Summer so far

I am bored already.  I do love sitting on the patio, in fact, I live out here.  But past that....

Day one.  Friday.  Woke up at 7.  That's right, 7.  One hour past my work wake up time.  Thoroughly enjoyed my quiet time on the deck.  Cleaned some.  Got bathed and dressed.  Called Adelle and picked her up and went into work for awhile.  I already missed those people! Took Adelle home.  Read.  Napped.  Time on the iPad.  Went to step class.  Went to the late show with Scott to see Star Wars.  A good day.

Day Two.  Saturday.  Farted around.  Pretty much just that.  No, I did pick up Adelle again.  Planted some more plants, feed and watered some plants, did some cleaning.  Even ran up the long stairs near my house 10 times for cardio.  Read some more.  

Day three.  Sunday.  Did my quiet time prayer, etc, for two hours.  Went to church.  Read on the deck.  Picked up Cecelia, m y International Friend from Ecuador and we walked Anneberg trail.  Now this is cool:  I ave been praying for her and hoping for a chance to "witness".  She had previously turned down church invitations.  Today I was telling her about working in Chapman and Joplin and planning to go to Moore.  I also got to tell her about Homestead and what God is doing there.  Cecelia asked ME if she could go to church with me.  She said she is studying the Bible with a group there in Jardine!  Very cool.

This evening my eye swelled up like a crazy woman, probably an allergic reaction.

I talked to Joel on chat, texted with Leah, and talked to my Dad briefly on the phone.  Shared dinner with Scott's friend, Tyler who is staying with us briefly, and now Andy, a friend Joel grew up with is here.  

So I started out complaining about being bored and am now realizing this is a pretty good day after all!  

What will day four of summer hold?

Summer goals

     I don't have anything planned this summer in the way of trips or big things other than teaching my water class so it's important to set some goals for myself so I don't just waste the summer.

Summer goals:

1.  Daily speak to one parent or offspring on the phone.  

2.  See each parent at least twice.  This realistically will require a drive either to Topeka, Olathe, LV, or Lake Wabaunsee once a week.  Yikes.  

3.  Lose 10 lbs.  This will be easy since I just recently added 5 from end of the year food and missed workouts.  Eating more sensibly, cutting out diet pop which makes me hungry, and teaching water class will make it happen easily, along with increased toning and a tan,  heck, let's make it 15 lbs.

4.  Clean something significant each day using the Pinterest spring cleaning lists, etc.  this involves the basement, improving upstairs. Deep cleaning down here, etc.

5.  Spend time with a friend each week in addition to Adelle and Cecelia.  This means Mary and Angela from work, Jesi, Kim, Sarah and Tanya my social work buddies, but also water class buds outside class and some of the people I run into all year that I always say, "we should get together!" But we never do.  

6.  Say something uplifting to Scott every day.

7.  Help out more at Homestead.  Already told Deb that.

8.  Get involved in TRU.  Starting with prayer and Scott taking the lead and seeing where it goes.  Have Pastor Dave and his wife over for dinner.

9.  Socialize more with couples.  Lets realistically say 4 times this summer so every other week.

10.  Go look at the furniture in Omaha and buy something for the new room and living room!  We have got to make those functional soon.  

11.  Of course read, read, read.  Blog.  Go see Leah at least twice.  

12.  Not least important, actually, already part of my routine but daily quiet time Bible study and prayer and also Dee Brestin's book Idol Lies for small group.

13.  Have the Homestead girls over for a dinner and game night, just the girls.

14.  Take Adelle to  Royals game.

Busy Weekend

      A busy weekend so I am relaxing today.  I took Friday off work and slept in, ran a few errands then Scott and I left for Newton.  We met Larry and Joanna for a late lunch with Leah and stopped by David's work place then helped Leah set up the food for her senior art show.  The show was a success.  Lots of people, around 200 came.  I worked hard just putting the food out!  Thank goodness Mojo's made the food!  We got home around 11:00.

