Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things I Know Are In My Refrigerator Right Now*

1. Powerade
2. Laughing Cow cheese
3. Tortillas
4. Beer
5. Milk
6. Carrots
7. Leftover Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta
8. Eggs
9. Parmesan cheese
10. Sour cream

I don't know what kind of dinner I can make with those ingredients, but I guess I can give it a shot.

* I get bonus points** for doing this from work and not even being able to look in the refrigerator.

** And extra bonus points for writing the lamest Ten on Tuesday ever. Ever. EVER.

Back Home Again

It's raining here today, but I'm not complaining since I know a lot of you are getting snow.  Snow?  On April 18?  If this is global warming, I'm not impressed.  Anyway, I keep looking at this rain because I know, just know, it's going to stop soon and unless it keeps going and cancels softball practice, it doesn't really do me any good at all. 

Mitch got home from Montreal just fine.  Except for a little blip between us at the airport regarding where one should wait when one is having someone pick one up at nearly midnight with two kids in the car.  One of us maintains one should wait in the clearly marked "pick-up area" and the other one contends one should wait just anywhere he one comes out of the airport and expects the driver to know where one is through some sort of mental telepathy.  And then, when one says to the other "Do you want to drive?" because the other always drives but the other says, "No, you can drive", the other should not, under any circumstances, criticize the route the driver chooses to take home because if the other does, the driver will fervently wish the other was still in Montreal and seriously consider pulling over and putting the other out of the car and driving away.

So, maybe he didn't get home just fine after all.  But he's home and we'll just leave it at that.

I updated my book blog Friday night, for the most part, so if you want to see what I've been reading, head over there.  There's a link on the right.  I still have two to add and hopefully will get those up soon. 

We went to Wal-Mart yesterday to get string for the trimmer and ended up getting Sara a bike.  Clearly, we are quite the impulse shoppers.  But she needed a new bike, without a doubt, since she's been riding Jacob's old one and it really was too small for her.  I don't have any pictures yet, because I'm like that, but I'll get some the next time she takes it out.  She's very excited because it has gears and she says with all the hills here, she needs a bike with gears.  And now that's one less thing that we have to say "Gosh, we really have to ________________". 

We're still house-hunting.  It's still not fun.  Our biggest hurdle right now seems to be finding a time that both Mitch and I can go look at houses.  With him working weekends and the kids starting baseball, our free time is somewhat limited.  The fact that where we need to live has been narrowed so considerably hasn't helped either.  Deep breaths.  I know it will all come together, but it's so annoying until it does.

Things on Thursday

Just some random things going through my head.  (And if this is random, you are asking, what are all those other blog posts supposed to be?)

- Since I've started this job, and Mitch has been gone, I've been in bed by 10 almost every night.  Most nights, if we get home in time, it's more like 9.  Which for the night-owl/insomniac that I am, is a pretty big deal. 

- I've been thinking more and more about having LASIK eye surgery.  But I think the cost and my general fear of anyone or anything screwing with my vision may inhibit me from actually doing anything about it.  (Extra points for fear of change!  Woo hoo!)

- The library opened here in town last week, but only the Children's and Young Adult section.  Sara and I went tonight and got our library cards - $1, a bargain for this neck of the woods, where a library card can cost up to $75 in nearby towns.  I checked out two books from the Young Adult section, seeing as I seem to be under the impression I am in that age range.  And I've already read all the Little House and Ramona books.

- I've been watching "The Chicago Code".  Has anyone else been watching this show?  I didn't WANT to watch it, because of Jennifer Beals, but there are other actors I like on it and there's nothing else I watch on Monday nights so somehow I got into it.  Since I didn't pay much attention at first, I've been glad they're showing reruns so I can figure out what I missed early on. 

- I'll stop now, since this is really going nowhere.

Day by Day

Well, we've very nearly reached the end of Mitch's Montreal trip.  Hard to believe he's been gone almost a month!  The kids and I have been so busy just trying to make it through each day that the time certainly has flown by.  But Mitch will be back Friday night - late late late - and then I plan on taking a well deserved break.  Or at least try to sleep in one day.

Jacob has started baseball practice.  He's on the Pirates.  I haven't had much opportunity to watch any of his practices, since it seems Sara always needs to be somewhere else at the same time, but he feels his team might be pretty good.  There are 18 teams in his league!  The league plays 3 games a night on 3 different fields every Tuesday and Thursday.  I don't know yet how they work it as far as innings played/time limit in order to get all those games in.  Some nights, his game won't even start until 8 PM.  I'm not wild about that, but hopefully, it won't run too late.  And on those late game nights, he'll have time to do his homework beforehand.

