NO More teachers...... no more books......

Dale and Mrs. Washington

Schools out for Summer! So we had a great last week at School. Dale had games on Monday his Poetry Picnic on Tuesday, Bubbles and Books Wednesday, Yearbooks on Thursday and a party on Friday....tough week! So it was great for the poetry picnic his teacher sent home a folder last week of 6 nursery rhyme poems and said pick one from here or any book, memorize and recite Tuesday. Not to brag but Dale was the only one who did a poem from a different book so he had the only different poems there.

They were Advise by Shel Silverstein.....William Tell William Tell heres your arrow grip it well, theres the apple aim for the middle, .....Oh Well, you just missed by a little.















And Lazy Jane by Shel Silverstein....Lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy,lazy,lazy Jane, she wants a drink of water so she waits and waits and waits and waits and waits for it to rain.















His teacher even took him to 2 other teachers and had him recite his poems for them....he was very proud, and so was I. Here is the teacher gift we gave her from the class...a bowl with each childs handprint made into a tree with apples on them and it said Mrs. Washingtons Apples
Dale wanted Macy and Reid to attend and they loved going to his school. And Mrs Washington knew them by name ....very cool .....she is an AWESOME teacher. Here is Dales recap of his year in video.

Then on Tuesday Uncle Brad came into town.....and then came the spoiling of the nephews and neice....they played on the trampoline in the sprinkler, went swimming, went to Chuck-E-Cheese, he gave them toys and gifts.....This is ALL on Tuesday! Wednesday he built model airplanes with them and they flew them....and toted Reid all over the city with him in Big Red...and Thursday he took Reid again all over the city and all the kids to the school and they shot off rockets. VERY COOL....they LOVED ITNeedless to say they were bummed when Brad left Thursday night and called Grandma and Bepaw and left a pathetic phone message from Macy and Reid begging to come visit. So Brad and Bepaw got the celebrity reception this afternoon and they are off to Kerrpatch. Hopefully we can use the time to get some stuff done here at home.

Did my credit card get stollen?

Ok so I am feeding the kids dinner tonights, quesidillas and guacamole and I tried to recreate Red Robins Chicken Guacamole burger...it kinda stunk but I ate it...ALL! So the phone rings and it is a computer generated fraud dept for our credit card. Did you make these charges....I did not recognize it so I said no....transfering to an operator. We greet, she says several charge have come and we flagged your account yadda yadda....the recent charges in question are....walmart online today for x...Yes that was me, walmart store this morning for x....yes me too, walmart store yesterday for x....again me...and tetco today...Yes that was Duke. Is this an intervention...seariously I asked her that and she laughed. Ok well that was all we wanted to check. I have never wished for my identity to be stollen but in this case I would have been ok to NOT admit that I made 3 seperate purchases at wally world in less than 24 hours all for well over 100 bucks. I think I have a problem! In my defense online was some extended legnth drapes I wanna try and YES I am very scared that I found them at walmart but really have looked at Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Pottery Barn, Pennys, and online and just have not found what I want and they had it in an extended legnth.....and this morning was groceries, and yesterday was me killing an hour and went in for 1 hair care thing and came out with t-shirts and shorts for the boys since Reid is refusing to wear anykind of shorts that are not bathing suits....I bought 4 bathing suits for the kid to wear and some athletic shorts (sport shorts) as he calls them b/c those are ok and we needed some for gymnastics anyway and a few things for Duke b/c I love Duke but he is the real life PIG PEN, anything NICE becomes not nice, really quick when it is worn in the garage to stain something or change oil in something....and he ALWAYS has on his NICE clothes when he chooses to do this so the majority of his items are well CHEAP for that reason and he really attracts dirt to himself so nothing lasts more than a little while anyway. So NO my card was not stollen just a humiliating slap in the face from the Credit Card company probally thinking how did she qualify for a platinum card shopping at walmart! It is a sad sad day for my credit card it is I am sure ashamed to be in my wallet....what am I saying it got used right...he is happy happy happy and laughing at me too!

SO in other news I set up our slip n slide yesterday in the front yard and my kids were in the enchanted land of lollipops or something....so much fun...of course my real camera had a dead battery and so I snapped pics on my new phone and I can't figure out how to get them to my computer....really I am outdone by this phone...so maybe soon they will appear here.

