Mother's Day

The thing I love most about my Mom is that she is ALWAYS on my side.  No matter what.  She never picks John over me.  Although in our early years of dating I am pretty sure she liked him better than she liked me.  That may have been more of a reflection on me and on my choice in male companions, than it was a deep abiding love for John.  But since then... she always picks me.  She even picks me over the grand kids.  I don't think that's true for most grandmas.  I know that no matter how outrageous my behavior, how irrational my reasoning or how bug-eyed crazy my thought processes, she ALWAYS picks ME! And while we may drive each other crazy because we are so much alike,  I don't think there's a better gift than that.  Happy Mother's Day - Mimi!

Another new feeder

      My Mother's Day has been amazingly wonderful!  I didn't even mention it during the preceding week, not because I was trying to trick anyone or test anyone, but because I didn't really need any gifts and for the most part, my family is good to me...mostly.
But lo and behold when I got up in the morning, there were presents and cards on the table at my place.

Beautiful tulips and a new bird feeder

     The kids did my chores, we went to Smoothie Cafe for lunch, the weather was beautiful, I took 2 walks with the pups, then a bubble bath and I got wonderful presents.  Two new bird feeders - one hangs on the window and the other is a unique feeder for Orioles that you fill with an orange half and grape jelly!  I know...grape jelly?... who knew.  I also got my favorite thing....homemade cards.  I've always told the kids, I don't need presents, all I ever really want is a homemade card from each of them.  And to this day they've never let me down.

My FABULOUS cards!

 I always look forward to seeing what they come up with.  

Zack's are always funny.  They either have cartoons or funny sayings, and generally they involve sarcasm, since that's what my children were weaned on.  In the Hyzy House you get a steady diet of sarcasm.  I was just thankful that this year's card did not involve any sort of fart or poop humor.  Who knows, maybe he's growing up.

Brenna's cards are always an artistic work of art and generally involve a poem and are always all the mushy things she would never say out loud.  This year's cards didn't let me down.
Zack's card made me laugh and Brenna's card made me cry.  All in all not a bad thing.


P.S.  This was my girl's Facebook status...

Brenna Hyzy

I love my mommy with allllll my heart she's the best mom in the world :) And this time I wasn't hacked... Happy Mother's Weekend Julie Hall Hyzy! ♥

10 hours ago ·  ·  · Remove Tag

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  MaryBeth Crandall Hyzy likes this.
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    Julie Hall Hyzy Awwww... I'm a little sniffly and teary-eyed right now! I'm gonna miss my girl when she leaves me for college!
    

    2 seconds ago · 

A trip to Hell...not so much

I just got back from a trip to the Mall with BOTH my children.  I probably haven't take both my children to the mall at the same time in 10 years.  Let's be honest except for the twice yearly trip to buy summer clothes and school clothes for Zack I haven't been to the mall by myself in as many years.  I don't like the mall.  I don't like shopping and until today I didn't much like taking BOTH my kids anywhere. :o)

But today I was weak... and when Zack said he was ready and Brenna said she wanted to go and "help."  I gave in, and you know what it was awesome!  Not only did we get everything on our list to include:  shorts, shirts, shoes, bathing suits and flip flops for Zack.  We got Brenna's graduation dress and sandals, a new bathing suit and flip-flops.  I got damn cute summer shoes, flip-flops and new tupperware.  The kids got tie-dyed shirts and we all got matching bracelets so that when Brenna leaves for college we'll all still be connected.

Not only that....

NO ONE cried, no one pouted, no one called each other stupid.  We laughed, we gave fashion advice and we had lunch together!  It was not Hell... it was Heaven!  It only took 18 years and now Brenna is leaving. Some how that just doesn't seem fair.

Leave it to Beaver ain't got nothing on us!

I think I've mentioned before how much I love our neighborhood.  This is just another example of why.  1st Outdoor Movie Night of the year.  We watched Tangled, ate candy and popcorn and snuggled under blankets.  It was awesome!

1st movie night of the year

Even Cooper and Zoey are ready

The whole neighborhood turns out

Movie buddies

Got my girl and my popcorn!

Am I the only one conflicted?

This blog is in no way shape or form reflective of the world in general.  For the most part it's only about my little corner of the world and since no one but my husband and mother probably read it that's fine.  But I do plan on printing it off each year and attaching it to the scrapbook for that year and so I wonder should I comment on current events going on in my world.  Will "all" the people in the future thumbing through the scrapbooks and reading the blog wonder about what was going on in the world at the same time.

Will they care that gas hit the $4 mark here or that it seems every person on the DC city council is being arrested for misuse of funds and fraud or that we have some sort of trillion dollar debit in our nation, that many of the middle eastern countries are rising up and protesting their dictators, that Japan is dealing with an earthquake induced nuclear meltdown, tsunamis or that the largest number of tornados ever hit the midwest 2 weeks ago?  I don't know and sadly I am really not the best person to comment on current events.  I don't read newspapers either real or online and I don't watch the national news mainly because I'm not around a TV when it's on, but also because it's never good.  It's only famine, fighting, disasters and government name-calling and ideology bashing.  I don't like listening to my children bicker and I don't like listening to my elected leaders do it either.  I've been relying on my friends and husband to let me know if there is something I should be aware of.
The only exposure to the news I get is from 6-615am while I'm laying in bed waiting for the weather.  So, if it doesn't make that portion of my local news then I don't know about it.

