Marcus and the Swine Flu (totally unrelated topics)

Two topics to post today...don't be scared...they are totally unrelated.

First of all, here's Marcus at the wrestling banquet. He won the "never quit" award. HE also got his 5th six weeks report card and got all nineties and up in all Pre-AP classes...and he doesn't even have to work that hard! Where'd all those brains come from???

Secondly...Carsyn and I have a week and a half off of school. Ft. Worth ISD, as you may have seen on national news, cancelled all 80 schools at least through next Friday, May 8 because one kid has the swine flu. I guess it was necessary. We are going to stay healthy, get some things accomplished, and of course have a little fun! First we are sanitizing the house...then we will go see the Hanna Montana movie finally!

BTW...Scott has a sinus infection and I quarantined him to the bedroom for another day til the Z-Pac is officially kickin....but he does NOT have the flu...no fever, no chills....no Swine!

Our Life This Week

No pictures to post, just keeping you up to date on our lives.
First of all...GREAT news...Scott was offered a new job this week. He is still at RDO and doing ok, despite the obvious financial crisis especially when selling major construction eqipment. He is still making money, but life in sales is always unstable...especially in this economy! A friend he met a year ago up here who owns a huge energy company is growing so fast that he needs a manager over his eqipment and someone to purchase new stuff while taking care of the old...yes I know, my vocab on construction and sales is limited, but stick with me. Anyway, they really want him to work for them. There is not downside to this. It is a salaried position which is a breath of fresh air after years of commission. It is management...which makes him feel great. It is with a company and people he really likes. It is a guarantee right now which is really something in this economy. And they will provide him witha truck, a computer, and all of the other good stuff. He hasn't officially started, but he is pretty much taking it...and it super excited, as are we.
So what's the downside of this? Well....they want to buy him a company truck, instead of paying him to use his monster truck right now.... so I am going to have to suck it up and learn how to drive that beast...please pray for me...especially in the parking lot areas. HE has promised he will get me a step because it really is a big truck.
Other than that we are doing end of year busyness...THANKS GOD.....reading and math TAKS tests are next week and then those horrible tests are over. My deaf ed kids have grown by leaps and bounds this year...I am very proud of their reading progress as a result of my hard work and discipline. I did go to the Weatherford ISD job fair last week...I'd love to work "in town" but it was a nightmare...My ADHD was in overdrive with ahundred people around while I interviewed so I honestly can't say what they thought of me. I don't mind my current position, but do have some ethical concerns as far as the pressure and emphasis on TAKS testing.
Carsyn is gearing up for her dance recital in about a month...she performs her Gloria Estefan tap routine at MayFest in Ft. Worth this Thursday. Yeah!
Payton got a new teacher who is a miracle worker...she has been so great since Miss Emily has come around!
And Marcus is just anxiously wrapping up a freshman year. He is at a wrestling banquet tonight in pants, a shirt and tie and is almost taller than Scott.
Pictures will come soon!!!
Off to watch "The WRestler".

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! We took advantage of good weather yesterday and took bluebonnet photos of the girls in their Easter dresses. This morning it was very rainy and cold so we stuck to an inside photo. We went to church together at our new church home. It was probably the best Sunday church experience I've ever had. We are very lucky to have been led to another great church. Our service today was at Weatherford High School in the auditorium...they booked it in hopes of a huge crowd and they got it! We just hung out and prepared an Easter feast the rest of the afternoon...and had an in-house egg hunt because of the rain. Now we just finished our feast of ham, cheesy potatoes, layered salad, deviled eggs and rolls. As soon as we digest that we will have dessert...I made a three layer carrot cake recipe from Southern Living magazine that should be amazing.

The Heimlich...One more time!

Can you believe Payton was eating a piece of bacon on the couch on Sunday and started to choke. She coughed a few times then looked at me and pointed in her mouth when I said, Payton are you allright? So I gently gave her a few thrusts and nothing. I grabbed her around her ribs and jiggled her up and down as I quickly carried her to a more open area and she started to cough. She looked at me with watery eyes and a red face and I said "Payton, are you ok now?" She nodded her head and I said "SAy something to me!" And that little angel looked me right in the eye and said
"Did I scare you half to pieces mommy?"
YES Payton...you scared me half to pieces.
What is it with my family and the heimlich???

Checkin' In

So here we are again...official photos to post. Many thanks to Amy for several things.

1. For sending Karlee and official AGD NY shirt and hat

2. For taking the fab family photo which is now framed in an Elliott family heirloom frame

3. For passing on some organizational skills...check out our closet

We have been busy this spring on home improvements. Scott built a huge shelf for the closet to utilize the space better. Marcus and I painted my bathroom blue to match my bedroom. We have spent countless hours on the yard...the girls are posing in the beginnings of a girl space...our rose garden. Many thanks to my interpreter, Donna, for hookin me up with lots of free flowers from her backyard last Friday! I also finally enlarged and framed a family photo amy took at Christmas above our mantel. The frame was a family heirloom from Scott's grandma...it actually had a huge handpainted portrait of his dad when he was younger. I also included a few zoo photos...we finally made it there last Saturday with Jill and her family...check out those birds...have you really ever seen that happen? Too hilarious!!!

Hello World!

Hello World! Just wanted to let y'all know that the Elliott's are still alive and kickin. It has been so nice out that I rarely want to sit at a computer. So sorry about the lack of posting...maybe I will try to get some updates this weekend. We have been fixing up our landscaping, taking walks, and cooking out together. Fun family times. We really only sit inside to eat, sleep and watch Dancing with the Stars and American Idol.