Musings--Easter and Family

This is the first Easter 

that I have been part of my Ohio grandchildren's Easter.

(Maybe I can be part of  the Texas ones after I retire.)

Easter is my favorite holiday for many reasons,

but it has been 'dampened' for a long while.

Last year I wrote in the last half of a post

about "why I don't like Easter."

I realized  yesterday that I had been holding on to a hurt

and resentment towards my ex and his wife in one area--

Easter.

Unlike Thanksgiving and Christmas

where I readily agree to celebrating

 before or after the holiday

instead of on it,

 I never thought of doing that at Easter.

Granted,  when Doug was married to Mindy,

their Easter weekend was packed full;

however, if I had made a point of having a celebration,

Doug would have made sure they came.

Well the ex and his wife spent Easter in Florida

this year

and his step-brother took his little girl down for a visit,

so Doug was at a bit of a loss.

Enter Mike and me

and a Saturday evening Easter dinner

with an egg hunt afterwards.

Keep in mind, though, that we could not have had 

an egg hunt at our previous home.

Well, I take that back---we could have hidden them 

in and around our neighbor's junk and to- be-repaired cars!

Ha!

(His business is auto body work).

I'll  do a brief commentary on the pics.

Lined up and ready to hunt.

 Dillon and Addy take off together.

(Peyton went in the opposite direction.)

We tried to get Addy to split from Dillon,

because he was beating her to an egg every time,

but she wouldn't listen at first. 

I spotted Dillon through the budding forsythia bush.

I like how Dillon has his tongue sticking out in this photo ---he's really concentrating.

 We finally separated Addy from Dillon and helped her find some eggs.

I posed them on the back porch swing for pictures.
Dillon, Peyton, and Addison (Addy)

                    Here's my wonderful son with his great kids.

Doug has a new girlfriend and she is very nice. She is a lot younger which bothers him, but not her or her
parents.  As for me, I think the numeral does not matter-it's in the inherent maturity than can be found at any age. . . or not.  His last one was closer to his age,but had not grown up yet.

I debated about showing this pic

because of my gut that's showing,

but decided to anyway.

It is what it is and I am who I am.

 They took their 'loot' back in the house and began to open the eggs and discover the treasures.

Peyton always goes off to a side,

but the two younger ones stick together like glue.

There is only two years between each of them,

but Peyton is a 'wise old one' and has been from 'toddlerhood'.

 The Easter Bunny met up with their dad at the YMCA  and gave them their baskets since they would be at their mom's house on Easter.   They were thrilled.  The Easter bunny is much more economical at their dad's house, but that doesn't seem to bother them.  He concentrates on one or two main items and then fills in with little things. They each got a toy or game that they wanted and flip flops or sneakers.

Their dad was happy that they were happy.

Corner View: Something to Celebrate

My Ohio grandkids' elementary school has

Grandparents Day during which they have "something to celebrate" -

 their grandpaprents.

It is usually in late March or early April.

This is the first year that Mike and I could attend.

It was wonderful!!!

The place was jammed packed full 

of proud grandparents.

The theme was "Footsteps."

The principal. who was quite funny,

talked about how

our grandkids observe us 

and follow in our footsteps.

 First grader Addison singing in her group and at the her table in her classroom.

 Second grader Dillon making us crack up as he tried to follow the motions to the song.
He asked us if we wanted to go on a scavenger hunt in his room, and of course, we did.  The first task was to introduce us to his teacher and shy Dillon did a great introduction.
Another highlight was showing us his favorite book.

 Fifth grader Peyton.
She also danced in both programs, but I wasn't able to get a good picture of that---too many 'old folks' heads! Ha!
All three were thrilled to see Grandpa Mike.  They didn't know he was coming.

Above is a photo of the finale for the 3-5 grades.

They are each holding up two footsteps.

It was in the afternoon;

 the k-2 was in the morning -- 

an all-day event with a 2-hr. break so they could have lunch.

Today was a terrific day --- definitely something to celebrate!

For more views on things to celebrate

visit Francesca's Fuoriborgo.

Weekly Musings--Spring and Daffodils

Spring is a time of wonder

for me.

How anyone can witness the unfolding of spring

after the 'deadness' of winter

(especially one as brutal as this one)

mystifies me.

This spring I am experiencing a double wonder

as I discover what the previous owners planted.

The 'green-thumber' was the husband.

I  don't agree with a lot of what he did,

but I am loving the daffodils

he planted on the fringes of the land.

The above picture is between two bushes

in front of the living room's big window.

I'm not sure what they are yet,

but am looking forward to the revelation!

The forsythia bushes are beginning to bud.

I have brought spring inside.

I bought some fake daffodils

before I realized how much of the real stuff I would have.

All the photos here feature freshly cut blooms.

The fake ones have been relegated to a corner

where the cat would spill the real ones.

Next to last 'big' test is today and tomorrow for my juniors.

