QUIT!

Tonight Darly quit her gymnastics gym. She's actually very happy about it, and I'm mad that it came to this.

We had thought that once the hockey season was over that her coach would be at the gym and that Darly could just try very hard to get the skills she needed to be out of this class by the time the hockey season started back up. We were even going to take some private lessons too.

But then the gym finally decided to hire a new coach. One would think this is a good thing, but apparently Mr Coach wasn't ready to give up teaching two classes at once. Did I tell you about that? Right before I sent him the email he had decided to combine Darly's class with his higher level class. Darly hated that because she doesn't like Mr Coach's way of teaching...frankly I don't either. He belittles the girls.

So we have the new coach and Mr Coach teaching Darly's class and his class. We were assured that this situation was just temporary until the new coach got the hang of things, but it has been long enough in my opinion. While one would think that two coaches might be better than one, you would be wrong. Two coaches start chatting during class and don't ever watch their girls! At one point the girls were chatting too because the coaches hadn't noticed that they had finished the last skill. sigh

Darly spent most of the time she was in class tonight rolling her eyes at me and making chatty hand signals. She came and told me she was bored, I suggested that she just sit on the floor. The coaches seemed to notice that and had the girls move on to something else.

And then they were on the bars. New coach had the girls just swinging on the low bar. Mr Coach wanted the girls to stand on the low bar and hop to the high bar and grab it, then swing a few times before dropping to the floor. For most of the girls he was grabbing them and carrying them through the jump, but for Darly and one other girl he was having them make the jump themselves. I'm not sure what happened, but Darly missed the bar. She hit her hands very hard on the bar, they were red. He must have said something because Darly was near tears when her turn there was over.

I flagged her to come to me and asked "Are you done?" she nodded. I gave her a hug and we got her stuff to leave. I didn't say anything to the coach. There's a chance that one of the other girls in the class was able to tell them that Darly left with me, but Darly thinks that she didn't notice.

I didn't get a call from the gym so I would assume they figured it out.

Every time Darly did a skill tonight she wasn't observed. The new coach for some odd reason kept watching the girls that were with Mr Coach. I was just getting madder by the second. I considered leaving with Darly many times before I finally pulled her out. I'm just sorry I waited until Darly got hurt to do it.

so I'll call the new gym tomorrow about getting Darly in. She's now very excited to try the new place out. I really hope that she likes the new coach, I just wish I could have said something to our favorite coach at the old gym, but seeing as he knows the owners of the new gym very well...I'm thinking that we'll still be in touch.

Weekend update 4/25-4/28

that's a long weekend! LOL! I've been meaning to check in here but things have been so crazy. Trying to get everything caught up around the house, toss in homeschooling coop and changing gyms and :p I'm beat!

Darly & I with some friends went to see Disney's Earth on Friday. It was very nice. Then we had lunch. fun day

Saturday we did loads of house stuff. DH went to turn on our water sprinkler system only to find that the pipe burst...again! It was the same pipe he had to replace last year. so he replaced that, then it was time to check the sprinkler heads...this year we lost 4.

Sunday we went to MIL's house and checked her sprinklers...she didn't loose any but she had someone "fix" her downspout and the "super intellegent" guy messed it up so it has a HUGE leak that directs the water flow right into MIL's basement! DH was out in the rain trying to figure out how he could fix that...it's going to take a total refit! DH is worried about his mom, it seems that of late she hasn't been making the best decisions.

Monday Darly & I went to a class on how to make trick photography with her digital camera. We then stopped by to check out a new gymnastics gym. The facility is really nice and now we need to have her evaluated to see what level this gym would put her in. When we came home I worked on the laundry and I was trying to get dinner ready and everyone fed so that I could be on the computer from 7:45 to 9:45 to work our homeschool co-op...well DH decided that he wanted to finish working on the sprinklers and he needed my help to turn on and off the sprinklers...meanwhile I was trying to do the laundry and fix dinner!

too much stress!

