It Just Fell Into My Lap

So, I begin a part time job this week. Mike and I had been talking about the need for me to find something part time, and I've put in some applications, but no one called me back about them. Then I got a lead that H&R Block has an office here in town and they need a part time receptionist for tax season. That sounded good to me. I like to work when it is busy - it makes the day go so much faster. Heaven knows I have lots of customer service experience. So, in I went, resume in hand. I got the job, and begin this week. It's only supposed to last a couple of months, but it will be good to get out of the house a few days a week.

Out Of Circulation

So, Saturday I had that funny feeling. My throat was a little scratcy, my eyes a little watery, my energy a little low. Here comes a cold. The problem.....I can't afford to be sick this week. We had given ourselves a Thanksgiving deadline for the major projects to be done at the rental. Steve had a doctor's appointment 3 hours away today that I had to drive him to. This was the week I could begin to decorate the inside of the house for Christmas. Most of all, I AM MOM, and don't have time to be out of circulation. It freaks the boys out if I get really sick, they are on vacation from today through the rest of the week, and I have to entertain/referee them. I have been medicating, and trying to convince myself. I took time off from working at the rental, took myself out of circulation, and did everything I could, but the cold came on. UUUGGGHHH.

They Just Got The Memo

Steven told me when I first started putting out Christmas decorations that he was embarassed because his friends on the bus saw that they were in the yard. Today I finished up the decorating - the ground was soft enough to set up the Air Blows. I was actually screwing the anchor lines into the ground as the boys got off the school bus tonight. Steven was very discusted with me and asked if I was trying to embarrass him on purpose. I told Mike that the boys must not have received their memos yet. Of course, Steve had to ask me "what memos?" Why the ones that say from now until they are 21, my sole purpose in life is to do things to embarass my children. DUUHHHH.

Maybe It's Not So Brown

As, my family will be the first to tell you, I have a notoriously "Brown" thumb. If it grows, I can kill it. Not on purpose, mind you. I really like plants, and try to make them thrive. For example, in the house I sold this spring, there was a very pretty, bushy pink flowering plant. It was in the flower bed when I bought the house, and this plant was very invasive- I would find "starts" of it all over the garden. I owned the house almost 4 years. By the time I sold the house it was just a small bushy plant. As the years went by, parts of it died and I would have to pull them out. Another example. For Mother's day last year, Pete got me a dessert plant, and I almost killed it from lack of water. Now, how on earth can you under water a dessert plant made to withstand drought? I don't know, but I win that award. So, I have a house plant that was given to me years ago. Somehow it has survived my care. Obviously it is healthier some times than others, but it even flowers from time to time. Lately it has been looking very sad. I pulled almost half of it out of the pot last month, as it was looking droopy, unhealthy, and like the roots were not buried enough. HMMMM. Must have been from my re-potting attempt last summer. This weekend I found the problem. It was not anything I was doing, but my baby girl, Sadie, was rooting around in my plant and pulling the leaves. Not to eat, mind you, but she took a mouthful of soil and a leaf and spit them out on the living room rug. Imagine, I've been yelling at the boys for tracking dirt in on their shoes and leaving marks on that rug. Maybe I should appologise to them for that - but I'm sure they deserved yelling at for other things that I have not caught, so maybe not. So, into the kitchen went my plant, I pulled another quarter of the plant out and left the remaining good part. For now it sits on the counter, safe from marauding beasts.

Wow, will this weather be able to continue much longer? I have had the furnace off most of the week and windows open in the afternoons to enjoy the warmth and sun (we have been grumbling aobut this in the mornings when it is cold, but it quickly warms up). I am however wishing for some rain. I know, I know.....I am probably the only one, but the ground is so hard right now, that even using a hammer I can not put any kind of stake for decorating in the earth. The "Air Blow" decorations are out of the question right now, as they each have 4 stakes and 4 screw in the ground holders for the stabelizer ropes. My husband came home from working on the apartment two nights ago and turned on the Christmas lightshow before he came in the house. See, I told you he is not as Grinchy as he would have me believe! However, last night we were going to put the lights up on the eves of the front of the house (by we, I mean Mike - up on the high ladder with Pete holding it for him and me untangeling and checking for working strings as quickly as I could!) Unfortunately, the ladder was tall and awkward. Mike got some done, and tried to turn the corner, knocking the ones he had done off the roof line. At that point we decieded we needed to give up. If we had a safer way to do them, they would now be up - where did I leave that jet pack?

Will It Never End?

