Oh, uh, hi...

Haven't seen me in awhile, huh? Well, I got some new toys, that don't involve blogging.

Crazy talk, I know.

First, I got a new cell phone. It's an ipod, too. Which means I had to load it with music, which I still haven't fully sorted. Oh, and I downloaded tetris, so you know, that takes some of my time. I'm a bit addicted to it.

Then of course there's the start of school, which brings with it the start of soccer. My 2 oldest want to play middle school soccer this year, with almost every other fifth grader, so there were tryouts for the first time. On the plus side, they both made it. Or the down side, take your pick. They both stay at school an extra hour and a half, and with the steers still here to tend to it fills up our lives.

Dustin is taking Algebra 1 this year. It's putting him on a track for college courses his senior year. It also means an hour of homework for just math every night. He's very excited about it, and really wants it to work out. I believe he would say it is the number one priority as far as his responsibilities he's taken on.

Then there's Lego League. Both Brian and Dustin are doing it. It's starting as only once a week, in the evenings. So that day they will be home for all of 2 1/2 hours before they need to be back at school, and then when they come home it's bedtime. That 2 1/2 hours needs to accommodate homework, chores, and dinner. It's the first year I have ever really felt like I allowed my kids to be over-scheduled. We'll see how it goes.

My thoughts have been we'll have one difficult month, then the steers go up the road. Around the same time soccer will end. I would have discouraged the soccer, but Dustin's friends all play (except one, he's got a serious football dad) and he really was looking forward to it, even since last year.

On the plus side, Lego League will for sure also end in December, no chances to go to worlds this year, Maine isn't invited. If you could see me, I'm doing the little happy dance!

Oh yeah, and in other news, do I look different to you? That's because I am blogging from my brand new laptop that I bought so that I won't completely lose my marbles. So far, I still seem to be losing some, so the plan may backfire. The soccer "Play Day" almost did me in. It was this past Saturday, and required the kids to be there by 8, and from 9 til 4 pm they had 25 minute long games scheduled every half hour. 2 going at a time, and field hockey was doing something too. Yeah. It was hideous. Oh, and did I mention that Bill wasn't there? Or my mom? So it was me and the 4 kids. 2 of whom were bored stiff, and 2 of whom were exhausted. I'm learning more and more how exhausted = cranky!! And when I took out my camera to take pictures, my batteries died after trying to take 2 of the little boys playing on the monkey bars. *sigh*

Well, I'm going to leave you with that. I have a splitting headache, church made me cry today and that always leaves me with a headache. My husband is using my hairdryer to try to dry the steel toe work boots he left out in the rain last night. 4 inches of rain. From a hurricane leftover. The only steel toes he owns, and he has to wear them in the morning to go to work. I'd laugh, but it's just one more reminder of where our kids get all their disorganization from... THEIR PARENTS!!!!