Swine Flu and Hulu

This is a clip straight out of my life (Thanks Johnny!):



But it jives perfectly with the topic(s) of this post. I woke up this morning feeling much better but I think I may have overestimated my level of recovery. As good as it felt to be up and outside in the fresh air, I felt a little woozy, and ended up taking a long nap this afternoon. I woke up with my throat on fire again and feeling a little flushed. What's my temp? I wish I knew.

I am a HUGE fan of order. I REALLY like to know where certain things are. I used to know where each and every thing I owned was (no lie), but I had to loosen my grip when Ben entered my life. As each kid came along it got looser until now I'm pretty happy if I know the location of my keys, wallet, computer, camera, phone, daily prescription medication (no, it's not Prozac), toothbrush, my personal multi-tool set (inscribed, "Seriously, Do Not Touch.") and the thermometer. Everything else I can pretty much work around, but I need to know where those things are. It's scary how often those items go missing and how much time I spend looking for them.

Predictably, now that I feel flushed and Norah's cheeks are pink and she's complaining of being cold, the thermometer is gone. We've looked everywhere and Ben is headed to Target to buy a new one and stock up on Children's Motrin. I hate re-buying something I already own!!! Whatever. I'm over it.  That's a tip though...Motrin helps a lot with the flu symptoms. 

So on to the other topic of this post - Hulu.com. I heard about it a while back but I have been so overloaded with STUFF TO DO that I have not watched ANY TV for months. NONE. Now that I'm beyond the worst part of the flu but still prone to spending hours in bed, Johnny's clip reminded me to go check it out. I've been catching up on all of my favorite shows and I now realize how much I missed my old friends from Seattle Grace and Wisteria Lane.

And today I found a new ABC show on Hulu that's right up my alley since I like to sob through entire TV shows - Find My Family.  You can watch the first episode here (get the tissues):  http://www.hulu.com/find-my-family.  I think the "family tree" on the majestic hillside is a little hokey, but I'm a sucker for reunions so I can look past the tree.      

If you haven't had enough swine flu information yet, here's a personal account that's very accurate:  http://hubpages.com/hub/H1N1-Swine-Flu---a-personal-account.

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I've Been Swined

At least, that's what I'm assuming has kept me in bed for the last 4 days.  I started with a slight sore throat on Tuesday, and I took some Airborne to try to knock it out before it turned into something.  Wednesday I still had the sore throat and I had to lay down in the afternoon.  I thought the fatigue was a result of the morning's session at Portrait Simple, but apparently not.  Ben went all the way to Newton to get me some Pho, which is so delicious and also good for cold/flu symptoms, but it didn't work its magic this time.  That night I had an extremely sore throat, a slight fever, a bad headache and backache, and post nasal drip which kept me up all night.  I never have trouble sleeping but I swear I didn't sleep for more than a few minutes at a stretch.   

Thank God we weren't hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I just had to give Ben instructions on making rum cake and send everyone over to Lana and Larry's for the afternoon.  I'm really disappointed that I missed it, but at the time I was just very relieved to have a few hours of quiet.  Throughout my illness, it seemed like every time I got comfortable or fell asleep, someone would burst in with an emergency like "ADLANI ATE THE LAST DONUT!" or "I CAN'T FIND THE HEAD OF MY LEGO POWER MINER!"  Lana sent home a giant platter of food for me but I could only get some tomato soup down.  I don't remember ever having such a sore throat in my life.

Friday was supposed to begin my 3-day weekend of painting, but that didn't happen.  I don't even remember Friday, honestly.  By the end of the day I was able to take a shower and watch all of the episodes of the Amazing Race online, but that's about all I could handle.  I think I ate some ice cream.   

Today I am much better - just a bit of a sore throat and headache.  Ben made me a smoothee for breakfast and I was able to do some Christmas shopping online.  I'm really bummed that I will miss a Girls' Night Out tonight, but I'm not back to 100% and I don't want to infect anyone.

I've got my fingers crossed that the kids don't get it because IT SUCKS!  On the bright side, 4 days of not using my arm has really helped with my shoulder pain, and I think I lost a few pounds.  yay.     

What Next?

I think I need to go back on bus duty so the bus driver doesn't have a chance to chat with Ben.  It's not that I hide things from Ben [all the time], but I think I have a better way of phrasing things so he doesn't overreact.

Today's bus report was actually about Aliya.  Shocking, but true.  The bus driver told Ben that there was some discussion about a belly button between Aliya and a very nice 5th grade boy, I'll call him "Fabio."  I'm not sure how the belly button conversation began, but Aliya said that Fabio had a big belly button and someone asked how she knew and she said that she had touched it.

