I Could Write a Book

     This has been the summer of the "Dr of the Day." Tobin has been keeping me very busy in the doctors’ offices.

     Today he got his cast off of his arm. They removed the cast and xrayed it and said that his bone was healed. The Dr made him go through a routine of movements and when none caused him any pain the Dr declared, "no more casts." Woohoo. We were really expecting to get a soft cast for another week or two. The first thing he did when he got home was jump in the swimming pool.

     Tomorrow we are off to see the "dentist specialist person". I have no idea what you even call her. She’s the one who is going to do the root canal on Tob’s tooth. His tooth has obviously died and is causing him a lot of pain. I took him to an emergency dental appointment yesterday morning and our regular dentist confirmed that he was indeed going to have to get a root canal. Tob is not happy about it. He keeps asking me if they could just pull the tooth and put in a "gold" one. Uh, son, I don’t think that’s going to happen in this family. Lol. Still a cute thought, but nope, not going to happen.

     Gray still has his rash and if it doesn’t clear by tomorrow I’m taking him in to the pediatrician. Juliana is still having pottying issues and I’m about to lose my mind over that one. I’ve got a headache that could kill a horse and I’m concerned because I keep getting this head pain in the exact same spot. All I keep wondering is "do I have a brain tumor like my grandfather did?" That’s a happy thought, eh ? 

     Tonight was the longest board meeting ever. Not that I have anything else in my life to do. UGH. Yes, that was sarcastic. Between hitting the different doctors’ offices I’m trying to hit the shoe store, school uniform store and the school supply store. I also need to hit the Jr League meeting store since I’ve got a lot of shitake to do before Monday morning. And oh yes, the luggage is still sitting in the foyer. Rest of the house is clean. The luggage just needs unpacking and laundered. Any takers ? Didn’t think so. 

Peace out and lots of butterfly kisses.

Wow ! Summer for us is essentially gone. Gone ? Yes, gone. My children start school in 3 days. Where did this summer go ?

I’m going to give a condensed version since I have 1 million things to accomplish in the next 3 days.

May 22nd - the kids finish with school. We spent those first 2 weeks mainly at Francos, on the water slides, lounging by the pool their and then coming home to the pool here. Those were 2 nice and lazy weeks.

June 7th - I get everything prepared for the children and myself to spend the week in the woods at Cub Scout Camp. I was dreading this week and it ended up being the best week for Cub Scouts and for the year-to-date(that date) it was the best week ever. I worked "water front". That meant that I spent an entire week on the beach, by the canoes, on the rope swings, water slides and zip lines. It was sunny the entire week. The water front group had a fabulous time together. It was just awesome. I really enjoyed being completely outside the entire week. The kids had a blast, too. This was Tobin’s last year as a Cub Scout at Camp. He will go to Boy Scout Camp next year.

June 15th - I spent this week getting everything of Tobin’s bought and packed to go to Camp Laney. He and I left on Thursday of this week and spent a couple of days in Birmingham, AL and then drove on up to Mentone, AL. That was such an exciting and nerve-wracking day. I was dropping off my "first baby" for his 1st away camp. 2 weeks of away camp. He wrote me one letter that was 2 sentences long. LOL. Just like a 10 year old boy. He had a blast at Camp Laney. He turned into a "fisherman". He went fishing everyday in his free time. He told me he caught something everyday, too. Since coming home he has seemed quiter and a little bit more mature. A shame he can’t go to camp quarterly. Yeah, yeah. Bad mommy.

I was only home for 1 1/2 weeks before I had to turn around and go pick him up. I took J and Gray with me and we also left a couple days early so that we could go to Huntsville and visit my friend there. I was so happy that she was able to meet my two little ones. We had a nice time with Tiff and her family and J was super excited that she and R got to sleep together.

