.....almoooooooost........

I know I know.......almost only counts in horsehoes and hand grenades........

...but I am almost done with this school year...........the giddiness is creeping in.........the weather is nice.......popsicles need to be eaten with kindergarten classes..............my reports are written..........field day is coming........they yearbooks will be delivered on Monday.....soon I will kill my alarm clock....

I had an amazing day on priceline.............got a cheap hotel for the baseball weekend and it's one of our favorites from back in the days of dance.........I pressed my luck and pricelined a rental car for our Chicago trip.......woot.......it's just money, right?

I surprised the principal, asst principal, and counselor today with DQ blizzards.........it seems like no one ever surprises them with treats.......they are always bringing in Sonic drinks or donuts or candy minis.............it was fun to turn it around.........of I course I got one out of the deal too...........let's just say it was lunch today...........I'll aim for a sensible dinner.........

today my speech kiddos got to spend their "speech bucks" at the "speech store"......I don't do treasure box or stickers at each session........they earn a speech buck each time and save up for the store which is open twice a year.........they are so serious about their shopping......mechanical pencils are a hot item......and my kids stuffed animals they never touched that I have sneaked into work......they keep their bucks in a pocket on the wall that has their photo on it........so after they shop....I take down the picture and it goes home with them too......the empty wall is sad.....some of them have said they will move....some of them won't need me next year......some of them will be gone without a trace......we're a military district so we're used to hellos and goodbyes......that doesn't mean we're good at it......
Good Luck my Speech Monkeys.......

.....choir concert.......

....my daughter had her last jr. high concert last night.........she blows me away.......that girl can sing.....she didn't get it from me......it's all her.......I wonder if the high school has any idea what is coming their way......I hope they use her wisely........I wish I had input into the musicals they choose for the next four years........Hairspray, Annie Get Your Gun, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Wicked.........they did The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee this year.......if I'd known I'd have asked if a rising 8th grade star could audition......she did I Speak Six Languages as a solo in competition so she could have walked on for that part..........and yes.......I know I want it all.........it's just that she really has something special...........I cannot wait.......
I sometimes wonder if her birth family deserves to know how talented she is..........but then I remember they had their chance.....they could have stepped up and had her at any time but didn't.....

Part of the foster/adopt program is returning to a training to tell your story (happy or sad).......I took my beautiful two-year-old daughter to a training and needless to say........everyone was smitten.....my message to the newbies was simple.........don't make a choice based on paperwork...........Abby was not an easy sell.....mixed race, Dandy Walker Cyst with a shunt.....2 neuro surgeries before she was even 3 months old......late with motor/balance skills........endless therapy that turned into dance for 10 years.......incarcerated birth parents.....tons of siblings placed all around........I didn't know any of that....I just knew that a round-faced baby was pounding her fists on the desk in the waiting room of my workplace......she pounded until I looked at her ........and then she gave me a twinkling smile.......she was tucked under the arm of her foster mother (a nurse) and was only along for the ride...another foster child in the home had therapy........that's all it took........I asked.....I got........I'm not forgetting all of the roadblocks and tears ...just not focused on them unless I'm telling someone the dangers of foster/adopt........I have a happy ending.......I got....she's mine.....that can't change.....

I guess I should not snap at her when she pounds/taps on every surface when she's bored or antsy......it worked magic once....why wouldn't she keep pounding those fists?......

......mothers' day weekend...

..here it comes..........it's my weekend.........no baseball as of 9pm tonight.......of course coach threw in a practice at the batting cage late tonight............oh well.........I'll get the grocery shopping over with then............
I would really like the weather to clear so we can work on the yard.......the grass is greening up ...but so are the weeds..............this is the weekend we always plant flowers.......which means I plant flowers and the kids come out later and say "did you plant flowers"...........I am a lazy gardener.........I start off with a bang but it grows tiresome..........some time in the summer I have to wrestle the rose bush.........it grows like wildfire...........my mom had a rose bush smack in the middle of the yard........it got mowed weekly.......and she would squawk and squawk........"who ran over my rose bush?".........well.........in  my defense, it was hard to see it once it was run over weekly.............she also had purple irises..........and lilacs..........and now I know I'm allergic to lilacs.........so that was pretty mean of her to have those bushes everywhere.............we used to take a branch of blooming lilacs with the stem wrapped in a wet paper towel and aluminum foil to our teachers..........did they even like that?
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming to a close.............PTO bought us bbq today.........I wasn't at that school today and I don't love bbq so it's all good.......there was a Hershey bar in my mailbox.....woot.....
my dog has been sleeping through the night this week..........I suppose that will end now that I have two days with no alarm clock.........oy........now I'm already annoyed with her.........I could use some Zzzzzzz's

....softball.......