Today Darly & I went to a coop class on designing our own t-shirts... the folks have their own design transfer shop. they can put your logo on just about anything. It was all very cool and I had a shirt done too. I'll have to show you someday. ;)

Blogging newbie

My friend Marsi has started a new blog. She's new to this blogging thing so be nice to her please!

http://marshmallowmochas1978.blogspot.com

Welcome to the blogosphere Marsi!

Lessons learned about driving in the snow...

Bone got me to thinking more about doing this post. See here in Colorado it seems that too many folks THINK they know what they're doing when it comes to driving in the snow, but they don't! That's how we end up with so many accidents I think. So here's my tips for how to stay safe.

1) If the snow is over a foot and they haven't plowed the streets...STAY HOME! Really, nothing is going to be open anyway so your trip is just a waste of time that could kill you. Is it worth it?

2) If the bottom of your car doesn't clear the top of the snow...STAY HOME! You would think that one would be a given.

3) Sports cars were NOT made to drive in the snow. Get off the road.

4) Invest in a good ice scraper with a brush to sweep the snow off your car. Not only will you save yourself a lot of headaches, you'll be doing the same for other drivers. Any idea how scary it is to have a snowball the size of a basketball flying directly at your windshield from another car? Not FUN!

5) Have good tires on your car. It is bad enough that the snow causes a lack of traction but if your tires can't even reach the road you have no business being out there.

6) Now is NOT the time to show off your race car driving skills! If others are poking along there's a reason...we don't want to be DEAD! Slow down!

7) But don't slam on your breaks either. Keep a good distance between you and the other cars...don't change lanes into someone else's buffer. And don't stop at the bottom of a hill...you need that momentum to get up the hill.

okay that's all I can think of now, but if you know some other good tips, please put them in the comments!

Why do they call these things Slumber Parties???

Isn't the entire point of these parties to not go to sleep? That's the way I remember them and that's certainly the way Darly & her friends want it.

Yesterday I brought home 3 of Darly's friends from Girl Scouts and for a while it looked as if that was all that was going to make it thanks to the snow. But soon afterward another friend showed up. Everyone was filled with joy!

Darly and her friends went and made quick work of trashing her bedroom...and why did I have her clean it? Who knows!

They played the games that Darly had planned, they played. They had Cheeseburgers with Mac-n-cheese and chips instead of Pizza cuz I didn't want to risk going out in the snow again.

They played some more, and more, and more.

Actually these parties are pretty easy for me. I just make sure to keep the bellies full and remind everyone to wash hands and brush teeth. Darly is really the master of ceremonies.

I feel asleep on the couch and woke up around 3am. The girls were still playing but I told them to go to bed which they were all very willing to do. I probably should have had them eat their breakfast before bed...cuz they're sleeping through breakfast hours now. LOL!

The snow is still coming down like crazy, so I sent DH to work in my car. I may have the girls for a while now though cuz I don't think their parents want to try to come out in this to get them...we'll see what it looks like after noon.

Oh and my silly dog decided I should get up at 8am this morning! grumble grumble! The dog is currently sleeping!

DOH! Snow! UPDATE

I called up some of the other Girl Scout moms and we were all thinking "I would drive in this!" And so we did!

We made it to Girl Scouts and had a great meeting...we even had a new family come to join us! They were very nice and I hope to continue to see them.

The drive to Girl Scouts was fine...it was just raining. We can deal with rain!

About halfway into the meeting the rain switched to snow and soon after the snow began to stick...and stick good! So we high-tailed it out of there!

Oh my that was a very slow and interesting drive home. We only slipped once and didn't have too many worries. By the time we got to the town I live in the snow had let up again.

But it seems the snow followed me home!

I'm now here at the house with Darly's friends and they're not slumbering. But all is good...until we're snowed in tomorrow...ACK!

