And so it goes...

The rains came and went yesterday.   Here is a storm that came through late evening from the north.  so far much of our rain has been from the Hurricane that came through south Texas.  We are all still dry and the back yard is no longer a lake.  

Yesterday was a melancholy type of day.  The rains kept the kids inside for a while and board games were a favorite way to pass the time.  Mark, kept the couch warm watching the NASCAR race and giving us all play-play.  John continued to try to stop the leaks, which i have to admit are diminishing.  We spent the evening at a Good-Bye party for friends of ours.  Here is Emma hamming it up in the sweater i just finished for her.

Very theatrical of her.  

The party was very nice, but very touching at the same time.  The family who is moving is a Former Delphi family.  (former after this move.)  They were one of the first families here to welcome us.  Although we didn't get together much, it is just one more connection here that is gone.  We have another family moving away soon, with kids who were about the same age as ours and who played together nicely.  I know it come with the transient nature of El Paso, and I know the families who are moving have bigger and better things in store for them. But let me just take a moment to say..."WHAT ABOUT ME!"  OK i feel better, truly it was bittersweet to say good-buy to good people.

On and up note here is the joke for today:

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.  The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though a whale is a very large mammal, its throat is very small.  The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.  The teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human, it was impossible.  

The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."

The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to Hell? 

The little girl replied, "Then you ask him!"

The school year begins in just 15 days, but who's counting?  Today we start the dreaded back to school shopping.  Now i pride myself on being a great shopper.  But i get so annoyed at the back to school shoppers.  For those of your who don't have children, it compares in  a lot of ways to Christmas.  "I want. ... I gotta have....Please..... My friends all have...."  Mark needs 6, one inch binders.  what is up with that?  how can any child possibly carry anything else in their book bag with 6 inches of binders?  What happened to spiral notebooks and Trapper Keepers? Not only do we have to get the supplies for the kids but we stock the class rooms as well.  4 boxes of Kleenex per child,  2 rolls of paper towels,  Ziploc baggies,  construction paper and much, much more.  Thank Goodness we go to Catholic schools and wear uniforms.  I think back to school clothing would only give Emma and I another reason to express our opinions loudly to one another (yeah OK argue).  I have a feeling that Hannah Montana and Camp Rock will be high on our list today.  I think i better stop at Starbucks before we go and take some Motrin with me, something tells me i may need it.  Wish me luck.