OKay Monday

[Lilac]

I am so glad dd2 went with her mothers instincts and took dgd17mos to the dr. They xrayed her and she has a touch of pneumonia. I am sure if she had waited longer, she would have ended up in the hospital. Talk about guilt, I feel terrible leaving her with a sick baby while she is trying to open a business. But dd1 and dh have reminded me that I made my hotel reservations on our anniversary in January. Dd2 didn't come up with her business idea until March. On one hand I feel like I should stay home and on the other, I know that I need to go because this was her dream and not mine. If we start out with me bailing her out, that is the wrong message. So I am doing Tough Love. Some times that is tougher on me.

[helia]

LOL @ MT's solution for holiday dinners. We're sort of in the same boat since we're a 6 hour drive from my parents. Dh's dad is 3,000? or so miles to the east across the Atlantic, so there's not an issue there. We go over there to visit dh's family every other summer. Though, we broke that pattern this past summer b/c of dh's sister's wedding.

((OK)) Normal tasks of life can be refreshing, can't they!

Ivy, Hebrew homework is very interesting b/c it is just translating from OT or I guess the Torah? We're in Exodus, Shemot? in Hebrew. Twins might know if I'm getting anything wrong. I didn't translate far enough. I need to go farther for next week -- and not all on the same day.

Congrats to dd, Harriet! It sounds awesome! I think my girls would love such a project! I find it very interesting that you have engineering classes at your high school. We don't have that. Dd16 actually prefers charcoal drawings in black and white to color. She is being challenged to expand that preference.

High school curriculum night was the usual thing. Sort of informative, sort of not. Most of dd14's teachers I already know. I told the Latin teacher that ds is planning on a minor in Latin to go with his engineering degree, and he was tickled to hear that! He told me of several other kids from this high school in the Classics dept. here, so ds should look out for them. Other interesting news: the bands are going to France spring 2014! Dd14 hasn't decided if she wants to go or not. The next meeting is in 2 weeks. It is first come first serve; the first families to put their deposit down get to go. Hmmm..... I wonder what dd14 will want to do.

I did not get in a jog today. Tomorrow, I'll go.

Dh and I are meeting for coffee tomorrow morning! We can actually chat.

OK, I'd better go. It is getting to be bedtime here.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Lilac Tough love is called for here. After all, if you do not take care of yourself what kind of message are you giving to your dds? 1) That is it OK to let others walk all over my plans. 2) My mother doesn't think I can solve my own problems without her jumping in to help.

I bet if either dd was in the hospital having cancer surgery you'd be there. This isn't life or death, this is bad planning on her part that she can fix any number of ways.

I got the bed stripped and remade, the bedroom tidied, the cuckoo clock wound and restarted, my mp3 player slightly recharged and the compost container emptied. Also unhooked the hose from the tap since it got down to freezing last night. I'm waiting for the washer to finish so I can hang up the load to dry. Then into bed.

Cramps and aches could be TOM (which is now 1 week late) or just because I overdid things yesterday. I'm willing to pay for my great day yesterday by giving up a productive day today. It is just good to know that will be the price for future planning purposes.

[lucylee]

Ta-da -- just a little bitty ta-da, but still:
I walked 1 mile outdoors after supper. It was surprisingly chilly, almost 7:00 p.m. It did NOT energize me for the rest of the night as I had hoped, but it did make me feel a little bit proud of myself, LOL.
When I came in, I asked dh how could I tell if I was really tired or just being lazy.
He told me to take a nap; if I didn't feel like doing my work, I should sleep. Since not only did I not feel like doing any schoolwork, I also did not feel like staring at the computer, even to visit w/y'all or anything... so I figured that was a good indicator that I was NOT just trying to avoid work.
I took a nap, then woke up and graded some papers.
Still lots to do, but I may go to bed. Tomorrow night dgs will be here, and I better have my wits about me, right?

Lilac, I agree, Tough Love IS called for, but I can certainly see how it is tougher on you than on dd... * sigh * Try to enjoy yourself and don't worry about dd; I'm sure she'll work things out fine.

Holiday dinners work pretty well for all of us here; we have to alternate Thanksgiving between dh's family & my family. Christmas Eve is with his; Christmas Day with mine. DS & ddil will probably be doing every third Tgiving w/us, wherever we are that year, and spending 2 Tgivings w/her family. Her family does Christmas the weekend before, so that simplifies that. Just a lot of rush-rush-rush on Christmas Day, b/c we have breakfast AND lunch -- first w/my parents, then w/ddad's family. It will REALLY be hectic now that dgs is here... it's been a long time since we had to drag someone away from Santa Claus' loot, LOL.

Forgot to say congratulations and WTG to dd, Harriet! She is having a great freshman year, I'd say!

I absolutely know there are things in my life that paralyze me sometimes.

So true for me, too, Harriet -- and no surprise to anyone who has been in this village with me for any length of time. (((Elizabeth)))
Glad your dmom is doing okay.
I need to reconcile checkbook/statement, also... but it isn't getting done tonight, I don't think. Maybe I will do it. I know the longer I put it off the worse it is.

I bet my ddad would love that Indy 500 tour, Norma!

(((Kathryn)))

Waving to EVERYONE else... I don't mean to ignore ANYONE, but when you come in on page 5, it's hard to get back on track.

[sherinjoy]

I've been thinking and praying for Okay all day and just CUOP to find out that the court trial was stopped. So sorry to read that news. My heart is with you and your family tonight.

Off to evening chores and sleep. Night all.

[ellyphant]

Just came back to cuop, wasn't going to post...but must tell you that coyotes are yapping like crazy right now. Haven't heard them like that here before!

Good night, everyone!

[Lilac]

I took another dose of Airborn but I sure am sniffly. I just keep telling myself it is allergies and not a cold.

I talked to db and dsil awhile ago and she told me she is having a cookout Sunday evening so her 3 sons and their families can see us. She also suggested we just stay Sunday night with them. I told her I would let her know on that. Dh was too tired to discuss that with him. Wherever we stay Sunday night, it is our intention to hit the road as early as possible. With short hair, some mornings it looks all right and other mornings it looks like I stuck my finger in a light socket. I guess I can tame it and go.

Thank you Kathryn and lucylee for agreeing with me that Tough Love is the only way to go, considering the circumstances. Tonight dh was on his, she has no business, starting a business with 5 kids rant. I agree but it is too late now.

I have the dishwasher running and a 3rd lol going. I have more laundry to deal tomorrow. I could kick myself for getting behind again, especially since the w/d are near where I have been sewing.

It is about time to hang up the last load and then I need to head to bed.

[Harmony]

Ivy, DD2's big Christmas trip is already reserved. Train tickets bought. They will be leaving Christmas night, to ski resort to big high mountain area in Western NC.

Great! 2 years ago they went to NYC and after we invited ourselves to ch. eve dinner, we left in the evening. They left in the wee hours of the morning after opening gifts and rushing around doing last minute packing, etc. Wasn't going to get involved in all that.

I think she plans this stuff because her life is overwhelming and another day where she waits on everybody and cooks and cleans after buying umpteen presents and wrapping all night long...does not feel like a holiday for her, even when we pitch in and help... and her house is still not company ready after the remodel...

At other DD's we are not allowed to say anything or get in the way of special Christmas video being made of children.. I think she has no clue how unwelcome we feel when this happens.

I wish I had MT's ability to say, not going, not doing that again. sigh...

So, tonight I'm very pleased that office is no longer a sea of papers. Kitchen is somewhat cleared too. It was a huge job. And I haven't had a nap today, either.