Field Day - take two - Shelby Style!

Remember how much I said I love field day? Well, I still do...but...I must admit - I like the way our school does field day much better than my neice's.

Our field day consists of MANY volunteers manning stations that half the school rotates through. My neice's...well...they had MANY MANY stations and no volunteers manning them and the whole school had to rotate through the stations with the teachers making sure the kids knew what to do.

Our school - total time about about 2 and 1/2 hours. for each of the morning and afternoon sessions...their school's time about 5 1/2 hours. I AM FRIED! But - the highlight of the day - watching my beautiful neice have so much fun with her friends and getting wet, wet, wet.

Their school has an amazing thing called "The Dad's Club" - of which my brother-in-law, Matt, is a part of. They went around ALL DAY spraying the kids with their water guns, keeping them cool, wet and silly! It was seriously hot - about 95 degrees. There was a breeze but there was lots of pavement and standing around and oh yeah...did I already say I AM FRIED! Now I can handle sun and heat (Destin, FL, BEACH BUM - about 12 years and running for summer vacation) but for some reason - I AM DONE IN.

We have our staff company picnic on Saturday and I am already planning to find some shade and SIT!

Anyway - back to my neice...Last year I planned to go to Shelby's field day but there was a shooter on the loose. You heard me right...a shooter on the loose. I was on my way to my sister's house and a policeman stopped me. They had blocked off her neighborhood and were not letting anyone in or out. A gunman had tried to rob and kill the owner of some type of metal shop or something close to where my sister lived (and where the elementary school is). Well, I called my sister and told her what was going on and that she should stay in the house and make sure all the windows and doors were locked. Then I headed to my neice's school. Got there - and they had locked it down! About 5 minutes before I got there. I would have loved to have been locked in with my neice - not locked out. UGH! So, I headed to my parent's house - about 15 minutes away and watched the news, etc...all day...until I went to pick up my neice. A much longer story cut short - the gunman got away and the kiddos went home late that evening. (My brother-in-law is a pilot and was on the west coast that day :( )

So...I went to field day this year and loved it. But after the fact...well...I'm just pooped out. I may have to skip next year and go the following year instead. Which is cool because that will be her last year in elementary school and then - no field day...boo...

SHOUT OUT SHELBY - Love you!

Okay - so without further ado - here are some pics...ENJOY!

Shelby - getting wet & playing tug-o-war.

Once Shelby got to the end of where she had to peddle to she had to put on this hat from a bucket full of water - oh yeah - teacher standing there dousing everyone with a water hose too. And...Matt with his big ole water gun...

My brother-in-law, Matt, and his double barrel monster water gun!

Me and Shelby.

My thumb is a little green too :)

Here are some potted plants I've got growing around the yard. My sister's beautiful landscaping gave me the inspiration to try again. Yes, they are all in pots...I just can't figure out this crazy Texas soil. Periwinkles on the front porch. Hibiscus in the backyard. Hydrangeas in the "courtyard" area.
I just had to throw in this last picture of the rain gauge I bought when we went to Canton. Ron wasn't sure but I thought it was cute and original. What do you think?

Just about done...

Our little "courtyard" area between the garage and front door...I love the way it's turning out! I just have to plant some dwarf mondo grass between the corners of the pavestones and it's done!

Some time off...

Memorial Day weekend was very relaxing at our house. Just the four of us! Family time! Awesome! We slept late, played in the pool some and worked in the yard quite a bit. We didn't have to run around for baseball or anything so it was really nice. Our bodies are tired from all the yardwork but our minds are refreshed from some free time off of work and school.

The boys only have about 7 more days left of school. They are ready for summer - no doubt about it.

Ron will begin working from home hopefully by the end of the week. He still works for IBM but has transitioned to officing from home. YEAH! We are very excited that he will be home all summer with the boys.

I will be in the office everyday - except Fridays (working from home 1/2 a day). I hope to get myself up and out of the house to work early so that I can get off early and enjoy some of the afternoons with the family in the pool.

Anyway...that's where we're at right now.

Will this ever end?

My goodness...we're not done yet? We shopped for plants, pots, pavers, a trellis or two, dirt, pool supplies and we still need more pavers, dirt and mulch. Wow..I hope when spring is done all this yard work is done. I want to enjoy my summer in the pool.

(By the way...I'm almost ready to post pictures of my little "courtyard" type area Ron and I are working on in the front of the house between the porch and the garage. Below are two of the few elements I'm working with. A fountain and pavers...I still need dirt and dwarf mondo grass...then this little project will be done! As will the front of our house! Finally!!!)

Look what my sister can do...I'm trying to get there...

My sister, Diane, is an amazing gardener! Here's a few pictures of things around her beautiful yard. Enjoy!

We live in the city, right?

A rabbit similar to this one is eating the grass in our front yard. (I can't find the pictures of the real one we've seen.)

