The Holidays are Upon Us

Hi Ladies,

Here it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  Hard to believe especially when the weather is so mild (thank goodness).  Our plans have changed and we are headed to Indiana on Wed sometime returning Sunday.  Mom was going to come here but I suggested we go there since I just found out she isn't going to by brother's for Christmas after all.  My point was we would go there for Thanksgiving and she would come here for Christmas but she doesn't want to come here for Christmas since my brother and his family (including new son in law) will be there 12/27.  I was concerned about her being alone on Christmas and 12/26 which was my Dad's birthday, but she said she doesn't mind.  Hope that rings true on the day.  Anyway, she jumped on the idea of us going there for Thanksgiving.  Jim is ready for a road trip, Carter can practice driving and I won't have to worry about her driving alone down and back.  Guess that's a win/win.  Hopefully I'll survive the drive.  Jim and I don't travel well together.

As with trips we plan, Emerson has come down with a small fever and sore throat.  It used to always be Carter and now that it seems he has outgrown this inconvenience, Emerson has picked it up.  If he still has a fever tomorrow I'll take him to the doctor to make sure it isn't strep then go on as planned.

Since our neighbors are moving, (house went on the market Tuesday) Jim has decided we need to move as well.  I am just waiting this out and hoping it will pass soon.  I can't even imagine trying to get this house ready to sell and finding another one in town.  They are moving to Lakeland which isn't too far and I imagine Carter and Mason will still see each other about the same amount of time (not often).  Emerson will be the loser in the equation since he and Ben do spend more time together.  We have met a new boy who moved close by and one of his school friends lives in Oakland as well and is coming home with us on Tuesday (assuming Emerson is not still sick) to play.  It is weird seeking out playmates for your children.  I'm on it though.  The more I find the less Jim will want to move.

Hope your holiday decorating is going well, Julie.  I got away with not decorating at Halloween.  No one even asked about it.  Jim did ask why I didn't get pumpkins.  I told him we never carve them when we do so he went out and bought two.  Carter decorated one for a school project (it was supposed to look like a nonfamous scientist.  He did pretty well, I thought.  The other one remained uncarved or decorated and I threw them both out last garbage day.  I'm guessing I won't get the same reprise for Christmas though.  How I would love a pre-lighted artificial tree.  Shameful, right?

Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

Brenda

Winter is Here...

Parrish went snowboarding on Monday (Killington is open-Stratton opens Thanksgiving).   I am bundled under 100 layers.  It's cold but no snow on the ground yet which is good cause I still need to get  my snow tires.   I have training at Stratton this Saturday, it will be my eighth winter there.  Working on taking care of myself - green smoothies/meditation/exercise.  Got the first two down OK, it's the exercise this time of year...dark, grey, cold.  I just want to sit in front of the fire and read.  Good for you Cari and Brenda!!!  My membership to the gym reinstates when I start work so I need to follow your example and get back in gear.

Carole, your post is the third time someone has talked about end of life issues recently.  I have to have that talk with my mom.  I'm pretty sure I know how she feels, what she'd want but just need to make sure.  I know that we were all ready with Todd, we weren't going to let him suffer for long.  He just passed so fast we didn't have to make those choices.  I sometimes walk with this lady in her late '60's who says she and her friends stockpile pills so that if the time comes they have the means to easily end their life.  She says it so pragmatically.

Glad the election is over.  I know we don't talk politics but that thing went on FOREVER.  This weekend I am putting up the snow village - Let the holiday decorating begin!

All West

Have to share Carter's Al l West tryout for sax in 7th grade saga.  Only 2 people from 7th grade even went from SFA.  Carter had no idea what he was in for.  He is a very confident kid though and didn't think that much about it.  After arriving we ran into several kids from Fayette Academy.  After speaking to the mother of one girl he knew well, I realized he was out of his league.  They had been practicing for months with help from the band director (who was there).  Carter's band director wasn't there, had given the kids no guidance and advised Carter he had paid his entry fee himself (apparently because he had never taken the time to send the info to the parents) two weeks before the competition.  At one point Carter told me the band director said he really knew nothing about it with regards to band, but knew everything about choir tryouts (I believe he used to be a choir director somewhere).

While Carter was waiting outside his room and heard the other kids playing, he then realized he was out of his league.  Because of that, he didn't want to play at all but couldn't get out of it at that point.  Afterwards when he tried to leave, the door guy said he still had to play his chosen memory piece.  Carter panicked because he had no piece.  Come to find out, it was just scales, but Carter was so flustered he messed them all up.  If memory serves, they scored up to 100 and I believe Carter got a 24 or maybe it was a 15.   The poor kid was in tears and I was furious.  It took all I had not to lay into the band director the next week at school.  I decided to wait a few days to calm down and by then decided to just let it go.  Needless to say, Carter has had no desire to ever try out for All West again.

I understand it is very hard to get in (as you obviously know Carole) so I imagine it would be quite an honor to do so but at what cost???

More later.

Brenda

song birds

we had an adventure in all west tryouts for choir.
smartly dressed , with song books in hand we head to the outer limits of shelby county.
there we meet up with many, many  nervous hopefuls.
I wish them well, do your best ...that is all you can do now.

alas, after messed up recordings and room changes... the singer's voice cracks...UGH.

songbird # 2 was prettily  dressed and happy about the choice of material she was to sing.
so sorry, but the elusive placement of years past  is still just that.
But I practiced so much, and my friends made it why not me!!

Because...just because.   you can still sing with the school choir.
Of course that is not what they wanted to hear.
And that is not what i wanted to say.

c

laughing and crying

you see mom, they make these things cheap. if not, no one could afford to have them.
he might not even know how to get them on right.
look it came off and i did not even eat and sugar babies.
mom:    u sure about that 'cause I know i saw laffy taffy and air heads in that bag
child:  ...well they aren't there now.

...of course this is kevin's explanation of why the band AROUND the tooth came off...it left a wire poking out of his mouth.
thankfully it was 3:50 p and we ran over to have it 'serviced'

seriously he will NEVER be able to assume responsibility for anything...it is always someone else's fault, responsibility,problem

i would not mind his jaw wired for a week...just kidding


look for installments of science fair mania....sure to be sparks flying there.

c

clarification
my mom's sister died 19 yrs ago.
c

Angst


It is 1030 p.m.
I have just watched a 15 yr old melt down 2 or 3 times in a 1/2 hr.
Fatigue, maybe. frightened of not being able to "understand"  Calvin cycle...atp etc..
most definitely.  The bigger picture here is self doubt and not having good study habits.

I am not going to beat myself up over this. Corinne knows when she does not   understand
something and also knows there is help available.  
The bigger question is why she feels like a failure when she has to ask for help.

Brenda and Cari  i am so envious!!!!  I need  a 12 step program to
get back to healthy eating and exercising.   One day at a time. Good food
choices. walk.

Brenda thanks for understanding.  My grandmother is still in the hosp.
the nursing home wants her in a private room which is cost prohibitive.
the angst goes on.

On a lighter note, Kevin sang with the choral tonight.  they were good.
we went to get yogurt and ran into some of his friends from school.
I got to meet the parents too.   nice people.  glad to have given in to impulse.

Went to the oncologist today...saw the nurse practicioner.  good for another 6 mo.
YEAH!!!!!!!!   need to get a bone density scan.

The past few weeks the heartburn has ramped up.  went back to 2 prevacid a day.
see the G.I dr in a few weeks.  not sure what this is about.

Race for the cure is saturday....anyone want to come along??
g'night.
carole