H1N1 Clinic

Maggie & Eion's school is offering the H1N1 vaccine to any students who want it today. Which is terrific. Unless of course, you are a student. We received an automated call last night stating they only have shots, no mists. I bet it is just awesome there today!

Conference Day

Parent Teacher conferences have, thus far, always been a pretty pleasant affair. May be it is because we go to meetings like the one I attended yesterday for Morrigan.

Where I was presented with a straight A report card and glowing comments about how well she is doing and what a joy she is to have in class.

Or meetings like the one with Maggie's teacher.

Where we looked over her almost straight A report card (one B but I swear I am handling it just fine,) well within parameters test scores and discussed how there are no problems needing to be addressed. Well, she did say that Maggie was stubborn (oh no! say it isn't so!) which, interestingly, was a comment all three teachers made about the kids. And I would have absolutely no idea at all where they got it. Ha! It's genetic: blue eyes plus blue eyes equals blue eyes; stubborn plus stubborn will get you stubborn every time.

And then I got to meet with Eion's teacher.

Where we got to mull over the very real possibility that he will repeat preschool. Ouch. She clearly loves him and his "spirited" ways and thinks he is a bright little boy but his maturity level just might not be there. Some comments were followed with "well you live with him, you understand." How well I do indeed. I am beginning to see why some parents don't like conference day.

And then there was the mystery of why Eion had 8 tardies and Maggie had none. I drop them off, together, at the doors to the school at 7:30 sharp every morning. All I could think was that it must be a mistake. Until I talked to Maggie who informed me that rather than going into his own classroom, which the two of them pass on the way to Maggie's class, Eion continues on to Maggie's class where I think he remains until forcibly removed by the 1st grade teacher. At which point he, sometimes, goes directly to his own class and, sometimes, just wanders the halls. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I didn't fire off an email to his teacher insisting that the tardies were a mistake.

When I asked Maggie why she didn't have E disembark at his classroom, she said she couldn't worry about that because she didn't want to be late herself. So after I reassured her she had plenty of time to deliver him to his teacher and make it to her own destination, she, reluctantly, agreed to help her brother arrive on time.

Holy Crap I Am Ready For Tomorrow

I keep thinking I am done for today but I have to tell you what is the crowning jewel in my Wednesday. My carpool for the birthday party which Morrigan is attending left her there. So now the parents of the birthday boy, who I have never met, are driving her home since Tim is at work and Maggie & Eion are in bed. I have to say that I am really glad that when the invite said "gift optional" I opted for a gift. If I have anything else to post today I am going to lose it!

Wednesday Disguised As Monday Continued

What do I really hate? Driving at night. What do I hate even more? Doing it in the rain. And hate even more than that? Driving in the rain, at night and in traffic which I thought didn't exist in this town anyway. That's why I live here! Damn you people and your 5:30pm, all the way across town birthday parties anyway.

It's Wednesday Not Monday Dammit

Seriously, this is the kind of morning I should have on Monday, not Wednesday......

6:10am: Wake up, make coffee, and pack Tim's lunch while under siege by meat scrap craving cats.

6:20am: Son demands to know why his door was open. Does not accept explanation that none of us opened it.

6:30am: E reappears dressed in a sweater vest (no shirt underneath,) shorts and shoes that had to have the velcro straps duct taped down at school yesterday in order for him to keep them on. [This moment really deserved a picture but I wasn't in the presence of mind to take on so early.] When told he had to change, Eion burst into tears and said he is NEVER getting dressed.

6:45am: Showered and dressed to find Eion is true to his word. Manage to get him dressed only after letting him recycle both his socks and shirt from the day before. I am not proud.

6:50am: Maggie bemoans the lack of long sleeve dresses available to her. Morrigan declares she is sick and cannot go to school.

6:55am: Send email to carpool for birthday party later today bailing because Morrigan is sick.

7:10am: Lunches are packed for remaining children. Frantic effort to have the house in order for cleaning lady begins.

7:16am: Morrigan makes a miraculous recovery 9 minutes before we are due to leave. Suspected causes include the fact she was not going to get to watch tv, would have to go to work with me and would miss aforementioned birthday party.

7:17am: Send email retracting earlier email and reaffirming carpool.

7:18am: Pack lunch and make breakfast for Morrigan.

7:22am: Locate $4.50 for a poster the girls have to have from the Highland Park book fair of a kitten in a tutu. Think how very glad I am I don't spend much time decorating their room.

7:25am: Upload to car derailed by Eion's Indiana Jones jacket which needs to be zipped AND have all 4 snaps secured before leaving the house.

7:29am: Finally get all the kids in the car and leave.

