Dana Daily

Seth and I spent a gorgeous day outside. Finally, finally, finally temperatures climbed well into the 70s and will stay there or even go into the 80s all week. The trees are blooming, and lawns are finally lush and beautifully green. The craziness of May from the days have old have moved into April, but now even those have passed. Sal gets home in the daylight every day. We still have one full month of the school year to go, but I feel like we've survived another year. .

Sal's middle school band concert was tonight. Rick's fifth and sixth graders played first, followed by the jazz band, and then Sal's kids took the stage. As a whole the concert was long, but the kids sounded really good. During a trumpet solo Emmy leaned over and whispered "wow." She was suitably impressed, and when we got home, even though it was late, she dug her 2018-2019 band form out of her backpack for me to sign. It's fun to see Sal in his element. I know he's a band teacher, I know he's good at his job, but to see him in action is a whole other thing. The hours he puts in are incredibly frustrating to me at times, but I know why he does it. Here I am with two of the three kids trying to keep them entertained prior to the start of the concert. Sarah was in the restroom.

Today was the Steubenville High School spring concert and band banquet. The high school principal took this picture prior to dinner. Other years the performance was one evening and the banquet another. I thought combining the two into one late Sunday afternoon was perfect. We are sitting with assistant band director Rick Hicks, his wife, Linda, and their granddaughter Cali.

I sent Sal this picture and he asked me if I was done planning yet. My response was, "am I ever really done?" It's a valid question. These papers, along with multiple travel guides and brochures will be safely tucked into my carry-on and toted around with us for the duration of our vacation, like that little rhyme? We have a list of "must-have" places to visit, and a list of "if we have time" places. Traveling with kids, and in a larger group, adds more time. Meals take longer, there are more potty breaks required, etc. Over Easter my brother asked about traveling with us, and those plans are a go. He was able to switch his reserve weekend with the Coast Guard, and he booked the necessary hotel reservations. A few nights he'll be able to stay with us, but in some cases there wasn't a way to add him. Truthfully, I think he'll be glad to have his own space occasionally, and if not, I'll be more than happy to take his room or cab...

Our beautiful weekend weather started on Friday, and I was fortunate enough to be working from home. We hit temps well into the 80s and it was sunny. Saturday was just as nice, and Emmy had her first soccer game at 11:30. Her team, The Warriors, won by a score of 6-3 so that was exciting. Seth surprised me by not trying to run onto the field. He seemed to understand that he had to watch from sidelines, but Emmy did come over to where we were sitting a couple times. None of the action was close to where we were sitting, but I snapped a picture anywhere. I put an arrow over Emmy's head so it's easier to find her :-) Today was slightly cooler and not as sunny, but the rain held off until evening. They're calling for snow on Tuesday again, but we certainly made the most of our weekend. It was impossible to keep the kids inside, and I wouldn't have wanted to anyway.

Seth's new glasses came in, and we picked them up yesterday. I was concerned he wouldn't leave them on, but that hasn't been an issue. That tells me the glasses are helping. On the short drive home I noticed, in the rear view mirror, that he was really studying his hands, turning them this way and that and turning the over. Since he can't focus on close objects, I'm sure his hands have appeared quite blurry to him. I also see him sliding his glasses down his nose and peering out over the top at an object, and then pushing them up and looking at that same object. These are the situations I force myself to think about when I start to feel sad or get a twinge about his needing glasses in the first place. They  are  helping him, and that is what's important. Still, I pray so hard that his eyes have improved when we return to the doctor in June. I wasn't thrilled with these particular frames, but let the office talk me into them because they are ...

Our basement is done. Well, sort of. I previously posted the status of this project here . Over the last couple of days, the ceiling, puck lights, drywall, and doors were installed. We chose a light gray paint for the walls, and we hired a painter an interior designer friend of mine recommended for this. For only $160 Vince primed and painted the walls, as well as, the drywall portion of the ceiling. We would hire him again in an instant. Sal and I still need to choose a material for the floor, and the trim will need to be installed both around the floor and around around the windows. We plan to save the money for these last steps this summer and tackle it next winter. Behind the double doors, top left, is a large closet for storage. Our attic access is terrible so we plan to store things like luggage and drum cases here. We use those things frequently enough that putting them in the attic and taking them out again becomes a chore. This is easy. Behind the single door, bo...

This is the never-ending winter. It's snowed nearly every day this month and the temperatures are freezing. We haven't even had any teaser, warm temp days since February. All I want to do is go to sleep and wake up when it's warm. It's been too cold for too long, and I am over it.

Taking kids to contest may be Sal's favorite part about being a teacher. Here he is with his 8th graders at Solo and Ensemble. Doesn't he look like such  a teacher. While he was away for the day, Seth and I just hung out at home.

Well, this is the year Emmy discovered that the Easter Bunny isn't real. She's been questioning these fictitious beings for the last few holidays, but there was no convincing her this time. It doesn't bother me at all that the girls have outgrown this, but they were under strict orders to not ruin it for their younger siblings (Seth, and the two they have on their dad's side). Emmy thought it was so funny to thank me repeatedly throughout the day for her Easter basket. I'm just glad she doesn't feel like we lied to her or deceived her. Sarah took it all in stride and didn't say much one way or the other. I should note that Santa is 100% real though. No Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy, but definitely Santa. . .and her reason is that all of us, me, her dad, and Sal are too cheap to buy them everything that we do at Christmas. I didn't take a family picture this year, but my mom took a few of the kids at my sister's. It was cold this year so I didn...