Birthdays

I am happy to say all the birthday parties are done for the year. Owen finally decided he wanted try laser tag for his birthday. We've never done it before, but I saw that they had it at Boondocks, so I decided to have his party there. We had 8 kids, which is a nice, manageable number. I ended up changing the time at the last minute since it turned out to be the same day/time as the soccer club Christmas party, which he also wanted to attend. Luckily there was space later in the afternoon and everyone was able to switch. We got out there and the first part of the party is at the table with the pizza and cake. Luckily it didn't happen until after we got our pizza, but there was a sudden power outtage. It flickered once and came back on, but then it went out again. We had no idea how long it would be out. The party hostess let the kids go outside and play miniature golf even though that wasn't part of our original plan. They came back in afterwards to have the cake and open presents. The power was still out so Owen started getting upset and crying because he had only wanted to do laser tag and of course, all the indoor stuff wasn't working. The go-karts were still running, so we got in line for that, and just as we were about to get on, the street lights came back and power was restored. The kids were all freezing from being out doing the go-karts, so they were happy to come in and finally get to play 2 games of laser tag since we got extra ride tickets due to the power failure. So the party went on a little longer than planned, but they all got to use their arcade tokens and everything, so it turned out o.k. in the end. After Declan being sick for his party and the snow storm, I thought I was going to be 0-2 on birthday parties this year!

Scot is taking the day off tomorrow, which is very rare, but he got some extra vacation days in November and has to use them or lose them. Of course by the time he got them, the vacation calendar was pretty full, so he had to pick some random days. He has two days off in a row next week, also, so that is nice, but tomorrow is even nicer since the kids will be in school and we can do something just the two of us.

I'm not sure we are going to get any outside lights up this year, which is kind of sad. We still have a lot of snow from last week since it hasn't really been warm enough to melt off like it usually does. I guess it's only the 12th, but for some reason, it feels like Christmas is just around the corner! I did design our Christmas photo, so I just need to get those printed and I can start sending out some cards.

Cancun

Well, we are back from Mexico and being thrown into the chaos of December. I am trying not to get too stressed, but honestly, it's not my favorite time of the year, apart from the fact that my parents are coming to visit!

We left for Cancun on a Tuesday. My friend Dawn and her family had flown out the day before and unfortunately had a 3+ hour delay for their flight, but luckily ours was on schedule. We parked at a park-n-ride and took the bus to the airport so we wouldn't have to deal with airport parking and it was also cheaper. I had a little issue at security, but otherwise we got through pretty quickly. I refused to go through the big scanner so I had the pat-down. Luckily they didn't try to put the kids through that since I don't know what I would have done in that case. Our flight was direct to Cancun, so once we were on the plane it was smooth sailing. We got in a little early, even. We went through passport control and then made our way outside to the shuttle. We made two stops before our resort, but we got in around dinner time. The kids were disappointed that there were no green drinks waiting for us like last time. We saw Dawn in the lobby so she walked with us back to our room, but they had dinner reservations for that night so we ate in the buffet. We caught up with them after dinner in the game room.

Our room had a king bed and a pull-out couch, so like last year, we used the cushions from the couch to make one bed and the kids took turns sleeping on the floor or the sofa bed. Wednesday was a warm, sunny day so we headed out to the beach/pool. I prefer to swim in the ocean, but the kids ended up spending a lot of time in the pool since they were doing games there and water polo. The pool water was definitely warmer than last year, since they had just opened the main pool as we were leaving. Since the ocean water was clear, we checked out some snorkel equipment and snorkeled around the beach area. The resort did a Mayan show at noon since it was Mexican day. That night they had the outdoor Mexican buffet, which had some yummy food. It was disappointing that they didn't have the games for the kids like last year, or the pinata.

Thursday was another warm day so we again hung out at the beach/pool. In the afternoon we had a chance to take out the sea kayaks. They had some double ones, so Scot took Declan and Owen rode with me. That night we had dinner reservations at La Riviera, so the kids all went to the kids club for a couple hours. We fed them first in the buffet. Their friends were there, too, so I think it was not so bad for them to be there.

Friday we had all booked an all-day excursion to Xel-ha. We were only there for the afternoon last year and felt pretty rushed. We had to leave early since there were some stops at hotels in Playa del Carmen, but there was a breakfast buffet opening when we got there. We ate and then went out snorkeling. We ended up at a trail that led us to a rope swing, so the kids had fun swinging off into the water. We walked more and made it to the big cliff jump. I was very impressed that both the kids jumped off, twice. I decided to try it, and I have to say, it was kind of scary from the top, but I did it. We made our way down to the zip lines and then took a lunch break. We did more snorkeling after lunch and then just relaxed in the kids area and hammock area until it was time to get on the bus. Even though the driver told us to wait by this sign, no one was there so Scot finally found the bus and everyone was already on it, even though it was before the meeting time. Luckily they didn't leave without us!

On Saturday the weather was getting kind of windy, but it was fun to have some waves in the ocean to play in. The guys also started in with the beach volleyball. We ate at the steak house that night, although I actually had some salmon. It was better than the mediterranean restaurant, but it was closed last year so this was our first chance to try it. Sunday the weather was pretty breezy but we still played in the pool.

Monday we booked an excursion to Selvatica to do some zip lines. We were up above the tree tops and it was kind of windy, so that made it more exciting. Declan was very worried and didn't want to go, but the guy chatted with him and put him more at ease, and after the first zip line he was fine. Scot went upside down for one of the ziplines, but I didn't try that. I was afraid my glasses would fall off into the jungle! After the ziplines, we went on a bungee swing thing, and then took an army truck to a cenote for a couple more zip lines into the water. It was too cold for me, but Scot and kids took the plunge. We got back to the resort in the afternoon, so we had a late lunch and then hung out with our friends for the evening.

We had to check out at noon on Tuesday but the shuttle wasn't coming until 1, so we packed up and did some last minute swimming. Scot and Owen went snorkeling in the resort cenote since we hadn't had a chance for that yet. After checking out, we hung out at the snack bar until the shuttle arrived. Everything was fine at the airport and on the flight home, and we ended up back at the house around 9:30 p.m.

I have been feeling somewhat scattered since school and sports started up. We have something going on every night between soccer practices and scouts, but luckily most of the time we are done by 6 so it doesn't interfere with dinner too much. We are getting into the routine, though. I am trying to get to the gym again, and have gone to three one hour classes this week so far.

