Bryn and Paige had off school this entire holiday week, so I took off work.

Monday I attended 2 classes at the Y to make up for later in the week that I knew I'd miss. That evening I went to Bryn's teacher conferences which of course were very complimentary. Her grades are proof of that.

Tuesday morning Bryn, Paige and I set off for La Crosse to pick Abby up for Thanksgiving break. We picked up Grandma Karen from Kristin's in Waukesha on our way out. The drive is so easy out to La Crosse! I'm really going to encourage Bryn and Paige not to go to college anywhere I'd have to go into or through Chicago-way. The ride started out noisy as Bryn and Paige were very excited, but they put on their iPods later and it got quiet. I did have a messy experience on the highway though. I ran over a mangled deer that seemed to carry with us for a little ways. Don't worry! I got the car washed soon afterward. We arrived at UWL right when Abby let out of class at 2pm. We visited her dorm room then took us for a campus tour (Grandma had never been). The day was a bit chilly, but the sun was out so it was pretty. Bryn and Paige then helped Abby pack up to stay with us in the hotel that night. We went out for dinner, the girls swam and we were all snuggled in for the Dancing with the Stars finale by 8pm! Abby had class the next morning til 11am. We met her and had lunch on campus before our way back to Milwaukee. We dropped Grandma back at Kristin's where she helped Kristin prepare Thanksgiving dinner for my family - minus me & mine.

We headed up to Appleton for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Van Abel's in Hollandtown, just east of Appleton. They have the BEST fried chicken! We found out that new baby Chayse wouldn't be at the event, but we were able to meet him at Debbie's beforehand. So tiny! We had a great meal and we all went to Maggie's afterward to visit longer. We were tired, but Abby knew she wouldn't see Craig at any other time, so we drove back to Waukesha where he had come for Thanksgiving dinner. We found out that Craig's truck had broken down on his drive up from Chicago, so he was actually staying to get it fixed the next day.

Meg and I left the house by 4am on Black Friday. We met Kristin and Mom at Kohl's and got some great bargains. From there we headed to get some caffeine and breakfast and then were ready to tackle ToysRUs and Brookfield Square. The ToysRUs checkout line went all the way around the inside of the store so Mom immediately got our place in line while we shopped. The line lasted 1 hr, 10 min so thank goodness Mom did that! We ran into Abby and her friends at the mall. We had margaritas for lunch and closed our shopping day at Target. All of us went home and napped. We met again for dinner out at Trysting Place because we were all too tired to cook.

Saturday Meg treated me and the kids to a mini-spa treatment to demonstrate her new business venture, selling BeautiControl products. We sported eye patches, had a hand massage, and lip masque. I was surprised how into it the kids were! We went bowling in the afternoon to get everyone out of the house. Mia and Cooper bowled as one person since Mia would only bowl when ALL the pins were up, and Cooper was happy to launch the ball any chance he could get. We then visited Abby during her short work shift at Hallmark, then Meg & Co were on their way back to Indy. Way easier to drive in the dark after you've tired the kids out a bit.

So today was clean up day: sweeping, picking up Polly Pocket shoes, restocking food by grocery shopping, entering all the damage done on Friday to my checkbook. Abby was able to get a ride back to UWL and left about 12:30. She managed to leave behind a few things and a shopping list so she can expect a package later this week. I really look forward to having Abby home when there's not so much going on.

So on Wednesday I turned 45. Sounds old. My coworkers bought me a delicious loaf of holiday bread from Panera which I shared. I received several cards, phone calls, and postings with birthday wishes. Even my 2-year-old nephew, Cooper, sang Happy Birthday to me over the phone from Indy! My college roommate even surfaced from Alabama (I had no idea where she's even been the last 2 years!) and gave me a call. Bryn and Paige baked and decorated a chocolate cake for me. My good friend, Carrie, stopped by to personally wish me a happy birthday. I did have a very pleasant day.

Jeff left at 7:30pm ON MY BIRTHDAY for Chicago. His work paid for him and other future Ring & DuChateau principals to attend a "Pathway to Principal" conference targeted for managers in the architecture/engineering industry. He was put up at a deluxe hotel right on Michigan Avenue in the heart of the shopping district. He said the conference was really informative. He came back Friday evening just as I returned from dropping Paige off at the movies to see Twilight.

Because of Jeff's trip, we also missed seeing our nephew, Mitchell, play at Camp Randall Friday afternoon. Mitchell's a great asset to his Kimberly Papermakers football team that went to state AND WON!!!! They played Verona at 1pm Friday for the Division 2 championship. I bet that trip was a blast. I'm disappointed Mitchell wasn't mentioned in the newspaper article, but he was mentioned many times during the season for his rushing contributions. (He's #7)

Yes, Paige read the books and saw "the most awesome movie ever!" We picked her entourage up from the theatre that night, only to host a sleepover afterward. They were so full of energy! Meanwhile, Bryn went to a friend's to watch more LOST episodes. They're determined to catch up (from the beginning!) so that they're up to speed when the series starts up again.

