Busy week!!

This week Savannah is going to a Ranch camp for 5 days.. Riding horses, swimming, Crafts And apparently much more. She is so hype about going she doesn't remember what all they are doing. She is in the same group with one of her friends from Church - Another Savannah! The nice thing is that her mother is bringing both home in the evening.

Christopher is with me during the time Savannah is at camp. He is already lost!! He has never been by himself for several days in a row. He was a couple years ago but at that time it was no big deal.  He knows she will be gone during the day all week.  He wants to get in his pool, in about 10 minutes He is out. He didn't want to swim with out 'sister' being there.  He played with his trains watched movies and about 4pm decided he wanted to go back into the pool.He stayed this time about 45 minutes. He didn't like it that I was emptying the pool, it had been up a few days. Will redo tomorrow.
He told me he would clean the bottom o the pool for me. We have found that the Swifter dust mop is the best thing to wipe up the dirt, grass and slime from the  bottom of the pool. Quick and less messy.

I have approx 2+ weeks left on my mission. Finish July 5. It has been interesting but still stressfull as the whole Family History Center Support is changing and enlarging. We also cover the Online Film ordering area.  It is  ongoing changes and a lot more technical. and it has been very hard for me to keep up with all the new stuff. Since the kids are out of school, I am now working the phones from 7pm to 10pm. Tues, wed, thur. I do some friday evenings to help cover vacations and finished missions.

This Mission would have been a lot easier if that was the only thing going on in my life. Most of the other missionaries   don't have family  obligations (which I would not give up for anything). Also I am next to the oldest in the group. Several are also Family History Center Directors and know a lot more about the Centers than I do.. I have learned a lot and have talked to people all over the world. I am glad I did this but also glad it is almost over.

Yard sale

I have been talking about having a yard sale all spring. Well I finally did it with Lakin's help. Didn't get everything out because I ran out of space. We had 2 LARGE tables of minis and ornaments and odds and ends. Savannah had two small tables. drop leaf table with stu on it til it sold. Around 10 or 12 bins with the lids of - and they rooted around in them:) ) few hanging clothes. 2 long 6" wide boards on saw horses.  The minitures moved the most. I had them marked from 75 cents to 5 cents. They were mostly ones I had used when I set up all 4 villages I have.. One women brought up one marked 10 cents and ask if I could give her a better price. I looked at her and said the better price you want is for free. NO  most people were very nice but some were not so nice.

Friday was a fun day. The grand kids had a lemonade or water  table. Actually it was Savannah's project but little brother had to help. The people would ask what they were going to do with the money they make. Savannah told them she wanted to go to opreyland theater to see madegascar 3 in 3D. Christopher told them he wanted to buy a train engine he didn't have. Several liked that she wanted to earn the money to go to the movie and some gave them a dollar. She decided to take her bff from school also. So saturday night the whole family went to the movies.

It made for a tiring 2 days and I took a nap both aternoons It was fine til noon then someone turned the heat on. But it was worth it - got rid o a lot o stuff!  Will prob do another one in late September. I didn't get a lot o  santas out and need to get rid of a lot or ornaments.

Pool time

Savannah & Christooopher came in the door just after 7 this morning with swim suits in hand. " Is the pool up?"  It was 68 degrees. The pool was up and filling by 9am. I kept them out of the water til it ways in the mid 70s. Had a few he splashed me - she splashed me times. Savannah was like a little fish with face in the water and 'swimming' from one end of the pool to the other (all 120 inches) Christopher would not get his hair wet or face in the water. He finally went into the house and layed down on the couch for a while. His tummy hurt. 
After lunch it was swim time again. Savannah would run, jump over the 3 inflated rings(cleared the pool side by a foot most of the time) then cannonballed into the water.. Christopher would run up to the pool, put his hands on the top ring and propelled his body over, into the pool.( he as feeling better) they played and jumped into the pool, shot each other with water tube guns. Had a general good time except when arguing about who bumped who and who splashed who first. Told them if it kept up, one would be in the pool for an hour, then the other would be in by themself for an hour.Neither wanted that so they settled. Christopher finally got 'cold' and off with the bathing suit and wrapped in a towel , covered with a blanket, layed on the couch for a while. Savannah played in the water for about 15 minutes then came in to help brother warm up. By then it was windy and getting cooler. so end of the day of swimming. 
I then captured both of them and had them pushing boxes around in the garage. I think 3/4 of the boxes are garage sale items. Lots of Christmas stuff. Left over stuff from when I was doing embroidering. Yesterday Christoopher opened a bin and found a Easter Thomas I had hid and couldn't find when needed. Then I opened a box that had the net portion of my Jr prom dress. It was red and white net with lots of ruffles.and red bows scattered over the skirt.  It was strapless Which Savannah was upset about. She wanted to take it home but it is over 50 years old. She didn't think I had made the dress.
OH we also found daddy's indian costume and his chef costume from his two years of dance. Also found the Bee costume that I made for him like one of Captain Kangeroo had on his program (I think) Also my mothers wedding dress and my wedding dress - plain white wool jersey dress.  My Mother's dress was pink taffata. also found a dress that belonged to my grandmother, who died in the early 1900s.  Also my brother who died  of crib death, found his blue silk booties.  It was a walk down memory lane.

