March was a busy month for us all. Alex is now 12 years old and has started Select Soccer. He will be learning a great deal from his three coaches. All of them play in adult leagues and have a passion for the sport. It will be interesting to watch how Alex grows in this sport. All of his games will be played in the city with other more experienced teams. He will also be playing baseball again this year. As Rich always says, "We are a baseball family." Not to play baseball would be a travesty. His baseball coaches are completely different this year, so we are hoping for a positive and fun-filled season.

Malana continues dance, and has now expressed an interest in working on a duet with a classmate next year. We are very excited to see where this will take her in dance. Malana and Hannah (her classmate) have decided to work on a tap duet. The girls look very similar and have about the same talent, so I think this will be a great match and a wonderful experience for Malana to fine tune her skills.

During our spring break we traveled to both grandparents for quick visits. The Missouri stop went well until great-grandma went into the hospital the day after we arrived. She wasn't expected to live, but somehow pulled through the ordeal. She had just received a new lift chair in her room at the nursing home, so I think she had some motivation to get well and get back to her chair. Great-grandma is an amazing women. She will be 90 years old this month. Wow!!! Although we spent most of the time in the hospital and had to leave in the middle of the night to drive home to Indiana, it was still great to see everyone. I think I remember why I hated working third shift. Man oh man, do you ever get tired. Since I did most of the driving, it took me most of Sunday to recooperate. Yuck!!

A Sad Day

What should have been a fun day off from school turned into a very tragic day for both Alex and Malana. They experienced one of life's many sad moments. The loss of a pet. Alex was taking his shower, and Malana was getting herself dressed when I heard her cry from the other room. She had found Alex's bird, Master Chief, at the bottom of the cage. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, but he lay there motionless. I grabbed a washcloth and picked him up out of the cage to examine him further. Of course there was nothing we could do. Malana's tears flowed while she watched her brother take his bird and begin stroking his wing. He asked me if there was anything we could do. It was heartbreaking to watch my son's grief and to tell him that there was nothing that could be done. I just kept trying to reassure him that his bird was in a better place. Malana was so upset that she even tried to give the bird CPR. She kept stroking the bird and asking why won't he wake up. Once they had cried enough, we wrapped him up in a washcloth and waited for dad to help with his burial. Alex decided that he really wanted to bury him. Dad and Alex found a wooden birdhouse in the garage and placed the bird in the birdhouse. We all went out in the backyard and buried Master Chief. Alex was able to say a few words and place his bird in the grave. He really wanted a gravestone, but we convinced him that he will be fine without one. Besides, he has his own birdhouse now. Even though this was an extremely sad day for my children, I saw what wonderful, caring, and compassionate people they are. They pull together to help each other in a sad time and provide comfort for each other. All of our animals mean a great deal to our children. Both of them are sensitive and loving people, so even our little parakeets affect them enormously. No matter their size our animals bring so much to our lives. They bring us lots of joy and help us create life long memories.

Remembering Special Friends

I am always thinking about my special friend Amy. She used to teach with me a few years ago before she decided to move to a bigger city. She was such a wonderful friend and confidant. You can count on her to brighten your day and leave you smiling. I really miss talking to her, along with my daughter, Malana, who is constantly talking about her. You could count on her for anything and know that she would have the lastest fashions. She brought a lot of joy to my life and others. I know she loves her new home, but she is definately missed here. My daughter loved spending time with her (They still need to go on their special shopping trip). She often borrowed my children to take to them to special events such as the circus. Amy is an amazing person that will always hold a special place in my heart.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Once again another snow day here in the Midwest. NO SCHOOL AGAIN!! The kids were thrilled and decided to take advantage of their day off. They bundled up and headed out into the sea of white. Molly, our golden retriever, could not wait to join in their fun, so she impatiently waited at the back door to join the fun. Once they ventured out, Molly did not hold back. She was a wild dog. She ran back and forth all across the yard jumping and pounding through the snow. She absolutely loves it! This is much different from my 4 pound Yorkie who shakes and shivers anytime it is cold. Malana wanted her brother to bury her in the snow, just like you would in sand. Alex just had fun chasing and wrestling Molly around the yard. They continued to play out their for some time and eventually came in to warm up. They peeled off their winter gear and enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate. Ahhh...winter memories!

Christmas with My Family

We celebrated Christmas with my family and had lots of fun. My sister and I fought about who would hold Ethan, our nephew, the most. In the end I think we shared him fairly well. He is absolutely adorable.
We enjoyed watching everyone open gifts including the children. I say this because my husband kept sneaking and opening his gifts before it was his turn.

After gifts were opened, we ate a delicious meal and played Rich's new game Clue. This was an interesting game. My dad didn't have his glasses, so he couldn't see his record sheet. My sister WOULDN'T stop trying to look at my record sheet and even got a hold of it once. This made for one out of the ordinary game. Everyone was trying to see everyone else's record sheets, but my dad put a stop to that. He marked one side of his sheet and laid it out in the open. Of course, I fell for his trick and decided to mark what clues he had on my sheet. Guess what? It was fake and I got caught!!! Everyone laughed, and well I hung my head in shame. Oh well, given another chance I probably would peak again. Ha! Ha!

Winter Wonderland Extravaganza

Malana took part in the parade on Saturday as Little Miss Limberlost. The weather was perfect for welcoming Santa. Snow was falling. It was such a beautiful wintery scene. She was so excited about participating and could not wait for the parade to begin. She had to share a convertible with the Preteen Miss Limberlost, so they bundled up and enjoyed their stardom together. As Malana's car arrived, you could see her smiling from ear to ear. She had her wave down just right. Rich and I cannot be more proud of her and her accomplishments. This pageant has been an amazing experience for her!!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas with My Husband's Family

My husband's side of the family lives in Missouri, so we traveled down to his parent's home to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all gathered on Friday to celebrate Christmas and eat a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook, so everything was delicious. After dinner and desserts, we passed out gifts and watched all of the children open their gifts. Malana was thrilled, because she received 6 Webkins. She now has 10 Webkins in her collection. Grandma and Grandpa even gave her a shelf to display her new collection in her room. Alex opened his gifts and was excited to get paintball equipment. He prepped his equipment and played paintball with his cousin both Friday and Saturday. This was a perfect gift for him. While we were visiting, we had lots of fun with family.