No rest for me

This week could kick my butt. Maybe that was just yesterday and could be today. I want to take a picture of my kitchen but we have to clean it up again. I haven't touched it since last week as far as remodeling. We have summer school, basketball camp for Ky and Autumn in the morning. Ky is alternating days in band. Afternoon is Kelsea's basketball camp. Most of what she can do is sit there but we have found that presence is everything in getting them to know the coaches. There is another girl that sprained her ankle that sits with Kelsea when they can't do the running. We are pet sitting for our piano teacher. I think he thinks we are going to go there 2 times a day. Its a cat. I am lucky to sqeeze in once a day.

We did get the mattress for Hannah's new bed. When the bed frame was put up Kylee and Autumn camped out with Hannah on the floor in her room. Yesterday when the mattress was put on and we put all her new bedding on the bed all 5 girls were in there on the bed for over an hour. They were so funny.

almost a fiasco

So we thought a formica countertop was a doable easy cheap countertop. Especially when the labor has been traded out already. But I told the guy I didn't want wood on the sides I just wanted formica. I threw him for a loop I guess because he hadn't done it that way before. So 2 1/2 days later I have a finished counter that had a big mistake on the edges because- just because I guess that is what you get when you are only paying for materials. He did a really bad backsplash at first and then he redid it the next day and it was perfect-the way the counter should have looked. And figured out where the mistake was made on the counter. But I have fixed it up and have made it look like something that was meant to be there on purpose and it doesn't look so bad now. I will take pictures and post them later. It about became a nightmare for us all. With the good comes the mess. I have to rewash many of my dishes and there is dust everywhere and I have a lot of work to do to get the kitchen the way I want it and have about decided I will do most of my repairs and remodels on my own here on out.

Today I cleared out Hannah's room and put her new bed together. It is all painted but the new mattress I ordered won't be here for a week. In the meantime her crib mattress is on the floor under the bed and I can go through all Hannah's stuff while she is bed and I can throw away and get rid of stuff without her. You can't throw anything away when she is around. It is all her "favorite". All 3 little girls are camping on the floor in her room tonight.

The girls have had free lunch at the park this week. We still can't seem to go anywhere without injury. I forgot my summer rule that we were going to duct tape all the girls to the floor. We went to the pool Tuesday afternoon. Hannah got a blister on her foot walking there with Amber. So she didn't want to get in the water. She was playing around the outside of the pool and she slipped on one of the lid thingys. She skinned up both knees really bad and her foot and above her ankle. She tried on 4 pairs of shoes yesterday before she found a pair that didn't inflict pain and walked funny half the day. She has two of the biggest band aids you can find on one knee, a regular big one on the other and 2 bandaids on one foot. We forgot sunscreen. New to this pool thing for the summer. So 2 girls had sunburns, one had blisters across all her toes from the bottom of the pool and the pool wasn't kind to Kelsea's ankle. I guess that is one way to make sure the girls want to stay home awhile.

Pictures are coming and I have a bunch more remodel work under way once I reclaim the family room from Hannah's stuff.

kitchen and other misc

I should have pictures of progress on the kitchen tonight. It didn't look much different after yesterday but today it will. I still have walls to clean up some more. I wore myself out yesterday. I stayed up till 2am Sunday night getting ready. Was up at 7:30 to get Kylee and the neighbor girl to band and then did all sorts of stuff I have been needing to do. I got my sandbox covers fixed and sanded and painted a low loft bed that will be Hannah's and then Kylee's when we do the room switch later this summer. It is pink because I had pink paint from something else. I need to hunt down a mattress. I am painting the rest of it today and hope to plant flowers.

We have been harvesting a few things from our garden already. We have had broccoli. The kids love it, I don't. And we have romaine lettuce! It is good. I brought in a whole bowl of strawberries. And the first raspberries have been eaten. We should have a bumper crop even after I had to remove most of the wood this spring. And Lee Joe thought I hacked them all. We have a carrot from last year that didn't get picked and survived the winter. It has turned into a flowering wierd thing.

Amber and Kelsea started summer school today. All the girls that have nintendo hand held games got a game yesterday for good grades and money earned working for Lee Joe. It has been very quiet the last 2 days. You can't even tell there are kids home. Autumn has read 3 hours already.

Crazy

The last week of school is always crazy. More so with a high schooler and a jr high kid that can't walk home. They don't all get out at the same time. Some days Amber would get out at 11:40 and Kelsea out at 1:15 and the little girls out at 3:15. Then the last day was 10am for Amber, 12 for Kelsea and 1:15 for the little girls. What made the last day even more interesting was having to take Kelsea and Autumn to the ortho doctor at 8 am. Good news there. Kelsea has break that heals easily. She can bear weight on it now, is off crutches and in a couple of weeks we can get her out of the boot and into a lace up ankle brace. She can swim now and in a couple weeks she will be able to run some. Autumn is out of the splint and sling and in a wrist brace when she is playing. She bewildered the ortho doctors too. I have been trying to adjust our June activities around Kelsea's ankle. I had to change the girls summer school classes because she wasn't going to be able to do summer school PE 3 hours a day quite yet. And Amber didn't want to do PE alone. So they are both doing Tech reading and writing instead. Kylee is doing beginning band in summer music and she is playing Trombone.

I have been so worn out all week and had a "take care of mom moment" that turned almost into a "bad mommy moment". I was so tired Weds. I needed a half hour of some mom time out. I told the girls to not disturb me for that time. What we all forgot was that it was Weds and 7. The girls needed to go to the church. Just after 7 one of the girls knocked at the door. I told them not to bug me so Amber and Kelsea on crutches, walked and crutched their way down to the church. I didn't remember until almost 8 that it was Weds after I asked where Kelsea was. But she survived so all is well.

