A Post??

Wow...it's been a very long time since I've posted anything...and I actually have pictures to post...but likely won't get to that tonight.

• Dipstick has broken his new glasses - that he's only had for a week and the eye doctor's place is closed tomorrow
  
• Dipstick's grades currently are not failing!!! This is awesome as he's been grounded for weeks due to failing grades & undone homework.
• I enjoyed an awesome visit with my sister and her children yesterday. B and I drove to Grand Rapids to meet them. We enjoyed lunch then went to the public museum. It was too much to comprehend all in one day but so much fun to look. We enjoyed a nice supper at the restaurant near their hotel then headed home.
  
• All 3 boys stayed home and went to school yesterday...was nice to spend the day just with B but equally nice to get home late(r) last night and see all the boys
• Belle and Boo are beautiful handsome children that are growing so rapidly...they took to B very well - so much so that he was surprised.
  
• Today was spend "recuperating" - I napped between bus routes and did laundry and dishes
• Tomorrow will be spent preparing for a home show that I'm hostessing here Friday evening.
• Stretch's fall play is over as is cross country...Life isn't slowing down much as the Gospel Choir schedule is picking up
• Squirrel is running 3-4 days a week after school - usually in town but occasionally at the high school. He prefers to run at the high school as he thinks it is more interesting
• My brother N and his wife I will be back from overseas for a month over Christmas...based near my mom and dad.
• Excitement is high as my mind frantically runs around thinking about whether we will be able to make it north to see them...and what I should be working on to take to them
• Still much concern over my Mom and Dad's health
• Crops are slowly being harvested
• Weather is still often rainy - today was misty and foggy most of the day. Was so thankful that we had a nice if chilly day yesterday
  
• Boys should be home from church soon

I am totally rambling now...think I will go look at the project I have in mind to deliver up north. Was looking through pictures earlier this evening...found 1 set that showed many of my stitching UFO's...maybe someday I'll get them finished.

First "real" meal I've had in 2 days tonight...I baked roast in the oven and made potatoes and veggies to go on the side. I had hoped that there would be enough roast left to do another meal but it doesn't appear so this time. Cookies are just coming out of the oven...I paid bills today and balanced checkbook. I also got some cleaning done and a short nap in. It was really nice to be off school today and Friday...especially since I was down sick with something Friday and Saturday. I haven't had more than 1 cup of coffee since Thursday afternoon...not sure how bad I want to go back to drinking it - at least as much of it as I was. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Dipstick is at boy scouts tonight...he's missed several times. Stretch is upstairs doing homework while Squirrel is watching military channel on tv and waiting on his turn on the computer. Squirrel helped out here quite a bit today...inside lifting and carrying laundry for me as well as outside doing stuff for B. The camper is covered for the winter, the canoe is up on the wall in the lean-to...stuff is getting done. We have plans for re-arranging the shop office...I'm kind of looking forward to getting that done though I'm not sure when it will happen.

Cross country is over for another year - Semi-state was Saturday. I was supposed to get to drive the bus for that but...thankfully Stretch and Squirrel got to go anyway...both riding the bus.

Brrr....

Brrrrr...it's cold here tonight. Actually it's been rather cold all day today though I did not light a fire during the day. Think tonight I will make sure it's stoked well before bed as tomorrow is supposed to be as cold as today was...and I like a warm house to wake up to.

B and Dipstick are watching tv tonight...the movie "Pearl Harbor". We have it on dvd but it's not one I've ever wanted to watch. Stretch and Squirrel are out tonight at youth group and should be back shortly. (Dipstick has been grounded due to his grades but his homework is done for tonight). This afternoon after school there were parent/teacher conferences at the high school. I really like how this school district does them - arena style with teachers paired up at tables. That way parents can visit with any teacher they wish to and skip some if necessary. Parent/teacher conferences are at the middle school for Squirrel next Wednesday night - same style. I much prefer this to just seeing one homeroom teacher out of several and getting notes on how the student is doing in the rest of the classes - in a 15 min. appointment. The other benefit to doing it arena style is that overall it seems to take less time to cover the teachers.

Boys are home so I'm getting booted off the computer...one goal for this weekend is to take pictures of all 3 boys outside somewhere - the weather is supposed to be better - not as cold and rainy.

My heart questions...

No half started posts at all recently...have thought about posting but just not got it done...Don't feel like I've got much done at all recently though the house is mostly clean.

