Busy Saturday!

As Andrew is icing his wrist waiting for me to make him pancakes I am running the list through my head of all the things I have to do today. My Child Development class ends today and all I have to do is a quick quiz and turn in my paper. The paper is done but the conclusion is rough and needs some work. Then there is some housework that needs to be done.

Andrew is done wrestling for the season because of his sprained wrist. He had x-rays from three vantage points and it doesn't look like there are any bone chips. This is a precaution since the location of the sprain is at his growth plate. It still hurts him quite a bit, although he doesn't seem to be overly upset about missing the daily 3 hour wrestling practice.

Joe is driving Andrew to San Leandro today (2 hour drive) for the CIT interview which only lasts 15 minutes. The price we parents pay to ensure our sons get out of the house for TWO solid weeks in the summer. In addition to working at camp for two weeks he is planning on going as a camper for one week. YES!!

The elections for ASB are Monday and Tuesday. Jessica should know by Friday if she won. If she didn't win then she will be appointed Vice President, although she said she does not want that job, she would rather be ASB publicist again.

Later today I'll take Jessica shopping for a "nice" outfit for a presentation she has this coming week. Oh, they joy of shopping with that kid (sarcasm).

What I'm doing instead of doing something else...

What does that mean???

The pages are spread out in front of me, the research is accessible on the computer, and I am totally not at all motivated to continue with this paper. What is it about me that makes it hard to write unless I'm in "the zone"? Actually, writing comes pretty easy for me, and now that I've written a bazillion, gazillion papers this last year a measly 5 pager is no big deal...but it's the first one I've written since my dad died and I find my heart's just not in it.

I suppose it's natural to have some introspection after the death of a parent. I think I'm just looking at life a little different now...like realizing the fact that it's much shorter than I want it to be. I know I went through this phase after Greg died, but I had two small children then and didn't really have the time I do now for the meandering thoughts that wander through my consciousness.

Anyway...

Life continues. Andrew sprained his wrist about a week ago and hasn't been practicing since then. He might be able to wrestle in the tournament this weekend, but it's not looking that good right now. He might not have enough points to qualify for a varsity letter this year. Since he's only in 9th grade it's not the end of the world (although don't tell him that).

Jessica is about ready to start her campaign for ASB president. She's running against the girl she lost to in the 8th grade class presidency race. She just signed up for the SAT's and will have them done by summer. Now, what to do this summer? We told her that if she decided not to continue with the Girl Scout CIT program (which is almost 6 weeks) then she would have to get a job.

We've been deluged with rain and high winds the last few days, and can expect that trend to continue for the next 3 days at least. That means a serious chance of flooding for some areas. At least we don't ever lose our power.

Out of the loop...

Today is my first day back after being gone for three weeks. It seems like forever, probably because my time away spanned Christmas and New Years. Dad's illness was fairly quick, and his death was peaceful. I left Alaska knowing that mom would be alright.

How to Manage Stress!

Quite the catchy title, but what does it really mean? How can I possibly do this...

It started with me handing the kid's Christmas lists over to Joe. I said "here, buy this and wrap it". He said "ok". Easy enough.

Then it was me telling him to stop at Old Navy on the way to his mom's house and buy 7 gift cards for our nieces. Easy enough.

Finally, it was me telling him "No tree. I don't have time to put one up, and I don't want to have to deal with it when I come back from Alaska". Not quite as easy. So, instead of the real tree we usually get (from Andrew's Boy Scout troop), a fake tree from Lowe's made its way into our garage. When I voiced my doubts about my time commitment, Joe said "you have nothing to do with the tree this year". Ok, easy enough. Still, lingering guilt resides.

Why say no tree, one might ask...

Normally, the idea of the Christmas tree is the pinnacle of the Holiday season. However, the reality is that as soon as the tree is up, and the lights are on, everyone magically disappears and mom finishes all the work.
Enough! I say, Enough!

I'm taking two classes in December. STRESS. Andrew just brought home a wrestling schedule with meets three times a week, plus some Saturday tournaments. STRESS. Jessica has soccer tournaments the next two weekends. STRESS. The weekend before I leave for Alaska I have a 10 page paper due (I do not have a topic yet) plus a friend's 40 all-day birthday party in Amador County (yes, wine tasting). STRESS.

I have become adept at self-preservation. Saying no is okay, as is scaling back decorations, commitments, and shopping.

As I get older things seem to be getting simpler. Or maybe it's that I am raising my standards as to what I expect out of the Holiday season, which is peace, quiet, and a really good book.

Anyways.

We had a great time at Disneyland for Thanksgiving. It was crowded on Wednesday, but not on Thursday and Friday. It was very warm, good thing we took shorts. Our great friends Trish and Scott went with us, making the trip much more memorable.

It's worth mentioning...I have to resize my jpeg files to upload onto Blogger, otherwise it takes forever to upload one picture. Sorry if some of the pictures seem blurry.

Walking with Bailey

There are miles of paths around South Sacramento and Elk Grove.