A new day

Well, I am feeling better today. I was able to speak to my alderman, and he is great. He listened to my concerns and assured me that he will help ensure our rights are protected. Apparently he has already been contacted by other parents and neighbors. And more may call him still. I spoke to more parents today. I spoke to the volunteer coordinator who is a big advocate for the students and teachers. I got more information. I emailed the family lawyer for some legal advice. I got more people in my corner. I feel confident that we will be heard and our concerns considered. Who knows, we may still not necessarily get our way, but at the least we will be involved. Walking to school tomorrow should be interesting....I haven't seen the parents yet. So I have more people to tell.

Back to family news, I am witnessing something very interesting these days. The girls are really into music. They want to rock. So they decided to form their own band. It's called "Two Girls Only". Great name. They play with Katie's Hannah Montana guitar, write lyrics and sing while wearing headphones. They even have the drama down. Every session seems to end with Katie yelling "I QUIT THE BAND!" So funny.

Here's a recent pic that Mark took, since I haven't posted one in a while. Thanks for checking in and I will keep you posted on my community action!

Kristin

You can't fight city hall...

SAYS WHO!!!???? I think the first time I heard that was on the Brady Bunch. They haven't met me yet.
I went to my first ever Nashua City Zoning Board meeting last night. I was invited because they need to expand the fire lane behind the school, and we are property abutters. Fine. I see the need for a bigger fire lane. I am a safety person. I just wanted to know how the tree line was going to be affected.
You can imagine my surprise when the engineer started to discuss drop off and pick up patterns and how the use of this "fire lane" for parent use would be good for the school.
What?!! I was horrified. As a property abutter I was told fire lane. Not access road for inconsiderate parents. Not increased traffic where my child walks to school. My hearing impaired child. You've got to be kidding me.
I consider myself to be a fair public speaker. I do well when I am prepared. I was not prepared. I was visibly shaking during my address to the board. Both times. Furious does not begin to describe my thoughts. I originally wanted to know how many trees were to be cut down. Now I am thinking, how on earth are we going to get to school and home from school safely? Not to mention my now very public backyard. Noisy backyard. Polluted by exhaust backyard. Where my kids play. Where I could sunbathe, if I so chose to do. Not any more. I've lost enough equity. Where is my property value going? The list goes on.
So I spent the majority of today worrying. The rest of the day was spent on action. I called parents in the neighborhood. I called neighbors with a vested interest. I called my mom. Several times. I called my ALDERMAN. He needs to step up to the plate NOW. I called the fire marshal. I am going to be informed, and I am going to fight my fight. I may lose, but you can not tell me that this is going forward without the proper amount of notification to the neighborhood and the consideration of alternatives.
I am a green person. If you have been following this blog you know that. I recycle EVERYTHING. I bring things home just to recycle them. I hang my laundry outside. Now everyone can see my skibbies as they are drying. Without intending to, the school is proposing to de-incentivise walking to school. What was once a nice safe route is now clouded in traffic patterns. By the WORST offenders. Parents who could care less. Dropping off kids while texting their BFFs about lunch dates and pedicures. It will just be a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Right now the offenders just annoy those who do follow the rules as there are no children in their direct path. We are deliberately putting them there. It's a recipe for disaster. I pray to God above that I do not ever post an "I told you so" here.

Editorial note: As I was writing this I was called by my dad to inform me that I was on TV-the hearing was posted on the public access channel. I watched it and am so glad I did. Just to get a new perspective. I did OK. The shaking was more internal than I thought it was. My mom told me that I did well. OK, she's my mom, biased, but it still made me feel better. Much better. This whole thing is just a fiasco. To those out there that I call and vent to-THANK YOU. Right now I might really need you. Just to talk. Just to listen. Just for advice. I need you and thank you so much for being there for me. You have no idea how much it means to me.

OK, so I am still on board for community action. Let's see what we can do. All in favor say "Aye".
I'll keep you posted. If you can make the planning meeting-please do so. If you live in ward 9 and are concerned, please call Alderman Cox at 603-891-0263.

Thanks-
Kristin "The Activist"

Watch what you say

So, I am not a crazy driver, flipping people off and running red lights. I try to stay calm. I do occassionally get bothered by someone who cuts in front of me or is otherwise inconsiderate. One day after one such incident, I probably made some comment that led to the two impressionable ears in the backseat asking me what happened. I told them. That truck just cut me off. I explained that it was a bit like cutting in line when you are waiting to go though the hall at school.


Well, I guess that stuck too. Here is what Paige brought home from school last week. Note sentence number 3.





