We're back! I'm thrilled to report that I do like the beach! (I wasn't sure, it'd been so long since I'd been there) We're already planning on going back next year. I'm getting ready to head to bed, tomorrow we'll unpack, and I'll have more time to talk about the trip, but for now, I leave you a summary of the trip - in pictures. More pictures coming to Flickr.
Yes, that would be our car on the roll back. Story coming soon.
We heard from the West Coast kid again. Things are bad, but we're doing our best to cheer her up. We'll keep hoping that something good happens to the kid.
We are off to the beach for our first vacation since our honeymoon. Enjoy the week and think of me, hating to sweat, sitting on the beach. Heh. No lawn mowing this week!
It's not my fault I haven't been here. Really!
The day I finished up at school we headed to Ohio. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! 
I needed out of this town. We got back Sunday after a super quick stop in West Virginia and Friday we leave for the beach.
Needless to say summer is flying by and I've only been back to school once, for about 10 minutes to drop off books. I think I'm sticking to my guns fairly well, don't you?
We're also worrying about our girls. One is having a hard time being back at home on the West Coast.
The other is still undecided about college (due to circumstances beyond her control). It's sad and frustrating. This is kid is smart, determined, and will go places in life - if she digs in her heels and fights.
I'll just continue to hope and pray for their safety and hope that they know they can call us when and if they need us.
I promise to post more when we get back from the beach.
Anyone know where I can buy good phone cards that are relatively cheap?
**Pictures courtesy of our trip.**
I'm done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Well, I have 2 work days left, but that's just packing up my room. HELLO SUMMER. Hello freedom. Hello Ohio! Hello beach!
I don't miss my kids, yet. I'm sure I will soon, but for right now, after the month or so I've had... Hasta la vista, mis bebés!!
Also, one of my kids brought me flowers. They're beautiful and I'm enjoying them quite a bit.
Gorgeous!
Just got this picture from the teenagers who are enjoying a few days at the beach.
Totally made my day.
Three days to go!
I'm hot. We're hot. It's hot.
The boys will probably be hanging out in our bedroom today while LMK and I go to school to try and get my room closed out for summer.
Field Day is scheduled for tomorrow. The heat index is supposed to be 100-115, WHY ARE WE GOING!?
Lord, give me the strength to make it through tomorrow.
- All my teenagers are gone. I'm heartbroken. Shockingly, it wasn't the girls (our daughters, as they call themselves) that upset me the most. I'm still upset about them, but I'll see them again. I have no doubts. No, the one that upset me most is the boy (the girls call him their brother). His future is so unclear and I doubt we'll see him again. I'm sure he'll be successful in whatever he does, I just wish he would be successful closer to home. I made it through graduation without crying though, however it was a close call when he gave me my hugs (all three of them) goodbye.
- I've told LMK, I can't do boarding school. I can't get this close to these kids and have them just vanish. I don't know how I'll do it with my own kids. I've only known these kids 18 months and my heart is broken. What am I going to do with kids I've known 18 YEARS!?
- Socks misses the girls. Whenever we come upstairs, he sits outside "their room" and waits for them to open the door and let him in. He's so pathetic. So needy. Sometimes, we sit together.
- In school news, I've got 3 weeks of work left and a week to get it done in. Can you say screwed? I can!
- Field Day is Monday. The forecasted heat index for that day is between 100◦ -115◦. Field Day is at a park with no shade. WHY are we still going? Why? Did I mention several of the medications I take say, in HUGE letters, "Avoid direct sunlight while taking this medication."
- I'm slowly getting the hang of Facebook. I found the best graphic this afternoon. I must share it with my teammates. Happy weekend everyone! One week to go!
As graduation looms tomorrow and I begin getting sappy, I figured it would be a good week for reflection.
While I'm not 100% happy in my job, our house, or LMK's job - I am happy about the people we've met since moving. In case you're wondering, yes, there are great people still out in there in the world. I've met some of them.
