celebrating on the plains

Dave and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Saturday at the university that brought our lives together -- Auburn. We took the whole family early on Saturday and staked out our spot for tailgating. We met up with friends and enjoyed a pure feast of fellowship and food while watching the kids play with a nerf football dressed in orange and blue. When gametime came it was pure joy to show the kids what 85,000 people sounded like in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Great memories of that time in our lives. It was a night game so we rolled back into home base around 4:00 am. We came back with the intention of making it to church the next morning and we somehow managed to get there and function well for a few hours. A Sunday afternoon nap was high on the priority list though! Here are a few photos from the event:


Grace in her new Auburn chair at the tailgate.


We were in the upper balcony and William's eyes twinkled the whole time we were watching the game. So cool to see him understand more about college football.


Jordan smiling before the game began. I'll never forget high-fiving her when we made the necessary touchdown to win the game. It was a bit close for a season opener and we were happy to put a "W" in the win/lose column.

future career aspirations

This morning Grace popped into our bedroom all bright and cheery at 5:30 am. She was bubbly and talkative as little girls often are...and in the midst of this she waxed poetic about her future career aspirations.

GRACE: "Hey, when I grow up I'm going to be a fireman."

DAVE and ANN: "You are???"

GRACE: "Yep, I'm going to be a BIG FAT FIREMAN when I grow up!"

I can't wait to tell our policeman friend about this one. He'll be taking Grace to the police station soon to show her the benefits of being a motorcycle cop.

no novel for me

About two years ago I had an idea for a book. I wrote down a few notes and then went on with living. I'm not truly a writer, but more of a graphics person and really had no discipline to carry out the random thought that had come my way. I did think about that idea occassionally and I went back to the word file and added a few brainstorming ideas, but never fleshed it out. This year my plot ideas has come to fruition as a real life news story. In my opinion the toy recalls are only the beginning of this story. Consumer goods -- ones that we all love to buy for our households and kids -- are plaqued with a quality control issue that threatens to affect all of us healthwise.

I honestly cannot look at a toy, cheap piece of jewelry, or kitchen item without wondering if I should test it for lead or other substances. I push this thought aside each day to function, but it completely sickens me to think that there could be so many sources of poison in my household. Here is a link to a podcast and corresponding news article I viewed on npr's website detailing the experience of one family trying to live without items made in China. I found it eye-opening.

Family finds it difficult

I should have written the abstract for the book. I could have been on the best seller's list by this time.

weekend fun

Last weekend was fast and furious.Dave had the rare incidence of a business trip which lasted through Saturday. He had already purchased tickets to a comedy show as a surprise date. I have to give him total credit for prearranging babysitting and then rushing from the airport ot meet me at the comedy club just in time for the show. We saw Gabriel Iglasias from last season's television show, Last Comic Standing. He was truly talented and we got to enjoy some much needed laughter.

Earlier that day I took Jordan, William, and Grace to a neighborhood birthday party. It was an awesome water-themed party featuring a huge waterslide which the kids enjoyed immensely. (Thanks McK!) It was a great idea because the kids were hardly interested in leaving the slide after the water started flowing over it. We adults just hung around and enjoyed the show. Here is Grace in a rare quiet moment at the party:


And then William in the mouth of the dragon:


Then on Sunday we attended a small group "end of summer" swim party at a church friend's home. The kids really enjoyed the pool with Dave:


Last Friday Jordan's school celebrated the end of the big remodel (adding 39,000 square feet to the facility) by releasing 800+ balloons into the air while out on the school track. Here is a shot that Jordan's teacher (Love her!) took of Jordan with some classroom friends:


I'm off for a day of learning tomorrow. I am taking a course about Adobe Flash CS3 in downtown Atlanta. I can't wait to enjoy some brain food.