Apparently Mrs. Carlson could relate, since she got a star AND a smiley face!
Hope you all had a good weekend. And no one cut you off.
Kristin

Six Figures

Before you get too excited, no I didn't win the lottery. And no, I didn't get a big fat raise. I know, very disappointing! Today my car hit 100,000 miles. Unlike the other crazy people in my family, I do not name every inanimate object I own. I named my kids and stopped it there. Therefore, my car does not have a name. If I'm feeling a little sassy, sometimes I refer to it as the Escapay, with a little spanish accent, instead of merely the Escape. But I digress. 100,000 miles. It actually made me feel old. I have never owned a car with that many miles on it. Or for this long. It's only the second car I've owned. Ever. I do still like it a lot, but wish it could expand as the family gets older and we have friends to drive around. In June it will be seven years. Wow, no wonder I am thinking of my next car. We've hit the seven year itch! Does this mean I should go and test drive something else? Is it mid-life crisis time? It will someday be replaced by something with a third row seat that can pull the boat. Probably not as soon as we'd like, refer to points one and two if you are wondering why!
Time to hit the treadmill again. 30 days until vacation. Still some chocolate cake left on the counter. But not much. Just looking at it is making me expand. I guess I should listen to Aunt Peggy-I can waste it, or I can WAIST it!
Kristin

History in the making

What a big day. I haven't heard the speech yet, but I am sure it was amazing. I was very happy to hear that Paige got to watch some of the inauguration today at school. One of those days that you will remember where you were and what you were doing. So what was I doing? Sitting all alone at my computer at a client site. Not really my first choice, but it is what it is. So I started an email string about this historic day and had some political banter with family. My favorite part was wondering out loud what Ex President Bush is doing tonight? I doubt he put on his penguin suit and attended an inaugural ball. My guess? Throwing down a few Natty lights at the local honky tonk with a bimbo blond named Trixie. Only if Dick Cheney gave him the OK, of course. And good old Dick would have been right by his side except the honky tonk is not exactly handicapped accessible. Besides, if he had to ask for help all the red necks would probably have just yelled at him- "Get a job you bum!"
Since Tuesday is dance day I'll have to catch up on my news later. We are really getting into our piece for the recital. The old ladies (and one guy) in hip hop are going to steal the show! Not me though, I got upstage lefted (apparently this is equivalent to playing right field-not exactly possible to be a benchwarmer in dance....) Really, it's just a coincidence I think, but I will still be breaking out all my best moves so some day I can be front and center like the real dancer in the family! And feel good about it! I am finding it so much easier this year. Maybe it's just the extra time I've spent in class, or the confidence of knowing I have done it before and lived to tell about it, but I feel more and more like I can do this. So I will. Good or not, I will have style. At least it's some good exercise too!
Diet is not going as well. Lost maybe a pound? Just trying to be healthier but that chocolate cake upstairs is not helping. Who am I trying to impress anyway?
I have some images to post from Saturday's practice-I'll put them up soon. One month to go tomorrow! Yippee!
Kristin

Pre-Vacation Starvation

It's that time you know, about a month before vacation everything seems too tight and I start having bathing suit nightmares. It's been a positive form of stress this time though-not real starvation but a kick in the pants to use the treadmill and eat better. So far so good. It's been about 2 or 3 weeks of healthier me. I hope it lasts. Will make pre-summer easier this year! Of course we are going out to eat tonight for movie night so I guess I need to factor that in to todays meals.
One very positive thing I am doing and loving is making the menu for the week BEFORE I go to the store. Yes, I hear you, doesn't that make the most sense? Of course but it was never done. Too busy, yadda yadda. I force myself on Thursdays to write a menu for the next week and then make my grocery list. So far so good. In 2 weeks we've eaten at home every day except one day that we had friends over we ordered pizza. It's been great. So much easier to get home and just know what to make and not think "Man, I forgot to thaw the chicken!" Now I check the list before I go to bed. I hope after another month of this it will just be a habit. Baby steps.
Of coure, if I really want to lose weight I can just stand outside and shiver it off. Seriously? -15 this morning at our house around 6:30. That's fifteen degrees below zero! Ouch! At least it was up to about 0 for the walk to school. Fast walk to school. Still easier than driving.
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend-brace yourselves for more snow on Sunday!
Kristin

Thought for the day....

I saw this car today on my way to dance. The license plate said "optimst". Then I thought to myself, "If I really work hard at it, I will be an optimist someday too!"

A new record!