First of all, belly buttons are technically not in the much-discussed *private area.*  Second, Aliya demonstrated how she had poked Fabio in the belly, with his shirt down and covering said belly button.  Third, Fabio is a REALLY NICE BOY.  He's a 5th Grade Helper, for crying out loud.  The last time I saw him at his bus stop around the corner, he was wearing a flourescent orange bus patrol sash!

So the bus driver told Ben that she was going to have to tell Fabio's parents about the incident.  Ben has now instructed Aliya that she's not to sit with any boys, play with any boys at recess, look at any boys, and especially not to touch any boys' belly buttons.  Am I crazy or is this ridiculous?!?  I mean, just because she gave Fabio a Pillsbury Dough Boy poke in the belly, does that mean that she'll be forever on a quest for the most poke-able belly button, unable to resist the urge to poke?

Or maybe she'll become obsessed with her own belly button, and incorporate it into body art, and then wear revealing clothing to show it off.  COME ON PEOPLE!  IT'S A BELLY BUTTON!  Since when did poking one become a reportable offense??  Is this going on her permanent record??



 

Crown #6 of 7

A couple of weeks ago when I had my teeth cleaned, my dentist's insurance lady/business development manager mentioned that I had benefits left and suggested that I get started on one of the last two crowns I need (for now).  I made an appointment for mid-December so I had plenty of time to prepare myself for one of my least favorite tasks.  Last Friday the same insurance/business development lady called to say that since the insurance companies go by the "insertion date" (sounds more fun than it is, believe me), I should get the crown started sooner so it would be done by the end of the year.  She happened to have an opening today, giving me only 2 days to obsess about it.

I spent 2 1/2 hours in the dentist's chair today with Dr. Arora and her helpers.  The crown is on my back left bottom molar, so it was really hard for her to get in there and not slice my cheek open with the drill.  At one point they had so many instruments in my mouth - two mirrors pulling my cheek out, two of those flat things to protect my flesh, Mr. Thirsty, both of Dr. A's hands and half of her nose, the rubber thing you bite on to keep your mouth open, and a drill, I started to laugh.  I was really afraid that I was going to head off into hysteria, as I've been known to do.

As crowns go, this was a bad one.  The tooth had such a large filling that it ended up below my gumline by the time she cut off the remaining tooth and the filling.  At one point, Helper-Adam told me to "open," and then said, "Oh boy!  Give me Mr. Thirsty!"  Considering that I have fainted at the sight of blood before, that kind of reaction makes me a little uncomfortable.

I survived, although it was one of the most uncomfortable dental experiences I've had.  My jaw is really sore so hopefully Dr. Gensler can prod it back into shape when I go tomorrow for my spinal tune-up.
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T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Before I begin, let me state for the record that I have Aliya's permission to publish the following, since I don't think any moms of the boys on the list read this blog.  If you have kids that go to our school, Aliya requests that you not draw their attention to this entry.

So, last week at an evening event for school, I noticed that Aliya was hanging out with a certain boy with the initials JCO.  After the event she mentioned that he looks a lot like a boy she has had a crush on since she was 4 years old and they were on the same YMCA soccer team - J.A.  She was going on about J.C.O. so I asked if she liked him now, instead of J.A.  She thought for a moment and then proclaimed, "He's ON my list!"

"The List" is entitled, "boy's I have a crush on," and includes 13 names.  #12 has an added notation that he's in 5th grade!  Apparently the Drama Club is the place to meet *older boys*.  Some of the names have Xs next to them but they're in pencil so they can be removed and rewritten as needed.

Tonight Aliya brought me a note that she wrote to J.A. (J.C.O. currently has an X), and she asked for my advice.  The note says, "Dear J**** I now I have always acted like I heat you but the trooth is I have a big crush on you.  And I keep hearing from diferent peaple that you told them you have a crush on me.  So pleas dont get mad and crumple the paper just tell me if you realy do like me."

Awwwww...

My advice was a) she should rewrite the note so it's not so messy, and b) I wouldn't reveal my crush upfront.  When she was agonizing about whether to give him the note or not, and how she was going to catch him alone as he came out of the boys' bathroom, I said, "Why don't I just write him a note?"  I meant it as an incentive for her to stop dilly-dallying and either do it or don't.

