Delusions of... Everything

Photo a Day in February: Days 1-4

My friend Meg is doing this photo a day thing on her blog and I decided to follow along.

Since I'm late to the party I will be playing catch up over the next couple days.

I plan to take each photo with my new phone!  I finally got a phone that's smarter than me.  I figure this will be a good time to learn to use the camera and the photo editing on the phone.  The phone has more photo editing software than my laptop does, haha!

These first few photos I have not edited because I noticed the editing button after I uploaded them to the computer.

Day 1: Your view today

 Taken Saturday Feb 4, the view out my window.  Gorgeous sunrise!

Day 2: Words

Taken Feb 4, words I've read or are waiting to be read!

Day 3: Hands

Taken Feb 5, 2012, the hand of my lovely daughter.

Day 4:  A stranger

Taken Feb 4, 2012.  I went on an urban hike before the big game Sunday.  On our way home I snapped this picture of strangers outside a corner tavern.

My Girl

Happy Birthday to my lovely daughter!

My birthday wish for you is that this year has a little less stress and a lot less drama!!  I also hope that Josh Hutcherson stops by for a visit!  Or maybe Taylor Launter!

I love you E!

Drill Daughter, formally known as Dancing Daughter

Dancing Daughter has hung up her dancing shoes.  When she decided to try out for the drill team we made sure she understood that with school, including doing Running Start in the Fall, she would not have time to do both drill and dance.  It's no surprise that she made the drill team!  It's a new adventure for all of us, but we will all miss Burien Dance Theatre and watching her dance.

The high school drill team had their first ever public performance with the new members in the Burien 4th of July Parade.

That's Drill Daughter doing "the pose", pre-parade.  (I know one of my bloggy friends wrote about "the pose", but I couldn't find the post!).

This was our first chance to see her do her drill thing!

It was fun to watch them perform!  We are looking forward to more performances in the future!

 

Hump Day Haiku

All ready for Prom

Such beauty in a daughter

should be illegal!

(Dancing Daughter on the right with her friend S.)

This and That Thursday

Took Dancing Daughter to the Dr this week to get her ankle checked out.  She came down on it wrong after jumping for joy that she got a strike while bowling almost 2 weeks ago.  It hasn't been healing like I thought it should.  She has a torn ligament and has to wear an air cast for 4 weeks, even while sleeping!  She's done dancing for the season and will not be able to perform in the end of the year dance show.  We are all adjusting to that little bit of news.

Today starts day 4 of my 21 Day Detox.  It's going quite well.  It helps that Handy Man is doing it with me.  This will help keep me on track.  I've had no alcohol, sugar or artificial sweeteners, dairy (except eggs), beef, chicken or anything white.  I have been eating lots of fresh veggies and fruit, fish, whole grains, seeds and hummus (YUM).  Each day I've had detox tea and aloe vera juice.  I'm also checking my PH balance daily (I'm way out of balance).  I know I'm going to feel great very soon, just have to get through the slight head and body aches I'm currently having.

The weather here has just been terrible.  Last night we had a fire because the house was so cold and damp.  This was not the best year to start a vegetable garden.  I do have garlic, onions, lettuce and spinach up.  I had beets and radishes up, but some critter has eaten them.  I plan to replant this weekend, but the night time temps are still in the 40's and day time temps in the 50's...  We had the coldest April in something like 50 years and May is going the same way.

I hope it warms up for Blog Fest West!!  Are you planning to come?!

Time, Art and a Sprain

 It's already Tuesday March 3!!  Time has flown by since the last time I caught up with all of you.  I went scrapbooking over the weekend and finished my Wine Weekend album!  I'm very happy with the way it turned out and wish I could show it to you.

Yesterday I went to my parents house right after work to deliver my mom her birthday present.  It was a heritage scrapbook of her parents from baby pictures to the point when they got married.  I also included some letters from her mom and her grandma.  Again I wish I could share it with all of you!

After delivering my mom's birthday gift I went to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends.  I saw all the work that her husband has been doing on the house, it looks amazing!  Then we went out to happy hour and spent the next couple of hours talking non-stop.  It was fantastic.  I didn't get home until it was almost my bed time.

It always amazes me how time gets away from me.  I will be catching up with all of you after work today!

All along one of the streets in our little town they put up banners of 11 youth's artwork.  One of the youths is Dancing Daughter.  Last weekend I was able to get a couple shots of her banner.  

Here is DD with her banner.

And here is a close up of the banner so you can better see the art.

She's pretty excited to have her art displayed!

All last week DD stayed at school until 6pm learning the Drill Team routine so she could try out for the team this week.  Unfortunately on Friday night she went bowling with friends, got a strike, jumped up in excitement and landed badly on her ankle! Now it's sprained and she is hobbling around.  Luckily they are going to let her try out without doing all the marching and other hard leg moves.  She will try out doing all the arm movements.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Now time has gotten away from me again and I need to get ready to leave for work!  