...I've activated the sequence for coaching softball at one of our jr. high schools.........that means I've asked the SPED director if it's possible for me to leave early for those 8 weeks...........we'll see........
being around the high school softball team has made for an explosion of my glory days and those feelings...........dang, I was good............I miss it...........I missed part of my junior year season after surgery (kidney removed to share with my brother).........that was recruiting year......probably kept me from playing college ball.....hmmm...........no regrets though....he lived another 25+ years because of it...........I played community and tournament ball until Jackson learned to walk and wouldn't sit in a stroller in the dugout........recently there has been rumbling of getting our team back together.........I think it would be safer to coach........I don't think I'd handle tournament recovery as I head into AARP land..........

Abby got new cleats last night..........and of course I tried them on...........cleats have come a long way since I bought my last pair........I guess I knew that from Jackson's team........they are totally Boombah......I've always been a Nike girl so that's what Abby got..........if she makes the team in the fall I promised her we'd look into custom Nike ID cleats...........I'm a sucker for the costuming in sports.........that's not a secret........

it's raining.......that makes me tired.............only two weeks left of my diet soda addiction..........do your magic super double big gulp.....

......high school.......

I'm adjusting well to the thought of my daughter going to high school in three months.........what I'm not handling is thinking of my baby going in two years......I don't know why that freaks me out more......I just had a meeting with a parent whose son is probably going to need support the rest of his life.........he's also heading to high school where he will learn to count change, ride the city bus to a job where is is supervised constantly by Goodwill Industries.......
...that is sobering..........and I'm pleased that my kids aren't headed in that direction......and then I realize that no one is going to drive them to work, budget their money, or supervise their work further than a yearly evaluation...........Can there please be a middle ground?
phew.......I've pulled myself back into the now......Abby has a nanny job lined up for the summer......2.5 days a week with two sweet little girls.........she's got a line on a hostess job at a restaurant my friend owns....and she's playing softball with the high school team this summer.....I remember those summers.........I lived for softball........I think I started getting ready at 2 for a 7:30 game...........of course, back in the day there was nothing on TV during the day but game shows and soap operas...........

Mother's Day Weekend coming up and we have no baseball.........I'm hoping to work in the yard.....it's usually flower planting weekend.........hate doing the work but love the results...........my kids are finally a helpful age.....and they are strong.....I forget that........there is no reason they can't haul the dumpster......I've just always done the heavy work.........times they are a changing.......Abby is a tough nugget and Jackson loves doing the power work or using power tools..........I'm getting closer and closer to being a porch princess....

...air freshener............

when in doubt...........use the air freshener in the staff bathroom.......other than the obvious (making me hold my breath while I'm in there).......there is also the problem of my exit...........when it still stinks, the next staff member thinks it was me..........it TOTALLY wasn't............I don't defecate in public restrooms.......even a hotel room bathroom is pushing it.......so I guarantee it wasn't me.......

as long as I'm on a disgusting topic........the baseball fields were in the boonies this weekend..........nice brick buildings with State Park toilets inside...........basically a metal frame over a hole full of other peoples' business..........I'm thinking those holes need to be deeper.......when I was a kid.....our church hall had those kind of bathrooms.......I was always afraid of falling in......I'm guessing my mother telling my sister to "go with her and hold onto her so she doesn't fall in" may have been the crux of that issue.........my biggest fear now is that my phone will fall in......big girls are not at risk for falling into those holes........maybe that's why it's hard to lose weight.....maybe if I were skinny I'd have to worry about falling into dung holes...........

okay..........today is clearly interrupt me by walking through my office day..............I've been at risk all year for this but people must have decided my stink eye isn't scary anymore.........a fifth grade teacher trouped her whole stinkin' class through this morning..........the story is "the other door to that room was locked"..........I'm sure it was.........so send one person through to open it for the rest...........that would be the considerate thing to do.......I wonder how the teachers would feel if I walked my speech groups through their classrooms every half hour.........you know.........that might be fun to do........it'll take some creativity to write that into a lesson plan but I think it might be worth it.....

on a side note...baseball is going well.........our team is awesome and everyone is valued........we are ranked 3rd in the state for 12AAA

.......published............

