It always takes more

I always have these grand plans for everything I am going to accomplish.

Not just on the weekend, but any given day. 

Like yesterday I imagined that I would get another shelf of my closet organized, the laundry put away, roast squash, make dinner, maybe vacuum and clean the kitchen. 

This, all after church, lunch, and going to get our pumpkins for Halloween. 

Ha ha ha ha. 

No. 

I got the squashes roasted and the kitchen clean.  Oh, and I made rice and a salad for dinner. After all that was accomplished it was after six and I was pretty much pooped.  

But I spent time with my husband and my daughter - maybe she will remember the pumpkins and the frappucino and not the argument we had this morning over moving the recycling bin.  

It always takes more than you have of things.  More time, more money, more energy. 

I always seem to run out. 

Here is to setting my goals more reasonably this week. 

Happy Monday Peeps. 

I thought better of the idea...

Sometimes I have to take Boo Boo La La to gymnastics because T-Bone has a meeting.

I always think in the morning - we'll be so RUSHED - I will barely have time to get her, get her changed and THEN, what will we do about dinner???

I imagine asking her when I pick her up if she wants Subway or McDonald's.

But then, as I drive toward school after work, I change my mind.

Suddenly I think to myself.

Wait a second - why would it be faster to go to Subway or McDonald's?  Boo Boo can't change into her leotard while we are choosing food or sitting in the drive-thru.

I have fruit and tortillas and peanut butter at home.

Hmmm, I will just get her and run home the eight blocks, she can change while I make a peanut butter roll-up and cut her an apple.

Duh.

My point is, I do have time.  I am not as rushed as I work myself up to be.  I just need to drive and breathe for a second.

I was a little more than worried.

Boo Boo La La was not looking forward to school this year much.

She told anyone who asked that she was NOT excited to go back to school this year.

I know why.

Last year.

Last year SUCKED so hard. I was emailing and calling the Superintendant, crying on shoulders, just SICK over the cluster that was my child's classroom.  I hated being so upset.

Her teacher's child got very sick. I felt soooo bad, but the principal (who thank sweet baby Jesus is moved on) didn't handle the situation very well from a staffing standpoint. They had a DIFFERENT SUB EVERY DAY FROM THE SIXTH DAY OF SCHOOL UNTIL MEA - LATE OCTOBER!

It was, to say the least, utterly ridiculous.

So, this year she was not very excited. She was dwelling on the year of teachers being taken away - or running - and that no one got in trouble for anything, except her when she would point out things were going awry.

Last year was so different.

But, she volunteered for school patrol, is doing Girls On The Run, All-District Choir and we just changed to a new gymnastics club which went super well on the first night!

Yeah.

And I got a story on the way home yesterday about her great (read solid - mid 40-ish/early 50-ish teach who is going nowhere!) is letting them chew GUM IN CLASS. As long as they DO NOT leave wrappers on the floor, blow bubbles, stick gum under tables, and throw the gum away when they go to leave the classroom.

So in honor of her moving on - I am looking back at all the FIRST DAY photos we have taken.

Pre-K Year 1

Pre-K Year 2

Kindergarten, forgot to snap a pick until we were already THERE!

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade!!

Fifth Grade

Here is to enjoying a happy school year Peeps!

Memories of a Mommy Blogger - Revenge of the Fifth!

At one point during the month I went to my local Heartland Chevy Dealer and they talked me through EVERY DARN FEATURE OF THE TRAVERSE.

Riveting if you don't have one....



Your Chevy Heartland Dealer Can Teach You Cool Stuff! from Lisa Scherber on Vimeo.

#StrangeButTrue

Isn't it strange how things remind you of people or places?

Songs will remind me of T-Bone, Boo Boo, my Brother - Dad and "Boot are Made for Walking". The weirdest being The Psychedelic Furs song that reminds me of my mom. That is a short story with no point, so #random.

It is all so strange how your mind goes - zing!

Like this:

It reminds me of summers with my Grandpa - getting paid ten cents a moth.

Or this:

Brings back memories of the 90's and Katie and Phil's wedding.

These?

Great Grandma Studer.

And when I have a glass of white wine and crave these -

I cannot help but think of my sisters and our place - Foul Play.

Foul Play is long gone.  We are not.

In fact one of us returns from Atlanta tonight!  So we will gather, reminisce, and random memories will appear in a flash! While we enjoy good friends, the Minneapolis skyline and the zillion things that make us...us. 

#AlphaLove

Did you ever hear a song and suddenly...

So one bright and sunny Saturday I got in my car and was driving.

Driving to meet my family at a restaurant, they were out snowmobiling again.

