Nature

We have (or had) two juniper trees that framed a window in our flower bed. Honestly, I never cared much for the trees from the start! Hurricane Gustav had them leaning pretty far over, but we decided to prop them up and see what happened. Well... they were still leaning quite a bit once the steaks came out. I was actually able to push one of them completely over with my foot. I'm amazed they were still green since they were half uprooted.


Anyway... Clint cut and dragged the one I pushed over to the road. The other one was bigger and still standing tall, so we were just going to cut it down. But wait... I hear baby birds! I kept seeing a mocking bird around 'stalking' us, so I knew there was a next near by. Sure enough, it was in our juniper tree. So we left it alone until the birds were gone.


Clint cut the tree down today and this is what we found:

Isn't that neat? And check out the size of that thing!

Recital!

Valerie did so GREAT at her dance recital!! I was so proud of her. She wasn't nervous at all and seemed to enjoy being on stage. All of the girls did a great job! I can't wait until next year when both of my girls will be dancing. We gave Valerie some flowers afterwards and she was thrilled to death. She kept saying she was a "happy lady with her pretty flowers." After we went out to CiCi's Pizza since that's where Val wanted to eat. It was such a special night for her!!


Oh a side note, I was SO incredibly MAD and it put a big damper on the whole evening. I had to go to the dressing room with Val and get her backstage 3 songs before her number. Even with that, it still is a bit rushed because we're only talking about 10 minutes or so. WELL, in that amount of time I had to run all the way around the building to the outside entrance, get Val dressed, in the right shoes, hair fixed, in place backstage, and go all the way back around to the auditorium to my seat. I THOUGHT that it would be fine to have Clint go get the flowers for Val out of the car so we 'd surprise her with them after her second performance. All he had to do was walk to the car, grab the flowers, and return to his seat. (compared to what I had to do in the same amount of time.) I got Val situated and went to my seat. No Clint. I waited. I called his cell twice to see where he was.... if I hadn't called him he would have missed it entirely. I REALLY don't understand why he thought he had all the time in the world or why it never crossed his mind to hurry up. He could have told me on the phone he wasn't going to make it back in time. He stopped to talk to people, let Veronica run around, and went to the car TWICE. WTF??? The worst part is that we didn't get Val's second dance on video. I wasn't prepared to video because that was Clint's job and I had my digital camera. I hurried to switch cameras at the last minute, and somehow bumped the 'record' button to PAUSE the video camera. So it didn't record a thing. And on top of that, I was seething mad that Clint was being so slow that I missed some of Val's dance bitching at him for doing something so stupid. :-( I didn't purchase a DVD because we had our own camera. I really hope to get a copy from someone. I am so sad!!! I am never letting Clint be in charge of the camera again.

status:

Melanie is on pins and needles.

I want this to happen so badly.

It would change everything.

Drama

Those of you that know me know that I dislike Drama. And yet there has been lots of it around here the past few days. At home and online.

When I'm wrong, I'll admit it. Was I wrong? Maybe not entirely. Maybe I should not have said all of what I did. Maybe I overstepped a few boundaries. So, for that, I do apologize.

When tensions run high, I think we all tend to write explicitly. It's blowing off steam. Venting, and all of you my friends are there to 'listen.' Sometimes we mean it, sometimes not. Sometimes we mean it only at that moment in time. Yet here it is on the net for all to see at any given time. It's easy to forget that.

I just never imagined the person mentioned would actually see my posting. That was NOT my intention AT ALL. Most likely it would have been deleted or edited as I was in a 'mood' when I wrote it. Google Alerts changed that. Surprise.

This isn't the first time I've gotten myself into hot water for posting something I shouldn't. Maybe one day I will learn my lesson.

I'm sure everyone is asking has the situation been resolved?? Well, let's just say the bumps have been smoothed over. I do think it was partly a misunderstanding. Miscommunication. Or lack there of. Whatever you wish to label it.

