PTSA President

Being a stay at home Mom is a hard job. A rewarding and fulfilling job. It my current job and I love it, but I'm ready to go back to work. I'm ready to make some money for our family. I'm ready to add a new level of insanity to my already busy days.

To help me transition back into this life, I've been volunteering at the kids school. I started out on a committee or two. Then I volunteered as our PTSA Secretary for 2 years. Now, I'm busy being the PTSA President. In addition, to being more busy, this job brought me some happiness and got me through the long, cold, dark winter. I was happy being so busy, but having control over how busy I would be. I'm very nervous about going back to work (and very excited).

But back to my busy, as President I oversee (barely) our day to day business. I run our monthly meetings. I'm to go to for any questions and problems. Really, I've found it very easy and happy I have something to add to my resume (rather than a 10 year blank). In addition to being President, I like to be in charge of a committee or two. In November, I coordinated our schools Food Drive (very successful - over 3000 items) and leading into February, I'm coordinating our annual Science Fair.

This extra task required (because I thought it was needed) me to rewrite our science fair packets. To make the packets more in line with state standards and our schools wording from grades K-6. This (president and science fair) required me to be at school for 2 days for several hours making photocopies. 475 copies of 2 page (double sided) newsletter to go home to our parents (I'm very happy that we are leading into a online newsletter, but it's taking awhile for parents to adjust to this idea). Then, I went back to school to make the science fair copies. A full class set from grades 3-6 and a few copies for the younger kids. Now it's time to email and line up all those judges for our kids.

 (I was chained to this machine until 5pm one day - worth every minute)

Busy and exciting. I hope I choose the right roads and enjoy my travels.

Regularly Scheduled Program

Mr N and I had a great 1st day back to our regularly scheduled program. The kids got on the bus (3 out of 4)!! We drove over to school to drop off Miss M's cello (I'm afraid it will get broken on the bus). Mr N and I stopped at Starbucks for some morning caffeine. And decided to stop to play at the park on the way home.

Despite the park being covered in snow (it's just in our little 4 mile radius), we played anyway. The sun was shiny. Rain was predicted. We played. 

Our first park surprise was a pair of bald eagles in a tree. We then walked out on the pier and found that part of the lake was frozen. Mr N had a great time throwing chunks of ice on the lake to see how far they would slide. The echo sound was pretty cool. We then found that we could kick the loose powder snow out onto the ice. It was like powder sugar on a cookie! Lastly, we walked around to the other side of the park and found a frozen puddle. Just thick enough to be frozen all the way through. He was able to slide and dance away. We did have a long talk about some kids that walked out on the lake when it was frozen and fell into the water. I don't want my kids thinking they can walk on any frozen water.

2/365

Will I try this again?

If I remember (I'm always taking photos with my phone) and If I can figure out how to post said photos from my phone to this blog - I'll be updating with a photo each day of some randomness of my day.

Today:

This is our icy road. Let me tell you, it snowed last week! One day! We woke up Monday to snow. Random and wonderful. I went grocery shopping Tuesday. No problem. By Wednesday, everything had melted just enough to turn into a sheet of ice! It's been like watching our own funny movie to see the cars at the bottom of our cul de sac try to make it to the top. Everyone drives down to the bottom, revs it and tries to get to the flat spot in front of our house. Tires screaming. Rubber burning along the curb (to get some traction). Sometimes they make and you feel their triumph. Others times, we see they don't have the momentum and back down they go. Problem is, once they hit the flat spot, they slow just enough to not make it up the last incline from our house to the main road. Most are stopped right in the middle as they try to figure out what to do. I say, don't slow down!! Try and find the crusty spots and cross your fingers. 

I can't figure out why the neighbors haven't gotten together to buy bags of sand or de-icer to spread on this part of the hill. We, luckily, have been blessed to stay home. Only 12 more hours until I find out if I will be the hilarious one trying to get up the hill to get my kids to school, make the newsletter photocopies, deliver a cello for orchestra practice, get Mr N to preschool and back again. Plus, a pick up of said 4 kids to have their crackly lungs listened to. Hopefully the doctor has an antibiotic shot they can give them to get them started until we can pick up the meds on Thursday.

Day 2 - New Year

Hello,
I know. 2 days. In a row. Do I have a fever? Do I have a new years resolution? Well, No to both. Maybe the fever, but it's slight and would explain why my lymph nodes are making my face look like I'm wearing a much bigger fat suit. Time to call the doctor on that one.

Now, I'm random. Seriously. The whole family is sick. All 6 of us. Not quite sick enough, but definitely sick. Everyone has a cough. The kind where if I take them to the doctor right away, I'll be told it's a cold, but if I don't - I'll be told it's pneumonia. To add some cherries to this recipe, it's the new year and our medical deductible has reset. So, instead of going last Friday (Dec 31st) where our bill would have been 10% of the doctor visit for 6 patients, we'll be going this week and the bill will be 100% for each of us. We have a $2400 deductible we have to reach before the insurance pays anything. Our insurance company does negotiate a lower rate though. Woo Hoo. $76.50 vs. $96 each. 

Ok. I'm done. Maybe. I can guarantee we'll need prescriptions and since payday isn't until Thursday, I'll be holding on to the dimetapp and albuterol inhaler to tide the cough over until I can pick up the meds. I knew I would regret canceling every credit card some day. It keeps us from spending (ehem.. don't look at the current overdrawn bank account), but emergencies arise. We have a plan, but bonus time isn't until early March and THIS year, I will sock away half rather than go on vacation.

Can you believe it? I said, no vacation. Ok, not NO vacation, but no BIG vacation. We are making plans for some smaller ones. A night at Great Wolf Lodge with the kids, a night at Sol Duc Hot Springs to soak in some mineral pools. 5 nights camping at the sand dunes. A night in a Yurt on the coast. A drive to California to visit our family. Maybe some camping through Oregon or Utah to come home a different way. I'm hoping a few mini vacations will make me appreciate that we have a wonderful savings account.

I'm getting my writing groove back on. Hopefully I'll post some of last years travel stories and get this years down as we go. No pressure. I'm going to sit back and enjoy my blog again.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! We had a great night celebrating with friends and family. It's our first year (in many years) that we've had people over. There was plenty of drinks, snacks and talking going on. 

Today, 1/1/11, we spent the day relaxing, watching cars try to make in up our icy hill and reading. We ended our 1st day of the new year watching "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" with the kids. Great movie and fun family night with the kiddos.

Hope you are ready for a Great New Year and many happy travels!

For Miss R

Look what I found for my Mario obsessed 6 year old daughter. She wants
to marry him. And wants a picture of her and Mario kissing. She has
stuffed Marios, hard plastic Marios, Mario figurines. Even the Mario
strategy guides - she thumbs through them often while making up
stories.

She will be so happy when she gets home today!

Homemade pizza

I'm still here. Watching from the shadows and enjoying catching up on everyone's blogs. We've been beyond busy with sports, family visiting and my duties at PTSA President. I'm busy re-writing our Elementary school science fair notebook that goes home in 10 days.

Miss R and Mr N are home from school day (weird school schedules. It boggles my head). Mr N is M, T, W afternoon, Miss R is all day M, W and alternating F. Some days I don't know if I'm coming or going. We are enjoying staying home today to play and cook with the easy bake oven.

There's lots of blogs floating in my head. Hopefully I'll get them down soon.

Happy December!!