"LEE"ving on a jet plane... or in Mom's car. Whatever.

So, funny phenomenon with "Graduating" from Elementary School here.  The Clap Out.  On the last day of school, all grades Kingergarten to Fourth line the main hallway, then the 5th graders march out while a very sappy song plays over the PA system.  And the kids cry, and cry, and cry.  And I roll my eyes.... seriously, they are going to get stuck up in brain one of these days.  At last years Clap Out, we told Carly we'd pay her $5 if she didn't cry.  She made $5 that day.  Auntie Tracy, however, did not.  And said Auntie planned her trip to Florida to be present for the Clap Out this year, after witnessing it LAST year.  I can not make these things up.  Anyways, SHOUT OUT to Tracy for the GREAT pictures she took... I was INSIDE, and mine weren't so great.  Here's Ben.  NOT crying, and BOLTING out the doors of Lee Elem. School of Technology and World Studies... I'd say "For the last time", but his Dad works there, so he'll be back.  And back.  And back!!!

On the Main steps of the school are tiles that the art teacher made a few years ago when the school celebrated it's 100th year.  That was kind of a big deal here because there aren't too many "old schools" in our area.

She also painted each of the teacher's pictures....

(that says "McGregor" and "Media")

Last year, for a fundraiser, you could purchase a tile with your child's picture and they have started tiling the back steps of the school.... Of course we had to get them for our kids!!  Part of Lee forever.  Ha!

CONGRATULATIONS BEN!!!

Supercalifragilistic Mary Poppins

For Christmas we got my parents tickets to see Mary Poppins... pretty sure my Dad will agree that present was WELL WORTH the wait!!  (His first time seeing it... my Mom went with her BFF a few years ago)  We have seen MANY Broadway shows, both in New York and touring companies.  But this one?  Ridiculous.  Highly recommend it.  I'm going to go so far as to say Best Show I've Seen.  That's pretty big recommendation from me.  Just saying.  Seeing Bert dancing upside down on the ROOF of the stage... Mary flying out over the audience... UNBELIEVABLE choreography for Supercalifrag-whatever (which, by the way, Carly spent much of the walk out trying to re-create)... crazy good dancing... amazing "Child Actors" (and they were on the stage for nearly every scene!)... excellent singing... *sigh*.  It was fun.

And the company.... OUR company, not THE Company.  The Boys had decided last fall when we planned to get the tickets that they didn't want to go (Ben fell asleep during Wicked  a few years ago.  REALLY???), so Carly and I took my parents... and Tracy and Torrey came along for RoundTwo for them (they had seen it in Houston).  So it was a fun night out with The Girls for my Dad!  Pretty sure he loved that just as much as he flying Nanny.  Since you aren't supposed take pictures during the show, here are a few BEFORE we went in...

Coquina Beach Kite Runners

We spent a FANTASTIC afternoon at Coquina Beach today... This is our very favorite beach and we were happy to enjoy it before the oil leak makes its way to our shores:(  BEST part of the day (other than being with family!!!).... the kite!

Can't believe I got them to stand stillnext to each other long enough for a cute picture!  To be honest, he was pinching her:)

Having a little fun with my sister's camera... these pictures are all "straight from the camera"... You know I'm too sun tinged for any photo editing!

The debut of our beach umbrella... how did we ever stay at the beach WITHOUT one???  It was AWESOME for keeping us cool on the beach.  For real.  And the kite... they all took their turn with it...

Our traditional beach picture with these three nuts...

This boy had the best time with the kite.  It brought him so much joy, Papoo let him have it!!!

Papoo helping Ben with the kite... and Ben was asking him over and over about air currents and how the kite stayed up.  Think they discovered a new science fair project. 

Great day!!

             

Well, it's summer. Almost.

We know it's summer around here when Torrey shows up!  If there's one thing you can say about Ben and Carly, it's that they LOVE their cousins!  All of them.  But this girl?  Well, these nuts have had some REALLYcrazy times together...

2003

And yup, my sister and I made them dress alike when they were little... we even made Ben dress up like Blue from Blue's Clues, and dressed Torrey up like Magenta and took them to Sears for a big photo shoot.  (Thanks to Ryan's mom for those FANTASTIC costumes!!!) Anyways... not much has changed with these 3, even though they live in different states...

Ok, I take that back....  What's changed is:

"Torrey!  You are SO MUCH taller than me!!!" Yup, Little Girl is all grown up.  Not sure how I feel about Torrey being 14.  And tall.  And no braces.  Pretty sure I'm coping mildly better than her dad is!

And well, they are still causing trouble...

This would be the girls "making" muffins tonight... Right after they cleaned up their batter fight.  Pretty sure that Carly started that one.  At least that is the story they are sticking to! 

Looking forward to a fun week with my niece and sister....

Smack Down... Eli vs. Miggy

Eli came over for a little while this morning while his Mama ran an errand... I don't usually let him play with Miggy too much these days because Miggy got pretty mad at him last time they "played together".... but this morning I wasn't feeling too sorry for Migs, so here they are having some "fun".  Well, Eli had fun!! 

disclaimer:  Miggy is declawed, and hey, he could have run away if he wanted to. 

No baby or cat were hurt during said Smack Down.

Eli's Mama was sitting right behind him cheering him on... she's no fan of Miggy!

2 points for the tail!

2 points for my choke hold... I mean, just trying to look in your eyes, Miggy!

2 points for Faking the Cat out... he thinks I'm done!

Here comes my hand... under my leg... unfortunately, Miggy sees it coming!

2 points for poking your eyes!

2 points for my "Nice Kitty" fake out.

Ouch... 2 points to Miggy for an unpredictable attack.

Ummm, he got my knee!

Migs thinks about running away, but gets a few swats in on his way to surrender...

Winner gets an apple!!!

The "Bird" Feeder

Ok... so Earth Day.  Of course it's nice to celebrate the Fine Earth our Creator has created for us... but I'm becoming convinced it's just another "excuse" for a craft project at school.  Which I can understand, being crafty and all.  Ben's class made bird feeders out of recycled products... milk cartons, straws, peanut butter (provided by Ben's Mom, buy-one-get-one at Publix), string, and bird seeds. 

We told him right away that the Vagrant Squirrel who lives in our front tree would love it.  He said it was for a bird.  Teacher said if he had a picture of a bird eating at his bird feeder, he would get a "No Homework For a Week" pass.  (Ben HATES homework, because "I already know how to do this.  In my head.  Why do I have to write it down EVERY SINGLE NIGHT????"  and really?  What 5th grader DOESN'T hate homework??)  Ryan even told her about Our Squirrel.  She said he wouldn't mess with it, because it's a BIRD feeder.  I said, "Um, peanut butter?". 

So, here's how it went.  Ben hung up the bird feeder on the front of the house.  In about an hour, it was suspiciously missing.  I found it on the ground.   And hung it back up.  I went to work.  They went to an over-night-swim-meet in Fort Myers.  I came home from work and it's missing again.  And I can't find it anywhere.  Until I looked up.

Got to hand it to her for her mad decorating skills... somehow she hung it right above her nest. 

She sat for a long time looking at me... Crazy Mama with a Camera.  And a cell phone.  Telling Ben there would be No Homework this week!

Close up for my sister.  Please don't think I'M a squirrel fan now, but I AM considering since this little rodent helped us out so much... and she's so very entertaining.  The cats are in a constant state of upheaval watching her out the window as she has been STEALING for her nest. 

Click on that picture to see the nest, and the bird feeder right above it... and she's off to the right of it all, center of the picture.

and in the off chance that the teacher thinks BEN hung it in the tree...

I just might have won Mother of the Year with my photographing skills!