KateSpot

November 17, 2009

Whoopsie!

Ok.. so I haven't posted since Wednesday... my bad..

I do want to write about a great Girl Scout event both of my troops attended on Friday night. Another troop leader ran a service event that was just awesome. It was for soldiers stationed overseas. She provided canvas stockings for each girl to decorate. Each girl also made a card which was placed in the stocking before it was stuffed with items like granola bars, gum, peanut butter crackers, individual powdered drinks mixes for water bottles, and candy. TONS of candy. She managed to collect about 100 POUNDS of candy... all donated by local people. Amazing. I'd love to show pictures but, I cannot. Trust me when I tell you - this was an amazing event.

I am proud of my girls.

Posted by Cate at 07:02 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

November 09, 2009

Hooray! It's Monday!

The girls are heading back to school after being off all last week. Lord knows I love them but oh MYGOD. A week of them together was not the prettiest. They freakin' BICKER non-stop. I hate being a referee!
So, although I had to wake up at 545am (EW!), at least Eldest got out the door without TOO much 13 year old drama. Still waiting on the 9 year old - she leaves at 720am.

My neighbors went to Disney last week and just got back Sunday at 1am in the morning. She must be exhausted! They have one daughter, who is good friends with Youngest. She stopped over yesterday with a gift for Youngest. Here is what it was:

How adorable! Youngest LOVED it as she is a HUGE Piglet fan. See?

:::sigh::: I miss Disney!

Posted by Cate at 06:54 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 06, 2009

COLD!

Holy crapsicle Batman! Looks like winter is fast approaching. Brrrr! Time to pull out the winter coats and gloves.

I shipped Eldest off to a sleepover at a friend's house where there will be not only Eldest and her friend, but three MORE 13 yr old girls. That mom is a saint. I should have sent over a bottle (or two) of wine.

Too bad I popped it open instead! Yum!

Posted by Cate at 08:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Friday Baby!

Boooyah! It's Friday!

The kids go BACK to school on Monday, thank goodness. We've had some nice quality time but, enough is enough. The constant bickering is making me CRAZY! GAH!

I've been trying to blog a little bit every day. I am such a Facebook junkie - it's LIKE blogging but there's no hiding behind the blog. EVERYONE knows who you are on Facebook, not so much with blogging, if you choose. I am just trying to keep them separated.

In football news - STEELERS baby! Oh yeah! We're playing at Denver on Monday night. Go STEELERS! We want another one of these:

AND - this commercial is still one of my favorites:

Posted by Cate at 10:10 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 05, 2009

A quickie!

Just popping on to say "hi!" from my mother's doctor's office in NYC. They are very efficient around here.... having already whisked her away for xrays. Pay no mind to the fact she brought her own MRI, PET, & CAT scans...

She is back! Catch you all later!

Posted by Cate at 01:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 04, 2009

Guinea Pig

Well - Rosie is still getting used to us. We've had her since Friday. She's not a big fan on being cuddled, which is totally bumming me out! But, I am trying to be calm and not too grabby with her. She is all about the treats. Every time I touch a plastic bag that makes that crinkly sound, she squeaks and chirps. It's kinda cute!

I managed to ditch Youngest at a friend's house for a playdate. She was making me C R A Z Y today. We have the week off from school thanks to our local school district, the NJEA and the teachers convention. Last year we were in Florida! For two WHOLE weeks! This year - we're home. Not in Florida and certainly not at Disney ::sigh::

Bummer.

Posted by Cate at 05:53 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

What's New

Well - I've got to get back to fixing this dump of a blog. I've got no moolah to pay for upgrades but yet - have no clue how to change my template. Does anyone use MT anymore? Anyone feel sorry for me and want to fix it free of charge? :end shameless begging:

Let's see - how about Katespot in bulletpoints? I know you love them.

Eldest is in eight grade. EIGHTH grade people. Holy crap. I started blogging when she was in *kindergarten*. On that note, looks like my eight year blogaversary will be occuring on 12/9/09. Wow.

Youngest is in FOURTH grade. She is doing awesome in school. In fact, she was just elected to be Peer Mediator for her class.

Did I mention that Chris Christie won the race for NJ Governor? Don't let us down Mr. Christie.

I honestly believe that Facebook has placed a HUGE dent into blogging. I know I spend more time on FB than reading bloggers. But, I do read a lot of bloggers who are also on FB.

I will be going into NYC tomorrow with my mom so she can see a specialist at HSS. Cancer freakin sucks people.

Very dear friends of the family had to put their beloved dog to rest. My deepest sympathies are with them. {{{hugs}}}

Money is soooo tight right now. Christmas is going to be an enormous stretch for us. That sucks. It really does.

Still looking for a job. I am working but it pays practically nothing. But - there is possibility for a full-time position. So, I am hanging in there.. barely.

Good news! We got a guinea pig. Her name is Rosie. We inherited her from another family who was unable to keep her due to allergies. Isn't she adorable?

Posted by Cate at 10:34 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

August 27, 2009

Still kickin'!

I can't believe that it's less than 2 weeks until school starts.

Hooray!

Posted by Cate at 11:07 PM | Comments (2)

July 24, 2009

I got nuthin....

Blog will be on hiatus... but.. I'll be back!

Posted by Cate at 10:56 PM | Comments (2)

Test

Test

Posted by Cate at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2009

LOVE this!

AC Moore has a rewards program! FINALLY! I am in there all the time due to Girl Scouts.. at least I can get some kind of bang for my buck. Go check it out - AC Moore Rewards

Posted by Cate at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

Yay - it's Friday..

so I cna spend the REST of my weekend with my bickering children. Frickin' woohoo. Don'tcha wish you were me?

Don'tcha?

I was so excited that school had ended. I had envisioned so much quality time with the girls.. yeah, I know you're giggling but, for God's sake, they are 9 and 12 (very soon to be 13). You'd think (hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!) that they would have enough SENSE to just DO what they need to do and we can all move forward.

Guess not!! Joke's on Mom.

::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2009

Such a mess

Life in more bullet points:

• School is out! Hooray!
• Just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary with the Husband!
• Just celebrated my 39th birthday ::cry::
• The husband had his 46th birthday yesterday. He is also not happy.
• Have stayed on Weight Watchers with a friend for about five weeks.. am down 9.2lbs! Go me!
• Did I mention that school is out? LOL.
• Got reaquainted with the local library.. I think I have checked out around 10 books and requested another 10. Youngest is on a reading kick as well - completely hooked on The Magic Treehouse series.
• Sleeping past 6am is AWESOME.

So - what's UP with you?

Posted by Cate at 07:13 PM | Comments (2)

June 03, 2009

If I could...

sum up my day only using three words:

Meeting, Work, Softball.

We voted in the NJ primaries yesterday.. I voted for Lonegan. Too bad he didn't make it. Chris Christie won and he will get my support.

Jon Corzine must go!

Posted by Cate at 08:35 AM | Comments (1)

May 13, 2009

Wow - I suck

Blah blah blah...

Life in bulletpoints:

• About 25 days left of school. YAY!
• Pricing out sumemr camp... ouch. Thank goodness Girl Scout Camp is still somewhat reasonable
• FINALLY getting an MRI on my left knee tomorrow. The ortho doc was po'ed that I wasn't continuing physical therapy. Too bad.
• Jon and Kate - who freakin' CARES?? Ugh.. go away already
• Our local elections were yesterday.. and not with the outcome I was hoping for. I hope our town doesn't explode..
• It's NOT raining! Hooray!
• I want a new phone.. was thinking about the Voyager - any opinions?
• Season finale of House! OMG!
• Husband and I are totally hooked on Castle and Deadliest Catch

Wow - I actually blogged..

Posted by Cate at 11:39 AM | Comments (1)

April 22, 2009

It's Done

Well - I voted.

School budget passed.
Two new board members.
One reinstated.

I have great hopes that things will get better in my town.... I'm watching.. closely..

Posted by Cate at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2009

Tuesday Afternoon

Where to begin?

How about my life in bullet points?

• The.girls.are.making.me.crazy. Seriously.
• Barely any substitute jobs available. That sucks. No job = no money
• Blogging? I suck at keeping up. Wish I could connect it to Facebook but am trying to keep blog and FB separated. So far, so good.
• Am going to PT for my knee. It feels *so* much better.. no knee surgery is in my future. Hooray!
• Allergy Grocer aka Miss Robens is now out of business. I am so very sad. We've shopped with them for years. I don't know where I can purchase some of the specialized items I could ONLY get from them...
• Husband is working like a dog. OT is nice but he is exhausted.
• I need Niecy Nash and her Clean House crew to help me clean organize my house. It's not awful but I really need to get more organized
• My digital camera is messed up and I need a new one. ::sigh:: It's not in the budget for now. So bummed.
• My sis in law is pregnant again! Baby #2 is due in August!!
• Lots of other personal stuff I am not at liberty to discuss on my blog. Just know that a few good thoughts tossed this way will be mucho appreciated

Posted by Cate at 12:08 PM | Comments (2)

March 01, 2009

Again?

If I have any long time readers here, they might remember when this happened right before a Girl Scout trip.

Well- I did it again. I was rushing around, getting ready for a Girl Scout event. I had to get something from the local community center. I had Youngest with me at the time. I pulled up at the community center, parked my car, and ran up towards the community center. Except, I tripped while attempting to run.. and I fell. I landed completely on my left knee... then my right knee. I skinned them both pretty good AND they hurt like holy hell. My left wrist also took a beating when I tried to catch myself. Poor Youngest watched me hit the ground.. I think I scared the crap out of her.

Needless to say, I am out of commission for a while. I am now the proud owner of a leg brace. I have to follow up with an ortho doc to make sure I haven't damaged any ligaments. ::please God no:: Thankfully, Husband has been home, taking great care of me and the girls. He's exhausted!! Poor guy.

Posted by Cate at 01:23 PM | Comments (3)

February 25, 2009

Happy Happy

Happy Ash Wednesday yo..

Posted by Cate at 08:14 AM | Comments (1)

January 31, 2009

Poor old blog

Talk about one sad and neglected blog. I've got one right here. What can I say? That I'll try to do better? That I will try to update on a daily basis?

Ok - I'll do my best!

The girls have been crazy busy which, in turn, makes me crazy busy. Girl Scout cookies, basketball, working, family obligations.. the list goes on and on...

They haven't done so well selling the Girl Scout cookies. In fact, t his is the worst year ever for them. They will be lucky if they manage to sell more than 65 boxes, each. But - with the economy heading into the tank and lots of people around here losing their jobs, it's hard to find extra cash for anything...

Let's go for some happier news.... oh.. how about my STEELERS?? Wooooooooohoooooooooooo! Let's win it again boys! I'm predicting a win for the Steelers (of course) - let's say 28 - 24

Oh yeah.

Posted by Cate at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)

January 05, 2009

A Brand New Day

.. and my house is quiet.

Q U I E T

Love it.

I've already got dinner in the crockpot (sausage and meatballs). My house will smell yummy pretty soon. I do love my crockpot. I have to research more recipes that are allergy safe (and tasty!) and still use "normal" ingredients. Between that allergic to's and the "eww my food is touching/mixed", it's a bit difficult!

I am trying to motivate myself into getting my Christmas decos all packed up and put away. I think I am going to have one more cup of coffee before I get started. I haven't ready ANY blog in over a week. I hope everyone is well and had a great holiday.

Posted by Cate at 08:57 AM | Comments (1)

January 01, 2009

Happy New Year!

Still alive and kicking.. way way behind on blogging. Even more behind on laundry, cleaning, and packing up all the Christmas stuff.

Anyone want to come over and help me?!? Pretty please?

Posted by Cate at 05:23 PM | Comments (2)

December 17, 2008

At least I have a job

I've been getting a lot of calls to work in the office at some of the local schools.. and I've been taking as many as possible. I can certainly use the money - not that it pays great or anything - but it's definitely a foot in the door. I'd love to be able to snag a job within the district. But, like the title of this post says, at least I *have* a job.

In other news, I've been busy working on some "homemade" gifts for some family members. That's about all I can discuss about that..for now. I've been all over Facebook too. What fun! If you are on Facebook and want to friend me, just leave me a comment. I don't have my blog tied into Facebook because I know some "real life" people who don't know about KateSpot.

I'm just blathering.. so tired.. must. stay. awake.

:::yawn:::

Nahhhh. I'm off to bed. G'nite.

Posted by Cate at 10:38 PM | Comments (3)

November 24, 2008

Oooh - Bonus!

Not only did I have a crappy start to my day but now the evening is all effed up too.

The house has no heat.

::sigh::

I quit.

Posted by Cate at 06:02 PM | Comments (3)

Oh - It's going to be a GREAT week

Now - just repeat the title of this post in the most snarky, most snide David Spade-esque voice you can imagine..

Yeah, my day is going *just* that well.

Shrieked at Eldest this morning. Another fine parenting moment in my life. I did manage to get Youngest on the bus without popping a blood vessel. Walked back into the house, poured a cup of coffee, grabbed my PDA. and walked back to my bedroom. I opened my curtains while holding those items and the sheer panels just FELL on me.

Obviously, I was completely startled and jumped back, spilling coffee all over myself, the floor, the bureau, and, unbeknownst to me at the time, my PDA. I changed my clothes quickly and cleaned the floor and the bureau and then hung the sheers back up on the bracket. I grabbed the dirty clothes and tossed them into the washer. May as well get a jump on the laundry. Hey - two birds with one stone right?

I sat down at the computer and grabbed my PDA. It felt wet. Oh no.. no no.. Please, not my organizer. My whole LIFE is in that organizer. My whole family's itinerary is in there. Memos, addresses, information, Girl Scout stuff. I pressed the power button. Nothing. At this point, I sound like Ralphie from A Christmas Story when he crushed his glasses after shooting his Red Rider BB Gun. No no!

The damn thing is DOA. In a panic, I called Husband. He's quite handy and is known to most of my friends as MacGyver. He calmed me down but I am still just so upset. I know, it could be worse. Lots worse.

I'm just so pissed at myself for doing something so damn stupid - and right before Christmas too. ::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 08:10 AM | Comments (4)

November 19, 2008

Pet Peeve

Know what I hate??

Sneezing immediately after applying a great coat of mascara.

::grumble::

Posted by Cate at 08:51 AM | Comments (1)

November 17, 2008

Water water everywhere...

Oh my God - so much water!

The toilet in the master bath overflowed earlier this evening. Unfortunately, I was not aware that the water kept running.. and running.. and running. I only realized it when the water started flowing out of my bathroom into my bedroom! Thank goodness for laminate flooring! No carpets for the allergy family. We used up SO many towels mopping up all the water. The washer is currently completing the second of possibly four loads of towels that need to be done this evening. At least I am half-way done with this chore.

Joy.

Oh - be sure to check out my Flickr page. Click the Flash mosaic on the sidebar on the right. Got some great Florida shots in there.

Posted by Cate at 10:12 PM | Comments (2)

November 15, 2008

Right back into the routine

Well - welcome home to me! The schedule has picked up and we are having a Girl Scout weekend - events, product booth sale, and Bingo with the senior citizens tomorrow. Good times!

Apparently there is a tornado warning in effect. Hope my house doesn't blow away... I was planning on attending the New Jersey Moms Blog Launch Party taking place in Princeton tonight.. but, as you can see by the time stamp, it just ain't happening for me. Talk about disappointed. I hope everyone has a great time. I'll be home, sulking, in a corner while the kids watch Kung Fu Panda.

Posted by Cate at 06:23 PM | Comments (1)

November 06, 2008

I once was lost.. but now I'm found...

Hello wonderful people!

::crickets chirping::

I know.. I know.. it's been way too long. I HAVE missed you all. You should see my Google Reader.. I have over 1000+ reads waiting to be read. OY already! I think the election sent it over the edge. Please don't be offended if I just mark you as read and just move forward. I only have 7 more days left to our vacation!!

Today, we visited a pet store here in Melbourne called Incredible Pets. They weren't kidding. There were some amazing animals in the store, including a 20ft python, many other snakes, a cotton top tamarin, a caiman lizard, bearded dragons.. too many to mention. Check out some of the animals at their online photo album. Talk about incredible..

Yesterday, we visited the Magic Kingdom. Wow - just wow. The girls were totally exhausted.. even still today. I don't know how any of you people with little kids do Disney. You MUST be on crack. Honestly, I am SO glad we waited until the girls were older. Disney + stroller sized children = crying. Lots and Lots of crying. Screaming too. And that's just the parents....

Tomorrow, we visit Animal Kingdom. Lord help us. Thankfully, this park closes at 5pm. I didn't really want to do this park but the girls insisted on going to this one over Hollywood Studios. We were originally scheduled to go to Epcot this past Monday (the 3rd) but my FIL is having some medical issues so we rescheduled Epcot for this coming Monday (the 10th).

I need to write an entry completely dedicated to how fabulous the chefs have been at the Magic Kingdom. Seriously - it's been amazing so far ::knocking wood for luck::

Ok - I'm off to chase my girls into the shower and then into bed. It's going to be another long day tomorrow. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2008

Almost done!

I've been packing, doing laundry, and cleaning like a maniac. We leave tomorrow!! I'm so excited!! Can't you tell!! by all!! the exclamation points!!??

I've shut all the entries down - if you'd like to contact me, use CateNJ at comcast DOT net. I will be checking emails. I couldn't bear not checking my email. Eeeeeeeeeeek!

Look out Disney - here we come!

Posted by Cate at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2008

Freakin' Comcast

Around 5pm, I was unable to log into my comcast account. Now - it's 1130pm and I still have no access. Husband logged into Comcast online help (hah) and was number 379 in the queue. Finally, a comcast analyst assisted us. Check out the transcript below if you want a giggle - especially the part of the chat that I highlighted.

user Paul_ has entered room

Paul(Tue Oct 28 22:34:48 EDT 2008)>Comcast e-mail is not working. I have tried through Outlook Express and WebMail

analyst Norberto has entered room

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:15:26 EDT 2008)>Hello Paul_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Norberto. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:15:31 EDT 2008)>Thank you for waiting. How are you today?

Paul_(Tue Oct 28 23:11:31 EDT 2008)>Fine - thank you

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:16:29 EDT 2008)>That's great!

Paul_(Tue Oct 28 23:13:01 EDT 2008)>Is there a problem with Comcast email?

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:17:27 EDT 2008)>I understand your concern. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but there has been a system maintenance for the email page right now.

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:17:38 EDT 2008)>Please do not worry, there is nothing wrong with your email account or outlook. It has something to do in our end.

Paul_(Tue Oct 28 23:13:35 EDT 2008)>I have been unable to access it since 5pm..

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:18:39 EDT 2008)>I understand.

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:18:49 EDT 2008)>Our Network Engineers are working on the new interface that will be attached to the email page.

Paul_(Tue Oct 28 23:15:11 EDT 2008)>When do you think the email will be available? I work from home and need to be able to access it.

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:20:26 EDT 2008)>We have no advise as of yet but we are working round the clock to bring bak the service back as soon as possible.

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:21:03 EDT 2008)>Rest assure that this upgrade is necessary and urgent.

Paul_(Tue Oct 28 23:17:33 EDT 2008)>Thank you

Norberto(Tue Oct 28 23:21:54 EDT 2008)>Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. Enjoy the rest of the Day!

I guess my system would be down if there was a problem in MY end too...

Posted by Cate at 11:22 PM | Comments (1)

October 13, 2008

Monday Morning Updates

I did get a verbal response from Target customer service on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, I was not home to take the call. The Target rep left a very nice message, repeating several times how sorry she was about my experience. I am still giggling over it - it was pretty funny. Apparently I will be receiving a coupon in order to recover the cost of the broccoli. Oh - I prepared another bag of broccoli in my microwave last night - no explosions at all.

In kitty news, well, she's mysteriously stopped pissing all over my kitchen floor. Stopped as in "shut off the tap" stopped. She has started using the litter box with no problems ::knock wood:: But, since she's been having this pee issue, I can't trust her to stay at home with neighbors checking on her. So, Husband and I checked out a local pet boarding facility.

Holy crap - it was beautiful. I'd stay there if I had the opportunity. The kitty condos were so cute - no cages at all. Each condo unit is glass and stainless steel as well as heavy duty plastic. The front of the little condo is clear and they each have a little bed in them, just the right size for a cat. There's a little area off to the side - the cat must walk through a little opening to get to the litterbox. Each condo has it's own vented area... it's a very nice (and brand new!) facility. Don't even ask me the cost of boarding a cat daily. Seriously. I want to cry. But, there's no other choice for poor old Darla.

At least she will be grumpy in a very nice place!

Posted by Cate at 01:33 PM | Comments (1)

October 09, 2008

No word yet

I haven't heard back from anyone at Target regarding this incident. I hope I get SOME sort of response, I'd hate to have to boycott Target - I just love them too much.

Today, Eldest is on a class trip with her entire seventh grade class. They are all going to a local campground to work on team building skills. Here's a bit from the website:

Educational Team Building Programs for Schools:

What we will do

Create a sequence to meet your group’s needs
Move through the steps of group dynamics
Discuss after each activity what was done, what was learned, and what we can use from this at the school or to build a better community
Use our High Element Teambuilding Course to create teambuilding situations
Use our Low Element Teambuilding Course to create teambuilding situations
Use Props to create teambuilding situations

Sounds interesting. Let's hope it works! Afterwards, there will be a school dance. Heh. I wonder how fun that will be after being in the woods all day. I think all those kids are gonna stink. In fact, I warned Eldest that she was hitting the showers as soon as she got home tonight. I'm sure she will be in a lovely mood.

Just lovely indeed.

Posted by Cate at 08:48 AM | Comments (3)

October 08, 2008

Used up another life

Well, it looks like Darla has wrangled some more time on this mortal coil. Her urinalysis came back just fine. Bloodwork is normal.

So, after all that, why the hell, after 19 years, has she decided to piss on my floors?

We've decided that we have to put her in a kennel for the time we are in Florida. I have no idea how much that will cost us - probably more that a few nights at a hotel. I cannot ask my mom or my neighbors to mop my floor every time she pees on it. What if they don't see it right away? Oy - I don't even want to think about the smell. Two HOUR old cat pee stinks to high heaven - I can't even imagine two week old cat pee.

I'm waiting to hear back from the local veterinary office. They board cats and I am hoping they get back to me asap. I don't know how well she will do while residing in the kennel but I am out of options.. short of.. well.. the final option.

I'm not ready for that option.

Posted by Cate at 08:33 AM | Comments (2)

October 03, 2008

Got it!

Well, I did manage to get the cat's urine sample because she pissed on my kitchen floor again. I was able to salvage some of the pee and store it in a plastic container.

Unfortunately - now I need a new turkey baster. Eww.

Posted by Cate at 12:27 PM | Comments (4)

October 02, 2008

A Pass

Well, Darla survived the trip to the vet. We used Banfield and they were just wonderful. My poor 19 year-old sweet kitty turns into the Demon Cat From Hell (DCFH™) as soon as she encounters strangers. Let me tell you, if I wasn't so upset and stressed out from thinking the cat was going to get put down, I'd have filmed Darla. She made noises I haven't heard from her in a looong time - it was spooky. But, it was nice to see her all spunky and lively again.

The last time we bought her to the vet, Youngest was with us. As soon as Darla started to freak out, Youngest lost her mind. It scared the hell out of her because she started bawling - poor kid. So, with this in mind, when I made the appointment for Tuesday, my mom came over to watch the girls. There was no way I could have brought them with us.

The vet wants me to get a urine sample. Hah - easy for him to say. That cat has been pissing on my kitchen floors and not in her litter box. With the blood sample they pulled on Tuesday, he determined that it could be kidney problems. Not so good for a 19 year-old cat.

So, I will try to collect a sample (how? when?) and get it over to the vet. Wish me luck!

Posted by Cate at 08:06 AM | Comments (3)

September 30, 2008

My poor kitty...

Husband and I will be bringing my 19 yr old kitty to the vet today... it doesn't look so good for her. She's peeing all over my kitchen and bathrooms. She never used to do that. Plus, she's drinking TONS of water as well. I think she's got diabetes AND she has such a hard time jumping down or even walking. She loses her balance occasionally too. ::sigh::

Youngest just dissolved into tears when I told her that Darla (kitty) was going to the vet... and that it may be her last visit. She cried.. I cried... oy.. this is a miserable day.

Posted by Cate at 03:28 PM | Comments (4)

September 29, 2008

Back to Work

I'm working half a day today - from 1215pm until 4pm. Today's job is at a school where Youngest has her Girl Scout troop meetings. At 415pm, I need to run Youngest's meeting. So, in 15 minutes, I need to rush back home, pick up Youngest and go BACK to the school for the meeting! Wheeee!

I'm trying to work as much as possible... hey, who DOESN'T need money today? Gotta big trip coming up and we need to pay for that. Look what I found online - thank goodness for the Internet!

Free Disney Tickers

Posted by Cate at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2008

You may call me SUPER Katespot

Between yesterday morning and 7am today, I have sorted, washed, dried, and put away 11 loads of laundry. Yes, you read it right.

Eleven.

I am frickin' awesome.

::edited at 835am::
I just cleaned my bathroom and mopped that floor as well as the back hallway. Now - I'm off to do my errands.

Posted by Cate at 07:00 AM | Comments (4)

September 04, 2008

Geeky in Glasses

Well.. why not?? The girls got them so now it's my turn!

Posted by Cate at 05:09 PM | Comments (6)

Second Day..

Well, the first day of school went smoothly for both girls. Eldest is digging her classes as she was selected for an all-honors courseload this year. We're quite happy about that and, even though she'll have more work than ever before, we know she can do it. We have to make sure she stays organized and on task.

Youngest has a few friends from last year's class with her in third grade this year. Unfortunately, she also has the little shit child who waved a peanut butter sandwich in her face last year in her class this year. I swear to God - if he does it again this year, I will have his little butt suspended for bullying.

But, perhaps there is strength in numbers. There is another child in her class also with fatal peanut/nut allergies. The teacher is pushing for a mostly peanut free class. I hope it happens but it's something that I cannot count on happening. Luckily, Youngest can handle the smell, as long as it's not overpowering. She is much more confident this year and it also helps that we have a FANTASTIC school nurse. Youngest really likes her and so do I.

I managed to get some shopping done and was home by 10am. I think I am going to go back to the mall and buy myself a new pair of glasses. While I love Sarah Palin's glasses - I think Anne Klein works well for me.

The girls got new glasses after school yesterday. Aren't they adorable?

Posted by Cate at 10:58 AM | Comments (2)

August 17, 2008

Some of our Summer

Posted by Cate at 10:49 PM | Comments (2)

August 03, 2008

Hello... ello... llo....

One last week of working at Girl Scout camp - thank goodness.

I've been busy planning our Disney vacay. We are hoping to go to a launch at Kennedy Space Center on Monday 11/10. It's a night launch and I can't wait to see it. I hope it's not cancelled or delayed!

Husband and I realized we will be out of town on Election Day!! There's no way we aren't voting so I have to arrange for absentee ballots. We also need to make arrangements to have someone feed my poor old cat two times a day. Time to cash in some favors from our naighbors. We've taken care of their cats several times. I'm sure we won't have any problems with that.

We also did some yard work today, planting three little boxwoods amd mulching one of our garden beds. It definitely looks a million times better. I think I am going to find some more perennials to add to our garden. I need *very* simple and easy to maintain plants. In tomato land news, I picked about three dozen grape tomatoes. For my dinner tonight, I tossed them in with some fresh spinach and Italian dressing. Yum!

::yawn:: Off to bed!

Posted by Cate at 10:37 PM | Comments (3)

July 28, 2008

Almost August??

What the HECK? I worked a couple weeks and now August is right around the corner, taunting me....

I barely have time to clean my house, food shop, and take care of the family much less time to blog. I can't believe I am writing this but I can't wait for the girls to go back to school!

In other news, we are making arrangements to finally go on vacation from October 29th through November 12th. We're driving down to Florida. With the girls. All in one car. God help us all. I do hate flying and the airfare alone was $1100!! I'd rather drive. I hope I don't strangle the girls. My inlaws live about 45 minutes south of Orlando so of COURSE you know where we'll be stopping for three fun filled days.

M I C (see you real soon!)
K E Y (why? because we like your money you.
M O U S E

Anyone got any Valium they'd like to share??

Posted by Cate at 04:06 PM | Comments (2)

July 15, 2008

So Tired...

Lots going on.. I'm working my first of three weeks at the local Girl Scout camp. I am there from 8am - 345pm. Youngest is also attending but she is not part of the group I am supervising. Eldest is attending an academic camp (!?) for this week. I am also working at my church for VBS from 530-830pm. What the heck was I thinking?

I'm just a girl who cain't say no...

Posted by Cate at 06:59 AM | Comments (1)

July 02, 2008

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Can you believe the size of these tomato plants??

They have completely taken over my poor little garden. It looks like the cucumbers will survive. The tomatoes have eclipsed the wax beans and pepper plants - you can see them in the front of the garden. There are a TON of yellow flowers and little green tomatoes. Oh my, I think I will be overrun with tomatoes!

Anyone want some?

Posted by Cate at 05:36 PM | Comments (4)

June 02, 2008

Remember me??

Helloooooooooo People!

I know, it's been forever since I last posted. Between working as much as possible and the girls' activities, I haven't had the time or energy to blog. We have also opened our pool, built a patio using the lumber from our old demolished deck, moved the trampoline, finished up with some small projects, hosted Buncos, and even had my ten month old nephew spend a night with us. That was fun!

Check out my Flickr page for some nice pictures.

I had an hour break while working today so I went home for lunch. I switched the pool filter on and started to skim the pool. I saw what I thought was a big clump of weeds and skimmed it off the top of the water. Imagine my shock and complete horror when I realized that it wasn't leaves but a dead squirrel! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Of course, my first reaction was to toss the icky thing right over the fence. But, I ended up triple bagging it and tossing it into the garbage. ::shudder:: But, it made me remember a really funny website: Things We Found Dead In Our Pool Check it out for yourselves - the guy has a chart of all the dead things he has fished out of his pool. Perhaps I am twisted but I think it's absolutely hysterical.

Well - I am off to bed. I've got work in the morning!

Posted by Cate at 11:08 PM | Comments (2)

May 22, 2008

I know...

it's been a while.. but I just had to put this video up - watch and enjoy! It's safe for work too.

Posted by Cate at 12:59 PM | Comments (1)

April 09, 2008

Hump Day

Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes about Mom. She is doing fine. The surgeon removed the cyst/growth and it is currently on its way to be diagnosed.

As for me, well, it's the usual insanity around here. Eldest is currently being a hormonal pain in my butt - all this weeping and yelling. She is truly a joy to spend time with lately. Youngest will be getting a lot of dental work done. We had spacers

put in her mouth yesterday and on Thursday, she will be getting her palate expander.

I remember getting spacers before I got braces.. and they were really uncomfortable. I mean, really REALLY uncomfortable. Think about a thick piece of steak stuck between two of your back teeth and you are unable to remove it, no matter how much it makes you crazy.

Yeah, it still freaks me out thinking about it and I was about 15. I didn't really like my orthodontist - he spoke in this whiny, sorta of quivery old guy voice. And, he always hummed, very badly, to the local elevator musak radio station. OY! But, I have to honestly say that my teeth are still pretty straight. They look a zillion times better from when they were all jacked up when I was a kid.

I am off to shoot more candid pictures for Eldest's school yearbook. That should be a lot of fun! I need (aka WANT) a new digital camera but I want to take it to the next level. What's a good recomendation for a decent digital SLR? Speaking of new toys, I want THIS toy very very much!

Isn't it beautiful? ::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 07:10 AM | Comments (4)

April 07, 2008

Exhausted

I didn't have the time to recap the blogmeet yesterday... and I won't have the time today.

My Mom is undergoing a biopsy this morning on a mass that was found in her breast. Please - good thoughts would be highly appreciated...

I will update later.

Posted by Cate at 07:25 AM | Comments (9)

March 30, 2008

Poor Poor Blog

I have neglected thee...

A thousand pardons for not updating. The girls had their spring break this past week and we have been busy busy busy. We've visited friends, family, and even visited IKEA. I know, I know..IKEA is the mecca of all that is MDF in the whole wide world. I bought two of the Benno CD tower. I wanted to purchase more and more but I managed to control myself stay within my budget. I do love shopping through the downstairs part of IKEA - the Marketplace. That's where one gets to stock up on candles, glassware, placemats, and a zillion other goodies. Heck - I wish I lived closer to IKEA!

But, sadly enough, it's all the way in Elizabeth - right across the lovely NJ Turnpike from Newark..err..Liberty International Airport. The girls love watching the planes land. As for me, well, I enjoy the meatballs and ligonberries. YUM-O.

I've got to purchase a bag of these next time I got shopping. Oh, and I can't forget a jar of ligonberry jelly.

I found this great webiste called IKEA Friends. There's also a forum available for discussions about the food, furniture and daily bargains. I've got to send this to a few friends and family members!

Well, I am off to bed. I am working as a lunchroom aid all this week. Wish me luck!

Posted by Cate at 11:43 PM | Comments (2)

March 22, 2008

Crappy News

I have been having a not-so-great weekend which was just made much worse by the fact that a very special chocolate order for Youngest was cancelled *just* in time for Easter. Now, for those of you not in the know, Youngest has severe food allergies. She is anaphylactic to all dairy, egg, nuts and peanut products. So, what that means is every Easter, she does not have a bunny. Every Christmas, she doesn't have chocolate. Every birthday party, she doesn't get the cake and ice cream.

So, just imagine my joy when I found a place online that makes these allergy-safe treats. Immediately I placed on order for a bunny and a bunch of other candy and I spent about $30 on safe chocolate candy for Youngest. Now - I placed this order on 3/9 and I fully expected to have it delivered within 10 days. Turns out the company was completely overwhelemed and they had to shut down the online ordering on their website. I was a little nervous about that but I was assured that I would have my order.

This past Monday (3/17), I emailed the company to check the status of my order. The owner responded and once again said my order would ship by Wednesday and I would definitely have it Friday.

Guess what I didn't have by Friday? I called the company around 9am this morning and, once again, spoke with the owner who said she absolutely shipped it yesterday via Express Mail and I would have it today.

At 258pm today, I received an email from the owner. Seems that I was about 1 of 20 people who did not have their order completed. I was not going to get my order. Beyond pissed doesn't even begin to describe how angry I was.. and still am. If she had just emailed me and said she couldn't handle the order, I would have been annoyed but I would have had time to make more suitable arrangements. The fact she lied to me when I called her THIS MORNING makes me crazy. Like I wouldn't have figured out that I wasn't getting my order at 330pm when my mail shows up?

Thank goodness I had picked up some additional things this past week, just in case. Unfortunately, the "just in case" moments happen a lot.

I think I am more sad for me than for Olivia - I just wanted her to fit in.. to enjoy a chocolate bunny without worrying she was going to have an anaphylactic reaction. I am very disappointed with this company who has not, at the time of this post, issued me my refund. I will get my refund. I am not that worried about that.

I just really wanted that damn bunny.

Posted by Cate at 08:18 PM | Comments (3)

March 08, 2008

How the heck did it become Wednesday Saturday?

I originally started to write this post on Wednesday

Poof! It's Wednesday? Really?

So much has happened that I really don't feel like can't write it all out

• Eldest plays basketball and her team won first place (last)Saturday! I'd show the photo of the team but it's got too many identifying items in it - sorry guys. But trust me when I say, it's a GREAT picture!
  
• Thank goodness that basketball is over!
  
• Did I mention that now Eldest is playing volleyball? Oh, it started Monday night. ::sigh::
  
• Youngest will be starting softball on the 29th.
  
• Girl Scout cookies are in! I've got almost 200 boxes of cookies in my car/house.
  
• Speaking of Girl Scouts, Eldest's troop will be running an event for third year Brownies in order to earn their Bronze Award.
  
• I've worked a total of three days for the local school district. Jobs have been hard to come by as all of us subs are fighting for the jobs like frenzied sharks in a chum-filled ocean. Yeah - it's *that* hard to get 'em.
  
• Youngest has lost yet another tooth. She has no top front teeth and now has a missing tooth on the bottom. In a few more weeks, she will be getting a Palatal Expander ::click for image:: I hope it's not too awful for her but we've got to fix that dang crossbite.
  
• Husband and I got a new set of dishes. The pattern is Sedona by Pfaltzgraff. We had never registered for anything when we got married as we had been living together for about four years. So, when I mentioned to my Mom that Husband and I were looking to get a new set of dishes, she brought me a catalog of Pfaltzgraff patterns and I chose Sedona. Husband and I stopped at the Pfaltzgraff Outlet in Jackson and we found a box that held (4) four piece place settings for only $59.99! Normally, it retails between $71.99 - $89.99. Bargain! Mom bought them for us - thank you Mom! We also got a bunch of really nice bowls, serving platters and serving bowls.
  
• Lots of rain - stop it already before I need an ark to get around.
  
• It's laundry time. Hey, who says I don't have hot and exciting Saturday nights?
  
• The girls and I have got church in the morning. Yes - you read that right - church. I figured when the children ask to go back to church that it might be a good idea to bring them back. We were welcomed back very warmly last week.. and I've got to say that it felt pretty nice.
  
• Does anyone else love the movie version of The Producers? I just adore Nathan Lane.
  

Ok - I'm going to finish the laundry. Have a great night!

Posted by Cate at 09:13 PM | Comments (3)

February 25, 2008

Like They're In Prison...

Of course you all remember Sarah Silverman and her infamous video dedicated to her boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel where she confesses she's f*cking Matt Damon, right? Well, it seems that Jimmy Kimmel also has a confession to make....

SO not safe for work!

Posted by Cate at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2008

Hey there - anyone reading this old mess?

Geez - I've been awful at updating. Busy doesn't even begin to describe life around here. Here's what's been going on:

• Our trip to NYC had excellent results. Dr. Sicherer determined that Youngest is no longer allergic to fish and shellfish. AWESOME news! Now I just need to figure out how to cook seafood.
• Visited with my brother, sis in law, and six month old nephew this weekend. He's adorable!
• Oh! I got my state approval from the Deptartment of Education. I can officially work in the schools now. Hooray!
• Husband and I got some work done in the extra bedroom - which we have turned into a computer/tv room. We got a great deal on a carpet and picked up a table and two chairs for the computer. I need to pick out curtains.
• I am going to get some new kitchen dishes. Any suggestions?
• Eldest, her friend, and Youngest spent the day at my mom's place working on crafts. They always have a great time.
• I have been helping a friend of mine work on the yearbook for our (Eldest's) daughters' school. I love taking photographs. I wish I understood my camera a little better. Maybe I will take a night class... in my spare time of course!
• I can't believe I forgot this one - Eldest's basketball team made it into the "playoffs". The game was on Saturday. At the half, they were losing 19 - 4. During the second half, I don't know how they did it, but the girls kicked ass and came back to WIN with the final score being 26 - 25. Talk about crazy cheering! I think all the parents for our team were about to have a coronary from all the cheering and screaming. Interesting fact - the team was down by two girls, only having one sub for the whole game! They were incredible.

How the hell are you guys?

Posted by Cate at 09:29 PM | Comments (4)

December 31, 2007

Resolution Smesolution

No New Years Resolution for me. Nope - not gonna do it. No recaps, no year in review.

