Okay!  I found my camera.  I have tons of pics to share but I’ll just do one or two at a time.   I’ll start with our Epcot photos of the Garden and Flowers Show.  My favorite area by far was this playground  garden area near the German Pavillion.  They had these little themed gardens and tons of great ideas to create gardens with the younger ones in the family.  There was a dinosaur garden (housed plants that lived during the time of dinosaurs), a fairy garden with cute little fairy houses that were created from bird houses and gourds, and a texture garden with my favorite new plant….lambs ear.  It was so soft to touch.  I can’t wait to get some for our garden.  There were gardens in old tubs, iron beds, and old boats.  It was full of fun creative gardening ideas.  Disney attempts to use natural methods of controlling insects and one such method is the use of ladybugs.  Everyday at 1 and 3 they have a release of ladybugs.  We went at three for the festivity.  These photos are of that experience.  DD is afraid of them…so she wasn’t told of the ones on the back of her until much later.  LOL…DS loves them as you can tell.

 

 

First off I found my camera!  Woowhoo!  I have been asking everyone around the school and no one has seen it.  (Yes, in the office too!)  Well, I’m organizing the end of the year party for two fourth grade classrooms and had to run a couple of ideas by the principal.  I walk into his office and sit down to chat and there on his desk is MY CAMERA!  I would have kissed him if I didn’t think it would have caused and uproar of chatter around the school. 

I was reading my email and my cousin sent me the following story.  It was too funny (I could see it happening in my house!) not to share…

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died.  Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick.  LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother’s Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.
We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack’s…rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said “chapped.”

Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right–their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn’t seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat’s behind or the hundredth.
And THAT is my favorite Mother’s Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they’ve been using your chapstick on the cat’s butt.

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

The kids and I rode our bikes to school today.  They are so excited to be riding and I’m enjoying the exercise first thing in the morning.  Thus far the weather has been cooperative and we only have 7 days of school left.  I hope they don’t tire of it before then.

I lost my camera on Wednesday.  I am so mad at myself.  I must have left it at the school but it is NO WHERE to be found.  I’ll look once more today as I’m on my way up there to get a note approved to go home with DS’s class today or Monday and eat lunch with my daughter.  I also have to run and get some teacher gifts as it’s Teacher appreciation week and I’ve not done one thing.  I think I’ll bring some flowers back with me.  With the end of the year right around the corner, and end of year gifts, I think that’s all we need.  I’m off once more.  Have a great weekend.

I went back to the dentist today to finish up the crown.  The tooth is soooo sensitive.  He had to give me some novacaine.  Now I have the achy feeling in my jaw.  I guess I’ll break down and take some ibuprofen.  I HATE taking anything but I hate this feeling more.    It should help this headache I have from all the smoke in the air.  It lifted for awhile yesterday but it’s back bigger and badder (is that a word?) today.  Andrea is helping send the smoke down this direction.  I wish she’d come dump some water on us, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Nope she’s just going to hang off shore and send enough wind our way to fan the flames and smoke.  UGH.

What is with this weather anyway?  It’s early MAY!  That’s way too early for a tropical…okay, sub-tropical storms.  She looks ominous…but she’s not much.  She’s what I’d call more of a looker.

The smoke around here is horrendous.  My son’s friend and his teacher both suffer from asthma and it’s really quite scarry.  They’re using masks to get from place to place and staying indoors as much as possible.  Thank God I’m only dealing with a headache and sticky burning eyes.  UGH.  The other plus is the weather has been in the 70′s rather than the typical 90′s.  I sure hope the wind direction changes and that we get lots of water to help tame the flames and smoke.  (Water without the wind and lightening that only cause more issues.)

DD is taking her swimming lessons at school this week.  I went yesterday to help get her out of the pool.  She’s very sensitive to the chlorine and it has to be washed off her right away.  I’m in a hurry and the lady giving her lessons wants to show me all she can do and what a wonderful child she is.  I’m trying to be the good supportive mommy and say, “Yeah!  Look at you, you’re doing so well!”  What I’m thinking is…I know she’s wonderful, now get her out of the pool so I can get going. 

 I popped into DS’s room this morning.  His teacher asked me if I would make some gingerbread for the kids trip tomorrow.  (Germany).  I said, “Sure, no problem.  I’ll put DS to work tonight on it!”  Last time I popped in she sent me home with t-shirts to dye for the kids.  She commented that if she keeps this up, I won’t pop in anymore.  ROFLOL, no such luck for her.  I love my kids and enjoy doing things for them and their classes.  It’s the part of teaching I liked, without the political crud on top.  I tell everyone I have the best of both worlds right now.  I get the opportunity to do the part of teaching I liked without the responsibilities on top.  Of course, I don’t get the pay check either.