Anyway, the post has been removed.

The end.

Dancin' time!

Valerie is gearing up for her dance recital this weekend!! Tomorrow is the rehearsal and Saturday is the big show. I am very curious about how she will react to being on stage. Very proud of my little girl! I'm excited and nervous for her.

It brings back a lot of memories when I was in dancing... all the work and anticipation. I can clearly recall being backstage with my Mom. All the hustle and bustle of kids getting ready. The frilly costumes. Sitting in the audience watching the show. Being on stage looking out at the audience. Oh and can't forget getting to wear make-up!! What a treat that was.

How I wish my Mom were here to see Valerie dance. We talked a lot about putting Val in dancing. She would have been so happy to see Val on stage.

She's been gone almost 10 months now. Soon... a year. How fast time has passed.

What's in the box?

My Dad taught Valerie a joke, which she loves to tell over and over again.

If you put ten ducks in a box, what do you have?
.
.
.
.
A box of Quackers!!


And she put her own spin on it:

If you put ten Daddies in a box, what do you have?
A box of workers.

If you put ten Mommies in a box, what do you have?
A box of cleaners.

If you put ten Veronica's in a box, what do you have?
A box of laughers.

If you put ten Valerie's in a box, what do you have?
A box of criers.


Pretty funny.

Summer has begun!

Yesterday was Valerie's last day of school. And I was so, so sad!! I don't know why!! I think I was more upset over this being her last day than I was on her first day. I guess I'm backwards like that. I picked her up and everybody who won't be there for the summer told Val goodbye. Her teacher (my fav) doesn't work during the summer, so she said she'd see Val in the fall. And I just wanted to cry! It didn't help that Valerie was sad that her 'best friend' wasn't there, so she didn't get to say goodbye. I hope that some of her friends will be in her class for summer camp and preschool next year. It seems like I JUST enrolled her. She just started and walked off saying "bye momma!" as happy as can be on her first day. Now here she is finished with her first year of school! She only missed one day the whole time. Three year old pre-k is done!! I'm so proud that she did so well and enjoyed it so much. She'll be in the 4 year old class in summer camp, which Val starts on June 2. Yikes, I'm gonna be a mess when she starts REAL school!!!

Her class.... look how tall my little girl is compared to the others!! She's smack in the middle in the 'mini dress' because her legs are so long.

A better way

There has got to be an easier way to get the girls down for the night by myself. When Clint is here, he tends to one and I the other. When he's not, I'm being pulled in two directions at once. Val isn't usually much of a problem. It's Veronica. It seems she snuggles in her bed all comfy, but with in ten or fifteen minutes she's up screaming. She wants out of her crib and into the pack n play in our room. I'd rather not do that, but some nights are really bad so I end up giving in just to end the tantrum. Some nights go perfect! Others are literally a wide awake nightmare...

This is our routine:

Veronica gets a bath. Then I put on a movie for her while I give Valerie a bath. Then we all hang out in the living room and watch the movie. The girls always want a nighttime snack. For a while it was frozen waffles. Lately they've moved to peanut butter and jelly rolls. Each has a cup of water. Then I brush Val's teeth, then Veronica's (which is another struggle.) We all pile into Valerie's bed to look at books and read a three bed time stories. Roni will usually start whining a little bit as her sign she's ready. I'll take her to her room and sit with her in the glider chair and talk to her a few minutes about our day to have a little one-on-one time. I lay her in bed, and she cuddles up with her bunnies and seemingly is going to sleep. I go back to Val's room to finish stories...

Like clockwork.... Roni is up screaming with in minutes. Calling "momma momma." Or chanting "pack n play! pack n play!" I try to wait it out, but it usually escalates until I HAVE to go in there to calm her down. Sometimes she has a full blown tantrum. I'll sit with her in the chair again, or do whatever I need to calm her down. Put her back to bed. And the whole thing happens over again. Sometimes it's 3-4 rounds before she settles for the night.

