Sidetracked

 I was rocking right along with keeping up with my life events, as small as they are, but all of a sudden I just lost my desire to keep tabs on myself.  

Not that I'm turning over a new leaf, but here's a start.  

It's been a rough patch for a few weeks with so much busyness and so little time and some misunderstandings that turned out to be nothing.  I tend to overthink and worry too much, and somehow I'm going to have to work on that.  I finally gave in to a home health visit from my United insurance company just to keep them from calling me every day, and it turned out to be quite nice.

I see my primary doctor and cardiologist enough that I don't think I need anyone new coming in and checking on me, but I did enjoy Meri, a sweet nurse from Duvall, who kind of wove all my various messes together into a plan of sorts.  She asked all the right questions and was very interested in my answers and just more than my physical health.  I tend to worry about things I can't do anything about, avoid things that don't fall into perfect alignment with my expectations and waste a lot of time thinking about all the what-ifs.  Getting old is quite an adventure.  Sometimes I think I do okay, and other times I just want to give up and be invisible.  

I keep thinking about one thing she said when we were talking about handling my anxiety.  I said I've probably needed anti-depressants before but am afraid of side-effects and the unknowns, but she said, "Sometimes NOT taking a medication that can help you is a side-effect in itself."  I had to think about that a minute, but if there is a medication that might keep me from driving my friends and family crazy, maybe I should try it - for their sake anyway!  That's on my question list for my September visit.  Sometimes when I hear a siren in our tiny town or on the interstate, I will get a call from Emily saying - We're all okay.  What about you?  Maybe it's inherited.  

So the other positives lately!

It wasn't easy coordinating it, but I grabbed my girls yesterday and went to the grocery store and then to the pool.  Because of my procrastination, I hadn't left home by 10 a.m., and therefore they were my willing companions.  They're the sweetest and most helpful girls, but with a crowded store and no prior planning, we were backtracking all over Safeway and spending way too much money.  Of all days for some of the self-help registers to have glitches, it was when we were there.  Kate wanted to hand me the items for scanning, and Graysen wanted to put them in the bags and arrange them.  That took more coordination than I expected, especially when Kate will use any excuse to use the scanning wand or whatever that thing is called.  Half the time, I was reaching behind me to grab the item.  Then they love to do produce.  One types in the name, and one puts in the weight and bags it - taking twice as long as if I had done it myself.  I could see a line forming behind us but refused to make eye contact with anyone!  It was great though, even when I heard the announcement, "Oops, we're up to $100."  That was NOT helpful.

We got the melting ice cream into the freezer and everything else put away with Elise's help, had a snack and headed for the pool.  I was a little draggy by then with no lunch, but once I got there and got settled in a comfortable chair in the shade, it was lovely.  Nice breeze and only one more family there at first, so the girls had a good time by themselves, once they got used to the water being a little too cool.  

A bonus was having Mary and her granddaughter Vivi show up.  It's been so long since we've talked, and it was great seeing her.  My girls were ready to go, so we didn't overlap too much, but it was about the right amount.  

I let Gray indulge in her current favorite Dr. Pepper - just because I'm Mimi and I like to make her happy.  Within reason!

Unfortunately, a rainy stretch is starting today along with cooler temps, so we'll be working on doing something different if they come over today.  

Elise and I are serious about our garage cleanout.  We've tried this before, but this time we were truly serious.  Ryan came over and took away 4 or 5 items to take to the dump.  It already looks better.  I'm no longer going to hold onto a bin or a lid if there is not a well-fitting mate.  If it hasn't happened in all this time, it's not going to.  We're listing 99% of our stuff on the Buy Nothing page, so it should be a busy time.  I love this page.  I have no qualms about listing a collection of K-cups collected because of having caramel in the name and not being consumed here.  Someone reading might just love caramel-flavored coffee and take them off our hands.  Besides, I have a good coffee pot with a K-cup side and a regular carafe side that someone might enjoy.  It's too much for us.  

Elise is going to finally pack of all her grandmothers' old china and silver and other inherited things and get them stored.  I need my dining room for other things - mainly Mah Jongg and sewing  - if I may be allowed to entertain those hopes!  If we can find a 3-bedroom apartment next spring, we will be happy.  Otherwise, we'll continue to crowd into this one.

