monday, again???

The days and weeks and months just fly by....the older I get, the faster it goes....

Emily's three-days-off-work-in-a-row are over, our Thanksgiving celebration is over, Mali's surgery is over....

And today is the Dreaded Day of: Parent Teacher Conferences!! The dread? The tiny chairs.

As soon as the last conference is over (we have four today), I have to get Benjamin to the store quickly on his way to his overnight MEPS visit....he officially swears in and ships out tomorrow morning. But he has to leave this afternoon. He told me last night around midnight that he needs some black flip flops for the shower. Now, here in central New York state in November, finding flip-flops, especially a specific color flip-flops might be challenging. And he needs non-aerosol shaving cream...a two-day supply, apparently. And it is suggested he gets his hair cut before he goes, because the cuts given in the Army are...well, QUICK. Anyway, he needs a few stops before he goes....

Then tomorrow, I am going to do whatever I can to be there when he swears in.

Then....Thursday is "real" Thanksgiving. We are having a big brunch, then either Mexican food or chicken wings later. Emily has the day off, so we should all be here except for Ben. (Kim, he looked on Mapquest, you live an hour and a half away from the base, and he probably won't be allowed to leave, unfortunately). Then Friday morning, around 3am, I shall be getting ready to leave for one of my favorite days of the year.....Black Friday.

Technology is interesting.....I thought cell phones were bothersome, excessive, and unnecessary. Until I got one. I had a Track Phone for a while, that was not so fun. But when I got one with unlimited texting....I was hooked. It is a good way to stay in touch with the older kids, and with Paul, and I really really like it...well, my screen broke. I am lost. No cell phone. Not for long, the company is sending a new one, but my goodness, I can't believe how lost I am without it. Not as bad as when my laptop was broken, but almost.

I went for a walk yesterday with stupid Pulling Rosie. She tries to drag me down the road, and she is strong. She is also the Boss, and there is nothing I can do about it. Yes, she is the Leader of the pack. I saw a show once with a guy named Ceasar-something, he was "The Dog Whisperer", and he suggested stopping completely each time the dog pulls. That results in Rosie-The-Bad-Dog and I standing in our driveway. He says not to go until the leash is relaxed. ha. Even if that happens, I take one step, and she is dragging me. So I stop. Rosie just sits down and starts scratching. I tell her Come On, and she shoots out in front of me, all excited and draggy. rrr.

The two little girls are still sleeping. Margaret, Kathryn, and Evelyn, my three middle school girls, are all home sleeping. It is a half day, and apparently they told their teachers they wouldn't be in school today or tomorrow because Ben is leaving. They weren't doing much anyway.....

It is quiet in here. There are pies in the kitchen, I can hear them calling me. Emily's lemon merangue pie didn't firm up, but it was still yummy. The chocolate pudding one that Mirielle made was bitter and rich and not very sweet, but it was so good. The pumpkin was perfect, the peanut-butter chocolate fudge, I did not try, nor did I have any of the apple. I know if I hold out and just stay away from the pie, the kids will eat it up and it will be gone and I won't be tempted by it. Or perhaps I shall just have a piece of pumpkin pie for lunch.