When we enrolled in this school system last year, I found that every year I have to pay a heafty book fee. This is different from our last school system, but this is a top rated school in the state, I guess the extra funding is probably needed. Then there was the band note 2 weeks later saying in lue of fundraisers for band, they just ask parents to pay $20 to cover band costs. OK, I hate selling things. Two band students, check (literally!) Next we had the candy bar fundraiser for school, I made up the inevitable discrepency between candy and money when that was over, plus the candy I "needed" during the fundraiser. I've bought the slide oil for Steve's instrument, the key oil for Petes. I've paid the extra for Pete's swimming unit in gym, now the extra for his skating unit. Now I get the message that there is an 8th grade trip to Washington DC, that will cost roughly $700 per student....just some advance warning. We are only one marking period in, and my checkbook is crying!!

Our Party

My family is going to think I am nuts. OK, they've thought that for years, so they will have their suspisions confirmed. Yesterday I finially found my Christmas cards for this year. I know, it's still really early in the season, but I have a heck of a time finding the picture AND verse that I like. So, I start looking as soon as I see them hit the shelves. I have also been looking for an invitation for the Chirstmas open house we are having this year. Well.....I got out my handy dandy book of party ideas (to start planning the menu), and saw an invitation for a Christmas open house done on with a picture. So, everyone got home last night from work or school and I had their "picture shirts" laid out for them and the invitation written out. After 3 tries, we got a presentable picture - Mike asked me if I just wanted to photo shop it like that comercial in TV for the lady to get a picture of the family she always wanted - wouldn't that have been easier??? I finially got one where it didn't look like the boys were having mug shots ( Pete still looks a bit iffy, but what could I do?) We took the picture and I decided to save postage and put them in the Christmas cards. Long story short, I mailed out about half my Christmas cards today so that people have plenty of warning to put this event on their calendars. Mike just shakes his head and lets me plan. The boys know this is just how I am. We will, however, have a well planned out party.

I know you are all dying to know how the Chirstmas Light Show is coming. Well, it will be ready in plenty of time for our open house. Mike checked it out the other night, and I have added what I believe will be the last of my lights. The Amish in the neighborhood are watching with intrest. I even had one man today, while I was putting up the wreaths and garland at the mouth of the driveway, comment on how nice it must be to put stuff up in the summer. I remember last year when I put up that same garland, I was wearing my winter coat, gloves, and scarf!! That's why I am going for getting done before the really cold weather hits. Tomorrow Mike is doing the high ones for me - I HATE that I am afraid of heights and absolutely can not do them myself. Good thing he loves me!!

Beautiful Day

What a great day. The weather man says we are in for a week of Indian Summer. I took advantage of a lovely morning to clean out my half of the garage - sorry honey, your half is being left for you. I can even park my car in it now, so no more scraping frost from my windshield. I will try to finish my outside decorating today too. One day to concentrate soley on our home and not worry about what to do at the rental house. On that happy thought, many more chores are awaiting my attention today....so off I go.

Another busy week has come and gone. Mike even took his last vacation day last week so we had a day together without the children!! It felt almost naughty when we went out to Applebee's by ourselves. We are anxiously waiting for the couple of warmer days coming this week. There are a few outside jobs needing done before winter settles in. We had snow flakes on Friday, but nothing that stuck. We got home late Friday night from working at the apartment house, and when we got home I looked up at the sky and could not believe the number of stars out. I can not remember the last time I saw a sky so full of stars. It was just beautiful. I got a big jump start to my Christmas shopping on Wednesday when I met my mom and sister for a day of shopping- we did shop till we dropped. Everyone was exhausted when we wrapped up. I can hardly believe we are into Novemeber already, where does the time go?

Hodge Podge

First an appology to my husband. He feels bad about the way I portrayed him in my last entry as he sounded insensitive to my plight. In reality, I did not tell him until the very end I was so uncomfortable, so we could get that horrible job done. I was going for funny as to the similarity between building with him and my dad. Sorry, Honey.

Steve took Sadie out to go potty today and brought her back in with a head full of burrs. Apparently, she found the only burr bush in the yard and stuck her whole head in it to investigate. It took both Mike and Steve holding and petting her, while I had the scissors cutting out the burrs. Why is it that if there is ONE THING out there to get in trouble with the kids or the pets will find it??

Today was a great day! The weather was sunny and beautiful and I began putting up my outside lights for Christmas. I promised Mike that I would not begin until after Halloween and will not plug them in until Thanksgiving, but we have that new light show to figure out - I have to set up the "zones" that will flash to the music and I want to have a while to do that. Plus it is wireless so every reciever has to be close enough to communicate with the transmitter, but not too close to the other receivers. I even broke out my "White Christmas" DVD and watched Bing serenade Rosemary Clooney while I strug lights on tomatoe cages to make mini trees (I got that idea from a web site!). The weather is still great so it makes decocrating much more pleasent. When he got home from work, Mike even helped me put a couple of things out. My Hero!! Hopefully I will get the rest done tomorrow and then I just have to figure what gets put on the same cord for the "zones" then check it out to make sure it all works. Think I'm rushing the season? I have a Christmas shopping day with my mom and sister scheduled later this week to get everything kicked off.