The kids had their first soccer and baseball games last weekend. Unfortunately, most of their soccer games are at the same or similar time, so Scot and I will have to alternate. I watched Owen's game, so this weekend I will take Declan. It was nice to see Owen's team win after the spring, when they didn't win any games. They got moved back one division, and it seems like a much better fit. Owen played well, and even took the ball up for a shot on the goal, which I've never seen him do before. I keep telling him he needs to practice all the positions and not just stay in defense, so I guess he is finally thinking about it. When he moves up to U-11, he has to try out, so I told him he would have a better chance if he practiced playing in both offense and defense. I guess Declan's game went well and he scored 2 goals. Sunday was baseball, and that went pretty well, too. Declan wasn't feeling well, but he did get one hit. Owen also hit the ball out to center field, but unfortunately, the guy caught it so he was out. He got walked the second time at bat. I'm glad he got a good hit since he really struggled with that last fall and got discouraged. I didn't really expect him to want to do it again, but he is on the team with several kids from school, so that is nice. Declan also has a few friends from school on his team, and some are siblings of kids on Owen's team, so he has kids to hang out with for Owen's games, which tend to run longer. It keeps our weekends pretty busy, but I actually enjoy watching them play.

As for me, I'm not doing much besides trying to exercise. I have 3 bags of clothes the kids have outgrown to donate somewhere, but I haven't had the courage to start in with the toys. Some days I just feel like getting rid of it all! I'm helping at the school library for a couple hours on Friday mornings, which is when Declan's class comes in, along with about 4 others, so it gets busy! Owen doesn't have a library time set aside this year, and can just come down when he wants something. He is reading the Percy Jackson series at home, and another book at school, so he really hasn't needed to check one out. I'm going a field trip with Declan's class on Friday to the Botanic Gardens, so that should be fun. We had a ton of rain today, but it's supposed to be nice again by Friday.

I haven't watched very many movies lately, but I did watch I Love You, Phillip Morris, which I enjoyed quite a bit. I am also watching The Good Wife on DVD and really liking that. I am trying to watch Dexter, but the 2nd disc has been on very long wait, so I am only 3 episodes in. There are a couple new series that look interesting, but I'm not sure I will bother with many new ones since shows seem to get cancelled so quickly. I would rather wait and see if it pans out and then watch it on DVD or online.

I am reading The Blade of Shattered Hope by James Dashner. It's the third in a young adult series. The author is writing another series that I started first and really liked, so I am waiting for the 3rd one of the Mazerunner. I also just finished the Rob Lowe autobiography. It was interesting to read after reading Melissa Gilbert's autobiography, in which she goes on and on about Rob Lowe and how they were soulmates, but it didn't work out because of the timing and the trappings of fame. Rob Lowe mentioned her about twice in his book. lol

Yes, I am lame. I need to get into the habit of updating more now that my days have slowed down a little. We are still kind of nonstop during the afternoon and evening since soccer and baseball are starting up, not to mention Scouts. Somehow the schedule has worked out pretty well except that Owen's scout meetings are scheduled during one of his soccer practices, so we need to see how we can work that out. Luckily it's only through October so maybe we can alternate leaving soccer practice early and being late to scouts or something.

We just booked a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico, back to the same resort we went to last year. I'm very excited, and happy that our friends just booked up, also. I think the kids are always going to expect to have friends with them on trips now! I need to look for a good deal on a waterproof camera since I am unhappy with our little point and shoot anyway. It just isn't focusing very well any more, and I'm afraid it's a sign that it is wearing out. I bought it back when Owen was in preschool, so it's kind of old by now, I guess! I am also looking into getting some prescription snorkel goggles so I don't miss out on that again due to my handicap. I really wish I could wear contacts again, but I'm scared to try after my eyes got so irritated last time. Maybe I will be brave enough to get that surgery. I think I would be happy in the end, but it is a creepy procedure. I guess that's why they offer you a valium before you go in!

We don't have any special plans for Labor Day Weekend. I am hoping the weather is nice one of the days since we were hoping for one more day at the water park part of Elitch's. Scot hasn't really had a chance to go to that part as much as we did. We also might check out Taste of Colorado downtown, although I am not into the crowds. It can be fun to try the various foods, at least for us adults.

This is me, this morning, taken with the webcam but filterized with Photoshop, just for fun. I am really looking forward to the hair cut I will be getting while I am in California! I had a slow start to the day, sleeping in until 10 a.m., thanks to earplugs. Owen had a friend sleep over last night, and they got up pretty early, as I expected. Luckily Scot got up and I was able to catch up on some sleep. When I got up, I saw the email about the adopters being approved for Dottie. They came and picked her up this afternoon. I hope she is settling in well. I gave them the blanket she had been sleeping on while here so she would have something familiar with her. The timing was actually pretty great since we are leaving on a series of three trips and she would have to be shuffled off to someone else's house while we were gone anyway.

Yesterday Scot and I saw Horrible Bosses. It was pretty funny. Next on my list is Harry Potter, but I will wait until the crowds die down. Rio and Kung Fu Panda are both at the cheapy theater right now, so I'll probably take the kids to see those if we get a chance. Our days seem to get booked up pretty fast. I'm hoping to get one more trip in to Elitch's this week since it's supposed to be pretty hot. It's easy to spend the day at the water park part of it!

The kids are signed up for their fall sports, which will be baseball and soccer. I knew Declan wanted to do baseball again, but I was surprised when Owen said he wanted to, also. They both have friends playing, so I'm hoping they get the teams I requested for them. I still need to get school supplies, but that can wait until we're done travelling. We'll still have two weeks left of summer after we get back from Pittsburgh.

I am back, but knows for how long! It is hard in the summer, not because the kids are home (although that can be hard sometimes), but mostly because we have no real schedule. I don't seem to do very well with less structure to my days. I am trying to not worry about it and just be flexible, but it seems like I am never home at the right time to think about dinner since we are often taking off for spontaneous excursions. I guess I need to focus on crock pot meals but I can't seem to get it together enough for that, either.

We just got back from 6 days of camping. It was nice to have the pop-up for the extended time since we are usually just camping for a weekend. I had enough food and only had to get more ice and milk as the week went on. The weather was nice, apart from the day we arrived and the night before we left.

I am being summoned to play Lego Harry Potter, so I will have to tell more tales of summer later!

These are the ribbons from Field Day, and the medal from Run with Rocky. Declan came in 2nd or 3rd for his grade and got the medal.


These are some yummy pastries my mom and I got from the French Bakery while she was visiting.

Some goodies that mom brought me. I love those Espresso Pillows from Trader Joe's!

Maybe I can get back on track for June. Things just got really busy for the last part of May, and now today was the last day of school. School got out two hours early, and mostly they just had pizza parties and free time. Declan's class could bring games to play, so he brough Guess Who? He mentioned a game called Thin Ice that he seemed to like, so I'll have to look that one up. After school we ended up going to Elitch's with friends, supposedly only until dinner time, but we actually didn't get home until 8 p.m. It was finally a pretty warm day, but we didn't do the water park part yet since that takes more preparation. I'm hoping to have a more low-key day tomorrow which will include going to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. Owen also has his piano lesson in the afternoon.

