10/31/08

1. Kids had another day off of school, so that's two "school days" I was able to sleep in. Nice...

2. Lots of shopping with C. We didn't get as much done as we'd hoped, but it was still nice to spend a chunk of time with my daughter.

3. "Date" with G. We went out for coffee and walked around the mall. Beautiful October weather!

10/30/08

1. Got to call DirecTV and tell them what to do with their service ;) I got *way* too much enjoyment from being VERY polite and refusing every single offer that they made.

2. Free dental work. I can't really say that I was happy to go to the dentist (and bring all three kids), but I am so very lucky that G's uncle is a dentist and that he does our work for free.

3. Lunch out at Schlotsky's after the dentist. We no longer have one near us, and I miss it! I got a yummy Fiesta chicken sandwich for lunch.

4. Extra add-on for tutoring one session. This is a friend of a few kids that I currently tutor, and while I won't take on any regulars, since I had the long weekend, w/o anyone to work with, when I was called, I arranged to meet with this student one night.

10/29/08

1. U-Verse is FINALLY hooked up! And it's working! And the high speed internet is FAST! And you can record stuff on the DVR downstairs and watch it on either TV! And I don't know whether to list *any* more good things about today because I simply cannot express how happy I am about U-Verse. omg...

2. also... Mom's U-Verse is hooked up! And it's working! And so is her high speed internet!

3. Besides that, I was able to sneak away briefly to see the kids' Halloween parade at school. This will be T's last Halloween party at the Elementary School...
4. T. had seven friends (all 10 YO boys) over for four hours tonight. They had pizza and played baseball outside, and then video games. Perhaps the best part was when they were trying to decide what wii game to play. The only game that everyone was happy with? American Idol Karaoke Revolution! :)

10/28/08

1. Filled up the van with gas for under $35!

2. Got three phone calls from AT&T and the final (???) installation is set for tomorrow morning at 8:00 am. Could it possibly be?

3. Knitting Club--always fun. I started a baby hat and got up to the decrease area already!

10/27/08

1. Though T. was up in the middle of the night complaining about his ear hurting, he felt fine this morning.

2. Ran to Home Depot to pick up some "finishing" things for Mom's house, and Mom drove! (it was the first time since her surgery)

3. Out for lunch--Pizza Hut buffet. Yummy pizza, breadsticks, salad and cavatappi!

4. Done with "work" for the week! (tutoring only Sunday and Monday this week)

5. M. wrote a really cute “short story” for a classmate who is moving to Boston. After she brought it home, she and C. decided to write a book together. C. wrote the words and M. illustrated it. Also very, very cute!(Whee; A short story by M.)

(Once there were two great friend's. They loved each other. THE END)

10/26/08

1. Leisurely reading of the Sunday paper while drinking coffee (and after taking ibuprofen for party-induced headache).

2. Out to International Pancake House for breakfast. I had a yummy Mexican omelette.

3. T. went trick-or-treating with a friend, and no parents, for the first time. He was gone almost all two hours. C. (and friends) took M. TOTing. M. lasted an hour and a half! I think C. had fun TOTing, though she considers herself "too old". Pics:

4. My neighbor and I built a fire and sat outside to hand out candy during TOT time. It was VERY cold, but the fire helped and it was nice to relax and socialize, too.

10/25/08

1. Slept in really late, and woke to yummy coffee in the Bunn coffee maker. Totally worth the $37!

2. The kids carved pumpkins--mostly on their own!

3. M's last soccer game of the season

4. Pumpkin carving at Schoolhouse Park with the Girl Scouts.

5. Halloween costume party at the house of dear family friends of ours. They do a HUGE bash every year (most halloween decorations than I've seen in most stores :)) and it's always fun. Our costumes turned out pretty well, too:

10/24/08

1. Though M. was up (and kept me up) most of the night coughing, she seemed just fine this morning and was able to go to school. She *hated* missing school on Wednesday this week.

2. In a series of "what next?" moments, Mom lost a crown last night. However, we were able to get her in to see our wonderful local dentist this afternoon.

3. C. and her friends came after school and hung out here for pizza and to get ready for the dance tonight. Such cuteness:
4. While the girls were at the dance, my neighbor and I went to Target. It was fun to socialize and shop, and I found a Bunn coffee maker (regularly $150) on clearance for $37! I can't wait to try it tomorrow.

10/23/08

1. M's feeling better and went to school. She also had her first Daisies (Girl Scouts) meeting after school and came home wearing her cute little blue Daisy vest. :)

2. Received (via email) a bunch of pictures from rehearsals of BIG: The Musical (which C. is in). They brightened my day:
3. No tutoring tonight (after a busy week), which means I can crawl into bed at 8:00 and watch TV...

10/22/08

1. M. woke up with a goopy eye, so I called her in sick. It was nice to have some extra snuggle time and to have her around all day. :) (and she really missed school, so that's nice, too)

2. Great trip grocery shopping! I spent $82, saved $47, and was over $100 before coupons, so I got *two* of the certificate things to save up for gift cards.

