I never buy cheese ball or cheese dips for myself. i only ever eat them when its served at a party type thing (like, this past Friday, to celebrate kickoff of football season, we all were supposed to bring our favorite appetizer to share for lunch at school - I think there was like 3 cheeseballs, so I sampled lol) i love buffalo chicken dip. I looked at the recipe once and when I saw the price of cream cheese...sheeeesh. I want to make it, but its so expensive (not like SUPER expensive, but juuuust a bit out of my price range to have for fun expensive).

I love Wendy's fries too. Just yummy. I am cheap and usually get the 4-4-$4 (well, now its a biggy box for $5) with the Jr Bacon Cheeseburger. I am a bit weird about bacon with my sandwiches tho. The only time I eat bacon on a sandwich/burger is an actual BLT. Otherwise I take the bacon off and eat it separately and then eat the sandwich or burger LOL So like, my Jr Bacon Cheeseburger becomes a Jr Cheeseburger :P And my Turkey Bacon Ranch sub at Firehouse becomes a Turkey Ranch sub :P lol I am weird, I know. But I like my bacon.

That looks...interesting. I don't think I would put shredded cheese on my sketti (I do use grated parmesan, kraft brand hahah). But then again, as i said, I never put chili on my sketti cuz I do beans/meat. :) I have put shredded cheese on chili a few times. Not usually tho.

and now you've got the silly french bird song running thru my head cuz you said Allouette cheese (which I've never heard of, but then again, i am a very basic cheese person)

Wendys fries are some of my favoriteeeeeeee. And the ones from long johns/A&W. So good.

And yes, I'm so ready for fall! Leaves turning, crunchy crisp weather, apple cider and pumpkin everything, turning the ACs off and not turning the heat on.. I'm so there.

Too bad it's still hot :P

HOWEVER. I am taking myself to the pumpkin patch this weekend, to see the pig races. But I'm not wearing a sweater because it's gonna be 80 degrees :P

I am hoping that we will take the kids to the "pumpkin patch" - usually Southern Belle Farms, or the Rock Ranch. Its been years since we did a field trip. Our class would do great. Not so sure about next door. I think they got the royal pains this year. Not that their class is horrible either (not like ours last year - but they do have several kids that are very irritating/do not listen to ANYONE - kind of like some of ours last year). I think they would do OK, but they might have issues. The kids always enjoy field trips tho and would probably behave quite well due to it being a different situation. (One of them has pig races hahahah its funny the kids love it)

Hardly any leaves change here. None in my yard do. Well they turn BROWN. :( I do at least get to see other colors while driving around, some of the trees on my road in particular get very pretty colors - bright yellow, red, even a purple one! I so enjoyed going to Mass for my friend's wedding years ago as we saw soooo many pretty fall colors!!!

I was planning on carving pumpkins with my pledge girls in October....but to be honest, that probably won't happen. I have come to the decision that it is too frustrating for me to deal with the board members/older girls leader and I am sick of being stressed out over what I can/cannot do because they've never been super clear on things. Two of the girls are moving up to the older group the end of Sept anyway, and I honestly don't know if they'll enjoy the group. I think they will, but I have my doubts. So I have decided that this upcoming Sunday at the board meeting I am going to step away from the youth group and hopefully have one less stress in my life. And yes, some of it is financial stress, as if I want the girls to go do anything fun, I have to pay for it up front, and if it involves travelling anywhere they have pretty much told me, pay for it myself or get the parents to pay or we don't go. (I do get reimbursed for snacks and things I buy for local activities - so like I would get paid back for the pumpkins if I stayed and bought them - but I often don't have $ upfront anymore since I only get paid 1x a month and NOT at the same time as the meetings) We have freaking thousands of dollars from the fireworks sale, but they won't use it for the girls activities NOW? They want to make sure they have $ in the future "for when the group grows" - guys.....the group has NEVER been larger than 5/6 in the entire 10 (or however many) years my daughter and I have been involved. It is currently 1 older and 4 younger girls. Seriously. It hink they can spend some now and STILL save some. So like I said, very frustrating to me - as I am one of the main people WORKING the fireworks as a VOLUNTEER - so if I ask that you pay my gas to take the girls somewhere and you won't do it? GRRRRR Also, I've been asking for a year for the meetings to be merged sometimes, so the older girls could help the younger ones, and get to know them better so the two older of mine would be more comfortable moving up....I got told off that the groups were separate and they needed to be separate - and the younger girls/parents needed to understand that the two groups did things differently for when they moved up....yet at the last board meeting I was told I had to change MY meeting time because the older girls couldn't' be at OUR meeting and THIERS at the same time.....I know this was done because the one remaining older girl WANTS to be involved and told her leader so - so leader changed her mind in order to make girl happy. Its a good step forward but a VERY annoying thing to me. So. Yea. So I am going to step away and not have that stress. Ok Rant over. Didn't mean to go into all that but... yea. Ok.

