7 Quick Takes Friday - the Eighth

1. I went to pick up Patrick today and wondered if I had missed some kind of memo, because even though we were later than usual getting to the pickup line, there were VERY few cars waiting. Then I remembered that the fall parties were, for most classes, today, right before pickup - so many parents had come, parked in the lot, and attended the parties, and were therefore just leaving with their kids that way.

2. Patrick had TWO parties this year - one in his special-ed class, and one in his pre-K class. Lucky little guy, LOL. I'm the room mother for his special-ed class, and channeled my inner Martha Stewart to make their little treat bags:



Ribbon was $1, package of plain brown paper lunch bags was $1, pipe cleaners (handles) were under $1, and the stickers were $1.50. Sorry about the poor lighting, took the pic with my cell phone, since our digital camera is being weird. Still, I was rather pleased with the way they turned out! (there's ribbon on the other side as well) $4.50 total, not including glue gun/glue sticks (which I already had) for ten bags. I did intend for them to bring home their little pumpkins they were to decorate in class in the bags, but I didn't realize that they weren't the little mini pumpkins - they were small (probably about 10 inches high or so?), but definitely not miniature! Oh well - they had other things to put in them, so it wasn't wasted effort.

And it just made me feel warm & fuzzy to know I could actually turn out something that looked passably nice.

3. Missed out on the free flu shots yesterday for the kiddos. Lost our place in line b/c Patrick had to use the restroom, thus we had to go to the back of the line when we returned - and they then ran out before they got to us. They ran out within 1/2 hour of the start time. They advertised this clinic (free flu shots for kids ages 2-18) in all the surrounding school districts, and didn't have enough doses to make it through even the first half hour? Maybe they should only have advertised it in their own district if they really didn't have that much there. I mean, with all the media coverage about the flu season, not to mention a lot of folks who are probably in the financial situation where saving a co-pay for each kid would likely be a VERY welcome thing - if they're insured at all to begin with - did they really not anticipate a heavy turnout?

Thing that irks me is that it cost us gas and time going for absolutely nothing. :/ I did call the kiddos' pediatrician today, but they said to call back after 2:00 to find out if they were giving any today. Heh. That wasn't going to work with needing to pick up Patrick only an hour later (the office is about 1/2 hour away). The drive doesn't make it very easy to just dash on over for that. I'll call on Monday to see if they have any (or any more, I guess), and when they'll be giving them.

4. The Christmas Music Countdown timer on my desktop shows 1 day left (there is at least one radio station around here that offers Christmas music only beginning on Nov 1 on one of their webcasts. The other, which broadcasts what they play over the air, begins mixing in some Christmas music then as well, I *think*. Could be wrong. Either way, it's a day that someone I used to work with online and I count down to every year, LOL - though in my case (not sure about his, but very likely the same for him as well), it's not the only thing I listen to at that point. I just like having it available.

5. On a related note, I really need some new computer speakers. They skip/pop/etc. badly, and lo, it's getting annoying! If it weren't for the fact that my (wireless) mouse uses one of my USB ports, I'd just use the USB headphones - but I only have one working USB port on the front of the tower, so the mouse wins out (my wired mouse died long ago). Maybe I should put some new speakers on my Christmas wish list.

6. Patrick came home today with a balloon dachshund. I wondered how long that would last - less than 1 1/2 hours. Heh. At least he didn't freak out when it popped.

7. The city is having a Halloween party tomorrow at the park. Dunno yet if we'll go or not - guess it'll depend on weather and how the kiddos seem to be acting. Either way, though, I do need to get the kiddos over to the in-laws' so my MIL can take their yearly Halloween picture; probably tomorrow afternoon.

Have a good weekend!

Relaxing.

Now that it isn't baking hot sitting in the car - and one can actually sit in the car with the engine off (not needing the AC) and just the windows down - Patrick's pickup time is a lot less harried.

When it was over 85 or so, and I needed to have the AC running, I'd try to leave home at just the right time - late enough that I wouldn't be sitting for too long (since I'd have the engine running for the AC - and the car is old enough that it does NOT like idling for too long!), but early enough that I'd still actually be in the school parking lot instead of waiting on the street. I'd want to get Calla out the door at about 15 til, so that I could get her fastened in and be at the school between 7 and 10 til. Even if the times were all working great, it was still just *hectic*.