3. Mom's moving around so much better--and doing things that she probably shouldn't be doing yet (like unloading the dishwasher and scouring the sink!), but it makes me happy to see her doing well.

10/21/08

1. I have my own internet access again!!!! :) Still don't have the U-Verse, but at least they re-connected the DSL.

2. Errand-running at Target (and Costco and Michael's). Found some cute Xmas gifts at Target.

3. Knitting Club--always a good time.

10/20/08

1. Out for coffee with Mom and two other wonderful friends. It was Mom's first social outing since the surgery and she did great! And it was (as always) so nice to chat with friends!

2. We got a new couch! Friends of ours who are in the process of moving are downsizing and they have furniture that doesn't fit in their new house. So we have a cool blue leather sleeper sofa now in our basement!

3. We got HIT by the Halloween Phantom... or Booed...or whatever you want to call it (basically the nice version of ding dong ditch where you leave Halloween goodies behind). The kids are busy deciding which friends *they* want to hit. I'll be running to Target tomorrow... ;)

10/19/08

1. I set 250 bulbs today. OMG, am I in pain! ;) But it'll be worth it come spring, right? Tulips, Crocuses (Crocii?) and Narcissus (Narcissi?)...

2. All three kids did a fantastic job raking today! G. was putting in windows in Mom's house and I was setting bulbs so I chased them outside. It was a beautiful fall day and they started raking all on their own. Our tree's dropped almost all of its leaves, so I hope all the leaves that fall now can be mulched with the lawn mower.

3. It was a nice weekend overall with not much to do or places to be. We mostly hung out as a family and it seems like SO long since we last did that. :)

10/18/08

1. Beautiful weather for M's soccer game. She played really well, too--she's learning the game and has come so far since the beginning of September.

2. Beautiful weather for T's last soccer game of the season. He played wonderfully--doing just what he should and when he should. His whole team played so well as a team (and won 7 to 1). For a team that came together a month and a half ago, they're doing great, too.

3. Did some cooking this afternoon (for us and friends who just moved into their new house). I love to cook and despite this, have been taking lots of shortcuts at mealtimes lately. It felt nice to be back in the swing of things.

4. Best frozen custard of the year with my family for Sweetest Day (Kopp's Chocolate Cherry Kiss). YUMMY!

5. Connected with two *high school* friends on Facebook! One of them I'd not been in touch with since G. and I were married, I think... I love Facebook.

10/17/08

1. Helped in M's PE class--so cute!

2. Got Mom's cabinets and countertops ordered!

3. Ran errands w/ G. and "finalized" our Halloween costumes.

10/16/08

1. Not that the AT&T mess is resolved, but I did NOT stay home all day and wait on hold for hours at a time. I got one very nice (but non-productive) phonecall from them, and that was it. Still having to "borrow" internet from the neighbors.

2. Ran some shopping errands and ended up at Sears. They had the worst, ugliest, most expensive curtains, but they *did* have a bunch of clearance apparel at $0.99 each. Got seven relatively cute things for dirt cheap.

3. Block Book Club! Another fun night (with great snacks!) spent with great women. And for an hour after the "formal" book club, my neighbor and I talked about the trials of raising 13 year old daughters.

10/15/08

1. I am still trying to figure out SOMETHING positive about my go-around with AT&T over attempting to get U-Verse installed. I want to list something about it, because the battle has (seriously) consumed at least half of my waking hours these last three days. OK, got one: I do not have to work as a Customer Service Rep with AT&T to deal with all the unhappy customers who are calling with complaints about their (lack of) install. How's that? ;)

2. OK, this is a silly one, but... With all the road construction, parking has been insane around here. There are two parking spots directly in front of our house, and one has become a designated handicapped spot. The other one has been occupied by the same vehicle (which has not moved) for about a month. Well, today he moved and I got the spot. ;)

3. Tutoring tonight. One was rearranged from Monday (which was a crazy busy day) and one is rearranged for *next* Sunday, so I have Sunday off!

10/14/08

1. Mom did an amazing job for the PT today. As the PT said, she’s doing fantastic for 4 days post-op.

2. We got a new futon mattress for C’s bedframe and moved her “old” mattress and boxspring to T’s room. I had found a cool comforter set on clearance at Kohl’s, so he got new bedding for his new, bigger bed.

3. Knitting Club, as usual, was a blast. I think we may have set an attendance record ;) I can’t remember if we hit 14 or 15…

10/13/08

1. They poured the concrete for our road! YAY! I'm so sick of dirt and dust and not being able to get in my driveway... Only a week before we can drive on it.

2. Though I was annoyed with AT&T for having to sit home ALL DAY LONG waiting for installation (which didn't occur), I also was able to catch up by watching 5 episodes of ER, back to back while knitting.

