Days with the Dorans

Words can't describe how happy I am that this guy is in my life. I don't know if I appreciate him more now since losing his brothers, but I take him on walks every day and don't mind picking up his dumps in the yard (which aren't too many since he tends to like to go on our walks... don't worry~ I pick them up!). Marty is the sweetest dog. He is so submissive and great with everyone. I'm happy to report that he isn't really jumping too much on people and he is a good listener. His "Leave it" is amazing and my favorite! This year we didn't get together with his sibs. It was too hard with our crazy schedule but hope to get them all together again in the summer. He had a great day with his human sibs and enjoyed some frosty paws!

 For the first time EVER, I volunteered to chaperone a field trip and it was a biggie... to CEDAR POINT! The band and orchestra went to play nearby for a score (they did great and got the highest score they possibly could) and then it was off to the park. It was a cold and dreary day. I sat with Dana on the bus and it was fun chatting with her, though when we got to the park Joe met up with other friends. There were a total of 8 boys that hung out together and one of Joe's friend's dad came too, so we just followed them around. Half the kids loved rollercoasters and the other half didn't. I'd put Joe in the latter half~ though we did get them on some of the rides. We mostly rode the corkscrew and raptor. I got them on the Iron Dragon and I think that ruined it for some of them. I thought they'd love it (the Raptor) but I was wrong. I thought Joe's poor friend would throw up he was so scared~ but we all lived to talk about it. It was fun meeting...

This is the entrance we teachers use. I am always amazed with how spoiled I am during teacher appreciation week. The PTA and parents really go above and beyond which feels so good because this is the time of year I start to lose steam- and with the current political climate (there's kind of a war on public education and the teachers) these sorts of things really help. My favorite are the kind notes I get- the heartfelt ones. I put them up on my board and go through them each year and read them on days when I need a boost. I won't lie though - being pampered with all this other stuff is A-MAZ-ING!! My kids know me well!!! All my favorites- skittles, licorice, pickles, candles, Target, Panera and Amazon! WOW!!! This year the PTA had a "movie star" theme. Check out how awesome they are.... Main bulletin board you see when you enter. My star- me in 2nd grade. All our doors were covered in black with stars! So cute!! Outside our teachers' loun...

 The way Al's dance studio works is you tell them how many dances you'd like your child to be considered for (the max you'll pay for) and then they will cast them in no more than that number.  Al's number was 3 this year and she was cast in two jazz numbers and a tap. What we didn't know is that they may also cast you as an understudy. Al was cast in another tap number and a lyrical as an understudy. She was worried about it at first because as an understudy you have to learn EVERYONE'S part which is a bit stressful (it's easier just to be in the dance and know your part. She actually had to go in for "Carmen Sandiego" as an understudy because someone wasn't able to make it. She did AMAZING. You can see for yourself by clicking HERE . I got a video of the dances since this was the only time I saw Al dance the number. I also got some stills but figured I've already posted enough pictures of her in the other numbers. She'll...

Nothing shows the passage of time like kids growing up! I can hardly believe that Jeff's niece Mary is getting married! It seems like yesterday I remember her twirling around at our wedding!  The wedding was on a Friday which meant no school for us (whooo hooo). We headed north and my boys looked sweet in their black converse (because dressing is expensive for a family of 6 and footwear that can be worn again is a bonus). As we pulled up to Grandma's, she was pulling out so I hopped in her car to go to the church to help decorate. We did little things and I think that the chairs looked great! JD and Abby were in the wedding and Abby did a beautiful job singing! Mary was a GORGEOUS bride (but there was never any doubt about that!!  The reception was a blast. The kids were so excited when they spied the dessert table (which was hard to miss since it was right next to OUR table). The food was yummy as were the desserts and the cousins had a blast rip...

 So Jeff and the Daves have been having fun hitting open mic nights and I was glad that I finally got to see them once. Our schedule is a bit nutty during the school year as you can imagine.  As soon as I dropped Al home from dance, I drove to the bar. Kyle, Kurt & Jojo were also there. The guys played a few songs and someone jumped in on a cajon to add a bit of percussion which was awesome. I didn't take any pictures of the fellas playing and Kurt left before I got a pic of him but I DID get video which you can see by clicking HERE . Looking forward to more jams!