Freestyle Friday

Emma is officially done with first grade.  If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I take her picture every morning before school.  Big Daddy put together a video montage of all the photos.  Turn on your sound and listen to the music that goes with it.  #weepymommy

Last night we helped set up for the upcoming dance recital.  We were there until after 10 p.m.  Dragging a bit today.  I took a bit of a nap while we had a power-outage during the afternoon, which was nice.

We had our dance recital dress rehearsal tonight.  I ended up going to Walmart afterward and basically got an entirely new costume.  I needed better-fitting black shorts and a new black tank top.  Did I mention I went into the store right after dress rehearsal while still wearing most of my costume?  I had on black opaque panty hose, [ill-fitting] black shorts, black tank top [usually meant to be worn only under other tops], and red and white boat shoes.  I looked awesome strange, to say the least.  Still, I wasn't the worst dressed person there.  Shocker, I know.

The recital is going to be really good tomorrow.  Photos to come!

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. Taking Benadryl helps you learn focus.

How, you ask?  Well, it makes me loopy.  As my mind drifts, I have to force myself to stay in the moment and focus on the task at hand.  Wax on, wax off.

2. Sneezing is dangerous.

You never know what is going to happen when you sneeze.  One time it my be a tidy little "choo!"  The next time it could be the one that blows all the papers off your desk and coats your computer monitor with spittle.  Dangerous.

3. Time flies like an arrow.

Fruit flies like a banana.

Wednesday: Where am I? Field Day Edition

Today was Field Day at Emma's school.  So here's where I was all day:

I was lucky enough to be inside, which really helped abate my allergies.  I still sneezed some, since the gym doors were open to the outside; but today wasn't nearly as bad - allergy-wise - as yesterday.  Thank goodness.

There were three parent volunteers in the gym.  We all ended up staying the whole day, since we had a pretty good system going.  I was the one who got to yell at give the instructions to the kids.  It was loud in there, so after a few groups, my voice started getting tired.  Luckily the principal came in and told me I could use the portable lapel microphone.  Helped immensely.  But I still sound a little hoarse.

I got to have lunch with Emma in her classroom.

Emma's class was the next to last class of the day to come to our station, which is one of the reasons I ended up staying the whole day.

I asked her who won the race: Emma or her friend Bo?  She said she did.  'Atta girl! :)

I told Emma I'd just take her home with me since I stayed the whole day; so I went to her room after we got done with our station.  I took a picture of Emma with the boy she thinks is cute her friend Adler for posterity's sake.

I mean, seriously.  How adorable is that?!

Really fun day; but I'm so thankful that we have a night with no plans.

Twitter Tuesday

Allergies suck. That is all.

Dear Week

Dear Monday,
I thought I wouldn't have to do anything until dance practice this evening.  Then, as I was lounging on the sofa with Emma and Big Daddy, I realized that I needed to get some stuff done at the office today.  Went to the office for an hour and a half, then I went to Kroger to pick up a few things we need.  Maybe I'll take a nap this afternoon to make up for not getting to lounge around all day...

Dear Tuesday,
I need to finish the church newsletters at work.  They are so time-consuming.  I need to get them done quickly, because I want to go to the 4th quarter honor convocation for 1st and 2nd graders at Emma's school in the early afternoon.  So glad I have the opportunity to attend those types of things.

Dear Wednesday,
Field Day at Emma's school.  I may regret this, but I signed up to help all day.  I'll be taking allergy meds before I go; and I'll probably take some with me, just in case.  I told them that I need to be in charge of something that isn't in the grass.  It could be a very sneezy, itchy day.  We'll see what happens.

Dear Thursday,
Last day of school.  I can't believe Emma's going to be a second grader.  In the evening I'm helping set up for the dance recital in which Emma and I will be performing on Saturday.  For anyone interested in coming to the free show, it starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at Liberty Christian Church.  Just wanted to throw that out there.

Dear Friday,
Emma's first day of summer break!  She may have to come to work with me.  But there is plenty with which she can help if she does end up coming.  We have our dance recital dress rehearsal in the evening.

Dear Saturday,
Dance recital day!  Big Daddy will be taking photos and video.  I'm sure I'll post it on the blog at some point.  Emma's costume is so pretty.  Can't wait to see her in it!

Remember: Footsteps in Faith dance recital, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at Liberty Christian Church. Admission is free!

Weekend wrap-up: Memorial Day weekend

First of all, this:

Stitches are OUT.  Holla!

