Friday Klatch (1/19/07)

[lindrusso]

Hello!

How is everyone? :)

My glamorous stint as Lunch Lady ended last week and I only got one sub call this week, so it's been a quiet week - kinda nice.

So, not much going on today - laundry, cleaning - the usual stuff.

Tomorrow I have to get my oldest to a church retreat - a mandatory retreat - because he will be getting confirmed this year. I can't believe I have a son old enough for Confirmation! :eek: Then it's off to our second-to-last basketball game with my other son.

I think that's about it for the scheduled stuff.

Looks like we might actually get a little snow today. I know many of you have been battling ugly winter weather, but it's been pretty much non-existent here in PA. Maybe DS will finally be able to go skiing with the ski club next week - they'll have to make the snow themselves, but at least it will finally be cold enough!

TTFN!

[mcgeiger]

Good morning!

lindrusso--hopefully you won't get our snow and cold!!!

Today is finishing my first week back to classes (only 23 credit hours this semester:rolleyes: ). I have two exams already to do, plus work for our "practice management"...
Tonight I have a knitting get together (there are now 6 people knitting during our really boring management classes;) ). We are going to help demolish our friend's condo that was flooded and has to be taken back to studs:eek: on Saturday and then a little snowshoeing or riding Sunday depending on the weather...

Have a good weekend everyone!

[Gracie]

Hi Alysha!

We were supposed to get a couple of inches of slush but thankfully it was too warm - we even had fog!

This weekend I'd like to get organized, make some things to have for the week and watch the Patriots WIN!!! :cool: The media is totally blowing the Patriots/Colts game out of proportion - I am so tired of the non-subjects they are writing stories about. One of our sports anchors said it's like Red Sox-Yankees and I have to agree!

Erin has mid-terms next week so she took the weekend and week off so she can study. I hope she does well - last quarter she almost got straight A+'s except for 1 A and I hope she can keep it up and keep her class rank. Everything is so important now to get into the schools she would like to go to.

She thinks she wants to be in NYC for school. We are going back again during April vacation and will do more to check out NYU and also Columbia.

Hi to everyone else that may be posting at the same time!

Loren

[linsleyd]

Good morning everyone! I'm so glad it's Friday! I really wanted to take a mental health day today but DH wouldn't let me!:mad: Oh well.

We have friends coming over for a little supper club thing tomorrow and we're making jerk chicken and peas and rice. And Sunday will be football watching and I want to make something big in the kitchen, maybe homemade pasta lasagna or something. I need to clean the house and tear our closets apart and throw out half of DH's clothes he doesn't wear and fold everything. It looks like a hurricane hit our bedroom! Sometimes it's a good thing when you have guests over!

Alysha, sounds like a nice weekend, hopefully your son gets some snow! There's a great little ski place right above where you live that I used to love skiing at, nice and small hills! Good for a beginner like I was!

Loren, that must be exciting for you and your daughter! I loved looking \at colleges! Hopefully the Patriots play well Sunday, sad we couldn't have another showdown!:D

Mcgeiger, enjoy your knitting and good luck on finals!

[Gracie]

Linsley - I am not thrilled about looking at colleges because it means she'll be leaving my house! :( I hope she'll be open to seeing other colleges - she's going to have to apply to more than 2 places - it's those choices that will be interesting since she is quite singleminded. I was really rooting for the Eagles last week. I'm not sure which is worse - losing by blowout or a close nailbiter. There's always next year!

mcgeiger - have fun with your knitting! I can see you all knitting in class. When I had to take Statistics, we rotated who went to class and took notes for everyone. Needless to say I didn't do too well but it's hardly my strong suit anyway!

Loren

[tyroleancutie]

Good Morning,

It's my first friday in a while I do not have to go to work nor school - I can basically do whatever I want today :D Right now I am waiting for the approvement of my Zipcar Application (http://www.zipcar.com) - if I am lucky, I can finally go to my favorite Italian Deli again today :D

I also need to update my blog today - so many things are going on at school and I just can't find the time to write everything down. And I need to get up2date here at the BB :rolleyes: (There was something I read about Missindi and Babynames...)

Anyhow, I also want to get some Chili going in the slowcooker today and maybe bake some Bacon-Cheese Muffins.

