High Five for Friday

What was FUN this week:  Lunch with Amy and 75% SALE at Pier 1
I LOVE shopping after Christmas...like WAY after Christmas when things are reduced to practically free.  Amy and I were looking at Christmas stuff, but we found these gorgeous fall-ish colored hydrangeas.  And guess how much they were!

Yep, that says 78 cents!  Practically free.  So, I got all of them and they're going up on the ledge above the front door...just as soon as I find a ladder.  I love getting stuff on sale!

What I'm grateful for this week:  Nice Boys

This is Max.  He is adorable and he asked Flowering Buttercup to the football banquet.  He was polite and courteous.  He gave her his jacket because she didn't bring one.  He opened doors.  And he shook my hand and introduced me to his grandmother.  She had a great time!

What amazed me this week:  June
Some of my children came with amazing life skills that I do not possess.  On the last day of school in December, I had my hands full with Mack's class party, so June volunteered to skip classes and come with me.  She is the BEST helper and I was thrilled when she offered.  So after assuring me that she wasn't going to miss anything critical, I told her I'd pick her up at 10:00, right before the party started.  Well, it turns out that June didn't quite have a full understanding of how finals actually work in middle school.  So at 3:00pm, I got a call from both her history teacher and her PE teacher saying that June would have to make up the finals she missed when she came back in January.  (oh no!)  So, here we are in January.  On Tuesday afternoon, she hopped in the car after the first day of the new semester and I asked her what her history teacher said. 

June:  "Oh, she said that I could either take the final or she would use my average grade as my semester grade."
Me:  "So what did you pick?"
June:  "Well, I'm not taking a test if I don't have to."
Me:  "So what's your average in the class?"
June:  "A 90."

(of course it is...)

This girl has some crazy good interpersonal skills.  Her teachers all love her so much that they just give her the benefit of the doubt.  It never ceases to amaze me that unexpectedly great things fall into her lap ALL the time.  We're still waiting for the PE outcome, but we have high hopes.  

Happy Surprises this week:  Tamales

The Scout Master typically doesn't bring me surprises from his trips, but yesterday I got this text...

It wasn't a pony.  It was TWO DOZEN of the most delicious tamales I have ever eaten in my whole life.  I love tamales...like SUPER love them.  McAllen is a border town.  These are hand made by cute little Mexican ladies who probably lived in Mexico recently.  Of course they're going to be amazing!  I only took out 6 tonight and let the kids have ONE each.  We're rationing those things for sure.  The Scout Master's next trip to McAllen isn't for 3 more weeks!  

Song of the Week:

LOVE this song.  LOVE the Dixie Chicks.  I've been driving the van which doesn't have Satellite Radio and which also doesn't have all my songs loaded onto it, so I've had to deliberately choose music before I get in.  I picked this CD this week and I've been singing the heck out of this song.