BUMMED!

We are really bummed out. The Star Wars in Concert, concert was CANCELED!!!! Why?? I asked when they called to refund my ticket purchase. Schedule conflict was the only answer I received. Not much of an answer if you ask me, and not much to help disappointed kids understand why they don't get to go.

Cozyflier

Science "Camp"

You know these 'wonderful' state tests that the kids have to do? In Texas they are called TAKS, at least for this year. The teachers hate them as much as the kids. Well, at AJ's school this year we got to experience something new and wonderful, truly wonderful! AJ's homeroom teacher is the science teacher, and she worked really hard to put on a full day of review for the kids. This was the 'Camp', the kids got to rotate through about 40 stations, in 6 rooms and review different areas of science learned this school year ~ parts of a plant, electricity, simple machines, magnetism, weight and balance, solar system, natural/solar/fossil resources, life sciences, etc!



Weight and Balance....



I don't know what a lot of these stations were doing!









Parts of a Plant



Electricity



Simple Machines



With the games, the kids had to answer life science, or earth science questions to proceed/move in the game!



With the help of many parent volunteers, student teachers, the 5th grade teachers and a LOT of work from Mrs. Shofner, this was an excellent review day for the kids. The kids got hands on time and experience from parents and others view points! It was a great day!

Good luck to all the 5th graders on the 29th when the TAKS is going on, I know one school that will do well!

Cozyflier

Lego Arts Festival

Last weekend was the Arts Festival. It featured Lego Art!! Well I bet you know where this is going!
I wasn't able to go, I still can't walk well enough without aid, and going to a big exhibit was not for me. Chris took the kids with some other friends. Along with the art display was also a comic book convention. People were dressing up, soooooo, out came the Storm Trooper, and the Jawa!




Now, what is so cool, the picture that Chris is holding..... was drawn right there by an artist while Chris and AJ posed in costume! Not only is it an original piece of artwork, and Star Wars, but it is of Chris and AJ!!! Pretty awesome, I think!

Please remember, I was not there, some of these pictures, most in fact, are blurry. The kids even some friends kids were taking the pics!




I would have laid on the ground to take this photo! A lego pencil writing the word yes!



Half real bike, half lego bike! Cool!



Hmm, I guess when you are made of legos you risk coming apart at the seams?!!

Well, I tried to pic the unblurry pics, I have a ton more but they are not too good, so I will leave it at this! The kids had a great time. Wish I could have made it.

Are your kids hung up on Legos?

Going Too Far....

I like to join in on things. I have a difficult time saying NO! I'm always volunteering for something.

When my niece, Stephanie, asked me to join her in doing a 1/2 marathon to raise money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I said yes, warily. I've never done a half marathon, 13.1 miles!

However, Kevin said I've taken joining in too far, when at Easter Stephanie fell and injured her foot, requiring that she post pone marathon training. The next week, I fell, totally on my R knee, twisting and turning and hurting the ligaments/nerves/muscles that go from the knee to hip!

I spent 6 days on crutches, and am still walking with a cane. The thigh muscle is a primary muscle needed for walking/jogging in a marathon, according to my husband. Really???

So my training has been post poned also, I've had to take 'leave' from work, and I'm exasperated at how the house looks. Still haven't finished moving Mom, Chris is running out of time to get out of the apartment, and the family would love a home cooked meal!

Why do I have to always join in??

Just call me Hop-along!

Cozyflier

300 = 56!!!!!!!!!

Holly Cow! My 300th blog, who would've thought? I've only been blogging about a year and a half.

And how does 300 = 56 you ask? It is now only 56 days until my cruise!! I just hope I can get healed, lose 80 pounds, get the dining room painted, finish moving Mom, and everything else on my 'To Do' list!!!!! Think I'll make it?

Cozyflier

Just My Luck.....

You know the old saying... if I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any any luck?
Well, lately I feel like that.

Case in point, Friday, I was having the carpets cleaned at Mom's old house. Cleaners were almost finished. I had been loading up the car of things to take to Mom.

