Sundays

The weekend has just FLOWN by. Today was our church's fall festival - fun, low key, and a nice way to spend a few hours.
I did the children's moment today - on when Moses tells the peeps to stop bringing sacrifices to the temple, that they had enough. But we should never think God wants us to stop bringing our love to Him.
Next week is All Saints Day. I have to work on that !!!
Plus, next Saturday is a band competition PLUS the Halloween parade in our development. Blecch. Too many things on one day.
The puppies are getting bigger, and seem to be over their tummy troubles. Sweet, but busy little guys.
This week is middle kid's 13th bday. Have NO idea what I'm going to get him. At least this year we don't have to worry about party issues - just don't know enough peeps.
Bonus find of the month..the preschool at the church had been given a huge amount of yarn that they can't use - it's wool yarn. So I grabbed a few rolls so I can do the squares for this project:
http://www.knit-a-square.com/index.html
Now I have to actually do it!!!
Alright, off to do some laundry. The never ending cycle, right?
Loincloths. That's the answer.

In which I borrow an idea...

So this is from a friend's blog, and I thought I'd slide it away over here...
One little compliment can make you feel amazing.

So give me a compliment, anything in the entire world, even that my shoelaces are pretty. Put this in your journal. And once you get some comments, put that entry in a memory or tag and when you are feeling down, just go to that entry and this will remind you how great you are.

This morning

Cleaned up puppy poop and puppy puke before coffee
Got three kids ready for school...oops, middle one ill. Yesterday it was oldest child.
Trash out
Recycling out
Get kitchen ready for dishwasher guy
Mop floor from yucky puppy footprints
Wash puppy bedding
Plant plants in ground - they were in pumpkin planters but the pumpkins have started to dissolve.
MAKE COFFEE
Realize that it wasn't even 9 am yet.

Our new puppies.
Boxer mixes.
Stretched out one is named Harvey, curled up one is named Jack!

Dishwasher appears to be either dying or already dead.
Car needs oil changed, tires filled, and to be cleaned out.
Head is going to implode if the weather doesn't fix itself soon. It needs to rain or maybe there is a front passing by..either way my head is so tight that I think my hair is going to fall off.
And I have to make cheese quesadillas for JP's spanish class domani.
And I have to proctor the PSAT tomorrow.
And ATT? You are starting to piss me off. Stop losing my signal, please.

But, on the good side, I got paid today, I really like my part time job, and the kids only have school 3 days this week.
Yea!!!

Cleaning House

I took today while everyone was at school/work and cleaned the house. I changed bed linens, scrubbed bathrooms, mopped floors, vacuumed, the whole nine yards. Did the Italian thing and opened all the windows. Didn't think my neighbors would like me to hang the comforters out of the window, so I kind of just spread them inside. In Sicily all the cleaning women would hang the comforters out of the windows to air them out.
Besides, I was also afraid a bird would poop on them.
I even swept my front porch. And then looked at the posts and around the light and said "Huh. Guess I don't need to BUY any spiderwebs, because every spider in this state is living ON MY PORCH!"
Blech. I don't mind spiders, really. But honestly, these are the messiest, thickest webs I've ever seen.

The problem with cleaning is that it requires sustained motivation. And I'm good for about three hours. Then I'm done. But I took a break and then finished up, so I feel entitled to make breakfast for dinner. Mostly because I have no clue what to make. I'm a wee bit tired of trying to think of dinner ideas. Mostly all I want is...chips and salsa.

Soon, I will have three kids in a car and be driving up to Virginia. While I am glad to be going, I am NOT looking forward to the drive. I am going to avoid 81, however. Just not in the mood for dodging large trucks and stupid drivers.
81 seems to attract both likes flies to....honey.

Oh, youngest is going to be a dust bunny for Halloween. And middle one is going to be something involving locust skeletons. I'm trying not to ask.
Oldest is too old....I'm hoping someone will have a party.

Moving Mysteries

There are a few things I can't find since the move. One, my light up pumpkin for Halloween. DH swears it is in the outside garage. I looked, but didn't see it. I really would like to find it. I know that it is here *somewhere*. Unlike the Nutella (6 large jars) that I cannot find anywhere. I think the movers may have, um, liberated it.
Ok, the TV is on as I write this -some guy paints pictures out of the dirt on the back of his car. I mean, not just minor "wash me" but entire paintings, like The Birth of Venus. Go here if you want to see:
http://www.dirtycarart.com/DCAGallery/index.html

I have started a part time job. It's fun, I like it, but it changes how the house is run and how things get done. DH and I were talking last night -the original plan was for me to work full time. But after 15 years of NOT working outside the home full time, I think it would have been a disaster. DH agreed. Middle kid is finally getting stable - between the meds and therapy, his anxiety is so much better, and we have a 504 for the ADD/Anxiety issues in school. Part of me still longs to have them home and home schooled, but they seem to be doing well. These schools, despite all the gloom and doom of public school reports, are strong academically and really, they are doing the things I would be doing for the most part. We still 'supplement' and all the kids are great readers, so that helps. But I miss them when they are at school.

Now I have to get the younger two to figure out what they are going to be for Halloween.

Knitting

Okay, so how hard is it to knit socks? I mean in the grand scheme of knitting. REALLY hard, or just Kinda hard, or no, it's not too hard, so just jump in and try it?
I can knit, purl, increase, decrease, all that fun stuff. I'm just looking for something knew and not too complicated to try.

