Playing Cat and Mouse

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The girl:

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Her piece:

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Her performance:

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Check, check

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I think I've figured out why kids break up into isolated groups in high school: jocks, artsie's, brains. Eventually a kid has to choose what he likes best, and I suppose there he makes his friends.

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This week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, Steven worked from 9am to 6pm (9pm on Thursday) as the sound tech for the school play. In the middle, on Wednesday, he went to Track & Field Divisionals for hurdles and the 200-metre sprint. Meanwhile his classes marched on without him, so he spent evenings and into the nights doing school work he normally would have done in class.

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Steve told me he knows he's had a busy week because he has no idea of what the standings are in the play-offs.

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Me: Which play-offs? (But I didn't think to wonder until after he'd gone to bed, so I don't know the answer. Basketball? Hockey? Both? Is it even still basketball or hockey season? I'm proud to say I know it isn't football season.)

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Chloe wrote her own skipping poem:

Chocolate, chocolate in a s'more!

How many marshmallows did you score?

(Hot pepper) 1, 2, 3, 4 . . .

One Hundred Pounds

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Steven delivered 100 pounds of aluminum pull-tabs to the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta today. (The boy only weights 90 pounds himself.)
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This year Steven headed up a school-wide project to collect tabs from beverage cans for the RMHSA. The House sells the tabs (which are worth more than the aluminum can they were pulled from!) to West-Can Recycling and uses the money to support the programs at the House. To motivate the students in his school, Steven set up bi-monthly contests with prizes for the classes that collected the most tabs during each contest period. The competition seemed to work well because the receptionist at the Ronald McDonald House was a little shocked by so many tabs from a single source. Our school did us proud.
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For Steven, initiating and leading this project means he has 22 hours completed towards his Chief Scout Award - he'll continue the project in the 2009-2010 school year to finish his hours.
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(It's been great to do the scouting thing with Steven, and yet at the same time, I'm glad to have only one son.)

Mother's Day

Our ward has a tradition of passing out a token of appreciation to all of the mothers after sacrament meeting. We always receive a package of 3 Lindor chocolates.
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Today after I got my box of chocolates Carmen said to me, "If there were 4 chocolates in that box you'd give them to us, right?"

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I totally would.

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(Good thing there's only 3.)

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How preoccupied I've been

I was going to try to write a post this afternoon, but blogging got bumped by napping. Blogging's been bumped by a lot of things lately.

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Like trying to decide if I should buy myself a second copy of my current favorite t-shirt so that when my belt wears a hole in the one I have now, I'll have another one. It's a blue baseball shirt with navy blue sleeves. No photo today, but I'm sure I'll get a photo of it sooner or later. Especially if I buy another one.

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Or on Tuesday how I spent the afternoon doing ironing, mending, and alterations. I bought this really cute girls' dress that was on clearance at Winners, but it was size 16. I managed to take it apart and cut it down to fit Carmen. I'm so proud of myself.

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I've been working more. We're short-staffed right now and I keep getting sucked into taking on extra days. (I'm trying not to complain about it too much considering the economy.) My general attitude when I agree to extra work days is that I'm doing my office a huge favor - then I remind myself that they are paying me.

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Jaclyn had an opportunity to accompany a friend of her's in a music festival. Maddi competed in a solo vocal class and was awarded a 90. The adjudicator took the time to praise the use of a pianist rather than recorded accompaniment, which was nice for Jaclyn to get some recognition on the side, considering it wasn't about her. Maddi expressed her appreciation with a $50 i-tunes gift card which I'm betting has been completely redeemed by now.

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Steven finished school badminton season. He and his doubles partner, Mitchell, made it to quarterfinals for their division which Steven was mildly disappointed to lose. Worse yet was that with badminton over he was once again without a sport. The boy needs exercise, competition, and male companionship. He needs sports. So we bought him a junior membership at the golf course near our home and now he can walk over whenever he wants, which judging from this week should be all the time.
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Carmen and Chloe's choir has pretty much wrapped up for the year. They had their final rehearsal last week (followed by a celebratory trip to The Chocolate Bar) and their final concert for the year was tonight. Carmen is so serious and sincere about her choir performances. Chloe is such a clown. I tried to make a quick get-away after the concert but I still had someone catch up to me as I was pulling out of the parking lot who wanted to comment on Chloe's antics. I was secretly hoping I was the only one who noticed Chloe's facial expressions because everyone else was busy watching their own child. Guess not.

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On the field Chloe's enthusiasm is her greatest asset. She's happy to be on the blue team again! Last year they were the Blue Rock Stars. This year they are the Bluebirds.

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And finally, I just want to say how great it is to have big kids. Ken went on an 80 kilometer bike ride on Saturday while Jaclyn did this:

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She got the grass in the backyard all raked and bagged! My Grandpa N used to say something about kids growing up just to where they're useful, and then they move away. Actually in the case of girls I think he said something about a 'long face' coming along and taking them away.