Elise can't go to the grocery store without coming home with some kind of plant, and this time it was a beautiful begonia.  I haven't even been to a nursery this spring but just continuing to keep what I have alive.  It's been a little chilly for sitting outside yet, but I'm about to change that.

Unfortunately, Noreen, my favorite porch-sitting friend, had knee replacement surgery yesterday morning, and it will be a little while before that happens.  She's getting it over with early in the year so she can enjoy the rest of the summer without pain.  According to her daughter, the surgery was a success, and she is now in that unenviable position of healing.  Luckily, she has sweet family members, a friend from her former hometown here for a few days, and a pre-med student home from school for the summer as caretakers.  

Speaking of knee replacements and healing, Emily is trying not to get her hopes up too high - but READY for the grand opening of the clinic July 6th.  For a while, she thought it was going to be delayed because of contractor and remodeling problems, but she sounded much better about it yesterday.  I'll try to get down and take some pictures of the blue and beige interior instead of that mud-brown one that was there before.  

I'm behind on a lot of pictures.  It's now the middle of the night, but as soon as I get up for good, I'm going to take a tour around the house and record the tornado that's hit our space as well as whatever else I can record in my limited existence.  

No Mah Jongg this week.  We just don't expect to get many games in this summer with trips and children and activities, but we'll start back in the fall.  I see that someone is giving lessons at the senior center, so maybe we'll have a few more people we can enjoy playing with.  Kate and I are getting out our pink set and playing some, while shaming Elise and Graysen for not being good sports and playing with us.  

What else?  Oh, we have a little watermelon and corn-on-the cob to look forward to.  The Fourth of July parade as such has been cancelled, but the whole town can still dress in their patriotic colors and walk from the school to the Y where the festivities are.  Noreen and I won't be sitting on the porch waving our flags this year.  We always say we wish we would walk over and watch the fireworks, but for some reason, they don't get started until we're ready for bed.  Good thing we have a lot of good memories of our fun Fourths through our lifetimes.

I lost my first and best childhood friend Tonnie this week in South Carolina.  She's always lived in Florida, but since the onset of Alzheimer's, she's lived with a daughter in SC.  That hurts.  Many sweet memories of the fun we had and the adventures.  I'm so glad we got together a few years ago when we went to St. George's.  We met one afternoon and tried to cover our whole lives in one sitting.  So much fun.  Such a special friend.  This is also something I'll try to come back and post pictures and memories of.  

The WinBins lost their outside cat Luna this year.  She has been around awhile and lived in both places at various times, but the past few years, she owned their fenced yard with her little heated house, sunshine to stretch out in, birds and racoons to chase, and we like to think she had a good life.  She was never very sociable to humans but seemed to enjoy having someone sit beside her and talk and bring her food, of course.  It's always sad to lose a pet friend, and she'll be in our hearts.  

It's been a season of sadness, including the death of one of our old neighbors from Thomaston, a young man with such a future and loved by so many.  

I need to go back to bed and get rested for the day.  Hoping we'll get some things accomplished and make room in this crowded apartment.  I'm thankful for the easy life I have now, even though I complain a lot!  Right now, my focus is on my right heel and getting rid of that plantar fasciitis.  Emily showed me two exercises this weekend and gave me some tips.  I think I need to invest in some better shoes soon.  I hardly wear shoes at all, but I'll try to do better.  It really hurts!

Getting a haircut this weekend should put me in a nice frame of mind to kick off the summer.  And planning for Stephanie and Gray to visit in September.  I can't believe June is almost over, and I spent so much of that time worrying and fretting over small things.  

Let the summer begin!  

Lost Weekend

 Just a weekend of things planned and not followed through with and dissatisfaction of my ability to follow though with anything.  

