Will this work?

I have a very good reason for not blogging. We are using a less expensive internet service and I cannot do anything with it. Most of the time I can't even use the internet. Weird, I know. Let's see if this will even post. Here goes frustration!

Edit #1--Holy internet batman! I can't believe that worked. Now let's see if we can upload a photo.

Edit #2--well maybe it was too much to ask for. Let's give it just one more try, shall we?

Edit #3--indeed, adding a picture was too much to ask for. We will keep trying.

Awards, awards, awards...

Ethan graduated from elementary school and is off to middle school. John is off junior high. And they all got awards. Ethan got AB honor roll and a certificate for being a Friendly Helper (he helped out in the first grade classes). John got an award for maintaining a B average in history...which is HUGE. In Virginia's goofy grading system, a B is 87-94. Crazy, right? And John has always said how much he hates history and how unnecessary it is to study because it all happened in the past. John also got 3 awards for Most Improved Student in Science, History, and English. Emily Gayle made the AB honor roll. And now summer is here. What will we do with ourselves?? Swim, go to the beach, laundry, yard work, work, work, work.....just kidding. We will try to maximize the fun times and minimize the chores.

Doritos

Sometimes you just gotta have some! And I have been craving them for two days now. I really try not to eat chips at all. I don't even like to have them in the house. I have NO willpower. Once the bag is open, they are gone. So, I finally caved today...well..and last night too....and had some. Craving satisfied. And noone will be invading my personal space. I smell too bad. Now I am craving something sweet. Go figure! I will be 300 pounds by the time I leave work.

Who doesn't love Willie Nelson

Me. But John does. He got tickets for us to see the Willie Nelson concert last night in Richmond. And this is what we looked like on our way to the concert. And I just realized, I forgot to draw myself some arms. Funny. Maybe I lost them in my battle trying not to go the concert. We did have fun. It was so hot during the day, but it cooled off and it was very comfortable. We really had a good time. Not too hot. Not too cold. Relaxing outside in lawn chairs listening to "good" music. (It's all relative.) Enjoying each other. No kids. Just us. Good times! Good memories!

Up was a real

d

  o

    w

      n

        e

          r!

Oh.....my.........word!  If you have any fear of heights, it is not the movie for you.  Which, I guess, I should have determined by the name of the movie, but, I swear, it never occurred to me.  In almost every scene of the movie, the characters were just about to fall off of or out of something very high.  It kept me upset through almost the entire movie.  It did have some good parts.  The dog is cute.  "I do not like the cone of shame."  But the old man's wife dies, the little boy doesn't get to spend time with his dad.  It was very sad.  Emily cried in the very few scenes of the movie.  But, it was the first time in a very long time that I have been disappointed in a movie after spending nearly 50 bucks to get in.  See, there was something positive...sort of.  Alright, now I am going to go try to finish painting some trim in the piano room that I started a long time ago and have not finished.  

Friday night at the movies

I am taking Ethan, Emily, and one of Ethan's friends to the movies tonight. We are going to see Up. It looks really cute. Popcorn and soda for dinner; it'll be great. John and John are on their way home from West Virginia; doesn't sound like they had a great time, but they took good care of John's mom. Did I say this already? She had eye surgery on Thursday. She is doing well. Doesn't get to drive for a while. They did get to have cake to celebrate the May birthdays. John's is May 19 and his mom's is May 25. We will be anxious to have our Johns home, but if they think we did any chores while they were gone......we did the minimum standards for household cleaning, but mostly we just had fun. Watching Scooby Doo, going on walks and bike rides. Emily gave me a notebook and she wants to me to write letters to her in it "everyday". She wants to be like a journal from me to her. I am going to try so hard to be a good mom and write something to her once a week. Only 10 more days of school. Holy Cow!!! I cannot wait. Really, guys.....I cannot wait.

Tidbits

Pictures--John enjoying a milk shake that splashed him. Emily and mom experimenting with homemade facials. I would not recommend this. Way too messy! And.....the true identity of Hannah Montana revealed.

I have been to the Ikea store in DC. Oh my.....love that store. Yes. I could spend all day there. And you could. They have a cafeteria. Although, the food did not smell all that enticing. But, the store is fun.

Football camp is over for Ethan and John and now John is in spring training for fall football. Everyday after school from 3:30 to 5:30 for two weeks. We are anxiously awaiting the end of school. Ethan and Emily still have a couple of SOL tests this week. Ethan has one soccer game left, it will be on Saturday.

John and John are leaving tomorrow evening to go to West Virginia. Carol is having surgery Thursday morning on one of her eyes. So, they are going to take care of her. They will be back on Saturday sometime.

We had a beautiful evening. We went for a family bike ride. John and the boys played football in the yard on what little grass we have. After that we sat on the porch and just talked. It was so much fun. Ethan told us about a governor of Virginia from the 1920s. How does he remember all that stuff. Emily amazed us with ability to talk continuously. And John surprized us with some very grown up views on the world. We talked about politics and choices and consequences. It was fantastic.