7:33am: Very much appreciate Jerry's comment about how I seem a bit frazzled this morning. (Admittedly, he was right.)

We'll just assume that we have nowhere to go but up today.

The Christmas Season Does Not Start Until After Thanksgiving

And no matter what the rest of the world does, I will stand firm on this point. A local radio again started its weeks early celebration of Christmas in spite of my protest last year. As if the FM dial in Roanoke was not already a complete wasteland. To lose a passable station for the season is unacceptable.

My girls agree. As we prowled the aisles of TJMaxx yesterday, Morrigan called out to all who would listen, "Good grief. Don't they know that we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet?" You would think they would embrace yet another holiday for which people could buy specialized gear rather than glossing over it entirely. And my children have noticed. The lack of Thanksgiving decorations at our house has been pointed out repeatedly to me.

So in spite of our decorative shortcomings, I will remain in the Thanksgiving spirit for another week or so. Lord knows, I have more than my fair share of things for which to be thankful. But the day after turkey day, the Christmas holidays are ON.

New Floors

So after I took pictures of the new floors, I realized I had no "before" pictures which will make the following photographs really lack context for anyone who didn't have the pleasure of viewing the carpets, each more hideous than the last, in person. But I promised Mom I would let her see the finished product so bear with me! This picture kind of shows the heinous nature of the basement carpet but doesn't truly do it justice.

And here we have "after."

Clearly, a long way to go. We still have some dull walls and unattractive fluorescent lighting but since we're cash flowing this and refuse to borrow money, it may take a few months.

Double apologies for these next two as they will mean nothing to those who didn't see these rooms before!

What is funny is that the office floors, which one member of this family fought me on endlessly, have really been appreciated by all. The room looks so much bigger than it did with the old carpet. Overall, worth the hassle and mess of the last few weeks!

Beautiful Saturday

After several days of Arc building jokes, the rain has stopped and today was picture perfect. We've been enjoying a visit from Tim's parents.

The girls were all dressed up for the Whole Notes Club, a monthly music club that I think, for them at least, is all about the refreshments. By Maggie's count, she had at least eight brownies. When pressed, they also remembered some singing.

With it sunny and near 70 degrees, we had to hit the park. It is so hilly by us that bike riding is a challenge, to say the least. But that's why we love out Suburban - just pack up the bikes and head to the flat-lands.

There were plenty of other like-minded families making for plenty of good park fun.

The unseasonably great weather did leave me with a dilemma. Our Christmas card picture was slated for 3pm tomorrow, smack dab in the middle of what is projected to be another banner day. Tim questioned my scheduling but really, how was I to know it was going to be this nice? I resisted initially, but realized that we couldn't waste such November perfection indoors. And amazingly, I was able to get an appointment for the next Sunday. To Tim's delight, he is working and he and I will not be in the Christmas card again. Maybe next year.....

So......

Did you ever had a Friday that was rolling along just fine when one of your inner circle, best friend peeps calls and says she's moving to West Virginia? I did. And it completely sucked.

Well I'll Be!

Not that I ever doubted the quality of my children's entries in the Reflections contest, but we were pleasantly surprised when we received a letter today that Maggerson's Kitty in the Sunshine won first place! And is moving on to the next level. [Hidden Kitty and Kitty Shine did not fare quite as well.] Congratulations Maggie!

Still no word on the epic dance routine......

Can I Get A Hell Yeah!

After almost two weeks of chaos and having the girls as roomies, my house is back in order with all rooms accessible and containing the proper furniture. The floors look awesome and especially in the case of the basement and office, are making such a huge difference. Pictures when I get around to it......

Friday was the Highland Park Walk-a-Thon, which in spite of her mother being on the PTA executive board, my daughter fought participating in tooth and nail. She refused to collect donations because if she didn't get any donations, she wouldn't have to walk.

What she didn't know was that her teacher was planning on sponsoring anyone who had not turned in money. I was in the class that morning and just couldn't let it happen so I sponsored the other holdouts. Take that Morrigan. Now go walk in a large circle for an hour.

Tim was working Friday night and feeling like an inadequate playdate planner, I attempted the level 4 difficulty triple playdate. I easily found dates for Morrigan and Eion but many of Maggie's friends had plans. Being shameless, I found a Mom at pickup and worked something out on the spot. While, relatively, it all went well I was feeling a bit haggard at the end of the night when three girls repeatedly were chanting "Trick or Treat, give me something good to eat. If you don't, I don't care. I'll pull down your underwear." I thought ignoring them would make it stop. Not only was I wrong, but they continued using all manner of funny singing voices - opera and the like - for a good 20 minutes.