Have a great day!

Sing-A-Long Saturday

Dancing Daughter's school production of "Little Shop of Horrors" was FANTASTIC!  DD played an urchin called Ronette.  There were a total of seven urchins in their production!  They were all adorable.  I absolutely loved the opening...

Here are the movie urchins singing the opening song:

 

Here are a couple pictures from last night's play.

Dancing Daughter is on the left in the yellow sweater.

This and That Thursday

Stream of consciousness blogging this morning...

• This day was saved for the Sea World post... Yeah, I haven't edited those pictures yet.
• The sun has been shining in Seattle, hence the reason the photos are not edited.
• Thanks to the sun garlic, radishes, spinach, lettuce and beets are breaking through the soil of my garden!
• We've installed a water feature in the front yard, it looks amazing and I will be blogging about it soon.
• Looks like Star Wars Sun got a job at the Pike Place Market.  Hopefully he will still be working there this summer during Blog Fest West.  We can go harass say "Hi" to him.  Are you planning to attend Blog Fest West?!  You really should consider it!
• Dancing Daughter had a piece of her artwork selected to be put on a banner that will be displayed in our little town.  Here's the article on the B-Town Blog.  Yes, I will be taking pictures!
• Opening night of "Little Shop of Horrors" is tonight.  Dancing Daughter plays a Ronette in her school's Drama Club production.  I'm super excited, she's super stressed.
• I got out of bed at 10:00 last night when I heard DD crying in her room above ours.  I spent 30 minutes calming her down.  She is very stressed about the play, her math class that she fears she is failing, drill tryouts, the upcoming dance show...  I'm sure the list goes on to include stress over friends and boys but we didn't get that far, I was trying to calm her down.

Why is it not Friday?

Decisions

Dancing Daughter started the second semester of her 10th grade year at the end of January.  Her school does four period days, so one semester equals one full credit per class.  This semester she has Math Analysis/Trigonometry, Chemistry and French 1.  She also has an art class.

Dancing Daughter is a mover and shaker.  She is constantly busy.  She takes 5 dance classes, volunteers at her church, is in the school play and is maintaining an honor roll GPA.  That is just during the week.  On Saturdays she works at a dance store.

This semester she's finding hard, if not impossible, to keep everything up.  After a couple weeks of discussing it with Handy Man and me, she decided to quit dance.  I was very sad about that decision.  She's been dancing since she was 4.  It's as much a part of her as breathing.  I tried to picture her life, and ours, without dance and I just couldn't.

Fortunately her dance teachers felt the same way.  When we went to the studio today for DD to break the news to them, they wouldn't have it.  The first thing they asked was, "You don't want to dance anymore"?  I was very proud of DD, through her tears she told them that she didn't want to stop dancing at all, but she was feeling the pressure of school and not having time for homework.  She told them what was stressing her out more than anything was being a part of the Company Dance team.  It was more challenging than her regular dance classes.  She felt like if she missed class she was letting everyone down.

They were very supportive and told her she's a great dancer and if she only wanted to take one class then that's what she should do.  She, with the help of her teachers, came with a plan where she can continue to dance but on two nights a week instead of three.  She is discontinuing her volunteer work with the church during the week, and dropping Company dance classes, but that's ok.  She can volunteer in the Summer and they will take her back in Company when she's ready.

DD is relieved, I'm relieved and I know her teachers are thrilled to not be losing her.  I truly cannot imagine her life without dance, after all what would I call her on my blog?

499

This is my 499th post since I started blogging in December 2008.  The past 6 months I haven't posted much, so I was surprised to see that number when I logged on today.  I'm working on a big post for next time and appropriately it will involve music and Pearl Jam.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate my 500th post!

For today I'm sharing a little of what I've missed sharing with you the past few months with photos.  I hope you enjoy them!

June:

Star Wars Son Graduated:

Then his band played at a graduation party in the park:

Dancing Daughter performed in the summer dance show at the 5th Avenue Theatre:

August:

Star Wars Son got his license:

And shaved his head:

September:

Dancing Daughter started her Sophomore year of high school:

October:

We had a Halloween party that included many teens and another concert in the basement:

November:

And just so you don't think my world revolves around my kids...

Handy Man and I went to this very cool auction organized by my amazing friend Diane, who is also a blogger.  That's not her in the picture, but the very talented and entertaining Auctioneer.

That's a little bit of what you've missed.  We've done some less exciting stuff like getting new windows, having the electrical panel updated and installing a fireplace insert in the family room.

All in all it's been a good few months, but I've sure missed blogging!