Three Simple Things...

Almost made it a year...

2009-03-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I almost made it a full year of writing "Three Simple Things" each day. But I found that I was not enjoying the pressure of having to come up with three things every day.

I'll still post stuff occasionally on my original blog, bfmomma's spot, but it won't be daily. :)

2/26/09

2009-02-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

1. Was able to stay home today (was supposed to go in to shadow) since I felt really awful. I actually still feel pretty yucky, but am hoping I can sleep it off.

2. Mom came over for coffee, talk, and help folding laundry.

3. C. is very excited about a weekend away with one of the friends she made at Student Council camp--we set up the details today.

2/25/09

2009-02-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

1. Everyone got up and ready and out the door--even without me to direct them! (lol)

2. Made it through my first day of long-term subbing, which was actually just shadowing the teacher I'll be replacing.

3. Got a $165 gift certificate from Tupperware for all the Rock N Serves that I returned and stopped using when I realized the dangers of microwaving in plastic. Now what to spend it on?

4. Flowers from my mom, in honor of my first day of work.

2/24/09

2009-02-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

1. Productive morning of running errands on my one "day off" for the week.

2. (Relatively) clean house--and supper made (seems so long since I've been the least bit domestic).

3. Knitting Club at the new place. Although it's a bit more crowded, and kinda noisy, the food is better, the atmosphere is cooler, and it's next door to a yarn shop, so I'm pretty happy with it!

2/23/09

2009-02-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

1. Had my physical/drug test/TB test this morning. It's so odd to have to do all these things, but I guess it's been 16 years since my last job application! It makes everything more "real".

2. Met with my Graduate Advisor so she could sign a financial aid form, and so we could talk about what project I might want to work on. She just wrote a grant for a new study that sounds really cool! If she gets the funding (she'll find out in June), I should be able to be in on the project almost from the beginning.

3. Three good tutoring sessions tonight.

2/22/09

2009-02-22T19:44:00.001-08:00

1. G. woke up not fully recovered, but MUCH better.

2. I did some spring cleaning early--disinfecting the entire upstairs!

3. Went to a going-away party for one of my neighbors. Her going away is not a happy thing, but the nice party with so many of her local friends WAS a happy thing.

2/21/09

2009-02-21T14:06:00.001-08:00

1. C. made it home safely when the bus to their Forensics meet had to turn around due to poor visibility (we got probably 10 inches of snow).

2. T's team won the indoor championship game! (T's the one with the blurry arm)
3. Although G's been VERY sick all day, at the time I'm writing this, he is (at least) not any worse. Hopefully he'll improve overnight.

2/20/09

2009-02-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

1. I (finally) got a good night's sleep last night and feel caught-up on sleep!

2. Got some great news from the district I'm going to sub for--they will pay me for prep time, so my pay rate will be half again as high as if I were just a "regular" sub.

3. M's first Girl Scout Sock Hop! The whole family went to Culver's for "burgers and malts" before the sock hop and then G. and I (and C.) chaperoned the dance.

2/19/09

2009-02-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

1. My "interview" at Nicolet went well and I will be subbing there sometime in March!

2. Better yet, I will get to shadow the teacher two days next week, so I'll see how he teaches, will get to meet the students, etc. It sounds like just a wonderful situation all around.

3. Block book club--discussing Twilight. Always a nice time.

2/18/09

2009-02-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

1. First K5 coffee; though the word didn't get out to as many people as I'd hoped, we had a nice group and I think we'll continue doing it! :)

2. Lazy afternoon--I exercised, knit, and watched TV.

3. The "major snowstorm" that was predicted never materialized, which was VERY nice. :)

2/17/09

2009-02-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

1. Finally got my (ruined) rain boots and (dangerous) Tupperware mailed to the return departments. Now I hope both companies do the right thing and refund my money...

2. Ran to Target to pick up a few things and...SURPRISE! Valentine's was 75% off! That was fun.

3. Came home to a phonecall from the principal of a local high school interested in hiring me for a long-term sub position to start in March. The best part was that he spoke to the principal of the HS where I used to teach, and he said he heard nothing but positives about me. :)

4. Final Knitting Club at Schwartz's... I know it'll be fun at the new location, but it won't be the same.

2/16/09

2009-02-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

1. Started the day by going, with M. and C., to decorate M's poodle skirt for Friday's Girl Scout Sock Hop.

2. Went out for Indian buffet with Mom and the kids. Yummy, though I'm still too full to move.

3. First trip of the year to the zoo. We added Mom to our membership, too, with a "nanny pass". I think I'll refer to her as the nanny from now on ;)
The spider monkeys and the baby gibbon were HYSTERICAL! The spider monkeys are always funny, but the baby gibbon was driving his father nuts, I think. He kept hanging on him and swinging on him, and then when his father was kind of ignoring him, he stuck his foot in Dad's mouth! Very amusing.

4. Played catch-up after the long weekend by tutoring three times.

2/15/09

2009-02-15T09:20:00.001-08:00

1. I think I picked up a bug and was very achy and cold all day. But it was nice to mostly take it easy.

2. Finished clearing out the attic and moving some outgrown and to-grow-into clothing around. I need to take a trip to Goodwill, too.

3. Both of tonight's tutorings rescheduled for tomorrow. This was nice both because I'm not feeling 100%, and also because then I didn't have a clash with T's soccer game OR with Big Love. :)

4. T's soccer game--they won again! Still the best record of the indoor at this level.

5. Big Love--continually just "wow"!

2/14/09

2009-02-14T07:41:00.001-08:00

1. Nice Valentine's Day! M. made me a beautiful necklace in Art class. G., as always, wrote me something (a limerick this time). We found the kids valentines that read, "Choo-choo-choose me", which was pretty exciting.

2. Sweet stay-at-home Valentine's dinner with G. while Mom watched the younger kids. We had steak, shrimp, baked potatoes and green bean amondine--yum!

3. Rock Band/Guitar Hero/American Idol Karoke on the wii after supper--fun!

2/13/09

2009-02-13T18:14:00.000-08:00

1. Long weekend, so the kids and I all got to sleep in (and since C. and T. had sleepovers, that was a very good thing!)

2. Trip to the "big" mall with the girls. M. was very cute, carefully spending her money on a Webkinz and two shirts at Justice.

3. Ran into a teacher at the mall, who told me what a great job T. had done on his Science Fair project. This was the third person who specifically described to me what T. had shared and how obvious it was that he enjoyed the project and how much he learned/knew. It makes me realize how far he's come--just a few years ago, he could NOT have spoken so eloquently about his project. :)

2/12/09

2009-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee out with the fifth grade moms--such a nice bunch and fun, as always.

