Mind Of Mosgrove

Too Tan?

2011-06-30T08:37:00.000-04:00

As you all know, I love the pool.

The weather has finally straightened up and we've had a few nice days in a row.

The problem?

I think I may be too tan.

You know when you see people and they have that ugly, too tan look?

I'm almost there. Last night, I was really too dark and thinking that a few days off from the sun would probably be good for me.

Today, it has faded some and the sun is shining again...

Hmm...maybe it's a pool day after all?

End of an Era

2011-06-29T08:45:00.001-04:00

Since 1998, I have had a child attend the local Elementary School.

B and C1 have since moved on to higher grades and this year was C2's last year there.

On the last day, the Fourth Graders walk the halls for the last time.

It's was an emotional time for me with the other two, but this one was even more so.

I have worked at the school during C2's whole Elementary School years. We went to school every day together, and came home together. It was a good feeling to know that I was in the building with him, and I think he kind of felt the same.

I told myself that I would not cry, but in truth, I did tear up...

It was sad to see them come down the hall as Fourth Graders for the last time.

C2 and his friend L have been together since First Grade. They have become pretty good friends and I hope it continues into Middle School.

Here we are!

The last time I will be at school with one of my kids...

As you can tell, C2 felt as bad as I did.

Not really.

How embarrassing to get your picture taken with your mom!!!

Cast On, Cast Off

2011-06-28T09:30:00.001-04:00

One night last month, I was on my way to get a haircut and C1 calls me.

"I fell in Gym class" she said. "I hurt my hand. The nurse thinks I need to get it checked out."

I tell her I'll look at it when I get home...

It was swollen and her palm was bruised. She said it hurt, but wouldn't say how bad. She had full function of it. I told her we would see how it was the next day and that satisfied her. She even went to dance class that night.

The next day, after school it was still swollen and a little more bruised.

Time to get it checked out.

At the hospital, the nurse asked her what her pain level was.

She said a seven.

I knew right then that she had my pain tolerance. A seven!?! And she had not complained once!

After the x-rays, they knew it was broke. She had broke the fifth meta-carpal.

Perfect timing for this to happen...the next couple weeks were full of activities for her!

The day after receiving her cast, she marched at Cedar Point. Not playing her flute obviously, but carrying the banner.

That Sunday, she was confirmed at church.

And of course, she had her Dance Recital...

After dancing Friday night and one dance on Saturday, they caught her with her cast uncovered and covered it for her. She was NOT happy!

After four weeks, the cast could come off!

She now had a funny tan line!

How did she do this?

As you may know, C1 is a runner. She runs distance in Track and Cross Country.

They were running laps in Phys. Ed. and she tripped over a safety cone!

I guess that's why they don't put cones on the track, fields and woods where she usually runs.

Too many things can happen...

Empty Nest

2011-06-27T11:26:00.000-04:00

Early in the spring we were excited to watch a robin build a nest in the window sill of our utility room. She built her nest and within a day, she had laid three eggs. We Googled how long they had to incubate and found out it takes two weeks.

Almost to the day, we had this:

Immediately, they wanted to eat...

Within two days, we had three new additions to our family.

I kept the camera right there by the window, and mama was not too thrilled with me at times.

Within five days, they really started to change and began to look like pre-historic creatures as their feathers started to come in.

At eight days they were pretty well covered with feathers and wanted to eat all.the.time. At this point, that is all the mama did; she searched for food and fed her babies.

There really wasn't room for her in the nest anymore.

On day fourteen, I looked out and saw this...

One baby sitting on the edge.

The others were gone.

I went out to take pictures and he jumped to the ground.

Mama was in the tree "yelling" at me, so I went back inside and let him hop around the yard.

I hope they all survived...

We will leave the nest in the window sill to see if she returns next year.

I hope...

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T19:00:00.003-04:00

I happened to remember this picture today...

It's always been one of my favorites.

B was just 2 years old and had fallen asleep holding this balloon.

What a gift!

Cocoa Beach

2011-04-25T09:45:00.002-04:00

For this year's Girls Trip, we headed to Cocoa Beach, Fl.

We all agreed that we needed to go farther south and enjoy some time in the sand and sun.

And enjoy it, we did!

After we all landed in Orlando (with a few surprises for each other) we drove the short distance to Cocoa Beach. We were a couple of hours early of our check in time, so we parked and went to the beach to sit. After the seemingly never ending winter we have had, to sit in the hot sand, was like heaven! We chatted and let the sun warm us. Just to have my feet in the sand...indescribable.

We finally checked in, unloaded, and went to the beach again. This time, properly dressed to enjoy the water too.

Our condo was right on the beach, so every morning we got up early to enjoy the sunrise and coffee on the balcony...

Friday was spent at the beach.

We rented chairs and an umbrella, packed a cooler and spent the most part of the day there.

After being there half an hour, I was asleep. I'm sorry girls, but that's what I do. Let the sun warm my skin (which is the.best.feeling) with the sound of the ocean, and I'm OUT! I didn't sleep long, but did wake up to being alone. They had all gone in the water and left me there drooling!

Saturday was marked as shopping/sight seeing day.

We found a "Hidden Treasure". It was a manatee park, and we quickly found out why it was hidden...

We did manage to see one manatee, so we all left somewhat satisfied.

While driving, we passed several cruise ships.

I've always dreamed of taking the kids on a Disney Cruise...

This is the closest I'll probably get...

Saturday night being our last night together, we took the annual "dinner shots".

Once again this trip was filled with laughs, talking and memories. New memories made and old memories revisited.

These girls are truly my "Friends for Life"!

Ready To Go!

2011-04-04T20:41:00.007-04:00

In two days, I will be heading south. I'm so ready for it. Spring has been slow in showing her lovely face this year. Some time in the sun will do me good.

Not to mention, these girls are good therapy too!

You've Been Punked!

2011-03-01T13:56:00.001-05:00

Today at lunch, I look across the cafeteria and a third grader is talking to the principal, Mr T. They then walk together over to the garbage cans that the kids dump their food trays into when they are done eating.

"This one?" Mr. T asks.

"Yes" says the student.

Mr. T then starts to poke around in the garbage.

He lifts a few things to get deeper and then says, "I don't see them. If they show up, I'll let you know."

The student gets a sad look on his face and says, "That's ok..."

Then, as he starts to walk away, he puts his hands in his pockets.

He then turns around with a huge grin and says, "Nevermind! They were in my pocket!"

Mr. T gives me a look and then heads to the restroom.

When he comes back in the cafeteria, he says "I think I was set up."

"Oh yeah," I said. "You've been punked by a third grader!"

What were they looking for?

Bakugan.

What a guy!

That's My Girl!

2011-02-14T14:37:00.001-05:00

Last night at the supper table, we were discussing what classes C1 is going to take next year.

I asked if she was going to take French as her foreign language, hoping she would follow in my footsteps.

But, she has decided to take American Sign Language, which I think is a great idea.

So, we sit there for a while and she says, "How do you write in Sign Language?"

Needless to say, we all got a good laugh...

That's my girl!

But, Mom...

2011-02-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

As you all know, C1 is a runner.

Sometime during the season for Cross Country last fall, she started to have some pain in her knee.

After practice, she would ice it and the pain would get better.

When the season ended, the pain pretty much went away. But, she still has Dance, so every now and again, it does reappear.

"Mom, I need to go the doctor before Track starts." she has been saying.

