May

Okay, Sunday was May 2nd, and we thought we would be knee deep in rocks, but since the day workers had worked so hard the day before, we had the day to ourselves. I had gone to bed at 10 pm so of course I was wide awake around 5:30 am. To be honest, that was me sleeping in. Jack was at a sleepover and Millie sleeps until at least 8 am on the weekends, so I had the television to myself for a while. I didn’t drink any coffee because I was heading to give plasma at 9 am and it’s a dehydrator. 

After my plasma donation, I headed to Costco for some needed items. Why can you never go into Costco and only get what you need? Oh, because most of the stuff in there is what someone would WANT, not necessarily what someone would NEED. 

Stuart went to pick up Jack from his sleepover. As always, Jack came back exhausted and useless for the rest of the day. When I got home I made some lunch and had a sit down. Stuart and I started watching the series A Handmade’s Tale. Oh, yikes! That series is heavy. We had a relatively lazy afternoon. At 3:30 pm I took Jack to his first workout with Uncle Russ. He also had a teammate that came for the workout. I guess I didn’t irritate that family with my comment on the team chat. After the workout, we drove home and picked up Stuart and Millie to go to dinner. Millie didn’t want to go. It was an epic meltdown in the end. Although these episodes are less and less, when they occur they are monstrous. 

Monday we got up and Stuart was approached by our pool guy saying our back gate was not going to pass the inspection. So Stuart, irritated, fixed it quickly. My mom was at the house for the inspection but it didn’t pass. Stuart and I were beyond angry. Our pool guy has done an incredible job on the workmanship. However, his lack of communication has been beyond frustrating. 

Sue substituted for my teammate on Monday so we were able to have lunch together. It was so fun to be on campus with her and be able to have time together at ‘work’. To think we are such good friends, having never taught at the same site, still baffles me sometimes. 

Stuart brought the kids up after school and I took them to the dentist. While I waited for them, I got caught up with my reading of Danger in the Desert, the book study my class was doing. I had fallen behind and realized I couldn’t grade some of their work until I knew the answers. Oops! Jack had a good report. However, Millie had a cavity. So we had to schedule an appointment to have that filled and it was recommended she have the back molars sealed to help prevent cavities in those teeth. When we got home we did a whole lot of nothing. We tried to sort out what we were supposed to do about the pool issue, but weren’t exactly sure how to begin. We knew we would need an automatic door closet, but the companies that install them were booked out until the end of May.  

Tuesday school passed slowly. I had my Dean interview and then returned to school to work on our core values team. I got home at 6 pm. Stuart and I sat on the back porch for a while. The weather was lovely. We just stared at our cement pond. 

Wednesday I walked with Sue. When I got home, I tried to wake Millie to take her pill. She refused and became defiant. Then we lost our cool. We canceled gymnastics for her that evening, which made it worse, of course. She insisted she could control her anger without the medication. Then she cried. I told her she needed her medication to help her just like daddy needed his to control his blood pressure. She apologized to Stuart and then all was right with the world again. 

After school I headed to give plasma while Stuart took Millie to gymnastics. Since she had righted everything, and some of her meltdowns are out of her control, we decided taking the only thing she loves may be more crushing than we know. After he dropped her off he went to get the RV. We decided we knew what to try to pass our pool inspection. Since the door companies I contacted were about three weeks out, we would have to attempt to fix it on our own. 

Before I went to pick up Millie, I went to get Teacher Appreciation gifts for the kids’ teachers and a Mother’s Day gift for my mom. I failed to find anything for my mom. What do you buy the woman who could buy whatever she wants or needs? I don’t know. 

I picked Millie up and we stopped at McDonalds for her dinner. She was thrilled to see that their slushies were back. When we got home the RV was there and Stuart was getting it prepared for our trip to Yuma. The kids were to put in their clothes, and I started putting my clothes in, as well as the food. I was going to make the beds but opted to do it Thursday morning because it would be cooler. We really can’t turn the AC on when it’s hooked up to our house electricity because it blows a fuse, so we have to take advantage of the cooler times of the day. After the RV was locked for the night, Stuart and I watched some television and then it was time to hit the sack. 

Thursday, I took Stuart and the kids to school so that I could come back and get them as quickly after school as I could. I cleaned out my desk while my students were working on their district assessment. Sue was subbing for me on Friday and I didn’t want her to see the state of my desk. Oh goodness. The rest of the room was trashy as well, but at least I could blame the kids for that. 

We got home about 3:40 and got everything ready. My dad and mom had gone to Arizona Pool Fence to pick up an automatic closer for our sliding glass door. It seemed as if we were going to have to do the work ourselves. I was beyond irritated at our pool guy. Dang! I know a year from now it won’t matter, but right now it’s frustrating to have been told the pool would take around 12 weeks and what that really meant was more like about 20 weeks. 

We left the house just before 4 pm. I had brought my ukulele and decided I would play some music. One of my students had bought me a music book of 50 easy ukulele songs to play. It was so awesome and thoughtful. 

Both kids were not interested in a picture, nor were they terribly interested in my sing along. 

We got to Yuma, set up the RV, and Morgan and Donavin brought spaghetti. They stayed and chatted until after midnight. It was a good first evening for sure. 

I got up Friday morning and took a shower after a cup of coffee. The bath house was a bit of a trek from our site, so I rode my bike. I was so glad we had put our bikes on the back of the RV. I really have to give it to Stuart. If all of this was up to me we would never get where we were going, and we certainly wouldn’t be towing bikes. We had breakfast of egg and bacon scramble, then sat around for most of the morning. Donavin came around 10:30 and took us on a tour of Yuma. We saw the lettuce fields he works on and he gave us a bit of a lesson as to how they harvest the seeds. I never knew any of that and it was truly interesting. Then we came back and decided to play corn hole. Morgan had gotten off work by then and joined us. We had sandwiches for lunch and then Morgan and Donavin decided to go home and get their suits. 

The kids, Morgan and Donavin decided to swim in the Colorado River. Donavin had actually found us this site and it was perfect. 

We had burgers for dinner and just sat and enjoyed the cooler temperatures at night. 

Saturday we got up and had breakfast. We then went to the pool and the kids swam for a while. 

Around noon we headed to Donavin and Morgan’s and went to eat at Chili Peppers, a local Mexican favorite. 