I can't even remember anything I did, but for the last part of Sunday afternoon, I finally found an audio book I'm enjoying.  I spent a good portion of time copying a list of books I want to read and reread - or at least books that have been recommended.  I have a feeling I'll cancel most of them.  I tried 3 times this week to read The God of Small Things just because I saw Anne Patchett give a good review about a new book written by the same author.  She said she had read this book when it was a on the best seller list a long time ago.  She gave the impression that I was the only person who hadn't read it at the time and had my life changed by it.  So I tried it.  I gave it several chances and absolutely hated it.  It was a good feeling to press the Return to Library button.  So there.  I tried.  Chances are I won't like the new one written by the same author, Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy.  It's on hold, and if I get it, I'll give it a try.

I'm not too interested in reading things I don't like.  I made a new list of 76 books just waiting for me, either recommended by people or written by authors I'm familiar with.  I'm just glad this new book is good enough to keep my interest all evening.  It's A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.  No great plot and no real action, but the writing is good and keeps me interested.  I think it matches the mood I'm in tonight.  It's a really long book.  I'm on Chapter 3 and only 10% finished.  

I can't do anything that involves thinking or distraction while I listen, so I did laundry and changed sheets and other housework, but I've re-discovered the mindless pleasure of online jigsaw puzzles.  No thinking involved but just the satisfaction of clicking those pieces together to make a picture.

I chose the first one offered, and it was very satisfying.  I chose 500 pieces, because any smaller, I could barely see.

I guess I'll listen a little more when I go to bed, but I'm sure I'll fall asleep and have to rewind the tape.

Maybe tomorrow will be more lively.  It's hot, but we were cool inside.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter.  I wonder if the girls will want to swim.  I hope so.  It will be nice to sit by the pool instead of finding something to do inside.  Tuesday is their last day - a half day only - and then it will be summer.  

Days and Nights

 One good thing about my life lately is that I have so few things I HAVE to do.  The summer will be different, but if I'm up for a couple of hours in the afternoons when the girls are here or available for Mah Jongg games twice a week, I can plan my days just like I want. I can also take a quick nap when I want to, but the problem starts when my naps turn into what I think is bedtime.  

I had been out and active and walking and cleaning for a big part of the week, so I was ready for some rest.  About 8:30 or so of what I thought was the next day, I heard vacuuming and noise and sounds of cleaning from Elise.  It surprised me, because she's not an early riser, but she was up and cleaning all the hard floors - vacuuming, mopping, discussing cleaners, etc.  I felt a little grumpy about being awakened and involved, so I just got a cup of coffee and went to read over some books I had ordered for the girls for the summer and see if I wanted to keep them all.  I heard people outside on the sidewalk talking and laughing and figured it was people headed to work or school (forgetting it was Saturday - in my mind).  I got deeply engrossed in my reading and note-taking and spent at least an hour doing that when I looked up at my window and noticed it was dark - very dark. The light finally came on in my brain that it was still the same day I went to bed.  

I feel totally out of it when things like that happen, but I've allowed it, and really there's nobody it bothers.  I do like the fact that I have 8 more hours to do what I want to (hopefully sleep some more).  I've tried being on more of a schedule, but I just don't sleep that well from around 3 a.m to 6, so I'm always off at some point. 

From the time I was 20 and married and working and then having children and then still working until age 70, I never seemed to have enough time.  So now that I have it, I'm treasuring it and just enjoying it, no matter if it's day or night.  I think it might be healthier to have a regular schedule, but I'm not sure how I can do that, so I'll just go with the occasional senior moment and laugh about it - more than an occasional moment lately.  

So now I have my time back, I'll post the pictures of my afternoon with Kate on Thursday and then practice Mah Jongg a little.  I have a new audio book that I should be able to keep awake for.  I have sheets to wash, but I'll take pity on Elise and my neighbors and wait until the morning.  I have several blogs and columns I read and neighborhood news.  I wish I would sew or do anything practical, but I'm not able to force myself to do much in such a small shared space.  

Anyway, after hanging out a bit after school on Thursday and having some conversation about what we should do, we decided to walk downtown to the gem shop so Kate could spend the birthday money Aunt CC had given her.  Gray was less enthusiastic but still wanted to go and maybe stop by the library and get something cold to drink.  As we started down the sidewalk, Emily called and said she was working in town and was just leaving the coffee shop where she had been on a phone meeting since the remodeling has started on the clinic.  

