Here is my backed up blogs-sorry, busy working on Christmas letter. Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Birthday Scott(big 11) and Happy Birthday Sheila Bozyk(won't mention how old!).
We just spent a very enjoyable weekend with Tom's brother Mark, his wife Linda and son Eric. They also brought their small dog along, Rambo, which made Cookie a very happy puppy. She loved having her "cousin" visit and couldn't stop playing with him(even though he is 8 years older than she is). Poor Rambo was worn out. And they both spent the weekend fighting over the best spot on anyone's lap that happened to be on the couch or recliner chair.
You may have remembered that last weekend we were busy having pre visitor disaster as the washing machine died. We picked out a huge set at Sears and Tom stayed home on Monday waiting for them to deliver the new set and haul away the old. Of course they did not show up until 530 that night. I guess they had 30 units to install that day(busy weekend). As soon as it was set up, I got busy washing clothes. Tom was also nice enough to paint my laundry room walls since it had not been painted since we moved in 14 yrs ago. I wasn't too thrilled with his choice in color, a bit too lemony yellow for me. But it sure beats drab and dirty white. And it is so nice to be able to wash the clothes and towels again. I am still trying to decide if I like the new system, but I guess I don't have too much of a choice. I could do without the singing doors everytime you open the washer and dryer! One day I'll figure out how to shut that off.
We managed to get the house in order just in time for our guests to arrive on Weds evening. Allison and Scott were home all that day so they were on kitchen and bathroom clean up duty. Allison had two half days, and Scott had one half day so I had to ask the neighbor to pick him up from school since Tom and I had to work and drop him off at the house with Allison. It's nice that she can stay with him now and we don't have to worry about babysitters so much. We all had a very busy but short week-the kids had several quizzes and tests to squeeze in and both Tom and I were very busy since the week was cut short. Scott even got to sing at the school Thanksgiving mass with the choir. The group apparently sang a German Thanksgiving song(I can't get Scott to sing that one for me).
On Thanksgiving day Tom took Mark and Eric down to Fells Point near the harbor for a 7K Gobble Cobble run. Yes, we do have old cobblestone streets here in Baltimore. And I guess they are not too fun to run on especially in the rain and cold. The rest of us would have joined them if they had a fun run/walk scheduled, but this was the very first race and not so overly organized. Mark said he really enjoyed running around our inner harbor though. I have to agree that it is very nice.
The rest of us stayed home to watch the Macy's Day parade in the morning and were even able to get a little shopping done before dinner. We were all invited over to our neighbor's for dinner and I packed up some appetizers and the wine. We really didn't need to bring anything since they had so much wonderful food. Tom even made an extra turkey on the grill which came out terrific(and is already gone). We were shooting for some leftovers for the Seitz Casserole-turkey/stuffing and gravy all mixed together and very tasty the day after. I also had some pumpkin pies for us to enjoy. That evening, Tom and I took all the "kids" to see the Harry Potter movie. It was pretty intense. When we came out of the late movie at our outlet mall we were a bit surprised to see that they were opening all the stores at midnite. There were already people lined up at many of the stores. We strolled around the whole mall but opted out of fighting the crowds for shopping. Our kids were just excited to see what the Black Friday craziness was all about without having to get up so early in the morning.
And we enjoyed sleeping in on Friday. We did do a little shopping on Friday and had lunch at one of our favorite mexican restaurants in old Ellicott City. We decided to celebrate Scott's birthday one day early since our guests were leaving on Saturday. Scott even made his own coconut cream pie(it was tasty!). We made him wait to open most of his presents on Saturday, but Tom got him started with a new lego computer game. Meanwhile, Allison and I went off to sing Friday evening with the Girl Scout choir for the Festival of the Christmas Trees. Once again we got to sing holiday songs on the main stage for 45 minutes. It certainly got us into the holiday spirit. Enjoy the photo of one of the many Christmas trees.

