Hammer Time

The Skating School sponsored an outreach program for the inner city kids. M and H participated, each helping along a "Buddy." These are from their program. The photographer didn't get any close ups of H, which is too bad because she was really rockin' her ponytail.

Like Me

I am trying to pack and post...probably a mistake because I have discovered my ability to multi-task is rapidly diminishing with each birthday.

This is Matthew's routine "Like Me" from the Teen Beach Movie...or something like that. I really am not paying attention to what the kids are watching.  However ask me about Frankie and Annette's Teen Beach movies and I can tell you anything you want to know.

Matthew played 3 characters for the routine...

Diamond Divas

The Skating School presented the Ice Factor 2. The girls skated to a medley of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend and Single Ladies. Hannah loved the costume... Lots and lots of bling, shocking.

It's All in the Details

 Happy Memorial Day. I should be packing boxes but I am trying to catch up on little things at the computer...and being me, I have digressed from what I was doing and putting up my young artist's picture that was displayed at a big art show at one of the high school's here in town. The hardest part of this whole picture was getting Hannah to SMILE. It's easy if one of her friends are around but if is just her or her and a sibling or two...it's almost impossible. I think I took 30 pictures and this as close to a smile as I got.

Note the doily under the cake. So impressive. Yes, proud mom on the blog.

Bad Haircut

I took the Little Guy for a haircut...oh boy, what a disaster. We went to Sports Clips which M loves and we got a new girl....oh dear...I wondered what was taking soooo long...I peeked...found the Manager trying to fix the mess of a haircut...would have been nice if they had told me. This happened once at Cost Cutters but at least they told me what happened...the girl was new and who knew blonde hair is harder to cut than dark hair. I was told (and saw) it shows all the mistakes. Fortunately, my favorite oldest daughter knows the owner of Sports Clip and told him what happened. I am told the next visit will be free...Meanwhile, I need to shave that inch long strip of hair on his neck that was missed by both the Stylist and Manager.

JT, Jay Z, or Beyonce?

Matthew's class raised an African frog this year and since school is almost out, it was time to adopt him. M just wanted this frog so bad but I feared the cat eating it or starving due to all the chaos of moving...it just wasn't a good time. Little Guy was crushed. I thought I would get him this (I was at the pet store getting the cat some food) for a substitute...sadly, he is still devastated he didn't get the frog. Usually his charm gets him whatever he wants, not this time, I just hated saying no...he is convinced he will never get over it. Sigh.

On the bright side, the kids have a running Beyonce joke from an SNL skit....the frog gets a lot of tossing with Beyonce's name being bantered about...I suggested JT since this is clearly a boy or Beyonce's more masculine side...then I remembered Jay Z call him what you want, it ain't the real thing.

The Thinker

The kids and I went to Lowe's to look at ideas in case we build a house. (House search is not going well) I was looking at sinks and turned to find this guy...

AWOL

Time is moving faster than I can keep up...let me update and hopefully, at some point, expound upon the Kanga and 3 Joeys ongoings...

Before I forget, Hannah passed her pre preliminary test in skating...a big deal in the skating world. She passed on her first try! There were a few attempting a second and third time and did not pass. I was told to treat her score sheets like gold since she would have to repeat the tests ($100 for each test) I won't mention the test papers on the computer desk with a whole lot of other stuff. I am packing and still trying to figure out where to put them so they don't get lost in the chaos. I need a safe.

And before I forget, Matthew was asked to join the State Honor Choir. He will sing in Birmingham in October. This is so funny! He wanted to join the School's Choir last Fall and then after a few practices, he wanted to quit...a little interrogation and I discovered the reason, too many girls, not enough boys, and he was being teased. I told him he made a commitment and had to stick to it. So now he is a proud little lamb at being asked to be in the State Honor Choir. He didn't mention the girls or teasing. I am trying so hard to teach him to do what he enjoys and not let what other people say bother him. (There is a boy in hockey who gives him a really hard time about figure skating...the thing is he loves skating and it really helps him with hockey. The kids was just born to be on ice...I think he is part penguin)

Let's see, yesterday, Hannah graduated from 6th grade, made the Honor Roll and won the Einstein award. Matthew won two awards, one from his class for being a Social Studies Super Star and one from the teacher for highest Social Studies average. (I am so excited he has my love for American History) And Hannah? That girl is way smarter than me, she got her dad's intelligence. Oh! And Hannah's art was selected for a school wide display for our City. I need to attach some pictures here. Note the doily...details! I have to admit I didn't notice the doily until Roo pointed it out...Exquisite.

Hannah got her haircut last night and was amazed at all the hair on the floor...and it's still long!

Let's see the house...all I can say is our house closes on the 19th of June. I am trying to pack boxes in between extracurricular and school events. I have packed a lot but it doesn't look like much is missing...we have too much stuff...and I have weeded out so much!!!! More to do, I am all about simplifying our lives these days.

Speaking of the house, I am going to miss one thing...Matthew's foot steps flying up the stairs after school. I am usually upstairs when he gets home and he dashes up the stairs to see me. I love the sound of his steps on the stairs. It's like when he was crawling back in VA, his little slapping sounds on the wood floor was so sweet. They grow up too fast.

One of these days I will mention to H to cut her hair short and donate it to locks of love, I can never remember before it is all on the floor...and I am not sure she would sign off on really short hair. However, she has a HUGE heart and I am sure she would do it.

The kids were told to be goofy for this picture...Not sure what H is doing...Roo said "Peace sign" a friend said "Gang sign." I don't know I am oblivious to today's culture. I live in the past.

I will write more later when I am taking a packing break...right now I just remembered some Christmas garland to go pitch out. It's trash day and I have to get rid of it before my pack rats see it and retrieve it.

Diamond Divas

IMG 2438[1] from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

Aghhhhh Vimeo won't let me upload the beginning until next week. Their techs better get this fixed. Fast. Errrrr

Part 1

IMG 2439[1] from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

Vimeo

I am having the worst time with video. For whatever reason, my computer and this site do not like each other so I have to go through Vimeo to get the video here...I have to pay for this service and because of some glitch it is treating me like an unpaid customer so I am barely able to get the video off of my phone before it tells me I have used all of my storage. I don't think so Mr. Vimeo. So here the two very short videos from this past weekend, taken from Dress Rehearsal.

IMG 2441[1] from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

IMG 2440[1] from Susan Bice on Vimeo.