I've got too much to do.

It's Pajama Day here at Casa de Katespot. I don't think the girls have climbed out of bed yet. They are awake and DS'ing quite nicely. Oh - Youngest celebrated her eighth (!!) birthday yesterday. Mom, her boyfriend, and some family friends stopped over for lunch and gifts. Youngest cleaned up quite nicely. She got some clothes, a pretty cute hand-knotted Spongebob fleece blanket from this seller, ten Webkinz from my Mom (yes TEN!), and a DS Lite system from us. She was SOOO happy with all her stuff. I will post some pictures eventually.

To the few people still reading this blog, I hope everyone has a fantastic time tonight. Happy New Year to all!

Posted by Cate at 10:33 AM | Comments (5)

November 26, 2007

TGIM

Thank goodness it's Monday!

Boy, I never thought I would type out that sentence. We had a great four day break and it was definitely time for the girls to get back to school. My six year old niece slept over on Saturday night. She and Youngest had a *great* time. They giggled for about an hour after I sent them into bed, at 10pm. Then, on Sunday, they were riding bikes and scooters since the weather was just sunny and beautiful, around 50 degrees. Of course, they had to jump on the trampoline too. Eldest was hanging around, playing with them on occasion and also riding her bike.

Oh! Don't know if I mentioned earlier but Youngest finally learned how to ride a two wheeler. No more training wheels - HOORAY! Of course, the Husband was exhausted but he did such a great job. He wouldn't let her quit no matter how much she carried on and cried. And boy, did she carry on and cry! Once she did it, she was quite pleased with herself, the little booger.

I've managed to get the BEST Christmas gift for the girls but I will not blog about it - yet. I've got to get it in my clutches before I can divulge the full details. Wow, sounds quite mysterious, doesn't it?

Well, off to prep for a Brownie meeting today. I've got dinner defrosting... and it's NOT turkey. Thank goodness.

Posted by Cate at 10:34 AM | Comments (2)

November 19, 2007

For goodness sake

I'm nervous!. Know what sucks? It's raining too.

Yuck!

Posted by Cate at 07:59 AM | Comments (4)

November 16, 2007

Blogging - My once a week habit

I have got to get back to posting a bit more frequently. But, you will see some improvements arriving to Katespot in January. Be sure to stay tuned...

I would use some good luck wishes for Monday as I have a job interview with a local school district. Honey, I needs me a J - O - B ASAP!

As usual, I've been pretty busy with the girls many activities. I'm woefully behind on my Christmas shopping and I am hoping to rectify that shortly. I just need some time!

Have a great day my peeps.

Posted by Cate at 10:22 AM | Comments (3)

November 11, 2007

I've found my way back!

Well, I have recovered from Election Day. Not bad NJ - at least two of the four questions got voted down.

The Husband has been home sick for the past few days. He's been hacking and coughing up a storm. He's about five days behind me with the cold. Unfortunately for him, I gave him the cold about two weeks ago. At least I am feeling better!

The girls had a week off from school last week. We had so much fun when they were off. We visited IKEA (love those meatballs!) and watched the airplanes take off while eating lunch. The IKEA in Elizabeth is right by Newark Airport so it's so easy to watch the planes take off and land. The girls loved it. We also did a trip to BJ's Wholesale Club, and who can forget seeing High School Musical On Ice! That was a lot of fun. Eldest decided not to go, opting instead to visit with my mom and get some sewing lessons. She also brought a friend with her too. Youngest and I carpooled to the show with a few friends and, I must admit, the show was cute.

The girls also slept over my stepmom's house and they really had a nice time. I called over there today and she was napping! I hope she got some sleep. I was also able to visit with my adorable nephew. I can't believe he's four months old already!

Ok, it's taken me forever to write this post out so I am heading to bed! G'nite all!

Posted by Cate at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2007

Errands Done!

I checked the time when I finished loading my car at the supermarket and was quite impressed to see 9:12am. Booyah! That also included a trip to WallyMart. I needed to pick up a pair of red sparkly shoes for Youngest's Halloween costume. She and Eldest are going to the Gurl Scout Halloween dance tonight. Youngestis a half devil/half angel (which is so appropriate for her!). Instead of white tights and white shoes, we're doing red and white tights - one leg red and one leg white - with red sparkly shoes like these. Eldest is going as a sleepy student. Yeah - a little lame but that's what she came up with so we're going with it. She's going to wear pjs, a robe, new fuzzy slippers, and her hair in two ponytails. She's also going to carry a stuffed animal and a blankey. I know she will look cute so I'm not too concerned.

Ok - I"m off to fold some more laundry. Ewwwwwwww.

Posted by Cate at 09:25 AM | Comments (2)

October 25, 2007

I See Changes In My Future

Well - I've managed to land myself a job interview. It's not scheduled until November 19th. I'm so excited! Someone might actually hire me after all. I've applied to be a teacher's aide at one of the local schools. I was lucky enough to get references from two teachers whom I have worked with (on a volunteer basis) from the past two years. I was also able to get references from a very close family friend and two other women who are in professional and volunteer positions. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Posted by Cate at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2007

Dusting off this old blog

Hmmm - this could be the place for my "weekly" blog entries. So much for 2-3 entries per day!

We've been busy,between the two Girl Scout troops, afterschool activities, PTA events, and Board of Ed-u-ma-kashun. Don't even get me started with the local school system. Grrrr. Even though I want to blog about it, I can't.

I've been really tearing up my house, cleaning and organizing. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I was nesting. LOL - just kidding Husband. My kitchen looks pretty good but it's not really decorated. I've got a lot of plain walls. Don't get me wrong - I am loving my kitchen. See?

If you look at the walls in the first and third pictures, you can see that my walls are bare. On the wall in the first picture, I would like to get a large black wrought iron looking clock. As for the opposite wall, I am at a loss. I have to see if I can find some nice pictures. Please forgive the tablecloth. It's not one of my favorites but it does match the room. Also, I realized, when previewing these three pictures, I need to clean off the front of my refrigerator! Too much stuff. So, while my oven is in self cleaning mode, I will attack the fridge.

Gotta run!

Posted by Cate at 11:55 AM | Comments (1)

October 10, 2007

Happy Hump Day!

Yeah yeah.. what's so happy about it?

Well, I did spend some time with my adorable nephew. You can check him out on my Flickr page. I also uploaded some older pics of the girls and other family shots.

It's taken me a few hours to even complete this entry. I can't stay focused today. I think I'm going to fold some laundry and clean my house.

Posted by Cate at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2007

Sitting here restin' my bones...

Another hectic day comes to a close. I had a PTA meeting this morning. I am in charge of membership, which is a bit more work than I realize, but I have been keeping up with it thanks to my friend Lauren.

After PTA, I made it back home to get things cleaned up and dinner prepared for Husband and the girls since I had an optometrist's appointment at 330pm. Always fun to get my eyes dilated in the bright afternoon sunlight. Besides, the office was about 40 minutes from my home. I've been a patient of this doctor since I was 11 years old. In fact, today he told me that he was 25 years old when he operated on my eyes. 25!!!! I had (and still have) Amblyopia aka Lazy Eye. He did a pretty good job on my eyes - they used to wander all over the place! In fact, when I am tired (which is almost all the time), my right eye drifts to the right. It's pretty freaky to see.

Things are getting more settled down around here with the girls getting back to school. So far, Eldest is in a Gifted and Talented school program as well as an after-school enrichment class. We can't forget her weekly horseback riding lessons and Girl Scouts. Oh, did I mention that she is going to start playing basketball in November and that she will also be participating with the school play too? Now, Olivia, she is involved in her hip-hop dance class, Brownies, and chorus. I'd say that we probably have an activity every day. Oh, and I guess we'd somehow have to find the time to do the actual homework too.. hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

While perusing through today's mail, I discovered a flyer from a reunion company. Seems like my twenty year high school reunion is fast approaching. I think I'd rather push thumbtacks into my eyes before I'd even waste a DIME on attending the reunion. My high school years SUCKED. I hated that damn school and most of the people in my graduating class were assholes who made my life a living hell for a few years. Jerkwads. I wish them all a painful and miserable existance. [/rant] As you may all have guessed, I won't be attending this reunion. And, yeah, I've still got some issues. Twenty years isn't long enough.. and I doubt that twenty more would change my perspective.

Ok, I've got to get to bed. I am exhausted and more a bit emotional that I had planned to be this evening. G'night.

Posted by Cate at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

It's really me

Hey everyone! I'm ok, thanks for the concerned emails.

Now Husband, on the other hand, he's not so good at all. A few weeks ago he messed up his back by simply bending over to pick up something in the yard. His back said TWANG instead. A few days (more like a week) of rest and visiting our chiro, he gradually eased his way into our normal daily routine.

Well, he messed his back up again about a week ago. I know it must have hurt him terribly, he tried to get through the week and it just wasn't working. We visited the ER and they diagnosed him with "acute lumbar strain". Gee, ya think? It's a good thing they took those xrays. What he really needed was an MRI. He couldn't sit, he couldn't stand, he couldn't sleep because he wasn't able to lay down.. it was awful. The ER gave him some muscle relaxers and vicoden which took the edge off but only barely. We ended up doubling the pain meds and that seemed to help him a lot more.

We followed up with our regular "doctor" - what a joke. I was ready to punch this guy in the face. It was obvious, even to a dead person, just how much pain Husband was having and this guy wasn't very sympathetic. He did prescribe an anti-inflammatory med, another muscle relaxer and Percoset for Husband - 1 tablet every 8 hours. WTF? Was it coming from his own personal stash? Stingy bastard.

This past weekend was not very fun at the Katespot household. I called the doctor only to be told that the answering service isn't permitted to take messages and we'd have to call back - on Monday - or go to the ER. When I explained our situation, she said she would take a message and IF the doctor checked in, the service would pass it along. Needless to say, we will be leaving this doctor ASAP.

I called our chiro and Husband saw him yesterday. You know what? He felt a million times better after his appointment with Joe. AND, Joe will send us for an MRI. He gave us the number of an ortho doc he wants us to follow up wtih, just in case.

Oy - there's more but I've got to get the kiddies off to school. Husband finally went back to work today - he's been home since Thursday. I hope he's feeling ok today and doesn't overdo it.

How the hell are all of you? I have missed you guys!

Posted by Cate at 06:49 AM | Comments (4)

September 12, 2007

Great way to start the day

It's not because of the PTA meeting I will be attending this morning... I got an email from my adopted soldier from Adopt A Platoon. I do worry about him so I was very happy to see an email from him. In fact, we also receieved a letter from him about 2 weeks ago too. I will be putting together a care kit to send to him, hopefully in time for him to get it by Halloween. I've got a ton of GS cookies and candy to send out to him too.

Yeah, I'm doing fine... just too busy, as usual. Once the morning routine gets established around here, I think things will get much better.

Off to feed Olivia. Hey, she's gotta eat too!

Posted by Cate at 07:40 AM | Comments (1)

August 30, 2007

Hi diddle Ho Neighbors

Craziness still in abundance at the Katespot residence. Many feelings of being overwhelmed... dreams of drowning... all that fun stuff!

BUT - some fantastic news -

My brother and sis in law had their baby on 8/19. His name is Hunter. Isn't he the cutest EVER???!

Posted by Cate at 11:25 PM | Comments (6)

August 21, 2007

So THIS is what my blog looks like from the inside!

Forgive me readers - it has been six days since my last entry. Speaking of last entry, I did not get any feedback or response at all from Real Simple. I suppose that was to be expected. I want to apologize to poor old Zonk who had a great comment but, since I messed something up with my MT, he is unable to comment on my blog. I don't even know HOW to fix it either! ::sigh::

Time for a blog-lift.

It's been raining since Saturday. Now, I do consider that a good thing because it's forcing me to stay inside and get some work done around the house. I tackled my bedroom yesterday, trying to declutter. I did pretty well and now I have a pile of papers to file away and another pile to shred. I'll get the girls to feed the shredder, they like that!

I've got lots to do so I'd better hustle and get it all done. How the hell are all you people doing??

Posted by Cate at 10:14 AM | Comments (1)

August 11, 2007

It's All About Me.. or Is It?

Liz wrote up a very nice recap of our visit the other day. The girls and I had an absolutely lovely time. Her children are just wonderful and Liz is fantastic. Her DH, well, let's just say that he's not too hard on the eyes ::wink wink nudge nudge:: Plus, he's got a bit of a wicked sense of humor too and that's always a lot of fun.

Husband and I have a wedding to attend this afternoon. I know I might have mentioned it in a previous post and I might have even whined just a bit about it being an outdoor wedding. In August. Well, the gods must be smiling down upon us because today's forecast is going to be insanely nice. Sunny and clear with only a little humidity. A big props to the gods - you rock.

Of course, I am no where near being ready. We don't have to leave until 130pm so I am running around, prepping the house, doing laundry, all the fun Saturday chores. My SIL is coming down to watch the girls and spoil them. Of course, the girls are in heaven because they get away with murder when she's here. It's good to be them!

Ok - time to switch the laundry. Hope you all have a great day. I'm planning on a day of fun and drinks. Woohoo! Hopefully, Husband can eat the food at the reception. I'd say for most of the weddings we've attended, he has been unable to eat due to nut/peanut contamination. In fact, I distincly remember one of the servers actually offering Husband a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich after he refused a plate and sent it back to the kitchen. The offending food? String beans almondine aka anaphylaxis on a plate. Yummy! The poor guy has left receptions hungry and we'd end up in a diner or some fast food drive-thru picking up a meal for him. So, let's pray for a decent meal for Husband today.

If not, well, there's always McDonalds!

Posted by Cate at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

July 31, 2007

Day is done

Well, the kids are asleep but that doesn't necessarily mean my day is complete. I am being slightly lazy and sitting on my ass in front of the computer. I tried to get a lot accomplished today with my two Girl Scout troops, my PTA executive board responsibilities, AND my regular list of day to day items to be completed. I got real lazy with dinner tonight - just didn't feel like cooking!

I had to drop my car off for service - seems that my vehicle's A/C wasn't cooling as well (or as fast) as it should and the car had a small leak. Hopefully, it won't be too expensive ::crossing fingers:: I did catch a break today with Eldest's retainer. It seems that our insurance paid a little more towards the initial cost which dropped the balance due from $225 to $150. Hooray!

Has anyone been watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel? It's been awesome but I think last year's was much better. Why? Well, my television boyfriend was hosting ALL week! I think I could live with only the Discovery Channel and nothing else. How can you go wrong with Cash Cab, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Man vs Wild, Survivorman, and How It's Made?!

shark week, discovery channel, mike rowe

Posted by Cate at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2007

Monday again?

Good morning!

I am up early again - Youngestwill be attending a mini-camp at one of the schools. The camp is an activity camp. The kids will be running, jumping, playing games.. all that fun stuff. Perfect for Olivia! Eldest and I will be going out to breakfast after we drop off Olivia.

We had company this weekend which is why I wasn't able to post. My sis in laws, along with my four year old nephew and six year old niece. Youngestwas in heaven. Finally - she had her cousins over for a playdate! The three of them had a great time running around the yard, jumping on the trampoline, swimming in the pool, playing on the swings... it was kiddie paradise!

Eldest ended up hanging with us adults and, after a while, we wanted to discuss subjects that she wasn't ready to hear so she was able to squeeze in a little time on the computer playing on Webkinz, the Crack-like additictive website. I call it CracKinz. Youngesthas three of them and Eldest has two. God, I am so sick of those damn Webkinz. Anyone else have them? Do you play the games as well? I refuse to take care of them online - guess I am the mean mommy.

Mwahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!

Posted by Cate at 08:16 AM | Comments (3)

July 23, 2007

Huh???

The last thing I remember from this morning was glancing at the clock and noting the time, 840am. My friend text-messaged me with the news that her car crapped out, could I possibly help her out? Absolutely! So, between the my girls two camp sessions, I picked up my friend's daughter, drove her back to my friend's house so the daughter could get changed and grab lunch for her next camp session and then my friend, her daughter, and I all left so my friend could go pick up her son and then drop off her daughter BACK at anther camp session. Did I mention that we did a quickie stop at the McD's drive-thru so we could could her son? MAN!

After all that, I had to run to the post office and go grab Youngestfrom her camp session. Then it was time to pick up Eldest. Luckily, I had a few minutes to spare when I got to the farm so I was able to schedule two eye doctor appointments and an orthodontist appointment for Olivia. Yeah - already at age seven. Damn crossbites. We stopped at Mom's place so I could hook up a printer for her and then I made the executive decision to take a run up to Ocean County Mall to look for a dress for the wedding Husband and I will be attending in August. Did I mention that it is an outdoor wedding? In August?

Well, I couldn't find any dresses but Eldest cleaned up with all the summer clearance stuff in Macys and Limited Too. Skorts and shirts for $4.99 - wrap 'em up and we'll take 'em, thankyouverymuch! I found a website with some cute dresses for us fat chicks and I think I am going to order the dresses tonight. I can't decide which one I like best so I managed to narrow it down to three and I"ll order them to try on at home. Sheesh, it's easier than wandering through the mall. I have to say that the girls were very well behaved today while I was browsing through the different stores.

We didn't get home until 730-ish and we are all just pooped. The girls hung in there until 930pm and poof. Conked out in bed. Let's hope that tomorrow morning isn't terrible!

Ok, I am pooped from writing all this out. I'm grabbing a cuppa coffee and then flicking on Adult Swim so I can relax to Family Guy. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 11:06 PM | Comments (1)

July 16, 2007

Where is all my time?

I'm in the midst of my summer vacation but yet I am finding it more difficult to find time to blog. I am trying to think of actual content but, as I discussed with Liz during our visit last week, I am no author. I cannot write brilliant and lightly amusing posts that make one think about our future. I cannot write with any sort of ease.. there's no comfortable flow of consciousness that streams from my fingertips to the keyboard.

I journal. I write how things happen. I am a list-maker.

I wrestled long and hard with making my decision to register for PayPerPost blogging. Sure I can always use the extra cash but did I really want my blog to become "commercial"? I came up with this answer. I don't care what other people think about paid blogging. Am I a sellout? Quite possibly. I'd like to be able to contribute financially, even if it's a little bit, and, frankly speaking, every little bit helps. I don't want to be one of those blogs that have an ad, toss up some goofy entry, then have another ad. But, maybe I will have a day or two like that. If any of my readers don't like the fact I am trying to make a few bucks, well, shame on you. Last time I checked, I pay for all my hosting fees, not you.

I love my blog and I count myself very lucky to have met some amazing people because I blog. I have many more wonderful people that I hope to one day meet. I will continue to blog as long as I can - hell, this November it will be seven years.

Seven. Years. I can't quit now.

I'm addicted!

Posted by Cate at 08:17 PM | Comments (2)

June 26, 2007

Only Tuesday?

I am lost when the kids are out of school. I forget the date or what day it actually is. Good times my friends.

I managed to dump off both girls at a friend's house for a double sleepover. How awesome is she? She has daughters the same ages as mine plus a little five year old boy who is absolutely adorable beyond belief. When I stoppe dover last night to drop the girls, my friend and her husband asked if we wanted to go out on their boat. SURE! I parked my car in front of their house, borrowed a jacket and we were off to the marina.

I had a great time. My girls had never been on a boat before (even though we do live 10 minutes from the beach) and they had a blast. I thought for sure one of them would flip out but they proved me wrong. Of course, my hostess, who was not piloting the boat, had a few too many so when we got back to the marina, I had to drive her Suburban back to the house. That thing is HUGE!

When we got back, all the kids piled in the living room, put on their pjs, and watched a movie. I stayed for a little while longer, enjoyed a couple Twisted Teas then headed on home. Turns out that Husband had to work until 11pm and only just made it home a few minutes before me. He was up until 2am and then headed to work at 7am. He is definitely going to be toasted tonight!

In other home remodeling news, yes, we've torn up yet another toom. Our old master bedroom is now going to be Eldest's room and Youngestwill move up to Eldest's room. Why? Because Eldest has that built-in loft bed that is bolted to the wall. It's easier to move the girls than attempt to remove the bed! So, this past weekend, we ripped out the old carpeting, padding, and tackless. We fixed the floor and on Sunday, we slammed down a nice (and pretty inexpensive) wood laminate. I've got to say that we did a damn nice job on it too.

Of course, the rest of the house is in complete disarray. I need Husband to finish setting the mouldings back in place (he needs to cut them to size) and spackle a couple of holes and I can do everything else. I can't wait to get the girls moved around! Youngestis a HUGE Spongebob fan. She also loves cats so I'm trying to think of a way to incorporate them together.

This room is going to take a little more work than I expected.

Posted by Cate at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2007

Someone Pause This Whirlwind that is My Life!

Ok, so life is a little hectic lately.

Lately?

Yep - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. The class trips are finally finished, spring concerts are over, both GS troops have (finally!) partied out and finished. Youngest's class party is Thursday and Eldest's is Friday. T-ball is almost complete too. HOORAY!

Does cheering make me a bad Mom?

Oh HELL no it doesn't!

I can't WAIT to sit at the beach and do nothing but relax. I have finally got myself a beach badge and I intend to use it quite frequently.

Long Beach Island - here we come!

Posted by Cate at 01:49 PM | Comments (1)

May 17, 2007

Back to Normal

I'm very happy to write that things are back to normal and we are all ok. Again, I am very touched by all of you who wrote or called to check on us. Thank you.

With the enormous size of the fire, all that was damaged were about 15 homes, several cars, boats, and 3 trailer homes were completely destroyed. Of course, quite a few people were evacuated but all in all, no injuries at all. I've updated my Flickr account with some more pics, if anyone wants to check 'em out.

The girls had school today but I kept them out anyway. Apparently, there were over 300 kids absent from the schools today! Lots of people got evacuated and didn't even get home until late last night. The girls were exhausted and I decided to keep them home to rest. Besides, Youngesthad to go to the pedi for a burst eardrum. The poor kid, she was in quite a bit of pain last night. Now, it's just leaking. I know - gross!

Well, off to try to stuff these little buggers into bed. G'night!

Posted by Cate at 08:31 PM | Comments (8)

May 08, 2007

Goooood morning

I can't tell you how many times I have sat at my desk with MT opened and ready for a brandy new entry...

I've got nuthin'.

Sure, I could write about my foot but hey, even I'm tired of hearing about my foot. Oooh - I think I need to get my foot re-casted. From all of the sitting and resting I've been doing ::snicker::, I have managed to crack the fiberglass cast right under my toes, thus causing a cast malfunction. I'll be back at my ortho's office at 145 this afternoon. Maybe I'll be able to get my hot pink cast after all. Right now, it's purple. The kids have been begging to sign it but

My weekend at the dude ranch was fun - painful, but fun. We visitied Pine Grove Ranch in Kerhonkson, New York. It wasn't bad... the rooms weren't as nice as I had hoped. I knew it wasn't going to be the Hilton or anything but the three rooms that our troop had booked were very musty. The carpets, oy. The ranch was a bit more run-down than I had imagined. The biggest disappointment was that the girls only got one chance to ride the horses. The were able to wait in a stand-by line in the hopes that they could ride again. Fat chance there. Other girl scout troops stood in line for over three hours before they got a chance to ride again. The girls were very disappointed, especially Eldest.

We did have other registered activities - laser tag, which was held in the basement and smelled terribly of mold and mildew. I can only imagine the size of the mold spores that were floating through the air. Ewwwwww! The girls had a blast anyway. They also rode on the paddleboats, did some fishing, rock climbing wall.. Of course, there was a TON of walking, up and down stairs, hills...UGH.

I'm off to the shower so I don't scare the doctor. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 11:10 AM | Comments (1)

April 29, 2007

It hurrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttssssssssss

I'm back home... my foot is awful.. purple on both sides and swollen like you would not believe. I am going to the ER first thing in the AM.

Hey - I can't miss The Sopranos!

The troop trip.. ehh.. not that great. Will blog more later. Time to put the foot up and chill.

Posted by Cate at 06:20 PM | Comments (4)

April 26, 2007

Sad but true

My week has been like this:

Posted by Cate at 07:44 AM | Comments (4)

April 24, 2007

What's Happening???

Wow - the time does fly on by at a most rapid pace!

Thank you so much for all of your kind words about Husband and the Board of Education election. I think he did a fantastic job at making sure our second question was voted down.

Lately, I've been busy with the girls' schools, helping out here and there. I've also been attending my PTA meetings too. Oh, can't forget Girl Scouts too! In fact, Eldest and I, as well as eight other girls and four moms from our troop, are heading to a dude ranch in upstate New York. We are all SO excited! I've been packing bags and plannign car activities for the girls. So far, I've photocopied a load of Mad Libs and I have a few other games in mind - license plate game, make the truckers honk are two that come to mind.

Youngestis bummed but it's not her troop so she doesn't get to go. Besides, she will be getting some special Grammy and Daddy time the entire weekend. She is also attending her Opening Day ceremonies for her T-ball team. She's LOVING T-ball and she's pretty damn good at it too! The coach is a nice guy and pretty laid back and I like that AND - Youngestalso has two pretty good buddies on the team too. Can't beat that formula.

Well, off to make more copies!

Posted by Cate at 01:56 PM | Comments (3)

April 12, 2007

Spring Break for WHOM?

Yesterday it felt like I spent the entire day in the car, driving kids here and there and back again. At one point, I had managed to farm out relocate both the girls to two different houses. Booyah!

Around 8pm last night, myself and two of my friends hit a local bar/restaurant for a girls night out. Oh boy, did I need that. We had a great time, only staying out until 1130pm. One of my friend's convinced her husband to chauffer us to and from the bar. How awesome is that? We each had a drink (or four), a few munchies and POOF! Back home in style.

Gotta love good times with good friends.

Still no word about the campaign signs. At this point, I just want all of this done and over with ASAP. Tuesday can't get here fast enough!

Posted by Cate at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2007

Bastards

Three more of his signs are gone.

Raging mad is an understatement.

Posted by Cate at 05:11 PM | Comments (1)

April 09, 2007

Playing Dirty

Ohhh man - I haven't blogged for a few days on purpose.

Anyone remember that I mentioned that Husband was running for our local Board of Ed? We bought 24 *really* nice signs and placed them out around town last Saturday. Some of our friends and acquaintances allowed us to place them on their lawn.

Well, as you may have already guessed, four of our campaign signs have disappeared, one of which was on private property. Needless to say, we are pretty pissed. Of course, we have no idea who might have removed them. Perhaps Husband is making sense and some people might not like that? I can't really even get into it any more that what I have already.

In other news, I just bought some mp3s from iTunes - Justin Timberlake (SexyBack), All-American Rejects (Move Along), Christina Aguilera (Candyman), Gwen Stefani (Sweet Escape, Wind It Up) and a few others. Yeah yeah.. I know.. but I think Justin is so adorable. ::sigh:: I'm only 10 years older than him too. LOL.

So - what the hell has everyone been up to lately???

Posted by Cate at 01:55 PM | Comments (9)

April 04, 2007

More dang rain!

Argh - I've had enough rain! Enough already!

Today was Youngest's class "Spring Party". They had a healthy breakfast (mini bagels and fruit), had an egg hunt and finished up a craft from the other day. We only had 90 minutes for their party. The kids had a blast - candy galore. At one point, one of the little boys in the class was jumping up and down chanting "Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!"

I wonder if he gets sugar at home?

It was fun to plan. I'm lucky again this year and I have very cooperative parents to help with the parties. Eldest's class party is tomorrow and there will only be two parents who can attend - me and the class mom. She was originally not planning on coming due to her work schedule but, at the last minute, she was able to change her plans. Thank goodness because I wasn't looking forward to running Eldest's class party all alone. Fifth graders are a little harder to please than first graders!

I've got to get a jump on the laundry and clean the bathrooms. Talk about scary! I also need some coffee... mmm...coffee... Anyone else want a cup? I've got a Wawa right around the corner!

Posted by Cate at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2007

Out of My Mind

All the work that's involved with Husband running for the local Board of Education has my head just spinning. We've run into a few minor snags and one pretty damn major problem that I am attempting to fix today. Without getting into too many details, let's just say that my local printer has to do something big to fix a large problem. But, it IS fixable (I hope!) and I am waiting to hear back from them. Oy, either damage control or Girl Scouts will kill me eventually.

Speaking of waiting, don't you just hate having to wait to hear back from someone? My stomach is, literally, in knots as I type. Blah.

I am approaching major burnout quite rapidly. I can't wait for the election to be over! Of course, I hope Husband wins because I think he has so much to offer our school district. Obviously, I can't get into major details but he does stand a very good chance of winning. There are three seats open and five people running.

I miss visiting all my blog friends! How are all of you today?

Posted by Cate at 11:53 AM | Comments (4)

March 14, 2007

No worries

Just mega busy... I missed AI last night due to an out of town Girl Scout meeting for leaders. I will have to be sure to catch the guys performance tonight.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 08:33 AM | Comments (2)

March 09, 2007

Bummer

We didn't get Snickers. I don't know who is more disappointed -me or Eldest.

Poop.

Posted by Cate at 06:34 PM | Comments (5)

Sent in

I wrote the note pleading Snickers cause. Let's hope we win get chosen. I don't know what will happen to Eldest if she isn't the lucky new owner. Oy. In other news, she did brush her teeth this morning.

Ok, what the hell happened with AI last night? Sundance gone but Farrah Fawcett..err.. Sanjaya stays? Hello? America, once again, you have disappointed me. I am still not over the loss of Elliot from last season. I can't wait to pick up his new cd!

My pick for this year's AI winner - Melinda Doolittle. What do YOU think?

Posted by Cate at 09:07 AM | Comments (1)

Sent in

I wrote the note pleading Snickers cause. Let's hope we win get chosen. I don't know what will happen to Eldest if she isn't the lucky new owner. Oy. In other news, she did brush her teeth this morning.

Ok, what the hell happened with AI last night? Sundance gone but Farrah Fawcett..err.. Sanjaya stays? Hello? America, once again, you have disappointed me. I am still not over the loss of Elliot from last season. I can't wait to pick up his new cd!

My pick for this year's AI winner - Melinda Doolittle. What do YOU think?

Posted by Cate at 09:07 AM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2007

Almost Sunday

Hello peeps- at least the few that might still be dropping by this dusty old blog. Things have been so insane around here that I barely have time to blog. Husband is looking to run for our local BOE and I've been busy helping him. It's going to keep him busier than normal so we're in the process of attempting to close up all the loose ends in our home. We did file our taxes today - thank you Turbo Tax. God, I love that program! So easy to use.

Youngestis hosting her fist sleepover tonight. The big bonus to this is that Eldest is friends with this little girl's big sister. Booyah! So, hopefully, I've got two sleeping seven year olds by now. Youngestwas definitely sleepy and her buddy was practically falling off the air mattress. LOL.

Ok - I'm watching VH-1 right now and I just saw a commercial for Andrew Dice Clay's new reality show. Good God almighty. Dice? He sucks ass.

Ok.. I'm beat. Hope you are all well.

Posted by Cate at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's off to Mom's I go
with baskets three
of laaaaundry

Hi ho...

Posted by Cate at 11:07 AM | Comments (1)

February 18, 2007

All is not lost

We've found a suitable replacement for our beloved Fronty.

Please welcome the new and improved Fronty 2!

Yes, I know the name is quite similar, but it suits her so nicely. She will be coming home to us on Friday. Oh God, want to know much laundry can we amass by Friday? Quite a bit.

I guarantee it.

Posted by Cate at 04:23 PM | Comments (4)

Washing Machine Saga - Part Deux

The Eulogy

It's dead Jim.

The washer. It's dead. Almost 10 full years of hard work and dedication - gone. Husband tried to save it as he had done many times before but alas, the poor front loading washing machine didn't pull through and is now living in the big laundry room up in the sky.

The only thing I'm happy about is that the dryer didn't give up the fight and it still currently with us. There are no signs of illness but we will be keeping a watchful eye on its situation.

I feel like I should have a special ceremony for the washer. I'd hold it in the backyard but it's so cold outside. A burial is out of the question - the ground is frozen. And, of course, one can't actually flush a washing machine either.

This machine was such an important part of our lives. A very necessary part. But, as they say in the laundry world, you are only as good as your last spin cycle. So, this morning, we are off to Lowes to find a suitable (and inexpensive) replacement for Fronty the front loader.

You will be missed. RIP Fronty.

Posted by Cate at 09:09 AM | Comments (2)

February 17, 2007

Just three words

I've got three words that can stike up fear in any mother's heart.

Dead washing machine.

Stay tuned

Posted by Cate at 07:45 PM | Comments (6)

January 29, 2007

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Well, it's finally happened. Something I've been dreading for quite a while. It was going to arrive, whether I wanted it or not.

Snow day. School closed. ::insert scary music:::

Actually, it hasn't been so bad. The girls have been outside for about 45 minutes, just having a good time. Check out my Flickr page today's snow pics.

Posted by Cate at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2007

Presents Put To Good Use

For Christmas, I requested (and received) a bread machine and a crockpot. I made french bread the other day and the girls scarfed it down. Tonight, I broke out the crockpot and made beef stew with carrots, celery, and onions. I prepared a garden salad and garlic bread to accompany the stew.

Yum!

Posted by Cate at 06:19 PM | Comments (5)

January 23, 2007

Hello hello!

My poor neglected blog!

The past few days have been a whirlwind of Girl Scouts, afterschool activities for both girls, school meetings, birthday parties, colds, and Board of Ed meetings. Wow, I've just summed it all up in one sentence. I'd love to spend a day just lying supine on my chaise lounge, having my (imaginary) pool boy feed me grapes.

Righto.

Husband is still sick. It's been over two weeks. He's had a most particularly nasty cough that just won't go away. He's not bringing up anything nor does he seem congested. I am quite concerned and nagged expressed my opinion that he see the doctor again today and have an xray scheduled. He went to our doctor who did want him to have bloodwork done and he also wants a chest xray taken. Fingers crossed for good news.

Youngesthad her seventh birthday party at a party place that specializes in themed parties. It was around $350 but they did everything. All I needed to bring were cupcakes since Youngestcouldn't eat the cake they provided. She had 14 friends attend and they all had a fantastic time. Check out my flickr page for a cute picture of Youngestdressed as a wizard. I can't post the other pictures with the other kids but they looked cute as heck too! I can't believe my little baby is seven. ::sigh::

Speaking of babies, my brother and his wife (who just got married in June) are expecting!! I'm going to be an auntie again!!!!! I'm so excited - I love babies! I've got a trip to Osh Kosh B'Gosh all planned out for a pair of those little overalls! Both of my girls had pink overalls with a matching hat AND sneakers. Adorable!

Ok - off to whip up dinner before racing out the door at 615pm for Eldest's chorus concert. Oy already!

Posted by Cate at 04:45 PM | Comments (1)

January 21, 2007

Lordy Lord!

I am actually blogging.. I almost forgot how.

Just kidding. LIke I'd ever shup up, blogging OR speaking.

How the hell are ya?

Posted by Cate at 07:56 PM | Comments (4)

January 03, 2007

First post of the year

Wow - I've already screwed up one of my resolutions to blog every day.

Sheesh

I've been baking this morning - chocolate cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting. Yum. Homemade frosting is really the way to go. It is so easy to make and it really tastes so much better that the store bought crap. The cupcakes are for Youngestand her class in order to celebrate her birthday. It was 12/30 and, obviously, the class was on Christmas vacation. I'll be bringing them into school shortly.

Her birthday party will be 1/21. It's a Wizard School-themed party in one of those party places. This will be her last "big" party. After this, it's dvds and a sleepover. God help me. I was out delivering invitations this morning and I have more to deliver. I am hoping that her teacher can hand some out for me. We didn't invite the whole class, just kids that she likes and aren't little dirtbags. I knocked a few kids off the list just because they have a horrific lack of manners. I will not pay a lot of money for OPKs (Other Peoples Kids) to be rude to me. Oh, I don't THINK so.

I'll be very sweet and post the cupcake and the icing recipe below. Enjoy!

For the record - these are allergen-free for Olivia.

Chocolate Layer Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon or wire whisk until batter is smooth and ingredients are well mixed.

Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cook in pans for 10 minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool.

Frost when completely cooled.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Prepare batter as above. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. Fill almost full and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until done. Let cool on wire racks then frost.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place margarine, honey and vanilla in mixing bowl. Next sift cocoa into bowl. Using electric beaters at low speed, cream these ingredients together. Add water and sift powdered sugar into mixture. Beat with electric beaters on medium speed until well mixed.

Posted by Cate at 11:15 AM | Comments (6)

December 27, 2006

Out of the Office

The girls and I will be gallivanting with some friends around Easton, Pennsylvania today to check out this place again. If we have time, we might even go to the Pez Museum.

Have fun today. I know we will!

Posted by Cate at 07:46 AM | Comments (2)

December 20, 2006

It's Party Time!

This week is a blur! Youngestwas home sick on Monday and was sent home early yesterday. Let me tell ya, asthma's a bitch. We've had two Girl Scout parties, Youngest's class party is today, Eldest's tomorrow... I haven't wrapped a DAMN thing.. ARRGGHH!!

I did whip up a couple batches of cut-out cookies shaped like a wreath. Next time I make them, I will tint the dough green instead of sprinkling green and red sugar on them. They are still pretty tasty anyway and very easy to make. Gotta like that!

So, for Youngest's party, I am bringing in the wreath cookies, brownies, and Rice Crispy treats. There will also be chips, pretzels, other cookies, fruit, and probably loads of candy. Yum!

I've got a gift card to break in so I'm off to do a coffee run at Wawa. I needs me some caffeine. I haven't had a chance to really catch up on my blog reads! I miss you all!!

Posted by Cate at 11:58 AM | Comments (5)

December 15, 2006

Wow

I thought I might have forgotten my way here! Glad I didn't.

Life - oh my. Absolute craziness. I cannot believe how much is going on with the girls. From an outsider's perspective, I am very well organized. To the insider who knows better, I get a lot of things done on a last minute basis. Sometimes, it's just easier. Decisions are made much easier when there is a huge amount of pressure.

I"ve got a ton of presents to wrap. How about you?

Posted by Cate at 05:46 PM | Comments (5)

December 04, 2006

21 Days.....

Are you ready for some Christmas?

Yeah, me either. I've got to finish up my shopping and start wrapping gifts. I think Eldest is quite suspicious of us this year. Perhaps the end of Santa? I hope not....

Still working on the house. We've had, in the past week, some minor setbacks. When we got back from Hoboken last week, we disovered that we had no heat. Yes, this problem has happened before. Of course, we didn't have the part and we needed to wait until Monday. Thank goodness Husband can fix the furnace! My oven is also busted. The stove top works but not the oven. I hope to God that the part is available today.

In holiday news, I've got a lot of my Christmas decorations up and Husband will, in his spare time (hahahahaha), hang some lights outside. The schedule is getting crazier with the addition of holiday/Christmas parties, birthday parties, end of year wrap up with Girl Scouts... etc etc etc....

I'm hoping to finish up (or actually START) my Christmas cards soon. If you want to exchange with me, shoot me an email. The address is up there somewhere.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2006

Vacation - all I ever wanted...

