End of an Era

 Things are changing, and they'll never be the same again. Is that dramatic enough for ya?  But it's true.  I had a lovely emotional rollercoaster this week.  It ended with our beta fish, "Fishy" finally going belly up (10 points for creativity on that name, right?)  Well, I mean, finally going belly up and MEANING IT.  After Christmas, we came back and discovered that our fish had had a stroke.  Or some other fishy-health crisis that resulted in him laying sideways in his bowl.  Everyone who came over would say, "Oh no!  Your fish died!"  You know, cause the fish would be floating sideways at the top of the bowl.  But then I'd assure them, "No, it's cool!  He didn't!" shake the bowl and FREAK THEM OUT.  (Both our guests and the fish).  The fish would do this crazy sideways flop/swim and our guests would say, "OMG, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR FISH!" 

But then one day he didn't do his flop/swim.  And we knew he was gone.

The girls celebrated his life by organizing a playdate around the funeral, making a tombstone out of sculpey clay and burying him beneath the rose bushes in the back yard.  They made up a schedule (that included "play games!!!" in the lineup), and drew a little program.  It had a picture of a fish with big X eyes.  Subtle.


But don't think when I say "emotional roller coaster" that I'm counting the death of our fish.  Mostly, I was upset because we said goodbye to Ella's charter school!  Her last day was Wednesday.  Gretchen and I walked her across the park and into class, where we realized that Ella hadn't given me the permission slip to watch "Flushed Away".  So we went inside for the LAST TIME and signed off on that.  And I figured while I was there, I might as well get it over with and turn in our resignation.  And I CRIED.  I'm sure the super kind front office lady thinks I'm a huge nerd, though she did get a little teary too.  Only because she's so nice and kind and didn't want me to be a nerd all by myself. 

As we walked back though the park to our car, Gretchen noticed that I was still upset, and she said, "Mom, it's ok!  Take big breaths, in and out!"  I explained that I was just feeling sad saying goodbye to all our school friends, and she said, "When you feel that sadness coming up, just swallow it back down!  Big breaths and swallow it down!"  WHERE DID SHE LEARN THIS!?!?!!?  She tried to make me laugh and said, "Did you think that was funny?  Are you happy now?"  OH MY SWEET GIRL, she just made me cry more.  So really, it's all her fault that I was walking through the park crying.  But at least Sammy, the local pan-handler didn't come up to ask me for money.  So that's good.

Before we said goodbye to the fish, before we said goodbye to the school, before we avoided eye contact with Sammy the pan-handler one last time, I joined the fourth grade for their LAST FIELD TRIP!!!!  We went to Virginia City STEP BACK IN TIME and got the most excellent tour of the cemetery I've ever had the privilege to attend.

When I got to school Monday morning, Mrs. P said, "Oh Apryl, I have a project for you!"  Immediately I thought, "Oh no, who am I driving, and will I still be smiling in the next 5 minutes?"  But the "project" was just our sweet, lovely girl scout friend with a broken foot!  The crutches and the wheelchair weren't going to work, so we got a WALKER!  We were super cool and got to go first and park closest at everything.  See?

 Ella didn't want me to be left out, so she took my picture too.

 Here the kids are learning about how much it sucked to live 150 years ago!  (It did)

 And how much it sucked to grind ore out of rocks at the gold mine! (It did)

 But ditching the rest of the class and getting pizza is TOTALLY worth it.  (totally)

 And eating candy on train rides is AWESOME.

 See?

 No, really, SEE?!?!?!

To help us get over our sadness, we left the school and met our friends at the Peppermill.  My friend Jaime is pretty much the best and organized it all.  We had an excellent time.  But really, how could you not?

Only problem is, no pool will EVER be as fun as that pool.  Especially when it's filled with 20 friends from school on the first afternoon of SUMMER VACATION.  So hopefully the girls will get used to a more sedate (and cheaper) life at home. 