So, this morning, we went. The doctor twisted her legs, bent her legs, and pushed on her knees. The whole time asking if it hurt. At one point, she did say it hurt, but then changed her mind and told him it wasn't that bad.

He makes his diagnosis and recommends Physical Therapy. We ask if she should wear a brace while running, but he feels that it's not necessary.

We get out to the car and she says, "It really did hurt when he pressed on my kneecap but he acted surprised when I said that so I told him it wasn't that bad."

Are.you.kidding.me!?!

Three months of practicly begging to go to the doctor, and you tell him it's not bad because he acted surprised??

Next time, I'll just schedule an amputation.

"Stand Back!" Said the Elephant...

2011-01-07T14:42:00.000-05:00

When C1 says, "I feel like I'm going to sneeze", I always reply with...

"'Stand back!' said the elephant. 'I'm going to sneeze!'"

She asked me once why I said that.

I asked her if she had ever read that book.

She thought I was crazy. I thought that it was crazy that one of my favorite stories to read and to have read to me in grade school, was not being read anymore.

I continued to say it everytime she sneezed or thought she was going to.

"You are so weird!" she would say!

Well, earlier this week while working in the KG classroom, the teacher calls the kids to the carpet to read a book.

You guessed it!

"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"

I borrowed that book and brought it home to share with my kids.

I only wish they were as excited about it as I was...

Just Wanted to Say...

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas at Our House

2010-12-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

This year on Christmas morning, we had an addition.

B's girlfriend came over early to spend the morning with us...

She came at 8am. We had to set our alarms to be up when she came. With the kids being older now, we have become slackers on Christmas morning. We just don't get up as early as we used to. No more 5am knocks at the bedroom door asking, "Can we get up now?". Now, we usually end up waking them up!

We did pretty good this year. With three kids, it's sometimes hard to make everyone totally satisfied, but this year, I think we did it!

B's main gift was a punching bag.

We all have joked that we will be taking our frustrations to the garage from now on.

C1 got a digital camera.

It had to be PINK!

Now, C2 being the youngest, he had quite the list that he had been perfecting since June.

He got everything on his list, but this one, I think was his favorite...

Let me explain...

When B was little, M and I were much younger and completely against guns. We were even leery about water guns. But, in our old age, we have mellowed out, and bought not only a gun, but one of the biggest ones they had!

Let me also explain this...

Knowing C2, we knew the gun would not be shot very often.

He's too paranoid about losing the bullets.

We were right.

What!?!

2010-11-24T13:24:00.004-05:00

C1 just got back from the Eighth Grade Trip to Washington, DC.

She has lots of good pictures that hopefully I'll get on here soon.

Right now, this is the one that I'm most concerned about...

On Sunday, they went on a dinner cruise. The kids dressed up, had dinner, and there was a DJ. That is where this picture was taken.

By the way, that's N, her BOYFRIEND!!!

I think it's time to lock her up!

Tornado Warning!!!

2010-11-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

If you read my previous post, you saw that we had a beautiful evening for the Halloween Parade.

Little did we know what was in store for the following day...

The day started out partly cloudy and they were calling for severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. OK...probably have indoor recess, was my thought.

I left the school at 11:00am for lunch. On my drive back to the school, they came over the radio and announced a thunderstorm warning for the counties north of us.

When I walked in the school, all the kids and staff were in the hallway, sitting.

Oh...

I passed the Principal on my way in and he said, "Fun times!"

They had received a call from the police chief to get everyone in the halls and prepare for the worst.

When I passed the cafeteria, it was completely deserted, with all the lunches left on the tables. It was kind of eerie...

I got to the Kindergarten Hallway, and there they all were. All three Kindergarten classes, the Pre-first class, the LD class, and the MD Unit. The kids were just sitting along the walls and a teacher was reading a book to them. After the book, we sang songs.

Then the announcement came that we were to get in tornado position. The kids all turned around on their hands and knees and covered their heads with their hands.

This.was.for.real.

The adults kept singing, and watching...

The wind picked up and it started to rain. Luckily, all we could see was out the door at the end of the hallway. I know, that if I could have seen more, I probably would have lost it...

Then, you could hear it. And the lights went out.

You always hear that a tornado sounds just like a freight train...IT DOES!!!

The good news, it was over as fast as it began.

The kids stayed down another ten minutes, and they were all great! What a good bunch of troopers. Sure, a few cried. But I think it was more out of frustration from sitting the way they had to, than really being too scared. As soon as we got the OK to let the kids turn around, they all got Jolly Ranchers!

Soon, we were released to go back to the classrooms and proceed with the day.

Of course, every adult had a cell phone out and the reports of what had happened in town started to come in.

When my kids were all home safely, we went for a walk to see the damage for ourselves.

This house is the worst hit. The roof completely blew off, hit the neighbor's house across the street and threw it off it's foundation. Both of these houses will be demolished and rebuilt.

This is an old gymnasium that was used for storage.

These trees were completely uprooted.

This is the temporary fencing that was placed around our old school building.

We are so blessed that we were not in this building when this happened. It was right in the path of destruction.

We had walked down the main street and saw a lot of debris. There were pieces of siding, roofing, insulation and wood everywhere. Lots of places were taped off with security tape.

We passed one house that was taped off. C2 asked what was wrong with that house. To look at it, you could see no damage.

Then, when you looked up, in the tree in the front yard, was this...

A WHOLE FREAKING GARAGE DOOR WRAPPED AROUND THE TOP OF THE TREE!

This was when I knew how lucky we all really were.

All this damage, and not one injury...

God is so good!

Halloween Parade

2010-11-07T19:34:00.001-05:00

This was a BIG year for the Mosgrove's in the Halloween Parade!

For the first time, the Middle School Band got to march in the parade. They actually marched seperate from the High School Band, and sounded just as good!

We were all very impressed because these are only 7th and 8th graders!

Of course, the football team and cheerleaders were in the parade.

If you knew my cousin's daughter R, you would know how out of character this costume is for her. She is a "goody two shoes", and when I heard that she picked this costume, my jaw dropped...

And of course, the football players...

We had good weather for the parade...but we didn't know what was coming...

Reading and Visitors II

2010-10-31T11:25:00.001-04:00

Two years ago, I added two items to my sidebar.

On the first year anniversary date, I did an update.

Here's the update for the last year...

I read 55 books. Wow! When did I have time for that!?!

I also had 1691 visitors. That number is down from the previous year. But, if you don't blog regularly, who's going to read it right?

Time to clear it and start over!

The Picture That Saved The Day

2010-10-23T15:56:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was the Western Buckeye League (WBL) Meet.

There are nine schools in our league.

It was a beautiful fall day. A great day for a run!

The girls got stretched out and were ready to run.

They lined up to go.

C1 is in the middle and to the right of her, is her friend, S.

S is very fast. She always comes in at least a 45 seconds to a minute before the other girls. The coach's goal this year was to get C1 to run at S's speed. He knew she could do it. But, C1 had it in her head that she was the same speed as another girl, M. M was hurt and not running in this meet...

The first time they came around,

C1 was.right.behind.S!!!

I couldn't believe it!

Take M out of the picture, and she was on S's heels!

The girls started coming in. S came in 4th and C1 followed a few girls later.

In the chute, they gave them their placement cards.

C1's had an 8 on it! Great job!

Or so we thought.

She started crying and telling me about how the girl behind her got in front of her in the chute and took 7th place.

Well, Mommy and a friend both had a picture of her finishing that showed the order that the girls actually came in.

