonight.....we'll see
....a snow day would be fabulous but I know better than to hope.....I have so much to do around the house that I didn't get to during break when I was fixin' to die of coughing...
The rest of the world went out to buy milk and bread.....blizzard food I guess.....we have onions and rainbow sherbet and Gummi bears.....we'll be fine...
My friend adopted a dog that was found injured on the train tracks today....lucky doggy.....lucky people.....everyone should have a doggy to love.....even if they get you up all night so they can go outside and sniff the air......
Oooooh .....it's getting windy.....

....coaches.....

I once read an article that a man wrote after witnessing some horrible parenting..........at the check out of a grocery store is probably one of the worst places to have a little one with you.........candy....money....waiting.....cart wheels.....parents say some pretty thoughtless things in that setting......the author's response to them is "Congratulations......you just broke your baby"........breaking one of their bones might be a better choice than having them hear the nastiness that can come out of a parent's mouth........."knock it off, how many times have I told you?, why did I bring you with me?......

...I'm paying close attention to what my son is told by his coaches.........sports outside of school always have a daddyball component.......a coach's child will play....the end......a coach's child will also get ridden harder than the others.........recently I heard a coach say to his son "you have to be the one.....what good are you?" 

What an ugly thing to say to anyone!...........I'm afraid a twelve-year-old boy hears the word WORTHLESS ringing through his brain ....what does that teach him?   ...and really.......the useless coaching annoys me to.........."gotta have those"......"hit the ball".............we have a parent whose cheer is "I believe in you"...............that.........is beautiful.....

......lunch.......

Today..........we went to SS Subs...........the worker is Asian and I'm not proud of it, but that is an accent I have significant trouble understanding..........I guess she was asking if I wanted vinegar and oil on my sub.........I said yes.........I would never have said yes if I knew what what going on.......turns out it was delicious...........I'm going to assume those were healthy oils and I need them...........really delicious.....

I'm officially the old lady that cannot believe how fast time flies.......6-7 weeks of school left for this year.......part of what is making it fly is I have a lot to do before the last day of school......yearbook, sock monkeys for the silent auction, IEPs, kindergarten transitions.........and we are full force in baseball which makes for late nights and busy weekends.......I wouldn't trade any of it.....but boy my head is spinning............

I'm hooked on a stupid phone game..........Candy Crush Saga........it's redonkulous that I love it.............it's soo sooo stupid........and frustrating.........and I can't stop........luckily you have to wait 30 min for a new life so it keeps me from playing nonstop.............I also like Ruzzle but you have to have others challenge you...........or accept your challenge..............it's Boggle on the phone..............good times..........so enjoy ........I'm weak........it's not a secret...........we have a Wii because I'm a video game sucker too.....

....goodNESS....

That was a rough week........Spring Break was a bust this year..........sick the whole time......I finally forced myself to take Abby to a movie yesterday....my kids were such good sports about it being a lame week........I guess it's a very good thing that we didn't have a fun trip planned....I would have been so mad if I were sick in a hotel or on the beach....phew.....dodged that bullet.......even baseball was cancelled because we had cold crappy weather.....

So I saw The Host........bizarre.........and I think I'm over movie theatre popcorn in bulk.....it did nothing for me.......I did not get a giant soda since they don't have a diet caffeine free choice.....I am off caffeine after this week...for the most part........I really should keep it that way....except for maybe on Tuesdays.....when we have baseball far far away until 9 at night and then the long drive home.....truth be told.....in my jammies and in bed by 9 if at all possible.....I guess I need some baseball-watching and driving pajamas......

Mucinex is definitely an appetite suppressant for me..........too bad it also makes me feel like crap.....found a new restaurant with fabulous hot wings.........man....I do love some hot wings......Abby is lined up to start working there this summer as a hostess.....hopefully that will turn into experience that can transfer to waitressing ......which she considers one of her career goals.......we just talked about careers versus jobs but she doesn't agree.......I say waitressing is a job.......not a career.........a career is what you would do even if you weren't making a living at it...........she's not buying it.......and sadly, she doesn't have a career choice beyond performing or being a vocalist of some sort........I asked if she'd teach music and got a "heck to the no".  Growing up may come as a surprise to her......
In her defense, she'll make a good waitress as long as she doesn't roll her eyes until she gets back to the drink station.....