Well, she thought it was a pretty good idea!  She said to make sure I include her full name since there are other Aliyas at other schools, and that I should say "from Lori G / Aliya's mother," not "Love, Lori" (my trademark signature since junior high).

I don't think she has made the final decision on what her plan is going to be, but I'm glad she hasn't reached the age of parental disdain because then I wouldn't have this picture for posterity.  I just love how she decorated the envelope with math problems!

Random Moments

Just a few random moments from the last 24 hours...

I was trying to get Adlani to admit to something that allegedly happened in the boys' bathroom so during my interrogation I told him that I would be reviewing the security camera footage from the bathroom.  He sang like a canary.  Aliya was listening in, and during breakfast she kept asking questions about the security camera.  I asked her, "Is there something you want to tell me?"  She said, "Well, one time I flushed the toilet and water came out of a pipe."

Yesterday, our VP of Commercial Sales (my boss' boss' boss) left a comment on my work blog.  It said, "Lori….great site…..it is clear to me that you spend a significant amount of time and effort keeping this site up to date and relevant for a broad audience. Keep up the great work!!!!!!"

Last night I watched a Youtube video on how to light the pilot light on our gas fireplace, and I was able to light it on the first try (a few weeks ago I gave up after trying to get it lit for 10 minutes).

A few minutes before we were due to leave the house this morning, I walked into the dining room just in time to see Adlani spinning his glass of milk and then the entire glass dumped down the front of him and all over the floor.

When I walked into Norah's preschool today I heard her teacher say, "Uh-oh!  Somebody lost something!"  There was a big turd on the floor outside the bathroom.

When I was talking to two friends who are also school administrators about Adlani's latest issue at school (exposing himself to a friend in the bathroom), one of the administrators said, "Oh yeah...my son did that on the bus."  On the bus??  I feel better!

Norah has been having a hard time following the rules at school so this morning I gave her a stern talking-to when I dropped her off.  After school I asked her how the day went and of course she said that she followed all the rules and didn't get into any trouble.  I said that I was going to call her teacher and asked if there was anything she wanted to tell me first, and she said, "I did NOT poke Gordon in the eye, and I did NOT push Nicolas."

Aliya got off the bus this afternoon (Friday at 3:45) and said that something was dangling off her braces.  We rushed to the dentist's office and they patched her up even though they were closing for the weekend.  Dr. B ROCKS!

This cracked me up:  http://dontjudgemyhair.com/2009/08/03/bad-hair-two-tone-combover/, especially the comment.

Ben just took the kids to the Y for free swim, and I'm going to take a 1-hour nap so I can enjoy my alone-time later. I am starting the weekend with a clean house, a clean car, and all of the laundry done.  Maybe I'll actually be able to get past the bare-minimum cleaning and maintenance to some of the bigger items on my to-do list this weekend.
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Poor Moose

http://nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com/2009/11/short-story-about-moose.html
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8 Crazy Stories From the E.R.

Read this, but not while you're eating:

http://www.dailystrength.org/experts/dr-orrange/article/8-crazy-stories-from-the-er
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Digging Out

I honestly feel like just about every day I take 3 steps forward and 10-15 steps back.  I get a few things done and add a bunch more to the list.  How can I possibly make any progress?  I have said no to some requests lately, and I have sat on my hands when the call went out for volunteers.  It's hard, but at this point I really have no choice.  I AM NOT SUPERWOMAN!!!  I CAN NOT DO IT ALL!!!

I have to focus on the positive or I will go insane.  Baby steps.  Today I had my car cleaned, which meant that I had to empty all the junk out of it.  Tomorrow the house will be professionally cleaned, which means I have to put all the junk away.  By tomorrow night I'll be celebrating the fact that I am surrounded by cleanliness, at least until the kids wake up Saturday morning.

Last weekend I decided to make a concentrated effort to get rid of some of the piles.  I had SO MUCH STUFF that was on its way to somewhere else, and it was driving me crazy.  This week my goal was to get rid of one item from that pile each day, and I did way better than that:
a) I returned a down comforter, a pair of socks, ice skates, a too-small hockey helmet, a pair of shoes, and an iPod dock - $255 back in my pocket.
b) I returned 6 defective water bottles to Old Navy (the paint peeled off), got a credit for $31, and spent that plus my $20 coupon on kids clothes that were an additional 50% off the clearance price, including Christmas-photo outfits for less than $10 each.
c) I mailed out a fleece that we accidentally brought home from mother/daughter weekend and my camera that needs to be repaired (under warranty because I didn't procrastinate!).
d) I donated a bag of books to the library for their book sale (drop them off any time in the alcove next to the Costin Room), and 3 bags of winter coats and snowpants to Pathways (Thursday night is drop-off night for donations).
e) I organized Ben's clothes and threw away the super-holey stuff (don't tell him).
f) I asked the kids' teachers whether they could use certain items I unearthed, and sent them to school.
g) I cleaned out my wallet and got rid of all the receipts and garbage.
h) And last but not least, I found a permanent home for the panic device that I took on vacation, and got it out of the garage. 