We laid around Morgan’s house until about 3 pm, went back to the campsite and had a play in the Colorado River again. We then came up and played corn hole. Around 5 pm we met Donavin and Morgan at El Charro’s, another local favorite, and had dinner. To say we were full of food was an understatement. 

Then the main event for the evening was going to the dirt track to watch cars race. It was so redneck, white trash and we loved every minute of it. Jack and Millie were totally into it. 

These little cars had kids in them, ages 5 to 8. It was hilarious. They went 20 laps and it took them forever because they kept crashing or going off the track. So the race marshalls would have to line everyone up each time this happened. We got a kick out of these little kids. 

The races didn’t end until nearly midnight. The kids had a blast. We got back to the RV and just went to bed. The good thing about camping is you can be a little dirtier than you would be at home. 

Sunday morning we got up and packed up. We had taken Morgan’s car back to the campsite so she and Donavin came out and picked that up. It was a successful weekend, even though the RV only gets 7 miles to the gallon. Ugh!

When we got home, Stuart did his job on the outside of the camper while I worked on clearing the inside and starting the laundry. Any idea how many loads of laundry are produced from one weekend away? Wow!

I had a load in the washer and had to go get some laundry detergent and milk. When I returned I showered and left to meet up with some people I knew in the UAE. Cammie actually works in Chandler schools and Katie was here visiting from Montana. We met at San Tan Flat and had a wonderful time. I brought ribs home to Stuart and went up to tell Jack good night. At 10:20 Millie cascaded down the stairs saying her throat hurt and she had a headache. I gave her some Tylenol and reminded her she needed to get rest in order to recite her poem the following day at school. Stuart and I were in bed by 11 pm. It had been a wonderful weekend, and a great Mother’s Day, and sleep wasn’t our priority at all. We were sure to be dragging on Monday. 

I got to school Monday, after a bit of a battle with Millie, and got the call that I had not been selected for a Dean position. I clearly am not as good in an interview as I think I am. The Director of Elementary Education said I could call him for feedback, so I did. He said my answers were just not as in depth as the other candidates. He said I wasn’t familiar with many of the principals and so they wouldn’t know of my successes. So basically my experience was good for nothing I suppose. I’m at a loss at this point. 

My niece, Emily, and her boyfriend, Ryan, arrived in Arizona on Monday morning. So we went to see them after school on Monday. We ended up eating at Grammie and Pop’s house. Then the kids wanted to go and play at the park. Stuart had a meeting with his new position in the evening, so he didn’t go to the park with us. They all came back to our house after the park and saw our very empty pool. 

Tuesday I took the day off. Millie had her doctor appointment and then I ran her to school. For the morning, after taking Millie to school, I got my tire fixed and ran some other errands. Our pool inspector came back and he finally passed us. So maybe we would have a pool before summer holidays. I picked Jack up early from school for a doctor appointment. He had discovered, what we found out later, swollen lymph nodes. Blood work was ordered and they also ordered an ultrasound. 

Tuesday evening we had a Bunco reunion. I saw a few people I hadn’t seen in years. Liz went as one of my subs. I had such a wonderful time, maybe a bit too much fun. I wasn’t terribly chipper the following day. Oops!

Wednesday morning Sue and I walked. The geese and ducks were in full force. We think they have mistaken us for people that feed them and like them, which is furthest from the truth. Once I was home from my therapy, I showered, got ready and took Jack for bloodwork. I was late to schools d missed an IEP.  I was frazzled once I got there as I was worried about Jack and being late to school is not a nice feeling. It wasn’t the best of mornings. 

After school Stuart and I had meetings so Grammie and Pop picked up the kids. Millie was delivered to gymnastics while Jack was taken to their house. After my meeting I went shopping for a bit and then picked Millie up from gymnastics. She’s so excited because this summer she is going to start practicing with the bronze team, which is the lowest level of competition. She will be going for 12 hours a week, which I find to be a lot, but she loves it and seems to have a knack for it. 

Thursday Jack had his ultra sound. Stuart took the day off and after his ultra sound he went to get his COVID 19 vaccine. 

We then met Sue at Arizona Mills for some Nike shopping. Jack and I got new tennis shoes, which were long overdue. 

The savings was amazing. 
Friday after school we met at Costco and did a bit of shopping. Then we came home and slumped into the furniture. I’m not sure why, but the last few weeks of school are so exhausting. The pebble sheen for the pool had been poured and it was actually looking as if we would have a useable pool very soon. 

Saturday Millie didn’t go to gymnastics as she had an epic meltdown the previous night. She just couldn’t keep it together. I cleaned the house a bit, but also Stuart and I sorted out the garage and took a ton of stuff to Goodwill. We reorganized the shelves and finally had our garage back to a reasonable looking garage. 

The pool was acid washed in the morning and the filling began. Around 2:00 we headed to the Casteel High championship men’s volleyball game. It was so exciting. It was after the match that Jack decided maybe it would be more beneficial for him to enroll in Casteel for this next school year as the consistency of being in a 7-12 grade school would be best. So, we saw my old Dean, Ron Tanner who is now the Assistant Principal of the High school. He said to email him and he would give Jack a tour of the school. 

Gavin came home with us for a sleepover. When we got home the pool was half full. So naturally the kids decided to get in. Gavin forgot he had his phone in his pocket. Another one bites the dust. 

The dogs got in as well. 

We decided to order McDonalds for delivery. 

I am so excited to have this pool and the deck we have. I can’t wait until this is a daily thing this summer. 

Ryan and Vicki dropped by to bring Gavin some clothes and they stayed for a bit. After the left and the kids were inside, Millie went to bed and the boys stayed up until silly o’clock, as you do when you have a sleepover. I set my alarm for 3 am to turn off the water in case the pool was full. Wouldn’t you know? It wasn’t quite full so I went back to sleep and set the alarm for 4 am. Lovely! I got up and stayed up when the 4 am alarm went off. 

We finished cleaning the house on Sunday. We also took a trip to the grocery store. When we returned we let the kids get in the pool. The dogs got in as well, again. Chloe hates it, but Bailey kind of likes it. He only gets on the Baja deck, but that’s fine with me. We just have to watch him and remember to close the dog door so he doesn’t go into the house all wet.

In the afternoon we went to training with Russ. Austyn, the boy who joined us the first time, Kyle Daniels and his buddy, joined the fun. The four of them, we discovered, would all be going to Casteel as 7th graders next year. I think we have our very own Bad News Bears basketball team. It would be so much fun to form a team outside of the club scene and just join in for tournaments. Nothing would make me happier. They all had a great workout and all committed to the regular weekly training. 