In my headache news I am better. I am having migraines and rebound headaches....which is basically my body in withdrawl from lack of medications when I stop taking them....so they want me to take celebrex, and then another pill and then another one for migraines....so the idea it to JUST get the migraines and medicate them....so I am doing it my way first and not taking anything at all for anything...and so far so good....felt the migraine this morning took a pill and nothing more and have not taken anything beyond that since Sunday....I see the neurologist in 3 weeks...to get yelled at for not following directions.

Too Long

So we have had several events happen here in the Party City of San Antonio. Fiesta, Guyapalooza Block Party for Cinco De Mayo, Troy and Carolyn came to visit, Harry crooning to me and Jennifer, Migraine headache injections.....wow busy week.

First Fiesta....so we skipped the little parade down town, and the river parade but made an appearance at the most prestiegous parade event around....The Childrens Center Parade....at the kids school....very cute and they loved it. Reid decorated his float a Sponge Bob Pinata on a skateboard. and Macy well....she was a Dora Princess in her charriot wagon.....

Cinco De Mayo.....Guyapallooza.....was a block party. One of our neighbors Guy is in a church band and decided to play a garage concert as a far-the-well for one of his members....they were FANTASTIC....really they played anything and everything and it was good fun.....then across the cul-de-sac another neighbor bought the fight on pay per view and did a garage style viewing on the his Dawn Arrow Garage-tron....so we had music, a fight, and great neighbors to share it with. I still am questionable on the outcome of the fight I thought Oscar had it.

Troy and Carolyn made it to Texas and we got to visit with them.....you do not realize how much you miss them until you see them. And then that time is clearly too short.....seariously Troy there is a Texas Residency agreement in the works.....expect your copy in the mail. Macy, Dale and Reid talked about them non stop and Macy was LIVID when we had to leave screaming for "MY SAM, I WANT MY SAM," who gave her some ear rings that she carried around all day, so Duke prepare yourself for me to pierce your daughters ears.... its coming!

Monday the boys started gymnastics and they LOVE it....Dale was quickly moved up to the Boys level I class b/c of all his inhearited skill....hand stands + cartwheels + foam pit = JOY. Reid is in his own class now and I think his best little buddy Devin is gonna join him which he is SO excited for.

Tuesday a friend of mine Jennifer and her Hubby Shane joined Duke and I to see....brace yourself HARRY CONNICK JR. and he was great.....very smooth and easy to look at.....ahhh so now I can mark that off my lifetime to-do list.....but would do it again! We ate at Acenar....a great place down town....and the food was the best. Duke said it was one of the best steaks he has ever had....and that is Pretty HUGE since he is a conniseur of Beef.

So Wednesday I finally get to see the Dr for headaches.....current one was 2 weeks old this Thursday. It has been tollerable and sometimes unbearable....and Wednesday was one of the worst days. I went and got 2 Rx's to try and turned down the shot to the hip then b/c adding more pain was not my goal but 5 hours later when the rx's had not touched the pain ...I called crying and was given a shot....got home took some painkillers.....waited 3 hours took more....Duke came got the kids and took them to dinner and strangly my kids liked me miserable b/c I did not care what they ate, did, as long as they were quiet and the lights were out....so I am pretty sure a candy feast was had by all, but I really do not care. I am was bed at 8, Thursday I head to work and am sent home....(LOVE YOU LISA) went back to the dr.....got another shot....went home and slept all day, continued with the 2nd rx and it helped a little and Friday was very tollerable and today has been tollerable....I am a little swimmy in my head and if I move to fast I get dizzy, but that is better than the Ice pick in the brain headache. So I am going to see a neuroligist on Monday so that they can tell me that the squirrel that was running my brain quit and left and all I have are a few flies in there hitting the walls.... and have a pained stomach and backache I think from all the meds in my body b/c that much excedrine migraine and pain killers really can't make a body good.....but can make you feel pretty good....or at least let you sleep in my case.

So that has been the last 2 weeks.....whew....and here is a slide show to catch you up!

Send my check to.....

So a freind of mine sent me a link that to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18466753/ it is about the would be salary of an at home mom about $138,000 and then there was a discussion on and opinion board that was related on What do you think? Are at home mom underappreciated?

