Weekend Wrap... Again...

Why do these weekends always have to end? I mean... seriously? It's not right.... I do need at least one more day to recover and rest!
There was little to no sleeping in this weekend. That Man and K4 were up early Saturday to head into the woods to work on K4's future wheels. (her uncle is giving her an old truck that will take until she's ready for her driver's test to be road worthy. Very cool! But oy!) K3 had rehearsal. They all left too early. My sleeping in did not happen as I was on puppy duty.
But, Saturday was my writing group meeting. It was very awesome, per usual. We had an awesome and very funny speaker and I had a call from our retreat location while there, so was able to finalize plans and stuff. 10 days!
K1, J, and Baby B were here when I got home. We had a very nice dinner with them. K1 works the night shift so we don't get to see him often. And we miss him. It was good to just hang out and talk and laugh (and have Baby B time).
Today was also getting up too early to make sure the puppy didn't do anything rude, grocery shopping, laundry (oy), yard work, Internet shopping, homework wrangling, supervising room clean up, housework, writing, and cooking.
I did the grocery shopping alone, which is kind of weird since That Man and I have been doing it together for a couple of months now. I saved nearly $20. in coupons though (which I would have done if he were with me, so that really is just a bonus)
Tomorrow's dinner is mostly ready. Some things need chopped and the meat needs reheated, but for the most part we'll eat at a semi decent time. And the menu is set for the week, which should mean no mid-week shopping trips.
I decided against going to the stores for the comfy pants, etc I need for retreat and ordered the stuff online. (I have no comfy pants or pj's at this point... my comfy pants consist of a pair of way too big sweats from the 80's with a reindeer on the leg... Yeah...and my pj pants are falling apart) And I got socks! Though I'm kind of pissed that the one thing I ordered won't be here until JUNE! But then I finished the retreat shopping via Amazon. Gotta love it.
I have a list of stuff that needs to be finished before retreat, but I'm on it. I have 10 days! In that 10 days, I have a whole bunch of other stuff that also needs my attention and toiletries to purchase, but I'm good. One of those days will be spent hanging out with my kid in NYC and watching Cinderella on Broadway. I'm really looking forward to that.
Next weekend will be watching my big brother graduate, partying with him, and then hopefully partying the neighbors (K2's bff is also graduating. From the same school as my big bro), then for Mom's day we are having everyone here for hanging out and frivolity.
Another crazy weekend...
It does not ever end... and I don't think I want it to.
Ha!
Behave!!

Weekend Wrap Up

So apparently I didn't end up with any kind of sinus infection... at least not that I can tell at this moment. I'm still fighting this crud, but it's not as bad as it was on Friday.
This weekend has been crazy! But way too much fun...
Saturday - K4 and I went on a run for shorts and bras, then did the grocery shopping. (That Man and I went to the store again later) When we got home we helped with the yard work. She did homework, then we all went to K2 and J's house for dinner. We had a blast! We ate tacos, talked, laughed, and played a really fun game that had us all laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. It was very good.
Today - That Man and I dropped the van off at our mechanics because it sucks and won't stay running. Damn. We stopped at a friend's house to pick up a computer he generously offered us. That's a lifesaver. Now I don't have to give up mine for homework and can finally get some writing done. We came home and finished cleaning up, sent K3 and K4 to get gas and to the store (again... really?). Then, the family came over for a cookout and to celebrate our parents anniversary. Their anniversary is really on Tuesday, but this was the perfect day to get together. The weather was beautiful. We grilled, talked, laughed, and my puppy got to play with my niece's puppy. They wore each other out, which is a very good thing. Elsa is so tired and snoring on the floor. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. We definitely need to do this more often!
Oh wait... we will. Next weekend at Easter.
I did a little writing. Not enough to catch up with myself, but some. My feet are still hurting and I have to be on them again all day tomorrow. I still have laundry to do and I still have teenagers in my house. But I need to go to sleep, because that sleep thing... It didn't happen too much this weekend. Ha!
Behave!

