New Week

I can not tell you how nice it is to be home again. Actually, I can and I plan to.

First the list from last week:

1. The Birthday was a success. She turned 8. Ha - I kid. I baked cookies to take to her classroom on Thursday and the kids loved them. Evidently some of them don't get many homemade treats. The party on Saturday was also a success. Wii had a bowling tournament, played some air hockey, made foamy door hangers, did a scavenger hunt, ate cake and ice cream and opened gifts. She had 5 of the 8 invited girls come and they all got along well. We also got to meet some of the parents of her friends, which is more difficult to do with public school compared with the private schools they went to last year.

2. Tee-ball practice turned out to be a parent meeting where I volunteered to be the team parent. And then I remembered we haven't been contacted by the Softball coach yet. So, I took another parent up on her offer to co-manage everything. Plus? She knows the coach and I'll only really have to do the snack schedule, line ups and maybe the roster.

3. I spent way to many hours laminating* and cutting tags and graphics for Fishing Guy. I also created a bulletin board for him to use for the store and played around with some photos for his boss. I might end up with a work-from-home job out of all the things we created.

4. The house is still happy. Maybe even happier after the de-clutter for the party. Now to keep it this way.

5. The DVR is down to 28%. While I was trimming laminating* I watched Project Runway and all but 2 episodes of American Gladiators. The kids are now hooked on Gladiators and we are watching the finals tonight - as soon as I get off the computer. I still have 4 episodes of Lost, American Idol girls and elimination from last week along with saving Knight Rider for Fishing Guy to watch (I watched it the night it aired). I think there is a Law and Order too.

6. See, updating here. More interesting stuff to come.

7. Check. Homework was done and handed in on time. The Princess is already done with this week's too. I will have to threaten to sit on The Prince to get him to do his.

8. I helped on Friday morning in The Prince's classroom. I left at lunchtime to come home and clean the house. They welcomed me back with open arms and a pile of stuff to do. Just how I like it. This week I'll be back in both classrooms.

9. Umm, no books and no scrapbooking yet. I haven't given up hope yet.

10. Anniversary happened. I didn't cook a special meal - Fishing Guy worked late anyway. I did get a Xyron 900 the weekend before (hence the laminating) and I got to play with it a lot over the weekend. We will celebrate after the store opens. And after we get our tax refund. Rumor has it there is a new flat screen TV and a PS3 on the top of Fishing Guy's list. At the top of my list is a laptop, but I would settle for an iPod touch.

In other news, the Preschool/Daycare job is now pretty much just a bad dream that is forgotten the next morning. I feel like the ending in "Ever After" where Drew Barrymore as Danielle, stands in front of her evil stepmother and says, "I will speak for her. All I ask is that you show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me. After this moment, I will never think of you again, but I'm sure that you will think of me every day for the rest of your life." Or some such - actually here it is from IMDB:

"Danielle: [to Rodmilla, smiling] I want you to know that I will forget you after this moment, and never think of you again. But you, I am quite certain, will think about me every single day for the rest of your life.
Rodmilla: And how long might that be?
Danielle: [looks up] All I ask, Your Majesties... is that you show her the same courtesy that she has bestowed upon me."

And now they are swimming in indigo. 'Nuf said.

Today, I worked on the laundry and tidied the kitchen. Finally made the chicken enchiladas for dinner that I've been promising for a week. I got my last paycheck in the mail and while I was running something to Fishing Guy at his store, I stopped and put it directly in the bank. And I stopped at Target for laundry detergent, Drano and Dr. Pepper on the way home. I also thought the kids were walking home from school and as I waited at the end of the driveway for them, I got more and more concerned when I didn't see them coming up the hill. So at 3:15pm I hopped in the car and drove down to the school like a mad woman. Where the kids were waiting patiently for me. School gets out at 3pm. Lesson learned - make sure that we are clear on the directions for after school.

Tomorrow morning I'm having a friend over for coffee and a chat in the morning, The Princess has a playdate after school and I think The Prince and I will practice his throwing and catching for tee-ball if the weather stays nice.

It's Done

I am officially back in the land of the SAHM again!

