our spook day in photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone had a howlingly, hauntingly happy Halloween!

let the whine-fest begin...

Just from the title, I'm sure you realize that it might be wise to just skip this post, right? Seriously, highly recommeded strategy.

Well, another read-a-thon has come and gone. And as much fun as it was, I now begin to pay the price for blowing off all the work I should have been doing instead. I'm not sure if I'm more exhausted from the read-a-thon and the exciting, draining, and ultimately sucky football game last night or from the thought of the week ahead. (BTW, Chris, I still sort of think that going out and celebrating by buying three books is somewhat akin to rubbing salt in my wounds! Oh hell, you know I love you anyway.)

Anyway, I may be a tad scarce this week. Which totally sucks, as I actually finished books (shocking, I know) that I could be talking about. Just going to be "one of those weeks."

Monday afternoons this semester are always a tad hectic...I have just enough time to throw together a very simple supper after picking up the boys from chess club so that Rich has enough time to eat it after arriving home from Annie's flute lesson before he has to run out the door to teach his night class. Today we also have to throw in Baker's birthday. Happy 7th birthday, Baker!

Tuesday is Gray's birthday!!!! Tomorrow, he shall be turning 9. Or so says the calendar, but I'm still somewhat in denial. Yes, that whole they grow up too fast thing rearing its ugly head. Am not ready at all, as in I haven't even wrapped his presents. Or even bought them all.

Wednesday should be fun...Annie volunteers at the library in the morning, and she'll have to just wait there and do some schoolwork when she finishes, because I will be in the dentist's chair having three more fillings replaced. Then that evening I'll be taking her back to the library for teen game night while Rich takes the boys to swimming lessons.

Thursday's pretty slow...Annie just has art class. Oops, and the boys check-ups.

Friday...if things ever get worked out, Gray will be having a friend sleep over. (They've been playing phone tag all weekend.)

And Saturday, of course, is Halloween. No, we don't have our pumpkins or candy or even all of Annie's costume. My parents are also coming to visit. We will be celebrating Gray's birthday with them. And Annie has to be at the library again, as she's helping with the Halloween party they're throwing for the little ones. And since my parents are coming, I actually need to clean, which believe me, at this point is a far bigger task than it should be...this place is currently a dump of epic proportions!

Okay, so I could deal with all of that. Not happily (I hate having so much running around to do), but I could deal and be fine. No, what has totally sent me over the edge here is the fact that I've reached the end of all the school prep I did over the summer...from here on out, it's a matter of just trying to stay one step ahead. And major #momfail this weekend. I honestly had no business blowing off all responsibilities. Because now I don't have today's EnviSci lecture/discussion plan finished, nor do I have today's history prep done. We'll get through the other subjects, and then I'll set Annie loose to just work on some of her long term assignments, but I will still be feeling incredibly guilty for dropping the ball. And I will be scrambling like hell, trying desperately to get us caught back up before this quarter ends and I have to write the damn quarterly report in a few weeks. Seriously feeling like my head's going to explode here.

So...end of bitching and complaining. Except to say that I'll be missing you this week, since I likely won't have much computer time. Have a fabulous week, everyone!!!!

in our neck of the woods...

It was another busy, fun-filled week here as I'm sure it was for many households last week...

*On Monday, my sweet, sensitive soul, Gray, turned 8-years-old! He was thrilled to receive two new games for his Nintendo DS, two new bears, and a huge box of Pokemon cards. And he was thrilled to hit Chuck E. Cheese for supper, where he alone ate 5 pieces of pizza (where does this kid put it all, and how the heck are we going to afford to feed him in another 4 or 5 years?!!). Annie and I were also able to head into his classroom to deliver special birthday treats. And he got cake #2! All in all, he proclaimed it a very good birthday.



*And of course, like for so many, Friday meant trick-or-treating! And though we woke up to snow Wednesday morning, by Friday afternoon the weather was positively glorious, with the temps hitting 60 degrees! Annie went off with her best friend, but the boys hung with us. And while Annie came home with mountains of candy, the boys were perfectly satisfied to just go around our block and call it good. Then we came home and watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Halloween is Grinch Night.




Hope everyone had a wonderful week past, and has a wonderful week coming!

no time for melancholy

First let me say that I adore Melissa, but I have to say her post this morning left me feeling a bit sad. No, not exactly sad. Wistful, maybe.

She talked about how she finished up her kids' costumes, and how she was getting ready to start on a few Christmas gifts. *Sigh* Just a few short years ago, I made tons of Christmas gifts...pajamas for all three munchkins, lounge pants for Rich, my dad, and my brother, a nightshirt for my mom, cross-stitched sweatshirts for each kiddo, a set of handmade cards for my mom, 4 little doll outfits for one sweet little girl, 4 handsewn felt "Christmas family tree" wall hangings, several bags for art supplies with fabric covered matching drawing tablets, several little cross-stitch "peace trees", and probably even more that I'm not remembering...and that was just in one year. Last year, how many gifts did I get made? Zip, zilch, nada!

I really, truly believed that as the monkeys grew older I would have more free time, not less! But I guess that comes with the territory of parenthood...one never really can predict what the future will hold. Heck, I guess that can be said about life in general, huh?

Homeschooling. If someone had told me that's what my future held just a few short years ago, I surely would have laughed. But when it turned out homeschooling was what Annie needed, well, of course, that's what I provided. That's what parents do. They provide their children with what they need to grow and be happy. And they do so willingly. Even when it's not so easy.

Please, don't get me wrong...I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. Honestly, I know how truly lucky I am to be able to homeschool my precious girl...it's not an option for many people. And you know what, I actually love homeschooling her! Not only do I enjoy the time we spend together, but I enjoy all the prep work and planning, too. (I just wish it didn't take sooooooo much time.) And I know the day will come when these sweet peanuts are grown and I'll have more free time than I can imagine...so I'd better just enjoy every second I've got with them here, huh?

But just a heads up...please don't expect a homemade Christmas gift from me this year, okay?

And now I'm off to finish sewing feathers on Annie's witch's hat and boots, get Gray to his annual check-up, and make those cupcakes for tomorrow's school party. Oh yeah, and we'd better sneak some "schooling" in there, too.

the little things...

Just look at what Rich brought home for the kids and I the other day. Are they not the cutest little things?!!



And well, of course, he had to pick himself up a beverage befitting the season as well.