Now? Eh, I leave closer to 30 til (around there, often a few minutes later than that, though). I can sit in the pickup line with the car off, windows down, and work on a crossword or sudoku, or flip through whatever magazine or catalog may have come in the mail. SO much less stressful.

(Note - arriving at about 30 til means waiting almost 40 mins until the kiddos actually start going to the cars. Even this early, I am by NO MEANS the first there. Usually a good 15 cars or so, plus a few of the local daycare vans.)

It's actually fairly peaceful. And so much less harried getting out of the house. I can grab a travel cup of coffee on my way out the door if I want, or not - but it's a decision I make based on whether or not I want it, not "Cripeit'salready10tilIdon'thaveTIME!!!".

At any rate, it's a nice change.

7 Quick Takes Friday - VII

1. Car tour weekend! The kiddos have been looking forward to this *all week*. Baked for it all morning yesterday (to help boost the stuff to be made available in the hospitality room) - double batch of pumpkin muffins, and a double batch of biscotti. I was going to even do the white chocolate drizzle on the biscotti, but I only have one square of white chocolate left - so I'll just make that available to the hubby, which will probably mean it will be gone approximately 27.3 seconds or so after I tell him. ;)

2. I took Calla over to McD's Wednesday to play at the playground there. She hit it off right away with another child there - a little boy, perhaps a couple of months younger, perhaps not, but around her age. They played with his Happy Meal toy for a bit, and explored the play area together. She even managed to convince another boy - who was perhaps four years older than she is - to join them for a bit, LOL. It was cute. Mostly because she wasn't being *bossy*, but rather, inviting - "Come on! This'll be fun!"

3. She also gets to play with a little boy at speech - he's fiveish, I think, but isn't enrolled at school there. I've been meaning to ask his mother if they homeschool. Didn't get to this week; her baby was being "talkative" (in that very cute 4-month-old babble/squeal language), and it was just too freaking adorable to interrupt. Eeeeeveryone in the office there at the school was commenting (positively) on it.

4. Just barely over a week until the beginning of NaNoWriMo. I've signed up, and have been bouncing a few ideas around in my head. Still not sure which one I'll go with - I think I'll pack a notebook for the car tour; if I get any ideas or decide a definite direction, I want to be able to scribble down some notes. Not start writing, though - can't do that until Nov. 1.

5. The hubby has been watching Dead Like Me through Netflix (direct streaming to his comp). I've been needing to have my headphones on to focus on doing anything else - and I'll still catch myself watching instead of doing whatever it is I need to be doing. Netflix has been MORE THAN worth the (pretty darn minimal) cost. Less than what we'd spend renting two DVDs per month.

6. Kiddos have discovered Winnie-the-Pooh. The "Un-Valentine's Day" videocassette and the original Disney movie (DVD) have been heavy favorites now. I should probably get that videocassette copied over to DVD just in case.

7. Calla went with us this morning to drop Patrick off at school. She typically likes doing that (though some mornings, she tells me I have to go with Patrick, and she has to stay in bed) - and she wanted to go this morning. She is now happily playing with a LeapPad - then soon it will be off to get a few things for the trip, then my big, exciting activity of the day - laundry. :D

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts from a garage sale item

Friday, while out shopping the garage sales with my MIL, I purchased a couple of workout videos. Now, this is absolutely the price range to pay for them - I mean, if you don't like them, you're out all of $1 total. Besides, I knew these were some that I could actually do (do NOT ask about the Paula Abdul video. Oh my. I've tried that one several times, and I end up stopping and laughing halfway through. I am just NOT coordinated enough) - they're both Richard Simmons videos.

So in conversation with the women running this particular garage sale, we agreed that, while his choice of sequined tops and shortish shorts may be a bit over the top, he's good at what he does.

And in thinking more about it since coming home, I've thought more about that.

First, almost *anyone* can do his videos. He has real people, trying to lose real weight, in the videos with him, following along. Not aerobics experts, and not just people with very little weight to lose (and whom you suspect have no problems with energy level and such).

Secondly, he cheers them on from their very first workout. Just for taking that first step. The introduction of the people in the video done at the end of most that I've seen includes everyone from someone who has lost 80 pounds (or more) with him, and those who are on day one. All of them are cheered where they are right now.

And that leads to what is probably the biggest point - you can actually tell that he really, sincerely, cares about every single person he talks to. He doesn't find them gross or shun them, nor does he want to help them lose weight to make them acceptable or a size (whatever). He wants to help them for the sake of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and tries to show them love and acceptance and their self-worth where they are RIGHT NOW.