Friday turned into some nuttiness. I told Amber I would take her and friends to see Pirates 3. And I told her it would be nice if Kelsea and her friends could go too. Amber and her buddies changed the time they were going 7 times. But Kelsea had to wait until after one so her friend could go. So in the end Amber and her friends went at one. I picked up 3 girls and Amber. And Kelsea went at 5 with 2 friends. I told her to find a ride there and I would get them home. Then Lee Joe and I went to see it at almost 10. Its a long movie. We got home after 1am. It was good. It could have been better. It was long. I was sad about how it ended but I guess it needed to end that way.

I spent almost the entire day running around. I took the little girls to a book fair in the morning and took them to the Y in the afternoon since it was too chilly to swim outdoors. I met my sister there and we visited while the kids swam.

Today was nice. I told the girls we were staying home. Amber and Kelsea made $25 each helping a lady a few houses down the street get ready for an open house. Kylee is pet sitting for the neighbor behind us. I yard worked all day and harvested a bowl of strawberries and bought a bunch of flowers for my flower beds since I can finally plant something. I am getting ready for our kitchen to get more work done on Monday. Lee Joe is working. Amber and Kelsea are at parties this evening. Guess what, I am still tired.

The good news I have so far on grades-Kylee got straight A's. At the awards assembly, she got an honor roll award and student of the month. Autumn had A's and B's. Amber may have pulled off straight A's as well which was a tough thing to do this year. And Kelsea did well but her grades are all over the place. She tries pretty hard most of the time and she has been in a program that challenges her a lot this year. I will see her report card once they mail it to me. We will be fine with whatever she gets.

I think it will wind down

So Saturday was the grand finale for dance. Sunday was looking calm and all week we wound up with more and more, it became a full day. And I missed half of it with Autumn. We think she has fifth disease-it is really a virus in the same family as chicken pox but milder. She was covered in a hive like rash even worse on Sunday and threw-up. We got worried made calls and figured out what it was. So I stayed home from church. We sent the 4 other girls to church and Lee Joe went to see Thomas who was with a friend in Idaho City this weekend and that was the time to see him. Then our neighbors had a cake and ice cream block party-I went to that. Then Lee Joe took the 3 healthy girls and gimpy to Darren and Carrie' s for Wade's graduation party. I stayed home but they had more cake and ice cream after dinner there. Then we went to Meridian to surprise my nephew Dylan for his 10th birthday. He thought the party was at my mom's. He wanted a surprise party but it wasn't there. Then he came home and there we were in the kitchen. He was so cute. He stayed upright-unlike Amber's friend-but he was genuinely surprised. Then my mom came with gaming rocking banana chair and then he went outside and saw he got a new basketball hoop too. We had more cake and ice cream.

Today I spent 3 and half hours on the playground at school volunteering for field day. I did a clown shoe relay. It was the most brutal thing. The clown shoes were hard plastic and most of the kids had to take their shoes off and many kids had flip flops or low ankle socks and the shoes were hurting the kids ankles and I had 2 kids that needed band-aids. I was 90 something degrees today with humidity. We never have humidity. Tomorrow it will be in the 60's and it will be that way for the rest of the week. It looks like the pool is out for the last day of school. Such a bummer.

Some things clam down but with Gimpy, she gets a ride to school now. And all the kids are getting out at weird times this week so I have make 3 separate pick-up trips. I guess it is prep for next year sort of. I don't EVEN want to think about next year. I hope we get Amber a license here soon.

Dance

Saturday was very busy with the 3 youngest. We had dress rehearsal that lasted 3 hours early in the day and then the program they got down to just over 2 hours. I did 5 buns. My neighbors girls needed my help. And when we were leaving I realized I forgot to finish my hair after my shower. It was blow dried and that was it. Hannah's teacher taught them 2 dances so that meant two costumes. Kylee and Autumn did one. The girls did a fantastic job and looked like little ballerinas all the way. Even with Autumn feeling miserable and breaking out in hives, she did a good job still. Yay-no more driving to dance!

Looks like Autumn has fifths disease. It is a viral infection in the same family as chicken pox. She is not contagious anymore since she has the rash and it isn't as contagious anyways. But we didn't know that last night. poor kid-talk about kid get rung through a ringer this year. Hopefully it will end soon.

More Temple pics

my little rant

I have found driving around town there is a new club for drivers. It is most aggravating. I am bothered by speeders and I am not a road rager really but this could put me over the edge. This new club is called the 5 mile and hour club. To be a member of this club you must drive 5 miles and hour BELOW the posted speed limit on impassable streets. The lower the speed limit, the more affective member of the club you are. I have found many members of this club while driving around my neighborhood and I do lots of driving. I get upset over the people driving well over 25 down my road but there is nothing worse than getting stuck behind someone driving 19 to get to my house. I don't think my car idles that slow. That means if I drive about a mile and half behind someone driving that slow it will take me at least 4.5 minutes but that doesn't include the stoplight which adds another 3 or 4 minutes. I have been stuck behind people driving 30 in a 35. They are everywhere. I have never seen anything like it. Because the club is growing and I encounter at least one member everyday. They are of everyage and male and female. So take caution. And make sure you account for the extra time needed while travelling if you get stuck behind one of these club members

If you hadn't heard--

If you haven't read Devanie's blog yet, we switched gears and went to Utah to see Devanie instead and we spent the motel money on tickets to Lagoon. We can get them at Costco here for $30. That is a $7 dollar savings per person. I have hard time switching gears quickly but I went to Costco for the tickets instead of leaving for Wyoming and Amber took a much needed nap and Kelsea stayed up till 12 working on an English project.

