Sports Woes

So, this year the girls are involved in sports instead of dance, drama, or gymnastics. One thing I am discovering about being involved in sports is that it is expen$ive. You have to buy equipment, and uniform$, and $HOE$.
Volleyball is over, soccer is winding down, and so in December, the girls start playing Upwards Basketball, which is a basketball program, that also teaches the kids bible verses. And Tess' coach has requested the girls play with high top shoes. We went to Payless Shoe Source today, but they didn't have anything Tess would wear. Sears ditto, so we went to Kids Footlocker, and they didn't have anything for under $60, and most of their shoes were in the $70 to $80 range. Which is fine, for adults, who don't outgrow shoes EVERY SIX MONTHS. I bought Jillian a pair of size 2.5 shoes and a pair of size 3 shoes from Zappos (she wears extrawide shoes so we pretty much have to get hers online) in May as she was wearing size 2.5 then, but I knew she would be wearing size 3 soon. We measured her feet while we were at the shoe store, and she wears a size 4 now. Six months later, and her feet have grown a size and a half.
So I came home, went to Zappos.com, put in Tess' size and found a pair of high tops for $43, free shipping.

Post Thanksgiving

I got up Friday at 4 a.m., because Sports Authority was giving out scratchoff cards to the first 100 people through the door, and you got extra money off your purchase from $10 to $300, and I can sleep anytime. Plus, they have a trampoline and enclosure for $170. It's an 11', which is about as big as our tiny back yard can hold. So, I got there about 4:20. The poor lady at the Jack in the Box next door was all alone, and she had all these customers who were on their way to sales.
Anyway, I was #37, and I got a $10 off card. Not bad.
Went from there to the mall, where I went to Macy's $10 off coupon), Sears ($10 off coupon), Limited Too (BOGO), and then headed to Barnes and Noble, which! was closed! It was already 8:30! Went to World Market (another scratch off card, but I didn't win the trip to Peru), a Christian Book store where I bought a Christmas gift for myself that I will wrap and put under the tree (Phillip Yancey's book on prayer, which was 50% off), Pier One, and then home to pick up the girls and drop them off at a local gym where they could play until 1 pm. Went to Barnes and Noble (one book 40% off, Holiday music 30% off) I got Ender's Game, and the soundtrack to Elf.
The last two places I went to were for my sis, but neither store had what I was looking for, so I went to see "Four Christmases", which was about what you would expect. If you go see it, though, the travel agent is Peter Billingsley (also an executive producer on the film) from "A Christmas Story", and the two redneck brothers are the director of the film, and Tim McGraw.
Picked the girls up, and pretty much rested the rest of the day. I did a little bit of writing in the evening, as the ideas in my head kept interfering with my reading, and if I don't put them on paper, they don't leave me alone.
The funny thing was, my whole rhythm was off. I started feeling that "I'm tired, so it's probably about the girls' bedtime" feeling, but I looked at my watch, and it was only 6:30. I was ready for bed, though!

Post Dinner

I am tired. To be expected, of course. Ran around yesterday getting ready for today, and then stayed up late ditto. Then got up this morning, ran to the grocery store for two things I forgot: Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, and pie crusts. Then, started baking and cooking as soon as I got home. The girls helped when I asked them to, stirring, setting the table, coming up with the centerpiece, etc.
I know I could have had a less complicated meal, but I would have felt cheated somehow, if we'd had Stouffer's frozen sides, and pre-made pies. The sugar-free pie we did buy, but we made the pumpkin and mincemeat pies.
I asked everyone last week what were two things they wanted for Thanksgiving, and that's how I built the menu. So, no cranberries, no mashed potatoes and gravy, no stuffing -- because no one requested those.
I guess the fatigue is worth it,because we had a nice meal, a nice prayer of thanks, and we spent time together preparing it.

The Approved Thanksgiving Menu

Honey-baked Ham (DH's request)
Yeast Rolls with cinnamon butter (my fave)
Cheesy Cauliflower (DD1's request)
Scallopped Corn (DH's request)
Broccoli Rice Casserole (me)
Green Bean Casserole (DD2's request)
Black Olives (everyone)
Grapes (DD2's request)
Devilled Eggs (me)
Sugar-Free Chocolate Pie (me)
Pumpkin Pie (DD1)
Mincemeat Pie (DH)

Just In Time for Thanksgiving

I have a cold. Not a stay-in-bed-groaning-faintly cold, but one of those where you cough, sneeze and blow your nose more than normal, and you feel achey. So, we'll just have to see how much effort goes into the Thanksgiving Meal this year.
We're staying in town this year, and it'll be just the four of us, which is a little sad. I like having lots of people around for the holidays. Anyone wanna come over?

A Movie Review Of Twillight

Bleaugh. Badly directed, choppily written. And who cast Edward Scissorhands' little brother as Jasper? And who made Bella as pale as the vampires? And who decided to make Carlton look gay? Deanna and I burst out laughing every time Jasper appeared on the screen. He looked like he'd suffered a concussion lately -- pupils fixed and dilated.
Deanna said she wouldn't mind her middle schooler watching it, but she didn't want to have to sit through it again....

Waaaaaahhhhhhhh!

I have a few favorite shows that I watch. I never watch live TV any more -- it's just annoying. My fave shows are: 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Chuck, Amazing Race, DWTS, and Terminator:TSCC.
Nine shows. Not a lot. And? ABC, in its infinite wisdom, has canceled THREE of those: Daisies, Money, and Stone.
Are you kidding me?
Daisies, especially, is a cut above. Charming, witty. Of course it failed while drek such as Married With Children survived for YEARS.

Yesterday

Got up uber-early to bake cookies for the TWO cookies exchanges. Ended up having to go to Walmart (ew) to get supplies. I hate Walmart. They don't have organic stuff, I hate their pricing policies, how they force smaller stores out of business. Anyway.

Baked 4 different kinds of cookies, got the girls off to school, went to cookie exchange #1, josted by Cynthia Broom, who is moving to the east coast. Went to the grocery store, bought apples, came home and sliced them and brought them to DD2's school for the feast, which, it turns out is Friday. So I left them there so her class could have a snack.
Came home, tided the house, and planned the girl scout meeting to be held at our house. Went to pick up DD2 at 3. It was Science Club day, so she was busy until 4:15. Fine. Go home, more tidying.
The girls scouts arrive around 6:15, and I have them make little pilgrim hats out of fudgestripe cookies turned upside down, and marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate chips. Then they mashed potatoes, and milked a "cow" (a ziplock with a tiny hole cut in the corner), mashed yams, and tried acorn squash as we talked about the difference between the first Thanksgiving meal and the ones we enjoy today. The girls scouts left around 7:40, then i hopped on my bike and rode down the street to the second cookie exchanged of the day, at Brenda Walker's.
You know how, when you get a bunch of woman together, they start talking loudly? You get a bunch of women with wine in them, and wow....
Came home around 9, was in bed by 10.
On deck for today, field trip training, lunch with Deanna, rehearsal at DD2's school for the school play where, God willing, we will have some boys show up, filming an Advent video at church.