She actually saw us walking, and pulled into a side street.  We stood at her window talking and irritated one man and blocked a UPS truck briefly, so she pulled into our alley and Gray decided to go home with her and hang out and relax.  Kate is just the best companion when we're walking.  She watches those dangerous sidewalk eruptions for me and holds my hand crossing the street!  It's fun being an only child sometimes too, and going to her favorite shop was enough to make her day.  

We found the Earthlight Rocks, Gems, and Minerals shop open, and entered her wonderland. 

I've never known much about crystals and gems or learned to appreciate them, but both girls can spend as much time in there as they're given, just touching and admiring and exclaiming over the pretty things.  They don't get to go often enough with their parents because of the amount of time they want to spend each time, and children under 18 aren't allowed without a grownup.  I think I read that, but I may be wrong.  I'll have to check.  I would not let children loose in my shop with that many little rocks and jewels to admire  

There are two locations for this shop, one in Kirkland and one here in Snoqualmie.   I'm not a real jewelry person either, but I did find some necklaces I liked.

She immediately went to the kid's area and found a frog that she fell in love with.  She went back in a few minutes to claim it and never let it go.  Funny how the craziest-looking things win someone's heart.  

We did a lot of looking and discussing of bracelets and pendants, just beautiful crystals and stones.  She loved touching every one of them.  We checked out the amber necklaces that Elise had shown an interest in and sent her some pictures.  She's pretty much as obsessed at Kate is, and I'll have to let the two of them go together next time.  

The necklaces I liked but would probably forget to wear.  Such pretty colors.

Sweet girl.  She's so polite and well informed about the things she's looking at.  I learned a lot.  She knew just how much she had to spend and came within a few dollars of estimating correctly.

She settled on 3 bracelets in patterns of black and gold and the frog plus one more thing that she loved - a disk with a hole in the middle.  Bracelets are in a picture below.

I'm not sure she would ever have wanted to leave if I hadn't finally sat down on a bench to rest, and she decided she was ready for her mango smoothie a couple of doors down at the Sno Thai Cafe.

She put her order into the kiosk - no stranger to kiosk ordering - and had time for the allowed free Pac Man games.  She said if she ever opened a restaurant, she would have machines that no one would have to pay for, and kids could play all they wanted.

Such a sweet guy.  I don't go in there enough to know his name, but he took great pains with her smoothie and even gave her a little bag of cotton candy.  

I got a taste or two of that smoothie, and it was perfection!  Just what was needed on a warm spring day.  I've had their regular food a couple of times, and it was delicious.  We're lucky to have them in town - both of these businesses.  This is right across the street from her DMW class building and a block from the new clinic Emily is working so hard to open by July.  Of course, the town is only three blocks, so everything is right there within walking distance of the apartment, including the library.

What could be better than this?  Her 3 new bracelets that she loves, her mango smoothie, and her froggie in the bag! We saw 2 little girls and their grandmother coming out of the gem store who had been in there when we were leaving.  We stopped and let them show off their purchases and had a sweet little conversation.

As we turned the corner to go back to the apartment, I spotted my new friend Helen sitting on her porch crocheting.  We stopped and talked for a few minutes.  She has a nice place that is bright and gets some morning sunshine. I'm envious of that.  She has a granddaughter in third grade, I think.  I was thankful to finally get home and rest a little, but it was a perfect amount of walking that was needed.  What a good day.

Countdown to the End of School

 Frankly, I'm not really sure of all the things that go on for the next week.  I'm just here for the ride.  I have all the times and dates in my calendar if I really need to know.

Yesterday, Graysen surprised me by coming in before 11:00, even though I knew she had a 10:43 release time.  She reminded me that she had been in school for nearly half a day by then, and it was time!  

We had about an hour before Katherine came home from her early release, so she did the usual catching up with her little cousin Sailer on FB and eating a few snacks and just lying on my bed and talking.  So many things going on to be excited about.  She's having a sleepover on the last day of school, and she and Sawyer needed to have a few discussions about that.  I think they're going to cook, for one thing, and watch some movies.  Who knows.  They get their yearbook today, and that's always a fun day for everyone.  I'm able to put names with faces of people she mentions if they've gone through kindergarten with her, but how they've grown and changed!

