A Nail Biter

It's playoff season!
And it's double elimination. Monday night we had our first game. The first inning we were down 3-9. The second inning, we really held them back from scoring, and we decided we remembered how to hit the ball. In the third inning we were up by seven runs, but they had 12 batters still to hit. They scored two runs, and my Derek Jeter caught a fly ball, tagged the runner headed to third, and threw to first for the runner heading back from second for THREE outs....and a win!! That's MY boy!

Our second game is next Saturday, hopefully for another win. After that nail biter, I'm not sure I can do this for another 12 years, but I know I will.

Another proud moment for this Mama!

The End of an Era

Kylee's award ceremony was Monday morning. She practiced all last week on a skit she was going to do. See, she got her braces on the day they auditioned for parts for their skits, so Kylee didn't have a part. So she planned her own skit by herself. I had a whole post called Trial Run of her practicing, but I couldn't get the video loaded. So here it is.
The trial run

Their school has really figured this awards ceremony out! They do it one class at a time in the library. It's really great so parents can get back to work and so it's very personalized. Their teacher announces the awards, and the assistant principal hands them out Kylee got several awards, lots, in fact, but I was most proud of her citizenship award.

After the awards were handed out, we headed up to their classroom for the skits. She didn't end up doing the nail salon. As practices went on, skits got nixed, people lost parts, etc., they needed a skit that could incorporate more than one person. Not missing a beat, she decided to do Bon Qui Qui. So now.....
Kylee's acting debut

The skits were fun to watch the interaction between the kids and Mr. Garcia in the classroom. Although he was strict, you could tell they all really enjoyed Mr. Garcia. When I wanted to take their pictures, he picked her up, tossed her around a little, and held her for the picture. Look at both of their smiles!

We've now come to the end of an era. Kylee McK will be finishing elementary school next week. She will go to middle school. We are sad and nervous, but most of all, we are proud of this girl!

(Mom Mom was there, too, but she left before the skits were over, and we didn't get a picture.)

I'm baaack!

I've been wanting to blog all week. I've tried all week (and even last week) to get some videos uploaded so I could blog. I don't want to blog and not have all my "stuff" to do it with. I'm weird, I know. The videos won't load on here. They just won't. I've tried everything. I guess they are too long. I broke down, loaded them on You Tube, and I'm ready to blog!

Daddy's doing better. The cardiologist released him yesterday to ride a horse, and he did just that...immediately!

Here we go....

BandAids Make It Better

My Daddy had a heart attack today...in Colorado. He was alone on business. Please add him to your prayer lists. Two of his arteries were 90% blocked, and he got four stints. Dawn and Kyle flew out tonight, thanks to Ken Hussman. Good people. All of my friends are good people. Thanks, guys! I'm headed to Midland tomorrow, as they are thinking of letting Ken fly him home. If not, I'm headed to Colorado.



Before Blaine went to bed tonight, he gave me theseand asked me to take them to Pops. Good boy!

Thanks for your prayers. Keep 'em coming.

Cheater Cheater

See how this paper of homework spelling words is cut in half?It was NOT this way when it left our house, but it when it came home...cut in half. We pulled it out so Blaine we could write the words again at the bottom of the same sheet.

Joey said, "Blaine, why is this paper cut?" Blaine said, "Well, one of my friends didn't do his homework, so I gave him my paper. He copied the words and then cut the paper." Joey said, "Dude, you're letting your friends cheat?!" Blaine quickly got a shocked guilty look on his face. As it was already bed time and I was afraid he was gonna lie to get out of trouble and I was really wanting to get to bed with no drama (wow! now THAT'S a runon sentence, but I was having runon thoughts!), I said, "Well, since they are supposed to copy the words down from the homework sheet, it's not REALLY cheating."

My plan worked! No drama! Go, Mama! Go, Mama!

As a sidenote, yes, we did explain that if he were copying answers like in math or something, it would be cheating and not ok.

Braces, Part II

Kylee's braces are back on...and with a vengeance. Not only does she have braces...she has spacers! Bless her heart! We corrected her overbite, and now we are correcting her adult teeth that have finally all come in. No more baby teeth! :-( I know this is rough and awful, especially the painful, painful spacers, but she is going to have bea.u.ti.ful teeth from the end of middle school on! Someday I know pray she will thank me for it.

This morning

This afternoon


There were small highlights to the day. (1)She felt grown-up carrying a $1000 check to make the down payment, since I didnt go. (2)She got to go with Dad Dad...and miss the rest of the day and spend it with him....ON his birthday!