Happy Friday Everyone! Stay warm!

[Laura]

Good morning everyone,

Alysha, I hope you get the snow. When I lived in MD we used to go skiing all the time in PA. Manmade snow is better than no snow.

Linsley - enjoy your supper club tonight. I have been in such a cooking rut since before the holidays. I am going to break out of it this weekend and try something new.

Loren, I know how you feel. I think Paige is bugged by me bugging her on email all the time. I told her that she needs to just deal with it cause this is a huge adjustment for me (but I am trying to back off a little).

Kelly, I still want to get into knitting. I am really hoping that I pick it up sometime this year. At least I would be doing something when I veg and watch tv. I hope things aren't too crazy for you with school. The most I ever took was 21 hours and I only did that once!

I have a knife skills class tomorrow morning and then I will pick my SO up from the airport in the afternoon. He is consulting for a company in NC and is gone for 10 days at a time. We are still trying to figure out what this means for us. I don't really want to move to Charlotte (even though I have heard good things about it) as the timing sucks for DS.

Other than that, I have not yet put all my Christmas decorations away. :o That will be done this weekend!

[SheRa]

happy friday, everyone!

lindrusso - great that you got a little quiet time! and good luck with DS and all of the stuff leading up to confirmation :)

mcgeiger - good luck with the exams, and have fun in the snow this weekend!

Gracie - hope you guys aren't stressing out too much looking for colleges. i tried so hard to go to school in NYC (i lived in Wisconsin at the time) and my only words of advice would be to make sure you know that out-of-state tuition is INSANE here, ESPECIALLY somewhere like NYU. i was practically a straight A student in high school, and couldn't get any scholarships in NY. there are a lot of great schools in NY that aren't in NYC too though, so make sure to look around.

insleyd - have a great supper club meeting! the menu sounds great!

tonight some friends are taking us out to dinner (woo!!) because DF did a lot of work on their computers, so they feel like they owe us something since we won't let them pay us. so we're going to this french-asian place that's really good. i can't wait!

tomorrow we're hoping to get some stuff done around the house, and hopefully we can go get some new front tires and an alignment for our car. we just got our first snow last night, and it made us realize that we have to get that taken care of NOW!

sunday we're having friends over to go bowling (in our living room on our nintendo wii). that's always fun. it should be a relaxing weekend, and my cold is almost gone now, so i can actually enjoy the time off!

[SheRa]

tyroleancutie - enjoy your day off! i'm jealous :)

laura - that sounds like a class i'd like to take. i'm good with my knives, but not great. and i have ONE that i favor over the rest. and i'm bad - i don't curl my fingers under. is it one session or a few? do you like it so far?

[Robyn1007]

Hi everyone!

I'll give you one guess what I'm doing this weekend...;) Actually I picked up an extra day of coaching on Sunday for a race but this one is at one of the closest ski areas so the drive won't be too bad.

Next week I am heading to southern California for 4 days for work and am looking forward to thawing for a couple of days! I will be on the same flight as one of my bosses (total coincedence that we are going on the same day, different meetings etc) and I need to have his ear about some stuff going on here. It's nothing really bad but some things that he needs to be aware of and nip in the bud pretty quickly.

Linsley, I felt like taking a mental health day as well but I've got entirely too much stuff to do before I leave.

Kelly, enjoy your knitting and I hope you get to ride on Sunday.

Alysha, I used to teach catechism to kids who were late getting their sacraments. Good luck to your son and may he be blessed with faith in our Lord and peace in his heart.

Dani, those bacon-cheese muffins sound yummy!

Laura, I so want to take a knife skills class, it's really one of my poorest kitchen skills. :rolleyes:

Loren, wow, I didn't realize Erin was old enough to start looking at colleges! It's amazing how time flies.

[lhall]

Good morning everyone. No committee meeting today, our leader is at a conference!

This afternoon I'm getting a haircut so the girls will have to go grocery shopping with me. Then I've got to make Ginger's birthday cake not-Red Velvet Cake with one pink layer, and one purple layer, regular icing that is green with blue letters! :D Wish me luck.

Ginger's birthday party is tomorrow afternoon at 2, but other than making the cake we don't have to do anything to prepare for that. Al wants to sit down and look at hour monthly budget and finances this weekend. He has a new obsession, called retirement planning...not that it's a bad obsession.

