Playing Catch Up

I feel like since I haven't written in a week or so that I have to play catch up and write about every detail of my life and why I've been so busy. However, I didn't start this blog to keep a daily record of my comings and goings. It was meant to be an outlet for me, to have a place to just write when I needed to or felt that I had something important to get off my chest. So I will offer you, my faithful readers, just one excuse and get on with it.

I was busy because school started this week. That's all.

This weekend is the "Best in the West Rib Cook-off". I'm so excited. We went last year and had some really yummy food. Hopefully we get to go tonight when Ches gets off from work. Two of my students (Anna, my flag captain, and Mickey the drum major) are insisting I go with them on Monday. Since Ches is working then, too, I'm seriously considering it. It'd be kind of wierd to hang out with a couple of high schoolers when I'm so far from that age and have my two kids with me, don'tcha think?

Ches had his birthday on Wednesday. He's 33 now! What an old man (KIDDING!!!!). It was a super busy day, but we had a fun evening. We invited several friends to meet us for dinner, and I made the rule of No Kids Allowed. We went to a really nice restaurant called "Johnny's Restarante Italiano". It was so stinkin' good! I had some kind of layered eggplant dish, and Ches had canenolli (I think that's right). Good times with friends and food. We need to do that more often.

I have decided that we need to be social again, so I'm instituting "Game Night". We shall invite friends over and play games and eat unhealthy snacks. The kids shall watch movies or play in the kids' room. Fun shall be had by all, and I won't feel so lonely anymore!

Ches got an iPod recently. I really want one. I'm starting to make a list of all the songs I want to download. My birthday and Christmas are coming up in just a few months. Ches better get me one. That's the only thing I really really want this year.

I found out that the few friends I have in the New Orleans area are doing well. They were able to evacuate just fine, and apparantly their house didn't sustain much damage. They will be going back soon to assess the situation. My other friends that were somewhat in the area of the hurricane live in Baton Rouge, so the are doing just fine and are totally safe. I just can't believe what so many people are having to go through right now. How can you lose everything, and then have to start totally over? What do you do? Where do you start? How are these smaller towns even going to be able to spring back from this, much less the larger areas (like New Orleans and Biloxi)? I wish I had a billion dollars to just adopt some families and help them get their lives back. All I can really do is pray for them, and that's what I'm doing. On Monday I'm joining some ladies at church in making more personal hygene kits that the Church is sending out. I just wish I was able to do more. I told Ches that if I didn't have two dependent children at home, then I would volunteer with the Red Cross or Salvation Army or whoever to be there and help any way I could. Right now I just feel helpless.

On a lighter note: Aiden has recently announced that Bear (from Bear in the Big Blue House) is coming over for lunch. He will be joined by Tutter, Ojo, Treelo, and Pip and Pop. Aiden is so excited and talks about it all the time. My biggest worry is this: I know what a blue mouse, two purple otters, a large bear, and a curious bear cub all eat, but what the heck to I feed a lemur?? As my mom said, "Ah, the worries of being a young mom."