Gearing Up For Monday

Again!
I'm really okay with it! I do very much enjoy my new job, but I'm still so tired! I even took a nap today!
It's been a pretty productive Sunday around here! I finished our taxes...all that's left is the check writing! UGH!!!
I paid bills, too. Also UGH!
We're in blast mode in my writing group, so I hosted a blast this morning and met my daily word goal. I missed the second blast due to kids needing my laptop for homework...
Laundry is done. The house is semi-decent.
I made taco soup for dinner.
That Man and I hit the gym. (Our set up in the basement)
And played the puppy out.
But...
I didn't get everything on my to do list done... dang! Though I did try! It was really nice to just relax at home for a change! I didn't even change out of my Jammies! Also we went from the stomach flu to the cold flu... K3 had the stomach flu and K4 has the cold... Erg! I really hope I get neither!!
I know. Lame post!
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up...

Technically, the K's and I have one more day off to enjoy, but since it's Sunday...
Our weekend has been pretty darned good. Friday night That Man and I went to pick up his new (used) car. He found a VW Jetta - diesel - which he has always wanted. The price was awesome and it was too good of a deal with pass up. It's a cool little car. I've yet to drive it though. He loves it and is so happy! We had lots of company to see Elsa and homemade subs for dinner (Just J and I. No one else was hungry). K3 had a school dance and had a blast. The teenagers went to the local smoothie place to hang out after K3 returned, which was good and a lot of fun for them. Baby B was back and his momma and I hung out and talked a lot, which was also good and fun. My sister stopped by, too. S ended up spending the night since it was past our state's driving curfew for the under 18 set. It was snowing, so That Man had to leave to plow and salt. We were up way late (2am), and then I was up way early (6am) with the puppy and to make sure S got on the road to work. That Man didn't get home until almost 8 am. We napped several times Saturday.
We took Elsa with us to run the title for the clown car to our mechanic friend who will be junking the car for us. Their big dog was not too sure about this little squirmy thing and tried to eat her tail. (He wasn't mean, just worrisome and he didn't hurt her at all.) Their little old terrier loved Elsa. A little "too much". Oy. He was funny though and Elsa had fun running around and playing with him. When we returned home K1, J, and Baby B were here. So was my niece's boyfriend / K3's best friend, J (we have a lot of J's in this family). S came over after work and so did her parents. Our neighbor and her son stopped over, too. We had an awesome dinner of fish with mango salsa and guacamole, rice, and two different vegetables - dairy and fat free and vegan friendly, which S and K3 appreciated. The mango salsa and guac were awesome and didn't last long.
We watched movies, played with Elsa, had a few adult beverages, talked, and had a blast.
Today was similar. That Man got up with Elsa. Nice! I slept until a little after 8! That Man ran some errands while I played with the baby and tried to bring up the checkbook / take care of emails. Shortly after he returned, my folks stopped by to meet their new grand dog. That was nice and we had a good time visiting. We then hit the grocery store leaving the K's in charge of Elsa. They did a great job making sure she was properly pottied and loved. After that, we met K1 and J to pick up Baby B so they could go look at a potential new home. Baby B was a riot. He's so stinking cute with his waving and love of Elsa. If he doesn't want her near, he'll push her away. My brother-in-law's mom stopped by (honorary grandparent to my kids and very awesome lady) to drop off a "break a leg" line for K3's musical and to meet Elsa.
I really wanted to take a nap, but that didn't happen. We made chili, but That Man accidentally put too much hot sauce in it and as much as I love hot sauce, it was too much for me. Now we're hanging - watching stupid TV and laughing at the puppy.
Tomorrow I hope to sleep in at least a little. And IT'S RELEASE DAY!! YAY!!  I will also look for jobs, write, clean, do laundry, and prepare for a night out with the BFF's.
I'll be on The Whole Shebang site tomorrow. Come over and see!
Behave!

Weekend End...