Lagoon was great fun for us all. The older girls and Lee Joe were more daring than last time and went on the roller coasters they didn't go on last time. There weren't as many people there as last time so even though we got there at 1pm we still did lots. I made the mistake on going on the tilt a whirl with Hannah and Kylee. I get sick swinging back and forth twice on a swing. So I think it should be renamed the tilt a hurl. But I didn't do that-just felt like it a long time. Met Devanie and all the girls. We all took turns holding the baby and made sure Devanie got some ride time too. One of Kelsea's friends from school was there and she thought Devanie's girls were her sisters. Kelsea went on the rocket 3 times, 2 times with Devanie, everyone else was a wimp(me included) Hannah even rode a roller coaster and loved it

We went to all the Salt Lake things on Sunday. Kelsea was holding Aurora and got a funny look from a lady. I think she thought the baby was hers since they both have red hair. But we had a nice time and I got some pictures of the girls with the Salt Lake temple in the backround.

Before we went to the zoo on Monday something had to happen to make the trip memorable. Kelsea was running down the stairs with Lee Joe. She was trying to beat him to the bottom and jumped--and caught the last step all wrong--and hurt her ankle really bad. Now we have been through this before so we iced it and went to the zoo anyway. Rented a wheelchair and wheeled Kelsea all over the zoo. It was packed so the wheelchair was more difficult than a stroller to get anywhere. But thank goodness it was the zoo and not Lagoon so she could still participate. We really enjoyed the zoo. Hannah had to see armadillos and Giraffes and she saw them both. We liked everything. The zoo there was much much better than here.

In all, with the switch in plans which suited us all just fine in the end, We had a great time, great food, Great company and enjoyed every exhausting minute of it all.

Today we took Kelsea took the doctor. Our family was quite the topic of conversation with the nurses and the X-ray tech. She asked me "Which Lay is it today and what did she do?" I wasn't going to take Kelsea at first because I had my fill. Lee Joe was off. I figured I better take her because Lee Joe wouldn't remember anything. I suffered through all the attention for my accident prone brood and the verdict was she did the best job out of all the girls and there is no question that her ankle is fractured. The tech showed me and I could see it too. She is in a fancy black velcro boot up to her knee. She thinks she is going to decorate it with colored duct tape. The worst part though was there was a volleyball camp she was going to be at this week and she can't put weight on it at all this week. And she is suppose to do Summer school PE once school gets out. 3 hours of PE a day through June. I don't think that is going to work. I have some things to figure out. More Pics are coming!!

We are going away-I think

We are going to Jackson Hole Wy tomorrow and will meet Devanie there. We may try and get my sister to go. Kim and Gwen, there kids and Jared and Michelle and crew will all be nearby and we will find them too.

We almost had a big glitch in the plan. My starter decided it didn't want to start yesterday so Lee Joe spent all day today trying to get it all lined out so we could go. He fixed it. That and the headlights and the transmission flushed. And the air filter changed and he took it to get an oil change. The car should feel loved now.

I worked at the school. Thank goodness it was the breeziest day yet. The crosswalk was fine in the morning and the there were no fax machines dialing 911 or upset people to deal with. I just had my zipper malfunction on my jeans and had to go home for lunch and change my clothes.

Amber is so excited for Pirates 3 to be out. I downloaded the soundtrack that was released on Tuesday. She loves it. So does Kelsea and I. They are going to do Pirates-pieces from all 3 movies- for marching band next year so that has her hyped up too. She got her year book already and most of what's in it from friends is "Congrats on drum major" Their year book is huge. Like a Coffee table book. There are over 600 Sophmores!!

Got to go to bed.

Shopping fun

Lee Joe is starting to get the side work money in and there are no birthdays or holidays this month to worry about and I got a good paycheck in for April at the school so we all got clothes this weekend. I always get the girls a new swimsuit for the season and the 3 little girls got towels this time too. Kylee needed shorts that fit her and didn't look like they were falling off her so she got 4 pairs. Kelsea and Amber needed new one piece swim suits but they are impossible to find in something that they like so we didn't get suits for them. They needed shorts or capris. Kelsea got 3 shorts and 3 shirts. She bought 2 shirts herself. Amber came home with one capri and a cute eyelet skirt and 2 shirts. I got 5 things to cover my fanny-now that was hard work to find, and a swim suit and 4 inexpensive t-shirts. What fun!

mmm- dinner

So last night I made enchiladas. Nobody could remember the last time we had them. Too labor intensive for busy nights. Lee Joe even found a way to stick around to have dinner before he did his side job. They were GOOOOD!

Somehow in 3 days 2 pants and 2 shirts of mine were ruined. A mulitcolored pen went through the wash and got on my capris and a shirt I needed to get rid of, that was all that had ink on it, and another shirt came out of the same load with several new holes. But it was quite a wash day. One load of laundry came out with a bunch of wadded up pretend money. Dollar after dollar came out of the wash one by one. Too bad it wasn't the real thing. I like getting paid for doing laundry. And when Lee Joe's work clothes went through the wash there was a lot little bitty pieces of paper on all his clothes. I found two small clumps with a staple. After analyzing it I came to the conclusion that one of Lee Joe's checkbooks went through the wash. Then I found a giant wad of paper on the side of the washer. So much for duplicate checks. There is a "check your pockets" rule in the house after several lip glosses have gone through and oiled up several loads of laundry. I think I will be washing my clothes separate from here on out.

SHE DID IT!!!!

Amber just called me to tell me she made Drum Major!!!! There were 4 other sophmores that tried out. She was so upset after she led the band yesterday because the band didn't follow her. But she had gone first. She thought it went badly. She was really down when she came home. So now she is happy!! She wanted it badly and Amber usually doesn't want much.

What to call it-I don't know

I don't how to title this. But yesterday was Hannah's day. We haven't done preschool with Hannah for a long long time. So we went to the library. I got there in time to go to the music and movement thing they have there. It has been awhile since we did that too and she was not so sure. We stayed for two songs and she looked like it was painful so we went and looked for books and then came back for the last 2 songs and the parachute and she liked that. I decided spur of the moment to take her to the zoo. It has been since early fall that we went and I told her she could get something at the gift shop and she remembered something she really wanted. I wasn't sure she would find what she wanted and we walked in and she found it instantly. She has an incredible memory. The word she uses lately is she knows the stages a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly and when she says chrysalis she blows me away.

