Our Preschool Graduate

Brynn is now a preschool Graduate!!!

Brynn's Diploma

Brynn and her teacher Mrs Pinherio

Love this woman, this is the second year Brynn had her!

Brynn and Miss Kelly

Brynn and her friend Emma. 

Sadly, Emma is moving and won't be here anymore.  Hopefully they will move back(they are supposed to).

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance

Brynn is ready for kindergarten.  She thinks she should be able to start tomorrow!!  Glad she is excited about it!!!

1. great teachers 

2.  FULL DAY Kindergarten

3.  good friends

A Birthday Shout Out

Two lovely people in my family share a birthday. 

The cute one in the pink

(my sister is NOT going to like this picture)

And the one in the blue jacket who is thinking he is cool!

(He sometimes is!)

Their birthday was last Friday.  I was a loser and didn't call them.  I have many excuses, but excuses are just that, excuses.

So, the cards are in the mail, until then

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Called To Serve

Bishop Todd Burt

Oxford Ward

Springfield MA Stake

June 6, 2010

Baking

Yep, you read that right.

95 degrees.

We are baking like toasted cheesers and it is only May!!

1.  air conditioning

2.  trees

3.  sunshine

Brynn

When my mother in law was here the other day, I was telling her that it is sometimes hard to discipline Brynn.  The reason is that most of the time she is just so darn funny.  I have to turn my head away so she doesn't see me laugh.

Brynn helped me make my point.  Tuesday before Grandpa and Grandma left, we were having lunch and Brynn was supposed to be eating so she could go to school.  I had told her several times to eat, but she was distracted.  She was excited for school and the grandparents were here.  Finally I said she better eat or she was going to be in trouble.  She looks me straight in the eye and says......

"Do you wanna fight?"

What???  I couldn't even do any discipline, I busted out laughing.  It caught me totally off guard and I thought it was hilarious!  My mother in law was trying not to laugh, until she saw me and I said to her, "See what I mean?"

       How can you not laugh at a child who takes pictures of herself that look like these??


1.  funny kids
2.  laughing
3.  Fridays

Chorus Concert

Since January, Marissa has been getting up early one day a week to go to Chorus.

They had their concert a couple of weeks ago.

        Marissa and the Chorus Director Mrs. Riordan~Marissa and Mr. Joel

Playing the kazoo, which they were so kind to send home!

She loved every minute of it.

Sadly, I am not a good videographer!!

1. hard work 2. music 3. good teachers

Visitors

Todd and I decided kind of last minute last Thursday that his parents needed to come for a visit. 

So, we called them up and by Friday night(sctually by the time they got to the house it was Saturday morning) they were here!!!!

We had a short, but fun visit. 

It was not easy to get a decent photo with my hockey puck children, but you take what you can get!

Like father like children!  Todd had a hard time too!

Todd's dad had never heard of a fisher cat(none of us had really) and he was quite interested in them.  On Monday we went to the River Bend Farm because they had this stuffed cat.  It is a young one, but it was still a fisher cat!
Unfortunately, we didn't hear any of them while grandpa was here, he would have loved it!!

Sadly, they left Tuesday afternoon, but a short visit is better than no visit!!!

1.  grandparents
2.  fun visits
3.  airplanes

Happy Birthday Marissa

Happy Birthday Marissa!!!!!

Can't believe how old you are!!

You are becoming quite a wonderful young lady!

10 things about Marissa:

1.  Marissa is a very funny girl.

2.  Marissa is a good babysitter.

3.  Marissa loves church.

4.  Marissa is very social.

5.  Marissa loves to have fun.

6.  Marissa loves to play the piano.

7.  Marissa does GREAT in school.

8.  Marissa gets along with others well(except her siblings)!

9.  Marissa LOVES her glasses.

10.  We LOVE Marissa!!

Have you ever

had a day that you wish you could do over? 

 Or at least do over part of the day?

I wish I could have a do over on part of my day yesterday.

A do over on the Sabbath??  What could be so bad??

Let me write it out for you.

I had an early morning meeting.  I got up and got ready, a little slow, I was tired.  I had had a crazy week.

Todd had been in India since the Friday before and had just gotten home late Saturday night.  That in and of itself could explain the crazy week.

The kids had numerous games, concerts, activities.  I had missed ALL of Brandon's baseball games~due to other kids activities.

I got a phone call in the early part of the week with news that was not great and something I didn't want to hear. 

I had all kinds of plans to get so many things done.

didn't happen.