Now. I still didn't manage to finish Chapter 3. I got to the last section and couldn't take it anymore. I will watch the videos this afternoon I think, and the lecture tomorrow. Then work on the assignment and the lab. Today I also have English class in person. Oh and at school (my work) - the teachers have to leave early for that virtual training session - so I get to deal with extra bus riders - however hahahaha this is funny and annoying - I sent an email to the principal and he never responded (about coverage or getting a sub for my day next week) - so when I saw him last week I asked him - in front of all 3 other teachers - if he had got my email - "what email?" - so I explained the situation (which HE knew about because HE forwarded the email to us about going to the training!) and he said "well, they'll just have to deal with it, or well I guess you can all cover for each other" So yesterday - the head leader of the PreK program stopped by, and in front of the VICE principal asked if we had arranged our coverage...to which the vice principal is like, for what? eyeroll So my lead teacher explained to her what the principal had said "yea, sort of, Princpal told Mrs (Me) .. yadda yadda yadda" - to which the vice principal responded "OH! Well just email me and Mrs K in the office and we'll get coverage for you" - again eyeroll why was this not done then when I talked to Mr Princpal? ARRRGGGHHH Guys - one rule for PreK is that there is always to be TWO teachers present. Principal should know this right? Come on!!! Thats why I have to get subs, when Kinder paras do not!! My life eh? Just full of fun and joy.

Right?! Like.. it's law?! It sounds like your principal is just as great as ours. :eyeroll:

Kat, I'm kind of proud of you for stepping down! I know how much stress it is, and how much you work. And yeah, saving ALL that fundraising money.. that is basically YOUR baby, for a possible future.. that doesn't make sense. Seems to me that you could do both.

Right! I couldn't believe it. BUT IT GETS BETTER!!!! So today, while in the room putting out napmats, I overhear him talking VERY loudly in the hall and realize he is talking to the other PreK Lead teacher....about the training. I hear him say "I don't like being blindsided" and some other weird random nonsense. So after MY lead teacher comes back in, (she had the kids at the bathroom and stopped at the door to let the other teacher talk to her) - I get told the principal talked to the PreK lady, and told her that WE would not be attending the training, that WE would have to do it afterschool next week instead or do something else for the virtual days. That NO ONE told him we had these trainings, that NO ONE told him we needed coverage. ERRR ??? YOU sent us the email (forwarded but still), I emailed YOU asking a question that you never replied to, AND I talked to you in the cafeteria last week, but you are blindsided and had no idea about this training??? WHAT???? I go to laminate the grandparents day handprints we made, (after the kids are down on thier mats) and come back to him talking to both lead teachers (in the doorways since me and the other para were both laminating) and when THAT convo is over, ends up that we ARE going to go to the training, and that we DO have coverage. Although he did NOT appreciate the way the PreK lady talked to him about all this. sigh And do you think WE appreciate the way you were talking to us in the hallway BEFORE everyone calmed down? Sheeesh. At least he admitted to "Maybe dropping the ball on this one" eye roll!!!! So the lead teachers went off to their training. ON top of all that nonsense, today and tomorrow were/are grandparents day, so we had kids coming and going all day (it was 3rd-5th today, but a lot of ours have older siblings so grandparents stopped for our kids too) - FOUR of our kids were out sick - one of those actually was here but went home, after spiking a 102 temp in less than 10min (when we first took her to nurse because she said she was cold and was shivering and acting NOTHING like herself, she had a 98 temp., 10min later...102) And MY class had library for specials today - which meant we went into the book fair/grandparents day chaos - and on top of THAT the librarian forgot to mark out our time on the media calendar - so a third grade class was ALSO in the library in the tiny space NOT being used for the book fair. GAAAAH :P What a day! At least I didn't have extra bus riders, but I did help poor Mr Franklin w/ the other PreK class bus riders. (he's the one that got pulled to cover the other lead teacher while her para did car rider in the classroom-I don't think he has EVER helped with bus kids!). My lead teacher got someone to cover the classroom, until I got back and most of the kids were gone. It'll be the other way around next week when us paras are at the training lol

And thanks. I know I will miss working with the girls in the youth group, but I think its for the best at this point.

