Sax-a-ma-phone

It is terrifyingly late (for me, anyway), but I felt like writing a bit...
Tuesday was a lovely, rather free day for us. The kiddles and I had lunch out and finished the Monkeybutt's school shopping - all the fabulous pens and notebooks and whatnot an incoming 6th grader could need or want. I love nothing more than school supply shopping time. The schools offer the "convenience" of prepackaged school supplies - there is nothing in this world I want less, save a raging case of the ebola virus, perhaps. I relish school supply shopping - I await the supply list with all the anticipation of the next installment in a favorite novel series. It was a good time had by all. Even my beloved girlchild got a large vat of cheeseballs - her favorite snack - and one only available at the local price club (which we do not have membership for) or the local Staples.
Following a most successful and pleasing office supply shopping spree, the kiddles and I headed out to the music store where we obtained for the monkeybutt...wait for it...his rented saxophone. Yes, my friends, my darling son has been waiting 3 years to become an official band geek, and his first choice instrument was the saxophone, much to the delight of his jazz-loving mother. He was assigned his first choice, and we got it yesterday. I can't say enough about how great the guys at Wert Music in Erlanger were - they showed him how to put it together, care for it, and actually make it play. They also offered two "kick-start" lessons, so he can learn more about his new instrument, and maybe actually play a note or two before school starts. He was so excited about his saxophone, that as soon as he came home, he took it out, put it together, played on it a bit (who knew the saxophone could be so loud - even when played correctly without a squeak - of course, my kid is a natural, we all knew), took it apart, cleaned it...the boy is in love. I couldn't be more pleased.

Two big events, complete with pics

Some pretty major things have happened recently:





The girl child lost her first tooth. Isn't she adorable?

And...I knocked an item off the "before I turn 40" list: I planted these sugar snap peas and grew them from seed! Go me!

New pictures

Monkeybutt and some of our Texas friends.

darling nephew and my brother's dog, Jack.

Girl Child at her first dance recital.

Family of Phlegm

It's been a rough couple of weeks, my friends. We attended my youngest brother's wedding the beginning of the month. It was fun, but on the ride home, the girl child started coughing. I thought, perhaps, she had inherited my dog allergies, which would bite. When I took her to the doctor the next week, she said she was wheezing and prescribed two inhalers and some allergy medicine. The girl child was not cooperative when it came time to use the inhalers. I literally had to wrestle her to the ground and pin her down while forcing her to breathe in the medicine. This was not a fun activity, and I started having panic attacks afterwards. She did start taking the inhaler better after a few days of wresting. That weekend we attended StudMuffin's company picnic, which was good fun - well it was hot, and I hate the Tilt-a-Whirl.
Anyway, MonkeyButt developed a cough, I developed a cough...This past weekend the girl child and I drove up with my mom to our family reunion in Columbus. Also good fun, although it was tempered with some sadness - my mom's cousin passed away on Wednesday so we went to the wake yesterday. I'm hoping that as I hugged and kissed multiple family members, I didn't pass on the germ that has slowly taken over my family - we all have bronchitis. Ugh. I haven't slept in a few days with all the coughing, but my doc gave me good drugs today, so we should be sleeping happily tonight.
I have some new pics to post so I'll get on that - you all have a pleasant evening.