Saturday, August 20, 2011

7 Quick Takes Friday (Saturday), Vol 5


1.  Well, the first full week of school is over!  We got through it, but I am exhausted....and I mean that with every bit of sincerity I can muster!  Because we've put them back in school, my work schedule has changed.  Instead of working three 8 hour days, I'm working four 6 hour days.  This may seem insignificant to some....but, trust me, this does major damage to the psyche!  In addition to that, I have to deal with the car line twice a day now.  Previously, Dan would take them to school and then I would pick them up.  Now, I'm doing both!  Our parish school is located directly next door to the church and to the local Catholic high school...and on a major street!  Can you say "TRAFFIC JAM"!  Thankfully, I've been able to find some patience lurking around inside of me and I've managed to not blow a gasket even though it's obvious that some of these parents have no brain!

2.  The last few years (including our one homeschooling year), Nathan has played soccer and basketball.  Since we couldn't afford for all three of them to do sports, the girls had to support their brother and just watch.  This year, the girls are going to play soccer and Nathan will sit out.  They are very excited!  I'm just hoping that their practices are on the same day.  In addition to the tuition, school supplies and uniforms.....soccer was $70.....EACH!  Sigh.

3.  We are going to allow Nathan to do Scouts!  I hesitated because of the expense and the commitment, but this is something he's wanted to do for several years.  He was a Tiger Scout at one time, but it didn't work out.  At that time, it was one of the most disorganized groups I had ever seen.  The leadership was awful.  Things have changed significantly since then, and I think it will be a much better experience for everyone.  He will be a Webelo.

4.  As if I don't have enough to keep me busy....I'm also going to start a Little Flowers Girls Club with Amelia and her classmates!  I have to get permission from our pastor and the principal first.  Fr. Fred had agreed to allow me to do this several years ago...but then I ended up dealing with breast cancer and all that comes along with that.  As it turns out, I think Amelia was a little too immature for the program and so as it turns out, I think she is much more ready now.  I'm still trying to figure out which classes we should offer the program to....there are 3 Kindergarten classes, 3 1st Grades and 3 2nd Grades.  That could potentially be A LOT of little girls.  Because Olivia is in Kindergarten and because she is Amelia's little sister and will have to be everywhere with me....she will have to be involved and I don't know how that will look...for her to be there and then not opening it up to all Kindergarten through 2nd grade.  If any of you have any experience with LFGC, please contact me and share you thoughts on this.  Thanks.

5.  Last night the kids were visiting some friends and so Dan and I had a night out.  Since I'm doing Weight Watchers (lost almost 18 lbs already!!!), I ate a salad at home first and then we stopped at Cracker Barrel.  Dan had dinner but I had dessert and some coffee!  Then we went to Redbox and got a movie.  We decided on The Conspirator since this is a movie that we've wanted to see and one that would probably not be appropriate for the little ones.  When we got home, Dan switched on the "surround sound" (what is it with men and the need for movies to be so LOUD?).  Since our bird's cage sits on top of the entertainment center, Dan decided to move the bird to Nathan's room (mistake #1) because he thought the loud noise might bother the bird.  He set the cage on Nathan's desk (mistake #2) which is considerably lower than the top of the entertainment center.  We also didn't close Nathan's door (mistake #3) because the kitten's litter box is in there.  We decided to NOT close the cat up in Nathan's room...for obvious reasons.  But, we figured that since the cat was asleep on the chair in the living room....everything would be OK (mistake #4).  When the movie was over...Dan and I went to bed and totally forgot (mistake #5) about the bird.  Everything was fine over night.  HOWEVER, this morning while drinking my first cup of coffee, I heard a LOUD CRASH coming from Nathan's room.  When I got there....the bird cage was laying on the floor....bird seed EVERYWHERE...the bird was hanging on for dear life UPSIDE DOWN and the cat was sitting on top of the cage, staring VERY INTENTLY at the bird!  This was not good!  It took me about an hour to get everything cleaned up, the bird cage fixed (it broke), the bird calmed down and the cat fed (cat food) so she would quit licking her chops as she stared at the bird!  THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE!  Imagine how Nathan would feel when he came home from his sleep over to find his bird had been eaten by his cat.  The moral of this story is.....If you have a bird and a cat living in the same house....DO NOT get distracted by watching a movie with your husband for the first time in months and thereby letting the cat play with the bird!!!  (P.S....the movie was really good!)


6.  Today is the wedding day of a very close friend in California.  This is one of the reasons why it is so hard to live far away from the place where I grew up.  I won't be able to be with them today to share this special day.  Congratulations Paul and Dana!  May God bless you and give you many, many happy years together!  I love you!

7.  So far, I do not like ANY of the Republican candidates for president and the current Democratic choice is NOT ACCEPTABLE at all for another term.  So tell me, what's a conservative, Catholic, Republican mom of 3 to do?  Pray, Pray and Pray some more!

That's it for this week.  Join Jen at Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nancy-I loved this update! I think we need a phone call soon!!! I agree with you on the candidates...Obviously I will vote repub regardless of who it is, because the other choice is unacceptable. Still praying my man Paul Ryan throws his hat in! Miss you! :)

Michelle said...

As a fellow conservative, Catholic, Republican mom... I donated to Ron Paul today.

Please update on the LFG! My daughter is not even one yet, but I already know that I don't want her in Girl Scouts. I'd love for my boys to join Boy Scouts, but I'm trying to find a good girls' group, too.

Frizzy said...

Loved the update and chuckled when you said the cat had eaten (cat food) or something like that.

Monday, Yaya starts school and I am NOT looking forward to the whole drop off and pick up system at the new school where she'll be attending kinder. UGH!

Kara said...

Haha, I hear you on number 1! It was horrible the first week of school here too. My daughter also goes to Catholic school and it's so hard to deal with that traffic, especially when it's 110 out and your AC stops working when the car idles. It took eme an average 45 mins to pick her up the first week of school AGH!!! Hope it gets better next week, as it has for us.

Judy Dudich said...

18 pounds?!? WOW WEE WOW WOW! GOOD FOR YOU! That's WONDERFUL!
You've had a quite a week but seem to be handling it all with much grace:) Glad you and hubby had a date night and glad the bird is ok~
::wipes forehead with relief::

I am doing LF with four of my girls this year too! We had been a part of a group some years ago...so we'll be finishing our wreathes...and then starting from scratch with Mary Clare and Sarah:)

Gracie and Mary Helen are also staring another club: JMJ Girls Club for some of their friends. They've designed it and have handled all communications/invitations etc. So neat to watch them develop their skills:)

Much love to you and I'm so proud of you...you are doing such a great job on all fronts!