Desserted Island

My coworker's 6 year old told her over the weekend that he really wanted to live on a desserted island.  She was perplexed and asked "why".  And he said, "because of all the candy."

Again she was perplexed and said, "I don't think there is candy on desserted islands. 

He was concerned and said, "oh, is it only cakes and cookies?".

And then they had a discussion about how

deserted

is different then

dessert!

Licorice

Before we left for Seattle, we did a quick visit to a local elementary school fair to meet Licorice.  Licorice is a dog that is just about done with her puppy training as a canine companion.  In mid May she goes to her next level of training and could potentially be released during that level.  One in six dogs are released during this training.  If she is released, we are will have the option of adopting her!

She is a super mellow dog with a giant soft head.  She had dogs and kids laying all over her and didn't care a bit!

I hate to say it - but keep your fingers crossed that she get's released!

U of A New Student Orientation

Smiling students!

We did a whirlwind orientation today in Seattle.  U of A does "roadshow" orientations in Seattle, Chicago and New York.  This was the first of the road shows.  We started at 7:30 am and finished around 3 pm.  It was totally overwhelming to me and Drew!

We started off in the morning together and then split up with the parents going into one session and the kids into another.  Then we met up again at the end of the day.  By the end of the day we had:

• Picked Drew's classes
• Signed up for a meal plan (we got the most expensive one for $3500)
• Learned all about how to pay the bills (which are a lot)
• Learned how to move in
• Learned how to buy books
• Learned a million other things that are floating around in our brains

It is nice to have this behind us and now we can move on to the next action items.

View from our room

At the beginning of the day

Took a walk after the session down to Pikes Place

We got nice Seattle weather

A proud mama

Anatomy of a Breakdown

Sheriff

Watch out!  There is a new sheriff in town!

Sweet Girlie

Daisy is not feeling well....not sure if it is the skunk spray or something else.  But she is getting lots of extra love from all of us.

Lookout Hike

While at the cabin, we did a hike to a lookout tower.  It was an amazing clear day!  We got to the top checked out the weather stations, ate some snackies and hoisted Jim's Sharks hat on the flag pole!

Even Pepper went

Daisy hunting around

Jack on the tower

Easter 2014 at the Cabin

Afro egg

We spent Easter at the cabin with Uncle B, Auntie D and the cousins.  My folks were in AZ for a family wedding and Jim's folks were home because Roy was recovering from surgery. 

It was a very mellow Easter with some traditional activities mixed in with non-traditional activities.  For example, there was some egg coloring and egg hunting....but there was also shooting of egg cartons with bb guns!  Really - there was a little but of something for everyone.

We had morning crepes followed by a brunch of quiche and a dinner of bbq chicken.

Wildflower cetnerpiece

Crepes for breakfast on Easter morning

Hidden egg

Hunting

Easter morning legos

A little shooting

Admins Day

Today is admins day and I got Kari, my admin, this beautiful hanging pot of flowers....but then I remembered I had to get it to work on the bus!  They really make the center of the aisle of the bus way to narrow.  But I managed to haul it down the aisle and sit in the back of the bus where there was some room to put it on the ground without anyone tripping over it.

Salmon Season

The Golden Girl is going to do some commercial salmon fishing and the season opens on May 1.  Jim is getting reasy by shining up the hoochies.

If I were a salmon, I would think they looked yummy!

Skunked!

Me in the car with a mask on.

All the cleaning supplies

Daisy got sprayed by a skunk today while we were waiting for the boat shop to open so we could pick up the pontoon boat and bring it to the cabin.  Jim had to go get a bucket, peroxide, baking soda and rubber gloves and we washed her 3 times in the delta.  

And then we had to drive THREE hours with her in the truck!  It was horrible - we had to go the whole way with the windows down and her all the way in the back of the truck.  We washed her again when we got to the cabin and it is still terrible.  Poor thing barfed and had the runs from the spray.  

In the back of the bus!

It was windy with all the windows down

Gangsta

My bro and my nephew!  They were playing in a charity event for the leukemia society where they  play a golf game with a soccer ball!

Succulent Nursery

Here is my succulent nursery filled up with new cuttings!  Hope they all make it.

Thanks

I feel so fortunate to be able to send the kids to the school we send them to.  There are such amazing opportunities and wonderful support.  Drew has had the same counselor for 4 years and Grace has had the same one for 2 years (and she also supported Drew when he was in Jr High School).  They are the nicest gals who work tirelessly for the kids and seem so genuinely pleased to be doing so.  Without a doubt, the kids would not be as successful without them.

I have been wanting to do something to recognize them but wanted it to be personal.  Today I came up with an idea.  I made them lemon bars and put them together with fancy tea bags.  And I wrote them the following note:

"Thank you for all the support this year!  

Take a well deserved break and have a lemon bar and a cup of tea!"

I hope they enjoy the little treat!

DONE Doggies

This is what the dogs look like after a long morning hike.  I am sitting out back and they are sound asleep sitting by me.

Poor Daisy is such an old girlie that a long hike like that really does her in.

Senior Ball 2014

Senior Ball was on a boat in the SF Bay.

The pictures are so beautiful that they look fake.  Love the ones with the city and bridge in the background.

Crazy Weekend

Will - one month old

I went into this weekend thinking it was not going to be too bad - a couple sporting events and the prom - easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Boy was I wrong.  This is what the weekend actually held:

• Dinner Friday nite and the sushi place where Amanda works (in Gilroy)
• 2 soccer games for Drew in Morgan Hill
• 2 lacrosse games for Grace in San Jose
• 1 soccer game for Grace in SF
• Senior Prom
• A visit to see Will
• Tyler's 21st birthday party
• A hike in Uvas Canyon
• A visit with a friend who brought over her homemade tear drop trailer
• Making lemon bars

Plus all the normal weekend stuff - laundry, groceries, make a couple meals and put in the fridge for the week, dog walks, etc.

And I wonder why I am so tired and my feet hurt!  And why we spend so much money on gas!

LAX - not much action in goal

Soccer in SF

Uvas hike

Will's bike