This is the picture that saved the day, and got her her 7th place.

Her time was 13:57! WOW!!!

I'm glad I was there to help her out. It didn't hurt that my friend with the other picture, is a 6'4" man!

Thanks J!

What's Been Happening

2010-10-23T15:41:00.003-04:00

We have been busy, busy, busy!

Things are finally settling down, but here's a short recap of what we've been up to.

C1 marched with the High School Band at the football game.

I have to say that this thrilled me greatly. They always give the Eighth Graders a chance to see what it is all about. She loved it! She was a little nervous about actually playing and moving around on the field, but she did great. Next year, she will be playing with the big kids, in.full.uniform. I don't know who's more excited, her or me!

C1 also ran her best time at the last actual Cross Country Meet!

Two miles in 14:34! AMAZING!

C2 ended a great year in football.

We have always given him a hard time, telling him he is not aggressive enough.

Well, this year, he stepped it up! He had a few good tackles and two sacks! I always joked that I would never hear the words "Mosgrove, the ball carrier" but I have to say, hearing "Stopped by number 12, Mosgrove" is just as thrilling!

To end the season, they had their annual Whipped Cream Fight!

If it hadn't have gotten so chilly, I would have made him walk home!

Homecoming

2010-10-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

This year for the first time, B decided he was going to the Homecoming Dance.

I guess having a girlfriend helps. She probably told him they were going.

Surprisingly, he was very excited about it and took way longer than normal to get ready. I was beginning to think he was a girl!

We met at her house for pictures and then they were off to eat and then to the dance.

When he came home, he was still excited and said they had a lot of fun.

It's so good to see him happy!

My Cross Country Girl

2010-10-02T16:48:00.002-04:00

This fall C1 has been doing Cross Country.

Last spring, the High School Cross Country Coach spotted her at Track practice and asked her name. He asked her why she didn't run Cross Country. He said he would remember her name and make sure that she signed up for the fall.

He held that promise.

She has improved greatly through the season and really enjoys it.

This morning she had a meet and I remembered my camera!

After they take off, you can always walk to about the halfway point and cheer them on.

As she approached the Finish Line, she was the third girl from her team coming in.

Her best time this season was 14:49. She came in just a little over that today.

Good job!

Going, Going, Gone...

2010-10-02T16:18:00.001-04:00

As you may know, last school year was the last year we would spend in our old building.

The village that we live in had the opportunity to take possession of the old building and use it for whatever they liked.

They decided against keeping it because of costs involved, so the building was to be demolished.

Throughout the summer, our dear old building has gone through many changes beginning with the auction.

In early August, they fenced in the building and cut all the power.

It was no longer lit up at night.

Several local Fire Departments and the National Guard came in and used the building for training after all the exterior doors and windows were removed.

At this point, sadly enough, the building was an eyesore and needed to go...

Monday of this past week, demolition began and it.went.quick!

Monday they removed all the decorative concrete from the building. The village will use these pieces for a memorial they plan to build where the old building stood.

Tuesday the whole back wing was demolished and Wednesday the gym.

Thursday the rest of the building came down.

In four days, this was all we had left of our beloved Cridersville Elementary on Main Street.

Too soon, this too will be gone and we will have green space for the kids to play on.

This is going to take some getting used to...

First Day of School

2010-09-14T09:08:00.002-04:00

School has started and here's the proof.

B started a week and a half before the rest of us did. He is going to the local Career Center this year. He is taking welding and loves it so far. He's like a totally different student. He's getting his homework done, going to bed early, and really seems to enjoy it. I'm so thankful for that!

C1 is in the Eighth Grade and at the High School this year. Yikes! How did my baby girl get this old!?! When I was in the Eighth Grade, we were just getting into Junior High. We were in Elementary School through the Seventh Grade. My, how things have changed!

C2 is spending his last year of Elementary School in our brand spanking new building! He is in the Fourth Grade and really likes it so far. I'm glad that he gets to spend one year in this school. It is huge and beautiful!

They are all growing up so fast.

Hopefully, we have a great year!

Silly Bandz

2010-07-29T12:49:00.000-04:00

The big thing around here right now is Silly Bandz.

We buy them.

We count them.

We sort them.

We carry them around with us in plastic boxes.

We trade them.

And by "we", I mean C1 and C2...especially C1.

She took a picture of how many she had two weeks ago; she now has more.

And of course, we wear them...

Wonder how long this craze will last?

Children's Fountain

2010-07-22T15:42:00.000-04:00

Last week, for something different, my cousin and I took the kids to the Children"s Fountain in Faurot Park.

At first, they didn't know quite know what to do.

"Just go play!" we said...

We were tired of hearing how boring the pool is getting, so we thought they would enjoy this.

Eventually, they did...

for about twenty minutes.

Then, they were ready to go.

So much for different; the next day, we were back at the pool!

Memories

2010-07-20T11:55:00.001-04:00

When the school year finished, this was the last message that was put on the sign out front.

C1 said, "Why do they have to make it so sad? Who put that up?"

I told her it was Mr. G. that puts the messages up. She said she was mad at him. I then told her that Mr. T. tells him what to put up. She said she was really mad at him!

When I told Mr. T. what she said his reply was, "That was my goal. To make everyone sad."

I'm glad I got this picture when I did.

This sign too, is now gone...

Sold! To Bidder Number...

2010-07-20T11:25:00.001-04:00

Saturday was the auction at our old school building.

It was weird to be there and look around the auction before everything started.

When I walked into the classroom that I had worked in for the last five years, it smelled like home. But, everything was gone. All that was left, was what was to be auctioned.

They had two rings going. One in the gym and one that moved from classroom to classroom. In the gym they were auctioning things that had come from the other two schools that had already had their auctions and anything else that the district had found in storage to get rid of. What was being auctioned in the classrooms were the things that were actually from our school.

We hung around in the gym for awhile and then went upstairs to see what was happening there.

That is where it really hit me that this was for real. We were really done in this building.

Why?

After the auctioneer finished in a classroom, everything was ready to be removed.

And people did not mess around...

In the office, our old kitchen supervisor bought the teacher mailboxes. She had retired from this school and wanted a memento. They were one of the first things that I saw being removed and it was hard to see.

I guess I just didn't realize that EVERYTHING would be sold. They sold ceiling fans, drinking fountains, restroom dividers, stage curtains, the gym floor. Everything went.

We went back in the evening to get the things we had purchased and the hand railings on the stairs were gone. Lockers had been taken out of the walls and blackboards removed.

C1 jumped in the hole that was left in a classroom where the lockers used to be...

C2 wanted one last picture in the classroom that he had spent the last two years in...

There was one very neat thing that we discovered.

We were walking by a classroom where the whiteboard had been removed. I noticed that there was writing on the blackboard that was underneath and went in to see what it was and got a nice surprise!

Hidden under that whiteboard for the last eight years was the signatures of all the students that were in that classroom when they had put the whiteboard up. One of them was B. Hidden all that time was his little nine year old signature.

Made a happy ending to a sad day...

5K

2010-07-10T11:31:00.002-04:00

This morning was the 1st Annual 5K Fire Run for the jamboree.

Being the runner that she is, C1 decided to run!

She and her friend L, got there early to get signed in and stretch out.

An hour and fifteen minutes later...

they were off!

C1 says she can run a mile in nine minutes, so we expected her back around the twenty seven minute mark.

People started coming and we were watching for her. Sure enough, she came in at 26:44!!!