Autumn could be a little Autistic. I have to an expert about it and it sounds a lot like she is a little. But one of the things she does is fixates on things and consumes herself with her interests and deviates very little. It started with Care Bears and lasted years and I was excited when she showed interest in anything else. So now she is fascinated by the the solar system. Her class is going to the planetarium today and she is so excited. She has the planets memorized better than Kelsea and is thinking and talking about space endlessly. We call her little thing she does Autumnism. Even her teacher has noticed some of her little quirks. By the way, she is still in a splint and sling now.

I am trying not to think too much about it. Trying to keep my thoughts distanced from it, but Amber is trying out for drum major. She wants it so bad. She leads the band today and had her interview yesterday. The band teacher did say that he has asked the kids in band what they think about her and he said that the kids respect her. That could be good. There is a really good senior trumpet player that keeps telling her she is the future drum major. About 3 of Amber's good friends are trying for the spot too. They are such good friends that it shouldn't be too bad if one of them gets it. She should know by Friday.

Kelsea got a 2 on her solo. What was strange is she got a half a point marked off for her locking her knees. The lady that played piano for her had judged earlier and thought that it was not right for her to get marked off for THAT.

I mowed the lawn last night and had the worst allergy attack I have had this spring. I had to stop and find all my allergy stuff in between my nonstop sneezing. Amber finished the lawn for me and as I moved the trampoline it tool a bite out of my most comfortable $2 pair of athletic pants. Then I sneezed so much I got a headache after everything calmed down. I was hoping sleep would get rid of it but it escalated and I got little sleep. I finally took some medicine at 7 and Lee Joe got the kids ready and arranged for our friends to do today for carpool so I didn't have to drive. Miserable. Usually the stuff I am taking is wonderful but I can still feel it but it isn't as bad. Not much is getting done today. But at least I am upright. I need to go find a stick to beat the laundry down in the laundry/bathroom. It is crawling all over the place in there.

Mother's day weekend

I barely survived Saturday. I fulfilled the obligation of mother to the far reaches of my sanity. I had too many places to be in too small of time frame and no husband to rescue his wife in distress. But somehow I managed to see Kelsea do her solo(she did a great job!) and made Amber wait with 3 extra to bring along and got Amber to her hair appointment 15 minutes late. But had called ahead so all was well. My neighbor was laughing at all my comings and goings from 1 until 4:45. I would have laughed too if I had been the observer. And when I got back I retreated to my room exhausted. Lee Joe was going to take us out to dinner but by then I didn't want to go anywhere else so he brought us Port of Subs. I was happy as could be with that.

Sunday the kids gave me my gifts. I got a tennis racket. I asked for that, washable silicone cupcake hoders, crocs, a necklace and some kitchen storage containers and heart Kylee made at school out of clay and a scented decorated pouch for my closet from Autumn. Then we had a baskin robbins ice cream cake later. And my mom likes to have reasons to get me stuff sometimes and I got a fountain from her. So I had a nice day.

Kelsea's boyfriend broke-up with her last night. She was kind of sad but she was ready for it herself so it wasn't that bad. The boy that likes Amber "rescued" her Saturday because Amber left her purse at the church after the dance and he brought it to the house at 11:30 that night.
Must fetch more kids again.

2 days later..

So he started on Weds and worked through Thurs. Nothing happened today and it will be sometime next week before he comes back. It may take a bit for him to get it done but I can work on the walls and Lee Joe may be able to get me the flooring material I want that I will install myself. I need to figure out what to do with the cabinets while I wait for the new doors for them.

I bought a stool for the bar but it is too tall and uncomfortable and Hannah is scared to sit on it and then get off so I will have to find something else. 4 of us tried it out and no one liked it.

Lee Joe is out at a father and sons outing while I hold down the fort with the girls. He is doing a service project with the bobcat. I took the girls to Fred Meyer so they could Mother's Day shop for me. I told Lee Joe that the only mom's that have to do that are single parents. I was teasing! I told him I really like the counter and the kitchen renovations. So he is OK. But I can't let him get off that easy. The girls still like to do something.

Day 2

Day one was destruction. All tile on the wall was removed. Some tile on the floor. A cabinet added. Some particle board set down and sink put back in. Day 2 saw the rest of the counter top in place. Laminate was glued on surface of all regular height counter space and the breakfast bar was built but no laminate yet. The kitchen is more efficient, more counter space and with the raised part I hope for clutter control. I love the color we picked for the counter and Lee Joe and I even agreed on it. I told him this winds up being the perfect mother's day gift. I have wanted a new counter since we moved in our house 8 years ago. I may get new cabinet doors out of it too-WOOHOO! But that is later.

I did something to my leg today but I didn't feel any pain. I was bleeding and didn't know it. One of the guys pointed it out. I was really bleeding and could not feel a thing! It took me a few minutes to recall how I hurt it. I took the trash out and piece of tile sliced it about an 1 to 2 inch gash. But it didn't hurt after I cut it. It still doesn't hurt. I guess I will see how it feels in the shower but it is kind of open. I wondered if I needed stitches at first. It will be fine I am sure. Just weird!

Today was the first day in a long long time I could come and not have something to do until close to 7.

Lee Joe is leaving for an overnighter tomorrow for a service project on a father and sons outing. Too bad we don't have any boys he can take but all the girls have stuff on Saturday. So I get to run around alone again all day

Destruction

My kitchen is under construction. I am SOOO excited. I am getting a new countertop right now and will get new doors later. I am demo-ing the tile on the wall myself. I found out this morning that our friend could start on it tomorrow. Of course I have 2 doctors appointments I have to go to while telling what I want in my kitchen. I will get pictures. I remembered to get before pictures this time. I'm getting a counter! I'm getting a counter! Can you see me dance?