That brings us to — July 3rd: We pick Tobin up from camp. He was smiling from ear-to-ear. Oh, he broke his arm while at camp. 1 night before I was going to pick him up. They put his arm in a hard splint and wrapped it in an ace bandage for him. He wasn’t in pain when we picked him up. Instead of driving home (9 hours) we drove to Fairhope and spent the 4th of July weekend at the Grand Resort. I love it there and we had a lovely weekend. Dh drove up and met us there. He actually beat us there by about 10 minutes. We drove home the night of the 5th and that was a nerve-wracking drive. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper. Everyone coming home from their holiday weekend getaways. Dh’s truck kept overheating because we couldn’t drive fast, etc. It took us 7 hours to get home from there and it’s supposed to take maybe 3.

July 6th week: Whew. I finally have a normal week. Throw in a nephew’s birthday party and shopping for the Alaska trip and it was a pretty normal week. Oh, wait. No, it wasn’t. I was dealing with Tobin’s broken arm this week. Having it set and casted. Twice. Overall, it was an okay week. I was happy to see some of my extended family that week. OH Crap - how did I forget about that weekend ?? That was the Jr League Board Retreat weekend. LOL. I wasn’t home again. 4 weekends in a row at this point. Not home. I can’t say I thought this weekend was nearly as good as the last two. I felt that the members weren’t nearly as committed. They all just wanted to leave. I feel that that the board is very divided. Very. I think I’ve truly made up my mind to go "sustainer" and not run for president.

July 12th. Sunday afternoon and I am home from the board retreat. I slept on the couch for an hour or two thatafternoon. My busyness is catching up with me. We are leaving on Wednesday headed to Alaska for almost 3 weeks. I was busy the entire time finishing packing, getting the animals taken care of and buying the last minute stuff.

That brings me to August 2nd - yippee yeah, I’m finally back home from the Alaska trip. Where’s the report on Alaska ? That will be a post all by itself. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Beautiful, beautiful country. I loved seeing all the animals, mountains, icebergs, etc. Will I be moving there ? Heck no. LOL. Would I move to Seattle if I could ? Heck yes.

So, there’s my summer in a nutshell. I wasn’t home hardly at all and what time I was home - I did not have a computer. Mine fried. This is the first thing I’m typing on my new laptop. 

It’s good to be home. There’s truly no place like it.

    Well, I did it. I just dropped my classes I had registered for next semester. I don’t know whether to feel relieved or to cry. I feel like a failure. I know intellectually that just because I’m not going next semester doesn’t mean that I’m never going back. I think it is the fear that if I stop school now that I won’t finish. I think I’m realizing just how important my Master’s degree is to me.

    So, that brings me to the next step in my life - the "presidency".  I am not going to self-nominate. If someone thinks I’ll be a good candidate they will have to put in the nomination for me. Also, if I don’t win - then back to school I go for the next semester. No harm done, right ? ~breathes deeply~ It’s just super scary to me. How am I supposed to know if I’m making the right decision? You’d think this would get easier the older you get.

If I went to more places like this ~~~~>   I’m sure the decision wouldn’t be so daunting !

    I feel like I have a lot more to accomplish in my life right now. I pray that I have a lot more life to accomplish everything in. Don’t forget to say ~I love you~ to the one(s) you love.  

Today is the boys’ first day of 1st grade and 4th grade. It is the first time in our school history that I have more than one child starting school on the same day. Woohoo! Go me ! Or rather - go school system.

This is a big transitional year for both boys. G moved up to the 1st - 3rd grade building and T moved to the 4th and 5th grade building. Big, big years for both. Poor G asked if all they did in 1st grade was work all day. lol. When we were at open house last night he noticed the lack of toys in his classroom. Poor baby. It’s going to be a big adjustment for him. And oh goodness, T has a huge wakeup call this year. He is so worried about not remembering which class to change to and when. He’s worried that he won’t take the correct books, etc. To top off his worries today, we got to school this morning and he remembered he forgot his book report laying on his shelf. Yes, I should have made sure it was in the backpack last night. It totally slipped my mind. What did mommy do ? I went right back home and picked it up. Yes, there are times when a mom needs to bail her child out. 

It feels weird to me to have a 4th grader. I feel old. Is that really possible ?