Saturday afternoon Paige played with a small group from band at our local Sentry store that was having its annual holiday event. This store is so supportive of the community! All day, the dance team handed out samples throughout the store, while different school bands and choirs performed. There was a silent auction, a chance to win a free bag of groceries if they called your cart number, and . So Jeff attended that event while Kristin went with me to see "The Secret Life of Bees". I stopped in at her house beforehand and got to see Bella and Lucy. Lucy was afraid of me while Bella twirled on her Sit N Spin. (That was the best present I ever bought!) I had read the book a couple years ago and was excited to see it at the theatre when I saw the actors that were in it. My kids weren't interested in going, so Kristin graciously accepted my offer. It's quite a tearjerker, but a great story. Jeff had dinner ready when I came home, only to find out it was just going to be dinner for two. Bryn went for coffee, then iceskating with a group of friends and Paige had just been invited over to a friend's house. After dinner, Jeff and I browsed through our Hilton timeshare book to see how to use our points. Paige has commented that we haven't taken a trip in a while.

Bryn is on the job hunt, though not of her own determination. We got lenient with Cross Country season, but that's over and done. Bryn has emptied every source of cash she's had - which lasted pretty long! - and now it's time to give back. Hoping that the holiday shopping season is a good time to be applying!

Friday the 7th, Chayse Anthony Stanley was born to our nephew, Tony, and his wife, Katie, Stanley. The baby and mom are doing well. We're all hoping to see the baby when we go up for Thanksgiving dinner.

The high school introduced a fall Jazz concert this year. Typically this band doesn't get to perform until Jazz N Java which is all the way til May! So it was cool to hear them in a proper auditorium earlier. They're gearing up now for Band Revue, the all-band musical they'll perform in December. Bryn has signed up for a major acting role, but still hasn't heard about that yet. She does know she'll be playing her trombone with the Jazz band that plays in the background throughout the entire musical, as well as 2 different ensembles that will be featured on the main stage. Stay tuned.

I've now met with the Art Guild president, and the website is all mine! With the holidays approaching quickly, I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll just be updating the site as it is until January. Then I'm going to give it my all and redesign! I'm excited.

Paige was all about projects this weekend. A Revolutionary War project for Social Studies, and a cell project for Science. The Soc Studies project was basically research, but the cell project was making a model. Models always require parental support. Jeff ran to the village's craft stores searching for gel wax that Paige wanted to suspend her cell components in. We spent Saturday night melting the wax and pouring it into trimmed-down ice cream buckets. Today Paige used found objects from around the house, labeled them and positioned them within the gel wax cell membranes.

This morning we attended our church's Generations of Faith. It's a quarterly event where families have breakfast together, then a group Sunday School-like activity. It actually replaces a couple Sunday School days for the kids. Bryn and Paige got up late, thinking they'd get out of it and complained that it's for babies. I counted 8 of Bryn's fellow confirmants in the group today and we sat with 2 boys that were Paige's age - so there!

No pictures to post. Paige had a week of WKCE testing at school. Schedules for all grades not testing are based around those that are so homerooms are extended so as to prevent students from passing in the hallways and disturbing the testers, volunteers are asked to provide water and granola bars to give the testers energy... Bryn was in a non-testing grade and got to go to school at 11:00 one day! While I kind of agree with the No Child Left Behind concept, this catering to those testing is just freakish.

Tuesday I drove Bryn's carpool down to UWAY because Bryn scheduled a listening session with the conductor to see if she can move up from last chair in her trombone section. Other students have done the same in their sections where they feel their placement is unfair. But this is unprecendented to move chairs during the season, so the conductor is listening, but I'm not sure if he'll actually make any changes. So while the kids were at UWAY rehearsal, I ventured to the downtown YMCA. It's on top of the Grand Avenue Mall! So the parking structure's well-lit with security and free with a voucher from the Y desk. This Y is unique because it's very long and narrow - like a mall. The running track forms the entire inside of the Y with classrooms and weight rooms all around it. I walked and watched the election results on the many TVs around the track. I'm glad to find that I have this option for when I drive again.

We had a company lunch Wednesday where my boss informed us that the company has enough saved to make payroll through 3 months even if we don't have any income. We're not that slow, but you can definitely feel the pinch. So I guess I'm good for 3 months! Jeff has commented that his work has had holds put on several projects as his work as well.

