I can't believe it's that time of the year again. Time to rake leaves. And we are just getting started. I spent most of the day Saturday trimming the shrubs, raking leaves and cutting the grass. Before I even got to my own yardwork, Scott and I helped his classmates plant flowers in the morning in the rain at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home with the environmental club-making the world a greener place. Then I sent the family off to Six Flags for the Fright Fest with our neighbors and their kids. They were celebrating their son's 9th birthday(Scott's buddy). Tom said he wasn't as impressed with the Halloween hauntings since they charged extra for the spook houses in the park. Unfair. But they all had fun riding the rollercoasters(even Allison went on her one favorite). Friday night, Scott helped celebrate Sammy's birthday with a few school friends. Their dad took them all over to play laser tag and have pizza and cake. Party city for Scott!
While Scott was busy playing laser tag Friday, Cookie and I were enjoying Allison's field hockey game in the 80 degree weather(that did not last). Her team won and she even got to play(although I don't think the ball ever made it down to her end of the field). She did not get to play however on Weds night(tougher team). The girls tied that game. They also had postponed the game by one day since one of the girls from the other school's varsity team lost her Dad. She still came to play with her family there to support her(they said the Dad was only 48-not sure what he died of though). Our neighbor even came over to watch the games since his daughter used to play and his daughter in law coaches the other team. He decided to leave early though since Allison was not in net.
Tom was missing all of this since he was in Salt Lake City the whole week. It made for a very long week for me.
On Monday night after picking up the kids from school I had to drop Scott off to a cub scout meeting, and then I had to get Allison off to another 2 hour Field Hockey try out for a winter indoor league(The Spitfires). She was the only goalie there and enjoyed playing inside. We thought it would be nice if she had the chance to keep up her skills over the winter-just not as hectic a schedule. They play once a week and practice once a week. She won't hear from the team until the end of October if she made it or not.
This all made for a very long day, and the kids still had some homework and tests to study for but we managed to get it all done.
Weds I had to take off a half day to take Scott to the pediatrician. He had an infected eye but it was clearing up on its own. While we were at the doctor's though we managed to get our flu shots. I am glad I did not attempt the Howard County drive through flu shots last Sunday-people waited in line over 3 hours and they ran out of vaccinations. We still need our swine flu shots and Allison needs a meningitis vaccination this year.
Thursday night I took the kids out to dinner with our neighbor and his kids to Pizzeria Uno. His wife was off to tennis lessons. The field hockey team had a fund raiser dinner night. We all had a great time, and then I had to run the kids through Target to pick up school items, Halloween supplies and a birthday present.
I was sure glad when Friday rolled around and Tom came home. It was a very long week. And it did not help that I ran my new van into the tire of the Jeep that the other goalies mom was driving in the high school parking lot. (My van has been cursed). Fortunately I just scrunched up my front license plate. I was attempting to navigate the insanity of the high school parking lot along with all the construction traffic after dropping Allison off with all her goalie gear and school books. I was attempting to pull into the one way traffic- at least, I thought everyone would be following the one way signs(guess not). I was parked to let Allison out and bumped into the other car as I was trying to pull into the two lanes of one way traffic-she was sneaking up along in front of the parked cars heading the other way against traffic. Since neither one of us had any real damage we let it go. I had only bumped her tire.
I will be glad to let Tom continue to drop Allison off in the morning. Except he has a few more trips scheduled this coming month. And we have another very busy week coming up.
Today I am helping Scott sell popcorn for the boy scouts at church, and then Allison and I have another GS choir practice in the afternoon. Then we are headed over to Matt and Di's for a pool closing party(also to help celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary).
Baltimore held their marathon this Saturday sponsored by Under Armour. They actually made shirts out of recycled bottles for all the runners(green event). Sadly, I hear a runner died during the event-guess it was all the new hills they added on the course! We did not see Mark or Stacey out there. Maybe next year! Good luck with your run next weekend! I am just happy to get to my aerobics classes in once or twice a week.
We enjoyed your photo of the family room Mark with all the dog toys on the floor. The Seitz dogs have a lot in common-Cookie drags all her toys and chewies out onto the family room floor too! Too bad we have not yet taught her how to put them away also! She is very good about eating the kids homework too. I was off to a GS leadership meeting last Weds night, and when I walked in the back door I saw Scott's science homework and religious journal chewed up all over the floor. She loves to pull papers out of their backpacks and chew them up. I warned them! She also likes to chase our cat Pika. I was glad she does since Pika got out of the house last week through the small opening in our sliding screen door, and Cookie found her in the back yard and herded her back to our house! I am glad someone knows whats going on around here! Even if it is just the dog!
Hope you are all enjoying the football games-MSU won again. How exciting. Ravens not so good this weekend. Tom will be off for another Monday night football game bash with the neighbor boys. The hosting neighbor is a Miami fan(oh well). Then Tom will be leaving for Charlottesville VA overnight.
Looks like it is back to the High School parking lot for me. Wish me luck! Kathleen and family