Day 91 ~ Daddy's Little Girl

Erin's Senior Prom is tonight.  We went to Samford University to meet her prom group and take pictures this afternoon.  Someone put a rope swing in one of the trees on campus near where we were taking pictures.  I could not resist...I wanted to take a picture of E in that swing.  Her daddy helped her get in and out of the swing.   Out of all 187 pictures I took today (yes, that was the actual number.) I knew I had to use this one as my picture of the day.  

 

I can not help but to remember him swinging her when she was a baby and we went to the park.  Where has the time gone?  

Day 90 ~ A Sneak Peek of the Prom Dress

Tomorrow is Erin's Senior Prom!  Mark picked up her dress today.  We rented it (can't see paying hundreds of dollars for a dress that she will wear one time!).  Thought I would just show a little peek...

Lots more to come tomorrow!!  

Day 89 ~ Lady Warriors Win County!

The Thompson High School Lady Warriors Tennis Team won the Shelby County Tournament on Thursday March 29th!  This is the first time Thompson High School has EVER won the county tournament!  The Shelby County Reporter stated that the team won the tournament with a record high amount in points.  Erin won the #2 singles match and she and her doubles partner, Maria came in 2nd in the #1 doubles category.  The girls worked so hard all day.  We were at the courts for 13 hours.  Most of them played 6 matches.  Now it is time to "do work" and win sectionals so they can go to state again this year!!  CONGRATS Ladies!!  

Day 88 ~ Safe or Out?

The "sports" setting on my camera stays extremely busy this time of the year.  I love hearing it "click, click, click" speedy fast.  The THS 9th Grade Warriors played Hewitt-Trussville this evening.  The Warriors brought home 2 wins!  

Here is #9 trying to score a run.  Hmmmm, I wonder what he was thinking when he saw that ball go into the catcher's glove???  I love how the coach is watching intently.  

He gave it a good try but he was o-u-t...  :-(  

Day 87 ~ "Funky" Like Me

I get to teach with my best friend, Tanya everyday.  She and I share 42 kindergarteners in a very large fabulous classroom.  This is the 3rd year we have done this and I can't imagine teaching in a classroom by myself again. Tanya's sweet mother,  Ms. Phyllis (that's what she told the kids to call her) just finished doing "Junior Achievement" with our class today.  This is a program where a volunteer goes through some training and then spends about 40 minutes once a week for about 5 weeks in a classroom teaching children about wants and needs, etc.   Ms. Phyllis did a great job and the students really enjoyed her lessons.  Today was her last day and she came bearing gifts.  Each student got a yummy rice krispy treat! They were so excited about that.  But, not only did Ms. Phyllis bring the students gifts, she also brought one to me, Tanya, and our student teacher.  Ms. Phyllis is a very talented painter and she does ceramics.  Her home on Lay Lake has been featured in a magazine because her talents reach out in all parts of her house and yard.  I've been to her house several times and have enjoyed her hospitality.  So, today I was thrilled to become the owner of one of her original pieces....

 This is a bowl of sorts and has the prettiest colors in it.  And, she did not know this but, these colors match my kitchen.  She gave Tanya a beautiful wine holder made from the same pattern and colors.  She gave our student teacher a pretty small tray with a flower on it. But, she saved this piece for me and said she was giving it to me because it is "funky" and so was I.  I am so okay with her calling me "funky".  I will treasure my funky bowl for a long time. It is going to look great as a center piece on my kitchen table.  Here are some more pictures of it.  It needed more than one to show details.

Day 86 ~ Tired Roxy

I guess the walk around Veteran's Park that Tanya and I took Roxy on this afternoon wore her out.  Here she is stretched out on her back on Erin's legs catching a little "cat" nap....  

She isn't going to like being home all by herself all day tomorrow.  Poor baby!!

