14!

Happy Birthday Sam!

A few days late, I guess, but he waited for the weekend for his party so a couple friends from Sheboygan could come up.

Our Sammy is 14! Last year of middle school. He made that ice cream cake himself. He can go to church dances! I think he's kind of excited to do that.

Questing for Flowers

At 9:00 this morning, after dropping off Tabby at school, I swung by the Bellvue Nursery to pick up some flowers only to find out the store is closed for the winter. Fortunately, Stein's was just a few blocks up the road. But it didn't open until 10am. Seriously? A nursery that doesn't open for Valentine's day? A garden & gift store that doesn't have special Valentine's day hours? Man, maybe I just don't think enough like an accountant.

Well, when I got home Becky said she didn't want flowers anyway. She just wanted me to maybe pick up some Jimmy Johns for lunch on the way back from picking up Tabby. I could do that. But it was still Valentine's Day. I couldn't not get flowers. So I picked up Tabby and told her we were going to go get some flowers then some sandwiches for lunch before going home.

"Oh! Flowers for Mom!? and me!?"

I think she gets Valentine's Day this year. And remembers that I've been getting flowers for both her and Becky. And, man, was she excited about it.

There's another garden & gift shop, Ivy Trails, up the road a bit from Jimmy Johns so I tried it. But they didn't sell flowers. The guy there suggested a flower shop in a strip mall on the way back to Jimmy Johns. But it was closed. For good. Recently it seems. Everything still in boxes. Man, that was a sad sight. A flower shop out of business on Valentine's Day. Well, Stein's is practically across the street from Jimmy Johns, so I tried it again. They don't sell flowers there either.

I was about ready to give up. We went and grabbed some sandwiches (one veggie, one BLT) and I was just about to head home, but there was no way Tabby was letting me do so without flowers.

"Are we going flower shopping again? For Mom? and me?"

I really don't know why I'd prefer to go to a florist rather than a grocery store for flowers. Maybe just because that's how I've always done it. Maybe for the better selection. But it turns out Copps had some nice Valentine's Day bouquets. So I got a big colorful one and split it up for Tabby and Becky. Turns out Becky didn't mind getting flowers. And Tabby squeals delightedly at them every time she walks in the kitchen.

Becky got us each candies. And got Tabby a My Little Pony (Twilight Sparkle!). I didn't have to work today. We watched Hitch tonight as a family. Even our teen boys liked it.

It's been a nice day.

Eventful Day

For the boys, anyway, it was an eventful day. Report cards came out. Ben got straight As. I mean, other than the two A plusses. Sam went to his first forensics event. He's doing storytelling. Told the story of the Gingerbread Man. His three rounds he got an A-, A and A+ from his judges. Jack went to his first day of work at the Y. Just orientation, but he got paid.