Go Team--cold and wet

As luck would have it, the coldest, rainiest day of the whole track season (including practice days) was yesterday for our only home meet. I got the the stadium just in time to see H line up for the hurdles. Then the most amazing thing happened. The gun went off and there was H hurdling down the track. This is the teenager that daily falls down the 5 steps between levels here at home. Her form was incredible, straight leg over the hurdle, didn't hit any, or knock any over. She didn't win, but she got a Mom's medal for sure!!! She then ran the 100 and looked like she was trying her best. I was teary eyed at her effort. Then I got to sit in the mist and cold for an hour and a half and wait for her relay. Unfortunately, 2 of the 4 relay runners weren't as hardy as this parent and WENT HOME. They almost scratched the relay, but H wouldn't let them as she had a cold, wet Mom watching. Unfortunately, H had to run the first leg, not her leg, and they were WAY behind after the first lap. (It was the 4 x 400) So they came in 7th out of 8 and we got to go home--yay! I was so happy to get to see her run, so proud of all her hard work at practice and learning how to hurdle.

The school year is winding up with LOTS of activities. Kat is running for Treas of the Student Council. So we will have to make tons of stickers, a few posters and a speech. Hopefully having a 2nd grade sister will bring in a few votes. Abby has a field trip next week, Kat the next. M is speaking at a youth retreat in SE MO soon. H has a couple activities, softball is in full swing--pun intended. Em has Kindergarten Roundup tomorrow night. Jess is still trying to figure out her summer school options. Yikes!! May will be a blur like April WAS!!

Em and I are headed to run the errands, poster board and milk. We have some Kohl's $ to spend from shopping for Gramma and H. It's Senior Citizen day at Kohl's and they are typically ruthless to shop around in the store--yikes! Em thinks it's her turn for new duds, and she's right. Mom will get her turn in 10 more years or so. lol.

Maybe the sun will return to KC so we can have a jog at the park. I'm up to 8 laps---non stop. 7 laps is 2 miles---hope to be at 10 laps by Memorial Day--where I was at Labor Day--such a loser. I do have a Park Pal, a Blackburn mom that I meet there. She doesn't jog much yet, but I'm working on her. At least meeting someone there gets me out of the house, off the couch, out of the laundry room, etc. Will try not to let this head full of allergy junk let me get off track. I've never "snotted:" on the trail, like a real runner, but I might or might not. :)

The Land of Opportunity

Well, we made it back from the great state of AR. It was a lovely drive thru the "hoot and hollars" of N Central AR. I learned so many new things on this trip. When I was an HU student, we traveled on different highways and byways. Then when we went on our family reunion camping extravaganza, still different highways. So I'm just now learning this route. One of the most memorable sights has to finding the Rusty Engine Club of No. Ark. This big yard had rusty farm implements with one tractor suspended in the air over the sign. It was amazing! I never knew that there was a real club for such things. I kept my eye peeled all the rest of the way and home again for the other Rusty Clubs, like the Rusty Appliance Club and the Rusty Vehicle Club and Junky Yard Sale Headquarters etc.... There are so many members to the fore-mentioned clubs, but their meeting places may be elsewhere. I'll keep looking though. :)

It was a fun, fun weekend. H was an awesome traveling companion. She wouldn't take a turn driving, but she did share her Easter treats with me to keep me awake. I had so much chocolate and Diet Coke I could croak at the thought of either anytime soon. (A new phenomena for one on a steady choco-diet for 40+ years). She enjoyed putting the middle seat down and recline the back seat and watch a DVD of her choosing, no one to argue with her at all. A rare occurrence and she enjoyed it.

We stayed with my college friends. They make it so easy to come and go do our stuff return, eat, leave etc.....It was so fun to get to visit with their grown up kids. I am still amazed at how fun it is to get to know the adult children of one's friends. Even when you knew them as kids. It's so cool how they turn out to be real people that you like to see and with whom to visit. We had this happen alot over the years to our cousins (love their big kids) and lots of friends, but it's still amazing. It's that "time warp" effect. How can these cute little kids, turn into grown-ups and could that happen to mine? Weird, I know.

Anyway, we got to see Jess some. She was busy performing in the show as a ninja--a gorgeous one, but very scary, fighting, singing ninja. We LOVED the show. My friends and I drove our kids crazy telling them "how it used to be in the olden days." But we were quick to say that the old shows were sad compared to the huge production numbers and the amazing talent that we saw. Such a deal and so fun!!! Jess' club got 1st runner up (translated: came in 2nd) and they were pleased, wanted to win, but ok with 2nd---won 1st in costumes---very nice! So it's over and Jess can resume a normal college life of study, study, study---yeah, right. :) Glad she had so much fun---stuff she will always remember.