[edit] 9/8 6am cries I was over 160 days and I forgot the bathhouse yesterday!! :(

OH NO on your bathhouse streak. :( I'm still super sad about the day I couldn't get service to get mine. :(

And ugh about the rest, too. What a mess everything sounds like!

Last night was crazy.. rush to drop off cupcakes for geeks guild, pick Lily up for therapy, I dropped her off and ran up to the salvation army to try and get Iz some more t-shirts she could wear to school, then Lily walked up there. But the line took FOREVER. I didn't have time to bake anything for today, so I bought snacks for book club, and Lily picked up snacks for marching band today (it's from right after school until 5, so by the time she gets home normally she's STARVING. So she got some cookies, some donuts, some bags of chips, and some juice boxes :P I figured if she was starving, everyone else probably was too. And whatever they don't eat today, they can eat tomorrow, since they have practice from right after school and stay until the game is through. The FoM feeds them dinner, but still.. they're teenagers. Always hungry.).

THEN rush rush rush home to drop Lily and the groceries off, and pick up Iz, we were only 2 minutes late to open house at the school. Fourth grade is a little different now than it was when Lily was there, so it was good we went.

We were supposed to have a library board meeting right after that too, but thankfully, it got postponed :P

This morning it's library (and book club!). We read The Good Sister, and I didn't think it was as good as the reviews said. I'm going to take the time at the library this morning to go through our craft stuff though, see what we have and what's trashed. And make a list for the board meeting, because I have a bunch of stuff I want to propose. I have IDEAS, people! Plus, I need to figure out how to change the answering machine message.. it literally has the hours from 10 years ago on it, when we had a full time librarian. :/

Then I need to run to the store either today or tomorrow, and pick up Lils adderall. Which, btw, even the 5mg is helping SO MUCH. It's incredible!

I still haven't gotten Nathan tested for ADHD. I have spoke to several teachers this semester who I think would fill out the evaluation form, but at this moment I do t know if he would even be willing to take the med since he is refusing to take the depression med anymore. It is for something different so I am going to try and talk to him about it. He's already failing 2 of his classes and the other two are barely passing and it's only 5 weeks in.

Sounds like you are crazy busy but fun fun fun. Sweet of you to buy snacks for everyone and not just your own. Hope some other parents do that too

Oh man, you guys. I'm very happy to not lead such a rushed life anymore.

Kat, I'm very glad you're stepping away from that YG b/c it really does seem like it's gone downhill. The office politics are exactly that - people trying to assign blame to everyone else and no one ever wanting to take responsibility, especially the leaders. Sounds like utter bullshit, just like the YG and how they're "saving" for future stuff. I'm calling shenanigans on that!

That medicine may not be right for Nathan. I don't know how many others you've tried or how much you've read, but in general, we know our bodies and if it's making him feel uncomfortable (and maybe it worked before?), he's still in the midst of LOTS of changes and may need a different med. I've always hated the experimental phase of medication, especially in certain areas, but it does work out, sometimes/eventually.

Ironic that you mention not having much of an Autumn there. I won a contest and had to create a new one and the theme is Autumn not Autumn for those that don't get to experience all the colors and smells the mid/upper hemisphere does. Got some cute pics of pumpkins on the beach, too. I love how down in FL they decorate palm trees like Christmas trees. :P

I could never get in to a book club. I'm just too picky with what I want to read and gawd help me if s/one told me to read a romance novel. -_-

Got my cabbage stew started, finally. It is filling up the house w/ a wonderful smell.
Also, received news yesterday that my youngest accepted an extension on her contract so she will be staying down in TX until January. She'll be up here the first part of October for her retainers and depo shot, then on her birthday in November. I will be spending my first Xmas alone.... but then again, so will she.

