it's snowing

kids got out of school early. deb wore her backless tennis shoes & packed them full of snow....(some people never learn. it does occasionally still snow in Missouri...)

Liberty

today was KJ's big day---driving to Liberty in drivers ed. It's a big deal considering most of his driving is done in Mercer, pop. 300some. Today was the 1st time he's been on the interstate. He got to eat chicken strips @ Applebee's, too!

applebee's

have a shopping excersion planned for tomorrow after the kids get home from school---supper @ Applebee's, winter boot shopping 4 katie, massive driving practice 4 KJ. we've all been looking 4ward to it...kevin is exhausted, he is back to full shifts & massive mandatory overtime...I worked the weekend & my butt is dragging...we'll see how it actually goes.
wednesday KJ & a classmate drive to Liberty & back with their drivers ed teacher.
friday is the first home varsity BB game--kj will have to play in pep band,& I'll have to go watch him. they got awesome new pepband shirts this year.
katie is working on a map of the Mercer square...after Sabrina the Teenage Witch is over, we'll go & make sure she has everything in the right place.
I got the xmas newsletter typed, kate has it decorated, now just need to get it copied, find the wallets I had made, buy xmas stamps, wait 4 the address labels I ordered to get here, address the envelopes...

christmas insanity

I have been a bit manic about Xmas this year. I have planned & shopped & wrapped & decorated early. I have dug out Xmas videos, dvds, & cds. I made my family watch Shrek The Halls. I plan outings to all the new holiday movies. I have bought tons of Xmas candy. I have also filled the calander with Christmasy things to do...tonite's was the all female production of Ms. Scrooge at Princeton...
after this a.m.s ice storm & having no electricity @ work for hours on end...I was still set to go. Till I got home & Katie really didn't want to go. I tried to sweet talk her into it. She just really didn't want to go. So, instead I called for pizza & ran to the grocery store to pick up necessities.
All 3 vehicles are just home from the shop for various ailments. I was driving the Monte just uptown--it started missing again. It died twice on the way home. I barely made it back. I was thanking my lucky stars that Katie didn't let me talk her into driving to Princeton...

flashlight tour of the playground

katie & danielle treated me to a flashlight tour of their school playground, showing me their secret hiding places, explaining the games they play, solving mysteries....until they got tired of listening to me complain about the cold & agreed to go home & have hot cocoa!

and my baby is engaged...

I finally called Koren tonite-they bought the ring Friday, it is getting sized. The ring was on sale & still cost quite a bit more than my wedding--quite possibly more than we spent on groceries the 1st year we were married! I am of course happy for Koren & Cody, a bit sad for my lost youth. I remember the excitement of being engaged, the planning for the future, the dreams & hopes we had. I wish them the best.
Koren is going to apply for the spring break trip to England, there is a Jack the Ripper walk & an optional (costs extra) day in Dublin. The world is my kids' oyster.
You want your kids to have better. Ours do. We've done something right...

girls night out

kate & I headed to trenton listening to cds that kate selected to watch Enchanted. it was a magical movie~only marred by the fact that we planned on having hot dogs there for supper ~and they were out of hotdogs. I instead ordered a combo of popcorn & cokes. kate wasn't happy. and she did have a point~popcorn & hotdogs are not the same thing. and she really doesn't care for coke. a casey's glazed donut saved her from utter starvation on the way home, & we made our own hotdogs about 10p.m. @ home. all's well that ends well...