Happy First Birthday Molly

Spent the afternoon celebrating Molly's first birthday. She isn't much of a talker, but she had no problem expressing her pleasure with birthday presents. "Ooo" means the same at one and one hundred.
Our family has so many fractures, you need a program to identify the players. My nieces' mother has a number of children from an array of fathers. Her own siblings consist of wholes, halves and steps, so there's a crowd. My little brother is Molly's grandpa. His gift for Molly was a Three Little Pigs playset. She loved it, and I saw tears in his eyes when she was opening it. He is a sentimental old thing.
I should be thinking about using the remainder of the weekend to accomplish a few things, but I'm having a glass of wine and watching the national evening news. So relaxed and content it's hard to get off the couch.
April is about to run out on me. I still haven't had the car inspected. The school year is racing to conclusion and I find that I have started thinking about organizing for next year.
That seems like a better use of my time than trying to force these seniors into doing anything. It isn't just the kids either. I think the faculty is about done too!

Third Times the Charm

Faculty meeting this morning. Another test administration training. We have something like 45 days of standardized testing this year and every time the entire staff has to sit for another training.We drive ourselves to work at jobs which the state has licensed us to do, but we can't proctor a test without these stupid trainings!
The state of Texas is crazy at its core and getting worse by the minute.
Word is that an axman from another district has been hired as the new Chief Academic Officer. He's supposed to be coming on board to clean house. Hope that means he's starting at Eastway Village. The good old boy network has taken all the academic credibility out of this district. All the student safety nets, affective teaching methods and professional learning communities have pretty well gummed up the works by creating a culture that requires nothing of the student. Can you smell the acrid smoke of smoldering burnt out teacher?
I am caught up at least and the final marking period of the school year is here. Tomorrow is Friday and the weather has been ideal for almost the entire week. The only thing on my calendar is a hair appointment on Saturday.
I have contracted Tyler's cold. So if today is any indication, I'm not going to feel like doing anything else.
I'm off to the kitchen to throw together some microwave Chinese for dinner. Thank the Lord for steamers and rotisserie chicken. Life is good!

Sloan's Birthday

How many Disney princesses does it take to fill up a castle bounce house? It looked like about an even dozen plus the requisite charming princes. Saturday the Shrink and WonderBoy put on the greatest kid birthday ever. Of course, Didi made the appetizers, Bebe brought the beer and I paid for the cake...we are all easily manipulated by anything that is ultimately for Sloan.
Everyone had a great time, the honoree only cried about four times and the other kids only cried when they had to leave. I'm sure that tells you it was a terrific party right there.
I drove to Dallas yesterday morning, did what I could to facilitate the preparations. Mostly my job seemed to be holding Mr. Leadbottom, who is tipping the scale at 19 lbs. No wonder he didn't roll over until he was six months old!
Met some of the kids friends and had a good laugh when Pete told me he had met my husband. He was a little embarrassed I think when I told him that he hadn't!
Grandbuddy and NaiNai stayed until closing time, that bunch loves a party.
I fell into bed and asleep so fast I didn't know when the kids came upstairs. I was exhausted. I'm back in the flash and sweat zone and I swear that it's tiring to cycle through that several times a day, even if you aren't carrying a hunky baby.
This morning rainy weather was on the agenda, so I threw on my traveling togs and piled my crap in the car as early as I could. My usual stops for gas and breakfast on a bun and I was rolling south. It did rain a lot of the way, but not blinding rain. I was in my own bubble relishing being free, on the road, and sipping coffee with real half and half. I am a really simple creature. My needs are so easily met.
I can't believe Sloan is four and on the other hand that she isn't forty. What an amazing, magical, mystery she is. Pure spirit, high drama, intense, passionate, willful, beautiful. She is a force of nature who will tell you things God has said to her just like she will ask you to pass the jelly. Talk about a reason to live...being able to see her grow up is my greatest desire.
Happy Birthday precious princess. Love, Memom

Easter

This has been a very blessed Easter. We have been blessed to have all of our family come together to enjoy a meal and the company of the people we love and cherish most. We have been blessed with ideal weather that enabled us to be outside and aware of the wonders of spring's perfect renewal. We have been blessed with a new generation of our family. Sloan, Molly and Tyler have brought smiles and tears of joy, gales of laughter and hope for the future. I love them so much.
It has been so enjoyable having this time off work. I thoroughly enjoyed putting together our family dinner last night. It was semi-homemade which saved lots of time and standing in the kitchen.
We bought two new conversation chairs for the patio, attractive and very comfortable.
I have to admit that when the Kids left to go on to their next stop, I took a shower and got under a blanket on the couch. I was completely tired and ready to get off my feet.
I slept through about two and a half hours of the Masters tournament. Congratulations Bubba Watson. Get a haircut before you win another major!
That's the Memo for today. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and that we will go into the next days with our spirits renewed!

Short Week

Good Friday is the day after tomorrow and we are blessed to have the day off work. There is nothing longer than a four day week. The second semester seniors are checked out mentally and to a certain extent, physically. If you try to have any direct instruction, heads are on desks immediately. They come dragging in later and later. Everyone is "tired".
Pet peeves:
"When can I make up the test?"
"Do we have to do anything?"
"My printer doesn't work."
Did my taxes online. I decided that it couldn't be that hard. It wasn't. It was free, they do all the math and you can debit to pay what you owe.
We're set to learn mah-jong. Everyone can meet on Wednesday. I think this will be fun. I'm also going to play bridge with Jean in a group that meets on Monday evenings. I'll have to record DWTS. Jack Wagner is second to go. Can I pick 'em? I said Hat Guy or Jack and they were the bottom two.
My white denim jacket came from Chico's. It's perfect with the maxi dress.
Now I just need the perfect place to wear it. I'm thinking that would be the Amalfi Coast or a Caribbean island. Dreams are free.

I Hate Tornados!

Dallas was attacked by whirling devastation this afternoon. I don't know yet if she was home anyway or left work to get them, but Berit and the kids were safe at home when she got my text. Praise the Lord no one seems to have perished, although there are serious injuries. Video of long-haul trailers flying hundreds of feet through the air gave the impression of angry giant children flinging toys in fits of frustration.
Best reassurance received, a video of T-Bone wearing his boys rule onesie and playing with his own fat foot.
Had the first AP review this afternoon. I linked a really thorough review site to my webpage. The kids won't need to buy exercise book if they don't want to.
I have all these DBQ's to grade and I don't have the least bit of motivation. I'm just task avoiding and waiting for DWTS to come on at 8:00 so I can see who gets eliminated. The dancing is way above the standard in previous seasons.
Sarah has lined up a friend of hers to teach us how to play mah-jong.seems like good brain exercise to learn something new.
Need to go on Amazon and order some Calico Critters furniture for Miss Sloan's townhouse. Birthday weekend is coming up very shortly. Busy month April, for me and the bug that ate my basil!