Baby B's birthday party went off without a hitch. The house was full of people, food, and presents. Baby B's grandma from up north made the trip to see him, which was cool. She doesn't get to see him often, so it was good to see them together. He loved his presents, and his cake. Then he crashed since he'd refused to take a nap before the party started.
Of course, we had to run towards the end of the party - leaving most of the guests behind. Some went with us to K3's midyear performance for school. (Unfortunately, rescheduled for the same day) It was awesome! Those kids are so talented.
Earlier in the day, we headed up to see our new baby, Elsa. She's bigger and such a love. She snuggled up into my neck and just settled in. Two weeks until we can bring her home.
Today we found a sensational deal on what we'd originally ordered the kids for Christmas. Better price and better product. That Man and I went out to get them, not telling the kids what we were doing. They were very surprised and pleased when we returned. Even though it was a frustrating disappointment, it turned out well. Thank goodness.
Other than that, today was rest day. That Man and I took a walk, made dinner, I worked on galleys, and took a nap, but other than that...
And tomorrow is Monday again. Blah.
Behave!

Ugly Sweater Head....

We had our First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party tonight... It was low key due to funds. We weren't able to invite as many people as we would have liked. It was family this time! We're hoping next year is way better! (So if you didn't get invited, you most likely will next time!) It's going to be a tradition! Because... We had a blast!

This is That Man's Ugly Sweater Head... He and K4 had this secret scheme cooked up shortly after we decided to have this party. They went shopping for paints Friday night - hiding the whole process from me because it was a surprise. I died laughing. K4 did such a good job painting this ugly sweater on her dad's head. Yes. His head is shaved to look like male pattern baldness. It was epic!
There was a lot of food. A lot of good food. Not much booze, which was absolutely fine. (it was byob and it's Sunday night. Most people have to work tomorrow!)
The winners of the Ugliest Sweater Contest were divided into several groups.... Cutest. Most Creative. Ugliest, New Category.
My niece's boyfriend went all out. He had a really ugly sweater that included battery operated lights. He won first prize. My not-biological sister's (but should be) boyfriend won for most creative. My adorable grandson won for cutest with his elephant sweater that included a trunk and a tail. The new category was created by my awesome brother-in-law who showed up looking like an identical copy of Eddie from Christmas Vacation. Perfect and AWESOME!! (I would post the picture, but my phone is not dropping photos to iCloud like it's supposed to and I can't access the pictures! Something is wrong with my new iPhone! Yikes!)
Besides the ugly sweaters, we had a ton of fun! A ton!
I can't believe Christmas is in less than three days! That Man and I had a blast yesterday during our day mostly alone in honor of our 27th anniversary. We had K5 in the am...for breakfast and shopping for her momma - which has been our tradition with her. K5 wanted to buy her mom a razor to shave her face! LOL! Silly and no, S does not need to ever shave her face. K5 found some good and some silly gifts after not eating the pancake she was dying for... We had a snowball fight, a lot of selfies, Great-grandma visiting, pretending we were sleeping, bunny slippers, plan making, and fun. God. I love that kid. So much.
After we dropped K5 off, That Man and I tackled our immense shopping list while K1 & J took the younger K's home with them (because they are awesome!). And we got the shopping done, except for two things... Two things that are stressing me out! I hope to take care of that stress tomorrow!
Other than that, we're ready. Presents are purchased (even though some might not make it under the tree in time! Dammit!) We took care of the wrapping and had a fantastic day alone with Chinese food, adult beverages, watching movies that were then wrapped and put under the tree! LOL! I missed being with him like that! It was so good! We slept in this morning, cleaned, grocery shopped from now until Christmas, cooked, and laughed a whole hell of a lot.
So... It was a good weekend!
I hope your pre-Christmas weekend was good as well!
Behave!!

