Thursday, October 29, 2009

Catching Up!

This looks like Alex unloading his backpack!  Seriously.

Makeup homework has been the story of our life these last few weeks.  Jamie was sick (flu? maybe.) for a week and then went to New Orleans with the Habitat for Humanity trip for another week.  She decided to give up on Trig altogether as she already felt like she was hanging on by her fingernails in that class!  (her mom would have given up before she started!!)  But she's ALMOST caught up in everything else.  Alex is caught up in everything but Algebra (I'm sensing a theme).  Nate only has one more assignment for French and then he's back up to speed.  I feel REALLY sorry for the poor teachers who have to keep track of all these missing students and assignments.

Jamie had a GREAT trip to New Orleans.  (same trip Phil went on 2 years ago)  With all the homework drama, I haven't seen any pictures yet!  She worked hard and ate alot of new foods (stuffed crab, alligator, beignets...)  The President even came by to check her work at the Habitat site.  They spent one day working at a Fire Station - she brought home a really cool certificate of appreciation and NOFD T Shirt.  She even brought awesome gifts home for everyone! 

Nate finished the classroom part of driver's ed and is ready to enroll in behind-the-wheel training and take his permit test!  I can't believe we're just a few short months away from another driver in our family.

Kathryn is coming home from Denver today in the snow!  It started yesterday and dumped at least a foot on the ground which delayed her flight, but last I heard she and her guitar were on board and ready to roll.

Alex joined the "Knowledge Bowl" team at Horizon this fall.  He's an 8th grader so gets to be a team captain.  In his usual style, his team took 1st place in their first meet.  They have two more "away" meets coming up in November.

My Mary Kay business is going well, keeping me busy and never dull!  I'm meeting alot of fun women and even had my first "team member" join me this month.  I feel so fortunate to be able to continue to be at home with the kids.

Jeff needed a project today so he tackled the office - cleaned off and organized all the shelves and took us a long way towards the Study Room we want out there.  I'm going to miss his projects when he goes to school!!  He's still targeting January for that.  We expect him to have not one, but two job offers come in this week - so he'll get to take his pick of part-time employment opportunities.  Yay!

Our bathroom project has taken a leap forward - the old tub/shower is OUT, the new tub/shower and awesome fixtures are IN.  The drywall guys come tomorrow to clean up - and work on the dining room ceiling where the water leaked through.  This project should wrap up for now by next Monday.  And we have a BUNCH of big plans for phase two. 

It's been a gray, rainy October - seems like we could count the total sunshine in just minutes or hours at a time this year.  We're expecting snow by tomorrow to take us out of the month.  Hard to believe November is almost here.  I like Kathryn's facebook status today:   *click*  *save october*

Friday, October 9, 2009

TGIF -- Look out, New Orleans! Here Comes Jamie!

My girls are just running in front the wind these days!  Kathryn is loving her time in Colorado.  Jamie is heading to New Orleans early tomorrow (Saturday) morning.  She's traveling with a group of people from churches in Minnesota to work with Habitat for Humanity.  This is the trip Phil took two years ago and just loved.  She's headed for warmer weather and hard work!  She'll be gone for the entire fall school break - back home on Sunday the 18th.  We're going to miss her, but I know this will be a really wonderful opportunity for her.

Alex is enjoying youth symphony even though the music is "really hard!"  He's also been participating in "Knowledge Bowl" at school during lunchtime.  Somehow he didn't quite realize that he was on the team!  He has his first meet next Wednesday.  woohoo!  I'll tell you more about it when I figure out what it is.  :-)

Nate finishes the classroom part of Driver's Ed this afternoon.  He has two makeup days to do because he was sick last week - but then he will be able to go take his permit test!  Can you believe I'll have TWO new drivers in a year??  I think he's going to make a really good driver.

The boys have ONE day of school next Monday and then they're off for Fall Break all next week.  They're both looking forward to alot of down time.  I haven't shared MY plans for them just yet!  heh-heh-heh (evil mom laugh!)