Today Murphy's Law applied. Invite house guests over or plan a vacation or prepare for an upcoming holiday and one major appliance is sure to break down. Usually a major appliance that you use on a daily basis. For us it was the washing machine. Granted, we had our washer/dryer set about 20 years, and moved it to several different states. So it is not surprising that it finally gave up. In which case, I was more than happy to pick out a bigger, newer model. I just didn't put it in my cleaning and grocery shopping schedule.
Tom of course wanted to run out today, pick up a new set, haul the old set down the stairs himself and haul a new set up the stairs himself and of course hook it all up. Our laundry room is on the second floor so it takes a little more work to move anything up and down. At least our stairwell is straight up and down. And naturally we did not see eye to eye on the type of washer we should buy. I recently had some practice with the front loading washers at work as they are replacing all the old models in the residents apts with Bosch front loaders. I was not excited about the water that pools in the rubber seal of the door and molds and smells. Tom was not so sure this would be an issue, but I think he finally could see my point when I pointed it out to him at Sears as we were shopping for a new set this morning. And the salesperson brought it up too. Of course, that doesn't mean you aren't going to get a new, high efficient, low water unit(just in a top loading style). I was surprised to see that the majority of new washers no longer have the big agitator pole down the center. And they all use about 1/3 the amount of water. I am not so sure I like this new concept, but it does not look like I have much choice. I didn't even get a choice in color-they come in white. And I hear all the brands are pretty much made by one manufacturer(probably in China). The LG brand which I really liked in silver and a bit bigger washer did not have a rating yet and comes from Korea and I would have had to wait 40 days to get one through Sears(no way). So tomorrow Tom is staying home to greet the Sears people with my new Maytag washer and dryer. This reminds me of the time I went to get a new film loading camera and discovered that they only made digital. You even need special laundry detergent like the front loading(less water) and there is even a setting to wash the washing machine! (To avoid any possible moldy smells)
So it felt just like spring cleaning today. Needless to say after 14yrs in this house we had accumulated quite a few dust bunnies behind both units. Poor Tom is having a hard time breathing between all the dust and kitty litter he swept up and the dry leaves he mowed yesterday. Oh yes, he also told me we may need to shop for a new lawn mower next spring as our Lawn Boy seems to be dying as well. And of course there is the new flat screen television that Tom wants for the family room, which of course will not fit in our existing wall unit. Hence more furniture and appliance shopping come Black Friday.
Just more fun jobs to add to our "to do list". I also had to take Cookie in to the pet store to get sheared(her fur grows out just like a sheep). She looks about 1/2 her size with her new haircut. She needed a short cut since her fur starts to get so matted when its long-even with lots of brushing(which she hates).
Other exciting additions to our house this week included "my" new leather topped 'coffee table/foot rest' bench that I purchased about two months ago out of a catalog. This one has a hinged lid which is great for hiding all the comforters and remote controls. And it is so nice to have a coffee table again in front of our big couch in the family room. Allison was only one year old when Tom gave away my last coffee table for fear she would hurt herself on the sharp wooden corners.
So why all the cleaning and commotion? We are expecting Tom's brother Mark and wife Linda and our nephew Eric for Thanksgiving. They are driving in from Indy and Mark plans on participating in a 7K run near the harbor on Thanksgiving day. Good thing our neighbors invited us all over for dinner! We will probably still make our own Turkey feast(can't survive the day after without Seitz casserole). And you never can have enough turkey. We are looking forward to a wonderful visit.
I still have to squeeze all my patients in at work in 3 days though. It was a bit of a mess when I got back to work this past week(it always seems no one can ever do as good a job as yourself). But I was grateful for the time off the week before camping with Scott's school at Northbay. I still haven't had time to look over all the photos on line.
Allison and Scott still had plenty of schoolwork. Scott is finishing his semester and Allison is just starting a new one. We managed to get through an extra credit project on bats with Scott and he is busy reading two books for language arts class. Allison's English class has started on the Greek tragedies(always fun). Allison and I did take some time out with another one of my scouts to attend an arts and crafts class at the library. We were trying out bandana bags for next years Mall Sleep In, but I think this project is a bit too overwhelming to run for 1000+ girl scouts. So we will keep looking(but it was a lot of fun). And Allison and I actually made a bag out of two bandanas.
