Water Break

Temperatures are in the 90*s now...not always but enough to make it feel like summer. I say that constitutes a trip to the water park!!! So that's where we're headed tomorrow. Today it means a trip to my favorite patio lounge (without the kids) for a margarita. I love summer!

Facebook

I've been on Facebook for a couple of months and have about 35 "friends" on it. My nephew, who is 21 and just returned from a mission 2 weeks ago, has been on Facebook for about a week and has over 80 friends. What's up with that? Must be a generational thing! Either that or I'm a loser!

Foxworthy on MT

For those of you from MT or living in MT

(I've seen these before and probably even posted some of them, but they're funny and worth a repeat!)

You know your from MT if:

If "vacation" to you means going shopping for the weekend in Great Falls, Billings or Bozeman (while the kids swim at the Comfort Inn).

If you're proud that your state makes the national news Primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation

If you ever refused to buy something because it's "too Spendy"

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time

If you measure distance in hours

If you know several people who have hit deer more than once

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit

If you consider Red Lodge exotic

If a brat is something you eat

By my calculations...

By my calculations we have the following summer plans:

2 Road trips--1 now completed
7 summer camps--1.5 now completed
2 sets of guests to come visit

The Fourth of July is just around the corner.

Where is the summer going so quickly?

And what do I have to show for it? Oh yeah, a road trip!

But the next road trip is really on an airplane to VEGAS. You know how I love Vegas. And we'll be seeing the Lion King stage production while we're there.

I'm getting excited...

Happy to be home.

The prince and I had a great time visiting out family in UT. We are happy to be home again too, though now I'm looking around at all the work to be caught up on and am kind of wishing I were still sitting around at my sister's house!

It was good to see Grandpa and Grandma.

They don't look like they're having fun, but I think they are. There was some computer time, some gaming, a couple of trips to the swimming pool and several movies!

The reason for the trip--to welcome Matthew home!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the king and to Grandpa.

Enjoy your day!

Huh?

It's the nicest day since we got here...perfect for spending the whole afternoon at the swimming pool...and the boys DON'T want to go to the pool. Huh?????

Counting Up?

We were counting down last week. Are we counting up this week?

One more day until Mom and Chuck arrive here in Logan.
One more day until the princess returns from camp.
Three more days until the prince and I head home.

Vacationing at the Skabelund's is great. I've yet to lift a finger, but I do get waited on hand and foot. It's sort of like a free spa!

Counting Down

The prince and I leave for the land of UT in the morning.

The princess leaves for camp on Monday.

The king will have the house to himself for several days. He just doesn't appreciate the wonderfulness of that the way that I do. I would take time off from work and bask in my aloneness if I were him. He'll go to work, come home and work around the yard, and then call me because he's lonely.

Just one of the many differences between us and yet, somehow, we make it work!

Viva la vacation!

Welcome Home!

Welcome Home Matthew!

Cool Butte Facts

For any of you who have been to Butte or through Butte, you can relate to a lot of this, and it is pretty much factual.

Butte, Montana- Home of the world's largest body of contaminated water;
the world's largest superfund site;
A 90 foot lighted statue of the Virgin Mary atop the Continental Divide;
A brothel that closed in 1991;
It's Pasty not pastry;
How's she go?" is proper English;
Learned how to make beer in sophomore Montana history class;
St. Patrick's Day is the biggest holiday of the year;
The bouncers at the bars are high school teachers;
When the M&M closed we all cried;
Driving is better in the winter because potholes are filled with snow;
a high of -10 is a little chilly;
Our sheriff failed his firearm test;
Stop signs optional;
Even our principles belong to a union;
The high schoolers hang out at a bar at lunch;
The highest concentration of radon in the valley happens to be the same place as the high school;
Hell Roarin' Gulch is THE elementary school fieldtrip;
The Columbia Gardens hold childhood memories, even if you were born after 1979;
You could see the Travona, Mountain Con and Anselmo head frames from your math class;

You clarify that Judy Martz is from Rocker;
Every July we spend a week celebrating hometown daredevil Evil Kneivel who robbed convenience stores when growing up in Butte);
Every state politician running for election is in our Fourth of July parade;
No open container law;
We're the most economically depressed city in the state ranked 50th in the nation economically yet we raise $150,000 in a week to save Our fireworks display on Big Butte;

Tap 'er Light.

Not feeling it...

Not feeling the black background. Going to try something different. Looking for a new look for the blog that doesn't cost me a lot of work!

"Pretty Sweet!"

The prince has been saving for several months to upgrade his guitar he got for his birthday last year. He debated between a new electric, an acoustic, a better amp...but in the end he went with a new electric guitar. He was very excited to go to the guitar shop yesterday. He played it for a few minutes, decided it was just right, and asked to purchase it. While the sales guy was writing out the receipt, the prince was looking at picks, and I noticed his hands were shaking. I asked if he was nervous to spend that much money, and he said, "No! I'm just so excited for my new guitar!" He's a good kid! His hands quit shaking as soon as we drove away from the guitar place!

OOPS!

