Words of wisdom from Ben

Teenager Mum:
Ben:  Wow Mum, you look really young today.  You look like a teenager.  Honestly Mum, you look really young.  How old are you?  52?  No, really you look like you are 48......
Me:  Thanks, Ben

Love in the Sack:
Ben & I were driving in the car and he was playing tunes on his computer.
Ben:  I call this one "Love in the Sack"
Me: Love in the Sack, huh?
He plays his tune....
Ben:  And I call this one "Waking Memories"....
He starts singing along with the music
Me (thinking):  Thank goodness he wasn't singing words to Love in the Sack

Priceless conversations!!!!

Scene 1:  Sam & I are in the kitchen, Maggie is in her room.
Me:  I've lost one set of headphones
Sam:  Have you checked Maggie's room?  Everything tends to end up in there
Maggie (vehemently from her room):  Muuuummm.  I don't have your stinking headphones!!!!

Scene 2:  I pick Ben and Xavier up from school after a skiing field trip
Ben:  That was the best field trip, ever!!!  I am a great skier
Xavier:  I'm going to have my next birthday party at Hidden Valley
Me:  Xavier, just exactly when is your birthday?
Xavier:  June 29th
Me:  Xavier, it's likely to be 100 degrees on your birthday.  How can you have a ski party?
Xavier:  It's not real snow, it's artificial.....

Rock Hill Church

The church on the corner of Manchester and McKnight is in danger of being lost.  It would be really sad to see it go.  I really think it's a building worth saving, but I don't think Rock Hill has the resources to do it.  I hope I am wrong
http://www.savetherockhillchurch.org/index.html

MLK weekend

We had a nice long 3 day weekend. The weather started off pretty cold on Saturday and appropriately, we went to the ice festival in the loop.  We had never been before, not even when we lived close to there.  Even though it was chilly, there were loads of people there.  Ben was having a sleepover with Jan & Julie, so we just had Maggie with us.  We left Maggie with a friend of hers in Fitz's and so Sam & I walked around on our own a little bit.  Honestly, I thought it was a bit disappointing & really just another excuse to drink!!!!

I went to see Girl with a Dragon Tattoo on Saturday night.   Went with one of Maggie's friend's mothers and Sam stayed home with the girls & played hide-and-seek and monopoly with them-he really is a saint!!!!
We had a weekend filled with the City Museum since we went on both Sunday and Monday.  We went with different sets of friends on each day and were in different places each day, so it didn't even feel like being in the same place at all.  I did really well with resisting their pizza, cookies and lattes on both days, just watched the kids enjoying themselves!!!

Spent a long time in the World Aquarium with Maggie, she especially loves the doctor fish eating the dead skin off her hands-I can't bear it myself......

Here's Maggie with the sloth......

All-in-all a good weekend filled with a lot of fun. By the end of Monday it was in the mid 60s. The weather is really swinging back and forth these days!!!!

Driving in Winter weather

I saw Ben's 4th grade teacher at school today and he told me that he immediately thought of me when he got up and saw the snow yesterday morning.  I said that I had been very careful driving to work both yesterday and today.  I don't think I have really thought about my accident much, but as soon as the weather got bad this Winter, I immediately started thinking about what happened last February.  Luckily, I really don't ever drive on that part of the highway any more, so it's not like I am reminded about it every day.
The dangers of driving in Winter were brought home to me this morning.  My friend Dayln's daughter was killed yesterday evening.  She lost control of the car, crossed the median and hit an 18 wheeler coming the other way.  Dalyn is a wonderful, caring person.  Dalyn is the lady in Wisconsin that took Daniel for respite care a few years ago and Daniel lived with them for 4 months.  She did a lot to try and help Daniel, but things did not work out for them.  I am so sad for her.

Jan's photos from the meet

Jan took a bunch of pictures at the meet. They were all so good that I couldn't cut down the number any more than this...
I tried to put them in the order of the events he did.  This was part of his floor routine-great action shot

This is Sam's favourite-I think this is the most difficult thing that they have to do...

Ben has improved significantly on the pommel horse

Great landing!!!!

This was his vault

Love this picture!!!!

Ring routine-this is my favourite

I was talking to Molly at the meet and I said, "I always wonder what Paul is saying to him.  Is he giving him encouragement or is he saying, you'd better do well, or else".  I asked Ben after what Paul was saying and he said "Get this right or I'll take you out and run you over".  That's what I suspected, those boys have a great relationship and sense of humor.  Paul loves his car, I don't think he'd risk a dent in it so I think we're pretty safe!!!!

Doesn't Ben look really happy here?

Ben won first place for the parallel bars. It's his best routine but he says floor is his favourite.

5 medals and a trophy!!!!

This is what Jan teaches and you can tell-I love this picture.  Making copies for everyone!!!!

Winter has arrived

After a really mild Winter and many days of temperatures in the 50s, the prediction was for cold and snow today. Guess what, they were right!!!!! We have snow today and it's 25 degrees instead of 56 yesterday. Ben will be upset because there's not enough for the schools to be closed!!!

It was so cold, the wind around the building was blowing snow into my face as I walked into work, but this greeted me when I walked into my office.

I bought this plant at Trader Joe's in the Summer and all the buds dropped off it. It was a real failure, but the leaves were so green and healthy looking and I couldn't bear to throw it away. 6 months later, it's going to be spectacular!!!! It will definitely cheer up the next few days.....