And Scott's cub scout troop had their pack meeting on Friday night. The boys packed 40 care packages for the US Troops for the holidays. I included the 55 boxes of girl scout cookies that were donated during our sale this year. I think Allison single-handedly sold about 47 of those boxes. I am certain the soldiers will enjoy their surprise.
So I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are certainly thankful for celebrating the holiday with part of our family. And I am thankful that I will be able to wash all the sheets and pillowcases in time for their visit(well sort of). Mark, pizza works just fine for all of us on Weds night too! Happy Turkey Day! Kathleen and Family (I also included a shot of Scott in his altar server garb after he just finished his training sessions this fall).

Oh Wow! What an incredible week I have had(plus I managed to squeeze in my birthday this weekend!). As part of my birthday gift, Tom bought me tickets to The Blue Man Group last Sunday night. He wasn't interested in going though, so I took the kids. I must say it was one of the best shows I have ever seen! I laughed so hard(of course the kids were embarrassed). But everyone else was laughing and cheering too. That's the whole point of their show. I thought they did more percussion type music(banging pipes and drums), but it is really quite a mix of humorous skits, including making fun of all our technology like cell phones and IPADS. I just wish I would have brought my glasses-I couldn't read all their text on the giant IPADS(we sat way up in the balcony section). So I missed out on some of the jokes, and the kids couldn't read it to me fast enough. I told Tom if we are ever in Vegas or on a cruise, he will have to go see the show-it was a lot of fun. And two hours long with no intermission! I did manage to get a picture with the kids and a blue man along with an autograph(a big blue painted thumbprint!)
Tom did join me however for a night out on my birthday to see the accopella singing group Straight No Chaser. I saw this group two years ago on the Today show and have been trying to get tickets to see their show ever since. The group consists of 10 college buddies from Indiana, so the the Indy Seitz family is very familiar with their talent. Most of the guys are from Indy, but there was one Michigander and a few from Pennsylvania. The intros went well until one of the Indy boys mentioned the Colts(as you may know, the Indy Colts used to be the Baltimore Colts!). We gave him a bit of a hard time. And the theatre had some trouble with their lights which gave us all an added laugh. I was just happy we got to see the group since they were only in town for one night. When they came through on tour last year they were performing in Alexandria, VA so we couldn't get down there to see them during the week. We even got the group to perform one Christmas song for all of us at the end of the show. Tom just couldn't believe how many people came to see them-the concert was sold out. They didn't even have to advertise-Tom just heard about them from some people at work.
Before the show, the whole family went out to dinner at the Crab Shanty(they already have the place decorated for Christmas!). Then we came home for cake and presents(yeah).
Today we have been spending most of our time at Church. Scott served his very first mass as an altar server at the 9am mass with Allison helping out. Even our Msgr acknowledged Scott at the end of the mass as serving for the first time with big sister Allison! Scott did a terrific job(with a little coaching from mom and Allison). Afterwards, we were busy selling Girl Scout Cookies at the noon and 5pm mass. We also sold cookies Friday night at Qdobas mexican restaurant. It was a bit too cold, but Sunday was a beautiful day to sell cookies.
Of course, it is not like I had nothing to do last week. As you may recall, I spent the week camping (in cabins) with Scott and his entire 5th grade class at Northbay. The camp is situated at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. I was responsible for 8 girls along with another terrific mom. We spent our days from Monday to Friday eating way too much terrific food(yes camp food), attending outdoor education classes-I now know a whole lot about deer poop and vultures, clams and pollution. We also had lots of opportunities for outdoor skills including zip lines, a giant trapeze swing and the high ropes course. I opted for the high ropes course and was very proud of myself for not falling. Scott had an incredible time. He even got to hold a snake which he really enjoyed. At night the camp ran shows talking about the evils of bullying and how hard it is to be a kid. The camp is offered to lots of inner city schools, so they usually get into heavy discussions about teen pregnancy, gangs, drugs and guns. Our school opted out of those discussions and instead went on night hikes to search for deer and astronomy lessons. Camp pretty much ran from 8am to 10pm. Needless to say the kids (and adults) were all pretty exhausted. I think I must have taken over a hundred photos all posted on snapfish. If anyone is interested, go to www.snapfish.com, user name grade5@resstpaul.org and the password is grade5 to view all of our photos. I myself have not had an opportunity to sit down and view them. I had more photos to download from my cell phone since I exhausted the camera battery after 4 days. And then I had to forward them to the teacher. I also forwarded a photo of Scott on the ropes course to put on his birthday cake for his upcoming roller blading birthday party.