The girls have a full week off from school this week. There is a teacher convention in Atlantic City on Thursday and Friday. Our schools don't close for Columbus Day. So, add that with Veterans Day, it somehow works out to the whole week off for us! Of course, half of the girls' friends are all down in Florida for "Jersey Week" in Disneyworld.

I have a bit of a rant about that. Why do people go to Disney more than once a year? What is SO darn exciting about another overly-priced theme park? Even if I *could* afford for the family to go to Disney 3-4 times a year, why would I *want* to go 3-4 times a year? OK, so maybe it is a little bit of sour grapes but I am really enjoying my week with the girls just by staying close to home. Eldest had a sleepover last night and today, we bowl at 4pm! Actually, the girls are pretty excited about bowling with their friends. Well, that and the promised McD's trip afterwards. LOL.

I had a dentist appointment this morning for a cleaning. Man, I hate having that friggin' iron hook in my mouth. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. :::shudder::: But, I have awesome teeth and I do love they way they feel so darn smooth after my cleaning. LOVE IT! I have to tell you that the hygenist (whom I vaguely remember from a Girl Scout event) kept asking me questions while her hands were in my mouth.

Hygenist: So, are there any trips to Radio City Music Hall through Girl Scouts?
Me: Humppht thftpt brpllyr newthyt yrkthy thrpits
Hygenist: Really!
Me: ::insert more gibberish:::

Sounds like fun, eh?

Posted by Cate at 02:33 PM | Comments (3)

November 03, 2006

BOO!

Just thought I'd surprise anyone who decided to pop on over for a visit by actually updating my blog.

Imagine that.

What can I say? Things are extremely busy around Casa de Katespot. Halloween was fun. The girls had a great time. We visited a very creepy house and trick or treated with some friends. A good time was definitely had by all. Check out Spy Girl and Lil Cutie Witch ::View image::.

What else, what else?

Oh, I might be losing my assistant leader for my Junior troop. That sucks since I don't have anyone else who can step in her place. I'm kinds bummed about that. I understand her reasons for stepping down, one of which is that her daughter isn't into it anymore but there is a really large impact on the rest of the troop. I must have two adults (myself and another) at the meetings. Crap. I might have to change my meeting time, place and/or day in order to get someone else to help. That *really* sucks. ::sigh::

I've got my appointment with the speech therapist on Friday. I'm looking forward to that - if anything, it will be interesting! Especially since I am starting to get another cold. Ha! At least I don't sound all loverly like Eliza Doolittle. (LOVE this movie!)

While writing this, my computer tanked. LUCKILY, I had saved a copy of this post in MT and MS Word. Go me.

:::sitting back down:::

Ok, had to get myself a glass of wine second cup o'swill. I'm sitting in the dark computer room, drinking white zin from a water cup (Yes, I know I really need a set of wine glasses.), catching up on some of my long lost pals. I miss my daily reads. I've just been burned out and needed a chance to recharge. I think it worked....

Anyway, off to have more wine then pass out. G'nite!

Posted by Cate at 08:28 PM | Comments (4)

October 30, 2006

OK

I'm alive!

Super busy - need to reorganize some things but will be back shortly!

{{{hugs}}} to all!

Posted by Cate at 12:23 PM | Comments (1)

October 25, 2006

"Behind the Scenes" at Kate's House

I haven't been writing about some of the medical issues going on around here. With the exception of Eldest, the rest of us have been under the weather, so to speak.

I have been having feeling a lot of stress on my vocal chords for quite a long time, on and off for about five years now. My primary doctor had suggested the possibility of nodules. I went to an ENT on Monday. The doctor said I am a "Voice Professional". Of course I talk a lot - I'm *really* involved in a lot of different things and, besides, I'm a Mom. What Mom doesn't have voice issues? After discussing some things with me, the ENT decided to get an up close and personal view of my vocal chords by doing a procedure called nasolaryngoscopy. You may be asking yourself, what kind of procedure is a nasolaryngoscopy?

Nasolaryngoscopy is the passage of a small, flexible fiberoptic scope through the nasal passage to gain a direct view of the structures in the nose, nasopharynx, and larynx and allow for clear identification of potential disease.

In English?

The doc stuck a tube UP my nose and down the back of my throat. I'll wait while you all say eww eww eww. Now ladies, as you are well aware, we have procedures done with tubes and swabs all the time. We have almost become accustomed conditioned to being uncomfortable. Almost. This is just another orafice and another tube and it was uncomfortable. VERY uncomfortable. Thank goodness it was over fairly quickly. Luckily, I have no nodules on my vocal chords. ::phew::

I do have an appointment with a speech pathologist in order to test my voice and make sure there's no damage. I found that a little interesting. I might also have Reflux Laryngitis, which could be caused by heartburn. The doctor gave me a scrpit for the little purple pill. Hopefully, that will work. I don't want to sound like Rita Cosby. Click on any of her videos and listen to her voice. The poor woman sounds just terrible!

Posted by Cate at 07:52 AM | Comments (9)

October 24, 2006

Chilly Tuesday

Husband and I attended a wedding on Saturday. Our neighbors' daughter got married in a lovely ceremony and one helluva fun reception. I discovered a tasty drink - Vodka Seven. Man, those were AWESOME! I think I had about seven or eight of them. I know I danced a LOT too. I managed to snap a picture of Husband and myself even though I was slightly tipsy bombed.
I've hidden it in the extended entry.

I'm off to do some errands. Catch ya later.

Posted by Cate at 10:39 AM | Comments (8)

October 10, 2006

The idea well is running dry...

How much day to day stuff can I post here? I mean, it's always the same damn thing....

Had to get that out of my system. I want to publicly thank Joanie for her generous (and unexpected!) gift of upgrading my Flickr account. Thank you again my friend. {{{hugs}}}

I've been behind in all of my endeavors - class mom, troop leader, bylaws chair (PTA) as well as the house and home and all that entails. Most Some days, it feels like I am vainly trying to swim upstream and obviously getting nowhere. ::sigh:: I must prioritize - but - where to begin?

Geez, what a Debbie Downer post. Ok, I'm off to finish something.

Posted by Cate at 01:57 PM | Comments (2)

October 07, 2006

S A T U R D A Y!

Wheee - I caught the girls' colds! Ain't I the lucky gal? So, I've been chowing down Robitussin and ibuprofen with lots and lots of water. I still feel quite thirsty but if I don't take the cold meds, I think my sinuses would explode! Plus, I have a nasty cough too. I'm giving myself until Monday and hope that I am feeling better by then. If not, I"m going to attempt to visit my doctor. Maybe I'll get an appointment by Wednesday, just before my mammogram. It would suck to have a wicked coughing jag with my breast all smooshed in the machine. OUCH!

The girls and I rented a couple movies yesterday - Brother Bear II (SNOOZE!) and RV (FUNNY!). I also have Benchwarmers, Bad News Bears, and Secondhand Lions to watch. I'm tv'ed out because I've been on the couch for most of the day. Every time I'd sit on the couch, one of the girls would sit THISCLOSE to me or they'd on my lap. It got to the point where I would just sit on the floor so they would leave me alone. God - that sounds so terrible when I type it out but I really needed them to just leave me alone!

I have more to write out but I'm still feeling blah. The couch is calling my name so I'm outta here... Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 11:10 PM | Comments (5)

September 29, 2006

Fun Filled Friday

I've had a busy and, dare I say, productive day. I met a prospective Girl Scout leader whom I enjoyed interviewing, stopped at the butcher shop for my deli order, fresh mozzerella with roasted peppers, and two loaves of Italian bread. Also managed to squeeze in a one mile walk with my neighbor since I didn't get to Curves this morning.

Tonight I've got a Girl Scout event - Bingo and Ice Cream night for all the girls who registered by July 31. Should be a lot of fun as I've got both of my troops attending at the same time. The Juniors will help me with the little Brownies and I think all will go well ::fingers crossed::

I got an email from a reader (can't believe I even have many readers left!) who is hosting his own blogathon event to raise money for his cousin's son who suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta. If you are looking for more information, just check out Joe's blog and all the info is right there. Good luck Joe!

Posted by Cate at 03:48 PM | Comments (2)

September 26, 2006

Back on Track

Well, the girls made the bus this morning. Hooray!

Actually, we've been doing much better about getting Eldest up in the morning. SHE doesn't enjoy it and, frankly speaking, we don't either. Her alarm goes off at 615am and she drags herself out of bed. Most of the time she's ok. There have been a few mornings where she's an absolute bear. Oy. Besides, if she misses her bus, then I would have to really change up my morning. That's not a good thing.

I made it to Curves by 845am this morning. And, that was AFTER my oil change appointment. Heck, I even made it to Kohls and K*mart too! Now I"m home and ready for lunch! LOL.

Posted by Cate at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2006

Whatever...

I'm still around...

You know, in case anyone was wondering.

: - )

Posted by Cate at 07:55 AM | Comments (3)

August 27, 2006

Happy Sunday

WHEW!

I can't believe that school startes a week from this Wednesday. Not too much time left on summer vacation. Youngesthad a small dance recital on Saturday. It was awfully cute watching her in her hip-hop routine. Unfortunately, she has learned how to shake her little bum as well. Eeeek.

Let's see, what else? Oh, attempting to catch up on GS stuff for both troops. I think we've got a decent year planned out. Eldest's troop is saving money to go up to a dude ranch in upstate NY in the spring. They are all VERY excited about that. Heck, *I'm* excited about that! Youngestwants her troop to go but they are still a little young for a weekend away. I'm not ready to drag 16 little first graders out of state!

Tomorrow, the girls and I are headed to Staten Island to visit my step-sister and her daughter. We are all looking forward to that. Usually, our schedules are so crazy, it's hard to coordinate anything. I hope the weather holds up but, if it tanks, we'll go to the movies instead.

In home improvement news, the old bathroom is looking better and better. It's been difficult to invest a serious amount of time into it due to our crazy schedules last week. Today, Husband had to move and solder some pipes. We managed a quick run to (Home Away From) Home Depot for yet another sheet of sheetrock as well as $30 of assorted plumbing bits. The other day he brought home the new vanity and counter. The bathroom is going to look great. The walls, well, they are going to be somewhat plain and beige-ish. So, I am going to go with a funky shower curtain and towels. I'm thinking red!

Ok - I'm off to bed. G'night!

Posted by Cate at 11:29 PM | Comments (1)

August 12, 2006

Fabulous Day!

The weather has been so fantastic the past few days that I didn't even bother to post! High 80's, clear sunny skies... just gorgeous weather! We did get one freaky thunderstorm on Thursday for about an hour and then we lost power later that evening. Related? Not sure but thank goodness the weather was so cool or we would have roasted!

So, what have I been doing? Well, visiting the beach again, chauffering the kids around, horseback riding lessons, hip-hop classes, Girl Scout stuff, hosting sleepovers and playdates, that kind of fun. I worked with a friend today, cleaning houses on Long Beach Island. Not my favorite job but hey, it's a job nonetheless.

I'll try to get back into the swing of things as I can see that a regular schedule is necessary. I can't believe school starts in a mere 24 days. That just doesn't seem right...

Posted by Cate at 05:54 PM | Comments (1)

August 07, 2006

Four weeks left

I've got four full weeks left of summer vacation. Where has the time gone? I can tell you where some of my time has been spent - I have been busy playing on Flickr. Talk about addicting....

I have been remiss about blogging lately. We have been doing a lot of work around the house in an attempt to finish up all the small jobs that needeed to be completed. We finished cleaning out our old master bedroom and, as it stands right now, it looks pretty nice. Of course, the paint needs to be touched up and the carpet needs a heavy duty steam cleaning.

The girls have been playing in here already. In fact, this morning, they scared the crap out of me by hiding in the closet.
When I woke up, I walked into the bedroom (where the computre is) with a cup of coffee and turned on the computer. While sitting here and drinking my coffee, I heard a subtle rattling noise. I walk over to the closet, concerned there was a mouse or some other critter in my room. When I opened the door, this is what I found:

At first, I was pissed because they DID manage to startle me.. and I hate that feeling. So, I scolded them and immediately felt bad once I saw the disappointed looks on their faces. Bad mommy. So, I made it up to them by letting them watch SpongeBob. And, as you all know, Spongebob makes it all better.

Ok, I'm off to prepare for the beach! Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 09:15 AM | Comments (3)

August 04, 2006

Can you find Katespot?

AS you can only imagine - I have been pretty dang busy this past week. Let me give you some highlights...

1. Visiting Mom in the hospital. She was discharged yesterday so now I'll be going to the house to help her out.

2. The heat. Hey, Mother Nature, you can turn off the friggin' heat. We've had a few days over 100 degrees.

3. Speaking of heat, of COURSE poor Eldest has Girl Scout camp during the absolute hottest week during the summer. By the time she gets home, she's just drained.

4. Movies! Goody bags! Pizza! Today is Eldest's birthday party. So what that's it's being held almost a month after her birthday. Eldest and seven of her buddies will be attending the local movie theater to see Monster House. After the movie, we're going to hit the local pizza place for birthday pizza. Yum!

5. BBQ - I've got family coming down tomorrow for a small family "thing". You know, food, swimming, food...

I've got to bolt. Things to do!

Stay cool!

Posted by Cate at 12:16 PM | Comments (2)

July 24, 2006

So it begins

Let's play a little game called Good News/Bad News.

Good News - Mom's surgery went well.
Bad News - She's still in a lot of pain.
Better - I am going to be able to check on her tomorrow too.

Good News - Husband made dinner.
Bad news - It didn't turn out quite right.
Better - The kids really liked it!

Good news - I did all the laundry last night.
Bad news - The water heater crapped out.
Worse - We can't replace it until tomorrow.
Even worse - No hot water.
Better - I don't have to do the dishes.
Not So Good - No showers and smelly dishes in the sink.

Good news - Husband will be home tomorrow
Bad news - He will most likely be spending it cursing at the old or new hot water heater.

Best news of all - I've got a box of this stuff and I'm chugging away. Yeah, it's cheap but, right now, I don't give a crap. I've got a sinkload of stinky dishes and I'm boiling water so I can wash them.

Freakin' JOY!

Posted by Cate at 09:59 PM | Comments (2)

July 16, 2006

Weekly update

Well, it seems I am able to update pretty much every two days. Boy, my stats have certainly tanked. I can't imagine why...

I've joined up with Flickr and plan on posting some pictures there. I think I can take some pretty nice photographs. I've added a few to start and posted the badge on my sidebar.

Whaddya think?

Posted by Cate at 10:05 PM | Comments (5)

July 11, 2006

Just an FYI

Did you know...

there's only 166 days until Christmas?

Posted by Cate at 10:37 PM | Comments (2)

July 10, 2006

Is this blog on?

:::tap tap:::

Hello?

So much to report - we;ve been pretty busy as usual and I can't believe I'm not blogging like I used to! Could it be that I am running out of things to say? Me? Speechless?

Nahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Let's see..

1. Eldest turned ten on Saturday. My baby is ten. TEN! That's just not right.

2. We all went to the beach on Friday. The weather was gorgeous - high 80's and no humidity. We met up with my friend who has two kids - one of which is one of Eldest's best buddies. An added bonus, it was free beach badge day since Starbucks bought up roughly 1,500 day passes. Plus, I got to sample their new drink - a Pomogranate frappuccino. Yum!

3. Saturday was also garage sale day at my house. Suffice it to say, I think a lot of people are freaks. I didn't think that there were that many weirdos around!

4. Deadwood tonight - WHOA! That fight scene between Dan and the Captain was awful! Husband and I both yelled out when the eye was popped out of the socket. GROSS!!

5. Eldest has 5 days of gym camp this week. Thank God. She needs to get out for a while!

6. Today would have been my Dad's 65th birthday. Lordy, I miss him so much.

I've got to get to sleep. G'night!

Posted by Cate at 12:14 AM | Comments (5)

July 01, 2006

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Saturday!

Again, busy busy busy!

Today, my brother and his wife will be coming down to take the girls out to lunch and the movies. I think they are going to see Cars. I'm thrilled because the girls have been wanting to see this movie and I had NO intention of taking them. I am already SO sick and tired of seeing the products, the commercials... UGH! Thank you Pixar for the UBER-mass media blitz on this movie. Enough already!

Hopefully, while the girls are out, Husband and I can make a run to Home Depot and pick out a paint color for the girls bathroom. It's a sad sort of minty color. It looked better on the card than it did on my walls. But, it went up anyway and now, eight years later, it's time for a change.

So, I'm off to make myself presentable. Have a great weekend everyone.

Posted by Cate at 08:23 AM | Comments (1)

June 26, 2006

It's time...

Time for an update, eh? I guess my stats have completely tanked and it's time to rebuild. I haven't even had time to visit all my buds. I miss you guys! {{{hugs}}}

We are all doing fine. We've just been busy working on the kitchen. The base moulding is in place and Husband is in the process of patching, sanding and painting the walls where they meet the ceiling. I've got stuff piled all over and we keep moving the piles back and forth. I truly can't wait for everything to be done!

I've been busy with Girl Scout stuff, already preparing for the 2006-2007 school year. I've got to meet up with my assistants from both troops and plan out our meeting schedule and badge work. I'm thinking it should be done over a glass (or two) of wine. It might get the creativity flowing...

Oh, can anyone sugggest an easy photo editing program? I am not a Photoshop expert and I need something that can remove red eye in the simple click of a button.. stuff like that..

Ok, I've got to run. The girls have an appointment with the allergist at 1030am. See ya!

Posted by Cate at 09:39 AM | Comments (3)

June 23, 2006

Blending

I am finding that my days are starting to blend together. School and all of the extracuricular activities helped me remember all the setails. When summer shows up, my brain turns to mush! I have been reading the Lord of the Rings set. The girls got me that for Mothers day and I was just able to crack the first one open last week.

I had a whole post composed and then I made the mistake of turning on the television and found this:

80's Gold TV! With RICK SPRINGFIELD! On the infomercial! I was like, Oh my GOD - kill me now.
But, the music sounds pretty awesome - like, fer sure!

Posted by Cate at 08:09 AM | Comments (2)

June 20, 2006

Another beautiful day

We're off to Long Beach Island!

The girls and I are meeting some friends up at the beach around 10am. I can't wait. I'm bringing my camera because, well, that's what I do best. So, stay tuned and more pics will be coming.

CIAO!

Posted by Cate at 08:33 AM | Comments (1)

June 19, 2006

Wha happened?

POOF!

The weekend is over and my summer vacation has started. HOORAY!

The girls' last day of school was Friday. After school, the girls had a birthday pool party to attend. Of course, they had a great time. On Saturday, they had ANOTHER birthday pool party. While we were at the party, Husband helped out a neighbor install his pool liner. He's been helping them with pool questions for the past two years. They are really nice people and he doesn't mind helping them. So, the liner is all hooked up, the pool is filling and I get a phone call (while still at the birthday party) from Husband telling me that we are all invited over for a BBQ. COOL! So, when I got home, I made up a bowl of pasta salad, picked up some chips and off we went.

Around 9pm, the pool liner slipped off the track. Pissed doesn't even begin to describe it. They called it a night and when we all got home, Husband jumped on the 'net to try to find out more info about the pool liner. He made arrangements to come back over on Sunday to work on the liner again. The neighbors also bought 15 bags of sand to place under the liner. I had their 2 kids over to swim in our pool with Eldest and Youngestwhile Husband was over there helping them. They ended up buying another 15 bags of sand. Turns out there was hardly any sand at the bottom of the pool and, due to the lack of sand, Husband thinks that's what caused their original liner to tear.

Oh - the joys of pool ownership.

ANYWAY, Husband and I are starting to move into the new bedroom. We hit a snag this weekend when he was helping our neigbors. Hopefully this week, we can get a lot more done. I haven't posted new pics in a while so check back soon!

Posted by Cate at 11:00 AM | Comments (1)

June 13, 2006

Happy Happy!

Here's some fascinating trivia - The celebrities that share my birthday.

Birthdays

1986 Mary-Kate Olsen (actress, music, fashion)
1985 Ashley Olsen (actress, music, fashion)
1985 Raz-B (rapper)
1970 Rivers Cuomo (singer)
1969 Jamie Walters (singer, actor, guitarist)
1962 Ally (Alexandra) Sheedy (actress)
1954 Tim Allen (actor)
1951 Richard Thomas (actor)
1943 Malcolm McDowell (actor)
1940 Bobby Freeman (singer)
1926 Husband Lynde (comedian)
1916 Mary Wickes (Wickenhauser) (actress)
1915 Don Budge (tennis)

I found this too - On This Day....

I'll be offline most of the day. I've got a PTA breakfast, a birthday luncheon with Mom, dinner with the family and a Girl Scout interview at 630pm. Busy Busy!

Posted by Cate at 07:45 AM | Comments (19)

May 31, 2006

Howdy!

Just thought I'd say hello... just to see who the heck is awake out there in blogville.

I've been cooking up a storm - cupcakes, cookies, salisbury steaks... Youngestwill be eating well tomorrow and Friday! I've got to pack up SO much STUFF!

ACK!

Posted by Cate at 08:56 PM | Comments (5)

Freak Out

Good morning people!

Of course, as usual, I have been extremely busy. My brother's wedding is Friday so I have been running around like a doofus, making sure everything is ready. The place where we will be eating the night before the wedding isn't really safe for Miss O. So, I will be preparing her food and they can reheat it for her. The restaurant where the reception will be held was much more helpful and will have some foods aside for Miss O. When I spoke with the people there, they assured me that they could prepare food for her, if needed. I will have some things for her, just in case.

I'd love to write more but I've got quite a few things to do this morning. So, what the hell is going on with you guys?!?!

Posted by Cate at 07:06 AM | Comments (1)

May 24, 2006

Do the humpty dance

It is Hump Day...

To recap Monday - aside from the "minor problem" - I had a great day. My stepmom came down and we went out to lunch at Fridays before setting up at the community center. Millie worked her butt off helping me set up and, when the girls came in, helped them make their situpons. Luckily, Mom also showed up early too and she also helped a couple of the girls with their situpons. Thanks Mom and Millie! {{{hugs}}}

Eldest had her horseback riding lessons yesterday and she did stay on top of the horse. No more dirt diving please. My heart can't handle it.

SPEAKING of heart - who the hell watched House last night? Those BASTARDS! I love me some Hugh Laurie. Thank goodness that the show is renewed for the fall. Exploding nut sacks, eyeball popping out, swollen tongue? EWWWW!Talk about one gruesome episode! Well, except the scene when Cameron is on the table and House is operating the robot arm. ROWR! That was HOT! AND, can Hugh Laurie's eyes get any bluer? ::fanning self:: Whew - is it warm in here?

Posted by Cate at 08:25 AM | Comments (1)

May 23, 2006

Tuesday

The Daisy ceremony went well yesterday. I had one mom who was royally pissed that her daughter's name was omitted from the program. She also didn't have a petal to hang up as well. I had another girl's name that was also omitted. I didn't make the programs but I did okay them so I felt really bad. I apologized to the mom but she was completely out of her mind pissed off. Her daughter was "heartbroken" over the fact she didn't have a petal. Ok, WTF? She's SIX. Does a six year old even know what heartbroken is? I didn't kill her mom - just f'ed up the program. This mom had (and still does) have me pissed off beyond belief. She just wouldn't let it go and kept harping about it. What do you want me to do - shot out a petal with her name on it? I made a MISTAKE. Fucking sue me. Oh, and when I apologized to the other mom whose daughter's name was omitted, know what she said? "Don't worry about it. These things happen."

Thank you.

I find that the people who don't do SQUAT in volunteer work are definitely the first to stand up and bitch. I don't get PAID to put in 20+ hous a week in Girl Scouts. I do it because I love to do it. I don't recall this particular mom offering to help with anything. I don't need some 20-something way inappropriately dressed to attend a GIRL SCOUT ceremony HO to attempt to tear me a new one because of a simple mistake.

GAH!

Posted by Cate at 07:48 AM | Comments (9)

May 22, 2006

Hooray!

I am SO happy it's Monday. It was time for the kidlets to get their little asses back in school. I don't even want to explain what happened... just that it was a looooong weekend!

Today is our Daisy troop's Bridging ceremony. Of course, I am running around like a freak, trying to make sure everything is in place. I did pick up the most beautiful flowers from our local florist. They gave us a great deal on daisies - $1 each stem. I walked out of the florist with 3 dozen daisies and they were just so pretty. I love daisies. There's just something so simple about them but, in a huge bunch, they are just gorgeous.

Anyway, I've got to run. I'm having lunch with my stepmom before we run over to the community center and prep everything.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)

May 21, 2006

Please God

Make tomorrow arrive as soon a freakin' possible. I've had enough family time for one weekend.

Posted by Cate at 05:41 PM | Comments (3)

May 16, 2006

Good night

Ok - I've got to try to get soem sleep befire my alarm rudely awakens me at 530am. Eldest is so psyched for our NYC trip that I am surprised she actually fell asleep!

Catch you tomorrow!

Posted by Cate at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

May 15, 2006

Is this blog on?

:::tap tap:::

Helllooooooooooooooooo??

Well, my Mother' Day was very nice. The family let me sleep in and, when I did get up, made me a very nice breakfast and cup of coffee. Can't beat that for anything. The girls got me the Lord of The Rings trilogy set. No no, not the movies, the actual books. I was hoping it had The Hobbitt in the series but, alas, it did not. I think I can spring for that book.

Today, the girls had off from school. Some sort of teachers "In Service" day. No idea what that means but the girls were home. We set out on a search for flannel backed vinyl tableclothes. Why? Well, Youngest's Daisy troop will be bridging on Monday the 22nd and all the girls, including another troop of 12, will be making sit-upons. What are sit-upons? Something like this except we are using the vinyl tableclothes instead of the bandanas. So, I've got to cut out 28 sit upons. Oy.

Off to tuck the kidlets into bed. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 08:45 PM | Comments (4)

May 12, 2006

WHOOSH

That's ho wmy week seemed to pass.

WHOOSH!

This morning, I am invited to a "Muffins with Mom" event in Youngest's classroom. Then, I get to come back at 1230pm for an entirely different event. It's called Reader Theater and the kids get to read a poem to their parents. So, today is Youngest's turn. I can't wait to see it.

Tonight, I've got my WINGO PTA event. It should be fun. I've got all the prizes and my order from Oriental Trading with all the giveaway prizes arrived on Tuesday. This will be my last PTA Family Fun Night event for the year. YIPPIE!

So, I'm off to get the kids moving. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 06:39 AM | Comments (1)

May 09, 2006

Need a recipe

Ok - last week, at a first communion party, I finally tried broccoli rabe and LOVED it! How on earth do you make it? I want to make it with linguini, garlic, and olive oil. Anyone have any recipes to share?

Posted by Cate at 10:57 AM | Comments (3)

May 05, 2006

::happy dance::

It's Friday! Woohoo!

I guess I should be having a margarita - ya know - in order to keep up with the current celebrations. I have got to buy those frozen mixes and add my own booze. Yum indeed.

Today is definitely a margarita kind of day. Gorgeous, almost 80 degrees and just a slight breeze to make it most enjoyable. I think I am going to head out for a bike ride. I can't just sit here in the house. It's TOO NICE!

No big plans this weekend except to really kick it into gear around the house. You know how it is - lots to do and not enough time to do it all.

Enjoy your weekend!

Posted by Cate at 12:18 PM | Comments (2)

May 03, 2006

Forgot to mention

I only just recently watched Kill Bill Vol 1 and I loved it. I've got KB Vol2 up next in my Netflix queue and I am seriously looking forward to watching it/

I'm heading to Toms River in a little while to register Eldest for Girl Scout camp. She chose one week of regular camp and one week of horseback riding camp. La-di-da! Plus, she's also going to a one week recreation program that the school is offering. I think Youngestwill still continue gymnastics although I am not too thrilled with the kids in her class. They are such little monsters. They don't listen, they act out, they touch things they aren't supposed to touch. Argh. It makes me CRAZY when Youngestis trying to pay attention in her class and all the other 5-6 year olds are acting out. I think I will be switching her to a different day OR find another place for her to attend.

Ok - I've got to run. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 08:33 AM | Comments (6)

Eventually...

Yeah yeah.. I'm still around.

I've noticed that several of my favorite reads attended a blogmeet this weekend. From the recaps I've read, a wonderful time was had by all AND no one was arrested! I am bummed that I missed a phone call from Zonker and the crew.

There's so much going on here.. I don't even know where to begin. Eldest had another horseback riding lesson yesterday and everything went fine. No dirt diving. Hooray. We figured out that the noise that startled the horse was made by a quad runner. Lord - I hate those things. Luckily, the people that rent the land in order to ride the quads won't be there much longer. Apparently, they lease the very back part of the farm's property. Well, that's ending this month and I am very happy about that.

I'm such a devoted and wonderful mother that I just made corn muffins for Youngestand they are baking as I type. Yeah, I rock! She just discovered how yummy corn muffins taste and now she wants them all the time! Luckily, Jiffy is safe for her to eat and she's ready to chow down. In fact, she's standing in front of the oven, watching them bake!

American Idol - Good lord - what a weird show. C'mon, Taylor has GOT to go. He sucks! I think Elliot did a great job and Katerine's second song was so cute. The girls liked it too.

Only a few weeks left until my brother's wedding. Lots of stuff going on with that. The girls got fitted for their dresses and they look absolutely beautiful. ::sigh:: My babies are growing up.

Time to check my muffins ::heh:: Have a great day.

Posted by Cate at 07:02 AM | Comments (3)

April 25, 2006

Too Old for This Shit

Oy - I think I have finally recovered from this weekend's festivities. I wasn't hung over on Sunday - more like extremely tired from lack of sleep! I've got some pictures to sort through and attempt to edit.

I was just exhausted yesterday and not quite feeling 100%. I slacked around the house and met the munchkins from Youngest's Daisy troop at Home Depot. The girls who showed up made a cute little wooden planter. For free. So, a big shout-out and mad props to Home Depot.

When I got home, Husband was awesomely (is that a word?) helping - makeing dinner and cleaning up afterwards. I just sat like a lump ("She's Lump! She's Lump!" - anyone remember that song?) I did manage to watch a few Family Guy episodes on TBS.

Ok - I'm off to do some laundry. I've got a 450pm eye doctor's appointment. I'm also getting new glasses - Boooyah!

Posted by Cate at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)

April 23, 2006

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Wheeeeeeeeee! I'm at my brother's place.. we made it home alive..I'd post pics but I'd get in big big trouble.... I have to be at the restaurant by 1030am. I hope I sober up by then...

Posted by Cate at 01:24 AM | Comments (4)

April 22, 2006

Headin' out of town

Well, I'm off to spend the evening and better part of tomorrow with my future SIL and her friends. Tonight is the batchelorette party and tomorrow is the shower. I'm all packed and I even remembered to pack the gifts! We're dining at 3 Forty Grill which looks very much "all that". Gosh - I hope they let hicks like me in!

Ya'll behave and have a great weekend!

Posted by Cate at 02:38 PM | Comments (2)

April 21, 2006

Yes - I am title-less this morning. It's not a bad thing.

This week has just breezed by so quickly! Of course, I've neglected my poor lil blog but it was worth it. As much as I may bitch and moan about all the things I need to do, I enjoy being busy. The girls have had several days to play with their buddies, Eldest got to go to NYC, Youngestto Barnegat Lighthouse and the beach... I love for them to be busy. I even let them stay up late last night to watch Animal Planet. How can I say no to that?

Today is going to be slightly low key. I've got to pay some bills and pick up a few things at the store. I am attending a batchelorette party tomorrow for my lovely and charming future Sis in Law. Then, on Sunday, it's her bridal shower. She knows all about the events - she didn't want to be surprised at all. But, she doesn't know what she's getting from me.. mwahahahahaaaaaa

One of Husband's sisters is coming to visit tomorrow and the girls are excited about that. They haven't seen her for a while. They are going to have her play with them for the whole day. LOL. I hope she's into crafts!

In the world of additions, it's almost done! Hooray! Husband has done such a fantastic job. We did some flooring last night and we will be working on it tonight too. When the flooring is complete, all we need is that final inspection and the phone/cable jacks and that's IT!! I guess I'll have to do something nice for Husband.

But what?

Posted by Cate at 09:16 AM | Comments (2)

April 20, 2006

It's that time...

for pictures!

American Girl

Barnegat Lighthouse

Posted by Cate at 08:30 PM | Comments (5)

April 14, 2006

Good.. no GREAT Friday

Well, the girls have officially started their Easter SPRING break yesterday. They both had parties in their classrooms but I couldn't attend Eldest's since it was held the same time as Youngest's party AND in a different school. So, I dropped off pretzels and cheese doodles for Eldest's class before heading over to Youngest's school.

As class mom, I planned a very simple party. The kids has an egg hunt, three games and a craft. The games were: Pass the Bunny (like Hot Potato), Pin the Tail on the Bunny, and Pass the Egg using my big kitchen spoons. The craft was a small canvas bag that they could decorate with paint markers. Snacks were popcorn, cookies, grapes, pieces of chocolate (Youngestsafe - thank you Miss Roben - the best allergy grocer around!) and juice.

Some classrooms went totally overboard - massive amounts of cupcakes and cakes, pizzas.. wow... I mean, the kids just ate lunch an hour ago!

Not too much planned for today. Eldest is going to a birthday party and Youngestis going to tag along. This place offers laser tag as well as roller skating and a little play area for younger kids. I don't know who is more excited - Youngestor Eldest!

I might not be blogging for the next few days so please be sure to have a fantastic Easter. Don't eat too much chocolate!

Posted by Cate at 01:24 PM | Comments (4)

April 11, 2006

Picture this

Sunny cool day.
Windows open.
Folding laundry while blasting the Beastie Boys - awesome

Ahhh - let me flash back (way back) to 1986.

Posted by Cate at 02:35 PM | Comments (5)

April 07, 2006

Party time!

Next week is Food Allergy Awareness week (4/14-4/20). Unfortunately, it occurs when we will be having spring break. I am going to drop off some papers with Youngest's principal and see if we/he can organize something for the school that takes place the week we get back. I picked up two books from Amazon - Allie the Allergic Elephant and Cody the Allergic Cow. Yeah, the titles are cheesey but they do explain food allergies at a very basic level. As soon as I receive the books, we are going to donate them to the school library in Youngest's name.

In other fun news, I'm a gettin' my hair done. Bye bye grey hair! I figure, if I get it done today, then, I can get it done again about a week before my brother's wedding in June. No roots and no grey hair in the wedding pics. Of course, my diet is at a standstill. So, I've got to kick it into gear and really just keep food as far away as possible. No problem, right? Right... except today is the bowling pizza party for Eldest's GS troop.

:::sigh:::

I'll just bowl.. and maybe lick the pizza box.

Posted by Cate at 08:19 AM | Comments (4)

April 04, 2006

Wazzup?

The usual over here..

I've got onehelluva grumpy 9 yr old this morning. WTF? Man, I'd just love to walk around and be surly with everyone. I can't even stay in the same room with her right now - which is why I am writing this post. Gah.

She's finished eating and somehow seems to be in a slightly more human mood. I will watch and only approach if this alien life force extends a peaceful greeting...

My schedule is surprisingly light today. At 915am, there is a "Thank You" breakfast for all the parents who helped out in the all the kindergarten classrooms. Awwwwwwwwwwwww. This should be sweet. I am also planning a nice little end of the year surprise for Youngest's kindergarten teacher. I saw this item at Oriental Trading. God - I love shopping there! I just bought a lot of stuff for the class AND for the two troops. My idea - to use all the photos of the kids in the class but to have to kids decorate the photo pocket. Totally cute! I need another good idea for the teacher's aid. She's just fantastic. Maybe fingerprints on a tote bag? Hmmm... I've got to work on that one. Any suggestions?

I'm really busy with end of the year stuff with the GS troops as well. I've got many activities planned for them.

Youngest's Troop
4/3 Meeting - hand out awards
4/9 1/2 troop to tour local animal shelter
4/10 Tour of local police station
4/24 Trip to Home Depot and build a planter
5/1 Daisy to Brownie activity
5/7 second 1/2 of troop to tour animal shelter
5/22 Bridging Ceremony

Eldest's Troop
4/7 Bowling/Pizza Party to hand out awards
4/28 Meeting
5/5 Cookie Disco
5/13 Event at local gymnasium with another troop
5/27 - 5/28 Camp-In at the local community center.

I've still got a few more things I need to work out but that's the schedule as of now. Now, don't kid yourself - this is just the Girl Scout schedule. I didn't add in the PTA or other school/class related trips and events.

I need a drink!

Posted by Cate at 07:00 AM | Comments (5)

April 03, 2006

Crappity crap

Whole long post written out.

POOF!

Thanks Internet Explorer.

Posted by Cate at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)

March 31, 2006

Friday! Friday!

Yeeehaw! It's Friday!

No GS meeting today as I have another PTA Family Fun Night event. Luckily, I didn't have to do too much for this one. It's a math program called Arithmetickles. It's completely audience dependant and the kids loved it. This company is at the school all week to work with grades K-6. Tonight is the Family Fun Night program. This should be lots of fun.

I've been badly neglecting this blog - to the point of me thinking about stopping completely. I haven't made the official decision so I'm not going anywhere for now. I am sorry that this blog has become, well, BLAH. I'm just not the type of writer that I would like to be.
There are many more bloggers that write their posts so eloquently, so witty... and here I write about PTA and Girl Scouts.

Gee - jealous much, Kate?

Not really jealous. Perhaps envious is a better word.

That's what I am - envious.

Posted by Cate at 06:53 AM | Comments (8)

March 29, 2006

A Most Invigorating Morning

The Mom Morning workout:

Cardio: Extreme yelling. It really gets that heart rate up.

Muscle Strength: All resistance - from actually beating your child
also helps with resolve strengthening - a completely different workout

The Zone: Deep breathing and fantasizing you are somewhere fantastic for a romantic getaway with your favorite some..someplace like.. say.. Belize

The Cool Down: Hugs from the main causes of your MMW (Mom Morning Workout)

So - how was YOUR morning?

Posted by Cate at 07:33 AM | Comments (4)

March 26, 2006

I'm BACK!

I know you all missed me so much too.

Husband has kicked some ass working on the house this weekend. The second bathroom is *just* about finished. YAY! Next step - the closet. Woohoo!

The girls had a great weekend. Eldest slept over a friend's house Friday night and spent the majority of Saturday there as well. Her friend's little sister is the same age as Youngestand they are also pretty good buddies. So, the lil sis came over to our house on Saturday and the girls had a blast. The trampoline, movies, crafts, popcorn...a good time was had by all. By the time Eldest got home Saturday, she was so toasted. Both girls made it into bed by 815pm Saturday night.

Today, we ran a few errands, you know, the Kmart and Home Depot run. The really fun places to bring your children. ::snicker:: I was lucky enough to go through Eldest's closet and bureau, having her try on clothing and pulling out what didn't fit. Oy - it's a rather large pile. I did the same to Youngest's closet and bureau and that pile is even bigger. God help me when I have to pick up more stuff for them when the weather warms up. A lot of Eldest's shorts still fit her in the waist but they are too short in the leg. They have become, essentially, short shorts. I don't freakin' THINK so!

Ok - off to recap the Sopranos in another post. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 10:34 PM | Comments (1)

March 25, 2006

WORLDS SHORTEST FAIRY TALE.

