Well, yes.

View from a Suburban Window
by Phyllis McGinley


When I consider how my light is spent,
Also my sweetness, ditto all my power,
Papering shelves or saving for the rent
Or prodding grapefruit while the grocers glower,
Or dulcetly persuading to the dentist
The wailing young, or fitting them for shoes,
Beset by menus and my days apprenticed
Forever to a grinning household muse;
And how I might, in some tall town instead,
From nine to five be furthering a Career,
Dwelling unfettered in my single flat,
My life my own, likewise my daily bread ---
When I consider this, it's very clear
I might have done much worse. I might, at that.

It never goes away, but it all works out

I just uploaded some pictures from my camera only to find out that I haven't done that since before Madeline's birthday! Oops. I was wondering where the pictures from Madeline's birthday had ended up!

Speaking of Madeline, this was her yesterday about this time:



Poor kid. She has croup AND strep! Whoever heard of a ten year old having croup? She never had it as a baby. She sounds terrible- barky cough and no voice, not to mention a sore throat and wonky stomach from the strep. Hooray for antibiotics! Hopefully she'll be able to go back to school tomorrow.

We've also had to cancel our trip to Disney World. :( You want to be at 100% for Disney, and there's just no way Madeline will be there in time for us to leave on Saturday. We're disappointed, really disappointed, but we're trying to make the best of it.

In other exciting news, Bella got her top braces on yesterday!



She still has to wear her retainer/spreader for another two months. We have a good time trying to figure what she's trying to say, because she really does sound like she has a bunch of marbles in her mouth.

And with that thought, I'll leave you with a preview of Madeline's birthday pictures.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Two Things That Have Helped Get Me Out of My Funk:

1. Finding out my ticket will only cost $89 (providing I choose not to fight it in court)

2. This sketch from SNL last Saturday night- This is for you, Mom.

My eyes cast low

That's it.

I'm throwing in the towel.

It's been a fairly craptastic week, and I'm just done. (Sorry for the salty language, Mom.)

Report cards came out this week, and it's clear that Bella inherited her daddy's spelling skills and not mine. (Which is to say she has very little spelling skills. :\) Then I felt all guilty about it because isn't it my job to make sure she studies and gets good spelling grades? And because I'm so tired in the evenings because I've been at preschool and I'm too lazy to do anything more that I absolutely have to, and that means I'm a bad mom for putting my wants ahead of her needs!

And it's not like I'm even doing all that great at school, because I feel like my kids there aren't learning anything either, especially the one little boy with some special needs who needs *lots* of extra help, and I've never been put in this situation before, and am I even qualified to be his teacher, considering I've got 55 hours of college to my name and that's it?

Not too mention that I'm also battling my (WARNING!!! TMI AHEAD!!!!!!) third yeast infection in four months, and I can't even get into my doctor to see if there's something going on, because he's booked on the days that I'm free, and I'm booked on the days that he's free.

Then to top it all off, I got a stupid speeding ticket today on the way to Tifton. And even though I'm going to fight it in court, it was just the icing on the cake of crappiness, you know?

And not even the thought of Disney World in ONE WEEK can bring me out of this terrible funk.

Woe.

Woe is me.

Feh.

I'm in a bad mood. There was a time in my life when I used to actively try to get out of my bad moods, but not so much anymore. I prefer to accept that it will pass eventually (usually with the help of a good night's sleep. Or a Dr.Pepper. Or some chocolate) and instead wallow in snarky self-pity.

So if you ever need to tell someone off, or write a letter full of fiery indignation and keen wit, give James and call and ask him if I happen to be in a bad mood (he'll be more than happy to let you know) and I'll give you a hand.

In the meantime, here's one of those surveys that goes around so often. Unlike most of those surveys, this one is actually interesting and informative if you truly want to know about someone. (See what I mean about the snark?)

Twenty Questions Survey

1. How has blogging changed your life?
I've been blogging since 2004 over at Livejournal. I started an LJ to keep up with people I had met and friended through the Harry Potter fandom. (Yes, I'm an adult in the online HP fandom. I'm not embarrassed to admit it. :P) As a result, I've met (yes, in person) some amazing friends that I wouldn't have otherwise.

2. What do you do before bedtime?
Brush my teeth, go the bathroom, arrange my pillows, kiss James. Prior to all of that I might read, watch TV or do a Sudoku puzzle.

