The week is almost over!!!

It's been a busy one, the priority, Alex's birthday party to be held this evening, Alex having cheer leading tryouts and awaiting the posting of the teams, and of course, my very slow recovery and still not right feeling trying to get through all of this! Don't you just love life sometimes!

But the big news!!!!

Alex made the Freshman Winter Fall Squad for Cheer leading.

This is a big deal, competition was tight, a lot of girls trying out and Alex lacks years of competitive tumbling, dance and cheer, we played soccer. She took a few tumbling classes, but for the most part, she was not as experienced as a lot of the other girls trying out. She will be taking back handspring classes now to get this right, I am coming to understand this is one important cheer skill. She can do it on Kelsey's bed, when being spotted or on a trampoline, its her confidence that needs building, I have no doubts she will have it mastered before her season.

The posting of the squads was interesting, here are all us parents sitting in the parking lot at 10pm, the girls huddled around a door awaiting to see if they will post them tonight, most are in their tryout outfits still (shorts & t-shirts) freezing. Alex had plans with 5 other girls to spend the night at her friends house, she had gone to the posting with someone else, never asking if mom wanted to come. But I was worried, if she didn't make it would she truly want to go spend the night with a bunch of girls that might have? I drove to the high school, parked and waited. Roughly 10:10pm, you could see the activity at the door, and then they began to file out, some cheering loudly, others not so much. But where was Alex, finally I saw her, neither looking dejected, nor elated...okay this is tough. I watch, not wanting to intrude, finally she begins to walk back to the friend's car, I get out and sit on the front my hood, she doesn't see me, still I can't tell what has occurred from her mannerisms, and it is dark. I call out to her, she looks up, screams Mom, obviously elated I am there and shouts ' I made it!', relief floods over me, good for her! For all the pain I may suffer, it is moments like these I hope remain with me forever.

Congratulations Alex, mom is proud of you!

There is evidence another teenager has been inhabiting the house, we have seen this strange mysteriously elusive creature on occasion or hear its call as it moves through house.

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

Happy Birthday My Baby Girl!!

Now Fourteen!
All images are self-potraits, she is pretty handy with a camera.

This is killing me some, she is now full teenager, ready to enter High School in the fall
and growing into a beautiful young lady.

Alex spent her birthday at the High School Cheerleading tryouts, I attended at 7:30 for a meeting, as the 'rules' of tryouts and the alike were being told to us parents, I now know I am no longer in the easy going culture of soccer, this is going to be interesting.

Promptly after the meeting, we headed off to Olive Garden for dinner, Kelsey's boyfriend, his sister (also Alex's best friend) and their mother joined us. It was a late night, Alex was happy and I went straight to bed, it was still hard sitting for to long and my poor belly, still bloated and burned let me know it wasn't particularly happy as well.

I hate when I am right....

As predicted Monday, the week went downhill from there. Still not feeling 100%, I went and dealt with work (yes dealt), ran the kids and came home and died. I got out Wednesday night, but was home pretty early. Up early and working on Thursday, my day to work from home, I was accomplishing lots, but that pain in my abdomen was making me take notice, pop some ibuprofen and on I go.

Had a lunch date and by the time I got home, the pain was really starting to kick in. Okay, on to the next drug in the cabinet so I can at least finish the day's work. At the stroke of 4:30pm, I was down, in pain and raiding all pain killers from my cabinet and a heating pad just to get some relief. Friday, I did attempt to go to work, drugs in system and heating pad in hand, it didn't work, I was so dizzy and feverish I left after 4 hours and talk to my parents all the way home just to keep me focused so I could make it there. It was from this point I proceeded through the weekend in and out of a waking state, sweating and mostly sleeping.

The girls, bless them, handles their schedules, transportation, laundry, cleaned and more. I did take Alex to her last indoor game on Saturday wearing the biggest clothes I have, by now I added burns to my belly from using the heating pad so much. The game was good, Alex played really well but we ended up losing in the end by 2, it would of been nice to have won since it was against her old team, but they had to really work for it and the girls played a good game, they just got a couple of breaks.

