Astronomical Wines Event

Just some laid back fun!

The Pink Palace Museum threw a little fundraiser last night. Alcohol and a planetarium show are a great combination! The food was good, the wine was perfect. Robin and Greg loved the vodka teas.

My dear friends and, of course, my good looking man there!

Middle school is a total loss. Burn it down. Start over.

I just have one question? Is there anyone in the county school system who has spent a single day in a REAL business meeting?

We had middle school orientation the other night, and I am pretty convinced now that it is the blind leading the blind there.

FIRST, orientation was two weeks after the first day of school. Maybe they don't understand what orientation is? Maybe they don't know the definition of the word? Either way... strike one.

So we get up there are they are doing a ppt presentation about the process and procedures for interacting with the school. The woman talking couldn't project her voice out of her own shadow, so I sat there a listened to her mumble for 15 minutes.

Then, this almost made me yell at her, she "dismissed" us so we could go to the classrooms. How old do you think I am?

I am here for you to impress me. What are your test results? What is the racial make up of the school? What is the teacher ratios and book fund look like?

Instead she wanted to make sure that we got the grading folders back on Thursdays! Some of the parents had questions, which she couldn't answer, so we waited until someone could go fetch another teacher that could. Way to impress!

So we are DISMISSED and we walk all the way down to the classrooms and they are locked. Go figure! They didn't want us there to begin with! The teacher tells us to meet with the other teachers while she goes and gets the key so Tom I just walked out of the school.

They want parents to volunteer to help out at the school. Tell you want, I will volunteer, but only if I can run the entire orientation program next year.

So the ambulance just left and I am fully consciousness again and the first thing I do? Get on my blog and record this dear diary moment.

I just got THE bomb dropped on me. My little princess, in all of her innocence just informed me that she is giving me permission for Tom and I to get married so we can make her a baby brother.

Upon questioning her, it seems that she just wants another brother and doesn't really want Tom and I to get married. She is just smart enough to realize one is not happening without the other. Whew! At least we got that lesson!!

But the plot thickens....

Prince is also ALL ABOUT having a baby brother! Counting the dogs, Callie and Maya, testosterone is in short supply in our house. Seems the lizards, Spike and Thadius don't factor into this equation.

So let's review, two for baby brother, two so totally freaked out we don't know where to submit the NO ballot.

Feeling at little put on the spot, Tom and I try to explain that we are investing all our time, energy and love into just them. That they are our focus. The kids were crushed, so to pep them up, I maybe let it slip that my friend, Bonney, is pregnant. I might have also promised to babysit the new bundle of joy when it is born in May 2010 so we could play with a real baby.

Anyone else have babies to offer up for some free babysitting? Please!

Get excited, grandma.

We have REAL pictures of the kids!

One of my dearest friends has decided to become a professional photographer. She just got a brand new mega awesome camera and asked me if she could borrow my kids for a shoot. Um... Hell to the ya.

These are just a couple of the amazing photos we got.

She just looks like a princess!

Talk about capturing his essence. This is just SO him.

I just love this one. I can just see him in another 15 years dressing like this. It just makes me want to cry!

So now, grandma, auntie, grandpa.... order away! Go to http://www.jenhowellphotography.blogspot.com/. She is just building this site, so bear with her as she tweaks it and continues to add photos. Your patience will pay off with some breath-taking photos. And for my jealous friends... I will share my secret photo friend. Email her at jhowellphoto@gmail.com.

Silence is better.

For those of you who have seen my post, Sharing the pain, you are pretty up to speed on the saga between X and the children. I scanned and emailed the princess's heart felt message and emailed it to X since he has moved and left no forwarding address, phone number or other way to contact him.

This is the response I received a week later.

Well quiet frankly I am just overwhelmed with your sense of responsibility and deep longing for your child.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You couldn't be bothered to write more than a one sentence response to your daughter, who is clearly torn up missing you?

You think I am your god damn operator and you can put breaking her heart off on me? You need to pick up the phone and call her yourself.

In fact, why did you bother to respond at all? Idiot.

The Golden Dollar.

On the way home from Rollercoasters, the kids were playing a game that Prince made up called, Booster. It seems it is some kind of racing game were each child gets to pretend to have some "special ability" that gives them a heads up in the race, like invisibly or something . The winner of the race gets a Golden Dollar.

Princess was NOT impressed with this prize and no longer wanted to play. Prince really tried to sell it by explaining that if you have one golden dollar, you get respect. If you get two golden dollars, that you get respect and rich. If you get three golden dollars then you are famous and if you get four..... well then people just give you money wherever you go.

Peeking Behind the Curtain.

My kids attend a group therapy program for children of divorced parents called, Rollercoasters. It helps them deal with the ups and downs of family life through this transition. My kids love this session and look forward to it every week. For me though, it is just an hour I sit in the lobby because there are NO PARENTS ALLOWED.

Yesterday though, I ran across the street to pick up some school supplies while they were in session. When I came back they were outside drawing pictures on the pavement, so I managed to get a couple of pictures of the group (with permission of course).

What do these pictures tell you about their inner well being? They tell me that we need to also be enrolled in art classes.

IHOP has a kids eat free special, so to make life a little easier, we ate out. His majesty just couldn't resist the allure of a chocolate smiley face platter. And he ate it all.