Tom and I did manage to get a bit of yardwork done-cutting the grass and raking those darn leaves that keep piling up in the front yard. And I managed to get Cookie out for a nice long walk and a few playdates with fellow neighbor dogs(while I chatted with the fellow neighbors). Not to mention some homework that needed to be squeezed in. Allison finished her first semester and they did not skip a beat on getting started on the second semester. Scott is wrapping up his first semester. He was working on an extra credit science project on bats.
So now it is back to the usual busy work schedule. We just enjoyed birthday cake with the neighbors(can't eat it all ourselves). Thanks for all the birthday cards and well wishes from friends and family!

Happy Fall Back! Did you all remember to change your clocks back? I could have used the extra hour last weekend We survived trick or treating and had a lot of fun, even though it was a Sunday night! I took Scott around with another boy about his age, Jack and his DAd. Tom manned the house passing out tons of candy. And Allison took out a group of 8th grade girls(Jack's sister). We all went our separate ways and joined up again at our house around 830. I headed the boys over to our favorite haunted house. The family there buys huge pumpkins and carves them every year, and then they decorate the whole house, inside and out with great spooky decorations, including an actual coffin. They also dress up and put out snacks and drinks for the kids besides candy. It makes for a great rest stop before heading back to our house. We certainly seem to have the most traffic in our section of the neighborhood and the most kids!
The kids were able to get up and get back to school the next day though after sorting through their candy Sunday night. Scott had a break on All Saints Day as the whole school always has a 5K walk fundraiser in the afternoon. The money collected goes to our church run homeless shelter. And both kids were off on Tuesday for election day. It seems Maryland still has a strong Democratic party. And Tom and I were disappointed to see that Anne Arundel County decided to allow a slots casino to be built near the big outlet mall. Already they have announced the plans to close a nearby race track in Laurel since the slots won't be built there. We think it is a big mistake since the area is already overbuilt and crime has been increasing. But we had no say in the matter. We did vote yes for slots a few years ago, but believed they were going to be built at the racetracks(at least that is what they told us back then). Gotta love politics. Guess we'll see how the new Senate works out. There have been several interesting rallys down in Washington lately-The Daily Show had their own rally which our young neighbor went to last Saturday as well as Tea Party rallys and other Radio Talk show rallys, like Glenn Becks. I wouldn't exactly call them rallys-more like free political shows. And although they might be interesting to attend, having to deal with the crowds in DC is no fun. Not to mention the security issues. As it is, someone has been taking pot shots at the military buildings in the DC area lately. They figure it is a disgruntled veteran and it usually happens at night when there aren't alot of people around, but that is the worry that at some time, someone is going to get hurt or killed. Never a dull moment out here on the East Coast! It certainly is an interesting time for Allison to be taking government!
She also had Friday off since it was the end of her semester. Scott still has until the 23rd of November-his school extended the semester. So he still has some extra credit projects and book reports we are busy working on that are due before Thanksgiving. Allison did not get much of a break either since she still has some upcoming papers and exams. The two kids did help me out quite a bit by spending their days off cleaning up all the Halloween decorations. Now we just have to start bringing down the Christmas decorations from the garage attic!
