World Wind Week

What a world wind week I have had!
It started out last Friday- I left early from work @ noon for a much needed Adult weekend! Paige was staying with her Aunt Lizzy for the entire weekend(It has been a long time since she has spend the night with Aunt Lizzy) When I got home I quickly packed Damon and My stuff, so we could meet up with our friend Becky and Tim, Damon and I left instructions and keys with our house/dog sitter and off we were to pick up our friends.
Our first destination was Frankenmuth, Tim and Becky have never been there! At this point I feel that I know the town inside and out, my parents took me and my sisters all the time when we were growing up and as an adult I have been numerous times! (For someone who is not a holiday fan I have been to Bronners more than my fair share!) I love going to Frankenmuth though the food is good the atmosphere is cheery and we timed it perfectly this year for Octoberfest! There was not only the regular shopping to do but a huge craft show too. (which anyone that knows me knows I like craft shows) I was actually a reasonable shopper this year I bought a few things for family and friends as a gift for watching Paige and helping out, and I only bought one thing for myself (and yes it was Betty Boop) We spent Friday goofing around in down town Frankenmuth and ate at the Bavarian Inn( I like the food but everyone else was less than impressed)
Saturday, the group of us got up early and headed to Bronners, we spend a few hours there, wondering around looking at all the Christmas stuff. It was a harsh reminder that Christmas is only a few months from now! OMG!!!
Then it was back on the road to Houghton Lake. This is our annual trip to the Fireman's show that they have in Rosscommon every year, usually it falls right on Paige's Birthday but we dodged it this year. Our plan was to check into the hotel and then to the fireman's thing. It is a big swap meet of sort for Fireman! After we checked in there Damon noticed a car shows just on the other side of some gas stations (he wanted to check that out). We spend some time wondering around the fireman's show (mostly looking for Tim) and then headed out. We made a slight detour to the highway in hopes that it would get us back to the hotel sooner so that we could check out the car show before our next scheduled outing. Boy where we way off base we ended up back tracking way out of the way(OOPS) . We ended up making it just in enough time to get changed and head to Merritt Race Way.
Merritt is a dirt race track just about 10 miles from our hotel, Damon's brother was going to run in the "Woodtick". It worked out perfectly we we're finally going to be able to watch Chris run his modified on dirt. Well that was the PLAN anyway. We got to the track with time to spare, we went to Chris's pit, we talked and caught up a bit then we headed to the stands to watch some dirt racing, it was way different then even the dirt tracks that Damon and I went to in Arizona, but it was fun. I think a even got a complementary exfoliation with my pit pass(AHH)
The rest of the weekend went without any hitches and it was relatively relaxing

Stressed

So, Stressed a little tonight, I got all my homework done last night and it seemed like a breeze! Well that was until I got to class this evening and realized that oh yeah I was way off. Damn it. Somedays it just seems like nothing can go my way. When I struggle through it seems like I have got it (but don't get it completed) and the days when I think I am just on top of it are the days when I have fallen under the tires and have been ran over a few times. Ahhh, I am gonna loose it! My 1st test is next week and I am feeling the pressure, I am sure most is self induced and that I will manage like usual. My tax class was that way this week too. I am seriously hoping that it was just an off week. Well tomorrow will be printing and printing of all my assignments so that I can study study on my weekend away.(what a bummer, studying when it is a get a way weekend with friends and the hubby no kids just quiet, and fun)