Sara starts softball practice next week.  She also plays Tuesday and Thursday nights, but at a completely different complex as Jake.  (Of course!)  I know her games go 6 innings or 1 hour, whichever comes first.  And no new inning can start after 55 minutes.  She is a Chicago Cub.  (Sorry, Uncle Dan.)

It's hard to believe I've been at my new job for almost a month.  I really do like it.  There's a lot of variety and lots of stuff to learn.  But I feel really comfortable and am glad to be here.  The casual dress is awesome and I need to clean out my closet and pack up all those skirts and heels.  I will not be wearing those around this place, that's for sure!  And we get next Friday off for Good Friday, which is quite the novelty for me.  Especially since the kids have school and Mitch has to work.  Ahhh, the house to myself.  Well, with Gracie.  Hmmm, she might need to go to doggie day camp that day!

I've been reading a ton and haven't updated my book blog AT ALL.  But the book I'm recommending right now is "I'd Know You Anywhere" by Laura Lippman.  I seriously could not put it down.  It's a good thing I was reading it on my Kindle, or I for sure would have skipped ahead and read the ending.  That's one thing the Kindle has taken away from me anyway and that's probably good. 

Saturday Catch-Up

Ugh, I'm so bad about posting.  Sorry!  With Mitch being gone, starting a new job, and ball season starting, I'm lucky I find time to eat.  Oh, who are we kidding?  I ALWAYS find time to eat!

First off, the job is going really well.  I like it a lot and the people are great.  I feel like I'm getting a little more of a feel for it every day and am hoping to start taking on some other tasks to help the staff and to keep myself busy. 

Mitch has been gone for 2 weeks and as usual, the kids and I just go one day at a time.  Worry only about where we have to be today and worry about tomorrow when this stuff is done.  This is the last week of school before spring break, and while I'm not wild about them being home all day by themselves for an entire week, at least we don't have to worry about band and homework.  I feel bad that they won't be having much fun this spring break - they've spent previous years with their grandparents in Ohio and their grandparents in Kalamazoo - but as long as Jacob has his Xbox, I think he'll be fine.  I'm hoping some of Sara's friends are around so she can play with them during the day.

Jacob had baseball tryouts on Wednesday night.  He did really well, hitting all 5 pitches thrown to him, which he doesn't always do.  He had his first practice on Friday and another today and the team is the usual mix of kids you see on every team.  The fields aren't Milwood Fields, no raised pitcher's mounds, no grass infields, and the fields are 255' from home plate to the fence, so I'm thinking we won't see any out of the park homers this year!  And we all know the true test of a youth baseball program:  the quality of its concession stand.  Fingers crossed!  Jacob's coach wants him to pitch and catch, so we'll see how it goes.  I think everyone knows that I don't like him to pitch - it makes me too nervous to watch! 

Jacob's got his middle school math placement test on Monday afternoon.  It's to determine if he'll test out of Math 7 and then whether he'll go to Pre-Algebra or Algebra.   

Sara was accepted into the accelerated program for 5th grade.  It means she has to switch schools, but it will give her more of challenge than she had here this year (hopefully) and puts her on track to stay in the accelerated program in middle school.

Now that we know where she'll be going to school, we can start to look for a house for real.  I wanted to know where she was going before we spent too much time looking, because while she doesn't have to live in that school's boundaries to be in the program, she can only be bused if we do.  And with me working and Mitch's sometimes erratic schedule, we can't commit to driving and picking her up everyday.  And we don't have Jenni here to be our driver!  So when Mitch comes back, we'll be stepping up the house hunting.  Yuck!  I hate it personally, and Mitch loves it, so I let him do all the research and I just go with him and the realtor and say yep or nope. 

I think that's about it for now.  I know I am WAAAAAY behind on my book blog.  I'm hoping to get that caught up tomorrow.  I've read some good ones, so stay tuned over there.

Oh, and on Monday, April 4, my little brother Dan turns 39.  I think there's no longer a question of whether he is in his early, mid or late 30s now.  It's LATE LATE 30s, pal.  So head on over to his facebook or text him a happy birthday.  Tell him I sent you. :)