Can I Have This Dance?

I hope you are all gearing up for the long holiday weekend. Not much on tap here, except to try and get the painting finished on the house! We're getting closer. I also volunteered to work about 5 hours this weekend, as the volumes are apparently up in my account at work. Not that I help much in the volume of things! I am quite slow right now. It is hard to type fast when you have to listen to the same sentence at least 5 times and then decide you can't understand a word of it! I do enjoy doing it though. I know when I get to where I can understand these doctors, I will really love it!
Emma is so excited because she is signed up for dance classes at McCabe Lutheran Church in the Leap of Faith program. She starts Sept. 8. She has been so interested in dancing, especially lately. She has been wanting me to show her how to do a pirouette. I can't dance to save my life. I wish I had learned. I remember going to high school dances and sitting along the edge watching. Most people sitting on the edge watching are doing so because they don't have a date. I had a date. Scott. I thought he danced like a chicken (which is better than I could do!). I would only dance if it was a slow song. Not because of the closeness, but because I couldn't (or wouldn't) dance to the fast ones. I don't want Emma to follow in those footsteps. I hope she learns how to dance. She is very excited about it. Maybe I should sign Gage up too? I don't want him to resemble a chicken when he dances. When I lived in Mississippi, I had some colored friends who said I didn't have rhythm. They were right. So, I figure it's pretty much useless learning at this point in my life. We don't go to many dances, so typically it's not a big deal. At the Ducks Unlimited staff's annual Christmas party, dancing usually starts up near the end. Then, it's more fun to sit and watch anyway. Especially if someone asks Scott to dance. Sorry Scott! :-) Anyway, Emma is very excited about her upcoming dance classes, and so am I!

Salesman Gage

Gage's day went pretty good yesterday after school. I think he's adjusting to this all day business. He was sooooo excited when he came out of the building. He says, "MOM, WE GOT OUR FROZEN FOOD FUNDRAISER PACKS!" Oh, great. He apparently enjoyed that last year. Not Mom. I just hate trying to sell things. I would starve if I had to live as a salesperson. I think he just really remembers liking the prize he got for the amount of stuff he sold.
I have done some painting today! Believe it or not. I had no excuses this morning. The weather was nice, and no rain clouds to be seen. I can't do a whole lot with Emma, however. She seems to be good at sneaking off to the neighbors' house without telling me. She has become good friends with Dr. and Mrs. Ramos, who lives just south of us. And also Jazzie's parents. (Jasmine is a little pomeranian dog that lives 2 houses down). Emma just LOVES Jazzie, as we call her. Anyway, I got the front picture window trimmed, Emma's south bedroom window trimmed, Gage's north bedroom window trimmed and the back door of the garage trimmed. Only 8 more windows to trim, but I can't do those until the 2nd coat of blue is put on the house. So, get to work Scott!!! :-)
Things are fairly quiet around here as I can't think of much to talk about.

Hump day

Well, it is hump day. Half of the week is over and I'm not complaining. Emma had her Jr. Kindergarten Open House at the YMCA today. There are a few kids in her class that she knows from last year, so that is nice. She went off and played with toys while I listened to the information from the teacher. It will be the same teacher as last year. Actually, this will be my fourth year in a row to be with these teachers, as Gage had them his two years of being there at Preschool and Jr. K. They'll miss me next year! Kathy (the teacher) told me that they had stuck Emma into the other classroom and she had to fight to get her back into her room. When I had filled out the paperwork this past spring, I asked Kathy how to be sure I would get her again this year, as they were having alot of changes with their program. She told me to just write her name on my sheet that I turn in. I did that, and she made them get out the paper to show them I had requested to be in her room. I appreciate that. I don't have any problems with the other teacher, but I have had the same teacher for 3 years, why change now? Anyway, we got the teacher we wanted. Emma will have swimming lessons one day of the week with her Jr. K. program. Last year she had 2.
The past few days I have had several things I needed to do. Monday, I had a doctor's appt. scheduled with the neurologist to discuss the MRI and EEG and also to discuss maybe using migraine prevention medications. I told Scott Sunday night that I had the appointment and he was planning to come home during that time to be with Emma. Well, I completely forgot about it on Monday morning, and so did Scott. I felt terrible, as I had called them the week prior with a severe headache. They were probably thinking it must not have been that severe if I don't even make it to the appt? Well, that wasn't the case. I am just having some problems remembering things I have scheduled. It's either because I have too much going on, or I'm getting "old-timer's" disease? I'm afraid it's the latter. I have been writing myself a note each night before I go to bed of things not to forget the following day. So far it has been working. I haven't missed any appointments the past 2 days!
I talked to my Mom on the phone today and was sure to give her my web address to check out my blog. I don't think she gets my emails, so now I know she will be checking it out. Jari, you will have to get her set up so she can leave comments (although some of them might be scary! HA).
I've got about 1 hour here before I go to pick up Gage from school. Wish me luck. I think he's been going to bed at a decent time, so hopefully he's getting enough sleep. The reason I say "I think" is because typically right after supper, I head down here to the basement and start working until late. Scott has had bedtime duty alot lately. He's doing great at it. Last night I could even see him outside painting through the basement windows. I was glad to see that. We need to get that 2nd coat on before it snows! :-)
Nothing else really too exciting to blog about, so I will either post again tomorrow, or later this afternoon if Gage gives me reason to! HA!

Sugar bugs!

