Colleen & I had a great time watching Sami's first home JV Football game last night. We met at the store next to the school a few minutes before it began and Col followed me over to the game. We arrived just in time ~ the girls were lining up and the teams were ready to play! I learned that Colleen wasn't much of a football fan, she never really understood the game, but I knew she would still enjoy it. I, myself, love football, having spent many a Sunday watching professional football with Samantha's father, back in the "ole days". It's even funner being in the stands. As Colleen said, the environment is very nostagic, complete with stadium food, fans, & family members. Many members of the Varsity Team were there to give their support and cheers, watching their little brothers and sisters, their protege's, with much Eagle pride! 

The girls did great! WATCH SAMI CHEER. (This is a U-Tube link, but I unfortunately don't know how to enbed it, sorry... Samantha is the one, if your looking at the screen, to the right of the water coolers).  

The game was pretty close. The visiting team stayed ahead by 6 points for most of the 1st half, but during the last period the Eagles came back to tie it up and it went into overtime. Once it started to get a little exciting, Colleen and I quite talking & I tried to teach Colleen how the game worked, 1st down, 2nd down etc. She eventually "got it", or at least she said she did. The darker it got, the more exciting it got. There's something about stadium lighting that just gives you that special feeling.... don't you agree?  The crowd was going wild as they won the game by a touch-down!

We got home around 10 p.m. Late for a school night, but well worth it! Stay tuned next Friday for Game Night #2.

Sami is enjoying high school, so far. I finally got to talk with her some. I've been working nights and she has been at school and cheerleading and by the time I've gotten home she has been asleep. We are "passing in the wind", so to say.  Sami likes the school so far though. She says it's a lot different from middle school and is thrilled that they are allowed to chew gum and don't have the strict dress code that the middle school had. At middle school, Sami's biggest issue were the rules for shorts lengths. As I'm sure you know, they don't even sell shorts that aren't short-shorts, or at least ones that any teen would wear, so it's real hard to find shorts that are at "arms length". If her shorts were shorter than her fingertips, when hanging her arms down straight, then she couldn't wear them. This, however, was middle school, thank god.

The high school has a website and each teacher has a homework schedule posted! I'm in love with this! She won't be able to claim "no homework" this year! I also got to read the teachers bio's, which was enlightening too.

Work has been uneventful the last few nights. I'm wondering how boring it might get when it's not student "move-in" week, because even during "move-in" week, there has been some boring downtime. I do have internet access and plan to bring my book, but only when there isn't management hanging over my shoulder. According to other co-workers, once your fully trained and it isn't any special Tech event weekends, they pretty much leave you alone.

I'm also having an issue making arrangements to get Sami back and forth to cheerleading. I am under the assumption that I'm mostly going to be working 3 - 11 and this kind of puts a snag in her practice pick-ups. The other mothers can help some, but 11 p.m. is quite late for a pick-up from me on school nights. It'll all work out, I have faith.....  

Sami's chorus concert was Tuesday night.  It was really good!  The Christmas music almost put me into the spirit.... 

Sam is so talented and so involved this year.  I am very proud of her.  Not only is has she been on the honor roll for the first two semesters, she is a cheerleader, is in a mentoring program for the kindergarteners, does chorus and most recently joined journalism. 

Sam's article is called "How to Deal" - Here is her first:

All her life she has been talking about being a Vet. but recently she has showed an interest in journalism as well.  She is planning on majoring in her Vet. training and minoring in Journalism in college.  I guess I better start saving that cash!

Well I managed to survive another sleep over party!  They are getting worse with age.  Gone are the days when Mom could plan the games they play, instead it's truth or dare (with Mom downstairs hoping the dares aren't going to somehow affect her) and dance till you can't dance no more.  Oh, I forgot to mention hide & seek in the dark, which quickly turned into playing under the hose at midnight!  I tend to feel bad for the underdog in the crowd.  There was one little girl that just seemed timid to me and seemed uncomfortable around these rowdy girls... but Sam assures me that she isn't and when I'm not around she is just one of the girls.  Probablly so.  All in all they are a good bunch and seem to be true friends.  Ashley:  lives next door to us.  She reminds me of me when I was her age and although I hate to admit it, is slightly obnoxious, probablly the troublemaker of the group.  Kayla: Sami's best friend, quiet, yet coming into her own.  She spends most weekends at our house, so she is "at home" at our home.  The sleepover was given for her, as she is moving away. Lindsey: a natural beauty with a contagious laugh. This little girl laughs at everything and I think she is the clown of the group.  She is very outgoing and people are drawn to her. And Katie: Actually acts a little younger than the rest, a little niave, the one that I thought was the underdog.  From what I hear her family is very religious.  I met her parents though and they seem to be very mainstream.  Last but not least, my Sami:  The true 13 year old who doesn't want Mom to bother them, unless that is I'm dishing out money or driving them somewhere!