This weekend we're tackling the playroom, and next week I'm going to paint some of walls and trim that we painted 10 years ago.  Baby steps.

I am not Superwoman.
I am not Superwoman.
I am NOT SUPERWOMAN!!!!!!!!!
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Mary Imogene Basset Hospital

This morning I was talking to the facility manager from Bassett Hospital about my favorite work-related topic, fire door inspection.  His facility has a plan in place and I'm hoping to use some of their ideas in the pilot program I'm creating for Beth Israel.  When I found out that Bassett Hospital was in Cooperstown, New York, I said, "I think I was born in that hospital!  How many hospitals do you have in Cooperstown?"  Just one.  What a coincidence!

I happen to have the receipt my mother got after paying for my birth...the stars were aligned today and somehow I actually found it without looking very hard.  At first I got a little freaked out since it was dated in April of 1967 (my birthday is in August), but it was a prepayment.

Total Amount:  $25!  

Since my father was in the Army, all of the expenses were covered by the Army - except for food.  Isn't that crazy?  Why wouldn't they cover food?  Anyway, she paid 25 bucks and she got me.  What a bargain!
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Adlani

We had Adlani's parent-teacher conference last week and luckily his teacher hasn't given up hope on him (yet).  She is trying various strategies to get him to finish his work, and is hoping that good behavior will follow.  I'm not quite as patient.  I don't know why he can't just FOLLOW THE RULES!!!  We were obviously spoiled by Aliya.

1) He fibs. (I am only using this word because Viviana gets mad at me when I say bad things - which happen to be true - about Adlani.)  This morning I asked him if he had socks on. (Why should I even have to ask him this question?!)  He said, "Yes."  When I saw bare ankle peeking out of his pant leg at the bus stop, I realized that he DID NOT have socks on.  A couple of weeks ago the school nurse told me that he had come to her because he has a plantars wart and was not wearing socks then either!  What kind of mother am I?!  Don't answer that.

2) He uses bathroom words.  Aliya went through a potty-talk phase too, but I think she was around 3.  His teacher told us that he says "butt," "poopy," etc. at school to get a laugh.  He's not getting laughs at home and he's still using them.  The other day I yelled at him for saying "poopy" and he started the indignant cry and went on and on, wailing that he didn't say poopy.  I said, "OK...what did you say?"  Adlani:  "Boobie?"  Me:  "BOOBIE IS ON THE BAD LIST TOO!!!"

3) He tries to spell swear words since he can't say them.  He has recently realized that people spell things they don't want to say out loud and somehow he figured out how to spell A-S-S.  He got in trouble for that (at home), and a few minutes later I heard him say to Aliya, "I'm gonna kick you in the O-S-O."  I asked him what that meant and he said, "I'm gonna kick you in the bear."  Oso is the Spanish word for bear.  Maybe I should just be grateful that he's learning to read.

4) He's sneaky.  Over the weekend I told him about 10 times that he needed to clean up his room.  Last night I finally lost it and decided to follow through on my threats of picking up everything left on the floor and putting it in "Toy Timeout."  In the process, I realized that he had shoved EVERYTHING under his train table, so all of that went into Toy Timeout too.  I now have 3 king-sized pillow cases full of stuff for him to earn back.  Judging by his ability to control his actions, I think I should probably just pack it up for the spring yardsale.

5) I don't know what goes on in his head but it doesn't resemble logical thought.  Last night our neighbor said she liked his milk mustache and he ran off to the mirror to look at it.  He came back to the table and said, "I'm going to make myself a milk beard!" and poured the milk straight down his chin.  WTF?!?

I'm really getting worn out.  1-2-3 Magic worked for a while, but it's losing its effectiveness.  Last night I heard him say, "One...two...don't MAKE me get to three!"  Yes, I do realize that this is all my fault.