(birthday) Dinner with Dad Dad

Presents

Happy Birthday Olive Garden Style

Grandkids

Me!(hey, it IS my blog!)

Happy Birthday, Dad Dad!

Today is one of my favorite people's birthday. When I say one of my favorites, I mean like right up there at the top of the list!

He has many names. Johnny Dan Painter, Dan Painter, Dan, Dad, Dad Dad. At one point, he was even Ha-Dad.

I personally call him Dan, but that's only because that's the name his mother gave him, and
there simply isn't a word short enough to call somebody on a regular basis to fit what I would call him otherwise. The only one that even comes close is, the dad he didn't have to be. That would be weird walking around calling him that though, wouldn't it? So with my mouth I call him Dan, but with my heart, I call him SO much more!

Happy Birthday, Dan!






When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone
Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and I prayed that she'd say yes

And then all of a sudden
Oh, it seemed so strange to me
How we went from something's missing to a family
Lookin' back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be

I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago
We had the perfect marriage but we wanted somethin' more
Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends
Crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in

And now all of a sudden
It seemed so strange to me
How we've gone from something's missing
To a family
Lookin' through the glass I think about the manT
hat's standin' next to me
And I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be

Lookin' back all I can say
About all the things he did for me
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be
Yeah, I hope I'm at least half the dad
That he didn't have to be
Because he didn't have to be
You know he didn't have to be

Mother's Day #12!

#12?! Wow! How old does THAT make me feel?! Ok. Enough of that. Moving on to my favorite part of Mother's Day...the kids' homemade gifts!

Kylee came home with a homemade card and bath salts. Ignore that I've already used the bath
salts. Baths are my favorite, you know, so I used them right away. She used Epsom salt and Eucalyptus "smell good." It was the best bath ever! But not as good as the card! The front spelled MOM and had a description for every
> letter. The back had a note. Look how much peace I get! Five whole minutes. Woo hoo! Thank you, Bug! I love you so so much!

Blaine came home with a potted plant and a card. He painted a pink flower and used pink ribbon just for me because he knows that's my favorite color. How do I know all this? He told me, of course! I LOVE it more than you will ever know, Buddy!

Saturday afternoon their Daddy took them shopping for even more gifts. FaBuLoUs! Kylee got me picture frames, my fave!, and body lotions, another fave!
In Blaine's package, I found a framed print for my house, because if I'm not buying picture frames, I'm certainly buying stuff for my house, and more body lotions. Love it all so so much! I have the best kids! Maybe I'm doing something right!

After opening my gifts Sunday morning, we got up and around and headed to MY Mom's house. I had ordered ribs and Mom and I split the side dish duties. It was a feast, I tell ya. In fact, when we had the leftovers tonight for dinner, the kids complained that it was "just" leftovers. Why leftovers? It's not Mother's Day anymore! {I said I was doing something right, not all right!}

The Mommies and their kids

After lunch and games and Wii and laughs, we headed home so I could wash kids' uniforms for school, 'cause, you know, a mother's work is never done, before we went to meet up with Joey's mom at Outback. Yes, we ate a.g.a.i.n! It was a long wait, and while we were waiting, the kids were playing on the miniature Etch-a-Sketch and then making me guess what they drew. This is the only one I got right. Kylee drew it. Do you know what it is? It's our family! Blaine, Kylee, Daddy, and me. Don't you LOVE it?!

It was a great day, and I'm very blessed to have the mothers I have in my life and the kids I was given to mother.

Strep Sucks

Kylee has strep. She's been really sick! She came home Thursday saying she didn't feel well, then got chills, fever, and headache. Friday morning she was complaining of a sore throat. I called the doctor, but he wanted to keep her out of his office if he could. He said he was only really concerned about the sore throat, but Kylee said that it wasn't really that bad, just a little.

Though we cancelled the camping trip, the rest of the family got rained out. So they headed to Kyle's house for the rest of the weekend. I told Kylee if she felt up to it, we could go there since we wouldn't be outside. I told her to get in the bath and then we would see how she felt. Awful. That's how she felt. We didn't go. She stayed just like this the entire weekend. Without a shirt. I don't know why.

This morning I took her to the doctor, and it's strep. She's got some good meds and is now on her way to recovery.

One Mom's Trash Is Her Son's Treasure

This boy has a million toys all over this house...some that are very new. What does he play with? My trash.

This isn't the first time he's used my trash for his toys either.

Why oh why do I spend my hard earned money on toys for this child?