OMG

So, I spent about 45 minutes blogging at school today while my kids were watching Finding Nemo (and listing all of the invertebrates and vertebrates they saw in the movie). Well, I go to publish, and the LISD network says nope, and the whole thing gets eaten in cyberspace...I wanted to cry. On the 17th our computers were migrated from Groupwise to Outlook, and ever since then I can hardly get on to a wireless network on my laptop at home, and our desktop is a POS. I have to pause every few sentences to let it catch up to my superhuman typing skills. So, here's my blog on what's been going on with us Dodsons since my last post around Valentine's Day...get comfy.

John worked every night from the middle of January to the weekend after Easter getting his car ready for the Lone Star Roundup. It's an annual carshow in Austin that celebrates the "Rockabilly" Kustom car culture lifestyle. All of the cars are 1963 or older, and it is a really great time. The show is at the Expo Center, and then everyone hangs out and cruises up and down Congress Street at night. The last time we went was two years ago when I was 8 months pregnant! Anywho, John built a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood station wagon. If you know him, you know he has a thing for wagons. He kept it's original paint, just put a shiny coat of clear on it, lowered it on air bags, new interior, and voila! He got SO many compliments on it, and even an offer to buy it. I was so proud of him, and watching all of the people that admire the thing that he loves to do. He is so creative and mechanically genious, I think he could make anything!! He was coming home every night between 2 and 4am, but ever since the show, he's been home after work, and Luke and I really love having him back!

I've finished up dance competitions and choreographing routines. I'm judging teams' tryouts and getting ready to teach summer camps. In a couple of weeks I'll go to Salado for the weekend and we will shoot the video of routines that we offer at camps. School has been insane, my mind is fried, just like all of the kids. We had the writing TAKS the first week of March, Open House the next week, and then this week was the math and reading TAKS. Field Day was supposed to be today, but it was canceled due to the district not wanting students and visitors congregating because of the Swine Flu. But then, the BEST thing happened this afternoon...LISD closed all schools for the entire upcoming week!!! So I'm on a paid vacation that we don't have to make up, whoohoo!!!

Hannah is doing fabulously in third grade!! She's been having a great year, and is really maturing socially and doing very well academically. They have to pass the reading TAKS to go to 4th grade...not only did she pass it, not only did she receive Commended Recognition, she got a PERFECT SCORE!!! We are all so proud of her hard work. She took the math test earlier this week, results will come back at the end of the month. She is such a great big sister to Luke. He loves his Eena. He'll pick up something around the house that belongs to her, or even see something in a store that looks like it would be hers and he starts saying her name and looking for her. When she's here, she wakes up with him and changes his diaper and gets him breakfast, and plays with him non-stop. She gave him a bath tonight and got him reafy for bed, and he can't get enough. She's growing her hair out again, and is getting so tall, Daddy is going to have to fight off the boys in Rockwall and Lake Dallas!

And then, there's the Lukester. My heartbeat, my tension headaches, my comic relief, my need for margaritas. This kid does not stop all day long! I'm going to go ahead and diagnose him ADHD right now. He is Mr. Independent and will throw a fit with a quickness if he doesn't get what he wants. He loves to climb, in fact he can climb right out of his crib that is on the lowest setting. He thinks he's so darn cute, he'll do stuff he's not supposed to and just smile at you while he's doing it. In the grocery store, when other people walk by, he'll grab my waist and hug me and say "awww", and of course he gets the reaction he's looking for from the unsuspecting passerbys. He has a new word almost every day, and I have been told several times that he has good "diction". This means that you can understand what he says, especially the things he shouldn't say...like when you go over a bump in the road and he says "oh shee". Mom of the year right here!

So, do you feel all caught up on the Dodson Fam? Luke turns 2 this Sunday, I can believe it...and I can't. We're having Elmopalooza at the house with family and close friends. Tomorrow we're going to go take 2 year old pictures, I can't wait. Cross your fingers he's in a say "chee" kind of mood!

Did I mention I don't have to work all next week? Happy May!