Guess where I’m going to be sleeping tonight ? Not in my bed. You guessed it. I’ve got a leadership conference this weekend. Yes, Junior League again.  When am I leaving ? After my children get home from their first day of school. I refused to go earlier. There is no way I could send my boys off today and wait until Sunday to hear how their first day went. You’d think with the amount of leadership training I’m receiving that I might actually be able to lead one day, huh ? I can’t even train a dog. LOL. It’s not working. But hey, I do get a peaceful 5 hour drive all by myself. That’s good enough.

Enjoy your weekend. Don’t forget to say the magic words ~ i wub u~ 

    It’s time for me to make some "presidential decisions." Am I speaking of deciding between Bush and Obama ? No, I am not. I am referring to the position of President of my Jr League. To some that may not be a big decision. For me, it is the difference of going to graduate school full-time at the age of 42 or 44. When it was put into perspective of "only 2 years difference" yesterday, I thought "maybe I can be the president." Now, just because I decide to accept the nomination of the president position doesn’t mean I’ve won it. Hmm, let me go back to this weekend.

    This weekend was the "board / bored retreat." It’s a wonderful mandatory obligation of serving on the board. It’s actually an interesting time to learn neat, little tidbits about your fellow members. IE: one of our board members collects cacti. We also get a lot of leadership training, effective communication, and some problem solving guidelines. A true shame that they can’t teach me proper grammar while there.

    Unknown to me, the creative team member had been assessed of the fact that I’m a potential canditate for the position and that I am undecided because of the possiblity of graduate school. She was very effective in her line of questioning to me and helped me to look at the "bigger picture." One of the questions I was asked, "why do you want this Master’s degree ?" Well," I said, "it’s a personal goal of mine." She asked if I had an age deadline to obtain that goal. She asked what did I plan on doing with that degree, etc.  I think the fact that I said I wouldn’t work unless it was necessary made me realize that if that is indeed the case it would be okay to wait for 2 more years before tackling that mountain.

    Why don’t I put off the presidency nomination ? If I burn this bridge now, so-to-speak, I probably will not get another chance. Even though I know taking on the possible position will be a lot of work, I know it would be very rewarding for me. Nice, little ego stroke. The main reason - I know I’d be a great leader.

   So, I’m off to the prayers. I’m off to look for guidance. I’ve got a month to let the league know if I will accept the nomination, but I’ve only got 3 weeks before I really need to drop my class(es). I know that school will always be there for me. Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. I wished someone could show me a crystal ball that laid out my life map for me to view. How on earth does one know if they are making the correct decisions ? 

    Good luck in your "presidential decisions", as well. I hope you use your knowledge and your prayers in determining your correct decision, too. We all need to remember that every little decision we make in our lives have huge impacts on the rest of our lives.

Peace out. Sweet dreams. Oh, I can’t wait to sleep in my bed. 6 hours of sleep in 72 hours does not hack it. ~~ I love you ~~ (don’t forget to say it) 

Home for four days and I’m off again. It’s that time of the year again. The wonderful "Board (bored) Retreat." Oh, what fun. Yes, I’ll have an attidude adjustment before I arrive it’s just been so nice to sleep in my own bed and now I’m off to the floor.

These last few days at home have been wonderful. Busy, but wonderful. I’m going to miss my home this weekend. sighs. I’m also going to miss my niece’s 1 year old birthday party. I’m going to be the only family member who isn’t there. That sucks. I hate that I’m going to miss it. In case I didn’t mention it, this retreat is absolutely mandatory and I can’t miss. More than likely this is going to be my last active year in Jr League. I just can’t handle this kind of stuff anymore.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Oh, go see "Mamma Mia" this weekend if you haven’t already. It is such a happy movie. I loved the movie better than the actual Broadway play. Make sure you stay for the entire end of the movie. You’ll be peeing in your pants from laughing so hard.

Peace out , Babycakes. Don’t forget to tell the one(s) you love ~ I love you ~. 

Dear Month of May,

    Goodbye Dear sucky May.  I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier in my life to see the month of May gone. Gone forever.

