Monday, August 30, 2010

Do they think I'm made of money?

My kids start school Wednesday so we are officially broke!

Registration fees..........public school is no longer FREE!

Athletic fees so my daughter can participate in tennis and track.

School photos....because even though they suck, I've been getting them all along and have a frame going for each kid so I get the minimum package.

School supplies...........because they "need" all this stuff that they come home with at the end of the year less than half used!  Seriously, my kids have come home with 5 different color notebooks that they had to have with maybe 10 pages used in each.  Really???  This year I tried to recycle a bit more than in the past.  Still had to shell out a decent amount though because they both needed new backpacks and lunch bags. 

Tennis dues.......they collect from each player to pay for the banquet, a place mat they make for each girl, parents night and coach gifts.

A new tennis dress..........is there some reason they can't wear the same style two years in a row??  Ugh!  Never mind the fact that they have to BUY the dress in the first place.  All the other sports have school owned uniforms!

Pep band shirt......again, is it so awful to wear the same shirt from last year?  I guess so!

Band field trip.........yup, school hasn't even started and we've already had to pay for a field trip!

And who knows what else!  I guarantee that both kids will come home the first week with something else they need money for.  I'm already hearing rumors about a $100+ calculator that my daughter is supposed to need for honors Algebra. 




Sunday, August 29, 2010

My little equestrienne

Yes, I had to look up the spelling of my post title!!  I didn't realize there was a feminine version of the word equestrian.  Anyhoo....


I think Tiger has finally found her "thing"! 



Riding horses!

She tried different sports, dancing, saxophone and clarinet.  But she never seemed to really get into any of them.  It's taken a while and much frustration from me because she always seemed to want to quit everything she signed up for but I think this is finally it.

All 3 of the people who helped out asked me if she had ever ridden or had a lesson before.  She's been on a horse twice before this and only on one of those trail rides in the Wisconsin Dells.  Where they just stick you on a horse and they just follow each other along a trail.  No formal training.  But they all could not believe how well she was doing for her first lesson.  Looks like she's a natural.

She's been bugging me for lessons for quite some time now but I was always hesitant given her past history and what I thought the lessons would cost.  But the place we found is pretty reasonable and they are flexible with how often she will be taking lessons. 

She hasn't stopped talking about it since her lesson ended at 1pm on Friday.  In fact she is in her bedroom right now teaching her older sister everything she learned!




Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Where does the time go?

First of all, OMG!  Has it really been almost a month since I posted here?  I never intented to be gone that long.  Or be gone at all really.  Time just seems to get away from me sometimes!  I haven't been reading many blogs lately either.  I must have about 50,000 posts in my google reader!  Give or take......it stops counting at 1,000. 

And second, when did my kids get so old?  I have a 6th and 10th grader this year!  Really?  A sophmore in my house?  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was putting her on the bus for kindergarten.

*sniff*

She just applied for her first job today.

*sniff*

Before I know it she'll be graduating and moving off to college. 

Leaving us behind :(

I'm proud of all she is doing and what she is becoming but sad at the same time too.