Brilliant!

Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy "Will you marry me?"

The guy said, "NO!"

And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook and farted whenever she wanted.

Posted by Cate at 03:55 PM | Comments (5)

March 23, 2006

Gah

I wish I could restart this morning.

I bet Eldest wishes that too.

Argh.

update
Luckily, things cleared up and we had a better morning before she left for the bus stop.

Posted by Cate at 07:02 AM | Comments (3)

March 21, 2006

Hello there

I'm just title-challenged. Nothin' good jumping to mind today.

I had a lovely chat with Miz "Yes Ma'am" Chrissy. We always have fun on the phone. We always get each other laughing. I'm hoping to maybe possibly hopefully set up a road trip to visit the Feisty Family.

I'm a-workin' on it!

Posted by Cate at 02:27 PM | Comments (5)

March 20, 2006

Funny

I dropped my car at the local Lube Dr for a 10 minute oil change. Husband and I have been customers here for several years and it's a nice little place. Plus, I am out usually within 10 minutes. Booyah!

There was only one other customer in the lobby, waiting for his truck. I settled down to wait in one of those comfy resin chairs and checked out what was on television. It was a "Today-esque" type of show airing on MSNBC. One of the hosts was interviewing Erica Jong and he asked her why her book caused such a stir with America in the early 70's. She explained what the book was about and how America wasn't ready to hear about such things.

I've never read her book so her interview, albeit brief, was quite interesting.

Upon wrapping up the interview, she did mention about a famous New York lawyer (she didn't name him) who had remarked to her that every time her saw Jong's book on his date's table, he knew he was going to get lucky tonight. I laughed aloud and so did the other customer. He had already paid for the service on his truck but was waiting to hear the end of the interview.

After we both laughed, he turned to me, right before walking out the door and said in a most matter of fact voice, "I've never seen that book!" Again, he and I both laughed and then he walked out to his truck.

So - that was my fun morning. What's up with you? Any good Sopranos talk?

Posted by Cate at 09:47 AM | Comments (3)

March 19, 2006

Fleeting moments

Sometimes I wonder - why do I even blog?

Busy weekend + no kids = lots of stuff to be done.

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:26 AM | Comments (4)

March 17, 2006

Break Point

Recap - will add photos later.

Yesterday:

*Kids had a half day yesterday so I did laundry - for four hours. Bleech.

*Stopped at Mom's new place and ended up staying for about 2 hours, helping direct movers with boxes. She has a LOT of boxes, quite a few of which are going into the basement. Those poor moving guys earned their money yesteday. They were doing stairs ALL day. Here's a funny moment. One of the workers came in with some boxes, walked up to Mom and said, in a tired but heavily Mexican accented voice, "Ehhh, basement?" He was really tired of the basement. Cna't say I blame him one bit. But, for the rest of the time I was there, I would walk up to Mom and mutter "Ehhh, basement?" Needless to say, we would giggle each time. We were still giggling about it today.

*We got back home and I set up dinner in the oven. Husband walked in and Eldest and I decided to run out and deliver more Girl Scout cookies.

*Back home and got ready to go to a Girl Scout meeting from 615pm-815pm.

*Home again - kids to bed by 9pm. Husband and I did bills and I worked on more PTA paperwork.

*Passed out while watching Family Guy on Adult Swim. Again.

Today:

*Got the kids up and moving. We just missed Youngest's bus - so I chased the bus down.. and caught up with it by the next stop. We got out and sprinted for the bus. Wow - so invigorating. I hate invigorating. I don't run. Ever. The only way I would run is if someone is chasing me with a knife. A big knife.

*Called Mom, picked up coffee, water, and rolls and arrived at Mom's place by 915am.

*I did manage to unpack most of her food and find a proper home for them - only after rearranging the cabinets and drawers five or six times. Can you say OCD? I knew you could.

*The appliances (fridge, washer and dryer) are being delivered today. In fact, they are probably already there and, hopefully, ready to run!

*Comcast really sucks. Wait, let me reiterate - the service guy, who came out yesterday and didn't do his friggin' job at Mom's place, sucks. The lovely young lady, to whom I spoke with today, rocks. It does suck that they can't hook up anything until Tuesday. TUESDAY! No tv and no computer.

*We will be having a Girl Scout event at the local karate place at 430pm today. Both troops will be there - roughly about 25 girls. Heh. The sensai was ok with it. Poor bastard.

Tomorrow:

*The girls will be sleeping over at my inlaws house tomorrow. And, you all know what that means, right? RIGHT?.

*I'm going back tomorrow to do food shopping for Mom and Dan. Husband will set up the computer and accessories.

I was so dusty and dirty from opening boxes. Ugh. I needed to jump into the shower when I got back home this afternoon. Imagine my surprise to find a box from these people that was sent by this lovely lady. So, my quick shower was changed into a nice long luxurious soak. At 130pm in the afternoon. Can you say nice and peaceful? Normally, I don't take baths - I just shower. I think I might need to rethink the no bath thing again. Hey - I smell nice too!

Thank you my dear friend. I *heart* you!

Posted by Cate at 02:45 PM | Comments (2)

March 15, 2006

What..??

It's WEDNESDAY?

How did that happen?

Posted by Cate at 07:01 AM | Comments (4)

March 10, 2006

Awesome

What a way to end the work week - today will be 70 degrees!

Woohoo!

Tons to write about but not enough time to write about it. Will catch y'all later!

Posted by Cate at 07:55 AM | Comments (4)

March 09, 2006

Busy Day

No posting yesterday as Husband was home and we needed to get busy.

::wink wink nudge nudge::

Yeah baby - the taxes got done! That's HOT! We even went out to lunch after we discovered we needed to stop at the municiple building to get some misplaced property tax numbers.

We pay a lot in property tax. Ouch. Good thing our refund is decent.

Husband and I even had a chance to stop at KMart and browse through vacuums, towels, curtains and even the bedding. We've both got some ideas about what neeeds to be done and what colors or styles we'd like to use. We don't quite see eye to eye for the kitchen window but we agree on most everything else. I think it's time we need to check out Target and perhaps Bed, Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things. One good thing about KMart - we bumped into my friend Lauren (who's doing the letter writing campaign.) Do you knwo she's gotten over 450 responses? How fantastic!

::sidenote::
Do you know that a BB&B opened down here - not more than 7 miles from my house and I've NEVER been in there? Seriously.

I need some good recomendations from you guys - where do you purchase bedding/curtains/towels? What's a good deal? Or, is it better to invest slightly more money and get better quality?

I've got to run- must get Youngestto school and hit WalMart. I'm getting my teeth cleaned at 940am. Guess I'd better brush and floss before I hit the road.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 07:28 AM | Comments (5)

March 07, 2006

Letter Chain

Thank you SO much for all the emails and comments. You guys are incredible! I have forwarded each one to Lauren and she will be getting back to you as soon as possible.

If you are interested in helping, read this post and leave me a comment.

tags: sgt rickey jones + fallen soldier + support our troops + patriot guard riders

Posted by Cate at 07:11 AM | Comments (2)

March 04, 2006

Up and at 'em

So I missed yesterday... oh well...

The girls and I are going to a Girl Scout event at the mall this morning. It's called - wait for it -

Mall Day.

There's going to be a scavenger hunt that involves all the service units in the county. It's going to be fun. We've done it before and (BONUS!) the girls get a free patch. It's ALL about the patches baby.

Afterwards, we are going to Mom's house to help her pack just about everything. LOL. Mom owns me for the next three weekends. I promised to pack up all her dishes and china.

I've got to wake the slugs girls. They were so busy having playdates and Girl Scout meetings and dinners with other people that they CRASHED out last night by 930pm. Now, I get to wake them up - mwahahahahahahaaaaa!

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 07:21 AM | Comments (4)

March 02, 2006

Household of sickies

Oy - enough already!

I've got poor Husband home sick for the second day in a row. Eldest's not doing too hot so she's back home today. Of course, Youngest's all mopey and whiny - "Why do I have to gooooooooooooooooo to schoolllllllllllllllllll?" and my favorite "It's not fair!"

Ok. Right.

So, Eldest's getting another nebulizer treatment - I think there's a chance she might be heading into pneumonia. Good times!

I think I need some Girl Scout cookie therapy. Who wants to join me?

Posted by Cate at 07:58 AM | Comments (7)

February 28, 2006

It's a Party

Pity party - table for one.

Unless, of course, someone would care to join me...

Anyone?

I'll bring cookies...

Posted by Cate at 10:37 PM | Comments (4)

Sickie Watch Day 2

I've got Eldest home again today - minor fever and sore throat. So, I scored a 1050am pedi appointment for her. Guess who's going to get a strep test? Not me! LOL! Today is also a half day of school. Of course, Youngestwanted to stay home (no way) because Eldest was home. She got booted to the bus stop and she's outta here until 1pm.

Today is also the Cookie Depot! Woohoo! I'm going to help the cookie mom - who is also our assistant leader - load up about 100 cases of cookies in her van. Since I can't make it to the gym, it will be one hell of a workout! Mom is coming down to watch the girls for me while I work. For all of you who have ordered cookies - they are on their way!

Ciao for now!

Posted by Cate at 09:15 AM | Comments (1)

February 27, 2006

It's Monday!

YAY! The kids are back at school! Well, almost all the kids.

I've got Eldest home today. She's got a sore throat and a slight fever. So, she gets to be dragged around with me today while Youngestis at school. Lucky her.

I discovered Gone With the Wind on the TCM channel last night. I was surprised that Eldest was really interested in the movie. I love that movie and I am so glad that Eldest watched it with us. Of course, after that was over, I flicked over to Dancing With The Stars. Yes... I too was also sucked in to watching this show. I was very pleased that Drew and Cheryl won - they kicked ass! There's a nice recap of the show here along with a photo of Drew and Cheryl.

I was surfing the channels late last night and caught an interview with Glenn Reynolds on C-Span. I think I missed a minute or two but I enjoyed the interview. It's always interesting to listen to other perspectives on blogging. Here are the transcripts - I read through them and discovered that Mr. Reynolds is a very interesting man.

Ok - I'm off to get some stuff done and drag Eldest around. Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 08:33 AM | Comments (4)

February 25, 2006

My social life

My social life is quite hectic. Seriously, it is. You see, I was unable to post yesterday because I was invited to a wedding. The wedding was a beautiful occasion. The bride (let's call her Ms U) looked lovely and the groom (we'll call him Mr. U), well, he was just so handsome in his tuxedo.

This event was difficult due to the limited guest list. Quite a few people were not invited due to space constraints. Luckily, just about everyone who did not attend was quite understanding. I was able to take some photographs of the couple and I've posted them below.

The happy couple:

Oh - did I neglect to mention that the wedding was set in the school gymnasium? And that it was for the kindergarten class only? Welcome to the Land of the Letter People! Q and U got married! The kids loved the wedding and reception.

Ms Q walking down the aisle:

The class with Mr and Mrs Q (Youngestis in the top row, wearing a white sweater, standing right next to her teacher):

Today, Youngestwas invited to another birthday party. She got to go swimming!

She sure loves to swim!

Eldest is out with one of my SIL and is probably having a great time. My FIL, BIL, and Husband are working in the addition. I'm getting tile set in my bathroom - YIPPIE!!!

Pay no attention to the walls - they will be a MUCH lighter shade of pink:

Ok - off to fold laundry!

Posted by Cate at 02:04 PM | Comments (6)

February 23, 2006

Breaking the Silence

I've been uberbusy organizing things for our Thinking Day event. The Girl Scouts will be participating in International Night. The Juniors are representing Germany. They've made a flag, write up a poster of assorted facts, and bring a food item - enough for 150-200 girls. Luckily, the assistant leader's MIL is from Germany and was thrilled to help out by making cookies. Woohoo! I didn't think that I could provide beer and schnitzel to the kids. : - )

I've also caved in and tuned into last night's American Idol. Yes, I know... I can't believe it either. Now, I'm afraid I am hooked. Ryan Seacrest is one weird looking dude with a big plastic looking smile. Eww. He squicks me out.

I'll try to post some photos of the event later. I've just been so damn busy with life that I barely have time to do anything else.

How the hell are you?

Posted by Cate at 01:44 PM | Comments (5)

February 21, 2006

Somewhat productive

I made it to Youngest's classroom, the gym and even some food shopping.

God, I'm good. LOL.

I have to pick up Eldest from school in about an hour. The trombone doesn't fit on the bus. When she gets home, I've got some more cleaning to do before I grab Youngestfrom the bus. Eldest starts her horseback riding lessons today and she is thrilled. THRILLED. She's been planning what to wear and even has her jodhpurs all laid out in her room. My mom brought her a riding helmet for Christmas as well as the jodphurs. Mom is coming down this afternoon for a surprise visit with the girls. She is also planning on watching Eldest ride.

I've got to get changed as I am still in my workout clothes. I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday.

Posted by Cate at 12:57 PM | Comments (2)

February 20, 2006

Thank goodness!

The girls are going back to school tomorrow.

Booyah.

Posted by Cate at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)

February 16, 2006

::yawn::

Yeah - I'm still alive.

I decided to keep Youngesthome today. The muscles in her legs were very sore, causing difficulty in standing and bearing her weight. I called the ENT's office and apparently being sore/sore muscles is a direct result from the anesthesia.

I'm still keeping an eye on her.

Another fun-filled moment with Olivia: administering her ear drops. Four drops per ear twice a day. Let me assure you that this wee petite and delicate flower of a child can fight like a momma bear defending her cubs. Her lungs are quite healthy too. In fact, tonight, she was screaming so hard (while fighting Husband and I) that she actually popped a tiny blood vessel in her left eye.

Seriously. She did.

As you can tell, she is not a huge fan of the ear drops. She needs drops for three more days. Oy already.

And now for something completely different

Here's a fun link I stumbled across during my Internet surfing: Jersey Pork Roll. My dear Zonker, as a misguided Jersey boy, I think you'd love this place. You can't buy this stuff in Georgia.

Ok - I'm off to watch Adult Swim. G'night.

Posted by Cate at 10:40 PM | Comments (4)

February 14, 2006

Here's the poop..errr...scoop!

No strep! Woohoo!

As long as her fever is around 99-100, we can proceed with the ear tube procedure tomorrow morning at 630am. Egads! She cannot eat or drink anything after midnight so I will be waking her up around 1145pm to give her motrin. I hope the fever stays down. If it ramps up, the procedure will be postponed to another time. My poor baby. I hope this works for her.

Youngestmissed her class party today and she was a bit bummed out. But, I bought her a Coca Cola flavored slurpee/slushie whatchamacallit and she was a happy camper once again. I'm off to attempt to run a load (or six) of laundry. You should see the mountain of laundry that I have to fold.

Ew.

Posted by Cate at 06:41 PM | Comments (1)

February 12, 2006

A Winnah!

Woohoo! I just won me a Blingo movie ticket.

Posted by Cate at 10:33 PM | Comments (1)

Photo Day!

Check 'em out below!

Snow day!

Train 'em young folks!

So tired!

The Addition:

This is the mudroom/back door (I love my French door!)

Forgive the disaster:

The back room floor which will match my kitchen tiles:

My bedroom. I love this color. Isn't Husband sexy?

My closet and bathroom. Yes, it's pink. Very pink. Luckily, it's only primer and we plan on repainting it a much lighter pink/sand color.

Posted by Cate at 05:47 PM | Comments (2)

February 10, 2006

I'm pooped

So glad it's Friday.

I wish that Eldest isn't going to miss the bus this morning.

Anyone want to share the winning lottery numbers with me?

:::yawn:::

Posted by Cate at 07:08 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2006

Headin' out

I'm helping in Youngest's classroom this morning. Then, I think that a couple moms are heading out for coffee. If so, I'm going to join 'em!

Catch ya later.

And yes, I will post some pictures when I get back to my computer!

Posted by Cate at 08:23 AM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2006

Relaxing night

The four of us have planned on chilling out tonight. Girl Scouts went smoothly - we only had 8 girls show up at the meeting! When we got home, I made the family a lovely healthy meal consisting of mini hot dogs, chicken nuggets and tater tots. Of course, I cut up some carrots for them too!

We had received three Netflix selections and we are going to watch Napoleon Dynomite after we've finished with the Star Trek TOS Episodes 1 & 2. Man, I do love William Shatner.

Hope you had a great day!

tags: star trek + star trek the original series + william shatner

Posted by Cate at 07:37 PM | Comments (1)

January 31, 2006

A fleeting moment....

I spend an hour in Youngest's classroom this morning. Man, kindergartners can be so sweet. I had three of Youngest's buddies ( 2 girls and 1 boy) tell me that I looked beautiful. Awwwwwwwwww. How sweet is THAT? I need those kids around just to keep my ego boosted. When it was time to leave, Youngestput her coat in to leave (we have an ENT appointment) and the kids were just totally perplexed. It's funny to watch the kindergartners react to something that is not on their daily routine. LOL.

So, I hope all goes well today. I am just going to flat out ask for ear tubes to be placed back in Youngest's ears. One tube fell out but the other one is still hanging on and still in the eardrum. She had the procedure back in June 2003. I feel so bad for Olivia. She wants to be able to go underwater SO badly. It doesn't help that she was invited to another birthday party - at the local indoor pool. So now she's the allergy kid with ear tubes. ::sigh::

Poor kid.

tags: ear tubes + food allergies

Posted by Cate at 10:00 AM | Comments (4)

January 29, 2006

Fun Fun Fun

We all had a great day yesterday. Miss Mary graced us with her lovely charming self and was lucky to get a quickie lesson in spackling and taping from Husband. She also met my FIL and BIL, who were also down to help work on the addition.

Speaking of addition, the house is coming along quite nicely. The walls are in place and are now getting spackled and taped. It's not going to be too much longer. I'm so excited! I have to narrow down the paint colors and pick out flooring - carpet or hardwood/laminate. At this point, it's going to be the nicest of the most inexpensive. We are at the end of our budget. Oy - additions are quite expensive!

The girls are relaxing today. Well, Youngestis and Eldest will be out selling cookies. She's up to 172 boxes! We've got one more big street to hit and I am sure she can get 28+ boxes out of that. We'll see what she wants to do after that - she got pretty pumped up last week, even though it was cold, she wanted to keep selling. I've got to admire this kid . She is tenacious, just like her parents.

Off to sell Girl Scout cookies!

tags: girl scouts + girl scout cookies + book blog + home improvements

Posted by Cate at 11:53 AM | Comments (4)

January 27, 2006

I'm a loser baby

The concert last night was fantastic! I was so excited to see my baby play her trombone. We got there early, picked out our seats and waited. About 15 minutes before the show started, I leaned down to get my camera and, with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, realized that I did not have it with me. Husband even walked back to the car, just to be sure. Nope. It was at home, all prepped and ready to go, on my couch. Luckily, a friend of mine took some photographs of Eldest while she was playing. I'm so mad at myself for forgetting the damn camera!

Tonight, there is a Lip Syncing event for the Girl Scout Service Unit. It's going to be a lot of fun. My girls (lol- MY girls) will be doing New York, New York. I bought them top hats and they will be doing Rockette-like kicks at the end of the song as well as assorted dance moves. This is going to be a lot of fun and I will make SURE to bring my camera tonight!

Off to clean and complete other assorted household crap. CIAO!

Posted by Cate at 01:51 PM | Comments (4)

January 26, 2006

So?

What's going on with you guys? Anything?

Posted by Cate at 11:26 AM | Comments (3)

January 23, 2006

I hate titles

I am just going to give up on titles. I'm not that witty.

Youngestis home sick today. Again. Another appointment with the pedi in 45 minutes. I'm sure it's another (or still the same) ear infection.. Good times. At least I can get some food shopping done while I wait for the prescription to be filled. We've got an appointment for her to see the ENT next week.

I don't think I've done too well with WW this week. I'm very disappointed with myself. I am going to have to go to Curves tonight when Husband gets home. I hate going at night but I guess it's better than not going at all. I know exactly what happened this week and I am going to have to get off my fat ass and not do it again.

Eldest and I walked around the neighborhood yesterday and she did SO well selling GS cookies. She decided that she wants to sell 200 boxes and, as of today, she's at 104 boxes! I'm so proud of her! We had a lot of fun walking around, just chatting. We noticed that our neighbourhood had a lot of different types of dogs. Of course, after all those cute dogs, I am considering (JUST CONSIDERING) a dog. It would have to be a small dog - I mean like 10-15lbs TOPS. This won't be happening for at least another year or two. I have too much going on right now to properly take care of a pet.

Well, I'm off for now. Wish us luck.

Posted by Cate at 10:00 AM | Comments (1)

January 21, 2006

Saturday Update

Yes, can you believe I am posting again? Will wonders never cease? Husband is working out in the addition and my awesome FIL is also out there. They are hanging green board in the new bathroom. YAY! I just want this addition to be finished already - OY! Husband's doing a great job. I am so proud of him for undertaking this HUGE project.

In other news, the girls haircuts turned out very nicely. Eldest decided to let the hairdresser cut off about 5 inches of hair. Very brave of her. She's very cautious about receiving haircuts. I've been trying to get her to donate her hair to Locks of Love but she's not ready for that step, yet. No rush there. I know that one day, she's make that decision and I hope she does donate her hair. It's gorgeous. Youngest's hair is very fine, almost wispy. I had the hairdresser cut off a couple inches on her as well. Now, it sits right below her shoulders. Of course, she also looks adorable.

Our annual GS cookie sale has started and I want to thank everyone who ordered cookies. The cookies will be in around the end of February and I will let you know what your totals will be with USPS shipping.

Youngest's got, yes, another, birthday party to attend today. The birthday boy's name is Michael and he is just adorable. He has an 18 month old sister who is just precious. His parents look they they might be in their mid-twenties. So young. ::sigh::

I've seen people placing Technorati tags on their posts. So, I'm going to give it a shot, just for fun. Have a great day!

tags: hairdresser + birthday + party + kids birthday

Posted by Cate at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2006

Way behind

Yeah yeah - I know.. I've been wondering why I even attempt to continue blogging..

I don't think I mentioned that Youngesthad her birthday-paloozza party this past Saturday. She had 22 kids that showed up at the local gymnastics hall for ninety minuets of organized fun. They kids all loved it and she was so happy to be the center of attention - you know - because she never gets any attention around here.
::eyeroll:: My niece, nephew, SIL and BIL came back to the house after the party and we all hung out, amidst the construction chaos. Youngestdidn't open her presents until 9pm that night! Of course, she loved everything, including floam, Polly Pockets, assorted Bratz merchandise, and, the big hit:

Pucci Pups

Isn't it adorable? I don't know what she named it or anything but it's definitely cute. I think the gift giver snagged it from Target as I haven't seen this in the local Kmart or WalMart.

Well, I'm off to attempt to get some work done. The girls are getting haircuts at 415pm. I'll try to post some pictures.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 12:09 PM | Comments (4)

January 03, 2006

Still alive

Very busy - not dead... will attempt to blog tomorrow

Bye!

Posted by Cate at 11:13 PM | Comments (2)

December 29, 2005

A Decree

I declare today as the offical "Pajama Day" of the Christmas break.

Who will join me in this noble quest?

Posted by Cate at 09:38 AM | Comments (8)

December 27, 2005

Recovering

Well, we survived Christmas! The girls got so.much.stuff! They loved everything, of course, so it was totally worth it. The big winners - Youngestgot a camera and a game boy sp. Eldest got Ugg-ish boots as well as an mp3 player. Both girls also got Tamagotchis and I have been having a lot of fun playing with them too.

One of my favorite gifts (from my Mom) was this dvd set:

Woohoo! The Muppet Show! The girls and I already watched 10 episodes yesterday. I was cracking up - all these old stars - Harvey Korman, Lena Horne, Husband Williams, Connie Stevens... it was like watching The Love Boat with Muppets! Man - I remember watching all these shows. I can't believe I was only seven when a lot of them aired. Man, I feel old....

We have our insulation inspection happening tomorrow. Once we get approval for that, we can start sheetrocking and doing the floors. Paise the Lord! When the house is finished, I am having an open house, just so people can come in and look at my house.

Ooh - almost forgot about something happening yesterday. While taking a break from cleaning out Eldest's room, there was a knock at the door. Imagine my shocked face when I realized it was my neighbor's husband. They moved to North Carolina in August. Her husband, who is the nicest guy around, and her eldest son just decided to jump in the car and drive up to Jersey to visit people. Boy, he totally surprised me! We chatted for about 30 minutes before he had to leave and visit a couple other neighbors. That was really a bright spot in my day. I've got to email his wife... I really miss them...

Well, I suppose I should feed the children today. I'll be back!

Posted by Cate at 08:46 AM | Comments (7)

December 22, 2005

Feelin' better

Eldest is much better. Thanks for all the well wishes. She enjoyed reading them. She did go to school today (woohoo!) and, in about an hour, I will be heading into Youngest's classroom for the Christmas Holiday party. They will be playing Pin the Nose on Frosty, the Dreidel game, Pass the Candy Cane (like hot potato) and I have a popsicle stick craft for them to complete as well as a coloring page. Food is going to be simple - cookies, juice, popcorn... the easy stuff. Tomorrow I am helping in Eldest's class. I am looking forward to that. I don't get in there much because I am the class mom for Youngest's class. Eldest is thrilled I am coming in - lol. Silly kid. She's lucky she's cute....

So - I'm off to party with the kindergartners. Woohoo!

Posted by Cate at 12:34 PM | Comments (6)

December 17, 2005

SNAP!

Mom arrived at my house at 945am this morning to swoop up the girls for the afternoon. I am going to pick them up around 330 and then bring them to Husband's parents' house so they can do some shopping. I will be able to get the tree and the decorations out of storage, maybe decorate it and possibly (ohpleasepleaseplease) wrap some presents.

So, why am I hanging around here yapping to you guys?! I'm outta here!

Posted by Cate at 10:16 AM | Comments (6)

December 07, 2005

So far so good...

Today I managed to:

Get the oil changed in the Santa Fe
Go to the gym
Return library books
Make a desperately needed hair appointment.
Go to the chiropractor for a much needed (and two months late) adjustment.

I've still got to hit the Dollar Store for ornaments and hooks for a tree lighting ceremony. My Junior and Daisy Girl Scout troops are representing the township. Go troops! Plus, I've got to pick up a few ornaments that some of my girls made for the ceremony too. I've got good girls : - ) Then, I get to decorate the tree! Wheeee! It's got to be done before tomorrow night's ceremony. I can't do it in the morning because I've got a PTA meeting (hi Lauren!) in the morning and I've got to get the oil changed in Husband's car. Good times, my friends..

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 12:12 PM | Comments (3)

December 05, 2005

WTF?

Oh my God.

I haven't blogged for ::gulp:: four days??

How is it that I don't blog and my stats are up through the roof?

I wish I had time to blog right now but I'm sitting here, at my lonely lil computer, yawning. I've got to get some sleep. Remind me to write about the three parties over a two days period.

Yes, really. Three parties.

::yawning::

G'night.

Posted by Cate at 12:18 AM | Comments (6)

November 28, 2005

Things I've discovered

1. I *can* get in and out of a NJ Motor Vehicle location within 15 minutes. I can even say that it was a ::gasp:: nice experience. Too bad I look like a maniac in my DL photo. No, I won't post it either. Sheesh.

2. Working out is good. I like going to Curves.

3. I can work on projects and still NOT be prepared ::sigh::

4. There are simply not enough hours in the day.

5. It truly sucks when THE absolute main appliance in my home craps out. Merry Christmas to me - I get to buy a new washing machine. Yippie. Of course, my "old" machine is only 9 years old. It would cost a minimum of $300-$350 to even attempt to fix the "old" machine. That's assuming that it was only those three parts needed. Yes - $350 for three parts. Ouch indeed.

6. Sixteen five and six year old girls in a Girl Scout troop can be mentally draining. Oy, my ears are still ringing. God bless anyone who is a kindergarten teacher. Drinks are on me.

7. Nine year olds can drag out the most simplist of tasks, resulting in melt-downs and tears. Oh, and the nine year old gets upset too. It's a good thing my girls are cute.

8. Five year olds, when hyped up on albuterol and pulmicort, can run around in a circle in the living room as well as run up and down the hallway. Let's pray she crashes out ASAP. I have a sneaking suspicion that she might be home tomorrow. Bummers. It's a good thing my girls are cute.

9. I need cash. If anyone has some extra money, you know, like fifties and hundred just laying around the house, you can send some to me.

10. I am lucky to have a wonderful family. I love them dearly.

So, what's happening?? I've missed SO much!

Posted by Cate at 09:18 PM | Comments (1)

November 25, 2005

Why, hello there!

I bet you thought I forgot all about you little poopsies. Of course not. Would I do such a thing? Our Thanksgiving was very nice and the four of us had a lovely time at my inlaws house. Dinner was delicious, as usual. It was nice to visit and relax.

Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and well wishes for my mom. Everything went quite smoothly at the hospital. There was a slight incident involving a 70+ year old aide attempting to help my mother undress. She was quite insistent on assisting Mom with unbuttoning her blouse. Mom, on the other hand, was equally, if not more insistant, that the aide was NOT going to help her. Needless to say, Mom won that battle. The nurses were very nice. One of them had a slightly wicked sense of humor. She was a lot of fun. Another nurse referred to Mom as "bone marrow girl. We both got a kick out of that too.

Did anyone go out shopping this morning? If so, I think you are truly insane. I love to shop but sleeping is SO much more fun. I managed to get most of my shopping done via Amazon. Oh, speaking of Amazon, if you feel compelled to shop, why not click through on my Amazon referrer link rrrrrright over there ------>? I can make a little bit of money which I can then turn around and spend on my lovely daughters. So, of course I clicked through on some of your links and shopped. I did hit the local stores and had some luck. I even shopped Thanksgiving eve after dropping Mom back at her house and found a few goodies there too. I am just about done with the girls. I've got to grab some stocking stuffers and that's about all. Now, all I have to do is work on a few more family members and their gifts. Unfortunately, since they READ my blog, I can't write about the cool stuff I've purchased. ::waving to family:: Hi there. How the hell are ya?

Eldest is sleeping over a friend's house and Husband just carried Youngestinto bed about 20 minutes ago. We're watching the James Bond marathon on Spike. I know, I've seen them all but c'mon! It's JAMES BOND!

I'm going to go fold some laundry and hang out with the hubster. G'night!

Posted by Cate at 10:40 PM | Comments (2)

November 23, 2005

Very Brief

I've been very remiss in blogging this week. I don't have much time to get into details but Mom is going in the hospital for a bone marrow draw this afternoon. I'm gonna need more of those good thoughts, if you can.

I'll try to update later. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 08:40 AM | Comments (10)

November 16, 2005

Exposed!

It's very windy outside. My small garbage cans, used for items to be picked up for recycling, blew over several times this afternoon. When I walked outside to recover them, I had to pick up some of the recycled items that fell out of the can. No big deal. The lid had blown across my yard and landed on the lawn. As I walked across the lawn. there was a huge gust of wind. WHOOSH! My shirt, a conservative button down oxford, blew straight up, covering my face! Horrifed, I wrestled my shirt back down in to place only to have it happen again. My poor neighbors just got flashed. Twice. I got the garbage cans back in place at the top of the driveway and flanked them with the two big garbage containers that the township issued to us. Those suckers aresn't going anywhere now.

As for me, I'm hiding in the house. Oy.

Posted by Cate at 02:37 PM | Comments (4)

November 14, 2005

Strangely motivating

I'm blasting a Duran Duran cd while folding one hundred tons (or so it seems)of laundry. Wow - never thought about this when I was 15 and listening to Duran Duran. "Gee, when I'm old, I wonder if I will be folding laundry whilst I am listening to Duran Duran."

::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 12:31 PM | Comments (5)

November 09, 2005

My goal

This dress by June 2nd:

Posted by Cate at 03:47 PM | Comments (9)

November 05, 2005

Successful Saturday

The guys got a lot of stuff done today. They were in and out of the crawlspace and all over the house. I had my water shut off and the toilet disconnected for a few hours. That was a lot of fun. Luckily, we only had to make one toilet run to McDonalds. The bonus - I couldn't do any more laundry or do the dishes. The down side - I still have a lot of laundry left for tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I'm hosting a Partylite party at the consultant's house. Hell, I can't have it here. My house is a wreck! I hope some people actually show up for it. I have 3 or 4 people who aren't able to attend. Oh well, if anything, I'll be out of the house for a couple hours ::smile::

I'm off to watch George Carlin on HBO and then I think I might do some Christmas shopping. Wheeeeeeeee! Another fun Saturday night.

Ta!

Posted by Cate at 10:03 PM | Comments (2)

November 03, 2005

DMV MCV ..

Whatever.

I'm planning on going to the local New Jersey and renew my license. It doesn't have my photograph on it. I can't even remember when I had a license with a picture. I've always renewed it in the mail. Several months ago, I was asked for a photo ID and, after digging through all my files and piles of papers, I realized that I didn't have anything that I could use as an ID.

Now that I volunteer in the school, I do have a school ID but I figure it's time for me to get a license with my photograph. Here's what I need to do in order to prove that I am *really* me - 6 Point ID Verification Program

Wow. It's a lot different from the "old days".

Posted by Cate at 03:48 PM | Comments (3)

November 01, 2005

That's not right

It's can't be November 1st already! It just can't.

Posted by Cate at 07:10 AM | Comments (4)

October 31, 2005

Halfway through

So far, I survived Youngest's class party. All the kids were SO good and they had cute costumes too. Now we are home, working on some homework before we go out trick or treating.

Time for a beer!

Posted by Cate at 03:02 PM | Comments (1)

October 30, 2005

I'm here!

WHEW!

It's nice to be able to sit down and relax for a little while! As you can tell by my pathetic attemos at blogging lately, I've been a wee bit busy. The first PTA event - the Family Fun Night is over. That's a huge weight off my shoulders and a huge load off my mind. I've been very worried about how that event would turn out and, according to several people I've spoken to, it was good. I've got another one coming up in November but it's going to be a Bingo type event. MUCH easier for me!

On Saturday, Husband and I did some yard work and made some drastic plans regarding the addition. Eldest slept over a friend's house and the three of us had a nice dinner together. I made popcorn and we we all hung out, watching television. Today, before we picked up Eldest, we headed to Home Depot to pick up a few things. We discovered that there was an antique car show in the parking lot. Some of those cars were gorgeous. We wandered around and really enjoyed looking at these magnificent classic cars. We had to leave to pick up Eldest. We stopped back at the house, ate a quick lunch and then went BACK to Home Depot to show Eldest the cars. She enjoyed them and decided that she wanted to own a monster truck. LOL.

I am woefully behind on my emails and phone calls so please forgive me for not responding back. Today, I was busy making Halloween goody bags (23 for each girl) and baking mini cupcakes. I can't imagine how many Weight Watchers points each one could be but they are awfully cute, and quite tasty too. Since I am room mom - err- Classroom Coordinator - I'm going in for Youngest's class party tomorrow around 1130am. I've got 3 other moms coming in and, between the 4 of us, I think we can set up and run a little party for 23 kindergartners. I've got a little craft, a few games for them to play and there will be plenty of snacks. Oooooh boy, will there be snacks! In kindergarten, there are parties almost every month. Ahh, good times. They are also having a school parade and I can't wait to see that. Unfortunately, Eldest's school is also having a parade and I won't be able to see it ::sigh:: She was a little bummed about it but she got over it rather quickly when I promised her goody bags for her class.

Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. It's so difficult for Olivia. With her food allergies (all dairy, nuts, peanuts, eggs and fish), it makes finding safe candy very difficult. She can eat Starbursts, Twizzlers, Dots, Smarties and Pez. Eldest, on the other hand, doesn't like anything with nuts. Besides that, she can eat any candy she collects. I've already made a deal with Youngest- she will trade in her candy and I will buy her a toy, up to $20. Yeah, guilt goes a long way but it made her happy. I hate for her to be left out so I over compensate, but just a little bit.

Ok - now I am pooped and I am off to bed. Have a great (and safe) Halloween my lovies!

Posted by Cate at 11:55 PM | Comments (1)

October 26, 2005

Some pictures to tide you over

Me and Eldest

My little devil

Posted by Cate at 11:04 AM | Comments (5)

Poof!

Just poofing online for a few minutes!

The girls have a half day of school today - dang teacher workshops. So, after I pick up Youngestfrom the bus stop, we are goin' shopping! Woohoo! It's getting really chilly and I don't have their winter coats purchased yet. I also have to grab a coat for Husband and, if the girls are lucky, a trip to McD's too. Boooyah!

Catch ya'll later!

PS - I've got some really high stats lately so if you are a lurker, please take a moment and post a comment. C'mon, say hi already!

Posted by Cate at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2005

Deja vu all over again

Lordy - I hate cold and dark Mondays.

I'm doing well - just super super busy. I'm in the process of dragging Miss Youngestout of bed and boy, is she being stubborn!
(stage whiper - just like her dad::wink wink::)

I'm going to the gym today. It's been a week (or so) and I'm certainly feeling like I *need* to get back there. I've also got a package to mail out to my adopted soldier, papers to drop off at Youngest's classroom, Daisy Scouts for Olivia, Eldest meets with her after-school gifted and talented program today too. Plus, we've got homework to do too.

Give me strength!

Posted by Cate at 07:35 AM | Comments (4)

October 20, 2005

Biggest Loser?

Who me?

I've been a terrible blogger. Neglecting to post, not replying to emails.....oy... what can I do but apologize?

As you might be able to assume, yes, I am really *that* busy. Who would have thought, with both girls in school, that I couldn't do it all. Heh. I've seriously bitten off more than I could chew this year. I will fulfill my committments but I will have to make sure that I do not overcommit next year. Husband will make damn sure I won't overcommit.

I am sure of that.

Posted by Cate at 02:57 PM | Comments (7)

October 18, 2005

Random Tidbits of my Life

I've had so much going on but not much available time to write about it. So, here's the short short version of my life.

1. The roofers will be here tomorrow. 8am. Thank goodness.

2. My stepmom came down on Sunday and we had a great visit. I don't see her too much so I'm glad we spent some time together. She had never been to Long Beach Island so I drove her down to check it out.

3. Cement backerboard is really heavy and a pain in the ass to carry. One of the guys in Home Depot helped Husband load the cart. We also lucked out when another guy in the parking lot helped Husband load the backerboard in the back of the truck.

4. The PTA family fun night is fast approaching. I am somewhat organized and I am lucky enough to have a few people helping me out. I can definitely point out things that will be done differently for the next event.

5. I've also been in Youngest's class, helping the kindergarteners with their writing. It was a lot of fun. Five year olds are a lot of fun.

6. This Friday, I will be spending my evening at the local community center for a Girl Scout Halloween dance. I'll be there from 530pm until 930pm. The Daisy troop will be there during the 6pm-730pm session and the Junior troop has the later session from 745pm-915pm. Oy.

7. Also, this Friday will be the first anniversary of my father's death. I miss him so very much. I figured he would appreciate me spending the evening out with his grandaughters and the other Girl Scouts instead of being home and crying. So, I'll do my best at keeping my chin up and having fun with the girls.

Well, I'm off to bed. I'm pooped.