Monday was another day at school. But I woke up with my shoulder still hurting and my arm was starting to go numb. I called the doctor in a panic. I took a half day off school and all was well in the end. It seems I’m just old and have tendinitis.  After school was out, we went to happy hour to celebrate Skip’s new job. 

Tuesday I was in a good mood. My new job was confirmed. I am going to be the new Opportunity classroom teachers. There will be 4 students with me and 2 full time paraprofessionals. The behavior is shocking at times, but manageable. After school I took Milie to the dentist. We went to pick up her medication then saw a doctor because we suspected she had pink eye, and she did. Turns out swimming in. Pool with no chemicals isn’t the best idea. We got home after 6. Grammie, Pop and Russ came down for a bit and we sat on the back patio. The evenings are still so lovely. Millie went to bed very nicely, which makes us all happy. 

Wednesday morning wasn’t as easy one, but she sorted herself out in the end. At school I observed my new classroom. It was terribly uneventful, but I got to go to two other classes that are very similar to what I will be dealing with next year. It was interesting, but not shocking, scary or enough to put me off. 

I went shopping for end of year teacher gifts and actually got them this time. I then picked Millie up from gymnastics while on an HOA board meeting on Zoom. I had written a letter to the board complaining about getting a letter about having our RV on our driveway for more than 5 hours in a 24 hour period. I was seriously miffed. After all the business was discussed, and I had thrown in my two cents about the common areas in our neighborhood looking shocking, there was one last ‘does anyone else have anything to say’, which I did. I explained that for a family to take their RV away for the weekend, it had to be on the drive overnight to get everything sorted and stay plugged in to cool off. They agreed that there needed to be a bit more leniency. So, I felt proud of myself for writing the letter. I hate HOAs. I will definitely attend another meeting. It’s so easy when it’s virtual.  Millie ate when we got home, then went upstairs to take a shower all by herself. Because of this, she was allowed to stay up a bit past her bedtime. I stayed up past my bedtime as well. When I did decide to go to bed, I also read an email from my principal saying that we had a first grader at our school drown that evening. What devastating news to our community that was. 

Thursday morning we had to deal with the death at school. Their was a crisis team at school all day. We all had to read a statement to the class and then allow them to talk and ask questions if they wanted to do so. It was a very sad day. After school I took Jack for a tour at Casteel High School. He was able to meet the head basketball coach so I think he was encouraged about his decision. 

Friday we had gift of time and were able to finish some last minute things to wrap up the end of the year. I finished my writing scoring and report card comments. After school I picked up the kids and we went to Fat Cats. We played miniature golf and then bowled. We got home and the loungers were at the house. I started putting them together. Stuart showed up shortly after I began and he finished them. The kids were going to go in the pool but it was cooler so the pool was out. 

Saturday morning I fought with Millie to take her pill. She was convinced she could deal with her challenges without the medication, but that truly is not possible because of the chemical imbalance in her body due to prenatal care. I kept telling her this was not her fault. She continued to say it was, until finally I told her that the lady who gave birth to her was to blame. I told her that woman did some bad things while she was pregnant and that is what has caused these challenges. I don’t know if that was the thing to say, but there is no way it’s okay for her to think her ADHD and her lack of being able to control her emotions is her fault. It breaks my heart every day. In the end she took the medication and went to gymnastics and then I went to give plasma. Afterwards I went to Costco to get food for our cookout on Sunday. When I got home I decided to get in the pool. It really was still too cold for me, but I did it. 

Millie insisted on helping me get in. We are very pleased with the pool even though it is too cold for me at the moment. 

The loungers add a touch of resot feeling. 

Under the porch you can just relax and stay out of the sun. And the retro fridge is there for a cool beverage. I got that for Mother’s Day.  

Saturday evening we went to dinner with the Tawneys and Reynolds. Grammie and Pop kept Millie while Jack had a sleepover with his buddy Gavin from his class. 

Sunday Ken and Maytee came over for a cookout. We had burgers and sat with our feet in the pool. Lexi and Millie kind of got in the pool, but it was still cold. 

Monday began our last week of school. After school we went to Grammie and Pop’s to see my Aunt Sue who had come to visit. She wasn’t feeling very well so we didn’t stay long. We went home and crashed. 

Tuesday after school was Diane Wells’  retirement celebration. I had made her a video that made me cry when I watched the final product. I saw a few people I hadn’t seen in years. And then I saw some people that if I didn’t see them for many more years it would have been fine. Ha! It was a great celebration. I have so much respect for Diane and am so thrilled Stuart was able to work for her this year. 

Wednesday Russ came down to work with Jack for a bit. Grammie, Pop and Aunt Sue came down for a visit as well. We then took our maniac dogs to dog training. What a disaster! We were kicked out. It seems our dogs aren’t able to play nice with others. So we would wait for the trainer to call and set up something for individual training for them. Dang dogs! 

Thursday we went to get the RV for our trip to San Diego. Just because Jack wasn’t going to a basketball tournament didn’t mean we had to cancel our RV plans. We decided to kick off the summer right. While Stuart got the outside of the RV ready, I worked on the inside. Millie had gone home from school with Grammie and Pop because she had a half day. The 6th graders had a Clap Out and Grammie and Pop went to that as well. They brought Millie home just before 7 pm. 

The Clap Out!

The boys!

I am so glad Grammie and Pop are able to share in these events with the kids. 

Jack had gone home with his friend Jaxon after school, as they were going to a couple of celebration parties. The first one is where they caught the sun terribly. Jack was so ill prepared. We told him to have his back packed before he went to school. Clearly I should have checked it. He didn’t have sunscreen nor did he have any water shoes. He sometimes doesn’t think things completely through. When I picked the boys up at 9 pm, it was obvious they were exhausted. Once I dropped Jaxon and Gavin at Jacob’s house I took Jack to get some aloe vera. I rubbed it on him once he had showered. He hated it, but I know it helped him. 

Friday morning we got up and Millie went to Grammie and Pop’s while Jack went to Gavin Meyn’s house. The boys were going to help her move to a new classroom. I’m not sure how much they helped, but they got paid $20, which pleased Jack to death. The plan was to meet back at the house before noon, even though we were really supposed to be at school the full day. Well, as all good plans go, I wasn’t able to leave until just before 12:30 pm. I went to pick up Jack and then headed home to a very frustrated husband who had been home since a bit after 11 am. Millie was brought home by Grammie and Pop. They gave Jack his ‘promotion’ card and money and then we were off. 

