How much is that doggy in the window...

TOO MUCH - TOO DARN MUCH!!!! If I ever mention I want a dog again - EVER remind me there is not a deal good enough to entice me to say "hey let's get a dog".

Recent events in our home involving one NAUGHTY puppy have made me question the soundness of my judgement.

Yesterday:

One chocolate cake - consumed by a DOG

One Longaberger Basket - shredded by a DOG

Various assorted crayons and socks - demolished by a DOG

One living room table - chewed by a DOG

One homeless dog - saved only by crying children

Okay so we'll keep her but yesterday she was really wearing out her welcome.

And no, that is not a current picture - she is bigger, much bigger - but I had to find something to remind me why keeping her around is a good thing :-)

TTFN...

It was THE social event of the season,,,

for my daughters and the students of their school. The Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction fund raiser. The anticipation in our home was already running high by 9:00 a.m. There was the countdown until the time we would leave (not until 5:30 p.m.) and much speculation about which silent auction baskets were the most desired (I had already ruled out rebuying the basket I put together). The Webkinz basket with the love monkey and the Halloween baking basket were the two key targets. I'm happy to say both girls had their wishes come true. Alex wanted the chocolate basket but really just for the one giant Hershey bar. I didn't bid on that basket but I did stop and get him his very own giant Hershey bar at Target for a lot less than that chocolate basket would have cost me :-)

It was a fun night. There were many activities to keep the kids happy and occupied, a chance for visiting between adults, and good natured competition over the hot baskets. I'm happy to say that my own Girls Just Wanna Have Fun basket was one of the most popular baskets at the event and brought in a nice donation for the school. (I mean really put an entire set of sparkly gel pens, some fun make-up, a feather boa and a crown together and what girl could resist? - My work has been completed :-) I meant to take a picture of the basket before taking it to school but I ran out of time.

So there you go. Now you know exactly what I did this weekend. I know - the excitement of it all :-)

TTFN... Oh and as always if you click on the pictures you can see them larger.

I wanna know...

why, even when I am dead tired, I cannot make myself go to bed early. I think about it. I dream about it but I can't make myself do it, at least not in the summer. But I want to - I really do.

why, no matter what time I get up in the morning, I still end up getting to work at the same time. If I get up early I get there at 7:00. If I get up late I get there at 7:00. It's all relative I guess. But still...

why the HotY is insisting on IM'ing me every five seconds while I am typing this (yes, yes, it is sad but true, although residing in the same house we are usually in different rooms and so he resorts to IM. Fine I do IM also but it is usually to say "hey, come here" Not a fan of the IM)

why I am working tomorrow when Amy and Heather are heading to the big city for shopping and fun. They have both told me it isn't too late to change my mind. Never say never - right?

why, sometimes, no matter what I have to say or what I write the words flow and other times it is just sooooo hard. Nothing comes out right. Nothing sounds good. Everything is disjointed and seems like I am trying too hard. Why can't it always be easy? Okay fine, I know why it can't always be easy, but that doesn't mean I can't wonder about it.

why I am continuing to write when it is so obvious that I have nothing to say. Which leads me to you - why are you still reading. Don't you have things to do? Go, I wanna go to bed :-)

TTFN... Amy and Heather - have fun - I'll be missing you :-)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

I volunteered to put together a theme basket for a silent auction to benefit the girls' grade school and decided to do a "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" basket. While doing some quick errands while Lauren & Syd were at dance I picked up some things for the basket (a feather boa, a picture frame, a cute wooden sign, glitter pens and a crown shaped chipboard album). Miss Syd and her over eager curiosity couldn't help but snoop into the bags and was sure that such treasures must be meant for only her. I explained that no those items were NOT for her and were intended to go to some other girl whose mommy might buy the basket. I might as well have told her life as she knows it is over. There was pleading and crying and promises of a room which would never be messy again, and then the final proclamation that NO ONE has ever loved dress-up and crafts as much as she does - NO ONE! I didn't give in (aren't you proud of me) and have ruined my daughter's life (I'm sure this is just the first time of many). Girl Drama - I don't think I'm ready for this. I mean not that this is the first time it's happened but it is increasing. When does this peak - please don't say 21 because that might make me cry!

I know I have been doing a lot of writing about my kids lately. It's an easy topic and right now I need easy topics. There is a lot of stuff going on and I just can't talk about it which is making me feel very - I'm not sure what it is making me feel but I will say it isn't good. Hopefully things will start to sort themselves out in the very near future. Don't you hate it when people are all elusive and secretive? I hate that but sometimes you just can't spill your guts - it just isn't in the best interest of anyone. So thanks for putting up with the never ending kid stories. I know not everyone is entertained by this stuff but it does give me something to talk about.