3.If you could do it all over, would you get married again?
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Probably. I married young- too young, most people would say. I gave up opportunities for experiences that can only happen when you are young and unattached. Further more, I think it would have benefitted James to wait a little longer before he got married. I mainly wish that I had had enough confidence in our relationship to wait a little bit longer before accepting his proposal and then marrying him.

But I love my husband, and I'm very satisfied with my choice, and I'm who I am today because of the ramifications of that choice.

4. What is the city of your dreams and why?
There are so many places I want to visit, and that I *think* I would love to live (London, Paris, Salzburg, Oahu, Oslo). But I dream of moving back to Jacksonville someday. It still feels like home to me.

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
I'm an extroverted introvert. *grins* I'm gregarious and I genuinely like people. I also really, really enjoy speaking and/or performing in front of large groups of people. But I *LOVE* being alone. I've always preferred a small, intimate group of friends to a large group. I crave my alone time. Most of the time I like it just being myself, James and the girls.

6. Do you trust easily?
I don't like this question. I think it's stupid, but I'm to lazy to come up with one of my own. So my answer is maybe. Depends of the situation.

7. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Our financial situation. Not being able to travel (even short day trips/weekend jaunts) because of the price of gas taking up so much of our budget.

8. Is being tagged fun?
Of course! It means that people love you and you are way popular. (At least that's what I tell myself. :P)

9. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
Anything off my Summer 2008 soundtrack. Right now it's It'll All Work Out by Tom Petty, Elevator Love Letter by Stars and Over and Over Again by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, with a little bit of My Only Offer by Mates of State thrown in for good measure, all on a continual loop.

10. What is your best quality?
My sense of humor and keen wit. ;D

11. "If [you] had a million dollars" -- what would you do?
Pay bills. Travel. Fix up the DH's 1967 VW Bug. Try to be disciplined enough to invest it and live off the interest.

12. What's better to give or to receive?
I must be the only selfish person on my Flist because I think it's ten times better to recieve! Don't get me wrong- I love giving, too. But seriously, folks! ;D

13. What were your parents going to name you if you'd been born the opposite gender?
I don't know, actually. I know they considered Jeremiah for the brother born right after me (they went with David instead). I just called my mom, and she said they really didn't have a boy's name picked out. Good thing I was a girl, huh? (Note: I first did this survey on LJ back in June, and I did on fact call my mother then and ask her.)

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
I love the both of them! I'm in awe of just how smart and talented Sannali is. And that red hair! SO JEALOUS. And Carre- well, I'll just say I want to be her when I grow up. I feel like I share a brain with her sometimes (which probably isn't very flattering to her!).

15. What’s your favorite household appliance?
My washer and dryer. I cried when the DH and I were able to afford to buy our own after 2 1/2 years of marriage.

16. What websites do you visit daily?
LJ, Yahoo!Mail, Facebook, Pop Candy, Goodreads

17. What are you eating for dinner tomorrow night?
Don't know for sure yet. Possibly Poppy Seed Chicken casserole and salad.

18. Name a book character you’ve crushed on.
Gilbert Blythe. Almanzo Wilder. Edward Cullen (So sue me!) Mark Darcy. Peter Wimsey. BUNTER! Rhett Butler. Bill Weasley. Martin Penderwick.


19. What do you like for breakfast?
Cereal and milk. My mom's french toast. Pancakes. Bacon, eggs, muffins, grits. I've never been a person who didn't eat breakfast. I absolutely must eat breakfast. Every other meal is optional.

20. How many questions did you change? Come on ‘fess up.
One-#17. I don't remember the original question.

I'm going to tag Tabitha, Tahmi, Katheryn, Kandice and Kristina.

What're the odds?

You know it been a depressing month, book-wise, when the best thing you read was a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, aimed at the middle-school set.

I was pledged to her for worse or better

If Jeff and Lora are that couple that have been married forever, then James and I are that couple who have been married forever plus one year. :P

This picture was taken at a wedding shortly after we got engaged.


At the Orlando Temple, shortly after we were married.


It's hard for me to believe that tomorrow will mark our 12th Anniversary. Looking back, we were definitely too young and too stupid to get married, but who isn't? Can you ever *really* be ready? I don't think so. ;)

If I were to sit down and make a Top-Ten-Reasons-Why-I-Love-James type of list, Numbers 1-5 would be because he makes me laugh: Inside jokes. Wry observations. The penchant for getting himself into wacky situations. Rolling-on-the-floor-crying-real-tears kind of laughter. He just has the best sense of humor.

