Snow?

Snowing?

Nope! Just a bunch a Crab Apple Trees -

How did such a pretty tree get such a crabby name?
Perhaps it is because of it's allergy inducing powers?
Regardless - they are very nice to look at.

Heading for the Hills

The girls and I are heading for the hills today. After I spill a few tears at Hailey's preschool moving up ceremony. My father is out of the country on business and "he who rather not be named" is staying home so it will just be a girls weekend! Grams, Lauren, Hailey and I! It should be a wonderful, easy weekend!

Their is a "crud" going around Lauren's school. Slightly resembling H1N1 - HIGH fevers and DEEP coughs...kids who can't lift their heads off their pillows, kids who have been sick for 8 or more days straight, teachers with Pneumonia...the hallways are filled with lost voices and coughs and kids who don't look like they should be at school. I am just hoping we can avoid this one so Hailey stays well for her surgery on Tuesday.

Anita at A wife, A woman, A mom is starting a new weekly series called The Things I do for ME! Stop by and check it out...we could all use a little ME time!

Jen over at Tater Tots and Jello is talking about things spinning out of control...and since I totally concur...

I hope some more of you can find a little time this weekend to enter the contest! You can read a chapter excerpt on Justins Blog and it just might motivate you! Lauren is half done with Go Ask Mom and she is telling stories from it every day! She is loving it!

Ok, now that I have chased you all away - into bloggy land for some good reads - I am going to get us all ready to cry, drive and relax!

Have a great weekend!

Procrastination Bloggy Style

Missing Fall? ***UPDATED Twice***

I'm not, really. But I did find these two pictures I took when one of our trees was at the peak of Fall Colors! It was so pretty for about a week.


We don't usually get much of a fall here in Denver...but this year Winter took it's time coming to knock and made us wait well into November. It was bizarre, we still had Flys, Bees, spiders, Allergies and so much more at Thanksgiving -

We have only had a couple of snowy days since then and the WIND has been ridiculous.

So I say if we can't have winter, bring back fall...because this winter girl is not at all ready for spring or summer yet.

UPDATE:

5 minutes later....somewhere between create new post and publish post I failed to look out the window - our slim little 30% chance for rain or snow today has actually hit and it is SNOWING, not just snowing but the WIND is still atrocious so it is Snowing and Blowing and it is beautiful, since it was a slim chance and it is so windy it will pry blow out of here before the girls get up but it is SNOW and I say BRING IT ON!

SECOND UPDATE:

Be careful what you wish for or you might spend 2 1 /2 hours driving the 10 miles to school and back...ARGH....I LOVE THE SNOW, not the drivers - If you live in Colorado get a car that can handle it or stay your @88 home.

Weekend Update

Don't you just hate it when you hit caplock instead of shift when you are typing? Maybe you don't, but I do it all the time and it always leaves me wondering why caplock is just above shift in the first place. Argh.

Nothing great to talk about today, Lauren came home sick from school on Friday. It was a strange, sudden yuck. We were standing in line waiting for our Turkey lunch that the dads prepare every year when she got real pale, said she had to go home, was dizzy and couldn't walk - off to the office we go to find a 100.00 temperature. Pack it up, call it a day, drive through McDonald's and we are home. Sick child and all. She was better as of last night, had to miss rehearsals yesterday but wants to go today! Glad it was a short lived virus!

He who would rather not be named hung some more lights on the house yesterday. Winter is taking its sweet old time arriving this year and while that is driving me CRAZY it sure made for good Christmas Light hanging this year! We will turn them on next weekend! The girls are excited! We also decorate the house next weekend and I can't wait. The house takes on a whole new feeling once the garland goes up!

Grandma Mary comes on Wednesday! YAHOO. Everyone is very excited and we are ready! With the exception of the food of course! I can't remember when Zoo Lights starts at the Zoo - maybe we can all go? Better go google it!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Staying busy and slowing down

We are staying busy here with all of lauren's dance and school. but we are also slowing down a bit - Hailey is taking a temporary hiatus from dance and gymnastics due to the tantrums she throws when I drop her off. She seems to miss it (even though it hasn't even been a week yet) but maybe she will learn that it is not ok to scream at the top of her lungs when mommy leaves the room.

School is good...for both. Lauren is doing great, no complaints. Hailey does great at school (after the drop off tantrum) the teachers say she listens well, does what she is supposed and has fun while she is there.

Nothing exciting to report this week - no good pictures either. Sorry! Maybe next post.

Summer Flying By...

We are more than half way through summer now. We have managed to stay very busy with trips to the mountains, sports, concerts, shows, the pool and more.