A reason to smile

I've been following the story of a blogger friend in Texas who now has 4 little miracles in her life. I found Suzanne's blog through friends just before she became pregnant last year and her positive attitude and inspiring spirit have caused me to smile many days. Can you imagine being pregnant for the first time and finding out you are expecting quads??? The most amazing part is that she managed to make it to her 31st week before delivering the babies -- three boys and one girl. (That's one of the first pictures taken of them together as a set of quads. Up until now they've been in isolettes alone.) Take a look at her blog and see some of the older posts which will explain how it all happened. Tell me that you hate her -- she had just barely begun to have stretch marks at the end of her pregnancy. Honestly though, her faith took her through so many scary moments and it is always uplifting to see the hand of God in the world. Tell me what you think. Did it make you smile just a bit?

first day of school 2007

I do love the first day of school -- always have. There is so much promise in a new year. And in the first few days the flurry of startup hides the fact that our schedule will soon be filled with baseball, chorus, drama club, girl scouts, and dance classes. Well, back to the usual schedule. Those of you who are parents of school aged children will understand. Life changes dramatically once you have a child who is beholden to the school schedule. There are very few vacations you will take which do not depend on a momentary check of the school calendar...and hardly any you will take which cause absences. Here's my advice to those of you who have little ones or no children...take all the fall and early spring vacations you want NOW!

Do any of you consider the beginning of school like the beginning of a new year? I feel that moreso than New Year's Eve. Perhaps it is the side effect of being a teacher's kid when young.

William seemed to have a great day and was full of information when he arrived home. His daily folder indicated a "3" which is perfect according to the teacher's discipline scale. (The scale actually goes to 4, but she rarely gives 4s since that is for extraordinary feats. 2 and 1 would mean a difficult day. I hope to see very few of those!) Jordan loved her teacher and is excited about the cool year ahead. (Apparently she has the cool techie teacher who knows all the tricks and is an Auburn Alum.)

meet and greet (as promised)

Today was Meet and Greet at our elementary school. William was beside himself waiting to meet his teacher this morning and was the first one to spring out of bed. We wisely left Grace with a babysitter so we could fill out more forms and meet teachers without the frenzy of a three year old's mentality. First we meet teachers and toured the newly renovated school and then we attended a little neighborhood get together of all the kindergarteners in our subdivision. We took a quick picture of the gang and I can't wait to see how they change through the years.

Here is William (holding the classroom mascot - a star bear) with his new teacher who seems an infinately patient and seasoned teacher:


Jordan with her friend Sarah:


The neighborhood gang after lemonade and cookies:

school bells are ringing

I didn't want to disappoint you again or receive inquiring emails so I thought it best to post an update. Summer is flying by in a hurry and we are struggling to capture the very last taste of it before school starts next week. This week has been filled with Kindergarten Orientation (for parents only) and Meet and Greet (for kids and parents). Both events boast more forms than you signed while applying for a mortgage. I've got more ahead of me tomorrow and and we deliver the last of the school supplies to the room in preparation for next week. William is beyond thrilled to be at the "big school" and Jordan promises to acknowledge him occassionally in the hallway. Since she's a big 5th grader this might be difficult on her reputation. The school posted teacher assignments on the front entry windows last Wednesday night and I'm pretty happy about both kid's situations. I think they've gotten experienced and fun teachers. William gets to be the first class to use the newly remodeled kindergarten wing. Both are looking forward to using the new art and music wing. Me? I'm just glad I won't have to deal with the chaos that construction created for two years. Our school looks awesome and the teachers look like they are walking on air.

We had family come through last week while they were moving from Maryland to Texas. Josh and Claudia looked great...especially to be in the middle of a move. Their 21 month old Theo was adorable. What a blessing to have a night with them as they moved such a long distance.

Oh yes, our television in the family room has been out of order since the middle of July. I don't think there is much hope for it to be repaired so we a mulling our options right now. It's been interesting to be in a "less television" environment during the summer -- good in many ways. Don't think the kids are too deprived -- there are three other televisions in the house. ;-) Our cable went out due to weather a few days ago and Grace actually thought that Dave had cut off the service (How does a three year old think something like that?) and so she mentioned how that was "just not right". Funny, eh?

I'd best get to bed because Meet and Greet is early in the morning. I'll try to drop a line tomorrow night to give you William's first impressions of his teacher. Ironically Jordan's teacher has a son in the same kindergarten classroom this year.

happy birthday gracie pea

The saying goes that you should "never look back", but I have only gratefulness as I look over the past three years. Grace is a lively and spunky force in our family. She came into this world with all the drama of an emergency and a NICU stay, but we are incredibly fortunate in her development following all that chaos. It's hard to remember the trauma of her beginning, but wonderful to know her as a delightful little person. Here are a few photos from the early days, year one, year two, and my now three year old. Happy Birthday Grace!