Sunday is the annual parish meeting at church, but I might be the only one going. Ginger's having a friend sleep over after her party on Saturday, and the friend will be picked up at 9am. Al's having a friend over to watch football on the new tv this Sunday, and said friend will be arriving around noon. That means that Al won't be going to church since we don't get home until 12:20.

We lucked out this week. When the bad weather came through late Wednesday it was just warm enough to avoid any major ice problems!

Alysha,
Snow wishes are coming your way!

McGeiger,
Wow, you've got a lot going on!

Loren,
Have fun looking at Colleges, even if it is sad too!

Tyroleancutie,
Enjoy you weekend off, sounds nice!

Laura,
You haven't put up Christmas decorations? I put mine up on Dec 26th. Yes, so I wanted my house back to normal and they were only up for 2 1/2 weeks.


Leigh

[Laura]

Laura,
You haven't put up Christmas decorations? I put mine up on Dec 26th. Yes, so I wanted my house back to normal and they were only up for 2 1/2 weeks.


Leigh

I know. :o I usually take them down on the 1st but since we were in Europe until the 7th that didn't happen. Since I can't really use the jet lag excuse anymore they have to come down. At least the tree is down, so really it is just some minor stuff on the fire place.

I forgot one other thing that I need to do this weekend. I have to work on my taxes so I can fill out the FAFSA form (federal financial aid form for college) as one of the colleges that Paige was accepted to requires that it be filled out by Feb. 15. What an exciting life I lead. :rolleyes:

[Lauren]

Hi all!

I just got back from the gym and am gearing up to clean the house. Yuck! We're having three couples over tomorrow for dinner, so I'll do the grocery shopping today and start to cook/bake. Sunday we're watching the Pats! Woohoo!!!

Alysha - I have an application to turn in to be a sub. I was looking for a part-time job and this makes sense because it won't be weekends and if I have an interview I can decline a sub job that day.

mcgeiger - That's so nice that you're helping your friends with their condo. Maybe you'll release some stress with the demolition. :D

Loren - It's great that Erin is so into school and is an A student. Jake is so nonchalent it kills me. :( He's a bright kid, but is so unmotivated. We have this continual conversation where he tells me so-and-so is smarter than he. I tell him no, obviously the other person studies more! Uuggghh!!!!

tyroleancutie - Enjoy your day off! Chili sounds good about now!

Laura - Can SO continue to commute? I'm sure that's wearing thin for both of you. What grade is Jack in?

linsleyd - Enjoy your cooking, cleaning and company! :p

SheRa - How was the "do nothing" weekend last weekend?

Robyn - Have fun in CA! I always liked travelling for work. Is it a training or conference?

Leigh - That cake sounds very colorful! How old is Ginger? When DH was off in early January we met with a CFP. Doesn't hurt to look at where you are with your finances and need to be. Like Loren, we have college looming! :eek:

[lhall]

Hi all!

I just got back from the gym and am gearing up to clean the house.

Leigh - That cake sounds very colorful! How old is Ginger? When DH was off in early January we met with a CFP. Doesn't hurt to look at where you are with your finances and need to be. Like Loren, we have college looming! :eek:

Ok, your first comment makes me feel like a slacker! :D :D

Ginger turned 9 on Jan 4th. We're having her party at a rock climbing gym.

We have a broker, and I started saving for retirement when I graduated college. Al didn't start saving until he was 30, but has always put away at least 10%. Not tons of money, but enough that we're in a good position for our ages. Al has a giant goal he wants to reach, and we are behind on college savings for the kids, but at least we have some and we do have 10 years before Ginger starts college. Haven't met with a CFP, but Al is reading Dave Ramsey. Ramsey is big on helping people get out of debt, although we don't have that problem *knock on wood*. We do stay in touch with the broker regularly.

Laura,
Ick taxes! That reminds me...I need to request statements from childcare facilities.

SheRa,
Sounds like you have a fun weekend planned, except for the house stuff.

Leigh

[Robyn1007]

Robyn - Have fun in CA! I always liked travelling for work. Is it a training or conference?