UUUUHHH Yes....I am so worth more than that for my family, and if they are sending checks I will accapt one but on the other hand it is a choice Duke and I made for me to be there for the kids. His job is not flexable in the realms of sick kiddos and Dr. visits, he works hard and long hours, and we decided that at least one of us needs to be at the disposal of the kids....we had them so we will raise them. Now don't get me wrong I love a break as much as the next tired mommy and all but it was a choice. Also some of the discriptions listed like laundry machine operator and cook....well yes I do those things but so does everyone, even a single man has to eat and eventually clean some underwear. I also drive a car but am not paid like Jeff Gordon is. I am worth more than a dollar amount to my family, I am the glue that makes it a family and the lubricante that makes it run smooth. Preparing our leaders of tomorrow is a tough job but it is not with out reward. Look at the well adjusted, stable, intelligent kids that mine can occasionally be and there is the pay off of plenty.

Yea on that sentimental note....if my happy, adjusted clan has stinky breath blame Macy. Yesterday afternoon she decided to brush her teeth.....I found her in the kids bathroom....on the counter, and there was tooth paste ALL OVER. The counter, the faucets, the soap dispencer, the mirror, and she had 2 dixie cups half full of tooth paste and head to toe tooth paste all over her... funny that there was NOT A TOOTH BRUSH IN SIGHT, and I thought that was essential for brushing teeth... Huh....so we clean....and clean.....and clean....and now their bathroom is colgate mint fresh, crest bubble gum sweet and crest watermellon wonderful! We then went outside to commiserate with other moms and give the house a break.....and her dress was stiff from all the toothpaste on it! NICE that is so preparing her for the world ahead of her.....somehow....counting b/c she used 3 whole containers!
I also came about 24 hours away from loosing all my frozen goods this week......I noticed on Monday my freezer in the utility room was dripping water a little.....I told the boys DO NOT open that freezer only me....it is not sealing right.....more on tues morning.....and by that afternoon I had a half gallon of ice cream that was really soft. I investigate and the dumb thing was UNPLUGGED. I told Duke this that evening and he said....oh I put the box of dog bones n top of it to keep Macy from feeding the dogs the entire box ,and when I left the room I heard something fall....I didn't see anything though....well what he heard and I found was that a flash light fell behind the freezer it and unplugged it.....all is well and minus the ice cream everything is solid again ....so add appliance repairperson to the list of my jobs too....I am JUST about indispensable.

The Great Daniel Debate and other insights

Sooo the great debate around the Daniel house is build or not to build....that is the question? Do we NEED a new home......or want it......is the novelty of picking what you want worth the price? Is it ok to sacrifice on some stuff for the sake of a great deal? So I think we have determined NO....to buy for the sake of a great deal is not really a reason enough alone. I want my next home to be the forever home.....potentially and I do not want to sacrifice when if I wait a year or 2 I can have that home, Duke is wary of the real estate market and its fluctuations at the moment and we have enough room, are happy, love our neighbors, love the school Dale is in and its proximity, and LOVE the freedom that our current situation allows us financially. So I think we are going to do a few cosmetic changes here and hold out. Rock the fireplace, extend the deck and buy some furniture and a new dish washer and call it good for a bit longer. But then again we change our minds about once a week so we'll see if this sticks....if not, I am gonna shut up about it all and come xmas if you get a card from a different address then we moved if not then we did not!
So I have to give a little insight into one of my last evenings here.....we refilled the sand box with sand.....sooo great....the kids are loving it and Reid says lets make angels and next thing you know all 3 on their backs making sand angels....cute huh....well not really b/c fresh sand STICKS in hair and on skin all too well and we ended up with I think half a pound inside.....so at the point that I am cooking dinner I decide I cannot handle the grit under my feet any more and vaccuum.....I am vaccuuming and the noodles on the stove boil over.....I am vaccuuming and moving a pot, and then around the corner comes Macy.......diaperless and says I poopie in the pottie....and I say then get to the potty....still vaccuuming, stirring, and encouraging the potty usage.....that my friend is MOM talent....so I finished, she pooped and peed, and dinner was all ready by the time I was done. However it was a mute point b/c then we ate and dinner was all over the floor and we started back at the grit underfoot and the cleaning again....oh the excitement of it all!
Actually one exciting thing has been Tad....our newest pet....a tadpole from Bepaws pond. Well he is turning into a frog....has back legs and is growing front legs....it is actually really cool to watch it happen....every morning Macy gets on her stool and proclaims I see him, I see him, he is resting, Broder do you see him?Hes in there.....but the day he hops onto the counter I will pass out but until then Tad is pretty neat.