In this picture, about half of them started out with her in kindergarten and a good many are from Snoqualmie Elementary School.  These have know each other for 2 years now, and they will all end up at the same high school with about 4 more schools next year.  

She wanted to be in the WEB program in eighth grade, and there were 30 in all who were invited.  They'll have various functions during the next summer and on through the school year, acclimating the new class of 6th graders into the school and helping out where they can.  I hope it's a nice experience for her.  

I've already run out of time to write this morning, so I'll save mine and Kate's downtown adventure for later.  She did have her field day Tuesday.  I didn't hear anything about it, but someone had taken some pictures to send to Emily.  Looks like a lot of fun.  

Emily sent these pictures of the clinic under siege by the remodeling team.  Scary!

I can't wait to see the new and brighter space.  

The Day After the Busy Day

 I did have a full day, and now I'm paying for it.  My poor feet.  I've had this plantar fasciitis, I think, since the trip.  One day I'll think I've conquered it with ice and rest, and then a few days later it will be back and impossible to ignore.  Thank goodness it's only when I get up in the mornings or get up from periods of staying still, but it still hurts.  A lot.  And now because of favoring my right foot, I have some pain in my left one.  I just can't get it all together, but I'm not complaining too much.  It was a fun day.

I'm glad I made myself get to the grocery store when I did, even if it was windy and cool.  It was good to get that chore over with.

I took some pictures while I was out just to have a few things to put here for the future to remember.

The sky is ominous, but that's not a storm cloud here.  It's just the usual ho-hum let's keep the people guessing about the weather cloud.  No thunderstorms to cheer us up.  

Safeway is a nice enough store.  The workers I deal with have always been friendly and helpful, and I don't notice anything out of the ordinary.  Thank goodness, since it's the only store in town.  Elise will go to QFC in North Bend because she has prescriptions there and just likes it and especially likes to go to Trader Joe's and Fred Meyer.  I don't usually enjoy a jaunt for my groceries, so if I can't get them here, I'll order from Amazon.  I really do enjoy that in the winter!  

On the way home:  Cross the Snoqualmie Parkway, take the first right, and I'm home in about 5 minutes if I catch the light.  This is the front of the Chevron Station and convenience store and a Thai restaurant next door.  The entry is in back, and it looks nice from the parkway.  There are some more businesses back there too along the back side of the apartment complex.  

Baker Street (called Bakery Street by the girls forever) where the apartments begin. This is a pretty time of year, and the landscapers do a good job - they're just not allowed to make my street pretty yet.  Streets are swept often and stuff picked up.  It's a pleasant place to live.  

These are the impatiens Elise found that are so pretty right now.  She worried about putting them outside since the temps were in the 40s, but I think that's what they needed to perk them up.  Those flowers are dropping now, but we're hopeful there will be a lot more to come.

Put the groceries up and headed to Mah Jongg.  I allowed myself a couple of quick pictures since I hardly ever see a car on Ridge at this time of day.  It's a walkable distance, like I mentioned, but I like having a car there when I get through, so I just drive the 3 or so blocks.

This is the front entrance to the Y, and those steps are not hard at all.  It's easier than going around the side and climbing the incline up to the parking lot.  Almost everything I have to do in this town is within walking distance.  The employees there are so sweet to us Mah Jongg-ers and have learned our names and when we need our room.  

Naturally, my battery on my phone died just when I was getting ready to take some pictures of our group.  We did have 5 people, and one of them sits out every game.  If they want to, they can walk around and try to figure out the winner before the game actually starts, just by looking at what tiles we're dealt.  I'm not totally into playing for money or betting or anything but just playing, but I decided to try it, and I picked the winner!  That means the 3 losing players had to pay not only the winner but me too.  Easy money, especially when I won a game myself, but I did lose 2 or 3 games where I had to pay!  It was fun, but we won't play again this week.  I think I need to practice online a little more.