Posted by Cate at 11:26 PM | Comments (8)

October 15, 2005

As promised

The girls and I watched Grease II tonight. Youngestfell asleep on the couch - she was so tired from all our activities today.

Here's yer photos - Check 'em out below...

Eldest at horseback riding lessons:
View image

A true Miss O smile:
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My new over-the-range microwave (guess where Husband is?):
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We planted Dune Grass this morning on Long Beach Island. It is a Girl Scout event that we participate in every year. Thank goodness it was a gorgeous day! Eldest's done this 3-4 times but this was Youngest's first time planting dune grass. My Junior troop helped out my Daisy troop and all the girls had a great time!
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Youngestand her buddy:
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Eldest and her buddy:
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I think I shot one pretty damn nice picture!
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This is a shot with some of my girls and their parents:
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One of the beach signs:
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Posted by Cate at 10:04 PM | Comments (10)

October 11, 2005

Wha' happened?

My day - POOF!

Husband had two doctor appointments today. He's doing better but the ENT placed him on steroids and antibiotics. He is also scheduled for a hearing and an electronystagmography test (ENG).
I kept Eldest home but she is SO going to school tomorrow. She was checked by the school nurse and was given the green light, to her dismay. Thank goodness she was given the vaccine when she was a baby. It could have been a lot worse. Husband isn't going to be driving for the next few days. I will be driving him to work tomorrow and my FIL will bring him home.

I am also working on a PTA event - Family Fun Nights. I'm doing a Halloween themed night View image. I'm trying to organize this event and I'm going crazy with it. I am lucky enough to have people helping me (Hi Lauren!) but it's just frustrating. I screwed the form and didn't put a place to specify how many adults and how many children were attending. SO, I've had to call back roughly 70 people today. Oy - I'm tired of talking to people. God, I never thought I'd write that!

I did watch my television boyfriend - Mike Rowe - tonight on Dirty Jobs. Oh man - he was practically nekkid! Hey Liz, didja catch the show tonight? Hubba Hubba! I've got to find more pictures of this guy!

tags: mike rowe + dirty jobs + mike rowe dirty jobs

Posted by Cate at 10:49 PM | Comments (4)

October 10, 2005

One of those days

We're all alive and kicking... just trying to get some work done around the house. Husband managed to install the over the range microwave and it was such a huge pain in the butt. Man, that thing was HEAVY.

I'm off to do some laundry and cook.. have fun!

Posted by Cate at 12:52 PM | Comments (2)

October 06, 2005

You know you are a mom when you...

...arrive at the supermarket as it starts to rain. Hard. No problem, just look in the hatch for the trusty big red Mom umbrella.

It's not there.

Suddenly, you spy an umbrella. With a triumphant "HA!", you pull it out and realize that it's a small child-sized umbrella. Not only is it small, it's also light pink with a lovely ruffle around the edge. AS the rain pours down, you only have a moment to make that split second decision of:

A. Run through the parking lot and get soaked

or

B. Suck it up.

Hey, at least I was dry.

Posted by Cate at 02:22 PM | Comments (7)

October 05, 2005

Busy!

Crazy stuff going on here!

Will blog more details later...

Posted by Cate at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2005

A quick break

The girls made it to school and I made it to the gym. Woohoo! Now, I'm back home for a few minutes before I head to my friend Lauren's house to work on crafts for the PTA's holiday shop.

See ya!

Posted by Cate at 09:46 AM | Comments (1)

October 03, 2005

Happy Monday!

Yeah - Mondays suck... I know...

In surprising news, Eldest managed to leave on time for the bus this morning! Yes, that is a major miracle. Husband and I were up very late last night, working in the kitchen. Truth be told, he was doing most of the work and I was there for moral support. We've got an electrical inspection coming up on Wednesday and it's crunch time here. He has school tonight too so he will be exhausted when he finally gets home tonight - somewhere between 1030-11pm.

I'm going to try to get to the gym even though I could probably use about 3-4 extra hours of sleep and I've got a wicked headache. As I type, I am thinking more and more about staying home.

Other happy news, I met up with my brother and his fiancee (it feels so weird to write fiancee!) at Mom's house. Her ring is gorgeous so it's quite apparent that my brother has a very good eye for jewelry. Of course, I was very excited to congratulate them. The girls and I were asked to be part of the wedding and I was thrilled to be included as an attendant. Mom is so jazzed up with the notion of shopping for dresses for the girls. I offered to help Maryellen with whatever she needed. The've got a lot of planning to do as they are looking towards a wedding sometime between April and June! Party!
After Tim and Maryellen left, Mom's friends stopped by for a visit and we all got to hang out, chat and have a great time. The girls and I didn't even make it back home until 945pm! I was lucky enough to chat with Zonker, Kelly and Eric on my ride home. They were some of many at a Georgia blogmeet. In fact, Eric chastisted me for not meeting up with him several weeks ago when he was up visiting Jim. After some serious discussion, we decided to completely blame everything on Jim. Heh. Love ya Jim.

I've got to get the lil miss off to school. Then, I"ll hit Staples, Pathmark and I'm coming back home. My head is killing me. Ugh.

Posted by Cate at 07:25 AM | Comments (6)

September 29, 2005

WTF?

There's a reason for the title of this post. Bear with me and read through and let me know what you think.

I decided to drive both girls into school today. Youngestwas up a lot last night, coughing and hacking. Damn you seasonal allergies! ::shaking fist:: Due to that, we all awoke a little behind schedule this morning. By driving them in, even though I had to drive to two different schools for two different homeroom times, it allowed me some extra time in the house.

We left at 750am, made it to Eldest's school with no problems. Did the kisses, the I love yous and the drop-off. Now, it's 8am. Youngestdidn't need to be at school until 845am so I made the executive decision to make a quick detour at Pathmark. Man, I've got to start food shopping at 8am more often. There was hardly anyone in the store besides the employees. Of course, the downside, some of the shelves weren't fully stocked with the items I needed so I foresee another quick trip in the next day or two. Also, the pharmacy was closed. Bummer indeed.

I was rung up, bagged and ready to go at 830am. Not bad. I loaded the car with groceries, one child and I was off! While driving towards Youngest's school, I passed a woman with a child in the back, driving a Ford Escape with those fake bullet holes on the side of the vehicle. Now, I am all up for pimping out your ride but to willingly place bullet holes, oh excuse me, fake bullet holes on the side of your car? What are you telling people? What is your message? That you've been shot at and survived?

"Oooh, don't mess with that mom!"
"Why?"
"She's got fake bullet holes on her car."
"Wow - she must be tough."

Whatever.

So, here I am, at 915 in the morning, having already unpacked and put away groceries, sitting with a cuppa tea, bitching about another parent on my blog.

Yeah, it's good to be me.

Posted by Cate at 09:12 AM | Comments (11)

September 28, 2005

It's here!

My new toy is here. Hooray!

Posted by Cate at 12:08 PM | Comments (3)

September 27, 2005

The Lil Miss

I've got a bunch of errands to do today so I have to drag bring Youngestwith me. She thinks she's going to hang out and watch tv all day.

Heh.

Posted by Cate at 08:46 AM | Comments (1)

September 25, 2005

A present for me!

I've got this little baby on it's way to me as well as an accessory pack and a 512mb memory stick. I'll be getting it on Wednesday. Boooyah!!

Posted by Cate at 09:28 PM | Comments (4)

September 23, 2005

S-A-T-U-R - oh crap

Damn, it's only Friday. Well, thank goodness it's Friday, I suppose.

I am sitting amongst piles of papers - school, bills, Girl Scouts, newspapers, and, even though I am annoyed that I have all this stuff, I realized, I am lucky because I have all this stuff.

You all know what's going on in the news - levees breaking in New Orleans, a bus exploding, a 24 year old man shot dead for his Red Cross relief money - it's heartbreaking.

Posted by Cate at 12:40 PM | Comments (2)

September 22, 2005

Howdy ho neighbors!

I need a wife.

No, not for THAT. Sheesh people. Really.

I need someone to run (aka CLEAN) my house while I am gone during the day doing things - like PTA, Girl Scouts, the gym, food shopping, all that fun stuff. Right now, the house looks awful. I've got stuff everywhere and not a lot of places to put the stuff. Husband is busting his butt and really working hard. Poor guy, works all day then comes home and works more at night.

I just can't wait until this addition is complete. I am craving order.

Posted by Cate at 02:16 PM | Comments (6)

September 20, 2005

Good morning..err.. evening

You know, when I realized that both girls would be going to school this year, I anticipated leisurely days,lunching with friends, being able to get the house organized.... you know, being a little like June Cleaver.

Boy, has that notion flown out the window!

I'm so behind on visiting people so please forgive me for not commenting on your blogs.

Our visit to the track on Saturday was a LOT of fun. I've only been to the track once and I was way too young to gamble. Man, I had a gooood time gambling. Truth be told, I suck at horse betting but I had a lot of fun trying. I won on a few ponies - Joey P, Jersey Peach - how can one from NJ NOT bet on Jersey Peach? Well, she won the race and I won too. So did a shitload of other people who bet on her as well. The odds were awful - maybe 2-1. LOL. We stayed until the nineth race amd then we left, heading to my sis in law's place in Red Bank. We had dinner, walked to the Navesink River then drove home. Sunday was our BIG trip to Lowes. We spent quite a bit of money and the items will be delivered Monday.

Today, my friend Lauren, her lil 7 week old munchkin and I went shopping for some future PTA events. Don't even ask what I spent AND I'm not even done. ::sigh:: We were in Michaels for almost two hours. Of course, while I was there, I bumped into four different people - all from Girl Scouts. It was very weird indeed.

My FIL came down to watch the girls tonight as it was Eldest's Back to School night. I love her teacher this year and I think that Eldest will do very well with her. In other good school news, Eldest was accepted into the gifted and talented program! Woohoo!

Not much else here - just being busy with the house, the house, the house and the house. I've got to jump into the shower and head to bed. It's been a long day. G'nite!

Posted by Cate at 10:58 PM | Comments (6)

September 19, 2005

Monday

Things are good here. I want/need to write about our trip to the racetrack on Saturday and about a few other things..

First, I need to go to the Dollar Tree for supplies, Staples for ink cartridges, go to school, pick up three of my older girls from the Junior troop and bring them to the Daisy meeting this afternoon. Fun fun!

Posted by Cate at 12:11 PM | Comments (3)

September 14, 2005

Random photo entry

Enjoy!

My Mom is in the process of having a new home built. This is the work site's current state of progress.

Husband giving me the finger through the ceiling- while working in the attic.

My new oven.

And new microhood.

A Halloween costume for me. Maybe.

Darla in her kitty bed (thanks Mom!)

Posted by Cate at 10:46 PM | Comments (3)

September 13, 2005

Catching up

A good day was had by all - I met up with a friend (hi Lauren!) and we had fun doing PTA stuff. I got to play, feed, and cuddle with her almost seven week old daughter. She is just so adorable! Although I didn't get too much sleep when the girls were infants, I do miss that stage. They don't stay that way for long.

I am waiting for the electrician to call me back in order to connect a new electric panel and other things. I have no clue what needs to be done - that's Husband's job. OH - totally forgot to mention that we bought a new gas range and a microwave that goes over it! Woohoo! It's a Maytag and it has a 5.22 cubic foot oven. Plenty of room to cook a BIG old turkey with room to spare!

I also want to promote a site - Adopt A Platoon. This organization will link you up with a soldier to provide the soldier with mail support. Go check the site out and see if you can find it in your heart to support a soldier.

Well, I've got to head to bed. I am pooped! G'night!

Posted by Cate at 10:42 PM | Comments (2)

September 12, 2005

Today's schedule

6am - Husband alarm
615am - Kate alarm
620am - wake up Eldest
630am - make sure she is up/dressed/hair brushed
640am - Eldest - breakfast
645am - wake up Olivia/say goodbye to Husband
650am-720am - Kate to make 2 lunches/do Youngest's clothes and hair/feed Olivia/make sure both girls teeth are brushed/backpacks set
720am - walk Eldest to bus
730am - walk home with Olivia
735am-8am - empty/reload dishwasher, throw clothes in washer/dryer/laundry basket/turn off lights/ clean table/put clothes away
810am - walk Youngestto bus
820am walk home

I had so much stuff to do today, OMG, I can't even write it out. I had to go to the bank, drive to the local GS council - 20 minutes from my house, stop at a pool supply store to buy a new pool cover, treated myself to a Starbucks frappacino (soooooooo goood!) and got back to the house at 1130am, organized and packed stuff for Youngest's Daisy meeting, loaded the car and left the house again at 1215. Both girls had a dr's appt with the allergist at 120pm. I picked up Eldest at 1230, Youngestat 1245, got to the doc's, did the appt, drove home and hung around for 25 minutes, drove back to school for Youngest's first Daisy Girl Scout meeting, drove back home at 445pm, set the table, finished cooking dinner (thank you O Mighty Crockpot), waited for my FIL to show up to babysit the girls so Husband and I could go to Back to School night, he was late, Husband called, FIL forgot, I went to B2S night alone, met Youngest's teacher again, picked up some papers, dropped off some PTA stuff and made it back home by 830pm. I am so damn tired - that was my day.

So, what did YOU do today?

Posted by Cate at 11:09 PM | Comments (7)

Where is all my "free" time?

How do you people do it?

I've only got two kids and Husband (oh yeah, the cat too) and I am trying to stay organized. I don't know if it's working or not. The wiring in the addition is almost complete. We are waiting for a quote from another electrician and it hasn't arrived yet.

I have so much I want to mention - but yet, not enough time!

Arrrggghhhhh!

Posted by Cate at 07:45 AM | Comments (4)

September 08, 2005

Nice and cool

It's gorgeous - 65 degrees. It's supposed to get up to 85 this afternoon. I love the cool mornings. I wish I had a deck where I could sit and enjoy them in peace and quiet.

crash! cry! Mooooooooooooooooooooom

I wish I had a deck.

Posted by Cate at 07:08 AM | Comments (6)

September 03, 2005

Out on the town

The girls and I will be heading out to our town's "Good Old Days" celebration. I've got to man the Girl Scout booth for about 1 1/2 hours and then the day belongs to us. Eldest is going to a sleepover tonight (woohoo!) and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon.

I hope everyone has a safe (and fun!) holiday weekend!

Posted by Cate at 10:45 AM | Comments (1)

September 02, 2005

Thank Goodness it's Friday

Still waiting for some work to be completed on the addition. Husband is unhappy with a few things and we're going to make them fix it before they get some more money. So far, they've been pretty accommodating.
So far.

I've got no plans this weekend. Well, just one thing for a couple hours on Saturday but that's it. I do have an appointment to get my teeth cleaned today - Woohoo. I can par-tay! Tonight, I'm going out with a group of friends to work on our photo albums. You know, just to sit and chat while loading up the albums. I've got SO many photographs all over my house. I desperately need to get them in albums. It should be fun!

Eldest had her horseback riding lessons yesterday. Good Lord - the child is in heaven.. and a little bit of pain from the saddle. Ouchies. I also need to buy her a pair of boots - something with a heel so her foot doesn't slip out of the stirrups. With that and a helmet, it's going to get expensive quickly. My mom is helping by paying for the lessons - thanks Mom! Eldest is just so excited.

Well, I've got to run - many things to do and not enough time. Have a safe and fantastic weekend. Please donate - blood, money, food, whatever you can. American needs your help.

Posted by Cate at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2005

Helloooooooooooooooooooooo!

How the hell are you?

Posted by Cate at 11:30 AM | Comments (6)

August 25, 2005

Skipped a day

Good morning!

Yes, I know, bright and early for me. I'd better start practicing getting up earlier than this. School starts in less that two weeks and I've GOT to make sure that Eldest gets the bus. I can't be driving her into school and get Youngestready on time for HER bus.

Mom is coming down for a visit and lunch today. Perhaps we can even squeeze in some shopping too - Eldest needs sneakers and school shoes. I purged her closet yesterday and made her try on a bunch of clothes. Surprisingly, we had a fun time, giggling over what didn't fit and what was still too big for her. Mom had bought her a very nice pair of black boots and she loves them. So, I had her try on the boots with her jeans and she looked so darn cute. Youngestgot a different pair in pink suede.

I'm supposed to have contractors show up here today and put siding up on the addition. I"m also suppposed to have the huge pile of dirt removed - to the girls' utter dismay. I hope the porta-john leaves soon too. It looks SO classy at the top of my driveway too. Not.

Well, I need to get cleaned up and attempt to do some more laundry before Mom gets here. Later!

Posted by Cate at 08:43 AM | Comments (1)

August 23, 2005

Some peace and quiet

I've managed to sneak back into the house, undetected by the girls. Ahhhh, it's nice and QUIET in here. Today, they've been good buddies and bitter enemies. It's like watching Jekyll and Hyde. Luckily, I get to escape tonight to the first Girl Scout service unit meeting of the year. I'm going to get there early and help out the service unit manager who is quite possibly one of the nicest women I've ever met.

Seriously.

This meeting is going to run about three hours. Lots and lots of paperwork and tons of information about upcoming events. One of the big events in April is a bus trip to the American Girl store in NYC for a show,lunch, and shopping. Eldest is **so** excited about it. Youngestisn't old enough for the trip and she's a little bummed out but I think she'll survivie

Anyway, I've got to finish getting dinner ready for the family. I'm going to have pizza at the meeting. Mmmmmmmmm - pizza.

Posted by Cate at 04:11 PM | Comments (0)

Sleepy

Eldest had a friend sleep over last night.

::yawn::

Her mom will be picking her up soon. They've got a full day planned. I've got the heating and a/c guys here for the day, hooking up the new system in the addition.

Woohoo!

Posted by Cate at 09:55 AM | Comments (1)

August 16, 2005

Is there anyone out there?

Hello!

Long time no post. Things have been in slight chaos around here. I've got shirtless young men wandering around in my house and yard. I'm not complaining mind you but I am starting to feel like Mrs. Robinson.

Husband and Eldest are on their way to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Eldest has been dying to go there for quite a long time. We heard on the radio that the museum will be closing at the end of August and will not be reopening until 2007! So, as a surprise for Eldest, Husband took the day off and they two of them are having a nice Dad/Daughter kind of day. She was so excited when she heard that they were going sans Youngest and me. Youngest wasn't too thrilled but I promised her a trip to McDonalds and we are going shopping at the mall. I want to bring her to Build A Bear too - just for a surprise.

I've got oodles to do around here before we leave. I hope the workers are done by noon. They said they didn't have too much to do today.
Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:16 AM | Comments (6)

August 11, 2005

Good-bye

I'm feeling a little emotional today. My fantastic neighbors are moving to North Carolina. We've known them for about eight years. Her youngest son, who is one year younger than Eldest, would play with Eldest all the time. While I am thrilled for them, I am pretty sad to see them leave. She stopped over this afternoon and we chatted for about 20 minutes, pretty much delaying the real reason why she stopped to visit.

Saying good-bye.

She finally stood up and said she had to get back to her house. The closing is tomorrow. I walked her to the door and when she turned around to give me a hug, I just dissolved into tears. She had also started to cry. We hugged again and she walked away, wiping her eyes.

She didn't look back.

Tonight, I watched this week's Six Feet Under. I cried through just about the entire episode. I think watching Nate's memorial service gave me flashbacks to my Dad's service. It was beautiful. The gentleman who read my father's eulogy was kind enough to email me a copy several days later. I still pull it up and re-read it every once in a while. I still cry when I read it.

I am tired of good-byes.

Posted by Cate at 12:01 AM | Comments (8)

August 07, 2005

Fun

A big thank you to everyone who played along in the 25 Word Challenge. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

But, the Carnival is up over at Sharon's place There is a lot of great reading there. Go check it out.

Oh - check out the photo of the day in the extended entry. The house is starting to come together very nicely!

It needs to be inspected tomorrow and the rest of the framing should be completed by Wednesday.

Posted by Cate at 08:44 AM | Comments (5)

August 05, 2005

I'm back and I'm BURNED

Guess what dummy didn't use sunscreen today?

You guess it.

I look like a frigging lobster. I'd put my picture up but I'm way to embarrassed. I look awful.

::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 05:44 PM | Comments (4)

August 04, 2005

Bloggin' from the 'berry

That's right. I am blogging from my little public library.

The girls and I got all our errands done - food shopping, library, butcher shop and getting gas for the car. I dragged all the stuff into the house and realized that the power was out. CRAP! So, I picked through all the bags for the cold items, whipped open the refrigerator door, literally shoved all the cold items inside, then WHAM! Slammed the door closed.

I called our electric company's outage hotline to report loss of power - on a 95 degree day - and I was so happy to hear that power would most likely be out until 4pm. Yippie. I told the girls to put their shoes back on because we were going to McD's for lunch. They were thrilled - you'd think I never fed them before. LOL.

After lunch, we headed back to the library. Of course, the heavens opened up and it poured just as I parked my car. Luckily, I keep umbrellas in my car so we were able to get inside without getting too soggy. The girls wanted to play on the computers and I wanted to look for books for me to read.

Here's what I found for today:

The Givenchy Code - Julie Kenner
Call It a Gift - Valerie Hobbs
The Garden of Eden - Eve Adams (I giggled when I read the author's name - very cute)
A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
and the sequel
The Lost Boy - Dave Pelzer
The 2,000 Best Games & Activities - Susan Kettmann
What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know - The Core Knowledge Series

I am looking for more book recommendations. Any suggestions?

Posted by Cate at 03:38 PM | Comments (5)

August 03, 2005

:::yawn:::

Well, workmen did arrive yesterday afternoon and finished pouring cement for the addition. They also backfilled in some of mountains of dirt. Eldest and I took a bunch of pictures. Mom stopped down yesterday for lunch and a swim. Unfortunately, the work crew showed up right at lunchtime and went right to work so there was no swimming. As Mom was getting ready to leave, the crew finished up for the day and left!

My friend stopped by to drop off Eldest's mask. She and her two girls ended up staying for a few hours. She left to pick up her son and bathing suits for her girls and came back. All five kids went swimming and jumped on the trampoline. Pool, trampoline, pool, trampoline, you get the idea. I grilled up some hot dogs and burgers and we all had a very nice time. My friend and her crew left around 8pm.

I love the summer.

Youngesthas gymnastics today and I will be interviewing a Girl Scout assistant. Turns out, HER daughter also goes to gymnastics at the same time, just in a different class. Bonus! Plus, I have ANOTHER GS interview tonight at 7pm. Busy busy busy!

Well, I'm off to drag these lazy girls out of bed. Wish me luck.

Posted by Cate at 08:23 AM | Comments (3)

August 01, 2005

Note the time of this post

I hate dogs that bark in the morning.

Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Posted by Cate at 06:47 AM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2005

Rainy Monday

It's kinda nice that it's raining today. I've gotten a lot of work for Girl Scouts completed while listening to MP3s on the computer. The girls are coloring these acrylic figures made by Rose-Art. Youngesthas the dolphin and Eldest has the unicorn. They are really enjoying them too.

At 1pm, we are visiting my friend's house to do more GS stuff. We have to plan out the Daisy troop meetings. Later tonight I'm getting together with my assistant for my Junior troop and planning those meetings. I think I'm gonna bring a bottle of wine. Wheeee!

I've got to run - more phone calls and I supposed I should check on the girls. They've gotten too quiet.

Posted by Cate at 11:28 AM | Comments (1)

July 20, 2005

Checkin' the PDA

It's Wacky Wednesday!

Today's schedule is: camp, gymnastics, swim lessons, picking up Eldest from camp, a chiro appointment and an early evening event at one of the county libraries.

So, I will be away from my computer until, at the earliest, lunch time. I just KNOW you will miss me, won't you?

Posted by Cate at 07:54 AM | Comments (4)

July 19, 2005

Free Cycle

Wow - there are some really cool things being offered on Freecycle. I am SO checking this out.

It's SO muggy today. Ugh -like walking through pea soup. Poor Eldest. She's at camp today and it's going to be 92. My poor baby. I hope the lake is nice and cool.

I don't feel like going out to LBI for Youngest's swim lessons. Wah wah wah.

I'd better walk away from the blog before I whine anymore.

Posted by Cate at 10:05 AM | Comments (6)

July 16, 2005

The waiting game

I figured I would write a quick post while I am eagerly awaiting my delivery of my Harry Potter book. UPS has it out for delivery and I am hoping it arrives soon. Yeah, I'm a geek. Whatcha gonna do about it?

Heh - Husband just caught a teeny tiny frog. The girls thundered down the hallway and zoomed out the back door to see it. The frog is awfully cute. Of course the girls asked if we could keep it (no way)

Last night we watched Shark Tale. It was pretty funny. I like Will Smith so it wasn't too difficult to enjoy it. Of course, with the additional talents of De Niro, Peter Faulk and Matin Scorcese, it just added to my viewing enjoyment. I am not a Jack Black fan but even he was funny in this as a vegetarian shark.

I think I might do some crocheting while waiting for my book. Tomorrow Never Dies is on TNT right now. I lurves me some James Bond.

Posted by Cate at 10:39 AM | Comments (2)

July 14, 2005

I wish

I really wish I has some/any fabulous topics, something that would really spark some conversation.. but, alas, I do not.

Could it be that I - Queen Motormouth - have *finally* run out of things to discuss?

Oh, I know of two fabulous things that I can mention:

1. Jim from Parkway RestStop was mentioned in a NY Times article about NJ Bloggers. Way to go Jim. You rock no matter what. I really liked your quote too.

2. Mary from BookBlog is coming down for a visit this afternoon. The girls are excited to see her because she hasn't been at my place since August 2004. When I spoke with her last night, she somehow wrangled me into being September's moderator. Now I need to find a good book. Maybe I'll choose the new Harry Potter? Hmm, on second hand, maybe not.

Posted by Cate at 07:36 AM | Comments (2)

July 13, 2005

Ummm - Hi!

No time to write a lengthy post now.

Just lettin' ya know I'm still kickin'!

Posted by Cate at 12:36 PM | Comments (1)

July 11, 2005

Fun fun fun!

An incredibly busy day - even by my standards. Eldest loved camp. Youngestloved her swim lessons. Oh yeah, Eldest has a wicked ear infection. I've got the play by play listed below, if you want to follow along with my day.

I woke up at 645am this morning and left the house by 745am. Eldest caught the bus to camp, I arranged to rent a storage unit, did a bank deposit, went to Wal-Mart, went to pharmacy, made a pedi appointment for Eldest, went to library, went to swim lessons and finally made it back home by 1220pm for lunch. Husband came home early because he had a dental appointment at 130pm. While he got a filling, I was visiting my friend while Youngestand her crew went swimming. I made arrangements for Husband to pick up Youngestat 430pm and I left at 330pm to pick up Eldest at the camp bus stop. The bus arrived at 4pm and Eldest and I went to Wawa to get her a quick snack and drink before our 445pm pedi appointment. We saw the pedi, got the ear infection diagnosis and three prescriptions (amoxicillan, ear drops and Singulair). I drove to the pharmacy, dropped off the scripts and was told I had a 45 minute wait. So, we went back to Wal-Mart and wandered around in there, killing time. We got back to the pharmacy at 6pm, picked up the meds, drove home and Eldest ate her dinner while I spoke with my Mom on the phone. She called right as we came home. Eldest took another breathing treatment and her meds while I prepared my dinner. I shoveled in my dinner and as soon as I was done, I got another phone call. While I was on the phone, Husband told the girls they could go swimming. So, they got ready and I finally finished my call. I sat outside and watched the girls and Husband in the pool and decided that *I* wanted to go swimming too! I got my suit on and we all goofed around in the pool for about 20 minutes. I got the girls all finished with their showers amd now I am typing this entry out, still in my bathing suit.

If you've hung in there with me, God bless ya. I don't know how I survived today either. I need a drink.

Posted by Cate at 08:30 PM | Comments (3)

July 08, 2005

Damn

Guess we're not going to the track today.

Posted by Cate at 08:00 AM | Comments (5)

July 07, 2005

Love

I just love Robert Mondavi.

::hic::

Posted by Cate at 06:19 PM | Comments (1)

July 06, 2005

We're outta here!

The girls and I will be heading out to the boardwalk/beach in a bit. I've got to run around, get things ready and drag their butts out of bed!

Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 08:13 AM | Comments (5)

July 03, 2005

Checking in

I'm alive!

I've been so busy that I've neglected my poor lil old blog. Sorry to all you fine people who've been checking in on me.

Husband's been reassembling a rather large trampoline for the girls. We picked it up free from the sister of a friend of a friend. FREE! Of course, we needed to take it apart. In her backyard. Her seriously tree-filled and pollen covered backyard. Ew. But, It's a full size trampoline with the net sides. It would have cost me about $500 to purchase brand new. I'm not picky. I will gladly take gently used stuff. The trampoline was in pretty good shape, just some slight rust on the bolts and poles. Husband sanded off all the rust and is [planning in priming and painting the steel supports. Between the trampoline, the pool, the addition and the swingset, my backyard is going to be pretty darn full!

Off to play. See ya!

Posted by Cate at 11:58 AM | Comments (3)

June 27, 2005

Funk

Why the hell am I in such a mood?

Something funny:

The girls were in the pool the other day. Youngestwas splashing Eldest, who was getting pretty sick and tired of getting splashed in the face. Eldest warned Youngestthat she would splash her back if she didn't stop. Youngest's response?

"Bring it on".

Where the hell did THAT come from? It was all I could do NOT to laugh. I know I am going to have so much trouble with Miss Olivia. Oy.

Posted by Cate at 10:39 PM | Comments (8)

June 24, 2005

Tapped

Today, I got nothin'.

What about you?

Posted by Cate at 09:31 AM | Comments (14)

June 23, 2005

It's Thursday, right?

Good Lord - the kids are out of school for one day and I've already screwed up our schedule. Gah - I hate that. Yesterday, I had to wait for the inspector to arrive. Once he finally showed up and left (five minutes TOPS!), I hustled the girls out to Pathmark for a quickie food shopping run. We got back home, they chilled out, Husband came home and I got dinner ready. Of course, we had a wicked thunderstorm show up just as I was going outside to grill the burgers. That inspired the inpromptu song in the previous post. I was grilling with an umbrella during a thunderstorm. Hey - ya gotta eat, right?

While we were sitting at the table and eating, Youngestasked me what day it was. I actually had to think for a minute before I answered "Wednesday". Eldest piped up "Oh Mom, we forgot to bring Youngestto gymnastics!" Whooops! Luckily, Youngestwasn't upset and we all just laughed about it.

Just as we finished dinner and I was pouring out coffee, CLICK, the power goes out. For us, no power also means no water. The well pump is electric. That kinda sucks. But, we had some bottled water and I have a couple gallons out aside for "just in case" situations. Luckily, the power came back on by 8pm.

Does anyone else watch "Family Guy"? I never catch it on Sundays but I watch it every night at 1130pm on Adult Swim. This show is so frigging funny. I am hooked.

Posted by Cate at 08:57 AM | Comments (3)

June 20, 2005

Thank you

I appreciate all the sweet emails and comments from you guys. I was really in a funk yesterday and I am feeling better today.

I've been busy around the house, changing all the bedding and trying to do some basic cleaning. It never really ends. LOL. I am also working on my end of the year Girl Scout paperwork and getting things ready for fall. I will be running Youngest's Daisy troop as well as being the Brownie organizer and of course, running Eldest's troop too. It will be a BUSY year! I am really looking forward to it.

Have a great day - for a Monday!

Posted by Cate at 11:56 AM | Comments (5)

June 16, 2005

Conked out

After I tucked the girls in bed last night, I wandered into my bedroom and gazed at the gigantic mountain of laundry piled high upon my bed. After some serious contemplating, I decided to take serious action.

I piled all the clothes back into the baskets and stacked them on the floor.

What? Like you wouldn't have done the same?

Husband had turned on the television and was engrossed in watching a show on the History Channel. It was about the Cape Cod Canal. Fascinating stuff indeed. I made the most critical of errors when I decided to lay on the bed and watch it with him.

Next thing I know, he's waking me up at 1am. He wanted to turn down the bedspread. I am only assuming that he must have fallen asleep too. I rarely pass out like that so I must have been pretty darn tired. Now that I'm awake and have had at least nine hours of sleep, I must fold all that laundry PLUS the two other loads in my living room.

Save me.

Posted by Cate at 08:31 AM | Comments (6)

June 13, 2005

Today's the day

The Big 3-5.

Eeek.

I'd also like to do a birthday shout out to BlogDaddy. It's his birthday today. And, I can't forget my Mom - today is her birthday too. Thanks for everything Mommy. I love you.

Posted by Cate at 07:28 AM | Comments (27)

June 10, 2005

Wha....?

It's Friday?

Already?

* I've got SO much to do! I have my family coming over tomorrow for a BBQ and my place is a wreck. WRECK!
* Got to Shop Rite by 8am, which is a very good thing. While checking out, I dropped a jar of pickles. CRASH! Pickles and juice everywhere. My feet smell fabulous.
* Almost got sideswiped by a car who decided he wanted to change left turn lanes WHILE HE WAS TURNING and just drifted over to MY lane. HELLO! So, I waved my arms and honked my girlie horn and he totally ignored me. Bastard.
* Today is my last troop meeting. ::sniffle:: I'll miss the girls this summer thus proving that absence DOES make the heart grow fonder.
* GREAT news about the addition. We will be closing on the new mortgage on Tuesday! Woohoo! The plans are at the builder and he will be submitting them to the township very soon. I can't WAIT for me new bedroom, bath, and WALK-IN CLOSET! Oh yeah baby. Oh yeah.
* 7 more days of school. It's a good thing.
* I've got a baby shower to attend tonight and I need to wrap the gift. Heck, at least I remembered to BUY the gift and card!
* I've got to bake a chocolate cake, make icing, bake the rest of my chocolate chip cookies and get that darn grill put together. Oh, note to self, buy propane!
* Went to a PTA meeting yesterday. I feel myself getting sucked in ever so slowly. It's a darn good thing I like the woman who is going to be the new president. She's super nice.

Anyway - I've got a TON of things to do today and I must prep for my meeting. What are YOU doing this weekend?

Posted by Cate at 09:16 AM | Comments (8)

June 08, 2005

Errands Completed!

I left the house at 8am and got a ton of errands completed. Husband is off today so I left Youngesthome with him so I could zip around town.

I hit the bank, Wal-Mart (baby shower gifts), Staples (copies and binders), McD's (coffee and one of those sausage biscuits - YUM!), the chiro, the municiple building (permits for pool), and I got back home by 11am.

Oh yeah. I am SO finished with my errands.

I have to pick up Eldest from school at 115pm. She is getting three more teeth pulled today. Lucky her. But, she gets to relax at home and eat ice pops while watching tv. Plus, she gets to have gas at the dentist. She loves that stuff. Giess I'd better keep a good eye in her when she gets older.

I'm going to help Husband with the pool cover. Catch ya'll later!

Posted by Cate at 11:31 AM | Comments (3)

June 05, 2005

Great Weekend

I got all my laundry done at my inlaws house yesterday. Wooohooo! Of course, as of tonight, I have about two laods that I can hang out on the clothesline, including a set of sheets. So, who's coming over to help me do laundry? LOL.

We had our Girl Scout service unit dinner tonight. The dinner wasn't that great but it was fun to get out for a little while. I ended getting some certificates and even the Soaring High pin:
SOARING HIGH PIN: 1 per 10 troops, maximum of 5 per Service Unit. Recognizes significant contributions of an adult member to the advancement of the Girl Scout program through multiple commitments to the Service Unit. May only be received once.
I'm thrilled to have received this pin. I worked hard in Girl Scouts as a girl and I am enjoying my work as an adult. I think that Girl Scouts is a great place for all girls and I am so happy that both my girls are interested in it.

Well, I'm beat. Busy day today and I've got an even busier day tomorrow. Twelve years ago, on June 6th 1993, I married the most wonderful man. In our total seventeen years together, we've shared many cars, one cat, several apartments, one house, two beautiful daughters, and lots of love for each other. Like our wedding song, we have shared a "Whole New World" with each other.

I love you Husband.

Posted by Cate at 11:27 PM | Comments (7)

June 03, 2005

Whoops

I forgot to post last night.

::cue thunder and lightning::

Husband and I ended up going to bed at 10pm. He passed out by 1012pm and I tuned in watch the third Batman, with Val Kilmer. Man, he's so freakin' sexy in that rubber suit. ROWR! ::pant pant drool::

I had an executive PTA meeting to attend yesteday morning. It ran from 930am until 1130am. The current president withdrew her name for a second term and a friend of mine decided she is going to run for president. She wants to change some things around and I know she will do a great job. Of course, I did say that I would help her coordinate a few events next year but I was not going to run for any position! No way. I have a lot on my plate as it is with Girl Scouts, gymnastics, swim lessons, and school. Next year is going to be a little different because Youngestwill be starting kindergarten. I'll have *some* free time but it's going to be put to good use... I hope.

Speaking of schools, the Girl Scout service unit manager also works in the school where the PTA meeting was held. Turns out she had already called and left me a voicemail. She was in a panic because she had ordered blank certificates that she was going to fill out and hand out to all the volunteers at the upcoming service unit dinner (this Sunday). These certificates ended up on a backorder and the company never contacted her. When she called yesterday looking for the order, the guy told her they were backordered. She was annoyed that the company didn't even attempt to contact her to let her know. So, she cancelled the order because she wasn't going to get it in time. She was upset about the certificates because her printer was shot and she didn't have the time to make any. So, here I come, wandering out of the PTA meeting and I see her.

After she told me all this, I said I would go to Staples and see what they had in the way of certificates. I had to buy black ink anyway so it wasn't a huge deal. I picked up a package of 100 certificates and the ink. When I got back home, I tinkered around in my Print Shop program and came up with a nice little certificate, set up the paper and VOILA! Certificates! I brought them over to her last night so she could see them before I printed out a huge batch. They looked good so I printed out around 80 of them for her and dropped them off this morning. When I called her to make sure she got them, she was so thrilled! I told her I should get a "Saving the Day" certificate. LOL.

Youngest's friend is coming over this morning for a playdate. Then, after lunch, I will bring them both back to my friend's house and she will watch both girls while I go to the scout meeting. Next Friday is the last meeting. Yay! I need a break and so do the girls. I've got to prep for today and eat my breakfast. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 08:10 AM | Comments (6)

June 02, 2005

Breezing on in

Lordy - I've been running all.darn.day.

Just sayin' hi and I'll be back later!

Posted by Cate at 05:52 PM | Comments (2)

May 31, 2005

Oh My God

In 13 days, I'm going to be 35.

35

:::sigh:::

Posted by Cate at 11:03 PM | Comments (16)

May 30, 2005

Good/Bad

Good: The day got better (see previous post)
Bad: The dryer isn't drying.

Damn.

::1206am update::
Yep - the dryer is messed up. Looks like it's going to cost us a couple hundred bucks to replace and fix IF we have to get a repairman. I hope Husband can fix it.

Posted by Cate at 10:48 PM | Comments (3)

May 29, 2005

Sunny Sunday

We're going to a BBQ later today at my SIL's house. Should be a lot of fun. Youngest's feeling better. The pedi prescribed eye drops for her - Ocuflox. Youngestdoesn't like the drops but she's been one helluva good sport about getting them put in her eyes. I think now I'm getting sick or my allergies have totally kicked into high gear. The pollen counts are totally off the charts. I read this in yesterday's Asbury Park Press:

Dr. Robert Rabinowitz couldn't believe his eyes as he checked the pollen count recently. The reading — 3,200 (emphasis mine)— was off the charts.