The other kicker to all this out of world experience, it was an absolutely beautiful weekend, high in the 80s and I should of been out in the gardens cleaning, weeding and getting them ready for their spring displays, and I still have those plants from the garden show to get in. Except Saturday, I never saw much of the light of day.

Now feeling only slightly better, the pain is manageable I have to start some things to get ready for the week ahead. First priority, Alex's birthday is tomorrow, I will now be a proud parent of a 14 year old.

Drama Llama rears its head....

Watch out it may get you too.....

Wednesday evening brought on some poker drama at the bar, 'ya see, we play games (gin rummy, euchre, more hold-em, russia poker) after we are off the regular game, there is sometimes $$ associated with these games. If caught, the bar would be in trouble, that whole illegal gambling thing and all. For this, no money is ever brought out while at the table, and no one is supposed to be seen exchanging money. This went well until what I understand about a month ago, the owner caught money on the table and declared no more card playing after the regular game, I was not there so the next time I was there, it was like nothing happened other than no gambling was being done, no problem, I am there for the cards and friends anyway.

Well, this evening we were not gambling we were playing cards. The owner had been unhappy of late of these after games, especially when a certain friend of ours was involved, well this evening he went ballistic, testosterone laden comments fell all around, people walking out, etc....and here we sit going (kinda embarrassed) - what brought this all on? We left and were all chatting out front, well out comes the guy that runs the league at this bar followed by the owner and then 2 bouncers, comments of suck something and the alike ensued. The owner, a little hothead anyway, muttering to himself thinking he took care of him....

And then it hit me, life a force, I had to say something, I had to force this little (place any word here) that as an owner of a bar, it maybe sometimes warranted to use this type of language and manner, but at that time it was very uncomfortable for all of us standing there. So what did I do, I called him out on it in a nice calm voice and explained to him as his customers we were not all aware of what brought any of this on and we didn't feel it was appropriate to treat us in this manner, especially since we are regulars to his establishment every Wednesday.

He had backup. Seeing me speak up, one of his bouncers decided to fluff himself behind the owner. I know what you are thinking, big strong me can take out a terrier of a man who routinely weight lifts and has arms the size of coffee cans, yeah that's right I'm bad. Well after noticing I am sorta giggling at this guy behind him, the owner whips around to see his bouncer all fluffed up and ready to take me down, he promptly told him to get inside...now that was fun watching big man on campus get scolded like a child and told to get to his room.

After talking more, I got what I wanted, an apology from the owner for how he treated the group of us when his concerns and issues was with one individual. I went home happy....

I don't like Mondays!!

A long busy weekend, I spent it driving over 350+ miles going to soccer games, events, home, etc. In between it was St. Pattys Day where it is required to celebrate right? With several invitations and the kids schedule butting up against all of them, I didn't get out until 11pm, course I did take a small moment to shower, slather lotion and nap for 20 minutes, thank god I did ~ up early again Sunday to be at a soccer game at 7am, the sun was at least out, but that is about all I can say.

Sunday was also the day the Garden Show closed meaning Marla and I needed to be at the fairgrounds at 6pm to pick up our plants and urn purchased earlier. It was NUTS, people grabbing plants from the displays, how much, how many, exhibitors trying to break down displays and the alike. I quickly thought and we started at the top of the hall, bringing 'additional' purchases down to be stacked by her urn, this worked well, the workers for the urn company ended up hauling all our stuff out to the car and load it, let's just say we managed to fill up the back end of a suburban. The plants are now awaiting their final plantings (or resting place) in my gardens, let it get just a tad warmer, they will be there.

Which brings me to this lovely Monday morning, which greeted me with a 100+ temperature, back pain and no voice. I called in to work sick and headed back to bed, it was around 3pm my fever finally broke but I was left exhausted and having some slight belly bloat, a premonition of what was to come?

As many know, when you are a single mom, life doesn't stop just cause you are sick, I got up feeling a little better and took care of their needs, promptly back into bed by 9pm and awake again at 11pm....the week isn't looking up at this point.

Indianapolis Home & Garden Show