Off the wires and tubes, this is my ten pound baby near the end of her NICU stay:


A month old relaxing in a beanbag by Jordan:


First time at the beach celebrating her first birthday (Tybee Island, GA):


We were on vacation at Disneyworld when Grace celebrated her second birthday:



Running out the door to her first ballet class a few days ago:


She was so thrilled during the whole class. Finally after years of watching older siblings she had her own class to enjoy. Here she is skipping along with the group:

birthday snapshots

This past weekend we celebrated two family birthdays -- Grace's third birthday and Dave's fortieth. My sister came over with her family and we took the cousin set to Build-A-Bear at the mall to enjoy an adventure. Dave had no idea about his birthday plans...well, except for wondering why there was so much good food in the house. We celebrated with an adult only concert outing to Chastain Park here in Atlanta to see Vince Gill and Amy Grant. I've got so much more to post, but wanted to give you a few snapshots until I am able to catch up.

Here is Grace brushing and blow drying her "MiMi Bear" off:


This is the full set of cousins plus one brave Aunt Julie (my sister) holding Lydia:


My darling niece Lydia giving the Pottery Barn chair her approval:


Two silly girls at lunch (excuse the kiddie cup in the picture...obvious photoshoping needed) -- Grace and Alana. They were born 5 weeks apart.


An excited birthday husband enjoying a laugh with his best friend Hawk and wife Lisa:

chirp chirp

Dave brought home the artwork from his office walls since they were painting there. Leaned against our family room wall was a photo of the Inner Harbor and skyline of Baltimore. It was given to Dave by his coworkers when we made the move from Maryland to Georgia. It caught Grace's eye on Sunday and she started asking questions.

"Did we live here?"

"Well, we lived there before you were born. William was born there." said Dave

"Oh, I was born in Georgia, right?"

"Yes you were born in Georgia. You were just an egg inside of Mommy when we were in Baltimore." He replied

"An egg???"

"Yes, an egg inside of Mommy's body." He confirmed.

Then Grace turns and looks at me in AMAZEMENT, "You had FEATHERS!?!?"

And after we died laughing Dave replied, "Mommy has those waxed Grace."

the fourth, fireworks, and firetrucks

Two different days, several different events, but it seems we are carrying out a theme here. I didn't even realize it until I went to share the post. Yesterday was a great 4th of July holiday. On patriotic holidays I always feel privileged to have my own in-house veteran. Makes even the most standard tasks seem patriotic, ya know?

We actually enjoyed a morning and afternoon hanging around the house and doing some chores. Around 2 pm we took the kids swimming and played some elementary marco polo. Most of it involved Dave and I hauling William and Grace around the pool to avoid being caught by their big sister, but it was fun. Our church actually held services outside under a pavilion. We arrived for the picnic part of the gathering around 5:45 and then services started at 6:30. The singing was out of this world. We love it when voices seem to blend perfectly and last night was just one of those times. Our church practices accapella singing for all services and that just seemed even more perfect outdoors. The kids enjoyed playing with everyone and then we drug them away to attend fireworks (Yes, Grace was literally crying to stay with her friends instead of fireworks.) in Roswell. Grace then proceeded to pass out in the car and slept through all the live music. She woke in the midst of the fireworks. The pictures below are from our church gathering. They just finished a new pavilion and playground and it's been a popular place to meet.







We normally go to the Marietta Square for fireworks, but we had a really good experience with the Roswell location last night and may just try it again next year. I had grilled some pork tenderloin with an Alton Brown dry rub on the outside. I had intended the dry rub for some ribs, but all the stores ran out of baby backs around here. I should have thought of that a few weeks ago. We had some killer food anyway so my substitution was a success. What do you cook or grill on Independence Day?