     Saturday morning I went to the grocery store and then the nursery and bought beautiful rose bushes and flowers for the front and Scotty planted them for me!  So pretty!  And our grass is coming up!

     Saturday afternoon picked up Adelle and took her first to Elizabeth, my intern's grad party.  Then we raced all around town from grand mere to timber creek to 5 different graduation parties!  She did great but ate a lot of cake.  I resisted a lot of cake.

     At 4 I picked up my International buddy and her friend from Walmart and gave them a ride home then dropped into bed for a quick nap.  Scott had woken up Saturday morning all swollen up in the face and itchy and pink all over we think from a spider bite.  He was loaded up on Benadryl but felt like poop.  He did manage to get the planting s done, though.

     So around 5:30, I jumped in the car and drove to Topeka to pick up Julie and we found our way to Shari's birthday camp out party at Lake Perry!  It was fun.  Good to see Emily, Asa, Larry  and Jo again, season and Ian, Max and Sam, Lauren, reggie and the girls, and of course Shari and good to spend time with Julie.  There was a band, good food, cute t shirts with sayings for Shari's 50 years, and Shari's cute camper.  We took a look at the radar and zipped out of there just on the nick of time!  I raced home with the wind and lightening bearing down and made it back to MAnhattan 10 minutes before the storm!  It also must have stormed in the night.

     So today I'm taking it easy, sitting on the back deck before the next storms, catching up on phone calls, and resting up before the final week of school.  A busy weekend but a very good one. 

School is almost out

I've had a great year and gotten really close to the 8th graders this year. I love the new staff who now seem like they've been there forever. And we are rapidly approaching saying goodbye to more staff including Greg. The end of the school year is always super intense with the kids acting out and tons of transition meetings, and tons to do. I always feel like I'm neglecting my kids and just put out fires the last few weeks. This year has been no different. We've had drugs and knives, depressed kids, kids in the hospital, lots of bullying.
This week we also showed the movie Bully to all our kids. It was super hard work to prepare for and really emotionally intense. I've had to deal with a lot of criticism for showing it at people assumed I was the one who decided to do it. It wasn't against it, just thought it was horrible timing. And Greg has been so crazy busy getting ready to transition to the high school that much of the work ( and the negative comments) fell to me and to Angela. Kinds of needed things on a sour note. I have to let that go and focus on the kids. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to many. And to Greg. I am so tired. But I have tomorrow off to go to Newton so that gives me a three day weekend to get tested up for next week. Three and a half more days!

Hannah was home!

We just don't see Hannah enough! And I barely got to talk to her this winter! We went six whole weeks without talking and barely even texted! Meanwhile, Hannah was getting her parent fixes by having almost every day afternoon talks. So it was about time she came home! I thought I would do the ugly cry when I first saw her, however, she was due in on a Friday night late and I that shed wake us up. She didn't. We got up and hung around and I looked by the door for her shoes and...nothing. I went upstairs and peeked in the guest room and, no Hannah! I came downstairs and told Scott I thought she ,ust have not gotten home yet and he asked if I'd looked in the other guest room. So I went back upstairs and started to open the door just as she came out very sleepy to use the bathroom. We startled each other and a few expletives cme out! So no ugly cry!
It was so very good to have her home. We had some good meals and good laughs and good talks. One evening her friends came over and we all sat on the deck. Scott and hannah took a cpoule of road trips to see grandparents. On The last Saturday Hannah and i went to see Leah and spent the day. I think we giggled most of the day. There is never a dull moment when Hannah is home.
Tuesday morning Hannah went to school with me to say hello to people and I cried when she left. She drove back to Laramie by herself in her new car!
I miss you, sweetie.

Prom

It is a beautiful Sunday morning and I am up sitting on the outside patio. I used to be able to sleep in late but now I wake up at 8:30 or earlier no matter what. I usually sleep 8'hours during the week and 9 or 10 on the weekends. Friday night I got to bed at 1:00 because we went to see the movie 42. Last night I went to bed at 11:00 but got up from 1:30 to 2:30 to take Adelle home from prom.

