We just came back from the cutest/funnest Toddler's Outing that I planned for our Newcomer's Club. It was a Mother Goose sing-a-long at a theatre around here, which actually is in the shape of a castle. All of the kids had a blast singing and dancing, and the leading men weren't bad to look at either,LOL. Such a crisp fall day, I can't wait to get our fresh apples in a couple of weeks for my pies!! I'm thinking a nice hearty stew for dinner tonight.

Okay, so John comes home from work today and says he got me part of my anniversary gift, if I want to consider it as such. (Funny, how we never exchange gifts on the actual day anymore) It is membership to a gym 1/2 hour away, close to his work and my parents house. Okay, so I ask why can't it be one closer to my house that is more convenient?? Well, the cost is only $100 for the year through his work, and we won't get that kind of deal anywhere else. Fine. I've been asking for a membership for about 2 years now, and they do have babysitting available for a fee, so I guess I am gonna look at my calendar week by week and try to go at least 3x a week for starters.....This should be interesting, I haven't been in a gym since weightlifting class, senior year in high school. I hope that a trainer is available, for free of course, to get me started on a routine.

My father is back in the hospital for a fever. They found out that my father's fever, THIS time, is related to his pancreatic stent (tube that allows the bile to drain). Friday his bilirubin was only .8, and it was close to 4 today. Damn, damn, damn...... They'll be replacing the stent on Wednesday and hopefully he can start his 2nd round of chemo NEXT Tuesday..

OMG......we had SUCH a kick-ass day today, and actually yesterday too. Well, since I'm at it, I'll go back to Friday, LOL. Friday, I was a co-leader of my daughter's Brownie troop for the first time. We had a very excellent meeting and I can't wait for a year of fun and excitement with these fresh little minds.

Saturday, we had soccer at 9am and 1pm, then from there, I got the kids ready to drop at my parents. On the way there, I saw the National Guard mobolizing from the armory around the corner from my parent's house. Gave me chills..... Drop the kiddos off, come home, shower and went out to an amazing dinner with another couple friend of ours. Unfortunately, I got carsick on the way home and my cannoli left my body, so all in all I got a double benefit though, yummy tasting cannoli without the calories :-) I felt fine as soon as I got out of the car and hung out in my house, not moving. It was weird.....I guess I haven't rode in a backseat of a car, on a dark, windy road in a long time, but brought me right back to my childhood when I couldn't ride around the corner without getting sick.

Today was simply beautiful, weather wise and atmosphere wise. We went to another friend's house, about 15 minutes away, onto a lake. We hung out for a bit, then John went out on the jet ski with Mark (the husband) Then, Mark took Johnny out with him for a bit, then Steffi, then they all came in. I just got done changing and Bonnie (the wife) told me it was our turn. I was a bit nervous at first, but they really are quite easy to handle. We had an awesome ride, then we came in for more drinks. After a bit, John took Johnny out and Mark yelled up for me to get on the other one. After riding for awhile I told John to go get Steffi and he asked me why I didn't take her, I thought it would be harder for me to handle, but they told me to go for it, so as I circle around to get her, John shut off his engine and Johnny made a major shift and the boys went in the water. They were okay, and Johnny was nervous at first, but the funnier part was watching them try to get back on.....John finally would figure out his weight distribution and how to get on, and Johnny would tip him back in..... I get Steffi on mine, and went out for a much more leisurely ride. All in all a great time, and I didn't tip us in, despite all the requests from Steffi to do tricks. We came in for a BBQ, then went out for a ride in their pontoon boat. It was just the PERFECT day!! Hope you all had as much fun!!

Oh, actually, know what, I just hit publish yesterday, not post & publish, LMAO.....my fault.....

Imagine that, I posted and published yesterday.....and nada.....too busy today...I'll update soon

My town has been affected by this. We lost a resident in the plane that went down in Pittsburgh. The chaplain of the NYC FD was a priest in one of the two Catholic churches in town from 1979 to 1985. A single mother to two teenagers at the high school, from that same church is missing. A LOT of friends in town have friends missing. I know there are a lot of you out there that have similar stories...this should never have happened.....

My husband was a little sad tonight, Hank the Angry Dwarf from the Howard Stern show passed away last week.

Therapeutic move of the day.....Driving our new car, hair tied back, sunglasses on, radio crankin' some southern rock, sunroof open, drivin' some beautiful roads around here...

Interesting..... Stolen from Amy who stole from Denise, LOL. I would have stolen right from Denise, but I was busy. Besides the Existing Situation one.....I find the others freakishly accurate

Your Existing Situation
Insecure. Seeks roots, stability, emotional security, and an environment providing greater ease and fewer problems.

Your Stress Sources
Wishes to be independent, unhampered, and free from any limitation or restriction, other than those which she imposes of herself or by her own choice and decision.

Your Restrained Characteristics
Feels she is receiving less than her share, but that she will have to conform and make the best of her situation. Remains emotionally unattached even when involved in a close relationship. I don't like that one either, LOL

Your Desired Objective
Takes easily and quickly to anything which provides stimulation. Preoccupied with things of an intensely exciting nature, whether erotically stimulating or otherwise. Wants to be regarded as an exciting and interesting personality with an altogether charming and impressive influence on others. Uses tactics cleverly so as to avoid endangering her chances of success or undermined others' confidence in herself.

Your Actual Problem
Seeks to avoid criticism and to prevent restriction of her freedom to act, and to decide for herself by the exercise of great personal charm in her dealings with others.