Lauren is doing pretty good with her expander, but she hates it. Won't show it to you - we visit the orthodontist on Thursday to get it "checked" I think it is too soon for an estimate on when she gets it off but we will certainly ask anyway!

Next week is the last week of sports (except Ballet) - Jonas Brothers Concert is Saturday night! High school Musical Play is Tuesday...

Today - we stay home - Jeep in the shop - Laundry, clean playroom and play outside - FUN FUN.

UPDATE:

I don't know what's worse...a day at home with 2 kids that can't seem to play nice together or the $400 electric bill coupled with the $71.00 tank of gas I got this week...Between electric, gasoline and water I think they total about the same as our mortgage payment each month! Ok...maybe not quite - but we are certainly getting close! I mean come on - $400 for electricity...ridiculous. Guess we'll be bumping the AC up a couple degrees. Actually, I told the girls they were going to have to start sleeping naked with no covers so we could save electricity - HA! Too bad they didn't believe me.

So yes the children had trouble getting along this morning - what a pain - honestly I wanted to climb back in bed at 9:00 cover my head with the blanket and pretend I didn't have kids - somehow though we survived and by the afternoon they were playing nice together (could have had something to do with Hailey's 2 hour nap!!!)

back home again

we are all home from the mountains. for a few days anyway! We are heading back up on Friday! Lauren went to the orthodontist today and had her expander put it. she is uncomfortable and doesn't really want to talk much but for the most part it is ok. she sat at the table with spagetti for an hour tonight, ate about 1/4th of what was on her plate but at least she tried. I feel really bad for her, I was fortunate enough not to have any ortho work done but my brother spent more than his fair share of time in that chair. She has to wear this for 3 to 4 months then will move into a retainer.

I have had at least one request for the video of Hailey belly flopping in the little pool...so I am going to muster up the energy and get that posted tonight. Check back soon.

Last Day of School

It is finally here! What a long wait this week has been. Such a waste of time to be at school. Monday they cleaned, Tuesday Field Day, Wednesday Class Party at bowling alley (we played hooky) Thursday more cleaning and a movie (skipped the movie) and today - finally - the awards ceremony!

We are meeting her teacher for breakfast this morning at 7:30! Then off to school for a little while. The rest of us will go to school at 1:00 for the awards ceremony then it is finally summer break! YAHOO!

Just wait till August when I am blogging " Is school ever going to start???"

I will post pictures from today later this evening!

Thursday

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW YEAH! We are heading up to the mountains tonight. Schedules have interfered with our chances to get up there much this year and the girls miss it. They are very excited to be going. Lauren is counting the hours and Hailey went to bed JUMPING up and down (literally) because she is so excited. IT was a such a spontaneous burst of emotion that Lauren and I were both laughing at her!

Lauren aced that previously mentioned science test with a -0! She was very happy, apparently it was the hardest test of the year!!!

Hailey started wearing the "starter" roller skates this week and loves them...even tries jumping in them. I have a little video clip of this and will try to load it this weekend!

I am also past due on a blog about Diego Day at the museum and hope to get that up this weekend as well! Busy me!

Well, I need to pack unless I want to spend the weekend without clothes...we leave this afternoon and I have not packed a single thing!

Mid Week

I feel like have a whole lot to say and yet so little to say. Nothing special going on this week. Lauren aced another math test. WAY TO GO LAUREN.... Thinking about doing some private dance lessons with her Academy teacher this summer...to work on posture and turn outs (hmph...I had to look that one up because I had no idea what a turn out was!!)

Hailey got her second of three costumes yesterday - and we are going to get new ballet slippers again today (yippee) oh and still hunting stirrup tights for 2 year olds in pink. Here is her in her Green Costume (this one is for the Do Re Me Fa So La Te Do song!)



Bed time has been improving...poor Hailey though...we had big storms the other night and I thought she fell asleep right when they started because she got quiet after the first major thunder - well, SHE DIDN'T she informed Lauren and I this morning that she was afraid in her bed when it stormed yesterday( everything that happened before today is yesterday!) I inquired and told her I thought she was sleeping to which she replied "I WAS HIDING UNNER MY COBERS" POOR HAILEY. She did not want to get in trouble for coming out of her room so she toughed it out....I am going for that mother of the year award again....

Oh Well, What are you gonna do?