2. Temps still above freezing.

3. Sleepover parties; T. is at one and C. is having one here.

2/11/09

2009-02-11T06:20:00.000-08:00

1. M. woke up, on her own, at 6:13 this morning. Though it was jarring to be woken up by a 6 YO staring me in the face, the rest of the morning went much more smoothly without having to rush her.

2. Great grocery shopping trip--spent $68; saved $42

3. T. participated in the Learning Fair (Science and Social Studies projects) and we were able to see his project, along with projects of his classmates, tonight.

2/10/09

2009-02-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

1. Another beautiful spring-like day; temps were at (or near) 60 degrees.

2. I finally bucked down and cleaned my house! It was especially nice because it was warm enough to open the windows and air everything out.

3. M's P-T conference went well, too.

4. Knitting club, as always, was nice.

2/9/09

2009-02-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

1. Impromptu coffee out with two great friends.

2. Nice Parent-Teacher conference with T's teacher.

3. Having Mom next door to watch kids and make supper when we have busy evenings.

2/8/09

2009-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

1. M. had a birthday party half an hour away and I got to drive her and three friends out there and back. It was such fun listening to 6YO talk!

2. T. participated in the "Music for Munchkins" concert at the High School. He was an alien.

3. Another beautiful day--not quite as fabulous as yesterday, but lots more melting occurred and Mom and I were able to sit out on her porch for awhile without coats!

4. Big Love. Wow. Again.

2/7/09

2009-02-07T16:17:00.001-08:00

1. The weather! I woke up to 35 degree temps and it warmed up from there to somewhere in the 60's. We had tons of melting (but not crazy, flooding melting) and it just FELT like Spring.

2. Out for coffee w/ G. Love the free mochas.

3. Yummy grilled-outdoor supper; mom made bacon-wrapped tenderloins and I made the balsamic-marinade veggies.

4. T's soccer game; his team now has the best indoor record, but most of all, they're so much fun to watch!

2/6/09

2009-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee with the 8th grade moms. We decided to move it to Friday mornings, too, which is great!

2. Out to lunch at the new local restaurant with Mom and her friend. It was very busy, and service was slow, but the food was fantastic!

3. The weather was nice enough (and it was light late enough) to grill burgers outside for supper!

(how pitiful is it that all three things today centered around food?)

4. OK, one more... T. and I played some Guitar Hero World Tour tonight after supper. He hadn't played with me for a long time. Though the rest of the gig was truly awful, we did get to play "Crazy Train". :)

2/5/09

2009-02-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee with Mom and one of her friends, who is visiting from Up North. Fun/funny time!

2. The Village came by with a front-end loader and removed the HUGE snowbanks in front of the sewer drains. This may seem like a silly "happy" entry, but if you read here about what happened last February--when G. and I had to dig out the sewers by hand, you'll know that I am very very happy! (It's supposed to be in the 40's and rainy this weekend)

3. C. got her Science placement for next year and made it into Biology!

4. I found C's lost cell phone.

2/4/09

2009-02-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

1. Late start day, so the kids (and I) got to sleep in.

2. Fun lunch day--so I only had to pack one lunch ;)

3. Though C. has still not found her (new) cell phone, AT&T did not charge us for a new SIM card to make her old phone work so that she has a working phone of some sort.

2/3/09

2009-02-03T11:51:00.001-08:00

1. New socks! :) I decided to use my GAP gift card (from MyPoints) to buy some fun new socks (for me and for M):
2. T. has the Iowa/CoGAT tests this week, so no homework. He's worked hard on his Science Fair project and tonight FINISHED IT! (and, of course, the bigger "kid" projects often end up being "parent" projects, so G. and I are done, too ;))

3. PTC meeting was canceled, so I got to go to Knitting Club (which was a lot of fun--as always).

2/2/09

2009-02-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

1. Relatively easy morning, despite three different starting times and a last-minute homework panic. I like having G. start work later on Mondays!

2. Big Love... OMG, that show has always been fantastic, but it just keeps getting better.

3. Found a new winter jacket for G. so he will (maybe?) stop wearing the same one he's had for the last 20 years.

2/1/09

2009-02-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

1. January is GONE! I know that February and March can still be brutal weather-wise, but there's something about being done with January that makes things more tolerable.

2. The whole house is CLEAN! And this is because:

3. We had some of G's work friends over for a Super Bowl party. Many of them were out of town during his 40th birthday party, so it was nice to get to see many of them. And the yummy food didn't hurt either. ;)

1/31/09

2009-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee with a friend who I hadn't seen for a long time!

2. Awesome grocery store trip--spent $20 and saved $22 :)

3. C. had a good Forensics meet--getting a blue ribbon and her highest scores yet!

4. De-stashing a TON of yarn to donate

5. Beautiful weather with the temps above freezing for the first time since January 6th.

6. T's soccer game--they won! It was a very exciting, back-and-forth game.

1/30/09

2009-01-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

1. The kids had a half day of school (end of the semester), and we went out for lunch to celebrate (mmm... Culver's Ultimate Grilled Cheese)

2. Worked on T's Learning Fair (ie: Science Fair) project. It's not done yet, but we made some good headway.

3. Went through all my old, "scrap" yarn--acrylics that I'll never use, and some other yarn I'd inherited--and pulled out stuff to donate, and threw a bunch more away.

4. (Free) coffee out with G. Caribou was celebrating still offering decaf coffee in the afternoons (I guess Starbucks is not anymore) and was giving coffee away.

1/29/09

2009-01-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

1. Got my hair cut today--just a trim, but got rid of some of the frizzies and also bought a new shampoo and conditioner to "repair" my damaged hair. ugh... Hope it works!

2. While searching for a new winter jacket for G., I saw a "sale" sign at a luggage store. Half an hour later, I came out with a Vera Bradley purse--for half price. I still probably paid more for it than all other purses I've ever owned, but I reallllllly like it! It's very bright and spring-y.

3. Made a yummy supper tonight--chicken parmesan--that everyone ate. :)

1/28/09

2009-01-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

1. Everyone was up BEFORE they had to be up this morning, which meant that the whole morning routine went much more smoothly. In addition, I had time to exercise and shower before M. even left for school!

2. Elementary School Spelling Bee; T. was one of the 15 competitors (chosen by a written test) and though he was not one of the top 5, he did a great job.