The trip is for a few different reasons. First, I haven't met half of my division that works out there nor have I seen our Lake Forest and LA offices and studios. Second, I need to meet with our controller regarding some new accounting codes for our division. Finally, I am managing a major project to clean up our CRM system. When our two companies merged and because of the record keeping prior to merger the database became a big mess. Part of my job description is to clean and maintain the system but they've given me some time from one of our receptionists out there so I need to train her on the program and what we're doing.

Hi Leigh and SheRa and Lauren.

[LakeMartinGal]

Hi, Everyone --

Linsley -- enjoy your supper club... and don't forget to stand back at look at how nice your bedroom is, after you get everything folded!

Dani, I read your ZipCar thing with interest... DD1 lives in SF and uses ZipCar all the time... I had no idea they were anywhere but SF! What a great idea that is! I'm sure you'll be 'accepted!' And have fun with your baking... can I come over?;)

Laura -- enjoy your knife skills class... I sure wish they had something like that around here... but the weapon of choice in Alabama is guns:rolleyes: ;)

I know what you mean about the consulting thing... DH was a consultant for many years: he usually made it home on the weekends, but his major client was an on-going (10 year) project, so that's a little different!

Ashley, enjoy your dinner out!

Robyn -- Enjoy your trip, and having the bosses' ear for a while! Hope that turns out ok.

Then I've got to make Ginger's birthday cake not-Red Velvet Cake with one pink layer, and one purple layer, regular icing that is green with blue letters! :D
Al wants to sit down and look at hour monthly budget and finances this weekend. He has a new obsession, called retirement planning...not that it's a bad obsession.

Love the cake idea! And, good luck!

It's never too early to start retirement planning! Take it from someone who knows... make sure you include health care/insurance big time in the planning! We pay over $1000 a month for crappy insurance with a large deductible, because neither of us retired with health benefits!:(

Laura -- It sounds so early to work on taxes... a lot of folks don't even get all the information until the end of January, at least!:eek:

Alysha -- hope y'all get to ski!

McGeiger -- I love the idea of knitting in class! Good luck with your exams!

This weekend I'd like to get organized I have this wish every weekend!:D

It's hard when your kid wants to go far away for school, and SheRa's right about out of state fees! Without scholarships, I don't know how anyone goes out of state to school anymore...:eek:
It's pretty quiet here in Alabama... weather is finally chilly enough to wear sweatshirts! DH is out of the house all day, so I finally get to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees -- he wants to keep it at 73, and that's WAY too warm for me!

I'm going to a funeral today at noon... that's one of the downsides of a community of mostly retired folks.:(

Other than that, I'm making fish chowder, a new recipe for SGOTW, and maybe starting a batch of Moomie's buns -- I've never tried them... and, I have to finish that purse for my friend!

Tomorrow, the fire department is burning down a house so the owner can rebuild on the lot, so that will probably take most of the day, and out to dinner tomorrow... my usual *busy* weekend!:D

[Gracie]

Dani - Zipcar is such a cool idea. I wish I'd thought of it! The Bacon-Cheese muffins really sound good.

Laura - I would definitely be over-emailing if Erin was overseas! At least you know she's in good hands with your friend and not completely on her own.

Ashley - the financial aid piece will be the determining factor of any school she goes to. I'm thinking right now that every school that she'd want to go to would be in the same exorbitant price range so in that sense they'd all be equal. I'd like her to go to Harvard but she won't hear of even applying - I think just because I want her to! But I'd have to work at least 3 more jobs if she went there.

Robyn - thankfully Erin is still a sophomore but we are combining a fun trip to NYC with some proactive college scouting. We were there for 4 days in August and were in the NYU area but never made it so far uptown as Columbia. I wasn't crazy about the NYU area for living but what are you going to do?

Leigh - how old is Ginger? happy birthday to her!

Lauren - Jake will be fine. One of the hard lessons Erin had to learn was how to study when she started off doing awful in Geometry last year. Good grades always came easy without studying so getting a D on her first test in Geo was a real eye opener. I stopped in to see her Geo teacher at this year's teacher conferences and we both agreed that her having to work, learn to study and when to get extra help was a better learning experience than the actual learning of geometry. She ended up with an A for the year.

Loren

[tbb113]

Just a quick drive by posting from me this morning.

