Last Day of School Drop-Off!

Today, as I dropped my 5th graders off at elementary school for the last time, I shed tears of joy…that I never have to go through the car rider drop-off lane at school ever again. I have endured a lot of foolishness from other parents over the last six years. Here are some of my nemeses:

1. The “Expert” Parker Parent – This parent believes they can save so much time by backing into a parking space. The rest of the car line backs up clear around the circle while this person stops, slowly backs in, pulls forward to straighten out, backs in again, pulls forward one more time, backs in again…
2. The Lipstick Smudge Parent – This parent (usually a mom…but not always) has a PDA routine that rivals a superstitious Major League Baseball player coming up to bat. Before their child (or God forbid, children) can exit the car, there is the extended hug and backrub, followed by a minimum of two kisses on each cheek and one on the forehead.
3. The Red Carpet Parent – This parent will only let their child out of the car when they can park directly in the crosswalk in front of the school doors. Never mind that there are a dozen cars behind them and 30 feet of open curb beyond the crosswalk. Their child is just more important than yours.
4. The Secret Service Agent Parent – This parent will not move their car until they have seen their child pass through the doors of the school. If your child cannot make the 20-foot journey from the curb to the doors safely, maybe park and walk them in.
5. The “Procrastinators Breed Procrastinators” Parent – This parent’s child is putting the finishing touches on the homework they didn’t do the night before, and now that mom or dad has got the car in park, it’s time for them to sign all the assignment books, returned tests, behavior charts, report cards, and permission slips (after we take a few moments to read them for the first time, of course).
6. The Paratrooper Parent – Otherwise known as the awesome parent, this person (who bears a striking resemblance to me) slides the van door open as he comes to a rolling stop, shouting GO! GO! GO! as his children clutch their bags and execute a textbook drop and roll onto the curb. “Have a great day at school kids! Knowledge is power!” he says, as he accelerates away (providing he is not behind any of Parents #1-5 above).

Baltimore

The week before last I attended the ATTACH Conference in Baltimore, along with the rest of the Adoption Assistance, Inc. staff.  My boss is always so good to take our entire staff to a large training every fall.  I've been able to attend great workshops that help me as a mom, as well as an adoption caseworker.

The view of the harbor from my hotel room

Walking around downtown

'

The USS Constallation

A submarine!

I had to include pictures of some of the yummy food we ate.  

Crab cakes above and chocolate cake below that I split with my friend Lisa.

All calorie counting is out when the Adoption Assistance staff gets together!

I forget the name of this but it was awesome!
Pasta with lobster and shrimp

The most amazing Surf and Turf I've ever had.

Look at that shrimp...its as big as my hand!

And another amazing dessert...peanut butter pie with chocolate pearls on top and a fried banana & chocolate sauce on the side.

Dogshaming

I saw this link on F*cebook and had to pass it on.  If you need a laugh, check it out.

Crop Duster

The kids and I are spending a few days in Indiana visiting the fam and a crop duster flew over my sister Jen's house.  Totally fascinating! (don't worry, he's not dusting the field the kids are standing in.)

Happy Little Clouds

One of my fondest memories from childhood was watching Bob Ross on PBS paint happy little clouds. I don't really know why this is such a fond memory but he was always so positive in his thinking and I guess it left a mark on me.  I'm assuming we would watch Bob Ross because my sister Jen was really into painting for a while but honestly, I don't remember.  Anyways, if you were a Bob Ross fan too...this video is for you.

Black Friday Prank

Had to share this!

First World Problems

We have been trying with mixed results to teach ourselves and our children to be happy with and thankful for what we have and not get torqued up about things that we don't have or situations that don't go our way. There's a thing going around the internet called "First World Problems." (In other words, "crises" that one does not experience in a developing country.) It has become a bit of a joke at our house as we try to teach each other that our problems are not really that big of a deal. (This morning when packing my lunch, I lamented, "I don't have any cold Dr. Pepper!" And Amy replied, "First world problems!") After the jump, see some more examples of "First World Problems":

Happy Mother's Day

A classic...definitely worth watching again in honor of Mother's Day on Sunday:

The Breakfast Song

As a brief break from pictures of kids, check out this video. I'm thinking of adding this song to my repertoire...

This Is Your Kid on Drugs

For those of you who think this blog has gone all serious for court week, I give you this video. This poor kid had dental surgery, and his dad was ornery enough to video tape him after he woke up. And put it on YouTube where the entire world can see. Awesome.

A Little Mountain Ingenuity

Amy is sometimes amazed at my ability to fix things or install stuff. I'm pretty sure it comes from my Appalachian heritage...when you grow up without money, you learn to make do. For example:

Mansion

Penthouse

Hottub

Tree Swing

Bass Boat

Camping Grill

Riding Lawn Mower

Limo

Root Cellar / Emergency Shelter

Flower Garden

Cruise Ship

David Phelps Concert

The picture isn't very good, but we had a great time last night at a David Phelps Christmas concert in Ashland, KY. Amy had a couple of home visits with adopting families in Ashland, so we took advantage of that to go hear one of our favorite singers. The concert was in the beautiful Paramont Theater in dowtown Ashland. It was a late night (we're getting old), but the music was great, and we had a wonderful time.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with David Phelps, here is a sample:

I Could Watch This Over and Over...

Listen for the magic sound at the 10-second mark, then wait for it...wait for it...

Keep Your Options Open

Caesar Likes to Rest His Chin

Caesar enjoying a cool September morning on the porch

I Don't Know Why I Find This So Funny...

...but I do. It's hilarious. I think even more so, because very few people call a stove a "range" these days.

Missed Dunks

Here is a great video of missed dunks from the pros down to the amateurs...alternate title could be "Matt Kinnell: The High School Years"

Snowmen

One of my all-time favorite cartoons (second only to the Far Side) was the wonderful Calvin & Hobbes. And my favorite part of Calvin & Hobbes was the snowmen that Calvin built every winter. Well, some beautiful soul has posted a whole bunch of the Calvin snowmen here: http://www.angelfire.com/wa/zzaran/calvin.html. Classic!

A House Divided

Today Amy's Giants played Matt's 49ers...a little friendly rivalry. Giants won. (Matt says "booo.")

Crazy Video

I didn't see anything like this when I was in Africa. This may be the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Stick with it to the end...it's a happy ending I promise.