The girls were glad to have their mom come home. So was their dad. :) I forgot how cute they were, after only 3 days, huh. Em has let me hold her about 5 times, alot for her. We went to the park this am and I tried to run off a few Easter choco treats. I had a really nice run--about 2 miles and prob worked off only 1 handful of peanut M & M's. Maybe by this time next week, I'll be 1/2 way there. :)

Time to reclaim the laundry and look for the vacuum. :)

Spring Sing--Whoa Everybody, Spring Sing, YEAH!!!

No time to tell too much. H and I are headed out in the am to go see Jess. ( M is staying here with the other 3) It's the big Spring Sing weekend and we have to see Jess in her one and only SS experience. Her club is doing a Karate number and she is bad guy. That's all I know right now. But H and I are very excited to witness the whole event. I haven't been in MANY years. FUN!! Hope to run into some OLD friends. Always fun to stay with Dan and Tam. Dan makes the best waffles in the world and Tam the toppings!! Totally worth the drive thru the Ozark "steep and curvy" in my new silver chariot. :)

Lots to do to get ready to go. Will try to do the Easter treats early or get them ready for M to put out. We'll see on that. Have laid out the Sunday good clothes. I won't be here to see how bad their hair looks, so does it really matter? Kind of like the tree crashing in the forest. Does it really make a sound? Does their hair matter if I'm not here---YES, OF COURSE---WHAT KIND OF REASONING IS THAT??? I ask myself? Yes, I'm a bit looney at this point.

Headed to drop off Abby at softball practice. Then we'll have some Easter ham so there will be sandwiches while I'm gone. Am sure there will be LOTS to report when I get home.

VAN-tastic!!

Well, the big news here is a SHOCKER!! Who knew that when our van clunked and wouldn't shift on our way to church last Sun nite, that it was the final straw for our head of the household! I had my final straw in June, after being stranded in Sedalia, MO--Jess and I wanted to push the dead van over the train tracks, but we didn't make it. ANYWAY, who would have guessed that this Sunday we would be driving a shiny, silver, new to us, 05 Dodge Caravan with only 22,000 miles??? We went out looking on Tuesday nite and then Thurs nite--after it quit hailing and the tornadic winds that took off some shingles in our neighborhood subsided. We had done our internet and Consumer Reports homework, drove the lowest mileage one on the lot with the "stuff:" we wanted and we were ready to deal. Mark would have made my dad proud by dickering with the salesman. We picked up our van on Friday afternoon. We laughed at how quickly they drove our old white van (with only 2 hubcaps) to the back of their lot. We have enjoyed finding all the cup holders, enjoying the working air conditioning--without a horrible stench that we had in "whitey". The girls can recline the seats, Em has a more comfy and safe car seat. They had a little glimpse on the DVD player---the radio must be on or it won't work. We listened to CD's on the way to and from services. We have never had a working tape player much less a CD player--sweet!! The stow and go storage will be really handy when we haul the "college girl" stuff. The back seats fold down flat and there is storage under the front seats too. NICE!! We didn't even know what features were out there. Things have changed in the 5 years since we looked at vans, much less 10 since our old van was new. So you can tell that we are excited about our new wheels---so comforting to know that we can get home when we head out of the neighborhood. We hope to never see another odometer turn over to 200,000 miles. Guess that means we will have to get rid of M's truck in the next 14,000 miles. :)

I laughed about us being so excited about an "almost new" vehicle. (We open the garage door and look at it.) If 50 is the new 30, then I guess it's not that weird that we are still learning how to survive in this ole world and delighting in new treasures. Of course Mark is a LOT closer to 50 than I am, but I'm still enjoying the ride on the "knowledge train." (I just made that up--no idea what it means). I do remember that my dad used to get "new car fever" every couple years and would have to go out and "kick some tires." Then before too many months, he'd come home with a new car. He had NEW cars, while we have "new to us" cars, but he would be pleased at the deal we got. The ladies at the credit union were impressed--what more do ya need?

Other than finishing my meds and getting to wear my contacts and MASCARA--not much else is new. H is running in a couple track meets every week. Kat started softball tonight---coach looks ok--team is inexperienced, but may be ok. Abby starts on Thurs. Em was playing Slap Jack with her imaginary friend, Sarah, today. I don't know why Sarah still plays with her, Em always beats her. So funny to see Em slap the pile for herself, and sometimes for Sarah. :)

The ball game is over---who really cares??? So I'll head to bed!!