Bulleted Points

It is a gorgeous fall weekend, and I cannot get my head together to come up with a cohesive blog post.  So here is a non-cohesive one.  This is pretty much what my brain is like 90% of the time....

I'm even gonna make it a bulleted list, well, just because I'm being lazy about the whole thing.

• Halloween costumes are underway.  We're going as a family of ninjas.  I'm going as a ninja disguised as a Geisha, so I'm even more stealth than the rest.  Sophia will be a hybrid ninja/geisha.  All is well and good, with the exception of my fabric choice.  I brought some beautiful brocade and costume satin to make the costumes out of.  I knew the satin might be difficult to work with, but I did not anticipate that the fabrics (both kinds) would immediately start to unravel and fall apart once cut.  I was quite resourceful, however, and discovered that running all cut ends through a flame will essentially melt the material, forming a seal.  The kids are fascinated by this process, although I think it distresses Sophia to have an open flame in the house.  I stopped burning candles a long time ago, and they are just not used to it.  

• I had a mini-crisis this week, as my vacuum cleaner broke.  It was not sucking stuff up, the light was on and there was this burning smell.  The vacuum is over 9 years old, but still, I was pissed at having to replace it already.  With having cats and allergies, vacuuming is a must on a frequent basis.  So, I remembered a Facebook conversation someone had about getting a vacuum cleaner/carpet steamer, and thought that would be a really good idea.  I looked at the conversation and went and bought it.  It wasn't until I got the stupid thing home (and assembled) that I realized it was a steamer only, and that I was still in need of a vacuum.  Of, and they recommend that you vacuum before steaming, so I couldn't even take the steamer out for a test drive.

• I was still in need of a vacuum.  About to go to Sears to purchase a newer model of exactly what I have, my husband (the engineer) decided to take a look.  Extensive diagnostics and the use of a wire hanger revealed the problem to be a sock wedged in the hose.  No need for a new vacuum cleaner at the moment.  Pat Biel saves the day.

• Last week I hit the 100 mark for copies sold of Good Intentions.  In celebration, I lowered the price on e-copies (through Kobo, Nook, and Kindle) to $1.00.  The price is going back up tonight, so get yours now, if you haven't already.

• Red Sox are in the playoffs.  I cannot believe they lost last night.  I wish the games were on a bit earlier, as I had trouble staying awake.  Ok, I did actually fall asleep.  But I really, really need them to win this year.  Why?  Read this to understand why I need the Red Sox to win the World Series to prove that I am not responsible for all the losses.

• The Common Core Curriculum continues to get me down.  It is so wrong on so many levels, the least of which is how developmentally inappropriate it is.  State Ed really needs to be held accountable.  And fast.  Read this article and take the time to watch the video to understand what is going on behind the scenes.  I refuse to accept that this is acceptable education.  I am thankful everyday that my children have quality teachers who continue to educate in spite of the Common Core.

• Sophia unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher for my yesterday.  She was beaming with pride.  How can I keep her motivated to keep doing it with a smile on her face?

• Jake is growing up way too fast.  It kind of breaks my heart when I think back to when he was a little kid.  Of course, he did pretty much give me a heart attack the other night.  I was in a sound sleep (which is not that common for me), when I hear Jake say "Mom."  I open my eyes, and his face was about 2 inches from mine.  I think he may have taken a year or two off then.  I told him from now on, what ever he needs, just do it.  I don't care.  Don't scare me like that again!

• I know this is totally not PC, but I'm so happy for Columbus Day.  I don't care why we have the day off, I just know we all need one right about now.  Except for Pat.  He doesn't get the day off.  But if the government can't get its crap together, he's going to be furloughed, so that's lots of days off for him. 

For now, I'll leave you with this.  This is me.  All the time...