2007-08 Comes to a close

Ahhh finally I can post that our school year has come to a close. Overall it was a great year. There have been some interesting highlights and having both kiddos in school and the differences between them in the academic arena is always interesting. Too much to write so here is my top 10.

10. A-man had a better year then 2nd grade and after the usual slow start got into the groove and hardly complained.

9. Relearning my multiplication facts as A learned them, embarrassed to say there were some I actually had to take a minute and think about.

8. A teaching Q multiplication facts-I think he learned them best of all of us. I especially enjoyed when both boys would throw one at me like what is 1,000 x 100-my answer "go ask your dad"

7. Q's Chicka Chicka boom boom play. He goes to the micophone and blasts the whole audience and knocks the microphone out of the stand.

6. The world of girls-Q's scrapbook actually had two pages from a girl named Victoria (the one we spent forever buying a b-day gift for). "A" thankfully outgrew kissing girls but still gets that gleam when talking about a certain few.

5. A's report card was all proficient and advanced in geometry-he was on the moon with that

4. Q's report card-All advanced except money and time concepts. When hubby and I looked at it, hubby's comment was "well we now we know he did inherit something from you"

3. Q' crying the night before the last day of kindergarten, he was sad about being done with school-I had to work hard not to laugh. Sadness is just not a familiar emotion about the last day of school I was used to in our house.

2. I knocked another year of masters classes under my belt and will begin interniship for my adminstrators degree in the fall and graduate in spring or summer (that is a whole other blog entry for another time).

1. The joy of watching each boy grow, stretch and learn from both the good and bad in an area of their life I have no control over, and my own learning and stretching to celebrate their small steps and big strides.

hugs and thank you's

Just a small note...

Thank you to all 3 or 4 of you who comment on my posts at one time or another. It is not many but the words shared mean so much, especially coming from the people who are sharing them. I love that you all (Karen influence there) put up with my venting, honesty, insecurities, humor and joy. Knowing that distance cannot change and even strengthen relationships is such a blessing:)

the power of family love

Well I was just going to post an "awwwww" moment before I was interrupted by a sibling fight:) I will persevere!

So after posting my arrgggggg last night, I drop everything and take the boys out for ice cream. Our conversation on the way home was about marriage and growing up. As we are getting out of the car, oldest son turns to me and says "Mom, you and dad are a great team and I really appreciate that". I give him a big hug, we have a great night watching a movie and just hanging out with no other distractions. A nice peaceful family evening can do wonders.

Grrrrrrr

I am keeping this short but hoping writing makes me feel a little better. This week between me and my oldest has been rocky to say the least. The arguing, eye rolling, "But...." "come on..." comments from him are becoming extremely exhausting. I can remain calm to a point then just say aghhhhhhhhhhh. Today was the final straw, I brought my 9 YEAR OLD home from the grocery store, just left the cart and drove him back. It wasn't major but he had a warning arguing and asking for something yada yada- and I had enough. I am working hard at not over analyzing and not fretting abou it but how can we make it through the summer if we can't even make it through the store!!

Ok not getting immediate gratification of feeling better but will get there.

FIRST baseball game

FIRST baseball game of the season (AND opening ceremony, AND team pictures)

These things were good:

-Blotchy sunburn (missed some spots on myself)-will turn into a nice golden brown color

-Q made it through the day-exhausted now in our bed watching Star Wars

-Grilled Brat-yummy

-Listening to Q and friend make summer plans and quiz each other on snakes and ocean creatures

These things were even better:

Taking photos of the team-I think I have found my niche and inspiration to get me through the season. I am a closet photographer-not near professional level- but love to to toy around with it. It satisfies my need to make art-which I don't TAKE time to do-and give me instant gratification at the same time. So as I am looking through pics-many of them not even my kid I get a brain fart. I am going to make a photo DVD with music etc and fun candid photos to give each kid at the end of the season. I have this one photo that I LOVE but not my kid so can't send it:<

Someone rescue me from the cult come June 20:)

The flowers are for Bobbi-in case she looks in once and awhile. They were from my classes field trip to the local greenhouse. If you click on the pics they open in a big window-I amazed myself:)

Mother's Day Card

The best mother's day gift I have gotten the last two years has been from Q. His teachers do this great sheet that they ask the kids questions about their mom and write down the answers. I love this and it is an eye opener to me as to HOW he sees me.

Snippets from last year:

How old is your mom? 50 I think

What is her favorite food? Pizza (his favorite)

What is her favorite thing to do? Buy a new shirt

What do you like to do with your mom? Go to garage sales

How do you know your mom loves you? Because she just does, she does

Snippets from this year:

He wrote it by himself-.

What is your mom's name: Sar

How old is your mom:38 (a year off but at least younger then last year)

Her favorite TV show: TLC

Favorite food: ledis (lettuce-not my favorite)

She likes to eat at: Sonic (ummm no, again his favorite)

She looks prettiest in her: Green outfit (I have this very shiny green shirt I wore for Christmas and when I came to daycare in it he loved it, hmmmm where is that shirt? Oh yeah Suree swiped it!)

Mom I love you more than the: Cat

Pic of "green outfit"

sorry, sorry

Ok, I read over my post from yesterday and feel bad. All you blogger people are so upbeat, kind and positive-basically shiny happy people (guess that musical artist) so I apologize for my written crabbiness.

PS Q had practice tonight, loved it-is improving.
I give in, it is not all about ME.

The cult that is b-ball part 2

This is vent so if you want no part stop reading now
If you are a die hard sports mom-believe in the holy grail of practice, practice, practice-go ahead and log off.

I am going into this baseball thing with a positive attitude. Practice once a week until the season started was fine. WELL weather has not been cooperating so our last 2 practices have been cancelled. So new ones rescheduled and I can tell parents coaches are starting to panic before our first game. We get an email update of practices

We now have 3 practices between tonight and Friday-3 for a bunch of 6 YEAR OLDs and then the game Saturday.

The league planned no games over labor day weekend-smart move BUT they scheduled field times for teams to practice so we have one scheduled every day over labor day weekend, Fri, Sat and Monday and then game Tuesday.

The coach continues to write that we will have TBA practices once the season starts along with the two games each week.
SOOOOO by the time I get to the end of the email and mark down stuff in my calendar I am a little annoyed.

I am all for meeting new families, having my child participate in a group, All American activity and look at is a social activity BUT in my heart of hearts I know that is NOT why we are practicing. It is to produce bionic baseball boys which my son is not, he is asking when snack is before half the practice is over!

Ok enough venting-just had to get that off my chest-Tomorrow all will look better.

Mafia family

Conversation between Q-my youngest and his Papa (my dad) while riding in the truck

Q-So papa, know what?

Papa-What?

Q-When I am 18 I have to leave the family.

Papa-Really, what happens then?

Q-I have to work and find a wife, yeah that's what I am supposed to do.

SD Weather

This is the oxymoron that is South Dakota weather.

First picture:

Today's weather- that is not shoveled snow-a real drift. You know it is bad when darling hubby actually picks up the shovel and moves snow for a whole 5 minutes.

Second Picture-2 days ago, A's picture of cactus they found for me on the hill behind our house (They were for mother's day)

I am not complaining-West River has not been hit with big snow yet this year. Great day to sleep in, wear pajamas, bake and snack all day!

And shovel