That is what I have to say after my first real Black Friday shopping experience. I had to try it so I could say I have done it. I am not sure whether I am still so tired I can't comprehend what happened or if it really was kind of fun. I went with a seasoned pro - I am not sure how well things would have ended had I gone by myself! My friend Rhonda and I headed out around 11 pm last night and got home around 9 am this morning. And 4 hours of that was spent sitting on the concrete outside of Target between 1 am and 5 am (but we did get an excellent place in line and NEVER would have gotten what we wanted if we had gotten there later as the line was wrapping around the building by 5 am!). I spent more time looking for Rhonda after she sped ahead like a practiced Black Friday shopper than I did even looking for the things I might want to buy! But I did get the things I went for and met some interesting people in line, so it was a good day overall! Not sure if I will ever go again, but it was fun this time!
We had a nice visit with Aaron's parents on Thanksgiving. We went to Manhattan the night before and got to hang out with them and Aaron's brother, Bryan. We went to Grandmother's for Thanksgiving lunch and ate in the restaurant there. And the best part is that we came back home with no kids! We are enjoying a relaxing weekend with no one to wake us up or ask for snacks (except the cats) while the kids hang with their grandparents and Uncle for the weekend. Sweet...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
We have walking!
Grant is finally really walking! 2 days shy of 20 months old. He is serious about it now, though, and is taking long strolls (well, actually more like Frankenstein lurches) through the house. It will be nice to be able to e able to put him down without having to worry about how clean (or not clean!) the floor is. I feel much better about shoes touching all of that nastiness than hands touching it!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Fun weekend!
Had another fun weekend! The highlight was definitely going to see Wicked with Aaron. I really enjoyed it - the only bummer was the sound...when the whole ensemble sang the orchestra and the mics were so loud it felt like a rock concert! We did sit in my fav seats though...front row balcony. I had forgotten that professional theater is a really a far cry from what I usually get to see. I am now ready to get some season tickets so Aaron and I will have an excuse to get ourselves out of the house to do something!
Otherwise, just busy. My in-laws were here for the weekend to watch the kids and it was nice to see them. I scrapbooked Friday, did some shopping yesterday and went to church and took Bryn to a birthday party today.
Bryn had a Girl Scout sleepover last night. She got about 5 hours of sleep and came home and crashed this morning for another 4 hours. She couldn't believe she slept right through church! She told me they played Limbo and here was her quote..."You couldn't use your hands. Actually, that was annoying".
So there you have it...crazy life we lead here.
Otherwise, just busy. My in-laws were here for the weekend to watch the kids and it was nice to see them. I scrapbooked Friday, did some shopping yesterday and went to church and took Bryn to a birthday party today.
Bryn had a Girl Scout sleepover last night. She got about 5 hours of sleep and came home and crashed this morning for another 4 hours. She couldn't believe she slept right through church! She told me they played Limbo and here was her quote..."You couldn't use your hands. Actually, that was annoying".
So there you have it...crazy life we lead here.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Poetry and other stuff
Other stuff first...
I have had a good couple of days. No meetings or running around Monday or Tuesday so I got some nice down time and got to hang out a little bit with my wonderful husband. I managed to get our closet organized (at least enough to get everything crammed in and out of the bedroom), got to spend some nice time with my friend Barbara yesterday on her birthday and today while she helped me with some Angel Tree stuff for church. I got to come home to a clean house today (which for some reason just makes me feel like all is right with the world - especially when I didn't have to do the cleaning!) and I got word from the Humane Society that they are going to make an exception to the "you have to be 11 years old to volunteer" rule and Bryn (and I) are going to be able to go help out.
Grant is obsessed with cookies and buses. I probably hear those words at least 300 hundred times a day. Unfortunately he does not get to eat as many cookies or see as many buses as he would like to. I could probably do something about the bus problem, but I am pretty sure there aren't enough cookies in the world to make him happy!
Now for some poetry by Bryn. She brought these home from school and they completely cracked me up. I especially like the comment at the end of this one.