We are also getting ready for our holiday shows with the GS choir. We had a big rehearsal on Friday night(we skipped the sleepover for the comfort of our own beds). Allison is also busy learning Christmas songs for piano. She even volunteered to learn a few pieces on the piano for the choir if we ever need backup(might not work in a parade though!). We do have a portable electronic keyboard though. She also had her end of season JV Field Hockey party on Saturday night. They did not have enough room to invite siblings, so I ended up going with her. It gave me a chance to chit chat with the other moms since I haven't seen them in a few weeks. Allison's team ended up with a non defeated season! 14 wins and two tie games. Next year she has to make Varsity or she doesn't get on a team. We were going to sign her up for winter indoor field hockey with her team, but only 4 girls could play. The rest play other sports. So we may try to get her on another team(people usually need goalies). And they have a team for the spring, not to mention summer camp which we will probably sign her up for in August. You have to put in registration by December to get in. This camp is in Philly. We opted for a camp here in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins, but we will probably send her to the away camp with her team next summer(better chance at making the Varsity team).
I took off Thursday to attend a class on fibromyalgia. My state now requires us OTs to be licensed every year rather than every two years, so I have to attend two classes each year now. At least work pays for it, and my day off. But since I was so busy with work, I ended up going in on Friday. And I usually end up running into one person I know at every class. I recognized a fellow OT that I used to work with , but did not realize she was the same person I spoke to at a high school Parent Teacher meeting. She has a son at the school the same age as Allison. She is heading up the committee for the National Honor Society and Honor Roll and I spoke to her after the meeting and had joined her committee! Somehow we OTs naturally seem to gravitate to each other, right Laura?
So tonight I am taking the kids to see The Blue Man Group-an early present for my birthday. It is a gift from Tom in that he does not have to go! This is primarily an instrumental and acoustic group-lots of banging on pipes and drums(and the three guys in the group have their heads all covered in a blue mask if you have ever seen them). Their shows are in Vegas and on cruise ships and tour the country(Tom says it is not the same original 3 guys which makes sense but made me feel a bit ripped off). But the kids and I have seen their concerts on tv and I have heard they are alot of fun to attend. So I am looking forward to it. Tom did compromise and got us tickets to see Straight No Chaser however next Saturday on my birthday proper. That is the acopella(no instruments) singing group from Indiana that I have been trying to get tickets for the past several years. They are just going to be in town next Saturday and I did not even see them advertised. Tom heard from someone at work that they were coming. So I am really looking forward to that show too.
Saturday morning I got up early to take Scott down to the Baltimore Museum of Industry for a Boy Scout engineering class. They are supposed to make a light switch, a bridge out of pennies, and build their own house. Unfortunately our leader got her museums confused and actually had us signed up for the National Building museum class in DC. No matter, they were running a boy scout class and were happy to accomodate us. We even had the boys start the class, but a scheduled troop showed up at the same time(with 3 boys) and refused to allow us to join their time slot. The woman scout leader was happy to share, but not the mother that attended. She said she was afraid her boy would get lost in the crowd(of 10 including our 7 boys) and refused to allow our boys to join them. I was livid, but I am not the leader. Our leader decided to back out and plans to reschedule. I just wanted to know what happened to all that crap we recite at scout meetings-for both the girl scouts and boy scouts about being a brother and sister to every scout. And since when do the parents make the decisions for the troop. I know I do try to please everyone in my troop, but it is impossible and you just have to make your own decisions as leader. So the museum instructor had to stop the class and pull all our boys out. We spent some time playing in the museum and I talked our leader into looking at another day since the program sounds terrific. (And so Tom does not have to teach again!). But how sad was that!
Almost as sad as me being nearly run over by a post office truck going 55 on a 45 mile road as he was rushing to the nearby post office to make his 5pm delivery time! He then decided to apparently give me a lecture for being in his way and stopped and rolled down his window when we came to the intersection. I decided not to give him the opportunity and hung back-I really did not want him going "postal" on me! Thank goodness people are so kind and considerate these days. I know they had a whole segment on the morning show asking if civility really is dead and why people are so rude these days. Our county actually made up magnetic bumper stickers last year calling for people to be more civil to each other! (You may recall someone stole mine off the back of my van). It certainly makes our jobs as parents even tougher to teach our kids how to be nice to one another.
So I have to go pack now. Scott and I are heading off to camp for the week with his school! He will be completing Outdoor Education and he is so excited to be going. I am chaperoning the girls, but I will be able to check in on him during the day and eat meals with him. Should be fun and exhausting(and another 4 hours of paid volunteer time).