Hair Cut Day

i have taken Savannah to get her hair cut  BUT never Christopher.
Savannah knew how she wanted her hair cut - shoulder length with bangs. We had tried the full long style, but her hair fell over one eye all the time. And it was made lazier that before. So no hair over the eyes. I would have had it cut a little shorter but she got the length she wanted. She looks so cute with her hair that way. even if she didn't get to be first.

I was at Kim and Lakin's for dinner Memorial Day.  I called Christopher over to me. Now this is a kid that fights getting his hair cut - Clippers are noisy and pull his hair. So I had a deal for him. (Otherwise known as a bribe!!) If he would let Ms Jennifer cut his hair with scissors, the back and over his ears, WE would go to Toys 'R' US. His favorite store. He thought about it for a little bit, then agreed if she would not use the clippers. Ok so off we went to the French Twist Tuesday at 12:30. He still agreed then added that he would be first. ANY thing to get his hair cut. Well Jennifer was informed what she could or could not do. No clippers, cut around his ears and the back. He proceded to watch in the mirror to see if she was doing it right. He complained when she stepped in front of him and he couldn't see the mirror. Also "You are cutting the front!" I told him she had to do that so it would look good.
He made faces in the mirror and kept up running coments. Had the whole place in hysterics. Jennifer tries to talk him into using the tiny clippers she had. NO Way!!  So she continued on. She was cutting a little off the top when he spotted that. Another objection!! Told him she was just evening up, which she was as he had missed her cutting the top - too busy making faces.
He did real well and told her he would see her before school. Then was impatient for Savannah to get her hair cut so they could go to Toys"R" US.  Savannah has wanted walkie talkies for a while. Esp since her best friend moved to the other end of the street.  We usually have a $20 limit per kid when I take them. But I went over for her and got the Walkie Talkies. Much comparison and discussion. One would not talk far enough and one was too expensive. Christopher decided he wanted the same thing - but who wold he talk to?  He and his sister talked back and forth for a little bit.  If he had a set he would be interupting his sister all the time. So he finally found a set of 3  train cars he didn't have. I know the next time he will want walkie Talkies.

No matter how I moved the big blond head moved also. and she stole the flash light. LOL  I wish I had Christopher here to put in names of his class. I think that is Ashleigh(?) Turner net to the big head.

End of the School Year 2012

On wednesday May 23 Christopher "graduated" from Pre K.  Lakin, Kim and I took the kids to school then went to the Library at Eagleville.  At 9am they filed into the library, big smiles and waves to their families. Then the kids lined up on a three step platform (and none fell off). They were dressed in a varity of ways from slacks, long sleeve shirt, and vest (Christopher and a couple of other boys) to shorts and jeans. The girls were mostly in sundresses and some in shorts, some in jeans. All were adorable. They sang 3 songs and most knew all of the words. The cutest song was the ABCs in my mouth. complete with motions and wiggles.
They each received a mock diploma and a folder with pictures and some of their work. To get those they had to give Mrs Smith a Hug.
We then went outside on the patio and had cake with the class picture on the cake, chips, juice and water. Christopher got lots of hugs from Ms Smith and Ms Tolivar and of course he had to hug all his classmates.(esp the girls lol)

Thursday Lakin went to school with Savannah, Lakin  helped supervise all the activities as there were no lessons that day. On Friday Lakin and Christopher took Savannah to school to get her report card. With Mrs Dyke's assistance, she improved so much in her work. and got good marks.
Savannah will be going to a week day camp that will include riding horses. She also loves to run she can outrun the boys in her class. Anyone know of a good track coach for a 3rd grader. we wold like to get her  running the proper way so she will not have to relearn it in Middle school. There are times at home she will run, just because she likes to.

