Dorothy We Aren't In Kansas Anymore

While the weekend drew the curtains on the school's musical it opened way to a wicked storm resembling the one in Kansas that took Dorothy to a land full of challenge and reward.  The kind of storm that woke us from our dreamy slumbers and had us scurrying to the basement before we were carried away to Oz.

It was spooky.  The winds howling and hail pelting, 

shaking the house, rattling the windows.

The weather girl saying a funnel cloud was spotted in my neck of the woods.  

What could have summoned such weather
after a beautiful-beautiful day

that was drawing February to a near close? 

I'm thinking this...

four days of killing the ozone. 

Heads of curls that could withstand the high winds worthy of 

carrying anyone off to Oz.  

Or maybe it could be the weather gods weren't happy

when the kids roasted Toto at the cast party. 

 (but I can attest to the fact that a most moving 

eulogy was given in honor of  Toto before

he was charred to his death)

Regardless the long weekend in Oz.

Regardless the spooky storm. 

I was bound to be tired anyway for staying up

 past my bedtime watching the Oscars.    

The Calendar Says

The calendar is inked for the next four days with the words "Wizard of Oz".

While these talented, beautiful and handsome teens have the starring roles...

my little D shines as a munchkin

and a poppie, 

 that is going to slumber an Oz seeking quad to sleep.

D has a favorite new color and it's emerald green (or as close to it as one can find in their closest)

When not wearing emerald green she sure can cut the stage doing the jitterbug

As for me, well, I can be found in the ticket booth

taking your green backs in exchange for the best seats in the house.

You better not make things difficult with large bills or I'll send you know who after you

along with her loyal flying monkeys

By Saturday I can almost guarantee

D will be begging her bestie Grace, I mean Glinda

To help her find some ruby slippers to heal click three times

'cause after months of practice

there's no place like home

In the Mailbox

Dear Higher Education Establishments-

I am hoping this week you can take a break from loading our mailbox to the gill with future education options for D.  You see while I understand your desire to promote your universities to my baby...twenty-five envelopes in a week, well that kind of takes up needed space in the recycle bin.  Plus we are trying to work through the college needs of number two before we move onto number three. 

So while we are flattered take a pause. Please!     

Now I need to leave you so I can fill out my FAFSA forms. 

(When really all I want to do is shop on-line for sandals and research vacation options.)

Couture From Copy Center

M's co-worker created this fabulous hat for her. 

The reason for the hat is to protect her head in the case of a fall

when she faints from her anemia.  

Which happens, or was happening often. 

She goes through phases where the low iron takes her to the ground. 

This isn't any ole' hat, it comes with lots of first aid applications--band aides and mints.

I swear this hat could be all the rage at the Kentucky Derby. 

Since it is a one-of-a-kind hat designed and fitted just for M...

that makes it Haute couture. 

The Great Midwestern Glacier Melt Welcomes the Snowball

Some days blogging seems like a chore; like washing the 1900 square feet of hard flooring throughout my abode...which I did yesterday.  When the region is use to temperatures that freeze toes and suddenly it is okay to run the trash outside barefoot...well, the brain gets to confused to properly form sentences.  So instead of straining myself to be witty and charming with words I am simply posting a few pics from last evening's Snowball--Boogie Down to Funky Town.   Feel free to help caption the photos for me.

M and the seniors

D and the sophomores

It's Friday and That Means...

I will be learning a new dance with kids in living room.  Feel free to join me

Trophy Thursday

That HUGE disastrous mess in the living room paid off!

 Not to mention the hard work in all the other categories.

Is that not the look of a happy DECA member?

First Place: Hospitality and Tourism

First Place: Chapter Award

(the pretty scrapbook that was the talk of District and sought after for a glimpse)  

Third Place: Apparal and Accessories 

We're proud!

A Little of This And A Little of That

On Saturday I penned this:

As I woke this morning to snow...I wanted to flip Mother Nature the bird.  Really shoveling snow three times in a week is RIDICULOUS.  I am totally over telling the girls that shoveling snow builds character, or that working together toward the same goal makes me happy--it's a bunch s^*+ talk.  Truth be we are ALL together tired of loving each other over snow and the frozen tundra.  And, somehow, King Ralph is always working when all this shoveling needs to be done.  It seems shoveling snow is women's work these days.  Not just shoveling but chiseling too.  I think at the bottom of my driveway I can begin to train the girls to part of a curling team.  We have enough push brooms in the garage to rival our supply of snow shovels.

But seriously Mother Nature, ENOUGH! ENOUGH ALREADY!!

In our quest to see every Oscar nominated best picture, here's our updated viewing record:


X Black Swan
X The Fighter
X Inception
X The Kids Are All Right
X 127 Hours
X The King's Speech
X The Social Network
X Toy Story 3
X Winter's Bone I liked the movie,King Ralph did not. It was a bit slow moving, still feel the story had much more potential than they gave to it. It actually haunted my sleep being that it centers around SE Missouri.  In my opinion not exactly best picture quality.
__ True Grit

Today I pen this:

Our house is filled with tension. 

Okay maybe not tension but a whole lot of M stress

 derived from tomorrow's DECA District 9 competition. 

M's stress looks like this: 

This is how my living room has looked for the past two days;

as a scrap book is assembled.

My patience with the mess feels a bit like the room. 

All we can hope for tomorrow is lots more of those gold medals and trophies.

I Am Going to Crow

I hope you don't mind but I am going to crow about my nephew. 

Sometimes something is so good you want the whole world to know.  

http://www.jber.af.mil//news/story.asp?id=123241348

What Makes Me Happy

Althought this photo is from the last snow day,

 not yesterday, when we all shoveled 4 inches of sleet off the driveway...

working together toward the same goal

 is what makes me happy.

And this too...

when they are making each other laugh on a summer road trip.

The girlies are what make King Ralph and I happy!

This guy

not seeing his shadow today would make me happy too.

What makes you happy?

Happy Groundhogs Day!

I'm Screwed

Yesterday when I went to the store for the ceremonial emergency stock-the-house-in-preparation-for-winter-storm all I wanted during this "snowmageddon" was my guilty pleasure: Canada Dry's cranberry ginger ale.  It seems, as I was informed, it is a seasonal pleasure and went out of market on January sixth.  Errrrr! I know, I know create your own.  But there is something yum-yum about a qualified mixologist doing it for me.  That perfect balance of healthy fruit juice and carbonation.     

Then I got this weather report from a friend

I'm totally screwed now.  The truck was covered in ice by 3pm yesterday and now the odds of making it to a liquor store...well it would be much to dangerous to fetch a six pack.  Guess I'll just sit here with my glass of water waiting to see what it feels like to be totally screwed.

Wait a minute here...it's only Tuesday.  I got a few days till I am totally screwed--according to the above weather report getting screwed comes "Fri-Sat". Whoosh I'm saved.

Now I will commence with preparations for making snow cream.  The exact reason never to be without milk when a snowmageddon hits.  That's dessert to my homemade chicken pot pie.       

*********

Oscar Best Picture Viewing Update:
Is of thought that the nominating committee was smoking crack when they chose a few of these flicks

X Black Swan (good but twisted)
X The Fighter (my second favorite, and should be the movie to garner best supporting actress)
X Inception  (hard to follow)
X The Kids Are All Right (I have seen turtles cross a highway at a fastest pace than this movie played)  
X 127 Hours (third favorite)
X The King's Speech (my favorite so far!)
X The Social Network (only on the list because FB is so here and now)
X Toy Story 3 (cute but a story told over and over...did not make me cry and I cry at movies)
__ Winter's Bone
__ True Grit