Celebrated the life of a sweet friend on Saturday.  Although we are sad that she is no longer with us, we are glad she's in heaven and is no longer suffering... and we'll see her again someday.  So it's not really a goodbye.  More like a, "See you later!"

Today was a big day here in Indiana: Race Day.  I don't follow racing of any kind; but I do love the Indy 500.  How can you not?  It's exciting!  Plus it gives our family a reason to get together and have some fun.  Big Daddy's uncle and aunt host a race party every year.  There's great food (pitch-in, or potluck for all my West Coast readers), fellowship and fun.  And plenty of adult beverages. :)

And a pool for the race.  Buy-in is $1.  They cut out the driver listings from the paper, then everyone gets to draw.  It's fun because it gives everyone someone for whom to root as we listen to the race on the radio.  The person who has the first driver out of the race gets their $1 back.  First, second, and third place winners get money.  I think I won a few bucks one year.  I had James Hinchcliffe this year.  And I got nothing.

But I did get a few super precious photos with my baby girl, thanks to Big Daddy.

I love that kiddo so much.  She's such a joy.

Do I look a bit drowsy in those photos?  I had loaded up on Ibuprofen (for my still-achy thumb) and Benadryl (for my allergies) before we went to the party.  I was a bit loopy, I think.  At least my thumb didn't hurt, and I didn't sneeze too much.

Looking forward to the holiday tomorrow.  It's a great excuse to sleep in and be lazy... Emma's hoping for a "jammy day."  I think we may go see that new movie Epic.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the point of Memorial Day weekend: remembering the men and women who died serving in the armed forces, protecting our freedoms.  I'm humbled knowing that so many people gave (and still give) of themselves so selflessly for people they don't even know.

So while we're enjoying an extra day off, let's take a moment to pray for the families of those soldiers who gave their "last full measure of devotion.,"  Let's thank God for the freedom we enjoy in this country that wouldn't be possible without these heroes.

(And not to sound too cheesy or anything, but...)
God bless America!

Freestyle Friday

Not much to say at the moment.  I still have stitches, and I'm still not quite feeling 100% back to my normal self (from the sore throat thing).  Hoping the long weekend has magical healing powers...

Other than that, I can hardly believe that my baby girl is going to be a 2nd grader in a few short days.  Where does the time go?!

I can now announce the event Big Daddy and I attended last night: we went to the final middle school band concert for former Martinsville High School band director Frank Battaglia.  He's retiring.  It was great to see him, and I think he was really touched that people would travel all the way down there to support him.  So glad that we were able to attend.

The gang's all here!

Every time I look at this photo, I shake my head at just how incredibly short I am.  Geez.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, my friends!

Always remember: It puts the sunscreen on its skin. (And saves itself from a terrible sunburn later.)

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. Having stitches makes me feel a bit like a zombie.
Zombie song

2. Proper grammar is important.
Seriously.  Use it.

3. Middle-of-the-day naps are blessings from heaven.
Especially when one is feeling a wee under the weather.

And remember: Tissues with lotion are way better on your nose than are the ones without lotion.

Wednesday: Where am I? Busy Day Edition

I went a lot of places today.  Here's a recap:

I had breakfast with Miss Emma today.  Mini muffins for me, chocolate donut holes with sprinkles for Emma.  She's even happy in the morning.

Then I went to work.  I could hardly contain my excitement about my stitch-removal appointment at 9 a.m.

I practically skipped to the doctor's office, totally ready to have my stitches taken out.  I saw my doctor, and he said that I needed to wait to have the stitches removed until Saturday morning because it looked a bit red around the edges of the injury.  So, no stitch removal today; and I'm supposed to stop putting Neosporin and a band aid on the wound and let it get air.

The doctor gave me a prescription for an antibiotic to aid the healing process; which is kind-of handy, as I noticed that my throat was a bit sore on the drive to the doctor's office.  I figured I'd have the doctor take a look at it while I was there.  He said my throat was red, so I guess it's a good thing that I am taking an antibiotic.  Two birds, one stone.

Then I headed back to work.

And then I went by the house to pick up Big Daddy, and together we went to Emma's school for the 1st grade spelling bee.  Top 5 spellers from each of the 3 first grade classes.  They all did so great!  It all came down to one boy and one girl.  The girl?  Emma!  They had gone through so many words that they were on the 4th grade list -- and the highest list we'd been given to study was the 3rd grade list.  Emma ended up misspelling "either" (it was pronounced ee'-ther, so she spelled it e-a-t-h-e-r).  The boy spelled it correctly then spelled another word correctly ("less"), so he was the winner.  Both kiddos got gift bags.  I was so stinking proud of Emma, and all the kids, for that matter.