Owen ended up getting all 3's and 4's on his report card, so now we have to prepare to welcome a new pet into the home. Al Pacino is still available from the reptile humane society, so we need to start looking for equipment. I was reading more about skink care and was happy to discover that they don't require live animals. They eat mostly fruits and vegetables, and cooked meat. They only eat every other day, and can go longer without food, so if you have to leave for a few days, they can be left alone as long as you have your lights on timers. I originally thought bearded dragons were cuter, but it sounds like skinks are easier to care for and less fragile, so I guess I'm glad Owen ended up liking them best.

I haven't really signed the kids up for anything, but I may do a speed and agility class for the month of June. The other thing they are interested in is roller hockey, but the class doesn't really match with our schedule, so I may just take them to a learn to roller hockey thing they have for free on Fridays. I want to make sure they like it before investing in any equipment or classes. If they do like it, we can try to sign up during the winter when they aren't doing other sports.

Looks like I will be drinking hot coffee for the foreseeable future. It has been rainy and cold for most of the last week. I'm only hoping that it will be somewhat o.k. on Friday for field day.

Today I went to my exercise class, and then took Dottie to the clinic for her follow-up. We had to wait a long time to be seen, which was kind of annoying. Once we got in, they decided to puncture the cyst and get it draining. I have to squirt the antibiotic cream into the hole, and also spray something on the top. Unfortunately for Scot, he will have to take over nursing duties while I am gone at the workshop this weekend! Her adoption is still up in the air, I guess. The guy called me today to see if I'd heard anything. I really wish they'd get over the whole vaccination thing. I think the personal references are way more important. I really don't think dogs need all those shots every year, but I guess that's a whole other debate.

I am trying to get ready to host bunco tomorrow night. Most of the big cleaning is done, and I just need to do the last minute rooms like bathrooms and kitchen. Unfortunately, it's early release from school tomorrow, so I have to try and keep the kids from messing up all my hard work. I don't think they will be able to play outside due to rain. Owen got his project done tonight, so he won't have to worry about it tomorrow since he will be out and about during most of bunco. Not sure if Declan will have soccer practice or not. We got the schedule for his Memorial Day weekend tournament, and he has games at 8 a.m. on Sat. and Sun. That will be tough!

I don't know why I have this gum since I rarely chew it. It has been sitting around for quite some time! This morning I got up and went to exercise. It wasn't very busy for a Sunday, even though it was cold and yucky outside. Soccer game was cancelled due to rain. Things are looking pretty grim for the weather starting Wednesday again, just in time for field day on Friday. Hopefully something will change before then since it's more fun for the kids when it's at least a little warm! I guess it worked out well since it gave us some time to finish up Owen's Native American art project. Now he just needs to finish writing the report part. He has a bunch of facts, and just needs to organize it into a paragraph. It will be his last homework project for this year.

We also did our usual cleaning today, but a little more than usual since I'm getting ready to host bunco on Wednesday. It worked out nicely since my mom is arriving that night, also, so there are two reasons to clean!

We watched Despicable Me last night, which was cute. Owen said he didn't want to see it, but once it started he enjoyed it. He was hoping to watch a soccer game, but that is not as interesting for Declan, so I thought a movie would be better.

This is one of the books Owen picked out from the school book fair last week. We got our shopping done Tuesday after school since the rest of the week was looking busy. We had a possible soccer makeup game on Wednesday, which was also the only night of Declan's student-led conferences. Luckily it ended up raining so the game was cancelled and we were able to do both Owen and Declan's conferences that night. Owen had his own soccer makeup game on Thursday night, so it was better not to have to try and squeeze in conferences that night.

Owen's soccer team played really well, but suffered another loss. They did get two goals, which is two more than usual! He is supposed to have his last makeup game tomorrow, but the weather is still being unpredictable. Not sure if the fields will be open, although the game is not until afternoon.

Friday was a field trip for 3rd graders to check out downtown. It was based on a social studies unit on cities from earlier in the year, but they figured the weather would be nicer in May. It almost wasn't, but Friday was the one nice day of the week, luckily. I was paired up with one other boy and his grandma, so we had a nice, small group of 4. We had detailed instructions about where to walk and the kids had a booklet to fill out. We had time for a lunch break, so we ate at Paradise Bakery and Cafe. It was a fun day, but tiring, and then we had the school carnival that night. We walked down since it was still nice, and stayed pretty much until the end at 8 p.m.

Today both kids had morning soccer games that I had to miss because I had orchestra rehearsal. Luckily the rain didn't start up again until after lunch, when they were done playing.

The people wanting to adopt Dottie did get their vet records updated and sent to the shelter, so I guess there's still a chance it might go through. They are going to discuss and decide. I want to see what they say about her ears on Tuesday, also, since that might affect the adoption.

No coffee yesteray, but I had some Chai today at the Yak and Yeti restaurant.

Well, on Wednesday I wrote a nice long post, hit submit, and found out Blogger was down for maintenance, and only the first sentence of this got saved. Very annoying! I don't even remember now, since I guess after writing it down, it went out of my memory banks. I know part of it was about Dottie and getting a promising visit from some people the filled out an app for her. But, they got a bad vet reference, so it sounds like it isn't going to work out. Their other dog is not caught up with his vaccinations. I'm not sure it should matter that much, since I really only keep current with Tobey since he has to go to the kennel a few times a year. However, I can't even remember that last time kitty has seen a vet! she seems to be doing fine and is quite healthy, but she is indoor only, so I'm sure that makes a big difference. So, I am disappointed since they seemed like nice people that really doted on their other dog.

On Friday I helped in the library, even though Declan's class was not coming in. They had a field trip for most of the day, which I wasn't able to attend since I was on-call for work. About 5 minutes after I got home from the library, I got the dreaded call that I had to go in. Luckily it ended up just being for a couple hours, but it was kind of a bummer. After I picked up the kids from school, we went to the library, picked up some popcorn and pizza on the way home, and had a movie night. They watched Spiderwick Chronicles, even though they have seen it before. It was nice to know that we didn't have any soccer going the next morning, and I didn't have orchestra like I usually do on the first Sat. of the month.

Saturday I went to a step class in the morning, and then after lunch I took the kids to Elitch's to get our passes activated. I wasn't expecting it to be very crowded, but there were tons of buses in the parking lot from Wyoming, so it was some kind of band/choir outing from a bunch of schools up there. It ended up being really hot, but luckily we couldn't stay more than a few hours. We were meeting some friends there that also bought a pass, and I kept expecting her to call when they go there, and then I finally called and she said she had called a few times. I was irritated with my phone until I got home and there were a bunch of messages from her on our home machine. She had been calling the wrong number all along. Scot was doing some computer work for a friend, but we had planned to go out to dinner for his birthday/Mother's Day and use our Gordon Biersch gift card from Christmas. We fed the kids here and then dropped them off at KT for a couple hours while we had a relaxing dinner. I got my favorite hummus goat cheese salad (which is huge!) and Scot and I split some garlic fries for an appetizer. I also had a yummy pomegranate margarita. I had gotten The Walking Dead from Netflix, so I watched a couple episodes. It is a pretty good show, although very gory. For some reason, Netflix started sending me 3 discs at a time, even though I changed to 2 out at a time awhile ago. I keep checking and they are still charging me for 2, so maybe it's some kind of glitch. I won't complain!