The newest habit that's driving me toward the liquor cabinet is the constant singing.  He does it at school too, and his teacher is using it to help him learn to read.  Again - patience that I just don't have.  Since Adlani and Aliya are both in the Drama Club which is rehearsing for a production of Seussical, he and Aliya are constantly singing the songs.  Even Norah knows them.  I like music and I don't want to stifle their passion but how many times can one hear Solla Sollew before jumping off a bridge?!

This morning at breakfast I asked them at least 10 times to stop singing so they could answer my questions about what they wanted for breakfast, snack, etc.  After the 10th time I was so exasperated, I asked Aliya, "Do you ever notice that I go out to a lot of PTO meetings, Zumba, and computer classes at night?"  Aliya:  "Ye-es."  Me:  "Why do you think that is?!"  Aliya: "Because we're so annoying?"

Bingo.  The picture at right is Adlani's "singing face"...at least he'll have an alternative to soccer.
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Good Neighbors

Sometimes I think about moving away from the 'Ham.  I really don't know the source of my discontent, but when I travel somewhere else I sometimes fantasize about moving there.  It happened again when I went to Vermont a couple of weeks ago.

I think what I really want is to SIMPLIFY my life.  I need to do less and relax more.  I need to finish the decluttering I started 2 years ago and find a place for everything we own instead of just moving the piles.  I need to say "NO!" and really mean it.  That's my downfall, though.  I can't do it.

So now that I've gone all philosophical on you, what this post was going to be about was what great neighbors we have.  How can I even think about moving and leaving our awesome neighbors behind?  What if our new neighbors let their dogs poop on our lawn?  Or build a shantytown in their back yard for their extended family?  Or play their New Kids on the Block CD repeatedly at full volume?

Today Ben spent several hours raking wet leaves because the town is doing a pick-up tomorrow.  Our neighbor Nancy was raking too, and at some point Bob, the son-in-law of our other neighbor, offered to take a load to the leaf dump so they wouldn't have to bag all of the leaves.  He estimated that the gigantic pile they loaded into his truck was about 100 bags worth.

To thank Bob & Ben, Nancy got dinner from the Chicken Bone and brought it over to our house.  It was GREAT!  We had wings, fries, rice, and I made tomato salad and dessert.  Sherry and I used to hang out at the Chicken Bone in Burlington, Vermont, and it became the scene of many (somewhat blurry) memories...we'll definitely be visiting our new Chicken Bone again.  YUM!
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Emails From Crazy People

I found a blog this week that has some pretty funny posts - emailsfromcrazypeople.com.
These cracked me up:
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/07/28/no-pets-clause/#more-65
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/07/31/everyone-loves-a-party/#more-149
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/08/25/let-me-explain/
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/09/02/parent-teacher-conference-should-be-hilarious/

Coincidentally, I received an email today regarding a problem someone had while installing a lockset.  I don't know why the new homeowner sent it to me along with about 20 of our top brass, but the email is 690 WORDS LONG.  I'm not saying he's a crazy person, but wow.  My favorite part was when he said that because he had to hire a locksmith he didn't have any money left for the celebratory dinner out that he had planned, and was eating a cold turkey sandwich instead. 

I actually thought about calling the guy to walk him through the installation, since he included his name, address, and phone number, but I figured our CEO probably already had it covered.
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Friday Night

If you don't have a hot date for this Friday night (11/13) and you live within driving distance of the 'Ham, come on over to the Barnes & Noble in Shoppers World. Blocks Preschool is having a fundraiser with tons of special events. You can shop from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and tell the cashier that you're shopping to benefit Blocks, and a percentage of your purchase (not including gift cards) will be donated to the school. You shouldn't need the official number, but just in case, it's 10041853.

The special events begin at 4 p.m. and will include face painting, a sing-a-long, storytime with Rosie Alvarez-O'Neil (Blocks principal), and a visit from the Cat in the Hat.  (I guess it probably won't be THIS cat in THIS hat, but it IS a cute photo, isn't it?)

If you don't live nearby, you can still shop for Blocks!  Just go to www.bn.com/mybookfair between 11/13 and 11/18, and enter bookfair ID #10041853 on the payment page during checkout.  

I hope to see you there!!

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Don't Drink and Ride

Boston Subway Driver Braked to Avoid Hitting
Woman Who Fell on Tracks
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

BOSTON — The driver of Boston subway train that came to a screeching halt just before hitting a woman who had fallen onto the tracks has been hailed as a hero.

Charice Lewis got a radio call from fellow Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employee Jacqueline Osorio, who was standing on the platform at North Station on Friday night when she saw the woman tumble.

Lewis, who saw passengers on the platform frantically waving their arms, immediately tugged the emergency brake.

