WOW - Amber ROCKS

Amber had her first Volleyball game of the season... Since last year her team lost every game, I was hoping that she would get to feel what it is like to be on a winning team...

SHE SCORED 11 points on her own, their team won both games! She is a natural at it and now that she knows how to play she acts like she isn't even trying.... It is so cool to see her skills develop!!

Now - her team needs to come up with a name based on the color of their team tee-shirts......... the color........... BURNT ORANGE!!!

Ok so the ones that we have voted off are:

The Carrots
The Yams
The Poo Girls
The String Cheese's (yes plural)
The Mad Macaronis
The Burnt Eagles
The pumpkins

OH MY!! Suggestions are welcome!!

9 year old imagination - 4-wheeling

OK so here are a couple of pictures of Amber and I in her magical fort she built in the family room (whatta mess). But it was fun to play with her and pretend. I also added a picture of us 4-wheeling. I am excited because I figured out how to add photos!


I got out of the truck and suddenly was very short and looking at the seat in the truck!


If you look, the back tire is in the air - Cool!!

Yes, there is my priceless princess showing off her matching purple underwear in her magical fort.

This is me, haggared from playing with Amber all day and trying to read for school (in the magical fort) all day... The creative ways we mom's must find to do things like play with our kids and do our homework too!

Enjoy...

4 Wheeling Fun - He let me drive

OK so I know yet again that my husband loves me. He let my drive the princess while we were 4-wheeling, not once did he grab the wheel, slam his feet into the floorboard to activate the imaginary brake or grab the "oh crap" handle. It was a blast!!

And many of us well know - grief can sneek up on you at unexpected times (like yesterday), so can joy!! Going out and 4-wheeling in the snow was just what the doctor ordered!!

To all of you who are too far away to see the amazing sights of Colorado - these are for you!

Feeling Sad today - thought I would share the pain

I found some beautiful videos about remembering everyone who died at Columbine... Today it is cloudy and life is tough, so I am taking some time out to feel some pain and grief..... occassionally it is helpful.

I love all of you...

Tribute to Columbine High School Victims

Columbine High School Massacre

Smoking cars, cooking adventures and bad grades

I have been SOOOO busy between work, my practicum for school and working on my internship that I can't even keep track of things (I keep doing things like paying the bills twice - or not at all). I am possibly doing my internship at St. Johns Hospice. I am so excited about this - grief counseling is awesome.

Mallory had her first taste of "life sucks" when your driving today when the focus blew a hose.... Of course she calls and says that the car is on fire because she can't tell the difference between smoke and steam....... OH MY!! And she even took auto shop at school..... good grief!! The car is now fixed and she is happily on the road again.

Amber is doing ok - she has straight "F's" at school........ we are so proud - NOT!!! Her teacher this year sucks and we are working on that... Amber may get to experience 4th grade twice. She is trying hard but she is beginning to internalize the behaviors that she used to act out. Her behavior at home is good, but at school she is far from focused. The special education department is working with us, every school tells you what to do when you are being bullied, but there aren't very many resources when your child is "THE BULLY".

ADVENTURES IN COOKING:
I tied to make Chicken and dumplings, 1st you must know the difference between edible chicken and ROTTON chicken (note to self: If the chicken smells so bad you gag, cooking it won't make it edible). 2nd you MUST NOT add too much baking powder - I put in a spoon sized amount of dough for the dumpling and it blew up the size of a watermelon and then deflated. Oh my............ I really can't get this cooking thing down.


Anyway - I will keep you all posted on our new adventures.