Hi from the trenches of life.

Hi! It's been awhile. A while? Awhile. I'm kind of fixated on grammar and spelling at the moment as the kids have started school. I find I'm irritated by the errors in paperwork that comes home. Does no one re-read what they write before they hit 'print'? Spell-check catches spelling errors, but if what you wrote is incorrect or doesn't make sense, it's not going to pick up on that. Not that I'm perfect - I'm not, I've re-read some of the crap I've posted here & later found lots of mistakes - but, I'm usually writing what is essentially my journal after one or two glasses of wine, whereas I'm hoping the teachers aren't. Or maybe they are. I would be, after dealing with a class of 2nd graders all day.

William brought home a note from reading class for me to sign today, apparently he was talking while the teacher was talking. William thinks he can make it through life solely on math. I'm really hoping it sinks in one of these days that his schoolwork is required, and he'll be held back if he doesn't complete it. I've explained that in 2nd grade he now gets letter grades & we'll give him MONEY for every A he brings home. B's bring a lower price; C's get nothing; and D, to borrow a phrase from my BIL, you're DEAD.We'll see how that goes - money is a language William seems to understand. Time, not so much.

So I went shopping for some fall clothes this evening with Evie (William couldn't manage to finish his homework in time to come with us, and that was probably for the best). As a mom of boys and girls, I have to say the girls are getting the short end of the stick with clothing choices - at least once they're out of the toddler years. First of all, finding long sleeves for either boys or girls apparently is tricky right now - is this a way to suck more money out of parents? Short sleeves for spring and again for back to school? We'll hit you up again for long sleeves later? - but for older girls, the choices are either preppy or crappy. And everything seems way overpriced. Anyway. I think we picked up enough to get E&W through the next few dreary days of rain here on the east coast. Happily, Sarah and Jason have plenty of hand-me-downs to tide them over until I figure out what's what. Wardrobing 4 makes me tired :) Those 9 hours I supposedly have now to myself each week? Gone in the blink of an eye. Hopefully it will slow down once I get caught up on all the things I let slide during the summer.

Jason and Sarah are doing great in preschool, although Jason never wants to get out of the car at morning drop-off. At pick-up time, when you ask him how it went, he always says 'Great!' and immediately wants to show you the papers in his backpack. Sarah's a pro at all this, and really seems to enjoy her morning learning, and always comes home singing a new song - I'm so happy to finally have a singer in the family, Evie never did, and while William enjoys listening to music, he's not one to sing throughout the day. Sarah singing makes my heart happy :)

So things here are humming along, getting into the homework & fall sports routine;  and cake season has begun, one birthday down and four to go before Thanksgiving, I'm trying to wrap up some house projects in my 'free' 9 hours, and hope to share some soon, along with our trip to the beach. I was looking at pictures from last fall when I ran the half marathon & am now thinking I need to cut back on the wine (as I type with one eye closed) and lose 7 lbs once and for all. Maybe that will help me get my act together and get busy on my to-do's. Here's hoping!