It's Stormin'

It's storming really loud right now! It knocked out the cable. I'm being told by D.K. and Prophet that I shouldn't be on the computer right now because I'm gonna get killed.

Well, we've got everyone registered for school as of yesterday afternoon. We went in to pay for everything and put money in their lunch accounts. When we went to the table and gave our names, we weren't in the system yet, although we had turned in all of our papers and such at the school board building the day before. So after a slight delay, we finally got all the info faxed to the school building from the school board building. Of course, Smart Guy realized that he had left the checkbook in his office at the church, so he walked back over while we waited for him to pick it up. The lady that took our registration fees said, "You owe us $30.00". The look on my face must have been one of shock, because she followed it up with "That's $15.00 per child." I said "That's it?" Her and the other woman at the table laughed at me. They apparently get griped at alot by others thinking that's alot of money. I explained that in our past schools we paid as much as $550.00 between the two boys to register them for public schools. We were prepared for a much bigger check, so we went ahead and put 20 days worth of lunch money into their lunch accounts. As little as they eat hot lunch, that'll probably last them a very long time. Lunches here are $2.35. That's much higher than we've paid anywhere before. They gave us the papers for reduced cost/free lunches with all the registration papers. I was shocked to see that we qualify for reduced lunches. The amount of money a family of five can make and get reduced lunches was much higher than I'd have thought it would be. The reduced cost would be $.40 per day. Which means that they could actually eat 5 days worth of lunches for less than one lunch at the normal price. So the $47.00 we put into each of their lunch accounts for 20 lunches would end up being more like 115 lunches or so. So now we'll apply and see if we get accepted. Of course, I pack their lunches almsot everyday, so that money will last them thru next school year too on the reduced plan. Cool, huh!

I was very glad to see that they have fresh fruit and salad everyday on the lunch money. They also have two main entree choices and a sack lunch to choose from. Man, times have changed. Even when I was in high school, we had one thing and that was it. Well, the home ec class to add a salad bar during the last half of my senior year, but that was the extent of choice in my school. I'll still be packing their lunches most days. Mine are still healthier, and I figured out during the last couple of months of the last school year, when I was sick and unable to pack their lunches each day, that my boys equate their mommy-made lunches with my love for them. So, I'll keep packing them even on the days when I'd rather sit down for a few minutes rather than pack a lunch.

I have a huge-brown-beast sitting as close to me as he can get right now. Bowzer is afraid of storms. It's hilarious to watch this huge dog follow me around like a lost little kid during the thunder. He's such a weinie!!

I've been buying some fall/winter clothes the last few days. Last night I got all of Bee's stuff from last winter and the hand-me-downs from Cleanin' Cuz's little girl and went thru them to see what she still needed. I'll need to get 2 or 3 long sleeve dresses and shoes and she's done. The boys, on the other hand, have a ways to go before they are ready for cooler weather. Prophet will be able to wear a couple pairs of D.K.'s pants from last year, but most of that stuff has huge holes in it. Thankfully, shirts shouldn't need to be bought. I'll probably get them each 2 or 3 button down shirts for church, but other than that, most of their shirts should still fit them. They'll mainly need, pants, jeans, new undeies, new socks, and new p.j.s.

We're gonna go out and get school supplies later today. I've gotta dig the school supply box out from the heap in our basement to see what is usuable from last year. I know they each had several pencils left, and their rulers are still good. Their supply boxes should be good still. They don't need new lunchboxes, last years are in amazingly good shape. I know Prophet needs a new backpack, but D.K. had to get his replace at the end of last year, so if we can find it (ha, ha), he's set. I can't believe school's getting so close. It seems like summer just started.

I'm not ready to get up and get everyone ready every morning. I'm not ready to pack lunches every night. I'm not ready to fix breakfast before 7:30 every morning. I'm not ready to eat lunch without my boys every afternoon. I'm not ready to have to enforce bedtimes everynight so everyone will want to get up early for school. I'm not ready to have to remind people to do their homework (although our boys are very good about coming straight in and doing it without being told most days). Well, ready it not... here it all comes, huh!

Bee will be going to school in the afternoon. The school she'll be attending was actually full when we went to visit, but that was the school I wanted her in, so I put her on their waiting list. She was number 8 at the time. I was hoping that someone would drop out and that everyone in front of her on the list would find others schools in the meantime. Well, the director called me the next week and told me that the school board decided to open an afternoon class since the waiting list was so long. Hallelujah! I did a little dance of joy! Her open house in on August 29. She'll get to meet her teacher and all the kids in her class. I'll get to meet all the other moms that will stand in the hall and gossip while we wait for our kids to finish class.

We walked around the boys new school building last night after we registered. The school is three stories tall. It's the old high school, so there are lockers all thru the halls. Prophet is so excited at the prospect of having a locker this year. I'm not sure if they use them or not. He'll be so disappointed if they don't. The boys classrooms will be on the bottom floor. That floor is half underground. It looks like they've had a flood down there. When we moved into town, they had lots of construction vehicles around the school working. They appeared to be doing foundation work. You can smell the musty basement smell when you go down the steps. They've got dehumidifiers all over the place trying to dry it out. We got to meet one of the third grade teachers who just happened to be in her classroom working. I know one of the boys will have her, because there's only two third grade classes in the building. Only two... that seems so small. Last year there were 10 second grade classrooms, and the year before, there were 12 first grade classrooms. She told us that they usually split siblings up so they aren't in the same classroom. I'm encouraging this. They shouldn't be in the same class. They are different levels academically, and while we are able to work with this at home, if they were in the same classroom, it would become obvious to them and that wouldn't be a good thing.

Well, we were gonna go to the sprayground today, but apparently the weather has other plans for us. If it was just raining, we'd go ahead and go, but there's thunder and lightning too, so that plan's gone! We're going to Cici's pizza for dinner tonight, then Upwards basketball camp, then Petco to buy a brush for Bowzer-the-molting-beast. His brush disappeared last week sometime and has not reappeared. While I hate to spend money on a new one, this is not the time of year that you can merely sit around and wait for it to show back up. He's shedding like a madd-dog right now. It's driving me nuts. I've also got to go to the Hallmark store sometime too. Oh yah, and get school supplies!!

Well, I know this post has kinda been all over the place. If you've truly read all the way to the bottom, you're a real friend. Oh yah, for all of you who are/were wondering about my last post.... everything here on the homefront and at the church is wonderful, no problems. The particulars stressors I was speaking of were about something else. Thanks for the concern and prayers, I appreciate them!! See y'all later!!!