And there you have it.  By noon, I had kicked them all out and I headed to work.....      

That's what I'm in the process of cooking right now.....  Our Sunday dinner.  Yes, I know it's already past 8:00 p.m.  We eat late, but this is ridiculous!  I put the chicken in at about 6, which takes 1 hr & 40 min,  planning to eat around 7:30 or so.  When I arrived at the oven to uncover it so the top would crisp I realized I hadn't even turned the oven on!  Chrissie Moment - Clearly.

Today I spent the entire day sorting through 5 years of pictures.  The ENTIRE day people.  I had my pictures from 2000 - 2005 all in a metal box awaiting attention.  I finally dug in and started on them.  First I put them in year order, as they were all mixed together from people looking through them and am now working on putting each year in order by season.  I filled one book alone with just 2000 spring & summer.  My 2nd book, which I'm on, covers the rest of 2000 & all of 2001 - I hope.  I will have to buy more books as I only had two empty photo albums to use.  After this part of the project is done, I plan to attack all the computer pictures on my computer and Kevins two.  I stopped taking real photo's when I went to digital, but now that I am doing this project I am realizing that I really went them all in books - so I'll simply print them out!  I don't know if I'll buy photo paper, I'd need a ton, and it is right expensive.  I might just print them on paper and put them in a book.  Better than nothing.... 

The other project this week is to buy photo paper so I can send everyone Sami's 7th grade school picture.  Here's my girl.  My how she has changed from last year!  I have both pictures on my desk at work and my boss pointed out that 6th grade is a girl and 7th is definately a teen! 

Pretty cute huh?

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Ok, we have a nice huge yard.  Huge actually is an understatement - essentially we have a farm surrounding us.  But... I'm speaking about my front yard area here.  Daily, the front yard seems to be littered with "stuff".  Not my "stuff" but other peoples "stuff" that my 9 mo old German Shepherd, Ruby, gathers from throughout the neighborhood.  So far I have found, a pair of someones leather cowboy boots, a plastic mug from DollyWood, a paint roller, a small lap type blanket and interestingly enough, a few pumpkins, which must had been taken off the neighbors porch.  (How did she get her jaw around these pumpkins? I'll never know - but she did it).  I get very annoyed, every other day or so, when I have to go picking up her collections of goodies because my yard looks so messy.  Yesterday was my breaking point.  My dog needs counseling!  I looked out the window at just the perfect time, here comes Ruby,  trotting across the road with someones UPS package in her mouth!  I died and then LMAO - I just couldn't believe it.  Needless to say I need a support group of some kind, please help!

And another thing.... 

I'm not really a very religious person.  Spritual, yes, but I don't go to church or anything like that.  My daughter lives the same way.  I was raised Catholic and her Dad was raised Southern Baptist.  Samantha is not quite sure what she wants to be, if anything.  We happen to live smack dab in the middle of the bible belt, which hasn't much concerned me, to each his own, but apparently my daughter had a recent interesting conversation with a few of the girls at school.  She came home, quite amused at the situation and told me all about it.

It kind of went like this:

Friend:  What religion are you?

Daughter:  I'm not any religion.

Friend:  You mean your not from the U.S.?

Daughter:  Huh?

Friend:  If your no religion then that means your an aethist

Daughter:  I do believe in God

Friend:  Then your a Christian

Daughter:  Do you believe in Ghosts?

Friend:  No

Daughter:  Why?  I do?

Friend:  Then your not a Christian

Ok - Is she or isn't she?  That's my question.  I guess that's for her to determine.  Hey - maybe she's a ghost.