On the way to school today Hailey had a notebook and a pencil and she told us she was going to write a story! Here is her story:

Once upon a time there was a little apple

He came and bounced right up to me

and I say Hi

and I didn't it my apple

Then she muttered some nonsense and moved on! She thought about taking her notebook into school with her then at the last minute she tossed back in her seat and said "I not gonna take it, it wont be fabulous"

So now I can add fabulous to the list of words like Actually, Probably and Certainly that she is loving to use (and in the right context too!!)

Ok....enough.

What a week...

What a week...Glad it is over! Sunday starts the new week right?

Hailey got the pleasure of visiting the Dr. twice, once for Croup and once for just about nothing...except the decision that she can no longer take Decadron (sp?) - it makes her nutso! She is getting better, is very tired and really just beside herself...part of it is her age and part of it is still the medicine and part of it is being sick so all of it is tough on us!

Lauren had a performance today at the Wildlife Museum, that went well - her wonderful teacher and some neighbors joined the audience to cheer her on! They had a small dance floor to work with and that was new to the girls, especially the young ones but they handled it pretty well!

I made Peanut Butter Candy tonight...an old family recipe. It is rich and yummy and will do nothing to assist with the pounds I insist I need to lose. Oh well. Life happens.

Let's see, what else...OH, Social Studies test this week! She got an A - missed two! GO LAUREN...but even better she did her spelling packet on Friday Morning at McDonald's before school...had not seen it all before that, had a few tough words like Question, opponant, spectator - but she insisted she did not need to be quizzed...ACED IT! 100% - go Lauren again!

I used the part of most of my brain cells trying to figure out the girls dance schedules for next year...even talked the studio into adding a class for Hailey. And now that I have it down to PERFECT for me...I am still waiting for the schedule for the OTHER studio to come out. Theirs comes out in a couple weeks and lets all cross our fingers that the Ballet class Lauren needs falls on the right day!!!

Well, I guess I am jumping around a lot and not really making a point tonight...so I guess I will sign off...keep in touch.

Half way point

We have reached the halfway point of this week and are once again bracing for a spring storm! Watch out Douglas County is slated for 5 to 10 inches. That means, as usual we will get an inch or 10. Regardless it will make things messy and we will be pulling out the shovels yet again!

Hailey is still struggling with separating a bit. I know she got thrown off track during vacation because she had been fine before hand. She is so funny though because transfers her affections to the adult in charge in my absence. I suppose my feelings should be hurt, I am easily replaced in her eyes. She just glues herself to her teacher at school, today it was a substitute and Hailey still clung on like a suction cup. Don't get me wrong she participates and does all that she is supposed to do at school, just sticks to the teacher kind of obsessively.

I just wish she would not have transferred these issues to her dance classes too. We had never had any problems at dance till last week. She made it through a class last night due in large part to Ms. Lauren (owner) taking her under her wing and aiding her through the first 10 minutes of class THANK YOU LAUREN. So I am anxious to see how she does tomorrow!

Tomorrow evening her preschool is doing their spring program at 6:30. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Most of the kids are 6 months to a year older than Hailey but still, that is late for little kids! Anyway, she is excited that we are all coming to watch, Grams and Gramps too...Her group is supposed to wear cacky bottoms and yellow tops, wouldn't you know that in a closet full of absolutely adorable clothes we had nothing CACKY or YELLOW. UGH, off to the mall I ran today. It was hard too...I didn't want to buy crap, If I have to buy it I want her to wear it again but it was really hard to piece together something cute, Hailey's style, in those colors ...I did it, not real pleased with what I got but I did it.

Well, that is it for now I suppose - wish I had more exciting things to say - but I don't.

Wed. March 19th

1 week and 2 days till we leave. I cannot wait to go away and have someone make the bed, change the towels, serve me breakfast, lunch and dinner...play with the girls in the pool and hopefully watch them play in the pool together some!

Hailey stayed home sick today. We went to school because I was supposed to read to her class and she was looking forward to that but we left right after. She really liked that though. She sat on her carpet square like an angel the whole time! It was fun~

Lauren is hard at work in her workbook phase again. Usually it means she is bored in school but I am assured this is not the case. She was not happy with the new books I bought for her apparently they were not ones that she had to "think" to do...so her teacher sent me a million things to print off for her to do! Maybe those will be more her level? UGH.

The pile for the trip is growing in the corner of my bedroom. I should take a picture so everyone can laugh at me. Today I started adding medicines, sunscreens etc.

Diego is entertaining me in the background while Hailey sleeps on the cough, I mean couch...I have cough on the brain. Just hoping she kicks this one quick and the projectile sneezes stop soon...GROSS and that no-one else gets it!!

Well, Happy Wednesday to all who are reading!