Not really surprised, but smiling

I'm never really surprised anymore at Annie's get-ups.  They are always fun and definitely her own style.  But there are days that amuse me more than others, such as:

 This fabulous selection in sure to catch eyes:  a blue and green floral top with a rhinestone vest, polka dot tights with yellow and white polka dot shorts over them, fashionably completed with black knee high boots and a homemade necklace.

This trendsetting outfit is sure to be found on Disney Channel tweens in no time.  Annie is donning her new Easter swimming suit with knee length pink tights, a pink shrug and her winter boots.

As always, this girl goes out in public in these get-ups.  Someday I'm sure she'll be cursing me for letting her out of the house this way, but, let's be honest, it is very fun to look at.

Grandma Goodman

Grandma Rita Allred Goodman passed away on  Friday, May 18, 2012.  She was nearly 95 years old.  In my adult years, she became a very good friend and I will surely miss her.
Here are some of my favorite memories of Grandma:
-Going to her cabin as a little girl with Jodi.  We'd walk downtown Strawberry as Grandma got her hair done looking for our one true love.  I vaguely remember playing Rook with Grandma, but it's not a sharp memory.
- Going shopping with Grandma as a girl with Jodi and Dyan.  Grandma insisted on going in the dressing room with us and I remember not liking the clothes she wanted to buy us.
- Going silverware shopping with Grandma before my wedding.  I swear we went to 50 silverware stores and at each one I'd tell her I like "silver" ware, not "gold" ware.  And at each store she'd try to talk me into getting silverware with gold.  We went round and round at each store and I thought we finally agreed on a nice silver setting.  Well, lo and behold, as I opened my gift from her there was gold silverware, just like she wanted me to have.  I groaned, but do you know what - it's been the best silverware I've ever had!
- Grandma and Grandpa came to just about all my volleyball games they could.  They watched me play at EAC, came to Miami for nationals, came to all my MV games I coached.  I could always count on them being there and sitting on the top row of the bleachers - with the assistance of family, me, many other players, strangers, any one we could get to help them up the bleachers.
- Cleaning her house - about 10 years ago we went through a phase where we had to clean Grandma's house.  I remember celebrating when I finally heard the vacuum suck up a piece of dirt.  Grandma laughed and told me to shut up.
- Countless visits to the back room of her house in the past 5 years.  I was blessed to live close and to be able to visit regularly.  She seemed truly delighted to have us stop by.
- On one of those visits, we played "hot potato".  Hannah decided to toss the ball to 92 year old Grandma and I freaked out.  But Grandma caught that ball and tossed it right back to Hannah - it was the fastest I have ever seen her move.  She was not going to be bested by a 4 year old.  It was hysterical.
-  Putting lipstick on Grandma.  The worse I did, the harder she laughed, making it even worse.  It was an ugly cycle, but one of the funniest things ever!
- Grandma's laugh - as illustrated by the above 2 stories.  When you get her laughing, there is nothing better.  Her laugh is genuine and from the soul.  We teased her about her sexy legs - laughter.  I tried to talk her into going back to school at age 90 to finish her master's degree - laughter.  We tried to get her to show us her old cheerleader moves - laughter.  She had a great sense of humor and I felt like I really got to see it in her old age.

Grandma you will be missed, but I know you are with your Ever-lovin' up in heaven dancing, arthritis and pain free!

The Last 2 Weeks in Review

The end of the year has been a whirlwind, so here's whats been happening:

School ended Thursday May 24th -You know what that means, the annual soaking of the kids as they get off the bus.  Jeremy has been dying to participate and this year he had the day off.  We filled balloons and hid out and sabotaged them.  They didn't stand a chance.  As usual, there were tears, but this time by Abby, not Jake (don't worry, by the time we were done, all were happy).