After we left the school, Big Daddy and I went out to lunch together at a local restaurant, The Mixing Bowl.  It's delicious.  If you're ever in town, you should swing by.

After school, Emma had earned an invitation to the Advanced Reading (AR) party.  They had pizza and watched Despicable Me in the school gym.

Big Daddy and I picked her up at 5:00, then we went to Greenwood.  We took Emma to Olive Garden (her favorite place) for a celebratory dinner.

Then Big Daddy dropped us girls off at the mall while he went to Guitar Center to pick up some stuff he had ordered.  Emma and I had fun at the mall.

And then we came home.

Whew!  What a big, busy, blessed day!

Twitter Tuesday: Heavy heart

My heart is heavy today. Destruction, tragedy in OK; and sadness much closer to home: a sweet friend went 2 b w/ Jesus. Praying 4 her hubby.

Dear week... Day by day

Our schedule is chock full of items this week.  I think we have at least one event every single night.  I'm getting tired just thinking about all of it.


Dear Sunday...
You were great.  Church was really good, then Big Daddy and I went to Qdoba (one of my FAVORITE places) and to see the new Star Trek movie (yes, I cried...I always cry).  Emma got to hang out with her Mamaw and Papaw all day; which included McDonald's new clothes, swinging, and playing in the little kiddie pool in the yard.  Awesome day.

Dear Monday...
You're here.  As always.  So far, you've been pretty all right; so let's keep it that way.  {Just after I typed that, a bird flew into the big picture window that my desk faces.  He flew away seemingly unscathed.  Choosing to forget how weird and almost yucky that was... /shuddering}  Emma and I have dance class tonight.  Recital's coming up quickly (June 1).  Hope we're all ready!

Dear Tuesday...
Meeting for parents at Emma's school in the evening.  Just something we have to sit through so we can find out who Emma's 2nd grade {what?!} teacher will be.  It's a clever trick by the principal to get people to come to the meeting.  But it works.

Dear Wednesday...
I get my stitches out at 9 a.m.!  Hooray!  I'll post a picture of the injury site after the stitches come out as part of my Wednesday: Where am I? post.

Emma is participating in the first grade spelling bee at her school at 11:45 a.m.  Big Daddy and I both get to attend.  I'm going to be a nervous wreck for her.  I already know this.  I'll let you know how it goes.

After school, Emma's Daisy troop is going to the city park to play and hike.  I said I'll drive some girls over and participate.  Hope it's not too hot that day.  Someone please remind me to take extra allergy meds before I go.

Dear Thursday...
Another dance practice, but I won't be able to go.  My mom will be taking Emma to practice then hanging out with her at our house and putting her to bed.  Big Daddy and I are going with his parents to an event out of town.  Is that vague enough for you?  It's a surprise for someone, and I don't want to ruin it.  I'll probably tell you about it on Freestyle Friday.

Dear Friday...

Not sure what's on the calendar for Friday.  Better check that out pronto.

Dear Saturday...
Hoping to sleep in... we'll see how that works out.  I think we have no official plans for the day.  No-plans days are the best.

Have a great week, friends!

And always remember: (In the words of Ernest P. Worrell) If you pick it, it will never heal.

Freestyle Friday

I've decided to go a different direction for my Friday theme.  I'm just going to write about whatever I want.  Hence the word "freestyle."

Last night was the series finale of The Office.  Best. Series. Finale. Ever.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet; so I'll just say that it was a really great way to end the show, and I enjoyed every second.

My thumb is doing well (I got stitches on Wednesday afternoon).  It doesn't hurt as much as it did even yesterday, which is nice.  The fun part is that I have feeling in the right half of my thumb but not in the left half.  Talk about weird.

I love that Emma enjoys watching musicals with me.  Her current favorite?

She also loves The Sound of Music, Annie, and Mamma Mia.  We're going to be musical buddies when she gets older.  Emma, Big Daddy and I saw Grease when it came to Clowe's Hall a few years ago.  Of course I dressed her in a poodle skirt for the show.  She was a big hit in the lobby.

Big Daddy just sent me a link.  He always finds the coolest/funniest/neatest stuff online.  This is one of my favorites of all.