I was listening to the radio, per usual not paying much attention except to the fact there was a beat.  Because I really don't listen to the words all the time, unless the song is very catchy - has an ear-worm so to speak. Suddenly I was freaking out over this song...I couldn't believe the words I was hearing.  And my child was not in sight - a thing that often causes me panic over what *might* be happening because I am that crazy.

So there I was driving on a BEAUTIFUL Sunny Saturday - tears streaming down my cheeks.  And of course again now as I listen to the song and write this for you - I am crying again.

Has that ever happened to you? You hear a song maybe a dozen or more times and you just have not listened to it - then you do and you have a strong reaction?  Good or bad?  Tell me.

The song in question for me?

The Field - Mason Jennings

try not to cry

Can I reset my clock?

I am not sure when I drifted off, but it isn't hard for me to do.

I know it was sometime after I quit watching the Monday Night Football Game and started watching the replay of last nights Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

I am sure Kyle was bitchy and Lisa was snarky.

And Kim said something stupid, right?

But now the brain waves have begun to weave their path from Delta to Beta.

I notice it is quiet and dark.

I hear T softly snoring.

I wonder. I wait a minute.  Maybe I will get back into my dream.

It is dark, but it is November so that does not mean anything.  I might be okay today.

Maybe?

I roll over and half open an eye.

3:30

on.the.spot.

It happens all the time, yet I am always surprised to see that time on the clock.

Daylight savings be damned. When I don't sleep through the night I wake at 3:30.

It can be very productive time for my housework, my catching up on Facebook, my blog. But I don't think it is very productive in helping one deal with the general stress of life.

Insert soft sigh here.

I re-read and polish the few lines I have mustered out of my sleep deprived brain. My alarm goes off and I hear Aretha sing, "Angels We Have Heard on High."

I feel bad.

All week I had been dreading Monday Night Football.

Yes. I play Fantasy Football.

This week?  I was matched up against a player I just did not want to lose to - and I lost last week.
Second loss of the season!

I was COOKED though.  COOKED.  My QB is Peyton Manning and I had Cutler as my backup.

Bye.
Groin Injury.

Ugh.

Picked up one of two options - Keenum got me 28 pts.  Too bad I didn't pickup the other guy. Who knew Nick Foles would step in and score Peyton Manning style numbers.

I was up against Aaron Rodgers.  OMG.  I am COOKED.  And my opponent also had Eddie Lacy.

Goose.  Cooked.

I said out loud several times this week that I hoped the Bears took Rodgers down.

First Quarter - Huh, that hit looked hard.  And they are kicking the field goal?  Huh?

My husband blew it off - "Rodgers is tough. He'll be back."

Nope.

I won by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

I don't know how to explain it.

Maybe God is a Bears Fan after all?

Couldn't sleep at all last night...

Well, partially true.

I went to bed about 10 o'clock last night.  Yes, I am old thankyouverymuch.

I woke up just before 4 am and the stupid hamster in the wheel of my cranial cavity started thinking about all the things that I need to do.  None of it bad at all.  Just "BUSY" you know?

I had to sort the Fall leaflets for my Sunday School class - each week in it's very own ziplock bag - marked with the date we will use that story.

I needed to finish planning what we would actually DO this Sunday for our lesson on Adam & Eve.  Thank you PINTEREST!  We are making Cheerio Bird Feeders this week to talk about how God put Adam & Eve here to take care of all the living creatures.  Cool, huh?

Now I have to figure out when I will shop for the Cheerios, floral wire and pipe cleaners.

Probably sometime AFTER soccer this morning and BEFORE we get cash and go to the Street Fair on Lowery today.  Did I mention T-bone is abandoning me to golf with my friend Julie's husband Jeff?

Did I figure out what I was making for dinner?  Oh yeah - tortellini, don't let me forget that.

Crap. Got to get that post up on Facebook about still needing volunteers for Thursday's Spaghetti Dinner at school.  PTO has to figure out to spend my time somehow, right?  Oh - didn't I tell you I still am doing PTO and Girl Scouts.

OMG - I still have not put Boo Boo's patches on her new Brownie Sash.  This week, one night, I promise to dust off my iron and ironing board.  HONEST.  I will do it.  And I will pull out her BRAND NEW BROWNIE book and have her think of one or two badges SHE wants to earn, that was our Brownie homework!

I am scheduled for training at work Monday and Wednesday - I have three contracts I am working on and more sure to come.

And then - when am I shopping for Mai Tai ingredients for Miss Palmquist's Birthday Luau?  I got two weeks.  It will happen.  And if you have a tried and true Mai Tai recipe, do share.

So there you have it.  A data dump from my brain and the reason why I am up and blogging this early.

I need coffee.