3. Tutoring--last session for finals week! I enjoy finals week (especially seeing the students often get that ah-ha! moment when they realized that the whole semester really DID build on the earlier stuff and that they now understand the earlier stuff SO much better), but it is also mentally exhausting! In five days, I tutored 14 hours. OK, so that's less than 3 hours a day, but for ME that's a lot! ;)

1/27/09

2009-01-27T05:43:00.001-08:00

1. Tenth day in a row with NO measurable snowfall! (have to look at the silver lining when you live in WI in January)

2. Afternoon tutoring so I was able to attend...

3. C's Choir concert. The new Middle School choir director is a great guy, and he chooses entertaining music, and you can tell that the kids are all really having fun when they're on stage. All the choirs (6th, 7th and 8th, plus Women's Choir and Men's Choir) were wonderful, but I was again floored by how beautiful the Chamber Choir was.

4. I was still craving Indian food, so I picked up some packages and naan at Trader Joe's and made rice and samosas from scratch.

1/26/09

2009-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

1. Actually got some cleaning done today. G's back to work and while I miss him, I do much better when the "routine" is going.

2. Watched last night's Big Love. Wow. Wowowowowowow... Love that show!

3. Pot roast at Mom's before tutoring. What did I do before she lived down here?

1/25/09

2009-01-25T10:05:00.001-08:00

1. Sunday morning laziness--reading the paper over homemade donuts and mochas. (the donuts were okay...found the recipe last weekend when I watched so much Food Network. Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try. They were certainly EASY and the kids liked them.)

2. Indian buffet was canceled, which was a bummer, but that left me with time to help C. with her Inauguration extra credit and studying for her Algebra exam and to help T. with his Science Fair project before having to tutor.

3. LOTS of tutorings today. I almost felt like I had a *real* job, I worked so much! :)

1/24/09

2009-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

1. C's first Forensics meet of the year. She's doing Solo Humorous and has memorized a few bits written by Jim Gaffigan. She was happy with her scores, too.

2. Tutoring a client from last year. She wanted some help right before exams, so I met with her for a few hours. She's a really sweet kid, and I like her mom a lot, too, so it was nice to visit with her.

3. Out with G's parents and siblings for his parents' anniversary. We've done this for several years and it's so nice for us adults to get together without the distraction of kids! :)

1/23/09

2009-01-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee (here) with a friend who I hadn't seen for a LONG time! It's always fun to catch up, and we're never at a loss for things to talk about.

2. Big trip to Costco and other stores in the area. I didn't really need much, but never fail to find things to buy anyway.

3. Our new washer and dryer arrived! If I try not to think about how expensive they were, I can be very excited about them. :) In actuality, they are very cool. I can't believe how quiet they are! And I feel good about how much more energy efficient they are.

4. A couple hours of playing Guitar Hero with G. and later with T., too. I hadn't played for a LONG time and forgot how much fun it is.

1/22/09

2009-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

1. G. got up with the kids (including doing the morning carpools) and I was able to sleep in nice and late...

2. I spent the afternoon at the mall, spending my birthday gift card! I got what I hope is a cute outfit that I hope to wear this weekend.

3. M. had the first (of the year) school day playdate here with a new friend. It was very cute to see/hear the girls playing and fun, too, for them to go to Grandma's house for an after-school snack.

4. T. made it into the school spelling bee! He got 42 out of 50 words on the written part. The oral part will be on Wednesday and parents get to attend.

5. Thursday night TV! I'm still behind on ER and Gray's Anatomy, but did spend some time watching TV.

1/21/09

2009-01-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

1. Temps above freezing today--and sunshine galore!

2. Out for lunch w/ G. and a trip to Home Depot to get laundry detergent for our new washer and dryer, which arrive on Friday (it's a HE machine, and they don't sell the Tide Free for HE many places).

3. Two of my dearest friends took me out to supper (CPK) for my birthday. Yummy food and wonderful conversation was so rejuvenating!

1/20/09

2009-01-20T10:59:00.001-08:00

1. Obama's speech, and seeing ALL those people (I think I heard an estimate of 2 million? is that possible?) who were there. Some of my favorite parts of his speech:
*We will restore science to its rightful place,
*a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous
*We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers.
*we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
*we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders

2. W. flying away in a helicopter (to the tune of thousands singing, "Na Na, Hey Hey, Goodbye")

3. Wonderful, large knitting group, and lots of knitting done today (between knitting group and the inauguration). I finished the baby kimono and hat for the kids' art teacher:

1/19/09

2009-01-19T14:51:00.001-08:00

1. Three "surprise" tutorings today.

2. G. and I went washer and dryer shopping (NOT fun) but we found what I hope will be a good set on sale, with an additional 10% off, free delivery, set-up and haul-away and 12 months 0% financing. It's this washer and this dryer.

3. Swung by Sears on the way back and bought a pub height 3 pc. table set for our bedroom computer desk:

1/18/09

2009-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

My birthday and all the spoiling that comes with it! ;)

1. Last morning at the resort--we used the whirlpool one last time.

2. Stopping for (free) coffee at Caribou on the way home.

3. Connecting and using my iTouch for the first time (it's SO much fun!)

4. Biscotti dropped off as a surprise gift from a friend (yay for tomorrow's breakfast!)

5. Finished Twilight (which I started yesterday)

6. Supper at Mom's--she made stir fry and trifle for dessert (yum!)

7. Third season premiere of Big Love--which was amazing!

1/17/09

2009-01-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

1. Temps actually got above zero today!

2. Another "fun" workout followed by a swim and the hot tub. ;)

3. Unbelievably nice, relaxing, lazy day spent knitting socks, watching FoodNetwork, and reading Twilight!

4. Second day staying at the Osthoff...LOVE the whirlpool suite!

1/16/09

2009-01-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

1. Another day off school, so everyone was able to sleep in. We had low temps of 13 below, but wind chills were supposedly about 30 below.

2. Stopped at Target, Michael's and Costco on my way up to Elkhart Lake for our weekend away. I swear Target had everything in the store at 75% off. And Costco had the iTouch back in stock, so I got one (my birthday gift).

3. Beautiful drive up--the sun was so bright and the roads were clear. It's amazing how much affect the sun has on my mood.

4. The whole "weekend away" thing. I'm posting pics here. So far, so good! And I have to say that I love exercising while watching TV, then cooling down with a swim, and relaxing in a hot tub afterwards. I'd never complain about exercising again if it was always like this! :)

1/15/08

2009-01-16T06:24:00.001-08:00

1. School was canceled (cold day; awful wind chills, etc.), and we knew about it last night. T&M went to my Mom's for the night and C. had a friend sleep over.