Number Six would be his cooking.

Number Seven would be his mad cleaning skillz. The Navy taught that man right!

Number Seven would be his way with children. He should have been the father of at least a dozen kids (okay, maybe not a dozen- let's say four or so) but it hasn't worked out that way. So he's content with being an amazing father to our girlies, the best uncle to our nieces and nephews, and the man at church who is known for soothing fussy babies.

Number Eight would be his handy man skills. He knows a little about almost every household need, enough to keep us from having to call Dad everytime something breaks. And when he doesn't know something, he's not afraid to ask for help.

Number Nine would be his bravery.

And Number Ten would be his humility. He is a constant example to be, a person who is not-so-humble. (But that's only because I'm made of awesome, and it's really hard to be humble when you are made of awesome. It's a burden, really.)

No Witty Title, Just Unrestrained Excitment

Today is a very special day.

THE NEW FALL TV SEASON IS STARTING!!!!!

Last year I decided that there was no point in pretending that I don't enjoy watching TV, because I do, and I feel no shame in that. What's more, our entire family likes watching TV! (You know what Madeline wanted to do on her birthday? She wanted to eat homemade pizza for dinner, have chocolate-chocolate cake for dessert, open presents, and then watch the Season One Doctor Who DVDs we got from the library as a family. For the record, we are now on Season Two!)

I figure that we lead a pretty well-rounded life, and I spend almost as much time reading as I do watching TV, so all those people who think they are so superior because they don't watch TV or don't even have a TV can just sod off.

*smiles*

Those of you who received our 2007 Christmas newsletter know what a difference the DVR has made in our lives. (Seriously- it was life changing, much in the manner of a religious conversion.) So with the DVR all set and ready to go, here is what our TV viewing schedule looks like. This list includes time, program and channel.

MONDAY
8:00- Top Gear (BBCA) (Super funny British car show, *highly* enjoyable even if you don't care about cars)
8:30- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) (It's gonna be legen....wait for it...dary!)
9:00- Dirty Jobs (Discovery) (Mike Rowe. Rawr)
10:00- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel)

TUESDAY
8:40- Gavin and Stacey (BBCA) (A very funny British sitcom, currently running one series behind here in the US)

WEDNESDAY
9:00- Mythbusters (Discovery) (They make science fun!)

THURSDAY
8:00- Ugly Betty (ABC) (America Ferrera=LOVE)
9:00- Grey's Anatomy (ABC) (Oh Grey's. How you mess with me! The last half of Season 3 and first half of Season 4 were TERRIBLE. The last half of Season 4 was good, but not great. Might have to give you up if you don't improve tout suite.)
9:30- 30 Rock (NBC) (This show is the funniest thing on TV. I *heart* Tina Fey. She's awesome. And she has great glasses.)
10:00- Ace of Cakes (Food Network) (Duff and his bakery crew are so hilarious and random, all at the same time.)

FRIDAY
9:00- Friday Night Lights

*pause*

Forgive me for a moment while I extole the virtues of Friday Night Lights, which is hands down the VERY BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION right now. I am serious. You need to watch this show. Yes, it's about football. But no- it's about people who happen to love/coach/play football. I have laughed and cried during some point in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE.

It has the most realistic depiction of teenagers ever, gorgeous set and art decoration, phenominal casting and I swear if you don't want to grow up and be JUST LIKE Coach and Tami then there is something wrong with you.

Watch the opening credits:


OK, seriously. If that did just not get you to your core (the gorgeous scenes and the music by W.G. Snuffy Walden) then you are OBVIOUSLY COLD AND DEAD INSIDE.

Now look at this. It's a compilation of scenes from the first season, set against the amazing music by Explosions in the Sky.


Are you choked up yet? Is your heart racing? I mean, just look! Tim Riggins! Matt Saracen! Julie!! KYLE CHANDLER'S HAIR IS EMOTING ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Just do yourself a favor and watch the show, okay?

SATURDAY
8:00- Robin Hood or Doctor Who, depending on the schedule/season (BBCA) (Yeah, we're nerds. :P)
10:00- Graham Norton (BBCA) (Umm, don't watch this show unless you like your humor somewhat left-of-center and British. Or if you're my mom.)