Graysen was already at the apartment when I got there, enjoying something to drink and working on one of her many projects due this week.  This new one is from band and calls for a presentation on some band.  Not hard, but the teachers need to have something to keep them busy these last few days. 

Katherine came in at about 3:40.  Her school is dismissed at 3:36, so we teased her about running all the way there because she knew I had been to the grocery store. These are the last few days I'll have someone walking from the school.  Sad.....

This was their end-of-school activity today.  I can't see it being worn too much, but I know it was fun to get it done.  They both get their yearbooks Friday, and then it's just a few more half days, and it's summer.

 They left to walk home in happy moods.  I enjoy them so much.  I made a quick ham and cheese sandwich since I had not eaten all day and barely finished it before I was nodding off.  There was no one to tell me not to, so I got ready for bed and was asleep by 6:00.  I did wake up at 11:30 with aching feet so got up to walk around a little and finish up this typing.  One Tylenol, and I'm ready to try sleeping again.  

I don't think I have a thing to do today except fold a few clothes and practice MJ and try to find a new audio book to listen to.  Not a hard day at all.  

Busy Tuesday and Kid Recap

 I'm going to go ahead and start this post because it really is going to be a busy day, and I probably will fizzle out before the day is over.

1.  We have almost run out of snacks, so I have to stop at Safeway on the way to MJ and pick up some more things.  Nothing fancy.  The girls have gone back to loving Goldfish and vanilla wafers - back to their toddler days.  They can certainly go through a week's supply in just a few days though.  I have to put them in plastic bags in portion sizes, but no one stops at just one baggie, including me.  What is there about those comfort food snacks?

2. It's a day that makes me regret not going out yesterday.  I woke up to rain.  It was nice comforting rain that makes you glad to have another hour to sleep, but it's always in the back of your mind that you have to go out there in it eventually.  

3.  Garbage Day again, and the cats have found their comfortable hiding spots.  They do not like those big trucks clattering in the alley and driving down the street.  I, on the other hand, do love them, because it means someone is taking away things I don't want, and I'm not the one in charge of all the work.  Elise is great at remembering on Monday night to check all possible trash and recycling cans and even cleaned the refrigerator last night.  Unfortunately, with Mah Jongg on Tuesday at 1:00, I usually have to be the ones to round the bins up and bring them in before I can move my car - and they're usually wet.  Small price.

4. Graysen came in right on time yesterday and was in such a good mood.  She's handling being a teenager a lot better lately.  There will be ups and downs, but I think she's settled into her personality and is tired of trying to fit in with what other people think she should be.  She has some sweet friends and is keeping her grades up, although she is constantly complaining to me how badly she is doing in all her subjects.  I happened to be with her math teacher Sunday, and she had nothing but praise for her!  

5.  Now that school is almost over, it seems like the teachers are loading the kids up with "projects."  Gray has to write the story of her life.  Like she says in a very dramatic voice.  I'm ONLY 13.  I haven't even had a life!  She's right there, and it's been such a happy and uneventful life.  She was making a list of what kinds of activities she's tried through those years, and it was mind-boggling to me:  Toddler soccer, gymnastics (gymAStics), tap and ballet for one year, beginner soccer where she was once put on a team of boys because of her name, I guess.  That was not a happy time for her.  She sat on her ball and watched them play mostly.  She has tried snowboarding, sledding, swimming, roller skating, ice skating, mountain bike riding, team soccer, lacrosse, basketball, tennis, and cross country running as well as playing the flute and taking some piano lessons.  She's glad to have tried all these these - and probably more - and feels lucky to have had the chance.  Her favorite thing, though, is still reading, with soccer and cross country her favorite team sports.  Katherine has also dabbled in all of these plus art, softball and martial arts for the past few years; she calls that her lifetime sport.  Her middle school instrument she has chosen is the trumpet or percussion, according to where there is a spot next year.  It's a wonder I've even spent any time with them!

6. I had them when it was dancing in the grass and coloring for hours and doing puppet shows and puzzles and pretend play and clay and beads.  I had them at their best, and I'll never forget a moment of it!  