Oh and as for the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" basket I'm going to be making a trip to Claire's boutique for some glittery goodness and the big prize will be a pink MP3 player (anyone know of any good deals on a pink MP3 player?) BUT if you have any other ideas bring it on - I'm aiming for the tweens so seriously, if you have any ideas let me know - I'm running out of good stuff.

TTFN...

So much for that record...

At the end of the 2008-2009 school year Lauren had the honor of receiving a certificate for excellent attendance since she did not miss a single day of school. She won't be receiving that honor this year. This morning, five minutes after school began, Lauren threw-up, which is really strange as she isn't a thrower-upper and she was fine this morning. I spoke to the school nurse and found out she had fallen on the playground and really scraped up her hand which she said hurt so bad it made her throw up. Okay I can buy that - but even though she wasn't really sick she still had to come home - throwing up at school is an automatic get out of class free card. The HotY stayed home with her and nursed her wounds.

So it was just Syd at pick-up from school. Since the HotY was home with Lauren & Alex I took advantage of the freedom and Syd and I did a couple of errands before going home. While riding in the car I had a great time visiting Syd's world. She told me all about Lauren throwing up "mom, she came in the room, looked at her owie and threw-up - I guess SHE won't be a nurse". I couldn't help but laugh. Syd was very matter of fact about this - there is no question - nursing is not in Lauren's future. Syd has also informed me that Wyatt is "no longer on her mind" she has moved on. That's a relief as Wyatt is now a 7th grader and that is a complete world away from 1st grade. Then she said "do you wanna know who is on my mind - Gabriella - she's my best friend. Her mom is going to have a baby - I think we should go watch" I said "watch what" to which she replied "watch her have the baby". Well of course Syd would want to go watch. She'd want front row viewing - the girl is nothing if not curious. I told her I didn't think we would be watching but she thought if I called Gabriella's mom and asked her if we could watch she would say okay. Yep, I'm sure she would :-)

When we got home Lauren was full of questions about Syd's day. What they did in gym (we ran the 400 mile dast (I believe this was the 400 meter dash) around TWO sets of cones). What they had for lunch (pizza - the LITTLE pizzas) and if she brought any work pages home (she forgot). I love listening to their conversations and am continually amazed at how much they are growing up. Add that to the fact that I now have a Junior in High School and I'm feeling OLD!

TTFN... and if you think of a new career for Lauren, now that nursing is out of the question, let me know :-)

Two down - one to go...

The girls started school today. They were so excited to get started they were begging to go early. I was so excited for them to get home this afternoon I was hoping they would be let out early (what can I say - we have problems with anticipation). Of course when I asked for the details of their day they weren't sure they could remember - until I stopped asking. Funny how it works that way.

Syd's big news was her sighting of Wyatt (you didn't think that story had ended did you - if so, you must not know my daughter) and how glad she knew he was to see her. I have no doubt it was true - you can't question that kind of confidence :-) (I am still so sad there is no smilie emoticon on Blogger - what is wrong with these people???). Anyway... Lauren had a great day and is very excited to be sitting in the front row. She also let me know there is another set of twins in the class this year - they're different though - they talk a lot (I'm only reporting it like I hear it...).

After school pick-up I decided to be super mom and baked chocolate chip cookies. My super mom efforts need some improvement. I pulled out the ingredients, read the recipe, thought about doubling the batch (as long as I was going through all the effort) and then changed my mind. Or I thought I had, until I was in the middle of the recipe and realized that although I had followed the recipe for the eggs, vanilla and butter I had doubled the amounts of sugar - UGH - sooooo a double recipe it was. THEN, I don't what I was thinking but as I was mixing the dough I put the bowl down (it's one of those KitchenAide stand mixer lever dealies) while the mixer was going - and then I put it back up - still not turning it off and then just stood there and thought WHAT AM I DOING??? I'm not a dumb girl - really I'm not - but - well, at times I can be flighty. Ask my brother, who sometimes asks me how someone so smart can be so dumb. Although really, it's not dumb, it's just - distracted - or flighty. There are times when my distraction can become almost chronic. My flighty ways have even earned me a nickname among my immediate family and NO I'm not sharing - truly there is no one beyond the sacred inner family circle who knows this nickname. Not Roxann, not Amy, not my kids. Only recently was the HotY given this super secret information. Seriously. I KNOW - people are always surprised by my ability to keep a good secret - I don't understand why - but there you go - I CAN keep a secret :-)

So there you go a flighty post about my flighty ways and the first day of school. I thought it was a natural fit. I mean really, the kids are "flying" the nest.

TTFN... harsh morning sunlight does not good photos make.