SUNDAY
9:00 AM- Sunday Morning (CBS) (Usually watched no where near Sunday morning :P)
10:00 PM- Mad Men (AMC) (I watch it for the costumes and set decoration. And superb writing and acting.)

This also doesn't include one-off programs or series like Alton Brown's Feasting On series or Masterpiece Theatre (did anyone catch the complete Jane Austen series they did this year?? Amazing!)

So there's our viewing season in a nutshell. Don't call us during those times unless it's an emergency. ;)

Everything she knows, I taught her

Ways In Which I Am Becoming EVEN MORE Like My Mother



1. I am seriously starting to consider taking a nap everyday from 1:30-2:00 just so I can make it through the rest of the day (especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays).

2. I've got a dress hanging in the closet for just wearing "around the house".

3. It's a Saturday afternoon with no external commitments, and instead of reading a book or watching a movie I'm in the kitchen baking and listening to Easy Listening Hits of the 80's and 90's.

4. Whenver the girls complain of a upset stomach/headache/profusely bleeding wound I find myself asking them when was the last time they drank some water.

This is all truly frightening.

However, the flipside of all of this is that it's too much fun watching Mom turn into Grandmom. ;)

Shout Hooray

Today my darling girl turns 10, or as she keeps telling me, "Double digits, Mama! DOUBLE DIGITS!!"

Even though I have earlier memories, the age of ten is where my consciousness really began. I can easily remember that age, and things that happened to me, and I can only assume that it might be the same for Madeline. These first ten years have gone by so fast, and I know that a the end of the next ten years she will really and truly be her own person.

8 months old, with my brother Frodo


2 1/2 years old


3 1/2 years old


5 1/2 years old


6 years old


August 2008

Impossibly Perky

The girls teamed up on me the day after school started and asked if they could do cheerleading this year. We had two options: they could 1)cheer through the county Rec department program or 2) cheer through a local Baptist church's program. Since the church's program was more low-key (practice and games all on Monday night, as opposed to two or three times a week) and cheaper, we opted to go with the church program.

Note: another difference between the two programs? The uniforms. No belly-baring tops or bloomers for the church program! No ma'am! Sleeveless polo shirts (SHOCKING! SHOULDERS!!) for the tops and skorts for the bottoms. Hee. The girls also have to learn a bible verse every week.

So after three weeks of practice they were ready for their first game this past Monday.

Their squad is made up of girls in 2nd-5th grades. Their coach is a very nice woman named Natalie. Natalie is impossibly perky. She's also the type who wears long sleeve shirts when it's 90 degrees outside because she has ZERO BODY FAT. (Not that I'm bitter or anything.)


The dude with the megaphone is the Athletic Activities Director for the church. He led us in prayer before the game started.


The squad led off with the highlight of their routine- a pyramid!


And yes, that's Isabella on the top of that pyramid! Oh wait- she just informed me that she's called "the flyer" (although no 'flying' is involved).


That pyramid was a lot of work, they had to take a break. (They took a break after pretty much every cheer, truth be told.)


Ooooh- Pom-poms!


SPIRIT FINGERS!!!!


Spirit is exhausting!


Who cares about the game?? We are here for the CHEERLEADERS!!!


I like to call this my Friday Night Lights shot. Heh heh. BTW- Friday Night Lights is the BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION. WATCH IT. LOVE IT.

Also in that pciture? Please to be noting the 120 foot tall concrete cross that watches over the football stadium. (It's on the right, behind the trees.) TAKE THAT, Rec Department! It had been dedicated the night before in what we were told was a very fun and exciting ceremony that half of Albany attended. But since we're not Baptist, we missed out. Bummer.

In addition to the 120 foot tall cross, there was something else strange in the football stadium. Take a look at this picture. Notice the team colors? There's a blue team and a green team.


Now look at this picture. Now it's a blue and white team!


You're eyes aren't fooling you- there were TWO simultaneous games happening on the field at the same time! Each game took up 50 yards of the field, and the cheerleaders just cheered in the middle. Each game had their own referee and set of coaches, not to mention at least 15 fathers standing on the field adding in their $.02 worth, but that didn't prevent a little bit of confusion from occurring.

This poor kid laid on the field for at least a solid minute before any of the coaches/refs/fathers noticed their was a player down. (He was fine, no worries.)


