Personal Day

Ahhh...

Mark and I used our last personal day (for this year) today. We were both getting rummy from the end-of-year grading pressures, play practices and performances, Julia's wedding and the reading at Powell's last Sunday, the trips to Provo in April, the two weekends with the "grannies"...we were on overload, and we needed a break.

We knew we couldn't take a sick day and still perform in the play tonight, but the principal said it was ok to take the day off if we used a personal day, so that's what we did.

We feel SO much better! Slept in this morning, got lots of grading and lesson planning done, puttered a little around the house. Now we're at the school, getting our costumes and makeup on, and we feel like we'll make it through the week AND to the end of the school year.

Can't wait to see you on Saturday!

Some people have all the fun...

Mark was at a meeting this afternoon, so I went to pick up the manure from the horse farm by myself.

 Here she comes!

Concentrating to get into the back of the truck.

I forgot to take a picture of unloading it at home. Too bad! The missionaries came over in their work clothes and we had the manure spread in the garden in only 30 minutes. Woo hoo!

But Mark got back at me...he took the car through the car wash without me...

See you soon!

Happy Mother's Day

We have had a lovely day. We had dinner out at Multnomah Falls Lodge last night, and a relaxed day at home. I love you, and I am so grateful that YOU are my mother.

You are beautiful and inspiring and I LOVE YOU!

New Hearing Aid

Yesterday we went to the audiologist and picked up Mark's new hearing aid. Now he has two. He was surprised at how many sounds he can hear now, that he hasn't heard for awhile--things like the sounds of his pants rustling when his hand brushes them, and the rain outside.

Today was Cinco de Mayo, so the French teacher brought his students to Mark's classroom to "attack the Mexicans" with wadded-up pieces of paper. The battle of Cinco de Mayo, in Puebla Mexico, was between the French under Napoleon and the Mexicans/Spanish, so the Spanish teachers and the French teacher do this every year. It's a classic case of winning the battle but losing the war. The kids love the paper battles, of course.

We had a couple of dry days, so I finished mowing the back yard this afternoon. In a little while Mark and I are leaving for a literacy celebration event in Beaverton - I'm being honored for my work with adolescent literacy at OCHS.

Here are a couple more pictures from last weekend. We had a fun time with Polly & Eric and family, and with LaVerne and Aunt Alice.

Sunday morning breakfast at Grandma's house.

 Becca in a thoughtful moment.

 Seth with the Henry Huggins statue.

Katie on the big slide!