My Firstborn

Parachute Balls of Hope

When's the last time you picked up a dandelion and blew to make a wish?

I took this photo a little over a week ago.

But I didn't pick the dandelion...or blow off the parachute sphere part to make a wish.

Its not that I don't have wishes.

I do.

I haven't lost hope in wishes.

I think they are very important.

Hope is what keeps us alive and motivated.

But, I have to admit, my storage of hope has diminished somewhat lately.

I find myself disappointed in people.

I feel slightly adrift at sea again, trying to find my way.

I'm trying to stay on course, but my compass has gone missing.

What do you do to keep yourself on track?

To maintain faith in people?

To replenish your hope?

Texas Storm

Yesterday was the beginning of baseball season for my 8 yr old, Remy.

Their team played awesomely.

But the game got called a little early due to a large Texas Thunderstorm rolling in with lightning and hail.

It was impressive.

I love Texas storms.

And I have a feeling this spring is going to be full of them.

And oh, yeah, my son's baseball team name?

The Storm!!

Travel Bug

I'm so jealous of my little sister, Bug.  

She lives in California at the moment, is married, but has no children.

And she travels.

A lot.

She just returned from a trip to Vietnam.

(I've never been to Vietnam.)

She sent my boys postcards though, so I thought I'd share.

She saw lots of water buffalo in Vietnam...and apparently they are pretty small!

Like the one in the postcard she sent to Donny...

I wonder if my boys would ride a water buffalo to school in the morning.

That'd be awesome.

And then she sent this postcard to Remy.

People there use motorbikes way more than cars.

My sister said she saw a family of five and a large pig all on one!!

I'm getting the travel bug...

I need to go somewhere.

Where are you wanting to go?

Spring Snow Day - Texas is confused

Yesterday was the first day of Spring.

Bradford Pear trees were blooming, birds chirping, the sun shining bright...

and then we woke up to this!!

SNOW!!

Our sweet mild-mannered Annie goes WILD in the snow.

Our weather is bi-polar, but it sure is fun!!!

Alien Comments

I had to do it.

I finally gave in.

I added "comment moderation."

But only on posts that were older a couple of weeks.

Because, guess what?

I got hit with over 300 spam comments in one day!!

They were in another language, so I have no idea what they said.

But I can guess it was selling pills or naughty things...

or was it alien contact, trying to send me a message from a far away galaxy?!!

I haven't been posting much, but I'm still here.

I haven't been visiting many people, but I still read a little here and there.

No Alien contact at all.

Storm Drain Sal & the Cell Phone Shuffle

My 13 year old son has bad phone karma.

This year he has dropped his cell phone in the toilet...and in a storm drain.

The most recent folly was the storm drain last weekend.

His cell phone was in his pocket...and as he got into the car, it slipped out and fell onto the street and into the storm drain.

The look on his face was tragic.

Then the desperation kicked in.  We attempted to retrieve the phone with a golf-ball grabber thingy, a rake, and we even considered holding my 8 yr old upside down and lowering him into the sewer...

but, no phone was retrieved.

The last act of desperation was a call to the City of McKinney the next morning.

And lo and behold, the city send out...Storm Drain Sal.

A petite man who slid into the storm drain man hole and saved the phone...which still worked, amazingly.

Wonder what else he's saved out of our city sewers?

As long as the Musical Mafia didn't call a hit

My 13 yr old son plays in the middle school band.

And we rent his trombone from a local music store, Music & Arts.

I realized this week I'd skipped a payment.

Accidently.

As I hurried to make the phone call in order to get caught up on payments...it occurred to me that there might be a musical mafia.  I didn't want to have to get a loan from a shylock...or get iced.

Maybe, if there is a musical mafia, they put the hit out on my son...they outsource...and use bullies from the local middle school to collect.

I'd feel so guilty.

We're paid up though.

Donny can play his trombone safely. 

I know, sometimes I think too much.

And follow too many rabbit trails. 

I'm weird like that.