Chandeliers at Risk

The Peeps and I have been locked up (sort of, we went to the grocery store) for way too long after a couple of snow days were imposed upon us by the local school district, thus the lack of content here in bloggerville. But wait! There's a light at the end of the tunnel with kids going back to school tomorrow and mom (Me) being all free from endless meal-cookings, dish-washings, clothes-launderings, snow-mess-cleaning-upings, etc. etc. etc.

You get the drift.

So I'm back tomorrow with a belated Monday Me Day turned Wednesday Free From Peep Sloths Day. What in the world will I do with myself? Oh yeah wait... put together a birthday party. Yay! My vote? TABLE DANCING!!!

She's lost it. Completely.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' - Keep Those Doggies Rollin'

Back at orchestra rehearsal and with fellow parents sitting a chair away from me on either side. Must be careful not to blog about them – I'm nice that way. Anyway, so what's up with the clan these days? Let's see... oh yes, that handy bulleted list helps like nobody's business:

• School – besides Pre-algebra kicking the oldest in the pants, she's musical and literary and wants nothing to do with something so trivial/abstract as math even though it's in her blood to be amazing at everything she does, both kids are doing so well in school they're bored silly. Yes, the gifted programs challenge them to some extent, but still. Why so much reteaching every August? That's what they want to know. Unfortunately, that No Child Left Behind plan forgot the gifted peeps, so we deal with system as best we can.

• CCD – still loving this whole 7^th grade CCD teaching experience, and with students actually showing an interest in scripture. How odd is that? But it's true. My people are finding their way around the bible without breaking down and asking for specific page numbers (gospel, book, chapter, verse!) plus they're actually getting what it's all about. In fact, I'm so proud of those folks that Oreos will be making a special appearance at the end of class this week.

• Music – is keeping us so busy it's just crazy. The youngest is reaping the benefits of having private baritone lessons all summer by leaving fellow bandies in the dust, and the oldest has applied to participate in yet another orchestra, as if she doesn't have enough to do already, right? Crazy. Busy.

• Business Clients – involves more crazy busy-ness, but technology is near and dear to my heart, so I'm perfectly cool with it. In fact, I'm in the process of overhauling a client's website and feel like a kid in a candy store, or maybe IT person in Best Buy is a better comparison. The web redesign experience is like hosting a “What Not to Wear” episode, only web-style. It's like I'm Clinton & Stacey pulling outdated clothes out of the closet and dumping them into the trash, replacing them with spiffy-new-modern digs. Ooo-aahhh.

• Stylin' - amidst all these fun and exciting activities, I broke down and had a good hair chopping which basically gave me a refreshing new look & feel, probably due to the fact that my head is 10 lbs lighter, or something like that. A girl's gotta do what a girl's got to do.

Did I mention our Huskers are back in the game?

Life. Is. Good.

Getting a Grip

With August 2009 ending tomorrow, here I sit at orchestra rehearsal thinking back over the month while attempting to wrap my head around all of the goings-on, hence this blog. The biggest happenings popping into my head involve school, CCD, music, and business clients – but not necessarily in that order. So now a blurb or two about each just to show the extent of the whole head-wrapping process:

• School – both Peeps have us going all crazy as we run between 2 different schools all week, yet everyone's adjusting way better than expected. The youngest is especially content with having the oldest's former teacher, one whose teaching style we appreciated repeatedly in the past. Basically, that guy absolutely rocks the Elementary School Teacher Department, and we thank our lucky stars the principal welcomes student placement requests from parents. Hubs and I were all over that.

• CCD – I'm teaching one CCD class this time around, and coincidentally, the oldest child is in it. (Actually that's a giant perk in volunteering to teach, along with not having to pay tuition.) The biggest difference in the classroom this year? A co-catechist signed up to be my side-kick, helping with whatever the class and I need. So I've appointed her as Disciplinarian Co-Catechist, aka that SCARY-person-whom-CCD'ers-must-visit upon acting up making my teaching life difficult in class. And let me tell you, Scary Disciplinarian Co-Catechist has stricken complete fear in the eyes of at least 5 boys, the same guys who've enjoyed testing me over the last 2 years. Ha! The joke's on YOU now, dudes. :)

• Music – this year we have only one stringed instrument player in the family with our youngest dropping viola and taking up baritone and with the oldest continuing on with cello. The bad news? Now we've got not one but TWO big huge instruments to lug about town. Actually, that's really not such bad news if you consider the strength-building opportunities involved and, of course, free concerts throughout the year. Total win-win situation for everyone.

• Business Clients – keeping me busy outside all of these wonderfully fun family activities is business work with existing clients and also... a new one! This client is a former colleague with a business startup but without an online presence – fancy words for SHE NEEDS A WEBSITE. Not only that, but another new client is in the works. More later, don't want to jinx it.
  

So much for head-wrapping. Why does it suddenly feel like I'm wearing a turban?

Getting to Know

Last week, the oldest child's Language Arts teacher sent home a request for parent input, specifically asking us to write a note describing what makes our child special. Since my response will likely not see the light of day after the teacher reads it, I thought, Hey! Why not post it here in bloggerville?
So here goes!
(Name replaced with "PG" for "Peep Girlie".)