HOME IMPROVEMENT UPDATE:  This was quite an eventful week in this department I tell you.  On the positive side - Jeff has spent ALOT of time finishing up in the garage - organizing tools, hanging bikes and other yard stuff.  He's moved several loads of "stuff" over from his storage unit - and we actually have room for it!!  He got the snow fence up yesterday - just in time with a little snow in the forecast for the next couple days.  The garage looks just awesome!

On the other hand - my 2nd floor bathroom is leaking into my 1st floor dining room closet.  The plumber says it's the old tub/shower unit up there - probably been leaking under the floor for awhile.  So we moved that project several places up the list to #1 and started the process of choosing a new unit, fixtures, etc.  Looks like we'll be ripping up the bathroom in the next couple weeks!  w00t!

AND - I took the van in to have the oil changed.  (I bought this great deal last winter for oil changes free & cheap).  This is the same place I took the car a couple months ago where they forgot to put the new oil back in.  I know.  So I drop the van, run over the supplier to choose tub & bathroom stuff, come back to get the van - I walk in and the guy says, "I have some bad news."  I really hate it when someone starts a conversation this way, right?  So I laugh and say, "yeah?" thinking he's KIDDING ME.  And HE says, "My garage door fell on your van."  So I laugh again until I see he's SERIOUS.  Seriously.  HE says the garage door broke and fell while they were pulling out.  The other guy who came out to talk to me while I was examining my van said "yeah.  Those guys didn't wait for the door to go all the way up and ran your van right into the door."  Either way, I'm taking the van BACK in Monday morning so they can take it to their body shop to fix the DENT and paint scuff, etc on the back hatch.  UNbelievable.  So I'm trying to figure out what I want them to do to make this right:  refund the money from the Deal I bought and never see me again?  Wash, wax and detail my van?  Have their guys install an AUTOSTART?  (I like that one)  They REALLY need to do something to win me over or I'm gone before they destroy one of my vehicles!!  Any ideas??

On the other hand, my Mary Kay business is off & flying.  I am having so much FUN!  More about that another time.  Anybody want a free "Facial in a Bag??"  I'm putting one together for Julie just to try out the amazing anti-aging Time Wise skincare products!  I think we'll do a facial together by webcam!!  Love to have you join us!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

This, That and The Other

The TRAVELER:  So Kathryn hit the road yesterday and as I'm writing I'm realizing I didn't take a picture of her yesterday!!  :-(  It was a really beautiful fall day.  She came over early to finish her laundry (some of which is still in the basement!! But that's not really news is it?  :-)   She ran out to pay her rent and came back with Starbucks! ooo...my mocha tasted good! They were planning to leave about noon...took off about 4.  They were planning to see the sunrise in the Rockies.  Haven't heard anything yet...  we miss her already!  She DID book her return flight from Denver right before she left, so we're hopeful that we'll see her for her birthday!

The SICK:  Jamie has been home all week with the same nasty thing that every third person seems to have.  She slept most of the first day home.  She's cold. She feels cruddy. She's not eating alot. Headache, sore throat, yucky tummy, achy all over.

Nate came home after his English test yesterday.  Alex finished his Algebra last night and decided he should probably stay home.  I woke up with a headache and gunk in my throat.  So it's VERY quiet at our end of the block this morning.  It's gray & rainy (at least it's not SNOWING!) and I'm thinking WAFFLES would be about right. 

The BEAUTIFUL: I had my first MK parties this week and my home (at least the main floor) looks BEAUTIFUL!  Even the kids were amazed.  Jeff worked SO hard helping me finish what we started swapping Alex's BIG basement bedroom for our LITTLE upstairs TV room.  We de-cluttered the main floor and cleaned carpets and added candles and organized the dining room.  There's still stuff to do (isn't there always) but we are all pleased with our progress!

Oh.  And my guests looked nice too.  ;-)

Mama wants waffles.  More later.  Love you all!