Who'd Have Thought

that today would turn out the way it did. I volunteered in Joshua's classroom this morning, as usual, and he was a well behaved little boy. He was so excited to write in his journal about why his mommy is special and quickly finished so that he could get to his weekly checklist. He was quiet, polite, and a perfect gentleman. So why is it that at 12:15pm I get a call from the office saying that he hit another student and, although he was not being suspended, I needed to pick him up?

Upon arriving at the school, I learned that his teacher had no idea what was going on as I stopped by to pick up his belongings before heading to the office across the street. Joshua was so upset and was crying hysterically upon learning he did not get to go back to class. I know that he made a mistake, but clearly he has been labeled by the yard duty teachers in the K-1 lunch room/playground. It took me several minutes to console him and calm him down. He was most upset that he wouldn't get to do his art center this afternoon.

I decided that he and I would do our own art lesson at home, and after a stop at Wal-Mart we created sun catchers - five of them to be exact. Below is the finished product.

Despite the ups and downs that childhood brings, I love this little man with all my heart and soul. Joshua - you have so much to look forward to. Please don't let others create tension and cause you to lash out at them. You are such a sweet boy.

Too Cute to Pass Up

Are these not the most adoreable shoes? I was walking through Wal-Mart today and found these on clearance for the bargain price of $3.50. Yes, they are lined with comfy cozy material, but what does Matty care about that? I figured he would wear these while tootling around Disneyland next week.

American Built Battle

Let's just say that we all have our favorite cars or at least our preferred manufacturer. For as long as I can remember, by boss Charlie has been an advocate for the Chevrolet company. Don't get me wrong, his most recent purchase was an Acura, but that car was to be used by his wife. He has always driven a Chevrolet himself. His latest attraction is the brand new Chevy Camaro SS. Although it has not been manufactured for sale as of yet, he has a dicast replica sitting in his office to admire, and admire he does!

So....on Sunday, my dear friend and co-worker Julie ventured to her local Ford dealership to check out the new Ford Edge. She got a fantastic deal and is now the proud owner of a really cool crossover vehicle! (and I truly mean this) I have never been a real fan of Ford's either, but after looking at her new car, I'm sold. From the outside it looks like a Lexus, and from the inside...WOW! It is absolutely beautiful: leather seats, two sun roofs, automatic door openers, automatic seat fold, Microsoft Active Sync, and the look of an expensive sports car. I'm truly impressed!

Being that she was in Bakersfield yesterday, she stopped by the office to show off her new ride. I couldn't help but laugh as Charlie began badgering her about her "Found on Road Dead" car. He quickly grabbed his Chevy Camaro dicast and headed for the door. He was excited to introduce his future car to the "competition" outside. Imagine my amazement as I watched this man ooh and ahh over all the bells and whistles on the Ford. He was equally impressed with all the features and extras it had to offer. Of course, he ended the visit commenting on the only flaw on the vehicle; the Ford emblem on the front bumper.

Maybe you had to be there to sense the humor in this story, but allow me to deliver one final message. Chevy vs Ford? Ford won!

The new Ford Edge

Best Friends and Country Music

Let me start by saying I am so lucky to have great friends and a great boss! My friend Brandie emailed me on Friday with the link to the CMA Fest website and said take a look. Little did I know that she was extending an invitation for a special girls weekend, and that I was the honoree. Words cannot express how excited I was at the thought of not only seeing her, but what would be TONS of country artists under one roof (per say). It took me until yesterday to breech the subject with my boss, and after a few encouraging words from Brandie, he delightfully agreed to grant me the four days off - YIPPY! I got the kids to bed last night and jumped on United.com to book my award flight and was saddened to find that there were none available on the date range I needed...darn it!!! Just my luck I logged back in this morning and found a flight out of Bakersfield for the four day adventure at the bargain price of $10! So.....now I can officially say.....

I'M GOING TO NASHVILLE, BABY!!!

Is it already Monday?

I can't believe it's already time to pack up and head to work today. I will say this; we had a fun and exciting weekend (comparatively speaking). On Friday night, the boys and I ventured to Bakersfield so that they could spend the day with Nana on Saturday while I worked. It was to be a short day as I had a "date" with a bunch of ladies on Saturday night; a bachelorette party of sorts for our babysitter, Kimrah. The weather was perfect for a jaunt to the park, and mom assured me that the boys had a blast playing on the slides and swings. I'm sure she did the same!

Saturday night was a blast for me. I don't get to go out that often as I prefer to spend time with my boys or hit the gym. I got all dolled up in a very cute (and short!) red dress and hit downtown Paso Robles. I enjoyed visiting with several of the current and former teachers from our daycare, and hauled my friend Cynthia with me to help me watch the time. I had Jessie from next door watch the boys and I didn't want to keep her up too late. I've learned that dancing is good exercise and I must do it more often. I have committed to my friend Marcella that we will have ladies night more often. Way too fun!! I did make it home at 10:30 and crashed.

Yesterday was our typical Sunday, straighten up the house and do laundry, but we did add a trip to Marcella and Tom's house for a visit. The boys were so excited to see everyone and enjoyed playing with Marcella's grandson Logan; especially Dominic. It's always good to see Ashley who had just flown in from NY for the wedding next week. I can't believe Kimrah and Nick are finally tying the knot!

So where was Jim you ask? He had a Cal Fire softball tournament in Santa Maria. It's an annual co-ed tournament with all players being employees. I am so proud of him as not only did his team place 3rd, he helped plan and organize the tournament. Congrats, honey!

Sorry for the quick post but I must wrap this up and get ready for work. Have a great week everyone!

Zoo to You

For those of you who have frequented the multitude of events in Paso Robles, you have undoubtedly come across the infamous Zoo to You crew. They venture to local schools, fairs, and expos and display a myriad of exotic and obscure animals. This organization has received national recognition and has appeared on various talk shows, news, and late night programming. Today, Jim was called to a structure fire, which in most cases is exciting for firefighters, but today was a different story. Despite their efforts, a 1,200 SF building housing a multitude of animals on the Zoo to You property was destroyed. Inside were nearly 65 animals, 38 of which died in the fire (Jim has assured me they died of smoke inhalation). Housed in the building were reptiles and monkeys. We are all saddened to hear of the loss, including little Joshua who was devastated. Below is the link to today's news story. I assume this will make national news.

Zoo to You Website: http://www.zootoyou.org/
Tribune Story: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/breaking_news/story/694431.html
KSBY News Story: http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=10236624

Picture Perfect

Joshua's Spring 1st Grade picture was so good that I am posting it in all three colors since I purchased the photo CD. I couldn't be more pleased with how this one turned out! In addition to the smile on his face, I wore a smile on my face this afternoon after Mandy at the YMCA stopped me to report that Joshua has been a very good little boy for the past two weeks. We have noticed the same around the house. We are so proud of the gentleman that Joshua is turning into and can't wait to see how he grows and matures in the years to come. We love you buddy.