"A number in the low 100s is considered high," Rabinowitz, an allergist immunologist at Community Medical Center, Toms River, said of the May 13 reading. "When you see one that high, you know people with allergies are really having a hard time."

That's just disgusting. Yesterday, before our 5pm thunderstorm, the wind was blowing really hard. AS I was looking out my front door, I watched in total disgust as clouds, yes CLOUDS, of pollen were being blown from the trees. I wanted to gag. My girls are hacking and sneezing constantly. I can't lock them up in the house. It's gorgeous outside. Cool and sunny. Hell, it's going to be 74 degrees! Oh well, we will just medicate the crap out of ourselves and have a good time.

I'm off to bake some cookies. Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)

May 27, 2005

Daily Horoscope

Quickie:
Don't let someone else's strong opinions distract you from what you know is right. Be firm.

I'm pretty good at standing my ground.

Overview:
Thinking about taking a trip? Well, what's wrong with right now? You've probably got at least one reason to celebrate, and one special person to take along for the ride. Make some plans. Aren't you due for some serious fun?

As a matter of fact, I am going on a trip. Today! To the local police station! With the Brownie troop. If I'm lucky, they will get placed in a cell. What a photo-op for me. I wonder if I can pay the officer to leave 'em in there. LOL.

I also thought it would be neat to look up other famous Geminis and these are the ones that I found that share the same birthday as I (June 13th):
Mom
Ally Sheedy
Ethan Embry
Tim Allen
Husband Lynde
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary Wickes
Basil Rathbone
Richard Thomas
Malcom McDowell
Steve-O
William Butler Yeats

Go Geminis!

Posted by Cate at 12:45 PM | Comments (5)

May 26, 2005

Before bed

I've really got to post a little earlier..

Had a good day today. Youngestand I were in the house all day. I was doing laundry and changing sheets and attempting to clean out our big four drawer filing cabinet. Ugh - the stuff we've saved. I don't have the heart to shred Eldest's school papers. I toss all the basic stuff but I try to save the cute stories and pretty little drawings.

Speaking of Eldest, I've found out that she's been lying to me. That makes me crazy.

She loves to read. She reads all the time. Normally, I do not have any problem with that. The times she wants to read are not always the best times. So, she reads at night. In the dark while up in her loft bed. We've caught her several times and her punishment is losing her night light. We leave the hall light on at night so it's not totally dark but there isn't enough light for her to read in bed.

Tonight, I knew she had several books under her pillow. When she was up in her bed, getting her blankets in order, I asked her if she had anything up in her bed that needed to come down. She said no. I asked her again, specifically asking about books and did she have any up in her bed. Again, no. I asked her if she was sure. "No Mommy, I swear." She even patted me on the hand, as if to reassure me.

At this point, I walked out of her room and into the bathroom, where we keep a stepstool for Youngestto use while at the sink. I carried it into Eldest's room and placed it next to her bed. She just looked at me and asked me why I brought the stool into her room. I stood on it, looked her in the eye and reached under her pillow to grab the books. She tried to catch my hand but it was too late. The look on her face was priceless. She was totally busted. To her credit, she didn't even try to make up some wild story as to why the books were under her pillow.

I left her room with the books and the stepstool. When I walked back in, she was just sitting on her bed, lookng mighty sad. I walked over to the wall, leaned down and pulled out her night light. I informed her that she lost it for four days, two days for lying to me and two more days for having the books under her pillow. I also expressed my disappointment with her. No yelling, just major disapproval. There was no reason for the books to be under her pillow in the first place. On the weekends she likes to lay in bed and read. I have no problem with that. Lying - that's a big issue for me.

So parents, I am asking your advice. What would you have done in this situation? Have you had this problem (lying) with your child? How have you handled it?

Posted by Cate at 11:41 PM | Comments (6)

May 24, 2005

Short and sweet

Yes, yes, I know I am short and sweet ::grin::

Eldest's Brownie troop bridges up to Juniors tonight. My babies ::sniffle:: I've had these girls in the same troop since they were in kindergarten. Yes, this is the same batch of girls that drove me to drink on Friday. I just can't believe that they are old enough to become Juniors. Mom is coming down today for dinner and then to see the ceremony tonight.

I'm off to do more laundry and to clean. My house looks awful.

Posted by Cate at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2005

Howdy hi

I never thought I'd be happy that Monday has arrived. How weird is that? The troop trip this weekend was fun. All 12 girls got a hair wrap and a free bottle of nail polish. Yippie! The birthday party that Husband and I attended on Saturday night was a lot of fun. Awesome food, wine and beer flowing. Oh yeah.

Deadwood rocked last night. I am totally digging the way that this season was wrapped up. Did anyone else watch it? I loved who was picked to play George Hearst. Incredible choice.

Oh, be sure to check out the very first edition of the Carnival of the New Jersey bloggers. Be sure to get your links over there as each edition will be posted on Sundays. Great job you guys!

Posted by Cate at 08:30 AM | Comments (4)

May 21, 2005

Sunny Saturday

I've got a busy day planned.

Our Girl Scout troop will be going to get hair wraps at a local salon on Long Beach Island. The owner of the salon (also the mom of one of the girls) is also providing lunch for the girls. I think that's pretty awesome. She's only charging the troop $6/per girl. Not bad at all.

One of my lovely sis in laws is coming down around 2-ish to watch the girls for us tonight. Husband and I were invited to a birthday dinner/party for a family friend. It should be a lot of fun. We don't have to leave until 5pm but we need to show her all the important stuff - like how to work the remotes. I have 2 remotes and it's such a pain in the butt to explain how to work them. Luckily, the girls are pretty good at working the remotes. LOL. Leave it to the kids.

Gotta run. Have a great weekend!

Posted by Cate at 09:03 AM | Comments (7)

May 14, 2005

Well

We're off!

See ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:51 AM | Comments (1)

May 13, 2005

By the way...

thanks for all the kind comments about my haircut. Husband really liked the cut too, thought it was sexy.

Rowr.

I've still got some cleaning up to do and some laundry left to fold. I also need to jump in the shower. So, I hope you all have a great weekend. Behave!

Posted by Cate at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)

Friday the 13th

I love Friday the 13th. I have an affinity for the number 13. 13 has always been my favorite number. I was born on June 13th, on my mother's 22nd birthday, the best present she could ever have received. : - )

Did you know that people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobics? Try saying that five times fast.

ThatThatThatThatThat.

I don't consider myself superstitious but I do find myself leaning over to knock on wood. I do, however, own a black cat. She's gorgeous too. Meet Darla. I step on cracks. I spill salt. I don't spaz out over them at all. Check out a neat site about old superstitions.

I have Girl Scouts today and I need to pack up all my stuff and get Youngestready for her playdate today. We are all going into NYC tomorrow to visit my brother and have some fun. I am sure a carriage ride through Central Park and a trip to the American Girl store will be in our immediate future.

Have a great day.

Posted by Cate at 12:19 PM | Comments (6)

Haircut

Old hair:

View image

New Hair:

View image

View image

This is the shortest I've ever had my hair. I didn't get a perm. My hair, which used to be STRAIGHT, has enough curl in it to look this way now with the help of some gel.

Behold the powers of gel.

Posted by Cate at 08:53 AM | Comments (15)

May 09, 2005

I win!

Thank you Blingo!

I just won a free movie ticket. Yippie!

Posted by Cate at 06:04 PM | Comments (5)

May 07, 2005

If I had to choose - UPDATE

Ok - it looks like the digital camera wins hands down. Now, which camera? Anyone have a particular brand that they would recommend? Keep in mind we are trying to stay under $300. I saw a Sony Cybershot 5.1mp for around $229. Personally, I thought that was a great price. So, please, let me know what you think is good or what to avoid. Thanks!

Posted by Cate at 04:11 PM | Comments (14)

May 04, 2005

Better late than never

Hi there!

I started my morning off with a surprise phone call from Christina! It's always a pleasure to hear from you doll! My middle finger on my right hand hurts. No, I haven't been busy giving the Jersey salute. I think I got a spider bite because it's all swollen and it hurts like a mutha.

I've got to go make dinner (buffalo chicken breast strips - very tasty indeed!) I'll blog more after the kidlets get to bed. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 05:29 PM | Comments (1)

May 02, 2005

Back home

The morning certainly passed quickly!

I managed to get to the allergist's office to make appointments and drop off papers for Youngest's kindergarten registration before my 10am chiro appointment. We finished up there and we were out the door and at the pediatrician's office for an 11am appointment. I barely made it there in time. Youngestneeded to get three shots - poor kid. I had them hold off on the MMR shot until I could speak with her allergist. The MMR vaccine contains egg, to which Youngestis allergic. I need to research the vaccine and talk to the allergist to see what we have to do. Husband is back from his test. It looks like he does not have Crohns Disease - thank God.

I've GOT to work on this laundry - it looks like a mountain!

Posted by Cate at 12:32 PM | Comments (4)

Remember me?

Is there anyone out there?

I know, I know. I've neglected my poor little blog. By the time I sit down to blog, I just don't feel like thinking and typing it out. I'm sure you all know what I am talking about.

I did managed to accomplish a few things this weekend. I signed Youngestup to be a Daisy Girl Scout. Our service unit had a little tea party for all girls entering kindergarten and first grade. We must have had about 25 little girls show up! It was very cute. I also signed Eldest up for three weeks of Girl Scout camp. She is so excited about it. She choose her weeks (a different theme and activities each week) and we toured the camp ground yesterday. Very fun and I know she will love it.

We looked at a couple houses that were for sale in my neighborhood yesterday. Both of them were gorgeous houses. One was a HUGE Cape Cod with really large bedrooms. The second house was a ranch but it was a gorgeous custom ranch about 4 years old. Just beautiful. ::sigh:: It was the first time Husband and I both liked the same houses. But, they are a bit out of reach, financially speaking. So, we are going to continue with the addition on our house as planned.

I've got a chiro appointment at 10am and Youngesthas a well visit at 11am. Husband is going for another test this morning too. More running around!

I hope you all have a great day. See ya!

Posted by Cate at 08:20 AM | Comments (6)

April 25, 2005

Hooray!

It's Monday!

No - I haven't gone insane. Eldest is off from school today. Some teacher in service thing. She slept over a friend's house last night and I will be picking her up around 1pm. Youngestand I slept late - until 9am! Of course, I had a chiro appointment at 10am so I just rescheduled that for later today. Husband doesn't have school tonight so he will be home to watch the girls while I go to see the chiro.

We got a lot of yard work done this weekend. Husband hurt his knee moving all the stone and concrete he broke up two weeks ago into the dumpster. I raked part of the yard, cleaned up a million little plastic toys, mulched the leaves and weed-whacked the yard. I even managed to clean the bathroom, the kitchen, make dinner and do, what else, MORE laundry! Husband mowed - again. Our grass looks gorgeous. It needs to be mowed every week. Oy.

So - I think I am just going to kick back and relax with Miss Olivia. I am way behind on reading all my favorite blogs. I'm going to try to catch up today. See you around!

Posted by Cate at 09:30 AM | Comments (3)

April 23, 2005

Party!

YAY!

I'm going out tonight with two girlfriends of mine. I am sure we will have a great time, a few laughs, a drink or six...

What are your plans tonight?

Posted by Cate at 04:48 PM | Comments (2)

Still alive

Just barely alive.

Yesterday was so insane. I don't even want to relive it by writing about it here.

Luckily, all four of us are home today. At the same time too. Not so lucky, I need to clean the house and do laundry. I also need to organize my yarn stash and try to get my projects in order. I also have some stuff to mail out. (Kathy and Susan - I'm so sorry! I will mail them ASAP!) It's raining outside so it's a perfect house cleaning day. I don't feel bad about keeping the girls inside and, according to them, making them to "everything". Geez,like I really work these blood sucking leeches poor little girls so hard. ::cracking whip::

Off to work!

Posted by Cate at 11:07 AM | Comments (3)

April 22, 2005

Ow.

My ass still hurts from my driveway dive.

Aren't you glad you stopped here to read this?

Posted by Cate at 12:51 PM | Comments (6)

Moron

Youngestand I just got home from running a few errands before we head out for Girl Scouts. I hustled Youngestout of the car, grabbed the bags to bring into the house when I stepped backwards and stumbled over the edge of the walkway where it meets the gravel driveway. I had that brief moment of arm flailing and yelling "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" before I fell on my ass. I was able to get my right hand down and now the palm of my hand is all scraped. I skinned my right ankle. Big ouchies.

I'm such a freakin' klutz.

Posted by Cate at 10:57 AM | Comments (7)

April 21, 2005

Gettin' lubed

Yep - it's that time. In fact, I am overdue.

Well, not me... my car is overdue for an oil change. I am also going to wash and vacuum it too because it's begging for mercy. Too many crumbs and water bottles and toys and books and papers and magazines... you get the idea. I'm a parent. I practically live in my car.

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 09:12 AM | Comments (4)

April 20, 2005

Movin' on!

Ok - I think I am over my blahs by now..

The girls and I had a busy day. I had a few errands to run this morning before the weather got to freakin'HOT! How insane that it was almost 90 dang degrees? In APRIL?

Youngestis pretty sniffly. Ten bucks it's her allergies acting up again. So, she's back on the nose spray and nebulizer. Fun fun. I registered her for kindergarten today ::sniffle:: My baby. I spoke with the office in order to set up an appointment with the principal and the nurse regarding her food allergies. I need to see what we need to set up for her. The school has children with food allergies so this shouldn't be difficult for them. They have policies in place and I want to know them and make sure Youngestwill be safe. This should be an interesting school year.

Dinner was quick and easy - stuffed shells and cut up veggies. The kids have been begging me to make these damn shells so I finally did. They pigged out tonight! I managed to wrap up the extra shells for Friday's FFY (Fend For Yourself) night.

I hope everyone is well. I'm going to sit with Husband for a little while and chat. Take care!

Posted by Cate at 10:11 PM | Comments (1)

Feeling blah

Blah blah blahdity blah.

How the blah are you?

Posted by Cate at 01:34 PM | Comments (8)

April 18, 2005

Come Monday

Good: Well - we're starting a brand new week.

Bad: Unfortunately, it's just as damn busy as last week.

Ugly: I have a honkin' huge cold sore on my lip. Stress does lovely things to my body.

Posted by Cate at 08:49 AM | Comments (1)

April 17, 2005

Absolutely Wonderful

I had a great day.

How about you?

Posted by Cate at 07:33 PM | Comments (5)

April 14, 2005

Whew

Just got a chance to post.

I had a few errands to do today, including going to our current pediatrician's office to fill out paperwork so we can switch pediatricians. I also had to stop at the dentist in order to set up Eldest's extractions. I needed to bring in the letter from the orthodontist and a copy of the xrays. Her teeth will be extracted over two appointments. They use nitrous oxide - sweet air - to reduce anxiety. I hope I can have some too. Has anyone used nitrous or had your kids use it? Pros/Cons? I know if she doesn't get it, she will be freaking out of her mind.
Also stopped at the local health food store to stock up on foods for Olivia. She loves the soy raviolis. I have to admit, they are pretty tasty... and expensive too. But, since she likes them, I buy it.

Last night, I had to attend Kindergarten orientation. Youngestwill be starting in the fall. She's so excited about it too. I just need to get all my paperwork in order - 504 plans, extra epi-pens, benedryl.. all that fun stuff. I met the principal and I introduced myself and, at one point during the conversation, said "You'll be seeing a lot of me. I plan to be very involved with Youngest's teachers." Heh. Luckily, he seemed pretty decent and I don't anticipate any problems.
Tonight, I have Girl Scout training at 7pm. The troop is moving to Junior level and I have quite a few questions. So, off to training I go! Just this past Saturday I attended a cabin camping training so we can take the girls camping. It will be in the fall, probably around October. I think a lot of troops camp in the spring and I don't want any other troops with us. For our first trip, we are going to do a "Mom and Me" campout in the cabins. I think it will be a great time!

Off to do laundry and start getting dinner set. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 11:22 AM | Comments (12)

April 13, 2005

Wanna go back to bed

I'm beat.

Yesterday was really busy. After we got home (at 415pm), Eldest had to do her homework and eat dinner before she went to her cheer dance class. I wanted to attend the PTA meeting which started at 7pm. Eldest was able to carpool with another mom while Youngeststayed home with Husband. The PTA meeting lasted almost two hours. There was a lot of talk about the budget that is up for vote next week. The superintendent spoke for an hour, answering questions about the budget. I am stil undecided about the budget and I'm not pleased with some other information that I discovered as well.

So, I hauled home and Husband was just about ready to tuck the girls into bed. Quickie goodnights and then we were able to sit and watch Deadwood. Another incredible episode. One particular scene was gruesome while another scene with a horse was outrageously funny. I love this show.

I've got to do more laundry to try to catch up for slacking the past couple days. I've also got to call the dentist and make arrangements to have Eldest's teeth extracted. The orthodontist wanted to have a total of six teeth extracted in the next four months. Eldest has only lost two teeth and she's almost nine years old. She was great with getting the molds done. I really thought she would freak out but she did well. She's not happy about losing teeth but knows she has to get it done. I hope the dentist, who is pretty nice and the girls like her, will give me some good advice. Poor kid. I know how she feels. I had to get seven teeth extracted before I got my braces. I wasn't knocked out for it either - just a crapload of novacaine. But, I was about 14 years old, not 8.

What's going on with you?

Posted by Cate at 09:02 AM | Comments (5)

April 11, 2005

Happy

I am just on a high today - all happy and jammin' out to cds.

Wheeeeeeeee!

Posted by Cate at 01:08 PM | Comments (2)

Duran Duran

OHMYGAWD! OHMYGAWD! OHMYGAWD!

I just got home. It was an AWESOME show. I can die a happy woman now!
I am exhausted from dancing (in heels - ouch!) and my voice is shot.

I'll write more tomorrow!

Posted by Cate at 12:30 AM | Comments (2)

April 10, 2005

All Tarted Up!

Wheeeee! I'm all dressed up and ready to go to the show! I'll blog more when I get home from the concert or tomorrow. God, I feel like I'm 15 again!

Posted by Cate at 04:47 PM | Comments (6)

April 09, 2005

Boooyah!

Tomorrow night it's Duran Duran time! Husband and I will have dinner here then seeing the show at 8pm. We might even drop a couple bucks in the machines. I can't wait!! Dinner and a show with my honey!

Posted by Cate at 05:08 PM | Comments (8)

April 08, 2005

YAY! It's Friday

Busy busy day today!

In about an hour, Youngestwill be at my friend's house, enjoying a playdate. I will be in Eldest's class at 1230pm to help out with a computer project. Then, right after school, we have Girl Scouts. Luckily, we meet in the art room so I don't have to leave the school. The weather is icky. I just hope it stops raining. I don't want to drag my suitcase of scout stuff in the rain.
Yes, I use a suitcase. One of those tall, pull-along thingers sorta like this. It's amazing all the stuff I need to bring to the meetings. I can't leave anything in the classroom. Actually, I might be able to but it's easier to just bring it all. Luckily, the art teacher is very nice.
So, I will be leaving here in about an hour and I won't be back until 5-ish. I am hoping to get to the chiro today. My neck is KILLING me.

Ok - you all behave and have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 10:27 AM | Comments (4)

All but one

My poor fish.

All I've got left in my twenty gallon tank is one zebra danio. One stinking fish. Eight fish dead.

RIP fishies. You were good pets.

Posted by Cate at 09:10 AM | Comments (1)

April 07, 2005

Lost another one

Another fish bites the dust.

All I have left are two platys.

I've also not been able to access the Internet for most of the evening due to major issues with Comcast. ::eyeroll:: Everything is dying on me today.

Anyway, I will be reading a few blogs then heading off to bed. G'night.

Posted by Cate at 11:43 PM | Comments (6)

Fish Tales

::3pm - Two more floaters - the last of the two platys. I'm down to the two fish in the Tupperware container from our "Original Crew"::

::2pm - Another freakin' floater::

Last week, the girls and I bought three new fish. Some really pretty golden colored platys.

Today, I found three floaters. I did an fish intervention and attempted to rescue four of the six surviving fish. I grabbed my biggest Tupperware bowl, filled it with room temp water, pulled out four fish from the tank and placed them in the bowl. Now, I have to mention that these four fish are fish that we bought over two years ago. Now, I am so pissed that the new fish might have brought in some form of bateria and I have unintentionally exposed my "old" fish to some form of bubonic fish plague.
[...]
Damn, one of my four rescued fish just bought the damn farm. I just buried him at sea with the other three that were buried 15 minutes ago. All I have left of my "Original Crew" is one white tetra and two zebra danios. I have a sinking suspicion that they may not be long for this world. Of course, in my 20 gallon tank, I still have two remaining platys. Little murderers.
Of course, I called Husband so I could get some fish advice as he's the main tank cleaner and all around fish guy. I explained what happened and we both came to the conclusion that some form of bateria got into the tank and is wiping out my fish. He just cleaned the tank last week. He's very good at monitoring the tank - hell - I have had fish that were over two years old! At one point during our conversation, when I was lamenting the loss of the four deceased fish, he said "Oh, the fishmanity!" I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. In fact, I am still giggling over it.

My poor damn fishies.

Posted by Cate at 12:24 PM | Comments (6)

April 04, 2005

Thank goodness!

Eldest went back to school today!

::cue the sun shining and angels singing::

Thankyew Jesus!

Now I can get back into my "normal" routine of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and chauffer.

It's good to be home.

Posted by Cate at 12:14 PM | Comments (5)

April 03, 2005

I'm Home - sorta

We're back at Mary's place. Da Blogmeet was a complete success! I'd write more but I am exhausted! I promise - full details in the morning.

Posted by Cate at 03:38 AM | Comments (2)

April 02, 2005

Howdy Hi!

Just a quick hello before I start primping for the blogmeet. The ride up was fine. A little misty and a little windy but the roads were fine.

Can't wait to meet you all tonight!

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 04:36 PM | Comments (1)

April 01, 2005

Relaxing

Ok - I've just sat down with a cup of coffee and I have NO clue what to write! DUH.

I have a few things to prepare tonight for tomorrow's blogmeet. I am one of those "what-if" type of traveler. Like I am heading SO far away - lol. I hate not having what I need with me. So, I will way overpack, like usual, and most likely forget something.

Well, off to do more laundry!

Posted by Cate at 09:05 PM | Comments (1)

March 31, 2005

Finally

We didn't get home until almost 3pm. I was able to run a few extra errands. I am beat... and I will be going with my friend to clean an office building tonight. Blargh - I don't feel like going now.

I popped in PeeWee's Big Adventure on dvd. The girls are cracking up-I love this movie!

Posted by Cate at 04:01 PM | Comments (1)

Bight Sunshiny Day

Ahhh - I love gorgeous weather.

Too bad I can't take advantage of it. I need to drag take the children for their yearly eye exams. That means eye drops, which means freak out time.

Good God, help me now.

Posted by Cate at 08:56 AM | Comments (1)

March 29, 2005

Who was I kidding?

Myself perhaps.

I thought that, since we didn't have to be anywhere today, that we I could get some things done around the house.

Silly me.

Youngest's pretty much been banished to her room since around 11am. Major attitude. Man, we are off schedule for 3 days and everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Eldest's room - OMG. I don't even want to talk about how nasty it looks. She's also had a bit of a serious attitude problem too.

Oy.

Posted by Cate at 01:23 PM | Comments (5)

I'm BACK!

Hello people!

Finally, I will have some time today to go though my emails and catch up with everyone. I've missed you guys!

Posted by Cate at 09:05 AM | Comments (4)

March 28, 2005

::yawn::

Monday already? I haven't even finished with Sunday!

I will be so busy tomorrow. I'm bring the troop to a local stable and they will be doing some horseback riding as well as learning how to care for a horse. I don't know if 8 and 9 year olds truly understand the amount of work that goes with owning a horse. Then, after we get home, Husband has to go to class for a few hours. I am helping my friend with cleaning some offices (woohoo extra $$). My wonderful imlaws will be watching the girls for us when Husbandand I are off galivanting - seperately of course!

I'm off to bed - I'm beat!

Posted by Cate at 12:24 AM | Comments (5)

March 25, 2005

Hello!

Hi everyone! I know you have all missed me so very very much!

Today has been just flat out busy. We had another contractor show up at 10am. He will be mailing out the estimate and we should have it (hopefully!) by Wednesday. I managed to get an appointment with another contractor for Tuesday evening.

Today is the start of Easter break. We ended up going to the local school and shooting off rockets. I called my friend and she brought her three kidlets to the school. All five kids had SO much fun shooting off rockets. The best part - we were setting up for the first rocket. Right before I launched it I looked around and noticed all these people just watching us! LOL! When I launched it, kids from all over the school grounds started cheering and yelling. It was a lot of fun. We did lose two rockets to the trees. I took some fun pictures. I will try to get them up here later.

My friend and her three will be coming over in about 30 minutes for movie night. They're bringing "The Incredibles". I'm popping up a batch of popcorn and breaking out the pretzels. Woohoo!

Gotta run!

Posted by Cate at 06:56 PM | Comments (5)

March 24, 2005

I'm late. I'm late!

Yep - very late for school.

I woke UP at 745am. Eldest is already on the bus at that time. Ooops. I very briefly thought about letting her stay home. But, Easter break starts tomorrow and I know she's also having a class party today too. So, we managed to get coordinated and we made it to school by 820am. Not bad at all.

Posted by Cate at 08:55 AM | Comments (2)

March 22, 2005

On the move

Busy morning.

I've still got stuff to do and errands to run. I'll be back later. Play nice.

Posted by Cate at 09:56 AM | Comments (5)

March 21, 2005

Just another manic Monday

We had one busy weekend here.

Our troop meets every Friday after school. When the meeting was over, I rushed back to my friend's house to pick up Olivia, rushed home to get dinner in the oven, then Eldest and I rushed back out for a Family Craft night at the school. We didn't have to be there until 6pm (to help set up) so I took Eldest out to dinner at TGI Fridays. She was thrilled. We had a nice dinner and then we were off to the school again. The craft night was a success. The woman who organized it did a fabulous job and everyone had a great time. We didn't get home until almost 9pm!

The girls and I were at Mom's on Saturday. We had a great time. On the way home, I needed to stop at Pathmark and do a "quickie" food shopping. Of course, I did forget a couple things - figures. I let the girls stay up and watch Scooby Doo on Nick. They love that movie.

Yesterday, OY! We stopped at the pharmacy then headed over to Staples. We needed ink for our printer. While I was selecting the cartridges, Husband suggested that we look at new printers. We both have been wanting a copy/scan/fax machine for a while. So, we meandered over and a really young salesguy came over to help us. I mentioned that I wanted to keep the price low and he showed me a nice Lexmark 4 in 1. I said that I liked Lexmarks. I've had 2 previously and I would definitely consider buying another one. Suddenly, I hear a man say, "That's JUST what I wanted to hear!" WTF?
Turns out that he was a district manager for Lexmark. So, goofing around, I say "So, I get a free printer then?" He laughed and said "No, but if you send me a letter saying how much you like Lexmarks, I'll send you free ink". CHING! Business card snagged. System purchased. Letter to be written and mailed out later today! Thankyouverymuch!
So, I spent the better part of the afternoon hooking up the new baby. Isn't she lovely? ::View image:: I have some crocheting to do later. Seems like someone might want a pair (or two) of crocheted flip flops!
Gotta run!

Posted by Cate at 10:04 AM | Comments (7)

March 19, 2005

Get a life?

This is for Rose - whose comment was deleted. She thinks I need to get a life. I emailed her a response but, suprisingly enough, it wasn't a valid email address. What a surprise!

Kate,

You really need to stop spending so much time on the blog and spend the time with your kids instead. I get the impression that you live on the computer, which obviously takes time away from your kids. They need you and are going to grow up fast.

Here's what I wrote to "Rose"

Rose -

Thank you so very much for your concern for me and my family. I wasn't going to respond to your email but I thought I would clarify a few things, just because you obviously haven't read anything about me or my family.
I have an 8 year old daughter, in third grade, who takes an advanced class after school. My 5 year old daughter can read, write, and do some very basic math. We spend a lot of time with Girl Scouts. Not only am I a leader but I place ALL girls who want to be in Brownie troops. I assist the PTA. I have my children involved in gymnastics and cheer dance classes. My husband goes to school 3 nights a week. I don't really blog on the weekends since I am busy doing OTHER things. The girls see grandparents or other relatives on the weekends as well as have plenty of play time.
So, as you can see, I am hardly an idiot who never leaves my computer. I would suggest, next time, that you might want to read more that a couple entries before you make a snap judgement on anyone. Your impression of me is entirely incorrect.

Kate

Posted by Cate at 10:33 PM | Comments (24)

Quickie

Hello!

A quick post from Mom's place. The girls and I were visiting with Mom. We had lunch, played with some crafts.. had a great time. I'm on my way home in a little while. The weather is gorgeous. I can't wait for spring!

How are all you fine people doing today?

Posted by Cate at 04:20 PM | Comments (3)

March 17, 2005

Like a blank slate

Good lord - have I finally run out of things to discuss?

Oh - I know!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Posted by Cate at 08:50 AM | Comments (3)

March 16, 2005

Hump Day

I stayed up too late last night watching Pretty In Pink. Has anyone noticed that James Spader always plays such a jerk? He's SO good at it too!

Posted by Cate at 09:13 AM | Comments (4)

March 14, 2005

Monday Monday

Eldest has her NJ ASK test today and the next two days. I am sure she will do well. She doesn't handle pressure too well so I hope she won't freak out during the test. My poor munchkin!
Youngestand I are driving to the GS Council in a little while. I have to plan for the Court of Awards ceremony for our Friday meeting.. They love earning their try-its and badges.

Not too much to report here. I added the CNN information to the top of my blog. Be sure to tune in and visit with me and Jaynee.

Posted by Cate at 08:35 AM | Comments (1)

March 13, 2005

Goooooooooood morning!

It's a gorgeous Sunday morning. We have big plans today.

We are going to the Mall.

Eldest needs new jeans desperately. She keeps on doing that pesky growing thing. Youngest's grown two inches in six months. I am afraid that I will have children taller than me. I'm 5'2. I have a feeling that I will eventually be the shortest person in the family.
Of course, I would love to get the girls' picture taken with the Easter Bunny. I hope the line isn't too long.

Hope you are all doing well. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:24 AM | Comments (3)

March 11, 2005

TGIF

Gee - what can I write to follow up all that excitement from yesterday? Oh - I know - they are still here! The crew came back at 7am this morning to film us some more. Luckily, I managed to drag my butt out of bed by 6am and woke the girls up shortly after that. Eldest didn't even want to get out of bed - I had to threaten her that the crew would film her laying in her bed. That certainly got her up and moving! Youngeststaggered out - no need to pull her out of bed.
We did our usual routine. Husband left before the crew arrived. It's pretty interesting to see all the work that needs to go into a shoot. They filmed us going to the bus stop and waiting for the bus. Some of the kids noticed the crew and were wondering what was going on. One boy said "Hey! We're famous!" I told him that he could have my autograph and he laughed.
Came back home and putzed around with my Scout stuff. The girls will be making art to wear at today's meeting. This will also earn them another Try-It for their vest. Sometime next week, I will need to go to Council and pick all a ton of Try-Its and fun patches for their vests. We will be holding a Court of Awards at next weeks meeting so I can hand out all their things in a nice ceremony. They worked hard to earn them - so why not do a nice ceremony for them?
I'm gonna wrap it up for now. I've got a couple more blogs to surf and then it's off to my craft supplies to put together today's activity. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 08:17 AM | Comments (2)

March 08, 2005

Attention Single Guys

Here is an entry full of things not to do on a blind date. Thank goodness she survived!

Posted by Cate at 04:58 PM | Comments (1)

March 07, 2005

I can see clearly now

I called my friend this morning to discuss last night's Deadwood episode. We dished all over Alma and Seth - mmmmm - I just LURVE me some Seth Bullocks. Rowr.

I invited her and her munchkin - who is Youngest's best buddy - over for lunch. The girls ate lunch, watched a little Max and Ruby (too cute), then I tossed the both of them outside to play. My friend and I relaxed with some coffee and our lunch. So mellow. The girls had fun. We had fun. It was all good.

It's awesome to have good friends.

Posted by Cate at 02:37 PM | Comments (2)

Hi there!

The weatehr is gorgeous today - cold but So sunny. I've got my windows open and I'm running laundry and dusting.

How about you?

Posted by Cate at 09:51 AM | Comments (4)

March 04, 2005

Quicke before bed

Good lord - I am exhausted.

Husband got home from his procedure around 11am. He crashed out by 1145am. I got all the stuff ready for our scout meeting, got Youngest's stuff all packed up and we left by 1230pm. We went over to my friend's house, chatted for a while, said good bye to Youngestand headed off to the school for the meeting.
The Girl Scout meeting went very well. The girls loved the smores and just about all of them finished making their sit-a-pons. They really enjoyed themselves. This meeting took a lot of work to organize but it was worth it. I am exhausted!
I've got CPR/First Aid/AED training tomorrow. It runs from 9am to 4pm. Urgh. I just want to sleep for a week.

Catch ya later. Enjoy your weekend!

Posted by Cate at 11:36 PM | Comments (4)

March 03, 2005

Good morning

It's Thursday! Hooray!

Not too much to talk about here. Husband is scheduled for a colonoscopy tomorrow. You can imagine how thrilled he must be feeling right now. There's a lot of prep work to be done before the procedure. So, because we only have one bathroom in this house, he will be spending the night at his parents' house. Husband is working a half day today. My FIL will be down this afternoon around 3pm to pick him up from our house. His dad will drive him back down here tomorrow morning for his 8am test. My poor husband.

The contractor who stopped by last week called and wants to sit down with me and Husband to discuss the addition! YAY! I have no idea what it is going to cost. Hopefully, we will be able to do a lot of our own work to cut down the cost. I can sheetrock, paint, install tiles, do siding.. hell people, I can do roofing! I don't WANT to do it - but I CAN. I set up an appointment with him for next Saturday. Cross your fingers for me that it's gonna be ok!

The munchkin and I will be going into Eldest's school this afternoon to help out for a couple hours. I believe that I might have a date with the giant copy machine. Oh joy. I've got laundry to finish ( and start and finish and start).

It never ends!

Posted by Cate at 09:46 AM | Comments (2)

March 02, 2005

Holy cow

I barely blogged today. What the hell is wrong with me??

Heh.

Youngesthad a buddy over today and they played for a few hours. My friend came buy to pick up her daughter and ended up staying for 2 more hours. It was nice to sit and bs for a while over coffee and graham crackers. The girls had fun. We had fun. It was good.

We had to pick up Eldest from school at 330pm. She had an afterschool science activity. Then it was off to gymnastics by 4pm. She just loves going there. I wish I could afford to send her every damn day! I helped Eldest with her homework while we were at the gym. Does anyone else have an eight year old that just moves.ever.so.slowly when it comes to homework? Good Lord - she makes me crazy! Seriously, homework can take hours. Hours. Oy. I try not to go ballistic but it's not like the work is *that* difficult for her. She can do it but chooses to do it at a snail's pace. Arrgghh! She's making me CRAZY!
I just got them into bed and I still have to pick up buckets of those frigging Polly Pockets. What sadistic freak thought up the idea of teeney tiny rubber dolls with rubber clothes? I want to beat that person with a broom. Ok - off to clean up the house before Husband gets home and thinks I've been slacking all day and night.

Like *I* would do such a thing.

Posted by Cate at 09:03 PM | Comments (3)

February 25, 2005

Relaxing Night

We putzed around all day today. Husband and I worked on house plans and possible ideas for the addition. I think it's going to work out to a 400 square foot room with a closet and full bathroom. Husband will be meeting with a contractor tomorrow morning. The girls and I will be visiting with my stepmom. My brother will also be there too. The girls are thrilled - they haven't seen him since Christmas. Right now, the girls are hanging out and watching the Even Stevens movie on Disney channel. I have to admit, I think it's pretty funny too.

Oh, I can't forget a big shout out to Christina for the awesome fourth chapter of Blog Noir. In fact, you must go ready the previous chapters as well. Go get caught up here:
Chapter One by Jim
Chapter Two by Key Monroe
Chapter Three by Twisty

All of you guys rock.

Posted by Cate at 09:03 PM | Comments (1)

February 23, 2005

Mid-Day

Youngestis all ready for gymnastics class. I am getting dinner ready to pop into the oven when we get back home around 530pm. I made pasta shells stuffed with ground beef and sauce. They are in a baking dish with sauce in it as well as drizzled on top of the shells. I will be baking them in the oven for about 20 minutes and serving with a big garden salad. Yum.
Eldest has another after school program today. I will have to pick her up at 330pm and then head over to gymnastics by 4pm. Busy busy busy!

Posted by Cate at 02:20 PM | Comments (1)

February 22, 2005

Damn holidays

They sure do mess my days up - I keep thinking it's Monday.

Today, Youngesthas her last storytiem at the public library. Right after that, I need to stop at the butcher shop for our deli order then rush over to the local firehouse. Today is Cookie Depot Day! Woohoo! Cases and cases of Girl Scout cookies. Oy. I will be helping the cookie mom load up her van. Should be tons of fun.

I've been hearing some weird popping sounds in my one ear. It's making me crazy. I do have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Thursday. I will have him check it out.

Eldest has cheer dance tonight at 630pm. Husband registered for a class at the high school. He will be taking the "Be Your Own Architect" class. Woohoo. Design my addition baby! The way it looks now - my master bedroom, with closets and full bath, will be 400 square feet! Uh huh.. oh yeah. Of course, it's also an enormous amount of space and I feel guilty about having *that much* space just for us. Who knows - nothing is set in stone for now. Oh - great news. A contractor finally called us back! I left messages with five different contractors and this guy finally called us back.

Ok - I've got to run! Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 09:33 AM | Comments (4)

February 21, 2005

Hi gang!

The girls and I had a great time this weekend. I'll post up some photographs in a little while.

I've got a ton of things to do around the house. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2005

TGIF!

It's cold. It might snow. Ewwww.

I've got scouts today. I have to bring Youngestwith me since her little buddy is sick. I hope she behaves herself. She loves hanging out with the "big girls".

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 12:49 PM | Comments (1)

February 17, 2005

Oy - it's gonna be crazy today

I have SO much stuff to do today.. I am running around trying to get it all done. Ok, I'm sitting now but it's a well justified break!

