****WARNING: Not for the faint of heart****

So, Tuesday evening I was sitting here at my dining room table, perusing the internet and I noticed my kitty Glen staring intently out the window as he often does when there are birds out there. He wasn't chattering though, as he usually does when birds are out there, and he was sitting so very tall and he was really tense. I said to him "Glen, you turdle. Leave those birdies alone." He did not even glance at me. So, curiosity got the better of me and I got up to see what kind of bird had him in such an intense mood. BIG MISTAKE. What I saw haunts me. I saw the last 12" of a snake tail going between the slats on my deck. A SNAKE WAS ON MY DECK!!!!!! And it was not a little garter snake. No...it was a rather LARGE (it was at least the size of a silver dollar wide) and brown. I think it was a corn snake, but I could be wrong. I am not going to go google it because I would end up smashing my computer at its sight. So I learned some very important lessons.

1. Ignorance TRULY is bliss.
2. I should not concern myself with what my cats are looking at.
3. Curiosity does not kill cats, but it does FREAK THE CRAP out of a cats owner.

hi

Its just me. Feeling my usual melancholy self. When did I get to be such a moody mcmooderson? Maybe I have always been, but was just blissfully unaware? Hard to say. Today was a really weird day. Weather wise, it was not hot but was unbearably humid. A very strange combination. Work wise, well....I worked almost 12 hours today. Shwew! And for some reason I could not sleep last night. It was one of those weird nights when you are definitely not sleeping, but are not exactly awake. I would lay there in that state, and check the clock, and it was 15 minutes. Then I would do all my little tricks to try to fall asleep, check the clock again, and whaddya know? 15 minutes had passed. I hope I fall asleep quickly tonight and stay that way. The kids start summer school tomorrow. And....I am completely neutral about that. I think my funk is that I was not ready to go back to work. I NEED MORE TIME! There just isn't enough time for all that I need/should/want to do. Not nearly enough. I made some good memories with the kids. I am thankful for that. But I was in a constant war between "Hurry up and get stuff done...you don't have much time!" and "Don't do anything! Relax! You don't have much time!" Sometimes the voice in my head is REALLY annoying.

Don't make any phone calls to psychiatrists or state hospitals. I am okay. This is my therapy. You don't have to read it if it freaks you out. ; )

Tonja

Abbe's 5th Grade graduation and some pics

Below is the video of Abbe graduation from MCCS.






This is a picture of the 13 5th graders. Only 7 of them were there
since Kindegarten.


Abbe and her best friends: Jackie, Hunter and Cat.



A nice close up of my Luke.




Issa on the lifeguard chair at the zoo.



Emma, kneeling in the sand.

Letting go

Children are Like Kites

You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground.
You run with them until you are both breathless.
They crash. They hit the rooftop.
You patch and comfort, adjust and teach.
You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that
someday, they will fly.
Finally, they are airborne;
They need more string and you keep letting it out;
But with each twist of the ball of twine,
There is a sadness that goes with joy.
The kite becomes more distant and you know it won't be long before that
beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you two together and
will soar, free and alone.
Only then do you know that you did your job.

by Erma Bombeck