Here is a shot of me with my Mother's Day goodies. I slept until around 10 a.m., which is hard since I have woken up with crippling back and hip pain for the last couple months. I realized everyone was gone, but the kids had left me written clues to find my gifts. Owen made a penguin sculpture out of clay, and Declan made a card at school. Scot got some flowers and an iTunes gift card. I took the kids out for donuts, and then ended up doing some cleaning in the bedroom while watching a movie. Catfish was pretty interesting. It's a documentary about this guy meeting a family through FB. Things are not as he thought, of course. I picked out some Thai food for dinner, so Scot picked that up for dinner. It was a good day.



The flowers are still alive today, no thanks to me. I am really not good with plants. We have some cabbage starters that can probably go in the garden soon. I think we are done with frosts now, I hope. I had to work today, and then it was home for a little while until I had to take Declan to soccer practice. Scot and Owen went to scout appreciation night at the army surplus store and got some goodies for camping, including a hammmock.

Someone is coming to see Dottie on Wednesday. I hope it works out. I warned him that she doesn't really make a good first impression because of her shyness, but he seems o.k. with that. He has an 8-year-old lab and they are looking for a friend for him. If Dottie can get along with Tobey AKA Mr. Bossy, she can get along with any dog!

May snuck up on me, and boy it is a doozy. I think this is our last quiet weekend before we are on activity overload! Monday I was at work during the day and then soccer practice for Declan while Owen went to a scout meeting with Scot. Tuesday I went to an exercise class, and then after I came home I started to get worried that I was waiting too long to finally commit to a pop-up rental since 4th of July tends to book up fast, so I got that all squared away. It looks like the only issue may be not having the correct electrical hook-up, so I need to see what we have and find out about getting it replaced. We are just getting a small one, with a queen bed on one side and a double on the other. There is a table inside and a stove that can be used inside or outside, plus it comes with an awning. I'm picking it up the day before we leave so I can get it packed up and practice driving with it a little. It weighs much less than we can actually tow, so hopefully it won't be too big of a deal. I am excited about the long camping trip now, more than I would be if I had to spend 6 days in a tent!



Wednesday morning I went to another exercise class, and then I had to take Dottie to the MaxFund clinic vet to get her ears checked out. After we got back from our trip, I noticed she had some scabs on her ears that I didn't see before. I waited to see if they would get better, and then a cyst-type thing developed, also on her ear, so I figured I better take her in. They are not sure what might be wrong, so she is getting antibiotics and I have to put a cream on the scabs once a day. After the antibiotics are gone, I have to take her back. One thing that they might have to check for is skin cancer, which I didn't realize was a problem for dogs. I am hoping that's not what it is!



Today was actually pretty warm, in the low 70's, so I decided to make some iced coffee after I got back from my exercise class (3 days in a row. Yay me!) It was a little weak, but I'm out of practice since it's been so cold this spring. I went to the library to help and then on to Owen's class to help with the Native American beading project they were doing. They strung beads across squares of plastic canvas based on designs that had made earlier in the week. I had to help kids count out the beads in the colors they needed, and then walk around and help whoever needed it. I am going back in a few weeks to help with the moccasins, which I guess are more of an ordeal. Tonight Scot took Owen to soccer practice while I took Declan to his scout meeting. They talked about their belt loops, and then made sopapillas in honor of Cinco de Mayo. They turned out pretty yummy, so I got the recipe to try here sometime. They tasted like the pie crust pieces that my mom used to make with cinammon and sugar, but they put honey and cinammon on theirs. Tomorrow Declan's class is going on a field trip, and then next Friday Owen's class has a field trip downtown, which I will be going on. The Friday after that is Field Day, and then the last Friday of school is the field trip to the zoo for Declan's class, which I am also helping with. We also have the book fair next week, the Carnival next Friday night, and Run with Rocky on the Sunday that I will be up in Estes Park with my mom for a workshop. We still have soccer for another week, and I am hosting bunco this month. Declan's soccer team has signed up for a tournament on Memorial Weekend, so it is shaping up to be quite a busy month!

Yesterday I pulled out the flyer for Teacher Appreciation Week, another school thing to keep track of! It really is relentless at this time of year. Declan has his short testing appt. first thing in the morning, at the same time I had to drop Owen off for his 2 1/2 hour school day, so it worked out well. After we picked Owen up, we went out to lunch at Panera. Then we stopped at the library since I had a couple of books that were due. Owen had been invited on a sleepover, but we weren't sure what time he was leaving. He got picked up in the middle of the afternoon, so Declan and I proceeded to get sucked into Lego Harry Potter. I was the only one who had played it before but Declan finally got interested and we are working our way through the levels. I find it more confusing to navigate than the other Lego games we have, but we are figuring it out.



Owen got dropped off around 9:30 a.m. since we thought he had a soccer game, but it ended up getting cancelled. The other team didn't have enough players, and the weather was quite windy and cold. Owen said he got up at 5 a.m. anyway, so not sure he would have been in top form! I was worried about him staying up too late, but forgot that this family is used to getting up early. Declan's game was still on, so we watched that one out in the cold. They ended in a tie after a bad beginning.

Scot and I decided to go see a movie, so we saw Hanna. There is nothing that exciting playing right now, but it was a fun action movie. I'm almost done reading Body Double, which has been good so far. I got the movie Hereafter from Netflix, but haven't watched it yet.

They can't really be seen in the photo, but Hurricane is on the right and Flame is on the left. Luckily they survived the night, so they are already working out better than the goldfish! Flame still cracks me up with all his posturing with his gills while Hurricane doesn't react to him at all.

Today I went right to the Apex after dropping the kids off at school. It seems to work better. I walked for 2 miles uphill on the treadmill, and then spent some time on the exercise bike. They got new ones that are really comfortable. I got a book recommendation from a fellow 3rd grade mom that I saw there, and I was lucky enough to be able to check it out as an ebook, even though the regular book had a bunch of holds on it. It's a mystery series with an 11-year-old as the sleuth. I think he is on book 3 now.

I had a little time at home before I had to run to the store and get some carrot sticks to bring to Declan's Nursery Rhyme Picnic at school. Everyone brought theme food, like Humpty Dumpty Deviled Eggs. The carrots were Old Mother Hubbard's Bones. The kids all recited a nursery rhyme before we ate. It ended right when my library time usually starts, so I went over and shelved books and helped Owen's class find books. I won't be going tomorrow since it's a testing day. Declan has a 15-minute time slot in the morning, and Owen will be there until 11:30, then we are free for the rest of the day. Owen will be going on a sleepover, so hopefully he won't stay up too late since he has a soccer game on Saturday in the late morning (unless it gets snowed/rained out!). This boy is used to getting up really early, so I'm guessing he will not be staying up even if he wants to.

