Weekly Tidbits & Musings

We're getting back into the routine of a school schedule. This was the first full week of school for Adam. He's doing really well, and like any normal kid, tells me he doesn't want to go to school every morning when I wake him up. On Monday he came home and was really excited because he made a new friend, Cole. And, that "it only took four days" of school before he had a new friend. He said last year it took him a lot longer. Cole is the only student in Adam's class that is new to the school. So, I'm happy and proud that Adam is being friendly to the "new kid".

Sometimes I think Adam has an adult brain in a kid body. Every so often I catch glimpses of what he's going to be like all grown up. Monday night while getting ready for bed, he told me he had to make a "to do" list for the next day. I asked him where he got that idea and why would he need to do that. He responded by telling me he had to do it so he wouldn't forget what he needed/wanted to do. So, I let him write his list. He listed six things to do, including, going to school, watching TV, playing with Matthew, and watching more TV. Beside each item he drew a square so he could check it off as he completed it. Is this really organized or really anal?

As I've posted before, I love finding a bargain and paying as little for something as possible. This week I spent $40 for $100 worth of groceries. It takes a little planning and strategizing, but anyone can do it. Here are a couple of my latest finds. If you shop at a grocery store that has a store card (the kind you scan to get the sale prices), there are websites that can link electronic coupons straight to your card. AND, you can use paper coupons as well. EX: $1.00 paper coupon for cereal + $1.00 electronic coupon = $2.00 off. This week I got boxes of fruit snacks for $.50 each and Hamburger Helper (good food storage item) for $.10 each. The websites for the electronic coupons are: http://www.shortcuts.com/, http://www.pgesaver.com/, and http://www.softcoin.com/. Right now I've got about 100 coupons on my card. I would bet between the three sites, there are at least 150 coupons.

With Adam back in school and Matt starting preschool next week. And the fact, that they're growing up and will both be in school full-time next year, makes me feel like I'm in "limbo-land". I remember feeling MANY times when they were babies and toddlers, how nice it would be when they were in school and I could do "this, this, and this." But now that they're going to school, "this, this and this" just doesn't seem as important or worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like I have to find something to do just to fill the time. I know there are things I can do to postpone this phase, like keep Matt home from preschool, but that simply delays it. There's nothing that will avoid it. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I think to myself, "Hallelujah, I've got the house to myself". Or grocery shopping by myself is definitely a huge bonus. But, there are times, too, when it just feels downright lonely.