I have a problem.

And it's called Farmville. It's this farming application on Facebook and it's addicting. Can't really figure out why, but I think it's because I can organize my land, house, animals any way I want to and they STAY that way, lol.

I'm getting that way with the house too. Slowing chiseling away at the clutter, slow and steady. We haven't had the giant pile up with school papers like I was expecting, so that is nice!

With Tay starting jr. high, I figured it was time to look into getting a laptop. She is involved with yearbook this year and they can work on their pages online. Between that, homework and her own online downtime, I can't see me getting the desk top a whole lot, lol. Plus I'd like to start putting video from our HandyCam on to discs, that project is WELL overdue! The only problem to that is there are a lot of little clips and they would take HOURS to burn versus the time it would take for one longer video to burn (each clip has to prep, record and finalize). With a laptop, I could do my videos on there. Plus it would take the place of our portable dvd player that kicked the bucket. However, after days and hours of research and finally narrowing it down to a laptop I like, it has disappeared from the online retailer's site:( I emailed both the retailer and the manufacturer and I have received the runaround as to the status of this laptop. It's not an older one, in fact some sites don't even have a review for it yet. I know the retailer's store has it, I saw it there 2 days ago. I was hoping to wait until later in October, but maybe we'll have to push that up a bit to get it!

Tired.

So tired....and ready for some normal!

Originally we didn't have anything planned for this weekend and that was a nice change of pace. Then my mom called mid-week and wanted to get everyone together to grill and hang out. So we went there on Friday night and stayed over since it's a longer drive to our house and DH and I both drank. Around the same time my mom called, an old friend text DH about a housewarming campout at his lake house. So mom kept the kids yesterday/last night and we hung out at the lake with some old friends and crashed in our motorhome. I'm looking forward to my own bed tonight!

Taylor starts school on Thursday and while I'm ready for it, I'm not. Homework. Conferences. Boys. Dramatic girlfriends. :::sigh::: I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

And.....done!

We did it. The crazy is finally done and I survived! :)

• The zoo (and the only monkeys I came home with are the ones that were always mine, lol). Cole was so psyched to see those giraffes and they didn't disappoint! The only downside was the weather. We did things backwards....we did the indoor stuff first and the outdoor stuff last. By the time we got outside the clouds had rolled in and it was chilly!
• MOA with Nickelodeon Universe and Underwater World. Lots of walking, and a lot of riding, but a good time was had by all. The neatest thing was Cole getting to meet SpongeBob Squarepants and Diego. It was like he was meeting his heroes, lol. Just in awe and with big smiles. So glad I caught in on camera and that they were nice enough to let me take pictures. Some places that take their own pictures won't let you do that with your own camera and then they charge you for one picture:( Their employees even hammed it up so the kids would look my way and I could get a good shot, that was really nice and appreciated!
• Junior High orientation. Oy. It was long and it was a zoo, but everything is done. Bus pass, lunch pin number, health forms, and I'm signed up for their "Parent Portal" where I can check Tay's grades, attendance, etc. online. THAT will be nice! No more emails from the teacher or waiting until the report card to find out assignments are missing. There was so much running around that by the time we found that last thing we needed, I joked that I should get a sticker for successfully completing the scavenger hunt!
  

Tay gets her haircut tomorrow, but then I'm looking forward to a few days of NOTHING. We have offers to go up north for the weekend or to camp out for a housewarming party, but I'm content to hang out at home. Get caught up on some stuff. Find normal!