I. Need. This. Bag.  How flipping cute is that?!

That's all for now.  Have a great weekend!

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. Showering with one hand is difficult.
Why do I know this?  My hand is still wrapped with gauze from my stitches yesterday.  So I did the one-handed shower thing this morning with a Ziplog bag over my injured hand.  It's not as fun as it sounds.

2. Iron Man 3 is a great movie.
Big Daddy, Emma and I went to see it after church on Mother's Day.  We stopped at Sonic (yum!) on the way to the theater, then we had delicious movie popcorn during the show.  The movie was exciting and funny, and it was completely appropriate for Emma.  What a fun way to spend some time together on Mother's Day!

*Note: If you go see this movie, remember to sit through all of the credits.  There is another scene at the very end.  You won't be sorry.*

3. If I had to choose, I'd say New Girl is my favorite tv show.
It's one of the only shows that I DVR and watch  as soon as it's done recording.  That's really saying something, because we DVR a lot of shows.  Have you seen it?  It's hilarious.

Wednesday: Where am I? Allergy Edition (+ ER)

Well, it's Wednesday.

Where am I, you ask?  Today I am in the throes of an allergy attack.

I am sneezing my head off today, so I pretty much am stuck making this face:

I have a pretty hefty sneeze, but it's always followed by a tiny squeak; which is how I got the nickname "Squeaky" in college.  So I've been sneezing and squeaking all day.  It's quite the show.

My nose is very itchy, as well.

Ralph gets it.

Unfortunately, it seems that no amount of rubbing, scratching or blowing can satisfy or abate the itchiness.  Which is super fun.

I have what's known as hay fever.  Mayoclinic.com describes hay fever thusly: "Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, causes cold-like signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure. [It] is caused by an allergic response to outdoor or indoor allergens, such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander."  

And the site finds it worth noting that: "Hay fever can make you miserable and affect your performance at work or school and interfere with leisure activities."  Yep.  It's awesome.

I ended up going home and taking two Benadryl.  Now my symptoms have subsided, but I am TOTALLY zoned out.  This is me:

Good times.

Epilogue

I went home.  I was making some homemade guacamole, and the knife slipped while I was trying to get the pit out of the avocado.  I cut myself pretty badly.  I put a wad of paper towels on it and squeezed (you're supposed to apply pressure to a wound) and drove myself to the emergency room.

I was in and out within an hour an a half or so.  I got 6 stitches.

Good times.

Twitter Tuesday: The headache

Have you ever had a headache that won't go away? I took Tylenol and even an impromptu nap, but it's still here. Maybe Starbucks will help...

Dear week...

Dear week,
This Monday is different than most: Emma doesn't have school today (using up a built-in snow day), so I took the day off, too. I love unexpected pajama days!

Dear week,
Mother's Day weekend was wonderful, if not a bit busy.  Breakfast in bed from my family was so sweet.  God has really blessed me with a great family.  Big Daddy, Emma and I saw Iron Man 3 in IMAX 3D after church.  Excellent movie.

Dear week,
I don't know what you have in store for me, but I look forward to enjoying every second of it.

What are YOU looking forward to this week?

Friday Love

On these posts I will recap my favorite parts of the week.

I love spelling.  It was always one of my favorite subjects in school.  I was in Spell Bowl all four years in high school.  Our team won the state Spell Bowl competition 2 of those 4 years with a perfect score.  The year in between those, we came in second because we missed one word.  We were awesome. :)

A gift from our Spell Bowl coach. I've kept it all this time.

Emma's first grade class had a spelling bee yesterday.  The top 5 spellers in each of the 3 first grade classes will move on to the big first grade spelling bee on May 22.  Emma was one of the top 5 in her class, which was one of my favorite things from the week.  I love being able to share my love of spelling with my girl.  I know that's nerdy, but that's OK.  We can be nerds together.  Big Daddy and I are going to the spelling bee to cheer her on.  I'm sure I'll be a nervous wreck.  LOL

As you may recall, I got my hair highlighted yesterday.  It looks so much better.  Another favorite thing.

I did some crafting for Mother's Day this week.  I cannot elaborate on what I made at this time.  I'll tell you  more about it after the gift is given.  (It's for my mom, and I'm pretty sure she'll love it.)

I did a photo shoot with Emma and Norbert the other evening.  I should do that more often.  It was so fun.  And both of them are so photogenic.

What were your favorite things this week?

