Not a good week to be sick

Michael obviously didn't get the memo.  It is NOT a good week to be sick.  His fever is really going to put a damper on this week if he doesn't kick it soon.

Unlike many of my Ohio and Kentucky and California friends, we aren't exactly close to the end of school yet.  Well, Michael is.  He only has 5 days left...and it looks like he'll be missing today.  Bummer.  But Lily and Andrew still have a month left.  Our last day of school is June 19, so we are still entrenched in projects, homework, and "real" school work.  Okay...they're in 3rd and Kindergarten.  "Entrenched" may be a strong word :)

This is also a week when I wish grandparents and aunts and uncles lived close.  Because if we have to stay home with a sick Michael, that means only one parent gets to attend the event...not an impressive audience representation.  Not to mention they may actually enjoy witnessing some of these things.

This week includes:

--Tonight is Andrew's first (and last?) orchestra concert.  I would like to say he has been working very hard towards it...but I haven't heard him practice in over a month.  Still, it is impressive how much he has learned this year and I think he is actually kind of a natural at it.  Hence the not practicing.

--Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Lily has actual t-ball games.  I submit there is nothing cuter that Lily in a softball uniform.  She is really good at stopping ground balls...and...well...she smiles and has fun through all the rest of it!

--Thursday night is a Media Festival.  Andrew has been nominated for an award for a photosynthesis glog he created...a computer project they did in his class.  Only 55 projects were nominated in our district...and since we have 8 elementary schools in the district (our school alone has 800 students)...that's pretty impressive that he has been invited.

--Wednesday is Michael's school field day.  Which they are having from 10:30-1:00.  Which makes me wonder how exactly I am supposed to get Lily to school that day (her bus comes at 12:35).

--Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I have set up playdates at our house.  These are with people that we've been trying desperately to connect with.  Lily has no school Tuesday (it is a half day for Andrew...only AM Kindergarten is to attend), so it is an opportunity to meet up with those allusive AM Kindergartners.

--Friday is Lily's field day...which they are having in the morning...once again the afternoon kids get shuffled around and shafted.  Second class citizens.

--Andrew has field day on Friday as well...but I am not planning on attending or contributing at all.  Mother of the Year.

--I am getting a filling on Thursday afternoon.

--Sometime Thursday our new washer and dryer will be delivered...YAY!

--We have the normal swim lessons scheduled (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) and lacrosse practice (Wednesday evening).

Yup.  Not a good week to have to stay at home with a feverish kid.

Michael-isms

Story Part 1: I told the kids that I was drinking a lot of fluids because going to give blood.

Part 2:  Michael gasps, looks at me with a very alarmed look on his face, takes my hand and says, "No, Mom!  You need your blood to LIVE!"  I explained that while I do indeed need blood to live, I can give a little bit of it away to help sick people.

Part 3:  While making dinner that night, Michael commented that the ground meat looked bloody.  He asked if I could give that away instead of my own blood.  I said no.

Part 4:  While I was away donating, Jeff put Michael to bed.  Michael explained to Jeff that I was going to be giving cow's blood away to help sick people.

???


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While passing the party supply aisle at Target, Michael hollars, "Mom!  We have GOT to get one of these!"

"What is it Michael?"

"A Hi-yah-ta.  You know...you go 'Hi-yah' to it."

"You mean pinata?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff was reading a story to Michael before bed.  It had a mare, a colt, and a stallion in it.

Jeff asked, "Michael, do you know what a mare is?"

Michael looks him like he's crazy.  "Yes.  It's the person in charge of the town."

And he's the one that has never lived in the south!

A photo post to distract from the fact I haven't written in 2 months...

So.  2 months.  

First, I went to Ohio.  Alone.  Well, with the 3 kids...but no Jeff.  It was actually easy (until the ride home...but whatev's).  And then my wonderful in-laws watched the kids while I went down to Cincinnati to help my parents pack up their house.  They have now moved to their new house in Columbus where both my sisters live.  

Next, there was the yearbook project.  Hours upon hours of computer time spent begging parents and teachers for pictures, creating pages and formatting pictures, and then there's all the trips to the school to take pictures that were needed.

Someone will not be volunteering to do yearbook again.

And then...just as the yearbook was submitted (April 29th!), I got a call last Tuesday, that my very good friend Alwyn (mother of Michael's co-birthday party buddy) has cancer.  Stage IV rectal cancer.  At the age of 40.  So the last week has sent me reeling...and given me 4 children instead of 3 as I watched Michael's friend, and cooked her family meals, and did lots of computer searching about her cancer while she went to a million different doctor's appointments.  I am still processing this whole thing.

But I have pictures!  And not just of random children in random classrooms from a random school in PA.  

So enjoy!  Here's what we've been up to...

Softball!  Lily has started this spring...and she doesn't actually have very many games because not very many girls signed up for t-ball.  But she got a really cute uniform, and seems to just love it.  Even after she got hit with a ball in the thigh (ouch) and the top of her foot (ouch!  and why mom told her to put shoes on...ahem...)

We've been trying to learn chess.  Actually, since this picture was taken, Michael has totally lost interest.  Shocker.

The children's choir sang at church.  Not sideways.  But I am not spending the time to figure out how to flip this picture.  So you can turn your head.  ;)

We had Easter.  After a marathon drive home from Ohio, where Lily and Michael and I were sick with fevers, coughs, and general malaise.  No barfing.  So that was good.  But Michael didn't eat any candy out of his basket for 3 days!!!  I almost called 911 on the 3rd day, but he choked down a Peep...and then devoured the rest in less than a week.

 The Easter bunny always hides the eggs outside...no matter how cold or wet it is.  What a dumb tradition.  Who thought of that?

Michael and Jeff tried out the Home Depot project.  Michael wasn't feeling good that day, so it was a little anti-climatic.  We will have to try again.

Andrew has started lacrosse.  It's a lot more serious this spring...2 practices and a game each week.  He LOVES it...and he's actually holding his own on a team of 3rd and 4th graders.  He's been asked to join a summer tournament team.  The boy who used to dramatically fall down and wince at every little injury is getting checked in the head, and stepped on with cleats, and shooting goals (2 out of 4 for his team one game, and the only non-travel team kid to score in another) and pumping fists and having a grand time.  He's just found his sport, I think.

Michael turned 5...for real.  After 2 birthday parties (on with his friends and one in Ohio with grandparents), it was time to finally finish the birthday month.  But I think I love 5 year olds most of all.  It was so cute how excited he was to be FIVE!  and how much more he could do because he was FIVE and how he spent all his time telling random strangers that he was FIVE!

May is the season of performances...Mother's Day, spring, etc.  Andrew's was last week...the entire 3rd grade performed the Star Spangled Salute.  It was really cute to hear them all singing patriotic songs and reciting poems (yawn) and all the rest.

The kids have really been enjoying climbing our little Japanese maple tree in the front.  It isn't so little anymore, I guess. :)

And then last Sunday, Lily had her dance recital.  The video is priceless.  ;)  Here are some shots from before and after the performance.  Slicking her hair back just made her look so much older!

Okay.  I'll try and make it less than 2 months.  There are so many cute stories that happened and now I won't be able to remember them in 5 years, because I haven't written them down.  Must do this for myself if noone else :)