Yet, some nights she's wonderful and just goes right to sleep and stays asleep.

It's quite frustrating.

Who are you?

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So, who are you? Friend? Spammer? Stalker?

Why am I the only blog you are following??

I have a feeling.

And I bet I know who you are...

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures!

For some odd reason, Clint is making weird faces in most of our family pictures. The girl I hired took nearly 600 pics - yes 600! And Clint is squinting, looking at the grass, eyes closed, talking... I don't know what to say. I didn't think it was that hard to sit still, look at the photographer, and smile. He was just as bad as the kids.

Dancerella!!

Aren't these awful? Sure they are 'pictures' of pictures because I am too lazy to hook up the scanner. But look at how bad the colors are?? The leopard one is actually pink. I see one pink spot. Sure it is a 'shiny' fabric, but you'd think a professional would know how to compensate for that. The bottom outfit is white with pink daises. Ummm it's a white washout. Not to mention the dirty foot prints on the floor cover. I also didn't like that he snapped ONE picture and said "ok that's good enough." ONE! Don't go to Picture Parlor. I didn't have a choice.

Someone else took these (AKA: Me.) NO they are not perfect, but they are better than the above and didn't cost a cent.

Mother's Day pics

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day. But it's not much of a happy day for me. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful to be a Mother and for my sweet little girls. But today is also very sad. Hug your mom today. Take it from me, you never know when it will be your last.

For years now I've given my Mom flowers on Mother's Day. I think I sent her 2 dozen roses last year. I keep thinking about last year. She was not feeling well on Mother's Day. In pain. The mysterious pain that wouldn't quit. But she never let on. Just a slight limp that went mostly unnoticed. Who knew that because of that, this year I'd be leaving her flowers at her grave.

One year though I didn't give her flowers. I made her a card. I was in seventh grade so I would have been twelve. In elementary school, we usually did an art project for Mother's Day, so that was what I knew. In junior high, there were no art projects. Maybe I should have planned ahead. I was a typical kid though and not thinking beyond the day I guess. I was busy struggling with being teased every day and wanting school to be over. So when I realized Mother's Day was upon us, I made her a card. It wasn't fancy. Just a drawing and maybe "Happy Mother's Day! I love you!" With no teacher pushing ideas, I was not very creative on my own. I didn't feel like I was too old to make a card. After all, it was what I had done in previous years. I did know that I had to do something so that she'd know I hadn't forgotten. I didn't have any money. I didn't have a way to the store. I guess I could have gone to the "junk" store around the corner, but again... no money. I don't remember it ever crossing my mind to ask my Dad to take me shopping either. He was always at work. I was only twelve. Typically, not planning ahead.

When I got up on Mother's Day, I gave her the card and told her Happy Mother's Day!!

She yelled at me. And we fought. And she yelled. And screamed at me. And I was too old to make her a card. I should have bought her one. I should have bought her something from a store. I don't remember the exact words, but that was the gist of it. The card I made ended up in the trash can. And I cried and cried. Then came silence. I am not sure how long, but it seemed to be a few days, she did not speak to me. My Mom ignored me and pretended I didn't exist. Because I made her a Mother's Day card. That was her passive aggressive way of punishment, which I learned to do very well. After all, I learned from the best of the best. I remember going to school on Monday. I hid in the bathroom and cried until the bell rang for first hour class. Then one afternoon a few days later I got off the bus and she greeted me at the door like nothing had ever happened. Just like always. I didn't understand then. I don't understand now. She never said a word about it again. I just remember feeling relief that she wasn't mad at me any more. It still stings to bring back those memories. Maybe I was too old to make something. I really don't know if 12 is too old? Maybe something happened prior to that Sunday that I don't remember. Perhaps she was really upset that my Dad didn't initiate taking me to the store. Maybe she was mad at him. I don't know. I never made her another gift. I knew better.

I've been trying to post a few pics but I get an error every time. Hmm. Anybody else having issues?