Then, today, we visited a fire station museum near us. It's one of those things you always pass and point out to the kids, but never find the time to visit. The kid enjoyed it immensely. They actually got a personal tour from the firefighters and enjoyed seeing all the old dispatch and fire equipment. True to his engineering spirit, William was touching some controls on the 1940's fire engine and his actions spurred the firefighter say, "Son, touch the wrong valve and we'll have oil and who knows what else oozing out of this old engine. Maybe you shouldn't touch those knobs." Ironically the engine truck had a "please touch" sign on it. Here are the kids on the back of a non-oozing modern day engine. The firemen were very nice to my little crew.

nature never fails to amaze

We were in Alabama this past weekend to visit with my family and deliver my cousin's child back home following her tennis camp. My parents have been working hard in their yard and it really shows. My brother-in-law, Russ, is a professional photographer and he took some beautiful photos which captured the backyard today.

what a blast

Today we played tourist and had a blast. I'm too tired to post photos tonight, but will soon. My cousin, Cynthia, arrived last night with two of her daughters and we have been going non-stop all day. We headed out the door at 8 am this morning to head downtown. First we visited the New World of Coke, then walked across Centenial Olympic Park to CNN Center and ate lunch quickly before taking the CNN Behind the Scenes Tour. Following that we headed to Lennox Mall and ate at California Pizza Kitchen before hitting the PGA Superstore to look at some tennis accessories (Huge golf and tennis superstore here). We finally pulled in the driveway around 10 pm.

Should I mention that my clothes washer has immense issues and Dave had a major injury Wednesday night while trying to repair it? Poor guy has a 1.5 inch deep cut in his knee area. He refused to seek ER treatment (despite gushing blood) because it was midnightish. Apparently we did alright with the wound. Although it deserved stitches, the butterfly bandages and wrappings we created did the trick. The doctor gave him a tetnus shot and a few week's instructions. Did I mention how much I dislike my maytag neptune washer? It's a high maintenance appliance. Love the front loader, but I will get a different brand next time.

What's on the plate for tomorrow? WhiteWater Park! Judging from the energy Grace had today I think I'd better head off to bed.

to do or not to do

It's been a busy week and today is only Tuesday. My summer to do list is a mile long and progress seems to be slow. I've been trying to finish planting some new items in the yard since last week and finally today I got the front bed started. I've done a better job of putting in daylillies and hostas which will miraculously come up on their own with little coaxing each spring. I removed the pansies in anticipation of some begonias to fill in the blank spots, but never got around to planting them. Maybe I'll finish it today. I did actually finish the screened porch and back deck plantings a week or so ago. That was a two day ordeal because I was planting tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and banana peppers among the flowers. Yum, that should pay off come July.

We picked up Jordan from church camp on Saturday and I was thrilled to have that girl with us again. I missed her a lot last week -- partly because it was week two of camp and partly because this camp had no online prescence to share the week's photos. We got spoiled with the Girl Scout camp because they take digital pictures and share them online the same day. (Of course you can purchase them at a later date.) Church camp is a little more basic. Jordan came away with the "most studious" Bible student award and her cabin of youngest girls won the cleanest cabin award and 2nd place in the Junior Skit night performance. All in all, not a bad week for Jordan. She seems happy to be home though.

This week my cousin is coming from Alabama to visit over the weekend. She is bringing her daughter to a tennis camp here in Marietta. The camp sounds really cool and is actually held at the athletic club in Dave's office park. That athletic club is owned by Robby Ginepri, a tennis pro, and his coach. I am looking foward to having Laura Brooke here all week. I hope she can put up with the household craziness...she's a third child so she should be oblivious to it. ;-)

Oh yes, remind me to tell you about a date I planned last weekend for Dave to enjoy. He says I hit a homerun on Friday night so I guess I did alright. We went out to see some local music and enjoy dinner. It was midnight before we came home which is l-a-t-e for us. It was worth it for the evening's smiles. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

third eye blind

Last week I held a serious face and told William that Mommies and Daddies have a third eye in the back of their head. I told him that we were given that eye once we became parents so we could see/know what our kids were doing at all times. To my amazement he seemed to believe me.

Yesterday I got confirmation of that fact. I was sitting at the desk answering emails when I felt a little hand running through my hair at the back of my head.

So without turning around I asked, "William, what are you doing?"