Then I think the straw that broke the camel's back was on Saturday Brandon's game was  to be at 3 in the afternoon.  I took him over at 2:15 because they need to be there early to warm up.  We get there and there is not a Ranger in the place.  Long story short, the game had been moved to 9 am and I had no idea.  I wasn't at the last game to hear the time of the next game and we totally missed it.  Brandon was in tears and thought I was blaming him for not telling me and he didn't realize there was a time change and for some odd reason, he didn't say anything to me Sat. morning.

So, I was having to hurry to my meeting.  I was fine, but a little rushed, and very tired(and I don't do great when I am overly tired).

Got to my meeting, before it started and got there early enough to get the Relief Society room set up.

Went in to the meeting, which at this particular one is mostly men, and yesterday 3 women.

Got started, all is good.

Bishop starts talking, gets a bit emotional and I get a bit teary.  If anyone knows me very well at all, you know I cry when anyone else does!

We continue on with the meeting and I have stopped the teary eyes.

Then he did something that he has never done in a meeting that I have been in and he says,

"So how are each of you doing??"

That was not the question to ask me yesterday. 

I lost it.  I was just crying my eyes out.

It was terrible.

I felt this past week that I had done a bad job of being the best I can be.

I didn't do well with family prayer, there were NO scriptures read, the house wasn't(still isn't) in the best shape, I had missed all of Brandon's games and then he missed one too.  I was a crazy lady most of the week trying to keep up with the kids and by yesterday it showed.

I felt like I had failed in so many ways.  Yet, I know I really didn't.

I didn't say a thing in my meeting.  Until someone specifically asked me how I was doing and if I had something I wanted to share. 

Unfortunately, I can't hide my crying.  My face gets red, my lip swells, my eyes get red.  It is ugly!

I said I didn't want to share because I was already crying and he asked if I was sure.  Well, he asked for it.

I let it out.

All the things I stated above I shared with a group of at least 6 men and one other woman(our pres. had left to get her kids by this point, lucky her)

I think the men in the room thought I had lost my mind.

Todd is somewhat used to my crying episodes.

Other men, not so much.  But they asked.

Terrible I tell you, terrible.

Then, after the meeting, I went in to the bathroom to try to clean myself up and took one look in the mirror and I was done for.

I could not stop crying.  I looked so terrible.

and I couldn't stop crying.  I am not quite sure what got into me, other than I was just tired and it got the best of me.

I went home.  I went home to take Motrin for my headache and to fix my face.  Then, I went back.  I thought I was doing fine, but I walked in and saw Todd and he asked me what was going on and it started all over again.  I had yet to have a chance to fill him in, so we went outside so I could give him an earful.  Poor Todd.  The poor man has to deal with my emotions and often it is not pretty.

Anyway, I could not seem to stop the tears. 

I was supposed to conduct in Relief Society and I just couldn't do it.

I told Todd I was going back home and asked him to tell my RS Pres. that i wasn't going to be there and give her the conducting sheet I had started to get ready.  He did, and I left.

I still am not exactly sure I have answers for my episode yesterday, but I sure do wish I could do it all over.  I am sure the men in that meeting will be scarred for life!

That is when I wish for do~overs!!

The rest of the Sabbath was nice. 

We went to a baptism of a friend and that was a good time!

I am still tired today and a wee bit on the emotional edge, but for the most part I am doing much better and know I will recover.

As for the men in that meeting, I am not so sure!

1.  air conditioning

2.  Todd being back home to help run kids around

3.  baptisms

 and I know the picture is missing from the top of my blog, I was wanting to change it and deleted the one and now can't get another one to work in its place!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Have you ever said something and then a few minutes after you said it and after finding out more information, then you feel like an absolute IDIOT???

That was me a few days ago. 

Spirit Week has been this week at Brynn's school.
Tuesday was dress up like what you want to be when you grow up.
Brynn~as a side note, dressed up like a soccer girl~
One of the teachers was dressed up like a garbage man.
I was volunteering that day, so I saw a lot of the teachers.
I went up to this particular teacher, who I do somewhat know and said,
"I am laughing that you, a teacher, is dressed up like a garbage man.
I am always telling my kids that they need to do well in school so they don't have to be a garbage man or drive the honeywagon when they grow up."
She laughed and said"They actually make really good money."
I was kind of shocked, and then went on with my volunteering.
As I am sitting helping kids, it hits me.
Her boyfriend, dad, someone must work for the garbage company.

Before I leave, I ask one of Brynn's teachers if the above mentioned teacher knows someone who works for the trash company.
She kind of laughs and says, "Yes, her boyfriend is actually taking over the company."
Crap!!!
Unbelievable!!

I will say, here in MA, the towns do not take care of trash collection.  It is private companies that do it and the residents are responsible for getting a company to pick up their trash.  When I was growing up, trash was collected by the county.  I was told on more than one occasion that the workers who collected the trash for the county made minimum wage and it was not the kind of job you would want to have when you grew up.  That was what I was basing my judgement upon.