Kelsea and the camera

Kelsea had the camera this weekend. It was a beautiful and day and she took some really nice pics. The irises in the front are in bloom and so are the lilacs in back. She would have taken more pictures but the rechargable batteries all died and won't charge anymore. Such a bummer.

Friday was kind of strange. I went to the doctor on Friday. He was able to tell me how Amber was doing at her tournament after calling his son. How strange can that be. If she was done we were going to have his wife bring her home. She was playing when I left there so we hurried out to Eagle. A bit of a drive, And she finished just before we got there and lost. We saw Wade and visited with him. He broke his collar bone. But he is about to graduate and he is getting ready to go on his mission. I got to bring Amber home. But we decided to check out the new Kohls on the way home. I got some clothes and Hannah got a swim suit. Amber and Kelsea babysat that night so now they have money. We had Port of Subs for dinner! (Tennis is over!)

We had a nice weekend. Bummer for me is that I got ANOTHER one of those awful headaches. I had the doctor give me a prescription for my headaches but had not picked it up yet. I decided to go get it and my pharmacy did not have it but they called another one that did so I had to drive all the way over there and get it. I took it right away and was easing up on the way home. I kicked it! Woo Hoo!! Miracle stuff. Even with that we got so much done around here. Lee Joe worked all day.

He is about ready for a week off. He may take it the week of memorial weekend.

Can I pull my hair out yet?

I think I found something at the school that is worse than the day I was weathered on at the cross walk. I subbed for the ERR with the special needs kids today. There were two boys I suppose to help. In the morning I had one and he gets whiny. Then in the afternoon the other boy was there. Usually he is great and just fine. After afternoon recess he fell apart and he hit, scratched and kicked, threw himself on the ground and carried on. I had my fill of that. I wouldn't want that job fulltime. I don't know that I want to do that again for awhile. He even had to be removed from the bus because he was having such a day. Thank goodness for MY doctor's appointment-Nope, too busy to sub, sorry. (not really sorry)

Autumn's arm is in a splint again. We went to the doctor yesterday and they did 6 x-rays, didn't see anything obvious but want her back in a week for more x-rays. I really didn't want to do that again but what can you do?

Amber has her last matches today. Today is district and she is in 3rd place on the team for girls singles. That means she gets to go to a different school than everyone else to play. They have boys singles there too and the 3rd place boy was suppose to go there too. This one boy was going to go and Amber's admiring boy gave up his spot as the number 2 (since he was a fill in for the 2) to the boy that was the 3 since he was the better player and that way he make sure Amber had someone to go with. He is so funny. Amber is OK with it all. SHe was smiling as he making sure all the changes took place. So she said her record is 12 wins and 2 losses. She played before I got there yesterday and I was going to take pictures.

We went to a dance at the elementary school. It was actually very well done with the music. Amber went with me and the 3 youngest girls. They had a good time. I was exhausted and we had apples bananas and cookies and cake for dinner. I had toast and was too tired to fix anything else even though I was hungry.

I was so tired and I think emotionally worn out from this awful busy week. Lee Joe tells me he has nothing on his schedule for tonight which should get me excited but I am more frustrated because there isn't anything on the schedule and I could have used his help every other day this week. But he says he is taking care of dinner and I am going to do what I can today and take it from there. There will be no more tennis after today and track should be over Tuesday. All I will have for a few weeks is dance and church activities. I am ready for a mommy vacation.

Kylee is in the red group

Music week concert----------Track yesterday

Easter -------------------------Amber's buddies

The Matts. The one standing is the one in like with Amber
Ghiradelli square San Fran

It has been a week?

I think it has been almost a week since I blogged. I barely survived Thursday night. I ran from 2:30 until 8:30 that night. EEK!

Friday we got a call from Grandma Lay and she was in town. So we went to dinner at the trough at Golden Corral. We have liked that place for the food (very good steaks and rolls are yummy) but I don't know how much we can go anymore by the amount of very overweight people and the lining up for food that about got to us all that night. But that is almost the only way the kids get to eat out anymore is when grandma comes. Grandma Leavitt was in too much of a hurry again to even bother to come say hi to us. Then we went to the music week concert that Kylee was in. The Elementary Honor Choir was better than it has been in years but some of the other groups were OK. The Elementary Honor Orchestra played a piece they did in Feb. The other pieces were alright. The High School choir is usually enjoyable but they ended like they didn't know what they were singing and the finale was the same song some of the groups played and sang in Feb too. Maybe I was just in a mood but Amber said the same thing. That was the first time in 7 years she wasn't in a group that performed. Grandma stayed the night and left before anyone saw her in the morning.

Saturday Amber went on her first date! They went to the house of the boy they double dated with for a bar b q. She told me something so funny I laughed for days. The boy that they double dated with is a senior. He is LDS and he is football player. He is tall and has broad shoulders like a football player. Kind of intimidating. He is the student body president too. So they are in his family's nice new big double cab pick-up truck to drive them to the school so they could watch the play. Amber says he turns on the radio and Enya is playing and he says-"I just LOVE Enya!" and he starts singing. Talk about a kid that is comfortable in his own skin. I saw him riding a scooter across the street yesterday. That was kind of funny too because he is so big. He has to be over 6 feet tall. So the date was fine. The boy that likes Amber so much has been so sincere and has been such a gentleman still. One of the boys Amber knows calls her either Amber Rich or Mrs. Rich. That is the part that makes it hard for Amber. But in seminary yesterday they both sit in the front row by each other and the topic was marriage. Amber was SO uncomfortable. She said she just looked straight ahead the whole time.

I have been having headaches since Saturday, not fun. I have one today too.

