I didn't forget! Here I am!

Hey folks! I know, it's been entirely too long since I wrote last, but I just got busy living instead of documenting everything. Since a few weeks have passed, and I have oodles of things to update on, I'm trying to think of the easiest way to do it without writing a mile-long blog.

[scratching head]

Maybe bullet-style? How about bullet-style, with bullets that are smiley-faces? Sure, I'll use that. Here we go!

☺ Zach finished kindergarten! GAH! He's officially a 1st grader now, which is mind boggling to me & Aaron (as well as our family & friends). I won't ask where the time goes, because I ask it all the time & I've yet to get a real response. Some photos to document this momentous occasion:

Walking out of class for the last time as a kindergartner.


Z and his good buddy, Thomas.


Z and his outstanding teacher, Mrs. Susan Fegley.


Z and Mrs. Fegley's stupendous assistant, Ms. Howard.

As most of you know, I was the room parent for Z's class this year (to indulge the control-freak in me, of course), so what kind of room parent would I be if I didn't have end-of-the-year gifts for the teachers? I made some gift boxes for each of them, with a little treasure waiting inside. Then, the big gift was the mural I photographed earlier in the year. Take a peek:

The top.

A little bling.


The right side.


The left side.


The back.


Inside.


A close-up.
"Teacher - thank you for teaching me.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Numbers 6:(something - can't remember)"


The top of Ms. Howard's.


The left side.


The right side.


The back.


Ms. Howard's gift.


The card that came with it.
"Teachers are God's way of opening
a mind & touching a heart."


The big gift for both of them.
This was a bitch to wrap - thank goodness for husband's
who learned gift-wrapping skillz at Borders.

They handed out awards on the last day - you know, to help the kids feel like they accomplished something by being there. Z received four:

The "Always On Time" award.


The "Sight-Word Superstar" award,
for always being able to read the words
on their sight-word list.


The "Angelic Behavior" award.


And recognition for doing such hard work on his ABC book.

Z is pumped and ready for 1st grade, but was a teensy bit sad about not seeing his friends over the summer. I told him we'll get together with the ones that mean the most to him, we'll just have to time it out right with everyone's vacations, trips, and summer camps. Bye-bye kindergarten! Hello first grade!

☺ WE PAID OFF OUR CRUISE!!!

I can't tell you how good this feels. It's official! 243 days till we set sail!

☺ Had a weather scare last week. First I've ever heard of tornadoes (yes, plural) in and around Round Rock. We were glued to the television to keep on top of the situation, but all the reports from the weatherman terrified my son. He was convinced we were all going to die in a tornado, and just kept telling me, "But Mommy, I don't want to die!". Um, yikes?! I did my best to calm him down, telling him tales of the three tornadoes I've been through, and how I'm living proof that you don't have to die in a tornado. It seemed to only help a little, because he was so focused on destruction & despair, nothing was going to make him feel better. Thankfully, after hearing the weatherman say it had moved on to Mason, coupled with sleeping with me that night, he got over it & started to feel better. I guess his fears were a good distraction, because it gave me no time to really freak-out at what was taking place. Hope that doesn't happen again anytime soon.

The dark, creepy sky before all hell broke loose.






Looked like a funnel cloud, in the not-too-far distance.


See the black on the radar by Round Rock?
We didn't know it could be black, we always thought the
worst was pink. Now we know ... black = funnel clouds.
Learn a new thing everyday!

☺ Finally took a trip down to Big Top Candy. This has been on my to-do list for months, so we corralled Kristi, John, & their kids and all drove down together. The wonderment on the kids faces alone made the trip worth it (not to mention all the retro goodies!).

Oh, I wanted to try one of these so badly.
BUT, the nearly $4.00/each price tag killed my craving.


Aaron wanted the chocolate-covered Twinkie,
but also resisted.

☺ Also finally took a trip to one of the last working drive-in theaters in Texas. This has been on Aaron's to-do list for ages, so we took the plunge a few weekends ago & made my hubby's dreams come true. He remembers going to this place when he was a kid, so it was nostalgia galore for my main squeeze.

Setting up camp, in a way.


The screen.


What it looks like once the movie is playing.


As you can see from the last picture, we unfortunately
saw "Land of the Lost" that night. It was an incredibly
bad film, so my attention began to wander elsewhere.
I took a lot of pictures like this before the movie was over.

We loved the experience, but hated the movie. It was such a piece of crap, please don't waste your time if you haven't seen it. The only reason we saw it was because this was one of the only weekends we could get away & go to the drive-in (it's about an hour away), and they have one screen, obviously. So, we figured "how bad could it be?", and took a gamble. Dayum. Glad we made the drive and got to hang out at the drive-in, but not so glad we sat through 90 minutes of bad jokes & seemingly unscripted banter. The biggest plus? Everything was the same as it was long ago, when Aaron was a kid - even the concession stand prices!! There wasn't anything over $1.00, and they offered all the regular movie fare ... popcorn, sodas, hot dogs, and candy. It only cost $10 per car, so if you crammed enough people in your vehicle, this could be a really inexpensive night out for families & friends. Tons of fun, just pick a GOOD movie to see. Learn from our mistake!

☺ Aaron & I got new cell phones. We finally jumped into the 21st century & got some phones that have keyboards & internet features. It's weird, not to mention unnecessary, to be checking email and Facebook on my comfortable couch or while stuck in line somewhere - but I have to admit, it's kind of fun. I can't imagine what perverse pleasure I would've gotten out of something like this if it had existed when I was a teenager, but everything happens for a reason. Even the cosmos are aware it's a good thing I didn't discover this until the age of almost-35.

☺ We've started taking family walks at night, and I love them!! Sometimes it's around our neighborhood, sometimes it's at Brushy Creek, other times it's at a park Aaron once visited during a field trip at the Y - either way, it's fabulous. We're even starting to jog as a family, which makes my heart so happy (literally). I don't usually take my camera, because it's slows us down immensely, but I took it the other night & got a few pics from our adventure:

Nothing like good old-fashioned exercise to keep everyone connected. I love any family time we have, even if I'm sweating like a stuck pig.

☺ Last, but not least, the AC work is DONE! Completely! 100%! [sigh of relief] How happy and grateful we are that there is free-flowing, cold air screaming through our vents. It's already hit 100º here a few times, with forecasts of nothing different in our near future, and it feels so nice to be prepared - for once! We now have a new, larger condensing unit, a new furnace, updated (as well as brand new) ductwork, solar screens, appropriate insulation in the attic, & all new weatherstripping. Nice! Now we get to see what it's like to live how the other half does, and I can honestly say, we like it already.

I think that catches us up to speed, kids! Hopefully, I won't be away for so long next time. Summer is just busier than I thought it was going to be, and it's only going to get worse with my job & the way that gets over the late summer months. I'll do my best ...

Things I'm grateful for today:

1. Mrs. Fegley.
2. Technology.
3. Having to use a blanket at night while I watch tv,
because I'm so chilly.

Peace & pastries, in abundance, to everyone. Until next time ...