Then it was off to Mesa. We've been talking about getting rid of Bodgie now for 3 years and it finally happened!  There were a lot of tears as we took him to the "no kill shelter" in Phoenix.  I definitely felt bad for my fam as they were crying, but it needed to be done and the kids seem to have recovered.

Then it was over to Grandma Goodman's viewing, then funeral the next morning (more about her in another post).  Then swimming at the Ricedorff's, shopping at my favorite shoe store - DSW and on home.

Saturday morning started bright and early at 5:00 as we headed up to Flagstaff for Jake's final soccer tourney.  He's  been playing Yavapai Soccer and has done great!  It's been fun watching him get better and run circles around the defense.

Is this just natural for all boys to stand this way protecting themselves? Even when the ball is not in play?

Sunday was church and then off to Groom Creek to hang with the Chelsey's.  They were at their family cabin and we crashed their afternoon.  We played a mean game of kickball and visited while the kids got in a scuffle with some punk boys. - see Julie's blog post for more on that funny story.

Sunday night was welcomed with my first breast infection since having Claire and kicked my butt pretty hard.  I'm all recovered now and I love modern medicine!

Now it's officially summer and I'm ready for school to start again.  The kids are eating every snack in the house due to boredom and I'm still trying to play catch up from the long weekend.

Hannah Graduated

The Granville Kindergarters had a huge kindergarten celebration on Thursday.  They stressed the fact that it was NOT a graduation.  However, the kids all marched in to the graduation song, wore graduation caps, and received certificates that read, "Graduation Certificate".  

It was really cute.  The kids sang songs that showed all the stuff they learned during the year - numbers, alphabet, days of the week, how to have fun, the preamble of the Constitution... It really was quite darling.  

 Hannah after her name was called

 Karrie and Hannah - can you see the same picture in 12 years after her high school grad?

 Hannah with her "diploma"

 Hannah with Ms. Martinet, her teacher

Hannah kinda singing (she's in the back by the wall)

Hannah did a wonderful job in her first year of school.  She is a joy to our family and I'm sure a joy to her classmates.  Here's to many, many more!

My Mother's Day Bling

Mother's Day was wonderful this year.  Saturday night Jeremy and I went out on a date and hired the best babysitter our kids have had in ages.  I woke up Sunday morning to our kids bearing gifts.  I got 3 duct tape bracelets (from Jake, Abby and Hannah), a beaded bracelet (from Abby),  a sunflower magnet (from Annie), and a coupon book (from Jake - with an expiration date of May 16, 2012).  Our babysitter showed them how to make the duct tape bracelets and then helped them wrap them up.  It was awesome wearing 4 bracelets to church on Sunday with all my kids sporting their own matching ones.
Now, by the time I got around to photographing all of us together with our bracelets, there were 2 girls in the family who had lost theirs.  Bunches of tears later, I decided to just take a picture of my own wrist.
My day ended with a family effort to massage my aching muscles from shoveling 5 tons of dirt on Saturday.


(Don't worry, on Mother's Day, I evened them out on both wrists, but I couldn't take a picture of both wrists while holding the camera.)

Finger Nails

Today while doing Hannah's mani/pedi we had a funny little conversation.  I had to laugh and then write it down because this is the stuff I will forget in 2 hours and it will be lost forever.

Me:  Hannah you need to quit biting your nails
Hannah:  Megan bites her nails (Hannah's new friend)
Me:  Well don't bite them just because Megan bites them.
Hannah:  I don't.  I bite them because I'm hungry.

Allergies

Annie:  Mom I think I'm allergic to red

Me:  Red?  Why do you think that?

Annie:  When I brushed my teeth my spit was red

Me:  (looking around, seeing the punch on the table) Did you drink that red punch before you brushed your teeth?

Annie:  Yes

Me:  I don't think you're allergic to red, you're gonna be just fine.

(This is Annie after our little makeover this morning)

*On another allergy note:  Hannah also has allergies.  She's diagnosed herself as being allergic to work.  It must be pretty severe because she stays as far away from it as she can.