Field Day 2010

Picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

When I was a kid, Field Day was the BEST DAY EVAH!!! Each class had their own day. We would meet on the huge playground area in front of the school and play all dang day. I don't think we even went inside for lunch. All the kids brought those old Igloo coolers stocked with drinks. We had normal track and field type events along with the wheelbarrow race, sack race, crabwalk (remember that? My quads hurt just thinking about it.) But the culmination of the day was always the Tug O' War. We were hardcore on that event. You would often start sizing people up at the beginning of the school year. (Did you see that big kid in Mr Miller's class? They are gonna kill us in tug o' war!)

Like most things, field day has changed dramatically since the eighties. Now the school my kids attend splits one day in half. K-2 has field day in the morning. 3-5 grade has the afternoon. And the Tug of war is done on a completely different day. Oh the humanity! They have a few familiar events along with some strange ones. My favorite is the large inflatable 'doughnuts' that the kids step inside and ram one another with. I am looking for a home set. They also do a lot of water events where the kids use a bucket of water in different obstacles. I think we should just let them run around while the gym teacher sprays them with the hose but apparently that's just not good enough.

Nineteen

This was supposed to be a Happy Birthday Dylan! post. As usual, it's late. Dylan turned nineteen while we were on vacation. I was going to post about how, in the last year, he had aquired a great girlfriend and a good job. I love his girlfriend and I am thrilled that he is working. But two days ago, one of Dylan's graduating class was killed in a car accident while on a mission trip. Suddenly, all those things that seemed like big milestones in Dylan's life weren't quite so important.

I watched as he cried in his father's arms and I wanted so much to touch him and pray...loudly. I did not do this because the kid was already suffering and didn't need my nonsense. So I locked myself in the bathroom and I prayed. And I wept. I prayed for Palmer's family...that somehow they would survive this mountain of grief and sorrow. I wept for the life that that child would never experience. I prayed that somehow this would draw Dylan closer to God and not farther away.

Losing a classmate forces you to face your own mortality. When you are young, your grandparents die...old politicians and movie stars die...but your frinds don't die. Until, one day, they do. Before this happened, I felt that nineteen was old enough to be treated as an adult, take responsibility, get your own place, blah, blah, blah. Now I know that nineteen is too damn young.

Quoted

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."

- George Bernard Shaw

New Carpet

This slideshow generated with Smilebox

Every place I have lived since I moved out of my parent's house has had cruddy carpet.

Every.

Stinkin.

Place.

Look, I know there are more important things in the world. I get it. But when I sold my old house and made a tiny profit, I immediately began begging Kevin to replace the Berber from hell that I had been steam cleaning for the past two years. Because he is a good, generous man who will do almost anything to get me to shut up, he agreed. That was the easy part. I scheduled the installation on a week when Kevin was out of town so as not to interrupt his work. It took him three weeks after the carpet was done to get his office back together but he never complained. I, on the other hand, complained nonstop through the packing, moving, unpacking, moving, etc. It was a very hard week. I am very glad it's over. The new carpet looks great. But I'm pretty sure the dog is gonna start peeing red kool-aid before the month is out.

Quoted

"I used to be Snow White. And then I drifted."

- Mae West

Sunday Picture(s)

Ava's Birthday Party

Another digital slideshow by Smilebox

Ava really wanted to have her 6th birthday party at Pump It Up. 2 months after her actual 7th birthday, I made that dream a reality. I do the best I can...don't judge me.

Quoted

"Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does all the work."

~Mark Twain

Anna and Kaylee's 11th Birthday

A greeting by Smilebox

Dear Mrs Graves,

I was very upset with you regarding Anna and Kaylee's Birthday party. I agreed to let the girls invite their whole homeroom class. I really believed I could handle 60 5th grade kids. When you would not allow Anna to pass out her invitations, I was very annoyed. They ended up being able to invite about twenty kids and only about 12 showed up. And, Mrs Graves...those 12 overwhelmed Kevin and I. It was nuts. So thank you for being such a meanie.

Love,

Rachel

Quoted

"Any nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government is on the high road to permanent glory."

-Molly Ivins

Girlies

This free scrapbooking design personalized with Smilebox