As of 1:20 pm this afternoon, when the Director was fired and we ALL walked out.

I still don't know what the exact fallout will be, but I knew I wasn't going to stay on my own and I didn't want to be the one that left first and caused problems.

There has been great rejoicing in the house and I'm so excited to be able to take care of a few things coming up in the next couple of weeks.

1. Tomorrow is The Princess' birthday. I really wanted to bake cookies and take them into her class and now I can. I also need to clean the house to get ready for her party on Saturday.

2. The Prince has his first tee-ball practice tomorrow afternoon and I'll be able to take him, instead of Fishing Guy having to try to take off work early to take him.

3. The Grand Opening for Fishing Guy is in 2 weeks. That means he really needs me to be present and taking care of things at the house and for him. There will be luncheons and dinners to attend and I will be free to do all of that.

4. The house was so happy to have me home this afternoon. The stove demanded an exfoliating and is clear of all the gunk cooked onto the burner pans. The pots are clean and put to bed safely in their cupboards tonight. Tomorrow, I have a date with the vacuum cleaner and all the carpet in the house. Even the washer is happy to see me early in the week, rather than feeling lonely until the weekend.

5. I know that the DVR will be very glad to see me watch some saved shows that push it toward 57% full.

6. I can update here again and I'll have something to post that I can talk about.

7. The kid's homework will be handed in on time this week.

8. I'll be able to help out in the classrooms again. Maybe. If their teachers will have me back.

9. I have great plans to read at least 2 books this week and make some progress on my scrapbooks.

10. Our anniversary is on Friday, so I can cook a nice dinner and send the kids to bed early.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

Two Weeks Later...

Hi!

I'm still here. Barely.

Last weekend just about did me in. We went to Bellevue on Saturday. There was a purpose for the trip, to take pictures of the store for Fishing Guy to show his new crew at the new store, and a very good reason for all of us to hop in the car and head straight to Crazyville on Saturday, both of us working Monday thru Friday.

Now the store itself just about did me in - an anxiety attack right by the milk, sweating and freaking out in line. Truly. I can't handle so many people at once.

So, we headed to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. Of course. Shoot me now. Although I handle kid-noise much better. I got to sit at the choice table with the good view and knit for the entire time.

Sunday was the SuperBowl. Fishing Guy headed out to his "Playdate" about 11:30 am and I watched the game here, while the kids demanded to be fed played and I tried to work on my lesson plans. It was a very long day and I went to bed feeling like I was still far, far behind on my To Do list.

This week at work was long and drama-filled. We go from day to day not knowing if we will all be working there tomorrow. I am happy to report that I'm no longer on the radar, but the other gal I work with is. It's a sad, messed up situation and I'm really hoping that it implodes sooner rather than later. For now, my 2 preschoolers and I are doing lots of fun crafts (Groundhog's Day and Chinese New Year the last two weeks and Valentine's Day and Clifford's Birthday this week) and we are all adjusting to the daycare/preschool schedules. My new philosophy is to keep my head down, have a backup plan for everything, mumble a lot when I'm tempted to give my opinion and not put so much of myself into a place that doesn't care. The "4 hours short of full-time, even with a snow day and 2-hour delay start" paycheck was nice though.

Today, we were up early for a trip to Fishing Guy's new store and a stop at Target - before the crowds hit. We were home before noon, with all of our new loot. The Prince got new pants, undies and (clearance) snowpants. The Princess got undies and camis. (She will be 8 in less than 2 weeks! Ack!!) We learned that Target doesn't carry Fishing Guy's pant size AT ALL (40x34) and we got 3 new Wii games, each less than $30.

This afternoon we all cleaned up the downstairs. I vacuumed and am working on laundry. Fishing Guy took The Princess to town for some Daddy-Daughter time. The Prince and I put his new baseball cards into his new binder and played 2 of the Wii games while they were gone. I folded laundry and cleaned off the kitchen table, ran the dishwasher and made a few copies for this week. I have more to do, but I feel so much farther along than last weekend and I still have all day tomorrow!

Hopefully this momentum continues and I won't feel like a lousy mom, crabby wife and horrible homemaker as much of the time.