Yea we talked to the doctor about the depression meds and Nathan said he didn't want to take anything else. It did work at first and I will admit he seems ok not being on anything now. Other than grumpy teen anyway. Just not like super depressed anymore. I hear him laughing and talking on the phone now where way back he didn't do that. If he changes his mind (or his mood) I'll talk to him and the Dr again about a different med.

Aww for being alone but maybe y'all can try a video call or something. At least a phone call ☺️

Contest can be fun! Glad you did it. Sounds cute!

I don't know, I'm enjoying the book club! And today, I brought snacks. :P It's nice to read out of my comfort zone a little bit, and I'm really enjoying spending the time and talking with people who are in all walks of life and so different than me, and to see what everyone is getting out of the books.

So.. slight problem this morning. I went to clean my glasses and the plastic just.. broke and the arm fell off. So I drove to Target to see if theyc ould print out my prescription.. whoops, out of date. Luckily, they had an appointment tomorrow. Then to Sams, to see if there was anything they could do to fix them, since I bought them there. Or if they had a cheap pair of frames that the lenses would fit in, because uh.. I can't put my contacts in without my glasses because I'm blind af.

She found ONE pair, but they were $249 and that was too much just for the ugly frames. But she was like "Well, go shop and I'll look" and she managed to find a pair of the same frames I had, but in pink instead of blue, that were supposed to be thrown away or something and never did, they needed a screw. So she took the screws out of my broken ones and put them in and YAY I now have glasses until I get my new ones in.

And people do tend to buy snacks for everyone if they bring them.. kind of. Because they'll all share anyway, for the most part. Because.. teenagers :P

And Kat, if he's doing well without the meds, then I'd say let him be! Sometimes you just need them for a bit, to get you over the hump, so to speak.

That sounds like a good plan, Kat. I definitely don't think there's a pill to cure everything and some people need to find the right doctor they can talk to that will give them the tools they need. I think that part is even harder than working w/ meds. I certainly haven't found one and I've just given up looking b/c psychological care goes straight towards my deductible... so money out of pocket that I can't afford.

I do like suggestions about books... but I have my limits. Would you read a Stephen King book? I listened to the audible of Twilight AFTER I had seen the movies and it was AWFUL. I'm sure she improved but I REALLY hated her writing, among other things. (Btw - I love all the movies and watch them all about twice a year, still.)

Whatt? No pink frames?!! lol You got lucky. :P I just ordered some contacts that will be covered by my vision insurance and then I'll pick up my script and go to a recommended online site. Did that last time and HATE them, but the tanning salon owner suggested the site that she uses and it sounds way better than the last one I used... not to mention the price sounds amazing.

Trying out the air fryer drumsticks. Wish I had the oil spray as I've already noticed how the breading is just falling off when I turn them but I've been dying to try it out since I got them.

Yikes for being blind w/o glasses. I am supposed to wear them but haven't since covid and masks. :P Need to go get a new prescription probably because when I tried on my old ones a few weeks ago, UGH. It was awful. Of course it may just be my eyes need to adjust to wearing them again but meh. That was cool they found you some frames to use. Did they charge you for them?? If not even better!! I have not ever been interested in wearing contacts. I know a lot of people prefer them, but me, i think if I'm going to need glasses, i'd rather just have the glasses than poke myself in the eye all the time (lol and I know, you don't really poke yourself in the eye but thats how I've always felt about contacts). I also think that I look nice in glasses. So it doesn't bother me to wear them at all. The only thing I don't like is that most of them tend to go out to the sides of my face nowdays and then I have this huge space beside my eyes when I look in the mirror and I don't like the way it looks, but meh. I've thought about trying kids frames to see if I like the way it looks better even!! But I haven't yet :P

As for youth group, well yea, I feel it has gone downhill a good bit the past few years to be honest. Katie wanted to stick around and majority out tho, so we did. And then they asked me to help with the little girls, which I loved and hoped that would bring some change, new girls, new group, new leader, new ideas...but no. still stubbornness and agravation. So yea. Not worth it to me anymore, tho I will miss the girls.

Hope your drumsticks turn out well!!