She came in thirty third overall and first for her age group!

This girl can run!!!

Day At The Zoo

2010-07-03T18:35:00.001-04:00

Every year the Third Graders go to the Columbus Zoo for their field trip.

This year, it was C2's turn to go.

A couple of friends and I drove on our own and met them there.

In no way were any of us riding that bus. We had all done it before, and it is an experience to be had only once!

In our group were three boys and two girls.

We saw half the zoo and stopped for lunch.

Being boys, this is what they did.

The.whole.time.

Being girls, this is what they did.

The.whole.time.

This one?

I have no idea what she was doing!?!

Dragons on TV?

2010-07-03T18:12:00.001-04:00

Thanks to my uncle we took the kids to the Dayton Dragons game last night. He gets season tickets and never uses them all, so he always passes some to us.

The seats are right behind home plate.

We watched four innings and then went to get something to eat. Shortly after we got back to our seats, I got a text message. It was from my uncle. He said they could see us on TV when the batter was up.

"Good grief!" I said. "Can you see us sitting here eating!?!"

After that, I was very self conscience about I did.

Who wouldn't be?

Here are the annual baseball pics...

Oh well, we had to eat, right?

All Grown Up

2010-07-01T11:35:00.000-04:00

C1 has been on the DARE council at school for the last two years. Last year she was the treasurer (takes after her mama, I guess).

Because she held this position, she had to be present for the fifth grade DARE graduation ceremonies.

And, she had to dress up...

How did this happen?

Where did this young lady come from?

She really is growing up!

Summer Storm

2010-06-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

Last night we were coming home from my dad's house, right in front of a big storm.

When we got home, this was the view to the west:

This was the view to the east:

Then, an hour later, this was the view:

Can you say, "AMAZING!!!"?

Cedar Point

2010-06-25T12:02:00.000-04:00

OK...it's time to get this blog caught up.

In May the Middle School Band took a trip to Cedar Point. This is one of two major amusement parks we have here in Ohio. Growing up this was always a highlight of the summer. When you got back to school, you had to tell everyone how many times you had been to either one (or both) over the summer. Well, in planning for this trip, I realized that I had not been there since 1989! Wow! How did that happen? I LOVE the big roller coasters, but no one else in my family really does. C1 does, but she has just gotten to where she is tall enough. Anyways, I signed up as a chaperone, thinking I just might get to enjoy some of those coasters!

Of course, the day we went, it was raining. And not a light rain. There was no thunder and lightning, but a hard rain. Nice...

By the time we got there, the rain was a drizzle. It was light enough that they would march through the park as planned.

So, we waited our turn under the shelter house...

And soon, we were off!

They made their way down the main concourse, stopping to play twice.

After their performance, we loaded all the instruments back on the trailer and ate lunch. While we were eating, the rain stopped and the sun came out!

Now, it was time to have some fun!

I had seven girls in my group. We had a blast! They were all good girls and got along pretty good. As to be expected though with 13 year old girls, there were a few moments of drama, but nothing that lasted for long.

I did get to ride a few coasters. I had really forgotten just how fun they could be. I would love to go and ride more!

Three of the girls wanted to ride The Power Tower.

This ride lifts you up 240 feet into the air, and then drops you. Being the thrill seeker, I said I would go. I have to admit though, halfway up I really wondered just what in the heck I was thinking!!! But as soon as we dropped, I loved it!

Here's my girls, all seven of them.

After a dreary start to the day, we had a pretty awesome time!

Missing

2010-06-24T18:36:00.000-04:00

My baby girl has been away.

She is in Myrtle Beach with my aunt and uncle.

She's been gone six days and will be gone another two.

I miss her way more than I thought I would...

Best...

2010-06-16T18:31:00.002-04:00

This frog hangs on my keychain...

and that is where he will stay!

Hmmm...

2010-06-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

Sadly enough, I just spent close to an hour reading.my.own.blog.

I just went back and randomly picked old posts to read.

Wow! I.am.funny!

I laughed at many of them.

Why have I stopped blogging? Why don't I do it more?

I don't know...

Maybe that will be a goal for this summer; to try and get back into this.

We tend to forget the little, everyday things that happen in life. But in reading past posts, I relived them. They were fun times.

I need to do this for my family so they don't forget the things that happened while they were growing up.

Note To Self: START BLOGGING!!!

SEVENTEEN!

2010-05-19T18:02:00.000-04:00

I'm late on this one, but...

Monday we celebrated the birth of our oldest son, B.

I had sailed through my first pregnancy with no complications. I even went a week over my due date.

His birth, that is a different story.

We arrived at the hospital early in the morning for induction. They started the Pitocin shortly after we arrived and we were on our way. My water broke around 9:00am, which meant we would definitely have a baby that day!

Because I was too scared to have an epidural, I opted for some pain meds; NOT a big help! (For the next two though, I did go for the epidural!) After laboring for thirteen hours and still not completely dilated, the baby's heart rate began to drop to alarmingly low numbers. It was decided that I would need an emergency C-section. That was fine with me. Just put me to sleep as fast as you can!

Finally, we had our baby boy! But, his blood sugar was low and he needed an IV to bring it up. We were still able to have him in the room with us, it was just difficult to manuever him the way you would want.

After three days, I was released from the hospital. But because his blood sugar was still not up where it should have been, B had to stay. We had the room until midnight, and stayed the whole time. One of the worst things I've ever done, is leave my newborn baby at the hospital. When they came to get him I couldn't stop crying. The nurse asked if I was going to be OK. I sure it was hard for her to be the one to take my baby away.

The next day, we got to the hospital early and were told that he could come home! Talk about two excited parents! Taking our first baby home was all we could think about for the last nine months, and now we finally were!

Now, this baby is almost a man. I don't know how we got here so fast. I love this boy with all my heart, and hope I have done him well...

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Camera Theif

2010-05-04T14:49:00.002-04:00

Going through pictures on my camera, I once again found these:

She sure does like to photograph herself!

Sometimes...

2010-05-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

this is the view from my kitchen window...

and it makes me happy.

Really?

2010-05-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

The end of the track season is near. Very near; like Monday near.

Friday, practice was cancelled but C1 and her friends decided to stay and get some extra practice in.

C1 has gone the whole season without falling over any hurdles. This was her biggest fear in the beginning, but she has managed to avoid it.

Until Friday.

Five minutes before I picked her up, she fell.

And fell good.

She scraped up the left side of her face and her left leg pretty good.

Here's a close up.

As scrapes tend to do, Saturday morning it looked worse.

I told her she might as well wear a sign to school on Monday that reads,

Yes, I tripped over a hurdle!

Did They Sleep?

2010-05-01T18:56:00.001-04:00

Usually, we only do slumber parties every other year.

But since this year was the BIG 13, we allowed C1 to have a slumber party.

I will admit, the older these girls get, the easier it is to have these. At this age, they pretty much entertain themselves. If there are plenty of snacks and drinks on hand, they are good to go.

For this party, C1 had the idea of going to the mall.

Why?

I.have.no.idea.

But, being the best parents in the world, we took seven girls to the mall.

They did their thing. We did ours.

After the mall we fed them pizza and cake.

Being the MOST creative grandma in the world, my mom designed posters with each girl's name on it. They colored those and then the real party began after M and I went to bed I suppose.

Overall, they were relatively quiet. They stayed up until 6am and were back up by 8am.

This is what memories are made of!!!