We stayed and played after school for awhile, and then came home to take care of chores and piano practice in time to have an early dinner for Owen's soccer practice. They had their group photo taken, so luckily everyone remembered to wear their uniforms!

No coffee today since I figured I wouldn't be able to taste it anyway. I had some Throat Coat tea instead. The coffee is from yesterday, along with one of the many flyers I have to deal with right now from school. There are field trips, special lunches, Field Day, Carnival, Run with Rocky, testing day, special Native American crafts days, etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but it's all getting a little overwhelming trying to keep track!

I didn't have to do much today apart from getting a birthday present for the party after school that the kids were invited to. I forgot to have them make a card, and since it was right after school, there wasn't any way they could, so I used one of my homemade cards. I walked down after school to help walk with all the kids who were going to the party. It was at the rec center not too far away from school, most of the kids walked in a group. I offered to help with that part of it before I got sick, but it was probably good for me to be out in the fresh air! Yesterday I had yet another dentist appointment, which I had scheduled 6 months ago and forgotten about. Luckily I won't have to go back until Nov., and there is nothing pending to get worked on. I am really tired of dental stuff by now! Declan also told me Monday night that if I wrote a permission note, he might be able to bring home one of the goldfish they have been observing at school for a science unit. He was so excited to actually get one, and it was alive when I went to bed last night. However, we woke up to this:



So I went out to Petsmart and got a small betta tank and a couple betta fish. They are supposedly easier to take care of than goldfish, although they don't live as long. I am hoping they make it through the night, but I'm wondering if I should have gotten the little heater unit, since it does cool off in the house at night right now. There is a red one and a blue one, and they have been named Hurricane and Flame. Flame is rather feisty, showing his gills to Hurricane, who just ignores him and swims away. There is a removable partition in the tank to keep them separated, and if one dies, the other can take over the whole tank!

I finished a book by a new to me auther, Beverly Connor. She writes about a foresic anthropologist, and it was pretty good. One of the ebooks I had on hold came through, so I checked that out and got started on it at soccer practice. It's book 4 of the Rizzoli and Isles series. I will have 1 1/2 hours tomorrow night at Owen's practice, so I should be able to get a lot read, although I should probably spend some of that time walking on the nice track they have around the practice field. It has been so windy for every practice, I don't even want to get out of the car, but surely it has to be nice one of these times!

This picture is from yesterday. I was out and about today, and ended up with Starbucks. My first coffee tasted really bad, so I actually went back and exchanged it for another one, which was better.

Monday I had to work during the day, and then it was our usual routine of getting homework/chore/piano practice out the way before having an early dinner so we would be ready for soccer practice at 6 p.m. This is how it goes M-Th., with the added bonus of a piano lesson thrown in on Wednesday after school, and an occasional scout meeting. Tuesday I had an orchestra board meeting, so I was gone all morning and part of the afternoon. Today I took the van in for an oil change and also to find out whether it has a tow package installed. It does, and we can pull up to 3,500 pounds, so now I just need to decide on a pop-up rental for the 4th of July camping trip. Unfortunately, due to recent changes in the on-call schedule, Scot may or may not be able to accompany us. I'm hoping he'll be able to switch with someone, or the new guy will be added into the rotation soon so his week gets pushed ahead by one. The on-call thing is such a pain when it changes all the time due to people quitting and being added in. It would be nice to know for the year so we can plan trips around it, but it's hard to trust it for very long. The kids are looking forward to the camping trip, and we have the site reserved for almost a week, so I will still go, and I knew Scot wouldn't be there the whole time, but I was assuming he would be there Fri. night through Mon. night. It is still early, so hopefully something will work out. I am excited to try the pop-up, but a little nervous to drive with it, especially over the pass. Scot did sign up for the scout overnight camping trip, so he will be able to take the kids on that, even if his on-call shifts by a week. We don't have any other camping trips planned yet, but I hope we are able to fit in at least one more sometime during the summer.

Tomorrow I need to get some Easter goodies and a dye kit. The kids haven't really mentioned Easter much, but I'll at least hide some plastic eggs and have them decorate some hard boiled eggs. I don't really want to get small, annoying toys that they won't play with, so I need to figure out one bigger gift for each, I guess. I have some books that I haven't given out from the Scholastic sale at Christmas, so maybe I will do that for part of it. Declan needs a new soccer ball, since his gets flat every day, so then I just have to think of something for Owen.

I have been taking photos, even though I have not taken the time to actually upload them and write something!

We had a fun trip to Portland, even though Scot was sick most of it. He is hardly ever ill, so it was bad timing for that! We had a late Friday night flight into Portland, and then we drove to Sun River on Saturday morning. We got caught in quite a snowstorm going over the pass, so it took longer than it usually does, but we finally arrived Saturday afternoon. It was a nice rental house, and we were lucky enough to get the master suite. We decided to go skiing Sunday afternoon. It started out nice, but then got pretty windy with low visibility towards the end. The kids stuck it out and seemed to have fun, so we decided to go for a full day on Monday since it looked like the weather was going to warm up later in the week. It ended up being really nice and the kids got a lot of good practice on their skis. Tuesday we went into Bend to watch the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, which we all enjoyed. Wednesday Scot and I went into Bend alone for lunch and walked around downtown while Mom took the kids to the Desert Museum. Thursday it was time to pack up and head back to Portland while Mom headed south for her cruise. No rest for the retired! Thursday night we got to see my dad, who happened to be in Portland at the time. He had to leave the next morning since his MIL had died, but he was able to come over to my brother's house for dinner before he left. Friday we spent all day at the OMSI Museum. We took a tour of the submarine there, and then the rest of time we just explored all the cool hands-on exhibits. We also saw an IMAX movie about Alaska. We had pizza that night. Owen and Declan were very enamored of my brother's house, especially because they could run all around the outside of it. I think it felt exotic to them because it was at the top of a steep hill and there were a bunch of green plants and trees around, unlike the climate here! They wanted to eat outside on the porch for most of the dinners. Saturday we went to a big mall and went ice skating for a little while, but I guess the ice wasn't very good. Then we ended up going to forestry museum, which was really nice. There was hardly anyone there, so we got to do all the hands-on stuff without having to wait. The kids did a scavenger hunt paper and got a prize at the end. My brother took us to the airport on Sunday morning and our flight left without incident, although we ended up flying into a little snowstorm here. It wouldn't have been so bad except that I had to drive almost an hour in it to pick up Dottie from the foster volunteers that were watching her while we were gone. The kids still have Monday off from school, so we went roller skating with one of their friends, and then they played with some other friends at the park. Tuesday it was back to a normal schedule with school again.