Puppy
(by Bryn Reed)
A puppy was born.
On a bright and early morn.
He did a good job.
Not making a mob.
He liked the mop.
So on it he did hop.
You can see his smile.
From a mile.
He is sweet.
He will eat a treat.
He likes a guppy.
Oh, that puppy.
(Bryn Reed is a well known 2nd grade poet)
Fight
The cat and the dog had a fight.The cat did it with all of his might.
The cat was fat. He had a mat.
Which is what they did fight for. But the cat ran out the door.
Cat
The cat had a hat. He thought it was a mat. So there he sat.
Spring
In spring I wear shoes with springs. I have a bird that sings.
I have had a good couple of days. No meetings or running around Monday or Tuesday so I got some nice down time and got to hang out a little bit with my wonderful husband. I managed to get our closet organized (at least enough to get everything crammed in and out of the bedroom), got to spend some nice time with my friend Barbara yesterday on her birthday and today while she helped me with some Angel Tree stuff for church. I got to come home to a clean house today (which for some reason just makes me feel like all is right with the world - especially when I didn't have to do the cleaning!) and I got word from the Humane Society that they are going to make an exception to the "you have to be 11 years old to volunteer" rule and Bryn (and I) are going to be able to go help out.
Grant is obsessed with cookies and buses. I probably hear those words at least 300 hundred times a day. Unfortunately he does not get to eat as many cookies or see as many buses as he would like to. I could probably do something about the bus problem, but I am pretty sure there aren't enough cookies in the world to make him happy!
Now for some poetry by Bryn. She brought these home from school and they completely cracked me up. I especially like the comment at the end of this one.
Puppy
(by Bryn Reed)
A puppy was born.
On a bright and early morn.
He did a good job.
Not making a mob.
He liked the mop.
So on it he did hop.
You can see his smile.
From a mile.
He is sweet.
He will eat a treat.
He likes a guppy.
Oh, that puppy.
(Bryn Reed is a well known 2nd grade poet)
Fight
The cat and the dog had a fight.The cat did it with all of his might.
The cat was fat. He had a mat.
Which is what they did fight for. But the cat ran out the door.
Cat
The cat had a hat. He thought it was a mat. So there he sat.
Spring
In spring I wear shoes with springs. I have a bird that sings.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Is it just me...
or does Oprah seem to not be enjoying her interview with Sarah Palin very much today? I am not really a huge Sarah Palin fan (and have always liked Oprah) but I don't know that I have ever seen such subtle contempt on Oprah's part with a guest before. I don't often watch Oprah, but I couldn't resist tuning in to see how this interview went. I am not even sure what exactly is bothering me about the show. I guess it just confirms that I am not missing anything by missing Oprah in the afternoons.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Another busy week
We went to Manhattan this past Friday for a quick trip. Bryn had a slumber party to go to there and I stayed with a friend while Grant and Aaron went to my in-laws house. Aaron managed to con his mom out of her KU/K-State football ticket by leaving Grant with her. It was a great game (Bryn and I listened on the radio on the way home). Aaron came home with practically no voice but I gathered form his sign language that he had fun!
Some friends came over on Saturday night and Bryn had a great time playing with her friend Riley. She doesn't get to see him as much since they moved so it was a treat to have him here! And I loved catching up with his mom - it was a fun time.
I had bookclub on Sunday and really enjoyed getting together with my crazy liberal friends. They call me their "token conservative" and even when the talks degenerate into religion and politics we all manage to come away from it still liking each other! We have been meeting for 5 years...it hardly seems possible that it has been that long.
With Bunco on Monday night, Girl Scouts and Friends of the Library on Tuesday night and a trip over to the church to get stuff packed up for a big church missions activity on Saturday, I am looking forward to being home tonight. I am sure Aaron is excited, too - he gets a lot of kid bedtime duty with my crazy schedule being what it is!
Bryn started some of her supplemental school classes at the elementary school this week and she enjoyed it. She was concerned about having to ride over there in the van with her least favorite classmate, but she says he is far better behaved there than he is at school. She worried and worried about it...gee, I wonder where she got that trait?