This little critter is eating the birdseed in my backyard...(he's sitting on the post next to where the birdfeeder is)

This HUGE "bird", vulture, whatever...was on the fence across the street a few months ago - eyeing one of the aforementioned dead "critters" lying in the street.

I have these lizard, gecko, anole things climing on my house off and on.

Yes, we all have frogs, but the other day I upturned some flowers from Walmart I was about to plant in a pot and this guy jumped out. Scared me!

Jeez!

Just a little more baseball

Dylan's baseball team is tied for 3rd place out of the 6 teams that are in their age bracket in the city recreational league. They won their last game on Thursday night. They would have had 3rd place to themselves but after they beat the 2nd place team earlier in the week - the 4th place team beat the 1st place team. So now we're actually tied for 3rd place.. UGH! The team had a good but challenging season. The city championship tournament starts next week. Looks like it should be a good one! Let's Play ball!

(p.s. found out a little later that on Saturday we beat the 1st place team and the other team tied for 3rd beat the 2nd place team...so we're still tied for 3rd...but the other team is seeded 3rd in the tournament instead of us because of less runs allowed or something like that ???... Dylan was at a school/band function so we weren't there :( )

Field Day - Riley style...

I love field day...the kiddos are sooooo cute. It seems to be such a release of energy for them when school is normally so structured. I love watching kids on field day so much I'm going to watch my neice's in a few weeks. Meanwhile I took some pics of Riley enjoying field day at Prairie Trail, his elementary school just yesterday. Here they are -


This is my FAVORITE! So cute...


Riley LOVED the water games!


Riley - digging in at tug-o-war.
They had this really cool 4 way rope that had "handles" on every side for each child. Way better than the 'ole rope burns.


The theme of the day was "Olympics". Here's Riley "carrying the torch" - a ball on top of a plunger. Hee...Hee...

Wrapping up baseball

Dylan's team played again Monday night and beat the 2nd place team in our league. We were in 4th place and moved into a tie for 3rd. Way to go! There's 2 more regular season games and then the playoff tournament. It's just the recreational league but it's competetive and fun! Dylan had a hit and got on base everytime he was at bat...and I didn't have my camera. Ugh! I'm not really liking the looks of the pictures I take on my phone and then upload. I can't seem to blow them up so you can see the photo better. So I didn't even think of doing that.

Regardless...I'm so proud. He likes the game and tries as hard as he can.

Who do they look like?

Everyone is always commenting how much the boys look like Ron. When I was getting all the pictures off my phone I ran across these taken a little while back at the circus. With my face so close to Dylan's I started looking at the similarities and think they both look a lot like me too! What do you think? Maybe it's just been the spiky hair that has made them look so much like Ron...? Or the really bushy eyebrows (we both have those...women can just pluck and wax!)

The craziness that is Canton

Saturday the 3rd we headed to Canton for First Monday Trade Days...with the boys. Long Day! Ron and I have been a couple of times but the boys had never been. Both described it as interesting but boring. ??? They couldn't keep up with the folks :) I gotta admit - my feet do get tired but the shopper in me just keeps right on going despite the tired tootsies. Got a few things worth going out there for but the experience and family time was worth it regardless. Here's a few photos...











Sorry for all the smoke in the last picture...I was trying to capture the guy that was using a drill to make Texas Twister fries out of whole potatoes. Riley said they were the best fries EVER!

Meet & Greet/Dallas Stars Game

Look who Ron & Dylan got to take a picture with...Pete Delkus and John McCaa.. Dylan was loving it - my little meterologist. So fun. Oh yea - the Stars game - we lost 2 to 1. I don't know why Ron and Riley didn't take the camera when they went Tuesday night but Ron and Dylan did. Go figure. Anyway - here's some pics. Enjoy!

Marty Turco - goalie

Stanley Cup Playoffs - round 1

Action!

What a show! Smoke shooting out from the huge screen in the ceiling.

Zamboni advertising Crocs...(shout out Andrea H. :) )

No relief...

My eyes look like the picture on the left. Crazy allergies are getting the best of me.



I wear contact lenses though....the ones above...so it's extra aggravating! Afraid I might scratch my eye, my glasses are a few years old, not sure if my contacts have a tear or if it's really allergies...so crazy...But after changing one lens out 3 times in two days I have determined it's allergies!



So, I finally remembered we had this in our medicine cabinet. Hope it helps!

Anyone have any other ideas? Is anyone out there suffering as much as me (and Dylan - he's having the same problem off and on. It doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as mine.) ?

Oh yeah...I forgot...Dylan is definitely 12 going on 13. We went to the eye doctor...(Ron's step mom works at TSO - shout out!)...and he wanted colored contacts.

Of course I let him get them. They did look really good! I'll take before and after pics so you can see.

Off for more Visine drops. See you - better I hope. :)