The drive was long, but fine. Jack slept for part of it, which made me know he was still exhausted from his previous evening’s activities.

We ran across a truck fire on the way, which was exciting but scare all at the same time. 

I think we may have managed to get 2 miles to the gallon once we started over the mountains. Stuart was a bit concerned at the sounds of the RV, but then we just figured that was normal considering the size and weight of the vehicle. We arrived a bit later at the campground than was the intention. I convinced Stuart to take the highway I thought we should be on. He argued it was the other highway. I won the argument because he did what I told him to do......and it was wrong. Will he EVER learn that I am NEVER right when it comes to directions. Because we’ve had this conversation a ton of times, I couldn’t let his frustration toward me even bother me. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. 

We arrived safely and backed the RV into our designated spot. Stuart backed it in like a pro. It only took about 5 minutes to get it level and then we started the other set up. It actually takes us longer to get things organized when we first get it out of storage and on our driveway than it does when we get it to a campground site. We sat out and had a drink and then decided everyone needed a shower. We all walked up to the showers and then the kids headed to their beds. We were in bed by about 11 pm, which is pretty early for us, especially when we have nothing to do the following day. 

I slept horribly. This shoulder may be the death of me. However, once I was up, at 7 am, I sat outside and had some coffee while Stuart headed to the airport to pick up our rental car. We still need to sort out a car to tow behind our RV, but until that time, when we go to places like San Diego, we will have to pick up a rental car. This way of travel is still way cheaper than flying and staying in a hotel room, believe it or not. 

Because we arrived after the office was closed, I went to check us in just after 8 am. Stuart returned before 9 am and we had breakfast of egg, onion, bacon, pepper scramble. Jack had two egg scramble sandwiches, while Millie at nothing. We then got ready for our day out. We were meeting Helen, Glyn and the girls at the Southwestern Yacht Club in Point Loma. Helen is Grandpa’s niece. They have lived in San Diego for years. We came to see them the summer before we moved to the UAE. At that time they were living on their boat in Point Loma. Prior to meeting up with them we decided to make a stop in the Mission Bay area. We had stopped at Target to get some rash guards should the kids decide to boogie board at some stage. There was no way I was getting in the ocean. The high was only to be 63 degrees each day. Too cold for my blood. 

While at Target we also bought a $1 nerf basketball so that when we went to the park we could play catch. The kids enjoyed it. 

We met Glyn, Helen and their three girls at the Southwestern Yacht Club around 1pm for lunch. It was amazing and so much fun. Lunch was amazing and the company was delightful. The kids played in the ocean and then went to the playground. Their daughter, Millie, and our daughter, Millie, had a lot in common. They are both August babies and both left handed. Their Millie’s first name is actually Amelia, though, and she’s 5 years older than our Millie. But they got on like a house on fire. It was cute to see. 

I forced them to take this picture before everyone arrived at the yacht club. 

We left the yacht club and returned to the campsite. We were going to swim and get in the hot tub, but when we got to the pool the hot tub was closed due to Covid and the pool, although heated, was no heated enough to combat the outside air. So instead we decided to take showers and get cozy for the evening. The kids sat inside the RV and Stuart and I sat outside. We had another relatively early night in RV terms. It was so cold, I needed a few blankets sitting outside. 

I’m a wimp! 

April

We woke up just about 7 am and had our Easter egg hunt. Although it was Easter Sunday, it was a different one for sure. Jack had at least two more basketball game this day and so the Easter baskets were a bit rushed, but I did manage to get a picture. 

This was before their hunt. 

We didn’t manage time to color Easter eggs, but Millie colored them while Stuart made our Easter dinner and Jack, Grammie, Pop and myself were at the basketball games. It wasn’t exactly traditional, but maybe that’s okay. Jack wasn’t terribly interested in coloring Easter eggs anyway. 

They came out very vibrant. 

Jack’s basketball tournament continued on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, he didn’t play a lot nor did he play very well. He has some sort of mental block when it comes to this group of kids. I just don’t get it. I’m praying that someday soon he will have a break through and crush it! Time will tell, I suppose. After his first game, which they won, we headed to IHOP for some breakfast. Some of the players sat at one table and the parents sat at different tables. It was amazing we got in to eat, considering it was Easter. 

The second game Jack played was so much better as far as his play was concerned. They didn’t win, which didn’t break my heart because they would have had a 2 pm game had they won. Since dinner was planned for 3 pm, that might have been a challenge. But Jack played SO much better and was beyond aggressive. 

We got home around 2:30 and the house smelled amazing. Easter dinner guests showed up just after 3 pm. Ken, Maytee, Yolanda (Maytee’s mother) and their girls came over and brought flan for dessert. Grammie and Pop came and brought a delightful broccoli salad. Stuart had made a brisket, roasted yellow squash and potatoes. The dinner was wonderful and the company entertaining. When the guests were gone we cleaned up the kitchen a bit more and then completed our nightly routines. State testing in school began on Monday so a good night’s sleep was a must. 

I got to school a bit late on Monday. I was the last person to collect my tests. We had writing the first day. It’s always so boring for the teacher and the students typically hate the writing assessment. 

Monday evening we did a lot of nothing. I picked the kids up from school because Millie had a counseling appointment. She graduated from counseling with an option to return at any time. Stuart had his leadership class and returned around 5 pm. The night was terribly uneventful, thank goodness. 

Tuesday was day two of testing and was quite brutal. The format was totally unfamiliar to the kids. These high stakes tests are stupid, if you ask me. They are created by people who are out of touch and don’t know how to assess knowledge of students. And the sad part is, most of the children get stressed over it all. It’s ridiculous! After school on Tuesday we met with our teams to set goals for the following year. Riveting! After my meeting I had to go by Millie’s new gym to pay her fee for this session. I then returned some items from Amazon and headed home. I got home just in time to take Jack to basketball. I felt they worked the kids pretty hard and Jack played well. He got his uniform, but it wasn’t any of the numbers he had requested. I emailed the owner of the team and he said he didn’t think the kids got to select their numbers, but then when his wife called me around 9:30 pm and it was clear that there had been a mistake. She got the jersey reordered, which pleased Jack. 