2. Due to the cold, it was a mostly lazy day, though C. and I did run to Kohl's briefly--and both vehicles started, despite the extreme cold!

3. Book Club--we read The Pact by Jodi Picoult. As always, it was fun, and I love the excuse to "have" to read!

1/14/08

2009-01-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

1. Got up early and got most of my exercising done before the kids even left for school. (then I got the rest in by shoveling snow--yuck!)

2. I received a 30% off coupon for Kohl's and I went this morning. Maybe it was the cold, but it was very empty and I had plenty of time (and space) to browse the whole store. I found a lot of good deals, too!

3. Open House and information session at the High School. It's hard to believe that I'll have a high schooler next fall! But neat, too. They had a great setup with all the clubs, activities and sports displaying information. C. already signed up for several things (including choir, drama, Key Club and the Democrat Club!)

1/13/09

2009-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

1. Woke up to weather not-as-cold as it was predicted to be. That made shoveling much less annoying.

2. Out to lunch with my sister-in-law. She was in town for a funeral, which isn't fun, but we did get some much-needed SIL bonding time, which *was* nice!

3. To Mom's for supper--enchiladas, which are her specialty!

4. Knitting Club--which I had missed for many weeks in a row. It's always fun, with such a great group of people. AND I got lots done on the Xmas IOU socks I'm making for G.

1/12/09

2009-01-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

1. G. got up with the kids to get them ready for school. I even had time to exercise this morning.

2. Went shopping for some furniture for Mom. She found a coffee table, end table, and dining room table/chair/bench set! All are cool, too.

3. Only one tutoring session tonight; which was nice as it started snowing about 5:30. Blecchhhh....

1/11/09

2009-01-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

1. Usual Sunday morning laziness and paper-reading.

2. I got over a dozen emails with coupons and free stuff for my birthday (in one week) and I dutifully printed almost all of them out. If I used them all, we'd be eating out for every meal for a week, and shopping at almost every store in the area. Fun! ;)

3. Tutoring. it's funny that tutoring has become one of the highlights of my week. I do hate venturing out after dark when it's so cold, but I have such a great group of kids that I work with this year, so it's a good time.

1/10/09

2009-01-10T19:33:00.001-08:00

1. Tutored a student I haven't worked with in a year--he needed to catch up on some work. It was good to see him, and nice to make a bit of unexpected money.

2. M's first gymnastics class of the season. She was so excited to be doing gymnastics again.

3. C. was able to go to a reunion for her summer camp today. She wasn't going to be able to go, but a series of events made it possible and she was very happy to go.

4. T. had a soccer game tonight and his team played really, really well! The game was so much fun to watch as the score went back and forth throughout the whole game. In the end, T's team won, but it was the most fun to watch them playing so well.

1/9/09

2009-01-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

1. Out for coffee for Mom's birthday with some of my friends (who are now her friends, too).

2. I got all my blood test results and I'm (at least in this arena) perfectly normal. This was my first-ever cholesterol test, so it's nice to know that my numbers are quite low (except for LDL, where they are quite high, as they should be).

3. Went to Mom's for a yummy supper of spaghetti. Her kitchen has come together SO nicely!

1/8/09

2009-01-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee with the 5th grade moms--such a fun group!

2. Second day of exercising. Today I did some wii Fit and then G. and I took a walk. The first half of the walk was beautiful--kinda chilly, but sunny and nice. The second half, however, was brutal, as we had to walk home into the wind!

3. Out for Mom's birthday to Qdoba. I also put together a before-and-after book of photos of Mom's house for her. The pictures don't really do it justice, but it is fun to see all the changes in just six months!

1/7/09

2009-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

1. G. let me sleep in and got the kids ready for school (including making breakfast and lunches!). YAY!

2. Started my "exercise routine". Maybe if I post here, I'll be more likely to keep up with it. Dr. J. said I should be exercising half an hour a day. Today I shoveled snow for 20 minutes and did wii Fit for 15. I'm just going to try to do SOMEthing for half an hour. Walking counts, wii Fit counts, shoveling counts, etc.

3. Had family friends over for the LAST celebration of Xmas. It was a lot of fun. This is a family that we used to get together with every week, but busy schedules (and older and more kids) have made our gatherings less frequent. Still, it is fun when we manage to fit it in.

We also did M's birthday cake tonight, since she got a sundae yesterday when we went out. Here she is, blowing out the candles:
(Looks like one boyfriend...)

1/6/09

2009-01-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

1. My "baby" is now 6 years old!

2. Target *finally* went 90% off on Christmas stuff. There was not much left, either. I got some re-useable Xmas tags (to go with the cloth gift bags) and a few packs of icicle lights to replace our old ones that are wearing out, but there was not much there. (Just as well financially, I guess)

3. M. has a classmate (a boy, P.) who was also in her class last year. P. just adores M. and P's mom told me today that he's been counting down the days to M's birthday. When M. came out of school, she was carrying a gift bag--gifts from P., including a penguin cookie and a card and pom-pom penguin that he had made for her. It's just *so* cute!

4. Out (to Culver's) for M's birthday. It was nice to not have to cook ;) and I love Culver's fish sandwiches.

1/5/09

2009-01-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

1. Though the actual doctor appointment (including fasting) was not fun, and I was poked repeatedly while the tech tried to draw my blood, the doctor eventually *did* get a line in me--which is more than what happened last year at my annual exam.

2. I heard from the Mom of two of my former tutoring clients (I hadn't heard from her in almost a year) and she's doing well and she asked if I could help out and see her son a few times this month. January is a good time for me to pick up some extra sessions, so it should work out very well.

3. I picked up photos at Costco, some scrapbooking things at Michael's and assembled a Scrapbook of our American Girl trip this afternoon and evening. I can see how scrapbooking could be relaxing if you have more than a few hours to make 20 pages! And now M. can bring it to school tomorrow for her special sharing day.

1/4/09

2009-01-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

1. Breakfast at Mom's house! She got to cook her first full meal in her new kitchen. Then G. and I hung around and fixed up a few little things (he installed the last two lights and I installed the three shades that we'd bought months ago).

2. Tutoring; though it's over winter break, the Chemistry students got a BIG extra credit packet and so I was able to help two of them with the packet today.

3. LLL Book Club; I've missed this Book Club so much since they meet on Sunday and I tutor almost every Sunday night. I love my local (block) book club, too, but it was so nice to get together with my "old" friends!