At half time, the cheerleaders went out and did their pyramid again, along with a few more cheers. Then they went off with their coach and advisor for snacks and a devotional. As *riveting* as the game was, James and I ended up taking a few pictures in the manner of those crazy teens today on Facbook/MySpace/etc.







I love how he's pretending to be shocked and upset at a play happening on the field in this picture.




Oh yes, I can still shake a pom-pom with the best of them!


After their devotional, the girls came back and it was time to go home. (They didn't cheer for the second half, which was fine by me.) They were tired but happy, which I guess is the important thing.

Whatever it is, just do it

To make things more interesting for you, the viewing public, I've decided to make all of my blog post titles from song lyrics. (At least, I will do this until I forget to do it, or until I get tired of it, whichever comes first.) Amuse yourself by trying to figure the song and artist, and while you're at it, discover some new music! (I have excellent taste.) If you post the correct answers in the comments, I will do something very nice for you! (Just like I did for my brother David in this post. He correctly identified Lynyrd Skynyrd's lead singer, Johnny Van Zant, and last Saturday I cooked him a delicious dinner (grilled chicken, green beans with shallots and garlic, Caesar Salad and the Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings (except I made the dumplings with pears instead of apples)).

Coming up next in the Tree Fort: Pictures from our first football game!

Dreamweaver

Last night I dreamed I was dating this guy.

What do you think that means?

Feel sorry for me

I had a bad day. Why, do you ask? Was it

- The upset stomach that started at 1:30 am that necessitated me trying (emphasis on trying) to sleep upright in the bed in hopes the heartburn/indegestion wouldn't kill me?

- The MAJOR traffic jam in Leesburg this morning that made me get to preschool 15 minutes late even though we'd left our house 15 minutes early? (for the record, Leesburg has two traffic lights. TWO. The traffic was backed up at every major intersection for at least 1/2 a mile. There was no discernable reason for the backup.)?

- One of my preschool kids throwing up all over the classroom ten minutes after she walked in to school?

- Having the water cut off at the preschool (IN EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM- no flushing toilets, no running water, no water fountains- it was like a third world country up in there!) at 10 AM because new toilets were supposedly being installed (even though there were no workman anywhere in the building)?

- Having one of my kids be the last to leave (1:15 ish) on a day I needed to leave early, because I had to get up to Leesburg to pick up Madeline at school and then *back* down to Albany by 2:00 for an orthodontist's appointment? (Lessburg is about 15 miles north of Albany.)?

Just pick one or two- it'd be enough to make anyone cry! ;) I'll be spending the rest of the day in bed, hiding from the world.

The family that makes meatballs together....

...stays together!






Just taking advantage of the cheap labor and a three day weekend to get some meals in the freezer for those busy days when no one wants to cook.

Out of the mouth of babes

Overheard at the dinner table this evening

Jennifer: "You know, I didn't meet Daddy's family before I married him."

Madeline: "Whoa. That's messed up."

TGIF

Has this been the longest week ever, or does it just feel that way to me? Evidently we all felt that way around our house, because we were all in our pajamas by 6:00 PM! But since we're getting the outer bands of Tropical Storm Fay, I don't think we can be blamed for not being more ambitious.

We're two weeks into the school year now. The girls seem to be settling in fine, although I think the amount of homework they both have is going to kill me! (2-3 worksheets each, plus spelling/vocabulary words, plus at least 15 minutes of reading every day.) It seems a little extreme to me, but what do I know?

At the school the girls go to, they each have three different teachers. (One for reading/language art, one for math, and one for science and social studies. Out of those three teachers, one will also be their homeroom teacher.) On the one hand, I think it's good that each teacher can just concentrate on one subject/specialty, but on the other hand it's harder to get to know the teachers and form a close bond. And if you have a "bad" teacher, then at least they aren't with them all day long!

Bella really likes all three of her teachers, which is great. Last year was rocky. Her teachers were very good, but Bella's learning style didn't mesh well with their teaching styles. Madeline is having a little difficulty with one of her teachers, but I'm hoping it's just beginning-of-the-year growing pains.

As for me, I really like my preschool class so far. I'm teaching a Pre-K 4 class, and there are nine kids at the moment. All of them have made me laugh already, so I think that's a good sign! So far we've already had a deep philosophical discussion about why we need Moms, and also a deep theological discussion as to why *exactly* God chose a whale to swallow Jonah, and did I think that could ever happen to us?