This week is Gretchen's last week of school.  Which means kindergarten graduation.  Which means I'll be crying again soon.  Which means that Gretchen will be giving me more tips on how to shove all that emotion down into a dark place in your soul until you can't handle it any more and explode (I'm guessing we need to have more talks on healthy emotional outlets... ;)

Seriously

I GOT IT!!!  You guys, I got a picture of Gretchen mid-whine!  Now you guys can experience it just like I do!  Just imagine that she's saying in a very distressed tone, "But momma, I don't know what to dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo."  (Gretchen is often besieged with doubts about what to spend her precious time on.  She's constantly asking what she should do.  No seriously, ALL.  THE.  TIME.  I'm not sure why she keeps asking me, especially since I NEVER give her the answer she wants* but she perseveres.  She is very persistent.  That's a good quality, right?  RIGHT?)

*WHAT GRETCHEN MAY WANT: That we spend the next three hours making watermelon sugar cookies that she saw online, or order more "Poppin' Cookin'" sets from Japan, or to just run to Michael's REALLY FAST to get more modge podge and some googly eyes.  And on.  And on.  And on.

Luckily we try to stay busy, which is good and bad.  There isn't much time to be bored.  But then there's also no time to be bored.  And being bored is one of the best things for fueling imagination!  So our goal this summer is to spend more time being bored.  But not whining. 

We'll see how that goes.

Monday was a holiday so we had a sneak peek of summer.  Last minute we joined our friends for a beautiful hike in the Tahoe Meadows.  How long is that hike?  1.25 miles.  How long did it take us?  TWO HOURS.  What kind of pace is that?  Pathetic.  But that's what hiking with kids is.  Pathetic.  At least if you're trying to get a good time.  But if you're just out for adventure?  It's WONDERFUL.  And there's good snacks.

Look, real live tree-huggers!

Gretchen wasn't sure we captured "tree hugging" in the scene above, so she asked me to take a picture of this pose.  It looks like they're going to the Homecoming Dance.

Pretty sure you're not supposed to pick the flowers....

....or disturb the wildlife.

But OMG SO CUTE!

"Aren't hikes awesome?"

"Toooootaly!"

"AWESOME!!!!"

And so is this kid.  Who runs from my camera!!!  Why you run, Ella?  Why you no let me take pictures? 

Gretchen had a Pajama Party on Friday at kindergarten.  Look at how fun their teacher is!  They borrowed Alfie, the third grade's pet rabbit, and snuggled in for some flashlight book reading (GG is right next to Alfie's cage in the white pjs on the right). 

My sweet girl thought that someone had taken a bite of her cookie already.  Um, no.  IT'S BOOK SHAPED.  Also, AREN'T THESE AMAZING?!?!  My friend made them.  Just in case you missed it, she's amazing.

It's been a full-on-party weekend here.  After the PJ party at school, we visited our friend's house to hold their new baby chicks!  Look at that face!  (She thought they were kissing.  They weren't.)  Then after the party, we went to Costco.  Which is almost always a good time.  (Except for when I get cart road-rage around the samples.  MOVE YOUR D@*M CART!!!  JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE HANDING OUT ORANGE CHICKEN DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN BLOCK THE WHOLE AISLE!!!   I have some feelings about this.)

Friday night was BINGO night at Ella's school.  It was a bittersweet party, the last school event we'll attend there.  Sniff!  Ella said that it was boring.  But I had fun.  And they raised $900 with minimal volunteer hours.  So totally worth it!  Then yesterday we hosted a baby shower for our dear friend.  Once it was all set up I was happy and enjoyed opening our home to some lovely ladies.  But before I ran around like a mad-woman cleaning and cutting fruit and wrapping asparagus in filo dough (they were a big hit, highly recommend).  Then we had a BBQ at our friends.  And then I went home and collapsed.

This is Ella's last week at her school.  Tomorrow we're going to Virginia City to STEP BACK IN TIME and learn about how Mark Twain lived there for, like, two weeks back in 18-blah-blah-blah, but clearly that was significant enough to name about 30 roads in Northern Nevada after him. 

