Christmas Shopping...

I've officially started and it feels good!:) I started a few weeks ago when I ordered LC's first gift. Today, I picked up another one for her and one for Henry. Wyatt has one hiding in the crawl space, as well. I have a list of things to buy, so I am on the hunt every time LC and I are killing time after dropping the boys off but before she can go to school. I then drop her off and then head right back to the store to pick up what I've found. The best thing is the catalogs that are dropped off at my house that let me scout things out before I even leave the house. I swear, it's as much fun looking at the fliers and catalogs now as it was when the big Sears Wish Book showed up at the house.

Today was a trip to Target. The Imaginext Bat Cave was on sale so I grabbed that for the Hankster along with one of the accessories to it. Wyatt got the Lego Batman game for his PS2. Both boys are getting Nintendo DS's with some other games. Unfortunately, the Target near me was out of the Step2 Lifestyle Kitchen for LC, so I had to trek up to Lake Geneva to get it from them and then race home to put it in the crawlspace before I had to rush and pick LC up from school. Me carrying that monster box to the car, maneuvering it into the back, and then getting it into the house, into the basement and into the back of the crawlspace was a workout in and of itself. LC also has a dollhouse waiting for her down there. She is so much easier to shop for than the boys have ever been. There are so many things that I have seen that I know she will love, and I am struggling to come up with stuff for the boys. I am bound and determined to be done with my shopping by December, though.

Wish me luck.

Election Day...

I drove past one of my little town's polling places today and the parking lot was a mess, the police were directing traffic, and they had opened up the field next to it for extra parking. I have never seen it like this and this is the third presidential election I've lived here for. It really is exciting to me that people are taking our right to vote more seriously this year. Although I have hated my choices for president, I still exercised the right that I was given in 1920. A right I do not take for granted.

Get out and vote.

Trick or Treat

While the kids and Todd are out ToT'ing, I thought I'd post a picture while I wait for little hooligans to ring the bell.

LC is having a blast going out this year and isn't being shy, at all. The boys--an astronaut and Obi-Wan Kenobi-- and she are taking turns ringing doorbells and she belts out "Trick or Treat" at every house. They are all at such fun ages.

LC's Halloween Party

Today was LC's Halloween party at school, which I was finally able to stay and help with. I've never been able to before because I always had another little one tagging along. This year I was able to stay and help and watch their costume parade to all the other grades. It was so much fun and LC looked adorable, of course.;)

Visiting Henry's classroom:

Seeing Wyatt in his:


I'll have more pics of the boys tomorrow for ToT'ing.

She's gone and done it...

LC has turned into a know-it-all 3year old. Today, as we were going to pick up her brothers from school, it started snowing. Yes. Snowing. They were only flurries but it was snow, nonetheless.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: LC, it's snowing. Do you see it?
LC: That's not snow.
Me: Yeah, it is. It's just flurries, but it's snow.
LC: Mama, that. is. not. snow. <--I think the little diva rolled her eyes at me at this point because I know I heard a bit of a heavy, impatient sigh in there.
Me: Lauren, it is too snow. It's just a light snow.
LC: It's too small to be snow.
Me: O.K., LC.<--my standard answer when I don't want to argue with them.

We get to the school and the boys get in and excitedly proclaim that it's snowing. LC then gasps in shock and says, "Wow. Mama, it's snowing." What the heck?! I know little miss. I just freaking told you that!!!

I can't wait for the teenage years. [/endsarcasm]

Hospice...

So, I got a phone call a week or so ago from Hospice of Northeastern IL about my resume that I had e-mailed to them. I called them back but didn't hear from them, again. I decided to call one more time and talked tom the girl who had called me last week. She apologized for not getting back to me but said they are doing extensive interviews for managerial positions and wanted to know what kind of hours I was looking for. I told her that I was only looking for part-time-2 to 3 days a week. She said they didn't have that on the normal unit but then went on to ask what my Peds experience was. I explained to her that although I don't have peds hospital experience, I did have extensive experience with Peds in my office. She said that that didn't discount me and then asked for my number and said she would pass my resume on because they are looking for part-time nurses.

Let me say that I have wanted to branch out from office nursing and have felt a pull towards hospice for a very long time. I can't explain it, but I think I would be good at it. But not Peds. Never Peds. I've never wanted Peds let alone terminal Peds cases. I told Todd that if they call, I will go on an interview but even offering me double what I am making now, it would be avery position difficult for me to accept.

So, we'll see.

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

Whew. Where does the time go? Since starting back to work, I feel like there is never enough time, and I'm only doing it part-time. I don't know how other moms work full-time. They have my utmost respect.

The kids are doing great. LC loves school and, according to Miss Alice, is doing "wonderfully. She's right at home." She also loves going to her friend Cal's once a week. Henry is enjoying Kindergarten, although it is a lot for him to handle going to school full-time. He is simply exhausted by the end of the day. Wyatt is doing great in 3rd grade--it's a lot more responsibility for him, but he seems to be up to the challenge. He did forget his homework folder on Friday-which upset him immensely and is the very first time he has ever done something like this--but, I e-mailed his teacher and asked if there would be any way to pick it up at Harvest Fest which was yesterday. Guess who greeted us in the middle of the festival. Yep. His teacher holding his folder. It is just one of many reasons I am grateful we go to a small, private school. The personal attention can not be underestimated.

Swimming lessons started yesterday. Todd said that Henry swam the length of the pool and that LC jumped in with no help from the teacher. While I am so proud of the kids for these milestones, I am sad that I had to miss them. I need to tell Tod to bring the video camera next week, so that I can see it.

We got the kids' school pictures back last week, and I like them for the most part. LC's aren't the best but she has a tendency to squint her eyes when she smiles. LOL