Lauren - if you want sympathy/empathy about Jake, let me know. I have a massive under-achiever with Michael. Finals are over today and he believes he might actually have a C instead of a D in Senior English (he is already remediating the D in Sophmore English). He can't decide if he wants to play college football or not (he has been contacted by one community college), has no idea what he wants to do or where he wants to go to school in September :eek: At least I don't need to worry about tuition this year for a 4-year school since my finances sure can't afford it! Alex is a much more motivated student...but he needs to get his act together and strive for all A's if he really wants to go to UCLA (which his is current plan).

Laura - enjoy the knife skills class. I took one last May and did pick up some helpful hints.

Not much planned this weekend. I really need to look at my finances and figure out how I can live on an over 50% pay-reduction. I think I'm going to need to get a part-time job as well, but I want to be home for dinner with the boys. Maybe I can find something that is Friday day (my friend's office is normally closed on Fridays), Saturday and Sunday. Don't know when I would grocery shop, run errands, but that is a different issue. I could work a couple of evenings as well but I do like to sleep :o

[tyroleancutie]

Dani, I read your ZipCar thing with interest... DD1 lives in SF and uses ZipCar all the time... I had no idea they were anywhere but SF! What a great idea that is! I'm sure you'll be 'accepted!' And have fun with your baking... can I come over?;)

The funny thing is, that I looked at Zipcar last October already but then decided it is too expensive and I would never use it anyways. But then I found out that they have a Zipcar Parkinglot just two minutes away from our house and decided to give it a try. The Husband is not really excited about this because he knows that this will mean that I will drag him to IKEA soon :D

For sure you can come over and help me baking :D

[LakeMartinGal]

For sure you can come over and help me baking :DOh, you can do the baking... I just wanted to come for the results!;) :D

[SheRa]

SheRa - How was the "do nothing" weekend last weekend?

i woke up saturday morning with a sore throat and ended up having a terrible cold that i'm just now getting over. it stunk! i was making myself sit on the other side of the room during all of the movies and video gaming, and i went through about a million kleenex. eh...all the more reason to do it again some other weekend!

[Lauren]

My Mom just called to tell me a 15 year old student was stabbed in the bathroom this am at the HS in her town. The boy later died. It's so incredibly sad. Lincoln/Sudbury is an affluent area, sleepy bedroom community west of Boston. You think your kids are safe when you send them off to school.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/01/ninth_grader_st.html

[tyroleancutie]

Oh, you can do the baking... I just wanted to come for the results!;) :D

Alrighty, if you hit the road now, you should be here around Dinner Time. Just make sure to bring a warm coat - it's SO cold here in Chicago

[lhall]

Loren,

Ginger's birthday was on the 4th, she is 9.

LakeMartinGirl,

Well, since I work for the government (I could tell you what I do, but then I'd have to kill you!) :D :D I have a pension plan (defined benefit, ick!) and they do offer healthcare to retirees. Sorry, I'm a Librarian, and I work for the State of Georgia.

SheRa,
So, you were the one with the matching pajamas. I showed the girls the pictures last Friday, and Mariel (my 6 year old) asked me to make chocolate pancakes (she loves pancakes). She settled for MLK Jr. Memorial Buttermilk Pakcakes with real Maple Syrup. :rolleyes:

Tyra,
Good luck with the finances. Cutting back that much is never easy.

Lauren,
That's just awful!
Leigh

[Lauren]

Tyra - Thanks for commiserating with me. Jake is having trouble in Chemistry and has no interest in possible assistance options ... like a tutor or extra help from the teacher.

It's great that Michael has been contacted by a school for next year. Funny, my Alex is the one in the family interested in doing his best, studying, etc. Although he does have a touch of 8 grade-itis. It's the last year in the middle school and he's ready to get out! :eek:

[mcgeiger]

Laura--are you taking it at seasoned chef? I took one there a few weeks ago (christmas gift:D ) and really liked it!

