A Lesson for Meg....

You will probably be able to guess when I have Fin based on the frequency of my blog posts. :-)   Yes, he was here quite a bit this past week and weekend. Lest you feel I've neglected only you, please rest assured that pretty much everything gets neglected when he's here, except for him, and trust me, he is one very busy guy.  He keeps me on my toes but it's always a fun time.

Today's photo share is basically my way of getting back at Meg.  I bought a new point and shoot camera last week (for our upcoming trip this summer) and of course wanted to try it out.  Meg, being the stubborn teen that she can be at times, absolutely refused to pose for me.  So what's a mom to do? Ummm....selfies.  :-)

After a couple of shots I heard giggling.

And finally my personal favorite...

I plan to show her this post when she gets home from school today.  Someday she's bound to learn that it would be so much easier (and less embarrassing) if she'd just let me take one nice photo.

Around Here

Things have gotten a bit back to normal around here.  I haven't had any time for subbing but do hope to squeeze in a few more days before school lets out. (Waiting for work schedules from Jay and Colleen.)  I did find time to do a bit of proctoring for the state exams last week so I got in some elementary school loving from "my kids" while there.

Meg's schedule continues to keep me busy after school lets out.  Every Monday she gets tutored in math, Tuesday she has cheer practice, and Wednesday she volunteers for the local Big Brothers Big Sister program which is immediately followed by another two hours of cheer practice.  Usually also thrown in the mix are baseball or lacrosse games that she and her girlfriends enjoy attending.

Jay & Fam have settled into their new place as well as their new jobs.  Fin had his first official "Grandma Day" last Friday/Saturday.  (Because they leave for work so danged early, Grandma Days consist of a sleepover the night before.) Meg and I took him over to the elementary school playground Saturday morning before his nap.

I shared this first set of photos on Instagram.  I've dubbed him the Official Equipment Inspector. In the hour that we were there, I don't think there was a single spindle left unturned.

And trust me, there's a LOT of spindles to inspect.

This playground is located at the elementary school where I sub.  It's only about a year old and is really, really fabulous.  Given that it's only 5 minutes away, I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time there on the weekends.

What kid doesn't walk up the slide?

We spent the majority of our time in the "tot lot" and this ramp was definitely his favorite.





Our next Grandma Day(s) are coming up on Wednesday evening.  Mommy and Daddy both work Thursday and Friday so it will be a 48 hour stay this time around.  He's such a good little guy and I'm already looking forward to our time together.

Congrats Meg!

Last week was especially hectic for yet another reason, one that I purposely kept to myself.   It was tryout week for next year's football cheer squad.  You may recall me saying that her school holds separate tryouts for football and basketball.  (Weird, I know.)  Football is definitely the most popular and therefore also the most competitive.  She didn't try out for the football squad last year but did, as you know, make the basketball squad.  Well after a very stressful (and yes, tearful) week I am so happy to report that Meg will be a member of the 2016 JV Football Cheerleading Team.  (Insert "very relieved mom emoticon" here.)

Between that good news and her bright new smile, I had little problem getting her to pose for a photo last night.

On a side note....aren't our bougainvillea gorgeous right now?  We planted these two bushes (the pink and the purple) years ago as tiny little 1 lb pots. They were basically just sticks and now look at what an amazing backdrop they make for photos!  I may have to charge the neighbors for photo shoots.  :-)  

This Week

As I suspected, life around here has been exceptionally busy.  Sweet little Fin has been keeping me company this week and was able to keep up with all of our comings and goings with a smile.  His other grandma arrived last night so she's staying with him for the remainder of the week.  It's very quiet here right now.  I'm already thinking that I'll need to go steal him for a bit this weekend.

There's so much that I should be doing today but I think it's going to be a play day in JulieWorld. I'm feeling the need to make something.  After that I'll probably spend some time reading.  My local book club meets next week and I only just downloaded the book.  We're reading something a bit different this time ... Devil in the White City - A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America.

Before I start my day though I wanted to share the big news of the week. Notice anything different about this girl's smile?

No braces!

She is happy beyond words and three days later still can't keep from checking herself out in the mirror.  Perhaps now she'll allow me to take her picture a bit more often.  :-)





    

Recent Happenings

Just a quick update...

We spent a portion of last week in Charleston, SC followed by a few days on Amelia Island, FL.  I have tons of photos but as of yet, they are still on my camera.

Just two days after arriving home, Jay and his family pulled in with a 26' UHaul.  (I had no idea they had that much stuff!)  Wednesday evening was their first night in their new home.  His parents were very busy during those four days so Fin spent the majority of his time with me.

Tomorrow is my Miami book club meeting.  How I managed to start and finish an entire book this week is beyond me but I did, no doubt in part because it was very good.  The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield  I highly recommend it.

We will all be spending Easter at my dear friends Kelley and Hans' home with brunch and an egg hunt for the littles.  Always a good time.

Jay and Colleen start their new jobs on Monday so I am on Fin Duty. Thankfully they are shortened shifts (8:00-4:30) because it's Monday - Friday next week.  Fin is so good but definitely keeps Grandma on her toes.

I hope to be back with photos soon.

Possibly MIA

The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic (so what else is new, right?) and while I will try to get online, I certainly can't promise that I will have the time (or energy).  If you don't see me for a bit, don't worry (eh, hem...Mom). I'm merely exhausted from chasing Fin around.

I'll check in when I can. Thanks!!!

Ease on Down, Canine Style

(My family will get the title reference.)

Adding to the craziness of last week, Bitzy had a freak fall/jump from the couch.  She was right next to me and I didn't even see the whole thing happen. She let out the most blood curdling set of yelps and when I looked down, her front right leg was sticking straight out perpendicular to her body.  Needless to say, panic set in.  She calmed down enough to let me pick her up and while I know she was in excruciating pain, she was such a good little girl.  Not even so much as a whimper in the time afterward.  Because it was 9:30 PM I placed a call to the emergency vet only to find out that there was going to be a several hour wait.  She was calm (and her arm no longer sticking straight out) so we decided to keep her home until our local vet's office opened the next morning.

I was certain that she'd dislocated her shoulder. Upon her initial examination, the vet thought it was her elbow as there was quite a bit of swelling in that area.  X-rays soon revealed that she had three broken bones in her right foot, most likely the result of an awkward twist as she was falling/jumping.  Looking at the couch last night, I'm fairly certain that she must have gotten her paw stuck in between the cushions, unable to remove it as she half tumbled/half jumped off.  I doubt we could re-create it if we tried....not that we would ever want to.

Poor baby girl has been such a trooper.  She's now in a spoon splint from her elbow down.  She gets along pretty well with three legs but the vet assures me that in a few days she'll be weight bearing on all fours.  The splint will remain a minimum of 6-8 weeks.

The blue is actually a rubber glove to prevent the splint from getting wet.  My plans for grooming her are on hold so she's going to be one very shaggy pooch for awhile.  She has been such a good sport but being all too familiar with orthopedic pain myself, my heart breaks for her right now.