Riley and Avery

Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up that I will likely be making this blog private very soon.  I never really thought that anyone but family would have any interest in my boring stupid day-to-day existence, but well, time are a-changing.  I have been putting my blog in my signature line in outgoing emails for a while now, not really thinking about it.  But now I kind of feel funny about it.  I mean, I use email for the lion-share of my communication these days, and not usually with people I even know.  It kind of weirds me out that people I don't even know, or people who are not known by anyone that I know, are looking at my blog.  Obviously, friends and family will be given permission to view the blog.  In the off chance that there is anyone else out there who has made a habit of reading my blog (seriously, I regularly read the blogs of people I find linked on other blogs.  They don't know me and I don't "know" them, but I'm not creepier than your average person, so if anyone does that with my blog it's cool by me, but I can't be held responsible for any side-effects of reading about my boring life), don't hesitate to ask for permission.  It's just that when I email a person selling a bookshelf off of craigslist and it turns out that he is a real weirdo, I'd rather he not have access to my blog.  Ya know?

And no, nothing traumatic or weird has occurred to spark this change, I just realize that times have changed and I want to limit the access that others have to my family.

Riley had her speech evaluation last week.  The principal told me that an IEP meeting has been set and I should be getting a notification soon.  I don't really know what to expect, and I hate surprises.  I basically am apprehensive about all the people that have to be there.  It feels like it's the whole world vs. me.  I hope it's good news, but really, I'm not sure it's gonna be.  I mean, I want to be optimistic, but I just think that will set me up for disappointment.  Of course I'm a little sensitive about it right now since Riley has a spring musical coming up that the first graders put on every year and she was hoping not to have a speaking role because she can't say her r's.  Insert sound of heart breaking here.

...at Old Orchard Beach, in pictures.

Trying to catch up on blogging here!  Boy, I'm behind!

We had a wonderful Easter.  Nothing too big.  Just a regular dinner.  Ham, of course, since I never pass up an opportunity to eat my favorite meat :)  Plus, it's cheap and can be eaten forEVER in all sorts of recipes.

We had nice weather on Earth Day, so we headed downtown for the Urban Earth Day.  I thought the use of the work "urban" to refer to Portland was funny :)  We ate cheap hotdogs and enjoyed the people.  All of them friendly, some of them very strange.  One woman had her pants hanging below her butt, with a short jacket on, and what turned out to be a gold swimsuit hanging out.  The worst part was that the seat of the suit was so worn thin it was quite transparent.  Later, she took her shirt off to dance and she had a black bra on under the one-piece swimsuit.  Odd.  Oh, and she had a fierce mullet.

...died last night.  Riley was absolutely heartbroken, thinking it was her fault.  She's been so patient with those birds, talking to them and starting hand-taming.  She cried and cried...and cried.  She cried herself to sleep.  There was a 15-day guarantee, but it had been 17 days.  I called up Petco and asked them if the 15-day guarantee was firm, as it had been 17 days and Riley was heartbroken and we didn't have money in our budget to pay for another bird.  They let us have a replacement for free!  But really, this is what I freakin' hate about birds.  One day they appear to be fine and the next day they are stone cold dead.  We buried him today.  Riley decided to not bury him in a box because it's better for the environment :)

So, like I already blogged, we planted the tulip bulbs yesterday.  I forgot that I snapped a few pictures, and I feel like I haven't posted pics in a while.  We bought these bulbs last fall, and I never got around to planting them then.  I mean, who wants to do garden work in the fall?  Plus, I started clearing a spot for a garden bed in the fall and almost immediately squished a white grub with my hand and that made me totally squick out, so I stopped.  I can totally admit my squeamishness.  Anyway, I asked around and it turns out that you can plant fall bulbs in the spring, they just need to have a period of cold (achieved by leaving them in the mud room all fall/winter) and generally take a little longer to bloom.  The downside is that I had them in plastic bags, so they got moist and a few of them were moldy.  Quite a few had already sprouted in the bag, so I guess that's a good sign?  Right?  Hopefully at least a few come up so the girls will be happy.  I've also heard that in order to have tulips come back year after year, you need to cut off the blooms so that the plants conserve energy by not producing seeds.  Win-win: the girls get to cut flowers and I don't have to re-plant bulbs.  Sweet.

I really have nothing to blog about.  The weather has been cool and we really haven't gone anywhere interesting lately.  Today it is supposed to be warm, but rainy (of course).  Riley is on spring break, and it looks like the weather won't break the 60s the entire week.  We'll find something to do, I hope.  Or all go crazy.  April showers bring May flowers.  Repeat until I believe it...

So, everyone already knows the drama (and expense) Ginger has caused us these past couple of days, but I record here because that's what blogs are for!

So, Rudi bought puffer fish about a week ago.  We've had puffers before.  They are adorable little fish, with their plump bodies, forward-facing eyes, smiley face mouths, and tiny little side fins.  They are attentive when you walk into the room and watch your every move.  These were the biggest puffers we've had before, though.  The others were less than 1/2 inch long, about, and these were a good 2 inches long.

We went to Two Lights last weekend, and Crescent Beach today.  It's nice going to them in the off-season, because we don't have to pay :)  I think come warmer weather we will buy the annual state park pass since we will be spending a good amount of time at these beaches!  I wonder what Crescent Beach will be like in the winter, since they're parking lot is insanely huge.  I think they have a vendor there too during the peak season.  We'll see.  Right now, we enjoy having the shore nearly all to ourselves.  Just a few joggers and dog-walkers there right now.  And us.