What do you call it?

What do you call it when you are "homesick" for  a place that isn't your home? I was unpacking MORE stuff from Sicily today - wishing I'd bought more of those little Venetian glass animals from that one store in Taromina, remembering different things as I unpacked items to put in the china cabinet - and wishing I was back there. Life was confined in a way back there, but it was also a bit easier in some ways.
I'm glad to be here. I"m happy where we have chosen to live. And when I long for Sicily, am I longing for Sicily, or the Sicily I knew when my friends were there?
All I know is this house is a disaster and I have until Thursday night to get.it.clean. ALL the things.
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html
(warning, there is some language that isn't suitable for all peeps, but I LOVE this post)

Making a big dinner

One problem I have is that when I make a big dinner, then I no longer want to *eat* said dinner.
Tonight I cooked stew and biscuits and pie. Chocolate pudding pie. Haven't made it in so long I had to look up how to make a meringue. It had been THAT long.
Furniture is rearranged and looks good. Oooh, it's thundering again. It's been raining off and on all day, and cooler weather approaches....
I love fall. Wonder if I can go apple picking somewhere....

Book Fairs

I spent this morning working at the middle school's bookfair. It's a small bookfair, really, for such a large school. Scholastic run, of course, and lots of books (could we find a new YA topic? Vampires are starting to get on my nerves). But lots of little junky gegaws - erasers, and pencils, and chocolate bar shaped calculators.  Drives me crazy, because the kids will buy the overpriced JUNK and not look at the books!
And middle school kids. Wow. I forgot how *rude* they can be to their teachers. My kiddo has issues, but rudeness is not one of them. Or wouldn't be for long, that's for sure.
So it's rainy, and chilly, and I'm seriously considering Beef Stew for dinner. Or chili, but then I have to make something else for the kids.
We are down to painting the trim in the living room, then I can set it up. *Big happy dance*
We have cable. Only took them four hours. Of course, part of the issue was how the people before us had set things up.
DH's parents come this weekend, so i want the house to look good, so I'm going to bust my little butt all week to get it that way. Hopefully I'll make it!
Plus I have to find out if we have a den meeting tonight. And i need to order our popcorn. He's kind of given up on the door to door thing. It's not his thing, and he wasn't having a lot of success anyway!
Band Competition this weekend. Close by, so we are only going for a bit. Oldest did well at the last one, so maybe he won't be so nervous this time.

Ok, I'm here,now what??

So, I haven't updated here in almost four years. Wowza.
I knew I had this one, but forgot the name!
So today's excitement is cable installation. It has been three months since we had cable - when we moved from Italy, we didn't renew it, and with the money crunch this summer....it just wasn't that important.
But now, it's college football time and certain members of my household are a bit anxious. Chomping at the bit, really.
So I am waiting on a certain cable company. But my neighbors next door (who I just met today and who have the most adorable little girl) use uverse from ATT. Hmm....I looked it up and it looks like a good deal. I'd have canx the cable appt but DH is unavailable (ROTC commitment) to consult.....
Meanwhile Oldest has a band competition, which meant practice today in the morning, fly home for lunch, rush back to the school so he can get on the bus. They'll get home LATE tonight.
The poor kid doesn't have his ipod either, as it got washed earlier this month. Makes Christmas shopping for him a bit easier.
So, I'm working on the house today - inlaws come next weekend, which is *wonderful* but does give us a definite deadline on some things...like painting and putting books away. I don't have to work next week which is a bit easier, but there are, of course, school things (book fairs, picture days) and my usual "intern" days at the church.
Bored yet?

Italy

We leave for Italy in about 5 months. I have much to do, and it is very overwhelming. Now, I've done all this crap before, only not for an overseas move. I'm trying to learn Italian, which the kids of course pick up much faster than I do. They seem to have inherited the Harrington language gene. Home schooling is not going as well as I thought it would, and that is a trifle aggravating. But, it will come right in the end, I think.

The best laid plans..

I laughed reading my post below..we're going to do Math and Science over the summer. Yeah, right. HAH. We've gone swimming, we've done VBS, we've been bums, we have done NOT a STITCH of school work. Well, I have -tried to learn Italian, and tried to keep up with Latin. You will notice the tried, please?? Next week, we start school. Physics is first on the science page, but also weather at the same time. Then we go on to Earth and Space science and weather throughout the year. I think.

Now you see it, now you don't

Ok, this seems to be the theme of the blog. Sometimes my posts appear, sometimes they don't. sigh.

can anyone else see my post? I can't

ARGHHHH. IF you can see my post, would you please comment on it? I can't see it...it's like its magically eaten up by blogger....

The busy weekend, unlike a lost one

 the short version is that it was a killer busy weekend. But it's all done now, Italy is confirmed, for this time next year, we are almost done with school for the year, although we will do science and math over the summer, plus learn Italian.

IT ATE MY POST!

An update for anyone

just a quick rant. I have a 10yo who is bound and determined to demonstrate the Bubba syndrome in full swing. I am ready to scream! So, tomorrow, he is going to start working his little behind off during school. I love him. He is a bright, funny, loving child, but who is lazy. And who is trying to see how far flat out refusal will get him.
So, I'll show him how far. And how much I love him.