Engleberts in Missouri [miz-er-ree]

Amazingly all 6 of our kids were home this weekend. It’s hard enough to find an evening when the 4 who actually live here are all home at the same time. Jobs, sports, school activities, and friends (the regular and the boy-type) keep them all really busy.

Sadly, Eric’s grandmother Jessie Mattos passed away and they were in Branson for the funeral. It was wonderful that they were able to come up and visit us for a day too. We haven’t seen Eric since he came home sick from Iraq.

And it’s been several months since we’ve seen Stephanie and the little bunchkin. He is a hoot! 18-months-old is the perfect age. Fun and playful and full of energy. I wish they lived closer so that we could have the bunchkin more often.

Tonight was supposed to be the last volleyball game but we still have one game to makeup because of the snow storm. Thank goodness because soccer has already started. She’s still not that great at serving and volleying but the cuteness factor completely makes up for whatever is lacking in the skill department.

I don’t remember where I first saw this cartoon but it still makes me laugh.

Thanks for commiserating with me on the wild weather swings we’ve been having. They say misery loves company - and it’s true, I do love me some company!

I’ve been thinking about applying for a job as a meteorologist at a local station (I wanted to be a weather girl but apparently that’s not PC anymore). I figure I’ll be about 100% accurate predicting the weather based on whether Violet’s activities for the day will be indoors or outdoors. For example, I could have totally predicted that we’d be standing outside Lowe’s in rainy 36 degree weather today.

Not everyone was feeling my pain though. Jenn is reveling in her wonderfully warm Spring weather. I think her comment was the inspiration for the smug text message I received from my son today:

“I hear it’s really cold there today…I sure am enjoying the 70+ degree weather down here :P”

That little :P symbol? That’s him sticking his tongue out at me. He can afford to do that now that he has taken the money and run off to Florida with his sister. He knows he’s at a safe distance. My arms are like Stretch Armstrong but they don’t stretch quite that far.

The Joplin Globe ran a little puff piece on the JHS band’s trip to Florida over Spring break. Steve read it at work and told me about it last night. I get pretty much all of my news in the online version of the Globe - mainly because I love to read the comments that people leave on every story. And also because I am physically attached to my laptop.

The little puff piece was on the Opinion page and was titled In our view: Safe trip to Florida which made me laugh. And this comment? Totally sums up why I love reading the news online:

“Ever-controversial, the Globe editiorial staff– after, undoubtedly, much internal debate–comes out in favor of safe band trips to Florida. A milestone in journalism, this.”

Snarky - I love it! For once, I am in total agreement with the Joplin Globe’s opinion. I am totally in favor of a safe band trip to Florida.

So, those 2 kids are gone until next Friday and I am absolutely reveling in being a one-child-mom. So much less work. It’s like being on a holiday myself. Although, obviously not as much fun as a trip to Disney.

How you taunt me. I thought we were buds - both of us part of the mother club and all.

But no, you obviously are a mother in name only. Otherwise, you would know not to send us an 80 degree day when we have an indoor cookie booth. You know that Violet will spend the entire 2 hours whining about how she just wants to go outside. And I will spend the entire 2 hours saying “Do you think I want to be here? This was your idea.” under my breath in a mean tone of voice.

Then, I think, Ok Mother Nature, you were just trying to warm it up a bit in preparation for soccer practice the next day. And when we woke up on Thursday morning it was quite balmy. But over the course of the afternoon, you really cooled it down so that by practice time it was 35 degrees.

Seriously! A 45 degree difference from one day to the next? What are you thinking?

Here’s some pictures of Violet at practice. She’s the one in the blue shorts with the purple legs. Although we named her Violet, purple skin really doesn’t suit her.

I tried to come up with excuses for you. Telling myself that the cold weather would make day 1 of Spring break a little easier for Violet to bear since we would be inside the mall for several hours selling those damn delicious Girl Scout cookies again. But you tricked us again. It’s nearly 70 degrees and sunny today!

We are home now and I have sent Violet outside to play “until I think she has made up for 3 hours of whining.”

You’ve been so fickle that any minute now I expect the clouds to cover the sun and snow to start falling. Do it and I’m throwing out all of the “green” changes we’ve been making around here. Those CFLs? Right in the trash. I’ll run a half empty dishwasher - don’t think I won’t. And those new canvas shopping bags I ordered? I’ll send them back - I swear it!