    In case you can’t tell by my very subtle words, May pretty much sucked in my opinion. Some of you have listened to me cry on the phone. Others have offered up prayers. I’m sure lots thought I was truly losing my mind at times. Goodness knows I was in that category. Yes, tomorrow starts "hurricane season" here, but I will gladly take a hurricane over "May" again.

    Just so you can stop trying to figure out what was so bad in my life during the month of May (and  in case dementia strikes me sooner than I expect) here are just a couple of examples: death, potential death (yes, the day dh thought he was truly having a heart attack was a fun one) (that’s sarcastic) (sorta), hernias (J has to have surgery), boils on butts(that’s private), finals (ended up with a "B" in the class) ~boo hiss~, Jr League Banquet - (that actually somehow got pulled off quite nicely), baseball games 5 nights a week (peanuts anyone?) and on and on and on. My stress level was so high at one point, I actually had a very nice gay man tell me I need to take more soy to help my menopausal symptons. (I’m not making that one up, lol)

    Goodbye ugly month of May. May I never have to live through another like you - ever. And in case you haven’t picked up this tidbit from me before — be sure and tell the one(s) you love ~ I love you ~ You truly never know when that last time will come.

butterfly kisses to all 

Well, here I’ve gone and done it again. I’ve let 2 weeks go by before writing in my blog. Why ? Because I’ve been unbelievably busy. I’ve had people call and ask "did you get that email on such and such?" Uh, no. What’s email ? lol. If it hasn’t been extremely important in the last 2 weeks - it hasn’t gotten done.

Thank the good Lord above - my midterm is over. I’m not real sure what kind of grade I’m going to make. The longer I sit here, the more I think about "well, I should have written this down, etc". Oh, well. It’s water under the bridge, now. I’m just praying for an 85. That’s the lowest B and I will be more than thrilled. I will be celebrating on Wednesday if I make an 85. Bigtime celebrating.  I’m also prepared for the fact that I might not get an 85 and well, I’ll say I had a good attempt at graduate school, swallow my pride and move on in life. Blah, blah, blah.

I need sleep. I need fun. I need relaxation. Who wants to adopt me at their house for a weekend ? I’m ready to fly somewhere and just get away. <<<—- That’s a serious question. lol.  

J’s 5th bday was last Tuesday. She’s getting cuter by the day. More stubborn, too. We had her school friend birthday party this past Saturday and I must say that for as much as I stressed about it - it was a success. Enough said. I’m still not sure what to do regarding T’s bday.  

This afternoon is tennis for G, religion class for T, and a wonderful business meeting (Jr League) for myself. (I still haven’t looked at the million of emails I’m supposed to be reading. Ignorance is bliss) So, I’m back on a normal, crazy schedule again. I’m reentering my family today. I was pretty much a studying hermit all weekend.

On Thursday, I’ll be on a 3rd grade field trip to our State Capital and surrounding museums. Oh, 1 1/2 hours on a bus each way with 30 8-9 year olds will be fun. Right ? lol.

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts and well-wishes I’ve received. I truly appreciate them.  

We had a fried squirrel tonight. Not the edible kind with gravy on top, though.  We had a fried squirrel who decided to hide his nuts in our power line pole and he blew out the fuse. LOL. I know. It is horrible that I think it is funny but after some wine with no electricity it is funny. Sorry PETA people.

After 2 hours and 3 glasses of wine waiting for the Cleco truck to get here - he does. Cheers go up ! We were at my poor neighbor’s house. They had electricity (and wine). The "power man" (woohoo) steps out of his truck, shines a flashlight up, and says "yep, you got a squirrel." OMG. That was the funniest thing I’ve heard in a week. (Probably just the wine, whatever). He shines his light upon a furry, little squirrel hanging over the power line and the power man blames it on the people who put the lines up after Katrina. I wanted to say "at least they got me power" but fortunately for me I kept my mouth shut.
 

