Normal... only a setting on a dryer

*****Blog background change... for Michael Corbett who complained because he couldn't read the blog on the last background.*******

********The picture was from Trick or Treat 2008. The year we ventured to the dark side. It was an innocent dark side. Shelby was a rocker girl and Gracie was a spider Fairy.... and Jackson... he had a REALLY bad haircut:-)!!!************

Here's a glance at last week!

And the interesting people I live with.

Before reading, remember... normal is only a setting on a dryer.

This is Shelby's first year attending school. I would be lying if I said I wasn't at all worried about how she would assimilate. I think she's doing great. She seems really happy. She has a lot of friends. Her grades are great.

But, last week, I questioned all of that. She had a book report due on Monday. On Sunday night, she asked if she could read it to me.

She ran upstairs, changed clothes and came back wearing one of her dad's suit jackets and a hat. She began reading her report as if it were written by the professor in the book. I wish you could have heard her read. The accent... unsure of it's origins but very good nonetheless. At one point, the professor's hot air ballon, in the story, was attacked by a see.... bird. See... bird. Seabird. (Can you guess where that's from?) Anyway, she squawked just like a seagull. I was on the couch laughing (dying) the whole time. She didn't care.

And, yep, she marched into her class on Monday morning and read it exactly the same way to her classmates and her teacher. (I asked.)

When she came home, I asked her if anyone else went to all the trouble. She said, "One boy put on some jeans." (They wear uniforms at her school.) I so wish I had her confidence. She so belongs on the stage. I have known since she was little that once there, she'd never come off. I have enjoyed her all to myself for the last 11 years. I guess it's time to share.

Next.... the child that cried for an entire month about having to go to school. Never mind that he is the only child that has been to school since he was three. I am still a bit perplexed by it. I can't tell you how we got him to stop crying because then you'd have to call children's services on us...... KIDDING!
I went on a field trip with him. When I arrived for the field trip, he looked like he'd lost his best friend. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "I am afraid I am going to cry when you leave." I had to drive separate from the bus, so I told him he better find his smile on the bus or I wouldn't chaperone another field trip.

He found it!
Jackson and his bren. (That's how he used to say friend. Every once in awhile, we all still say it that way.)
EVERY DAY I have to write his bus # on his hand. EVERY DAY! Never mind that EVERY where we go, he sees the number and tells me, "Look mom! There's my bus number!" It's on his backpack, it's on his lunch bag. Wow! He has been an interesting bird this year. See....bird.

Emme having a REALLY bad hair day eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She's making progress with eating. I've actually been praying about it more and so have the women in my Bible study. So, like my pastor Charlie always says, "When I pray, coincidences happen. When I don't pray, coincidences don't happen."
A rainbow on Friday night. I took that as a promise from the good Lord that I could in fact make it through the weekend with 3 kids playing in a soccer tournament with no husband to help. And, here I am... writing about it. Barely. But, I am here.
Shelby played on Saturday morning in the frigid cold. I mean frigid. Emme was shaking by the time it was over. Saturday, her game went into overtime. She and another girl scored in over time, so they won. On Sunday, they played for 1st place. They lost 5-0. The picture above is her receiving her 2nd place trophy.

Jackson also played in the frigid cold on Saturday. We had to be there at 7:30 am. It was dark. God wasn't even there. They won the first game so they played again at 1. Gracie also played at 1:15. Grr! I tried to go back and forth but.... Jackson scored a goal for his team in the first quarter. In the last quarter, the other team scored. Overtime. 5 minute overtime.... no one scored. Another 5 minute overtime... with no goalies. No one scored. They went to 3 vs. 3... no subs. Jackson was in that 3. No one scored. Switch the 3 vs. 3 kids..... our guy was going to the goal DEFINITELY going to score. All of a sudden, a player from the opposing team pulled his arm back to he wouldn't score. The ref made nary a call on it. It was insane! Thankfully, the same kid dribbled back down again... and scored! Yea! But, poor Gracie didn't have anyone watching her. They only won 1 game the entire season. I wasn't really expecting much, but did feel sad for her. I felt like my mother because all weekend I kept saying, "I AM ONLY ONE PERSON! I CAN ONLY BE IN ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME!"

Sunday Jackson played for 1st and won 5-0. YEA!!!!

I know I have been on a blogging hiatus. Sorry! This sending your kid to school thing... it's taken a toll on me:-) I'm worn out!