He replied, "I'm looking for your third eye."

perspective

I recently read of a tragedy which happened on Memorial day. A family lost a child due to a car wreck and sat at the bedside of his injured siblings awaiting their outcome. The story was told by a family friend who, during the time of the tragedy had been caught up in some superficial, silly family argument and drama. Upon learning of his friend's loss the family friend realized how ridiculous his worries had been and began focusing upon "what really matters. He jotted down some things at that moment and the list is poignant. The next time you have an everyday worry or stress think on these things:

Forgive everyone of everything now.
Never care if you someone else is preferred over you, ever.
Repay evil with kindness every single time you are wronged.
Love everyone. Everyone.
Fight for everyone's heart. Everyone's.
Stop hiding.
Withhold nothing from your spouse, your kids, and your parents.
Stop lying. And stop believing that "not telling the whole truth" isn't lying.
Use every single dollar you ever have stewardship of to bless others.
Say "I love you" way too much.
Show "I love you" way too much.
Be with those you love way too much and poor, rather than away from them a little and rich.
LISTEN!
If you must talk, talk about what matters.
Respect everyone. Everyone.
If you don't look at your kids and marvel, figure out what is wrong with you.
Get over yourself and become a "hugger".
Walk slowly through the crowd.
Stop being offendable.
Believe.
Be still without being asleep.
Be present without having to be noticed.
Notice without having to be reminded.
Say the negative things after you have exhausted everything you can say that is encouraging to anyone.
Find yourself in every single other person's flaws, that you may love them.
Accept suffering as a gift, that you may leave nothing wasted.
Think the best of all people, that you may be a blessing.
Humble yourself constantly, that you may be lifted up, and not by yourself.
Receive anything good at all as undeserved grace, that you may be a lover of God, and a benefit to those closest to you and to all mankind.

I certainly have some work to do in all these areas. Sometimes tragedy seems senseless, but how much better can you make your life by working on even one of these phrases?

more confirmation of camp fun

camp updates

or perhaps I should have titled this "leaving your oldest in the woods with her friends". Jordan was happy as a lark when we checked her into Girl Scout camp on Sunday afternoon. She seemed like an old pro since this was her second year. I remember being bewildered at the forms and list of required items last year. This year it seemed more manageable to pack those fancy rubbermaid containers.

Dave was scheduled for a plane flight on Sunday afternoon at the exact time of Jordan's dropoff so he said his goodbyes here at home and then his father joined us for the trip to camp. Pop-pop was a huge help and it all went smoothly thanks to his extra hands. Here is Jordan in front of the main dining hall. You can see the beginnings of a path in front of the building. That path takes you down past the horse stables and to the lake area. The camp has its own little harbor area.



William and Grace were excited for Jordan, but then missed her as soon as we got home. Grace asked when she could go to camp. That girl is not scared of anything!



The items required to sleep in the great outdoors:



Jordan's troop friend and tent mate, Catherine:



There are four total beds in the tent and Jordan recognized one tent mate from last year's camp experience. This is basically a repeat of the last photo, but I wanted you to see the tent cabin. (disregard the slant caused by the motherly photographer)



Today I logged into the camp website to check out the digital photos taken during the day. (So cool and comforting!) I found Jordan doing something that looked like tie dying and also a few photos eating lunch. There were some photos down by the water of girls awaiting a ride on the banana boat and she appeared to be among that crowd. I think she's having a good time. William looked at the photos and then had several questions about why boys were not allowed at the camp and what kind of things Jordan was doing. He's missing her and has felt her absence several times today. He was my buddy throughout the day. It's been a good chance for him to take the lead position here at home and show me he's a big boy.

new song favorites

I've really been enjoying the new music coming out lately. Two new songs which caught my ear are by India Arie. I'll admit to seeing her on an Oprah show (tivo'd of course) about summer favorites. Her performance took my breath away. The first song she sang was a special one she wrote for the girls she met at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. I love the lyrics and thought they were so appropriate for someone Jordan's age. If you have a girl you'll recognize the fragile age that girls go through self confidence wise. My Jordan has never been aprehensive about anything, but sometimes I see the beginnings of a "female" self doubt...the kind that we as women struggle with everyday which asks if we are enough as is, did we do enough, were we present in the roles expected of us. Jordan's development is perfectly normal and age appropriate, but I just want to squash as much of that self doubt and guilt so she can soar as she gets older. I sent the lyrics off with her in one of her camp letters. The song is called "Beautiful Flower" and I love the lyrics:

BEAUTIFUL FLOWER BY INDIA ARIE
This is a song for every girl who's ever been through something she thought she couldn't make it through, yeah
I sing these words because I was that that girl too
Wanting something better than this but who do I turn to?
Now we're moving from the darkness into the light
This is the defining moment of our lives, mmmmmhh

Cause you're beautiful like a flower
More valuable than a diamond
You are powerful like a fire
You can heal the world with your mind
And there is nothing in the world that you cannot do
When you believe in you
Who are beautiful
Yeah you, who are brilliant
Yeah you, who are powerful
Yeah you, who are resilient

This is a song for every girl who feels that she is not special
Cause she don't look like a supermodel, Coke bottle
The next time the radio tells you to shake your money maker
Shake your head and tell them, tell 'em you're a leader
Now we're moving from the darkness into the light
This is the defining moment of our lives, Yeah

Cause you're beautiful like a flower
More valuable than a diamond
You are powerful like a fire
You can heal the world with your mind
And there is nothing in the world that you cannot do
When you believe in you
Who are beautiful
Yeah you, who are brilliant
Yeah you, who are powerful
Yeah you, who are resilient

The other song she performed on that show was called "There's Hope" and it is a song which could only pick up your mood. It's hard to stand still during the song and right now it is my early summer favorite (even over Maroon 5). The chorus goes:

There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that

and it talks about how we all want a lot of things, but those aren't the key to true happiness. Check them out for your summer smiles. The Beautiful Flower song is available only in itunes with 100% of the proceeds going to the school. What are your current song favorites?

baseball, birthdays, and nature

Memorial weekend was busy. On Saturday we finished the t-ball season with a well played game (no tournaments at this age) and a pizza party with the team at a homegrown parlor across from the field. Then a few hours later we celebrated a wonderful 80th birthday surprise with Dave's Aunt Lois. Lots of family in town for that and we enjoyed the beautiful party Beth and James hosted at their home. Aunt Lois was truly surprised and she was amazed that her sisters -- who never fly -- flew in for the occassion. Later she looked up to see the caterers arriving to treat us with dinner and I think she truly realized what a special occassion this was for everyone in the family.

On Monday we celebrated the Memorial Day holiday by getting out for a hike with the kids. We went down to Sope creek near the Chattahoochee River which has ruins of an old paper mill and explored around the ruins and the water's edge. There are huge pieces of granite which the creek water runs over and they make a beautiful relaxing sound. Dave walked all three to the middle of the stream and they dipped their toes into the water. It was a great little family adventure. When we began William was asking when he could get back to lego.com on the computer, but by the time we were through he was picking up acorns and inspecting them. With all the development going on in our area it is nice to see that some special places have been allowed to remain. Greenspace is so important for many reasons...like feeding the soul after a walk.



This week I was ambitious and took advantage of some coupons I had for the plant nursery on Tuesday afternoon. (You know, save 20 bucks by spending a fortune.) After buying plants for our back deck and front yard I then proceeded to get a stomach virus which rendered me unable to sit up by Thursday. I got a few things planted but have much more to do. Dave has been a godsend. He returned from his business trip on late Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon he was in charge of anything that had to be done. I was barely able to keep the kids safe because of my condition. I feel better today, but still not 100%. Dave volunteered to take all three kids out to finish the errands necessary to prepare Jordan for Girl Scout camp next week. I'm here trying to do a little laundry and rest. Guess I'll finish my plantings this weekend amid all the packing excitement.

want a good laugh?

I love original films so when I saw this "short" which was created during the second episode of "On the Lot" I laughed so hard I cried. I just had to share it with you. Unfortunately the "On the Lot" producers have not allowed easy video sharing so I'll have to point you toward this link

Random Acts of Kindness

Let me know what you think about it. The moments in this short keep replaying in my head and making me laugh.

the last day of school

The long awaited day is finally here and everyone went off happy this morning. All backpacks were sent home yesterday and Jordan practically floated to the bus stop carrying only a thank you note to the teacher. William's prek class has celebrated all week with theme days. Today was pajama day and he wore his Batman pajamas with the matching cape. Style comes in all forms I suppose. Jordan had her pajama day on Tuesday. My theme for the week has been keeping up with who needs what for these special days.