The Spare Wife – Book Review

Alex Witchels’ newest novel, The Spare Wife, brings readers into the world of socialites in Manhattan with a story full of secrets, affairs, fancy parties, and high society life. The single, divorced Ponce Morris, known as "the spare wife," navigates this world well, managing the lives of the powerful couples around her with grace. "She watches football with Stan Crandall, while Bitsy reads magazines in bed and thanks God she doesn’t have to; she plays golf with George Stein, because Carol only likes tennis; and not only does she go to Knicks games with Larry DeLynn but she lets him eat as many hot dogs as he wants and never tells Lila, who forbids him to have nitrates." Not only that – she also goes shopping with the wives, making her the perfect, non-threatening companion for everyone – until a young reporter suspects that she’s having an affair with the city’s most successful (and married) doctor. This book is as intriguing as it is witty, and the fun story combined with the biting satire make it the perfect waiting-for-summer read. You may not be lounging on a beach with a book quite yet, but The Spare Wife is still an entertaining escape.

This was a very intriguing book to read. The author kept everything up in the air the entire time…nothing was predictable. For me that’s a good thing, I get a bit weary of reading the same book over and over…well not so with The Spare Wife. It was totally original. I found myself towards the end of the book seriously worried that the main character, Ponce, wasn’t going to come out on top and this young reporter might actually win…oops! I guess that’s a bit of a spoiler for you, but I won’t tell you how.

The Spare Wife

Thanks to www.MotherTalk.com for another juicy read!

DOH! Snow!

hummm I don't think that Darly is going to be a happy girl today. sigh!

The weather folks were predicting that we would get a lot of snow. I didn't think too much about it because normally they are WRONG!!! But it appears that they might be right. sigh!

Today is Darly's sleepover birthday party. She invited 6 girls. So far one is sick (I hope she feels better soon cuz it's a yucky tummy bug!) and one has transportation issues (I hope the fix is easy and cheap!). So we're down to 4 girls.

But if this snow keeps going we may have to post-pone the party.

We're also supposed to have a Girl Scout meeting, but I'm seriously considering canceling it, cuz while the roads look great by my house, the snow is still coming down heavily and I would hate to get stuck out there. I don't like to go "dashing through the snow!"

sigh!

The problem is, the way it looks now...I would drive in this. Here the temps are high enough that the snow is only sticking to the grass.

What to do? What to do?

Where there's a will...

DH & I went yesterday to update our wills. Such a fun thing to do...sigh!

The reason that we needed to get this done other than the obivious is that DH will be heading off for an all expense paid trip to the sandbox here soon and they require that he have all his affairs in order. We figured that I should too just in case something happens to me while he's gone.

So we met with DH over at the Legal office after finding a parking space! Apparently there was an event going on in the next building and no one thought they were ever going to need that much parking! geepers! DH & I had to grab some of the only remaining spots in the parking lot across the street.

We go talk to our lawyer who talks us both into doing a lot more doccuments than we ever thought about, living wills and such...but it was all for the best.

I went in for some odd reason thinking that all of this was just to cover the few months that DH will be gone. Silly me! The lawyer had to remind me a few times that this is my will forever...until I need to update it. yoinks!

DH & I both with with the standard stuff...I get all his stuff, he gets all mine, etc... But then there's the "who gets the stuff if DH, I AND Darly all are gone?" hummm who does get it? So we had to figure that out. Turns out that legally if we hadn't made any specific request that the courts would go to our nearest blood relative...that would be our parents. Well I have one parent that I would rather not have any part of my estate...not that I expect this person to outlive me, but just in case. So we did find a way to legally exclude this person. Whew!

We filled out all the worksheets and then went to wait while the lawyer put our info into a will program I'm guessing cuz it only took about 15 minutes for her to have the final copies ready for us to look at. However, while we were waiting the receptionist brought over a form they had forgotten to have us fill out. This form basically says that it could be a conflict of interest for both of us to use the same lawyer to do our wills and knowing this we still choose to do this. LOL! Talk about shutting the barn door after the cows have escaped! Oh well, lucky for them DH & I aren't planning anything sinister and filled out their form.