Weekend Update

1. K3's play was spectacular! The cast & crew did a phenomenal job. The set, lighting, sound, and props we perfect. The cast did a terrific job. Those kids work so well together! And of course, K3, as the lead, was incredible. (Yes, I'm a proud momma, but it's true!) He had an immense amount of lines to learn and was in nearly every scene. And he had a blast.
I went Thursday and Friday and the show was equally awesome both nights. That man went all three nights (I kept Baby B last night so K1 & J could go), and said each night was unique, but great!
Tomorrow he auditions for the next one... K4 may as well. It's for our local small theater.

2. Moving! K1 & J moved into their apartment over the weekend. I'm so proud of them for pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and getting done what needed to get done so they could be their own family in their own home. Their new place is adorable and nice. Baby B has his own room for the first time ever. The only downside to the place is that there are no closets, but the carpets are new and it's a safe place for Baby B.

3. Getting random texts from K2 & J from Boston. J had a conference to attend for work. They're having a blast.

4. Since I must now watch every penny, I have decided to become a master couponer. I saved $16.00 on today's weekly trip ($29.00 if you count my 22# free turkey!) and I only forgot one thing.

There you have it.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Weekend Edition

Yeah, I know it's late on Sunday....
It's been quite a weekend around here. Busy and fun!
Here's the list!
1. Writing time. I've had to fight for it, but I win!
2. Not cooking Friday night! Yay for delivery and stuffs...
3. Revisions done and sent!
4. Renn Faire on Saturday. Very, very cool day! We had a blast!
5. Chilling with the younger K's and a lot of comedy videos Saturday night!
6. Sleeping in times two!
8. Laundry and grocery shopping done!
9. Meeting up with a very dear friend (and her daughter) on Saturday and getting to meet our dear friend's new man. Very fantastic to see her and he was very awesome. We are so glad for her! (Yes, they work at the Renn Faire!)
10. Managing... Because sometimes that's all you can do...
And in a few hours the week begins again... Oy! I know I'm not ready, but what can I do? (Can I get a rewind?)
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...On Saturday

It's Friday! (Okay, now it's Saturday! Somehow I didn't post this last night!)
Here's the list:
1. Friday! Yay! Thank you!
2. Sleeping in tomorrow!
3. Tacos for dinner and Captain Morgan! (much needed that Captain)!
4. Talking to my sister. (until my phone died and it's still not charging!)
5. Watching 80's movies!
6. The work week being over! Oy for having to do my job, plus 1.5 more! I've been doing it for over a month now, and have no idea how much longer I will have to! It's wearing me down!!
7. Making progress with the writing! I am! It's good!
8. Missing K3. I miss him a whole lot. But I know he's having the best experience ever and that is awesome! It doesn't help that he comes home, then leaves right away again!
Saturday's List:
1. Hanging out with That Man.
2. Helping paint really cool medieval flags for summer camp.
3. Finding a really cool picture K4 drew for me on my computer this morning!
4. Writing time ahead.
5. K5 tomorrow!
6. K3 coming home tomorrow - even if it's short!
7. Talking to my other sister!!
8. The flowers for the wedding bouquets arriving and being prettier than I thought they'd be. Ready to put the bouquets together now!
9. Sleeping in this morning!
10. Iced Coffee!
That's all for now!
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Back to the day job tomorrow! Ugh! I don't wanna!
The sleeping in was fantastic, even though I didn't get to sleep in today. The reason was good - we kept our grandson while K1 & J worked - and man, I'd forgotten how much work is involved in taking care of a 5 month old. I'm tired!
Yesterday was spent fixing our fence, painting the picnic table, car maintenance, and working on wedding stuff. We didn't get very far with the wedding stuff, but we at least have a plan, and most of what we need to get started. Time is really ticking by pretty fast. Luckily, the big job is one that doesn't require more than Bob and I do finish, and the other job is the flowers, which is my job and one I look forward to (once I figure out what she wants).
Food - I made the family's favorite Sweet and Sour chicken with mushroom fried rice for dinner last night. Tonight was fish taco's.
Writing - I got a little bit done last night. Am heading there next and hope to make some good word count tonight.
The upcoming week - meetings, K3's rehearsal, K5's birthday, my sister's birthday, appointments, paperwork for the art's school, withdrawing K3 from high school. Fun, but busy stuff.
That is all...
Behave!