Summer isn't officially over until the end of September, but for me it's always been "summers end" once Labor day comes and goes.  I don't morn the end of summer, like some do.  Fall is my favorite season and I welcome it in with open arms!  There is something about the smell in the air that brings back wonderful memories and good feelings - although I can't really pinpoint exactaly what it is. 

Remember the kittens we took in a few weeks ago?  Lightning, the Calico kitty, passed away this weekend.  She was pretty sick,  didn't do much but sleep and didn't seem to have any energy to do much.  Samantha gave her the much needed love, attention and nutrition she needed in her last days.  She patiently cleared up Lightenings eyes so that she could see - a task Samantha was dedicated to.  Lightning is better off, I tried to explain, she is not suffering anymore.  My daughters love of animals amazes me.  I don't dislike animals, but I am also not passionate about them, as she seems to be.  She spent most Sunday evening crying over the baby.  I pointed out that we still have Thunder, which brought a smile to my daughters face!   

There was a cow out grazing in our yard yesterday morning.  I awoke to the kids screaming that there was a cow in the yard!  I'm not kidding, it was just walking around, eating the grass.  It had apparently worked it's way through the fence on the land line down by the creek.  I didn't go outside because cows kind of scare me, I'm afraid they will charge.  The kids certainly were not afraid - they bravely chased this cow around the yard, trying to aim him back towards the broken fence.  It was quite a site.  I wish I had had the camera handy!

With no luck getting him back where he belonged, I sent the kids off to see if they could locate the owners of the cows.  The pasture is down behind the house, but I really had no idea who actually owned them.  They came back from the house down the road, stating that no-one was home.  The next  option was to send them to the house on the other side, which is actually on the main road.  I didn't want them walking out there on the main road (55 mph) so I gave them a ride.  We pulled up to a falling apart farmhouse.  The barn and the farming trucks were in much better shape than the actual house, which made me wonder!  It was sort of spooky.  The roosters & chickens were grazing, but not a soul in sight.  There was also a pile of kittens in the yard.  Tons of them.  At least 3 Mommy cats and probablly 20 kittens.  I tried to ignore them, as the kids knocked on the door....  there was no answer, but the kids were more interested in the kitties by now anyway.   I tried to get the kids to ignore them too, but with a 7, 10 & 12 year old, anyone knows this isn't happening!  Especially my daughter, who is all about animals and plans to be a vet when she grows up!  And of course, the first question was.... Can you guess?  My initial response:  No way!  We already have a German Shepherd puppy who can probablly swallow those kitties whole!  The kids settled for holding and playing with the kittens for a few seconds, until I got impatient.  

The owner of the farm finally came walking out from behind the house as we piled back into the car.  He looked and acted very mean at first, until he found out I was there to notify him that his "cattle", as he called them, had gotten out of their pasture. 

On the ride home my daughter was practically in tears because the kittens were in really bad shape.  They were very very thin and at least half had some sort of an eye infection and looked pretty sickly.  Their eyes were caked with gook, reminding me of conjunctivitis.  After listening to them whine about the sick kittens, Samantha and the 10 year old convinced me to let them ride their bikes over to give them some food and they also brought wet face clothes to clean the kitties eyes. 

I was hoping this would be the end of the whole issue.  But....  in the back of my mind I knew better!  And what do you think was then end result of this story? 

Yes - we have two new additions to the family!  My daughter convinced me to let her keep not one, but two.  We took one of the sickly kitties and one healthy one.  Hopefully we will be able to nurse the sickly one back to health!  She already looks better today after some good food, milk, water and cleaning up!

Meet the new members of our family.  Their names are Thunder & Lightening!  Now I just hope I can keep Ruby, our puppy Sheperd, who doesn't look much like a puppy anymore, away from these babies! 

Samantha spent a few weekends at her Dad's and she came home with this:

She apparently is very allergic to poison Ivy.  Personally I can sit in a patch of it and not catch it, but I guess Sami didn't get this ability from my genes.

She was climbing trees and now she knows that Poison Ivy also enjoys climbing trees!

Yesterday we went out and bought Benedryl and Calamine Lotion and she has been sleeping on and off for a day now. 

And on another note, You simply must.......

see this:  http://duirwaighgallery.com/inspiration_aknock.htm 

I got this from Kenju @ http://justaskjudy.blogspot.com/

Thank you!