..not that anyone wants to hear my whining..........but I'm out of control busy right now........today I sent the Elementary yearbook to the publisher............that opened a tiny air hole to breathe..........not completely until I see the proof on Monday.........but for now, that's all I can do........

I am still at work...it's 5:30pm...........my kids don't remember me.........I have MANY eval reports to write.........with my beloved Mother of the Baseball Player weekends........working at home is not an option...........I will live........in a few weeks I will have no work alarm clock, no meal plans, no dress code.........nothing to do but water the grass and then mow it..........it's the life...........I always thought I wouldn't like working in the schools because I'd be a total crank arse in August when the fun was coming to an end.........turns out......I can handle it.....the years go by soo sooooo fast.........we rarely work 5 day weeks..........and when we do......we have no endurance for it...........

It's close to the clean out the fridge and buy better food time..........my daughter has been on a health kick and is doing great...........busy doesn't usually mean I'm packing fabulous lunches with healthy options.........my kids had the treat of pizza from a box last night since I was cramming to get the yearbook ready to roll..........box pizza is pretty gross unless you're starving .....or I suppose drunk......gone are the days...........

Maybe my mini-goal is to pack a loverly cooler for baseball weekend...........I'll take fitness kick Abby with me shopping during baseball practice tomorrow night........that's  win win for all.......

.......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.....

Mucus.....

Ya know what you shouldn't do.....use mucinex, nasal spray, and alka seltzer night time cold medicine all at once.....today is detox day.....yikes......
Now four days have gone by.....the only room we have tackled is the downstairs family room.....who knows if it's still habitable since I am not really managing the household right now....
Tomorrow....I have to recover.....Ortho and baseball practice.....I'm charging the kindle cuz that's a lot of time quarantined to the car.....that's the secret to being a baseball mom......practice is for cleaning out your purse, wallet, glove compartment, console, trunk, and back seat.  There's knitting too....but that's when there is a warm indoor place to sit......that reminds me.....I haven't rhinestoned my new team hat or my chair with Jackson's number......it won't be as fun when I  can't smell the E6000 glue

Breaking of the Spring

.....finally....a real day off......I'm relocated to the couch so I can squeak orders to my son......I can't call the furnace guy until he picks up the basement.....and I have no voice....he feels the need to entertain while he does it.....or perhaps he's stalling....when he was younger it made me help him.....I'm over that...
We're trying to sort through old DVDs......oy .....I didn't like the Pippi Longstocking movie when it was age appropriate.....and now they're clinging to it like it's Oscar worthy.....really?!?.....it can go.....so can TMNT....and Thomas......
Now I needed to figure out how to squeak into the phone to call the furnace guy....that should be fun....

.....wow....a Saturday...

This is new....a Saturday post.....mobile blogger.....
I'm not gonna lie.....I'm bedridden....I could probably get up and do simple tasks.....but I don't wanna....I took mucinex all day yesterday to stop chest congestion.....it worked...but I don't handle that drug well

And now I'm officially my mother....talking about illness.....

I wish I liked TV......it's pretty boring to lay around all day.....Diogi agrees
...she does her best to get me up every two hours.....

Needless to say.....the great declutter hasn't begun.....I watched HGTV for a bit....does that count?

I'm calling this an energy conservation day.....tomorrow will be better because of it.....

.....Spring Break Eve....

...you know you're tired when even the floor under your desk starts to look comfy........I am so ready for this break...........baseball has been cancelled on both weekends so I have no excuse.....I need to be productive.......and make/encourage my kids to be the same..........I'm more tired thinking about that now.....maybe I'll take the Wii in to get fixed.......that would be fun to have working when we have cleared out the family room............a week from now it should be clear with an air hockey table added..........and Just Dance 4 on the Wii.........par tay....

...it's also time for caffeine weaning......I bought Diet Rite soda for my transition drink........I'm also good with Fresca........anybody remember Tab cola.........that was some nasty stuff.......pretty sure it was battery acid in a glass bottle...........we had it in the house for my diabetic brother and weight watchers mother......I bet if I had that in the house no one would steal my soda.....

I love the name Enzo......I think if we ever get a puppy that I'll be naming him Enzo.........and that in no way, shape, or form means we're getting a puppy......no cute little puppies......