I don't have much to say, well I do, but I'll keep most of it to myself for a change. I just wanted to post for 5 days in a row! I am actually scrapbooking tonight-feels good to get into it a bit again. Mark has friends over to watch the BCS game and plan their ice fishing trip, so I am hiding in the basement. At least I like it here! And I won the who-has-the-most-beat-up-hat contest. So I'm feeling pretty good. I would win the sweatshirt contest with my WPI sweatshirt too. It's from 1991. Still fits. What's left of it. Gives a new definition to threadbare. Maybe I'll post some images this weekend. I have asked for a new one every year for Christmas for like the last 7 or 8 years. Maybe some day Santa will put me on the nice list.....
Kristin

Introducing.......

I love my dad. He called and offered to pick up Katie for me today so I didn't have to go out in the snow. So great.
When he brought her back to the house I said Katie-tell Papoo who you are going to be in the recital!
Katie: A surfer girl....
Mom: Yeah, but what's her name?
Katie: BOOM BOOM!
OK, I think I have Uncle Rod to thank for that one-Katie showed off her Demi Lovato outfit to everyone on Christmas night and insisted Aunt Betty "introduce" her. After the first intro someone yelled from the peanut gallery "Boom Boom"!
Well, Katie decided she need another intro, so this time it was Katie "Boom Boom" (insert last name here-don't necessarily want the whole world to track us down!)!
And now I guess it's stuck.

Home stretch

Now I know this is January, but in terms of school, and dance, we are entering the second half of the year. The weather doesn't seem to want us to leave the house, as we had days off and delays before the holidays, now we started back to school with a delay and most likely no school tomorrow. Go figure. At least we got dance in today where we learned the numbers we will be doing in the big show in June! Drum roll please........
Katie will be Gidget in tap shoes for Gidget goes to Hawaii! So her...
Paige is going to be in taps as well for Charlie Brown....
Musical Theater for Paige is to be announced on Friday.
And for me, well, let me just say Miss Jen is the best. If you went to college with me, or any number of college parties with me, or ever played on a team with me where I made the warm up tape, you know that Rob Base just rocks the mic. Which is why I was jumping up and down when she told us we were dancing to "Joy and Pain" for the recital! Not quite "It Takes Two", but still GREAT! What a throwback. She already has us practicing running mans and roger rabbits. How fun is that? I might show up to the next class in parachute pants, a Michael Jackson T shirt and big hair with a nice aquanet claw standing up from my forehead. I will use a terry headband to make it stand up really straight and wear about a hundred little plastic bracelets, and put the same number of friendship pins on my shoelaces.
When class is over I'll change into my jeans (pegged of course) and a v-neck cable sweater that I will wear backwards. On the way home I'll throw in some Kid-n-Play and MC Hammer just to keep the mood flowing. Maybe I'll shoot the next class with my Kodak disc camera....
We're 2 hype!
Ok, maybe I just over did that a little, but you get the idea! Rock on old school!
Kristin

Hobbies and such

First a correction-cookie dough will be in by the end of January, not the week after it's ordered-sorry!

Now for the good stuff. I need a new hobby like I need a hole in the head. So why did I just spend about 45 minutes making a movie? Paige made a comment to me today as we were folding laundry together-
"Mom, did you ever notice that girls have more jobs than boys do? I mean, girls work A LOT and boys don't"
She was referring to house work of course. When I told her that daddy works a lot too she said-
"Yeah, but Moms do a lot more than Dads. Moms cook most of the time and put the dishes away too."
Just the way it is darling, we girls take on too much. So how am I going to do a new hobby too?
Check out my first foray into moving pictures...Fair warning- go to the bathroom first. It's pretty funny.

I can't believe I just found another thing to be excited about. Oh the possibilities!

Let me know what you think.

Cheers-

Kristin

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, I know we did. They always go by a bit too fast for me though. I really had some time to relax and got some stuff done around the house. I feel recharged and ready to get back to work but I am going to miss the slower pace and extra time with the kids. I got some new goodies to play with in my scrapbook room so I NEED to make time for that now. So much catching up to do. I went to my favorite local store, Amandalinz, and stocked up because the economy has hurt them too. After 9 years they are closing shop. So sad to hear that.
On a happy note, Disney is only 7 weeks away now! We are into our last fundraiser of the year to make some "dough" for the trip-yes, we are selling cookie dough! It comes frozen and I have some freezer space....each tub makes about 48 cookies. You can pay me when it comes in if you are interested. Orders are due January 8 and it should be in the next week sometime.
Here's what we are offering...
For $12-
Snickerdoodle
Chocolate chip
Chocolate chunk
Oatmeal raisin
Sugar cookie
Peanut butter
For $14-
Candy cookie (with M and Ms)
Double chocolate brownie
Peanut butter cup
White chunk macadamia nut
All for a good cause.....just send me an email with any requests-thanks for your support!
Here's wishing you all a healthy and prosperous 2009!
Kristin