The last ones are for Misty. It's here meme after all. :o)
The teenager has arrived. LMK survived his first trip to Dulles. It was touch and go there for a while.
I'm all kinds of happy. Dang, I've missed this kid.
They're coming today to finish fixing the ceiling.
So...in the ever continuing plumbing saga that is this house, I've got a new one.
The upstairs bathroom sink has been draining slower and slower and slower. Since Thanksgiving. We've asked maintenance about it, but nothing has come of it. They're not concerned. Not even when we mentioned the leak in the ceiling. Sure they came and checked it, but they couldn't figure it out and they never came back. Fine.
Company arrives Wednesday and damnit, I want it fixed. So last week I sent LMK over to see about getting our sink fixed. They came the next day, worked their magic and viola, working sink! Hooray!
But then... (you knew there had to be a but, right?)
The bathtub wouldn't drain. And the ceiling leak, well it got worse. Well, hell. Every bucket and pot in the house, worse. So LMK called maintenance again. Thursday they came at the end of the day, let Socks out, and left. Lmk was NOT amused.
They finally made it over on Friday to really investigate. When I arrived home Friday after my interview, I was greeted with this:
That would be a GINORMOUS hole in the ceiling. What's the huge trash can for, you ask? Oh, that's where the bathtub drains!!! LMK was kind enough to run upstairs and demonstrate it for me. Good times.
They're coming tomorrow to tear out the ceiling and see where the problem is. GREAT! Company arrives Wednesday. We are so screwed.
Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com
Never a dull moment around here people. Never. A. Dull. Moment.
Oh, but I did find a new purse. I lurve it.
It ought to keep me calm for a day or two.
I have this thing for strays. Animals and kids. Neither can fend for themselves. Neither asked to be born. Both need someone to love and take care of them.
When we lived in Ohio, we adopted the barn cats.
Now that we live in Virginia, we've adopted the neighborhood cats. 
Then there are the kids...two of which graduate in a week. It hasn't hit me yet. It's coming. Tomorrow I'll share the saga of the waterfall in the dining room.
In honor of my interview this Friday for a technology job (fingers crossed people, I REALLY want this job), today's Camera Critters is all about technology.
Ollie loves technology. He usually sits next to me while I'm on the computer. Today he is sitting on my scanner. Good thing I don't have anything I want to scan!Finally, here's a video that I used technology to make. Have I mentioned I love this technology stuff?
One for Misty...that I need to remake to include Maggie.
Yet another...
P.S. The teenagers arrive in 6 hours. Eek.
Yeah...if I'm around even less than usual there is a reason! There are several!
- State tests begin in 9 days.
- I'm in charge of the after-school remediation.
- New teachers were not to have any duties or be members of any committees. HA.
- Team leader is out sick. His kids are W-I-L-D.
- All of the kids are W-I-L-D.
- No one else is helping and I have no idea what I "should" be doing so I am doing what I think is right.
- Graduation for LMK's school is in two weeks (sniffle).
- I'm taking the V.R.A. this weekend. Should really study for that.
- Team cookout (for both teams...50+ people) is Sunday. Should really start buying stuff for that and cleaning the house to prepare.
- Younger "daughter" arrives three days before graduation and is staying with us for several days. Should really clean the spare bedroom.
- Older "daughter" graduates in two weeks (sob) and is staying with us for a day or so. See #7.
- Older "daughter" is nosing around looking for my blog. Therefore, won't post her graduation gift her, just in case she should find this blog. Mwahahaha. Really hope it arrives before graduation. It's really good - and it was all LMK's idea.
- Did I mention state tests are that week, too?
- June schedule at work is INSANE. Still don't get out until the 3rd week of June. Still PISSED, but handling it well (don't ask LMK, he might not agree).
- Parents arrive the day I get out for the summer (YAHOO!).
Any and all encouragement will be accepted and cherished. :o)
We don't like exercise at our house, just ask Socks.
