I cried in Walmart today

It all started out well.  If having your mother show up to go to your doctor's appointment with you when you're 39 years old can be considered starting out well.  Did she stay in the waiting room when I was called into the back?  What do you think?  Our comedic-duo routine clearly brought cheer to the whole office.  The case of the mysteriously slightly, but annoyingly, swollen foot continues to stump Dr. Endearingly Grumpy.  A round of super anti-inflammatory, then we'll see.  I'm good with that.  I just want to be able to wear something other than flip-flops (or do I?) and to be able to go for a walk (note:  this post is in no way legally binding me to any organized exercise campaign!).  But I'm working an angle to get me out of the heavy patrole duty of the TAKS, so I'm okay for another week of this.

Continuing with Operation Get Molly Out Of The House, we swung by my house to pick up Little Miss for one of my most anticipated holiday celebrations:  the spring book sale by the Friends of the Library!!

I am a Friend of the Library, but I'll confess:  I only joined for the two day advanced crack at the goodies that comes with the membership.  Totally worth it.  And we really do have a great little library here.  Little Miss loves the summer programs and the kids' computer corner.  And it's pretty!

Since Molly is not an official Friend of the Library, she couldn't share the joy of the book sale (sad when it's one's own family), but I think she enjoyed her library time.

Catching up with the periodicals by the window with a view of the fountains in City Park.

And Molly seemed to enjoy the math game she was playing in the kids' computer corner.  I think this may become a regular field trip for these two.  Oh!  Sad thought!  Not for long, because next fall my baby, my baby!, will be in school during the day.  Sob.

Which brings me to my open sobbing at Walmart, in the girls' clothing department.  We were just browsing away, sorting through piles of $3 clearance knit shorts when Little Miss nonchalantly says, "I think my tooth is loose."  WHAT???  Let me see.  Good Lord, how it's still hanging in there is a wonder!   Thank goodness Molly was nearby and composed as I had to hide in the True Jackson and Wizards of Waverly Place display and try to pull it together.  How did this happen?  She just got all her teeth.  I clearly remember sitting in Margie's Italian Kitchen on Labor Day 2005 when I thought she was going to gum my finger, but instead almost amputated it with the very same ginzu-knife-sharp just-on-the-verge-of-erupting tooth that is now being discarded by her going-to-do-it-no-matter-how-hard-I-fight-it growing up self.

You can't tell, but that sucker rocks back and forth like the crowd outside a Cracker Barrel after church. 

She immediately had to call Aunt Sunny and Lolly (and Lolo) who are visiting in California.  The response from both her Papa and father was, "Do you want me to pull it?"  Her response, "I don't like boys."  Thank God for that.  I'm barely hanging on to this crazy train to maturity, I don't even want to think about boys.  Although there was one in her gymnastics class that was very chatty and chummy I noticed from the parents' room.  I'm glad we're switching to cheerleading--all girls.

To wrap up on a happy note, here's today's trophies.  Minus the Peanuts collection book Little Miss took to bed.  There were a lot of good 60s/70s crafts books, but not as many worthwhile cookbooks--I did find the Art of Scandinavian Cooking/Art of Dutch Cooking cookbook from the early '60s.  There were more kids' books this time, which worked out well.  Having Little Miss with me really cut out my serious hunting, though. I may be late coming home from work tomorrow...

Bluebonnets 2010

We had planned to do the annual rite of Texasness--spring pictures in the bluebonnets--at the Shaw-Kemp/Nebo Valley open house last weekend.  The weekend it was raining like you oughtta build an ark.  I was afraid I was just going to keep putting it off and miss the wildflowers entirely.  So, I had a bull-by-the-horns moment today after Little Miss and I had dinner with Molly and Papa.  I've admired the indian paintbrushes in this subdivision down the road for the last couple of weeks.  I didn't realize the abundance of bluebonnets until we we were driving around it tonight.

I think I did wait too long in the day and missed the good light.  Maybe we'll take another run at it tomorrow--since I'm playing hooky from school.  I do have a doctor's appointment, so it is an excused absence!  My right foot's been ever so slightly swollen for three weeks now, and this is my third doctor's visit about it.  Sheesh.

Now for the good stuff.

For a happy kid, she sure can hide it from a camera.

