Back to School

Well, it's back to school time again and this year my little one goes off to Kindergarten.

In our house we transition from summer sleep to school sleep gradually over a few weeks.  Slowly we move bedtime up and wake up time earlier until we're at 6:30 am and 7:30 pm.  This week we hit 6:30 am.  Turns out that 6:30 am sucks! 

On Monday the 20th my daughter starts 3rd grad and on the 23rd Jeremy starts Kindergarten.  There is a huge pile of school supplies on the couch just waiting for back to school night tonight.  I've contacted the teachers about their special needs and now it's just a matter of time. 

School time is a time of mixed feelings.  I love staying with my kids and teaching them things, but after 3 months together I'm very ready for them to go back.  I'm not sure what I'll do with all the time, probably laundry. 

I've volunteered to do more work with the Girl Scouts and the JDRF.  I've agreed to run a small group for church, and I hope to do more Heritage Makers stuff.

I'm sure every mom goes through this - the first feeling of empty nest.  First Kindergarten, then all day school, then Middle school, High School and off to college - or life. 

Four days and counting...

Take me out to the ballgame

Its that time of year again - time for baseball.

I'm not a big sports fan, not interested in Football, have no idea how they play Basketball or Hockey.  But baseball is my sport.  I can't play, but I can cheer. 

I don't understand all the rules, and with few exceptions, I'll let someone instruct me, or I'll look it up if I don't understand what happened.  Like a pitchers ERA - no one could tell me, so I looked it up.  Lets suffice it to say that it's a complicated equation of batters, hits and innings pitched.

And - did you know there's a whole rest of the ballgame song? I found that out a few years ago. 

There's nothing I like better than spending a gorgeous day out in the sunshine, watching the Colorado Rockies win or lose - but of course win is better.  I know their names, I know their numbers, I yell and screamand eat peanuts (unless I'm with Jeremy). 

I watch the games on TV, but don't care for the announcers who HAVE to fill the silence with useless information.  Which is why going is so much better. 

I love how in the spring there's hope.  No one is ahead, no one is behind, anyone can take the series in April.  Anything can happen in the summertime.

Go Rockies!

vacations

My baby took off on her first solo vacation today.  I know that all will go well.  Millions of people fly daily, but not my 8 year old and not alone.  And then there's the week in California with Grandma.  Grandma has her good points, but she has never tried to learn about diabetes before, and now she's got my baby's life in her hands. 

To add to the stress, their first line of inquiry is Mike.  Now, I know Mike is her dad, and he knows more than Grandma, but he doesn't know as much as me.  I do this daily. 

I can only trust that all of our training and last minute reminders will sink in and Natalie will take care of herself. 

But if I'm this much of a mess with a week away - what will happen when she goes to camp where no one loves her like Grandma does?

I thought bringing up babies was hard...

Open letter to all department stores

Open letter to all department stores:

1. I do not want your credit card.   I don't care how much it will save me today, I don't care if I can pay it off right away -  I know how credit works.  The coupons you send me do not effect me that much.

2. I do not want to take your stupid survey.  If I wanted to go online and waste time, I would look at Youtube videos. 

3. If you do sell a credit card to some other schmuck, take them elsewhere - don't make me wait in line while grandma questions putting her social security number in the machine. 

4. I don't want you to have my phone number/address/email so you can send me crap.

Just keep it to yourself - I can decide when and where to shop.  Don't try and dictate to me.  You want to win my money? Give me GREAT SERVICE and I'll come back.

Thank you

quirks

I do a lot of silly things that make NO sense. 

I load the dishwasher and always end up forgetting a few, so the job isn't done.

I clean up the living room, but never all the way. 

Not just that - I have to eat M&Ms and small candies in pairs: one for each side.

I dip potato chips in my ravioli sauce.

I can't back my car up without some kind of camera.

I like to keep stuff - not hoarding yet, but just a lot of memories are in my stuff.

I like things organized but don't have the will power to keep it that way.

I think I'm allergic to sunflower seeds. 

I like chocolate milk, but not regular milk.

I hate change - it took 3 months for Mike to convince me to switch phones - but...

I want to move.  Apparently I'm right on track with that one though, because people changes houses on average every 7 years and we're in year 7 1/2. 

I want a house that people walk into and say - wow, this is beautiful! But I don't know how to get it and keep it.

Maybe everyone has these things, maybe I'm unique, but it's who I am.  Who are you?

Vices

Shopping is my vice.  Some people eat, some gamble or drink, I shop. 

Luckily I'm married to someone who can afford to keep me in the money so to speak.  But as I was buying stick on window decorations today in the shape of Shamrocks, just because they were three dollars, I wondered - could I stop?

I have long maintained a belief in our country being Capitalist.  The Free Market system is paramount to our country surviving.  When the government started interfering, that's when things really went down hill.  Bailing out companies that couldn't hack it, companies that had cheated the public into houses and cars and everything else they couldn't afford.  Then dropping the interest rate so low that, while I love my 3.25% HELOC, no one wanted to invest in our country and thus caused massive unemployment.

But I digress, could I stop shopping?  If one is a recovering shopaholic, where would one get their groceries, clothes, cars, anything?  We live on cash only, no credit.  My shopping has yet to cause us to go into debt for anything, or have to skip a meal, or any other major inconvenience.  So, is my shopping really a problem?  I can go days without it, but then when I am shopping I feel a rush and end up getting things we don't really need.  Now our house is overflowing with stuff.  That's where the problem comes in. 

I don't know that I need to stop, but I do need some impulse control.  Maybe someday, but for now - Kohl's has a sale on everything - want to go?

Diets

Why do we have to have diets? 

I started a new calorie counting app on the phone, but I'm sooo hungry!  I've already cheated and it's only 9:45.   I have no will power.  I'll never live on 1200 calories a day.

I think I'll have to go on Jenny Craig again...