Random Roundup

* School ended yesterday and my girls are CERTIFIED kindergarten graduates. They came home with report cards and 'diplomas' and thank you notes and -- in Lizzie's case -- a 102 degree temperature. Here are Lizzie and Hannah with their certificates and Hannah is also holding the coloring/sticker book I gave them for good report cards (we also went to Sonic for lunch and Dunkin' Donuts for dessert, but let's be honest, that was mostly for me!)

* On the one hand I hate it when one of the girls is sick because it's no fun to be stuck inside when it's the first day of summer vacation, but it also means I get compliments like the one Lizzie gave me yesterday afternoon: "Mommy I love to hug you because it makes me feel a little bit happier when I'm sick."

* Report card report -- It appears that Lizzie has bloomed into quite the student this past quarter. She got a couple of "4s" on her report card and she kicked butt on her achievement tests. Hannah did well, too, and I'm confident (at least right now!) that she'll be up to grade level with our summer work/play program. Hannah did especially well in both music and gym.

* My brother is trying to follow in my footsteps by saving drowning children. Last weekend T.A. jumped into a pool to save a kid who was struggling. Forty years or so ago I jumped into a pool to save my sister Tina who was under the water in a neighbor's pool. Oddly enough, I never got past advanced beginners in camp swimming lessons. Oh, and T.A. is such a copy-cat. :) This is a picture of my brother, the life saver, and my sister the life savee (by me ... T.A. rescued a much younger person):

* FOUR MORE DAYS UNTIL VACATION, PART ONE!!! (This is the girls during last year's vacation at the shore):

* I hit a pretty big plateau on Weight Watchers this month but have lost weight for the past two weeks, bringing my total very near 23 lbs, which is very near 25 lbs at which point I am going to get a pedicure. So you can follow along with my weight loss by watching my toes!

* There's a pepper growing in Rob's garden. It's about one inch in diameter right now, and I want to have it for dinner tonight. But it's probably best to let it get a little bigger so I can share with others. Of course I used this strategy with the lettuce, too, and the only one who got to enjoy it was a rabbit.

* I got the go ahead from the Eagle to interview David Cook (American Idol winner last year) and am hoping that his publicist gives me the go ahead, too!!! Here he is. Love him:

* Only 12 more weeks until the first day of first grade. :)