I think that one's my favorite.

No, it's that one.

I've seen pictures of white bluebonnets, but these are the first I remember seeing in person.  Since you weren't there, here's some pictures for you!

That's supposed to be a smile.

There they are--bluebonnets 2010.  I've decided I have to go back to take pictures in better light.  But now I have to go bathe the model--who is making her dog howl along with her accordian "playing".  I've got to get video of that posted!

Still Lost

So...it's what?  Four more episodes.  Where is this thing going?  How are they going to wrap up all the story lines and hanging threads in four episodes.  I hate to admit this publicly, but I'm going to go hit the boards and see if there are any spoilers out there.  Surely somebody can explain the polar bears.  And wasn't there a virus that killed some of the tailies?  Does Jack really have a son named David, or is it just in the one parallel time line?  How was it possible to kill Jacob?  What/who is Smokey...I'll be glad when this is over.

Little Drummer Girl

Twenty-nine days of school and counting.  Is there any other profession where people wish large portions of their lives away just to make it to the goal of a couple of months (or weeks...or days) off?  Probably.  Anyway, it's springtime and the sap is running high in the high school.

Little Miss and I had a girls' night--even though it meant returning to school.  We dined at a new restaurant in town...

She seemed lukewarm in her review of the cheeseburger.  My spinach/mushroom/shrimp enchiladas with tomatillo salsa were pretty good.  I'm sure we'll go back.

Then it was off to the (free) percussion performance at the high school.  I had several students performing and an all percussion event sounded like it would be up Little Miss's alley.

There was a nice crowd,  but room enough that we could sit to ourselves without Little Miss's Twinkle Toe shoes bothering anyone.  I never noticed how bright those things are until we were sitting in a darkened auditorium.  I was quite impressed with the performance.  The percussion group has done very well in UIL competitions and has been invited to several percussion events.  They even kept an antsy five-year-old entertained.  High praise, indeed.

There were two door prize drawings.  We struck out in the first round--three prizes but not any for tickets 518 or 519...Then came the second round, just before the next to last piece--thank goodness (you'll understand why shortly). 

The first number was called...565!  Strike!  "Will we win? Will we win? Please, please, please!," Little Miss chants...And then...519!!!  We win!!  Off she shoots, in front the whole crowd, mind you, up to the front of the auditorium were she receives...

DRUMSTICKS!!! 

She rushed back up the aisle screaming, "I'm a winner!  I'm a winner!  Drumsticks!  Oh, boy!  Oh, boy!"  And, she adds, she wasn't nervous AND she said thank you to the band director.

She managed to make through the next two pieces, but as soon as the show was over, the wrapper was whipped off and she was knick, knack, paddy-wacking everything in sight.  Apparently the best acoustic tone in my car is found by repeatedly hitting the driver side headrest.  The rear driver side window works pretty well, as does the interior roof.  We 5-6-7-8ed all the way home.  With some boom-chica-chica-boom-booms thrown in.  Heaven help me.  I will be emailing the drumline director as soon as I get to work tomorrow to thank him for his generosity.  Or something.

Once we got home,  something even better sound-wise presented itself:

Then we moved to the living room--this fish in the aquarium will never be the same.  I did manage to get the puppy out of her crate before Desi Arnez here beat out Babalou on it.  She took them to bed with her.  You never know what will come of a cultural enrichment outing!

Raining

All weekend...rain, rain, rain...

Gutters would probably be a good idea.

There was a Fiestaware rainbow in my cupboard,  though.

But what's a little rain when you've got plans?  We charged ahead yesterday--with the exception of the planned bluebonnet picture outing.  First, I was up (too early) for a Saturday meeting about Little Miss's cheer team.  You read that right.  She's developed a cheerleader obsession just as her gym is starting competitve cheer teams.  And she READ the flyer on the door.  She figured out the word "cheerleading" anyway...and so it begins.  Weekly cheer classes, an ungodly amount of money for the uniform, bow, socks, pompoms and bag, and four to six competitions in the fall through spring that require an entry fee as well--really?  I don't ever remember wanting to be a cheerleader.  Dance lessons, piano lessons, art classes, yes.  I should point out to Molly and Papa how much money I saved them back in the day.  Of course, I don't know that there was such a thing as competitive cheerleading when I was a kid.  Anyway...we'll be selling candles for our first fundraiser in a couple of weeks.  Just email me with how many I should put you down for.

