First Day of School

The time of year we dread as a child, but relish as a parent has come and gone. The first day of school! It started very early this year. Mackenzie catches the bus at 6:45, Joey at 7:25. It's about the same time for Joey, but 2 hours early for Mackenzie, but she faced it like a trouper!
Mackenzie is not a morning person (a trait she inherited from me)so I bought her a Disney Princess alarm clock thinking if she could press a snooze button, it might help. Just in case I went up at about 10 after 6 to make sure she was getting up. She set her alarm alright, but forgot to actually turn it on! Oh well, there's always tomorrow.
The school district was no help with bus stops. We just got a list of what time the bus would be in each development. They said to just look out where the other kids were going. Thanks. But, fortunately Mackenzie got the scoop from her new friends which happen to be our neighbors (and one of them is even in her class), so she was set. Joey on the other hand was not so lucky. We had to wait until we spotted someone else come out of their house and walk off. His bus stop isn't the same. But we managed, everyone got off to school and home just fine.
Mackenzie doesn't have much to report yet. These first couple days are just get to know you and the school days. But, she didn't have anything to complain about either. That's always good. Joey is adjusting to a longer school session, and 2 more classes than in Washington. They seperate the English class into seperate Writing and Reading classes. He likes all of his teachers so far, and for once has a good mix of male and female teachers. His school is trying out single gender classes this year, but he is not part of the test group, but if things go well, next year the whole school will be single gender classes for the core classes (math, reaing science, etc.) He got extra electives this year so on top of band (where he will pick up the French Horn again, his band teacher LOVED hearing that)he is also taking an art class this semester and a high school credit keyboarding class next semester. He said the lunch schedule was a bit confusing, but he has it down now. On top of that, every other day he switches his 1st and last period classes. (one day he goes to his Reading 1st, Social Studies last, next day Soc. Studies 1st, Reading last) I'm beginning to wonder if they can make things more complicated for 11-14 year olds.
Joel barely noticed they were gone until about 2, which was less than an hour before Mackenzie got home, lol. He is planning a race when the kids get home tomorrow. He wants a finish line with sand in it.
We were threatened with Hurricane Fran this week, but she turned into a Tropical storm and took a sharp left turn from Florida, so we only got a little bit of on and off rain. Darn it! There's always next year. Or next week. You never know around here.
I got bit pretty good by a fire ant while cutting the grass last weekend. It was pretty bad, Cortisone wasn't even really helping. It just barely started to heal. It was so bad Wes tried to tell me it must be a spider bite. Not funny. Fortunately I saw the bugger biting me, so he's lucky this time. Those are sleeping on the couch words!

Here's a story, of a lovely lady...

Ok, so we're one kids shy of the Brady Bunch, but when Wes' niece Lauren is with us, we are, and she even sets the boy/girl ratio to rights. But seriously, 5 kids is a lot! Did you know that? How the heck did those kids live with 3 to a room, all the time? So everybody knows the break down: Wes' kids, Russell and Brianna are 13 (almost 14) and 12. Mine are 12, 9, and 4. Then there is the size differences. Honestly ,if you lined these kids up on the staircase by height like the Brady Bunch, it would be a different order. Oh, and I don't have an Alice. I guess that makes me Alice, but I definately don't get paid. The amazing thing is, I'm actually keeping up on housework! Well, for me anyway. The dish washer gets ran everyday, the kitchen and dining room floors are swept and mopped everyday, and I actually keep on top of the laundry and the litter box. Oh yeah, and I've been cooking! My kids are a bit thrown by this event. It also seems a bit odd that I do most of the cooking, since Wes is a cook. Then again, I'm the one at home. I even baked a wheat free cake the other day. I had Joey get my camera out for me while I was icing it, so I could take a picture, but forgot all about it and just started cutting the thing up and serving it. Then I saw my camera on the table when I sat down to eat my piece. Ooops.
Beyond the Brady Bunch factor, I am assimilating to being back in the south. I'm still not used to the bugs, but I do love coming across the lizards. I like lizards, they eat bugs. The heat has been going down. Funny how your state of mind changes as necessary. In Washington 86 is a super hot day. Here, I said to myself, "Wow, its pretty cool today." I'm going next week to get my South Carolina plates and driver's license. I shop at Piggly Wiggly, though I refuse to buy, make, or eat grits. I guess that makes me a Yankee. i never considered myself one. I mean, when the civil war was going on, Washington wasn't a state. And my family tree existed in Virginia (a southern state) and Germany (another country). Oh well, not like I'm the only one around here. Thank you Air Force and Navy bases!
The kids start school this week. Mackenzie already has a circle of friends from the neighborhood. The greatest day of her life since being here was when, last Monday, three little girls rang our doorbell and asked if the little girl that lived here could come out and play. Joey I have no doubt will make friends once he gets to school, but boys his age are too cool to ring doorbells. But, he enjoys riding his bike around, and takes Gillian for a walk everyday.
Joel has a couple od little guys that he's played with outside a couple times when they're out with their older siblings, but at 4, it's not nearly as exciting.
Since we don't have cable and haven't caught a lot of the Olympics, we've been playing our own Olympics on the Wii with Mario & Sonic. My arms are getting quite buff.
Now if I could only get a job......

Buzz Kill

I've been in a perpetual state of tense lately. Part stress, part worry, and part being plain old pissed off. So, I've found it hard to put up with the weak wireless signal that one of my neighbors provides me long enough to punch something out and post. That and I have nothing but gloom and doom to report. Mostly because I'm very negative right now. I'm also afraid that if I get going, I will "go off" and because I know within my good sense that would be a bad idea, I've been avoiding the opportunity to test my restraint. So, there you have it. Can I go and have a bucket of margaritas now?