The weekend after getting back were our two orchestra concerts, so I was busy with those. I got to see Declan's soccer game but not Owen's. Luckily I got to see Owen play today, finally. I have been helping in the school library during time when 1st and 3rd grades come in to check out books, so Owen's teacher came up to me and said he was working on an email but hadn't finished it yet, so I was worried that there was some problem, but it turns out he just wanted to explain that Owen and a few others from his class were working on some 4th grade math, so it was actually good news. He used to really hate math, but I guess that has changed!

OK, this week has gone by fast. I guess I was thinking about trip preparations and nervous because I hadn't heard back from the foster person who agreed to watch Dottie. I ended up calling her and it was all fine. I guess some people are just not email people! Tuesday ended up being super windy, but still Owen's soccer practice was not cancelled. We went, but not many other kids showed up and they decided not to bother since you couldn't even kick the ball without it curving way off target. Luckily Wednesday was a little nicer, since Declan had soccer that night. Right after soccer, we went to the Pack meeting, which was a tour of a firehouse. I was afraid they might be bored since we have been to a few of these, but it ended up being fun and they got a cool goody bag and patch at the end.



Today I ended up helping at the library at Owen's request. His class his library today, but when I originally volunteered, I was working on Thursdays so I could only help during Declan's library time. Now that I have been moved to Wednesday, Owen asked if I could help when his class is there. I kind of forced him to check out a certain book I have been wanting him to try, so maybe he won't want me there next time! He did get one of his choice, too, though. Right when I was picking up the kids, it started to rain, then snow, so I figured Owen's practice would be cancelled again, but then it suddenly cleared up and the sun came out. It was still windy, but they toughed it out.

Saturday was a crazy day, but we managed to survive. It started early with Declan's first soccer game of the season. The game ended in a tie. Meanwhile, I was at the extra orchestra rehearsal, since I will be missing dress rehearsal during spring break. Then Scot had to drop Declan off at a birthday party and then go on to Owen's first soccer game. They lost, but it sounds like the other team was kind of tough and it was a good game anyway. Orchestra rehearsal ended just in time for me to pick up Declan from the party. It was a bowling party, but they got to play arcade games, also, so he had a lot of fun. They were nice enough to make an extra goody bag for Owen, in case he was able to come. Scot and I decided to go out for dinner with some recorder friends and watch a jazz recorder performance downtown. It was over by 8 p.m., but by then we were pretty worn out and ready to come home. We were able to watch the first party of The Social Network, and had to finish it up Sunday night due to Scot falling asleep. He's been sick and was also on call, so I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did.



The kids got up early on Sunday so they could watch the Rapids game that I had recorded from Saturday night. I had them do their cleaning, and I decided to finally clean out the van, which was getting pretty bad. I cleared out all the stuff that had accumulated, threw out the trash, and then vacuumed the inside. I even took it to the carwash since it was pretty dirty on the outside, too. Owen and Declan got invited to play at Standley Lake, so they ended up being gone most of the afternoon. Scot was dealing with on call stuff most of the time, and I ended up being lazy and reading then napping. By the time the kids got home, we had dinner and then Owen worked on some homework and piano, which was torture since he is working on something that is frustrating him and he was getting mad. Luckily it was soon time for showers and bed!

That is my portable external hard drive. I was moving some things off my laptop to free up some space yesterday, but my computer wouldn't eject it, so I finally just had to unplug it. Hopefully it didn't do anything to mess it up.

I started my day in the school library, which was a little more hectic than usual for a Wednesday since a class was coming in at a different time than their usual and the librarian had some classes to teach. I went straight to the Apex afterwards to exercise, because if I let myself go home, I seem to never leave again until I have to pick up the kids. Then I spent a couple of hours just relaxing, knowing our evening was going to be hectic. We went straight from school pick up to piano, and then the kids had to get their homework/chore done before Declan's soccer practice at 6. I fed them early and then took them both to practice until Owen and I had to leave so I could drop him off at a scout meeting and head to bunco. Meanwhile Scot picked up Declan after soccer and then drove to the rest of the scout meeting. After all that, I didn't even win at bunco...



I had no school obligations this morning, so I headed to the 9:30 exercise class. The day started out pretty warm, so I decided to make some iced coffee for a change. It is cold and snow tomorrow, so I guess it will be the last iced coffee for awhile! I went to school a little early so I can do the STARS prizes from February. Then home to do piano/homework/chore before Owen's soccer practice. I am able to get a lot of reading done during these practices, at least, so I finished The Psycho Ex Game, which was o.k., nothing spectacular. I was excited to finally get The Social Network from Netflix, so hopefully Scot and I can watch it sometime this weekend. Tomorrow night we don't have any soccer, but it is the talent show, and Owen is performing a piano piece again. Looking over the list, it is mostly musical instruments, singing, or dancing. No less than three kids are singing Firework, which may be the only Katy Perry song that is G-rated, as required for the talent show...

No coffee yesterday since I had to work, but I should have stopped and gotten some on my way since there was only one child there when I arrived. I had to drop Owen off at school an hour early for a talent show rehearsal, so that's out of the way now. If you don't attend a rehearsal, you can't perform in the show, which is Friday night. I woke up just 10 minutes before 8, so we had to rush out and then Declan and I came back to get ready for work/school. We are trying to adjust to the soccer practice schedule, but it's kind of a pain. Scot got home before we had to leave for Declan's practice, so Owen stayed home and ate with him, and then Declan and I had a late dinner after we got home.

Today I had to go back to the dentist so they could take out the BIPPS that was put in on Friday. I don't know what that stands for, but it's the yellow strip of material that was soaked in clove oil and pushed into the socket. I guess they were trying to keep the hole open for drainage purposes. Now I am back to irrigating 4-5 times daily with the syringe until it heals, hopefully without the infection this time. My only consolation was that the dentist is right near a Krispy Kreme, which happens to have a really good glazed old fashioned, my favorite donut. They call it a sour cream donut. Yummy! The kids stayed and played after school for a little bit since the weather was nice, but then we had to go get our stuff done before Owen's soccer practice from 6-7:30. Scot came by and picked up Declan at the practice, and I fed Owen before we left. He also had to get his piano, homework, and chore done before we left, which he did. These will be some crazy days! The kids are excited for their first games on Saturday, although I'm still waiting to find out exactly where Owen's game is going to be.

Friday I helped in the library, went to the Apex for a little workout, and then came home to call the dentist. I got an appointment to see them in them in the afternoon, knowing I couldn't go in until Tuesday otherwise. I guess there was an infection and it was draining into my cheek, causing the swelling. He did a few things, stuffed something that had been soaked in clove oil in my gum, and told me to come back on Tuesday. I am on antibiotics for the next 10 days, and it's a good thing I don't have trouble swallowing pills since those things are huge! The soreness is getting better, but there is still some swelling. I have been putting hot compresses on it as instructed. We had dinner at Qdoba and ended up getting all 4 meals for only $5 since I had so many reward points on my card, so that was a nice surprise.