I had so much fun helping get Adelle ready for prom. Adelle decided she wanted to go and didn't want her mom involved. So I emailed all week with her teachers to coordinate. They arranged for paras to meet her there. I had found a dress to borrow but it was too long and too low cut. Gigi, the high school social,worker had Adelle try some donated ones on, wore her out apparently, and dropped one off at the house.

I called Adelle's mom yesterday afternoon and she said Adelle had been in bed all day with the covers over her head and hadn't eaten so we weren't sure she was going to handle this. Then when I called before picking her up, Adelle answered.

I brought Adelle to the house and let her do her usual Facebook and YouTube music videos on the iPad. We ordered her favorite food, pizza and I told her we'd get ready little by little with breaks in between.

First I had her take her shoes and socks off and try on the shoes her paras had lent her. I was surprised they were heels, short, but yikes. She put them on an awkwardly walked around the house and said they'd be fine. Then I painted her toenails and fingernails one hand at a time. I didn't do any cuticles or anything else, just painted them pink, because she chews her nails.

Next I had her put her swimsuit on for privacy and get in the soaker tub. I'd gotten the water a bit warmer then she likes it so that was touchy. Then I showed her how to shave her legs because she'd never done it before! She couldn't do it so I did it. Wow. Lots of hair! Took forever! Then she out her arms in the air for me to shave her pits! Apparently her mom does up that for her in the summers. I have ever shaved anyone's armpits for them.

Then I washed her hair and rinsed it and conditioned it. That was really stressful for her. She kept making little stressed out sounds but she handled it. She doesn't like water on her face at all and wouldn't wash her face.

She got out of the tub and put on one of my robes and we combed out her hair which went easily because we'd conditioned it and she took a break and ate her pizza.

Next came blow drying. I had her sit in the tall kitchen chair in the bathroom and took my large round brush and blow dried her hair. It was unbelievably full and luxurious and hung just right. She handled that well but with trepidation, also. Another break then we curled her hair and swooped the front back with a fancy baret. In between steps, I kept presenting her to Scott who could tell I was having way more fun than Adelle was.

Then makeup. That went fine but she couldn't figure out where to look while I put on the mascara so I had to mostly skip the lower lashes. She looked fabulous.

Another break while she put on the headphones and sang at the top of her lungs, good stress relief.

Time to put on the dress and the shoes and the jewelry then another short break before pictures. Then time to go!

We met Adelle's para at the start of the line to the promenade and waited for the boys. Earlier in the week, her teacher had gone to the Interpersonal skills class to ask if there were any boys who would volunteer to walk Adelle through the promenade. They all raised their hands! They agreed to walk another gal from the class through, then walk Adelle, then go back for their dates. It was so awesome. Adelle was super nervous. She sat rocking while we were waiting. When it was her turn, she clung onto the arms of the two boys and they announced, "Miss Adelle Sloan, a junior, and her male entourage!" She walked with the two boys with another five or six boys behind her with people clapping and taking photos along the way.

I picked Adelle up at the after prom party where she was bowling and she said shed had a wonderful time.

Weather

This has been the craziest spring! It just can't get warm! I potted a bunch of plants for the front steps and back patio including a washtub with pansies spilling out. It's amazing that they have survived. We've brought them in the house many nights, in, out, in, out. I couldn't believe Tuesday morning when I got up to snow. This picture doesn't capture how bad it was and only the people who were outside from 7:00 to 7:45 know howtruly snowy it was. It was snowing Hard and by the time I got to Tuttle Creek Blvd, the roads were terrible. I couldn't get going at all so I slowed way down to turn right to get off the highway and my car slid about 30 feet! Thank God the car waiting didn't go or I would have hit him. I just has to turn my blinker off and keep going. I should have driven the Rav4. Next winter Scott may have to suck it up and drive my little car. Can't wait for it to stop raining and snowing and get warm! Yesterday it was warm enough to sit on the deck with a jacket and blanket. I will live out there when it warms up.