1/3/09

2009-01-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

1. I finally got a good night's sleep!

2. Some time shopping this morning at Kohl's; I found some amazing deals on tops for T. (he's outgrowing the clothes he has)

3. T. had his first indoor soccer game of the season. His coach ordered them really cool non-MKSC soccer jerseys. Despite how well T. played, his team lost. As we were walking out the door to get to his game, the phone rang and it was the 7/8 grade girls' team, asking if C. could sub for them today. She did--right after T's game--and had fun. Unfortunately, the girls lost as well. It was fun to get to see both of the kids play, though.

4. Out to dinner (at Chili's) for M's birthday with G's parents. I'm feeling so spoiled for not having to cook much of anything these last few days.

1/2/09

2009-01-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

I can't really list 3 things that made me happy today, as the whole day was very joyful ;)

Today C., M., my mom and I took the train to Chicago and spent the day at American Girl Place.

M. summed it up by continually saying, "this is even better than I thought it would be!"

Despite the horrifying display of excessive consumerism, it was truly a day that she'll remember forever.

I'll end with some photos of our day:

1/1/09

2009-01-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

1. 2008 is over! Though there were some bright spots, it was not a fantastic year.

2. Coffee at Mom's house--which was so nice both because Mom finally has a kitchen, and because it was Mom and two of my dearest friends.

3. G. and I did some "shopping" and info-gathering about washers and dryers. Both of ours are on their last legs, and it would be nice to replace them before they actually die. Nothing bought yet, but we at least feel better educated!

4. Black Eyed peas for good luck in the new year!

12/31/08

2008-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

1. Had a ton of errands to run, but got them all done. Did the grocery shopping (the store was a ZOO), went out for ice cream ;), got M's hair cut, picked up and dropped off things at peoples' houses.

2. Mom's kitchen is essentially done! There are some shelves that have to be re-ordered and they need a bit more quarter round trim, but all the cabinets are installed and it looks awesome! (I'll update her blog tomorrow)

3. New Year's Eve celebration at home. We had a few families over and played games and ate snacks until midnight. :)

12/30/08

2008-12-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

1. Ran some errands (Target Xmas was 75% off!) and had lunch out with G.

2. Finally made some plans for NYE--having friends over for a very casual gathering.

3. Out to see JIM GAFFIGAN at the Pabst theater. It was fantastic! He did bits on bowling, bacon, hot pockets, sex... All hysterical stuff!

12/29/08

2008-12-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

1. Mom got her plumbing installed! Almost there...

2. G. has a friend who called with two extra tickets to see Jim Gaffigan tomorrow night--YAY!

3. Mom booked the Amtrak tickets (and yesterday I made the dinner reservation) for Friday's trip to Chicago to go to American Girl Place for M's golden birthday.

4. Surprise extra tutoring (and therefore extra money)

5. Another day with high temps over the freezing mark. YAY!

6. Neighbor book club--we watched Girl With A Pearl Earring; it was beautifully filmed, but not a great movie. If I hadn't read the book, I don't think I'd have followed it. Book club discussion, however, was wonderful as always!

12/28/08

2008-12-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

1. Sleeping in (no kids!) and then leisurely reading the Sunday paper before fetching said kids.

2. Trip to the Art Museum to take pictures for T's Art Docent project. Here's his piece:
And here are two girls and a boy, becoming one with the universe:
3. Going out to Potbelly's (as a family) for G's birthday. Yummy food, and I was able to stop into Origins to use my $10 gift certificate.

12/27/08

2008-12-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

1. My wonderful, caring, giving, handsome husband turned 40 today!

2. We had a small gathering of friends to celebrate his birthday. It was SO much fun! Very low-key with lots of yummy snacks, some fun games, and great conversation. Oh, and an adorable baby!

3. My mom kept all three kids overnight due to the party. Strange as it was to sleep w/o a baby monitor on, it was nice, too!

4. I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom in preparation for having "new" people over. I love having the whole house clean at once!

12/26/08

2008-12-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

1. I had to run out this morning to do some returns and to pick up a surround sound theater system for my Mom. The return lines at Kohls and Boston Store were short and the employees SO helpful, and there were only three theater systems left, so I'm glad I trekked out to Costco!

2. C. got the results of her ACT's and (IMO) she kicked butt! She was SO excited because she did better than she had on her practice test and, I think, well enough to get into many colleges at this point. Hopefully she'll do even better when she takes them "for real" in three years.

3. Played a lot of Guitar Hero World Tour with the kids. It's such a fun game (better, IMO, than Rock Band) and I love introducing the kids to music from our era.

12/25/08

2008-12-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

1. The cuteness of the kids planning waking time. Our "rule" is that they cannot get out of bed until 6:00 am and cannot wake us until 7:00 am. (But they can look at the Santa gifts and their stockings before waking us) Both T. and C. set their alarms (iPod and cell phone) for 6:30 and we heard them on the baby monitor before they came up at 7:02 to wake us.

2. Lovely Xmas morning stuff--breakfast of Mamafitz's breakfast casserole and cinnamon bites (plus OJ and coffee) and laziness after opening gifts.

3. G's parents here for Xmas supper with us. Mom cooked an excellent meal of prime rib, twice baked potatoes, roasted veggies and salad.

4. Friends from knitting club came after supper for dessert and some Guitar Hero. They're a fun and funny couple, and the new GH rocks! ;)

12/24/08

2008-12-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

1. G. got his birthday gift all set up ;)

2. Mom's Corian countertops are in! She's so excited and it really is looking like a "real" kitchen.

3. Yummy dinner from Nick N Willy's (pizza, buffalo wings, caesar salad) without the work!

4. The cuteness of the kids wearing their new Xmas jammies and exchanging sibling gifts tonight.

12/23/08

2008-12-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

1. Everyone slept in, and we had a big breakfast to start the day of cleaning and reorganizing.

2. Got a lot of moving, cleaning, rearranging done--hopefully finish up tomorrow!

3. Made one of my favorite meals--Mexican Gumbo ala Qdoba--and had the neighbors over for supper. Fun! (even if I did drink too many pina coladas and had to skip Knitting Club)

12/22/08

2008-12-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

1. C. and I ran to do some shopping (groceries, essentially) since it's going to be snowy between now and Xmas. We also found an amazing deal on something to go with G's birthday gift. Yay!