I spent almost 3 hours outside yesterday. It was kind of hot. I guess that is better though than windy and rainy and 40 degrees. It was the regional track meet and Kelsea's relay teams are all going to city. Or at least 2 for sure. One of the relays they started in third and the next girl got them in second, Kelsea kept them in second, and the last girl totally lost the race for them. She came in 5th. That girl tried to blame someone else for the loss! Kelsea ran another race they came in 2nd and the last relay was something else. It was a medley and Kelsea ran the last leg which is a 400. The girl that ran 3rd kept them in second and was catching up to first when she pulled a muscle or got a cramp she limped up to Kelsea for the handoff. She had such a lead from the 3rd place girl that Kelsea kept them in 2nd and they beat their time from last week by 2 seconds.

We had Dinner at 8:30 last night.

Amber is in the top 3 girls singles on the JV team. That means she has to go to another school from everyone else to go to district. This other boy and her are the only ones going to a different school on Friday. She now has 11 wins and 2 losses.

I am so excited because all this stuff is over this week for Amber and next week for Kelsea and I will get to relax a little. And Honor Choir was over as of last night. We will have dance until June 2. Lee Joe is working endless hours right now so I don't see him much still. It will be that way for awhile I think.

I have to take Autumn to the doctor again. She fell off the monkey bars on Monday. Apparantly the tacos were so greasy at school that she lost her grip and now landed on her left arm so we get to see if it is broke. No more monkey bars for her. She fell last week too and landed on her face that day.

I am enjoying Hannah in my last weeks of having a preschooler at home. I really enjoy her. She went to the eye doctor yesterday. Not much change and we still have to leave this film thing on her glasses so she can't see so well out her good eye. I want to be done with that really.

Not much

Just the usual catch up the messy house, MOUNTAINS of laundry, and chase kids. The highlight of the day is to see where the 16 year old saga goes today. Since I don't watch the soaps on TV I suppose that is my fix. I made mashed potatoes today for a funeral. And took my niece and nephew to school. I finally got my hair cut yesterday. And Hannah is visiting the neighbors. This afternoon will be a feat of mommy superhero action. I need to reschedule a Chiropractic appointment because at 3:30 Amber has a Tennis match at her school and Kelsea is at a track meet across town and from 4:30 to 5:30 Kylee will need to be somewhere right in between. Then at 7 she has dance. Lee Joe is working. Last night was more of the same.

I don't think the van likes Lee Joe. 2 times when has driven it the head lights haven't worked. We had to drive home Sat night with our brights on because that was the only way they worked. We forgot they needed fixed and last night I found out they work again.

Yay! Amber's back!

Amber is quiet by nature anyway but you wouldn't think that it was that noticable that she was gone. The Piano was quiet for days. The little girls played it but it is not the same. She had a great time in San Francisco and they were hours late getting home because their bus broke down in Donner's pass. The boy that likes her said on the way there "Wouldn't it be something if the bus broke down on the way home in Donner's pass while it was blizzarding" Well that is what happened. Everyone said he jinxed the bus. He FINALLY asked Amber out on a date!! SO funny! They were waiting to go on the gondola ride at Great America. There was 5 of them two girls were going to ride together and then this other girl was going to ride with Amber and Matt. At the last minute she choose to ride with the other two girls and it was just Amber and Matt on the l o n g s l o w ride over the park. She said it was quiet at first and then he finally got the nerve up to ask. And then he was right by her side the rest of the day and sat by her most of the way home and Amber acts like she is in pain. She is so strange. I don't think it is that bad for her really.

Last night I didn't watch any of my favorite shows. I sat in the living room all night listening to my girls. I got Kelsea 2 violin books over the weekend so she could find a solo. One had a piano book. Amber practiced the piece Kelsea wants to do. And then she went through the book. We could hear Kelsea practicing violin in her room. Then Kelsea came down and they practiced together that piece and a some others. Then Amber went to the organ and Kelsea played some more. They opened the Pirates of the Carribbean book and played in that. By then it was 10:30pm. Lee Joe and I both just hung around and enjoyed every minute of it. I have always loved to hear Amber play piano and it is all too real how close she is to graduating. Kelsea doesn't come out hiding much to play her violin. Kylee and Autumn are progressing on the piano and about to start band as well so there will be more music in the house but it sure is something I treasure and something Lee Joe surprises himself how much he enjoys it too. Hannah is working on Aleouette. She can do it when she looks at the book. Ode to Joy is memorized now. She is working on Happy Birthday on the piano.

Last week was rough. I was sick all week and all those stressful things happened. I have yet to hear back from the school on the Kelsea thing. Lee Joe and Kylee were also sick on Friday. So we were a sorry bunch. I am hoping the antibiotics have kicked in well enough to have a great more productive week. I got a call from the school last night and have decided not to go today. I have plenty to do. There is no more early morning choir and Honor Choir has the concert on Friday and that will be done. Kylee was one of 6 kids picked for a part in the thing they are singing and she is one of the youngest in the group! Things are starting wind down a little-Hooray!

So I had this really wacky dream Sunday morning. Why do we contemplate the way we do in dreams? So in my dream I was wondering what hatches from a coconut. It would be really hard for something to hatch out of it. So what hatches from a coconut???

More to blog

I guess I have to complain a little. Yesterday I failed to mention how someone dented and scratched my passenger door in the Wal-mart parking lot. That made me mad. Then later I went to the grocery store and saw a big wreck getting cleaned up. Then I felt like I was having Post traumatic stress disorder from all the car carnage as of the last week!! I am almost afraid to drive and then had a hard time letting Amber go to San Francisco this morning.

I have been calling my Dr's office everyday this week. Before 5 I gave up on him contacting me and they made me an appt with another dr for this morning. I saw him too in person yesterday at the school but he left before I could talk to him. I saw the other dr at 10:30 today and then at 12 today they called and said my dr could see me at 1:30-UGH!!!! Now I need to schedule an appt with him in two weeks! UGH AGAIN!!! If he wasn't such a good doctor and he knows my history I would find another doctor. Anytime I go anywhere else I have a bad experience.

