Calendar

Spring break - yay!  Headed to Wisconsin tomorrow for quality time with the grandkids...

Chris is cooking. I am drinking wine.  As it should be.  Reviewing the calendar coming up.  Aunt Janet's memorial coming up.  So strange that she is not here.  I know that cancer takes my family - but it just seems surreal sometimes.

Chris made Chex mix for me to take to Mellisa.  Mom loved this stuff.  She always said it made her swell up like a tick.  Chris made it super salty - which requires much more wine.  God love him.

Alyx is having a rough time lately.  I feel bad for her.  She is a vocal chica and certainly doesn't let her feelings unknown.  I guess she made a girl cry after the girl rolled her eyes at her and Alyx called her out on it.  So - her friends went skating without her on Friday.  She was super upset.  Her best friend since 2nd grade was really bitchy about it.  How do we know?  ONe of the friends forwarded all of the group text messages to Alyx.  Crap.  I hate junior high drama.  I told her she would meet so many new people in high school  and will forget all of this stupid crap.  Even the boy that Chris drives home every day was in on it.  Part of me wants to tell this little turd to walk home.

Alyx is staying home with Chris this week.  She gets bored at mellisa's.  Hopefully she will have some time to do fun things with Chris.

Aunts

Mellisa is here with the kids for a little break...

I love watching Sydney with Alyx.  She thinks Alyx is the coolest thing ever.  She follows her everywhere and does whatever she does.  They were doing yoga and coloring yesterday.  Too cute.

It reminds me of my aunt Lisa.  I thought she was the coolest thing ever.  She is about ten years older than me (just like Alyx & Sydney).  I wanted to be just like her.  She had the coolest townhouse - and the dogs - and played the guitar.  

Aunts are great

Disappointing...

Friday was just a suckie day all over the place.

My party only had two of the girls from the Nashville trip - albeit my favs girls but still....  I had a whole theme with food and decor.  I took a day off to prep.  Chris told me flat out - why are you bothering???  He was right - as always...   The punch was awesome good...

And it was senior night and one of the kids that I thought I had  good relationship with picked someone else to honor as his fav...  Definitely not why I do what I do - but just disappointing...

Pity party over.

Nice weather....

Weather is mean sometimes.  Yesterday - gorgeous - same today.  I know dang well that Spring is NOT here yet.  Winter is just a giant tease.

Regardless, I felt inclined to clean windows.  I only did the first floor.  Certainly don't want to go all crazy and spring clean everywhere!

I even pooper scooped.  I might be weird - but I really don't mind it.  It is truly a brainless job.  I can let my mind wander about the craziest things and no one even notices.  People really don't sit around and watch other people pooper scoop.  It is not that entertaining.  So.  I even talk outloud to myself.  I rehearse things I might want to say to people - you know, wise wisdom.

Today I thought about my party on Friday night.  I am having the 40 birthday bash girls over.

Jen is turning 40.  So in some drunken event a couple of months ago, we thought we should go to Vegas.  Then, we saw how much it would cost!  Now, we are doing the Nashville thing.  We have a super fun house rented.  One of the girls is super splurging and hiring a chef to cook for us one night even.  I can't wait.  But - this is not happening until October.  Needless to say, we are all going to be absolutely crazy in anticipation.  We have a little message board going.  Sometimes it is about the trip but most of the time it is about completely inappropriate topics.  This is why I love these girls.

Back to Friday.  Two of the girls can't come - bummer.  I wanted to do a Tennessee theme.  Cowboy boots and bourbon.  So we shall see how that turns out.  I found a great punch that will mess us up royally.  No worries - we have drivers!!

Parenting

My parents passed at a very young age in my opinion. 50's.  So I really have little to base my 'older' age parenting skills on...

I am amazed at each of my kids.  How are all of these kids so very different?  Same mom - how did this happen???

My poor little Kiel seems miserable.  I try very hard not to interfere - let him be an adult.  All I want to do is bring him home and hug him.  Can't do it.  He has to grow and be his own person.  Sucks

Alyx worked forever on homework tonight.  Crazy.  She is such an over achiever.  Love it.  She tries so hard to do her best - and she is awesome.

My little Riley is the most mellow and so pleasant.  She shows some signs of independence - which is fascinating.  She is really coming into her own.

AJ - the one kid that has always been there for me.  So hard to be to release him to his own life.   I miss him...

And who knew Mellisa would be such a good mom??  NEVER expected that!!!