I've also be seranded with selected songs from High School Musical 2, and I've also had to reassure one parent that no, her child was *not* denied a cupcake while everyone else ate one! But they are a bright bunch, and they are eager to learn and have fun, so I think we are off to a good start.

On the home front, I've kept on top of the laundry and the dishes this week (with the help of James and the girls), and managed to put a (reasonably) healthy and delicious meal on the table four out of the five nights. (We had take-out from the BBQ place up the road last night. So sue me! :P) The kitchen floor got swept once, I think, and the bathrooms need a good cleaning, and I din't vaccum at all. But since I'm not willing to get up any earlier in the morning, I guess that stuff will have to wait until the weekend!

And with that, I'm off to veg in front of the TV and amybe read a book.

Fool me once...

This post could also be titled "I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!!"

Violet?? Our new kitten? The one at the vet right now? Yeah, she isn't so much a girl as she is a BOY.

I absolutely CANNOT believe that this happened to us AGAIN. Why do I keep on believing people when they say, "We took this kitten to the vet and it's a female!" What is it about our house that makes (supposed) female kittens spontaneously turn into males???

*shakes head*
*sighs*

Well, at least it's cheaper to neuter than spay.

In what seems to be becoming a habit...

...I find myself posting once again in the evening.

James and the girls are at church tonight, and I am ALL ALONE.

*does a happy dance*
*thinks about walking around the house naked for the next hour and a half, just because I can*
*decides against it*

(BTW- In my high school yearbook the seniors could submit a quote to go under their picture. I wanted to submit "You need time to be naked with yourself" but the yearbook advisor vetoed it. I ended up going with a Simon & Garfunkel quote that no one got.)

Anyway, James got a new calling. He's now the 2nd Counselor in the Young Men's Presidency. He'll specifically be in charge of the Deacons. Heh heh. I wish him the best of luck! (11-13 year old boys being my least favorite age group ever. What? I know some of you would rather gnaw off your own leg rather than work with preschool children, whom I happen to love. We all have our favorites!)

So the upshot is that *he* gets to be at the church every Wednesday night now! The girls have an activity every other week, and if you think I'm not looking forward to those twice monthly alone times then let me disabuse you of that notion right now.

I'm really, really looking forward to it.

In other news, Violet is going to the vet tomorrow to be (get?) spayed and recieve her shots. Finally. The stupid cat is going around meowing like a lovesick teenager, which I suppose she is, in a way. We're hoping she will mellow a bit, and that she will quit attacking the other two cats every time they walk by her.

Now, I'm off to fold four loads of laundry and make my lunch for tomorrow.

Good times.

Numbered Lists Make It So Easy To Update!

1. Our Air Conditioner had stopped working on Wednesday, and it wasn't fixed until Thursday. (We were like a third world family, all sleeping in one room that night. A friend from church let us borrow a window unit, so at least we didn't have to sleep in the oppression heat. And yes, it was opressive!) Even though the unit was fixed, we still are going to need to replace is some time soon. Like, before winter, as the fix needed for the A/C part to work necessitated bypassing the part that makes the heat work. Bummer.

2. Thank you for all the birthday wishes. I had a nice, low-key day. We went out to the Japanese steakhouse in town. Nothing makes the night more festive than a flaming onion volcano or watching the hibatchi dude flip an egg into his hat!

3. I must give mad props to Lora who really commerated my birthday in the most fitting an appropriate way: a Top Ten List about how awesome I am! The rest of you should take note for next year.

4. Today was the official First Day of preschool- kids and all!! I think it went pretty well. No tears, no tantrums! I have to say it's pretty satisfying being the "lead" teacher. Being the Type-A/Oldest Child/Control Freak-type person that I am, I wouldn't have it any other way. ;D

5. My friend Jamie and her family are moving back to Idaho tomorrow. BOOO!!!! I am very sad.

6. How 'bout that Michael Phelps?? It's been very exciting watching all of his races. I also watched Nastia Liukin win her gold medal live the other night. I think I have a little bit of a crush on her father.

7. The girls talked me into to signing them up for Cheerleading. Oy vey. I opted not to go through the County Rec Department program, but instead with a local church's Upward program. Less pressure, less stress. They will practice and then cheer for a game the same night. The "Meet and Greet" was tonight, and they were very excited. On the other hand, I am very tired. My day started at 6:45am, and it's finally coming to a close, once I hit "Publish Post" on this blog entry.