Long overdue….

I’m back and class is officially over!  Phew… One requirement down and two tests remaining.  It’s the waiting game now as I’ve submitted my application to sit for the state and general exam and from what I understand it could be 2-6 weeks before I am able to register for the test.  I am pleased to have passed the course with a 97 and am admittedly still studying like a nut until I take the remaining two exams.  Mike says I’m over doing it, I say there’s no such thing….

Our kitchen is in the works.  Cabinets are painted inside and out.  Our countertop is on hold and we’ve got some shopping in store for light fixtures and backsplashes in our future.  All fun stuff and we’ve got plenty of “touch ups” and remaining projects in the area to keep us busy.  The biggest wow is by far switching to inset door hinges.  Simple and relatively inexpensive but it made a surprising difference in giving us an updated look. 

Our weeks have been busy.  Two weeks ago I chaperones a fieldtrip with Chris’s class to Brown’s Harvest in Windsor.  Riding the bus with the kids was an experience as I was supervising a group of 18 overly excited, highly energetic kids in a corn maze with 2 other adults.  They were cute as can be and so fun to be with.  Mamie manned the fort at home with Jake and it was a nice change of pace for all of us. 

And in keeping all things equal, I volunteered in Aiden’s classroom on Halloween and had the chance to see the kindergarten Halloween parade.  Five truly is such a fun age and the kids were as sweet as can be.  It’s the best seeing both boys in action with their friends and classmates and being able to place names and faces from all of the stories that are shared. 

Friday was Halloween and we were excited to have trick or treating company for the first time this year.  Mike’s childhood friend, Joe and his family joined us for some pizza and the magical candy hunt.  We ventured to the center of town with our Mario (Chris), Luigi (Aiden), Yoshi (Jake) and friends and had a blast.  Having the safety of sidewalks and the kindness of neighbors who are used to Halloween craziness made for a fun experience.  Aiden and Chris loved every minute and Jacob was surprisingly interested and totally in love with being presented with a candy bowl for a treat of his choosing.  That boy takes after his Momma and has one heck of a sweet tooth!

Saturday was Aiden and Chris’s final soccer game and they killed it!  Aiden on offense scored 3 goals and Chris on defense did one heck of an incredible job.  They ended with a win, high spirits and frozen bodies (temps were 40 and rainy).  They headed home for lunch and then went for their annual visit with Santa in town.  Jake wanted nothing to do with the stranger in the red suite and Chris and Aiden played “shy” awfully well. 

Last week was my final week of class and I stepped out of my shell to celebrate at a dive bar with my fellow classmates after class on Wednesday.  It’s safe to say that it’s been at least six years since I’ve found myself in a place like that.  With class and soccer over, our weeks are taking on a new spin and we’re settling into a new route of Mommy being home for bedtimes again!

This past weekend was filled with more work around the house both inside and out.  I snuck out with the kiddos for a bit to check out the grand re-opening of our town library in a new location.  It was a chilly afternoon but fun to be out and the kids loved the edible goodies and the train ride that was provided.  We had nursery duty yesterday and finally seem to be slowly crossing things off of our to-do list but I must admit that this kitchen reno has turned our house into a constant dust pit.  In all seriousness, I have steam moped and vacuumed twice since yesterday and can still see my floors are covered.  Some day I will have a clean house… perhaps!

Many, many pictures to come but my email won’t load and my pictures are all on my phone!  Oh technology…..