7. Gray says she was accepted into the WEB program for 8th grade (Where Everybody Belongs).  I'm not completely sure what all that involves, but the main thing she's looking forward to is helping acclimate the new 6th graders to the middle school this fall.  They have to go through quite a bit of training and learn how to present the various activities and classes to the new students.  She's come a long way in her confidence to be able to do that, and I'm so proud of her.  Kate will love having a sister who knows everything showing her around!  Hopefully, she'll love it.  

8. I took no pictures yesterday, but we had a nice fun afternoon talking and working on homework and planning some summer things.  They mainly just put up with me, but at these ages, I'm grateful for that!  

9.  After the grocery store visit - and the wind and rain are still going strong - I'll end up at the Y for two hours of Mah Jongg and relax and enjoy myself.  Today it's Sharon and me from the Thursday group and Abbye and Sandy from the Tuesday group.  Sharon and I go both days if we can but lots of people are on vacation now or getting ready to stay home with children for the summer.  

10. Graysen will probably come here from her bus, but Elise will be here, and I'll get home about the same time as Kate, unless she has crossing guard.  Next year, they'll both get home at 2:45 or so unless they have after-school sports - and Kate still refuses to entertain cross-country!  

I'll come back and try to bring some pictures and see how many of those things I was able to pull off.

We watched this video about 5 times yesterday, and they thought it was hilarious.  It's still one of the funniest and most spontaneous ones I have.  Kate had on Gray's clothes and was trying so hard to keep up with her and at the same time keep her eye on "rabbit poop" that she keeps worrying about in the grass. Graysen is just feeling the music! Fun times.  

Sweet Face

 Since I don't get to see these girls as much as I used to - daily, sometimes all day long - I love passing by the digital photo frame on the desk and seeing a picture I haven't seen in a long time.  

It's going to be a rainy week, it seems, so I need to figure out what I'm going to do with myself. 

I should go to the grocery store and get a few snacks for this afternoon, but I'm not sure who is coming or if anyone is.  I'll either make a serving of three-cheese ravioli or some cookies or muffins.  That should compensate for not having anything exciting.

I don't think I posted Katherine's pictures from her end-of-the-year musical.  We ended up all the way at the back and could never get a good picture and could hardly see her, but there were some nice pictures on Facebook that I confiscated.  I wonder if that's the last time I'll go into Cascade View.  I should go back and try to find at least one picture a year for memory's sake.

Before we moved here and we visited, we would drive by the school and know that if there were children, that was likely where they would go.  A pretty "little red schoolhouse" with a beautiful few.  Of the Cascades, I guess.  

Then when Graysen was born and we walked her in her stroller or on her bike, we would always pass by the school and know that would be her school.  And later on, Kate's too.  They even had mostly the same teachers for each grade too.

The musical was nice, and we enjoyed the songs as well as the marimba band, recorders, ukeleles and even a few solos.  

I'm not sure how the end of school will wind down.  Lots of emphasis now on getting the fifth graders acclimated to the middle school.  I think Graysen is going to be in the group of 7th graders who were chosen to welcome the new students in the fall.  If so, that will be so special.  At least two of her friends have younger sisters coming up to 6th grade too.  I think it will be a fun year.  At least, they're counting on it, now that the younger ones know all the secrets of success!  

I guess there will be another "dance" of some sort at SMS and the traditional Beach Bash for the fifth grade.  

Right after school is out, they head for Issaquah to SweetLines, a mountain bike camp.  They're not deeply involved in racing or the whole summer camp, but they go for a week every year and reconnect with girls they have run into for years.  It sounds like they get more than just bike riding but social interaction and lingering memories.  

I'm looking forward to the warm weather and Noreen getting her knee back to normal, so we can go out and enjoy some things away from these apartments.  The swimming pool is open as well as the splash pad just waiting for sunshine, soccer games, movies in the park, a Fourth of July fireworks event, and some outdoor music planned.  I guess they're finally too old for the Fourth of July parade where the whole town is in the parade and have almost no spectators.  I've never missed one though!!  Somewhere in all this, I'm going to have to get the car washed and cleaned up, the garage cleaned out more, and getting some plants started.  These cool days, it's too easy to get one more cup of coffee and read.