3. Mom's home!!! And she's feeling lots better, too.

10/12/08

1. The electrical is *done* at Mom's house! Wow... it really IS becoming reality!

2. I exchanged several emails with a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Though the end result is that I really have no reason to pursue a degree there (this was the one career path I had found most exciting), it was a good dose of reality and very specific information about the program, which (if nothing else) eliminates one place for me to look. In the process, it makes the UWM program more appealing, so that's a good thing, too.

3. I baked an apple pie with the apples we picked yesterday. YUM!

10/11/08

1. Beautiful weather today! We decided to go apple-picking, though I feared it would be too late in the season for any good apples. In fact the apples (Cortland) were BETTER than they've been the last few years we've gone! We got a BIG bag of apples, several butternut squash and some pears. YUM!

2. Went to see Mom twice. She's in a lot of pain, but she says the stuff she's on now (percocet) is much more effective than the morphine they gave her initially. She's doing her PT and OT, though that hurts, too. Her discharge date is Monday or Tuesday.

3. Wonderful fire in the fire pit with friends. It's so amazing to be mid-October and warm enough to be outside until 10:00 at night!

10/10/08

1. $15 coupon at Victoria's Secret--got another of the amazing bras that actually FIT me right. ;)

2. Gas down to under $3 a gallon!

3. Mom's knee surgery went well! As with her lung surgery, she amazed everyone with how well she did.

10/9/08

1. Coffee out (at Bruegger's) with the 5th grade moms.

2. Lunch (at California Pizza Kitchen) with some of the 5th grade moms (since we couldn't stop talking....)

3. Supper out (at Bar Louie) with two of my best friends to celebrate the birthday of one.

(yikes...that's a LOT of eating out...)

10/8/08

1. Helped at the Elementary "Walk to School" Day. It was nice to see parents of the older kids (since kindergarten meets in the front of the school and the other grades in back, I don't see the others regularly)

2. Good day grocery shopping--spent $69; saved $44

3. Went to see Mamma Mia--and it was fantastic~! sooooooo fun.

10/7/08

1. Though C. started off the day feeling sick, she had a speedy recovery.

2. Kids' school pics came back:
3. Found out that M's soccer game for Saturday will have to be rescheduled and since T doesn't have a game this weekend (it's a tournament weekend and they're not in the tournament), we have a soccer-free weekend!

4. First meeting of the year for the PTC (Parent-Teacher Council); it's a school group that I really enjoy being a part of

10/6/08

1. Got a really good night's sleep last night and woke up much refreshed for the busy week ahead.

2. Lots done next door at Mom's place. One room is pretty much "done"!

3. Flannel sheets on the bed.

10/5/08

1. (Relatively) lazy Sunday morning.

2. T's soccer game; though they lost (severely!), T. did a nice job playing defense. He's come a long way this year and really is doing a nice job of playing his position!

3. Yummy Greek food for supper: gyros, hummus, Greek salad

10/4/08

1. Volunteered (with Mom) at the Obama Campaign HQ. I did data entry and Mom made phonecalls.

2. Beautiful day outside; blue, blue skies, slightly warmer temps, and just pretty weather.

3. Out with G. for our anniversary. We went to Bravo! and split lobster and crab ravioli (topped with shrimp) and crab cakes (served with roasted potatoes and green beans) and got tiramisu for dessert. YUM!

10/3/08

1. Though it took longer than we'd planned (over 4 hours actually), we got a really cool layout done at Home Depot for Mom's kitchen! I can picture how it'll all look... :)

2. Harvest Festival at the kids' school; I let T. pretty much go on his own (now that he has a cell phone) and M. and I grabbed a snack before it got too cold to stay any longer.

3. Again, 13 YO cuteness--this time a combination of three things: 8th grade picture day and all that preparation; big sisters helping out by volunteering to work at the Elementary Harvest Festival; all the preparations for Homecoming and finding as many ways to incorporate blue and white into their outfits.

10/2/08

1. My anniversary! G. and I have been married 15 years!

2. Attended a very informative Open House at the Medical College of Wisconsin today. All of their graduate programs sound so unbelievably fascinating and SO much more exciting than anything else I've looked at. But they are also insanely competitive and I just don't have the pre-req's for them. So while I enjoyed the presentations, they also made me a little sad...

3. M's make-up soccer game today. It's just so cute to see the kids in uniforms WAY too big for them running around on the field and actually playing soccer!

4. My wonderful Mom and my great friends who all pitch in to do all sorts of things when I have other stuff that keeps me away from home for chunks of the day. There's no way I could do the things that I do without all of their help.

10/1/08

1. Excellent grocery shopping trip. Not only did I save over $80, I "only" spent a bit over $100. And I got so much stuff that the freezer is FULL of meat and veggies.

2. Hauled out the Halloween decorations and stuff (since it IS October now) and had fun going through things and seeing the kids dress up in what I'd put aside from last year. Especially fun was seeing C. squeeze into the costume I'd bought for M. (Incidentally, M. wanted *nothing* to do with said costume until C. tried it on)

3. Cuteness of C. heading out to be in her first Homecoming Parade! It drizzled during the parade, so the rest of the family didn't go (we were going to bike up), but she had fun.