Day 85 ~ Cleaning and Organizing

My spring break was full of baseball and a lovely sinus/upper respiratory infection because of the dreaded pollen.  Before spring break started, I had visions of cleaning out closets, drawers, and cabinets.  I was going to clean my carpets and do some yard work.  I know that sounds like lots of fun but I knew I would feel better going back to work with all that done and behind me.  I was going to do some of it after baseball each day and then really hit it hard on Thursday and Friday (the days without baseball).  But, I felt horrible each day after baseball.  On Thursday, I did clean out my bedroom closet and clean my bedroom.  I just couldn't take it anymore on Friday so I threw in the towel and went to the doctor.  I spent the rest of that day and night in bed.  Yesterday, I took a fun day off with Erin.
Today, I hit the ground running and put everyone to work.  Mark and the kids did yard work.  I swear, when we make the kids do yard work, they act and complain like we are making them do hard manual labor all by themselves and we are just sooooo unfair!!  I took EVERYTHING out of our pantry.  Let me back up a little, our pantry was were the washer and dryer were in our kitchen when we first moved into our house.  I had so little cabinet and drawer space in the kitchen that I got Mark and a friend to set up a laundry room downstairs and we converted the big closet that the washer and dryer used to be in the kitchen into a pantry.  So, we just put an old wooden shelf in the big closet and stacked food, etc. on it.  You know how things go.. if you have a little extra room in a storage area, you will fill it to the brim with random junk.  Well, that is what always happens with my pantry.  Every so often, I have to clean it all out.  This time, I decided to get rid of the old wooden shelf and replace it with a more sturdy and kitchen pantry like shelf.  Here is what it looks like now...

But wait, there's more...

After Will helped me put the shelf together and I put everything I deemed worthy to go back into the pantry back in there, I decided that my screened porch needed some attention.  Lately, every time I looked out there, everything was covered in that awful yellow powder like POLLEN!  I pulled all the furniture out onto the deck and sprayed it down. I vacuumed the carpet and each cushion and pillow.  Then, I had to wash the glass tops of the tables.  Once everything was dry, I put it all back together.  Here is the finished product...

I love my screened porch!  It doesn't get used enough.  It is sort of like a formal living room or dining room (which we have neither in our house) in that it usually only gets used when we are having a party or get together.  It is a peaceful place to think or read.  I have had some great talks out there with friends.  Maybe we would use it more in the summer if I could just get Mark to put that ceiling fan up out there that we bought years ago...

So, off to work I go tomorrow and I do feel good about what did get done this week!!  41 more school days to go until this school year ends.  I have such mixed feelings about that....

Day 84 ~ A Day With my E

Today Erin and I had an unplanned day together, just the two of us.  Will and Mark went to Tuscaloosa to see Bama play Ole' Miss in baseball.  I had plans to get a few things done but instead E and I went to lunch and went shopping. How much more fun is that!??  She had never been to Chuy's and mentioned this to me so off we went.  Here we are outside of Chuy's with Hwy 280 behind us.

This is us in front of the fountain outside of the restaurant.  

After we ate, we had to check out Charming Charlie's.  This is a cute shop that has purses, jewelry, shoes, scarves, etc.  Some of E's favorite things.  We had a lot of fun looking at everything.  She bought a pair of earrings and a scarf.  Then it was off to the mall to look for some sunglasses that Mark had seen online and thought would be perfect for me.  That man knows me because as soon as I put them on my face, I LOVED them!  I was surprised he like the color because he usually likes no nonsense straight forward brown or black for sunglasses.  The salespeople thought it was funny that neither of us had actually seen these sunglasses in real life but knew they would work.   YAY!!  Here is the first picture of me and my new shades!

I love spending time with my family! Whether it is all of us together or 2 of us here and 2 of us there. I know memories are being made, like today.  Mark and Will were with good friends watching a team they love play a game they love.  And, they got to see Bama win with a 2 run walk off homer!  And, Erin and I had a great girl's day.  I asked her today if when she goes off to college next year would she please come home on some weekends just to spend time with me...she just did a little giggle and said, "Okay."  

Day 83 ~ No New Photo, just editing

I went to the doctor today because I couldn't take the feeling of a head that was going to explode and a cough that wouldn't stop from this awful, terrible, no good POLLEN! After a shot and 2 prescriptions, I have spent the rest of the  day in bed. I have been editing some of my favorite recent pictures with befunky on the iPad. Here they are: 

Will ~ Baseball

Me and E ~ Thanksgiving 2011

Roxy ~ first pic with my prime lens

Day 82 ~ Hunger Games

Erin read all the books of The Hunger Games series.  She has been so excited about the movie coming out!  She has had her tickets for tonight's midnight premiere for a while now.  She sent me a text telling me she was at the theater at about 9:40.  Here is the picture that was with the text...

She and Jacob and a few other friends are there waiting to go in.  I hope the movie lives up to all the hype.  I have not read the books.  Maybe I will give them a try....

March 21st, Day 81 ~ Will's New Bats

Last year Mark bought Will a "Marucci Cat 5 Squared" 33 inch bat.  It was a really cool nice bat and Mark got "HUTTER" engraved on it for Will.  Well, we found out right as baseball season started that the governing board for college and high school baseball banned that particular bat.... 

