41 things

One of my favorite months starts tomorrow. November. My birthday month. I'm just like a little kid around birthdays in some ways.

This year I decided I should do 41 things that I want to do between now and the big day. So far I've done 2.

1. Watch Harry Potter 1

2. Watch Harry Potter 2

Obviously, I'm going to watch all the Harry Potter movies between now and November 19 - so that means 7 things are decided. I do think the movie studio releases the movie just for me. They know I'm a big fan.

Very curious what I will end up doing for the other 34. :)

Lap Time

The estrogen is clearly running amuck in my household. Both of my girls seem to be having emotional breakdowns that I completely understand, and I've wanted to help ease the pain for them somehow... but at the same time I really can't solve their problems and concerns.

Separately, both girls needed to sit in my lap tonight and curl up in a fetal position. They just needed to talk and cry and get out some of the angst, sadness, and emotion that is consuming them. I put down everything I was working on and just held them. Didn't really offer advice, but pulled them close, stroked their hair, kissed their foreheads, and held them.

And while I know I'm not God, I couldn't help but think of all the times I've figuratively crawled into His lap, talked, and cried. I'm so glad that those arms are always open for me.

Camp?

Me, this past summer, riding the zip line

the day I picked the girls up from camp

My girls go to the same camp I went to as a child. We LOVE this camp. LOVE IT. No other words to describe it. My kids go for four weeks every summer, and they get to ride horses, water ski, swim, dance, putt putt, wilderness skills, etc. It's a teaching camp, and the time is needed so skills can develop.

I've been jealous of them for the past three years, and when I picked them up this summer I had a long conversation with one of the directors about how I'd love to work there again.

Well... that conversation has continued off and on, and finally reached a point that I went to visit there this past weekend and had a conversation with the directors about next summer. When I left, we had an agreement in principle that we would try to make something work. Don't know yet, as they have to see how the staff shakes out, but they are interested, I'm interested, and we just have to see if it is right. One of the issues is how long I could work. Six weeks would be ideal, but they could really use ten weeks. Part of what they need to do is see if they can find someone to do the same job I would do for the last four weeks of camp.

Sooooo.... I might be at camp with my kids this summer!

I'm a little concerned about invading their space, but at the same time this is something I've thought about doing when they are older. If I can make it happen, and it helps me to pay for camp, why not? It truly is one of my favorite places on earth.

I've Become One of THOSE Neighbors

source

Just call me Mrs. Kravitz.

Ok, so maybe I haven't become one of those neighbors, but the neighbors' dog is driving me stark raving mad.

It's a beautiful brown puppy. Full of energy. Clearly bored. Wants to play. Doesn't get enough attention. Looks a bit like this:

But it has decided it likes my house.

It likes my house A LOT.

So much so that it:

• stole the roller blades [have you ever felt how heavy roller blades are?] out of my garage and took them across the street.
• barged into my house when we were coming in, run into DD2's bedroom and grabbed a bunny slipper [prey, you know] and took off with it.
• Knocked DD2 down while she is trying to roller blade or ride the scooter.
• Destroyed DD1's school project that she's been working on for several weeks.

I could go on. What have I done?

• Walked over to the neighbor's house with the dog, rang the doorbell, introduced myself to the man who lives there [Ok, that's sad], and said "I hate to meet you like this, but you really need to do something about the dog. He's causing a number of problems at my house."
• The next day the dog was back at my house - I walked back over there, rang the doorbell and got no answer, so I left a note on their car asking them to PLEASE do something about the dog, that he is terrorizing my house, destroyed the project, etc.
• I've now parked my car in the driveway so the dog won't go into my garage, where the project is being worked on. I can't even use my own garage!?!?!?!?!
• Sent the girls over with the dog, asked them to ring the doorbell, and deliver the dog home.
  
• I've gone back over there and talked to the woman who lives there and asked "What is the plan for the dog? This is becoming a huge problem."
• Within less than a half hour, I yelled at the boy playing basketball in their driveway to please come get the dog, who was back at my house AGAIN.

I'm really a nice person. I'm a good neighbor. But seriously... at what point do you call Animal Control? Because they are clearly not controlling that animal. The dog has been back at my house again this morning. I understand that some things might take time, but I have a child who is crying because she can't go outside, my car parked outside in the driveway, and high blood pressure - over a neighbor's DOG!

Where's Abner when you need him?