The woman, whose name was not made public, suffered some scrapes and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. She told authorities she had been drinking.

Lewis and Osorio were recognized by state Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan on Monday and received a call of congratulations from Gov. Deval Patrick.

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These cracked me up...

(I'm easily amused.)

 

http://probablybadnews.com/2009/11/06/funny-news-headlines-those-canadians-and-their-flashlights/

http://probablybadnews.com/2009/11/10/funny-news-headlines-the-dog-gets-quite-jealous/

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Fast Forward 50 Years

Click on the arrow to play.  Just do it.

Beer Bottle 911 Call sound bite  911 Calls sound bites

'Tis The Season

For the 5th year, I'll be organizing the Pathways Family Shelter Holiday Gift Drive.  Pathways is a shelter in the 'Ham that provides temporary housing for 14 families, and also offers ongoing support for families who have moved to permanent housing.

Due to the support of my friends, coworkers, and family members, in past years we have been able to provide Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers for all of the children living at Pathways, as well as gift cards and small gifts for their parents.  Last year the participation was so generous that we were able to provide gifts for other families in need in addition to the current shelter residents.

I received the wish list for the children currently living at Pathways today.  If you are local and would like to sponsor a child or children, let me know and I'll add you to the evite list.  Sponsorship typically includes one gift ($20-$30) and some stocking stuffers for the child you are matched with.  If you are not local and would like to help, we are in need of $20 Target gift cards to include with the parents' gifts.  Your donation is tax deductible and I will provide you with a receipt from Pathways.

Let the holiday season begin!!!
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Big News!!

I can't believe I've kept this a secret for a whole week, but I finally broke the news to the kids tonight.  Just so nobody freaks out midway, I'm NOT the one having a baby.  I'm going to be an aunt!!

Fall Back

Call me crazy but I love the time change.  Last week I could NOT get the kids out of bed in the morning and we were consistently late.  Yesterday they started asking to go to bed around 5 p.m., and this morning they jumped out of bed at 6:30.  We got to school early, and I even had time to shower (with conditioner!).  I don't mind having it get dark earlier...all the better to go into hibernation mode.

Tonight I arrived home from the office at 7 and found everyone asleep already.  As you can see, Ben has a hard time enforcing the bedtime routine...

........

If you're having a tough time explaining Daylight Saving Time to the kiddies, or if you just want to read some Fun Facts about it, you can find it all here:  www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/k.html.
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Happy Halloween!

We're all coming down from a sugar-high this morning...thank God we had an extra hour of sleep.  Norah was the only one who had a Halloween party at school (called an "Orange Party"), but we got lots of use out of the costumes this year (especially since Norah's was Aliya's Dory costume from 4 years ago!).

~ Friday night there was a party at the YMCA, which we usually go to.  I was so wiped out that I took a 3-hour nap while Ben took the kids to the Y.  By 8:30 p.m. I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to work until 3 a.m.

~ Saturday morning we had 2 soccer games - no rain, no mud, WOOHOO!  Aliya is a superstar, Adlani is still heading for the marching band.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

~ Saturday afternoon we went directly from Aliya's game to Pumpkins in the Park, put on by the Park & Rec Dept.  It was a gorgeous fall day, even though it was extremely windy.  I love the smell of fall.  Pumpkins in the Park was an opportunity to choose a pumpkin, paint it, go on a hay ride, play bean bag toss, listen to some live Halloween-themed music, and go on a costume parade.  The kids had a great time with the Funsecas and were very proud of their pumpkins.  Adlani got mad at Ben for making a mustache on his pumpkin so I had to clean it off and start over.  The costumes were completely covered with paint by the end, but it was a small sacrifice in the name of art.

~ We rushed home for a quick nap, and it took them so long to calm down that they finally fell asleep about a half hour before they needed to get back up again to go to a party at Coach Linder's.  I made ice cream cone cupcakes and washed the paint off the costumes while everyone else napped.  Ben woke up from his nap and went right for the cupcakes, then got mad when I wouldn't let him have one.

~ The party at the Linders' was a lot of fun...good food and a "boiling" cauldron of punch followed by trick-or-treating en mass.  We stopped to see Maria (Norah's teacher this year and Adlani's teacher last year) on our way home.  The mobs of middle school kids on her street were a little scary.  Now I know who's buying all of the Ravishing Red Riding Hood and Foxy Firefighter costumes.

Today we're trying to catch up on some work and homework, while getting some leaves raked and hopefully installing two new heating units with Orialis' help.