But anyways, look at me!  Who updated the blog two weeks in a row! 

But now I gotta go.  Gretchen and I have to finish those watermelon cookies.

Because yes, yes I am a sucker.  (Only 3 more hours & they'll be done!)

Spring Fun!

 We've had a mah-velous time lately.  Everything is winding down to summer, including Girl Scouts.  The troop got an AWESOME fire station tour.  Above is my favorite shot, everyone is so happy!  The fireman was showing them what people look like through the lens of a camera with a heat-sensitive lens.  (Apparently it's hilarious).

 Gretchen in her tie-dye hippie outfit (it was tie-day day at Ella's school, and even though Gretchen doesn't go to the same school, she was DEFINITELY getting in on that action!

 And Ella bein' all cute an puttin' out fires and stuff.

 That helmet is REALLY heavy.

 See?  I know.

 And since we tried on the fireman uniforms, the firemen decided to try on a girl scout uniform.  Awwww!  I'd maybe buy cookies from him.  He looks legit, right?

 And here are some random pictures of the girl from last Sunday after church.  The girls got new church dresses (Except Ella changed into her pajamas within 30 seconds of arriving home.  Because she's my child and knows that comfy clothes = happy day.).  And happy, happy news, Colby finished putting in the sprinkler system in the backyard!  Hooray for Colby!!!!  So soon our lovely trees will be shading some lovely grass!!!  Hooray!!!!!!!!

 I titled this image "SISTERS".  Just bout sums it up, right?

 Super Dramatic Swing Ride!

 Ella learned how to send a telegraph message at the State Capitol with the fourth grade.  She wasn't overly impressed.

 Gretchen found a "little baby baby caterpillar!!!" and made me take a picture before letting it go.  She wanted to bring it home for her bug-catcher.  Also known as the bug-graveyard.  So so sorry bugs.  If we catch you, you will die.  Put your affairs in order.  The end is near.

 I was the Art Mom in Gretchen's class this year.  (Me and about 5 other volunteers, without which it would have been literally impossible!!!  Because kindergarten art is HARD!!!)  We had the Roaming Art BBQ at her school last week.  Parents came to school with picnic lunches, and then walked around the school to see all the art.  We had six projects on display.  (Including the awesome clay fish (above), which the kids made for Father's Day.)  Don't you love those "Mountain Lion" charcoal drawings (on the toned brown paper above the clay fish).  And the "Van Gogh Sunflowers"???  Kindergarten art may be hard, but it's also SO CUTE.

 GG & her BFF PaiPai being all emo in front of the art wall (not her real name.  But the name by which she shall be known for all time forever in our house.)

 I had to bribe GG with an ice cream cone to get her to take this picture in front of the roses.  This is one of the vintage dresses that Grandma Diana/Auntie Adrianne sent from our childhood.  Awww!  Gretchen wants so badly to sleep in the under-dress like an old-timey pioneer child.  And I shoot her down every single time.  Sorry honey, that's what happens when you have the meanest mom ever!

And, lastly, here's a sweet pic of me & Ella at our little friend's "Candy Land" themed birthday party yesterday.  In the words of our little friend's mom, "I'm NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN!"  It was very very very cute.  And she is now very very very tired.  I should tell her to give up now and start doing birthdays at Chuckee Cheese's.  Where people who've totally given up throw their children's birthday parties.  That should be their slogan.

Ella has 1.5 more weeks of school, Gretchen has 2.5.  AND THEN IT'S SUMMER!!!!  This is wonderful and horrible at the same time.  I'm really looking forward to going to Lake Tahoe with our besties, but I'm dreading how many times I'm going to hear "I'm so bored, why can't I just watch a show?" (repeated ad-nauseum until I give up in a fit of wondeful parenting and yell, "FINE!!!  JUST GO!!!!!"  You know, cause I'm awesome like that.) 