The hoses were piled up on the tile by the front door, the carpets were wet, of course, the tile was wet. Can you see where this is going?

I try to go out the front door and BANG! Down I go on my R knee, smack down on the knee cap!

In the process of falling, I twisted, turned, sprained my muscles. The knee is bruised severely, and the Femoral lateral cruciate ligaments/muscles are injured-torn. For you non medical readers that is my R side thigh muscles/ligaments.

I'm now on crutches! No, I didn't really want to 'copy' my niece Stephanie! Trying to train for a marathon in Oct, one does not need torn ligaments, muscles, or bruised kneecaps!

One of the first things my beloved hubby said was, that is probably the most needed muscle for your marathon training. Really? I didn't realize that!! (Sarcastic font!)

It is going to be a long few weeks. The real funny sight was Saturday, Kev got in the mood for yard work. AJ has never really mowed. Amelia was out with Chris. I was trying to tell AJ how to mow while sitting in our wheel chair. Finally, I decided to show AJ. I had AJ push me in the wheel chair while I pushed the mower!!!!

Just call me Hop-along!

Cozyflier

Cousins

During Spring Break our cousins from OKC came to visit, also Tyler made it in. Here are some of the snapshots from that visit.


Cousin McKinley, Ashley, our 'sister' from across the street, and Amelia.

They are mad about plaid!!!


Reagan loves her cousin Chris, especially when he tumbles with her!


Stephanie couldn't ask me to take a picture of her and Ashley, she had to do the self portrait thing!! So, I took a picture of them taking a self portrait!!!


Ashley's 17th birthday! The main reason Stephanie and girls came from OKC, we don't count!! Note, this is about the only decent picture I got of Tyler all week!! Ashley was handing out birthday cake. AJ was happy!


Saying goodbye, McKinley and Amelia. I realized I hadn't taken hundreds of pics during the week, I had been so busy!

Just like I still am!

Cozyflier

Rocket Man, really?

Elton John performed live in concert here in Lubbock last night. When tickets went on sale Kev said, you know we have never seen him, lets go. So I went to the headaches of learning the online buying process. The computer server messed up that morning and getting tickets was challenging.

So here we are last ready for a great concert. We are familiar enough with his songs that we should enjoy it. After all EJ is a talented pianist and we own a few of his greatest hits albums so we knew he can sign.

After last night that is questionable! I was probably 1 hr into the show before he sang his big it Rocket Man, and did this light show on the screen that was up there!



Rocket Man graphics


rocket Man graphics.

However, on this song and several others, EJ drug them out on the piano painfully long. There were 3 different times the crowd was ready to applaud and he just kept playing.



There were also a lot of times that the very cool light show display did nothing.

I found myself watching the audience more than the stage.






Now, all of you know that I'm crazy about Neil Diamond. However I have an eclectic music taste. I've seen Bary Manilow, Beach Boys, Chicago, Neil about 10 times, and ELO, in concert! I've always enjoyed the concerts, never could you drag me away from them. But last night I found myself looking at the time on my cell phone!!
I'm sorry, EJ is NOT the performer that Neil Diamond is. Neil comes on stage and gets that audience involved. EJ came on sat at the piano played, and then pranced around and acted liked here I am, worship me! The audience I mean entire audience was NOT standing the entire time like at a Neil Didamond concert. It took over 2 hours before EJ got the audience to clapp their hands along with a song!

Yes I'm glad to have seen him in concert, but I won't be rushing back like I would for Neil or Chicago, or Beach Boys!!

That's my opinion, and I know a lot of you will disagree, but that is what is great about Ameriaca and bloggy land. We can disagree!