Robyn--hopefully you'll get some good snow and well-behaved kids;)

Gracie--good luck with the college search...I remember that being fun and stressful (even then I was trying to get to Colorado!)

lhall--that sounds like a birthday I would have requested at 9:)

I have to go back to class now...have a good weekend everyone (:o sorry I couldn't get all the comments in)

[Mimeea]

Loren- best of luck with the college search! I remember doing that not so long ago. I didn't visit many colleges until I was accepted, in April of my senior year- crunch time! I visited something like seven schools in five states- a bit much for two weeks, and of course they were mostly far away from home in California. It was great bonding time with my mom, too, as we both realized 'the end' was near, so hopefully you will have a similar experience. If she considers staying in the Boston area, I would be more than happy to give her a tour, sit in on a class, etc. Just let me know!

I'll be searching for and hopefully filling out summer internship applications this weekend, as well as studying for a final I have next week for my intensive German wintersession course. Perhaps I'll be making a Whole Foods run, too, if I can decide what I want to cook!

[Laura]

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I am taking the class at Williams-Sonoma (it is free - which is in my budget these days). Supposedly they have a chef come in and teach it so hopefully I will learn a few things.

I actually won't be completing my taxes, I just need to get the round figures so when I submit the FAFSA form, my numbers aren't completely out of line. I have a lot of business expenses this year and I am not sure how that will affect my bottom line (plus I have been doing contract work, etc.).

Actually tax time this year will be a little frightening, but doing them now will help me prepare for when I have to pay in April.

Tyra, that is cool about Michael being talked to by a CC. That also helps figure out the finances. My ex-H told me today that he was not going to be able to pay more than his current child support obligations to help Paige. Never mind that he would be in contempt of our agreement, he has made more money than me for the past 6 years. I wrote him a nasty email but simply let him know that he will be paying, and making me go to court to force the issue would likely cost him as much as just paying the extra amount that he is obligated to pay anyway. If he hadn't called me at 9:00 a.m. I would have been drinking.

[Robyn1007]

My ex-H told me today that he was not going to be able to pay more than his current child support obligations to help Paige. Never mind that he would be in contempt of our agreement, he has made more money than me for the past 6 years. I wrote him a nasty email but simply let him know that he will be paying, and making me go to court to force the issue would likely cost him as much as just paying the extra amount that he is obligated to pay anyway. If he hadn't called me at 9:00 a.m. I would have been drinking.

GRRRRR! This frustrates me to no end when parents do this. A child thinks all along they got xyz help coming to them, applies for colleges based on that, strives to do well like Paige obviously has and then renigs on the agreement when it's time. I say go get 'em! :mad: :mad:

[Gracie]

Loren- best of luck with the college search! I remember doing that not so long ago. I didn't visit many colleges until I was accepted, in April of my senior year- crunch time! I visited something like seven schools in five states- a bit much for two weeks, and of course they were mostly far away from home in California. It was great bonding time with my mom, too, as we both realized 'the end' was near, so hopefully you will have a similar experience. If she considers staying in the Boston area, I would be more than happy to give her a tour, sit in on a class, etc. Just let me know

Thanks Meg! I am hoping to get her to visit colleges before she applies so that she'll know for sure if she wants to take the time and money to apply. I wish she would stay around here but I think the only school that may even hold a glimmer of interest for her is BU (which would be fine by me). Thank you for the offer to sit in on a class - that would be a very cool experience if she is interested!

Loren

[SheRa]

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I am taking the class at Williams-Sonoma (it is free - which is in my budget these days). Supposedly they have a chef come in and teach it so hopefully I will learn a few things.

that's still really cool though! i'll have to check out the calendar for my local store. the only annoying part is that it's in a mall that charges $3/hour to park! :eek:

[Lauren]

I wish she would stay around here but I think the only school that may even hold a glimmer of interest for her is BU (which would be fine by me). Loren

That's my alma mater. ;) She is a city girl, so I can see her at a big city school in Boston or NY.

[Lrimerman]

Late in the day to join in, but finally have some free time. I skimmed through the post and sounds like everyone has a nice weekend ahead.

I remember visiting colleges, it was fun. I stayed close to home in the end, but I loved many of the out of state visits.

All the parenting issues with school and college, make me wonder what I am in for. DD is 8 and she already gives me a hard time about homework, etc. DS#1 is 5 and he never wants to go to school and he is in Alternative Kindergarten (for the young fall birhdays, he will go to Kindergarten next year). They are both smart, but I really think DD will be an underachiever too (I hope not) but she takes after DH and he was that way.