Wah! The Weekend is Over...

...Or, you know, almost... There are mere hours left!
The Scout dinner went really well. We sold a ton of tickets and were stepping in the kitchen - dishing up spaghetti and sauce, washing dishes, laughing like hyenas at stupid stuff. It was fun. A lot of fun, but, dang, I am still tired. We didn't get home until almost 11pm, didn't go to bed until almost 2am. (Why is there always laundry to do? And other stuff to catch up on? And there was the debriefing since That Man and I were in completely different positions all day and didn't get a chance to talk!)
The good thing is that I got to see my grandson all day! Of course, I was so busy I barely got to hold him, (I did get some good baby time in before we had to leave. He is so stinking cute... cooing at me!) but I loved that my mother-in-law got to hold him for the first time (they've been on mostly lock down due to the flu and the fact that Baby B was early), and that my niece and brother's family got to finally meet him. And that my mom, even though she kept saying she didn't help with the dinner much, took baby duty while we were crazy busy trying to clean up (huge help). Also, I loved showing him off to my friends!
I slept in this morning. Until after 10. Which was not enough even though it was 8 hours. Had to make dip, run to the store for gluten free crackers, pick up K4, get gas, and then rush to a Daytona 500 party at our friends. We got a dog fix, which was much needed and hung out with friends who are super cool and that we don't see enough of.
Now we're home and I need to write!
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday - The I Suck Edition

I meant to blog this past week! I did! But it just never happened... It was a crazy week, for sure! Anyway... Let's hit the highlights!
1. Grandkid day! Got to see K5 all day. She is so smart and silly. Got to see Baby B this evening. He's getting so big and was actually awake for quite a while!
2. Dinner with all of my kiddos. (that included cramming 5 of us into the clown car and driving up hills and on winding roads) (The 'burban is out of commission at the moment. Quite possibly out of commission forever...)
3. A good Saturday - sleeping in, bagels with my girls, picking up wedding dresses, movie time with the bff, chinese food for dinner, excellent conversations with K4, getting in two missed episodes of Supernatural (I'm still behind!), going out to see my b-i-l's band and a bunch of friends. (Also, getting told I'm sexy by a total stranger - even though it made me laugh. Seriously? Not.)
4. A bunch of really good dinners last week.
5. Writing time - though that hasn't happened yet this weekend.
That's all for now!
Behave!

Sunday Recap...

Today was cooking day. I don't know why... because I felt like it, because it's been so long since I've had the chance, because I wanted to...
I slept later than expected (like for ten hours straight), clipped coupons, and headed to the store. I only needed a few things, but ended up spending almost $60. (I saved $10 though)!
1. The homemade coffee creamer was excellent. I added the raspberry puree left over from yesterday's breakfast and it was so much better. (Plus, no chemicals and very little sugar)
2. The breakfast burritos are in the freezer. The kids are excited about them.
3. The avocado chicken salad is on hold due to not ripe avocados. Everything else is ready.
4. I made crockpot cashew chicken for dinner. The recipe needs tweaked, but it was kind of okay. (Everyone else loved it. I was disappointed.) Not sweet enough, not enough liquid, a little too salty (that could be me) though I followed the recipe. I added portabella mushrooms at the end. I should have added the broccoli, too, but there wasn't enough liquid. I'll try it again, but with modifications.
5. Tomorrow's dinner is ready to go. It'll be put in the crockpot in the morning.
Laundry is done. The house is in decent shape. I even put the Christmas dishes away and organized under the bathroom sink.
I'm not looking forward to the regular grind tomorrow brings, especially since I saw we're supposed to have a "wintry mix".
I'm going detox tomorrow - no diet soda, no booze, limited caffeine, nothing prepackaged or manufactured - a modified system tailored to my personal findings. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm excited about it because I hope to give my metabolism a boost and begin getting rid of the last of the tonnage I want to shed. Less than 8 months until the wedding, and I need to rock my mother-of-the-bride dress. Also, I need new clothes and refuse to buy them until I'm at my goal weight.
And now... I must make some serious writing progress. I have a few hundred words so far, but that's not enough...
Behave!