I got up Wednesday morning and walked with Sue. The poor dogs thought I was taking them. I just can’t take such unruly dogs on a walk with another human. I enjoy my walks with Sue too much to do that to her. As usual, we didn’t stop talking the entire walk.  Sue always has such solid advice for me and only gives it when I ask. That is the mark of a forever friend. 

Wednesday was the last day of testing. Thank goodness! Jack had an appointment to med-check to make sure his ADD medication was still being effective. We were on the call when I dropped Millie off at her new gym. Stuart ended up picking Millie up from the gym, while I took Jack to basketball practice. The Telford Uber is definitely busy. 

Thursday school was somewhat back to normal. I went to Big Lots after school to try to find some pool loungers, but came up empty. However, I did find some cheap sheets for our RV. We are so excited to get everything set for our RV trips. When I got home, we went to Creek Side Taco for dinner. Millie was being a turd, but her new friend at Creek Side Taco made things better. 

I would guess this roadrunner hangs out here a lot. He gets fed. 

We came home, all showered, and decided to play Simpsons Clue. The kids love to play games, so we indulged them. I won and Jack got mad. That seems about right. 

Friday I got to school and took our cafeteria ladies a shepherds pie I had promised them. Stuart made it, of course, but they had seen me with the leftovers the day before and asked me about it. So Stuart was kind enough to let me bring our extra one to them. 

After school I ran to Tuesday Morning quickly before heading home to take Stuart to the airport. I might be married to the sweetest man in the entire world. He said he would fly to Oregon to drive straight through back to Arizona with Liz and her Uhaul full of the stuff she wanted to bring back from Oregon. His flight would leave just before 6 pm and as soon as he landed they would start the drive back to Arizona. It would take them nearly 19 hours. 

When I got back from the airport, we started working on Millie’s project for school. She was the instigator of it all. We all went out to play basketball and then came in to play a few board games. I had so much fun with my kids. 

Queen Elizabeth II is an icon in our house. 

Clue for the crew!

I took Millie to gymnastics Saturday morning. Around 10:30 am I got a message from Stuart saying they were in Vegas. They had made excellent time. While Millie was at gymnastics, I got the oil changed in my car and did some shopping for items for our RV. I came home and cleaned the house a bit and continued to do laundry. It never ends. I then went to pick Millie up. 

I spent the rest of the day at the house with the kids. Around 4:15 we headed to the basketball gym for Jack’s game. Grammie and pop had gone to Yuma to visit Morgan and Donavin, so we’re not at the game. Jack was discouraged afterward as he only played 4 minutes in the first half and zero minutes in the second half. I was frustrated as well. My feelings are if you pay the same amount as other families then playing time should be a little more even. If he were on a junior high team and wasn’t as good as the next player, then not getting to play an equal amount would make total sense to me. But because we are paying, I expect it to be a bit more fair. I hate club sports! I’m sure I’ve said this before now. When we got home, Stuart was there with the dogs. He was exhausted. The kids and I showered and then Stuart went to bed before anyone. 

Sunday morning Stuart got up and went to get the RV so we could make sure it was ready for our first weekend away in two weeks. His plan was to take it for emissions testing the following day. Debi and her boys came over for the afternoon. We ordered pizza and the kids played at the park. Debi and I then decided it was time for us to get this stupid Covid weight off. So we made a plan. 

Monday I only taught a half day and then had planning with my team for the other half of the day. Guess who my sub was? Sue Tharalson!!!!! It was so exciting for me!After school I stopped at Costco to stock up on Keto food. Debi wanted to start the diet so I complied. I needed to. 

Tuesday, Stuart found out he got the consulting job he had applied for. He was quite excited, yet a bit nervous. We discussed it and we decided it was a great move for him. Stuart took Jack to basketball while Millie and I chilled at the house. 

Wednesday morning I got an email from Stuart that the Kids’ Express lady had sent to him. It seems that my son who said he didn’t have homework, the previous evening, really did have homework after all and was attempting to do it before school, which is not allowed as it involves a computer. Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, he refused to put the computer away when he was asked to do so by Ms Martha. And the final straw was when I asked him if he had lied to me about not having homework. I let him know that he had one last chance to be honest with me. I told him that I would be emailing his teachers to find out. I informed him that if I found out he was lying to me he would not be playing in his basketball tournament intended at the weekend. Well, he stuck to his story, and it turns out he was lying. So guess who wasn’t going to get to play in his tournament? Yep! It was one of the toughest decisions, but I am hoping he learns his lesson and doesn’t lie or disrespect adults again! 

Wednesday after school I met Liz at Kona Grill for sushi. We had a catch up and she paid for sushi. After a few hours of chatting and eating, I picked Millie up from gymnastics and we headed home. Once we were there, she ate and then showered. She watched about 10 minutes of a show and then headed to bed. Jack got dropped off from Grammie and Pop taking him to basketball practice around 8:30 and took a shower. I fixed him some mac n cheese and then he was in bed shortly after that. He called me up just after he went to bed. I think he was a bit upset about not being able to play in the tournament at the weekend, which was his own doing, sadly. He asked me to lay with him. I did and then he started talking. He told me he really worried about our family being together in heaven. He was crying, but trying not to do so. This made me cry, of course. I remember being around his age and worrying about death and what happens to us after we die. He then asked me to be totally honest with him and tell him whether it was normal for him to have these thoughts. I told him I felt it was quite normal and because he was getting older and possibly going through puberty, he might be having all kinds of thoughts over the next few years that he would need to talk to someone about. I just encouraged him to always let us know how he was feeling because sharing that information sometimes relieves us of our worry. 

Thursday after school Stuart went to get the tags for the RV. I ordered the rock we would need in the back yard and then Stuart was going to go to Lowe’s to get our planters. We clearly were having a rock moving party over the weekend. Grammie and Pop had picked the kids up from school. We went to their house to get the kids and have dinner. We got home for showers and bed. 

Friday after school I went to the grocery store. It was a mad dash. I met the kids and Stuart at home. I was met by a pile of rocks. 