THIRTEEN!!!

2010-04-17T17:31:00.000-04:00

Thirteen years ago today, M and I met our daughter for the first time.

When the results from my 18 week blood work came back, there was a problem.

There was a chance that our baby could have Spina Bifida. They did the blood work again, with the same results. The doctor then told us we had two options. We could have amniocentesis, or a Level 2 ultrasound. After discussing the complications that come with having amniocentesis, we opted for the Level 2 ultrasound. The doctor then told us that according to the results, we would have to decide what we wanted to do as far as continuing the pregnancy. When I informed him that I could NOT terminate, he said I might as well stop right there; do not continue to find further results. How could I do that!?! I still had over half my pregnancy to go. I could not carry that burden in the back of my mind for that long!

We were sent to Columbus then for the Level 2 ultrasound.

They measured every bone in her little body.

They said she was perfect, but the thought was always there...

Eighteen weeks later, we had her in our arms, and she was perfect!!!

Today, she is beautiful, smart, funny, and thoughtful.

In our eyes, she is perfect!

By the Way...

2010-04-15T13:06:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, was my two year Blogiversary.

Yay, me!

Tight Squeeze

2010-04-15T13:03:00.001-04:00

I purposely drive a vehicle that has third row seating because my children would probably kill each other if they had to sit next to each other for a long period of time.

B bought a car in December. It's a convertible. M and I have had some fun driving it in the nicer weather lately.

The other night, we took B's car to my grandma's house. With.two.kids.

On the way home, we had three...

This was the end result:

I'm so happy we weren't going far!

Bowling Party

2010-04-12T15:33:00.001-04:00

In the past C2 has always been too shy to have a "friend" birthday party.

This year when I asked him, he said he thought a bowling party would be fun.

Wow! Because that is exactly what I was thinking!

So that's what we did.

Everyone enjoyed bowling,

(even B got in on the action!)

pizza, and cake.

I'm glad he decided to do this.

It was good for his self esteem!

We all had a GREAT day!

TEN!!!

2010-04-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago today, we met our youngest, and last child for the first time.

Fourteen weeks into the pregnancy, I had placenta abrubtion. I had never been so scared of anything in my life. You don't realize how much you can actually love something that is the size of a peanut that you've only known about for maybe eight weeks, until you think you might lose it. I was afraid to move. I tried to be as still as possible, thinking that any movement would knock him loose the rest of the way.

But, with the Power of Prayer, we got through it!

I will always think of C2 as my "Miracle Baby".

Because of the previous complications, I was not allowed to work for the remainder of the pregnancy. And, of course, I was at the doctor's office way more than the normal expecting mother. I had an uncountable amount of ultrasounds. We chose not to find out the sex of this baby. We already had one of each and this being our last, it really didn't matter. The Ultrasound Technician made every one interesting though. She always tried to point out some new feature for me. One week, she happened to get a great picture of his head with his hair "floating" all around it.

"This baby has some hair," she said.

And she was right!

Before he was even all the way out, the doctor said, "This baby needs a haircut! It's hair is below it's ears!"

If you know me, you know I am a sucker for babies with hair! There is nothing sweeter than baby hair.

Here he is, hair and all!

The funny thing, is the frown on his face. He was born frowning, and we all laughed about it.

Little did we know, this was going to be a regular look on his face.

If you know C2 today, I'm sure you've seen this face!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Momma loves you!

Text Much?

2010-04-09T13:47:00.000-04:00

We have unlimited texting with our phone plan, so I've never really paid too much attention to how much the kids are actually texting.

Out of curiosity last month, I did look at the statement to see what the numbers were.

HOLY CRAP!!!

Combined incoming and outgoing, for C1 was over 6,000!

For B, it was over 7,000!

I know they both begin texting as soon as they wake up, and probably fall asleep texting.

In the mornings, I even sometimes see this,

I know it has to be important to stop brushing your teeth and answer, but come on...

Give.it.a.break, Girl!

One Handsome Dude!

2010-04-07T20:23:00.000-04:00

As I walked by the living room the other day, B was sitting in the chair watching TV.

"Wow!" I thought to myself. "He looks really cute!"

Being a mom, I grabbed my camera.

What a handsome, young man he has become.

He has the prettiest eyes...

I love you B!!!

First Track Meet

2010-04-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday was C1's first track meet.

Her first event was the 100m hurdles. She has long pony legs, so she really hasn't had a problem with them. They'd been practicing on the astro turf though, and hadn't had many chances to do it on the actual track. She was pretty nervous about that.

Here she is with her friend H.

This was moments before the race, and she was scared.

I told her to say a prayer, and do her best!

She made it over all the hurdles, and came in second!

Yay, for her!

In between events, they had quite a lot of downtime.

She and H took a break on the sidelines.

Her second and last event was the 800m distance.

She kept up with the group and came in with a good time.

Overall, for her first meet, I think she did awesome!

Something Must Be Wrong!

2010-03-29T15:38:00.002-04:00

Last year, around this time, I got a tattoo.

With the warmer weather in the last weeks, I have broke out the flip flops. I will avoid wearing shoes with socks at all cost.

I'm done.

Friday, at school, I was playing a game of Around the World with a small group of kids.

I was sitting on a chair, and they were sitting on the carpet in a circle around my feet.

We had been playing for several minutes when one little girl stands up to take her turn.

She starts yelling, "Mrs. M! Mrs. M! Mrs. M!"

While she is yelling, she is pointing at my feet.

"What!?!" I ask her, thinking surely there must be something wrong.

"YOU HAVE A TATTOO!!!" she screams.

Oh my!

These kids are smart...

I Like It!

2010-01-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

Over the years, I have developed what I like to call "natural highlights."

Yesterday, I wore my bangs pulled back in a barrette, which exposed my highlights a little more than usual.

As a group of kids came up to my table for Reading Groups, one little gal came around and stood next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I like your white hair!" she said.

Great. And I say that sarcastically.

An Experiment

2010-01-20T16:16:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had left C1 and C2 here alone while I ran somewhere.

When I got home, C2 had a balloon filled with water, still attached to the faucet, sitting in the kitchen sink. He needed it tied.

When I asked him what the heck he was going to do with that huge water balloon in the middle of the winter, he told me it was an experiment. He was going to freeze it, peel off the balloon, and see what he had.

Fine.

We put it in the freezer.

For two weeks it sat there.

Last weekend, I told him it was time to get it out of there.

He peeled the balloon off, and here is what he got.

This first picture, just makes me laugh. The ball o' ice was really cold for him to hold, and I could not get a picture quick enough!

After his hands warmed up, we finally got a good picture.

We sat it on the porch, and with the warmer weather, the ball is gone.

Experiment complete.

I wonder what he learned?

WOW!

2010-01-11T12:50:00.002-05:00

All I can say is, "Wow!"

Really!?!

2010-01-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here minding my own business.

C2 comes in the room and lays on the bed. He is talking, but I'm not really listening.

C1 comes in and lays on the bed.

Now they are rolling and fighting and yelling.

C2 falls off the bed.

He is crying. He hurt his arm.

He is back on the bed now for revenge.

C1 finally gets up and goes back to her room.

C2 turns on the TV.

Now he is talking again, but I'm not really listening.

This all just happened in about a four minute time span...

REALLY!?!

This is my life?

Even the Cats Are Cold!

2010-01-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

One of our cats, Mabel, can usually be found laying in front of the furnace vent in the kitchen. She spends a lot of time there...