I’ve had the absolute busiest 4 days in a row that I possibly could have and I came home tonight to a completely dark, black house. Not fun. It reminded me way too much of Katrina. (please place this thought above the last paragraph. I’m blaming it on the wine)

If I wasn’t so tired right now I’d write and tell about all the fun, busy stuff that has kept me occupied. I’m just too tired. Guess I’m not.   Well, here are the highlights - dh won 1st place on his boat, I’ve been to 3 different kid parties, one really fun adult party(Jr League), one artsy adult party, watched LSU nerve-wrackingly lose yesterday, seen more boats than I care to, ate some really good food, spent a lot of money, and got a beatutiful pair of earrings. I think that about does it for the weekend. Whew. hehe. You know I’m happiest when I’m busiest.

I’m looking forward to a "marvelous Monday". I haven’t had one of those in a while. Where did my normal, boring, slow life go ? 

The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

© 1996 Linda Ellis

This was "read" at my Jr League meeting last night and I’ve thought about it ever since. It has really made me think about what I’m doing with my "dash".  

    What a huge milestone to reach - the 1st day of Kindergarten. My middle child crossed that bridge today. So did I. Have any idea how difficult it is to let your child go ? It is very hard, especially when the particular child is a mommy’s boy.  Before yesterday, I hadn’t been too impressed with the idea of my son going to Kindergarten. I was frustrated with the fact that he can count to a 1000 and has known his alphabet and sounds and shapes since he was 2. I was thinking "this is going to be such a waste of money and time".  That is until I read a letter that a friend wrote about her son going to Kindergarten. She talked about how as a mother you "have to let go" to let your child grow up and about how Kindergarten is so much more than the ABC’s and 123’s. Our children have to learn to carry their lunch trays and know their carline numbers and lunch PINs. She really made me stop and think. I realized that I had not been focusing on the big picture. I am, now. It made my walking away from my son this morning so much more memorable to me.

    I have a picture of me on my first day of Kindergarten. I am sitting on my father’s knee and I’ve got pigtails in my hair. There are not many pics at all of me during my childhood, but that one I do have. Because of that fact, "first day" pics are very important to me. So, with all of that out of the way, here are the 1st day of Kindergarten pics.

    Now to the sad parts of my post today. I got the call today that said they didn’t expect my grandfather to live very long at all. If he is still living in the morning, I am driving to see him. Also, today was the 30th anniversary of Elvis’ death and I always get so sad on this day. I know it is silly, but I can still live out the day, time, place where I heard that Elvis had died. Until the hurricane, I still had the little Daisy radio that I heard it on. I was 10 years old. The last sad news - tomorrow I get to drive again to a place I really don’t want to go , to sleep with someone I really don’t want to. LOL. Ah, Jr League, how I love thee. snorts. lol.

    Sleep well and kiss those who you love. 

    The kids and I had an absolutely wonderful day today. Wow. Tons of fun. Tons of water. Tons of climbing lots of stairs for the "scarey" waterslides. I got quite the workout today. I just loved this waterpark.  I also love that I am supporting an area that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

    On the way home, I saw the weirdest sight. Wow. Driving down the interstate. Doing just a tiny bit over the speed limit. I look at a car that has pulled onto the shoulder of the road. I look again. OMG. A woman has a boy 8 - 10 years old by his arm - spanking him with a leather belt. My mouth flew open. My brain registered shock. What in the heck do you do in that situation ? By the time it actually jived with me what has happening I was passed them. The traffic was crowded and everyone was cruising along. It wasn’t like you could just stop. Ugh. Such a weird thing. Guess I’ll have nightmares over that one tonigh. Blah.

    I had considered taking the kids to the pool tomorrow, but I think we’ll skip that. They need a day or so to get over all the sun they got today. I did line up a babysitter for a little while tomorrow. Woooohooooo. I’m going to have some me time.

    Oh yeah - all those letters( Jr League ) I had to get out - task accomplished. Whew !!! 