Saturday we were up bright and early for our skiing trip. The kids were supposed to check in between 8:30 and 9:00, and luckily we made it there in time. After getting them checked in, Scot and I took off for the main trails and had a full day of skiing. We don't usually start so early, so we were plenty worn out by the end of the day. We went to the beginner area a little early and watched the last part of Declan's lesson. Owen was off somewhere else, but Scot did some runs with him after the class was done while I watched Declan practice more on the bunny slope. We were lucky since there wasn't much traffic and the ski resort wasn't busy at all, plus the weather was nice.



Today I took the kids to a birthday party at an indoor soccer place. They had fun getting to run around and play soccer for a few hours. We played at a nearby field afterwards with friends. After coming home we had to our Sunday cleaning, but the kids had time to play outside more, also, since the weather was so nice.

Scot and I finished out Breaking Bad disc on Saturday night, and I just watched Date Night while doing a little digiscrapping.

The photo is from yesterday. Today I was at a coffee shop with my friend Amy, but I didn't have my camera. Declan is now reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and I swear, those books are like crack. Owen could not stop reading and re-reading them, and I finally had to put them away until summer since he needed to do his homework reports on more than just the same books over and over. Now Declan can barely put them down, but at least he still has to read his assigned books for school, also.

Since yesterday, I've had swelling and pain in my jaw again, so I'm not sure what's going on. If it doesn't seem improved by tomorrow, I'll call the dentist. I guess it could be that something is infected. I think the hole left from the tooth is almost healed, so I thought I was home free... So annoying, but I do need to get it straightened out before we leave for Oregon in a couple weeks.

As is typical for Colorado, the beginning of the week was cold and soccer practices were cancelled, but yesterday and today we were able to go. It was still cool yesterday but today was pretty warm and sunny. Saturday the kids have reservations for ski and snowboard lessons, so hopefully it will be nice. Tomorrow I'll gather all the stuff together.

I have one more disc of Nurse Jackie to finish the season, and I got another Breaking Bad disc for Scot and I to watch this weekend. I watched Mother and Child on Netflix, which was good but kind of sad. Amy told me about a really strange movie that she just watched called Dogtooth, so I'm curious to check that one out.

Declan has been wanting to read Curious George a lot recently. We have a big hardback book which has a bunch of the original books in it, so of course, I had to bring out my childhood Curious George stuffed animal. He has held up well!

This morning I went to exercise class and that was about all the excitement in my day. I finished the 2nd disc of Nurse Jackie, and it looks like we're getting Breaking Bad for the weekend. We are hoping to go skiing on Sunday, so hopefully that will work out. I think the weather should be o.k., but I guess I need to call and reserve the ski lessons for the kids. I think Declan wants to try snowboarding this time, which is the opposite of what they said last time. Owen said he would wait and try snowboarding when we're in Oregon.

The lady called again about Dottie today, so hopefully her mom will be up on Thursday to meet her. I have my fingers crossed that she can go to a quiet one person home, since I'm sure she would be happiest that way. She does o.k. with the kids, but I'm sure she would rather be in a calmer atmosphere.

I wasn't very good about taking photos over the weekend, but in my defense, it was a busy one. This photo is from today, and the dental floss is because I rescheduled my dental appointment that I was supposed to have this week. The back of my mouth is still swollen in some parts, so I'm just not ready to have more procedures yet! I put it off until April.

Saturday morning I had orchestra rehearsal, maybe the last one until our performances since I will miss the dress rehearsal during spring break. I had lunch afterwards with a couple people from orchestra and had some yummy Thai food and Thai iced tea. Meanwhile Scot and the kids went to see the MLS cup that the Rapids won this year and then built a car at a Home Depot workshop. After dinner, we were off to the Avalanche game and sleepover. I don't know why, but we seem to have the worst luck with our seats. At the one Rapids game we went to, we ended up right next to a whole section bought out by the rival team, so we had to listen to their obnoxiousness all night, and then after sitting down in our hocket seats, some girl from the Rapids cheer team or something like that said that they had a bunch of seats in that section and were going to be chanting and making noise the whole game. Declan started to get really upset for some reason, so the girl said there were seats available in the adjacent section if it was too loud, so we moved over. We could still hear them, but at least they weren't right behind us. Since the AV's were playing so poorly, their cheering seemed kind of silly after awhile, but when the beer is flowing, mouths seem to get bigger. I don't have a problem with fans cheering, but with groups like this, it rarely stays appropriate for kids. We like to watch the professional sports events, but honestly, it's not what I would call a family-friendly atmosphere most of the time...

Anyway, we lost 1-5, but luckily they cleared off the ice and the kids were able to get on and play broom ball and run around for about an hour. By this time it was almost midnight and I was loosing steam. Luckily I was not staying so I left as we went out to get the overnight stuff. After I got home, I chatted with Scot on the computer and he said the kids were still up and watching the movie they were showing on the jumbotron. They said lights would go out after the movie, but I guess they only turned off half of them, so I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to sleep at all. As it was, I was wondering why our bedroom was so nice and dark, and I realized the street light that is on the corner was out. Too bad it didn't stay that way the next night! They had to get up at 7 a.m., so not a lot of sleep was had by anyone. The donuts and juice were a big hit, though. They came home and Scot fell asleep on the couch while the kids were going strong. Declan crashed sometime in the late afternoon and fell asleep before dinner, but Owen didn't fall asleep until he went to read before bed. I went to recorder performance at the library. Luckily my group played early, so then I could relax and listen to the others play. Declan's tooth had been really loose all weekend and he finally got the courage to pull it out after dinner. I even remembered to leave him money on the first night! So that was our busy weekend.

Today I was at work most of the day, although I did get to leave a little bit early and have a couple hours at home before school got out. The kids got their stuff done before dinner, so we played some games after, and then it was time for bed. I've been trying to go to bed earlier myself, but it seems like I am more tired since I wake up earlier. Hopefully I will adjust soon...

Thursday was kind of a relaxing day since I didn't have any school obligations or anything. My Big Love DVD arrived, so I watched most of that during the day, which were the final episodes of the season. I think the current one is the last, and I can't wait to see what happens! I did go to my exercise class in the morning, and I guess that was about it. I picked up the kids was was trying to figure out what to do for the evening, and then I remember Declan had a scout meeting, so I had the kids try and get their homework/chores/piano done. It was also a school fundraiser at the Wings place, which we had never gone to, so I decided we would do that for dinner. The menu was not so great for Owen, but we did run into two of their friends and mom while going in, so we joined them for the meal. We saw a bunch of other kids from school, also, so that was kind of fun. We went straight to the meeting afterwards, where the kids learned to play marbles and then the leader spoke to them about a Polish holiday, similar to Fat Tuesday but they call it Fat Thursday. He brought some traditional Polish pastries for all the kids. It turns out he was in the Peace Corps and stationed in Poland, which is where he met his wife.