Saturday we went to the Children's Miracle Network Ball at the Hotel Roanoke.

We've been to this several years in a row and this was by far my favorite. As friends Leslie & Craig were the featured family, it was heavily populated with familiar faces.

Of course that same contingent of friendly folks led us to adjourn in the Pine Room.

And yes, that's Tim double fisting it at 11:30pm as I urged him to leave. He didn't listen.

So to no one's surprise, it was a slow day chez nous on Sunday. But we rallied and had Melanie, Jerry, Ann & kids over for homemade pizzas. [Hans went on some crazy 24 hour adventure race the day before and had crashed at home.]

This week is shaping up as a great time to get the house back in order since E is running a fever and throwing up. Thank goodness he got sick right after I just had a houseful of people. D'oh!

The People of Wal Mart

While I should be blogging about the many other pertinent issues of my day, walk-a-thon, reading to Maggie's class, the joy and pain of the triple playdate, I am instead wasting way too much time at this site:

The People of Wal-Mart

It's unreal. And goes on and on. The pages around the 20's and 30's are especially good though really, it is all good. Credit and blame to Jerry for bringing this distraction into my life. As if Goths in Hot Weather was not enough to keep me busy.

Maggie, The Patriot

While I very much wanted to go to Washington DC today to protest socialized medicine, Maggie had an entirely different view of patriotism and it involved going on her field trip and (most importantly) eating McDonald's for lunch! So I left my rabble rousing intentions and let her go to the Veteran's Hospital where they performed a series of all-American songs that we saw the night before.

While I fully prepared to forgo the video as I rarely edit it and my short comings in the film production department make me feel more guilty than they should, fraught was there to remind me that I could always edit them in the future when I had more time. So again, I viewed a performance through the tiny screen of my camcorder. Though since Tim was working, he may appreciate the nudge in the direction of videographer.

Much to my surprise, Eion was largely well behaved and relatively quiet. I can't say he was more disruptive than the Grandparent looking types who decided Yankee Doodle was the perfect time to catch up. Loudly.

Maggie was an also ran for this one but seemed to know her songs and was very happy to be the center of attention. But since I was video taping, I wish she could have scratched (oh and maybe just a bit picked) her nose less. When I (nicely) brought this to her attention, she let me know, "I had to. There was something in it." Call me silly, I don't think a career in stage is for her.

Halloween, by Maggie

Maggie's description of Halloween to her Grandmother: "I kept going up to houses and they told me how beautiful I was. After five or six, I figured it must be true."

Best School Picture Ever

I don't know what I love more, that he wanted to wear the hat or that they took the picture this way.

A Time for Choosing

I am going to talk of controversial things. I make no apology for this.

It's time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, "We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self government."

This idea? that government was beholden to the people, that it had no other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream-the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."

The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.

Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, "What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power." But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.

Yet any time you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being opposed to their humanitarian goals. It seems impossible to legitimately debate their solutions with the assumption that all of us share the desire to help the less fortunate. They tell us we're always "against," never "for" anything.

We are for a provision that destitution should not follow unemployment by reason of old age, and to that end we have accepted Social Security as a step toward meeting the problem. However, we are against those entrusted with this program when they practice deception regarding its fiscal shortcomings, when they charge that any criticism of the program means that we want to end payments....

We are for aiding our allies by sharing our material blessings with nations which share our fundamental beliefs, but we are against doling out money government to government, creating bureaucracy, if not socialism, all over the world.

We need true tax reform that will at least make a start toward I restoring for our children the American Dream that wealth is denied to no one, that each individual has the right to fly as high as his strength and ability will take him....

But we can not have such reform while our tax policy is engineered by people who view the tax as a means of achieving changes in our social structure....

Have we the courage and the will to face up to the immorality and discrimination of the progressive tax, and demand a return to traditional proportionate taxation? . . . Today in our country the tax collector's share is 37 cents of -very dollar earned. Freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp.

Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you last.

If all of this seems like a great deal of trouble, think what's at stake. We are faced with the most evil enemy mankind has known in his long climb from the swamp to the stars. There can be no security anywhere in the free world if there is no fiscal and economic stability within the United States. Those who ask us to trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state are architects of a policy of accommodation.

They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong. There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right. Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits-not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

Ronald Reagan, 1964

Don't forget to vote Tuesday.

Planning for Next Year.......

My brother, Dominick, made this Halloween costume:

(He does work in a costume making shop!) While I'm not leaning towards Iron Man, I already have a call in to have him help me come up with something great for next year.

