Monday was the first Monday of the month, which means Super Cleaning Day at our house. The kids and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Usually we go out to dinner because I'm too pooped to cook, but luckily we had lots of leftovers for everyone to dig into. As for me, I am continuing with the raw food delivery service, except with half the amount of food (and for half the price). It's so nice to have delicious food just waiting for me, without having to lift a finger! This week I enjoyed: Pasta Puttanesca, Thai Autumn Salad, Rosemary Mashed "Potatoes", Brussels Sprouts, Thai Coconut Curry Soup, Tomato Soup, Marinated Green Beans, Pepper Corn Salad, Chocolate Mousse, and Key Lime Pie. Yum!
On Tuesday I had another doctor's appointment and learned the distressing news that I may be allergic to my office! In order to uncover the root cause of my chronic hip problems, he started thinking about chemical causes of inflammation and suggested we test a couple of things in the house, such as laundry detergent, dish soap, etc. He told me to set out a jar of distilled water in various rooms in the house, but I only did the office, since that's where I spent the majority of my time.
Sure enough, it tested positive for (and I had a positive reaction) to carpet mold. Not surprising, since it has flooded down there more than once! The next step is to test other rooms in the house to make sure it is not throughout, and then our choice is to either to do a massive clean up down there (which is not covered by insurance) or move my office to the spare room (which would mean moving the spare room down to the basement. Whichever we decide, it's not going to be fun. Argh!!!!!!
Also on Tuesday was piano. We're getting closer and closer to Festival, where they will be judged on their progress. It's so nervewracking!
Finally, Tuesday was also my latest Meetup, where I taught "How to get rid of stress, boredom and step into a sense of purpose". We were small in number, but those that were there gave high marks on their feedback forms. One student said, "Margie's energy, excitement, and positiveness were the best part." Yay me!
On Wednesday, Dan and I got a small dose of what it's like to parent a teen, as we attended Parent Night at Mark Twain Middle School. We can't believe our baby is growing up! First, in the lecture hall (lecture hall!) we learned about the various honors options available at both the middle school and high schools (so many decisions to make!), then we moved to the cafeteria to learn about the transition to 7th grade, electives, core curriculum, and no recess! It's a little overwhelming, but at least we're not alone. Almost all the parents in the room were making the transition with their kids for the first time, too. The principal was very nice and understanding. "We totally get it," she said. "Don't panic."
A few weeks ago, Lyn's class went on a tour of the school and learned about electives. It sounds like she has her whole 2 years planned out! She is very excited. I think we're more nervous than she is--but I guess that's normal. I think I remember that being the case when I was a kid as well. (I know when I left for college, I didn't give my parents a second thought--I doubt that was the same for them! LOL). Anyway, next week the people from the school will be visiting Lyn's classroom to talk to them again about the transition. Looks like they're working hard to make sure it is as smooth as possible.
Thursday was of course ballet, though no chess club, so it wasn't too crazy. Dan spent the evening helping Port City Playhouse. They borrowed two doors from the LTA shop (where Dan is the co-chair), which he helped install.
Friday morning was my monthly weigh-in, which I do on the 10th of each month. My results were less than stellar--only two pounds lost, and no inches (in fact, I gained half an inch in my thighs, but that may have been due to a measuring error). But that's OK. The smaller I get, the slower I can anticipate the weight loss to be. You know what they say about those last ten pounds!
On Friday evening we attended the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. This year, the theme was "Remembering Our Ancestors", and each boy had to research and talk about someone in their family. Dan remembered that his grandpa, Martin Remmers, was quite a practical joker, and we thought the boys would love to hear about his antics. But when Dan called his dad, he ended up just asking for a story.
In response, Gene wrote a lovely story about his horse, Johnny, which they got when he was about John's age. He even shared a picture of himself on the horse! I was able to film most of it (sorry about the poor quality--I accidentally filmed it sideways and it lost video quality when I rotated it):
We added the funny tag line because when we read it for the first time, John asked if that was where he got his name. We had to remind him that no, he was named after his Uncle John, who was named after his Uncle John, who was named after his Uncle John, etc. :o)
After the banquet, we came home and watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. When I was at the grocery store they were selling, for whatever reason, the first two Harry Potter DVDs for only $2 each! Of course I had to get them for my Harry Potter fanatic daughter. She spent the entire movie jumping up and down on the couch--she was sooooo excited!
On Saturday, I had my basketball game. We lost, again, by about the same margin we always do. I didn't play much, because I was totally confused. We had practiced last week. and I felt like I was ready to put what I learned into action, but most of the girls at the game hadn't been at the practice and we just weren't on the same page. Sigh... What we really need is a coach who can watch the game and tell us specifically where to play and what to do. At least that's what I need. Maybe I'll join a real league at some point (rather than church ball), so I can get a handle on things.
After the game, I ran the score board for the next one. I thought I was just going to be adding time and points, which is easy enough, but then I found out I was also in charge of keeping track of possession. Argh! Luckily, the woman keeping the books next to me helped me out. Whew!
When all that was done, I ran home, grabbed a bite to eat, and then Lyn and I ran out the door again to do some babysitting. It was fun to watch Lyn with little 16 month old Nathan, and to see her eagerly learn about taking care of little ones. She is really growing up!
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| Lyn & Nathan |
After the movie, though, it was good to have a resource so we could ask questions. There were a few things that I didn't quite understand. I think I'm going to have to watch both movies again. Besides, it was fun to watch the kid actors age a whole year in 24 hours.
As luck would have it, there is going to be a Harry Potter marathon on cable next weekend, so we have the DVR set to record the next 5 movies. (The last one we will have to rent.) It's going to be fun!
Today was a typcial Sunday. Lyn and I had choir practice in the morning. After lunch, we had a visit from some of the folks from church, and in the afternoon the kids and I headed to church, while Dan went to LTA to help out with the latest set.
And that's all our news this week. Hope you are doing well and staying warm! We've had a bit of a cold snap, but I don't think it's going to stay long.
Take care!