I have no doubt that there are people out there alive today only because of him - probably quite a number of people.

So, despite the times I have cringed to see the sequins, I'm very glad he's around.

Hee!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

7 Quick Takes Friday - parte seis

1. Garage sale shopping with my M-I-L was really productive today - 7 tops, a pair of PJs, a pair of jeans, and 6 pairs of shoes for Calla - all for $11. Whee!

2. Stupid head cold going around the family - kiddos and I are on the tail end of it, I think, but the hubby may be more on the beginning side. Still beats the flu!

3. Found a local option for flu shots for the kiddos that is offering them FREE. I doubt it'll be the flumist, and I hate subjecting the kiddos to shots if there is another alternative, but FREE is FREE. I do have another option to check into, and if it is within our budget, I may do that instead, just because they'll be more likely to have the flumist - but we'll see.

4. Been playing a different free online game with the hubby lately - it's nice to be able to do some gaming with him again. :) Especially to haul my dead character's soul stone back to a rez point, LOL.

5. It is amusing to see two grown women go into "worried mommy mode" over another grown woman, where none of the three are related. Hopefully, she feels loved. :D

6. Even though I did buy a costume for Patrick last year after Halloween for this year, I think we're going to look for something else - it kinda puts me to mind of the plastic costumes we all wore growing up (no offense, mom!), and I think we can rig up something else ourselves, since the kiddos are on a pirate kick lately. I'll save the costume for him to play in, though - since it was something crazy like 85% off or such, I'm really not worried about not using it for Halloween - but I think what I WILL do, this year, is if I buy anything after Halloween, get something that can be a bit more neutral - Calla's princess gown, for instance (navy blue velvet, no characters or anything) can be the base for a princess, for a fairy, for a pirate queen (which I suspect is what she'll do, because if Patrick will get to have a cardboard sword or something, she'll want one too!), etc. We'll see what I find on sale this year.

7. Patrick's elementary school is having a fall festival one weekend here soon, but we'll be missing it for a car tour. I'm kinda sad he'll miss participating in that, but he LOVES the car tours, so I don't think he'll mind, LOL - and I'm looking forward to the tour as well. We do always enjoy it.

7 Quick Takes Friday - part V

Note - the host blog isn't doing Quick Takes this week, but I still wanted to be sure to credit her.

1. Patrick is LOVING pre-K. He seems to have a best buddy there, and talks about him all.the.time. It's nice to see that he's enjoying it so much; it's definitely helping his speech.

2. Started playing a free online game, in which several players in the group I'm in are from all over the world. Sooo, in order to have some idea of how late/early it is for them, I set up clocks on my Windows sidebar for their different time zones. Not because it's necessarily such critical information, but I like knowing "Cripe, you're up late" vs. "Oh, hey, coming in for the evening?". Five different ones so far, covering Australia (Sydney's time zone), New Zealand, London, Belgium & Sweden (same time zone), and U.S. Eastern time. I had no idea New Zealand was two hours off the time zone for the eastern coast of Australia (like Eastern time US and Mountain time) - I thought it was closer than that. It's been fascinating to me, at least.

3. Patrick wore the hubby's old school jacket today - my M-I-L just loved seeing him in it after school. According to her, Patrick EATS like the hubby used to as well, LOL - he ALWAYS comes home hungry (and usually wanting pancakes, heh. His favorite!).

4. Yesterday, 87 degrees. Today, 63. It'd be nice to be able to pull out the fall/winter stuff and put up the summer stuff without being worried about needing the summer stuff back out next week.

5. Speaking of fall clothing, Calla looks SO TALL in long pants. Cripe.

6. The weekly "Breakfast with Papi" is switching to Saturday, so that Patrick can go too, since he's missed it now that he's in pre-K. Location is also switching, from IHOP to the local McD's - cheaper, and the kiddos can play. I feel awful about leaving IHOP, though - our waitress is going to wonder what happened to us. She would have our table set and the kiddos' order in when we walked in the door. I should go out there with Calla one morning, to at least let her know not to expect to see us every week.

7. Missed garage sales this morning, since it was raining. Calla's been going with my M-I-L and I, and every week, she manages to score something for free that someone will give her. So nothing this week, though I did pick up a book for her at the thrift store (we were looking for more uniform pants for Patrick). Maybe we'll get to go next week.