I have a busy weekend. We are having our first sleepover B'day party tomorrow night for DD. There will be a total of 10 girls. Plus my 2 boys, DH and I. Should be fun. I bought the American Girl Pajama Jam Party Kit, so it is pretty easy. I got a few addtional goodies at Bath and Body Works (the American Girl Collection) and we are doing make your own pizza for dinner tomorrow when they arrive (plus salad, cake and ice cream). Sunday morning we will have waffles and then send everyone home.

I have been very busy with volunteer work. I was asked by the school principal to help her with trying to improve the nutrition in the school and the lunch program (which would have to go to district) because I have been bugging the PTA for a year and she heard I was interested in this issue. I did some research, wrote a letter, made suggestions and did a write up on packing a healthy lunch for the newsletter. I am also in charge of a school contest from the Michigan Apple Commission where we collect Proof of Purchases from MI apples and in April I have to count them and send them in and each one enters us in a drawing for one of 6 money prizes for the school. I also have more work to do on that front before the March PTA board meeting. I thought I made some pretty good and easy to implement suggestions for the school but they want to wait till the end of the year and send out a survey of parents to see what kind of feedback they get before they make decisions. I think that is a good idea, but why wait until the end of the year? I just want things like the teachers not giving out candy as a treat/reward, cut down (or eliminate) birthday treats, healthy snacks, etc.
I guess I will have to start lobbying to make sure parents fill out the survey in a way that will allow the school to implement changes.

I also have a lot going on with Girl Scouts as I am a troop leader, troop cookie mom, NSU delegate and starting next year our NSU product sales manager (3 year commitment). It is currently cookie time and I need to add up all our orders from our troop this weekend and turn them in.

I am also the Activist Committee Chair for a local non-profit and things are hopping right now in our state. I have become a lobbyist by default and it is fun, but keeps me way too busy. Through that position I was asked to be the Michigan Coordinator for another group (Liberty Ark Coalition.) We are in opposition to the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) which MI is in the running to be the first state to implement a mandatory state program which is part of NAIS.

The issues are complex and there are many, but the big issue is that the programs as suggested won't deliver the benefits/results that they are supposedly being implemented for and it is burdensome and will run a lot of small family farmers out of business.

We are having some small victories and are building momentum, so now is critical time as the MI program is slated to start March 1. So I have a ton of work to do and hope to get some done this weekend. I have a meeting Sat. morning with the Leadership Team (I am one of the members of the Leadership team) for the local non-profit I volunteer with.

I do have to get ready for our Brownie meeting Monday, which means I need to get to the craft store too.

We also got free tickets to the Auto Show in Detroit, so we are going to try and go for a few hours on Sunday.

Lisa

[testkitchen45]

Geez, Lrimerman, you really need to get off your duff. :D :D :D

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

[Lauren]

Geez, Lrimerman, you really need to get off your duff. :D :D :D

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

She's putting me to shame! Guess this is what lawyers do when they put their career on hold to raise kids. :p

Lisa - Hope the sleepover is a blast for the girls and tolerable for you and DH! :D

[Robyn1007]

Jeez, Lrimmerman, I thought I was busy. Well, I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home, I've made cookies for tomorrow ( I bribed the kids when we got them stuck :rolleyes: ;) :p ), taken a shower since I hate to shower in the mornings before skiing and have my stuff together for the morning. I am so not awake when I'm up at 5 a.m. and need to have as much as possible together. Hope everyone has a great weekend, I better get my *ss in bed.

[tbb113]

Laura - 2 weeks before I was to start college, my father told me he wasn't paying. Fortunately my step-father stepped up and paid for all four years. I have it in the divorce decree that their dad is responsible for 1/2 of the tuition (he required a cap of 10% of income or $6000 a year). Fortunately, he retired out/went on disability and supposedly the boys have free tuition at any in-state school. Mind you...Michael would really like to go to University of Oregon. :rolleyes: I told him to get accepted and then we can worry about tuition.

Yes, I thought it was flattering that a coach called him. I would prefer him to go to the local community college (that also has a football team) ... but if he wants to play he needs to decide which program will take him the furthest. According to the coach...he would transfer after 1 1/2 years so he would play both football seasons and then be at the 4 year college for spring training. Funny, I thought you went to college for the education...not the football season :p