Needless to say (but I will anyway) this weeks news made my 15 min window.  On Sunday May 1st Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces troops.  Apparently spontaneous celebrations broke out all over the US, at ball games, at concerts and in the streets.
Am I the only one a little uncomfortable with that?  Don't get me wrong, am I glad he's dead - YES.  Do I think the world is a better place - YES.  Do I think he deserved a trial and all the attention that goes along with that - DEFINITELY NO.  Do I think he deserved to die - Yes probably so.  But do I want to go out in the streets and cheer and party and celebrate the death of another person, another human?  No, I don't think I do.  I will leave you with a quote I read on another blog I follow...

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

-Martin Luther King Junior

But when the Zombie Apocalypse comes I will NOT be rowing to escape!

Brenna has rowed for the last two years, I've been at every regatta cheering my guts out, but I'd never put my money where my mouth was until Sunday.   I have always been a huge advocate for these kids.  They are amazing athletes, probably some of the fittest, most coordinated athletes of any sport.  You see those boats, especially the 8's, flying down that river it's like poetry in motion.  It's amazing, awe inspiring and after Sunday mind-boggling!  I rounded up 6 of my favorite friends, because who likes to make a fool of themselves alone, and off we went to Learn to Row camp. And while I learned to row in theory... in practice, not so much... let's just say if you are trying to escape the Zombie Apocalypse and your choice is getting in a boat with me rowing and single handedly making your way on foot, unarmed through the zombie horde....I'd start walking!

Practicing in the barge

Looking skeptically at the boat

It's not just getting in a boat and rowing.   There's legs, arms and back all moving in the right order, there's oar position, there's catch position, there's release position.  The coxswain is yelling at you, the coach is yelling at you,  you have to match the speed and position of the stroke seat, not to mention the evil "crabs" you catch that practically rip the oar out of your hands. Plus, if you are me you are totally stressed about making a fool of yourself in front of all your friends and strangers.  Ar-r-r-g-g-g-h-h-h!

You want me to do what?

Oar death grip

Off we go...

I could not keep my oar straight to save my soul.  Apparently I have bad wrists. They don't listen to what my brain is telling them to do.  Well, they do, but if I begin to think of anything else (like not tipping the boat over) then they go back to their naughty ways and my oar goes all catawampus and higgledy-piggledly.  At one point the coach hollered (in the nicest possible way) "5 seat, if you could keep your oar straight it would really help the boat and all the rest of us!"  It was pretty humorous, if humiliating yourself in front of all your friends can be considered humorous, which I think it can.

Nevertheless humiliation and all, it was pretty fun.  It is very cool being out on the water, especially with friends.  I can see how it would be a lot of fun, if you got good at it and everything was working in sync and if I could keep my damn blade straight!  I really don't think it was my fault, pretty sure I had a gay blade...just saying.

The makings of a great? 8!

At least when the Zombie Apocalypse hits we'll have lettuce!

My small, manageable I hope garden

 I have decided for some unknown reason to dip my toes in the murky, mysterious waters of home gardening.  My history is not great, just ask my mom.  She has a totally huge, I mean jolly green giant huge, green thumb.  Me, not so much.  As the years have progressed, my black thumb has morphed into a vague, sickly green color.  I don't necessarily kill every thing I touch, now it's more of the benign wasting disease of neglect.  I always start out enthusiastic, gung-ho full of dreams and ideals.  I'm going to single handedly bring nature back to the city, purify our household air and teach the kids about the wonder of nature... but then slowly and insidiously I begin to get distracted, lose interest and the next thing I know I have pots full of sad, droopy dead "use to be" plants.  But NOT THIS TIME! :o)
I decided to start small and manageable and instead of investing too much time an effort in creating veggie beds, I would use containers.  Small, manageable and easy to keep track of, or so I hope.  So, I ordered books, I did my research and I planted... tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, mixed lettuces, squash and herbs.  And I waited....

My lettuce bowl

Peppers

Our first homegrown salad!  Delicious!

And believe it or not... it grew and it's still growing.  Right now all we have is lettuce, but nothing has died, nothing has wilted, rabbits haven't found it and I have hope!

Will and Kate ain't got nothing on us!

While most people in the world were glued to the TV watching some sort of shenanigans going on across the sea, little did they know they were missing the REAL EVENT.  Royal wedding, shmoyal wedding...right here in Hyzyland it was PROM NIGHT!  I'm not sure even what to say about the whole thing except for the trite but true... "I can't believe how grown up they look."  "I can't believe she's so beautiful."  Blah, Blah, Blah drivel, drivel, drivel.  I should just let the pictures speak for themselves.  Let me just say though, I was totally STUNNED when she walked down the stairs.  I mean really... really... that's our baby girl.  That's the Wonder Child... how, why, when...I mean really.... You always look at the sweet little baby or toddler or growing girl and think "Geez, I know everyone thinks it, but MY kid really is cute."  And then this walks down the stairs and you know and you feel a little sorry for all the other people who really did think their kid was cute or pretty until they saw this....

Is there any movie star or royal person more stunning than this?

Her boyfriend of almost a year... Zack-Zack

Will and Kate, I don't think so... this has to be the most stylish couple.

So beautiful, so stunning, so grown up... it really does make a mother weep.