Well, the sugar bugs have invaded our house. Emma had an appointment with the dentist today and had her first set of x-rays (they have their first set when they are 4). She has a cavity. I am not surprised. She eats candy all the time. I don't even know where she finds half of it. She tries telling me she doesn't, but she hasn't figured out that picking up the empty wrappers might keep her out of trouble! Gage has not yet had a cavity, so I'm not sure of what filling a cavity entails in a child these days. She has already told me she doesn't want a shot. I told her that I don't know what they will do, but if she has to get a shot, then maybe she'll stop eating so much candy, or try to brush her teeth after she eats it? I have a feeling, even though she is the second child, that there will be a lot of "firsts" yet to come. Her appointment is in December, so we have plenty of time to worry about it.

Whew, the first day is finally over!

Gage had a great day at school. Immediately I asked him how it went and what all did he do. "I can't remember Mom." UGH! So, I had to play 20 questions. Was lunch good? Yes. What did you have? Pepperoni pizze, green beans and fruit choice. What did you choose for your fruit? Pineapple. Did you eat it all? Yes. Where is your water bottle? I guess I forgot it. Then half way home...Where is your snack bag? It's in my desk at school MOM! I told him we needed to go back and get those things. MAJOR MELTDOWN ENSUED! Long story short, he lost computer privileges for 2 days, and was begging for more. I told him I understood it was a LONG day, but we needed to go back and get those things so I could send fresh water tomorrow and I needed his snack bag for his snack. (I sure didn't want to bring it home after it had sat in his desk all night long with an empty, not washed out, container of cottage cheese!) Anyway, he is in for a long week. He loved school, but it is going to be tough getting back on our strict bedtime schedule after being lenient over the summer.
I just finished working and I need to get to bed myself to prevent any meldowns from Mom tomorrow!! G'night!

First Day of School

Gage's classroom

Already hard at work!

Dad gives Gage some
Fatherly advice.

Gage has number 17
He says, you have to be
17 to apparate Mom!

Gage - 6 years old

First Day of School

Gage's favorite breakfast
toast with "warm butter and

peanut butter".

Well, Gage is at school. He is so excited. I think he thinks Mom is a little nuts though. He didn't want to give me a kissing hand (probably only the people who have read that book know what that means), he says, "MOM!" Then, finally, when we decided to leave, I had to go back in the room to tell him to remember that we are going to meet him around the corner of the school when he gets out at 3:05. He says "I KNOW MOM!" He's growing up too fast. You should be proud of me though, I walked away with dry eyes. On the walk home Scott had to look to see if I was crying, and I said, "What, are you going to cry?" HA HA! He just said he was checking to see if I was yet.

It's a chilly, dreary day. Darn, no painting today. Emma and I are going to have to find something to do to keep us busy. Cleaning her room will pretty much take up the whole day. I'll try to do another post after school (that is, if Gage isn't having computer withdrawal at that point!) :-)

Nervous

Well, I wonder if Gage is as nervous as I am about his first day of First Grade? I just can't believe he's going to be gone all day long, 5 days of the week! I know Emma is going to miss him, but I don't know if she'll miss him as much as Mom will? :-) I know he will be fine. I made up a badge type lanyard for him to wear to lunch with his number on it. They are supposed to have it memorized, and I think maybe he does, but I just want to make sure he has it just in case he forgets. He's excited about lunch at school. They are having Pepperoni Pizza, green beans and fruit choices (whatever that means?). This year they bring their own snacks every day instead of one child bringing snacks for the entire class once a month. I like this better, as I know he will have healthy snacks. I talked to him tonight about lunch time, and that alot of times they don't have alot of time to eat, so he should make sure to eat his lunch before he gets involved in conversation. Yeah, right! I tried convincing him by telling him if he just sits down to eat and didn't mess around, he would probably have more time to play at recess after lunch. Hopefully that helps. I know he will do fine. I guess it's what mothers do best, worry. I'll update you tomorrow on how the first day went! We'll see if Mom can walk away with dry eyes or not. I will be sure to have the camera with me, so I'll try to post those as well.

We did alot of painting today. We nearly have the entire house with at least one coat of paint. There are a few high boards on the south side that we will have to get a taller ladder for. Then there's this part on the north side of the house, behind the garage that is above the patio. I wonder if whoever built that patio and put the roof on it, ever wondered about how difficult it might be to paint one day? I doubt it. This is not going to be easy to do. For one part that is just above the patio roof (I'm not sure what you call it? awning maybe?) we will have to lay down on the top of the shelter (I'll just call it that), and we'll have to by laying on some type of plywood board, or we'll be falling through it onto the patio floor. Then, for the other part, you cannot reach it from the roof of the garage (I tried that today), and you can't stand on the roof/awning of the patio, and you can't use a ladder either because the roof comes out too far. I really have no idea how we're going to get that part painted? Hopefully neighbor Dave will come up with a clever plan! :-) The front side of the house is nearly finished. I just have to trim around the picture window and that side will be done! The north side is done, except for the soffit (sp?). It's hard to get much done during the week, with the kids. (Although I will be short one tomorrow). Then when Scott gets home from work after 5, we eat supper and then I go to work in the basement about 6pm. Weekends are the most productive time for us. We have some possible thunderstorms also, so pray it's not too heavy until we get our gutters back on the house. That's all we need is to flood the basement! UGH!

The kids made pictures today to take to church for our babysitter Erin. She is leaving for college this week. We are so sad. Emma drew a picture of herself with a frown and tears falling down her face, and drew Erin with freckles. Gage just drew a picture of himself. We also gave her a little photo album with pictures of Gage and Emma in it to hopefully keep her from getting homesick. Good Luck at college Erin! We will miss you!

Today is my sister Kim's birthday. She is 45 today. I hope her day went well. I turned 35 this month and I see 40 just around the corner. I hope she's not looking around that corner! Happy Birthday Kim!

He is going to be alright. There is nothing to worry about. He won't starve to death. He'll know where the bathrooms are. He will be fine. Until tomorrow..................