My apologies! While in the hub-bub of last week, I missed not one, but TWO cousin birthday! Please forgive me. And happy belated birthday Amanda and Jackie!

Final FINAL Final Birthday Party

At some point I've just got to say, "Enough is enough. You are done celebrating turning 14!" Friday the prince invited 5 friends to spend the night, enjoy unlimited tacos, nachos and ice cream sundaes, watch movies, and play the Wii. It's a good thing 2 of the friends couldn't make it to the party or the nachos and ice cream would not have been unlimited. We would have run out!

Here is the prince with 2 other soon-to-be 9th graders and 1 soon-to-be 8th grader enjoying their sundaes. I said, "Show me the sundaes and smile nicely." Apparently the soon-to-be 8th grader knew what I meant. I'm sending the other 3 back to school!

Summer School for Men

With the start of summer and summer camps, I thought I might sign the king up for a few of these "self-help" classes!

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1 How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Power Point Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures
and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginningat 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other. Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health. Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks? Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife. Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM , location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

SUMMER

I guess summer starts tomorrow...as it's the first week of no school. But I'm not "feeling" it, what with the cool weather and all.

Bad A**

Yep, I'm one bad mother! Bad to the bone. Check out my cool airbrush tattoo I got last night at the grad party. I was first in line for this beauty! I think it's representative of my inner self though I had several other people say I needed some pink ribbon around it. Good thing I had my handy-dandy whistle as back-up in case I had to take down an 8th grader! Lucky for them...I didn't! I'm pretty sure that would have merited another tattoo.

Last Day of School

What could be better on the last day of school than lunch outside with your peeps? The princess and her crew seemed to be enjoying it. :)

Graduation

Phew...the prince made it through middle school with flying colors. Was there ever any doubt? We're very proud of him.

Before the ceremony--showing off the red Converse

that match his red tie.

Look for the red tie!
The choir sang "Do I Make You Proud?"
Good luck not crying during that!

Marching out afterward--that's his "diploma" in his pocket.

Nice that it could match his tie.

Really it's all about the red tie and red Converse.

With his friend, Theo, after the ceremony.

Theo was sporting a tux.

I took that hat from him before the ceremony

--didn't really think it was necessary, though the boys do think it's quite cool

as it says "Pink Floyd" on it.

How very retro of them.

I guess we'll do it all over again for the prince in 4 years, but never fear, the princess will get this same opportunity in 3 years. Never a dull moment...

Awards for the Princess

The princess made a haul in the awards department: Top 4 in math points, 100% on the States/Capitals in Social Studies, but most importantly, the Presidential award for academic excellence--signed by President Obama. She's awesome!

She also had her dance awards last night and scored a 2nd year dance pin and a leadership ribbon.

I must also brag that Mary Beth and I were awarded "Dance Mom" pins because we...what was it??? Help out sometimes?? Or was it get in the way most of the time?? I'm not really sure as I wasn't there to accept my award. The princess accepted on my behalf. Too bad school's out for the year. I would have loved to show that off! Something to look forward to, I guess!

Getting her math award from the math teacher.

It came with a Sudoku book

AND a Twix candy bar that she wasn't sharing!

Getting the Social Studies award.

Not being nearly reverent enough about her President's award,

but look at the principal, just egging her on!

They are both naughty!

Awards for the Prince

The prince rocked out an Honor Roll award today at the awards assembly. We're very proud of this, but what the paper doesn't show is that his school breaks honor roll down into high and low (they call it red and white) honor roll, and the prince was in the high group all through middle school. This quarter he was one B away from straight A's. When the king got home from work today, he said to the prince, "Only 4 more years of school." The prince quickly corrected him saying, "No, I have 8 years of school left." I am one proud mama!!!

Being handed his award by the science teacher.

Smiling for the proud mother!

A New Sunscreen

The prince got a royal frying at the track meet last week, blisters on his shoulders and everything. Lack of sunscreen and lack of parental fortitude are to blame.

Not to be outdone, my nephew spent most of one day last week in the swimming pool after competing in a biatholon his school puts on. (He's 13. They run a couple of miles, swim some laps, then get to spend the day in the pool.) He fried his face, back, chest, arms... No sunscreen.

But there was one place that didn't burn.

The part of his arm where they wrote his race number in permanent marker didn't burn. In fact, it took days for the marker to wear off, and when it did, his skin was white underneath, so he's still wearing those numbers--at least until he evens out his tan!

I'm now trying to weigh the cost benefits vs. the being painted black aspects before deciding what to do next time my kids are out in the sun for an extended period of time. I'm leaning toward just demanding they use sunscreen. After all, I am still the parent! Aren't I?

Bring it On!

Today will be quiet.

Tomorrow the prince has his awards assembly.

THURSDAY: The prince graduates at 10:00.
We take him out to lunch.
The princess has her awards assembly at 12:00.
School is out for the summer at 1:15!
We start setting up for the graduation party at 2:00.
The princess has her dance awards potluck at 5:30.
Grad party starts at 6:00, and the king and I will both be at that.

How, you ask, will we also be at the dance awards with the princess?

Answer: SUPER GRANDMA to the rescue! Thank goodness for her!