We went to Tim and Sue’s for dinner. Sue had made a chicken dish that she suspected Millie wouldn’t eat. So on the way, as I do when we go to anyone’s house, I reminded the kids to be polite and try anything given to them. I told Millie that Sue had made some special chicken for her as she knew Millie might not like everything mixed together. Millie’s response to this was, ‘Sue knows me so well!’  I just giggled and then told Sue once we were at their house. Tim had put out the corn hole game for the kids to play. So we sat in the backyard for a while. We then came in for dinner, which was delightful. After dinner, Sue was ready for the restless bored kids. This was what entertained them for the next half hour or so. Then she brought out the play dough and marbles, telling them to make a maze on a story foam plate in order to move the marble. She’s so clever! It came time for us to leave, which was much later than I thought my

kids would make it without asking if we could go home. Once we had left, I thanked Jack and Millie for being so polite to our friends. Millie responded to me by saying, most indignantly, ‘Mom, Tim and Sue are family!’  I totally agreed. I told her they were some ‘family’ we had chosen for sure. 

Saturday morning we were up early and started our weekend ‘fun’. I worked mostly inside after I dropped Millie at gymnastics. Jack, Stuart, Russ and then later, Grammie and Pop, all worked in the back yard, shoveling and spreading rock. 

He has rocks in his shirt to put in the bottom of the planters. 

Jack did really work hard that day. 

The final product just made everything look so tidy. In the end, maybe Jack lying turned out to be beneficial to us. We didn’t have to pay $12 per person to get into the games, he worked hard to help complete HIS back yard, and we didn’t have to watch his team get drummed all weekend. I think we were the true winners. 

Since we finished the yard much earlier than we thought, we took a trip to At Home and bought an outdoor rug for our camping adventures to come. I got home and finished cleaning the house while Stuart made dinner. John, Jenni, Ken and Maytee were coming for dinner. It was a great evening of food, laughter and conversation.

Sunday we did a little more yard work. We then made a Wal Mart run for some camping items needed for our maiden voyage the following weekend. Russ came over so Stuart could help him set up his Bluetooth in his car. We sat outside for a while and watched Jack play basketball. While he did that, Stuart and I played music trivia on YouTube. In the late afternoon, we decided to go inside and play trivia using the television. It was so fun. I went to bed before anyone that night. I was tuckered out. 

Stuart got up at 2:45 am in order to drive to Gallup, New Mexico. He went with Vicki to shadow her for a couple of days to solidify his decision to go and work for Empower, the educational consulting company that offered him a job for next year. 

On Monday, the governor lifted the ban for masks in schools. What that meant to our school district was yet to be seen. After school I took the kids to Fat Cats, an amusement center. We bowled and then the kids played in the arcade. 

We got home and I went to bed just after the kids. 

Tuesday we were up and out. I was a bit late to school, but fortunately my principal is not a clock watcher, so that makes things easier. After school I had a meeting. I picked up the kids and then we went home to relieve the dogs. About 45 minutes after we got home we headed out to Jack’s basketball practice. Millie went with me and we went for a pizza while Jack practiced. There was a bit of a debacle in regards to his team. The team chat had the coach saying the team was going to need to practice 4-5 nights a week from now on. After some back and forth conversation, and being made to feel as if we weren’t dedicated enough to the team if we didn’t commit to these extra practices as well as join Pick Up Fitness, a gym in Chandler, I called the guy in charge of the Gremlins. I asked him if we were expected to get a membership for Jack to this gym. He said that was absolutely not the case. It was becoming a mess. We have become that family. We are pretty sure Jack will be finished with this team by the end of May. We may just have him do workouts with my brother and then think on the whole club thing. Millie and I picked Jack up after basketball and found out his coach wasn’t even there, which really irritated me. We got home and Stuart was back from Gallup. He had a good experience and had decided he would take the position. 

Wednesday morning I got up to walk with Sue at Discovery Park, as we have started up in the last few weeks. However, this particular Wednesday the sprinklers were on and had flooded the lower part of the park, forcing us to walk on the upper paths, which actually wasn’t bad at all. I spouted off about this basketball thing and felt I was totally justified in my frustrations after hearing Sue’s opinion on the matter. 

After school I went to donate plasma for the second time. This time I was floating with water and the plasma flowed, unlike the time before. I’m going to try to do this at least once a week. I didn’t realize how much plasma is needed to make medicines and vaccines. I have learned a lot in this new adventure. I then went to buy our last minute things from WinCo for our camping trip to Usery Pass. I went to pick Millie up from gymnastics. When we got home she took a shower and ate. Then she went to bed. Just after she was in bed, Jack got home from practice. Grammie and Pop had taken him again because Stuart had gone to pick up the RV and didn’t have a car to drive him. While Jack was at practice, I was having a conversation via text with one of his teammate’s mom. She has been having similar feelings we have about his current team. Also, the drama that is going on with one of the mamas is more than I care to be a part of. This mom acts as if she is the team manager or something. It bugs me! I just don’t want to be that involved in my kids’ friendships. In fact, I think that doesn’t teach them independence. I may be wrong, but I’m going to stick to the way I let Jack deal with his friendships. 

We loaded some things into the RV (which will have a name soon) and then called it a night. We would be finishing the packing on Thursday evening. 

Thursday school went by so slowly. We got our computers back after a few days of switching out our old ones for new ones. I didn’t realize how much I’ve come to rely on technology, but clearly that can be a bad thing as well. 

Thursday after school I picked up Stuart and the kids, as I had to take them to school primarily because the last time Stuart drove the RV to school and parked it in the staff parking lot (this was when he had to have the emissions ready), the front office got several cars about a strange RV in the school parking lot. He’s a creeper for sure. Once we got home we finished the packing of the RV. It had been plugged in for a day and the fridge was nice and cold and ready for food. The only things we needed to put in were our pillows the following morning and some last minute things we had thought after we had locked it up Thursday evening. Liz came over for dinner and Stuart made some of the steaks she had asked us to keep in our freezer. It was a delicious steak. She left around 8:30 pm and the meltdown of Millie was in full swing. She just refused to go to bed abd I couldn’t figure out why. I finally sat down next to her on the floor of my bedroom and said, ‘What do you need from me right now?’  She initially said she didn’t need anything, and she was screaming this at me. I asked her the same question again and she started really crying, saying that no one at school wanted to be her friend and that her besties, Mallory and Maci, had decided they wanted to play with Brooklyn abd not her during recess. I did as best as I could to comfort her and tell her it would be okay. She finally calmed down and went to bed. 

Friday morning I explained to Millie that if those girls decided they didn’t want to play with her, although hurtful, she might not be able to do anything about it and she should pick other people to play with. She said she would try. I also assured her that she needed to come and tell me straight away when things like this were bothering her. She said she would try to remember. 