Then to make this day more of a crisis. Kelsea was verbally harassed yesterday at Track before I got there by some boys. She didn't tell me about it until 9pm last night. It was very vulgar and was quite traumatic so I had to go to the school and we talked to the counselor and then we talked to the principal and then the SRO. And she wrote out what happened on a report. I am upset and Lee Joe is about to throw an even bigger fit over it all. He called a dad at 11pm last night. And then he was at the school at 7:45 but couldn't talk to anyone, they were in a meeting and I already had things going by informing the counselor by e-mail last night we needed to talk to her and when I would be in to do that. In the end if we felt we needed to we could press charges. The boys crossed a line so they will be punished somehow. But they are investigating and will get back to us.

It is only 1:31. I hope the rest of the day is uneventful. I should have known it would be a stressful day when the lid came off the cat food container when I was feeding the cat and it dumped all over the floor. I think I finally might be able to clean it up. Nothing like procrastinating the inevitable by tinkering on the computer.

Blown Away

Lee Joe said something the other day about Hannah playing Ode to Joy on the recorder for the ward talent show and then said Amber should start playing piano afterwards. I didn't know what he was talking about. Was Amber suppose to teach Hannah how to play or something. I bought a recorder and a Strawberry Shortcake music book for her a couple of months ago. I heard Ode to Joy the other day and thought someone else was playing it. Hannah is 5 as of Dec 29th. She CAN play Ode to Joy on the recorder and read the notes in the book. Nobody showed her how to do it. The child is a mystery to me.

Speaking of blown away, we were almost blown away at Amber's tennis match yesterday. She played before the storm blew in but lost. The wind was a problem for Amber and the girl she played. Today's match was cancelled. They started Kelsea's track meet. It was freezing and windy and rainy. Kelsea ran the 400 relay and froze. They called the meet before she ran the 400. Everyone there was happy.

I have been home but not home running errands. My sinus infection is making me miserable and I have been trying to have my doctor call me all week. I have an appointment with another doctor tommorrow. 2 1/2 weeks wth a sinus infection in the cold and the wind is awful miserable.

Kylee had her last school choir concert today. Kind of sad. The school year is already coming to an end. Kylee's honor choir concert is next week and that will be over too. That is happy and sad. No more driving but another school year over so quick.

Amber leaves for San Francisco in the morning and will be back Sunday. It should be fun. The boy who likes her so much will be going too. OOOHHHHH. If they get so far as to sit by each other for more than 2 hours that will probably as much more friendly as they will get.

Something started

They are counting cars on our street! I am going to make more noise though.

Get this!!

SO 5am Sunday morning there is another accident. It is up in my neighbors yard and in the intersection. It was a foot a away from hitting their camper. But my neighbor said that they were unlucky because their camper wasn't touched. Some girl hit a parked car a few miles from us. A guy came out of his house because he heard it and she drove off. He chased her around I don't know where and when she came down our street she had lost her bumper and her tire was flat so I guess it was making a horrible noise before she hit an old man in his car on the street and wound up right next door. Almost same place as friday. Just my side of the street. She got out and tried to run away and the guy chased her and caught her and my neighbors called 911. CRAZY. I have started to get things rolling to get something done.

I worked at the school today and hope to be off the rest of the week. I need to put my sinus infection to bed.

Friday the 13th

Usually I don't ever pay attention to Friday the 13th anymore than any other day of the week but this past one was something else!

The school had it's share of weirdness and bad news. One of the teacher's brother was injured in Iraq and lost his leg. Someone who use to work at the school a while ago passed away, I don't know who it was. Things were just out of sorts all day. The cross walk was OK in the morning until the last crossing of the day. Someone TOTALLY ran the light As I was in the road getting ready to cross with a 1st grader and a Kindergartner. That had my heart racing. The afternoon crosswalk had me all amped up when I got home.

I was trying to get Amber and her friend and my 3 little girls together to drive down to the park so the older kids could play tennis. Amber's other friend was riding around on his bike in front of the houses around us. I guess he left to go to the park but I didn't know that when I heard screeching tires and a horrible crash. I was trying to locate the crash and I asked the kids "Where's Matt?" with my heart in my throat! Then I saw what happened. Across the street one house over our neighbor in her truck was in the road and a blazer was in her driveway with its bumper on her other car. He started yelling at her like it was her fault. and she was trying to tell him that this was her house. He shut up then. She was turning into her driveway and for some reason he was passing cars all the way down the street and not paying attention or just downright speeding when his blazer blazed a trail on her drivers side door and into her other car. There were witnesses eager to share what had happened to the police because he was driving so crazy. One gal was taking pictures. Another guy that lives further down the road nearly got into a fight with him and after talking to the teenage witnesses in front of my house I went over there in a rage and yelled at him some more. The worst part was thinking something awful happened to Amber's friend because he had rode his bike in front of that house just minutes before that and we were all in the yard when it happened. What was so fantastic though was she had worked for the police dept for 6 years. A neighbor who is retired police officer came and helped direct traffic around her truck(supporting her) and another neighbor who is an active police officer came and helped before he went to his house while we waited for the police officers to come. They checked him out for a DUI. I wanted them to arrest him so bad. But they gave him a ticket for reckless driving. He was like 20 or 30. But he was weird. Our neighbor can't open her drivers door on the truck but her Buick wasn't hurt that bad at all thank goodness for her. very minor damage to the car. But she had to have the back windshield replaced recently from some vandalism that happened in her driveway. ANyways I have been so upset since last night. I am sick of people speeding down my road and I am ready to find out what we can do about it. The speed limit is 25 and everyone is driving over 35. You don't make me worry about about ANY kids safety or you will get it from me. I love my house but I want a safe street to live on. We aren't moving, I guess it is time to really find out what I can do.

