First Day of Summer Vacation

Carter doesn't let a few raindrops ruin his hammock happiness. He just pulled it up off the grass onto the deck and made himself quite comfortable and dry under the canopy. Lemonade anyone?

Kinda Happy Kinda Sad

That's what Ronan said to me yesterday on his birthday. He was thrilled, of course, that it was FINALLY his 10th birthday and anticipating a certain DS game...which rules his life these days. But he said he is sad that school is ending because Mrs. Lydecker is "the best teacher I ever had". And boy I agree.

Teachers have personalities just like kids. And every kid needs something different from a teacher. In 4th grade with Mrs. Lydecker, Ronan learned how to be a student, take direction and know consequences. He learned how to quilt and what the inside of a geode looked like. He learned about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower and that Wyoming is home to the first national park in America, Yellowstone! And he told me that before he dies he wants to see the Aurora Borealis. (He's not dying).

So mister dog, enjoy this sweet calm. In just a few hours, it's game on for the next 2 1/2 months ; )

Go Forth Young Man

We made it through finals, graduation, prom and all that pomp and circumstance. He won both the Math Award and Band Award, prouda you, kid! Then the high school graduate headed off to his chosen school for course selection for a couple of days. For the first time he flew alone, navigated a transfer, found the Amtrak station, found the college bus and stayed alone in a hotel. I guess he's not a little boy anymore.

(actually I can still remember the absolute thrill two girlfriends and I had at 18 years old going to DisneyWorld for a week after high school - however when I think of where we stayed - right next to the Baskin-Robbins, not so great!)

So he leaves the Red&Black high school colors behind and jumps right in to Orange&Navy his new college colors. What a mom to do if Orange isn't her color? I will have to figure something out!

Musical Weekend

Ah yes, I jumped in again and on Friday night and reprised my role as "Madame Salzana - Fortune Teller" for this year's New Orleans Night at the high school. It is a band run evening where we serve gumbo and other Southern favorites, have music on the balcony, mimes, face-painters and a fortune teller ; ) How lucky I was to have such a great assistant in Madame Kaitlin who read people's "auras". We have fun!

After the festivities there is a wonderful performance in the Performing Arts Center by the percussion, jazz and concert bands. Although the boys have been in band together all of these years, I couldn't remember them sitting next to year other before so I took the opportunity to take a zillion pictures of them because (lump in throat) there are only a few times Brady will play on that stage again. This time of year the list of "lasts" that the seniors will do seems to be gaining every day. It is hard to take as I had heard and read about. They have to go and you have to be happy for them even though you get kinda sad for you.
Saturday I drove 90 minutes to the Percussion Finals in Dartmouth, Mass. Never having been to Dartmouth, I did wonder how you could drive 90 minutes in this little state and still not be at the end! But I was impressed, it was a very nice town. Seeing our kids enjoying what they do and seeing my son putting his hip-swaying jazzy spin on the xylophone was really great. Although the BPO (band parents organization) bleeds red & black (school colors) a lot with the hours required to support the parades, competitions, football games, etc. it has given my sons such a framework from which to build. They have made wonderful friends, felt like the band room is their "second home" and learned dedication, commitment and how to iron a shirt.

After a stop at Dunks and ok, yes, a package of Devil Dogs ~ I'm not proud ~ I headed back down the road to Reading. A little ominous, dark and cloudy, but Adele and Jason Aldean made the 90 minute ride home fly by.

April Fool's

Ok, God, you are so funny, I am c-r-a-c-k-i-n-g up at your April Fool's joke outside my house. Who would have thought snow...on April 1st? But you did, you funny guy.


Mr. Planter, I promise I will dress you all up with some pretty pansies as soon as I can see the top of you again ; )

Inspired Cupcakes

I had planned a visit to my friend Pam today as she has been laid up with a bad back. Cupcakes! I thought, sure to cheer anyone up.

I was also very happy when wondering how to transport them, I found some cake boxes that I had ordered from the Kitchen Krafts www.kitchenkrafts.com catalog. If you've never looked through it you find all of this great stuff you never knew you needed. But how cool to have a baker's box to put the cupcakes in. Who cares how they taste (although they are great) the presentation is a perfect 10!

This sanding sugar is from Market Basket. In the bakery section they have a little stand with the most BEAUTIFUL colored sugars. Blue and pink and light green. (yes, you can go to Williams-Sonoma and pay double for your sanding sugars as I have in the past - sorry, Peggy! - or you can pay two bucks at the M.B.) If you are into this kind of thing, if you are a baker, then colored sanding sugars really get your attention. I just bought it because I couldn't resist the color and thought putting it on the strawberry cupcakes would be like eating a little piece of Spring.

Ok, the whole while I am listening to Adele's new CD, "Rolling in the Deep". Where do I begin? As inspired and transformative as any songstress I have ever heard. She is amazing and today she inspired cupcakes.

A Friend Indeed

Celebratory pink roses given to me by a real cowgirl. Long may we ride!