Mommathon

Yesterday at school the boys and all of the rest of the students and staff celebrated one of their custodians becoming a U.S. citizen. All of the students and teachers gathered on the stairs (picture one of those stairwells, three stories tall, that you can stand at the bottom and see all the way up filled with students three years old all the way to 8th grade) and said the Pledge of Allegiance together while one of the Montessori students held up the flag. Then they presented her with an American flag and an apple pie (very American). I get weepy just thinking about it. It is so touching and I love that they not only acknowledged that she had earned her citizenship, but they shared it with the whole school and celebrated it, too. It was awesome to listen to the boys tell me about it

This is a memoir written by an adoptee. It tells the tale of her biological mother contacting her as an adult, how that leads to her meeting her biological father and the mind games they both play with her. There is some closure for her when she searches through archives and finds out about her family history back several generations, both biological and adopted. In the end you get the feeling that she feels loved and connected to her adopted family, but also like there is something just not quite right. There are just some loose ends for her that will never get wrapped up the way she wants them to or the way they should.

Saturday-Balsamic Chicken and Baby Spinach
Sunday-Italian Sausage Soup
Monday-Chili and Cornbread
Tuesday-BBQ Pulled Pork, Potato Salad, Fresh Fruit
Wednesday-Pasta with Homemade Meatballs
Thursday-I will be out to eat with some other moms…the boys are on their own.
Friday-Salmon Patties, Baked Beans, Fresh Fruit or Salad

This is my book club book and I would have never chosen it on my own. The first chapter or so I really liked, the next few chapters after that were enough to make me want to abandon ship. I am so glad I didn’t. Even though I didn’t understand those chapters at the time, I stuck with the book and they totally made sense as the book went along. It goes back and forth in time which made it a little confusing at times, but again, as the book goes along it all comes together. Good read.

Once upon a time I said I would NEVER EVER be a substitute teacher EVER again!!! Well, never say never. I have decided that being a sub is my best bet as far as being able to balance a family and having some sort of income, no matter how measly. I signed up today to be a sub at the boys’ school. I said I would work three days a week, that leaves me two other days to volunteer at the school and to do the stuff I need to do. It is a small school, so I really doubt I will be working three days a week, but you never know, especially once cold season kicks in. Anyhow, I am sure there will be days when I am reminded why I said I would never be a sub again, but as long as those days only come every once in a GREAT while, I am sure I will survive. And who knows, maybe this will lead to a permanent position at some point.

Liam is so cute. He asked me last night why everyone wants Obama to win. I told him why I thought a lot of people like Obama. He then told me that he had read that McCain’s points are down and then told me he wants to vote for McCain. That is so Liam. He has always marched to his own drummer or however that saying goes. He sees what “everyone else” is doing and then does something else. He is his own person and I love that about him. 🙂

We went to Kaleidoscope today. I haven’t been there since I was a little girl and I had a picture in my head as to what it would look like. It doesn’t look the same at all! Oh, and we had so much fun! I love it because the kids can just make whatever they want. There is no direction. They are just free to create! There were two things I remembered making at Kaleidoscope from when I was a child. One was the candles. I loved it because you could pick out what color you wanted your candle to be and then you could dip it in the hot stuff and out came your brand new candle. My other favorite thing was the puzzle maker. You would color a picture on this cardboard stuff and then an adult would put it in this puzzle cutting machine and, voila, you would have your very own puzzle. Guess what?! They still have the puzzle maker!

Liam creating

From October 2008

Sunday-Pork Machaca-Serve with fresh cilantro, salsa and add a can of beans to the crockpot.
Monday-Sloppy Joes, Corn
Tuesday-Hot Italian Sausage, Peppers, add a can of Italian diced tomatoes, Fresh Italian Bread
Wednesday-Bruschetta Chicken, Salad
Thursday-Salmon, Salad, Corn Bread Sticks
Friday-Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach

It was going to happen sooner or later. Liam had his first semi-major bike crash today. No broken bones or anything like that, but he landed on his face. He looks like someone punched him right in the cheekbone. He also got caught in the inner elbow by the handlebars, I think; he has a weird-shaped bruise there, too. I took pictures of the poor guy, but they don’t do his injury justice. I will have to try again tomorrow.

Our school had their annual fall festival this weekend. It is one of the major fundraisers of the year, so it is a pretty big deal. The weather was perfect and the boys had a blast.

Liam went straight for this jumping contraption.

From October 2008

Fishing for prizes

From October 2008

Trying to win a real fish…so glad they lost.

From October 2008

From October 2008

From October 2008