Dear...

Dear Baby B,
You are so beautiful and perfect and tiny! I am so thankful I've been able to see you every day of your life so far! (I know tomorrow will be different, but we'll see you again soon!) You are such a blessing and we cannot wait to watch you grow. You are very loved.

Dear K2,
Wedding planning is upon us! I'm excited! Dress shopping is first, then all of the crafting! It's going to be a blast!

Dear Idiot Neighbors,
It's bad enough that you think it's funny to park right in front of my house when there's an open space in front of yours. (You are a jerk) (Though how did you like it when I thwarted you on Thursday? While you were trying to park in front of my house? Ha!) But when you decide to go somewhere at 6am on Saturday, and get into a screaming match with each other... in front of my house... Well, my opinion of you has dropped even lower and I'm not sure that's possible. Move already!

Dear Waterbed,
Did you have to blow a seam on an insanely busy day? Did you have to cost us so much cash to fix you, and why are you not warm enough to sleep on yet? (We averted disaster though, which is always a good thing. But, Oy!)

Dear Mother-in-law,
I am so happy you are now living in a place you can thrive! You have activities, transportation, people your age (and one of the bff's mothers right next door! How cool is that?), a very cute apartment, and lots of closets! You are happier than I have seen you in many years, and I am so excited for you! But I will miss you being our neighbor! You lived behind us for so long, it's already weird that you're not here! (And I still am jealous of your awesome little crockpot!)

Dear Saturday,
Enough already! We're done! Moving, unpacking, organizing, and making sure the m-i-l had everything important handy, teenagers in the car, unfortunate scheduling for learner's permit (dang. next week), phone calls to find a new waterbed mattress, draining the leaky one, trying to do laundry, buying stupid expensive waterbed stuff, grocery shopping, new mattress set up, cooking dinner for the new parents and the m-i-l, drained hot water heaters, empty gas tanks, dropping K3 at the theater for a movie with friends only to get a call that he said the wrong theater and we had to backtrack to pick him up to take him to the right one, emergency stops for the d-i-l, baby holding, baby crying, crazy cats (K1's -  that cat is psycho!) heavy fog, idiot drivers, the bed being too cold to sleep on, dirty dishes, laundry, hurting feet, hurting knees, waiting for the kid to come out of the movie theater, stink bugs, stupid zits, drained bank account... Oh seriously!?
Oh wait... Saturday is over! Yay! I'm sleeping in! And writing! And doing laundry! Yay me!! Why do I always need a weekend to recover from my weekend?
Behave!

Christmas Partying...

Tonight we had my day job Christmas gathering.
We met for an awesome buffet dinner in a private room with much good conversation. Then, we moved over to see a play. There's a local theater in our area - I've been there once, but not for a play. The grounds are gorgeous and the history of the estate is very intriguing. That Man got a tour of some of the cool aspects of the dinner house. We tried their world famous sticky buns, and stuffed ourselves to the gills with shrimp, salad, chicken, grilled veges, prime rib, and ice cream.
The play was fantastic. Set in the 1940's during World War II - it was full of singing, dancing, and romance. I (of course) loved it and I think everyone else did, too.
We were supposed to go for drinks afterwards, but that fell through. It's okay, because my heels were killing me like you would not believe. I'm trying to remember the last time I wore heels and I can't... My feet still hurt. The closest I get is my clogs and they're not that high. I'm glad I didn't wear the shoes loaned to me by one of my co-workers... I got a nosebleed when I put them on. Yes, they are that high. Given the rain and the fact that they're open-toed and I'd neglected to by nylons, I decided not to wear them. Thank goodness. I love me some girlie high heels though...
Anyway. It was a good night. I could use another weekend day...
That is all...
Behave!

Saturday...