2. LOTS of holiday cards in the mail today. Though I complain about the stress of getting my cards sent, it is SO nice to receive cards that it's worth it. :)

3. Out for coffee with G. while T. had his guitar lesson. I fear we may all be stuck indoors for awhile with even more snow coming, so it was nice to get out for a bit.

12/21/08

2008-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

1. Though we woke up to -8 temps, and 30 mph winds, no one had to be anywhere today, so we could stay put--indoors!

2. While looking through the Sunday paper, we found G's birthday gift and ran out to pick up the last one! :)

3. Tried a new recipe from one of my Xmas gifts, BOB. It was a steakhouse shepherd's pie, and it was just right for such an awful, cold evening.

4. Winter solstice...daylight only gets longer from here on out. ;)

12/20/08

2008-12-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

1. Quick trip out with G. to get a few last minute Xmas things for Xmas with his family today.

2. Very helpful children; I wanted to get the house picked up before we left, and they chipped in and helped out.

3. WE GOT A SNOWBLOWER! An online friend was selling one, and between us, my mom, and our next-door neighbors, we got it. I'm hoping that's all it takes to get Mother Nature to stop dumping on us!

4. Xmas with G's family; lots of fun, and we all got great gifts! (I'll try to post pictures tomorrow--too tired now) And while the trip home was truly awful, we all made it home safely.

12/19/08

2008-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

1. Despite Milwaukee being hit with one of the worst snowstorms ever, no one had to be anywhere, and we got it all cleaned up by mid-afternoon. Oh, and there was the bonus of all that wonderful outdoor air and exercise!

2. Got some cleaning done in the house before the snow stopped, so it's not a *complete* disaster.

3. Ventured out for pizza at Classic Slice in Bayview with some of the Knitting Club (and family). Yummy baconizer pizza and great company made it worth the drive on less-than-perfect roads.

12/18/08

2008-12-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

1. Had an extra tutoring session today, which helps (financially) since I won't have any meetings over the winter break.

2. Got a message from my favorite cousin, who I hadn't heard from in over a year! She found me on Facebook yesterday and PM'ed me today with a breastfeeding question! It was great to hear from her, and also wonderful to talk breastfeeding--which was so much a part of my life for so long.

3. Finally got to see Mamma Mia (the movie). I watched it while folding laundry, so didn't even have the guilt of being lazy while watching it! :)

4. This may seem like a strange thing to make me happy, but...
I've felt particularly stressed this holiday season. I'm not usually a fanatic about Christmas, but I do enjoy it and all the little traditions we have. Notsomuch this year. I spoke with not one but TWO friends today who basically said they're feeling the same. I just felt less alone with my Scrooge-y thoughts afterwards and it truly felt like a weight was lifted!

12/17/08

2008-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

1. Mom and I headed out for some shopping. I didn't get much, but Mom got a few things. I like shopping during weekdays when it's not so busy, too.

2. Got some more knitting done on the secret project (after stopping at Ruhama's to get a needle that I didn't own). Maybe it'll be done in time, though I'm not holding my breath!

3. C's Middle School orchestra concert. I think the orchestra program is AMAZING! I love their concerts, and it's especially neat to see T. enjoying them (since he's playing violin, too) and M. tapping her foot or humming along.

12/16/08

2008-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

1. Got grocery shopping done a day early--and mom went, too, which was nice.

2. Lunch out w/ Mom at this Chinese place near the grocery store. Kind of a dive, but the food was good! (I love going out for Chinese, since it's so time-consuming to cook)

3. My application to take classes this Spring as a Special Student was approved, so I immediately went online and registered for CHM 511 (Inorganic). It's scary, but exciting!

4. Got started on a new knitting project (which shall remain a secret for now).

12/15/08

2008-12-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

1. Today is one of my best friend's 40th birthdays (Happy Birthday, Sarah!).

2. I caught up on a bunch of phonecalls that I've needed to make, but been putting off. (Didn't necessarily get much accomplished in those phonecalls, but I got them made)

3. Tutoring--got nice gifts from two of my clients, too. A gift card to Schwartz's Book Store from one and a Kate Spade datebook from the other.

12/14/08

2008-12-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

1. I felt better than I did yesterday; it's amazing how, after feeling REALLY awful, even minor improvement seems amazing!

2. Ran out and finished almost all of my shopping--using coupons, too.

3. It was unbelievably warm--hitting 45--which made much of the snow melt, and enabled us to chip most of the ice off of the sidewalks and driveway, in preparation for another big snow coming tomorrow.

4. Finished a scarf that knit up really quickly, using a pattern I found online and LOVE! G. will give it as a gift for one of his co-workers tomorrow:

12/13/08

2008-12-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

1. I got to bring C. and a friend to take their ACT's. This was much less chaotic than last year when they took the SAT's and they seemed so much more confident and self-assured, too! I think having them take the practice ones in middle school is a great idea.

2. Met the Mom of one of C's friends and Dad of another for coffee after the test-taking. It really is always fun to watch C. in a pack of her peers. They're such a fun mix of childhood and adulthood at this age. (and the eggnog latte was yummy, too)

3. Mom got back from her trip up North safely--and she brought awesome pizzas made by her friend Louise. That made for a nice, easy supper.

12/12/08

2008-12-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

1. T. and M.'s School Holiday Concert was this morning. First of all, T's class got to dance, which was very enjoyable. And the kindergarteners are *always* adorable!

2. Long meeting with my future Grad School advisor. This time I got to attend one of their group meetings, where they were discussing data they'd collected and the plans they'd made for future research. It made a lot of the abstract descriptions more meaningful to me. I also found out that one of the three classes I need to take before being admitted *will* be offered this spring, so I can get started (if I can come up with the money!).

3. C. and I made four more gift bags. We're up to 13 now! :)

12/11/08

2008-12-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

1. Subbing wasn't as bad as I feared! I signed up to sub Chemistry, but then realized that the job I took was teaching the non-math based Chem classes and the freshman intro classes, and that it was subbing for someone who had been out all week and had different subs every day of the week! Everyone was very helpful, I got to actually *teach* some, and I did get to have lunch with one of my former co-workers. And I'm exhausted, so I should sleep well tonight!

2. I almost finished the scarf I started knitting on Tuesday. Two preps and an hour for lunch will do that!

3. Thursday night TV--nothing spectacular, but familiar ;)

12/10/08

2008-12-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

1. G. took the older kids to school early for the Student Council breakfast so the younger ones and I slept in somewhat.

2. After dropping the kids at school, I headed to the mall. I've gotten MOST of my shopping done and it's down to just looking for a few things.

