Vanishing comments

OK, I fiddled around with the template again (visited Blogger Templates and noticed they had posted new coding for this template). The code for commenting is much nicer than the typical Blogger comment style and now I will get email notifications again (bye-bye HaloScan). Tomorrow I may do further tweaking (just words and stuff). Guess I can't leave well enough alone!

Edited to add: Hey, I wonder if the new template might have fixed that Safari problem... Anyone out there using a Mac who can tell me?

Thanks, Flirt!

Flirt made me this cute button. I didn't even ask!

Playing Michele's games can be hazardous to your pocketbook

I love Michele, don't get me wrong. But doggone it, I'm getting a severe case of blog-envy from some of these other sites! I want something cool.. something more "me" (whatever that is).... Wait, I'm not really cool; remember the test? Zoot has said she will help me out in a month or so, and I really thought I could wait (and maybe I can), but these Scavenger Hunts have made my craving seem too powerful to wait that long. And then Kym goes and totally redoes her site with the most awesome design and my jones is getting really bad. Alas, I have no techy husband to do all that coding for me. I am stuck with what I have for now... something that doesn't show up right for those using Safari... Unless..... I hire someone to install Wordpress or MT and do a site design for me. Oh yeah. Like that's happening. Remember we are trying to get our house ready to sell before we move to California?? The disposable income just isn't there for this little hobby of mine.

I guess March 7 isn't that far off... or is it?

Preparing for a long day

It's Sunday... that means I won't be here. First comes Sunday school and church (with my husband OOT, I get to teach the junior high class in his place; we're in Acts 12 and 13, if you'd like to read along). Then afterwards will be LTC practice until 4:00 or so. We'll come home, let the dog out, and be back at 6 for our 5th Sunday service (we don't usually meet on Sunday evenings... those are reserved for Family Life Groups... but we get together as a large group on 5th Sundays). That puts us back home between 7:30 and 8, depending on how long we wind up staying afterwards. Whoever said weekends were relaxing doesn't live our life.

I finally finished Michele's Round 3 Scavenger Hunt. Funny how one day you totally miss something and the next it just jumps out at you. Have started Round 4 and so far it is taking me as long as the others. Perhaps later tonight I will be able to work on it.

Well, off to get my shower and get ready. Then I'll wake up the kids and get them ready as well.

Welcome, Scavengers!

Imagine my surprise today to find I am on Michele's Scavenger Hunt! All you scavengers grab a comfy spot and make yourself at home.

I'd love to give you some hints, but nope, just can't do it. Not even for $100 dollars. I'm not gonna tell you a thing.

Hope you enjoy your visit!

The search is over

Found a bathing suit! Thumper, we did not make it to Sam's to look at Speedo's. I don't think the suits there would fit, anyhow... she is in that in-between stage; adult suits are too big, but the 7-14 sizes in the girls' departments are too small. I would have gone to Kohl's, but with our schedule the way it is this week, it would have meant taking all 4 kids again.... and they get really bored at Kohl's. So we wound up just down the street a ways at Gordmans. Again, the selection was iffy, but we found something I could live with that she fell in love with. (I just reread that and realized it makes it seem like I didn't really like the suit. I do. It's very cute. I guess it is just not what I would pick for a 13yo if I had more choices.) I didn't like the $40 price tag, but Emily offered to split the cost with me (somehow it seems like I'm still paying for it though... considering all her money comes from her father and me). We did wind up with a tankini. But the top still covers her stomach when she raises her arms over her head. So it passed the tummy test. I just hope it passes the water test this weekend.

I'm getting ready to do more scrapbooking this afternoon. My friend Kami, who is a Creative Memories consultant, is coming over to work with me. She's also staying for dinner and is going to give Emily a ride to Bible Bowl practice on her way home. This will save me a 50-minute round trip ride out there and back to drop her off, plus the one to go pick her up. Kami's 3yo daughter Kadie will also be here. She'll be good company for Halle and Joel. I might have a couple of other friends come by to scrap as well. This could be a real fun afternoon!

Does this come in one piece?

Emily is going to a sleepover birthday party this weekend. The mom has reserved a hotel room for her daughter and a few friends; they'll swim, watch in-room movies, eat junk. One slight problem. My dear 13-year-old has outgrown last season's bathing suit. Yeah, that's right. And she doesn't wear "Girls" sizes any longer.

So we stop at Target on our way home from taekwondo class today. Our initial reason for going was to get her friend's present, but when she saw the bathing suits out, wanted to try some on. They had not one single one-piece bathing suit! All they had were bikinis and tankinis. I wound up letting her try a tankini.... but once I saw the top on her, I had to veto it. It was WAY too lowcut. What is up with that? I just can't believe the selection was so limited.

So now we have until Saturday to find a bathing suit. She wants one now (like she wants everything). We just have to find time in between other commitments (my WW meeting, ladies' prayer group, kids' evening taekwondo) to go out and look.

It's only Tuesday?

Sheesh. It really feels like it should be at least Thursday.

I had lunch with friends today... we're all ladies from the same church who try to get together at least once a month to celebrate each other's birthdays (or is that others' birthdays?? Oh well.. I'm not looking it up. Read it with whatever version you deem correct.) As we conversed of vacations, kids, schedules, etc., I looked around the table and found myself getting all misty-eyed at the thought that I would no longer have these women in my life 4 1/2 months from now. At least not physically in my life. Those thoughts continued with me as I drove home as well. I confess my eyes did more than mist on that drive.

I am no stranger to goodbyes. We left our last home almost 2 years ago. That was a heart-wrenching move. We have good friends back there in Ohio whom I haven't seen in months. These friends will always be good friends, regardless of how often we talk. They don't check their email, so we don't converse as often as I'd like. But when we do get on the phone, it is almost as if nothing has changed. However, my new friends are all email-savvy. We are more likely right now to send each other emails rather than call, unless there is an urgent need/request. I am determined to keep in touch with these gals. They are the kind of women who will try to come visit us after we get to California. I think I will need that.

Milestones

Halle lost her first tooth tonight. We didn't even know it was loose until about 20-30 minutes before she wiggled it loose! As you can see, she's quite pleased.



What a difference between Halle's reaction to her first loose tooth and her older sister's! Emily was very squeamish about her first one... she didn't want to wiggle it and she didn't want anyone else messing with it. Once Halle found out this one was loose, she set to work on it with a vengeance. Success was not far off.

And now the tooth right next to that one is loose as well. Guess the tooth fairy will be busy here this week!

Edited/Updated to add: Emily says my memory is faulty (wouldn't be the first time). She says she lost her first tooth eating popcorn and almost swallowed it. The episode I am thinking about was her 3rd tooth. What a bad mommy. I stand corrected. However, I still stand by my assessment of the differences between my 2 daughters.

Sunday stuff

I am up much earlier than I need to be today. We aren't going to early services this morning, so no need to leave the house until 9ish. But... with hubby gone, I have 3 kids sharing my kingsize bed. That wouldn't be too bad if Joel hadn't forgotten to put a Pull-Up on before bedtime, and I hadn't forgotten to remind him/check to make sure. I woke up earlier smelling that smell you don't want to smell... Guess I'll be throwing in a load of laundry before we go to church, and Febrezing the mattress.

It's just as well we are going to late services. We are having a potluck afterwards (ooooh... I need to put my roast in the crock pot), then a series of events/sessions having to do with the youth camp our kids go to each summer. We won't finish up until 4:30. So at least this way, the dog is only home alone in his kennel from 9-5 instead of 7:45 to 5. Poor baby. I suppose I should be thankful that it's only like this on Sundays, and not Monday through Friday, like some poor doggies have to suffer through.