Really????

So, after school, I went in to talk to said teacher.  I apologized for my idiocy and for saying anything and she busted out laughing.  She said she hadn't thought another thing about it.
Well, now it is a big joke among the preschool teachers at school.
Today, guess who came to talk to the preschoolers about Recycling???
Thats right, above said boyfiend/garbage man!!!

So, I was invited to attend the festivities.
I originally turned them down.  There was no way I was going in there.
But, then Brynn had herkindergarten checkup today and was late for school.
It was time for the recycling fun, so I went in to listen.
The man, Tom, did a great job.  He was very patient with 40+ preschoolers and answered the question "Why do we recycle?  probably 20 times.

So, never judge the pay of a garbage man.  Now I will just tell my kids that they need to do well in school so they don't have to drive the honeywagon!!!!!


Side note, I am feeling much better today.  I actually felt a ton better after I typed everything out and vented!!!!!

1.  Spring Break is upon us!
2.  Braden doing well in his Lacrosse Game
3.  friends calling and listening to me vent!

I'm Having A Day

This is how I feel today...
I just want to stick my tongue out to the world.

Life is hard, sometimes I don't like it.
I don't like seeing people struggle.
I don't like seeing people suffer.
I don't like it even more when my kids struggle.

I am tired.
It doesn't help.
I am busy.
Doesn't help.

I will feel better.......maybe soon.

I am tired of rain.
It is supposed to rain here all weekend.
If it does, Brandon's first baseball game will be postponed.
Guess to when.....thats right, Sunday.
Crappy.
Braden's 3rd lacrosse game will be rained out too.
Crappy.
They have already had 4 games that haven't happened.
Lots of practices, no games.
Bummer.

I am tired of laundry.
It never ends.
It is always needing to be done.


I am tired.
I am ornery.

And yet, there is a small part of me today that is grateful.
Grateful for so many blessings in my life.
I just need some reminding and I need to be able to vent.
Tomorrow is a new day!!!!

1.  sunshine today
2.  an understanding baseball coach
3.  a week of spring break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lookout Rock

A couple of Saturdays ago we actually had NOTHING on the calendar!!!

So we decided to do a little touring in town.

Todd had heard about this place called Lookout Rock.  It is a 1/4 mile little hike and when you get to the top you can see the whole town.  It was fun, because there are so many trees here that you can't see much of anything but trees.

The view from the bottom of the rock looking up.

Up at the top

It was a fun time, a bit cold, so we didn't stay long, but it was fun to see something new!!

1.  new things

2.  great views

3.  nothing on a Saturday

Easter

For the last several years we have asked the Easter Bunny to come on Saturday.

He is kind to oblige.

It makes it nice come Sunday, because then we can focus more on the Sabbath and the Savior and the true meaning of Easter.

Brynn had a hard time finding her basket this year. 

The bunny hid it under mom and dad's bathroom sink.

All the kids with their loot!

Because Easter was on the same day as General Conference and we got to watch church on TV at home, we didn't need the typical Easter clothes, so the bunny brought the kids pajamas, which I thought was great because they all needed spring pajamas. 
The weekend wasgreat, but it went by way too fast!!

1.  Easter
2.  General Conference
3.  85 degree weather in April!

Where in the World??

Where in the world do I live??

While I was sitting in the car during seminary, I was listening to the radio and the news came on and the DJ's were complaining about a new tax the state is going to start. 

If you have a pet, any kind, you will now pay a yearly tax.  Based on the weight of your pet.  If you don't pay the tax, your pet could be impounded.  The only way to get around this is to not take your pet to the vet.  The state will be checking vaccination records to verify who has paid the tax. 
This includes dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, fish, etc.

People were outraged.  Do you blame them?  I don't have pets and I can't believe it.  All of these poor animals in shelters are never going to be adopted and people will get rid of the ones they have because they can't afford them.
Unreal!
BTW, if you live in MA, you have 48 hours to register your animal and get your taxes paid. 

They were also talking about taxing soda, I guess 20 other states already do that one to help fight obesity.  Whatever!

Welcome to TAXachussetts!!



















I checked out the websit the radio station said to go to to pay these taxes and it says:


April FOOLS!!!!

1.  funny jokes
2.  a few days with no rain
3.  still no water in our basement!

I learned

I learned something this morning at 5:55 a.m.

I learned that not even 3 inches of rain in a 24 hour period can cover up the smell of a dead skunk in the road!

PEEUUUU!!!

1.  sun in the forcast
2.  no flooding at our house
3.  a clean kitchen