3. T. and M. both had playdates after school, which extended my day a bit. I finally sewed straps on five Everlasting Bagstoppers, and had a bit of time to knit, too.

4. Took a friend and went to an Open House held by another friend. The second friend is a Mary Kay distributor, and since I don't wear makeup, I've kind of avoided most of her parties, but she recently added another company to her business--uppercase living. I found a lot of cute things I'd like from uppercase living, and picked up a few great deals on Mary Kay things, too (she had close-outs and clearance things).

12/9/08

2008-12-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

1. Still trying to find some happiness in today's snowstorm. I guess that everyone is safe, despite the awful weather and road conditions. Oh, and I got an awful lot of exercise between shoveling, scooping, and roof-raking.

2. Made a very summery supper--bratwurst with Jack Straw salad and potato chips.

3. All three kids so excited to play in the snow now that they have a backyard to play in!

4. Knitting Club; The bookstore where we usually meet closed at 7:00 due to the weather, so we had to go across the street to a coffee place. I personally like the coffee place better, so that was a nice bonus--and Knitting Club is always fun.

12/8/08

2008-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

1. Decided to go grocery shopping today (due to the storm predicted) instead of Wednesday, as usual. The grocery store was much less busy, employees seemed friendlier, and they were out of fewer things. I'm trying to decide if double coupons is worth the hassle (they do double coupons on Wednesday, but max of 5 and $1 value each). I saved $57 on a $95 bill.

2. Didn't get the whole house clean, but got more clean than I'd feared. My "broken" washing machine is really annoying, though (it only does a FULL load--and I mean FULL), as I have to plan my loads more, and feel wasteful if I run a small load. ugh! Please, oh please let washers and dryers be on sale-BIG sale-after the first of the year.

3. I was supposed to help in M's PE class today, but they had switched PE times and the teacher forgot to let me know. Instead, I got to help in the classroom during Center Time.

4. All three kids went to bed wearing their PJ's inside out in hopes of a snow day tomorrow.

12/7/08

2008-12-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

1. It's been a very snowy December, but no snow (yet!) today.

2. C's Middle School Variety Show: she started off just doing stage crew, but ended up doing stage crew, singing the National Anthem with Chamber Choir, helping in an MC skit, and being in a piece from Wicked.

3. Mom decided kind of last minute to drive up North to catch up with some friends. She made it safely--and ahead of the storm(s) coming.

4. Both tutoring sessions went well tonight. It's nice when I feel I've really been helpful.

12/6/08

2008-12-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

1. My nephew's Bar Mitzvah. It was so neat to see this boy who was born early and just over 5 lbs. turn into a mature young man!

2. Mailed the Xmas cards! (My first card arrived today, too, so none-too-soon)

3. Ran out with C. to find gifts for her teacher (Student Council members each adopt a teacher for Teacher Appreciation week). We were successful, and kept it within the price limits.

4. Cashew chicken stir fry for supper. I hadn't made this for a long time and it really hit the spot!

12/5/08

2008-12-05T19:22:00.000-08:00

1. I tried to return a pair of jeans to Kohl's because one of the snaps on the back pockets broke. Even though I didn't have a receipt, they allowed me to exchange them with no hassle at all!

2. Made two more Xmas gift bags. It's addictive!

3. Finished up the Xmas cards--all ready to be mailed tomorrow.

4. An exciting night out with G.--Home Depot, Target, Qdoba and Costco!

12/4/08

2008-12-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

1. M. woke up on her own and was well enough to go to school.

2. I sewed four more Xmas gift bags (and C. put in the drawstrings, which was nice).

3. I washed and folded ALL the laundry--while catching up on ALL of the episodes of Rachael Ray that I had DVR'ed.

4. M's Daisy Girl Scout Investiture ceremony. It was SO cute to see all the girls (and hear them reciting the GS promise).
5. G. finished the Xmas letter and I proofed it and formatted it. Now it just needs to be printed and stuffed into envelopes and then we can mail them! :) (I love getting holiday cards...)

12/3/08

2008-12-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

1. Although M. was home from school sick (the pukey bug), having my Mom next door meant that I could still do the errands and stuff that I "needed" to do today.

2. Staying home all afternoon meant that I finally got started on the Xmas gift bags that I've wanted to make for about two years. ;) I made five today:
3. Though I was not happy to see more snow, the Kaufman snow scoops that Mom ordered arrived today, and they made the "shoveling" much easier!

4. The kids actually started the Xmas book advent calendar last night, but I wasn't home for the reading of the first book. Tonight was one of my favorites: Elmo's Christmas Colors

12/2/08

2008-12-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

1. Though it was a really cold day (and there's still snow all over), the sun was out! That makes such a difference.

2. Ran some errands with mom, including a trip to Boelter (restaurant supply store--SO fun to browse) and lunch at Culver's. Yummy Culver's Cobb salad (not as good as CPK's, but still good).

3. Relatively nice trip out to Oconomowoc to get the girls' teeth filled. I don't enjoy going to the dentist, but I really appreciate free dental work (from G's uncle and now his cousin, who has joined the practice!). The girls did well--C. even had both of hers filled w/o anesthesia (which is my little trick--I hate the numbness more than the short bit of pain).

4. Nice PTC meeting. Even though I don't exactly look forward to attending them, they really are interesting! And I've met a whole 'nother group of moms from the kids' school, too. And--I got the minutes typed up tonight--YAY!

5. When PTC ended, I still had 45 minutes before knitting club ended, so I raced over. I got a bit of knitting in, and grabbed some good company and conversation, too! :)

12/1/08

2008-12-01T16:21:00.001-08:00

1. Although we had a winter weather advisory last night, the roads were not terrible, and everyone made it where they had to go--safely.

2. Subbing (at the HS--Math) went well. I'm still not in love with subbing (it's not a lot of actual teaching) but I do enjoy being in the school and I think I'd really enjoy a long-term sub position. With the inability to take classes until fall, I'm *really* hoping a long-term thing opens up for me this spring.

3. After subbing all day, coming home to supper cooked by not me ;) Mom made a yummy flank steak roll-up thing stuffed with bacon and onions and cooked in a tomato-based sauce. It was so nice to not have to think about supper after being gone all day.

4. I had one tutoring client tonight, and she'd gone home from school early since she didn't feel well. I was able to go through all of the math that she'd missed, plus we worked on some Chem. It's nice to feel needed--AND I'm done with work for the week! :)

11/30/08

2008-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

1. Went through the Xmas gifts I'd already bought and, in the process, organized the mini attic. I did pretty well shopping-wise and don't have a lot of stuff to get yet.