Today has been an interesting day...
First up was my writing group's annual holiday party... What a blast! Tons of food (I'm still full), much good conversation and relaxing with my friends. We do an annual gift exchange - if you bring one, you grab one - and I got a very cool holiday mug and an Amazon gift card. Nice!
I had to leave a little early because we had a very important arrival due at the house. As soon as she stops hiding, I will post a picture of our new family member - Spenser - our adopted kitty. She's seven and was reluctantly given up by a wonderful couple who had no choice. She's very pretty - a tortoise-shell calico - and I'm excited to get to know her. She's been hiding under our bed for hours now. The last time I checked on her, she came out and got a quick pet, but ran back under. I'm hoping she comes out soon.
Then, we picked out our Christmas Tree. It's still tied to the top of my truck. Maybe we'll work on it tomorrow, maybe not... But it'll be up soon. I'd wanted to have a decorating party this year, but I don't think that's going to happen. Our schedule is just too tight with the scout tree sale, kid school performances, and other obligations.
K4 and I went to see K2 at her 3rd job. A frozen yogurt place. That was the first time I'd been there and I'm  hooked. It was so good. (and took the place of my dinner since I couldn't bring myself to shove any more food into my stomach after the holiday party)
Grocery store was next - even though I was just there last night. Oy! Now laundry, contemplating getting the Christmas dishes out and set up in the hutch. And trying to figure out tomorrow's schedule... We'll have K5 for a little while tomorrow. I'm so excited to see her.
Behave!

Fun Stuff...

Today the crew went to the Ren Faire for my niece's 21st birthday. 20 of us in 5 cars and all super excited. That man and I hadn't been since K2 was 3 or 4 (we used to go several times a season). K3 had only been once with school, and K4 had never been there. I was so excited for them to go and thrilled that they loved it so much.
The kids took off to spend their money with instructions to meet us at the jail at a specific time so we could decide on lunch. Most of us walked around, checking stuff out, tasting wine, drinking hot mulled wine, or having beer for breakfast, (but just one, because it was expensive!) and laughing hysterically. We ended up changing the meeting place to the mud pit since the show was starting. That was very funny.
Then we moved on to lunch. Food costs weren't too bad. Sure, I spent a little more than fast food, but less than a sit down restaurant. That man and K3 ate turkey legs. Holy crap, they were huge! K4 had pizza and half of my perogies. I had perogies and then a gyro. So good.
K3, K4, and I got sidetracked by one of the musical performances, but we eventually met up with everyone again. More walking. More wine tasting. More shop visiting. Ended up following some awesome music and staying for the show...then buying a cd and getting it signed. K4 loved it because the band had a violin lead who was so super fantastic! When she got the cd signed, the violinist encouraged her to visit her website and check out the sheet music and forums after she found out K4 also plays the violin. So cool. K4 was thrilled.
We caught more music, met up with most everyone at the pub, did a little more walking around, watched the pirate auction, went to some more shops, tasted some more wine, met up at the pub again. Then decided we were done in... it was cold, though most of us have sunburned faces. K4 was falling asleep on the bench, That man's knees were killing him, and a few others were hurting, too. A quick stop at the wine / gift shop for one last wine tasting / tshirt and wine purchasing, then a random group picture (though some of our group had already left due to pain), mayhem trying to get out of the parking lot...met up at the 'rents for hanging out and cake. Pizza first, talking, laughing... then birthday cake (my s-i-l makes the best cake ever!). More hanging out... then home.
So tired, but such a great day!! My love for the Ren Faire has been reignited. I can't wait to go back and my whole family feels the same way!
And, I did my words for the writing challenge! Whoo!
Behave!

The Case of the Disappearing Post...

