In where I confess to killing the fish

Yeah…I did it. I killed Cherry.

Not on purpose mind you. I just kinda kept watching the water go down and forgetting to fill it up so the aerator would fill the 1 gallon pink tank with fresh air for sweet Cherry.

Instead, she puffed up, looked almost fuzzy, lost all her color and suffocated to death on old tank water.

Looking on the bright side, this is our first family pet death. You know…this is a good opportunity to feel loss and learn how to handle it, right? So we gathered around the toilet, said nice things about Cherry and her life and then flushed her into fishy heaven.

Once that suction took hold of her lifeless body, PJ fell completely apart.

Cherry, I’m sorry. You were a very good pet. See ya on the other side.

What a weekend…

Friday:

Ears

Birthday dinner out with jewels from Erika.

Saturday:
First Communion #1

The Spring Sheering

First Communion #2

Sunday:

Half Marathon

PJ’s 6th Birthday Party

And then…and then I slept really well.  Only to be woken up by PJ’s new hamster in the middle of the night running and running and running on it’s little squeaky wheel FOR HOURS.

The story of the hamster to come later.

1-2-3-4-5-6

Dear PJ,

Six. Can you seriously be six? Can you really be my little six year old, sass-o-frass, Chinese speaking, animal loving, brother hating, monkey bar doing, drama queen rivaling, pink wearing, little girl?

You, my little small package with an enourmous punch, have been a thrill to watch grow this year. You have found your stride. You have moved so far away from being little (thank God!).

You have always had courage and confidence. You have always been self reliant. You have always been strong willed. But it has not been until this year that we have seen you start to hone those very big kid (dare I say adult) skills and use them and begin to control them.

You have taken in everything this past year has had to offer and you have blossomed.

I know every mother looks down the path and wonders what the future has in store for their children. But you, you my girl, with all that you have that is mighty, you will take your life and sculpt it without fear of judgement or fear of failure. You my little girl are going to be a GREAT woman someday.

How lucky I am to be your mother.

Thanks for being my daughter.

I love you so.

Mom

P.S. Here is my gift to you. Your 5th year of life, in pictures.

Happy May Day!

Can’t decide…

Is it safe to put away my winter boots or not?

Is that school policy?

Yesterday I got to take a break from my motherly duties. My mother came over early to help get the kids on the bus and then took KP for the day. Her wonderful gesture enabled me to volunteer for an amazing event to help the homeless called Project Homeless Connect.

After my volunteer duties were done, I walked out the doors of the Convention Center, sat in my car and listened to my phone messages. What is the one call I had…the school. The school had called three hours earlier to tell me PJ had barfed all over her classroom on their way to lunch.

So I called home, Adam had picked her up and all was fine. Then I got a call from a friend, who also has a child in PJ’s class. She wanted to share a really funny story with me. Then I got an email from Mrs. Bickerson, with a very similar story.

The story goes something like this…ALL PJ’S CLASSMATES HELPED WIPE UP THE BARF SHE SPLATTERED AROUND THE CLASSROOM. Then proceeded to lunch, without washing their hands.

It is at this point in the telling where I need to say to the mothers in PJ’s class, I’m sorry, I hope your kids don’t get sick and who’s going to talk to the teachers about the hazmat suits?

I’m Seventy F*&%!*# Three!

Happy 73rd Birthday Dad!

Enjoy every ounce of it.

I love you!

Better than snow

April showers bring May flowers…hopefully.

Sibling love

Every week CT and his classmates have a handful of Independent Work that the teacher gives out to fill some time. In this packet of papers there is always a Top Ten List.

This weeks list was, The Top 10 List: Things that make you feel mad.

CT wrote:

1. PJ

2. PJ sleeping

3. PJ playing

4. PJ looking

5. PJ playing her radeo

The teacher’s response, in red pen…REALLY?

Cash kid style

Back in the dead of winter when I was visiting my friend Anne Marie and her family in Boston, they had this great Johnny Cash CD that played in baby H’s room.

This same CD has been playing in our car for MONTHS and MONTHS and MONTHS. I can attest that it is one of the most wonderful children’s CD’s out there, if you like Johnny Cash that is. He doesn’t pull any punches by being cutesy, he is straight up Johnny. And, you get a little love from June too.

CT just asked yesterday if he could bring the CD to school and sing one of the songs for a talent show. If that isn’t a glowing endorsement, I don’t know what is.