Life Left To Go....

Where do I even begin? I can't believe it's been so long since I've written a post. Now, let me just say that I've been a writing machine lately--but mostly at work or with awesome friends who've kept me sane during some foggy moments in life. And that makes for a dry well for more writing (albeit this blog is fun to write, but...). I know, the writer in me can't believe I just wrote that!

As most of you experienced this week, the kiddos are "back to school". Kdee started the 3rd grade at her new school and so far seems to really love it. She's been very enthusiastic and is feeling comfortable with the change. Of course, in this small school it's pretty hard to feel overwhelmed by it all, and the kids/staff seem so friendly. It's also been really great to get her sharp mind back into the classroom. Poor thing, she was SO BORED going to the in-home daycare we used during the summer. It probably didn't help that besides the lack of structure, the other kids were all 3or under (including her brother; we were amazed at how well they actually did together so much every day). She did seem to gleam some new facts this summer...like, "mom, did you know that you can brighten your teeth with just one product?" or "Who is Stefano?" (yes, she somehow caught an episode of Days of Our Lives--yes, I was mortified but remained calm enough to ask her what was happening on the show so I could prepare myself for what she might have learned). Yes, I think there was more tv than there should have been, but that's the challenge of moving and finding daycare quickly--and overall, it was good...there's just always a few snags, too.

Something that's made me smile a lot lately about Kdee is her creativity. She's making lots of music videos and homemade movies. Yes, perfect for her dramatic side and they're actually pretty entertaining! She's able to make them on her digital camera and even recruited little B for a couple of "movies"--they were cowboys shooting the bad guys. Seriously funny if you saw it. What also makes the movies fun is the fact that there's no sound (still working on that)...so it's like vintage movies where you can really take in the stellar performance. Another area of creativity is her fashion flair. She is really great at putting stuff together and loves to help me...I need it a lot of days! But, get this, she's practical (for now, thank God!). For back-to-school shopping I asked her if there was anything she'd like to get in particular and she responded (I'm not kidding), "Well, I saw an ad for Kmart and they have some really cute clothes." GOD BLESS HER. It was hard not to laugh out of joy, so I enthusiastically said, "sure, we can go check it out--sounds great!". Turns out she picked out some awesome things there...a success in many ways (checkbook included). Little B even made the trip with us and was a pretty good sport at dealing with all of the shopping (and Kdee was patient with the 'emergency' side-of-the-back-road "pee pit stop" along the way).

Kdee wasn't the only one to start "school" this week! Little B started preschool at a local Church daycare and is LOVING it so far. He also missed the structure and socialization that comes with larger groups of kids to play with him. We're blessed in that he transitions so easily and effortlessly in new situations. Of course, that said, today he didn't take a nap and I had a screaming, tantruming 3 year old on my hands...yelling "I want a snack!!!" SOBS...poor guy, it was almost ridiculously funny. Fortunately, for us, he can be redirected pretty well and those tantrums are actually few. I've had a blast lately playing "cars" with him. I LOVED cars when I was little, so it's a ton of fun to make roads, stories (like all the auto shops the cars are going to--Charlie's, Too-Taht's (our made up word), etc.). I also got the joy of pushing bigger trucks around our yard--and that's no easy task for an adult to do. Long, adult legs don't bend quite like a 3 yr olds while trying to push a tonka truck at 90 mph...too funny. We also had a great water fight--shooting water in the air and "catching" it, trying to steal the hose from each other, being a "fireman" and putting out the "fire" on the lawn...all that good stuff.

ribB and I have had a chance for some fun lately, too. ribB played in the end of the season softball tournament and his team took second place. (The season starts in April and runs until the end of August.) He enjoyed the guys on this team and they played really well together. He made it to most of the games even after we moved--an impressive feat when you have to do a 45 minute-1 hour drive home afterward (and some games started at 9pm!). He's also been a bit of the Paul Bunyon--chainsawing through multiple dead trees on our property. Yes, there's still a lot to do here, but I'm glad we haven't pushed ourselves too hard this summer. The move was big enough, let alone painting/landscaping/clearing our overgrown beach/etc. He's quite handy and capable--as long as the chainsaw can keep up with him! It's amazing how fast the chains dull when you've got LOTS of trees to cut down! We've appreciated his hard work a lot and the end results have been looking so much better. (Funny side note: little B was a master apprentice with the lumberjacking...he wore his hard hat, safety goggles and used his toy (but really awesome)Stihl chainsaw...cutting up twigs, little branches, etc. He looked so proud at what he could do!)

As for me, I got a couple of days to myself during Labor Day weekend in preparation for the big hunting season upon us. It was so nice to have a quiet house to enjoy all to myself, although I amazed myself by how late I could stay up! It's hard to go to sleep when you're having an absolute blast and know you can sleep in the next day (although that didn't seem to pan out either--all the years of early wake-ups make for a lost ability to sleep past 8 or 9am...and I'm not much of a napper (like it, just hard for me to settle down). I was able to get some awesome run/walks in (still working on building my condition to run more again) and also did some swimming during the beautiful days. It was a great break for me and I enjoyed the chance to release a bit while relaxing at home.
On another fun note, I took a cooking class (Jamaican Style BBQ) at the Chef's Gallery with my great friend/coworker Heather. We had SO MUCH fun! It was a participation class and she/I were in charge of the Minty Pineapple Mojitos and the red beans & rice (yuuummmm...complete with coconut milk...a big hit that night). I kept feeling like I should yell, "Yes, Chef! No, Chef! Almost done, Chef!" (like the show Hell's Kitchen) as we hurriedly prepared our portions of the evening's meal. (other courses made by other classmates: Grilled Jerk Shrimp with Lemon Crema and Mango Salsa; Sticky Citrus Wings for 16;Grilled Pork with Pineapple, Jalapeno and Lime Sauce--with Guava Glaze and Mojo;Rum Chocolate Pudding (basically a molten lava cake). Everything tasted amazing and once again I was amazed at what a great team Heather and I make--we really work together effortlessly and instinctively. She continues to make me laugh until I practically cry at work (along with our coworker/friend Mary who is also quite funny and supplying me with Alison Krause CD's)--it's been greatly appreciated lately!

And, here we are...summer over...Mexico has been sounding good already--I can't imagine what that will be like in a couple of (cold!) months...

Photos to come tomorrow...the usb cord is at work! Whoops!