So that was a Friday the 13th to remember.

How sad

I have been subbing for the lady that works in the office because her mom has been real sick and last night or this morning her mom passed away. So I will be there again Thurs and Fri. One of the subs they called often got another job so I might get called even more. In fact I had a call at 6 this morning for the librarian. I was already coming in the office/playground duty. It would be fun to do the library. More fun than getting rained on and hailed on and snowed on and super rained on in 15 minutes. Today was a better weather day outside and I was only there half a day so I could see the high school band perform at Festival. They get judged. They sounded awesome at the concert on Monday night but were still good but not as good today. A week full of concerts, tennis matches(Amber won both this week, lost her first on Fri because she was sick and still played) and Kelsea's first track meet, and an Honor Society induction for Thursday for Amber. It's only Weds and I am exhausted. I know why I don't work full-time. Lee Joe is still side working a bunch.

On Tuesday we had a fax machine that decided to call 911 instead of the number it was suppose to dial. It did it several times and we got calls from the school dispatch telling us it sounded like a fax machine was dialing 911. The principal told us to unplug it and the other gal in the office was so rattled that she looked at the phone line, saw it go into the wall-no plug and said "it's in the wall" and I proceeded to unplug it from the machine. It was so funny or I was so tired that I was a little goofy but we had a real good laugh. We held our breath when she sent the next fax but no call so it worked. So now you know what to do when your fax machine dials 911.

I wish I had something more to say than talk up the girls some more. As soon as I get a little more time I will take pictures of some of our hard work. I am such a scatter brain. We didn't get any pictures of the girls in their Easter outfits so I need to get pictures of them dressed up.

I am trying to come up with an idea-silly- interior decorating for your car. How to make your car a home away from when your in it more than your house. Decor pillows that velcro to the door, little lamps that clip on the dash and maybe a frame and vase too. How about some valances or something for the windows. How about a dashboard cloth!

Easter and all that

So Easter was good. We did the Easter thing, We were up at 8, I went home after sacrament because I was feeling yucky and didn't want to share with nursery. We went to my mom's house for dinner and the kids all played and we watched movies and Melissa showed us pictures of Ecuador that she took during Spring Break. I got a call to come in today to the school and will be there again tomorrow. Did I tell you how much I do NOT like the crosswalk?!!!! Today was like no other after school. It started to rain when the bell rang after school and then hail. It felt like I was out there forever. In 15 minutes I was wet all over and then the rain stopped right when I was done. My hands were frozen and my feet were wet from 15 minutes in the rain. I get to go back tomorrow. hooray

So back to Saturday--this is so cute. I told you how Amber asked a boy to her friends party. She paid his way into the movie but they didn't sit by each other because of how they got into the theatre. So they went back to the friends house and they were there for a long time. She got home and about 9 we got a phone call from him. He thanked Amber for paying for him to go to the movie and then asked her if she wanted him to sit by her at the movie and she said it didn't matter to her (ouch) and then he said "my parents are walking me through this (poor kid, but how cute!) but do you want to go out and do something sometime?" She said sure and then he said good bye! And then Amber says to us "What have I gotten myself into?" She is not so positive about the attention he is giving her and what is worse-how her friends are practically arranging their marriage already. I think it is the amount of attention from everyone that makes her so reluctant. Here we are encouraging one to appreciate attention from boys and the other we are trying to reign in. Maybe it is time to hire a good parent of teenagers to take my place right now.

It's almost Easter??

Someone forgot to remind the Easter Bunny in Idaho that Easter would be sneaking up quick. So Last minute preps are a headache, especially when sick.

Amber is at an "Alternative Twirp/birthday party." She had to invite a boy so she invited the one that likes her so much. She doesn't seem to want to reciprocate the feelings. I dropped a car full of talkative teens at the movie theatre to help the mom in charge of the party out.

Kylee is ice skating at another party today.
Autumn lost a tooth and her curiosity about the Tooth fairy is ever expanding and Autumn has been leaving notes to the tooth fairy . The tooth fairy replies-in very small print trying to tell her that if the tooth fairy gives out too much information it may get caught.

I worked at the school 2 times this week. I have fought headaches all week. The one on Friday was from my neck being out. UGH. and I needed to get ready for a house appraisal on Sat. Didn't get real far and had major shopping to take care of. It was slow going. So this morning we frantically got the house together in little more than 2 hours. It was quite neglected yet again. Autumn stepped on a pencil and poked a hole in her foot. Result of her disaster of a room. But she survived.

I was suppose to get my hair done this week and lost my appointment card. I got a call on the day telling me that the daughter of the lady that does my hair was in a car accident and would need to reschedule-I guess that saved me in the end but it was very unfortunate. I would have missed it. And then one of the ladies at the school has a mom that is really very sick and she is one that I subbed for this week. I may have to sub again this coming week because her mom doesn't sound like she is going to make it, her current state is very ill. I think she has cancer she has been in and out of ICU.

The weather has been improving all week long and it suppose to be 80 today. It is nice out and the windows are open. I need to prep eggs and have yet to call my mom and sister about Sunday plans. Today is a perfect bar-b-q day-HMMM.

Anyways-Happy Easter to all!!

It's over-boo hoo

Spring break is over and instead of my alone time back I get to work at the school on Mon.
Bad luck- 3 bloody noses, one really good bonk on the head resulting in a lovely goose bump, and two bruised and injured knees with my 3 little ones and a friend. Amber and Kelsea managed to NOT fall off the roof while painting but got headaches while hanging upside down trying to paint and one guy whistling at them on the roof, they didn't like that.

Got tons done. The yard looks good, the house looks better but not done yet but much closer. I fought allergies hard this weekend. I got some Aleve cold and sinus and finally got rid of the headache. Amber and Hannah have issues too.
Even with all the work I am happy to give my van a sort of vacation. I enjoyed my time too. No complaints from the kids either.