Baton Rogue is my favorite Louisiana city. I love it. I know that lots of people do not like how bad the traffic has become or how big the city has grown since Katrina, but I still love it. Obviously, my kids love it too. This morning, early-early morning, I was awakend by my eldest with "I’m dressed, mommy." It is pitch black dark and I squint to look at the clock and it reads 4:00am. Holy crap. 4 AM ? I politely told him to get back in bed and he proceeds to crawl into my bed fully dressed. Arghh. At least we got another 2 hours of sleep. lol.

I love spending time with my friend there. We can go months without seeing each other and pick up immediately where we left off the last time. I love it that she has so many schooling tips for me. I don’t know what I’d do without all of my teaching buddies. It is also nice to see another person not have perfect children. Woohoo. Didn’t make me feel so bad in regards to some of the not-so-stellar children’s behavior, today. . Now, I did have to stop my Godson from killing a tree frog. I have no idea what he was thinking. I love my little froggies. I guess my daughter got that part from me. 

I love my children. I love my life. I wish my house was lighter on the inside, but otherwise, I love it, too. I’m in a happy mood today. It’s been a terrific Tuesday in my book - despite the freaking storm that I had to drive back home in. Whew. Can’t say that part of my day was much fun. I’m exhausted now. My Jr League meeting tonight was a little longer than I was expecting. I’m headed to pass out.

Sleep tight.  

    You didn’t read that wrong. Today is really Friday. I’m just tired of Fridays. I’m starting a "Thank God It’s Monday" club. Even though it is summer my Fridays are still bringing on the craziness. Oh, but what fun craziness. hehe. Tonight is my sister’s babyshower. Tomorrow is my leadership day. (Jr League). Tomorrow afternoon and night is Cub Scouts crap with the Zephers. Of course, then there is Mass on Sunday morning and maybe on Sunday afternoon I might actually do some laundry and cleaning. Joy.

    This morning I went and worked out with my friend. If it hadn’t been for her, I would not have been at the gym. Lol. I’m trying to get back on the bandwagon. Aiming for 4 days at the gym next week. One day I’m in Baton Rouge. Woohoo. My favorite Louisiana city.

    Remember, TGIF stands for "Toes Goes In First" in my book.

Peace out. Have a great weekend.  

I’ve never owned a "little black book" before. I may go purchase one now, though. I’ve never been so happy in all of my life to get addresses and phone numbers and emails for people. Woohoo. I only need about 6 more contact information thingies and I’m all set. What a relief. (for the Jr League stuff)

Now, what exactly constitutes plagiarism ? Just how many words does one need to change so that it isn’t plagiarism ? How many copied words does it take to constitute plagiarism ? Why am I so concerned ? Cause I plan on doing some much needed "copying". Contact letters. I’m going to change all the pertinent info, but I’m sure going to use them as "guidelines". That’s a good word. I’m using them as guidelines. Have you noticed that I just might be losing my mind lately ?

Hmm, 7 chapters to read tonight. On kindness. I bet I’ll end up taking this class a 2nd time. LOL.  My hair looks nicer. She cut too much off. Supposedly, I have hair that grows quickly. Yea, whatever. I prefer my hair longer. I prefer my body to be skinnier. Anybody have a free genie ?

Peace out.  

    I’ve got a little black cloud hanging over my head. Egads. I can’t wait till it’s gone. I used to think that I might want to go back to school. Nope. Screw that idea. LOL. I’m too old. Much too lazy to be writing papers and letters and crap. I’m too lazy to wrap gifts. Why on earth would someone think I’d want to write stuff - for free ? Okay, I’m shutting up with the whine. Got any cheese with that whine ?

    I’m still not back into a routine. I’m getting to the point in my life that I would rather just stay home. When I go away it seems to take me a solid week just to get back into the groove of things. Yes, I know I’m weird. I also know I’m not the only person who feels this way. Once I get my routine going then I’m okay. Having this black cloud (and dirty floors) over (and under) me are driving me crazy. sighs.

     I’m getting my hair done tomorrow. Thank the good lord for whoever invented hair dye. Just call me "Elvira". LOL.

Peace out. Night night. 