OOPs its been a week

Well, It has been a roller coaster of a week. My angle turned five on Sunday. WoW how they grow up so fast. Somedays it just breaks my heart. I remember when I brought her home and it does not seem like it was five years ago. She had a good time, We (ok dad, promised her) took her to Chucky Cheese, you know now I understand why they serve beer, I just wish my body liked it. She and her friends, had a ball. I guess all the noise and craziness was worth her having a good time. She got lots of cool things: A digital camera(from her aunt Bec and family) which has not left the child's side since she opened it, some Polly pockets, which she has broke in already the went straight to the tub and she spent about 2hrs in there just playing and getting all prune-E. She got make up from her grandma donna and papa corkey, then tonight dad and I took her shopping to spend her gift card from her uncle chris and family, she bought another dress up outfit, then mom and dad got her, a princess kitchen set... she picked all this out by herself and we only made 1 1/2 trips around Toys r Us.
The second part of the weekend seemed to be clean up... I dear friend Yavonne came over to help with cleaning the house for Damon and I helping her with odds and ends. She is a life saver which you will discover why in a bit... She and Paige cleaned Paiges room, all the while I tried desperately to rush to finish my homework that was due to get out and make sure I could curb Yavonne cleaning frensy, she is one of the most neat and organized people I know. I appreciate it more that I can explain. After finishing my homework I set out to dust, pickup or do what ever I could to apeas' the cleaning party I have bustling around my house, Damon was dusting and vacuuming, I think I need her to pop in more often I may get up the ambition to clean more frequently instead of just when it needs it. It is much easier to maintain than start fresh every time. She helped fold and wash some laundry, all the while just hanging out and talking. I don't know what was the best part just getting to b.s or getting my chores don't while b.s'ing. I promised her before she left I would finally take all the blankets that had mouned up in the basement to the laundry mat in the morning so that I no longer could put it off till the next weekend. And I did I got up on Saturday and Took ALL THE BLANKETS and there were a ton to the laundry mat just me the rain my homework and the blankets for a good few hours nothing but silence and reading of Federal Income Tax. Sunday all hell decided to break loose. The basement had about 1 inch at least of standing water, that was just streaming in from under the porch -- and the back yard well that was just something else (I will post pictures later) it was lake Place around here! The creek was flowing into the yard and the yard was really close to just poring into the basement windows. I love Michigan- so unpredictable- Stupid hurricane. There is also a box elder tree in my side yard.. we discussed cutting it down but did not know if it would hit our garage,well mother nature decided that she would just uproot the thing(it missed the garage by about 5 feet).
This was the weekend that I will not soon forget, what was suppose to be just a good time turned into a world wind of events. some good some not so good and others that were just perfect. So now my baby really is not a baby anymore she is now in school and is at a mild marker in her young life.

Paige's Big Day

This is Paige and her new teacher Mrs. Arnold
This is Paige getting ready for her 1st day of school (see it is all about the TV these days)

Paige began school for the 1st time this week. Mom and Dad were very excited and nervous(mom probably more so than dad). We took her to her 1st day it was only a few hours to kind of introduce her to the setting and what was going to be happening along with getting to know her new teacher Mrs. Arnold. Paige to our outstanding surprise was not her usual outgoing forward self she instead was reserved and stood off to the side as if she were scared of the entire situation. Damon and I were confused to say the least and worried that this was going to be a problem. When we got home we discussed it and she seemed fine, so the next day off to school again for her with reassurance from mom and dad that she would meet lots of new friends and have a fun day at school. I had class and work on her 1st whole day of school so I was very anxious to here what she had done, learned, and just how everything went(being we got off to a rather bad start in the morning. We missed the school bus, it had changed it's pick up time, and then we just could not seem to get around) I called the babysitter at least 3 times(sorry jean) just antsy to talk to Paige. When I finally did get to talk to her she reassuered me she got on the bus just fine after school, even though one of the other kids did not. She said that she did some "stuff" and that it was a good day. I was rather disappointed I was expecting a complete run down of the day and this was it. I was going to have to wait till I got home late in the evening after class to really get a good run down of the day's events.
The day seemed to take as long as it possible could, I thought that it would never end. Work was typical nothing really eventful there to keep my mind off how my Paige's day really went. I left work to head to class and of course got stuck in traffic up to my eyeballs - in down town and then in the parking ramp. Someone really needs to think of some better alternatives to shutting down 1/2 of the routes in and out of LCC. After fighting with traffic I bee-lined straight to class, that seemed to go fairly fast until we got in groups for our class problem( I think I got the "special" group this round if you know what I mean). So I ended up getting out of class about 5-10 minutes later than I have been, which in turn I again got stuck in "parking ramp HELL" I sat in line in the parking structure for 30 minutes. I thought I was going to loose my mind. When I finally made it out of there it was smooth sailing all the way home, I did not even put my stuff down when I walked in I shot straight to Paige's bedroom and drilled her on her afternoon's details. She told me what she did in Gym class, she got to run and skip(gallop), She sang with the class the song about stealing cookies from the cookie jar(She said Mrs. Arnold stold the cookies but it was OK because she is going to have a baby and the baby wanted them) I thought that was really cute. She said she ate a good lunch and that she got to play on the playground with a few other friends from daycare. So the day went without any big trauma. I felt really relieved and finally was satisfied with that. So her 1st full day went much better that her introduction and my hope is that each day will be as fun and exciting as it possibly can be