Friday Jeff, Paige and I headed downtown Menomonee Falls with friends to an art show/charity event held at a local coffee house. We were stunned when we saw how packed it was! At first Paige just wanted to leave, but luckily found a friend in the crowd.

I helped out at Bryn's Confirmation Retreat Saturday and Sunday. Wasn't sure what to expect as I was given no outline whatsoever. Turns out I was required to lead a small group like all the other volunteers. I'm not much for talking about such private matters, but figured the kids were in the exact same situation. We had some good discussions and I got to meet some great kids. I didn't bring my camera or my cell, which was really hard. Bryn and I are looking forward to a home-cooked meal and our own soft beds tonight.

Tuesday was my monthly Art Guild meeting where I finally volunteered to be an active part of the group. I'm going to be the webmaster of the site! I'll be meeting with the President to go over particulars, but I think it'll be good experience for me. After the meeting, I stuck around to help hang the art show in the Library. This was a new experience for me. Everyone was asking where my work was. Maybe next year... I don't know. It's really cool to see all the different mediums these artists use and subject matter they're interested in. I'm learning a lot.

Bryn and Paige had a short week this week because of Teachers' Convention. And they were so lucky to have the perfect weather for it! I left for work Thursday with them still asleep. On my way home from work, Bryn actually called me! She and Paige (with their respective friends, not just those 2 together of course), went to see High School Musical 3 at the theatre. Bryn was callling me to inform me that she couldn't give Paige and her friends a ride home because her car was already full. Thanks. When I asked Bryn to give the phone to Paige so I could find out if other arrangements had been made or to let her know I was on my way, Bryn told me she had left Paige at the theatre already! Paige doesn't have a cell phone, so I couldn't call her. I didn't know what friends she went with so I made my best guess at one and called that parent to let her know I was headed to the theatre to rescue them. It all worked out, but why does it seem every outing planned by your kids always come back to involve you? The girls finally carved their pumpkins that evening and we got them outside. I carved Abby's. Aww.....

Friday was Halloween!!! I couldn't miss my weekly Step class at the Y and our instructor had a special circuit planned for us at the end: a relay race! She divided us into 4 teams and we actually had to run to one end of the gym, pick a part of a skeleton out of a fishbowl, run back and tape the part onto a piece of paper before tagging the next in line. Obviously the goal was to be the first team with an assembled skeleton. My team was definitely the eldest with Richard (who'd famous in our class) who is 82 and Mary who won't give her age but I believe she's in her 60s, and I'm no baby in that class myself at 44. Anyways, we won! I don't know how we did it, but our skeleton suffered for it when compared with the other anatomically correct ones. I stopped in at Village Hall afterward and cast my absentee ballot! I wasn't going to, but the news is making next Tuesday sound so terrible!


I had to take Paige out to complete her costume before trick-or-treating at night. Her group of friends went as the characters from Clue and Paige was Colonel Mustard. Pretty good, huh? Bryn went with a friend as pirates "Arrrrgh!" I was so excited for the great trick-or-treating weather! I helped Jeff to move our outdoor fireplace to the driveway so we could sit outside and the trick-or-treaters wouldn't have to walk so far. It really was a perfect night watching the costumed kids run door-to-door. Although we do have more candy left over than I'd like to have around the house. Bryn and her friend came back to the house and watched a movie while snacking on their candy and Paige was invited to sleep over at a friends.

Abby called us Friday night from the car. Wait a minute! What car? A girlfriend from UWL let Abby know she was going to Madison Friday. Abby coordinated with another friend (boy) from MSOE, who was coming to Madison to already pick up someone else, then going to Stevens Point. These two other boyfriends had already made plans with Kendal and Ali to visit them up at Stevens Point for the weekend, Abby was tagging along as a surprise! I'm sure they had a blast and I'm so glad Abby was able to see her best-est friends.

Saturday morning Paige and I got haircuts. The girls have already let me know that I don't look good with short hair. Maybe I shouldn't tout honesty quite so much. I took them out to the mall where I finally bought them each a pair of jeans that they desperately need. They to have been noticing the budget crunch that's going on everywhere.

Poor Jeff spent most of his freetime during the week and weekend fixing our toilets. That's right, make it plural. Our master bath one was the first to go with some kind of flushing problem. Which grew into a leaking problem. Then our powder room toilet was leaking. Next he noticed the girls toilet making noises which turned out to be it wasn't draining properly and therefore wasting a lot of water. Saturday he got both upstairs toilets working through lots of trips to the hardware stores and lots of internet reading on toilet plumbing. Our powder room toilet is currently residing in the garage because that problem requires raising some seal to be level with the flooring (which is what was causing the leak). So at some point every day this week, Paige posted an "Out of Order" sign on at least one toilet. Musical chairs.