Hrm... I wrote a post yesterday. I published it. It's gone now. The only thing left is a saved post in my archives with only a title.
How weird is that?
I'm not going to try to recreate it. Just know that it was brilliant and thought-provoking! Ha ha!
Anyway... moving on.
It's been a pretty decent weekend around here. Writing meeting was awesome and so was lunch afterwards! Lunch is often my favorite part because I get to hang with my peeps to talk business, family, and laugh. And eat. We tried a different place for lunch and it worked out well, so I think we might go back. It's hard for me to believe my term as president is nearing its end. I have one more official chapter meeting to run, two board meetings, and anything that comes up with the chapter for the next 2 months and that's it. I have two years to sit out before I can become a board member again, and that's weird for me. I've been on the board for the past nine years - four as librarian (no term limit), four as vice president, and one year as president. I'm going to miss it, for sure, but I'm kind of looking forward to the break. We'll have a mostly new board though, so I'll still be very involved while they get up and running and learn their jobs.
Got a call as the meeting closed...then a text: THERE'S A LIZARD IN OUR BASEMENT.
All I know is that he's brown and is under the washing machine. I haven't seen him and K3 only saw his tail. K4 tried to catch him, but he was too fast. Okay then. As long as he's eating spiders, I'm good with him being down there, but I really would like to see him.
Came home from the meeting and had to run out to pick up K4's friend. This was the first time this friend has been at our house and I'd put a few limits on the visit, just in case. It worked out well. The kid is just like my kid and they had a blast. My ears were bleeding by the time she went home though. A few hours of constant laughing and talking by pre-teen girls will do that do you.
Today was a whole bunch of  house related things, cooking, shopping, visiting That man's mom as she recovers from some heart related issues and regains her strength in a short term rehab center. Oh and I took a nap, caught up on Dr. Who, read a book, balanced the check book, cleaned out my truck, cleaned the kitchen (twice), talked to all of my kids, but unfortunately I did not get to see K5 as planned. Now I'm opening the wip and will write as many words as possible before I crash for the night.
And tomorrow is Monday. Again.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

I don't care that this will say it posted Saturday... It's still Friday for me. I'm still awake!!
Here's the list...
1. Baseball games. It was fun. I still didn't win the 40" flatscreen, but... It was K3's first baseball game of the season and he was excited. K3 and K4 entertained everyone around us with their antics, and we were told how funny they are. (None of those people have to live here... just sayin' lol)
2. Friday! AND it's a long weekend!! YAY!!
3. Writing meeting tomorrow!
4. Wedding stuff - even though it's kicking my butt!
5. Weekend plans!
6. The turkey sub or maybe stromboli in my future...
7. Writing time this weekend.
8. Getting caught up on stuff.
9. My kids and that man - they are so danged funny and so much fun to hang out with.
10. Dr. Who coming back this weekend! Yay!!!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Sunday

Sorry I missed Feel Good Friday! I'm not really sure why that happened.
Let's get to the feel good part, shall we?
1. Not having a ton of running around to do this weekend. We managed a fair amount of yard work, laundry, and house cleaning. (Though we did discover our chimney is falling apart. Oy. The man kept finding bricks in the yard. When he looked to the roof...well...yuck and $$) (And K4 woke up with the stomach flu Saturday morning, which squashed our plans for the day. And that was fine. So is she now.)
2. Making the decision to stay hair free for a little while. (I let the man actually razor shave my head last night and I won't be doing that again. It hurts like a sunburn. Besides that, I'm not sure I like it.) No hair is much cooler, and I don't have to worry about accidentally catching myself on fire. Plus, if my s-i-l has to be without her hair for a while, so will I.
3. Writing time and awesome progress.
4. Air conditioning.
5. Talks around the fire with the man.
6. Writing while sitting at the fire.
7. My kid loving his job.
8. Sleeping in x2 - even though we went to bed excessively early last night, which meant I was up early.
9. Finding out our good neighbors aren't moving right now, and meeting the landlord for the houses at the end of our street. She's very nice and working hard to find good people to rent to.
10. Watching hysterical stuff with the kids. I'm not sure if I was laughing because of their reactions or what...
In all, it's been a mostly good, but far too short weekend. Summer is officially here. Let's see how fast it goes.
Behave!