Getting ready for PROM

This past weekend Conner “officially” asked his date, Jacqueline, to the prom.  He had “unofficially” asked her first to be sure she would say yes before he went to the trouble of thinking up a cute way to ask her.  Luckily she “unofficially” said yes.  I wonder if that is how you get asked to marry someone now too. 

Anyway, his idea was to write out a message on pieces of paper and stick each piece into a balloon….

Jacqueline ~ will ~ you ~ go ~ 2 ~ open box now ~

(these cookies were in the box)

~with me~

and then he held a bouquet of balloons with a cookie shaped like a ?. 

The original plan was to spread the balloons around her  yard (they were numbered the order she had to open them) but the wind was so bad, when we took the balloons out of the car they got all tangled.  Okay, plan B….put the tangled mess on her porch and ring the bell.

(I had to promise to sit in the car and not get out if I wanted to take photos)

 

Thankfully after all that work she “officially” said yes! 

It’s only money….right?

We’ve been looking for a good used car for Conner now that he can drive. (had to start double dosing on the drugs) We took him with us last weekend but didn’t find anything that fit our needs.  Do you know how hard it is to find a decent, dependable used car for around $10,000?  It’s bloody hard! 

This weekend Conner had to go on a retreat for confirmation so he was not home.  Brian and I decided to continue the search today.  We found a 2008 Ford Taurus that was actually a pretty nice car.  It had been well cared for and it was just slightly over our price range.  We put that car on our “could be a contender” list and went to another dealer that had an Camry that we looked at last week and this week was on sale.  After taking it for a ride and deciding that it really was a great car for Conner to drive we went in to start the negotiations.  I ran to the restroom first and when I came out they informed me that someone else had already put a deposit on it.  We could be a “back up” buyer if we wanted….no,we didn’t want….so we move on. 

Then we went to the Toyota dealer in town.  Last week they didn’t have anything but I wanted to go back just in case something had shown up.  There it was…sitting just waiting for us……a 2005 Toyota Solara.  As they do…a sales man pounced on us as soon as we got out of our car.  He informed us that someone had seen the car on line so the dealer brought it down for them to see.  But when the man realized that we were serious car buyers he informed us that they don’t hold cars and if we were interested in it we could look at it.  So we did…we drove it and loved it.  The carfax showed it was a one owner car and they regularly took the car to a dealership for maintenance, oil changes….tire rotations….etc.  (who does that?)  And while it’s a 2005 there are only 57,000 miles on it.  So we bought it.

 

I sorta think that I may have to change cars with Conner often.  There are butt warmers in this car!  The only thing I will insist on in my next car is BUTT WARMERS!

 

We won’t mention the insurance cost to have a 16 year old boy on your insurance policy, it would just make you want to vomit.

Shew…it’s almost over, I feel a break coming.

These past few weeks have be hectic beyond belief.  First Big 10 Conference meet the same weeks as H.S Sectionals.  We were excited that Conner made it to H.S. State the next weekend!  Then the  Divisional swim meet was hosted at our pool so we had to work a few sessions, on top of Conner swimming 2 events to try and get the Senior State cut (which he got one cut and swam 2 life time bests…WTG Conner!) I had to finish the scrapbooks for the high school kids…nothing like waiting until a week before the banquet to get the darn things going!  AND….I had the grand idea to make frog cake pops for the banquet.  OOOOHHHHHHH…. and let’s not forget Barcleigh had surgery on Friday.  Which I’m thrilled to say she is fine (she is a senior citizen you know) and limping around on a wrapped up paw.  She’s milking it, I know….she’s no dummy.  Waffle is, but not Barcleigh.  She can play the sympathy card better than any kid out there.  And…we give in every time….  We have to put this bag on her paw every time she goes out. Is is sick to chuckle every time I watch her try and walk with it on? Clump..clump…clump…clump…

Oh and a few more important items for me to remember…Conner passed the driving part of his test, now he just needs to take the written part any time after the 10th.  He may need to wait until next weekend after he wraps up his winter season at Senior State this weekend.  Guess we will need to start looking for a car.

The Road to State………

This is the weekend the boys have been working toward…Boys High School State!  I can’t tell you what an exciting week it has been for these boys.  I love each and every one of them! 

 

 

Wow…what a week!

Big Ten’s…wow!  There are some FAST swimmers in the Big Ten.  BUT…none as wonderful as the Illini ladies! These girls are just wonderful….funny…smart…pretty….and just a great group of girls.  Caitlin swam the 50 free on Thursday in her lifetime best of 24.21.  On Friday she swam the 200 free in her lifetime best of 152.13!  This was just a great race…and I’m just so happy for her. On Saturday she swam the 100 free in 51.83 which was right at her best time of 51.81.  AND…she was in the 400 free relay that evening which posted the 6th fastest relay time in Illini history. (She was also on the relay that was the 5th fastest in Illini history)   So all in all…and EXCELLENT year!   P.S…..bags were a hit with the girls and the cake balls were a hit with the parents! 

Conner swam at his H.S. sectional prelims on Thursday and qualified for the finals in the 200 free and 100 fly.  He was determined to make it to the state meet next weekend. To do so, you need to win the event at finals or swim the state cut at finals.  The first event, the 200 medley relay, in which he swam the fly leg came in 2nd…but got the state cut and sealed their spot at the state meet.  The very next event was the 200 free, and I’m happy and proud to say that he won it and will be swimming that at state as well!  The team did a FANOMINAL job and they have 6 boys going in 7 events!  It has been a loooonnnnngggggg time since CNHS has sent that many boys in that many events to state!  They are just a great group of young men and I’m thrilled for each of them. 

 

Busy~Busy~Busy

It is that time of the year again where we are running from one swimming pool to the next.  Making food for pasta parties, bleaching hair, dying hair, shaving hair.  Rushing to get all the crafty crap I started for the girls done in time.  All for these next few days.  Big Ten’s Swimming and Diving  and high school boys Sectionals!  And as of RIGHT NOW…45 minutes before I leave for the girls meet…I’m done!

Conner spent the last week or so with different shades of hair. First he bleaches it….then comes home and wonders why his head is on FIRE!   Then for girls state they dye it…..this year he chose a blue and green “half-n-half”…sorta like a Steak-n-Shake milk shake.

This year I made the girls draw string bags made from up-cycled tee shirts.  I think they turned out cute.  Last year I made these ugly dolls…they were a big hit…I hope they like the bags just as much.

 

And this year for the parent party room I made these cake balls! Love ‘em….love making them….love eating them…..just love, love, love ‘em!

Bunco at my place~

Last night I hosted bunco at my home.  As usual, it was loud and crazy….just the way I like it!  We had 15 bunco’s all around last night.  There was even two bunco’s during the same round when one table had a bunco and the other table was still in play when someone had a bunco again!  So poor Julie, who got her first bunco EVER could only wear the crown for one split second before Isabelle came to claim her crown. 

I made some cake pops and cake balls for the evening.  I’m addicted!  The cake balls turned out nice…the dice pops were a little lacking, but were still cute.  I used almond bark on the dice and I found that it did not coat the cake as evenly as the candy coating. 

 

Well….off to cheer the LADY FROG’s onto Sectional VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!