Today was a different day. I really enjoyed tennis. So much better than last Monday. It was quite unusual, though. Out of the blue, dh showed up to watch. hmmmm. Tomorrow ought to be real fun playing tennis. Holy moly. I watched the girls we are going to play against for a little while today. There were times when the opposing team could not even get their raquet on their serves. Fun times to be had tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.

Other than my fun at tennis, the rest of the day has been sorta sad. One of our neighbors’ relatives was killed in a car wreck. 17 years old. They are all so sad. Asked me if I could help them out a bit. Tomorrow is the anniversary of my father’s death. I’m always sad around this time. Blechy. I miss him.

I did decide that some of the work I’m supposed to be doing for Jr League can wait till I get back from the beach. It felt good to make that decision. LOL. And that’s about it for my day.

    Yes, I’m back home. I can not wait to sleep in my own bed. That’s going to be like heaven. The last 2 nights I have "slept" on the couch in the downstairs level of the condo. The first night it was pretty dang hot. The AC unit had no freon (spelling?) in it. Last night, the neighboring condo stayed up swapping stories, laughing, swilling beer and keeping me awake most of the night. I figure I got maybe 7 hours of sleep between the two nights.

    At the end of the last meeting today, we had to say one word that described how we felt regarding the board and our weekend. I used the word "connected". So, because of how I described the retreat I would say that is "Mission Accomplished". We had meetings all except for 2 hours of free time and the couple of hours we slept and we had a leadership team come in and do leadership training. Supposedly, I will know how to run a non-profit organization by the time all of my training is done. I must say that I really enjoy the learning aspect to all of this.

    I’ve been nominated for a position with the International Junior League and if by some chance I am actually accepted I will get to fly to New York City (all expenses paid by them) quarterly. Woohoo. I think I’d really like that. I’m finally getting to the stage in my life where I feel okay regarding leaving my children with dh.  I do know that yesterday, my little golden-haired boy was crying for his mommy and that broke my heart, but he did manage to make it okay without me. I only called home one time a day, too. That’s pretty darn good for me.

    Anyways, I really enjoyed connecting with the other board members. I liked that I learned exactly what is required of me. I like it that I’m back home and going to play tennis on my "Marvelous Monday". Saying cheers and yells and chants over here for a pretty normal Marvelous Monday.

Sleep tight all. You’re going to hear me snore tonight when I pass out. Peace out.  

Lack of control in any situation in my life makes me crazy. I wish I knew how to handle this area in my life a lot differently.  I’m going to be doing lots of praying this weekend.

I hope my son’s baseball team wins the tournament this weekend. Even if they don’t - they’ve done an excellent job.

I’m off to do my presentation and sleep somewhere that I really don’t want to. LOL.

Peace out, Babycakes.  

    Tonight at my eldest son’s baseball game (they won !) my princess daughter caught a toad. I tried to talk her into letting it go back to its family. I told her how sad it would be to be taken away from his home. Those excuses didn’t fly. All I got were HUGE tears and hiccuping sobs while she was proclaiming "but he is my pet, mommy" and then she proceeds to kiss the toad. Ewwwwwwwwwwww. Gag. Everyone around laughed. There was no way I could make her put the toad down. I dumped out my favorite Tervis Tumbler (sorry, L) and let her deposit her newfound prince-in-toad’s-skin pet. Yes, I will be scalding my favorite cup, but what else could a mommy do ? I have 2 sons who wouldn’t pick up a frog if you paid them and a daughter who won’t put one down. LOL. I really wanted a princess.   

    I got my presentation ready for tomorrow night( Jr League ). I learned that they are putting names in a hat and drawing out sleeping partners. That is such a NO GO with me. Not going to happen. Not enough money. Nope. I’m going to be sleeping on the floor and taking Aleve all weekend. Incase you’re wondering, yes, I think Aleve is a miracle drug.

    One more day of VBS. Woohoo. Next week is going to be a normal week for me. I can’t wait. Tennis, working out and possibly sushi - here I come.

Night, night all. (and La Quinta is Spanish for roaches).