Reunited — And It Felt SO Good

Happy Memorial Day!!  Are you all (did you all) have a good one?  You doing (did) anything special?

We sure did.  And are!

Yesterday we were lucky enough to hang out with Paige Von Lieber and kin!!!

Remember Paige?  The one and only blogging Paige I met in the flesh for the first time last fall on our Enchanted Rock Excursion? Yes, waaaay back when my blog pictures were still a mere 500px wide, Paint Shop Pro was but a distant dream and poor little Kelly had a broken arm.

Oh wait — Kelly has a broken arm now too! I guess she saves those for Paige excursions.  🙂

This time we did not meet on a windy mountain.

We spent the day in Fredericksburg — one of Texas’ best little tourist towns, settled by Germans in 1845.

We had the privilege of touring the National Museum Of The Pacific War — associated with The Nimitz Museum just around the corner.

Admiral Nimitz —  of The Nimitz Aircraft Carrier fame was born in Fredericksburg.

AWESOME museum!!!  Very impressive in scope and quality of exhibits. They had at least 3 REAL WW2 warplanes, 2 tanks, an original Jeep and half a submarine in there — plus hundreds of smaller displays.

Talk about a moving Memorial Day —  spent in the midst of memories of the brave ones who paid the ultimate price for the freedom I enjoy.

I was verklempt.  And evershall be.

Kelly in motion — the only way you ever find her.  Unless she’s under anesthetic having a broken arm set.

We ate lunch at a wonderful “Biergarten.”

I was eyeing a non-alcoholic restaurant, but my companions twisted my arm, and defeated — I slunk into that the beerful den of iniquity with them. 🙂

It was sooooooooooooooooooo great to see Paige again.  It feels like we’ve been friends since childhood.

She is awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!!

When are Y’ALL gonna move your cute little butts over here to Texas so we can meet too???

🙂

Paige’s daughter is tall.  I’m not, but I fake a whopping 5’7″ here, thanks to my 4″ wedge heels bought recently at Target for $23.99. Plus tax.

And those shoes are GENUINE imitation leather, I’ll have you know!!

All pix in this post Paige took yesterday (except the one of all 6 of us the waitress took.) She e-mailed them to me, I daisied ’em up with Paint Shop Pro, and here we are!

Oh, Paige e-mailed me the pix, the waitress didn’t e-mail them.

FYI, all daisies in this post are of the exact same flower, at the exact same angle — just in different sizes.)

Paige e-mailed to say HER Fredericksburg post was to be published at 3:30 today — thus I’m hitting “Publish” on this at 3:30!

Whoo-hoo!!

Zipping over to her blog now.  I wonder if she went for daisies too?

xoxoxxox

Graduation Angel

(Smiley faces edited in on June 1st, 2010 at 9:34 a.m. to respect potential privacy issues other parents may have.)

I’ve been waiting 2 years for this post.

Two years, People! (Because it’s a trio photo thing, as you’ll see.)

An exciting time Chez Funster, as next Friday Kelly graduates from “Little” Elementary to “Big” Elementary at her school.

Yes! Our angel will swoop under the time-honored “Arch of Life” as we celebrate the Pre-K kids moving up to Little El, the Little Els moving up to Big El, and the Big Els moving on to new schools.

It’ll be fun!

It’ll be GRRRREAT!!!

We’ll laugh.

I’ll cry.

Kelly’s just finished her “Golden Year” of Grade 3 — having spent grades 1, 2 and 3 with some wonderfully amazing teachers and friends! (At her school they have 3 grade levels combined in the same classroom.)

In the “Big El” classroom, she will complete grades 4, 5 and 6.  Then move on to a new school here in Austin. (If we haven’t moved back to Canada first.)

Actually, having been born here — Kelly will be moving “to” Canada.  For Jim and me it will be moving back.

(Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 — that’s First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth & Sixth Grades for all you Yanks, from this born-n-bred Canuck.  🙂

Can you figure out which 2 teachers she had for two years each, you lovely Sherlock people, you??  🙂

Remember Sherlock Hemlock from Sesame Street?

But I digress.

🙂

Yep, Kelly’s finished her full 3-year cycle, people!

Whooooo-hoooooooo!

(Actually, she’s the age of someone graduating from Second Grade — but more on that in June, 2013)

She’s soooooo excited to be reuniting this coming fall with a few of the girls who had moved up to Big El!!  They’re SUCH nice girls.

And it’s SUCH a nice school.

And today is SUCH a nice day.

After I post this I’ll be eating lunch, taking a bath, and having lots and lots and lots of FUN, FUN, FUN!!

Just one week of school left until 10 weeks summer vacation!!!