Yesterday, she was joined by two of her friends,

Mu Shu and Esther decided to get in on this heat action!

I'm not sure how Mabel felt about it, but they stayed like that for a long time.

With today's low temperatures (it was two degrees when I got up), I think I need to find a furnace vent of my own!

Rose Bowl, Baby!

2010-01-01T11:15:00.001-05:00

Today, Jim Tressel will lead our beloved Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl!

Go Bucks!
Oregon sucks!
We have the right to kick their butts!

This was the cheer that C2 was saying in the backseat of the car today.

I have no idea where he heard it, but I like it!

GO BUCKS!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning started a little different for us this year...

M and I woke up before the kids.

We made a pot of coffee and just waited...for.an.hour!

Finally, C2 came down the stairs wondering if he could get up. Upon hearing that yes, he could get up, he hurriedly woke up his brother and sister and they all mozzied into the living room.

Boy! Have times changed!

C2's main gift was a DSi.

C1 received an iPod Touch; that thing is amazing!

B got a weight bench. Soon we will all be buff!

Overall, they were all happy.

C1 is now counting down to her birthday!

Wonder what she wants?

Time To Get Busy!

2009-12-20T11:11:00.002-05:00

That's right...it's time to get down to the nitty, gritty business if getting ready for Christmas!

We are having Christmas here at our house again for M's family on Christmas Eve. Everyone decided it was so nice last year, we'd just do the same. Actually, it was here, or the restaurant. No one really wanted to do that...

We will eat, go to church, then come back for presents and fun! I'm actually pretty excited; just have to start getting ready!

All the Christmas shopping is done. Most of the presents are wrapped. I need to go to the grocery today with a list a mile long. Then, the fun part, cleaning.

Things aren't too bad, just a few details to take care of. C2's room needs a good pick up; that's where the kids will play. I've noticed a few cobwebs that need to be knocked down, and my curio cabinet needs a good Windex shine. Other than that, just the basics.

Oh! And the cooking. M wants to make some fudge and cookies. He says he and the kids will take care of all that though.

Sounds great to me!

Well, I Went

2009-12-18T18:30:00.001-05:00

Today, with two other teachers, I visited Jack.

I was a little anxious about the visit. Wasn't sure what to expect.

But, I am so glad I did.

He is doing so well. He almost looks better than he did before. His coloring is better, and because of the chemo, his face has filled out.

His hair is very thin, but his mom said it is actually starting to come back already.

He was in good spirits, and actually getting around pretty good. I guess a week ago, it was a different story.

Before we left, we all got hugs. He warned us first to be very careful of his port. He DID NOT want to get bumped there!

God bless you, Jack!

Jack

2009-12-17T12:55:00.003-05:00

In September, one of our kindergartners was diagnosed with cancer.

He is doing well, and is home now, for Christmas.

To watch a video that one of our local churches put together about Jack, click here.

Tomorrow, along with our school principal and two other teachers, I am going to visit him.

I actually have very mixed emotions about this. I am going, because it is the right thing to do, but I know I will be an emotional wreck after. After his diagnosis, I had a really hard time.

Watch the video, and say a prayer.

He has a long way to go...

The Best Place To Be?

2009-12-16T13:06:00.002-05:00

This time of year, the best place to be, is in the Kindergarten classroom. Now, I know there are a few of you out there that will disagree, but hear me out.

Here at my house, my kids no longer believe in Santa.

Christmas is still a fun time around here. The kids all still get excited about decorating (even B), we bake cookies (that never happens the rest of the year), and there is constant chatter about what they are getting (they seem to think I'm going to tell them).

But just the wonder and magic of Santa...is gone.

As soon as we go back to school after Thanksgiving break, all the kids are just so excited for the season.

"It's almost Christmas!", they all say.

And of course, they talk about Santa. I.love.it!!! I really do miss the innocence that goes along with believing in Santa.

If you believe, all is right with the world.

There are always one or two kids that I do feel sorry for.

The non-believers.

Because there has to be no worse feeling than being verbally attacked by 23 of you best friends yelling...

"UH HUH! SANTA IS REAL!!!"

They always look over my way and I just give them the look that says...

"You're on your here. I learned a long time ago, you don't mess with Santa."

Kindergarten Birthday Wishes

2009-12-04T18:40:00.001-05:00

Every year the teacher I work with and the kids "surprise" me with pictures and birthday wishes.

This year was no different.

I wanted to share a couple of my favorites.

I really like this first one. I think I'm looking pretty good...

Now, this next one, was drawn by my cousin's little boy, B.

B has a sense of humor that is just not right for a six year old!

When the teacher shared this last one with me, she made sure to tell me, "I want you to know, this is NOT how I drew you on the board!"

Then I saw who it was from and understood immediately!

That crazy B!!!

One More Thing Learned

2009-12-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last year for my birthday, I listed 39 things that I have learned in my lifetime.

Well, on this last trip around the sun, I learned one more thing.

If you hurt the ones that love you, it takes a long time to get back to where you once were.

I'm so sorry...

Kickin' It Off!

2009-11-30T12:35:00.001-05:00

As we do many years, last night we started our holiday season with a movie.

Not just any movie, one of the best holiday movies.

Ever.

I think Cousin Eddie is my favorite. That white v-neck sweater with the black dickey? Awesome!

The only problem I have with these old Chevy Chase movies?

It reminds me too much of my uncle that died. He loved Chevy Chase and imitated a lot of his comedy. In a way, he even resembled Chevy in his everyday actions.

Wrong season to start feeling bad...

But remembering is good!

See What Happens!?!

2009-11-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

When I hear the words, "Mom, can we use your camera?", I know what to expect.

Goofy pictures are coming...

What I don't understand...

Why is my daughter the one that always has her tongue out?

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is B with a potato turkey that he made in pre-school.

He was so proud of it, we had to take a picture.

I miss having younger kids around the holidays. This year, B went bowling with friends and then stayed all night.

Where does the time go!?!

I want more potato turkeys!

Walking and Talking

2009-11-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, with the unusually warm weather, we headed down to the park with some friends.

The kids played on the playground for awhile, and then we headed into the woods.

My friend T, had just upgraded her phone and needed some professional help.

Don't worry T, she and her brother are my "go to" people when I need help with these modern conveniences!

We walked the full length of the trail and then had to turn back because the sun was beginning to set.

I did manage to get a few beautiful pictures though,

Our natural surroundings weren't the only beautiful things out that day!

Football Sunset

2009-11-13T14:08:00.001-05:00

At C2's first football game of the season, we were in the visitor's stands facing east.

At one point during the game, I turned around to see this.

I absolutely LOVE the sky!

I am always saying to the kids, "Look at the sky! Isn't it beautiful?"

It is always changing, but always beautiful.

Now, if we could just figure out how to stop the snow from falling from it, my world would be a much better place.

Have I Mentioned...

2009-11-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

how much I miss the pool?

On one of our last trips to the pool, I looked behind me in the car, and saw this:

This is my cousin's son, B.

He had his goggles on, and was ready to jump in!

Man, I miss summer...

Football Memories

2009-11-12T14:10:00.004-05:00

It's been almost five weeks since C2's last football game.

But, I was looking for some pictures today for C1, and found a lot of football pictures.

Here's the group photo that was used in the programs.

C2 is right behind the cheerleaders. His number is 12.

Looks like a lineman, right?

Here's the one they take for fun.

After the JV team plays, they sit on the bench and watch the varsity team play.