Will and I were talking about this school year and I mentioned that he might miss Ms. Molly, his teacher. He -- feeling all content about the year -- said that there was nothing to be afraid of since he'd move on to bigger and better things in kindergarten. Once again, the child leads his parent. I was worried he'd be sad and he's already moved on in his mind. He's ready to be a kindergartener and I am truly excited for him. He's made huge leaps this year tuning into the curriculum and I cannot say enough good things about his teacher. William has a natural engineering mind, but had little interest in reading or writing before this year -- despite my efforts. (Such a different learner from his older sister.) Now it's like a switch has turned in his brain and I expect him to be ahead of the game by the time summer is over. It's like you can see the neurons growing minute by minute. That's such a cool thing to witness as a parent.

Jordan received a medal on awards day for her chorus participation. It's a really nice one from the state to commemorate their first place finish in the March competition.She also received some big news last week concerning a tryout for Murdock Broadcasting Channel. Each week the school writes and produces a television news show which is shown on Friday mornings to the whole school. Jordan will be a news anchor on this program and she is SO EXCITED. It will mean several early mornings, but I think the coolness factor outweighs the sleep loss and rightfully so. How cool that William will be sitting in his kindergarten classroom and see his big sister broadcasting over MBC!

This weekend we are looking forward to a 80th birthday party for Dave's Aunt Lois, the end of the Little League season, and maybe a visit to our local nature center. Next week is "get Jordan ready for girl scout camp and church camp". I have a lot of work to do. I have the feeling massive laundry is in the making.

Finally, I'll give romatic credits to my dear husband who insisted we have an adult date tonight. He nabbed a babysitter at church last week and made the restaurant reservation secretly. BIG points in the wife book for that! It's nice to get out together and remember why we are a couple. Those of you with children will understand the luxury of talking without interruption. I can't wait.

weird logic

Perhaps there is no logic to this post. Maybe you will think I am crazy, but I'm going to document it anyway. Have you ever noticed odd coincidences in this world? Ever so often a set of people die within a week and the irony is almost quirky. It's almost like God is trying to tell us something by highlighting these people and their lives. I've noticed it in groups of three. This week I was reminded of my illogical observation when two newsmakers died in the same week:

First came Jerry Falwell
and then this morning the news of Yolanda King.
I just learned that Tammy Faye Baker is on her deathbed...
could she be the final one? or someone else?

What if God were trying to tell us something? Convoluted, I know. Can you think of any more that were ironic? I remember when Rosa Parks died, then Pope John Paul II, and long time invalid Terry Schiavo in 2005. Let's call it the morbid version of "Six Degrees".

By the way, no one is to mention this theory later if I have to be committed.

kindergarten screening

I finally decided to tell William about the kindergarten screening which will happen on Tuesday morning. I didn't want him to worry, but also didn't want to surprise him. I kept it kind of low key and told him about the appointment while he sat playing in the bathtub tonight.

The moment I said he was visiting Murdock he was very happy. I explained that he'd probably get to talk to a teacher and then answer a few questions.

"My REAL teacher? Who is she?"

He then started picking up all the stuff in the tub and spouted a stream of information:

"See this, it's blue. This one is yellow. This is a fish that starts with the letter F. I can count to really high. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ....50 Here I'll put these fish in a pattern on the wall -- fish, fish, starfish fish -- next would be fish and starfish. Easy peasy mac'n'cheesy."

He was grinning the whole time and I couldn't stop laughing quickly enough to stop the flow of words. Then he asked the most critical question in his mind.

"Hey Mom? Do you think they'll let me bring my robot drawings to show the teacher???"

In order to understand the importance of those drawings to William you should know that he has a whole notebook of robots and inventions he has me date and title on a regular basis - things like the "bus scooper-ooper" which saves gas while scooping up the bus and carrying kids to school with preprogramed instructions. I just hope he is as relaxed tomorrow morning. ;-)