3 Thoughts Thursday

1. I feel like a movie star after getting my hair done.
Don't you?  I mean, the stylist dries it and fixes it up really nicely and sends you out looking fabulous.  Until the next day.  Then you sleep on it and have to wash it and attempt to replicate said style for yourself.  And it never turns out the same.  Which is why I've given up trying to recreate the magic she made.  I'm just setting myself up for failure, and I know that.  So I just do my own thing and make my own magic.  Or just let it do what it wants.

I got my hair highlighted today.  My awesome stylist (Addi ... holla!) styled it so cute!

But I know my limits, so I will just enjoy the glory that is my hairstyle right now.  And I will go back to being normal, non-movie star me tomorrow.  And I'm OK with that.

2. Applying mascara is a sure-fire way to make yourself sneeze.
At least that's how it seems to me.  Does that happen to anyone else, or is it just me?

3. Diet Coke is my favorite beverage.
That is all.

Wednesday: Where am I?

Well, it's Wednesday.  The week is half over, and it's time to check in.

1. I am wearing a t-shirt, jeans, slip-on shoes with no socks, and a sweatshirt because it's a bit chilly in the office.

2. I am obsessed with Candy Crush Saga.  I'm currently on level 199.

3. I am a big fan of TV.  Shows I love are:

And more.

Like I said, I'm a big fan.  And as a side note: hooray for DVR.

4. I am excited.

A few years ago, my dad and I danced in our local "Dancing with the Hometown Stars" competition. (We won People's Choice.)  

The people who put on that competition have invited former contestants to participate again this year. My friend, Kim, and I were in Danceline together back in high school. 

Well, she was one of the other contestants that same year at DWTHS.  This year we are teaming up!  She and I are going to do a routine together.  We just decided last night to do it, so more info on this as it develops.

Where are you today?

Twitter Tuesday

Let me explain: Twitter Tuesday's post will be like a tweet. I'm going to have to force myself to creatively put an entire blog post into 140 characters, max. And as you can see from the title of this blog, that could prove difficult.

Well, here we go!

Helping w/ Emma's Daisy troop today after school. Should be fun, crazy. Planted a baby tree in our yard. Hope it lives. Loving the weather.

Dear week...

I'm still thinking about blog post themes; so things may eventually change, or maybe they'll stay the same.  Who's to say? I am. Duh.

Mondays are going to be my "Dear week..." posts. I plan to use this post to talk about the things that are coming up this week, things that I'd like to accomplish this week, etc.

So let's get this party started.

Dear week,
Let's get one thing straight: it's spring. Let's start acting like it.

Dear week,

Emma takes math facts tests each week on Tuesday. If she doesn't pass the 2-minute, 25-question test on that day, she has another opportunity on Friday. So far, she and another girl in her class haven't failed a week yet. Praying both girls keep up the good work and pass their tests on Tuesday.

Dear week,

Mothers Day is coming up. I feel that I should get Emma a gift for making me a mom. I may not always act like it, but being her mama is the most wonderful job in the world. I am so blessed.

Well, that's all I've got right now. This has been the first installment of "Dear week..." Thank you, and have a happy springtime.

Back in the saddle again

OK, folks, I'm back. A friend of mine (Eva, of Snappee Turtle fame) is doing a blog-every-day-in-May challenge this month. I've really enjoyed reading her posts; and I got the itch to start blogging again. I don't think I'll blog every day, but who knows?

My current deets (details, for those of you who don't speak abbreviation):
1. I work part-time as an administrative assistant at a church near our house. (That's a fancy way to say I'm a church secretary.) I've been there for a year and a half. Some of my posts will be all about me.
2. My hubby, Chris (who shall henceforth be referred to as Big Daddy in my posts), works as a super-smart computery-type consultant at a business in Indy. He will make some appearances in my posts - probably mostly in the form of humorous anecdotes. He's the funniest person I know.
3. Our daughter, Emma, is 7 and almost finished with 1st grade. Where does the time go?? Most of my posts will be about her, I'm just going to be honest with you right now. But she's awesome, so there you go.
4. Our dog, Norbert, is 10. He's weird. Similar to Big Daddy, he will appear periodically, possibly even in some pictures. He's very photogenic.

I'm thinking I want to have themed posts each week, which might help keep me blogging. Miss Eva does some cute things each week on her blog. I desperately want to copy her on a few of them, but I should probably come up with my own stuff. I'll have to think about it. Do you have any suggestions of things you'd like to read?

It's super late, and I really should be in bed already. And away I go!