At the end of the season, the boys have a whipped cream fight.

At the banquet, C2 gets his trophy.

This was his first year. Because he is a "big boy", he could not be a ball carrier, and played on the line. (I will never hear the words, "Mosgrove, the ball carrier.") He started out not very aggressive and shy. But as the season progressed, he really did improve. The last game they played, he was in for.the.whole.game! Wow!

I can't wait to see what next year brings...

Reading and Visitors

2009-10-25T12:07:00.003-04:00

One year ago today, I added two items to my sidebar.

One, the "Books I've Read" log. In the last year, I read 37 books. Not too shabby. I tried to expand my list of authors this year also. I found a couple of new ones that I really liked and even enjoyed some of the classics. I discovered Jane Austen and Ernest Hemingway.

Two, the "Visitors Counter". I had 2,319 visitors on this blog over the last year. WOW!

Time to clear the book log and start over.

I feel a trip to the library coming on!

Why Here??

2009-10-24T20:00:00.003-04:00

Remember this little guy?

He showed up again a couple of weeks ago. M and I were sitting in the garage. OK...I was sitting in the garage, he was working in the garage.

I heard what I thought was a cat.

M said it must be outside.

Later, I heard it again.

It was definitely on the inside.

A little while later, out came the little guy. He looked at me and ran right out!

Must have remembered that ride I took him on!

Girly Fun

2009-08-24T09:34:00.001-04:00

Last week, I took C1 and her friend L to Build A Bear.

The girls got it in their head that they needed to go before school started, and I was chosen to take them!

They each picked an animal and stuffed it.

Then, the hard part. Picking an outfit!

It took a lot of deliberation, but they both finally decided what they wanted and dressed their new friends.

C1 picked the Cinnamon Bear and L picked the Leopard.

See how cute!

Finally, they had to pick names.

C1 named hers Cinni. L named hers Kit Kat.

Where was Build A Bear when I was little, huh!?!

Ooops!

2009-08-20T07:38:00.000-04:00

Have you ever locked your keys in your car?

I've done it a few times times, here at home. But my purse, with the extra key, has always been in the house. No problem.

Two weeks ago, I was at the gas station, and went inside to get a pop.

I locked the car.

With.my.keys.and.purse.inside.

CRAP!!!

They attendant called the police and they came.

"I've never done one of these cars before," the officer said.

"Oh Lord!" I thought.

Thirty five minutes later, he got in.

"That was the hardest car I've ever done!" he said.

Lesson learned.

On Monday, I DID IT AGAIN! I was at the pool.

I called the police, and they came.

"Of course, you have to have a Pacifica" he said. "They're the hardest."

This officer only took seven minutes.

Internet, please tell me that this is NOT a sign of old age!

Car Show

2009-08-09T11:04:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, M and his brother had a car show at the restaurant.

They had planned and prepared for weeks. They had a lot of response and were worried about space.

Then, it rained.

Of course, classic cars do not go out in the rain!

They still had a few die-hards though.

The kids and I went over to see all the action.

The kids wore their shirts,

M fired up the grill,

and the servers laced up their skates!

C2's favorite car is a Vipor.

They had one there that night. He got to sit in it and see the engine.

He was one happy little guy!

Blue Eyes

2009-07-31T09:53:00.003-04:00

B has the prettiest eyes.

Being the BRAT that he is though, he never lets me get a good picture of him.

He always wants to look serious.

I got him though!

What a cutie!

Are You Ready For Some Football???

2009-07-27T20:36:00.000-04:00

This year C2 is finally old enough to play midget football.

We've been pumping him up for this for the last couple of years.

He is definitely built for football.

He decided to try it.

Tonight was the first practice. He was excited to go, but still a little unsure.

After watching the practice, I was unsure myself.

After we got in the car he said, "I was thinking I was going to tell you guys I didn't want to come back. But I'm surprised how fast I got my energy back!"

What a trooper!!!

Field of Honor

2009-07-22T12:20:00.001-04:00

Last weekend being the fortieth anniversary of man landing on the moon, and Neil Armstrong being from Wapak, they had the big Moon Festival.

At the Neil Armstrong Museum, there was the "Field of Honor".

There were hundreds of American Flags placed in honor of heroes that have served our country as servicemen and women, police, firefighters, and other first responders. It also honored the astronauts that have died in service to America.

To be there, standing in the midst of these flags waving in the wind, knowing that each one represents someone that has dedicated their time and/or life to our country, it is truly a calming and spiritual experience.

I don't know why, but it touches your heart...

Reading

2009-07-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

If you ever look at the sidebar on this blog, you've seen my book list.

This summer has been a summer of reading.

We've been out of school for almost eight weeks; I've read ten books.

The problem right now? I started a series by Beverly Lewis. I borrowed the first two from the library. When I went to get the next one yesterday, all they had were numbers four and five. I thought that my mom had number three, so I went ahead and got the last two.

I asked my mom last night if she did have number three. First, she told me that she didn't, but she had read the first two and wanted to go on with the series too. After we discussed the books, she confessed and said that she did have number three, but she was reading it!

I tried to convince her to just let me have it.

I could be done in two days!

She won't...

So now I am bookless, and bored!

I guess I could clean, do laundry, and go to the grocery.

Nah! I'm sure I can find something to read...

One CRAZY Ride!

2009-07-16T10:22:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night as M were watching TV, I hear a kitten crying on the porch. My cats were going crazy, running from the bedroom window to the front door, trying to figure out what was going on.

On our porch was a tiny, black kitten. It couldn't have been more than eight weeks old.

Being the animal lover that I am, I put some food out. Every time I stepped outside though, the kitten ran under my car in the driveway. It was scared of me:(

Wednesday morning, I was in the garage and looked out. Sitting under my car, was that kitten. I sat and watched it climb up in my motor. Yikes!

When it was time for me to leave, I looked under my car and did not see the kitten. I honked the horn, slammed the door a few times, shook the car, and prayed when I finally turned the car on. There was nothing, so I assumed the kitten had ran off.

I drove all the way to Wapak, about nine miles, going 55-60mph.

Yeah, I'm a speeder...

Pull into the High School parking lot and hear.that.kitten!

As soon as I stopped the car, it ran out from under my car.

Holy crap! What was I going to do? It won't come to me; it's too scared. But I can't leave it in the High School parking lot!!!

I called my mom.

She and my aunt brought over a can of food and we got it out from under my car. I grabbed it, and brought it back home.

I'm sorry to say, we haven't seen it since...

It Really is a Big Deal...

2009-07-14T09:15:00.003-04:00

If you know C2, you know he is not the bravest kid on the block.

Actually, he's a big chicken. He does not like to try new things; he worries about EVERYTHING.

This weekend, C1 and her friend bribed him to jump off the diving board at the pool.

For.five.Tic-Tacs.

That was an accomplishment.

Well, yesterday, for four pieces of gum, he went off the high dive.

I just about fell out of my pool chair!

The girls go off all the time, and have perfected a few tricks.

C1 doing a toe touch...

Her friend L doing whatever!

Big day at the Mosgrove House!

Lazy Sunday

2009-07-12T09:16:00.002-04:00

Here it is.

Sunday again.

We should be getting ready for church. Haven't been there all summer.

But this is what we're doing...

C2 is chasing Pokemon on his Gameboy,

C1 is in bed watching TV,

and I have yet another book waiting for me.

We do need to get busy though.

I feel a visit to the pool coming on...