Christopher got to go see his Developmental Pre K teacher he had when he was 3 to 4 yrs old. He Loved Ms DeeDee. Both Ms DeeDee and Mrs Smith have made a big difference in his life. Learning school stuff and behavior.

Both Mrs Smith and Mrs Dyke sent home work for them to do over the summer. Their to do dailey list starts with school. This is done after breakfast.  Lakin and Savannah have been working on math and will include some spelling.  With Christopher he has been working on sight words. There were 30 some on one page and Christopher knew over 25 of them. Tried to sound out some of the others. Then Lakin realized he had Savannah's end of 1st grade sight words.  They are also working on him printing his name - letters in a row and all the same size and not the artistic creative name.  They hope that this will help both of the kids remember what they learned last year so they can go on with their new lessons.

I promise I will have a couple of pictures of 'graduation'.

Mother's Day 2012

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers that read this.

Mother's Day means so much to me. It is the time to celebrate all mothers. My mother was a different person. She was a coal miners wife, that worried constantly for my dad's safety. First she had me, a sickly croupy pneumonia baby. My step grandfather told her to  have another child because her first one would not be with them long. He was wrong :).. She had that 2nd child a boy, a happy baby, a joy. Of course I was jealous of Stanley, known as Sonny). I stole his bottle and ran with it, triping on the step up from one room to the other. I have a scar on my left wrist to show for my misdeed.  Sonny died "crib death" at 18 months. The family was devestated.  My mother became depressed . It took several more years for her to become pregnant again. My brother Jon was born 70 years ago last thursday. He was born on Mothers day.  18 months later Will was born.  6 & 7 years younger than me. By then I was a spoiled brat and didn't want to have any extra kids around.  I was the center of attention before the invasion of the "boys".
We all remember different things of my mothers life. She didn't want any type of services when she died. She donated her body to the Athens, Ohio, Medical school for research. So the first Sunday after her death, My Brothers, families and my son gathered to remember all the things, good and bad, that we remembered about both of our parents. We laughed and we cryed. . I remembered the many times I helped in the greenhouse and 'doing' the flowers for sepecial occasions. Also the many times I broke the home by __ rule. There was an outside door in my bedroom --- so I left my friends a little ways from the house, walked into the house got ready for bed then wandered past my parents bedroom making enough noise to wake my mom so she new I was home.
The main thing Jon remembered was that when he went to Kent State, Mom gave all his baseball cards to the neighbor kids.  He had a LOT of cards that were worth something. A lot of first cards of players from the 50s. Cleveland Indians players and a lot of others.   The Irony of him going to Kent State was that he left school after being caught in the girls dorms toooo many times. That was a no no in the early 60s. He joined the Navy and became a Nuclular submariner. with many many stories he could not tell.
Bill just plodded along. He played football in high school. He was big and noone wanted to go thru the line over him. He went out for football at Kent State, played for a while his freshman year, but he had hit a kid during a game and broke his leg. No more foot ball for him.  He was/is such a big teddy bear he didn't want to hurt anyone. He graduated and went right to work for the IRS. Working for them until they closed the Cleveland Office and he took an early retirement. He and his wife, Janet, had an adopted daughter, then adopted 2 boys and then many many foster children of whom he adopted two.They were Foster Parents of the year in Ohio several times.
Me ? I finished high school, class of 22 students.  Went to Canton to Nursing school at Aultman Hospital school of Nursing - a 3 yr school. This gave me the background for 40 years of nursing.
My mother alwasys wanted to be a nurse, so after her divorce (39 yrs old)she went to LPN school and worked til she was in her late 60s. . She loved nursing and worked most of the time in Medical ICU.  She also met a man whom she married, an alcoholic, who hid his booze everywhere.  After many years of upheavel times they divorced. At one time he ask mom if he hit her would would her son's do? Mom answered don't worry about my sons, worry about what Lois would do to you. They divorced not long after that.
Both of my parents remarried BUT they continued to sneak off and meet at least once a week. Both of their spouses suspected this was going on but could never catch them meeting.  It was funny but also sad. They loved each other til the end but couldn't live together.
This has turned into a family history not an ode to mothers.
Will continue this later. time to get ready for Church.