I have a few ideas to keep us mentally healthy and emotionally un-scarred.  Gretchen is going to build herself a dollhouse.  In fact, she's building THIS dollhouse.  And Ella is going to work on her comic book, "Candy Duck".  Which is about the exticential crisis of a white house aide in a time of political upheaval.  Just kidding.  It's about a duck that likes candy.  Also, I'm going to have "screen free" hours til 1pm every day, and "not allowed to ask mom for ANYTHING" from 8:30 - 11:30 every day so I can attempt to get my work done. 

Can you tell I'm a little stressed about summer?  Ha!  But then comes fall, and everything is going to be AMAZING.  Yup.  For the first time in 9 years I'll have SIX UNINTERRUPTED HOURS A DAY TO WORK.  This is tantamount to a miracle.  And I'm not exaggerating.  I've already mapped out a new marketing plan and everything.  Hooray for not working til 10pm every night!!!!

Ok, now I'm going to go enjoy my sabbath with the girls.  Which means, of course, that we're going to eat snacks and watch stupid movies for hours and hours.  Woo hoo!

xoxo

Love Was In The Air

 We are honored to announce that Ella has been officially inducted into the Elementary School Honors Society.  This is a very big deal because we have a certificate AND a pin now.  And because her boots look cute in that picture.

 Here's the ONE PICTURE I got of Gretchen at the dance.  She looks pensive.  She's worried that Mr. Darcy won't notice her new muslin gown.  (Silly Gretchen, the ton does NOT approve of wearing muslin to an evening dance.  She should be so embarrassed!)

 Of course Ella and friends thought it'd be hilarious to hide out in Mr. S's room for half the night.  Though they did leave to run through the dance floor giggling the requisite 1,000 times.  And, they even did stop to ACTUALLY DANCE for a few minutes.

 Gretchen's poor teacher had an unexpected emergency, so her even MORE POOR SUBSTITUTE got to deal with this for Valentines Day!  The kids were extremely excited about all aspects of the day.

I was extremely excited that Gretchen got a very special invitation from her friend D to a Valentines Lunch Party directly after school. 

 Mr. D. had been saving this little mini-light-up-pillow-pet for Gretchen since he saw it a month ago.  Boy, does he know the way to my little girl's heart.  Did you read that?  MINI.  LIGHT-UP.  PILLOW PET.  She was beyond thrilled.  He got a matching puppy (see below).  And if you've spent any time with my darling girl over the last year, you will recognize the following phrase, "That'd be PERFECT for my American Girl Doll!"  And it is.   

 We won't let that 6" height disparity come between their love.

 Because look at those faces.  I just want to SMOOSH THEM!

I told his mom that I wasn't sure if I should file this under "Senior Yearbook" or "Wedding Reception Slideshow".

Last week Ella turned in her Science Fair project.  I didn't even have to threaten much violence to get it finished this year!  Hooray!!!  (Though we could do a study on whether the Science Fair makes parents hate their lives.  My Preliminary Hypothesis:  YES!  Oh My $*#@ YES!!!)

Yesterday we had a baby shower and three birthday parties (we only made it to two of the birthdays, but the first one was a double party for TWO boys, so I think it should count as more).  And then Colby and I went out to celebrate 14 years of wedded bliss.  Auntie Krista was kind enough to watch Gretchen while Colby and I went out.  They had so much fun!  (Ella was at her 2nd birthday party at the time).  But the busy Saturday kicked our butts so hard that we slept in.  BY A LOT.  We got to church an hour late.  And then I missed Sunday School (I decided to talk to my friend instead and called it a Mental Health Break.  It was awesome.)  And you know what?  One hour church is so pleasant!  I had a great time!  It just goes to show, sometimes you should be irresponsible.  Just enjoy life.  I carried that theme on through the afternoon. I sure had a great nap in the hammock!  And don't worry pinterest, I'm all caught up!  (Good thing too, cause this week is set to kick my butt again.  Sigh....)  So how was your week?