September Catch-Up

Wow, the last 24 days have been a whirlwind to say the least. I have a number of unfinished blog posts in my drafts but just never have gotten time to really focus on things. Sooo I will give a quick review of the highlights of the month.

Let the craziness begin! Soccer season is in full swing. We decided to take a season off from the coaching gig. Overall it was a good decision and I really don't think our sanity could have handled coaching. But without control of schedules we now have 3 nights of practices each week and games at 2 different fields on each Saturday. So I think I can officially be labeled a true soccer mom. The girls are having fun, Nora scored a goal last week and Madison is working on not chatting so much on the field:-)

REI rented out the ShoWare center to celebrate the Starfish Project going live. They had a very nice dinner and the skating was much more successful than I anticipated. I think we will be hitting the ice more this year.

I've picked up a very small babysitting gig before school. Two neighbor boys come over around 8:00 and then I take the whole crew to the bus. Overall it is going really well and is making the girls and I more accountable to be up and dressed before they arrive each morning.

PLUM PICKING

The girls look forward to every September when the neighbor's plum tree is ready to harvest. It has become a tradition to pick their after school snack on the way home. Madison mastered climbing the tree this year to grab the higher fruit.

Madison had her first field trip and we went to the bee farm. Her teacher really likes field trips and all ready has the next one scheduled in 3 weeks. I guess I better get ready for a year of chaperoning adventures.
Overall the school year is off to a great start and both girls seem happy with their classes and teachers. I am looking forward to starting art docent lessons in both classrooms starting next month.

Tonight Madison is off at her first ever sleep over away from home. She insisted on going straight there from school and had no interest in talking to me on the phone to check in. Tom is away for the night on a poker/biking boys' getaway. So Nora and I donned our matching pj's and had milkshakes while watching the new Tinkerbell movie and then played board games in bed. She wanted me to write the details in one of her many notebooks and had the final sentence be "My mom made it the best night ever!"

And in all our free time (ha ha) we are still trying to work on the front yard project. I have to say I am LOVING our revamped entryway and now try to find reasons to use it instead of the garage. We still need to get the door and window replaced so it is centered and that horrible amber window is GONE but I think the progress is pretty good. Here is a reminder of the before.

Okay, so that is the highlights. I also have been juggling the PTA president gig and trying to find a good balance of those tasks along with keeping the house in order and keeping up with my workout routine. So far the balance is not quite happening but I am hoping that by mid-October things will even out and I can get things under control.

And speaking of mid-October........ only 25 days until Tom and I are off on a plane to Hawaii. My emotions range from pure excitement to pure panic!

Lunch Box Love Notes

Time to refill my lunch box note stash for my daily notes to Madison.

I was able to find lots of fun printables around the blogosphere. Probably should have printed some on colored paper to jazz things up a bit.

Here are links to some of my favorites:

*Love these owl ones with bookmarks and jokes. I will mount the bookmarks on cardstock and cover with packing tape (cheap version of laminating). Since Madison eats lunch in her classroom (which has always bothered me but that is another issue!) she can just put them in her desk for future use.

*Adorable gingham print notes

*It is always fun to have some thank you cards in the mix. I don't think we genuinely thank our kids for things enough so this reminds me to do just that.

*And here is a list of a ton of adorable school printables from tags to notes to cute teacher appreciation ideas.

Right Now

Watching: Alot of nothing! Looking forward to the new season of shows to begin and especially looking forward to PARENTHOOD. Loved it last spring.

Planning: Hawaii (I know, I know; I have been planning it for over a year but we are getting really close to making the final reservations and have the dates set and accomodations picked out)

Enjoying: The sweetest tomatoes ever! Picked from our shared garden. The weather this year didn't help to produce a huge bounty but the tomato plants are now overloaded with fruit that is as sweet as candy!

Reading: Just completed The Hunger Games Trilogy. Checked out 3 books at the library today and will pick one tonight to get started on.

Making: Freezer meals for the fall craziness. 6 lbs of port barbeque chicken and 2 lbs of garlic mashed potatoes on Friday. 6 pans of lasagna today and then 6 batches of chicken parmigiana is planned for Friday.

Hoping: To have a fully functioning computer soon. Back to the PC dr. tomorrow to try and get the bugs worked out.... Technology can be so frustrating!

Remembering: Fondly recalling the days of having my sweet little girls at home all day, with a very empty calendar. Unlike my current life with girls off to school, soccer and playdates and a calendar that looks like I am attempting a BlackOut Bingo for the month.

Coveting: A new car, but I can't seem to find one that fits my want/need list. Guess I will just continue with my life as a mini-van mom for now.....

inspired from Sycamore Stirrings great list!

First Day

Another first day of school report, but this time I am reporting on TWO girls not just one. Nora has been so very anxious to start kindergarten since the day preschool was over. This was such a different experience than when Madison started, even though it is the same school, classroom and teacher. But with Madison we did not know anyone at the school, didn't know the teacher or any friends and had no idea what to expect. This time around Nora is MORE than comfortable with the school and teacher (in fact, I am a bit worried she may be a bit too comfortable with the situation). She has a best friend who is in her class along with other friends and acquantances from preschool, soccer and other activities. And I am so much more relaxed with knowing what is going on at the school and knowing she has big sister around to keep an eye on her.
With that said, it was a bittersweet day for me. Luckily the drop off was smooth since I had to rush to the PTA event I was hosting (welcome to the world of PTA president...). I didn't have time to dwell on the fact that my baby was not my baby anymore. But later I arrived home to an empty and quiet house and had a bit of a cry at being done with a the years of being a mommy to a baby, toddler, preschooler..... Don't get me wrong, I know she has so many exciting new adventures awaiting her and I am not one to hold my girls back. And I know I will find plenty of things to occupy my 2.5 hours of daily kid-free time. But it is still sad to think of being done with one chapter of mommyhood. But now it is time to move forward and embrace the journey ahead. Madison had a great day in third grade and is excited for the upcoming year. She has a fantastic teacher and we all ready have our first field trip scheduled for three weeks from Friday! I think it is going to be a wonderful year for her. You know things are getting serious when you have a protractor and compass on your supply list and you get cut down to 2 recesses from 3!