Halloween Night

After counting down for weeks, Halloween was finally here! Since we didn't want want a repeat of the night before with the stripping of costumes and all, we convinced Eion to switch his costume to the more comfortable and trick or treating friendly Indiana Jones.

Before going out, we went to Brad & Sarah's to meet up with other families who lived in similarly unfriendly trick or treat routes. We had pizza and grabbed some adult beverages for the trek.
There is a street in the neighborhood, Stanley, that is the most popular destination in the 'hood but for me, it is too busy to keep track of three kids. Our plan was to cover the White Oak - Brightwood loop. We've done this for the past several years and it has always been well populated but not too busy. And it was always just about the right length.

But no more! The kids sprinted from house to house, gathering their booty, hitting all the residents before it even got dark. Hence, all the blurry pictures.


Poor E was not feeling in top shape so after a half dozen stops, he and Tim bailed and went to Lori & David's house to hang out and wait for our return.

The children's speed forced us to expand and also visit Clydesdale and Allendale which were both heavily populated with friendly faces, both at the houses and in the streets.

We finished with heavy bags, tired children and wet shoes. Tim & I took the kids home, left them with a sitter, and went to see Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. I thought it would be ok but it was completely awesome. I knew very few songs (most were off his new album,) but it was a great show anyway. Highly recommended for all.

Overall, A+ for Halloween!

Halloween Pre Game

Oooh I just love Halloween. And seeing as today was the first day in a week where I felt better when I woke up than I had the night before, I knew it was going to be a good day. They were sanding and staining our floors so I was more than happy to escape to the kids' Halloween parties.

Naturally, Eion was difficult during his, cementing my decision not to go on any field trips with him. He just can't keep it together when I am there. He took his craft, a bat puppet, and rather than cutting it out, he cut it in half and said, "I will never have a bat puppet." Thanks bud. Glad I took the time to come.

Maggie's class was better if for no other reason than I wasn't in charge. Clearly, many other Moms shopped at Target too:

Eion was better behaved during Maggie's party than his own though I think it was directly proportional to the number of M&Ms he ate during the course of the party. It was so bad that the teacher intervened.

So later it was off to the Club for the annual Halloween party. I felt more than a little bit melancholy knowing that we were coming to the end of our years at this particular soiree. Morrigan was on the older side and I feel certain will tell me in a year or two that this party is for babies.

In the meantime, they had a blast this year. We took John Paul with us and after a brief session at the buffet, scarcely saw the lot of them.

Well, except for E. We all saw allot of him. He didn't care for his droid costume, save that it gave him something in common with friend Sam, and wanted to change.

I sent him to the bathroom with his clothes and told him to go ahead and change. Which naturally meant that he returned, through the dining room, clad only in his underwear, carrying both his costume and clothes. Based on the comments I heard throughout the evening, nary a single attendee missed this display. Again, thanks E.

But largely, the party was a success. And I was in no way planning to interfere with my children's consumption of sweets. It is Halloween after all. John Paul in particular appreciated my relaxed attitude in relation to dessert. On the way there, he asked if he could have whatever he wanted. When told he could, I just heard a murmured, "Whoh."

And as a lovely postscript to the evening, when we got home and started putting the kids to bed, Morrigan asked how her bed got so bloody. Which, really, is a rather alarming question when you have been out for the afternoon. Indeed, her comforter was splattered with blood as was my freshly painted wall. Despite a rather exhaustive search, I could find no rodent carcass but I can only assume that some slaughter occurred in our absence at the paws (and jaws) of Midnight. Thanks kitty, but I prefer my blood at Halloween to be fake.

Better, Better, Better

We will call today an improvement over yesterday. I am STILL sick which is more than highly inconvenient especially seeing that Melanie had her baby almost two freaking weeks ago and I still haven't seen her since I am unwilling to risk being patient one in a family outbreak over there. But as Mel says, they are planning to keep her so I will have many years to visit.

The house is a mess. I really admire people who are involved in large home improvement projects and survive intact. We are only getting new floors in a few rooms and it is darn near unbearable. But I think that is mostly due to the girls being stationed in my room for a full week (in their own beds, mercifully.) It has made me think that the "family bed" types are complete wackos. I can't even bear the family room. They think it it great. We are all "camping."

But so far, the sacrifice is worth it. The stairs to the basement are much improved with the removal of the hideous forrest green berber carpet. Additionally, I am happy to see the carpet in the girls' room and the office to go. It only took me six years of lobbying to get that accomplished. Seriously, if Tim were on capital hill, there would be no special interests groups. They would give up.

Now just a week more with the "family room" to go. I especially like the way the girls get up in the middle of the night to let the cats in. But really, who needs a good night's sleep anyway?