An occupational therapist came to check Grant out and concluded that he seems just fine and she was not worried about his delay in walking. So now that it has been confirmed that he is just being him and doing things in his own sweet time we will just wait and see what happens. I keep thinking it will be any day - he has taken some steps on his own - but it could be another couple months, too, I suppose. We'll see. I am totally over being worried about it so someone else will have to let me know if it is an issue!
Tomorrow night some girlfriends are coming over to scrapbook...the number keeps growing so there should be a houseful and lots of food, wine and laughs. I am looking forward to it!
So just another crazy, busy week around here. Although it can sometimes be overwhelming, I love my life and am so thankful to have wonderful family and friends to share it with!
Some friends came over on Saturday night and Bryn had a great time playing with her friend Riley. She doesn't get to see him as much since they moved so it was a treat to have him here! And I loved catching up with his mom - it was a fun time.
I had bookclub on Sunday and really enjoyed getting together with my crazy liberal friends. They call me their "token conservative" and even when the talks degenerate into religion and politics we all manage to come away from it still liking each other! We have been meeting for 5 years...it hardly seems possible that it has been that long.
With Bunco on Monday night, Girl Scouts and Friends of the Library on Tuesday night and a trip over to the church to get stuff packed up for a big church missions activity on Saturday, I am looking forward to being home tonight. I am sure Aaron is excited, too - he gets a lot of kid bedtime duty with my crazy schedule being what it is!
Bryn started some of her supplemental school classes at the elementary school this week and she enjoyed it. She was concerned about having to ride over there in the van with her least favorite classmate, but she says he is far better behaved there than he is at school. She worried and worried about it...gee, I wonder where she got that trait?
An occupational therapist came to check Grant out and concluded that he seems just fine and she was not worried about his delay in walking. So now that it has been confirmed that he is just being him and doing things in his own sweet time we will just wait and see what happens. I keep thinking it will be any day - he has taken some steps on his own - but it could be another couple months, too, I suppose. We'll see. I am totally over being worried about it so someone else will have to let me know if it is an issue!
Tomorrow night some girlfriends are coming over to scrapbook...the number keeps growing so there should be a houseful and lots of food, wine and laughs. I am looking forward to it!
So just another crazy, busy week around here. Although it can sometimes be overwhelming, I love my life and am so thankful to have wonderful family and friends to share it with!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
I don't get it
I am sitting at the car place waiting on my car and marvelling at what I have witnessed. The dealership has a nice little waiting area with nice chairs and some free snacks and drinks. I have watched one woman down a latte, a muffin, two juice boxes, a bag of popcorn and then shove some goodies into her purse for later I guess. I suppose I don't know for sure that she is not homeless or starving, so I should probably give her the benefit of the doubt, but the incident did bring up a little question in my mind. Why is it that people seem to take more than they need (or even want) when whatever it is they are taking does not really belong to them? The extra office supplies from work, the extra refills on drinks when you only paid for one glass, the 5 bottles of "free" water when you can only drink one at a time? Is this some innate human hoarding tendency? Is this some fear of not having enough? Or is this greed and entitlement, plain and simple?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Halloween Ghoulies
We had a fabulous Halloween weekend starting with some pictures of the kids by a professional photographer friend of mine. She was so great with the kids despite the cold weather and the clueless-on-how-to-be-helpful-at-a-photo-shoot parents! Here is the link for those not on Facebook.pictures I can't wait until they are all done and it is time to order - I am looking forward to having some of the beautifully done pictures in my house after too many years of my snapshots!
Speaking of snapshots, here are some from Halloween. We had a great day - our friends Barb and Paul and their kiddos (aka Little red Riding Hood, Big Bad Wolf and three little pigs) came over for trick or treating, dinner and to watch the K-State game. I didn't manage to get pictures of all of them, but I got plenty of my kids that day! Grant didn't "Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrhhhh" like a pirate all day - he was just about the grumpiest pirate ever. But Bryn made up for it by being a pretty cheerful puppy (imagine Bryn dressing up as a dog? Who would have guessed?)
