Almost caught up! So Allison was home for the week to enjoy her Spring break in March. She was just happy not to have to worry about homework or schedules. We were also celebrating the First Day of Spring!  Last year Spring came early in February as the weather warmed and lots of flowers and trees were blooming by then. This year it has been chilly, and we actually had a big snow storm on the first day of Spring!

So once again the schools were all closed for several days. We did not just have snow, but lots of ice too. And lots of car accidents. I was supposed to go with the kids for a preliminary oral surgery appointment to have their wisdom teeth removed. I left work early in the snow/ice storm on Tuesday, but when I got home, the clinic had already called to cancel appointments for the rest of the day. Even Scott got out of school early. Scott and Tom were planning on traveling to Kalamazoo for an orientation day for Scott at Western over the upcoming weekend. In order to get a non stop flight up to Grand Rapids they had to leave the day before Orientation at noon. Since the weather had turned, we did not know if their flight was going to be cancelled. Fortunately that did not happen. Their flight was right on scheduled on Thursday. They flew up to Grand Rapids, about a 1 hour flight. They rented a car and drove down to Kzoo, about another hour of travel. They had time to shop at the University bookstore and then attend a Freshman mixer in the evening that I signed them both up for at a local Bowling Alley(similar to a Dave and Busters called the Revel and Roll). They had snacks and coney dogs and did some bowling. They also got some insider tips on planning their Orientation Day on Friday. And one of the girls working the event wouldn't leave Scott alone! Tom finally invited her to bowl with them. And she actually gave them the good tips on getting through the system.

They showed up early for Orientation and walked right in and got to all the stations before the big crowds arrived. Thanks orientation girl!  Primarily Scott was able to get his college photo  ID and make sure he is scheduled for his 2 day orientation  in June. Then he will actually sign up for his classes and get his dorm room assignment. Scott and Tom then  spent the afternoon visiting the Engineering building and met with one of the advisors to talk about the Manufacturing Engineering program and the classes Scott will be taking. They visited the engineer dorm and enjoyed lunch in the new Valley dining hall nearby. Tom was especially impressed with the food choices(not like when we went to school!). Apparently it has an even bigger Food Court set up than Salisbury and lots of terrific menu choices. They also had time to tour a bit of Kalamazoo and have dinner at one of the downtown taverns. And they  spent more time shopping at the bookstore since they were given coupons to buy more Western souvenirs. Overall they both had a wonderful visit and were very productive. They finished up their evening with a movie-Tomb Raider.  So Scott ended up missing only one day of school and work on Friday since everything was closed on Thursday because of the weather.  They flew home on Saturday afternoon after visiting the zoo in Grand Rapids. And Tom took Cookie back to the groomers to take "a little more off the top". She was still looking a bit shaggy. I just couldn't convince him to get her picture with the Easter Bunny at PetSmart(Cookie, like the kids, hates mascots dressed in crazy suits!).

I was expecting to spend the weekend home alone since Allison was scheduled to attend a Frisbee tournament in York PA. Unfortunately for her, they had to cancel the tournament because of all the snow! So instead she was home with me. We enjoyed my water aerobics class in the morning, and did some shopping. We also had to drop off Cookie for her spring trim and pick her up and then we headed over to my mom's apartment to pack up some items.  We then took mom over for her assessment for the new facility. I was hoping to also sign the lease, but unfortunately we could only meet with the nurse. They needed to determine how much assistance Mom is going to need and decided she should move to their 3rd floor medical unit. This floor is not locked, however, Mom will have to wear a bracelet to keep her from accessing the elevators on her own and attempting to leave the building. I think it will be better for her to have more freedom and a bigger, cozier apartment than she currently has on the locked unit in her Sunrise building. And I think we will also enjoy visiting her there. Most of the other residents on that floor have medical conditions and are confined to wheelchairs or using walkers and need more physical assistance. Fortunately Mom does not need as much physical help. The facility is not as fancy-it has been around much longer. But they seem to have quite an extensive amount of activities since it is a much bigger place. I actually think she could easily get lost in the building, so it is probably better that she remain on one floor. So next week I am supposed to meet with the business office to sign the lease and get the paperwork completed. Also Mom needs a chest xray or TB test before moving into the facility.

So on Saturday afternoon I picked Mom up after a wonderful Spring brunch at Sunrise and we went to see the High School's musical together. I had already seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Allison and her friend Jen and their family, and I thought Mom would really enjoy it too. Plus they had added more shows since the snow days cancelled their evening shows during the week. We had great seats in the auditorium for the matinee show, it wasn't too crowded(the price is always right) and Mom really seemed to enjoy it!  When we returned to her current apt, I discovered that an xray technician was waiting for us to complete Mom's chest xray! So I got her settled in her room, got the xray and she decided to stay in bed and take a nap before dinner! I really wore her out!

On Sunday, Allison and I had a GS planning meeting to attend. We will be working at an upcoming GS Spring Jamboree camping weekend the first of May, so the team has been meeting to plan activities and food. I was glad Allison was at home to attend the meeting with me. She will be supervising archery and I am helping out with arts and crafts. But on Monday Allison had to head back to school.

On a sad note, I wanted to mention that my best friend, Laura H., lost her mother to heart failure. Rita Cerankowski, 88, was a wonderful woman and mother. Laura's father passed away many years ago, so her mom was living with Laura's brother in their Detroit home. She even tried moving in with Laura and her family when her health began declining, but missed being back in her own place and moved back! We always enjoyed visiting with her and the family when we were in Michigan and traveling through the Detroit area. She was such an active person-loved the Detroit Tigers and the Red Wings and often attended games. She was a Wayne State Grad and had worked as a Lab Technician. And very involved in her church and with the Polish Dance Group, sewing costumes and teaching/managing. I was excited to hear that Laura had taken over the management of their Polish dance group several years ago after teaching and dancing with them herself. I am sure her mom was very proud! We will all miss her Laura and Hejza family!