2. Shopped some with C. at the mall. I had a $10 Kohls coupon and picked up a few more things. While there, I ran into a friend of a friend and we exchanged coupons (I gave her Boston Store; she gave me Kohl's). The mall was not very busy, either.

3. Heard from my Grad School advisor. I'm not exactly sure if it's good news or bad news, though! I was *sure* I'd need to take Calculus (and was actually kind of looking forward to it), but I guess the committee says I "only" need to take three courses before I get in. The three courses, though, are:
311 Inorganic
524 Instrumental Analysis
560 Non-Calc based P-Chem
And each is 3 credits and each is ONLY offered in the fall.

11/29/08

2008-11-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

1. Going out for breakfast (bagels and coffee) with my mom, brother, and his girlfriend. It was such a nice visit with them--they stayed a bit longer and weren't as rushed to leave. And Mom's got more room for them to stay--I hope they come visit more often!

2. M. went to a play with one of her classmates. She got all dressed up and they got cookies and juice, in addition to seeing the play.

3. Putting up the Xmas tree with the kids. I bought a new tree on clearance last year and wasn't sure if it would be hideously ugly. It's not bad--and as a bonus, it's narrower than our old one, so takes up less space. Oh, and it's a pre-lit tree, too! The kids did all the decorating.

11/28/08

2008-11-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

1. Black friday shopping, starting at 7:00 am, with C. and my brother's girlfriend; we got SO many deals! ;)

2. M., marching in her first parade (the Holiday Stroll) with the Daisy Girl Scouts.
3. Coming home, after marching in the parade, to yummy turkey soup and sandwiches, which Mom had made.

11/27/08

2008-11-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

1. My brother (and his girlfriend) coming to see Mom's new house for the first time

2. Cooking Thanksgiving stuff with my mom (we're a good team in the kitchen!)

3. Pulling off a really fun Thanksgiving meal for 21 people; and everyone getting along great! I have the best family and in-laws!

11/26/08

2008-11-26T18:04:00.000-08:00

1. Kids off of school

2. Got almost all of the house clean for tomorrow

3. M., going to a birthday party (a boy in her class who has a crush on her)

11/25/08

2008-11-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee at Mom's house for the first time! She's so excited that her house is becoming more and more of a "real" house. While I was there, we moved some stuff around and unpacked about eight boxes--which had been buried by other stuff.

2. Started the kindergarten carpool. In the winter we seldom walk (or bikeride) to school and it's nice to carpool with another mom so I don't have to bundle up and leave the house every day! Saves gas, too, as one person is driving instead of two.

3. Knitting club--first time I've been able to go in several weeks. I had really missed everyone and it was so good to be back. We had a new person join us, too, and I think she'll be back. Fun!

11/24/08

2008-11-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

1. Coffee at the home of one of C's friends. Four of us moms shared coffee, great conversation, and admired new furniture! It's so nice that I really *like* the moms of C's friends so much (as well as their daughters).

2. I was PE helper for M's class. They're doing a gymnastics unit, and M. was having so much fun (and doing so well). She has a really nice class, too.

3. C.'s turn to take "baby think it over" home for Health class. It was kinda sweet to see her taking care of the crying doll, patting it and talking to it. (but man, is that cry annoying! And persistent!)

4. The Middle School choir concert. This year's choir teacher is such a great guy and the song choices were so much better than last years. Best of all, C. is in Chamber Choir (a smaller group that you need to audition for), and I was so proud of her performance in that group (of only nine kids). She really loves singing and you can tell.

11/23/08

2008-11-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

1. Leisurely Sunday morning reading the paper. It's the one day I like to get up early while everyone else sleeps in.

2. Got some little things done at Mom's house that I had been kind of putting off. Knowing that my brother will be here this week kicked my butt into gear.

3. Yummy Indian buffet with friends (and C. and Mom) for lunch. Almost ten hours later and I am *still* full!

4. Tutoring--there's Chemistry and Geometry tests on Tuesday, so I felt particularly useful!

11/22/08

2008-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

1. Going with M. while she traded in her Gameboy SP to get a Nintendo DS. She's saved her allowance and the money she's gotten from her grandparents for various holidays (best of all, now she has a new "toy" with no accessories, so buying her things for Xmas will be easier). She had a tough time choosing which color to get until the salesman described one as "metallic silver". (She's *very* into metallics!)

2. C. and her friends working on their Beyond project. They chose to read "Much Ado About Nothing", which they finished yesterday, so the girls (all but one) came over for breakfast, to watch the movie version, and then to write their final project (they're re-writing it as a current, teenaged version to perform for the class). It's so fun to have a group of highly-motivated kids working together! And they really worked hard, too.

3. Fun afternoon shopping. We had to pick up some stuff for C's Shakespeare (see above) project, wanted to use the Costco coupons, and had a few other errands to run. It was nice to see that both Target and Costco were really busy, too. With all the economy woes, it's a little scary, so it's nice to see that at least some local businesses are busy! And, I found a down vest (which I've wanted and been looking for for over a year) for $19.99! C. got herself one, too (though mine is brown and hers is black).

4. Accepted a subbing job for Math on December 1st. I hope it's a fun one!

5. Out for coffee (and a bit more shopping) with G. tonight. I wore my new down vest and it works GREAT!

11/21/08

2008-11-21T16:09:00.001-08:00

1. All went well this morning with Mom coming over to finish prepping the big kids for school and get M. ready.

2. My full day of subbing Social Studies at the HS actually went pretty well! It was nice to see some former co-workers at lunchtime, too!

3. Coming home to dinner that I didn't cook (thanks, Mom!), then catching up on email, knitting a little, and watching Thursday night TV. Decadent!

11/20/08

2008-11-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

1. T. chose his piece for Art Docents this week and I was able to find a picture of it online:
It's a moving "mobile" sculpture done by Alexander Calder and entitled "Black, Red and Blue". I think it's fitting that Travis--so math and science minded--chose a mobile for his art piece.

2. Got almost all of the house cleaned for Book Club tonight. It's been a long time since I've had most/all of the house clean at once!

3. Lunch out with a friend/mom of one of T's classmates. We hadn't had a chance to talk for a long time and it was so nice to catch up on things!

4. Book Club here--The Glass Castle. We had great discussion about the book--and other stuff. I can't say enough about how thrilled I am with our block Book Club! Such a fun group of women, and so nice that no one has to DRIVE anywhere!