Part of our paperwork was to get a living will and a medical power of attorney. The fun part was the organ donation part. DH doesn't believe in organ donation and I do. I figure, I'm dead...I don't need my organs anymore. If they're in good enough shape, let someone else have them and if they aren't let med students learn on them. DH is all creaped out by that is and really hoping that he goes first. But he also knows how I feel about burrial (I want to be cremated!) so that made him feel a bit better.

We're now all set...and hoping we don't need these for at least another 50 years.

Haagen-Dazs Five - Review

After running around all day, whether it's chasing toddlers or shuffling kids to and from soccer practice, Moms deserve a treat at the end of the day. However, for those of us watching what we eat and the ingredients in the foods we buy, we are sometimes limited in our sweet-toothed choices. Snacks that are packed with artificial ingredients are among those off-limits treats that we not only don't want to buy for our kids, but for ourselves.

Haagen-Dazs, original maker of super premium ice cream, now goes beyond their goal of using pure ingredients. The new Haagen-Dazs Five series is made from just five all-natural ingredients of milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and one hero flavor ingredient such as vanilla bean, mint, coffee, ginger, or milk chocolate. Using just five pure and simple ingredients naturally lends itself to an ice cream with one-third less fat. What makes me appreciate this clean label product (other than the taste, of course!), is that it's a dessert you can feel good about sharing with the whole family.

Discover Ice Cream…UNPLUGGED!


We’ve all appreciated the purity and simplicity of an “unplugged” concert where the sinter’s true voice and natural talent shine. The Haagen-Dazs brand matches that experience with the introduction of the Haagen-Dazs Five series… unadulterated flavor is focused on the simplicity and goodness of five simple ingredients. Those interested in clean label products will be thrilled with this superpremium ice cream. Now available nationwide. http://www.haagendazs.com/products/five.aspx

Okay so when I got the chance to review this product I had to think about it for all of half a second! ”Try Ice Cream? Hummm let me think about this… YUP!” LOL! So the day when our ice cream arrived it was pretty difficult to wait to try it. Darly & I decided that we would try a bit of each flavor that they sent to us. Like all Haagen-Dazs products this ice cream was smooth, creamy and very yummy!

Thanks www.MomCentral.com!

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover - Review

I don’t know how you feel about cleaning the bathroom, but when I walk into mine I just wanna toss a bomb in there and start over! I’m pretty sure that the person who decided what materials and colors to use in there had never actually tried to clean a bathroom in his life…and the person who installed the tile in the shower…well let’s just say I hope this isn’t his day job! One of these days I hope that we’ll get the chance to re-do my bathroom… but until then I’m so thankful for products like X-14!

When I got offered the chance to review X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover I jumped at the chance. I’ve used X-14 products before and love them. X-14 makes my life so much easier. I loved being able to just spray down my tile and walk away. There are other products out there that claim that you can just spray and walk away…but none of them hold a candle to X-14. This stuff really works!

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover

The Quick Way for Busy Moms to combat Mold and Mildew Stains

Moms know mold and mildew stains aren’t just a bathroom problem – they can appear anywhere. X-14 can help!

How it Works:

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover effectively removes mold and mildew stains without scrubbing, keeping surfaces stain-free for up to two weeks.

Key Features:

Removes mold and mildew stains two times faster than the leading competitor.

No scrubbing required

Safe for use on sealed grout, vinyl and plastic surfaces when used as directed.

Where to Use:

X-14 Mold & Mildew Stain Remover can help fight problematic stains in all areas of your home, boat or RV – from the bathroom and kitchen, basements and even on items stored below your boat’s deck.



Well I don’t have a boat or RV, but this stuff is pretty handy around the house. ;-)

Thanks to http://www.x14brand.com/ and http://www.momcentral.com as well!

Happy Easter!

JibJab - Chocolate Bunny Attack!

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes new Décor Canisters – Review

I recently got the chance to try out the new Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in new Décor Canisters.