Found it, LMAO

Because I Got High by Afroman It's not so much the lyrics, but the way the guy sings the song, and the beat it has........I'll give it a 98, LOL

I had a referral come in from Andrea's blog today.....I hope that means she's around out there......somewhere...

I've heard a song on the radio, a lot, and I think it is funny......does anyone know who sings something like

And I get ha.....
and I get ha...
and I get haaaa

doo doo dute doo dute doo

My Extreme Tracking is still working odd.....anyone else.....

Then...I noticed in Site Meter, I have a new person linking to me, and I'll have to add her soon as well.....Welcome babbling m dot com :-)

Oh, I remember what I was gonna post......Saturday, LOL

8:06 pics for Steffi at location A
9:00 game for Steffi at location B 15 minutes away
9:15 pics for Johnny at location A
10:00 game for John at location C 15 minutes the OTHER way
10:00 Steffi's game over
11:00 John's game over

Whew

The funny part is this is common in my town, I know 3 other families that are in similar situations because of soccer, and we are ALL on different teams, so we can't even help each other out

And.....next week, Monday night is back to school night, Tuesday night is the parents information meeting for my Brownie troop and Thursday is out PTA meeting.......what did I do to myself????

Okay.....remember me blogging about how Wednesdays were gonna be hell......they're worse, LOL. Hopefully because it was also the 1st day of school. Start the day off, I'm up at 6:16 to get a start on my family and POP.....out comes Steffi ready to brush her teeth and ZIP......there's John emerging from his room. They are up 1 hour and 3 minutes earlier than I planned. Okay no problem, at least we won't be rushed. I get teary when John says goodbye to them for the day, I love my family. Bus comes, they go. I'm bored, LOL. Tommy played by himself for a bit, then I played with him for a bit, but then he wanted me to stay and not clean my house, LOL. This is where I realize that my kids do an EXCELLENT job of playing with each other and keeping each other busy while I clean. I miss my kids some more.

I took Tommy to a BabyPower class. It's some new franchise in town that is similar to Gymboree. He seems to like the jumping and tumbling on mats, the stories and songs, so I think I'll sign him up for a weekly 75 minute class tomorrow.

Come home and start the noodles for dinner, because the kids are expected around 4, and Steffi's practice starts at 5. Well, of course, 1st day of school, kids don't arrive until 4:20. They LOVED their day and both are jabbering at me, full speed, no breaths, out talking each other, LOL. I tell them to hurry up and put on their soccer clothes and come throw some dinner down their throats. They manage to eat in 15 minutes and we load the car up to go. Both kids are to put on their shinguards, socks and cleats in the car while I'm driving. I almost make it out of my development when John comes around the corner. I throw the car into park, and shoo the two boys out of the car. I tell John (the husband) that dinner is in the crockpot, Johnny has practice at 6:30 and I'll meet him there to exchange kids.

Steffi's practice goes well, I go to John's field, and John takes Steffi and Tommy back home. John's practice is now over and Steffi gave herself a shower for the first time all by herself. She did a great job! Steffi and Tommy now go to bed at 8pm, John gets in the shower and goes to bed, as a big 2nd grader at 8:30 and here I sit after going through the PTA Back to School packet and filing out 9 gazillion pages, LOL.

It could have been worse, and I'd have the 3 kids from 5-8 at various practices, while trying to look through all the stuff the teacher sent home. At least I did that all in peace.

Odd......eXTReMe Tracking is not tracking my hits today, but Site Meter is.

Yay, I have a pic of my Taurus for posterity.....


well......it's most of it :-)

Okay.....I think I am happy with my fall redesign.....it is just SO cool and crisp here today, I can ALMOST taste the fresh apple pie. We had the chimnea going all day, and there is just such a nice smell to the air. Off to the neighbors deck now to have a few drinks...(after closing the windows so we don't wake the kids)

::sigh:: I can NOT find an appropriate card to give to my parents on their anniversary, without getting some kind of remark that has and many more.....years full of sunshine.....till death do you part.., or some thing to that effect in the card......

This is the newest member of our family. The Chrysler 300M. What a nice car. We traded in our 1996 Taurus and although that was MY first new car.....it had 80,000 miles and John felt like he wanted to treat himself (well, me too) for a good year. I drove it yesterday home from his parents, which, by the way Amy, I was only 8-10 minutes away from Medieval Times, LOL. He bought one off the lot, but it had a LOT of extras, that we wouldn't have chosen, if we *built* it ourselves. Plus, we did REALLY well, for what we got it for. It has a power sunroof, $600 stereo with 11 speakers and 4CD changer built in the dash.....it's the luxury package, which also adds a bunch of stuff. John says when he is 40, THEN he'll get the convertible. I guess he's planning for his mid-life crisis already, LOL

We also had lunch/dinner at Chili's and were stuffed by the time appetizers came out. Oh well, leftovers are a good thing too.

I'm not sure what are plans are for the rest of the weekend. It's only 55 degrees here right now, I'm sure the pool is FREEZING. We wanted my parents to come up, but my mom is REALLY tired from all that is going on in her life and she's just not sure what they want to do yet. Plus, their 34th anniversary is tomorrow and I'm not sure how either one of them will react. I'm sure they are both thinking that this might be the last one.......

Had my first pregnancy gone to term, I would be having a birthday party for an 8 year old on Tuesday, but then Johnny would have never been, since I got pregnant with him 6 weeks after my miscarriage at 14 weeks. Bittersweet

WOW......Amy's site looks BEAUTIFUL as well........you gals did a great job!!