We were almost late for school (again) today. Luckily, I managed to haul ass and got Eldest to school - on time. Go me! Youngestand I got back home and I paid some bills, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and made the bed. We went back out, stopped at Wally-Mart, a necessary evil, stopped at the library to drop off books, stopped at the post office to buy stamps and came back home. I really should buy stamps online but by the time I run out, I *really* need them.
So, now I'm back home, with dinner in the oven already. Husband and the girls will be having chicken drums and wings tonight. And me? Well, I'll be at a Girl Scout service unit meeting tonight from 6pm-830pm. Oh, did I mention that Youngesthas gymnastics from 4pm-5pm. So, basically, I will be coming home from gymnastics, getting a few things in order then hauling ass out the door to my meeting. I want to have everything all set up for Husband to make his night as easy as possible. I don't want to come home to a nightmare. Heh. Husband does just fine with the girls but he's tired when he gets home and they can get wound up.. You parents know how kids can make you insane, especially if a task needs to be completed quickly, like dinner. I don't want him to have to do a whole lot - just make sure that the kids don't burst into flames or anything.
Sometimes, I wonder about all the things I do with the kids. Is it worth it? Am I screwing up? Are they too busy? Then, I watch Youngestjust throw herself into gymnastics or Eldest really getting involved and enjoying the hell out of her cheer dance class and I know they love it. Youngesthas been begging me to sign her up for Daisy Scouts in the fall. She will be starting kindergarten as well. So, I will continue to run around like a maniac - as long as they continue to love their activities and do well in school.

Posted by Cate at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)

February 14, 2005

Another exciting post

I "adjusted" my hair color. I had just a few too many grey hairs. Like a zillion of them!

Posted by Cate at 10:52 AM | Comments (5)

No big whoop

I love the Google holiday logos.

Nothing going on here today. Husband has class tonight until 830pm. I did buy him a present when I was at Home Depot yesterday - a chop saw. Of course, he freakin' caught a glimpse of it in the back of the car so the surprise was ruined. Well, he was surprised to get it - I just wanted to surprise him today. Oh well. Now he can finish my kitchen moulding. LOL. I wish Husband and I could do this for dinner tonight, just for fun!
Eldest has her afterschool program today so Youngestand I will be having a good day today. I am picking up her little friend from preschool at 1130am and then I am getting them McDonalds for lunch. Life is good when you are five.
Off to do some laundry. Ick.

Posted by Cate at 08:42 AM | Comments (3)

February 12, 2005

It's the weekend

I am glad I made it to see the doctor yesterday. I have a wicked case of bronchitis. I am on Zithromax, some nasty nasty cough syrup called Tussionex, and an inhaler. Of course, every time I use the inhaler, I cough and cough. Ugh.
We have a lot of work to do around the house today. Husband is installing a new doorbell and painting Eldest's loft bed. I have a ton of laundry to do and I need to go through the house and made sure I have managed to put away ALL the rest of the Christmas items. I keep finding little Christmasy things that need to go up into the attic.

Well - time for my zithro - have a great weekend.

Posted by Cate at 09:52 AM | Comments (8)

February 08, 2005

Staying Home

We managed to get through the day yesterday. I still feel like ass, coughing and hacking. Luckily, I haven't totally lost my voice so I can still answer the phone or yell at talk to the girls. I did bring them to the playground yesterday. It was so nice outside - all sunny and not a bit of wind. The girls had a good time playing with their buddies while I sat and soaked up the sun with my friend.
I had one helluva time sleeping last night. It seems every time I lay down, my cough starts up and I just hack and hack and hack some more. It's awful. I can't stand this crap. Youngestwas also hacking last night. Poor kid. She was so tired this morning that I had a hard time waking her. She's already had a breathing treatment this morning and is reclining on the couch watching "The Berenstain Bears" on PBS. She is hooked on the Berenstain Bears books as well. We read them all the time.
I have to make some phone calls this morning - a contractor, the cable company and a friend of mine who I've been wanting to talk to but haven't yet had the time. Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2005

::insert title here::

What a GREAT Super Bowl. Talk about two very evenly matched teams. I LOVE watching competitive games. The Patriots finally made it althought it was a very close game. I was so nervous watching that last onside kick. Oy!
Commercials - meh. Not that great. Some of the funny ones included the Bud Lights (the black guy with the two women fantasy and the skydivers), Burt Reynolds and Fed-Ex, the Ameriquest commercials (the guy with the cat and tomato sauce and the guy yapping on his cell phone who gets beaten up) and I did love the commercial that showed the servicemen and women walking through the airport while people applauded. Have to admit that I did tear up a bit during that one.
Of course the girls stayed up to watch the game. I made all kinds of food - chili, buffalo chicken strips that turned out really well (made with chicken breast, veggie platter and chips for the kids. For dessert, I made chocolate rice crispie treats with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows on top. The kids loved it. A little too messy for my taste but it wasn't half bad.
My throat - lordy - it hurts. I was screaming during the game and I kept blowing out my voice. Of course, does that stop me? Oh hell no it doesn't. I still have a wicked cough and head congestion too. I will give this a couple more days and then I will go to the doctor. I can't stay like this for much longer.
Big plans for today - Youngesthas a 945am ENT appointment and I am going to try to get to the chiro as I haven't seen him since right before Christmas! Eeek!
Off to jump into the shower. Later!

Posted by Cate at 07:42 AM | Comments (2)

February 04, 2005

Evening Wrap-Up

We have heat! Hooray!

Husband bought the part this morning for $40 and got it installed by 1230pm. Thank goodness it worked! It's very very helpful to have a handy husband. I know the service call would have set us back at least $200.

Youngestmade it to her 130pm doctor appoinment - ear infection. Poor kid. Even with the tubes, she still get the occasional ear infection. So, she's on amoxicillan and still needs the nebulizer every 4 hours. I hope her fever comes down (and stays down) within the next 24 hours. I think Eldest is coming down with this cold as well. She is very sniffly and not very energetic. Right now, both girls are snuggled on the couch, watching "Lost in Space". I find it so funny that the girls LOVE watching sci-fi - Star Trek, Lost in Space, Star Wars.
Our troop meeting went well. My throat was killing me by the time Eldest and I got home. I am still not feeling well - my head is so stuffed up. It feels as thick as a brick. The girls and I will be home tomorrow. I have a feeling we will all need it.

Well, I am off to lay down. I am beat. It's been one helluva long day. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 09:35 PM | Comments (8)

Stinky Friday

That's the title for my day today.

My heater is not functioning (damn sensor) and the house is 60 degrees. Youngesthas a 102 fever. Eldest has a runny nose and a cough. Me - well - I feel like crap too.

Wheee. Happy weekend time.

Posted by Cate at 07:34 AM | Comments (7)

February 01, 2005

Busy morning

I have a 920am dental appointment for me then we need to rush over to the library for Youngest's 1030am preschool storytime. Eldest has a half day for the next 3 days so I need to be home by noon. After she does her homework, we are going to try to sell more cookies before she needs to get ready for her cheer dance class at 530pm.
Fun fun!

Posted by Cate at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)

January 31, 2005

Monday already?

Damn. I am so tired of Mondays.

Posted by Cate at 07:29 AM | Comments (5)

January 29, 2005

Still here

Wow - I just sort of posted and vanished for the day yesterday. I had a lot of things to finish before Eldest got home. I stopped at the bank to get some papers noterized (what a pain that is!), stopped at the butcher for our cold cuts, gassed up the car (thank goodness I don't have self serve!), and then did other household stuff when I got home. When Eldest got home, she wanted her hair curled. I didn't have time for rollers so I pulled out my curling iron. Lordy - I haven't used that damn thing in a few years. Eldest was a bit apprehensive so I showed her the magic of curling irons on my hair. She was quite impressed. LOL. Of course, I had to finish curling my hair before I did her hair (only the ends Mom!) with a curling iron. Youngesthad to jump into the confusion as well so I put her in soft curlers. Let me tell you, we were all a sight to behold.
We had a Girl Scout dance last night from 6pm-730pm. I needed Husband to come straight home from work and he met us at McDonalds. After we finished, Eldest and I left for the dance while Husband and Youngestwent home. All twelve of my girls made it to the dance. It was just for the Daisies and Brownies. The older girls were having their dance from 745-9pm. Of course, a few moms stayed and we all had a great time. The DJ rocked. The girls loved him. He was so much fun. He did all kinds of dances with the girls and they just did whatever he told them. Very cute. A lot of the girls dressed up - including Eldest. I was talking with some of the moms when one mom insisted that we need to take advantage of already being out to go out to TGI Fridays for a few drinks. Woohoo! I'm up for that! We recruited a few moms (two more) and made plans to call each other after we got the girls home to set up the final arrangements.
D (a mom) called me at 815pm and said she would pick me up in 10 minutes. While I was speaking with her, my cell phone rang. It was another mom, L, who said she would meet us there. I called one more mom, M, and she was also going to meet us there. Cool!
So, we got there and only had to wait a few minutes for a table. We just hung out and had appetizers and drinks. I had a couple strawberry margaritas. Boy, there were freakin' good! We ended up staying until 1045pm. As we walked out, one of the moms, M, had to get home but the rest of us decided to walk over to Dunkin Donuts for coffee. We stayed there for 45 minutes, until the place closed. Yes, you read that right, we closed Dunkin Donuts. Oh yeah, I can party!
I got home around midnight. I had such a good time. It's so fun to hang with people you see all the time and really get to know them a lot better. One of the moms, L, is a good friend of mine but we don't normally go out at night. It was nice to go out and have girls night out without having to worry about the kidlets. I've got to do this again.

So, what the hell are you guys doing today? I'm cleaning. Ew.

Posted by Cate at 10:19 AM | Comments (6)

January 22, 2005

DIAL-UP??

Our hig-speed connection went all freakin' wonky last night. I was having withdrawl symptoms from lack of internet use before I realized I could use AOL as a temporary fix. I dug through cd after cd and finally found an AOL trial cd. I was one goddamned happy camper!

So - here I am. If you want to email me - you'll have to use my AOL address - katespotdotcomATaol.com [remove the AT and replace with @]

Posted by Cate at 06:42 PM | Comments (4)

January 20, 2005

Honey, I'm home

The aquarium was a lot of fun. We got to see sharks, penguins, seals.. they even had two pygmy marmosets. They were adorable! The kids also got a chance to touch a small shark as well as a sea star, diamond back terrapin, and a horseshoe crab. The kids were great and Youngesthad a lot of fun. I'd like to go back with Husband and the girls. It's a nice day trip.

I've got to get stuff organized for my Girl Scout meeting tonight and get dinner ready as well. I will be out of the house at 6pm and I don't think I will be back home until 830pm.

Fun fun!

Posted by Cate at 02:09 PM | Comments (1)

January 19, 2005

Goooooooooood morning!

Well - I've gotten quite a few replies to the Jersey Blogmeet. I am thrilled that so many people are interested. Be sure to let me or Jim know as soon as possible so we can reserve your spot. I've got a list going right now!

Youngestand I will be going in to Eldest's class today. Youngesthas gymnastics at 4pm and Husband has school tonight. Ahhh - a nice quiet night.

Posted by Cate at 08:11 AM | Comments (1)

January 15, 2005

Loong day

As I was leaving our troop meeting along with three little girls in the car with me, I get a phone call from Husband. "I have a problem," he says.

I hate calls that start like this.

He locked his keys in his car. At work. About 50 miles away. I had to cancel my chiro appointment ::sob:: and get things organized before I even was able to go and pick him up. Luckily, my Mom lives about 10 minutes from his job. Her boyfriend was able to go pick him up and bring him back to their house.

Youngestand I finally got to my mom's place around 8pm. LOL. Of course, we had to hang out for a little while and chat. We didn't get home until almost 10pm. It was 1040pm when Youngestfinally got to bed. Thank goodness that Eldest was at a sleepover.

Today, we aren't doing too much. Just the usual laundry and fun stuff. I promised I would buy Youngesta slurpee so we are heading over to Wawa in a few minutes.

Hope you are all having a great day! Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 12:49 PM | Comments (1)

January 14, 2005

Friday?!?!

How the hell did it get to be Friday already?

I was uber busy yesterday. Youngestand I went for a bike ride, did some errands around the house, had lunch, went a playdate and got to have some adult talk with two other moms, went to school to pick up Eldest (who stayed after school to participate in a science program), home for one hour, brought Eldest to a cheer dance class she wanted to try (she loved it) and we finally got back home by 630pm. Thank goodness Husband was able to stop and pick up a couple things for me so I could get dinner going when I got home.
Burgers, hash browns, tossed salad - yum. Both kids got tossed into showers, homework finished up, and they got to bed by 845pm. Husband passed out on the couch at 10pm and I surfed the net. Boy, are we party animals or what.
Today we have a playdate for Youngestwhile I am at Girl Scouts. Then, I have a 6pm and badly needed chiro appointment. My neck is so stiff. I think Eldest might have been invited for a sleepover too. Lordy - I hope so! ::grin::

Well, I've got to get stuff ready for today. I hope you have a great weekend. Keep checking back for more information about the Jersey Blog Meet.

Posted by Cate at 08:36 AM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2005

What's grosser than gross?

Watching the guy in the SUV behind me pick his nose then proceed to EAT IT.. several times ::gag::

The funniest part of this was when I started laughing and making puke noises, the girls turned around in their seats and watched the guy root around, pull out a booger and then eat it. The kids were freaking out - screaming and laughing. This dude must have had a goddamn snot factory up there - he was just mining away. EW EW EW!

Man - that was flat out nasty.

Posted by Cate at 05:02 PM | Comments (6)

Goooooooooood morning!

Hello to all you fine people out in blogworld.

How the heck are you?

Posted by Cate at 08:35 AM | Comments (5)

January 08, 2005

Oh my!

It's 10:55pm. Do you know where your blog is?

Heh.

I've been busy today. Husband was sweet enough to let me sleep in this morning. I didn't get up until 10am! Woohoo! I am such a night person. I hate getting up in the morning. That's bad..BAD I tell you!

I spent the day cleaning - the bathroom, my bedroom, stripped all three beds, washed all the sheets and blankets and remade the beds, did other laundry, put away a ton of yarn (I love yarn), cleaned up my closet, helped Husband rake the yard, food shopped, and made dinner. I am beat.

I still have more work to do tomorrow. The girls "cleaned" their rooms today. I think I will be giving them a little more motivation when I walk into each of their rooms armed with several large black garbage bags, endust, and paper towels. It's so funny to see them scuttle around the room, begging me not to throw out their most FAVORITE, most PRICELESS, most BESTEST (ok, I made that one up) ::broken toy/doll/rock/bits of paper/old tissue box:: or whatever they just must have.

Anyway - I was going to write out a huge post but I think I am going to end here for tonight. Have a great weekend!

Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 10:53 PM | Comments (6)

January 07, 2005

Blash blah blah

I have a ton of things to prepare for today's GS meeting.
:::yawn:::
I wanna crawl back into bed and sleep for another 9 hours.

Today, in scouts, we will be working on our "Wave the Flag" try-it. My assistant leader will be bringing in a flag so the girls can practice folding it and learn more about flag ceremonies. I have to print a few more things out, jump into the shower and get stuff organized for Youngest's playdate, which will be held during the meeting, at a friend's house.

Catch you guys later! Happy Friday!

Posted by Cate at 09:06 AM | Comments (2)

January 06, 2005

Ick

I'm just having an ick kind of day.

I stayed up too late last night watching VH-1's Remaking Vince Neil. It was pretty interesting to see what a personal trainer, who much resembled a very large rock with a head, a plastic surgeon who looked like he had had one surgery too many and a few designers can do for a person over only 12 weeks. I will admit he looked pretty good at the end of the 12 weeks. But, I have no idea why I stayed up to watch it. It's like a train wreck. I had to watch.
Damn you VH-1.

Posted by Cate at 12:16 PM | Comments (3)

January 04, 2005

Tuesday Blahs

I got the eldest child off to school this morning with a minimum amount of fussing/crying/foot stomping. Halle-freakin-lujah. I was going to go food shopping but I am just not in the mood. The weather sucks - all drizzly and dark. Guess it's just a continuation of laundry and trying to organize some things around the house.

Don't you wish you were me? Of course you do.

In other fun news, Youngestwill be starting gymnastics next week. I have a feeling she has found her niche. She is extremely active and loves to run/tumble/go crazy at the drop of a hat. Hopefully, this will catch her interest. Plus, spring soccer sign-ups will be held at the end of the month and she wants to do that too. I am hoping she won't be the pee-weest kid with the largest shirt on the team. View image.

In TV land, did anyone else catch the first two episodes of "Deadwood" on HBO last night? MAN - I love me some Timothy Olyphant. ROWR. And, Keith Carradine isn't hard on the eyes either.

Damn - the laundry is calling. Shut up already!

Posted by Cate at 10:20 AM | Comments (3)

January 03, 2005

Strange Dream

I had a dream last night that involved Duran Duran, a mall, several security guards and getting thrown out of the mall.

Whoa.

Posted by Cate at 07:43 AM | Comments (4)

January 02, 2005

Chillin'

We finally watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban last night. I didn't think that this was the best movie. The effects were awesome and the scenes with the Dementors were pretty freakin' creepy. I guess I liked the book much better as it really went into so much more detail. You can't make a 4 hour HP movie!
We didn't buy a tv the other day. Hell, I don't think we even left the house! We shopped around yesterday at Walmart and Kmart and I wasn't too happy with the choices. I would really love an HDTV but our budget doesn't love it. So, this morning, we surfed over to the Sears website and then to BJ's Wholesale Club. We found a really good price for a 27" Panasonic with a flat screen that was a good $50-$60 cheaper than all the other places we looked. Do you know what that means?

That means it won't be in stock when Husband and my FIL get to the store. ::sigh:: I hope it is available as our current tv is really on its last legs and doesn't owe us a damn thing.

School starts tomorrow and I do have mixed feelings about that. I did enjoy not being rushed in the morning and just hanging around the house. But, Youngesthas energy practically squirting out of her ears and Eldest, well, she is so damn surly lately. Ugh. God help her when she hits puberty!

Off to clean and start taking down Christmas. Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)

December 31, 2004

Big plans

We are going out to buy a new television. The one we have is almost 15 years old and it's getting darker and darker every time we watch it. Of course, I want the LCD television. ::snicker:: Maybe the next tv. I think another 27" would be fine. Hell, the tv we have now was purchased for me for Valentines Day - in 1990! LOL! Time to get a new one!
Be sure to have a safe, healthy and happy new year. Good wishes to all of my wonderful friends.

Posted by Cate at 12:26 PM | Comments (5)

December 29, 2004

Mid week

The girls and I will be going to a friend's house to have a playdate for all of us. Her three kids and my two will play together. This way, my friend and I can have a good time relaxing.

In other newws, I need to get a copy of my dad's death certificate in order to recieve an insurance benefit. ::sigh:: I don't even want the freakin' money. I don't even want to deal with it. But, I will.

Sometimes, being an adult sucks.

Posted by Cate at 12:25 PM | Comments (4)

December 27, 2004

Quiet Afternoon

Eldest is at a friend's house and Youngestis watching Danny Phantom while listening to the Princess and the Pauper cd on her walkman. As for me, well, I am sentenced to a day of laundry.

Whee. Go me.

Posted by Cate at 02:53 PM | Comments (2)

December 23, 2004

Busy busy!

Doin' good - will write more later.

Posted by Cate at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)

December 20, 2004

Nice day

Husband had the day off so I actually spent time with him today. He brought my car in to Midas to get the brakes fixed. Luckily, we caught a very small brake problem before it became a $400 brake problem.
We also stopped at WallyMart to pick up some extra gloves for Olivia, socks and thermals for Husband, washer fluid for the car and some assorted crap for the house. I did find some more books for the girls so I will put them in their stockings. I had picked up two books from Amazon for Eldest - A Wrinkle In Time and the brand new Magic Tree House book. I can't wait to see her face when she opens those books!
What's new with you?

Posted by Cate at 04:26 PM | Comments (1)

December 19, 2004

I'm Here!

OhmyGAWD!

:::yawn::: I am so tired.

We had our Girl Scout troop party on Friday. Lots of fun. The girls had a gift exchange and ate all kinds of junk - cookies, juice, candy.. they loved it. I burned a cd with fun Christmas songs and they danced around and sang. I had so much fun. I love 'em all!
After the meeting, I hauled butt home, got dinner set up and in the oven for the family. I left after that to go to my 6pm chiro appointment. Man, the adjustment felt SO good. When I left the chiro, I stopped at Starbucks, picked up 2 peppermint hot chocolates (Venti of course) and drove to my friend's house. Her daughter was out of school sick on Friday so I had brought her homework home for her. My friend had never had the peppermint hot chocolate and she *loved* it too. Yum.
I made it back home by 8pm, just in time to watch Rudolph on CBS. The girls didn't get to bed until 10pm. Husband and I stayed up watching TLC and chatting. We finally crashed out around midnight.
Back up again this morning. We had planned to bring the girls to my inlaws house so we could wrap their gifts. We finally managed to get up there around noon. We hung out for a while before Youngestasked us if we were leaving yet. Heh. So, we leave.
We stopped at the butcher's to pick up our deli order and brought it back home. Husband brought it inside while I waited in the car. When he came back out, we zipped over to Kmart to pick up more wrapping paper. We try to use paper that the girls haven't seen, especially since they still believe in Santa. Kmart was mobbed. We grabbed some cute paper, a few more small gift items for my niece and got the heck outta there.
Husband and I decide to stop at the diner and eat lunch. It was ok. Once we got home, we just pulled everything out and wrapped. And wrapped. AND wrapped some more. All the girls stuff is wrapped. We called my inlaws and made plans to get to their place around 830pm. I packed some pjs and shampoo so I could give the girls a bath there.
We got to my inlaws and had a nice time chatting with them and my sis in law. The girls were so busy playing on the computer that they didn't even know we were there! I bathed them both and we didn't even leave until 1030pm! By the time we made it home, the girls were fried. They got tossed into bed ASAP.
I had forgotten to bake this afternoon. We are going to my stepmom's house tomorrow for an early Christmas day/dinner. My stepsis, her hubby and their daughter will be there and so will my brother. I have to bake a pumpkin pie, cookies and make dip. I had said I would bring the desserts. I can't believe I forgot to bake. DUH. So, the pie is in the oven only for another 15 minutes and I made the cookie dough, which I will bake tomorrow.
WHEW! What a book. I will catch you guys later. Have a great weekend.

Posted by Cate at 12:25 AM | Comments (1)

December 14, 2004

There's no place like home

I am beat. We just made it back home about 20 minutes ago. We saw Santa, shopped, split some Burger King fries and soda, shopped, bumped into my FIL (of ALL people!) in Macys, shopped, drove to Pathmark, shopped there then FINALLY came home.

I took a picture of the girls with Santa. He's an awesome Santa. Check it out in the extended entry.

Posted by Cate at 04:54 PM | Comments (5)

December 13, 2004

Good morning

Well, we didn't make Eldest's bus this morning. But, it wasn't a big deal for me. I wanted to make a run to Toys R Us to check out a few things. I dropped Eldest off at school and made it to TRU by 830am. There was hardly anyone in the store. Woohoo! No crowds. Youngestand I browsed around and I found a few small things, some on clearance too, for grab bags and a gift for our troop gift swap. There were a few things I couldn't find but I will snag them from Amazon. I ordered from KBToys and found this awesome keyboard for my two year old nephew. Youngestgot one for her birthday last year from my SIL and she loves it. Whenever my nephew comes over, he always runs to play with it. It made perfect sense to buy it for him. Husband wants to buy him guns. LOL.
Nothing else exciting going on here. I am going to read my email, check out a few blogs then work on laundry.
Whee.

Posted by Cate at 09:54 AM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2004

Howdy

How you doin'?

The family and I did some shopping this afternoon. I have been working on my Christmas cards. I sent one large batch out earlier this week and I am trying to finish off this batch. Christine, thank you SO much for the cd! The girls loved it as did I.
I saw my chiro yesterday. I don't think I've seen him for at least 3-4 weeks. I feel so much better now.

Off to do some more cards. Ciao!

Posted by Cate at 04:52 PM | Comments (1)

December 10, 2004

Quickie

Just popping on to say "hi"!

We looked at a couple houses, did some errands and now Youngestwill be going on a playdate while I go to Scouts.

Catch ya'll later!

Posted by Cate at 01:15 PM | Comments (1)

December 08, 2004

:::Yawn:::

Can't I just go back to bed? All I need is just a few more hours of sleep....

Posted by Cate at 07:15 AM | Comments (1)

December 07, 2004

Blessed

I received an email from a friend yesterday. She wrote about how she is blessed in many many ways. I decided to write why I believe I am blessed. Writing this list was difficult. I found myself crying while composing it. It really made me think about my family and all my loved ones and just how much I missed my father and grandparents.
Oy.

I am BLESSED......

I have an awesome husband who smart, kind, caring and adores his children. He is always there for me. He is my rock. My soulmate. He is a good man. I am so proud of him and I am proud to be his wife.

I have a fantastic daughter. She is my first born and will always have a special place in my heart. She loves her dolls and stuffed animals. She is just sweet and loves to snuggle with me. She writes delightful stories and draws beautiful pictures. I am so very proud of her. I love her with every ounce of my heart and soul.

I have another extraordinary daughter. She is my baby. She is extremely busy and active and just a very happy and loving child. Always wanting to help the other kids. She has had so much medical difficulty due to her food allergies. She has never once complained about them and it makes me so very proud of her. Again, I love her so very very much. I can't even imagine life without her or her sister.

My parents. Even though they divorced when I was in my early teens, they have always been there for me. ALWAYS. Even through all the stupid high school nonsense, petty arguments and very minor(or even imagined) "injustices", I am so very lucky they are my parents. I love them so much. I miss my father terribly, especially with this holiday season. He fought so hard to beat cancer and, in the end, it took him away from me. My mom, also a cancer victim, is still fighting it and attempting to kick it's cruel and ugly ass. She also has other medical issues that have been a burden to her. I love you so very much Mom and Dad. Thank you for being my parents.

My brother. He just turned thirty and is currently attending NYU for his Masters. He has come a long way from just being my little brother and I now see him for the man that he has become. I love you and I am very proud of everything you have accomplished.

My grandparents. I miss them dreadfully. They were, honestly, the best grandparents anyone could ask for. They spoiled me and my brother, in the good way, and I will never ever forget all the wonderful memories they have left for me. My only regret - Pop was never able to meet my girls and my Nana only had a short time with them. I know they are both looking down and enjoying them now.

My stepmom. Even though we had a rocky start, she has come through for us on many occasions. I have a very special relationship with her now that will last a lifetime. She is a wonderful Nana to the girls and I am so very happy she will still be a part of our lives. She also brought my stepsister, her husband and a beautiful niece along as well.

My inlaws. Truly, I am very lucky. My FIL and MIL are good people. Strong people. They have had tremendous battles and challenges in their past and have come out on top. They have helped us out whenever we have asked. There have been issues but they are in the past and resolved. I am very lucky to have three SIL's along with my marriage to Husband. I always wanted a sister and now I have three plus my stepsister. All of them are wonderful women. Strong, courageous. I've also been lucky enough to have a wonderful BIL, a beautiful niece and two handsome nephews.

All my friends. I have wonderful, caring friends. Some I have never even met. They have been there through good times and bad. Life and death. I am so incredibly lucky to have these wonderful women and men in my life. Thank you for all your love and support.

Posted by Cate at 08:55 AM | Comments (1)

December 04, 2004

Checking in

Hey everyone!

No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth ::grin:: We've been busy cleaning around the house and getting things ready for Christmas. Oh, we also looked at a house that was for sale. The price was pretty good so we wanted to check it out. It was pretty small for a colonial -only 3 bedrooms (very small ones too) and 1.5 baths. The yard was pretty small. And, I hate to say it, the neighboring houses looked pretty gross.
So, the family and I are off to work on more holiday cheer and get the house decorated. Catch ya later.

Posted by Cate at 07:04 PM | Comments (3)

November 30, 2004

Good morning

I am at Mom's house to do some cleaning. Youngestis watching SpongeBob on Nickelodeon. She is a SBSP freak. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Hell, I want to see the movie! I might even take the girls with me.
Anyway - ya'll be good and have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 08:37 AM | Comments (3)

November 17, 2004

Damn

It's only Wednesday?

I"m going back to bed. Youngestis going to be the lucky cuddle kid and she will get to watch a little morning television in my room whilst I doze.
I am going to Eldest's classroom again this afternoon. I was there yesterday, assisting the teacher. The kids were using PowerPoint on laptop computers and I thought the teacher, the poor woman, was going to jump out a window. The kids were practically swarming all over her. Due to a state grant, Eldest's class is one of four that has laptops, a digital camera and a plasma television in the classroom.
Nice. Of course, I'm sure that's one of the many many reasons why our property tax doubled. DOUBLED.

Ouch.

Welcome to New Jersey.

Posted by Cate at 07:56 AM | Comments (1)

November 11, 2004

Just got home

Just got home from the hospital. Mom had her shoulder surgery to repair her rotator cuff this morning. It has been one helluva long day. Too tired to get into details but Mom is ok - sore - but ok. I am exhausted. It's been a long day.

G'night.

Posted by Cate at 10:29 PM | Comments (5)

November 07, 2004

The rest of the day

I got home today around 1145am. Husband and the girls were outside. It was gorgeous weather today too. I think it hit 70-72 degrees. The girls ended up playing at a friend's house up the street so Husband and I had plenty of time to ourselves. Just him and I...

So, he raked the yard, I cleaned out the cars and we both stored away some lumber and cleaned the shed.

What? The kids weren't around - we had to take advantage of the moment. Who else is gonna clean the shed?

Posted by Cate at 07:12 PM | Comments (5)

November 01, 2004

Quickie

I am blogging from Mom's place - I am here to clean for her. The girls are off from school this week so they are playing with Mom in her workshop. Mom has a HUGE craft space in her basement and the girls love going down there and working on projects.
Anyway - I will update much later today. Just wanted to let ya'll know I was okie dokie and my cable modem at home is now in working order. YAY!

Posted by Cate at 10:31 AM | Comments (4)

October 29, 2004

ACK!

OMG - I am so busy today.

Last night I made 4 dozen cupcakes for Eldest's class party AND for the GS meeting after school today. Then, I made frosting - let me tell you it is so good It tastes like Twinkie filling. The kids LOVE it.
I just got back from the class party - so much fun! I have to go back to the school around 2pm. I want to stop at Kmart and pick up toilet paper. One of the games in the class was to have the kids partner up and wrap each other up like mummies using toilet paper. The kids freaked out! They *loved* it. Of course, the poor teacher got wrapped up too - lol.
Anyway - I've got to eat lunch and get all my gear ready. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 12:05 PM | Comments (3)

October 16, 2004

Saturday

I have a troop event this morning - we planted dune grass out on Long Beach Island. We had a lot of fun. We've done this for three years now and the girls enjoy it. Plus, we get done rather quickly as a lot of parents stay and help. Woohoo - go parents!

When I got back, I called to see how Dad was feeling. He is hallucinating quite a bit. I think he's having one helluva time with it so he's requesting that we cut back on his medications. Yesterday, when the nurse and my stepmom were there, he called to M (stepmom) and asked her to "get Youngestbefore she falls and hurts herself." Youngestand I weren't even there. ::sigh:: Poor Dad. He's still lucid at times so I can't even imagine how messed up he is feeling.
Yesterday was bad - he had gotten a phone call from the family back home (Iran). They want him to come back home to die. They put his mother (my grandmother - who is 92) on the phone and he just lost it. They were crying and freaking out.. he was crying and freaking out. When he finally got off the phone, he was just inconsolable. M had stepped out for a little while and she came home to him crying and just totally upset. I know the painkillers and the steroids will essentially screw around with his emotions.
Oy.
So, I am heading to Mom's place today to clean and my brother will be there too. He wants to see the girls and, of course, me and Mom. Family can never be taken for granted. Please - tell the ones you love that you DO love them.

Posted by Cate at 12:57 PM | Comments (8)

October 14, 2004

HOme

I was supposed to visit my dad then go to my mom's place to clean. Mom cancelled today's visit because she had to go to the doctor for a UTI. I called Dad's house and spoke with my stepmom and asked if it was ok that I didn't come over today. She said no problem - she was off today and tomorrow anyway. I felt bad - I really want to help her by taking some of the load off of her. She's living with it 24/7. She assured me that it was ok to stay home. I have SO much stuff to do here as well as getting my scout stuff prepared for tomorrow's meeting. Plus, I think I might be helping in M's class tomorrow before scouts. Luckily, we meet in the same building so I just need to be prepared a lot earlier.
So - tell me some good news about YOU! How are YOU?

Posted by Cate at 12:10 PM | Comments (5)

October 13, 2004

Peace and Quiet

The girls are in bed and P is at school. Well, actually, he should be on his way home from school by now.

O had soccer today. Her team got creamed. The team they played against was mostly five and six year old boys with one or two girls for good measure. We barely had 9 players show up tonight. Our team is like the Bad News Bears of soccer. All the leftover kids.. the pee-wees. You gotta love them as they are so damn cute. The other team was playing very rough - a lot of pushing and tripping. At one point, our coach was so angry he spoke to the other coach and told him quite loudly to have his kids stop pushing. It wasn't the usual jostle and nudge. These kids were shoving with both hands. Little turds. I hate the fact that those kids might have been encouraged to play like that. Puh-lease. Thankfully, the other coach told hsi team to calm down and stop pushing. But, that really takes the fun out of the game. O just loves to run up and down the field. Yeah - she plays like crap but she's only 4 frigging years old. It ain't the World Cup!
[/rant]
Anyway... I am going to have a cup of coffee and a delicious chocolate mousse that I purchased from the Italian bakery. I deserve a treat and since Ewan McGregor isn't available, the chocolate mousse is an adequate substitute.
Yum!

Posted by Cate at 08:53 PM | Comments (3)

October 11, 2004

A Fresh Start

I made an appointment with my chiropractor. I go in at 4pm. I can't imagine why I am so stressed out...lol...

Husband is off today. I buzzed his hair and he looks adorable rugged and manly. Rowr. I wish I knew how to give him a good facial shave. But, given the fact he is so darn jumpy, I'd probably end up slicing him open.
I am going to see my dad tomorrow morning and see what I can do for him. I think he enjoys the company. I am planning on getting more information from about when he came to America. I think I will pull out the camcorder and get it on videotape. It kills me inside to know that Dad is so sick but I will do whatever the fuck I need to do to make him happy.
Well, off to feed Youngestlunch and try to figure out what the hell I am making for dinner! Hope you are all having a great day - even for a Monday!

Posted by Cate at 01:18 PM | Comments (4)

September 30, 2004

A few minutes

Man - there are not enough minutes/hours in the day! I woke up at 640am this morning. That's bad. M catches the bus at 730am. We were all conked out. I figured "The hell with it" and drove her in to school. I had to jump in the shower anyway...
My dad is doing better. Thank you so very very much for all your thoughts and prayers. Keep 'em coming - PLEASE! He is taking pain medication (Oxycontin) which is helping him a lot. Since the pain is reduced, he breathes better and has started eating. In fact, the intense pain is most likely what caused him to go to the ER the other morning. He has tumors in his lungs as well as on his liver. I cannot imagine the pain he must be having.
I was doing errands yesterday and called him to see if he needed anything. He said he wanted a McDonalds hamburger and fries. Needless to say, I hauled ass to get it for him as well as some for me and O, who was thrilled to have McD's for lunch. Plus, we got a chance to hang out and chat for a little while.
O and I are headed back there today to see him and my stepmom. Then, I will be going to Mom's house to do house cleaning for her. Luckily, P is off today (GI doctor appointment) and he can get M off the bus. This way, I don't have to kill myself getting home by 2pm.
:::phone:::
Shit. I just got off the phone with my stepmom. She said not to come up as Dad wasn't feeling well this morning. He didn't have a good night either. He has an appointment with the cancer institute at 1pm. Hopefully, we will get more information about Dad's health.

Cancer fucking sucks.

Posted by Cate at 08:59 AM | Comments (15)

September 28, 2004

Coming up for air

Some days - I just feel like I am drowning... thank goodness for P and the girls and, of course, all of my wonderful friends.

Why is life so friggin' complicated? ::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 12:24 PM | Comments (2)

September 24, 2004

Arrgghh!

Gotta get some more errands done asap! O has a follow-up appointment at the ENT in 20 minutes, I have tons of photocopies to make and another damn ink cartridge to buy. I swear, I just want to throw my printer out the window and buy another one. Hell, the cartridges are $30 EACH! ACK!
Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:21 AM | Comments (3)

September 23, 2004

Shit Sandwich

Ugh- what a crappy morning. And, it had nothing to do with the girls either.

Posted by Cate at 08:06 AM | Comments (6)

September 22, 2004

Howdy!

Good morning everyone!

I went to M's back to school night. It was ok - better than I expected. I have a little more faith in her teacher but I will be watching her closely. Of course, P and I will be working with M and helping her with her math skills. Oh, some exciting news (well, for us anyhow!)! M was accepted into one of accelerated programs! YAY!
O and I just got back from walking M to the bus stop. We are heading out to my dad's house for a visit. I am looking forward to that.

Catch ya later! Remember - behave!

Posted by Cate at 07:42 AM | Comments (2)

September 21, 2004

Good MORNING

Hiya everyone!! :::waving to the masses::: We are all alive and kicking in sunny NJ. This weather is fabulous. Clear. Cool. I love this time of year.

I drove M to school this morning as I had some errands to do - WalMart and ShopRite. I managed to leave WalMart without spending an arm and leg. Of course, I spent a few extra dollars in ShopRite instead. But, I was able to be home finished and home by 930am! Woohoo!
O is relaxing on the couch and watching SpongeBob. Ya know, I am really liking SpongeBob. I just crack up at all these cartoons. Dare I say that SB is the Looney Tunes of the 21st Century?
P had registered to go to night school to get his water/wastewater operator license. Class was supposed to start tonight and run every Tuesday and Thursday. For some reason it was postponed until Monday and now switched to Monday and Wednesday. It's a six month course so I will be busy busy with the girls on those nights.
Well, enough of me yabbling on and on and on.... Tell me, what have YOU guys been doing??

Posted by Cate at 10:37 AM | Comments (3)

September 20, 2004

Monday

Lots of fun today.. I wish blogrolling was fixed!

Wait.. I just checked! It **is** fixed! ::Snoopy dance::

Posted by Cate at 05:56 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2004

Almost done

Girl Scout meeting was good. We hustled home, fed O, M packed for a sleepover, made dinenr for P, got O in her soccer gear, packed O's soccer bag, packed snack for the 15 kids on the soccer team, drive M to sleepover, come back home, eat sandwich and drink coffee for dinner, pack for adult GS meeting, drive to pharmacy to p/u O's prescription... I have to go now.. I'll finish later!
Bye!

Posted by Cate at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)

TGIF

Thank the Lord it's Friday at last!

Today is our first troop meeting at the new school. All the girls moved up to another school this year. We are meeting in the art room. YAY! I can't believe that this will be the girls last year as Brownies. ::sniffle:: My babies are going to be Juniors. Wow.
I have a gazillion and five things to do this morning, including an 1115am visit with the ENT for O. I think one of her tubes came out and the other is gone. I want him to check them for me.
Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 07:59 AM | Comments (1)

September 15, 2004

Blur

What happened? I didn't get half the stuff done that I wanted/needed to do.

Oh well - there's always tomorrow!

Posted by Cate at 09:37 PM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2004

You are getting sleeeeepy

Sleepy? I am way past that!