If I'm tired of creating, giving, and grading them,

just imagine how the kids feel.

I call this teaching to a test in conjunction with the new common core curriculum

as 'the dumbing down of America'.

Just saying.

I hope this week has begun well for you

and you will continue to find many blessings

interwoven in the days.

Corner View:Rejuvenation

 I love flowers.

I love receiving flowers.

I do not see that it is money wasted to send fresh flowers,

because they give so much joy 

even though they eventually are thrown out.

Receiving flowers never ceases to rejuvenate me.

No matter what, I perk up and feel better

if only for awhile---

but that 'while' is savored and remembered.

Here are some bouquets

and portion of bouquets sent me last year.

For more on rejuvenation, hop on over to Francesca's.

Monday Musings

My husband's family has new members.

His two nieces and his nephew(his girlfriend)

have had babies recently.

The oldest is Avery.

She is 8 months old

and newly baptized.

They had the ceremony this past Saturday 

evening with family and friends present.

There was dinner in the church hall

afterwards.

The pic below was taken 

after a flood of tears

when the pastor took her

and gently laid his hand with a tiny bit of water

on her head.

Oh my, did she get mad!

Chad, Avery, and Kelly

Chad's mom, Robyn is the middle sis of Mike.

Aunt Ruth with baby Tucker.

His cousin Taylin looks on.

Tucker belongs to Megan, the daughter 

of Mike's older sister.

We got to meet two other babies

at Taylin's 3rd birthday party.

  Taylin and Kinsley belong to  Elizabeth,

the daughter of Amy, Mike's youngest sister.

Below is her sister Kinsley.

Here, Taylin's cousin Jenner 

watches with his mom Carli.

His Aunt Jill holds his baby brother (name starts with a J,

but I can't remember it.)

     I didn't hold any of the babies.

I used to take my turn,

but now find that it is physically uncomfortable--

my shoulders, neck, and arms will ache

for quite awhile afterwards.

Were they my grandchildren,

I'd gladly bear the discomfort,

but they are not.

 Besides, their grandmothers and aunts 

were there  

to gladly take a turn.

Aunt Ruth turned 85 yesterday.

Mike, two of his sisters, and I

had a pizza and ice cream cake supper

complete with flowers, balloons,

and other gifts.

She was pleased.

(She lives in Emerald Point,

an assisted living center here.)

Last week's  Ohio PARCC testing

went much better than we had dared hope for.

The first day was rocky,

as 30 of our computers

froze midtest and it was a problem

with the test and not our computers.

A few kids got bumped out

but we were able to get them back in.

Only two kids got themselves booted out

by hitting the wrong button and moving ahead.

That's not bad out of  80 students.

I had the best of my 4 classes---

my  Advanced English I, 8th period.

They were wonderful.

Now this week is scheduling for next year.

My thoughts --- on education and fracking beside our park lake.

Thoughts.

I miss writing here, but often am not sure what to say

or whether to say it or how to say it or to just stay hidden.

It has been one of the roughest winters for me

physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Nothing that cannot be worked through,

which I am doing.

Spring is teasing us

and winter must really love us,

because he just won't let go!

 Or no, wait, that's possession obsession,

isn't it?

We begin a week of PARCC. It is the new test

that Ohio is saying it is going with.

It is supposed to be in place next year,

but I guess, the powers to be are reconsidering.

  Whatever they decide, 

you can bet

new hoops 

will be designed

for us

 to jump through.

 Yes, sir!

How high, sir!

To the moon, you say?  Yes and then some.

Where? In your substandard computer labs.

Never mind that you don't  have enough computers!

 When? Soon.

But while we're deciding, have your freshmen

take a preview test.

Let it take up four mornings of class time.

Oh, we're sorry---did you say you were busy teaching?

Don't let a little thing like that bother you!

Your kids will be happy to be guinea pigs. . . 

all for the sake of better education.

(No. Because someone wants to make even more money

redesigning 'the wheel'.)

 How?  Take these work shops.  Invest lots of money. . .

oh and lots of time, blood, sweat, and tears,

and you might figure it out.

 Our job is to only appear to be helping.  After all,

we are incredibly busy designing new hoops!

Why?  Didn't you learn anything

 from your parents? Because we said so!

Now get going!

March!

Two teachers, the librarian, the guidance counselor and I 

will be administering PARCC all this coming week.

Hmmm, administering.  Sounds sinister.

Me thinks it just might be!

More thoughts:

If a powerful seven-men committee has their way,

a huge pad for a fracking drill

will be placed up the hill to the left I think.

It will be very near our town park.

The men and equipment 

will destroy our hiking paths.

We pray, that's all.

After all, that isn't just any lake you see.

It's our reserve water supply!

But, hey, they'll be careful!
Yeah, let's ask those folks in WVa
what they think.
(They still haven't fully recovered from a major leak
that made their water unusable for anything.)