We were all so excited to go to school and for it to be over so we could go camping. At school, I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to get an interview for a Dean’s position in the district. It’s so difficult to have been in administration and then be back in the classroom. I’m not sure what I can do to change my outlook on this. I am a successful administrator who just needs a shot to prove myself again. During the day I got a request from my principal asking me if, in fact, I was staying at my current school, would I consider going to the Opportunity classroom for grades 3-6 next year. This would be extreme behaviors, but high academics. There would be three students and each would have a one to one paraprofessional with them. The thought was that I would be successful with those students and then there would be some flexibility to poise me for an administrator’s job the following year. I’m just so frustrated. I know everything will work out the way it is supposed to. It always does, but understanding the ‘why?’ can be so draining. 

I tried to let the disappointment go and concentrate on our weekend away. We got home, loaded the last minute things in the RV and at 4:30 my parents and Russ came up to ride out to Usery Pass with us. We got to the park and started setting up. The dogs immediately got into the cholla cacti. So there was a small session of plucking that took place before we got too far into the set up. We weren’t exactly sure how long it would take us to set up. But the fire got started just as the sun was setting and it started to cool off. 

We have had a lot of this gear for years, and now we have the RV. 

The fire was lovely and it turns out it was the last weekend of fires in Arizona. We had burgers, beans and chips. Then s’mores were in order for the dessert. Grammie, Pop and Russ left around 9 pm. Then we just sat by the fire. The kids went to bed without showering, as you do when you camp. Stuart went to shower while I sat by the fire for a bit longer. When he returned I grabbed my things and started the hike to the showers. I missed the path that would have cut some time off my walk. It seemed like a mile away, and it just might have been. I wish I would have had my watch on to track my steps. Ha!

We woke up on Saturday morning to the whining of the dogs. It was just before 5 am. I heard Jack say ‘no’ to them which seemed to quiet them down for nearly another hour. Once we were up and around, Stuart made bacon and eggs for us. 

When breakfast was over and cleaned up we decided to go for a little trail walk. We knew the dogs would be maniacs, and they did not disappoint. Of course we brought the pliers to assist when they jumped in the cacti. 

Jack held Chloe in order to keep her out of more needles. 

We stopped long enough to try to get a full family picture. 

Once we returned from our ever so short walk, mainly because the dogs were out of control, we decided to have a chill for a bit. Then around 9 am we decided to play a card game called Oh Shit!, but we call it Oh Heck! so we don’t seem like horrible parents. 

Of course, Jack is a sore loser, but a sore winner as well. Whereas Millie is funny and doesn’t care whether she wins or loses. She’s just fun to play games with. We ended up finishing the game after Stuart and I had a nap out in our zero gravity chairs. It was definitely a lazy day. 

The wind kicked up around 4:30 and nearly took our easy up shade structure away with it. Thanks goodness it’s a Coleman and tough as nails. We decided to put it down as it was really not blocking the sun any longer. Stuart then started the fire in order to cook for us. We were having ribeye steak, grilled summer squash and potatoes. Stuart is definitely in his element while camping. 

Our grill master!

Enjoying the outdoors!

After dinner, because Millie wouldn’t even try the steak or the chicken we fixed her, she went inside the RV and played on her phone. I came in to ask her to move so that I could make Jack’s bed. She ignored me and then insisted I say ‘please’ before she would move. Needless to say, I just went back outside. We had not given her medication these two days because we weren’t aware she had to have a medical

check-up before her pills were refilled and we were nearly out. So we decided we would rather deal with the behavior off school time than when we were in school. Therefore, we have Ms to save the weekend medication for Sunday afternoon and Monday. I simply waited until Ms Cranky Pants fell asleep to move her to her bed and put the sheets on Jack’s bed, which was about 20 minutes later. 

Stuart and Jack went to take showers around 8 pm. Then I went as well. Stuart directed me to a closer shower, which was a mistake, as I ended up lost. I really will never understand why I am so directionally challenged, but I’ve come to embrace it and laughter about it. I got back to the campsite and Stuart said he was going to bed. I sat outside for a bit longer and then retired as well. Our bed in the RV is so comfortable, maybe more so that the one in our house. So I had a second night of good sleep. I was awakened again by the dogs, though. 

I got up and let the dogs out, then started making coffee. Ken messaged me and ended up coming to the park and we went for a a walk. He then stayed for breakfast. Stuart whipped up a delightful scramble. He then cleaned up, which was a treat for me. Ken ended up leaving just after 9 am, so we decided to pack up the RV and head out as soon as we were packed. 

We ended up getting back to the house around 11 am. I started clearing out the inside of the RV while Stuart dumped the water and worked on the outside out the RV. Laundry started and the kids chilled for most of the rest of the day. Stuart decided he would return the RV as soon as we had it cleared and cleaned out. We watched television after he got back and then I napped on the sofa, as did Millie. I showered around 3 pm because we were going out for dinner for Maytee’s birthday. 

Pop came down to stay with the kids and we headed to Scottsdale to a restaurant called Toca Moreno. It was a trendy place that made us all feel very old. The food was really good, but the restaurant was quite expensive. I guess I will never get used to the pricey restaurants that exist. It was a lovely evening, and we had a wonderful time. When we got home Jack was heading to bed. Millie had been in bed for about an hour but wasn’t asleep. I changed out laundry and got my jammies on. Stuart took a shower and went to bed. We were both pretty exhausted from our camping weekend. 

Monday I took Stuart and the kids to school because we were going for happy hour to celebrate Stuart’s birthday after school. During the day I was notified of the fact that I was going to be interviewed for a Dean position. I was excited. Time will tell if I will be a fit this time. I just have to know that no matter what happens, it is meant to be. 

We collected the kids after our birthday happy hour with Stuart’s teammates Skip and Lisa, as well as Sherry, Skip’s wife. We went home and Stuart ordered himself Panda Express for his birthday dinner. We then were alerted to fraud on our checking and savings account. That situation would end up consuming a couple of hours of Stuart’s birthday, poor guy. We made an appointment with a banker the following day and were hopeful we would sort it all out. 

