TGI Friday!

I love Fridays...the weekend...two days where I'm not in full charge. And I'm so ready for it when it comes....a nice, (albeit too short) break from the daily rigors. Weekends are usually heaven to me...we'll have to see about this one:) A highlight...we're going out tomorrow. Just have to figure out where we're going to eat....seafood sounds pretty good..maybe a hot bowl of clam chowder... and I have still have a gift card we need to use...which is always nice.

Let's see...what else happened on this Friday...we got the school books today. Four expensive, heavy boxes full. They were taller than the UPS man. Not only do we *not* get a tax break as some have asked, but the fees involved in h.s. are rather expensive (cost of materials, HSLDA dues which I highly recommend....these guys are good as far as lawyers go if you ever need one). But no, it's not cheap, but cheaper than private school. We're trying more online options this year and see how that goes. A couple of the younger kids would do better this way, I'm finding out, at least with the math....and Brandon's doing his electives this way....communications and a history course.

I saved a moth from a spider web--poor thing. I saw him through the window in the little house. I didn't mind getting up from my cozy chair to release him and off he flew, happy as he could be. Livy and Emily were drawing on the bean bag chair and, Gigi, our cat that never seems to grow, were keeping me company while I read my book about Nantucket. It's probably too cold for me at northern beaches, but it's fun reading about other people living there. It sounds like a pretty place to visit, but not sure southerners would fit in. Sometimes northerners, midwesterners tend to notice southern accents when they move down and point them out, poking fun, (as if they don't have a distinct dialect--that's a good thing though--different accents make us interesting)....but trying to be mannerly, I don't do that--I would never make fun of the way someone talks.

The funny thing is when we go to the beach soon (which is on the S.C. coast) the whole place is mostly northerners, Canadians....I guess enjoying the warm, southern waters...I can't blame them...the colder ocean up north would not be as enjoyable, at least for me. Everybody we've met has been nice because we're starting to see some of the same people year after year. I'm told they always look forward to seeing our family come down. There's always a little man who comes down and rides his bike on the beach. He use to have a cute yorkshire terrier that ran alongside his bike. We use to watch him run and play from our balcony. The last time we went in 2009, he didn't have his dog and I asked him what happened. He teared up and said he got hit by a car a couple of months prior and how much he missed him. He told me I did a good job with my kids and gave me a hug.
Kenny was supposed to get his other tattoo but the drawing wasn't quite right so he'll have to go back next week. I'm happy for him, it's what he wants...but I couldn't do it. I watched the last one a couple of months ago and it looked painful. And I'd freak out if I couldn't take it off...something permanent...always there?....I don't even like to keep the same fingernail polish on for more than a week...I like to switch things out. The tattoo guy tried to convince me, just a little one....it won't be bad...but no, it's never gonna happen. I've learned to never say never with a lot of things, but I'm pretty sure about this one.

Off to do relaxing Friday night things.....well, as relaxing as it can be tonight. The kids are finishing up a movie. The older ones have started branching off watching different things. They grow up so fast and times change quicker than you realize. We (K & me) watched a movie last weekend about a couple who break down in the middle of the desert and things go downhill for a little while. It has a happy ending though. I wouldn't watch it if it didn't. Maybe we'll watch another one tonight. It's getting sort of late (early for me), but I love a good Friday night movie.