So We Begin

This view is from inside my car as I was leaving Allard at NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) camp. There are two types of courses for this experience, two weekends in a month or a week long in summer. We chose the two weekends so he went the first weekend in April and then again this weekend, because we didn't want to worry that the week long course would take place during the same time as summer camp. And we can't miss summer camp.

Day One

Ok, so I was thinking about it and I spend a lot of time reading other people's blogs, but I really only write on mine a little. Usually I will write when I have a good picture to post or if the kids have a special event. Well I am going to try something new and write a post everyday. It may not be anything life threating, but if you think about it, we really have something happen everyday.

April Showers

April Shower Bring May Flowers.
That's what the old saying is right, well only if the flowers can survive the hale.

This is the size rocks we got for about 2 minutes this afternoon. Even the poor mailman had to park next to the house to try and get out of the way of this stuff.

Crazy Hair and Charity Ball

Today started Spirit Week at Evie's School and of course Monday is Crazy Hair/Hat Day. This always boggles my mind because I cannot do hair. Last year we just spray painted her hair different colors, but once again Mom put the extra bottles that I bought and didn't use away and they are not being found when you need them this year. So I went out looking for the hardest hair gel to try and spike her whole head. So the glue didn't work and the spray would only work after I had blowdried this piece. This took a half hour to get it to stay up, and was just starting to curl over at the end of the day. She said it was ok, so that was all that mattered. Now the other funny thing is that every year when I plan our Girl Scout meetings I just pick the dates and submit them to the school to reserve the room, but every year we end up having a meeting on Crazy Hair Day. When I went into school this afternoon there were very few people with crazy hair, the kids were either wearing hats or not doing their hair at all this year. I wish someone had told me this. (HAHAHAHA)

The weekend before last was the Charity Ball at Lizzy's School. So of course we had to go dress shopping. And again, I don't know why, but she wanted me to help her with her hair. Do they not get it, I am not good with hair. Nevertheless, here she is looking great in her dress and she had a great time at the pre-ball dinner. Now I can cross off one more dance on her dance card. I figure we only have two more for next year (homecoming and prom). This girl sure gets more expensive as the years go by. (HAHAHA)

Wax Museum

Fourth grade had their Wax Museum this week and as you can see it was Evie's turn to participate. Students were only allowed to pick their projects from a list of Michigan celebrities. Evie was Margaret Whiting, a 1940's-50's singer, who was the first singer to sign with Johnny Mercer's Capital Records.

Funny enough, she wrote and performed the song Baby it's Cold Outside. Hence the snow couple that Evie used as a prop. They are signing the song that took Margaret to the number 3 spot on the pop charts in 1949.

Unfortunately, because they restrict the subjects to only Michigan born performers there were two other Margaret Whitings that night. One in the cafeteria with Evie and one in the LGI Room. I, of course had to listen to all three to see how they all performed. Fabulously, none of them repeated the same info except that she was a singer in the 40's-50's. Each Margaret had a different approach to give you an idea of who Margaret was.

This performance was reschedule to this week after we had the big snowstorm last week that cancelled school on the day of the original performance. This meant that less people saw their kids perform, but even with the ones that did show up the rooms were full of people.

Here's What you get for a Pint of Blood

In January, Allard's school had a blood drive and I signed up to donate. Well it turns out they put all the names of the children that had someone donate blood in a raffle, and Allard won two tickets for a Pistons Basketball game.

I looked up online the seats that he was given and it was decided that Jeff would not be able to take him to the game (he couldn't climb the stairs that high), so off I went with my son for some bonding time.

The seats were almost at the top of the stadium, and after we sat down Allard said he didn't like being there. Oops, we forgot his fear of heights. I did mention that if he was afraid to sit up so high, then his career as a diver was going to end before it got started, because they are high up on some of those boards. But by half time he started to enjoy himself and when the game ended he had no trouble getting down the stairs. (He was worried he couldn't leave once he got up)

By the end he was happy to be there with mom, and he picked out a player that he decided was going to be his favorite and he wants to get a jersey with his name and number on it. Yeah for #33 Jereoko

Don't' mind the pictures too much it turns out I am not the greatest at turning the camera around for self portraits.

Swim Banquet 2009

Tonight was Lizzy's big night, in more ways then one. Tonight she was awarded her Varsity Letter in Swimming. She knew this was happening and so I bought tickets for the whole family to be there for her big night. Dinner is always pretty good and plentiful. You do not go hungry at these affairs. Coaches give their speeches, and then award their special awards. Then they start awarding the girls according to grade, freshmen, sophmore, juniors and seniors, their JV and Varsity Letters.

Then the seniors hand out their own special brand of paper plate awards to their friends on the team. Every girl gets one, sometimes they are very silly. Lizzy's paper plate award this year was for the girl that always starts her conversations with a "Like ya...". Then the captains give their speeches. You try very hard not to get as weepy as the girls do, thanking mom, dad and siblings for all their support. They really need to start handing out a box of Kleenex to each speaker and one for each table.

Then the moment every Junior on the team has been waiting for. The naming of next years captains. At the end of the season as the girls turn in their gear they vote for captain and they are announced at the banquet. So one of Lizzy's friends name is announced. It was a no brainer, her sister was a captain before her. Then another name is announced, OK not the name you expected, but no biggie. Then the third name is announced - Lizzy!!!!! This was the big surprise for us. She wanted to be captain, but had thought that she would never get it because there were two others that she believed would get it instead. She had resigned herself to be a gracious team mate when the names were announced, and instead she got to go up to the podium to receive her captain star. She is really excited, but also feeling sorry for her other two friends that didn't make captain (thats her heart showing). Expecially since the outgoing team had four captains so there is no limit really as to how many captains they can have.

Now I really have to come up with the money for that Varsity Jacket to have the special patches put on and worn with pride. Children, they just keep costing you money. Someone better show me where that money tree is in my backyard. HAHAHA