August-isms

Three kids, three schools, three PTO's, three weekly newsletters, three fundraisers, three lunch schedules, school pictures, volunteer opportunities, BETA hours, volleyball, birthdays, this month is a smidge busy and rather overwhelming - add work into the mix, and I feel run over by a MACK truck.  I try to get in bed at a decent hour, but 6 AM comes in a blink.  I've felt like a zombie for two weeks.  I know I'll get adjusted to the new schedule, but I'm not quite sure when.

Isaac has had trouble adjusting as well.  Middle and High School hours around here are no joke.  Matt told Karson and Isaac at the beginning of the school year that he will be leaving the house each morning at 6:40 AM with or without them.  If they aren't ready to go, they can catch the bus at 6:53 AM which goes right by our house.  The first couple of days Isaac was okay with that plan.  One morning last week though, Matt needed to leave at 6:30 AM for bus evacuation drills.  Isaac wasn't having it - he stated 6:40 was his limit.  Matt told him he could catch the bus.  He rolled out of bed at 6:40 (that morning), got dressed, inhaled some microwave bacon, popped in a stick of gum and headed out to the driveway to catch the bus.  This has become his new routine and preference.  He's a bus rider - to and from school.  I don't want to tell him that he COULD sleep in his clothes and stay in bed a little longer.  It's funny how different he and Karson are.  Matt tried waking him up the other day and he rolled over and said "you're waking me up to go to prison."  Matt said, "school isn't like prison."  Isaac said, "tell me the difference." He's a character, quirky as all get out.  Monday afternoon he was doing homework and listening to slow jazz music.  Miles took a simpler approach Tuesday when I was trying to get him off to school.  I walked in his room after yelling for him (let's go) multiple times.  I think he was "playing dead."  He was laying lifeless right next to his dresser.  These boys of mine!

Movie reference time (y'all know I love them) - one of my favorite wake up scenes ever from the movie What About Bob?

I think Monday might have thrown us all off this week.  The kids were out of school for the Solar Eclipse.  SKyPAC was closed a half day, and I was grateful to both WCPS and my employer for allowing our family to experience the event together.  Mom invited us all over for lunch and to hang out.  I was a little panicked on the way over to her house the day of the eclipse.  I needed to stop by Kroger on the way to purchase Karson some tea tree and coconut oils for her hair.  She got a scalp burn at the lake last weekend (fun pics above) and was itching terribly.  My SIL told me to combine the two and let them sit on her scalp for a little while to give her some relief.  SO, I'm running into Kroger and it was one of those times that everything that CAN go wrong - does.  First of all, the cheapest coconut oil was on the top shelf super far back.  I wasn't about to climb up shelves to get it so I found a guy with long arms who got it down for me.  Then, I headed over to the organic section to look for essential oils.  I debated between the tea tree and lavender oils but the price difference was unreal.  The tea tree was $6 and the lavender $13.  Being the miser that I am, I went with the cheaper oil and headed to the self check out.  Of course, wouldn't you know it, as I rang up the tea tree oil, the sale price didn't match.  A Kroger employee came over - I explained that the sale price was supposed to be $6, blah, blah - she took off in search of the oil to confirm it.  In the meantime, the clock is ticking away and I see Kroger employees racing in and out with their solar glasses, and I'm thinking I'm going to MISS this event.  Finally the employee comes back, enters the correct price and ends up giving me an additional discount which was sweet.

I got over to mom's pretty quickly and still had plenty of time to eat and witness the changing of the sun.  We even got to strike a cool family pose.

 On Saturday, we had tried to snag some special Eclipse Donuts from Krispy Kreme.  For the first time ever, they turned their regular glaze to chocolate glaze for three days only to coincide with the big event.  However, what we failed to notice in the fine print was that they ONLY served the Eclipse donuts during their "Hot Fresh" hours.  On Sunday, we celebrated Mae Kathryn's birthday.  Sweet little princess turned 2 years old.  The party was at Laura's parents house which is right next to Krispy Kreme, and lo and behold, when we left the party, the "Hot Fresh Now" sign was lit. The drive thru was lined up so I decided to go inside (which wasn't much quicker).  I wish I could report that the Eclipse donuts were delicious.  They weren't.  Not sure if we got a bad batch or what, but Matt, Karson and I all thought the chocolate was super bitter and not very tasty.  Miles enjoyed it.  Think we'll stick with regular glazed and chocolate iced in the future.

Was the Total Solar Eclipse not the coolest thing ever? WOW!

 

 The 9th grade Lady Spartans volleyball team have two wins under their belt this season.  Karson is also doing basketball weight lifting and training during her 2nd block PE classes at South.  She's got a full course load and is studying all the time but enjoys being challenged.

I'll take a Tangerine Fanta, Schweps, Tab - we only have Coke sir - New or Classic?

 Isaac has become a fan of Cheer Wine recently.  I'm not quite sure where/when he had some, but he loves it.  I was working the JV Concession stand last night at the volleyball game, and he walked up and ordered one.  I said, "um, we don't have that here."  I guess he thinks it's new and not a drink dating back to 1917.  

TV Clip:  Baskets Drive Thru 

 

 He and his buddy Mason have been reunited back at South Middle School and haven't missed a beat in their friendship.  They went tubing at Barren River last weekend.  These two crack me up.  I have to mention a funny story for posterity.  We were taking Mason home on Saturday night when the conversation turned to girls in our car.  I mentioned a certain someone that Isaac liked, and Mason started planning how he could talk to her for Isaac.  He led with something like this...."hey _______, I've seen Isaac without his clothes on and he has a six-pack."  Matt and I both died laughing and said, "maybe don't say that."   Then Isaac mentioned maybe he should ask her to go see the new Annabelle movie.  I told Isaac it probably wasn't a good idea to ask a girl to go see a rate 'R' movie on a first date.  These boys have a long way to go on their "girl game."

Round 2 Mammogram:
 As referenced in my last blog, I had my yearly OBG appointment a few weeks back and Dr. Stice recommended I have a mammogram done and got it scheduled for me.  If you've never had a mammogram, it takes about 5-10 minutes, not long at all.  However, the radiology tech told me there was a good chance that I would get a call within the week asking me to come back in (letter and call).  She said it's very standard because it's my first and they have nothing to compare it to.  I was a little surprised when I got a call the very next day asking me to schedule the appointment.  She said they wanted to take some additional pictures and maybe do an ultrasound.  NOW, they had already prepared me for the call and I knew I would be receiving a letter as well.  However, the letter sort of freaked me out because of the wording - things like inconclusive and abnormality.  I called the office to double check and make sure it was still "standard".  They said it was and that they'd noticed some things in my left breast.  She said it's probably a lymph node or fatty tissue.  It was reassuring but not (if you know what I mean).  I went back this week for additional pictures and an ultrasound on my left breast.  The ultrasound tech told me that she needed to send the pictures to the doctor to make sure everything was okay and wanted me to stick around in case additional steps were necessary.  Longest 5 minutes of my life.  She came back in and said everything looked good.  Whew.

August has been fast.  I wore one of my fall dresses the other day and started thinking...I might need to decorate for the fall here soon.  The weather has been gorgeous this week and Friday night football has begun.