My heart is somewhat heavy this morning...yesterday morning there was a serious car wreck involving at least 4 of "our" high school students...the school where Stretch attends and the district I work for. Two vehicles were totaled, 4 students were injured. Of those 4, one is in a drug-induced coma on life support and one has multiple breaks in his back and neck as well as internal bruising. The injuries of the other two students were more minor...cuts and bruises mainly. Rumors are swirling ... the gist of which is that there was some sort of racing going on - in the early morning darkness on a 2 lane country road - with possibly another vehicle that left the scene...one vehicle clipped another one and two rolled. Likely most of us will never know the exact story...authorities may have trouble figuring it out. But the results...lives forever changed...families...pain...loss...

I have trouble comprehending this...my heart questions why? All I can do is pray for those involved and believe that God will work it for good. Stretch commented that it really again makes you realize the frailty of life and how fast it can change.

He brews or why I don't do mornings

So this morning I'm trying to fix a fresh pot of coffee. I fill the reservoir with water, put a clean filter in...I grind the beans and push start. A few minutes later I wonder why my coffee is such a clear color...I know I ground the beans...Oh...wait a minute...did I put them in the filter?? Needless to say I hadn't.

There's a good reason why he brews in this house. (and it's not B it's usually Stretch that brews for me). The boys have learned to leave me mostly alone until I've had at least one cup of coffee.

A finished post!!

I've started more posts recently and not got them finished...hopefully this won't be another one.

Fall is definitely in the air...the nights are cool, days are cooler...leaves are starting to turn color and fall. Crops in the fields are ripening and I am beginning to see more and more wildlife on my bus route. This morning I saw a coyote near the end of the route and most of the kids on the bus saw a couple of deer at a stop sign. The chaos over the deer sighting was almost funny - one of my students saw it and started hollering and pointing.

Life has been crazy busy lately - we've had cross country meets for the last 2 Saturdays - with at least 2 more to come. In addition Squirrel has had meets during the week - thankfully those have been mostly "at home" but it still means long days for me. Stretch occasionally makes the at home meets but not all of them. Squirrel has been doing quite well - he ran the distance in just over 14 minutes on Tuesday. (It's a 1.9 m race for the middle school age group). He consistently places in the top 15 of the smaller meets (3 or less schools) - this past time it was out of 37 boy runners. (Girls had considerably more runners).

Stretch is in the fall play this year - in addition to cross country. He didn't try out as he focuses on cross country and then just helps with sound/lights/stage management at the play. However one of the kids who tried out - and got a part backed out so he has been asked to step in to take that part over. He does enjoy acting and it's good experience so I'm excited for him.

Dipstick...he's pretty much himself. He dropped out of football early on in the season. I'm sorry that he's not involved in a sport but at the same time it is probably better for his grades. He and I went to Grief Group last night - the same place I used to take Squirrel and Stretch to. He enjoyed himself - had more fun that he expected to. He was afraid that they would just sit around in a group and "talk about it". Instead they do crafts and activities as well as talking. I was surprised at how - even though I did not go into the adult group - I felt so at home there. I was looking forward to having an hour or so when I couldn't go anywhere else to sit and read or journal or whatever - I actually spent almost the entire time catching up with the program director. Pretty much everyone else was completely new to me but I still felt very comfortable and at home.

We've pretty much all been sick this past week - Squirrel started it and it's going around. B is probably the most miserable at the moment. I've been making homemade chicken noodle soup and pushing fluids and vitamins. Hopefully soon we will all be on the mend.

I've spent too much time sitting here at the computer...coffee and toast is finished and it's time to swap laundry loads. I've also got juice for jelly to make...

Squirrel had his first cross country meet tonight - I drove the bus to it. Driving the bus was kind of fun as the team is just big enough to not be able to use a mini bus so no one was crowded at all. Squirrel mis-judged the difficulty of the course and ran out of steam before the end of the race. He still finished well and placed in the top 15 runners and now has goals for the next meet. I didn't take my camera this time as the weather was decidedly iffy as far as rain was concerned.

I'm still pretty tired tonight - in addition to the meet on Saturday we worked a hard day at the old house yesterday. We sealed the driveway and put down rocks to fill in the places we were unable to seal. We were all pretty whupped last night. Today was pretty much a begin to catch up day - I worked on laundry, did dishes and typed out my bus route for the sub this afternoon.

I'll try to write something more interesting tomorrow.