Tapping the microphone......is this ON?

Lots to update about since the last time I posted --- I sorta got caught up in the Twilight zone, literally. I channeled my inner high-school girl and jumped through Twilight, finished it in a week(HUGE for me), and saw the movie last weekend. I'm crawling through New Moon, but I'm not diggin' it as much and it's slow-going.

Since it's late, I just want to let you in on my little gift find. I'm soooooo excited about it. I got THIS at Kohl's today for my dh (aka Mr. Griswold). It's mostly a silly gift that I know he will enjoy playing with Sean but my brother had one as a kid and we LOVED IT! We played it for hours. I laughed out loud when I found it today.

I REALLY need to go to bed. In my quiet home, that is almost fully decorated outside thanks to Clark.

The week in review ---
we've all been battling colds in one way or another. I still have a lingering cough that is just plain annoying. Now tonight, Maggie is throttled on the couch with a fever (????) - no one else got a fever and such. UGH! (apparently the Motrin is working b/c now she right this second she is making music with her straw and annoying the heck out of the others)....fingers crossed....

The girls and I had assorted rehearsals and there was tons of sports practice(s) as usual. However, next week will be different b/c Sean's football team LOST this afternoon. It was a smoke-filled, ash-laden game that was miserably HOT and we could just see that our boys weren't there. It was a hard fought game but in the end our season was done. As parents, we were so proud of the League Champs, but that didn't make them feel any better as many of them sobbed through the coach's game speech. Moving on to basketball.

On the book-reading front, I'm happy to say that I'm 240 pages into Twilight. I did complete 3rd Degree, so this has got to be some sort of reading record for me. Somebody flip me a fish? Anybody? Fine, I'll just grab some chocolate and go read some more.

And, last but not least, I am happy to report that I have begun Christmas shopping. Got any good suggestions because you know time keeps on tickin'.

Like most households with four children it's mostly all drama all the time. Now, we have DRAMA for real. It's Christmas time in Londontown, again!

The latest.........Christmas with Scrooge (basically a Christmas Carol)......Amanda is Melissa (Fred's daughter) again; Maggie is Ghost of Christmas Past (that would be pronounced p-ah-st thankyouverymuch); and I am Ghost of Christmas Present, Mrs. Crachit, and Mrs. Hackett (crazy lady looking for donations).

Having a blast.
Combo it with football practice & playoffs and basketball practice, Collin and I are like ships passing in the night.

So I've been trying to read a lot more lately. A long time back I got the first four of the James Patterson series starting with 1st to Die. After finishing a couple of other fun chic/mom books I started them in summer. I'm almost done with the 3rd one and am going to break to jump into Twilight. I'm mostly reading b/c many people have told me they are really good despite being labeled 'teen' AND I would like to read it before seeing the movie (if I get that chance).

As of today I am starting a list to keep in my car so I can grab whatever the library has without waiting for things on hold and such. My list so far --The Shack; The Secret Life of Bees; and Peeing in Peace.
What 'cha readin'?

Wordless Wednesday

(#20 in the center

I'm here to serve of course. So I'm officially reminding YOU to set your clocks back so you too can join me in 'fall back' misery. It simply means my kids will be up earlier; get cranky early b/c it is dark out & they can't be outside while I make dinner; and all of us will just be dragging for the next week.

On a happier note - enjoy our October in the form of pictures.......

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Big events pictured - Amanda turned seven; we went apple picking up in the Oak Glen area and I made a killer apple crisp recipe from Jane; and Collin and I had our 13th anniversary.

The girls and I find out tomorrow how we are cast for the Scrooge play at our community theatre. Fingers crossed.

At the risk of getting too political, I really feel the need to put this out there.

http://americaschoicenow.com/

I'm not a one-issue voter, but his really strikes a cord with me. I'm adopted so I am very opinionated about this.

Craziness! This is my life.

It's overall good insanity but I am just tired all the time. (that is probably b/c of the random 'iron-deficiency anemia' that I have now [happy 39th b-day] @@ I have never had low iron, even when I was pregnant - ugh!) I have tons of pictures to share from Amanda's birthday, apple picking, Halloween and such but no time to get it all uploaded and organized. For the record, the kids were a farm-girl (sorta); a skeleton; Supergirl; and a Linja. That's not a typo-- Ian insisted he was a linja although he looked like a ninja.

In sports news, Sean's team finished 8-0 so they have a bye for the 1st round of playoffs this weekend. WOOT! He also is starting basketball in a couple of weeks. He has never played before, but is really excited to play. At this point, he doesn't want to play baseball. (I'm tellin' ya -- being screwed all summer during All Star ball ruined it for him)

I'm terribly behind on my TV watching so no real editorials from me other than I'm glad to see that Ace is gone. I can't seem to stay awake long enough to get through one TV show.

And, last but not least, Tuesday cannot come quick enough for me. I'm not a huge fan of politics to start with but this election has driven me over the edge. My phone won't stop ringing with random recorded messages; my mailbox is FULL of retoric daily; and there are even people out on street corners rallying around issues and candidates. The messages and mail are par for the course, but I don't ever remember all the other madness surrounding elections. Maybe my head was buried in the sand before.

As a small business owner 'family' we are very anxious about what is to come in the very near future. Although at the moment my immediate future involves going to straighten up the Halloween chaos (and stealing some chocolate, of course) before I fall into bed.