More sweet than bitter

Today was the first day of school for the kids. Kendall was so excited about seeing her friends and has been waking up early the last few days. Clayton started kindergarten today and he was very quiet when we first got there. I'm sure he was a little nervous. After school, I asked each child how their day was. Kendall exclaimed, "Good!" and Clayton said the same. He then added, "Recess is my favorite part." He's such a boy!

I have to work again tomorrow (thanks to my excellent planning), but, come Wednesday, I'm gonna shop a little. Woo hoo. I'm looking forward to having a day without anything planned! Well, you know what I mean. I am planning on shopping, I just don't know where yet. :)

I guess I better get ready for sleep. I know Tuesday morning will be here before I know it.

I had to work this week on Thursday and Friday. I work tomorrow and Tuesday, as well. Here's the deal: I thought the kids went back to school on Sept. 3rd but they actually go back tomorrow. I was so bummed! It's working out, though, I get to go to work at 9:30, so I will be able to take Clayton to his first day of kindergarten. The kids are so excited about school.

On Friday, I got home from work and my husband called me to see if I wanted to go to a movie. So last minute! The baby sitter was available so we saw "District 9". It was violent but I liked it. I had no idea what it was about before we went.

And the other thing is our dog peed on our bed again! Pete thinks she's just insecure. I think she has a death wish. I just don't get it. She's about 14 months old now. It's killing me.

I'm getting nervous/anxious about my Paris trip. I can't wait!!!

Back from Maine

We got back from Maine on Sunday. Ten days with my in-laws, my sister-in-law and her kids, and my husband's Nana who is 96. I survived. Seriously, no one went to the ER this year. Nana almost choked on Kendall's birthday and that was a little scary. She's done that before, too! But, still we all got home OK. Kendall and Clayton had a blast playing with their cousins.

The weather was awesome in Maine! It was hot and sunny except for one day. And of course, we ate lobster and fish a lot. It's so fresh there. Pete's dad even has a pot in the Damariscotta River in front of his house. We had lobster that was trapped not 100 yards away.

We swam at a neighbor's house in their lovely pool. The home was very understated. They had gone back to Boston but insisted that we use their pool. The kids loved it and their swimming improved daily.

The kids are looking for mussels while the tide is out

We even went out on my father-in-law's boat, the Uncle Eddy. We didn't have luck with the fishing that day, but it was still a nice time.

All in all, it was a pleasant time. The drive there is long and I'm glad it's only once a year to Maine.

To Catch a Falling Star

It's that time of year when the Perseid meteor shower is going on. Yes, last night I woke around 3:30 am, and thought, "the perseids!" I got up and quietly went outside. There were a lot of clouds and the moon was bright. It was difficult to see, what on a clear night is a sky full of diamonds, but there were a few visible stars. I stood out there listening to acorns falling from the oak trees that surround our house. There wasn't another sound in the night and suddenly, I saw a star shoot across the sky. It was a brilliant light that, upon seeing it, took me back to a time when I was around 4 years old. We lived in a house that had a storm shelter that made a hill in the back yard. My sister, dad and I took blankets outside and set up our star watching camp. My dad had his binoculars and we waited. It was perfect place for watching.

I only saw two falling stars last night and I was tempted to stay out longer than I did. It was still exciting to see. I plan to do it tonight but I think the best time will be from 9 to 11 pm. I hope I can keep the kids up for it, too. And I'm hoping for a clear night so the magic will be there for us all.

I have been MIA from this blog lately. It seems like I've been so busy and don't have the time to sit down and put together something worth telling.

Let me think if there is anything that would interest someone out there....
No.
I guess I'll have to tell you what's been going on even though it's not that interesting.

I found out that the most wonderful kindergarten teacher who Kendall had will not be coming back to school. Therefore, we don't know who will be the kindergarten teacher for Clayton. The few moms with whom I've spoken are just sick about it. Of course, the school is leaving us in the dark.

I had a job interview last week. I've been talking with a guy regarding job that looks like it's going to fall through. He told me about another job. It would work with my family except for Christmas and summer, but otherwise the hours would be good. Three weeks vacation, seven holidays and OK pay. Salary, but no nights or weekends.

My niece, who is 30, had a baby August 5. My brother is 11 years older than I and she's his daughter. She had a girl. I hope all will be well with them.

Kendall and Clayton slept at a friends house Wednesday night. Pete and I went out for dinner and then looked at cars. We are taking advantage of the "cash for clunkers" program. We're getting a new Subaru Outback. It will be a total luxury to have two automobiles with less than 50,000 miles on them each. The clunker is Pete's 1998 Ford F-150. It's on its last leg. Oh, and it's a real clunker!

And the big thing that happened this week is we finally confirmed what animal has been knocking our trash cans over at night and making a huge mess: A big, fat raccoon! I was certain it was a bear (so much more impressive to tell friends), but Pete saw the animal in the middle of the night. No doubt, the raccoon is well fed.

Well, I hope everyone out there (all three of you) is doing great!