I continued my soggy journey to the post office and, on a whim, experienced my first estate sale.  I will just assume all the good stuff went in the forty-five minutes before I got there.  Or else this lady lived a very spartan life.

And then met the rest of the Nockinbirds at Lowes for a Build and Grow project.

A planter with a clear front panel so we can watch the plants/roots grow.

I think we were given Roma tomato seeds.

Another patch to add to our apron--which are still on backorder at Lowes.

Little Miss and I continued our soggy adventure at Walmart.  A refreshing lunch at McDonald's was needed to restore our flagging shopping stamina.

And it kept raining and raining and raining.  It rained as Loverboy made his best biscuits to date this morning.

It rained as Little Miss entertained herself creating a variety of vignettes, or "objects" as she calls them.

It kept raining when we went to Molly and Papa's.  They're letting a lot of water out of the lake, but it's not into the playground equipment at the park, much to Little Miss's relief.  It sprinkled as we came home.  Tomorrow is supposed to be clear.  Of course.

Recent events and doings

This was the weekend for the Nabisco Delicious Living 100 calorie snack houseparty--check out houseparty.com.  It was the first one I applied for and I got to do it!  Here's my "host gift":

The photo doesn't do justice to the "swirling purple rhinestones" on the double mirror compact.  The parties were supposed to be on Saturday, but I was giving the ACT at the crack of dawn and it was our prom that night, so I could attendance at the gala was going to suffer. So, I moved it to Friday at lunch in my classroom.

Except for the tablecloth and the two purple bowls, all the goodies came from Houseparty.  Fudge Petites, both shortbread and mint, coupons, magnetic frames and the plastic mini martini glasses with the "100 cal" logo.  I must say the ladies seemed the most excited by the "Diet Like a Diva" theme, but the gentlemen didn't turn down free cookies. 

I must say I do work with a fun group.  And no, my walls are not usually so dismal and covered in black plastic, but the TAKS is soon upon us and EVERYTHING must be covered!!  And if it's not...I'm sure wretched, painful things will befall us.  So, from February (English test) through the end of April (all other tests), I work in a dungeon. 

After the joy of adminstering the ACT Saturday, I picked up Little Miss and the remaining houseparty goodies and we had our second event.

A very exclusive, invitation only event at our local historic hotel (still for sale if anyone's interested--email me!).  Though it looks like they're prisoners here, another good time was had by all.  Molly, Little Miss, Uncle Bubba and I had a ripping time.  Even followed it up with an excursion to Walmart.  Jealous, aren't you?

Sunday we had impromptu concerts and a visit to the mediclinic because someone who just got over pneumonia was coughing and coughing and coughing...and had a smidge of fever,  so off we went.  Why do children insist on getting sick on the weekend?  A little steroid in the breathing treatment and she was right as rain.  I'm overprotective, and that's just the way it's gonna be.

As for today--given the desperate need on the part of the teachees to recap prom in minute detail, not much was accomplished by this teacher today.  For those interested, Kroger has rotisserie chickens for $4.99 (and if you register your shopper card at their website you can get a $2.00 off coupon--$2.99 for for a dinner that someone else cooked!).  I was VERY interested since we have peanut butter, vinegar, and flour, and not much else in the pantry--and that was not inspiring culinary greatness in me today.  Loverboy had to run to Waco for something with the taxes,  so Little Miss and I and Emily Elizabeth enjoyed a girls' night.  They (daughter and dog) ate almost half the chicken before I could the whole thing picked off the bones.  For a mini-daschund/pomeranian, she can get quite pushy when there's a rotisserie chicken in the house--or when she hears me cracking hard-boiled eggs.  They both enjoyed the steamed broccoli as well.  I hope that's okay for dogs...hmm.  But the big hit (for me and Little Miss, anyway) were the cute little ice cream cups with a tiny spoon included!!

Without the tiny spoon--it would have been okay...but with the tiny spoon--"delish!" according to my four foot food critic.

We watched Dancing With The Stars before bed (and a little after bedtime, too).  She felt the need for accessories apparently...