April!

I'm really looking forward to Arbor Day. Does that make me weird?

Easter is a week away. I'm going to make an upside down cake to take to Josh's mom's for Brunch. Sadly, Josh will be working. I'm going to make a quiche for us for Easter morning. The kids and I decided that we are leaving a note and some plastic eggs for the Easter bunny. We are going to ask him to hide the eggs inside, in case of rain.

Today is also my mother's birthday! We knew that she was off weekending at the lake with my dad, so the kids and I left a singing message for her on her answering machine. I will try to call her in the late afternoon, too. She asked for no gifts, but I was thinking that maybe I could find recipes to give her or something of that nature.

The weather this year was crazy. It was so warm, so early, that everything bloomed at the same time! It made my brain hurt. Crocuses were still out with the pears and both were barely gone when we had red buds and apples at the SAME TIME and the lilac is peaking right now with the red buds STILL BLOOMING and even the dogwoods are out and today is only the first day of April. It's crazy. We are expecting lots of bugs, fat birds, spiders, and possibly viruses. Allergy sufferers are already miserable. The dandelions are out of control. We haven't even mowed yet, but I've weeded three times.

Today, I must go shopping, and the kids need baths. Otherwise, I am taking it easy. A nap sounds great, too. We stayed up late last night with the neighbors (Happy Birthday, Becky) playing Munchkin. Very fun and funny. We had Woodchuck cider and wine and the kids watched the new Muppet movie (I was secretly jealous). And now I'm TIRED! Poor Josh had to go in to work early. Boo.

Brother visited the area this weekend. Friday night we hung out with him in the evening after the kids were asleep. Yesterday, we went to the bookstore and the mall (for bubble tea), grabbed some Popeye's chicken and ate it at the park, then came home and watched Dr. Who and played Munchkin, which Brother had bought us as a present. We had dinner at Applebees and also had ice cream from Carson's with the neighbors before coming back here for Munchkin, muppets and drinks.

Do you want to hear about T-ball?

There are two female coaches, which whom I am not so far impressed. When we arrived, the kids were tickled to discover some friends. Hannah, who was in Grant's class last year, was there with her brother, who is in Abbie's class this year. They messed around for a few minutes, and then practice started. The kids played catch for a while, then the coach set out an aluminum bat and walked over to line the kids up. If you are a parent, perhaps a little red light just went off in your head. Yes, folks, she set out a bat and turned her back without any instruction. So the fact that a kid picked it up and practice swung it right into another kid's face shouldn't surprise you much. I thought the kid was going to be minus a few molars, but it turned out just to be a bruise. Thank goodness his dad was there and not his mom! The dad scooped him up and held him in the "dugout" area until he felt better. Then, the kid ran back out to play. But the OTHER kid. The other kid never apologized. Not okay with me. If Grant had his someone by accident, I would make him apologize. Now the kid just thinks that if you are embarrassed or if it was an accident, you don't have to say anything. INCORRECT! No parent spoke up, and at that point the coach should have. Well, anyway, I'm pretty sure this group of kids will not complain about wearing helmets during batting! The injured boy's name is Roy. I told the dad, "Wow. He's a tough kid. I think he should get some ice cream for that." He replied, "Well, I have to do something! The swelling needs to go down before I take him home and show him to his mother!" We all went together for ice cream afterward. Turns out that they live only a few blocks from us. There was a sister, too, named Alice, who is also on the team. We are looking forward to seeing them on Wednesday. Abbie hit the ball on her first At Bat, and Grant his a nice, straight line drive to first...and then ran toward third. We'll have to work on that.

Enough procrastinating! Off I go to re-stock the pantry.