Having fun

It's been a fun few weeks. Now that I've figured out how to add pics from my phone... Here we go! I'll spare you the details of all the pictures but hope you enjoy a quick update in photos because a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!

Still trying

Well, I'm still having problems figuring out how to blog from my phone.  But at least I've figured out one hurdle.  These are pictures from my phone.  Now I just need to figure out how to put it all together :)

I had a post written on my phone about the conclusion of the first week of first grade.  In case I'm able to figure out how to release it from Internet purgatory, I'll spare you all the details.  I will say, however, she LOVES first grade.  I love that she loves it.  She is a big fan of her new teacher who declared her handwriting, "amazing" which is enough to win any six year old over.

I will post more later and hopefully more often.  But I'm just thankful to be able to get some pics off my phone!

First grade

Ok. I'm back trying to blog . I think I have the picture snafoo figured out. And I didn't even need an expert's help. Turns out I'm just an idiot. I didn't need an expert's opinion to tell me that. FYI, if you want something to work, enter the correct user name!

Olivia's first week of first grade was fabulous. I couldn't be more pleased with her teacher.

My kids go to a Montessori school. If you're not familiar with this teaching methodology, it's very cool and not like traditional classrooms. O's class is a combo of first, second and third graders. She will be with this new teacher for the next three years. She will work at her own level.

She was a bit sad that her good friends Lillian and Sara are not in her class. However, Lillian's brother is a third grader and is in her class. She was very excited about that.

One of the Montessori methods and reasons for the combination of ages in a class is for the older kids to help teach the younger kids. So, on the first day the third graders got to pick their seats first. Then the first graders picked. Olivia chose to sit at a table with Lillian's brother. I asked why. "I figured we could sit around all day and talk about Lillian."

Just what every third grade boy wants to do. Sit around and talk about his little sister with her pesky friend.

Over all, first week of school went swimmingly. Here's hoping the posting of pictures does too!

First grade eve

It's the last day of summer vacation around here.  Olivia starts first grade in the morning.  OBVIOUSLY my blogging took a turn for the worse lately.  I was able to download the app for  my phone.  I even downloaded an app for pictures.  But for some reason the picture app (Picasa?) won't work.  I had several *knowledgeable* people (meaning people under 40) look at it and they agreed there was something wrong with my app.  Well, I'm not about to pay another $3 when CLEARLY it's not my fault it's not working.  Nor am I about to go down to Cincinnati to stand in line at the Apple store (holy cow that place is enough to make me keep my land line until I die!) so that they can tell me I need to pay another $3 to re-purchase the app.

If you have any input on my sorry situation, I'll gladly take your advice!  Because what good is a blog about our super fun trip to the outer banks without the proof of photos to make you jealous?  Isn't that why blogs exsist anyway?

I will bust out my actual camera in the morning for the annual first day of school picture.  Olivia picked out her new book bag (I let them get a new one every three years when they move to a new classroom.)  Apparently we have graduated from Disney Princesses.  Now we have a straight up ugly book bag.  I think I prefer cartoons. 

For as sad as Olivia was on the last day of Kindergarten, she is equally excited for her new adventure.

Unfortunately, the boys don't head back until after Labor Day.  Is that wrong to say?  I wish they all started back tomorrow.  I'm ready to get back in our schedule.  I guess what I actually mean is, I wish I had a few hours to myself every morning.

As for me, my health is great.  I mean, I think its great.  I don't have any proof now that I don't go to the doctor every other week.  But I feel great.  My next appointment is not until October! 

Well, maybe with time to myself will come time to blog.  I guess time will tell :)

This is only a test

I'm giving this a try from my phone. If this works, I just might have a shot at re-entering bloggy land:)

It's not my fault

Confession time... so here's the REAL reason I have not been blogging lately (No, I'm NOT pregnant!  Small surgery a year and a half ago, rememeber?!  But isn't it funny how that is everyone's first guess for why you're not doing what you normally do?).  I got an i phone.  Steve made me, it's not my fault.  We had archaic flip phones until about 2 months ago.  It all started on our way home from Spring Break.  We missed an exit and ended up in a whole different state.  We found ourselves with no GPS.  No smart phone.  Not even a map or an atlas.  We marched into the phone store the next week and made the jump into 2012.  I kicked and screamed because I knew I would love it.  I knew I would spend too much time on it.  I knew it would suck me in.

And it has.

I'm a lazy son of a gun!  I find that because I can do all of  my computer stuff from my phone, I don't make the extra effort (did I seriously just say that?) to walk over and turn on the computer to blog.  B.I. (before iphone) I would be surfing around or wasting time on the internet and I would think, "Oh, here's a funny story, or something I want to say" and I'd blog.  Now I look across the room at the compter and think, "Nah! Too much work."

And then there is the small matter of how nice my pictures are on my phone.  I love using Instagram.  I don't even know where my camera is.  I'm sure there is a way to easily download pictures from my phone to my computer.  But did I mention that I'm lazy?  It is a whole other step I've not been committing to.  And by other step, I mean learning something new.  I am 40, afterall.

I'm actually sad about this.  I love blogging.  I love having a place to "journal."  I like going back and looking at old pictures.  I need to get out of my rut. 

So, there it is.  The truth.  The embarrassing truth.  I really am looking to get back on the blog bandwagon.  If anyone is still reading.

40 is the new pink, or black, or 30, or something like that

Last week I turned 40.  I'm not sure what the big deal is.  Other than it sounds really old.  I can remember when my parents turned 40.  A few months ago Steve asked what I wanted to do for my birthday.  I'm not one for big parties.  I'd rather gather with a few people and have good conversations than have 60 people around where I feel like I have not talked to anyone.  So that is what we did.  We gathered a few of our friends, got babysitters for the night and headed down to Cincinatti.  We stayed in a nice hotel downtown and had several fun meals out.  It was perfect.  Mostly we sat around.  And talked.  Uninterrupted.  No milks to pour.  No buns to wipe.  Birthday perfection.

The best birthday present I received was a phone call from the doctor's office telling me that the CT Scan I had earlier in the week came back clear.  A continued bill of clean health.  Thank you, Lord!  It was nice of them to call so that I could be freed up to celebrate.  I went in for my final doctor's appointment yesterday (until October.)  I am now considered "under surveillance." 
That means that instead of going in once every week (on average- for the past year and a half.  Whew, talk about a marathon.) I will now go in once every three months.  I will have a CT scan once every six months.  For two years (although I've already put a year in.)  Then I move to every six months for an appointment.  It's pretty exciting (yet a bit scary).

It was a bit sad to not have my parents here to celebrate.  I know there would have been a cake, and presents and phone calls.  I grieved a bit.  I cried a bunch. 

All in all, being 40 is pretty much the same as being 39.  Except with a whole lot more to celebrate!!!