Here’s what the company wants you to know:

Combining both fashion and function, the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes new Décor canisters will make the days of hiding cleaning products under the sink a distant memory.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes new Décor canisters:

Come in eight unique color palettes to match any home décor
Feature a sleek new shape and wider mouth
Have a new effortless single sheet dispensing system
Has the same disinfecting power of their namesake wipes
Are fashionable enough to be left on the countertop
Available at retailers nationwide this month

Here’s what I think:

Oh this product couldn’t have come at a better time for me. When I first got my full sized sample I placed it in the bathroom thinking that was where it was needed most. And it did work awesome…I mean its Clorox wipes. But soon I realized that there was a place in the house that needed this canister much more and that was right here by my computer. See I caught a cold and I wanted to prevent everyone else in the family from getting it. Really tough normally, but with the wipes sitting right here by the computer, every time I needed to blow my nose I would grab a wipe afterward and wipe down my computer keyboard and mouse. I’ve had my cold for a week now and no one else in the house has picked up any of my germies! I’m so pleased. Having the wipes in a decorator canister just makes it nice to not have to look at a plastic tub… I picked a purple one of course!

And now you can try this out too! Clorox has given me 10 coupons to give away to my friends for a free décor canister of the wipes.

All you have to do to get one is, check out the website and tell me which color canister you would like and where you think you might put it.



This post brought to you by Family Review Network and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes Decor Canisters

Busy week ahead!

I'm still sick...ugh! But thank goodness I finally kicked the wonkiness from taking that stupid cold medicine. :p Never again.

Yesterday after lunch I asked DH if I should hand wash the dishes. He said nope he would have the dishwasher all done in a few minutes. Two hours later he "finished"... the kick plate isn't on it because he is still worried it might leak. So I started loading it. This sucker holds a lot of dishes so it will take a while before I a) figure out where I want everything to go and b) fill it up enough to run it.

Today Darly is having an American Girl Book Club. She wants to do the entire thing herself...so we'll see how that goes. It should be fine as the girls who are coming are best buddies.

Tomorrow we have gymnastics...after being off last week for Spring Break. I've been getting some tips from a new friend on how to work on Darly's skills...I hope we don't upset her coach too much with the one tip (it's holding her hands in a different way for her round-off) hee hee! This simple adjustment is supposed to give her a lot more power.

Wednesday we are going rock climbing! Well Darly is...I'm a big chicken. ha ha

Thursday is Maundy Thursday and Gymnastics. DH said we should just do gymnastics. okie dokie

Friday is of course Good Friday

Sometime this week I need to get stuff ready for Easter...it's all bought. And at Church one of the kids in class spilled the beans about the Easter Bunny. She asked "Who here still believes in the Easter Bunny?" So I raised my hand! I still believe! I don't think that Darly was suprised though.

Okay I should get off the computer and get ready for our Book Club.

the updates...

DH flew to Vegas on Sunday

I caught a cold from somewhere...possibly from Ihop on Monday night.

Tuesday my dishwasher came, and Darly's new American Girl Doll (Chrissa) came. The dishwasher had to wait in the garage until DH came home.

Stayed at home for most of the rest of the week.

Thursday I colored my roots...they came out fine, no one has noticed.

Friday night DH made it home just fine before the big snow storm.

and today DH is trying to get the new dishwasher installed, but there was one part that he didn't keep from the old dishwasher (that we tossed into the trash last week!) so he has to go to the store and get that part...meanwhile the dishwasher carcas sits in the middle of the kitchen on it's back. :p

but it is pretty! oh and this one has extra soundproofing on it. I hope that works with two of the walls around it being out into the room. The dishwasher sits at the end of a counter peninsula. We'll see. Right now DH is avoiding the trip to the store by reading and complaining about how poorly the installation directions are written. I'll hide in here for now...he doesn't need me except to complain to. LOL!

sorry I haven't been around...

I got sick and there's other stuff too...

If I survive this cold I'll be back.