Monday, September 27, 2010

Looking forward to a great week!

Yes, it'll be busy, but it'll also be a fun week.

This afternoon I get to go to Abby's volleyball game and later we'll go to her violin lesson.

Tomorrow, mom and dad are driving down for a short visit. They'll be greeted with an empty house as it's "my" day to drive the cross country girls. AND mom will be put in charge of expediting supper (ok, so it'll just be steaming the veggies and re-heating the rice!). We'll get home a bit after 6.

Wednesday morning I've got Bible study. Then mom and dad and I will get lunch somewhere. In the afternoon we'll go to the volleyball championship for Abby. Maggie is out of school early and expressed an interest in coming as well. Wednesday evening is Maggie's induction to her high school. Not sure exactly what this means, but we'll see.....

Thursday (I assume!) Kay and Ray are arriving from Houston. Abby and I actually will be home directly from school, Maggie has cross country practice.

Friday is Maggie's grandparent's day. She'll be hosting 4 of them, along with mom (unless they don't allow me in in which case I'll go somewhere else -- sob sob). After school is my turn to drive cross country again, so we'll see that as well. Mom will get to heat up supper/start the spaghetti noodles.

Doesn't sound like too much, except also consider the extra people in the house, the fact Abby has exams next week, and Maggie's Saturday cross country meet is in Baton Rouge. OK, so your week is busier.........

Sunday, September 19, 2010

for mom

Mom wants an update, so mom will get an update! All is fairly well here. The girls have both made GREAT returns to school this year. Abby's adjusted to changing teachers/classrooms for all her subjects and looks so old, graduated from the jumper to the plaid skirt! She's playing intramural volleyball with the girls in the 5-8th grades. She's the only 5th grader on her team. Some of Maggie's friends are also on the team (the grammar school goes thru eighth grade, so some of Maggie's friends are still there. Others, like Maggie, chose to move up to high school for 8th grade. Trust me, this is the STRANGEST place I've ever lived!). She is REALLY excited and enjoying it. Tom's been able to make as many of her games so far as I have. And she really enjoys having him there as well.

Maggie has made quite the adjustment to high school, not only in terms of her grades, but also socially. She's maintaining friendships she's made throughout the years, but also making new friends. She's joined a couple clubs and is running with the cross country team. And she's really getting used to being part of a MUCH bigger school -- her class in grammar school was about 42 students, 13 of whom were girls. Now she's got about 150 eighth graders around her, ALL of whom are female. Quite a change!

Maggie finished her first cross country race this past Saturday. I took a photo but she says it's HORRIBLE and that I should delete it (I think that while it's not the most flattering picture of her, it's NOT horrible!). At this particular meet the kids from her grammar school also participated, so we both got to visit with a bunch of people we know from many places. After the meet I took her and two friends to cafe du monde for beignets. Interesting to be with 3 young teenagers! I am so thankful that she has kind friends (and they let me sit with them!).

Tom is back to travelling again. He spent this past week in Washington DC with various people at a conference with the US Energy Department. This week he's in Houston for training. He's back taking karate again as well. Never a dull moment.

Today I am suffering from a cold, but maintaining a positive outlook. While life hasn't "settled down" by any means, I am more comfortable with the new routine (that constantly shifts!). I enjoy the extra time alone with Abby when Maggie's carpool takes her to/from school/cross country. And I enjoy the time with Maggie like yesterday when we spent most of the day together. And I sneak in time with Tom whenever I can......

Ready for fall weather, but I think I'll have to wait a couple more months for that to happen. Sigh.

Friday, September 3, 2010

friday september 3

Another busy week is sort of coming to an end. Maggie has survived Cross Country practice -- time trials early Saturday morning, practice after school (in the rain) every day this week. Today they'll be getting their uniforms after school and the first meet is EARLY tomorrow morning. I'm so thankful for Labor Day when I can (perhaps!) sleep past 7am.....we'll see how that one works out!

Abby started intramural volleyball on Wednesday. Tom was able to get there for the beginning and saw her score 3 points while serving. I had carpool duty to take the girls to City Park after school, so was late to the game and saw about 1 1/2 practice games. I drove Abby home afterwards (Tom headed to karate) and she was just so excited about both volleyball and school in general. Fun to see/hear her enthusiasm!

As for me, it was another pretty busy week. Drove morning carpool Monday an Wednesday (normal schedule -- AND for the first time I actually had ALL the girls in the car on Wednesday -- one is on swim team and has practice Monday mornings). Managed to fit 6 girls plus all their bags in my mom-car. Tuesday I had double-duty after school -- taking the girls to/from UNO for practice. Abby and I went and had coffee/snacks at a coffee shop which was nice. She was able to do most of her homework. Reminds me a bit of when they were younger and we'd go to Starbucks during ballet rehearsals! Wednesday was Bible Study plus morning and afternoon driving. And I managed to see some of Abby's volleyball. Yesterday was pretty restful. Tom got the b-day cake he'd ask for -- pineapple upside down -- and it's ALL HIS as none of the rest of us like it. Today I'll pick up the girls after school/getting uniforms and later take Maggie to a b-day party for one of her friends. EARLY in the morning is the cross country meet, so I'll be picking her up for that in the morning. I am thankful that early mornings are generally my friend, whereas evening are my crash time.

Life is busy but good and for that, as always, I am thankful.