We went to the bank after school on Tuesday. Grammie and Pop picked up the kids from school because we had no idea how long the bank would take. They then took Jack and Millie to Jack’s basketball practice. Millie was a trooper to tag along. She got to stay up about 30 minutes past her bedtime because she didn’t complain about being dragged to the gym. At the bank we ended up having to close our accounts and open new ones. This also meant we would need to contact all of our auto pay companies to let them know. We would also have to change our job payroll information. The banker said the bank would contact the vendors, but if she were us she would just also follow up as not to miss a payment and be penalized. We agreed and started gathering that information when we got home. 

Thursday I had a student return to my classroom from the Edge program. He had been with our class before and it was believed that he would self-sabotage just before he was ready to return to a regular education setting. So, as he was at the end of 4th grade and his behaviors were really mild in comparison to what they had been, we decided to beat him at his own game. He was moved back into regular education without knowing. I met him at the bus and told him it was time. He did beautifully for a kid that was surprised with the fact that he would be moving classrooms the morning of his move. It could be that we will have a honeymoon stage but it could be that he has decided he is ready to make this step and stop some of his silly behaviors. I am hopeful it is the latter. 

After school I went and donated plasma. I then decided I would take Jack to basketball and Stuart could pick Millie up from gymnastics. Jack was practicing for two hours on Wednesday, which had been changed for this week. I had received an email earlier in the day stating summer basketball would start registering in the middle of May. I messaged the coach back and asked him if we decided not to do summer ball, because of family obligations, would Jack still be on a team when fall season rolled around. He said they couldn’t hold a spot, but they hoped Jack would be interested and try out again. I explained to Jack that summer ball wasn’t in his future and he seemed fine with it. I think he wants this summer to hang out with family, play with his friends and be a twelve year old boy. Who can blame him?

I ran errands while Jack practiced. During a team chat I shared that Jack was going to start training with my brother. I listed his credentials and told people they could contact me if they were interested in some information. Well, the coaches, who are crap at best, got all butt hurt and decided to attack me on the group chat. I had to state that I didn’t feel it was appropriate for them to message these things to everyone and I would be happy to speak to them in person should there be any questions. One of them typed ‘I don’t need to speak with you. Thanks, but no thanks.’  As you would guess, this went over really well with me. When I went to pick Jack up, I went to the coaches and asked if they would like to speak to me. Poking the bear? Possibly. They stated that they had nothing to say to me. I told them I meant nothing by the message and didn’t mean to offend them. Coach Tim got in my face and after some words back and forth, he stated that Jack was basically a mercy case and he didn’t even deserve to play on this team. That pissed me off. He also stated that all of the parents were offended by my message. I asked him to take me to those parents and I would be happy to tell them there was no ill intent. I finally just walked away. I then called the head of the program, Coach Brush, and told him I was so angry and so offended by what Coach Tim had said. I told him that if I said that to an parent in my job I would likely be fired. It was just stupid on all accounts. I got home and told Stuart about it. He put his foot down and said, ‘Jack will not return to the Gremlins. No one speaks to my wife and about my kid and gets away with it.’ So I messaged Coach Brush and let him know. This would mean that Jack wouldn’t be playing in the San Diego tournament. But we decided we would still go and camp and make a family vacation out of it. When I told my brother what had happened, my focus changed. I then started planning our revenge. We are going to have Jack train with Russ and then later down the road when Jack meets up with the Gremlins, being a mercy case will be the furthest from their mind. Oh, and by the way, not every parent was offended by my message because two of the moms messaged me about training and are going to go train on Sunday with Jack. 

Thursday I was still a bit rattled from the events of the previous evening. I was going to have to figure out a way to let things go. School is starting to wind down so the days can be a bit long. After school I went home and shortly after took the kids to Grammie and Pop’s house. They were hanging out with them because Stuart and I were going out on a date to a comedy club. My friend Julie’s daughter was performing as the headliner. Our only mistake was assuming there would be food at the comedy club. The comedians that warmed up for Steph were pretty funny, and Steph was hysterical. She spoke about her life, which made things funnier to me because I know a lot about her life. It was a great night of laughter. 

On the way home I got a message from Coach Brush. He stated that Coach Tim felt terrible and a little dumb about what he said. He said Coach Tim insisted that the team needed Jack. Whatever! I told Coach Brush I appreciated what he has done for Jack, but we were going to leave the Gremlins. Done!

Stuart went in the house when we got home and I headed to Grammie and Pop’s to pick up the kids. It was about 9:30 pm, which is much later than they normally stay up, but the following day was Friday so I wasn’t terribly concerned. As soon as the kids were in bed, Stuart and I headed to bed as well. 

Friday after school I sat down and spoke to my principal about the interview I was going to have the following week. She gave me some good advice and tried to help equip me for the interview. After that conversation I went to the grocery store for our weekly shop. When I got home Stuart was doing some of the prep for our following day of rock shoveling. There were 18 tons of rock on our front drive. After he was finished with moving the remainder of the old rock elsewhere, he showered and then we relaxed for the rest of the evening. 

Saturday morning we were up and ready for the day. Stuart took Millie to gymnastics and I went on the search for two people to help us in the yard. I went to our local Circle K, but the guys I saw there didn’t have the look that I felt would be able to shovel 18 tons of rock. So I headed to the downtown Chandler Circle K. I am so willing to pay people for work, and these men work their tails off. As soon as I arrived, I had a men circled around my car, one on each inch of space around my car. I rolled down my window and spoke to Rojilio. He and Sergio ended up getting in my car. We drove back to Queen Creek and within 2 hours we were finished spreading the 18 tons of rock. I was so amazed, and because I helps shovel the rock, I know I would be sore on Sunday. Stuart, my dad and Jack were also out shoveling and spreading. While we were outside, my mom was washing and changing our bed sheets. The men I picked up were worth every dollar we paid them. I returned them to Circle K and came home and to continue to work on the yard a bit. 

This was Jack’s interpretive photography. Ha!

I took a shower around 2 pm and then Stuart, Millie and I headed to Wal Mart to get some corn on the cob and some other items we needed for the barbecue we were having that evening. Liz was supposed to come over but wasn’t feeling well. So, Grammie, Pop, and Russ were able to come over for ribs. We have three racks, way too much, and they were delightful. Around 8 pm I drove Jack to his friend Grant’s house for a sleepover. He was so excited. There would be 5 boys there, which would definitely be lively. I’m still so thankful for the friendships these boys have formed. They are all just really nice boys who still hug their moms. 

Once I was back home my parents stayed for a bit longer. Once they had left, we put Millie to bed and went to bed ourselves. It had been a long day.