Do you not know what causes that?

Don't get mad...

So Hilary says, "I know you're gonna be mad..." (Which makes me mad.) "I've been staring at your hair all day. The gray streaks are really cool."  Ah great.

The Truth

So it's breakfast and Ada is busy doing her normal routine of complaining about everything because she's sleepy. Hilary, nicely, from the other room says, "Ada quit complaining." Ada says very matter-of-factly, "I'm not complaining, I'm whining."

We all got a good giggle.

The Eyes Have It

What Hilary does with my cell phone when I'm not looking...

Taking a Break

Hilary, in her new school, needed to use the restroom during Japanese class.  She was supposed to ask in Japanese.  She kept trying and the teacher kept looking at her quizzically. Finally he asked, "You want to drink toilet water?"

New School

Hilary started a new school last week. So far I think it's going okay.  She was hell bent on trying out for - the lower orchestra.  Much to her chagrin, she was placed in the high orchestra (and NOT in the back row <--- her words). LOL  She wants to join J club.  I said if her grades were good that was fine.  I also told her she could go to language camp if her grades were good. I'm seeing a postive attitude like 10% of the time - a HUGE improvement.

Chanukah (Night #6)

Well Hilary's night of Chanukah coincided with our annual Chuankah Party!  We enjoyed our friends, good food and lots of laughs.  The kids played nicely together.  Hilary enjoyed a birthday gift of a talking watch - it speaks Japanese.  She likes that.

We got her a book on health (Our Bodies, Ourselves).  Jana gave that one a nod.  She also got a 2 GB flash drive.  She was mostly fun to be with and seemed to enjoy the company despite a hard week.

I love that the kitty cat was playing dreidel too.

Sweet Sixteen

Happy birthday, baby girl!  She hates that.  She spent the day with Isaac and Lilah at a chess tournament. Then came home and went to a party with a couple of friends at a laser tag place.  Home for Chanukah and spent some time with some family friends. She enjoyed her gifts - clothes.  ;-)

Green, Yellow, Green and Green UPDATED

Updated!  For some reason the presentation of the belts took place later.  So Kevin remembered the camera tonight and I at least have these photos:

What's green, yellow, green and green?

That would be Kevin, Lilah, Isaac and Hilary's new Tae Kwon Do belts!

They tested last night.  I wish this blog contained photos but alas that did not happen. I asked Kevin to bring the camera. I went to watch but we had to sit outside the studio with the younger kids and Benjamin in the van. I brought snacks and promised Taco Bell.  Kevin forgot the camera!  And he got there a couple of minutes late - no big deal.  Then I just had to wait for him to message me.

I waited. And waited.  Finally I went in, just in time to see Lilah doing her practice kick before breaking the board.  I was also able to see all of the testing for Kevin, Hilary and Isaac.  Way to go family!

Where do I start?

Well, it's been a wild couple of weeks to say the least.  It started off at the Lamaze International Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  The good news is that I figured out how to fly and NOT drool on myself for days afterwards - Xanax!  I actually worked on a plane.  It was great to not have panic attacks.  And lest you believe it to be a one time trick - it worked every time. I rode four, count them, four airplanes in two weeks!

In AZ I gave two presentations and lead two special groups. They were fun and exciting. I also enjoyed just relaxing with my good friend, Pat. I also picked up some goodies for friends who are CBEs. My room was way far away and it felt like a real hike, but it had a nice view of the mountains.

I came home for about 40 hours.  In which I went to HS open house, had a dinner date, shopped like a mad woman, fixed dinner for 15 guests for Rosh Hashana, did a radio interview, and went to services. I left services to go to the airport, and changed my clothes in the parking lot.

ICEA was fun, though I was wiped out. I had a good time with my room mate, Teri Shilling, even though I think I drove her a bit nuts.  She did get some good laughs in, mostly at my expsense. We had dinner with Penny Simkin, Kathy McGrath and Rachel Miller one night which was so fun to just sit and talk. We also spent a lot of time talking to Debby Amis and Jeanne Green while at ICEA, though they had led a training seminar at Lamaze, but they were busy then and unavailable for converstaion. I did two more presentations and helped Teri lug her two 74lb (EACH!) suitcases to her sessions.

I made it home in time to spend some girl time with Laurie and Paula.  We stayed out until 2 a.m.  Then back on the road with the kids for school, brunch, our first book club and stamping!

Some memorable highlights from the week:

• Ada insists on telling me how to drive. If I go the "wrong" way she tells me all about it.
• Hilary apologized for a flare up she had - which was very mature of her.
• Grandy (my mom) had a birthday and I took grandma to see her.
• Grandma informed Mom that she wouldn't live much longer. (Grandma didn't know why we were laughing so hard.)
• Clara and Owen are loving soccer and ballet.
• Lilah has fallen and scrapped up her knees again!  Poor baby. Though she is pleased with her new shoes.
• Isaac is not liking homework, but glad to be back in Tae Kwon Do and chess.
• Benjamin, after a lengthy conversation about the role of electricity in the body, including the ability to pass that electricity on, concluded: "So if it's a lightening storm outside, don't walk around holding hands..."
• The fish is alive, even after I cleaned the tank, but the boys declare that the tank still smells.
• Kevin is very, very, very glad I'm home.