I had such a hard time sleeping last night. I was up every hour, coughing. I took my OTC drugs but I think I have to buy some Robitussin as this stuff ain't cutting it. I gotta be able to sleep!! I still have a headache from this morning and the ibuprofen didn't really touch it. Guess I need a tylenol chaser.

Both girls made it to school just fine. M is buying lunch today so she is thrilled. Why do kids like the cafeteria food? Ew. I headed over to the supermarket after I brought O to school. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded and I was able to shop without getting rammed by someone else's cart. I ended up racing through the store. I guess I am still in "Mommy Shopping" mode - the really fast food shopping that <i>has</i> to be done with a cranky/tired/ill child in tow. I didn't even have the girls with me. LOL.
I dragged all the bags into the house and it took me forever to unpack and sort everything. I still have the detergents and water bottles in the car. I'll drag them in later.
Oh - <b>AWESOME</b> news about my dad. He qualified for a clinical trial at <a href="http://www.cinj.org/"target=_blank>CINJ</a>!! He's there now with my stepmom. I hope this one works for him. They will be there all day and he might have to stay overnight. SM will stay with him.
Off to get the lil kidlet from preschool. Ta!

Posted by Cate at 11:09 AM | Comments (3)

September 12, 2004

Fun

We all had a good day today - the girls rode bikes and even got a chance to shoot off rockets with P. I tore up our bedroom and really deep cleaned it, flipped the mattress, vacuumed under the bed, changed the sheets and a lot more organizing and cleaning.
I am still not feeling well. My right lung has some slight pain, most likely from me coughing for 5 days. O is still feeling out of sorts as well. I am going to try to get her to the doctor tomorrow.

Well, I am off to bed shortly. I will catch up on all you lovely people tomorrow. G'night!

Posted by Cate at 10:19 PM | Comments (2)

September 10, 2004

Tard

Yep - that's me.

I was goofing around with M this afternoon. I pulled the back of her shirt up and over her head. As I pulled the shirt down, she said "Ow!" so I let go of the shirt. As she pulls her shirt back down, she says "Umm, Mom?" I glance over at her and see her holding her glasses. Her broken glasses. *I* broke my daughter's glasses. I am SUCH an idiot. And, as I found out, the frames cannot be fixed. Shit! And, because the lenses are a special cut to fit in the adorable Barbie frames, they won't fit into any other frames. Of course, one of the two Lenscrafters near me doesn't have the frames in stock. Shit! I am on hold now with the other Lenscrafters store. They don't have any either. WTF???
I am hoping that Husband can patch them for now and we will have to search high and fucking low for the same goddamn frame.

Posted by Cate at 04:09 PM | Comments (2)

I'm alive

Just barely. Ugh. I have been battling a fever for a day and a half. I alternate between freezing and sweating. Eww. I am on a cleaning frenzy.. maybe it's a way to break the fever. ::cough hack wheeze:::

I have more GS paperwork to do as well as get dinner ready. Tonight is a soccer night. God - how sad is it that I can't wait for soccer to be finished.

Posted by Cate at 01:21 PM | Comments (3)

September 09, 2004

Productive Day

Well, my friend and I had a grand old time this morning.. bagels.. coffee.. wandering around the local bookstore.. Ahhhh.. I could get used to this!

O totally enjoyed her first day of school. Some of her friends from last year were there so they just sorta picked up where they left off from June. After M got home, I was laying down while the girls were playing. I managed to zone out for a little while. I took a shower to help wake myself back up and got dinner going.

I have an interview tonight. I will be meeting a woman who wants to be a troop leader so I better get my papers and stuff ready. Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 06:59 PM | Comments (0)

Mornin'

I feel like ass. I had a temperature this morning so I popped a few ibuprofen and some Robitussin caplets. I guess the ibuprofen is working because I am sitting here just sweating. Ew.
I am going out for coffee and breakfast with my friend this morning to celebrate all of our children being in school. Mommies on the loose - look out!

Posted by Cate at 07:40 AM | Comments (6)

September 03, 2004

Wha..?

Ohmygosh! The week has just flown past so quickly.

M met her 3rd grade teacher today. She is awesome. Hell, I wish *I* was back in 3rd grade.

Both girls had dental appointments. Everything is good - no cavities. Hooray!

P is off today through Monday. Hooray?

M was invited to a sleepover tonight. Yay - one kid down for tonight. The down side, O was crying because <i>she</i> wants to go on a sleepover. I guess hangin' with Mom and Dad sucks. LOL.

Gotta go - I am fetching dinner tonight. McD's for O, fried chicken for P and Subway for me.
Bye!

Posted by Cate at 05:16 PM | Comments (1)

August 29, 2004

Secret

I had one helluva sexy dream last night.... about my chiropractor.

::sigh::

He is really good looking... and gives great massages. Why <i>not</i> dream about him? It will be hard to have a conversation him on Tuesday.

Posted by Cate at 07:30 PM | Comments (1)

August 25, 2004

Afternoon break

Just got back from cleaning Mom's place. After we ate lunch, I brought the girls to Atlantic Farms. We visited "Annie" the cow, saw some pigs, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, emus, ostriches and even a reindeer. I snagged some fresh produce (Tomatoes...Mmmm.. Jersey tomatoes, red onions, white corn, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and some bananas) and we headed home. I am pooped.
I haven't been sleeping well lately. Plus, I must have slept all cricked up as my neck was hurting a lot yesterday. Luckily, I already had a chiro appointment set up at 2pm. Joe, my chiro, wasn't happy with my neck. He felt the swelling right away and did an adjustment as well as some massage on it. I felt so much better when I left the office. This morning, I was a little sore.. but nothing like yesterday.
P and I are bringing the girls to Six Flags tomorrow. I have two free passes left over from when I brought the troop back in April (<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/004974.php"target=_blank>and when I also injured my back</a>). Of course, I won't be going on any rides. I like being able to walk and turn my head. Heh.
Off to make dinner.
How was YOUR day?

Posted by Cate at 03:59 PM | Comments (3)

I'm back

Hi everyone!

First off, I want to thank everyone who sent me an email or left me a comment on the previous post. Your words, thoughts and prayers mean so very much to me. I was truly touched by everyone's kindness. {{{hugs}}} Thank you.

Things are getting back to normal for me. My dad and stepmom already made and went to an appointment at the Cancer Institute of NJ. They are trying to get my dad into some of the clinical trials. ::fingers crossed::
Let's see, what else happened?
Two birthday parties.
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/tooth.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/tooth.php','popup','width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">One lost tooth</a>.
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/rainbow1.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/rainbow1.php','popup','width=480,height=640,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">Two</a> <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/rainbow21.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/rainbow21.php','popup','width=480,height=640,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">incredible</a> rainbows - one above the other followed by an amazing <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/sunset.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/sunset.php','popup','width=1024,height=768,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">sunset</a>.
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/mckbike.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/mckbike.php','popup','width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">Two</a> <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/ogkbike1.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/ogkbike1.php','popup','width=636,height=671,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">beautiful</a> girls that I love more than life.
Lots of other things as well but I did want to share some of these photographs. I am going to my mom's house tomorrow to clean for her and I have soem other errands as well. I will try to visit you guys soon.

Posted by Cate at 08:00 AM | Comments (8)

August 18, 2004

Working

Just getting stuff done around the house today. I'll be checking in occasionally. Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2004

Popping in

I thought I would just say a quick hello to all you guys.. so.. "HELLO!"

P and I got new cell phones. I got one of those flip phones and P has a regular Nokia. We stopped at KMart and the girls got new lunchboxes and M got a new backpack. Earlier thsi morning I had to attend a Girl Scout training to become the official "Membership Organizer" ::ahem:: So, apparently, I am all that.. and a bag of chips too.

Hee.

Posted by Cate at 05:56 PM | Comments (2)

August 14, 2004

Calm

Well, at least it's calm before the storm. According to the Weather Channel, NJ will get hit with some form of Hurrican Charley. I am about 10 miles from the beach. Fun fun. I hope <a href="http://www.peskyapostrophe.com/">Mac</a> enjoyed her days at the beach. I think today is the nicest day she will get!
We are gonna go check out some yard sales. See ya later!

Posted by Cate at 09:29 AM | Comments (2)

August 11, 2004

Home again

We made it back home around 430pm.

I cleaned my Mom's house and made some nice side $$. Then, I brought the girls to the Manasquan Outlet for some more back to school shopping. They each got an outfit - O's is from Carters and M's is from OshKosh B'Gosh. Next stop, Marty's Shoe Outlet where M picked out <a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?p=1005027%7EKids%7CGirls&sc=KIDSG&variant_id=21113"target=_blank>sneakers</a> and a cute pair of <a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?p=1005340%7EKids%7CGirls&sc=KIDSG&variant_id=21591"target=_blank>boots</a> for a better price than on the Sketchers website. Gotta love a bargain!
Off to clean up the dinner mess - catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2004

Recovering

Oh man, Bonkos was SO much fun... lots of munchies.. lots of wine... The girls didn't get to bed until after midnight! LOL. They are moving slow today. They had better pick up the pace as we have a playdate at 130pm.
I have SO many leftovers - anyone wanna come over?

Posted by Cate at 11:16 AM | Comments (1)

August 09, 2004

So far..

so good! I made "foof" and it is good. I mean - GOOD!

Try it. It is very easy to make and tastes delicious.

<b>Foof</b>

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (NOT SOFT CREAM CHEESE)
1 8oz jar of Fluff
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix until well blended. Chill. Eat with fruit.

Posted by Cate at 03:44 PM | Comments (4)

So far so good

I'm back from the store. The cake is in the oven. The spinach (for dip) is thawing in the strainer.
Time to catch up on emails!

Posted by Cate at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

BONKOS!

Tonight is my turn for hosting <a href="http://www.buncogame.com/"target=_blank>Bonkos</a>. :::runs around freaking out:::

Ok, now I am not as stressed (hahaha). P and I ripped the house part yesterday, cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, all that fun stuff. All of the yard sale stuff is either on the garbage, at the curb or back in the attic to try for another sale in the fall. I still have to bake a cake, make icing, make an apple crumble (have to bake during Bonkos so it doesn't get soggy), get all my appetizers prepared, set up tables, gifts for everyone, bag up the prizes and decorate. One of my Bonko ladies turned 50 the other day and her family had a surprise party for her. So, since most of the Bonko group couldn't attend, I am going to decorate the house in streamers and party stuff. I couldn't find a crown for her so I bought her a princess style wand. LOL. All the tableclothes say "Happy Birthday" and I even bought party bags for everyone.
So, as you can see, I don't have too much to do today :::runs around screaming:::

I am off to Pathmark to get sugar, butter, fluff, marshmallows, apples, lemons and chicken nuggets (the kids' dinner tonight). See ya!

Posted by Cate at 10:07 AM | Comments (1)

::Tap tap:: Testing, testing

::peering around::
Is anyone still here?

Posted by Cate at 08:54 AM | Comments (3)

August 06, 2004

Goin' to bed

I think we are all set for tomorrow's yard sale... I hope! Wish us luck that we make lots of moolah!

Posted by Cate at 11:09 PM | Comments (2)

Hi!!

Yesterday's shopping trip went very well. Something funny happened while we were walking in Sears. There was a young woman in front of us, maybe around 23-25 years old. She was wearing some kind of big clunky shoes and she was scuffing her feet when she walked, making a loud clip-clopping noise. I swear to God she sounded just like a horse walking down a cobblestone street. A man and woman walked past the girl and, as they were passing us, the guy actually <i>neighed</i> like a horse. I couldn't hold back and I just busted out laughing. The girl turned around and I almost tripped over O's stroller in my attempt to get away from her. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. It's like that guy actually read my mind and said exactly what I was thinking. ::giggle:: I am still laughing over that

My dentist visit today went very well. My dentist is super nice and I had no pain at all. The worst pain was the novacaine shot ::shudder:: The girls were in the room with me so I couldn't even freak out. This was my first cavity so I had no idea that she had to do to my tooth. Man, that drill is freaky. I don't ever want to hear that thing again!! ::shudder:: But, here I am, 5 hours later, and I don't have any pain at all.
In other news, P and I have been tearing the house apart in preparation for tomorrow's yard sale. I have a TON of <strike> crap</strike> priceless heirlooms to <strike> throw away</strike> sell to some <strike> moron</strike> lucky customer. Heh. In fact, I need to get back to work. See ya!

Posted by Cate at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

Still here

We survived yesterday's eye doc/school shopping adventure. I have a dentist appointment at 10am to fill a cavity ::gulp:: I'm scared!

Posted by Cate at 08:35 AM | Comments (5)

August 05, 2004

(We're all just) Wastin' Time

Of course on the day I need to drive around and do errands, it's going to rain. Ick.

Posted by Cate at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

Schedule

Tomorrow, I have to bring M to the eye doctor. That should be a load of fun. She *hates* getting the eye drops and she literally freaks out. Ugh. I am sure we will have to get her a new prescription too. I hope we can recycle her frames as they are not even a year old. While we get the glasses done, we are going to be school shopping. Hell - I need to get her a pair of sneakers, school shoes and a pair of boots. O needs new shoes for school as well. Damn. Payless is gonna love me.

Posted by Cate at 12:28 AM | Comments (4)

August 03, 2004

Hi there

We had a lot of fun when Mary was down yesterday. We all went swimming in the pool and stayed in it for over an hour. At one point, we created a whirlpool and the girls loved it. O was getting swept up in the current - hell, it looked like she was being flushed down the toilet. LOL.
We had dinner - steaks, salad, fresh veggies and fries - and it was good. Yum! Then, Mary, P and I sat and bs-ed for a couple hours. At one point, Mary had me laughing so hard (about South Park) that my face turned red and I had tears in my eyes. We also laughed over the Dave Chappelle show (LOVE him!) and the Wayne Brady sketch. The girls finally went to bed around 1030 and Mary stayed until midnight. We just had one helluva fun night!

Posted by Cate at 10:28 AM | Comments (4)

July 30, 2004

Fun fun

I brought M's friend back home around 1pm. We got invited to stay for a few hours. So, the girls got some more swim time and play time. Me and Liz, my friend, got to hang poolside with some wine and chatted. Yeah yeah.. we watched the kids too. Can't have any drownings ya know.. lol. We left around 430pm and I had to stop at Pathmark to pick up dinner - steaks with oven fries and corn. Yum. I think I will cut up some of my garden tomatoes too. Double yum.
I think we are gonna chill out tonight. We have plans to meet up with my sis in law tomorrow. She will be baby-sitting our niece and nephew and is looking to have us come visit as well. This way, the kids can all be busy - I hope!

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)

I survived

the night. The girls fell asleep by midnight, thank goodness. I had such a bad headache. I was actually queasy from it - ew. Of course the girls woke up at 6am - double ew. By 7am, I told them they could come out of M's room because they were playing with M's horn and harmonica! Eeeek! I am surprised that O is still sleeping. Poor baby - she was up late last night too. P and I let her stay up with us in the living room while we watched the <strike>circus in Boston</strike> DNC and Lurch last night. Actually, he did a good job. It was the most animated I have seen him in a loong time. I don't understand Theresa though. Everytime the camera panned over to her, she looked so freaking angry. And, towards the end of Kerry's speech, when he mentioned his wife, yadda yadda yadda, everyone jumped up and started clapping. She just sat in her seat - nodding at people. Is she the queen? Very odd behavior. Elizabeth Edwards at least seems warm and approachable - the poor soul.

:::yawn::: Man - this is too damn early for me... what the hell am I going to do when school starts?

Posted by Cate at 08:05 AM | Comments (2)

July 29, 2004

Hello...

:::tap tap tap:::

Is this blog on?

How YOU doin'?

Posted by Cate at 05:17 PM | Comments (7)

July 26, 2004

Back to work

Man - I am home! I will write about my trip when I get the chance. I have things to catch up on ...like laundry. Ugh.

Did I miss anything at your blog? Tell me!

Posted by Cate at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2004

Hi there!

Just a quick blog entry from my Mom's house. The girls did very well with the photographer who was just awesome! I can't wait to see the proofs.

Back to family time!

Posted by Cate at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)

On the go...

I am still chugging around this week and boy am I tired!

Today I am taking the girls to my Mom's house to get photographed. We are using the same photographer as last year. She took some great pictures of the girls. The problem - M squinted through almost every picture. Very frustrating indeed. So, this year, we will be taking the pictures at one of the parks in Spring Lake instead. These should turn out fabulous - I hope! ::knocking wood::
Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 10:00 AM | Comments (3)

July 20, 2004

Home and Toasted

Boardwalk - fun
Rides - fun
Eating huge flavored ices - messy, but fun
Spending the day in the hot sun with the girls - totally priceless.

<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/MoOJenks.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/MoOJenks.php','popup','width=411,height=568,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">My girls</a>

Posted by Cate at 08:08 PM | Comments (2)

July 19, 2004

Fun!

Got a few things done today - hooray!!!
I made to the supermarket and the doctor's office. P had gone to the doctor on Friday. He has been having pains in his stomach area for about 3-4 weeks so he finally went to see the doc. The doc, upon running a test in the office, found excess sugar in his urine and now wants him to get some bloodwork done. He will be going tomorrow. Good thoughts would be really appreciated!
Tonight, the girls and I saw a magician in one of our town's historical buildings. He is a young guy - maybe 22-23 and M loves seeing his act. A lot of slight of hand and neat little tricks. My friend brought her three children and two of them made it up on stage to assist the magician. Liz even helped out with one trick as well. It was a lot of fun.
My NYC plans have slightly changed. My two friends (from California) and I will be staying at the <a href="http://www.helmsleyhotels.com/hotel/313000001.asp"target=_blank>New York Helmsley</a> instead of the <a href="http://www.bestwesternnewyork.com/Hotels/HospitalityHouse_NYC.htm">Hospitality House</a>. Very nice digs indeed!

Off to get the girlies in bed. I'll be making the blog rounds later!

Posted by Cate at 08:48 PM | Comments (4)

Life

I have some stuff to do today - Scout stuff, food shopping... so posting will light..
Have a great day!

Posted by Cate at 09:01 AM | Comments (1)

July 17, 2004

S-A-T-U-R D-A-Y Night!

and I am watching the History Channel. Whee. I wanted to watch Pirates of the Carribean (again) but P snagged the tv. I needed to do a few things anyway, like baking a cake for tomorrow's visit at my dad's place and wrap some gifts.

My day was ok. M was at a b-day party from 1-4pm. P got called into work at 2pm. I "refreshed" my hair - gotta hide those gray hairs! I am still disappointed about the email from my friend. It does impact my trip to NYC next week. But, I am still going into the city - I hope!

Gosh, I am awfully boring tonight. Think I will read a few of youse guys and see how YOUR days were and what youse all did.

Posted by Cate at 10:38 PM | Comments (2)

Hello!!

I'm still here!

I am tearing apart M's room and throwing away a ton of "stuff". Oy, she has SO much stuff!

Things are hectic.. I had an email from a friend that really made me sad. I have to do a major food shopping, major house cleaning and bake cookies, cake and make icing.

CALGON! Take me away!

Posted by Cate at 12:22 PM | Comments (1)

July 16, 2004

TGIF

The girls have been invited for a playdate today. So, posting will be light.

Enjoy your day!

Posted by Cate at 11:58 AM | Comments (2)

Going to bed

Had a great time tonight with <a href="http://www.bookblog.net">Mary</a>. It's always fun when she's here. The girls adore her and she plays with them. Today, she brushed <i>all</i> of the ponies tails and manes. Talk about dedication!

:::yawn::: G'night!

Posted by Cate at 01:02 AM | Comments (1)

July 14, 2004

Lunch Break

The girls and I left the house by 945am. Made it to my chiro appointment and got my adjustment. SNAP!CRACK!POP!God - I sounded like a bowl of Rice Crispies! LOL! My back and neck feel so much better. Plus, it certainly helps my mental health to have such a cutie for a chiro!

I stopped at Fashi*on Bug to pick up a couple shirts for my NYC trip next week! [I am going to NYC next Friday to meet up with 2 of my email loop friends that I have never met. I am so excited!!! I got tickets for <a href="http://www.toxicaudio.com/index2.htm"target=_blank>Toxic Audio</a> and we are just going to cram in as much fun stuff as we can in 2 days! <a href="http://www.cumberlandblues.blogspot.com/"target=_blank>Christine</a> is coming with me as she is a "loopie" too.] I also hit Payless and found a really cute pair of shoes for 12.99! I'm all about the bargains.

Last stop, Rag Shop. That's where I got my best deal. <a href="http://www.lionbrand.com/"target=_blank>Lion Brand yarn </a>- Chunky USA - which is my favorite - all marked down to a $1 each. I bought 11 skeins of <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/red.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/red.php','popup','width=130,height=100,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">this</a>, 6 skeins of <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/denim.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/denim.php','popup','width=130,height=100,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">this</a> and 5 of white. I am going to make another blanket for my mom. Her bedroom has a lot of red and white. I might even go back to the Rag Shop and get more yarn. I don't know where I can <strike>hide</strike> store it. P is bound to notice all this yarn. He doesn't say a word, just shakes his head and walks away. The girls - they are like little police officers. "MOM! You don't NEED any more yarn!" They don't really do that anymore because it works two ways like "Girls! You don't NEED any more toys!" Now they keep their mouths shut when I am in the yarn section. LOL.

I will be heading back out to get the oil changed in the Sante Fe, stopping to pick up fresh veggies and some ground beef for burgers tonight and also dropping off a few books at the library. M is reading up a storm. I am keeping track of her books for the summer reading program and she is up to about 50 books. I think she has read more but we haven't logged them all down. Her latest craze in books are anything with the Ols*on Tw*ins, Captain Underpants, Goosebumps and American Girl. Right now, I think I have at least 30 books on my bookshelf and maybe 10 of them are mine. The rest belong to the girls. Thank goodness for the library!

Posted by Cate at 01:24 PM | Comments (4)

Urgh

Some days I just want to sleep until noon. ::yawn:: I have a chiro appointment at 1015am. I think I am going to go shopping after that. Boy, the girls will love that - lol.

Posted by Cate at 08:48 AM | Comments (1)

July 12, 2004

Is it pathetic

that I am still in my pj's?

Hey, the girls are dressed AND I even fed them breakfast a couple hours ago. I guess they will be wanting lunch soon. I think I will tear myself away for a little while and make my bed. Hell, I might even get changed!

Posted by Cate at 12:04 PM | Comments (4)

July 11, 2004

Great day

We had a very nice day today... M had fun at the party. We just hung around the house and did a lot of nothing! The girls and P watched a couple episodes of Lost in Space while I just putzed around the house. I did get to watch my Trading Spaces show tonight as well as What Not To Wear. I love that show. I want to be on that show. I would LOVE a $5k shopping spree, a new hair style and make-up tips..AND being in NYC to boot! Rock on!

Anyway - P goes back to work tomorrow so the girls and I will be on our own. I think a trip to the library is in order. The girls and I have 35 books checked out of the library. 35. I have to get caught up on *my* summer reading too.

Have a great night campers!

Posted by Cate at 11:18 PM | Comments (1)

July 10, 2004

Party Recap

Lots of fun.
Homemade cupcakes are much better tasting than the boxed stuff.
Homemade icing is awesome but sifting 3 cups of confectioners sugar is a bitch.
12 children can inhale one whole watermelon, 2 large bags of chips and the cupcakes mentioned previously.
Water balloons are messy and not always reliable.
The hose is much more efficient.
Never underestimate the intelligence of 10 children who will eventually get you soaking wet as soon as you go near the pool as retaliation for using the hose on them.

Heh.

Posted by Cate at 08:59 PM | Comments (4)

Arrggh!

30 minutes until party time..

HELP!

Posted by Cate at 01:26 PM | Comments (2)

July 09, 2004

Back home again

The girls and I went to have "dinner" at the McD's in WalMart. Then, we picked up a few last minute things for her pool party tomorrow. I needed to stop at Pathmark too. We just got back home and I still have SO much to do for tomorrow! ACK! P was awesome and mowed the entire lawn - front and back.
Duuude - you rock.

Posted by Cate at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

Good morning!

I just spent 30 minutes on the phone with my mom, setting up a paypal account and explaining ebay policies.

Is it too early for a drink?

Posted by Cate at 10:46 AM | Comments (3)

July 08, 2004

Fun

Mom and Dan are coming down to visit today. Hopefully, they will be swimming in the pool too. They are staying for lunch and cake. I just pulled a cake out of the oven (chocolate chip bundt cake- mmmmm!) and it's cooling now. The girls are playing with the BriairBerry dolls. They are all over the living room floor. Ugh. I told M she could pick her dinner and she chose, get this, sloppy joes with rice and corn. I have a weird kid!
Have a great day and I will be back later. Bye!

Posted by Cate at 10:47 AM | Comments (4)

July 07, 2004

Back on Schedule

So - you thought that the KateSpot household was back on schedule, didn't you?

Hahahaha!

Oh - pictures are here. Check 'em out.

Posted by Cate at 10:39 PM | Comments (4)

Babies

Congratulations to the proud parents of Faeona Grace and Aidan James. Also, Carrie just became an auntie!

Posted by Cate at 03:26 PM | Comments (1)

I'm Home!

YAY! I'm home again!

So, didja miss me??

Posted by Cate at 02:33 PM | Comments (5)

July 02, 2004

Howdy

We are back home from the allergist. I got plenty of refills and samples too. Wheee - samples! My allergist rocks. I just love him to bits!

I stopped at my friend's house and gave her the blanket. She loved it. YAY! I don't think she will have that much use for it now but she loved it... or so she said. Hell, I loved the darn thing too!

The girls and I need to head out to the supermarket. I have to finagle my way past all the bennies too. Ugh - damn out of towners! They make a mess, clog up the roads and just make things a pain in MY ass and Lord knows we can't have that!

We are also heading to Cape May for a few days next week. We will be leaving Monday morning and I'll be back Wednesday. ::sniffle:: And, there are no computers there either ::twitch twitch:: Wahhhhhhhhh! At least I can post via audblog.

Posted by Cate at 03:04 PM | Comments (2)

July 01, 2004

2202 posts

Wow - 2202 posts and still not a hell of a lot to say! Maybe I will dredge up an old post... hmmm....

Never mind... I just read some of my archives... jeez louise.. how can you people even read me for an extended period of time?? I am SO BORING.

Posted by Cate at 09:46 AM | Comments (5)

June 30, 2004

A quickie

Wow.. posts about nooners and quickies.. you'd think it was one helluva blog...

The girls were invited to go swimming at a neighbor's house. I am going to walk them up the street, hang out for a few minutes then wander back home. Two hours of no children. Wow - what am I going to do?
Vacuum the pool and laundry.

Fun fun!

Posted by Cate at 01:03 PM | Comments (1)

June 29, 2004

Better late than never!

I managed to get to the gym by 550pm. Curves was great. It's been a looooong time since I have even been there. Yeah.. I know.. my bad.

After I got home, I snagged some dinner for myself. The gang had already eaten while I was at the gym. Then, I was outside with the girls, pushing them on the swings, playing frisbee and goofing around. P found a toad and the girls went charging across the yard to snag it. O was quite proud of the bucket and lid combination she made up in order to carry the frog across the yard. They let it go and then managed to catch it again 30 minutes later. They came inside, got all cleaned up, pjs on and teeth brushed. The girls got a treat and watched another Lost in Space episode. After that, they read in their bedroom for about 20 minutes then it was lights out.
I have been working on my crochet projects and I finished another pair of flip flops for my Mom. I wil post a pic of them tomorrow.
OH - <a href="http://www.indierocklibrarian.com/"target=_blank>MARY C</a> - are you getting my emails?? Every email I send to your work email bounces back. I emailed you my address using your yahoo account. Send me those flip flops woman!

Going to bed now. Have a great night!

Posted by Cate at 12:17 AM | Comments (4)

June 28, 2004

It's time

Gonna haul my butt to the gym tonight. I have got to get back on track and start Curves again.

Posted by Cate at 02:48 PM | Comments (3)

Monday

Just a few errands done today as well as seeing the chiro and stopping at the library. I signed up the girls for the reading club. For every five books read, they get little things - stickers and stuff like that. The girls are excited about that!
We just got back home and the girls are having a picnic in the living room while watching Disney's House of Villians. They will get tossed outside in a little while.

Off to make my lunch and catch up on some blogs. Later!

Posted by Cate at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)

June 27, 2004

Hi there!

Another weekend that was just another blur.

The pool, cleaning the house, food shopping, laundry.... blah blah blah...

I want to wish <a href="http://www.therapyfailed.com/archives/000533.html"target=_blank>Kristin</a> a very happy birthday!

Posted by Cate at 11:19 PM | Comments (2)

June 25, 2004

Home at last

Honey... I'm hoooooome!

What did I miss??

Posted by Cate at 11:24 PM | Comments (1)

Man

I have to stop staying up so damn late.

I am making cookies (MORE COOKIES! EEEEK!) to bring to my mom's house today. We have to be there by 2pm so I will not be around for most of the day and early evening.

Don't have too much fun around here without me.

Ok?

Posted by Cate at 11:34 AM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2004

Evening

Hello!

Whatcha doing?

Posted by Cate at 10:33 PM | Comments (6)

Good MORNING

NO SCHOOL!

YAY!

That is all.

Posted by Cate at 09:19 AM | Comments (3)

June 22, 2004

Lame

I have so much I want to blog but am just to damn lazy to write it out... lol...

Here are some pictures from the past few days. I'll put them in the extended entry. Check 'em out!

Me and the hovercraft. Yes, I am a dork.
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/katehc.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/katehc.php','popup','width=382,height=279,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

I just like this picture.
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/kpurpletop.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/kpurpletop.php','popup','width=338,height=382,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

M
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/mckhc.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/mckhc.php','popup','width=388,height=336,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

I just love how O and P are looking at each other
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/ophc.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/ophc.php','popup','width=512,height=384,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

Dad to the rescue
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/ophc2.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/ophc2.php','popup','width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

My girls - today
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/grad1.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/grad1.php','popup','width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>
and
<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/grad2.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/grad2.php','popup','width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">View image</a>

Posted by Cate at 11:33 PM | Comments (5)

Show me the money..please!

I just want to win the Pick 6. Is that too much to ask?

Posted by Cate at 08:25 PM | Comments (2)

Home at last

Lord Almighty.. home at last.

One. More. Day. Just. One. More. Day.

Posted by Cate at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)

Again with the busy!

Oy - my morning and early afternoon are shot. Again. I can't wait until tomorrow when school is OUT for the summer!
Woohoo!

Posted by Cate at 08:21 AM | Comments (2)

June 21, 2004

Wha..??

I don't know what happened to my morning... it just vanished. POOF!

The weekend was great.. Father's Day rocked for P. He got cards, a book, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AYJXS/qid=1087841843/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-5827150-0681427?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846"target=_blank>Looney Tunes Golden Collection</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001US62S/qid=1087841881/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-5827150-0681427?v=glance&s=dvd"target=_blank>Speed Racer - Episodes 12-23</a>. He was thrilled. The girls watched Speed Racer last night. Man - what a cheesey cartoon. Nothing says the 60's like campy anime. LOL.

This morning, I brought the girls to school, bought some teacher gifts, visited the chiro, picked up a referral from the pedi, brought it to the ENT, picked up O at school, picked up her epi-pens and Benedryl from the school nurse, drove me and O over to the park for a quickie play date, realized I left my pda in the nurse's office, called the nurse to confirm it (I did), told her I'd be there in 30 minutes to pick it up, let O play for about 30 minutes, headed back to school to pick up my pda, drive to the bus stop in time to get M, back home where I made lunch and FINALLY got on the computer! OY!
I took some pictures this weekend. I will try to upload them later.

See ya!

Posted by Cate at 02:49 PM | Comments (3)

June 19, 2004

Relaxing

That's how I spent my Saturday.. poolside!

I vacuumed the pool, brought the girls in for a nice long swim, made lunches then read a book while laying on my lounge chair on the deck.

Ahhh!

Now, after dinner, the girls are all cranked up from being outside all day and <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/005232.php#005232"target=_blank>staying up late last night watching television</a>. I can't wait to stuff them into bed tonight. Ugh.

Posted by Cate at 07:13 PM | Comments (2)

June 18, 2004

Fun day

O and I had fun in the pool today. But, by the time we got out, about 30 minutes later, I had a splitting headache. Like there was a little person inside my skull, just beating the sides of head with a hammer. UGH.
It finally went away - 5 hours later.
I brought the girls back into the pool after dinner just to burn up some of their energy. We stayed in for almost an hour! The water was pretty nice but the mosquitos were brutal. Frigging bloodsuckers.
P is putting on another Lost in Space episode on the dvd player. The girls are psyched. Lordy, I am raising a couple of geeks!

Posted by Cate at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2004

Too fast

This day just flew on past me.

While I was at Target, I found some great deals on toys and snagged a few for M's birthday - July 8th. I cannot believe that she will be 8 years old. ::sniffle:: my baby....
The girls had a great time swimming this afternoon. I can't wait until we can swim in OUR pool! LOL!
Right now it is thundering and lightening outside so I had better shut the computer down.. just for a little while!

G'night!

Posted by Cate at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)

June 13, 2004

::groan::

I am 34.

Ack.

Posted by Cate at 02:19 PM | Comments (17)

June 10, 2004

Guilt

I received an email from my church. On Friday evening, from 630PM-930PM, there will be a meeting for all Sunday School "shepards". They will be discussing next year's curriculum, background checks, Myers-Briggs insights... the list goes on and on. I can't do this. I am feeling smothered in church. I just emailed the coordinator. I wrote "I am unable to attend this Friday evening's meeting" and signed it. That's it.
Now, I am feeling guilty about <i>not</i> attending. But, everything is starting to feel so.. well.. like a clique. Maybe it's just me. I don't really go out of my way to be a cheerleader for Christ. Literally. I am now so uncomfortable that I just don't even want to attend anymore. The children seem to really enjoy the program, including my girls. Am I that selfish? Should I just suck it up? Wouldn't it be so freakin' hypocritical for me to teach Sunday School and truly not believe in what I teach? Oy.
Check out the agenda for the meeting. It's long!

Friday June 12th

some arrive at 6 to begin setup
people come in and mingle, set up food
assign seatings by placeholders (disperse teams)
Beth C introduce table discussion sticky notes
Introduce Larry and Joyce as resource people regarding background checks
Choose a critical advisor: monitor group processes, balance participation
pray and start eating and doing notes
Beth will start collecting them and posting them on whiteboard towards end of dinner
Singing

Sharing notes from table discussions

Beth will read some of them, we will take picture
Sue M video clips: mission, child targeted

Prayers for our meeting, kids, ministry, grace

Topic 1: Personal spiritual growth, values, balance, preparation, small group participation
Sue M clip on a heart for God
Sue M clip on shepherding as sharing your spiritual growth: modeling for kids
Pastor P talking about classis groups for growth
What is a spiritual growth group? What happens there?
Intentional commitment: exercising with a friend example
An expectation for shepherds and children's ministry volunteers
reading on spiritual growth: Beth C
Sheet on balanced living
Whole group conversations about spiritual growth and small groups
Answering questions and making plans: identifying champions, contacts
Pastor P small group on purpose driven life this summer
Topic 2: Team participation, evaluation/accountability

Exercise: "I'm glad I'm here today..." (Carolyn will lead)
Exercise: hula hoop ring
temperament discussion and results from what people did
L clip about being part of a team: choice
L clips about dysfunctions: trust and vulnerability
2004 team talk about team skit: picture from menu 3 on clip DVD
Sue M clip about teamwork: very good
small group discussions of temperament results
Temperament and right fit: serving in your gifted areas, balance, joy
Larry, Joyce and Carolyn talk about evaluation: are the things we want happening?
People with educational backgrounds: part of our team and right fit
small group discussions: Are you in the right spot? How would you know? Can you accept evaluation? Trust? (L clip about trust and vulnerability) What are your challenges to teamwork?
Dessert break in preparation for next year review

Singing some of next year's songs

Topic 3: Outline of coming year, importance of variety of people/mixing/recruiting

background checks: Sue M clip about safety value
look at bible themes and drama themes
Sue M clip about creative Bible teaching
reinforce need to identify and recruit new people into children's ministry
Closings

Sue M about reminder
H about what God is doing today
prayers

Posted by Cate at 11:15 AM | Comments (13)

June 08, 2004

My day

P and I had a school meeting to attend this evening. It was at 6pm. What a pain in the ass. My father in law was able to come down and watch the girls for us. The meeting was about the upcoming third grade school year, curriculum, etc. The girls had a great time with Grandpa and he had a lot of fun with the girls.
The girls got to bed slightly late tonight but we are all going to the <a href="http://www.co.cape-may.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=5&TPID=2729"target=_blank>Cape May Zoo</a>. O and I will be meeting P and M down there. It's the second grade class trip. I can't wait. It's going to be so much fun!
Tonight, P and I watched Bruce Almighty. I was literally crying at the scene with the anchorman making all those weird ass noises and faces. I am excited that the Sopranos is coming on RIGHT NOW!!!!! YIPPIE!!!

Posted by Cate at 10:59 PM | Comments (1)

Phone calls

So far I have set up appoinments for
O - her ear tubes are still in her ears. She had them put in last June and I just want to make sure they are ok.
Me - dentist, chiro and waiting for an orthopaedist referral so I can get an MRI for my hand.
House - water testing
Plus, I am waiting for several calls back, one of which is from a local farm. I believe they offer horseback riding lessons. If so, M will <i>freak</i> out. She is a total horse nut.

I have to run to the butcher shop. See ya later!

Posted by Cate at 11:23 AM | Comments (6)

The horror

This morning I ran out of coffee.

AS in - NO coffee in my house. Not even a few teaspoons.

None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

After I brought M to school, O and I ran over to the supermarket and picked up a few things, including a mega-huge can of coffee. After we got home, I cracked that puppy open and whipped up a pot of coffee.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! I am now on my third cup and I will be jittery throughout the rest of the morning.

Life can go on now.

Posted by Cate at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2004

Finally in bed!

The play was very good. The girls had a blast. The director is my sis in law's boyfriend and he held tickets for us. The girls adore "Uncle G" (he's been around for 11+ years now). I told him, jokingly, that the girls could have been extra munchkins for the play. He said he would keep it in mind for future productions. LOL. O seemed very gung ho about it. In fact, O walked up to the girl who played Dorothy and said hello to her. She told her that she liked the play.
Earlier that afternoon, we went to Target. P and the girls went shopping for some birthday gifts for me (8 days away!) and I wandered around - alone. ALONE! Mwahahahahaha! I did find <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/bag.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/bag.php','popup','width=390,height=338,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">this</a> Issac Mizrahi bag (in black) for me. I love buying handbags and wallets. Shoes too. I had <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/shoes1.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/shoes1.php','popup','width=378,height=362,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">these</a> in the cart but put them back at the last moment. I should have bought them. If I had seen <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/shoes2.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/shoes2.php','popup','width=358,height=344,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">these</a>, I would have bought them too! I am an accessories <strike>whore</strike> junkie.
After Target, we wandered around Lowes and checked out appliances. I am dying for a decent stove. I am so used to cooking on electric but I prefer gas for more cooking control. We left after looking at outrageously priced toilets and sinks. We brought the kids to McD's and, after they ate, let them run around in the play area for at least 30 mi