Happy Weekend
Cozyflier

Brothers and Sisters

Mom, "we want to go to the park." These were the words I heard last Saturday on a BEAUTIFUL day when I couldn't move. I had spent the week moving Mom and my Fibro was not happy. The kids wanted to ride their bikes to the park. Problem, they would have to cross a busy street. "OK", was my answer, you guys are big enough now, you will walk your bikes across the busy street, use the cell phone to keep me posted, I'm not asleep, just resting, and take water and snacks. Have fun! I was the coolest mom at that point!!


The kids took a camera and took pics! Chris called me a couple hours later when he finished what he was doing. He went by the park without my asking, to check on the kids!









Looks like they had a good time! Just wish they had remembered sun screen! Oh well, always next time!

Cozyflier

TNT

NO, not dynamite! This:





Someone please tell me that all the work I did moving my Mom and son counted toward my training for my Marathon! I was so busy I didn't have time to walk, but I lifted weights, went up and down stairs at Chris' apartment, and walked a lot of trips to and fro the car carrying boxes from the house to Mom's new assisted living apartment. I'm getting worried that I'm not on track.
This week I'm not feeling well, my fibromyalgia is flaring big time.

Hopefully the donations will get back on track and start pouring in. If all my friends gave $25 I'd have almost my entire $3500. So look at my TNT link, click on the button on the top L of this blog. All money goes to the research for leukemia and lymphoma and other blood cancers.

Thank you for your support.

Cozyflier

Easter

Kevin had to work in the ER all day, Tyler was in OK. I cooked dinner on Sat. night but we didn't get any pictures of that! The Easter Bunny managed to hide a few eggs and bring a few goodies. Amelia and AJ had gone to the park the day before and were sun burned.

Tomorrows wind chill is going to be 25*! Is this Spring or what?? I'm worn out from all the moving!

Hope yours was blessed.

Cozyflier

How Did it Get to be Easter Weekend???

It isn't Easter! It can't be. I'm still at Spring Break, sorry. I've been busy moving. NO, I'm not moving, Mom dropped a bombshell on me Spring Break. She was ready for assisted living. Whoo hoo! Just so happened, numero uno son, Chris' apartment lease was coming up April 1. Mom decided she didn't want to sell her home, she asked Chris to rent her house.

This brings me to my current situation, MOVING! Since Spring Break I have been helping to move either Chris or my Mom! Don't let anyone ever tell you that moving isn't WORK!


We loaded up the big stuff in Chris' apartment and moved to Mom's garage. We told Mom no rush, it can stay here until you find where you fit in.



Talus, Chris' cat rebelled! No sofa, no dresser equals no hiding spots! Talus' solution? The top of the kitchen cabinets! Amelia had to climb up and get her down!



Chris' apartment getting empty.




The kitchenette of Mom's new apartment! Mom has found a place that will take pets! Mom and Elke have moved in, sort of!! I spent last weekend packing and running small stuff. The movers/packers arrived Monday. I was at work! All this week has been spent trying to get more stuff to Mom's new apartment. Fortunately, a lot of stuff can be stored at the house. Chris doesn't require a lot of space!

Anyway, I'm exhausted. It still can't be Easter. The Easter Bunny is NOT ready!!

Also, I apologize to my 4 children NOW for getting old and having to deal with me and move me some day :)

Happy Easter

Cozyflier

Happy Anniversary S. Gail and Gary

I think I've mentioned I'm the baby of the family! My brother and sister are older than me. Here I am 49 and still the baby! However, this post isn't about me!

This is about my sis! Without Gail I never would have made it through Jr. High and High school math. I now know I have dyslexia. Gail is in Mensa, the high IQ society. Back in 1977, I believe, we went to HalloweeM, the local Chicago gathering of Mensans at Halloween.

That is where she met Gary. They corresponded for 5 months, and I think saw each other a couple of times. We lived in the suburbs of Chicago, and Gary lived WAY down S in a small town Champagne, IL.

However, as it happened, Gail and Gary got married on April 1st! Now my dates might be off, so I'm not saying how many years.

I just think it is cute that you can meet on Halloween and get married on April Fools!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY G2 Teamworks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you guys!

Cozyflier