Marucci had to take the bats back. Mark had to mail that bat back.  Will got to decide if he wanted 2 wooden bats or pay another $100 for Marucci's newest bat.   He chose to take 2 wooden bats.  They are really cool bats!!

They won't stay that shiny and smooth for long!!  

March 20th, Day 80 ~ Will's Birthday

This day was a lot of fun!  After a baseball game, we spent the rest of the day hanging out at home.  Erin's friend Jacob brought his dog Samson over to meet Roxy.  He was such a sweet guest!  He was very calm compared to Roxy!  She was so excited to have another dog to play with.

Here are the 2 dogs standing at the gate wanting to be out in the street playing with Will, Erin, and Jacob. I LOVE this picture!  So cute!

Erin, Will, and Jacob decided to play some street baseball.  It had been a long time since the old plastic bat had been taken out of the garage.  Jacob and Erin were out of their sport element but did fine anyway.  Jacob is a soccer player and Erin plays tennis.  Erin realized that she could bat better left handed because it was more like a back hand for her.  Jacob was convinced he would strike out because his sport is mainly played with his feet.  He did not strike out!  I loved seeing them outside "playing" again!!

Will was the first batter.  There he is pressing his lips together tightly just like he does in a real baseball game.

Erin is pitching.  Her face is cracking me up!

Jacob as catcher with no shoes!!

Erin batting right handed...

Will pitching to Erin...

Erin batting left handed...

Jacob batting and not striking out!

They even got me to bat.  I only had one strike!!

Will requested tacos for his birthday dinner (3rd year in a row!).  I made his birthday cake.  It was devil's food cake with cream cheese icing. 

I can't believe my baby is 15 years old!!  

Day 79 ~ OUCH!

Jake is the 1st string catcher for the THS 9th Grade Warriors.  Will has been playing baseball with Jake since Jake moved to Alabaster when the boys were in the 4th grade.  Today, Jake was trying to catch a ball that a batter popped up but the ball had a different idea....

The ball only grazed the edge of Jake's glove and hit Jake in the eye.  OUCH!!  The trainer on duty said she didn't think anything was broken.  Jake was upset because the coach wouldn't let him finish the game.  Big shout out to #21 for getting behind the plate and closing out the game for us.  Hopefully, Jake will be able to catch for the Warriors again tomorrow!  

Day 78 ~ March Birthdays

We have a lot of March birthdays in our family.  Mark, Will, and I were all born in March.  So were both of Mark's nieces.  I have cousins on both sides of my family as well as aunts and uncles all with March birthdays.  And, I was born on my paternal grandfather's birthday.  Mark's mom always has the family over some time during March to celebrate the birthdays.  This is what the cake looked like today:

Day 77 ~ My Friend Max

Max spends lots of time at the baseball field.  His big brother Zach is on the THS 9th Grade Team. Max was very focused on the game he was playing on his dad's phone today.

He even moved into the shade so he could see better.

Here he is with Erin and his brother Parker playing Rock, Paper, Scissors.

You gotta love the little brothers and sisters that spend almost as much time at the fields as the players.

Day 76 ~ Pollen Sucks!

This is a glass top table on my screened porch.  You can see where a plant was sitting until I moved it to snap this picture.  Pollen sucks!  I really think I can feel it filling up my sinuses!  YUCK!! 

Day 75 ~ Quill & Scroll National Honor Society (no photos for day 73 or 74)

Today, Erin was inducted into the "Quill & Scroll National Honor Society" which is a journalism honor society.  She also tapped others into The National Honor Society.

She is also a member of the math honor society and French honor society.  She will have quite a few cords to wear at graduation.  =)

Days 71 and 72 ~ Makes Me Smile!

Well, no photo for Day 71!  Erin and I shopped at the outlet mall in Foley and then spent the rest of the day in the car driving home.

But...on Day 72, it was back to school and I found this in one of my sweetie's binder.

Such a proud moment for a teacher and a parent!  I appreciated this parent taking the time to write this short note and making my day!

Day 70 ~ Beach Photos

Most teenage girls I know love to have their pictures taken on the beach.  They plan a time and go in from the sunshine early enough to get beautiful.  And then, let the clicking begin! I must admit, I do like helping the girls pose and taking the pictures.  Saturday March 9th, we were in Gulf Shores with the tennis team and just like last year, the girls planned what to wear and what time to meet for pictures.  Here are a few of my favorites.

The planned outfit was v-neck t-shirt and khaki shorts.  Love the color spectrum here...

These are the doubles teams.

The "jumping" picture, last year's was better...

They were running.... love their faces!

Loved using my new prime lens to take individual pictures of all the girls.  This one is my favorite for some reason...