In other news, Grant had his pre-evaluation for early intervention for his non-interest in walking. I keep thinking he is just on the brink (and I really think he is) but he just won't take off on his own. He will walk if you hold only one of his hands, but he just won't do it by himself. He is still adding words to his repertoire everyday, though - cookie, moose, me, movie, mouse, yo-yo, nana (as both banana and Nana!) and ee-i-ee-i-ee-o for farmer. And for a little guy who didn't get his first tooth until 11 months, he now has a total mouth full. All are in or on their way except two eye-teeth.
On the opposite end of the evaluation spectrum, we went to a meeting today to discuss Bryn's test results and options to give her a few more challenges at school. It went pretty well although I am thinking that if I had to deal with me while I work on getting what I want for Bryn out of her education I would shudder whenever I walked in the door. Aaron assures me I am a very squeaky wheel, indeed!
Speaking of snapshots, here are some from Halloween. We had a great day - our friends Barb and Paul and their kiddos (aka Little red Riding Hood, Big Bad Wolf and three little pigs) came over for trick or treating, dinner and to watch the K-State game. I didn't manage to get pictures of all of them, but I got plenty of my kids that day! Grant didn't "Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrhhhh" like a pirate all day - he was just about the grumpiest pirate ever. But Bryn made up for it by being a pretty cheerful puppy (imagine Bryn dressing up as a dog? Who would have guessed?)
In other news, Grant had his pre-evaluation for early intervention for his non-interest in walking. I keep thinking he is just on the brink (and I really think he is) but he just won't take off on his own. He will walk if you hold only one of his hands, but he just won't do it by himself. He is still adding words to his repertoire everyday, though - cookie, moose, me, movie, mouse, yo-yo, nana (as both banana and Nana!) and ee-i-ee-i-ee-o for farmer. And for a little guy who didn't get his first tooth until 11 months, he now has a total mouth full. All are in or on their way except two eye-teeth.
On the opposite end of the evaluation spectrum, we went to a meeting today to discuss Bryn's test results and options to give her a few more challenges at school. It went pretty well although I am thinking that if I had to deal with me while I work on getting what I want for Bryn out of her education I would shudder whenever I walked in the door. Aaron assures me I am a very squeaky wheel, indeed!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Trip to Chicago with my girl...
Bryn and I had a great time in Chicago and I finally uploaded the pictures to prove it!
We hit the ground running when we got into the city...
Bryn voted for a ride on the Navy Pier ferris wheel
Hooray!
Warming up with some hot chocolate
Dinner with Valerie Tripp (one of the authors of the American Girl books). She was so nice and spent lots of time talking to all of the girls and telling them how to work at being a writer. It was fabulous!
I accidentally got a picture of Bryn mid-sneeze. It cracked me up!
Heading to the Shedd Aquarium. We got there right after they opened and the crowd showed up just as we were leaving. Perfect timing!
Bryn and Grandma
Bryn, Grandpa and Zita (Grandpa's caretaker)
Can't wait until the next girl's trip! It was so nice for us to get away and not have any of the pressures of the daily stuff. We made it through the entire weekend without any arguing - quite a feat for us as of late!
We hit the ground running when we got into the city...
Bryn voted for a ride on the Navy Pier ferris wheel
Hooray!
Warming up with some hot chocolate
Dinner with Valerie Tripp (one of the authors of the American Girl books). She was so nice and spent lots of time talking to all of the girls and telling them how to work at being a writer. It was fabulous!
I accidentally got a picture of Bryn mid-sneeze. It cracked me up!
Heading to the Shedd Aquarium. We got there right after they opened and the crowd showed up just as we were leaving. Perfect timing!
Bryn and Grandma
Bryn, Grandpa and Zita (Grandpa's caretaker)
Can't wait until the next girl's trip! It was so nice for us to get away and not have any of the pressures of the daily stuff. We made it through the entire weekend without any arguing - quite a feat for us as of late!
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