Movie Night

2009-07-11T11:56:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, M and I took the kids to the Drive-In.

When I was growing up, we went to the Drive-In all the time. There were several to choose from in this area. Now, there are two that I know of, and they are each at least half an hour away.

We stocked up on drinks and snacks, loaded up the chairs, blankets, and pillows, put on comfy clothes and headed out.

C1 and C2 made a bed in the back of the car.

M, B, and I sat in the lawn chairs with blankets.

And to be honest, M and I pretty much slept through the second movie!

As I was loading these pictures onto the computer, I noticed something.

C2 was eating cheese popcorn.

See his face?

Too funny!!!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

2009-07-09T09:54:00.000-04:00

Last week, M and I took the kids to the Dayton Dragons' Baseball game.

We are really not a "sports" family, but we do enjoy going to these games. We make it to at least one, maybe two a year. It's close by, and something different to do.

Of course, we have to get pictures with the giant baseballs outside the stadium.

M and B outside the stadium.

This is the view from our awesome seats! It's great to watch the game from, but the kids are always mad because they don't even have a chance at getting free stuff from here!

The best part for this "non sports" family, is the entertainment between innings.

The kids love to watch the mascots, Gem and Header. They always have dancing and fun contests; it's really fun to watch.

Here, Gem is dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies". It was too funny!

OF course, being a sixteen year old boy, this is what B did during.the.entire.game...

He loves baseball!

At The Pool

2009-06-29T13:24:00.000-04:00

Today, as most days, we are at the pool.

With the break in the weather, it is not so busy, which makes it a lot nicer to be here! Last week, with the temperatures in the high 80's/low 90's, they had record attendance. On Wednesday, over 1500 people throughout the day! That's a lot of people for this smalltown pool!

At least today, the kids actually have room to swim!!!

My Favorite View

2009-06-23T12:04:00.002-04:00

These days, this is my favorite view.

There is nothing better than sitting at the pool with friends, letting the sun warm your body.

My favorite view and my favorite pass time at the moment.

Love Shack

2009-06-17T08:48:00.001-04:00

Last night, on the CMT Music Awards, Sugarland performed "Love Shack".

WITH THE B-52'S!!!

It was amazing!

Crazy Rabbit!

2009-06-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

Remember our new rabbit, Blue Belle?

She is now three months old, and chewing.on.everything!

She has chewed through C1's DS charger cord. M had to fix it.

She has chewed many books and papers.

The worst thing she has chewed?

The TV remote!!!

She discovered it a while back, and I had warned the kids to keep it up so she couldn't chew it anymore.

I might as well have told the wall.

All the buttons are now gone.

Finding what you need on the remote now is sometimes, an adventure!

Kalahari

2009-06-09T09:33:00.002-04:00

With the money earned from selling Girl Scout Cookies, my troop decided to go to Kalahari. It's a resort with an indoor water park. Only one of them had ever been there, so for the rest of us, it was a new experience.

Because this is my last year with these girls, I decided to just take them by myself. It was me, and six girls.

We.had.an.awesome.time!

The girls wore themselves out climbing to the top of all the slides while I enjoyed the sun and read my book.

The second day, it was even nice enough to go outside for a while.

The time we spent in the room was my favorite. We talked and played games. We ate WAY too much junk.

I truly LOVE these girls!!!

They are all so funny. It is a great age for them right now. They are still between the innocence of youth and the troubles of teenagers.

I sure will miss them!

And the trips that Cookie Money gave us!!!

Wings of a Dream

2009-05-31T10:47:00.001-04:00

This weekend was C1's ninth dance recital!

This year, she was in two dances; tap and jazz.

Our biggest challenge this year was the line up. Her first dance was jazz. She was number ten and wore this:

Her next dance was number fourteen for tap, and she wore this:

We had about nine minutes to change. The biggest difference was her hair. For tap she was supposed to have BIG hair, like in the movie "Hairspray". We did our best; she thought she looked more like a zombie!

After dancing two fast dances in less than fifteen minutes, she was pooped!

Good thing she had the rest of the show to re cooperate before the Finale!

Like, two.and.a.half.hours.to re cooperate!

My Pumpkinhead...

2009-05-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

I am way late on this one!

On the 17th, B turned 16.

I had a really hard time with this milestone. He really is growing up. Everyday, he wants more freedom. I'm trying. The last few years, have been rough with him. Those "teenage years". He and I seem to argue way too much. The last couple of months though, things have been better. I don't know if he is just maturing, or if I am just accepting that he is.

I do know this: no matter how big or old he gets, he will always be MY PUMPKINHEAD!!!

Wow!

2009-05-21T17:33:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, we upgraded our phones.

B and I got BlackBerries.

I'm still working on figuring it out, but I have to say, this thing is AMAZING!!!

Jumping Rope

2009-05-14T07:58:00.002-04:00

C1 has been in The Jump Rope Club at school for the last five years or so.

They practice every week to learn and perfect tricks done with a jump rope. Then, the travel to area schools to perform.

I snapped this picture as they were getting ready to load the bus.

Then C1 told me to "shoo!"

Brat!!!

Dance Pictures

2009-05-13T07:34:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, C1 had her dance pictures.

We took a few shots here at home.

She's always ready to "strike a pose".

Not sure what this look is, but she's still beautiful!

I Did It!!!

2009-05-11T18:06:00.000-04:00

For the longest time, I've wanted a tattoo.

I always said maybe just a little ladybug on my foot. Something that won't hurt too much. I'm kind of a wimp.

About a month ago, my cousin got one on her foot.

That made me want one even more!

This year for Mother's Day, M said he was taking me to get it done! I have to admit, I was a little unsure; if he hadn't of made the gesture, I would have probably never got it done...

Here it is!!!

THREE ladybugs on leaves!

Three ladybugs to represent my three children.

I LOVE IT!!!

Just Wanted To Say...

2009-05-10T08:02:00.002-04:00

Excited!!!

2009-05-09T07:59:00.005-04:00
If you've read my Twitter Bar, you know about my friend.

They have been training for a bike race in Columbus for the last two and a half months. It's a two day ride from Columbus to Portsmouth. They sleep there all night, and then bike back to Columbus on Sunday. All together, it's about 210 miles!

Over the last weekend, they came down with a nasty lung infection. Their chances of being able to ride looked doubtful.

With rest, determination, and prayer...they are riding today!!!

I think I may be just as excited as they are! I'm so happy for them!

Earlier in the week, when we talked, I said something about not pushing them self too hard.

Their reply? "I have to push myself hard. No one else can do it for me."

Then they stated this quote: "Live on the edge; get a better view"

Gotta LOVE that attitude!!!

Times Square

2009-05-05T19:08:00.001-04:00
B got his copy of the group picture they took in Times Square today!

Awesome!

The Last Meeting

2009-05-04T16:54:00.004-04:00
Tonight is our last Girl Scout Meeting.

I have decided not to continue being a Girl Scout Leader. It has nothing to do with the girls; they are a wonderful group. It's just the whole Girl Scout Association. There is so much paperwork and other things that go along with being a leader, it is no longer fun for me.

I've had some of these girls since they were first graders. They are all now in the fifth or sixth grade. I've literally watched them grow.

I love them all dearly, and will miss them.

We've done a lot of fun things over the years, and have a trip to Kalahari planned to empty our account.

Tonight will be bittersweet. I feel relief that I am done, but at the same time, a little sad.

I wish them all the best!