It’s been a long two weeks, between Doug being in Hastings for sniper training and me being at home with the kids… but it went really well, I must say! I even got to go to the zoo with Val and his kindergarten class on Tuesday. It was one of those perfect spring days with sun, clouds, and a light breeze. I got to hold Val and Lucy’s hands as we walked from school to the park, to the zoo, and back to school. 84 kindergarteners and several parents… it was a hoot.
I brought the kids to the hardware store on Sunday morning and we picked out annuals together. Then Val and Connor helped me plant them while Ava napped. She was so excited to see flowers in the front of the house when we got her up. My tulips didn’t bloom at all this spring, so I won’t be able to get the annual tulip-with-each-child picture. Argh. Maybe my annuals will look pretty in June… or maybe my peonies. We’ll see!
It’s Memorial weekend, but we are just hanging around here. I think I will sort toys for Finn and for the garage sale. The kids do have way too much, but it’s funny how they go through stages with the toys… so you don’t always want to get rid of them too soon.
I’ll be taking my seniors to Gelato on Tuesday… my annual contribution to them sticking with French for 4 years! The gal at the coffee shop is nice and makes a bunch of flavors ahead of time.
I’ve been catching up with old friends on Facebook lately. It’s been fun to see what everyone’s been up to for 20 years! Yes, 20!!!
More later if I have time.
Well, I had over half of my French 4 gone for Junior Day, so it is game day. One group is surreptitiously creating a video which mocks our 1989 masterpiece, “Raymond.” They think I can’t hear them, and they don’t think I suspect it after they asked what my hometown was.
Tomorrow I will be in Omaha for the NETA technology conference. I hope I get some new ideas to connect to my students through technology. Then, Mom is coming on Friday, and the Heminger clan is coming Sunday for Ava Leah’s 2nd birthday. She’s been getting teeth this week, so she’s been pretty cranky. I hope she’s over that by Friday! If not, I ordered a DQ cake, so then it’ll feel good on her teeth.
Well, I’ll update again while I’m bored at the conference! 
HAPPY LAST DAYS OF EVER HAVING A ONE YEAR OLD!!!! 
I REALLY TRY NOT TO BRAG OR GO ON AND ON WITH MUNDANE STORIES ABOUT MY CHILDREN. BUT THEN SOMETIMES IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THEY DO THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!
LAST WEEK, AFTER BATHS, WHEN THE KIDS WERE IN THAT HAPPY, SUDSY CLEAN MOOD, VAL AND CONNOR DUG OUT THEIR SPIDERMAN COSTUMES. NOT TO BE OUTDONE, AVA PADDED UP TO ME AND SAID, “MY PIDERMAN?” I HAD TO LAUGH AND TELL HER, “NO, SORRY SWEEPEE, YOU DON’T HAVE A SPIDERMAN COSTUME.” WELL, LITTLE MISS AVA GAVE ME THE EVIL-EYED LOOK SHE GAVE ME THE DAY SHE WAS BORN (I HAVE THE PICTURE TO PROVE IT) AND STOMPED AWAY.
A FEW MINUTES LATER, SHE REAPPEARED WITH VAL’S SPIDERMAN SWIMTRUNKS AND HELD THEM OUT FOR ME TO PULL ON HER. NOW LET’S REMEMBER… VAL IS 5 YEARS OLD AND A SIZE 8-10 ALREADY. SO, I PULLED THEM OVER HER JAMMIES, AND VOILA! AVA HAD HER “PIDERMAN” OUTFIT ON. THEY LOOKED LIKE PANTS. SEE PHOTO UNDER “LES ENFANTS” (kids) CATEGORY TO THE RIGHT.
THE SECOND STORY INVOLVES MY TWO SWEET BOYS. (THEY ARE NOT SWEET EVERYDAY, BUT THAT TERM IS PERFECT FOR THIS ANECDOTE.) I GOT HOME LATE FROM WORK ONE NIGHT LAST WEEK AND THEY SPRANG UP AT ME AS I OPENED THE DOOR. “LOOK MOM!” THEY YELLED. “FOLLOW THE TRAIL!” AND THERE IT WAS. A TRAIL. OF LEGOS. LEADING DOWN THE STEPS TO THE BASEMENT.
VAL HAD WRITTEN OUT ON CONSTRUCTION PAPER, “MOM, GO TIS WA” (MOM GO THIS WAY) WITH AN ARROW. SO, I FOLLOWED THE LEGOS AS THEY SNAKED AROUND THE STEPS AND DOWN THROUGH THE FAMILY ROOM. AT THE END OF THE TRAIL, VAL AND CONNOR HAD TAPED UP OUR NAMES ON THE CHAIRS/COUCHES WHERE WE USUALLY SIT. IT WAS SO CUTE! THESE ARE THE IMAGES I IMBED IN MY HEAD FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS WHEN I AM PULLING MY GRAY HAIR OUT!