I like having the option between glasses and contacts, but for everyday wear, yes it would be contacts. I have and have had transition glasses, still hate them b/c they're just not as big as sunglasses and I have a bit of sensitivity to bright sunlight. Makes me sneeze, lol. I need them for distance (near sighted) but I can't read normal with them. I recently tried a multi-focal type of contacts and WHEW... if they move, you can't read ANYthing! I just went w/ my normal prescription and I can keep reading stuff at a distance very easily. (A book? Gotta keep it nearly arm's length. :P) I just get my regular script in glasses, too. If I want to read/look at my phone, I'd rather just take them off.

WAS going to get lasik a couple years ago but that was when everything was chaotic and they would keep changing my initial appt due to having booked too many people and trying to follow some 'regulations' and I just said to hell w/ it. To think, my eyes would've been paid off by now.

I have thought about lasik too. But just dunno. I realized when I tried out my glasses the other day that it was easier to read with them off. Used to I could read with them on or off.

Been listening to my part 1 lab lecture for chapter 3. Wheeeeeee. Not. 😝 Going to do the lab and try to take notes and then do my assignment.

I also went and got Shane (mom, can you get me so I can shower and do laundry? I'll go back to my truck tonight). Got to love kids 😉. He brought home his pillows too. Told him he would be here all night trying to get those dry.....(4 of them!)

[edit] 830pm Eldest decided to stay overnight so he can wash his pillows. Hope youngest bratchild will wake up in time to take oldest to truck and still get to school on time. Completed Bio assignment - 100 first attempt :D Yay. 85 on the lab but can redo it later :P The way they word the questions throws me off sometimes....and for some reason I had a hard time finding the answers in the "theory" information. Ugh. Its ok. I've got the correct answers now ;) hahaha. And just need to make sure I have complete enough notes.

I am tired. I want to go lay down but I do not want to fall asleep this early! Going to try and finish up my quests.

Yeahhhh no, I'm totally and completely blind. Like, -8.50 and -7.75. I can't see anything. They were free, but I do need new glasses. My contacts will be fine though, i still have a bunch because I didn't wear them for.. quite a while.

I wore them last week though, and obviously today LOL.

Heh. I posted my edit about the time you posted your comment lol. Thats good you still have contacts you can wear, and the free frames for your glasses lens too. Just don't poke your eye out putting in contacts while blind ;) :) lol

I was like.. I can't even put my contacts in without my glasses! I need SOMETHING to happen :P

:) Hopefully it wont take long to get your new glasses. I might try and schedule me an appointment sometime this month...or maybe during fall break in October. I also need to do my biometric screening and yearly physical. Might be best to just do it that week off.

Last Day Goodies WL : Best item NOT on WL :

I wish it wasn't over, I really enjoyed the... very mini event LOL.

But I will be glad to not have to do my quests if I'm in a hurry :P

nice fall leaves! I like it :)

We won the game last night, 14-6. Very exciting. And Lily got to play the snare drum, which was VERY exciting for her! Today is the pumpkin patch, and then the fall fair. Lily and I are planning on walking around a bit, and then we're selling and doing the clean up shift for the music table.

And thennnnnnn she has a dinner reservation for 7:30 which a FRIEND which is insane but whatever. Hopefully they have fun.

Yea it was a fun mini event. I think the pirate ship is next up for events? I never can catch anything good in that shop when its here. Made it a pain to get the plushies from there.

Fun fun for Lily!! :) You inspired me. I don't do backgrounds much (like yours, the full background) even tho I do like a lot of them. So I went and found these, just to have a bit of fall fun.

Did my morning shopping, bought and cooked some pumpkin spice rolls (cinnamon rolls) for a late breakfast. - Need to figure out what, if anything, I want/need to get at Ingles (meats). Am debating making pot pie for dinner one day this week, and also thinking about getting items needed for broccoli/rice casserole, w/ added meat (chicken or ham). Hmmm. Just, to have some faster/easier dinners than having to grill/fry the meat. I am so very lazy and don't want to cook and Nathan taking after me atm (he likes to grill but just doesn't want to right now) :P lazy us. I also need to figure out how to use up the potatoes Ryan gave me. Still got some left.

I also found some pants online, bought 3 pair. I HOPE they are the kind I really like/need for work (more slack material type but comfy style). If they are, I'll try to get some more next week. Need new pants, as most of mine have begun wearing out in certain areas. Hate when that happens.

Apparently, they didn't turn the code off last night ;) Just got a bunch of holiday goodies while doing quests still.... 4 WL books and a for my best non WL item