Socks prefers to gaze disdainfully while others exercise. Ollie likes to lay down next to LMK when he does sit ups on the floor. Ollie likes lending that moral support. Hokie? Well, Hokie's one of those super skinny kitties that can eat anything and not gain weight. Secretly, I think Socks resents him.
Just a bit. Even though he knows it's not Hokie's fault.The following clip is what inspired this week's Camera Critter theme. We laughed out loud while watching.
It has not slipped my mind that I have not included Hokie in my camera critters thus far.
He's our oldest cat. LMK calls him "The Old Man". He wants loved on his own terms. However, when he decides he needs love, look out because there will be no denying him. His favorite sleeping spot in UNDER the covers on our bed. Each day I have to remind myself that I didn't make the bed wrong, Hokie is the lump under the covers. 
He's crawled up there himself and curled up to nap.He's our first cat and has dealt pretty well with us bringing in Ollie and Socks. In fact, he and Socks love to wrestle and play. It's a typical big brother/little brother relationship.
Hokie is the cool one and Socks is constantly following him around trying to be like him.I think they're best kitty friends.
In a word, the field trip was awesome.
My favorite part of the whole trip, listening to my city kids "talk" to the sheep. There was a whole lot of baa-ing going on. They named them all and everything. I also enjoyed one lamb escaping, coming eye to eye with a group of my kiddos, and deciding that a life in a pen was better than the outside world with these yahoos.
Meet Lucy, a.k.a. Lucy Belle, a.k.a. Sea-Belle, a.k.a. Lulu the Wonder Bagel, a.k.a. Puppercini, well, you get the point.
Lucy is our 4 year old beagle. We got her from LMK's uncle when his dog had puppies. Before we got her, Lucy's name was Killer because when she'd play with her brothers and sister she'd go right for the jugular.
That's my girl.Lucy currently lives in Ohio with my parents. That's right, when we moved to Virginia, Lucy didn't come. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I love my Lulu. I miss her like crazy. However, it meant moving a country dog to the city in a small backyard where should she escape (and she does on a regular basis) it's a very real fear she'll be hit by a car or hurt.
So she stayed in Ohio in the puppy palace (a.k.a. my parents 3 car garage of which she occupies 2 of the 3 bays). She gets regular truck rides and frequent house visits. She's quite the little princess.
She and my dad have become best friends. My brother and I have decided it's ok to have been replaced by a crazy beagle. They're both happy as clams. I can never thank my parents enough for taking care of her.
Having dinner tonight with our "daughter" it hit me, I've only got another month with this kid around every day. Boy am I going to miss it. It's not just her though. There's so many. I can think of three off the top of my head that will absolutely break my heart to watch graduate. She's the biggie because she adopted us a few months after we moved here. I've never told her, but I think I needed her as much as she needed us. I know what it's like to be far from home and needing a mom from time to time. Nevermind, I'm only 10 years older than her. I'm still young and hip. Plus, it's easy to be "Mom" when none of the hard decisions are your's to make.
Every time I hear this song, it makes me think of her.
The other one that is going to break my heart is the one we offered our spare bedroom to for Spring Break. Monday it poured rain all day. He was out in it. When I came to pick up LMK after practice I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. All of a sudden I'm enveloped in a wet, soggy, clammy, cold hug. I squealed and "ew'd" appropriately and I'll never tell him, but it made my day.
This song reminds me of him:
It just so happened I heard both these songs tonight. Right after each other.
"And you should really thank Mrs. Brinkman
She spent so much extra time
It's like she sees the diamond underneath
And she's polishin' you 'til you shine"
My little diamonds. I'm gonna miss these kids.
Today I present my Cat in-laws. They're not as naughty as they look. In fact, they're worse. The naughtier the better I say. Right, Socks?
Jitterbug is in your face naughty. He looks right at you and misbehaves.Tango is stealthy. She's wait until your back is turned, swipe your pop top, hop up on the table naughty.
They love to play with the cat toys. LMK and I enjoy having our own cat Olympics when we visit. I give you the vault competition.
Next week, Lulu the Wonder Bagel.