a slump

I'm in a blogging slump.  I admit it.  I have friends ask about what's going on ....lol...life.  Lots and nothing.

Caleb reenlisted this past week.  I'm super proud of him.  He's a neat guy.  I am thankful to get to talk to him by message or phone most days.  I am also thankful for his technical support.  I have had to make some recalculations to my computer that allow me better monitoring. He was great at helping me look up programs and install them.  I am super happy John hooked up the stuff to my computer so I could skype Caleb and talk to him while doing it.  Did you know when you're skyping you can show someone your computer screen?  It really makes a difference when you wonder which thing to click!

We are in full baseball/softball mode.  Victoria has had to learn some valuable money lessons this week.  She began her week with a softball game away. I gave her 20 dollars (her subway dinner was already paid for and I gave her a Gatorade and snacks).  She promptly blew the majority of it.  We had a very serious talk about money.  I gave her $5 for the next day, away game on Tuesday.  She didn't pay for her Subway at all on Tuesday!!  She let her coach "cause I only had $5".  <sigh>  I explained that that $5 WAS to pay for her dinner.  She had to write a letter to her coach (actually 4 letters ...correcting until it was worded right) stating her regret at not using the money she had to pay for her meal and apologizing.  I explained if she didn't learn to manage her money I would pack her a lunch of PBJ for every away game and send a water bottle.  She cried, not from remorse, from the thought of PBJ and water.  We will see how that goes:)

We had money stolen at our house this week.  I can tell you one of the biggest things I despise is searching.  Not because of the work involved, but I will find things I had no idea where taken  and it nearly always leads to more searching and talking and talking and it is very frustrating!!  This week I did not find the 8 one dollar bills but I did find a belly button ring, a game boy, a walmart gift card.... see the questions that come from ONE person taking 8 one dollar bills?!!

We all sat at Ryan's scrimmage yesterday.  Beautiful weather, fun times. I love days like that!  Sam fumed the whole time.  We got in the van to go pick up Tasha from cheer practice and Sam said, "3 hours WASTED!!!"  He then jumped on five people for silly things in the next 3 minutes.  No joke.  Sam wears his emotions on his sleeve...or lips as the case may be.  We had a talk when w arrived home. I explained to Sam that our time watching a brother or sister play was never wasted, but ball season was here and we would be doing lots of game watching.  I told him, "Go do whatever it takes to wrap your understanding around the fact that we are watching games and you are going to be nice."  Hope that works.

Lets hope he figures it out.  Sam is not in a very abiding mood.  He isn't following through with his behavior papers, he isn't using good hygiene, he is basically just doing what he wants and doesn't care.....its a stinky mess!  Really:)

I had a daughter order a iphone 4s.  They called to talk to her and Scott quickly put that down.  He smiled as he said, "Tell Isabella her iphone 4s isn't going to arrive." I did.  She looked  Gotta wonder what these kids are thinking?

My favorite funny of the week was appropriately worded by Tasha at the dinner table, " The truth will set you free....it will also come back to haunt you!!"  True, very true.  Although the haunting only happens when the truth brings to light an indiscretion.

Mercedez spent the week in Nashville at the Orpyland Hotel.  She was competing with her FCCLA group.

Above with the other girls on the trip.  Below with a boy I have never seen and wearing a dress I have never seen either!  I would guess it was from a friend (the dress that is....our dresses don't typically look like that).

I know I'm in a slump when I sit at three ball fields last night and intentionally did not bring my camera. 

 In part because during that "search" this week Scott found one child with way too much money in his wallet.  He said it was for band fundraisers.  Scott (being pretty smart and awesome about these things) said, "Ok, give me the money and I will write Mrs Hafley a check."  He did and for three days we asked if he gave that check to Mrs Hafley?  He kept "forgetting".  On the second day we took the rest of the money in his wallet into protective custody (aka...dad banks it and it is "safe" but mostly we know this son has NO money and it is easier to keep up with the stories).  Scott was traveling yesterday and called to say Mrs Halfey returned his call. 

I sat beside that son at the ball field, no one was around, and said, "Mrs Hafley called dad back today."  There was no reply.  I waited for a while and said, "What do you think she said?" No reply.  I asked, "Do you think she said the money was hers?"   He looked over and said, "no".  I waited about 10 minutes and asked, "Why would you lie about that?  You knew we would find out."  No reply, so I followed with "Where exactly did the money come from?".  He quickly said, "I found it laying in the yard". Apparently we have a money tree in the yard....one that produces $20 bills!  I said no more....but texted Scott with the conversation.  One of the greatest parts of my journey as a mother is having Scott with me as the father!  He is funny (to me, perhaps not to the kids).  He said to send that son into the yard to find us some more money, that would be building trust if he came back with more "found" money.  :)  I laughed and told him that son might have a stash somewhere so that might not be a good idea...that and the fact that we were at the ball field so we weren't; home to search.  Scott makes me laugh...I love having that person who realizes the seriousness and at the same time finds humor.

Also this week, Jacob's best friend Tyler was in a horrible Easter evening accident with two children of one of Scott's co-workers (and our dear friend).  Tyler fractured his neck and is badly cut.  Sabas (the other passenger and brother of the driver) broke a pinkie but suffered brain trauma. He is still in the hospital and is not responsive, and has now acquired pneumonia.  All are hopeful, prayerful that he will recover. His sister, who was driving, is fine.  Perhaps the hardest of all is the be the one "fine".  It has been a tough week.

So, my slump is situational...but  tonight Lilly Kate is bringing her parents to Mimi and Papa's to spend the night.  A sweet end to a lumpy kind of week.

And Seth would say this is a great way to end the week too...he's going to eat Mexican and then go to the movie to see "you know those three funny guys you used to watch when you were a kid?"  lol:)  The Three Stooges, Seth is right on  with that description.