Life twirls on, is GRRRRREAT and…

She got her full arm cast off yesterday!!!!! Thrilled to be in a new short one!   Doctor’s office yesterday with iPhone…

Free!  Her elbow is free to move about again!!  New cast comes off in 3 weeks, so it’ll be 6 weeks+ 6 days total casting for this particular broken bone experience.

(Last fall’s broken elbow was only in cast 20 days — luxury!)

And If we’re lucky — she’ll not break any more bones until at least after July 4th.  🙂    🙂    🙂

And just outside the hospital door as we left yesterday…

And remember ‘way up yonder I said this post has been 2 years in the waiting? What’s the longest YOU’ve ever waited to get a post together?  🙂

xoxoxoxo

Why Yesterday Was So Darn Great!

How do I begin to describe the wonders of a day where the price of donuts was slashed by a whole FORTY cents each!?

Where the cheddar had grown but a rose petal depth of mold, and only on one corner?

A day bursting with the thrill of snagging a parking spot RIGHT IN FRONT of the grocery store!!?  Next to a handicapped spot!  Even tho I later had to wander the parking lot for 15 minutes searching for the van (having forgotten — of course — where I parked) it’s that joyful moment of swooping into a primo spot that will forever linger on.

Yesterday… I pared my blog drafts down from 67 to 12!  (I get a lot of ideas.  Most totally inane upon review.)

Instead of potentially being overdrawn in my checking, I actually had $12.35!  (Whew.) 

I think I GOT the melody I was seeking!  I totally think I did!!  (Duh, Jannie of little faith.)

We were all healthy.

We laughed quite a few times.

The burger buns were so fresh they fairly floated apart like dandelion fluff.

Water bounced out of the taps when I turned them.

Lights appeared when I flicked switches.

And there was not so much a speck of pet anything on the carpet all day. (I won’t get too specific on the latter, not with all these lovely donuts in this post.)

That’s a heavenly heavenly day in my books.

Anything heavenly in yours?   🙂

Yes, Kids Do Say The Darndest Things — 3

(These are all from her current age eight.)

1.
She: Actually, I don’t mind you spilled a little paint on my floor, Mom. It gives my room that real artisty feel.

2. [Overheard to one her friends] She: My dad is so smart and awesome to own his own business, because he can never get fired!

3.
Me: [when she wasn’t quite grasping why we have mayors and governors, as well as a president] I’ll explain it again when you’re a little older.
[ten seconds elapse.]
She: I’m older now — explain it!

4.
Me: [trying to get her to count her blessings] Be happy! Today is the first day of the rest of your life!
She: What!?!? Today is the last day of my life?
Me: No! I said today if the first day of the rest of your life.
She: Ohhh. I thought you said it was the LAST day of my life, and I’m going to die today.
[Thoughtful Pause]
Me: Well… we never know when we’re going to die, do we? We could go any minute.
She: But I probably won’t die today because I eat right, exercise and get lots of sleep!

5.
She: [After feasting on prime rib] Oh, I could NOT eat another single bite. But I do have room for dessert! [Okay, who can relate to that?] 🙂

6.
Me: What should we do about your budding computer addiction?
She: Let me have more computer time?

7.
She: Why do they make underwear all fancy when it only gets covered up anyway?!?

8.
She: My hands are freaking cold, Mom
Me: I told you I don’t like you saying that word.
She: What?? I’m EIGHT years old.  All my friends say “freaking.”
Me: Well, I don’t think it’s appropriate. You should be saying something like… my hands are really cold.
She: Okay — my hands are REALLY freaking cold.

9.
Me: Mr. Natural — I wonder if that’s a good place to eat?  I’ve passed by it a thousand times but I’ve never darkened the door.
She: Why would you do that? The door looks perfectly fine to me.

10.
She: How did I ever survive all these years without this awesome laptop!?!?! [one she got a few weeks ago]

Hey, if you’re new here, you might get a kick out of my kid’s previous Art Linkletter Loments, edition one and edition two.

xoxo

Let’s Spread Some Easter Miracle Love, Baby!!

(Kelly’s First Easter, 2002, age 7 months)

So, here’s something extra-super cool!! Hershey’s is donating $10 to the Children’s Miracle Network for every blog participating in their BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP.  Shakira gifted me with a basket.

All you have to do is…

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this Better Basket Blog Hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

As The Zen Of Motherhood (and to quote her verbatim,) “I’m tagging you ALL — let’s raise some money for the kids!”

Just put up your post by midnight, Eastern Time on April 4th. (April 4th — which just happens to be this Jannie’s birthday!!)   🙂

And thank you, Hersheys!!

xo