Today was a little rushed in the morning, due to me forgetting I was supposed to make my crock pot meal from Wednesday. I was at the library for 1 1/2 hours and then ran to the store to get some fruit for Declan's president potluck. I came home since I had a little time until the potluck, and realized I needed to get my meal prepared and in the pot. As you can see from the photo, it involved some Guiness, not that you could taste it in the final product. It smelled really yummy in the kitchen all day, which is one of the bonuses of a crock pot meal. I rushed back to school for the potluck, and then came home afterwards to finish watching the Nurse Jackie DVD. The kids also got their report cards today. Both did well, with mostly 3's and 4's. Owen got a few 2's (working towards grade level), which I told him I would like to see raised to 3's (at grade level) for the final report card, but he seems to think that won't happen, even though I know he is capable. I offered a reward if he makes it, and told him he would not be in trouble or anything if it doesn't happen. I told him I was happy to see that he had turned some 3's into 4's and that overall he had a great report card. He's had a tough year, and I would like to see him end on a good note. It has been hard to deal with his negativity, but I am working on changing my attitude towards it. Hopefully it's not too late!

This is from Tuesday. Today I had multiple cups of hot chai at the Indian buffet. Tuesday I decided to go to an exercise class and try to get my stamina up again. Luckily the regular teacher was about 15 minutes late, since 45 minutes of her class was more than enough for me! I will go again tomorrow since I am probably not going to be able to do my Wednesday night class right now, due to soccer. I went grocery shopping just before picking up the kids so I could make my veggie lasagna for dinner. We stayed to play for a little bit after school since the weather was so nice, and then Owen had a friend over while Declan went to their house to play with his brother. Nothing too exciting for the evening.

Today I was supposed to help in the school library, but I forgot that it is a CSAP testing day, some of which was done in the library, so I couldn't stay very long. I got ingredients for another crock pot recipe I want to try, but realized I would have to make it Friday instead. I took Dawn out to lunch as a thank you for helping me when I had my tooth pulled, so we had some yummy Indian food. I picked up the kids, dropped Owen off at piano, and then got the soccer stuff together since they both had practice at 5 p.m. Luckily Dawn was able to take Declan so I could drop off Owen. Scot picked Owen up while I went back to take Declan home. Luckily from here on out they will be practicing on alternating nights. My recorder group came over after dinner for one last practice before our play-the-recorder-month performance on Sunday.

I finished the 2nd disc of Big Love, and the last one will arrive tomorrow, along with Nurse Jackie, season 2.

Sunday I slept in a little, and then got up and went to exercise while the kids did their cleaning. When I got back, I vacuumed and cleaned the kitchen floor. Scot took the kids ice skating in the afternoon and I stayed home and made my Oscar picks. I went to an Oscars party that night and had fun, even though I didn't know anyone except the hostess. I got 18 picks correct. My closest competitor got 14, so I was happy. lol I didn't think James Franco was a good co-host, although the beginning sequence was funny. I know everyone was offended by Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, but I thought he was funny and it made the show more interesting.




I was working the evening shift today instead of my usual day shift, so all day I kept reminding myself so I didn't forget that after picking up the kids from school, I needed to head to work. Changes in routine tend to throw me off! During the day I was able to watch my Big Love disc. Six episodes down and I have no idea what is going to happen next! I am still waiting for Social Network to be available from Netflix since that is one of two Oscar nominees that I haven't seen yet, the other one being 127 Hours. I'm not enthused about that one now after seeing James Franco host the Oscars...I have been watching old Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes if I am still up. Tonight is the one where he refused to give candy to the 13-year-old trick-or-treaters that didn't even dress up, and then his yard got t.p.'d.

I got the kids soccer practice schedules finally, but am still waiting to find out the game schedules that will dictate our Saturdays in March-May. I also found out the scout camping trip will be the weekend before our 4th of July camping trip, but it's only one night, so not a big deal. I need to get a pop-up reserved since I promised the kids we could try one out for Leadville, especially if we are going to be up there for 5 or 6 nights this time. I'm hoping I will sleep better in the pop-up since there will be a heater if it gets really cold, and I'm sure the beds are more comfortable than mattress on the ground! I like camping, but it does take a toll on me after a couple days since I don't sleep well, so I figured for a longer trip, this might be a good solution. Scot won't be there for the whole time since he is saving vacation days for our Portland and Pittsburgh trips, but my friend with a pop-up will be there to help me figure out how to set it up.

Saturday we didn't have too much going on during the day. Owen had one hour of soccer, kind of a pre-practice since his soccer schedule isn't out yet. It sounds like a lot of the same kids are coming back for the spring session. Since we had the afternoon free, Scot and I decided to see a movie, The King's Speech. There is really not many good movies playing right now to choose from. I thought it was a good movie, although after watching the Oscars tonight, I'm surprised about the Best Director win. Saturday night was the Blue and Gold banquet for scouts, when the kids get their patches for whatever rank they have been working towards. Declan got his Tiger patch and Owen got his Bear patch. The entertainment for the evening was the Reptile Guy, which was fun. He had some cool animals and let the kids touch and hold them all. Owen was excited to get to see blue-tongued skink, since that's the reptile he seems to want. They have two males available at the Longmont reptile shelter, so we would probably adopt one of those. They are very suitable for kids because they don't mind being handled and don't move fast or anything. I think the bearded dragons are cuter, but Owen has never warmed up to them for some reason. The skink that he wants to meet is named Al Pacino: http://www.corhs.org/alpacino.html

Thursday I finally had a chance to do a little shopping. Since I just ordered a bunch of scrapbook pages, I needed an album or two to put them in. I wasn't impressed with the albums at Michael's, but I checked the Hobby Lobby ad and saw that all albums and pages were 50% off. I found some there that I liked, and got some refill pages, also. Since I was near Qdoba, I decided to have lunch there. Nachos, as usual! I decided to take the kids swimming after dinner Thursday night, since Scot was at bowling. It gave me a chance to finish up The Four Stages of Cruelty, just in time since it was due today and couldn't be renewed.



This morning I helped in the school library for about 1 1/2 hours, then went to Apex to exercise. It snowed a tiny bit and was very cold. Not sure what tomorrow will be like, but if it's cleared up, Owne has a little soccer training with his team. After I picked up the kids, we went to the store and then got take-n-bake pizzas for dinner. After we ate, Declan decided to do some of his famous dancing. He put in a CD from Owen's piano book but I told him we had better dance music CD's, so we ended up pulling out a Disco compilation. They liked some of those songs, so I pulled out a Madonna dance CD to see what they thought. Then I told them to pick out a CD they were curious about so they could hear some different things. Owen picked out Metallica, which he ended up liking, but Declan had his hands over his ears and was rolling on the floor in agony. We tried some other music to varying degrees of success. Between the two of us, Scot and I have quite a variety of music to choose from... Then it was bedtime, and Scot and I watched Modern Family from Wednesday. I checked out the next two books from the Uglies series, so I'm sure I will get through those this weekend since they are a fast read.